Opinion

Opinion

Column: Why everyone needs to check their privilege

Megan Holmen | October 4

No matter where you go or what you do in your lifetime, there will likely be someone better off than you, and there will be someone worse off than you. This is — in its essence — a very basic definition of privilege. There are many types of privilege, including white privilege, male privilege, Christian privilege, straight privilege, rich privilege, able-bodied privilege and more. These factors impact the way an individual is treated, the ability to move up in the social system and their quality of life. It is a well-known fact that people are born into circumstances beyond their control, be that negative or positive. Often these factors may be both a blessing or a curse, and only defined by the beholder. Still, much of what surrounds us when we are brought into this world is completely out of our control.

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Opinion

Column: There's nothing wrong with finding your passion

Gabriella Rivera | October 1

Stanford and Yale psychologists recently published a paper titled “Implicit Theories of Interest: Finding Your Passion or Developing It?”. They conducted several studies that claim those who seek to “find their passion” — which they define as believing one has “fixed interests” as opposed to believing your interests change over time — might develop mindsets that make them less successful. They conclude with a warning that “urging people to find their passion may lead them to put all their eggs in one basket, but then to drop that basket when it becomes difficult to carry.” Why does there have to be a dichotomy between finding your passion and developing it?

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Opinion

Column: In light of new allegations, Kavanaugh confirmation must be postponed

Kyle Land | September 24

Christine Blasey Ford is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee this Thursday regarding an alleged incident of sexual assault that occurred 35 years ago. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh denied the allegation in no uncertain terms. “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation,” Kavanaugh said in a statement released by the White House. “I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”

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Opinion

Letter: Activism helps promote healthy communities

Daily Lobo Reader | September 16

Editor, Albuquerque's Climate March was full of strong opinions and even stronger hope, but not full of youth. That's why I showed up. It was not because I have a particular love and affection for all things green or can be found hugging trees in my free time. Truth be told, I am not an environmentalist. I am simply an activist. I showed up because I was called on to spread a message and to act for love and justice.

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Opinion

Letter: BOR is unwilling to listen to the community

Daily Lobo Reader | September 13

Editor, It’s a special “club,” and you are not in it, until we need you. That is essentially the message sent to Faculty Senate President Pamela Pyle by Regent Tom Clifford at the meeting on Tuesday, September 11, 2018. We do not want to take your advice on anything to do with UNM decisions, until we need you to give us some cover, was the other message he made clear.

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Opinion

Predatory Songbirds: the case of the murderous tits

Jenna McCullough | September 13

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published online in the UNM BioBlog on September 4th, 2018, written by Jenna McCullough. This is part of our project to help connect the Daily Lobo audience to more members of our community. When you think of a songbird, like a finch or a sparrow, what kind of food does it eat? For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is bird seed — it fills feeders and the shelves of our local bird-watching stores. But songbirds are more diverse than finches at your neighborhood feeder and they eat more than just idyllic bird seed.

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Opinion

Column: Americans need to pay better attention to international news

Megan Holmen | September 13

According to a 2016 study done by National Geographic, most young Americans cannot pass a test on international affairs. This study consisted of over 1,000 bachelor degree-holding Americans taking a 75 question test. The average score was 55 percent, a score that is most certainly failing. Many Americans know little to nothing about international current events, which is a massive problem. A large portion of the news that Americans find readily available for their consumption focus on problems within the United States, or events that directly impact its interests. In the rest of the world, most individuals don’t have the luxury of closing the curtains on international events and problems.

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Opinion

Column: John McCain's death is a loss for all Americans

Gabriella Rivera | September 6

I’ve always done my best to avoid defining myself politically, as I feel it does more harm than good, but let’s put it this way: you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would label me “conservative” on most major issues. And while I like to think I associate with people that represent a healthy mix of positions on the political spectrum, an undeniable majority of those close to me are squarely on the left. Senator John McCain, on the other hand, was a fixture of the Republican Party and a consistent conservative — on almost every issue, McCain and I fundamentally disagreed. Not going so far as to revel in someone’s death, perhaps I should be grateful that a powerful adversary to many of the causes I am active in is gone.

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Opinion

Column: Regents' accountability for sports cuts is lacking

Danielle Prokop | September 4

Amidst the outrage swirling around the decision to cut four sports from UNM’s Athletics program, lies the question of who is responsible. While most of the vitriol and threats to withhold funds from the University are aimed at President Garnett Stokes and Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez, many of the parties responsible are left unscrutinized. For a decade, leadership in Athletics promised increased attendance in games to bolster budgets, despite these claims having no basis in fact. And that’s only the beginning.

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Opinion

Column: Norway enchants with its culture

Megan Holmen | August 26

There are some places in this world where photographs cannot do the landscape justice. Norway’s fairy tale fjords are one these places. Carved out of mountains made for a giant's footstool, with waterfalls spilling tears from the Gods, it is no wonder so many spectacular legends were born in the fjords of Norway. There is a certain stillness brought on by the presence of fjords. It is a silence much like a snow-blanketed morning or the last glimpse of light when the sun sets.

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Opinion

Column: How to best manage your time in college

Megan Holmen | August 26

Time management during college can be difficult even if you’re normally an organized person. Between class, studying, work and a social life (if you’re lucky) it’s easy to lose track of an assignment or an important meeting. Often students new to college struggle with knowing when to do what, and what to skip entirely. Some people struggle with organizing their schedule and managing their time well after the start of college, so here are a few tips I have come to live by after two years in college.

