New Year's Resolution

New Year, New Perspective By Tiffany B. Quinn The correctly chosen New Years Resolution can lead to perspectives that you may have never considered.

"Why the glum look?" My best friend, actually one of my only friends, Jim asks as he plops down on the couch next to me in the student union.

Jim and I are college freshmen and share a dorm room on campus. We grew up together in a small town across the country and ended up as engineering majors at a very large and famous university. To continue work of a special year long project, we came back to campus early after a quick trip home for Christmas. The campus is pretty quiet waiting for most students to return for the next semester, however there are preparations going on for a New Years party in the ballroom down the hall.

I think that Jim and I are friends because we are both social outcasts and have only each other to rely on. It has always been that way. The two of us grew up in reasonably happy well-to-do families, but we are very non-descript, slightly overweight, nerds without much of a social life. We've only ever been fascinated by technology and are both really good at electronics. We spent our high school years building all sorts of electronic marvels, which landed both of us amazingly prestigious scholarships.

Regardless of how brilliant we are, it is easy to be anonymous in a student body of over 30,000. It is as if we don't exist. Many my Freshman courses last semester had over 300 students in them and we were just warm bodies in a sea of brilliant warm bodies. It will be the same in coming semester.

"I was thinking that I need to make a few changes in my life," I respond. "I saw a video about New Year's resolutions and how most people forget them within a week, but this year I am serious that I am going to do something about my fitness. I'll get a good haircut too. I want to become attractive enough to actually get a date this year."

"Get serious, dude," Jim laughs. "Kyle, you need to face reality. We are just a couple of invisible engineering nerds. Even the nerd girls in our program don't notice us unless they think that we have answers they need. If you actually want to get a girl to go out with you, you probably need more work on your personality than your fitness."

"I am serious dude," I definitively reply. "Tomorrow is New Year's Day and I am going for a run first thing in the morning."

"You'll be lucky to make it around the block," Jim dryly observes.

"Gotta start somewhere," I grin with more confidence than I feel.

"Hey guys, do you have plans for New Year's?" We look around behind us to see five very cute, and fit looking, coeds in tight jeans and colorful tops smiling at us. They are all brunettes with very long hair. Maybe my New Years goal will happen faster than I was hoping.

"What did you have in mind?" Jim leers at them. It's small wonder why girls run the other way when we try to talk to them. Jim is right, we need to work on our social graces.

One of the girls grimaces but quickly puts her smile back on.

The obvious leader of the group replies, "Our sorority is having a small New Year's gathering and could use a couple of handsome guys like you to join us."

I don't think that Jim noticed one of the girls do an eye roll. I'm pretty sure that we are being set up for something since no one has ever referred to us as 'handsome'.

Jim replies, continuing his leer, "We were thinking of crashing the student party down the hall, but are open to a better offer."

"Great," bubbles the leader with a satisfied smile, "I'm Kassie and these are my sorority sisters Karen, Kimberly, Kira, and Kristine." They have a think for 'K' names. I like that, being a K myself.

Handing us an invitation, she continues, "The address is on the invitation. Come at 11:00 PM and, if you can, wear black clothing. If not, then something dark. It doesn't need to be fancy; this is a casual gathering."

With that, they give us a little wave and walk off giggling together.

"What do you think?" I ask Jim.

He is mesmerized as he watches the rear ends of the cute girls wiggle their way down the hall.

"I'm in," is all he says still staring after the girls.

What a letch!

------<0>------

At 10:55 we are standing on the cold snow packed curb looking at an old Victorian house. It is in an older part of town about half a mile from the campus.

A sign on the front lawn declares this to be the Kappa Rho Nu sorority. Not being into the whole social club/Greek thing, the sign means nothing to either of us.

There is no sign of life.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I nervously ask.

Jim studies the invitation again under a streetlight. "It's the right sorority and the right address."

"Maybe we should bail," I suggest.

"Naw," Jim shrugs, "We've got nothing else going on. Look on the bright side, this will help you reach your New Years goal faster than you thought."

We notice three other guys walking our way, all dressed in black as we are. All of us have on black jeans or pants and black T-shirts from various rock bands, except for me. I am wearing a black button shirt that has been in the back of my closet for a long time.

"What's up?" Jim asks the other three as they join us.

One of the guys, who looks as if he could be a linebacker if he were in shape, shrugs, "Five cute girls invited us to a party." Looking us over, he observes, "looks like they invited you to."

