By Elizabeth Tertadian
Every night before she goes to bed, freshman Vivian Pham writes on her blog, not her Facebook wall. She created a personal blog for Lent this year as a way to add something positive and spiritual to her life.
Lent is often associated with giving things up, but it can also include adding something to make life more meaningful. For Pham, it meant adding a prayerful blog.
"What inspired me was the book 'Dear God, It's Me Margret'," said Pham.
Similar to a diary, the blog is private. Instead of thinking about things, she types them. Each day Pham writes what she wants to get out of the day, her hopes and her prayers.
"I basically have my time to talk with God," she said.
Pham celebrates Lent every year with her family. This year, she attended Mass on Ash Wednesday at UP. Besides instituting her blog, she gave up drinking soda.
"I felt that there's stuff that is not that significant in my life," she said.
UP students observe Lent in all kinds of ways and for various reasons. Technically for Catholics, Lent actually ends at sunset with the start of Holy Thursday Mass. That time between Holy Thursday and Easter is called the Tridium.
Freshman Therese Fossen also takes Lent seriously.
"It's more than a tradition for me," Fossen said. She gave up sweets, which she defined as cookies and candy.
"It's just a tradition to give something up, and it's supposed to draw you closer to God." Fossen said. "I felt so good about it! It wasn't even that hard."
Fossen admits to breaking her fast on the Sunday of her birthday to eat the cake her roommate made for her, and the goodies her friends and family sent.
Typically unsuccessful by his own admission, freshman Will Vitale was able to withstand the lure of the pasta bar at The Commons and keep his Lenten fast from pasta. It was difficult, he said, because pasta is one of the few meals he enjoys at The Commons. Fasting for Lent was worth it because it made him try new foods he wouldn't have otherwise.
"I know that sounds dumb, but I eat that here all the time and at my house," he said.
Others were not so successful. Junior Ella Daniels gave up men for Lent because she felt that the men in her life had been distracting her from her faith, studies, and recreation.
"It was an epic fail," she said. "I hope God does not smite me because of this."
