Daily l obo
Govenor, UNM President cut ribbon on new critical care tower
By Jaden McKelvey-Francis @jadenmckelvey
A decade-long wait is finally over, as the University of New Mexico Hospital Critical Care Tower is set to begin receiving patients on Sunday, Oct. 5. University and Hospital leadership alongside state and federal authorities gathered on Friday, Sept. 26 for a celebration and official ribbon cutting ceremony.
The 570,000-square-foot tower features a 68 bed expansion to the Adult Emergency Department, 96 new intensive care beds, a surgical suite with 18 operating rooms and a second helipad.
UNM Hospital is the state’s largest teaching hospital and only level I trauma center. The fourth floor of the Critical Care Tower is inaccessible to patients and visitors and will serve as a multi-use space with private rooms, lockers and eating lounges; but much of the space will also be dedicated to meeting rooms for educational purposes.
University President Garnett Stokes discussed the art adorning its building, the struggles faced in the design process with the many changes made, and the difficulties the hospitals faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The most important thing about the facility isn’t its square footage, or even the amazing state of the art equipment it houses. What matters most is that it serves our community,” Stokes said.
There have been more than 1,000 team members already hired to staff the tower and more are always being recruited, CEO of the UNM Health System and Executive VicePresident of UNM Health Sciences
The Aggie bursts into flames during Red Rally
Center, Dr. Mike Richards said.
New Mexico is a state that faces a shortage of physicians and health professionals, with 32 of the 33 the state’s counties considered health professional shortage areas, according to the Cirero Institute.
“We appreciate that New Mexico struggles with a health care workforce shortage much like the rest of the United States. One of the most important things that happens in this facility is that it’s part of the University’s health education
Lobos
By Esmeralda Lozano @DailyLobo
The University of New Mexico Lobo Football team showed out in front of their largest crowd since 2007, a sellout of 37,440 people, and dominated their rival, the New Mexico State University Aggies, sealing a 38–20 home victory.
Lobo Head Coach Jason Eck fed into the moment with his trademark intensity. After one play where a false-start penalty was called on NMSU, Eck turned toward the crowd and credited the fans for their impact.
“I want (the crowd) to know they have an impact on the game by making a lot of noise causing that guy to jump offsides,” Eck said.
The pressure was on and the Lobos delivered, as New Mexico native and former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm, former Heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and influencer IShowSpeed made
stomp
appearances at the game.
The first half for the Lobos started off rocky as offensive plays fell short, causing a mess of offsides, penalties and a fumble. The Aggies took off hot, scoring the first touchdown of the game to take an early 7-0 lead. Shortly after, the Lobos secured their first touchdown from tight end Cade Keith on a five-yard pass from quarterback Jack Layne tying the game. The first quarter ended with both teams knotted up 7–7.
The second quarter picked up quickly as the energy in the stands grew. The Lobo defense adjusted quickly and consistently, pushing the Aggies back and racking up nine sacks on the game. The Aggies managed to complete passes and marched down the field to score another touchdown. The other touchdown of the half for the Lobos came from a 31–yard connection between Layne and wide receiver Shawn Miller before going into the half trailing 17–14.
In the third quarter, the Lobos took control. Their defense shut
mission. We will be able to train doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, not just for the University, but for all of New Mexico and all of the health systems across New Mexico,” Richards said.
Richards said that as the critical care tower builds its capacity, they can also better support other providers and health care delivery systems in the state. He also said it would strengthen New Mexico’s ability to train the “next generation of healthcare professionals,” and
called the tower an investment in both education and the future of healthcare for the entire state.
“The true measure of today is not really the cutting of the ribbon, but it will occur in a few days, on Oct. 5, when the first patients come through the school, where they will receive outstanding world class care by compassionate healthcare providers in a spectacular facility that matches what they can do,” Richards said.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she believes there is still more work to do in the state’s healthcare industry and improvement is always possible. Lujan Grisham said she hopes to tackle that issue during the special session of the legislature she called earlier this month, set to begin on Oct. 1.
“We don’t always agree on the path, but we always agree on the outcomes, always, and the notion that this is the instrument for making sure that we have good world healthcare delivery has been part of that cornerstone foundation; and there’s no daylight between all of us — Republicans and Democrats — about making sure that that happens in this legislature,” Lujan Grisham said.
Lujan Grisham spoke about the challenges faced and resilience exhibited from COVID-19 by the state and University.
