Stuart Kelter interviews Jane Draycott, a professor of Ancient History at the University of Glasgow and co-director of the University of Glasgow’s Games and Gaming Lab, focusing on Roman history and archaeology. In addition to interviews and writing book chapters and articles for academic and mainstream media, she is the author of several books, three on ancient medical practices in Ancient Rome, and two on prominent ancient women: Cleopatra’s Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen, published in 2023 and Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome, published in 2025, which is the subject of today’s interview.
Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Centennial Hawks Coach Aaron Ocampo with Luke Matherly and Aliyah Salas5/28/2026
Hosts Mike O'Larey and Brian Cox sit down with Centennial Hawks football and powerlifting coach Aaron Ocampo and two of his standout athletes, recent graduates Luke Matherly and Aliyah Salas, for a conversation about what it means to be a multi-sport athlete in an era of specialization. Ocampo, who has been at Centennial since the school opened, reflects on building programs from the ground up and what it takes to develop athletes like Luke and Aliyah. Luke climbed from third to first in state powerlifting over three years, with his senior title coming down to a deadlift showdown that required as much strategy as strength. Aliyah is a two-time state powerlifting champion with a state record bench press of 205 pounds, a state-qualifying wrestler and a four-year varsity football player - the only girl in Ocampo's 28 years of coaching to play all four seasons of football. The conversation covers the fast-growing sport of high school powerlifting, the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of team sports, and what coaches and athletes take with them long after the final whistle.
NMSU astronomy professor Dr. Chris Churchill returned for a second conversation, covering space law, the global space race, and the future of human spaceflight. Churchill opened with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and why he fears its prohibition on territorial ownership will prove as unenforceable as historical colonial precedents suggest. On the current space race, he argued that China is outstripping the United States in lunar exploration and predicted China will likely land its taikonauts on the moon before NASA returns American astronauts, noting that the U.S. plan relies on an unproven sequence of ten Starship refueling launches in orbit. The conversation also touched on the U.S. Space Force, the prospects for extraterrestrial life, and serious scientific work on warp drives. Churchill highlighted a lab experiment that produced a micro-warp field, noting that the underlying mathematics for faster-than-light travel have already been worked out. He closed by drawing a parallel to Michael Faraday's first tiny, primitive electric motor to illustrate how microscopic laboratory breakthroughs can ultimately revolutionize human technology.
Matt Dodson, an Air Force veteran, business owner, and self-described Democratic Socialist from Farmington, joined Walt Rubel and Jamie Bronstein to discuss his primary challenge to incumbent Senator Ben Ray Luján. Dodson, who refuses corporate or PAC donations, outlined a platform centered on universal health care, free college tuition, higher taxes on the wealthy, removing money from politics, and reforming the Supreme Court. His judicial reform strategy includes requiring a unanimous Supreme Court decision to strike down federal laws, which Congress could subsequently override via a two-thirds supermajority vote. He sharply criticized Luján's record, targeting his acceptance of corporate campaign contributions and refusal to label the military action in Gaza as a genocide. Additionally, Dodson introduced an unconventional "51-51 rule," stipulating that a legislative majority must also represent at least 51% of the total U.S. population. Acknowledging his campaign's underdog status, Dodson argued that pervasive voter frustration with the Democratic establishment provides him a viable path. More details are available at mattdodsonfornm.com.
Walt Rubel and Jamie Bronstein opened the show by celebrating the debut of KTAL's new soundboard before diving into local and national news. The main local topic focused on a special state audit of Doña Ana County revealing systematic governance and operational issues, including poor inter-departmental communication, slow hiring, and high employee turnover. The conversation then turned to national topics including the ongoing Iran war and the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff won by Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn and how Democratic nominee James Talarico might fare in the general election. The segment closed with a reminder to vote in the upcoming New Mexico primary, with the hosts highlighting the county sheriff's race and the House District 33 primary battle between Micaela Cadena and Ramona Martinez
On this episode of Café con Leche, Greg Smith spoke with Joshua Peugh about the evolving dance and ballet scene in Las Cruces, including current projects and upcoming performances. Peugh discussed his approach to choreography and the ways he works to make dance accessible while maintaining artistic depth. They also talked about the challenges of building and sustaining a dance community in the region, as well as the importance of collaboration, outreach, and creating opportunities for both performers and audiences.
I heard an old phrase for the first time in decades recently when a fellow volunteer at the community radio station said she was bothered by how casually young people use profanity these days, especially “in mixed company.”
