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Two years into the Grey Area training program

Danielle Prokop | October 25

It’s been two years since “Grey Area Training” became mandatory at the University of New Mexico, and a few changes are expanding the program to more students. A two-year report compiled by the University on the program showed between March and Oct. in 2017 there were 76 undergraduate training sessions completed and 13,982 undergraduates were trained. There are now additional models for graduate and professional students.

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SHAC offers free STI testing for students

Anthony Jackson | October 25

Students at the University of New Mexico can stay healthy and be sexually active thanks to an on campus resource — the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC). UNM’s SHAC services provide free sexually transmitted infection tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia, offered twice a month on select Tuesdays — also known as STI Testing Tuesdays. Free HIV tests are also provided twice a month on select Thursdays.

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UNM centers offer free condoms

Justin Garcia | October 25

Gonorrhea — nobody wants it. Yet, there has been a 67 percent increase in reported cases since 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Gonorrhea is not alone. The CDC estimates there are 1.7 million cases of chlamydia in the U.S., a 22 percent increase from 2013. Syphilis cases are also up by 76 percent.

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One year of the #MeToo movement

Megan Holmen | October 25

It has been a year since the #MeToo movement took the nation by storm. University of New Mexico students shared their thoughts and opinions with the Daily Lobo on how the #MeToo movement has impacted them and how the movement has changed over the past year. According to the #MeToo movement website, “Our vision from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront of creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.”

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UNM breast cancer organization receives large grant

Alyssa Bitsie | October 25

The University of New Mexico’s Comadre a Comadre program has received a one-year grant of $25,000 from the Prevent Cancer Foundation (PCF) to expand and enhance UNM’s community-based project Breast Health Platicas. Comadre a Comadre is part of the College of Education Department. Co-founded in 2002, their mission is to empower the lives of Hispanic and Latina women and their loved ones through advocacy, education, information, resources and support about breast health and breast cancer, according to the program’s website. UNM’s Comadre a Comadre was one of 12 programs recognized and chosen from a nationwide grant application process. PCF commitment is to stop cancer before it starts through four pillars — research, education, outreach and advocacy, according to the foundation’s website.

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LGBTQ courses offered at UNM

Isaiah Garcia | October 25

Multiple departments at the University of New Mexico offer courses that include or are centered around gender studies, relationship issues, LGBTQ rights and sexuality studies. If students are interested in taking a course discussing these themes, here are some courses separated by department.

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ASUNM and student org to discuss future behind closed doors

Anthony Jackson and Justin Garcia | October 22

A University of New Mexico engineering club’s status, funding and future are up in the air — and all of it is being decided behind closed doors. Members from the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico and the UNM chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) will meet privately in the ASUNM conference room on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Confusion over SAE follows their announcement to withdraw their club charter from ASUNM, not from the Student Activities Center (SAC). Club charters are handled through the SAC, not ASUNM. Once chartered, a student organization can request money and is officially recognized by the University.

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Why the CD-2 election is making national headlines

Danielle Prokop | October 22

A New Mexican congressional race is making headlines in national news. The candidates are Yvette Herrell, a four-term Republican member of the state legislature, and Xochitl Torres Small, a water attorney and former staffer for Democratic New Mexican Senator Tom Udall. Congressional District 2 (CD2) encompasses roughly 19 counties in central and southern New Mexico. In total area, the district is larger than the state of Pennsylvania. It’s a huge variety stretching as far north as portions of Bernalillo, southeastern mining and oil areas, swathes of farmland and the second largest city in the state, Las Cruces.

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GO bond to fund UNM construction if passed

Tom Hanlon | October 22

This November, voters will be able to decide if the University of New Mexico will receive funds to renovate its chemistry building, construct a new Reserve Officer Training Corps building and build a new career center for the UNM Taos branch. These projects are all part of General Obligation Bond D, which will be on the general election ballot this November. GO bonds are a type of municipal bond often used to fund brick and mortar projects on universities.

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"Walk for Freedom" seeks to abolish modern slavery

Alyssa Bitsie | October 22

Members of the Albuquerque community came together for A21’s “Walk for Freedom” event at Alameda Open Space on Saturday morning. A21 is an international organization working to abolish slavery in the 21st century. The non-profit organization was formed in 2008 and works to eradicate human trafficking through awareness, intervention and aftercare, according to the organization’s website. The A21’s “Walk for Freedom” is a global walk in 50 different countries with over 450 walks in total, all held on Oct. 20, said the event’s host Jessica Otero.