“This is a state that builds rocketships while they’re flying all the time,” Lujan Grisham said. There are 3,000 Opportunity Scholarship students in the health sciences at UNM, and the expansion is expected to help improve the University’s health education as well, Lujan Grisham said.
Javier Martínez (D-Bernalillo), the Speaker of the State House of Representatives, shared his own personal relationship with UNM Hospitals, with both of his children being born in the facilities and his advocacy for the expansion since 2013.
“Just a few months ago, I lost my father, and he received world class care at this institution. He passed away peacefully right across the way. So that cycle of life I’ve experienced over the last 13 years, the good and the not so good, and it’s happened within the walls of this incredible institution, under the care of incredible providers, from the specialists all the way to the janitors. And I could not be more proud to stand here and congratulate our University, our president, our vicepresident, our regents, our governor, for our steadfast leadership,” Martínez said.
Frank Cassidy, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that HUD provided a $320 million mortgage under the FHA Mortgage Insurance Program to help finance the project.
“We still need more healthcare. We need bigger, bolder investments. We cannot shy away — lean in New Mexico; we have a long way to go,” Lujan Grisham said.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
Aggies in front of 37,000
down Aggie drives, while the offense capitalized through the air. After a quiet start, kicker Luke Drzewiecki drilled a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 17–17. Momentum was sharp from there. With just one minute and 12 seconds left in the quarter, Layne hit tight end Dorian Thomas on a 24-yard touchdown strike, giving the Lobos a 24–17 lead to close the quarter.
“I think we’re doing self-inflicted steps to beat ourselves — we had some stuff to clean up on our end but I said we could do that in 30 minutes,” Eck said.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Aggies came out swinging with a 39-yard field goal but the Lobos offense responded quickly as wide receiver Michael Buckley threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keagan Johnson, pushing the lead out. With five minutes on the clock, Layne threw an eightyard touchdown to running back Scottre Humphrey, sealing the win and putting the Aggies’ return out of reach.
With a 38–20 triumph, the Lobos not only shut down the Aggies, but also proved they’re building serious momentum this season. On Friday, Oct. 3, the Lobos will face the San Jose State Spartans at Spartan
No fees, cash back, big smile OH, AND COMPETITIVE RATES
Stadium in California.
Esmeralda Lozano is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo. com or on X @dailylobo
New Mexico State Aggies’ kicker Ryan Hawk attempts an extra point after a 34 yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Donovan Faupel to wide receiver TJ Pride at University Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Alex Joe/ Daily Lobo / @Dailylobo
Flames engulf the Aggie at Red Rally at Johnson Field on Sept. 25.
Michael Padilla/ Daily Lobo / @Dailylobo
UNM receives F grade for free speech climate
By Leila Chapa & Paloma Chapa
@lchapa06 & @paloma_chapa88
On Sept. 9, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released their 2026 College Free Speech Rankings report, which ranks the University of New Mexico at 139 out of 257 universities. This ranking is up from last year, when UNM was ranked 219 out of 251.
This year, UNM received an overall score of 57.0 out of 100, and an “F” grade for free speech climate. Both scores are based on student surveys, campus policies and speech-related controversies, according to the FIRE website.
FIRE was founded in 1998 by University of Pennsylvania history professor Alan Charles Kors and civil liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate to advocate for the rights of college students and faculty on matters of freedom of speech and expression, according to the FIRE website.
The rankings come during a notable time at college campuses, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the “vigorous and aggressive” culture of student activism and the Trump administration’s scrutiny of higher education, a FIRE press release reads.
FIRE surveyed 180 UNM students in six categories — Comfort Expressing Ideas, Self-Censorship, Disruptive Conduct, Administrative Support, Openness and Political Tolerance. UNM ranks in the bottom 25 for Openness and the bottom 50 for Self-Censorship, according to the FIRE website.
In a Daily Lobo Instagram story
Overall raking up from last year
survey asking students if they selfcensor in campus dialogue posted on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 81 people responded with 69% of respondents reporting that they self-censor for certain topics, some referencing Christian religious beliefs and criticism of the UNM administration and president.
Senior Gillian Mulder said she feels comfortable speaking about challenging topics in class or conversation, but would likely censor herself at a campus demonstration.
Senior Julia Edwards said that students in her psychology classes are encouraged to engage in discussions about challenging topics and current events, and voice their opinions without fearing retaliation from classmates.
