coronavirus

Culture

Coronavirus calls for creativity: The joy at the end of a candle

Cameron Ward | April 1

Candles can be a great way to experience wonderful smells flooding your room while stuck inside during quarantine. Once you have used up your wick, it shouldn’t end your joy but instead spark more happy times.  If I had a dollar saved from all the candles I have bought in the past, I could have spent more on the groceries that I needed during this quarantine. You can ask me about my favorite scents, but the greatest thing I’ve learned in my history of candles is the number of different things it can hold in its container.  Whether you love candles or just want to get rid of them, this upcycle works for anyone. In this creation, you will turn a plain used candle into your own new recycled container. If you have a sweet tooth like me, some Jolly Ranchers would be perfect to hold in your new container. 

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Culture

UNM students launch website to connect volunteers to healthcare workers

Megan Gleason | March 31

A group of medical students from the University of New Mexico recently launched Corona Care NM, a website that helps connect New Mexico volunteers to local healthcare and hospital workers, and vice versa. Volunteers can help healthcare workers with childcare needs, cooking, cleaning, pet sitting and more. They are able to fill out their experience in order to be best fitted with a particular job or duty, as well as preference for what type of work they are willing to do. If healthcare workers need help with childcare, they are connected with three to five volunteers. Otherwise, they are connected with one volunteer. The contact information for volunteers is given directly to the healthcare professional and the process is then in their hands. “We are simply providing a service to connect healthcare workers with volunteers,” David Gangwish, founder of the site, said.

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News

UNM staff concerned about impact of COVID-19

Bella Davis | March 30

As president of the University of New Mexico Staff Council, Ryan Gregg regularly hears from many staff members. However, the coronavirus outbreak has generated the most comments and questions from staff since he began his term almost a year ago, Gregg said. "Staff are concerned about their families and the health of their loved ones. Staff are also concerned about the future of their jobs," Gregg said. Last week, more than 31,000 New Mexicans filed unemployment claims, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. The week before that, a record 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment, the Labor Department reported, as businesses across the country shut down in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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News

New Mexico county clerks to ask for mail-in elections

Lissa Knudsen | March 30

New Mexico county clerks are looking to coronavirus-proof the primary election by changing from a traditional in-person voting process to a vote-by-mail process. The Daily Lobo obtained a copy of a petition to the New Mexico Supreme Court that lists Keith Riddle — on behalf of all 33 of the county clerks — as the petitioner and New Mexico secretary of state Maggie Toulouse Oliver as the respondent. The county clerks will ask the Supreme Court to allow them to use the mail-in ballot procedures for special elections because of the health and safety risk that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, according to the petition drafted by Daniel Ivey-Soto, the attorney who represents the state's county clerks.

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News

UNM set to refund housing, meal plan in coming weeks

Amanda Britt | March 28

The University of New Mexico will refund over 1,110 students for their student housing and meal plans, after forcing them to vacate eight weeks early, according to Residence Life and Student Housing.  Four days before Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a statewide “stay at home” order March 24, students were instructed through email to evacuate from their on-campus housing by that same day. As of March 28, Lujan Grisham said there were at least 208 cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico. 

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News

UNM’s COVID response blindsided some students away from campus

Alex McCausland | March 28

When Sophomore Indica Simpson first received the email about mandatory move-out, she called the Student Residence Center (SRC). She was told that, because she had renewed her lease for 2021, she could leave her items in her dorm. Simpson was at home in Nevada for spring break, visiting family. She was under the impression the break was only for a week. But on Friday, March 20, Coronado Hall Coordinator Johana Gourdin sent out an email stating that without an exception to stay, “residents (are) expected to have vacated (their) assigned space by Tuesday the 24th.”

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Culture

Inside Meals on Wheels during COVID-19

Liam Debonis | March 27

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, the Albuquerque Meals on Wheels staff work to ensure meals are delivered to those who need it. By 9 a.m. on March 25, the kitchen staff was preparing hot meals and packing them into insulated bags to be distributed to drivers. A workforce of about ten members scooped spaghetti, ladled marinara, and dished up vegetables with rigor. “Usually, the kitchen is half staff and half volunteers,” Shauna Frost, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Albuquerque said.

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Culture

Local teacher makes protective face masks

Loreena Cain | March 26

While the coronavirus continues to sweep through New Mexico, making face masks is one way some Albuquerque locals are working on the front lines against the virus. With schools shuttered, local first-grade teacher and University of New Mexico alumna Angel Padilla is using her time to sew face masks. She has already made 35 masks and is currently working on 100 more. "In the event that healthcare professionals run out of personal protective equipment (PPE), these masks will be available instead of a scarf or bandana," Padilla said. "I've been told that it might be possible to prolong the life of N95 masks when used with the masks I am making."

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News

Dispatch: COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation

Sharon Chischilly | March 26

GALLUP, N.M. — The Navajo Nation awoke to a blanket of snow on March 19 as the third case of COVID-19, known as Diko Ntsaaígíí-Náhást'éíts'áadah in the Navajo language, emerged on the Navajo homeland. The three cases, a 40-year-old, 46-year-old and 62-year-old, shared one thing in common: they're all from the community of Chilchinbito, Arizona. Just days before the cases arose, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer declared a public health state of emergency for the Navajo Nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, March 11. As of the publication of this article, there were 69 positive COVID-19 cases within the Navajo Nation.

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Opinion

Coronavirus calls for creativity simple tricks to beating boredom

Cameron Ward | March 26

Simple items around every household can be transformed into some refreshing Do-It-Yourself crafts to relieve your boredom when stuck at home.  For anyone looking to create, it might require gathering some cheap materials from places like Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby or Micheals — but it can also be fun to only work with what you have if the stores are closed.

