University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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Exercising a Social Conscience SCCAP and the Special Olympics help solve real world problems, by Beth Limberg To students, The Santa Clara Community Action Program — SCCAP — is a a roller coaster into the wild, sometimes desperate, world beyond academia. Through its 12 programs SCCAP allows students to come to grips with some of the problems that exist just outside the University walls. I don ' t think that those who began SCCAP 20 years ago knew what would happen to their club. It isn ' t one of Kelly Kordner Taking a breather in between Special Olympics basketball games, )eff Ringgald and his buddy ' s expressions prove that happiness is just being together. The Special Olympics games are held in the fall and spring quarters. those organizations that just pops up on every campus, like student government or a newspaper. They struggled for money, office space, and recognition. We take it for granted now. ..the office, the vans, a real budget. One program started it all, a program working with children at an elementary school in a poverty-stricken area. Then SCCAP shifted to political counseling and draft protests. That was, after all, the sixties when everything was political. Eventually SCCAP moved into programs for the developmentally disabled, for senior citizens, for the incarcerated and their families, for the homeless and the hungry, for children in need of religious teachings... the list keeps going. Recently, SCCAP started working in mental health, women ' s issues, and immigration. I guess you could say that SCCAP jumps on the bandwagon. The participants are concerned with what ' s happening NOW in the community. That ' s what SCCAP is here for. Most of what we learn in class is three years behind life. (Isn ' t that the lag before our textbooks are published?) SCCAP can ' t afford that lag. Neither can the community. We meet the needs, some of them anyway, of both the community and the students. Why do we do it? Why do we spend three hours visiting with a kid whose dad is in jail when what we really should be doing is studying for that midterm tomorrow? Why do we waste a Saturday of perfect beach weather to accompany one of the athletes in the Special Olympics? Why do we serve at a soup kitchen on Tuesday nights when all of our friends are on their way out to party? There ' s no real answer. It ' s not a logical or even tangible reason. But. ..the faces. If you could just see the faces of those we work with — the joy, the sorrow, the love, the pain; it ' s always a strange combination. The feelings are not all good. But the feelings are strong. And that strength . keeps us going. t - 1 2 student Life

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Jim Farwell A Sizeable Difference Smaller parties offer students a chance to discover their classmates. w ve finally graduated to off-campus parties. As juniors and seniors we remember our first two years, looking out from Swig and Dunne as the upperclassmen had their parties in the off-campus houses — the Blue House, Animal House, Green House — thinking how some day we would be able to party over there. That day came, but things have changed. We are now joined by all those in the dorms who are not able to be as reckless as we once were when we snuck in a million cases or even a keg of beer and filled our rooms with 30 people — any night of the week. Now everyone relies on the off-campus houses for parties. Some of the off-campus parties are not parties at all, though. They are an opportunity for the residents of these houses to show off their entrepreneurial spirit. What used to be social gatherings with friends have turned into games of push and shove to get your $2 worth of beer. While the crowd is pushing and shoving, the hosts are counting the cash and dreaming of the new T.V. or microwave they ' ll buy with Lcsm and JBriaa Cranej the profits. Fortunately, there are those parties where the hosts are genuinely hosts. Smaller parties like those at the Log Cabin or House of Stress have provided us with the opportunity to escape with friends in a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere. There isn ' t a $2 charge at the door; if you have some cash, though, donations are welcomed. The object is not to make a profit, but to have an awesome time. Lines are not a problem. Occasionally one forms to ride the boogie- board down the stairs at the Log Cabin, or to participate in the next round of thumper or quarters, but a beer line, never! Most of the time there ' s even toilet paper in the bathroom! At the Log Cabin, vodka jello is offered as an alternative to beer, and you can always count on Maria to offer everyone Graham Crackers at about 1 1p.m. These types of parties guarantee a diverse crowd and unique adventures. The casual, friendly atmospheres encourage socializing without the hassle of fighting crowds. When the kegs run dry, the hat gets passed around again. If there ' s not enough for a I Mike Bradish Showing off her best dancing technique Charolotte Olsen attempts to divert Katie Hoey ' s concentration from her turn at a quarters game. keg, then cases of Strohs suffice. It wasn ' t long ago that small parties, like these, were characteristic of the dorms. Now, on-campus students must rely on crowded gatherings on Market and Alviso streets. The alcohol policy hasn ' t kept students from partying; it ' s just helped make many of the parties impersonal. That ' s really a shame because it ' s the small parties that allow us the best opportunity to get to know the personalities of our classmates, and really, that ' s what partying is all about. A Sizeable Difference 1 1

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Becoming involved with those who live in the surrounding connmunities sometimes means inviting the community to Santa Clara. Emily McFarland, SCCAP director, enjoys a Bronco basketball game with two mentally disabled women from Agnews Hospital. Scott Aiyn Crayons, Kool-aid, and lots of patience are the staples at Martha ' s Kitchen when children are involved. Michelle Marvier baby-sat these children while their parents received food from the volunteers. Kim Johnson photographed various SCCAP activities for a photo essay. By documenting SCCAP ' s work, Kim gained insight into the needs of the San lose community. Scott Alyn Exercising a Social Conscience 1 3