To the Four Corners: Looking Outside the Box in a College Town

The best advice (and perhaps simultaneously the worst) anyone ever gave me when I arrived in Tucson was "hop on a random bus and see where it takes you.'

It came from my Spanish 102 Professor, after discovering that no one in her freshman class had ever dared to step foot off of campus before, myself included.

Sure, for a 130 pound freshman with a face that just says "mug me," the idea of wandering into the oldtown barrios, the scorching desert, or even the back alleys of downtown sounded downright suicidal.

Yet I took her advice, said a few "hail mary's" and jumped on a bus bound for Reed park. Anyone who has ever taken the Tucson bus system is no doubt in for a shock... lets just say it's a good place to people watch. And while my Professor's "method" may have been a little risky, her intentions were only for the best.

It is her advice I'm passing on to the next generation of U of A students, especially those in the field of journalism. Sure, you can find stories, do interviews, and pass classes all from the safety net of the UA campus, or you can do what you came to college to do and expand your horizons.

If I had never gotten on that bus, I very well may have never have experienced any of the things I most treasure about college. For instance, I never would have stumbled to the corner of Ft. Lowell and Campbell for what would be my first 4 a.m. breakfast burritos from Nico's

I would never had had the high elevation realization that I could freeze my butt off at the top of beautiful Mount Lemon in the middle of September

I would never have met Harvey Brooks, bass player for the Doors and owner of the amazing 17th Street Market, or Yuri Makino, UA Professor and filmmaker whose film "Alma" challenges conventional stereotypes of the Southwest.

Granted not every experience has been a good one. Take for instance the jacket ruining parrots of the Reed Park Zoo.

The point I'm trying to make is that, as journalists we can only present the world accurately if we get out into it. So leave the internet research in high school journalism where it belongs, stuff your pockets with a notepad and a few pencils and "hop on the bus" so to speak. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Issues of Identity Tackled in UA Professor's Film "Alma"

Imagine yourself as the parent of an undocumented immigrant, the worry and paranoia that would haunt you every time that child went to school, to work, to play with their friends.

Imagine being plagued with fear, knowing that any day, they could be shipped away from home and all they ever knew... back to a country they barely know.

Now pretend the child doesn't know they're illegal. How would you tell them? When would you tell them, and how could you tell them without them hating you for keeping such a secret?

These are the issues tackled in University of Arizona professor Yuri Makino's short film "Alma."

The film centers around an undocumented family in the SW, with the mother and father trying to control their rebellious teenage daughter (who thinks she was born a US citizen).

When the daughter has a run in with border patrol and barely escapes, her parents are forced to tell her their secret... (that she was not born in the United States and is not a citizen)

Makino has proven herself to be a masterful storyteller, highlighting issues of race, citizenship, personal identity, and growing up, all set against a colorful backdrop of scenic Tucson locales that any local will recognize.

The actors are all very convincing, especially the actress who plays Alma, Carmen Corral and her friend played by Cindy de la Cruz."I still laugh every time when I see it at those endearing funny moments between the two
lead girls," said the films executive director Vicky Westover.


In addition to filming in Tucson, Makino also utilized local media arts faculty, and some UA and Pima Community College film students to work on various aspects of the film.

The films cinematographer is none other than celebrated industry professional Gonzalo Amat, who has worked in the past as a creative producer for HBO.

Makino was awarded a "Best Director Award" at the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival and the film also received The Ledo Matteoli Award for Best Immigrant Story at the Humboldt Film Festival.

Makino has since revised the script for a full length feature version of the film and is currently pitching it to a number of producers.

With it's strong relevance to the current immigration issue and it's entertaining and thought provoking story line, we can be sure that this isn't the last we'll see of Professor Makino's "Alma."



To watch a trailer for the film, click the following link and then click on the trailer "Alma."

The Chilli- Mexican Foods Best Friend

It's was used by the Mayans to create ancient "pepper spray," it's present in many of the Mexican dishes we eat and was an integral part of the human diet throughout history.... what is it? The chili pepper of course.

Archaeological records indicate that chili peppers similar to those we eat today have been consumed in the America's since roughly 7500 BC, making it one of the most "authentic" American foods. After being "discovered" in the New World by Columbus, the chili quickly caught on, replacing pepper as the strongest available spice in the known world.

