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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.

Culture

Domestic Violence Awareness Month highlights abuse in Albuquerque

Megan Gleason | October 21

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Albuquerque has seen a drastic rise in cases since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. When the coronavirus began to spread in the United States, there was fear amongst domestic violence resource centers for victims trapped in isolation, according to Caitlin Henke, a program specialist with the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) at the University of New Mexico. “This sort of shelter in place just left people, victims, so vulnerable and people were leaving their homes less frequently,” Henke said. “People who were considering leaving domestic violence suddenly couldn’t leave. And then if your perpetrator never leaves the house, you don’t have the opportunity to flee or even do the things that they were planning to do, like make safety plans, freely talk to an advocate in a way that didn’t identify it.”

Culture

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrated in Albuquerque

Cameron Ward | October 21

In celebration of the second annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) hosted a virtual celebration over Zoom and live on Facebook on Monday, Oct. 12. Speakers included Native artists, New Mexico representatives Deb Haaland and Derrick Lente, New Mexico State Senator Shannon Pinto, Senate candidate Brenda McKenna, County Commission candidates Leah Ahkee Baczkiewicz, New Mexico Court of Appeals Judge Shammara Henderson and many other Democratic representatives.

Culture

The past, present and future fight for LGBTQ+ rights

Sarah Bodkin | October 19

October is LGBTQ History Month, and many community members have reflected on people and protests that have fought for LGBTQ+ rights and took the time to reflect on their hopes for the community’s future. Frankie Flores, director of the University of New Mexico’s LGBTQ Resource Center, discussed the history of LGBTQ+ people who fought for the community’s rights and the obstacles they faced, specifically the freed slaves who began to perform drag in the 1800s. Flores said the word homosexuality “was a term that was created to criminalize ... trans and queer folks. We (had) folks who were fighting against that in the 1860s and 1870s.”

Culture

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ defies expectations

Megan Gleason | October 13

This review contains spoilers. “Star Trek: Lower Decks” has dredged up a lot of mixed reactions from Trekkies, starting from the premiere of the first episode in a 10-episode season on Aug. 6 on CBS. As the final episode came out on Thursday, Oct. 8, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I’ll be back to watch the next season of this show. “Lower Decks” is a cartoon-animated Star Trek series that depicts the lives of everyone in lower positions in the Star Trek universe — characters that would normally have no screen time in any other Star Trek series. We see the trivial lives of ensigns trying (or not trying) to get promoted to better positions.

Culture

“Foody Tuesdays” fixes moody days

Gabriel Biadora | October 13

On Tuesdays in North Domingo Baca Park, around the time the sun sets across the high desert, local food trucks owners ignite their ovens and grills, ready their ingredients and prepare the register for an evening filled with eager customers looking for good eats. “Foody Tuesdays,” the name for the weekly recurring event in Albuquerque, brings in several local food trucks and a colorful farmers market to provide a pandemic-friendly way to enjoy some phenomenal dishes. Though the food trucks and market take up less than a block in the parking lot, there is an abundance of of variety at “Foody Tuesdays,” from refreshing beverages and desserts that make you hold on to those last glimmers of summer to internationally palatable foods, decadent meats and feel-good vegetables and fruits.

Culture

Top five movie countdown to Halloween

Lauren McDonald | October 11

This review contains spoilers. October is here, and it’s time for all the scary films that Halloween lovers will surely enjoy. Below is a list of the Daily Lobo’s top five scary films that will definitely freak you out this Halloween season. Some movies on this list are popular — and others you likely haven’t heard of — but if you like scary, you’ll enjoy each one for different reasons.

Culture

3 UNM faculty named top 100 inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists

Jasmine Casillas | October 9

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Cell Mentor, a science-centered publication, released “100 inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America,” a blog post showcasing influential Hispanic/Latinx scientists around the nation, which included three University of New Mexico faculty members. The list includes Dr. Margaret Werner-Washburne , Dr. C. Fernando Valenzuela and Dr. Gabriel López along with UNM alumni Anita Quintana, Pamela Padilla and Jacqueline De Lora. “The goal of our list was to highlight the accomplishments of inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists, to bring awareness of the exceptional scientists within our community,” Christina Termini, the author of the list, said.

