Hamber’s New Year Resolutions, Three Months In
CATHERINE JONES/ISTOCKPHOTO / GETTY IMAGES VIA THE GLOBE AND MAIL
As Hamberites enter March, recently assigned New Year resolutions are either just getting started, already in place, or have since been altered entirely. Some of Hamber’s staff and students have a variety of ambitious resolutions, while others avoid the notion entirely.
Many people are focusing on their mental and physical health. Rebecca Tobin (10) stated that by recording her emotions on a Google chart daily, she planned on improving her mental health. However, this resolution was discontinued, as Tobin stopped keeping track in January.
Tony Chow (9) shared that by altering his sleep schedule and eating breakfast before school, he intends on gaining more energy throughout the day. He hopes this will improve his mental and physical performance, as well as his attitude at school and sport practices.
“I bought these lights, that in the morning they flash. I also have a loud alarm,” Chow said, all of which he uses to wake up earlier.
Similarly, Mr. P. Scaglione (Social Studies) states that by modifying his sugar intake and continuing to take long walks, he plans on losing 15 pounds by the end of the year.
He emphasized that his level of exercise was not the issue. “I exercise a lot. I think I average 15-20,000 steps per day.” Rather, the issue for him was his intake of sweets. “I have a sweet tooth”, he revealed.
In addition, Mr. Scaglione is aiming to get his boating license.
“It’s somewhat fairly easy,” he explained. “My wife and I have an interest in boating recently, and maybe in the future getting a boat ourselves, and doing some travelling with the boat on the B.C. coast or the Mediterranean.”
Some resolutions are art and creativity based. Samantha Amado’s (12) “current biggest resolution is to complete the first issue of [her] upcoming comic series, ‘Demi Diable.’” She plans on accomplishing this by utilizing one of the many courses Eric Hamber offers. Currently taking Visual Arts 12, she is given the opportunity to complete self-directed studies. By applying resources Hamber provides as well as frequently illustrating during her own time, Amado hopes to complete her comic series by May.
Other Hamber community members have chosen educational and learning focused resolutions. Ms. R. Cooper (Social Studies and Languages) is learning how to read letters and words of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Musqueam language, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. Eventually, she plans on having enough knowledge to read street signs and words often seen around the city, more specifically in UBC.
“I am going to study one letter at a time and learn some words I see on a regular basis to start,” she explains. As a way to involve her French students in her learning, Ms. Cooper makes connections between similar sounds in French and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓.
Not everyone agrees with the concept of New Year resolutions and the sometimes unattainable or unrealistic expectations that come with them. For instance, Kelly Lau (11) explains that in her case, “most of the time, it ends up with [her] setting arbitrary rules and insurmountable time commitments, and then kicking [herself] when [she] fizzles out by February.”