Detroit Kallunki - The Daily Lobo

Culture

The Graduation Project empowers returning students to continue their education

Detroit Kallunki | December 11

The Graduation Project is a program at the University of New Mexico dedicated to bringing senior students back to complete their degrees. Students who qualify for the Graduate Project are returning to complete their first bachelor’s degree after at least a semester break. Graduation Project Director Corine Gonzales said the project looks to provide support and assistance for students looking to return and complete their program. “Our mission is to help bring back students who are very close to completing their degree … We also follow through and provide onboarding assistance and transition experience to help them come back and complete their degree,” Gonzales said.

News

Climate Assessment highlights a need for immediate action

Detroit Kallunki | November 27

The Fifth National Climate Assessment was released on Nov. 14 by the U.S. Government. The report contains updates on the state of climate change, basic risk assessments and ideas for communities to lower their emissions and live a more environmentally conscious life. The National Climate Assessment was mandated by the 1990 Global Change Research Act — a law requiring research on climate change — and is supposed to occur every four years with the submission of the president’s budget. In the past 33 years, only five assessments have been released. The NCA5 details current environmental problems and projections for the immediate future. The report covers issues like flooding, droughts, food insecurity, health challenges and region-specific issues.

Opinion

Opinion: “Bones and All” is disturbingly decadent

Detroit Kallunki | November 6

Luca Guadagnino’s 2022 film “Bones and All” forges itself a new genre: cannibal romance road trip odyssey. With heavily romantic cinematography, intimate direction and disgustingly real body horror, “Bones and All” is a stomach-churning visual narrative you cannot tear yourself away from. All at once, it manages to be about love, identity and belonging. Oh, and also cannibals. A word to the wise: do not attempt to eat snacks during this movie. The body horror is grotesque and intense, and in case this needs to be said, this movie is graphic.

News

APS school board election prepares to bring changes to the district

Detroit Kallunki and Milan Ortiz-Ruiz | October 23

On Nov. 7, Albuquerque Public Schools will hold an election for school board members. District 1, 2 and 4 each have representatives running for a spot on the school board. Community focuses and values have been voiced throughout fall 2022 within organized community meetings and numerous individual conversations. Consistent concerns regarding the need for schools to emphasize literacy, math, post-secondary readiness, and the skills, habits and mindsets that lead to success, according to APS Goals and Guardrails.

Opinion

REVIEW: “Men” is a surreal, bizarre deep dive into trauma

Detroit Kallunki | October 18

From the first minutes of “Men,” the atmosphere is deeply unsettling despite the audience not knowing exactly what is wrong – putting the viewer in the shoes of the recently widowed Harper (Jessie Buckley). In “Men” (2022), directed by Alex Garland, Harper visits an isolated village to spend some time alone healing after the death of her husband. Through a series of flashbacks to the night he died, the audience discovers that he became increasingly abusive which culminated in his own accidental death. As Harper copes with surviving domestic violence and witnessing the death of her husband, she meets a series of uncannily similar men, all played by Rory Kinnear.

Culture

ABQ Zine Fest — an annual celebration of DIY publications

Detroit Kallunki | October 9

Zines are small, self-published booklets that contain artwork, poetry, news and more. Zines are frequently distributed on a small scale because of the do-it-yourself nature of creation, Marya Errin Jones said – ABQ Zine Fest founder. Mass market publication can be a difficult process, so for many creators, self-publication is the best way to make their voices heard. Albuquerque once had a prominent DIY scene, Jones said. Zine Fest was started as a revival.

Culture

“Bless Me, Ultima” and the strange magic of storytelling

Detroit Kallunki | October 2

51 years ago, Rudolfo Anaya’s most famous book, “Bless Me, Ultima,” was published. For the first time, many people saw themselves represented in a literary form. Anaya celebrates the complexities of Chicanx identity as well as the New Mexican experience in a way that has not been done on a broad scale before. The National Hispanic Cultural Center has partnered with the University of New Mexico’s English department for the past two years in September to screen the 2012 film adaptation for the past two years in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, according to associate UNM English professor, Melina Vizcaíno-Alemán.

News

Lobo Food Pantry provides year round access to necessities

Detroit Kallunki | July 16

Facing a lack of basic needs affects university students year-round, however during the summer when temperatures are higher, campuses aren’t fully open and the availability of resources are lower for many. 67% of college students surveyed across New Mexico campuses have experienced some form of insecurity, according to the 2023 Basic Needs Project. The survey completed by the UNM Basic Needs Project is a group that UNM’s Basic Needs Specialist, Amanda Martinez, put together to gain insight on data about student needs. The Lobo Food Pantry is a resource available to students that operates four days a week and allows any UNM student with a student ID to come and pick up a basket of donated food.

Culture

Snell’s gallery combines Queer experience and empowering spirituality

Detroit Kallunki | June 27

Sam Snell – UNM alumni and artist – held the opening night reception of his first solo exhibition titled “Magical Thinking” on June 24. Snell’s idea of “Magical Thinking” is to merge Queer and spiritual identities to help people apply a spiritual lens to their life experiences. The exhibition is also the first solo show hosted by Tori Wilson, owner of Garagedoor Gallery and fellow artist. She immediately connected with Snell’s work and said she was excited to have the opportunity to share it with other members of the community. “When he contacted me to have this solo show here, it was an immediate yes,” Wilson said, “because that means that I get to be surrounded by his art for a whole month.”

City Pounds seek fosters for dogs and cats

News

Shelter animals in Albuquerque in need of foster care

Detroit Kallunki | June 13

The Animal Welfare Department is looking for people in Albuquerque who are willing to foster shelter animals. The Animal Welfare Department is reaching out to the public because their typical foster resources have already been used due to the number of animals being surrendered, according to Valerie Greif, a foster team member. A foster parent takes in different animals and provides them with care and a place to stay to make more vacancies in the shelter. The fostering process can look different based on animal needs, according to Tara Mansker, foster team member.