Multimedia
Men’s Basketball: Nevada pokes a hole in Lobos bubble
Wyatt S. Padilla | February 26Wolfpack Head Coach Steve Alford continued to bring more heartbreak to Lobos fans as his University of Nevada, Reno team put a massive hole in the University of New Mexico men's basketball team's bubble and their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament with a win over the Lobos, 67-60. During the Tuesday, Feb. 24 game, Lobo guard Jake Hall led the Lobos with 17 points and broke the Mountain West Freshman record for most points scored in conference play, with 291; the previous record was 278, set by Brandon McCoy of UNLV in 2017-18.
Baseball: Lobos keeps Northern Colorado Bears in hibernation
Elizabeth Bolke and Marley Herndon | February 26The University of New Mexico baseball team kept the good times rolling as it swept the University of Northern Colorado Bears and moved to 8-0, the team's best start since the 1973 season. On Friday, Feb. 20, it appeared that the Lobos simply picked up where they left off the previous week against the Fordham Rams. The Lobos dominated game one of the series against the Bears with a 16-5 victory that was called after 7 innings, as per the NCAA’s run rule. That was a productive day all around for the Lobo batters who had 11 walks to just 3 strikeouts to complement the 7 extra-base hits that included 4 home runs in that ball game.
Over 100 speak against Blackstone’s PNM acquisition during public comment
Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 23For nearly six hours in the University of New Mexico Student Union Building, over 100 people took turns speaking to the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission during a public comment session, with none being in favor of private equity firm Blackstone’s acquisition of the state’s electricity provider, Public Service Company of New Mexico. Several speakers at public comment on Tuesday, Feb. 17, spoke about Blackstone’s major investments in AI data centers, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman’s ties to pedophile sex offender Jeffery Epstein and criticized the operation of private equity firms as a whole. Blackstone Infrastructure and TXNM Energy Inc, which owns PNM, announced the $11.5 billion deal last May, and would result in Blackstone taking ownership of TXNM, according to Source NM.
Bill forbidding state partnership with immigration officials signed
Penelope Loyd Sment | February 23On Feb. 5, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Immigrant Safety Act into law after passing both the Senate and the House, largely along party lines. With the passing of the bill, New Mexico joins eight other states that have recently passed legislation limiting state involvement in federal immigration proceedings, according to ACLU New Mexico. The new law will go into effect in May, and prohibits public bodies, such as state or county entities, from entering into or continuing agreements with federal immigration officials in detaining individuals for civil immigration violations and prohibits the use of public land for immigration detention centers, like those existing in Torrance, Cibola and Otero Counties. Also prohibited is the deputizing of local law enforcement as immigration officers.
Goatheads partner with Colorado Avalanche
Elliott Wood | February 23The New Mexico Goatheads are keeping it close to home in their search for a major league hockey affiliate, as they announced on Saturday, Feb. 21, that they are partnering with the Colorado Avalanche to light a path for their future players to ascend the hockey ranks. Goatheads General Manager Jared Johnson told the large crowd at The BLOCK, an outdoor food hall in Rio Rancho, that the Avalanche had been the ones to reach out to the Goatheads about a potential partnership. “We had lunch right here across the street at Turtle Mountain (Brewing Company) that day, and for that first in-person chat, I knew we shared the same vision: grow the game in New Mexico and build something that lasts,” Johnson said.
UNM study finds over $1 billion generated by Albuquerque creative economy
Penelope Loyd Sment | February 23For the first time since 2014, a comprehensive study was conducted on Albuquerque’s creative economy, finding 17,680 workers directly employed by 2,457 creative businesses generating $1.1 billion in economic output in 2024. The sector makes up 4.4% of all local employment, the study found. Administered by the University of New Mexico’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, in partnership with the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture, the study defines the creative economy as the economic growth generated by producing and consuming art and other intellectual property with the value of these goods and services determined by the creators’ level of skill, expertise and talent.
REVIEW: ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ a required watch for non-moms, caretakers
Shin Thant Hlaing | February 23“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is an Oscar-nominated dramedy or tragic comedy, but I feel the urge to classify it as “realistic horror.” The realistic horror of the film thrives on suffocating the protagonist, not in a literal sense, but by brilliantly illuminating the ways responsibility can feel crushing. Through exploring themes of parenthood and escapism, the movie becomes a must-watch for those who seek to explore the struggles of child-rearing. Directed and written by Mary Bronstein, the film follows Linda, a therapist played by Rose Byrne, who is not isolated in the conventional sense, but rendered helpless by a minimal income, an absent husband and an ailing child. There are no meaningful sources of “help,” and Linda finds herself feeling past capacity.
Men’s Basketball: Lobos mount comeback, hang on against Bulldogs
Jaden McKelvey-Francis | February 23Despite digging themselves into a 22-point hole, the Lobo men’s basketball team managed to claw its way back bucket-by-bucket to come away with a win against the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs, 80-78, keeping their NCAA tournament hopes alive. The University of New Mexico completed its largest comeback in program history during the Saturday, Feb. 21, game in Fresno, Calif. To ice the game for the Lobos, guard Jake Hall hit a midrange stepback jumpshot late, a shot nearly identical to his game-winner against Grand Canyon University the previous week.
Women's Basketball: Lobos sweep series against Falcons
Wyatt S. Padilla | February 23Senior night in The Pit is always a special occasion for players, coaches and fans, but it was so much sweeter for the Lobos when they put 20 points between them and a conference foe at the same time. On Saturday, Feb. 21, the University of New Mexico Women’s basketball team, led by guards Destinee Hooks and Nayli Padilla, beat down the Air Force Academy Falcons, winning 73-53. Before the opening tip of the game, the Lobos celebrated three seniors, guard Alyssa Hargrove, forward-center Clarissa Craig and manager Kaylyn Henry who has been with the program for four years. Hargove and Craig joined the program two years ago when the Lobos had a massive roster turnover that saw them lose nine of thirteen players to the transfer portal.
