After almost three weeks of competitive energy waste minimization, the student-led organization of the Green Jays crowned Kiewit Hall the winner of their Energy Madness Competition between the campus residence halls.
As it’s put in the organization’s mission statement, the Green Jays aim to spread awareness and spark activism for issues surrounding environmental and sustainability issues on Creighton’s campus, and their Energy Madness Competition, which ran from March 13 to April 1, did exactly that.
Started by former Green Jays President Alex Schultz in 2022, the Energy Madness Competition has brought awareness on energy conservation to the forefront of issues in an interactive and collaborative way within Creighton’s student body.
“The competition is riveting. My roommate and I went up and down Kiewit turning off all the neutral zone lights. Plus, we started watching TV with the lights off for the sake of winning the competition,” said Caleb Hiatt, a freshman in Kiewit Hall.
As it is outlined in Alex Shultz’s write-up of the competition guidelines, the Energy Madness Competition results are measured in daily percent reductions. Each day of the competition is compared to a five-year average of energy usage on that day to calculate the actual reduction in energy waste and declare a winning dorm hall.
Per the Green Jays social media accounts, the conclusion of the competition and the tally of results deemed Kiewit Hall the winner as they saved a combined 4,918-kilowatt hours of energy over the allotted rounds.
“People can save energy by turning off the lights when they leave their room, unplugging chargers when they are not in use, washing their clothes with the cold setting on or taking the stairs instead of using the elevator,” said Sophomore Green Jays Vice President Clara Hasemeier.
In essence, the competition is intended to get students who live in Creighton residence halls to be more watchful of the energy they use on a day-to-day basis. In doing so, the competition will assist residents in creating good habits to conserve energy.
“Energy Madness encourages the entire campus to be mindful of the energy they use because it is so easy to waste it,” Hasemeier said.
Hasemeier has been involved with the Green Jays for two years now. In her role as vice president, she plans to continue spreading awareness on environmental and sustainability issues in and around Omaha and potentially team up with another student organization like the Green Greeks.