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Culture

Remixing art at the UNM Art Museum

Loreena Cain | February 11

In a new installation at the University of New Mexico Art Museum, León De la Rosa-Carrillo remixes art and culture in his art installation "The Remix Room." "The Remix Room," which Rosa-Carrillo has been working on since 2013, opened Feb. 7 and will remain in the upper gallery at the UNM Art Museum until May 9. The installation consists of five different stations of mixed media arts. Some of the stations are interactive, and most of them consist of multiple works of art. The exhibit includes remixed videos, embroidery, lenticular posters, books and a short story displayed prominently on the wall.

Culture

Langston Hughes Project celebrates Harlem Renaissance centennial

Makayla Grijalva | February 11

In celebration of Black History Month, the Langston Hughes Project is commemorating 100 years since the Harlem Renaissance through two concerts and a master lecture. "I think (Langston Hughes) transcended the Harlem Renaissance," said event organizer and associate professor of literary studies Finnie Coleman. "But, not very many other authors are thought of outside of the Harlem Renaissance." The Ron McCurdy Quartet will perform the Langston Hughes poem "Ask Your Mama: The Twelve Moods of Jazz" on two separate occasions. The first performance will be held at Popejoy Hall on Friday, Feb. 21 and will be free to all.

Culture

The gamers of Zimmerman

Bianca Hoops | February 10

They refer to themselves as "the dark web version" of a game club and typically spend their time playing League of Legends or various board games deep inside of Zimmerman Library randomly throughout the week. The informal club started as a group study time for these STEM students but evolved into a combination of studying and battling one another for fun. It began last semester with people joining in as time went along, according to one member. This member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he’s been playing League of Legends for nine years and started this trend with another friend. Most of the group requested anonymity because they said they didn't want this story to affect their standing as science, technology, engineering and math students.

Culture

Photo Story: Bosque nature walk highlights importance of cottonwoods

Liam Debonis | February 6

As the sun rose early Sunday morning, eager hikers gathered at the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center for the monthly “Bosque Wild!” guided nature walk. Richard Shackley, a volunteer steward at the center, led the group out of the building and into the desert forest towards the east. “Open Space aims to protect and preserve the natural environment,” Shackley said. According to the City of Albuquerque’s webpage, the Open Space program began in 1969, and now oversees nearly 30,000 acres of land. One of the most important hallmarks of this section is the cottonwood tree.

Culture

AASS raises the Pan-African flag to kick-off Black History Month

Fischer Knapp | February 5

University of New Mexico’s African American Student Services (AASS) celebrated the start of Black History Month with the raising of the Pan-African flag on Monday, Feb. 3. The event began with over a dozen students marching from African American Student Services at Mesta Vista Hall to Scholes hall, where the Pan-African flag was raised alongside the United States and New Mexico flags. “Personally, this event means a lot to me. We’re here at a university where the population of black people is under 5%” said Mateo Wells, a sophomore film and digital media student at UNM, “For us to be able to raise the flag, everybody on campus can see that at any time. That means a lot because it means the university is also standing with us and celebrating and commemorating Black History.”

Culture

Traveling art exhibit shakes New Mexico

Annya Loya | February 5

A new art installment, “Sayaka Ganz- Reclaimed Creations,” opened at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science with seemingly in motion sculptures purely made out of plastic items. The exhibit opened on Jan. 10 and will be part of the museum’s attractions until May 17. It can be accessed with normal museum admission. Created by artist Sayaka Ganz and produced by David J. Wagner, LLC, “Sayaka Ganz-Reclaimed Creations” is a series composed of over 10 pieces — some in motion. All of the sculptures are represented by animals and made completely out of plastic objects of various tones.

Culture

Photo Story: Electric Playhouse grand opening

Emille Domschot | February 2

The Electric Playhouse, an innovative new space bringing together art and community in Albuquerque’s West side, launched its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 1. Among the sizable group gathered in front of the doors for the ribbon cutting were representatives from the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and the ABQ West Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Tim Keller and his family were also in attendance. As the doors were opened, the whole crowd pressed forward to explore the space.

Culture

Author Layla Saad on combating white supremacy

Loreena Cain | February 2

Layla Saad, author of “Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor” visited Bookworks in Albuquerque as a stop on her national book tour. The Jan. 31 event filled the small store, leaving only standing room after the chairs were filled. Saad spoke not only about her book but about racism and how it appears especially in liberal white women.

Culture

Sorority celebrates 100 years

Beatrice Nisoli | January 29

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., an internationally renowned and historically black Greek-lettered sorority, recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary on Jan. 16. The sorority was first founded on Howard University’s campus in response to the want for a sister chapter to the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and an overall desire to champion educational and service-based pursuits for the black community. Since its historical conception with only five female founders, Zeta Phi Beta has grown considerably while celebrating significant firsts; for example, the sorority was the first to charter a chapter in Africa.

Culture

Board of Regents seeks community input in new UNM seal selection

Beatrice Nisoli | January 29

The University of New Mexico is changing its seal from the current interim design, but this time, the school is seeking input from its student and alumni population. Prior to 2016, protests arose — primarily from Native American student groups such as Kiva Club and The Red Nation — regarding the previous seal, which featured a conquistador brandishing a sword and a rifle-carrying frontiersman. Many students expressed discomfort with this seal due to New Mexico’s violent history that ensued from Spanish exploration. The discourse for a new seal culminated in the suspension of UNM’s previous seal in 2016. Shortly afterwards, the Board of Regents passed a resolution directing the Provost to formulate a committee for designing and selecting a new University seal. In the meantime, an interim seal with the University’s name and founding date was and is being utilized.

