Wes Energy Conservation Showdown Prize

Want to make Wes greener?  Want some extra cash? Want to help solve the University’s budget crisis? Want to have your voice heard by the administration?

Then submit to the Wesleyan Energy Conservation Showdown––the ECS-Prize. If you’ve ever had an idea to make lightbulbWesleyan more sustainable, but didn’t know how to be heard by the Administration or Physical Plant, this is your chance to affect real environmental change––and get paid to do it.

Prizes are $600 for the winning group entry, and $200 for two more runners-up groups. These entries, and any other “honorable mentions” will be collected into a document and sent directly to President Roth’s desk.

We are asking for submissions of at least 3 pages on how to conserve resources and money at Wesleyan. Students are encouraged to work in teams of 2 to 3 members to divide work, but you can work individually or in larger groups if you want.

Entries will be judged on how much natural resources the idea saves, and how much money the University will save because of that conservation. “Resources” can be utilities such as heat, water, and electricity but can include other things as well––for example, if the University is spending money on an environmentally harmful product, and students can find a cheaper, environmentally-friendly alternative, then that idea would be considered successful.

The rules are online at the WSA’s website: wsa.wesleyan.edu/committees/finance-and-facilities-committee/ecs-prize. All questions can be directed to bfirke@wesleyan.edu, or wesecsprize@gmail.com. Information about Wesleyan’s utilities will be posted soon, so any research will be a little easier.

The deadline is March 1, 2010.