Multimedia

United Graduate Workers demonstrate at ice cream social

On Aug. 18, the University of New Mexico hosted Ice Cream Social and Departmental Informational Day with UNM President Garnett Stokes as part of the University’s “Welcome Back Days”. The United Graduate Workers of UNM, a union representing graduate workers, demonstrated at the event, hoping to raise awareness for their efforts and get face time with the University President.  The demonstrators were hoping to secure higher wages, vision and dental insurance and contractual protections for international grad students against having their immigration status exposed or weaponized, UGW Stewards Noah Mertz and Lee Ferrin, said.

Lobos tie 3-3 after comeback lead slips in second half

On Sunday, Aug. 24, the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team played against the Colorado School of Mines, tying the game after leading 3-2 from three comeback goals.  Colorado forward Bella Campos scored two early goals, giving the Orediggers a 2-0 lead until the 24th minute when Lobos forward Nicole Anderson scored the Lobos’ first goal of the game. After their first goal, the Lobos became a threat to the Orediggers’ lead, dominating their half and taking more shots — some of which were close range but deflected off of the Mines defense.

Mayor Tim Keller speaks to Albuquerque in “State of the City” address

On Aug. 23, Tim Keller hosted the 25th Annual State of the City address at the Albuquerque BioPark Botanic Garden. The State of the City is a time for the mayor to reflect on the city’s progress and goals.  Keller, Albuquerque's 31st mayor, has served since 2017 and was reelected in 2021. Keller’s speech focused on Albuquerque’s struggles with issues such as addiction, homelessness, and city protections for immigrants, and the work that’s been done to resolve them.

Isotopes split series against Las Vegas Aviators

The Albuquerque Isotopes stole game four from the Las Vegas Aviators with a 8-7 win on Friday, Aug. 22 at Isotopes Park. The Isotopes came into the game down 2-1 in the series, as they won the  opening game,  but dropped games two and three. The Isotopes were able to return from the back-to-back losses and tie the series at two-a-piece.  Similar to game three of the series, the beginning of the game did not start out so well for the Isotopes, who found themselves down 6-0 by the time the bottom of the third rolled around. This was mainly due to shaky pitching and sloppy play in the field; however, in the bottom of the third, the Isotopes started to pick things up with outfielder Zac Veen’s two run homer, making the score 6-2. 

OPINION: Will James Harden be a Hall of Famer?

When basketball fans talk about three point shooters, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Larry Bird usually dominate the conversation. However, over a sixteen year career, James Harden has proven that he belongs in the conversation with the best. Even though his stats are impressive, Harden has no ring and several playoff disappointments, a challenge to his Hall of Famer candidacy.  The numbers don’t lie, James Harden is number 14 as an all-time scoring leader, 2018 MVP, 11- time all star and six-time NBA First Team. Harden in recent memory has led his team to multiple playoff runs and even carried his teams numerous times.

OPINION: #NotMyDuckPond

When the construction fences came down around the University of New Mexico’s Duck Pond on Aug. 4, students expected the return of a refreshed campus landmark. The dearly missed duck pond was a place where students could breathe, study and watch the ducks and turtles float lazily by. What students found instead looked less like an oasis and more like a Cold War set piece. The newly renovated pond doesn’t look like a sanctuary; it looks like brutalist architecture in miniature. Stark concrete borders, harsh angles and the erasure of natural flow have left the space cold and unwelcoming. What was once a green, organic centerpiece of campus life now feels more like a monument to efficiency and bureaucracy rather than beauty and community.

New Instagram Map feature draws backlash from attorneys general, legislators and users

On Aug. 13, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr co-led a letter to Instagram regarding its new live location sharing maps feature. Among Torrez and Carr, 35 other attorneys general signed onto this letter, which claimed the feature raised “public safety and data privacy concerns — particularly for vulnerable users, including children and survivors of domestic violence,” the letter reads.  This feature was intended to be a “lightweight” way to connect with each other and is automatically turned off unless users choose to opt in, according to Meta. The feature allows users to share their location with people they follow back. Users can also hide their location from certain people or hide their location when they are in certain places.

Lobo Volleyball wins exhibition match vs New Mexico Highlands

The University of New Mexico’s Lobo Women’s Volleyball went against the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls in an exhibition match on Saturday, Aug. 23, marking their first match of the season.  The exhibition hit off with a bang, with the first point of the match being a kill by outside hitter Naomi Chankoumi. The Lobos kept up the pressure, serving strong and sharp. Setter and outside hitter Addison France made the second kill in the first set leading 2-0. There was not much fight from New Mexico Highlands in the first set, but the Cowgirls began to pick up as the last set was closing. Even though the Lobos were ahead, they did not slow down. The Lobos closed out the first set with a massive total of twelve kills, quickly leading the Lobos to a 25-7 victory.

OPINION: NFL 2025 division winner predictions

The long wait is almost over. The NFL season is set to kick off Sept. 4 with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles facing their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. The NFL is often the most unpredictable league in sports, but here are predictions for each division winner for the 2025–26 season.  AFC North: Baltimore Ravens (14-3) The Ravens are coming off a heartbreaking playoff loss in January to the Buffalo Bills and will look to take the AFC crown.

