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Culture

SHAC attempts to assuage student anxiety with new ‘HonesTea with SHAC HP’ podcast

Samuel Fleig | August 30

Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at the University of New Mexico recently released “HonesTea with SHAC HP,” a new podcast that reassures students that they are not alone in their struggles and anxieties when facing this most unusual school year amidst a pandemic. In the “Welcome Back Lobos” episode, SHAC student-employees Tiffany Martinez, Chris Naranjo and Leah Adent host the podcast (available on Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon) and discuss their thoughts and worries about the fall semester in a casual and relatable format. Martinez poses several questions to her fellow hosts about their feelings on returning to a campus absent of the educational and social opportunities many students have relied on to get through the stress that comes with school and work.

Culture

‘Fallout’: New book sobering reminder of nuclear devastation 75 years after entering atomic age

Hevyn Heckes | August 30

Editor’s note: This book review contains graphic depictions of violence. New Mexicans are perhaps more acutely aware of U.S. nuclear capabilities and the bomb, “Little Boy,” dropped on Hiroshima, since its predecessors were developed and tested in our own backyard. However, most people alive today will not remember the immediate aftereffects of the outsized attack on Japanese citizens that capped off the second world war. Modern awareness of the atomic bomb and the events of WWII are mostly relegated to fictionalized accounts contained in films such as “Pearl Harbor” and “Schindler’s List.” The events surrounding WWII have long since become a cultural legend, and first-person memories of these events no longer exist. We’ve simply forgotten the horrors of global war — until now.

Culture

Black Student Alliance focuses on campus diversity, inclusion amid BLM momentum

Jasmine Casillas | August 30

The Black Student Alliance (BSA) at the University of New Mexico is focused more than ever on the necessity of diversity at UNM. The organization has already gotten to work alongside the start of a largely online fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. The BSA is open to all Black students but mainly consists of leadership from other African American student organizations on campus. Its mission is to tackle oppressive issues that affect all of UNM, according to member Ricardo Hill. This semester, the BSA is focusing on what ASUNM can do for the student body to implement inclusive legislation before they move on to working at a larger scale, like taking issues directly to the University. They are also focused on emphasizing the importance of showcasing diversity at UNM by hiring more Black faculty, and restructuring the way UNM markets to new students to include diversity in recruitment.

Culture

UNM professors share the highs and lows of online instruction

Beatrice Nisoli | August 30

Life goes on as students and faculty adjust to the University of New Mexico’s hybrid semester, performing small group discussions in Zoom breakout rooms and submitting assignments from the comfort of their own bedrooms. While technological issues and network timeouts may plague students’ academic experience, on the other end of the screen, professors are also having their fair share of remote learning-based woes. Professors were given a few weeks to tailor curriculum to a virtual format last March, when the University officially shut down in response to COVID-19 cases reaching New Mexico. Instructors utilized the following summer months as an opportunity to finesse online instruction for the upcoming semester.

Culture

‘Big Lebowski’ screening really ties the room together at Fusion Forum

Samuel Fleig | August 27

As New Mexico nears its sixth month of lockdown, many residents are eager to get out of their homes and experience what the city has to offer without compromising the health and well-being of others. Local performing arts theatre company Fusion Forum has made this possible with outdoor film and movie screenings. Fusion showed the Joel and Ethan Coen classic “The Big Lebowski” on the evening of Aug. 23 and plans to continue the trend by showing the pilot episode — as well as the final episode of “Breaking Bad” — on Aug. 29 at 7:55 p.m.

Culture

Pandemic continues to wreak havoc on vibrancy of Albuquerque arts scene

Megan Gleason | August 27

New Mexico is rich in culture, but the coronavirus pandemic has put that to the test by transferring the Albuquerque art scene to an online environment. “We’ve all experienced such a dramatic shift in our daily lives. Everything about how we interact and how we plan and how we move through space and our ability to travel — it’s all changed so much, so quickly,” Diana Gaston, the director of the University of New Mexico’s Tamarind Institute, said. “In the arts community, I think we’re still grappling with some of those changes.”

