We went around campus and asked some students and faculty what they were looking forward to for the Holidays. Jackalope Magazine: What do you look forward to for the Holidays? Derek Morales: I’ll be heading back home to Connecticut to be with the family. I’ll be working some seasonal part time for some money. I might even work on some of designs over the break. Jehad N Khateeb: I won’t be doing anything special. I will go to San Francisco with Sandra [Schoenstein] maybe in January.  I am Muslim so I don’t celebrate Christmas. Sandra Schoenstein: I’m very happy that this is my first Christmas away from family. I am not very fond of Christmas so it’s nice to finally spend it alone. I’ll go to San Francisco with Jehad [N Khateeb] too which will be nice. They call me the Grinch at home. Kevin J Smith: I will spend the holidays with my dogs, in my house, alone. I’ll probably play some video games, maybe make some food for myself, but yeah, just gonna be home. Federico Ochoa: I will go see my family in Mexico and hopefully have a nice Christmas with them all. Cristian Marquez: I’ll be spending my holidays with my family to eat and celebrate Christmas with my brothers and sisters. It will be a great break and I am looking forward to Daniela LaRrea: I will be going to Cabo to see my family, eat some good food and relax before next semester of classes. Charlie Miu: I missed Thanksgiving dinner with my family so I look forward to these holidays to have our own remix of the two. Ambrose Taylor: I’ll be heading home to see family and friends. I’m ready to see everyone at home and get some much needed rest from this...

As a community of artists, we often create connections in the spaces where—and the people with whom—we work. Since Manhattan started filming last March, the painters and artists have been moved from their old work space in the Barracks to primarily use as their main painting facility the second story of Alexis Hall, which is predominantly the graphic design building. Jackalope spoke with a few of the artists about their experiences in the new space. Dylan Tenorio, a junior Studio Arts major, considered the new facility a crowded space with low ceilings. “The space can be a bit crowded, and there are a lot of us here sometimes.” Another concern he brought up is that supplies can go missing, which he says was less common in the old facility. He does, however, enjoy having the digital lab downstairs. “Sometimes I go down there and do some digital work; it’s really convenient.” Omar Lazri, also a junior Studio Arts major, really enjoys the facility’s aesthetic. “It has a very eastern New York look with the bricks and the length,” he notes. But he also really misses the Barrack’s higher ceilings, which allowed him to work with taller pieces. He also thinks that the new facility can get too hot when everyone is there working or doing class. Phat Le, a junior Fine Arts major, really misses his old painting space. “I had grown very attached to the old space,” he says. “I worked there all the time.” Le also thinks that the space is very small for his style, but he is learning to work with it for the time being. “I am used to making big artwork and the older space in Tishman was perfect for me.” Ryan Roberson, a Junior Studio Arts major, thinks that the new space has bad lighting and is much more cramped compared to the old facility. She also spoke about not feeling too comfortable leaving her materials out. “I personally don’t like this new space. The other building was much bigger and had much better lighting.” Kevin Bouton-Scott, a first semester Studio Arts major, never knew the other facility. He is a very reclusive artist who enjoys his privacy—and he really enjoys the space in Alexis Hall. “I can stay here all night to work, often I do.” He would simply advocate for the card readers to work after hours so that he can come work more conveniently. He would also like more lockers to contain materials and...

SFUAD art student Garrett Koch discusses his string theory and approach to his work.