As we visit for a few minutes, it becomes apparent that the five Ks had approached all five us in the student union this afternoon. The other three introduced themselves as George, Harvey, and Kevin. They are also freshmen, studying various scientific or technical subjects on academic scholarships. Like Jim and I, they are somewhat socially challenged.

As we are getting to know each other, an athletic statuesque brunette with snow white skin and what can only be described as a ebony goddess whose skin is as dark as her black dress step out on the porch. The five Ks file out behind them. They are all wearing short black dresses and heels. They are all gorgeous. There is nothing casual about their appearance, making all of us guys feel very underdressed for the occasion.

It is exactly 11:00 PM.

The leader greets us with a voice sweet and smooth as honey, "Thank you for coming gentlemen. Please come in, we are really looking forward to our time together as we enter the New Year."

As we enter the house, we are led to a large gathering room just off the entrance foyer. The room is lit with many candles creating a relaxing old world atmosphere. The center of the floor is covered by an exquisite oriental rug. Ranging around the room are several conversation seating groups, a couple of finely crafted sideboards with an array of finger foods on top, and a buffet with a punch bowl and glasses. There must be dry ice in the punch bowl as it is quietly bubbling and seems to generate a fog that flows over the side of the bowl. There are also canned drinks available. Soft classical music emanates from hidden speakers.

"Welcome to Kappa Rho Nu, my name is Cecilia," the apparent leader introduces herself, "I am this year's sorority President and with me is Caitlin, this year's Vice President and next year's President. You have already met Kassandra, Karen, Kimberly, Kira, and Kristine.

"We invited you here," she continues, "because each of you are interested in science and/or engineering and show promise of becoming leaders in your fields. Our sorority encourages women to excel in the technical science and engineering fields so we thought that it would be fun to mix with like minded men tonight."

I don't recall ever discussing my interests or educational plans with any of these women. In fact, I don't recall ever introducing myself either.

As if sensing my thoughts, Cecilia looks directly at me and smiles.

"Kyle," she addresses me, "you are a very bright electronics engineering major from the west coast. You did some amazing things during your high school years which landed you the full ride scholarship that brought you here. In your first semester here, you have started to establish yourself as a leader in your class.

Addressing the rest of guys in the room, "The same can be said of each of you young men. Every one of you earned a prestigious scholarship to our university because of your exceptional intellect and early accomplishments. Each of you are enrolled in challenging scientific or technical subjects and have been noticed by the sisters in our sorority.

"Just so you know," she continues "the same can be said of all the sisters of our little sorority. Every one of us is at, or near, the top of our challenging majors.

"You could say," she says with a smile, "that we are your main competitors for honors in our respective fields."

"Unfortunately," Cecilia sighs, "it is a problem that we geeks are socially challenged, so we thought it would be fun to spend an evening with likeminded male students and see if we can brush up on our social skills while making new friends. As we are all stuck here for the holiday, it seemed a good opportunity to have our own New Year's gathering. To add some structure to the evening, we'd like everyone here to write down one serious New Year's resolution on a piece of paper."

Each of the guys are handed a small piece of paper, which appears to be parchment, and a fine fountain pen like you see in old movies.

Caitlin picks up where Cecilia leaves off, "At midnight we'll have a little ceremony to ensure success in keeping your resolution. We warn you to think this through seriously as your desire WILL be fulfilled. Please take the rest of the hour to talk about this as you mingle and get to know each other. Help yourselves to the refreshments while you relax and enjoy yourselves."

With this introduction, the girls help us find refreshments and we break into several conversation groups which morph and reconfigure over the next half hour.

What I learn is that each of the girls are extremely bright. We all find out more about the hopes and dreams of everyone in the room. I also discovered that there are actually almost forty girls in the sorority, but the rest have not returned from the holiday break or are otherwise engaged. Many of the girls live in the House but there are a significant number who live under other arrangements. Two members actually married in the last year and were living nearby with their husbands. Most of the freshmen Pledges live in dorms and won't be moving into the house until their sophomore year after they are initiated into the sorority.

I also learn that three of my fellow invitees are still stuck in the 19th century. Harvey in particular, with Jim a close second, being in danger of being asked to leave. I noticed that the five Ks were particularly disgusted with a few misogynistic comments that slipped out from these two guys. George has enough sense to keep his mouth shut, but it was pretty obvious that he has sympathy for Harvey and Jim's views on the roles of women, which do not include women being involved in scientific or technical fields.

