By Ronan Dolan ‘20

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, a day celebrated by all Christians. The day celebrates Jesus’ arrival to Jerusalem and is the start of the season of Lent.

The start of Lent also means something else for Christians. It is the time of year where we decide to improve our lives in one way or another.

Senior Henry Barsch said, “I am especially excited for this Lenten season because this year I have decided to work on my procrastination with homework.”

Whether it’s by giving up something we have grown to love or making the promise to improve our lives, the Lenten season is the time of year in which people choose to live a bit more like Jesus.

Senior Michael Gradolf said, “I noticed that I have been drinking a lot of soda lately, so I felt like that would be a very good thing to give up.”

This year, I have decided to give something up and start something new. I am giving up coffee and starting a diet.

Since high school has started, I have been extremely busy due to sports, school, and everything else that comes with being a high schooler. Because of this, I started drinking coffee.

My first experiences with coffee were not great, but I eventually got hooked on it and its energy-giving powers. That’s why giving up coffee is a great idea for myself. Giving up something I have grown to drink every day is a great way to improve myself and my relationship with God.

Senior Louie Stepanek said, “I’m not giving anything up, rather I am pledging more time to reflect on my faith and my relationship with God.“

I also have decided to start dieting in hopes of losing nearly 10 pounds by the end of Lent. This means I have to cut out a wide array of foods from my current diet.

From carbs to processed foods, this Lent season will be a true test of my will. The first few days of the diet have been especially hard after I saw that KFC had just released a chicken sandwich that replaced the bun with two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.

This Lenten season is going to be really, really hard.