Culture

Culture

Lobolition destroys students’ anger and stress

Alex Joe | March 9

To take their minds off the stress of the semester, University of New Mexico students wreaked havoc with sledgehammers on a white junkyard car near the Student Union Building. The event was hosted by the UNM Student Activities Center in anticipation of the finale of college basketball season. In solidarity with the Lobo women’s basketball team’s March 8 Mountain West Conference Tournament game, and the men’s game soon after, the junkyard car was spray painted with logos of Mountain West foes. Britten Ratcliff said he had a lot of fun at the event.

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Culture

‘The Mighty Colorado’ river flows to Zimmerman

Camillo Cretara | March 9

The Colorado River is the sixth longest river in the United States and one of very few “wild” rivers in the lower 48 states. Running through New Mexico, it is one of the most important natural features to maintain in the West for conservation photographer Dave Showalter. On Friday, March 6, University of New Mexico’s Zimmerman Library hosted Showalter with a panel discussion and presented works from his new book “Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado.” Showalter doesn’t refer to the river as a resource, but rather a life force. 

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Culture

Tamarind Institute remembers artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

Camillo Cretara | March 2

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was a Native American visual artist known for her striking colors and strong shapes. On Feb. 12, Smith posthumously celebrated 46 years featured at the University of New Mexico’s artistic printmaking workshop, the Tamarind Institute. Originally opening its doors in 1960 in California, Tamarind moved to Albuquerque in 1970, with Smith starting her residence in 1980. Tamarind Institute Director Diana Gaston said Smith has made approximately 40 editions. “Our former director saw her work and invited her to come work with us, and that was about 40 years ago, so we’ve had this really long arc of time with her,” Gaston said.

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Culture

UNM turns 137 years young with ‘build-a-bo’ and cupcakes

Lexis Lovato | March 2

While confetti fell, students celebrated 137 years of the University of New Mexico with cupcakes, free merchandise and a class photo to commemorate the University’s birthday on Friday, Feb. 27. This year, Lobo Day was Route 66 themed with a free T-shirt for students picturing Lobo Louie and Lucy riding through the desert in a lowrider headed for the Sandia Mountains, framed in an interstate route sign. Colorful posters and stickers of the same graphic on the Lobo Day T-shirts were available to take while students waited to take the group photo.

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Culture

UNM gallops into year of the fire horse

Addison Fulton | February 23

Tuesday, Feb. 17 marked the Chinese New Year, ushering in the year of the fire horse. To celebrate and share good wishes for the coming year, University of New Mexico students gathered to make red paper crafts in the Language Learning Center. Peng Yu, a professor of Chinese at UNM, led the workshop. Chinese Lunar New Year is a celebration of the new year as well as the coming of spring, and in many Asian nations, one of their biggest celebrations, he said.  “It’s like Christmas in the Western world. People get together with their family; a lot of people travel thousands of miles to be back home and get together with their elders and their family members to celebrate this cultural event,” Peng said. “It’s very, very important for them. The spring festival is not only celebrated in mainland China. Taiwan also celebrates, and in Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and many East Asian countries.”

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Culture

Trisha Paytas brings amusement and advice to students

Elizabeth Bolke | February 18

“A Conversation with Trisha Paytas,” featuring the American internet personality, podcaster and singer known for her long-running presence on YouTube was an event of kindness, love and authenticity. Paytas rose to prominence in the late 2000s with lifestyle, beauty and personal vlog content, later expanding into music, podcasting and reality television appearances. The conversation, held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at Popejoy Hall, featured topics including living your 20s rather than fearing them and being your true self. The event was organized by The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico Student Special Events team.

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Culture

Heritage of hair: AFRO brings braiding services to campus

Lexis Lovato | February 16

For generations, students have done hair for other students on campus — in dorm rooms, lounges, staff offices or anywhere else they could set up. The University of  New Mexico African American Student Services, also known as AFRO, recently unveiled a new addition to their building: a hair shop that will serve as a designated safe space for students to get their hair done by fellow students who perform cosmetic services on campus. The space adds a sense of security for both stylists and clients, said Kaelyn Moon, a Student Success Specialist at AASS.

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Culture

Black Student Union to create community newspaper

Addison Fulton | February 16

The University of New Mexico Black Student Union will soon publish its own newspaper designed to bring attention to Black history and contributions and resist efforts to erase the impact of Black Americans. The newspaper is part of BSU’s mission to create a community for Black students and preserve and share their history. The President of BSU, Cindy-Esthern Ntolla, said the paper will include reporting on current events and pieces on Black history.  “I think as of recent, we’ve struggled with learning from history, and I think utilizing a past event and applying it to a current event is really helpful to identify where we come from and where we’re going,” Ntolla said. 

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Culture

Albuquerque nominated for ‘Best City for Street Art’

Maria Fernandez | February 9

In Albuquerque, street art covers public buildings, highway underpasses, restaurants, hotels and more, depicting New Mexico’s diverse cultures, political and social issues and history. With its diverse and stunning illustrations has come national recognition that could earn the city the title of being the nation’s very best for street art. In late January, Albuquerque was nominated for USA Today’s “Best City for Street Art” competition, vying for the most votes against cities including Atlanta, Austin, Texas and Chicago. The competition examines street art beyond its eye-catching features and colors, looking instead into the cultural significance that each city’s street art represents.

