Locatelli says he will be grad speaker during chat with TSC

University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., will be the Class of 2008 commencement speaker, he revealed to The Santa Clara editors during a roundtable discussion on Monday, April 7.

The Board of Trustees unanimously chose Locatelli as the graduation speaker as a way to honor him for his 20 years as president, but this news was only one piece of information Santa Clara's longest-serving president shared with The Santa Clara last week.

Locatelli sat down with the editors to answer questions on various campus issues, ranging from how he sees university expansion to diversity. Finally, Locatelli spoke about how he saw his legacy.

TSC: With the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings on Wednesday and only a little over half of the Santa Clara community signed up for Connet-Ed, why not make it mandatory to sign up?

PL: I'm with you. We were trying to make it mandatory, and there's a mixed reaction out there whether or not it should be. We even thought about not letting people register until they do it, but I think that would create even more problems. I'm astounded at people â?¦ it's free, it's protected, I don't understand why people don't sign up.

TSC: Santa Clara has long-term plans to build new residence halls. When this occurs, do you think enrollment will increase?

PL: Oh, no. It won't be my decision, I'll be gone, but we've talked for a long time about the size of the student body and believe that about 4,800 total is the right number for a sense of community and development of community over time. The other piece of that is to increase the student body, we'd have to build more classrooms and more offices for faculty. We don't have any plans to do that.

TSC: So then the university will resemble more of a four-year residential college?

PL: Yes. They would be in the model of Sobrato and Da Vinci (Casa Italiana). Swig Hall is by far off the radar screen. I was hoping that before the Navy moved out that they would kind of, when no one was around campus, just kind of bomb that. Destroy it on the spot. I don't even see us building places like Graham or Sanfilippo. It'll be much more apartment style.

TSC: Do you have an endorsement for the 2008 presidential election?

PL: I can't get into politics. I have to stay neutral. Do you have an endorsement?

TSC: We endorsed Barack Obama.

PL: Ah, good. I think most people like him, don't they?

You know, what I like about him is that he's refreshing in the way Kennedy was refreshing when we were in college. I remember going to the senior ball, and it was the first debate between Kennedy and Nixon, and we even took time out during the ball to watch some of the debates. We were really taken by him. I think he's very refreshing.

TSC: What tangible steps to improve diversity need to occur?

PL: I think one of the things that is really critical is that we have a climate of welcome and hospitality. I think without that, numbers don't solve the issue. I think if we all take steps to improve the climate of diversity at all levels on campus, I think the numbers will follow. Because what you don't want to have is increased numbers at all costs and then not a climate that is welcoming and respecting to each person.

TSC: Do you have ideas to create this welcoming climate?

PL: I myself think the best way to create climate is how we come together in conversation. One of the things I learned in Rome at this 10-week meeting is that we had 225 people there from all over the world, and Americans constituted 14 percent. And when we were talking about issues, the more we could come together from around different parts of the world and talk about real issues, the more you really appreciate the different perspectives.

I think that what happens in diversity is that people don't understand that when someone is saying something about a topic, it's not a personal attack. People see things very differently.

TSC: Why didn't the university allow the Vagina Monologues performance this year?

PL: I just think it's run its course. I think those things have a time and a place, and I think those kinds of things run their course.

TSC: What was it about that production that made it run its course?

PL: I think it's just like any production. I mean look at how long it lasted on Broadway.

TSC: So it was the dramatic value more so than the content?

PL: I think both. Some people found it offensive, some people liked it, some people didn't.

TSC: Is there any worry with not allowing such a production that we could possibly be silencing voices on campus?

PL: No.

TSC: Why not?

PL: It just doesn't silence voices on campus. I don't see how one play gives voices and others don't.

TSC: Some EMTs have proposed a medical amnesty alcohol policy. Would the university support it?

PL: I'm not sure. I know it's come up, and I know people have tried it in different places. I would have to have more information and evidence. I know from reading all the different approaches that that doesn't always work. Some schools have done better by being clear on consequences. I know the concern is that if someone is -- their life is being threatened, and they're afraid to call, it's worse than not calling. But there's been no evidence that I've seen that that's held anybody up from calling.

TSC: Some EMTs have cited their friends trying to call them during their off hours to avoid getting written up.

PL: They made their position clear. The other side of it is, I'm just really wondering about why people have to drink so much. Talk about education, or lack of education. I know that we have parents who write, "You got to go to a dry campus," and I tell parents we'll never go to a dry campus. I feel like that's impossible. What we want to do is teach people how to drink responsibly. That's what it's all about.

I just don't understand the amount of alcohol, particularly at the freshman and sophomore levels. It's getting worse out there. Why do people have to drink before they go to a party?

TSC: Do you feel we have enough education on drinking?

PL: We're never doing enough when you have that amount of drinking. But the other side of it is, I don't know what you do. I just think it's a complex set of issues among young people today. You've never seen so much social networking through Myspace and Facebook, yet so much disconnect face to face. You have to drink before you go talk to someone, but you'll put anything on the social network. It's very confusing.

TSC: Santa Clara graduate and Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom told a TSC reporter that he has never been invited to the university.

PL: That's an absolute lie. I personally have invited him to this campus four times.

TSC: Would you invite him to speak again?

PL: Not now (laughs). He has said that a number of times. I think he's got a dysfunctional staff. I don't know if he doesn't get the messages or not. I've invited him to come and speak on campus.

He's only come to one thing in four years that he's been in San Francisco. I think his staff probably was blocking some of that. I've heard that about his staff in the past. I don't know what it is now.

TSC: Would Newsom make a good commencement or convocation speaker?

PL: We decided we're not going to have politicians (speak at graduation). It's too convoluted. We're not taking either side on politicians.

TSC: A year after hiring Kerry Keating, are you happy with the direction the basketball team is heading?

PL: Yes, because I think we needed someone who would know how to recruit as well as coach. You need both of those things to have a winning team. He (Keating) was key to recruiting the UCLA team, probably more so than the head coach.

TSC: Keating has been rumored for head coaching jobs at places like Oregon State. Are you worried he will leave prematurely?

PL: I don't think he'll jump in a year. I don't think he's that kind of a person.

TSC: What's the one accomplishment you are most proud of?

PL: For me, the major thing is the community we've built up. I think what we've done is develop over time, just looking at the student body. Even though we've probably gone up 800 more students since when I got here, I think the community is stronger.

I think the other piece is the vision we've put in place -- that we really want to educate people to be leaders of competence, conscious and compassion. I think some of the other problems, like drinking too much, that's all part of growing up in a certain sense.

TSC: Is there anything that you regret?

PL: I don't have any regrets. Do I think I could have done things better, made some of the decisions better? Yes.

I think some of the most difficult decisions that we could have made better is how to focus on hiring and retention of faculty particularly. I think we've done a good job. I think we have a good faculty, but that's always an area that is hard to manage and make sure we have a faculty who are really engaged with students and learning. We take the harder road, say you need to do research, but you have to be real interested in students.

I think it's been a fun 20 years.

I will be the graduation speaker this year. We were arguing over this, starting about March 1, in Rome once a week, having conference calls. They had a long discussion with a number of people on campus. They thought that 20 years, at that time they didn't even know I was gonna step down -- I didn't know I was gonna step down -- and they said 20 years would be a nice time. But it makes more sense now that I'm stepping down.

So for seniors, I'll be graduating with you.

Editors Jeremy Herb, Ryan Groshong, Chris Furnari, Katie Powers, Chris Woodhouse, Kristen Boffi, Molly Leaverton and Jon McDonald contributed to this report. E-mail news@thesantaclara.com.