Daily Lobo 01/23/2023

l obo

UNM announces goals for 2023 legislative session

Priorities include safety, compensation increases

By John Scott @JohnSnott

With the start of the 2023 New Mexico legislative session on Tuesday, Jan. 17, the University of New Mexico unveiled its priorities for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year. The priorities focus on research and public service project requests and general outlined goals UNM seeks to further and accomplish prior to the session’s closing at noon on Saturday, March 18.

The more general legislative priorities, outlined by the University’s Office of Government and Community Relations, include recruiting and retaining current staff, faculty and health professionals; improving student support services as well as “workforce development, research and public service,” improving campus safety, retaining state-funded scholarships, improving health care and health care access, and promoting economic growth, according to the Office of Government and

Community Relations.

The list represents a year-long process to collate what issues are most important to the University as a whole, taking into account a multitude of factors like student, staff and faculty input as well as the UNM 2040 goal outline, according to Michael Puelle, the chief government relations officer for UNM.

“This is a year-round process, meaning even though the Legislature meets early in the calendar year, we are in communication — and I say we: I mean people across the University, not just government relations. I mean our faculty, students staff — are in communications through the interim committee process, preparing for an opening of the session,” Puelle said.

The FY24 legislative priorities plan details research and public service projects requests and capital outlay projects that the University would like to see passed during the sessions. An appropriation is the legislature allocating public money toward a particular purpose; RPSP requests are made by higher education institu-

Protesters call for equitable abortion access in New Mexico

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

On Sunday, Jan. 22, dozens gathered outside of the University of New Mexico bookstore to call for reproductive justice on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that established a constitutional right to an abortion under the privacy clause that was subsequently reversed in 2022.

The rally was held in solidarity with the sister protest occurring at the same time in Clovis, New Mexico, according to Reyan Tuck, a UNM student and protest organizer. The intent was to call attention to the lack of abortion access in rural New Mexico, specifically Clovis, where the city commissioners recently passed a measure to restrict abortion access, similar to what has been done

in other towns in rural New Mexico, including Hobbs, according to KRQE

“I really wanted to show solidarity with rural New Mexico that has a lot more issues with abortion than you think, (so) it is important to show that solidarity,” Tuck said.

The rally included many community members speaking on reproductive justice issues, along with performances by the Raging Grannies, an international activist group who, “are out in the streets promoting peace, justice, social and economic equality through song and humor.” The group of women sang political parodies of classic songs.

One of the speakers included Dr. Nadia Marsh, a family medicine physician at UNM Hospital, who spoke about what has changed for health care providers since

tions that work in tandem with an institution’s annual funding recommendations; and capital outlay projects use capital funds to improve public build-

ings, according to the New Mexico State Legislature, New Mexico Higher Education Department, and the Legislative Finance Committee, respectively.

“The best way to help the University is for increased funding to the instruction and general higher ed formula … which is something

Men’s Basketball: Lobos hunt down Broncos in overtime (see page 9)

Jerimiah Anzures / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Lobo forward Josiah Allick dunks on Boise State University at The Pit on Friday, Jan. 20.

Justin Garcia / Daily Lobo / @Just516garc

The New Mexico State Capitol, also known as “the Roundhouse.”

the reversal of Roe v. Wade. She said that many of her colleagues who would like to have joined were unable to because of shifts at the hospital.

“I’m very proud to be part of this struggle as a woman, as a health care provider. And I’ve had the opportunity over the past couple of weeks to speak to my colleagues who work in New Mexico and other states about the situation. And many of my colleagues say that they are completely intimidated and

bullied,” Marsh said. “I have friends in Georgia, in Mississippi. They’re intimidated to even talk or advocate for abortion because (of) their clinics and they have been told that they will face criminal penalties.”

Along with rural areas having less access to abortion in comparison to urban areas, people of color and those of lower socioeconomic classes also face more barriers to access, according to Marsh.

“I would say it’s predominantly affecting women who are poor

women of color — working class women — because they have nowhere to go. They can’t spend thousands of dollars literally to go to another state, in most cases,” Marsh said.

This sentiment was echoed by Maria Ramos, a protester at the rally who said that it was time to listen to voices that may not have been uplifted in the past to achieve reproductive justice.

“I think it really just comes down to a lot of people who are used to being (heard) to really stepping back and learning,” Ramos said.

In this upcoming legislative session, Sen. Linda Lopez plans to introduce the Reproductive Health Care Protection Act to codify protections for providers in the state. This is in addition to legislation to be introduced by Rep. Linda Serrato aimed at preventing towns from placing local restrictions on abortion access in New Mexico, thus reducing confusion on regional legality, according to Source New Mexico

Many of those present at the rally, including Tuck, called for protection beyond what has been proposed, specifically asking for a constitutional amendment protecting the right to an abortion in the state.

“The Democratic Party has announced they’ll introduce some legislation sessions to help protect and exceed abortion rights. But we’re here to make sure that they uphold the promises,” Tuck said. “We’re asking for even more — that the Democratic Party makes it a priority that abortion is

made a constitutional right here in New Mexico.”

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

from page 1

that we care a lot about, because that has a lot to do with compensation for faculty and staff across the University. And that’s how the University maintains its competitiveness,” Puelle said.

The “health professionals” aspect of the first outlined goal is reflected in RPSP requests for the new accelerated bachelor’s in nursing science program and expansions to UNM Gallup, Taos and Valencia’s nursing programs. There is also a special appropriations request for $50,000,000 for a school of medicine faculty endowment, according to the UNM pre-session appropriations sheet.

In terms of student services, both El Centro de la Raza as well as the newly formed Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center are outlined for specific RPSP requests: an approximate $100,000 increase for El Centro and $250,000 in new RPSP funding for the AAPIRC.

