University Star

Ross Verret has always considered himself a chunky guy, but his weight was always just a part of who he was.

This year, however, the communications senior vowed to make the extra weight a thing of the past by making a New Year’s resolution to lose 80 pounds in 2013. Though losing weight is a resolution many students make to themselves that never happens, Verret has a carefully considered plan to follow through.

Verret is determined to accomplish his goal by doing simple things like eliminating soda from his diet, utilizing the student recreation center every day and eating more controlled portions. Verret used to be a football player, and says he still eats like one—though he no longer plays the sport. He feels he will be less tired and body parts like his feet and ankles will finally stop aching all the time by shedding the extra weight.

“I just want to be healthy,” Verret said. “I want to drop the weight so in the future I can chase my children around instead of sitting in a chair while they grow up.”

Kylie Bradford, marketing sophomore, lost her trust in people when her close friends turned against her during her junior year of high school. Everything she told them became public knowledge, and Bradford quickly taught herself to shut people out as a result.

Now Bradford’s New Year’s resolution is to trust people again in order to bring them closer to her. Without the element of trust in a relationship, it is hard to make long lasting connections, she said. Bradford explained how mad it made her that girls from high school were still affecting her so strongly in her college life and decided to make a change.

“I’m going to allow myself to open up to people again even though it has been so hard for me,” Bradford said. “I’m not going to let something from so long ago control my life now.”

Flor Barajas, communications senior, is planning to finish her college career strong as she works toward graduating in May. Her New Year’s resolution includes making the dean’s list for spring 2013, enjoying all her classes, reading more about each subject and making the Council of Scholars for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Because Barajas is a communication studies major with two minors, mass communications and theatre, it would be icing on the cake for her do great academically along with all her activities, she said. She also plans to bring her GPA up from last semester by making a few small changes.

“I plan to read more about each subject I’m studying and attend class every day,” Flor said. “I just want my last semester at Texas State to be my strongest and most memorable.”