Well, classes are over, the 2013 graduates have started their celebrations, and the Fontbonne dorms have pretty much cleared out of most of their residents – myself included. But since I stayed longer than most, I was able to witness first hand as the other students slowly trickled out over the past couple of weeks. The thing that stood out most was the sheer amount of STUFF that people accumulated throughout the year in their room. I’m by no means exempt from this, either. It seems like every time I try to move back home my material possessions quadruple. But I dutifully either pack them up in a trunk, give them away to friends, or donate them to a good cause.

This year, though, I went a step further. As a firm believer in the classic mantra, “Reduce/Reuse/Recycle”, I try to avoid throwing things out if at all possible. So you can understand my agony as I see things like bags of clothes, working roller skates, life sized teddy bears, and plush purple ottomans abandoned in the hallways by people who either no longer want them or simply don’t have the room to take them home. Since there was no clear donation box in the halls this semester, I took it upon myself to gather up as much as I could. Call me crazy, but even saving a small amount from the landfill is worth it in my book.

I gathered up a decent amount of items, which I gave to my friend for his yard sale (along with a few unwanted items of my own). I know I didn’t save everything before it ended up in the dumpster, but I’m still glad I tried. Next year, though, I’m planning on an Environmental Club/Residence Hall Association collaboration to get GoodWill donation boxes in the halls for people’s unwanted items.  I know that in the rush and stress of moving out, it’s hard for people to seriously consider the future of the things left for the trash and the consequences they have in a landfill. So it’s important to make reducing and reusing as easy as possible. We can’t keep everything from being trashed, but we can certainly do our best!

Holy cats – the semester is almost over. I have to say that overall, this past year has been my favorite at Fontbonne. It’s crazy, but honestly things just keep getting better and better for me here. My college experience so far has been just as wonderful as I ever could have imagined, and I am so thankful for that.

It’s crazy to think about all the factors that influenced my college decision way back when – how lucky I am that it all worked out and that I made the right decision. Next year will be my last here: I’ll be finishing up my undergrad in dietetics, applying for internships (probably in Texas and South Carolina, mostly), taking on my last stand as Environmental Club president, and of course running and laughing and enjoying life with my friends. I’ve met so many great people here at Fontbonne, and although some of them have moved on to other places and lives, I still think of them fondly.

It’s always a transition to move home for the summer, but although I love living here with my friends, I appreciate the relaxation and time to reconnect with myself that it brings.  On the agenda for this summer is running, tanning, baking, volunteering, organizing, crafting, and planning for next year and beyond. It will be nice to have a couple of months to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. See you in the fall!

Can we talk for a sec about how Ryan Cabrera and Tyler Hilton came to Fontbonne Springfest this year? Don’t worry, I have proof.

I mean, I was never a super huge fan of either (The Hills? What?), but still… pretty cool. And Ryan Cabrera played my favorite song/only song I know of his, so that was really enough for me.

Other highlights of Springfest include raffles and prizes at the campus BBQ, a very solid fashion show put on by the fashion students, and LIVE BAND KARAOKE, which I dominated at. Good thing I didn’t have anything to do last Friday, because NONE OF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. Another awesome Springfest in the books!

I don’t have pictures from Fontbonne’s Environmental Fair yet, but to tide you over until I do – here’s some from the Forest Park Earth Day Festival I went to on Sunday!!

STL BikeWorks! Where we bought some of the Environmental Club bikes.

Free sample of eco-friendly, toxin-free, nail polish!

You know you want some alpaca socks.

Love me some upcycled art!

Petting a puppy in the Peace Garden!

Electric car display!

Sorting trash/recycling/compost!

Veggies!

Overview of the Fair tents, on the Muny grounds of Forest Park!

I had a great time at the festival this year, and it’s definitely something to check out if you can! But no worries if you missed it, because Forest Park is always beautiful and you can celebrate Earth Day EVERY DAY.

This Thursday, April 18th, is the 3rd annual Environmental Fair! It will be happening from 11-2, in the meadow (weather permitting) or in the AMC of Medaille Hall! To remind you all how awesome the fair is, I’ll show you some pictures from last year.

Don’t forget you can borrow bikes from Environmental Club!

Raffle prizes! Plenty of that this year.

Organic farms!

Missouri Botanical Gardens Earthways Center!

REfresh!

The HES garden!

