Multimedia

Culture

Gathering of Nations celebrates Native culture

Anthony Jackson | April 29

The annual Gathering of Nations kicked off on Thursday, April 27, with the 36th Miss Indian World pageant held at the Albuquerque Convention Center.  Native American women from tribes throughout the country competed for the title of Miss Indian World. Contestants were asked to display knowledge of their culture, public speaking, interviews, essays, dance and traditional talents — like grinding corn, swaddling babies and storytelling. The powwow began Friday and lasted until Saturday night.

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News

ABQ and UNM partner to help the homeless

Madison Spratto and Alanie Rael | April 29

When most people wake up for the day, their first stop is the bathroom where the usual necessities are at arm's reach: toilet paper, towels and a toothbrush. For people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque, waking up and using a bathroom is a luxury most do not have. The homeless community that gathers in Coronado Park has limited access to any kind of restroom facilities. There is only a single, poorly managed, porta-potty that sits at the edge of the park. 

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News

UNM to hold hearing on faculty union Monday

Kyle Land | April 29

The next chapter of the University of New Mexico faculty’s effort to form a union will take place on Monday, April 29.  The UNM Labor Management Relations Board (LMRB) will hold a hearing on Monday. The three-person board which handles all UNM labor disputes are weighing the certification or rejection the faculty’s petition to unionize. The petition was signed by over 900 part-time and full-time faculty members. There is no guarantee the board will make a final decision on Monday.  The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Marriott Pyramid North Hotel. UNM spokesperson Cinnamon Blair said the hotel was selected because it is a neutral location.

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News

UNM announces new provost

Kyle Land | April 29

James Holloway was officially named the new provost for the University of New Mexico, according to an announcement made by the University last week.  “Dr. Holloway is an inspired choice for UNM Provost and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Albuquerque and to the Lobo community,” said President Garnett Stokes in a written statement.  Holloway previously served as Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Interdisciplinary Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan, and was selected for the position at UNM following a nearly six-month long search process. 

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Sports

Nail-biting match ends in draw for United

Andrew Gunn | April 29

"If you're a fan, you can't ask for anything more... that's for sure." New Mexico United head coach Troy Lesesne summarized with admirable clarity his club's 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers 2 at Isotopes Park on Friday night. A matchup between two teams atop the Western Conference, the fixture was a first-rate experience of the mercurial nature of competitive soccer. The 90 minutes were fraught with wild swings of emotion for the record 12,921 in attendance — confidence, frustration and despair gave way to euphoria as a last-gasp equalizer from United forward Kevaughn Frater rescued a point for the home side.

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News

UNM licences Adobe Creative Cloud

Shayla Cunico | April 29

The University of New Mexico has announced the school secured a licensing agreement with Adobe Creative Cloud.   The Budget Leadership Team had a plan approved by the Board of Regents last week. The plan includes a $50 technology fee for both undergraduate and graduate students to pay for the agreement.

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News

President Stokes discusses budget

Anthony Jackson | April 29

Unions, salaries, tuition, campus safety and ethics were all topics University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes discussed at a presentation on Friday, April 26. Stokes was joined by a panel of five people on her left: Dorothy Anderson vice president of human resources; Craig White, interim senior vice president of the Anderson School of Management; Mike Richards, vice chancellor for clinical affairs; Scott Sander, deputy counsel for health sciences; Rich Wood, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. 

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News

ASUNM cuts Daily Lobo ad requirement

Justin Garcia | April 25

The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Senate voted to remove a requirement to advertise in the New Mexico Daily Lobo. The bill removed ASUNM from a self-imposed obligation to advertise elections, scholarships and workshops in UNM’s independent, student-run newspaper.  Much of the 30-minute conversation centered around how ads placed in the Daily Lobo were affecting voter turnout. Over the last two ASUNM Senate elections, the Daily Lobo has consistently reported historically low rates of voter turnout. Both Senate elections saw a turnout of 6 percent of the undergraduate student body.  The bill was sponsored by Vice President-elect Madelyn Lucas, who said that the purpose of the bill was to give agency directors more flexibility in how and where they advertise. Lucas also suggested that advertising online could take the place of advertising in the Daily Lobo. 

