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News

Stokes delivers State of the University on campus climate, campus safety and engagement

Karina Bolaños | March 8

On Monday, March 4, Garnett Stokes, President of the University of New Mexico, gave her annual State of the University address. She reflected on UNM’s past as it embarks on its future with discussions of safety, student success and overall campus climate at the forefront of her speech. Stokes discussed several avenues of achievement across campus, including student and alumni achievements and campus connections. She also touched on safety and scarcity. “Before we talk about the future, it is our responsibility to honor the past,” Stokes said.

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Sports

Lobos take big win for final home game of the season

BillyJack Davidson | March 8

The University of New Mexico men's basketball team had their final home game of the regular season where they defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 6. It was also senior night for four players who got time to shine on the court for their final game at The Pit. The Lobos took the game 79-58, ending with a 21-point lead. Head Coach Richard Pitino expressed how proud he was of his team on an emotional night. “Great way to send off the seniors,” Pitino said. “Defensively, we were terrific tonight – rebounded the ball extremely well, which only got better in the second half. I’m really proud of the guys. Sitting at 22-8 and 10-7.”

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News

UNM Children’s Hospital gives away free gun locks to community

Maria Fernandez | March 4

While supplies last, The University of New Mexico Children's Hospital is giving away free gun locks – devices that prevent firearms from discharging – upon request in response to the recent rise in gun-related injuries to children. The program is in collaboration with the New Mexico Department of Health, which provided UNM Children's Hospital with 3,000 gun locks. Additional shipments from the NMDOH to UNMCH locations across the state are available for free upon request, according to safestoragenm.org.

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Opinion

Review: Querencia shows a love for home through dance

Valeria Brenes | March 4

Querencia “comes from the word ‘querer’ — to love. It means love of place and people. Querencia can refer to your place of refuge, your home or your homeland,” artistic directors Marisol Encinas and Amanda Hamp wrote in the program. On Thursday, Feb. 29, dancers gathered at Rodey Theater at the University of New Mexico to put on their yearly Querencia performance, which was gorgeously brought together through the contemporary dance and flamenco departments.

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Sports

Lobos lose off a game winner

Thomas Bulger | March 4

 The University of New Mexico women's basketball team lost to the Nevada Wolf Pack 83-82 for their final regular season game at The Pit. After an Aniyah Augmon jump shot put the team up by two points with four seconds remaining, Nevada's Lexie Givens rebounded a missed three-pointer for a layup and gave her team the win with an and-1 free throw.  The Lobos fell to 11-6 in conference play but are in second place overall in the conference standings with one regular season game remaining. Wyoming also has a record of 11-6 but the University of New Mexico swept the Cowgirls in the season series.  With a win on Tuesday, the Lobos could clinch the second seed for the conference tournament, but if Wyoming and Boise State win their respective games and the Lobos lose, they will fall to the fourth seed.  

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News

Have a ball at Albuquerque’s new dog parks

Sydney Freland/ Daily Lobo | March 4

In February, the Albuquerque Parks & Recreation Department celebrated the opening of seven new dog parks around the City. These parks are smaller in size compared to others, according to a City of Albuquerque news release. 

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News

LoboEats app targets food insecurity with free event leftovers

Elizabeth Secor | March 4

This past February, the University of New Mexico launched LoboEats, a mobile app created to help connect students and faculty on Main Campus with available, free, leftover food from campus events. The LoboEats app was developed by a team of Honors students led by Sarita Cargas, UNM Honors College Associate Professor to help combat food insecurity at the University. In 2022, the app created by UNM alum Biraj Silwal won the UNM and Central New Mexico Community College Mobile App Contest. 

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News

NMSUPD uses body-cameras; UNMPD doesn’t

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | March 4

The New Mexico State University Police Department has been utilizing body-worn cameras since 2011. The University of New Mexico Police Department has not. NMSUPD began using body-worn cameras in response to industry standards and best nationwide law enforcement practices, according to Justin Dunivan, Deputy Chief of NMSUPD. “This program has been a great success for our department,” Dunivan said.

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Culture

Albuquerque BioPark Zoo celebrates International Polar Bear Day

Addison Fulton | March 4

The Albuquerque BioPark Zoo could bear-ly contain its excitement for International Polar Bear Day on Feb. 27. The zoo hosted an event to celebrate these animals, which featured hands-on exhibits, story times and live fish feeding.  The resident polar bear of the BioPark is named Kiska – a 27-year-old male who has been living in the 505 since the ‘90s. His habitat was renovated and upgraded inFebruary. He now spends his days with a 20-foot waterslide and 14-foot pool, according to the Albuquerque BioPark. Alongside Albuquerque, Polar bears and their advocates celebrate International Polar Bear Day across the globe.

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News

Albuquerque brings the energy to affordable transportation

Nate Bernard | March 4

As of Feb. 22, Albuquerque residents will now be able to rent affordable electric vehicles (EV) through the GoForth Affordable Mobility Platform car-sharing program. The average price of a new EV in 2024 is around $50,798, according to Find My Electric. The program allows people to rent electric vehicles for $5 per hour or $50 per day plus tax, according to Stefenie Griggs, the program manager for Forth’s locations in the Southwest. “We fully recognize that new EVs aren't totally accessible for all folks, and especially if you're talking about folks that are low income. The program is meant to bridge that gap in access to EVs to make sure everyone can have access to clean and sustainable transportation,” Griggs said.

