Students make sacrifices for Lent
Today Katie Fox said she will not give in to her sweet tooth for a while.
Starting today she won’t eat cookies, ice cream and all other sweets for the next 40 days.
She’s doing what many people are doing this Ash Wednesday – giving something up in celebration of Lent.
“I’m going to try and give up sweets,” the St. Johns junior said. “I’ve given up ice cream before and did pretty good, but we’ll see how this goes.”
Beginning today and culminating Easter Sunday, millions of Christians will sacrifice things they crave in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Warren sophomore Gino Villareal said he’s tried to give up candy before.
He hasn’t been successful, and said Lent is more about the intent and compassion to give something up and sacrifice like Christ sacrificed himself.
He said he is donating money to charities as part of Lent.
“I’m doing that because just giving up candy and pop is in no way comparable to Jesus’ death,” Villareal said.
Eric Odom is one student who is not giving anything up for Lent.
“I don’t have a reason to give up anything, so I’m not,” the Watervliet freshman said. “I’m not Catholic, so it’s not like I can say ‘I’m doing it for Lent.’”
Along with giving up food and bad habits, students who practice Lent rituals also will give up those hamburgers and steaks as meat is not to be eaten on Fridays or Ash Wednesday during the Lent period.
Mackinaw City sophomore Matt Buhr said he is prepared to cope with the no-meat rule.
“I love steak,” said Buhr. “But I’ll just eat fish. Even though I consider fish a meat, I guess it’s a way out. I don’t consider it a bummer – I just see it as just a thing that I have to do for religion.”
Click here to view a slideshow of what students are giving up for Lent.
