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University police bodycam bill passes first committee

Lawmakers voted Monday, Feb. 24 to advance a bill that would explicitly require university police departments to use body cameras, just over a year after the Daily Lobo revealed a loophole in a state statute. The 2020 statute, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), requires law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to use body cameras. While it does not explicitly exclude university police departments, it also does not explicitly include them.

UNM study finds high levels of microplastics in human brains

A team of University of New Mexico scientists found that the human brain is the organ with the highest concentration of microplastics and nanoplastics compared to the liver or kidney. The study, led by Matthew Campen, looked at the brains of people in New Mexico who died in 2016 and 2024. It also included samples from people who died from 1997- 2013 on the east coast. The total mass concentration of plastics in the analyzed brains increased by about 50% in the 2024 sample compared to the 2016 sample, according to the study.

Comic, Feb. 24, 2025

UNM reaffirms commitment to diversity following federal guidance against race-based programs

The University of New Mexico will risk losing federal funding if it does not end race-based programs by Feb. 28, according to a Department of Education memo sent to schools across the country Feb. 14. The memo cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin against any person, including within programs that receive federal funding. As of Feb. 21, UNM will not make any changes to its operations, nor to its academic programming or student support services, according to UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair.

OPINION: Bobbleheads of the Week — 4 Nations Face-Off edition

The inaugural Four Nations Face-Off hockey tournament came to an exciting conclusion Thursday night when Canada defeated the United States in a 3-2 overtime victory. Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. With three other nations falling short, here are the bobbleheads who helped ensure the teams walked away from the tournament empty-handed.

REVIEW: Cons outweigh the pros in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure

The narrative-based game Life Is Strange: Double Exposure came out on Oct. 29, 2024, and was the sixth installment of the Life Is Strange series. The game was highly anticipated, as it saw the return of the fan-favorite, time-traveling protagonist from the first game, Max Caulfield. This is the first time in the series that a protagonist from a previous game was thrown into the spotlight again. Despite the game looking promising at first, it failed to deliver on the hype and turned out to be a disappointing game.

UNM Mixed Martial Arts Club goes the distance and becomes official

What started as a small group of University of New Mexico student fighters meeting in the mat room to train has now become the official Mixed Martial Arts Club. Founded by experienced fighters, the club meets every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 4-5 p.m. in Johnson Center to kick ass and take names. Prior to the club’s conception, a fighting community at UNM built its ground game through word of mouth, according to black belt karate fighter and MMA Club Treasurer Mark Evans.

Santa Fe’s indoor soccer team strives for community first

Overseeing Santa Fe’s indoor soccer team comes with a lot of responsibility, which Santa Fe Gloom’s owner David Fresquez proudly handles. Fresquez started the team in December 2023 because he wanted children and families to have fun in Santa Fe even when the weather was too cold or too hot for outdoor sports. Initially, Fresquez tried to base the team out of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center’s ice rink, but city officials did not approve the plan. Fresquez, however, was not discouraged.

REVIEW: Oscar-nominated live-action short films fail to deliver

On Feb. 19-20, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema showed the five short films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. A diverse array of films are nominated in 2025. Out of the five nominees, only one film is primarily in English. The Croatian film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” is a dramatized account of the Štrpci massacre — the abduction from a train and subsequent murder of 18 Bosniak Muslims and one Croat by members of the Serbian military at the height of the Bosnian War. The film focuses on Tomo Buzov, a retired Yugoslav military captain and the one Croat victim of the massacre, who spoke up in defense of the train’s Bosniak passengers.

‘Les Misérables’ brings romance and revolution to Popejoy Hall

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, during Popejoy Hall’s opening night of the Broadway musical “Les Misérables,” performers took audience members back to the era of the French revolution through  a mix of theatrics, operatic singing and elaborate stage design. The Broadway cast performed for a crowd of nearly 3,000 people. The show was performed every day at Popejoy Hall through Sunday, Feb. 23. Beginning with prison labor and prostitution, “Les Misérables” unfolds into a love story between an orphaned girl and a student who takes part in a bloody rebellion — the rebellion that inspired French author Victor Hugo’s original novel published in 1862, according to TheCollector.

