News - The Daily Lobo

News

What UNM can expect in 2017 from the DOJ investigation

Shelby Perea | February 5

The terms “Title IX” and “Department of Justice” have circulated the University of New Mexico’s classrooms, boardrooms and offices since the DOJ first began to investigate the University for its handling of sexual assault and sexual violence cases. That investigation has brought changes to policy and procedure. In October of last year, UNM announced they had reached a “formal three-year agreement” with the DOJ. Part of that agreement also outlined expectations for 2017-2018.

Professor Sherri L. Burr sits in her office on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. Burr will be speaking at a Lawyers Without Rights event, which will take place this upcoming Tuesday, Feb. 7.

News

Q and A: Legal discrimination then and now

Elizabeth Sanchez | February 5

The UNM Law School will host an exhibition, “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich,” from Tuesday, Feb. 7 through Friday, Mar. 11. Dickason Chair and Regents’ Professor of Law Sherri Burr will be giving a presentation on opening night on the correlations between Jewish, black and current history. She sat down with The Daily Lobo to discuss her role in the event and why subjects like these should be examined.

News

Monday on the Street: Hollywood and politics

Matthew Reisen | February 5

Should Hollywood and politics mix?

UNMPD has seen a spike in car thefts around the UNM Area for the year of 2016. From 2015 to 2016, car thefts have nearly doubled.

News

Campus car thefts on the rise

Gabriella Rivera | February 5

Car thefts have been on the rise, both around the city and on campus. According to Lieutenant Timothy Stump of UNMPD, car thefts on campus have nearly doubled from 64 car thefts in 2015 to 124 in 2016. Albuquerque as a whole now has the highest auto theft rate of any city in the country, according to Yahoo Finance, with about 677 auto thefts per 100,000 people. “It is a big epidemic,” Stump said. “It’s one of our main concerns right now, it’s been mine for a while. We have to determine what we can try to do to deter this. All year long we're making these assessments and trying to figure out how to combat this.” Stump also said the thefts are sporadic, with no specific areas on campus being targeted. In addition, it is difficult to identify the crime because of how quickly thieves can break in.

Felipe Rodriguez, Field Coordinator of the NM Dream Team and undergraduate senior student studying psychology at UNM, instructs Dream Team members in organizing strategies under a Trump administration. Rodriguez says that having a sanctuary campus at UNM is a necessity given the changing political climate.

News

How will "sanctuary campuses" fare under Trump?

Brendon Gray | February 5

Capping off his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order placing federal funding for sanctuary cities into question. The order pits sanctuary jurisdictions against White House administration, and it raises the question: What is a sanctuary city, and what consequences will campuses that adopt sanctuary status face? Santa Fe, a longstanding sanctuary for immigrants, now faces losing millions in federal funding. The executive order, signed into law on Jan. 25, stated that jurisdictions unwilling “to comply with applicable federal law” will not receive federal funds.

News

As Black History Month begins, potential for UNM Africana Studies on the rise

Sarah Trujillo | February 5

With the start of Black History Month, the UNM Africana Studies program is blooming with opportunities and growing in response to the political climate change occurring across the nation. Jamal Martin, a professor in the program, said changes at the local, state, national and global level directly affect the differences, similarities and challenges that lie ahead ahead for Africana Studies. “Undoubtedly, these public policy decisions concern behavioral economics and unfair resource allocation,” Martin said. “These decisions also correlate with national trends on educational policy, as well as curriculum development and its impact on essential learning objectives for the 21st century.”

News

Over 200 sign letter asking administration to reinstate security fee for Yiannopoulos event

David Lynch | February 3

Milo Yiannapoulos has come and gone from UNM campus, but some members of the University community aren't shying away from pressuring administrators to reinstate a previously suspended security fee to the hosting group, UNM College Republicans, alleging that UNM gives "preferential treatment...to guests who engage in racist hate speech. The concerns were raised to UNM administrators in the form of a letter, signed by over 200 students, staff and faculty, as well as student groups such as KIVA Club and MEChA.

Graduate Student Kayla Street arranges her hijab in front of a mirror at Albuquerque World Hijab Day. The event encouraged women to try on a hijab for the day, as well as ask questions about Islam.

