Smith Barney and New York Knicks Partner in Inaugural Smith Barney Creatively College Bound 'Reason I Write' Essay Contest for Full Scholarship to the University of Wisconsin

Business Wire, Nov 26, 2007

Smith Barney, New York Knicks and Urban Word NYC partner to provide opportunities for under-served NYC high school students to better prepare for college application process

NEW YORK -- Smith Barney, in collaboration with the New York Knicks and Urban Word NYC, recently announced a program to increase higher education opportunities for high school students from under-served communities. Funded by a grant from the Smith Barney Community Investment Program, the Smith Barney Creatively College Bound Program is open to high school juniors and seniors, particularly those attending Title 1 schools within the New York/Metro area.

Approximately 50 high school students will participate in the 12-week program developed and facilitated by Urban Word NYC. The program's curriculum focuses on enhancing writing skills to better prepare these students for the college admissions process. It will also assist them in applying for scholarships and other sources of financial aid, in addition to strengthening their preparation for SATs, professional resume writing and college interviews.

At the conclusion of the 12-week period, program participants who qualify as high school seniors with credentials acceptable for admission to the University of Wisconsin will be eligible to advance to the Smith Barney "Reason I Write" Essay Competition. The winner will receive an $80,000 full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin courtesy of the school. The competitors will participate in writing workshops conducted by Urban Word NYC and submit a 500-word essay entitled, Reason I Write, to the scholarship competition.

Representatives from Smith Barney, Urban Word NYC and the New York Knicks will select three finalists from the program participants. A representative from the University of Wisconsin will be included as a judge of the finalists. The finalists will be evaluated on quality of writing, community service, extracurricular activities and a personal interview with the judges. The University of Wisconsin scholarship will be awarded in conjunction with the New York Knicks Poetry Slam contest in The Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center on February 26, 2008, and the winning "Reason I Write" essay will be presented live at that time.

About Smith Barney

Smith Barney is the private wealth management unit of Citigroup. It is a leading provider of comprehensive financial planning and advisory services to high net worth investors, institutions, corporations and private businesses, governments and foundations. With more than 13,000 Financial Advisors in over 600 offices, Smith Barney offers a full suite of investment services, including asset allocation, private investments and lending services, hedge funds, cash and portfolio management, as well as retirement, education and estate planning. A division of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., (Member SIPC), the firm currently has 9 million client accounts, representing nearly $1.4 trillion in client assets. Additional information may be found at: www.smithbarney.com.

About the New York Knicks

The NBA's New York Knickerbockers basketball team, completing its 61st year of operation, is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P. Cablevision Systems Corporation owns Madison Square Garden, L.P., which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

About Urban Word NYC

Urban Word NYC[TM] (UW) exists to ensure that New York City youth have a safe, supportive, dynamic and challenging community in which to discover their powerful voices - through written and spoken word

About the Knicks Poetry Slam Program

Knicks Poetry Slam was created in 2003 to reach today's high school youth by using the popularity of hip-hop and poetry as a vehicle to motivate and inspire expression through the written and spoken word. During the 2006-07 season, the Knicks and program partner Urban Word NYC, decided to create greater opportunities for high school students to use their poetic skills and talents to pursue higher education. The program has served over 6,000 students through school site visits, a Poetry Open Audition, a College Fair, workshops and Poetry Slams. It has also provided the winners of the program with educational grants for college.

This year the program has an even greater focus on education. The Knicks, Urban Word NYC and Knicks sponsors are dedicated to creating a college bound culture within the urban community by providing educational workshops and over $100,000 in grants and scholarships to college for participating students.