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Opinion

EDITORIAL: The importance of critical studies

Maddie Pukite | August 20

One of the oldest gender studies programs in the nation, the Women’s Studies Program has existed at the University of New Mexico since 1972. In 1999 a major was added, and in 2019 the name was changed from Women’s Studies to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Last week, the first public university in the nation cut its gender studies department. The New College of Florida did away with its Women’s Studies department – a decision supported by Ron Desantis, the Republican Gov. of Florida. The University is now “shifting gears” to a new athletics program. I am in my final year of the program here at UNM and I could not be more grateful for my education in WGGS.

News

‘It smelled like plastic. That creates a memory’

Austin Fisher and Megan Gleason | August 17

This story was originally published by Source New Mexico Celerah Hewes lives in southeast Albuquerque. On Aug. 6, she was driving home from the grocery store and happened to see the smoke plume from the Atkore United Poly Systems fire. “Otherwise I would never have known,” she said. “I would have stayed in my house, my swamp cooler on, and maybe had no idea that there was an air quality issue.” As of Tuesday, city and state authorities still have not said publicly how much smoke the fire generated. They also have not provided any detailed documentation of where the smoke went. Through a spokesperson, the city of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department said the smoke drifted south by southeast “away from populated areas.”

News

Legislative meeting highlights plans for a school year alongside AI

Lily Alexander | August 14

Faculty at the University of New Mexico are preparing for the impact of artificial intelligence for the upcoming academic year after professors weighed its benefits and risks at a Science, Technology and Telecommunications Committee meeting on July 24. The committee was created by the New Mexico Legislative Council in May. AI was one of three topics the committee discussed, and the subject was given additional meeting time to develop legislation.

News

Board of Regents approve RPSP requests

Maddie Pukite | August 14

Passed unanimously, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes presented the Legislative Research and Public Service Projects Funding requests for FY 2024 - 2025 to the Board of Regents at their meeting on Thursday, Aug. 10. The largest RPSP request for 2025 was $11,941,700 for athletics to improve student-athlete welfare, recruitment and “enhancing the university’s brand”; it was $3.5 million more than last year’s request.

News

UNM’s Film students & faculty stand with the strike

Elizabeth Secor | August 14

In early May, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Union soon followed, striking in early June. As the 2023 fall semester begins at UNM, film students are looking at their future field without regrets despite the strikes, senior Michael Madrigal – who’s in the Film Department – said.

Sports

OPINION: 2023 Lobo’s football schedule predictions

Thomas Bulger | August 14

The University of New Mexico football team will begin to get back on track after a 2 - 10 season last year. This year on their schedule, six of the teams they played against went to bowl games, two were last season division winners and three are teams that go by the nickname “Aggies.”

Sports

NM United: Reigning champions come to town, United drops game 3 - 0

BillyJack Davidson | August 14

The New Mexico United’s 22nd match of the season took place on Aug. 12 against the current second ranked team in the Western Division – San Antonio FC. The game went long with minute before half time and an extra seven minutes additional by the end – still not enough time for the boys in black and gold. United lost to San Antonio 3 - 0; all three goals were made in the first half, the first made within the two minute mark.

News

Trans and non-binary students report mixed experiences with SHAC

Lauren Lifke and Milan Ortiz-Ruiz | July 28

Over the past two years, several trans and non-binary University of New Mexico students have reported mistreatment and lack of access to hormone therapy at Student Health and Counseling (SHAC), according to Juniper Reimagined’s outreach coordinator, Ophelia Aragon. This has resulted in a delay of medically necessary gender-affirming care. Juniper Reimagined is a Queer and trans student alliance at UNM amongst several LGBTQ student organizations on campus. Five student members of Juniper Reimagined have said they had a poor experience with SHAC, including trans and non-binary individuals who said they have dealt with being misgendered, Aragon said.

Opinion

Opinion: Summer reads that helped me love reading again

Maddie Pukite | July 27

For those of you who might also reminisce on days spent reading in middle school entranced by some make-believe world but haven't been able to fall head over heels for a paperback since – this is a list of four books that I feel will help you take the jump. I’ve spent the past six months attempting to get back into reading fiction – never able to convince myself to open a book, much less finish one. Halfway through the year, I’ve compiled a list of four of my favorite summer reads – ones I’ve felt have been a good reintroduction to reading for pleasure.

News

ICYMI: Summer Coverage Collection

Daily Lobo Staff | July 27

With 6 new people on staff and summer classes in full swing, the Daily Lobo has spent the summer in the newsroom writing stories. Below is a sampling of some of the work that has gone out in the Daily Lobo email newsletter this summer.

News

Accommodations for queer students living at UNM could go further

BillyJack Davidson | July 24

For Queer students, finding out who your college roommate is can cause anxiety, Mara Cox – the president of Juniper Reimagined – said. While having roommates is a common practice at the University of New Mexico, for trans students it could possibly create an unsafe living environment. “One of the biggest anxieties I personally had to face with getting a roommate you don’t know is wondering if you’ll have to hide yourself. If you do have to hide your identity, the best case scenario is just not interacting with the roommate at all – basically having to purposefully avoid them, which is hard when you live with them,” Cox said.

Culture

Queer anthems take over the dance floor

Addison Key | July 24

Queer people of color created house music, Justin Cristofer said – a Queer DJ, promoter and producer in Albuquerque. Cristofer aims to take the idea of a Queer DJ and expand it beyond pop music as well as highlight the history of house. House is a music genre characterized by having four-to-the-floor musical patterns and the tempo of 120 beats per minute, according to Harper’s Bazaar. Bringing house music to Queer Albuquerque spaces, Cristofer said, honors the history of the genre.

Opinion

EDITORIAL: Pride Bangers celebrate Queer music and influence

Daily Lobo Editorial Board | July 24

The playlist “Pride Bangers” was created by the editorial staff of the Daily Lobo and hopes to celebrate a couple of certified bangers, specifically songs that elevate and express Queerness. Additions like “Call Me Maybe” capture catchy pop perfection and excitement on the dance floor, while “Fast Car” exemplifies yearning for something bigger with a tender chosen partnership. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and “G.U.Y.” answer Queer anxieties with captivating beats, lyrics and messaging that display confidence and pride.

Culture

AJAAS creates space for queer Chicanx identities

Maddie Pukite | July 23

In pursuit of activism and pride, The Association for Jotería Arts, Activism and Scholarship at the University of New Mexico meets twice a month to organize events to create a space for Queer Latine, Chicanx and Indigenous students. AJAAS – a national collective of artists, activists and scholars – has existed since 2005. Their name and organization reclaims a Spanish slur against Queer folk, focusing on activism and community, AJAAS member Lama Quiroz said. “It's a way to reclaim that word in order to empower ourselves,” Quiroz said. The UNM chapter has been centered around education on the histroy and culture of the chicano power movement, Quiroz said. AJAAS attended the Latinx Visions conference along with hosting book club meetings this past year.

Culture

Queer tattoo artists promote a culture of safety

Sydney Walker | July 23

Pandora Torres, a Queer tattoo artist, works with her father at The Divine Eye Tattoo shop in Albuquerque. Torres’ presence as a Queer artist has helped her queer and feminine clients feel more open and comfortable while getting tattooed in her space. Tattooing for the last three years, Torres said that the majority of her clients are Queer. Her top priority, she said, is to ensure her clients feel safe and comfortable. “Spiritually speaking, I feel as though tattooing is a huge exchange of energy and it would be irresponsible of me to go into such an intimate procedure without making sure that everyone is happy, feels safe, comfortable and – above all – comfortable communicating with me,” said Torres.

News

Unsafe driving conditions impacts campus

Francesca Cicconetti | July 21

During the summer and with the current heat wave, tension and stress can be higher. This can cause more aggressive and confrontational drivers on the road, according to Associate Professor of Urban Design, Moises Gonzales. The heat and amount of time we spend in the car may play a role when it comes to road rage, Gonzales said. “There are some studies on specific human behavior … Even heat affects how people engage or how it affects mood,” Gonzales said. “Based on your commute trend, you may have an obvious higher probability of expecting road rage.”

Culture

Carmen Selam plays with pinks, printmaking and Polly Pockets

Addison Key | July 21

Utilizing a variety of mediums and the color pink, Carmen Selam – a Queer Indigenous artist – uses pop-culture references and specific colors to amplify themes of Indigeneity and Queerness in her artwork. Currently, she is experimenting with risograph printmaking to create a zine titled “Resbians,” a combination of the words “lesbians” and “reservation.” Selam is Yakama and Comanche, and said she finds herself incorporating those two identities throughout her artwork. She calls herself “Yakamanche” – a combination of the two.

Culture

Fresh flavors at Phamily Tea House

Maddie Pukite | July 20

Phamily Tea House opened across central from campus last December, out of California. The restaurant has begun selling entrees at their Albuquerque location, Jerry Pham, restaurant manager, said. The entrees range in price from $8.99 - $15.99. The recipes were crafted by Chef Vu Pham. With over 30 years in the restaurant industry, Pham developed the recipes and spice mixes with his family and said that they continue to change and develop as they cook them in order to combine Vietnamese and Taiwanese cooking.

Culture

Off-Broadway brings old glamor to contemporary fashion

Maddie Pukite | July 19

Moving from their first location on Broadway Blvd., Off-Broadway is located on Central Ave. near campus and sells vintage clothing. While they do sell costumes, the shop is primarily a vintage store with clothing from before the 1980s. However, the two work hand in hand, storeowner Susan Ricker said. Her goal is to find ways to mix vintage with contemporary fashion. “It's transformative to wear a costume,” Ricker said. “If you were all vintage from one period, like all 50s, (you are) in a costume because that's not what I call contemporary dressing. I sell vintage clothing primarily as contemporary fashion. So, you mix eras.”

Culture

Art educators challenge 'art world'

Addison Key | July 19

Marina Perez, a contemporary Indigenous arts PhD student at the University of New Mexico, struggles with the concept of the art world. The art world often creates barriers for communities of color, which makes it harder for them to enter it, Perez said. It produces a binary between fine arts and community arts, contemporary arts and ancient arts. The separation, they said, often makes it hard for people of color to participate in the art world. “The art world is a colonial construct. To even think that we need to construct a completely different world away from our everyday lives … Communities of color don’t have access to be able to enter the art world,” Perez said. “Our knowledge is not embraced or acknowledged.”