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REVIEW: Mike Mills’ latest film 'C’mon C’mon:' A love letter to living

  This review contains spoilers The black and white kaleidoscope that is “C’mon C’mon” is an exploration of the space between people and the malleability of relationships. Such subject matter might easily have been lost in the transition from brain to screen, but the phenomenal cast, thoughtful direction and wonderful cinematography brought this world to life perfectly. In the film, Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny and Woody Norman’s Jesse, who are uncle and nephew, are forcibly but sweetly brought together when Jesse’s mother, Viv, painstakingly leaves to care for her mentally unstable father Paul, who wants to recieve help but has struggled to. In dealing with Paul’s psychosis and rekindling a relationship with Johnny, Viv is reminded of trauma surrounding the death of her mother. 

Student Support Services TRIO director helps marginalized students

  Dawn Blue Sky-Hill, director of the Student Support Services TRIO program at the University of New Mexico, has been with SSS TRIO for 20 years. In that time, she has helped and mentored students from all walks of life to set them up for success in academia and beyond. According to its website, SSS TRIO’s mission is to “increase the college retention and graduation rates of program partici­pants at the University of New Mexico main campus. The SSS program draws upon a holistic framework where committed participants receive individualized support by ad­dressing their educational and personal needs.” As director, Sky-Hill helps facilitate this support through coordinating mentors, advisors, tutoring and more.  

5 and Why: 5 tips to power through final exams

  As the semester winds down, the ever-dreaded final exam season is rapidly approaching. University of New Mexico student Jazmine Villescas, a senior in the biology program, took a short break from studying at Zimmerman Library to give Daily Lobo readers some tips for getting through finals week. Plan out study time ahead of exams A crucial step in preparing for finals is simply knowing when your exams are so you can budget your time accordingly, Villescas said. Knowing whether each test will be cumulative or only based on the most recent course material is also very important, according to Villescas.

Comics November 29, 2021

Mental Health Matters: Educators’ mental health worsened by pandemic

  What used to be the stable field of education is now revolving around uncontrollable and unknown factors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and educators are suffering because of this. A mental health pandemic lies at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic as educators have been dealing with an increased amount of mental health issues. “Teachers’ jobs — stressful even before the pandemic — have become even tougher, with longer work hours, struggles to engage students remotely, repeated pivots from hybrid to remote to in-person instruction, not to mention fears that they — or their loved ones — could get COVID-19,” Education Week reported.

REVIEW: ‘Tick, tick ... BOOM!’: Andrew Garfield explodes in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s latest project

  “Tick, tick … BOOM!” the feature-length film directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda released on Netflix mid-November, owes its greatness to two factors: Andrew Garfield and Jonathan Larson’s ingenious eponymous play. “Tick, tick … BOOM!” is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical musical created by playwright Larson, creator of Broadway smash hit “Rent.” Garfield stars as Jonathan, an aspiring, struggling playwright trying desperately to get his foot in the door of show business with a futuristic rock opera. While the character may teeter on the edge of the tortured artist archetype, Garfield’s sincerity shines through, preventing too many cliches.  Going into the film, I wasn’t optimistic. 

REVIEW: ‘House of Gucci’: Ridley Scott’s latest is anything but chic

  This review contains spoilers Upon the release of the first photos of Adam Driver and Lady Gaga as Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, to say expectations for “House of Gucci” were high would be an understatement. With a cast like that and legendary director Ridley Scott at the helm, it seemed like a Hollywood dream come true.  That is, of course, until you watch it and you slowly realize that an all-star cast, a big budget and a beloved director will not save you from creating something that is utterly lifeless and entirely boring.  The film mainly follows Patrizia and Maurizio as they ascend the ranks of the Gucci empire, ultimately culminating in their separation and Maurizio’s inevitable assassination at the hands of a hit man hired by Patrizia. 

UNM falls to Utah State, ends season 3-9

  On Friday, Nov. 26, the University of New Mexico football squad was defeated 35-10 by Utah State University at University Stadium in the final game of their sad season. The loss sends UNM into the offseason riding a four-game losing streak, while the team finished 1-6 in conference play and 3-9 overall. UNM was forced to start Bryson Carroll at quarterback, though he has previously played mainly as a running back. Running back Aaron Dumas and wide receiver Luke Wysong did not play; both Dumas and Wysong are freshmen who head coach Danny Gonzales pulled out in order to save them for offseason work.

UNM seeks to appeal graduate workers’ right to unionize

  The University of New Mexico filed a notice of appeal against the New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board on Nov. 19, in which they hope to overturn a decision from August that granted UNM graduate students the right to unionize. The United Graduate Workers of UNM are a part of the larger United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and have been fighting for better health care coverage, higher wages and increased influence over University-wide decisions. “Despite long hours teaching, researching and grading, graduate assistants earn an average minimum stipend of just $14,438 per year and struggle with lack of access to medical care and inadequate protections from harassment,” University graduate worker officials wrote in a press release issued on Nov. 23.

River of Lights: Crowd bedazzled on opening night

  The 24th annual River of Lights came back to delight Albuquerque at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden on its opening night on Saturday, Nov. 27. Mayor Tim Keller was present to turn on the millions of lights, making the nearly 600 displays light up the night. River of Lights began in 1997 as a BioPark fundraiser and proceeds still support BioPark projects via the New Mexico BioPark Society. “Each year's show unveils ingenious new sculptures and stunning displays made by BioPark artists and craftsmen,” the BioPark’s website reads.   “New Mexico’s largest walk-through light show, River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden, features ... 600 displays made up of millions of lights,” USA Today reported. 

