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Lobos y Lowriders shift into gear
By Marina Olmstead @DailyLobo Chavez said.
Polished rims, shiny hoods and big smiles kicked off the Lobos y Lowriders event on Wednesday, Sept. 17. In the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, New Mexico’s lowriders proudly showed off their sweet rides and unique culture, bringing color and shine to the University of New Mexico Student Union Building courtyard.
“If this car could talk; imagine what it would tell you,” Frank “Poncho” Chavez, the president of the Duke’s Car Club Albuquerque and owner of a 1959 Chevrolet Impala, said.
These antique cars, are valued from $200,000 to $500,000, according to several of the owners. Buying, selling and trading are all a part of this culture’s dynamics. Most of the owners at the event know how to do mechanical tuning and repairs themselves, or work as a community to service their cars. The Lowriders care deeply about the perseverance of their masterpieces, for they are conserving more than just a vehicle,
Chavez hopes events such as the Lobos y Lowriders help spread knowledge of Hispanic culture, especially in how Lowriders give back to the community, he said. Much of the exposure Lowriders receive is through narrative media, but is often a misrepresentation, he said.
“In every culture you get bad people, but look at the Lowriders now. They’ve had gangs, drug dealers and scary people, but that’s a persona that everybody sees in movies and stuff like that,” Chavez said.
Chavez believes this creates a negative perspective, but meeting those in the community often dispels stereotypes, he said.
“You meet these people, and say ‘wow, they’re regular Joes.’ We are police officers, college students and safety inspectors,” Chavez said.
Many Lowriders had family members who attended the event or brought their own classic cars, including Chavez’s son.
Lowriding runs deep within the roots of Hispanic
entwining family, history and unity, Chavez said. These cars are often passed down generations as families often did not own much to give as an inheritance,
Chavez said.
“The classic car goes back to your family — where you went with your family, trips, things like that,” Chavez said. “It takes you back to history.”
President Stokes to retire in July
By Jaden McKelvey-Francis @jadenmckelvey
After serving as president of the University of New Mexico for eight years, Garnett Stokes will be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year. She announced her retirement in an email to the campus community on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Stokes is the 23rd president of UNM since the University’s founding in 1889. She is the first female president of the University in its 136year history.
Stokes assumed the role on March 1, 2018, after previously serving as provost, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and Interim Chancellor at the University of Missouri along with positions as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and interim president at Florida State University.
“After several wonderful decades of service in higher education leadership, it soon will be time for me to step away and begin a new chapter in my life with my husband,
Jeff, who has served as my partner throughout this leadership journey. I have informed the Board of Regents that the 2025-26 academic year will be my last serving as your President,” Stokes wrote in her announcement.
Paul Blanchard, chair of the UNM Board of Regents, released a statement praising Stokes for her visionary stewardship and commitment to the University.
“Her work has advanced UNM as a national leader in research, student success, and as a partner and major driver of economic development for communities across our state, including expansion and modernization of treatment facilities for UNM Health Sciences,” Blanchard’s statement reads.
The Board of Regents will conduct the search for the next University President.
“As we look to the future, the Board is committed to conducting a robust search for the next president while we continue to have the benefit of President Stokes’ leadership,” Blanchard wrote.
Stokes paved the way to UNM’s continued success, UNM Regent Christina Campos wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.
“I first met President Stokes when she came out to Santa Rosa to visit my hospital and community. No other UNM president has ever done that. It illustrated her understanding and commitment to UNM being the University of all New Mexico, both urban and rural. That was about 7 years ago and I have since continued to be impressed with her leadership of my alma mater. I’m sad to see her leave, especially so early in my tenure as Regent. However, I’m happy for her and appreciate that she’s helping ensure a smooth selection and transition process over the next eight months,” Campos wrote.
During her first year as President, Stokes went on a statewide listening tour, in which she visited all of New Mexico’s 33 counties to meet and converse with community members, students, researchers and alumni.
Stokes oversaw many changes to
the University during her tenure. She launched UNM’s Grand Challenges Initiative in 2019 and UNM 2040 — the University’s 20-year vision encompassing teaching, research, healthcare and economic missions.
