Multimedia

UNM files to block graduate student union’s right to organize

On Dec. 9, graduate student employees at the University of New Mexico officially filed for union recognition with the state Public Employees Labor Relations Board (PELRB). The grad student employees submitted signed cards from a supermajority (60%) of all UNM fall 2020 graduate student workers, and on Dec. 11 the executive director of the PELRB issued a letter finding the petition was “facially valid” and was “supported by a sufficient showing of interest.” In response, UNM filed a petition blocking the unionization request on two grounds: 1) that teaching, research and other graduate “assistants” are not actually employees and 2) if they are in fact employees, then their individual job descriptions are so vastly different that they cannot function as one bargaining unit.

State Police, National Guard troops patrol Roundhouse in response to FBI warnings

New Mexico State Police and National Guard troops stood watch over the seat of New Mexico’s government in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Jan. 16. The increased security came in response to warnings of potential violence from the FBI ahead of the presidential inauguration on Wednesday. Following the deadly insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, the FBI cautioned that state capitols across the nation could see “armed protests'' in the days leading up to President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s swearing in, according to an internal bulletin obtained by ABC News.

‘Death to 2020:’ Retelling a brutal year with bad comedy

“Death to 2020,” a British mockumentary from the creators of “Black Mirror,” revisits every monumental event to have happened over the past year in an attempt to put it at rest as the title suggests. Despite having left much to be desired, the film’s quirky tone and lack of solemnity provides for some casual viewing if that’s what 2020 should amount to in history books in some way. In the 70-minute Netflix original, Samuel Jackson and several other B-list celebrities are casted as an assorted troupe of false leading experts and exaggerated everyday people who recount the trauma-inducing year 2020.

‘The Office:’ An homage to the ordinary

As heartwarming, relatable sitcoms like “Frasier” and “Friends” began disappearing from the airwaves in 2005, a groundbreaking new show emerged with a focus on the mundane, the boring and the ordinary. “My job is to speak to clients, um, on the phone, about … uh, quantities and, uh, type of … copier paper,” salesman Jim Halpert explains in the pilot episode. “You know, whether we can supply it to them, whether they can, uh … pay for it. And, um … I'm … I'm boring myself just talking about this.”

‘The Office’ leaves Netflix, encouraging users to make better viewing decisions

With the removal of “The Office” on Jan. 1, 2021, American Netflix audiences can finally move on from their toxic relationship to a sitcom that ended in 2013. At long last, Tinder bios will be written with care instead of littered with a slew of Office quotes. Society as a whole can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Nature is healing. Let me start off by clearing the air. I don’t think that “The Office” is the worst sitcom in existence, nor is it wholly unfunny. However, at its best, “The Office” made me chuckle, and at its rock bottom made me cringe so hard that I vowed never to watch several episodes ever again. Looking at you, “Scott’s Tots.”

Alabama selected over New Mexico for Space Command HQ

ALBUQUERQUE — On Wednesday afternoon, Air Force officials announced the location of the permanent headquarters for the United States Space Command. Unfortunately, New Mexico’s Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) was not chosen. Sherman McCorkle, board member of the Kirtland Partnership Committee, told the Daily Lobo that Alabama’s Redstone Army Airfield was chosen as the site for the headquarters. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller isn’t giving up on the project, however. “By showcasing our space technology expertise and long history of government contracting, Albuquerque made it into the small group of finalists, but it’s no surprise the outgoing administration would make a politically-motivated decision on their way out the door,’ Keller said.

More stimulus money for students, but timing remains uncertain

College students are set to receive a second round of direct payments through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) following the passage of a coronavirus stimulus package in December. In April of 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $8.6 million to the University of New Mexico to be distributed as emergency relief grants for students. Undergraduate students were awarded a sum of either $465 or $779, depending on their expected family contribution. The recent stimulus package included renewed funding for the HEERF and once again directed that a portion of the funding be set aside by higher education institutions for grants to be paid directly to students to aid with pandemic-related hardships.

Wuerffel Trophy awarded to UNM football player

Teton Saltes, an offensive lineman for the University of New Mexico football team, was presented with the Wuerffel Trophy during the Home Depot College Football Awards on Jan. 7. The trophy is given to an individual that “best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.” Saltes is the first individual to win the award from the Mountain West Conference and the first UNM player to be given a major award in the history of Lobo football. After graduating with a degree in political science and Native American studies, Saltes spent his senior season with UNM while enrolled in the School of Law, spending his free time giving back to both the New Mexico and South Dakota communities.

