Culture

Culture

Chicana and Chicano Studies Department sponsors national Latinx Vision 2.0 conference

Marina Olmstead | November 22

The University of New Mexico’s Chicana and Chicano Studies Department sponsored the Latinx Vision 2.0 “One Planet-Many Worlds Online Conference” on Nov. 3 through 7. On Nov. 3, speaker Jessica Hernandez gave a powerful presentation on “Indigenous Science and the Diaspora” hosted via Zoom. Joining her presentation was Divana Olivas, an assistant professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies Studies at UNM. Hernandez, a Binnizá/Zapotec and Maya Ch'orti’, is a Indigenous scientist, climate justice leader, best-selling author of “Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous science” and founder of Earth Daughter, a transnational Indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering Indigenous women and youth through mutual aid and climate justice initiatives.

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Culture

BioPark expands Mexican grey wolf conservation effort with new facility

Addison Fulton | November 17

In the 1970s, the Mexican gray wolf was nearly hunted into extinction, with just seven remaining. So began one of the biggest success stories in wildlife conservation; now a population of nearly 300 canines survives and grows in Arizona and New Mexico. The story of the Mexican gray wolf continues on at the Albuquerque BioPark. On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Albuquerque Biopark hosted a first look at its recently completed “Mexican Wolf Conservation Facility.” The BioPark does not yet have wolves living in its conservation area; the visitation time was deliberately set between the completion of the habitat and the arrival of the animals — which are expected to move in during early 2026 — as the facility will be closed off to the public.

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Culture

American Indian Student Services hosts first annual feast day

Paloma Chapa | November 17

Students gathered at the University of New Mexico’s Cornell Mall to watch Pueblo dancers and musicians and shop from Indigenous artist vendors during American Indian Student Services’ first annual feast day on Thursday, Nov. 13. The feast day was hosted by American Indian Student Services and featured dancers from the pueblos of Ohkay Owingeh and Zuni, and artists from the Navajo Nation and Pueblos of Acoma, Kewa and Cochiti, among others. AISS Director Andrew Yazzie said the event was a moment to celebrate Indigenous culture on campus and offer a feast day for students who might not be able to travel home for different events.

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Culture

‘Paint Night’ brings calm and color to students

Addison Fulton | November 17

Laughter and acrylics filled the cafeteria of the University of New Mexico Student Union Building on Friday, Nov. 14, as students unwound and expressed themselves with free art supplies and full creative license.  During “Paint Night,” students received a free canvas, brushes and paint to fuel their imagination. The evening also featured a raffle for four prizes: a $50 Amazon gift card, another $50 gift card to “Art Attack,” a local business where people paint their own ceramic art, a pair of Beats headphones, and a 200-piece art supply kit. One student and attendee, Aaliyah Zamora, painted a planet against a blue and pink pastel background of fluffy clouds and white stars. She said this is the second “Paint Night” she  attended, and heard about it through the SUB’s Instagram page. 

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Culture

UNM Art Museum pauses gallery exhibitions for ‘Collections Year’

Addison Fulton | November 10

The walls of the University of New Mexico Art Museum are bare now, but the space is packed with potential as collections workers catalog and curate new additions to the museum’s collection.  In 2024, The University of New Mexico Art Museum announced it was the recipient of a gift of over 100 photographs from the collection of Daniel Greenberg and Susan Steinhauser, collectors based in Los Angeles, California. The influx of art prompted the museum to temporarily pause gallery showings and embark on their “Collections Year” project.  Collections Year is a catch-all name for an unprecedented, difficult-to-define era for the museum, Collections Manager for the UNM Art Museum Andrea Perez-Martinez said. For the first time, UNMAM has closed its galleries; however, its study rooms remain open and accessible for visitors and classes. 

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Culture

Mammals, migrations and maps: UNM hosts ‘Wildlife without Borders’ talk

Addison Fulton | November 10

Against the backdrop of shifting literal and social climates, a Fulbright scholar reminded listeners that “Wildlife don’t know anything about the political world.” The speaker, Jesús Fernández, was one member of the “Wildlife Without Borders: Conserving Mammals Across the U.S. Southwest and Northwestern Mexico” panel hosted by the University of New Mexico Latin American and Iberian Studies Department on Thursday, Nov. 6. The panel included four speakers — Fernández, Jason Malaney, Enrique Martínez Meyer and Cuauhcihuatl Vital García — alongside moderator and historian Samuel Truett. Fernández is a professor of taxonomy and systematics of biodiversity at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua. He focuses primarily on the evolution and conservation of mammals and discussed the biodiversity in the transboundary region at the event.

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Culture

‘Festival of Languages’ showcases multilingualism at UNM

Lexis Lovato | November 10

Individuals interested in sharing appreciation and education for multicultural communities and languages were brought together by the The Festival of Languages, which highlighted research, cultural and career presentations centered around language study made by graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and alumni. The event was part of Research and Discovery week — and was held on Friday, Nov. 7 — which is a list of scheduled events that promote the research enterprise of the University of New Mexico and the opportunities available to researchers. Presentations in the event focused on how, and where, multilingualism thrives throughout areas like healthcare, community service and education.

