The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico appointed a new senator and passed two appropriation requests and a bill on Wednesday, Aug. 28 during the first full senate meeting since the start of fall classes.
Editor’s note: The crimes listed were entered into the daily crime log during the week. The list includes crimes that police entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log. From Monday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 1, there were 26 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. There were also two LoboAlerts issued to the community involving incidents that occurred on or near campus since Aug. 25.
The Albuquerque Isotopes started a series on Tuesday, Aug. 27 against the Reno Aces. The 6-2 win followed a game during which the stadium held its breath. Left fielder Jimmy Herron had a homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning. Later in the seventh inning, first baseman Elehuris Montero — who was named Pacific Coast League player of the month for July — doubled. Herron then sent Montero home with a line drive single to put the Isotopes up 2-0.
This summer, four friends — the “Future Cowboys” team made up of Connor Donovan, Lars Larsen, Ezra Duree and Francis Packard — set out on a trip that would take them from Seattle, Washington to Coney Island, New York over the course of 56 days, all on bicycles. Three of them are University of New Mexico students. “We knew that we wanted to do coast-to-coast,” Larsen said. “The first day, (we) dipped our back tire (in the west coast) and then the last day, dipped our front tire in the east coast.”
On Aug. 20, during the Democratic National Convention, three accredited journalists were arrested while documenting pro-Palestine protests in Chicago — a similarity to the arrest of two journalists at the University of New Mexico earlier this year. The three photojournalists working at the protests in Chicago faced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct after spending hours in jail, according to the Intercept. In May, Bryant Furlow and Tara Armijo-Prewitt were arrested on the UNM campus during their coverage of the UNM Police Department and New Mexico State Police dismantling the pro-Palestine encampment. Furlow is a freelance journalist who regularly contributes to New Mexico In Depth.
This year, Zozobra — “Old Man Gloom” — turns 100. Zozobra has grown to be a 50-foot marionette, one of the largest functioning marionettes in the world, according to the Zozobra website. He represents the anxiety, hardships and regrets of the people. Every year, slips of paper with the “glooms” of attendees are stuffed into the towering effigy and Zozobra’s arch enemy, the Fire Spirit, sets it alight. Zozobra’s website refers to the burning as “an annual cleansing ritual for the entire community, offering a fresh start and a renewed hope for the coming year.”
Many remember when Pluto, the dwarf planet recognized by its heart-shaped feature, was demoted from its planetary status. On Aug. 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted to downgrade Pluto to a dwarf planet after it was discovered to be much smaller than originally thought, according to History. Now, Aug. 24 is recognized as Pluto Demoted Day. Despite Pluto’s demotion, the state of New Mexico recognizes Pluto’s existence as a planet.
Some University of New Mexico students who voted “uncommitted” during the 2024 primary elections continue to decline support for the Democratic nominee. During the 2024 primary elections, 10% of Democratic voters in New Mexico checked the uncommitted box — about double the number of those who voted uncommitted in the 2020 primary elections. President Joe Biden won the primary elections but later dropped out, with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the new Democratic nominee. Since the primary elections, Vote Uncommitted New Mexico, an organization advocating for progressive policies, has held rallies in Albuquerque that criticize Harris for her role in the Biden administration’s support for Israel.
From Aug. 23 to Aug. 25, the Albuquerque Marriott Uptown hosted the 55th annual Bubonicon, New Mexico’s longest-running sci-fi and fantasy convention. The name is a play-on-words on the bubonic plague, and the convention’s mascot is a rat in various larger-than-life scenarios, like battling dragons and aliens. The event featured an art gallery, a vendor’s hall where local makers showcased and sold their wares, panels featuring local authors and sci-fi juggernauts, and a mass autographing event with featured guests.
The Department of Communication and Journalism has a new revamped live streaming studio that can be used by students and faculty alike at the University of New Mexico. The studio has been available for booking since Aug. 19. Santi Colmenero, audio-visual technician for the communication and journalism department, said they wanted to make use of old dormant equipment lying around. They aimed to create a studio that met modern and contemporary needs, according to UNM Newsroom, and began working on developing the studio space in September 2023.
