Editor, I seem to be in the minority in today's national Democratic Party. I disagree with the tendency of most Democrats (including political candidates for Congress and those in the news media) to constantly bash Donald Trump over his obnoxious personality and his divisive comments.
Editor, Many people who were taught that having sex with anyone they are not married to is sin — drink booze to turn off their shame and guilt. Many men who were taught that having sex with men is sin, many women who were taught that having sex with women is sin, drink booze to turn off their shame and guilt.
This playlist is comprised of songs that are about serial killers, zombies, witches and all other kinds of folk lore, supernatural and paranormal. Many of these songs seem to be like any other on first listen, but when paying closer attention to the lyrics it is clear that the subject matter is far from ordinary. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens This song on Sufjan’s album titled “Come on, feel the Illinoise” features piano, soft guitar and Sufjan’s gentle voice. The song tells the story of American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who killed 33 boys between 1972 and 1978 in Cook County, Illinois. Sufjan’s music is frequently quirky and discusses a variety of topics. In fact he has an entire album dedicated to birds. This album focuses all things Illinois related and is not the only chilling song featured on the album.
A University of New Mexico engineering club’s status, funding and future are up in the air — and all of it is being decided behind closed doors. Members from the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico and the UNM chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) will meet privately in the ASUNM conference room on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Confusion over SAE follows their announcement to withdraw their club charter from ASUNM, not from the Student Activities Center (SAC). Club charters are handled through the SAC, not ASUNM. Once chartered, a student organization can request money and is officially recognized by the University.
Popejoy Hall, known for attracting high profile performances to New Mexico, saw the return of the national touring production of the Broadway phenomenon “Wicked” on Oct. 17. The show tells the story behind the two iconic witches of “The Wizard of Oz.” Its powerful narrative of female friendship and the far-reaching effects of oppression told through a clever script and beautiful songs has made it an international success, and Albuquerque audiences share in the enthusiasm. “Albuquerque seems to be incredibly receptive to Broadway,” said Jan Turri, the local publicist for the Broadway in New Mexico series at Popejoy. “Popejoy is one of the best houses, and it’s the perfect place for Broadway.”
The University of New Mexico football team was beaten, battered and bruised in a 38-7 thumping by the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday evening at Dreamstyle Stadium. In head coach Bob Davie’s assessment, it was a product of an “unpolished” offense and a culmination of unnecessary penalties. Nine Lobo penalties — which accounted for 125 yards — didn’t help out much either, as Davie pointed out in the press conference after the game.
A New Mexican congressional race is making headlines in national news. The candidates are Yvette Herrell, a four-term Republican member of the state legislature, and Xochitl Torres Small, a water attorney and former staffer for Democratic New Mexican Senator Tom Udall. Congressional District 2 (CD2) encompasses roughly 19 counties in central and southern New Mexico. In total area, the district is larger than the state of Pennsylvania. It’s a huge variety stretching as far north as portions of Bernalillo, southeastern mining and oil areas, swathes of farmland and the second largest city in the state, Las Cruces.
This November, voters will be able to decide if the University of New Mexico will receive funds to renovate its chemistry building, construct a new Reserve Officer Training Corps building and build a new career center for the UNM Taos branch. These projects are all part of General Obligation Bond D, which will be on the general election ballot this November. GO bonds are a type of municipal bond often used to fund brick and mortar projects on universities.
Sunday, hundreds of runners gathered downtown at Civic Plaza for the 35th annual Duke City Marathon. The marathon kicked off at 7 a.m. and was followed by a marathon relay, half marathon, 10k and 5k. Runners took their mark and dashed down 3rd Street at the sound of the starting pistol. Some participants took off clad in tutus, and others sported no shoes at all. A family of five wore different colored shirts with Pokémon characters printed on the front. Every runner wore a bib indicating which event they were in. University of New Mexico alumna, Holly Armstrong, participated in the 5K race this year alongside her husband. She said she did not train prior to the race but wanted to take part to enjoy herself.
Members of the Albuquerque community came together for A21’s “Walk for Freedom” event at Alameda Open Space on Saturday morning. A21 is an international organization working to abolish slavery in the 21st century. The non-profit organization was formed in 2008 and works to eradicate human trafficking through awareness, intervention and aftercare, according to the organization’s website. The A21’s “Walk for Freedom” is a global walk in 50 different countries with over 450 walks in total, all held on Oct. 20, said the event’s host Jessica Otero.
