Opinion pitches🌽

Opinion pitches🌽

September 13, 2022

Have no fear, Opinion pitches are here!

Don't forget to take a peak at these corny pitches!

Hey y'all!Why shouldn't you tell secrets in a corn field? Because the corn has ears.Thanks folks, I'm here all week! You might not be able to tell your secrets in a corn field, but you know what you can express at The Gateway? Your opinions (well, at least in my section)! Thanks to everyone who came out to the pitch meeting yesterday! It was awesome meeting everyone! If you couldn't make it, no worries - I've put our presentation on the CP style guide in the opinion volunteer drive.And, just as a reminder, The Gateway office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so feel free to stop by! 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! Sorry if this email was kind of corny...xoxo, Katie 

National day of mourning announced for Queen Elizabeth IIThe Government of Canada has announced that September 19, the date of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, will be a national holiday. So far, Justin Trudeau said there needs to be conversations with the provinces and territories to see who is on board, but federal employees will get the day off. Should we celebrate the queen's reign and mourn her death in Alberta? Or, is it time for us to move on from the monarchy? 

As other provinces open up bivalent boosters to those over 18, the Albertan government has made no mention of their roll out plan. Many Albertans are concerned and frustrated, once again, over the government not having an adequate or timely plan, especially now that students are back in school. Explore what could happen if the boosters aren't rolled out soon, and what the government should be doing instead!

Regional transit in the works in Edmonton Edmonton City Council has decided to expand regional transit. Starting in Spring 2023, 11 routes will connect Edmonton and participating surrounding communities. It's unclear how much money  Edmonton will contribute to covering the costs, but many are unhappy that Edmonton is focusing on transit outside the city without solving our own transit issues first. Should Edmonton start expanding our transit options, or should they focus on local transit instead?

Campus mental health supports struggle with high demand As the semester really gets started, many students are beginning to try and access the supports we have on campus. However, they are met with high waiting times for consultations and long waitlists for specialized help. Experts continue to encourage students to access supports when they need it, but that's just not possible anymore. Explore why these high wait times are happening, and what students can expect in the future! 

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!