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Culture

‘Return to Reason’ returns to the silver screen

Addison Fulton | July 22

From July 13-15, the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque showed newly remastered and restored versions of four films by 1920s avant-garde filmmaker Man Ray. Ray – or Emmanuel Radnitzky – was a Dadaist-Surrealist filmmaker, painter and photographer, according to manray.net. He was born in Philadelphia but preferred to live and make his art in Paris, where he moved in 1921, according to the website. Ray was initially best known for his photography. He developed art pieces known as Rayogrammes. Ray created Rayogrammes without a camera by exposing an image that was placed directly on photo paper then exposed to light, according to manray.net.

Culture

Business is booming: meet one of Albuquerque’s firework sellers

Addison Fulton | July 8

During the 2024 firework season, predicted firework revenues exceeded $2.4 billion in the United States, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. Different employees at firework vendors get involved in the industry for different reasons, Marcus Muldez, the New Mexico area manager for TNT Fireworks, said. Each year, Americans purchase and light nearly 275 million pounds of fireworks, according to Axios. The majority of these – about 250 million pounds – are bought by individual consumers from firework tents and vendors like TNT, according to Axios. Muldez initially started selling fireworks as part of a church fundraiser. The profit was used to build homes for unhoused families in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Culture

REVIEW: Normani’s ‘Dopamine’ is a refreshing return to music

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 5

The summer of 2024 is for female artists who have complicated relationships with fame, and Normani is no exception. In fact, Normani’s debut album “Dopamine,” released on June 14 after a six year hiatus from music, takes the cake. “Dopamine” feels like sipping a tall, sleek can of sparkling mineral water. There’s no strong, particular flavor but it feels cool, refreshing and bubbly. Upon first listen, the album as a whole is sonically cohesive. However, it may feel too cohesive and strike some audiences as predictable and boring.

Culture

Sundance short films hit the Guild

Addison Fulton | July 5

From June 23 to June 27, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour – created by the nonprofit Sundance Institute – came to the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque. The showcase featured seven short films spanning genre and medium, from animation to documentary. Three of the seven films received awards. “Bug Diner,” directed by Phoebe Jane Hart, won the Jury Award for animation. “Bug Diner” follows three stop-motion couples: a pair of praying mantises in an unhappy marriage, an anteater pining after a squirrel who does not feel the same and a fly in love with a mole with a “hot ass.” The film culminated in an explicit and chaotic ending – especially for a claymation film – as Hart pushed the medium to its limits.

Culture

Two days, 27 films, one prop guitar

Maria Fernandez | July 3

On Friday, June 21, the 48-Hour Film Project (48HFP) in Albuquerque held its 2024 “best of” screening and awards ceremony. During the opening ceremony of the 48HFP, participants are each given a random movie genre and a required prop. Then, the 48-hour clock starts, during which the filmmakers write, film, edit and musically score their films for submission. The top 12 films submitted are shown at the “best of” event for the season’s judges and an audience to watch. This year, competitors made 27 films total.

Culture

‘Nuclear Communities of the Southwest’ exhibit challenges the narrative of nuclear history

Maria Fernandez | June 28

From March to September of this year, the Albuquerque Museum, located in Old Town, is displaying “Nuclear Communities of the Southwest,” an exhibit that tells the story of the history of nuclear science and the people it continues to affect. The exhibit features historical objects and artist reactions to New Mexico’s involvement in nuclear development, according to the City of Albuquerque website. The 2023 release of the film “Oppenheimer” brought renewed interest to Los Alamos and the nuclear history of New Mexico.

Culture

This is a fluff piece

Addison Fulton | June 21

Is there anything more “purr-fect” than a night at the cinema? The fifth annual Feline Film Festival hosted by Animal Humane New Mexico occurred on Saturday, June 15. This year’s festival line-up featured seven short films spanning genres, mediums and nations – but all were focused on one thing: cats. A documentary on Australia’s feral cat problem, an homage to old detective noirs such as “Casablanca,” slice-of-life animations and films, as well as pieces on love, loss and time all found their place on the screen. In addition to the films, the event offered kitten yoga and a cat-lover cocktail hour.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’ aims to destigmatize schizophrenia through gaming

Kelsa Mendoza | June 12

During a time when action-packed video games rise to the top of the charts, “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” sets itself apart as an introspective narrative that challenges the player to understand an altered reality. Video game company, Ninja Theory, released “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” as the sequel to “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” on May 21. The games follow Senua (portrayed by Melina Juergens), a Celtic warrior with schizophrenia, navigating a world ravaged by violence and influenced by Norse mythology. The game is available on Windows and Xbox X/S for $49.99.

Culture

Albuquerque celebrates diversity with 2024 Pride parade

Nate Bernard and Paloma Chapa | June 10

On Saturday, June 8, Albuquerque held the 2024 LGBTQ+ Pride parade. The event celebrated diversity of sexuality and identity through a caravan of parade floats with signs displaying messages of love and acceptance. The event also included music and dancers. Many attendees waved Pride flags and dressed in rainbow, while some – including several people on top of floats – dressed in drag.

Culture

OPINION: Pay no attention to the bot behind the curtain

Addison Fulton | June 5

The University of New Mexico film and digital arts (FDMA) department offers a variety of classes that teach students the ins and outs of the film industry and give them experience in every part of collaborative art filmmaking, from screenplay to silver screen. Recently, a new class was added to the FDMA roster – FDMA 491.003: Data-Driven Digital Art, Collaboration with AI and Interdisciplinary Art. “We explore the cutting-edge field of artificial intelligence, which has gained significant traction since the 2000s, to craft imaginative projects in digital art. In this class, we investigate ethical collaborations with computer-generated and data-driven creations, utilizing them as innovative tools across various creative domains such as photography, painting, video art, performance and beyond,” the course description reads.

