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Culture

REVIEW: 100 gecs are slimier and sillier than ever on latest album ‘10,000 gecs’

John Scott | March 20

  Oh, how we’ve missed you, 100 gecs. If you’ve been present in the online sphere since the duo, made up of Laura Les and Dylan Brady, released their first single, you’ve probably had at least one conversation with friends about whether the pair’s music is genuinely good or just a grating, mildly funny joke. Regardless, the group’s latest outing “10,000 gecs” proves that they’re here to stay, retaining the skilled production and irreverent self-awareness that made their debut so captivating while proving to have even more tricks up their sleeve.

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Culture

REVIEW: ‘In the Camp of Angels of Freedom’ is a passionate, but messy read

Addison Key | March 20

  In Arlene Goldbard’s book, “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom,” published on Jan, 24,, Goldbard asks her readers: what does it mean to be educated? In her book, she mixes personal narrative, political observation and portrait paintings; the combination of these highlights how her ideas of education have shifted and formed through personal experience; however, the final product is murky. The book has eleven essays, each focusing on one of her angels. Goldbard explains that her concept of angels comes from the Hebrew word “malakhim,” which, in Jewish mysticism, “are messengers between worlds, translating spiritual energy from the highest realms to the earth bound,” according to the book. Goldbard organizes her angels in a camp, in which the angels communicate a singular message that embodies a specific aspect of her personal ideology. 

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News

Albuquerque looks to Santa Fe to help set up rules to purchase and redevelop Walmart property

Maddie Pukite | March 9

  This story was originally published by Source New Mexico City officials in Albuquerque want to purchase the Walmart property set to close on March 10 near San Mateo and Central. It’s unclear how much it will cost for the city to acquire the property, which is still owned by Walmart. The company has yet to offer to sell it, according to City Councilor Pat Davis, who said he is working with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s office to design plans to purchase the property. Davis said that the city could reallocate money to fund a purchase, but it is seeking other funding opportunities through the state legislature as well.

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Culture

OPINION: Bring mess back to set design

Spenser Willden | March 9

  There’s a certain lifeless element to the modern blockbuster that’s difficult to pin down. Culprit not discussed often enough are the set designers and dressers; when done well, their work lends a deeper and more nuanced understanding to the characters and themes. When done poorly, it can kill a film. Though our on screen characters are hotter than ever, there’s an increased sterility in the way they move through their worlds; their arcs feel flat, their emotional situations contrived and their relationships to each other underdeveloped. Some of these issues originate from the performers themselves, but even more from the directors, screenwriters and producers who push out low-quality schlock with little regard for culture or art. There’s no question about it; something is rotten in the state of the blockbuster.

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Culture

Marginalized communities face double standards, stereotyping through appropriation

Sierra Martinez | March 7

 As an ever-changing industry, hairstyles, clothing and makeup techniques go in and out of style in the blink of an eye. Though it may seem as if trends are born out of thin air, they are often born of the appropriation of styles from marginalized communities toward the creation of mainstream fashion. 

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Culture

OPINION: How to be an ethical thrifter

Jordyn Bachmann | March 6

  The past decade has seen a significant uptick in the popularity of secondhand shopping. Thrift stores have seen more traffic than ever due to an increase in trendiness and a decrease in the taboo of buying used, according to NPR. Run-of-the-mill thrift stores are now seeing a new generation of shoppers with different ways of thrifting, and the industry is having to shift in response. According to ThredUp’s Resale Market and Trend Report, the secondhand resale market saw an uptick of 58% in 2021, meaning supply and demand, as well as inflation, have caused these “shifts” to affect a good portion of low-income households.

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Culture

ABQ Street Meet fosters creativity and community

Zara Roy | March 6

  Since 2018, Street Meet New Mexico has been an avenue for local creatives to build connections and strengthen both their professional lives and community ties. Street Meet is a monthly scheduled meet-up in which local models, photographers and cosplayers — hobbyists and professionals alike — come together to take photos. The Albuquerque event was first started by former University of New Mexico student Megan Kamauoha as part of the larger Street Meet collective, which exists in several other cities including Los Angeles and Seattle.