Culture

Filipino Hawaiian Food brings new but familiar palate to ABQ

Gabriel Biadora | October 9

The Filipino palate has been exhaustingly missing from the Albuquerque culinary scene, but with the opening of the restaurant Filipino Hawaiian Food on Sept. 4, Burqueños can finally look forward to an invigorating change of pace. With the Philippines sitting as a humid hub of diverse cultures within the Pacific, its food can really only be expected to have the kick that it does. FIlipino food manifests its Spanish influences in the curation of saltiness and the richness of its flavors as it fuses with the spices and tints of East Asia. Elaine Alberto Welch and Basil Welch encapsulated this spirit through the opening of Filipino Hawaiian Food, located in Louisiana Plaza.

Culture

‘Cuties’ courts controversy

Shelby Kleinhans | October 7

No film in 2020 has divided critics and audiences more than “Cuties (Migonnes),” which was released on Sept. 9 on Netflix. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently sits at a very modest 85% rating from critics — and a miserable 13% from audiences. Let’s start at the beginning. The film is helmed by a French Senegalese woman, Maïmouna Doucouré, in her feature directorial debut. The film originally premiered on Jan. 23 at Sundance and garnered her the Directing Award in the World Cinematic Drama category. At the time of its premiere, there was no widespread hate or controversy surrounding the film.

Culture

Globalquerque livestreams 16th annual performance

Sarah Bodkin | October 6

Globalquerque livestreamed its 16th annual performance on Wednesday, Sept. 30, featuring collaborative performances from musicians from around the world as well as interviews with the musicians and coordinators. The theme of this year’s event was “Cross-Cultural Crossover,” wherein musicians from different musical backgrounds gathered to re-imagine a song that one of the musicians had written. The collaborations included blends of New Orleans jazz, Angolan vocals and Iraqi oud music to create something that Globalquerque has never done before. The event usually occurs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) but was streamed online through Twitch, YouTube and Facebook due to the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance was free of charge, although donations were accepted.

Culture

Dragon's House of Horror makes adjustments for COVID-19

Hannah John | October 4

Haunted houses may seem impossible to operate within COVID-19 restrictions, but Dragons House of Horror recently opened the first drive-through haunted house in New Mexico called Miles of Terror. This haunted house is an attraction offered at the Santa Ana Star Civic Center in Rio Rancho. Tickets can be purchased online or in person, and are $40 per vehicle. According to the website, cars are limited to a maximum of five people. Nichole Harwood, a spokesperson for Dragons House of Horror Mile of Terror, said, “Normally Dragons is a normal haunted house. It’s the largest in the world. We have the Guinness World Record for that.”

Culture

How students can help save the environment

Lauren McDonald | October 3

As the world gets warmer, weather events are becoming more intense and more frequent, sea levels are rising, prolonged droughts are putting pressure on crops and many plant and animal species are quickly becoming extinct. Global climate change impacts everyone, and it’s time for students to learn about what they can do to battle this. “It’s important to think about what we can do individually as well as what we can do as a group, a force, because climate change can be so overwhelming and understood to be such a grand challenge,” said Miriam Gay-Antaki, an assistant professor in geography and environmental studies at the University of New Mexico. “It might make us think that we can’t do anything about it individually, but our individual decisions do matter.”

Culture

Reactions to #TheLastofUsDay reveals fans’ deeper seated feelings

Shelby Kleinhans | October 2

Editor’s note: This review contains spoilers. After repeated delays and major leaks, the video game studio Naughty Dog released “The Last of Us Part II” for PlayStation on June 19. While the first game, “The Last of Us,” was universally beloved, nothing has been more divisive in the fanbase than the release of the sequel. Since the initial backlash, the studio has been relatively quiet. But on Sept. 22, the studio released a statement on Twitter that recounted the difficulties that the studio had faced over the past year — including COVID-19 — and concluded with the announcement that “Sept. 26 will be known as the Last of Us Day — a name that not only acknowledges the world around us, but also reflects the growth of the community as we welcome millions of new players.”