Registered New Mexico voters can begin early voting this Saturday, Oct. 20 at more than a dozen locations across Bernalillo County. Early voting will last from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. Polls will be open Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters will not be allowed to cast any ballots from Nov. 4 through Nov. 5, said Jaime Diez, a deputy clerk from the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office. However, Diez said voters can still cast absentee ballots if absentee voters did not receive them sooner.
Battery on a healthcare worker at UNM Psychiatric Center On the afternoon of Sept. 30, University of New Mexico Hospital security called UNM Police Department dispatch, stating that a patient battered a staff member at the UNM Psychiatric Center, according to a report. UNMH security gathered statements from the battered staff member and a witness. The forms were given to the UNMPD officer who was on scene. The statements indicated that a patient grabbed the staff member’s buttocks as she exited the nurses’ station on the east wing of the center. She pushed his hand away and yelled for him to stop. She said she would like to press charges.
With less than a month away from the 2018 midterm election, the New Mexico Secretary of State Office (SOS) has released a Native American voting guide for indigenous communities. The voting guide includes information about candidates running for office and ballot listings. On Oct. 9, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement that this guide is the “first-of-its-kind.”
A professor at the University of New Mexico is cooking up some sweet smelling candles in her spare time. Communications professor and fourth year doctoral student Hannah Long started her own candle-making business called WitchCrafted Candles. WitchCrafted Candles started in December 2017 as a new craft project, but with encouragement from her family and friends it turned into a passionate business venture.
The University of New Mexico’s lowering enrollment and the impact it will have dominated discussion during the Board of Regents meeting on Tuesday. Whether the conversation focused on faculty retention or withering revenue, the University’s dip in student population — especially among incoming freshman — seemed to be on the minds of every speaker.
For the new University of New Mexico Title IX Coordinator, her time on campus is coming full circle. Angela Catena will assume her new position for UNM’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) in December, after she finishes up her semester teaching as a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University. However, this is not her first stint at UNM. Catena moved to Albuquerque in 2012 to get her doctoral degree in counseling. She graduated in 2016 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she teaches counseling and counseling psychology.
The Steering & Rules Committee had a lengthy conversation Wednesday night about the definition of “classroom component” in the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s Lawbook. Last week, ASUNM passed a bill that will prohibit funding classroom components after launching an investigation into the UNM chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE. The new definition reads, “Activities within a chartered student organization that contributes to earning a class credit hour including assignments outlined in the syllabus or assigned by an instructor.”
The changing of the season not only brings crisp, autumn breezes and fire-roasted green chile, but, this year, it also brought the changing of staff positions at the University of New Mexico. On Oct. 4, the Office of the Provost announced the appointment of Barbara Rodriguez, a professor from the UNM Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, to be the interim Senior Vice Provost. It was reported by UNM Newsroom on Oct. 4 that Richard Wood, the interim provost, said Rodriguez has a lot to offer to the University. “Her demonstrated leadership and capacity for teamwork; her intelligent and organized response to challenges; her sheer intellect and commitment to the academic mission; and her profound dedication to the diverse communities that make up New Mexico will make her an outstanding senior vice provost this year,” Wood said.
Flying in from Venice Beach, California, representatives from Bird — an electric scooter service — came to the University of New Mexico to showcase their ride-sharing scooters to students on Monday and Tuesday. In other cities where Bird operates, the scooters cost a dollar to unlock and between 15 and 20 cents for every minute of use. The company is trying to set up shop in the Albuquerque and University areas. A Bird spokesperson said, "We believe the University of New Mexico would be a great place to provide our accessible, affordable, environmentally-friendly transportation option. We are collaborating with University officials and hope to bring Bird's service to the students and faculty at UNM in the near future."
Students filled the Student Union Building ballrooms in order to see comedian Azhar Usman perform on Tuesday in a free event hosted by Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s group, Student Special Events. Usman, a Chicago native, has previously opened for fellow comedians including Dave Chappelle. He assisted in writing Hasan Minhaj’s White House Correspondents speech. He also had his hand in producing several stand-up specials and has his own in the works.
Solutions by The State News
