Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward, who exposed the scandal which ended Richard Nixon's presidency, will speak at the University on Oct. 1 as part of the University Honor Council's third-annual Academic Integrity Week.
As a young reporter for The Washington Post, Woodward first exposed a burglary into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in 1972 with colleague Carl Bernstein.
Through a series of subsequent articles linking several high-ranking White House officials to the burglary and subsequent coverup, Woodward's work helped lead to Nixon's resignation in 1974.
"We feel that Woodward embodies the ideal we're trying to portray," said UHC Co-Chairwoman Kelly Lynch, a College senior. Integrity is "not self-contained in the undergraduate experience" or just about "academic integrity in your classrooms... it's much bigger than that," she said.
Woodward is one of the "foremost recognizable names in the history of American Journalism," according to Lynch, and she added that Woodward's staunch refusal to reveal the identity of his most famous source, "Deep Throat," is a "living example" of what integrity is about.
Lynch expects "a good amount of interest" in the event and speculates that Irvine Auditorium will once again be packed, just as it was when Erin Brockovich spoke to Penn students about integrity last year.
Although the Watergate scandal broke before most Penn students were even born, organizers said they still expect students to recognize Woodward's name and be familiar with his role in uncovering the debacle.
But some students said they weren't so sure.
"The name sounds familiar," Wharton junior Katherine Ali said. "Unfortunately, I don't think students are aware enough that it's the 30th anniversary of Watergate."
Ali will still enter the lottery for tickets because after seeing Erin Brockovich last year, it's "good to get another perspective" on integrity, she said.
Although College sophomore Nova Ashanti would have liked to see someone like Erin Brockovich speak, when it comes to Woodward, "I'm just not interested," she said. "It's just not something that appeals to me."
"A school like Penn, people are interested in politics," commented College sophomore Jillian McKoy. "I just think he's an interesting person to hear speak."
Woodward's lecture will be entitled "The State of Integrity 30 Years After Watergate." The event is co-sponsored by the Social Planning and Events Committee's Connaissance branch and is part of the Provost's Spotlight Series of lectures.
The event will be held in Irvine Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. A lottery for all tickets will be held from Thursday at midnight through Saturday, and students can sign up on the SPEC Web site at www.specevents.net.
