Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass encouraged students to become more involved in politics and make their voices heard during a fireside chat hosted by California State University, Northridge’s Black Student Union (BSU) on Oct. 29.
BSU members, faculty and students gathered at the Orchard Conference Center for the conversation, which covered political engagement, housing affordability and opportunities for young people. Attendees received lunch and refreshments.
Throughout the conversation, Bass emphasized the importance of young people engaging in politics and finding issues they care about.
“The most important thing is to strongly encourage you to get involved in politics, because you’re desperately needed,” Bass said. “You really are. It is the way that you can make a difference,” she said.
Bass urged students to vote and take responsibility for shaping their communities.
“I do hope you’re all voting. Don’t ever get discouraged and say, ‘I just can’t even be bothered,’ because you have a responsibility, too. It’s not just about what people can do for you. It’s about what you can do,” Bass said.
Bass said making Los Angeles affordable and safe for students should be a priority as the city prepares for its next generation.
“We want students to be able to afford to live in the city of Los Angeles, to feel safe in their neighborhoods, to make sure the streetlights are working, that they feel protected and that they’re ready to take advantage of all the opportunities that the city has to offer,” Bass said.
Other topics addressed included internship opportunities in Washington, D.C. and at City Hall, as well as the need for affordable student housing, especially for community college students.
BSU President Nhiyra Bawu said she wanted students to recognize their potential and understand that they belong in spaces where decisions are made.
“I hope students understand that they are powerful, that their voice matters, that their vote matters and that they can continue to be empowered and envision themselves in all those spaces,” Bawu said.
Organizing the event came with challenges, but Bawu saw it as an opportunity for students to hear from a political leader and get answers to questions they submitted.
“I learned a lot from talking to the mayor and listening to her, but also from the questions to see what students need and how we as BSU and the greater CSUN community can address those situations,” Bawu said.
Samajai Henry, president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.’s Kappa Alpha Chapter at CSUN, said the fireside chat helped make local politics feel more accessible to students.
“Many people do feel disconnected from politics because usually these people are higher up in their roles and we kind of only see them on television or the news,” Henry said. “Students being able to see them in person helps make that connection.”
With the Nov. 3 general election approaching, the conversation gave CSUN students an opportunity to learn more about local politics and the role they can play in shaping their communities through voting and civic engagement.
For more information about the Nov. 3 general election, readers can take a look at The Sundial’s 2026 General Election Voter Guide for an overview of the election and its candidates, as well as its California Proposition Guide for explanations of the statewide ballot measures.
