Columns - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Column: It's high time New Mexico legalized pot

Jason Darensburg | March 6

New Mexico should be next in line to legalize marijuana for recreational use. We can’t afford not to do it: Full legalization would provide tens of millions of dollars in economic benefits for the state at a time when the dwindling local economy needs a major boost. Colorado and Washington State legalized recreational use of marijuana in 2012. Oregon voters approved legalization in July 2014, and in February Alaska became the fourth U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana.

Culture

Column: Studying abroad bestows many benefits

Sophie Earle | March 5

Studying abroad is expensive and entails some culture shock. However, making the difficult decision to leave my family and friends for a year to live in New Mexico was the best decision I have ever made. While everyone else is back home in rainy England, I get to wake up to the best sunrises in the world, live an American lifestyle and experience every day the vibrant New Mexico culture. I highly encourage anyone to live abroad at one moment in their life.

Opinion

Column: as 1 percent is coddled, time for new tea party

Jason Darensburg | February 20

“No taxation without representation!” That was the motto of the original Tea Partiers in pre-Revolutionary War Boston. The phrase encapsulated one of the primary grievances the American colonists had with King George’s government: Parliament kept imposing new taxes and tariffs without their knowledge or consent, and the revenue was being used for purposes at odds with the immediate needs of the settlers in the 13 colonies. The colonists argued that they had no representatives in Parliament and therefore their concerns weren’t being addressed. The British claimed they were being “virtually” represented. Tensions rose. In 1773, colonists violently rejected a proposed tax on tea imports at the so-called Boston Tea Party. What exactly transpired that night is under dispute, but the end result was that Britain retaliated in an escalating chain of events that ultimately led to the American Revolution.

Opinion

Column: Students should utilize the SHAC

Dr. Peggy Spencer | February 19

You know that feeling you get when you’re up on stage accepting your Oscar and you forget to thank your director? Neither do I. How about the feeling when you have a party and you forget to invite your best friend? You make all the arrangements and are careful to invite your other friends, but somehow you just assume that your best friend knows because, well, they’re your best friend. I’ve been there; in fact quite recently and right here in this column. My last article was about sexual assault and resources to tap into if it happens to you. Yet I somehow managed to not mention the resource most near and dear to me and most convenient and immediate to you on campus: our very own SHAC. I guess I figured SHAC was a given. My grown children know all about this. They are always the last ones to hear plans for a family reunion. I just assume they know by osmosis or something. Chalk it up to my middle-aged brain.

Opinion

Column: Judiciary can't work without proper funding

Chief Justice Barbara J. Vigil | February 13

Our courts require additional resources to meet the justice needs of New Mexico’s citizens. Each day, courts address the aftermath of strained social and economic conditions including crime, child and domestic abuse, and broken family and business relationships. Our independent court system also supports economic growth and investment by enforcing contracts and resolving business and property disputes. And it does all of this with less than 3 percent of the state’s overall budget. Inadequately funding the Judiciary undermines our ability to serve the public and fulfill our constitutional responsibility to provide fair, timely and impartial justice to all New Mexicans.

Opinion

Column: Income inequality, crime are behind New Mex-odus

Jason Darensburg | February 6

People are leaving New Mexico in droves. The evidence is irrefutable. The latest proof comes from a recent study released by moving company United Van Lines: the Land of Disenchantment ranked ninth on the annual list of “most moved from” states. New Mexico was the only Southwestern state to show a high departure rate; Texas and Colorado were among the top 10 “moved to” states. Oregon won the prize for “most moved to” state, according to the study. South Carolina, Florida and Vermont were also popular places to move to. Earlier this year Albuquerque Business First published “Gone for Good,” a series of articles featuring interviews with New Mexicans who had just left the state or were planning to leave. The most common complaints focused on high corporate taxes and the increasing crime rate in Albuquerque. But that’s only part of it.

Opinion

Column: Ridesharing services need better regulations

Monica Youngblood | February 5

If you live in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, you have probably heard of Lyft or Uber. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are ridesharing services that connect passengers to drivers via a smartphone app. It’s a convenient and safe way to get a ride, and it is a proven job creator. But currently, there are no regulations for ridesharing companies, and therefore their future in New Mexico is uncertain. That needs to change.

Opinion

Column: Deflate-gate is over-inflated media scandal

J.R. Oppenheim | January 26

Tired of hearing about Deflate-gate yet? Don’t worry. I’m not throwing in my two cents about whether New England quarterback Tom Brady told his equipment manager to purposefully reduce the PSI in 11 of 12 footballs during last week’s AFC title game. If head coach Bill Belichick gave the order, I don’t care. This won’t affect the Super Bowl in seven days. I am sick of this media oversaturation over Deflate-gate, as I am sure you are. We reached the point of absurdity days ago, and there unfortunately seems to be no end in sight until next week’s title showdown. The national sports media should be ashamed of themselves.

Opinion

Column: Today's youth are bombarded with bad music

Jason Darensburg | January 23

Kanye West’s latest hit song has created an uproar in the music world, and not because of the lyrics or subject matter. “Only One” is controversial because West teamed up with one of pop music’s old guard to create the track: none other than former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. “Only One” features McCartney playing a minimal keyboard riff over a programmed beat while West sings through Auto-Tune. The song is not by any means a creative breakthrough for either artist. “Only One” is mediocre at best; unchallenging pop music processed and homogenized to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I never would have guessed McCartney was even on the track if it hadn’t been so hyped. His contribution is not immediately apparent. Whatever their personal artistic motives may have been, the unlikely collaboration between Yeezy and Macca provoked an outpouring of scathing, often hilarious feedback from fans and critics. While some of the online remarks were clearly meant to be sarcastic, others appeared to be sincere in their ignorance regarding Kanye’s latest musical foil.

