If the Oxford American Dictionary were truly a reputable reference text, it would include one important definition: running wild and looking pretty.

Running Wild and Looking Pretty: (adj.) state of enjoying life and living every day as if it were the last.

Unfortunately, the Oxford American Dictionary does not define this significant phrase.

For the past five months, I have tried to right this wrong, acting as a martyr for a noble cause. I have advised you on the benefits of cigarette smoking, speaking your mind, Mardi Gras, encountering that nut job from high school and on auditioning for reality television.

Just because this is my final column for the semester doesn’t mean you should decelerate into a sprint or casual jog. Run wild at full speed.

St. Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus on the principals of running wild and looking pretty. These ideals burned in his heart, and as he watched each week’s episode of “Flavor of Medieval Love.” People proclaimed, “I can’t stop staring. He’s fine, and he’s pretty.”

As students of Loyola, it is your obligation to continue Iggy’s legacy.

I have nurtured you for five months, and although it pains me to say this, I think you’re ready. It is time for you to leave the nest. Spread your wings, and make your Papa proud.

But before you go, remember all I have taught you:

• This planet is comprised of more than 6 billion people – with none being exactly alike. People come in various shades with their own sets of ideals. There are smokers and non-smokers and no amount of legislation can take away your free will. And while you may have an iron lung in 25 years, you can be content with the fact that you’re still hot. Not breathing independently, but hot.

• Be proud of who you are. If you’re a neurosurgeon, be proud of the fact that you can perform seemingly impossible surgeries. If you’re a gypsy, be proud that you can play the tambourine. Embrace every aspect of yourself, because if you don’t, I sure as hell won’t either. Live with no regrets. Every mistake, if for nothing else, provides you with the opportunity to grow and learn.

• Bourbon Street is a beautiful place … in that hung-over, nude, public urination sort of way. Avoid a girl named Mona. She’ll put a Voodoo curse on you and relate inane stories about her fictitious Bosnian boy-band boyfriend.

• Do whatever you need to validate your existence. Whether it involves a professor complimenting your argument on the philosophy of self, heavy petting or receiving a gold painted spoon at a Mardi Gras parade, welcome it. After all, driving fast is always preferable to crashing.

• Those who run wild and look pretty often have a desperate need for attention. Steal the thunder and shine in the spotlight. While you may get labeled as an “attention whore,” at least you can have a career in reality television.

I love you Loyola, and I love you for loving me.