The Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy Gives Students Tips to Avoid Common Financial Mistakes

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy (CEEL), www.Econ4U.org, offers college freshmen (and all students) a list of the “Freshman Financial Fifteen” – common financial mistakes made by students and ways to avoid them.

College students have a lot to deal with: New classes, new surroundings, new friends, and adjusting to a new lifestyle away from home. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the college scene and forget to take care of your finances, but making good decisions early will pay dividends later. Here are five financial missteps often made by college students and strategies to avoid them. For the full “Freshman Financial Fifteen” visit www.Econ4U.org.

1. Not budgeting

This is undoubtedly the biggest mistake we college students can make. It is important to set realistic goals to get a handle on your finances so that you know how much you can afford to spend on fun stuff.

2. Only making minimum credit card payments

Freshman year of college is an easy time to get plastic happy and spend more than you can afford. If you’ve gotten into debt, you may think that making the minimum payments on your credit cards is paying down your debt. In reality, only paying the monthly minimum means you’ll end up owing much more in the long run. Most cards have a minimum payment of 4 percent of your balance. If your card has an 18 percent interest rate, it will take more than 10 years to pay off a balance of $3,000, paying more than $1,700 in interest.

3. Overusing your student ID

Most students have a university ID that can carry meal plans, laundry money, bookstore credit, vending machine cash, etc. When you swipe your ID for a new sweatshirt at the bookstore, it may not feel like spending money. But those charges don’t just disappear – you will wind up getting charged for expenses at the end of the semester.

4. Buying a new cell phone

It seems like every month an awesome new must-have cell phone is on the market. It’s easy to fall prey to ads for “free phones” or phones that only cost a dollar. Don’t be fooled, cell phone companies offer deals to lock customers into contracts for years. The real cost of that new phone is hidden in your monthly bill.

5. Not having insurance

Buying any kind of insurance can be expensive, so it is important to assess risk before purchasing coverage. But in college you never know what might happen. If your belongings aren’t covered under your parents’ homeowners insurance what will you do if someone sets off your dorm sprinkler or there is a fire?

The Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy aims to educate students and young adults on personal finance and economics in unique ways. Managing Director James Bowers, said, “Today’s youth are fumbling around in the dark, financially speaking. It’s critical to teach students basic economic principles that are applicable in everyday life.” For the full “Freshman Financial Fifteen” visit www.Econ4U.org.

CONTACT: Allyson Funk, for the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy, +1-202-420-7878

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Lebanese American University (LAU) will welcome Dr. Charles Elachi, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), as the new chairman of its Board of Trustees later this year.  A valued member of LAU’s Board of Trustees for several years, Dr. Elachi will succeed Dr. George Faris, who has served meticulously as the chairman since 2006.

Dr. Elachi comes to LAU with a distinguished career and vast leadership qualifications to complement the Board of Trustees.  Renowned for his ground-breaking work with NASA, he also serves as the Vice President of the California Institute of Technology and is a professor of electrical engineering and planetary science.  He is author of more than 230 publications in the fields of active microwave remote sensing and electromagnetic theory, and holds several patents in those fields. In 2006, he was honored as one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report and in 1989, asteroid 1982 SU was renamed 4116 Elachi in recognition of his contribution to space exploration.

As JPL’s Director for Space and Earth Science Programs for many years, he was responsible for the development of flight missions and instruments for Earth observation, planetary exploration and astrophysics.  Dr. Elachi has chaired a number of strategic planning committees for NASA and has lectured in more than 20 countries about space exploration and Earth observation. As a trailblazer in his field, Dr. Elachi has received national and international awards for his work of more than thirty years with JPL, particularly in developing spaceborne imaging radar.  Dr. Elachi is excited to use his knowledge and expertise to help the university, saying, “LAU brings the excellence of the American educational system to nurture the tremendous talent of the young men and women in Lebanon and the Middle East, and prepare them to be the leaders of the future in a wide range of disciplines.”

At the age of 16, Elachi received distinction as Lebanon’s top science student.  This in part earned him the opportunity to attend his university of choice, the University of Grenoble, France, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1968.  He went on to pursue an engineering degree from the Polytechnic Institute, Grenoble that same year. He then earned his master’s degree in 1969 and a doctorate in electrical sciences at the California Institute of Technology in 1971.  A tireless scholar, Dr. Elachi also received a master of business administration in 1978 and master of science degree in geology in 1983 from the University of Southern California and UCLA, respectively.

