Multimedia

Feb 22, 2021 Comics

Hare-raising: Over 100 rabbits available for adoption

The Bernalillo County Animal Care and Resource Center is overflowing with over 100 rabbits who are in need of loving homes. Candace Sanchez, the center’s outreach manager, said it all started with a complaint they received about rabbits spotted in the road in the South Valley area.  “Upon arrival, we found that a homeowner ... was housing multiple rabbits in a small contained outdoor area,” Sanchez said. “Once we started going into the facility, we realized that what ended up happening was the owner initially purchased the rabbits as pets, and they were not spayed and neutered. So as time progressed on, multiplication started taking place.”

LETTER: UNM graduate workers don’t earn enough to live in Albuquerque

A recent post in an online forum asked for tips on how to live on a meager graduate program stipend. “I need to figure out a really strict budget, but that’s hard when rent will take everything I have.” Unfortunately, this is a common problem for those getting their masters and doctorates. Graduate workers like myself perform a variety of duties for their institutions, including research, community outreach, writing, lecturing, grading, mentoring and working with university centers outside their departments.

Meditation, music at virtual UMI show

Though ASUNM Student Special Events has been forced to adapt to virtual concerts to “protect the pack” amid the pandemic, the featured artist didn’t disappoint on Feb. 12 as UMI showcased live acoustic music and guided meditation over Zoom. Tierra Umi Wilson, also known as UMI, is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter based out of Los Angeles who made a name for herself when she toured with fellow artist Cuco back in 2019. Her virtual concert on Feb. 12 was only available to University of New Mexico students, and about 100 students attended. According to Joe Polack, the executive director of SSE, the idea for the event stemmed from UMI’s previous shows that included meditation alongside a live performance.

Op-ed: Climate justice at UNM

Science shows that as we pollute our atmosphere with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, the world heats up, causing disasters such as floods, drought, wildfire, hurricanes and ocean acidification. The climate catastrophe is not some remote risk; it is happening now and will certainly get worse. In New Mexico, we are in extreme drought and have already lost much of our mountain forests to wildfire and insect infestation.

COLUMN: Zen and the art of tea brewing

Imagine this, if you will: You’re over at a friend’s house, and they ask “green or black tea?” You pick green, but to your horror, you hear the kettle boiling and a few minutes later, you spend the next half hour sipping profanely bitter liquid and feigning enjoyment. If you’re the friend in this scenario, don’t feel bad. I sat down with Shawn Whitehurst — who’s been with the New Mexico Tea Company for over eight years — and learned that there’s a lot that goes into making the perfect cup of tea. Whitehurst said the tannin content in the final product makes a significant difference in the flavor of tea. Tannins are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in tea and other foods and beverages. Different types of teas release their tannins in different ways, which is why water temperature is critical for a smooth, enjoyable brew.

40th anniversary of Rush’s ‘Moving Pictures’ hits closer to the heart

Gene Simmons once said, “What kind of band is Rush? It’s Rush.” That might be the most accurate description of this seminal band out of Toronto. Feb. 12 marked the 40th anniversary of Rush’s eighth studio album “Moving Pictures,” a record that sold over four million copies in the United States and was also certified quadruple-platinum in Canada. The album remains the band’s most popular and recognizable of their extensive discography.

UNM women’s basketball series against CSU, Wyoming postponed

The Mountain West Conference announced last week that the upcoming University of New Mexico’s women’s basketball series against both Colorado State and Wyoming would be postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test within UNM’s program. According to two separate press releases by the MWC, “The rescheduled date will be announced once finalized by the Mountain West and both institutions.” The Lobos received the positive test result in the early morning of Feb. 12 and immediately notified both Colorado State and MWC officials. After discussions between both schools, medical teams and Colorado health officials, the recommendation was made to cancel the game between CSU and UNM.

DATA DESK: Why I shut down our COVID tracker

Data editor Joe Rull explains why our COVID tracker is being taken offline.

City Council agrees to consider racial equity for future building projects

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the Albuquerque City Council voted unanimously in favor of creating a racial equity criterion for the Capital Implementation Program (CIP). CIP's mission is to “enhance the physical and cultural development of the city ... Through a multi-year schedule of public physical improvements, CIP administers approved capital expenditures for systematically acquiring, constructing, replacing, upgrading and rehabilitating Albuquerque's built environment,” according to the City of Albuquerque. The ordinance, if signed by the mayor, will give the CIP access to a series of maps that show the location of underserved communities in Albuquerque. The geographical information will help determine the location of new projects, such as community centers, parks and public spaces.

