Arizona Illustrated | Student tales, ardour & pictures | Season 2025 | Episode 49

(Tom) This week on Arizona Illustrated, tales produced by college students from the University of Arizona for our present, beginning with a pictures group freed from mansplaining.

(Cora) Every time I am going to Femme Photo Club, there’s this lack of strain that I really feel.

(Tom) A really particular meals truck will soften your coronary heart and your grilled cheese.

(Tamara) The dad and mom coming in and telling me how grateful they’re and the way they’ve seen their little one change.

(Tom) Meet a former U of A pupil physique president with a ardour for politics.

(Patrick) Student authorities is as highly effective as you make it to be.

The governor would not simply meet with anyone.

It takes relationship, it takes taking your self critically.

(Tom) And meet the person behind one in all Tucson’s most infamous sizzling canine empires.

(Daniel) I bought into the restaurant enterprise as a result of I used to be searching for sazón.

I used to be searching for taste in my mouth.

Hello and welcome to Arizona Illustrated.

I’m Tom McNamara.

First up, the entire segments you will see on this present had been produced by college students from proper right here on the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

We present the scholars with internships and hands-on expertise.

In flip, they assist us out with their social media experience and by producing tales with their distinctive perspective.

This first story was produced by latest graduate, Noor Haghighi, who was an distinctive pupil worker for us.

Femme Photo Club invitations ladies and non-binary photographers of all proficiencies right into a protected area with out the burden of mansplaining to develop their abilities, whether or not they’re utilizing a top-of-the-line digital camera or a cellular phone.

I like this like lengthy path of sunshine, so I’m attempting to get it to love lead individuals – lead individuals’s eyes to the sting of the body.

My physique is gonna be interrupting it.

[ FILM ROLL ADVANCES ] Alright, one, two… [ SHUTTER CLICKS ] Ugh, it seems to be so good.

♪ SOFT UPBEAT ELECTRONICA (Cora) A typical assembly we often get to the area, do some intros and say what brings you to Photo Club.

[ MEMBERS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES ] After we do intros we have now a brief lesson that After we do intros we have now a brief lesson that may be like anyplace from 20 to 45 minutes.

There’s often a visible facet to it, whether or not it’s a PowerPoint or books like pictures books that the artists usher in.

After the lesson we sometimes simply break off into little teams or companions and do a lab that implements the teachings that we discovered.

(Karina) I actually do love self-portraiture, however it’s arduous to confess that as a result of it [ SHUTTER CLICKS ] appears like an ego-centric factor.

But whenever you come right down to it, it is extra about like having the ability to like specific your self the best way that you just really feel from the within out, and I believe that is like tremendous invaluable as a result of on this world it is so much, it is actually arduous to have your voice heard.

♪ SERIOUS ELECTRONICA It’s simply actually invaluable to see different individuals round you striving to do the identical factor and it is an enormous motivating issue for me to have the ability to feed off of that vitality and never solely simply because it permits us to take photos that we’re pleased with but in addition as a result of it has a larger which means in what we would like our society to appear to be.

(Cora) I went to movie faculty and my pal Katie, who additionally went to movie faculty, we simply determined someday early final yr that we needed to create an area the place we will regularly observe and like maintain one another accountable for practising usually.

We met up sooner or later at Reid Park and had been scouting a location and we needed to have a gathering for femme photographers.

a gathering for femme photographers.

We determined to place out the invitation to the group by way of Instagram and there simply was a bigger response than what we anticipated there can be.

It simply form of snowballed from there.

[ LAUGHTER ] Having a femme-centered area is simply inherently much less aggressive, to me not less than.

It’s simply so nurturing and supportive and all of us simply get so excited after we publish our photographs and after we see enchancment in our work.

And it simply would not should be this dominating, aggressive ladder that we’re climbing.

We’re all rising collectively as a bunch collectively.

I’ve been doing pictures for over a decade now – um – and there is a whole lot of causes I needed to grow to be a cinematographer however I believe one of many important causes I needed to work in movie was as a result of I really feel like pictures was so much lonelier.

It was extra particular person and as a lot as I do admire that, what I liked about working in movie was the teamwork facet of all of it.

I really like being a part of a staff and feeling like your teammates are working towards a particular aim to elevate you up, and…

I’ve gotten again into pictures now much more due to Photo Club, as a result of it form of precisely is that.

