With gas prices sky high, University students are feeling the financial burden. Not only from gasoline at the pump, but also from natural gas which will be needed to heat their homes this winter. Residence hall students at the University, unlike their apartment-living counterparts, do not need to worry because they are given a quoted price for the amount due in their housing fee. However, looking toward the future, spending less time in the shower may begin to become a priority for many students looking to save money.

In order to help these undergraduates prepare for their noncommunal hall days, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group run by students at the University , decided to organize a “Res-Wars” competition to increase energy consumption awareness. The competition will take place among the University’s 11 residence halls on campus and will run from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. Halls will compete in a battle against each other to see which hall can be the most energy efficient.

A 20 percent reduction of energy use in each hall will be the goal, with this year’s data compared against the previous energy totals of past Novembers. Students and employees of the halls are encouraged to work together in trying to reduce the amount of energy they use throughout their routines, whether it be as simple as turning off the water when brushing one’s teeth or shutting off the light when heading to class. A grand prize will be given to the winner along with bragging rights of being the most energy efficient hall on campus.

Assisting students in the competition will be posters put up in the residence halls encouraging residents to use less energy. A list of options describing how they can decrease the amount of energy they use will also be provided on specific posters. The event is in connection with a nationwide energy reduction effort on campuses across the country.

Hopefully, the “Res-Wars” will encourage students to reduce their energy use not only to help decrease the University’s energy consumption, but also as a way to reduce the amount of money they will need to pay toward their future energy bills. Good luck to all the residence halls and start participating today by singing your solo without the water running!

Katharine Plowman is a University student. Please send comments to [email protected].