“I can definitely see why people would feel hesitant to speak up in
class,” Edwards said.
UNM also received a “yellow light” for several policies that regulate student expression. Yellow light schools have at least one ambiguous policy that encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application, according to FIRE’s Spotlight Database.
The policies or measures that received a yellow light include LoboRESPECT: Report a Hate/ Bias Incident, Policy 2720: Equal Opportunity and Prohibited Discrimination and Related Misconduct (Interim) and the Residence Hall Handbook: BiasRelated Incidents and Hate Crimes.
In a statement to the Daily Lobo, UNM Interim Executive Director of Strategic Communications Ben Cloutier wrote that UNM is firmly committed to the principles of free speech and values its role as a public
Daily Lobo Alumni Author Event
Lorena Abedrabbo Hughes Book release
October 4th 3pm
6261 Riverside Plaza NW Suite A-2
Born and raised in Ecuador, Lorena moved to the United States at eighteen to study Fine Arts and Mass Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico. Her first paid position was with the Daily Lobo’s advertising team. She later held roles at the Albuquerque Journal and El Comercio in Quito, Ecuador.
square for debate, a marketplace of ideas and a place to test and challenge competing viewpoints and opinions.
“UNM remains dedicated to protecting constitutionally protected expression while ensuring the safety of our campus community,” Cloutier wrote.
Of the students that FIRE surveyed, 31% responded that it’s sometimes acceptable to shout down a campus speaker, 9% say that it’s always acceptable, while 60% responded that it’s rarely or never acceptable. Students overwhelmingly voted that it’s never or rarely acceptable to block students from attending a campus speech or use violence to stop one.
Last year’s FIRE ranking report highlights UNM for having experienced three deplatforming incidents since 2020. A deplatforming attempt, as described by FIRE, is an attempt to prevent some form of expression from occurring on campus, such as a group of students pushing to have a speaker disinvited from the event, or an attempt to block the display or performance of art that a student or group finds objectionable.
According to FIRE’s “Student’s Under Fire” report, the most targeted or punished student groups nationwide from 2020-24 were Students for Justice in Palestine and Turning Point USA.
Mark Campbell, a UNM graduate student and member of UNM-SJP, said the student organization has experienced forms of intimidation from the University, citing when a UNM alum who was a senior during the Palestine Solidarity Encampment last year was barred from campus after using amplified
sound at a pro-Palestine protest last summer, weeks after graduating.
“We have very strong morals, and this is what you have to do to make any kind of systemic change happen,” Campbell said.
UNM junior and SJP member Jillian Grandinetti also received “Disciplinary Probation (with Conditions),” she said, for allegedly violating UNM Policy 220, “Freedom of Expression and Dissent,” following the same protest last summer.
“In an educational and intellectual institution where students are encouraged to debate, to explore ideas, to involve themselves politically and otherwise, if students don’t feel comfortable doing that, you’ve kind of failed them as an institution,” Grandinetti said.
Turning Point UNM recently won a lawsuit against the University that alleged UNM’s now-former security fee policy was unconstitutional and violated the First Amendment after the UNM Police Department imposed $10,000 in security fees for an event on campus with conservative speaker Riley Gaines in 2024.
When reached for comment, TPUSA-UNM referred the Daily Lobo to Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show.” Kolvet could not be reached in time for publication.
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
Her latest novel, The Night We Became Strangers, follows an aspiring photojournalist determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to her parents on the fateful night of the 1949 War of the Worlds radio broadcast in Ecuador.
Lorena is also the author of The Sisters of Alameda Street, The Spanish Daughter, and The Queen of the Valley. Learn more at lorena-hughes.com.
Illustration by Leila Chapa.
Leila Chapa/ Daily Lobo / @lchapa06
Help ‘Him’ Justin Tipping’s new horror film, a disappointment
By Addison Fulton @Dailylobo
Where does fear live? Does it sit in the body, heavy and wet, reminding you that you are a living animal? Is it in the brain? That delicate computer in between all of our ears, that can as easily guide us as it can deceive us? From the devil or God or things lurking in the dark? I’ll tell you where it certainly does not live: in Justin Tipping’s new horror film, “Him.”
Hopes were set high on Sept. 18 when “Him” was released with Jordan Peele — the man behind “Get Out,” “Us” and “Nope” — attached as a producer through his company Monkeypaw Productions. Those expectations were not met.
