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Culture

Film student Gus Tafoya wraps final year at UNM

Natalie Jude | December 13

With graduation less than a week away for University of New Mexico film student Gus Tafoya, they have come to find peace and success in the process of creating art. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film and digital arts, Tafoya plans to take a break from school and get real-world experience in Albuquerque’s booming film industry. The last year has been a busy one for Tafoya, and while they wrote and produced films almost all on their own time, they have been able to explore their artistry in a variety of mediums and settings. Tafoya has multiple published films under their belt already, setting them up to achieve their film goals in the future. In 2021 alone, Tafoya released five short films.

Culture

Correen Talley plans to represent Navajo culture through animation

Megan Gleason | December 13

For Correen Talley, graduation is more than just getting a liberal arts degree – it’s an opportunity to represent her Navajo culture in the real world through her degree focus of digital media and computer animation in the film industry. “I would like to at least try to include my Native American culture more into the films because there’s not a lot that we see today with Native Americans, and I really would love to be a part of that,” Talley said. Talley has loved her time at the University of New Mexico but is ready to move on to the next step in her life.

Culture

‘He lives it’: UNM alumnus advocates for climate solutions

Zara Roy | December 6

University of New Mexico alumnus Laurence Cotter hopes to provide the means for younger generations to find creative, new solutions to address the impending climate crisis. An avid cyclist with no email address, a hybrid vehicle and no home internet access, Cotter is a conservationist through and through. Cotter established the $2 million Rosalind O. Womack Fund last month, an endowment for the UNM Sustainability Studies program. With it, he hopes to see the University take real, tangible action towards lessening their environmental impact. “Let’s do something good here. Let’s do something right,” Cotter said. “Let’s do something that’s going to empower us instead of just helplessly flailing around without getting our hands and minds involved in a solution.”

Culture

Julia Bernal undertakes climate change issues through Indigenous worldview

Rebecca Hobart | December 6

With a fierce passion for amplifying Indigenous worldviews in climate change issues, Julia Bernal is a graduate student pursuing degrees in community and regional planning and water resources at the University of New Mexico. She works to assert diverse perspectives through water management in New Mexico. Bernal, an enrolled member of the Sandia Pueblo, has been a steadfast contributor to efforts concerning the oil and gas drilling in the greater Chaco Canyon landscape, which has been a key focus in her work with the Pueblo Action Alliance. She said her graduate studies at UNM will help give her “some credibility in this attempt to merge grassroots efforts to water management and water planning.”

Culture

Twinkle Light Parade returns, brightens Nob Hill

Natalie Jude | December 6

Friends, families and loved ones clamored to the sidewalks of Nob Hill to watch the over 100 holiday-related floats light up the streets of Albuquerque for the Twinkle Light Parade on Saturday, Dec. 4. Crowds were delighted to see the parade come back in-person after it was held virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city said that “the parade is comprised of local businesses, organizations, school groups and families, all competing for Best in Show.” This included groups like the University of New Mexico Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Albuquerque Police Department and more.

Culture

Mental Health Matters: Solutions to students’ mental health crises

Megan Gleason | December 6

The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic one year and nine months ago — almost half the time it takes to complete a typical bachelor’s degree and nearly the entire average to complete a typical master’s degree. While some students have experienced college knowing nothing but the pandemic and others look back on a time when things weren’t so chaotic, all feel the same weight on their shoulders as they attempt to finish a degree while the national death count creeps over 5.26 million. “I have found that there really aren’t many young adults in college who don’t struggle at least in some realm with mental health,” Quinlyn McBrayer, a postgraduate student studying nutrition, said.

Culture

ASK THE EDITORS: Lobo Wrapped 2021

Joseph McKee , Liam Debonis , Shelby Kleinhans , John Scott , Emma Trevino and Zara Roy | December 6

To the dismay of Apple Music users, the highly anticipated Spotify Wrapped is finally here with a data collection packaged in fun colors and quirky attempts at humor. To commemorate this annual event, the Daily Lobo editors decided to give readers a peek behind the curtain at their top songs. Shelby’s No. 1 Song: “Future Days” by Pearl Jam Pearl Jam’s “Future Days” had an immediate impact on my psyche. Their hit became an earworm last year when I first played my now-favorite video game, “The Last of Us Part II,” and was touched by how it was integrally woven into the game’s narrative. Fast forward one year later and I still can’t get the song out of my head.

