Hard work pays off

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By The Chronicle Editorial Board

The Chronicle is a place where students can learn about journalism at a school that does not have a jour­nalism program, so it is truly amaz­ing that we have won fourth place in the Best of Show Competition at the National Associated Collegiate Press Convention in San Diego this last week on Sunday, March 2, 2014.

It is such a great experience for stu­dents to be able to go on trips and enter into competitions to see how CNM students measure up to other schools on a national level, and it is great that the school allows students to be able to learn from workshops taught from advisers throughout the country.

The Chronicle thanks the school, Student Allocation Board, and people who make advertisements in our paper, because if it was not for them, we would not have the opportunity to go to these eye-opening conventions that help us see how other schools operate their papers, and how we can learn how to improve the student run newspaper with each semester.

The Chronicle gets much criticism, sometimes it’s constructive and some­times it is not, so we feel that these competitions validate what it is that we are striving to accomplish, which is to consistently produce a quality newspa­per for our student and faculty readers.

We just hope that the school can recognize our achievements and give us improved support in our endeavors to better the paper, as well as to help us achieve the

Graduates encouraged to walk in ceremony

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By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photo by Angela Le Quieu

grad

The Student Activities office is working to help more students be able to walk in the Spring 2014 graduation ceremony, and in past semesters only a fraction of students receiv­ing degrees or certifica­tions participated in the ceremonies.

Brandon Seber, Student Activities Coordinator said there are a few steps that students eligible for gradu­ation need to take in order to participate in the gradu­ation ceremony, but that the first step is to go on line and apply for graduation, and after that, Seber said he can help students with concerns that they may have about the ceremony.

The graduation cer­emony for the Spring 2014 semester will take place at Tingley Coliseum on May 3, 2014 and graduates must arrive between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to check in and then the ceremony will begin promptly at 12 p.m., Seber said.

“Generally speaking I think that all students who receive an Associate degree or certificate should walk in the grad­uation ceremony to cele­brate their academic suc­cess since they put a lot of effort, time, energy, and sacrifice into get­ting the degree or cer­tificate,” Seber said.

The deadline for stu­dents to apply for gradua­tion who want to walk in the ceremony is March 28 by 5 p.m., but if a student does not want to walk they have until May 1, Seber said.

Seber and his office want to get more students to participate in the gradua­tion ceremony, he said.

In the Fall 2013 semes­ter there were more than 2000 students awarded a degree or certificate and only 500 students walked the line in the graduation ceremony, Seber said.

“It’s nice to walk on stage, celebrate with the family, but also I try to persuade the students who don’t want to walk that maybe they should if they have younger kids or cous­ins, so that way they can be the role model to inspire the younger generation to want to complete high school and college,” Seber said.

Student concerns include economic issues like being able to afford their cap and gown, or mobil­ity impairment for disabled students, but there is help if a student has notified the Student Activities office, Seber said.

If a student has economic concerns about their regalia for g r a d u a t i o n , Seber said stu­dents can work with him to make sure that they can still walk.

There is also a system in place that can help stu­dents with mobility and other impairment issues, Seber said.

“Since I’ve been on board on the team and working with the gradua­tion, there has not been a problem we were not able to assist with,” Seber said.

Diana Myklebust, Administrative Technical Assistant is in charge of organizing assistance for students, she said.

After a student has filled out a graduation applica­tion, if students indi­cate that they have an impairment issue, their information is sent to her and she calls stu­dents to see what assis­tance they might need in order to walk in the graduation ceremony, Myklebust said.

“The biggest part of the process is letting us know that there is an impairment that we need to assist them with,” Myklebust said.

Myklebust has helped students walk who have had mobility problems, students with diabetes and blind and hearing impaired students, she said.

After a student is called by Myklebust, she will ask about what their needs are, if they can walk up stairs or ramps, if they have trouble sitting or standing for long periods of time, and then she will make an arrangement for that student, she said.

“We try to accom­modate all spectrums of impairment, so that we can make sure they can still be a part of that process,” Myklebust said.

There are volunteers at the graduation cer­emony that help students with these needs from the moment they arrive to check in until the end, Myklebust said.

On the occasion that a student cannot make it up the stairs or ramp Myklebust’s group will inform the dean of that student’s school and CNM president Dr. Katharine Winograd so that they can come down from the stage and shake the student’s hand, Myklebust said.

“The goal is to have them involved in as much of the process as pos­sible and make it easy and comfortable for them,” Myklebust said.

There are other con­cerns which students have about participation in the graduation ceremony and this includes students who receive an invitation to be in the graduation, but have not applied under their declared major, Seber said.