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Early Voting — where to cast your ballot in New Mexico

Gabriella Rivera and Anthony Jackson | October 22

Registered New Mexico voters can begin early voting this Saturday, Oct. 20 at more than a dozen locations across Bernalillo County. Early voting will last from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. Polls will be open Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters will not be allowed to cast any ballots from Nov. 4 through Nov. 5, said Jaime Diez, a deputy clerk from the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office. However, Diez said voters can still cast absentee ballots if absentee voters did not receive them sooner.

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Crime Briefs for Oct. 22, 2018

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 22

Battery on a healthcare worker at UNM Psychiatric Center On the afternoon of Sept. 30, University of New Mexico Hospital security called UNM Police Department dispatch, stating that a patient battered a staff member at the UNM Psychiatric Center, according to a report. UNMH security gathered statements from the battered staff member and a witness. The forms were given to the UNMPD officer who was on scene. The statements indicated that a patient grabbed the staff member’s buttocks as she exited the nurses’ station on the east wing of the center. She pushed his hand away and yelled for him to stop. She said she would like to press charges.

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Secretary of State releases Native American voting guide

Anthony Jackson | October 22

With less than a month away from the 2018 midterm election, the New Mexico Secretary of State Office (SOS) has released a Native American voting guide for indigenous communities. The voting guide includes information about candidates running for office and ballot listings. On Oct. 9, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement that this guide is the “first-of-its-kind.”

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UNM instructor owns candle-making business as well

Alyssa Bitsie | October 22

A professor at the University of New Mexico is cooking up some sweet smelling candles in her spare time. Communications professor and fourth year doctoral student Hannah Long started her own candle-making business called WitchCrafted Candles. WitchCrafted Candles started in December 2017 as a new craft project, but with encouragement from her family and friends it turned into a passionate business venture.

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Falling enrollment primary topic at Regents meeting

Kyle Land | October 18

The University of New Mexico’s lowering enrollment and the impact it will have dominated discussion during the Board of Regents meeting on Tuesday. Whether the conversation focused on faculty retention or withering revenue, the University’s dip in student population — especially among incoming freshman — seemed to be on the minds of every speaker.

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New Title IX coordinator returns to UNM

Danielle Prokop | October 18

For the new University of New Mexico Title IX Coordinator, her time on campus is coming full circle. Angela Catena will assume her new position for UNM’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) in December, after she finishes up her semester teaching as a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University. However, this is not her first stint at UNM. Catena moved to Albuquerque in 2012 to get her doctoral degree in counseling. She graduated in 2016 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she teaches counseling and counseling psychology.

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ASUNM debates definitions and tuition

Justin Garcia | October 18

The Steering & Rules Committee had a lengthy conversation Wednesday night about the definition of “classroom component” in the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s Lawbook. Last week, ASUNM passed a bill that will prohibit funding classroom components after launching an investigation into the UNM chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE. The new definition reads, “Activities within a chartered student organization that contributes to earning a class credit hour including assignments outlined in the syllabus or assigned by an instructor.”

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New interim senior vice provost selected

Anthony Jackson | October 18

The changing of the season not only brings crisp, autumn breezes and fire-roasted green chile, but, this year, it also brought the changing of staff positions at the University of New Mexico. On Oct. 4, the Office of the Provost announced the appointment of Barbara Rodriguez, a professor from the UNM Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, to be the interim Senior Vice Provost. It was reported by UNM Newsroom on Oct. 4 that Richard Wood, the interim provost, said Rodriguez has a lot to offer to the University. “Her demonstrated leadership and capacity for teamwork; her intelligent and organized response to challenges; her sheer intellect and commitment to the academic mission; and her profound dedication to the diverse communities that make up New Mexico will make her an outstanding senior vice provost this year,” Wood said.

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Bird Scooter tries to expand to Albuquerque

Justin Garcia | October 18

Flying in from Venice Beach, California, representatives from Bird — an electric scooter service — came to the University of New Mexico to showcase their ride-sharing scooters to students on Monday and Tuesday. In other cities where Bird operates, the scooters cost a dollar to unlock and between 15 and 20 cents for every minute of use. The company is trying to set up shop in the Albuquerque and University areas. A Bird spokesperson said, "We believe the University of New Mexico would be a great place to provide our accessible, affordable, environmentally-friendly transportation option. We are collaborating with University officials and hope to bring Bird's service to the students and faculty at UNM in the near future."

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Endangered Species Act faces many threats

Isaiah Garcia | October 18

The Endangered Species Act is a set of laws that has helped save many different plant and animal species from going extinct, as well as preserved wildlife and natural ecosystems throughout the country. Over the course of summer 2018 the current administration proposed a set of bills to change the Endangered Species Act and subsequently limit its protections. The proposed changes are detailed in a technical 100-page long document. Some of the most controversial changes proposed include loosening the regulations protecting threatened species and considering the economic consequences of protecting a species before listing them as endangered.