Multimedia

UNM faculty members hold discussion, Q&A on tariffs

On Wednesday, April 9, the Albuquerque Consulate of Mexico and four University of New Mexico faculty members held a public meeting to discuss and answer questions about the tariffs recently implemented by President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Trump paused tariffs on nearly 60 countries, but imposed 145% tariffs on products from China, according to the New York Times. In the simplest form, tariffs are taxes on goods that come from other countries, Reilly White, a UNM associate professor of finance, told the Daily Lobo in March. Event coordinator and law professor Paul Figueroa believes that tariffs will raise government revenue, but he finds “less empirical evidence” to substantiate the idea that the tariffs will save money for the average consumer, he said.

UNM retracts some draft affirmative action policy changes after criticism

After receiving hundreds of public comments largely criticizing the University of New Mexico’s prospective affirmative action policy changes, the school released two new draft policies Thursday, April 10. The new draft policies keep in more references to affirmative action — or sometimes replace it with “inclusive excellence” — but still remove requirements for UNM to have an affirmative action plan and gather and report affirmative action data. The new policies also still remove the ability for a hiring official, in certain circumstances, to fill a position with a member of a historically underrepresented group if another more qualified member of a protected group is unlikely to apply. The previous draft policies — released March 28 — removed nearly all references to affirmative action.

Who are the ‘bad girls’ of New Mexico history?

On Saturday, April 12, Casa San Ysidro hosted a talk on the “Bad Girls of New Mexico” with historian Robert Tórrez. Casa San Ysidro is a reconstructed historical building located in the village of Corrales. The property is owned by the Albuquerque Museum. On the second Saturday of every month, free public events are held there, featuring guest speakers who cover New Mexico history. Visits to and tours of Casa San Ysidro typically cost $4-$6 on weekdays, but admission is free every Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Jo’s Farms celebrates lavender with plant sale

Jo’s Farms — located in Albuquerque’s North Valley — held a plant sale from April 4-6 as part of its mission to highlight love and enthusiasm for lavender. Owner Lisa Fontanarosa purchased Jo's Farms in 2017. The farm is named after her mother, Josephine, she said. When Fontanarosa purchased the property, it was filled with horses, donkeys and alpacas, she said. But she saw the vision of a lavender field.

REVIEW: I love Minecraft and I hated ‘A Minecraft Movie’

On April 4, Warner Bros. Studio released “A Minecraft Movie” starring Jack Black. It’s a disaster. Minecraft — the source material for the film — is an open world sandbox game first released in 2011. It became iconic for its unique look: In the world of Minecraft, everything is cubes or blocks. The game has vast functionality, allowing players to build structures, fight monsters, fish and explore caves to mine for ore.

OPINION: Is Derrick Rose a Hall-of-Famer?

Former basketball player Derrick Rose is eligible to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after the 2027-28 season. But the question is: is he a Hall-of-Famer? As much admiration as I have for the way D-Rose played the game of basketball, I do not believe that he is a Hall-of-Famer. There is a lot of evidence pointing to the case for Rose being in the Hall of Fame. For starters, D-Rose was a crucial piece to the Chicago Bulls’ success during his early years with the team.

White Boy of the Month contest at UNM shut down

The “White Boy of the Month” contest, an event with 21 contestants and over 50 attendees, was abruptly ended by University of New Mexico authorities on Thursday, April 10. The 21 contestants would have competed with impressions, dancing and any audience-suggested options while standing on a stool. Event posters posted around campus, featuring images of Zac Efron, Timothée Chalamet and Justin Bieber, encouraged all to compete.

Museum STEM night lets adults express their inner child

On Friday, April 11, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History hosted an adult STEM night called “Discovery After Dark.” The event invited people 21 years and older to experience the museum’s “thought-provoking and engaging exhibits while participating in hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math fun,” according to Visit Albuquerque. Attendees were catered to by local vendors, such as food trucks and the nearby Bombs Away Beer Company. Among the exhibits was a booth where Gabriel Nemiroff, the museum’s director of education, gave lessons on folding origami cranes. The origami cranes were part of a project called Peace Cranes, related to a large hanging art installation above the exhibit.

REVIEW: New Isotopes concessions taste like a home run

Another year has passed, meaning another new lineup of food has been unveiled at Isotopes Park. Chef Jim Griego hit it out of the ballpark yet again, with seven new delightful dishes, including the Ballpark Sandwich, Spicy Roasted Half Chicken, Hungarian Hot Smoked Paprika Chicken Wings, Fanfare Milkshake, Ice Cream Nachos, Piña Colada Ice Cream Float and Brownie Sundae. Not one, not two, but four new desserts round out the bases this year at the Sweet Spot stand. Sadly, I only got to try the Fanfare Milkshake and Brownie Sundae. However, from the looks of the Piña Colada Ice Cream Float and Ice Cream Nachos, they’ll also be fan favorites.

Cirque Mechanics returns to Albuquerque with ‘Pedal Punk’ show

On Sunday, April 13 at 4 p.m., Cirque Mechanics will return to Popejoy Hall to perform its latest creation, “Pedal Punk.” Cirque Mechanics is “renowned for its groundbreaking fusion of circus artistry and mechanical ingenuity,” according to a Popejoy press release. Founded in 2004 by married couple Chris and Aida Lashua, Cirque Mechanics puts a spin on American circus with a mix of mechanical elements and human acrobatics.

