By Lucy Retterer, Staff Writer

As the seconds tick away until midnight on December 31 each year, many people, both around the world and in the Trinity Hall community, prepare to celebrate the new year. Some throw confetti, bang pots and pans, or sing a merry song. Others begin the year with a “New Year’s resolution.” The Trinity Hall Tribune polled the community on the topic of New Year’s resolutions, asking students what they made their resolutions about and if they believe New Year’s resolutions are as effective as their reputation makes them out to be.

Out of the students who responded to the poll, 80 percent made a New Year’s resolution this year, and the most common themes were resolutions relating to health, attitude and academics. Forty-seven percent of students say they always make a New Year’s resolution, but 45 percent admitted to dropping their resolution after only a few days. Only 18 percent polled said they have followed and/or completed a resolution until the end of the year.

“[New Year’s resolutions] are a mind game to convince yourself,” senior Olivia Ferrigine said. “[They] work for some people, so it depends on your stick-to-it-iveness and being able to keep telling yourself that resolutions work because of what they are, not what you have to do to maintain them.”

Other students agreed with Ferrigine’s opinion. “It really depends on how much effort the person is willing to put into keeping their resolution,” junior Grace Shimkus said.

Whether they are able to keep a New Year’s resolution or not, students agree that it is the character of the individual that ends up being the deciding factor, not the time of year. “If you want to make a change in your life, you don’t have to wait for a new year to begin,” sophomore Dianna Whaley said.