Opinion

Opinion

Letter: Stand with Ross Ulbricht

Daily Lobo Readers | June 4

Editor, On May 31, a panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the second Circuit upheld the conviction and sentence of American political prisoner Ross Ulbricht. It's been two years since I last devoted a column to Ulbricht's plight, so a refresher seems in order: After a show trial so obviously fixed in advance that Stalin's pet prosecutor, Andrey Vyshinsky, would have blushed with embarrassment to participate in it, Judge Katherine Forrest sentenced Ulbricht to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the crime of running a website. Yes, really.

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Culture

Freshmen Issue: Things to bring when moving into college

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 14

Most students would agree that going away to college is one of the most exciting things to happen to them so far. Okay, maybe it isn’t going to college that is exciting, rather getting out from under your parents noses. As August approaches and you are beginning to pack up your room of childhood memories, remember this — you do not need to bring every little thing that holds a memory; there is not enough space in your dorm room, tiny apartment or, if you’re lucky, low-rent house. Also consider the fact that you will most likely be living with at least one roommate, and if you both empty out your rooms at home, there won’t be any space to move, eat, sleep or study. Here is a go-to packing guide that will prevent you from hauling things back to Mom’s house every weekend and help keep the sense of newfound freedom to do-what-you-want-with your-own-space from taking over.

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Opinion

Column: Why it's ok to have a meltdown in college

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 14

If you thought high school had it’s rough patches, well I’m sorry folks, but you are in for a major realization. College is hard. All cards out on the table, college can kick your butt. You’re probably living on your own now, you have to feed yourself three meals a day, wake up on your own, manage your time by yourself and worst of all, Mom isn’t there to make mac and cheese when you mess up. Chances are, you will have several meltdowns, possibly within your first semester. What they aren’t going to teach you in school, kiddos, is that it’s okay to cry, to freak out (just keep it to a minimum).

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Opinion

Column: Five Things I wish I knew as a Freshman

Denicia Aragon | May 14

From a new living space to different instructors to interacting with peers, adapting to your first year of college can be difficult, but here are a few tips on how to academically succeed, take care of yourself and make some great memories along the way. 1.

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Opinion

Letter: Take time for Mom

Daily Lobo Readers | May 14

Editor, I wish I had my mother this Mother's Day, actually every day. How sweet it would be to talk to her on the telephone and talk about the weather, family and friends and hear about what she was doing. How better yet it would be if life was such that I could take her to G.C. Murphy's snack bar and buy her a hotdog. Dad and mom gave me $5 and bought me a bicycle if I agreed to have my tonsils removed when I was about seven years old. When dad gave me the $5, I wanted to pay for our lunch, which consisted of hotdogs and Cokes at the old soda fountain bar in the now defunct G.C. Murphy's store in downtown Paintsville, Kentucky. It was the most money I had owned in my life, and it felt good to treat mom and dad.

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Opinion

Letter: Reconsider decision to cut the UNM ski team

Daily Lobo Readers | May 7

Editor, Athletic programs are a source of pride for any strong university, and for the University of New Mexico, college sports provide a valuable activity and recruiting tool, an engagement point for students and a key cultural identity for the University. As the president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and a collegiate All American skier myself, I've felt a very heavy heart recently in following the abrupt dismissal of the UNM Lobos Ski Team, one of the really important programs in NCAA skiing. My sadness is not just for the student athletes who have had their program disrupted, but also for the University which stands to lose a vital cultural program and one that typifies all that should be positive about collegiate athletic programs.

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Opinion

Letter: Trump is right, "shutdowns" are good for America

Daily Lobo Readers | May 7

If he's remembered for nothing else, Donald Trump will go down in history as the first president to think out his policies in public, 140 characters at a time. That may not be a bad thing. In fact, I think we should strongly consider a constitutional amendment limiting Congress to 140 characters per law. Hold that thought... "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" the Donald suggested in a tweet on May 2, in a fit of pique over the U.S. Senate's 60-vote cloture requirement. That requirement forced Republicans to negotiate with Democrats over a stopgap spending bill, in turn requiring Trump to give up on some of his policy goals for the short term to avoid the dreaded "shutdown."

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Opinion

Letter: Inadequate Campus Security

Daily Lobo Readers | May 3

Editor, One of my favorite things about living on campus is paying a parking permit fee that is approaching extortion just so I can have my car within a half mile of the dorm. What's even better is seeing that my window got smashed out and my glove box ripped open, despite being parked not even eighty feet from the security shack that is occupied all night. While I can appreciate the studious nature of the student employees who man the shack every night, I'm not too pleased that their negligence is coming out of my pocket. UNM needs to patrol campus far better than they're doing. Additionally, students who work for Residence Life security need to be earning their pay. If Residence Life security can't handle the task, then UNM must make the University PD pick up the slack.

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Opinion

Letter: ​For the love of knowledge defend education

Daily Lobo Readers | April 30

Editor, In his Symposium Plato states, “it is indicative of the tyrannical nature of imperial rule that it condemns love as well as philosophy and sport." With his sudden and dictatorial decision to cut UNM’s most successful sports program Athletic Director Paul Krebs proves Plato right. The disrespect hurled against generations of dedicated young men and women displays an utter disregard and total lack of understanding for the exemplary mission of athleticism. This mission has been perfected over the years by UNM’s outstanding Ski Team.