Culture

Hanging of the Greens lights up holiday season

Shelby Kleinhans | December 5

The University of New Mexico’s oldest annual tradition, the Hanging of the Greens, made a triumphant return to campus on the evening of Friday, Dec. 3 after going virtual last year due to the pandemic. This year, nothing could stand in the way of thousands of luminarias illuminating campus as the sun went down. The event, organized by the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society in association with several campus-wide professional and student organizations which helped set up thousands of luminarias across campus, saw hundreds of students and community members come to campus for the evening’s activities.

Culture

REVIEW: Mike Mills’ latest film 'C’mon C’mon:' A love letter to living

Natalie Jude | December 2

This review contains spoilers The black and white kaleidoscope that is “C’mon C’mon” is an exploration of the space between people and the malleability of relationships. Such subject matter might easily have been lost in the transition from brain to screen, but the phenomenal cast, thoughtful direction and wonderful cinematography brought this world to life perfectly. In the film, Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny and Woody Norman’s Jesse, who are uncle and nephew, are forcibly but sweetly brought together when Jesse’s mother, Viv, painstakingly leaves to care for her mentally unstable father Paul, who wants to recieve help but has struggled to. In dealing with Paul’s psychosis and rekindling a relationship with Johnny, Viv is reminded of trauma surrounding the death of her mother.

Culture

Student Support Services TRIO director helps marginalized students

Emma Trevino | November 29

Dawn Blue Sky-Hill, director of the Student Support Services TRIO program at the University of New Mexico, has been with SSS TRIO for 20 years. In that time, she has helped and mentored students from all walks of life to set them up for success in academia and beyond. According to its website, SSS TRIO’s mission is to “increase the college retention and graduation rates of program participants at the University of New Mexico main campus. The SSS program draws upon a holistic framework where committed participants receive individualized support by addressing their educational and personal needs.” As director, Sky-Hill helps facilitate this support through coordinating mentors, advisors, tutoring and more.

Culture

5 and Why: 5 tips to power through final exams

Zara Roy | November 29

As the semester winds down, the ever-dreaded final exam season is rapidly approaching. University of New Mexico student Jazmine Villescas, a senior in the biology program, took a short break from studying at Zimmerman Library to give Daily Lobo readers some tips for getting through finals week. Plan out study time ahead of exams A crucial step in preparing for finals is simply knowing when your exams are so you can budget your time accordingly, Villescas said. Knowing whether each test will be cumulative or only based on the most recent course material is also very important, according to Villescas.

Culture

Mental Health Matters: Educators’ mental health worsened by pandemic

Megan Gleason | November 29

What used to be the stable field of education is now revolving around uncontrollable and unknown factors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and educators are suffering because of this. A mental health pandemic lies at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic as educators have been dealing with an increased amount of mental health issues. “Teachers’ jobs — stressful even before the pandemic — have become even tougher, with longer work hours, struggles to engage students remotely, repeated pivots from hybrid to remote to in-person instruction, not to mention fears that they — or their loved ones — could get COVID-19,” Education Week reported.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Tick, tick ... BOOM!’: Andrew Garfield explodes in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s latest project

Emma Trevino | November 29

“Tick, tick … BOOM!” the feature-length film directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda released on Netflix mid-November, owes its greatness to two factors: Andrew Garfield and Jonathan Larson’s ingenious eponymous play. “Tick, tick … BOOM!” is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical musical created by playwright Larson, creator of Broadway smash hit “Rent.” Garfield stars as Jonathan, an aspiring, struggling playwright trying desperately to get his foot in the door of show business with a futuristic rock opera. While the character may teeter on the edge of the tortured artist archetype, Garfield’s sincerity shines through, preventing too many cliches. Going into the film, I wasn’t optimistic.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘House of Gucci’: Ridley Scott’s latest is anything but chic

John Scott / Daily Lobo / @JohnSnott | November 29

This review contains spoilers Upon the release of the first photos of Adam Driver and Lady Gaga as Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, to say expectations for “House of Gucci” were high would be an understatement. With a cast like that and legendary director Ridley Scott at the helm, it seemed like a Hollywood dream come true. That is, of course, until you watch it and you slowly realize that an all-star cast, a big budget and a beloved director will not save you from creating something that is utterly lifeless and entirely boring. The film mainly follows Patrizia and Maurizio as they ascend the ranks of the Gucci empire, ultimately culminating in their separation and Maurizio’s inevitable assassination at the hands of a hit man hired by Patrizia.

