CAMPUS BRIEF: Thursday, April 16, 1998

Phila. mayor to speak at College commencement College Dean Richard Beeman made the announcement yesterday, adding that College senior Laura Schulman will represent the Class of 1998 at the speakers' podium. The May 17 ceremony will be held on Franklin Field and is expected to draw 1,450 students and upwards of 12,000 family members and friends. Rendell, 54, graduated from the College in 1965 with a degree in political science. He was vice president of the Men's Student Government during his senior year at Penn. After eight years as district attorney and failed bids for mayor and governor, Rendell was elected mayor in 1991, and won a landslide re-election four years later. Frequently rumored to be a contender for a Cabinet position, Rendell has promised to finish his second and last term, set to expire in 2000. Last year's speaker, 1977 College graduate William Shore, also came from the world of politics. Before founding Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger charitable organization, Shore advised presidential candidate Gary Hart and Senator Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.). Schulman, an economics major, brings a distinguished resume to her speech. She is a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honors Society and the former vice chairperson of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education. She is also a co-founder of the Women in Leadership Series. -- Ed Sherwin