Syracuse University to host lecture by Al Gore Sept. 14 at Landmark Theatre

Syracuse University to host lecture by Al Gore Sept. 14 at Landmark TheatreJune 15, 2006Sara Millersemortim@syr.edu

With Friday’s national release of his film “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, has emerged as a forceful and compelling voice on the dangers of global warming and other ecological hazards. This fall, the Syracuse community will have an opportunity to hear Gore present this message in person from the stage of the Landmark Theatre. The lecture, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Syracuse University Student Association, is being co-sponsored by the Student Association, the University Union Speakers Board and University Lectures.

Gore will speak on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for students of SU and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will be available online through the Landmark Theatre ticket office (http://landmarktheater.org) beginning Aug. 23; general admission tickets will be available to the public beginning Sept. 2. Ticket prices will be $5 for SU and ESF students, and $10 for the public; all tickets will be subject to the Landmark’s $2 convenience fee. On the night of the lecture, SU will provide students with transportation between the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center and the Landmark Theatre.

“I am pleased that Vice President Gore has accepted our invitation to speak at Syracuse University. His appearance and lecture will be one of the highlights of our 50th anniversary celebration,” says Wayne Horton, president of the Student Association. “His message is important and relevant to our community and our nation. Mr. Gore’s program will provide valuable education to our students and the community, so that they are better informed of the facts and issues surrounding the global warming phenomenon.”

Gore began his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. As vice president, he was a key player in the Clinton White House on a wide range of issues. His career as an environmentalist includes pioneering efforts to protect the Earth’s ozone layer and to eliminate toxic waste from the environment. His passion for protecting the environment is evident in his best-selling book, “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit” (Plume Books, 1992). He is also author of the recently released, 328-page paperback “An Inconvenient Truth” (Rodale Books, 2006).

Gore’s role as a leading emissary on the dangers of global warming has been reinforced by his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” released in select markets May 24 and now nationally, as well as in Syracuse, on Friday. In the film, Gore–a powerful and effective speaker–makes an urgent and compelling case for responsible environmental policy based on solid scientific evidence.

Founded in 1956, the Student Association is the primary governing, advocacy and programming organization for undergraduate students at SU and ESF. For more information, visit http://students.syr.edu/sa/index.html.

University Union is a recognized student organization that provides large-scale programming for the undergraduate student body. For more information, visit http://universityunion.org.

University Lectures is a cross-disciplinary lecture series that brings to the University individuals of exceptional accomplishment. The series is supported by the generosity of the University’s trustees, alumni and friends. For more information, visit http://provost.syr.edu/lectures or e-mail eegray@syr.edu.