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Students fall for love, relationships classes at UNM

  Classes about love and relationships at the University of New Mexico help educate students on what makes a healthy relationship and how students can better improve their own love lives. UNM psychology adjunct lecturer Bruno Gagñon has been teaching the Psychology of Love online for the past eight years and understands the depth and impact of love. “All cultures experience love. They may define it differently; they may express it differently, but it’s universal so we’re sort of biologically driven to seek this out,” Gagñon said. Love doesn’t have to be just toward a partner but can also be toward a child, pet and more, according to Gagñon.

OPINION: Zara’s Zodiac: February love horoscope forecast

  It’s February, which means love is in the air … Or is it? Venus and Mars, the astrological signifiers of love and sex, will be in the pragmatic and ambitious sign of Capricorn for the remainder of the month. Here’s what that means for the respective signs. Aries February may be tense, romantically-speaking, for Aries. There could be some conflict between your career or public identity and the way you approach partnerships and romance. You should remember not to overwork yourself and neglect interpersonal needs in the process. I see Feb. 19-20 as being a particularly important time to be sensitive to this balance as the moon travels through Libra.

REVIEW: ‘The Love Hypothesis’: an electric read

  This review contains spoilers Over the past few months, “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood has taken booklovers on TikTok by storm, and for good reason. The novel is filled to the brim with clichés that I love and proves that, when done right, the fake-dating trope can be adorable. The novel follows Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith as she begins fake-dating “antagonistic and unapproachable” (Olive’s words, not mine) professor Adam Carlsen, and pure chaos ensues. She does this to prove to one of her best friends, Anh Pham, that she is really and truly over her ex-boyfriend so Anh can feel more comfortable entering a relationship with him. 

Fetishization’s negative effects on women of color

  Dating can have different obstacles for everyone but the concern that a romantic partner is only interested in you as an exotic object of sexual desire is particularly prominent for women of color.  Fetishization is the treatment of a person as an object, and factors of ethnicity, race, skin color, culture, language and facial features are targeted. Pornhub released their most popular searches in the United States in December 2021, and “Asian,” “Latina” and “Black” were among the top categories.  “I know I’m about to get sexualized from me speaking Spanish and Spanglish,” said Ashley Varela, a political science and international studies major at the University of New Mexico. 

LETTER: Exempting all SS Income from tax won’t help seniors who need it most

  Social Security has done a remarkable job keeping the vast majority of seniors out of poverty. Those seniors who still live in poverty should receive more help from the federal and state governments. But exempting all Social Security income from taxation won’t deliver one penny of help to our low-income seniors. What it will mean is the state will have less money to support the programs and services that matter most to our communities. Most seniors earning low incomes — and even many earning middle incomes — are already exempt from paying income tax on their Social Security benefits. 

LETTER: Grad union calls on UNM to better COVID-19 enforcements

  Dear President Stokes, Provost Holloway and Regents of the University of New Mexico, The omicron variant of SARS-COV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, has caused a surge of cases several times higher than ever seen before during the ongoing pandemic. This has severely impacted our community by placing an enormous burden on healthcare facilities including the University hospital where some of our members work and have clinical placements. Additionally, a large number of students and employees are currently unable to participate in regular activities due to infection.  We insist that UNM act to protect graduate workers and other employees of the University as well as the students that we teach. 

Paid family, medical leave task force memorials pass Senate and House committees

  Legislators celebrated tremendous victories after both Senate Memorial 1 and House Memorial 3 passed in the memorials’ respective committees, which makes New Mexico one step closer to the potential creation of a paid family and medical leave task force. These memorials, which will now move forward in the legislative process, are an effort to support families in the state and help deal with the worker shortage crisis. If one of the memorials passes to become law, $160,000 would fund a diverse task force that would introduce a paid family and medical leave bill in next year’s legislature.

UNM student first in state to receive Brooke Owens aerospace fellowship

  From aspiring to be an astronaut as a child to becoming the first New Mexican to ever receive the aerospace Brooke Owens Fellowship, University of New Mexico senior Raven Delfina Otero-Symphony is making her dreams come true. Chosen among the top 5% candidates in the most competitive year for the fellowship yet, Otero-Symphony will begin her summer fellowship in Washington, D.C. after graduating from UNM as a first-generation student in May. Selected after an intensive process that included multiple interviews and written submissions, Otero-Symphony will be working for the fellowship program for approximately 12 weeks at Avascent, a global strategy consulting and analytics firm. All 51 fellows selected will come together during the summer for the annual Brooke Owens Summit in Washington, D.C.

UNM art student opens first solo gallery

  Nora Vanesky, a University of New Mexico senior studying studio arts, has been reaching into herself and painting with the entrails for years. On Sunday, Feb. 6, she opened her first solo show, “Taking Pictures to Remember,” in the John Sommers Gallery, showcasing photography surrounding the gory hedonism of modern youth and the interplay of sex and violence. The display will remain until Sunday, Feb. 20. Vanesky has been infatuated with the inner workings of the human body and mind all her life. She believes her art showcases the reality of being human without holding anything back.

Comics February 7, 2022

REVIEW: ‘The Fallout’ delves into the invisible effects of school shootings

  This review contains spoilers “The Fallout,” the feature directorial debut of seasoned actress Megan Park, premiered at last year’s South by Southwest film festival to critical acclaim. Jan. 27 saw the film’s release to wider audiences through HBO Max, and while the story minorly lacks some character development, Jenna Ortega’s compelling performance as high school student Vada lets “The Fallout” beautifully tackle trauma in the face of tragedy. The film centers on tomboy Vada and resident influencer Mia’s (Maddie Ziegler) journey through the aftermath of surviving a school shooting after the two hid together in a bathroom stall during the gunman’s spree. 

