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Ask the Editors

Daily Lobo Editorial Board | July 25

Question to the editors: As we return to campus and in-person classes, how can I balance my schoolwork, work and social life? How do I find myself after the pandemic? These are two very large questions for college students as we wrangle with an age in our life where our goal is to not only find ourselves but also balance school and life perfectly. However, if you don’t know how to do that, it’s okay — none of the rest of us do either. It’s perfectly acceptable to explore who you think you are and who you want to be, but don’t expect that the rest of your life will be mess-free while you try to balance everything.

Culture

OPINION: Top 5 best things about an in-person fall semester

Emma Trevino | July 25

With August quickly approaching, it’s time for a lot of us students to start thinking about the changes we’re facing with an in-person semester after the virtual semesters we’ve had in the past year and a half. Although some anxieties come with the territory, here are five things that you can look forward to as we say goodbye to Zoom. 1. Group study sessions at Zimmerman Library If there’s one thing I learned from a year and a half on Zoom, it’s that studying for a test or working on a group project from the confines of my room is painfully difficult compared to the steady, bustling atmosphere of the comforting Zimmerman Library.

Culture

Coping with back-to-school nerves after the pandemic

Megan Gleason | July 25

After over a year of attending online school in a global pandemic, students are facing anxieties about returning to an in-person education. Questions about vaccinations, masks, social distancing and more float in the air, but the Daily Lobo spoke with the University of New Mexico’s Student Health and Counseling center about how students can cope with all of the unknowns as we enter an in-person fall semester. “The permeating anxiety will alter the atmosphere of the campus; it will just be a different environment,” SHAC case manager Margaret White said. “So I would say drop the expectation of normal, whatever that was, and embrace that this (environment) will be new, it will be different.”

News

UNM aims for 100% vaccination rate after forgoing vaccine requirement

Megan Gleason and Emma Trevino | July 25

The University of New Mexico is encouraging all Lobos to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus for the fall semester on Aug. 23. The University has set a 100% vaccination rate goal after forgoing a campus-wide vaccine mandate. “I look forward to challenging and inspiring ourselves and our fellow Lobos to reach for that 100% in the coming weeks,” UNM President Garnett Stokes wrote in a campus-wide message on July 8. The University has an ongoing incentive program that offers students and employees the chance for cash prizes in exchange for proof of vaccination.

Culture

Marginalized students at risk due to loose mask mandates

Annya Loya | July 25

As we gear up for a mostly maskless fall semester at the University of New Mexico, students in marginalized communities who are at a significantly higher risk than others during the COVID-19 pandemic are worried about the additional health risks that could affect them now that there is not a campus-wide mask mandate. Going along with UNM’s “Bring Back the Pack” initiative, the University announced in early July that individuals who have been fully vaccinated have the option to no longer wear a mask on campus (except for the Health Sciences Center campus buildings); individuals that are not fully vaccinated will continue to be required to wear one on campus grounds, following nationwide CDC guidelines.

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News

LETTER: ASUNM president explains UNM’s undergraduate student government

Gregory Romero | July 25

Dear Lobos, We as your undergraduate student government could not be more excited for this upcoming year. The past year and a half has been hard not being on campus, but we look forward to getting back to what we do best: putting on some of UNM’s largest events and fighting to make our campus one of the very best in the country for you, the students. We know that many students still don’t know what Associated Students of the University of New Mexico is or how they can get involved, so allow us to give you an introduction. ASUNM is comprised of three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.

News

Controversy surrounds UNM vaccine policy

Megan Gleason | July 25

When the University of New Mexico decided to forgo a COVID-19 vaccine requirement and instead encourage a 100% vaccination rate goal for the upcoming semester, controversy erupted through the student body and students are still deciding whether or not they feel safe with the administration’s decisions. In May, the University drafted a vaccine mandate policy that would have required most students, staff and faculty to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but has since abandoned the idea since the vaccine is still classified under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA.

Sports

Lobo Sports Takes: Preview Edition

Gino Gutierrez , Shelby Kleinhans and Matthew Salcido | July 25

The UNM women’s basketball team had a highly successful 2020-21 season, finishing with a record of 15-5 and at the top of the Mountain West conference. The Lobos men’s basketball team had a dismal 2020-21 season, finishing 6-16 and struggling to assert any kind of successful offense. The UNM football team struggled to find anything positive during their 2019-20 season. The University of New Mexico softball team had a rocky 2020-21 season with a record of 10-36 thanks in no small part to a brutal first half of the schedule facing top teams including the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arizona and Oklahoma State.

Sports

37 fouls called during NM United match with El Paso Locomotive

Gino Gutierrez | July 25

It’s not often that an official takes center stage during a soccer match, but that was the case in the New Mexico United matchup against El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. The game ended in a 0-0 draw after 37 fouls were issued throughout the game to each team, with 23 going to United. Three yellow cards were also shown in the match — two for El Paso and one for New Mexico midfielder Andrew Tinari; United midfielder Juan Pablo Guzmán received a red card after the second half, putting the team down a player. Of the crowd of 10,303 fans at the game, many repeatedly voiced their displeasure with the officiating.

Sports

Lobo women’s soccer schedule announced for 2021-22 season

Matthew Salcido | July 22

The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team’s recently released a schedule for the upcoming 2021-22 season. The new schedule includes two exhibition games, nine home games and eleven conference games. The first home game is an exhibition match on Aug. 16 against Fort Lewis College. Matches to look forward to include the return of the University of Washington, former recurring competitors who also went to the NCAA tournament last season, and Northern Arizona University, who was one COVID-19 incident away from a conference championship and a berth to the NCAA tournament as well.

