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Undocumented students receive aid from UNM

Liam Debonis | May 22

As federal aid initiatives designed to blunt some of the financial hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic sidestep undocumented students, some colleges and universities — including the University of New Mexico — have decided to fill in the gaps with relief of their own. UNM has pledged aid to undocumented students who have filled out state financial aid forms. While most undocumented students are barred from federal financial aid, the state of New Mexico permits all students to apply for state financial aid regardless of immigration status.

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Grace McNealy continues school after graduating with three degrees

Megan Gleason | May 14

After an undergraduate career that was as circuitous as it was prolific, involving a heavy focus on student publications, Grace McNealy will continue her academic journey at the University of New Mexico as a graduate student in the fall. McNealy is finishing her undergraduate degrees with a double major in English and Spanish, along with an honors minor. McNealy plans for a master of arts in English literature with a long-term goal of a publishing career in the future.

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UNM town hall addresses anti-Blackness on campus

Alyssa Martinez | May 13

A Zoom town hall to address anti-Blackness within the University of New Mexico community was held Tuesday following a series of racist online attacks hurled at Director of Africana Studies Program Charles Becknell, Jr. On April 30, two separate special event request forms were submitted that contained racist slurs and threats directed at Becknell, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal. “I know that everybody here knows why we’re here,” UNM President Garnett Stokes said at the start of the town hall. “A member of our faculty was recently a victim of what I think was a horrendous hate crime.”

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UNM prepping for up to $53 million budget cut from the state

Justin Garcia | May 12

State funding for the University of New Mexico could soon plummet some $53 million or 15%, according to UNM’s top finance administrator, raising questions about cuts and reductions across the University in the coming months. Teresa Costantinidis, UNM’s vice president for finance and administration, told the Board of Regents on Tuesday that UNM is prepping budget scenarios for the likely loss of a significant chunk of state funding due to a historic crash in oil prices and a reeling COVID-19 economy.

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COVID cost UNM nearly $50 million in lost revenue

Justin Garcia | May 5

The novel coronavirus hit the University of New Mexico’s budget hard. Teresa Costantinidis, UNM vice president for finance and administration, told a Board of Regents Committee that COVID-19 has cost UNM $49.8 million in lost revenue.  Administrators didn’t say what actions they might take to stem off repercussions of the revenue lost beyond lobbying the federal government for more relief. However, Provost James Holloway told the Daily Lobo that UNM is under a hiring freeze with an undetermined end date.  “We do expect (for fiscal year 2020) additional allocations of approximately $10 million in total,” Costantinidis said. 

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NSO goes online

Beatrice Nisoli | May 4

The University of New Mexico’s New Student Orientation (NSO) is officially transferring to an online format.  In a continuing effort to mitigate the potential effect of COVID-19 on UNM students, NSO Director Jose Villar developed an online orientation program for specific groups that has since been extended to all incoming students. According to Villar, he and his team “are committed to doing their part to flatten the curve.”  Coined “NSO...To-Go,” the online orientation will feature live presentations, Q&A panels, webinars and virtual help sessions, among other events. Villar said familiar NSO-specific activities, such as the annual completion of The Grey Area talk and academic advisement and registration, will also be conducted in a remote format. 

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Social media, bullying dominate final ASUNM meeting

Alyssa Martinez | May 2

As outgoing senators shared solemn goodbyes and incoming ones watched on the Zoom call, one parting piece of advice was unavoidable in the last full senate meeting of the semester: Social media conduct matters. When they weren't passing three bills — two of which were related to the internal protocol of an Associated Students of UNM State of Emergency — and a resolution acknowledging the hardships brought on by COVID-19, several ASUNM senators spoke on the virtual presence of those within the organization. Outgoing ASUNM President Adam Biederwolf was the first to raise the topic during his final presidential report.

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Bucking popular vote, committee moves forward with new seal

Justin Garcia | April 30

The popular vote wanted design A.  Supporters said in write-in comments that they preferred the artwork, that it provided a sense of pride and that it told a story better than other options.  The Regents disagreed.  Despite not receiving popular support, design C was chosen unanimously by the Academic, Student Affairs and Research Committee (ASAR) over four other designs. The seal is not the logo. Instead, the seal is reserved for official documents, including diplomas. 

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Kiana Caalim and Nahje Flowers considered for posthumous degrees

Justin Garcia | April 30

Posthumous degrees for Nahje Flowers and Kiana Caalim unanimously approved the Academic, Student Affairs and Research Committee Thursday, signaling approvals at an upcoming Regent’s meeting.  Flowers died November 5, 2019. Caalim died on December 11, 2019.  “The University of New Mexico recognizes that earning a degree is a matter of legitimate pride of achievement not only for students themselves but also for the family members and friends who provide students with vitally important support,” read Caalim and Flowers’ posthumous degree request form. 

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COVID-19 disproportionately impacts marginalized populations

Amanda Britt | April 29

The coronavirus pandemic is not the great equalizer some in the limelight have touted it to be.  Melanie Moses, UNM professor of computer science, has been studying the racial disparities of the coronavirus spreading within our state. Moses said there needs to be policies implemented to protect vulnerable groups as individuals plan to open economies, distribute personal protective equipment and develop vaccination plans. “There are shocking disparities among African, Latinx and Native-American populations with mortality rates at rates at least two or three times higher than white populations,” Moses said. At least 31% of New Mexicans who’ve contracted COVID-19 are Native American despite only making up about 11% of the population, according to an article New Mexico In Depth published based on publicly available data.

