Lobos Basketball Tournament

Culture

Theatre troupe goes as authentic as it can with Shakespearean performance

Troy Amato | February 19

On Saturday at the Robertson and Sons Violin Shop, theatre troupe Severall Friends will be performing “Songs and Sonnets,” a dedication and rendition of classic Shakespearean and other Elizabethan works. Severall Friends, according to group manager Ken Perlow, is “a non-profit arts organization based in the Santa Fe area, and committed to passionate period-instrument performances — that is, on the very instruments played at the time — of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music.” Severall Friends holds true to its goal of affordable theatre for students.

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Culture

Joshua Pedersen, lightsaber smith

Troy Amato | February 19

Every Wednesday and Saturday night at the Duck Pond, ABQ Jedi meets to clash in the mystical art of lightsaber dueling. While these battles are fierce and climactic, the true hero hides among their ranks — Joshua Pedersen, a “Sabersmith.” Pedersen runs a local business known as Battle Sabers. Originally created as a passion project, as Pederson hoped to explore saber smithing and sparring. Lacking the funds to construct sabers and inspired by his own experience with saber sparring, Pedersen visited the Internet to learn how to create his own. After researching forums and multiple websites, he stumbled upon a guide to make a personal saber out of PVC pipe.

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Sports

Baseball: Lobos sweep Binghamton at home in first series

Matthew Narvaiz | February 19

Great pitching and strong hitting in the third of a three-game series helped the Lobo baseball team sweep the Binghamton Bulldogs at Santa Ana Star Field, as the Lobos (3-0) took home the victory 11-4 on Sunday afternoon. Luis Gonzalez – who also plays outfield – got the start on the mound for the Lobos. He struck out four, and only allowed four hits and one run in five innings of pitching. But the hitters provided for the Lobos too. As a team, the Lobos notched 15 hits, while holding Binghamton (0-3) to 12, though the Lobos were able to score more often.

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Sports

Women's Tennis: Lobos break through for first win

Robert Maler | February 19

The Lobo women’s tennis team earned a split in Salt Lake City, Utah over the weekend, breaking through to win its first game of the season. Head coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada took over the team in the fall, and said she was excited to pick up the first team victory of the spring. "It felt really good, I think it was well-deserved," she said. "The girls had been right on the cusp of pulling out one of those close matches, and we did it, so that was nice." New Mexico (1-5) played Utah on Friday as the first-year head coach of UNM faced her former head coach, Mat Iandolo, when she was a player for Purdue.

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Sports

Men's Basketball: Turnovers foil Lobo chances to beat Fresno State

Isabel Gonzalez | February 18

A subpar performance that included 19 turnovers cost the Lobos an important game and likely erased any chance at the Mountain West regular season title on Saturday night. New Mexico (16-11, 9-6 MW) was just one game out of first place going into the game, but suffered a 71-61 loss at the hands of Fresno State. Now, its NCAA tournament chances will rely heavily on whether the team can win the Mountain West Tournament in March.

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Sports

Women's Basketball: Another triple-double and strong post play propel Lobos to victory

Matthew Narvaiz | February 18

An unusual start for the Lobo women's basketball team helped them get past Fresno State. Senior forward Kianna Keller – someone who has not been akin to shooting the ball often – scored the Lobos’ first three points of the game on her way to a near double-double. Keller posted a season-high nine points and brought down 11 rebounds in a 66-57 win over the Bulldogs. Head coach Mike Bradbury said he was proud of Keller's play, when asked about her performance in Saturday’s game.

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Sports

Baseball: Lobos flex muscles, blasting six homers to take second win over Binghamton

Robert Maler | February 18

Lobo baseball struck early and often in game two of a three-game series against Binghamton on Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field. New Mexico (2-0) cranked out six homeruns and used some solid pitching and timely defense in the infield to cruise to a 10-4 victory over Binghamton (0-2). First baseman Jack Zoellner accounted for three of those homers as he went 3-for-4 from the plate. And Carson Schneider pitched his way out of some early trouble, going five innings strong and striking out four batters to earn the win.

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Sports

Women's Basketball: New Mexico, third in MW, to take on Fresno State at home

Robert Maler | February 18

The New Mexico women’s basketball team will try to erase the sting of suffering a last-second defeat on Wednesday, as it hosts Fresno State in the “Lobos Love Pink” game. Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to help raise funds for cancer research with proceeds going to the UNM Cancer Center, a release said. Admission to the game is just $5 for fans wearing pink attire. New Mexico (14-11, 9-5 MW) fell 64-62 on Wednesday to Boise State after letting a double-digit lead slip away in the final period.

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Sports

Baseball: Tripp fantastic in relief appearance as Lobos win first game of the season

Matthew Narvaiz | February 18

Opening Day couldn't have gone any better for the Lobo baseball team. The Lobos were able to snag an 8-4 victory over Binghamton University Friday evening despite not having the best of hitting nights. Great defense and great pitching was able to elevate the Lobos to their first win, as well as a relief arm that overcame early nerves to help the Lobos get to 1-0 in 2017. Binghamton notched one more hit (8) than the Lobos, but New Mexico made the most out of the time they spent on base, and capitalized on the errors that their opponent contributed. Despite his team’s hitting, head coach Ray Birmingham wasn't concerned with his team’s production on that side of the ball.

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Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos to battle Fresno State on Saturday afternoon as end of the season nears

Isabel Gonzalez | February 18

One game out of the top spot in the conference, the UNM men’s basketball team has just four games remaining in the season — so the Lobos can’t afford to relax. After collecting back-to-back wins, the cherry and silver will hit the road for a match at Fresno State on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs are sitting in sixth place in the conference standings with a 15-11 overall record and an even 7-7 record in the Mountain West. “They’ve had an up-and-down year,” said UNM head coach Craig Neal. “They are very dangerous. They’ve been playing very well at home, so it will be a tough challenge for us.”

