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UNM helps absorb students left in the wind by ITT Tech

Sara MacNeil | September 27

On Sept. 6, ITT Technical Institute closed its 138 campuses in 39 states after the U.S. Department of Education found that ITT wasn’t in compliance with accreditation standards, leaving its many students with unfinished degrees. UNM is one of the higher education institutions in the state that will be accepting transfer credits from ITT Tech students as an option for them to continue their education in Albuquerque.

Zach Gallegos trains in his home gym Feb. 20, 2015. Gallegos has made it to the top 100 candidates for the Mars One expedition.

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Mars One candidate makes another cut

Nikole Mckibben | September 26

Zach Gallegos has had a love for geology and outer space since he was a child, and thanks to a lifetime of hard work, his dream of becoming an astronaut might become a reality. He is currently one of the top 100 candidates, out of an initial pool of 200,000, to take a one-way trip to the Red Planet, with the goal of studying its geological history and helping humans to someday become an interplanetary species. 16 total will make the trip to Mars; four every two years. “I have a personal interest of being an explorer, traveling to new places and seeing new things,” Gallegos said. “Going to Mars is the ultimate exploration, pushing the frontier.”

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Former UNM students, football players now suing UNMPD

Matthew Reisen | September 26

The attorney for the three men who were accused of sexually assaulting a former UNM student in 2014 before charges were dropped, has filed a second lawsuit, this time against specific UNMPD officers, accusing them of civil rights violations during the original investigation. Earlier this year, the three men filed a lawsuit against the University saying its investigation of the 2014 allegations was flawed.

John Fleck discusses water issues and the importance of water conservation Saturday Sept. 24, 2016 at the Rio Grande River near the Paseo del Bosque Trail. Fleck released a book entitled, "Water is for Fighting Over: and Other Myths about Water in the West" on September 1.

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Q & A: Writer discusses why we shouldn't fight over water

September 26

As the effects of climate change continue to manifest themselves in the early 21st century, effective water management and conservation should be among our top priorities, said former journalist and UNM Water Resources Program Director John Fleck. The Daily Lobo discussed the ongoing issue of water conservation with Fleck in the wake of his recently published book, “Water is for Fighting Over, and Other Myths about Water in the West."

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Title IX policy blurs line for UNM faculty on how to both protect students and keep their trust

Cathy Cook | September 26

There has been widespread debate on campus this year about a year-old UNM policy that makes all faculty and staff mandatory reporters of Title IX violations. UNM Title IX Coordinator Heather Cowan said the policy, which was installed in May of 2015, requires all faculty and staff to report any Title IX violations they are told about, unless the violation is part of a class discussion or comes up in academic work.

Lockers wait to be used in Johnson Center on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2016. There has been an uptick in locker theft in the rec center in recent weeks.

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Theft on the rise in Johnson Gym

Elizabeth Sanchez | September 26

Over the past two weeks, more people than usual have returned to their lockers at Johnson Center only to find their valuables gone, said Jim Todd, director of Recreational Services and Johnson Center, in a statement last week. After becoming aware of four locker break-ins in the student men’s locker room of the rec center, the gym increased locker room patrols by students and professional staff, Todd said.

News

Monday on the Street: Character vs art

Matthew Reisen | September 26

Should a person’s work be judged by their character?

Black Lives Matter protesters on Central Ave on September 22nd 2

News

BLM protesters take to Central Avenue

Jonathan Baca | September 26

On Thursday evening, students and activists protesting racism and police brutality flooded into the intersection of Central Ave and Cornell Drive, carrying signs and banners and blocking traffic for nearly 10 minutes. The protest was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation of New Mexico, and included members of the UNM Kiva Club, the Red Nation and Black Lives Matter.

Allie Sipe, a Southern Oregon University, demonstrates some of her work for Scribendi this fall. Sipe is the first non-UNM student who was chosen to work on the magazine’s staff in its 30-year history.

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Historic moment for student publication

Elizabeth Sanchez | September 26

For the first time, a non-UNM student has become a part of Scribendi, the annual literary and arts magazine produced by the UNM Honors College. As part of the Western Regional Honors Council National Student Exchange, Southern Oregon University student Allie Sipe is the magazine’s first visiting staff member.

A packet with the seal of New Mexico, was given out to attendees of the governor's Second Annual Higher Education Summit on Friday, Sept. 23, 206 at the Embassy Suites.

