News

News

Ski Team protest crashes Board of Regents meeting

Kelly Urvanejo | April 19

The UNM ski team and their supporters gathered in front of Hodgin Hall just after 7 a.m. Tuesday morning to protest the decision of Athletic Director Paul Krebs to cut all funding to the team. In addition to the ski team, the women’s rugby team, locals and UNM alumni sported lobo colors while holding signs reading, ‘Give us a chance,’ ‘Highest GPA’ and ‘3.9 GPA’. Alexandra Hammon, a woman’s rugby player who attended the rally, said she has heard of the ski team’s academic and athletic success. “I know they’re one of the only UNM athletics programs who progressively excels at their sport,” Hammon said. “They keep getting championships, they keep getting individual championships and to me, this just seems like a really low blow.”

---

News

ASUNM joins NM student body leaders to condemn veto of higher ed funding

David Lynch | April 18

On Tuesday, Associated Students of UNM President Kyle Biederwolf joined the student body presidents of five other New Mexico institutions to condemn the recent veto of higher ed funding for next year by Gov. Susana Martinez. “We firmly believe that access to higher education is more important than ever in New Mexico. We need to be investing in bright and innovative minds to tackle our state’s challenges,” the statement reads. “We are disappointed in those elected to serve us, as they have allowed such a critical issue to be caught in the middle of partisan political crossfire. Martinez chose to strike funding for UNM and other colleges across the state earlier this month, in an act of defiance against what she called a “wasted” 60-day session by New Mexico legislators.

---

News

Group that spearheaded hunger-free students bill has long worked to solve issues in NM

Brendon Gray | April 17

A New Mexico bill that prevents stigmatizing students with meal debt has made headlines across the country, but according to its authors, the legislation is just the tip of the iceberg on a much bigger issue. The Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act was signed into law by Gov. Susana Martinez earlier this month and requires schools to work with parents to pay lunch debts or sign up for federal meal assistance. The legislation, SB 374, was written by New Mexico Appleseed, a small nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that focuses on solving issues like hunger, poor education and homelessness in New Mexico.

---

News

Q&A: On asylum, detention centers and immigration

Cathy Cook | April 17

UNM’s Latin American and Iberian Institute hosted its fourth Richard E. Greenleaf Conference last week — and the first wince 2014 — focusing on expert witness testimony in Latin American asylum cases.

---

News

Report: Medical debt collectors have work to do

Cathy Cook | April 17

The New Mexico Public Interest Research Group recently released a report exploring consumer complaints on medical debt, concluding that debt collectors have work to do when it comes to accuracy and illegitimately affecting credit scores. The ninth in a series of reports that reviews complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that nearly two-thirds of complaints about medical debt collection asserted that the debt was never owed, was unverified, or was already paid or discharged. The report was released in an effort to demonstrate the importance of the CFPB and raise awareness about the government agency’s work, as well as encourage policymakers to eliminate aggressive debt collection practices, according to Andrew Balis, NMpirg’s campaign organizer.

---

News

Ski team laments "poorly handled" situation

Matthew Reisen | April 16

It started with a text message at 8 a.m. and, by 2 in the afternoon, the program he had been a part of for over 30 years was no more. That was the reality for head ski coach Fredrik Landstedt on Thursday, when UNM athletics announced their decision to dismantle the UNM ski program altogether, a situation that Landstedt describes as “extremely poorly handled.” Athletics Director Paul Krebs informed the coaches in a meeting at 1 p.m. before informing the team’s student athletes at a second meeting 15 minutes later.

---

News

Students feel unprotected by UNMPD

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | April 16

With car and bike thefts on the rise and seemingly increasing rates of assault on campus,some students question whether UNM Police Department officers are actively doing their jobs. “I feel like (UNMPD) is a bit lacking,” said UNM sophomore Santiago Davila. “Knowing they’re around doesn’t really make me feel all that safer at UNM.” Davila says he almost never sees UNMPD patrolling, especially at night and in high traffic areas like the Duck Pond.

---

News

ASUNM to Athletics: Recognize, support rugby

Brendon Gray | April 16

At its penultimate meeting of the semester, the Associated Students of UNM Senate unanimously passed a resolution encouraging the Athletics Department to consider varsity status for the University’s men’s and women’s rugby teams. But, despite the student support behind the issue, an Athletics Department spokesperson said plans to add new varsity sports are not on the table, in the same week that the department announced it was axing the skiing program. The Athletics Department announced a $1.5 million deficit last fiscal year.

---

News

UNM researchers make strides in nanotechnology

Hannah Eisenberg | April 16

While the wheel, propelled forward through force and friction, may have been invented by a cave man, imagining how one might be able to move the smallest object, a nanoparticle, in a similar way has been a complex process spanning years of research conducted by a dedicated team of physicists. Alejandro Manjavacas of UNM’s Astronomy and Physics Department, along with a team of three other researchers around the globe, are currently working on making this a possibility.

---

News

A Good Friday trek on Tomé

Matthew Reisen | April 16

Light blues seeped into the desert sky as we trudged up the steep side of Tomé Hill. The trail was still isolated, save for a few people. As we rushed to the top, anxious to see the sunrise, I noticed a woman stepping very slowly. Once I was closer I noticed that her feet were bare upon the jagged rocks. She carried her shoes as tears streamed down her face. That was when it sunk in; the full magnitude of what this pilgrimage means to so many. Once at the top, we found ourselves among a group of about 20 people, surrounded by three huge crosses permanently fixed into the hill.

