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‘He lives it’: UNM alumnus advocates for climate solutions

  University of New Mexico alumnus Laurence Cotter hopes to provide the means for younger generations to find creative, new solutions to address the impending climate crisis. An avid cyclist with no email address, a hybrid vehicle and no home internet access, Cotter is a conservationist through and through. Cotter established the $2 million Rosalind O. Womack Fund last month, an endowment for the UNM Sustainability Studies program. With it, he hopes to see the University take real, tangible action towards lessening their environmental impact.  “Let’s do something good here. Let’s do something right,” Cotter said. “Let’s do something that’s going to empower us instead of just helplessly flailing around without getting our hands and minds involved in a solution.” 

Julia Bernal undertakes climate change issues through Indigenous worldview

  With a fierce passion for amplifying Indigenous worldviews in climate change issues, Julia Bernal is a graduate student pursuing degrees in community and regional planning and water resources at the University of New Mexico. She works to assert diverse perspectives through water management in New Mexico. Bernal, an enrolled member of the Sandia Pueblo, has been a steadfast contributor to efforts concerning the oil and gas drilling in the greater Chaco Canyon landscape, which has been a key focus in her work with the Pueblo Action Alliance. She said her graduate studies at UNM will help give her “some credibility in this attempt to merge grassroots efforts to water management and water planning.”  

Comics December 6, 2021

Twinkle Light Parade returns, brightens Nob Hill

Friends, families and loved ones clamored to the sidewalks of Nob Hill to watch the over 100 holiday-related floats light up the streets of Albuquerque for the Twinkle Light Parade on Saturday, Dec. 4. Crowds were delighted to see the parade come back in-person after it was held virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city said that “the parade is comprised of local businesses, organizations, school groups and families, all competing for Best in Show.” This included groups like the University of New Mexico Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Albuquerque Police Department and more.

ABQ finds widespread heat discrepancies between communities

  The city of Albuquerque released its heat map findings from the report in late November, compiled by Climate Adaptation Planning Analytics Strategies, a contractor of National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. The study looked at heat impacts on human health through temperature and humidity data points collected on July 9, 2021. Kelsey Rader, the city of Albuquerque's sustainability officer, said this report was an opportunity to evaluate how existing infrastructure was supporting active and public transportation users. The study produced results showing a temperature difference of nearly 17 F from the hottest to coolest parts of the city. Rader said this is a call to action to manage this discrepancy through tree plantings, which has a dedicated budget with the city.

Mental Health Matters: Solutions to students’ mental health crises

  The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic one year and nine months ago — almost half the time it takes to complete a typical bachelor’s degree and nearly the entire average to complete a typical master’s degree. While some students have experienced college knowing nothing but the pandemic and others look back on a time when things weren’t so chaotic, all feel the same weight on their shoulders as they attempt to finish a degree while the national death count creeps over 5.26 million. “I have found that there really aren’t many young adults in college who don’t struggle at least in some realm with mental health,” Quinlyn McBrayer, a postgraduate student studying nutrition, said.

ASK THE EDITORS: Lobo Wrapped 2021

  To the dismay of Apple Music users, the highly anticipated Spotify Wrapped is finally here with a data collection packaged in fun colors and quirky attempts at humor. To commemorate this annual event, the Daily Lobo editors decided to give readers a peek behind the curtain at their top songs. Shelby’s No. 1 Song: “Future Days” by Pearl Jam  Pearl Jam’s “Future Days” had an immediate impact on my psyche. Their hit became an earworm last year when I first played my now-favorite video game, “The Last of Us Part II,” and was touched by how it was integrally woven into the game’s narrative. Fast forward one year later and I still can’t get the song out of my head.

Lobos women basketball too good to lose to NMSU

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team defeated New Mexico State University 77-58 at The Pit on Friday, Dec. 3, and won again 73-66 against NMSU in Las Cruces on Sunday, Dec. 5. The Dec. 3 win keeps the Lobos’ home streak alive and both wins now make their record 8-3. In the first game, NMSU let a good opportunity for a win slip away against an at times desultory UNM team that was coming off of a two-week stretch that saw them play five games. The Lobos showed signs of fatigue throughout the game, ultimately ending with 21 turnovers, their most at home this season. UNM’s saving grace was once again their three-point shooting (54.17%).

Hanging of the Greens lights up holiday season

The University of New Mexico’s oldest annual tradition, the Hanging of the Greens, made a triumphant return to campus on the evening of Friday, Dec. 3 after going virtual last year due to the pandemic. This year, nothing could stand in the way of thousands of luminarias illuminating campus as the sun went down. The event, organized by the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society in association with several campus-wide professional and student organizations which helped set up thousands of luminarias across campus, saw hundreds of students and community members come to campus for the evening’s activities.

Custodial union protests against poverty wages, union-busting

  On Friday, Dec. 3, custodial workers at the University of New Mexico protested for the University to pay them a living wage. A coalition of other unions in the state were present in solidarity, including the graduate student workers’ union, who showed up to also protest the University’s union-busting attempts. The protest was held hours before the Hanging of the Greens, a holiday tradition at UNM in which the community celebrates the holiday season with a variety of festive activities. According to a Dec. 3 press release from the custodians’ union, Communication Workers of America Local 7076, they specifically chose this time to hold their protest to contrast the festivities with the dire treatment of custodial workers. 