Two offices handle graduation and because of this the gradua­tion process is in two parts; the first office is Enrollment Services which oversees grad­uation applications, and the second is Student Ac t i v i t i e s which runs the gradu­ation cer­e m o n y i t s e l f , S eber said.

Enrol lment services has begun “farming out” people who are qualified for different degrees or cer­tificates regardless of a student’s program of study, Seber said.

“We in the office of Student Activities have been encountering lots of questions as to why they are being invited to the gradu­ation ceremony, because they are still pursuing their declared major,” Seber said.

Seber’s offices will run a report of each graduat­ing term that is created by Enrollment Services based on the information that the office generates and then send out graduation invita­tions based on that, he said.

“And that’s been challenging for us in Student Activities, but it’s confusing for our students because we’re having to answer all of these questions,” Seber said.

World Renowned Artist Tattooish

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By Rene Thompson, Editor in Chief | Photos Courtesy of Ismael Schuurbiers

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ish art 5 ish art 4 ish art 3 ish art 2 ish art 1 ish 1

Tattoo Artist, Ismael Schuurbiers, also known as “Tattooish” has traveled the world over, and has won countless awards at tattoo conventions throughout the globe, but said there is always something that brings him back to Albuquerque, which is to learn from the beautiful and rich culture we have here in New Mexico.

“Albuquerque is a nice and beautiful place and has a lot of history here as well, so when I come here, I not only go for the tattooing, the studio, or even the friends, but it’s also something else — to learn,” he said.

Schuurbiers is from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, in the Caribbean where he has been a culinary chef and published writer, in addition to tattoo-ing for the last decade per-fecting photo black and grey, and color realism tattoos at his shop Tattooish Tattoo Studio, but said he hopes to keep changing and evolving his style into a more surreal-istic type of artwork.

“In the beginning of my career, when I was a self-taught artist, I was obligated to study many different styles, from trib­alism, Polynesian art, to lettering and every­thing else, because I didn’t have a teacher or mentor, so I think that pretty much shaped my style to where I can choose how and what I want my work to be por­trayed as, which is more surrealistic,” he said.

Schuurbiers specializes in portraits, wildlife and horror and gives every client a customized piece of art; has earned a reputation for personal and unique tattoos, always honoring a client’s ideas and then building the tattoo design around it, as well as making his own flash art, he said.

Being able to study many different styles, Schuurbiers said gave him the ability to shape the way he is able to create art now, and that most realistic art-ists are only attracted to the realistic, not knowing that the abstract is also a big part of creating realistic looking tattoos.

Schuurbiers said he has studied many differ-ent artists, but is inspired the most by Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Salvador Dali.

“I can definitely say that my work is going more toward Dali now, but having some of the visions of Da Vinci and feminin­ity of Michelangelo’s work; I morph that together a lot in my pieces,” he said.

­pared his culinary career to tattooing explaining that cooking is an art form by itself, but it is nothing like creating a painting, tattoo or drawing, and it is more of a handy type art where a chef is putting things together where they already exist, while the type of art­work he is creating now is making original elements to go together to create some­thing new, so he said it can be a little more complex.

Schuurbiers said there is so much more to tattoo-ing then just putting ink on someone’s skin and that there is a lot of psychology involved in tattooing as well.

“If a person comes in and wants a specific tattoo done, you have to be able to visual­ize what it is they want prior to even starting a sketch, so your mind is trying to create that for people every day. Tell me which other art form has that? It’s just a beautiful thing. I think the main thing for me is the urge to create, and for me tattooing art is like a virus, whenever I tattoo a person I transfer that to them. There is a connection with that person every time I give a tattoo, and I feel blessed that people allow me to give them my art that will last them a lifetime,” he said.

Schuurbiers said he has been to many countries such as areas of Eastern and Western Europe, Canada, South America, and through­out the states tattooing at multiple conventions most months out of the year.

He said the best place so far that he has been to is Germany because of the cul­ture, and also because that is where he learned it is best to know as little about a cul­ture as possible coming in, so that one can appreciate each place and be able to absorb and learn how people do things differently.

“I’ve been to so many countries and we’re still visit­ing a lot more; it’s constantly a learning process, and that is why I could never stop travel­ing because my mind has edu­cated itself to constantly be learning from different cul­tures and people every day, and when I don’t have that I don’t feel good, so I need that— to be able to adapt to different environments, because it takes me out of my comfort zone and pushes me to learn more,” he said.

Schuurbiers said that people study and master subjects because they love what they are doing, and that people should not care about what society’s expectations are, but to love what one does.

“No matter what you study in life, as long as the passion is there, you’re going to enjoy what you’re doing and you will be successful and happy in life because you’re doing what you appre­ciate,” he said.