I keep away from discussing gender roles.

As we discuss what New Year's resolutions to write, most ideas revolve around doing things that will help us be successful students. Everyone in the room is a serious student, though each of us has at least one distracting weakness in our lives. It was pointed out by the more senior members of our group, Cecilia and Caitlin, that finding balance in life is also important. They suggested that we might want to consider resolutions that would help us find that balance. While our studies are very important, there are other components of life that add richness and should not be overlooked.

While the conversation flows around me, I think about where my life is going. I am feeling comfortable in my academics, having easily finished my first semester with all top marks. I feel that I can open more space in my life for non-academic pursuits, but what?

"What are you thinking?" Caitlin asks, making me start. I didn't realize that she was standing next to me. "You seem to be somewhere else."

Regaining my composure, I reply, "I was thinking on the balance idea. I am not sure where to go with it."

"Do any of us?" she asks rhetorically with a shrug.

"My mother tries to tell me that relationships are more important than formulas," I mention. "She tried setting me up with the daughter of her best friend when I was home for the Holiday. I've known Shelley all my life and, while we are close friends, things never really clicked for either of us in the way that our parents would like. We are more like best buddies. We share a lot with each other but there is no romantic spark there."

"Where is Shelley now?" Caitlin asks.

"She received a full scholarship to study Biochemistry at a big Midwest university," I say. "She plans on going into medicine."

Changing subjects, she asks, "What do you think of the views expressed by your buddies Jim and George?"

I give a small laugh, "They are idiots. They are prime examples of the socially maladjusted geeks that we all are to some degree."

"Do you agree with them about the roles women should play?" she asks with warning in her voice.

"Not at all," I quickly defend myself sensing some kind of social trap. "I have two older sisters that would kill me if I did, not to mention my mother the lawyer. My father would also be disappointed if I did. I don't think that gender has anything to do with academic fields or someone's participation in them. Unfortunately, the women in my life tell me, the only hindrances that women have spring from the misogynistic views of society and the policies that sometimes flow from those views. As you probably know better than me, women must fight for their place in the scientific and engineering disciplines. Doubly so for you being black. In fact, I admire women who are successful despite their unique challenges. I'm not sure that I could do the same."

"How would you like to find out?" Caitlin asks with a sly grin that sends a chill down my spine.

Before I can answer, Cecilia claps her hands to get everyone's attention.

"If you haven't written down your resolutions," she directs, "now would be the time. Please don't show it to anyone. Girls, the New Year will arrive in 20 minutes, so please help our guests prepare."

The guys are asked to work together to move furniture and roll up the rug and push it to the side of the room. Moving the rug reveals a very large circle with a pentagram of inlaid cherry wood in the old oak wood floor. As we move the rug aside the five Ks place three-foot-high candle stands at each point of the pentagram and light tall candles that are on the stands.

Just when I started to feel creepy, our hostesses don flowing black robes with cowl hoods that shield their faces. Kassie brings me a similar robe and asks me to put it on. The rest of the five Ks each choose a different guest and makes the same request.

"What's going on here?" George demands.

"Just a new way of celebrating the New Year," Cecilia seeks to calm him. "Please humor us."

The guys all look uncomfortable, but when I put my robe on, they follow suit, though reluctantly.

"This is interesting," I comment to no one in particular.

Kassie then stands beside me holding a goblet filled with whatever drink is bubbling in the punch bowl. The rest of the five Ks do the same with the guests that they have chosen.

"I need each couple to stand behind one of candle sticks placed at the points of the pentagram, facing the center of the circle, with the woman on the right," Cecilia directs.

Cecilia and Caitlin move to the center of the circle and stand back-to-back looking outward.

"Each of you are to place your folded resolutions into the dish on your candle stand." Cecilia directs.

"Each woman will now drink half the contents of their goblet," Caitlin says in an authoritative voice after we've placed our papers as directed.

Each of the five Ks do so and await the next direction.

"Each couple will now face each other, and the women will pass their goblets on to their companion," Cecilia says.

Kassie turned to face me and looks me in the eye. From the depths of her cowl, it would appear that her eyes are glowing.

I have this sudden urge to head for the door, but my feet don't respond.

