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News

Due to budget cuts, student fees increase 7.3 percent for undergrads, five for grad students

Brendon Gray | May 24

During the annual budget summit Wednesday, the UNM Board of Regents approved an $18 course premium for upper division credit hours and a 7.3 percent mandatory student fee increase for undergraduate students and a five percent increase for graduate students. Initially the budget leadership team proposed a $23 premium, but at the tail end of the meeting, Regent Thomas Clifford moved to modify the analysis to adjust for a lower premium rate. The Regents settled on the $18 figure. According to initial estimates provided by the leadership team, 12,000 students would not see a tuition increase next year. However, tuition for some could increase anywhere from two percent to 12 percent, depending on the number of upper division courses taken in a semester.

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Martinez’ vetoes on higher ed and other budgets still stand after day one of special legislative session

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 24

On May 24, the motion to override Gov. Susana Martinez’s line item budget vetoes proposed by the 53rd meeting of the New Mexico Legislature failed with a vote of 39 in favor and 29 opposed during the New Mexico special legislative session. On the Senate floor, Rep. Damon Ely introduced the motion to override the governor’s line item vetoes. “What has captured the public's attention is the veto of all funding of higher education,” Ely said. “That includes both state and federal funding of higher education, totaling almost three billion dollars.”

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Men's Soccer: Lobo defender Aaron Herrera headed to 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Isabel Gonzalez | May 15

Over 500 players from 24 countries are taking part in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea this summer — and UNM's Aaron Herrera was lucky enough to be selected to participate. Herrera, a defender for the UNM men’s soccer team, has been working with the U.S. National Team for a while. His latest achievement happened only a few months ago when he was part of the roster that took the United States’ first CONCACAF title at the U-20 level by taking down the Honduras’ team 5-3 on penalty kicks. “It was just crazy being the first team to ever do it,” said the Las Cruces native. “There are so many great players that have been through the U-20 who are playing on the full national team now that also went through the same experience we did. None of them ever won it, so knowing that our team was the first to win it is kind of crazy.”

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Freshmen Issue: Know the resources available to pay for shcool

Nichole Harwood | May 14

How much is knowledge worth? Thousands of dollars a semester slowly evolving into debt can haunt students for a large part of their lives. The impact of this price is all-inclusive — impacting students entering college either entering as traditional college students straight out of high school or a nontraditional student looking for a career change. In many cases, parents of those seeking a college education will often foot the bill. However, this isn’t the case for all students, and for those whose parents don’t or can’t cover the cost of a college education, there are a few options. Understanding these options can save individuals a great amount of stress now and in the future.

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Freshmen Issue: SHAC provides healthcare for all UNM students

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 14

As an institutional member of the American College Health Association, Student Health & Counseling is an on-campus service for UNM students that provides health and counseling services to all students. SHAC provides cost effective, easily accessible care for the majority of medical issues. A SHAC doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner is always available to all UNM and Health Science Center students, 24 hours a day for a telephone consultation. “SHAC is an innovative leader in college health among peer universities in providing comprehensive, high-quality services that are guided by those served,” said SHAC Executive Director James Wilterding.

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ASUNM fills 12 officer positions during installation ceremony

Brendon Gray | May 12

A new president, vice president and ten new senators were sworn into their positions within the Associated Students of UNM on May 12. The new ASUNM Senators and fresh executive team — headed by president Noah Brooks and vice president Sally Midani — are now tasked with addressing campus issues, following through on campaign promises and representing the next generation of UNM undergraduate students. “I’m very excited for the upcoming year,” Brooks said in his first address to the UNM community since the election in March. “I can’t wait to get started,” he said, adding that his goals are to serve the students and accomplish his campaign promises. Outgoing ASUNM President Kyle Biederwolf commended the newly elected senators, vice president and president for their work so far. Fully confident in the new administration's ability to serve UNM’s students, Biederwolf praised the new governing body. Brooks and Midani, who ran together in the election, are looking to accomplish their campaign platform which included: helping prevent sexual assault on campus, streamlining advisement and transforming UNM into a destination University. On the campaign trail Brooks and Midani criticised the UNM advisement system.

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New option has faculty and staff retiring green

Cathy Cook | May 12

UNM faculty and staff will soon have a fossil-fuel-free retirement plan option. “For me and many others, having the option not to invest in fossil fuels is of utmost importance when considering not only my future but my students’, my children’s and the planet’s as a whole,” said Tema Milstein, professor of communications and journalism.

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Dreamstyle Remodeling takes lead as new donor of the Pit

Nichole Harwood | May 12

WisePies has stepped aside to let Dreamstyle Remodeling take center stage as the new donor for the Pit. “As a lifelong New Mexican, I am proud to have built a company that has a capability of making this investment in the University and our community,” said Larry Chavez, UNM alumni and founder of Dreamstyle Remodeling. While working on a $250,000 renovation project for the UNM Football facilities, Dreamstyle Remodeling learned about the opportunity.

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After losing funding completely, UNM ski team ready for a comeback

Matthew Narvaiz and Gabriella Rivera | May 11

The University of New Mexico’s ski team is back. After Vice President of Athletics Paul Krebs said their program would be cut from UNM’s athletic programs on April 13, the university made the decision to reinstate the ski program for the 2017-18 season. The overturning was a major win for ski team. In particular, Alex Barounos, a sophomore ski team member and a key contributor in petitioning for the reinstatement, says he and his teammates were ecstatic about the decision made on Thursday.

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Campus Briefs for May 9

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 9

UNM has record-breaking number of spring 2017 graduates Approximately 3,900 students will become “Lobos For Life” on Saturday when they stand before their loved ones to receive their diplomas, breaking the record for UNM’s graduating class. For the sixth year in a row, UNM’s graduation rate has continued to grow—the number of students graduating in four years is expected to increase 66 percent since the 2010-2011 school year, when the four-year graduation rate was at 15 percent. The University’s six-year graduation rate has also increased and breaks the record at just under 50 percent.

