Culture

Culture

Review: “Thor: Ragnarok" fun but lacking depth

Hector Valverde | November 5

I love Marvel Studios. I can always rely on them to deliver on a good time at the very least. But with the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Spiderman: Homecoming,” I started to worry that enjoyable but ultimately disposable movies is all that Marvel Studios is willing to offer. Their newest addition, “Thor: Ragnarok,” is a good enough offering of superhero fun, but it lacks staying power and emotional resonance.

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Culture

Local project at UNM libraries exhibits everyday New Mexicans

Ariel Lutnesky | November 5

The University of New Mexico libraries have added a few extra faces on the walls, smiling down at students and community members as part of a new exhibition by Humans of New Mexico. “The Humans of New Mexico project is an online platform where we collect oral histories from everyday New Mexicans,” said Rafael Martinez, the organization’s project director. “The goal is to go around the state and talk to ordinary people about their life, their experience, their stories and traditions and culture and what it’s like in their part of the state.”

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Culture

Review: New "Stranger Things" season continues to impress

Hector Valverede | November 1

Warning: some spoilers ahead... The first season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” was a phenomenal throwback to the best decade ever, with a modern flourish that helped it stand out from classic 1980s flair. With great performances all around and a unique science-fiction intrigue, “Stranger Things” quickly cemented itself as a part of the golden age of television. The show’s second season retains most of that momentum with a few noticeable stumbles along the way.

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Movies

Review: Five flicks and clicks help keep Halloween spirit alive

Hector Valverede | October 30

It’s been a dry month for movies this October, with no really great additions coming into the horror catalogue. So, what will you watch as the spookiest month of the year wraps up? Personally, I’m a bit tired of cycling through the horror classics, so here's a few unique suggestions to keep the Halloween spirit fresh: “Fright Night” (2011, on Amazon Prime) When a shady new neighbor, moves next door to him, Charlie Brewster suspects him of being a vampire. The 2011 remake of “Fright Night” is one of my favorite underrated horror films.

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News

Lecture highlights deceased congressman's accomplishments

Nichole Harwood | October 30

Guests filled the chairs eagerly as they awaited an open-to-the-public lecture by Chief Judge M. Christina Armijo Oct. 26 at the The University of New Mexico’s School of Law for the 2017 U.S. Sen. Dennis Chavez Endowed Lectureship in honor of Chavez’s legacy. Chavez became a congressman when there were not many people in Congress that could advocate for minority communities, and he was also the pioneer in the laws that started right before the Civil Rights Era, former Dean and Professor of Law Kevin Washburn said during his opening remarks for the lecture. “He gave these communities more of a voice, and he was really committed to that...Society doesn’t change, unless people are working real hard to make it change. It doesn’t change easily, and so you need leaders to make that change. So hopefully what we do is inspire members of this community to make a change,” he said.

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Culture

Zia Marching Band Fiesta showcases bands from across New Mexico

Timber Mabes | October 30

The University of New Mexico’s football season is coming to an end, and with that comes the often overlooked end to the marching band season. Band members from across New Mexico and surrounding states are still putting their hearts into their performances, including those who marched this weekend at the Zia Marching Band Fiesta. The Fiesta was the final marching competition of the season and one of the final University of New Mexico Spirit Marching Band performances of the 2017-2018 school year.

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Culture

Photo Story: Annual Lantern Fest lights up the sky

April Torres and Garett Julian | October 30

The Annual Lantern Fest took place on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Crowds gathered at Sandia Speedway Park to enjoy quality time together under the spectacle of hundreds of lanterns.

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News

Jack-o-lantern Pie recipe makes for fun holiday treat

Ludella Awad | October 29

Halloween is coming soon, a time when kids are knocking on doors, begging for candy to get their annual overdose of sugar, but we can offer them a healthy, tasty alternative with less sugar instead. Here is a healthy, spicy, tasty and not-too-sugary treat that can be made for a Halloween party or just for fun during the season.

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Music

Sex and Relationships Issue: Five songs that sum up every stage in a relationship

Kyle Land | October 27

As any respectable rom-com will tell you, relationships and music were made for each other. With every moment of your emotional adventure there is a song crafted to fit your exact mood, whether you find yourself in the loving embrace of your partner or neck deep in a tub of depression ice cream. Here’s a list of songs for all the highs and lows that come with love — hopefully you can use these for any emotional situation you find yourself in.

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News

Sex and Relationships Issue: Tacos y Reproductive Justice hopes to get people talking

Ariel Lutnesky | October 25

On Monday night, students and community members gathered to talk about reproductive rights and history over free tacos at the Kiva Auditorium during Tacos y Reproductive Justice. The event was put together through a partnership between UNM’s Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice and Young Women United in celebration of SARJ’s Sex Week, a week-long educational event that started Monday and finishes Friday, Oct. 27. Tacos y Reproductive Justice primarily focused on reproductive rights for women of color, as it is a major issue that YWU focuses on.

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Culture

Review: Local Haunted Houses provide scares and value

Aaron Cowan | October 23

If Halloween is your time of year, then you will not be disappointed by the ample entertainment opportunities that await you at haunted houses in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The city is fortunate to have several high-quality horror-themed attractions that are all within 40-minutes driving distance of the University of New Mexico campus. Dragon’s House of Horrors First on this reporter’s list was Dragon’s House of Horrors, at the State Fair Grounds, which boasted the title of “the world’s longest walk-through horror house.”