I was probably five or six years old when my grandfather first explained that concept to me and my cousin Johnny. We were tagging along behind him as he tended a small field next to the house when grandpa did something that caused him to blurt out the word “shirt” without the “r.” Stuart Kelter interviews Manil Suri, a distinguished university professor of mathematics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is also the author of three internationally acclaimed novels set in his native India: The Death of Vishnu, The Age of Shiva, and The City of Devi, which have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have won multiple literary awards. As a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, he has written several widely read pieces on mathematics, India, and LGBTQ+ issues. In November of 2022, I interviewed Manil about his book, The Big Bang of Numbers: How to Build the Universe Using Only Math, which marshaled his talent for storytelling in the sharing of his love of mathematics. Today’s interview is about his latest book, in which he ably tackles yet another genre, A Room in Bombay, a Memoir, a sensitive and poignant portrait of his relationship with his parents and how he navigated their emotional dependency on him and still have his own life.
Hosts Mike O'Larey and Brian Cox welcome Dave and Linda Schroeder, two of the most quietly consequential figures in Las Cruces sports history. Dave came to NMSU in 1965 from San Diego to play football for coach Warren Woodson; Linda came two years later, made the cheerleading squad, and was part of the crew that cheered the Aggies to the 1970 Final Four. After their coaching days, they saw a gap in the market for heavy-duty weight training equipment and in 1976 launched Samson Equipment out of their home with a $2,000 investment and an extension cord running to the driveway. Linda also reflects on being among NMSU's first women's sports coaching hires after Title IX passed in 1972. The conversation covers Samson's unlikely path from New Mexico high school gyms to outfitting nearly every NBA team and major college programs, along with the family's ongoing commitment to Las Cruces and NMSU athletics.
Olivia Kirkpatrick, Lanny Bradley, and Cristi Thomas of Parks For All LC joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker to discuss their grassroots campaign to bring Las Cruces its first fully inclusive, all-abilities park. The group, which formed just two and a half months ago, described a community where nearly 18,000 residents live with a disability - and where no park exists that allows people with mobility, sensory, or vision limitations to participate alongside their families. The group described their vision for a park built around dignity and participation - with zoned challenge areas, sensory spaces, full shade coverage, smooth transitions for wheelchair users, and accessible restrooms with adult changing tables. A caller encouraged them to engage with the city Parks and Recreation Board and suggested starting with smaller micro-accessibility improvements across existing parks as a pathway to a dedicated facility. The group acknowledged the long road ahead but said they are committed to seeing it through.
Cheryl Fallstead, organizer of the Las Cruces Ukes Fest, and Bob Hull, the club's chief musical officer, joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker to preview the eighth annual festival, running May 29 through 31 at the Corbett Center with a public concert Friday evening at the Atkinson Recital Hall. Fallstead and Hull described the festival as a welcoming weekend of workshops, open mic sessions, jam sessions, and a ukulele swap meet. The conversation touched on what makes the ukulele so accessible and social compared to other instruments, the origin story of the Las Cruces Ukes club, and the theme for this year's festival: Strumming Without Borders. More information and registration are available at lascrucesukefest.com, and the club welcomes new members every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Las Cruces Village.
 Seven Las Cruces High School FFA Ag Issues team members joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker for a scripted debate, performed in character, about the impact of AI data centers like Project Jupiter on agriculture in southern New Mexico. The debate was followed by a candid conversation with Walt and Nancy about the students' own views - most said that while they weren't opposed to AI generally, they had serious concerns about locating a data center in a drought-stricken region that already can't meet its agricultural water needs.
Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker opened the show with a lengthy discussion of the Justice Department's creation of a $1.776 billion fund to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax records, with no transparency over who receives the money or why, including the possibility that January 6th rioters could file claims. The conversation then shifted to the long-term economic impact of AI on the workforce, drawing on a Guardian article by labor journalist Steven Greenhouse proposing responses including universal health care, wage insurance for displaced workers, a public works program, a shorter work week, and a universal basic capital stake in AI companies. Both hosts connected the coming AI disruption to current debates over SNAP benefits and the persistent failure of both parties to adequately address the economic anxieties of the working and lower middle class. The segment closed with a caller flagging a city general obligation bond on the upcoming ballot and a reminder to vote in the primary, with early polling already underway ahead of the June 2nd election date.
On this episode of Café con Leche, Greg Smith spoke with Jorge Martinez-Rios about the role of classical music in Las Cruces, focusing on the interplay between the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra and New Mexico State University. Martinez-Rios discussed how these institutions support performers, provide educational opportunities, and help sustain a local audience for classical music. The conversation explored the challenges of maintaining a vibrant arts scene in a smaller community, including funding, recruitment, and audience development, while also highlighting the collaborative relationships that allow musicians, students, and organizations to thrive.
Another Memorial Day with our nation at war.
There have thus far been 15 US service members killed and 530 wounded in our war with Iran. It’s estimated that about 3,400 Iranians have been killed by US and Israeli airstrikes. |
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