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Culture

"Rocketman" offers inspiring take on Elton John's life

Amanda Britt | June 10

“Rocketman”, an impressive musical fantasy directed by Dexter Fletcher, tells the uncensored story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years, his struggle with addiction and finding the purest form of love from those close to him. The story begins with John (Taron Egerton) admitting he’s an alcoholic, a drug addict, a sex addict and a shopaholic at a group therapy session. He then tells his story to fame and fortune through biopic scenes and musical numbers set in his hometown of Pinner, England. Egerton is terrific as the singer in the movie – bringing an electrifying energy and high-level performance with him each time he goes on stage. Although he plays a character troubled by self-loathing and insecurities, Egerton does a great job of making the character multi-dimensional. Egerton’s commitment to the role shows as he effortlessly portrays the conflict John faces between his inner diva and pure musical genius.

Culture

Five things to keep you busy over the summer

Luisa Pennington | June 3

Existential dread got you down? Now that the semester is over, you may be wondering what to do. With the time to do whatever, whenever, you may be feeling a little disoriented. No worries, though. Here at the Daily Lobo, we have you covered. Here’s five things you can do with your freedom this summer:

Culture

Adrian Abeyta's 'unpredictable' college experience

Makayla Grijalva | May 6

“Unpredictable,” is how graduating senior Adrian Abeyta describes his overall college experience at the University of New Mexico. “In my brain I always have steps of things I want to get done,” Abeyta said. “I am probably a totally different person than I was when I started, and I really could never have predicted that I’d be a mechanical engineer.” Although he is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering this month, it wasn’t always Abeyta’s chosen degree path. He first started out as an Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media (IFDM) major and even did a semester-long stint in Pre-Pharmacy before settling on engineering. Abeyta’s younger brother, Esteban, 22, was not as surprised when Abeyta decided to pursue mechanical engineering.

Culture

Shayla Cunico discovers love of journalism at UNM

Danielle Prokop | May 6

Shayla Cunico isn’t fragmented, she’s kaleidoscopic. Cunico, the culture editor for the Daily Lobo has said her time at the University has helped to transform how she sees the world and carve out space for her authentic self. She’s learning now that despite how she has pulled in different directions, she could be a whole person and create something new. Graduation is looming but afterward she’s headed to Arizona State University, where orientation starts for her Masters in Visual Communication Design on May 28. Cunico said she feels she has one foot in two places as she finishes here but looks ahead to the program. “I’ve been trying to go through my head and see how I feel,” Cunico said. “But it’s difficult.”

Culture

The art of student-photography

Luisa Pennington | May 6

Last Friday seniors in Associate Professor of Photography Patrick Manning’s advanced photography class, presented their final projects in their art show: “If you don’t know the population of rats in an area, you don’t know anything…” The show showcased artwork exploring themes of technology, identity and familial ties. The Daily Lobo had the opportunity to get to know five of the ten seniors that presented their work at the show. Manning said that the students in his class made him feel like a passenger for the semester. "I guess for this particular group of students, the thing I was very impressed by was that they were all very self driven," Manning said. "It felt like I was a passenger. They were all very good about working together to produce the show."

Culture

Milkweed and Monarchs

Makayla Grijalva and Shayla Cunico | May 5

Tatia Veltkamp, owner of Wings of Enchantment, has a home filled to the brim with butterflies — whether it’s decorations on the walls or breeding monarchs fluttering in their mesh enclosure. Wings of Enchantment is a butterfly farm in northeast Albuquerque that ships butterflies to consumers across the country. What once started out as a hobby 18 years ago, has grown into a business of Veltkamp farming butterflies for the last nine years. Her customers purchase the butterflies to release them at weddings and other events. After release, it is expected that the monarchs migrate with the Eastern population “When my kids were little, I read an article in a magazine about how to go find caterpillars and eggs, but I didn’t know what milkweed was, so we had to figure out what milkweed was first in order to go find them,” Veltkamp said.

Culture

Heroes of Johnson Center

Sean Arguello | May 3

Johnson Center is a place on campus where students go to destress. However, it is the people who work at Johnson Center that make a difference. One student-employee at Johnson is University of New Mexico student Jaquan Franklin. Franklin worked his way up for six months to assistant supervisor at Johnson Center. Franklin said in order to work at Johnson, a person must have “hard work and dedication, a good attitude and the ability to focus on customers.”

