This semester, Penn State Auxiliary & Business Services is imploring West Halls freshmen to "Take Charge" of their energy usage, launching a pilot campaign to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation.

This summer, Office of Physical Plant (OPP) focused on giving the aging mechanical systems in West Halls a "tune-up," making it a natural progression to then team up with the incoming freshmen class to help "drive" the initiative, Paul Ruskin, OPP spokesman, said.

"We can only go so far without partnering with the people who use our facilities," Ruskin said. The Take Charge program is a marketing campaign designed to spread the word about energy saving methods among students and faculty.

With the cost of the university's energy commodities expected to double over the next five years, and 5 percent of students' tuition already going toward paying for energy utilities, the initiative addresses a pressing issue.

"We don't have an endless supply of energy and water ... so we're trying to curtail unnecessary uses," Ruskin said. "We all end up paying for it in the end."

Posters around the residence halls and commons areas, light switch covers in the dorm rooms and bathroom reading material are just a few of the energy-conscious reminders that have inundated West Halls freshmen.

In McKee Hall, room 301, the pilot campaign seems to be working for roommates Haley Darst (freshman- architectural engineering) and Khayla Shearer (freshman-chemical engineering).

"I thought the rest of the campus was like that," Shearer said. "I guess I was subconsciously saving energy."

Darst agreed the program was having its intended effect.

"I actually do [think about saving energy]," Darst said, gesturing toward the room's light switch cover. "Whenever I look at that I think to turn off the lights."

Parents and students who were moving into West Halls for the first time this fall received a letter over the summer asking them to bring energy-efficient appliances to the campus and suggesting Energy Star alternatives.

Upon arriving, each freshman received a promotional toothbrush that keeps an environment-friendly message close to eye-level, Ruskin said.

While the program is focusing primarily on energy at first, it will also grow to encompass water conservation as well.

One of the most noticeable changes affecting West Halls residents is the installation of water-saving showerheads. The new heads use considerably less water, but they have also raised complaints from students who felt the water flow was overly restricted, Ruskin said.

Once the school sees how well the Take Charge program fares in West Halls, it plans on expanding it to the rest of University Park and the Penn State family, Ruskin said.

The program is a component of the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program, which is an ongoing program aimed at confronting energy issues across the Penn State community.

"The cool thing about it is that we can use the savings [from energy efficiency] to pay for more projects in the future," Mike Prinkey, OPP energy program engineer, said.