Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster was chosen to address Penn's 250th graduating class at this year's Commencement, University officials announced yesterday.
Foster, a Yale University graduate and the winner of two Academy Awards -- including Best Actress for her performance in Silence of the Lambs -- will receive an honorary doctor of arts degree at the May 15 ceremony.
University officials cited her social consciousness as one of the major factors in her selection, although many students were skeptical of the choice.
Foster "is an artist with a vision who has always used her art to explore weighty social themes," Penn President Amy Gutmann said.
University Secretary Leslie Kruhly, who helps organize the Commencement ceremony, seemed to share Gutmann's view of the selection.
"It's clear through [Foster's] work in films that there are particular social issues that she is concerned with, [like] the parent-child issue [and] violence against women," Kruhly said.
However, the senior class board had a different take on the announcement.
We were "disappointed with the selection in terms of the excellence of past speakers and the magnitude of the 250th Commencement," Class President and College senior Pierre Gooding said. "In general, we feel that the Class of 2006 shares this sentiment."
Still, Kruhly hailed Foster's credentials, while also noting that bringing a woman to Penn's Commencement ceremony was important for the selection committee, which includes members from the University Council and the Board of Trustees.
"We have not had a woman speaker since 1995," Kruhly said. "The combination of what she's done as an actor and as a director ... was just very persuasive."
Past speakers include former President Jimmy Carter, U2 frontman Bono and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Annan's Commencement address last year led to some controversy.
The speech was delivered amid the United Nations oil-for-food scandal, in which some alleged that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used the U.N. program to funnel billions of dollars to his government that should have gone to humanitarian aid.
But this year's speech should be less politically charged and more uplifting.
"I would like her to have an effect of inspiring students who have bold visions and are willing to express them passionately and expertly to large audiences," Gutmann said, adding that Foster serves as a role model for students interested in pursuing their interests to make a positive impact on the world.
But students seemed less enthusiastic about Foster's selection.
"She wouldn't be near the top 100 of the people I would have on my list," College senior Samantha Berman said. "I just hope she will leave us with some kind of valuable lesson that we would expect to have on such an important day."
Others found the choice ironic in light of the fact that her address will fall on both the 250th Commencement and in the year of Penn founder Ben Franklin's 300th birthday.
"I'm sure she'll prepare [for the speech], but it would've been nice to have an alumni speak" for the occasion, Wharton senior Naomi Adaniya said.
