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Culture

Cherry Reel lives on to spotlight student filmmakers

Shelby Kleinhans | November 19

After a 15-minute countdown to the live premiere on the YouTube channel for the Southwest Film Center (SWFC), the Cherry Reel Film Festival premiered after 7 p.m. on Oct. 14 to a group of over 100 participants. As a precursor to the main event, panelists from IATSE Local 480 — the New Mexico branch of SAG-AFTRA — and New Mexico Women in Film gave advice and provided networking opportunities to students in a series of Zoom sessions. The nine-year-long Lobo cinema tradition was made possible by staff at the film center who crafted a social media strategy to maintain student engagement up until the festival, despite the physical challenges presented by COVID-19.

Culture

Video games offer escape for stressed, overworked students

Jesus Mata | November 19

Video games have become a refuge in many people’s lives during the coronavirus pandemic, and studies show that video games are a ray of light for mental health amid dark times. Video games help people detach from the problems going on in the real world, according to Dakoda Emberlin, the vice president of communication and marketing for the University of New Mexico’s esports team. “It’s a lot of escapism,” Emberlin said. “Whenever you play a video game, you’re not playing yourself. I’m not playing Dakoda in a video game.”

Culture

Mindfulness meditation reduces stress, improves wellbeing

Sarah Bodkin | November 19

Scholarly articles have suggested that a meditation routine reduces stress, and Michelle DuVal and Tiffany Martinez believe that meditation can be particularly helpful for students with this year’s added stressors. DuVal, a meditation coach at the Mindful Center, said the reason that meditation is effective at reducing stress is because it can slow down your central nervous system. A 2019 study from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association found a connection between stress and poor physical and mental health.

Culture

Students face challenge of overworking themselves to failure

Megan Gleason | November 18

Millions of students struggle to find a balance between work and academic success in school, providing a challenge for mental health stability. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world’s outlook on mental health entirely as people cope in a starkly isolated time. Margaret White, a case manager at the University of New Mexico’s Student Health and Counseling, said there are two parts to higher education: actually getting accepted and figuring out how to pay for it. College tuition has increased more than 25% in the last decade, according to CNBC, and White said listening to the students’ voice “has fallen to the side.”

Culture

Protecting the (dog) pack during pandemic

Daniel Ward | November 17

There's no doubt that this year has thrown us many curveballs. With the amount of stress everyone may be going through, it's important to take a step back and remember something as simple as petting a dog can make all the difference. According to an article shared by the University of New Mexico’s human resources department, “Stroking, hugging or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe us when we’re stressed or anxious.” The article gives many examples of how trained dogs can help people have a healthy lifestyle. They provide companionship and stress relief while adding structure and routine to the day, which are things that many students could use while living in a dorm during a pandemic.

Culture

Local parkour trainer Andrew Smith explains dedication to UNM

Liberty Stalnaker | November 13

Parkour trainer Andrew Smith stands out in the crowd at the University of New Mexico, leaping from concrete walls and vaulting the circles of outdoor seating across from Mitchell Hall. “I’m like a machine, pretty much. That’s why people see me all the time,” the 32-year-old Smith said. “I usually practice every day — it just depends what mood I’m in or how my body’s feeling. For the most part, I practice for two hours or more (daily).” Smith’s commitment to training frequently and for substantial stretches of time has made him a recognizable figure at UNM.

Culture

Land Witness Project encourages activism to slow climate change

Megan Gleason | November 12

Climate change has been a prominent topic as the window to reverse the damage already wrought to the environment by anthropogenic sources narrows by the day. The Land Witness Project is a collection of personal stories about the detrimental impact of climate change in New Mexico. “It’s not just (about) stories but getting people to actually take action,” Nancy Singham, a writer for the project, said. The project started in June 2019, but the launch was delayed until September 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In-person events related to the project have also been delayed until it’s safe to hold them, according to Singham.