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Culture

OPINION: Sensory-sensitive and style-conscious fashion: a guide

Detroit Kallunki | March 6

  Tactile sensitivity associated with sensory processing disorder can be make-or-break when it comes to personal fashion style and choices. And still, when you look online to find solutions for sensory sensitivities, the answers have a practically nonexistent range between “meeting sensory needs for kids” and lists of colorless, shapeless adult clothing. Neither of these solutions genuinely address the issues or acknowledges that people with sensory sensitivities might still want to express themselves with fashion. If you like wearing a beige strip of fabric every day, more power to you — for the rest of us, there are some simple changes to maintain levels of sensory comfort while still wearing the things we like.

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Culture

Local designers push back against the fast-fashion cycle

Jordyn Bachmann | March 6

  In recent years, discussion around the ethics and practices of fast fashion has expanded: what it is, where it comes from and what it looks like. Fast fashion — clothing manufactured to reflect a trend — directly contributes to climate change, waste and overconsumption. Slow fashion, which is the more environmentally and ethically conscious approach to clothing production, places its emphasis on well-paid labor, good working conditions, handmade pieces and well-made garments, according to Forbes. In order to combat the popularity of fast fashion, it is important to figure out how we can all fit ourselves into the slow-fashion movement, according to Joey Wagner, a senior at the University of New Mexico studying journalism who has made their own clothing since 2020.

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Culture

Meow Wolf: Corporatized cash grab or subversive art experience?

John Scott and Addison Key | March 6

 The Meow Wolf artists collective, initially founded in 2008 “as an informal DIY collective of Santa Fe artists,” has had a successful last few years with the founding of their flagship branch in Santa Fe in 2016 and opening subsequent locations in Denver, Las Vegas and a recently announced location in Grapevine, Texas, according to their website. With this expansion in popularity and monetization comes questions of authenticity — is Meow Wolf still the homegrown art exhibit it started as in 2008? 

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Culture

Hit or miss: Isotopes jersey review

Zara Roy | March 6

  As we jump into the 2023 season for the beloved Albuquerque Isotopes, now is the time for fans, both casual and die-hard, to think about what they’ll be stepping out in on their way to the stadium. The Isotopes are known for their unique array of jerseys which are rotated in and out for special occasions (and available for sale for lovers of the game). But which jerseys knock it out of the park, and which are a swing and a miss?

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Culture

UNM costume designers fashion their visions for the stage

Gabriel Garcia | March 6

  It takes a lot of people to stage a production. Many, such as costume designers, remain behind the scenes even as their creations draw audience attention center stage, according to three costume designers at the University of New Mexico who want to educate audiences about what goes into costume design. Because they work offstage, the general public makes certain assumptions about what happens in costume shops, according to Emma Harrison, a student at UNM majoring in design and technology for performance with a concentration in costumes.

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Culture

OPINION: Incorporating red carpet looks into your 2023 fashion

Sierra Martinez | March 6

  As the new year is well under way, so is award season. Whether you love or love to hate celebrity culture, there is no doubt that you have stumbled across some of the season’s most memorable red carpet looks. From Zendaya to Michelle Yeoh to Jenna Ortega, the biggest stars in Hollywood have given us all some much needed inspiration for our 2023 wardrobes. While many of us may never get the chance to walk a real red carpet (sigh), that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate some of the glitz and glamour that we see on our favorite celebrities into our own outfit rotation.

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News

Stokes highlights University achievements in broad strokes during State of the University Address

Maddie Pukite | March 2

  This past Wednesday, March 1, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes delivered the State of the University address during her sixth year in office. The speech highlighted achievements by the University over the past year, and its plans for future projects and goals. However, it failed to touch on several other events from the past year. Stokes talked about safety at the University and spoke about projects the University has worked on, including Wayfinder — a website to navigate support options after being harmed or harassed — keycard access to buildings, along with requesting money for more keycard readers and lights. However, she failed to mention the shootout that took place on campus in November 2022 that led to the death of a New Mexico State University student. 

