The beginning of a new year usually has people setting goals for the future and contemplating what it is they really want in life. Following in that tradition, and stemming from our desire to improve the UCSD community, the Guardian would like to offer this humble wish list for UCSD in 2003:

1. Beer gardens at UCSD events. We’re going to beat this dead horse until the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals calls and tells us to quit. With reliable carding and enough security, there will be fewer intoxicated minors at athletic events and Muirstock than there are in a residence hall suite on an average Thursday night.

2. More Unolympic-style events pitting the six colleges against each other. Basic social theory tells us that individuals develop group identity by competing with other groups. If UCSD really wants us to think of ourselves way deep down in our hearts as members of our colleges, then let the games begin. College mascots might also be in order; perhaps a Grateful Dead bear for John Muir College?

3. As an extension of that, UCSD is in dire need of a real, authentic rivalry. Triton Tide’s efforts to get students to road games is a step in the right direction, for only when we can egg a campus based purely on our love for UCSD can we really call ourselves an athletically competitive university. A corollary: UCSD needs a fight song and a marching band to play it, even if their only venue is Library Walk on a Monday morning. If we’re not going to get fired up about sports, let’s at least get excited for school.

4. Improvement in the colleges’ academic advising offices. Overall, the quality of service is there, but too often students think they’re ready to graduate and then are told they need one or two more classes. With the mainly friendly and competent staffs, it should be no problem to rise from “”good”” to “”excellent.””

5. A greater sense of connection between UCSD and the surrounding La Jolla/UTC community. Part of this needs to come from our end — freshmen, stop going home every weekend! — and part of this problem is their fault. For example, we’d like to see T.G.I. Fridays have student happy hours before finals week and special events after big games against our to-be-determined rivals.

And, finally, in decreasing order of likelihood, we wish for: an A.S. president who can beat Chancellor Robert Dynes in next year’s 5K, a 15-minute passing period, more alumni giving, world peace and more S-spots in West campus. Happy New Year, UCSD.