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Sports

Men’s Basketball: Lobos charge into the Top 25 rankings

BillyJack Davidson | January 29

On Wednesday, Jan. 24, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team won their second road game of the season against the San José Spartans. Two days before, the Lobos jumped onto the Associated Press' Top 25 and took 25th place, landing them on the national level. The victory over the San José Spartans came only four days after they defeated the Air Force Falcons. During both games, the Lobos left their opponents in the dust when it came to scoring – 19 points over the Falcons (85-66) and 20 points over the Spartans (95-75). They are looking to dominate as they come home for their game against Nevada Wolf Pack, going into the match with a 17-3 seasonal record and a conference play of 5-2.

News

New bill hopes to protect renters and buyers from income discrimination

Danielle Knox | January 29

A new bill, introduced in New Mexico’s 2024 Regular Legislative Session, is targeting the issue of housing discrimination based on a renter or buyer’s source of income. House Bill 25 – presented by Representative Kathleen Cates (D), Andrea Romero (D), Patricia Roybal Caballero (D) and Cristina Parajón (D) – would amend the state’s Human Rights Act to prohibit the refusal to sell or rent property to someone based on their income source, defined in the bill as “a lawful and verifiable source of money used to pay for housing.”

Sports

United promotes Luke Sanford

Thomas Bulger | January 29

New Mexico United announced Luke Sanford will be promoted to first assistant coach in a press release on Jan. 25. Sanford first joined the team in Jan. 2022 and has held a variety of positions. He has served as an assistant to the team but has acted as the head coach of both the U-23 team and the United Academy. He also served as the director of the Academy, according to the press release. United’s Sporting Director, Itamar Keinan, said in the press release that Sanford has earned his promotion due to his leadership.

News

ASUNM back to business

Jaymes Boe | January 29

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico held their opening full Senate meeting for the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 24 where appropriations, new senator appointments and a bill introduction took place. ASUNM welcomed two new faces to the Senate floor. Sen. Sierra Dedmon and Sen. Nathan Nail. They were both granted their seats via a roll call vote of Senators that were present prior to any other business taking place. Dedmon and Nail were able to vote on all business during the meeting.

News

The Air Board sticks to the status quo

Maddie Pukite | January 26

The First Judicial District Court has granted the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board a preliminary injunction until the legality of the case is decided at the next scheduled hearing. A preliminary injunction will allow the Air Board to revert to the status quo and continue to operate as it had before the Albuquerque City Council approved an ordinance and resolution that substantially changed the Air Board in November. “I so find that the Air Board is likely to prevail ultimately on this, and I do have concerns about allowing a situation to proceed that may be unlawful,” District Court Judge Francis Mathew said in the ruling.

News

UNM law school educates high schoolers on constitutional rights

Maddie Pukite | January 26

Each year, the University of New Mexico School of Law students go to local high schools to teach constitutional law through the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. After observing a national decline in civic education, the program was conceptualized by professors at American University 25 years ago in Washington, D.C., Maryam Ahranjan said, director of the UNM chapter of the project and School of Law professor. Currently, only seven U.S. states require a full year of civics education, not including New Mexico, according to the Institute for Citizens and Scholars.

Sports

Women’s basketball: Lobos defeat Fresno State 84-77

Thomas Bulger | January 26

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team took down the Fresno State Bulldogs 84-77 on Wednesday, Jan. 24, making the Lobos third straight win. The Lobos are now 14-6 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Lobos had a very balanced offense against the Bulldogs with four Lobos scoring in double-digits. Nyah Wilson led the team in scoring with 24 points and went 10-12 at the free throw line. Wilson is going through Mountain West play for the first time this season. After the game, she talked about how fun it is to play against teams that have different styles.

Opinion

Opinion: Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us’ film adaptation incoming amidst criticism

Kelsa Mendoza | January 22

Trigger warning: Sexual assault, abuse A film adaption of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, “It Ends With Us,” is being released in June, 2024. Due to the themes she flimsily depicts in her novels and the glorified ways in which she chooses to portray them, I am dismayed by the choice of bringing it to the big screen. The book made it to #1 on the Publisher’s Weekly adult list in 2022 and sold over 1,000,000 copies. In 2023, it became the second best-selling novel of the year. Hoover is a particularly unique case because she forewent traditional marketing plans and gained her demographic when TikTok users elevated her work several years after it was published.

News

Air Quality Control Board v. City of Albuquerque

Nate Bernard | January 22

The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board is taking the City of Albuquerque to court per a lawsuit filed on Dec. 5. In November, the Albuquerque City Council abolished and recreated the Air Quality Control Board which removed city-appointed members and suspended the board's actions till Feb. 1. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, the Board's attorney, is calling the legality of these actions into question. The hearing is set for Jan. 25. If the Board is successful, there will be a pause on the City Council’s changes and the terminated Board members will be reinstated until the court makes a final judgment on the legality of the legislation. If the Board loses the lawsuit, the City’s changes would go into effect.

News

Air Quality Board adopts variation of HEEI rule

Nate Bernard | January 22

The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board adopted a Health, Environment, and Equity Impacts rule on Dec. 19, 2023. The rule is different and less aggressive than the original version introduced by Mountain View Coalition – a community group of residents concerned with the impacts of air pollution in the South Valley. The rule enforces the use of additional measures through the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to reduce pollution in and within a mile of overburdened areas, along with any facility in Bernalillo County that emits common hazardous air pollutants.

