Multimedia

News

New Mexico Education Department seeks to extend K-12 school year

Annya Loya | February 6

  During the New Mexico 56th legislative session, the New Mexico Public Education Department introduced Bill 130 to the Legislative Education Committee which would add an extended school program called the K-12 Plus Program. Bill 194, which further explains the finance of the program, was also introduced to the Legislative Finance Committee. The K-12 Plus Program would provide additional program units for public schools that would increase the number of instructional days beyond 180 days for a five-day school week and more than 155 days for a four-day school week, according to the bill. This means grades K-6 would have 990 instructional hours and grades 7-12 a total of 1,080 instructional hours per school year.

---

News

UNM Basic Needs Project grows into statewide study

Annya Loya | February 6

 In 2020, the University of New Mexico Basic Needs Project released a study that revealed that over a third of UNM students were food insecure, and nearly two-fifths were housing insecure. This year, led by principal investigator Sarita Cargas, the team will begin a year-long study that researches these insecurities at a statewide level. The statewide survey, which went live on Feb. 1, will run until March 15. The research teams hope to get a minimum response of 10% of each institution’s population including students, faculty and staff, according to Frederick.

---

Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos stun Aztecs at The Pit

Thomas Bulger | February 6

 On Saturday, Feb. 4 the University of New Mexico women's basketball team upset the San Diego State University Aztecs 83-78. The Lobos are now 14-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The Aztecs are second in the Mountain West conference with a 8-4 record. It was the Lobos’ “Love Pink” game at The Pit to honor breast cancer survivors. Fans were dressed in pink, and the Lobos wore pink and white jerseys for the game. The Lobos built an early lead and we're able to maintain it throughout the game. The Lobos won the rebounding battle 35-30 and made an amazing 56.9% of their shots, making 29 of their 51 attempts.

---

Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos look competitive in loss against UNLV

Thomas Bulger | February 2

 The University of New Mexico Lobos lost 93-75 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Lady Rebels on Thursday, Feb. 2. The Lobos lost their three-game win streak, and are now 13-10 overall and 5-5 in conference play. UNLV remains the top team in the Mountain West conference being 11-0 in conference play. It was “Women in Sports” night at The Pit. At halftime, women from the Isotopes, UNM administration and all the Lobo women student athletes were honored on the court and received recognition from the fans with applause.

---

Culture

UNM Theatre and Dance present their monstrous spring 2023 lineup

Marcela Johnson | February 2

 With a new semester comes new works on the horizon for the University of New Mexico Department of Theatre and Dance. Their spring 2023 lineup will include works such as “Monstro/us,” “Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light,” “Bat Boy: A Music Showcase,” “Fearsome Creatures,” the semiannual departmental Linnell Festival of New Plays and “(Type)Writer,” a co-production with UNM SCRAP, the student theater organization. The theme for this year’s non-Linnell and SCRAP shows is monsters, according to UNM theater and dance marketing representative Madrone Matishak. The dance production “Monstro/us” follows this idea, with choreography by UNM dance faculty member Vladimir Conde Reche and other guest choreographers.

---

Culture

Loboscopes: February general predictions

Zara Roy | February 2

 February kicked off with a dreamy start as Venus, planet of love, entered Pisces, where it will thrive for the next several weeks. With Jupiter and Venus entering Aries and reaching a conjunction at the end of the month, this will be the perfect time to get a jump-start on plans that have lied stale for a while — the active energy of the first sign of the zodiac calls you to action.  This is only heightened by the fact that, currently, no planets are retrograde. This is the universe calling for you to outwardly channel any energies that have previously been internalized. Read on to find out what this means for your sign.