Stokes oversaw four consecutive years of student enrollment growth and six years in a row of first-year student enrollment rising.
The University underwent architectural changes under her leadership as well. The Critical Care Tower at UNM Hospital, the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology, a new Humanities facility and a UNM Police Department Headquarters are all projects currently underway. A new Physics and Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Science Center, the Lobo Welcome Center and the revitalized Duck Pond are some of the campus projects completed during Stokes’ tenure.
Stokes’ retirement marks the largest change in a University administration that has faced many
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transformations over the past two years, starting with the hiring of Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo, and including a new University General Counsel, Honors College dean, vice provost for faculty affairs, Graduate Studies dean, University College dean, Anderson School of Management dean and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
There is a search for a provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, which is a position currently filled by Barbara Rodriguez on an interim basis.
“It has been an honor to serve as your President. I’m grateful to the Board of Regents and the UNM community for their continued support. No matter where my journey into retirement takes me, I will always be a Lobo!” Stokes wrote.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@ dailylobo.com or on X @ jadenmckelvey
culture, Lowriders on display for the Lobos y Lowriders event outside the Student Union Building on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Preston Rogers/ Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
A portait of Lobo Louie posing in front of the lowriders on display for the Lobos y Lowriders event outside of the SUB on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Preston Rogers/ Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Lowriders on display for the Lobos y Lowriders event outside of the SUB on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Preston Rogers/ Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Marina Olmstead is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo. com or on X @DailyLobo
Santos: New Mexico’s generational art form
By Maria Fernandez @Dailylobo
Throughout New Mexico’s history, art has been an integral part of telling the rich and vibrant stories and beliefs of its local people. One such style of art unique to the southwest is the craft of creating “santos,” the name given to multiple types of artistic demonstrations of figures in Catholicism, including paintings on wooden tablets known as retablos, carved statues called bultos and reredos, panel paintings often displayed behind the altar in churches.
Santos were originally displayed in the mission churches the Franciscans built when they came to the southwest, and typically depicted a saint, the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, or the Holy Family, Jana Gottshalk, curator and museum director of the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.
“Santeros and Santeras are extremely important to New Mexico culture. They carry on the artistic and cultural traditions in a way that no one else can. These artists are often deeply connected to history and have knowledge beyond what one can find in any book,” Gottshalk wrote.
Retablos and bultos became common items for devotion not only in churches, but homes as well, often depicting the patron saints of cooks, homemakers or woodworkers.
Over time, the art of “santo” creation became uniquely New Mexican, as artists developed their own processes with local materials, often using ponderosa pine or cottonwood bark for the tablet, paints made from the pigments
of locally found plants, and piñon gesso, Victor Goler, a santero based in northern New Mexico, said.
“I grew up in a family of art conservators and restorers in Santa Fe and they put me to work at a pretty young age. In (my uncles’) conservation studios, they taught me how to carve, not necessarily how to carve faces and hands and things like that, but how to use the tools,” Goler said. “I was pretty selfmotivated at a young age, and I’d go in there and just make my own toys and they saw that I had a knack for wood carving, so they put me to work on saints, many from New Mexico, but also from Mexico and the Caribbean.”
Inspired by the Chicano movement of the 1960s, New Mexican artists led a retablo revival, and the devotional objects remain a vibrant and popular expression of faith. Many artists continue the tradition of hand-painted retablos, along with contemporary artists from diverse cultural backgrounds who draw creative inspiration from the popular art form, according to Saint Mary’s College of California.
Goler has been creating retablos and bultos since 1988, becoming one of the most well-known artists to sell work in Santa Fe’s popular Traditional Spanish Market during the summer, he said.
Held annually since 1926, the Spanish Market has been a staple event for artists to display their talents and connect visitors to New Mexico’s Spanish settlement roots, according to The Spanish Market.
While participating in the Spanish Market each year, Goler become involved with the conservation of bultos and retablos in churches in New Mexico, helping to clean and take care of art pieces — so much so that his northern New Mexico studio
is referred to as the “santo hospital” among the santeros and santeras of the community, he said.
“In conservation, you’re preserving what is there. You’re stabilizing the pigment, the gesso, the structure itself, but you’re not changing the history of it. So, if it’s missing fingers, you don’t replace them. Even if the varnish isn’t too dirty, you leave that original varnish. You have to weigh the options,” Goler said.