Culture

Midweek Movies - a student led trip to the theater

Sadie Hopkins | January 22

As the semester starts and calendars fill up with festivities, one weekly event students could consider attending are the weekly Midweek Movies hosted by the Student Activities Center on Wednesdays at the Student Union Building. Midweek Movies feature anticipated newer releases and beloved older films alike. A few films fresh out of theaters that will be screened this semester include Emma Tammi’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” on Jan. 24, Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” on Jan. 31 and Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” on Feb. 21. The screenings include refreshments free of charge. Student Activities Specialist Megann Roszak – who organizes Midweek Movies under the SAC – recommends getting there early to get popcorn and looks forward to welcoming students back for screenings.

Sports

Opinion: Lobo football transfers to watch

Francesca Cicconetti | January 22

After what felt like a mass exodus via the transfer portal for Lobo football at the end of the 2023 season, the official mid-year transfer class was announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Hailing from the Power 5, Football Championship Subdivision and Junior University College, 19 players have been added to the Lobos roster. With the spring semester in full swing, the new coaching staff has wasted no time whipping the team into shape on the field and in the training room. In no particular order, here are five new rostered athletes to watch in spring ball and the 2024 season later this year.

News

New dinosaur unlocked

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | January 22

Researchers have put a name to a dinosaur fossil discovered in New Mexico in the 1980s, identifying a new species of Tyrannosaurus that pre-dates the T. rex. The findings were published Jan. 11 in the Scientific Reports journal. New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science Curator of Paleontology, Spencer Lewis, and the museum’s executive director, Anthony Fiorillo, both are co-authors on the study. The identification of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis changes what paleontologists previously understood about the geographical origin of the T. rex. The standing idea, Lucas said, is the T. rex originated in Asia and immigrated over a land bridge to get to North America.

Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos defeat the giants of the Mountain West

BillyJack Davidson | January 19

The Lobo men's basketball team went up against the top ranked Mountain West team, the Utah State Aggies, on Tuesday, Jan. 16 – taking a victory. They improved to 15-3 overall and 3-2, and gave the Aggies their second loss of the season, falling to 16-2. It was a hard-fought victory for the Lobos as they took the game 99-86. "It's great to have back-to-back wins against Division I teams. It was special, and we broke their 15-win streak," Head Coach Richard Pitino said. The game started off evenly matched. Nelly Junior Joseph (#23) scored quick in the match with a layup and a dunk, assisted by guards Donovan Dent (#2) and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (#5). In the first 12 minutes, the Lobos put on a solid offensive display passing into the paint, allowing for players like Junior Joseph and JT Toppin (#15) to pick up basket after basket

UNM women's basketball vs. University of Wyoming

Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos end Cowgirls undefeated streak

Thomas Bulger | January 19

On Wednesday, Jan. 17, the Lobos took down the Wyoming Cowgirls in a 68-61 win. The Cowgirls were one of the two undefeated teams in the four conference games of the season. The Lobos are now 12-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play. In a game where the Lobos missed seven of them, free throws were a huge factor in the game. The Lobos went 21-28 from the free throw line that came from constantly driving to the basket. The Cowgirls shot five free throws in the entire game and missed two. From the three-point line, the Cowgirls shot 7-30 but made a couple late to keep the game close. The Lobos went 3-10 in the game.

Culture

New Year, New FAFSA

Arly Garcia | January 15

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has recently undergone several significant changes – the most since the introduction of the Common Financial Aid Form in the Reagan era, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. This redesign was created via the FAFSA Simplification Act and Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act. Ria Shultz, the Assistant Director of the University of New Mexico Center for Financial Capability, said that these laws should make the FAFSA easier to access, leave users with fewer questions and provide better clarity on what information students need to provide.

News

South Valley wildlife refuge receives over $250,000

BillyJack Davidson | January 15

The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) awarded the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge $256,962 this past December for a project called “Bosque Bridges.” The project aims to connect Valle De Oro’s perimeter trail and the Paseo del Bosque bike path together, giving people a new way to experience the bosque. The money for Valle De Oro’s project is granted by the ORD of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD). Of over 100 applications, Bosque Bridges was one of 12 different projects falling under the Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant initiative by the ORD, according to the Los Alamos Daily Post.

News

Legislators propose amendments to New Mexico red flag law

Lily Alexander | January 15

Two New Mexico legislators are proposing amendments to a state law that allows district courts to issue yearlong orders to prohibit individuals from possessing, purchasing or receiving firearms if they are found to pose a threat of injury to themselves or others. The Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act was enacted in 2020. The proposed amendments would specifically allow law enforcement and health care professionals to report potentially harmful behavior and expedite the order-issuing process.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos make a statement win

BillyJack Davidson | January 15

The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team took on No. 19 San Diego State University this past Saturday, Jan. 13 and earned a statement win – defeating the Aztecs 88-70. The team came in after a 83-73 loss against the University of Las Vegas, but rallied hard for fans. The Pit saw a record breaking 15,437 fans pack the seats – the most since 2009. The Lobos improved to 14-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play. The team remains undefeated in their nine home games. The game was a hard one from the beginning. San Diego State fell to a record of 14-3. This was the first time the Lobos faced the Aztecs since their March Madness title run last season.

Opinion

Editorial: Trump must be held to the law, but the Court must do so with extreme care

Maddie Pukite | January 12

This upcoming February, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case that will decide if Trump is ineligible to remain on the ballot given his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, as reported by the Colorado Newsline. The conservative build-up of the court – a third of the Justices being appointed by Donald Trump – and the weight of the question will require a critical opinion to remove Trump from the ballot, but it is imperative that they do so. When the Supreme Court decides a case, they interpret the Constitution and set precedents that will be used to determine the outcome of future court cases. This case calls Section 3 of the 14th Amendment into question – a section that has never been interpreted by the Supreme Court before, according to AP.