Millions of every age, color and creed filled the streets of New York City awaiting the celebration of the New Year. Noise makers were held in hands and party hats placed on heads in anticipation of the ball dropping to signal the beginning of a new year.

Those who didn’t purchase plane tickets to New York City probably attended parties, grasping their champagne glass, waiting for that New Year’s kiss.

However, as the clock struck midnight, kisses weren’t the only thing on everyone’s mind. At the top of this celebrated hour, people everywhere made promises for the New Year — resolutions to make changes in their lives.

Some abstain from this tradition because they failed to fulfill their resolution last year. Others vow to renew the resolution they abandoned halfway through the year.

Big or small, meaningful or not, many choose to make a resolution. Some choose to lose the freshman 15, while those who want to be more scholarly decide to study more and party less. Such thoughts ran through the minds of several students as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Elizabethtown freshman Sarah Boling’s New Year’s resolution is to read the entire Bible by January 2004.

“My goal is to read all of the Old Testament by the end of the summer,” she said.

Boling has strived to keep her resolutions and has always succeeded. Another goal she set for herself was to stop drinking caffeinated beverages, but she said that this particular resolution has already proven difficult.

“I’ve drank caffeinated drinks for so long, especially Mountain Dew, that it’s been really tough for me. But I’m gonna make it,” Boling said.

For Hopkinsville senior Jason Whitaker, one thing will make his new year complete — graduation.

“I want to be done with school, this is my last semester and I want to make it my very best,” he said.

In the past Whitaker hasn’t had any problems keeping his resolutions, and this year isn’t any different.

According to the Ayn Rand Institute website, as soon as the fireworks begin and the toasts are over many take courses of action to better their lives.

Naveen Rajoli, a graduate student from Hyderabad, India, has made a change in this new year to better his life. He quit smoking.

“I smoked cigarettes a lot in the past and as soon as January 1 came, I quit cold turkey,” Rajoli said. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be, the first day was rough, but after that I was fine.”

Rajoli said he has kept all of his resolutions thus far and will continue to do so until Times Square lights up and confetti flies again next year.

As the party streamers are swept away and the last kiss is recieved, a new year begins with new resolutions to achieve. With 2003 ahead of us, it is possible these resolutions might stick around until the ball drops and brings in yet another year.

Here are a few tips on keeping resolutions from ABC News website.

•Make only one or two New Years Resolutions.

•Choose resolutions that you’ve been thinking about for some time.

•Choose to adopt a new good behavior rather than try to shake an ingrained bad habit.

•Choose realistic goals that you feel confident you can meet.

•If you don’t succeed determine the barriers that blocked you and try again.

Reach Megan Engle at [email protected].