Daily Lobo 02/20/2023

New UNM course seeks to expand research among Black communites

By Miyawni Curtis @MiyawniCurtis

Celine Ayala, a doctoral student from the University of New Mexico, has created “Black Research 101,” a new program for any UNM students who are interested in research with Black communities. The program is set to be launched in the 2023 fall semester.

Black Research 101 is a cohort-based program where students will learn to create a research proposal that is specific to the study of Black diasporic communities. They will learn about different perspectives such as Black feminist thought and Afro-pessimism, according to the UNM Newsroom

Ayala said she created this program to provide undergraduate students who are interested in doing qualitative research with Black communities the opportunity to learn about different methods and theories that are not often taught in traditional research classes.

“The theories learned will be tailored to the research interests

of the students accepted in the program,” Ayala said.

The program’s creation was also supported by UNM’s El Centro de la Raza director Rosa Isela Cervantes and program manager Alejandro Mendiaz-Rivera, according to Brandi Stone, UNM’s African American Student Services director.

This program will cover a wide range of research and information, according to the African American Student Services website, providing an integral and unique opportunity for students, according to Stone.

“This might be the only or (one of) very few spaces where students will have an opportunity to really create impact and really be able to unpack their identity,’’ Stone said.

Black Research 101 is open for all undergraduate students with no experience required, but interested students will go through an application process that opens in September. There will be a wide range of workshops offered and a funded research trip to South Carolina, according to the UNM Newsroom . Skye McMillon, a UNM

communications and journalism student, explained the importance of such a program to them.

“I think that this would be something I’m interested in; I

think it’s important that we research Black communities so we can get a better understanding of them,” McMillon said. “I also know some people that would also be interested in it too.”

Black Research 101 will aim to help students gain knowledge on analyzing data and help them prepare for graduate school or a research-based career. The pro -

see Research page 2

Joint motion dismisses permit for asphalt plant due to health concerns

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

Earlier this month on Feb. 8, the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board approved a joint motion that dismissed a hearing for an air quality permit to build an asphalt plant in the Mountain View community in the South Valley of Albuquerque.

The Environmental Law Center joined community organizers in the legal fight to get the asphalt site out of the community in 2018 when the Environmental Health Department issued a permit to New

Mexico Terminal Services to create the plant, according to staff attorneys Maslyn Locke and Eric Jantz.

In July 2021, they filed a motion for summary disposition on the grounds that the zoning for the proposed site was restricted to agricultural use, not an industrial plant. Before that could be heard, the permit was sent back to the EHD for reconsideration and was canceled on the grounds that no construction had been made in the past two years, according to Locke and Jantz.

The Mountain View community is recognized by the EPA as an environmental justice community, meaning that the residents have

Inside this Lobo

LOYA: Division for Equity and Inclusion prepares to release campus climate survey (pg. 2)

LOYA: Award-winning poet and UNM alumnus returns for poetry reading (pg. 3)

JURADO: REVIEW: Hogwarts Legacy is an enchanting open-world delight (pg. 4)

been disproportionately impacted by pollution causing severe health consequences, according to Locke and Jantz. Lauro Silva, president of the Mountain View Neighborhood Association, discussed how this has been impacting their community since the 1970s.

“This, in the past, has been a very prominent agricultural community. Since the early ‘70s they have allowed, with the zoning, heavy industry to come into Mountain View, and those industries are also contaminated very seriously,” Silva said.

The change in zoning for the

see Asphalt page 2

BACA: REVIEW: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania’ is big fun of average quality (pg. 4)

BULGER: Women’s basketball: Lobos stay steady for the win (pg. 5)

CURTIS: Isotopes: New manager, hitting coach look to knock it out of the park this season (pg. 8)

ROY: 5 and Why: 5 fresh book recommendations (pg. 9)

PUKITE: Campus greenhouses provide control for research, peaceful space (pg. 10)

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

A graphic advertises the new UNM program “Black Research 101” offered to UNM students. Photo courtesy of UNM Newsroom

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle

A sign outside of the Mountain View Community Center. The city recently revoked a permit for an asphalt plant in the Mountain View area citing health concerns for residents in the community.

Research from page 1

gram also seeks to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own research projects and questions, according to Stone.

Stone said this program will allow students to understand the world and the impacts of Black history and oppression.

“I think that it’s important that we are teaching all students how to engage in research in culturally responsive ways. I think what’s

Asphalt from page 1

community as a whole from agricultural to industrial that started in the 1960s, in tandem with little environmental regulation, has left detrimental health consequences, according to an article on zoning and health equity by Maren Neldam and Serena Walters. This includes heightened rates of cardiovascular disease and death.

