Students are putting two weeks of hard work into a large project, just to set it on fire and watch it burn.The annual burning of the Aggie is only a few days away, and the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Lobo Spirit Volunteers said they are all fired up for this year’s Sept.18 event.
Build and launch your own rocket, see a medieval siege weapon in action, learn to solder and witness a giant remote-controlled robotic face — all in one weekend. The third annual Albuquerque Mini Maker Faire will be held Sept.
Voters will have their voices heard on marijuana laws this November after all. In a special meeting Monday morning, the Bernalillo County Commission voted 3-2 in favor of allowing an advisory measure to be presented to voters on the upcoming ballot regarding the decriminalization of marijuana. The move comes after Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry vetoed a similar measure that would have gone before city residents. The county’s measure itself does not have the potential to change current marijuana laws, but Commission Chairwoman Debbie O’Malley, who voted in favor of the ballot initiative, said putting the measure before voters is the right thing to do. Voters in Bernalillo County should at least have the opportunity to voice their opinions in a poll that will be taken into consideration by local policy- and lawmakers, O’Malley said. “To put it in very succinct terms, let the people speak,” O’Malley said.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver was recently featured on MSNBC’s list “‘30 in 30’: Women Candidates to Watch in 2014.” MSNBC’s list featured female candidates from around the country in a variety of races, and Oliver said she felt privileged to be the only woman from New Mexico on the list. Democrat Toulouse Oliver is running for New Mexico Secretary of State in November against Republican Dianna Duran. She has been active in highlighting issues important to woman voters, and has stressed the importance of getting women to the ballot boxes this November.
Through the Peer Education Project, professors have trained hundreds of New Mexico prison inmates to spur awareness within the prison system of how to avoid chronic diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV. As part of the program, a group of professors and health practitioners visit New Mexico prisons and train a selected number of volunteer prisoners for 40 hours. “It started in 2009. We go in and train prisoners on how to be educators around infectious diseases, particularly Hepatitis C, HIV and addictions,” said Karla Thornton, an infectious diseases physician and a Health Sciences Center faculty member in her division.
Check out this week's episode of The Howl, the Daily Lobo's online newscast.
A trip to Peru, a trek into the Amazonian rainforest, a life-changing encounter with a shaman and a powerful psychedelic brew: These are the ingredients of a compelling TED talk. On Saturday, UNM research scientist Robert Rhatigan will speak at the TEDxABQ conference, sharing the story of how he conquered crippling alcoholism with the help of ayahuasca, an ancient psychoactive drink made from rainforest plants. Rhatigan, who does research in geospatial and population studies, said his goal at the conference is to be an ambassador on the power of psychedelic plants and non-traditional therapies in the treatment of addiction. “I want people to walk away understanding that psychedelic substances are not something that are simply drugs of abuse that people use for hedonistic reasons, recreation, whatever,” he said.
The New Mexico State Auditor’s office is reviewing a recently published UNM internal audit report that found embezzlements in the UNM Student Bar Association’s finances. On Aug.14, the UNM audit department issued a detailed report of its investigation into the financial embezzlement in the Student Bar Association’s account from 2011 to 2013. The report laid out a timeline of the mismanagement of funds and made recommendations to keep another incident from happening in the future.
International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day is next week, and members of the Health Sciences Center community will spend the day spreading awareness about the disorder – and their facility. The nationally recognized research center opened last month, but it has been in development for a few years, Dr. Daniel Savage, Neuroscience Department chair, said. “The center is about improving the health and well-being of the citizens of New Mexico,” Savage said.
Refugees from around the world are getting support they desperately need, while students working with them are learning life-changing lessons. UNM’s Refugee Well-Being Program is a two-semester course that pairs sociology, psychology and anthropology students with refugees living in Albuquerque.
Student loan borrowers will soon have better options when it comes to paying off their debts. The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that federal student loan servicers now have more incentives to help keep students from defaulting on their loans. Among these incentives are a customer satisfaction survey, which will serve as an indicator as to which servicer gets the most loans. The better the satisfaction scores, the more loans it may provide.
Student residents at the Cottages of New Mexico said they are unhappy with recent changes made by the property’s management. Residents of the housing development, which is marketed to college students, received an email over the weekend stating that each resident will be allowed to invite one guest at a time, and parties will no longer be permitted. Previously, residents could invite up to five guests and register a party with management that could run until 2 a.m. Brianna Gallegos, a junior multimedia journalism major, said living at the Cottages is different than she thought it would be since the implementation of the new rules.
UNM could be looking at heavy fines if the Department of Education turns its eye on the University. According to an internal auditor’s report released in mid-August, UNM is “not substantially compliant” with the Clery Act, which requires schools to properly communicate and monitor campus safety issues. The school is working immediately to resolve the issues, said Deputy UNM Police Chief Christine Chester, who was also named interim Clery coordinator based on the auditor’s recommendation.
The number of bicycle thefts on campus increased by 70 percent during the 2013-14 academic year, the UNM Police Department reported. UNMPD and the UNM Global Education Office are trying to find ways to counter bike thieves operating on campus by employing random security sweeps, bicycle registration and increased outreach and awareness efforts. “From Aug.
Facing aging equipment and leaky roofs, some professors in the Fine Arts department are struggling to help their students succeed with limited resources. Randall Wilson, a professor in the sculpture area, said equipment is severely outdated and money to fix the problems is just not arriving.
A skateboard, laptop, insurance card, scooter and camera were all reported stolen within two days last week. Aug.
Ukraine NATO announced on Monday the creation of a “very high-readiness force” in response to Russian military aggression in Ukraine, CNN reports. The force will be part of a Readiness Action Plan designed to help allied countries respond to security challenges, in addition to dealing with Russia, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a speech.
Lowering the number of sexual assaults on campus and improving general safety will be the new goals of the UNM Police Department. The department’s new chief, Kevin McCabe, said he hopes to accomplish these things by collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department. “The focus is on the educational experience — to provide a safe campus for everybody that is a part of the UNM family: students, faculty and staff,” McCabe said. UNM hired McCabe over the summer to replace the outgoing police chief Kathy Guimond.
On Friday Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry said he vetoed five voter initiatives because he does not want to approve the decriminalization of marijuana or raise taxes in Albuquerque. Berry exercised his veto authority on R-14-91 because of last-minute provisions added by the City Council that he said lack detail or circumvent state and federal law. “This is a bill that has the potential to raise the taxes of the citizens of Albuquerque without any clear or concise plan as to how those tax resources will be spent,” Berry said in a video posted to YouTube.
Check out this week's episode of The Howl, the Daily Lobo's online newscast.
Solutions by The State News