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Sports

Women's Tennis: Coaches and their former players reunite in Salt Lake City, Utah

Robert Maler | February 17

The UNM women’s tennis team will have two chances to pick up win number one, as it hits the road to compete against former coaches in Salt Lake City, Utah. New Mexico head coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada will square off against her former head coach, Mat Iandolo, who coached her during her collegiate playing days at Purdue. Iandolo is currently the head coach for Utah, where he is in his eighth season at the helm. Six of the eight current players on the UNM roster will be reunited with former UNM head coach Kelcy McKenna, who accepted the same position at Wisconsin last fall. Her departure opened the door for Wooten-Quijada to take over at New Mexico. She said all three coaches have been in contact with each other, and she expects it to be a fun experience when the teams meet up this weekend. “I’m looking forward to seeing both of them,” she said. “I think it’ll be a great week of tennis.”

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News

UNM group encourages free speech with huge beach ball

Cathy Cook | February 16

“Hello gorgeous world” was written in massive curly letters on a free speech beach ball in Smith Plaza Wednesday afternoon. The inflatable beach ball — standing taller than some students — was brought to Smth Plaza by the UNM chapter of Young Americans for Liberty as a way to remind students of the importance of free speech, and to create dialogues between different-minded groups, according to YAL President Jess Ceron.

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Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos drop a nail-biter against Boise State in closing seconds

Matthew Narvaiz | February 16

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team hit a game-tying shot late in the game, but fell in the final seconds on the road against Boise State, losing 64-62. Junior guard Alex Lapeyrolerie drained a 3-pointer with just 27 seconds remaining to tie the game at 62-62, but it wasn’t enough.

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News

Graduation rates, staff morale discussed at Board of Regents meeting

Hannah Eisenberg | February 15

Innovation Academy Professor Robert DelCampo, of Anderson School of Management, attended UNM’s Board of Regents meeting Tuesday morning to discuss The Innovation Academy, a new school program of which he is the executive director. The Innovation Academy launched in August 2015 with the intention to foster innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship among students. With over 541 students signed up across 31 different majors since its conception, the program has blown past the goal set by former President Bob Frank of 15 students enlisted per year.

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Culture

Film Review: 'Lion' portrays a raw, true story

David Lynch | February 15

If “Lion” was a work of complete fiction, there’s no doubt it would invite skepticism over its unbelievable plot. The fact that this – a story about an Indian boy, Saroo, losing his family and finding them again decades later as a grown man – is a true story is astounding enough in its own right. But Garth Davis doesn’t simply rely on immense emotional appeal for his feature directorial debut. He works to make the climax as satisfying as possible, via two hours of compelling and superbly-written narrative that certainly earns its place in the Best Picture race. Chief among the things that elevate “Lion” from good to great is the decision to make the story linear, when it could have been told through flashbacks that would have detracted from its magnitude.

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Culture

Unique food and art collective to host pop-up dinner

Troy Amato | February 15

On Feb. 26, the organization FoodGore will be hosting a special “Tea for Two” event, featuring food, tea, and local art. Started in Oct. 2015 by Mayaneli Brown and Niles Keith, FoodGore is a unique collaboration between chefs and artists, combining art, food, jewelry and homemade ice cream. Through its regular art show pop-ups, FoodGore has become a perfect showcase for local artists of all kinds. Brown said that there’s no limitation when it comes to involvement.

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Opinion

Column: The absurd consequences of a "right to privacy"

Thomas L. Knapp | February 15

British MP David Davis's text messages poking fun at the appearance of a female colleague make him the latest whipping boy for those determined to root out sexism and misogyny in public life, the Daily Mail reports. Curiously, they also make him the latest poster boy for exponents of an expansive "right to privacy" like Brendan O'Neill of spiked magazine.

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News

Training spotlights mental health crises

Cathy Cook | February 15

Nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, emergency medicine and medicine students were all brought together Tuesday to learn about helping someone in a mental health crisis. The Interprofessional Education Office in the Health Sciences Center put together the two-part mental health first aid certification course and Amy Levi, director of interprofessional education, said they thought it would be a good tool to give students. “I don’t know that students often have the skills or the tools to say to a classmate, ‘I think you’re feeling a little stressed out’ or ‘are you feeling like you want to hurt yourself’ or something like that,” Levi said. “Those are taboo subjects unless you feel like you have the knowledge to be able to interact with somebody that is experiencing that kind of crisis.”

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Opinion

Column: What to wear in the face of fascism

Cathy Cook | February 15

There’s been a lot of talk about fighting fascism in my Facebook feed lately, but are you really prepared to resist an Orwellian police state? And when I say prepared, I mean do you have the right outfit? Of course not! The 2000s were a fashion nightmare from which we are only just awaking, which is why I’m here to tell you what looks will be hot in the picket line this fall.

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Culture

SWFC Preview: Oscar darling 'La La Land' to play at the SUB

Fin Martinez | February 15

One of 2016’s holiday hits, the critically acclaimed “La La Land,” will be playing in the SUB Theater this weekend as a part of the ASUNM Southwest Film Center’s spring 2016 film series. “La La Land” represents the second feature by director Damien Chazelle after he broke onto the Hollywood scene with “Whiplash” in 2014. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, an aspiring jazz musician living paycheck to paycheck, and Emma Stone as Mia a young actress looking for her big break. Both of them aspire for fame and fortune in contemporary Los Angeles.