What happens at Vegas Night stays at Vegas Night. I’m kidding: Between virgin margaritas and Sprite on the rocks, I don’t think anyone made a fool of themselves.

The feeling of competing on a reality TV singing show is a dream many fantasize about, but few will experience. Maria Cristina Maass, a former SFUAD international student, is one of those lucky few.

Following a recent teach-in, SFUAD Feminist Collective members plan to push to make campus safer.

When a quartet of dysfunctional characters have the obvious opportunity to steal $750,000, what could go wrong?

Coming Attractions at The Screen Nov. 21-27 Showcasing the best in classical, independent and foreign cinema, The Screen cinematheque at Santa Fe University of Art and Design presents new releases, special cinema events and performances all day every day! See what critics have to say about the latest screenings, watch a trailer, then visit The Screen for a unique movie-going experience.   Pelican Dreams From the Director of “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” US – 2014 – 1 hour 10 minutes “Like ‘The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,’ Irving’s study of brown pelicans is affectionate, at times humorous and reveals a sense of wonder and awe at the birds’ simple beauty.” -Carolyn Jones of San Francisco Chronicle http://vimeo.com/102655510   Performance at the Screen: The Pharaoh’s Daughter  Sunday Nov. 23 11:15 a.m. – Russia – 2 hours 30 minutes A Bolshoi Ballet “It is hard to imagine a more sumptuous and elegant ballet, delicate and Romantic, moving deftly from one delightful scene to the next.” – Margaret Putnam of TheaterJones Force Majeure Winner of 2014 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize Sweden – 2014 – 1 hour 58 minutes “Östlund masterfully manages the marital tensions that drive the film’s plot forward while imbuing the scenario with these carefully layered philosophical reflections.”- Slant Magazine “It’s awkward, it’s biting, it’s uncomfortable, and Force Majeure is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable films of the year.” – Twitch Film     Awake: The LIfe of Yogananda US – 2014 – 1 hour 27 minutes The Story of Yoga’s Journey to the West “The film tapped into Yogananda’s humanity in a way that was profoundly moving and inspiring to me.” —Ram Dass “A beautifully crafted film and a powerful story about a spiritual genius.” —Russell Simmons...

In 2015, Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s League of Legends club might have a chance at more than $100,000 in scholarship prizes, a continental championship title and de jure bragging rights for a whole year.

Since 2001, High Mayhem Emerging Arts has provided a space for what it describes on its website as “creative tinkerers who challenge our notions of aesthetics in music and art.” Though its mission will continue through one iteration or another, the group will be moving on from its long-standing space at 2811 Siler Lane. Steve Paxton, the chair of the contemporary music program, will perform during one of the space’s final concerts in its annual Fall Series. In an interview with Paxton, he shares insights into his upcoming performance as well as some of his thoughts on the tenets of High Mayhem’s philosophy as a community. Paxton’s piece samples music from artists ranging from Frank Sinatra toFrank Zappa in an interwoven sound collage. He intends the piece as a sort of “ofrenda,” a spiritual offering to the voices of musicians who have passed away. The mix of styles, which blend the worlds of pop and more classically-influenced music, is intended as a chance to “step outside of the history of music,” Paxton says. During the sound installation, Paxton will include a performance art element. He demonstrates how he will unravel and pass along a large roll of paper through the audience, writing the names of the memorialized artists and speaking them out loud. He says he intends for the audience to join in the naming of the dead, allowing his performance to become a part of the community mindset of the space. Regarding influence, Paxton cites John Cage saying he feels the intention of the piece is to “set up a process and observe the results… without manipulating the results.” While the philosophical and intellectual qualities of experimental music are important, Paxton says he also hopes the emotional content of his work resonates with...

On the week of Nov. 4, SFUAD residents Nick Martinez and Martinez’ roommate, who wishes to be unnamed, were asked to evacuate their Mountain View Apartment due to an unexpected infiltration of bed bugs. Martinez, who had spent that weekend ill in bed, had attributed his past discomfort to the amount of  time he spent outdoors and around mountainous areas, but once Anthony Dion, SFUAD’s contracted Ecolabs terminator, came in to investigate, Dion reportedly found Martinez’s mattress full of the quarter inch parasites. “My mattress was ground zero,” Martinez says. “There were stains all over it, bed bugs as big as my pinkie nail.” The evidence, Martinez explains further, was hard to identity due to the color of the dark blue mattress. Though Martinez heard Dion report to maintenance that the source was Martinez’s mattress, later housing director Connor Nelson reported that it was actually a couch left to Martinez’s roommate by the previous apartment resident that brought the quick-spreading visitors. According to Martinez, the previous resident had bought the couch as a secondhand furniture piece from Goodwill. Used furniture, Connor explains, is usually a “very common cause” of bed bugs for any campus or hotel. “Which is why it’s somewhat of a bad idea to buy upholstered furniture from thrift stores, or if you find it at an art sale, or just on the street corner.” If a piece of furniture has been infested, the bed bugs will die off if put in an extreme temperature environments. “General cleanliness kind of helps with the situation,” he adds, “but it’s not the cause. Some people think that you only get them if you are messy, but no, it can happen anywhere. But if you’re in an apartment that’s messy it just complicates the problem. It gives them more of an environment.” And as a...

