Opinion pitches!

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great day. Here are some story pitches if you're interested in writing this week! First drafts should be about 500-550 words, and will be due to me by 5pm Friday evening (but if you want to send them earlier, that's amazing). 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.

Commuter study hostel on campus

You can now rent a room in Schaeffer Hall (part of Lister) overnight so that you don't have to leave campus when pulling an all-nighter. Rooms come equipped with a bed, towels, and "high-speed Internet" (although that's not exactly how I would describe UWS). It actually only costs $35/night, but it somehow still seems ridiculously bougie to me, after spending many nights asleep on a couch in Cameron library. What do you think of the study hostel?

The Engineering Faculty Association is looking to increase student fees

Faculty Associations have control over their FAMF costs - Faculty Association Membership Fees. The Engineering Faculty Association wants to raise their FAMF (paid by every undergrad engineering student) from $7 a semester to $20. If you're an engineering student, what do you think about this proposed change? What would you want this money to go towards? If you're not in engineering, do you think your faculty should put forward a similar proposal?

Federal government gives public apology to LGBTQ+ Canadians

The apology was specifically directed towards civil servants and military personnel who have been discriminated against based on their sexual identity. The government has also allocated $100 million to compensating those people. You can read more here. Is this apology a long time coming? Is it an important step towards equality for LGBTQ+ Canadians in general? Should the government be doing more? Is there concern that this focus on historic discrimination will shift the focus away from discrimination that is still happening?

The provincial government wants to ban adult-only buildings

As of now, landlords are allowed to designate a minimum age for residents in their apartments and condos, which can create both seniors-only buildings and kids-free buildings. The legislation change will still allow for seniors housing, but will eliminate the ability of landlords to turn away people with kids. You can read more here.

"Hipster hunters" driving demand for hunting licenses in Alberta

The demand for hunting licenses has increased by 43% in the last ten years, and many experts are pointing to the "hipster hunter" phenomenon as an explanation. Apparently, younger people are taking their organic, local eating habits a step further and actually hunting their own meat. Is this a natural extension of the hipster ideology? Is it philosophically inconsistent to shoot and kill animals if you claim to be a hipster? What even is a hipster anyway? Where did they go, and why aren't we talking about them anymore?On the other hand, if you want to write about hunting culture, or do a myth-busting type of article about hunting, that would be super cool!

Study shows that ETS drivers face a lot of violence and harassment

Between January 2014 and July 2017, there has been an average of one attack per week on transit operators in Edmonton. About 30% of those involved a driver being punched or kicked, and another 30% involved them being bitten or spit on. This is obviously a problem, but what should we do about it?

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. - Streeters: I'll match you up with a Photo volunteer and you'll hit the mean streets of campus, armed with a question and a camera, to survey some U of A students. Past questions have included: what should the university's logo be, what was your worst live music experience, and where do you poop on campus.- 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).