By Samantha Lund, Columnist
One of our main goals as a school is to be as eco-friendly as possible. We all have two recycling bins and one garbage can in our residence hall rooms for a reason: Pacific Lutheran University aims to have students participate in achieving a greener school.
Even if you are not a tree-hugging Lute, you can do your part, and you can start right here with your copy of The Mooring Mast. Instead of throwing your Mast away or leaving it on a dining table, reuse it to help with everyday activities.
The Mast is 16 wonderful pages of possibility, which might sound a little biased but is definitely a true statement. Let’s start with the boring things you can reuse your Mast for.
You can use the paper to line the bottom of your fridge, so the next time your pint of ice cream melts, it doesn’t ruin your fridge and the smell will be reduced.
Newspapers can be used to de-funkify any nasty smells you might have in your room. The paper can be stuffed into sweaty or wet shoes to absorb the smell and dry the inside of the shoe more quickly. Line anything with newspapers and change them out regularly if you want to absorb smell.
Now it is time for the fun ideas.
The Mooring Mast has an amazing front page with its iconic logo and heading — once again, totally biased but completely true. If you make anything out of The Mast that people will see, you can use the heading and show school spirit.
Newspapers can be used to make laptop, tablet or iPod sleeves. It just takes 10 minutes, some scissors and double sided tape. You can also make a sleeve and stick it to the side of your dorm bed to hold your phone by your side safely all night without it falling from your bunk and hitting your roommate in the face.
Your copy can be used to wrap presents for friends and family come holiday season. Take home gifts for your family wrapped in our newspaper and show them your school spirit as well.
The Mast can be used to make gift bags, wrap presents and even make party hats for your next rager. Try not getting freaky with a Mooring Mast hat on though. Once again, it just takes a few minutes, some scissors and double sided tape.
If you are feeling extra creative, you should try making furniture out of The Mast. Paper mache is easy and fun to do, and you can let your imagination run wild and create anything you want.
Your copy of the paper can be used to create a table, a chair, a bowl or anything you might need around your room. If you get really good, you could paper mache a fake person and scare people with it.
For all the fashion forward Lutes out there, newspapers can be used to decorate your nails, create jewelry make flowers or wall hangings for your room, and create jewelry.
For a disclaimer, here are a few things you should not use your Mast for: please do not use it to microwave things, to smoke things, to wear as underwear, a rain jacket or pants, as toilet paper or as a blanket.
Please do not eat your copy of The Mast – that would probably also end rather badly. Even if it did not, you would forever be the person who ate The Mast. Not a title you want.
There are so many more uses for The Mast when you are done reading it, so please try to reuse your copy. Being green is all about everyone helping, and even saving one paper from being thrown away and wasted is a success.
Here is my challenge to you: start with this copy of The Mast. Get creative, get crazy, and get eco-friendly with your copy of The Mooring Mast
