So as I posted previously, I went into Santa Clara University’s archival collection without a clue of what I wanted to do research on. Ends up, I found a folder containing information about a so-called “Center for the Studies of Contemporary Values.”
What is this, and why did it interest me? When I saw information about this “center,” I was surprised because I didn’t even know about. I have been to this school for almost a year now, and I am pretty confident that I already know a lot about SCU and its history. According to some of the documents I found, this center even invited Cesar Chavez to speak on campus! Yes, the hero Cesar Chavez apparently came to SCU’s campus. So how did I not know this? Why is it a part of forgotten history? These questions led me to select documents revolving around the “Center for the Studies of Contemporary Values” as my topic for my research paper.
The man himself apparently came to SCU. (Source)
The Center for the Studies of Contemporary Values, or CSCV, was a program which held guest speaker symposiums and conferences to promote discussion around the most prevalent issues at the time. At the time of inception, in 1967, much of this conversation was around the role of religion in SCU’s education. The center was often in the middle of discussion about how SCU should be as a religious school and utilize its Jesuit mission.
Unfortunately, the CSCV closed sometime around the mid 1970s. So why is there no information about this center currently available? At this point, that is a mystery to me. I could not find and sources besides information contained in one folder int he archives. Nothing on the internet, or anywhere else.
SCU Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
This is a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Markkula, whom the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics is named after. The center has been active in SCU for over 30 years, continuing its mission of “engaging individuals and organizations to make choices that respect and care for others.” This program is something that I think can connect to the CSCV in terms of its presence and themes. Maybe the Center for Applied Ethics had a part in the closing of CSCV? We may never know. However, it may be interesting to think about the connections of the current programs on campus and the ones that used to exist, and why no information remains about the history of previous programs.