For our final print issue at The Shorthorn, we wanted to document Arlington’s barbecue scene. There's just something powerful about watching how a small tray of food could connect family members in such a powerful way. So, the outline came to us. Barbecue. The process. The love behind these trays of food. It was clear that no one place could encapsulate the booming scene of barbecue in Arlington. The variety of offerings is what makes the city’s barbecue availability special. We hope to reflect them all — their stories, their systems and the people behind them — to paint the picture. And so, we started pinpointing all the restaurants in the city and contacting them. Asks went out. Some through email, some through social media and some through good ol’ phone calls. By then, we still didn’t realize the project’s scale. Seven restaurants — and then some. From pioneers in the area like Jambo’s BBQ and David’s Barbecue to the recent success story of Habibi Barbecue. From the Mexi-cue culture of 225° BBQ to the Tex-Ethiopian fusions of Smoke’N Ash BBQ. From a big establishment like Hurtado Barbecue to a small location at UTA called Tre’s Bar-B-Q. We were obsessed. With one week and seven restaurants, we split up the work. One person interviewed while the other took photos, ensuring all parts of each restaurant were captured as efficiently as possible. Laughter, anecdotes, debates, and, at times, arguments: What struck us about our time together was that we were there for each other in different ways. We pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones for each story. Our group chat flooded with texts as soon as we finished with each restaurant, bursting with excitement about how we related to these stories in different ways. As much as we took pride in the final project, it was apparent that teamwork and unity are what we cherished the most. It reminded us why we wanted to pursue journalism in the first place — and why we bonded. We think about our team. One is an Asian who didn’t arrive in Texas until eight years ago. One is a Black woman who grew up in Houston. One is an Asian American who grew up in Mansfield, Texas. One is a Hispanic who grew up in Dallas. We don’t have much to do with the true origin of barbecue. We definitely don’t have anything to do with these certain cultures, nor will we ever understand some of these pitmasters’ hustle. But we appreciate good food. And this project connects us all. Barbecue connects us all. @RonaldoBolanos_ @PixaPerfect_ @DangHLe @trinhvchristine news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From a Kendrick Lamar and SZA concert to Arab American poetry and stories, there are plenty of things to do in Arlington this week. Music Experience a night full of culture at “La Peña: A Night in Perú” from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Wellspring on Main. There will be live music and performances highlighting the rhythms of Peruvian folklore, Andean melodies and Afro-Peruvian beats. A Peruvian chef will prepare savory authentic Peruvian cuisine. General admission is $25 and a VIP table is $130 seating five. The VIP experience includes reserved seating, the best view of the stage, comfort and convenience. Tickets can be purchased online. Residents can head to Levitt Pavilion Arlington for a free concert starting 7:30 p.m. Friday featuring Josh Weathers and Goldpine. Goldpine, the husband-wife duo and the winner of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest, will open the show. Josh Weathers, a Fort Worth-based singer-songwriter who combines songs of hope with high-energy rock ‘n’ soul, will perform at 8:30 p.m. La Diferenzia, a Tejano band known for their blend of traditional Tejano music, romantic ballads and energetic cumbia rhythms, will be performing a free concert with Grupo Moneda from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Grupo Moneda includes Latin Grammy award-winning accordionist Tweet Juarez and vocalist Angelica Alcoser. Residents have the chance to see artists Kendrick Lamar and SZA for their Grand National Tour at 7 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium. Tickets are available online starting at $120. Entertainment Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month during the two-day celebration Vision and Verse: A Celebration of Arab Heritage, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. Residents can experience poetry, storytelling and fashion honoring the rich traditions and voices of the Arab diaspora, showcased through traditional and contemporary works. There will be an open mic for attendees to share poetry, stories and music celebrating their Arab heritage, and a panel followed by a Q&A with Hatem Al-Sakr and Jordanian novelist Nemah Ayyad. Hang out with artistic peers at the Sip n’ Sketch event hosted by Draw Together DFW from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at The Tipsy Oak. Bring your sketchbook, tablet or other portable crafts and socialize with other creatives. The event is free and everyone is welcome. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Joseph Balderas realized his childhood dream when he finally stepped foot on a professional film set in April 2024. “I was like a kid in a candy store,” said Balderas, a cinematic arts graduate student. The experience, earned through a UTA professor’s recommendation, gave Balderas a firsthand look at how a $10 million film set operates as a production assistant. He endured long days and saw specialized roles, but Balderas also received networking opportunities, potentially providing him a job in Los Angeles. For over two years, UTA’s Cinematic Arts department has adapted to better prepare students for film and TV production career paths that once could only be obtained living in Hollywood. The department built up its curriculum to provide more opportunities to apply for film festivals and professional networking. The move arrives as the film industry looks increasingly at the Dallas-Fort Worth area for more productions. Already, North Texas Taylor Sheridan films many of his TV shows, including the “Yellowstone” prequest “1983,” in Fort Worth. Lawmakers see Texas’ rising star, too. On