The film follows Cameron “Cam” Cade, a young rising football star who is attacked one night while practicing on his own. He sustains a brain injury and must skip the league’s combine that would allow him to be signed to his favorite team, “The Saviors.” Cade is given a second chance when his hero — quarterback Isaiah White — approaches him and tells Cade he can potentially join the team after spending a week at White’s home and private training facility, that White calls church.
White, who himself miraculously recovered from what should have been a career-ending injury, instructs Cade to inject himself with blood to speed recovery. Cade suffers hallucinations and harassment as he trains, and is pulled deeper into White’s strange world.
The film suffers from several problems, including its choppy writing and editing. One scene almost never leads directly into the next, instead having constistent time skips of minutes or hours. It’s
rough; there’s no continuity. At first, I liked it — it induced a feeling of dizziness and memory loss. I felt like I had a head injury. But quickly, that style started to cause problems. The fragmented nature moved too fast, with too much confusion. I couldn’t tell what was happening enough to be scared of what might happen next.
Good horror lives not in excessive violence, but in the awful moment of tension before the violence. It’s the seconds of silence when you know something terrible is about to happen, but there’s nothing you can do about it. It makes you squirm by giving you time to squirm. “Him” lacked that drama, so it lacked that horror.
But the film felt like it even lacked the cheap scares. I don’t like jumpscares much, but I found myself wishing for one. “Him” almost never showed on-screen violence. Instead, it would cut to stylized x-rays, showing the bones and organs in high contrast black and white, rather than the actual people. The emphasis was on the body, not the man. In a stronger film, this may have worked thematically, but in this project, it only served to further interrupt an already disjointed film and create distance from a disappointingly weak sense of fear.
As for the main character, Cade was not quite charming nor innocent enough for me to be scared for him. He was physically stronger than most people he was on screen with and was never trapped in a way that mattered. More importantly, Cade never seemed scared for himself.
I also was never scared of him; I didn’t believe him when he claimed to be obsessed. I never saw a killer in him, never any fire or danger in his eyes. Everyone he hurt seemed to be accidental, or in self-defense.
Cade lacked both agency and innocence. Sitting somewhere between Laurie Strode from “Halloween” and Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho,” Cade made me feel nothing.
The final initiation test is a sacrifice in the style of gladiatorial combat, wherein Cade and White face off against each other. The ending was an unmitigated disaster. It featured one of my favorite shots in the film, when Cade emerges, bloody and victorious out of an inflatable tunnel, billowing and white behind him, and strikes the “Birth of Venus” pose. That’s about all I liked about the ending. It’s rushed, messy and introduces entirely new concepts. I laughed.
“Him” wasn’t all bad, it just didn’t work together. The film is a loose grab-bag of concepts I like: the brutalization of the male body as a horrific phenomenon, religious and animal imagery and symbolism, a critique of sports fan culture, the profiting off of pain for the sake of entertainment and richly colored, decently lit cinematography. Unfortunately, it quickly falls apart. At times, it felt like a movie designed not to be a good film, but to be cut into an absolutely stellar trailer.
“Him” was an excellent trailer, but it is not a good film. I had been excited to see “Him” but I left befuddled and let down. Far from the “greatest of all time,” the film may very well have been a waste of time. If you find yourself one day with nothing to do, it makes for an entertaining watch with friends or family, but as a horror film and work of art, “Him” disappoints.
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
$1 billion fusion center coming to Albuquerque
By Jaden McKelvey-Francis @jadenmckelvey
A new $1 billion nuclear fusion research and manufacturing campus will be coming to the Mesa del Sol neighborhood of Albuquerque, as part of a partnership with Pacific Fusion — a commercial fusion energy company, headquartered in the California Bay Area — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Friday, Sept. 26.
“We’re showing, not just America but the whole world that smart regulatory aspects can make a difference in our renewable energy design and making sure our electricity prices stay low, that we’re protecting New Mexicans every day,” Lujan Grisham said.
Keith LeChien, co-founder and chief technology officer of Pacific Fusion, said that the company plans to expand further in the future and keep fundraising for the project past the $1 billion mark.
Pacific Fusion has already raised more $900 million in private capital from numerous venture capital groups, LeChien said.
