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News

PAÍS building completes construction

Colin Peña | October 2

Located at the intersection of Yale and Redondo and overlooking Central avenue, the Physics & Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Science (PAÍS) building recently finished construction. But classes and research won’t be starting so soon. “We’ll be fully up and ready to serve everyone in the spring semester and we’ll probably do a formal ribbon cutting in March but it is being occupied today,” Mark Peceny, the dean of the college of arts and science said. The $67 million project was mainly funded through an institutional bond pay for by an uptick in student fees, as well as a $27 million from a state general obligation (GEO) bond, according to Peceny. “This new building is constructed in a way that allows people to do 21st-century science,” Peceny said.

News

2019 Black Cultural Conference promotes 'radical self-care'

Dan Goodwin | October 2

The University of New Mexico African American Student Services hosted the 2019 Black Cultural Conference at UNM on Sept. 19 and 20. According to organizers, around 450 people were in attendance and included students from universities across the Southwest. Local community members, high school students and representatives from the City of Albuquerque also participated. The conference, subtitled "Blackness Unchained," was focused around "Radical Self-Care.” It included several workshops throughout its two-day duration with a concentration on mindfulness techniques. It also included seminars on leadership and community capacity building.

News

Campus remembers legacy of political science professor

Makayla Grijalva and Beatrice Nisoli | October 2

Kendra Koivu, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico’s political science department, passed away on Sept. 27 after a long battle with breast cancer. "She will be dearly missed by her friends, colleagues and students at UNM, and she will be remembered for her striking wit, tenacity and extremely gifted academic mind," said Timothy Krebs, the chair of the UNM political science department in an email sent to students in the department. The UNM political science department will be closed on Thursday, Oct. 3 so faculty and students alike have the opportunity to attend her services.

Sports

QB Tuioti reflects on loss of grandfather, looks ahead

Alanie Rael and Dan Goodwin | October 2

The University of New Mexico's clash against in-state rivals New Mexico State University was an edge-of-your-seat kind of game for the 2019 football season. With the game being so close (55-52), it came down to how much fighting spirit the Lobos brought to the field. "After the game, it was about my grandfather," Quarterback and third-year player Tevaka Tuioti said in an interview with the Daily Lobo. "His family service was coming up on Sunday with a burial Monday morning." Tuioti was essential to UNM’s success over the Aggies, throwing for 355 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. After the win against NMSU, Tuioti gave brief remarks in the postgame press conference. He wasn’t on his way to celebrate the Lobos' victory with his teammates — he had a flight to California to catch.

Opinion

Opinion: Video game preservation necessary to measure cultural impact

Caitlin Scott | October 2

Video game preservation is a relatively new concept. It wasn’t until the preservation of other types of media (such as movies, television shows and/or music) in which consumers started taking video game history seriously. Most video games created throughout history are no longer accessible to study and play. This is because interactive media is a quickly evolving industry. Games that are merely a year old are considered outdated today due to the constant development of new technology. Older games are hard to come by because developers would throw out source code, computers and even the games themselves. An example of this is the mass burial of video game cartridges, consoles and computers in Alamogordo, New Mexico. These artifacts were buried in 1983 and weren’t discovered until 2014.

News

SHAC launches new online counseling service

Beatrice Nisoli | October 2

The University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) has launched a platform for online counseling services, called Therapy Assistance Online (TAO). The self-help tool includes educational development and a skill set improvement in areas such as mindfulness, communication and problem-solving. “TAO is an online mental health platform that can help people who don’t come into counseling or can’t come into counseling, address mental health issues on their own,” Counseling Director at SHAC Dr. Stephanie McIver said. Students are encouraged to sign up for TAO through the SHAC’s website (shac.unm.edu). Registration is a simple process requiring only one’s name, school email address and demographic information. Also, registering comes at no cost to users.

Culture

Species in Peril: Downtown exhibit spotlights biological crisis

Megan Holmen and Colin Peña | October 2

Inside of the 516 ARTS gallery in Downtown Albuquerque, the Species in Peril art exhibit aims to bring recognition and acknowledgement to the pressing issue of biological extinction focusing on the Rio Grande watershed. The collaborative project is centered in Albuquerque but has satellite exhibits up and down the Rio Grande watershed. Along the 1,885 mile long span of the river, thousands of species are threatened by human activity directly or indirectly. Human activity often reduces their habitats, threatening them with extinction. These species include large mammals like the American bison, which historically lived on both the river in the United States and Mexico, and the endangered silvery minnow, which used to have an expansive range but has now been reduced to just a few miles in central New Mexico.

