… And this is a post about it!
Over the past two years, I’ve had many experiences with ENR that I will remember forever. My favorite memory has to be during our first-year camping trip. The night was warm, the sky clear, and wind calm. Instead of sleeping in a stuffy tent with 4 other people, I took my mat and my sleeping bag outside and slept under the stars with my roommates. These dudes would go on to become my best friends. Even after years of being a boy scout, that was the first night I had actually ever slept outside, under the stars, with just a sleeping bag. It was just a calm night, that made me appreciate how little the stress of school really means when you’re outside doing something you enjoy.
I have included our suite Christmas card, complete with the very dudes who camped out, heads in the dirt on that night in September (also, our new roommate is in there, but he’s not in ENR, so he wasn’t there).
Oh what’s this extra thing? A picture of me looking dope? Why, yes! That’s what this is! That’s me representing ENR at the 2017 Buckeyethon dance marathon with ENR team captain Helena! I bet you’ve never seen a difference being made in such a photogenic way. Getting involved in Buckeyethon was one of the coolest opportunities I have had in college, and it’s all thanks to ENR!
It’s no easy thing to watch this year end, but it is a good thing. If ENR has taught me anything, it’s to always be on your toes, and be ready to roll with the changes. ENR might not have always had the most rigid structure, or the most effective communication, but it was always a little fun to see changes and figure out how best to adapt to them. I learned that a passion for the outdoors isn’t something to keep for yourself, but something to share with the world. In whatever ways I can, I will always move to promote environmental issues, advance education, and strive for a more balanced life.
For my spring semester project, I worked with several others to help restore and maintain the riverbank at the Fawcett Center. Due to the weather, the project was somewhat stagnant for a large portion of the semester, but we got it up and running eventually. I think the project went well! We removed what we could with the tools and hands that we could get together, and that is all that anybody can ask for. The project taught me what it really means to take up an issue in your community, and work to fix it. I think the project gave me a real sense of the kind of effort it takes to make even a small difference in your community.
I think that is what I would tell the next class of ENR scholars. Don’t just go to ENR like it’s another class, because it can be so much more if you want it to. ENR can be your passion, it can be your voice, it can be the means through which you impact your community in the ways you want to. Take your time with ENR and make it something special to you. It’s your turn to find out how far you can go.
Thanks for everything, ENR!
PEACE! DEUCES! WORD!