SEE HOW AWESOME!?!?! Super, then I’ll see you there.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned Rosemary Grove and its partnership with the Environmental Club. Rosemary Grove, I’ll reiterate, is a store that focuses on Fair Trade items, which ensures that the producers of the items were paid fairly and had good working conditions. I’m pleased to announce that last Thursday we had a benefit shopping night at the Kirkwood location, and it was a success!

We invited anyone from Fontbonne to come, and 10% of the proceeds went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens – one of my favorite places in St. Louis. And there were a lot of cool things to purchase! I’m definitely going back to get some items to raffle off at the Environmental Fair (which is Thursday April 18th, by the way).

Check it out!

Now that April – and hopefully warmer weather – is upon us, it’s time to begin the registration process for next year’s classes. As usual, I’ll be knee-deep in dietetics! There will be some clinical nutrition classes, some family/consumer science-based classes, and a class that will prepare me for the dietetic internship application process (which all graduated dietetics students have to complete before they can sit for the RD – Registered Dietitian – exam). I’m excited for my senior year, and very pleased with how my college experience has gone so far. I’m very lucky to say that food and nutrition has always been my surefire passion, and I’ve never once considered switching my major. One reason is that there’s just so many areas that a dietitian can work in – food service, hospitals, private practice, large corporations, grocery stores – if there’s food involved, chances are there’s a dietitian on staff somewhere! And in the past few years the need for more dietitians has just kept growing. Personally, I see myself working for a health foods or grocery store, perhaps with a private consultation business on the side. I’d like to write a book, too, and hopefully specialize in vegan/vegetarian diets. But I’m open to more ideas, too! The great thing about dietetics is that I can change things up without having to go back to school and get another degree.

So I’m definitely excited about what the future holds. That being said, I’m loving college, and I intend to keep enjoying every second of it! I’ve had so many great experiences at Fontbonne – I’ve tried new things, met great friends and teammates, and gone places I never even thought about going. It’s been awesome! And when the time comes, I know I’ll be able to look back with satisfaction and move on to the next chapter. But for now, I’m just enjoying the moment!

Have I mentioned my favorite restaurant ever in the whole entire world is right here in St. Louis? I haven’t? Well, consider it mentioned. PuraVegan is indeed my favorite restaurant ever, and if you know me at all you won’t be surprised that they serve mostly raw, 100% vegan, über-healthy food.

But before you stop reading and head to McDonald’s, hold up a second. It’s actually tasty food, too! And I’ve brought several friends and family members (even my carnivore father) along for a meal and they hold up my opinion. I’m personally a fan of the stellar raw noodles they make from zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet potatoes, but they also have great raw deserts, wraps, salads – even burgers.

So if you’d like to dabble in raw/vegan food with limited effort on your part, head on down to PuraVegan! I think you’ll be glad you did.

Their website: http://www.puravegan.com

I’ve got another neighborhood highlight for ya this week: Dogtown.  Traditionally an Irish neighborhood, it’s home of the most authentic St. Patrick’s Day parade in the STL – put on by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. I’m not certain exactly what that means, but it sure does sound authentic, right?

I’m pleased to report that I went to the parade for the first time this Sunday and it was just wonderful! I’ll admit it was rather cold, but the fun and festivities helped keep it enjoyable. I saw lots of floats, got a bunch of beads, and pretended I was Irish for the day.  And isn’t that what St. Patrick’s Day is all about?

One of the great things about Fontbonne is the area where it’s located.  Forest Park is usually the first thing people think of – art museum, zoo, paddle boats, etc. – but The Loop might be a close second.  For the unfamiliar, “The Loop” is the nickname given to the fun, diverse neighborhood that follows Delmar Boulevard through University City.  I’ve always been a fan of The Loop because of all the unique stores and restaurants.  Sushi joints, local artisans, Avalon Exchange second-hand clothing store, Thai cafes, Vintage Vinyl records – all part of the atmosphere on Delmar.  There is also the Pageant, where you can find both indie and mainstream artists playing, and Blueberry Hill, where I’m told that Chuck Berry still occasionally returns.

Delmar can get a reputation as a rather “hipster” place to hang out, but truth be told it is welcoming to anyone, and the eclectic/cool vibe is pretty genuine.  So if you’re ever looking for a shopping or eating experience that is a little out of the ordinary, give The Loop a try!