Have no fear, Opinion pitches are here!

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Hear ye, hear ye! Opinion pitches are here!

Hey, y'all!It's officially the second week of school! It's so nice to see campus all busy again (it felt like I was working in a ghost town for a bit in August. Do not recommend.) Just a quick reminder: The Gateway is hosting two open houses this week at our office, which is located on the third floor of the Students' Union Building in room 3-04 (if you find yourself on a floor with entirely yellow wallpaper, you've come to the right place!). The first is tonight from 5 to 6 p.m., and tomorrow from 2 to 3 p.m.! Come stop by if you want to learn more about The Gateway, say hello to other volunteers, and meet members of staff! There will be Timbits, just fyi. And another reminder: Opinion office hours start September 14, and will occur every Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m.! Hope to see you there.With that, here are this week's pitches! Just let me know which one you'd like and what your take on it will be. And, of course, if you have any pitches of your own, feel free to let me know!As always, you can reach me anytime at [email protected] or over Slack!xoxo, Katie

Danielle Smith promises unvaccinated students won't be excluded from campusWhen we returned to in-person learning, the U of A implemented many COVID-19 restrictions, including only allowing those who were unvaccinated to return to campus. Danielle Smith has recently promised unvaccinated students that this will not happen again, saying there was a huge decline in those students’ mental health over the pandemic. Explore Smith’s promises, the restrictions, and how this could impact life on campus!

Data from the City of Edmonton shows that around 575,000 speeding tickets were issued to Edmonton drivers between January 2019 and March 2022, primarily on Stony Plain Road, Anthony Henday Drive, and Yellowhead Trail. Currently, the province has prohibited municipalities from installing any more photo radar equipment. Is it time for photo radar to die, or does it provide a valuable service in keeping our roads slow and steady?

Group Commentary: Often forgotten must-haves to bring to campusEvery year, students stock their bags with the usuals before school starts - pencils, earbuds, notebooks, etc. But, there are some things students don’t think to bring that could end up bailing them out later. Is there something you always bring with you to campus that you think should become standard practice? If so, write a little blurb and collaborate with other volunteers in this Group Commentary!

U of A has best ever ranking in Academic Ranking of World UniversitiesFor the first time, the University of Alberta has made the top 100 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. The U of A placed 92nd worldwide, after previously ranking in the top 150, and fifth in Canada. What does this ranking mean for future enrolment, especially as uAlberta has slowly ranked higher and higher?

During the pandemic, ETS removed some routes and decreased their frequency. Now that people are heading back to work and school, wait times and capacity are high, with many buses not having the space to pick people up. Have you been impacted by no-show buses, or been driven right past at the bus stop? Explore how this affects students, and what needs to change!