News

News

Sex and Relationships Issue: Clery Report releases new data on sex offenses at UNM

Tom Hanlon | October 25

The 2017 release of the Clery Report revealed that the University of New Mexico is plagued by issues including sexual assault, dating violence and domestic violence. However, while the increase in numbers is eye-catching, it may not be wholly negative. According to the Clery Report, reports of rape on campus property rose from 12 to 14 from 2015 to 2016. Whereas, dating violence had the highest rise in reports with 23 incidents in 2016, compared to just five in 2015.

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College of Arts and Sciences proposes differential tuition

Ashish Khatri | October 24

Differential tuition has been proposed at the University of New Mexico’s College of Arts and Sciences Department — this could mean charging undergraduate students an additional $15 per credit hour and graduate students an additional $100 per credit hour. “The college has gone to the provost (and) regents, and the University has gone to the state legislatures and asked for more money. And the answer is no,” said Phil Ganderton, senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, in a meeting Wednesday.

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Birth of Bahá’u’lláh ceremony unites many parts of Albuquerque community

Rebecca Brusseau | October 23

On Oct. 22, members of the Bahá’í faith celebrated in Crowne Plaza Hotel in central Albuquerque event, symbolically remembering the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of Bahá’í. This event represents a very spiritual watershed moment in history believed by this faith. In the early 19th century, Siyyid Ali-Muhammad was born into the Persian family believed to have been descendants of the prophet Muhammad. This child grew up to be known as Bahá’u’lláh, a religious founder and leader of the Bahá’í faith.

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Gus Pedrotty talks politics

Gabriella Rivera | October 22

The Albuquerque mayoral race has moved to a run-off election between Timothy "Tim" Keller and Daniel "Dan" Lewis. News reporter Gabriella Rivera spoke with and compiled responses by former mayoral candidate and recent University of New Mexico graduate Augustus "Gus" Pedrotty to hear his perspective on the election and the future of city. Q: What impact do you hope to have had on Albuquerque through your campaign? A: The biggest thing I hope to have shown Albuquerque and our elected officials is how uniquely equipped this city is. We are at the forefront of so many industries and so many technological advances, and Albuquerque has the resources that put us in our own category among cities in the United States.

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Men's Basketball: UNM to play for charity to hurricane victims

Matthew Narvaiz | October 22

The Lobo men’s basketball team will face off against Brigham Young University on Friday, Oct. 27, for an exhibition match that will help raise money for Hurricane Harvey victims in Houston, according to a University of a New Mexico press release. Multiple coaches and teams were trying to get an exhibition game set up, according to head coach Paul Weir. BYU matched up best with New Mexico from a scheduling standpoint, and the exhibition match was made official last week. “To be totally honest, I woke up — and I forget what morning it was — and I had several text messages from coaches that started reaching out to each other,” Weir said on how the exhibition came into fruition. “This probably would’ve been Monday or Tuesday of this week, and coaches across the country started realizing we can play an extra game.”

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Sex Week 2017 will host a range of events

Rebecca Brusseau | October 22

Monday kicks off Sex Week, a weeklong series of events held by the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice. Sex Week has been an annual event at UNM over the past few school years. Although it has caused controversy in the past, it returns to campus, offering lectures and other on-campus events that help educate students about topics ranging from consent to more intimate subjects such as the use of sex toys. SARJ hopes that educating students about these controversial subjects will lead to a decrease in sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies and abusive relationships.

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Crime Briefs for Oct. 23

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 22

Criminal trespass at Casas Del Rio On Sept. 30, a UNMPD officer was sent to Pecos, one of the Casas Del Rio buildings, in reference to a male that entered the dorm without authorization, according to a police report. An RA found the unauthorized male sleeping on a couch in the common area and woke him up. The RA verified the male was not a resident and asked him to leave, which he did. A few minutes later, the RA was in the laundry room when a student walked into an entrance. The unauthorized person was standing next to the building, waiting for someone to open the door and caught the door before it closed and entered the building. All of the entrances to the building are locked at all times, and all residents have access to entering with key fobs.

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ASUNM bill requires bathrooms to be stocked with tampons

Brendon Gray | October 22

Last week, several administrators began the process of repairing restroom tampon dispensers across campus after a resolution from the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico passed a bill that asked for change. In the resolution, senators said bathrooms in the Student Union Building, Zimmerman Library and Johnson Center had tampon dispensers that were empty, inoperable or nonexistent. The solution would require building managers to repair, stock and create a structure to maintain the dispensers. On Wednesday afternoon, the resolution was distributed to the building managers’ desks. The next morning, signs were up in Johnson Center apologizing for the tampon dispensers that were out of order.

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Event hopes to draw new perspectives on Christianity

Madison Spratto | October 20

Calvary Albuquerque hosted Expose, a TED Talk-style discussion, Thursday night in Woodward Hall at the University of New Mexico in hopes to connect faith and reason through conversation. “I hope this event gets people thinking,” said Sean Kerwin, the assistant pastor at Christian church Calvary Albuquerque and a UNM alum. The event showcased several speakers: local apologist Grant Bersett, former lead singer of Anberlin Stephen Christian and archaeologist and UNM alum Dr. Steven Collins. As an apologist, Bersett aims to present a historical, reasoned and evidential foundation for Christianity.

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"LaPo Goes Local" aims to educate about homegrown ingredients

Colton Newman | October 19

Steak Night or Luau Night are usually part of legacy events held at La Posada dining hall each semester. But Wednesday night, LaPo shook things up by hosting “La Po Goes Local.” Instead of eating inside as they usually would, students were able to sit outside the dining hall at long rows of tables covered in fall decorations. Roughly two hundred University of New Mexico students cycled through the food line where they could choose from Frito pie, calabacitas, fresh grilled corn, pulled pork and the very popular green chile burgers. LaPo staff served the food, spoke with attendees and grilled green chile burgers, with the help of volunteers primarily made up of UNM fraternities.