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News

GPSA court dismisses complaint against Pres. Elect

Justin Garcia | April 25

A complaint filed against President-elect Muhammad Afzaal was dismissed on Monday, clearing the way for his certification as President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association.   The Graduate and Professional Student Association's Court of Review voted 2 to 1 to dismiss the complaint. The complaint accused Afzaal of campaigning too close to a polling station and pressuring students to vote for him.  “The court finds that the complaint is not valid because the governing Article, cited by the Plaintiff, is not applicable because the allegations do not involve a physical polling location,” Chief Justice Simon Suzuki said. 

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News

LoboWeb expands gender pronoun options

Anna C. Evantiz | April 25

LoboWeb now gives students and staff the option to set their preferred pronouns and gender identity.  This is phase three of the Affirmed/Preferred First Name initiative, an initiative that has been a collaborative effort by the LGBTQ resource center, the division of equality and inclusion, information technologies and the office of the registrars. The Affirmed name initiative is covered under UNM policy, as per Frankie Flores, the LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator. 

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Culture

How Jose Martinez overcame homelessness

Amanda Britt | April 25

From overcoming homelessness and substance addiction, to having a feature roll in “Better Call Saul," Jose B. Martinez is a symbol of perseverance.  Throughout his life, Martinez has had to overcome many obstacles. Growing up a member of the only Hispanic family in his town and being racially stereotyped by police, moving to Los Angeles with only $700 and being homeless on the streets of Albuquerque. Martinez, a former student at the university of New Mexico, grew up in Chicago always knowing he wanted to be an actor. At the age of 18 he veered away from his family to move to New York City with the hope that he could make it in the acting business. After years of struggling in New York he decided to try acting in Los Angeles.

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Opinion

Column: ASUNM changes law based on hunches and assumptions

Kyle Land | April 25

Last night, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico voted to remove a law requiring them to advertise their elections in the Daily Lobo. The bill passed 13 to 6. As editor-in-chief, I find the nature of the bill and the way it was introduced a little more than concerning. Frankly, the opinions expressed by those who supported this bill proved exactly why recent election turnouts have been at some of their lowest points ever.  Firstly, one of the most baffling moments of the meeting came during a presentation Victoria Knight, Joint Council’s representative to ASUNM, made to the Full Senate. She said that President Becka Myers had asked the council how they would feel if they were in the Daily Lobo and this legislation was introduced?

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Opinion

Column: The root causes of homelessness

Andrew Gunn | April 25

Early in the afternoon during the summer of 2017, 50-year-old Lou Molzhon was sleeping on a mattress under the Interstate 40 overpass at 12th Street. Described by friends and acquaintances as a kindhearted man who was quick to share a smoke, he had been living on the streets of Albuquerque for over a year. Under the bridge downtown, Molzhon didn't give his life away — it was stolen from him. Police and witnesses say that two assailants soaked him in gasoline and set him on fire. Molzhon later died of his injuries at the University of New Mexico Hospital. His attackers have yet to be apprehended. This is but a microcosm of the threats facing those experiencing homelessness in the United States, and the crisis is only getting worse. Homelessness has tripled in New York City since the turn of the century, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. A proposed homeless "navigation center" in an affluent waterfront neighborhood in San Francisco is facing immense backlash from residents, even as City Supervisor Aaron Peskin says the city's homelessness situation has reached a "boiling point".

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Culture

Movie Review: Poor dialogue dampens potential of "La Llorona"

Justin Schatz | April 25

La Llorona makes her long awaited “Conjuring Universe" debut in Michael Chaves stylistic, yet underwhelming, “The Curse of La Llorona.”   The “Conjuring Universe” has been a blessing for the horror genre. James Wan’s “The Conjuring” is often considered a contemporary masterpiece of horror. The “Annabelle” spinoffs are a lesser but still competently crafted horror experience.  The ever-expanding “Conjuring Universe” has experienced a dip in form with its last few entries. The formula that proved to a be a resounding success in the first two “Conjuring” movies has been recycled through each entry and now is at its predictable low in Chaves' latest entry.

