Cal State Long Beach students who live on campus will vie for environmental supremacy this October in a residence hall competition entitled “Do It in the Dark.” The competition, sponsored by the Green Campus Program, will compare electricity and water consumption rates for each building.
The buildings will be divided into three competing groups: Residence Commons, Parkside Commons and the Residential Learning College. The group that reduces its consumption the most per week will win a pizza party. At the end of the month, the group that cuts back the most will win the grand prize: A party night in the University Student Union.
“We rented out the whole games area so the pool tables, the bowling alley and ping pong table — all of that is going to be open for a three-hour period, on Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.,” intern for the Green Campus Program and senior psychology major Allie Bussjaeger said. There will also be pizza and various snacks and drinks.
Bussjaeger said the group is trying to promote the competition to be as green as possible by using Facebook, table events, shirts and support from Resident Assistants.
“We’re trying because it’s a green organization. We’re trying not to use too much paper,” Bussjaeger said.
However, there are plans to have posters in the dining halls that show graphs of the relative positions of competitors. Then, students will be able to see and compare, according to Bussjaeger.
Reactions from students living in the dorms have been mixed.
“Personally, I’ll be more conscious of it, but I don’t know if everyone else would be,” sophomore kinesiology major Rebecca Seguancia said.
Jessica Mason, a junior film major from England, expressed enthusiasm and also some guilt.
“I think my light and fan are on right now, actually. And so is my computer,” she said.
Still, at least one student felt the competition just might work.
Sophomore international business student Caitlin Grave said, “People respond to incentives, so maybe it’ll work. College students in particular respond to free stuff.”
The Green Campus Program is an advocacy group sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy. It was created and sponsored by several large energy companies. The program seeks to promote environmental conservation on college campuses throughout the state.
“The Green Campus Program exists on 19 college campuses so it’s something that happens at some other state schools,” Bussjaeger said.
At CSULB, the program works in conjunction with the Facilities Department to install conservation devices around campus and to educate the general student body about better resource management.
“The energy competition is more the outreach and education part,” Bussjaeger said.
According to Bussjaeger, the program is currently working to test motion censors in the classroom.
Bussjaeger also said the Green Campus Program is working to have devices installed on vending machines that puts them into a sleep mode during long periods of inactivity.
“We’re in the process of doing pilot runs with those right now,” she said.
Bussjaeger said she became interested in conservation during her stint as the conservation commissioner for Associated Students, Inc. last year. One of her accomplishments as commissioner was to ban food trays from the dining halls.
“I really just fell in love with conservation, especially on the college campus,” she said.
When the Green Campus Program began in March, she started as a stakeholder. She was able to parlay that into an internship and has since learned more about the technical side of being sustainable, she said.
“Energy efficiency is more learning about numbers and energy audits, and that’s a really good skill set to have,” Bussjaeger said.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.