Arly Garcia - The Daily Lobo

News

UNM researchers make discovery about human sleep using fly brains

Arly Garcia | November 4

Last month, a research team led by University of New Mexico professor Mubarak Hussain Syed uncovered a link between neural stem cell development and adult sleep behaviors. Using research from fly brains, researchers found evidence to support the idea that sleep problems in humans are rooted in adolescent development. “We wanted to know what makes sleep neurons ‘sleep-promoting neurons,’” Syed said. Stem cells are unique because they can self-replicate and differentiate into different types of cells. Neural stem cells are crucial to understanding the neural circuits of the brain, according to the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center.

News

Treatment for opioid use disorder reduces reincarceration, researchers say

Arly Garcia | October 18

In 2005, Bernalillo County implemented a program that allowed people to get treatment for opioid use disorder while incarcerated. Researchers at the University of Mexico have since found evidence that the treatment reduces someone’s likelihood of returning to jail. Robert Agnew’s general strain theory of crime and delinquency suggests that when people experience excessive stress, they seek ways to cope with it, according to the journal “Criminology.” If people lack appropriate resources, they may turn to deviant behaviors as coping mechanisms. Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory suggests that people learn criminal behavior from their social groups.

News

UNM neuroscientist’s research could impact future brain injury studies

Arly Garcia | September 20

Understanding brain function is crucial to the world of science, but we can’t always get the full picture from a healthy brain, according to Jeremy Hogeveen, a cognitive neuroscientist and UNM professor. “If we’re doing our studies only on healthy subjects using brain scans, we tend to run into this causality problem where you can’t really infer that the brain is causing the behavior you’re seeing,” Hogeveen said. Overcoming the causality problem — coupled with his experience studying brain injuries as a postdoc at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago — sparked Hogeveen’s interest in the relationship between brain injuries and psychiatric function, he said.

Culture

OPINION: Art imitates life: The obsession with age-gaps in film

Arly Garcia | September 9

The classic 1942 drama, “Casablanca,” featured a 16-year age gap between its romantic leads. The iconic dinosaur adventure film, “Jurassic Park,” had a 20-year age gap between love interests Alan Grant and Ellie Satler. The continued success of these beloved films suggests there’s a viable market for them, but what does that say about us?

Culture

I can make you a man (but I probably shouldn’t)

Arly Garcia | September 2

Have you ever thought about robbing graves and sewing body parts together until you have the perfect human form? Maybe not, but why would you when Victor Frankenstein already set an example for why that’s a terrible idea? Mary Shelley’s infamous mad scientist and his creature are a beloved aspect of pop culture around the world. The novel’s lasting impact and popularity even led to the creation of National Frankenstein Day, an annual celebration of Shelley and her novel that takes place on August 30, which is also Shelley’s birthday.

Opinion

OPINION: Activities to help curb summertime boredom in Albuquerque

Arly Garcia | June 12

Summer is, for many people, the best part of the year. It offers a respite from our chaotic university lives. Research articles and 8 a.m. classes have no place here unless we want them to. Summer provides time for freedom – sometimes a little too much. If you’re anything like me, then you may begin to grow a little stir crazy after the first few weeks of summer. When that happens, it is imperative to get out and find something to occupy your time. What that something is varies widely depending on your preferences, but here are some of my favorites.

Culture

Student activity fees: What are they and what do they do?

Arly Garcia | May 13

University of New Mexico student activity fees can be a little daunting when you first spot them on your bill, but they don’t have to be a mystery. “Revenue generated by the student activity fee is used to support a variety of student activities that enhance the academic and intellectual environment at UNM,” UNM Policy 1310 reads. There are three fees students pay, which include “a facility/information technology debt service fee, student activity fee and student government fee,” according to the policy.

Culture

Daily Lobo twins for the win

Arly Garcia | May 6

Paloma and Leila Chapa, Daily Lobo staff members and Women’s Soccer Club founders, are graduating from the University of New Mexico this spring with degrees in environmental planning and design. The twins started at UNM in 2019 and quickly became involved with the campus community. In September 2023, Paloma became multimedia editor for the Lobo and helped build the video desk. Leila joined the Lobo as a videographer in February 2024. The two were excited to create videos together – a longtime passion of theirs – and gain new experiences at the Lobo, they said.

Opinion

Opinion: Our professors should play music during exams

Arly Garcia | April 22

When discussing mental health at the university level, there is one topic that consistently comes up: test anxiety. Numerous studies have shown that test anxiety negatively affects college students, but how do we combat it? Maybe with the magic of music. About 25-40% of U.S. students suffer from test anxiety and for 10-35% of college students, it impairs their function, according to a study on test anxiety published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice. Music has been proven useful in calming the mind and body in other areas, so why don’t we use it at the University of New Mexico too?

Daily Lobo-Social Media Effect On Mental Health

News

The impact of social media use on college student mental health

Arly Garcia | April 22

Nine University of New Mexico students reported various effects to an anonymous survey conducted by the Daily Lobo on social media use and mental health. Whether these effects are negative or positive could depend on how people use social media, according to a UNM psychology professor. Of nine UNM students who responded to the survey, 100% said they use some type of social media every day. Of those students, seven believe social media has an impact on their mental health. The nature of that impact ranged from somewhat negative (with four respondents) to somewhat positive (with two respondents). Three students rated the impact as neutral.