Each year in the senior Bible class, Christian Faith Journey, Dale requires us to give something up for one week at the beginning of Lent. This is included in the unit on resources, where we spend time thinking about our use of all the resources that we have and will have access to during our lifetime. For some it is harder than others, depending on what you choose to give up.
Dale encourages students to try and stretch themselves, and to give it up “until it hurts.” Personally, I gave up Pinterest and Snapchat in an effort to become more conscious of my unproductive screen time especially on my computer. After a Pin-less week, I realized that I didn’t feel as much of a need to go on Pinterest at every available moment, and was definitely more aware of the time I was spending on screens.
Likewise, lots of people gave up technology-related things. Abe Thorne (‘14) gave up videos for the week, including Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. Joseph Mumaw (‘14) gave up his cell phone, and Lynea Brubaker Kaethler (‘14) gave up use of her laptop except for homework. However, some students also chose to give up other things. Justin Zehr (‘14) gave up eating everything except bread and water. Other not so extreme options were the snooze button on an alarm clock, Kinza Yoder (‘14), and extra homework time for Yuri Teno (‘14). One specific example of a senior giving up something hard for them is Ryan Miller (’14) who gave up driving for the week. Read about his experience here.
This annual assignment continues to be an enriching experience for the seniors.
~Katie Hurst