Residential Life hopes to help students change their plugged-in lifestyles with the annual UNPLUG event, designed to inform students about techniques to save energy and live sustainably.
Monday marked the start of the UNPLUG campaign for ResLife and Campus Sustainability. ResLife representatives met with students at the two on-campus dining halls to quiz them on energy trivia, teach sustainable practices, conduct energy consumption surveys and hand out prizes.
The three-week campaign aims to inform students about energy and water consumption, conservation, recycling and sustainability.
UNPLUG is also a campus-wide competition between residents. Residential halls compete against one another to see who can save the most energy, with the winner receiving a trophy and a party.
Marketing senior Lucia Brus is the project leader for Enactus at LSU, formerly Students in Free Enterprise, the group that started the project five years ago and took its idea to ResLife. Brus said the campaign has saved more than $38,000 over the last four years and has improved student knowledge of energy savings.
She said the goal of UNPLUG is to “change the mindset [of students]; to know how to be effective in saving energy and live green in the future.”
ResLife Assistant Director of Communications Catherine David said the UNPLUG campaign is part of a nationwide movement to go green.
David said the program has been a great success at the University, citing an energy reduction every year in the halls.
The program has evolved over the years, she said. A new addition this year is recycling trivia to be held March 12. The custodial staff will quiz residents on sustainable practices to raise recycling awareness but also create relationships between the staff and residents.
Another addition to the program is the “swag your sign” competition in which each residential community will create a sign or banner using as many recyclable materials as possible. People will then vote for their favorites online.
In addition to these changes, ResLife will continue the “green bandits” event, in which students will dress themselves up in their best green bandit costume and roam the halls informing fellow residents about sustainable practices.
David said sustainability is one of the main pillars of ResLife’s strategic plan. She said the program is open to new ideas and changes and will continue to evolve to be a part of a broader goal to be sustainable.