“The death rates of Mountain View residents from cancer are also the highest in the county,” the study reads.

Marla Painter, a member of Mountain View Community Action, discussed the discrimination these health issues can create toward the community because of the lower socioeconomic status of many who reside there.

“Any assault on top of the baseline health conditions is not okay ... and if every community was assaulted by environmental pollution the way we are, then their health would go

more important is that we are learning how to do responsive research with community and not just on communities, to really impact change,” Stone said.

Students participating will be mentored by graduate students who developed a curriculum which exposes them to qualitative research questions, according to Stone.

“They will learn how to develop a strong research question

down: the quality of health would go down,” Painter said.

In the Mountain View community, 23% of individuals fall below the poverty line, 58% of households are families, and 79% of the overall population is Latino, according to Neldam and Walters. The existing industrial sites in that area already continue to harm community members, according to Silva.

“Right now, we have three asphalt plants in the Mountain View community, and the asphalt plants themselves have extremely dangerous volatile organic compounds that are toxic and carcinogenic … We’re talking about hundreds of tons of different kinds of pollutants that will be produced out of these … plants as they’re producing the asphalt … The chemicals resulting from the production and the manufacturing of that asphalt — a lot of it is released into the air,” Silva said.

Painter thinks the city and county could have been more coordi-

and look at conceptual and theoretical frameworks to get them started into a research journey,” Stone said.

Ayala’s own work examines Afrolatinx experiences framed within an Afrolatinx critical theory of race to investigate how Afrolatinx bodies are racialized and gendered through a transnational history of colonization, imperialism and anti-Blackness, according to Black Latinas

nated around pollution permits.

“The county really is not involved in environmental oversight and, consequently, when air permits came out of the city’s Environmental Health Department, the county really didn’t pay any attention. They weren’t really even ever aware of it,” Painter said. “And also on the other side of it, the city did not check the zoning of a property that was applying for an air permit, and there was no coordination there.”

The community is also seeking out further environmental regulation to prevent situations like this from happening in the future. Painter expressed concerns that if a conservative administration came in, the work could be undone. There is still vacant land that is properly zoned for industry as well, according to Neldam and Walters.

At the city/county level, Painter said they are advocating for an environment and cumulative impact

Know Collective.

“It is extremely important now more than ever to support undergraduate students who are interested in doing research with Black communities so that we can continue to highlight the injustices that are happening in Black communities globally, as well as highlight global Black resilience and Black joy,” Ayala said.

Applications for Black Re -

regulation which would limit the amount of industry that can be in one area, especially those that are already overburdened and low income. Currently, regulation is limited to potential pollution rather than looking at the pollution as a whole, according to Silva.

‘(It’s) limited to only considering the amount of pollution that that particular applicant is requesting. What they do not do is to account for the already existing polluting industries, from the other industries that are already contaminating the atmosphere in our community,” Silva said.

There is also support for a statewide environmental protection act that would similarly aim to view these situations collectively, taking into account how the facility as a whole will impact the community: noise and light pollution, aesthetic, and safety concerns, according to Painter.

“The concept of well-being is im-

search 101 will become available during fall 2023 registration. Students interested can email AASS for more information.

Miyawni Curtis is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@ dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MiyawniCurtis

portant too, and well-being has to do with how safe you feel and what you look at when you walk out of your house and what you breathe as well … A lot of people here (live) on wells and they don’t know what the quality of their water is,” Painter said.

In regards to the future of the Terminal Services plant, Locke and Jantz wrote they “would be surprised” to see the plant constructed somewhere else as they would first need to find an appropriately zoned site and then reapply for air pollution permits.

Maddie Pukite is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted at managingeditor@ dailylobo.com or on Twitter @maddogpukite

Division for Equity and Inclusion prepares to release campus climate survey for students

By Annya Loya @annyaloya

Beginning March 1 and ending on April 23, the Division for Equity and Inclusion at the University of New Mexico will release a campus 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 commu-

nity, 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.

This is the first year of the student survey, but there are two surveys in total: one for faculty and staff, and one for students. The staff

1st Place: $1000 2nd Place: $500 3rd Place: $250

For contest rules, visit english.unm.edu/

For questions, email: Diane iel, Regents’ Professor & Associate Chair dthiel@unm.edu

and faculty survey was broken up into two time windows. The staff window was opened in January and will conclude on Feb. 28 and the faculty window was open between November and December 2022.

The survey was originally designed by the University of Michigan, but some questions were developed specifically by Zerai and her research team in order to create a fuller picture of the campus experience. It will be administered electronically via an email link. Zerai

wrote that the research team intends to administer the survey every four years in order to determine whether the campus climate and culture interventions were effective.

