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Monday, August 20, 2018 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 2
Regents reaffirm athletics cuts By Danielle Prokop @ProkopDani Nearly five hours of public meeting, and still four sports were cut from the University of New Mexico Athletics Department Friday. The decision at the special Boards of Regents meeting was in many ways similar to the contentious July 19 meeting, eliminating men and womens skiing, beach volleyball and men’s soccer, but kept diving. The meeting was called after the Office of the Attorney General (NMAG) said the meeting in July “violated” the state’s Open Meetings Act according to a letter sent to the University last week by the NMAG threatening legal action if another meeting was not held. The University responded earlier this week, stating it did not violate OMA, but would hold another meeting. Diving swam, didn’t sink The board voted 6-1 that the diving portion of swimming and diving — which consists of women only — will not be cut. The elimination of the program was part of the original joint proposal by UNM President Garnett Stokes and Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez passed in July. The proposal, according to the
By Justin Garcia @just156garc
like this are imperative to the student culture. “I think they really bring a sense of pride to being a lobo and to being here at UNM. I think that in a way it can help shape the community by bringing us all together,” she said.
The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico elected student-Senator Satchel Ben President Pro Tempore of the student senate Saturday afternoon. Ben was elected with a 19-0 count, with one senator absent. Ben is a junior studying finance at the Anderson School of Management. Last semester Ben served as the chair of the ASUNM Finance Committee. Ben discovered ASUNM in his sophomore year. He said he participated in his high school’s youth and government program and became curious about UNM’s student government. Ben said he doesn’t plan on seeking office after University. For his term as President Pro Tempore, Ben said he would like to ensure incoming senators feel more included in the affairs of the student legislature. During his time as Finance Chair, Ben said he felt many of the other senators were unsure of what his committee was doing or what rules they had. Another top priority for Ben is growing the involvement of the student body. “We are here for (students), they’re not here for us,” Ben said. Informing students who are unaware of ASUNM’s functions is a major way Ben said he can grow involvement. He pointed to Friday’s special Board of Regents meeting as an example of how more students could be involved. He said that despite the high attendance of the meeting, he would have preferred to hear from additional groups not directly affected by the decision. One of the President Pro Tempore chief responsibilities is to serve as a liaison for ASUNM to the Faculty Senate. At the end of the meeting Faculty Senate President-Elect Finnie Coleman, Ph.D., spoke to the senators. He said he hopes to build an agenda that is meaningful to students, faculty and staff.
Anthony Jackson is a freelance news reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo. com or on Twitter @TonyAnjackson.
Justin Garcia is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can contacted at news@dailylobo.com or twitter @Just156garc.
Colton Newman/ @cnewman101/ Daily Lobo
Members of the UNM Diving team celebrate after discovering their sport had been reinstated during the special BOR meeting on Aug. 17, 2018.
University, addresses the financial struggles of the beleaguered department, Title IX compliance and Mountain West Conference membership. Student Regent Garrett Adcock, as
well as other regents, spent 10 minutes grilling Nuñez on why diving was being phased out. The discussion covered facilities, budgetary concerns and future participants in the diving program. At one point, regents asked
if it removing diving would “hamstring” the swimming team, because of how their competitions are scored. While not quite clear, Nuñez
see
BOR page 6
Friday Night Live takes over the SUB By Anthony Jackson @TonyAnjackson University of New Mexico students packed the Student Union Building on Aug. 17 for Friday Night Live. The event — planned by the Student Activity Center — featured games, dancing, karaoke, henna tattoos and food. The SUB Ballroom was converted into a laser tag field and at times the line extended past the center of the SUB. Burritos, taquitos, pizza, vegetarian and meat pinwheels were available through UNM Catering, free of charge. Chartered organizations began setting up their tables at 7 p.m. and by 8 p.m. students entered a maze of more than 50 tables of UNM chartered clubs, greeted by club officers offering flyers and snacks. Chartered organizations included representatives from the Biology Undergraduate Society of UNM (BUGS), the UNM World Affairs Delegation and various greek life communities on campus. Charlene Reames, the president of the Korean Club hosted a
ASUNM selects new President Pro Tempore
table at the event. Reames, a senior majoring in languages with a minor in communications, said the goal of the club is to represent Korean culture in New Mexico through pop culture, history and food. “Food is one of the best ways to look at a culture — we have a bingsu picnic coming up; bingsu is Korean shaved ice. That will be in the spring,” she said. She also mentioned that the club will host a “Chuseok Thanksgiving” potluck in November. Friday Night Live is a UNM tradition thanks in part to the games, the events and the types of food, said Rudy Montoya, a student activities specialist with SAC. He has been a part of SAC for a little more than 10 years and has helped organize Friday Night Live for the past four years. Montoya said events like this are important to students. “We find that when students actually get connected to each other in the University, they’re a lot more willing to access resources and be successful,” he said. Standing in a swelling line for henna tattoos was Manuel Deherrera — a freshman majoring
Anthony Jackson/The Daily Lobo/@TonyAnjackson
Students dancing in the lower level of the Student Union Building during Friday Night Live on Aug. 17.
in chemical engineering. He first heard about the event through a flyer given to him at orientation. “(Friday Night Live) is pretty cool, I’ve actually learned a lot of stuff, met some new people and saw old people I met in orientation,” Deherrera said. Chatting with students and chartered organizations was ASUNM President Becka Myers, a senior majoring in political science. She said she thinks events
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