Schuurbiers said he likes Albuquerque because he always sees improvement in the artists and friends he works with when doing guest spots at Sachs Body Modification in Nob Hill a couple times out of the year.

“One of my favorite things about Albuquerque is definitely the people, it feels like every time I’m here I feel at home, and I always see improvement in the art­ists and that’s motivating to me to see how they are taking they’re time to perfect their work, and to be a part of that evolution. It’s better to be a part of that, than to be at a studio that is already established, and every time I come into town and I see my friends; it’s like when you have families all over the world and you want to come and visit, so tattooing is not necessarily the only reason why I come here,” he said.

On a side note about the chile in New Mexico, Schuurbiers said “I was a culinary chef, so it is really hard to choose between red or green, but I would have to say both are really good.”

Schuurbiers said it takes a long time to become an established artist in the industry, but once an artist does, they can be free to create what they want, which he feels very blessed to be able to do in such a quickly growing and expanding trade.

Another part about traveling and tattooing that Schuurbiers said he loves, he is able to meet legendary artists such as Jack Rudy, Freddy Negrete, Brian Everett and Mark Mahoney that made tattooing a movement, made it mainstream, and started the tattoo revolution, because tattooing is still such a young industry, which to him is the most beautiful part, because he can have an advantage to be able to share and learn from these ground-breaking artists.

“How do you define your­self as a good artist, because it’s not only what you create, but who you are as a person and the legacy that you leave behind. So it’s not only the art, but how people will see you when you’re gone, and how to be a master artist and leave a relatable influence for generations of artists to learn from you as well. It’s pretty amazing for people in our generation of the tat­tooing industry, and I think in 20 years from now tattoo­ing will be recognized as the ultimate art form, because we’re taking tattooing to a totally different level, and we’re truly creating fine art on people’s skin,” he said.

To see when Tattooish will be in Albuquerque, to make an appointment, or to see more of his tattoos, go to tattooish.com, facebook. com/SfumatoStudios, or instagram.com /Tattooish.

Body Suspension: A Cultural Adaptation

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By Rene Thompson, Editor in Chief | Photo Provided by Steve Truitt

suspension

Body Suspension is a practice that dates back thousands of years in cultures throughout the world in areas such as India, the Middle East, and North America.

In India these prac­tices had been performed as far back as 5,000 years ago, and according to skin-artists.com are still practiced today in Hindu religion, as well as in some Native American rituals.

Suspension has been called a number of things by many cultures, such as the Oh-kee-pa (or Okipa) by the Mandan Native American tribe as depicted in the 1970 film “A Man Called Horse,” and is also part of the Sundance ritual performed by some of the Sioux Native American tribe.

The Hindu festival rituals of Thaipusam and Chidi Mari in India use forms of suspension and piercing, still celebrated every year, mostly by Savite Hindus, according to skin-artists.com.

Suspension has also had a sort of cultural adaptation in the modern western world, and is now being performed by a growing sub-culture of piercing and body modifi­cation enthusiasts all over since the 1980s.

Suspension is also used in different ways now, including perfor­mance art with shows such as those done by piercer, Steve Truitt of Ascension Body Modification at 3600 Central Ave SE, who has performed countless sus­pension shows, and who also got to work with Jane’s Addiction on their tours in 2011 and in 2013, where he had people hanging off hooks from the rafters at concert venues throughout the world, he said.

Truitt said he has been piercing profession­ally since 1995 and is a member of the Association of Professional Piercers, and not only pierces and suspends people, but also performs an array of other body modifications at his studio, where he has been perfecting his art with sus­pension since 2000.

“I couldn’t even guess at how many people I’ve hung over the years. We have done hundreds of shows, and thousands of private suspensions, and been to many suspension related events all over the world,” he said.

Truitt said that people get suspended for all sorts of different reasons, and that there is no one reason why people get themselves suspended; some do it for spiritual reasons, as a rite of passage, others just for the thrill of it or to test one’s limits.

“It’s a personal thing for everyone who does it,” he said.

According to skin-artists.com suspension has two main ways of “rigging” people to sterile hooks, which are either dynamic or static.

“Dynamic rigging uses ropes, or something similar, and one long piece is used to connect the sus­pender to the apparatus. In static rigging, each hook is attached to the apparatus separately and is usually rigged to a tree, ceiling, or scaffolding, using pulleys or a winch.”

Truitt said that modern suspension is very different from the suspension rituals other cultures have done for thousands of years.

“Some (people) are into the cultural aspect, some are into perfor­mance or artistic state­ment,” he said.

