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5 and Why: Top 5 things about fall

Emma Trevino | October 11

University of New Mexico junior Olivia Stanghellini was sitting outside the Student Union Building on a crisp Sunday morning and was willing to talk about her top five things about fall with the Daily Lobo. Balloon Fiesta Stanghellini, who is from California and new to Albuquerque, had never been to the Balloon Fiesta before this year. She had also never seen a hot air balloon in person before, but she said her first experience was magical. Stanghellini said the festivities Albuquerque has to offer are unique in comparison to those of big California cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, both of which she has spent a great deal of time in.

Culture

PLAYLIST: ‘Pride 2021’

Rebecca Hobart | October 11

Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, when LGTBQ+ people are encouraged to celebrate who they are, how far they’ve come and the legacy of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history. In commemoration of queerness, I’ve constructed a non-exhaustive list of my favorite tunes either by or about LGBTQ+ protagonists. “Vogue” by Madonna A classic LGBTQ+ hit song, “Vogue” is an anthem fit for a groovy, disco moment on the dance floor. “Vogue” was inspired by a dance of the same name born in the 1980’s out of Harlem, New York’s ballroom culture, later made mainstream by Madonna. Frequently heard in “Pose,” a Netflix LGBTQ+ drama, “Vogue” recognizes the Black and Latinx gay communities of which the song was influenced by.

Culture

OPINION: Queer representation in the media

Joseph McKee and Rebecca Hobart | October 11

Queer media broaches conversations on queer existence and resilience and gives the opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to see themselves represented in an accurate way. Here, we’ve laid out some of our favorite and most poignant examples of queer representation through various mediums. Joseph’s picks: OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES, album by SOPHIE SOPHIE was a Scottish trans-woman musician, and her tragic and untimely death earlier this year was painful for many of her fans and the LGBTQ+ community. SOPHIE’s legacy and artistic genius will forever reside in one of her most well-known works, “OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES.” Released in 2018, this album is emotional, genre-bending and magnificent.

Culture

LOBO PRIDE: LGBTQ+ mentor Frankie Flores champions queer issues on campus

Rebecca Hobart | October 11

Everyday, LGBTQ Resource Center director Frankie Flores supports and advocates for queer and transgender communities at the University of New Mexico. National Coming Out Day on Monday, Oct. 11 proves to be no different. Flores started their undergraduate program at the University of New Mexico in 2008, where a feminism action capstone course drove them to get involved with the then-new LGBTQ Resource Center, which has aimed to support education and advocacy efforts for queer and trans communities at UNM. “There is no right or wrong way to be out,” Flores said. “If you come out to just you and your partner, that’s okay.

Culture

LOBO PRIDE: Martín Wannam amplifies queer, brown justice through artwork

Rebecca Hobart | October 11

With a commitment and passion for creating art which spurs conversations, University of New Mexico graphic design professor Martín Wannam educates “through a brown, queer lens” and broaches an ongoing dialogue on how queer individuals experience social and political systems in Guatemala. The experiences, as well as his identity of growing up in Guatemala and being an immigrant, are critical components in informing Wannam’s art and teaching at UNM. Wannam said queerness and brownness are core themes in his art. “It’s rare that you can really detach the artist from their own identity,” Wannam said. “It’s impossible to say that my art or my teaching doesn’t revolve around the way that I am.”

Culture

New Mexico’s LGBTQ+ advocacy timeline

Maddie Pukite | October 10

While the history of the LGBTQ+ advocacy movement is still being written and there is still much work to be done, there has been evidence of progress being made in New Mexico throughout the past century. The following is a timeline of the advancement of queer peoples and groups in New Mexico since the 1920s. 1920s: The early part of the LGBTQ+ rights movement had its own start in New Mexico as gay and lesbian artists and writers found safe spaces in cities like Santa Fe and Taos. The move to these cities proved that queer communities were drawn to smaller, rural areas and not just larger, urban locations. 1961: The New Mexico state legislature removed criminal punishment for consensual same-sex relations.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Titane’ proves to be visceral cinematic experience

John Scott | October 5

This review contains spoilers If you’ve been keeping up with high-profile film releases from this year, then you most likely have heard the film “Titane” being thrown around in conversation. Of course, the reputation this film has earned has likely preceded any positive or negative feelings surrounding it. Luckily, “Titane” largely lives up to its reputation. “Titane” marks the return of French director Julia Ducournau, whose violent and sensual debut “Raw” signified her as one of the most exciting and unique up-and-coming directors. With “Titane,” Ducournau has cemented her place among the top directors currently working in the film industry.

