The importance of bedding in a college dorm is pretty obvious. Considering most colleges think a jail-cell sized space is fitting for us students to sleep, drink, cry and sometimes study in (no, thank you college- you really know how to make us feel at home), bedding is one of the only ways to express your self. Unless you’re a poster-lover in which case, don’t invite me over because I don’t want to see your Phoenix poster…we get it, you and every other knitted-beanie-wearing-creative-writing-major is their number one fan…I digress.

Below are some classic college beddings, and what they really mean about the person dreaming in them!

initiating the gallery...

Bonnaroo kicks off today and music lovers everywhere have collectively peed their pants in anticipation for its 10th anniversary. If you’re one of the thousands heading south, grab your tent, your dry shampoo and loads of extra deodorant because this Tennessee music festival is not for the faint of heart.

If you think sleeping on the ground and getting your groove on in record heat is going to be a challenge, wait ’til we introduce you to the seven folks you’re just bound to meet at the festival. Embrace it, ladies, the (ah-may-zing!) people watching comes with the price of admission. For those College Candy readers lucky enough to be going, take note.

While every college girl shares many of the same college experiences (selling books, sexiled, one shot too many), she also carves her own path and has her own unique adventure. Have you ever wondered what it’s like for other girls? What it’s like to be an engineer? To get married?! To play an NCAA sport? Well wonder no more. Our one-of-a-kind CollegeCandy writers (and readers!) are sharing their unique experiences and opening our eyes to different college worlds.

When you hear the word “environmentalist” or “activist” you probably get a picture of a dreadlocked, smelly tree hugger known for smoking marijuana, refusing to wear shoes and eating vegan.  However, in this day and age, many students across the country would consider themselves environmentalists and are engaged in political and environmental activism at the campus, local, national, and international level.   These students are not always hippies who won’t eat meat or refuse to shower.  In fact, most of them are normal, everyday students who just happen to have a passion for creating social change and empowering people.

I know this because I am one of them.

Climate change, the environment, and sustainability used to be fringe political issues that only the super liberal groups in society cared about.  While some people started organic farming (in both cities and rural areas) and using drying racks instead of electric dryers, the majority of the American population continued to move to the suburbs, buy more cars, and increase their energy consumption.  This created a country with the highest per capita carbon footprint in the world.  In the meantime, scientists, scholars, and politicians were beginning to take notice of global climate change and the Millenial Generation was busy waking up and getting engaged.  And it has forever impacted both the contemporary American university and its students.

Most colleges now offer degrees in Environmental Studies or something similar, and many require students to take at least one environmentally focused course in order to graduate. (At College of the Atlantic you can even get a scholarship for $10,000 a year if you have completed the Sierra Student Coalition’s environmental organizing training program!) Sustainability has become a buzz word both on campus and off, with magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and Sierra doing spotlights on different schools that are putting an emphasis on greening their campuses. And students across the nation are turning campus environmental clubs into powerful organizations that create lasting change.  Whether it is 12,000 youth attending PowerShift 2009 in Washington, DC or convincing college and university Presidents to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment, it is clear that the youth climate movement is powerful.

However, it’s not only changing colleges and universities; it’s changing the student as well.  Since I have become an activist, I have learned many things.  The first is that I will always struggle to balance being an activist and a student, and that there is just never enough time in the day.  Both require lots of time and energy and are extremely important to my future.  While I understand that academics are important and that getting good grades should be my first concern, I also know that good grades alone not very likely to get me a job.  My organizing experience, on the other hand, most likely will.  As an activist I have worked with world renowned environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, gotten published in multiple newspapers and learned skills that are in high demand with employers and look excellent on a resume.  Hopefully one day this will lead to me being gainfully employed.  In the meantime I am just try to learn how to get everything done.  For instance, as I write this article, I am thinking about the democratic theory term paper that really needs to be finished and the two flights I have to catch this weekend to take me to an environmental conference.  My life is devoid of all the free time most other college students enjoy, but the truth is that I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

While I don’t always get out to campus parties, am sometimes on conference calls while my friends are at the bar and am often away from campus doing activist work, I find that my social life is extremely rich.  I have dozens of amazing, inspirational friends on campus and around the world who are engaged in changing the world and living life, whether it’s by biking in a critical mass, hosting a vegan potluck, or having a sustainability themed dance party.  They are always available to talk to me when I feel overwhelmed and will welcome me into their homes at a moments notice.  Honestly, I don’t remember ever feeling more connected to a community before I became an activist.  Definitely makes all the late nights, hours spent in meetings and conference calls worth it.  My friends have taught me how to dumpster dive, fix my bike, live on very little money, and decrease my carbon footprint while enriching my life.  I have learned to love more and need less.