Culture

History professor commissioned to paint mural on history of IT in NM

Daniel Ward | January 26

Information technology (IT) is a large component to the development of our future, but the perseverance and understanding of its history is equally important for societal improvement. University of New Mexico History Professor Taylor Spence is helping to share the connection between IT and History through his mural “Can You Hear I.T.?” The mural project first started taking root in the summer, 2019 when Associate Provost Pamela Cheek recommended Spence as a prime candidate to paint a mural for the IT department. “I knew that Dr. Spence had been a professional muralist prior to arriving at UNM and that his work as a historian and teacher gave him insight into the UNM community,” Cheek said.

Culture

Star of Netflix's "You" talks at UNM about his Baha’i faith

Bianca Hoops | January 23

Penn Badgley, star of the Netflix series “You,” spoke at the Student Union Building Wednesday night about his faith in the Baha’i religion. The University of New Mexico Baha’i Association along with a variety of volunteers put together this event to draw in students to learn about the teachings of the Baha’i. Badgley was asked to come through a mutual friend of Stephen Morris, the President of the UNM Baha’i Association. He was not compensated for speaking at the event. The goal of the talk, the first in their spring series, was to get someone significant to speak about this religion to get students interested in Baha’i, Morris said.

Culture

Youth organization holds climate protest at Roundhouse

Justin Garcia | January 22

As the climate warms, the guillotine will fall on the necks of children. That was the message Youth United for Climate Action (YUCA) hoped New Mexico legislators derived from an elaborate demonstration outside the Roundhouse on the opening day of the 2020 session. “We need lawmakers to consider the impact of their decision on us, on indigenous communities on the frontlines, and on future generations,” high school seniors Seneca Johnston and Veroaylin Campos said to a crowd of supporters and onlookers.

Culture

NM Mother of the Year recognized for giving back

Beatrice Nisoli | January 22

Robin Brule, an Albuquerque resident and fellow Lobo, was named the 44th New Mexico Mother of the Year earlier this month. Her advocacy for mothers in the workplace, flexible balancing of her own professional and family life and her philanthropic contributions to her community earned her the nomination. Brule said she considers the title to be a “heartfelt, unexpected honor and privilege,” and that it reflects how honoring her own mother and supporting motherhood, in general, has been a consistent theme in her life.

Culture

New Taco Truck calls Red Door Brewery Home

Liz Pritchard | January 22

Mi Taco Su Taco is the latest addition to the Albuquerque food truck scene. On Jan. 17, the truck had its grand opening at the Red Door Brewery, showcasing its sweet and simple menu. “Today is our grand opening and business has been good for the day.” Owner Roman Martinez said. Martinez, 35, decided to open his food truck after becoming a first-generation college graduate from New Mexico State University.

Culture

One Hundred Years of UNM — 1920 vs. 2020

Makayla Grijalva and Alyssa Martinez | January 20

A lot has changed in the past 100 years since the roaring 1920s. The end of the first World War, the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the tuberculosis pandemic all culminated at the turn of the 20th century — and the University of New Mexico was no stranger to these growing pains. From a birds-eye lens, UNM’s governance landscape was not too far off from today — there were budget shortages, transplant leadership, constant construction, and athletic funding issues. However, only focusing on the similarities would be to erase the changes the University has made over the past century.

Culture

ASUNM Giving Tree provided gifts to local children

Lauren McDonald | January 12

Planned by Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Community Experience, this past Nov. 25 marked the start of the Annual Giving Tree that has been held for over ten years, on display in the Student Union Building. Candy canes decorated The Giving Tree. Volunteers of the community could pick one, then buy the gift written on the decoration, and bring them to the ASUNM office. Each cane had a specific donation request noted. The gifts were distributed to the local youth at the UNM Children’s Hospital, APS Title I Albuquerque charter schools, and Casa Q — a residential home for LGBTQ youth ages 14 to 17 years old.

Culture

Dannelle Kirvin graduating as beloved UNM student leader

Daniel Ward | December 8

As a first-generation college student, Dannelle Kirvin has made a huge impact on campus every year she has been at the University of New Mexico. Majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in criminology, she came to UNM knowing exactly what she wanted with her heart set on making a difference and standing up for what's right. Kirven held a variety of different leadership positions — President of Zeta Phi Beta sorority and President of the Black Student Union (BSU). Since the fall of 2015, she held a work-study position in the computer lab of African American Student Services (AASS), but she recently started working there as a professional support intern.

Culture

New Nob Hill bookstore features unique titles

Makayla Grijalva | December 8

Tucked in the corner of the newly opened Little Bear And Stuff Retail Collaborative, colorful books speckle sand-colored bookshelves and light up the industrial space. Harvest Moon Books opened on Small Business Saturday — along with the rest of the retail collaborative — and has already seen customers browsing its unique literature collection. The small bookstore sells a variety of titles, both new and used, with a focus on people of color and indigenous and queer authors.

Culture

Graduating Daily Lobo staff look to outdoors in next chapter

Alex Hiett and Loreena Cain | December 8

The stresses of modern education and deadline anxieties are coming to an end, and three of the Daily Lobo’s own staff are looking forward to having time to spend enjoying the outdoors. Culture Editor Luisa Pennington, Sports Editor Alanie Rael, and Photographer and reporter Kristina Tanberg are three of the seniors departing from the University of New Mexico this week, diplomas in hand.