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Culture

UNM Japanese bean scattering brings Spring and good fortune

Shin Thant Hlaing | February 9

In an event bringing both spring and good luck for the upcoming year, Japanese traditions were brought to the University of New Mexico through a bean scattering event open to all. The Monday, Feb. 2, event featured a presentation, followed by an origami box making workshop, tossing soybeans at participant volunteers donning ‘oni,’ or demon masks, and eating roasted soybeans corresponding to their age. The UNM Language Learning Center event featured a presentation by Mami McCrew, UNM Department of Language, Cultures, and Literatures Professor, on the Setsubun festival itself. Setsubun, meaning “seasonal division,” is usually celebrated on the last day of winter or before the start of spring, according to Uwajimaya. 

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Culture

Alum-run local business brings international viral treats to Albuquerque

Lexis Lovato | February 9

People who consider themselves chronically online and can’t get the newest trend out of their head — such as Labubus or fruit-shaped ice cream — may find fulfillment from the exotic snack shop, Monaco Market. Monaco Market imports rare ingredients, drinks and prepackaged snacks that aren’t easy to find anywhere else.  The store is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. University of New Mexico students receive a 10% discount when they present their student ID.

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Culture

UNM Speaker advocates against superstitious killings in Africa

Addison Fulton | February 9

Even today, killings based on superstition persist in several sub-Saharan African nations. To bring attention and advocate for a stop to the killings, the founder of Advocacy for Accused Witches, Leo Igwe, spoke to an audience at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Building on the history, causes and impacts of witch hunts in Africa. AFAW has responded to over 300 cases of witch hunts and ritual attacks in the past few years, Igwe said. Igwe said he was inspired to intervene in witch hunts after finishing his PhD in African studies in Germany and being told that he must study with distance and detachment.

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Culture

Native American students envision the future of their communities in artwork

Lexis Lovato | February 2

Native American students demonstrated their outstanding talents through different forms of art work, each detailing what they envision for their community’s future, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center during its 45th annual student art exhibit, which ended on Sunday, Feb. 1. The event featured art work from Native American students in New Mexico between Kindergarten and 12th grade. The first Native American Student Art Show took place just shortly after the IPCC opened its doors in 1976. This year’s theme was “Planning Our Future Homes,” where students were given prompts to help guide their artwork. The prompts were meant to evoke an idea of what each student hoped to see their community look like within the future.

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Culture

UNM hosts ‘Teach-In’ to discuss, question Venezuelan intervention

Elizabeth Bolke | February 2

The University of New Mexico Latin American and Iberian Institute and Department of Political Science held a “Teach-In” event on Monday, Jan. 26, to discuss U.S. intervention in Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The teach-in consisted of lectures by UNM Political Science Professors Mark Peceny and William Stanley, and closed with a Q&A. The presenters spoke on the U.S. attacks on alleged drug smuggling boats, the seizure and blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, the U.S. military strikes on Caracas, Venezuela, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being taken from their home and brought to the U.S. to face criminal charges while the Trump administration seeks to assert control over the Venezuelan oil industry.

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Culture

Africana Studies Department kicks off Black History Month with brunch

Camillo Cretara | February 2

The University of New Mexico Department of Africana Studies “41st Annual Black History Month Kickoff Brunch” started Black History Month off strong, with the Student Union Building full of smells, sounds and an electrifying sense of community that could be felt as soon as one entered the ballroom. The Saturday, Jan. 31 brunch started off with attendees and speakers singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson; a hymn first written in 1900 and adopted as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.  The afternoon began with brief messages from UNM students and Mr. and Ms. UNM Afro, Jayden Charter and Judie Oyinatumba, as well as a quick introduction from Albuquerque’s first African American City Council member, District Six’s Nichole Rogers.

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Culture

Sukoon Coffeehouse offers late night study space

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 2

Inspired by his wish for a late-night cafe study spot, 22-year old University of New Mexico graduate student, Taha Raad, along with two of his friends, opened Sukoon Coffeehouse over winter break 2025-2026, on the corner of Monte Vista Boulevard and Central Avenue — walking distance from Main Campus. Sukoon Coffeehouse serves a variety of espresso and matcha barista drinks, including traditional options such as the Yemeni latte, Adeni tea and Mofawar, along with a selection of traditional food items such as Honeycomb bread, Baklava and Za’atar Manakeesh. The Coffeehouse opens at 7 a.m. everyday; it closes at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12 a.m. the rest of the week.

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Culture

100 years of the historic Route 66

Maria Fernandez | February 2

Coined the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in his 1939 “The Grapes of Wrath” novel, the U.S. Route 66 has been a beloved part of New Mexico’s history since its opening in 1926 as an official highway. Route 66 is a landmark of American development and urbanization of the West, connecting Michigan Avenue in Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California — a total of 2,238 miles in its final form, according to The Route 66 website. Though travel on Route 66 lessened as the larger U.S. highway system was built, the magic of the “Mother Road” can still be seen in the cities and towns along its original route and through the oral histories of locals.