UNM softball team pitches promising season ahead

  The University of New Mexico softball program, helmed by coach Paula Congleton, is looking to leave last season’s record of 10-36 in the dust. With the hard work of two new coaches as well as the new and returning players, that dream can become a reality.  One of the biggest challenges for the team last season was in the bullpen and having relief for pitcher Emma Guindon, who had the best earned run average on the team (5.00) and pitched 141.1 innings — more than twice the number of innings of any other pitcher on the team. Since last season, the staff has brought on volunteer assistant coach Mike Forsythe and added three new pitchers: Amber Linton, Samantha Fohrman and McKenna Kostyszyn. 

UNM Esports still plays, competes amid pandemic

  The University of New Mexico Esports club hasn’t been deterred by the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. With nine gaming teams, the club continues to play and compete in collegiate-level tournaments. UNM Esports, which focuses on competitive video gaming, plays a variety of games competitively: League of Legends, Overwatch, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Magic the Gathering, Valorant, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and Team Fortress 2. Halo Infinite is the newest game UNM Esports is partaking in with its seven-player squad decided after tryouts last month. Occasionally, the club will also play production and miscellaneous community games.

Albuquerque rated best big city for filmmakers for fourth year

  For the fourth year in a row, Albuquerque has taken the title of MovieMaker Magazine’s No. 1 place for filmmakers to live and work under the big cities category, which considers primarily production statistics, economic growth, housing prices and quality-of-life ratings. Many New Mexico film professionals vouch for the state’s booming industry and unique charm, happy to be part of such an unusually familial production hub. Cyndy McCrossen, a film liaison for the Albuquerque Film Office working primarily in location management, has benefited financially from Albuquerque’s thriving film scene. She contributed to the proposal submitted for consideration in MovieMaker Magazine’s annual location ranking, and, though it was never her plan to enter the film industry, she is grateful to be part of it and doesn’t plan to leave.

Vigil, rally held to commemorate community member killed by APD

  On Saturday, Feb. 5, a rally and vigil brought together the family of Valente Acosta-Bustillos as well as community members to commemorate his legacy. A descanso — cross — was placed in front of his house where he was fatally shot by Albuquerque Police Department officer Edgar Sandoval in March 2020. This event allowed for not only a time and place to grieve but also highlighted ongoing issues of police brutality. The gathering was organized by the family of Acosta-Bustillos and community activists involved with the Albuquerque branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. It served as both a time for family members to talk about their memories of him and as a call for the arrest and charging of officers Sandoval and Joseph Bush.

Lobos women’s basketball suffers first home loss to Wyoming

  The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team were handed their first home loss of the season, 60-59, by the University of Wyoming on a last second buzzer beater at The Pit on Saturday, Feb. 5. With two losses in conference play, the Lobos dropped to second place in the Mountain West Conference standings behind the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. UNM was battered inside, particularly by 6-foot, 4-inch Allyson Fertig, who scored 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. As a team, Wyoming scored 40 points in the paint while UNM managed a small 22 paint-points in comparison. They also outrebounded the Lobos 43-24.

REVIEW: Mitski’s ‘Laurel Hell’ cuts with pure, silver fury

  Mitski’s sixth studio album “Laurel Hell,” released on Saturday, Feb. 4, is a distant, synthy opus that looms over its listener, leaving behind an unshakeable lingering dread. It is Mitski to the highest degree. Coming out of a nearly three-year hiatus originally intended to be a permanent departure from music, this album is about Mitski’s tumultuous, fraught relationship with her own career. As a long-time fan, it’s completely heart-shattering to listen to. It’s tinged with regret, or perhaps total ambivalence, to the fame she’s garnered through her work.   One of the most effective tracks for me was “Valentine, Texas.” It starts off gently before suddenly erupting into rapturous instrumentals, similar to the opening tracks of “Texas Reznikoff” and “Geyser.” 

Lobos women’s basketball beats CSU, stays undefeated at home

  The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team beat Colorado State University 81-73 Wednesday, Feb. 2 at The Pit. UNM is still undefeated at home and currently holds the No. 1 spot in the Mountain West Conference while still in a neck-and-neck battle with UNLV to keep the top spot. The Lobos beat the Rams 85-74 in their first matchup in January after Lobo Antonia Anderson put up 30 points. Colorado State had to try to keep up with a Lobo offense that has averaged over seven points more than theirs through the season. The Pit crowd was sparse due to harsh winter weather conditions, which also delayed tipoff for 22 minutes. 

Outgoing UNM nursing student, cheerleader enriches community

  University of New Mexico student Jackie Jagers is no stranger to challenges. As a junior juggling both nursing school and cheerleading, she still manages to maintain a friendly, outgoing attitude with a drive to continue pursuing what she’s passionate about. As a level two nursing student, Jagers plans to ultimately become a travel nurse working “in all the different fields and all the different areas.” This, she said, will allow her “to help as many people as I can throughout my nursing career” while also aiding in avoiding burnout. Before working as a traveling nurse, Jagers wants to practice in New Mexico and later in Arizona.

UNM professor, artist amplifies need for Black representation

  As one of the few Black female professors in the University of New Mexico art department, Stephanie J. Woods is making her mark nationally and internationally as an artist representing her culture. Now an assistant professor in interdisciplinary art at UNM, Woods has traveled all over the world as an artist, winning awards and participating in residencies and fellowships along the way. Woods is a multimedia artist and works with a variety of different formats, including sculpture, textile, photography, video and more. She also partakes in community-engaged projects. Although Woods resides in New Mexico currently to teach at UNM, she originally is from Charlotte, North Carolina and draws heavily from her personal life in her art.