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College Democrats provides platform for students

Rebecca Brusseau | October 18

As the fall semester reaches its home stretch, one organization is gaining momentum in its restoration. The University New Mexico College Democrats have reestablished themselves after a hiatus, which arose from remaining neutral in the wake of the presidential primaries in 2016. UNM College Democrats have regained their voice after almost a year and a half. This organization has returned to the UNM campus with biweekly meetings and the goal of gaining momentum and giving students a platform to speak about their political beliefs. One member who has played a key role in reinstating the group is Jackie Luchini, a fifth year political science major who spent the spring semester as an intern in Washington D.C. through the Fred Harris program.

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Brief: Mayoral candidates draw their battle lines

Kyle Land | October 18

In the first debate before the runoff election, mayoral candidates Tim Keller and Dan Lewis squared off at Congregation Albert synagogue in Albuquerque. While the race is technically nonpartisan, it became clear that both candidates were firmly planted on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Dan Lewis, who received 23 percent of votes to Keller’s 39 percent in the first election, was on the offensive throughout much of the debate. During a question concerning job growth in the city and 15 minutes into the debate, Lewis said he “didn’t create...sweatshop jobs in Cambodia like Tim did.”

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UNM prepares for accreditation review

Kyle Land | October 18

At Tuesday’s Board of Regents meeting, Senior Vice Provost Richard L. Wood and Associate Provost Pamela Cheek expressed concerns ahead of next year’s accreditation review. The Higher Learning Accreditation organization will be conducting a site visit in 2018-19 to determine if UNM will keep its accreditation as a degree-granting university. Wood primarily focused on areas in which the University could improve and announced the office’s goals for the semester. This included a commitment to reinvigorate community efforts and for students to become more involved in the Albuquerque area.

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Student achieves dream of working with NASA

Ashish Khatri | October 15

Since she was a child, Antonella Riega was interested in NASA. However, when she began her studies at Central New Mexico Community College in biology and at the University of New Mexico in Spanish, she never thought she would have the opportunity, especially because she was not majoring in engineering. That changed this September when she found a flyer at CNM that led her to become a part of a program at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

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Walk aims to spread awareness of human trafficking

Rebecca Brusseau | October 14

Albuquerque joined six hundred cities across the globe Saturday by participating in the “A21 Walk for Freedom” to raise awareness about human trafficking. A21 is an international organization leading the anti-trafficking and anti-slavery campaign, “Walk for Freedom.” The walk intended to inform the public, while encouraging victims of human trafficking to share their stories to prevent modern-day slavery from continuing. By 10:30 a.m. a line of marchers stretched along the sidewalk of Louisiana Blvd. from Cutler Ave. to Indian School Rd.

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Coach Carter visits during midterms, hopes to inspire UNM community

Kelly Urvanejo | October 11

University of New Mexico students gathered in the Student Union Building Tuesday to hear motivational speaker coach Ken Carter. Carter is known across the nation as the man who locked his Richmond High School Oilers basketball team out of the gym and discontinued their season when they were not performing well academically in 1999.

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Largest ballooning event in the world offers unique experience

Ludella Awad | October 11

Hundreds of balloons took over the Albuquerque sky this Saturday at Balloon Fiesta Park as part of the 46th International Balloon Fiesta. Albuquerque’s first Balloon Fiesta took place on April 8, 1972 at the Coronado Center with 13 balloons. Albuquerque native Jim Madden attended the first fiesta and has been enjoying the event ever since. Over time, he was on chase crews, “riding with some of the wildest people you could imagine, especially one fellow from England, and he decided he could land anywhere he wanted. You weren’t allowed to land on the reservations or go over the zoo. Those places he wanted to do,” Madden said.

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New facility aims to support student veterans

Gerardo Archundia Soriano | October 10

On the corner of Central Ave. and University Blvd. stands the new Veterans Support Building. Initiated by UNM at the end of last year, the facility aims to help veteran students in their transition from military to civilian life. Eliberto Calderón, president of the Student Veterans Association of UNM, said that students are surprised to find out that they have a new facility with different resources to help them in their studies. The office was previously located in the Student Union Building in a small room without the proper environment or resources that they needed.

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Local org advocates for a greener campus

Madison Spratto | October 10

Environment New Mexico unveiled their 10-point plan that aims to assist colleges and universities with the transition to using 100 percent renewable energy on Tuesday at a press conference at the University of New Mexico. “Our message today is clear: colleges and universities across the country are situated to lead the charge in transitioning to a 100 percent clean, renewable energy future,” said Sanders Moore, the state director of Environment New Mexico Research and Policy Center. The plan, titled “Renewable Energy 101: Ten Tools for Moving your Campus to 100 Percent Clean Energy,” consists of 10 options to help institutions in New Mexico establish a 100 percent clean, renewable energy system. “UNM has the ability, and the knowledge, to lead by taking bold steps to shift to clean energy and greatly reduce pollution,” Moore said.

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Lobo reporter catches a lift for the festival

Aaron Cowan | October 10

Once again the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has arrived, painting our city with colorful hot air balloons. Pilots from across the country and globe gathered on Saturday, Oct. 7 in the grass fields behind the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum to kick off this nine-day event with a Mass Ascension, in which hundreds of balloonists take to the air in two separate waves starting at 7 a.m. The only thing better than seeing this event up close on the field might be the opportunity to actually ride in one of the balloons. And this reporter got that chance, as part of the passenger group that flew with pilot Pat Harwell of Shreveport, Louisiana — he is a veteran pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight experience.