Culture

Business owner nurtures butterflies to maturity

Makayla Grijalva and Shayla Cunico | May 2

Tatia Veltkamp, owner of Wings of Enchantment, looked over her growing butterflies as a trio of breeding monarchs fluttered around their mesh enclosure. Wings of Enchantment is a butterfly farm in northeast Albuquerque that ships butterflies to consumers across the country. What once started out as a fun hobby 18 years ago, has grown into a business farming butterflies for the last nine years. “When my kids were little, I read an article in a magazine about how to go find caterpillars and eggs, but I didn’t know what milkweed was, so we had to figure out what milkweed was first in order to go find them,” Veltkamp said.

Culture

El Paisa showcases Mexican heritage

Aaron Mendoza | May 2

The Institute of Mexicans abroad reports there are more than 36 million people with Mexican heritage living in the United States. In addition they reported that there are more than 24 million people that are Mexican-born and living in the United States. The city of Albuquerque is one of the most diverse cities in the country. Hundreds of Mexican families have settled in the largest city in New Mexico. Southwest Albuquerque has become a point of concentration for the Mexican community. Bridge Boulevard is brimming with local restaurants that bring a bit of Mexico to the Duke City for those who have had to leave their country.

Culture

Local woman works to rescue dogs

Danielle Prokop | May 2

Veronica Garcia Ortega hadn’t had breakfast yet, because the motto in her home is that “the dogs eat first,” she said in Spanish. The dog food clatters into the baby swimming pool, and Garcia Ortega tries to step back as dogs scramble over each other to wolf it down. She scoops up the dogs for their photo shoot, navigating muddy paws and eager face-licks. They are under consideration for adoption in the United States, to be taken in shelters as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah. Mary Tovey from Albuquerque and Alma Morfin from Juárez are partners in the nonprofit Planned Pethood de Juárez — an organization which is mainly focused on animal welfare education and spay/neuter efforts in the city and surrounding area.

Culture

New Mexicans trek miles for pilgrimage

Danielle Prokop and Anthony Jackson | May 2

There are many traditions in New Mexico -- green chile harvesting, lighting luminarias -- but there is nothing that attracts people from all over the world like the pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo. Located at an elevation of more than 6000 feet and east of Espanola, thousands of people visit a Spanish mission tucked away in the mountains during Holy Week. Most walkers start near the village of Nambe, others start in Santa Fe and a select few begin their trek in Albuquerque, more than 80 miles away. Along the way people carry crosses with the names of loved ones. Some walk their dogs and others push their loved ones in a wheelchair through the pastel colored desert and the rising hills. Some people carry their burdens for their God to absolve them.

Culture

Lopez Farms thrives despite the heat

Justin Schatz | May 2

Dry soil cracked beneath worn soles. The sun was still behind the mountains to the east. Dew clung to wheatgrass. Chris Lopez surveyed his farm with a look of pride and concern before climbing into his Ford to start the day. Lopez has been farming this piece of land his entire life. His grandfather left behind mining in Magdalena and purchased the original piece of land over fifty years ago. Despite the increasing aridity of the southwest and risks of ranching, Chris’ grandfather relocated his family to the fertile middle Rio Grande valley. From an original few acres, Lopez Farms expanded to encompass nearly 700 acres. They grow expansive fields of winter wheat and the hottest green chile in Central New Mexico.Several acres are designated wildlife habitat.

Culture

Faces in the crowd at Fiestas

Justin Garcia | May 2

The mass of human bodies swayed back and forth to blaring electronic beats below a flashy stage. Heat generated from those bodies rose into a damp night sky flooded by pulsing yellow, blue and green lights. The crowd moves as one unit, pushing itself closer to the stage like a child yearning for its mother. This is Fiestas, an annual music festival hosted by organizations within the University of New Mexico. It’s attended by thousands of people including students and community members from around main campus and Albuquerque. While the mass around the stage seems to be homogeneous, it is actually a motley collection of individuals moving as one. Each person, swaying and turning to the music, is lost in themselves and obsessed with the one foot of space there bodies have occupied.

