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News

Heinrich plans to brighten young people's futures with clean energy legislation

Brendon Gray | May 9

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich recently introduced the Energy Workforce for the 21st Century Act, seeking to meet growing demands in the clean energy workforce. If passed, the legislation will create a comprehensive strategy for the Department of Energy to increase participation of women and minorities in the energy sector, provide training for displaced workers and encourage education leaders to give pertinent training to students. “We need to prepare New Mexicans to work in the clean energy jobs of the future and increase the participation of women and minorities throughout the energy sector,” Heinrich said in a press release. “This is the future of jobs,” he said. “It’s incredibly important.”

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News

Campus police use technology to keep students safe

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 9

UNMPD and the UNM Office of Emergency Management have taken advantage of the smartphone craze by utilizing apps, messaging availability and social media — allowing the University community to provide tools for reporting “suspicious or criminal activity.” In the spring of 2015, LoboGuardian, a new technology-driven app that turns a smartphone into a portable “virtual blue light” was launched at UNM. The app is run by the vendor Rave Guardian and is designed to increase the safety of students, staff and faculty on college and university campuses.

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Culture

Art exhibition showcases graduating students' work during 70th anniversary

Nichole Harwood | May 9

Potential future art instructors are presenting their work at UNM’s Masley Art Gallery for their 70th annual All Graduating Art Education Student Exhibition. Many of the art program’s graduates plan to become art instructors, possibly in the public school system, so it’s beneficial to show they’re practicing artists, said Meredith Chapman Graduate assistant for the Masley Art Gallery. “I think people kind of misconstrue ‘if you can’t do, you teach,’ which isn’t true especially as an art instructor,” Chapman said. “I feel like a lot of them are really talented artist.”

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Music

Review: "No Shape" by Perfume Genius

Kyle Land | May 8

One of the real privileges of listening to Perfume Genius, aka singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas, is that: as you progress through all four of his albums, you begin to feel like you’re watching somebody grow up and become comfortable with who they are. Listening to his 2010 debut album Learning, I can hear all of his insecurities bubbling to the surface, an insular man speaking his mind for the first time. On his latest record, No Shape, the butterfly has left the cocoon and fully spread its wings. Hadreas’ signature croon remains prevalent on every track, but a new kind of explosive confidence penetrates through.

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News

Grad Issue: First-generation graduate thanks support system, looks to bright future

Nichole Harwood | May 8

Life has a way of changing things, just ask Ayham Maadi. A dual-degree student in chemical engineering and foreign languages with a minor in math, Maadi said he started his education at UNM undecided on where his career path would lead him, but it certainly wasn’t in the direction of engineering. Given his foreign language experience, Maadi said he realized that whatever his future held, he would be supplemented with a degree in foreign languages. Despite his initial intentions, his path shifted toward chemical engineering. And he was excited to take on the challenge.

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News

Grad Issue: Mother of two inspires her children to learn

Cathy Cook | May 8

Haimanot Bihonegne is up for a challenge. As a mother of two from Ethiopia, she has worked hard to balance school, her job at Lowe’s and parenting. “It is challenging, but it’s very good for my kids,” she said. “When I read, they read. When I do my homework, they do their homework. It’s really good (but) it’s hard.” With work on the weekends, and classes and family time on the weekdays, Bihonegne’s schedule is a careful balancing act, she said. When she started school, she wasn’t sure how she would do it, but believes that if you start something, you have to finish it. “It was a long way to go, but I’m here now,” she said.

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News

Grad Issue: After emotional trauma, Lobo finds way to manage pain

Matthew Narvaiz | May 8

Life doesn't always pan out as expected. For Ryan Bennett, a UNM student who is graduating with a degree in accounting this semester, that statement rings true. Bennett took all of seven years from the first time he stepped into a college classroom to finish his degree. The graduation will be a crowning achievement and honor, capping the pursuit of a degree which stemmed from a life-changing moment — the loss of his unborn child. He said school was never his niche. He considered himself to be an average student and didn’t have much drive—at least early on.

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News

Grad Issue: Mental health sufferer hopes to help troubled youth

Denicia Aragon | May 8

Having attempted to take his own life three times, Nicholas J. Aurelio Tollardo almost didn’t make it to the end of his college career, but each time, he picked himself up and pushed forward to make it to his graduation day. He was diagnosed with depression when he attempted to commit suicide for the first time at age 16, he said. He made two attempts: one at age 19, the other at age 21. Enrolled at UNM since the fall semester of 2010, he said his first couple of years at the University were tough. He felt like he could not handle the work and failed a couple of courses. “High grades and success have always been a priority of mine, and it comes from my mother who pushed me hard to succeed and do the best I could,” Tollardo said “I felt like I let myself down, but primarily I felt like I let my mother down.”

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News

Grad Issue: Student successfully juggles degree and parenthood

Ariel Lutnesky | May 8

College is a majorly time-consuming task, making it even more difficult to manage both school and a family at the same time. Cara Andrade, a graduating senior, said she found her family to be major motivator to drive through her studies. “I did have my daughter, Jessenia, when I was a junior in high school,” Andrade said. “I was terrified, but she has been my motivation.” Andrade said that she now has four daughters to take care of. “It is super challenging getting school work done because their needs come first,”she said. “All of the stress is definitely worth it because, after all, I did this for them!”

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News

Grad Issue: Student plans to dedicate her life to helping others

Robert Maler | May 7

A career in the medical field is something that might seem like a natural choice for a person with a father who is a registered nurse and a certified nursing assistant for a mother, but one New Mexico graduate is showing almost supernatural abilities along the way. Jacklyn Asamoah, a medical laboratory science major, said one of her early memories was when she was at the hospital with her father. She stapled one of her fingers when her dad was working on charts. Asamoah said she cried — of course — but one of the doctors came and helped her remove the staple and get bandaged up. She said she always remembered how the doctor in the white coat helped her. She said there was one thing she knew for sure at the time — she wanted to help people.

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Sports

Baseball: Gonzalez shines in 11-6 Lobo win over Air Force

Matthew Narvaiz | May 7

Luis Gonzalez did it all for the Lobos on Sunday afternoon—pitching brilliantly and nearly hitting for the cycle. The junior outfielder/pitcher got the start on the mound for New Mexico (28-20-1, 18-4-1 MW) as well as played the part of designated hitter on offense, leading the Lobos to an 11-6 win and pick up the series victory over Air Force. Not only did Gonzalez go seven strong innings on the mound—allowing six runs on 11 hits, striking out six and walking one—he paced the Lobos’ offense, with a near-perfect performance, going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Gonzalez singled, doubled and hit a homerun, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

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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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News

Grad Issue: Undocumented student hopes to reform healthcare after graduation

Brendon Gray | May 7

Estefania Montanez finished high school with an uncertain future. Her undocumented status, mother’s health and financial struggles seemed to stand in the way of her future. Now, she is graduating UNM with a degree in psychology and a full-ride scholarship for medical school, with a goal to reshape the healthcare system. As an undocumented student, Montanez’ challenges started before she had even started taking classes at UNM “A lot of the scholarships I would apply for I would get because of my good grades,” she said, “But I couldn’t receive the money because of my undocumented status.”

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News

Grad Issue: Florida transplant discovers diversity, inspiration at UNM

Gabriella Rivera | May 7

Delia Brennan said she came to UNM from Florida for the same reason many out-of-state students do: affordability. Brennan was not looking forward to moving to Albuquerque, nor to attending UNM, but now she considers New Mexico “more of a home than Florida” and is graduating with many accolades. “It started in orientation where I said, ‘I’m going to be positive about this,’” she said. Freshman year, Brennan joined the World Affairs Delegation and Emerging Lobo Leaders. “My original goal was to graduate with a degree in computer science...but after a year of that I realized I liked international relations, international law and things like that a lot more,” she said. “I learned that through joining the World Affairs Delegation and traveling and competing with them.”

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News

Grad Issue: 30 years later, student finishes her PhD

Bo Yu | May 7

“Suzanne, wherever you are, I hope you know that by affecting me positively...you had a profound influence on thousands of people,” said Lobo PhD graduate Giovanna Eisberg, a Family Studies major, as she wished to express her sincere thanks to former teaching assistant Suzanne Kryder. Eisberg, who currently holds five degrees, considered ending her college career 30 years ago after receiving a D on an exam. “(If) it wasn’t for her, I would never finish my college,” Eisberg said. “Her biggest impact was that...she understood that it was a breaking point for me...and gave me another opportunity.”

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News

Grad Issue: After 15 years of drug addiction, UNM grad plans to found recovery nonprofit

Celia Raney and Celia_Raney | May 7

On May 13, Jaime Cervantes will graduate from UNM with the class of 2017 after a nearly 15-year battle with drug addiction. After being accepted into every one of his top-choice schools immediately after graduating from a California high school in 1995, Cervantes chose to attend UCLA. Three weeks into his college experience, he was invited to a party where he discovered what any college student who has experimented with drugs hopes they never learn — he was an addict. “I met this girl on campus, and she invited me to a sorority party,” he said. “I tried cocaine for the first time in my life. (The cocaine) was her idea, she was older...I started hanging out with her, and that was it. My addiction started right then and there.”

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News

Grad Issue: From LA to UNM, one Lobo's story

Hannah Eisenberg | May 7

Having grown up a homosexual, African American youth in 1980s Los Angeles, Richard Bell understands the importance of having a voice, a way to advocate for your rights. Bell has been an advocate for gay rights through his work with nonprofits like the Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance/Pride, and he sees higher education as a way of strengthening his voice. "I think you need something behind that name of yours to get you a voice,” he said. “When those who are educated and have a degree speak up, people are more inclined to listen. So I wanted that. When I’m fighting for gay rights, when I’m speaking out against police brutality, I feel like my voice is stronger when there’s a degree behind my name."

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News

Grad Issue: Athlete finishes education after recovery

Isabel Gonzalez | May 7

November of 2015 was one of the most difficult times of his life, but today he’s figured out he can overcome anything with a positive attitude and the love of his family. Devon Williams joined the UNM men’s basketball team during the 2012-13 season. He redshirted that season and only appeared in five games. The following year, he started in 30 games. He scored in double figures in seven different occasions, had 48 offensive rebounds and led his team in blocks in six different games. Things were looking up for him, but his world shook up at the beginning of his junior season.

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News

Grad Issue: Valuable tennis player hopes to improve others' lives

Robert Maler | May 7

Someone landed a great shot at the McKinnon Family Tennis Center, the home courts for Lobo tennis, but there wasn’t a primal scream or even a fist pump. In fact, things stayed pretty quiet, despite the ball catching just enough of the end line to win the point. One of the players slowly started walking back to the baseline, staring at her racket for several seconds, and it seemed clear that she was processing information and in deep thought. It was difficult to tell whether she was happy with the way the previous point just played out — and it doesn’t even matter if it is one that she lost — but Rachana Bhat saw something in the exchange and she just filed it away in her memory bank. It is something that she will recall as the match progresses as she waits to implement it in her game plan. Bhat, a senior on the New Mexico women’s tennis team, is probably one of the most cerebral players a tennis fan could go out and watch compete.

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News

Grad Issue: Karmeshia Gray turns struggle against TB into strength

David Lynch | May 7

It was the summer of 2014. Karmeshia Gray was studying biology, with plans to become a doctor. The next step in that pursuit was applying for a job at UNM Hospital. But what began as a drive to get some experience for a career became a physical ordeal, a mental struggle and now, three years later, a story of motivation and strength. Gray was diagnosed in the summer of 2014 with tuberculosis, after an adverse reaction to an immunization caused a dormant form of the disease in her body to become active. She was in the process of getting all the required shots to work at UNMH, but the diagnosis turned her into a hospital patient instead of an employee.