News

Heartwarming and hair-raising: What it's like to wear a hijab

Celia Raney | February 2

I have walked home from campus 92 times since enrolling at UNM. Only once was I so hyper-aware of my appearance that I held tight to the pepper spray on my keychain. Oh, I forgot to mention: It was also the first time I tried on a hijab. In honor of World Hijab Day, a group of Muslim women gathered outside the UNM Bookstore late Wednesday afternoon. The event was organized by Power Through Peace and the UNM Muslim Student Association, with help from local activist Shakir Farid Abdullah. Abdullah also assisted in the organization of the march against President Donald Trump’s so called “Muslim Ban” at the Albuquerque International Sunport last Sunday.

News

Webinar provides the facts for undocumented students under a Trump presidency

February 2

The UNM Division for Equity and Inclusion hosted a webinar this week exploring the potential repercussions facing the undocumented population in the midst of a transforming national political landscape. from Paper Clip Communications regarding “Undocumented Students: The New Administration & What It means for this special population” “There is no clue as to what the administration will do in regards to students who are undocumented, families are living in a great state of fear,” said Tatyana Kleyn, an associate professor at The City College of New York, as well as faculty advisor for the college’s Dream Team.

Mason jars fill with dry ice, water bubbles and steam while professor Mel Strong teaches students how clouds form and how to implement it into their science experiments on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017.

News

Natural Sciences Program on the chopping block

Cathy Cook | February 1

On Tuesday morning, 18 students in the Natural Sciences Program sat with jars of water, ice and matches in front of them. They were going to make clouds. The matches were lit, dropped in the water and the ice bag placed on top. When the students lifted their bags, small clouds drifted out. The Natural Sciences Program is designed to teach science concepts to future teachers, with demonstrations that can be used in elementary school classes, covering topics from weather patterns to physics. Soon, just like those miniature clouds, the program will disappear.

News

ART project causing delays for students

Brendon Gray | February 1

As Central construction chugs along, many student shuttle riders are still having to set their alarms a few minutes ahead. The Albuquerque Rapid Transit project began in the fall of 2016, and aims to decrease commute times by increasing foot traffic and modernizing Albuquerque’s public transit system. In the meantime, students who ride the shuttle are heading out the door earlier to make it to class. Alyssa Aragon, a freshman business major, takes the shuttle every day to and from Lobo Village. “I might not see a regular shuttle service until my junior year. It’s just kind of frustrating,” she said. During the peak of construction last semester, she noted the shuttle had to change its route which caused “at least” a five minute delay in the commute.

News

Crime Briefs for Feb. 2

Elizabeth Sanchez | February 1

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Marijuana at Cornell Parking Structure On the early morning of Jan. 29, an officer was on patrol at the Cornell Parking Structure when he noticed a red vehicle on the rooftop, parked alone with the engine on, according to a report. The officer approached the driver’s side to conduct a welfare check of the vehicle’s occupants when he saw the driver holding marijuana in his hand. An 18-inch glass water pipe was also in plain view on the center console. Two juveniles were in the vehicle with the driver.

Police officers in riot gear stand in front of Smith Plaza on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 at UNM Main Campus.

News

Security fee policy under review due to free speech concerns

David Lynch | February 1

Just two days before controversial speaker Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to visit campus last week, University officials suspended a $3,400 security fee that the hosting group, College Republicans, were told they would have to pay. That decision, according to acting UNM President Chaouki Abdallah, was born out of a desire by UNM regents to take a look at the portion of University policy pertaining to security services, specifically in connection to free speech events. Now that policy is officially under review, but officials say there is no timeline for when the process may be completed. However, Policy Office Director Pamina Deutsch says any recommended changes submitted by University Counsel will be shared with the UNM community in order to be transparent.

Deena Aggad pulls out fresh olives for a customer Wednesday afternoon at her family's market Cafe Istanbul. The Aggads are a Palestinian-Muslim family, one of many in the community attempting to acclimate to the current political climate.