CONTACT:  Greg Houle, Communications Manager, Lebanese American University, +1-212-870-2587, greg.houle@lau.edu

drank(TM) Creates Calm Campuses as Increasing Number of Students Managing College-Related Stress and Lifestyle Changes Imbibe Relaxation Beverages

HOUSTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — A new crop of functional beverages are stealing shelf space from popular energy drinks at the campus store by promising stressed-out students the opposite effect – relaxation.  drank™, a new calming beverage promising to “slow your roll™” with its combination of melatonin, valerian root and rose hips, is sweeping across college campuses this fall on a tidal wave of national publicity from Fox News Network, CNN, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and the music videos of Keri Hilson, The Pussycat Dolls, FloRida and others.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090930/NY84005 )

While some members of the media have gone as far as to refer to the calming beverage as “weed in a can,” the makers claim that the wildly popular drink was created to provide a safe and legal way to relax at the end of a stressful day.

“College comes with an enormous set of challenges and stresses.  Students struggling with being away from home, managing schedules and assignments and adapting to college life are finding their stress levels soaring,” said Peter Bianchi, CEO of Innovative Beverage Group and creator of drank™.  “Many students are striving to find reasonable methods to manage their stress levels without resorting to drug or alcohol use, and this lightly-carbonated, grape-flavored elixir is rapidly gaining popularity as the go-to beverage when the going gets tough.”

“Being a full-time college student in and of itself can be very straining and stressful – but being a full-time college student graduating in such a lackluster economic climate with few job opportunities adds even more stress. So when the going gets tough, I go get drank™. It’s calming and relaxing, but doesn’t stunt my thinking the way alcohol does,” says Shane Frohnapfel, a senior at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

“As a self-declared Type-A personality, I am always wound up about something, so I simply created a beverage that suited my needs to relax at the end of the day without waking up with a hangover,” said Bianchi. “Based on the widespread popularity of drank™, it seems that scores of consumers across the country feel the same way. Our customers tell us that they no longer want to be spoon-fed energy drinks that wire them up all night; to them, the phrase ‘slow your roll™‘ has never echoed truer.”

“After a full day of classes, I usually don’t have time to make it to the gym until late in the evening and then I am too wound up to rest or focus on my homework. I’ve tried drank™ and found that it’s a great way to chill out at the end of the day and still be able to get up in the morning to do it all over again,” said Doug Fernandez, a freshman at The University of Delaware.

To help even more students “slow their rolls,” the makers of drank™ will be hosting Twitter and Facebook contests throughout the year to give drank™ prize packs to winners on campuses across the country.  To follow drank™ on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/slowyourroll or visit them on Facebook at the “Official Drank — Extreme Relaxation Beverage Page.” Be sure to follow them to get in on the free drank™ gear.

CONTACT:  Eric Fischgrund, Beckerman Public Relations, drankpr@beckermanpr.com, +1-201-465-8008, for Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc.

MRSA, Staph and Fecal Bacteria Rampant in College Dorms

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Thousands of bacteria lurk in college dormitories, but students are not following proper hygiene routines to help protect themselves from serious illness, according to a study released today from the Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community, sponsored by an educational grant from LYSOL® brand products.(1) Despite growing concerns about influenza A (H1N1) on college campuses and recent study results estimating that of the ways influenza infection may be contracted, contact with contaminated surfaces may account for thirty one percent (31%) of the infection risk, only sixty three percent (63%) of students polled had cleaned their dorm room in the past week.(2) Eighty three percent (83%) had never cleaned their light switch and seventy three percent (73%) admitted they had never cleaned their dorm room door handle, one of the most frequently-touched surfaces and a conduit for germ spread.(3)

Such habits expose students to thousands of bacteria, including MRSA, E. coli, fecal organisms, streptococcus and more, just by touching common surfaces in their dorm.(4) Study results show:

