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News

Letter: A new generation for the peace movement

Ken Carpenter | May 1

Stupid and ignorant old men start wars; young people and innocent civilians die in them. A new generation of the best and brightest among us has stepped up around the globe once again to oppose the madness of war. They are following in the steps of the Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Hannah Arendt, Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King Jr. They are our best hope for our future, and we must support and protect them. The blame for the current wars in the Middle East is on all of us – the murderous terrorists of Hamas and other groups willing to sacrifice their own civilians, the Israeli government and radical settlers who have held Palestinians under a brutal military occupation for more than 75 years and are guilty of the outrageously disproportionate slaughter of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and the United States government, which has flooded the region with deadly weapons and financed Israel’s war machine. If we don’t stop this now, we are facing another world war which may be fought with nuclear bombs.

News

UNM encampment stands in solidarity with Palestine, other universities

Ella Daniel and Paloma Chapa | April 30

This story will be updated as the protest continues. Students, alumni, faculty and community members have been camped out at the Duck Pond since Monday, April 22 in solidarity with Palestine and students at universities nationwide. Encampments in support of Palestine have been set up on dozens of college campuses across the U.S., leading to hundreds of student arrests, according to the New York Times. Police officers have been present at the University of New Mexico encampment for the majority of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The protesters are calling the University to divest from Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and for the Board of Regents to employ the divestment resolution written by the UNM Law Students Against Imperialism. UNM has received grants from the U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations, according to The Jewish Virtual Library.

Opinion

Opinion: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ sings to the soul

Elizabeth Secor | April 29

Taylor Swift’s newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” offers listeners a unique blend of rich storytelling, lyrically reminiscent of her previous works like “Folklore” and “Evermore,” with a touch of synth-pop akin to “Midnights.” I enjoyed the album, though I wish there had been more variety in the music as many of the songs had similar ambience and instrumentals. The lyrics made each song stand out, but they had to be listened to closely to stand out among the 31 songs released.

Opinion

Opinion: The Coachella story – Sales, Drugs and Rock and Roll

Addison Fulton | April 29

In 1993, the band Pearl Jam was truly in a jam. They wanted to boycott venues controlled by Ticketmaster because of a dispute over unnecessary charges attached to ticket sales, according to the New Yorker. The band needed to find a new place to play, and they landed in a desert valley in Indio, California at the Empire Polo Club. “You gotta run pretty far to get some space for yourself these days,” Eddie Vedder, singer and frontman, said to the crowd, according to the LA Times. The Pearl Jam show was a smash hit and proved the venue could be a great location and a thrilling experience. It inspired Paul Tollett, who also founded the Goldenvoice Music Company, to start an annual alt-rock music festival in 1999. He named the festival after that valley where people had run to find a space for themselves – Coachella.

News

‘4% don’t pay the rent’: United Graduate Workers rally for higher wages

Shin Thant Hlaing | April 29

The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico rallied at Scholes Hall for higher wages on Tuesday, April 23. While UGW initially asked for a 50% overall salary wage increase and a 58% increase to minimum salaries, the University administration proposed a 4% increase. Three days after the rally, UGW received “more binding language” from UNM administration to include research assistants in proposed wage increases, a group that was previously left out, according to the UGW Instagram. They also received proposed increases to minimum salaries for project assistants and graduate assistants.

Sports

Women's basketball: embracing a new era

Rodney Prunty | April 29

The last time the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team played was March 11 against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mountain West Tournament. Unfortunately for the Lobos, they lost that game 67-56, ending their season. What has followed with the team can best be described as a mass exodus, with a total of eight players are departing — seven through the transfer portal. The one player who is not leaving via the transfer portal is guard Aniyah Augmon. Augmon is deciding to forgo her senior year to graduate and pursue other passions outside of basketball. The biggest losses to the transfer portal for the Lobos are guard Nyah Wilson and forward Paula Reus, who both were significant parts of the team. Other players who are leaving through the transfer portal include Natalia Chavez, Nahawa Diarra Berthe, Mackenzie Curtis, Hannah Robbins and Jaelyn Bates.

News

Nation’s first mental health responders sign union contract

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | April 29

The Albuquerque Community Safety department secured their first collective bargaining agreement with their union in March. The department cited lack of support for employee well-being, stability and mental health, according to ACS Agency Vice President and bargaining committee member Crystal Little. The Union represents the first government agency in the nation that sends first responders with backgrounds in mental health to non-violent calls, according to Sherii Miera, an ACS behavioral health responder and bargaining committee member. Responders are dispatched through 911 calls, Miera said. “One of our main goals throughout has been to focus on the safety and well-being of the responders and ensuring that our voices are heard,” Little said.

Culture

Cultivating mental wellness at Plant Night

Nate Bernard | April 29

On Friday, April 26, the University of New Mexico Student Union Building hosted Plant Night – an event where students received free plants and decorated their pots. The art supplies to paint the pots were provided by the SUB. Harsh Kumar, an attendee of the event, and his family painted their pot with bright colors and nature. Kumar’s family doesn’t keep ornamental plants – grown for their appearance rather than functionality – too often, he said. Instead, they spend their time taking care of their edible plants.

News

Daily Lobo News Editor files lawsuit against UNM records custodian

Maddie Pukite | April 29

Editor’s note: Lily Alexander is the incoming editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. She was not involved in the reporting or editing process of this story. The News Editor of the Daily Lobo, Lily Alexander, has filed a lawsuit against Rob (Robert) Tafoya, the Custodian of Public Records at the University of New Mexico for failure to provide UNM Police Department's weapons inventory on March 5, 2024. The legal complaint asks for the courts to enforce the Inspection of the Public Records Act (IPRA) by requiring UNMPD to provide the weapons inventory.

