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News

LGBTQ Resource Center gets frank about sex

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 9

As part of campus-wide events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the LGBTQ Resource Center got frank about the subject with its “Let’s Talk about Sex” event on Friday. The event showcased sexual violence prevention and overall sex education as tables lined Cornell Mall, offering information from on and off-campus resources such as QSA, Planned Parenthood, N’MPower and others. LGBTQ Resource Center Education Coordinator Frankie Flores has been a part of the center and has planned the event for six years. “Let’s Talk about Sex” usually focuses on STIs, as April is also STI Awareness Month, but this year the emphasis was tailored toward sexual assault prevention/awareness instead.

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Truvada: A ‘game changer’ in the fight against HIV/ AIDS

Andres Del Aguila | April 9

In the ongoing fight to end the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, healthcare providers are beginning to prescribe a pill that acts as a bulwark against the disease by decreasing the chance of infection by 99 percent if taken every day, according to clinical trials. Truvada, also known as PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), is a combination of two anti-retroviral drugs that block an enzyme which fuses the HIV virus with a person’s DNA. The pill also prevents HIV replication in the bloodstream, which ultimately leads to the virus’ death. “Truvada is a game changer,” said Student Health and Counseling Executive Director James Wilterding. “It has been proven to decrease transmission rates. We have seen in the United States that it has been so effective that, in the past year, most healthcare plans have started paying for Truvada.”

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ASUNM fails bill that sought to alter Student Publications funding

Matthew Reisen | April 8

ASUNM failed a bill last week that would have removed annual funding for three UNM student publications — the Daily Lobo, Conceptions Southwest and Best Student Essays — and forced them to apply for funding through annual budget hearings. Senators Theo Pirone-Aufrichtig and Hannah Williams co-sponsored Bill 13S, which sought to remove the 8.5 percent of student fees annually allocated to Student Publications, in an effort to install oversight at a time when less and less funds are available for student groups. If passed, the bill would have gone before the Senate and, if passed, would have been placed on the ballot for student vote in fall.

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Crime Briefs for April 7, 2017

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 7

Harassment at KUNM On the morning of March 24, a UNMPD officer was dispatched to KUNM after a staff member called to report a harassment complaint, according to a police report. The caller told police that a contracted employee was recently terminated after the UNM Office of Equal Opportunity investigated an alleged sexual harassment against him. After his termination, the former employee began sending emails, stating he was wrongfully terminated. The officer was given copies of several emails, but did not see a specific threat to harm anyone. However, in his emails, the former employee mentioned that after being fired, he now suffers from severe depression.

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Fiestas 2017 promising big name performers, less cost to students

Gabriela Garcia-Huff | April 5

For this year’s Fiestas, UNM’s annual Arts and Music Festival on Johnson Field, ASUNM Student Special Events strived to bring the biggest names to the most students, without breaking the bank. Claire McNallen, the executive director of SSE, said that unlike previous years, she and her team were very selective and conscious of whom they were appealing to. She said they chose not to advertise outside of UNM this year, in an attempt to mainly target students. “We’ve been really purposeful about getting as many students involved as possible. We were just trying to figure out who we don’t service with Fiestas every year and get them pulled in,” she said.

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New York Times reporter talks WikiLeaks, national security at UNM

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 5

New York Times national security reporter Scott Shane visited UNM to give insight from his illustrious career as a journalist. In his career Shane has covered the Russian hacking during the 2016 election, the recent Vault 7 CIA leak and other incidents, and also served as Moscow correspondent for the Baltimore Sun. He is the author of “Objective Troy: A Terrorist, A President, and the Rise of the Drone,” which describes Anwar al-Awlaki’s participation in al-Qaida and his death by a drone strike ordered by former President Barak Obama. A reporter for 37 years, Shane spoke at UNM’s National Security Studies Program’s seventh annual symposium on Monday. He then gave a presentation about Anwar al-Awlaki at the SUB and later, gave a Q&A on WikiLeaks on Tuesday.

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DACA: Dreaming beyond the new political landscape

Diana Cervantes | April 5

Since the election of President Trump, the future of students under DACA is unknown and many Dreamers are worried not only about what this means for their future, but also for the safety of their families. Medical student Yazmin Irazoqui Ruiz remembers the moment when her world didn’t seem so certain anymore, just five days after President Trump’s inauguration. “Jan. 25 was the first border security executive action, and that was the proof I needed to realize that Trump was going to go after what he said he was going to do,” Ruiz said.

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Students form campus group to promote mental health

Nichole Harwood | April 5

In a time when nearly 20 percent of Americans suffer from some form of mental illness, a group of students has started a UNM chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is the largest grassroots organization addressing mental illness in the U.S, and UNM’s newly formed chapter is joining that fight. “Most people that are going to suffer from mental mental illness in their lifetime are going to be diagnosed by the time they're 25,” said Matthew Rush, a UNM graduate pursuing his PHD and the president of NAMI UNM. NAMI UNM is in its first semester as an on-campus affiliate, having been only recently recognized by the national organization it shares its name with. NAMI UNM became an official affiliate on Feb. 24, just months before Mental Health Month, which begins in May.

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UNM's Russian program teams up with Russian language institute

Cathy Cook | April 5

The Pushkin State Language Institute signed an agreement with UNM’s Russian program on Tuesday, making UNM the second U.S. school to partner with the Institute. The 50-year-old Institute is based in Moscow and focuses on teaching Russian as a foreign language. Russian program director Tanya Ivanova-Sullivan said it first contacted UNM in September about creating an agreement, which is not a typical exchange program, but instead an academic exchange of educational materials and experience. As part of the agreement, two professors visiting UNM from Pushkin taught an hour-long lecture in Russian on Wednesday and the school donated children’s textbooks to UNM, Ivanova-Sullivan said. UNM’s Russian program works with a local Russian school that teaches children Russian, especially heritage learners.