• • Communal shower floors were the most contaminated surface in the dorm, harboring more than 40 times the number of bacteria found on the toilet seat.(5) Forty three percent (43%) of shower floors were contaminated with bacteria that can indicate fecal contamination and twenty percent (20%) hid streptococci.
  • Dorm room refrigerator door handles harbored twice as many bacteria as shared dorm toilet handles.  Thirty seven percent (37%) encountered bacteria that can indicate fecal contamination and thirteen percent (13%) encountered staph.(6)
  • Fifty six percent (56%) of students admitted they had never cleaned the interior of their dorm room refrigerator, making it no surprise that thirty percent (30%) of refrigerators harbored fecal indicators.(7)
  • While television remote controls and shared bathroom sink handles fare relatively well, both were found to be contaminated with MRSA, the dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, in some dorm rooms studied.(8)

“These findings compound the concerns many parents have about their child’s health when they’re away at college and out of their home,” says Dr. Elizabeth Scott, co-director of the Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community.  “Parents can help students stay healthy at college by encouraging them to take small preventative measures every day to help protect themselves from germs.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, universities and parents should encourage students to follow these healthy hygiene routines:(9)

• • Practice good hand hygiene. They should wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.(10)
  • Practice respiratory etiquette. The main way flu spreads is from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it’s important that people cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. If they don’t have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their elbow or shoulder, not their hands.(11)
  • Stay home if they are sick. Stay home or in their place of residence for at least 24 hours after they no long have a fever.(12)
  • Talk to their health care providers about whether they should be vaccinated. More information about priority groups for vaccination is available at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.(13)

In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, families and students can help protect themselves and prevent the spread of influenza virus by keeping surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.(14)

Many LYSOL® Disinfectant products are effective against strains of influenza A virus and specifically the H1N1 strain, including LYSOL® Disinfectant Spray, LYSOL® Disinfecting Wipes, LYSOL® All Purpose Cleaner Pourables and LYSOL® All Purpose Cleaner Triggers.

To find more information and resources to help protect families of all ages, visit:

• • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – H1N1 Information http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Ounce of Prevention initiative, created in partnership with LYSOL® www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention
  • Germ Protection Center via the Visiting Nurse Associations of America http://vnaa.org/vnaa/g/?h=html/germ_protection_center_influenza

About Reckitt Benckiser

Reckitt Benckiser is a world leader in household, health and personal care.  It is a FTSE top 15 company and since 2000 net revenues have doubled and the market cap has quadrupled. Today it is the global No 1 or No 2 in the majority of its fast-growing categories, driven by an exceptional rate of innovation – near 40% of revenue comes from innovations launched in the prior 3 years. It has a strong portfolio led by 17 global power brands which are: Finish, Lysol, Dettol, Vanish, Woolite, Calgon, Airwick, Harpic, Bang, Mortein, Veet, Nurofen, Clearasil, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex and French’s, and they account for over two thirds of its net revenue.  Reckitt Benckiser people are at the heart of the company’s success. They have an intense drive for progress and action and a desire to outperform wherever they focus, including in CSR where the Company has the most ambitious corporate responsibility program in the industry through its Carbon 20 initiative.  Headquartered in the United Kingdom, the Company employs 23,000 people worldwide, with operations in 60 countries and sales in 180 countries.  For more information visit RECKITTBENCKISER.COM.

(1) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 3.

(2)  “Relative Contributions of Four Exposure Pathways to Influenza Infection Risk.” Risk Analysis, Vol. 29, No. 9, 2009.

(3) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 15.

(4) Reckitt Benckiser, BRT-0008 Research & Development Claim Support Document, February 2009. Page 5.

(5) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9. Statistic found by comparing mean aerobic count of shower bases vs. toilet seats.

(6) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9. Statistic found by comparing mean aerobic count of dorm refrigerator handles vs. shared toilet handles.

(7) Reckitt Benckiser, BRT-0008 Research & Development Claim Support Document, February 2009. Page 5.

(8) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9.

(9) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.

(10) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.

(11) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.

(12) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.

(13) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.

(14) www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.

