Katie Monette - The Daily Lobo

Culture

420 Festival hosts downtown block party

Katie Monette | April 22

The New Mexico 420 Festival took place this past weekend in downtown Albuquerque. The booths spanned 3rd Street to 7th Street, selling clothing, jewelry, food and beverages, a wide variety of CBD and hemp products, as well as music and local comedians and artists. The block-party style event got off to a slow start, with a sparse crowd browsing the numerous cannabis-related goods. Some vendors were selling rasta-theme t-shirts and paraphernalia, but some booths attracted more attention, like a glass-blowing demonstration by hand-blown glass art studio and gallery, Glass Etc. Glass Etc provides glassblowing lessons and creates custom pieces, including non-cannabis related glass products and pendants.

Culture

Five and Why: Inspirational Women in Fiction with Dr. Leslie Donovan

Katie Monette | April 18

Dr. Leslie Donovan is a professor at the University of New Mexico, teaching in the university's Honors College. She teaches a few interdisciplinary classes such as the introductory level seminar, "Monsters and Marvels through the Ages," which is planned to start this fall. She serves as faculty coordinator for UNM's Regents Scholars and has received honors such as the university's Presidential Teaching Fellowship. Her work involves topics including medieval studies, science fiction, disability studies, women's studies and more. Many of Donovan's writings focus on author J.R.R. Tolkien's universe and can be found in the Honors College with the other faculty publications. She took some time to share her top five favorite inspirational fictional females with the Daily Lobo. "Choosing only five was nearly impossible as there are so many other fictional female characters who have made me who I am today and, perhaps more important, who I would like to be someday and who I see clearly in my own students," Donovan said.

Culture

Albuquerque High School celebrates mural restoration

Katie Monette | April 6

Last Friday, April 5, Albuquerque High School hosted Nuestra Juventud, a celebration of the mural adorning Albuquerque High School. The event was hosted by the Chicana and Chicano Studies Preparatory Program and Pathway to Careers, which is a collaboration between the University of New Mexico and local high schools. “Gracias por esa pelea,” one presenter said, thanking the audience for fighting for the mural. He called the mural an expression of New Mexican culture on the very walls of the school. Several prominent New Mexicans were in attendance, including Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales, artist Francisco LeFebre, UNM Dean of Arts and Sciences Mark Peceny, UNM Chair of Chicana and Chicano Studies Irene Vasquez and several members of the Albuquerque Public School board.

Culture

UNM researcher explores art through time

Katie Monette | April 3

This year, the University of New Mexico Art and Ecology Program's Researcher in Residence is Nina Elder. Her project “Deep Time Lab” currently resides in the University's Art Museum and features not only her own work, but submissions from UNM students, and friends around the world. “I created this project trying to help students at UNM and myself to find ways to say we’re in a time of incredible transition, and what are doing that attaches ourselves to time?” Elder said.

Culture

UNM students celebrate Mardis Gras in the SUB

Katie Monette | March 5

This past Tuesday, Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans, but that doesn’t mean New Mexicans can’t party too. Student Activities hosted a Mardi Gras celebration in the Student Union Building as a way “to get students into the SUB and excited about things,” said event coordinator, Emily Louth. Directly translating in English to "Fat Tuesday," Mardi Gras is an old Catholic tradition made famous by the rowdy parties in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Also called Carnival, Mardi Gras is a way to let loose before Lent, the practice of giving up a habit in order to relate to Jesus’ struggles leading up Easter Sunday. “You know, it started in Mobile, Alabama. It’s not the famous one; New Orleans took it over,” said Linda Piper, who attended the event. Today, Mobile has a rich Mardi Gras tradition of its own, as well as Galveston, Texas and some places in southern Mississippi.

Culture

Wind Symphony concert cycle starts on high note

Katie Monette | February 18

Marking the beginning of this semester’s concert cycle, Popejoy Hall hosted the University of New Mexico’s Wind Symphony on Monday. The ensemble was under the direction of Dr. Eric Rombach-Kendall, and featured soloist John Marchiando, associate professor of trumpet. The hour-long program was highlighted by two selections, one of which being “Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble” featuring Marchiando. This jazzy piece was written by Spanish composer, Luis Serrano Alarcón. If the listener closes their eyes during the performance, they might find themselves in a smoke-filled bar circa the Golden Age.

Music

J.I.D. packs the SUB in sold-out show

Katie Monette | February 4

On Friday, the University of New Mexico Student Union Building ballrooms were transformed from a drab conference space into an electric concert scene to host rappers Aphelion Barz and J.I.D. “I thought it was gonna be a little weird, just because I’ve never heard of anything (like this) in the SUB,” said Julian Garcia, who attended the concert. Aphelion Barz kicked the show off, hyping up the crowd with chants of 5-0-5.

Culture

Researcher lectures on "genízaro" identity

Katie Monette | January 28

As part of the lecture series, People & Places, held in Zimmerman Library, Enrique Lamadrid gave a talk entitled “Sueños del Coyote: The Emergence of Genízaros in the Nuevoméxicano Literary Imagination.” The University of New Mexico’s regularly holds lectures in its Frank Waters room, hosted by the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections. Lamadrid works in the New Mexico museum system as a researcher and author. He also teaches in UNM’s Spanish department and serves as the editor of the “Querencia” series.