Cecilia and Caitlin start chanting in another language as Kassie solemnly extends the goblet to me with both hands and quietly recites, "With this cup, I offer you the strength and will to make good on your resolution for the New Year. Drain this cup and you will receive what you need to keep your resolution."

Acting on their own, my hands reach out to accept the goblet.

I feel compelled to reply, "I accept this cup willing to be molded by the will of the keeper of balance in the universe as I attempt to keep my resolution."

I then drained the cup in one go. The drink is actually the best home brewed root beer I have ever tasted.

Kassie gently takes back the goblet and places it on the floor inside the circle in front of the candle stand. Looking around, I see the other Ks doing likewise.
Again, face to face, Kassie reaches out clasp my right forearm as a clock in the hall starts to slowly chime the midnight hour.

Cecilia and Caitlin continue chanting in the strange language.

Cecilia raises her hands and instructs us, "When the twelfth bell rings each couple will kiss, with right arms clasped, to start the New Year."

Looking to the ceiling, Cecilia chants: "O keeper of the universe, grant what these petitioners need to keep their resolutions!"

Caitlin adds, "Let it be so."

As the last bell chimes, Kassie pushes back her cowl with her free hand, as I push back mine, and she goes up on her toes to kiss me gently on the lips.

And things get really weird.

There is a brilliant flash of light from the bowl at each candle stand and I find myself floating in a bright cloud. Another young man is floating past me with a big grin on his face.

"Hey dude," he continues to grin as we float in opposite directions. "Don't fight it. It can be a lot of fun."

Just as suddenly, I am back in the room, pulling away from the kiss, but am looking UP at the guy who floated past me a moment ago. That's when I realize that I am now in Kassie's body and swoon.

When I come to, I am swaying on my feet, being supported by the guy I just kissed. I also hear crying and feminine shouting.

"Turn us back!" demanded one girl. I think that it is Kira. I don't know who she was before the change, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the current five Ks were guys just a few moments ago.

The five guys in the room are all grinning as they release their pretty partners. The girls are not very steady on their heels but get gentle support from the guys.

They are not the same five guys that were in the room before midnight.

Cecilia claps her hands and Caitlin gives a piercing whistle to get everyone's attention.

"Boys," Cecilia addresses the males in the room, "Will you please help us put the rug and furniture back where they go, then, ladies, we will explain what just happened."

"Be careful with the candle stands," Caitlin warns, "don't spill the ash on the floor."

Looking at the candle stands; I notice that the resolution papers are now ash.

"Dude," one boy says to another as they unroll the rug and put it back over the pentagram, "it feels great to have some strength back."

"It does," the other agreed as they rearrange the couches and chairs.

"I will miss seeing Kimberly's pretty face in the mirror each morning," another sighed.

"I will miss the freedom to dress as I please," another agrees, "but I won't miss the periods."

All five guys chuckle in agreement.

As I start to get my bearings, I realize the I am now one of the girls in a short black dress and heels. The feeling is very strange, but oddly right. I absently tuck a stray lock of long hair behind an ear and notice that I am wearing chandelier earrings that brush against my neck as I turn my head. It is a new, but oddly familiar, feeling.

The furniture is quickly arranged in a broad semi-circle, with Cecilia and Caitlin at the focus. The five guys all take seats to one side, smiling and joking together.

The new five Ks are sprawled on seats on the other half of the semi-circle taking stock of their situation and looking pretty confused and glum.

"Ladies," Caitlin addresses us, "You should keep your knees together or cross your legs when sitting while wearing a short dress."

"This is crap!", the new Karen huffs. "Turn us back. I don't want to be a chick."

"Why is that?" challenges one of the new boys. "Is being a chick make you substandard or something?"

"I want my life back," Karen shouts, "I want my place in school back. I like my major, but its no place for a girl."

"I wouldn't say that too loud around here," grins another of the boys.

"Enough!" warns Caitlin.

"It is time to orient our new members," Cecilia solemnly announces.

"Kassie, Karen, Kimberly, Kira, and Kristine," Cecilia continues, "and you know who you are, are the most recent inductees into Kappa Rho Nu.

"The sorority was established in 1920 when women got the right to vote in the United States. In 1920, society as a whole considered women to be even more inferior to men than they do now. It was almost impossible for women to establish themselves in any profession, especially the scientific and engineering professions. In the 1970s, women started to assert themselves in these fields, but even now, they push up against a slowing fracturing glass ceiling. The purpose of the sorority is to provide support for women who want to be accepted on merit within the scientific and engineering communities."

