Culture - The Daily Lobo

Culture

The Pack lights up Johnson Field for Red Rally

John Scott | September 12

A distinct orange glow lit up the night sky on Sept. 9 as hundreds of students flocked to Johnson Field for Red Rally. This annual event featured the burning of a 25-foot-tall Aggie effigy ahead of the University of New Mexico’s rivalry football match against New Mexico State University, which happened on Saturday, Sept. 11. This year was the first time Red Rally has taken place since 2019, following the COVID-19 shutdown that began in March 2020. The rally began with a few short words from Lobo Spirit Executive Director Joshua LaFayette, ASUNM President Greg Romero, UNM President Garnett Stokes and members of the UNM football team, all hyping up the student body for a rivalry game win.

Culture

Water drives UNM professor Mark Stone to build a better future

Megan Gleason | September 6

Kayaking in a river or hiking along a stream, you’re likely to find water expert Mark Stone basking in nature. As a University of New Mexico professor with interest and research invested in many water-related matters, Stone pulls his energy from the outdoors and does everything he can to protect it. “Water runs through everything and defines what I do, both on the work front and when I’m not working,” Stone said. Stone works in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and has a variety of different focuses, from headwater-dependent systems like the Rio Grande to river restoration to climate change to natural disasters.

Culture

Grad student Duncan McGraw seeks to support his community

Maddie Pukite | September 6

Duncan McGraw, who works as a research assistant and is pursuing a Ph.D. in optical science and engineering at the University of New Mexico, is passionate about playing an active role in his community and bringing more perspectives to STEM fields, as well as promoting fair working conditions for graduate workers. A lot of the work McGraw does involves lasers and studying light. Specifically, McGraw studies how light interacts with materials and how to use it to convey information and do computations. According to McGraw, lasers have always been of interest to him, which is what inspired his interest in this field.

Culture

OPINION: UNM men's basketball player pairing could solve team's issues

Matthew Salcido | September 6

Last year, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team was terrible on the offensive. They couldn’t shoot, they turned the ball over way too much and their defense was poor in the backcourt. There were problems all over the roster, but the most glaring started at the guard positions, which are the most important positions in college basketball. This season won’t be perfect in that department either, but UNM does have two players that could propel the Lobos to better offensive bliss if they can play together: Saquan Singleton and Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Candyman’ (2021) shows the horrors of gentrification

John Scott | August 31

This review contains spoilers If you asked any filmmaker working in Hollywood right now, regardless of talent or experience, if they would want to remake 1992’s “Candyman,” the general consensus would probably be a resounding, “No, the original was already so good; how could I even come close to approaching that?” Enter director and co-writer Nia DaCosta, who boldly takes on the challenge of re-imagining one of the most iconic ‘90s horror films and overall one of the most iconic horror films of all time; DaCosta steps up to the plate with an immense respect for the genre and a whole load of creativity.

Culture

5 and Why: 5 essentials for a successful semester

Emma Trevino | August 30

Working on homework underneath the shady cover of trees at the Duck Pond was first-year student Emma Eckelmann, who agreed to let Daily Lobo readers in on what her school essentials are for a good semester. Working classroom technology Being in a classroom that has a working computer and projector is vital to Eckelmann, mainly because all of her professors utilize that technology. “All of (my professors) rely on it; all of them use PowerPoint presentations or show videos, so it’s essential for their lectures,” Eckelmann said. Not having working technology in the classroom disrupts the flow and rhythm of lectures while also taking away from the time students have to learn, according to Eckelmann.

Culture

Face-to-Face: The return to "normal"

John Scott | August 30

On March 13, 2020, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes announced that the University of New Mexico would be extending its spring break until April 5 in an effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission on campus. Weeks turned into months as the pandemic forced all classes to an online-only format and campus buildings were deserted. The university we knew, filled with a familiar buzz of minds eager to learn, had become a ghost town. Now, nearly a year and a half later, students have finally returned to campus for in-person classes, even if this return may not look like what campus looked like a year ago. How does one “return to normal” after a year that was anything but normal?

