multimedia

Culture

ABQ Tattoo fiesta showcases artists

Lauren McDonald | July 15

The annual New Mexico Tattoo Fiesta was held this last weekend at Isleta Casino. The event featured many different tattoo shops in Albuquerque such as Archetype Tattoo, Factory Edge and Route 66, in addition to many more from other countries and states. Hosted by Cervena Fox, the fiesta exhibited different portfolios from artists all over the world. It also held contests for the artist with the best art and the best artwork. During the festival, Isleta Casino was filled with people waiting to get tattoos, shopping and watching tattoos getting done. There were many vendors at the event, including Mindzai Apparel— a shop that is local to Austin, Texas, which sells rock-and-roll style clothes.

News

ABQ holds gun buyback

Justin Garcia | July 15

The Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers and the Albuquerque Police Department hosted a gun buyback event on Saturday afternoon, collecting a total of 415 guns. “This is one part of our multi-pronged effort to reduce gun violence in Albuquerque,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a press release after the event. “As police work to keep people safe, we also need support from law-abiding citizens who are often targeted by thieves. This successful gun buyback event gave people a safe way to dispose of unwanted firearms while taking those guns out of circulation.” In the style of a fast-food drive-thru, hundreds of people showed up to turned over handguns, shotguns and rifles for $75 and assault rifles for $100. APD paid cash for the guns, which according Councilman Pat Daivs, district 2, will be turned into an art installation. Davis said the logistics of this project are still being developed, but added that the art installation would focus on gun violence.

News

SUB Solar panels may have installation issues

Colin Peña | July 15

The University of New Mexico project to install solar panels on the roof of the Student Union Building may have to change locations due to the roof of the SUB having more damage than previously thought. The Associated Students of UNM Senate began the process of requesting money from the state for the solar panels about two years ago. Associate Director of Government Relations Matthew Muñoz said his office helped ASUMN students work with the Legislature to begin this project. “Solar Panels on the SUB is a student-led initiative,” Muñoz said, adding that. “(The Students) have to figure out what they want to do, if it will be funded by the bond, they have to work with legislators to get the funding and they have to work when they get the money.”

News

New VP shares her goals

Alyssa Martinez | July 15

As the new Associated Students of the University of New Mexico administration prepares for the upcoming fall semester, Vice President Madelyn Lucas is looking to address three main policy areas: enrollment, campus morale and accessibility. Lucas defined accessibility in two parts: first the University’s compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) , and second is undergraduates’ access to ASUNM. Lucas expressed that the ambiguity of what undergraduate accessibility would actually look like in legislation is a part of the challenge in achieving this goal. Lucas’ most well-established role as Vice President is to oversee the senate by appointing chairs, facilitating discussion, setting the agenda and making sure all legislation is in place. Typically, senators are popularly elected for 2 terms based off of the results of the most recent election. For example, if a candidate won a seat in the most recent spring 2019 election, they would serve for the fall 2019 and spring 2020 sessions, at which point they can resign from the senate or run again. Since the most recent senate election in April, there have been shifts in who exactly will be in the senate.

News

Rio Grande roaring after heavy rains

Amanda Britt | July 15

Albuquerque’s ecosystem may benefit from this year’s heavy water flow and flooding in areas around the Middle Rio Grande. Although the water levels are past their peak for this year, the average discharge in the Rio Grande in Albuquerque rose to nearly 6,000 cubic feet per second in June. Last June the discharge rate rarely surpassed 1,000 cfs. On June 18 the discharge rate outside of Cochiti dam, an hour north of Albuquerque, was at its peak flow at a rate of 6,279 cubic feet per second, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Albuquerque District. Areas surrounding the Rio Grande had good snowpack this year. Kim Eichhorst, an associate research professor of biology at UNM and co-director of Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP), said the snowpack earlier this year melted, and sublimated – or evaporated straight from the snow. A dust layer on the snow also allowed the snow to evaporate faster.

News

SUB closer to installing solar panels

Alyssa Martinez and Colin Peña | July 8

The University of New Mexico is inching closer to having solar panels installed on the roof of the Student Union Building (SUB) now that state funding was designated for the project. Talk of installing solar panels on the SUB has been brewing since Fall of 2017 when a resolution calling for the University to push towards 100% renewable energy sources was unanimously passed by the Associated Students of UNM Senate, the legislative body of undergraduate student government. The solar panel installation will be a collaborative project between ASUNM and Facilities Management, formally known as Project Plant Development.

