Thousands of people gathered in downtown Albuquerque to support or protest presidential candidate Donald Trump. The rally toke place within the Albuquerque Convention Center and protestors gathered outside and clashed with police officers. Demonstrators repeatedly broke through police barriers and threw objects at officers.
Every Saturday morning, Carolina Belmares Ortega wakes up early to head over to UNM to mentor students who are in the Simon Scholars Program. Ortega dedicates her time to being a model to other individuals.Ortega is finishing up her MA in Counseling in May. She will be the first female in the family to complete a higher education degree.“One story that captures my whole present being is my family, and all the hard work they have done for me and my siblings.”Ortega’s parents came from Mexico during the Reagan Reformation hoping to create a better life for herself and her siblings. “As difficult (as it was) for them, we are starting to see the fruits of their action to change,” said Ortega. After graduating, Ortega hopes to “continue spreading the seed of hope to my community, which I will continue to serve my community through advocacy in the social, educational and personal components. In addition, I will continue to remain focused on promoting personal growth for those I serve through support and leading by example.”
Michelle Waterson, known to most as the Karate Hottie, uniquely balances her life as a professional MMA fighter for the UFC while devoting quality time to raising her daughter Araya with her husband and manager Joshua Gomez. Waterson’s energy and passion for MMA is evident through her time in and out of the octagon. Waterson trains at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy and was formerly the Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Waterson says she is most at home inside the octagon.
James West is a 26-year-old skateboarder living in Albuquerque. West is a skateboarders’ skateboarder and is always chopping boards into custom shapes, repairing damaged boards and making custom cases and jewelry out of recycled skateboards. He has a small shop set up in his garage, where drawers are home to finished, in progress and failed items while the desktop hosts a variety of sandpaper grits. Often James will spend the day cutting, shaping and sanding his custom jewelry, cases and dugouts. When he is not spending time working on his projects or at his day job, James can be found skating the numerous features and spots that Albuquerque has to offer. Today, it was a hidden Do It Yourself Spot in Albuquerque’s ditches. Spots like these emphasize the spontaneity, creativity and joy of skateboarding and skate photography — they are fleeting moments and can last days or years. This spot was removed shortly after James visited it.
Fiestas de Albuquerque is an annual event held in Old Town that celebrates the city’s unique cultural background. Every April, dance groups and bands perform at Old Town Plaza, attracting dozens of locals and visitors. The groups represent the stages of Albuquerque’s history, from pre-colonial New Mexico to the present. This year, the Sun and Fire Dance Group kicked off the festival with a traditional dance, followed by music and dances from other groups, including Baila! Baila! and Casa Flamenca. Some people carried umbrellas to take cover from the rain that fell throughout the day, while a busker played music on the sidewalk in between performances.
Before 30 major league baseball teams begin the 162-game marathon at the start of each April, there is a much more relaxed period when players have the opportunity to interact with fans in a setting as intimate as any in the world of pro sports. Fans flock to Arizona and Florida — two vacation spots in their own right — in March for the opportunity to experience Spring Training, where teams play exhibition games and shape their regular season rosters. It’s a time of hot dogs, autographed baseballs and anticipation of the impending return of America’s favorite pastime.
Located in Santa Fe, “House of Eternal Return” is Meow Wolf’s first permanent exhibit, and it is truly an immersive experience. With a labyrinth of colorful rooms, treehouses and much more, Meow Wolf engages the audience with mesmerizing displays. An open floor plan puts you in control of how the story will be told. While there are clues hidden throughout the exhibit, solving the mystery soon becomes an afterthought to the exhibit’s dazzling visual features. With unknown adventures tucked behind every corner, Meow Wolf’s “House of Eternal Return” is a must see for all ages.
A traffic jam in Juarez, Mexico caused a 30 minute delay for those that got stuck before the train passed. As soon as they heard the train, people rushed across to pass the one-way street, La Ferrocarril, that the train intersects. In February 2015, 20 people died in a collision in Northern Mexico, according to the Chicago Tribune. Sometimes cars are still passing when the train is only a few feet away. A security guard tries to control the scene. Some people in the streets find it a good time to perform in front of the stalled cars to earn some spare change. Some people try crossing to the other side while the train is moving. In this picture, the train is stopped and people start crossing to the other side without knowing when the train will start running again.
Rays of sunlight cascade over Tomé Hill from the mountains to the west as people from across New Mexico gather for a pilgrimage to the top of hill on Good Friday. A seemingly endless line of devotees and pilgrims to Tomé Hill stretched along the trail, including Juan Maestas, who has carried a wooden cross up the hill for more than 30 years. Tomé Hill lies east of the Rio Grande, six miles south of Los Lunas, and is a popular site among Christians, who make prayers at the hilltop shrines.
The Museum of Southwestern Biology, a place filled with biological specimens from all around the world, is considered one of the world’s best, according to visiting researchers.
