While giving up anything for a month seems almost impossible, many students are planning to put their daily routines on hold for the next 40 days.

In light of the Lenten season, which starts every year with Ash Wednesday services, students of many denominations are now making their sacrifices.

Father David Griffin, a Penn State campus minister, said that although an overwhelming number of students were in attendance at Wednesday's services at Schwab Auditorium and the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, he still had not heard of any specific Lenten sacrifices.

"I haven't spoken to anyone about [what they are giving up], but as long as they have good intentions, that's all that matters," he said.

Andy Redding (junior-finance) said that instead of giving something up this year, he has resolved to help those around him.

"I'm going to think of others first instead of myself," he said. "If I see someone in need, I'll try to put their problems before mine."

The President of the Newman Catholic Student Association at Penn State University Dave Sao (junior-human development and family studies and psychology) is also helping others for his Lenten resolution.

"I'm going to be fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," he said. "I'll be using the money from the meals I'm skipping and putting them in a jar so that at the end of Lent, I can donate to charity."

Although Sao has not always sacrificed something for Lent, he still believes this is a beneficial practice.

"I know a lot of people who give up the generic things like swearing and chocolate. [Sacrificing] is good to do, especially if you have bad habits you're trying to get rid of," he said. "My roommate, for example, does one act of kindness every day, but now [during Lent], he's upping it to two or three acts a day."

Though Sao's friends are all different denominations, he said he remains motivated by their constant encouragement. "We're all different in our faith, but we're all supportive of each other," he said.

Christians in Action President Curt Himmelberger (junior-elementary education) said he tries to give up something every year.

"I think it's a good time to focus on God and other aspects of life," he said.

Himmelberger, who is Protestant, decided to change his personality traits during the next two months.

"I'm going to work on not being so defensive with others," he said. "It might be challenging. ... I think last year I cut back on sarcastic comments. That was hard."

But Luis Ocampo Jr. (freshman-nuclear engineering), who is Catholic, said he is not giving up anything for Lent besides the traditional sacrifices.

"There's no meat on Holy Thursday ... and every Friday [during Lent]," he said.

Instead, Ocampo skipped his morning class to attend the 9:15 a.m. service at Pasquerilla Spiritual Center as his way of participating.

"I told my other Catholic friends to go get their ashes, too," he said.