Residence Halls to Participate in Energy Conservation Competition
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2008
Westminster College will kick off the "Do it in the Dark" energy conservation competition the week of Jan. 27-Feb.1.
Sponsored by the Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) and Residence Life, the competition runs through April 30 with students in Westminster's 10 residential buildings attempting to conserve the most energy.
"By making simple, unintrusive lifestyle choices, like remembering to turn out the lights when leaving the room or choosing to wash only full loads of laundry, we can collectively reduce the daily toll that Westminster takes on the environemnt," said Leanna Stitt, a senior English and sociology major from Pittsburgh and president of SSC. "By turning this cause into a contest, we hope to make the process a little more exciting and rewarding. We hope to see the campaign extend beyond the residence halls and into the offices, classrooms, and New Wilmington community as well. If we want to see change, we must all do our part."
Data from the energy meters of every residence hall on campus will be collected on Fridays, and compared to the three-year average (2005-2007) of energy consumption for that residence. Weekly updates will be posted at www.westminster.edu/green.
Tips for reducing energy consumption will be posted throughout the residence halls.
The residence hall that reduces its consumption the most as compared with the three-year average will win a cash prize and the Ozone Cup.
Activities for kick-off week include:
- Screening of The 11th Hour, Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary examining the global environment
- Joseph Gordon of Ocean Legacy (www.oceanlegacy.org) speaking on preserving and restoring America's oceans
- CFL energy saver light bulbs for sale by Sierra Student Coalition
- Make your own recycled paper
- All Campus Lights Out Day
- "Do it in the Dark" party with acoustic music and use of creative sources for lighting
- Weekly edition of the Holcad online only (www.theholcad.com)
Planning for the kick-off week events and the competition involved: Stitt and SSC officer Ethan Frey, a sophomore exploratory major from Wilkes-Barre; Dr. Shahroukh Mistry, assistant professor of biology and faculty adviser to SSC; Dr. Neal Edman, dean of student affairs; and Matt Shaffer, assistant director of residence life.
Last fall, SSC organized a TRASHed recycling campaign between Westminster fraternities. Phi Tau won by collecting over 1,000 pounds of recyclables during the semester.
Contact Stitt at stittlm@westminster.edu or Mistry at (724) 946-7210 (e-mail mistrys@westminster.edu) for additional information.
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