2020 has finally come to an end after a year filled with forest fires to months of quarantine. Now that it has finished, 2021 begins to spark ideas of hope for the future. Many wonder if 2021 will truly be better than 2020 or prove to be just as bad. 

As the New Year comes, people often decide to produce resolutions for the New Year. Although these resolutions are often broken midway through the month of February, it gives people something to look forward to in the start… Due to the crazy and spontaneous events 2020 brought, New Year’s Resolutions may be stressed more than usual. The coronavirus has definitely impacted many people’s lives therefore they might have a better outlook on 2021.

Typically the top 5 resolutions of a new year are to lose weight, stop drinking alcohol, and stop smoking cigarettes. In 2021 New Year’s Resolution may differ such as being healthy, forming even more of a stronger relationship with friends and family, improving on grades, and losing weight. People may build and strengthen relationships by Zoom, Facetime, and/or Google Meet calls. Grades may improve due to the different approaches to the educational system. Quarantine could’ve been an educational experience for some, culinary wise. New recipes, workouts, dieting trying new hobbies could have all resulted in a weight loss transformation.

The Eagle’s Cry journalists Santina Lonardo and Amalia Lal interviewed several Juniors on the following questions based on their 2021 New Year’s resolutions.

BHS junior Laci Waters says her New Year’s Resolution is to, “be nicer to people.”

This is important to her personally because she wants to “make more friends and seem more approachable.” 

Her resolutions from last year vary from this year due to the transition of focusing from “physical appearance to internal appearance.” 

Laci, very determined and persistent, is trying very hard to hinder the first perspective of other people when they find her “hard to approach and intimating.” 

Bethpage High School junior Julia Donnelly said her resolutions included “reducing screen time, taking more pictures, and drinking more water.” 

Julia chose these goals as a way to “remember this year more due to the craziness of the coronavirus.”  

Additionally, she believes these resolutions will help her stay “more motivated for school and sports.” Last year, in Julia’s opinion, it was less stressful so her goals did not require as much discipline. 

Therefore, Julia has been working “vigilantly every day to maintain” her goals this year. Through the use of “setting alarms” and her hopeful attitude is Julia able to continue to keep up her goals throughout the year. Julia’s positivity towards the new year is helping her stride and keep her resolutions till December of 2021. These resolutions are prone to aid Julia in being a happier and healthier version of herself. 

Gabriela Carchi, a BHS junior, said her New Year’s resolutions are “organize myself better, procrastinate less, improve my mental health.”

Mental health is critical to Gaby because she has been “stressed out with school.”

Last year was difficult for Gaby in ways that she did not “focus on her well-being as much.” Unfortunately, last year’s resolutions were not as effective because they were not as attainable and realistic as this year’s. With a lot of motivation and discipline, Gaby is looking forward to becoming healthier mentally, organized by using calendars and reminders and especially being stress-free in 2021 by incorporating yoga in her daily routine. 

We wish these girls the best of luck in 2021!