Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Dispatch: South Korea

Emille Domschot | July 2

For several years, it has been a dream of mine to visit South Korea. I was intrigued by the beauty of the country, the culture, the food, manners and the language. I didn't know if I would ever get the chance to visit, but earlier this year I learned about the University of New Mexico's association with Dongguk University and the international summer school they offered. I decided to just go for it and apply for the program, and somehow, a few months later, I've ended up in Seoul. Already, my stay has been filled with adventures, from getting lost and looking for my dormitory until 2 in the morning, to climbing the rooftops of 14-story buildings, to sharing homemade food with a friendly local church and to trying to communicate with people when we barely know each other's language. I know this journey is going to be something I will never forget, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here right now and to learn as much as I can on the other side of the world.

Opinion

Reaching for the other half

Makayla Grijalva | June 30

The idea of limpieza de sangre or being “pure blooded” is, simply put, outdated. In New Mexico, especially so in the northern part of the state, people subscribe heavily to their Spanish heritage, some even denounce any possibility that they could be part Native American. Limpieza de sangre dates back to early colonialism and was initially used as a way to create a social hierarchy, placing Natives at the bottom. Personally, I had the realization early on that I was not of “pure blood” and the reality is most nuevomexicanos aren’t either. Many who choose to identify solely with their Spanish heritage are a mix of Spanish, Indigenous and probably small amounts of other cultures as well.

Opinion

Inspection of Public Records Act: Know your rights

Amanda Britt | June 30

The Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) is a state law that provides the public with access to public information. As a part of New Mexico’s Sunshine Laws, citizens have the right to open access to state and local government information, with limited exceptions. University of New Mexico students and other members of the community should feel encouraged to seek out public records information, as it allows us to keep a watchful eye over institutions and government entities. Full transparency between government and its citizens is not only important for those seeking out the information but also ensures governments are operating with honestly and with integrity. Keep ‘em accountable. At the Daily Lobo, we’re aiming to give the public the tools to best understand what’s happening at the University.

Opinion

Column: Transparency is crucial for a healthy university

Makayla Grijalva and Justin Garcia | June 24

“Access to public records is one of the fundamental rights afforded to people in a democracy.” This is the first sentence found within the introductory paragraph of the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) compliance guide published by the office of the Attorney General for the State of New Mexico. In an attempt to exercise this right, the Daily Lobo has actively requested many of these public documents as a recurring and crucial part of our reporting process. We published a story on Monday, June 23, where transparency advocates told the Daily Lobo that blanket redactions of letters between the Custodian’s Office and unknown requestors may have violated the law.

Opinion

Column: Conference focuses on student residence life

Chris Mather | June 17

Last weekend, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, between 2,000 and 2,500 college students congregated on the campus of Louisiana State University for the National Association of College and University Residence Halls Annual Conference. The NACURH Annual Conference focuses on student leadership within residence halls and offers as a place for students to develop as leaders to better serve their university. As the National Communications Coordinator for The University of New Mexico Residence Hall Association, I was able to experience the conference first-hand along with a delegation of nine other passionate student leaders and one incredible advisor. The conference presented us with many opportunities to find out who we are as leaders and how we could bring leadership skills back to Albuquerque to serve the residence community on UNM’s campus.

Opinion

Column: How seaweed could save the ocean from climate change

Cole Space | April 30

The late 1700s welcomed the Industrial Revolution, and while no one can undermine the importance of this cultural shift within every economic sector, it also planted the toxic seeds of humanity’s death. The enormous increase of production due to coal powered machines in the late 19th century, also enormously increased the amount of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere. Forward thinkers within the late 1800s started to notice, and document, changes seen within the climate, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that scientists saw an unusual increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Fast forward to today, an even a blind jester can see the effects of climate change. From the icecaps melting, to droughts intensifying, these events are new and undeniably caused by our own avarice of production resulting in pollution.

Opinion

Column: Four ways to contribute to sustainability without breaking the bank

Sophia Sambrano | April 30

Sometimes going green is seen as something that is expensive and elitist, and while this can be true in some cases, I am a firm believer that we all can contribute to the earth in meaningful ways. Below are four free ways you can contribute to sustaining our environment.

Opinion

Column: ASUNM changes law based on hunches and assumptions

Kyle Land | April 25

Last night, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico voted to remove a law requiring them to advertise their elections in the Daily Lobo. The bill passed 13 to 6. As editor-in-chief, I find the nature of the bill and the way it was introduced a little more than concerning. Frankly, the opinions expressed by those who supported this bill proved exactly why recent election turnouts have been at some of their lowest points ever. Firstly, one of the most baffling moments of the meeting came during a presentation Victoria Knight, Joint Council’s representative to ASUNM, made to the Full Senate. She said that President Becka Myers had asked the council how they would feel if they were in the Daily Lobo and this legislation was introduced?

