Students give up smoking, Facebook for Lent
CU students are staying true to their religion this Lent by giving up some of their favorite habits.
Lent is forty days of fasting and prayer from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The fasting can include the absence of certain foods and activities, and participants often given up common habits such as eating chocolate and smoking.
Christina Ibarra, a sophomore psychology major, said she is giving up chocolate for Lent.
“It is brutal since today is Valentine’s Day and if someone were to give me chocolate I would probably give it to someone else,” Ibarra said.
Jackie Howe, a sophomore psychology and education major, is giving up Facebook for Lent.
“Believe it or not people actually get mad at you because you don’t write back to them,” Howe said. “They take it really personally so I had to text people telling them that I don’t get on Facebook because of Lent and it’s actually really hard. I didn’t know it meant that much in my life.”
Jeffery Land, a junior history major, is giving up smoking for Lent.
“It is a commitment for only so long,” Land said. “I plan on going back to my regular usage once it’s over. I don’t see it being a permanent because it’s the one thing that I do I would not want not give up.”
Land said he is chewing more gum and going to the gym more frequently to help with cravings.
Monica Salazar, a senior integrative physiology major, said she is going vegetarian for Lent.
“I have not cheated on this commitment,” she said. “I am very Catholic. It’s actually not that hard of a commitment for me. My boyfriend and I are doing it together and I think I might continue it.”
Natalie Edgar, also a senior integrative physiology major, said she too is giving up chocolate for Lent.
“It’s really hard to do because it’s Valentine’s Day,” Edgar said. “But then come Easter I’m going to go all out.”
Other students are not participating in the Lenten tradition.
Shahlaye Geer, a junior integrative physiology major, said she is not celebrating Lent this year.
“I really don’t have a reason for not celebrating Lent this year,” she said. “I am Catholic but I haven’t gone to church since my senior year of high school.”
Geer added that her grandparents were pushing her to celebrate Lent by giving up candy and pop.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Katelyn Bell at Katelyn.bell@colorado.edu.
Staff Writer Sara Fossum contributed to this report.