Retablos have evolved from representing not only religious figures, but also New Mexico history, with artists designing contemporary pieces depicting important fixtures of New Mexican history and way of life, Goler said.
“I think it is interesting to note that the Chicano movement really marks the beginning of Santos as contemporary commentary. Luis Tapia is the best example of an artist who began to incorporate more of a narrative to the work and eventually used the traditional work to critique and comment,” Gottshalk wrote.
The community of santeros and santeras in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado is still thriving, as the art form has been passed down through generations and developed different styles, Goler said.
“Mentorship is also an important aspect to being a santero or santera, many artists dedicate themselves to passing down their knowledge of traditional materials and techniques to the younger generations. It’s a huge responsibility,” Gottshalk wrote.
Artist Corine Mora Fernandez began creating retablos and bultos after visiting the Spanish Market and finding artistic inspiration. In the 1980s, Mora Fernandez took a one-day class with Charles Carrillo, a well-known santero, on retablo
painting, and quickly became fascinated with the art and began painting on their own.
“I think one of the (paintings) that I did a lot was Mary with Jesus, and then I got into the carving and doing the bultos, which came a few years later, and I really, really enjoyed the carving,” Mora Fernandez said.
Mora Fernandez participated in the Spanish Market until 2007, when health issues arose, but she has never lost her passion for creating santos and other artwork, she said.
“There was one time (my mother) and I went to the Spanish Market. I had never seen (retablos) before,
and I fell in love with the traditional Hispanic art, and then I thought, ‘gosh, I think I could do that,’” Mora Fernandez said.
Editor’s note: Corine Mora Fernandez is the grandmother of Maria Fernandez, the writer of this article. Mora Fernandez was not involved in the reporting or writing of this article.
Maria Fernandez is the copy editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at copy@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
Retablos of various saints adorn Victor Goler’s studio walls on Friday, Sept. 19.
Maria Fernandez/ Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Culture and Curveballs: Michael Lopez reflects on his roots
By Marley Herndon @superagent47ult
University of New Mexico Baseball Associate Head Coach Michael Lopez is not ashamed of his heritage. Like his father before him, he was raised with the phrase, “don’t let them call you a lazy Mexican,” Lopez said. Lopez gives the phrase partial credit for growing up in a household where hard work and discipline were preached.
No one would dare call Lopez that today, as he has steadily improved the Lobo’s pitching staff since entering the picture in July. Earned run average, walks and hits per innings pitched and walks per nine innings are all down as Lobo baseball trends in the right direction.
In standings, the Lobos have finished third in 2025 and second in 2024 in the Mountain West Conference, and Lopez looks to get them over the hump this year, he said.
Growing up Lopez was a pitcher, with his favorite pitch being his changeup. His fastball would run up to 88-90 miles per hour by the time he got to high school, he said. He spent his collegiate career at the University of Arizona, where he played for his father, Head Coach Andy Lopez.
“I was blessed to have a really good feel with the change-up,” Lopez said.
Unfortunately for Lopez, he suffered a shoulder injury in his
sophomore year of college and couldn’t get a good feel for the change-up anymore. This injury interfered with his arm slots and his favorite pitch didn’t move the way he wanted it to anymore. Lopez was able to persevere and adopt a new offspeed pitch — a splitter — but things would never be the same again, he said.
It was around this time that Lopez realized he wanted to be a coach. He turned to his father, the now retired College Baseball Hall of Famer coach and two-time national champion, for guidance, Lopez said.
“I know I’m probably not going to pitch, but can I stick around. I think I want to get into coaching,” Lopez said to his father.
His father obliged, and although officially he remained on the roster as a player, Lopez was given new responsibilities such as operating the walkie-talkie in the bullpen, communicating with former Arizona Pitching Coach Shaun Cole and helping prepare the scouting reports, he said. Lopez attributes this experience with showing him “old school teaching philosophies,” Lopez said.
This experiment paid off in dividends, as just a year later he was named team captain ahead of Arizona’s 2012 national title run.
Lopez credits the experience as a major part of the journey that has led him where he is today, he said.