Truitt said that he no longer gets himself suspended unless it is for a big show or movie, and now mostly does shows with his girlfriend, Marlo Marquise, who is a model and professional performer of suspension.

“I love suspending other people though, especially someone doing it for their first time. I enjoy doing something for people that helps them feel good about themselves,” Truitt said.

When asked about how he reacts to people that are close-minded to extreme body modification, Truitt said that everyone is dif­ferent and “to each their own,” in addition he said he would not waste time trying to explain some­thing like suspension to someone who was very close-minded and against it in the first place.

“I also wouldn’t waste my time dealing with people who discriminate against anyone because of their appearance or any other reason,” he said.

Truitt said that he has been to many countries doing suspension shows, and that everyone has dif­ferent protocols and ways they do things in various places, but overall sus­pension is pretty similar world-wide, he said.

“I love traveling, so I feel very lucky to get to do something I love and to travel around doing it,” Truitt said.

Truitt said when he went back on tour with Jane’s Addiction in 2013 on the “Rockstar Uproar Tour” he suspended local people at shows wanting the experience through­out the country.

“Working with them has been one of the most fun experiences of my life. Dave Navarro loves suspension and wanted this to happen, so we could work with sus­pension teams all over the world and bring this amazing art form to all kinds of people,” he said.

For more informa­tion on suspension, go to ascensionsuspension. com, ascensionbody­mod.com or bme.com.

The Semicolon project; Tattoo event promotes mental health awareness

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By Jonathan Baca, Copy Editor| Photos by Jonathan Baca

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It has been said that a pic­ture says a thousand words, and a group of Albuquerque artists and activists are trying to start a conversation about suicide with a very simple symbol; a semicolon.

The second annual Albuquerque, New Mexico Semicolon Tattoo Project is bringing together tattoo artists, mental health work­ers and the larger com­munity to raise awareness about the dangers of suicide, using the semicolon as their symbol, said former stu­dent and Project Manager Jon Cottrell.

“It is the way that we go ahead and address suicide, self harm and mental health, to raise the conversation. Because the more people that talk about it, the more people get treat­ment, not the other way around,” Cottrell said.

During the weekend of March 15, tattoo artists from eight different shops throughout Albuquerque will be giving tattoos of semicolons at a special fixed rate on people from all walks of life, in order to create consciousness around the issues of suicide, self-harm and depression, Cottrell said.

Tattoos will cost $30, and half the proceeds of each tattoo will be donated to Agora Crisis Center, which is a 24 hour crisis prevention hotline where volunteers answer calls from people who need to talk about tough feelings, and who con­duct outreach to schools around the city, discuss­ing mental health issues.

“We are an all-issues listing service that handles everything from having a bad day to more serious issues like suicide preven­tion. We are totally free and we’re totally confidential,” said former student Jenn Brown, outreach coordina­tor for Agora and organizer for the Semicolon project.

The group chose the semicolon as their symbol because in writ­ing, it is meant to signify a pause, before the writer continues with more of the story. In the same way, suicidal thoughts are a sign that one should stop, think, and talk to someone about their feelings, before continu­ing on with their own story, Cottrell said.

“The symbolism of the semicolon is; an author could use a period to end a sentence. Instead, an author used a semicolon to carry on in the same vein, joining clauses. So you can pause, but you carry on. We use that as a metaphor for people’s lives,” he said.

In addition to the tattoo portion of the event, there will also be a benefit concert at the Launchpad downtown on March 15, with perfor­mances from local bands, where the proceeds will also benefit Agora.

There will also be a poetry gala on the same night at ArtBar downtown, where local poets, artists and other assorted performers will be gathering and performing.

Last year was the first time the event was held, and in just six days, using only Facebook to advertise the event, the group was able to give out 148 tattoos, Cottrell said.

This year, he had six months to prepare, so he said he expects there to be an even bigger turn­out, and even more money earned to support Agora.

New Mexico has the fifth highest rate of sui­cide deaths in the nation and climbing, and sui­cide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24, Brown said.

“More youth in New Mexico are killing them­selves than are being killed by others,” Brown said.

“We need to do some­thing to decrease the stigma around mental illness and suicide in particular, and I think this is a good starting point to have a conversa­tion about it.”

Former student Brian James got involved in the project after losing two long-time friends to suicide in the last year, he said.

James said that for him, the event and the tattoo have become personal, and in the past he has worked with Agora and with an outreach website called SuicideFindingHope.com.

James said he feels like the more people can talk openly about these issues, the easier it will be for people to come forward and talk about it if they are having thoughts about suicide or self-harm.