News

UNM professor assists in vaping research

Amanda Britt and Lissa Knudsen | September 30

As vaping related deaths continue to rise in the U.S, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday that there 805 confirmed cases of lung injury cases in the United States as a result of vaping, including 12 confirmed deaths. While the CDC reported that the specific chemical exposures causing lung injuries associated with electronic cigarettes are unknown at this time, a recent study by the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) found vaping to impair lung function even in the absence of nicotine.

News

UNM professor gives talk on chocolate in Chaco Canyon

Caitlin Scott | September 30

University of New Mexico anthropology professor Patricia L. Crown gave a free lecture on the history of cacao in Chaco Canyon at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology on Sept. 28. Cacao is the bean from which cocoa products like chocolate are made. Crown spent decades researching chocolate consumption in Chaco Canyon. Studies show that cacao was domesticated around 5,000 years ago in South America, later spreading to other areas. One of the first people to drink chocolate beverages were the Mayans, who would make cylinders to hold them.

Culture

Club highlights vital role of bees in ecosystem

Makayla Grijalva | September 30

Honeycomb glistened with golden morning hues as local beekeeper Bobby “Bee” Blanquez showed off one of his three honeybee hives to the University of New Mexico Beekeeping Club on Saturday. Blanquez and his wife, Camille Cunningham, have been keeping bees since 2012. "My name is Bee. That’s one reason (I began to keep bees)," Blanquez said. "We heard about bees dying, and once the bees go on Earth, you know that’s it. Our food supplies go out. We have bees because we want to support them." The couple doesn’t keep bees for the honey harvest, but rather primarily for their pollination abilities. They haven’t harvested honey from a hive since the spring of 2018 when one of their colonies abandoned the hive, leaving honey behind. "It's not for the honey, it’s for them. We do it for the bees," Blanquez said.

Culture

Ukekopelli Festival features music of the Beatles

Makayla Grijalva | September 30

The 6th annual Ukekopelli Festival kicked off last Friday with a concert featuring the hit-music of the Beatles. “The only festival that was anywhere near here was in Reno, Nevada. So, the local clubs, the local people that I knew, we decided we could have one ourselves,” Gary Wells said, one of the organizers of the festival. The theme was chosen because this year is the 50th anniversary of the Beatles last album “Abbey Road,” which Wells said defined rock’n’roll at the time of release. Performers at the concert included Brooke Adams, who played the entire “Abbey Road” album, and Bete-lele who also performed Beatles covers.

News

ASUNM: Senate approves constitutional amendment

Alex Hiett | September 30

For the first time in two years, the undergraduate student government passed a constitutional amendment. The unanimous vote cleared the first of three hurdles for the change to take effect. The amendment, passed on Wednesday, Sept. 25 by the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Senate, would hamper the Vice President’s ability to appoint Senators in the event of a vacancy. “It was a smart idea to think about what would happen if we needed to reach outside of the Spring 2019 election to potentially appoint new senators,” Current ASUNM Vice President Madelyn Lucas, noting that these types of appointments are rare. Every candidate who ran for Senate in spring 2019, became a senator, nearly triggering the process in question.

Sports

Lobos lose at Liberty

Reyes Gallegos | September 30

The University of New Mexico Lobos football team (2-2) lost 17-10 to Liberty University (3-2) on Saturday evening during an away game in Lynchburg, Virginia. The loss dropped UNM to a 2-2 record and dashed hopes of a 3-1 start for New Mexico, which would’ve been the first in 12 years. Instead, the Lobos start the season with same 2-2 record they’ve started with for the last five seasons. The game in Lynchburg was UNM head coach Bob Davie’s first back on the sideline since being hospitalized following UNM’s season opening win against Sam Houston State.

