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Contact tracers work to slow the spread of COVID-19

A University of New Mexico student received a phone call from the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) late one Wednesday evening. The department was calling to tell her she had tested positive for COVID-19. “I was so shocked when I found out,” she said, “but talking to the contact tracer eased my worries.” Contract tracers play an important role in combating the coronavirus. When a person tests positive for the virus, contract tracers call and inform them of their test result, which begins the case investigation.

Search for new student regent underway

  The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) have put out calls for the next student regent.  The student regent is a member of the student body who serves on the UNM Board of Regents as one of seven full voting members. Melissa C. Henry, a doctoral candidate in the College of Education, is currently serving as the student regent, but her term expires at the end of the year.  The next student regent’s two-year term will start in January 2021.

OPINION: ‘Avengers’ video game misses the mark by a long shot

  Over the past 10 years, Marvel’s Avengers intellectual property has been one of the most successful franchises in the entertainment industry. So when it was announced in 2017 that Square Enix was developing an Avengers video game, anticipation around the project began to build. The thought of being able to fly like Iron Man, wield Thor’s hammer and throw Captain America’s shield had many chomping at the bit to get their hands on the game. But after playing it, I was left feeling underwhelmed. Sure, taking control of these iconic heroes was a blast, but the sheer amount of lifeless characters, bugs, uninspired gameplay design and endless grinding left me feeling more annoyed than blown away.

Historic Camino Real museum reopens after six month hiatus

El Rancho de las Golondrinas, located near the Santa Fe Plaza, reopened on Sept. 9 after being closed for six months due to COVID-19 measures put in place by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. El Rancho de las Golondrinas was active in the 18th and 19th centuries as a stopping point for people who were traveling the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a historic trade route between Mexico City and Ohkay Owingeh during the Spanish colonial era. It is now a museum that is dedicated to preserving an important site of New Mexican history. According to the website, the museum is meant to promote and preserve the Hispanic heritage of northern New Mexico.

UNM professor, students celebrate women’s suffrage centennial with art exhibit

The centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage is upon us in 2020, and “A Yellow Rose Project” celebrates the victories and acknowledges the losses of the historic passage of the 19th Amendment through an online photography exhibit. University of New Mexico Honors College associate professor Megan Jacobs was one artist chosen among over a hundred other women to contribute to the project, collaborating with UNM students Hyunju Blemel, Sydney Nesbit, Sierra Venegas and Tilcara Webb. A portion of the exhibit is available to view in person at the Spectra Gallery at the Honors College.

Cutoff to receive absentee ballots just over a month away

With the 2020 general election less than two months away, time is running out for New Mexico voters to obtain absentee ballots. On Aug. 28, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced that voters can apply for absentee ballots through an online portal.  New Mexico is a “no-excuse” absentee ballot state, meaning that any registered voter can obtain an absentee ballot. The deadline to register to vote, either online or by mail, is Oct. 6.  The final day to get an absentee ballot is Oct. 20, and it is suggested that voters mail them back by Oct. 27.

Over a third of UNM students food insecure, even more lack stable housing

In April — just one month into the COVID-19 stay-at-home order — 32% of UNM students reported experiencing food insecurity and almost 42% were unsure about their housing, according to a recent study conducted by the University of New Mexico’s Basic Needs Team.  The team — comprised of researchers from a variety of departments and offices on campus — examined the rates of food and housing insecurity and how they are patterned across different demographic groups at UNM. New Mexico households have the highest rate (16.8%) of food insecurity across the country, according to the study.

Sept 17, 2020 Comics

Black New Mexico Movement rally in Rio Rancho met with large, aggressive counter-protest

A group of 50 or so protesters in attendance at a Black New Mexico Movement (BNMM) rally held in Rio Rancho on Sept. 12 were met with hateful rhetoric from a large crowd of right-wing counter-protesters. BNMM held the rally on the eve of the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder “to call for the same changes Tupac called for many years ago,” according to the Facebook event page, a reference to Shakur’s activism against racism and police bruality. Organizers encouraged attendees to register to vote, fill out the census and keep working toward racial justice.