Coming Attractions at The Screen Nov. 14-20 Showcasing the best in classical, independent and foreign cinema, The Screen cinematheque at Santa Fe University of Art and Design presents new releases, special cinema events and performances all day every day! See what critics have to say about the latest screenings, watch a trailer, then visit The Screen for a unique movie-going experience.   Force Majeure Winner of 2014 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize Sweden – 2014 – 1 hour 58 minutes “Östlund masterfully manages the marital tensions that drive the film’s plot forward while imbuing the scenario with these carefully layered philosophical reflections.”- Slant Magazine “It’s awkward, it’s biting, it’s uncomfortable, and Force Majeure is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable films of the year.” – Twitch Film     That Man From Rio Part of the Ongoing Series Films to See Before You Die France –  1964 – 1 hour 52 minutes “That Man From Rio is a crazy delight, a stylish, early-’60s pastiche that folds in every adventure-movie cliché you’ve ever seen, and possibly invents a few new ones.”– Village Voice Awake: The LIfe of Yogananda US – 2014 – 1 hour 27 minutes The Story of Yoga’s Journey to the West “The film tapped into Yogananda’s humanity in a way that was profoundly moving and inspiring to me.” —Ram Dass “A beautifully crafted film and a powerful story about a spiritual genius.” —Russell Simmons #000000;”>  ...

At 6:59 pm, there were only 10 people, five of which were on stage. Five minutes after the Student Voice Open Forum was supposed to begin, the number jumped to 17. The turnout was average, according to Student Voice President Rachel Shuford, although you’d think the number would be larger, given the amount of bickering, name calling and pointed memes on SFUAD’s Student Life Facebook page. Unlike the staff-run Student Life, Student Voice is a student-run organization, which advocates for the various problems of students on campus. Shuford, a second semester junior, doesn’t let the low turnout mar her Leslie Knope optimism toward the improvement of SFUAD. “We don’t want to encourage people to come and complain at the open forum, we don’t want people to have things to complain about,” she said “But we do want them to have an outlet.” The Forum kicked off with a message from Larry Hinz regarding the recent spat of security breaches in and around King Hall. King recently saw the introduction of a 24-hour guard station, but 24/7 surveilance cameras, as well as patrols around, and within the hall are to follow. In another effort to improve security, Student Life went on a “light walk,” around campus to survey which areas could be better lit. As a result, the school plans to increase lighting on the paths to the Film School, Greer Garson and around the barracks. Still, according to student Hall Director Rochelle Esquerra, you can call an RA or hall director, but ultimately, the onus of safety falls on the student. “There’s no issue too small to call security,” she said. “We really want to empower you as students.” As far as mass complaining on the Student Life page, Student Voice encourages students to take their concerns directly to Mouton Hall,...

No writer’s block here! For the month of November, 18 SFUAD students are combating writers’ infamous procrastination by signing on to participate in National Novel Writing Month. More commonly referred to as NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month began in 1999, and has since grown into a nonprofit organization with a global following. Aspiring novelists can sign up on the NaNoWriMo website, track their daily progress and average word counts, and connect with other writers for motivation and communal support. The goal? A 50,000 word novel by 11:59 pm on Nov. 30. “My daily average is about 1,600 words a day,” says freshman creative writing major Charlotte Renken, one of the admins on the SFUAD NaNoWriMo Facebook page. This is her third year participating in the event. “It’s going great so far,” she enthuses, dishing the dirt on her project this year, which involves a vegan surviving the zombie apocalypse, and is her first foray into humor writing. Nicholas Thomas, a fellow scrivener, sees NaNoWriMo as a stepping stone toward working on his larger project, a multi-book exploration of the world of Eldali. “This is just a springboard, I’m gonna keep working on it, but it (NaNoWriMo) is a great way to get shit done!” says Thomas, who, a huge fan of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, has been developing the fantasy world saga and its inhabitants for several years. Opinions on NaNoWriMo’s effectiveness and usefulness are divided, with many proponents saying it’s an effective tool for pumping out a first draft, no matter how bad, while others believe it puts undue stress on writers and therefore undermines the writing process and the work being produced. “NaNoWriMo epitomizes the desires and the impatience of instant culture,” says James Reich, a faculty member in the Creative...

