Student’s Corner

THE HIGHLIGHTS REEL

Well, I guess I’m graduating in a couple of days. This won’t be the last article you’ll see from me, but it is my last Student’s Corner of my undergraduate career. I’ll save you from the cheesy emotions and send you right into it.

Here’s a list of a few sustainability tips and tricks I’ve learned here about living a greener life, especially at the U of R:

• Reusable mugs are everything. Don’t underestimate them. They get you discounts both on and off campus and it helps reduce your waste pretty significantly if you drink as much coffee as I did while I was here. You can also use your mug for water and other drinks to stay hydrated throughout the day and save money by not paying for bottled drinks.
• Upcycle things. While it’s not always true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, it is true more often than we might think. 
• Participate in local culture. Eat and drink local when it’s possible and makes sense and don’t beat yourself up when you can’t.
• Think about what you’re consuming. I wish I had learned this lesson sooner, and I’m still struggling with it today. Basically, just consider how you feel about the sources of what you’re buying. Yes, maybe it is a lot cheaper to buy the $1 t-shirt from some sweatshop, and that’s totally okay for some people, but make sure you know how you feel about it. Consider where/what the things you’re consuming are sourced from, how they’re made, how the people/animals making them are treated, how long they will last you, and what you can do with them when you’re done with them. These questions lay a really good framework for consuming consciously and can make you feel better about what you spend your money on.
• Above all, your sustainability journey is your own, so take every sustainability tip with a grain of salt. Hang on to what’s important to you and do what you can to make the world a better place. Maybe some things you read about living a more sustainable life will really speak to you, but some probably won’t. Make sure you listen to yourself here and live a life you’ll be happy with upon reflection.

That’s a wrap. Happy graduation to my fellow graduating seniors and farewell to the rest of you who may have stumbled upon my writings. A big shout out and thank you to Amy Kadrie, who is the fearless leader of Facilities Team Green and is a wonderful person who fights for sustainability on our campus every day.

Peace.

Photo source: here.

Written by Mariah Greico, Class of 2018 (woah)