---

Culture

Filmmaker irrigates a flow of change through documentary

John Scott | January 30

 When asked about the one thing she wants people to take away from her films, tears formed in the eyes of Aracely “Arcie” Chapa, a documentary filmmaker and manager of multimedia services with the University of New Mexico’s Center for Regional Studies. She recounted a memory of attending a Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association competition. Her mother was a month away from dying. “She was so happy when I got back, and when I told her, (she) couldn’t believe I had won the big award. And she said, ‘Always use your talent to give a voice to the people who don’t have a voice and to make a difference.’ That’s always been my mission and my goal. That’s what drives me,” Chapa said.

---

Culture

House Bill 134 seeks to place free menstrual products in public schools

Elizabeth Secor | January 30

 A bill seeking to create menstrual equity in schools by providing free menstrual hygiene products in New Mexico public schools will be introduced on Monday, Jan. 30: House Bill 134, titled “Menstrual Products in School Bathrooms.” The bill is sponsored by Reps. Christine Trujillo and Kristina Ortez and will be introduced first to the House education committee with a proposed budget of $3 million.

---

Culture

REVIEW: ‘A Thousand and One’ is a hazy epic straight from a storybook

John Scott | January 30

 It’s never too early to plan ahead: while some moviegoers concern themselves with what might take home the gold at the 2023 Oscars, others look to this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which has once again provided us an early glimpse at the films to watch for next year’s upcoming awards season. There may not be any making quite as many waves as the Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic winner “A Thousand and One,” whose millenium-spanning story announces writer-director A.V. Rockwell as a talent to watch.

---

News

GPSA to introduce amendments to Graduate Scholarship Act during legislative session

Annya Loya | January 30

 On Monday, Jan. 30. the Graduate and Professional Student Association of the University of New Mexico will present the “Amending the Graduate Scholarship Act” bill during the New Mexico 56th legislative session to the Senate Education Committee. With this bill, GPSA hopes that they can provide a scholarship that could cover up to 100% of tuition fees for all graduate students throughout the state, with priority given to New Mexico residents, according to Isaiah Torres, the GPSA political director and Shaikh Ahmad, the GPSA president.

---

News

City opens warming center due to freezing temperatures

Elizabeth Secor | January 30

 Due to harsh cold weather, the city of Albuquerque opened a warming center in Mesa Verde Community Center on Monday, Jan. 23. The hours of the center ran from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Katie Simons, the public affairs specialist for the Department of Family and Community Services, wrote to the Daily Lobo about the danger low temperatures can bring. “The city of Albuquerque activates daytime warming centers when the temperature is below freezing and there is high wind and/or moisture — conditions when life and limb are most at risk for people living on the street,” Simons wrote.

---

Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos ground Air Force for the win

Thomas Bulger | January 30

 The University of New Mexico men's basketball team defeated the Air Force Academy Falcons 81-73 on Friday, Jan. 27. The Lobos now have an overall record of 19-3 and are 6-3 in conference play. The Lobos had a steady lead in the first half but gave it up early in the second half. UNM was able to rally back behind some stellar play from their guards and the crowd keeping players engaged.

---

Culture

AFMX provides a film festival experience like no other

John Scott | January 30

 With the film industry in New Mexico growing at a rapid pace and big-name production houses like Netflix bringing large-scale operations to Albuquerque, it’s clear more college graduates will gravitate toward the field after finishing school. The Albuquerque Film and Music Experience seeks to provide those opportunities in the field to students by connecting them with industry professionals while also allowing them to showcase their own work, according to executive director Ivan Wiener. The festival is currently open for submissions to its 2023 festival, with students interested in submitting in the student film category being permitted free submissions by emailing info@afmx.com for a fee waiver code.

---

Sports

New Mountain West commissioner visits Albuquerque

Thomas Bulger | January 30

 Gloria Nevarez became the second Mountain West conference commissioner in its history on Sunday, Jan. 1 after previous commissioner Craig Thomas retired. Nevarez was previously the commissioner of the West Coast conference. She stopped by in Albuquerque on her trip to meet all the universities in the conference and watched the University of New Mexico women's basketball team take on Colorado State University and the men's basketball team face the Air Force Academy. Before the men's game against Air Force, Nevarez spoke with the media and answered questions about her plans for the Mountain West conference.

