Eco-Madness competition begins

Turn off the lights and take shorter showers, because today marks the start of

Eco-Madness, a three week-long competition amongst residence halls to see

which can conserve the most energy and water.

Eco-Madness, which runs until Oct. 6, is a chance for the residents of North, Northwest, Towers and Shippee residence halls to show how eco-friendly they can be by conserving both water and energy.  The winning residential complex is determined by which saves the most energy and earns the most participation points.

Participation points are awarded when a resident attends an Eco-Madness event. These events include showings of "Planet Earth," "Wall-E" and "Into the Wild," as well as other activities such as trash can-diving and eco-trivia in the dining halls. More information on these activities can be found at the Office of Environmental Policy's (OEP) Web site.

Besides attending these events, there are many other ways for students to help their areas win. Making small changes in daily routines may lead to Eco-Madness victory and a healthier environment as well.  Simple acts such as turning off unnecessary lights and making sure faucets aren't leaking have proven to conserve significant amounts of energy in the past.

Eco-Madness offers incentives for students to become aware of ways to save energy and water. Emily Searle, a 1st-semester molecular and cell biology major who lives in North, is planning to turn off her fan whenever she is not in her room.

Eco-Madness "raises awareness for such a huge problem our generation is

going to be facing," said Chloe D'Angostino, a 3rd-semester accounting major and two-year Eco-Madness participant who lives in Towers.

That "huge problem" has already begun at UConn, according to the OEP, which said UConn's immense consumption of water  has taken a drastic toll on the Fenton River, which once ran abundantly but now is no more than a dried up well when the

rainy season ends.

Although Eco-Madness only includes North, Northwest, Towers and Shippee residence halls, the OEP urges everyone on campus to think about preserving the environment.  There has been an increase in the number of recycling receptacles around campus, and many rooms within individual residence halls now come equipped with their own recycling bags.