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Culture

Review: "An American in Paris," exciting and eclectic performance

Aaron Cowan | October 23

Fans of romantic Broadway musicals are sure to fall in love with “An American in Paris” and the time-tested melodies of George and Ira Gershwin, which played at Popejoy Hall Oct. 17 through 22. This recent retelling of the 1951 film received a 2015 Tony Award and a slew of other critical honors. “An American in Paris” was adapted to the stage by director Christopher Wheeldon, based off a book by Craig Lucas. The cheery, song-and-dance-laden performance is centered around a fictional U.S. army lieutenant, Jerry Mulligan, originally played by Robert Fairchild, who decides to stay in Paris after World War II to pursue his artistic ambitions.

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News

Birth of Bahá’u’lláh ceremony unites many parts of Albuquerque community

Rebecca Brusseau | October 23

On Oct. 22, members of the Bahá’í faith celebrated in Crowne Plaza Hotel in central Albuquerque event, symbolically remembering the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of Bahá’í. This event represents a very spiritual watershed moment in history believed by this faith. In the early 19th century, Siyyid Ali-Muhammad was born into the Persian family believed to have been descendants of the prophet Muhammad. This child grew up to be known as Bahá’u’lláh, a religious founder and leader of the Bahá’í faith.

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Culture

Review: Santa Fe Comic-Con offers chance to nerd out

Timber Mabes | October 22

When thinking of Santa Fe, I picture old historic buildings once housing cowboys and ranch families or ancient cathedrals filled with candles and murals of Catholic saints. What I don’t picture is a giant, working Dalek from “Doctor Who,” or Ciel from “Black Butler.” On Saturday morning, crowds of people piled into the Buffalo Thunder Casino in Santa Fe, but they didn’t come for the gambling — they were there for the Santa Fe Comic-Con. The large ballrooms of the casino were crowded with nerds, geeks and poindexters alike — myself included. I was dressed in a shoddy Kylo Ren costume that was made from dresses and a coat from Goodwill. The look was complete with boots, a hood and a leather belt. I felt scared to show off my work to others, but I was also incredibly proud of my sad sewing skills.

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Culture

Skydivers push thrills to the limit

Sherri Barth | October 22

Think jumping from an airplane sounds exciting? Skydiving enthusiasts have found a different launchpad that takes their flight to new heights and exhilarating freefalls. “You get that stomach-in-your-heart feeling” from jumping off a hot air balloon, according to skydiver Jake Cordova of Skydive New Mexico. Parachuting from a hot air balloon was first introduced as a means of safety, when in 1785 Jena-Pierre Blanchard tested this method of skydiving using a dog. Blanchard would soon have no choice but to put himself in a parachute and jump out of his own hot air balloon when it ruptured in 1793, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Skydivers have been getting a thrill from jumping, then parachuting from a hot air balloon at altitudes that can equal that of jumping out of airplanes. Cordova said jumping off a hot air balloon, or static jumps, is similar to base jumping.

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News

Sex Week 2017 will host a range of events

Rebecca Brusseau | October 22

Monday kicks off Sex Week, a weeklong series of events held by the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice. Sex Week has been an annual event at UNM over the past few school years. Although it has caused controversy in the past, it returns to campus, offering lectures and other on-campus events that help educate students about topics ranging from consent to more intimate subjects such as the use of sex toys. SARJ hopes that educating students about these controversial subjects will lead to a decrease in sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies and abusive relationships.

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News

"LaPo Goes Local" aims to educate about homegrown ingredients

Colton Newman | October 19

Steak Night or Luau Night are usually part of legacy events held at La Posada dining hall each semester. But Wednesday night, LaPo shook things up by hosting “La Po Goes Local.” Instead of eating inside as they usually would, students were able to sit outside the dining hall at long rows of tables covered in fall decorations. Roughly two hundred University of New Mexico students cycled through the food line where they could choose from Frito pie, calabacitas, fresh grilled corn, pulled pork and the very popular green chile burgers. LaPo staff served the food, spoke with attendees and grilled green chile burgers, with the help of volunteers primarily made up of UNM fraternities.

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Culture

Review: Explore the frights of ABQ's Old Town

Hector Valverde | October 18

Albuquerque’s Old Town is a site of rich historical significance dating back to the city’s inception in the early 18th century. Beautiful plazas, churches and shops riddle the area, making it a tourist magnet. Despite this beauty there’s a sinister undercurrent bubbling beneath the jovial surface of Old Town. The Mexican-American War and the American Civil War both touched the town, leaving its people and businesses with pervasive scars — and possibly ghosts.

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Movies

"Happy Death Day" is worth a watch

Hector Valverde | October 15

“Happy Death Day” is the latest entry in Blumhouse Productions’ huge catalogue of horror (and occasionally other genre) films. It’s one of six this year, actually, and thankfully better than most horror films in recent memory. The gimmicks in the plot of “Happy Death Day” help it stand out as more than just another horror movie. The premise of the film is sweet and simple: a college student, Tree, keeps waking up to the same day. This sudden reincarnation, however, comes with the price of being hunted down and killed by a mysterious masked murderer.

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Culture

Photo Story: Expo New Mexico displays traditional Chinese handicrafts

Autumn King and Jenny Liang | October 15

Making lanterns is a well-practiced tradition in Chinese culture. Lanterns are made to signify and commemorate the Chinese New Year. These pieces of art started from humble beginnings with basic shapes and materials. In the modern day, artists and curators have elevated this practice by creating magnificent structures of many shapes and sizes. A company called Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. has brought their display of elaborate and memorable Chinese lanterns to Albuquerque, but it doesn’t stop there.