Due to an increase in local cases of COVID-19, most students were required to move out of all the University of New Mexico dorms, leaving many without easy access to the dining hall or other easy meals on campus. With plenty of time stuck in the house, here are some affordable, and easily made meals that a Lobo can cook at home.
The office notorious for parking citations and permits will accept refund requests amidst the University’s limited operations. In an email sent out by Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) Wednesday, PATS announced that the last day for students to request a permit refund is Tuesday, March 31. Students looking to receive a prorated refund must fill out the provided form and submit a photo of their permit, cut in half before their request is processed. As for staff and faculty, PATS warned that upon return of a faculty or staff permit, “(they) may not be able to get it back into the same zone/structure once the University reopens.” The University is currently on an extended spring break until April 5 in an effort to respond to the novel coronavirus.
The State of New Mexico will begin sending out text messages and interrupting television and radio programs during the new coronavirus outbreak. The first test will be sent out at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office. “The system is intended ...
The Faculty Senate endorsed a move to give students the option to switch their classes to a pass or fail grading system, instead of a classic A through F grading scale. The resolution passed unanimously by the Faculty Senate on Tuesday does not guarantee the University of New Mexico will adopt the measure. However, UNM Provost James Holloway signaled his support for the measure during the Faculty Senate meeting, suggesting the option will be approved. The resolution aims to allow instructors more flexibility in grading during the coronavirus pandemic. “We also understand that because of COVID-19, students may be experiencing unforeseeable challenges in accessing food, housing, health, family care, employment, and computers and the internet throughout the remainder of the semester,” the resolution said.
The Daily Lobo will suspend our bi-weekly print publication until at least April 6 and will publish exclusively online. This was not a decision made lightly, and it does not mean we will stop working. But it does mean — for just the second time in 124 years — the Daily Lobo will not print a newspaper for an extended period of time. The only other time was the 1918 influenza pandemic. Two factors convinced us publishing during this historic event wasn't in the best interest of the UNM community.
As UNM students try to adjust to changes — including the closure of the dorms and classes moving online — the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) is taking measures to work around the COVID-19 outbreak. In response to the spread of the coronavirus in New Mexico, SHAC medical visits are being converted to phone appointments when possible and all in-person counseling sessions will be converted to teletherapy. These changes were announced to students late last week as part of a number of measures being taken to ensure social distancing mandates are followed. "SHAC's entire team — medical, counseling and administration included — are working diligently to ensure that students will always have access to health care," Tiffany Martinez-Durant, manager of marketing and communication for SHAC, said.
The University of New Mexico has postponed all spring convocations indefinitely, including its graduation ceremony previously schedule for May 16. Monday's announcement is the latest in a series of closures and cancellations — including in-person classes and on-campus housing — to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. As of March 24, there were 100 positive cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico, including 43 recorded in the state's most densely populated county, Bernalillo. UNM President Garnett Stokes said she regretted the measure, but insisted it had to be done. "I know that some of these decisions, particularly those related to campus housing, commencement ceremonies and the transition to remote instruction, may cause anxiety, frustration and disappointment," Stokes said, adding a promise to continue sending out updates over email.
As the boredom of social distancing starts to set in, ironically picking up a book about situations more uncertain than our own can keep us entertained. Each of these novels focuses on a pandemic or an apocalypse caused by a pandemic.
Here at UNM, we're a week into our extended spring break, and I've spent all of my time in my room writing about math. And if you know me, you probably knew that I was going to spend my break this way, pandemic isolation or not. Before I get into it, let me just say this: I know everyone is afraid, confused, upset and probably feeling a little panicked. Don’t get me wrong — I am, too. This is a global catastrophe, the likes of which recorded history rarely sees. And because of this, I understand that graphs aren't exactly everyone's main concern right now. The problem is that I'm seeing a lot of numbers flying around with little clarity, which I can only imagine is going to cause more panic as we barrel into a national scenario that's absolutely going to get much, much worse before it gets any better.
Aaron Ceceñas sat alone at a chrome-colored table outside of the Student Residence Center (SRC) March 21. He was waiting for his parents to get him and all his stuff packed neatly in a cardboard box to his right. Like dozens of other students, Ceceñas was using what will likely be his last Saturday on campus to move out. “And this is my last year too,” he told the Daily Lobo. ”Coming from a senior’s perspective, cause I was gonna…” Ceceñas parents arrived that moment, pulling his attention away. He motioned for them to park between two cars in front of La Posada Dining Hall, the impromptu parking lot normally used at the beginning and end of the school year.
