Back-to-class pitches 🥸

to get your mind off school (and the fact that 2014 was 10 years ago)

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Ubyssey Features & Iman Janmohamed
January 24, 2024

me the last few days

Just remembered 2014 was 10 years ago… I know. Here are some features and creative non-fiction pitches to get your mind off that fact. Details on how to pick them up are below.

But before we get to them, here’s what’s happening at The Ubyssey this week:

  • This Friday at 3 p.m., we‘ll be having a features meeting in the office (room 2208 of the Nest). We’ll be discussing freedom of information requests and digging for data! (And our weekly staff meetings are up-and-running at 4 p.m. also on Friday!)

  • Also on Friday is our annual alumni mixer. It’s at 6 p.m., and you can RSVP here. It’s a super fun time to learn about the pubsters of years past and about journalism in general.

  • The news section is also looking for contributors for their AMS Elections coverage. It’s super fun (especially the fact-checking but I’m biased since I did it last year hehe) and a great way to get involved with The Ubyssey and make new friends. You can learn more here. If you have questions, email the news editors at [email protected].

Make sure to join the Ubyssey Discord for Ubyssey updates, and join the features Facebook group for last-minute pitches and meeting updates!

In the meantime, if you have a pitch or want to chat, you can reply to this email, message me on Discord or email me at [email protected].

1) If you're a first-time writer, let me know in your email.
2) Rank the pitches you’d like to take.
3) After you take a pitch, I’ll send you an email to ensure you have all the information you need before you get to work!
3) Be mindful of potential conflicts of interest. If you aren't sure, ask!
4) Tell me before the deadline if you can't complete a story in time. A really cool guy (me) once said that communication between writers and editors ensure a smooth pitch-to-publication process for everyone!

Profile: Dr. Kimberly Bain

Dr. Kimberly Bain is an English professor at UBC who previously taught at Tufts University. Talk to her about how she got into academia and about her research on Blackness, Black feminist thought and the African diaspora in literature and other media.

Black and African-identifying writers are encouraged to inquire about this pitch, but all are welcome.

1200 words by February 12.

Friendship creative non-fiction supplement

The Ubyssey wants you to share stories about friendship for this semester’s creative non-fiction online supplement. What role have friendships played in your life, what importance do friendships have to you, how does this affect your sense of belonging and how have your friendships changed over time? Learn more here.

Varying word counts by February 13.

Profile: Kirk LaPointe

Kirk LaPointe is a journalism professor at UBC and has previously worked as the ombudsman at CBC. Sit down with him to talk about his work as an ombudsman and his teaching around media ethics and leadership at UBC.

1200 words by February 20.

Profile: Dr. Margo Seltzer

Dr. Margo Seltzer is a computer science professor at UBC and runs the Systopia lab (which researches operating systems, security, etc). Sit down with Dr. Seltzer to talk about her work and teaching, her recently becoming co-head of CS and her time in academia.

1200 words by February 20.