It’s simply this stunning community-based factor [ SHUTTER CLICKS ] and you do not have to really feel so lonely doing it.

[ KATIE GIGGLES ] I simply have my digital camera and I believed it might be actually cool to only seize myself sitting with the strains as a result of I actually like the way it’s very structured by itself.

I form of have this imaginative and prescient of attempting to get my hair flowing.

I believe the place I’m form of struggling is getting that close-up that I need however that is what the purpose is of that is to form of work out, get some pictures.

Okay, this is not working now I can modify to attempt one thing else.

(Karina) The different day, we had some actually stunning bouquets of flowers, and the fashions had been doing sword fights with them.

[LAUGHS ] Or like…

Being in all these actually cool, totally different environments, like an adobe home that is simply stuffed with musical devices and having the ability to zoom in on elements of any individual that you do not usually get to see photos of.

It’s simply actually enjoyable to have the ability to take a second to check one thing in your own-in your individual voice.

And I believe that is a very cool factor about Femme Photo Club is that whenever you see a picture posted on Instagram or within the Google Drive, you may form of mechanically inform which photographer it was that took that picture as a result of it is stamped with their very own character and their very own voice.

Every time I am going to Femme Photo Club, there’s this – um – lack of strain that I really feel.

It’s so free and it virtually makes me really feel like, “Oh, this is just fun and games.

This isn’t serious business.

We’re just like having fun and hanging out.”

At this pool celebration I used to be similar to, “Yeah, let’s just like, easy breezy, like take some pictures.”

But there have been so many superb photographs that got here out of that session.

One specifically, Karina.

Her picture was simply so superb.

It was similar to a top-down into-the-water of this swimmer and it is so ethereal and did not appear to be anybody else’s photos.

It’s simply actually stunning.

♪ SERENE ELECTRONICA (Karina) A variety of my life I’ve simply been promoting myself brief with pictures and probably not inquisitive about taking the academic route.

But then Femme Photo Club, it was similar to mechanically like my guards had been utterly down and it was simply actually a pure course of into studying handbook pictures as a result of I had by no means finished that earlier than and it was simply love at first membership assembly.

[ KARINA LAUGHS ] [ SHUTTER CLICKS ] Tucson and Tamara Varga could not discover a job for her 16 yr outdated son with autism.

So she created one.

Together together with her enterprise associate, Bill Harmon.

They created an inclusive atmosphere and office for individuals with particular wants.

And the glue of this enterprise is grilled cheese and love.

This story was produced by Laura Holanszky, who other than being an incredible pupil producer was additionally an NCAA nationwide champion on the ladies’s triathlon staff.

♪ INSIGHTFUL MUSIC (Speaker 1) How many are there, like 5?

…4, six…

Potentially try this tonight.

(Alex Barrentine) Yeah.

That shall be good.

I’ve a son with autism and he had turned 16 and like 16-year-olds he needed a job, however we could not discover him a job, anybody that was prepared to coach him or work with him having autism That’s after we determined to take issues into our personal palms.

(Alex) Order quantity 39, your order’s prepared, 39.

Hi, my title is Alex Barrentine.

I work on this truck, this grilled cheese truck with Special Eats I began after I was 17.

(Tamara) My associate Bill, he simply actually needed to give you an idea that was simple sufficient for people with particular wants to have the ability to make, after which additionally one thing that may be a consolation meals and good for meals vehicles in addition to nice tasting.

So my important aim is to show these guys sufficient to go get a job someplace else.

They come to me with little or no abilities to none so I educate them all the pieces from cashiering, cleansing, prepping, purchasing and cooking.

(Alex) I may do something.

I pull out numbers, I take orders, I can cook dinner somewhat bit.

Order up for a quesadilla rooster and a grilled cheese.

Quesadilla rooster and a grilled cheese, order up.

(Bill) I allow them to give you the specials of the month each month.

I allow them to idiot round and make new menu objects.

They truly are those that got here up with the quesadilla choice on our truck.

(Greg) I’m very proud to work for this firm.

I’m studying how you can be a chef and stuff as a result of I like to cook dinner and…

I get pleasure from everybody right here and stuff Everyone makes me really feel good and stuff.

I’ve seen individuals come to me non-verbal to the purpose the place they’re my… they will not cease speaking.

They got here to me considering they will by no means have a job, quiet, hiding within the nook to outgoing and cooking on my truck.

They adore it.

