NORTHRIDGE : Andrew Young to Address CSUN Grads

When Andrew Young addresses graduating CSUN honors students this weekend about overcoming adversity, he speaks with the power of history--personal history.

Young, formerly mayor of Atlanta and U. S. ambassador to the United Nations, faced bigots, batons and bars of prison cells in his earlier work as a civil rights leader.

As a top aide to Martin Luther King Jr., he knew of struggle.

The students he will address know a little of that themselves.

Less than five months after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake rattled their school and psyches, 968 top students will gather for the Honors Convocation at 2 p.m. Sunday at the University Club.

The damage at Cal State Northridge is thought to be the costliest at a U. S. university from a natural disaster.

Young, who also served three terms in Congress, visited the devastated campus only weeks after the earthquake to survey work being done by Law Companies Group, an environmental and engineering firm, of which he is vice president.

He told students at the time that the earthquake “will prepare you in a way that just going to the library and doing the fun things about college life won’t. Most people complete their studies and then go on and get their education somewhere else. You are getting yours now.”

The students who hear Young speak Sunday will receive medallions for their academic achievements and service to the university and community.

Other commencement ceremonies are scheduled Monday through Wednesday of next week.