Latest news with #NewMexicoStateUniversity
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Al Pacino stars in new exorcism movie 'The Ritual' produced by NMSU professor Ross Marks
The new exorcism horror movie "The Ritual" starring Al Pacino has strong ties to Las Cruces. New Mexico State University professor Ross Marks recruited top-tier talent to star in the first film he has produced while not also directing. More: Luis Valdez to appear at El Paso's Plaza Classic Film Festival with 2 film screenings Marks, the founder of the Las Cruces International Film Festival, announced that Pacino agreed to star in "The Ritual" which opens nationwide on Friday, June 6. 'I am incredibly proud of this project and the opportunity to collaborate with a legendary actor like Al Pacino,' Marks said in a news release. 'This film is not just a work of art, it's a mirror reflecting the complexities of the human experience.' "The Ritual" is described as a horror film about two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, who must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism. The film is based on a true story about the last officially ordained exorcism in the United States. More: Las Cruces film makers debut '3' at Las Cruces International Film Festival The film also stars Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, Abigail Cowen and Patricia Heaton. The film was written and directed by Las Cruces International Film Festival alum David Midell. The Clarion Ledger, part of the USA Today network, reported that filming for the supernatural horror movie took place in the historic St. Mary Basilica in Natchez, Mississippi. Marks said the the film was born at the LCIFF, which recently celebrated its 10th year. Marks first became familiar with Midell during the 2020 LCIFF when Midell's 2019 film "The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlin" was screened. That film won the LCIFF Grand Jury Prize. 'I was so impressed by David and his film that I offered to help get his next film off the ground," Marks said in a news release. "David gave me the script for 'The Ritual,' and I knew right away the film would make for great cinema. I asked David who he wanted in the lead role, and he said without hesitation, Al Pacino. Through some industry contacts, I was able to get the script to Al, and we were off and running." Marks said pivoting to producing was initially a challenge, sacrificing the creative control and direct relationships with actors that are enjoyed by a director. "Producing is about mentorship and finding and creating the resources necessary for the director to succeed," Marks told the Las Cruces Sun-News in an email. "In some ways, it's all the fun of making a movie without the added stress and headaches of being director. Having directed many movies, I have a strong sense of what a director needs and how to provide it." Marks has since produced "Love on Tap", directed by former NMSU student Keagan Karnes. Marks is current in the process of producing "The Mensch" for director David Shapiro and "A Silent Violence" for director Norberto Barba. Those films will both be shot in Las Cruces in the fall. Movies: Renée Victor, 'Coco' and 'Weeds' star, dies at 86 "I am able to make more movies and employ more New Mexicans as a producer," Marks wrote in an email. "I can produce 3-4 movies a year. I can only direct one movie every year or so." This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 'The Ritual': NMSU professor produces new Al Pacino exorcism movie
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
A Mosquito Expert Told Me the ‘Bug Bite Thing' Is Bunk. I Love It Anyway.
