Happy 2007, everyone! 2007, wow, it feels weird to type that, let alone mentally process it. Year of 007. Speaking of which, I saw "Casino Royale" over break. If this is the year of Daniel Craig, it promises to be a very sexy year. One of the big events over break, besides that lame family holiday, Christmas, is New Year's Eve. It seems to me that New Year's Eve plans are always made into a big deal, and I can't figure out why. But when the end of December comes around, you hear conversations like this:
"So ... what are you doing for New Year's?"
"I'm going to a fancy-pants hotel party, holler!" or "I'm staying home and watching the ball drop with my parents ... yup," to which the person replies, "Nice!" or "Lame ...," respectively. One of my friends was in Thailand for New Year's Eve hanging out with wild monkeys, which I think trumps an open bar hands down.
Unfortunately, I still have five months and four days until I turn 21, so I couldn't go out on the town and mingle with awkward federal employees in D.C. And maybe it's just personal insecurity with my own coolness, but I could not bear to stay home with my parents, though I was tempted by the six-hour "Seinfeld" marathon.
It seems like everyone has to outdo each other for New Year's Eve plans -- except those crazy people who stand in Times Square. They are at the bottom of the New Year's Eve Cool Kids list. And, of course, the New Year's kiss after midnight is made out (no pun intended) to be heavily important, which only encourages people drunkenly making out with strangers and unwanted kiss attacks. What better way to start off the New Year than toasting with cheap champagne, throwing streamers and blowing those obnoxious noisemakers with Dick Clark or, even worse, Carson Daly? And everyone yells the countdown and watches the luminescent sphere of electric light descend from the heavens. And what's up with resolutions? I decided one of my resolutions this year was to write better. But I don't even know what that means. And I'm not exactly sure this column is fulfilling my goal. But I digress.
I just realized I'm kind of ranting about New Year's Eve, but don't get me wrong -- I love a good party, and had a great time this year with some high school friends and random people I didn't know.
But why are New Year's plans so important? Maybe it's just me, but why is where you are and what you're doing on New Year's Eve unlike any other new day when you have the opportunity to renew or change? And then, in a Carrie Bradshaw-esque moment, I wondered: Do people make such a big deal about New Year's Eve because they are celebrating the end of the past and the bright beginnings of the future? Or are we all just chugging champagne together in a sad attempt at group therapy and hoping this year will fulfill us? Have I been watching too many "Sex and the City" reruns to avoid starting internship applications? The answer to any of these questions is uncertain.
Speaking of renewal, change and personal improvement, one of my Christmas presents this year was a facial. I guess this means I should take a hint from Santa that my skin was looking a little shady. Among other things, my facial involved the spreading of glycolic acid -- yes, acid -- all over my face ... except near the eyes, because it could burn them. And not to be a whiny baby complaining about facials, but it was really painful. The way I see it is, if my sense of self isn't renewed, at least my pores will be. What rocks for us college-goers is that we have two chances a year to renew ourselves mentally and academically, change our classes and how we spend our free time. And second semester is way better than first semester in my opinion, but maybe that's just because I'm already excited for flowers and Foxfield. So, my message is a mixture of optimism and cynicism, and maybe my resolution should be to write columns with less mixed messages. But I think the big deal about New Year's Eve is the anticipation that there is definite possibility for change, and a little (or a lot) of champagne never hurts either (well, sometimes). So Happy New Year, happy new semester and cheers to 2007!
Mary's column runs bi-weekly on Wednesdays. She can be reached at mbaroch@cavalierdaily.com.
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