Research shows the increasing importance of institutional climate surveys to promote success in diversity and equity programming, and the campus climate, according to Zerai. Zerai also wrote that the research team intends to administer the survey every four years in order to determine whether the campus climate and culture interventions were effective.

“Campus-wide climate surveys can be effective tools because they provide data that can be important for future efforts to establish benchmarks for the improvement of campus climate,” Zerai wrote. The first 500 students who complete the survey will receive a $10 gift card, according to the survey’s website.

Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ annyaloya

Award-winning poet and UNM alumnus returns for poetry reading

By Annya Loya @annyaloya

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.

“Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers,” published in 2019, focuses on Skeets’ hometown of Gallup, New Mexico. Skeets said the town’s importance to his poetry goes back to Gallup’s nicknames: “The Indian capital of the world” and “Drunk Town USA.” Such narratives molded his experiences growing up which inspired most of the poetry pieces in his book.

In his writing, Skeets calls out the alcoholism issues that surround Gallup as well as deep rooted racism and border-town violence, things that gave him conflicted feelings about his hometown.

“It’s about what does it mean to love a city that doesn’t necessarily love you back? And it’s also about learning about desire and learning about your body, because it’s also

sort of moving into queer politics and sexualities. And in that sort of coming-of-age sort of way, of the speaker learning how to be themselves,” Skeets said.

His work in “Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers” and other pieces were awarded publications by the National Poetry Series, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the American Book Award and the Whiting Award.

“Poetry has often felt very familiar to me, even in its unfamiliarity. I think we think of poetry as this sort of strange genre,

this very weird and oftentimes abstract way of communication. But for me, I felt like that’s always been the kind of mode that I see the rest of the world,” Skeets said.

This was the second time Skeets had been invited to present his work at UNM since he won these awards back in 2019, according to Gregory Martin, director of the creative writing program at UNM. The department had intended to invite Skeets back earlier, but it hadn’t been possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve been a fan for quite a while

and I’ve been following his work …. He was one of the people that I really wanted to bring back,” Martin said. “I wanted to bring him and share him with all of our students so they could see someone from our community (that) just turned into a rock star.”

Martin described Skeets’ work as lyric and place-based and, “it’s also about struggle and suffering, and trying to figure out what to do with that struggle and suffering and pain and transform it into something beautiful.”

Gwyneth Henke, a fiction stu-

dent in the master of fine arts program, said she was excited to have a poet like Skeets come to UNM; her class had been reading Skeets’ poetry right before his visit to the University.

“(Skeets’ poetry is) so amazing. It reminds you of all the beautiful things poetry can do in the world, and I feel so lucky to see someone who’s so rooted in UNM, (who’s) been influenced by their time here looking to, as he says, beautiful horizons,” Henke said.

Skeets said he was really happy to be back at UNM and was grateful for Martin and Leo Williams, an MFA student in the creative nonfiction program, for their invitation.

“I feel like I’m in a good part of my career. That could be an example for the undergraduates and graduates that this is a possibility for them … I think it was really beneficial for all of us. I’m grateful. I’m grateful to be here and to come visit,” Skeets said.

Skeets is currently working on three more books: a collection of poetry, a collection of essays titled “The Memory Fill” and a novel which takes place in the 1980s during the Peter McDonald administration for the Navajo Nation. He hopes to have all three works published by 2025.

Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @annyaloya

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle Poet and UNM alumnus Jake Skeets reads from his poetry collection “Eyes Bottle Dark With a Mouthful of Flowers” at George Pearl Hall on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Opinion Editor / opinion@dailylobo.com

REVIEW: ‘Ant-Man and the

Quantumania’ is big fun of average quality

By Jessica Baca @Jessica_Baca_

This review contains spoilers

On Friday, Feb. 17, the Marvel Cinematic Universe released “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” It is an excellent addition to the MCU. Though this movie is not one of my favorites; it is, however, the best “Ant-Man” movie yet.

Even though this is not in my top ten Marvel movies, that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. It still had a ton of laughs and featured amazing world-design for the Quantum Realm.

The film follows Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), the Wasp (Evangeline Lily) and family as they get sucked into the Quantum Realm against their will. They are forced to find a way out with Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) looking for them.

The MCU is growing ever larger and is diving into more complex stories and events, but this comes at the disadvantage for casual “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” viewers because if you haven’t seen the previous mov-

ies, you’ll be completely lost to the film’s many references to Scott Lang’s history in the MCU. On top of that, if you have not watched the “Loki” TV show on Disney+ you will be a little lost to the gravity Kang holds.

