The University of New Mexico is now fast-tracking its way to becoming a completely smoke- and tobacco-free environment. The new policy, No. 2250 under the Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual: Transition to a Smoke-and Tobacco-Free Campus, states “UNM will, with few exceptions, become a smoke- and tobacco-free environment by Fall Semester 2017.
Editor, In an apologetic attempt to rationalize the dire state of the nation, political commentators blame the institution of democracy, and by extension, the American people, for the “election” of vulgar impotence and erratic incompetence. While the psychological assessment is correct, the political assumption is false and needs qualification. Despite widespread political immaturity, the people are in fact not at fault here. Donald Trump is an absolute minority president with the support of perhaps roughly 20 percent. He was rejected by the popular vote, which he lost by three million. This defeat still consumes him. It led him to install the so-called “Commission on Election Integrity” which aims at suppressing enough votes to secure future elections. Trump knows he can win elections only through manipulation.
The Albuquerque BioPark and Botanic Garden hosted the Annual Obon Festival on Aug. 10, as a part of the Garden’s Summer Night concert series.
Experiencing a mixed start to the 2017 campaign, the Lobos (1-1) will be hoping to put a couple of wins on the books on the road against New Mexico State and UTEP. After beating CSU Pueblo in an exhibition game last week 3-1, UNM lost to the University of San Francisco 1-2 and beat Grand Canyon University 1-0 during the Lobo Invitational. In the previous season, the Lobos also split their first two games of the season. How the Lobos respond on the road in the next couple of games will be crucial to the rest of the season. During the 2016 season, the Lobos were unable to increase their momentum from impressive and important victories — their largest winning streak was two games.
Lobo men’s soccer has something to be proud of—specifically, junior defender Aaron Herrera has something to be proud of. Herrera was named to the Preseason Top Drawer Soccer Best XI list, Top Drawer Soccer announced on Monday, a release said. He was listed to the second team, projecting him as one of the top players in NCAA men's soccer. Herrera said the recognition felt good, but his goals are more focused on starting the season well and seeing his team achieve success throughout it.
The University of New Mexico Department of Physics and Astronomy and the UNM Observatory hosted a viewing party on Monday morning to celebrate the first solar eclipse in almost 40 years.
Several sources have confirmed that the Higher Learning Commission sent a letter to the University of New Mexico electronically on Aug. 15 expressing concerns over the University's recent financial oversights, which are a part of a current investigation by State Auditor Tim Keller. Daniel Lidbit of NM Fishbowl reported on the nature of the electronic communication and how UNM's accreditation could potentially be at risk depending on several factors.
With 22 practices under their belt, Lobo players made final pre-season preparations, hosting their Cherry vs. Silver intrasquad exhibition match, Saturday at 6 p.m. in Johnson Center. Cherry came out on top, dominating all three sets and racked up scores of 25-17, 25-20 and 25-16. Head Coach Jeff Nelson offered his take on the game saying, "I was actually quite happy with how we played. We have nine new players. I thought they were nervous...They had to step up, and they did." Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Twitty echoed Nelson’s views, saying, “Overall I thought the energy and effort was good. I think it was a good chance to get the nerves out of the freshmen and to get them some playing time.”
Welcome Back Days are upon us, and UNM’s Student Activities Center is wasting no time bringing resident Lobos and first-time college students together. Last week’s Friday Night Live kicked off a weeklong series of University-sponsored activities and events. According to SAC, about 2,500 students Friday evening made their way into the Student Union Building, where more than 50 student groups ranging from young Libertarians to acappella fanatics tabled and advertised their clubs. The idea behind the event was simple: give students something to do that will increase their exposure to University life, said Ryan Lindquist, SAC director.
The City of Albuquerque is looking to clean up its act this fall and hopes the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project will make major strides with the roll-out of 60-foot, all-electric buses. As the ART project aims to wrap up by year’s end, Mayor Richard Berry’s office hopes the new transportation system — along with other large investments — can transform Albuquerque’s center. Earlier this month, the mayor unveiled the new buses and announced Albuquerque would be the first in the nation to have all-electric rapid transit. Reminiscent of a Route 66 diner, the buses have a grey body, a checkered stripe and a neon accent running along the top.