Sports

Women's basketball: embracing a new era

Rodney Prunty | April 29

The last time the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team played was March 11 against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mountain West Tournament. Unfortunately for the Lobos, they lost that game 67-56, ending their season. What has followed with the team can only be described as a mass exodus, as a total of eight players are departing — seven of those through the transfer portal. The one player who is not leaving via the transfer portal is guard Aniyah Augmon. Augmon is deciding to forgo her senior year to graduate and pursue other passions outside of basketball.

Sports

The Savannah Bananas peel into Albuquerque

Francesca Cicconetti and Elizabeth Secor | April 26

The social media and baseball stars, the Savannah Bananas and Party Animals, made their Albuquerque debut to a sold-out crowd at Isotopes Stadium, bringing Bananaland to the Land of Enchantment. The teams played on April 20 and 21, selling out the stadium both days. Banana Ball is different from your typical game of baseball. There’s a pitcher and a batter, and the goal is to make it around the bases and back to home plate, but there are many different rules and flares in the game that make it the show it is.

Culture

Cherry Reel showcases and encourages the act of creation

Karina Bolaños | April 24

On Friday, April 19, the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico Southwest Film Center held their ninth annual Cherry Reel Film Festival, showcasing 19 student-made films. This was the first time the event was held in Popejoy Hall. This year's festival showcased films ranging from documentary, to narrative, to experimental, according to Rylee Norman, executive director of the Southwest Film Center. Students, filmmakers and actors filled the seats of the auditorium to witness the screen light up with films made by fellow students and friends. After the screenings, nine films were awarded in eight categories, including Best Animation, Best in Festival and Best Directing.

Opinion

Ask the editors: How do you take care of your mental health while working in journalism?

Lily Alexander , Kelsa Mendoza and Paloma Chapa | April 22

For the mental health special issue, three Daily Lobo editors took a moment to reflect on how we take care of our mental health while working in journalism – a fast-paced and often heavy field.

Opinion

Opinion: Our professors should play music during exams

Arly Garcia | April 22

When discussing mental health at the university level, there is one topic that consistently comes up: test anxiety. Numerous studies have shown that test anxiety negatively affects college students, but how do we combat it? Maybe with the magic of music. About 25-40% of U.S. students suffer from test anxiety and for 10-35% of college students, it impairs their function, according to a study on test anxiety published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice. Music has been proven useful in calming the mind and body in other areas, so why don’t we use it at the University of New Mexico too?

Opinion

5 and Why: 5 ways to destress in college

Elizabeth Secor | April 22

After three years of college, I have discovered ways to destress when life gets overwhelming. I am by no means a professional, but here is what I practice.

News

Mental Health Collaborative offers free counseling and a master's internship

Dannely Verduzco | April 22

The University of New Mexico’s Mental Health Collaborative (MHC) provides free, short-term counseling through various resource centers on campus. It also functions as an internship program that employs students earning their master’s degree in the mental health field. MHC’s counseling services begin on the first day of classes and run through a semester; students receive between six and 14 sessions per semester. Counselors offer telehealth or in-person sessions, according to their website. These sessions are also accessible for Spanish-speaking students.

Culture

Therapy dogs make a paw-some impact with students at ‘Cuddle a Canine’

Maria Fernandez | April 22

On Thursday, April 18, therapy dogs from the Southwest Canine Corps of Volunteers visited the University of New Mexico to help students decompress before finals week. The event encouraged UNM community members to take time out of their days to hang out with each dog and speak with their volunteers, event coordinator Lucia Pierce wrote. “This event really encourages a lot of conversation and so many people leave with a smile on their face. The canine volunteers really seem to enjoy their interactions too,” Pierce wrote.

Sports

Finding work-life balance as a student-athlete

Francesca Cicconetti | April 22

Being a student-athlete is a full-time job and a demanding status to maintain – student first, athlete second. But often the separation between the two roles can be blurred. The best way to stay on track and not fall behind is to establish a healthy work-life balance. Work-life balance is “equal time or priority to personal and professional activities,” a Forbes article states. For student-athletes, personal and professional activities become one; their sport is their passion but they have to learn to balance it with academics. University of New Mexico senior and catcher for the baseball team, Kyle Smith, said that his work-life balance emphasizes defining time for his personal needs and not getting tunnel vision when it comes to baseball.

Daily Lobo-Social Media Effect On Mental Health

News

The impact of social media use on college student mental health

Arly Garcia | April 22

Nine University of New Mexico students reported various effects to an anonymous survey conducted by the Daily Lobo on social media use and mental health. Whether these effects are negative or positive could depend on how people use social media, according to a UNM psychology professor. Of nine UNM students who responded to the survey, 100% said they use some type of social media every day. Of those students, seven believe social media has an impact on their mental health. The nature of that impact ranged from somewhat negative (with four respondents) to somewhat positive (with two respondents). Three students rated the impact as neutral.

Culture

Film Symposium cultivates representation in New Mexico’s film scene

Dannely Verduzco | April 15

“These films are not mainstream movies; they are authentic representations that the people want to see,” shiloh burton said. The second annual Film Symposium at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), titled “Power of Our Stories,” took place April 10-13, showcasing a diverse series of films. This included “Unseen” (2023), “Singing our Way to Freedom” (2018) and “Salt of the Earth” (1954), along with eight others. The free event featured themes of labor unity, Chicanx and Indigenous rights and how the influence of music and art has impacted the movement for freedom among marginalized communities.