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UNM announces virtual commencement ceremony

Makayla Grijalva | April 27

In an email sent to those graduating in spring 2020 on April 27, the University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes officially announced a virtual celebration to honor graduates.  The celebration will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 9 a.m, with more details expected to come later this week from the Office of the University Secretary. The email added that a virtual commencement does not replace an in-person one, so spring 2020 graduates will be invited to walk at a later commencement ceremony.  “To say that a virtual celebration is an imperfect solution would be an enormous understatement—and believe me, I’m as upset as you are that we won’t be celebrating your new degree in person, in a crowded Dreamstyle Arena (Pit) filled with family and friends,” Stokes said in the email. “Commencement is a life experience, a genuine rite of passage—and as such, it truly cannot be experienced virtually.”

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Politics, misinformation enter fray as 'anti-quarantine' protest and COVID cases continue

Andrew Gunn | April 26

A small group of protesters demanding the reopening of New Mexico’s economy gathered at Civic Plaza Friday while the death toll from the coronavirus in New Mexico continues to mount. The demonstration — organized locally on Facebook by longshot Republican congressional candidate Brett Kokinadis and a group called “NM Freedom Rally - Operation Gridlock NM” — mirrored other anti-quarantine protests held in Santa Fe and across the country in recent weeks calling for the softening of social distancing restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. While the small nationwide protests continue to make headlines and grab attention online, their origins remain unclear. A Washington Post article found that three brothers from Ohio were responsible for some of the largest anti-quarantine Facebook groups in the country.

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Agora Crisis Center faces high-volume chat services during pandemic

Megan Gleason | April 24

The University’s Agora Crisis Center has seen an increase in the use of their services during the coronavirus pandemic. Agora — a UNM student organization — is a free, confidential all-issues support center accessible to anyone.  “Our whole mission is really to just help our community,” Agora Associate Director Kyle Dougherty said. “Anybody can get in contact with us at any time.” Agora reported they’ve had an increase in online chat services, while their phone services remain consistent with previous records.

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11 Senators elected with lowest turnout since 2014

Alyssa Martinez | April 24

Undergraduate student government elections saw the lowest voter turnout since 2014 for the final election of the academic year, according to statistics collected by the Daily Lobo.  Just 837 students voted in the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) senate elections — representing about 5.6% of the undergraduate body this semester.  Todd Moe, who heads the ASUNM Elections Commission, said he was disappointed with the turnout, but said the coronavirus pandemic — and the suspension of in-person classes — likely played a role. 

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UNM Bookstore extends book rental return deadline

Makayla Grijalva | April 23

The University of New Mexico bookstore altered its spring 2020 textbook rental return policy to accommodate the unusual situation some students are finding themselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   The change in policy includes a rental extension from May 16 to May 20, as well as options to return textbooks through a mail-in or a drive-thru drop off method.  “In light of the current health crisis, the UNM Bookstore has revised the previous textbook rental return procedures and deadlines in order to adhere to the most recent public health guidelines and the University’s limited operations status,” a press release from UNM bookstore management said.

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New Mexico sees anti-quarantine protest as deaths, cases continue to climb

Justin Garcia | April 20

SANTA FE — Circling the mostly empty state capitol building, about 16 cars blared their horns in a parade-style protest Monday afternoon. Many had adorned their vehicles with American flags and slogans like “F the Governor” and “Reopen New Mexico.” “High NOON drive around the Capitol — honk horns, paint cars or bring signs. SHOW UP. Do not park and walk — stay in your vehicles!” the event post on Facebook read.   The protesters called on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to “reopen” New Mexico after the state closed all non-essential business until at least April 30 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  While much more subdued, the Santa Fe protest coincides with protests across the country to reopen the United States’ shuttered economy, despite warnings about the lethal consequences of doing so.  The orders are meant to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus and are overwhelmingly endorsed by public health officials, doctors and researchers.  Still, fear of the virus that has killed 40,724 American’s as of April 18 — including 58 New Mexicans — was not enough to keep Monday’s protesters away. 

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30 candidates vying for 11 seats in ASUNM Senate

Alyssa Martinez | April 19

The student government senate election will persist in the face of the pandemic.  Although the election will be held in an online-only medium, that did not stop a record 30 candidates from attempting to occupy one of the 11 seats available. Undergraduates can cast their votes from Monday, April 20 at 9 a.m. through Wednesday, April 22 at 5 p.m. via their my.unm.edu portal. With the coronavirus shuddering the lives of many Lobos, some current senators previously aired concern about how this election's participation will be impacted. This time last semester, 10 of the 15 total candidates were elected by just 6% of all undergraduates. 

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SHAC to hold campaign addressing sex during COVID-19

Makayla Grijalva | April 17

The University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) will hold a campaign over social media entitled “Sex during COVID-19” to address uncertainties surrounding the spread of the disease during intercourse.  “Intimacy and sex are more risky during a pandemic.” Health Promotions Manager Tiffany Martinez-Durant said. “So, that’s why we try and tell students if you’re actively dating someone where you are going to go meet up, you have to really vet your partner and consider the impact of public health, your loved ones, so forth and so forth.”  Martinez-Durant said although people are generally aware of how the coronavirus spreads there are still many facts surrounding COVID-19 that many are not aware of, such as how the virus was found in fecal matter.   

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UNM to receive $17 million for student relief

Liam Debonis | April 17

The University of New Mexico will receive at least $8.6 million from the federal government to use toward emergency relief grants for students.  The money comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund established by the recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In total, UNM will receive $17,266,512 in “advance funds” from the U.S. Department of Education, according to the recipient agreement contract released by the Department. Of that figure, a minimum of $8,633,256 must be awarded in emergency financial aid grants to students. 

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UNMH employees protest lack of PPE

Liam Debonis and Bella Davis | April 15

Spaced apart following social distancing guidelines, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) employees and allies waved signs and chanted as passing cars honked in a show of support on April 15. “What do we need?” one protester shouted. “PPE!” the crowd shouted back. They assembled in front of the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) to protest the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) accessible to the staff.