To text or not to text your date Your phone communica- tion style can make or break your relationship By JOCELYN ASPA ing can be unnerving — from how long it takes to receive a text to fig- uring out the intended tone. Once in an established relationship, texting can enhance communication. One couple at Langara was able to transition from texting tension to SMS serenity. General arts student Heather Prost lives and goes to school with her boy- friend, Duncan Parizeau. Prost said she doesn’t worry about tone or how long they go in between communication, but they do text throughout the day. “Now that we’ve been dating for a while and live together, I don’t really mistake anything that he says,” said Prost. Dating and relationship expert Deanna Cobden agreed. “Texting if you're in a relationship can be really good, but if you’re not in a relationship it can be stressful. It creates a lot of anxiety, drama and reading into things, like why they’re not replying.” Prost said before becoming serious, it was easier to worry about response time or misinterpret messages. “You can’t really hear the tone of a person’s voice through their words,” she said. TEXTING tips DO send HE Positive messages HH Plan arrangements ME Jokes Be direct and normal DON'T send HM Emotional rants Te: during the early days of dat- Frequently — tex- ting with her boy- friend is convenient, according to Prost, because it allows them to figure out who needs to start dinner or if they have plans, but things like good or bad news shouldn’t be texted. “If something big happened, I would MI Serious issues want to tell him in Ml Every minute person,” said Prost. Don't overdo “lol” or “l!” “Day-to-day things like getting an A on an exam or a comment somebody made in class — I think that’s acceptable to say via text.” Registered psychologist Beverley Kort agreed that texting helps couples to stay in touch throughout the day, but texting also comes with a caveat. “Tt increases the need to report and self-reflect,” said Kort. “As if when you are not in constant touch, you are out of touch rather than living life.” There is also a plus side to texting. Using texts to make arrangements and send short affectionate messages are “positive things that will enhance your relationship,” Kort said. SHOUT OUT! Nominate a student to be featured weekly! We want to highlight Langara’s best and brightest: extraordinary athletes, entrepreneurs, humanitarians or creative geniuses! Submit your nominations to ebulman@langara.be.ca with the subject line “Shout Out” and your nominee’s name. a | j 1 | at SS Se. sae {S38 By ETHAN REYES angara Run Club members pre- paring for the Vancouver Sun Run hope to improve their running ex- perience, thanks to a wellness practice with roots in an Asian martial art. Despite resembling the average run- ner, ChiRunning practitioners employ techniques derived from tai chi. Chi- Running’s promotion of mindfulness helps runners become more aware of their bodies, thereby reducing injury. Last year, ChiRunning instructor Angela James hosted a workshop at Langara. A former Langara nursing student, James ran her first marathon in 1996 at age 40. Years later in Califor- nia, James discovered a ChiRunning book at the airport. In 2007, she took a workshop with Danny Dreyer, the dis- = el - a9 4 ETHAN REYES photo Vancouver offers numerous individual and group training options, programs and workshops for Vancouver running enthusiasts. Chi your way clear of injury Running technique promotes awareness and helps prevent injury cipline’s founder, and two years later she became the first certified senior level ChiRunning instructor in Vancou- ver. Among those attending last year’s workshop was current Langara Run Club president, Raquel Espinoza. According to Espinoza, the work- shop was very informative. Since then, she and other members have become much more in tune with their bodies — something that James says is crucial to remaining injury-free. “It was pretty surprising how many people weren’t running efficiently,” said Espinoza. As a health sciences student and president of a club with more than 100 members, avoiding injury is a priority for both her fellow runners and herself. Espinoza suffers from familial hy- percholesterolemia. The condition leads to high cholesterol, but can be managed by regular exercise, which hinges on Espinoza remaining unin- jured. “It would be really interesting to look into it and bring her back,” said Espinoza about James. Trailside Physio’s physical therapist Antonio Zenone said, “If ChiRunning has been proven by research to help prevent injury, I would for sure endorse it.” According to Zenone, the alignment aspect of ChiRunning is integral to physiotherapy. Espinoza, who has not suffered any injuries since James’ workshop, uses the skills she learned from James ev- ery time she laces up her running shoes. “When I start running I think about what I’m doing,” said Espinoza. “The workshop teaches you how to run.” RAQUEL ESPINOZA Langara Run Club president 66 Pretty surprising how many people weren't running efficiently Upcoming fair at Langara highlights healthy fare Langara student and certified chef will show students how to prepare easy and nutritious meals XIAO XU photo ILAN WRIGHT photos Left: Langara student Ilan Wright will lead a wellness fair at Langara next month. Right: Healthy eating options can be easy to make. By XIAO XU arch is nutrition month and Mice sciences student Ian Wright wants to help Langara get healthy. Wright has been a chef for ten years. The gap he noticed between people’s cooking and healthy eating habits mo- tivated him to establish a wellness fair at Langara. Several wellness workshops, includ- ing a cooking demonstration by Wright, will be held on March 11. Wright and his team will lead the fair on March 12. “Tll be teaching a cooking demon- stration or two, really getting people more engaged and learning how to cook fun, flavorful food that’s very easy and also not expensive,” said Wright. The wellness team includes Langara bachelors of business administration students Eyren Uggenti, Alexis Paquet, Keegan Wong, Timothy Lee and James Glassford. Wright has invited specialists such as dietitians and holistic coaches to share their knowledge at the event and he hopes the fair will “bring knowledge to the students, faculty and the whole community at Langara.” Wright said he really wants students to be involved and has asked some Lan- gara clubs to participate in the event. Langara Kendo Club, Langara Run Club, Oxfam Club and Power to Change club will all attend the event. Some off- campus groups and organizations such as Vancouver Coastal Health and Libra Nutrition will also set up a booth. According to nutrition and food ser- vice instructor Janet LePatourel, “Healthy eating comes down to spread- ing your intake out over the day — eat- ing within one to two hours of waking and every three to six hours after that during your waking hours.” For an easy way to know if food is healthy, LePatourel uses In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto author Mi- chael Pollan’s suggestion: “What your grandmother or great grandmother would recognize as food.” National Nutrition Month is an edu- cational campaign created by the Acad- emy of Nutrition and Dietetics to en- courage healthy eating and physical activity habits.