Every day is a brand new story and I really like daily.

(Greg) My story is right here to get the expertise to work within the kitchen sooner or later and stuff and grow to be a chef sometime.

Because I like to return to highschool and grow to be a chef and… personal my very own restaurant.

Because I’m Mexican-Greek.

I wish to make Mexican Greek meals sometime.

Order quantity 20!

Order 20 20?

Just the actual fact of working with individuals with particular wants, they wish to go to work.

They need the job.

So you are not going to work with a bunch of individuals saying, “I don’t want to go to work today” So, you are coming in, everybody’s bought a smile on their face, everybody’s able to go.

And I’ve a disabily however it would not it cease me from doing issues I’m very pleased with my, what I’m and stuff.

(Alex) I adore it.

It’s simply fairly cool to work with different people who have the identical, like, autism stuff.

(Speaker 2) Yeah, I really like coloring.

It’s so enjoyable.

(Tamara) So lots of our particular wants inhabitants haven’t got mates they usually haven’t got somebody that they’ll speak to.

And so we actually present a household right here, and , they do stuff outdoors of labor, collectively, they name one another and it is actually been so helpful for them to have that love and help.

Actually, Special Eats is like my second household and stuff.

I’m proud to say that.

I need everybody to know and stuff.

Yeah.

And not solely that, however the dad and mom, coming in and telling me how grateful they’re and the way they’ve seen their little one change.

(Greg) This job, it is educating me how you can learn to work with totally different individuals and stuff and totally different wants and stuff.

And I’m very proud to try this.

(Tamara) We make use of 45 people with particular wants after which we have now 20 job coaches that we additionally make use of.

So the job coaches are their mentors.

They assist them to remain on process and to study the job.

They prepare them.

The people with particular wants do all types of jobs.

We truly actually have a backyard that they are chargeable for.

We have a purchasing crew that does all of our purchasing for our meals vehicles in addition to our merchandise, they make all of our merchandise.

So they make shirts and aprons, hats, jewellery, earrings.

Cecil, he handed away sadly in January, however he was our oldest worker and he was 69.

And everybody has tales of one thing that they purchased from Cecil as a result of he was simply the most effective vendor and he can be so excited when somebody purchased one thing.

He would come seize me and say, “Tamara, I just sold some earrings!”

We actually do give lots of people was simply displayed within the Oro Valley Library for 3 months.

We could not do that with out the group and their love and help.

The dessert truck simply opened in January and it is already changing into fashionable and persons are requesting us.

So it actually permits us to develop and to rent extra individuals as a result of I’ve a protracted ready record of people who wish to work and being a particular wants mother, each time I’ve to place somebody on… on the ready record, It’s… it hurts!

(John) 35, your order’s prepared!

(Greg) It made me a tough employee in life, It made me… it taught me how you can work arduous and work as a staff, and extra socialized trigger I’m probably not a sociable particular person, however Special Eats simply educating me how you can be extra sociable in life and hang around with individuals extra and stuff.

(Speaker 1) Beautiful sandwich, Greg!

(Bill) Making them smile and say thanks for telling them they did job makes my day price it daily.

My private objectives are simply to proceed to help them and love them and present them that they seem to be a very important a part of this group and the world.

Give them an opportunity.

They wish to work, and they’ll present up daily, which is de facto arduous to search out typically.

(Alex) There you go…

Enjoy!

(Tom) Former University of Arizona Student Body President, Patrick Robles at all times had a ardour for public service.

And that ambition was amplified throughout his time in workplace right here.

This story was produced by our former intern, Allison Fagan from the School of Journalism.

(lady) Can we curiosity you in some donuts?

(Patrick) Yes.

Where are the donuts from?

(lady) Krispy Kreme.

Thank you a lot.

(Patrick) All proper.

I’ll promote you guys.

(tender music) My title is Patrick Robles, and I’ve the privilege of serving as the scholar physique president of the University of Arizona.

I grew up going to soccer video games.

My household, we have had South finish zone tickets for 20 plus years.

And it was thrilling to take a seat within the Zona Zoo.

Especially this yr.

Right.

And I bear in mind my household speaking about Lute Olson again when he was coach.

I imply, it is ingrained in me.

Even although I’m a primary gen school pupil, I’m a 3rd era Arizona Wildcat fan.

My ardour for public service and politics started in sixth grade at Challenger Middle School within the South facet of Tucson.

