Hello all,

I hope everyone is enjoying their well-deserved break! While the four months stretching ahead of us are completely free of classes (for some of us), they will not be free of The Gateway’s usual pitch email.

Now is the perfect time to pick up a pitch, so look through and see if anything catches your eye!

All the best,

Dylana

News Pitches

You can reach Peris at [email protected] or over Slack!

Smoking during pregnancy raises odds of overweight children 

Talk to Anita Kozyrskyj about the association between mothers smoking during pregnancy and a higher risk of their children becoming overweight.

Alberta semi-automated truck convoys didn’t save fuel but tech still has promise, researchers say 

A study conducted by U of A researchers shows that semi-automated truck convoys did not save fuel but more research in this area could be beneficial for Canada’s future.

Local researcher converting potato peels into cling wrap 

Could potato waste offer a solution to the issue of plastic pollution? Talk to Marleny Aranda-Saldana about research into converting potato peels into an eco-friendly version of food wrap.

Jasper’s dark sky tourism could help combat light pollution 

Two U of A researchers conducted a study on the benefits that people can get from their experiences at Jasper’s Dark Sky Festival.

How mapping tree genomes can help plant forests resilient to climate change 

Talk to Barb Thomas about the genome Alberta resilient forests project, which originally studied the genetic makeup of trees to determine what makes a resilient forest.

Opinion Pitches

You can reach Leah at [email protected] or over Slack!

Waste from campus move-out: Following the spring move out from campus residences, there have been concerns about the waste left behind by students. Other major universities across Canada have created programs to try to combat this, but the U of A hasn’t followed suit. What can be done to reduce the waste from move-out? Whose responsibility is it to mitigate this problem — students or the U of A?

Difficulty finding jobs: Now that it’s summer break, many students want to take advantage of the extra time on their hands to find work. However, some students are having trouble finding work. It’s taking longer for students to find work and youth employment is at a low. Why is it so difficult for students to find work? How does this affect students in the face of the rising cost of living and tuition increases? What can be done to help?

U of A’s Land Use: Edmonton City Councillor Michael Janz recently questioned how the University of Alberta is using its land. The U of A’s surface parking lots were of particular concern for Janz. Should the U of A reconsider how they use the land they own? If so, should housing be the first priority or are there other uses for it that could benefit students?

Funding for women’s health: The Government of Alberta recently announced that they would be investing in women's and newborn health research. Women’s health has long seen gaps in research and this funding seems to be an effort to bridge that gap. But this also comes after the province said they would opt-out of the federal pharmacare plan that would mean free contraceptives. How does the recent funding measure up to the government's actions? Is there more that can and needs to be done to make meaningful changes to women’s healthcare in Alberta?

Loblaws Boycott: May 1 marked the start of a boycott of Loblaws and all of their associated companies. This is largely organized by the subreddit r/loblawsisoutofcontrol in response to inflated grocery prices. Is this necessary and fair to the company? Will it be effective in driving costs down?

A&C Pitches

You can reach Dylana at [email protected] or over Slack!

Interview: Manitoba-based storyteller and vocalist Jade Turner 

“Canadian Roots-Country artist, Jade Turner, stands out as a captivating storyteller and emotive, powerful singer. Her music transports listeners into the narrative in each song, resonating deeply and evoking a sense of shared experiences with her audience. Raised in Northern Manitoba and a proud member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation, Turner’s upbringing was steeped in the rich tradition of storytelling, which shaped her into the artist she is today.”

On May 8, Turner will release her new single That Wind. Speak with Turner about her music and new single!

Play/Festival Review: From Cradle to Stage, an annual festival of brand new plays at the Walterdale Theatre, May 14-19

“This year’s festival features nine new plays from local playwrights, selected anonymously. The settings range from ordinary to postapocalyptic to fantastical, with themes of humor, compassion, existential questions, romance, family, beginnings and ends. This festival is a chance to get a peek at some new exciting work from playwrights at various career stages.”

Attend one or several plays and write a review!

Album Review: Cyan Blue by Charlotte Day Wilson

“Cyan Blue finds Wilson crafting a smoothly woven cyan tapestry of her eternal influences; thumping gospel piano, warm soul basslines, atmospheric electronics, and penetrating R&B melodies.”

Write a review of Toronto-born-and-raised artist Charlotte Day Wilsons’ sophomore album.

Interview: Winnipeg songwriter Keri Latimer from band Leaf Rapids

“On the third Leaf Rapids record, Velvet Paintings, veteran Winnipeg songwriter Keri Latimer makes room for the world. Over a lush palette of roots music—ethereal folk, driving country, and wiry honky-tonk—she shifts her gaze to the environments around her, observing and reflecting on their movements and the movements of the people who direct their motion. The album will be out on April 19th. The band will celebrate the album with a run of tour dates, including a stop in Edmonton on April 25th.”

Speak with Keri about the album and the band!

Album Review: Mayday by Myriam Gendron

“Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements [Gendron] uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon.’

Write a review of Montreal-based artists Myriam Gendron’s third album, out May 10.

Exhibit Review: Buddy at the Banff Park Zoo at FAB Gallery, May 15 to June 1

This virtual reality artwork allows participants to become a polar bear named Buddy. Buddy was held captive at the Banff Park Zoo in Banff National Park between 1922 and 1937. This artwork recreates Buddy’s experience of his concrete cage, equipped with high iron bars. When visitors to FAB Gallery put on a virtual reality headset and hold the controllers, they can see what Buddy saw, in polar bear vision, and move around his relatively small cage, or take a swim in his plunge pool.

Join the artists & research team for an informal gallery talk about the creation of the work on Saturday May 25 at 12 pm.