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Seven arrested as police dismantle UNM Palestine solidarity encampment

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | May 16

On the morning of Wednesday, May 15, University of New Mexico police arrested seven people – two of them students – while dismantling the UNM Palestine solidarity encampment at the Duck Pond. New Mexico State Police dressed in riot gear participated. The arrests followed a University-wide email from President Garnett Stokes on Tuesday, May 14, demanding the encampment be taken down by 5 p.m. that day. At 5 a.m. on May 15, UNM staff delivered notices signed by Stokes to protesters who remained at the site, ordering them to vacate the premises within the hour.

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Solidarity encampment demands divestment from Israel

Nate Bernard | May 13

The University of New Mexico Palestine solidarity encampment, since its formation at the Duck Pond on April 22, has supported the employment of a divestment resolution from Israel. The resolution seeks to begin the process of disclosing investments the University has that support Israel. It also aims to halt those investments, which would cut economic ties between UNM and Israel – a process known as divestment. The resolution was submitted to Board of Regents (BOR) Chair Kim Rael by the UNM Divestment Coalition, which consists of UNM College Democrats, Law Students Against Imperialism and 37 other student organizations and advocacy groups not affiliated with UNM. It follows the Israel-Hamas War, during which at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed as of May 12, according to Al Jazeera.

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The SUB’s history with anti-war protest

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | May 13

On May 8, 1970, after three days of occupying the Student Union Building in protest of the Vietnam War, 131 University of New Mexico students were arrested. Fifty-four years later, 16 protesters were arrested after they occupied the SUB in solidarity with Palestine amidst the war in Gaza. The Vietnam War protests at UNM followed United States President Richard Nixon’s order to invade Cambodia on April 31, 1970, according to a UNM timeline. UNM President Ferrel Heady sent a telegram to Nixon disapproving of the invasion, according to a Daily Lobo article from May 6, 1970.

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State representatives call for solidarity with UNM pro-Palestine encampment

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | May 10

Two New Mexico representatives sent letters to University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes in solidarity with the pro-Palestine Duck Pond encampment, the longest standing protest in UNM history, on Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8. Stokes visited the encampment on Thursday, May 9. In their letters, Representative Eleanor Chávez and Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero expressed concerns about New Mexico State Police using excessive force on protesters who occupied the Student Union Building April 29-30. They also asked Stokes to meet and work with the students who drafted the Israel divestment resolution.

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16 arrested after pro-Palestine protesters occupy the SUB

Ella Daniel and Paloma Chapa | May 1

On Tuesday, April 30 at around 3:30 a.m., 16 pro-Palestine protesters – five of them University of New Mexico students – were arrested by UNM Police Department officers at the Student Union Building after they occupied the space. New Mexico State Police, dressed in riot gear, participated in the response. The protesters filled the second floor of the SUB with tents, food and supplies, writing pro-Palestine messages on the walls with chalk and marker. As of April 30, at least 34,535 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Aljazeera. Two protesters, including UNM alumni Sofia Jenkins-Nieto, were pepper-sprayed by UNMPD officers.

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UNM encampment stands in solidarity with Palestine, other universities

Ella Daniel and Paloma Chapa | April 30

This story will be updated as the protest continues. Students, alumni, faculty and community members have been camped out at the Duck Pond since Monday, April 22 in solidarity with Palestine and students at universities nationwide. Encampments in support of Palestine have been set up on dozens of college campuses across the U.S., leading to hundreds of student arrests, according to the New York Times. Police officers have been present at the University of New Mexico encampment for the majority of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The protesters are calling the University to divest from Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and for the Board of Regents to employ the divestment resolution written by the UNM Law Students Against Imperialism. UNM has received grants from the U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations, according to The Jewish Virtual Library.

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‘4% don’t pay the rent’: United Graduate Workers rally for higher wages

Shin Thant Hlaing | April 29

The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico rallied at Scholes Hall for higher wages on Tuesday, April 23. While UGW initially asked for a 50% overall salary wage increase and a 58% increase to minimum salaries, the University administration proposed a 4% increase. Three days after the rally, UGW received “more binding language” from UNM administration to include research assistants in proposed wage increases, a group that was previously left out, according to the UGW Instagram. They also received proposed increases to minimum salaries for project assistants and graduate assistants.

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Nation’s first mental health responders sign union contract

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | April 29

The Albuquerque Community Safety department secured their first collective bargaining agreement with their union in March. The department cited lack of support for employee well-being, stability and mental health, according to ACS Agency Vice President and bargaining committee member Crystal Little. The Union represents the first government agency in the nation that sends first responders with backgrounds in mental health to non-violent calls, according to Sherii Miera, an ACS behavioral health responder and bargaining committee member. Responders are dispatched through 911 calls, Miera said. “One of our main goals throughout has been to focus on the safety and well-being of the responders and ensuring that our voices are heard,” Little said.

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Daily Lobo News Editor files lawsuit against UNM records custodian

Maddie Pukite | April 29

Editor’s note: Lily Alexander is the incoming editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. She was not involved in the reporting or editing process of this story. The News Editor of the Daily Lobo, Lily Alexander, has filed a lawsuit against Rob (Robert) Tafoya, the Custodian of Public Records at the University of New Mexico for failure to provide UNM Police Department's weapons inventory on March 5, 2024. The legal complaint asks for the courts to enforce the Inspection of the Public Records Act (IPRA) by requiring UNMPD to provide the weapons inventory.

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Unions impact on teachers' mental health and well-being

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | April 22

“Unionism allows you a track to have your voice heard and to professionally push for the things that you value the most,” Sean Thomas, the executive vice president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said. “Once you feel like you can exercise your voice, you don't feel so much like the world is happening to you, but you have the feeling that what you do matters and that you can change the conditions you're in.” Thomas is a teacher at Eldorado High School. He and fellow ATF member Sonja Kortsch said union involvement has benefited their mental health.