Opinion

Column: The root causes of homelessness

Andrew Gunn | April 25

Early in the afternoon during the summer of 2017, 50-year-old Lou Molzhon was sleeping on a mattress under the Interstate 40 overpass at 12th Street. Described by friends and acquaintances as a kindhearted man who was quick to share a smoke, he had been living on the streets of Albuquerque for over a year. Under the bridge downtown, Molzhon didn't give his life away — it was stolen from him. Police and witnesses say that two assailants soaked him in gasoline and set him on fire. Molzhon later died of his injuries at the University of New Mexico Hospital. His attackers have yet to be apprehended. This is but a microcosm of the threats facing those experiencing homelessness in the United States, and the crisis is only getting worse. Homelessness has tripled in New York City since the turn of the century, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. A proposed homeless "navigation center" in an affluent waterfront neighborhood in San Francisco is facing immense backlash from residents, even as City Supervisor Aaron Peskin says the city's homelessness situation has reached a "boiling point".

Opinion

Column: Mixed emotions about graduation

Gabriella Rivera | April 25

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.

Opinion

Letter: Universities should be open to challenging speech

Daily Lobo Reader | April 15

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.

Opinion

Letter: Yale pump station should be preserved

Daily Lobo Readers | April 15

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."

Opinion

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

Kyle Land | March 25

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.

Opinion

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

Kyle Land | March 18

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.

Photo courtesy of the UNM Bonds website.

Opinion

Letter: My favorite places to cry on campus

Daily Lobo Readers | March 7

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.

Opinion

Column: Objectivity isn't enough for good journalism

Danielle Prokop | March 4

Dear Reader, Look, I like objectivity as much as the next girl, but here’s the thing — as a measurement for good journalism, it's a poorly-used metric. Before you all come at me with your pitchforks and AP Stylebooks, hear me out. I believe in objectivity and strive to use it, but it's far from the end-all-be-all solution. Setting aside beliefs, it is important to disconnect how things might personally affect you and keep personal opinions under wraps. Good journalism requires people to be critical thinkers, to ask better questions by compartmentalizing our preconceptions and emotions. That doesn't mean I stop being a human. Objectivity, according to a quick Google search, is the absence of bias or prejudice, which honestly is all good. However, it is the philosophy of how to apply objectivity that causes serious problems in journalism.

Opinion

Sports Column: There's more to cheerleading than meets the eye

Alanie Rael | February 25

Stereotypes surrounding cheerleading have a history that dates back decades and are concepts most people grew up hearing. Assumptions like “cheerleaders are dumb” or “cheerleading isn’t a real sport” are common when discussing the topic of cheerleading. But for many, cheerleading is a lot more than its stereotypes. As University of New Mexico cheerleaders, sophomores Amaia Bracamontes and JC Oellien have been confronted by these “standards” that seem to define them as athletes.

The Santa Fe University of Arts and Design

Opinion

Sports Column: Team sports are an integral part of campus community

February 25

Team sports can be an integral part of creating a cohesive and healthy campus community. For three years, I attended a private art university that did not offer any organized sports. At first, I didn’t really care because I was an ‘artist’ and many artists didn’t do sports. At least, that’s the impression art school gave me, and I ran with it. I had participated in team sports my entire life — basketball, soccer and softball as a kid to competitive swimming as a teen— so when I was fresh out of high school, I wanted something completely different.

Opinion

Column: Homelessness affects students as well

Andrew Gunn | February 7

Raoul Thompson is one of the many thousands of undergraduates enrolled at the University of New Mexico. He attends classes, participates in student organizations and spends endless hours studying at Zimmerman Library. His aspirations of obtaining a degree and excelling mirror the ambitions of many students on university and college campuses around New Mexico and the rest of the United States. He has a hunger to prove himself and mold his life into one of success, on his own terms. He also has a secret. Thompson has no house, no apartment, no condominium — no bed to go home to at night. He has been experiencing homelessness off and on again since 2013.

Opinion

The arguments for and against the Oxford comma

February 7

Few grammatical debates have created more controversy than the Oxford Comma. Below, ASUNM Attorney General Emily Hartshorn and Daily Lobo Editor-in-Chief Kyle Land attempt to argue for and against the usage of the hotly debated punctuation mark. No matter which side you fall on, hopefully this gives you an insight as to why others use or do not use the serial comma.