Culture - The Daily Lobo

Culture

Tinkertown: a dream on earth

Nicole Perez | May 5

Six intricately carved horses pull a miniature painted wagon past meticulously constructed old-time refreshment stands — all beneath a brilliant circus canopy. The outside walls are adorned with vintage signs sporting ads like “Pennzoil – Safe Lubrication,” “Beware of Dog,” “Coca Cola,” and “Panhandle 10 miles, Conway 19.” Welcome to Tinkertown Museum, a zany collection of trinkets and art nestled in the sleepy East Mountains.

Culture

Don’t buy more stuff; be joyous

Jes Martin | May 5

It was Saturday afternoon. I was chillin’ on the couch at a friend’s place, watching a James Bond spoof flick.

Culture

Sustainability scrapes by

Andrew Beale | May 5

Since the end of June 2010, the Sustainability Studies program has been on its last leg, but grants gave it the cash infusion it needs to stay afloat and provided extra funding to start summer programs. Bruce Milne, the founder and director of the program, said the W.K.

Culture

A hat for every occasion

Nicole Perez | May 3

Expect the unexpected when approaching Larry’s Hats. The facade is painted with bright rainbow squares and the large sign is a luminescent purple, giving it a whimsical and fanciful look.

Culture

The ugly is truly unique

Graham Gentz | May 3

There is one word that comes to mind when trying to describe “La Fea: A FlamenChoreoMyth.” It’s often overused, but it carries weight in this case.

Culture

Band rocks in studio, live

April 28

Its Facebook page describes the band’s sound as “tragically underrated droney psych-rock.” Local band CanyonLands originated as a project called Small Flightless Birds that started while vocalist/guitarist Nathan Bickley was attending the University.

Culture

Mixtape will weird you out

Andrew Beale | April 28

What do you get when you mix a blended-up cartoon baby, a cocktail of bodily fluids and gore that makes “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” look like “Bambi”? Burning Paradise Video has the answer.

Culture

Think outside the box office

Chris Quintana | April 28

It’s the last movie rental holdout, a Pandora’s box full of lost treasures. Burning Paradise Video has outlasted Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, and remains unconquerable terrain for the Redbox and Netflix.

Cartoonist Stephen McCranie shows off his first graphic novel, “Mal and Chad,” which was first printed in a Daily Lobo comic strip in 2007. The book is the first of three planned novels, and the UNM alumnus will host a book signing Saturday in the UNM Bookstore.

Culture

UNM cartoonist hits it big

Graham Gentz | April 27

Cartoonist Stephen McCranie has a pointy, kind face, and is dismayingly tall. His name is just as unwieldy.

Culture

Meet your cute slave masters

Chris Quintana and Isaac Avilucea | April 27

Phooey on you, brainless America. Boy, oh, boy, did the big-wigs hit it big, selling us not only sneakers, burgers, insurance and batteries, but also slinging us the subliminal.

Culture

Rainbow gowns, not black ones

Andrew Beale | April 27

Students who have had to pick between a general graduation ceremony and a ceremony for their department now have a third option: Rainbow Graduation. It’s a new ceremony for LGBTQ students and their friends (and allies) organized by the LGBTQ Resource Center.

Culture

It’s a Magical Masterpiece

Graham Gentz | April 26

It is appropriate that a piece of incredible magical realism can simply be referred to as magical. Literally everything is in place for this piece.

Culture

Want to Fail? Take These

Alexandra Swanberg | April 26

From introductory courses in math and science to languages that have come back from the dead to haunt living students, there are 92 UNM courses that have earned a failure rate as low as 20 percent and up to 55 percent, according to the Fall 2010 Course Outcomes Data (aka “Killer Courses”) compiled by the Office of Institutional Research. Math 121 Twelve out of the 92 killer courses were math classes, which also account for five of the six classes with failure rates above 50 percent.

Culture

Want An Easy A? Take These

Nicole Perez | April 26

All of us love getting an A, whether you’re a slacker or a high achiever who needs a GPA boost. The Daily Lobo is here to offer unofficial suggestions for your fall schedule so you know where to find those “do the min., you win” classes.

Culture

Earth Day starts with you

Andrew Beale | April 21

The world is completely screwed. Human beings are, basically, a parasite on the face of the planet.

Culture

Women raise funds to promote science

Juanita Martinez | April 21

Engineering is not just a man’s game, but the trick is making sure women know that. The UNM chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is looking to make that known by holding a live auction where people can bid on their favorite engineering student and “geeks” from other majors.

Culture

Playwrights given direction

Alexandra Swanberg | April 21

Generally, it’s best to avoid fire, but the UNM’s Words Afire Festival is encouraging its audience to feel the burn. The festival pairs dramatic writing graduate students with internationally renowned directors who transform the students’ screenplays into lively, full-blown productions.

Culture

JUGGLE JUNKIES

Nicole Perez | April 21

The sound of balls thudding against rough stone tiles echoes across Smith Plaza. Two people are juggling in front of skateboarders.

Culture

For Your Ears

Andy Beale | April 19

With finals coming up, everyone needs a study break regardless of whether they’ve actually been studying.

Culture

Choral program scores new score

Alexandra Swanberg | April 19

UNM’s choral program commissioned a piece on death to celebrate its 100 years of life. About a year ago, UNM Choral Activities Director Brad Ellingboe approached world-renowned composer Rene Clausen to request a piece to celebrate the program’s centennial.