News

Where to get your flu shot

Megan Holmen | September 30

The University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) will be holding a flu shot clinic on Tuesday Oct. 1 and Wednesday Oct. 2 in memory of UNM student Raymond Plotkin who passed away after contracting the H1N1 virus in 2009. The event is called #takeoneforRaymond. The event is open to students, staff and faculty who are 18 years old and up, but will only continue while supplies last, according to SHAC's website. SHAC holds free flu shot days because college students are at risk of contracting the virus — and a simple flu shot can prevent this. Students can get their free flu shots in the Student Union Building Atrium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Opinion

"Borderlands 3" meets all expectations

Caitlin Scott | September 26

On Sept. 13, game developer Gearbox Software released the highly anticipated "Borderlands 3" for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and Microsoft Windows. "Borderlands 3" comes seven years after its predecessor "Borderlands 2". The game improves on previous outings yet stays familiar in the best ways possible. There are returning characters from "Borderlands 2" such as ClapTrap, Mad Moxxi and Lilith, as well as newcomers like Ava. "Borderlands 3" is a much bigger game than the first, second and pre-sequel. It adds many layers of customization, from character clothing to special abilities and weapon class modification. There is a little bit of everything for every play style.

Culture

Photo Story: Japanese Fall Festival

Sharon Schischilly | September 26

The Land of the Rising Sun illuminated New Mexico on Sunday, Sept. 22. The New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League (NMJACL) hosted its annual Aki Matsuri (Japanese Fall Festival) at the New Mexico Veterans’ Memorial in Albuquerque. For over 40 years, the annual event has celebrated Japanese culture and heritage. The founding families of the NMJACL, Nisei and Sansei (second and third generation Japanese-Americans), started the event in Albuquerque. "The festival is an annual event sharing the Japanese culture with the community," NMJACL President Steve Togami said. "It’s our main fundraiser to try and build a Japanese Culture Center in Albuquerque." Live demonstrations held throughout the event included sushi making demonstrations, origami folding and Ikebana flower arrangements. The food court offered Japanese food: Participants lined up to taste the many flavors of Japan. The food included Japanese hot dogs, sushi, spam musubi and more.

News

CIA funds professor at UNM

Alex Heitt | September 26

The University of New Mexico is building upon its relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The memorandum allows the agency to station an active-duty CIA operative on campus. UNM alumnus and CIA agent David Berg arrived on campus earlier this fall. Berg will be stationed at the University for two years, teaching classes and serving as a resource for students seeking career opportunities within the CIA. His classes will begin next semester and include Ethics in Cyber Intelligence, Technology, and Social Media for National Security, and Introduction to Global and National Security.

News

Crime Briefs: September 26, 2019

Makayla Grijalva | September 26

The weekly crime briefs are to give the students, faculty and staff at the University of New Mexico a quick look into the crimes reported on campus. They do not provide all perspectives of the incident. All of the information is retrieved through UNM Police Department incident reports. UNM student banned from campus for possession of firearms University of New Mexico senior Steven Do, 21, was banned from campus after police found two handguns and a rifle in his dorm room. The UNM Police Department went to his room in Alvarado hall earlier this month after they received reports that Do was receiving suspicious packages from gun sellers. He consented to a search of his dorm, in which the guns were found along with several other gun parts.

News

UNM sees another decline in enrollment

Justin Garcia | September 26

For the seventh consecutive year, student enrollment at the University of New Mexico has dropped — certain to cause a ripple of effects in funding throughout the University. Undergraduate enrollment fell 6.5% (16,170) for the fall 2019 semester, while combined graduate and professional enrollment fell 6% (6,130), contributing to a five-year decline of 16.67% (22,792). The Albuquerque Journal reported that UNM expects a $4 million budget shortfall as a result of the enrollment decline. In 2018, UNM saw a $10 million shortfall from a 7% decline.

Opinion

Best milkshakes around UNM

Alanie Rael , Megan Holmen and Amanda Britt | September 26

Eating with Wolves is back and shaking things up with another review from the staff at the Daily Lobo. Editors Amanda Britt, Megan Holmen and Alanie Rael rated local restaurants in the Downtown and EDo districts on both their chocolate and speciality milkshakes. As temperatures get colder and fall approaches, Standard Diner, Holy Burger and 66 Diner all offer great options for this end of summer favorite. Each milkshake was rated on the following criteria: taste, atmosphere, service and presentation.