News - The Daily Lobo

Kenneth Adams' 1939 mural sits in the West Wing of Zimmerman Library. The mural is one of four that has faced scrutiny for having racist undertones.

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Zimmerman Library murals have drawn ire for decades

Sara MacNeil | October 6

A white man, blonde hair and blue eyed, stands center frame. On either side of him, a Native American and Spaniard face the Anglo and extend a hand. The Anglo holds his hands out to them and, while his blue eyes are wide open, the Native and Spaniard eyes are closed as they face the Anglo rather than stare straight ahead. The image is one out of four frames that make up a controversial work of art in Zimmerman Library.

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Safety report shows a spike in reported crimes on campus

Johnny Vizcaino | October 5

A comprehensive report of crime statistics on UNM properties shows an increase in reported criminal activity on campus from 2013 to 2015. The report was compiled and published by UNMPD and the Office of Equal Opportunity’s Clery Act Compliance Office. Some of that increase can be explained by changes in Clery reporting standards over the past three years, said UNMPD Lieutenant Tim Stump and Clery Officer Robert Burford.

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Crime Briefs for Oct. 6

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 5

Crime Briefs for Oct. 6, 2016

Anne Gordon Fritz, left, and Kylie Reeves, center, set the table with voting registration forms on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2015 at Smith Plaza. New Mexico Public Interest Research Group went around campus to speak to students who were interested in registering to vote.

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Group working to help students with voter registration

Megan Nyce | October 5

As the deadline approaches, the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group is assisting UNM students with voter registration, in hopes of increasing turnout for this year’s presidential elections. NMPIRG is an organization that is working with the Associated Students of UNM, to help students have easier access to voting registration. “It is important to have resources like NMPIRG on campus, so that UNM could have that level of engagement to help students register to vote,” said Nathan Cowan, executive director of Governmental Affairs for ASUNM.

Angel Cortez smokes at one of the designated smoking areas on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 on UNM Main Campus. University administration plans to phase out all smoking areas on campus and begin fining smokers in fall 2017.

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UNM looks to make smokers put their money where their mouth is

Sarah Trujillo | October 5

UNM is preparing to transition to completely smoke and tobacco-free campuses by September 2017, and plan to levy large fines on those who do not abide by the policy. This includes the Health Sciences Center and the UNM Hospital areas of campus. Pamina Deutsch, University Policy and Administrative Planning director, said in order to implement the policy, UNMPD will be sanctioned to issue citations. “Fines for noncompliance are graduated and start at $100,” she said.

CrazyFool plays at Rude Boy Cookie on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. CrazyFool played at Rude Boy as a way to help promote local businesses that are being impacted by Albuquerque Rapid Transit construction.

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ART receives mixed signals as it promotes for local businesses during construction phase

Gabriela Garcia-Huff | October 5

The team behind the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project is introducing two new promotional programs designed to increase traffic to local businesses affected by the ongoing construction along Central Avenue. Jamie Dickerman, spokesperson for ART, said the purpose of these programs is to encourage people to continue to visit businesses along Central, and to celebrate the rich history of the Route 66 corridor in the process.

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Brief: Multi-million-dollar award given to UNM Center for Quantum Information and Control

Matthew Reisen | October 4

According to a University press release, UNM’s Center for Quantum Information and Control is getting a multi-million-dollar grant, which will allow UNM to stay at the forefront in the field of quantum information science. Quantum information science is the innovative field of being able to manipulate and control individual atoms and other microscopic systems to do jobs in communications, sensing and computation, according to the release. The release states the $2.2 million, five-year award from the National Science Foundation makes CQuIC a “Focused Research Hub in Theoretical Physics,” one of just two in the United States.

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Brief: Research connects parental behavior to adolescent sleep and cognitive function

Matthew Reisen | October 4

According to a University release, one UNM professor claims arguing parents can disrupt the development of children. College of Education Family Studies Professor Ryan Kelly found that, while Americans spend around $7 billion annually on supplemental education, if parents can’t get along with each other, “then all this conditioning is moot.” According to the release, Kelly’s research looks at many of the issues that affect marriage, such as finances, problem drinking, mental health problems and the physical relationship had between each other, and their children.

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Brief: Higher Learning Commission liaison to UNM visits campus

Matthew Reisen | October 4

According to a UNM press release, Sunil Ahuja, vice president for accreditation relations with the Higher Learning Commission — UNM’s accreditor since 1922 — is visiting Main Campus this week. Ahuja’s visit comes as UNM prepares for its next site visit in the 2018-19 academic year, according to the release, and several committees have been collecting evidence and crafting a report over the past two years — called an “assurance argument” — which will be completed prior to the site visit.

Umeda Ibratshoeva attends the welcoming meeting of the Bridges to Tajikistan event. This group of delegates will be in Albuquerque for a week touring UNM Main Campus and the city, learning things related to engaging contemporary youth.

