40-day Reset: UD Community gives up shopping, TV and more for Lent
Photo via University of Dayton
Joel Scheve | Contributing Writer
The Lenten season is more than a personal observance at this Marianist institution. It is a campus-wide cultural event that shapes everything from dining hall menus to the daily routines of faculty and students.
The largest student-attended Mass of the school year occurred on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, to begin the Lenten season, which continues until Holy Thursday on April 3. Many students and faculty members participate in Lenten season activities on and around campus during those 40 days and nights.
Dr. Jana Bennett, chairwoman of the religious studies department, shared that this is one of the more important Catholic seasons at UD.
“Students and faculty are on campus for much of the Lenten season unlike around Christmas or Easter. It is one of my favorite times of the year just because of how many people you see around participating,” she said. Dr. Bennett and many other professors in the department are giving up desserts for Lent, something she has given up before, but she hasn’t always done a good job with.
Other university professors shared that they have chosen to give up coffee and alcohol.
Dr. Dennis Doyle, a recent retiree who taught at the university for over 35 years, said he opted for a “digital fast” by giving up television.
“In an electronic-fueled world, It really was an easy decision choosing what I wanted to give up,” said Doyle. His choices reflect what a lot of students have chosen to do this Lent, and that is to disconnect.
Students’ approach to Lent is a little different. Billy Gaskin, a junior sports management major, gave up social media.
“When I was at home with my family for Lent, we would always give something up together, to make it easier for everyone, my roommates and I decided to give up social media, specifically TikTok and Instagram,” he said.
Freshman Sam Koehne, a marketing major who is spending his first Lent away from home, is targeting his morning routine. Instead of the typical food-based fast, he decided to give up his snooze button.
“It’s about discipline and it’s something I need to learn while I’m at Dayton,” said Koehne. And it hasn’t been easy: “Some mornings are harder than others, but if you start your morning off right, you’re likely to get more out of the day.”
While many faculty members focus on reflection, Dr. William Johnston, a recently retired professor in the religious studies department, is using the 40 days not just to reflect, but to get outdoors and do it from “God’s creation.” Johnston often visits trails in the Dayton area but this time he is focusing those walks on reflection, saying he feels “clearest” when he is outdoors. Johnston, who tries to get outdoors often, there is an extra emphasis on getting outdoors this time of year and “enjoying” it.
“Forty days is enough time to break a bad habit or start a good habit,” said junior M.I.S. major Charlie Cutrara, who decided to give up napping. “Whenever I have a day where I don’t have a ton of homework or things to do, I would go to bed instead of using that time wisely.” Instead of sleeping, Cutrara said he would go to the gym, library or even hang out with friends.
For others, such as junior Greta Schmittauer, Lent is also a time to correct some bad habits, like spending.
“I’ve always told myself I need to get better with my money and with graduation a little over a year away, it’s probably time to start and learn how to spend less,” said Schmittauer. It’s been nice budgeting and cutting back on non-vital costs, she said, but getting her roommates to do it along with her made all the difference.
Andrew Scheve, a junior mechanical engineering major, said that he has always tried to give it back as opposed to giving up something.
“At my Catholic grade school and high school, we would always do community service during Lent, and that has been something that has stuck with me,” Scheve said. “I’ve gone to The Foodbank with my girlfriend twice and will be back after spring break.”
As the semester calendar moves closer to April, the 40 days serve as more than just a countdown to Easter. From quiet reflection on campus to service off campus, the Lenten season at UD becomes less about what is given up and more about what is being built.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Joel Scheve is a student in Reporting, a journalism course offered in the Communication Department journalism sequence.