Students still have a shot at seeing Bono

Though general-admission tickets to see Bono speak at Irvine Auditorium sold out within a week of going on sale, Penn students still have a chance to catch the U2 frontman when he's on campus next month.

The rock star and social activist will make his appearance on Oct. 21 for a program organized by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, a nonprofit educational group.

Officials say public interest in Bono's upcoming speech at Irvine has exceeded expectations. All of the $75 general admission tickets sold out in early August, but the Social Planning and Events Committee's Connaissance arm, which seeks to bring public figures to campus, reserved 100 tickets for distribution to the student body in the fall.

It has not yet been determined how the tickets will be distributed, though it will likely be a lottery system, SPEC President and Wharton junior Catey Mark said.

Denise Bala, WACP program manager, called the public response to the event "overwhelming."

"We've had many, many calls from newspaper ads and articles that have been done. He's such a celebrity and has connections with Philadelphia," Bala said.

Bono's Philadelphia connections include his Commencement speech at Penn in May 2004.

"When Bono spoke at graduation, it was an extremely popular event," Mark said. Because of the success of that event, "we thought that this event would be popular with much of the student body, both because of his role in the entertainment industry as well as in his humanitarianism."

College sophomore Michael Kind said that Bono's appearance will likely make positive waves on campus.

"I think it's a great thing for the University to have someone of his perspective to come to campus," Kind said. "I think it's something that the Penn community will benefit from."

SPEC Connaissance received the 100 tickets in exchange for the event's venue -- Penn's Irvine Auditorium -- according to both Bala and Mark.

"We thought it was a perfect venue," Bala said. "We wanted to keep it in the city of Philadelphia, and also because we realized that the Penn students ‹¨« would be interested as well."

Though the general-admission tickets are sold out, several pricier options remain available. The least expensive ticket remaining is $175 and allows the holder to attend a reception with Bono as well as the Irvine event. For $495, dinner with Bono is included.

Kind, who says he will try to get a student ticket to see Bono, won a ticket to see Howard Dean and Pat Buchanan on campus through a University lottery last fall. SPEC Connaissance had arranged the Dean-Buchanan debate.

"It's always important to get out there and hear what people have to say," Kind said.

Bono has increasingly emerged as a social activist since 1999, campaigning for third-world debt relief, AIDS awareness and aid for Africa.

He has recently met with President George W. Bush, and spoken at the inauguration of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, traveled to Africa with former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and performed at the Live 8 concert in London to raise awareness of poverty in Africa.

Bono's back - Date: Oct. 21 - Location: Irvine Auditorium - Number of student tickets available: 100 - Organized by: World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, a local nonprofit educational group - Last time Bono was on campus: May 2004, as Penn‹¨«s Commencement speaker

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