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Sports

Women’s basketball: Lobos win in a thriller against San Diego State

Rodney Prunty | March 1

The women’s basketball team was able to eke out a 66-63 win against the San Diego State Aztecs at The Pit on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Lobos are now in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a record of 20-9 and 11-5 in conference play with two games remaining in the regular season. Last time these teams met, the Aztecs were able to beat the Lobos 60-53. With this win, the Lobos have now split the season series. To beat San Diego State, Head Coach Mike Bradbury said they have to play their best.

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Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos split week with dueling game winners

BillyJack Davidson | February 26

The Lobo men's basketball team hosted the Colorado State Rams on Wednesday, Feb 21 and got a great 68-66 win thanks to some Donvon Dent (#2) heroics before a tough 78-77 loss on Sunday, Feb. 25 against the Air Force Academy Falcons. The Lobos would go onto play against the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, Feb. 24 where they heartbreakingly lost by one point. It was a hard-fought loss in The Pit as both teams kept the score close the entire game, but the Lobos couldn’t bring it home by the end. Head Coach Richard Pitino talked about just how important the Colorado State game was, not just for his team but for the Rams as well.

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Opinion

Opinion: Past, present and Afrofuturism

Addison Fulton | February 26

One of my favorite writers is Octavia Butler because her work is unlike anything I’d ever read. What I love most about her work is that it pushed literary boundaries around gender, violence, race and power that I had not yet been exposed to. The first story by Butler I ever read was “Bloodchild.” It follows a species of insect-like aliens that use human men to carry and birth their eggs. I heard about it through my boyfriend who read it as part of an English assignment and wanted me to read it too so I could feel his discomfort.

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Culture

Mt. Olive Baptist Church has served Albuquerque’s Black community since before New Mexico’s statehood 

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 26

When Tabytha Watson moved to New Mexico from Texas in 1898, the state did not have a Baptist church. To fill that need, Watson began organizing prayer days and Sunday school classes in her Albuquerque home located on Fourth St. and Copper Ave., according to Historic Fairview Cemetery. However, her ministry didn’t end there. One year later, Watson sought expansion and led the formation of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. Together with her church members, Watson raised enough funds to purchase a $135 lot on Lead Ave. Soon after, services moved from Watson’s home to the new building in Downtown Albuquerque, according to Historic Fairview Cemetery. Today, Mt. Olive is recognized as the first Black Baptist Church to open its doors in New Mexico.

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Culture

Black superheroes and representation in comics

Arly Garcia | February 26

The Marvel versus DC debate is as old as time, but when it comes to Black representation, scholars suggest independent publishers, writers and artists are the best source. “Marvel and DC both pale in comparison to the independent, alternative and creator-owned comics scenes,” Jesús Costantino said – an associate professor of English at the University of New Mexico. For a comic to have good Black representation, it needs to feature a Black character in a storyline written by Black writers that speaks to Black readers. This is not yet the norm in the industry, Costantino said.

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Culture

UNM researcher studies Black settlement in NM

Lily Alexander | February 26

Blackdom was one of New Mexico’s first Black settlements, located about 15 miles south of Roswell. It was the most important Black homestead in the state, according to the U.S. National Park Service. One of the leaders in the creation of Blackdom, Frank Boyer, established the settlement in 1903 with 12 other Black homesteaders, according to the NPS. The community housed an estimated 150 people who began to disperse in the 1920s. Carlyn Pinkins – a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of New Mexico – plans to examine Black homesteads in New Mexico, including Blackdom, in her dissertation. 

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Sports

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

Francesca Cicconetti | February 26

The rodeo – the quintessential showcase for cowboys and cowgirls. Anyone can be a cowboy, but the rodeo hasn’t always been considered an inclusive space for Black Americans. The search results for “famous cowboys” include names like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, or Buffalo Bill. The similarity between these individuals is that they’re all white. Bill Pickett, also known as the Dusky Demon, came along and changed that. Born in 1870, Pickett was an African American cowboy who introduced bulldogging, or steer wrestling, to the modern rodeo, according to Britannica. Today, most rodeos in the United States and across the world showcase this event. Pickett was one of the first Black cowboys to break into the traditionally white space of western rodeo.

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Opinion

Op-ed: 2024 Black History Month: Revitalizing the revolution By Imani Knox

Imani Knox | February 26

In the month of February, we enter a time of reflection and re-embrace what the Black Community has done and continues to do – not only at the University of New Mexico, but in our ever-evolving world. Black History Month starts Feb. 1 and ends Feb. 29 and is a nationwide celebration that highlights those who have paved the way for Black Americans to be where they are today. As we enter this month at UNM, we emphasize the theme of “Revitalizing the Revolution” and bringing life to change in environments where growth is critical. What does “Revitalizing the Revolution” mean, exactly? To me and so many of the Black students here on campus, it means being able to have the courage and passion that so many of those who came before us demonstrated with every step they took that will allow us to open doors and improve the Black experience.

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Opinion

Letter: APD commits immoral sweeps of unhoused encampments

Courtney J Angermeier | February 19

Dear Editor,  I am writing to express my outrage regarding the Albuquerque Police Department’s recent sweeps of homeless encampments in Albuquerque. They have been brutal, ignoring the basic right of unhoused residents’ humanity. They are legitimate residents of this city and they deserve to be treated as such.

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News

Students stand in support of Palestine at Regents meeting

Karina Bolaños | February 19

On the afternoon of Feb. 15, Protesters entered the Board of Regents meeting and stood silently along the walls, donning keffiyehs, Palestinian Flags and stickers that read “Freedom for Palestine” to stand united with those speaking in support of a divestment resolution. Just before dozens of protesters walked out of class and gathered at Zimmerman Plaza to listen to speakers discuss the ongoing crises in Gaza, they marched throughout the University of New Mexico ringing chants of “No Peace on Stolen Land” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” across campus.