Feb 17, 2021 Comics

Unhoused woman cited for littering dies in MDC custody

Ten months ago, Joleen Nez was accused of the crime of improper trash disposal in a southeast Albuquerque neighborhood. The petty charge ultimately cost Nez her life. Nez, an unhoused Native American woman, was cited, released and issued a criminal summons for the petty misdemeanor of littering on public property by officer Preston Panana of the Albuquerque Police Department on April 16, 2020. The original complaint filed by Panana said that Nez was issued a civil citation for kicking over a cup and bowl at the intersection of Texas Street and Zuni Road and refusing to pick up and throw away the cup "after (Nez) was given several opportunities to pick up her litter." On Jan. 30, 2021, Nez died in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center custody.

Preserving the Indigenous sign languages of Nigeria

In Nigeria, the Indigenous sign language of Deaf communities is disappearing. Despite making up nearly a fourth of the country’s population, the Nigerian Deaf community suffers from numerous roadblocks when considering their less than egalitarian status in society. But Emmanuel Asonye, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of New Mexico, is working on a project to help Nigerians who lack access to their native language. Asonye, who earned his doctorate in linguistics and communications from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, has been studying and cataloging Indigenous Nigerian sign language for years. As the founder of Save the Deaf and Endangered Languages Initiative, Asonye has spent his career advocating for the Nigerian Deaf community.

Black veterans affairs nominee endures racist questioning in confirmation hearing

On Feb. 12, Senate Minority Leader Gregory A. Baca, R-Belen, posed racially targeted questions towards Sonya L. Smith, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s nominee for the head of Department of Veterans Services, during her confirmation hearing in the Senate Rules Committee. Baca, a member of the Senate Rules Committee, asked if Smith, in her seven years in New Mexico, had immersed herself enough in the culture of a state that is “2.6% African American and 48% Hispanic” to be able to adequately represent the interests of its veterans. Smith, who served in the Gulf War, replied, “Are you asking if I feel comfortable representing the Department of Veterans Services as a Black woman?”

NM’s ‘Student Athlete Endorsement Act’ passes first hurdle

On Feb. 3, the Senate Education Committee passed SB 94 — known as the “Student Athlete Endorsement Act” — clearing a hurdle for the bill to become law and allow student-athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness (NIL). Similar laws passed or proposed in sundry states across the country would allow student-athletes to profit from their NIL, with several due to take effect on July 1. Thus, if a student were to appear in a commercial and earn money off the appearance, for example, a “post-secondary educational institution” — i.e. the University of New Mexico — couldn’t prevent that athlete from doing the commercial or receiving compensation from the appearance.

ABQ teachers union ‘surprised, alarmed’ by plans to resume in-person K-12 classes

One week after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that K-12 schools across the state can return to in-person learning regardless of their red to green risk designation, most elementary and secondary students remain at home. While the announcement came as welcome news to a number of students around the state, many teachers were skeptical, suspicious or downright bewildered about the abrupt about-face regarding convening groups of five or more people while the coronavirus vaccine is still slow to roll out. “All of the members of the union were surprised at the early date,” Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said.

Women’s hoops complete San Diego season sweep

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team followed a 84-48 blowout of San Diego State on Feb. 3 with another easy 65-48 win to complete a midweek sweep of the Aztecs. The two victories put the Lobos at 9-2 and third in the Mountain West with eight games remaining in the pandemic-shortened season. Both games featured similar starts and finishes, with low-scoring first halves for UNM before surges in the second frames. The Lobos continued their unselfish playing style with four players scoring in double digits each game. “I thought in the second half, our mental approach was much better than the first half,” head coach Mike Bradbury said in his opening statement after Wednesday’s game. “Things looked a lot sharper and more crisp.”

Feb 15, 2021 Comics

Local Black-owned business wants microgreens on every plate

Papa’s Little Helpers MicroFarm is a local business with a mission to grow and promote healthy, locally grown food. Owner Rico Robinson has set a goal to better educate everyone — especially the Black community — on the importance of eating healthy. While the business doesn’t currently provide a large variety of meal options, Robinson hopes that he can incorporate a delivery service with healthy meals in the future. “It’s going to taste like soul food, but it’s going to be purely healthy food,” Robinson said.

New female pastor at Grant Chapel AME adapts to pandemic

Margaret McFaddin has continuously made a point to tie social justice into her preaching, and her work in Albuquerque is no different. “(The church) empowers you to be able to love people without restriction. That's really who we are and what we do,” McFaddin said. McFaddin was appointed on Sept. 11 of last year to Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Albuquerque, and she currently serves as the second female pastor in the church’s history.