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College named finalist in contest for $25,000 grant to realize ´green dream´

January 19, 2007

For immediate release - January 19, 2007 Contact: Amy Sullivan (860) 439-2526; amy.sullivan@conncoll.edu   Connecticut College named finalist in contest for $25,000 grant to realize 'green dream'   NEW LONDON, Conn. - Connecticut College has been named one of ten finalists in the "Ecomagination Challenge," sponsored by GE and mtvU, which challenged college students to "develop new, creative ways to green their campus."

The college's entry, "Community, Conservation, Compost: A Holistic Approach," proposes using commercial-sized compost units to reduce the amount of food waste generated by the College.

GE and mtvU received contest applications, which required a video explaining the proposal, from more than 100 schools, including Harvard University, California Polytechnic State University, New York University, Northwestern University and Stanford University. The top ten projects, which include entries from MIT, Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia, are currently featured on mtvU's "Ecomagination Challenge" website, where visitors are asked to vote for their favorites before March 2, 2007. The winning team, which will be chosen on March 20, will receive a $25,000 grant to "bring their green dream to life" and will be featured on mtvU. The winning school will also receive an mtvU Earth Day Concert with a performance by Angels and Airwaves.

Junior Misha Johnson and sophomores Tyler Dunham and Leia Crosby came up with the idea for the college's entry. Students Ben Pedley '09, Cara Donovan '08 and Mike Seager '08 also assisted with the application process.

Currently, the college pays a local pig farmer to haul away the college's food waste. The student's proposal would reduce the amount of waste generated by the college by nearly 35,000 pounds a year. That waste would be turned into compost, then given to local farmers in exchange for produce to be used in campus dining halls.

To see the entire Connecticut College proposal and film, and to vote, visit http://ecocollegechallenge.com.

Ranked among the most selective private liberal arts colleges in the nation, Connecticut College enrolls 1,900 men and women from 43 states and 45 countries. The college is known for putting the liberal arts into action through interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. Founded in 1911, the college operates under an 85-year-old honor code. The college is located at 270 Mohegan Ave, New London, about two hours by car from Boston and New York. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum overlooking Long Island Sound. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.   -CC-

For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu