Welcome
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome, to the Golden Eagle, and to California State University of Los Angeles. My name is Jim Rosser. I'm the President of Cal State Los Angeles, and I'm a recycled Board Member of KCET. I must tell you that on this second recycling, I'm far more excited now than I was during the first ten years that I served as a member of the Board. I'm more excited, primarily because of KCEd, and what it portends and offers, not only for Public Television, but for this nation, for its youth. I am excited by our efforts, at this point in time, to use a tool that creatively applied can address some of the major issues that this nation confronts, in terms of equality and quality for all. So, on behalf of Cal State Los Angeles, and certainly as a Board Member of KCET, I want to welcome you to this convening.

	"This is a really signal event, and a signal moment in the history of KCET, and maybe in the history of Public Television."

This is a really signal event, and a signal moment in the history of KCET, and maybe in the history of Public Television. As I'm sure this next day and a half will demonstrate, I think we are a harbinger for the future, to the extent that we, collectively, can make this happen. I believe sincerely that we must make this happen, not just that we can make this happen. It's my belief that with the caliber and quality and expertise of those who have joined us for this convening, we can reshape this effort in such a way that it will be so compelling that everyone would want to join with us on behalf of the youth of this state, and the youth of this nation.

This is an important occasion for all of us and it really does give me a great deal of pleasure, as a member of the Board of KCET, as someone who chaired an early meeting about the development of this concept and the Convening, and who also contributed some of the intellectual capacity to the effort, to define this project on a much more, I think, realistic and appropriate manner -- through the assistance of Ann Barbour, who is a Professor here at Cal State Los Angeles, author of the White Paper that has now been refined into the concept that we will be trying to refine even further, and which convinced you to help us and which will convince others that it's worth moving ahead with and supporting KCEd.

Ann Barbour (left) chats with fellow convening participant.

I'm also pleased tonight to welcome you, because we have with us the former Mayor of this great city, Dick Riordan. Although he is now retired, he still has a significant interest in children and youth, and it is reflected in a great many of the activities that Dick Riordan was involved with before he became the Mayor. It's also reflected in his notion that every part of this city ought to rise up and add something of value to Los Angeles. The Golden Eagle is one of our efforts, along with the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, of responding to that challenge that Dick gave us, some years ago when he was the Mayor, of trying to make this the world's first world city, and I think we're close to that.

Now, we have to make this city the envy of the world, in terms of education, and the only place to really start is where we're beginning to start with KCEd. So, I trust that all of you, who are here tonight and will be with us through tomorrow, will aid all of us in coming to a fuller understanding and appreciation, not only of the challenge that's before us, but of the reality of what will occur if we don't accomplish what we're here to try to do over this day and a half. So, I want to thank you for being here. We will first have dinner. Subsequently, there will be an introduction of the former Mayor of this great city, who will share some of his thoughts with us. And then, I will have a few closing remarks. Thank you for being here, on behalf of the Board of Directors for KCET.

Dr. James Rosser
KCEd Expert's Convening
August 29, 2003