New Year celebrations vary across the student body.

Sailor Powley, a sophomore at Nixa High School, celebrates New Year’s each year with a family dancing event.
“My family and I always have a dance party,” Powley said. “It’s usually just my immediate family, so my mom, dad and two brothers. It’s always super special because both my brothers are older. One is in Ohio and the other one goes to college. I don’t see them all that often so whenever we meet up for holidays it’s really special.”

For some people, the food is their tradition of choice. Sophomore Brianna Gonzalez always has a dish that her grandmother makes.
“Every New Year, my grandma makes black eyed peas,” Gonzalez said. “She makes a whole dinner for us, but black eyed peas are the big
centerpiece.”

A common tradition is to watch the yearly ball drop. Senior Cooper Duncan always has a party on New Years.

“A New Years tradition that I have is throwing a party with my friends and family and counting down when the ball drops,” Duncan said.

Resolutions help people become a better version of themselves. But not everyone sets a resolution.
“I’m a big fan of changing things when change needs to happen, so I never just wait for New Years — I just do it,” Powley said.

Foods, drinks and other snacks often take center stage during New Year’s celebrations.
“My family and I will just do all of the snack foods, like seven different dips — like taco dip and buffalo chicken dip, etc.” Powley said. “We’ll do pigs in a blanket, meatballs —
we’ll just make just a big buffet.”

To Powley, New Years is a time for second chances.
“[New Year’s is] another chance to be an inspiration for someone else,” Powley said. “I always try to inspire people to be the best they can be, and I’m here and willing to help them on that journey. One of the things I do as a reminder is when I sign my signature, I put a star above my ‘I’ to be able to light someone else’s life. That’s just kind of what New Year’s is — another chance to give someone another chance.”

To Gonzalez, New Years means a chance to restart.
“New Years is like a fresh start to me,” Gonzalez said. “Even though it’s not the start of a new school year, it’s a start of a fresh year with a fresh date to write on your paper — it’s a new
opportunity.”

The unity of the past, present and future is what New Years means to Duncan.
“New Years is a celebration of the past, the present and the future about looking forward for what’s to come,” Duncan said.