This complexity isn’t a bad thing for hardcore MCU fans, though. It means we get more interesting stories than most superhero movies which are exclusively focused on origins. We instead get to see the heroes progress through all the ups and downs after their previous origin stories.

This new “Ant-Man” film explores how Cassie is doing after not having her father in her life following the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Cassie brings Scott’s good heart and humor, but also the intelligence of Hope. This makes her a charming character that starts to grow on you as the movie progresses.

This movie feels like Kang is being planned to be set up as the Thanos of this phase of the MCU. With the events of “Loki” being our first introduction to a variant of Kang and all his multiverse hopping, he is definitely going to be around for a while. Since all of his variants have different

personalities and goals, this will definitely give us exciting plots in upcoming movies.

The addition of M.O.D.O.K. to the film as a side villain was one of its more confusing elements. That is, until we found out who he is: Darren Cross, the villain of the first “Ant-Man” film. If you don’t remember who he is, I didn’t either until M.O.D.O.K. explained that he was the big bad from the first movie.

At first, it felt so wrong that Cross was M.O.D.O.K. As a big comic book fan, there was a lot of missed potential to bring him into the MCU with the company A.I.M. posing a threat to some of our heroes, especially with how threatening M.O.D.O.K.’s intelligence is.

Eventually, though, the movie did convince me how this change was worth it as they leaned into M.O.D.O.K. being a more comical villain. This was made especially apparent with his childlike personality and humorous demeanor when anyone tried to call him anything other than M.O.D.O.K.

One thing viewers are sure to notice is the amazing design of the Quantum Realm. With a unique combination of space and microorganisms, the design didn’t end

up feeling tacky. The sky could convince you that they are on some kind of alien planet with its colorful aesthetic, and the Realm’s technology being a living thing and not metal-based gives it an almost microscopic feel.

I also loved looking at all the background characters. From a person’s head that was a pink dust cloud to a broccoli head, the designs were all so eye-catching.

Ultimately, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” definitely felt like a filler movie in the MCU, providing the viewer with groundwork

for upcoming plans in the MCU more than anything. This is not a groundbreaking Marvel movie, but definitely one I will come back to from time to time for a good laugh.

Jessica Baca is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily lobo. They can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on twitter @ Jessica_Baca_

Hogwarts Legacy is an enchanting

By Aldo Jurado @Jurado11Aldo

Friday, Feb. 10 saw the release of the long-awaited and highly controversial “Hogwarts Legacy,” an open world role-playing game based on the “Harry Potter” novel series. The game sold 500 million copies through Steam on its release day alone, and for good reason: the game provides you with the opportunity to inhabit the world of “Harry Potter” in a sprawling, fun experience, even if it can be somewhat overwhelming at times.

The game starts with you as a new student at Hogwarts: there is a mystery afoot around your presence at the infamous school. It is later revealed that your character uses an ancient type of magic, setting in motion the subsequent events of the game.

There are many twists and turns throughout the story, leaving you wanting to come back in order to continue to connect with the different characters you meet. The story compels you to listen to every

sentence and carefully analyze the characters you interact with.

The storylines for the characters is a big strength of the game. There are also a multitude of ways to interact with the characters in the game, whether it’s through side quests, main quests or even outside of quests. They make it so that you can partner up with people through duels with other students and playing minigames with them.

The game has many wonders to discover especially with the scenery, compelling story and the fast-paced combat. The amount of detail a player will encounter when running or flying around is impeccable. Some examples include the way the light reflects in the water or the particle effects of water flowing down a stream.

Discovering new combinations of spells in the vast open world made the combat element of the game feel fun and exciting while also allowing the game to feel effortless and flow together. The game designers excelled in all aspects that players want in a game, encouraging you to come back and explore the world again

Volume 127 Issue 25

and again.

The variety of gameplay also helps to keep the game from feeling too stale: From puzzles to eliminating enemies, from monster poachers to ancient golems guarding tombs, there’s nary a dull moment in the world of “Hogwarts Legacy.”

The sheer amount of content along with the variety is also an impressive feat. The main story could round up to around 30 to 35 hours, providing players with enough content to explore that could leave you with nearly 60 hours of gameplay.

Some of the weaknesses in the game come from the jump between console generations. Seeing as the game is largely designed for the current generation of consoles, the look and performance of the game on older-gen hardware is lackluster.

There’s a lot to explore in the game, but the amount of content can overwhelm a player not accustomed to such an expansive open world because you’ll never know if you will complete the game or not.

“Hogwarts Legacy” also faced controversy prior to its release due to its

The New Mexico Daily Lobo is an independent student newspaper published on Monday except school holidays during the fall and spring semesters. Subscription rate is $75 per academic year. E-mail accounting@dailylobo.com for more information on subscriptions.

