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News

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.”

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The challenges of being a homeless student

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | April 2

In 2013, FAFSA reported more than 58,000 college students nationwide were experiencing homelessness. After the throes of a recession, Joseph Haynes became one of those students. When he was laid off in 2014, Haynes realized he did not have the right experience to get a job in a post-recession market, so he chose to go back to school — choosing education over a place to live, a degree over a hot meal and a warm bed.

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Pair of UNM regents to continue serving past term

Gabriela Garcia-Huff | April 2

UNM Regents Jack Fortner and Bradley Hosmer will remain on the board passed their allotted terms after the New Mexico Senate did not complete the confirmation hearings necessary for their replacements during the recently-adjourned legislative session. The nominated replacements — former state Sen. John Ryan and Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce CEO Alex Romero — were selected by Gov. Susana Martinez and sent on for approval by the Senate Rules Committee. However, the session ended before these hearings could be held.

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Crime Briefs for March 30

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 30

Criminal Sexual Penetration and Assault with Intent to Commit a Violent Felony on Johnson Field On the evening of March 21, two officers were dispatched to the southeast corner of Johnson Field regarding a disturbance between a male and a female, according to a UNMPD report. When officers arrived, several witnesses said the male subject had already run through the parking lot to the east side of the Redondo Village Apartments.

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Brooks wins ASUNM presidency, running mate Sally Midani wins VP

Brendon Gray | March 29

In what the ASUNM Elections Commission called a record voter turnout, UNM junior Noah Brooks was elected president of the Associated Students of UNM for the 2017-2018 school year. Brooks, who currently serves on ASUNM Senate, garnered 757 votes, just 40 over runner-up Gabe Gallegos, current director of communications for ASUNM. Brooks’ running mate, Sally Midani, was elected the vice president with 804 votes. The two ran on a platform focused on combatting sexual assault on campus, streamlining the advisement process and providing free transportation to athletic events for students.

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Athletics symposium tackles problems in college sports

Cathy Cook | March 29

College athletes from different sports teamed up Monday at the second Symposium on College Athletics to discuss ideas of equity and fairness both on and off the field. The symposium was sponsored by the Lobo Scholars Program, which brings together the Honors College and athletics department to support students and student athletes. It featured 15 presentations on topics ranging from the challenges created by club sport structure to the societal pros and cons of football. Ryan Swanson, a UNM professor and one of the Lobo Scholars Program directors, said that this year’s symposium was shorter than last year’s because presentations were limited to only seven minutes — but he still thought the event began good conversations.

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Researchers emphasize community in diabetes care

Cathy Cook | March 29

Two UNM researchers are taking a community-based approach to studying diabetes self-management for low income Hispanic patients, and they have a $2.3 million grant to fund their research. Janet Page-Reeves, lead researcher on the study, said the pair previously worked on a smaller project where they concluded that there are many people in Albuquerque’s Latino community with diabetes, and there is a high rate of people who go undiagnosed. Page-Reeves said the survey found that, out of 100 participants, 59 tested positive for diabetes or prediabetes but only 26 knew about their condition.

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Rural Medicine at UNM School of Medicine ranks third nationwide

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 29

UNM’s School of Medicine Rural Medicine Program and Primary Care Curriculum are some of the strongest in the United States, according to the upcoming issue of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools for 2018.” The Rural Medicine Program stands at third place and the Primary Care Curriculum is at number 18. The magazine also ranks the College of Nursing Midwifery Program at seventh nationwide. For Executive Vice Dean of the UNM School of Medicine Martha Cole McGrew, this news was not much of a surprise.

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New medical school training aims to support LGBTQ community

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 29

A new UNM program helps medical students transition from their preclinical to intensive clinical years, and will now include LGBTQ-specific training. This Friday, Safe Zone training will be added to the block, helping students support and respond to the LGBTQ community in a healthcare setting, said Dr. Cameron Crandall. This is part of the Health Sciences Center’s initiative to make curricular changes, many of which introduce LGBTQ-specific health topics. “Safe Zone training provides learners with the 'ABCs' of the LGBTQ community, particularly as it relates to the healthcare setting,” Crandall said. “Learners will understand the common barriers to good patient care that LGBTQ patients often experience. The students will learn how to be an ally to LGBTQ patients and how to advocate on their behalf.”

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National Briefs for March 30

Matthew Reisen | March 29

Michigan Allots $87 Million to Replace Flint’s Tainted Water Pipes According to a “New York Times” article, the State of Michigan has agreed to spend $87 million in a proposed settlement to replace thousands of lead pipes throughout Flint over the next three yearsー, the latest effort by state and city officials to fix the contaminated water system.

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Campus Briefs for March 29

Matthew Reisen | March 29

Russian language representatives coming to UNM to begin collaboration According to a UNM Newsroom press release, delegates from The Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language in Moscow will sign an agreement with UNM, which creates a teaching and research collaboration between the two organizations.  The event will be from 5 – 8 p.m. in the in the Reading Room of Ortega Hall, according to the press release.

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Abdallah discusses budget, immigration, free speech at packed town hall

Brendon Gray | March 29

Acting President Chaouki Abdallah drew a large crowd for his third community Town Hall Tuesday. Though there was standing room only, audience members were eager to pose questions to or hear responses on hot button issues from Abdallah. About 120 people came to the event. Topics varied from budget issues to immigration concerns and free speech debates during the Town Hall presentation.

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ASUNM Election: Brooks wants to be microphone for students

David Lynch | March 28

Junior economics major Noah Brooks never saw his ASUNM experience as a way to build a politically-centered resume. He simply wants to advocate for students in a way that is fair and comprehensive. That passion has now led him to be one of four candidates running for ASUNM president for the 2017-18 academic year. “Politics comes along with the connotation that there are different sides of the aisle,” Brooks said. “In student advocacy there is only one goal, and that is to make sure every student on campus is represented.”

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ASUNM Election: Cooper's platform focused on safety

Denicia Aragon | March 28

Justin Cooper’s passion for student government was sparked when he ran for and was voted student body president for Eldorado High School. His motivation for becoming a student leader? He wanted to break out of his shell by getting involved and making school “more than just going to class.” Born and raised in Albuquerque Cooper jumped right back into student government as soon as he began attending UNM. He started out by serving as legislative coordinator for ASUNM. His freshman year, he was elected to become a senator, and would go on to serve as vice chair and chair of the Finance Committee.

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ECHO program receives grant for cancer care

Nichole Harwood | March 26

The School of Medicine’s rural healthcare initiative, Project ECHO, received a $10 million dollar grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation as the program expands into the cancer field with the goal of bringing top-quality care to cancer patients living in rural and underserved areas within the U.S. and Africa. “We are very excited and grateful to have received this $10 million dollar grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to expand current efforts in cancer and to leverage the ECHO model to train other providers in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative care,” said Sarah Zalud-Cerrato, strategic support manager for ECHO.