For Kelly Owen, Will Haenni and Samantha Dyroff the decision to not have sex was easy. While the teenage mind is a fickle place full of decisions like what to wear, who to date and what to do on the weekend, these teens were certain they made the right decision.

Haenni, Dyroff and Owen all wear purity rings to show their commitment to stay abstinent until marriage. Although each ring holds different personal meaning, they agree the ring serves as a reminder of their devotion.

Dyroff, junior and an active member in Kirkwood Youth Service and orchestra, based her decision with help of the Christian camp, Kanakuk, which she attends.

“True love waits,” Dyroff said. “My freshman and sophomore year, I thought people exaggerated about sex. Then I realized it was reality. On the cross country team, people would always talk about doing this and that, and I don’t want that to be me. If you don’t talk about it, (views on sex) people assume you’re that way, so this is me taking a stand.”

While Dyroff’s ring symbolizes sustaining from drugs, sex and alcohol, Haenni and Owens’ rings symbolize absitinance of physical purposes only.

Owen, senior who also attends Kanakuk, received the ring her seventh year of attending the camp. On the side of the ring is an itcthus religious fish and a roman numeral III, which symbolizes God first, others second and yourself third.

“As a Christian, I know to do the right thing,” Owen said. “The ring represents my beliefs and shows my faith.”

For Haenni, senior, his decision was made in eighth grade. After going on a retreat, he asked for the ring for his birthday. Haenni admits his parents religious views influenced his decision and that it was morally based. However, he made the decision for himself.

“I heard a story of a guy who also took the pledge and wrote on a card that he would remain abstinent until marriage,” Haenni said. “Then when he proposed, he pulled it out of his wallet and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’ That really stuck with me.”

All three of these students suggest that this lifestyle is possible for anyo

“People don’t realize when you just hook up, people forget the power sex has,” Haenni said. “Sex can make or break a relationship, and casually doing it can start a lot of drama. I don’t have to worry about that.”

Haenni believes males have it easier dealing with the constant pressures socitity gives off than females.

“Girls have it tougher,” Haenni said. “I know guys are usually the instigator and girls will go into a relationship saying they aren’t gonna do something then end up doing it. I’ve seen people with a lot of regrets.”

Knowing a lot of peers that have faced this type of regret Haenni places the blame on the media.

“I was in a health class and we guessed the amount of teens that have sex before the end of highschool, and the number was way lower than I thought,” Haenni said. “Because the entertainment business always puts it in our face, sometimes the reality is not publicized because it is thought of as ‘weird’. It makes me angry the mainstream media makes sex look casual with no meaning, and that’s not true.”