CONTACT: Erin Osher of Porter Novelli, +1-212-601-8352, erin.osher@porternovelli.com

COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO COMPETE FOR THE CHANCE TO INTERN AT THEFRISKY.COM, THE PREMIERE WEB DESTINATION FOR WOMEN 18-34

NEW YORK, 9-29-09– Do you get caught in class gossiping with your pals? Can you remember the name of Madonna’s boyfriend, but not the old dude on your test? Well, contrary to what you’ve been told at school, that can actually help you get a cool job in the real world — writing for TheFrisky.com, the premiere website for women 18-34! TheFrisky.com feels just like you’re dishing with your BFF about love, life, and celeb drama, you know, the dirt we really like to chitchat about. We’re looking for one lucky person who can talk the talk and can spell it all out for the blogosphere. So if you think you are ready to hang at our office in New York City and gab with us, all you gotta do is go to www.TheFrisky.com/WinInternship and show us just how Frisky you are!

To enter, answer one of the two questions below in 500 words or less:

• Question #1: Which topics would you like to see a woman’s website address more regularly?

• Question #2: What components make up your dream website for women?

The contest runs from September 25, 2009 to December 11, 2009 and the internship begins February 1, 2010 and ends April 23, 2010. Students must be enrolled in a four year college and must be in their junior or senior year. Winners will be notified via email. Travel and accommodations in New York are the responsibility of the winning intern and are not included as part of the internship. The winning entry will also win a $100.00 gift card to chill out and hang in New York City.

“The Frisky’s relatable, humorous and straight forward approach to everything that matters to young women has made us one of the fastest growing destinations on the web,” said Mina Lux, General Manager, The Frisky.com. “This contest gives one lucky college student the chance to have her voice heard by entering into a dialogue with our always passionate and outspoken Frisky community.”

About The Frisky.com
The Frisky (www.thefrisky.com ), a unique premier online destination for women 18-34, offers smart, funny, fast-paced content and a growing community for girlfriends to speak in authentic voices about the things they really discuss. The Frisky covers celebrity news, pop culture, love, dating, relationships, fashion, beauty and anything else women talk about, obsess about, and want to know about – all with an irreverent, carefree, and most of all, honest and relatable perspective. The Frisky, which launched in March 2008, now has more than 1.7 million unique visitors per month and almost 7 million pageviews. (Source: Omniture).

Media Contact:

Sayles & Winnikoff Communications

Alan Winnikoff

Recommendations of Task Force on College Gambling Policies Focus on Recovery, On-Campus Restrictions and Special Events

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — For the nearly 80 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. without a written policy on gambling, the release today of official recommendations from the national Task Force on College Gambling Policies will provide a solid, science-based framework that higher education institutions can use to fill this void. The task force was created by the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and funded by the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG).

“Research has shown that teenagers and college-aged young adults are more impulsive and at higher risk for developing gambling disorders than adults,” said Christine Reilly, executive director of the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders, which is coordinating the distribution of the recommendations report. “We hope that the recommendations in this report will stimulate dialogue on college and university campuses about ways to integrate efforts to reduce gambling problems into existing programs focused on addictive behaviors.”

The task force was created after findings from an NCRG-funded study on gambling and alcohol policies at U.S. colleges and universities showed that while all schools in the study had student alcohol policies, only 22 percent had written policies on gambling. The study was conducted by Howard Shaffer and colleagues at the Division on Addictions in collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health.

The 10 policy recommendations announced today are science-based guidelines that can be tailored, adopted and implemented by colleges and universities nationwide. The recommendations (see end of document) focus on three primary areas: on-campus prohibitions and restrictions, recognition of the importance of recovery-based policies and how to facilitate them, and special events. The recommended policies and programs range from establishing a campus-wide committee to develop a comprehensive gambling policy, to making reasonable accommodations for students who may miss class as they focus on recovery, to strengthening the capacity of counseling services to identify and treat gambling disorders.

“We know from research that when higher education institutions adopt and enforce clear policies, they can be very effective in preventing students from experiencing negative consequences from their decisions around health issues and can help them learn healthy habits they can take with them after college,” said Kristy Wanner, a member of the task force and the gambling prevention coordinator for Missouri Partners in Prevention, housed at the University of Missouri, Columbia. “The recommendations of the task force can help schools across the country create and establish policies on gambling that will support the entire campus community through education, training, prevention, treatment and recovery.”

