Combined pitch email - May 30

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the late email! We have many pitches for you to take a look at this week. If something 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!

Cheers,

Katie O’Connor

News Pitches

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

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.

New program seeks to help make Canada a more inclusive place for immigrants: Bridging Divides harnesses wide-ranging expertise from across the country to better understand and address a complex issue.

Researchers draw on Indigenous knowledge to engineer solutions for water security: As a student of civil and environmental engineering, Emily Quecke says the challenge of water security became a driving force in her education.

Opinion Pitches

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

Should students still be expected to take diploma exams? Albertan high school students affected by wildfire evacuations will be automatically exempt from their upcoming diploma exams. While this is understandable in the face of dire circumstances, it does bring into question whether or not diploma exams are as important as Albertans once thought they were. Over the past three years, diploma exams have been cancelled, made optional, or had their grading weight slashed by a third. With this in mind, write about whether or not diplomas are a necessary part of education in Alberta. Are diplomas a helpful indicator of a student’s overall learning? Or, are they simply kept around for tradition’s sake?

Albertans left waiting for election results. Electric tabulators were used to count votes for the first time, with the goal that they would speed up the counting process. Yet, folks across the province were frustrated on election night, as nearly 70,000 advance votes were not counted by 12:30 a.m.. Take this pitch and write about the tabulation process: should votes be hand counted? Or, are the tabulators a useful step forward, even if they are flawed?

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.

A&C Pitches

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

Live Performance Review: All Was Lost, Before I Fall, Repulse Reprise, Pridelands, The Judge The Juror Split Album Release Party

The Starlite Room, June 2 7:30 p.m.

Edmonton-based metal band All Was Lost is hosting a split album release party with Before I Fall and three other bands on the bill. Check out All Was Lost’s debut album Restructure, and review their live performance at The Starlite!

Live Performance Review: Downtown Spark - William Prince Performance

Macdonald Drive, June 3 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The Downtown Spark festival is holding a free musical performance featuring William Prince at the Downtown Spark Block Party. Prince is a singer-songwriter who is best known for his folky ballad “The Spark.” He will play at 8:45 p.m., after a series of other musical acts including Lucette and Kyle McKearney.

Exhibit Review: Mercantile Mobility - Chinese Merchants in Western Canada Exhibition

Bruce Peel Special Collections, until November 30

This new exhibition will display materials from the Chinese Experience in Canada Collection from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. U of A alumna Helen Kwan Yee Cheung curated this exhibit to explore the lived of Chinese immigrant workers after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Exhibit Review: Untouchable Chinatown - Photography Exhibition

Hull Block 10601 – 97 Street, until June 10

Untouchable Chinatown is a photography exhibition and accompanying book is a collection of photos taken by 11 individuals with disposable cameras. Curated by Jordon 寶軒 Hon and Chinatown Greetings, the exhibit showcases the “untouchable,” comforting, and complex elements of Chinatown from diverse perspectives.

Event Coverage: Nextfest 2023

The Roxy Theatre, June 1 to 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: Comedian Aida Rodriguez

Critically-acclaimed comedian Aida Rodriguez will be bringing her Don’t @ Me standup tour to Edmonton’s own The Comic Strip on June 1 to 3. She is known for her HBO comedy special Fighting Words and Netflix comedy series They Ready. Reach out if you are interested in conducting an interview with Rodriguez 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!