One may wonder, where did the tradition of new years resolutions come from? The custom goes back to 153 BC Rome in Roman mythology. Janus,a mythical king controlled the Roman calendar, which gave him ability to look back on past events as well as forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol in Rome for resolutions and so the Romans began the tradition of looking for forgiveness from their enemies and making goals for the new year.

Presently, classic resolutions include healthier living, better grades and improved relationships. Senior Andrew Conger summed up his resolution with the simple statement, “No mistakes.” Junior, Sam Leuhrs emphasized the importance of her junior year saying,”My resolution is to study more and get the grades I want in the new year.” However others choose not to participate in the tradition like senior Coby Ashendorf who said, “I didn’t make one.”

New years resolutions present the opportunity for a new start on old habit, Oprah Winfrey calls the new year “… another chance for us to get it right.” With specific goals for the 2010 year in mind for many, success seems on the horizon.