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Residence halls cut the lights to conserve energy

Sustainability, Energy, Efficiency and Design is an initiative at UT that encourages students to conserve energy.

Abigail Sullivan, Staff Reporter

University of Toledo students are being challenged to black out their campus.

SEED (Sustainability, Energy, Efficiency and Design), is an initiative at UT that encourages students to conserve energy.

“We’re just trying to build sustainability across campus, it’s larger than just me, it’s the faculty that do sustainability-focused research, and student organizations that are doing projects,” said Brooke Mason, the sustainability specialist.

BlackoUT is an annual energy conservation competition that is held between the residence halls on campus and one of the programs SEED is responsible for.

“The whole month of November, each resident hall competes against each other,” Mason said. “Whoever can reduce the most [energy] from last year’s numbers, Nov. 1-30, wins.”

The energy saved is measured by percent, allowing for an even competition between the residence halls.

International House won last year, saving 23.27 percent more energy than they did during the same time last year. In second place was Presidents Hall with 13.82 percent saved, and in third was Academic House with 2.19 percent saved.

Madeline Shaffer, a second-year communication major, participated in the event last year.

“It’s all about the little things,” Shaffer said. “Throughout the month I took shorter showers, watched less TV and turned the air on low at night.”

Residence halls provide incentives for participating in the event.

Last year Presidents Hall hosted a movie night that invited residents to turn off electronic devices in their rooms to watch a movie together. Over 25 people participated in this event.

This year, Presidents Hall will be holding glow-in-the-dark bowling and glow-in-the-dark yoga.

“It’s an opportunity for residents to come out and immerse themselves in the Presidents Hall community,” said Colleen Flanigan, graduate assistant hall director of Presidents Hall.

BlackoUT starts Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Every resident is welcome to participate by conserving as much energy as possible.

“Between understanding the importance of energy conservation and having little habits, this is hopefully something that will last longer than just the month of November,” Mason said.

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