by Brandale Mills Daily Lobo Mayor Martin Ch†vez will draw on his personal experience in government when he teaches his first class at UNM in the fall. "I'll only use that personal experience as a starting point in discussions," he said. "That, of course, will be intertwined with amusing anecdotes.
by Rivkela Brodsky Daily Lobo The student gallery in the SUB will be replaced with a gym in the fall. Walt Miller, director of the SUB, said nothing is official yet and they are meeting with the association this week. But ASUNM president Kevin Stevenson said it's happening, and student fees are paying for the equipment.
by Katy Knapp Daily Lobo Freshmen Noel King and Chris Scott had been studying math and English for four hours straight. "We're hardcore," Scott said. They moved to the relaxation room and took advantage of free juice, chips and salsa. "This is really nice," he said.
Mayor's daughter caught in possession of alcohol (AP) - The 14-year-old daughter of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Ch†vez was cited for alcohol possession during the weekend, according to the girl's mother and police. Officers initially arrived at the home of a friend's grandmother in response to a possible burglary report and discovered the teens in the backyard.
by Caleb Fort The Daily Lobo The normal amount of uranium on Earth is two parts per billion. Maria Santelli, who uses Albuquerque tap water, said hers contains twice as much uranium. Santelli said Sandia National Laboratories probably played a role in the increased uranium content of her water.
by Rivkela Brodsky Daily Lobo A proposed admissions revision could cut enrollment numbers of African-American, American Indian and Hispanic students. Under the proposal, students who apply to UNM with ACT or SAT scores that are insufficient in reading, math and English would not be admitted to the University. They would be allowed admission once they make up one of the three deficiencies. Terry Babbitt, director of recruitment and admissions, said scores of 18 or less on the ACT in math and English and 17 or less in reading are considered deficient scores. SAT scores of less than 450 in math and English are deficient, he said. According to numbers provided in the proposal, 9.8 percent of American Indian, 7.8 percent of African-American and 6.8 percent of Hispanic freshman students need introductory classes. The numbers state 1.6 percent of white students need developmental classes. Babbitt said the change would affect about 100 students.
by Felicia Fonseca Daily Lobo The Finance Department was in the hot seat Friday in Woodward Hall. As the only department that fully implemented the Banner system, people from the Finance Department fielded many of the questions about what to expect. Banner is a Web-based system designed to eliminate many of UNM's paper-based administrative and business systems.
Tuesday's article "Student gallery to become a gym" misspelled David Steele's name on the first reference. The error was made in editing. The photo on Tuesday's front page was credited to the wrong photographer. It should have been credited to Peter Gilroy.
by Caleb Fort Daily Lobo If the Fair Trade Initiative gets its way, UNM will join other schools around the country that sell only Fair Trade coffee by the end of the fall semester. Fair Trade coffee makes up 25 percent of the selection at the University.
by Karina Guzzi Daily Lobo Andre Picard has been attending the Gathering of Nations powwow since 1996. This year he came with nine of his family members, including 15-month-old William. "We came down in two cars," he said. As dancers from all over the United States and Canada filled the court during the Grand Entry, one proudly held up the red eagle staff. "It represents all our tribes and nations," said Picard, who belongs to the Nez Perce tribe from Idaho. "Red is a powerful color for many tribes." The Gathering of Nations is an annual event featuring a powwow, a Miss Indian World pageant and a trader's market. Thousands of people attended this year's gathering. Picard said some people make a living competing in powwows, but his family participates for fun. He said a lot of politics are involved when it comes to choosing the winner for the dance competitions. "Sometimes they'll win because everybody knows him or because he's a nice guy," Picard said. "That lady is dancing really well. She has nice clothes, but this one has a bigger name, so the judges will pick her."
NM tuition increases 30 percent in 4 years (AP) - Tuition rates at most of New Mexico's colleges have risen at least 30 percent since 2001, but they are still lower than the national average. "If we don't raise tuition, we've got a problem," said Jamie Koch, University of New Mexico regents president.
The Bread for the World organization set up a table in the SUB on Thursday to encourage passersby to do their part to end world hunger. The organization did not ask for cash donations. Instead it asked students to write letters asking Congress to support legislation that deals with hunger issues around the world. Sister MaryAnn Barrett, director of the Campus Ministry at the Newman Center, said handwritten letters are more personal than typed letters.
"Good idea, I think it should be stricter, since they're not really enforcing what we have right now. I think we need more support programs, like Safe Ride, to get people home safer." Vince Welke freshman "I think it's terrible. Even a drunk needs to get to work.
Desks, chairs, an immeasurable amount of beer bottles and a concession trailer have all been removed from the Duck Pond. "Everything that comes on campus has an opportunity to end up in the Duck Pond," said Gary Smith, who is the associate director of UNM's Environmental Services. Smith said one person is assigned to clean the pond daily. "We get a lot of debris," he said. Nicole Howlingcrane, an Albuquerque resident, said she brings her daughter AlizÇ to the Duck Pond almost every day. "She likes the ducks," she said, while watching AlizÇ play by the water. "I think it's kind of rude people throw things in there. Those ducks don't know (people) are contaminating their water."
by Katy Knapp Daily Lobo Mayor Martin Ch†vez is making it harder for people to drink and drive in Albuquerque. He signed a bill into law Wednesday that will require Albuquerque police officers to temporarily seize vehicles of drunk drivers on their first offense. Ch†vez stood in front of a display of dozens of photographs of victims of drunk driving in the Mothers Against Drunk Driving office. "Behind me in the black frames are Albuquerqueans and New Mexicans who are dead because of driving," he said. "White frames are people who were severely injured." He said until drinking and driving is no longer an issue, he doesn't foresee backing down. A lot of people ask Terry Huertaz if she wanted to be State Executive Director of MADD because she lost a loved one to drunk driving, she said. "I was a school teacher, and I had a student that was killed in a crash," she said. "So that's about as personal as it got for me, but that was enough."
by Phil Parker Daily Lobo Rivkela Brodsky is a junkie for journalism. She started writing when she was three and now - 18 years later - she's set to assume the editor in chief post at the Daily Lobo. The junior has been scheming for this position since she first came to UNM.
by Rivkela Brodsky Daily Lobo Student Family Housing rent is going up 4 percent starting July 1. But some residents say if rent is going up, they want repairs and renovations made to the building. "I don't mind them raising rent," resident Henry Jauregui said.
UCLA group develops treatment for cat allergies AMES, Iowa (U-WIRE) - A new treatment for cat allergy sufferers may be available in a few years. A team of six doctors at the University of California at Los Angeles has created a molecule, GFD, which combines the cat protein that triggers allergies with a human protein that stops the reaction, according to their research report published in medical journal Nature Medicine.
by Felicia Fonseca Daily Lobo UNM students in elementary and secondary education programs will be hit with changes in the fall. Supervisors will lose their jobs, and first-year and student teachers might be supervised by graduate assistants, many of whom have never taught in a classroom.
Solutions by The State News
