Lobos Basketball Tournament

News

UNM statistics professor promotes contra as positive pastime

Matthew Reisen | March 2

Many know New Mexico for its unique culture, but one UNM professor is trying to generate local popularity for a certain dance with an English flair. Erik Erhardt, president of FolkMADS and a professor of statistics, said contra dances have been held in the SUB since September and will continue into the foreseeable future. Contra dance is an American folk dance that has evolved from English country-dance, like those typically seen in “Pride and Prejudice”-style movies, he said. Newcomers are highly encouraged, with lessons for beginners starting at 7 p.m. and the actual dance running from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., he said.

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News

UNM strives to simplify rape reporting process

Jonathan Baca | March 2

The University is taking steps to simplify the resources and reporting process for sexual assault victims on campus, in response to an internal assessment that found the process confusing. UNM’s Sexual Assault and Awareness Task Force is working with the Provost’s office and Dean of Students office on “coordinating and streamlining the University’s efforts to combat sexual violence on campus,” according to a press release. “There are too many options, too many places to go, too many people,” said UNM President Bob Frank. “You get good help at all those places, but they don’t always lead to the same channels, and it can lead to problems for both victims and people who get accused of being involved in these kinds of events. We’re working on it, and we hope to have significant progress here in the near future.”

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Sports

Track and Field: UNM men and women seize MWC

Thomas Romero-Salas | March 2

The New Mexico men’s and women’s track and field teams maintained their dominance of the Mountain West Conference this weekend, sweeping the indoor conference titles for the second consecutive year. The men held off Colorado State on Saturday to win the team’s third straight MW championship. The Lobos finished with 160 points, while the Rams had 140 for second place. For the women, the road to a repeat was much easier, as they won the meet by 53 points (149- 96) over runner-up CSU. “It just means the world to all of us, especially having it at home,” junior sprinter Holly Van Grinsven said. “It just makes it so much worth it because all your family and friends came to see all the hard work you put in. That’s most rewarding because you put so much time and energy, sweat and tears into this track, and to win it on this track is an incredible feeling.”

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Sports

Relief pitchers key to team's early success

Thomas Romero-Salas | February 27

So far, preseason expectations about the New Mexico baseball team’s bullpen have been proven, and the relief pitchers a key reason why the Lobos jumped out to a 5-2 start. Through seven games this season, the Lobo relievers have only given up nine earned runs in 29 1/3 innings for an ERA of 2.79.

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News

UNM crime briefs for Feb. 27

February 27

Feb. 15: UNMPD was dispatched to the UNM North Golf Course in reference to a fight. According to the report, the victim told police that he was hit in the head with a golf club by the suspect. According to UNMPD officials the victim had a cut on his head, however, the suspect alleged he was defending himself and never struck the victim with a golf club. UNMPD submitted the case to the district attorney.

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Sports

Much at stake in season's final home game

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 27

There is a lot on the line in New Mexico’s final home game in addition to the home crowd submitting a goodbye to the two departing seniors on Saturday against Fresno State. In addition to the Lobos gunning for a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament, the Bulldogs are the only team in conference the squad has failed to beat this season. UNM also has an opportunity to finish first in conference if Colorado State (21-6, 13-3 Mountain West) does not win out.

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Sports

Lobos outshot by Boise State; Fresno State up next

Kyle Tomasi | February 27

For the first time this season it wasn’t the offense that brought New Mexico down. The defense did. UNM dropped its seventh straight game after losing to a streaking Boise State team 75-65 in Boise, Idaho, where the Lobos’ inability to get stops was the team’s Achilles’ heel.

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Culture

Sol de la Noche on top in band battle

Fin Martinez | February 27

At ASUNM Student Special Events’ “Fight for Fiestas,” Latin/reggae crossover band Sol de la Noche battled against four other musical acts and came out on top, securing their spot as a headliner at this spring’s Fiestas. Sol de la Noche consists of percussionist Oscar Gamboa, drummer Ryan Rael, bassist Diego Flores, guitarist and vocalist Diego Manrique, and trumpet player Jose Chicas, all of whom are music majors at UNM.

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News

Dean: intellectual dishonesty perpetuates racism

Matthew Reisen | February 27

An English professor by trade, Finnie Coleman served as the Africana Studies Department’s administrator at UNM in 2005 before he became the dean of University College. Coleman has recently completed a book that is 10 years in the making. The book, which contains chapter titles such as “Am I White Enough For You?”, touches on a variety of subjects including hip-hop culture, authenticity, identity and post-racial America. As Black History Month nears its end, the Daily Lobo sat down with Coleman to talk about issues of race in America.

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News

SUB advisory board considers renovation

David Lynch | February 27

Members of the Student Union Building’s joint advisory board are in the early planning stages of what could become the SUB’s first major renovation in at least 10 years. Vice President of Student Life Walt Miller, who is spearheading the process, said the long-term needs of the SUB are their top priority. The current stage involves collecting data and conducting analysis of who uses the SUB and for what, to determine if a renovation is a part of those long-term needs, he said.