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Mental Health Collaborative offers free counseling and a master's internship

Dannely Verduzco | April 22

The University of New Mexico’s Mental Health Collaborative (MHC) provides free, short-term counseling through various resource centers on campus. It also functions as an internship program that employs students earning their master’s degree in the mental health field. MHC’s counseling services begin on the first day of classes and run through a semester; students receive between six and 14 sessions per semester. Counselors offer telehealth or in-person sessions, according to their website. These sessions are also accessible for Spanish-speaking students.

Daily Lobo-Social Media Effect On Mental Health

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The impact of social media use on college student mental health

Arly Garcia | April 22

Nine University of New Mexico students reported various effects to an anonymous survey conducted by the Daily Lobo on social media use and mental health. Whether these effects are negative or positive could depend on how people use social media, according to a UNM psychology professor. Of nine UNM students who responded to the survey, 100% said they use some type of social media every day. Of those students, seven believe social media has an impact on their mental health. The nature of that impact ranged from somewhat negative (with four respondents) to somewhat positive (with two respondents). Three students rated the impact as neutral.

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Sex ratio: a social indicator of body image

Arly Garcia | April 15

A 2023 study by a University of New Mexico psychology professor states that women’s environments can have an impact on their self-esteem. The study had a few limitations in the form of its methods and theoretical framework per UNM professor analysis. The study, titled “A Slim Majority: The Influence of Sex Ratio on Women’s Body Dissatisfaction and Weight Loss Motivations,” was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior by Tania Reynolds and four professors at other universities. Reynolds hypothesized that when women are around more women than men in their environment, they respond with increased competition, which might correlate with more dissatisfaction with their bodies.

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United Graduate Workers and UNM begin negotiations on wage increases

Nate Bernard | April 15

The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico and UNM administration have begun another round of bargaining sessions. This the first time the sessions will be in conjunction with state and University budget schedules, as decided upon by the amended collective bargaining agreement last fall. The union seeks to increase wages for all graduate students to attain “just compensation and living wages,” according to their website. The first bargaining session this round took place April 8, followed by an April 10 session. This is the first time UGW and the University has held negotiations in the spring – the same time in which the University and the state of New Mexico set their budgets, according to Wilber Dominguez, union steward for the physics department.

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Customer concern over locked-up necessities

Sadie Hopkins | April 8

Stores like Walmart and Target have been placing more products, from toothpaste to deodorant, behind locked display cases. This has prompted customer concern, per six survey respondents. These cases, often used for products like electronics, spray paint or alcohol, are now used for various basic necessities, according to USA Today. The cases can only be opened by an employee, according to Forbes. A tube of Crest toothpaste, locked up at the Target location on Montgomery Blvd, costs $3.99. Dandelion Springer, a second-year psychology student at the University of New Mexico who frequents Target stores, said he is unsettled by the practice.

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Students urge Board of Regents to address Israel divestment resolution

Ella Daniel | April 8

“My parents survived the genocide that happened in Bangladesh. My dad was two years old when it happened. He has scars on his body from being beaten by Pakistani soldiers,” University of New Mexico College Democrats President Rakin Faruk said. On Jan. 26, the International Court of Justice deemed it “plausible” that Israel committed genocide against Gaza in some cases after Oct. 7, 2023. As of Apr. 7, at least 33,137 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, according to Aljazeera. For Faruk, the genocide has affected her entire life, she said. The brutality inflicted upon her own family is why she has been so involved with the protests for Palestine, she said.

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How to participate in NM’s 2024 primary elections

Austin Fisher | April 8

This story was originally published by Source New Mexico. New Mexico’s primary election will determine who will appear on the general election ballot this November. Primary election day will be held on June 4. Early voting begins May 7. These dates can affect whether voters can participate in the primaries being held by political parties in the state.

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APD releases crime statistics for 2023

Arly Garcia | March 29

In recent crime statistics, the Albuquerque Police Department cited proactive enforcement as the reason they saw increased drug possession and shootings in 2023; the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is critical of this method of policing because of the way it treats drug offenses. APD released preliminary crime statistics for 2023 on Feb. 29. The report includes comparisons to crime numbers from 2018 onward. In 2023, APD saw a total of 65,960 reported crimes. While most of the numbers represented small changes, there was a 49% increase in Crimes Against Society, including prostitution, drug offenses and weapons law violations, according to the report.

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GPSA Presidential elections: Joseph Conteh

Maddie Pukite | March 25

Joseph Conteh (ballot #2) is running for Graduate and Professional Student Association President. His campaign centers on collaboration and creating more opportunities for graduate students at the University. Conteh is pursuing a Master of Public Administration and has served as the Public Relations Director for GPSA this past year. He also served as the Student Body Vice President for the University of Sierra Leone during his undergraduate career. His work in the past has focused on supporting projects from rural communities in Sierra Leone, which fostered skills he said he would bring to this position.

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Chimps prioritization of play

Shin Thant Hlaing | March 25

A new study led by University of New Mexico alumni and faculty members reveals that mother chimpanzees prioritize play with their children even in difficult situations, like food scarcity. The study, published March 14 in the journal “Current Biology,” might shed light on the importance of play to development in other primate species, and help us learn more about our evolution, according to lead researcher and UNM alumna Kris Sabbi. Co-authors include UNM professors of anthropology Melissa Emery Thompson and Martin Muller, UNM anthropology graduate student Megan Cole and UNM alumna and University of Michigan Research Lab Coordinator Isabelle Monroe.