News

Trump's travel ban affecting over 100 UNM students with visas

Nichole Harwood | February 1

UNM students with visas — who are currently citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen — will be directly affected by the recent executive order signed by the Trump administration that temporarily bans all travel from these seven nations. Linda Melville, director for International Student & Scholar Services with the UNM Global Education Office, said there are 110 foreign students from these countries currently studying at UNM. Both students who were directly affected and those who stand to experience visa delays were contacted directly on Sunday through email, while a message was also posted on the GEO spotlight main webpage, Melville said. The GEO office is planning an information session specifically for students from the seven affected countries this Friday, Feb. 3 with details being sent directly to students through email, she said.

News

Homeless camp found under campus

Elizabeth Sanchez | February 1

Last month, UNMPD and the Physical Plant Department discovered that at least one homeless individual had been living in the tunnel system below Northrop Hall, according to a UNMPD report. It was apparent that multiple homeless people had entered and exited the tunnel system. Clothing, trash bags, partially eaten food, empty water bottles, empty suitcases and other property that did not belong to the tunnel utility area lined the tunnel walls. A living area with chairs, a space heater, a hammock system attached to piping, bedding and other personal property that did not belong to the area was placed near a few steam pipes toward the end of the system, according to the report.

News

Once scheduled for September finish, memorial courtyard set for June unveiling

Brendon Gray | February 1

Even after months of construction, orange fencing blocks off the grass in front of Hodgins Hall. The Karen Abraham Memorial Courtyard, named after the esteemed UNM alumna who served UNM for 45 years, carried symbolic importance for the University and its the Alumni Association. Construction was initially planned to be completed in September. Now, dedication is planned for early June. UNM regents placed construction on hold after expense miscommunications between the Alumni Association and the Board of Regents surfaced. According to documents from a Board of Regents finance committee meeting, the price of the project rocketed from $50,000 to nearly $400,000.

A UNM banner hangs in the rotunda of the New Mexico State Capitol during UNM Day in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. Members of nearly 30 UNM community organizations showcased their work to New Mexico state representatives and patrons of the state capitol building.

News

Students travel to Santa Fe for UNM Day

Gabriela Garcia-Huff | January 31

Monday marked UNM’s annual excursion to the New Mexico Capitol as part of its recognition and celebration of the state’s flagship university, while also advocating for issues pertinent to the University community.

Members of nearly 30 UNM community organizations showcased their work to New Mexico state representatives and patrons of the state capitol building, on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

News

Why University departments and groups attended UNM Day

Matthew Reisen | January 31

UNM Day at the state capital found many student departments and organizations making the trip to Santa Fe to advocate for University issues. The Daily Lobo visited Santa Fe to check in with several organizations present, and ask why they thought it was important to be present at the Roundhouse.

Light shines on protestors gathering on Yale Boulevard before making their way to the Albuquerque International Sunport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. Demonstrators came together in a national movement against President Donald Trump's executive order banning immigration from several countries.

News

Burqueños march at Sunport in opposition to 'Muslim Ban'

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | January 31

More than 1,000 demonstrators marched from the corner of Yale Boulevard and Renard Place to the Albuquerque International Sunport on Sunday afternoon, in a show of solidarity for immigrant citizens following President Donald Trump’s Executive orders restricting entrance to the United States from several countries. Co-hosted by the Islamic Center of New Mexico and Showing Up for Radical Justice Albuquerque, the event came together in about 12 hours, joining a wave of similar demonstrations nationwide. Shakir Farid Abdullah, an activist who helped organize the march, led most of the chants and invited anyone in the crowd to make their voices heard.

Andrea Plaza, executive director of Encuentro — a non profit that provides Latino immigrant families with educational opportunities — works to finalize a grant proposal on deadline. Plaza says that funding institutions seek clarity above all else, so the writing needs to be clear and concise.

News

Grant workshop benefits local nonprofits

Elizabeth Sanchez | January 30

Starting March 6, the UNM Foundation will host a Grantsmanship Training Program Senior, an initiative aimed at working professionals in the nonprofit arena. “This workshop provides participants with high-quality, hands-on training in how to identify and secure grant funding for their work,” said Betsy Till, the senior director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the UNM Foundation. Till said that after applying on a first-come, first-serve basis, participants will receive instructions from a trainer as well as engage in hands-on activities, group work and a collaborative writing and critique of a short grant proposal.