Some students think that interracial dating is outright impossible. Last night, five student panelists argued for and against the issue at CheckOne's annual Interracial Dating Forum. About 75 students attended the event at Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. CheckOne Treasurer Rachael Palmer, a College sophomore, said that she tried to ideologically diversify the five-person panel. "Its really important that people discuss this," Palmer said. "A lot of people take sides without knowing issues of the other side." CheckOne President and College junior Tasnim Beg pointed out that at least two panelists had concerns with interracial dating. Beg said the forum has been held for at least four years, adding that CheckOne was founded almost a decade ago. Some panelists were quite candid with their views. "There are some people who are comfortable [with interracial dating] and there are some who are not comfortable and I am one who is comfortable," said College sophomore Iman Martin, a panelist at the forum and co-chairwoman of the United Minorities Council, an umbrella organization that includes CheckOne. Legal Studies Professor Leigh Bauer said he and his wife decided to sit in on the panel partly because of their own experience with their interracial marriage, noting that he was there for the participants as well. "I have a number of students in this group," Bauer said. But he said that the panel's title was misnamed. "I thinks its unfortunate that its called interracial," Bauer said. "It should be called multicultural." College senior and panelist Wayman Newton said he believes interracial dating is difficult. "It you want to do it, you can do it, but I'm against it," Newton said, adding that his ideal mate is an African-American female. He said growing up in Alabama and coming to Penn has shown him that interracial dating is unusual everywhere in the United States. Panelist Nisha Singh, a College and Engineering sophomore, said that interracial marriage is not practical. "I want to raise my children in a certain environment," Singh said, noting that interracial couples cannot pass two entire cultures to their children. "One person has to compromise." But not everyone agreed. "I think if two people are in love it's a beautiful thing," panelist and College senior Jeff Camarillo said. Interracial relationships can be "positive, healthy and happy." Panelist and College senior Randy Quezada said he believes dating is a completely personal decision. "I don't think the issue is one where you can be for or against," said Quezada, who is also the spokesman of the Latino Coalition. Wharton junior Jessica Mills said she thought the event was successful in that "both sides [were] open about their views."
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