When I recently asked my Wirecutter colleagues to share their thoughts on the Bug Bite Thing, a suction doohickey that purportedly relieves painful, itchy insect bites and stings without using chemicals, their replies were all over the map: 'I like it. My wife hates it.' 'No, it does not work!' 'It feels like it works pretty good, but not every time.' When I scrolled through the Bug Bite Thing's 58 pages of customer reviews on Amazon (where its average star rating stands at a respectable 4.1 out of 5), I saw the same gamut of opinions, from 'game changer' to 'kinda works' to 'nope.' And when I recently spoke about the Bug Bite Thing with Immo Hansen, an associate professor of biology at New Mexico State University and a principal investigator at the school's Molecular Vector Physiology Lab, he told me, 'I would not recommend this thing. But that's my personal opinion.' Expertise and authority be damned: I still highly recommend it. I bought my first Bug Bite Thing in 2021, two years after the company's founder and CEO, Kelley Higney, ignited a bidding war for the tool on Shark Tank . (She imports the Bug Bite Thing from Denmark; this type of tool has been around Europe for decades.) I've since purchased more Bug Bite Things to stash in places like my car, my beach bag, and my purse. Whenever I use one to treat a mosquito bite (I've never had occasion to try it on a bee or wasp sting, knock on wood), I sing its praises to anyone and everyone within earshot. So it may surprise you that I also agree with all of those other opinions above. The Bug Bite Thing is seemingly based on suspicious-at-best science, and it definitely does not work 100% of the time. And yet, I staunchly believe that for anyone contending with critters — especially mosquitoes — the Bug Bite Thing is an absolutely worthwhile tool to have on hand. For the uninitiated, let me break down how the Bug Bite Thing supposedly works, why it almost certainly does not work the way it claims to, and how it somehow still works (just not always). The Bug Bite Thing is a plastic, syringe-like contraption (don't worry, there's no needle) that's about the size of a glue stick. To treat a bite, you place its mouth over the bite area, and then you slowly pull up its plunger-style handles to create suction. After holding it that way for 10 to 20 seconds, you let go of the handles to release the suction. According to the company that makes the tool, this action will remove whatever foreign substance is causing you discomfort, whether it's mosquito saliva, bee or wasp venom, a bee stinger, or even a splinter. The Bug Bite Thing can create a surprising amount of suction. Rose Maura Lorre Those simple instructions do come with caveats. You might have to repeat the process once, twice, or even three times before you start feeling relief. The quicker you can treat a fresh bite, the company notes, the greater your odds are of treating it successfully. The suctioning can leave a temporary red mark that may resemble a hickey. It's not recommended to use the Bug Bite Thing on your face or neck, where those hickey marks can become more pronounced and welt-like. To use the Bug Bite Thing, place the mouth of the device over your bite or sting, and then pull up on the handles to create suction. After you release the handles, you may find a temporary, reddish mark is left behind (as seen in the second pic). Rose Lorre/NYT Wirecutter The reversible suction cap has two mouth sizes. The smaller one (about a quarter-inch wide) can purportedly be used 'on smaller areas like fingers and toes.' However, I find that the smaller mouth hole provides much weaker suction, so I use only the wider side. The Bug Bite Thing's reversible suction cap has two different mouth sizes. I always use the bigger one (right) because I find that the smaller one (left) creates much weaker suction. Rose Lorre/NYT Wirecutter But perhaps the biggest caveat, as Higney confirmed to me in an email, is that the company doesn't have any clinical trials demonstrating the product's efficacy. Hansen, the mosquito expert, told me in our phone interview that he can't point to any scientific explanation for the Bug Bite Thing, either. 'Without having tested it myself in a scientific way, which would be hard to do, I'd say that I don't think you can remove mosquito saliva from the bite site using it,' he said. 'I'd say there's a 0.000001% chance that it actually has a scientific background.' His main contention is that the puncture wound caused by a mosquito bite is too narrow and shallow to be reused as a channel for removing saliva or venom. Although mosquitoes come in different sizes, a 2022 study measured a female mosquito's proboscis (its long, pointed feeding tube) at 2 millimeters in length and less than a tenth of a millimeter in diameter. 'It's like acupuncture,' Hansen explains. 'When you take an acupuncture needle out, the skin closes and heals right away.' I told Hansen that out of the dozens and dozens of times I've used the Bug Bite Thing, I once saw what looked pretty clearly like a red mist of blood inside its suction cap afterward. To my layperson's brain, this illustrates that you actually can suck saliva out of the puncture wound just as the mosquito created the wound to push its saliva in. But Hansen was still skeptical. 'I think you might have already had a nick there,' he said. He said he thinks there's a more likely reason that Bug Bite Thing users often claim it works: The increase of fresh blood being drawn toward the affected area through the suction may be providing some relief. 'It could be that bringing blood into this area allows for a quicker recovery, but I don't know,' he added. It could also be that the suctioning causes a counter-sensation that distracts you from the itch. Or the whole thing could just be a placebo effect. The Bug Bite Thing isn't 100% effective at relieving bug bites, but it is 100% portable and 0% messy, and it never runs out. Rose Lorre/NYT Wirecutter Here's the thing: Mosquito control is a numbers game. The way I see it, when it comes to warding off mosquitoes, the more prevention methods you use, the better the odds are that you won't get bitten. That's why I use multiple methods simultaneously, including turning on a fan, using zone repellent, and applying picaridin-based sprays. None of these approaches will ever be 100% successful; all of them only kinda work, but that's okay. I operate on the theory that one bite is a lot better than two or seven or a dozen, and therefore, several methods of protection are better than one. Similarly, there are many available treatments to relieve itching and swelling once you are inevitably feasted upon. There are countless creams, cold compresses, itch-targeting gel pens, heat-zapping gizmos, and so on. I believe in having several treatments on hand, and whatever works, works. (To be honest, my favorite treatment is an ice cube, but they don't travel well, they get messy, and sometimes you run out of them.) I do not care if a placebo effect is what's getting me to scratch my bites less. What I like most about the Bug Bite Thing versus other treatments is you have to buy it only once, and it costs all of $10 (or even less per Thing, if you buy a multipack, or you get one on sale). Also, it never runs out, it never accidentally leaks all over the contents of my purse, it doesn't count as a liquid in my carry-on, and my kid will never have an allergic reaction to it. And as long as you don't apply too much suction, it doesn't hurt. The Bug Bite Thing is not perfect, but it's effective enough — and that's good enough for me. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder. We've recommended Thermacell products for five years because they are compact, easy to use, and effective. Don't waste your money on citronella candles and other gimmicky mosquito repellents. Here's what to buy instead. Our repellent recommendations are EPA approved, backed by experts, and tested by us. These products create a bug-free barrier, and the best ones are long-lasting, effective, and easy to refill or recharge.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Mexico State University ranks #17 in nation for animation programs
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) — New Mexico State University is ranking high on the list of best animation programs in the nation. According to the university, Animation Career Review evaluated more than 200 college programs across the US and ranked NMSU's animation and visual effects program as the 17th best in the nation. Story continues below Crime: Two ABQ police officers placed on leave in critical pedestrian crash on Central Real Estate: 'Nothing short of a personal resort' luxury property listed for $12M in Santa Fe National: 'I'm sincerely sorry': Billy Joel cancels all concerts due to brain disorder diagnosis That ranking is based on factors including academic reputation, admission selectivity, graduation rate, and employment data. This comes as the university says since 2018, the number of animation majors has grown by 40%, and the number of degrees awarded has risen by 50%. You can find more information on the NMSU website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NMSU's Animation, Visual Effects program ranks in top 200 nationwide
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — New Mexico State University's (NMSU) Animation and Visual Effects program is ranked among the top 200 programs in the nation, according to the university on Friday, May 23. Animation Career Review ranked over 200 programs across the U.S. and in the 2025 rankings list, NMSU's Animation and Visual Effects program rose to 17th. According to the university, this is the 14th year in a row that NMSU's program has ranked in the Animation Career Review list. 'We've really been trying to ramp up our visual effects component in what we teach,' said Derek Chase, professor in NMSU's Creative Media Institute, who specializes in 3D animation.'Although our ranking has specifically outlined animation in recent years, we actually just hit Animation Career Review's top five for Southwest visual effects ranking too.' According to NMSU, the Animation Career Review considers animation programs in degree-granting institutions, except two-year community colleges. The criteria the list uses include the following: academic reputation admission selectivity depth and breadth of program faculty values as they relate to tuition and indebtedness graduation rate geographic location employment data 'We are drawing in talent from the student and the faculty side,' Chase said. 