Diets, going to the gym, learning a new language, and traveling are all common resolutions that the new year brings. The phrase “new year, new me” is one many have been aware of for most of their lives. However, a month after the start of the year, some people give up on the resolutions they made on New Year’s Day. For the ones that are still enduring their goals, eleven months remain for them to complete their self-promises.

At the school, many students made similar resolutions for this year. In commemoration of it being halfway through the school year, we decided to check up on our resident resolutioners.

For freshmen Michael Chalus, converting to a healthy diet became a resolution.

“I saw all my friends doing it and influencers doing it and thought it would be a cool change,” Chalus said. 

He specifically decided to try to become a vegetarian, which Chalus thought would be an interesting change of perspective. 

“I’m chill with the animals,” Chalus said. “[I didn’t go vegan because I think] it’s pretty unhealthy and would cost a lot more.” 

This resolution does not only affect him in terms of health but also clears his conscience as he is on a less cruel consumption plan. 

“It’s still pretty hard to just not eat meat,” Chalus said. “At the beginning, I thought it would save me money but it actually costs a lot, especially if I want plant-based alternatives.”

With his commitment to vegetarianism, Chalus has had to display many disciplines. Clearly, not all things are meant to last, as even two months in Chalus has had a few slip-ups. With the temptation to eat meat being a primal instinct, this resolution is bound to be difficult. Despite the occasional fault, Chalus maintains a daily commitment to not eating meat.

Junior Bodie Nill is also tackling health and fitness with a resolution to bench press 200 pounds. He is accomplishing his goal by making the gym a routine. 

“At first it was a chore to go even three times a week, but now it’s become a major part of my daily schedule and life,” Nill said. 

At five feet 10 inches and weighing 150 pounds, Nill is no giant. However, after three years of hard work at the gym, he has built up a substantial amount of muscle and is much stronger than many others of his stature. 

“Right now my bench is only at 170 [pounds],” Nill said. “With enough work, [however], I think I [will] be able to [bench] 200 by the end of the year.”

So far, he has not made much progress, but a 30-pound improvement in weight is, in some cases, very difficult but possible. He hopes his commitment will pay off. 

“It would be a big milestone to pass and it would be a pretty cool accomplishment,” Nill said. 

One resolution within our school that is non-fitness or health-related is related to traveling. 

“Seeing the world is a privilege that I think more people should take advantage of,” sophomore Ava Butchki said. 

Butchki has come up with a plan to create a board and throw a dart at it twice a year, hoping to visit the country that the dart lands on. 

“Obviously I wouldn’t go if it was like Antarctica or Iran, but I would love to go somewhere like Paris or Vienna,” Butchki said. 

With her adventurous ambitions, Butchki is committed to seeing more of the planet and has already made funds with her parents to save up for extravagant travels. This being a more creative way to travel, Butchki is using her opportunity of a self promise to its fullest. 

The point of the resolution is to challenge oneself to do something more or less outside of one’s comfort zone. With the pressure from responsibilities, our students have a lot to gain from “just doing something for the sake of doing it” as Butchki put it.

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