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National Briefs for May 10

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 9

Trump fires FBI director President Trump fired the FBI Director James B. Comey Tuesday over the way he handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails during the 2016 election. Comey’s immediate dismissal was a “stunning development for a president that benefited from the FBI investigation of the Democratic nominee during the 2016 campaign,” the New York Times reports. The FBI is also separately investigating the possibility of collusion between Trump campaign members and Russia in order to influence the election. Thus, Trump’s abrupt and unexpected decision to fire Comey raised questions over whether the president was trying to influence the Russian investigation.

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Students and faculty recognized for efforts to reduce opioid addiction

Brendon Gray | May 9

Last week, six UNM Health Sciences Center faculty and students were recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to address the statewide opioid epidemic. The Heroin and Opioid Prevention Education Initiative is a collaboration between the U.S.

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Heinrich plans to brighten young people's futures with clean energy legislation

Brendon Gray | May 9

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich recently introduced the Energy Workforce for the 21st Century Act, seeking to meet growing demands in the clean energy workforce. If passed, the legislation will create a comprehensive strategy for the Department of Energy to increase participation of women and minorities in the energy sector, provide training for displaced workers and encourage education leaders to give pertinent training to students. “We need to prepare New Mexicans to work in the clean energy jobs of the future and increase the participation of women and minorities throughout the energy sector,” Heinrich said in a press release. “This is the future of jobs,” he said. “It’s incredibly important.”

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Campus police use technology to keep students safe

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 9

UNMPD and the UNM Office of Emergency Management have taken advantage of the smartphone craze by utilizing apps, messaging availability and social media — allowing the University community to provide tools for reporting “suspicious or criminal activity.” In the spring of 2015, LoboGuardian, a new technology-driven app that turns a smartphone into a portable “virtual blue light” was launched at UNM. The app is run by the vendor Rave Guardian and is designed to increase the safety of students, staff and faculty on college and university campuses.

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Grad Issue: First-generation graduate thanks support system, looks to bright future

Nichole Harwood | May 8

Life has a way of changing things, just ask Ayham Maadi. A dual-degree student in chemical engineering and foreign languages with a minor in math, Maadi said he started his education at UNM undecided on where his career path would lead him, but it certainly wasn’t in the direction of engineering. Given his foreign language experience, Maadi said he realized that whatever his future held, he would be supplemented with a degree in foreign languages. Despite his initial intentions, his path shifted toward chemical engineering. And he was excited to take on the challenge.

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Grad Issue: Mother of two inspires her children to learn

Cathy Cook | May 8

Haimanot Bihonegne is up for a challenge. As a mother of two from Ethiopia, she has worked hard to balance school, her job at Lowe’s and parenting. “It is challenging, but it’s very good for my kids,” she said. “When I read, they read. When I do my homework, they do their homework. It’s really good (but) it’s hard.” With work on the weekends, and classes and family time on the weekdays, Bihonegne’s schedule is a careful balancing act, she said. When she started school, she wasn’t sure how she would do it, but believes that if you start something, you have to finish it. “It was a long way to go, but I’m here now,” she said.

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Grad Issue: After emotional trauma, Lobo finds way to manage pain

Matthew Narvaiz | May 8

Life doesn't always pan out as expected. For Ryan Bennett, a UNM student who is graduating with a degree in accounting this semester, that statement rings true. Bennett took all of seven years from the first time he stepped into a college classroom to finish his degree. The graduation will be a crowning achievement and honor, capping the pursuit of a degree which stemmed from a life-changing moment — the loss of his unborn child. He said school was never his niche. He considered himself to be an average student and didn’t have much drive—at least early on.

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Grad Issue: Mental health sufferer hopes to help troubled youth

Denicia Aragon | May 8

Having attempted to take his own life three times, Nicholas J. Aurelio Tollardo almost didn’t make it to the end of his college career, but each time, he picked himself up and pushed forward to make it to his graduation day. He was diagnosed with depression when he attempted to commit suicide for the first time at age 16, he said. He made two attempts: one at age 19, the other at age 21. Enrolled at UNM since the fall semester of 2010, he said his first couple of years at the University were tough. He felt like he could not handle the work and failed a couple of courses. “High grades and success have always been a priority of mine, and it comes from my mother who pushed me hard to succeed and do the best I could,” Tollardo said “I felt like I let myself down, but primarily I felt like I let my mother down.”

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Grad Issue: Student successfully juggles degree and parenthood

Ariel Lutnesky | May 8

College is a majorly time-consuming task, making it even more difficult to manage both school and a family at the same time. Cara Andrade, a graduating senior, said she found her family to be major motivator to drive through her studies. “I did have my daughter, Jessenia, when I was a junior in high school,” Andrade said. “I was terrified, but she has been my motivation.” Andrade said that she now has four daughters to take care of. “It is super challenging getting school work done because their needs come first,”she said. “All of the stress is definitely worth it because, after all, I did this for them!”

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Grad Issue: Student plans to dedicate her life to helping others

Robert Maler | May 7

A career in the medical field is something that might seem like a natural choice for a person with a father who is a registered nurse and a certified nursing assistant for a mother, but one New Mexico graduate is showing almost supernatural abilities along the way. Jacklyn Asamoah, a medical laboratory science major, said one of her early memories was when she was at the hospital with her father. She stapled one of her fingers when her dad was working on charts. Asamoah said she cried — of course — but one of the doctors came and helped her remove the staple and get bandaged up. She said she always remembered how the doctor in the white coat helped her. She said there was one thing she knew for sure at the time — she wanted to help people.