After his time as a volunteer assistant, he went to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school at Marymount California University and spent time as a pitching coach, and then head coach at Howard Community College in Big Springs, Texas. After two seasons, Lopez would join the Lobo squad.
As the Lobos’ associate head coach, his responsibilities today include anything to do with pitching. Lopez performs background checks and looks for intangibles like competitiveness, toughness and work ethic as well as seeing if the recruits meet certain thresholds in regards to fastball velocity and breaking ball movement.
“Bullpens, development plans, playing catch, calling pitches and scouting reports are my number one responsibilities,” Lopez said.
Lopez is also instrumental in helping Recruiting Coordinator Matt Risdon, who he wants to thank for all of his hard work, he said.
“This is a tough place to pitch at … as much as you want to go get guys with high (velocity) and good breaking balls you ultimately need to start with the intangibles,” Lopez said.
Marley Herndon is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo. com or on X @superagent47ult
Lobos Men’s Golf freshman wins individual title Victory sets new record for UNM freshman
By Alex Joe @DailyLobo
The University of New Mexico Men’s Golf Team hosted the 70th William H. Tucker Invitational at The UNM Championship Course on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, for the lone home event of the season. The Lobos started strong at 18 under par, entering day two with a three-stroke lead, but after a slow start and some missed shots, the Lobos hit an even par in round three, finishing in second place behind Long Beach State, who finished -23.
The biggest winner of the tournament was Lobo freshman Emil Albers, who won the individual title with a score of -13, becoming the first freshman to win the title since Tiger Woods in 1994 at Stanford and registering the lowest score for a freshman in program history. Albers started off the week with a shaky start in Utah as he shot eight
above par, but he redeemed himself in the invitational, shooting nine below after the first two rounds, and ultimately finished with 13 below earning him the individual title.
“I think I was pretty skillable the last two days. I had some good putts, just got it rolling, left some shots out there, but I had some good putts,” Albers said.
Albers’ performance earned himself high praise from Lobos Head Coach Jake Harrington.
“Emil (Albers) is a great player and was one of the first guys who committed here when I came to New Mexico,” Harrington said. “I coached his older brother, so I have known him for a long time, and I know what kind of talent he has. When he stays in control of his game, he can play with anyone. He is a great young player and I’m excited to have him for four years.”
Harrington also shared his thoughts on his team’s performance
at home and how it can help them going forward.
“At the end of the day, we gave ourselves a chance to win. We started the day with the lead and unfortunately we had a tough early stretch. Holes four through eight are some of the toughest on the course and we didn’t get through it clean today. I think we were eight-over on number seven and number eight and that won’t get it done at Tucker, not when there are so many other good teams in the field. It is disappointing, but at the end of the day, I’m proud of how the guys battled back late in the round,” Harrington said.
The Lobos will return to action Sept. 29-30 in Chicago, Illinois, for The Windon Memorial.
Alex Joe is a freelance videographer at the Daily Lobo. You can find him at sports@dailylobo. com and on X @DailyLobo
NM House Speaker condemns Israeli military action
By Leila Chapa & Paloma Chapa @lchapa06 & @paloma_chapa88
On Thursday, Sept. 18, a press conference was held in front of the Pete V. Domenici United States Courthouse in light of the expired one-year deadline set by the United Nations General Assembly to enforce the International Court of Justice advisory opinion that declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal.
During the press conference, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Bernalillo) and emergency physician Clayton Dalton, who worked at a Gaza hospital in January, condemned Israel’s military actions.
The press conference was sponsored by the Southwest Coalition for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace Albuquerque and the New Mexico Alliance for Justice in Palestine.
“In Gaza and in the West Bank, where the whole world has been witnessing a humanitarian crisis that is not just heartbreaking, but it is a
genocide,” Martínez said.
On Sept. 16, the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the U.S.’ Human Rights Council, concluded that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip against Palestinians, issuing a report that calls for action from the international community to end the genocide and punish those responsible for it, according to the U.N. Israel rejected the report, calling it “distorted and false,” according to The Associated Press.
The U.S., for the sixth time, vetoed a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following a vote in the U.N. Security Council on the same day as the press conference, according to the U.N.