Culture

5 and Why: UNM alumnus shares 5 best ways to stay healthy

Megan Gleason | October 4

Just starting a workout session at Johnson Center recently was University of New Mexico alumnus Shiro Ishizu. Before diving into his exercise, Ishizu agreed to let Daily Lobo readers know his top five tips for staying healthy. Drink water while exercising U.S. News & World Report found that part of exercising should be to replace the liquids you’re losing in the process and that drinking water in addition to your daily water intake is necessary to stay healthy. "We lose fluids during exercise primarily through evaporation via sweat and through respiration," board-certified sports dietitian Kelly Pritchett told U.S. News & World Report.

Culture

UNM grad student thrives as balloon crew member and RC balloon operator

Rebecca Hobart | October 4

Pennsylvania native Deiter Hanbicki grew up in the hot air balloon industry. His parents operated a balloon ride business of their own throughout his childhood, which fueled Hanbicki’s early affinity for the sport. Now, he’s a University of New Mexico nuclear engineering graduate student and self-proclaimed balloon enthusiast, flying and competing across the country. Hanbicki is a part of the crew for Balloon 222, who oversee the mustachioed balloon named Guilty that is owned and operated by crew leader Caryn Welz and her husband, Zerek, who is the pilot. They often participate in hot air ballooning competitions out of state as well. This balloon is a racer balloon, which is able to cut through the air with greater efficiency, according to Hanbicki.

Culture

OPINION: Tim Burton films lack representation

Shelby Kleinhans | October 4

A chill in the air and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew on the menu at Starbucks mean that it’s the perfect time to binge watch spooky movies. However, you should think twice this fall about putting a Tim Burton film with questionable representation into your queue. Of the 26 feature-length films that Burton has either directed or produced, only four of them have Black actors in supporting roles, and only one has a Black actor in a leading role — Samuel L. Jackson as the villain in “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Extraordinary Children.” Burton made headlines back in 2016 when the film was released after his interview with the women’s magazine Bustle.

Culture

OPINION: Fall recipes to sweeten up your semester

Elizabeth Secor | October 4

Baking pies and cookies in fall has always been my favorite autumn activity, and warm desserts always help on a chilly day. This fall, I decided to try a new recipe, pumpkin spice cake balls, and an old family favorite, pecan pie squares. Pumpkin spice cake balls Fall has arrived and with it, a barrage of pumpkin-themed foods and drinks, including the ever-so-popular Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Have you ever wanted to have this delectable drink in the form of a cake ball? Well, look no further than this delectable recipe.

Culture

Balloon Fiesta lifts off

Hevyn Heckes | October 3

Tourists flocked to Albuquerque on Oct. 2 for the first Balloon Fiesta in two years, with more than 600 pilots gathered to produce the spectacle that has become the most photographed event in the world. After Dawn Patrol balloons ascended to provide pilots with an idea of the wind speeds and direction, attendees watched as hundreds of colorful balloons in many different shapes and sizes were inflated by pilots and ground crews in preparation for Mass Ascension. Pilots and crews mingled with attendees to talk about the different aspects of hot air ballooning before the balloons launched.

Culture

Community organizer, UNM alumna Lisa Padilla works to advance gender equity

Rebecca Hobart | September 27

Lisa Padilla, alumna of the University of New Mexico, is the gender justice organizer for NM Con Mujeres, a subsidiary of the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) in Albuquerque. Her work, both domestically and internationally, concentrates its efforts on gender justice to combat the global consequences of the patriarchy. Padilla’s organizational efforts have global implications, she said, as she represents NM Con Mujeres in conversations on LGBT rights at the assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which is a conglomeration of representatives from the nongovernmental parties throughout the Western hemisphere.

