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News

Shin Thant Hlaing centers the people at the heart of law, journalism

Elliott Wood | May 11

Next year, Daily Lobo beat reporter Shin Thant Hlaing will be headed to one of the best law programs in the country after graduating from the University of New Mexico with a degree in political science. If you’d asked her a year ago about what her plans were after UNM, law school wouldn’t even have been in the conversation. “I wanted to either become a researcher or a policy advisor,” Hlaing said. “My mind was going in a lot of different places, but what drew me to law was when the earthquake happened in Myanmar.”

News

In a world of stress and somberness, be an Addison Fulton

Nate Bernard | May 11

If you’ve visited creative spaces around the University of New Mexico campus, then you’ve likely encountered Addison Fulton. Whether through student films, local arts events, satire magazines or newsroom conversations, Fulton has spent much of her college career immersing herself in the communities creating culture around Albuquerque. On top of being a serial contributor to Conceptions Southwest, the founder of satire magazine Weekly Coyote and a writer, actress and director, Fulton is also the outgoing culture editor at the Daily Lobo.

News

Wyatt Padilla leaves the Lobo after a rewarding year

Marley Herndon | May 11

“Wyatt Padilla is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo,” is not a phrase readers are going to see at the end of new articles anymore as the UNM senior out of Los Lunas retires and his contributions to the paper become reflected upon fondly. Wyatt Padilla got his start at the Daily Lobo in the spring of 2025, after being a student manager for the UNM women’s basketball team for two years. When he left that job, he knew he wanted to stay in sports in some way, but he didn’t know how. That was until he met the Daily Lobo Sports Editor Rodney Prunty, who encouraged him to apply for a job as a freelance sports writer.

News

Haaland talks data centers, free graduate tuition during Law School visit

Paloma Chapa | May 4

During a Q&A style conversation at the University of New Mexico Law School on Monday, April 27, Law Students spoke to New Mexico gubernatorial candidate from the Pueblo of Laguna Deb Haaland about a variety of topics including data centers, economic stimulus, healthcare and the Israel and Palestine conflict. Haaland opened her remarks by recalling her “depression and frustration” over not passing the bar exam after graduating from the UNM Law School. “You do all the work, and the Creator makes you take a sharp right turn or a left turn, and you have no clue why,” Haaland said. “I feel very strongly that if I had passed my bar exam, I wouldn't be standing here as the Secretary of the Interior.”

Culture

Popejoy Hall showcases Dance Theatre of Harlem

Leila Chapa | May 2

On Saturday, May 2, Popejoy Hall invites the internationally-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem to take the stage for a dynamic classical ballet performance. The program features “Donizetti Variations” by George Balanchine, Robert Garland’s “Higher Ground” — set to the music of Stevie Wonder — and “New Bach,” a fusion of neoclassical and modern styles, the Popejoy press release reads.

News

City Nature Challenge puts local biodiversity on the map

Paloma Chapa | April 27

The Albuquerque City Nature Challenge, taking place from April 24-27, is inviting everyone to become citizen scientists through documenting the city’s biodiversity in Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia Counties, as part of a global collaborative effort to document wildlife observations of all kinds. R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography Associate Director Laurel Ladwig said the City Nature Challenge is a way to get people to know the nature around them while helping create an urban biodiversity map using the iNaturalist app or website, and that Albuquerque has participated in the challenge since 2019. Ladwig said that habitat is everywhere in the city, citing her experience with some trees in a restaurant parking lot along I-25.

Sports

Former Lobos Keyshawn James-Newby drafted by Eagles; Damon Bankston signed by Giants

Edge Garcia | April 27

Born in Pocatello, Idaho, becoming a standout football player in his hometown of Helena, Montana, and now competing at the highest level of professional football in the world. Former Lobo Keyshawn James-Newby has found his opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles. On Saturday, April 25, the former Lobos defensive end became the first Lobo drafted since safety Jerrick Reed II in 2023. James-Newby is the 67th player to be drafted from the University of New Mexico all-time, and is the first Lobo defensive lineman drafted since Larry Dibbles in 1973. The Eagles selected James-Newby with the 252nd pick in the seventh round.