“We’re excited to expand our operations to New Mexico for many reasons, chief among them the close partnership we’ve developed with state and local leadership, who
have made this project possible,” LeChien said. “Working alongside the Governor’s office, the Economic Development Department, the City of Albuquerque, key legislators from both parties and the national labs, we’ve built true partnerships over the past several months. That collaboration gives us confidence that together we’ll be able to move quickly to deliver on the promise of low-cost fusion power.”
Fusion is the process of joining atoms together to create energy.
Pacific Fusion uses pulser-driven inertial fusion, in which a large electric current is run across a small metal cylinder containing fusion fuel, creating a magnetic field that squeezes the fuel to create a release of energy that is harnessed into electricity. Research at various U.S. National Labs, including the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories, led to the creation of this approach, LeChien said.
It is expected that the facility will create more than 200 longterm jobs, in addition to hundreds of short-term jobs created in the construction process, with hiring already underway for those jobs, according to Pacific Fusion. The company is exploring partnership opportunities with both Central New Mexico Community College
and the University of New Mexico to create internships, workplace development programs and specialized trainings.
“Pacific Fusion’s decision to build in New Mexico proves that our state can compete — and win — in the race to attract the most innovative companies in the world,” Lujan Grisham said. “This project will create good jobs, expand our clean-tech economy and ensure New Mexico continues to lead in the industries of the future.”
While the facility is expected to have more fusion energy output than it takes to run the facility by 2030, the main purpose of the campus will be one of research and manufacturing rather than functioning as a power plant, according to Pacific Fusion.
“We can capture energy that essentially nature has provided us. It just took us this long to figure out how to use it. And in this case, clean renewable energy; the promise of fusion we’ve talked about for a long time and no one has actually been able to deliver, and that’s why Pacific Fusion is so exciting for us,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said.
Of the energy produced in New Mexico, 47.5% comes from renewable sources, nearly double the national average of 24.1%, according to the U.S. Energy Information
New public lands information center to open in Old Town
By Jaden McKelvey-Francis @jadenmckelvey
While most of the space is still in boxes with maps and informational flyers strewn about, there will soon be a new Public Lands Interpretive Association Discovery Center opening its doors in Old Town Albuquerque.
PLIA is a non-profit that supports public lands throughout the Southwest and partners with federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. Its mission is to make sure that people have the resources, tools and information they need to explore public lands, Aryn LaBrake, PLIA’s executive director, said.
The organization helps staff BLM and Forest Service sites and visitor centers. PLIA also provides, sells, and creates maps of public lands, memorabilia and educational publications, on topics such as hunting, camping, hiking and rockhounding.
LaBrake said PLIA is a “good first stop,” for anyone looking for opportunities to support BLM and the forest service, volunteer at one of those sites or simply explore public lands.
More than 45% of New Mexican land is under public ownership, with about 31.7% of the state under federal ownership as of 2018, making it one of the states with the highest rates of federal
land ownership.
PLIA also runs educational programs for community members and a program for middle schoolers — The Whiptail Trails Club — that teaches children about public lands and facilitates field trips.
The Albuquerque center will be opening its doors on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and holding a grand opening celebration on Friday, Oct. 3.
LaBrake said the celebration will be a chance to engage with the community and learn more from them about what public land resources they’d like to be available.
“We’re going to be asking a lot of questions. We’re going to have stations set up with our staff, and opportunities to jot down, ‘what are the resources I wish we had about public lands?’” LaBrake said.
Recently, Americans celebrated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, in the wake of federal threats to public lands by the Trump administration.
On Sept. 10, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum proposed canceling a public land management rule that made conservation an official use of public lands in an effort to boost drilling, logging, mining and grazing, according to The Associated Press.
In June, during the national budget reconciliation process, federal legislation was proposed to make more than 250 million acres — including more than 14 million in New Mexico — of public lands eligible to be sold to “any interested party,” according to
The Wilderness Society.
The public land sale proposal did not go in effect and was removed from the budget reconciliation bill, according to The Wilderness Society.
“(Public lands are) something that I think our community and our state are really keen on preserving,” LaBrake said. “I think we hold a unique role in being able to be that conduit between community and public lands and to make sure that people have a voice in terms of the stories that are told on those lands.”
Some of the public lands close to Albuquerque that LaBrake highlighted are the Sandia mountain range, the Paseo del Bosque Trail and the San Lorenzo Canyon.
Public lands can help grant a respite from the chaos of the world, whether you’re hunting or fishing, or something simpler such as hiking or watching a bird, LaBrake said.
