Who will be the next “Big Shirt on Campus?”

This is a question 105 colleges and universities from 40 states are asking this week.

In honor of Earth week (April 16-21), Creighton will be participating in the “One Shirt National Collegiate Clothing Challenge,” in which colleges and universities from around the country compete to collect the most clothes. Whoever collects the most clothes wins the title “Big Shirt on Campus,” and 24 four-day passes to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., featuring bands like The Avett Brothers and Fun.

Boxes have been placed in all residence halls and the Kiewit Fitness Center where students can place shirts, shoes and coats to donate.

“[This competition] is an opportunity for us to give to those less fortunate while cleaning out our closets at the end of the school year.  It also encourages us to reuse items instead of throwing them out,” Mary Duda, the sustainability coordinator and chemical coordinator in environmental health and safety at Creighton, said.

Students also work to make this event a success.

“I have plenty of t-shirts,” Arts & Sciences freshman Kelsey Orr said. “Why not donate one?”

This competition is purposely during Earth Week, Duda explained, because Earth week is a time for us to focus on reducing our carbon footprint, and the competitions helps us do just that.

On Monday, the clothes donated will be taken to the Siena/Francis House and other shelters in the Omaha area.

“Since this is our first year, our goal is to collect as much as we can and donate it to the Siena-Francis House and get a good network together so we can continue to do this in the future,” Duda said. “We also want to raise awareness of the Sustainability Council and sustainability on campus.”

Sustain U, the company that organized this nation-wide competition, makes clothes in the United States from 100% recyclable material.  The Earth day Network is a co-sponsor of this event.