Opinion pitches!

Hey everyone! Here are the pitches for this week. I also want to remind everyone that if you ever read something you disagree with in the opinion section, you're more than welcome to write a response to it. I want to make sure The Gateway remains a platform for dissent and differing opinions, so it's super cool when two opinion articles disagree with each other. Just reply to this email if you want to pick up any of these pitches, or if you want any more information about these stories. And as always, if you have an idea for an article, feel free to send it my way. Articles are due Friday at 5pm. 

SU elections are coming soon 

One of the biggest jobs of the Gateway is to cover SU elections, since we're the only news source that can! This is a really cool opportunity to get involved with student politics, meet lots of interesting people across campus, and do some super-cool, hard-hitting journalism.   If you're interested, but worried you don't know anything about the SU, fear not! Sofia (the News Editor) and I will be going over some SU basics with everyone, and giving you all the background you need. You're also welcome to come with us to Student Council sessions in the lead-up to elections! There's free food and we have fun group chats where we meme and have a good time. Here are the dates for the next few council sessions: 

• Tuesday January 23rd

• Tuesday February 6th 

• Tuesday February 13th

Council is held at 6pm in Council Chambers, right next to Van Vliet. If you don't know where that is/are afraid to go alone, never hesitate to email or text me 

(587-437-8583

) and I will show you the ropes. 

Gateway hiring is coming soon 

If you're interested in working at the Gateway next year, now's the time to start thinking about applying! I cannot recommend it enough. I'm super happy to talk to you in detail about the Opinion Editor position, or any of the other jobs at the Gateway, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want more information. 

March magazine content

The theme for the March edition of the magazine is PRIDE! I'm looking for people to pick up some Worth It/Not Worth It content for the magazine (55-75 word blurbs assessing whether or not the thing is worth it). Here are the pitches I have:         - Politicians at pride parades        - Rainbow-coloured/pride-themed versions of products (like rainbow Oreos or white Skittles)        - Nudity at pride        - Bringing/dressing up your pets for pride        - Alternative pride flags (like the Philadelphia pride flag, which includes an two brown and black stripes, or the controversial Jewish pride flag)        - Insane amounts of confetti (is the celebration worth the clean-up?)        - Anything else you want to write about! Not all of the WI/NWI content has to be explicitly pride-themed, so if you have a pitch that isn't entirely related, that's ok too! Someone has already picked up one side of the Point-Counterpoint for March, but I need someone to write the other half! The topic is on whether or not police officers should be allowed to participate in pride parades. I need someone to defend police officers' participation in a 250-300 word column. Don't be intimidated by this topic, if you're even remotely interested then I'm super happy to work with you as much as you need. I really need this content by Friday morning, so please don't hesitate to pick it up! Coordinating magazine stuff is a big part of any job at The Gateway, so if you're interested in a position next year, this is a great way to build up your portfolio. 

Possible media studies major at the U of A

The Arts Faculty is looking to implement a media studies program at the U of A, where students could pursue a BA. I think it would be interesting to talk about what kind of skills would be useful in a media studies program - is this how we combat fake news? Should some form of media studies class be mandatory for all students? Would there be enough demand to make this kind of program viable? 

Citadel refuses to host Jordan Peterson book launch

Despite the event already being advertised on Peterson's website, the Citadel stated that the content of his lecture "did not align with their values as an organization." Peterson has responded saying that the cancellation was "unprofessional." You can read more about the story here. 

UCP wants to make Student Union membership not mandatory 

In a draft of their policies, which will be ratified amongst members at the party convention in May, the United Conservative Party proposed a number of reforms to post-secondary education, including removing the regulations that make Student Union membership mandatory for all students. Currently, Student Union fees are paid by all students at the University, and therefore all students have access to Student Union services, as well as the advocacy that the SU provides. You can read more about the proposed changes here. To be fair, these policies are only drafts and haven't been officially adopted yet. That being said, I think there's a lot to discuss here about whether or not this would be a positive thing (what do you see as being the value of a Student Union? do you feel like you're getting your money's worth?), as well as exploring the fact that Student Unions are generally non-partisan, but will potentially be inclined to respond to this sort of proposition, as it endangers their very survival. 

BRT vs LRT development on Whyte Ave

City council has been looking at a couple of options for transit development on Whyte Avenue, and is somewhat divided on the issue of BRT (bus rapid transit) or LRT (light rail transit). You can read more about it here. There are some pretty serious benefits and drawbacks to both, so as people who study/live/work in the area, what do you think would be better?

Margaret Atwood "bad feminist" controversy

Margaret Atwood has come under fire for her support of Steven Galloway, a UBC professor who, according to Atwood, was denied due process after being accused of sexual harassment. Shortly after the case in 2015, many public literary figures added their names to an open letter in defense of Galloway, and since then many of those figures have removed their support. Atwood, on the other hand, stands behind Galloway, and makes the argument in a recent Globe and Mail article that it is important to uphold systems of justice, and that being a feminist means recognizing that women are multifaceted, complex human beings "with the full range of saintly and demonic behaviours this entails." There is SO MUCH to write about here. Does Atwood's stance make her a "bad feminist?" Is our justice system equipped to truly give justice to survivors, and if not, what reforms does it need to make it so? Has the #MeToo movement tipped the scales too far? If you agree that Atwood's stance undermines present-day feminism, is it still fair to credit her as an important figure in second-wave feminism? Can people still be seen as heros of a movement they don't necessarily keep up with - like how the Famous Five are often still embraced as feminist icons, despite being anti-immigration and pro-eugenics? What do these conclusions say about debate within feminist circles today?

North Korea summit happening in Vancouver

Foreign ministers from 20 countries, including Canada's Chrystia Freeland and America's Rex Tillerson, are meeting in Vancouver this week. Just yesterday, Freeland announced that Canada is contributing 3.25 million dollars to help enforce sanctions against North Korea, and there's a chance Canada will also be asked to help with the ballistic missile defense program. Do you think it's in Canada's best interest to get involved in the North Korean conflict?

Aziz Ansari accused of sexual misconduct

This article was published on babe.net last week, outlining a woman's experience on a date with famous comedian and Master of None star Aziz Ansari. The article is pretty graphic, so just be aware of that when clicking the link if you haven't already read the story. Essentially, the woman explains the progression of the night and how Ansari repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances, ending with her feeling extremely uncomfortable, and crying in the car on her way home. Responses to the article have been mixed. What do you think about the article, and about the criticism of both Ansari and the author?

The Gateway Presents! 

As you may already know, every second Friday from 5:30-6:30pm, CJSR airs a segment of our radio show, The Gateway Presents. Each segment includes an Opinion piece where two people debate on a hot-button issue. Along with pitching Opinion stories for the website or the magazine, please also feel free to pitch me content for The Gateway Presents! Whether you know someone who'd be interested in debating on the show, you have a topic you'd like to see presented, or you'd like to produce a segment all by yourself, let me know and we'll make it happen. 

Shorter segments

Don't have time to write a whole 500-word article this week but still want to write something? Write one of these! They're about 200-300 words and a really good time. - Burlap Sack: Rant about something that bothers you! - Marble Pedestal: Rant about something you love! - Adulting 101: Either tell us how to do something adult (how to use an iron, how actually make food, etc.) or tell us about a time you failed to do something adult (like that time you put the red sock in with the whites and now everything is pink).