The Other Press - May 1995 are Normally the editorial in this issue of the Other Press would drone on and on about some fluff topic. You know the kind, the “Hooray! It's summer!” crap, “so let’s forget everything that we’ ve learned in the past four months, and head for the beach!” We know you've heard all that shit before, so we’re not going to repeat it. So what does the OP feel the need to discuss in this editorial? What's so damned important that we couldn't take a break from the oh-so-seri- ous business of putting together this rag, and write something FUN??!!?? Well, fiowz about hemp? It kinda fits that summer sort of feel... I mean, think of all summer-type things you'd be able to do if hemp were legal. If hemp were a legal cash crop, you’d be able to wear some cool hemp clothes to the beach or climb that mountain you’ ve had your eye on. With a hemp rope,even... Or maybe you could build yourself a little hemp house (or not, it'd be up to you...) Man, the possibilities are end- less! The issue of making cannabis (as a drug) legal is far more controver- sial, yet still worthy of some debate. But, that’s a topic for another issue, in another editorial. What we’ re talking about here is some simple com- mon sense stuff that could be implemented right away with noticeable benefits for-all. What we as a society have to do is get our heads out of the proverbial sand, and start looking at these kinds of issues with open minds. Just because a topic is controversial doesn’t mean you should run away from it. To the contrary, views and ideas should be expressed and shared. Our job as budding young journalists is to present you, the public, with the facts, and try to promote positive changes for the community. We sincerely hope that in this, and every issue of the Other Press that we have contributed something positive to you the reader, or at least made you think twice. Oh, and by the way, before we go... Have a great fucking summer, no matter what you do. 3 ape 7 this The Other Press is Douglas college’s autonomous student newspaper. (Which basically means that we are heavily-armed and have access to a bomb:Shelter.) We've been distributed to the students, staff, and faculty of Douglas: College since the Glory Days of 1976, We wanna do a lot of things, but the first and foremost of them is “put out a kickass paper.” The OP is a full member of Canadian University Press (for those in the don’t knowsthat’s a subversive social terrorist group, consisting ofa large box of sand, and four:84-year.old women named Claire). The OP is a lot.of things, but what we're not is racist, sexist, 0 yi anything € elsist. (Nofeven on Monday mornings, and sometimes that’s really tough’..) If you don’t feel that we’ re If you wanna help out wit' dis living up to these o orany other.expectations you may have (look, we're human, okay?) please jet us know. Of course, if we give you chills with our depth, breathtaking quality displays of jour- wr nalism, we'd appreciate lgpwing that too. We like you... come Visit, _ cooroin. advertising & accoun' ng - Marion Drakos editorial resource - Angela Chiotakos Subotnick produc on resource - Scott Simmer here publication, then - make yerself all useful-like, and head down to Hey, To the Collective, I am writing this letter in regards to the April 5th issue of the Other Press. Your attempt at addressing the issue of racism was irresponsible. I am not writ- ing the letter in defense of any pariticular minority group, but I do be- lieve that the headlines discredited the centrefold article which consisted of some very interesting insight into rac- ism. In light of recent conflicts between social groups within the college you went ahead and handled this subject with a very insensitive approach. Head- lines are intended to make your audi- ence want to read the paper, not to spread hatred and make sweeping gen- eralizations. Having racist graffitti on the walls of certain washrooms is not tolerable. When one of your staff mem- bers were confronted with dissatisfac- tion in regards to the graffitti, the indi- vidual responded by claiming that maybe now administration may finally be forced to paint the washroom walls. There are better ways of getting the ad- ministration to paint the washroom walls. Finally I'd encourage students to read the centrefold article before they pass judgement on the entire publica- tion because the headlines are, as usual misleading media techniques. f cant = a ¢ hey there youse kids... We, like, could really use your help, especially if you, like, can draw editorial cartoons ’n’ stuff...Room 20, Yours Sincerely, Mandeep Bhuller It's true that headlines are intended to make people want to read an article. That was entirely the OP's intent when we used those headlines. Also, it might be worthy to note that we didn't make'em up, we just printed direct quotes. Trent thanks you for your praise. To the Other Press I wanted to commend Trent Ernst and the OP, for the article on racism in Douglas. I find Trent to be a consist- ently thoughtful and insightful writer, with a keen intellectual slant. This arti- cle was an eye opener. To show the re- verse side of racism as liberal exclusion, was a bullseye shot with incredible deft- ness. It was a perspective I had never seen, or considered. Kudo to the cou- rageous and challenging layout of the article. What good is action that does not generate reaction. I noticed some- one was angry enough to pin this issue to the fourth floor bulletin board so that the cover was in plain view. Indigna- tion even, Bravo! The recent issues of The Other Press, particularly the body piercing and the current racism ish, have shown an adventurous and cohesive i = product and creative unit. You’ve got us, we’re reading with bated breath. Arlene Buchan To the Other Press, When you graduate, I don’t see you as a columnist for anything else except for the National Enquirer. If get- ting people to read your paper is all you are in it for, choose a sleazier profes- sion. An issue as fragile or destructive such as Racism should be handled by an individual who can support his ac- . cusations against the Indo-Canadians, . Whites or any other Culture effected by V this column. Simple graffiti that is . purely in a vandalistic form does not , support a huge existence of Racism in this Campus. Using such crude exam- ples from the selection that you had to , work with, you have stirred up emotions 4 that would otherwise never have arose. Sure racism exists to a certain de- gree. It exists everywhere in one form . or other. However, instead of demon- strating the positive aspect of how stu- dents of different cultures that go to this college work and interrelate to each other either in class, library or on the concourse, you focus your complete attention on isolated views. These views come from a few individuals. The key be net