News

Feature Photo: Projection Art

Staff, faculty eligible for free bus rides

Faculty and staff can now get free passes to ride city buses, an announcement that comes nearly a month after President David Schmidly said the passes would be available. Schmidly announced Aug. 11 that the University had worked with the city to provide free bus passes to faculty and staff.

Feature Photo: Close Call

Pickens outlines energy plan for NM audience

T. Boone Pickens has a plan for energy consumption and development. He is traveling across the U.S. to promote the "Pickens Plan," in which he outlines a way for America to become energy independent by focusing on renewable, domestic energy. The 80-year-old billionaire told a crowd of about 2,000 people at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Wednesday that his money is not enough to motivate politicians in Washington - he needs the support of Americans.

Group to host 9/11 commemoration

Staff Report The Lobo Conservatives will host an event tonight to commemorate the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Stephen Dinkel, president of the Lobo Conservatives, said students should gather to remember the lives lost seven years ago. "We want to remember the victims that were lost," Dinkel said.

Pirates help get out vote

The UNM chapter of the Public Interest Research Group is putting a buccaneering spin on voter registration. As part of its "Arrrrrre You Registered to Vote?" campaign, about 15 volunteers dressed up as pirates and hopped aboard the "vote boat." Instead of searching for booty and hidden treasure, these bandits set out to register college students for the Nov.

Committee aims to assist grad students

GPSA created an ad hoc committee this semester to help international graduate and professional students acclimate to UNM. Graduate and Professional Student Association President Christopher Ramirez said the committee is a student-run initiative designed to give international grad students the direction they need and to answer questions about university life.

Struggles of a commuter school

Each day, nearly 25,000 students rush around campus - and more than 21,000 of them commute to get there, according to UNM. Students say the resulting traffic adds stress to their already busy days. Cheo Torres, vice president of Student Affairs, said UNM never meant for students to have so much trouble.

UNM's schools rank high for Hispanics

Hispanic Business Incorporated ranked UNM's schools of law, business and medicine among the top 10 in the nation for Hispanic students. Most notably, the UNM School of Law was ranked No. 1 for Hispanics out of 185 accredited universities. The School of Engineering was ranked third of 197 universities, and the School of Medicine was No.

UNM marketing looks to Web to attract students

UNM's marketing department unveiled new plans to advertise the University on Tuesday. The department created a television ad, as well as online social networking pages on Facebook, YouTube and MySpace, and a photo-sharing page for UNM students at Flickr.unm.

39 Merit, Hispanic scholars enroll at UNM for the fall

UNM welcomed 15 National Merit Scholars and 24 National Hispanic Scholars into the freshman class this year. These 39 scholars add to the 15 Merit and Hispanic scholars who were already enrolled, said Rosalie Otero, director of the University Honors Program.

UNM Wi-Fi problems not yet solved

UNM's expansion of its wireless Internet network has had problems since classes began, and they won't stop anytime soon. During the first week of school, the network was overwhelmed by mobile devices like iPhones, which constantly try to connect to wireless networks, said Paula Loendorf, the director of Communications Network Services.

Christian fraternity turns away Mormon

Freshman John Bundy wanted to join Kappa Upsilon Chi, a Christian fraternity on campus. But he was denied admission because he is Mormon. "They did all the things fraternities do, but they're centered around Christ," he said. "I was really interested in the student organization because they did retreats and services in the community.

Department struggles to get past controversy

The creative writing department's director, Julie Shigekuni, held a mandatory meeting for members of the MFA program Friday to tell them it is time to move forward. Shigekuni took over the department for Sharon Warner, who resigned from her position in March after associate professor Lisa Chavez posed for pictures posted on an adult Web site and was sent on an emergency sabbatical, a shake-up that crippled the department.

Daily Lobo Spotlight

Daily Lobo: Do you have any favorite activities to do in Albuquerque? Allen Colmenares: Skating. I like to skate at UNM and at the skate parks around Albuquerque DL: How long have you been doing that? AC: I've been skating for seven years. DL: Do you have any skating aspirations? AC: No, not anymore.

Center celebrates natural healing

Kalpulli Izkalli, a center for natural healing, held its third annual Traditional Medicine and Healing Gathering on Saturday. Natural and traditional healers from across the country gathered at the Westside Community Center to participate in healing exercises.

Group takes on illiteracy in NM

The New Mexico Coalition for Literacy will celebrate Literacy Day today at the Rotunda in Santa Fe. John Corcoran, an Albuquerque native and author of the memoir The Teacher Who Couldn't Read, is the keynote speaker. "The title of the book defies logic and is almost unbelievable," Corcoran said.

Question & Answer

The Daily Lobo sat down with Michael Rocca, assistant professor of political science, to discuss the pros and cons of negative ads in political campaigns. Daily Lobo: What is the principle behind negative ads, and do they work? Michael Rocca: Negative advertising works, and that's why candidates use it.

AP Briefs

McCain, Palin stock up on salsa before leaving New Mexico ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Before leaving New Mexico on Sunday, Republican presidential nominee John McCain and vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin picked up some of the hot stuff. They stopped at El Pinto restaurant in Albuquerque's north valley, shaking hands with customers before McCain bought several bottles of the restaurant's popular salsa for himself and Palin.

On the trail

Presidential candidate John McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin declared "We must win New Mexico" at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday. More than 6,000 people, including UNM students, packed the stands to get a glimpse of McCain and Palin, the self-proclaimed mavericks in this year's presidential race.