---

News

Less international students applying to attend UNM

Hannan Eisenberg | April 14

While America becomes saturated with anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, international students and their families view traveling here for education and work as an increasingly risky decision. A survey published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers found that foreign students and their families have growing concerns about "xenophobia, anti-Muslim sentiments, discrimination and the general climate in the U.S., especially towards international students.” Sharifa Bahri, president of UNM’s Saudi Students Club, and an international student mastering in Linguistics, shared these growing concerns.

---

News

ASUNM unanimously passes 2017 spring budget, allocating nearly $690,000 to orgs

Shelby Perea | April 14

On Wednesday night, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico voted on their Spring 2017 budget in which they choose which agencies, organizations and line items will receive funding and how much funding each gets. The money for ASUNM’s budget comes from a pool of student fees that every UNM student contributes to, according to Director of Communications Gabe Gallegos. On Wednesday, the senate voted and unanimously approved the spring 2017 budget that allocates about 74 percent of the budget to ASUNM agencies and line items.

---

News

Gov. Martinez vetoes all funding for higher education

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 12

Last week, Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed all funding for public universities and colleges by signing the House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for House Bills 2 and 3. In a statement, Martinez said legislators “wasted” their 60-day session on official state song and dance bills, resulting in a budget imbalance and one of the largest tax increases the state has ever seen. Martinez noted that she has felt “disappointed” in legislators before, but cannot remember ever feeling the way she does now. “Their reckless decisions had left New Mexico hanging in the balance,” Martinez said.

---

News

Mandatory UNM staff trainings address safety, harrassment

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | April 12

All UNM employees are required to complete annual compliance trainings that exist to train them how to handle workplace incidents, help prevent workplace harassment and provide information that is “pertinent to everybody's daily jobs.” The required trainings include Intersections: Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, basic annual safety training and an active shooter training, which was added this year. Administered as courses through Learning Central, the courses all have due dates. But what happens if an employee misses the deadline? How do the trainings benefit UNM employees? How does UNM monitor who completes the trainings, and why are they required in the first place?

---

News

Men's Basketball: Aggies head coach will replace Neal

Isabel Gonzalez | April 12

The Rio Grande Rivalry has become more real than ever. After an 11-day search for a new men’s basketball head coach, Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs decided that NMSU’s Paul Weir was the man for the job. Krebs said that although some people described the process as a bit of a roller coaster, he thought that from an internal perspective things actually went relatively smoothly. “We ended up where we needed to be,” he said. “The process allowed us to get to the right place to find the best individual, best coach, at this time for the University of New Mexico.”

---

News

Crime Briefs for April 13

Elizabeth Sanchez | April 12

Battery on healthcare personnel at UNMH On April 1, an officer was dispatched to UNM Hospital in reference to a “disturbance,” according to a police report. The officer was told a disorderly female refused to leave the property. A female was with UNMH security outside of the emergency entrance when the UNMPD officer arrived. The female was yelling at security and using abusive language. Security said she was disruptive in the emergency room, refusing to cooperate with employees. During this time, she spat on one of the healthcare personnel. As a result, she was asked to leave.

---

News

Regents discuss changes to UNM employee health benefits

Brendon Gray | April 11

During the Regents Finance and Facilities meeting on Tuesday, the committee did not give recommendation to the full board for certain changes in employee benefits. Two presenters from the UNM Benefits Department requested regent approval of an expanded Wellness Incentive for employees, a cap on contributions to post-retirement medical expense accounts, and a change in insurance rates for active employees and pre-65 retirees.

---

News

News in Brief: NSF awards UNM $1.6 million to extend microsystems education

Matthew Reisen | April 10

According to a UNM press release, the University has been awarded $1.6 million from the National Science Foundation to continue a program that provides educational services to industry trainers and educators in the expanding field of microsystems. The grant runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021 and will fund the creation and maintenance of a large variety of microsystems educational materials used nationwide by colleges, educators and industry members, according to the release. This grant is a continuation of previous grants toward the initiative, called the Southwest Center for Microsystems Education.

---

News

News in Brief: 2017 International Festival set for Thursday

Matthew Reisen | April 10

The Global Education Office is sponsoring the 2017 International Festival, set for Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cornell Mall. According to a University release, there will be around 40 booths with food, crafts and information. The event is free and open to the public. "The Global Education Office’s annual International Festival is a special opportunity for everyone in the UNM and Albuquerque community to come together to experience a taste of the world in one place on one day,” Pablo Torres, director of International Recruitment and Admissions, is quoted as saying in the release.

---

News

News in Brief: UNM ROTC student success specialist recognized with regional aware

Matthew Reisen | April 10

According to a UNM press release, ROTC Senior Student Success Specialist Brian Vineyard was recognized by the Air Force ROTC Southwest Region, receiving University Civilian of the Quarter for the Southwest Region award. The Southwest Region contains 10 states from California to Tennessee and covers over 30 units, according to the release. The award is handed out by the Headquarters Air Force ROTC to university civilians working in Air Force ROTC detachments. According to the release, recipients must not only meet excellent job criteria requirements, but are also judged on the contributions they make to the Air Force ROTC and local community.