6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 EDITOR JULES KNOX lewpoints Interracial dating still a challenge e live in a society that portrays interracial relationships as a growing phenomenon. But for some Canadians, they’re still controversial. I’m a first-generation Canadian brought up by Indian parents who are heavily influenced by their traditional culture. Some people consider my parents liberal because they’ve lived in Canada for 30 years. But it has taken them a long time to become more accepting of other races. My parents came to this country for a better future, but they had to grow and adapt to Canadian rules. As the oldest of four children, I have been raised with more of an Indian influence than any of my siblings. As far back as I can remember, my parents told me that I needed to choose a partner who also has an Indian heritage. This is very different from how my siblings are being raised. My parents aren’t as strict with my younger brothers and sisters. Yet my sister has turned down potential boyfriends because of their race. She still feels that my parents will frown upon anybody who isn’t from our culture. There’s often a double standard between sons and daughters. My parents don’t care who my younger brother dates because he’s a boy. He'll carry the family name regard- less. Parents who are born and raised in Canada are usually more welcom- ing to interracial relationships. But parents who were born in India often still have a traditional mindset. Girls need to marry somebody decent or the whole family will be in shame. Of course, there are excep- tions. If a girl has found a wealthy partner, that’s a whole new story. Parents are far more accepting of potential future husbands who are rich. For reasons I cannot explain, perhaps through parental influence or maybe through actual attraction, I found somebody who also has Indian heritage. I consider myself lucky. Finding an Indo-Canadian that I’m compat- ible with makes life easier. OPINIO PUNEET DHAMI But people cannot help who they fall in love with. Sometimes it’s a matter of breaking barriers and confronting religions. I have many friends who simply don’t know how their parents will react to an interracial relationship until they tell them about it. They live in secrecy because they’re too scared to find out. It’s very rare for any of my friends to tell their family that they’re dating somebody from a different culture right away. Parents only learn about these relationships because the couple either gets caught or gets married. I’m certain that interracial relationships will be more accepted in future generations. But for now, it’s a slow progres- sion. Letter writing a dying art etter writing is like playing | ae records or knitting sweater vests. Some people might scoff at it, but it’s an impor- tant pastime that’s quickly being forgotten. The Regional Assembly of Text holds a monthly letter-writing event on the first Thursday of every month. Two rows of ancient type- writers await a crowd that is mostly women in their twenties. Men usually join the mix later. After picking up slips of grid paper or pink cardstock, people start typing letters to friends and pen pals. Typing ina fluid manner will jam the keys, so writers are forced to move ata slower pace. They choose better words and form tighter sentences. The typewriter is a different beast from the cellphone. According to a 2010 study by the Pew Research Center, a third of teenagers send more than 100 text messages per day. Nobody can feasibly write that many letters. Text messaging encourages super- ficial communication, increasing the frequency of small talk. It can be great when people are just getting to know each other, but it’s difficult to deepen friendships this way. People need more than witty one-liners to develop a stronger bond. Texting has its advantages. People can talk to more friends at the same time, and sending a quick message is a convenient way to keep in touch with friends. It’s also less time consuming. However, a well-penned letter proves to another person that they weren't just a quick thought that skimmed the frontal lobe. Letters that require time and effort mean more to a person than a bunch of short text messages. When was the last time you wrote a letter? OPINION: DEANNA CHENG 679% OF Reprbli cans a wae O biqage Sa Fe+y/ Really America” Ho You des fam a video aame? | pparenHy Faink That Video threat to America Than guns. ever (Anew how Someone ames Hostile media liaison needs a reality check Ihe drama never ends. T The Langara Students’ Union’s latest controversy revolves around Gurbax Leelh, the LSU’s media liaison. She refuses to speak to the media. It would appear as though somebody needs to explain the role of the media liaison to her. Leelh occasionally writes frosty emails in response to queries by The Voice, although these messages usually only say that she is no longer giving interviews. On more than one occasion, she has threatened to get lawyers involved. Any attempts to contact other board members are turned down. Several reporters and editors have pending requests with the LSU that have simply been ignored. Of course, Leelh is still getting paid her honorarium. Furthermore, Leelh was elected as a student representative to the committee that is searching for Langara’s next president. But she didn’t go to the meeting because she had a mid- term the next day. Surely the LSU could have elected a board member Sea, * " . \ OPINION JULES KNOX that was available to go to the meeting. It’s important that students’ interests are represented as the college looks for a new president. Media performs an important role in society. It keeps governments in check, and this is no different at the school level. But when The Voice is denied access to information, it’s difficult to fulfill this role. We want to hear from you Did we get a fact wrong? Tell us. Got a different point of view? Write to us. Problems with something we've said? Let us know. Journalism instructor Nicholas Read oversees The Voice. Email him at nread@langara.be.ca The Voice is published by Langara College's journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number. HOW TO REACH US PHONE 604-323-5396 FAX 604-323-5398 E-MAIL thevoice@langara.be.ca DROP-IN Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms. SNAIL MAIL The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. VSY 226 WEBSITE wwwilangaravoice.com EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Jules Knox PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Gillian Hames PAGE 2 Jennifer Thuncher PAGE 3 Judy Chem PAGE 4 Tanya Hill PAGE 5 Kevin Hampson PAGE 7 Michael Letendre PAGE 8 Sam Reynolds WEB EDITORS Steven Chua Bronwyn Scott Richard Hodges REPORTERS Jesse Adamson Sera Akdogan Brenna Brooks Ben Bulmer Deanna Cheng Patrick Colvin Jesica Cunningham Marie-Andree Del Cid Puneet Dhami Garin Fahlman Kristen Harpula Angela Holubowich Brian Horstead Kayla lsomura Warren Jané Jacqueline Langen Hailey McDonald James McLaughlin Kelci Nicodemus Niall Shannon Contact us: Online at langaravoice.com Twitter at @langaraVoice