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Sign Up for 'Green Devil Smackdown' competition

Duke community starts sustainability contest with first challenge

Part of the Sustainable Duke Series
The winning team of the Green Devil Smackdown receives this championship belt.
The winning team of the Green Devil Smackdown receives this championship belt.

The bell has rung and round one has begun.

Participants in Duke's Green Devil Smackdown take to the ring this week, as the sustainability-themed team competition starts on its second year. So far, 542 students, faculty and staff have signed up to compete, forming 34 teams.

"The Green Devil Smackdown encourages sustainable living and shows how staff, faculty and students have an impact on Duke's environmental footprint every day," said Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke. "We hope another fierce competition this year emphasizes how small changes in behavior can help Duke's goal to reduce our carbon footprint."

The first round of the competition, which runs through Oct. 31, includes a challenge to use Duke's carbon calculator to find out the size of each competitors carbon footprint by answering questions about things like commuting and eating habits. Bonus points can also be earned by taking a quiz about Duke's carbon neutrality date.

All faculty, staff and students can still sign up online for the Green Devil Smackdown and join or form teams. The team that earns the highest average points per participant will be crowned champion and receive a custom-designed Green Devil championship belt. In addition, a drawing will be held at the end of the competition to award an iPad to a Duke community member who completes at least seven challenges during the competition.

After sitting out last year's Smackdown, Heather Duhart decided to test her sustainable mettle as leader of the "Fuqua Daytime Program Office" team. While she's taken responsibility to recycle at home and in her office, Duhart, student services coordinator at the Fuqua School of Business, said joining the Green Devil Smackdown this year gives her the chance to learn more about Duke's sustainability priorities and how she can shrink her carbon footprint.

"I know I can do more, so I hope this can help me learn more," said Duhart, who's competing with 10 others on her team. "Duke's efforts for carbon neutrality, my carbon footprint and the carbon calculator all seemed interesting to me, so I wanted to learn about my footprint and how I can do better for the environment."