Annya Loya - The Daily Lobo

Culture

Zara Roy Graduates with a pen in hand

Annya Loya | May 8

Like millions of college students, Zara Roy began her first year of college during the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020. For her, while the pandemic was life-changing, it was also the start of something bigger, or the realization of it. Roy, a psychology major, initially considered a career in clinical psychology until she realized that was not what she was meant to do. During her time at the University of New Mexico, she found that she already had something she loved but just hadn’t realized yet.

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UNM partners with NOVA to support sexual assault victims

Annya Loya | May 1

The National Organization for Victim Assistance is preparing to launch the Youth Advocacy Corps pilot program in partnership with five colleges, including the University of New Mexico. The Youth Advocacy Corps program intends to aid marginalized youth in victim advocacy by providing student fellows with training, mentorship and a paid field placement in a local victim service organization, according to NOVA. On Monday, April 24, the University hosted a town hall where the program was introduced and panelists shared their experiences as sexual violence survivors. Abrianna Morales, a panelist and UNM student, is a NOVA youth program manager and looks forward to the impact the upcoming program will have on campus.

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UNM hosts 13th annual Sustainability Expo

Annya Loya | April 24

In celebration of Earth Day, the University of New Mexico held its 13th annual Sustainability Expo on Thursday, April 20. The event occurred outside the Student Union Building on Cornell Mall, where various UNM student and city organizations presented their sustainable projects, proposals and products. The Sustainability Expo had about 70 booths, both from the University and around the city. They showcased sustainability initiatives that could apply both off and on campus, according to Jessica Rowland, a lecturer in the UNM Sustainability Studies program and organizer of the Expo.

Culture

UNM student earns Truman Scholarship

Annya Loya and Maddie Pukite | April 17

Six associate degrees in high school from Central New Mexico Community College, an anticipated graduation with two bachelor's degrees next year and a planned master's in history in the spring 2024: University of New Mexico student Andrew Schumann can now also add the Truman Scholarship to this already impressive resume. The Truman Scholarship awards juniors in college with $30,000 for post-graduate education, counseling and employment opportunities. The committee selects 200 finalists from applicants. Finalists are then interviewed at a regional conference, with one candidate chosen from each state, according to the scholarship’s website.

Satire

Student on trial for collecting too many parking tickets

Annya Loya | April 3

Undergraduate Laura Driver from the University of New Mexico will stand trial for collecting nearly 500 parking citations thus far in the 2022-2023 academic year, amounting to $12,500, according to Karen Patton, the University of New Mexico’s Parking and Transportation Service public information officer.

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Local gallery partners with Domestic Violence Resource Center to raise funds

Annya Loya | March 27

Weems Gallery & Framing, a local art gallery, has partnered up with the Albuquerque Domestic Violence Resource Center to host a private fundraiser and raise funds to increase resources at the center. The event will take place in April, according to a press release. In the United States, almost 20 people are physically abused by their intimate partner every minute. In New Mexico, “37.6% of New Mexican women and 33.3% of New Mexican men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes,” according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

GALLERY: New technology at UNM north campus

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New technology at the Health Sciences Library hopes to innovate students' education

Annya Loya | February 26

The Health and Sciences Library and Informatics Center at the University of New Mexico introduced an anatomy virtual dissection table, a 3D printer and three VR headsets into their program for student and faculty use, according to the HSLIC staff. The anatomy virtual dissection table, the only natural and thoroughly segmented 3D human anatomy system, was added in October 2022. It is the latest model (Table 9) by the company Anatomage, according to the Anatomage website.

GALLERY: Jake Skeets Poetry Reading Workshop

Culture

Award-winning poet and UNM alumnus returns for poetry reading

Annya Loya | February 20

On Thursday, Feb. 16, award-winning poet Jake Skeets visited the University of New Mexico, his alma mater, for a poetry reading from his book “Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers” at George Pearl Hall. Skeets read five poems: three from his book collection and two unpublished works. Throughout the event, he explained the significance and background of each poem. The event was followed by a Q&A session and book signing. On Friday, Feb. 17, Skeets led a poetry master class in Dane Smith Hall, which was open to all UNM students, faculty, staff and the general public, free of charge.

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Division for Equity and Inclusion prepares to release campus climate survey

Annya Loya | February 20

Beginning March 1 and ending on April 23, the Division for Equity and Inclusion at the University of New Mexico will release a student climate survey for students across UNM’s main campus, the School of Law and branch campuses, according to the DEI website. The goal of the research is to conduct climate surveys that represent the full diversity of the UNM community, according to Assata Zerai, principal investigator and vice president for the DEI. Campus climate is generally defined as “current attitudes, behaviors and standard of faculty, staff, administrators and students concerning the level of respect for individual needs, abilities and potential,” according to professor Susan Rankin from Pennsylvania State University.

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UNM considers COVID-19 vaccine mandate lift

Annya Loya | February 13

On Feb. 6, the University of New Mexico’s Office of the President's communications team shared that the UNM administration is debating lifting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students, staff and faculty via email. The debate on whether or not to lift the vaccination mandate was brought to light based on recommendations from the University’s Health Protocols Committee and a discussion with the administration. “While we know that COVID-19 is not over and that we must remain vigilant in protecting ourselves against the virus, it is transitioning into a more manageable endemic phase in our state and across the country,” UNM President Garnett S. Stokes wrote in the email.