MayFest goes green — and goes big — with Earth Day events, Block Party concert

MayFest goes green — and goes big — with Earth Day events, Block Party concertMarch 20, 2008Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

On April 22, Syracuse University students, faculty and staff will present the University’s annual celebration of creativity and discovery, MayFest 2008. This year’s MayFest will be the biggest in the event’s four-year history — because for the first time, the intellectual and creative highlights of MayFest will be capped off that night by the annual University Union-sponsored Block Party concert. Also, MayFest takes place on Earth Day this year, with several events offered in the spirit of studying and celebrating sustainability.

Throughout the day, Central New York community members, students, faculty and staff will be welcomed to a free, public, easy-to-access variety of performances, exhibitions and displays that demonstrate the richness of student creativity at SU and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. On the evening of April 22, MayFest will offer the free, family-friendly lineup of MayFest AfterDark events, while Block Party will offer SU students and community members the chance to see a blockbuster lineup of pop stars in concert. The concert lineup, ticket and event details, and ticket sale dates will be announced in the coming days via the SU News website at http://sunews.syr.edu.

“For the thousands of people who visit MayFest, and the hundreds of students and faculty who put on MayFest exhibits and displays, the program’s track record is one of rocking success,” says James T. Spencer, director of the Soling Program, which coordinates MayFest on behalf of the University. “This year’s lineup of student works and class projects promises to be even better — the day’s presentations will have every bit of the star power that the Block Party concert will bring to the stage at night.”

Special features of MayFest will include a quilting station; storytelling; premiere documentary screenings; and Earthfest, a presentation designed to show how one can take action locally to protect the environment. There will also be familiar MayFest favorites, such as the chemistry and physics magic shows, “CSI”-style forensic science presentations, the giant puppets of Open Hand Theater, visual art exhibitions, academic research presentations, roundtable discussions, publication launch parties and dozens of music, comedy and dance performances.

On the sustainability front, numerous campus and community organizations will be highlighting sustainability efforts at SU and SUNY-ESF. The University Sustainability Action Coalition (USAC), the Division of Student Affairs and its Office of Residence Life, the Green Action Coalition, the SU Office of Energy and Computing Management, the SU Recycling Committee, the New York Public Interest Research Group and the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency will highlight these offerings with their collaborative Earth Day Action Center in the Carrier Dome, an interactive venue for MayFest-goers to participate in and learn about a variety of sustainability initiatives.

MayFest will run from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. MayFest afterDark, a family-friendly evening offering a variety of entertainment options, International Festival, and available dinner on the Quad, will take place from 6:30-10 p.m. Daytime and evening MayFest events will take place in a variety of locations on and around the Quad, as well as in the Carrier Dome.

Mayfest is free and open to the public, with free parking and convenient shuttle service available to visitors. The only events requiring paid admission will be the Block Party concert and the buffet dinner served during afterDark.

As in past years, MayFest organizers will make a special effort to reach out to high schools across New York and the Northeast, encouraging teachers to introduce their pupils to the intellectual stimulation of the university setting.

Despite the program’s name, the April date has been chosen to maximize the ability of SU students to participate; no classes will be held that day. Additionally, in a January 2008 letter to faculty, SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina asked faculty to infuse MayFest into the spring semester curriculum. Presenters can register their events at http://mayfest.syr.edu/PresentersForm.htm.

For more information, including updates to the list of events, parking details, registration for student attendees, and event registration details, visit http://mayfest.syr.edu or contact the Soling Program at (315) 443-3133.