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Prize for La MaMa
Ellen Stewart, the legendary founder of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York, has received the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association. The prestigious international arts prize is given annually to recognize lifetime achievement in sculpture, architecture, music, theater and film. Winners receive 15 million yen (about $135,000). Stewart, 87, opened the off-Broadway club in 1961, providing a creative home where artists have thrived. A longtime grantee, La MaMa first received Ford funding in 1967. La MaMa has supported many critically acclaimed actors including Sam Shepard, Diane Lane, Harvey Fierstein and Robert DeNiro.
www.lamama.org

College Credit 101
Student debt is a growing crisis on college campuses. Over the last decade, student credit card balances have ballooned 134 percent. Today, students are graduating with an average of $4,000 in credit card debt, nearly half the total for U.S. households. To address the issue, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group launched a national effort in fall 2007 to educate students about credit practices. The consumer group's initiative includes funding marketing campaigns that dispel claims of credit card companies; encouraging colleges to restrict credit card marketing; and developing a new Web site, TruthAboutCredit.org.
www.truthaboutcredit.org
www.uspirg.org