Culture

UNM Sustainability Expo showcases resilience initiatives

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | April 27

The University of New Mexico Cornell Mall transformed into a growers’ market as dozens of local organizations, businesses, UNM departments and student groups lined the mall with booths, displaying and highlighting sustainability initiatives at the annual campus Sustainability Expo. On Thursday, April 23, Hundreds of students passed through the expo and networked with different vendors, some leaving with plants and fresh eggs. Freshman Avah Trujillo and sophomore Taylor Alwin said it was their first time at the expo and they both enjoyed the Lobo Garden table, which was handing out fresh herbs.

News

Meet Gwich'in elder, caribou protector Sarah James

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | April 27

Albuquerque’s final annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow drew over 100,000 participants and attendees from tribes across the country to Expo New Mexico on April 24-25. One of the attendees was Neets’aii Gwich’in elder Sarah James from Arctic Village, who came from Alaska for the Pow Wow. James is internationally-known for her efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas development. She won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, and is among multiple Native women authors in the book “Worlds within Us: Wisdom and Resilience of Indigenous Women Elders.”

News

One year in, 250+ hrs served by ABQ RIDE volunteers

Shin Thant Hlaing | April 27

When riding the bus in Albuquerque, passengers may have seen people in neon shirts. These people are volunteers with the newly-launched ABQ RIDE Transit Ambassador program. Launched last year on April 1, 2025, the program is one of two programs for which ABQ RIDE recruits volunteers. The volunteers seek to promote a safer environment for bus passengers by providing education of ABQ RIDE’s Rules to Ride, and being another set of trained eyes to monitor service, according to the City of Albuquerque.

Sports

Lobos host final home track meet of 2025-26

Elizabeth Bolke | April 27

On Friday, April 24, the University of New Mexico Lobo track and field team hosted its final home meet of the 2025-26 season with the Don Kirby Tailwind Twilight, celebrating the team’s seniors. Going into the meet, the men’s team was ranked No. 21 nationally and the women’s team No. 22. “We love hosting track meets,” Lobos Head coach Darren Gauson said. “This is our second Twilight meet of the year. Having an opportunity for us to have some local schools, it’s great to have UTEP here, New Mexico State, New Mexico Junior College, a few others as well.”

Culture

Earth Day at UNM-Valencia flourishes fun, environmental awareness

Paulina Acosta-Marta | April 27

To celebrate the progress made towards a more sustainable future and learn more about what more can be done, students came together at the University of New Mexico-Valencia campus during its Research and Earth Day. The Tuesday, April 21 event hosted various presentations, including the art club demonstrating how to recycle paper, a biology class on how to make bird feeders with recycled materials, another class raising awareness of the effects of fast fashion and the event’s tradition of showcasing baked cookies with a solar oven. Professor of English and member of the community garden’s table, Anicca Cox said she loved the event.

Sports

Football: Spring game sees team Silver escape team Cherry

Edge Garcia | April 27

If there’s one true takeaway from Saturday’s spring game, the Jason Eck effect is as real as it gets. On April 26, University Stadium saw its biggest attendance in a long time for their annual spring game. In a game of the University of New Mexico Lobos battling Lobos, it wasn’t hard to see that the defense is ahead of the offense at this point in the year. Given the returning players on defense, that should be expected.

Culture

Students ask are we doing enough during Earth Month

Camillo Cretara | April 27

With Earth Month upon the University of New Mexico, some students have been reflecting on the importance of sustainability, as well as imagining how they could better serve our grassy plains and blue sky home. Political science student Alex St. Classis Brown said he often thinks of environmental sustainability. “When I think of sustainability, I think of more accountability for corporations primarily, and we all need to reduce our energy consumption,” St. Classis Brown said.