Amy Farnbach Pearson offers social perspective on COVID-19

  Though she got her start in microbiology in her undergraduate program, University of New Mexico professor Amy Farnbach Pearson now studies medicine through the humanities lens. She seeks to broach conversations on how disease presents in societies and what it means for patients perceived to be afflicted. Farnbach Pearson joined the Honors College team this year, an environment that has been historically welcoming to interdisciplinary conversations and out-of-the-box curricula. She’s a temporary part-time professor teaching “Tuberculosis to COVID-19: What is Health?” this semester, which is one medium she uses to have conversations on how Western societies have and continue to respond to diseases.

OPINION: UNM lacks necessary mental health support

 Despite prolific reports of poor mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of New Mexico maintains a limited position on the issue. Considering the generational emphasis on mental health advocacy, the question remains as to why students suffering with poor mental health continue to struggle alone. UNM claims to offer support via Student Health and Counseling and, while in theory that provision is helpful, if you can manage even to have your phone call picked up, the likelihood that you’ll get an appointment scheduled by season’s end is slim to none. Amid a pandemic, these resources are needed more than ever. The support systems that SHAC provides wouldn’t be enough, though, even if fully functional. 

Comics November 22, 2021

‘Boots on the ground:’ SHAC associate director navigates heavy workload

  Karen Lucero, the associate clinical director of counseling services at the University of New Mexico’s Student Health and Counseling, works tirelessly to see her own patients while managing clients and counseling personnel at UNM. As the self-described “boots on the ground” at SHAC, Lucero is proud to work as a counselor and help others. Lucero’s future was not always in counseling. She was initially gearing up to enter the UNM School of Law herself after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics from UNM before her own personal experiences with grief counseling persuaded her to change career paths.

OPINION: UNM mental health resources

  At this point in the semester, extreme stress and burnout are incredibly common, and it’s more than okay to ask for help. Here’s a list of my favorite campus resources at the University of New Mexico that you should look into if you’re in need of assistance. Agora Crisis Center Payment: Free The Agora Crisis Center offers several free services including but not limited to helpline, online emotional support chat and information on how to help yourself and others. After meeting a few of the volunteers at Agora, I can confidently say that they are committed to helping others in every way they can. The center itself is small but it’s so clearly full of people who care about people.

Coping with seasonal depression

  Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as seasonal depression, is a form of depression in which symptoms present during specific seasons, typically during the fall and winter months. Seasonal depression affects an estimated 10 million Americans yearly, but there are methods to help identify and cope with symptoms. According to Albuquerque therapist Anne-Marie Cooper, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms include abnormal sleep and eating patterns, general low mood and a ”lack of willingness to engage in things that typically one would usually like to engage in.”   University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling psychiatrist Dr. Tien Nguyen advises students to monitor how much their symptoms are affecting daily function and how much psychological distress their symptoms are causing them when considering professional help.

Mental Health Matters: Local healthcare workers struggle as pandemic rages on

  Once considered heroes by the entire nation, now largely taken for granted while hospitals run at over 100% capacity, local healthcare workers are feeling burnt out from the COVID-19 pandemic as we enter over a year and a half of the crisis with people still refusing to get vaccinated. At one point in the pandemic, Steve Nuanez, director of employee well-being at the University of New Mexico Hospital, said there was a light at the end of the tunnel where things seemed to be returning to normal. Now, however, New Mexico is seeing over 1,000 COVID-19 cases regularly again and Nuanez said UNMH is usually running at 140% capacity.

LETTER: Finding safety and help amid the pandemic

  As we move into the end of fall term, our first term for students back on campus since spring 2020, we have had some time to reflect on the impact of the past pandemic season and our vision for moving forward; hopefully, differently. For the past 18 months we’ve maintained a constant vigilance about our health and safety, a constant distance from others and a constant attention to distressing information from our various news feeds. All this has increased our level of anxiety, affected our attitudes about ourselves and our world and impacted our behavior in often wildly inappropriate ways. You may have experienced this, or read about it daily in our media. 

Self-help tool TAO promoted during Mental Health Screening Week

  Help is as near as a click away for Lobos at the University of New Mexico. And just after the University’s Mental Health Screening Week — the first week ever of its kind at UNM — it’s time now rather than later to take stock of personal mental health. Therapy Assistance Online is a 100% anonymous, free online resource for all affiliates of UNM. This tool, which was largely promoted during UNM’s Mental Health Screening Week that took place from Nov. 15-19, aims to provide mental health and well-being aid for individuals. The only thing needed to access it is an active UNM email.

Men’s basketball prevails against MSU

 The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team stayed undefeated at home after narrowly beating Montana State University 81-78 on Saturday at The Pit. The team now stands at 3-1 overall. This season’s leading scorer Jaelen House got in foul trouble early in the first half, restricting his minutes. UNM stayed in control until a 1-3-1 zone defense from Montana State disrupted their offensive flow; zones like that have so far tended to disrupt the UNM guards’ common tendency to count on the cross-court pass to be a pressure release. The second half was intense and, at moments, The Pit crowd began to bellow in one voice, like when a tough call was made on House late in the second half.