State film office announces training program for intimacy coordinators

The New Mexico Film Office has announced a new training program for intimacy coordinators, who serve as on-set mediators focused on decreasing sexual violence and maintaining a safe and supportive work environment for all actors and staff involved in simulated sex scenes. The new role on film crews emerged in the wake of the fight against workplace discrimination and exploitation in the entertainment industry. In a historically male-dominated field, there have been many cases of men committing sexual assault and using the industry’s toxic power structures to exploit talent and crew on set. The training program will take place over 16 weeks and cover topics ranging from consent, power dynamics, LGBTQ+ allyship, gender and sexuality literacy.

State legislature poised to pass police reform bills

After nearly a year of national uproar and calls for action sparked by the murder of George Floyd’s at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, law enforcement reform is on New Mexico’s spring legislative agenda for the 60-day session. “I anticipate at least six or eight bills dealing with police reform this session,” Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque and co-chair of the criminal justice reform subcommittee, said. Enraged by excessive police shootings and violence, hundreds of New Mexicans took to the streets last year calling attention to the reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement and the need for change within police forces in the state, particularly the Albuquerque Police Department.

Will NM legislators abolish qualified immunity?

In the majority of police brutality cases, officers are not criminally prosecuted, and reform advocates contend that is in part because of something called “qualified immunity.” According to Merriam Webster, qualified immunity is “immunity from lawsuits that is granted to public officials (such as police officers) for acts that violate someone's civil rights if it can be shown that the acts do not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would be aware.”

Trump loyalists decry election results at Roundhouse on Insurrection Day

On the day the votes from the Electoral College were scheduled to be certified, recognizing Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, New Mexican supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump took their cars, trucks and horses to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe to protest unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. The Jan. 6 protest came on the heels of a pro-Trump insurrection by far-right radicals at the U.S. Capitol building on the same day. Extremists stormed the halls of Congress and halted the Electoral College vote count with little resistance from Capitol police. The protests in Washington left five dead, and arrests continue to be made with a litany of federal charges facing the rioters.

After establishment, Asian Pacific American Culture Center looks to future

The Asian Pacific American Culture Center (APACC) is still laying the groundwork for how it plans to serve the Asian community at the University of New Mexico. Formalized last year by the Student Fee Review Board, the APACC was conceived in response to the absence of an on-campus resource center for Asian-American students.  Directors Jacob Olaguir and Emma Hotz and the APACC Student Board, which includes the current Asian American Students Association (AASA) president Helen Zhao, are now laying the foundation to “create a home and resource center for students of APIDA (Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Desi Americans) heritage during their studies at the University,” according to the funding application submitted earlier this semester.

Natural hair gets thumbs up with passage of Albuquerque anti-hair discrimination amendment

At the first Albuquerque City Council meeting of the calendar year, the governing body unanimously passed the CROWN Act, an amendment to the Albuquerque Human Rights Ordinance that will explicitly prohibit race-based hair discrimination.   The amendment protects against the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or culturally-specific hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots. The CROWN Act, short for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, started with a national campaign created by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, which includes the National Urban League, Color of Change and the Western Center of Law and Poverty.

Dec 10, 2020 Comic

Dec 7, 2020 Comics

UNM graduate Nevi Zerkle prepares to start music education career

Nevi Zerkle, a musician and conductor, is just over a month away from starting student teaching amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Zerkle graduated with a master’s degree in music education with distinction at the University of New Mexico in the summer of 2020. Zerkle is currently finishing their last batch of music education classes that will allow them to move on to student teaching in January, where they will be educating elementary, middle and high school levels in Iowa.

UNM Athletics expects to run a deficit again

In a move costing the University of New Mexico an additional $70,000 a week in Athletics department costs, the relocation of the 1-5 Lobo football team to Las Vegas, Nevada, is slated to increase its already-multimillion dollar deficit. Athletics director Eddie Nuñez told the Daily Lobo in a phone interview that the cost of housing the football team out of state will likely result in the department outspending its budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year. “At this point, if you’re asking me today and the challenges we have faced — with not being able to have fans in the stands, and COVID affecting the revenue — I would anticipate a deficit this upcoming year,” Nuñez said.

Native American voters help flip the vote: UNM students weigh in

During the November election, Native American voters helped turn states like Arizona and Wisconsin blue with a record turnout. For some Native American students at UNM, this was their first time exercising their right to have a voice in the democratic process. “Yes, this was my first time voting,” Orion Martinez, a Navajo student and psychology major, said. “I am going to vote again because I realized how much power we have in contributing to our future, as well as for all younger generations who are not yet able to vote.”

Lobo men’s basketball season opener postponed

On Nov. 30, the Mountain West Conference announced in a press release that the two game series between the University of New Mexico and Boise State, which was slated to happen on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5, has been postponed. The conference statement gave some insight into when those games could happen.   According to the conference, “The rescheduled dates will be announced once finalized by the Mountain West and both institutions.”