Culture

LoboTHON raises over $80,000 for UNM Children’s Hospital

Nikita Jaiswal | November 12

After a postponement of several months, the University of New Mexico LoboTHON’s highly anticipated dance marathon finally occurred on Saturday, Nov. 7, raising $80,055 for UNM’s Children’s Hospital — $3,000 more than their target goal. LoboTHON is the largest student-run philanthropy organization at UNM. According to Noah Lucero, LoboTHON’s executive director, their goal is to raise money and awareness for UNM’s Children’s Hospital through creative events like dodgeball or bingo. Lucero said this year, due to COVID-19 concerns, the events shifted online. They included silent actions, social media events and “dine to donate” at restaurants. Leading up to the dance marathon, various student organizations around UNM helped to raise awareness about the upcoming events.

Culture

‘Lovecraft Country’: A confusing, beautiful show

Spencer Butler | November 11

Content warning: This article contains references to sexual assault. I have watched my fair share of HBO shows, from “Westworld” to “Game of Thrones,” but no show has left me as baffled or confused after every episode than “Lovecraft Country.” In essence, the show is about the Braithwhite family and their use of magic to become immortal, which is an interesting concept ruined by how little it’s fleshed out. The two main conflicts that drive the series are Hannah’s status as the African American slave of Titus Braithwhite, which results in her rape and subsequent pregnancy, and the Book of Names, which is a spell book of life, transformation and genesis that was taken by Hannah when Titus’ lodge burned down.

Culture

La Cosecha Dual Language Conference hosts virtual powwow

Hannah John | November 9

A virtual powwow and dance took place on Thursday, Nov. 5 as a part of the La Cosecha Dual Language Conference, hosted by the Dual Language Education of New Mexico (DLENM). The powwow was streamed by AMP Concerts, a local nonprofit organization that works either independently or with local groups to host concerts in the northern New Mexico area. According to the La Cosecha website, the conference started in 1996, and the goal of the conference has always been to support educators, parents, researchers and practitioners whose goal is supporting dual language programs and other related immersion programs.

Culture

‘Mandalorian’ premiere an explosive start to promising second season

Shelby Kleinhans | November 6

This review contains spoilers. From “Firefly” to “Westworld,” the sci-fi western has established itself as a genre-bending staple in recent years. Disney’s newest hit show, “The Mandalorian,” is no different, melding the Star Wars universe with western tropes in a way that appeals to multiple generations of fans. The first episode of the second season is a worthy premiere that will whet your appetite for the many adventures that are sure to ensue this season. The season two premiere, “The Marshal,” launched on the streaming platform Disney+ on Oct. 30 about a year after the release of the first season in 2019. The 54-minute runtime marks a departure from the shorter episodes of the first season (excluding the finale), but a compelling story and incredible graphics maintains a good pacing.

Culture

New Mexican filmmakers shine on the outdoor big screen

Gabriel Biadora | November 3

As night came, the silver screen glowed, outshining the stars and towering over the dozens of cars sprawled across the abandoned horse track at the Downs in Santa Fe. These moviegoers, who have long been deprived of their cinematic fix for more than half a year, found refuge in the hilarious, tragic and powerful short films created by local New Mexican talent on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at BITE SIZE, a drive in movie event by Jenn Garcia with Arabela Films and Alexandra Renzo. The evening at Motorama, a drive-in event series hosted at the Downs, started with the uncompromising voices of live poets and musicians like Ashley “SayWut?!” Moyer and Hakim Bellamy from the Albuquerque Poet Laureate Program. Other musicians like TwoLips orchestrated a groovy jive to the event with her sensuous funk and energetic soul.

Culture

UNM graduate Joel-Peter Witkin reflects on controversial photography career

Liberty Stalnaker | November 2

Joel-Peter Witkin is a University of New Mexico graduate with a prolific profession as a photographer of taboo subjects. Witkin is known primarily for his ornately composed photographs of subjects ranging from socially outcast figures to deceased persons or body parts. One of Witkin’s most well-known pieces is “Le Baiser,” an image of a severed and halved head whose pieces have been faced toward one another in an apparent kiss. Such subject matter has led Witkin to face his fair share of critical lambasting, with a 1993 article in the New York Times claiming his “prettified and pretentious images do little to illuminate the issues of life and death they raise.” A later profile in the Seattle Times noted his work had been deemed “the snuff film of the art world.”