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Opinion

Letter: Transwoman on Campus Attacked — Anti-Trans Violence on UNM Campus Must Stop

Daily Lobo Readers | April 26

Editor, On Wednesday, April 19, something happened on campus that should sound the alarm: A transwoman who is a student at UNM was violently assaulted on campus by three fringe activists in a shocking display of bigoted thuggery. Many witnesses have confirmed this heinous act. There is no excuse for this bigoted act of thuggery against a transgendered student and activist, no matter what their political views might be. That evening, while students rallied and survivors bravely held a vigil against sexual assault and rape culture on campus, three well-known lone activists — with no following — shouted at her for her political affiliation with the Students for Socialism—UNM club (SFS), a chartered student organization that holds regular meetings on campus.

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Opinion

Column: What being a college student really means

Nichole Harwood | April 24

“The public sees two characteristics as essential to middle-class status: a secure job and the ability to save money. Other characteristics — including owning a home and having a college degree — are not widely seen as necessary to be considered middle class,” said a Pew Research Center survey conducted Dec. 8 through 13, 2015. Information like this plays a large part in the mentality of a college student who’s preparing to go out into the world as an independent adult. It can be scary. The world of teenagehood is a pale reflection when compared to adulthood. Information found in the Center’s survey and elsewhere can seem completely different from the information incoming college students were given as teenagers.

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Opinion

Letter: America needs to stop arming terrorist groups

Daily Lobo Readers | April 23

Editor, A diplomatic fallout is currently taking place between the nations of Turkey and Iraq, but it is only a small symptom of a much larger problem. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has long been accused by regional leaders and political analysts of being one of ISIS' biggest supporters; his recent comments seem to cement these accusations. Speaking about the volunteer militias in Iraq, 

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Opinion

Letter: Healthcare cuts will be detrimental to the economy

Daily Lobo Readers | April 23

Editor, Worse for your health than any chronic health disease you could name. The Washington bureaucrats have devised a plan which will make you sick! Yes, that’s right: they are pushing their “American Healthcare Plan” again. Only this time, it really will make you sick. The plan will slash Medicaid, leaving 180,000 New Mexicans without health insurance. Quite possibly, at least one of your family members, friends or acquaintances will lose health coverage under this bill. 

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Culture

Green Issue: The vegan’s guide to off-campus food

Diana Cervantes | April 19

1. Naruto Not only does Naruto host authentic Japanese cuisine, but they offer two vegan-friendly options to satisfy any palate: Fried Rice and Vegetable Eggless Noodles. The fried rice can be made vegan by requesting no eggs, or by simply stating: vegan noodles. The noodles are then fried with carrots, green onions and spices, topped with garnish. The vegetable ramen comes with shiitake mushrooms, kombu seaweed broth with black mushrooms, cabbages, bok choy, Chinese cabbages, carrots, tofu, and red bell peppers. Ask for no boiled egg.

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Opinion

Letter: Proper nutrition can help with substance addictions

Daily Lobo Readers | April 16

Editor, Nutritionist Roger Williams in the 1950s proved that not enough nutrients causes alcoholism. In his experiments with rats, only 10 percent of those with full nutrition became alcoholic. When nutrients were cut by one-third, about 33 percent became alcoholic. When nutrients were tripled for super nutrition, only one percent became alcoholic. In a study on people who boozed and smoked, an amazing 80 percent stopped without even trying when they received super nutrition.

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Opinion

Letter: Trump has violated promise to stay out of Syria

Daily Lobo Readers | April 16

Editor, Is it just me or did Donald Trump swear up and down during the election that he would not militarily escalate the U.S. presence in Syria? In fact, if I remember the debates correctly, he took more than one pot shot at Hillary Clinton for supporting unnecessary wars in the Middle East that, at the end of the day, did not benefit the people of the United States. 

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Opinion

Column: UNM skiing should be prioritized, not discontinued

Gabriella Rivera | April 16

Two days separated the announcement of Paul Weir as the new head men’s basketball coach and the discontinuation of both the men’s and women’s ski teams. This jarring sequence reflects the wider — and questionable — priorities of UNM Athletics under the leadership of Paul Krebs. Weir’s contract is to be 2.5 times that of his previous salary at NMSU. The base salary for his first year at UNM will be $625,000, escalating to $825,000 by his sixth year. Buyouts for basketball and football coaches have been costly for UNM in recent years, from Locksley to Neal.

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Opinion

Letter: Gov. Martinez cannot be allowed to cut higher education budget

Daily Lobo Readers | April 12

Editor, I am stunned that Susana Martinez has chosen to defund the legislature and all colleges and universities in our state as her way to balance our state’s budget. If this particular situation is not resolved, then EVERY institute of higher learning in our state will be closed as of July 1. This is truly the most unconscionable act of political gamesmanship I have seen in a long time.

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Opinion

Letter: It's time to question the viability of athletics

Daily Lobo Readers | April 9

Dear President Abdallah and the Board of Regents, I support your efforts to deal with one of the worst economic crises our University has ever suffered. However, I am very concerned about the draconian cuts now occurring to core academic programs at a time when the Athletic Department is hemorrhaging millions of dollars, and consistently running deficits year after year that must be made up by legislative funds, student fees and cuts to other University programs. I believe that no public employee in a state like New Mexico should earn multi-million dollar salaries and contract buyouts.

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Opinion

Letter: Bursar's credit card processing fee is harmful to students

Daily Lobo Readers | April 9

Editor, Recently, I found myself in a predicament that many students at UNM face during their academic tenure. A financial hold had been placed on my account, and I needed to make a payment to the Bursar's Office in order to have it removed. This seemed like a relatively simple task; I needed only to log on to their website and pay through my debit card, and all would be well. Little did I know, this was not the case.