Who are you?
Founded in 1960, the Gauntlet is the University of Calgary student newspaper.
What do you want?
The Gauntlet has a two main goals: to publish a newspaper and to train students in journalism.
Publishing most Thursdays of the year, we report on student events and issues and provide a forum for student views and voices. The Gauntlet is also a great place to learn about reporting, writing, photography, illustrations, and desktop and web publishing.
No experience is required. Start your Gauntlet experience by filling out a volunteer form and attending a Gauntlet volunteer orientation. Individual sections (listed below) also hold their own orientations and training workshops throughout the year.
Come up and see us sometime. The Gauntlet cannot produce a newspaper without hard-working, dedicated volunteers. Come visit us in MacEwan Hall 319. Volunteers can write for News, Entertainment, Sports, Opinion, Features and Academic Probation (humour). The Photography, Illustrations and Web departments also seek people to take photos, scan images, draw and put the Gauntlet online. We also teach volunteers how to use industry-standard desktop publishing software such as Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop and Illustrator.
Put your underappreciated spelling skills to good use by proofreading, one of the most crucial steps in newspaper production. We always need proofreaders on Wednesdays to ensure that the paper looks great and is typo-free. The Gauntlet also provides free food Wednesday nights to thank people who stay and help us out.
Why are you here?
- gain invaluable journalism experience and training
- see your name in print
- make new friends
- learn about campus life, post-secondary issues, the local arts scene, Dino Athletics
- enhance your university experience
- pad your resume with great volunteer experience
- become a more integrated part of the university community
Where can I help?
Sections are always looking for volunteers:
Academic Probation (a.k.a. AP): AP is the humour section of the Gauntlet, where satire reigns supreme and modesty knows no bounds. Academic Probation can offer everything from crossword puzzles to satirical lampooning of campus, national or international events.
Entertainment: Covers theatre, film, books and music, simultaneously acting as critic and promoter of the arts. Entertainment runs previews and reviews of shows and CDs, and also covers more off-the-wall events, like anime festivals.
Features: A chance to write longer, more in-depth articles about diverse issues, Features offers experienced writers the chance to develop a story, experiment with layout and explore subjects in greater detail. Previous feature topics include the World Trade Organization, technology in the classroom, and the civil war in Colombia.
Illustrations: Creativity abounds in Illustrations as expressive volunteers learn about drawing to deadline. Illustrations frequently appear in the Opinions section, but can also accompany news, buzz, or sports articles, and features.
News: Arguably the most important section of the newspaper, News offers accurate, hard-hitting coverage of student-related issues and events, such as tuition, post-secondary education and expansion, as well as less serious campus events like Engineering Week.
Opinions: While News is free from writer bias, Opinions is all about the writer's personal point of view, and how they support their argument. Comprised of the Editorial, the Editor Column, columns, staff voices, and letters, this section is where everyone's argumentative side can have their day.
Photo: Forget wanting to be in pictures, the Photo department lets you take the pictures. Using both tradition cameras with black and white film to a more advanced digital camera, Photo will show you how to compose a photograph, develop your own film, and manipulate images using Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator.
Sports: Home to some of the weirdest headlines in recent memory, the Sports section covers the U of C Dinos Athletics teams-and then some. The section offers game recaps, interviews with players and coaches, as well as opinions about the world of non-campus sports.
Web: Though mainly responsible for putting the Gauntlet content online every week, the Web section also has a print presence where it explores the latest technologies that affect students' lives.
