Cheney visit kicks off Huntsman opening

Friday at 7 a.m. -- when the private building dedication of Jon M. Huntsman Hall kicks off -- is somewhat early for the average Penn student. Then again, the average Penn student isn't invited.

To keep the early morning dedication more intimate and to comply with the request of Vice President Dick Cheney -- who will be speaking in honor of his good friend Huntsman -- the event will be closed to the general public.

"It is closed... not to exclude students, but because the vice president wants to do this for Mr. Huntsman and his family," said Steven Oliveira, a Wharton associate dean.

"The private nature is because of the personal relationship. He happens to be a close friend of Jon Huntsman, and he wanted an event where he could recognize Mr. Huntsman on a personal level."

Cheney will not be speaking about public policy.

"Cheney will be making very brief comments," said Wharton spokeswoman Meghan Laska. "He will not be making any kind of policy address."

The dedication festivities will not be entirely closed to students. At 5 p.m., the public dedication will kick off with a ribbon cutting on Locust Walk. Huntsman himself will wield the scissors.

"After that, there is an open house festival from 6 to 9 p.m. where there will be self-guided tours and various activities around the building," Laska said, adding that these events will be open to students.

These activities include free food, "Wharton Jeopardy" and a performance by the Wharton Follies.

Oliveira hopes students and faculty will take advantage of this opportunity and show their support for Penn's newest building.

"I think students should come because it's an important addition to the landscape of the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania," he said. "It's a building that's going to play a role on this campus for the next century."

The festivities will continue into tomorrow, in a portion that Oliveira said is geared toward alumni -- including those whose generous donations made Huntsman Hall a reality.

"I'm pleased with the fact that we have over 1,000 alumni coming back," Oliveira said, adding that the weekend is "a celebration of Jon Huntsman, a celebration of all alumni who have supported this school, but more than anything it's a celebration of all alumni and an opportunity to get them back here for a new era of Wharton and Penn."

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