Thank You, Isla Vista

It is said that you never really appreciate something until it is gone. Many Isla Vista residents, especially the 2010 graduating class, spent the past weekend celebrating an era that is officially gone. So whether we owe a little nod of thanks, or whether we owe I.V. life for changing us completely, looking back I’d like to say, “Thanks, I.V. you’ve been good to me.”

Thank you to the Santa Barbara Independent readers. You spoke your minds, sharing your knowledge and opinions; that’s what it’s all about. I truly appreciate your comments, good, bad, or ugly. Thanks.

Thank you, Santa Barbara Independent, for giving me a fabulous opportunity and a forum to speak my mind and reveal the more obscure facets of Isla Vista. The individuals involved with this publication are genuinely hardworking, talented, and caring people. I wish everyone here the best of luck. Thank you.

Isla Vista, thank you for showing me what I will miss and what I can’t wait to leave behind. I appreciate feeling free and easy in a place of full expression and vibrant college culture. I think many of us have truly grown together and emerged as individuals in this town.

Thank you, I.V. for showing me that a clean house does not come easy. Without the constant noise, obnoxious trash, and mad social norms, I would not appreciate organization and normalcy in life. Without roommate drama, I would not truly understand peace at home.

Thank you, I.V., for allowing it to be socially acceptable to drink, jump on a trampoline, and ride our bikes home – in that order. Had the Isla Vista Cupid’s arrow not struck one fateful night, I might not have met my amazing boyfriend, who rescued me after I fell off my bike. When he found me lying on Del Playa, he carried me up to my home and bandaged my bruised and bleeding elbow. Thank you!

Go Gauchos! Our alma mater will always hold a special place in UCSB graduates’ hearts. Thank you to the many professors who have touched our lives and prepared us for the future. Laurence Rickels, who teaches comparative literature courses among others, is a personal example of a professor who touched my life. With his passionate, fanatical wisdom on a variety of literary topics, Rickels’s words and aura guided me to find my strengths and sincerely made it a joy to learn.

Thank you to all of the professors who dedicate their lives to opening our minds to foreign language. One French professor spent endless hours correcting and revising my frustrating French prepositions until she was blue in the face. Without her, I would have never mastered the French language. Merci beaucoup!

Many of us have met friends for life over the past four years. Thanks for lending an ear, guys. We have been there for each other through hell and high water. We have shared life changing moments, hysterical nights, and everything in between. You are extraordinary. Thank you, friends!

This graduation weekend, families came to support their loved ones. There is no price tag for the many smiling, proud faces at the graduation ceremony. I’d like to thank my family for endless emotional and financial support. Thank you for showing me the ropes before I arrived in I.V. Your guidance has been my conscience for the past four years. I love you and thank you.

So as Isla Vista vets wake up to find themselves anywhere but I.V., it is important to acknowledge what has gone, and to look ahead to what the future may bring. Thank you I.V., you have been good to me.