Staff Writers
Emily Housecamp
Sarah Sendlbeck

New Year’s resolutions are so common in society today that it’s hard to imagine Dec. 31 without at least a moment devoted to a self-made promise.

Almost everyone makes a yearly resolution that officially begins on the 1st of January. Rarely, however, do you hear of people keeping them. Why is it that most people dismiss their resolutions only days into the new year, and where did this tradition originally come from?

The new year has not always begun on Jan. 1, and even today there are many cultures that do not use the 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the new year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that he felt more accurately reflected the seasons of previous calendars.

Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the beginning of the calendar – thus naming the first month of the 365-day year January. Janus was, appropriately enough, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was most often depicted as having two heads, one that looked back into the past and the other that looked forward into the future.

At midnight on Dec. 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back into the old year and forward into the new.

The first celebration of the new year dates back 4,000 years in Babylon, when this civilization created the idea of a new year’s resolution. Back in Babylon, the most common resolution was their custom of returning something that had been borrowed. Today this ritual has become one of personal promises and goals that are initially imposed within the first days of the year. This was based on the Babylonian belief that what a person does in the first days of the year will have effect throughout the rest of the year.

Today, the top resolutions are:

to lose weight and get into better physical shape, stick to a budget, reduce debt, enjoy more quality time with family and friends and find a soul mate. Now more than ever, Americans are more overweight and out of shape than ever and, according to these resolutions, they are ready to change that. Today, Americans spend money relentlessly, have an average debt of $9,000, work long and more tiresome hours away from their families and friends, and, with a divorce rate of close to 50 percent, more people are looking for that special someone.

If any of the previous resolutions match your own, you’re not alone. In fact, Rochester has many resources to help you stick to these resolutions. Rochester Athletic Club (RAC) is a popular fitness center for men and women, with locations in Rochester, Greece, Pittsford and Fairport. If you are hoping to lose some weight, RAC offers free passes for first-timers, so check it out. Looking for love? There are plenty of matchmaking websites these days, including www.match.com and www.e-harmony.com. If Internet dating isn’t your thing, Rochester has matchmaking services such as “Better Beginnings” (more information at www.betterbeginnings.com). Lastly, try looking for love the old fashioned way. Join clubs, get some coffee at a cute coffee shop and smile at people.

Instead of focusing on just one goal for the year, people often make a list of five or six and are then quickly overwhelmed. Also, very few resolutions have plans to go along with them. When people resolve to lose weight and get into better physical shape, they often leave it at that. No effort is imposed on the resolutions, only words.

Many Fisher students have made some resolutions of their own. Junior Tom Tharp has resolved to be a better friend. Sophomore Tom Racculia hopes “not to die from everything I’m involved in.”

A freshman, Andrew Alba, made one of the most common resolutions, to get more exercise.

“I always try to go to the gym but it’s hard when you’re so busy. I want to try and get more exercise this semester and balance my time better so i can do so,” Alba said.

A freshman, Kourtney Evans, said, “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last semester so I want to try to get more this time. It’s hard though when you need to stay up until 3am to finish homework.” Katie Ellis, a junior, said, “I’m always doing something. I’m involved in so many activities its hard to fully commit to each one. I want to try to be more committed to my activities.” Even Fisher alumni are making resolutions. Paul Ilukor said, “I don’t want to overwhelm myself. It’s good sometimes to just take things easy.”

Regardless of the difficulty of keeping these resolutions, especially with the demands of school, work, relationships and everything else taking up space in our lives, don’t allow yourself to overdo the new year.

Make a simple resolution that you can focus on keeping, and remember to make 2007 a great year.