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APD arrests Black Lives Matter organizer accused of violating parole

Bella Davis | June 2

As a fourth night of protesting over the police killing of George Floyd got underway in Albuquerque, Clifton White — a 36-year-old Black man who helped organize Thursday’s protest — was arrested by the Albuquerque Police Department in a shopping plaza across from the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center. White’s wife Selinda Guerrero, a community organizer for Forward Together, and other organizers said that White’s Monday night arrest was retaliation for his organizing work. Guerrero posted a video on Facebook of White’s arrest. As he was taken into custody, White said, “There’s no jurisdiction. I’m being illegally arrested.”

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News

Peace and Justice Center holds vigil for George Floyd

Spencer Butler | June 1

ALBUQUERQUE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER — On May 31, a crowd of roughly 800 people gathered for a vigil honoring George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered last Monday by a law enforcement officer and has since become a symbol of the systemic racism and police violence against people of color that pervades the country. Video evidence showed Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis policeman, pressing a knee into Floyd's neck for around nine minutes while Floyd pleaded for him to take his knee off of his neck. Floyd eventually stopped breathing and was pronounced dead later. Chauvin has since been arrested for third-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

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News

City of Albuquerque deploys riot police after peaceful Black Lives Matter protest

Bella Davis | June 1

Downtown Albuquerque more closely resembled a theater of operations on Sunday night as riot police released tear gas and shot rubber bullets at protesters and journalists following hours of peaceful protests. The escalation marked the largest law enforcement mobilization and use of force against New Mexico citizens since the police murder of George Floyd last Monday. Albuquerque residents marched earlier in the evening in response to the murder of Floyd, a Black man who asphyxiated after a police officer pinned him to the floor with his knee for just under nine minutes.

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News

APD uses tear gas against protesters after George Floyd demonstration

Bella Davis | May 31

"Take it to the streets and fuck the police. No justice, no peace," protesters chanted during an Albuquerque march and car rally on Thursday evening. The several hundred people in the streets demanded justice for the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer on Monday. Late in the evening after the initial demonstration had largely dispersed, a SWAT team dispatched for reports of gunfire in the area arrested four people, leading the remaining protesters nearby to go to the scene. Following this, a riot police team arrived on the scene and allegedly injured at least one protester with tear gas canisters.

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Culture

Local church assists hundreds of families in need of food

Daniel Ward | May 28

30,000 pounds of fresh produce and dairy groceries, 13,000 granola bars, 2,400 loaves of bread, 3,600 rolls of toilet paper, 60 gallons of hand sanitizer and 600 reading and coloring books were all collected in just 10 days for the Harvest Fellowship food drive on May 23. The free drive-thru food distribution was set to take place from 9-11 a.m. at the Harvest Fellowship Church parking lot, but cars were lining up as early as 6:15 a.m. to get food. The church partnered with Convoy of Hope to provide two semi-trucks full of supplies for a total of 22 food pallets to give away.

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News

Undocumented students receive aid from UNM

Liam Debonis | May 22

As federal aid initiatives designed to blunt some of the financial hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic sidestep undocumented students, some colleges and universities — including the University of New Mexico — have decided to fill in the gaps with relief of their own. UNM has pledged aid to undocumented students who have filled out state financial aid forms. While most undocumented students are barred from federal financial aid, the state of New Mexico permits all students to apply for state financial aid regardless of immigration status.

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Culture

Marina Bernal found passion for activism, film at UNM

Cameron Ward | May 19

No matter the landscape, Marina Bernal remained a leader and passionate filmmaker. Behind the camera, Bernal gained professional recognition despite being a newcomer to the University.   Graduating with a major in Film and Digital Arts, Bernal’s academic pilgrimage took her from Barcelona, Spain to Albuquerque — and a few stops in between — in pursuit of some of her scholarly and life goals.

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Culture

Casa San Ysidro celebrates New Mexico's heritage online

Loreena Cain | May 17

Casa San Ysidro in Corrales, New Mexico has been hosting Heritage Day annually in May for more than a decade to celebrate the state’s history, art and culture. For the first time, this year’s event took place online. Casa San Ysidro has been closed since March because of COVID-19. Instead, the free event shifted online via the history museum’s website between 1-4 p.m.on May 16.

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Culture

Joel Clinger graduates with biology degree, rescue pilot aspirations

Beatrice Nisoli | May 16

Supplementing the rigorous academic lessons Joel Clinger is taking away from his time at the University of New Mexico is the personal growth he’s experienced throughout the past four years. Clinger is no stranger to arduous work. During his time at UNM, he worked toward a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in military studies while carving out time to devote to his student-run extracurriculars, community work and his own faith journey. “There was plenty of community outreach, such as working at the Ronald McDonald House as a guest chef as well as volunteering to help move students in and out of dorms on the Lobo Move-In days,” Clinger said.

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Culture

Mitch Marty graduates with MFA, passion for writing

Annya Loya | May 15

After a three-year long journey at the University of New Mexico, Mitch Marty is ready for his next adventure after graduation. Marty started his college years as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a major in English (Rhetoric & Writing). After settling on a field, he chose UNM for his Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing. “I came to the University of New Mexico for my MFA in part because I wanted to experience a different environment/culture that I grew up in the Midwest. UNM has also a great program that’s fully funded, so I was able to teach,” Marty said.  

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Culture

Loreena Cain discovered passion, friendship at UNM

Justin Garcia | May 15

From the Department of English Language and Literature, to the front page of the Daily Lobo, Loreena Cain covered the University of New Mexico with her stories. Now, Cain is ready to open the next chapter of her story.  Cain graduated from UNM this week with a Bachelor's Degree in English and Philosophy. It took her just three years to complete, even as she bounced from music to archeology and eventually to writing.

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Culture

First-generation graduate Jazmin Castillo helps community through counseling

Megan Gleason | May 15

Jazmin Castillo turned barriers into building blocks in her time at the University of New Mexico. Castillo is a first-generation graduate from UNM with a double major in psychology and sociology.  Castillo said she plans to stay at UNM for her master of arts in counselor education and eventually become an elementary or middle school counselor in New Mexico.

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Culture

Gabriel Gaarden fought for fair tuition and public health

Amanda Britt | May 15

Gabriel Gaarden wore many hats during his time at the University of New Mexico. Graduating this spring with a masters in public health is just one of his many achievements. Gaarden was a notable student for both his work as a research assistant and as the president of the Public Health Student Association (PHSA), where he grew as a leader and acted as a voice for the student population in combating differential tuition.

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News

Grace McNealy continues school after graduating with three degrees

Megan Gleason | May 14

After an undergraduate career that was as circuitous as it was prolific, involving a heavy focus on student publications, Grace McNealy will continue her academic journey at the University of New Mexico as a graduate student in the fall. McNealy is finishing her undergraduate degrees with a double major in English and Spanish, along with an honors minor. McNealy plans for a master of arts in English literature with a long-term goal of a publishing career in the future.

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News

UNM town hall addresses anti-Blackness on campus

Alyssa Martinez | May 13

A Zoom town hall to address anti-Blackness within the University of New Mexico community was held Tuesday following a series of racist online attacks hurled at Director of Africana Studies Program Charles Becknell, Jr. On April 30, two separate special event request forms were submitted that contained racist slurs and threats directed at Becknell, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal. “I know that everybody here knows why we’re here,” UNM President Garnett Stokes said at the start of the town hall. “A member of our faculty was recently a victim of what I think was a horrendous hate crime.”

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News

Best Buddies continues to foster friendships — at a distance

Beatrice Nisoli | May 13

In lieu of being able to convene with Best Buddies chapters across the state in person, Best Buddies New Mexico announced on April 30 that it would begin weekly Zoom trivia sessions every Tuesday afternoon. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that operates in 56 countries around the world, creates opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through a network of volunteers. This goal is accomplished through a plethora of celebratory events — the most notable being the organization's annual Walk for Inclusion — and by assigning registered members a "buddy," or an individual who lives nearby that also has an IDD, to develop a friendship with. This friendship program has chapters in every state. These chapters are often adopted individually as extracurricular programs in select schools, including universities. Emily Schwarz, a member of Best Buddies New Mexico and a student at Central New Mexico Community College, said she first became involved in Best Buddies at her high school in Rio Rancho and is still in contact with her friend that she met through the program.

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Culture

Amanda Britt graduates UNM with love for journalism, psychology and herself

Megan Gleason | May 12

Through sun and rain, Amanda Britt made her way to graduation with a humble smile that surfaced a radiant personality. With a double major in journalism and psychology, Britt is ending her time at the Daily Lobo as the photo editor. She started at the University of New Mexico with little idea of what her passions were and came out on the other end with love — not just for journalism and psychology, but also for herself. When Britt was diagnosed with bipolar depression, she faced a new challenge that she struggled to handle throughout college. "This whole year has been a battle with my mental health, but now I feel like I’m good again," Britt said. "I am learning more about myself and being kind to myself."

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News

UNM prepping for up to $53 million budget cut from the state

Justin Garcia | May 12

State funding for the University of New Mexico could soon plummet some $53 million or 15%, according to UNM’s top finance administrator, raising questions about cuts and reductions across the University in the coming months. Teresa Costantinidis, UNM’s vice president for finance and administration, told the Board of Regents on Tuesday that UNM is prepping budget scenarios for the likely loss of a significant chunk of state funding due to a historic crash in oil prices and a reeling COVID-19 economy.

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Culture

Local DJs transition to online performances

Cameron Ward | May 9

As social distancing measures persist for the foreseeable future, local DJs are left questioning what will happen next for their industry paused by the coronavirus pandemic. Across the state, many DJs are left unemployed and unable to attend gigs. The health pandemic and subsequent economic crisis forced many DJs to resort to online performances that can be found on live streams. Phoebe Fox, a nursing major at the University of New Mexico, has been participating in many live streams since the transformation and has dressed up for multiple events. 

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Culture

UNM graduate students create homemade ventilator design

Megan Gleason | May 9

University of New Mexico graduate students Mostafa Peysokhan and Maryam Bahmani created a simple ventilator design in mid-April with hopes of helping hospitals low on ventilators. The homemade ventilator “CorVent” was designed to be cheap and easy to create, with little tools necessary. “We decided to design a very simple and inexpensive ventilator that anyone in any part of the world can easily make,” Bahmani said.