I used to be within the We the People program.

I used to be rather more shy.

You would not catch me speaking to you.

But I had a trainer.

Her title was Miss Higuera and she or he taught me the significance of the Constitution, the worth of presidency.

And we, the individuals standing up for what we consider in and standing up for what we wish to see.

And so with that, it is pushed me all through center faculty.

Serving as pupil physique president, center faculty all through highschool at Sunnyside High School, serving as pupil physique president, and now right here speaking to you as the scholar physique president of the University of Arizona.

And all through my younger life, I’m 21 years outdated.

I’ve been concerned with the purple for ed battle.

I’ve been concerned with public schooling advocacy.

The battle for truthful free transit and different fights that contain uplifting our group, particularly those that are from marginalized communities and people who would have by no means seen themselves in positions of affect just like the one I’m in proper now.

(Eddie) Patrick is one in all my most closest mates.

Immediately off the bat, like we simply kicked it off and it was simply a tremendous friendship that grew into him mentoring me and actually serving to me determine form of what I wish to do as I develop and the way I can get myself concerned.

(Patrick) Fare free transit is a vital situation for college kids right here on the University of Arizona.

Many of us have seen the solar hyperlink, that rides all through our college takes us by way of downtown, the West Side or whatnot.

It’s been free as of March 2020 because of the pandemic.

Last fall, September, we discovered that town authorities was going to reinstate transit fares.

We, the scholars, have been benefiting from this service and had been fearful that transit fares would restrict our skill to journey, to commute to highschool, to go residence, as a result of it is a necessity.

And so my administration, with my management, with the colleagues inside our metropolis authorities, we bought collectively and mentioned, no, this may’t this cannot be.

So we started lobbying.

Each member of town council spoke to the mayor’s staff.

We started mobilizing college students right here on the college.

(Eddie) I bear in mind when the free transit conferences had been taking place, I used to be at City corridor.

He was right here, like watching all of them evening, taking notes on what sure council members had been saying.

And he was simply that dedicated to making sure he knew everybody’s perspective and the way he can advocate for various views as effectively.

(Patrick) As a pupil and extra importantly, a Tucsonan I discover myself involved about what the reinstatement of public transit fares would imply for all individuals on this group.

Each native media platform coated this effort that college students right here on the college had been preventing for.

And so because of the strain and the relationships we constructed, truthful free transit was prolonged till June 2023, till the tip of the college yr.

And I’ve little question in my thoughts that a big a part of that is because of the motion that we, the scholars began the hashtag Why I Ride Movement.

It’s cool getting on there, seeing how many individuals use it, and realizing that the battle we placed on was price it.

Student authorities is as highly effective as you make it to be.

The governor would not simply meet with anyone, nor does a Congress member, nor does a U.S. senator’s staff.

It takes relationship constructing.

It takes taking your self critically.

When a pupil should buy groceries, can eat meal as soon as they get residence, can experience public transit totally free.

That pupil goes to do higher academically, subsequently making their life simpler, particularly after they graduate from school.

I have never shared this story publicly like this earlier than, however on my first week on this workplace, I went to a gathering and I’m going to say who was at that assembly.

But I used to be instructed that there was individuals in these in that assembly that had been uncomfortable with the truth that I used to be talking Spanish at an occasion earlier that week that they had been uncomfortable with the signal on my desk that claims, si se puede.

This was in 2022.

I’m not the primary Mexican-American or Latino on this room.

But it dawned upon me that these points round racism, round bigotry nonetheless exist.

And I took that second, I bit my tongue and I mentioned, okay, recreation on.

You do not like the truth that I’m talking Spanish.

yo hablo español.

And I’m going to do job.

(Eddie) We all grew up in areas that had been underfunded, underrepresented, and we have had, , we confronted many hardships.

So all of us convey that right here and on a college degree and attempting to actually work out how we will create the change right here on the college for different college students who could also be going through that.

(Patrick) We’ve bought nice leaders coming in and we will proceed to grow to be a extra various pupil authorities, a authorities that has people who find themselves going to battle for points that straight impression college students.

So I’m very, very excited that we laid the groundwork.

And I do know that that work goes to proceed.

You may not consider a sizzling canine as a delicacy, however the Sonoran canine from El Guero Canelo received a James Beard Award.

They acknowledge achievements in culinary arts.

