Summer Coverage Collection

With 6 new people on staff and summer classes in full swing, the Daily Lobo has spent the summer in the newsroom, writing stories. Below is a sampling of some of the work that has gone out in the Daily Lobo email newsletter this summer. All stories can be read in their entirety at Dailylobo.com

UNM Housing expands use of triple dorms

July 19 - Last Monday, students were notified via email that UNM Resident Life and Student Housing would convert multiple double rooms to a three-person capacity in order to meet housing demands.

The halls with rooms that can be converted into triple capacity dorms include Coronado, Hokona, Santa Clara and Alvarado. The exact cost of the rooms were not given by Megan Chibanga – Director of UNM Resident Life and Student Housing. However, students in these rooms will have a reduced rate compared to traditional double rooms, according to Chibanga. Marcela Johnson reports.

Art educators challenge ‘art world’ July 19 - Marina Perez, a con- temporary Indigenous arts PhD student at the University of New Mexico, struggles with the concept of the art world.

The art world often creates barriers for communities of color, which makes it harder for them to enter it, Perez said. It produces a binary between fine arts and community arts, contemporary arts and ancient arts. The separation, they said, often makes it hard for people of color to participate in the art world.

“The art world is a colonial construct. To even think that we need to construct a completely different world away from our everyday lives … Communities of color don’t have access to be able to enter the art world,” Perez said. “Our knowledge is not embraced or acknowledged.”

Addison Key reports.

Lack of maintenance for parks in Albuquerque causes harm to communities

July 14 - Amidst New Mexico’s summer heatwave with temperatures in the 100s, concern has spiked over the inadequate maintenance and neglect of parks in communities of color and lowincome areas. The poor mainte- nance of parks is an example of environmental racism.

“The dire state of these parks hinders the residents’ access to green spaces, but also permeates into environmental racism and there is a need for change,” Enrique Cardiel, a community organizer, said.

Weston Quintana reports.

Duke City Championship Wrestling makes its presence known

July 9 - Duke City Championship Wrestling is presenting a “Clash of Titans” tag-team showdown at the historic El Rey Theater on July 15. This all ages event will host eight professional wrestling matches inside the ring.

Jerry Herrera, a professional wrestler, expects this upcoming event to be just as big as the first one. The overall goal for him and his local wrestlers is to make professional wrestling a more well known sport in Albuquerque, Herrera said.

“Hopefully they (fans) are ready for the second show – more action, more wrestlers, more competition and more entertainment,” Herrera said.

Sydney Walker reports.

Curanderismo course at UNM dives into the culture of traditional healing

June 29 - During the summer, the University of New Mexico offers a two-week in-person class called “Curanderismo: The Art of Mexican Folk Healing” to allow students to connect more closely with cultural and spiritual healing.

The class takes a holistic approach to healing, Eliseo Torres said — the professor of the course. The class has many guest speakers from all over, including Mexico and Peru. Some of those guests are curanderas who specialize in the traditional healing methods of Curanderismo.

Elizabeth Secor reports.

Joe Franklin’s final run with the Lobos

June 27 - After 15 seasons with UNM’s Cross Country and Track & Field programs, Head Coach Joe Franklin has left on June 16.

Franklin was named the Director of Cross Country and Track & Field at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Franklin came to UNM in 2007 and has had lots of success with the program; as a two-time na- tional coach of the year, his athletes earned a total of 201 AllAmerican Honors and multiple of his athletes have gone on to compete in the Olympics.

Francesca Cicconetti reports.

Fronteras Micro-Film Festival: an interactive artistic experience on border politics

June 6 - An unconventional film festival, The Fronteras Micro-Film Festival opened on Friday, June 2 at the ABQ Artwalk. The film festival presented several short films simultaneously, each playing in a unique art exhibit with a central theme on immigration status and border politics, according to organizer Jade Stokes.

“I like to travel a lot,” Stokes said. “I am always struck by how easily we can move around the planet these days and it’s interesting to think about the lines you have to cross. Borders – they’re invisible and we can move across them with some ease, if you’re privileged, and then with less ease depending on the circumstances.” Detroit Kallunki reports.

Anthems from page 12 that it’s important for Queer DJs to bring these songs to different spaces,” Cristofer said.

Cristofer has a couple songs that he has been playing in his set recently, including “Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfeild; it’s a song that makes people feel amazing,

Tattoos from page 6 shops not want you in their environment,” Sverre-Harrell said.

While it can be difficult to break into the tattoo industry as a Queer artist, it can be equally difficult for Queer clients getting tattoos, Torres said.

“I have clients that are either Queer, femme or people of color who come to me and they have

Selam from page 13

Selam is using the pink to amplify femininity throughout her zine, both the lack and presence of it. The color each artist-in-residence picks has become an important aspect of Risolana’s program, Michael López – Risolana co-founder – said.

“As a community space – for us to be able to have an artist come in and have color that resonates to them –hopefully that ripples out and that resonates with other people … Carmen settled on that (mauve-pink)

Cristofer said. A song that is empowering and danceable, Cristofer said, is what makes a Queer anthem a Queer anthem.

“We, as Queer people – we love to feel empowered. And every time you can hear a song that makes you feel like … ‘I need to go these horror stories about not getting what they want because the artist wouldn’t change it, or not feeling comfortable or feeling like they were being preyed upon,” said Torres. One way Sverre-Harrell has worked to make it known that his private studio is judgment-free is by being open about who he is and honestly, that’s not a color I would’ve necessarily chosen. I think that’s the beauty of it. It’s hyper personal,” López said.

The Risolana staff is working with Selam to create her zine that will be sold this fall along with in-progress prints – an aspect that allows the community to learn more about the risograph printing process, López said. López said that he admires Selam’s commitment to her story.

“She’s being very systematic about out and continue to slay each day’ – that’s really one of the things that I look for when I’m like, ‘This is a Queer anthem (and) this needs to be played out,” Cristofer said.

Addison Key is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com on social media. Being trans and Queer shows in his artwork and practice, Sverre-Harrell said, as well as creating a safe space for his clients.

All three artists agreed that being Queer and working in the tattoo industry can be difficult, however, being open about who they are has allowed them to create com- it with a very strong sense of soul to what she’s connecting to – the story that she wants to tell,” López said. Her zine is set on the reservation and follows the life a non-binary protagonist, Eli, as they navigate their love life. Selam’s comic book idea and passion for her story allowed her to get the position.

“The idea of this comic book that Carmen wants to share back out to people on the (reservation) – that felt like there’s an audience that Carmen’s or on Twitter @addisonkey11. munity with and provide safe experiences to the Queer community.

“Once I found my niche, I blossomed in a way I didn’t expect because people were looking for a safe place that provided a service that I was providing,” said SverreHarrell. “Suddenly, being Queer and trans was a good thing.”

Sydney Walker is a freelance re- directly wanting to speak to.

And the idea of a comic is something that we’ve been really excited about as a space,” López said.

It is important for her, Selam said, to produce art and media that is respectful and representative of where she comes from. She works with youth on her reservation and wants to make a safe space for them by representing herself as a Queer person.

“I’ve never really been in the clo- porter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @squidneywrites.= set, but I’ve never been quite this out … It’s okay to exist. I think existing in these spaces unapologetically has been a huge part of my work now within the past three or four years. (Saying) ‘I’m a Queer artist’ – I think it’s an important thing to know,” Selam said.

Addison Key is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @addisonkey11.