Culture

Pick-your-own small farm operation gains popularity as pandemic wears on

Lissa Knudsen | August 26

For the past few weeks, people from all over the Albuquerque metropolitan region have been flocking to Heidi’s Raspberry Farm in Corrales early on Saturday mornings to pick pints of tart, delicate raspberries. Pick-your-own (PYO) or you-pick operations like Heidi’s have been allowing people to head to the fields to harvest their own produce across the state. Unlike many other retail businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t put their operation on hold.

Culture

International students face daunting financial, legal woes amid Student Family Housing shutdown

Hannah John | August 23

International students are facing a difficult financial situation with the looming shutdown of the University of New Mexico’s Student Family Housing (SFH) in May 2021. According to international student and SFH resident Sherry Shafique, students within the complex were informed through a newsletter in June that UNM couldn’t afford the repairs that SFH needed. A majority of the tenants at SFH are graduate and international students, according to Shafique. International students face unique circumstances with the oft-maligned complex being shut down, forcing them to find another suitable place to live with their families. Most of these issues revolve around financial hardships and having to abide by different laws than students who are from the United States, such as language barriers and academic or visa requirements.

Culture

Sigma Gamma Rho sorority recharters

Beatrice Nisoli | August 23

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., a historically Black Greek-lettered sorority, was rechartered at the University of New Mexico on March 28. The non-profit organization was founded by seven schoolteachers during the perilous thickets of segregation on Nov. 12, 1922 at Butler University in Indiana. According to the sorority’s official website, "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority's aim is to enhance the quality of life within the community. Public service, leadership development and education of youth are the hallmark of the organization's programs and activities. Sigma Gamma Rho addresses concerns that impact society educationally, civically and economically."

Culture

Seclusion, stress and stringent regulations: A day in the COVID-19 dorm life

Kyalynn Moore-Wilson | August 23

Isolation is the new normal for students living on campus at the University of New Mexico. Leaving a dorm room has become a rare occurrence, and UNM is providing limited housing along with a laundry list of new rules and regulations because of the coronavirus pandemic. All students who wanted to live on campus with housing managed by Residence Life and Student Housing had to sign an “addendum and amendment” alongside their regular dorm lease. This legal document laid out some new rules, which include a mask requirement when outside of a personal room, only one guest at a time in personal rooms, no guests that live outside of the dorm building and only one person in an elevator at a time.

Culture

LGBTQ+ students isolated, more vulnerable during online learning era

Megan Gleason | August 21

As students at the University of New Mexico dive into online instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic, some LGBTQ+ individuals are fearing for their lives as they’re forced back to unsafe living environments with little outside connection. According to education specialist Frankie Flores with the UNM LGBTQ Resource Center, some students have had to move back into living environments with strict familial conditions where they are not allowed to be open about their sexuality or even have to detransition completely in order to be safe. “If you’re living in a small town and you don’t know any other LGBTQ folks, how do you find community?” Flores asked. “How do you explore that sense of self?”

Culture

Empathetic commentary on importance of community in ‘Michelle Obama Podcast’

Genevieve Romero | August 19

“The Michelle Obama Podcast” is a refreshingly relatable and optimistic take on the madness surrounding the United States in the face of a pandemic, racial injustice and political unrest. Rather than focusing on the expected political or legal analysis of current events, the former first lady relates to those around her through “topics and issues that we’re all dealing with, no matter what’s going on — whether that’s a pandemic, a nationwide reckoning with race or just any old summer afternoon sitting with our own thoughts.” Throughout the podcast, Michelle Obama emphasizes the importance of the conversations we have with our loved ones and how they lead to greater growth and change.

Culture

Top 5 hidden sculptural gems in Albuquerque

Joseph McKee and Alex McCausland | August 19

Albuquerque is an artistic city that has more outdoor art pieces than you might expect. Whether you want to go for a drive or take a walk about the town, these art pieces will satisfy your appetite for adventure and exploration. Grab a pair of shoes, a water bottle and your mask! Here are the Daily Lobo’s top five hidden sculptural gems in Albuquerque.