Have you ever thought about robbing graves and sewing body parts together until you have the perfect human form? Maybe not, but why would you when Victor Frankenstein already set an example for why that’s a terrible idea? Mary Shelley’s infamous mad scientist and his creature are a beloved aspect of pop culture around the world. The novel’s lasting impact and popularity even led to the creation of National Frankenstein Day, an annual celebration of Shelley and her novel that takes place on August 30, which is also Shelley’s birthday.
On Friday, Aug. 23, the University of New Mexico Art Museum celebrated the new semester with a reopening reception for their new exhibit, “Hindsight Insight 5.0.” The exhibit features art that investigates human relationships with nature, history and the future. Curators selected one piece in the museum’s permanent collection to showcase: a book of microphotographs, according to Joseph McKee, coordinator of student engagement and technology at UNMAM. The exhibit also features work by four contemporary artists who are responding to the microphotographs or conversing with them, McKee said. “We’re re-looking at our collection and looking at it through a new lens,” McKee said.
Editor’s note: The crimes listed were entered into the log during the week. The list includes crimes that police entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log. From Sunday, Aug. 18 through Sunday, Aug. 25, there were 18 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log.
The University of New Mexico football team faced off against the Montana State Bobcats to kick off the new season. This was a highly anticipated game for many, as it was the coaching debut for Bronco Mendenhall, who was hired by UNM back in December. Hope was in the air for the Lobos as things looked good through the first three quarters. Unfortunately, that hope quickly diminished as the Lobos self-destructed in the fourth quarter, ultimately losing to Montana State University 35-31.
Last week, the University of New Mexico announced that Vice President/Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez would be joining the University of Houston, a Big 12 conference member. His official title there will be vice president for intercollegiate athletics, according to UH Athletics. Nuñez spent seven years leading Lobo athletics and a UNM press release reflected on many of the accomplishments under his tenure. From 2017-24, the Lobos had 53 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 Mountain West titles. On the academic side, UNM had 1,517 students named to Mountain West All-Academic teams, the most of any Mountain West school over that time period, according to the press release.
Snapdragon Tea, a seven-minute walk from the University of New Mexico Main Campus, has a whimsical, eclectic atmosphere that matches the whimsy of its name. The establishment features a free library and a community blackboard against beige and baby-blue walls. Snapdragon Tea is regularly holding themed tea parties called the “Dog Days of Summer” through Sept. 8. An overview of the event reads, “join us in a celebration of dogs, humanity’s long-time companions of more than 30,000 years.”
Summer 2024 fashion was brat one week, coquette the next. And with the changing season, it’s uncertain what new fashion trends will arise. Two Daily Lobo editors predicted the outfits you’ll be seeing around campus in the coming weeks.
The University of New Mexico Police Department will obtain and begin using body-worn cameras within the next six months. The decision follows reporting in November 2023 and March of this year by the Daily Lobo that discussed a loophole in a 2020 statute requiring most New Mexico police departments to use the devices. The Daily Lobo’s investigation — along with reporting from KOB in April — prompted new discussions about UNMPD getting body cameras, UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair said.
At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Aug. 11, Disney announced plans to build Villains Land as a new expansion of the Magic Kingdom section of Walt Disney World. The area will be themed around iconic Disney villains from various films. The promotional video posted to the Disney Parks Instagram teased Lady Tremaine from “Cinderella,” Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast” and the fairest of them all: the Evil Queen from “Snow White.” Disney is probably attempting to draw in more visitors and ticket sales with the announcement of Villains Land, seeing as the parks are no longer drawing in the revenue they once did. Reuters reported earlier this month that Disney's experiences segment ,that includes parks and consumer products, recorded an operating income drop of 3%.
University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes disclosed UNM Foundation holdings in her “President’s Weekly Perspective” email on Monday, Aug. 19. The 83-page document lists the funds the UNM Foundation invests in, but only lists the individual investments within 25 out of 84 of those funds. The investments within a fund are known as “securities.” This comes ahead of the first Board of Regents meeting of the academic year on Thursday, Aug. 22, during which Stokes is expected to discuss the disclosure, according to the UNM Palestine Solidarity Camp Instagram. The meeting will take place at the UNM Valencia campus.
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