Speakers discuss Trump’s policies, free speech, divestment at Regents meeting

On Thursday, Feb 20, speakers at a University of New Mexico Board of Regents meeting raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s executive actions, including on immigration, funding cuts, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The meeting, held at the Student Union Building, was the first open session of the spring semester and the first for newly appointed regents Patricia Williams and Christina Campos. Some student and faculty speakers also asked the Regents to consider divesting from Israel and the fossil fuel industry. During advisors’ comments, Graduate and Professional Student Association President Michel Rivera Ramirez spoke to the Regents about his concerns related to Department of Education guidelines for schools to end race-based programs by Feb. 28.

Stokes sets vision for UNM’s future at State of the University address

On Friday, Feb. 21, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes reflected on the past year and outlined plans for UNM’s future in her seventh annual State of the University address. During the speech, she mentioned the University’s response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions that target funding for higher education. Part of the University’s response, Stokes said, includes maintaining UNM’s resource centers and health programs in the face of Department of Education guidance telling universities to end race-based programs by Feb. 28 or risk losing federal funding. The University’s rapid response teams, which were implemented after Trump’s inauguration, will continue to analyze executive orders and regulations, she said.

UNM visiting artist Larry Madrigal gives talk at Albuquerque Museum

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the Albuquerque Museum hosted painter Larry Madrigal to talk about his work as part of the University of New Mexico Frederick Hammersley Visiting Artist program. After the talk, Madrigal hosted a Q&A session with audience members. “The program invites prominent contemporary painters from around the world to come live and work in Albuquerque,” according to the UNM Department of Art website. Madrigal is from Phoenix. His first solo show was in Los Angeles in 2020, he said, and he has since had shows in Paris, New York and Bucharest.

‘Push and Pull’ highlights abstract artists at UNM Art Museum

On Jan. 31, the University of New Mexico Art Museum opened its exhibit “Push & Pull: The Prints of Helen Frankenthaler and Her Contemporaries.” The exhibit showcases the work of abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler, whose career began in the mid-1900s. The exhibit was put on with ...

Darkness visible: the University of New Mexico’s archive on the sexual abuse of children by priests

This story was originally published by Searchlight New Mexico. If you have experienced sexual assault, sexual violence or unwanted sexual contact, you can contact the Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico at (505) 266-7711. Links in this story contain graphic descriptions of sexual abuse of ...

Uncertainty looms over UNM with proposed federal research funding cuts

The future of medical research at the University of New Mexico remains uncertain after a federal judge temporarily blocked funding cuts for overhead costs at research institutions. President Donald Trump announced the cuts Feb. 7, which would put a cap on funding from the National Institutes of Health for “indirect costs.” These costs are used for things like laboratory space, faculty and equipment. The proposed cuts aim to maximize the amount of funds that go toward “direct” research costs, according to the announcement.

Comic, Feb. 17, 2025

Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández comes to Popejoy Hall

On Friday, Feb. 14, Popejoy Hall was filled with colorful costumes, lively music and passionate dancers as Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández performed for one night in Albuquerque before returning to Mexico City. The world-renowned dance group traveled to New Mexico and shared its artistry of traditional song and dance, celebrating Mexican culture and heritage. The group performed at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe on Feb. 12 before its Valentine’s Day performance at the University of New Mexico. The performance and choreography exhibited traditional Folklorico dances from throughout the country and celebrated pre-colonial Mesoamerican cultures, according to a Popejoy press release.

Women's basketball: Lobos’ unforgettable finish leads to victory against Boise State

On Thursday, Feb. 13, the University of New Mexico women's basketball team took on Boise State University. Both teams came into the game on losing streaks and were hungry for a win. At the end of regulation, the score was 75-75, sending the teams into overtime.  The Lobos secured an 88-83 victory with a game-sealing 3-pointer by Vianè Cumber. The first quarter started off rocky for the Lobos. They had a hard time with offensive rebounds making it hard to seek the rest of the game. They ended the quarter on a tight score of 14-15 due to a pick-up on offense.

City Council approves $30 million bond for New Mexico United stadium

On Feb. 3, the Albuquerque City Council approved the issuance and sale of a $30 million Industrial Revenue Bond to fund the construction and maintenance of a stadium for New Mexico United. Plans for the stadium were first approved by the City Council by an 8-1 vote in August 2024.