Lily Alexander is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @llilyalexander
For the mental health special issue, three Daily Lobo editors took a moment to reflect on how we take care of our mental health while working in journalism – a fast-paced and often heavy field.
“Unionism allows you a track to have your voice heard and to professionally push for the things that you value the most,” Sean Thomas, the executive vice president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said. “Once you feel like you can exercise your voice, you don't feel so much like the world is happening to you, but you have the feeling that what you do matters and that you can change the conditions you're in.” Thomas is a teacher at Eldorado High School. He and fellow ATF member Sonja Kortsch said union involvement has benefited their mental health.
A question has long plagued University of New Mexico students and they have been left in the dark to wonder: are beloved mascots Lobo Louie and Lobo Lucy siblings or dating? Two Daily Lobo editors teamed up to get to the bottom of the mystery, calling upon multiple eyewitnesses and combing through historical documents. Despite the University’s insistence that Louie and Lucy are siblings, mounting evidence points to their romantic involvement. Photographic evidence from a decade ago caught Louie and Lucy kissing in the Student Union Building. Witness of the kiss, Faye Kerr speculated it marked the beginning of their relationship.
On Thursday, March 21, Anthony Tomaziefski and Mutazz (Tazz) Jaber were elected to be the next President and Vice President, respectively, of the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico. The two current ASUNM senators campaigned on campus accessibility and safety, and ASUNM involvement and outreach. A total of 1,080 students voted – 7% of the undergraduate student body – with Tomaziefski and Jaber each receiving 418 votes.
Isabel Castañeda (ballot #4) and Ria Schultz (#2) are vying for the roles of President and Vice President of the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico, respectively, with a primary focus on improving campus inclusivity and accessibility. Castañeda — who has been involved in ASUNM for a year — currently serves as the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Schultz is ASUNM’s President Pro Tempore and has held various Senate positions over the past three years.
The New Mexico State University Police Department has been utilizing body-worn cameras since 2011. The University of New Mexico Police Department has not. NMSUPD began using body-worn cameras in response to industry standards and best nationwide law enforcement practices, according to Justin Dunivan, Deputy Chief of NMSUPD. “This program has been a great success for our department,” Dunivan said.
Blackdom was one of New Mexico’s first Black settlements, located about 15 miles south of Roswell. It was the most important Black homestead in the state, according to the U.S. National Park Service. One of the leaders in the creation of Blackdom, Frank Boyer, established the settlement in 1903 with 12 other Black homesteaders, according to the NPS. The community housed an estimated 150 people who began to disperse in the 1920s. Carlyn Pinkins – a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of New Mexico – plans to examine Black homesteads in New Mexico, including Blackdom, in her dissertation.
The New Mexico Senate passed an amended bill Tuesday, Feb. 13 that would require state-funded colleges to include affirmative consent in their policies and procedures on sexual activity. House Bill 151, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (D) and four other House Democrats, defines affirmative consent as “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” Affirmative consent cannot be given by a party who is unconscious or incapacitated, cannot be implied or assumed and can be revoked at any time, according to the bill. “With this, I’m hoping that particularly women – but everyone – realizes that their body belongs to them. They don’t owe anybody anything. Taking you out for dinner doesn’t mean you owe them sex. Being their girlfriend doesn’t mean you owe them sex,” Thomson said.
With another Valentine's Day week coming to a close, we find chocolate wrappers tossed in trash cans and roses slowly drying under the sun. Six editors at the Daily Lobo came together to reflect on how we show love to those around us. Time shared over a meal As someone whose primary love language is quality time, I let the people in my life know that I love them by existing around them as much as I can. Having the ability to exist in the same space as another person without feeling anxious, performative or uncomfortable is precious.
On Friday, Jan. 26, a stabbing occurred inside the Golden Pride restaurant on Lomas Blvd. N.E. near the University of New Mexico campus. The UNM Police Department issued a LoboAlert for traffic following the incident. Employee Ethan Sheppard reportedly stabbed his coworker, an adult male, at about 1:45 p.m. while they were both working. The victim was transported to UNM Hospital and later died from his injuries, according to an Albuquerque Police Department news release. UNM Police Department issued a LoboAlert at 6:25 p.m. advising the campus community of police presence in the area. A second alert was issued at 10:45 p.m. advising that APD had cleared the area.
Solutions by The State News