The New Mexico Daily Lobo is published by the Board of UNM Student Publications. The editorial opinions expressed in the New Mexico Daily Lobo are those of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the students, faculty, staff and regents of the University of New Mexico. Inquiries concerning editorial content should be made to the editor-in-chief.

All content appearing in the New Mexico Daily Lobo and the Web site dailylobo.com may not be reproduced without the consent of the editor-in-chief. A single copy of the New Mexico Daily Lobo is free from newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies is considered theft and may be prosecuted.

Letter submission policy: The opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. Letters and guest columns must be concisely written, signed by the author and include address and telephone. No names will be withheld.

UNM Land Acknowledgement statement

association with J.K. Rowling and her earning of royalties from the game. Many people who are transgender didn’t want the game to be released due to her history of transphobic comments. For me, it’s important to separate the creator of the world from the creator of this game: Rowling’s actions are unforgivable, but she did not create the game. Those who did deserve to be recognized for their work.

Ultimately, “Hogwarts Legacy” is more than worth a playthrough,

whether you grew up reading or watching the “Harry Potter” novels or movies or if you’ve never heard of a “patronus.” There’s a swathe of fun to be had for all who can dedicate their time to this sprawling adventure.

Aldo Jurado is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Jurado11Aldo

Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico – Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache – since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and

Women’s basketball: Lobos stay steady for the win

By Thomas Bulger @thomasbulger10

On Saturday, Feb. 18 the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team defeated the San José State Spartans 70-61. The Lobos are on a 3-game winning streak and are now 17-11 overall and 9-6 in conference play.

In a game where they nearly gave up multiple double-digit leads, the Lobos were resilient and found a way to win. They played smart basketball down the stretch and only fouled nine times during the game. They ultimately lost the rebounding battle 43-42, but fought for every ball. The team shot 22-26 from the free-throw line.

The Lobos had four players in double-digit scoring

with Vianè Cumber leading the team with 16; she made four 3-pointers. Amaya Brown had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jada Holland was the only Spartan with double-digit scoring and led the team with 10 points. Jasmine Singleton also had a good game ending with 7 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The game started with LaTascya Duff being fouled on the 3-point line; she made all three free throws. Shaiquel McGruder was fouled on a successful layup, and she made her free throw.

LaTora Duff followed it up with another 3-point possession, being fouled on a made shot and making her free throw.

Amhyia Moreland ended the 8-0 Lobo run with a second

chance layup, and the Spartans responded with a 10 point run to tie the game 14-14 at the first media timeout with 4:24 left in the first quarter.

LaTora Duff ended the Spartans’ run with a 3-pointer.

Aniyah Augmon stole the ball and scored on a fastbreak. The Spartans were able to break through UNM’s defense: 12 of their points in the first quarter were in the paint. The Lobos were up 22-20 going into the second quarter.

Spartan Ellie Boni started the quarter with a layup, but Augmon responded with a 3-pointer and a forced turnover on defense. When the Lobos took a lead, they allowed the Spartans to keep the game close with back-to-back turnovers. Cumber went on a 7-0 run by herself making two layups and a 3-pointer. The Lobos were up 34-27 with 4:10 left in the half. McGruder had an incredible block that led to an empty possession for the Spartans. San José kept the game close, though, as they still found ways to score in the paint. The Lobos were up 43-35 at the end of the first half.

The Lobos were a perfect 12-12 at the free-throw line and won the rebounding battle 23-19. The Spartans continued to drive the lane and scored 18 points in the paint.

Holland started the half with a pair of free throws for San José, but Cumber answered with a 3-pointer. The Spartans erased the Lobo lead with a 9-0 run

Lobo players huddle before shooting free throws against San José State at The Pit on Saturday, Feb. 18. consisting of three layups and a Sabrina Ma 3-pointer. The game was tied 46-46 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

LaTora Duff ended the 11-0 run with a layup which was followed with Augmon passing to McGruder for an easy basket. Ma made her second 3-pointer to temporarily take the lead, but McGruder ended the quarter with a pair of free throws to put the Lobos up 52-51.

Both teams struggled to score at the start of the fourth quarter, but Cumber made a 3-pointer and Brown was fouled where she made one of her free throws. The Lobos were up 56-51 with 6:32 left in the game. Out of the media timeout, Spartan Nailea Nicholas scored a layup, but Brown stole the ball for a layup to protect the Lobo lead. Paula Reus passed to Mc-

Jerimiah Anzures / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Jerimiah Anzures / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Lobo guard LaTascya Duff shoots over a San José State defender at The Pit on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Basketball from page 5

Gruder for an easy layup, but the Spartans weren’t done yet with Moreland cutting to the basket for a layup.

