Out With the Old, In With the New: O’Dowd’s Ins and Outs of 2024

Maya Udkow and Nola Shaw

February 4, 2024

New year, new you; with the transition into 2024 comes a chance for students to reinvent themselves through stylistic choices, mental health habits, and lifestyle changes. As many create lists of New Year resolutions with goals for the upcoming months, today’s teens are devising lists of “Ins and Outs” for 2024, intending to leave the outs in the past and bring the ins in for the new year.

Walking through O’Dowd, the New Year spirit is palpable; but beneath the surface of new slippers and trendy water bottles, what resolutions are brewing for 2024? Maya and Nola interviewed a wealth of teens to reveal what is staying and what is going for the year ahead.

Some, like Issa Bonner-Papazian ‘25, aspire to evolve their mindsets for the new year. Issa stated, “It’s all about taking risks and not thinking too much about stuff. Being indecisive is out.” So, many students are aiming to reinvent themselves this year regarding their outlook on life. It seems as though, perchance, confidence is in, and self-doubt is out.

Next, checking in with sophomore Eli Dispensa divulged O’Dowd’s commitment to peace for the new year. Eli, hoping to manifest health and rest into his life, concluded that love would remain and the falsity of off-brand shoes would be going out the window. Dispensa also declared that artichokes could be in for this year, hoping to inspire veggie appreciation in a school living off vending machines.

Other members mentioned Adidas, big earrings, ice water, and using idioms to be in, while sunny days, slides, hesitation, and clunky bracelets were to be left in 2023.

Last but not least, Phoebe Aldrich ‘25 took a look at natural beauty. Phoebe claimed, “Owning your natural features and embracing your own beauty is in, rather than basing yourself around trends, which is out.” With so many trends taking over lifestyle and beauty habits in 2023, some, like Phoebe, are using the new year as a chance for self-appreciation, acceptance, and discovering your own self-care habits rather than following microtrends on social media.

Reinventing yourself doesn’t have to be skin deep. After observing the O’Dowd community, the impact of a perspective change is clear. It is clear that it takes only willpower to refashion one’s life. While the excitement of a new year may encourage fancy purchases and an unreasonable amount of hours spent in the gym, real transformation blossoms from dedication to improving oneself.

About the Contributors

Maya Udkow, Contributor

Maya Udkow is 16 years old and currently a junior at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. Maya went to Redwood Day for middle school, where she participated in the class council and the Jewish club. At Bishop O'Dowd, she is a member of the Jewish club, is a class representative, and is passionate about being an active member of her community. She is creative and artistic and loves drawing, painting, and writing; she has taken art classes for ten years and has even written her own books. In her free time, Maya loves spending time with her friends, doing art, reading, walking her dog, and exploring Northern California.

Nola Shaw, Editor

Nola Shaw was born in San Francisco and lives in Oakland, California. She is currently completing her senior year at Bishop O'Dowd and her second year writing for The Crozier. Being the head of The Crozier's political column, she is well informed of global events through her captaincy of O'Dowd's debate team and her obsessive podcast listening. She publishes for the Crozier due to her deep-seated love for literature and her growing desire to study the world. She plans to major in Public Policy and pursue a career in government, and spends her free time exploring California's mountains and rivers.