A new campaign created by Southern Adventist University’s Environmental Sustainability Committee will help students learn how to conserve energy. “Southern Unplugged” is a competition between the men’s and women’s residence halls to see which group reduces electricity usage most effectively between February 1 and Earth Day, April 22.

During the 2012-2013 fiscal year, Southern spent nearly two million dollars on electricity alone, with the residence halls accounting for roughly half of that figure. The sustainability committee wanted to pursue a conservation competition, but needed to install individual meters on each building to measure the energy used. Now that this has been completed, the contest has begun.

Dave Allemand, associate director of Plant Services, said students are saving energy by turning off lights and heaters when not needed, and by unplugging anything that isn’t being used, such as chargers for cellphones, computers, and other digital devices.

“Everyone doing a little can affect the campus in a huge way,” Allemand said.

Part of the campaign includes short videos shown during convocations that raise awareness of the campaign and remind students to save energy. But the message being shared is not limited just to students living on campus, or even students in general.

“We also hope to reach faculty and staff,” said Crystal Stitzer, '04, chair of the Environmental Sustainability Committee.

In fact, the competition is well positioned to go campus wide as it is squarely in line with the green initiative goals of Southern’s Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan that advocates for improved sustainability and increased awareness of God’s abundant natural resources.