Obama to Katrina grads: Get involved: Senator addresses Xavier class that nearly wasn't

NEW ORLEANS -- Nearly a year after Hurricane Katrina submergedXavier University's campus under eight feet of water, Illinois Sen.Barack Obama joined the school in celebrating one of its largestgraduating classes.

"Thanks for allowing me to share in your miracle," Obama told thealmost 500 graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and theGraduate School seated Saturday at the New Orleans Arena.

Norman Francis, Xavier's president, said he never doubted that theuniversity would hold graduation ceremonies this year.

"I said shortly after the storm that people would either call mestupid and crazy or an aggressive visionary," Francis said. "I guessit's the latter."

Xavier, the country's only historically black and Roman Catholiccollege, reopened in January. More than 120 students graduated fromthe College of Pharmacy in May, and the fall semester starts Sept. 8with about 2,800 students.

Obama noted that most commencement speakers tell graduates what toexpect when they enter "the real world."

"But this is different," he said, adding that most in the roomhave experienced the "real" world since Katrina.

The Democratic senator said he visited New Orleans last month andsaw the "pictures of your campus after the storm -- submergedclassrooms and dorm rooms."

'RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEMBER'

He recalled hearing the stories of 400 students trapped on theroof of a building after flooding blocked their escape.

He said he could give advice about overcoming challenges or aboutcourage and perseverance but "you could probably teach the rest ofus" about those things.

"Yours has been quite an education, an education in humanitybrought by a force of nature," Obama said.

However, he said, these types of lessons can be unlearned.

"Time can heal and cloud a memory," he said. "But it's yourresponsibility to remember what happened in New Orleans and make it apart of who you are. Katrina might be the most dramatic test youtake, but it won't be the last."

Obama said the graduates would be forced to choose a path -- oneof detachment and indifference or one of involvement.

"The easiest thing is to do nothing at all. Turn off the TV, putdown the newspaper and go about your busy lives. Remain detached andindifferent," he said. "But, if you choose to remember what happenswhen responsibilities are ignored and the buck is passed . . . thatasks more of you. Not only to pursue your own individual dreams butalso to perfect our collective dream as a nation."