Hey everyone,

I hope everyone is adjusting to back-to-school, and that assignments aren’t too bad yet. We have a variety of pitches to choose from, so see if there’s anything that sparks your interest!

Tomorrow, on September 17 at 4:00 p.m. we are having our first pitch meeting of the year! It will take place in-person at our office (SUB 3-04). We hope to see you there!

Additionally, our first Gateway to Cinema movie is happening this Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Metro Cinema. We will be showing Challengers. Admission is free with your OneCard.

Have a great rest of your week!

Cheers,

Brooklyn

News Pitches

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

Families of cardiac arrest patients need care too 

U of A-led study honoured as “Article of the year” by the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

The Mike Petryk School of Dentistry at the U of A honours 1960 grad 

Mike Petryk put his patients first every day of his 40-plus-year career.

Labour market research centre gives Albertans a leg up in seeking careers 

Website will provide high quality, real-time data to forecast hiring trends on the horizon.

New mechatronics and robotics engineering program will help students ‘create the next generation of the world we live in’ 

Five-year degree program will be the first of its kind in the Prairies, helping establish Alberta as a tech hub attracting top talent.

Documentary film sheds light on ‘buffalo consciousness’ 

New film by Native studies professor Tasha Hubbard looks at the drive to bring back the buffalo.

Opinion Pitches

You can pick up a pitch or pitch your own idea to Leah at [email protected] or over Slack!

Student loan complications: Some students are still waiting to receive requested student aid. This isn’t the first time there has been delays for students, similar delays happened last year and in years before. Additionally, rules have become stricter about students who receive financial aid dropping from full time to part time status. Is the current student aid system working well enough for students? Or are there things that need to be changed and improved to better support students?

No welcome in Alberta: Premier Danielle Smith recently said Alberta is not open to having asylum seekers settle in the province. Smith’s statement stressed welcoming those with “shared values.” This comes after Smith’s government ran an “Alberta is calling” campaign to bring in more people to Alberta. What message is Smith sending about who is welcome in Alberta? What even are Alberta’s shared values in actuality?

ETS to phase out paper passes: Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) has plans to phase out adult, senior, and youth paper transit passes by the end of the year. This would mean those passes would primarily be administered through Arc Cards, which still experience some issues. Are there existing issues with the Arc system that need to be fixed before ETS moves away from paper passes? Or is phasing out paper the right way to go?

Federal NDP’s plan to cool rental prices: Affordable housing seems increasingly like a myth in Canada. But the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) is planning to propose a bill that would prevent “financialized landlords” from buying up affordable housing units. The plan will supposedly help protect affordable housing, if it can pass in the House of Commons. Can this bill make the impact the NDP hopes it will and provide relief for people? What will need to be done to get it past the House of Commons?

First Nation suing over lack of clean drinking water: Ermineskin Cree Nation, located in Alberta, is reviving a 10-year-old lawsuit over access to clean drinking water. Chief Joel Mykat says the water has only gotten worse over the past decade. How is this issue still persisting in 2024? What needs to be done to fix it and make amends for it?

Point/Counterpoint: Optimistic vs pessimistic politics: If the United States presidential debate last week put nothing else on display, it was optimism versus pessimism. In Canada, certain parties tend to lean towards different attitudes. But what one is actually better? Pick up a side of the argument for this point/counterpoint!

A&C Pitches

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

Performance Review: The Paperboys concert

“The Paperboys are a Canadian folk music band from Vancouver that formed in 1991. The Paperboys blend Celtic folk with bluegrass, Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco, soul and country influences.”

The Paperboys will be performing at St. Basil’s Cultural Centre on September 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for students (need to buy ahead of time). Attend the performance and write a review!

Interview OR Album Review: Winnipeg-based band The Prairie Joggers

The Prairie Joggers are a “gritty folk-rock band” from Winnipeg. “Blending warm electric guitar, raw vocals and dampened drums, the Joggers form a thick vintage sound that cushions their bleak but not entirely hopeless lyrical themes. What the band lacks in bells and whistles they make up for with a sincere sense of nostalgia that agrees with their charismatic live performances and minimalistic approach to instrumentals.” They are gearing up for the release of their first full-length album Weight of it set to release October 4.

Listen to an early release of the album, and write a review, or speak with The Prairie Joggers about their upcoming release!

Poetry Book Review: Deviant by Patrick Grace

“Deviant traces a trajectory of queer self-discovery from childhood to adulthood, examining love, fear, grief, and the violence that men are capable of in intimate same-sex relationships. Richly engaged with the tangible and experiential, Patrick Grace’s confessional poetry captures profound, sharp emotions, tracking a journey impacted equally by beauty and by brutality.”

Patrick is a Vancouver-based poet, and Deviant is his debut collection of poems. It is available for free PDF download through the UofA library website. Read the poetry collection and write a review!

Movie Review: Singing Back the Buffalo

“Singing Back the Buffalo is an epic reimagining of North America through the lens of buffalo consciousness and a potent dream of what is within our grasp, which follows Indigenous visionaries and communities who are rematriating the buffalo to the lands they once defined.”

Singing Back the Buffalo is written and directed by award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard. It will be screening at Metro Cinema on September 18 at 9:15 p.m and tickets are $11 for students. Watch the movie and write a review!

Gateway to Gastronomy

Do you have a cozy fall recipe you want to share with everyone? Is there an old family recipe that you make every year that is unique? Tell us about it and share the recipe!