'We have had students from all over the place. We just had a graduate who was from Alaska originally. More and more people are applying to our program, especially in the surrounding Four Corners states and Texas. We have always been a big draw for students from nearby El Paso and Juarez, Mexico.' The Animation and Visual Effects program at NMSU has grown since 2018. The number of majors has grown by 40 percent and the number of degrees granted by 50 percent, according to NMSU. 'I think our success comes down to a combination of factors,' Eddie Bakshi, who specializes in teaching 2D animation production at CMI, said. 'We offer a really great product. We offer great teachers and a very competitive program among all animation schools for a very modest price. As prices keep going up at many larger schools, our students get a quality education that is more affordable.' Nathan Billman, who recently graduated with a degree in animation at NMSU, said prior to pursuing animation, he was a psychology major and then changed his mind. 'I was two and a half years in and found that I didn't really want to be a counselor, so I made my switch,' Billman said. 'It's been really hard because I don't have an art background, but I've really enjoyed it. I've been embraced, and I've gotten better and better. It's really been nice to have the faculty who are there for you.' Abril Delgado Quintana, who will graduate next semester at NMSU and grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, said the animation program was a huge step for her. 'It was a huge step for me, especially coming from where I was born and where I grew up,' Delgado Quintana said. 'It was like, wow, it's impressive. The accessibility, the collaboration, it makes you want to work closely with fellow students and professors.' For more information about the program, you can visit NMSU's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From Seed to Salsa: A Chile's Journey
New Mexico Certified Chile tells a story of heritage, hard work, and homegrown flavor DEMING, NEW MEXICO / / May 22, 2025 / In the sun-drenched heart of southern New Mexico, where the Rio Grande weaves through fields of mineral-rich soil, a single New Mexico Certified Chile™ begins its journey in native soil enriched in flavor and tradition. New Mexico's chile legacy is built on carefully bred varietals, with the NuMex line representing decades of research at New Mexico State University. The seeds are carefully selected for flavor, consistent heat and robust yields, then planted 24 inches apart in well-draining, mineral-rich soil. Farmers often use traditional furrow irrigation, although many use drip systems to conserve water. This chile's story goes deeper than careful cultivation. The unique terrain of Deming gives New Mexico chile a distinct flavor, but water scarcity poses ongoing challenges for farmers. Although drip irrigation improves water efficiency, it can alter soil mineral profiles and potentially affect the chile's renowned taste. By late summer, under the hot New Mexico sun, glossy green pods are carefully hand-picked. While some are bound straight for dinner tables, others ripen into a deep red, for drying and grinding into a rich, earthy powder. Across the state, chile lovers line up at grocery stores, farmers markets and festivals to witness metal roasters tumbling fresh-picked New Mexico chile over open flames, releasing an unmistakable, smoky aroma that signals chile season has arrived. Chile is the heart of New Mexico's culture. From smothered green chile burritos to red chile enchiladas, it represents more than just a flavor; it is a memory, a tradition and a feeling of home. Every year, the Salsa Festival Extravaganza draws in visitors nationwide, eager to savor the flavors and traditions that make New Mexico the chile capital of the world. The journey of New Mexico Certified Chile is a tribute to the resilience of New Mexico's farmers. Despite water challenges and changing climates, the journey of the chile from seed to soil, harvest to roasting and to breakfast and dinner tables, remains a vibrant symbol of the state's culture and culinary pride. To learn more about New Mexico Certified Chile or how to join the cause visit, When you join New Mexico Certified Chile™, you are joining a host of dedicated growers, producers and restaurants that know that authenticity is what sets us apart. Participation in this effort ensures that New Mexico Chile remains protected and certified thereby ensuring and perpetuating its high culinary esteem and value. ### About New Mexico Certified ChileNew Mexico Certified Chile (NMCC) is dedicated to supporting the NM chile industry by increasing demand for NM chile. We strive to create an atmosphere of chile being for of the NM culture, heritage and pride. Our mission is to cultivate the world-renowned varieties grown only here in New Mexican soil and to protect, promote and advocate for the entire industry dedicated to growing this very special crop. NMCC is a program of the New Mexico Chile Association. CONTACT Tom Garrity505.898.8689NMChile@ SOURCE: New Mexico Chile Association View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