Activism has not only enriched my social life, but my academic one as well.  As a result of running campaigns such as PowerVote and attending COP15 in Copenhagen, I have made a name for myself on campus and become close with professors, administrators, and even got featured on my college’s website.   I have brought my experiences into the classroom and found it extremely rewarding.  Last spring, I took a comparative politics classes titled “The Politics of Protest” where we studied social movement theory and got to write about and discuss my experiences with protest and activism.  Now I am working on my senior thesis focused on the emergence of a global grassroots climate movement, something that I find intensely fascinating and rewarding.  And in October I am traveling to Kansas City to give a presentation titled “Cross Currents of Environmentalism: Academics and Activism” at the National Collegiate Honors Conference. To say I’m making the most of my time on campus is a gross understatement.

Sure I may be sober more often, have a little more stress, and sleep a little less than most college students, but seeing what I’ve accomplished for both myself and the planet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A big, hearty thank you to Chelsea of St. Mary’s College of Maryland for sharing her story….and saving our planet.

But I’m also a self-confessed foodie, and I want my food to taste GOOD. If it doesn’t, it’s out. So I have been searching high and low for months now in an effort to find the perfect pancake recipe—one with both taste and health benefits. Most pancakes aren’t bad for you, sure, but I wanted a recipe that really packed in the good stuff and had a flavor that couldn’t be beat.

Well, you guys, I’ve finally found it. All Recipes saves the day once again! This time, though, I modified the recipe to make it even yummier by adding extra flavor to these bad boys. As if that wasn’t good enough, you can also whip up all twelve of these pancakes in just about 15 minutes. It may not look it, but this recipe is SUPER easy.

Sunday mornings never tasted so good.

What You Need
• 1 1/2 cups regular oats (NOT quick oats)
• 1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cup skim, 1%, or soy milk
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 bananas, sliced thin

What You Do
1. You’ll need a food processor for this. Put the oats into the processor, and pulse them several times until they’re ground like a coarse flour. Transfer them to a bowl, and mix them with the whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. Use a second bowl to mix together the buttermilk, milk, canola oil, egg (whisk it slightly first), sugar, and vanilla until they’re smooth. You can use a whisk instead of an electric mixer as long as you put some power into your strokes.

3. Heat up your skillet. Coat it with a thin layer of butter, oil, or cooking spray. Let it get nice and hot before you pour on your pancakes.

4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures, and stir in the nuts and banana slices. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop portions of batter onto the skillet.

5. Cook each pancake until it’s getting bubbly and dry at the edges. Then flip it and cook for another minute or so, until both sides are browned and the middle is no longer raw.

6. Keep pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven until you’re finished cooking the whole batch.

7. Eat up!

Is Palin a “Muscular Feminist“?

Find out who is googling you

Oh no, Angie depressed?

Famous people say VOTE

Oh great.  Now I can pee my pants in fear for a 5th time

I would not, thanks

Aw, Scarlett and Ryan are little Hollywood hippies!

Dear God, plug your ears now…

What have they done to Clive Owen?!

Fabulous bags on the cheap? Sign us up!

J. Simpson getting married for the second time?

Homer accidentally votes for McCain

Jolie-Pitt family comes to NY (most likely filling a plane on their own):

I remember my first Phish concert.  It was a warm fall day during my high school years, and I drove up to what used to be called the Tweeter Center in Massachusetts with a bunch of tie-dye wearing friends.  Unbeknownced to me, I was the only one in my group not completely high off my ass on drugs, but the concert was awesome just the same — even if we paid like $50 for seats in the dirt.