According to the site, The Chemistry of Chilli Peppers , chili peppers belong to the family of Solanaceae, or nightshade plants, and are revered for their high levels of Capsaicinoids, the chemical components that give chilli's their "heat."

When you eat a pepper, the capsaicinoids "bind" themselves to the lining in your mouth and trigger a flow of calcium ions from one cell to the next. This flow of ions triggers the same pain receptors normally triggered by extreme heat, resulting in the painful "burning" sensation chilli's are famous for.



Yet, while consuming chili peppers straight can be quite painful, the plant has many benefits as well.

For instance after consuming chili peppers, your body counteracts the effects by releasing endorphines (a natural painkiller) which calm the nerves and induce a sense of euphoria. Chilli's are also very high in vitamins and anti-oxidants and can be used to make a Capiscum cream which is used in the treatment of arthritis.

Chili peppers may be prepared in dishes many different ways but perhaps one the most popular is as an ingredient in hotsauce. Made from a variety of recipes and flavors, vendors like Firegirls Hot Sauce Catalog provide a hot sauce for every taste from mild to suicidal.

Chilli's come in over 25 varieties and intensities, which are organized according to the Scoville Scale which measures pungency and ranges from 0 (bell peppers etc.) to more than 300,000 (habenero, scotch bonnet peppers, etc.) The various parts of the chili pepper have different concentrations of capsiacinoids and are used in different ways. Strangely enough while the seeds are usually pungent, it is the placenta part of the chili that is the "hottest."

Feeling brave? The check out Pepper Fools Recipe Page for some of the hottest Chili pepper dishes this side of the border.

The Lost Roots of the Flamenco Guitar

For many who are unfamiliar with the history and culture of the Southwest, it is easy to sterotype and stygmatize certain things as "Mexican" "Indian" or "Spanish" without understanding the proper heritage and cultural context from which those things came.

Take for example the flamenco guitar. Undoubtedly one of the most popular guitar playing styles in the Southwest today, flamenco guitar did not origniate in Mexico. Despite what we see in music videos and
the stylish intro to Robert Rodriquezes "Desperado," flamenco guitar was born and bred entirely overseas; remade and refined over hundreds of years.

According to the site classicalguitarmidi.com, the roots of flamenco style probably stemmed from the myriad of cultural influences in Spain after the "Reconquista." During this period, the Spanish had just reclaimed their land after 700 years of Moor occupation.

It is likely that during this time, persecuted "outside" groups like the gypsies, Moors and Jews banded together for survival, sharing many aspects of their culture with one another, including their music. Shunned from popular culture, they took aspects of their own styles and added them to traditional Andalucian folk songs to create something entirely new.

According to the site flamenco-lessons.com the genre did not gain popularity in Spain until it was adopted and modified by the Spaniards themselves.

While aspects of the musical style may have followed the Spanish to the new world and been adopted in Mexico, practitioners insist that it's development into a formalized style hinged mainly upon developments overseas.

It was not until the 19th century advent of "Cafe Cantantes," that the genre as we know it today began to spread beyond Spanish borders. Here, in these musical performance houses, travelers from all over gathered to watch Flamenco artists perform in highly competitive competitions centering around bravado, skill and showmanship.

It is from these musical competitions that Flamenco drew it's dramatic playing style and stylish "tricks" (i.e, playing with one hand or with the guitar held overhead.) Even today, the genre retains some aspects of its "medieval outlaw" image, defined by complicated scales and heart racing percussion.



The modern Flamenco guitar can be recognized by several characteristics. First, the body is smaller than a normal guitar and is made of cypress, a lighter wood which lends itself to the unique sound of flamenco. Second are the plastic faceplates or "golpeadores" which keep the guitar from being scratched or damaged when the player strikes it with his fingertips. Lastly, flamenco guitars usually utilize more traditional push pegs for tuning rather than modern guitar machine heads.

For those interested in playing, be prepared to spend some money on your new hobby. Flamenco guitars can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the model and the luthier (the guitar maker).

Finding someone to give you lessons can be difficult, but I found my teacher through a very helpful website called privatelessons.com. The site asks you for the instrument or style you want to learn and your area code and then provides you with a list of instructors in your area.

By preserving the proper context of the flamenco guitar and it's relation (or non-relation) to the Southwest, we pay homage to the unspoken geniuses throughout history; the poets who let flamenco music flow out of the hearts, through their hands, and out into the world around us.