In February, the Albuquerque Parks & Recreation Department celebrated the opening of seven new dog parks around the City. These parks are smaller in size compared to others, according to a City of Albuquerque news release.
This past February, the University of New Mexico launched LoboEats, a mobile app created to help connect students and faculty on Main Campus with available, free, leftover food from campus events. The LoboEats app was developed by a team of Honors students led by Sarita Cargas, UNM Honors College Associate Professor to help combat food insecurity at the University. In 2022, the app created by UNM alum Biraj Silwal won the UNM and Central New Mexico Community College Mobile App Contest.
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.
The Albuquerque BioPark Zoo could bear-ly contain its excitement for International Polar Bear Day on Feb. 27. The zoo hosted an event to celebrate these animals, which featured hands-on exhibits, story times and live fish feeding. The resident polar bear of the BioPark is named Kiska – a 27-year-old male who has been living in the 505 since the ‘90s. His habitat was renovated and upgraded inFebruary. He now spends his days with a 20-foot waterslide and 14-foot pool, according to the Albuquerque BioPark. Alongside Albuquerque, Polar bears and their advocates celebrate International Polar Bear Day across the globe.
As of Feb. 22, Albuquerque residents will now be able to rent affordable electric vehicles (EV) through the GoForth Affordable Mobility Platform car-sharing program. The average price of a new EV in 2024 is around $50,798, according to Find My Electric. The program allows people to rent electric vehicles for $5 per hour or $50 per day plus tax, according to Stefenie Griggs, the program manager for Forth’s locations in the Southwest. “We fully recognize that new EVs aren't totally accessible for all folks, and especially if you're talking about folks that are low income. The program is meant to bridge that gap in access to EVs to make sure everyone can have access to clean and sustainable transportation,” Griggs said.
The women’s basketball team was able to eke out a 66-63 win against the San Diego State Aztecs at The Pit on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Lobos are now in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a record of 20-9 and 11-5 in conference play with two games remaining in the regular season. Last time these teams met, the Aztecs were able to beat the Lobos 60-53. With this win, the Lobos have now split the season series. To beat San Diego State, Head Coach Mike Bradbury said they have to play their best.
The Lobo men's basketball team hosted the Colorado State Rams on Wednesday, Feb 21 and got a great 68-66 win thanks to some Donvon Dent (#2) heroics before a tough 78-77 loss on Sunday, Feb. 25 against the Air Force Academy Falcons. The Lobos would go onto play against the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, Feb. 24 where they heartbreakingly lost by one point. It was a hard-fought loss in The Pit as both teams kept the score close the entire game, but the Lobos couldn’t bring it home by the end. Head Coach Richard Pitino talked about just how important the Colorado State game was, not just for his team but for the Rams as well.
One of my favorite writers is Octavia Butler because her work is unlike anything I’d ever read. What I love most about her work is that it pushed literary boundaries around gender, violence, race and power that I had not yet been exposed to. The first story by Butler I ever read was “Bloodchild.” It follows a species of insect-like aliens that use human men to carry and birth their eggs. I heard about it through my boyfriend who read it as part of an English assignment and wanted me to read it too so I could feel his discomfort.
When Tabytha Watson moved to New Mexico from Texas in 1898, the state did not have a Baptist church. To fill that need, Watson began organizing prayer days and Sunday school classes in her Albuquerque home located on Fourth St. and Copper Ave., according to Historic Fairview Cemetery. However, her ministry didn’t end there. One year later, Watson sought expansion and led the formation of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. Together with her church members, Watson raised enough funds to purchase a $135 lot on Lead Ave. Soon after, services moved from Watson’s home to the new building in Downtown Albuquerque, according to Historic Fairview Cemetery. Today, Mt. Olive is recognized as the first Black Baptist Church to open its doors in New Mexico.
