For nearly three weeks now, Tufts students have been diligently Doing it in the Dark.
Co-sponsored by Environmental Consciousness Outreach (ECO) and Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI), Do it in the Dark is a campus-wide, one-month competition between all dorms and houses on campus to conserve energy.
The competition is intended to "raise awareness among Tufts students about energy consumption, and the use of diminishing fossil fuels for electricity that also pollute the environment and cause global warming," said sophomore Eric Misbach, who is the ECO publicity coordinator and Do it in the Dark co-campaign leader, along with junior Melanie McCandless.
Electricity meter readings were recorded on Oct. 18, and will be taken again on Nov. 18. The dorm or house that reduces their energy consumption by the highest percentage will win a party. The party will include free food and prizes, and perhaps feature a performing arts group.
"Do it in the Dark is one of our most powerful campaigns," Misbach said. "It's obviously a great way to reach a majority of Tufts students since it's a competition among all the dorms and houses on the Tufts campus. It puts out our name and our cause in a fun way."
ECO doesn't have a numerical goal for the total energy saved - the emphasis is on education. "The main point is to raise awareness and get people thinking," Misbach said.
On a recent day in the Campus Center, a table promoting Do it in the Dark was strewn with pamphlets, pins, and of course, glow-in-the-dark condoms - "probably our best idea ever," Misbach said. ECO appointed one of its club members, freshman Emily Shields, to research where to get the least expensive glow-in-the-dark condoms.
Misbach believes the glow-in-the-dark condoms have been a successful publicity strategy. "It obviously gets people's attention," Misbach said. "It's a great way to get college students in particular to stop and look at what we're doing and then think about what we are trying to get done."
Co-Coordinator of ECO senior Jennifer Baldwin pointed out that even though Do it in the Dark may look like just handing out condoms, it actually accomplishes much more.
Students who visited the Do it in the Dark table in the campus center were educated on the importance of environmental awareness, facts about climate change, and ways to reduce energy consumption. Students were also encouraged to sign pledge cards outlining the ways they would save energy.
Baldwin is optimistic about the campaign thus far. "It seems like it's going well. People are really receptive," she said.
Ultimately, Baldwin hopes that Do It In the Dark will cause Tufts students to "turn off the lights, turn off the computers, and feel that [the issues raised by Do it in the Dark are] important enough to talk about with others."
Freshman Alison Manchester, a resident of South Hall, has noticed that while students seem to have heard about Do it in the Dark, they "are not necessarily consciously trying to drastically reduce their energy consumption," said Manchester, who believes this is because they simply "don't care enough to change their lifestyle habits."
Still, "any attention [Do it in the Dark] brings to the issue is a step in the right direction," Manchester said.
Manchester's neighbor in South Hall, freshman Laura Bannett has always turned off her computer at night, but the campaign has helped her to remember to turn off lights. "The sticker on the bathroom lights reminds me to turn off those lights. I didn't use to turn off the light in the bathroom, and now I always do," Bannett said.
Senior Seth Baron still practices the habits he learned from Do it in the Dark his freshmen year. "I don't usually have the light on in my room as long as it's light outside, [and] I don't keep my fans running when I'm not home," Baron said.
Baron wishes that "more people were self-aware of the problem, rather than Tufts [having to] offer competitions for people to participate." He supported the idea of "a much larger campaign - to get the message to [even more of] the campus."
Nevertheless, Baron is supportive of the ideals of the campaign. "I think it is good for people, especially students, to be aware of how much energy is wasted in their day-to-day lives because the current sources of energy are not boundless," Baron said. "If we aren't conscious of this, it will lead to more serious problems."
Future publicity for the campaign will include help from ECO Reps, a group of students responsible for recycling and other environmental projects within specific dorms. The ECO Reps plan to table inside the dorms and hand out compact fluorescent bulbs. According to a Tufts Climate Initiative flier, a single compact fluorescent bulb prevents 1,000-2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from heating the atmosphere and prevents the emission of 8-16 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain.
Bannet summed up ECO's ultimate goal: "I hope that [this] doesn't just last until Nov.18. I hope that people adopt good habits and continue them."