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Culture

Harris’ VP candidacy carries torch for Albuquerque Asian community

Lissa Knudsen and Gabriel Biadora | November 2

Senator Kamala Harris was selected as the running mate for presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden on Aug. 11, after months of speculation between potential nominees. Following the announcement, the Daily Lobo met virtually with a number of local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members to talk about Harris’ cultural heritage and the connections her Indian ethnicity creates within and across the local AAPI community. Harris was born to Shyamala Gopalan and Donald Harris on Oct. 20, 1964 in Oakland, California. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from India and Jamaica respectively in the early 1960s, a decade defined by the civil rights movement, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Culture

UNM students divided over election

Megan Gleason | October 31

As the 2020 presidential election inches closer, the staunch political views of students amongst a hyper-politicized electorate have sparked tensions at the University of New Mexico. From Democrats to Republicans to every party in between and on the outside, UNM students are voicing their concerns about the upcoming election. Many individuals have said neither major party candidate — President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden — is their ideal choice. However, many have settled into voting for one of the two. Daniel Klause, a senior political science major, said Trump has his vote in November.

Culture

NMSU film festival takes aim at decolonization, oppression from feminist perspectives

Rosanna Samudio | October 29

Developed on the campus of New Mexico State University, the Feminist Border Arts Film Festival (FBAFF) has recognized the capacity of cinema as a creative platform to discuss social justice issues and representations of identity and difference for the past five years. Laura Anh Williams and Dr. M. Catherine Jonet, the creators of the film festival, originally partnered with 516 ARTS and the Guild Cinema to hold the first screening in-person at the Guild, which canceled early in the pandemic.

Culture

Albuquerque murals reinforce value of voting

Lauren McDonald | October 29

Voting-themed art has been popping up around Albuquerque from local artists that want to remind New Mexico residents of the importance of voting in the general election. Murals and small paintings on buildings cover the avenues of downtown Albuquerque and Nob Hill, as well as some spots near Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Artist Felicia Montoya, along with her husband Markus Wall and their daughter Eva and artist Kema, recently painted a mural on Fourth Street. The mural is colorful, with a Black Lives Matter portion and a voter registration box that sits next to large letters on the mural that read “vote.”

Culture

‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ is un-American propaganda

Gabriel Biadora | October 27

Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” is a perverted threat to the decency of America costumed in a loose-fitting gray suit and a highly unconvincing, distracting mustache. This so-called “mockumentary,” or whatever other new-age label it dons, is a gross and unfunny attempt by quasi-socialist director Baron Cohen to deliver a kiddie pool reflection of American society and politics following the election of President Donald Trump and the coronavirus pandemic.

Culture

UNM students vote for first time during tumultuous election

Gino Gutierrez | October 26

It’s no secret that the 2020 election has been and will be unique compared to others in modern history. Amidst a pandemic and historic economic crisis, the issues facing voters have perhaps never been so varied and complex in living memory. An experience that is already stressful for many new voters is now even more complicated, so the Daily Lobo sat down with five University of New Mexico first-time student voters to get an account of their experiences. Sophomores Jordynn Sills and JahJett-Lyn Chavez both shared mixed views on the election.

Culture

Way OUT West film festival offers platform for LGBTQ+ community

Shelby Kleinhans | October 22

In a world where LGBTQ+ characters in mainstream media have been historically resigned to minor storylines and “bury your gays” tropes, the Way OUT West Film Festival recently provided a haven for original, queer content. Festival manager Jake McCook explained it as “a festival for and by other LGBTQ+ filmmakers” because these creators don’t often get their content picked up by other festivals or streaming platforms.