On Monday, March 10, the Albuquerque Isotopes announced five promotional games for the 2025 season as part of an upcoming “City Roots” series. The new alternate identity features designs by Rebecca Zook, the Isotopes’ manager for digital and social media marketing, with a Zia sun symbol in a “505” emblem and a stylized “Duke City” logo.
On Tuesday, March 4, the University of New Mexico held a Mardi Gras event in the Student Union Building. Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States began in the 18th century when French settlers arrived in Louisiana, marking what is known as “Fat Tuesday,” according to the New Orleans website. Celebrations involve parades, colorful clothing and king cake, according to the website. The SUB event included a live jazz performance by local guitarist Dimian DiSanti and his musical group, mask decorating and traditional Cajun food, including jambalaya and king cake.
On Feb. 28, a meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office grew heated and ended with Zelenskyy leaving early. Following the meeting, a New Mexican Ukrainian organization and a University of New Mexico professor shared their reactions to the clash with the Daily Lobo. During the meeting, Trump told Zelenskyy, “You’re not acting at all thankful” in reference to the support Ukraine has received from the United States since Russia’s invasion. Later in the meeting, Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of running propaganda tours, campaigning for former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania and being ungrateful for U.S. aid.
On Saturday, March 8, the University of New Mexico’s Maxwell Museum of Anthropology uncorked its newest exhibit. The exhibit, titled “Entangled Cultures: How Humans and Microbes Co-create through Fermentation,” explores how microbes and the process of fermentation have influenced and interacted with humans throughout history. The exhibit, consisting of about 20 items, presents how fermentation — a technique used to extend the shelf life and improve the nutritional value of foods — likely spurred human ancestors' development of larger brains, smaller digestive systems and expansion into new environments. Human interactions with microbes — microorganisms essential for fermentation — are given little attention by anthropology despite their potential major contributions to human evolution, according to Toni Gentilli, archaeologist and Maxwell Museum curator of exhibits.
Since President Donald Trump’s reelection, he has repeatedly targeted federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs that seek to increase diversity within the government. These efforts could have negative impacts, including in New Mexico, according to UNM experts. Executive orders on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 directed federal agencies to terminate their DEI programs, before a federal judge largely blocked the orders on Feb. 21, according to The Associated Press. While the executive orders did not specifically define DEI programs, DEI refers to “programs that ensure people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and experiences feel accepted in their environments, whether at school, work or other organizations,” according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Starting on Wednesday, March 12, the Mountain West Championship will be must-see TV. With five teams that conceivably have a shot at the title and a few more teams looking to make some noise, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada is sure to be packed with excitement. Two teams I would look out for are Nevada and Wyoming. They have both had very close games against some of the league's best teams, but haven’t quite been able to get over the edge and secure victories. Wyoming especially is fueled by one of the league's top players: Obi Agbim. Either team could get a few upsets and make a run deeper into the tournament.
On Friday, March 7, Lady Gaga released her seventh studio album “MAYHEM.” The record has been touted as a return to the eccentric, dark-pop sounds of her early work after a decade of experimentation with various other genres, including jazz and country. The album’s lead single “Disease” is a boisterous track with influences from industrial music and EDM. In both its content and mood, the song is reminiscent of Gaga’s 2009 project “The Fame Monster,” with lyrics about healing a wounded lover and a dark, passionate eroticism. Thanks to its frenetic production and Gaga’s unabashed confidence, “Disease” is easily her best lead single since “Born This Way.”
On Tuesday, March 4, the University of New Mexico women's basketball team defeated Air Force Academy 77-74 in the final home game of the season before heading to the Mountain West Championship. There was an electric atmosphere in The Pit, as both teams were filled with high intensity and determination. The first quarter was rocky for the Lobos in certain areas, mainly on the defensive end. The Falcons took the lead and ended the quarter 24-19. The Lobos’ rebounding was solid for the majority of the second quarter. Both teams battled hard offensively. On the defensive side, the Lobos tightened up a bit, only allowing 14 points in the quarter. The Lobos led 42-38 at the end of the second.
On Feb. 25, the White House broke decades of precedent by announcing that the administration will now select which news outlets can cover events with President Donald Trump. This changes who is allowed into the Oval Office, Air Force One and some other meetings and conferences, according to Politico. This decision followed the Feb. 14 White House banning of The Associated Press from the press pool for not changing its editorial standards to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America — the recognized name of the gulf by the United States government — according to CNN.
The University of New Mexico Lobos became Mountain West regular season champions for the first time in over 10 years on Friday, March 7 in front of a sold-out crowd at The Pit. The men’s basketball team finished their final regular season game against the University of Nevada Las Vegas 81-67. Offense was the name of the game for both teams, and when the game tipped off, neither looked back. The Lobos came in offensively, disrupting things in the paint as center Nelly Junior Joseph was unguardable down low. Junior Joseph did it all in the paint — whether it was scoring, rebounding or defending the rim. He finished the first half with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
This year, Albuquerque saw its driest winter season on record with total precipitation amounting to 0.12 inches at the Albuquerque Sunport, according to the Albuquerque National Weather Service. In a statement to the Daily Lobo, NWS Albuquerque wrote that the average high temperature in February was also the second hottest on record, with the first being in 1907. John Fleck, writer in residence at the Utton Transboundary Resources Center — a University of New Mexico center that promotes equitable and sustainable natural resource management — said that the extremely dry and warm weather is a “double whammy.”
As the NHL season rages on, teams from each conference continue to make their push toward the playoffs as each game becomes more important. While some players will be the reason for their team’s success, others will be the reason they spend April on the couch. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. Here are this week’s bobbleheads who didn’t help their teams’ case for any playoff optimism.
On Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m., Velocity Irish Dance will travel from Ireland to perform at Popejoy Hall for the first time, according to a Popejoy press release. “Velocity Irish Dance is renowned for its innovative fusion of tap dance and multimedia design, incorporating projections, spoken word, and immersive soundscapes to create a visually stunning and emotionally resonant experience,” the press release reads. Velocity is led and choreographed by James Devine, Guinness World Record holder for “The Fastest Feet in the World,” and David Geaney, five-time world champion Irish dancer, according to Velocity’s website.
The University of New Mexico men’s and women’s basketball teams secured another debut in the Mountain West Tournament this year, which may prompt fans to take advantage of “Lobos in Las Vegas,” a discounted travel option. The trip will take place March 12-15 and includes round-trip transportation with a three-night stay at Excalibur Hotel & Casino. Fans will trek through the desert on chartered Paradise Tours buses on their way to support Lobo basketball. The trip started with longtime fan Bobby Aragon, and it has been a tradition since 2010.
From Feb. 21-24, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema showed British director Mike Leigh’s new film “Hard Truths.” The film centers around Pansy, played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a middle-aged woman living with unnamed chronic illnesses and grappling with severe agoraphobia. She frequently lashes out ...
In January, the University of New Mexico took down its Undocumented UNM website due to outdated information and is instead routing students to the El Centro de la Raza website for resources, according to Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. The website affirmed the University's commitment to “standing with and supporting our undocumented students and their families,” according to an archived version of it.
The University of New Mexico baseball team won a four-game series against the Rhode Island Rams Friday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 2. The Lobos were in a game of tug-of-war with the Rams, but ultimately had a successful series with three wins and one loss. Friday's game was the first in the series and it truly showed how hard the Lobos were going to have to work that weekend. There was no moment of Friday's game that wasn’t competitive, but they ultimately lost 13-14.
Lawmakers voted Friday, Feb. 28 to advance to the Senate floor a bill that would explicitly require university police departments to use body cameras, after it was substituted for clarifying language. Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) proposed Senate Bill 505 after learning that the University of New Mexico Police Department took the stance that it wasn’t subject to a 2020 state statute that required police departments to adopt body cameras. “I was disappointed to see and hear that,” Cervantes said. “I was happy to see that NMSU and others were compliant with our wishes.”
Solutions by The State News