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News in Brief: UNM hosts 8th annual Spring Symposium

Matthew Reisen | April 4

According to a UNM press release, the University’s Global and National Security Policy Institute and National Security Studies Program will host the 8th annual Spring Symposium on April 4-5, in the SUB Ballroom A. The symposium, titled “Global and National Security Challenges and Opportunities Facing the New Administration," will focus on challenges faced by the new U.S. administration which includes a myriad of regional, country-specific and thematic issues over the next four years, according to the release.

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News in Brief: UNM highlights success in research

Matthew Reisen | April 4

According to a UNM press release, the Spring 2017 Shared Knowledge Conference will provide students an opportunity to learn about the depth of research work being done at UNM. The conference, organized by Graduate Studies, will be held on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in SUB Ballroom C, according to the release, providing the campus community with a look into the diversity of programs while recognizing research excellence.

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News in Brief: Smith Plaza / Union Square community workshop presentations planned

Matthew Reisen | April 4

According to a UNM Newsroom release, with the Smith Plaza/Union Square Renovation project underway, the next step in the process involves a series of community workshop sessions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Three events are planned as part of the sessions. A preview of the renovation designs will be held Wednesday in Smith Plaza from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; a lecture and discussion hosted by Surfacedesign, Inc. will be on Wednesday in George Pearl Hall at 5:30 p.m.; and a roundtable discussion on the renovation plans is scheduled for Thursday in SUB Acoma A/B from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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News in Brief: STEM students honored as Goldwater Scholars

Matthew Reisen | April 4

STEM students honored as Goldwater Scholars According to a University press release, the Goldwater Scholarship has been awarded to UNM students Jonathon Cordova and Randy Ko, with an Honorable Mention for Jane Nguyen. The scholarship, which was founded in recognition of U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater, recognizes exemplary students studying in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering, according to the press release. The Goldwater Scholarship provides financial support for juniors and seniors who are planning to pursue a doctorate and a career in STEM research.

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National Briefs for April 5, 2017

Matthew Reisen | April 4

Sweeping federal review could affect consent decrees nationwide According to a New York Times report, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a review of federal agreements with various law enforcement agencies across the country, an order that reflects President Donald Trump’s focus on law and order and could lead to a retreat on consent decrees with troubled police departments nationwide. In a memorandum made public Monday, Sessions directed his staff to look at whether law enforcement programs adhere to principles put forth by the Trump administration, including one declaring that “the individual misdeeds of bad actors should not impugn” the work police officers perform “in keeping American communities safe,” the article states.

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Rally Against Sexual Violence unites community, discusses progress

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 3

On Sunday, Civic Plaza was flooded with songs, speeches and support for those affected by sexual assault, in the hopes of eventually eliminating it altogether. As part of the Rally Against Sexual Violence, the UNM Office of Equal Opportunity, the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center, the New Mexico National Guard, the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Planned Parenthood and other groups united to kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the community-centered event.

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Journalism students prepare for an evolving industry

Andres Del Aguila | April 2

As the news industry evolves alongside technological advancements, students in the UNM Communication and Journalism department are honing their multimedia and mobile reporting skills to meet the demands of future employers. Kate Nash Cunningham, a distinguished print journalist and UNM professor, said journalists must have the ability to portray a story on multiple platforms. “It used to be in journalism that students would go and write for the newspaper, and that was it,” she said. “You would go to the City Council, write the story, file it and go home. Now, a student who is working for a news organization or writing for their own blog, not only are they writing a story for deadline, they are going to be live tweeting, taking photos, sending video and audio.”

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Several businesses suffering from ART

Andres Del Aguila | April 2

“No one wants to be on Central, not even the students,” Olympia Café owner Charlie Akkad said, frustrated over the restaurant’s 30 percent drop in revenue since the start of ART construction. “Mayor Richard Berry should have represented the people -- [ART] is a hindrance and it’s going at a snail’s pace.” Many owners and managers of local restaurants along Central Avenue echoed Akkad’s frustrations. Since the start of the project, many businesses in the area have experienced consistent drops in revenue, requiring them to cut hours and work with a smaller staff to prevent layoffs.

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ART funding uncertain under Trump budget

Nichole Harwood | April 2

Federal funding for the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project, otherwise known as ART, is in limbo after the proposed budget plan under the Trump Administration. The project's budget was originally formulated using federal funds for $69 million, more than half the total budget. The funds were to come through Obama's New Starts grant program, but the ART project has not officially secured the grant yet. President Trump's proposed budget is for the 2018 fiscal year, and cuts all funding for the project. ART funding is in Obama's 2017 budget, however, which Congress will deliberate on soon. 

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GPSA Elections: Presidential candidates

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | April 2

The Graduate and Professtional Student Association at UNM will be holding its elections for president this week from Monday through Thursday. Here are the three candidates for GPSA president, and their goals were they to be elected.

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UNM rolls out 1-on-1 sexual assault training

Kelly Urvanejo | April 2

Last week UNM, via email, notified students of the start of Department of Justice-mandated one-on-one sexual harassment and assault training. The DOJ last spring concluded a review of UNM’s policies and procedures that pertain to sexual assault response and prevention, to see if the University was in accordance with Title IX policy. The investigation prompted an agreement between UNM and the DOJ, which Torrez said gives UNM an outline “for how we are going to do the best job we can with Title IX and be in compliance with the law.”