In a few weeks, new years resolution lists will be all the rage with the people around you from your weird aunt to your soccer coach. Everyone associates the beginning of the new year with the possibility of a new self, and there’s nothing America teaches more than the idea of a “new self.” In the midst of it all, it’s important to step back from this “trend” and think – why do you follow it? What do you really think about this? How deep do you want to think about this? We asked PC students the same questions. Here were their answers!

“I think it’s sad that people follow this self-improvement trend only because society tells them they should. There doesn’t have to be a new you, a fitter you, a healthier you! There should be a happier you, a more fulfilled you. When did we start measuring our worth in our productivity? New Year's Eve really shows the extent of it. Gym memberships, juice cleanses… What are we doing to ourselves? My dad always makes a ton of news year resolutions, but none of them actually improve him. He says he won’t drink and he will go to the gym more. Not that he will start confronting he has a drinking problem and being a better father. But we all just buy into the health part of bettering ourselves. We don't see a bigger picture. Overall, I believe that we should treat our birthdays the way we treat New Years. When I turned 20, I made a list of things I wanted to do before 21. Skydiving is up there, but so is getting back into poetry and learning to forgive myself for not always being the best at things. I’m proud of myself that way.” – Anonymous PC Junior

“New years resolutions are something people have been doing for many years now. A promise to yourself and to those closest to you that you will change this new year, to fix all of your bad habits, “new year new me” right? We have all seen it. In January the gyms get packed, litter decreases, and diets are made, but by March all of these things go away. This way of thinking is a trap, this is the same style of thinking that leads you to “I’ll start that diet on Monday” or “I just need to focus on work now so I have time later.” The reality is that change is instant, when you decide you want it. If you decide to make a new year resolution to improve yourself in any way, you're showing that you don’t genuinely want the change, you want the positive perception of you “improving” yourself. Once you shift your mentality to one more freeing, that change comes from a desire within, you’ll find that the change does come. What was once a half–hearted desire for an outcome, becomes a love for the process, a love for becoming rather than being.” – Kristofer Chickonoski, Class of 28’

These are some great quotes from PC students showing the path students are taking when considering participation in capitalistic holidays. They are choosing to engage with self love and improvement not in the name of a holiday but in the same of genuinity and sustainability. Overall, I’m proud of PC’s campus. I do hope they have a good New Years Eve though. A fun party is something everyone can enjoy!