Culture

KIVA Club wraps up week-long celebration on Johnson Field

Anthony Jackson | April 30

The 64th Annual Nizhoni Days Powwow wrapped up their week-long event with a gathering on Johnson Field at the University of New Mexico on Sunday, April 28. Crowds formed a circle under the sun around indigenous dancers, drummers and singers. A small market of more than 70 bright blue, white and red tents sold clothes, food and provided information on Native American causes and programs among others, under the shade. Some dancers were local to Albuquerque, but Dan Nanamkin came as far as Washington from the Colville Indian Reservation. He heard about Nizhoni Days through a relative.

Music

Concert Review: Superorganism visits Meow Wolf, rocks the stage

Luisa Pennington | April 29

Meow Wolf welcomed English indie-pop band Superorganism last Thursday to their flashy stage. With a colorful set decorated by the band in glitter face paint, hooded cloaks and projections of prawns, they brought an engaging and entertaining show. Though the eight-person group seemed organic on stage, they did not always preform together. In fact, the band is an amalgamation of musicians from across the world.

Photo Story: The Gathering of Nations 2019

Culture

Gathering of Nations celebrates Native culture

Anthony Jackson | April 29

The annual Gathering of Nations kicked off on Thursday, April 27, with the 36th Miss Indian World pageant held at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Native American women from tribes throughout the country competed for the title of Miss Indian World. Contestants were asked to display knowledge of their culture, public speaking, interviews, essays, dance and traditional talents — like grinding corn, swaddling babies and storytelling. The powwow began Friday and lasted until Saturday night.

Culture

How Jose Martinez overcame homelessness

Amanda Britt | April 25

From overcoming homelessness and substance addiction, to having a feature roll in “Better Call Saul," Jose B. Martinez is a symbol of perseverance. Throughout his life, Martinez has had to overcome many obstacles. Growing up a member of the only Hispanic family in his town and being racially stereotyped by police, moving to Los Angeles with only $700 and being homeless on the streets of Albuquerque. Martinez, a former student at the university of New Mexico, grew up in Chicago always knowing he wanted to be an actor. At the age of 18 he veered away from his family to move to New York City with the hope that he could make it in the acting business. After years of struggling in New York he decided to try acting in Los Angeles.

Culture

Movie Review: Poor dialogue dampens potential of "La Llorona"

Justin Schatz | April 25

La Llorona makes her long awaited “Conjuring Universe" debut in Michael Chaves stylistic, yet underwhelming, “The Curse of La Llorona.” The “Conjuring Universe” has been a blessing for the horror genre. James Wan’s “The Conjuring” is often considered a contemporary masterpiece of horror. The “Annabelle” spinoffs are a lesser but still competently crafted horror experience. The ever-expanding “Conjuring Universe” has experienced a dip in form with its last few entries. The formula that proved to a be a resounding success in the first two “Conjuring” movies has been recycled through each entry and now is at its predictable low in Chaves' latest entry.

Culture

Don Quijote flash mob takes Zimmerman by storm

Anthony Jackson | April 25

More than a dozen University of New Mexico staff and students gathered outside of Zimmerman Library for a Don Quijote flash mob last Wednesday. Starting at noon and lasting 15 minutes, undergraduate and graduate students alike read passages from the book; some read aloud in english, but others read out loud in Spanish and french. The flash mob was held in conjunction with el Día del Libro, the Day of the Book, said Mary Quinn, an associate professor within the Spanish and Portuguese department.

Culture

Movie Review: "Shazam" proves a compelling superhero movie

Justin Schatz | April 24

Imagine Gary Winick’s “13 Going on 30,” but without the stress of renting in New York City and instead transforming into a goofy superman doppelganger. DC Comics' latest solo entry “Shazam,” is a fun and deceivingly dark entry that promises potential for DC’s inconsistent cinematic universe. Directed by David Sandberg, “Shazam” finds its emotional core and compelling storytelling through its exploration of family. The movie invested itself in Billy Batson (Asher Angel), an orphan on a relentless quest to find his mother. After another fruitless lead, Billy finds himself fostered by Victor (Cooper Andrews) and Rosa (Marta Milans) Vasquez. He meets his foster brother, Frederick ‘Freddy’ Freeman (Jack Grazer), who happens to be an expert on everything superhero related. Billy, after defending Freddy from their high school’s bullies, finds himself in the presence of a powerful wizard (Dijimon Hounsou) and here we meet Shazam (a perfectly cast, Zachary Levi).