Next, you will meet the bigger than life proprietor who’s additionally planning his retirement, El Guero Canelo himself.

This story was produced by Emma Diaz, who lastly bought our Instagram account over 10,000 followers by making me say some loopy issues.

So thanks Emma, I’ll see you within the clurb.

(Daniel) Welcome to Guero Canelo, the most effective Mexican- -the greatest Mexican restaurant on this planet.

(Jakob) The menu, there’s not one dangerous factor.

You can go to love all types of various locations, eating places, however you get something on that menu.

I imply something and it is gonna be scrumptious.

I really feel like I’m assembly like some- like he is actually well-known.

This is the man, he is the creator.

(Daniel) They assume I’m a celeb and it is effective with me, however it’s the love they should me.

I simply mentioned that to a buyer, proper now.

This is the primary time I take advantage of this in an interview.

We bought the James Beard Award due to the Sonoran sizzling canines.

So I put a whole lot of love into what I do.

Love, love love.

I like to eat.

[ LAUGHS ] I left my dad and mom after I was virtually 13 years outdated.

I left to someplace else, Nakosari, and I grow to be a tortilla maker, tortilla manufacturing facility in Nakosari, in García, Mexico.

From 1979, I got here to Tucson, and I’ve been right here since then, so I’m from Tucson, mainly.

[ LAUGHS ] We make our personal bread.

It’s the most important distinction on the town.

My bread from the new canine, we make it in Madalena.

And the carne asade.

Ay, ay, ay, makes me hungry already.

When you are longing for a Sonoran sizzling canine.

You wish to have the most effective, come to Guero Canelo.

(Kassandra) You know the distinction between a bun, the distinction between a “frank,” what the new canines have in it.

For instance, the bread comes out actually, actually heat.

The “frank,” like let it’s fairly.

Everybody has their very own little particulars, ?

Do you’ve add-ons or not?

I simply assume these are the most effective sizzling canines.

Like not simply because all people says it, however I’ve tried them someplace else.

It’s nothing in comparison with this.

(Jakob) First time I got here right here, I believe I used to be like 10 years outdated.

It was after one in all my basketball video games.

I bought a Sonoran canine and one in all their carne asada burritos.

It was simply, it was so freaking good.

I’ve been coming again ever since.

The bun, bacon wrapped canine, the pico on there, the yellow pepper.

(Daniel) Number one hunder- I bought into the restaurant enterprise as a result of I used to be searching for sazón.

I used to be searching for taste in my mouth.

I’m a really dragon, I’m a very- [ GROWLING SOUND ] I like to eat and I could not discover that.

We began going to Nogales, me and my spouse and consuming sizzling canines, carne asada, no matter.

And I instructed my spouse, , I wish to open my very own restaurant.

Even I instructed my prospects on a regular basis, with out having a greenback in my pocket.

One of as of late, you are going to eat at my eating places.

It got here from my backside of my coronary heart.

And lastly we opened a carreta, somewhat taco stand.

And then the remaining is historical past.

I’m very completely satisfied, critically.

We have good individuals working for us.

[ trumpet music plays out] (Kassandra) Every day is one thing new to me.

I began as being a cashier within the kitchen and I labored my manner up.

But it has been an incredible expertise studying all the pieces I do know right now.

It’s individuals you will always remember being with truthfully working with.

They grow to be your mates, they grow to be your loved ones.

That’s how I really feel it.

We snort at one another and that is day by day.

Like there’s by no means a critical uninteresting second.

Never, by no means.

It’s on a regular basis snort, “hi,” “good morning” and that is how we’re.

Even to prospects it is the identical factor.

But it will possibly by no means be critical.

[ CHUCKLES ] 10, 20 years, prospects.

10/ 20 / ’93 we bought the primary taco at 4 o’clock within the afternoon.

I’ll always remember that.

[ LAUGHS ] My plans is “bye.”

Adios.

No extra.

2025 My plan, my private plan.

My marketing strategy, my son, Gregorio our common supervisor I do not know what they wish to do.

They have to indicate me.

They cannot deal with it.

The enterprise will keep open however me, bye-bye, no mas.

The love.

L-O-V-E for me it is all the pieces.

I wish to thanks, Tucson.

I’m very grateful for that.

Thank you all people.

They made me what I’m right now.

Thank you for becoming a member of us right here on Arizona Illustrated.

I’m Tom McNamara and we’ll see you once more subsequent week.