Educators across New Mexico denounce oil and gas campaigns

  Over 200 educators in New Mexico, from early childhood teachers to college professors, signed a letter calling on the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association to stop using disingenuous public campaigns to promote more oil and gas development. These educators want the expansion of revenue sources and lessened dependence on the fossil fuel industry in the state. “It has been extremely disappointing to watch the oil and gas industry and its allies use educators and students as props in campaigns against progress on climate and clean energy policies,” read a Nov. 30 press release sent by lobbying and public relations communications specialist Charles Goodmacher.

Women’s basketball continues home perfection against Grambling State

  The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team romped Grambling State University 86-50 Tuesday at The Pit. The win came in UNM’s first game back at home after three consecutive days of play at the Van Chancellor Classic. This win makes UNM 6-3 overall and 5-0 in The Pit so far this season. Grambling State was not expected to be a particularly tough opponent for UNM. Both teams beat the University of Louisiana Monroe, but UNM did so by 21 points while Grambling State was only able to best Louisiana Monroe by eight. 

REVIEW: Mike Mills’ latest film 'C’mon C’mon:' A love letter to living

  This review contains spoilers The black and white kaleidoscope that is “C’mon C’mon” is an exploration of the space between people and the malleability of relationships. Such subject matter might easily have been lost in the transition from brain to screen, but the phenomenal cast, thoughtful direction and wonderful cinematography brought this world to life perfectly. In the film, Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny and Woody Norman’s Jesse, who are uncle and nephew, are forcibly but sweetly brought together when Jesse’s mother, Viv, painstakingly leaves to care for her mentally unstable father Paul, who wants to recieve help but has struggled to. In dealing with Paul’s psychosis and rekindling a relationship with Johnny, Viv is reminded of trauma surrounding the death of her mother. 

Student Support Services TRIO director helps marginalized students

  Dawn Blue Sky-Hill, director of the Student Support Services TRIO program at the University of New Mexico, has been with SSS TRIO for 20 years. In that time, she has helped and mentored students from all walks of life to set them up for success in academia and beyond. According to its website, SSS TRIO’s mission is to “increase the college retention and graduation rates of program partici­pants at the University of New Mexico main campus. The SSS program draws upon a holistic framework where committed participants receive individualized support by ad­dressing their educational and personal needs.” As director, Sky-Hill helps facilitate this support through coordinating mentors, advisors, tutoring and more.  

5 and Why: 5 tips to power through final exams

  As the semester winds down, the ever-dreaded final exam season is rapidly approaching. University of New Mexico student Jazmine Villescas, a senior in the biology program, took a short break from studying at Zimmerman Library to give Daily Lobo readers some tips for getting through finals week. Plan out study time ahead of exams A crucial step in preparing for finals is simply knowing when your exams are so you can budget your time accordingly, Villescas said. Knowing whether each test will be cumulative or only based on the most recent course material is also very important, according to Villescas.

Comics November 29, 2021

Mental Health Matters: Educators’ mental health worsened by pandemic

  What used to be the stable field of education is now revolving around uncontrollable and unknown factors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and educators are suffering because of this. A mental health pandemic lies at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic as educators have been dealing with an increased amount of mental health issues. “Teachers’ jobs — stressful even before the pandemic — have become even tougher, with longer work hours, struggles to engage students remotely, repeated pivots from hybrid to remote to in-person instruction, not to mention fears that they — or their loved ones — could get COVID-19,” Education Week reported.

REVIEW: ‘Tick, tick ... BOOM!’: Andrew Garfield explodes in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s latest project

  “Tick, tick … BOOM!” the feature-length film directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda released on Netflix mid-November, owes its greatness to two factors: Andrew Garfield and Jonathan Larson’s ingenious eponymous play. “Tick, tick … BOOM!” is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical musical created by playwright Larson, creator of Broadway smash hit “Rent.” Garfield stars as Jonathan, an aspiring, struggling playwright trying desperately to get his foot in the door of show business with a futuristic rock opera. While the character may teeter on the edge of the tortured artist archetype, Garfield’s sincerity shines through, preventing too many cliches.  Going into the film, I wasn’t optimistic. 

REVIEW: ‘House of Gucci’: Ridley Scott’s latest is anything but chic

  This review contains spoilers Upon the release of the first photos of Adam Driver and Lady Gaga as Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, to say expectations for “House of Gucci” were high would be an understatement. With a cast like that and legendary director Ridley Scott at the helm, it seemed like a Hollywood dream come true.  That is, of course, until you watch it and you slowly realize that an all-star cast, a big budget and a beloved director will not save you from creating something that is utterly lifeless and entirely boring.  The film mainly follows Patrizia and Maurizio as they ascend the ranks of the Gucci empire, ultimately culminating in their separation and Maurizio’s inevitable assassination at the hands of a hit man hired by Patrizia. 

UNM falls to Utah State, ends season 3-9

  On Friday, Nov. 26, the University of New Mexico football squad was defeated 35-10 by Utah State University at University Stadium in the final game of their sad season. The loss sends UNM into the offseason riding a four-game losing streak, while the team finished 1-6 in conference play and 3-9 overall. UNM was forced to start Bryson Carroll at quarterback, though he has previously played mainly as a running back. Running back Aaron Dumas and wide receiver Luke Wysong did not play; both Dumas and Wysong are freshmen who head coach Danny Gonzales pulled out in order to save them for offseason work.