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Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos defeat Fresno State in final home game 94-80

Thomas Bulger | March 1

  On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the University of New Mexico men's basketball defeated the Fresno State University Bulldogs 94-80 in their final home game of the season. They improved to a 8-9 record in conference play. It was senior night at The Pit: Emmanuel Kuac, KJ Jenkins, Josiah Allick, Jaelen House and Morris Udeze were honored before the game. They received flowers and a framed photo of one their highlights. Fans celebrated the players with a standing ovation and a "thank you seniors" chant. Besides Udeze, all players have an extra year of eligibility they earned for the year they lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Culture

Sexual Assault Youth Support Network empowers, advocates for survivors

Detroit Kallunki | February 27

  In 2017, 16-year-old high school student Abrianna Morales formed the Sexual Assault Youth Support Network. What started as a small, independent project has since become a place for victims of sexual violence to find stories like theirs and share a safe space after traumatizing experiences. Morales, now a senior at the University of New Mexico, started SAYSN following an experience with sexual violence. While it started small, 2019 marked the year the network was fully incorporated, having registered as a nonprofit with tax exemption status and taking a step toward becoming a larger project, according to Morales. “It was pretty informal; I had a couple of friends in high school that I worked with on it and, really, it was an independent endeavor for a few years. Just in 2019 was when we formally incorporated,” Morales said.

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Culture

The Vintage Hippie Joint takes Old Town back to 1960s Americana

Elizabeth Secor | February 27

 The Vintage Hippie Joint, located in Albuquerque's Old Town, offers a variety of goods from the 1960s, including clothes, books and more. Owned by Tonya Taylor-Ducker, who also designs for the store, and David Ducker, the namesake, opened the shop in the latter half of August 2022. The Vintage Hippie Joint is packed with items for sale and decorations covering any empty space left over, leaving the owners with the struggle of finding space to put new inventory. “We have to stay on top of it because it is a small space. I'm constantly nip-tucking and moving things around,” Taylor-Ducker said. “‘We should put this thing over here, there's about two inches over there that'll fit’.” 

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News

Aerial gunning of feral cattle is met with backlash

Zara Roy | February 26

  The National Forest Service began an aerial gunning operation in the Gila National Forest to kill the population of feral cattle in the area which descend from cattle that were abandoned on a grazing allotment within the Wilderness area in 1976. The operation, which started on Thursday, Feb. 23, comes in response to the damaging effects the cattle have on the habitat and water quality of the Park, though the operation has been met with contention due to claims of animal cruelty. This project is part of ongoing efforts since the ‘90s — both lethal and nonlethal — to remove the feral cattle population from the land. The first aerial gunning on the population was done in February 2022 in which 65 cattle were removed, according to Maribeth Pecotte, public affairs officer for the Gila National Forest.

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News

New technology at the Health Sciences Library hopes to innovate students' education

Annya Loya | February 26

  The Health and Sciences Library and Informatics Center at the University of New Mexico introduced an anatomy virtual dissection table, a 3D printer and three VR headsets into their program for student and faculty use, according to the HSLIC staff. The anatomy virtual dissection table, the only natural and thoroughly segmented 3D human anatomy system, was added in October 2022. It is the latest model (Table 9) by the company Anatomage, according to the Anatomage website.

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Culture

Dance concert ‘Monstro/us’ explores the monstrous

Gabriel Garcia | February 26

  As artists have long known, beauty can be found as readily in a study of the grotesque as in the sublime. “Monstro/us,” the 2022-2023 University of New Mexico faculty dance concert, demonstrates this with four original dance compositions that examine the horrors of war and the darker side of the human psyche. Playing for six performances from Feb. 24 through March 4 in the Rodey Theatre, “Monstro/us” consists of two flamenco and two contemporary pieces in an alternating repertoire. A production of the Department of Theatre and Dance, “Monstro/us” features choreography from both resident and guest faculty and performances by students in the UNM dance program.