Culture

What do you want for dinner?

Marcela Johnson | May 13

Food is one of life’s most basic necessities. For students attending the University of New Mexico, the campus and surrounding areas offer different dining options. UNM has one dining hall, La Posada (LaPo), located in the residence area of campus. There are also four on-campus markets, located in the Student Union Building (SUB), Student Residence Center Commons (SRC), Dane Smith Hall and the UNM Bookstore. Angel Baca, student success leader for the Associated Students at UNM’s Emerging Lobo Leaders and spring 2024 graduate, shared his advice for incoming students who will dine on campus.

Culture

Student activity fees: What are they and what do they do?

Arly Garcia | May 13

University of New Mexico student activity fees can be a little daunting when you first spot them on your bill, but they don’t have to be a mystery. “Revenue generated by the student activity fee is used to support a variety of student activities that enhance the academic and intellectual environment at UNM,” UNM Policy 1310 reads. There are three fees students pay, which include “a facility/information technology debt service fee, student activity fee and student government fee,” according to the policy.

Culture

5 and Why: 5 ways to make friends in college

Maria Fernandez | May 13

It can be daunting for new students to try to make friends in college. Here are five ways I recommend new students engage with the University of New Mexico community and make some new pals. .

Culture

UNM witnesses the historic chartering of the National Pan-Hellenic Council

Elizabeth Secor | May 9

On Saturday, May 4, the University of New Mexico Divine Nine Greek Life chapters established the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) in a milestone over a decade in the making. The Divine Nine consists of nine historically Black fraternities and sororities. Kaelyn Moon, president of the NPHC and member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., made a speech during the chartering ceremony on the history of the Council at UNM. The effort has been ongoing since 2010 with undergraduate Black Greek life members researching, writing proposals and speaking with UNM leadership and Albuquerque’s Black Greek life alumni community, Moon said in her speech.

Culture

Pride Convocation brings campus LGBTQ community together

Marcela Johnson | May 6

The Unviersity of New Mexico LGBTQ Resource Center’s 13th annual Pride Convocation honored graduates and awardees on Friday, May 3. Attendees and speakers paraded into the Honors College forum to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” to begin the evening’s festivities. The celebration included speeches from LGBTQRC Director Frankie Flores, UNM President Garnett Stokes and UNM Division for Equity and Inclusion President Assata Zerai. Madison Otero, UNM senior and co-chair of Juniper Reimagined – UNM’s Queer and Trans student alliance – served as the student speaker for the event. In her speech, she thanked the center and spoke to her fellow graduates about what to hold on to and what to let go.

Culture

All about graduation ceremonies

Sadie Hopkins | May 6

There are roughly 22,000 students enrolled at the University of New Mexico, meaning that hundreds – if not thousands – of students will be graduating this weekend. Thousands of attendees are expected to be at the main graduation ceremony. Undergraduates and master’s students must RSVP for University Commencement by Monday, May 6 at 12 p.m. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 5 at The Pit, and students should prepare to arrive an hour early. From there, the main undergraduate ceremony will commence.

Culture

Francesca Cicconetti knows ball

Thomas Bulger | May 6

Francesca Cicconetti’s life has been dominated by sports. From an early age, she watched games with her family, which led to a high school career in volleyball. At the University of New Mexico, she covered sports for the Daily Lobo and started a temporary job with the New Mexico Ice Wolves. Cicconetti graduates from UNM with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Her family moved to Albuquerque when she was young; later, she attended Volcano Vista High School. Cicconetti graduated in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and originally wanted to go out of state for college, but stayed close to home and doesn’t regret a thing.

Culture

Estrada’s creativity knows no bounds

Lily Alexander | May 6

“I was like, ‘F*ck, I’m not getting a job,’” Katrina Estrada said about her 2022 interview to be a freelance photographer at the Daily Lobo – during which she burst into laughter when a pigeon attacked then photo editor Mackenzie Schwartz. A week later, she was hired. She soon became the multimedia editor, and later, the photo editor. She graduates from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in film this spring. “I chose film because I’ve always been in love with the art. I think it started with my love for photography that started at a very young age, and then it blossomed into wanting to delve into other visual medias,” Estrada said.

Culture

Mackenzie Schwartz shows artistry and strength

Maria Fernandez | May 6

Writer, photographer and powerlifter Mackenzie Schwartz is graduating from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and three years at the Daily Lobo under her belt. Schwartz has had a passion for photography since high school and served as the Lobo photo editor for three semesters. She received the Mark Holm Photojournalism Award in 2023, which annually recognizes one Lobo photographer. “(My passion) has grown more over the years, working at the Daily Lobo (and) attending sports, protests and campus events,” Schwartz wrote.

Culture

Daily Lobo twins for the win

Arly Garcia | May 6

Paloma and Leila Chapa, Daily Lobo staff members and Women’s Soccer Club founders, are graduating from the University of New Mexico this spring with degrees in environmental planning and design. The twins started at UNM in 2019 and quickly became involved with the campus community. In September 2023, Paloma became multimedia editor for the Lobo and helped build the video desk. Leila joined the Lobo as a videographer in February 2024. The two were excited to create videos together – a longtime passion of theirs – and gain new experiences at the Lobo, they said.