EDITORIAL : TURNING IT AROUND; CSUN'S BLENDA WILSON MAKES THE RIGHT CALL.

TURNAROUND artist Blenda Wilson has done it again.

With the help and guidance of a community task force, the president of California State University, Northridge, has committed CSUN to backing all 20 sports - including the four men's teams cut earlier this year - for the long term.

By contributing $5,000 of her own money to the athletic program, Wilson is paying more than lip service. She is listening and responding to the Valley's desire to have a well-rounded, vibrant, community-oriented university.

Wilson, who earlier this year was roundly criticized for cutting several sports for men, could not have made that decision without help.

Paving the way was a 15-member task force spearheaded by Dr. Keith Richman. The task force issued a 41-page report outlining a long-range plan for the athletic program after holding public forums, listening to experts, doing research and compiling surveys.

The panel's commitment to helping the university find solutions cannot have escaped her notice.

CSUN is not an island unto itself. A well-maintained, economically sound and academically strong university enhances the entire San Fernando Valley and the communities around the Valley.

The thousands of students and residents it serves each year are only a fraction of the people who would support the institution, given the chance.

Now is that chance. With cuts in the state budget, CSUN cannot survive and thrive without additional support from area residents.

As Wilson said, ``Private support is necessary if athletics is going to go from a survival to an excellent program.''

We encourage residents to accept Wilson's challenge to create a true partnership that benefits both the university and the greater community.