He said that one of his friends announced his suicide on Facebook, and he feels that if more people were aware of the warning signs and how to talk about this issue, the better chance we have of stopping these tragic deaths.

For him, having the tattoo of the semicolon is both a tribute to his friends, and hopefully a way to raise awareness about the issue, by starting a conversation with people who ask about what it means, he said.

“The symbolism to me is like, you are stop­ping and saying to your­self, is this what I need to be thinking about right now, and how else could I approach this? You’re still continuing your story, which is really important, but are you going to change the path of how you’re going to continue it?” James said.

English major, Sara Saucedo said she got her semicolon tattoo at the press event for the project on February 27, and that she encour­ages anyone who has been affected by suicide, depression, anxiety or any other mental health issue to go to the event and get their ink too.

She said that there is already a growing com­munity of activists and tattoo enthusiasts in Albuquerque, and that this project is the perfect meld­ing of these two groups.

She feels proud to be a part of the cause, and hopes that her tattoo will mean something to the people who see it, she said.

“I hope when people see it, it will kind of get the ball rolling on communication, being able to talk to people about your depression, or your sadness, your need to hurt yourself. I think that it is a cool little signal that says ‘hey, I got your back,’” Saucedo said.

For more informa­tion about the event, go to signalonethreeme­dia.com/semicolon, or check out the group on Facebook at facebook. com/semicolontattoo.

Suncat Chit Chat

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By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos By Nick Stern
Has the computer lab move affected you at all? How do you like the labs?

Stephanie Avila Business major “It’s harder sometimes during the day because it is really congested.”
Stephanie Avila
Business major
“It’s harder sometimes during the day
because it is really congested.”
Steven Doolittle Psychology major “I don’t really have an opinion on whether the computers should be here or downstairs. I don’t really feel any different about it”
Steven Doolittle
Psychology major
“I don’t really have an opinion on whether the
computers should be here or downstairs. I
don’t really feel any different about it”
Jennie Flores Radiology and Psychology major “Not really. I definitely use the computers and there’s times when it’s been a little crowded but I’ve always been able to get on one.”
Jennie Flores
Radiology and Psychology major
“Not really. I definitely use the computers and
there’s times when it’s been a little crowded
but I’ve always been able to get on one.”
Jeff Whiteman Social work major “I’ve been attending this center (ACE) for math for actually 18 months now. I utilize it quite a bit and I think it’s pretty fantastic. Up here is really difficult. It has affected me (The move). I found about the ones being gone downstairs when I went and tried to use them when I couldn’t get on one here (ACE). That’s when I realized they were gone.
Jeff Whiteman
Social work major
“I’ve been attending this center (ACE) for math for
actually 18 months now. I utilize it quite a bit and
I think it’s pretty fantastic. Up here is really difficult.
It has affected me (The move). I found about
the ones being gone downstairs when I went and
tried to use them when I couldn’t get on one here
(ACE). That’s when I realized they were gone.
Jeff Grey Civil Engineering major “I think the Student Center, that’s what it’s called right, is great! The move hasn’t really affected me at all.”
Jeff Grey
Civil Engineering major
“I think the Student Center, that’s what
it’s called right, is great! The move
hasn’t really affected me at all.”
Dylan Larsen Pharmacy Tech major “If I get to the labs a little later in the day I can get on a computer without any effort whatsoever. It’s all in the timing!”
Dylan Larsen
Pharmacy Tech major
“If I get to the labs a little later in the day I
can get on a computer without any effort
whatsoever. It’s all in the timing!”

The Passion of Christo; Convict’s art changes his conviction

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By Jonathan Baca, Copy Editor | Photos Provided by Eric Christo Martinez

martinez

From Albuquerque’s mean streets, to a six-by-nine foot cell in a federal prison, to the walls of the Albuquerque Museum, the life of local artist and former student Eric Christo Martinez has been one of inspiration and conviction.

After honing his artistic skills and craft behind bars, Martinez has emerged as a suc­cessful painter and tattoo artist, and now he is working to give back to the community, teach­ing kids and convicts that art can be a powerful release from the harsh realities of life.

Martinez struggled with crime and drug addiction from an early age, and at the age of 22 he was convicted of a drug crime and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, he said.

In prison, he quickly dis­covered that he had a talent for drawing and he begin making paños, a classic form of prison art consisting of intricate drawings done on handker­chiefs, he said.

“It was a pastime, but also something I really started developing a love and a passion for. So I just kept drawing and draw­ing and it grew and grew,” Martinez said.

Then he was put into solitary confinement for six months, and he discov­ered that drawing was a powerful means of escape, spending countless hours practicing and honing his craft, he said.