Opinion

Column: Social media may be killing our social lives

Jason Darensburg | December 4

I see hundreds of people on my way to class every week, and I try to smile, tip my hat or at least nod to anyone who walks by. Only rarely do I get any sort of response. More often than not, folks simply ignore me. Most people walk right on by, too busy sulking to acknowledge another human being crossing their path. I’m not going to stop doing it, though. As disappointed as I am with humanity, I still enjoy human interaction — and besides, I’m just trying to be polite. I mean, is it really that difficult to connect with another human being — even for a split-second? I can accept that kids are under a lot more stress than when I was growing up, and people are extremely busy nowadays. Others are not so kind, however.

Opinion

The Pit's new name changes nothing

J.R. Oppenheim | December 3

Got a problem with the WisePies Arena name for UNM’s basketball venue? Get used to it. If this deal runs through the length of the agreement, the fedora-clad logo will be on the building for the next 10 years.

Opinion

Hooked on hookah? It's not as clean as you might think

Dr. Peggy Spencer | December 1

Dear Dr Peg, Some friends introduced me to hookah smoking a few months ago, and we've been getting together to smoke a couple of times a week. It;s fun to hang out, and the smoke smells nice. I know cigarette smoking is dangerous, so I've never done it, but hookah smoking is safe, right? Doesn't the water filter out all the bad stuff from the smoke? And isn't hookah tobacco healthier than the tobacco in cigarettes? -Hooked on hookah

Opinion

Column: As times progress, society goes in reverse

Jason Darensburg | November 14

Whatever happened to the Space Age? I never thought I’d grow old in an era where everything is actually worse than it was in the good old days. Civilization has seemingly gone several steps backwards spiritually, socially and technologically since the 1970s. I grew up expecting to take my summer vacations on Mars, and here it is 2014 and we’re living in a country that currently lacks even a high-speed rail system. The aging space shuttle fleet was decommissioned a few years ago, following numerous catastrophic failures, yet America is supposed to be the wealthiest, most technologically advanced nation on earth. What went wrong?

Opinion

Column: Both quarterbacks assets to Lobo football

J.R. Oppenheim | October 23

Several weeks ago, this column called New Mexico freshman Lamar Jordan the Lobo quarterback of the future; yet junior Cole Gautsche remains the team’s regular starter behind center. Though many fans want Jordan to take that starting role, head coach Bob Davie is making the right decision by keeping Gautsche atop the team’s depth chart.The question of the quarterback situation has come up weekly since Jordan entered the Week 3 showdown with New Mexico State game and led the Lobos to a victory in Las Cruces. This week was no exception, and Davie confirmed the situation wouldn’t change.

Opinion

Column: Too many are living in denial

Jason Darrensburg | October 17

Climate change is real. The science is indisputable. Only a fool or a liar would deny it. Global weather patterns have changed dramatically in just the last few years. The Southwest is drying up. The drought continues unabated. It is encouraging that more people are starting to recognize the scale of the challenge humanity now faces. People can see the results of global warming with their own eyes. It’s happening everywhere, on every continent.The latest research suggests that Earth’s temperature is rising to dangerous levels far faster than even the worst-case scenarios predicted. Most scientists agree that if immediate measures are not taken, the consequences will be irreversible and extremely hazardous to human beings.

Culture

Lookin' Fresh: Summer styles ease into fall

Courtney Salinger | September 30

The alarm clock rings and it’s time to get ready for school. The morning feels cold, but, like most New Mexico days, it will almost certainly get warmer.

Opinion

News, events and getting involved with ASUNM

David Ishmael | September 29

Greetings from the Executive Branch of the ASUNM Senate.This is our first of many Daily Lobo columns this semester, designed to inform undergraduate Lobos of upcoming events, resolutions and other such special items being considered and executed by the student government.Last week we saw two major events on campus, Red Rally and Fall Frenzy.

Opinion

Column: Depth, maturity key to gridiron success

J.R. Oppenheim | September 25

Bob Davie needs “men — mature men,” as he puts it. The Lobos have a lot of guys on the roster in the coach’s third year, but he wants to see “real dudes” who go hard every time they take the gridiron. “Now we have more players, but we don’t have enough dudes that can go out there right now for 95 plays like we got in Las Cruces, and execute down after down after down,” Davie said. “So we’ve got to maybe thin it out a little bit to find out which ones there are, but at least we’ve got options. That’s what building a program is.”

Opinion

Dr. Peg's Prescription: Mindful approach to pain

Dr. Peg | September 24

Whoever you are, whatever you have been through, you have had pain. From a stubbed toe or razor burn to broken bones and surgery, all of us have been hurt or experienced pain of one kind or another. Aching, stabbing, heavy, sharp, throbbing, pounding; our language is filled with colorful descriptors of pain, and most of us wince just thinking about it.

Opinion

Net neutrality threatened by FCC, again

Jason Darensburg | September 19

The guiding principles behind ‘Net Neutrality’ are under attack. Last Wednesday, hundreds of major tech firms and Internet advocacy groups staged an online protest of the Federal Communication Commission’s recent proposals, which will allow Internet service providers to charge customers more money for faster online service. These rules run contrary to the concept of a free and open “marketplace of ideas.”