The Marvel versus DC debate is as old as time, but when it comes to Black representation, scholars suggest independent publishers, writers and artists are the best source. “Marvel and DC both pale in comparison to the independent, alternative and creator-owned comics scenes,” Jesús Costantino said – an associate professor of English at the University of New Mexico. For a comic to have good Black representation, it needs to feature a Black character in a storyline written by Black writers that speaks to Black readers. This is not yet the norm in the industry, Costantino 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 rodeo – the quintessential showcase for cowboys and cowgirls. Anyone can be a cowboy, but the rodeo hasn’t always been considered an inclusive space for Black Americans. The search results for “famous cowboys” include names like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, or Buffalo Bill. The similarity between these individuals is that they’re all white. Bill Pickett, also known as the Dusky Demon, came along and changed that. Born in 1870, Pickett was an African American cowboy who introduced bulldogging, or steer wrestling, to the modern rodeo, according to Britannica. Today, most rodeos in the United States and across the world showcase this event. Pickett was one of the first Black cowboys to break into the traditionally white space of western rodeo.
In the month of February, we enter a time of reflection and re-embrace what the Black Community has done and continues to do – not only at the University of New Mexico, but in our ever-evolving world. Black History Month starts Feb. 1 and ends Feb. 29 and is a nationwide celebration that highlights those who have paved the way for Black Americans to be where they are today. As we enter this month at UNM, we emphasize the theme of “Revitalizing the Revolution” and bringing life to change in environments where growth is critical. What does “Revitalizing the Revolution” mean, exactly? To me and so many of the Black students here on campus, it means being able to have the courage and passion that so many of those who came before us demonstrated with every step they took that will allow us to open doors and improve the Black experience.
Dear Editor, I am writing to express my outrage regarding the Albuquerque Police Department’s recent sweeps of homeless encampments in Albuquerque. They have been brutal, ignoring the basic right of unhoused residents’ humanity. They are legitimate residents of this city and they deserve to be treated as such.
On the afternoon of Feb. 15, Protesters entered the Board of Regents meeting and stood silently along the walls, donning keffiyehs, Palestinian Flags and stickers that read “Freedom for Palestine” to stand united with those speaking in support of a divestment resolution. Just before dozens of protesters walked out of class and gathered at Zimmerman Plaza to listen to speakers discuss the ongoing crises in Gaza, they marched throughout the University of New Mexico ringing chants of “No Peace on Stolen Land” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” across campus.
The narrative of the Land of Entrapment is being challenged by New Mexico United’s team and fanbase, through the work the team does off the field. The documentary Underdog Uprising, which highlights United’s unique and committed fanbase, will be available for streaming on the Very Local app on Feb. 28. The documentary covers the work United and its supporters do to impact their community and how they challenge the underdog identity, according to Carlos Tenorio II, President of New Mexico United’s supporters’ group, The Curse. “We’re at the bottom of the good lists and the top of the bad lists… It doesn’t always have to be like that,” Tenorio said.
The goal was to create a fully immersive musical experience - so Kai Warrior brought their childhood home to The Orpheum Community Hub on Saturday. Warrior is a local musician who grew up in Albuquerque. They released their debut EP, “Everything I Know,” on Feb. 3. Their work follows a cyclical motion and outlines the details of childhood, friendship, love and heartbreak, and then circles back to childhood. “I wanted the EP to feel fully engulfing, and I figured the only way to do that would be to recreate my life in a room,” Warrior said.
Affirmative consent at the University of New Mexico is not a new topic. Several resources around campus contribute to the conversation around consent. Women’s Resource Center Director Áine McCarthy said that affirmative consent is freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific, remembered by the acronym - FRIES. The University requires that consent is affirmative, according to UNM policy. Title IX Coordinator Angela Catena explained that coercion is not consent. “One of the myths is around, ‘well if I eventually get a yes that means I have consent,’” Catena said. “But that might not necessarily be the case.”
Next year’s high school freshmen will see different graduation requirements due to a bill signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Feb. 9. The new requirements seek to increase school attendance and graduation rates by giving students more choices in the classes they take, according to Lujan Grisham’s press release. “High school should be about preparing students for the real world while providing more opportunities to pursue their unique interests and future careers,” Lujan Grisham said in the press release.
Pedro Lopez is at the helm once again as the manager for the Albuquerque Isotopes 2024 season. Before he went off for Spring Training in Arizona, Lopez hosted a brunch where he expressed gratitude and explained what he wanted to achieve in the coming season. The event took place on Feb. 17 at the clubhouse in Isotopes stadium where the guests were served a diner-style breakfast array of foods, all of which were made by the head chef of Isotopes park. During the meeting, Lopez talked about the new and upcoming prospects that the Isotopes have on their hands going into this season, with high aspirations for Bradley Zimmer and infield players.
Solutions by The State News
