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City council defers zero bus fare and speed camera decisions

  At the Albuquerque city council meeting on Sept. 8, councilors voted to defer two key issues that would have individually eliminated local bus fares and placed traffic cameras to fine speeders in the city. The deferral of the zero bus fares amendment is the second time this specific action has been deferred; the first deferment happened on Aug. 2. The amendment would be a year-long pilot program that the city has already budgeted for and funded, allowing everyone who wishes to ride a city bus to do so free for a year. The deferral came after lots of debate in the meeting over the safety of the program and anti-homeless rhetoric. 

Injured turtle at Duck Pond dies after animal bite

  Freshman ReElle Snyder came across an injured turtle at the Duck Pond at the University of New Mexico on Aug. 27 who had a mangled hind leg that was actively bleeding. This wound, which was caused by an animal bite, eventually led to his death, and sparked questions about how the wildlife on campus is being taken care of. When Snyder found the turtle during a class scavenger hunt, the red-eared slider affectionately named ‘Ed’ continued suffering while she struggled to quickly find someone on campus who could provide care. Two hours after calling Bernalillo County Animal Services, an animal control officer arrived and carried Ed away in his makeshift home, a cardboard box.

‘One for 5’ beer created to support local food pantry

  Three local breweries — Steel Bender Brewyard, Sierra Blanca Brewing Company and Second Street Brewery — teamed up for Hunger Action Month this September to create the third annual “One for 5” collaborative stout in support of Storehouse New Mexico, the largest food pantry in the state. A dollar from every pint sold in a taproom and 100% of package sales go to the local storehouse, where one dollar will provide five meals for anyone in New Mexico who needs them, according to Shelby Chant, co-owner and marketing director of Steel Bender Brewyard. 

UNM beats NMSU 34-23 in rivalry game

  The University of New Mexico football team beat their in-state rivals, the New Mexico State University Aggies, 34-23 in front of a strong crowd of 28,470 fans at University Stadium on Saturday. This is the first time UNM has won their first two games of a season since 2005. UNM got off to a quick start, opening the game with a 3 play, 64-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 4-yard rush from running back Bobby Cole.  The only score NMSU was able to manage as a response in the first quarter was a 43-yard field goal from kicker Ethan Albertson before the Lobos got another touchdown from a Terry Wilson Jr. 15-yard pass to tight end Connor Witthoft.

The Pack lights up Johnson Field for Red Rally

  A distinct orange glow lit up the night sky on Sept. 9 as hundreds of students flocked to Johnson Field for Red Rally. This annual event featured the burning of a 25-foot-tall Aggie effigy ahead of the University of New Mexico’s rivalry football match against New Mexico State University, which happened on Saturday, Sept. 11. This year was the first time Red Rally has taken place since 2019, following the COVID-19 shutdown that began in March 2020. The rally began with a few short words from Lobo Spirit Executive Director Joshua LaFayette, ASUNM President Greg Romero, UNM President Garnett Stokes and members of the UNM football team, all hyping up the student body for a rivalry game win.

UNM volleyball goes 2-1 at first home tournament

  The University of New Mexico volleyball team played their first home tournament on Friday and Saturday, beating Southeastern Louisiana University and Seattle University before suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of the University of California San Diego. The UNM Tournament began with a match against Southeastern Louisiana, which the Lobos secured with a score of 3-0. The Lions had lost all four of their matches this season (excluding exhibition games) before their match with UNM. The Lobos dominated Southeastern Louisiana with their height, and UNM was able to win with ease. This lopsided win was also an opportunity for UNM to show off their freshman middle blocker Elizabeth Woods. 

UNM football to play NMSU rivalry game on Saturday

  On Sept. 11, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University — home to the two major football programs in New Mexico and respective rivals — will face off for the first time since 2019. The UNM-NMSU rivalry has been competitive recently, as UNM has been holding a 6-4 record against NMSU since the 2010-11 season. The last game these two teams played took place back in 2019, and ended in a 55-52 final score in favor of the Lobos for former head coach Bob Davie’s final win with the program.

Grad worker union marches to president’s house

  The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico held “Rally for Recognition” on Sept. 3 to call on the University to begin bargaining with them for their union rights. The event, which started near the Student Union Building, culminated in a march to UNM President Garnett Stokes’ house on campus to deliver a petition demanding that the University begin bargaining with the Union. The petition, which had approximately 2,000 signatures, was presented to office staff instead of Stokes, whom staff said was at a meeting and unavailable.

Water drives UNM professor Mark Stone to build a better future

  Kayaking in a river or hiking along a stream, you’re likely to find water expert Mark Stone basking in nature. As a University of New Mexico professor with interest and research invested in many water-related matters, Stone pulls his energy from the outdoors and does everything he can to protect it. “Water runs through everything and defines what I do, both on the work front and when I’m not working,” Stone said. Stone works in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and has a variety of different focuses, from headwater-dependent systems like the Rio Grande to river restoration to climate change to natural disasters. 

Grad student Duncan McGraw seeks to support his community

  Duncan McGraw, who works as a research assistant and is pursuing a Ph.D. in optical science and engineering at the University of New Mexico, is passionate about playing an active role in his community and bringing more perspectives to STEM fields, as well as promoting fair working conditions for graduate workers. A lot of the work McGraw does involves lasers and studying light. Specifically, McGraw studies how light interacts with materials and how to use it to convey information and do computations. According to McGraw, lasers have always been of interest to him, which is what inspired his interest in this field.

Heating up the Hustle: UNM gears up for rivalry game

  Football fans are eager for the upcoming rivalry game between the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University on Sept. 11 at University Stadium. The Lobos are coming off of their 27-17 win against Houston Baptist University last week; meanwhile, the Aggies are already on a two-game losing streak at the start of their season. Red Rally will preface the game on Sept. 9. This event, taking place on Johnson Field, will feature a 25-foot-tall Aggie effigy on a stake that will be burned to the ground.

UNM women’s soccer topples formidable Washington opponent

  The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team made a statement to the entire women’s soccer industry on Sunday, Sept. 5 by beating the University of Washington at University Stadium. The 2-1 win against Washington proved an impressive feat as Washington was ranked nineteenth in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. The Lobos originally went into Sunday’s match 1-2 overall after suffering a tough loss to Oregon State University on Aug. 29. The Huskies came to Albuquerque 1-3, but had so far only lost to one opponent outside the preseason top 25.

September 7, 2021 Comics

Lobos volleyball rolls through Wildcat Classic

  Six games into the 2021-22 season, UNM volleyball hasn’t lost a single set, placing them at 6-0. The Lobos dominated the Wildcat Classic last week, beating University of Wisconsin and Abilene Christian University on Friday and then destroying Texas Southern University on Saturday. Wisconsin’s Green Bay came out of the weekend as the second-best team, losing only to UNM and winning both other matches 3-0. Even against a fairly strong team, the Lobos dominated across the board, besting the Phoenix in kills, assists and digs. UNM outside hitter Kaitlynn Biassou was everywhere, collecting 9 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks and 9 digs. 

2021 UNM Athletic Hall of Honor inductees announced

  Just like every year since 1986, the University of New Mexico Alumni Lettermen’s Association released their list of new inductees into the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor and other special awards. This list, announced on Sept. 3, distinguishes athletes, coaches, officials, groups and more as particularly outstanding individuals and teams. “In addition to their athletic prominence, emphasis is placed on professional achievement, civic contributions and exemplary citizenship,” the Letterman Hall website says. Former Lobos basketball guard/wing combo Hunter Greene is one of the inductees. Greene had a stellar career, going from seldom playing his freshman year to leading the team in points during his junior season and graduating as the all-time leading scorer in Lobos history. 

UNM women’s basketball to play difficult non-conference competition

  After a shortened season that only featured three non-conference games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team finally has a full slate to go up against starting in November. The first three non-conference games of the season will be against Lamar University, Northern New Mexico College and Prairie View A&M University. UNM hasn’t lost one of their first three games of a season (not including exhibition games) since 2018, and they will more than likely beat their first three opponents this year as well. 

OPINION: UNM men's basketball player pairing could solve team's issues

Last year, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team was terrible on the offensive. They couldn’t shoot, they turned the ball over way too much and their defense was poor in the backcourt. There were problems all over the roster, but the most glaring started at the guard positions, which are the most important positions in college basketball. This season won’t be perfect in that department either, but UNM does have two players that could propel the Lobos to better offensive bliss if they can play together: Saquan Singleton and Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Track and field to enter indoor season at UNM with rejuvenated roster

  The University of New Mexico track and field teams will have four indoor meets at home this winter, and both the men’s and women’s teams are hoping to show off some of their new additions. The UNM women’s team finished fourth at the Mountain West Conference Championship last season while the men’s finished fifth. The UNM women lost school-record high jumper Jamari Drake to the University of Georgia and conference champion 3000m steeplechase veteran Charlotte Prouse to graduation; both finished top 10 in their respective events at last season’s NCAA National Championship and will be hard to replace. Highlights in the incoming class this season include Lauren Fowler, a sprinter and long jumper out of Alta Sierra High School. 

UNM women’s swim and dive returns after season lost to COVID-19

  The University of New Mexico women’s swimming and diving team is back after missing the entire 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns. After missing a whole season, the team has changed in some profound ways, losing top swimmers but also bringing in a good mix of new recruits. The 2019-20 UNM swimming and diving team finished eighth in the Mountain West Conference Championship, winning three silver medals and one bronze. One of the major departures from the 2019-20 team is Hedda Øritsland, the top swimmer for UNM in 4 of the 15 individual swim events.

OPINION: Sexism pollutes sports industry

  Sexism in sports has tainted every aspect of the industry and continues to do so even today. In a seemingly progressive society, we remain decades behind where we should be. Women are continuously viewed as lesser than men, and this trend in sports is something that needs to be addressed and worked on. From a local perspective, I see a distinct lack of coverage in female teams, whereas male teams are in every media aspect imaginable. The University of New Mexico has more womens’ sports teams than mens’, so why am I only hearing about the mens’ teams?