Culture

OPINION: “Space Jam: A New Legacy” works as a revival for a new generation despite poor reviews

Matthew Salcido | July 20

This review contains spoilers for “Space Jam” Now that “Space Jam: A New Legacy” has been out for almost a week, we should be able to recognize it as the perfectly passable and outright fun family movie that it is. While watching it, I felt reassured that this wasn’t the terrible rehash that many feared but instead a natural revival of a childhood cult classic. The concept of “Space Jam” would make anyone incredulous at first: this movie franchise is about a film production company pairing an all-time basketball legend with Looney Tunes teammates that are forced to play a basketball game with twisted physics. That is such an easy marketing sell that, to the uninitiated, it can seem cynical.

News

LETTER: Government action on oil and gas reform continues

James Jimenez and Carol Hedges | July 20

The physical and economic health of our states depends on fair and responsible management of publicly owned resources — everything from our school buildings to our state and national parks. But because of the broken federal oil and gas leasing system, our schools have received less-than-promised funding and discarded oil wells are polluting our cherished public lands. Thankfully, several of our leaders in Washington are working to put our communities and public lands first and manage our transition away from fossil fuels. In January, the Department of the Interior announced a temporary pause of new oil and gas leasing on public lands.

Culture

OPINION: “Black Widow” top-tier acting saves it from disappointing villains

Maxwell Minty McGrael / Daily Lobo | July 18

This review contains spoilers Finally, after two years of no theatrical releases, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) returned with its 24th installment, “Black Widow.” This film is an action-packed spy thriller starring Scarlett Johansson as the title character. With well-acted protagonists and a heavy focus on family, it’s a genuinely good time from start to finish, despite some villain development problems. Soon after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) is on the run when she receives the antidote to the mind control that she and the rest of the Widows have been subjected to.

Culture

Albuquerque senior attempts to break Guinness World Record for her culture

Megan Gleason | July 18

For Albuquerque senior and retired nurse Hiddekel Sara Burks, breaking a Guinness World Record isn’t just for fun — it’s an expression of her culture. Currently sitting in the Holocaust Museum is a nearly 4,000 foot long textile braid that still isn’t done. This long array of colors won’t be finished until Burks, founder of the National Braiders Guild, braids 6,000 feet and breaks the Guinness World Record for the longest handmade textile braid, which currently stands at about 5,217 feet. Burks estimates that she’ll finish in about six to eight more weeks, and will basket-weave all of the braids into a double helix.

Culture

Grow the Growers program supports farmers in the South Valley

Rebecca Hobart | July 15

Grow the Growers is a program in Albuquerque that provides farm training and business development education for emerging farmers, even amid the current historic drought. This program seeks to strengthen the food sector in the South Valley, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Historically, the South Valley has experienced a lot of environmental injustice, so it’s really important to keep the land that’s been in agriculture here in agriculture for the well-being of the ecosystem and community,” Alicia Robinson-Walsh, a manager for La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture, said.

News

UNM announces monetary incentive program for students, employees to get vaccinated

Matthew Salcido | July 15

On Thursday, the University of New Mexico announced a reward-based incentive program to encourage students and employees to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations in order to “Vax the Pack.” After uploading proof of vaccination, students will receive $100 via bursar account, and main and branch campus employees will be entered into a drawing for one of 50 $1,000 prizes. This money is available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Students must be registered for the upcoming fall semester to qualify. “We want all Lobos feeling as safe and supported as we possibly can,” President Garnett Stokes wrote in a campus communications email on Thursday.

Culture

National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation receives $30,000 grant

Emma Trevino | July 13

On Tuesday, the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation announced that they had received a $30,000 grant back in March from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) to help support their Circo Latino program. Circo Latino is an educational class for children and teenagers ages 7 to 18 to learn about the circus arts. The program has equitable tuition payments from participants, and this grant allows the department to create scholarships for those who can’t normally afford tuition. “Spanish-language and Latin American culture are taught alongside juggling, stilt-walking, clowning, movement, aerial, mask-making, leadership, environmental stewardship, compassion, empathy, community vibrancy and healthy lifestyles,” the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs press release states.

Sports

NM United edges Charleston Battery 2-1 in teams’ first matchup

Gino Gutierrez | July 13

New Mexico United defeated Charleston Battery with a score of 2-1 Monday night at Isotopes Stadium. This was the first time that United has faced Charleston and only the second match that they have ever played against an Eastern Conference team. This edition of “Monday Night Fútbol” at Isotopes park began tentatively as the teams got familiar with each other. The clubs exchanged minor advances, but not much action went beyond the midfield line. The first real scoring opportunity came from NM United in the 7th minute, but Charleston was able to deflect the ball out of play before it reached the goaltender.

Culture

OPINION: The new “Gossip Girl” makes no sense

Emma Trevino | July 11

Last Thursday, the first episode of HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot premiered and it was … weird. While the hierarchical energy of its predecessor was evident, this new iteration lacked the charm and intrigue that gave the original version from 2007 its massive success. The new series revolves around a group of friends that rule Constance Billard School for Girls, the same school that Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodson ruled 14 years ago. The highly exclusive private institution is riddled with money, drugs and frantic power grabs from anyone and everyone.

Sports

NM United snatches win at home game against Colorado Springs

Gino Gutierrez | July 10

After about an hour of weather delay, the New Mexico United bested the Colorado Springs Switchbacks with a score of 3-1 on Friday at Isotopes Park. The two squads spent the opening minutes of the match feeling each other out. After NM United missed three early scoring opportunities, the first goal of the match came off of a free kick by Sergio Rivas late in the 16th minute that put NM United up 1-0. The match quickly became contentious, and both teams received yellow cards in the first half.