Culture

OPINION: New “Witcher” movie adds depth, beauty to established universe

Emma Trevino | August 24

As an avid fan of the hit Netflix series “The Witcher,” I was devastated when I originally burned through the eight, hour-long episodes very quickly. However, Aug. 23 brought some new content with the release of “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf,” an animated movie independent from the first series that’s actually worth watching. My initial excitement about this new series was short-lived when I learned the characters would be unfamiliar and the plot would be completely unrelated to that of “The Witcher.” However, I soon came to realize that while the stories may be different, the world that both productions share was greatly benefited by this new animated film.

Culture

UNM’s Laura Crossey promoted to distinguished professor

Rebecca Hobart | August 23

University of New Mexico Professor Laura Crossey’s interest in planetary sciences dates back to her childhood memory of watching the first steps on the moon on her grandmother’s black-and-white TV in Illinois. Now, she has over 150 peer-reviewed publications and is a distinguished professor — the highest-ranking title faculty can have — of the Earth and Planetary Sciences department at UNM. Crossey is a pioneer for women in geosciences, as she was the second woman hired on the EPS faculty in 1985 and was the first woman tenured in the department. She also served as the first female chair of the department from 2013-2016.

Culture

5 and Why: 5 exciting things about starting college

Emma Trevino | August 23

New UNM student Alison Harper was on her way to the First-Year Convocation ceremony when she agreed to give an idea of what her thoughts were about coming to college for the first time to Daily Lobo readers. This is Harper's top-five list of what she’s most looking forward to about college. Studying what she’s passionate about Oftentimes, high school limits the freedom of personalized academic pursuit in the interest of a more rounded degree overall. Because of this, high schoolers often don’t have more than a couple of electives each year; Harper is looking forward to that changing in college.

Culture

OPINION: 5 back-to-school hacks for students

Emma Trevino | August 23

With school starting up and stress looming, it can seem pretty nerve-wracking to come to campus, either for the first time ever or for the first time in a year and a half. Having personally experienced college before and during the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel like a more-than-competent student; while I don’t have all the answers, I’ve compiled a list of general tips that every student can utilize.

Culture

Welcome Back Days kick off first week of school

Megan Gleason | August 22

The Student Activities Center at the University of New Mexico is welcoming students back to campus with open arms as they continue to host Welcome Back Days from Aug. 23 to Aug. 27, which will feature differently themed days and tabling events during the first week of school. “We need to kind of jump start campus life again, and Welcome Back Days … are really good places to find those opportunities to get involved with UNM and make it a better place,” SAC director Ryan Lindquist said. All of the events taking place on main campus will be at the Duck Pond from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with various visitors to represent different sides of campus. Each day will have free food and/or drinks (served starting at noon unless otherwise specified) while supplies last, and live music will be playing at most of the events.

Culture

OPINION: “Twilight” takeaways as an adult

Emma Trevino | August 17

This review contains spoilers for the “Twilight” series Take any movie saga from the early 2010s and you’re bound to get an iconic era fueled by quirky traits like side braids, archery classes and running around aimlessly in the woods. Possibly the most influential of the fictional series phase we all experienced around the 2010s was “The Twilight Saga.” While I never got into the books or movies at the time, the films’ recent arrival on Netflix inspired me to finally see what the hype was about. I can completely understand loving “Twilight” as a kid, but here are some of my thoughts as a first-time adult viewer.

Culture

UNM Art Museum eagerly anticipates late-August reopening

Megan Gleason | August 16

Creativity is in the air as the University of New Mexico Art Museum looks forward to reopening on Aug. 31 after an 18-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum staff are currently working on preparations to ensure that they are ready to welcome back visitors shortly after school starts. The museum will follow the University’s COVID-19 guidelines, which currently require that masks are worn indoors regardless of vaccination status. During the closure, the museum developed various scenarios for how the museum could cope during the pandemic and has different protocols ready in the event of a campus-wide change in mandates. A current project that the UNMAM is focusing on is their upcoming exhibition entitled “Visionary Modern: Raymond Jonson Trilogies, Cycles, and Portrait.”

