Goshen College going green with grease and holding celebration on Earth Day for recently completed campus biodiesel plant created by students

WHAT:            A campus celebration on Earth Day of a recently completed campus biodiesel plant, created by four students.

                                     With support from the college’s new Eco-Stewardship Committee, a group of four biochemistry major students planned and built a biodiesel project in the college’s heating plant facility that converts used cooking grease from the college dining hall into biodiesel for campus use.

                                    Students, faculty and staff will stop by for tours by the student creators, information about caring for the earth and, of course, some free food – French fries. The theme of the afternoon will be “Going Green with Grease.”

WHEN:            Tuesday, April 22, 2008 (Earth Day), 2:30-4 p.m., with a short program at 3 p.m.

WHERE:         Schrock Plaza, in front of the Good Library

WHO:              Goshen College students, faculty and staff; creators – student biochemistry majors Nate Herr, Sae Chan Lee, Mitch Yoder, Neil Detweiler; Doug Schirch, associate professor of chemistry; Glenn Gilbert, Goshen College utilities director

WHY IT’S NEWS:       The first step the campus’ new Ecological Stewardship Committee took was to approve a student proposal of biodiesel conversion from the campus’ food grease. The committee formed last year after President Jim Brenneman signed onto the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

                                    Earlier this year, Rieth Village at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College received Indiana’s first LEED platinum-certified rating for new building design.

                                    The college has a major in environmental science and a new graduate program in environmental education, which begins this summer at Merry Lea.

VISUALS:       Tour of the biodiesel plant; students eating French fries for a good cause

CONTACT:    Jodi H. Beyeler, (574) 535-7572, jodihb@goshen.edu

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.