LaTora Duff was fouled when the Lobos inbounded the ball and made both free throws to put the Lobos up 65-57 with 54 seconds in the game. Brown was fouled after she stole the ball and made both free throws to seal the game. The Lobos won 70-61.

After the game, head coach Mike Bradbury gave credit to the Spartans and talked about the team’s fourth quarter performance.

“(I got to) give San José credit:

they played really, really hard and they’re well-coached. They really get after you. They compete at a high level. I’m proud of our team for finding a way to win when we couldn’t make a shot … I thought defensively in the fourth quarter we were good — we were able to get rebounds we missed, and we got enough stops,” Bradbury said. “We made just enough shots but mainly, we got to the free-throw line.”

After the game, Brown talked about the importance of maintaining intensity in the game.

“It was very important we knew that they were going to play

hard, so we just knew we would have a full game and play all four quarters … That’s what we all did today due to the importance of the game,” Brown said.

The Lobos have one home game left this season on Saturday, Feb. 25 against Utah State. It will be Senior Night at The Pit.

Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@ dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10

Isotopes: New manager, hitting coach look to knock it out of the park this season

By Miyawni Curtis @MiyawniCurtis

Pedro Lopez is returning to the Albuquerque Isotopes for the 2023 season, not as the bench coach, but as their new manager. He will be joined by former Lobo baseball star Jordan Pacheco as the returning hitting coach.

Staff from the Isotopes gathered on Friday, Feb. 17 for a press conference to celebrate the promotion of Lopez and introduce his goals for the new season. He is the eighth manager in Isotopes history, according to Minor League Baseball.

Lopez said he is grateful and honored, but it won’t be easy. He has one goal for the upcoming season: winning.

“We got to win … You don’t know

what you’re gonna get (on the roster), but we have an idea of who we might have … Pitching and defense wins championships … It’s never been about me, it’s about the guys … It’s gonna be fun,” Lopez said.

This isn’t Lopez’s first rodeo as manager: he has an overall managerial record of 979-977 across 19 seasons in the minor leagues, according to MILB. He served as the Isotopes hitting coach in 2021 and the bench coach in 2022. Lopez previously managed in the Mets organization for 12 seasons. His professional coaching career started in 2001 with the Savannah Sand Gnats, at the time the Rangers’ Low-A affiliate.

Lopez also had a playing career with the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros minor league teams. He was

originally selected by the Padres in the 21st round of the 1988 MLB draft, according to MILB.

In addition to the changes to the coaching staff, fans this season can expect 15 firework shows, 21 giveaways, a Green Chile Cheeseburger alternate uniform night, six Mariachi alternate uniform games, an Independence day celebration and a wide selection for food, according to the Isotopes Schedule. The Isotopes will start their season on April 1 and have their home opener on April 4 against the Salt Lake Bees.

Miyawni Curtis is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted on Twitter @MiyawniCurtis or by email at sports@ dailylobo.com

1

1

Slice

Jerimiah Anzures / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo Lobo guard LaTora Duff dribbles down the court against San José State.

By Zara Roy @zarazzledazzle

As a college student overloaded with essays and homework, it can be difficult to settle down with the book that’s been sitting on your desk for months to read for pleasure. For those wanting to jump back in and reignite their love of reading, University of New Mexico freshman Faryn Long shared her favorite recently discovered pageturners worthy of a glance from her fellow bookworms.

“I Must Betray You” by Ruta Sepetys

“I Must Betray You,” a historical fiction novel, follows a boy living in Communist Romania in 1989. Cristian, the protagonist, grapples with the oppressive conditions which drown his dreams of becoming a writer and force him into becoming an informer for the regime. This book floored Long.

“It’s just one of the best and most well-written books I’ve read in a really, really long time. It actually inspired me to go to Romania,” Long said.

The “Zodiac Academy” series by Caroline Peckham and Susan Valenti

“Zodiac Academy” is a fantasy romance series following twin sisters, Tory and Darcy, who discover they’re heirs by birthright to the fae kingdom of Solaria. Following this revelation, they must learn to harness their powers at a magical academy where rivals jockey for their power. For

Faryn Long, a freshman at the University of New Mexico, shares five book recommendations with the Daily Lobo Long, the main point of intrigue in this book was the author’s skillful weaving of the two different points of view between the sisters.

“I really like the dynamics of the two points of view because I think that can be done very wrong, but these authors did a really good job with that,” Long said.

“Felix Ever After” by Kacen Callender

Exploring the dynamics of

marginalized identity in romance and relationships, “Felix Ever After” follows Felix Love, a Black queer transgender man as his plan for revenge following an anonymous bullying incident turns into a love triangle. Long appreciated the representation of transgender people and people of color in this contemporary romance, as well as the typical tropes of the romance genre present throughout.