News

Four reportedly shot in downtown ABQ

Makayla Grijalva | July 8

Albuquerque police are investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in downtown Albuquerque. Four people were reportedly shot outside of Tantra nightclub — formerly known as Lotus — and were taken to local hospitals. Albuquerque Police Department said their injuries are not life-threatening. The identities of the victims have not been released.

Culture

Local Comic Book Store Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Luisa Pennington | July 8

Located on the corner of Central Avenue and Richmond Drive, Astro-Zombies has been a staple to the Nob Hill community for the past two decades. This month, the comic book, vinyl and toy store celebrated their twentieth year in business. To honor this event, the store is offering a different discount every week. According to owner Mike D’Elia, the idea for a comic book store came to mind while he was working at Bow Wow records. Initially, D’Elia and a coworker had planned on creating a vintage ’80s video game arcade, but after looking into it, he realized the store needs to carry more than just video games to be able to afford rent. Astro-Zombies’ first location opened up in 1999 at a smaller shop across the street. It carried a plethora of toys and a handful of comics. It also rented out VHS tapes. According to D’Elia, there was a Pac-Man and a Centipede machine in the back of the store, as well.

Culture

Local traditions for the Fourth

Beatrice Nisoli | July 8

On July 4, Los Alamos residents poured out of the laboratory and into the streets displaying vibrant colors of red, white and blue. Independence Day in Los Alamos kicked off with its annual 5k Firecracker Fun Run. A few hours afterwards, the exhausted runners cleared the way for excited children parading down Central Avenue in the traditional Fourth of July Children’s Parade. Relatives of the paraders lined the sidewalks, marveling at the brightly decorated outfits, bicycles and scooters rolling past. Bill Hamilton, who has been a Los Alamos resident for twenty-two years, said the Children’s Parade has been the holiday tradition for as long as he can remember.

Culture

"Midsommar:" new cult classic

Colin Peña | July 8

Ari Aster’s second venture in to directing and writing a full length horror film, “Midsommar,” is a slow burn, meditating on how we associate with others when set in the context of a secretive commune’s macabre rituals. Aster’s first full project, “Hereditary,” came out in 2018 and it focused on a family experiencing trauma and loss while being manipulated by a satanist cult. Throughout the film, the relationships of the characters dissolve as they lose their trust in each other’s sanity and motivation. In the same vein, “Midsommar” focuses on people and their interactions as the situation around them violently falls apart.

Culture

Zimmerman acquires large Orwell collection

Justin Garcia | July 8

For thousands of American High School students, George Orwell is a mainstay of their literary education. Now, hundreds of first-edition copies of Orwell's classics in over a dozen languages belong to Zimmerman Library at the University of New Mexico. Retired UNM professor and curator emeritus Russ Davidson pledged his 600-plus collection to Zimmerman Library, and he is in the process of planning an exhibit. Davidson and Tomas Jaehn, the Director of the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, said they see the Orwell collection as having a utility value to scholars at UNM and beyond.

Culture

ABQ Art Crawl showcases local talent

Lauren McDonald | July 8

On the first Friday of every month, the city of Albuquerque hosts the ABQ Art Crawl in locations like Downtown, the Heights, Old Town, Nob Hill and North Valley. This past Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Daily Lobo visited the Downtown event, located around Central Avenue and Sixth Street. Decorating the streets of downtown, pop-up shops lined every sidewalk. One show was located at the Historic First National Bank. There, art pieces were showcased in an almost 100 year-old vault, as well as upstairs on the rooftop. One of the many artists at the Art Walk was Mark Vercammen, a photographer who had a gallery in the antique vault. His artworks used unconventional techniques like slightly diffusing the print in a dark room and using a silver gelatin print.

News

Lobo Food Pantry helps out hungry students

Lissa Knudsen | July 8

Every month, University of New Mexico students and others can get free groceries through the Lobo Food Pantry program. The next Lobo Food Pantry date is July 12, 2019, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. while supplies last. The mobile food pantry is a truckload of food that is distributed to community members, where people can fill a box or two with the items they need. The Hope Center for College, Community and Justice released a report in April of this year that showed that 41% of four-year university students across the nation are food insecure. Last year, the state of New York mandated that all public colleges and universities provide mobile food pantries for their students.