The task force examined a number of factors to determine its policy recommendations, including: scientific literature about alcohol and gambling on college and university campuses; state, local and federal laws relating to alcohol and gambling; programs intended to reduce harm from alcohol and other drugs; and existing campus alcohol and gambling policies. The task force also reviewed policies on alcohol and gambling at on-campus events, such as charity and sports events, and addiction treatment and health services.

The NCRG and the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders are distributing the recommendations report to administrators, student health professionals, student life directors and other stakeholders through various professional organizations, meetings, listservs and social media avenues.

For students who are interested in promoting the adoption of gambling policies on their campuses, Wanner recommends starting at the top. “Notify your chancellor and the directors of student affairs, student life and the wellness center,” she said. She also recommends reaching out to school athletic programs and campus Greek Life coordinators to secure their support in promoting school policies on gambling.

The NCRG Task Force on College Gambling Policies represents a diverse range of institutions, including the University of Alabama; Bridgewater State College; the University of Denver; George Fox University; Harvard University; Lehigh University; Mississippi State University; the University of Missouri, Columbia; the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the University of Nevada, Reno; Oregon State University; and Villanova University.

For more information on the task force, including a list of members and the detailed recommendations report, visit www.ncrg.org.

Topline Recommendations of the Task Force on College Gambling Policies

1.  Establish a campus-wide committee to develop and monitor a comprehensive policy on gambling.

2.  Ensure that college policies are consistent with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

3.  Strive for consistency and universal application with prohibitions and restrictions on gambling and alcohol use at special events.

4.  Promote campus-community collaborations that focus on reducing problems with student drinking and gambling.

5.  Encourage adjustments in disciplinary actions applied to violators of gambling rules if the student seeks assistance from health or counseling services.

6.  Make reasonable accommodations for students focused on recovery from a problem with gambling or alcohol.

7.  Measure student attitudes, behaviors, and problems with gambling through campus surveys or by incorporating such measures into existing campus health-related surveys.

8.  Promote campus-wide awareness of (1) pathological gambling as a mental health disorder that has a high rate of comorbidity with alcohol use and other addictive disorders, and (2) responsible gaming principles.

9.  Employ evidence-based strategies to identify and help students with gambling and alcohol problems.

10. Strengthen the capacity of counseling services to identify and treat gambling disorders.

The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) is the only national organization exclusively devoted to funding research that helps increase understanding of pathological and youth gambling and find effective methods of treatment for the disorder. Founded in 1996 as a 501(c)3 charitable organization, the NCRG is the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) affiliated charity. For more information, visit www.ncrg.org. NCRG funds provide grants to researchers to increase understanding of pathological gambling and find effective methods of treatment for the disorder. The funds are distributed through the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders, an independent program of the NCRG. For more information, visit www.gamblingdisorders.org.

CONTACT:  Veronica Brown for NCRG, +1-202-530-4526

Burnham scholar to discuss findings on Oct. 8th at IIT and Oct. 11th at  NU

CHICAGO, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Dr. Kristen Schaffer will discuss her research into Daniel H. Burnham’s original draft of the 1909 Plan of Chicago during two public lectures in October, as part of Burnham Plan 100 Centennial celebration.

A leading Burnham scholar, Schaffer is author of “Daniel H. Burnham: Visionary Architect.” While reviewing Burnham’s handwritten draft of the Plan of Chicago in the Art Institute’s Ryerson Library, Schaffer was struck by the passages that were left out of the published Plan.

“Burnham’s views on architecture and his ideas for the city are more fully revealed in his notes, letters and drafts than in the published Plan of Chicago,” says Schaffer, associate professor of architecture at North Carolina State University. “These materials enrich our understanding not only of the public architect and planner, but also disclose the religious beliefs and moral values of the private man.”

Burnham’s draft of the 1909 Plan went beyond recommendations for the lakefront, traffic circulation and civic centers — it also advanced quality of life issues such as provisions for child care for working women, improvement of slum areas, and low cost access to recreational facilities for all of the Chicago’s citizens. Why Burnham’s quality of life recommendations were omitted in the published version is not known today. The draft reveals a planner with a heart as well as a vision for what Chicago could be.

