If we had but one wish for the new year, we would wish for everyone in Isla Vista to help his or her neighbor and to live a life free of fear.

If we had a second wish, it would be for the UCSB men’s basketball team to build on last year’s success.

With a third wish, we would wish the new city of Goleta the best of luck.

That necessitates a fourth wish: We hope Goletans find enough money under their collective couch cushions to buy the winning lottery ticket they’ll so surely need to stay financially solvent.

Fifth, we wish that in these trying times freedom endures for all Americans as – Attorney General John Ashcroft please note – there are nine other amendments in the Bill of Rights besides the second one.

Oh and sixth, we wish that the nation’s professional funny folk would exercise their First Amendment right and mock our leaders now when they need it more than ever. “Daily Show,” please come back to us.

Here’s a seventh wish: A senate investigation into the Enron Corporation. One of the energy companies that bled California’s electrical grid dry, Enron indulged in creative accounting and also happened to be the biggest contributor to our suddenly respected president’s campaign coffers.

For Isla Vista, here’s an eighth: The dark forces animating the recall campaign against 3rd District Supervisor Gail Marshall need to be exorcised. Candles, incense, holy water, goat blood – we don’t care. The recall is, at best, going to waste a lot of money and time. At worst, it’s going to tilt the balance of power on the board of supervisors to North County developers, which Isla Vista and the environment can’t afford.

Wish nine: We love the street repaving. Who ever thought they would see Del Playa Drive all shiny and smooth? Now, about all those other streets …

Tenth: the Broida Expressway. The proposed bikepath from Davidson Library to Engineering I has suffered in committee for longer than most students have been here.

Eleventh: We’d beseech the powers that be not to charge students for parking at night. Women driving to the library late at night shouldn’t have to pay for safety.

And lastly, in this time of hope, we wish that the goldbrickers in student government would give back their pay if they do nothing once again.