Culture

River of Lights: Crowd bedazzled on opening night

Megan Gleason | November 28

The 24th annual River of Lights came back to delight Albuquerque at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden on its opening night on Saturday, Nov. 27. Mayor Tim Keller was present to turn on the millions of lights, making the nearly 600 displays light up the night. River of Lights began in 1997 as a BioPark fundraiser and proceeds still support BioPark projects via the New Mexico BioPark Society. “Each year's show unveils ingenious new sculptures and stunning displays made by BioPark artists and craftsmen,” the BioPark’s website reads. “New Mexico’s largest walk-through light show, River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden, features ... 600 displays made up of millions of lights,” USA Today reported.

Culture

Amy Farnbach Pearson offers social perspective on COVID-19

Rebecca Hobart | November 22

Though she got her start in microbiology in her undergraduate program, University of New Mexico professor Amy Farnbach Pearson now studies medicine through the humanities lens. She seeks to broach conversations on how disease presents in societies and what it means for patients perceived to be afflicted. Farnbach Pearson joined the Honors College team this year, an environment that has been historically welcoming to interdisciplinary conversations and out-of-the-box curricula. She’s a temporary part-time professor teaching “Tuberculosis to COVID-19: What is Health?” this semester, which is one medium she uses to have conversations on how Western societies have and continue to respond to diseases.

Culture

OPINION: UNM lacks necessary mental health support

Natalie Jude | November 22

Despite prolific reports of poor mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of New Mexico maintains a limited position on the issue. Considering the generational emphasis on mental health advocacy, the question remains as to why students suffering with poor mental health continue to struggle alone. UNM claims to offer support via Student Health and Counseling and, while in theory that provision is helpful, if you can manage even to have your phone call picked up, the likelihood that you’ll get an appointment scheduled by season’s end is slim to none. Amid a pandemic, these resources are needed more than ever. The support systems that SHAC provides wouldn’t be enough, though, even if fully functional.

Culture

‘Boots on the ground:’ SHAC associate director navigates heavy workload

Zara Roy | November 22

Karen Lucero, the associate clinical director of counseling services at the University of New Mexico’s Student Health and Counseling, works tirelessly to see her own patients while managing clients and counseling personnel at UNM. As the self-described “boots on the ground” at SHAC, Lucero is proud to work as a counselor and help others. Lucero’s future was not always in counseling. She was initially gearing up to enter the UNM School of Law herself after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics from UNM before her own personal experiences with grief counseling persuaded her to change career paths.

Culture

OPINION: UNM mental health resources

Emma Trevino | November 22

At this point in the semester, extreme stress and burnout are incredibly common, and it’s more than okay to ask for help. Here’s a list of my favorite campus resources at the University of New Mexico that you should look into if you’re in need of assistance. Agora Crisis Center Payment: Free The Agora Crisis Center offers several free services including but not limited to helpline, online emotional support chat and information on how to help yourself and others. After meeting a few of the volunteers at Agora, I can confidently say that they are committed to helping others in every way they can. The center itself is small but it’s so clearly full of people who care about people.

Culture

Coping with seasonal depression

Elizabeth Secor | November 22

Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as seasonal depression, is a form of depression in which symptoms present during specific seasons, typically during the fall and winter months. Seasonal depression affects an estimated 10 million Americans yearly, but there are methods to help identify and cope with symptoms. According to Albuquerque therapist Anne-Marie Cooper, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms include abnormal sleep and eating patterns, general low mood and a ”lack of willingness to engage in things that typically one would usually like to engage in.” University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling psychiatrist Dr. Tien Nguyen advises students to monitor how much their symptoms are affecting daily function and how much psychological distress their symptoms are causing them when considering professional help.