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Opinion

GOP has no room to talk when attacking the president

February 27

Editor, Inflation has absolutely devoured American wages for the last three decades. If Obama was really a socialist, wouldn’t the ACA include a single payer public option? Republicans seem to have forgotten that we live in a republic.

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Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos exact revenge on Boise State

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 26

New Mexico drifted away from its interior game, but reawakened its identity in a 63-50 victory over Boise State on Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. Going into the game, the Lobos were ranked second-worst in 3-point shooting percentage. However, the Lobos continued to shoot the deep ball despite the team’s low success rate in shots behind the arc. UNM went 3-10 from 3-point range in the first half. “Sometimes there’s a reason you’re open,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “We were beating them a lot inside a lot in the first half ... I told them we don’t need to take a lot or settle for jump shots.”

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Culture

'Spin' dance show features diversity

Lauren Marvin and Moriah Carty | February 26

Six choreographers and 32 dancers are bringing a diverse set of flamenco and contemporary pieces to the stage during the annual faculty dance show. Donna Jewell, artistic director for SPIN, said out of the 12 years she has taught dance at UNM, this year’s show is the most diverse. This is in part because of the diversity within the dance department, she said. “The dance program at UNM is very unique because it has a flamenco concentration and a contemporary dance concentration,” Jewell said.

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Culture

Review: Best picture winner flaunts industry's vanity

Graham Gentz | February 26

On Sunday, the 87th Academy Awards rained down their judgment on all moviedom for 2014. The Oscars have long been criticized as being out of touch for everything from the masturbatory glitz to the selection of each actual award. None receive more attention and examination than the politically-driven selection of the highly coveted Best Picture. I was fairly excited to see “Birdman,” which stars Michael Keaton, take the top spot. It seemed surreal and cerebral and looked to be filled with many long takes, but I failed to anticipate the rather shallow message the movie expounded, which explains its political selection by the voters of the Academy Awards.

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News

Parking citations help fund maintenence

Robert Salas | February 26

Parking citations are a universally disliked part of attending UNM, and most students have no idea where the money goes. Citations have gradually increased over the past two years, producing relatively substantial amounts of revenue for the Parking and Transportation Services Department. According to PATS, there have been 40,988 citations given out in fiscal year 2014 and 40,083 distributed in fiscal year 2013. At $20 to $25 a citation, the total fines for 2014 add up to $1,096,255. However, the actual revenue owed from the fines is $926,934 and about 85 percent of that is actually collected.

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News

ASUNM affirms lottery bill stance

David Lynch | February 26

The Associated Students of UNM unanimously passed a resolution to further affirm its stance opposing possible lottery scholarship cuts. Resolution 5S comes in the wake of a New Mexico Senate bill that would remove the mandate ensuring the scholarship 30 percent of lottery profits. If passed, Senate Bill 355 will allow the 30 percent minimum to be done away with in favor of an increased amount of money going to the promotion of the lottery as well as lottery prizes.

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Opinion

Letter: Shine light on the secrets keeping us in the dark

February 26

Secrecy is largely about shame, fear and guilt. I refuse to live that way. My beloved longtime friend told me in our deep, last conversation two days before his sudden death that he wanted to have first-time sex with me, but not a relationship. He said if I told anyone, he would kill me and maybe kill himself. I did not have sex with him. I want to celebrate sex with a friend, not hide it as a poisonous secret to keep him from killing me or himself. As he left my home that day, he told me “I love you” – maybe the only time since he and I met 39 years earlier. Several days later, I was devastated to hear that he was dead. This was my most heart-wrenching experience of 2011.

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News

Community rallies behind part-time faculty

Jonathan Baca | February 26

As part of Wednesday’s National Adjunct Walkout Day, community members from CNM and UNM gathered at the corner of University Boulevard and Coal Avenue to protest proposed right-to-work legislation and, what the demonstrators called the exploitation of part-time faculty. The group, which consisted of around 30 people at the height of the protest, carried signs and informed passersby about the plight of part-time instructors. Those adjunct professors make up around 70 percent of the community college’s workforce, according to a press release issued by the protest organizers. According to the release, adjunct or part-time professors teach 63 percent of classes at CNM. They receive an average of $1,000 less for each class than full-time instructors, and adjuncts are only compensated for four hours a week per class, regardless of the total time they spend creating curriculum, grading assignments and helping students outside the classroom.

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Opinion

Letter: Motorcyclists should use helmets, no exceptions

February 26

Editor, There are two helmet laws under consideration in the Legislature. One mandates motorcycle helmets for all.

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Culture

Q&A: 'Voice' singer rolls into town

Lauren Marvin | February 26

Luke Wade’s story is not terribly unique: growing up in a small town, dreaming of a life on the stage and struggling through injuries and setbacks, but the viewers of singing competition “The Voice” seemed to think his singing was unique. After battling his way to the top eight contenders, Wade continues his passion, touring with his band No Civilians. The Daily Lobo asked Wade about his childhood, what he learned from his time during “The Voice” and living on the road.