Eventually, people began to notice how good his art was, and started asking if he would give them tattoos, he said.

Tattooing in jail is a unique skill, and Martinez quickly learned the tech­niques, building his first tattoo machines out of motors taken out of radios and sharpened guitar strings, and making his own ink from soot and baby oil, he said.

“I started out with fine line black-and-grey prison style, a style that has a lot of history. It was born behind bars, and it spilled out onto the streets and is really popular now, and it revolutionized tattoo art,” Martinez said.

Martinez was eventu­ally moved to a prison in Pennsylvania, where he was introduced to fine art and painting by another inmate, Hendrick Gil, who began men­toring him and teaching him the craft of painting, he said.

He also began devouring every book on art that he could get his hands on, learning the history and techniques of past masters from all different styles, he said.

“I do a little bit of every­thing, all styles. Whatever challenges me or takes me to a new place, it’s all about the art and growing as an artist, so I love new challenges and styles,” Martinez said.

Soon painting became Martinez’s main outlet, and he decided that he wanted to try his hand at becoming a pro­fessional artist when he was released, he said.

He was set free in 2010, and by then he had created an entire series of paintings titled “Conviction,” based on his time in prison, he said.

He got a few paintings into his first gallery show, and one of them, a self-portrait titled “The Passion of Christo,” was purchased and eventually displayed at the Albuquerque Museum, he said.

Since then, Martinez has made a successful career as a tattoo artist and painter, tat­tooing full time at Factory Edge in Coronado Mall, and he is currently working on designs for a new clothing line, he said.

Martinez said he has also been involved in outreach work for prisoners and kids in the juvenile justice system, showing them that art, culture and creativity can be a way out of a life of crime, drug abuse and prison.

“Being able to give back and share the art and my experiences, especially with the youth, is important to me because I lost my brother, and me and a lot of friends; we’ve been through a lot, so if I can inspire and plant some seeds, it means a lot to me,” Martinez said.

For more information on the art of Eric Christo Martinez, visit ericchristoart. zenfolio.com.

South Valley farm makes it all about community

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By Jonathan Baca, Copy Editor | Photos By Jonathan Baca

farm 1 farm 2

In Albuquerque’s South Valley, there is a farm that seems to be removed from time, where people are growing food and rais­ing animals the same way our ancestors did hundreds of years ago.

Anthropology major Elli Klein said this place is known as Erda Gardens, and members of the CNM community are hard at work here trying to pre­serve agricultural tradi­tions, protect the envi­ronment, and above all to produce high quality food in the most sustain­able way possible.

“We’d really like to see the South Valley, and all of Albuquerque, get restored back to its agricultural heritage,” Klein said, who lives on one of Erda’s prop­erties and is one of four main farmers.

Erda Gardens is spread out over about six acres on several sites around the South Valley that have been leased from the county, and the members of this collec­tive work the land by hand, using almost no gas or elec­tric powered tools and no pesticides or chemical fertil­izers, Klein said.

Full-time SAGE instructor, Jessica Mills, who has been on Erda’s board of directors for four years said the farm is Albuquerque’s oldest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) opera­tion, a model where mem­bers pay or work for a share of the farm’s crop, and share equally in the bounty and the risk.

“It takes the burden off the farmer as being the only person who suf­fers loss in the case of a poor growing season. It spreads that risk out among many. You are committed to a farm, instead of just being a passive consumer, want­ing to just have the farmer serve you as a customer,” Mills said.

Members pay $600 for a full share, and this guarantees them a box of produce every week for six months. When there is a bountiful crop, mem­bers can receive more food than they need, and when the harvest suffers due to weather or other factors, they all share the risk, and the farmer does not go out of business, Klein said.

The CSA model, like the farm’s growing prac­tices, is aimed at sustain­ability and shared pros­perity and responsibility, values that have completely disappeared from the large scale, corporate monocul­ture model that has taken over the world of farming, Mills said.

“It assumes a complete paradigm shift in thinking. People who are involved with a CSA are no longer a customer who doesn’t have a voice. They are a member of a farming project; they are part of a community who are doing something together and collectively. So it is truly community building, and that in and of itself is priceless,” Mills said.

At Erda Gardens one can see a large variety of crops grown there, from leafy greens and vegetables to herbs and spices.

A larger orchard on the property provides peaches, apricots, and several other fruits, along with several kinds of berries and grapes.

Klein also helps to raise free range chickens, geese, and several bee­hives, along with a small but growing family of goats that produce milk.

Each week, the produce box that mem­bers receive is different; containing whatever crop is in season and is being harvested.

This type of system highlights the values of the farm, where members are partners with the farmers, and the farmers are partners with the land, Klein said.

