completed press release

Richard---Annelle's # is on this release!





Contact: Annelle Sheline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Telephone: 919-451-0803
Email: annellesheline@yahoo.com

LIGHTS OUT FOR EARTH DAY AT NYU
New York University Students Take
Environmental Matters Into Their Own Hands

New York -- April 18, 2008 -- On Tuesday April 22, Earth Day, a group of activist students at New York University are planning a university-wide, energy-saving blackout appropriately called ‘Blackout NYU.’ The event, which will commence with the first NYU classes on Tuesday morning, asks professors and students to turn off their classroom lights to reinforce the University’s efforts to “go green.”

The hope is that NYU Blackout will not only save energy at the University on Earth Day, but that it will serve as a reminder that little things, like turning off the lights, if done collectively, can make a significant impact. “It shows that there are small things we all can do to make our planet a healthier place to live,” said one of the students, Judith Joslow.

The students’ goal is to get as many students and professors to commit to going dark as possible. Early next week, they will storm many of the NYU buildings, posting signs made of recyclable materials, such as newspapers and napkins, on classroom doors and above light switches, advertising the event. On Tuesday, a 'Blackout Squad' will go classroom to classroom making sure the blackout is being enforced. The students even have a plan for classrooms without windows: “Have class outside. The weather is going to be beautiful next week!,” said Joel Pietrzak.

In conjunction with the Blackout effort, the students will be holding a small demonstration in Washington Square Park on Earth Day from 12:30PM until 4:30PM. Decked out in ‘Blackout NYU’ T-shirts, the students will be engaging passers-by about what they can do to help the environment. They will ask people to commit to doing something, large or small, in honor of Earth Day, whether it be replacing their light bulbs at home with energy efficient ones, or pledging to recycle more often. Once this commitment is determined, they will draw a footprint with chalk on the sidewalk. Inside this “carbon footprint,” each person will write down their individual contribution.

For more information, please call Annelle Sheline at 919-451-0803 or e-mail Annelle at annellesheline@yahoo.com.