The Weekly Free

These days, faculty and students alike are scrambling to get ‘er done before the end of the semester. There’s no time to waste, but knowing you’ll waste it nonetheless, here are some things to do without the guilt of spending money you don’t have.

Entrance to national parks
THROUGH SUNDAY

While national park grounds are supposedly “your land” and “my land,” you typically have to pay to get into one. But this week, everyone is allowed into national parks for free. Check out the local parks such as the Aztec Ruins National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Monument. For the complete list, you can visit AbqOnTheCheap.com or follow the QR code. Do everyone a favor and respect the land when you go, or else you risk ruining it for everyone.

Film screening
WEDNESDAY

To say a person is “the salt of the Earth” means they are a thoroughly good, noble and valuable person. Clearly the folks at the Library of Congress took the meaning to heart when they selected “Salt of the Earth” to be one of 400 films in the National Film Registry. At 7 p.m., the KiMo Theatre, 423 Central Ave. N.W., screens this made-in-New-Mexico film about a southern New Mexico zinc miners’ strike and women’s struggle for equality in the mid-1900s.

Concert
FRIDAY

The second installment of the spring semester UNM Composer Colloquium Concert is 8 to 9:30 p.m. in room B-117 of the Center for the Arts. If live instrumentals don’t sound appealing, perhaps you will enjoy the theatrics of the conductors as they work the musicians and themselves into a frenzy. Featured composers include J. George Harvey, Tom McVeety, Andrew Saletta, Issac Trujillo and Liz Rincon.

Lecture on the Quran and Science
FRIDAY

The UNM Muslim Student Association presents ex-NASA scientist Abdul Hye at 7 p.m. in SUB Ballroom B. According to the event flier, Hye will compare modern discoveries in astronomy, oceanography, botany, embryology and more scientific fields to revelations in the Quran. The purpose of the lecture is for attendees to discover whether the Quran is proven by science.

Poetry reading
SATURDAY

Contrary to the wordy and romantic image typically associated with poets, not every wordsmith fits within that frame. At 4 p.m., 516 ARTS celebrates National Poetry Month by featuring New Mexico poets who come from backgrounds such as law, politics, environmental advocacy and education. Aside from hearing their work, attendees can find out how the poets’ experience in these fields informs their craft. 516 ARTS is at 516 Central Ave. S.W.