Culture

OPINION: Online discussion posts encourage lazy repetition, not stimulating debate

Liam Debonis | October 1

As the new age of online education solidifies itself in university curriculum, students have no doubt noticed an increase in “discussion post” assignments through Blackboard Learn. While masquerading as a platform for the free exchange of ideas and organic conversation, the virtual space instead encourages nothing more than rote repetitions and buzzword-heavy responses. The shift from in-person learning to Zoom-conducted lectures has been a tough experience for students. We have been forced to sacrifice many of the comforts of face-to-face education, and our college experience has been fundamentally altered. Study groups at Zimmerman Library, group projects in class and the basic feeling of being surrounded by a diverse population with unique and differing perspectives have all been stripped from us by the coronavirus pandemic

Culture

YouTube channels to stay motivated (and entertained) during the pandemic

Sarah Bodkin | October 1

With no relief in sight as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the United States, it can be difficult for students to stay motivated when all they want to do is glue themselves to their phones and watch YouTube. The solution? Watching videos that are motivational enough to jump right out of bed to work out, study or try new recipes. Workout Channels: Yoga with Adriene Yoga with Adriene is a YouTube channel wherein Adriene Mishler, a certified yoga instructor, guides her viewers through yoga sessions of different lengths and topics. For example, Mishler has a video on her channel, titled “Yoga for Writers,” to help people that sit at their desk all day and need relief for their brain and wrists.

Culture

‘Boys State’ captures vitality of democracy

Gabriel Biadora | September 27

Politics is hell. There’s the systemic corruption which pervades our democratic process, as well as the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of the federal government which we’re taught, and there’s that mixed bag of stale and divisive political actors we’re forced to see and deal with. “Boys State,” however, offers refuge from the bullshit of politics without censoring it and consequently creates a window into how intimate and raw a democracy could and should be.

Culture

‘Re-education’ podcast spotlights campus Black cultural centers

Shelby Kleinhans | September 27

In a time where social justice issues are constantly in the news and at the forefront of our minds, the new podcast “Re-Educated” helps process these concerns and looks at ways to better uplift the Black community. This podcast was released by the New Mexico State Office of African American Affairs on Sept. 17, and is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. “Re-Educated” is hosted by Danni Golden and co-host Devon Williams. Golden uses her “voice, powerful conversation skills and business connections to uplift her community” and Williams “conducts community outreach for all aspects of the African American community in New Mexico, including collaboration with community stakeholders, programs and initiatives, and policy and advocacy,” according to the podcast’s website.

Culture

UNM professor spearheads project to 3D print 5,000 masks for immigrants

Megan Gleason | September 27

Dr. Christina Salas, a University of New Mexico associate professor in the department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, was given a $15,000 grant at the beginning of September from the Con Alma Foundation to produce about 5,000 masks for the immigrant community — regardless of documentation status — in New Mexico. Salas has been leading a project with UNM staff and students, as well as volunteers, to print masks with a 3D printer since April. The actual distribution of the masks started the first week of May, according to Salas. “It’s a lot easier for us to address the immediate need of protecting people against the pandemic, so that’s why we chose this mask-making effort,” Salas said.

Culture

Best Buddies New Mexico to hold virtual Celebration Week

Beatrice Nisoli | September 27

Best Buddies New Mexico (BBNM) will host a free and easily accessible Celebration Week from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 in an endeavor to minimize the isolation facing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The event will consist of daily activities available on Zoom beginning at 7 p.m., ranging from a jobs social gathering to a multicultural celebration. While registering for the week’s events is recommended — as doing so will enable participants to receive notifications of activities and a bingo card to win prizes — it won’t be mandatory, as interested parties can simply access a Zoom link on BBNM’s website and tune in at will throughout the week.