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.

Not Your Typical Day at the Park

Located north of 22nd street, Reed Park is much more than a place to ride bikes, grill some burgers, or play Frisbee with the dog.
The site is also home to the Reed Park Zoo and a plethora of the globe's furriest,scaliest, and straight up amazing creatures.

The zoo was "unofficially" started by Parks and Rec. Director Gene Reed in 1965. By 1967, the zoo was put under the control of the City of Tucson.
Today, the city supports and maintains the site with the help of a non-profit corporation, the Tucson Zoological Society.

It takes about two hours to wander the various paths through the park's many exhibits, which includes everything from typical desert animals to Asian Elephants, Africa Lions, and pythons from South America.

My personal favorite was the polar bear. While it might seem strange to keep a polar bear in the desert, he seemed very comfortable, staying cool and floating lazily in an icy chilled pool.

If you're looking for a specific type of animal, the following map shows the different exhibits where each species can be found.

One of the coolest (albeit, riskiest) attractions at the zoo, the atrium allows visitors the chance to wander in an enclosed setting with beautifully colored tropical birds and have them poop on you.
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The one on the right is the one that got me... watch out for him.

Other animals like peacocks and squirrels wander freely about the park, and for the "hands on" types, zoo employees and volunteers host special "touch stations." There, visitors can pet and play with the animals while experts inform you about their diet, their native regions and their behaviors. You can even "adopt" one of your favorite animals, with the "adoption fee" going toward programs in wildlife conservation and management.

Currently, the zoo is planning the expansion of the "African Loop" infrastructure just south of the existing zoo facilities. The new site will provide a more comfortable home for the zoo's two elephants.

For those with a real taste for adventure, traveling events and opportunities are occasionally co-ordinated at the zoo as well. In the past, these events have included things like a two week trip to India with Zoo Administrator Susan Basford to explore its parks and native reserves.

The zoo is open from 9 to 4 except on major holidays and costs $6 for adults and $2 for children. The animals are most likely to be active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, so visitors are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly.

Going down under, way under.

About this time of year, 33 years ago, cave explorers Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts made one of the most influential decisions of their lives.

While hiking in Benson, Arizona, on the desert property of James and Lois Kartchner, the friends came across a limestone sinkhole. Exploring it further, they discovered a large crack that ran for some distance, working its way into the mountain.

Through the narrow channel of cracks and crevices, sometimes on their hands and knees, they pushed on until they broke into a large honeycomb system of pristine and impressive caverns.

Keeping the cave a secret for several years, they eventually decided to inform the Kartchners of their discovery. In 1988, the park was purchased by the government and opened to the public under the name of Kartchner Caverns State Park.

While claustrophobic like myself may laugh at the notion of going deep underground to explore dark caves, have no fear. The park offers guided tours, with lights, sidwalks, and plenty of room to stretch out. The scariest part of the tour is passing through the enormous airtight steel doors which preserve the moisture level in the cave and prevent damage/vandalism to the mineral growths..

These guided tours consist of two paths. One which leads to the Rotunda/Throne room where visitors are told about the cave's formation, and treated to a laser light show at the site of a massive underground column. It's sounds corny, but when the lights are bouncing off the millions of shiny stalagmites and stalactites, it's actually pretty impressive.

The other, more popular "big room" tour, leads tourists along the path Tenen and Tufts followed as they explored the cave. This tour is only open from October to April because in the summer months the cave is a breeding ground for myotis bats. Without a doubt, one the the most impressive facets of the big room tour is seeing Tenon and Tufts prints (where they they crawled on hands and knees through the deep silty mud), still undisturbed for all this time. This tour also includes a more lengthy, in depth explanation of the cave's formation.


The caves themselves were formed from Escabrosa limestone deposited on the seabed millions of years ago. Through normal geological processes, these sedimentary basin sunk and shifted, forming the tilting rock faces of the cavern, all angled 15 to 35 degrees toward the southwest.

The caverns within the cave were expanded and enlarged through a complicated process of water erosion and wear from sediments. For a more complete scientific explanation, check out part the following video "Discovering Hydrology at Kartchner Caverns State Park."

The cave are still the focus of much paleontological study, according to the website. Throughout the caves lie the remains of thousands of years of cave dwellers, including the skeletal remains of an ancient sloth (86,000 years old) and horse (34,000 years old).

Not only is the park famous for its underground attractions but it's beautiful topside scenery as well. Numerous trails run throughout the park and camping permits can be purchased on site for $22. The tours through the caverns themselves cost around $20 for adults (14 and up) and around $10 for children.

If you haven't already, take the time to explore one of Arizona's most impressive subterranean wonders. For information or reservations call, (520) 586-CAVE (2283)

Old Tucson Studios Presents "Nightfall"

It's that time of the year again, when stage actors turn in their pistols for faux bloody limbs and broomsticks. When crowds of families, youngsters, and bored teenagers fill the darks streets of one of Tucson's largest Halloween oriented events, Old Tombstone Studio's "Nightfall."



Forget the haunted house concept, "Nightfall" is a full blown haunted town, with shows, rides, food and entertainment of all kinds. Starting the first week of October and running through the Halloween night, the event is open from six to ten weekdays and six to twelve weekends.

The premise for the event, according to the website,
is that the town has been taken over by the evil creations of a mad scientist (the pitifully named Dr. Hyde). Yet what the event lacks in creative storyline, it makes up for in a creative and unique presentation.

From the skeleton mariachi who play atop of the hotel to the miniature "ghost train" that runs throughout the premise, the event manages to capture the excitement of live Tombstone shows, but with a decidedly macabre Halloween twist.

Granted the main downfall of the event has always been the rather tame nature of it's events compared to more intense (and bloody) haunted houses, but this is after all a family oriented event.

While some of the people I went with seemed rather unimpressed with the special effects... the same people screamed their guts out in the haunted house when brushed with spider webs. It's the simple stuff that gets you...

Each event, show, or ride is labeled with a rating of one to three skulls so parents can keep little ones out of the more intense areas. New shows this year include the "darkness rising stunt spectacular" and "gross anatomy"(comedy, stunt, and pyrotechnic shows) as well as as haunted houses like "cannibal house" and "caverns of despair."

By far, highlight of the event was the trash talking "Transylvania Twins" show. Two gargoyles perched high above the audience, who fling insults at each other and the few unlucky spectators who happen to catch their attention.

The bottom line... don't go expecting death and mutilation on the scale of one of the "Saw" movies. Instead, keep and open mind and enjoy the fun, friendly atmosphere the event has to offer.

Admission prices for adults (ages 12 and over) is $21.95 and $18.95 for children.