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Culture

Don Quijote flash mob takes Zimmerman by storm

Anthony Jackson | April 25

More than a dozen University of New Mexico staff and students gathered outside of Zimmerman Library for a Don Quijote flash mob last Wednesday. Starting at noon and lasting 15 minutes, undergraduate and graduate students alike read passages from the book; some read aloud in english, but others read out loud in Spanish and french.  The flash mob was held in conjunction with el Día del Libro, the Day of the Book, said Mary Quinn, an associate professor within the Spanish and Portuguese department.

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Culture

Movie Review: "Shazam" proves a compelling superhero movie

Justin Schatz | April 24

Imagine Gary Winick’s “13 Going on 30,” but without the stress of renting in New York City and instead transforming into a goofy superman doppelganger. DC Comics' latest solo entry “Shazam,” is a fun and deceivingly dark entry that promises potential for DC’s inconsistent cinematic universe.   Directed by David Sandberg, “Shazam” finds its emotional core and compelling storytelling through its exploration of family. The movie invested itself in Billy Batson (Asher Angel), an orphan on a relentless quest to find his mother. After another fruitless lead, Billy finds himself fostered by Victor (Cooper Andrews) and Rosa (Marta Milans) Vasquez.  He meets his foster brother, Frederick ‘Freddy’ Freeman (Jack Grazer), who happens to be an expert on everything superhero related. Billy, after defending Freddy from their high school’s bullies, finds himself in the presence of a powerful wizard (Dijimon Hounsou) and here we meet Shazam (a perfectly cast, Zachary Levi).

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News

UNM regents approve 3.1 percent tuition hike

Danielle Prokop | April 23

It’s official — tuition is going up.  The University of New Mexico Board of Regents debated, then voted 6-1 to adopt the Budget Leadership Team’s proposal to raise base tuition by 3.1 percent. Regent Kimberly Sanchez Rael was the sole dissenter. The increase will provide for a 3 percent employee compensation bump — lower than the state-mandated 4 percent. The additional 1 percent will be potentially covered by a supplemental appropriation to the state: a request of an additional $4.6 million dollars. 

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News

UNM approves differential tuition for Arts & Sciences. How does it affect you?

Justin Garcia | April 23

The University of New Mexico approved an additional tuition cost that charges undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) $10 per credit hour on top of other tuition and fee costs. Graduate students in A&S will be charged an additional $50 per credit hour. Unlike base tuition, differential tuition goes straight back to A&S' bank(or pocket?). The cost increase comes with a student fee increase, base tuition increase and additional premiums on upper-division courses (including graduate courses) passed by the Board of Regents as a part of the 2020 budget. 

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News

Regents to hold second summit for budget today

Danielle Prokop | April 22

The University of New Mexico is having its Budget Summit — again.  The special meeting of the UNM Board of Regents begins at 9 a.m. in the Student Union Building. It’s the second attempt to make decisions for the University’s $2.9 billion budget — including Health Sciences Center, Main Campus and its auxiliary budgets, which includes athletics.  The proposed budget will have to address a steep decline in enrollment, nationally low faculty compensation and the UNM Department of Athletics continued deficit management. 

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News

Mayor Keller approves plastic bag ban

Justin Garcia | April 22

Mayor Tim Keller signed into law a ban on plastic bags — like those commonly used at grocery stores — on Saturday during an Earth Day celebration.  The bill was sponsored by four Democrats and originally had much stricter regulations when it came to single-use containers. Dorothy Rainosek — who co-owns Frontier with her husband Larry — said she expects more changes like the bag ban in the future. “I’m glad we have time to adapt,” Rainosek said, adding that her restaurant wasn’t affected by this bill. The ban takes effect in 2020.  She said her restaurant, and the Golden Pride chain, are beginning to look at alternatives to plastic straws and are considering making straws available upon request.