“Taking a moment to step away from your phone, step away from the craziness of the world. It literally slows down your heartbeat, slows down your body, slows down your mind to have that experience. And I think that, in itself, is something that our community could use, a respite from the world. And I think that the public lands really, really provides that opportunity,” LaBrake said.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
Administration. However, most of the energy consumed in the state is from either petroleum, natural gas or coal. The state currently produces no energy from nuclear sources.
“Today is proof of the assertion that we have passed a turning point — that our city is not only
on the map, but can define the next chapter of clean-energy innovation,” Keller said.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
UNM Bike Valet aims to reduce theft and promote green commute
By Lexis Lovato @lovatolexis
At the start of the fall semester, the University of New Mexico’s Parking and Transportation Services implemented a free bike valet program, encouraging students and staff to make a greener commute to campus, while deterring the frequent amount of bike theft that occurs on campus.
There are 128 slots available for UNM staff and students to keep their bike or other mode of transportation safely secured and monitored at the bike valet.
The bike valet is located across from the Student Health and Counseling Center, in between the Student Union Building and the northeast corner of Popejoy Hall. Spots fill up on a first-come first-served basis, and students hold precedence over availability. However, PATS valets Taylor Ploetz and Anthony Slot said that they have not yet had an issue with reaching capacity, and do not expect to, with the frequency of pickups and dropoffs they receive.
“Normally we haven’t really had an issue with over-capacity. It gets pretty filled, but it doesn’t get crazy,” Ploetz said. “Usually it switches out so we end up having empty spaces no matter what.”
Only bikes, skateboards, e-scooters and some other multimodal vehicles are accepted by the valet, so leaving any personal belongings behind with your mode of transportation is prohibited, according to PATS.
For safety, any vehicle that is not picked up at the end of the day will be held overnight in a locker and may be retrieved during the valet’s operating hours.
To use UNM’s bike valet, patrons will trade in their vehicle in exchange for a “claim tag,” and use this tag to later retrieve their belongings. If the tag is lost before returning to the valet, operators can trace owners back to their property, according to PATS.
“If they do lose their ticket on the off chance — it does happen occasionally — as long as they have their ID or know what their ID number is, it’s not an issue,” Ploetz said.
The bike valet is working on a new system that will eliminate waste from the throw-away paper tags they currently use, Slot said.
Slot encourages users of the bike valet to share suggestions and feedback through an online survey.
The bike valet is funded through student fees from the Student Fee Review Board, and is managed by PATS, according to PATS.
The bike valet in itself coincides with the environmental sustainability goals listed under UNM’s 2040 plan, which aims to promote low-emission, active transportation and safe mobility.
Ploetz and Slot were surprised at the amount of people who have used the program since it started.
“A lot of people will come up to us and thank us for having this, because a lot of times, their bikes or scooters would get stolen,” Ploetz said.
Lexis Lovato is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @lovatolexis
Registration is free and can be completed in-person with a valet. Anyone registered may utilize the valet system anytime during operating hours — 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays — and must be picked up by the latter time. The last drop offs taken are at 4:30 p.m., according to PATS.
The newly opened bike valet between the SUB and Popejoy Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Maria Fernandez/ Daily Lobo / @Dailylobo
Fat Bear Week returns: these bears are as hungry as a, well…
By Maria Fernandez & Jaden McKelvey-Francis @Dailylobo & @jadenmckelvey
In anticipation of the upcoming hibernation season, burly bears are competing to be crowned the fattest brown bear as part of Fat Bear Week, an online voting competition for the public to choose their favorite and plumpest at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
Fat Bear Week is a singleelimination style tournament where the bear with the most votes is anointed Fat Bear Week champion, according to the Katmai Conservancy.
Voters have the chance to see how the bears looked in the spring and compare them to their current shape, often many pounds heavier in preparation for the winter, and watch them through livestreams.
It is recommended that people cast their ballot for the bear they feel most exemplifies fatness and success as a brown bear, according to the competition guidelines.
Voting will end on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Some of the standout bears are Bear 602, 32 Chunk and 128 Grazer.
By Lexis Lovato @lovatolexis
On a sunny early autumn day on Sept. 23, plant lovers followed herbalist, Dara Saville, around the University of New Mexico to learn all about various plants located throughout the central campus, and how those plants are used beneficially for our health and environment.