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Opinion

Column: Why you should stay in New Mexico

Makayla Grijalva | August 22

New Mexico is familiar with making headlines for bad reasons. In 2018, we ranked 50th in education, 46th in overall economy, 47th in infrastructure, 44th in financial stability, and 49th in crime and correlations according to the US News and World Report. These are not numbers to be boasting about. Throughout high school, I remember my fellow students fantasizing about leaving the state. I had many conversations where I asked the question, “Where do you want to go for college?” and the responses were, “As far away from here as possible.”

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Opinion

Editor's Reaction: Finger pointing seems pointless in no-win situation

Robert Maler | August 22

A story typically benefits from having a protagonist and an antagonist — a good guy and a bad guy (or gal) — someone to root for and someone to bear the burden of villain for people to root against. The student-athletes who make up the University of New Mexico sports programs seemed to be an easy choice for the side to cheer for — a natural fit as they are competitors who rely on and thrive under the support of fans in the community in the respective sports they play. Despite an outpouring of support, many of the students involved in UNM sports found themselves caught in the crosshairs, targets of a plan for a reduction in sports. And it seemed only natural that people would rally against the students unfairly becoming casualties due to other's errors, including a lack of financial oversight, Title IX non-compliance and a myriad of other issues.

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Opinion

Column: An ancestral visit to Sweden

Megan Holmen | August 19

Sweden was the longest leg of my journey and the main reason that I decided to visit Europe in the first place. My father’s family is Swedish and I always wanted to visit my Swedish relatives. All in all, I met around eight relatives in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Lund and Gunnarp. The first cousins I met were Sofia and Henrik Holmén. We spent most of our time outside near Gothenburg. The scenery around Gothenburg belongs in a book of fairy tales. We went swimming nearly everyday, be that in a lake or in the sea off the western coast of Sweden.

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Opinion

Daily Lobo: We are not the enemy of the people

Daily Lobo Staff | August 16

Dear President Trump, It’s clear you hold quite the disdain for the media. While this is not uncommon for people in your position, the level of ferocity that you have shown has gone far beyond simple critiques. Even after five journalists were gunned down in their own newsroom by a man who did not agree with their coverage of him, you stated publicly that those in the media are “the enemy of the people.”

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Opinion

Column: Packing for an international trip

Megan Holmen | August 12

We’ve all had that “oh no” moment when it dawns on us that we forgot some critical items for a trip. When traveling internationally there is an extra-long list of must-have items you might not use in your day-to-day life. It’s easy to accidentally forget something or not even realize you needed something until you're halfway across the world. Deciding on what kind of bag to take on your trip is important because size, shape and type of bag matter. When choosing travelers need to know if their bag will be checked or carry-on only. When traveling, I choose not to check my bag, which means whatever bag I choose needs to be within the standard carry on dimensions; the biggest allowed is 9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches (22cm x 35cm x 56cm). If during your travels you plan on walking long distances or anticipate standing for long periods of time, then a rolling suitcase might not be the best choice. Instead of having to lug around a rolling suitcase around there are many backpack options that are easier to carry with you, no matter the terrain.

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Opinion

Column: Traveling the United Kingdom

Megan Holmen | July 31

Castles, churches, fish’n chips, museums, the sea — and a whole lot of walking. The United Kingdom is comprised of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all are uniquely incredible. Spending the past week in the U.K. has been a wonderful opportunity to visit new places and learn new things. Unfortunately, this time around I was only able to visit England and Scotland, but I know I will be back to visit both Wales and Ireland. London, England and Aberdeen, Scotland were the two places where I spent most of my time, but I also visited Cullen, Stonehaven, Banchory, and Braemar all in northern Scotland. Having lived in both London and Manchester as a child, my experience going back to London as a tourist was both unique and refreshing. London through the eyes of a child and through the eyes of an adult are two very different things.

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Opinion

Column: Why I still believe in UNM

Kyle Land | July 22

To say that morale is low at the University of New Mexico would be a dramatic understatement. Following the Board of Regents’ approval of eliminating four sports from the University, including the successful and beloved men’s soccer program, feelings toward New Mexico’s flagship institution have soured beyond recognition.

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Opinion

Column: My trip to Italy

Mikhaela Smith | July 15

Spaghetti alla carbonara in Rome, squid ink pasta in Venice, Margherita pizza in Naples and gelato everywhere in between. These are just some of the dishes I had the opportunity to try this summer during my five-week study abroad experience in Italy. I do not speak a word of Italian, but I took a leap of faith and traveled with a University of New Mexico professor and three other UNM students to the hilltop town of Perugia, Italy to take a course called Writing Italian Food at the Umbra Institute.

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Opinion

Column: "Dry Campus" policy holds little water with taproom

Donald Amble | July 15

New Mexico State University is not a dry campus. New Mexico Tech is not a dry campus (except the one dry dorm hall. It’s their “quiet dorm,” where even residents over 21 may drink if they have no underage roommates.) The University of New Mexico has made a blanket decision about all of its students. The school says we cannot drink in our dorms and gives a myriad of reasons remiscient of Reefer Madness. However, all of these reasons lead to one conclusion: the population of UNM living on-campus is a ticking time bomb that is not to be trusted. It makes me feel like a criminal and a child, which is exactly what the school is saying.