---

Culture

‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ succeeds on charisma check, but just barely

Spenser Willden | January 30

 On Friday, Jan. 20, Amazon Prime Video released the first three episodes of the second season of “The Legend of Vox Machina,” animation studio Titmouse Inc.’s adaptation of the wildly successful Dungeons and Dragons actual-play show “Critical Role.” Though impressive in scope and showing plenty of promise for what’s to come, season two so far is underwhelming, if not as an adaptation, then as a story on its own. This season, “The Legend of Vox Machina” follows titular adventuring party Vox Machina as they track down legendary magical items to help them defeat a cadre of villainous dragons dubbed the “Chroma Conclave,” bent on ruling the world. If it sounds played out, that’s because it is — mostly.

---

News

ASUNM approves over $30,000 for student organizations

Gabriel Saiz | January 26

  The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico distributed $31,545 among eight student organizations during a full senate meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The senators also voted to allow themselves more flexibility on when to meet with their sponsored student organizations. All eight appropriations and the lone bill on the agenda passed unanimously, with one senator abstaining. ASUNM President Ian May told the Daily Lobo he intends to sign off on everything. Once per semester, student orgs can submit an appropriation – a request for travel funds and money for other one-time expenses, according to the ASUNM website.

---

Culture

5 and Why: 5 best places to read on campus

Spenser Willden | January 23

 As students and faculty return to the University of New Mexico main campus, it can be harder than ever to find a nice, relaxing place to unwind with a good book. To help readers get back in the swing of things amid the bustle of a new semester, fifth year student Arely Ortega shared five of her favorite places to read on campus. El Centro de la Raza As far as study spots on campus go, you can’t get more welcoming than the various student resource centers on campus. To Ortega, the most relaxing of these is El Centro de la Raza, located in Mesa Vista Hall.

---

News

Community opposes potential structure at Elena Gallegos Open Space

Maddie Pukite | January 23

 The 640-acre Elena Gallegos Open Space, located in the foothills of the Sandia mountains, is currently the subject of concern among community members of the legality and consequences of a potential project from the Albuquerque parks and recreation department to create an education center in the space, according to Save the Elena Gallegos co-founders Viki Teahan and Katrina Sanchez. The potential educational center would be no larger than 5,000 square feet, according to Dave Simon, the director of the Albuquerque parks and recreation department. Since the 1960s, advocates have fought for protection of the park from development when the Albuquerque City Council began a tax to purchase the space in 1969, according to The Paper.

---

News

City council continues to postpone decision on fate of zero-fare bussing

Zara Roy | January 23

 The Albuquerque City Council continues to stall the final decision on whether or not to continue zero-fare bussing and replace it with a pass system, deferring the bus pass ordinance for the eighth time on Wednesday, Jan. 18. This time, a third floor substitution was presented that combined the original pass system ordinance with two other ordinances meant to add additional security measures to the transit system. The newest floor substitution has since replaced any specific language regarding fares with a study on how to equitably distribute passes. If the ordinance is passed in its current iteration, the zero-fare pilot program would continue through June, after which a study on the program with recommendations on how to continue the program as well as a cost-benefit analysis of the creation of a fare box and distribution of bus passes shall be presented to the Council by September 2023.

---

Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos hunt down Broncos in overtime

Thomas Bulger | January 23

 On Friday, Jan. 20 the University of New Mexico men's basketball team defeated the Boise State University Broncos 81-79. Going into the night, the Broncos were tied for first in the Mountain West conference, but are now tied for second with a 5-3 record in conference play. Both teams played well throughout the game, and it took a game-winning layup from Morris Udeze with under 2 seconds left for the Lobos to win the game. The Lobos had another solid team win with four players in double-digit scoring.