The public is invited to hear Schaffer’s presentation of “Finding Burnham in the Archives: Spiritual Revelations and the Plan of Chicago” on Thursday, October 8 at 12 pm noon in  S.R. Crown Hall, at IIT’s College of Architecture, 3360 S. State St., Chicago, sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture; and on Sunday, October 11 at 3 pm in Fisk Hall, 1845 Sheridan Road, Evanston, sponsored by Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, The Program in American Studies. Both lectures are free to the public, and are co-sponsored by the Swedenborg Library of Chicago.

About Kristen Schaffer: Kristen Schaffer, Ph.D., Cornell University, teaches History of Architecture and Urbanism at North Carolina State University. She is author of “Daniel H. Burnham: Visionary Architect” (Rizzoli International, 2003). She is among the historians appearing in the recently released film by Archimedia Workshop, “Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham & The American City.”

About The Swedenborg Library: The Swedenborg Library hosts ecumenical programs on religious and spiritual topics. Founded in 1871 as the Western New Church Union, the Library is located at 77 W. Washington St. in downtown Chicago. For more information, see www.SwedenborgLib.org.

CONTACT:  Karen Feil of the Swedenborg Library, +1-312-346-7003, info@swedenborglib.org, Kimberly Campbell of IIT, +1-312-567-3279, kcampbe1@iit.edu, Natasha Dennison of Northwestern University, +1-847-491-3525; n-dennison@northwestern.edu

Lauren Kamm
312-245-9805 ext. 103
lauren@alpaytac.com

DRAPER, UT – (September 29, 2009) – NLU Products, maker of TatSkinz protective body art for electronic devices, will hold its first-ever iPod cover design contest throughout October, providing artists and technology aficionados the opportunity to turn their personal artwork into the next TatSkinz. One winning creative genius will see his or her “tat” incorporated into the TatSkinz line-up and win either a $1000 scholarship or 13″ MacBook. In addition to popular vote from online visitors, submissions will be judged by prominent technology and design journalists, including writers that contribute to CrunchGear, Chicago Tribune’s Redeye, Ubergizmo, YankoDesign and JAMM (Just Another Mobile Monday), ultimately deciding on the winning design.

TatSkinz offers complete scratch and scuff protection for several Apple devices, while adding personality in a range of colorful designs, giving custom-cut attitude to each gadget. Incorporating a special, repositionable adhesive, TatSkinz uses an air-release technology that prevents bubbles from forming below the film. The skin can be applied directly to the device, or ideally, on top of NLU Products’ BodyGuardz scratch-proof transparent skin for maximum protection.

“This is a uniqueopportunity to turn someone’s imaginative work into the next TatSkinz design while simultaneously supporting creativity and the arts,” said Kirk Feller, president of NLU Products. “We always want to hear our customers’ feedback and this will give them the chance to show us exactly what designs they want to see.”

Contest participants should submit designs at TatSkinz.com/contest beginning October 1; submissions will be accepted through the month of October. Voters can pick their favorite entry from the site, and the popular vote will be used to determine the front-runners for the judges’ consideration.

Contest Rules and Regulations:

• Original artwork only

• Design no smaller than 5″ X 5″ (300 dpi)

• Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or Photoshop (.psd) file only

• Submitted in CMYK

• No knock outs or white areas for device screens

• One submission per entrant

For more information or to enter the contest visit www.TatSkinz.com/contest.

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– Entrants Will Compete for Over $30,000 in Prizes by Submitting Creative Videos –

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., September 29, 2009 – With the cost of tuition, books and room and board on the rise, college students are always looking for creative ways to save money. This September, popular online retailer Newegg is celebrating the scholarly drive to save giving students a fun opportunity to compete in its “Newegg Eggstreme Campus Challenge” video contest. The contest asks participants to submit videos that answer the simple question: ”What would YOU do with the money you save by shopping at Newegg?”

Submissions in the Newegg Eggstreme Campus Challenge video contest will be judged by a Newegg panel as well as Newegg.com site visitors, who will have a chance to vote for their favorite videos. Open to residents of both the United States and Canada, the entrant who submits the most creative and entertaining video will have his or her pick of close to 40,000 of the latest and greatest tech, gaming and consumer electronics products Newegg.com has to offer. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $5,000 online shopping spree – providing student winners with an opportunity to transform their dorm room or bedroom into a true “high-tech paradise.” The contest, sponsored  by Flip Video, features additional prizes from top tier manufacturers Canon, Microsoft, Onkyo, Lenovo and MadCatz. Entrants will be able to share their videos with friends online through YouTube, Facebook, MySpace or other social media sites, and winning submissions will be posted on the Newegg.com website.