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News

Stokes to host town hall, address COVID-19 response

Justin Garcia | March 26

University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes will host a virtual town hall and Q&A Friday at 12 p.m. According to a press release, the town hall is meant to address UNM's response to the local outbreak of COVID-19. As of March 25, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said there are at least 112 cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico, including 48 in Bernalillo County. As a result, Lujan Grisham issued an emergency declaration and closed dozens of nonessential businesses to limit person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus.

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News

PATS ushering parking permit refunds

Alyssa Martinez | March 25

The office notorious for parking citations and permits will accept refund requests amidst the University’s limited operations.  In an email sent out by Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) Wednesday, PATS announced that the last day for students to request a permit refund is Tuesday, March 31.  Students looking to receive a prorated refund must fill out the provided form and submit a photo of their permit, cut in half before their request is processed.  As for staff and faculty, PATS warned that upon return of a faculty or staff permit, “(they) may not be able to get it back into the same zone/structure once the University reopens.” The University is currently on an extended spring break until April 5 in an effort to respond to the novel coronavirus. 

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News

New Mexico to use emergency alert system during COVID-19 outbreak

Justin Garcia | March 25

The State of New Mexico will begin sending out text messages and interrupting television and radio programs during the new coronavirus outbreak.  The first test will be sent out at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office.  “The system is intended ...

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News

Faculty Senate: Students should have option to switch to pass or fail grading for spring 2020

Justin Garcia | March 24

The Faculty Senate endorsed a move to give students the option to switch their classes to a pass or fail grading system, instead of a classic A through F grading scale.  The resolution passed unanimously by the Faculty Senate on Tuesday does not guarantee the University of New Mexico will adopt the measure. However, UNM Provost James Holloway signaled his support for the measure during the Faculty Senate meeting, suggesting the option will be approved.  The resolution aims to allow instructors more flexibility in grading during the coronavirus pandemic.  “We also understand that because of COVID-19, students may be experiencing unforeseeable challenges in accessing food, housing, health, family care, employment, and computers and the internet throughout the remainder of the semester,” the resolution said. 

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News

Lobo ceases print publishing amid coronavirus outbreak

Daily Lobo Editorial Board | March 24

The Daily Lobo will suspend our bi-weekly print publication until at least April 6 and will publish exclusively online. This was not a decision made lightly, and it does not mean we will stop working. But it does mean — for just the second time in 124 years — the Daily Lobo will not print a newspaper for an extended period of time. The only other time was the 1918 influenza pandemic. Two factors convinced us publishing during this historic event wasn't in the best interest of the UNM community.

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News

Student health services adjust to COVID-19 outbreak

Bella Davis | March 24

As UNM students try to adjust to changes — including the closure of the dorms and classes moving online — the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) is taking measures to work around the COVID-19 outbreak. In response to the spread of the coronavirus in New Mexico, SHAC medical visits are being converted to phone appointments when possible and all in-person counseling sessions will be converted to teletherapy. These changes were announced to students late last week as part of a number of measures being taken to ensure social distancing mandates are followed. "SHAC's entire team — medical, counseling and administration included — are working diligently to ensure that students will always have access to health care," Tiffany Martinez-Durant, manager of marketing and communication for SHAC, said.

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News

Stokes: All graduation ceremonies postponed indefinitely

Justin Garcia/ @Just516garc/ Daily Lobo | March 23

The University of New Mexico has postponed all spring convocations indefinitely, including its graduation ceremony previously schedule for May 16. Monday's announcement is the latest in a series of closures and cancellations — including in-person classes and on-campus housing — to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. As of March 24, there were 100 positive cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico, including 43 recorded in the state's most densely populated county, Bernalillo. UNM President Garnett Stokes said she regretted the measure, but insisted it had to be done. "I know that some of these decisions, particularly those related to campus housing, commencement ceremonies and the transition to remote instruction, may cause anxiety, frustration and disappointment," Stokes said, adding a promise to continue sending out updates over email.

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Culture

Four books for a pandemic

Loreena Cain | March 23

As the boredom of social distancing starts to set in, ironically picking up a book about situations more uncertain than our own can keep us entertained. Each of these novels focuses on a pandemic or an apocalypse caused by a pandemic.

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Opinion

OPINION: Bad graphs suck: A primer on COVID-19 data coverage

Joe Rull | March 23

Here at UNM, we're a week into our extended spring break, and I've spent all of my time in my room writing about math. And if you know me, you probably knew that I was going to spend my break this way, pandemic isolation or not. Before I get into it, let me just say this: I know everyone is afraid, confused, upset and probably feeling a little panicked. Don’t get me wrong — I am, too. This is a global catastrophe, the likes of which recorded history rarely sees. And because of this, I understand that graphs aren't exactly everyone's main concern right now. The problem is that I'm seeing a lot of numbers flying around with little clarity, which I can only imagine is going to cause more panic as we barrel into a national scenario that's absolutely going to get much, much worse before it gets any better.

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News

Moving out and moving on: UNM’s dorm-dwellers say goodbye

Justin Garcia | March 22

Aaron Ceceñas sat alone at a chrome-colored table outside of the Student Residence Center (SRC) March 21. He was waiting for his parents to get him and all his stuff packed neatly in a cardboard box to his right.  Like dozens of other students, Ceceñas was using what will likely be his last Saturday on campus to move out. “And this is my last year too,” he told the Daily Lobo. ”Coming from a senior’s perspective, cause I was gonna…”  Ceceñas parents arrived that moment, pulling his attention away. He motioned for them to park between two cars in front of La Posada Dining Hall, the impromptu parking lot normally used at the beginning and end of the school year.