Riding back at 2 AM that morning (because Phish played for 4 hours, obvi), I distinctly remember listening to the friend of mine who was driving yell at himself the entire way home in an attempt to stay awake.  I probably should have been scared then, but I wasn’t, because Phish had been so awesome.

When they broke up I was totally bummed, but now it seems like everyone’s favorite jam band is back for 3 concerts in March at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.  General admission tickets go on sale October 1st, but if you can’t make it to these weed-filled soirees, don’t worry, sources are saying the band will announce additional tour dates soon.

After spending a night chillaxin’ in Sherwood Forrest, letting my fatigued body sink into a colorful hammock for two and talk for hours with one of my new best friends over cocktails in combustible corn cups, I knew it was time for a change. A huge, life-changing, effortful change. Something about spending the weekend surrounded by happy, empowering, inspirational people (albeit a little dirty & drugged-up) was a huge, magical, sparkly slap in the face that it’s time for me to conquer, one-by-one, all the things I want to in life.

So, without further adieu, here is my list of sweet stuff I wanna learn.

1. How to give a kick-a** massage. I am OBSESSED with massages. I try to con all my boyfriends, friends, (even boy friends!) to give me little shoulder, back or foot massages (perfect after a long day at work…or shopping). However, I am just as inclined to return the favor because I know how ridiculously nice (and/or orgasm-inducing) a massage can be.

2. How to make sweet jewelry. I used to be the baddest b*tch on the block because I could make friendship bracelets with any color of the rainbow out of any type of string. Unfortunately, I haven’t practiced my art for about, oh, 10 years & I think it’s time for me to get back in the game. But, I sure will have a lot of catching up to do.

3. How to use my super-expensive, practically untouched MAC eyeshadow. I got it off eBay months ago, but have yet to figure out how to actually make it look good. I never really understood why people were called ‘makeup ARTISTS’ until I attempted to blend two colors & ended up looking like a hybrid between this & this.

4. How to bar tend. I thought that the world would magically open up to me and all knowledge surrounding alcohol and how to create, mix and shake up all my favorite shots and drinks would somehow zap into my brain as soon as the clock struck 12 on the eve of my 21st birthday. I was wrong. There is a certain sense of pride I think I’ll feel once I know how to concoct every colorful, delicious (or vomit-inducing) drink ever. Then I’ll finally be the most popular girl at house parties.

5. How to surf. I am in love with the ocean. The only problem is that northeast Ohio is a complete barren wasteland full of far many more cow pastures than salt water & more corn stalks than surfboards. Mark my words, though, I will find a way.

6. How to use Dreamweaver & Photoshop. I don’t even think this is nerdy anymore. It’s more like, essential.

7. How to play Poker. Yes, I’m 21 & have played poker ONCE (and I’m not counting strip poker which involved far more stripping than poker). But, I had to ask for help every hand & eventually got fed up with people getting fed up with me, slammed my cards down on the table and declared that I’d stick to more fun games like A**hole & beer pong…jerks.

8. How to do a few “manly” things. Like how to properly string my own line (er, spool my own reel?) and bait my own hook. And change a tire (yeah, I’m one of those girls). Throw a mean punch. And, um, distinguish between someone who is just being friendly and someone who is actually interested in me (Oh, wait…).

9. How to drive a stick-shift. I am jealous of anybody that can handle 3 pedals when I can barely handle alternating between the brakes & gas without causing collisions.

10. How to be 100% comfortable with myself. I had to get a little sappy here, didn’t I? But, come on, it’s a list of things I want to learn & I think that self confidence is at the top of almost every young gals “To-Do” list.

Honorable Mentions: Complete a whole beer bong. Take a gig as an exotic dancer (& learn how to properly work that pole). Learn how to speak French. Know everything there is to know about wine. Shuffle cards (what? My hands are small!)… and learn the names and histories of as many world leaders (and obviously, the countries they govern) as possible.

[Now lovely CC ladies, it’s your turn to spill. What do you want to learn?]

Three students at Bard College were arrested earlier this month for toting around a portable drug den.

Apparently, 2 freshmen, along with a sophomore buddy, were moving a bunch of drug paraphernalia in suitcases across campus when they were “spooked” by campus police and freaked out, one of them evidently diving into a bunch of bushes.

