RLC Energy Challenge Doesn't Generate Spark

By Jacquelyn Pearce

The annual RLC energy challenge continues throughout Winter quarter. Despite the event's past success, most students still are not aware of its existence.

Santa Clara's 3rd Annual Energy Challenge kicked off Jan. 8. The energy challenge is an attempt to unify the Residential Learning Communities on campus to stress the importance of energy conservation.

Although there has been a significant amount of energy conservation throughout the dorms in the last several years, it has been noted that there is a disparity between the level of awareness of the challenge between the smaller dorms and the larger dorms.

"The only reason I even know about the challenge is because of a flyer I saw in the building," said Claire Bevan, sophomore resident of Swigs SLURP floor. "I haven't recieved any emails, the CFs haven't spoken to us about it, and I think that our building is so big it is hard to get everyone to callaborate."

Swig's seventh floor is known as SLURP, Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project, which brings together students who are prone to environmental awareness. The residents of the floor take pride in their ability to conserve energy year-round, and serve as leaders for the rest of the Santa Clara community.

"The energy challenge draws attention to something SLRUP does throught the year", said junior Claire Overholt. "I feel as though the challenge is a bigger deal for the other floors because we always deal with these environmental issues, not just during the time specifically allotted by the challenge."

Although the seventh floor holds their ground, Swig has still fallen short compared to the other RLCs the past few years.

"It isn't really presented as the cool thing to do in Swig, said Beavon. "There are also so many of us that it often times gets looked over and no one really knows about it. I think if it was presented in a different light or a few students made it seem like the cool thing to do it would catch on better than it has in the past."

Bevan suggested the problem is because residents in the smaller dorms, such as Sanfilippo, have a much more tight-knit community and tend to have an easier time mobilizing in order to comply with the energy saving tactics.

"Last year I lived in Sanfilippo and I remember how prevelant the energy challenge was in our community," said Amanda Anvieh, sophomore resident of Swig. "This year I live in Swig and I actually did not know it was going on at all."

In the past the challenge has led students to drastically cut their energy use during winter quarter. Last year, students saved enough energy to power Malley Fitness Center for six weeks just by people "not really changing their behavior that drastically," said Lindsey Cromwell Kalkbrenner, director of the Office of Sustainability.

The idea of the challenge was brought to the attention of the Office of Sustainability by students in 2007. Once this idea was brought to the administration, energy monitors were purchased and installed in several buildings. Certain on-campus offices tracked the energy usage on hard-to-read websites. After all the hard work and expensive equipment, however, the monitors consequently paid for themselves with the saved energy.

Today, with the exception of a few dorms, most buildings have an energy monitor. The measurements are then posted on an easy-to-use website where students and staff can track how much energy they have consumed. This information is categorized by building and then by day, week, month and year.

According to Kalkbrenner, director of the Office of Sustainability, the university has made a commitment to become climate neutral by 2015. The purpose of this challenge is to get students and staff excited and used to performing certain energy conserving behaviors on a daily basis.

Despite the greater need for motivation in the larger dorms, the overall challenge has been very successful in the past, with enticing prizes for the winning RLC.

There are several potential prizes for the winning RLC. Five bikes will be given to the community for use by residents, according to Residence Life Sustainability Intern Amelia Evans. These bikes will be purchased from Hope Services, a company that refurbishes bikes.

Gayle Catterlin, RD of Communitas and St. Clare's, is excited for the challenge and its efforts. According to Catterlin, "the Residence Hall Energy Challenge is a great opportunity to challenge ourselves to use less energy while having some friendly competition between the residence halls. Even if the residence hall I live in does not win I have learned a new tip on how to reduce my energy use every year."

Students who live off campus can also participate in the challenge. This program is called Living Green in the Neighborhood and was started two years ago by then AS Vice President Katherine Quinn-Shea.Usually, it occurs spring quarter.

Contact Jacquelyn Pearce at jpearce@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4849.