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Monday, Februar y 19, 2024 | Vo l u m e 1 2 8 | I s s u e 2 5
Students stand in support of Palestine at Regents meeting Protesters cite 1985 resolution By Karina Bolaños @DailyLobo 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. Before entering the Regents meeting for public comment, students stood outside of the windows and listened to more speakers. The chants from the group were audible from within the walls of the meeting, as heard in the livestream. Several student and community groups - including The Muslim Student Association, Law Students Against Imperialism, UNM College Democrats and Kiva Club - collaborated on the walkout. In total, 16 people spoke during the public comment at the meeting, calling for the Regents to issue a
divestment resolution and address their lack of action. UNM, as well as several other entities, have received grants from the U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations, according to Jewish Virtual Library. On Oct. 11, 2023, UNM leadership sent out an all-University email detailing its “response to the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza.” “We express our condolences for the loss of life and stand in solidarity with the members of our community who have family, friends, and colleagues in the affected area and who may be directly impacted by the conflict,” the email read.
see Protest page 2
Liliana Esparza / Daily Lobo/ @DailyLobo
A student listens to speakers outside of the UNM Student Union Building to protest the crises in Gaza on Thursday, Feb. 15.
College affirmative consent bill heads to Governor’s desk By Lily Alexander & Lauren Lifke @llilyalexander & @lauren_lifke The New Mexico Senate passed an amended bill Tuesday, Feb. 13 that would require state-funded colleges to include affirmative consent in their policies and procedures on sexual activity. House Bill 151, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (D) and four other House Democrats, defines affirmative consent as “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” Affirmative consent cannot be given by a party who is unconscious or incapacitated, cannot be implied or assumed and can be revoked at any time, according to the bill. “With this, I’m hoping that particularly women – but everyone – realizes that their body belongs to them. They don’t owe anybody anything. Taking you out for dinner doesn’t mean you owe them sex. Being their girlfriend doesn’t mean you owe them sex,” Thomson said. The Senate amended HB 151 to remove requirements around college
responses to incidents, like providing those who file complaints of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, harrassment or stalking with on-campus and community resource contact information. The bill passed 24-13 in the Senate; the House concurred with the amendments on Wednesday, Feb. 14. “(The amended bill) was a very, very slimmed down version, but it’s enough for the universities and colleges to start,” Thomson said. HB 151 states that bystanders who witness and report incidents will not be subject to disciplinary action if they were violating student conduct policy during an incident, unless the violation was “egregious.” This means students who may have been illegally drinking alcohol or consuming drugs while witnessing incidents do not have to worry about consequences when reporting, Thomson said. “Bystanders who are underage drinking or doing illicit drugs didn’t come forward because they were afraid there would be punishment for them being in that kind of situation, and this bill takes that away,” Thomson said.
Heather Jaramillo – Director of Equal Opportunity at the University of New Mexico Office of Compliance, Ethics & Equal Opportunity – wrote that HB 151 should not impact UNM’s current policies, as they already include an affirmative consent standard. Section 8 of UNM Policy 2740: Sexual Harassment Including Sexual Assault defines consent as “an affirmative, informed and conscious decision to willingly engage in mutually acceptable sexual activity.” The policy was last updated in August 2020. “Consent cannot be assumed from a person’s silence, passivity or lack of active engagement or participation in the sexual activity. Consent is a purposeful, intentional act,” Jaramillo wrote. HB 151 would also require colleges to implement “awareness prevention programs” that describe different prevention strategies for sexual harassment. These would have to be included in incoming student orientation. LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center provides sexual assault prevention education through training called
Inside this Lobo
The Grey Area, required for all incoming UNM students, according to LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center Director and Confidential Campus Advocate Lisa Lindquist. The center works with students who have experienced sexual violence to offer them confidential support services, Lindquist said. “(The Grey Area) training covers a wide variety of topics, including consent culture and affirmative consent,” Lindquist said. The prevention education focuses on teaching students how to give and ask for ongoing consent, identifying healthy relationships and practicing bystander intervention skills, according to Lindquist. Affirmative consent on college campuses is important – especially for freshmen and sophomores – because it encourages people to have conversations so they can get to the best place, Lindquist said. “You’re coming to college and you’re negotiating a completely new landscape around relationships, intimacy, exploring, experimenting, trying to figure out what you like and what you don’t like,” Lindquist said. Thomson first introduced a ver-
sion of HB 151 around five years ago, she said, after a coalition of 18 groups – including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union – asked her to consider affirmative consent as the standard for K-12 schools and higher education. Since then, it has repeatedly gotten stuck in the Senate, Thomson said. Next year, she said she thinks legislation on affirmative consent will return. The 2024 Regular Legislative Session ended Thursday, Feb. 15, and HB 151 will now be considered by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign into law. “I think the one thing I hope will come out of this is that everyone will realize that their own body is their own body and no one has rights to any part,” Thomson said. Lily Alexander is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @llilyalexander Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lauren_lifke
BERNARD: New gradtion requirements give high school students increased flexibility (pg. 5) DANIEL: REVIEW: Jazz and beads for Mardi Gras (pg. 6)
PUKITE: Kai Warrior’s immersion into music (pg. 3)
JOHNSON: Can I have some FRIES? Affermative Consent at UNM (pg. 8)
PURNTY: Women’s basketball: Lobos cruise to a win against San José State (pg. 4)
BERNARD & BOE: New Mexico United challenges the “Land of Entrapmnent” stereotype (pg. 9)
DAVIDSON: Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez shares hopes for 2024 season flexibility (pg. 5)
ANGERMEIER: LETTER: APD commits immoral sweeps of unhoused encampments (pg. 10)