News

Faculty call for help in mending University

UNM faculty members have drafted an open letter to New Mexicans asking for their support in conflicts with the administration. The letter, written March 12 and signed by 165 faculty members, states that problems at UNM are problems for all New Mexicans. Maggie Werner-Washburne, who co-authored the letter, said the misuse of education money is affecting the student-faculty ratio, which has gone from 14:1 to 20:1.

Argentina outing

Students in "From the Rockies to the Andes," a 300-level honors course worth eight credit hours, spent spring break studying in Argentina, where they compared the country's geography and diverse culture to New Mexico's. The course meets once a week and is cross-listed in behavioral science and earth and planetary sciences.

CORRECTIONS

In Monday's article "Sanchez named top regent," Alarie Ray-Garcia, spokeswoman for Gov. Richardson's office, did not say Richardson considered Fortner to be too conservative in spending on athletics. She said Richardson had considered Fortner but decided he put too much emphasis on the Athletics Department.

Daily Lobo Spotlight

Daily Lobo: You're an exchange student? From where? Julia Tyrolt: I'm from Germany. Close to Frankfurt. It's a university of applied sciences. I'm the guinea pig. Like, I'm the first person to come here as an exchange student from there. DL: How does UNM compare? JT: It is very well-organized, and we don't have to study as much as you Americans here.

Feature Photo: Arbor Day

Groups condemn war in Iraq

Dozens of people gathered in the Galleria Plaza on Saturday morning to protest continued U.S. military involvement overseas. "Gaza, Gaza, don't you cry. Palestine will never die" protesters chanted as traffic passed in the sunny morning. Stop the War Machine and Iraq Veterans Against the War teamed up to organize the event, which took place on the sixth anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sanchez named top regent

Regent Raymond Sanchez has replaced Jamie Koch as the president of the Board of Regents. Sanchez was voted into the position during a regents meeting Friday. Regent Jack Fortner was re-elected vice president, and Regent Carolyn Abeita was elected treasurer for 2009.

Citizens protest development plans

About 200 concerned citizens gathered at the UNM School of Law on March 15 to tell UNM planning officials how developments to the area will affect their neighborhood. Neighbors for Green Space organized the event to discuss the University's plans to develop North Campus.

Balderas meets with students on audit

State Auditor Hector Balderas met with students Thursday to discuss the possibility of an additional audit of the University. He met with about 30 students outside of El Centro de la Raza. Balderas has been meeting with faculty, administrators and students throughout the week to decide whether a partial audit of the University's finances is warranted.

Koch out as top regent

Jamie Koch is stepping down as the president of UNM's Board of Regents. Gov. Bill Richardson announced in a statement on Thursday that Koch had "graciously agreed to step aside as president to avoid being a distraction." Koch will remain a member of the board, and Richardson said he will support Koch in his upcoming reconfirmation hearing before the Legislature.

Question of the Week

Do you think Gov. Bill Richardson's Tuesday visit will help relieve tension between the faculty and administration? Dylan Conradson Sophomore Religion "Not really. He's kind of just another voice of authority, and they're just kind of pulling on him. I think the faculty has their own problems and they probably won't change much.

UNM football player charged in assault

A UNM football player has been arrested and charged with assault after a confrontation in the dorms. Andre McQueen was arrested Feb. 27 and charged with assault on a household member. McQueen has been suspended from playing and from attending all football-related events, said Greg Remington, spokesman for the Athletics Department.

Lobos battle early shooting woes on way to win

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Somebody from the UNM women's basketball team must have hit the arcade-style button on the basketball goals at the Thomas and Mack Center on Wednesday, when the Lobos faced No. 8 Colorado State in the Mountain West Conference quarterfinals.

Board recommends student fee increase

The Student Fee Review Board is recommending a $31.62-per-semester increase in student fees for the upcoming school year. If the recommendations are approved, undergraduate student fees will rise to about $490 per semester. The board sent its final recommendations to University departments and the vice president of Student Affairs.

Program aims to help grad students cope

Graduate students can get coaching and support to help them navigate the pressures of writing theses, keeping up with coursework and maintaining deadlines. Ray Mitchell, a counselor for Student Health and Counseling, has teamed with Chris Ramirez, president of GPSA, to start a coaching workshop to help students get the help they need to complete their degrees.

Group aids students seeking food stamps

Mara Kerkez rummaged through her desk for nuts and cereal bars when a student walked into the Welcome Center asking for a bite to eat and information about food stamps. "She told me she was hungry, and she wanted to know if UNM had anything comparable to, like, a soup kitchen," said Kerkez, a representative at the center.

Feature Photo: On the prowl

Standing tall (Slideshow)

LAS VEGAS - The No. 8 Colorado State women's basketball team gave the No. 4 UNM women's basketball team as much as it could handle in the second round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The Lobos pulled away late for a 62-48 win in a game that saw poor shooting.

Richardson weighs in on UNM conflict

Gov. Bill Richardson visited UNM on Tuesday and said he would support the addition of a regent faculty member, but he doesn't plan to withdraw his reappointment of Regents President Jamie Koch. Faculty members representing the Faculty Senate, Faculty Governance Committee and various campus departments met with Richardson and opened a dialogue on issues including the reappointment of Koch and an external audit of the University's finances.

Question & Answer

He's not quite looking for Martians, but the Daily Lobo was intrigued enough to ask Horton Newsom, research professor at UNM's Institute of Meteoritics, about his research dealing with the red planet. Newsom is on the team of scientists that will launch the next Mars rover in 2012.