Opinion

Dispatch: South Korea

Emille Domschot | July 2

For several years, it has been a dream of mine to visit South Korea. I was intrigued by the beauty of the country, the culture, the food, manners and the language. I didn't know if I would ever get the chance to visit, but earlier this year I learned about the University of New Mexico's association with Dongguk University and the international summer school they offered. I decided to just go for it and apply for the program, and somehow, a few months later, I've ended up in Seoul. Already, my stay has been filled with adventures, from getting lost and looking for my dormitory until 2 in the morning, to climbing the rooftops of 14-story buildings, to sharing homemade food with a friendly local church and to trying to communicate with people when we barely know each other's language. I know this journey is going to be something I will never forget, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here right now and to learn as much as I can on the other side of the world.

Culture

Former UNM prof named U.S. Poet Laureate

Beatrice Nisoli | June 30

Former University of New Mexico student and professor Joy Harjo was named the U.S. Poet Laureate last week. The Oklahoma-born poet and musician from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will be the first indigenous person to fulfill this prestigious role, and she found the news to be “shocking.” “It’s quite an opportunity to serve poetry, to serve the community. What I especially love is that it honors Native peoples too.” Harjo credits the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)— her high school— with initially influencing her to pursue the arts. However, it was only upon enrolling at the University of New Mexico in the early 1970s that Harjo discovered and fostered her love for writing poetry.

News

City approves NBCUniversal partnership

Emille Domschot | June 30

The ink wasn’t dry before the cameras started rolling. On Monday June, 17, Albuquerque city councilors voted unanimously to approve a 10-year joint venture between NBCUniversal and an Albuquerque realtor to redevelop an empty warehouse into a film studio with two soundstages. Already, work is being done on the free-span property at 1601 Commercial Avenue where the NBCUniversal studio is based. Filming started Monday, June 17, on Briarpatch, a crime anthology starring Rosario Dawson for USA Network. The pilot was filmed in Albuquerque in 2018. They are the second major production company to choose Albuquerque as a studio location causing career prospects to possibly be opening up for film students at the University of New Mexico.

Opinion

Reaching for the other half

Makayla Grijalva | June 30

The idea of limpieza de sangre or being “pure blooded” is, simply put, outdated. In New Mexico, especially so in the northern part of the state, people subscribe heavily to their Spanish heritage, some even denounce any possibility that they could be part Native American. Limpieza de sangre dates back to early colonialism and was initially used as a way to create a social hierarchy, placing Natives at the bottom. Personally, I had the realization early on that I was not of “pure blood” and the reality is most nuevomexicanos aren’t either. Many who choose to identify solely with their Spanish heritage are a mix of Spanish, Indigenous and probably small amounts of other cultures as well.

Opinion

Inspection of Public Records Act: Know your rights

Amanda Britt | June 30

The Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) is a state law that provides the public with access to public information. As a part of New Mexico’s Sunshine Laws, citizens have the right to open access to state and local government information, with limited exceptions. University of New Mexico students and other members of the community should feel encouraged to seek out public records information, as it allows us to keep a watchful eye over institutions and government entities. Full transparency between government and its citizens is not only important for those seeking out the information but also ensures governments are operating with honestly and with integrity. Keep ‘em accountable. At the Daily Lobo, we’re aiming to give the public the tools to best understand what’s happening at the University.

News

Education prof takes on deanship

Justin Garcia | June 30

Becoming the Dean of the College of Education was never the plan, but that’s where Deborah Rifenbary finds herself for the incoming Fall 2019 semester. Rifenbary is replacing the former dean, Salvador Hector Ochoa, on an interim basis. Ochoa left the University of New Mexico for a provost position at San Diego State University, according to an SDSU news release. He starts July 2. Before Ochoa left, Rifenbary said she was planning on retiring in December. “I think the college is in a transition right now. I think that I am someone who can offer stability. I have always been an advocate for faculty voice, collaboration and collegiality. I am committed to student success,” Rifenbary, who previously held an associate dean position in the college, told the Daily Lobo.

Culture

Fired up for the Fourth

Luisa Pennington | June 30

With temperatures reaching the mid to upper 90s, New Mexico’s summer is in full stride. This means that lake days, barbecues and camping trips are upon us. For many Americans, the Fourth of July is a holiday that is key to the summer experience. This week, communities across the nation will be celebrating America’s Day of Independence. For members of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho communities, the Fourth of July is a holiday where block parties and backyard get-togethers line almost every street. Explosions light up the air decorating the city skyline. Since aerial fireworks are far from legal, instead of risking the danger of the shells yourself, here’s a couple Fourth of July celebrations to attend: