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Opinion

OPINION: The Grand Canyon through the eyes of a Daily Lobo photographer

Maria Fernandez | June 14

When I hit the road to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon National Park last month, I had one question on my mind: Is the Grand Canyon just as magical as people say? Most people can attest that often stories they hear about popular places can sound much grander than how they are in reality. I was curious if a landmark like the Grand Canyon, deemed one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” would live up to the hype.

Opinion

OPINION: Vice presidents and virtues

Addison Fulton | June 14

Heading into the 2024 presidential election in November, candidate and former president Donald Trump must choose a running mate. He will likely make a selection at or before the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15. Not only will Trump decide who would run the nation in the event of his death, resignation or impeachment, but the vice presidential nominee can also increase or decrease voter support. For instance, current President Joe Biden’s choice to nominate Kamala Harris gained him support from democratic voters, Black voters and voters under the age of 35, according to a 2020 Politico study.

Sports

Lobo spring sports recap

Rodney Prunty | June 14

This year, spring sports at the University of New Mexico — which include baseball, golf, softball, tennis and track and field — had a lot of highs and lows. Baseball The Lobos baseball team finished this season with an overall record of 28-26 going 17-13 in the Mountain West Conference. They finished second in the conference in Head Coach Tod Brown’s third season with the team. In the Mountain West Tournament, the Lobos lost to the San Jose State Spartans 5-8 and the Fresno State Bulldogs 1-6.

News

F-35 fighter jet crashes near Sunport

Nate Bernard | June 12

An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet crashed near the Albuquerque Sunport shortly after takeoff on May 28. The aircraft’s pilot ejected from the jet shortly before its crash and sustained serious injuries, but was hospitalized and is in stable condition, according to Aerotime Hub. The aircraft was on the way to Edwards Air Force Base located in Southern California, according to CBS News. A supervisor of air operations for a cargo handler at the Sunport, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, witnessed the crash.

Culture

REVIEW: ‘Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’ aims to destigmatize schizophrenia through gaming

Kelsa Mendoza | June 12

During a time when action-packed video games rise to the top of the charts, “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” sets itself apart as an introspective narrative that challenges the player to understand an altered reality. Video game company, Ninja Theory, released “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” as the sequel to “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” on May 21. The games follow Senua (portrayed by Melina Juergens), a Celtic warrior with schizophrenia, navigating a world ravaged by violence and influenced by Norse mythology. The game is available on Windows and Xbox X/S for $49.99.

Opinion

OPINION: Activities to help curb summertime boredom in Albuquerque

Arly Garcia | June 12

Summer is, for many people, the best part of the year. It offers a respite from our chaotic university lives. Research articles and 8 a.m. classes have no place here unless we want them to. Summer provides time for freedom – sometimes a little too much. If you’re anything like me, then you may begin to grow a little stir crazy after the first few weeks of summer. When that happens, it is imperative to get out and find something to occupy your time. What that something is varies widely depending on your preferences, but here are some of my favorites.

Culture

Albuquerque celebrates diversity with 2024 Pride parade

Nate Bernard and Paloma Chapa | June 10

On Saturday, June 8, Albuquerque held the 2024 LGBTQ+ Pride parade. The event celebrated diversity of sexuality and identity through a caravan of parade floats with signs displaying messages of love and acceptance. The event also included music and dancers. Many attendees waved Pride flags and dressed in rainbow, while some – including several people on top of floats – dressed in drag.

Sports

Lobo legend Drew Gordon passes away at 33

Thomas Bulger | June 7

Former University of New Mexico men’s basketball player Drew Gordon passed away on Thursday, May 30, due to a car accident in Portland, Oregon. Gordon was a Lobo in the final two seasons of his college career and helped lead the program to a NCAA tournament win. Gordon was born in San Jose, California. There, he played basketball for Archbishop Mitty High School and was the star player. He won three league championships during his time there, according to the Mercury News. He averaged over a double-double in his college career, leading to him being named a McDonald’s All-American and playing the Jordan Brand classic.

News

New Mexico uncommitted vote doubles since last democratic primary

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | June 7

On Tuesday, June 4, in the New Mexico primary elections, 10% of registered democrats voted “uncommitted” for their chosen presidential candidate. This was about double the number of those who voted uncommitted in the 2020 primary elections. The elections coincided with a national movement to vote uncommitted due to President Joe Biden’s administration’s policies on Israel, according to Rhi Mauldin, a volunteer at the campaign Vote Uncommitted New Mexico. This movement contributed significantly to the rise in uncommitted voters this election, Mauldin said.

News

Letter: The importance of equity in tech access

Akilah Martinez | June 5

Technology can change lives in ways that were once thought impossible. In a relatively short period of time, our technological “norm” went from dial-up internet to high-speed Wi-Fi, from letters in the mail to smart phones across the globe. And now, XR, or extended reality, is changing every industry ...

Sports

OPINION: The three most memorable NBA finals runs of all time

Rodney Prunty | June 5

Throughout the years in the NBA, 21 franchises have won one or multiple NBA championships. Along with that, there have been numerous memorable championship runs over time — some more memorable than others. This year’s finals matchup is the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Boston Celtics. Not all championship runs are built the same. Inspired by the Celtics’ path of not facing a team at full strength, I wanted to look back at some of the most impressive runs in NBA history. Three of these are the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.

Culture

OPINION: Pay no attention to the bot behind the curtain

Addison Fulton | June 5

The University of New Mexico film and digital arts (FDMA) department offers a variety of classes that teach students the ins and outs of the film industry and give them experience in every part of collaborative art filmmaking, from screenplay to silver screen. Recently, a new class was added to the FDMA roster – FDMA 491.003: Data-Driven Digital Art, Collaboration with AI and Interdisciplinary Art. “We explore the cutting-edge field of artificial intelligence, which has gained significant traction since the 2000s, to craft imaginative projects in digital art. In this class, we investigate ethical collaborations with computer-generated and data-driven creations, utilizing them as innovative tools across various creative domains such as photography, painting, video art, performance and beyond,” the course description reads.

News

A guide to the New Mexico presidential and House of Representatives primary elections

Nate Bernard | June 3

On June 4, New Mexico will hold its primary elections during which voters will be able to choose their preferred party candidate for United States president and New Mexico U.S. representative, as well as state Senate and representative seats. New Mexico has a closed primary, meaning voters can only vote within the party they are registered as. Voters who are not affiliated with the major parties – the Democratic Party, Republican Party and Libertarian Party – will not be able to vote in the primary election. To change party affiliation, a voter must complete a new voter registration form and submit it to the county clerk, Secretary of State’s Office or online.

News

“Rally for Rafah” held during New Student Orientation

Nate Bernard and Paloma Chapa | June 3

University of New Mexico students, alumni and community members held a pro-Palestine rally on UNM main campus during the first session of First-Year Summer 2024 New Student Orientation on Thursday, May 30. The rally followed a May 26 attack by the Israeli army on Rafah, where at least 45 people sheltering in tents located in a “safe area” were killed, according to Al Jazeera. During the rally, UNM alumni and former College Democrats President Rakin Faruk spoke about the circulation of videos that show the attack on Rafah. “We have become so desensitized to these videos on our phones but the Palestinians that are suffering this brutality are not desensitized to what they're facing every day,” Faruk said.

News

Pro-Palestine protesters speak at last Regents meeting of the semester

Paloma Chapa | May 19

Board of Regents meeting of the semester, calling for the university to cut financial ties with Israel and criticizing the police response to the recent demonstrations on campus. At 10 a.m., protesters rallied at Zimmerman Plaza then marched to the Student Union Building. They filled the ballroom where the meeting took place, holding signs and Palestinian flags. Nearly 100 people signed up for public comment, according to Ernesto Longa, a professor at UNM School of Law. The BOR limited public comment to 30 minutes – allotting 15 minutes to “each side,” Longa said.

News

Seven arrested as police dismantle UNM Palestine solidarity encampment

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | May 16

On the morning of Wednesday, May 15, University of New Mexico police arrested seven people – two of them students – while dismantling the UNM Palestine solidarity encampment at the Duck Pond. New Mexico State Police dressed in riot gear participated. The arrests followed a University-wide email from President Garnett Stokes on Tuesday, May 14, demanding the encampment be taken down by 5 p.m. that day. At 5 a.m. on May 15, UNM staff delivered notices signed by Stokes to protesters who remained at the site, ordering them to vacate the premises within the hour.

News

Solidarity encampment demands divestment from Israel

Nate Bernard | May 13

The University of New Mexico Palestine solidarity encampment, since its formation at the Duck Pond on April 22, has supported the employment of a divestment resolution from Israel. The resolution seeks to begin the process of disclosing investments the University has that support Israel. It also aims to halt those investments, which would cut economic ties between UNM and Israel – a process known as divestment. The resolution was submitted to Board of Regents (BOR) Chair Kim Rael by the UNM Divestment Coalition, which consists of UNM College Democrats, Law Students Against Imperialism and 37 other student organizations and advocacy groups not affiliated with UNM. It follows the Israel-Hamas War, during which at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed as of May 12, according to Al Jazeera.

Opinion

OPINION: Campus protest coverage is impossible without student journalists

Lily Alexander | May 13

Somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m. on April 30, a rapid series of dings from my phone awoke me suddenly. I was immediately alert – I knew what this meant. A couple of hours earlier when I resigned myself to the necessity of sleep, I turned up my ringtone to full volume. This way, I would hear notifications from my group chat with Daily Lobo reporters Paloma Chapa, Leila Chapa, Ella Daniel and outgoing editor-in-chief Maddie Pukite. If anything drastic happened while the reporters were barricaded inside the Student Union Building, covering its occupation by pro-Palestine protesters, I would be aware and ready to drive to the University of New Mexico to pick them up.

Sports

Men’s basketball: the Pitino era continues

Thomas Bulger | May 13

After three seasons of improvement year-to-year, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball coach, Richard Pitino, agreed to a contract extension through the 2028-29 season. The extension follows the team's most successful season in a decade, earning their first National Collegiate Athletics Association tournament appearance since 2014. In a May 7 press release, UNM Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez credited the program’s success as the driving factor in the extension.

News

The SUB’s history with anti-war protest

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | May 13

On May 8, 1970, after three days of occupying the Student Union Building in protest of the Vietnam War, 131 University of New Mexico students were arrested. Fifty-four years later, 16 protesters were arrested after they occupied the SUB in solidarity with Palestine amidst the war in Gaza. The Vietnam War protests at UNM followed United States President Richard Nixon’s order to invade Cambodia on April 31, 1970, according to a UNM timeline. UNM President Ferrel Heady sent a telegram to Nixon disapproving of the invasion, according to a Daily Lobo article from May 6, 1970.