Students ring in the New Year in a variety of ways

The buzzing of noisemakers and cheers of joy from families, friends and complete strangers filled the atmosphere as confetti fell to the ground on New Year's Eve.

While most students seemed to celebrate the new year by making a toast with family and friends, there were other students who chose to celebrate by flying across the country, going to church or sneaking into a swimming pool at a hotel.

Sophomore Noel Jones-Camp normally celebrated the New Year with her family or alone in her room, but to ring in 2013, the Minneapolis, Minn., native and her friends decided they were going to dress up and go partying.

“... We went to another friend’s party around 10 and stayed there until like one. I played pool, and we just watched the ball drop,” Jones-Camp said. “New Year’s is supposed to be fun; (you're supposed to) bond with people. It’s fun getting out seeing old friends.”

Detroit sophomore Leydiana Gittens kicked off 2013 at church with her family and friends.

“I was at church like I am every year, and we don’t countdown. We pray into the New Year, and I was there with my family,” Gittens said.

Rather than going out to a party, she prefers going to church because it’s been a tradition of hers for as long as she can remember.

“Well, I love church,” Gittens said. "... and I don’t really like parties. So, I don’t mind the church at all.”

Freshman Lindsay Hoffman spent her New Year's Eve counting down to 2013 while working at McDonald's.

“The plan was to work until midnight, but we were really dead ... My boss was like, ‘you know what, doesn’t look like we’re going to have a lot of business tonight; you can take the rest of the night off,’" the Holland native said. "And I had an hour before the ball drop, so ... I ended up sneaking into a hotel and ... I spent the whole night just swimming.”

If her boss hadn't scheduled her to work, Hoffman would’ve spent the countdown with family or friends. However, Hoffman admits she doesn’t find herself celebrating as much as she did in years past.

“...When you’re young, that’s like a big thing,” Hoffman said. “‘Oh, I can stay up until midnight; this is going to be awesome!’ But as you get older, you find out you can do it a lot more, and I’m just like, ‘Oh, look, another night until midnight. Oh, look, it’s 2013. I’m not dead, yay.”

Freshman Caitlin Eldred of Howell was filled with anticipation for the New Year when she found out her boyfriend was taking her to New York.

“This year was different,” Eldred said. “His big Christmas present for me was taking me to New York for New Year’s ... He was like ‘I want to go spend it in Time's Square– I'd really like to go with you.’"

A week after the confetti was swept from the streets, students resumed class, and many are looking forward to 2013 and a new semester.

“I’m certainly not looking forward to any of these assignments I have to do, but it kind of feels good to be back,” Hoffman said.