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Hispanic fraternal order sues Santa Fe Mayor over obelisk removal decision

  On June 17, the Union Protectíva de Santa Fé announced their plans to sue the city of Santa Fe and Mayor Alan Webber for the decision to remove the Soldiers’ Monument, the obelisk in the center of Santa Fe Plaza. The lawsuit comes after Webber’s call to remove the obelisk back in June 2020, and after a group of protestors tore down part of the obelisk during a demonstration on Indigenous Peoples Day last October. There is not yet a timeline for the removal.   “What our lawsuit seeks is an injunction preventing the mayor from replacing this historic obelisk with anything other than repairing it and restoring it,” attorney Ken Stalter said at a press conference on June 17.

LOBO PRIDE: Uris Tapia-Flores’ journey to queer acceptance through social media

Coming from a traditional Mexican and Christian household, University of New Mexico student Uris Tapia-Flores experienced isolation as they grew into their identity as an LGBTQ+ individual, feeling separation from the communities that had once embraced them. Throughout their teen years and into college, Uris Tapia-Flores found queer acceptance and kinship through social media despite an unaccepting home life. “(Being queer) is kind of hard because at home, I can’t really express myself the way I want to. I’m still in a Mexican household and I also grew up Christian,” Uris Tapia-Flores said. “At home, I can’t really express my queerness. Even if I do, the way I express myself is dressing myself the way I want to dress.”

OPINION: Rainbow capitalism’s performative toxicity

  It’s the month of June again, which means that it’s time for corporations to roll out a newly colorful logo, slap rainbows on their already-existing merchandise and pretend as if they’ve always cared about the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. This shallow attempt at pandering to the LGBTQIA+ community is commonly referred to as rainbow capitalism. Users on the social media app Tik Tok have been quick to point out how out of touch pride collections by several corporations are by making videos that highlight their “interesting” collections. It’s painfully obvious in most cases that no queer person was consulted about the design, resulting in hastily-made and mass-produced products.

Tod Brown introduced as new UNM baseball coach

  Tod Brown, a former head coach at North Dakota State University (NDSU), was announced as the new head coach for the University of New Mexico baseball team on Thursday. Brown will be replacing former head coach Ray Birmingham, who announced his retirement in April after 14 seasons with the Lobos. UNM Athletics director Eddie Nuñez said that Birmingham was involved in the process to select a new coach. “When we set out to find a new head coach for our Lobo baseball program, the vision and the goal was to continue to build our program that Birmingham built and elevate it,” Nuñez said. 

OPINION: “In the Heights” is a party, but not everyone got their invitations

  “Technically, it is superb; use of color is dazzling, camera work often is thrilling, editing fast with dramatic punch, production design catches mood as well as action itself.” This quote, written by Whitney Williams in 1961 for Variety heralding the soon-to-be released “West Side Story,” could easily be used to describe “In the Heights,” Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the 2008 Tony Award-winning smash hit penned by a pre-”Hamilton” Lin-Manuel Miranda. “In the Heights” follows the everyday lives and dreams of inhabitants of Washington Heights, a neighborhood in northern Manhattan. The main protagonist is Usnavi, a bodega owner who dreams of traveling back to his native Dominican Republic. 

Stansbury sworn into Congress after special election victory

  WASHINGTON D.C. — On June 14, Democrat Melanie Stansbury, former representative for the 28th District for the New Mexico House of Representatives, was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives to represent New Mexicans in the state’s 1st Congressional District.  In the ceremony, Stansbury was sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Stansbury then gave a speech on the house floor, where she was flanked by New Mexico Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, as well as Washington Senator Maria Cantwell. 

New Mexico United duels Austin Bold FC, ends in 0-0 draw

  Under a smoldering Albuquerque sun, New Mexico United returned to Isotopes Park on Saturday, June 12 for a 0-0 draw against Austin Bold FC. Alongside the game, the night was themed “Pride on the Pitch,” supported by 9,288 fans that came to show their pride; the game was completely sold out within its 75% maximum capacity restriction. A tentative game to start, both teams spent the majority of the first half feeling each other out, trading good scoring opportunities at both ends of the field.  The ball was skyed on more than one occasion by each team, as the respective defenses swarmed the player who possessed the ball. 

New season of ‘The Bachelorette’ filmed in New Mexico

  Coming all the way from Lynnwood, Washington, Katie Lane Thurston seems like she is going to get her fairy tale ending in this newest season of “The Bachelorette,” filmed in the Land of Enchantment. Thurston first appeared on screen as a contestant of the 25th season of “The Bachelor,” and is now taking over as the newest bachelorette on “The Bachelorette,” which has finished filming at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa. The first episode aired on Monday, June 7. The resort is located on and owned by the Santa Ana Pueblo. According to Hyatt, the resort was named after the ancient Tamayame people of the area. 

LOBO PRIDE: ASUNM Senator Raina Harper advocates for UNM queer community

  With her mind and heart set on making a difference for the LGBTQ+ community, University of New Mexico student Raina Harper is paving the way for greater transgender representation for UNM’s queer community. As a multi-term senator for the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM), Harper is empowering UNM’s LGTBQ+ students every step of the way. One such move was resolution 3F, which illustrates ASUNM’s support for specific, long-term goals and actions on behalf of UNM to support LGBTQ+ students, which Harper said is a big step to support and empower marginalized communities.

OPINION: A Filipino’s modern journey to Independence Day

Philippines Independence Day on June 12 not only commemorates the day the nation was declared as independent from Spanish colonial rule, but also serves as a continual reminder of the struggle for the liberation of Filipinos in America. My family settled into New Mexico in 2008, when I was in third grade. My mom had been living in the state for three years already, working as a nurse, but my dad was still waiting on his visa before he could come to the mainland from Saipan, an island 120 miles north of Guam.

Top 5 things to look forward to about in-person classes at UNM

  After more than a year of living in a very isolating pandemic, students are looking forward to coming back in person to the University of New Mexico. The Daily Lobo talked to Lawrence Fisher, an upcoming sophomore, about the five things he’s looking forward to the most at UNM in the fall after spending most of his time in the last year online. Fisher said he is looking forward to meeting new people as he attends UNM in person in the fall. Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, students have been very isolated, making them unable to socialize as they would during normal times.

OPINION: New ‘Conjuring’ film is just not that scary

  The latest installment to the “Conjuring” series, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” is not inventive, nor does it instill any profound sense of terror for the viewer, which is essential for any good horror movie. This film, the seventh in the canon, does not offer anything new to its own mythos or to the supernatural horror genre, though it’s definitely not without a few positive moments. With perhaps vain optimism, I have been chasing that terrifying high that was the first “Conjuring” movie, which came out nearly seven years ago. But this film failed to meet the standards of its predecessors and my own expectations.

Despite $10M federal bailout, UNM athletics budget remains in deficit

  At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the University of New Mexico’s Athletics budget was left bleeding. University Stadium sat eerily quiet, devoid of cheering fans, the air notably lacking the smell of concession hot dogs and beer, and The Pit’s blaring airhorn, once signaling the end of a decisive quarter, lay silent. And a massive, multi-million dollar deficit loomed amid the empty stands. But the U.S. government offered a saving grace in late December: federal stimulus money allocated for colleges and universities through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds II (HEERF II). 

UNM’s proposed COVID-19 vaccine policy draws support, objections and legal questions

The University of New Mexico revealed a draft proposal on May 3 that would require COVID-19 vaccinations of most students, staff and faculty in order to attend the University in person for the coming fall semester, drawing both praise and scrutiny from UNM community members. The short proposal has not received a final ruling from the University administration. Instead, UNM’s “Bring Back the Pack” website has installed a feedback button alongside the link to the proposal, encouraging those who read it to provide their thoughts.

Isotopes get back into the swing of things as games reopen to the public

Isotopes Park, just a short drive from the University of New Mexico, has been opening its doors to more and more visitors as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gradually lifts COVID-19 restrictions. Just across the street from the University Stadium and The Pit, this minor league team is playing in front of crowds again. The Isotopes returned for their home opener on May 8, over 200 days since they were last able to play at Isotopes Park due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

OPINION: Top five places to study on campus

College life is a big adjustment, and although you might be tempted to hole up in your dorm room, the resources on campus for studying are extensive to say the least. If you live on the University of New Mexico’s main campus, check out these top five spots so you can study comfortably.

Canvas selected to replace Blackboard as next learning management system for UNM

Canvas was selected as the future learning management software (LMS) for the University of New Mexico, according to an email sent by Campus Communications on April 22. A pilot program for Canvas will roll out in the upcoming semester, and the full transition will happen in the summer of 2022. The decision to move to a new LMS was brought about due to the limitations encountered on Blackboard Learn amid the transition to online learning, according to the email. UNM will be joining six other New Mexico-based colleges that use Canvas. “It was painful to have (Blackboard) be another barrier for people to have to jump over in order to engage with their courses,” Pamela Cheek, associate provost for student success, said.

‘NSO … To-Go!’ 2021 aims to promote student community bond

Incoming students at the University of New Mexico are being welcomed virtually with an online New Student Orientation (NSO) experience for 2021 called “NSO …  To-Go!” This mandatory two-day summer program is meant to prepare new freshmen for college life, and sessions for first-year students will be held from June 1 to Aug. 18. This year’s NSO will include self-paced modules about UNM, personalized degree information and UNM’s sexual misconduct training. Zoom presentations about being a new student, paying for college and more will be included. There will also be a virtual Ethnic and Resource Center open house, as well a discovery fair to showcase what available resources UNM holds. 

Academic Communities Program helps transition first-year students to college

The Academic Communities Program is a first-year-exclusive experience for students at the University of New Mexico. This program allows students to take special courses that will not only count toward their degree progress, but also provide a community space to explore how college works best for them. There are five sects to the Academic Communities Program: first-year learning communities (FLC), transition communities, big questions, deep dive and academic foundations. Each section provides a different type of experience for first-year students, and a quiz can be taken to see which academic community best fits you.

May 17, 2021 Comics