For more than eight years, the La Montañita Grab and Go market adjacent to the University of New Mexico Bookstore offered on-the-go options to the community ranging from breakfast burritos to organic macaroni and cheese. Now, one of UNM's only sources of locally grown and organic food has shut its doors for good. After years of financial losses, the Co-op's board of directors announced the UNM location, alongside the member and employee-owned food cooperative's Westside store, would close permanently.
Typically in times of national disasters, people line the streets to donate blood. But in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the act of donating likely puts donors at increased risk of infection. Yet, doctors across the country are asking young people to donate anyway. Dr. Ralph Vassallo, chief medical and scientific officer for Vitalant, said the demand for blood transfusion is greater than the blood supply available. That demand, Vassallo said, is not going away despite the outbreak.
It's official. The University of New Mexico announced Thursday that all classes that can go online will go online. The rest are canceled. Throughout spring break, various components across UNM's main campus closed or restricted access piece-by-piece as a way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. In New Mexico, 43 people have tested positive for the disease COVID-19 as of March 20, including 23 people in Bernalillo County.
The Student Union Building announced Wednesday it would be closed to all but non-essential staff until further notice. In an email sent to student organization leaders and members, the Student Activities Center stated that access to student organizations' office spaces and the Lobo Lair Computer Pod would be restricted as well beginning at 5 p.m. on March 18. The closure comes alongside dozens of other University initiatives to mitigate the effects of the current health crisis, including the partial closures of Zimmerman Library and Johnson Gym and restricted operations of La Posada Dining Hall and the Student Resident Center Market, among others.
The University of New Mexico is sending home nearly all residents of on-campus dorms by March 24, according to an email sent out to dorm residents. Residents of Alvarado, Coronado, Hokona, Laguna, DeVargas, Redondo Village, Santa Clara, the Student Resource Center (SRC) Apartments and Casas Del Rio were told Thursday they would need to find somewhere else to stay for the rest of the spring semester. Student housing officials said Lobo Village, Lobo Rainforest and Student Family Housing will remain open as of the publication of this article.
SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that all bars, restaurants and breweries will end in-person service until April 10, limiting food service to delivery or take-out only. Lujan Grisham announced the aggressive action during a press conference alongside confirming five new cases of COVID-19, including a Bernalillo County woman who contracted the disease in New Mexico. The current total is 28. The Governor also directed shopping malls, movie theaters and gyms to close until April 5.
As cases of the novel coronavirus reach double digits in Bernalillo County, local business owners are grappling with a decrease in sales. The New Mexico Economic Development Department is offering aid for businesses amidst the health crisis, such as emergency loans and credit to local business owners who are affected by COVID-19. Effective March 16, the Governor's office issued a mandate requiring restaurants to temporarily limit patronage to half of their maximum occupancy. Tables and booths can't sit more than six people and must be six feet away from the nearest table, according to the City of Albuquerque.
Hopes were set high for LoboTHON in 2020, but with the coronavirus pandemic causing cancellations and closures across campus, this year's Dance Marathon later has also been canceled. With the recent confirmed cases of COVID-19, it was estimated over 100,000 people have been affected around the world. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham banned events exceeding 100 persons on March 12 and a declared state of emergency the previous day. The University of New Mexico followed suit and canceled any event exceeding 50 persons. This has resulted in the cancelation of many events, including sporting games, concerts, festivals, and movies.
As researchers around the world attempt to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center (HSC) researchers are among their ranks. Dr. Steven Bradfute, an assistant professor in the Center for Global Health and Department of Internal Medicine at HSC, confirmed Thursday, March 12 that UNM researchers have received samples of the coronavirus and are ready to test it. Bradfute and his team are contributing to research efforts to try to find a vaccine for COVID-19 amid an increase in presumptive positive cases in New Mexico. As of March 17, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) identified 23 presumptive positive cases of the novel coronavirus in the state.
With the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools both on a three-week break, many students and faculty with children need meals to fulfill the hunger once provided by the schools. In New Mexico, all public K-12 schools have closed for three weeks, as mandated by the Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Students who had previously relied on school lunches are now at home during the day, while their parents must leave for work. APS has announced a “Grab & Go” meal program for students. Meals can be picked up at one of 89 schools from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning March 16. The list of participating schools can be found on the Albuquerque Public Schools website. The student must be present to receive a meal.
Solutions by The State News
