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UNM Board of Regents votes to amend free speech policies

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 20

During a governance committee meeting on Dec. 5, 2024, members of the University of New Mexico Board of Regents passed amendments to UNM’s free speech policies, which will allow groups to rent spaces at UNM regardless of the nature of their speech. Robert Schwartz and Paula Tackett, the committee meeting’s two Regent attendees, voted on amendments to the Regents' Policy Manual Section 2.1: Free Expression and Advocacy, Section 2.2: Speakers from Off Campus and Section 2.8: Visitors to the University. The amendments went into effect Dec. 19.

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Anti-algorithmic discrimination bill introduced to New Mexico Legislature

Addison Fulton | January 20

Ahead of the 2025 New Mexico legislative session, Rep. Christine Chandler (D) sponsored House Bill 60, the Artificial Intelligence Act, which seeks to mitigate algorithmic discrimination. Algorithmic discrimination is any condition in which the use of an artificial intelligence system results in unlawful differential treatment of a person based on their ethnicity, gender, disability and other groups legally protected from discrimination, according to the bill. The legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 21 and ends March 22. Examples of algorithmic discrimination have been found in algorithms like COMPAS, or Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions, which is meant to calculate the odds that a defendant will reoffend. COMPAS flagged almost twice as many false positives for Black people than white people, according to a 2016 ProPublica investigation.

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New Mexico legislative session begins

Addison Fulton | January 20

The 2025 New Mexico legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 21 and ends March 22. This session marks New Mexico’s 57th legislative session. Legislative sessions occur in New Mexico annually. Sessions last 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered years. During legislative sessions, New Mexico lawmakers meet to discuss and rule on various proposed bills. In order for a bill to make it to the docket, it must be sponsored by a member of Congress, then referred to and discussed by a committee. Each piece of legislation is typically referred to two or three committees, according to the State Legislature handbook.

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How the Trump presidency might affect UNM

Dylan Anthony | January 20

In October 2023, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would close the Department of Education during his administration. It is unlikely that this idea will gain traction, according to NPR. The DOE provides funding for public schools and higher education. It also awards funding, such as federal Pell Grants, to undergraduate students with financial need, according to the DOE. Any defunding of the DOE could result in changes for New Mexican education through less federal funding and less oversight of educational systems, according to Bailey Rutherford, senate president pro tempore of the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico.

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City Council passes resolution to prohibit overnight camping in public spaces

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 13

Last month, the Albuquerque City Council voted to pass ordinances O-24-56 and O-24-58, which prohibit camping in tents or any other structure intended for spending the night in parks and public spaces. During a city council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024, O-24-56 passed on a 6-3 vote and O-24-58 passed on a 5-4 vote. Some public commenters expressed concerns about how the ordinances would impact Albuquerque’s unhoused population. Both bills were sponsored by city councilor Renée Grout, who represents District 9. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller did not sign either bill but did not exercise his veto power, meaning both bills went into effect.

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Outgoing regent pushes for neutral position on divestment from Israel

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 13

On Dec. 19, after public comment during the final University of New Mexico Board of Regents meeting of 2024, Robert Schwartz became the first regent to formally speak publicly about University divestment from Israel. Students, faculty members and community members in support of Palestine have been speaking about the topic at Regents meetings since February. The agenda for the Dec. 19 Regents meeting initially listed “Consideration of Administration Analysis of Recommendations Regarding Divestment from Israel and Certain Companies” as an action item, but it was later removed, according to an email from the Board of Regents’ office provided to the Daily Lobo. During the meeting, Schwartz said that the decision to remove divestment from the agenda was “cowardly,” and that UNM should take a neutral position regarding divestment.

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100 years of Jimmy Carter

Elizabeth Bolke | January 13

On Dec. 29, 2024, former President Jimmy Carter died in Plains, Georgia in the home that he shared with his wife Rosalynn Carter. During Carter’s 100 years of life, he impacted the United States with his political and nonprofit work. Carter was the 39th president of the U.S., serving from 1977-81. In 1979, Carter established the U.S. Department of Education with the purpose of strengthening the federal commitment to ensuring equal access to education, improving education quality and making federal education programs more accountable to the president, Congress and the public, according to the ED.

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About 85 students in Coronado Hall to be relocated for spring 2025

Maria Fernandez and Elizabeth Secor | December 11

By Dec. 14, about 85 students in the 200 wings of Coronado Hall will be relocated for the entirety of the spring 2025 semester due to construction to update the bathrooms on each floor to a pod-style layout, according to an email from University of New Mexico Resident Life and Student Housing. Once the construction project’s timeline was confirmed, RLSH provided Coronado Hall residents who had to relocate “as much advance notice as possible,” according to Megan Chibanga, director of Resident Life and Student Housing at UNM.

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UNM Palestine solidarity encampment protesters reflect after final dismissed charges

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | December 11

Last month, the final criminal charges were dismissed against protesters who were arrested during the April occupation of the University of New Mexico Student Union Building in support of Palestine. Months after the event, protesters are reflecting on its impact. UNM alum and community organizer Siihasin Hope was the only protester who had damages attached to their criminal trespass charge. Hope’s attorney’s office confirmed via email on Nov. 13 that all their charges were dismissed with prejudice.

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UNM Bookstore to begin charging flat rate for textbooks

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | December 11

Starting in the fall 2025 semester, the University of New Mexico Bookstore will implement a model that will charge undergraduate students the same flat rate for all textbooks, regardless of degree type or the number of credits they are taking. According to a UNM Bookstore proposal presentation shared with the Daily Lobo, all students will be automatically opted into the new textbook model — called the Equitable Access model — but can choose to opt out.