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UNM, international visitors to engage in how to engage youth

Denicia Aragon | October 4

Delegates from the other side of the world got a taste of democracy, U.S. education and the Southwest, thanks to a local organization. Bridge to Tajikistan invited six delegates from Tajikistan, participating in the Open World Program, to visit Albuquerque this week to examine “Accountable Governance — Engaging Youth In Civil Society.” The six delegates chosen for the trip were selected by the U.S Embassy in Tajikistan in respect of the theme of the visit “Engaging Youth in Civil Society.”

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Relationships between students and teachers helpful...to a point

Jonathan Natvig | October 4

UNM policy draws a hard line on inter-office romance — leaving the topic of student-faculty friendship a bit more ambiguous. Some feel that engaging with students outside the classroom can have possible educational benefits, but these benefits are situational and some relationships have to be monitored by UNM. Pamina Deutsch, director of the UNM Policy Office, said there is no policy regarding faculty having lunch, dinner or a beer with students, but some departments have developed their own regulations.

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BREAKING: NM legislature considering cuts to original UNM budget for FY 17

Daily Lobo Staff | October 4

New Mexico higher education institutions, including UNM, might face another reduction in budget following the introduction of Senate Bill 9 at the ongoing special legislative sessions held to address the state’s budget crisis. The bill proposes a 5 percent cut in General Fund appropriations for colleges across the state. That amounts to an extra $9.5 million being cut from UNM’s budget, reducing the original amount of $190,700,000 passed in the spring to about $181,200,000.

Tanveer Kalo, right, and Halley Choy, left, walk with McNair advisor Aloe Sarhanis on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 at UNM Main Campus.

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Program seeks to give low income students a boost to graduate school success

Johnny Vizcaino | October 3

The McNair Scholars Program is a federally-funded student’s guide to graduate school admission, which serves in helping low-income, first-generation or underrepresented college students attain doctorate degrees at 151 institutions nationwide. An on-campus research conference was held last week in the SUB, where McNair scholars from 18 universities across the country presented their findings from a year’s worth of research.

Jared Price holds up the home screen to a therapy app called Talkspace which allows users to communicate with therapists. Price is a member of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega which partnered up with Talkspace to provide its members with a free trial period.

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Fraternity introduces free therapy for Greek members

Cathy Cook | October 3

Alpha Tau Omega has rolled out a partnership with the talk therapy app Talkspace that gives their members free access to the app for three months. Talkspace is an app that pairs licensed therapists with customers who want access to talk therapy through instant messaging. “The consultation therapist will match you with a licensed therapist that’s in your state and you have 24/7 access to your therapist, so it’s like walking around with a therapist in your pocket,” said Amara Saputo, Talkspace’s publicist.

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Students have mixed reactions to Facebook's impending arrival to Los Lunas

Nichole Harwood | October 3

Facebook has decided to open its new data center in Los Lunas, New Mexico, bringing hundreds of jobs to the state. Facebook spokesperson Lindsay Amos said Facebook will break ground on construction in October. The first phase will be 520,000 square feet for Building One, and Facebook is expected to serve traffic by late 2018, she said.

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UNM students have less money for printing at campus libraries

Sarah Trujillo | October 3

College can be often be a fast-paced and distracting experience, leaving some Lobos to miss or disregard changes to resources that may affect their education. For instance, some may not have even noticed the 50 percent decrease in printing funds available to students on their Lobo IDs, which went into effect in the spring. The change, which went into effect in January, cut the amount of printing money allotted to students from $10 to $5.

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Fundraisers walk to end ALS

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 3

When Gene Pino was diagnosed with terminal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis five years ago, he was devastated. Pino experienced grief and denial as his family began to assist him. Eventually, his son moved back home, and his wife retired early from Albuquerque Public Schools to help ease the process. Pino said he deals with anxiety and stress each day. He is not alone.

Tina Cordova, middle, talks to UNM students about being a Tularosa "downwinder" on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at the Trinity Site. Eileen Shaughnessy, left, took her sustainability class, Nuclear New Mexico, to visit the historical site.

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Group demands reparations for impacts of nuclear testing

Jonathan Natvig | October 3

New Mexican protesters assembled at Trinity Site on Saturday to demand reparations for health issues caused by U.S nuclear testing. The Trinity Site, located in the Tularosa Basin, is home to the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in history.

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Monday on the Street: Government leaders and social media

Matthew Reisen | October 2

How can social media benefit government officials, as far as transparency and accessibility, for the general population?

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Experts conduct review of police oversight committees

Nikole Mckibben | October 2

A panel of experts conducted a review on the effectiveness of law enforcement civilian oversight, presenting their findings at the 22nd National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement conference in Albuquerque. “Police oversight has gained substantial attention. It helps to promote democratic and respectful policing,” said Joseph De Angelis, an assistant professor of criminology and sociology at the University of Idaho.