UNM's College Democrats have been thrust into the national spotlight. A film crew for the PBS show "Now with Bill Moyers" followed the group's activities this week for a documentary set to air Oct. 3. PBS is only one of three major news organizations that have taken an interest in the UNM College Democrats this summer, said Kelly Seibert, a student organizer for Rep.
Mary White, founder of the first Girl Scout camp in New Mexico, will be honored with a historical marker on Highway 24 this year. The camp, however, seems to have died with White, and her relatives and friends are trying to bring it back to life. White established the camp in the Sacramento Mountains, about four hours south of Albuquerque, in the 1920s as a place for young women to learn about nature and themselves.
Students can expect to see more custodians working during the day due to a schedule change - which decreases custodians' pay - that will require some of them to work during the early morning and business hours instead of late at night. The custodial staff is transitioning to a schedule of 10 hours a day, four days a week.
Kevin Boyar, the UNM student accused of bringing weapons on campus in the spring, will go to pretrial Sept. 29. UNM Police arrested Boyar without incident May 6 after receiving an anonymous tip that he had guns in his room. The caller also mentioned Boyar had made threats that referred to the shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, according to UNMPD.
The UNM Bookstore has added recycled notebooks and poly-carbonate water bottles to its shelves as part of an environmentally conscious marketing trend. "We're just starting to do some green initiatives," said Melanie Sparks, Bookstore director. She said the green efforts are the beginning of what could be a storewide transition.
Food Not Bombs passes out free food and promotes an antiwar message every Wednesday outside the UNM Bookstore. The organization was created in the mid-1980s as a way to protest nuclear weapons, said Mike Butler, coordinator for the Albuquerque chapter. Food Not Bombs has been more active in some years than others, Butler said.
Staff Report UNM has partnered with the City of Albuquerque to offer gameday shuttle services to the public. Last year, the University started a free shuttle service to take students from Main Campus to University Stadium, and, for a price, nonstudents can now take advantage of the program.
Bernie Salazar, a competitor on NBC's "The Biggest Loser," is visiting UNM to give a motivational speech today in Sub Ballroom C. Salazar began the competition weighing 283 pounds. At the end, he weighed 153. Salazar said he got his motivation from a desire to start feeling healthier.
Daily Lobo: You're a UNM Police Officer? James A. Madrid: That's correct. DL: Can you tell me what a typical day is like for you? JM: I plan all the football games, so I'm pretty busy all the time just planning and organizing the officers. DL: What kinds of things are you worried about when you plan football games? JM: You're always worried about, for example, an active shooter or a disaster.
The UNM Bursar's Office is relaxing payment requirements in an effort to help students not get dropped from their classes. This fall, students who owed more than $2,400 on Aug. 15 had their enrollments cancelled. In previous years, students who owed more than $100 were dropped.
About 51 percent of New Mexico teenagers have been in a car with a driver who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to a study completed by two UNM communications and journalism graduate students last week. The research also found that about 69 percent of teenagers text message while driving.
Staff Report Picnickers and outdoor enthusiasts may have noticed several closures in the Cibola National Forest over the Labor Day weekend. Cienega, Sulphur and Doc Long picnic areas were closed and will remain closed for the next two weeks because of a rise in black bear activity in the area, said Karen Takai, spokeswoman for the Sandia Ranger District.
About 15 to 30 percent of students attending UNM are uninsured, according to Beverly Kloeppel, director of Student Health and Counseling. The problem of young people being uninsured is an issue seen not only at UNM but statewide. The percentage of New Mexicans without health insurance rose from 20.
The piles of wasted paper in the computer pods are shrinking. This semester, Information Technology Services implemented a new printing system called Pharos. ITS and ASUNM adopted Pharos in hopes of making printing less wasteful and more efficient for students, said Moira Gerety, director of ITS.
Free food and information on student organizations was provided at the Duck Pond on Thursday during Student Organization Day. The Christian Student Center, Medieval Studies Student Association, Knit Knack and the Queer Straight Alliance were among the many groups represented.
University presidents from more than 100 colleges around the U.S. have petitioned to lower the drinking age to 18. But UNM President David Schmidly doesn't share their views. He said there should be a balance between socializing and academics, and lowering the drinking age would interfere with that balance.
Rep. Steve Pearce said UNM students need to recognize the importance of the 2008 election. Pearce is running against Rep. Tom Udall for a seat on New Mexico's U.S. Senate delegation. Pearce said the two issues Congress needs to address are the economy - including the energy crisis - and taxes.
As University College students wait in long lines to speak to their advisors and fill out complicated requirement worksheets, UNM is investigating the efficiency of the program. Finnie Coleman, the director of University College, said an unfair amount of pressure is put on the program's advisement center, but it will not be phased out.
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