“In the corporate structure of our food system, we have very little choice and very little power as far as what we get to eat. And so here we get to preserve native varieties, heirloom seeds, and try to produce crops that are well suited for our climate here. If you eat local food and plants from your environment, you’ll be more resilient in that envi­ronment,” Klein said.

Another important value at Erda is environmen­tally sustainable farming, and Klein said they are com­mitted to using zero pesti­cides and harmful chemicals, virtually no gas-powered tractors, and watering tech­niques that aim to preserve the limited resources of our state and climate.

Klein said that Erda is strongly opposed to genetically modified crops (GMOs), and that the farmers work hard to use heirloom seeds that have been passed down for generations, further preserving the area’s agricultural heritage as well as ensuring their members’ health.

Erda is also Albuquerque’s only biody­namic farm, a type of farm­ing developed in the 1920s that uses the movements of celestial bodies as a guide to planting and harvesting, in an effort to achieve greater harmony with natural cycles, Klein said.

“Biodynamic farmers use astronomical planting calendars, homeopathic preparations as well as special composts to opti­mize soil and plant health. This approach recognizes the spiritual effect of agriculture in our envi­ronment and utilizes the interconnections among soil, plant and animal life,” according to their website at erdagardens.org.

Although Erda’s model is based on being a small operation, Klein said there are several ways that the farm could grow without compromising their qual­ity and values.

Their major short term goal, Klein said, is to buy as much of the land they work on as possible, which is no small feat.

Klein said they would also like to eventually start a small elementary school, where kids would learn the skills and values of small-scale farming.

Mills said that small, community-based, envi­ronmentally friendly farming is the future, for the long-term sur­vival of the planet, as well as the health of individuals and communities.

She said that people can begin making small steps toward this future, by joining a CSA, shop­ping at co-ops and farm­er’s markets, and plant­ing backyard gardens. She said she feels that the extra effort is abso­lutely worth it, to ensure a happy and healthy future for everyone.

“It’s good for your health, it’s good for the environment’s health, and it’s great for building community. And the food tastes better, absolutely hands down,” Mills said.

To learn more about Erda, go to erdagardens.org, or to find out about volunteer opportuni­ties, students can email Elli Klein at openpalm­sesame@gmail.com.

From overseas to Albuquerque; Dorian’s shades of Gray

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By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos courtesy of Dorian Grey
Dorian Grey

Computer Sciences major Dorian Gray is a professional tattoo artist who works at Ace’s Tattoo and Body Piercing located at 2737 San Mateo NE, she said.

She has been a profes­sional tattoo artist for three years and believes it is one of the most rewarding experi­ences she has ever gotten out of life, Gray said.

“I absolutely love my job because it is really creative, I get to meet thousands of new people, and I get to cover the world in beautiful art,” she said.

The style of art she is best at and loves to do the most is Japanese, which she would do all day if her clients would let her, she said.

The name Dorian Gray comes from a joke that some­one made about her never aging, and is a reference to Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” about a man who never ages while a portrait of himself ages more and more, she said.

Gray already has her Bachelor’s degree in illustra­tion that she got from the Northern Illinois University and she is currently attend­ing CNM courses in order to knock out all of the coursework that she can before transferring to UNM in the fall semester of 2014, she said.

CNM has helped her in both her pursuit of a Master’s in Computer Science and also helped her with her career in tattoos, she said.

Gray said her time at the Montoya campus has been sur­prisingly very educational and she has been taking math and a couple programming classes, which have helped her learn how to create databases, and as far as tattooing goes, the people that she has met around the campus community have been very cool and interested in what she does which has inspired her to keep up her hard work.

“I think CNM is a really great school. I went to a com­munity college outside of Chicago where I am from and I thought the educational qual­ity was pretty bad, but CNM is actually really good and I was really surprised and happy. The math classes are actually really great,” Gray said.

After Gray graduated with her first bachelor’s degree she said she moved to Japan for three years where she apprenticed and started to study the way that tattooing is done there. Then she went to Melbourne, Australia where she also did a year-long appren­ticeship in tattooing which was hard work and required some serious dedication and tough­ening up.

Gray said she is respon­sible for doing everything and anything that needed to get done around the shop like cleaning, getting other artists food, scrubbing everything, and when the artists eventu­ally had free time, they would teach her how to tattoo.

“It is pretty hard work and is kind of like boot camp where everyone is hazing you and it really toughens you up, but it is really good training and you do all your medical certifications too,” she said.

Gray said that with her apprenticeship and her three years of professional tattooing, she has probably done around 2,000 different tattoos and she believes it is an honor and priv­ilege to help so many people along the transformative pro­cess that is tattooing, she said.