"What's this got to do with turning us into girls," interrupts Kristine.

"Patience," admonishes Caitlin.

Cecilia continues, "One of the problems with being accepted is the view of the leading males in the professions towards women. In the 1980s, the sorority was about wondering ways to change the attitudes of those men in leadership positions. One of our leaders at the time practiced Wicca and, after several years of argument, convinced the sorority leaders to engage in a program to help future male leaders of our professions to see women as equals by helping them view life from a feminine perspective. Basically, the program lets male future leaders literally walk in our shoes for a year to gain an appreciation for the unique challenges that women face. With this in mind, five freshmen men from our campus were transformed into Kassie, Karen, Kimberly, Kira, and Kristine for a year. At the end of the year, they revert back to their original selves and five more freshmen men are chosen to fill their places. The program has been extended to all chapters of the sorority across the country.

"You five were chosen because of your potential to be leaders in your fields. Once you appreciate women's challenges, you will be able to help remove the barriers to women in your professions."

"How's that working out for you?" the new Karen asks sarcastically.

"It is slow going," Cecilia admits. "Five out of each class is a pretty small number, however many of those men who have been through this process have risen to become influential leaders in their fields and have helped to make change happen. We hope that you five will someday do the same."

"What if we don't want to go along with your plan?" challenged Kimberly.

The former Kimberly speaks up, "I was pretty mad when they changed me, but once I resigned myself to the year, I started to see the challenges more clearly. I think that I've become somewhat of a feminist after the treatment I have received from my professors and fellow students. Many cannot imagine that a very attractive young girl can hold her own in the discipline."

"You proved them wrong," grinned the former Karen. "Your New Year's resolution to give up computer games and double down on your studies really paid off with a perfect GPA."

"We all did," points out the former Kristine.

"So, how is this going to work?" the new Kira asks. "What do we tell our family and friends?"

"This is a powerful spell," Cecilia informs us. "There has been a shift in reality. Everyone outside this room has only known you as you are now. The five of you who spent the last year with us will slip back into your former male lives as if nothing happened. You will still have the grades that you earned over the last year, but everyone will remember you as the guy you are now and remember your experiences from the past year as if you were male at the time. You, however, will always remember your experiences as you had them as a female.

"As for you new coeds," she continued, "everyone that you have ever encountered will only remember you as the girls you are now. Your records will also reflect that. You will find that your past experiences have been cast as if they were done by the female you and not the male you. Your family and friends will also only know you as the girls you are now. You will also find that you have the basic feminine skills that every young woman your age has. Just relax and they will come to you when you need them. The female bodies that you now possess have been recalibrated to be your actual age with your same birth date. You are fortunate that you also inherit the wardrobe and possessions that belong to your new body and have rooms here in the house."

"You can update your wardrobe any way you like," Caitlin adds.

"Next year," Cecilia continues, "You ladies will seek out your replacements and the ceremony will be repeated, returning you to your own life."

The next hour is spent talking about the experiences of the five returning males. All of them admitted to a variety of negative feelings after being railroaded into this project, however to a man, they are now grateful for the insights they obtained. All even said that it had often been lots of fun in ways very different from what men experience. One of them told us that, while he had initially resisted the change, he now wishes that he could have stayed a young woman.

After the boys say their farewells and leave, the new five Ks adjourned to my small upstairs room to chat. We all know where our rooms are without being told. Kira/Harvey, Karen/Jim, and Kimberly/George were particularly unhappy but are resigned to their fate after having spent a fair amount of useless time trying to talk Cecilia and Caitlin into reversing the spell.

Kevin/Kristine and I/Kassie seem much less bothered than the other three.

Eventually, each of the girls go to find their own room. After they leave, I prepare for bed without really thinking about it. I go through the evening routine of removing and storing the delicate feminine attire that I had on, removing my jewelry, taking off my makeup, and slipping into a flannel nightgown as if I had been doing it all my life.

Exploring my room, I find that I actually know everything in it. I also find a family photo with the female me in a frame on my vanity. I also have a picture of my best friend Shelley and the girl me hugging at our High School graduation in our graduation gowns.

As I prepare for bed, I reflect on what I had written for my New Year's resolution.

I will strive to find balance in my life by looking for new social experiences.

Well, I think to myself as I look at the very beautiful girl staring back at me from the vanity mirror, this should be easy!