SWCP founder and activist Samia Assed, who was the primary organizer of the event, called for people to reach out to representatives, workplaces and religious institutions, to “support the efforts of the United Nations” she said.
“As a Palestinian, this was very empowering for me,” Assed told the Daily Lobo. “Time is of essence,
the genocide is devastating, we don’t sleep, we don’t eat, we don’t know how to function; it seems very surreal, it feels like we’re in doomsday or an apocalypse.”
Dalton told the Daily Lobo that he ended up traveling to Gaza with a team of doctors during the ceasefire in January, where he worked at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and saw the “consequences of the war.”
Dalton saw children with penetrating shrapnel wounds to the abdomen, infections from traumatic injuries, amputated limbs from “bombs exploding” and complications from open fractures from airstrikes, he said. People who needed medical care for illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease in Gaza couldn’t reliably access care and end up succumbing to illnesses that can “otherwise be taken care of,” Dalton said.
“Everything is touched by destruction,” Dalton said. “It’s really hard to imagine if you’ve never been in a place like that. But it would be as though every building around us
right now in downtown Albuquerque was in various stages of destruction.”
Dalton said he felt “arbitrary, unearned privilege,” when returning home and that seeing the contrast after living in Gaza was “nauseating.”
“It’s a very strange feeling to step into this hell and live there for a period of time with people who are just like you and me,” Dalton said. “They’re just people like us. They’re not terrorists. They’re just people living in an
Art historian shares antiracist pictorial works Cowboys
By Lexis Lovato @lovatolexis
In strong ink, artists illustrate figures and scenes in black and white, illuminating a nuanced history of marginalized communities. Through prints, artists tell their stories and call out for justice, and with the help of modern technology, art historian Bruno Pinheiro presented their pieces so an audience can listen and learn.
Pinheiro, an art historian stationed as a postdoctoral fellow at the Leonard A. Lauder Center for Modern Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, led the show as he walked a digital audience through a remote museum of print works depicting the struggles and triumphs of connecting members of marginalized communities on Friday, Sept. 19, hosted by the University of New Mexico Latin American and Iberian Institute.
The virtual presentation featured various Mexican and African artists, including sculptor and graphic artist Elizabeth Catlett, specialist in drawing and engraving Jesús Escobedo and more who made art depicting issues surrounding antiracism and social injustices in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Pinheiro previously stayed at UNM as a Greenleaf Visiting Library Scholar in August 2024. During this time, he used the UNM Center for Southwest Research to create a presentation entailing the antiracist solidarity in the Taller de
Grafica Popular Pictorial Collection, Pinheiro said.
The Taller de Grafica Popular collection is made of artistic posters, notecards, serials, prints, calendars and fliers that focus on issues from the 1940s to 1960s, relating to labor, national socialism, fascism, agriculture and the nationalization of the petroleum industry.
This topic is one of the subchapters of his dissertation, and now, his developing book manuscript on circulation of AfroLatin American Artists in modernist institutions, he said.
“I believe that we still have a long debate to be done, especially in Latin America, in terms of inequality in social justice, especially racial injustice,” Pinheiro said.
The presence of Afro-Latin Americans, Indigenous Latin Americans and Latin-American Institutions are important to express being able to show their social identities in their artwork, Pinheiro said.
This line of research is meaningful because we as a society must reflect on the strength of societal institutions, Pinheiro said.
“We still have a lot of work to be done, both in research, but also thinking about the structure of our institutions. I believe they are not only meaningful but also urgent for us,” Pinheiro said.
Lexis Lovato is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @lovatolexis
absolutely barren, ruined landscape.”
Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo. com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo. com or on X @paloma_chapa88
band together for acid westerns
By Addison Fulton & Jaden McKelvey-Francis @Dailylobo & @jadenmckelvey
Beneath a searing desert sun, an endless landscape of sand and solitude brought together both cinepiles and history buffs alike to support a unique take on the classic western.
Tucked in a wooden cabin on Saturday, Sept. 20, the team behind the “Birth of the Acid Western” hosted a fundraiser supporting the postproduction of their documentary on the filmmaker Orville Wanzer. Wanzer was a professor of film and journalism at New Mexico State University, as well as a surrealist western filmmaker.
