his week our feature article tackles the hardships that come with a long- distance relationship, and a few key tips for making it work when it feels like there is—or if there actually is—a continent between the two of you. Not to spoil too much from the feature (you can find it in our centre- spread, accompanied by a wonderful, hand-drawn illustration by our very own Cara Seccafien) but the writer Duncan, spent seven years (!!!) in a long-distance relationship with his partner before finally closing that Vancouver to Florida gap. To that I say “congratulations” ... also, “gad damn.” I’m no stranger to planned phone conversations and the importance and Rm 1020 — 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2 & 604.525.3542 Chandler Walter Editor-in-Chief M editor@theotherpress.ca Jake Wray News Editor M news@theotherpress.ca Davie Wong Sports Editor M sports@theotherpress.ca Jessica Berget Opinions Editor M opinions@theotherpress.ca Mercedes Deutscher Social Media Coordinator @theotherpress of Snapchat. For roughly a year my current girlfriend/roommate and I were separated by the Pacific Ocean—or, more specifically, the small portion of the Pacific that sits between Vancouver and Victoria. *One shameful Google search later* It’s called the Strait of Georgia. So yeah, we were only 4.25 hours (depending on traffic and making that damn ferry) away from each other, but it still felt like a lot. I’ve never been one to shy away from impulse, or allow myself to linger in a situation I felt I could improve through action. Normally I would have just packed up my bags, thrown a sleeping bag into the back of my truck, and taken off to Victoria to spend some time with @ theotherpress.ca M editor@theotherpress.ca ¥ © /theotherpress f/DouglasOtherPress Rebecca Peterson Assistant Editor Massistant@theotherpress.ca Caroline Ho Arts Editor M arts@theotherpress.ca Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Klara Woldenga Humour Editor WM humour@theotherpress.ca Kwiigay liwans Layout Manager © layout@theotherpress.ca the Mrs.—everything else be damned. But then I started going to college, and she was finishing up her degree, and another handful of reasons came up as to why we should just get through the long- distance stuff now so we can live together later. Two semesters, half a summer, and countless ferry rides later, and we've managed to close that distance, just as ****TTUGE SPOILER WARNINGS**** Duncan and his girlfriend did with their (much longer) time apart. It really does go to show that if you can do it, it’s worth it. Three years ago | would have scoffed at the notion of dating someone that you can only see through a screen or who might be in a different time zone, but now it really does make sense. If it’s right, it’s right, and there’s always ways to make it work—whether that means scheduling vacations to Florida, or braving the deep dark waves of the Pacific Ocean—Strait of Georgia—because a good long-distance relationship usually becomes a great no- distance relationship. Unless you're being cat-fished, of course, then there’s really not much you can do. Cheers, Che. he Wal Chandler Walter Angela Ho Business Manager Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager Elizabeth Jacob Production Assistant Cara Seccafien Ilustrator Colten Kamlade Staff Reporter Greg Waldock, Jillian McMullen, and Katie Czenczek Staff Writers Analyn Cuarto Staff Photographer Jerrison Oracion Senior Colomnist Lauren Kelly Colomnist Braeden Mandrusiak,Ed Appleby, Cazzy Lewchuk, Duncan Fingarson, Sameer Siddiqui, Joshua Toevs, Duncan Fingarson Contributors v The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We are a registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus. The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada. The Other Press reserves the right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners.