NM Daily Lobo 020314

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DAILY LOBO new mexico

Reluctant SFRB yields to Athletics by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno

UNM’s Athletics Department might receive $4 million in student fees from the University next fiscal year. The University’s Student Fee Review Board elected to respect in full the department’s budget request during the board’s second round of deliberations Saturday. But SFRB member Matthew Rush said that despite contention on Athletics’ funding sources, the board’s hands were tied. “I don’t think students should be funding Athletics at this amount,” he said. “But the reality is the regents are going to approve this. I think it’s understood that this is roughly what the regents would like to see Athletics at, so we’re going to fund them at that amount.” Last year, the SFRB recommended that Athletics receive $2.3 million in student fees for FY 2014. The recommendation then went to the Board of Regents, who have the final say on appropriations. The regents overrode the SFRB’s numbers; the SFRB’s current recommended appropriation for Athletics is the same as that which the department received from the regents last fiscal year. The current recommendation will amount to about $169 per fulltime student for next fiscal year. The SFRB estimates next year’s total

by Chloe Henson

assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 After almost eight years, UNM is still uncertain about plans for a new wellness center on campus. UNM President Robert Frank said his administration would conduct a public dialogue to figure out what the next step for the proposed wellness center will be. “We’ve been doing all these surveys about what people think of the right stats, what people want in the community,” he said. “Now that we have all that input, we will go to that public dialogue, and that’s what everyone’s been waiting for.” According to an article by the Daily Lobo, representatives from the UNM administration, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico and employees from Johnson Center and the Student Health and Counseling Center introduced the idea of replacing or reconstructing Johnson Center and the SHAC building in 2006. While a new committee that worked on the wellness center last semester proposed a four-phase plan, Frank said there are no concrete plans

Inside the

Daily Lobo volume 118

issue 88

The Athletics Budget

$100,000 recomended by the SFRB $100,000 granted by the regents

Last year, the SFRB recommended that Athletics receive $2.3 million in student fees for FY 2014. The regents then overrode their recommendations and granted them an extra $1.7 million. This year the SFRB is granting the $4 million upfront.

27%

The percent of the estimated $617 student fees devoted to the Athletics Department

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Ardee Napolitano/@ArdeeTheJourno / Daily Lobo Student Fee Review Board Chair Priscila Poliana, center, stretches as other board members try to finish student fee recommendations over lunch at a meeting on Saturday at the Student Union Building. After the meeting, the board tallied a total preliminary recommendation of $617 per student. Of the total sum, $169 per-student recommendation is for the Athletics Department. The SFRB will forward its final recommendations to the Strategic Budget Leadership Team on March 1. student fees at $617 per full-time also request a concise list of expendi- said. “That is a significant portion of student, which is a $6 increase from tures from the department. what they’re asking funding for … the present school year’s fees. Rush said that Athletics should The reality, as far as I’m concerned, Along with the appropriation, the work particularly on reducing its is that we’re funding $4 million to board will require Athletics to provide travel costs. Athletics, and I’ve just come to aca 10-year strategic plan detailing fu“They’d have to look into ways of cept that.” ture initiatives the department plans reducing travel costs in order to start According to Athletics’ SFRB to reduce its expenses. The SFRB will saving us, the University, money,” he see Athletics PAGE 3

Wellness center’s future unsettled Cost of reconstruction is off-putting to many

February 3, 2014 $4 Million

The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895

monday

for the project. “I think what we would have is some tentative plans, and then those plans would lead to concrete plans,” he said. “We’re a long way from concrete plans right now.” Frank said the administration is also planning to bring in a consultant to help design the center. “We put out a (response for proposal) for a consultant to work with us on this (public-private partnership) process,” he said. Tim Gutierrez, associate vice president of Student Services, said he didn’t know who the University would team up with to work on the center. But he said the potential partnership would help UNM construct a new building for a wellness center. “The public-private partnership is all designed to help the University in the sense of being able to expand their facilities and reduce cost,” he said. James Foty, a member of the committee who has been working on the wellness center, said many people thought the center was a good idea, but were concerned about cost. “I guess my sense is that, in general, students like the idea of the wellness center,” he said. “But I think the more critical students are questioning how it’s going to be paid for.” According to a story by the Daily Lobo, the former proposal for the

see Wellness PAGE 3

Trave

According to Athletics’ SFRB Funding Request Form, about $1.4 million of Athletics’ total budget request is for travel costs, $1 million for complimentary student tickets, $800,000 for equipment, $438,000 for academic support and $300,000 for student athlete care.

Sofia Jaramillo / AP Photo Annicka and Janet Pollack celebrate as the Seattle Seahawks score a touchdown during the third quarter of the Super Bowl at a Superbowl party Sunday in Everett, Wash.

Seahawks shock fans, foes alike by Barry Wilner

The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Defense wins championships, and the NFL has not seen a defense like Seattle’s in a long time. The Seahawks won their first

Minimum wage Monday

Kirk returns

see Page 2

see Back Page

Super Bowl title Sunday night in overpowering fashion, punishing Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8. That relentless defense, the NFL’s stingiest, never let the five-time MVP get going, disarming the highest-scoring offense in league history.

Seattle (16-3) was too quick, too physical and just too good for Denver, and that was true in all areas. What was hyped as a classic matchup between an unstoppable offense and a miserly defense turned into a rout.

see Super

Bowl PAGE 6

TODAY

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