Column: Mixed emotions about graduation

As I write this, in mid-April, amid allergy season, term paper season, and the middle of my athletics season, I probably feel a lot like you do — unreasonably tired and asking myself “am I getting sick or do I just need a Claritin?” So burnt out from schoolwork that I decided to pluck every weed from my mother’s lawn instead of writing my paper due this weekend. 

Also, like a good chunk of you, a thought that pervades through all of the stress and emotion is that of my looming graduation. 

A majority of you that are graduating this May absolutely cannot wait to do so. You’re posting senior photos, sending out graduation announcements and planning parties, anxiously and excitedly counting the days until you’re finally done. If you are one of these, congratulations. Your day is coming.

Letter: Universities should be open to challenging speech

In the coming weeks, far-right PragerU speaker, Will Witt, will be coming to UNM. Whether or not that will garner the same hatred and response as when Milo Yiannopolous came to speak is yet to be seen. 

Being a registered Democrat and a self-described progressive, my biggest complaint with my own party is our refusal to hear others with views that don’t align with exactly with our’s. The first amendment of our Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech.” I’m not sure why we have such an animosity towards those who have opinions that do not match our own.

Letter: Yale pump station should be preserved

Editor,

Years back, there was a somewhat overrated, but compelling hit song that spoke of "paving paradise" and replacing them with parking lots. Today, the University of New Mexico takes a step further towards being the kind of institution that does just that. 

I'm referring to the school's recent decision to raze a nearly 100-year-old pump structure off Central and Yale to add to the area's already aggressively expansive parking superstructure. Granted, an old and somewhat dilapidated pump building isn't exactly "paradise", but it will certainly be taken down, paved, and made into yet another expression of the "free market," where students and visitors can fork over more of their money for the benefit of the private companies that make these electronic "pay stations." 

Column: Include R.O.N. on the ballot to keep elections fair

This week thousands of undergraduate students at the University of New Mexico will have the chance to elect the next president and vice president of the Associated Students of UNM, with two candidates running for each position. 

However, I’m not here to discuss any one of those candidates. Instead, I’ll be discussing a third candidate for both positions — their name is R.O.N. 

R.O.N. is actually a popular candidate at many different universities and is a common feature in student union elections across the United Kingdom. 

But R.O.N. is not a person; it is an acronym for Re-Open Nominations, and is included on ballots next to the names of the candidates. 

Column: Greek Life's charity doesn't make up for shortcomings

The history of Greek Life on university and college campuses has no shortage of drama. In recent years, fraternities and sororities across the nation have faced troubling incidents, including racism, homophobia and sexual assault. 

One fraternity at Syracuse even achieved the trifecta by mocking or doing all of these acts in one video. 

Even at the University of New Mexico, Greek organizations face their fair share of troubling behaviors. Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE), Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) and Phi Delta Theta (Phi Delt) came under investigation last year for violating university policies relating to alcohol and hazing. FIJI had its entire charter revoked, while PIKE and Phi Delt were both placed on probation, the latter of which just ended in January. 

Letter: My favorite places to cry on campus

I have been at UNM for three years pursuing my undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry. There are a plethora more places I have cried, and am planning to cry in the future. In all seriousness, I encourage you to take care of yourself this week despite the high stress and volume of tasks. If you’re reading this, I implore you to take a deep breath, you can do it. Prioritize your sleep (no, coffee is not a replacement for sleep, sorry), make sure you’re eating and drinking enough. Good luck on your exams, and remember that your performance on exams does not dictate who you are as a person.