Combined pitch email - June 6

Hello everyone!

It’s a full week for pitches: we’ve got something for everybody!

If a topic catches your eye, have a go at writing an article! If you want to take any of these pitches, or have a pitch of your own, message the line editor of that section (through email or The Gateway's Slack), and they'll set you up to write the article.

Enjoy the sunny weather!

Olivia O’Neill

News Pitches

You can reach Lily at [email protected] or over Slack!

New testing method offers better diagnosis and treatment for the most severe form of male infertility: Lab uncovers unique protein biomarkers that indicate whether surgery will work, offering non-invasive diagnosis in couples’ hope of becoming parents

Research reveals clues to why immune cells seem to cause brain damage: Discovery could point to new ways to protect the brain from diseases like MS and Alzheimer’s.

Different methods of giving patients a drug to prevent stroke complications lead to ‘massive variation’ in outcomes: Standardizing the treatment for survivors of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage could help ensure all have an equal chance to benefit, says researcher.

Celebrating the graduating class of 2023 — you can choose one graduate to interview and write about:

Robel Ng’ong’a, who is graduating with a bachelor of management and a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship from the U of A’s Augustana Campus, serves as Augustana Students Association President in 2021-22. Born and raised in Kenya, Ng’ong’a spearheaded a zero-cost textbook initiative, which has saved students $331,000; created policies to grow the Food Pantry; and rose to the occasion during the pandemic, managing to procure free masks for students and organize safe social gatherings online and in person.

Casey Caines, an Indigenous law student, has secured a Supreme Court of Canada clerkship with Justice Michelle O'Bonsawin who is notable as the first Indigenous person to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada. Caines noted on Twitter: "My grandmother was unable to vote until my father was 20 years old. Now, here I am one generation later clerking at the #SCC for an Indigenous Justice. It is an almost unimaginable dream. But here we are."

Samantha Gardner, who is graduating from the Alberta School of Business with a leadership certificate from the U of A’s Peter Lougheed Leadership College, is the co-founder and co-chair of the women in leadership club, 2022 HSBC Woman Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year and co-founder of Sunshine Connected, which pairs university students with older counterparts so both can learn from each other.

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Emma Kasinyabo — a bachelor of science graduate from the U of A’s immunology and infection program — never got used to the numerous infectious diseases that burden that country. When she came to U of A, she hit the ground running, volunteering year-round in infectious disease labs, leading tours for grade-school children, and helping out with Alberta’s cerebral palsy associations.

Stewart Holmes, a grandfather who is graduating with a bachelor of arts, came to the U of A after a 40-year career in accounting. He is proof that it is never too late to be enriched by a university education.

Opinion Pitches

You can reach Olivia at [email protected] or over Slack!

All eyes on Premier Smith’s cabinet. Re-elected UCP Premier Danielle Smith will soon be assembling her cabinet: a group of ministers in charge of specific areas of government and policy such as infrastructure, environment, affordability, and public safety. While the UCP did win the provincial election with a majority government, six ridings represented by cabinet ministers were lost by the party. One of the most important cabinet positions for students is the Minister of Advanced Education, a position currently held by Demetrios Nicolaides, who was re-elected as the MLA of the Calgary-Bow riding. Take this pitch and write about who you think should fill Smith’s cabinet. What do students need from the Minister of Advanced Education? Should Nicolaides be re-appointed to the position?

Has the Stanley Cup become an American trophy? It’s been 30 years since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup, with the Montréal Canadiens taking it home in 1993. The finalists in this year’s playoffs are two American teams: the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. Since hockey is Canada’s national sport, write about how the lack of Canadian winners impacts Canadian hockey fans, or the world’s perception of Canada’s hockey chops.

Re-elected UCP government puts Alberta’ relationship with Ottawa into question. The United Conservative Party (UCP) was re-elected in the recent provincial election, winning 52.6 per cent of the vote. Premier Danielle Smith has not been shy about the fact that she is skeptical of the federal government, and that the likelihood of her collaborating with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are slim. Take this pitch, and talk about how Alberta’s relationship with the federal government will be impacted by the result of the recent provincial election!

NDP wins student vote. CIVIX, a non-partisan charity dedicated to improving the civic skills of young Canadians, conducted a student vote ahead of the recent provincial election. Over 170,000 students participated, and the New Democratic Party (NDP) won with 42.1 per cent of the popular vote. Knowing how the actual election turned out, write a piece about what this could mean for Alberta’s future, if these students keep voting.

Burlap sack: sparse performances in Western Canada. In light of Luke Combs’ recent performance at Commonwealth Stadium — one of only two performances he gave in all of Western Canada — write about the frequent lack of prominent performances in this half of the country. There’s nothing worse than your favourite artists announcing a Canadian leg of their tour, only to visit Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver and then leave. Air your grievances in a scathing burlap sack article!

A&C Pitches

You can reach Katie at [email protected] or over Slack!

Exhibit Review: Growing Pains, VASA Exhibition

dc3 art projects, until June 16

The Visual Arts Students' Association from the University of Alberta is showcasing some previously exhibited and new work at dc3 art projects. This show displays the artists' reflections on their creative growth and is the first exhibition of VASA outside of the U of A community.

Event Coverage: Fruit Loop Pride’s Downtown Drag Lunchhour Quickie

Michael Phair Park, June 9 and 16, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

In celebration of Pride Month, the Fruit Loop Society of Alberta and Party Queens are hosting a free Drag show downtown. The first performance will be hosted by Venus and Gemma Nye, and the second will be hosted by Stretcher Hymen featuring the talents of many other performers.

Event Coverage: Sustainival Edmonton

Fan Park, ICE District, June 8 to 11

This unique festival is free to enter and includes community booths, educational activities, and games. Tickets can be purchased on the event website for rides running on completely renewable energy. Visitors will also have the opportunity to play the Green Beast Eco-Challenge for the chance to win prizes and learn about the environment.

Event Coverage: Nextfest 2023

The Roxy Theatre, until June 11

Nextfest is an annual showcase of our community of emerging artists right here in Edmonton! Featuring over 50 events and 500 emerging artists in a variety of disciplines, this inclusive festival encourages young creatives and entertains audiences. Pick any event, or several, being held at Nextfest 2023 to cover!

Interview Opportunity: Destroy Boys

Destroy Boys, a punk rock band started in 2015 by Sacramento teens Alexia Roditis and Violet Madyugba, are supporting Blink 182 on June 29 at Roger’s Place. The band is known for their debut album, Sorry Mom, as well as their newer records, Make Room and Open Mouth, Open Heart. Reach out if you are interested in conducting an interview with Rodriguez and I will connect you over email!

Interview Opportunity: Adrian Murray, writer and director of RETROGRADE

The Canadian film RETROGRADE, in which a minor traffic citation spirals into an all-consuming obsession for a neurotic young woman, is coming to The Metro on June 16th and 20th. Written and directed by Adrian Murray and starring Molly Reisman, RETROGRADE had its world premiere at Slamdance Film Festival, gaining an honourable mention in the Breakout Features Award category. Reach out if you are interested in conducting an interview with Murray, and I will connect you over email!

Columns:

Exploring Edmonton: Do you know any cool places around Edmonton that people should visit? Any fun spots that you think students should check out over the summer? Showcase one of the coolest locations in our city with this column!

Top 5: Concerts — As we head into the summer, plenty of awesome musical acts will be coming to town. List the best concerts you have ever been to, local or top-charting artists, and share what made them so special!