I heard with some consternation that the selection of Geoffrey Canada as commencement speaker was met with some surprise and not a small amount of disappointment on campus. “Who’s that?” seemed to be a common refrain. The man Michelle Obama calls her “personal hero,” the man Mayor Bloomberg hails as “the greatest living New Yorker”?

In order to realize this energy-filled moment, the D2S club has been preparing since last semester.

A weekly roundup of news from around the Ivy League and the higher-education community.

Beginning May 9, Penn will start construction on a $6-million renovation project in Commons, which will be completed by the start of the next academic year.

About 20 students and community members, including members from the Student Labor Action Project, came out in support. SLAP also began circulating a petition to support the officers in their efforts to unionize.

Experts say Kim — a physician and co-founder of the nonprofit Partners in Health — would bring a major change to the banking institution, which has historically been led by economists and government officials.

When dealing with panhandlers, DPS’s first approach is to speak to them personally, obtain biographical information and understand the problems the panhandlers are facing. They then ask them to “cease and desist.”

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the undergraduate voter turnout was 28 percent. By comparison, at the same time last year, the turnout was 31 percent. VIDEO: Final Debate EDITORIAL: The DP EndorsementsThe DP UA Elections CenterThe DP Class Board Elections Center

Four Penn football seniors showed off their skills Wednesday afternoon at Penn’s NFL pro day at Franklin Field.

An offensive onslaught, coupled with strong pitching performances, led the Red and Blue to sweep La Salle, 8-0 and 5-1, in their last outing before starting Ivy play on Friday.

In their first match at their new facility, Hamlin Tennis Center, the Quakers lost 5-2 to No. 58 St. John’s.

Freshman pitcher Connor Cuff came to Penn with high expectations, but so far he has performed well for the Quakers.

Track athletes have both winter and spring seasons with just one week off between the two.

A Graduate School of Education student is empowering inner-city high school students to research issues like violence, crime and poverty that are prevalent in their lives.

If you witness a heart attack, you just have to do two simple things. First, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the middle of the person’s chest.

Home is comfortable and secure — the easy option.But choosing what’s easy can be scary in its own right. If New York is too foreign, San Jose almost feels too familiar.

The Education Commons, located inside the George A. Weiss Pavilion at Franklin Field, formally opened to the Penn community Wednesday afternoon. GALLERY: Education Commons VIDEO: Tour of the Education CommonsVIDEO: Word on the Walk