“Listening to that music, I have a scene playing out in my head.” Lobsang Tenzin regards the pianist who has been playing at Iconic Coffee brewery. We sit down to speak about Tenzin’s life and I learn about Tenzin, passionate storyteller. “I am always listening and imagining the stories with music in my life,” he says. “Even the birds or the leaves blowing make up scenes.” Tenzin was born in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. He fled from his country in order to escape the tyrannical government that offered very little freedoms for its people. “Both my parents were activists and I was too. I got in a lot of trouble,” Tenzin says with a smile. “People always say that Tibet is so beautiful as a landscape, as a people and as a culture. But the inside is so sad. There is no human right, no religious right, no educational rights and it’s so hard. I had to escape from Tibet. It is impossible to go back.” He ended up fleeing the country, and is now studying film at SFUAD after transferring from the Portland Community College with a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Media. Tenzin received SFUAD’s 2014 Unique Voice Scholarship through the Robert Redford/Milagro Initiative scholarship program. Jackalope Magazine: What does film mean to you? Lobsang Tenzin: For me, it’s more like a tool or a weapon in order to tell my people’s culture and stories. Now these days, all the older people from the older generations, they are wrinkled and dying, I want to keep all the wrinkles and grab all the stories that they have as much as possible. I can make short films and documentaries for the next generations; even if they don’t see these people, they will know their stories. It just keeps on passing; it must never vanish.   JM: How would you define your style? LT: I’m like a Marine, and I think of myself like a sniper. My job is to shoot. I always shoot, even when I’m not working. I’ll shoot the leaves moving in the grass. I build up all the different shots and store them so I don’t have to go looking every time. If I want to make a small story I can just use the shots I already have. I can pick anything when I work.   JM: Have you considered what exactly you want to focus on in the film school? LT: For me, it’s about the images. I want to be a cinematographer. But the way I see it, if I want to be a chef, I start from the dish washer. I need to understand how everything works. This semester I’m not taking any big production classes. I’m just taking some normal classes in order to understand this university. I don’t want to get too stressed out this semester. I am taking Native American Arts and History of Contemporary Art.   JM: Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to this university in particular? LT: I was still studying at my other college in Portland. One of my professors asked me if I wanted to act. She introduced me to the director and he said I was perfect for the cast. They offered to give me acting classes for one year, Meisner acting classes to learn to work in front of the camera. I learned so many things. So basically I was always behind the camera and now I’m facing the camera. You have to give the perfect shot. So I was doing that while in school and the director of the film asked what I had planned once I graduated with an Integrated Media degree. He told me to look at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. He gave me the information and he even contacted the school for the Robert Redford scholarship. I then got my portfolio together, all...

This past Monday, Sept. 15, a celebration took place on campus at the Quad. Upward of 30 or 40 people attended throughout the night, a familiar scent in the air of fried beans, cheese and burning coals on the grill in anticipation of steak, onions and tortillas. Memories meld with a night as I realize that a lot of the people around me are experiencing this culture with fresh eyes. Historically speaking, Sept. 16 marks the day on which Mexico as a country fully succeeded from Spanish rule in the wake of Napoleon’s invasion of Spain and imprisonment of then King Ferdinand VII. The 15th was the commencement of the celebration, capped by “El Grito” at the start of the 16th day in September. The event was organized by Alvarado Hurtado and Sandra Schoenenstein with food prepared by Narrelle Beristain, Claudia Vargas, Alvarado Hurtado, Federico Ochoa and Juan Herrera. A collection of donations also took place throughout the night which ended with nearly $250 raised. The festivities included a delicious assortment of genuine Mexican cuisine as well as music and a piñata, which all those in attendance had the pleasure of beating up. “I felt that the event was a huge success and it wasn’t until people discovered that they needed to part take in the food, the dancing, the piñata, and the penultimate “Grito” that they received a true experience of Mexican culture,” Schoenenstein says.     As for the food, all of it was made in Andi Star’s on-campus apartment kitchen. “It was really cool to see and I took tons of pictures of them making the food,” Star says. “I’m glad that everyone really had a chance to taste the food and celebrate.” The event attracted students from a variety of cultures. “I love Mexico,” Jehad Al Katheeb says. “I’ve been there plenty of times to visit friends that I met here. Celebrating this day is good and I am happy for my friends. Also the food is good. Most of my friends here are Mexicans and I just like getting to know their culture more.” That’s part of what makes the event special, Mexico-native Diana Padilla says. “It’s a nice opportunity for everyone on campus to get together and get to know some more about Mexican culture. People here will find out that this day is more significant than Cinco de Mayo which is what most Americans consider to be Mexico’s big day. ” The night ended with “El Grito,” a symbolic representation of Miguel Hidalgo’s emblematic cry of Independence, which was likely heard by students in the Residence Halls. From there the party moved indoors into the apartments or off-campus. Those who had come out to celebrate got to experience the gracious nature of Hispanic celebration. Good food, cheers and camaraderie were themes for the night. Of all that this event represents, our school stands to benefit from a display of cultural diversity. Our campus life has always benefited from a healthy mix of international and domestic students studying together in various academic programs. Events aimed at integrating cultural knowledge and exposure are disappointingly sparse. While Santa Fe as a city is very prime for such interactions our Campus could use more events such as Mexican Independence Day to liven up cohesion and appreciation between the student body. While more remains to be seen in the future of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design regarding the diversity of planned events, this past Monday was a good celebration and a fun experience to be both a part of as well as to report to those not able to attend....