Editor, On August 1, 2017, the University of New Mexico was thrust into national social discord when the Mentoring Institute was called out for a racially insensitive tweet. Days later, the University of Virginia was thrust into political discord as white nationalists and neo-Nazis carrying armor, artilleries, clubs and Confederate flags descended upon Charlottesville, Virginia for a so-called “Unite the Right” rally around the statue of Thomas Jefferson on the Charlottesville campus. The event ultimately escalated into physical violence, led to several injuries and two fatalities and caused Virginia’s governor, Terry McAuliffe, to declare a state of emergency.
Universities actively trying to recruit international students are facing “challenging times” amidst disputes in the nation's capitol. “There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding changes to official U.S. policies,” said Linda Melville, Associate Director for International Student & Scholar Services at UNM. “National dialogues are currently still very speculative, but the perception globally is that the U.S. is interested in placing greater restrictions on immigration.” Changes to immigration policy vary — from the newly proposed Raise Act which seeks to reduce levels of legal immigration to the United States by 50 percent to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA allows individuals who come to the United States as children and meet several guidelines to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years.
Editor, I'm Jewish. I’m proud of being Jewish. In fact, being the only Jewish member of the State House of Representatives is a special source of pride. But there is always that concern — what if? When I was growing up, and we would read about what had happened in Germany during World War II, my father would warn me — it could happen here. I have never believed him. Our institutions, our culture, our history and our people are too strong. There will always be those who embrace hatred over understanding and love. But the vast majority of Americans will resist that hate.
Every University of New Mexico student is required to meet with an advisor at least once per semester or a hold will be placed on their account; however, advisors are able to accomplish much more than releasing holds. UNM advisors meet with current students, assist with college recruitment and host workshops and graduation events. University advisors are often a student’s first resource for information, whether they are looking for detailed information about degree programs or general information about campus resources.
The office of the Associated Students of UNM, tucked behind the stairs on the lower level of the Student Union Building, has been bustling with energy as new president Noah Brooks and vice president Sally Midani gear up for a busy semester. First and foremost, the administration is looking to follow through on campaign promises. To do so, the pair has three main goals: work with administration to get free student shuttles to and from home games, continue to streamline advisement and work to prevent sexual assault on campus. While the new Lobo Achieve website was implemented over the summer, the other objectives still require attention.
The Lobos women’s soccer team (1-1-0) won their first game of the season on Sunday morning, as they defeated Grand Canyon University (0-2-0) by a score of 1-0. New Mexico completely outplayed the Lopes, out shooting them 20-5 on their way to victory.
Former Lobo baseball player Mitch Garver was promoted to the Major Leagues by the Minnesota Twins late Thursday night. Garver was called up to take the place of outfielder Robbie Grossman, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a fractured thumb. So far this season, Garver is hitting .291 behind the plate with a .386 on base percentage and 541 slugging percentage. He has also cranked out 17 home runs and 45 RBI for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, according to baseball-reference.com.
The New Mexico men's soccer team remained perfect, finishing up the exhibition schedule by shutting out Grand Canyon on Saturday. The Lobos looked sharp in their first two exhibition matches, dispatching of both Air Force and Colorado School of Mines by a final of 3-1. UNM put the defensive clamps on against the Lopes and preserved the shutout late in the match--something head coach Jeremy Fishbein seemed to take note of.
The New Mexico women’s soccer team opened the season with a bang, scoring in the opening minutes of the match — but ultimately came up short against San Francisco on Friday night. UNM’s Emily Chavez, a senior defender, headed in a goal off a corner kick at the 2:37 mark to put the Lobos up 1-0. Many things appeared to go well for the Lobos (0-1-0). The team outshot its opponent 19-14 and ended up with eight shots on goal for the match. New Mexico Head Coach Heather Dyche said she was pleased with what she saw overall and the mistakes the team made are correctable.
The Lobo women’s soccer team followed suit by picking up a win in its first exhibition game, duplicating the effort of the men’s team and walking away with a 3-1 victory over Colorado State-Pueblo on Wednesday night. New Mexico’s men’s team gave up the first goal in its exhibition match against Air Force, but responded to score the final three goals of the match to win 3-1. The women got the same result, but took a different path in getting there. Senior midfielder Claire Lynch helped the Lobos find the scoreboard first, striking the ball from distance and finding the back of the net.
Solutions by The State News
