Multimedia

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. 

Community member dispels stigmas about unhoused individuals

  From being formerly unhoused himself, David McKibben has seen the worst of what Albuquerque has to offer and wants to take an active position in changing the inhumane treatment of the unhoused community. With his own plans for making the city better, he encourages others to dispel the negative and untruthful stigmas around unhoused communities. McKibben came to Albuquerque in 2012 hoping to find a job within the first two weeks of being here, but fell down into a slump when that didn’t happen. In addition to that, his former drug use further intensified his situation, something many other unhoused community members struggle with as well.

Minimum wage increase lightens financial burdens on college students

  Since New Mexico increased its minimum wage from $10.50 to $11.50 with the start of the new year, many college students have felt some weight lift off of their shoulders as they attempt to navigate the financial woes of being a college student in 2022. For Tallulah Begaye, an intercultural communications major at the University of New Mexico, the dollar increase could create positive changes in her daily life. “I’m very dependent on my check. My parents and I have a deal: my tribe’s scholarship pays for a half, my parents pay for a fourth and I pay for a fourth (of my tuition). Then I also pay for my food and anything that I want that’s not for school,” Begaye said.

REVIEW: JoJo Siwa dazzles Las Cruces

  Nothing short of show-stopping, JoJo Siwa made her presence known in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the 105th stop of her D.R.E.A.M. tour on Wednesday, Jan. 26. A masterful stage presence complete with five costume changes made for a captivating performance from Siwa that I’m glad I didn’t miss. The show as a whole used childlike creativity and joy. Dancers rolled around on Heelys, themes of cotton candy and rainbow brightened the night, Siwa’s outfits were bedazzled with jewels that made her shimmer like a disco ball onstage: what more can you ask for? This, combined with a spectacular effort and skill, created a show that grabbed my attention and felt larger than life.

Art exhibit by UNM adjunct lecturer shows in North Carolina

  Johannes Barfield, University of New Mexico adjunct lecturer in the art department, was commissioned to show his new art exhibition “my sun is black as the glowing sea by night” at the University of North Carolina’s Rowe Gallery. This image-based narration is an immersive experience that started its display on Jan. 10 and will be on view until Feb. 25. The exhibit’s narrative is based on a fictional character, yahyah, who was inspired by two children’s books that Barfield grew up reading – “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats and “Danny and the Dinosaur” by Syd Hoff. Yahyah accidentally encounters a tear in the space-time continuum and experiences alternate versions of himself after walking into the portal.

REVIEW: 'Passing' explores the delicate and the dangerous

  Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut “Passing” deftly explores the ways in which we craft beauty out of race, class, gender expectations and the innermost desires that bubble beneath the surface within us all. Released on Netflix on Oct. 27, “Passing” is based on a Nella Larson novel of the same name which follows Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga), two Black women in 1920s New York who are able to “pass” as white. Irene lives her life as a Black woman, while Clare is married with a child to a white, virulent racist who is unaware of her true heritage.

Death of UNM Director of Bands Eric Rombach-Kendall leaves profound impact, legacy

  The University of New Mexico suffered a great loss with the death of professor and Director of Bands Eric Rombach-Kendall on Monday, Jan. 24. Survived by his wife Julie and children Michael and Rebecca, Rombach-Kendall is remembered not only for his musical genius but also for his heartfelt impact on the lives of those around him. Rombach-Kendall served as director of bands at UNM for nearly 30 years since 1993. Previously, he was a conductor at Boston University and Carleton College, and he taught in the Washington State public school system for six years. Rombach-Kendall was recognized nationally when he served as the president of the College Band Directors National Association from 2011 to 2013.

UNM men’s basketball nabs first conference victory

  The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team won their first conference play win against the San José State University Spartans 86-70 Friday, Jan. 27 at The Pit. This win broke a seven-game losing streak and brought the team to 1-7 in conference and 8-13 overall. The Spartans were also winless in conference play, and, like the Lobos, are in a rebuilding year with a new head coach and multiple new players. The Spartans offense gets 41.1% of their points from three-point makes, the 15th-highest percentage in the country, according to KenPom. UNM head coach Richard Pitino said before the game that Spartans guard Omari Moore would need to be a focus of the Lobos defense.

LETTER: Native communities need legislative action to end predatory lending

  It is urgent that the legislature and Governor Lujan Grisham enact House Bill 132 (Rep. Herrera, Speaker Egolf, and Rep. Garratt) during the 2022 session to reduce the maximum annual interest rate on small loans from 175%, one of the highest rates in the nation, to 36%. This issue is personal to us, as the burden of predatory lending does not fall evenly on all New Mexicans.  Even though Native lands make up less than 10% of the state’s geography, 64% of predatory lenders in New Mexico operate within 15 miles of our reservation communities. It is our families, friends and neighbors who get caught in the cycle of insurmountable debt created by the high interest structure of predatory loans. 

UNM men’s basketball fails to complete comeback against Fresno State

  The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team lost what could have been a comeback in their game against California State University, Fresno (65-60) on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at The Pit. It was the Lobos first home game after a week on the road that saw them lose closely to two of the Mountain West Conference’s premier programs, Colorado State and Wyoming; while UNM was hoping to build on that momentum for their first conference win, the men did not succeed. Fresno State entered the game 13-5 and 3-2 in conference play with a team built around the dominant Orlando Robinson, who, at 7 feet tall, posed a formidable threat against the undersized and undermanned Lobos. 