News

Gov. Martinez unveils "Route to 66" Plan

Johnny Vizcaino | September 26

Governor Susana Martinez on Friday unveiled a new long-term plan which envisions 66 percent of working-age New Mexicans having college degrees by 2030. The curtain on the initiative, coined “Route to 66,” was pulled back during Martinez’s 2nd Annual Higher Education Summit on Friday at Embassy Suites. The idea was conceived at a meeting between the governor’s office and higher-ed stakeholders last month, she said.

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Wolf Tracks Ep. 1: Freshman Living Requirement

Daily Lobo Staff | September 23

The Daily Lobo will soon provide episodes of its new Wolf Tracks podcast via the iTunes Store. For now, you can check out the very first episode of the podcast here, where Managing Editor Jonathan Baca and Editor-in-Chief David Lynch go in-depth into the new freshman living requirement that was recently passed by the UNM Board of Regents.

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UNM president to give up seat after contract expires next May

Daily Lobo Staff | September 23

UNM President Bob Frank will not seek a second term with the University after his contract expires on May 31, 2017, he announced on Tuesday afternoon via a University press release. Frank, the 21st president of the University, has been with UNM since 2012.

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UNM administration discusses budget situation in town hall

Nikole Mckibben | September 23

In a town hall session on Thursday, UNM President Bob Frank said the decision budgets cuts and the recent decision to implement a hiring freeze will help cover the University’s shortages in the next fiscal year. Main Campus will remain on a hiring freeze for six months and closely evaluate the need for all vacant noncritical positions within the university, Frank said in a recent University-wide e-mail.

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Uber to provide a lift for Lobo sports fans

Nichole Harwood | September 23

UNM Athletics is partnering with the ride service Uber to safely transport students to and from games. “We believe this provides another alternative for students to attend the game and get home safely. It is convenient in that no parking pass is needed — the drop off/pick up is just north of University Stadium,” Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Brad Hutchins said.

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UNM students help pave the path to freedom for Guantanamo inmate

Cathy Cook | September 23

Four UNM students helped a pair of local lawyers secure a release recommendation for a Guantanamo Bay detainee, getting some work in for class in the process. Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was detained in 2002 for his alleged association with al-Qaeda in the early ‘90s, authored the bestselling memoir “Guantanamo Diary.” Despite his almost 14-year detainment, he was never charged.

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UNMPD's hiring process less stringent than APD's

Sara MacNeil | September 22

Despite the alleged misconduct by officers during a 2014 UNMPD sexual assault investigation, UNMPD Lieutenant Timothy Stump said there are still a lot of good officers working for the department. Stump said that although the department’s contact info is on the back of every student’s Lobo ID card, many are not aware of what the UNM police department does.

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UNM group informs NM teens of opioid dangers

Sara MacNeil | September 22

The same week President Barack Obama proclaimed National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Awareness Week, the Daily Lobo confirmed with UNMPD that a student overdosed on fentanyl — a potent synthetic opioid pain medication — in University dorms on June 16. UNMPD Lieutenant Timothy Stump said the overdose resulted in death for the student, and investigators are still working on the case.

A parking citation sits placed on a vehicle at the yale structure on UNM Main Campus Wednesday Sept. 21, 2016. The UNM Bursar's office and the Parking and Transportation office can threaten to disenroll students that have outstanding parking violations, even if family member are at fault.

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UNM can threaten disenrollment for students with outstanding parking fines

Nichole Harwood | September 22

Students are apparently responsible for parking citations made by roommates and family members they share their home with — a lesson learned the hard way by UNM student Mark Davis, who was threatened with disenrollment for outstanding tickets. Davis and his family had fallen victim to a UNM Parking policy that states students must take the hit and be held responsible for multiple tickets that they themselves did not receive.

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Crime Briefs for Sept. 22

Elizabeth Sanchez | September 22

Crime Briefs for Sept. 22, 2016.

Attendees of a UNM seal forum listen and watch slides about pre-existing seals. This forum took on a different approach by splitting up attendees into small discussion groups.

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UNM utilizes in-house talent and a format change to break the seal

Cathy Cook | September 22

In response to calls for UNM to remove offensive elements from the University’s official seal — which some say is offensive to the history of indigenous peoples — UNM art students are drafting potential new designs, which hasn’t been changed in 50 years. The current seal has been under review for months, after several Native American student groups alleged that it was racist.