“I think (representation) is super important. It has a love

triangle in it, which I’m a sucker for,” Long said.

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A New York Times bestseller with a Netflix adaptation in the works, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” has reached a level of popularity among many contemporary readers that almost speaks for itself. In the novel, aging Old Hollywood star Hugo gives a final tell-all in -

terview about her eponymous seven marriages.

“I love this author because I love how she criticizes the main character, and I just really like the story. I think it’s a really interesting (work of) historical fiction,” Long said.

“The Liar’s Daughter” by Megan Cooley Peterson

“The Liar’s Daughter” follows Piper, the daughter of a doomsday-cult leader who lives her childhood within a compound; when it’s raided, she is forced to confront the outside world and come to terms with the lies she was indoctrinated into.

“It’s a really interesting narrative that talks a lot about thought and the processes of grief and recognition,” Long said.

With a wide selection of novels to delve into, we hope you find something that will encourage you to dig deeper into the type of stories that spark your interest, and maybe even find a new favorite among Long’s suggestions.

Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @zarazzledazzle

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle

Campus greenhouses provide control for research, peaceful space

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

Castetter Hall at the University of New Mexico is home to several greenhouses, utilized for everything from research to serving as a peaceful oasis on campus for students to gather and study, according to greenhouse manager Wesley Noe, who cares for the public greenhouse and teaching labs, along with providing support for the researchers.

Alongside faculty, graduate students are also able to use the greenhouse for their research projects, according to Noe.

“I think we all have a fun time whenever we work together. It’s kind of a unique thing that people get to do here; even in the department, most people are just working in the lab,” Noe

said. “For those 10 select grad students that do get to have an experiment in the greenhouse it’s just a cool experience to have for them.”

One of the graduate students currently researching in the Whitney lab, adjacent to the public greenhouse, is Maya Shamsid-Deen. She is currently researching phenotypic plasticity in mustard plants. Phenotypic plasticity is the ability for plants that have the exact same DNA, called “plastic,” to exhibit variation based upon the conditions they grow in rather than genetic variation.

“Plastic is when they’re clones, so their genetic information is all the same. But depending on your treatment (as a plant), depending on the environment you’re experiencing, you will look different. So you might grow really tall. And that would be great, if you’re trying

to get more light. If you’re growing under competition, maybe you’re going to flower a little bit later, versus someone who doesn’t have that competition,” Shamsid-Deen said.

These tests are done also to understand how the recency of their introduction to their environment, specifically when the plants were introduced to the United States, will affect their plasticity. This means the greenhouse is instrumental to the research — the plants would not survive outside in the natural conditions in the state.

“I’m looking to see if there’s a pattern between the populations that have a more recent history of colonization, them being more plastic versus those that haven’t really been introduced to new areas that’ve kind of stayed in the same place the whole time,” Shamsid-Deen said.

Her experiment started when she traveled across the Southwest studying a shrub, and noticed variations in how it grew based upon the environment it lived in, leading her to discover a new variety of species. What is different about this experiment is the plants are all the same species, and this research is only feasible because of the greenhouse, which eliminates the variation that would be present in a field study.

“I can control their environment. So here, these plants actually grow on the East Coast, and some on the West Coast. They’re not grown in New Mexico. And so the greenhouse allows you control so that you can really distinguish those patterns from the variation that you might have in a field study.,” Shamsid-Deen said.

This study is set to be completed in April, at which point they will begin analyzing the data. Shamsid-Deen hopes to gain an understanding through her research on how plants will survive

EC -L OGICAL

Conscious Capitalism for Sustainable Living

the changing conditions caused by climate change.

“Under climate change, our plants are going to be dealing with a lot of variability. That could be in precipitation, that could be in temperature — they can look into it a lot of different ways. And so how are they going to cope with that variability?”

Shamsid-Deen said.

Aside from research studies like Shamsid-Deen’s, there are also undergraduate projects that live in the teaching bay, which Noe takes care of.

“And that’s why the bottle class is really great, because then the students get to learn … why do you need a greenhouse? What are the controls over lighting variation, or what have you — Why is all of that important?”

Shamsid-Deen said.

The public greenhouse next door emphasizes community by being a place for students to study and from the plants that fill it, as many are donations from community members, according to Noe.

“I think it provides a lot to the students for space to rest in peace. So I think for the student body, that’s super, super important,” Noe said.

