Students with disabilities struggle to obtain resources in and beyond college

As graduation draws near, most every senior is working to navigate next steps. Disabled students, however, have the unique challenge of preparing to move into a new environment where they may not necessarily have access to resources they have previously been able to obtain through their university.

“It definitely sucks to be cut off from those resources because it is really nice to know that there is someone in a position of power that has your back as a disabled person,” graduating senior Micah Glidewell said.

 Glidewell has been receiving accommodations from the University of New Mexico Accessibility Resource Center since his freshman year and has worked at ARC for the past year. 

Albuquerque community continues to protest leaked Supreme Court draft opinion

Albuquerque community members  took to the streets again on Saturday, May 7 to protest the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, cases that provide constitutional protection for abortion in the U.S. under the doctrine of privacy granted by the Fourteenth Amendment.

The protest was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation to continue motivating people to fight back and not fall into apathy while calling for the Democrats in Congress to act to protect abortion rights.

 “We have to keep up the energy, and we have to remind people that we can't stop just because we came out right after it happened.  

UNM showcases a range of commencement events

On May 14 at 9 a.m., the University of New Mexico will be holding its in-person commencement ceremony at the University Arena. The ceremony will be only the second  ceremony in which guests are allowed back in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We're thankful that we can get back to having families and guests there and celebrating our students for this wonderful accomplishment,” University Secretary Nancy Middlebrook said.

 
The event will feature keynote speaker Mark Herman, CEO of Dion's, along with performances by the UNM Brass Choir and the singing of the national anthem by Cameron Smith, a graduate student in the vocal performance program. 

Leaked Supreme Court draft opinion terrifies, angers ABQ community members

Protesters gathered at the Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse in Albuquerque on May 3 in light of a leaked draft of a majority opinion from Politico written by Justice Samuel Alito that signifies the court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, both landmark cases that provide constitutional protection for abortion in the U.S. under the doctrine of privacy granted by the Fourteenth Amendment.

The protests, one in front of the courthouse organized by the Party of Socialism and Liberation and one kitty-corner in front of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court organized by Planned Parenthood, were each attended by hundreds of people.  

Albuquerque undergoes redistricting committee sessions

The city of Albuquerque is currently undergoing a redistricting process as is required by the city charter following every census, the latest of which happened in 2020. The redistricting committee has been meeting since early March to discuss potential new district lines and hear community input; their latest meeting took place on Wednesday, April 27.

Redistricting has a substantial effect on how the city government operates as it ensures that the populations of different districts are equally represented within the City Council. Some districts have grown unevenly in the 10 years since the city was last redistricted. The redistricting process can also be used to ensure that marginalized communities' voices are being adequately represented and heard.

AAPI Resource Center officially open

April 28 marked a historic event for the University of New Mexico’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community with the official opening of the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center (colloquially pronounced as ay-perk).

The ribbon-cutting ceremony boasted a large turnout of students, community members and notable guests. Although AAPIRC has been open for some time now, this marks one of the first large public events in the space with socializing and lots of tasty food.

Farah Nousheen, the Associate Director of AAPIRC, led the ceremony, opening it with a series of warm welcomes.