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Contact: Allison Benner, College Relations Associate – Media, 610-740-3790

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PHOTO/VIDEO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

CEDAR CREST’S NEW STUDENTS LEND A HAND IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
College's New President will also Mark Start of Academic Year with Service

Allentown, PA (August 22, 2007) – On Friday, August 24, the newest members of the Cedar Crest College community will uphold a College tradition by spending a part of their orientation giving back to those in need in the greater Lehigh Valley.  The incoming class of roughly 275 freshmen and transfer students, along with more than 60 student leaders, faculty and staff, will perform a day of service at several sites throughout the region in an effort to learn the importance of being actively engaged in their community.

Along with the new students, another of Cedar Crest's new faces will start her first academic year at the College with community service.  President Jill Sherman will lead a group of students in giving a fresh coat of paint to the Adult Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown.

Buses depart the campus at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. to take students to a number of local facilities.  Divided into groups of ten to fifteen people, the students will spend the day volunteering in a variety of ways including gardening, painting, assisting classroom teachers and visiting the elderly.  The Sixth Street Shelter, Luther Crest and the Lehigh Valley Zoo are just a few of the many organizations at which students will volunteer.

“Community service is a key component of the mission at Cedar Crest College,” says Joan Laffey, dean of students.  “It is an integral part of the Cedar Crest student experience.”

Community Service Day also highlights the College’s commitment to incorporating community service into programs of study.  It is used as an outside-the-classroom learning experience for students and provides faculty with the opportunity to work with the students on a personal level as they accomplish a goal together.  In total, Cedar Crest students performed more than 24,600 hours of community service for the 2006-2007 academic year.

A list of volunteer sites and services follows.  Video and photo opportunities are available BY REQUEST.  Please call ahead to schedule interviews as some volunteer sites have confidentiality restrictions.  For more information, contact the College Relations Office at Cedar Crest College at 610-740-3790.

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