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[Times art: Teresanne Cossetta]
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It's the time of year to decide what changes you want to make in your life. The X-Team members have some thoughts about what they resolve to do in 2003. Maybe you can get some ideas.
By Xpress Team Writers
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 6, 2003
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I've never seriously made and kept a resolution. Every year it's just sort of a tradition to pretend we're going to abandon a bad habit. Well, this year (like every other year) I resolve to stop biting my nails. This time I will really do it, though. As much of a clean freak as I am, it will be difficult to cease the nasty habit of snacking on those nails with the germy "creme filling."
-- Lindsey Brooks, 13, is in eighth grade at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg.
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My New Year's resolution is that I am going to improve my basketball game. I want to become a good basketball player in every way. For example, I want to shoot, dribble and defend better. In order to do this, I will find more time to practice and will practice well in that time. I want to do this because I want to do well on my school basketball team and play better with my friends and family.
-- Jacob Ludin, 11, is in fifth grade at Pinellas County Jewish Day School in Clearwater.
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My New Year's resolution is to be nicer to my sister. Yes, I'm nice to her, but also we fight a lot, and I want to make it better. If I do my share of not fighting, that will help her do her share.
The big thing we fight over is the bathroom. Two teenage girls with one bathroom -- what a disaster! So from now on, I will try to not have to do anything in the bathroom while she needs it. Like brushing my teeth -- I will try to do that before she goes in the shower, instead of while she's in the shower. I will try my best to follow my New Year's resolution, but I've got to tell you, it's going to be tough!
-- Reva Luth-Powell, 13, is in eighth grade at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg.
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I have found through years of fruitless effort that these well-intended declarations at New Year's are almost always given up in dismay or conveniently forgotten. The endless list of those things that everyone should do but doesn't has never exercised much power over me. I remember scripting neat pages of all the things I would get done over the upcoming year. I drew small boxes next to the fantasized wish, anticipating the check mark that should come later. It never did. Thus, as my youth pastor would say, "My New Year's resolution is to never have another New Year's resolution."
-- Jacky Johnson, 15, is in ninth grade at Seminole High School.
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My resolution for the new year is to be more patient with everyone, especially my family. Also, I want to start practicing the piano more so I can improve faster. That is definitely something I need to work on.
-- Jocelyn Howard, 11, is in sixth grade at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg.
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Of all the resolutions I have made, I have kept none. Every vow I have uttered has been broken. So this year, I'm not going to make ridiculous claims that I can't live up to. Therefore, I promise to underachieve. I pledge to not get my homework done in time, to not respect my peers and to not change my eating habits. I swear to you that I will not be a better example, I will not use correct grammar, and I will not chew with my mouth shut. I can already tell how wonderful this year is going to be!
-- Mackenzie Porter, 13, is in eighth grade at St. Mary's Episcopal Day School in Tampa.
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My New Year's resolution would have to include the following: to stop procrastinating in school and get things done early. Also, to survive through International Baccalaureate for the next 21/2 years. Every person's resolution probably would be to become a generally better person. I highly doubt I'll be able to go through with my first resolution, but I'm definitely going to try hard.
-- Amita Shah, 14, is in 10th grade at St. Petersburg High School.
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I resolve to try to have more patience and be kinder to those around me. Also, to stop ordering unsweetened iced tea in restaurants and then dumping 11 packets of sugar in it. I resolve to enjoy the last half of my senior year. In short, my mantra for this year is "Be nice, be good, have fun."
-- Catherine McCarthy, 17, is in 12th grade at Seminole High School.
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My resolution for the new year is to have more patience. I feel that last year I kind of rushed things and really didn't take the time to show appreciation for the time I had. I hope this year will be different in that I learn to be well aware of what I have and cherish each moment I have to spend and not be in such a hurry.
-- Kendra John, 15, is in ninth grade at Boca Ciega High School in St. Petersburg.
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My New Year's resolution is to try to be a better person. I will help out around the house, be nice to my brother and just in general be an all-around nicer person. I will try my best at school and help when I am needed. I will continue to write the best stories I can for Xpress, too. It will not be easy to accomplish all these things, but I will try my best. I hope 2003 is a spectacular year!
-- Dana Orlando, 11, is in sixth grade at Seven Springs Middle School in New Port Richey.
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Many people have made resolutions for the year such as cleaning your room, taking out the trash or even the dreadful being nice to your parents. Only kidding! Well, if you take a walk down the middle school hallway at Saint Paul's School and you notice a locker with yellow, moldy-looking numbers, you know right away that this locker is out of place. I have had a notorious reputation in the past of having messy lockers, and this year is no different. Many students and even teachers say that my locker is horrifying and it looks like a tornado went through it. I simply reply, "It's my own special touch. I know where everything is. I just like being challenged when it comes to getting it out."
For my New Year's resolution, I promise to try my hardest to clean out that locker even if it means taking out the purple (who knows what color it is now) Gogurt that was left in there from the first day of school.
-- Kwynn Kirkhuff, 14, is in eighth grade at St. Paul's School in Clearwater.
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I have a few resolutions I would like to share. The first one concerns my dog, Jessie. There are a lot of mornings when I am rushed and don't have much time. On those mornings, I am not always able to feed and put my dog outside. My parents wind up doing that. Since I love Jessie very much, I want to be able to take care of her every day.
My next resolution is to be more involved with the community. Recently, I started going to Street Ministry with my youth group. That is where you serve food to the homeless and the poor. I want to do that more often and get more involved with the community. I am excited for the new year to come, and I am determined to follow through with these resolutions.
-- Theresa Linnert, 12, is in the seventh grade at Westlake Christian School in Palm Harbor.
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In the coming year, I resolve to become more confident on the basketball court by playing every game like it is my last. I would like to increase my speed to be as fast as Dexter McCluster. He was the star of our basketball team last year at Seminole Middle, and he could run like a gazelle. I have asked my mom to check into the possibility of getting a private trainer to teach me to run faster and gain endurance. I also resolve to practice all my scales on trombone so that I will play well in my audition for the wind ensemble band. I also plan to look into ways to increase my earning potential for the coming year.
-- Nathaniel DiMura, 13, is in seventh grade at Seminole Middle School.
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My New Year's resolution is to be even better than I was the previous year. To be assertive, more organized, and to pray that God grants me the power to be even more talented, for I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Also, that I grow not only mentally, but physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally.
-- Kente' Jamar Jamison, 14, is in eighth grade at Academy Prep in St. Petersburg.
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My New Year's resolution is to stop making resolutions. I just want to be happy with the way my life is. I want to be totally comfortable with everything about myself. When I think about it, I have everything I want and need. What more can I ask or strive for? Only to be myself and never be afraid, strive only for my goals and not someone else's, and to be perfectly happy with that.
-- Jessica DaFonte, 14, is in ninth grade at Palm Harbor University High School.
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My New Year's resolutions are to:
1. Learn how to salsa
2. Finish my scholarship applications
3. Learn how to surf
4. Take up yoga
-- Kelly Bryce, 18, is in 12th grade at Palm Harbor University High School.
Here's the rest of today's Xpress
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