The acid western genre, which first emerged from the counterculture movements of the 1960s, is a film set against a western backdrop, but unapologetically engages with darker and more subversive themes, and deviates from the typical hero’s journey present in most westerns, Julia Smith said — a former NMSU film professor and the filmmaker behind “Birth of the Acid Western.”
“I hope it resonates with New Mexicans in terms of, ‘wow, this is so interesting and enriches our understanding of film history here,’” Smith said. “The goal is more about New Mexicans making films from within New Mexico that they want to make, versus ‘how can we attract Hollywood and Netflix?’”
Smith worked on preserving films in the NMSU archives, including another Wanzer project — “George Andrews” — and a host of student films made by NMSU students during
the 1960s. She noted specifically the student films in the archives, for their unique place as art for art’s sake.
“It’s not like they’re sellable. There’s no money to be made. But, these films that these students made, and some of them are really good, and some of them are these time capsules of our state,” Smith said. “So I’m hoping that, student filmmaking as an art, instead of like a training ground for the industry, could be something that comes back in as well.”
The event featured tintype portraits — a form of nineteenth-century photography — as well as student films, Wanzer’s b-roll footage and twangy music by Betty Benedeadly. Attendees could also enter a raffle for merchandise, with proceeds benefitting the film.
The event also aired footage of an interview with Wanzer, where he discussed his role as a professor of journalism and film, giving a different glimpse into his personality than his filmmaking provided.
Wanzer’s best-known film is “The Devil’s Mistress,” an acid western following a young vampire woman who seduces and murders desperados to get revenge for her husband, who was gunned down by cowboys.
Tara Perrigue, a member of the “Birth of the Acid Western” production team and organizer for the event, said she first discovered “The Devil’s Mistress,” when she attended NMSU.
“(Wanzer’s) pushing against the norms, the roots of what the acid Western is, which is, not a cowboy overcoming the desert. The desert overcomes the cowboy. It’s a journey to death, typically,” Perrigue said.
Perrigue chose to hold the event at
the Albuquerque Press Club because both the event and the host site honor the history of film and journalism in New Mexico, she said.
“I always loved (the Albuquerque Press Club). We’re preserving history, we’re honoring this space, and it’s about building community,” Perrigue said.
Vanessa Clinton, an attendee of the event, went to NMSU and did not expect to have such a relationship with the screening as she did, she said.
“I wasn’t expecting that. I thought it was just gonna be a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really apply to me at all, in any way that I couldn’t relate to, but I wanted to check it out. I was like, ‘actually, I do know what you’re talking about,’” Clinton said.
Clinton was interested in the history and evolution behind the state and the event made her proud to be a New Mexican, she said.
Richard Farmer, another attendee, said the film reminds people of New Mexico’s film cultural history.
“I was glad to see just any kind of event happening at Albuquerque, of halo effect film culture here, so I’m glad to be here and support it. It’s just cool that it’s kind of rootsy and supports the independent film world,” Farmer said.
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@ dailylobo.com or on X @ jadenmckelvey
Attendees and speakers gather during a press conference in Downtown Albuquerque on Thursday, Sept. 18.
Leila Chapa/ Daily Lobo / @lchapa06
Lobo football to
By Wyatt S. Padilla @wyattspadilla
New Mexicans will soon look to University Stadium once again to decide who reigns supreme in the state’s football: the Lobos or the Aggies. On Saturday, Sept. 27, the University of New Mexico Lobos and their rivals, The New Mexico State University Aggies, will be battling it out for the 115th time in their long-rivaled history.
Over time, the Lobos have claimed 74 of the wins, while the Aggies have claimed only 35 — with five ties between the teams — but over the last decade, the rivalry has been nearly split, with the Lobos barely passing the Aggies 5-4.
Both UNM’s Head Coach Jason Eck and NMSU’s Head Coach Tony Sanchez look to notch their first win in this rivalry, as this is Eck’s first season and Sanchez’s
second season. Last year, the Lobos defeated the Aggies in Las Cruces at Aggie Memorial Stadium 50-40, but from that Lobos squad, only five starters returned.
