Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Letter: University health plan is overpriced and lacking in options

January 19

Editor, The University’s health plans, as well as its prescription plan, are becoming a rip-off as the companies that back them choke us for every cent that we have in the form of high deductibles and co-payments. Furthermore, these co-called health plans won’t let us, their customers, choose the kind of alternative health care or “compound” medications that we want --- even if those treatments end up costing them less money.

Opinion

Letter: The media needs to be more honest about North Korea

January 11

Media repeatedly calls these nuclear explosions by North Korea “tests”. No, they are not just “testing.” That implies that maybe the tests failed. At least we should call them “successful tests.” That would paint a more realistic picture, and we will be successful in stopping these repeated successful explosions of these nukes with the media-viewing American public then more able to stand behind say further sanctions.

Opinion

Letter: If UNM wants to improve "branding" they should look to improve the University

January 11

The UNM Regents are going to pay $1.98 million for “branding”. Let us aim for the “branding” of the premier employer and educator in the state. Accomplishing this means respecting the employees, investing in the infrastructure and eliminating the focus on political favors owed for appointments and protecting the interests of the top 5 percent of earners at the University. This is not “your” university, it is the state’s university and you can do better by the state.

Opinion

Letter: UNM disregards impact of oil and gas extraction, pushes to remove regulations

December 7

UNM lobbying to remove local regulation of oil and gas extraction will impact the local environment as well as exacerbate climate change. For example, with the prospect of an exploratory oil well being drilled north of Albuquerque and no regulations in place in Bernalillo or Sandoval counties, residents would be left with no say in the impacts of well placement, monitoring of water and air impacts or other surface impacts.

Opinion

Letter: Anti-abortion rhetoric leads to violence

December 7

Anti-abortion rhetoric causes violence. Last week, three people lost their lives at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs. I was heartbroken when I heard the news, but I was even more heartbroken when I logged into Facebook and Twitter to see people who identify as “pro-life” supporting the shooter, or arguing that that’s what Planned Parenthood gets for “murdering babies every day.”

Opinion

Column: Coming back to school after 10 years challenging but worthwhile

J.R. Oppenheim | December 7

Man, it seems like it’s taken a long time to get to this point. Like many other students on this campus, I will take part in next week’s commencement celebration. I will walk up the ramp to receive two bachelor’s degrees: for multimedia journalism and history. I’m also 33 years old — not the oldest non-traditional student out there, but older than many of my counterparts. The effort that I put in during this second stint in college makes this graduation much more important to me than my high school or associate’s degree.

Opinion

Letter: Sex Education Week provides an often overlooked aspect of Sex Ed

December 7

I had the pleasure of attending several of the SexUality Week events put on by the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice with some of my friends from the law school. The goal of Sex Week was to give students a comprehensive sex education that is inclusive, positive and gives them the tools to have meaningful conversations about sexuality.

Opinion

Letter: America's supposed ally Turkey values oil over the fight against terrorism

November 30

One Turkey that left me with an upset stomach this year is the president of Turkey, Recep Erdogan. This man has dangerously escalated the situation between the U.S. and Russia by recently shooting down a Russian jet that was carrying out airstrikes against al Qaeda-affiliated rebels in Syria.

Opinion

Column: Student Success Week to Help Students Achieve Success

Jenna Hagengruber | November 30

Why do we "do" college? Is it for the countless networking opportunities? Maybe for the new friends and the good times? Or could it be for the extracurricular and intermural sports that are offered? Arguably, as students we could say we enjoy college for all of these reasons, but we "do" college, or attend college, for a very specific reason: to gain an education in order to be successful in the world.

Opinion

Letter: Find hot deals for all your mass murder needs in the Daily Lobo

November 30

Hey, if you wanna go on a shooting spree right here on this campus, you need go no further for your multi-shot rifles, complete with scope and ammo, than letting that huge overflowing advert insert from the Daily Lobo just fall into your hands and line of sight.