Saville is the founder and primary instructor of Albuquerque
Last year, Grazer and Chunk faced off in the finals — with Grazer being victorious — and it’s possible there will be a rematch, as both bears are looking especially robust. Chunk is looking for a comeback, as he is perhaps exceeding 1,200 pounds this go-around despite facing a setback at the start of the season, suffering a broken jaw in a fight with another bear. It looks like Chunk has adapted and persevered; he will look to take the fattest bear crown despite the fact that his jaw will remain a permanent disability, according to Katmai Conservancy.
The event shines a light on bears’ roles in their ecosystem, Cesar Bustillos, the science education coordinator for the Albuquerque BioPark, wrote to the Daily Lobo.
“A fat bear is an indicator of how healthy an ecosystem is. If a bear is finding plenty of food, that means other animals are finding food as well,” Bustillos wrote.
Bears have many ways they can grow fat. In addition to being apex predators that hunt animals such as deer, bears are also scavengers and help clean up the environment by removing dead carcasses. Bears will also snack on berries and plants, helping to disperse seeds
Herbalism, a herbal studies program that provides one-day specialty classes and an upcoming, in-depth semester-long course. She also serves as the founder and director of the Yerba Mansa Project, which strives to restore habitats as a community, while learning about native medicinal plants and land stewardship.
On the walk, the group learned about native, medicinal and edible plants, trees, flowers and weeds. Featured plants included roses,
throughout the environment. When bears aren’t using their winter den, they help the environment by subletting to wolves, foxes, coyotes or badgers during the summer, Bustillos wrote.
A fat bear is also a sign of a healthy bear, with the fat being able to store energy and allow for vital organ functions to continue even in winter when food is nearly impossible to find, Bustillos wrote.
“Fat also contains water, so it helps keep the bear hydrated,” Bustillos wrote. “They have another amazing adaptation in which they will repurpose their urine and feces. The bear’s body is able to breakdown urine and feces into proteins which is then utilized by muscle and skeletal tissue. When the bears wake up in spring their muscle mass and bone density is strong and healthy.”
The contest also includes a junior bear section where cubs compete against one another. This year, the winner of Fat Bear Week Jr. was the cub of 128 Grazer, a participant in the main competition and fattest bear of 2024. 128 Jr. grew into a fine young bear, as she likely weighs more than 200 pounds. She has refined her fishing skills and expanded her sociability with attempts to play
chasteberry, juniper, purslane and lemonade berry.
The berries found on lemonade berry plants are known to make an excellently tart lemonade, and enzymes in rose hips and rose petals are known to help to reduce inflammation in the body, Saville said.
Saville said her favorite of the common weed, purslane, is not only edible, but contains high levels of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acid and reduces inflammation in the body.
with other cubs and young adult bears. Her advancements come at a vital time in her development, as she may have to strike out on her own next year as she approaches the time when mothers and cubs begin to separate, according to her Katmai Conservancy bear biography.
“Fat Bear Week is a great way to engage audiences. It is amazing to see the transformation bears go through when getting ready for hibernation. As folks follow their favorite bear bulk up for the winter; they can see where they have
Saville described the taste of the purslane leaves as hydrating and the texture is like a succulent crunch, she said.
“If we’re eating foods that are reducing our inflammation, they are nourishing us. They are also medicines at the same time,” Saville said. “If we’re reducing inflammation in our body by the foods we’re eating — and things we’re consuming every day — think about the beneficial cascade that puts into motion for you.”
recorded eating and what they have been eating,” Bustillos wrote.
Maria Fernandez is the copy editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at copy@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
Saville frequently arranges plant walks to share her passion and knowledge of herbalism, she said. At the walks, she is open to questions and shares insight related to plants and herbal medicine.
Lexis Lovato is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @lovatolexis
A brown bear at Bearizona Wildlife Park prepares to hop into a pool of water in its enclosure on June 28.
Maria Fernandez/ Daily Lobo / @Dailylobo
DAILY LOBO C ampus Calendar of Events Calendar
presentation materials. AISS: Success Series
Vista Hall, Room 1119 2:30 – 3:30pm Identifying grants and scholarships with GPSA.
Art & Music
WEDNESDAY
The authors of “University of New Mexico” will discuss their recently published book with Arcadia Publishing.
