The Stuff of Students

Young children clean out their cubbies or desk space at the end of the school year. Middle and high school students clean out their lockers. And college students? Well, most of them clear out entire living spaces. While young children bring their stuff home, and older kids tend to recycle all that paper they've generated throughout the school year to avoid bringing anything home, college students leaving campus for the summer have to cull the possessions they've spent a year accumulating.

Much of this ephemera ends up in the trash, but some colleges and universities encourage students to donate their items and are developing donation programs. NPR's Ed blog recently picked up on this trend, but it also exists at the University of Illinois... under the moniker "Dump and Run".

Have a great summer!