For the first time since 2007, the New Mexico football team is going to a bowl game. The Lobos also locked up their first winning season since 2007 with a 7-5 mark. Upsets against Utah State, Boise State and Air Force led them to where they are now.Along the way the team suffered major highs and lows, from having the stadium roar during their comeback against Hawaii, to being knocked out of the Mountain West Championship game after playing Colorado State.
The New Mexico River of Lights is a revered tradition for many people living in and visiting the Land of Enchantment. Starting originally in 1997, it has become a special yearly occurrence that offers live music, arts and crafts, a Polar Bear Express train and, of course, a river of lights. Displays include running animals, snowmen, luminarias and Snoopy. This year’s presentation contains a total of 400 light sculptures. It will run from the end of November to the beginning of January.
Hinduism is a dominant religion in South Asia, most notably in Nepal and India. It is considered the world's third-largest religion by population after Christianity and Islam.On the occasion of the Thanksgiving festival Thursday, Nepali UNM students were invited into the home of Sunil Thapa, who is resident of Albuquerque of Nepalese origin.Although followers of Hinduism don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in a religious manner, most of the Nepali UNM students invited to the event enjoyed the celebration in a Nepali way. Participants enjoyed special Nepalese dishes, and the event concluded with dancing and playing cards.
UNM super senior Mo Elizabeth Fiebiger graduates in December with a bachelor of arts degree in studio arts and psychology. She decided to do an honors thesis for studio arts on the topic of vulnerabilities.“When I did my show, I really wanted to embody that through artwork,” Fiebiger said.She had two pieces for the project: “One was a wall of nails, and it was supposed to invoke the feeling of physical fear; and to add a participant component, I had individuals write down what makes them vulnerable,” Fiebiger said. “Then there was a second aspect in the Brazilian wax performance, so people would come and watch the performance and I wanted them to feel that they saw these people putting themselves out there.”She chose to use Brazilian wax because she considers it to be a profound experience with radical meaning.“It really allows people to put themselves out there, and it was different,” Fiebiger said. “I’ve never seen anything like that: a combination of being my own expression, and to stand out.
The New Mexico Ballet Company held dress rehearsals at Popejoy Hall on Nov. 25 and 27 for its performance of “The Nutcracker Ballet”. The ballet follows a young girl, Clara, played by 10-year-old Emma Cilke, whose Nutcracker comes to life and takes her on an adventure in another world.American Ballet Theatre dancers Christine Shevchenko and Alexandre Hammoudi joined the production as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Upcoming performances are in Popejoy Hall on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Campus Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) is an on-campus program that supports UNM students with abuse prevention strategies, services, and gives information to ensure the well being of UNM students.On Wednesday night COSAP conducted an event “Paint your Heart Out” in the Student Union Building Atrium. Students painted a sunflower, which was the theme of the program. The art studio student, and COSAP’s graphic artist, Rachel Abeyta took the lead of the program and taught the participants different painting technique. This was COSAP’s second annual Diary of a Lady Lobo (DOLLS) event. An additional function of the event was also to educate how alcohol affects women’s bodies.
Tihar is a Hindu festival celebrated every year during spring season. It is one of the largest and brightest festivals for Hindu devotees. This festival has spiritual significance, in that it celebrates the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.A part-time UNM faculty member at the Department of Economics, Dr. Doleswar Bhandari is from Nepal. Bhandari and his wife hosted the Tihar program at his house on Friday.Nepalese students at UNM performed cultural dances and sang various Nepalese folk songs along with Deusi Rey, which is a traditional song performed during Tihar. At the end of these songs, Bhandari’s wife served Nepalese foods and gave money to the performers, which are also traditional acts.
Albuquerque held it's first lantern festival Saturday Nov. 14, 2015. The event took place at Sandia Speedway where it ran from 1pm to 8pm with live music. The people gather around bonfire pits across the field. Each person received a box with materials to make s'mores and to light the lanterns that lit up the sky, sending their wishes, and hopes. At the end of the event, Fire Muse Circus performed.
Bacon Fest was on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Balloon Fiesta Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beer bacon, blues and Harley-Davidson motorcycles brought out Albuquerque’s fall fashion of sunglasses and blue jeans. Eliza Trujillo, a Bacon Fest participant, said that she noticed a large number of breweries, but did not see anywhere to get a piece of bacon by itself.Bosque Blues, Alex Maryol, Raven and the Sweet Potato Pie Band, and Soul Kitchen serenaded feasts with blues/funk fusion. Of the eighty food vendors present, eighteen were brewing companies or sold alcoholic beverages. Among the brewing vendors was Abbey Brewing Co., Left Turn Distilling and La Cumbre Brewing Co.Among the vendors that sold gourmet bacon dishes were Old Pecos foods, Kimo’s Hawaiian BBQ, Rebel Doughnut and Teri’s Sweet Garden. The second bacon eating contest winner was Diedra Quintana.~Imani Lambert
Solutions by The State News
