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Wednesday, O c tober 10, 2018 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 1 7
Controversial murals may be removed UNM celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day By Megan Holmen @megan_holmen
The conversation surrounding a piece of art at the University of New Mexico’s main library may be coming to an end soon. The Three People’s Murals, located in Zimmerman Library, have been a point of contention for decades. However, UNM Associate Vice Provost Alex Lubin has presented a plan for the murals to the Office of the President. The murals are composed of four different paintings that hang in the West Wing of Zimmerman Library and have been criticized by many for their “racial undertones.” The murals were painted by Kenneth Adams and completed in 1939. The mural depicts three groups of people: the Anglo, the Hispanic and the Native American. One of the paintings has drawn significant ire because it shows the Anglo, Hispanic and Native American holding hands with one another. However, only the face of the Anglo can be seen and he is slightly higher than the other two individuals in the painting. “The painting clearly has a hierarchy with Hispanics were portrayed stereotypically as manual labour, Native Indigenous people as artisans and Anglos presented as scientists,” Lubin said.
By Alyssa Bitsie @Albitsie
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“The Three Peoples Murals” is located in the west wing of Zimmerman Library. The mural is composed of four different paintings created in 1939 by Kenneth Adams.
President Garnett Stokes and Interim Provost Richard Wood stated in a letter sent out that a solution will be presented to the Board of Regents Historic Preservation Committee. “President Stokes and I are recommending an immediate way forward regarding the controversial Kenneth Adams Murals in the west end of Zimmerman Library,” the letter stated. “The murals are part of the historic character of Zimmerman Library and any change to the murals will have to be considered carefully by the Regents Historic Preservation Committee and ultimately decided by the Board of Regents.”
In a previous interview with the Daily Lobo, Lubin said that he and Kymberly Pinder taught the class on the “Three People’s Murals” to educate students about the history of the controversial mural and to come up with possible solutions for covering it up or safely removing them. The proposed solution of covering the murals was one of the student group recommendations that came from the final project of the class, said Lubin in a recent interview with the Daily Lobo. “We will ask the Regent’s Historic Preservation Committee for
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Students and faculty gathered in the University of New Mexico Student Union Building atrium to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day Monday Oct. 8. The event featured a read-in of Indigenous texts hosted by the Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color (PNMGC). The PNMGC is a student-led program that works to retain students of color through ongoing peer mentoring. According to the group's UNM website, this mentoring provides academic, social, cultural and emotional support. The read-in featured speakers from PNMGC, UNM Kiva Club and various faculty members at UNM. The Kiva Club encourages student and community involvement in Native American issues on campus, according to the group’s Facebook page. Vice President of the Kiva Club and UNM senior Hope Alvarado said she helped push the conversation about colonialism,conquests and the way society celebrates it. “We wrote a resolution at UNM to get Indigenous People’s Day passed instead of Columbus Day and it took
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On the run: Chase crews of the Balloon Fiesta By Justine Lopez @justine_lopez95 Thousands of visitors packed into Balloon Fiesta Park last Saturday for the opening day of the 47th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Hundreds of balloons of all shapes and sizes took to the morning sky as spectators cheered on the pilots and bid them a safe trip. The work of a balloon pilot is no easy feat. Pilots and chase crews arrive to the park well before dawn to take part in the event. Keith Lutz and his crew have been participating in the fiesta for the better part of a decade. Lutz and his wife Michelle first took an interest in ballooning as spectators. Later they became participants on a chase crew until Lutz decided he wanted to become a pilot. Now Lutz and his crew, named The Flying Monkeys, help him fly his balloon, High Maintenance II. High Maintenance II stands 11 stories tall. The balloon pattern, or envelope, is clean white, with red and blue alternating panels that encircle it. This year, two passengers accompanied Lutz on his ride. Albuquerque resident Erika Bolanos and her husband Freddy huddled close together in the basket as Lutz pulled on the burner, illuminating the balloon like an incandescent light bulb. “We’re afraid but we’re excited
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Balloon chase crew members for the Flying Monkeys begin to disassemble their hot air balloon, High Maintenance II.
at the same time,” Freddy said. This was the couples first time riding in a hot air balloon. Chase crew member Terry Iliff attempted to give the couple advice for their first ride. “Okay now,” Iliff said. “Don’t crash, don’t catch on fire.” Shortly after Lutz received the go-ahead from a launch director, his balloon was buoyant and it was time for takeoff. The Flying Monkeys sprung into action before Lutz’s balloon was out of sight. The crew rolled up the large blue tarp that was lying before High Maintenance II in perfect coordination and stowed it away in the trailer. Their next challenge was
navigating the truck off the crowded field. Crew members jogged beside the truck to guide it towards an exit before hopping in the cab and in the bed of the truck. Once they made it to the road it was time for the chase. John Brown, Jeannie Baldwin and Kevin Gove have been part of The Flying Monkeys’ crew for roughly five years. The three relaxed in the bed of the truck while watching the other balloons ascend. “I think it’s stressful in the cab trying to keep track of the balloon,” Brown said. After a short 15-minute ride, High Maintenance II was found in an empty dirt lot. All passengers and pilot landed safely. For the
three years,” Alvarado said. Alvarado has been with the Kiva Club for four years she said Indigenous people and all people from different backgrounds share this day to show their resilience “Indigenous people exist everywhere across the globe,” Alvarado said. “It’s not just North America centric and Indigenous people are also undocumented, Indigenous people are also black or African, and to really talk about the struggles not only in the United States, but outside of the U.S. too.” To begin the celebration, a blessing was performed by Dr. Thomas Chavez, an assistant professor for the College of Education, to honor and respect people for who they are and where they come from. “This is an important day for all people. We all come from Indigenous backgrounds whether we honor it or not,” Chavez said. As the understanding of different people grows so does resiliency. Despite the tragedies and conflicts throughout history indigenous people are resilient, Chavez said. Lloyd Lee, a UNM assistant professor in the Native American Studies department, said he wants attendees to have an educational experience here.
next hour Lutz and his crew offered balloon tether rides to any spectators that wanted them. Lutz was later honored as Ambassador of the Day for offering his free rides to the community. The last challenge for the crew was deflating the balloon. Gove pulled on a rope attached to the apex of the balloon, or the crown, which tipped High Maintenance II on its side. It took every member of the team to squeeze the hot air out of the envelope, in a process referred to as milking. Once completely flat, each person grabbed an arm full of fabric and stuffed it into the envelope bag in succession. The process was akin to rolling up a sleeping bag on a much larger scale. Chase crews like The Flying Monkeys all work together to send up their balloons. Whether the ride is three hours or 15 minutes, a strong camaraderie exists between everyone in the ballooning community. “Pilots will holler over to the other when they’re in the air and they just joke around each other,” Iliff said. “It’s this big group of friends who fly together.” Lutz and his group of Flying Monkeys drove back to Balloon Fiesta Park after a successful first day, all to repeat the same adventure tomorrow. Justine Lopez is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @justine_lopez95.
Centennial Library to close for maintenance By Ahmad Yar Ranjha The University of New Mexico Centennial Library will be temporarily closed from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13 because UNM Facilities Management will be replacing sewer lines in the surrounding area. The maintenance work was planned because of a severe water leak last month. According to Karl Benedict, an associate professor and director of Research Data services at UNM libraries, there was a water leak during the week of Sept. 22. The leak impacted staff and faculty offices. The operations of the library will come to a halt during the work. “All services conducted in the building will be affected as library staff will not be allowed in the building while work is being done,” Benedict said. Since the maintenance work coincides with the Fall Break, no specific events are being
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