Students for Sustainability

October is a month home to many s-words, such as spooky and scary, but at IUPUI, the most important is sustainability. Starting on October 1, the Campus Center, University Library, University Tower, and North Hall are competing to win the annual Energy Challenge. This building-to-building battle has created excitement for numerous on-campus residents and also caused them to think more critically of their energy use. 

When trying to reduce energy consumption with better strategies, freshman Sarah Berge has some advice on making these changes sustainable. 

“Make a habit out of it,” said Berge. “Once or twice a day I take the stairs instead of the elevator and remember to turn my lights off.”

Being sustainable oncampus comes in many different forms, and Emily Hook, a freshman, is passionate about reducing her negative impact. 

“I got a new trash bin to have a recycling bin in my room,” said Hook. 

Although this seems simple, it is admitted that sustainability does come with difficulties and requires dedication to reach the best results. 

“I need to be reminded, ‘Okay, I don’t need this light on,” said Hook. 

Although sustainability can’t be achieved with the snap of a finger, small changes, such as taking the stairs if able and creating a personal recycling system, go a long way. At the conclusion of the challenge on October 18, the winner will be announced via the IUPUI Instagram page along with the amount of overall energy reduced.