As the end of the academic year approaches, the task of moving out and shedding whatever excess you’ve accumulated over the semesters can feel Herculean. You may feel the urge to shove as much stuff in the garbage as possible. Even knowing the importance of sustainable and circular practices, the stress of final papers, projects, presentations, and exams tends to defeat these principles in a time crunch.

So, the editorial board has a couple of tips for you to more easily dispose of extra possessions — and meal points — without hassle, confusion, and overwhelm.

First, donate to Sharing With A Purpose (SWAP) and the Circularity Center. Both organizations accept donations all semester, but bigger donations can be made at the end of the school year. You’ll see large bins on the first floor of all South 40 residential halls labeled with categories like “books” and “clothes.” Any items left in this designated area will be taken by SWAP and the Circularity Center, including appliances like microwaves and fridges. At the beginning of next year, the Circularity Center will host their annual “Share our Stuff” sale, which prices clothes by the pound and offers a wide selection of used dorm necessities in their warehouse. SWAP will sell microwaves, fridges, mirrors, lamps, and other items at the beginning of next year as well, funding their next year of operations. 

Connecting with seniors as underclassmen is also a great way to buy used furniture at a much lower price. If you’re moving off-campus for the first time, see if the previous tenants might be interested in selling their furniture to you — this will save you both the time and effort of moving everything out of the unit.

While you haul boxes up and down the stairwells or attempt to cram everything back into your suitcases, take a moment to consider how much stuff you really need. Maybe next year is an opportunity to pursue a more minimalist approach. 

Think, too, about the people who will clean up your living space after you move out — beyond the fines you may receive for leaving it messy, you can create more work for the people who have taken care of you all this year. Consider leaving a thank you note to the cleaning staff or to your residential advisor to show your gratitude for their care and work.

To the many underclassmen overloaded with meal points — don’t let them disappear with the end of the semester! You have several options: You can donate your meal points to a St. Louis food bank by scanning QR codes in Paws & Go and the Village House, ball out at Ibby’s and tip your server very appreciatively, and, of course, buy meals for hungry upperclassmen who have long run out of points.

We congratulate all you students for making it through yet another semester and year. In the spirit of celebration and fulfillment, we encourage you to direct your resources outward to celebrate and appreciate others who deserve the same.

Editors’ Note: Our Special Issues Editor, Amelia Spencer, is involved with Sharing with A Purpose (SWAP) but only influenced the generation of the topic, not the stance of the editorial team.

Alex Dering | Photo Editor

River Alsalihi | Forum Editor

Laurel Wang | Editor-in-Chief

Maddie Morgan | Forum Editor

Sophie Schwartz | Scene Editor

Campbell Crum | DEI Editor

Amelia Spencer | Special Issues Editor

Hannah La Porte | Managing Scene Editor

Mac Motz | Photo Editor

Jake Isenberg | Scene Editor

Lucia Thomas | Managing Illustration Editor

Kate Theerman Rodriguez | Forum Editor