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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.

Culture

Mental Health Matters: Local healthcare workers struggle as pandemic rages on

Megan Gleason | November 22

Once considered heroes by the entire nation, now largely taken for granted while hospitals run at over 100% capacity, local healthcare workers are feeling burnt out from the COVID-19 pandemic as we enter over a year and a half of the crisis with people still refusing to get vaccinated. At one point in the pandemic, Steve Nuanez, director of employee well-being at the University of New Mexico Hospital, said there was a light at the end of the tunnel where things seemed to be returning to normal. Now, however, New Mexico is seeing over 1,000 COVID-19 cases regularly again and Nuanez said UNMH is usually running at 140% capacity.

Culture

Self-help tool TAO promoted during Mental Health Screening Week

Megan Gleason | November 21

Help is as near as a click away for Lobos at the University of New Mexico. And just after the University’s Mental Health Screening Week — the first week ever of its kind at UNM — it’s time now rather than later to take stock of personal mental health. Therapy Assistance Online is a 100% anonymous, free online resource for all affiliates of UNM. This tool, which was largely promoted during UNM’s Mental Health Screening Week that took place from Nov. 15-19, aims to provide mental health and well-being aid for individuals. The only thing needed to access it is an active UNM email.

Culture

Retired UNM professor publishes 60th book

Natalie Jude | November 15

Richard Etulain, retired professor for the history department at the University of New Mexico, published his 60th book this year, “Mark O. Hatfield: Oregon Statesman (The Oklahoma Western Biographies Book 33),” on politician Hatfield, who contributed greatly to Etulain’s philosophy against bipartisanship. Born in eastern Washington and raised on a sheep ranch by his Basque immigrant father and “frontier mother,” Etulain was no stranger to hard work. Growing up, his father consistently reminded him that “anything you set out to do, get ‘er done.” With this in mind, and despite an initial nervousness surrounding writing, Etulain has churned out a book every year since his retirement in 2001.

Culture

UNM alumna receives prestigious clean energy award

Rebecca Hobart | November 15

The recognition of successful women in STEM continues with eyes on University of New Mexico alumna Kate Anderson, chief of staff for energy systems integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a sector of the U.S. Department of Energy. This year, Anderson is the recipient of the C3E Social, Economic, and Policy Innovation Award, which recognizes women in clean energy. “There are not a lot of women in clean energy … but there should be,” Anderson said. “An award like this helps because it helps people see themselves and see that, ‘Oh, that’s something that I could do too,’ and not just view it as a man’s field.”

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Eternals’ marks needed change for Marvel Studios

Elizabeth Secor | November 15

“Eternals,” the third film installment in Marvel’s phase four, recently came to theaters and marked a nice change in the studio’s traditional releases. Going into “Eternals,” I was feeling apprehensive due to the poor critic ratings, but the film’s diverse cast and engaging plot signaled a new and better era for Marvel. The film follows a group of eight extraterrestrial beings known as the Eternals, lead by Gemma Chan as Sersi. Each has their own unique powers, who have sworn to protect the Earth from the Deviants (alien monsters who are trying to eat all of human life).

Culture

OPINION: ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ exceeds soaring expectations

Emma Trevino | November 15

Taylor Swift has been teasing the release of her second re-recorded album, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” for months. On Nov. 12, the 30-song collection finally arrived, and it’s everything that I could’ve hoped for. What makes the album unique from the original are the exquisite “From the Vault” tracks — songs Swift had written for the first version of “Red” but ultimately had to chop when piecing together the final cut. Swift’s first rerecording venture was April 2021’s “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” and there were really only two vault tracks that I continue to listen to. However, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” has several vault tracks worthy of repeat button notoriety, including the ten minute version of fan favorite “All Too Well.”

Culture

REVIEW: ‘The Harder They Fall’ stumbles on gold

Natalie Jude | November 9

“The Harder They Fall” is a striking western drama featuring a vast and talented cast that was filmed in Santa Fe. This extravagant tale of the Wild West is well worth a watch. While the film is classic in structure, it’s expertly executed with exciting new twists. Co-written and solely directed by Jeymes Samuel, “The Harder They Fall” packs a punch. At first it seems to revel in its own melodrama, but over the course of 139 minutes, it blossoms into an original tragic story of the cyclical nature of violence and vengeance.

Culture

UNM student fights for climate justice

Zara Roy | November 8

The fight for climate justice continues at the University of New Mexico and senior Raven Alcott is standing at the forefront of the action, acting as a voice for Indigenous communities. As a student majoring in environmental science with a minor in Native American studies, Alcott has been fighting for the complete divestment of the University from fossil fuels as a member of the UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight (LEAF). She even recently contributed to UNM LEAF’s complaint to the state’s attorney general, which called for an investigation of the UNM Foundation’s financial investment in fossil fuel stocks.

Culture

UNM biology student looks to lead in conservation efforts

Rebecca Hobart | November 8

With a lifelong commitment and passion for protecting public lands in hand, University of New Mexico senior Kai Hollenberg embraces the challenges of conservation. As a biology major with a focus in conservation who serves as the president of the UNM Wilderness Alliance, her ongoing work with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service as well as opportunities to address pressing environmental concerns across the country has prepared Hollenberg for a life of service in the conservation sector. “When I think about how much time the average human spends working, I really want it to be for something I believe in,” Hollenberg said. “Conservation and the health of our planet is definitely at the top of that list for me.”