Culture

Professors adapt to online classes with mixed results

Rosanna Samudio | August 17

Online school has become the new norm in 2020, and the University of New Mexico is no exception. Students coming into the fall semester at UNM are preparing to maintain their education virtually amidst the scare and unpredictability of a pandemic. As drastic changes from the realities of COVID-19 arose during the spring semester, professors and students scattered to adapt to new adjustments. Many students were already familiar with online classes, but others were forced to adapt to a surplus of unexpected changes. Business major Stephanie Gonzales graduated from the Anderson School of Management last semester under anomalous circumstances.

Attendees buy tickets for a matinee at Popejoy Hall on Sunday, Oct. 28.

Culture

Popejoy cancels five shows, postpones others

Lauren McDonald | August 17

Popejoy Hall, the largest performing arts center in New Mexico, has announced a multitude of postponed and canceled shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the devastation COVID-19 is still effectuating in large swaths of the country, many shows have been postponed — and five have been canceled. Upon reopening, Popejoy Hall will follow federal, state, local and University guidelines for the safety and well-being of patrons, staff, artists and volunteers. “It wouldn’t be safe to bring in people,” Tom Tkach, the director of Popejoy Hall, said. “We can’t have more than five people together in a group, so you can imagine it would be impossible to reopen Popejoy.”

Culture

Student Family Housing resident condemns deterioration of housing complex

Gabriel Biadora | August 17

Anne Turner is afraid her children will step on used hypodermic needles when they play in the grass outside their home at the University of New Mexico’s Student Family Housing (SFH). The housing complex, which is set to close on May 31 of next year, has been no stranger to complaints of unsafe and untenable conditions. Notice of the residences’ permanent closure came in an email on June 29, marking the climactic end to the tumultuous relationship between SFH and its residents. For Turner, the final straw came a few days later on July 4 when she witnessed police officers arrest two individuals for solicitation, one of whom allegedly had an outstanding warrant.

Culture

UNM to welcome students back with online events

Lauren McDonald | August 14

Welcome Back Days at the University of New Mexico will look different than ever before with an almost entirely virtual lineup of events designed to acclimate students to a socially distanced campus environment. The Student Activities Center has put together various activities and events online because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The week will kick off with a virtual escape room on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., provided by Nusenda Credit Union. The first 75 attendees to the event will receive a free voucher for a one-topping slice of pizza from the new Dion’s location in the Student Union Building.

Culture

Virtual Popejoy concert features Christopher Jackson from “Hamilton”

Hannah John | August 14

After months of musical silence caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Popejoy Hall announced its newest event “Christopher Jackson: Live from the West Side,” a livestreamed concert that will run on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. Jackson is an actor and singer with credits on and off Broadway, widely known for playing George Washington in “Hamilton” and Benny in “In The Heights.” He’s also known for starring in the Netflix original “When They See Us.” During this concert, Jackson will perform original songs and Broadway showtunes live from New York City. He will also answer questions from audience members who tune in.

Culture

‘Too Much and Never Enough:’ Mary L. Trump’s scathing exposé on the Trump family

Hevyn Heckes | August 12

Since 2015, there has been speculation on the mental faculties of the man who would become our nation’s 45th president. Donald Trump has been a fixture of the tabloid media for several decades, but never before has his eccentric nature influenced the fate of an entire country. Clinical psychologist Mary L. Trump’s “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” is a must-read exposé on the Trump family, told from the point of view of Donald Trump’s niece. The first part reads like a CliffsNotes version of Donald Trump’s family history. The most intensive feature in this section is the early childhood trauma that Donald endured when his mother was hospitalized. This is the first insight into Donald Trump’s early childhood and how his development was interrupted by his father’s inability to adequately care for him while his mother was ailing.

Culture

AMP Concerts rock New Mexicans with drive-in concerts, neighborhood shows

Lauren McDonald | August 10

Music has found a way to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation. AMP Concerts is composing virtual, neighborhood and drive-in concerts for New Mexicans around the state. AMP Concerts have recently started offering in-person events, with locations like neighborhood driveways. People on the street can watch from their porch or sidewalk while still social distancing. “We saw ‘Zoltan and the Fortune Tellers’ right across the street from our home. It was an amazing experience to see a show right across from my house,” Therese Dooner, a northeast Albuquerque resident, said “We sat on the porch and ate dinner while cheering on the band. It was such a nice surprise during this time.”