ABQ’ s AMAZING PETS

Fry (Emma Trevino, Staff Writer)

By the ATM Staff

As the regular writer for this section for the past several months, I’ve always wanted to include my own pet. Now’s my chance, and I’ve already wasted 29 words! I got Fry in summer of 2020, during the height of the pandemic. He didn’t even see my whole face (I was masked up) until we got in the car, but we’ve been BFFs ever since. Now he’s almost three and loves to get under-the-chin scratches, kisses, and naps whenever and wherever he can. Before Fry, I thought people who loved their animals so much were weird…I get it now.

Furrgie (Gena Goodson, Assoc. Publisher)

Furrgie is a peculiar cat who might not know he is actually a cat. He was abandoned at the end of 2020. I took him in and found companionship during those working-at-home months of the pandemic and it was a “purrfect” fit—we’ve been inseparable since. I think Furrgie was raised with dogs at the start of his life. He plays fetch (only with stuffed mice, but still - he fetches over and over!) and he has learned to do a few tricks for treats in the kitchen. He is like the best of both pets!

Hadley (Phillip Kjelland, Sr. Ad Executive)

I’m Hadley, but I typically only respond to “Kitty” and the sound of cat food. I am a six-year-old polydactyl tortoiseshell-tabby named after the first wife of Ernest Hemingway, a famous human author who adored my kind. While most felines have eighteen toes, I have twenty-one! This makes me an incredibly agile and lethal huntress. I can slay a lizard and snatch a bird out of the sky… at the same time! Not that mom and dad encourage me to do this. Ever. But my favorite past-time is smacking mice around in the backyard grass. They’re funny creatures! And tasty.

Oliver (Savannah Odell, Publishing Asst.)

You wouldn’t believe it now but Oliver was only 2 pounds when I picked him up from the humane society. He was the funniest looking one out of his 6 brothers and sisters. I couldn’t resist the adorable hair protruding from his ears; then, thinking he would eventually grow into it but later discovering it was a feature consistent with his special breed. Little did I know that quirky looking little kitty would turn into the beautiful 16 pound Maine Coon that he is today. Oliver loves playing fetch, cuddling and of course.. eating. He is the best fluffy friend I could ask for.

Gemma (Lori Wilding, DateBook Editor)

My family has always had rescued pets, particularly Border Collie crosses. Our daughter was volunteering at a shelter in Austin, Texas, when “Cocoa Puff,” a four-year-old Border Collie, was turned in. She fostered “Cocoa Puff” for a month and convinced us to drive 12 hours to Austin to adopt her. Now “Gemma,” she’s been with us four years and loves chasing her ball, playing with her toys (when no one is looking!), and sitting between our legs. She lives for her morning treats, loves belly rubs, and is always checking in to make sure she hasn’t missed a walk or ball-chasing opportunity.

Rover (Don James, Photo Director)

Rover was given to us by a relative. He was outgrowing the apartment his original owners lived in, and now he’s such an escape artist. A lot of the time he’ll get out of the yard and wander the neighborhood. If I don’t take him on a walk in the morning, he’ll cry—he’s also not a fan of the cold. Favorite activities include sunbathing and napping. One time, he was picked up by animal control and they named him “Neon” because they didn’t know his name. Rover’s just a very kind dog.

Is your pet ATM’s next Pet of the Month? Send a photo and short story about why you think your pet belongs in these pages to petofthemonth@abqthemag.com.

Carlisle Gym’s evolution from Lobo stadium to dancer’s paradise CASPER THE FRIENDLY…BALLERINA?

Named after a UNM student who died in WWI, Carlisle Gym first opened its doors 95 years ago on UNM’s main campus. It was there that the Lobos played their games for 29 years, until the bigger, more modern Johnson Gym was completed in 1957. The gym was also the original venue for the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Now, Carlisle houses the Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance, which is outfitted with 180 seats for performances and has six studios for students and instructors.

Adding that name to Carlisle Gym was an undertaking in itself: the committee that proposed the idea to the University around 2010 wanted to rename the building entirely after Waters, a pioneer of modern dance in NM and a teacher at the school for over 50 years. UNM vetoed the idea because Carlisle is the only building on campus to be named after a former student.

Donna Jewell, the Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at UNM, has been teaching in Carlisle since she started at UNM over 20 years ago. Along with that she’s seen it evolve with every small renovation. “The building is charming, but with historic buildings on campus, there are some limitations in how we can renovate things,” says Jewell. “The spaces themselves for the dance program are quite wonderful because they’re so spacious, but some of the building’s aspects—like the heating and cooling systems—can be a little cranky.”

Most recently, the gym has received accessibility upgrades like ramps and automatic doors. Looking forward, Jewell hopes that their next big project will be completely gutting and redoing the dressing rooms to not only make them more modern, but to provide a space for nonbinary students.

“We did recently get some money from the university to do some upgrades in our studio spaces like the flooring, so we’re working on that this semester as well,” says Jewell.

Idiosyncrasies like old water fountains and eclectic Dutch doors make the building especially endearing, and there are still some remnants of its past life as the gym that first housed the Lobos. “Some of the flooring still had lines from the basketball court,” says Jewell. “We’ve since painted over it, but sometimes when you walk through this building you feel the energy of the athletes that used to come here.”

That energy might not just be athletes. According to Jewell, several people who’ve walked to the back end of the building have felt a ghostly presence.

“People don’t say that they see anybody or hear anything strange, but when you get to that end of the building, there’s a presence there,” says Jewell. “And I’ve felt it too, it’s very odd. Some people who are more psychically attuned notice it the moment they enter the building.” Apparitions aside, Carlisle is a beloved and bustling reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. —ET