Lobos Basketball Tournament

President Chaouki Abdallah greets Chief of UNMPD Kevin McCabe at his farewell reception on Feb. 26, 2018 at Popejoy Lobby.

News

Abdallah honored with reception as he leaves office

Ludella Awad | February 28

A reception honoring current University of New Mexico President Chaouki Abdallah was held Monday afternoon — just two days before incoming President Garnett S. Stokes is set to take office. Abdallah was named interim president in January 2017 and was officially named as the 22nd president by the Board of Regents on Feb. 13, 2018. A large crowd filled Popejoy Hall Monday, surrounding Abdallah, saying their goodbyes and honoring the work he achieved at the University.

Senior Tesha Buck dribbles against two players from Colorado State on Feb. 27, 2018 at the Dreamstyle Arena. The Lobos won 54-48 against Colorado State.

Sports

Women’s Basketball: Lobos cap senior night with a win over CSU

Matthew Narvaiz | February 28

In the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team’s final game at The Pit this season, a strong performance from senior guard Cherise Beynon led the Lobos to a win over Colorado State, 54-48, in front of a crowd of 5,088 screaming fans. Being their last game, it also doubled as “senior night,” in which four Lobos Beynon, Tesha Buck, Alex Lapeyrolerie and Laneah Bryan stepped onto the Pit floor. Lapeyrolerie, who tore her ACL in a game against Air Force a few games ago, also suited up in her uniform. And, to the crowd’s delight, was awarded her spot in the starting lineup. She looked out into the crowd and hugged her teammates before leaving the court shortly after to let the game get started.

Mike Shields, owner of Omni Strength, trains Duane Yardman-Frank at the Omni Strength gym on Feb. 23, 2018.

Sports

College students can reap benefits from bodybuilding

Sherri Barth | February 28

Not everyone has the desire or the drive to be a world-class bodybuilder, but college students and other community members may find it rewarding. Sam Schrader, a multi-title bodybuilding champion and University of New Mexico medical student, said he has experienced both mental and physical gains from the sport. “I absolutely think that keeping a consistent training schedule has been unbelievably important to my resilience in the face of an increasingly demanding academic schedule," he said. "I think that it’s become as important to my emotional wellness as it is to my physical fitness.”

Ricky Hernandez Tong returns a shot during the Lobos’ match against the University of California, Santa Barbara Feb. 25, 2018. UNM beat UCSB, 4-3

Sports

Men’s Tennis: Weekend split leaves Lobos 6-4

Matthieu Cartron | February 28

The University of New Mexico (6-4) fell 4-2 on Friday to the University of Utah (14-1) before taking down the University of California, Santa Barbara (5-4) on Sunday in a dramatic 4-3 win. In doubles play against the University of Utah, the Lobos appeared to be on their way to snatching the doubles point from the Utes after the duo of seniors Bart Van Leijsen and Jorge Escutia beat Utah junior David Micevski and freshman Randy Cory 6-4. But soon after, junior Ricky Hernandez-Tong and sophomore Dominic West fell to junior Joe Woolley and senior Egbert Weverink 6-4, and on court three Utah junior Dan Little and sophomore Azat Hankuliyev quickly followed up with a 6-4 win over UNM freshman Stepan Holis and senior Sean Baklini to give the Utes the doubles point.

Jessica Marrello of Chi Omega was named Greek Woman of the Year during the Spring 2018 Greek Week.

News

Greek Man and Woman of the Year selected

Catherine Stringam | February 27

Aaron Ochoa and Jessica Marrello were named Greek Man and Woman of the Year at the conclusion of last week’s Greek Week. Each year, the University of New Mexico’s fraternities and sororities on campus join together for the contests, events and fundraising for a local charitable cause during Greek Week. During the annual Greek Banquet at the end of the week, the philanthropy is presented with a check. This year, over $18,000 was raised for Locker 505, an organization that helps provide school clothing for children in Bernalillo County.

