Bono is coming to town.
In bringing the singer and activist to speak at Commencement, the Secretary's Office has hit a home run for several reasons.
First of all, Bono has undeniable star appeal. With U2, Bono's incredibly successful musical career spans two decades and includes 14 Grammy awards and several number one hits around the world. The band achieved popular and critical acclaim, and their songs are still in rotation on the playlists of many Penn students.
However, Bono is more than just a celebrity. These days, he is perhaps best known for his work fighting AIDS; because of his efforts and the efforts of like-minded others, President Bush acknowledged the need to stop the spread of the disease and pledged financial support in last year's State of the Union address. This is noble work, and Bono is a prime example of a person who uses his star power and world renown for the benefit of millions of people he may never meet and who will likely never buy one of his CDs.
Another beneficial aspect of the selection is that Bono is a speaker that most people can turn out to see without much controversy or backlash due to his personal politics. While we do not oppose the notion of a controversial speaker, as was the case last year, the fact that some students felt the need to boycott the ceremonies because of their political beliefs was unfortunate. Although it is possible that his connection to Ireland's politics might rub some members of the Penn community the wrong way, it seems unlikely that this will be an issue.
In addition, the very fact that Bono is speaking here could help raise Penn's visibility, especially among people in the international community who do not follow U.S. News and World Report with bated breath.
Bono is an excellent choice for Commencement speaker, and we applaud the Secretary's Office for delivering him.