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New Mexico certifies election results

Shin Thant Hlaing | December 11

On Nov. 27, the results of the 2024 election were certified in New Mexico, according to Source New Mexico. Below is a look at the final results for various races. Presidential Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris won New Mexico's five electoral votes. She surpassed Republican President-elect Donald Trump with 52% of the votes, or about 55,000 more votes — a 6% lead over Trump, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State website.

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UNM researchers explore efficient synchronization

Arly Garcia | December 10

Biology and technology converged in research published in October by a team in the University of New Mexico’s mechanical engineering department. Researchers found potential pathways for technological systems to increase efficiency. UNM Professor Francesco Sorrentino and doctoral student Amir Nazerian partnered with researchers at the United States Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Genoa to investigate synchronization efficiency. Synchronization is the process of coordinating multiple parts to operate in unison or in sequence. Something is efficient when it achieves the desired result without wasting resources. Living systems naturally optimize efficiency, Sorrentino said.

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Family of Matthew ‘Solo’ Garcia speaks at city council meeting

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | December 9

During an Albuquerque City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 2, the family of Matthew “Solo” Garcia was joined by community members and activists to request accountability from the Albuquerque Police Department after officers fatally shot Garcia while he was handcuffed in the back of a police car during a code enforcement on Oct. 18. About two weeks before the meeting, Albuquerque Police Department Commander Kyle Hartsock revealed in a public briefing the names of the two officers who shot Matthew Garcia: Precious Cadena and Zachary Earles. A total of 11 shots were fired, 10 of which struck Garcia, Hartsock said during the briefing.

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Four UNM Departments to host departmental convocations

Nate Bernard | December 9

Throughout the week of Monday, Dec. 9, graduating students at the University of New Mexico will celebrate their accomplishments. About 1,600 students from the Albuquerque campus will receive their degrees, according to UNM Newsroom. In addition to the main commencement ceremonies held on Thursday, Dec. 12 and Friday, Dec. 13 at The Pit, some UNM departments are holding convocation ceremonies for their graduating students. Convocations are generally smaller and give departments the opportunity to celebrate graduates in a more personal atmosphere, according to the UNM Departmental Convocations website.

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Western New Mexico wolf sanctuary fundraises to absorb Colorado sanctuary

Maria Fernandez | December 9

Hidden among the grassy hills of western New Mexico in a community called Candy Kitchen is the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, a nonprofit that houses wolves, wolfdogs, New Guinea singing dogs, foxes and coyotes. Founded in 1991 as The Candy Kitchen Wolf and Wolfdog Rescue Ranch, Wild Spirit is now in the process of absorbing the Indigo Mountain Nature Center, a nonprofit wolf and wildlife sanctuary based in Lake George, Colorado. Wild Spirit has grown to become one of the largest canid sanctuaries in North America, according to Executive Director Brittany McDonald. It provides sanctuary for animals from across the country and uses their stories to educate the public, McDonald wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.

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United Graduate Workers petition for chosen name recognition and neutral gender markers

Marcela Johnson | December 6

The University of New Mexico United Graduate Workers launched a petition on Nov. 20 that calls for UNM to update systems to accurately reflect chosen names and gender markers for their users. According to the petition, components of the University system, including email accounts and the course registration website, are denying the ability for transgender students and workers to use their preferred name. This contradicts UNM’s Policy 2720, which prohibits discrimination based on gender and gender identity, the petition reads.

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‘I was number 11 of the people that were bayoneted’

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | July 22

On May 8, 1970, 11 individuals at the University of New Mexico were injured by National Guard members armed with bayonets during a Vietnam War protest. One of these individuals was Daily Lobo photographer and reporter Stephen Part, who was stabbed with a bayonet in his back as he leaned over to help a fellow student. Now a retired history and government teacher, Part said he was carrying his press badge and wearing a helmet labeled “press” when he was stabbed. “I felt something like pressure — it wasn't immediate pain. I stood up and my belt slid up over the puncture … I put my hand back there and there was blood,” Part said.

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Mayling Armijo interview

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | October 13

How does your experience and resume qualify you to lead the city of Albuquerque? “I did 12 years in local government and three years at the state, so I understand how every component of local government works, and I've managed large budgets in the Navy and large battalions. I've been in austere environments ...

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UNMH joins nationwide trauma care study

Arly Garcia | November 27

Earlier this year, the University of New Mexico Hospital partnered with a national research network to conduct a trial on changing the timeline by which two chemicals are administered in trauma care. Calcium and vasopressin are used as a standard part of patient care, but the “CAlcium and VAsopressin following Injury Early Resuscitation” — or CAVALIER — study is investigating whether giving them to patients earlier in the care timeline will improve survival rates. The chemicals are commonly used for patients who have lost a lot of blood, according to the Linking Investigations in Trauma and Emergency Services — or LITES — Network.

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UNM mandates new cybersecurity training for all employees

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | November 27

On Oct. 14, the University of New Mexico announced that it would require new annual cybersecurity training for all University employees. The training, which is called “Securing the Human,” covers basic cybersecurity principles. Through the course, employees learn how to identify phishing attacks, the importance of password security, and which steps to take if there is suspicion of a threat. The training is one of four mandatory training courses for UNM employees this year. The other courses teach basic and emergency safety procedures, as well as steps to take to prevent harassment, according to UNM Newsroom.