Bernard Luthi, Newegg’s vice president of marketing and merchandising, noted: “Young people and students are among our most loyal and engaged customers at Newegg. We are really looking forward to the fun and creative submissions we expect to receive in this back-to-school contest. Best of all, we hope to call attention to all the great savings and products available on our site, which can be a real asset to parents and students alike!”

Newegg has been a powerful force in community-driven online video competitions. The e-tailer’s Eggstreme Campus Challenge follows its hugely successful 2008 video contest, where fans around the country produced and submitted their own 30-60 second commercials as genuine testimonials of Newegg’s fast shipping, vast product selection and customer satisfaction. The winner, a graduate of California State University, had the opportunity to showcase his talent before hundreds of thousands of viewers in a nationwide TV campaign launched by Newegg.

Newegg.com and Newegg.ca offer a broad and varied selection of products at prices that cater to every budget, with special daily deals and tools that help shoppers make educated buying decisions. Among the site’s many advantages are: useful product suggestions, links to manufacturer websites, over 1.5 million informative customer product reviews, and flexible payment options. Newegg was ranked # 1 in customer satisfaction among online retailers by the 2009 American Customer Satisfaction Index from the University of Michigan and ForeSee Results.

Newegg offers savings that are sure to get students talking about what a difference saving money makes and how Newegg is making online shopping an overall better experience. More details, including contest rules and information, will be available at www.newegg.com/eggstreme, www.newegg.ca/eggstreme and the company’s various social media networks beginning September 25.

About Newegg.com
Newegg.com Inc. is the second-largest online-only retailer in the United States. Founded in 2001, Newegg has more than 12 million registered users and regularly earns industry-leading customer service ratings. The award-winning website, www.newegg.com, offers customers a comprehensive selection of the latest high-tech products, detailed product descriptions and images, as well as how-to information and customer reviews. Using the site’s online tech community, customers have the opportunity to interact with other computer, gaming and consumer electronics enthusiasts. Newegg.com Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newegg Inc. and is headquartered in City of Industry, California.

Public Relations Contact:
Scott Meaney
DBA Public Relations
smeaney@dba-pr.com
212-388-1400

How To Survive 101 Of Campus’s Worst F*#!-ing Situations

BOSTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Forget that Art History quiz!  College students have got real problems.  From forgetting the name of last night’s hookup to learning how to effectively guzzle beer, college can be pretty tough.

That’s why Adams Media has released a new book by comedians (and college grads!) Gregory Bergman and Jodi Miller. WTF? College: How to Survive 101 of Campus’s Worst F*#!-ing Situations is a hilarious, tell-all guide to surviving  every college predicament imaginable — from routine aggravations to the completely outrageous, and everything in between — this book is all you need to make it through all four years.

According to DrunkUniversity.com, “There are over 100 situations you will relate to, especially if you have a roommate that keeps wearing your clothes or has sex with his girlfriend while you try to sleep…It’s the perfect gift for high school or college students and for only $9.95 you can’t go wrong.” With its hilarious and shocking approaches to dealing with the awful, awkward, and truly terrifying experiences that come with college life, WTF? College breaks it down.

Gregory Bergman is a writer and comedian. He received his BA in philosophy from Hunter College (haven’t heard of it — WTF?), and is the author of WTF?, -isms, and BizzWords. He could teach a course on surviving college, but where’s the f*#!-ing fun in that? He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Jodi Miller is a comedian and guest commentator on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight and Hollywood 411, and will appear on Comics Unleashed later this year. Ms. Miller is also a writer for the Cinemax series Co-Ed Confidential. She resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Check them out on Facebook and YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hc-sweHG2E&NR=1

Follow WTF COLLEGE on Twitter:  @WTFCOLLEGE

CONTACT: Press queries, Beth Gissinger +1-508-427-6757 or beth.gissinger@fwmedia.com