News

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The unfulfilled promises of the Tlowitsis Nation Totem Pole

Lissa Knudsen | April 27

The presence of the "Smith Family Totem Pole" in the Frank Hibben Center of the Maxwell Museum remains a profound testament to a legacy of colonial roots. While the University of New Mexico’s official narrative acknowledges that Frank Hibben (the same person that the Hibben Center is named after) stole this culturally significant piece from the Tlowitsis Nation in 1941 — using a ruse to smuggle it into the United States — the institutional response remains insufficient. According to the University’s own timeline, an agreement was reached to keep the original pole at UNM while a replica was to be erected in its original home in British Columbia. However, in 2026, the status of this replica remains unclear. Why has there been no public accounting for the completion and installation of this promised restoration?

Culture

‘Native American Business Showcase’ features artists, crafts

Shin Thant Hlaing | April 27

In an event featuring talented professionals standing by their glistening jewelry and clothing, the University of New Mexico has once again brought together Native American businesses, organizations and student entrepreneurs in this year’s Native American Business Showcase. Hosted by the American Indian Business Association, the Thursday, April 23 event marks the third annual showcase that has been held at UNM. Executive Director of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico Marvis Aragon opened the event, encouraging entrepreneurship and collaboration among Native small businesses.

Culture

Musings on mulch: participants reflect on ‘Campus Clean Up’

Addison Fulton | April 27

In the morning sun of Friday, April 24, the University of New Mexico hosted a Campus Clean Up as part of the Office of Sustainability Earth Month celebration. After being served coffee and burritos, volunteers were sent to different locations around campus to pick up trash, pull weeds, spread mulch and plant trees. Office of Sustainability Director Anne Jakle said the event drew roughly 50 volunteers. “There is a place for everybody to help implement sustainability at UNM, and there’s so many different areas that people can help in,” Jakle said. “This helps people get out onto campus, to appreciate the trees, the grounds, the amazing wellness benefits that the community, that the campus environment brings, but also have ownership over it, too.”

Opinion

OPINION: Local news is failing — everyone can help fix it

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | April 27

For those who do not know me, I am not surprised. I am Jaden McKelvey-Francis, the outgoing editor-in-chief of the New Mexico Daily Lobo. There’s an adage within newsrooms across the country of “we are not the story,” meaning that the focus of our content should be on the story being told, rather than the person telling the story. This is a helpful saying, one of many I have learned over my year as editor-in-chief (journalists love their sayings), but I find it slightly lacking — if people don’t get the news, trust the news, or understand how news is created, how can we complain if they aren’t informed of the news?

Sports

Baseball: Lobos stomp Thunderwolves

Marley Herndon | April 27

Following their series against the University of Nevada, the University of New Mexico Lobos continued their home stand by crushing the Colorado State University Pueblo Thunderwolves 11-3 on Tuesday, April 21. After starting pitcher Ethin Woltz faced the minimum, the Lobo offense promptly got the party started as the first four men in the Lobo lineup reached and plated 2 runs before the Thunderwolf starting pitcher Cole Bloomer could record an out. Bloomer was promptly pulled from the game, but the Lobo offense continued as they batted around in a 5-run first inning that saw doubles from right fielder Anthony Diaz, shortstop Karsen Waslefsky and first baseman Gene Trujillo.

Sports

Softball: Lobos come back, win second game against NMSU

Elizabeth Bolke | April 27

After their loss to New Mexico State University in March, the Lobos had been hoping to avenge the loss, and they did just that on Tuesday, April 21, winning 10-6. “I think we were playing better softball a month later than we were a month ago,” University of New Mexico Head Coach Nicole Orgeron said. The game against the Aggies started with NMSU scoring 4 runs in the first inning, highlighted by a 3-run home run from designated player Madi Bachman.