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Culture

OPINION: Dessert in the desert: Top 5 frozen treat destinations to beat ABQ’s heat

Annya Loya | July 5

College students continue to drift lazily through summer break as the heat waves keep rolling in. As Albuquerque’s temperature heads back into the 90s this week, along with lowered COVID-19 restrictions, it’s time to enjoy a sweet treat. Here are the top 5 ice cream and frozen yogurt spots you can find in the city. 5. Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt If you’re looking for something cold but ice cream isn’t the right fit for you, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is the way to go. This spot is among the best frozen yogurt places in Albuquerque, with over 70 flavors of delicious froyo. Far more refreshing and healthy than ice cream, frozen yogurt is a must-have this summer.

Sports

Bill Dotson, former UNM wrestling coach, passes away at 81

Emma Trevino | July 5

Bill Dotson passed away on Saturday at the age of 81 surrounded by family and friends. Dotson is survived by his wife Linda and his children Charlie, Chad, Scott and Stephanie. As coach of the University of New Mexico’s wrestling team from 1980-1999, Dotson trained five UNM athletes that competed at the Division I level. Although the program was cut by UNM in April of 1999, Dotson was a powerful influence during his tenure as coach. According to Dotson’s son Charlie, Dotson was a good man who liked to laugh. “He was a man’s man, he was UFC before there was UFC or before UFC was the UFC

Opinion

OPINION: Five remarkable Lobo Olympians of the past

Matthew Salcido | July 1

Every two years, the Olympics gives nations around the world the opportunity to showcase their best athletes, and Lobos from the University of New Mexico have had more than a few chances to shine. Here’s a look at five notable Lobo Olympians from over the years. Cathy Carr Cathy Carr, the only athlete on this list to have an individual medal, holds the distinction of being the first athlete from the University of New Mexico to win an Olympic gold medal in 1972. At the age of 18, Carr won not one, but two gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in swimming— the first, in the 100 breaststroke and the second, in the 4x100 medley relay.

News

OPINION: Public schools maintain tight grip on student speech despite recent ruling

Liam Debonis | July 1

Protection of the First Amendment in high school has long been debated, and the Supreme Court often rules against the protections of the student. This just solidifies the feeling of powerlessness so many teenagers feel by eroding what should be their fundamental rights to free speech and free expression. Facing such a maelstrom, small victories should be celebrated wherever they may come. Last month, one such victory arrived with the news of the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of Brandi Levy, a Pennsylvania high school girl whose words — specifically, “fuck school, fuck softball, fuck cheer, fuck everything” — were reaffirmed as protected under the First Amendment.

News

UA-UNM’s first contract with University admin begins July 1

Maddie Pukite and Zoe Perls | June 29

On July 1, the landmark contract between the United Academics of the University of New Mexico (UA-UNM) and UNM will go into effect, marking the first active bargaining agreement between the Union and the school’s administration over terms and conditions of employment. Both UA-UNM and UNM’s bargaining unit have signed the agreement, and the Union is in the process of finalizing the contract language. The contract, ratified on June 11, is split into two units for faculty: Unit 1, which covers different levels of professors, lecturers and instructors, and Unit 2, which accounts for temporary part-time instructors, adjuncts and term teaching faculty.

Culture

LOBO PRIDE: UNM Alumna Larissa Romero continues fight for inclusion at UNM

Rebecca Hobart | June 29

As a former resident advisor of the University of New Mexico’s Gender Neutral and Allies Living Learning Community (LLC), recent graduate Larissa Romero has encouraged and empowered LGBTQ+ students on campus both while attending and after graduating from the University. After finding herself in life, Romero wants others to be able to do the same. “She’s such a loving and caring person and just wants everyone to feel comfortable and confident being their true, authentic self no matter what sexual orientation,” Romero’s close friend, Natalie Carson, said. Romero worked to facilitate essential discussions on queer experiences as a resident advisor in the dorms, according to Carson. This motivation to start conversations didn’t stop at graduation, though.

