Students will vote for the 2015 heirs to the Homecoming King and Queen thrones this week. This year, not only can students pick their favorites from among the 8 men and 9 women running by voting in the SUB, they can also log in to MyUNM and cast their votes online. Both voting methods can be used on Wednesday, Oct. 14 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The UNM Police Department’s annual Security and Fire Safety Report, released Oct.1, shows that the number of reported sexual assault, stalking and domestic violence cases on campus property increased in 2014 from the previous year. According to the report, the number of reported sexual assaults on campus increased from 12 to 18 between 2013 and 2014. The number of reported stalking crimes on campus also increased from five in 2013 to 28 in 2014.
With the glow of sunlight creeping over the Sandias, Balloon Fiesta Park was already buzzing as tens of thousands of people watched the first balloons rise and illuminate the morning sky this past Saturday.
As the UNMPD works on the case of an alleged rape that reportedly took place on Sept. 18 at Lobo Village, residents of the complex claim they were shocked by the lack of proper communication about the incident from Lobo Village administrators and the University. Students said there was confusion among the residents with regard to the incident. A majority of the students living there were informed via news media or “word of mouth.”
Winning streaks have been few and far between for New Mexico football. The Lobos (2-2) have won a maximum of just two games in a row twice since head coach Bob Davie took over the program in 2012. UNM will have a chance to add a third two-game winning streak this Saturday when it hosts in-state rival New Mexico State at University Stadium.
Leadership, poise, charisma and a positive attitude are all desirable traits when recruiting a student-athlete. Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe brought these traits to the University of New Mexico football field along with a calling to facilitate change in the community. Goodloe, a product of South Central Los Angeles, said he chose to attend UNM in the early 1990s for several of reasons: he would get to see playing time right away for a struggling program, he would get to experience a new culture with plenty of sunshine, and he would get a fresh start to tackle issues dear to him.
For the first time, UNM is engaging freshmen in research projects traditionally reserved for upperclassmen through the First Year Research Experience program. The program was formed via a collaboration between the College Enrichment Program, the Associated Students of UNM, the Graduate and Professional Student Association and the Student Fee Review Board. CEP Specialist and UNM graduate José Villar said the program was established to put new students on the fast track with experience.
On Wednesday, the Associated Students of UNM held their third full senate meeting of the semester. Here's an overview of what happened, including the introduction of two vital pieces of legislation.
The free online dictionary defines a semicolon as “a mark of punctuation used to indicate a major division in a sentence.” For many, however, the semicolon is a symbol that means much more than punctuation. The third annual Semicolon Tattoo Project will be held at local tattoo shops this Saturday as a fundraiser for the Agora Crisis Center. The project originated as a social media movement in 2013 for which people drew semicolons on their bodies and posted pictures of them to show support for those whose lives have been touched by mental illness and its effects.
A high-speed vehicle trek through the city ended at the UNM Hospital parking structure Wednesday evening, and two individuals have been taken into Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department custody. An unidentified male and female are now being questioned in the incident, which began at roughly 6 p.m. in the South Valley area when deputies responded to a stolen vehicle report, Sgt. Aaron Williamson said.
Last week, President Barack Obama, via executive order, indicated his goal for federal agencies to utilize behavioral science research to a larger extent when developing new policies and programs. “To more fully realize the benefits of behavioral insights and deliver better results at a lower cost for the American people, the Federal Government should design its policies and programs to reflect our best understanding of how people engage with, participate in, use and respond to those policies and programs,” the executive order states.
Gov. Susana Martinez visited UNM earlier this month to highlight her goals to get more college students graduating on time, some of which UNM has already undertaken. Forty-two percent (792) of students who graduated in 2013 took five years to walk the stage. Meanwhile, only 29.5 percent (569) of the 2013 graduating class received their degree four years after starting at UNM. Faculty Senate President Stefan Posse acknowledged that graduation rates are a key metric of student success, and that the senate is always looking for ways to increase the quality of education at UNM. “We have a responsibility to the people of New Mexico and to provide a high value education,” Posse said. “We’re engaged in a lot of processes ... to become an even more successful flagship institution in the 21st century.” UNM Regent Bradley Hosmer said the gears are already turning at UNM with some of Martinez’s goals, and have been for some time.
UNM held a food initiative on Monday to benefit local farmers and call for volunteers to help a good cause. Daniel Maldonado, marketing director for UNM Food, said the event, called the “Local Food Initiative,” was held from four to six on Monday afternoon in La Posada Plaza. UNM collaborated with La Montanita’s Co-op and Bueno Foods to provide donations to Roadrunner Food Bank
New Mexico came out with a new rotation Friday night, giving the red-long-sleeved jersey to Ashley Kelsey in UNM’s 3-1 victory over Cal State Northridge. Kelsey, listed as an outside hitter, took over the libero duties for the first time this season after Mercedes Pacheco’s difficult tournament at the USC Classic last weekend.
The Missouri State Bears had gone 411 minutes and 26 seconds without allowing a goal. Friday night, the Lobos put a stop to that shutout streak in a 1-0 victory over Missouri State. New Mexico (4-1-1) defeated MSU (1-2-2) 1-0 with a second-half goal during their first match of the TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational. Five minutes into the game MSU’s forward Conor Ingram took the first shot of the match.
New Mexico will host the Days Inn and Suites Lobo Invitational for three home games, away from the team’s home court. For the first time in three years, UNM will be playing a home game at WisePies Arena aka The Pit. Although head coach Jeff Nelson said the Lobos prefer to play in the team’s home gym at Johnson Center, he doesn’t anticipate any less of an advantage despite venturing down the street. “Home is home,” Nelson said. “Home is where your fans are.”
The National Geographic Young Explorers Grants workshop, which is being held this Saturday at UNM, aims to inspire future explorers, researchers and conservationists to use their program to see the world and share new discoveries. The workshop will cover all the ins-and-outs of the program via presentations by Young Explorers and National Geographic representatives followed by refreshments, allowing students to interact with National Geographic grantees and staff. The National Geographic Society’s (NGS) Young Explorers Grants (YEG) program, which has given more than 450 grants for work in 90 countries, awards individuals between 18 and 25 years old with some of their first fieldwork grants. Director of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and the National Geographic YEG Program Rebecca Martin said that the grants, offered year-round, focus on “research in social, natural and physical sciences; conservation of species, habitats, ecosystems and biological diversity; (and) exploration through expeditions, filmmaking, photography, arts, journalism, etc.”
UNM has merged the Center for Academic Program Support and the Center for Teaching Excellence to form the Center for Teaching Learning, with the mission of helping students succeed through new methods. “Now we’re working together, because the bottom line is the exact same result: we want students to learn more,” said Aeron Haynie, CTL director. “We’ve got to teach faculty some things and we’ve got to empower students at the same time.”
Albuquerque is seeking federal funding to build new transit infrastructure in order to help relieve an already overburdened system. The item proposed is a 10-mile bus lane down Central Avenue, from Louisiana Boulevard to Coors Boulevard. Dayna Crawford, deputy director of Albuquerque's transit department, said they intend to break ground in May and be in operation by September 2017.
The city of Tempe, Arizona hasn’t been kind to New Mexico. In the history between UNM and Arizona State, the Lobos are 1-12-1 all-time in Tempe with that lone victory coming in 1934. If UNM is able to garner a win in Sun Devil Stadium this Friday it will be a big upset. The Sun Devils are a 28-point favorite over the visiting Lobos.
Solutions by The State News
