Spotlights
Humans of St. Norbert: Maranda Devenay '22
Student Life
Humans of St. Norbert: Maranda Devenay '22
Humans of St. Norbert:
“My passion for the environment started about one-and-a-half to two years ago. I saw this documentary about the coral reefs dying. I already cared about the environment but it really hit me. I started making little changes to my life with the basics: reusable water bottles, metal straws, all the basics you usually hear about. Over time, I’ve incorporated or swapped almost everything like shampoo bars and reusable Ziplock bags instead of plastic.
“I was excited to become Eco Club president this semester. Our thrifting event is a big thing we have planned in encouraging people to shop second-hand and divert clothing waste from landfills. [The event] shows that thrifting can be a fun thing to do with you and your friends. It can be kinda depressing when you think of the amount of work we have to do. But I like to look at it as more of an opportunity to do better.
“I used to get frustrated because I felt like I needed to be completely zero waste and that's just not the case. All the little changes do make a difference. I still feel bad if I go out to a restaurant with my friends and the waitress puts a plastic straw in my cup before I am able to say no. Then I am able to think about all of the times that I am able to use my reusables. Like, when I go to the grocery store, I am going to bring reusable bags. By the way, reusable grocery bags are way better, aside from the environmental aspects. You can fit more in them and there are less trips from the car to your house. A lot of changes save you money in the long run because you are just buying it once. Reusable is always a good start. Try your best to remember reusables but also don’t beat yourself up if you forget to bring them.
“One thing that I have recently acknowledged is that not all the options are available to everyone whether it’s lack of access or affordability. But there are free options that you can take. Then when you are able to make those driven financial decisions, go for it! I'm content with the changes I have made and now my goal is to try and spread awareness to others.” – Maranda Devenay ’22
“My passion for the environment started about one-and-a-half to two years ago. I saw this documentary about the coral reefs dying. I already cared about the environment but it really hit me. I started making little changes to my life with the basics: reusable water bottles, metal straws, all the basics you usually hear about. Over time, I’ve incorporated or swapped almost everything like shampoo bars and reusable Ziplock bags instead of plastic.
“I was excited to become Eco Club president this semester. Our thrifting event is a big thing we have planned in encouraging people to shop second-hand and divert clothing waste from landfills. [The event] shows that thrifting can be a fun thing to do with you and your friends. It can be kinda depressing when you think of the amount of work we have to do. But I like to look at it as more of an opportunity to do better.
“I used to get frustrated because I felt like I needed to be completely zero waste and that's just not the case. All the little changes do make a difference. I still feel bad if I go out to a restaurant with my friends and the waitress puts a plastic straw in my cup before I am able to say no. Then I am able to think about all of the times that I am able to use my reusables. Like, when I go to the grocery store, I am going to bring reusable bags. By the way, reusable grocery bags are way better, aside from the environmental aspects. You can fit more in them and there are less trips from the car to your house. A lot of changes save you money in the long run because you are just buying it once. Reusable is always a good start. Try your best to remember reusables but also don’t beat yourself up if you forget to bring them.
“One thing that I have recently acknowledged is that not all the options are available to everyone whether it’s lack of access or affordability. But there are free options that you can take. Then when you are able to make those driven financial decisions, go for it! I'm content with the changes I have made and now my goal is to try and spread awareness to others.” – Maranda Devenay ’22