Culture

Locally-produced pilot by UNM alumna showcases exclusively New Mexican cast and crew

Matthew Salcido | June 29

“Capitol Barbie,” a locally-produced pilot written, directed and produced by UNM alumna Riley Del Rey, premiered on Sunday at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque. Boasting an entirely New Mexican cast and crew, it is based on Del Rey’s alleged experiences working as a transgender Latina congressional intern for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a former U.S. house representative. The fictional pilot, labeled as an episode based on a true story, follows a new congressional intern, Dolly Golightly, as she navigates the realities of working in Washington, D.C., facing constant reprimands over her dress and relationships with fellow Latinx interns. When an unwanted advance by a congressman reveals that Dolly is transgender, her boss, Representative Melissa Lopez-Gaffney, terminates her.

Culture

LOBO PRIDE: Shane Hall’s queer liberation from a small New Mexican town

Rebecca Hobart | June 27

With a deep love for the queer community and its rich history, University of New Mexico student Shane Hall celebrates pride by embracing queer individuals and broaching conversations on LGBTQ+ equality, gender and friendship. Raised in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, Hall’s love for his community at UNM rose from the humble beginnings of being queer in a small town. “For Pride month this year, I’m going to hang out with a few friends, have a good time, have a little bit of a party and drive around and just be gay,” Hall said.

Sports

Current and former Lobos advance at U.S. Olympic Trials

Matthew Salcido | June 24

University of New Mexico alumna Courtney Frerichs won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team in the 3000m steeplechase and current Lobo student Abdirizak Ibrahim advanced to the semifinals for the men’s 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Thursday night. Frerichs, who graduated from UNM in 2016, finished in second place in the finals for the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes, 11.79 seconds, securing herself a spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Frerichs earned a spot in the final round after finishing in fifth place of the first round last Sunday.

Culture

UNM Committee on Naming plans to suggest specialized panel for racist building names

Gabriel Saiz | June 24

In over a year-long effort by the University of New Mexico to reconsider its racist building names, the next potential step forward is the formation of an academic team to write a formal report recommending the names to either be removed or not. The UNM Committee on Naming, which normally researches the honorees behind proposed building names, plans to suggest before August that President Garnett Stokes create the specialized panel to review and possibly recommend the renaming of campus buildings bearing the names of Spanish conquistadors.

Culture

Femme and nonbinary-led skate group starts weekly skating sessions at UNM

Avery Rogers | June 23

On Tuesday, a group of femme-identifying and nonbinary individuals gathered for their first summer skate session at the University of New Mexico, starting a regular event that will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Smith Plaza. Organizer Ashley Varela said those forming and joining their skate group are “making space” for themselves and “creating more than just one look for skating.” The event was meant to encourage those intimidated by the traditionally male-dominated sport to learn to skate without pressure through the use of community and inclusive practices, according to the organizers.

News

Three-day Juneteenth celebration in ABQ commemorates new federal holiday

Megan Gleason | June 23

Music, dance and empowerment floated through Albuquerque as Burqueños showed up to celebrate Juneteenth over a three-day period at Civic Plaza. The event, entitled “To a Higher Ground,” lasted from June 18 to June 20. Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the emancipation of enslaved people in America on June 19. The holiday originated in Texas in 1865, when the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation was applied after the end of the Civil War. The theme for Albuquerque’s celebration this year was “Ujamaa,” or the idea of cooperative economics based on democratic principles and participation. The City of Albuquerque’s website said the event was meant to “celebrate Black-owned businesses, artisans, vendors, performers and more.”

News

Hispanic fraternal order sues Santa Fe Mayor over obelisk removal decision

John Scott | June 20

On June 17, the Union Protectíva de Santa Fé announced their plans to sue the city of Santa Fe and Mayor Alan Webber for the decision to remove the Soldiers’ Monument, the obelisk in the center of Santa Fe Plaza. The lawsuit comes after Webber’s call to remove the obelisk back in June 2020, and after a group of protestors tore down part of the obelisk during a demonstration on Indigenous Peoples Day last October. There is not yet a timeline for the removal. “What our lawsuit seeks is an injunction preventing the mayor from replacing this historic obelisk with anything other than repairing it and restoring it,” attorney Ken Stalter said at a press conference on June 17.

