Last Saturday, the Memorial Chapel filled close to capacity with students, faculty and alumni eagerly anticipating the opening of “Akapellafest,” a concert marking the 15th Anniversary of The Resolutions. Minutes after 8 p.m., two lines of singers in formal wear marched down the center aisles and onto the stage, forming a broad semi-circle of the group’s twenty-one coeds.

“I’m inviting you to join me on a Reso-journey through Reso-chronology, all the way from the past to the present,” senior President Max Michael, said at the start of the performance. Whispering “join me” dramatically into the microphone, Michael led the Resolutions into their first number, “Put a Little Love,” with a solo by sophomore Julia Baron.

To kick off each new song, various different “Resos” introduced an aspect of the group’s fifteen-year history to the audience. A slide show accompanied the often-amusing anecdotes of run-ins with the law while on tour and descriptions of the various “Reso-divas” of the past.

“In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth,” explained sophomore Jill Kinton to the audience. “In 1992, Marc Gironda, Marissa Bond and Jason Corrigan created The Resolutions, Colgate’s original co-ed a cappella group – a feat of comparable magnitude, if only slightly less well known.”

With lively, soulful performances, The Resolutions lived up to their place in that abridged history. One memorable number, “Cruisin’,” sung by sophomores Mike Goltzman and Caitlin Murphy, brought the two co-eds to the center for a smooth, mellow duet. First-year Jackie Kepping delivered “Show Me Love,” a ’90s pop tune, with incredible confidence and poise for her first “Akapellafest.”

Senior Musical Director Dane Hoyt, explained how he chose which songs to showcase for this year’s show.

“I chose the set list based on the idea that I wanted to show the development of the Resolutions through the songs we sing. The set list was in order of the years we began doing the songs, with the earliest songs first, and our newest songs last.”

Through the light-hearted atmosphere The Resolution’s generated on Saturday night, they translated the familial bond that they have built as a group.

“My experience as a Reso has been phenomenal so far,” says first-year member Teresa Daniele. “The group turned out to be something much more than I expected. I have this outlet to sing and perform with amazingly talented people, and as cheesy as it sounds, I inherited a wonderful family. This past weekend proves it.”

On the opposite end of the college experience, Hoyt reflected back on his years as a Reso.

“Since the day I was accepted into the group, I have considered my decision to join the Resolutions one of the three best decisions I have made in my entire life (no need to go into the other two). The Resolutions did not shape my Colgate experience–they made my Colgate experience. I cannot imagine what life would be like without these people, and without seeing them at least three times a week for rehearsals.”

The performances of “Akapellafest,” along with the intermediate historical segments provided through the slide show, allowed the character of the group to shine through.

“I thought it was very sweet that they paid tribute to the generations of Resos that came before them,” says first-year audience member Julia Quintanilla. “It definitely added to the quality of the show.”

The success of this year’s “Akapellafest” showed that at this fifteen-year crossroads, The Resolutions have come full circle. While their first record, In the Shower, was put together at the nearby Baptist Church, the new album, Off The Record, was recorded in full length on campus.

“To quote a 2001 Resolutions alumni,” said sophomore Lyle Morgan, “We have seen the future, and damn, it is bright.”