On September 25, I joined with many friends and guests—including alumni and past faculty of California State University, Northridge—to celebrate Founders Day at the University Club (now known as the Orange Grove Bistro).
Founders Day is a new annual tradition that began last year as part of the University’s 50th year anniversary celebrations. As noted in my blog last year, Founders Day commemorates the date in 1958 when classes commenced on campus at what was then known as San Fernando Valley State College. It is an opportunity to recognize the University’s past while also building tradition and a sense of pride for Cal State Northridge.
Celebrating Founders Day at the University Club had particular meaning since many of the founding faculty who were present at this year’s event had a hand in building the facility. During the event, we inducted the newest members of the “50 Year Club”—alumni who graduated and faculty and staff who began their service to the University at least 50 years ago.
I’m delighted to have this new tradition that celebrates Cal State Northridge’s history in such a way. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time hearing and sharing stories about the early days of the campus, learning about how much has changed, and looking in anticipation to the future!
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As we approach the end of the 2008-09 academic year and prepare to graduate a new class of students, I wish to express my appreciation to our faculty and staff for their continued outstanding work on behalf of the University and its students.
Looking ahead, I hope everyone will find time during the coming summer to enjoy themselves and spend quality time with friends and family. And as I traditionally mention before the summer break, please note that the President’s Annual Convocation to mark the start of the 2009-10 academic year is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, August 20, on the Oviatt Library Lawn. I hope everyone will take a few moments to note the date on your calendars.
While every year is eventful, this year seemed to have more than its share of uncertainty and challenges. The consequences and impact of issues such as the delayed state budget and the worldwide economic crisis, enrollment impaction, the Metrolink crash, wild fires, the arrest of one of our graduate students doing research overseas, concern over the H1N1 flu virus, and other events have affected us as individuals and collectively at the University. Such events are a powerful reminder that we, as a campus community, share a common purpose, and that the ability of the institution to meet such challenges depends on the strength and resiliency of its students, staff and faculty.
Of course, we also had much to be proud of this past year. Most memorably, we celebrated “50 years of life-changing opportunity” during 2008-09. We kicked off this milestone achievement with Founders Day in September and continued the commemoration with several subsequent events, which reached its apex at the wonderful Grand Reunion last month. Although commencement formally marks the end of our 50th year anniversary, I know we begin the next 50 years and beyond with a renewed sense of pride and appreciation for the important role Cal State Northridge plays in the lives of so many people as a regionally focused and nationally recognized institution.
Summer is the traditional time in education for people to re-energize and renew themselves, and to prepare for a new year devoted to helping students achieve their goals and reach their full potential. With this in mind, I wish each of you a productive and personally fulfilling summer.
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CSUN’s Grand Reunion, celebrated this past weekend on Saturday, April 25, with 3,500 people in attendance, was a great success! I was so delighted to see so many people there showing their Matador spirit.
As you can see from the photographs accompanying this blog, enthusiasm and pride for the University and its 50th anniversary were in abundance throughout the afternoon and evening celebrations. Alumni shared fond memories about their days as University students and remembered with delight their affiliations with various departments, programs and activities.
Many alumni came accompanied by several generations of their family, and were joined by a cross-section of the broader campus community, including students (our future alumni), faculty, and staff. The people who took part in the celebrations ranged from members of the founding graduating class—as typified by several gentlemen I spotted like the one in the photo at right wearing with pride their classic Valley State College sweaters—to the very young who entertained the crowd with their spontaneous dancing in front of the main stage. Past student leaders, athletes, Greeks, and students from diverse disciplines and fields all attended.
The event, of course, could not have been a success without the leadership, planning and hard work of a large number of people. I would particularly like to thank the Cal State Northridge Alumni Association, under the leadership of its president, Larry Twersky (’84), for outstanding work in organizing the event. The Alumni President and his Board of Directors were ably supported in this effort by D.G. “Gray” Mounger, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations, and the entire Alumni Relations staff, as well as the broader University Advancement staff, led by Vice President Vance Peterson. They, in turn, were joined by a full complement of staff and students from campus who volunteered their time and energy to ensure that everyone who attended had a good time.
Despite the prediction of clouds and possible showers, it turned out to be a sunny day, and perfect for the entire campus family to join together to celebrate “50 years of life-changing opportunity” and to demonstrate collectively why Cal State Northridge continues to be the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and beyond. It was heartening to see what a profound impact this University has had on so many people. I will remember the day with continued pride for some time.
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