So far, the Lobos have begun to exceed expectations and have performed better than originally anticipated, with an upset of the
University of California at Los Angeles Bruins, on Sept. 12, but rivalry games pose a unique challenge, as emotions run higher.
The keys to this game could come down to composure, rushing and shutting down the pass, as these three factors will come into the forefront for the Lobos in taking down the Aggies.
Composure has benefited this Lobos squad, as they continue to be the FBS team averaging the fewest penalty yards per game this season. The Lobos have only committed seven penalties for an average of 15 penalty yards per game. To win, they’ll need to continue this trend of remaining collected on both ends of the ball, especially in a game that can become emotional.
The Aggies have not been so lucky, ranking 118 out of 134 FBS teams when it comes to fewest penalty yards per game, as they have committed 23 penalties, with an
average of 73 penalty yards per game.
Rushing the ball has been the name of the game for the Lobos so far this season, as the Lobos’ rushers have been able to take credit for seven of the 11 Lobos touchdowns. Against UCLA, the Lobos were able to bully the Bruins when it came to the run game, and the Lobos must look to do the same to NMSU. The Aggies has let its opponents rush for an average of 187 yards per game, a sore spot already. The Lobos themselves have rushed for 188 yards per game, making it a clear place that they must take advantage of to win.
The Aggies have demonstrated skilled passing, with an average of 253 yards per game. The Lobos, on the other hand, have struggled defensively regarding the pass over the last three games, as they have given up 244 passing yards per game.
quarterback Logan Fife from being able to pass the ball down the field. The Lobos will look for the defense to put up its best fight, and for linebacker Jaxton Eck, safety Tavian Combs, defensive end Keyshawn James-Newby and others to provide that pressure.
As of Thursday, Sept. 18, over 20,000 tickets had been sold, according to a post by UNM Athletic Director Fernando Lovo. This upcoming game provides the Lobos with a golden opportunity to continue to build on their momentum from their dominant UCLA win and finish the nonconference schedule with a statement going into Mountain West play.
For the Lobos to shut down their chronic rival, they must put pressure on the ball and stop NMSU
Wyatt S. Padilla is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo. com or on X @wyattspadilla
UNM Volleyball drops the ball against Aggies, ending win streak
By Wyatt S. Padilla @wyattspadilla
It’s Rivalry Week across NCAA Volleyball, and the Battle of I-25 was on full display as New Mexico’s two division one universities competed till the end. The University of New Mexico Lobos ultimately were bested by their Rio Grande rival, the New Mexico State Aggies, on Wednesday, Sept. 17. This NMSU victory marks a snap in a threegame win streak in the rivalry for the Lobos Head Coach Jon NewmanGonchar’s volleyball team.
Both squads fought till the end, as the match went five sets. The first set was won by the Aggies 25-18, the
second and third going to the Lobos, 25-23 and 25-18 respectively, before things swung back in favor of the Aggies, who took the fourth set 25-23 and fifth 15-7.
The Lobos ultimately were snuffed out, as NMSU went into the final set carrying over momentum from the previous set that the Lobos were unable to overcome.
The Lobos were led in kills by outside hitter Gioia Riccato, who contributed 13 of the team’s 53 kills. Lobo setter Addison France ran the show in digs with 17, and outside hitter Amanda Tremeroli took charge in blocks with five.
UNM’s lone ace was scored by Lobo middle blocker Zoe Leonard, while NMSU’s outside hitter Maggie
Lightheart and setter Nellie Reese contributed four apiece for the Aggies. This only made it fitting that the Lobos lost the final set on backto-back aces served by Lightheart to push the Aggies over the threshold in achieving victory against the Lobos.
The key to the Aggies’ win was UNM’s lack of response to the barrage of aces and blocks from NMSU. The Aggies led the match with 12 blocks compared to the Lobos’ seven. The Aggies 13 aces gave them momentum, causing UNM to miss opportunities in critical moments.
The Lobos will take the rest of the week off and open up Mountain West Conference play against Utah State University on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Johnson Gym.
at sports@dailylobo. com or on X @wyattspadilla
Emi Oaks / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
University of New Mexico and New Mexico State players shake hands before the match starts at Johnson Center on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Noah Laffler / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Wyatt S. Padilla is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached
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