Opinion

Letter: State funds should not be used on private schools

November 23

I have to take exception with the Albuquerque Journal’s position that state tax dollars should be used to provide textbooks to private schools. The Journal is correct that all New Mexico property owners help fund the state’s public schools and charter schools.

Opinion

Letter: Sex Week was disappointingly short on sex ed

November 23

I attended most of the Sex Week because I believe it is important to be informed, educated and open to what people are bringing to campus. As I attended the “Birds and the Bees 2.0: Better Birth Control, Abortion and STI Education,” I was surely disappointed.

Opinion

Plenty for UNM students to be thankful for

Alex Cervantes | November 23

As we gear up for the holidays, people often ask us what we are thankful for, and that is such a loaded question. It’s hard, because there are two ways to look at almost everything as a college student: I can be unhappy that on a Saturday evening I am writing an article instead of celebrating my friend’s birthday, or I can be thankful because I have a warm home to be working from.

Opinion

Column: Cowardice is seeing terrorism under every hijab

Jyllian Roach | November 19

Did you know UNM is a terrorist-friendly school? It is because we have an active Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, and because ASUNM passed an anti-Islamophobia resolution last year. So says David Horowitz, editor-in-chief of FrontPage Magazine and founder of Students for Academic Freedom. Because popular opinion says that supporting Palestine is anti-Semitic.

Opinion

Letter: Sexuality Week lets students discuss issues in a safe environment

November 19

I was really excited to find out that UNM was holding events for Sexuality Week that were open to the public. I attend NMHU, and am very appreciative that I could receive this comprehensive education about issues I am often afraid to ask about.

Opinion

Letter: Refusing to take in refugees will only compound the related problems

November 19

Gov. Susana Martinez wants to refuse to take any Syrian refugees until they have been fully vetted to ensure that they are not terrorists. Muslims are not ISIS: They are not, in fact, terrorists any more than Christians are the KKK or the Catholics of old were the Spanish Inquisition. Refugees coming from the Middle East are running from the same terrorists that you are afraid of. I am sure Martinez realizes this, but I do not think she understands the implication of letting these refugees set up camps elsewhere. Refugee camps are breeding grounds for crime, disease and poverty, and camps are certainly where the 10,000 refugees that Martinez wants to refuse will end up.

Opinion

Letter: Many regulations hurt new businesses instead of protecting human rights

November 19

I’d like to take a moment to respond to a recent letter that claimed that regulations don’t kill jobs. It is easy to look at regulations as ensuring that people are not exploited and that human rights are not violated. Regulations that protect child laborers and worker safety are ideas that few could ever be opposed to. The reality, though, is that most regulations go far beyond that noble purpose. There are 103 million words in the Code of Federal Regulations. Are all of those addressing child labor and emergency exits? No, they aren’t.

Opinion

Letter: Regulations don't kill jobs, they save lives

November 16

Editor, At the recent rally on campus calling for a $15 minimum wage, I happened to see a counter-protester holding a sign which read, “Regulation kills jobs.” I would like to ask that protester exactly what kinds of regulations kill jobs?

Opinion

Letter: ISIS does not define Islam

November 16

Editor, Whenever tragedy strikes in the world today, it is common for some bigots to come out and say something like, “Everything I need to know about Islam, I learned on 9-11.” This is an intellectually lazy approach, and it is downright dangerous, because if enough people in the West adopt such an attitude, then future generations can only expect a future of war and hatred.

Opinion

Column: Cherry Reel Film Festival a great success

Jenna Hagengruber and Alex Cervantes | November 16

As both the ASUNM leadership, and as judges of the Cherry Reel Film Festival, we are incredibly impressed with the professionalism and creativity that our students show. ASUNM prides itself on its ability to constantly work harder and attempt to find a plethora of ways to serve the student population. This past weekend, the Southwest Film Center did just that. The Center held its annual film festival, that has been renamed the Cherry Reel Film Festival, Saturday night. With 30 original submissions, 20 of which were screened, and a newly acquired sponsorship from Canon, which provided a Canon camera to the first-place entry, this festival proved to be a big success.