Culture

LOBO PRIDE: Uris Tapia-Flores’ journey to queer acceptance through social media

Rebecca Hobart | June 20

Coming from a traditional Mexican and Christian household, University of New Mexico student Uris Tapia-Flores experienced isolation as they grew into their identity as an LGBTQ+ individual, feeling separation from the communities that had once embraced them. Throughout their teen years and into college, Uris Tapia-Flores found queer acceptance and kinship through social media despite an unaccepting home life. “(Being queer) is kind of hard because at home, I can’t really express myself the way I want to. I’m still in a Mexican household and I also grew up Christian,” Uris Tapia-Flores said. “At home, I can’t really express my queerness. Even if I do, the way I express myself is dressing myself the way I want to dress.”

Culture

OPINION: Rainbow capitalism’s performative toxicity

Shelby Kleinhans | June 17

It’s the month of June again, which means that it’s time for corporations to roll out a newly colorful logo, slap rainbows on their already-existing merchandise and pretend as if they’ve always cared about the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. This shallow attempt at pandering to the LGBTQIA+ community is commonly referred to as rainbow capitalism. Users on the social media app Tik Tok have been quick to point out how out of touch pride collections by several corporations are by making videos that highlight their “interesting” collections. It’s painfully obvious in most cases that no queer person was consulted about the design, resulting in hastily-made and mass-produced products.

Sports

Tod Brown introduced as new UNM baseball coach

Matthew Salcido | June 17

Tod Brown, a former head coach at North Dakota State University (NDSU), was announced as the new head coach for the University of New Mexico baseball team on Thursday. Brown will be replacing former head coach Ray Birmingham, who announced his retirement in April after 14 seasons with the Lobos. UNM Athletics director Eddie Nuñez said that Birmingham was involved in the process to select a new coach. “When we set out to find a new head coach for our Lobo baseball program, the vision and the goal was to continue to build our program that Birmingham built and elevate it,” Nuñez said.

Culture

OPINION: “In the Heights” is a party, but not everyone got their invitations

Matthew Salcido | June 15

“Technically, it is superb; use of color is dazzling, camera work often is thrilling, editing fast with dramatic punch, production design catches mood as well as action itself.” This quote, written by Whitney Williams in 1961 for Variety heralding the soon-to-be released “West Side Story,” could easily be used to describe “In the Heights,” Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the 2008 Tony Award-winning smash hit penned by a pre-”Hamilton” Lin-Manuel Miranda. “In the Heights” follows the everyday lives and dreams of inhabitants of Washington Heights, a neighborhood in northern Manhattan. The main protagonist is Usnavi, a bodega owner who dreams of traveling back to his native Dominican Republic.

News

Stansbury sworn into Congress after special election victory

Spencer Butler | June 14

WASHINGTON D.C. — On June 14, Democrat Melanie Stansbury, former representative for the 28th District for the New Mexico House of Representatives, was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives to represent New Mexicans in the state’s 1st Congressional District. In the ceremony, Stansbury was sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Stansbury then gave a speech on the house floor, where she was flanked by New Mexico Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, as well as Washington Senator Maria Cantwell.

Sports

New Mexico United duels Austin Bold FC, ends in 0-0 draw

Gino Gutierrez | June 13

Under a smoldering Albuquerque sun, New Mexico United returned to Isotopes Park on Saturday, June 12 for a 0-0 draw against Austin Bold FC. Alongside the game, the night was themed “Pride on the Pitch,” supported by 9,288 fans that came to show their pride; the game was completely sold out within its 75% maximum capacity restriction. A tentative game to start, both teams spent the majority of the first half feeling each other out, trading good scoring opportunities at both ends of the field. The ball was skyed on more than one occasion by each team, as the respective defenses swarmed the player who possessed the ball.

Culture

New season of ‘The Bachelorette’ filmed in New Mexico

Tina Memarian and Zoe Perls | June 13

Coming all the way from Lynnwood, Washington, Katie Lane Thurston seems like she is going to get her fairy tale ending in this newest season of “The Bachelorette,” filmed in the Land of Enchantment. Thurston first appeared on screen as a contestant of the 25th season of “The Bachelor,” and is now taking over as the newest bachelorette on “The Bachelorette,” which has finished filming at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa. The first episode aired on Monday, June 7. The resort is located on and owned by the Santa Ana Pueblo. According to Hyatt, the resort was named after the ancient Tamayame people of the area.