Culture

5 and Why: 5 best things about living on campus

Megan Gleason | September 27

University of New Mexico freshman Emma Evans is getting the classic college experience by living on campus in the dorms her first year. This experience, though slightly different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has introduced Evans to college life. The Daily Lobo asked Evans what the five best things about living in the dorms on campus are, and her answers may remind readers about their own times on campus. Reasonable noise level in dorm Evans said the noise level in her dorm in Casas del Rio is a good balance between loud and soft, which allows her to get more work done. “My dorm’s … not quiet but it’s not insanely loud,” Evans said.

Culture

UNM community finds joy in the outdoors despite pandemic

Zoe Perls | September 27

While the last year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic has been marked with extreme tragedy and isolation, a silver lining was realized as people turned to the outdoors as a refuge from the stress of the pandemic. At the same time, some are worried about the impact this influx of people outdoors will have on the environment. Haley Myler, a fourth-year student studying music at the University of New Mexico, said spending time outdoors has provided a healing space from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially since she lived alone for the first year of the pandemic.

Culture

Lobos' pandemic pets instill joy amid chaos

Rebecca Hobart | September 27

The lack of in-person engagements and social opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic drove people across the country, including some University of New Mexico students, to bring new pets into their homes. As life picks up again, these Lobos are still finding camaraderie and comfort in their pandemic pets. Naina (Great Pyrenees and German Shepherd dog mix) Sikandar Awan, a Ph.D. student pursuing a Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education degree at UNM, took in a Great Pyrenees and German Shepherd mix named Naina from a friend in Santa Fe in June 2020. Naina is a Hindi name that means “pretty eyes,” Awan said.

Culture

Former UNM professor recounts his road to ethicality in animal testing

Megan Gleason | September 20

Growing up taking in stray dogs off the streets, bioethicist John Gluck has always been an animal lover. However, things changed for this former University of New Mexico professor when he started researching experimental psychology on mostly non-human primates and his own actions within this field caused him to reflect on the ethicality of the work he was undergoing at UNM. Gluck started at UNM in 1971 after being hired under the late Frank Logan, a former chair of the psychology department; part of Logan’s hope was that Gluck would start a primate laboratory at UNM, which he did. However, after creating this lab and doing his own research there, ethical questions started popping up for Gluck.

Culture

Irene Vasquez emphasizes the importance of Latinx history in education

Emma Trevino | September 20

Irene Vasquez is the director of the Chicana and Chicano Studies department at the University of New Mexico. Vasquez started the position in 2013 and from there helped UNM establish not only the department but also the ability to obtain a bachelor’s degree in CCS as well. Vasquez’s passion for collegiate-level teaching stemmed from her experiences as a child and the lack of adequate publications on communities of color, and she is continually working to educate further on marginalized groups. Vasquez found limited material available on communities of color while teaching as a middle school substitute teacher during her master’s program.

Culture

The Lobo photographers’ perspectives on nature

Shelby Kleinhans , Maxwell Minty McGrael / Daily Lobo , Theresa Monjaras / Daily Lobo and Henry Hammel / Daily Lobo | September 20

Nature can mean many things to many people. For some, nature is trees, grass and rivers. For others, nature is a specific place or even a feeling. For these four Lobo photographers, though, nature mainly serves as a source of inspiration and an escape from the stress of everyday life. Menaul Trailhead The Menaul Trailhead at the Sandia Foothills is my favorite nature spot in the city. Being 15 to 20 minutes away from the University of New Mexico, it really allows me to take a step back and clear my head. My favorite time to be here is at night with a couple friends.

Culture

OPINION: Sparse tree canopy in International District indicates environmental racism

Rebecca Hobart | September 20

The International District, one of the least affluent areas of Albuquerque, might as well be the poster child for environmental injustice. This ethnically diverse area is knee-deep in the cruxes of climate change, seen by way of the urban heat island effect, which comes to fruition through substantial infrastructure development such as concrete buildings and asphalt in cities. The effect causes cities to absorb and trap heat in areas like the International District, which is an area between Lomas, Eubank, Gibson and San Mateo. This trapped heat results in hotter temperatures during the day and less cooling at night, which is particularly impactful on the most densely populated neighborhood in New Mexico.