April 16, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 22 that would infuse more than $500 million into the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program every two years until 2035. The amount more than doubles the $200 million that Texas lawmakers approved in 2023. UTA will greatly benefit from SB 22 if it passes, said associate professor Daniel García. The bill is now in the hands of the House. In fall 2025, the department will present a studio readiness certificate, which validates people to walk on sets and have entry-level positions like production assistant, García said. The certificate requires classes like the five basic ones, such as screenwriting and cinematography. The department will have intensive weekend workshops where students can hear from different film crews throughout the semester, said Patty Newton, associate professor of practice. Crew members will come from either equipment, lighting or other art departments, Newton said. The certificate focuses on teaching students about assistant roles and how to behave on set, said August Davis, Art and Art History department chair. Newton calls them “set-iquettes” — intangible skills not taught in a classroom: when to talk, when not to, who to talk to or how to drive a golf cart. “It’s kind of an unwritten approach to dealing with a situation where there’s a whole lot of money at stake,” she said. “If you pick up the star in your golf cart, and you take them to the wrong place, and we’ve lost two minutes because of that, they could have lost the sunrise or the sunset and the shot.” “And suddenly you’ve lost your job.” On film sets, Balderas observed professionals in their environment. He watched what they did and started asking questions — learning experiences that hypothetical situations in the classroom can’t fully encompass, he said. “They were essentially holding me by the hand and kind of laughing along with me, and they were like, ‘Oh, this is how it works,’” he said. The growth of production companies in North Texas allows the area to shift from filming commercials to focusing more on TV and movies, which requires longer hours on set, Newton said. At 32, Balderas is in his second career. He initially graduated from UT Rio Grande Valley with a bachelor’s in English and a master’s in creative writing before teaching at a local community college. But he felt something was missing during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I felt like I was doing a disservice to my students,” Balderas said about his impostor syndrome. During that time, Balderas cared for his father, and they made a short film together. A spark was reignited. He pursued a second bachelor’s degree in theater and film at UT Rio Grande Valley, where he noticed holes in its curriculum. So he pursued a master’s degree at UTA. During the early days of the pandemic, Changhee Chun, Art and Art History professor, saw a growing demand for his students at Maverick Film Productions. He launched the production company about eight years ago to provide students with professional opportunities outside class assignments. Maverick Film Productions now has about 13 students with varying majors, Chun said. The company handles 20 to 25 professional productions each semester, ranging from promotional videos, music videos and live streaming campus events to feature-length documentaries. Clients are split in half between companies, such as Central Market and Dickies, and UTA campus partners. They have reached a point where they can deny projects due to over demand, Chun said. “We are here to educate our students, so I think Maverick Productions is doing that,” he said. The production company puts students in a different mindset. If they don’t do well on an assignment, they can redo it or use it as a learning opportunity. Tensions are higher on professional sets. “Especially like live streaming or filming actual events and so on, if you make one mistake, that’s it. You don’t have a second chance, right?” Chun said. Cinematic arts senior Jose Morales said the experiences at Maverick Film Productions keep him on his toes. “You don’t really do that when you’re doing a film production,” Morales said. The department’s faculty are active filmmakers who have received awards, screenings and recognitions internationally, Davis said. They use those experiences to help students navigate the industry and develop their body of work. “It’s playing chess, you know, setting up a career in a really hard-to-get-into industry and even harder to stay in sometimes,” Newton said. For the last two years, the department has collaborated with the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth to bring student screenings to the festival’s official program, Davis said. “This connection and this synergy with the really new filmmaking community in this area, it’s energizing our students very much and obviously our faculty,” García said. In midst of all the economic developments from North Texas film sets, UTA’s Cinematic Arts department doesn’t forget its goals. “We form the storytellers,” García said. As part of his class assignment, Balderas was asked to submit his narrative fiction film, Dad Died Crying, to a film festival. He submitted it to about 15 — and 10 accepted, including the Lone Star Film Festival. The narritive fiction film focuses on two brothers reconciling their relationship while burying their father’s ashes. Balderas draws some of the plot from his real-life experience. He filmed the whole piece in his hometown, the Rio Grande Valley area, to pay homage to the place that gave him the skills to come to Dallas-Fort Worth, he said. His upcoming work is also inspired by his experiences, and his storytelling reflects personal relationships. Balderas appreciates the opportunities he received at film festivals — even the invitations to Los Angeles. He once had dreams of Hollywood, living in his car and dying for his film. He has set his future. He will go back to Edinburg, Texas, for the full circle moment to build UT Rio Grande Valley’s film program using what he has learned from the growth of production in Dallas-Fort Worth. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu