Multimedia

Mural by Albuquerque artists depicts iconic musicians across decades

The famous faces of Lady Gaga, Prince, Mac Miller and David Bowie grace a new mural behind the El Rey Theater on Seventh Street. The project was the result of a collaborative effort by forty-four local artists to honor famous musicians both past and present. Nazario Sandoval, the coordinator of artists for the new public artwork, said he initially planned for 10 artists to create the mural but the painting process turned into a community-building event, full of local artists and music lovers. The budget for the project was originally $1,000 but quickly tripled as the community of artists working on it increased. Sandoval funded the entire project himself.

Lobos lock up No. 1 seed in MW tournament after sweep

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team completed the sweep against Colorado State to not only clinch the No. 1 seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament, but also secure their first regular season title since 2005. The team held on to win with a final score of 71-62. New Mexico held a 38-32 advantage at halftime, with guard Ahlise Hurst leading the Lobos in scoring with 12 points. The team then came out the gates strong in the second half, scoring 10 points in the first two minutes of the third quarter. However, Colorado State tied the game at 58-58 with just over five minutes left in the game. UNM responded by outscoring the Rams 13-4 down the stretch, securing the win.

March 3, 2021 Comics

‘Enough APD terror:’ Protesters call for abolition over reform

On Friday, Feb. 26, local activists and community members gathered at the Albuquerque Police Department’s downtown headquarters to march for the abolishment of the heavily scrutinized force. They stood on the police department’s steps as they delivered their speeches to a crowd of about 70 people. The demonstration took place nine years to the day after Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman and was organized by Fight For Our Lives Albuquerque (FFOL) — a local youth-led organization — All African People’s Revolutionary Party, Power Through Peace, Save the Kids from Incarceration and Allied People's Coalition. Jennifer Marley, of the Indigenous liberation organization Red Nation, recounted the 2014 police killing of James Boyd and castigated APD’s consistent brutalization of people of color and marginalized populations.

Lobos romp 68-55 in first ABQ game in over a year

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team beat Colorado State 68-55 in the Lobos’ first official home game of the season at the Pit on Thursday, March 4. The team can clinch the No. 1 seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament with a win against CSU on March 5 in the final game of the regular season. The Lobos took sole possession of first place in the conference with the victory. The Lobos had five players that scored in double figures, contributing all but four of the team’s total 68 points. Junior forward Shaiquel McGruder led UNM with 16 points, while senior guard Antonia Anderson brought down 11 rebounds.

New Mexico film industry works to eradicate sexism

Sexism in the film industry has been ubiquitous since its inception. The #MeToo movement helped shed light on the experiences of actors and other women in the film industry who have been taken advantage of by men or not given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Amber Dodson, the director of the New Mexico Film Office, has been working toward making the New Mexico film industry more inclusive for women. "After more research and talking to intimacy coordinators and directors and producers who have worked with (them), it became crystal clear that this was something we need to have in New Mexico," Dodson said in an interview with Southwest Contemporary. "(It's) something that we should put our Workforce Development Funds behind, something that we should get New Mexicans trained up to participate in and to help foster this new role, and to help New Mexico be a leader in the next era."

REVIEW: ‘Minari’: A gentle tale of the immigrant experience

If there were one thing that could connect almost every family living in the United States, it would be the immigrant figure. Perhaps one who came over from the east, greeted by the Statue of Liberty and landing on Ellis Island, or one who crossed the southern border without looking back, only looking forward to opportunities in a new home. These universal experiences are where “Minari,” released virtually on Feb. 12 by indie film company A24, finds its heart. “Minari” is a semi-autobiographical tale, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, that follows a Korean family of four moving from California to Arkansas in search of a new life. Steven Yuen brilliantly portrays the father, Jacob Yi, who plans on starting a farm so that he and his wife, Monica Yi (played by Han Ye-ri) can abandon their makeshift careers as chicken sexers.

OPINION: Golden Globes fail to avoid controversy — again

In a year unlike any other for film and television, filmmakers, actors and crew members nevertheless persisted to get their work out in time to contend for the 2021 Golden Globes. No one was sure what the award ceremonies would look like, but now they know: sketchy comedy, Zoom acceptance speeches and predictable controversy. The Globes aired the evening of Feb. 28, and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler — tuning in from opposite ends of the country — made short work of addressing the most pressing controversy. Both women called out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which constitutes the voting body for the Golden Globes, for having zero representation of Black journalists within its 87 members.

Four students vying for ASUNM president

On March 8, undergraduate students can log onto their myUNM account to vote for one of four candidates running to lead the University of New Mexico’s undergraduate student government. The voting period will end at 5 p.m. on March 10. Noah Dowling-Lujan, Ricardo Hill, Jacob Olaguir and Greg Romero are the four candidates vying for the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico presidency this year, alongside their respective vice presidential running mates. Although the pairs are running coordinated campaigns — known as slates — students can vote for any combination of candidates. Earlier this week, the candidates held an online debate where they introduced themselves and described their platforms. A recording of that debate is available on the UNM Student Activities Center Youtube account.