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Culture

Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance hosts ‘Body as Archive’ event

Maria Fernandez | November 10

As part of the 2025 University of New Mexico Research and Discovery Week, on Friday, Nov. 7, the Elizabeth Waters Center hosted the “Body as Archive” exhibit and guided discussion highlighting the visual documentation of the center’s history. Led by Ninoska M’bewe Escobar, an assistant professor in the department of theater and dance, the event included a tour of the Elizabeth Waters Center to view the photos, concert posters, guest artist biographies and more hung in the hallways between the dance studios in UNM Carlisle Gym. “The event is an opportunity to expand UNM Dance's connection to other disciplinary areas on campus, to foster conversation about the significance of creative practices like dance to American culture and progress, and to expand engagement with local communities and citizens,” Escobar wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.

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Culture

Students carve their way to victory in Halloween event

Alex Joe | November 3

On Halloween, the scariest day of the year — especially if you are a pumpkin — students gathered to butcher the orange squash into forms both spooky and sweet. On Friday, Oct. 31, the University of New Mexico Student Union Building hosted their annual pumpkin carving contest, welcoming the opportunity for students to express creativity with their pumpkins.  The  pumpkins were judged in four categories:  “scariest,” ”cutest,” “most creative” and “people’s choice.” The winners won prizes including candy and gift cards.

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Culture

Scares at the SUB: UNM hosts ghost hunter

Lexis Lovato | November 3

The University of New Mexico raised Halloween spirits by welcoming paranormal investigator Amy Bruni on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to speak with other believers of ghosts about some of her most memorable experiences and stories she has encountered while conducting paranormal investigations. Bruni prefaced the event by clarifying that she will never speak in absolutes about ghosts, nor dictate their existence, because she knows it is virtually impossible to prove the existence of ghosts, she said. Bruni said her thoughts and theories about hauntings change almost all of the time. 

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Culture

‘Haunted Hodgin Hall’ horrifies humanity

Addison Fulton | November 3

Screams echoed through the University of New Mexico’s campus as alums, faculty and students enjoyed a free haunted house set up in its oldest building. On Tuesday, Oct. 28, the UNM Alumni Association and UNM Trailblazers hosted “Haunted Hodgin Hall.” All year, Hodgin Hall serves as the alumni center, but on Tuesday, it served as a realm of frights and thrills. Katie Varoz Williams, associate director of Alumni Relations, said that the event exists not just to scare students, but to deepen their connection to the Alumni Association while they’re still on campus.

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Culture

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ comes to life through on-stage orchestra

Leila Chapa | October 31

The animated TV series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” lands at Popejoy Hall as a two hour live orchestral performance, bringing the show’s musical score on stage for the show’s 20th anniversary tour. The orchestra, which plays in Albuquerque on Sunday, Nov. 2, will be paired with highlights and favorite moments from all three seasons of the show, projected on a full-sized cinema screen, according to a Popejoy press release. The live orchestra performs the music of Emmy Award-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman, who is behind the show's original music, and will be in sync with the action on screen, according to the press release.

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Culture

Women’s Resource Center holds ‘Plant and Rant’ event

Marina Olmstead | October 27

The colors of paint and plants blossomed at the University of New Mexico Women’s Resource Center as students planted slips of paper with wishes to grow alongside their plants, and built connections to grow with their college experiences. “Think of a goal you want to manifest, and you can put it in your pot so it can grow too,” WRC administrative assistant Kylie Hanson said at the event, encouraging students who were gathered to paint clay pots. On Thursday, Oct. 23, the UNM’s WRC held its “Plant and Rant” event in the courtyard of the WRC, hosted by the UNM-WRC Women in STEM and Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center. 

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Culture

UNM Open Educational Resources initiative spreads the word with free books

Addison Fulton and Addie Gerber | October 27

Students crowded around tables at Smith Plaza to pick out available free books and learn about free educational resources on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and Wednesday, Oct. 22. The University of New Mexico Open Educational Resources initiative hosted book fairs where onlookers were encouraged to take free books and learn about an initiative that seeks to connect faculty members to low-cost and no-cost textbooks and class material solutions. Samantha “Sammi” Williams, the program coordinator of UNM OER, said that the event was a major success with many people stopping by to take advantage of the available free books.

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Culture

Students take a ‘pawse’ during midterms

Nicholas Skaldetvind | October 27

A team of adorable faces and wagging tails provided students with memorable moments and smiles during midterm exam week. Each semester, the Southwest Canine Corps of Volunteers’ therapy dogs and their handlers visit the University of New Mexico for the “Cuddle a Canine” event. At this semester’s event, hosted on Oct. 23, a pack of eight dogs of a wide variety of breeds, all with fuzzy faces, came to campus.  As the event unfolded near Zimmerman Library, students took time out of their routine and enjoyed the little things in life — in the form of fur and teeth. 

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Culture

S’mores and Stokes: UNM President hosts smores roast

Addison Fulton | October 20

Sheltering from damp autumn weather, students and faculty huddled inside to enjoy roasted marshmallows and kick off a week of school spirit.  The “President Stokes’ S’mores Roast,” hosted by University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes, at the Student Union Building on Monday, Oct. 13, served as the kickoff of UNM’s Homecoming Week. Stokes said that of the Homecoming events, the s’mores roast is among her favorites. Its placement at the beginning of the festivities allows it to bring awareness to other events, she said.

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Culture

Tony Award-Winning Musical, ‘Moulin Rouge!’ comes to Popejoy Hall

Leila Chapa | October 18

Named after the iconic Parisian cabaret, Broadway musical “Moulin Rouge!” is expected to bring glitter, dazzle, theatrical performance and live dance to Popejoy Hall. The musical — showing from Tuesday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 26 — directed and choreographed by Tony Award winners Alex Timbers and Sonya Tayeh, brings Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film of the same name to life onstage.