Rendell speaks to College graduates

Wharton graduates may be described as business savvy, Engineering graduates as technologically astute, but members of the College of Arts and Sciences Class of 1998 are characterized by resourcefulness and ingenuity, as they demonstrated at Sunday evening's graduation exercises. When coordinators for the Franklin Field ceremony underestimated the size of the class by about 50, graduates took it upon themselves to rush onto the field behind the stage and to "borrow" extra chairs from the rows that had been set up for Monday morning's commencement. The team-player mentality was evident in this year's College class as graduates grabbed not only seats for themselves, but for others, selflessly passing them back to fellow graduates. After everyone was finally seated, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston welcomed the large crowd of faculty, family and friends, paying special recognition to the particularly animated group of graduates. "I especially want to welcome the great College of Arts and Sciences Class of 1998," Preston said proudly. "You did it!" College Dean Richard Beeman then took the podium to add his own words of inspiration. A history professor, Beeman regaled the crowd with a sampling of his famed Ben Franklin anecdotes, urging graduates to "have the curiosity that keeps you young and inquisitive like Franklin." And student speaker Laura Schulman also offered own words of advice to her classmates. She concluded by asking her classmates to have the courage to take risks, reminding them that "if you don't swing the bat, you can't hit the ball." The keynote speaker, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell -- a 1965 College graduate -- then took the stage to spirited applause. A political science major at Penn, Rendell attended law school at Villanova and was elected mayor in 1991. Vice President Al Gore has dubbed him "America's Mayor" for his work in balancing the budget and dramatically reducing the city's crime rate. Rendell got the crowd laughing as he began with an anecdote about his 18-year old son Jesse, who will join the University next year as a member of the class of 2002. He described how Jesse recently arose at 5:45 on the morning his 8:30 a.m. Advanced Placement Calculus exam to begin studying. The crowd erupted into laughter when Rendell told of how, despite having his own driver's license and car, Jesse woke his parents at 5:46 a.m. to ask them to drive to the store for soda because he "needed every minute he could get to study." "He is absolutely ready for Penn," the mayor said of his son. Rendell then went on to praise the class of 1998 for their work in Philadelphia, noting that this year's class has done more community service than any in the past. He also beseeched graduates to make a difference in their communities. "You can change anything," he said. "You might not be able to change it as quickly or as completely as you want, but you can change anything." And before graduates proceeded across the stage to receive their degrees, Beeman added one final logistical note about the next day's commencement ceremony. He pointed out that because the College is first in the alphabet, its graduates are often unsure of exactly how to act when presented by the dean to University President Judith Rodin as candidates for degrees. "Wharton is always making a lot of noise and waving their briefcases and stock portfolios," Beeman said to roaring laughter. "When Dean Preston stands there tomorrow, you all can wave your copies of The Iliad or Virginia Woolf."