Return to the Pit: UNM women’s basketball comes home

For the first time this season, the UNM women’s basketball team will take the floor at the Pit for two home games as they welcome Colorado State on March 4-5 for the final two-game series of the season. Both games will be played at 5 p.m. and broadcast on the Mountain West Network, according to UNM Athletics. Sitting at a 12-3 record, a sweep of the series would catapult UNM into the top seed for the upcoming Mountain West Conference tournament — a favorable position for the team if they hope to take home the championship.

UNM alum helps connect the New Mexico aerospace industry

Casey DeRaad sits at her desk. Behind her are pictures of her family and a company plaque that reads "NewSpace New Mexico," and in front of her is her laptop with Zoom loaded up. It's time for DeRaad's "Third Thursday Tech Talk," where NewSpace connects with representatives from other aerospace companies to share insights and new developments in the burgeoning industry. This is the idea behind NewSpace New Mexico: to connect New Mexico aerospace companies with one another in order to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships.

UNM women’s soccer coach scores big with national role

Heather Dyche has lived and breathed soccer for as long as she can remember, and after years of dedication to the field she was elected to the Board of Directors for the United Soccer Coaches, creating another avenue for her to share her passion with others. According to the United Soccer Coaches' website, the organization's goals are "to promote the game of soccer, generate greater publicity for the sport and improve teaching of the game through soccer clinics as well as research and evaluation of coaching of the sport." Dyche said the group oversees collegiate soccer, youth soccer and soccer for people with disabilities, but their focus on advocacy and trying to help people sets them apart from other organizations.

Period: A podcast about the science of menstruation and 'all the bloody bits'

When the Period podcast went live in 2016, it took a social-scientific approach to menstruation, a.k.a. "periods." Kathryn Clancy, a biological anthropologist and former writer for Scientific American, served as the podcast host and brought both feminist and scientific lenses to the show, which halted production as the pandemic worsened in May of last year. I found this podcast while looking for a list of the best science podcasts and consistently found myself learning new things about a topic that, for more than half the population, is a normal part of existence for much of our adult lives.

Jennifer King: Breaking barriers in the NFL

The Washington Football Team made history on Jan. 26 when they announced that Jennifer King was promoted to assistant running backs coach, making her the first Black woman to hold a full-time coaching position in the NFL. Prior to her stint in Washington, King was an offensive assistant at Dartmouth College, interned during multiple offseasons with the Carolina Panthers and was a seven-time All-American quarterback and wide receiver playing for the Carolina Phoenix, a women's tackle football team, from 2006-17. During the 2020 season, King worked as a full-year coaching intern and is credited with helping develop the team's running back corps with the offensive staff and running backs coach Randy Jordan. Under King and Jordan, Washington's running backs totaled 423 rushing attempts for 1,697 yards and 20 touchdowns.

New Feminist Research Institute director continues work on gender, sexuality

Francisco J. Galarte, the new director of the Feminist Research Institute (FRI) at the University of New Mexico, plans to continue focusing on topics that relate to gender and sexuality as the center celebrates 25 years in action. The FRI has a specific focus on the support of students — graduate students in particular — and faculty. Galarte, an assistant professor of American studies and women, gender and sexuality studies at UNM, has been the director for about two months and plans to continue this work while strengthening ties to the community. "We focus on supporting feminist research," Galarte said. "Feminist research for us means research that not only is focused on issues related to women but rather issues related to gender, sexuality and institutions that govern and oversee gender, sexuality and those types of roles."

March 1, 2021 Comic

UNM advocacy group fights for lower campus sexual assault rate

Reports of sexual violence in on-campus housing at the University of New Mexico — including rape, dating violence and stalking — increased dramatically in 2019, according to the 2020 UNM main campus Clery Act report released last November. According to the data, there were 17 reported rapes in on-campus housing out of 23 campus-wide in 2019, marking a 21% increase from the year before. During the same period, reports of dating violence increased from 16 to 30, and stalking cases increased from 36 to 45.

UNM resource centers collaborate to celebrate Women’s History Month

March marks the celebration of Women's History Month, and this year the University of New Mexico's Women's Resource Center (WRC) is teaming up with the LGBTQ Resource Center and other groups on campus to host a variety of virtual events lined up throughout the month. The pandemic disrupted Women's History Month plans on campus last year, and the school will now feature virtual events in place of the usual fare, according to WRC professional intern Reina Davis. Lectures and in-person panels were included in previous years, but this year will focus on social media and online events.

New Mexico abortion ban repealed

The bill to repeal New Mexico's 1969 abortion ban (Senate Bill 10) was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday, Feb. 26. The repeal adds an extra layer of protection for abortion health care in the state in case Roe v. Wade is overturned by the right-leaning Supreme Court. "Anyone who seeks to violate bodily integrity, or to criminalize womanhood, is in the business of dehumanization. New Mexico is not in that business — not any more," Lujan Grisham said in a press release announcing the repeal. Many supporters of the bill, including Lujan Grisham, believe that ensuring protections for  abortion rights in New Mexico will save the lives of people seeking abortion care.

UNM plans fall return to campus

A faculty-wide memo released by the University of New Mexico provost’s office on Feb. 26 said that while the University can’t predict the future status of the public health crisis in the U.S., fall semester classes will likely be held in person. “The fall 2021 face-to-face experience might still involve some ongoing precautions such as mask wearing, directional signage, symptom checking and continued disinfection in classrooms and other University spaces such as research laboratories, offices and libraries,” the office of provost James Holloway wrote.