The campus of St. John’s College may seem tucked away in isolation in one of the hillier parts of Santa Fe, but with the recent opening of a student-run coffee shop and concert venue, the distance between its student body and SFUAD’s may begin to feel a bit shorter. Dubbed “The Cave,” calling to mind Plato’s famous allegory, a space has been established by St. John’s students for their schoolmates to congregate and caffeinate. In addition, the coffee shop plays the role of both an art gallery and concert venue thanks to students’ visions. In a phone interview with Theo Krantz, a junior at the school and sole booking contact for musicians and other performers, he shared his thoughts on the possibilities The Cave holds for better integrating St. John’s and SFUAD students. Krantz himself has experienced this integration of artistic communities by playing a show in SFUAD’s O’Shaughnessy Performance Space with his band High Diver. He said, “I do love the Benildus Hall space,” later adding that the experience made him feel that getting St. John’s students to attend more SFUAD events, and vice versa, would be good for both student bodies. “I would love to have the two communities be much more entwined than they are,” Krantz said. The first event held at The Cave seemed to reflect that as several SFUAD students attended and played the concert (including the author of this article’s band Sex Headaches). The show lineup also included Thieves & Gypsies – whose lineup includes CMP alum Adam Cook – and CatNip Tea. Krantz said he was enthusiastic about the event and felt positive about the interactions between both groups of students, saying he felt the SFUAD attendees were “really respectful and nice.” When asked why he felt...

  Shantanu Sagara is a second semester freshman film student born and raised in India. He considers the focus of his filmmaking experimental by nature, showcasing the vibrant color and habitation of his native culture.   Jackalope Magazine: How did you get into film? Shantanu Sagara: I grew up around a lot of artists because there are a lot of artists in my family. They would have dinners all the time and they would talk about film, art and music. My father is a sculptor and a painter and my mom is a university professor.   JM: How did you learn about the Santa Fe University of Art and Design? SS: So, one of my parents’ friends, her name is Linda Bangles, she is an American artist and has a studio a little ways out of Santa Fe. She was just over and we were talking about film schools outside of India because I didn’t want to study in India because I’m not a big fan of Indian Cinema. She told me about this school and I checked it out right away.   JM: What kind of influences did you grow up with in terms of film genre? SS: I used to play bass guitar in a bunch of bands in my city. They were older than me and more exposed to western culture like music and movies. One of my friends would always recommend films to watch and I’d watch them.   JM: What are you looking to focus on craft wise at the film school? SS: When I first came here, I had no other intention but to be a director. As I go through my classes…I see a lot more things that I can do. One thing I’ve been looking at...

      Two SAG actors were named this week for the third season of “Shoot the Stars.” John Diehl (Miami Vice, Stargate) was announced Nov. 3 to play the male lead of Rick in “Oasis Motel” as well as a character in “The Disposables” with SFUAD Film School alumni, Matt Page in the second film. Diehl has more than 140 acting credits spanning 30 years of film and television. On Nov. 5, it was announced that Amber Midthunder will play the role of Rick’s daughter, Cindy, in “Oasis Motel.” Midthunder has 15 IMDB credits and is the daughter of actor David Midthunder. Principal photography for Shoot the Stars season 3 begins Monday Nov....

Coming Attractions at The Screen Nov. 7-13 Showcasing the best in classical, independent and foreign cinema, The Screen cinematheque at Santa Fe University of Art and Design presents new releases, special cinema events and performances all day every day! See what critics have to say about the latest screenings, watch a trailer, then visit The Screen for a unique movie-going experience.   Awake: The LIfe of Yogananda US – 2014 – 1 hour 27 minutes The Story of Yoga’s Journey to the West “The film tapped into Yogananda’s humanity in a way that was profoundly moving and inspiring to me.” —Ram Dass “A beautifully crafted film and a powerful story about a spiritual genius.” —Russell Simmons   The Blue Room France – 2014 – 1 hour 16 minutes Based on the Novel by Georges Simenon “Every revelation registers in the gifted Amalric’s gaze: infinitesimal physical mutations, emotional detonations.” —Sheri Linden of Los Angeles Times “One of most exciting things about The Blue Room is that it celebrates the radical fragmentation of Alain Resnais’s 1963 film Muriel — a nostalgic blast for modernists, reminding us that, by and large, they don’t cut them like they used to.” —Jonathan Romney of Film Comment Magazine...