Students “Heart” Tap Water Video Contest
Press Release: On Valentine’s Day students from across the country will declare their love for tap water in the celebrity–judged I Heart Tap Water student video contest. It is part of Food & Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap Campaign that encourages college students and entire campuses to kick the bottled water habit and take back the tap. A panel of judges representing the environment, students, and film will choose the first–place winner of the contest, who will receive $1,500.
February 14, 2008
Students and Celebrities Declare Love for Tap Water on Valentine’s Day
Students “Heart” Tap Water with National Student Video Contest,
Actor Alec Baldwin Among Judges
Washington, DC –– On Valentine’s Day students from across the country will declare their love for tap water in the celebrity-judged I Heart Tap Water student video contest. It is part of Food & Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap Campaign that encourages college students and entire campuses to kick the bottled water habit and take back the tap. A panel of judges representing the environment, students, and film will choose the first-place winner of the contest, who will receive $1,500.
"Bottled water is not as environmentally friendly as people think it is," says actor and celebrity judge Alec Baldwin.
“We will need enormous public support to get Congress to dedicate the billions of dollars needed to ensure safe and affordable water for future generations,” stated Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “With this video contest students are building support among tomorrow’s leaders to make the smart and healthy choice of tap water over bottled water.”
The I Heart Tap Water contest challenges students to produce a one to two minute video that includes the following elements: a declaration of love for tap water, some discussion about bottled water consumption, and why the student’s college or university should break the bottled water habit –– a topic covered extensively in the Food & Water Watch report, Take Back the Tap. According to the report, tap water is better for consumers’ health, their pocketbooks, and the environment.
"Having worked on these issues for years, I've seen firsthand how young people are taking the lead in addressing the global water crisis,” said contest judge Saul Garlick of the Student Movement for Real Change. “Young people are learning the incredible value of tap water – how lucky we are [in the US] to have quality water that doesn't even need to be purchased in an expensive bottle! This is an exciting international movement to keep water safe and make it accessible for everyone. I look forward to judging the contest and seeing what they come up with!"
"Our student groups got Coca-Cola off campus, and we got fair trade coffee in the dining halls. Take Back the Tap is the logical next step for our environmental and economic justice work. Ann Arbor already said it supports tap water over bottled water, so it makes sense for our campus to do the same,” explained Emanuel Figueroa, a senior at University of Michigan.
Submissions for the contest will be accepted until Monday, April 14th, and the winner of the contest will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd.
For more information and contest rules visit www.takebackthetap.org.