Maddie Pukite is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @maddogpukite

Albuquerque’s Newest Used Bookstore

OPEN Mon – Sat 11-6

Come check us out! East of Nob Hill 11AM - 5PM

120 Jefferson St. NE • 505.492.2948

spotlight

Albuquerque’s Newest Used Bookstore

OPEN Mon 11

Come check us out!

120 Jefferson St. NE • 505.492.2948

Quirky Used Books & More is a locally owned bookstore offering a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction titles in a variety of genres and subject areas! Cookbooks! Mysteries! Biographies! History! Art books! Teacher materials! Kids books! And more! Our 3,800 square foot store opened in April 2022, fulfilling a long-time desire by the owner to open his own brick and mortar store. We carry greeting cards, collectibles, clothing and jewelry items, and a small selection of CD’s, LP’s, and DVD’s. Quirky Books also proudly displays and sells artwork by local artists! As part of our commitment to the Albuquerque community, we are proud to partner with local organizations to help them raise funds through book donation drives. We’re located just east of the Nob Hill area at 120 Jefferson NE. Stop by and get Quirky!!!

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

A variety of plants reside at one of the greenhouses located in Casttetter Hall on UNM Main Campus.

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

A stone gnome statue stands in one of the greenhouses inside Castetter Hall.

A Wonderful World: Snow Day

Tran

Christopher

Services

PAPER DUE? FORMER UNM instructor, Ph.D., English, published, can help. 505-569-2626 (Text Only); 505254-9615 (Voice Only).

www.WritingandEditingABQ.com

MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS

TUTOR. Billy Brown PhD. College and HS. Telephone and internet tutoring available. 505-401-8139, welbert53@ aol.com

welbert53@aol.com

Apartments

NEWLY REMODELED 1BDRM.

Laundry available on-site. Security gate with key card entry. $850/mo. Utilities included. No pets. Call OR TEXT 505315-4103. Photo DAVIDMARTINEZPHOTOGRAPHY COM

w.WritingandEditingABQ.com Your Space

HEY LOBOS! DID you know that you can place FREE ads in this classifieds category? Ads must be 25 words or less.

To get your free ad, email classifieds@ dailylobo.com from your UNM email or come by Marron Hall room 107 and show your UNM ID.

Vehicles for Sale

HEY LOBOS! DID you know that you can place FREE ads in this classifieds category? Ads must be 25 words or less.

To get your free ad, email classifieds@ dailylobo.com from your UNM email or come by Marron Hall room 107 and show your UNM ID.

Jobs Off Campus

NEW MEXICO COUNTIES

MULTI-LINE CLAIMS EXAMINER

Non-profit local governmental association has opportunity for an experienced claims examiner to join our team in handling property-casualty claims, with an emphasis in employment and law enforcement liability claims. Minimum of five years of related experience preferred. Will consider education and business experience in lieu of five years related experience. Successful candidate will have work experience with increasing responsibility and complexity. Examiner will effectively manage assigned claims in accordance with applicable laws, practices, and procedures. Excellent benefits package and working environment. Convenient offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Flexibility to work from home or modified remote work schedule. Email resume and references by February 28, 2023 to Cynthia Stephenson at cstephenson@nmcounties.org.

Freelance Reporter

Duties and Responsibilities: Responsible for writing stories as assigned by Daily Lobo desk editors (news, culture, sports).

Required Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Communication skills.

Preferred Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Writing and reporting skills.

Freelance Photographer

Duties and Responsibilities: Take photographs to illustrate stories in the Daily Lobo

Required Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Knowledge of digital photography. Communication skills.

Preferred Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop.

Editorial Design

Duties and Responsibilities: Design pages for the editorial sections of the Daily Lobo Work with all desk editors and Editor-in-Chief to design pages for each section of the newspaper. Work under deadline to ensure that page design is properly implemented into final page(s) template. Prepare and send files to printer.

Required Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Knowledge of Adobe InDesign and Adobe PhotoShop.

Preferred Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Graphic design skills.

Advertising Intern

Duties and Responsibilities: Sell display advertising for the Daily Lobo newspaper. Establish relationships with clients, contact and maintain accounts, and serve as a general marketing specialist for a variety of businesses. Communicate professionally with clients over the phone, e-mail, and in person. Seek out new clients to advertise with the Daily Lobo. Create advertising proposals for current and prospective clients. Working with clients, design thumbnails of ads to be created by advertising production staff. Schedule ads in accounting software. Handle payment transactions, including entering transactions in acccounting software and submitting cash and checks to the accounting office. Input client information and contacts into accounting software. Proof ads on a daily basis.

Required Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities:

Good customer service skills. Experience in sales. Must exhibit strong organizational and communication skills, both oral and written.

Preferred Knowledge, Skill and/or Abilities: Proficiency in Word and Excel. Experience in a deadline situation.