Manning stands out in academic crowd

One of these things is not like the other: Martin Sheen, Henry Kissinger, Bob Costas, Peyton Manning.

The Connaissance Committee of the Social Planning and Events Committee announced yesterday that Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning will be coming to speak at Penn next month.

But Manning - more of an athlete with celebrity status than a prestigious academic figure - has raised considerable debate among Penn students and faculty regarding whether Manning was an appropriate choice.

"I don't get what he's going to talk about," College freshman Josh Pollack said. "Why would we get Peyton Manning?"

College freshman Andrew Kincaid voiced a similar opinion.

"None of us are going to be professional football players," said Kincaid, adding that he would have preferred a speaker whose career was more relevant to Penn students' future careers.

But student leaders responsible for this decision are standing by their choice.

"We were trying to do something different and . timely," said College senior Mindy Sprung, co-director of SPEC Connaissance.

"We want to try to appeal to different groups on campus," she added.

Sprung explained that the committee was looking for a speaker in the field of media and popular culture, and that Manning not only fits that criteria but also loves speaking to students.

Some students, too, expect Manning's skills behind the podium to match his athletic prowess on the gridiron.

"Hearing a famous athlete speak would be something new and different for me," College senior Terra Gearhart wrote in an e-mail.

Sue Weber, associate director of Penn's Communication Within the Curriculum speaking program, said that, although a young speaker in his or her twenties might have been an interesting choice for undergraduates, Manning will add a new dimension to the list of past speakers.

"What good is a liberal arts degree," she asked, if Penn students cannot imagine themselves doing more than one thing with their lives?

Of course, the disclosure of Manning's name was a thrill for football fans around campus.

College sophomore Bobak Parang, for example, grew up watching Manning play college football in Tennessee.

"If a kid has a sports idol, he is my sports idol," he said.

He said he hopes to add another signature to his collection - in fifth grade he wrote a letter to Manning, then a college football player, asking for his autograph.

Manning is scheduled to come to Penn to speak on Tuesday, March 27th at 7:00 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium

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