By Duke Staff
There is a tradition in the Catholic faith of marking the time before Easter, called Lent, by making Lenten resolutions. Lenten resolutions run the gamut from giving up eating sweets to donating more time to charitable causes. For Catholics, the resolutions are reminders to prepare for their celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. For non-Catholics, this tradition can just be a nice opportunity for kindness to others or self-improvement.
In keeping with this custom, The Duke would like to offer some Lenten resolutions for those members of the Duquesne community who have not selected any yet:
Stop wearing the same clothes as every other student on campus. Look at yourselves. Look at your matching leggings, your identical haircuts, your oh-so-trendy workout outfits. Don’t they look like the clothes on every other student on campus? Would it kill you to express an iota of individuality? This Lent, resolve to stop being a fashion lemming.
Don’t you dare take that elevator up just one floor. Just don’t. We see you, and it needs to stop. Unless you have a genuine medical condition that prevents you from walking up stairs, leave those elevators open for those of us visiting the 8th floor of Rockwell.
Volunteer your time for a good cause. Did you know that Duquesne has a homeless ministry that meets every Sunday at 7:30 p.m. outside Laval House to serve hot meals and administer toiletry bags to some of Pittsburgh’s most vulnerable people? You can sign up on the Spiritan Campus Ministry page on Duquesne’s Website.
Listen to a viewpoint that you don’t agree with. Maybe you have a “bleeding heart liberal” friend or a vehement Trump-supporting aunt with whom you get into Facebook fights. Maybe you’re quick to accuse someone of being hateful when they’re really just scared. This Lent, go beyond tolerance — really listen. You might not be persuaded, but you will definitely learn something.
Stop walking four abreast on the sidewalks. You aren’t the British Army during the American Revolution — there is absolutely no need to march in formation when other people are trying to get past you. We get it. You have lots of friends and you want to walk next to them all. But please try to corral your herd to one side of the sidewalk, so those of use with long legs and places to be can scurry past you without jumping in front of cars.
If you already follow these resolutions, you’re a champion. Keep up the good work. For the rest of us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, let this list be a starting point for your own self-reflection.