Particle, Astroparticle and Cosmology Seminar PAIS, Room 3205 2:00 – 3:00pm Bianka Mecaj, LANL, presents “Energy Correlators at Particle Colliders.” Workshops
Designing & Developing Presentations Zimmerman Library Room 254 12:30 – 1:30pm Actionable strategies to maximize the impact of your presentations. The event will begin with a talk focused on how to present your research in context,
Lectures & Readings
THURSDAY
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Brisa del Bosque. Snacks will be provided.
Sports & Recreation
UNM Women’s Volleyball vs Colorado State Johnson Center 6:30 – 7:30pm UNM Women’s Volleyball faces off against Colorado State. Tickets are free for students.
Theater & Film
Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days
The Experimental Theatre 7:30 – 8:30pm Years after human manufactured crises have decimated the natural world, two survivors, Cassandra, an entomologist, and her brother Alexander, find hope in following the migration of Monarch butterflies to new nesting grounds. Tickets start at $13.50.
FRIDAY
Campus Events
Fall Frenzy
Cactus Garden 8:00am – 12:00pm Fall Frenzy is an annual campus clean-up event organized by ASUNM Community Experience in preparation for UNM’s Homecoming Week. Students, faculty, and staff come together to help beautify the campus by picking up litter, planting flowers, and completing other light maintenance tasks.
Student Selections/Museum Studies Group
UNM Art Museum, Beaumont Newhall Study Room
10:00am – 12:00pm
View highlights and themed selections from UNMAM’s holdings and to request specific works from the permanent collection.
Lectures & Readings
Earth & Planetary Sciences
Colloquium
Northrop Room 122
2:00 – 3:00pm Brandon Shuck, Louisiana State
University, presents.
Economic Seminar
ECON 1002
2:00 – 3:00pm
Refat Mishuk, UNM, presents “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department Waiting Times for Chest Pain: Analyzing Systemic Inequities by Mode of Arrival.”
Economic Seminar
ECON 1002
2:30 – 3:30pm
Samuel Asare, UNM, presents “Urban Heat and Cooling: Spatial distribution and Equity in the Greater Albuquerque Area.”
Physics and Astronomy Colloquium PAIS Room 1100
3:00 – 4:30pm
Yanbei Chen, Caltech, presents “Towards experimentally testing the quantum nature of gravity.”
Chemistry & Chemical Biology Seminar
Clark Hall, Room 101
4:00 –5:00pm Sarah Tolbert, University of California, presents “Using Chemistry to Optimize Materials: The Design and Study of Fast Charging and High Capacity Nanostructured Battery Materials.”
Theater & Film
Colombian Film Club LLC, Ortega Hall Room 124
3:00 – 5:00pm Screening “El Olvido Que Seremos/ The Oblivion That We Will Be.
Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days The Experimental Theatre
7:30 – 8:30pm Years after human manufactured crises have decimated the natural world, two survivors, Cassandra, an entomologist, and her brother Alexander, find hope in following the migration of Monarch butterflies to new nesting grounds. Tickets start at $13.50.
Sports & Recreation
Lobo Hockey vs Arizona State University The MAC, Rio Rancho
7:00 – 9:00pm
DAILY LOBO C ampus Calendar of Events Calendar
UNM Hockey faces off against Arizona State University. Tickets $10, $5 for students.
SATURDAY
Art & Music
No Matter How Quiet I Am I
Somehow Am Still the Loudest Opening Reception AC2 Gallery 301 Mountain Rd NE 6:00 – 9:00pm MFA Thesis Exhibition by Tiranee Moody opening reception.
Sports & Recreation
UNM Women’s Volleyball vs Wyoming Johnson Center 1:00 – 3:00pm UNM Volleyball faces off against Wyoming. Tickets are free for students but must be acquired online. Lobo Hockey vs Arizona State University The MAC, Rio Rancho 7:00 – 9:00pm UNM Hockey faces off against Arizona State University.
Theater &
– 8:00pm
decades
from
Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. When one of them decides to venture
into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected, but other survivors as well.
Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days The Experimental Theatre 7:30 – 8:30pm Years after human manufactured crises have decimated the natural world, two survivors, Cassandra, an entomologist, and her brother Alexander, find hope in following the migration of Monarch butterflies to new nesting grounds. Tickets start at $13.50.
Twilight in Concert Popejoy Hall 7:30 – 8:30pm Experience the legendary romance saga with this epic film-to-concert event – featuring the original movie accompanied by a sensational live band on stage and an enchanting candlelit atmosphere. Tickets start at $29.50.
Lectures & Readings
SUNDAY