REVIEW: ‘Iron Lung’ is a bloody testimony to the power of hope
Addison Fulton | February 23How far would you go for the chance to survive? How long? How deep? And would you do it in the tiniest, grossest submarine known to man? Mark Fischbach — better known by his online alias and YouTube handle “Markiplier” — asks these questions in his film “Iron Lung.” The film is based on a game by the same title that Fischbach played on his Youtube channel in 2023. “Iron Lung” takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after the “Quiet Rapture,” wherein all stars and planets suddenly disappear leaving only humans who inhabited space ships. The story follows Simon, a prisoner of an organization called the Consolidation of Iron, arrested after his involvement in destroying one of the remaining space ships. The COI discovers a strange moon made entirely of an ocean of blood, which they tell Simon to survey and search for resources in a rickety submarine in exchange for his freedom.
UNM gallops into year of the fire horse
Addison Fulton | February 23Tuesday, Feb. 17 marked the Chinese New Year, ushering in the year of the fire horse. To celebrate and share good wishes for the coming year, University of New Mexico students gathered to make red paper crafts in the Language Learning Center. Peng Yu, a professor of Chinese at UNM, led the workshop. Chinese Lunar New Year is a celebration of the new year as well as the coming of spring, and in many Asian nations, one of their biggest celebrations, he said. “It’s like Christmas in the Western world. People get together with their family; a lot of people travel thousands of miles to be back home and get together with their elders and their family members to celebrate this cultural event,” Peng said. “It’s very, very important for them. The spring festival is not only celebrated in mainland China. Taiwan also celebrates, and in Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and many East Asian countries.”
Lobo baseball sweeps Fordham Rams in season opener
Elizabeth Bolke and Marley Herndon | February 21Like the weather at the Santa Ana Star Field during the game, The University of New Mexico baseball team opened its first week of the new season with a turbulent but eventual sweep of the Fordham University Rams. Held on Friday, Feb. 13, game one of the series was a back and forth affair that started very promisingly for UNM, as Lobo pitcher Cristian Mogen began his season by striking out Fordham designated hitter Ernie Little and went on to retire his first six batters. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Lobo designated hitter Aidan Kuni grounded into a fielder’s choice and drove in the first run of the season to give them an early lead.
Men’s Basketball: Lobos ground Falcons in blowout win
Wyatt S. Padilla | February 21With an NCAA tournament berth on the line in the closing final stretch of Mountain West play, the Lobos, who are on the bubble of getting an at-large bid into the tournament, were able to avoid a stain on their resume on Tuesday, Feb. 17, as the University of New Mexico put up a dominant performance against the Air Force Falcons, winning 98-61. The win completed the season sweep against the Falcons and gave the Lobos their 20th win of the season, which allowed Lobo Head Coach Eric Olen to join Norm Ellenberg, Dave Bliss, Steve Alford and Craig Neal as the fifth Lobo head coach to win 20 games in their first season with the program. “It is important in situations like this to play good basketball throughout the game. I thought we did that tonight for the most part,” Olen said.
Trisha Paytas brings amusement and advice to students
Elizabeth Bolke | February 18“A Conversation with Trisha Paytas,” featuring the American internet personality, podcaster and singer known for her long-running presence on YouTube was an event of kindness, love and authenticity. Paytas rose to prominence in the late 2000s with lifestyle, beauty and personal vlog content, later expanding into music, podcasting and reality television appearances. The conversation, held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at Popejoy Hall, featured topics including living your 20s rather than fearing them and being your true self. The event was organized by The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico Student Special Events team.
Tajavis Miller: born to be an athlete
Rodney Prunty | February 16Tajavis Miller comes from a family of athletes; his mother played softball at the University of Iowa and his father played football at Iowa Wesleyan University. Miller grew up in different places. He was born in Georgia and lived there until he was six, when he moved to North Dakota, then Iowa, then California and finally to Texas when he was a sophomore and finished high school there. Miller moved around a lot due to his mother coaching softball for different schools including North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, Loyola Marymount University and Texas Tech University. His mother currently coaches at East Texas A&M University.
State legislature celebrates local Black history
Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 16Black community leaders and lawmakers opened African American Day at the State Legislature with a group performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on the House floor. Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Albuquerque) led the House floor celebration on Friday, Feb. 13, recognizing the “vital contributions of African Americans to the state’s history, culture and progress,” and honoring ten outstanding African American women in New Mexico for their contributions to communities across the state. The NM State Capitol featured a resource fair in the rotunda with Black-led organizations, including the NAACP, New Mexico Black Leadership Council, Juneteenth Renaissance Institute and the University of New Mexico African American Student Services.
Women’s Basketball: Rams show no love to the Lobos on Valentine’s Day
Alex Joe | February 16For the Lobos women’s basketball team, it turned out to be anything but flowers and chocolates on Saturday, Feb. 14, as Colorado State University pulverized the University of New Mexico 66-46 following a huge third quarter. After an early 4-2 deficit, the Lobos would respond with an 8-0 run in the first quarter. However, Colorado State would finish strong, going on an 11-0 run to close out the opening period and take a 19-12 lead. The Rams led by as much as 11 points in the second quarter, but the Lobos found some momentum late to take to the locker room as they went on an 8-2 run to close out the half only trailing 31-27.