Isotopes take out the Bees again

On Saturday, April 5 the Albuquerque Isotopes saw a different story with the same outcome as Friday’s game when they played the Salt Lake Bees for the fifth game of the series. It was Mariachi Night, and the Isotopes certainly put on a show themselves, securing a 14-3 victory over the Bees. The Isotopes started the game off strong, clocking in a run in the first inning. In the second inning, the Bees returned fire with a run of their own, tying the game at 1-1. However, it didn’t stay like that for long. When the Isotopes went up to bat, they secured a run right back, taking the lead 2-1.

Isotopes shake back with a win in fourth game of the series

The Albuquerque Isotopes took on the Salt Lake Bees for their fourth game of the series on Friday, April 4. The temperature during Friday's game was frigid, with fans cozied up together and both teams wearing long sleeves under their jerseys to watch the Isotopes come out on top 5-4. At the beginning of the game, neither team could get their batters around the bases to score any runs — until Salt Lake’s Niko Kavadas hit the first home run of the night in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, both teams left double zeros up on the board, leaving the score at Salt Lake 1 and Isotopes 0 going into the sixth inning.

Comic, April 7, 2025

Thousands gather at Civic Plaza for nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protest against Trump administration

On Saturday, April 5, Albuquerque joined cities across the country in a “Hands Off!” protest, during which thousands rallied at Civic Plaza to protest against the Trump’s administration’s actions. Speakers addressed local and national issues including immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, Medicaid, Palestinian rights, the right to free speech, public education and the University of New Mexico’s policies. Speakers at the rally included labor activist Dolores Huerta, former Secretary of the Interior and current gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, New Mexico Women’s March Chair Samia Assed, UNM law professor Ernesto Longa, among others.

ASUNM VP impeachment attempt fails in full senate meeting

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico senate voted Wednesday, April 2, not to open a resolution containing articles of impeachment filed against Vice President Mutazz Jaber for failure to fill two “critical” vacant senate seats in a timely manner, according to Resolution 1S. If there are vacancies in the senate, the vice president is responsible for contacting and appointing the official candidates who received the next-highest number of votes during the most recent general election who could fill those vacancies, according to the ASUNM Constitution. If the candidates appointed refuse the position, the vice president is obligated to accept applications for the vacant seats and appoint replacements, with approval from two-thirds of the senate, within 10 days, according to the constitution.

UNMPD begins using bodycams

In March, the University of New Mexico Police Department began using body cameras. This comes over a year after the Daily Lobo reported that UNMPD did not use body cameras because of a loophole in a state statute. A bill during this year’s legislative session aimed to close that loophole, but it did not make it past the Senate. UNM announced that the police department would obtain the cameras in August 2024. So far, the cameras have worked well, according to Lt. Tim Delgado, who is in charge of UNMPD’s body camera program.

UNO tournament deals out fun and funds

On Saturday, April 5, Canteen Brewhouse hosted its third annual UNO Tournament, drawing about 50 card-playing beer lovers and card sharks to their patio for an afternoon of friendly competition, drinks and community support. The event featured a bracket-style UNO competition with winners facing winners until one emerged as the ultimate UNO champion. Meanwhile, attendees enjoyed local brews and tested their luck in a raffle for prizes including T-shirts, water bottles and gift cards. Kenneth Kinderwater, who recently moved to Albuquerque, won both a raffle prize and a spot on the tournament bracket.

REVIEW: Please try to enjoy each season equally — ‘Severance’ Season Two does not disappoint

On March 20, Apple TV released the finale episode of Season Two of “Severance,” the hit TV thriller created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller. If you wish to keep the final episode mysterious and important, know this: it was excellent. If you wish to know more… Spoilers ahead. “Severance” mostly follows the lives of four employees who work for a company known as Lumon Industries. Their work is so secret that they must all undergo the titular Severance procedure, which splits their consciousness into two parts — an “Innie” who exists only at work, and an “Outie” who lives the rest of their life.

The Eric Olen era begins for men's basketball

On March 30, the University of New Mexico announced its hire of the 23rd head coach of the men's basketball team, Eric Olen. He took over the job less than a week after previous head coach Richard Pitino announced he would move to Xavier University.  This marks the third major hire in Lobo athletics over the last four months, alongside new athletic director Fernando Lovo and head football coach Jason Eck. Olen is under contract with the Lobos for five years, with a base salary of $1.2 million and an additional $50,000 per year, for a total payout of $6.5 million. He can receive further compensation by achieving athletic performance goals, like a Mountain West regular season championship or NCAA Tournament.

UNM to begin demolition of Motel 6 following acquisition

The Motel 6 that the University of New Mexico acquired in February is expected to be demolished within the next two weeks. The University purchased the property for $5 million, according to a memo from Thomas Neale, the UNM director of real estate. The motel sits on an approximately 1.57-acre plot of land just west of Lobo Village. The UNM Board of Regents also approved an offer for the 1-acre plot of land next to the motel priced at $1.25 million, according to a statement to the Daily Lobo by UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair.