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Daily Lobo alumni report for their communities

  Intense socio-political turmoil only heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic has made for great complexities in journalistic media. Two Daily Lobo alumni, Makayla Grijalva and Danielle Prokop, graduated, respectively, in 2019 and 2020, and have since found their passion as public watchdogs in reporting for local communities. “Trying to unpeel the layers of bureaucracy is one of the fundamental things that we can do to live in a democracy,” Prokop said. Since graduating from the University of New Mexico with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and journalism, Prokop has worked in a multitude of positions in different news organizations. 

Spirit Program competes in nationals

  The University of New Mexico spirit program traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to compete against cheer and dance teams from around the nation at the 2022 UCA & UDA College National Championship, which took place from Jan. 14-16. At nationals, all-girl cheer ranked fifth out of 10 teams with an event score of 91.4833 in the Division 1A Game Day category. They placed sixth in the finals with an overall score of 87.05. Meanwhile, co-ed cheer ranked 15th out of 17 teams under Division 1A Game Day, achieving an event score of 82.6667. In the Small Co-ed Division 1A category, co-ed cheer ranked No. 10 out of 11 with an event score of 65.55. 

Men’s basketball sunk by rebounding troubles against Boise State

  The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team lost to Boise State University 71-63 at The Pit on Saturday, Jan. 15. UNM remains without a conference win after four games. Head coach Richard Pitino, who was back on the sideline for the first time since contracting COVID-19, made it clear why UNM lost. “They are bigger, they are stronger (and) they are older for sure,” Pitino said. “But we have to be scrappier, dirtier and meaner, especially when you are as undermanned as we are.” Where the Lobos are undermanned is at the center position, and they more than likely will be for the remainder of their season. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, UNM has lost Valdir Manuel, Gethro Muscadin and Emmanuel Kuac, all inside presences expected to play the majority of minutes at center. 

REVIEW: ‘Euphoria’: Slow and steady wins the race

  This review contains spoilers for season one and the first episode of season two After season one was released in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a two-year filming delay of the next season, “Euphoria” returned to HBO with its second season premiere on Jan. 9. While most of the episode felt boring, overproduced and disjointed, it seems to be a setup for a sexy and violent story reminiscent of the show’s critically acclaimed first season. The appeal of “Euphoria” lies in its shocking provocativity, character dimension and humor, making the show more than just your average teen drama. 

UNM grads navigate next steps

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a unique set of difficulties for college students, some have been able to take these changes in stride and find unique opportunities to connect. Fall 2021 University of New Mexico graduates Datenzing Tamang, Sami Sosa and Mia Amin have found ways to blaze new paths for themselves, even when the road ahead is as uncertain as it has ever been. “If the pandemic has done something good, it’s brought people together. I think people want to help each other,” Amin said. Originally from Nepal, Tamang moved to New Mexico for college and graduated with her bachelor’s in computer science. This spring semester, she will be taking time to gain field experience before pursuing graduate studies.

UNM associate professor receives ‘career-altering’ grant

  Jessica Richardson, an associate professor of speech and hearing science at the University of New Mexico, was awarded a $2 million grant in November funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, a sect of the National Institutes of Health.  This five-year grant will be used to study and improve the treatment of aphasia, a condition in which those affected lose the ability to communicate or understand language, in stroke patients. This research is focused on combining traditional language therapy techniques with transcranial stimulation, a noninvasive electrical brain stimulation thought to help “shape” brain activity, to enhance language recovery outcomes.

LETTER: For good of New Mexico schools, Congress must act on DOI’s new recommendations

  Even when we’re grateful for something – for example, the jobs and state revenue we get from oil and gas production – that doesn’t mean we should cut ourselves short and ignore our own needs. We deserve to get the best deal we can. But when it comes to oil and natural gas, we’ve settled for a bad deal for a very long time. While families in New Mexico face rising gasoline prices at the pump, oil and natural gas companies are getting the deal of a century. Not only are they cashing in on higher prices, but they pay pennies on the dollar to lease our public lands for development and evade having to pay New Mexicans what we’re rightfully owed in royalties. 

UNM LEAF meets with attorney general's office on divestment complaint

  Investigation on the legality of the University of New Mexico Foundation’s indirect investment in fossil fuel companies is ongoing, and the UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight aren’t giving up. After an initial intake meeting with the office of the attorney general on Dec. 17, 2021, where they reviewed the legal arguments and historical background of their complaint filed last October, the office is still in the process of reviewing all the information. UNMF, which funds scholarships and campus initiatives at the University, has an estimated $32.5 million of its Consolidated Investment Fund, the investment pool for endowment assets of the University and UNMF, indirectly invested into fossil fuel stock, according to Gabe Gomez, managing director of UNMF marketing and communication. 

REVIEW: ‘Don't Look Up’: Reflection of recent years through fun, satirical comedy

  Among the sea of Netflix original content, there has been a wide range of movies of varying quality but one of the platform’s last films of 2021, “Don’t Look Up,” was particularly memorable. This fun two-hour cynical comedy asked the question, "What if there was a planet-killing comet on course to destroy Earth?" The film’s response to this question is satirical in its answer with many parallels to politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrity conflicts and other current issues. The plot is simple: a comet is hurling itself toward Earth while Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Dr. Randall Mindy, and Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Ph.D. candidate student Kate Dibiasky, try to warn the world about the impending doom that awaits everyone in the next six months and 14 days. 

LETTER: Grassy areas of UNM north golf course should be reopened for community access

 For more than 40 years, the University of New Mexico’s north golf course has had another life unrelated to golf. When the sun begins to set, dozens to upwards of a hundred students, faculty and surrounding neighbors converge on the green space to walk their dogs off-leash in the few minutes prior to sunset. Unsurprisingly, this green space has been a treasured oasis in the center of the city. After the flags come down, Burqueños from all over the city and all walks of life access this space to walk, run, play with their children and dogs, and sometimes to just enjoy themselves on the grass while watching the sunset.

UNM COVID-19 booster requirement deadline nears

  Eligible University of New Mexico students, staff and faculty must receive and upload documentation of having received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot by Jan. 17, the day before the spring 2022 semester is set to start in person. Individuals are currently considered eligible by the University if they have received either the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine on or before June 15, 2021 or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on or before Oct. 15, 2021 because of time requirements between vaccination doses. Those vaccinated after these dates have up to four weeks to upload proof following the Jan. 17 deadline.

SAC, ASUNM kickstart spring semester with student events

  With the spring semester beginning Jan. 18, the University of New Mexico’s Student Activities Center and Associated Students of the University of New Mexico have organized several events in the first two weeks to get students back into the groove after break. SAC has organized two Welcome Back Days, scheduled for Jan. 19 and 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Building atrium. There, various departments and organizations around campus will be able to table and showcase their organizations, and prospective students can find groups that fit their interests. The first Welcome Back Day will be focused on showcasing different departments at the University as well as Greek organizations, and the following week will highlight student organizations.

College students balance school with jobs, pandemic

  Balancing jobs with school is not a new challenge for college students in America. The past two years, however, have added an extra complication as students now have to also balance the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic with their education. After the University of New Mexico went completely virtual for a period of time last year, many students were anxious to return to an in-person environment. However, senior Indica Simpson said many students set themselves up with unrealistic expectations that made the transition difficult. “All of us thought that once we’d be in person that the world would just be magically fixed again and we’d all understand education to its fullest, and I don’t think that was the case at all.

Comics January 10, 2022

REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ gracefully swings MCU out of 2021

  This review contains spoilers for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” After a year of zero Marvel releases in 2020, Marvel ended 2021 with a bang with “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This film was well worth the wait after being delayed almost half a year from its original release date, taking the audience on a journey that combined both the old and new in a stunning display of cinema. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was highly anticipated not only due to the rumors swirling of previous Spider-Man actors returning, but also because this film almost didn’t happen. In August 2019, a dispute between Sony and Marvel over contract negotiations almost ended with the two companies splitting completely. 

Men’s basketball loses chaotic game to Utah State

The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team lost in a frenzied overtime to Utah State University 87-90 Saturday at The Pit. The Lobos were without their head coach Richard Pitino who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier that day. UNM outscored the Aggies 42-27 in the first half and shot 51.7% from the field and a scorching 10-15 from three-point range. The hot shooting was mainly the result of the Lobos’ willing ball movement, which acting head coach Eric Brown said had been a focus in the week of practices leading up to Saturday’s game. UNM tallied 12 assists in the first half alone. The Lobos played solid defense in the first half, and Utah State struggled to make shots. Javonté Johnson and Jay Allen-Tovar did a solid job defending Aggie star Justin Bean and the Lobos managed to out-rebound their opponent 18-14.

Women’s basketball snags close win against SDSU

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball beat San Diego State University 75-72 on Sunday, Jan. 9 at The Pit. With this win, UNM has taken the top spot in the Mountain West conference and remains undefeated in conference play 4-0. SDSU’s Kamaria Gipson punished UNM on the boards early in the game, grabbing four offensive rebounds in the first four minutes and getting to the line twice. UNM didn’t continue their hot shooting from their game against Utah State last Thursday; they shot only 3-13 in the first five minutes of the game. It was their good fortune that SDSU shot an even worse 1-10 during the same period. SDSU did a very good job covering the roller in UNM’s pick-and-rolls, and star forward Antonia Anderson had to leave the game after picking up two quick fouls in the first three minutes. UNM managed to score off of the fastbreak over the second five minutes of the first quarter, which helped them finish the quarter ahead 17-14. LaTascya Duff was the most efficient player of the quarter for the Lobos, scoring six points.

OPINION: Is grad school a viable option?

  With the semester coming to a close comes the inevitable anxiety and uncertainty of joining the workforce. Many students consider graduate school to be a safe option after earning a bachelor's degree because it’s a way to stay in the comfort of academia, but there are several factors to contemplate, such as ultimate career goals, personal fulfillment and the issue of money. A big draw of grad school is more impressive credentials that can be of great help in today’s extremely competitive job market. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of the Harvard Business Review said “the most in-demand jobs require graduate credentials, to the point of surpassing current levels of supply.” 

Comics December 13, 2021

Olivia Moss graduates with love for community

  Olivia Moss is a University of New Mexico community health education major graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in health education. After moving to New Mexico from Colorado, Moss found a home in Albuquerque and plans to continue immersing herself in the community she’s found a love for. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Moss came to UNM on a scholarship and has since fallen in love with the culture and landscape of Albuquerque. As a foodie and social butterfly, Moss enjoys New Mexican food and loves exploring the city’s restaurant scene with friends. Knowing that her family is just a phone call away, Moss plans on staying in New Mexico for the near future.