What Iowa students should, but won’t, give up for Lent

It’s the season of sacrifice

Lent is a Christian religious observance from Ash Wednesday through Easter, and in modern day religious practice, members of the Christian faith commemorate this by giving something up for the 40 day period. While not everyone is Christian, or religious at all for that matter, we could all learn a thing or two from the idea of a little sacrifice. Below are a few things Hawkeye students should consider taking a break from.

Taking a Cambus/Uber instead of walking

We get it, bracing the 45 degree weather during the short walk from your apartment/dorm to Pappajohn can seem like a daunting task, and hopping on a Cambus or calling an Uber often sounds like a great plan, but let’s give it up for a while, eh?

A little exercise never hurt anyone, and surely the people wanting a seat on their ride all the way out to the Hawk Lot would appreciate you not taking up a space to ride from Currier to the Pentacrest.

Not talking to your parents for months on end

College is all about embracing your newfound independence and learning to become an adult, but those that only travel home on holiday breaks need to remember that parents still care about what you’re up to the same way they did when you were living at home.

We certainly wouldn’t recommend drunk texting your mom from Union on a Friday night, but a quick call home during the week is something worth trying.

Mesa at 3 a.m.

Mesa is delicious, (somewhat) nutritious, and….pricey. As if you didn’t just spend enough at Spoco last Saturday, the $9.50 that you spent getting a couple slices on the walk home really hurts the wallet.

Not to mention you probably wasted a solid 20 minutes standing in line before they popped your Buffalo Macaroni pizza in the oven.

Calling your ex drunk on Saturday nights

Alcohol is the worst wingman out there. You should really to stop listening to it when it tells you to dial your ex and leave a seven-minute voicemail telling them all about how you really feel.

Not only will you wake up hungover to an uncomfortable text conversation, but you also just made a fool of yourself to your ex and every friend they played the recording to.

Binge watching Netflix

Netflix is the best entertainment media, but it’s also the worst time killer.

You sit down to catch an episode of your favorite show, and after just one episode you have exactly 15 seconds to decide whether or not you want to be productive or watch the next one. You sit contemplating, and before you know it you’ve watched six episodes.

Get off the couch, do some homework, or invest some time in finding fun and productive activities on campus!

Drinking three nights a week every week

This is the big one. We know you all read the caption and scoffed, but hear us out.

Drinking is a staple of the college—and certainly Hawkeye—experience. What shouldn’t be a weekly occurrence, however, is blacking out after 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

We live on a campus full of opportunities specifically built for us, and although hitting the bars is still something to keep on the agenda, maybe we could dial it back down to just twice a week?

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University of Iowa Cambus drinking Hawkeyes Lent Mesa Netflix University of Iowa