Rapper Doechii sits poised against a regal green background, dressed in brown, white and lighter shades of green. Beaded cornrows flow past her shoulders with an albino alligator perched on her lap, an homage to her Florida roots. A line from the Doechii’s Spotify bio reads “Did you expect anything less?”
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science hosted a lecture on the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse. The talk, part of the Voices in Science series, was presented by Jason Malaney, the curator of biosciences at the museum. The New Mexico jumping mouse is a member of the Zapodidae family of rodents. Jumping mice have powerful back legs and long powerful tails, allowing them to perform a huge saltatorial — or jumping — motion. The jumping mouse can jump up to four meters laterally and two meters vertically, though its body is only centimeters large. As Malaney explained, that’s the equivalent of it jumping over the museum.
It’s almost fall, and you know what that means here in the desert Southwest: the weather drops a degree — or 20 — and then heats back up for a couple weeks. For those chilly times until the heat wave, I could not recommend the novel “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas more. “Cemetery Boys” follows Yadriel, a young brujo — a person who performs a closed practice of magic — as he works with his cousin and best friend Maritza to figure out the mystery of their cousin Miguel’s death, and help Julian Diaz — who recently became a ghost — before he goes maligno, or malignant.
For decades, MTV was a massive cultural force, continuously pushing the needle in both the music industry and pop culture at large. Beginning in 1981, the channel introduced the then-novel idea of the music video to America. The rest is history. MTV’s status as a creator of taste and culture only increased with the inception of the MTV Video Music Awards, which have aired annually in the late summer since 1984. On Sept. 11, the VMAs celebrated its 40th anniversary. As could be expected, it repeatedly reiterated its vast legacy throughout the ceremony.
For three days starting on Sept. 10, the Guild Cinema in Nob Hill showed a double feature of films highlighting the avant-garde jazz musician Sun Ra. The double feature was composed of 1974 cult classic “Space Is the Place” and 1980 documentary “Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise.” The screenings were held in conjunction with the 18th annual New Mexico Jazz Festival, which puts on dozens of performances across New Mexico throughout September. Guild owner Keif Henley described the two films as a “natural fit for Jazz Fest.”
The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico passed six appropriation requests, appointed two new senators and passed one bill during a rushed meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Led by ranger Giessell Aguilar and artist Anna Rotty, the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge hosted its second botanical sun printing, or cyanotype, workshop on Saturday, Sept. 7. Cyanotypes are photographic blueprints made with objects laid on top of light-sensitive paper. The objects create shapes that are then made permanent in a chemical bath and hung to dry. The refuge’s primary purpose, according to Aguilar, is to serve its three main communities: the South Valley, Pueblo of Isleta and Mountain View. The refuge makes choices about its events in collaboration with the community.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met in person for the first time during a debate hosted by ABC. New Mexican elected officials and students at the University of New Mexico supported candidates largely along party lines. After the debate, 63% of viewers said Harris outperformed Trump, according to a CNN poll. Fox News anchor Brit Hume said “Trump had a bad night,” according to a Fox News post-debate analysis. In contrast, following the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, 33% of viewers said Biden outperformed Trump, according to a CNN poll.
From Monday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 8, there were 34 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. There was also a LoboAlert issued to the community on Sept. 8.
The sixth annual Latinx Games Festival will be held in Albuquerque for the first time from September 20-22. The festival — which will take place at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — will feature showcased games by Latino and Hispanic creators, an esports tournament and live speakers providing insight about game development. The event's goal is to highlight historically underrepresented Latino voices in the video game industry, according to Latinx Games Festival founder and executive director Jason Vega. He has been in the industry for the past 12 years.
The classic 1942 drama, “Casablanca,” featured a 16-year age gap between its romantic leads. The iconic dinosaur adventure film, “Jurassic Park,” had a 20-year age gap between love interests Alan Grant and Ellie Satler. The continued success of these beloved films suggests there’s a viable market for them, but what does that say about us?
The 2024 New Mexico State Fair has officially kicked off in Albuquerque. From Sept. 5-15, the fair features familiar staples like live music in the rodeos and around the grounds, petting zoos, carnival rides and an assortment of food and drink options. Over the days, the rodeos will feature live entertainment from Brad Paisley, Cole Swindell and Josh Turner, according to the New Mexico State Fair website.
On the early morning of Aug. 23, University of New Mexico police arrested a woman at the Student Residence Center for trespassing and possession of meth. The suspect had a felony warrant, according to the police report of the incident.
On Aug. 27, police arrested a man who had broken into a student’s room at the Redondo Village Apartments. The suspect broke the window screen, entered the apartment and took a student’s keys and wallet. He had a pipe and torch consistent with those used to smoke narcotics, according to the police report of the incident. At about 9:30 p.m. the day of the report, a University of New Mexico Police Department officer was notified of an unknown suspect inside a student’s RVA room. The officer arrived on the scene to find the victim — a sophomore who lived in the room — restraining a suspect, who police then arrested.
You’re all probably going to be sick of me by the time the robot revolution comes, but until then, I will have bone after bone to pick with the machine. In August, CBS reported that Aaron Pelczar, a journalist for Wyoming news outlet the Cody Enterprise, was caught using generative artificial intelligence to write and publish news articles. One of the stories Pelczar generated was a piece on a shooting in Yellowstone National Park, which featured the line, “This incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of human behavior, even in the most serene settings,” according to the Associated Press. Following the incident, Pelczar resigned.
A cyber attack on University of New Mexico Libraries that began on July 31 resulted in no compromised data for students or employees, according to Mark Emmons, associate dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences. Publicly accessible resources were mostly available by the start of the semester, according to Emmons, while issues accessing library resources from off campus continued.
New Mexico United took down Miami FC 1-0 on Friday, Sept. 6. The win stretches United’s lead of the western conference to 10 points. The team is just four points away from clinching a playoff spot with eight matches left in the season. Jacobo Reyes scored the lone goal of the game at the 45-minute mark. Miami FC’s goalie Khadim Ndiaye blocked a shot but was unable to secure the ball, which led to Reyes charging the ball and placing it in the back of the net.
On Aug. 31, the University of New Mexico Men’s Rugby club kicked off the 2024 season with its first alumni match since 2015. The Men’s Rugby club team, which currently boasts a 31-man roster, is led by head coach Deavon Tabish-Moran, an Anderson School of Management graduate. He started volunteering with the rugby club team in 2022 as an assistant coach before receiving his World Rugby Level 1 certification and becoming head coach.
The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico appointed a new senator and passed two appropriation requests and a bill on Wednesday, Aug. 28 during the first full senate meeting since the start of fall classes.
Editor’s note: The crimes listed were entered into the daily crime log during the week. The list includes crimes that police entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log. From Monday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 1, there were 26 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. There were also two LoboAlerts issued to the community involving incidents that occurred on or near campus since Aug. 25.
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