News

ASUNM Senate talks Innovation Academy, armed man on campus, Lottery Scholarship and more

Tasawar Shah | February 27

The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico held its third full Senate meeting of the semester on Wednesday in the Student Union Building. ASUNM Vice President Sally Midani chaired the Senate session. The session started with the first guest speaker Robert DelCampo from the University’s Innovation Academy. He said the academy is a program that excites students about innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship across different majors.

Music

Palm breaks boundaries with label debut "Rock Island"

Ryan Moloney | February 27

Craving a band’s next album when you’re only on the fourth track of their newest is a strange feeling. Rarely can a record be so instantly captivating, engaging, yet unfulfilling. It’s like the meal before Thanksgiving dinner; it satisfies you for now, but the real prize has yet to come. Rock Island is the best Thanksgiving lunch you’ve ever had. The record is Palm’s first full length LP through Carpark records, and their most accessible work to date - which is not to say that the band is compromising its sound for streaming numbers or festival billings. It's still littered with the abrupt time changes, frenzied drum patterns, and off-the-wall guitars that make their previous releases so good, but this record is a clear step forward for the band on all fronts and its most intriguing aspect is that it feels like it’s a sign of much greater things to come.

Kids gather as they see a nitrogen bomb in front of them at the Lobo Rainforest on Feb. 24, 2018.

News

Q&A with “Science Bob” Pflugfelder during Lobo Rainforest Super STEM Saturday

Danielle Prokop | February 27

Air Force Research Lab Super STEM Saturday science demonstrations went off with a bang. Hundreds attended the showcase at Innovate ABQ at the Lobo Rainforest, to participate in a number of science experiments from driving robots and set all kinds of fires. Jewel Meyer-Hagen, president of the University of New Mexico’s Chemistry Club, said helping with demonstrations helps UNM students give back to the community.

News

Demonstrators support Black Lives Matter movement

Anthony Jackson | February 27

Over 100 people carrying signs and banners converged at the Dreamstyle Arena Saturday for a Black Lives Matter rally and march. Event Coordinator Shakir Farid Abdullah, a human rights activist with Black Lives Matter, called the turnout “beautiful” and said the event took about two months to coordinate. He said the event’s focus was to bring the community together and meet one another. Demonstrators took to the streets by early afternoon, filling and marching in two lanes westbound on Avenida Cesar Chavez.

News

UNM celebrates National Engineers Week

Mikhaela Smith | February 26

The University of New Mexico’s School of Engineering celebrated National Engineers Week Feb. 18 through 22 with several events aimed at getting students interested in math and science. The National Society of Professional Engineers created National Engineers Week in 1951. The week is celebrated in conjunction with George Washington’s birthday, who is considered to be the nation’s first engineer for his notable survey work. The purpose of the week is to celebrate the contributions engineers make to society, as well as promote the field and increase involvement.

Sports

Football: Former Lobo picks up pair of Hall of Fame honors

Robert Maler | February 26

Former University of New Mexico football player Brian Urlacher has been busy lately, picking up Hall of Fame selections for his collegiate and professional playing careers. Urlacher was already a member of UNM's Ring of Honor, but joined the ranks of the College Football Hall of Fame in December of 2017. He was a versatile player for New Mexico, logging plays as a linebacker, safety and on special teams as well. During his time at UNM, he garnered All-American honors twice and amassed some impressive statistics.

Sports

Sports Issue: Students use protein to help build muscle

Marco Torrez | February 26

Protein is consumed to help aid muscle repair and increase muscle growth, but protein itself does not constitute a negative repercussion unless the consumer mismanages their protein intake. Protein consumption is a common aspect of many people’s normal workout procedure. The amount of different kinds of protein that is available to people ranges from organic, to powder, to shakes and to bars. Kurt Escobar, a UNM Ph.D. student and undergraduate professor specializing in Exercise Science at the University of New Mexico, said the idea that different forms of protein have different varying levels of effectiveness is not true.

Culture

Movie Review: Strong cast and hilarious plot makes “Game Night” a great comedy

Timber Mabes | February 26

From the trailer, it is difficult to tell if “Game Night” is a serious murder mystery laced with tension-relieving humor, or if the film is just a straight-up comedy. Allow me to resolve this quandary. The film is a straight-up comedy — a good one with an amazing cast.