Culture

Q&A with UNM museum director: Museum of Southwestern Biology

Megan Gleason | August 16

The Daily Lobo talked to the Museum of Southwest Biology to get updates on how it’s doing amid the COVID-19 pandemic along with the start of school coming up. The Museum of Southwest Biology continues their focus on research and education through their collections rather than public exhibitions. This Q&A addresses current and future happenings at the museum with director Christopher Witt. Q: Can you discuss the museum’s current and future operations? CW: With respect to COVID, we’re in a real state of transition, I think, as everybody is right now, where we’re just figuring things out in the new reality with the vaccine mandate and the start of the semester.

Culture

Friday Night Live kicks off UNM’s Welcome Back Days

Emma Trevino | August 16

Before the fall semester starts on Aug. 23 at the University of New Mexico, the Student Activities Center is kicking off the University’s Welcome Back Days with Friday Night Live on Aug. 20. After a year and a half of virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be the first time for not only incoming freshmen but also rising sophomores to physically attend these events. This in-person event is being held from 7-10 p.m. in the Student Union Building, with events including “karaoke, a DJ, henna tattoos, laser tag arena, photo booths, student organization tables and UNM sports teams,” according to the SAC’s website.

Culture

Q&A with UNM museum director: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology

Megan Gleason | August 16

The Daily Lobo talked to the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology to get updates on how it’s doing amid the COVID-19 pandemic along with the start of school coming up. Maxwell is gearing up to reopen to the public on Aug. 17 with some new exhibits and opportunities. This Q&A addresses current and future happenings at the museum with director Carla Sinopoli. Q: Can you discuss the museum’s current and future operations? CS: We will see what they will be as the pandemic continues to develop. So when we were shut down in March 2020 we shifted … to a lot of online activities...

Culture

OPINION: Sci-fi comedy “Star Trek: Lower Decks” makes way for another memorable season

Megan Gleason | August 12

This review contains spoilers for “Lower Decks” seasons 1 and 2 Trekkies were in for a treat on Thursday with the arrival of the season 2 premiere of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” The show continues to go where no man has gone before as creator Mike McMahan, former “Rick and Morty” writer and producer, intertwines this adult animation with science fiction, comedy and sleek references to the entire “Star Trek” universe, setting up for yet another season that’s definitely worth watching. If you haven’t seen the first season yet, I’d recommend watching that before diving into the second one.

Culture

OPINION: 2021’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ outshines the original

John Scott | August 10

If you went to the movie theater this past weekend or logged into your HBO Max account, you most likely saw something relating to James Gunn’s most recent directorial outing, “The Suicide Squad.” And like many, including myself, you probably said to yourself, “I really hope this isn’t as bad as the first one.” Luckily, the series is much better this time around with the help of Gunn’s direction and creative freedom. From the fantastically outlandish characters to the disgustingly satisfying amount of violence to the quality comedy, Gunn’s iteration of Task Force X is far more focused and coherent than the original, with a couple of standout performances to boot.

Culture

OPINION: Top 5 Insta-worthy spots on UNM campus

Joseph McKee and Shelby Kleinhans | August 8

After not being on campus for a year and a half, you might’ve forgotten about some of the more aesthetic spots that the University of New Mexico has to offer. If you’re seeking interesting locations for your future Instagram posts, look no further — the Daily Lobo has you covered. Here’s our list of the top five most Insta-worthy spots on UNM’s main campus. Center of the Universe #SculptureArt #BruceNauman #I’mTheCenterOfTheUniverse #LookUp Built in 1988 by artist Bruce Nauman is the immersive Center of the Universe, which can be found between Mitchell and Ortega Halls. This towering sculpture perfectly mimics the multidimensional architecture of Ortega Hall and the Humanities Building.