After the students were expelled from school, police searched their room and found quite a stash. “Nearly a pound of marijuana, half a kilogram of a partially refined but yet-unidentified hallucinogenic drug, hashish, hashish oil” and the remnants of “a portable drug-processing lab” were confiscated at the scene, causing all three students to rack up felony drug charges.

While I’m not surprised that something like this happened (1st of all, there are college drug dealers everywhere, and 2nd of all, this is Bard College. Smart hippies + campus in the middle of the woods = drug paradise), you gotta shake your head at the stupidity of ruining your life after being at an expensive private college for only two months.

With college acceptance rates lowering daily, admissions making it almost impossible to get in anywhere, and tuition forcing most of us to pay student loans until we’re 50, blowing a perfectly good college career (and future) after only 2 months of moving out of your parents home is redonkulous.

At least give yourself time to learn something before turning into a drug lord. Take a midterm. Go to a party. Befriend a professor. Realize where you are.

Anyone who would throw away such an expensive, once-in-a-life opportunity deserves to get caught.

…Especially if you’re dumb enough to carry your LSD lab across campus in a suitcase.

Don’t be so lazy! There are so many ways an individual can have a large effect on the environment and it can start by simply changing your lightbulb. It takes a lot less effort than you’d think!

A compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) is that funny-looking swirl that fits into a standard socket. It costs three to five times as much as a conventional incandescent bulb, yet uses one-quarter the electricity and lasts several years longer. There are many other ways you can contribute if you knew.

I believe Shipwreck said it best, after episode 39 of GI Joe, when he said,

“Knowing how to impact the environment is half the battle, following through on that knowledge is what will make a difference. ”

We haven’t really even begun to scratch the surface of conservation because many people don’t know what they can do to play their part in the Green Movement.

The other half of society thinks that being Green is some taboo activity for hippies and the state of Vermont. A lot of people don’t even realize what their affect on the environment is.

If you want to know what your “carbon footprint” (you know, what Al Gore is always talking about) is, check out this carbon and lifestyle calculator. Your score is calculated based on six categories: Home, energy, work, commute, travel and lifestyle. Each of these categories plays a significant role in the carbon emissions score.

Knowing what your day to day impact on the environment is could make all the difference, and this calculator lets you know just that.

A lifestyle change is going to have to come from our leadership. Leadership is crucial to regulating necessities and determining which poor habits should be sacrificed. Changing our lifestyles would be a huge adjustment, but is very do-able. I know it is easy to preach about caring and wanting to “be Green”, but actually sacrificing is the tough part and we are not there yet.

Take Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts for example. Senator Kennedy was against a wind energy proposal that could have provided three-fourths of the Cape and Islands’ energy. Sounds great right? But sadly it would obstruct the Senator’s view from his shore-front mansion.

The turbines would have been 8-12 miles out to sea, but if our leadership won’t even sacrifice a view how can we expect them to support efforts to save the planet.

Actions speak louder than words, so if our leadership and Government Officials are not stressing the importance of alternative energy we need to continue stressing it for them. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute and to share their knowledge with others.

It is going to take a group effort and take one starting now to undo all the damage we have done to ourselves for so many years. I just fear the environment will have to get worse, before it gets better.

Let’s just hope Teddy doesn’t drive over too many bridges in the meantime.

Prepare to have your heart broken: “As she put him into his cage for the night last Thursday, Dr. Pepperberg said, Alex looked at her and said: “You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.” He was found dead in his cage the next morning…” (New York Times)

Does every art teacher have to be a hippie? I mean, c’mon! That’s like saying all female gym teachers are lesbians… (Chicago Tribune)

What if universities called your house every time you missed class? What if they called your entire school? For some reason I don’t think my mom would have done what these moms did. (tampabays10.com)

$160 = a 5-year supply of Ben and Jerry’s. You just have to find a criminal. Wasn’t this a Nancy Drew book? (local6.com)

Just in case you’re like, the one person who doesn’t check PerezHilton everyday and haven’t seen his own ads on his own site, his show is on tonight. So, you might as well watch so you know what the hell he’s going to be talking about all day tomorrow. (VH1.com)