There is no question that each student has seen that box in the corner of a classroom: the tall, white one that always encourages students to recycle. Every water bottle or soda can that you put in one of those boxes this week and for the next nine weeks is being counted for SMU’s participation in RecycleMania.

The 10-week competition among 496 schools has begun. This means that this week’s recycled items will be weighed. The results are sent to the RecycleMania competition each week to compare with other universities and colleges across the nation.

The competition is designed to get students thinking about recycling and making it a part of their every day routines. The organization wants students to not only participate and be excited about competing, but also become more aware of the campus’ recycling program.

Miranda Dunn recycles when possible, and feels that a competition such as RecycleMania probably would not have an incredible effect on many of SMU’s students.

“[People] recycle anyway,” she said. “You don’t have to have a competition to make you do it.”

Dunn believes that with many recycling bins on campus, it should be an easy choice for students to recycle rather than throw out the Sprite can.

The National Recycling Coalition makes RecycleMania possible. The competition began between two schools, then spread across the country. Today, it gets students to give more thought to recycling each spring.

The competition will continue until March 28. For more information, visit www.recyclemaniacs.org/overview.htm.