Ace’s Tattoo and Body Piercing is open from Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays are also available by appointment and the shop can be contacted via email at info@acestattooabq. com or by phone at 872-8287, Gray said.

Students say mods do not affect their employment

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By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photos by Angela Le Quieu and courtesy of Facebook.com
Photo courtesy of Facebook.com UNM Professor, Bruce Potts with facial tattoos.
Photo courtesy of Facebook.com
UNM Professor, Bruce Potts
with facial tattoos.
Lindsey Taylor-Wise talks to customers as she works at Il Vicino’s tap room.
Lindsey Taylor-Wise talks to customers as she works at Il
Vicino’s tap room.

Tattoos and other body modifications, Lindsey Taylor- Wise, Fine Arts major, said that for her and some other stu­dents they are able to find work with their ink and piercings.

She works for Il Vicino tap room and said that her body modifications have never been an issue for her.

“I haven’t been told to cover up or take any of the piercings out, they seem to enjoy my color­ful hair too, which is nice,” Taylor-Wise said.

Fine Arts major, Alicia Garrett has not had an issue with her tattoo, but instead said that one of them may have influenced an employer to hire her over other candidates.

Garrett said that her tattoo of a band logo gave her interviewer a connection to her personally that might not have been there otherwise.

“I think maybe with tat­toos, when you’re interview­ing don’t hide them, because it may be a conversation starter to help them learn a little more about you on a personal level that may make them want to work with you more,” Garrett said.

In 2012 Albuquerque had over 50 tattoo parlors accord­ing to “Are tattoos becom­ing more socially acceptable in the workplace?” an article in UNM’s CJ 475 News, and the article also named New Mexico as one of the most accepting states for tattoos in the work place.

Taylor-Wise said she has had experience in several aspects of the restaurant indus­try and her ability to sport her body modifications has, in the past, depended on where she was working and what her job was at the time.

“I feel like it just depends on the owners and the management, depending on if they have tattoos or if they are open minded people,” Taylor- Wise said.

Although the tattoos and body modification may affect her employ­ment in the future she said that her choice in a career in art should allow her to not only sport her tattoos but to get new ones as well.

Both Taylor-Wise and Garrett have visible tattoos and stretched ears, and both also work in places where they are visible to the public.

“If I’m applying some­where, I want to make sure that I can be myself and put it out there, if I have and inter­view I try not to hide stuff,” Taylor-Wise said. “Tattoos No Longer a Kiss Of Death in the Workplace,” an article from Forbes magazine highlighted a UNM professor, Bruce Potts, who has a facial tattoos and other body modifications and had not affected his employ­ment with the university.

Forbes also said that 14 percent employment aged Americans have tattoos and that policies on tattoos vary from industry to industry and workplace to work place.

At CNM the official Employee hand book con­tains no language pertain­ing to tattoos or piercings, but does say that wearing inappropriate clothing may be grounds for disciplinary action or termination.

Director of Communications & Media Relations Brad Moore said that CNM does not have a specific policy regarding tattoos.

“The standard for tattoos in the workplace at CNM depends on the work environ­ment,” Moore said.

Supervisors can use their own discretion to deem what is appropriate for a specific workplace or a specific job position, Moore said.

Tattooist and shop owner Leo Gonzales said some of the shift in attitude about tattoos is because of the popularity of shows about the indus­try making it mainstream and more acceptable.

“Depending on where you live and what your job is having/being heavily tat­tooed isn’t as big of a deal these days as it was even ten years ago, and I think that has a lot to do with tat­toos being portrayed in the media as much as they are these days,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that this acceptance may have opened up the job market to people with tattoos, but that it is a double edged sword, mean­ing it has also taken away the mystery of tattoos, which used to not be socially acceptable.

Fellow tattooist Mathew Pippin said that the trend of television shows that highlight tattoos has not changed the overall taboo of body modifi­cation as a whole.

“That has always been a thing and that will always be a thing regardless of how many cool TV shows there are, there will always be that stigma,” Pippin said.

Taylor-Wise said that Albuquerque is a good town for people with body modifi­cations to work, because it is college and the large amount of people have tattoos.

With so many people in town that are tattooed it has become less of an excuse for an employer not to hire a person who is well qualified and has the needed experience for a position, Taylor-wise said.

“I think it’s changed a lot and it’s continuing to change, because I feel like the people who are getting tattooed are only going to get more tat­tooed; then the next genera­tion is going to be so used to it and everybody’s going to have tattoos and it won’t be such a big deal anymore, it’s just going to be an acceptable way to express yourself,” Taylor- Wise said.