Hays Honey going strong since 1970

New Mexico resident Kenneth Hays may be the bravest beekeeper in the state. Hays was born with an allergy to bee venom, but after he was given a beehive from a friend, he picked up beekeeping as a hobby full-time. After Hays retired, he decided to turn his hobby into a business and has been running his own beekeeping and apple orchard business in New Mexico since 1970. This has been one of the best years for Hays’ bee farm — so far, his bees have produced over 500 pounds of several different types of honey. Hays said “the right amount of rain at the right time” seperates a good year from a bad year.

Prickly Pear Festival goes virtual

The second annual New Mexico Prickly Pear Festival went online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting an on-hands event to online workshops and discussions on Sept. 12. Will Thomson, the event’s coordinator, said the goals of the event were “to increase the market for prickly pear and make it a resource for farmers, food producers and food businesses in New Mexico (and) to center prickly pear’s history as an Indigenous food in the U.S. Southwest.” Attendees could order items online and pick them up at a specified drive-through location during the day.

UNM sustainability blog maintains symbiosis with community

Have you ever had to blog for your class? Students in the University of New Mexico’s “Sustainability 364: Local Food Systems Practicum” class prepare “ABQ Stew” every spring semester, a blog concerning environmental sustainability meant to benefit the community. The class is taught by Jessica Rowland, a professor dedicated to leading students in recognizing the importance of environmental concerns. In the blog, students explore topics that they have been studying in-depth throughout the semester, connecting with the community to share their work. Rowland said the goal is to “really engage them deeply with their communities so they can recognize these sustainability challenges.”

Exploring New Mexico

  Pecos River A quick day trip up north from Albuquerque takes you to one of New Mexico’s most beautiful spots for fishing, hiking, camping and endless scenic views. The Pecos River is just about an hour and a half drive from Albuquerque.The Pecos has hiking spots, fishing spots, and places for picnics all alongside Highway 63. As an added bonus, the drive over is one of the more beautiful drives in the state. As you ride alongside the river, you become immersed in wildlife, cool temperatures and some of the natural beauty New Mexico has to offer.  

Into the Wild: Camping spots located off the beaten path

With the help of University of New Mexico outdoor recreation coordinator Charles Gwinn, the Daily Lobo team explored some incredible camping spots and compiled our favorites into this list for readers who want to give camping a try in their own backyard. Gwinn, along with recommendations for great camping spots, provided us with useful and important tips for new campers. Enjoy!

‘The new normal’: New Mexico’s clear and present climate crisis

As climate change continues to accelerate and manifest in the form of hotter summers, drier monsoons and ever more extreme weather, New Mexico’s complex ecosystem has borne witness to a hellfire of havoc disproportionate to that of other states in the union. But what grim reality should New Mexicans ...

Great American Outdoors Act: ‘A big damn deal’

On Aug. 4, after waiting several months for a proposal from Congress, President Donald Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), giving nearly a billion dollars a year in the process to wilderness conservation and park construction projects across the country. “The Great American Outdoors Act provides $900 million a year in guaranteed funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund so that all Americans can continue to enjoy our parks and wildlife refuges,” according to a White House briefing. New Mexico stands to benefit greatly from the legislation, given that the state is home to two national parks and a number of wilderness areas.

UNM’s Mikaela ‘FlyBy’ Osler breaks thru-hiking record

Editor's note: Mikaela Osler and the Daily Lobo recognize and acknowledge the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Colorado and the diverse communities who have cared for and continue to preserve the land. Within ancestral Ute land, traversing eight sweeping mountain ranges, across five charging river systems and through the thickets and fields of six national forests, the 485-mile Colorado Trail asks hikers to set aside four to six weeks of backpacking to complete it. Mikaela Osler finished the trail in ten days, 12 hours and 36 minutes.

UNM’s desert oasis a costly endeavor

The seven hundred and sixty-nine acres that span the University of New Mexico campus are predominantly covered in grass — an odd sight, given the college’s high desert locale. Water, a precious commodity that is increasingly lacking in supply and high in demand, flows freely on UNM’s grounds — and according to the administration, isn’t a cost that is easily tabulated. Norma Allen, the director of the University’s budget operations, said that UNM’s Facilities Management department receives a $1.9 million budget for the grounds. Facilities Management said that its system isn’t currently set up to monitor the water usage on campus, and because of this isn’t able to peg down the exact cost.

Sept 14, 2020 Comics

Sept 9, 2020 Comics