The problem with paternity tests

Take-tests offer serious consequences

  
     

Jacsy Gibb

inions editor

  

By Jacey Gibb
ecently, a company began
marketing a take home paternity
test that is accessible to the

general public for only $79.99. At first
this might seem like a great product,
bringing an end to the need to go on

Maury before finding out you are:

indeed NOT the father, but possible

repercussions of unleashing this item onto

‘society are being overlooked.

The sheer thought of having the option

to bypass the trust created by family

bonds is disturbing. Though same genes

are usually the basis of family relations,
adopted children don’t share this
characteristic with their adoptive parents.
Family isn’t something restricted
solely to blood ties, so why are take-home

paternity tests trying to make them? If a

father decides to not be there for a child

that biologically isn’t his, any meaningful
relationship that might have been would

never materialize. How many families
would’ve been negatively affected by
situations like this if a home paternity test
had existed say twenty years ago?

I suppose some people will argue that
it’s their right to know whether a child
is truly theirs or not. It would certainly
offer peace of mind to curious individuals
but what they do with the results would
affect the entire family, not just them. If _
you’re in a relationship where you’re not
completely confident in your partner’s
faithfulness, then that’s probably a big
enough warning sign on its own. Even if
the child ends up being yours, the betrayal
of trust you’ ve committed by needing a
test to prove it could prove detrimental to
any relationship.

My father has been hugely
supportive to me throughout my life and
I can’t imagine how I would’ve turned
out if for some reason he hadn’t been
there for me. Sure, these kinds of tests
have been-around for years and family
ties continue to exist, but if they become
offered on a larger scale, who knows what
consequences will come with them? This
is a paternity Pandora’s Box that I think
would be best kept unopened.

 

 

Haulin’ it to Holdom

Low-cost TransLink travel
By Sharon Miki

eople tend to look at me funny
P= I claim to be a world traveler,

as my farthest voyage in recent
years was that time I hitched a ride to
Langley to finagle free samples from the
Costco. However, the way I see it, the
world is—technically —all around us.
Take a walk down the street and voila!
You are traveling the world, in a way.

_ With this in mind, I recently
embarked on a voyage of student-budget
friendly travel. Destination: Holdom
SkyTrain Station. Why Holdom? In
a province renowned for its natural
treasures, cerulean waters and dewy
forests, it seems important to recognize
the value of the concrete masses that
transport British Columbians from the
suburbs to the city; Holdom Station,
indeed, is a concrete mass.

Located between Sperling-Burnaby
Lake and Brentwood Town Centre,
Holdom is one of the stations on the
Millennium Line. Depending on where
you are coming from in Metro Vancouver,
the maximum fare you'll pay to ride
the SkyTrain is five dollars (check the
TransLink website at www.translink.ca
for site-specific details).

Disembarking from the train, I take
a moment to enjoy the near-panoramic

view from atop the platform. Holdom’s
location imparts a fitting scene of several
integral elements of the city of Burnaby:
commerce (in the adjacent Ford car
dealership), homestead (condo’s galore!),
and humanity (the stop-and-go traffic
along the Lougheed Highway provides a
cathartic testament to the harried nature of
modern life).

Dining options around Holdom
Station are sparse but acceptable—
namely, there is a Starbucks and a
Sushimoto restaurant. Having arrived at
the station in the early morning mist, my
choice was limited to Starbucks. After
purchasing a few of the recommendations
of locals from the establishment (“Uh, -
coffee? Oat bars are good but really, uh,
fattening.”), I ventured onward for a non-
guided walking tour of the area.

The area immediately surrounding
the station is mostly comprised of newer
high-rise condominium buildings with’
commercial areas on the ground floors.
Further investigation revealed that several
of the storefronts housed methods of pain
relief, from eastern-wellness clinics to
chiropractor offices. Unfortunately, these
attractions were out of my budget.

Looking for a bit more excitement
on your trip? I found that the best place
to score is likely REVS Bowling and
Entertainment Centre, situated a three

minute walk along the
highway from Holdom.
At five bucks a game,
REVS offers low-cost,
family-style fun along
with more varied
dining options from the
in-house Striker’s Bar.
If I could, I would try
the Edamame Humus
for an exotic vacation-
style snack.

So, is it worth it
to make the journey
out to Holdom
SkyTrain Station? I
vote yes. With all of
the activities listed
here coming in at five
dollars or less, you

 

really can’t afford not
to. Really, there’s no
excuse not to steal Starbucks
yourself away from your books = few Locations throughout Metro Vancouver.
hours and a a Pe MerekerOn Tall Americano and Island Oat Bar
voyage, students! (Under $5)
If You Go: Revs Bowling
: ; 5502 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby
Holdom Skytrain 604) 299-9381
Southwest commer of Holdom Avenue and - ‘alll
Lougheed Highway, Burnaby

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