At Vancouver Island U., Don an Ugly Sweater and Win $100

Ralph Nilson, the president of Vancouver Island University, may look like he’s wearing the skin of a mangy dog in this photo. And that’s kind of the point. The university is celebrating Ugly Sweater Week, an event that combines a Jimmy Carter-esque fashion sense with absolutely no fashion sense. The ugly sweaters, university officials say, are supposed to raise awareness about energy efficiency, not about your inadequacies in color coordination.

During the week, the university will lower the temperature in buildings by four degrees, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by almost three tons. University officials insist it will save money, too.

The university will also take pictures of students and staff members in their ugly sweaters and post them online, where people can vote on the ugliest. The “winners,” so to speak, will get $100.