To be honest, IB次元官网网址檓 not even sure how it happened. I donB次元官网网址檛 remember noticing, but somewhere along the line, 2024 faded away and a brand-new year rose up over the horizon to greet us. 

Now, I havenB次元官网网址檛 had very many new years, and this is maybe the fifth one where IB次元官网网址檝e stayed awake the whole way through. But in the spirit of new things, I figure itB次元官网网址檚 a good idea to look out to the year ahead. I ask myself: what do I want for this new year? What are my New Year's wishes? 

For the world, my wish is a hopeful one. Perhaps a naive one. I hope that this year, despite all the divisive rhetoric, the war, the anger B次元官网网址� despite all of that B次元官网网址� that people come together and find common ground in the face of disaster. 

Climate-wise, our planet isnB次元官网网址檛 getting any colder, as evidenced by the horrifying fires in Los Angeles. It seems like climate change is going to be our generationB次元官网网址檚 defining struggle, and itB次元官网网址檚 something thatB次元官网网址檚 going to take the whole world to fix.

And you know what? I may be a hopeless optimist, but I think we can do it. I believe enough people can work together to save the world. But it has to be our generation taking charge. We have the most to lose, and the most to gain from a better, cleaner world. 

For Canada, I wish unity for us all. Being a Canadian, though merely an accident of birth, is something IB次元官网网址檝e always been very proud of. These may be divisive times for our country, but we will get through them. 

We have many challenges, such as the climate crisis, the health-care system, and the incoming American presidentB次元官网网址檚 strange threats against our sovereignty. But we will face them together, as Canadians always have. This next generation of Canadians, myself included, will revitalize this country and steer it towards happier times. 

My wish for parents this year? Good God, I really hope your kids leave B次元官网网址渂rainrot,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渟kibidiB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渟igmaB次元官网网址� back in 2024. I go to high school. I know what itB次元官网网址檚 like to hear those words every day, but to hear them in your own home? From your own children? I canB次元官网网址檛 imagine your struggle. HereB次元官网网址檚 to making internet-speak a thing of the past, and talking like people again. WouldnB次元官网网址檛 that be totally tubular? 

And finally, my wish for the youth of the West Shore (and beyond). So many of us are struggling with our mental, physical, and emotional health. ItB次元官网网址檚 a turbulent, difficult, and sometimes exhausting world to be growing up in. I canB次元官网网址檛 blame anyone for feeling pretty disillusioned right now. Sometimes it feels like the best thing to do is just to push it all away and disconnect. But thatB次元官网网址檚 no way to go into a new year! My wish for young people this year is peace. I hope that amidst all the turmoil, you find some calm, love, and contentment to guide you through. 

Everyone wants the same things for the new year when it all comes down to it. A stable home, supportive family and friends, and giant marshmallows shaped like BatmanB次元官网网址� No? Well, maybe that last one is just me. Regardless, we all have the same basic wishes for the new year. HereB次元官网网址檚 to you, and I hope this new year brings health, happiness, and a better world for all of us. 

Gabriel Mackintosh is a student at Royal Bay Secondary School.