Grad union rallies for negotiations with congresswoman's support

  In a union fight that’s been ongoing for over a year, the United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico urged the University to start negotiations with them at the rally they held on campus Wednesday, Jan. 26. Calling on UNM to improve pay, working conditions and more, the grad union notably had the support of Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury at the rally, though she wasn’t able to physically attend. The rally came after the Union received official certification, consisting of a finalized signed card count and ruling from the Public Employee Labor Relations Board chair Mark Meyers, on Jan. 4, 2022, according to a press release, after over a year of fighting with UNM administration over graduate workers’ right to unionize.

UNM award-winning staff member advocates for individuals with disabilities

  Winton Wood, a consultant with the University of New Mexico’s Center for Development and Disability’s Mi Via Waiver Program, which is a self-directed care program for people with disabilities, was one of six recipients of the Gerald W. May Outstanding Staff Awards in 2021. Guiding her pursuits for the equity and representation of people with disabilities are the many people with disabilities throughout New Mexico, their families and Wood’s own daughter.  “(I’m) a family specialist because I have a daughter who has Down syndrome and autism and is medically complex, so I know first-hand from the family point of view and the (consultant) point of view. We forget the value of our people who have intellectual disabilities,” Wood said.

UNM student actor premieres at Sundance Film Festival

  Jack Justice, a sophomore film student at the University of New Mexico and local actor, had his most recent project, “When You Finish Saving The World,” which was directed by Jesse Eisenberg, screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on opening night on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Jack began acting when he was seven and joined the Screen Actors Guild at 11 years old. His career was prompted by his parents placing him into an acting class when singing lessons were unavailable. Despite his devotion to the art of acting, there were certainly struggles.  “I was thrown into it pretty young … I had to communicate with adults at such a young age that peers didn’t always understand what I was doing outside of school as a kid. 

Comics January 24, 2022

REVIEW: ‘Paris is Burning’: A composition of vibrant expression

  “Paris is Burning” was a landmark film upon its release in 1990 and, to this day, remains one of the finest and most celebrated examples of LGBTQ+ cinema. Its impact on filmmaking has been widespread and actually served as direct inspiration for the hit FX show “Pose,” on which “Paris is Burning” director Jennie Livingston served as a producer. It’s not hard to see why the film has had such a large-scale impact. Setting aside the visual and technical aspects, the film captures a community that has historically been underrepresented within film and approaches its subject with grace and sympathy. It’s distinctly human and fantastically fun to watch. 

OPINION: Why I got a meaningless tattoo

  Body modifications have become increasingly common and acceptable in the past decade, but tattoos still remain a polarizing subject. I used to be someone who never wanted a tattoo and was positive I’d never get one. Then, last summer, I had a sudden urge to get one, and two weeks later, I had sizable ink on my thigh that has no special meaning or reason behind it. Growing up, I wasn’t discouraged from tattoos by my parents at all. Since I never showed interest, we never talked about it. When I brought the design I had in mind to them — an Old West style line drawing I found through an online deep dive — they were indifferent, but reminded me that I’d have their support no matter what.

OPINION: 2022 editors’ style forecast

  Does pandemic exhaustion have you uninspired? As the new year reins in, it's time for a new you. Get ahead of the trend cycle with our start-of-the-year predictions for the hottest fashion trends. Joseph’s Predictions: Indie sleaze The ten-year fashion cycle has returned yet again —  let’s take a quick trip back in time, shall we? Picture this: the year is 2012; you throw on a pair of skinny jeans, black converse, a faded band tee, a plaid overshirt shirt and a scarf, you’re going for a grungy look but not too rough as you want to perfect the careless hipster vibe. This could be you later this year.

UNM costuming program offers unique undergrad experience

  While most people will only see what’s on stage when they go to watch a play, there is a large amount of work being done behind the curtains to ensure audience members have a phenomenal theater-going experience. The costuming department is just one small cog in a much larger production machine. Costuming for a production takes many steps, and costume shop supervisor and senior lecturer Stacia Smith-Alexander emphasized the importance of all a play’s elements coming together to form one seamless “composition.” "Once everything is together on stage, you have made a picture, even though it's a lot of people, it's lights and sounds and set as well. 

ABQ local artist brightens University, city with artwork

  Bright chalk drawings complete with cartoon-style characters and witty sayings adorn the sidewalks of the University of New Mexico, and even more works from the artist, Maewyn Padilla, can be found every first Friday of each month at the Albuquerque Artwalk. Working in a variety of mediums, Padilla has experience with many different types of art but primarily enjoys chalk art at the moment. Chalk art is fairly new to Padilla, who began doing it in her driveway about a year ago. She began by putting out a bucket of chalk and a sign that invited anyone to draw on the concrete, which is something open to everyone and a resource that doesn't cost money. 

Beauty standards pressure cheer, dance athletes

  As members of the Lobo Spirit program work to uphold standards of both athleticism and artistry, their physical appearance must also be put up for the consumption of both judges and the general populace alike. The pressure of expectations of how they should look often negatively impact the athletes. Fifth-year cheerleader Amaia Bracamontes is one of the many that has been affected by the public’s perception of how members of the Spirit Program should look. “Obviously, the image of a cheerleader, a lot of people think, is super small and skinny and fit … and so I think that people who don’t know a lot about cheer assume that everybody has to fit that certain image,” Bracamontes said.