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On Wednesday, April 19, Labyrinth Books will host a reception and fundraising event at their 536 West 112 th Street store for Columbia University's student chapter of Engineers Without Borders USA (CU-EWB).
CU-EWB is a non-profit, humanitarian organization established by Columbia University engineering and science students in 2002 to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. Recent projects include the construction of a health clinic in Samli, Thailand, and a public latrine system for the village of Obodan, Ghana. The organization is currently working on a community-initiated water filtration project in Sakyikrom, Ghana. A data gathering and bore-hole drilling trip will be conducted in June by a student team and a professional engineer advisor.
"Fund-raising is one of the key elements of this student organization," explained Elizabeth Long, president of CU-EWB. "We undertake projects in communities across the world, and as such, outside of building supplies, air tickets and lodging make up our largest expenses."
To kick off the April 19 event, Labyrinth Books will donate ten percent of the day's sale proceeds to CU-EWB's current project. Aimed at drawing Columbia students as well as Labyrinth's network of patrons, the bookstore will host an open reception with refreshments beginning at 7:00 p.m. A raffle will be held for prizes including jewelry and gift certificates to local businesses in Morningside Heights. CU-EWB students will present a photographic essay and a presentation about past and ongoing projects.
In collaboration with Columbia University's student leaders, Labyrinth store director Christopher Doeblin decided to assist the student chapter's fund-raising and publicity causes. "These are students who are not wasting their education," he said. "I am impressed by their drive, the work they have already done, and the potential that they possess to create positive change in themselves and in communities outside of their University. Labyrinth supported CU-EWB last year, and this year we want to continue that and help raise wider community awareness and support of what these students are doing," said Doeblin.
Labyrinth Books, a feature of Morningside Heights, is a cozy bookstore priding itself as a place in which "to get lost in the best of ways: so you can find what you didn't know you were looking for." The store often hosts author-events and other cultural, political and academic institutions or groups' events.
"It was director Chris Doeblin who first suggested collaborating on this event," said Long. "The idea is to raise campus awareness, community support and publicize the work of our students."
Students from CU-EWB will be present at the event to speak to the vision of the club and provide more details into the work that goes behind all these projects. Past fund-raising efforts and donations of frequent flyer miles have helped realize the students' successful projects in Samli, Thailand, and Obodan, Ghana. |
