By Katelyn S. Irons | Echo
The three-week Sustain TU-gether Energy Competition begins Monday and will pit dorms and apartments against each other to see who can reduce their energy and water-use footprint the most. With the introduction of Sustainability Assistants (SAs) this year comes a surge of green activities for students.
The Energy Competition is not new to campus but was not done last year. The program has grown slowly since 2010. This year Kevin Crosby, coordinator of Stewardship & Sustainability, has high hopes for the competition.
"It's really just an opportunity to elevate the discussion about sustainability and efficiency on campus," Crosby said. "We do save money . . . during these three weeks, but that's not the main purpose. The main purpose is to get people talking, thinking . . . and also add some conversation about 'why.' (It's) not just the money, but about the stewardship."
Average water use per student is around 41.5 gallons per day and energy is around 7.7 kilowatts per day. According to Crosby, during the 2012 competition electricity and water use decreased by an average of 14 and 8 percent, respectively. The last electricity winner, Gerig Hall, reduced 39 percent; Haakonsen, the winner of water, reduced 28 percent. The 2012 competition saved enough energy to power 42 average-sized homes for the three weeks of the competition and enough water to fill the Taylor swimming pool twice.
"The education portion of what we (SAs) all do is what we are passionate about," said Michael Greening, the graduate sustainability assistant. "We are trying to be stewards of what God has given us and using it in ways that are appropriate because we are on borrowed time and using borrowed resources because they are all really God's."
There is $1,000 in prize money to be split between the dorms by the percentage of energy and water use reduction. Every residence hall will win something, unless they happen to use more energy than usual during these weeks. The winning dorm or apartment will get an extra $200.
According to Crosby, there have been some interesting uses of prize money in the past. One dorm handed out the prize money in cash to the students. Another bought the dorm new vacuum cleaners. He says it's up to the hall director to choose what to do with the money.
In addition to the competition, students can look forward to a prayer meeting, a speaker and a documentary screening. Dates and times will be announced later during the competition.
