After its inaugural initiative was met with substantial approval in recent student elections, Students for a Sustainable Campus wasted no time in getting back on the trail in the hunt for a greener future. In early September, under the guidance of Mississippi State University facilities management officials J.D. Hardy and Jeremiah Dumas, SSC devised the Energy Wars, a competition between MSU residence halls to lower costly energy consumption.
Today, with the cooperation of the Department of Housing and Residence Life, SSC has seen that seed of an idea grow to yield some promising results. Nearly all the residence halls across campus have posted reductions in electrical energy usage when compared to their monthly averages drawn from data gathered over the last four to five years (as data is available). However, a few residence halls have already established themselves as strong contenders for the “Energy Dog” and “Energy Hog” awards alike.  
Sessums Hall has set the pace by posting a 35 percent reduction in electrical energy consumption for the month of September. However, it still faces stiff competition, as Ruby Hall East, Ruby Hall West and Hathorn Hall are all tied for second place with a 27 percent reduction, while McKee Hall is in third with a 24 percent reduction.
Conversely, Griffis Hall West has identified itself as a front-runner for ‘Energy Hog’ by posting a 31 percent increase from its monthly average. No matter where your hall is in the current rankings, it is important you do not rest on your laurels or become apathetic in the war against excessive energy usage.
The competition is still in its early stages, and there is still time for it to change shape.  Remind your hall mates of how important it is to cut excessive energy usage. Engage in discussions about new and better ways to save energy. Energy Wars is not just a competition but an attitude as well.
Its success as an energy saving initiative rests on the sustained vigilance of all the participants.  Most importantly, remember that although the spirit of competition has brought us to this point, we should not lose sight of the Energy Wars’ true purpose, nor should we forget we all share in its success.
Through the combined efforts of all the residence halls across campus, MSU has seen a reduction in electrical energy usage in excess of 189,000 kilowatt-hours.
In terms of real dollars, this is a total cost avoidance of $18,524 for the month of September alone. Results like these cannot be ignored by MSU’s administration and will surely garner further support for future green initiatives.
Hardy’s breakdown of all the residence halls’ energy usage can be found on SSC’s website, ssc.org.msstate.edu/index.html.