Culture

"AMPLIFY” showcases student dancers along with faculty and guest choreographers

Ariel Lutnesky | February 26

People filed into Rodey Theatre Friday evening for the opening night of “AMPLIFY,” a dance performance by the University of New Mexico Department of Theatre and Dance. For audience member Theresa Sherman, the performance was one to remember. “It's really impressive to see students do such a quality, professional level of performance,” Sherman said.

Opinion

Sports Issue: Column — How I got into sports reporting

Matthew Narvaiz | February 25

Growing up I was always into sports. Playing them, watching them but, most of all, talking about them. I remember in my younger days watching College Gameday with Lee Corso and always looking forward to waking up at 9 a.m. to hear him and his crew’s predictions on the upcoming college football games. To me, that’s where the real fun was. Growing up, for most of my elementary and middle school years, I had dreams and aspirations of being on Sportscenter and talking about the day’s highlights. But like time, change in myself—and my interests—was always inevitable. I was still just a young boy, learning new things about myself each and every day. Being on Sportcenter, being an anchor on set, wasn’t for me. What was for me, though, was still being involved in sports somehow and someway.

Opinion

Sports Issue: Column — Let's talk about paying collegiate student-athletes

Danielle Prokop | February 25

First off, I don’t care about college sports, but I do care about college athletes. I don’t have a “team,” and I’ve never been to a game. However, that does not take away from the fact that people are placing themselves into a brutal arena, unpaid for the work they do, for the sake of entertainment. Athletes are working 40 hours a week minimum at their sport — a full-time job on top of classes. They are limited by schedules and practices. Athletes cannot control their image, endorse products or receive payment for autographs unlike other “amateurs." This arbitrary rule is enforced across sports, not just the money-makers like football or basketball.

Opinion

Sports Issue: Column — College sports should benefit students, not the NCAA

Christian Marquez | February 25

I really don’t care for sports. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Lobos, but hear me out. Student-athletes lay it all on the line for a chance to make professional sports their career. Some of them make it, but most of them do not. If we look to the numbers, it seems that only one party is guaranteed to profit from this relationship: the NCAA and their partners. For example, according to the NCAA’s estimated probability of competing in professional sports, out of the 18,684 student-athletes playing men’s basketball in 2017, 4,152 were draft eligible. There were 60 draft spots open, and only 44 players were drafted — making the probability of being drafted pro from NCAA men's basketball 1.1 percent.

Opinion

Column: STUNT takes cheerleading to a new level

Catherine Stringam | February 25

For the first time ever, the University of New Mexico's all-girl cheerleading team will be playing STUNT during the Big 12 Meet, Friday through Sunday in Oklahoma City. As a freshman on the UNM all-girl team, this is super exciting for me. I have cheered for a long time and competed in a variety of competitions — both high school and all-star, at the state, national and international levels.

Chris McNeal shoots a basket during a game against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at Dreamstyle Stadium on Feb. 25, 2018.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos eke out 91-90 win over Runnin' Rebels

Robert Maler | February 25

It is not accustomed to playing games on Sunday, but the University of New Mexico men's basketball team could use a win any way it could get it — and it came up big in crunch time to do just that. New Mexico (15-14, 10-6 MW) won its third straight game to elevate its overall record to above .500 for the first time since the opening games of the season, gutting out a 91-90 victory over UNLV on Sunday afternoon. Things went back and forth throughout the game, and things got chippy at times as the referee's whistle began to blow with more frequency as both teams seemed to give everything they had to hold on to their place in the conference standings.

Sports

Sports Issue — Hockey: Lobos qualify for Nationals for first time in program history

February 25

For the first time in the history of the University of New Mexico hockey team, the Lobos have skated into postseason play and will compete in the ACHA National Championships. New Mexico went undefeated in its first 11 games to start the season and never looked back, posting an impressive 20-4-1 record along the way. Head coach Grant Harvey said the team was overlooked in the past and felt some politics kept New Mexico out of the postseason mix in previous seasons. But with the selection process, including an algorithm with defined criteria and the team's impressive résumé, there was no question this season's effort was good enough to warrant a bid to nationals.