Before MSU students can pack up for winter break next week, there’s a list of requirements that need to be completed.
With finals less than a week away, Residential and Hospitality Services is asking residents to unplug appliances and turn off lights in an effort to conserve energy on campus.
“We utilize our residence life staff to help send the message to students to clean their room fridges and take anything not needed home,” Carla Iansiti, RHS sustainability officer, said . “A postcard goes into all of the mailboxes to highlight what students need to do.”
Iansiti said students in residential halls and in Spartan Village used more than 36 million kilowatts per hour from July 2013 to July 2014. Iansiti said by following RHS guidelines, students can do their part in conserving energy.
This year will be the first winter break for MSU student Sergio Polimante . As a resident in Armstrong Hall in Brody Neighborhood, Polimante said saving energy is a must.
“What I’ll do is turn off everything before I leave my room,” Polimante said. “Some leave a light on in their rooms but I don’t see the point if you’re not using it.”
Polimante said there are signs around his residence hall that provide reasons for students to save on electricity.
“I think it is very important, especially here in the USA where the energy is not from renewable source,” Polimante said. “There is no reason to burn coal in vain.”
In addition to addressing students to sustain energy in their residence halls, there are other conservation and recycling campaigns that RHS promotes.
“We have a ‘Pack Up. Pitch In. Help Out.’ campaign that runs from Thanksgiving to the holiday break for students that want to get rid of anything,” Iansiti said.
The Pack Up. Pitch In. Help Out. campaign allows students to donate items no longer in use, such as books, furniture, clothes, nonperishable foods, recycle materials, appliances and household items.
“Collection bins are placed in all the lobbies for these materials so that student don’t have to lug home or feel they need to throw away,” Iansiti said.
Supply chain management sophomore Zhicong Li said saving energy didn’t occur to her as much until she moved off campus.
“I used to live in Hubbard and would try to save on energy but it also wouldn’t bother me if I left a light on when leaving the room,” Li said. “Now that I live in an apartment, I started turning off the lights whenever I leave because I save more money that way.”
According to the Sustainability Report of 2014 , MSU has reduced its energy use intensity by 14 percent. MSU’s goal is to reduce its EUI by 20 percent by the year 2020.
