Features

New year gives clean slate if strong enough to keep resolve

Heidi Giesbrecht, Editor in Chief|January 18, 2023

The day back from winter break brings new opportunities for students and goals for the spring semester.

“I do feel a sense of renewal with the start of the new semester,” freshman Jayden Contreras said. “The first semester I didn’t do so well, so this is a second chance to do what I want to do.”

Contreras is not the only student who said the new year feels like a clean slate.

“I do feel a sense of renewal with the start of the new year,” junior Ava Olivas said. “I have a lot of New Year’s resolutions. I want to drink more water, and I have started meal prepping because I want to be healthier.”

Weight loss was always a popular resolution, and it was one social studies teacher Tony Carter made for the new year.

“I want to lose 15 pounds this year,” Carter said. “I have lost one so far, so I’m doing great. I have cut calories and have increased exercise to reach my goal.”

Not all resolutions dealt with the physical body. Senior Condaleeza Giesbrecht’s involved money.

“I want to be able to budget by the end of the year,” Giesbrecht said. “I have a bad problem with spending money. So far I have started to split my finances and divide what I can and can’t spend.”

The age-old struggle after making a resolution was in keeping it when life got busy.

“It has been kind of hard to stick to my running goal,” Olivas said. “I am doing sports right now, so it is hard to make time to run.”

Several students have goals relating to sports, and their coaches were important factors in achieving their goals. Sophomore Brett Boyles’s goal dealt with golf.

“My coach keeps me accountable for practicing golf,” sophomore Brett Boyles said. “Coach Shain keeps me accountable by reminding me how much he needs me to do well because our team has a lot of younger kids who haven’t played that much.”

Boyles also looked to Coach Tanner Moore for guidance to stay on track.

“I look up to Coach Moore,” Boyles said. “If he ever fails, he won’t ever give up. He keeps pushing us to never give up.”

Inspiration and resolve came from a variety of sources. For Carter, inspiration came from a former president.

“I really admire Jimmy Carter,” Carter said. “He was a great man after he left the presidency. He was able to achieve a lot of good in the world by eradication of disease, helping the poor and helping democracies grow.”