REVIEW: “Peacemaker”: A look back and forward

Did you watch “Superman” and wonder what was up with the John Cena cameo where he’s on a talk show wearing a bucket on his head? That’s Peacemaker.  He’s the titular character of James Gunn’s HBO Max original series: “Peacemaker,” which released its first season in 2022, and dropped the first episode of its second season on Thursday, Aug. 21. Season one of “Peacemaker” follows Christopher Smith — aka Peacemaker — joining a black ops mission fighting off an alien invasion in order to avoid being sent back to Belle Reve prison. Smith, a trained killer, was raised from birth to kill by his father, a neo-Nazi supervillain known as the White Dragon. Smith battles with the way he was raised, the trauma he endured, and his growing desire to be a better person and a real hero. 

Isotopes dominate in series opener versus Las Vegas, then fall in next two games

The Albuquerque Isotopes take on the Las Vegas Aviators again this week, coming home after splitting the series with the Oklahoma City Comets last week. The Isotopes were looking for a win in game one to start the series. Isotopes Manager Pedro Lopez said he feels the team could have won 4 out of the six against Oklahoma City.  “Unfortunately, it didn't happen. We ended up splitting, but it’s nice to be home and get the first one out of the way,” Lopez said.

Comic, August 19, 2025

OPINION: Why Albuquerque needs ranked-choice voting

The case for the implementation of ranked-choice voting is a simple one. To have the most democratic elections possible, Albuquerque needs ranked-choice voting. As local voters prepare to head to the polls this November for Albuquerque’s municipal elections, many wonder if the system still truly works for them and advocates for the issues they care about. According to Pew Research Center polling, trust in American government and institutions has faced a steady decline since 1964 — regardless of which political party is in control of the government — highlighting the need to focus our efforts on giving citizens more of a voice and a choice in the people who govern them.

REVIEW: Marvel’s third attempt at its “First Family” is Fantastic

Marvel Studios newest feature film, “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” was released July 25. It’s also not the first, second, or even third attempt by a major studio to bring the titular group to life; however, it is arguably the best. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the other attempts — those being the 2005 and 2007 movies helmed by Tim Story and the 2015 reboot from “Chronicle” director Josh Trank — though none of them ever shined in the eyes of critics. My hypothesis is that, tonally, these films were molded by the other superhero content hitting theaters at the time, and failed to measure up to their competitors — until now.

Lobo football holds open scrimmage and prepares for season opener

On Friday, Aug. 15, the University of New Mexico Lobo football team hosted a scrimmage open to the public, giving fans a chance to get a preview of the team in action and see them in action ahead of the season kickoff on Aug. 30 against the Michigan Wolverines. Only the most eagle-eyed fans may notice the team looks slightly different from last year: the Lobos lost their head coach, star quarterback, two running backs, four receivers and a swath of other players. Demonstrating the Lobo’s perseverance, the new Lobo football Head Coach Jason Eck has been able to put together a quality roster that could take the Lobos to decent success.

Lobo Athletics pushes for viral social media videos

In complementing the recent push for investment into certain capital projects and fan-forward programs, the University of New Mexico Athletics Department has also had a focus on creating more promotional and social media content. On Aug. 4, to announce that kids under 12 would now get free admission into football games with the purchase of an adult single game general ticket, the New Mexico Lobos released a video that went viral, with over half a million views on X alone. The video parodies an episode from the television show “The Office”, named “Scott's Tots,” with Head Football Coach Jason Eck experiencing a humorous miscommunication with Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo. As a result, Eck ends up promising free tuition to a classroom of elementary school students instead of free tickets to a football game.

UNM women's soccer team opens season with scoring onslaught

During their first game of the season, the University of New Mexico women's soccer team came out firing against the Texas Southern University Lady Tigers, cruising to an 8-0 victory during the match on Thursday, Aug. 14. The Lobos struck early, scoring three goals within the first 15 minutes and six goals in the first half. The scoring was well-balanced, with five Lobos putting the ball into the net. The scoring extravaganza led to the most goals the Lobos have scored in a match since 2002. Last season, the Lobos scored 23 goals total with their highest scoring game a 5-2 win against the Nevada Wolf Pack.

APS responds to immigration concerns

As concern grows nationally over federal immigration enforcement activity, Albuquerque Public Schools is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of its students. Before most students returned to the classroom on Aug. 7, APS released a statement  addressing community concerns regarding the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on school grounds. The article affirms that every student deserves a safe, supportive learning environment, that U.S. citizenship is not a requirement to attend public school and that immigration officials “shall not be on campus at any time.”

ABQ Backyard Refuge Program hosts informational talk at Blackbird Coffee House

On Aug. 12, Blackbird Coffee House in Old Town hosted a talk with Laurel Ladwig, director of the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program of the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and the University of New Mexico R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography. Sponsored by the Museum of Natural History and Sciences, the event was hosted at Blackbird Coffee House as the museum is closed for renovation. The ABQ Backyard Refuge Program is dedicated to providing information and resources that encourage locals to create landscape spaces friendly to native wildlife. Techniques include planting more native plants, such as any of the more than 250 plants native to the Middle Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque Metro Area and East Mountain regions.

Comic, August 15, 2025