Campus safety is highlighted in the third outlined goal, with two — one special appropriations request and one statewide capital request — specifically mentioning safety in the name of the request. The two requests total $5,300,000 and $7,650,000, respectively, both of which are individually less than the requested expanded amount of funding for athletics. Puelle elaborated on what possible changes might look like to improve campus safety if these or other requests achieve funding.

“The investments in the student well-being and security infrastructure would be things like enhanced training for campus safety personnel, including mental health training. But there would also be actual infrastructure investments like safety technology that would include things like … cameras, lighting — actual tech-

nology investments that help increase security on campus. So it would be kind of a mix of both services and technology,” Puelle said.

Retaining scholarships, like the opportunity scholarship, which “can be used to cover up to 100% of tuition and required fees at any New Mexico public college or university,” New Mexico Higher Education Department, is also a large priority for the University.

“We support the Governor’s priority to invest more in both opportunity and lottery scholarships. That was a very large and successful initiative of the Governor’s last year … and this year, the Governor would like to expand that investment, and we support her effort to increase funding for the scholarship programs,” Puelle said.

Alongside requests to increase the nursing programs at the main and branch campuses, various

requests for research equipment and renovations for the Health Sciences Center and UNM Hospital seemingly will support the goal of expanding healthcare access. Most notably is a $163,400 new RPSP request to fund a “collaborative to increase health personnel to medically underserved,” according to the sheet.

When it comes to actions outside of the pre-session work, Puelle emphasized things like UNM day — a day where members of the UNM community go to the Roundhouse to advocate for legislation that would impact the University — as well as ensuring these discussions and interactions with leaders and policymakers takes place year round. However, the legislative session does still present a unique opportunity to talk to a large number of leaders and policymakers in one place.

“Week in and week out, some

of the challenges that are tackled by our students, faculty and staff — they’re complex, they’re important to people’s lives and they require resources to get to the bottom of. And this is the one time of year we are able to make that case to policy makers that the public investments lead to benefits to our citizens and our communities across the state.And I am glad there’s the opportunity when you have many of our state leaders, kind of focused in one place, to pull together that broad range of ways that UNM contributes,” Puelle said.

Those interested can sign up for updates regarding the legislative session and UNM at the Office of Government and Community Relations website.

John Scott is the editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JohnSnott

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

Protestors hold up signs and sing at a rally to defend reproductive rights.

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

Protestors hold up signs at a rally to defend reproductive rights in front of the UNM bookstore on Sunday, Jan. 22.

Community opposes potential structure at Elena Gallegos Open Space

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

The 640-acre Elena Gallegos Open Space, located in the foothills of the Sandia mountains, is currently the subject of concern among community members because of the legality and consequences of a potential project from the Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department to create an education center in the space, according to Save the Elena Gallegos co-founders Viki Teahan and Katrina Sanchez.

The potential education center would be no larger than 5,000 square feet, according to Dave Simon, the director of the Albuquerque parks department.

Since the 1960s, advocates have fought for protection of the park from development when the Albuquerque City Council began a tax to purchase the space in 1969, according to The Paper

The legality concerns surround a 1982 deed when the city of Albuquerque purchased the open space from the Albuquerque Academy to create a city park as outlined specifically in the deed, according to Teahan and Sanchez. The deed also details what can specifically be built on the grounds.

“The city will limit use of the park property to passive recreation use which will include only the installation, construction, maintenance and use of picnic benches, tables, shelters,

barbecue grills, drinking water facilities, associated minor recreation facilities (such as volleyball or horseshoe pitching facilities), restrooms, access roads, parking lots, hiking trails, trailheads, a trailer or other residence for a residential caretaker, and electric power facilities associated with the specified uses, all as specifically designated by the city,” the deed reads.

Teahan and Sanchez, along with other residents near the space, have begun a lawsuit under local attorney Wade Jackson which seeks to block the creation of the education center in the park for breaking the deed.

“Our government is subject to our laws the same as all the rest of us, and a government cannot just ignore or dismiss a deed just because it’s inconvenient,” Sanchez said.

Simon said that the project is still in the early stages of development and the department will conduct more studies and facilitate more public input before deciding whether or not to move forward with it. Simon also said that the deed allows for specific structures to be built, but they won’t build on the property if it is determined the center does not fall under those structure parameters.

“Depending on if we propose something formal and what that looks like, then we would address the issue of whether it is consistent with the deed or not. And right now, there’s no specific proposal,” Simon said.

The only other party that

could have a say in the development is the Albuquerque Academy, which retains veto power over how the land is used. The school has publicly stated that they do not intend to object to the project because the city bought the land, according to the Albuquerque Journal

Save the Elena Gallegos has started an online petition with almost 10,000 signatures in opposition to the creation of the center. Sanchez said that over 6,000 of the signatures have come from Albuquerque specifically.

Other surveys have also shown community opposition to the project, including a study done as part of a Parks and Recreation feasibility study, performed by local architecture firm Dekker Perich Sabatini. Of 28 responses, 14 were outright opposed. Trail improvements were listed as the top concern, with the education center ranking fourth.

“Funds should be spent for more security and bike-only trails, this should be a natural space with no building, additional traffic and parking is an issue and would disturb the peace, and that an education center would be too intrusive on a sensitive wildlife natural area,” the study reads.

An additional survey conducted by the Sandia Heights Homeowners Association concluded with 73% of responses being ranked in opposition. The center took fifth in a priority ranking with trail improvements

once again ranking first.

Other concerns voiced by community members include the development being “commercial.” Notes from the first advisory committee meetings detail a “Kitchen/café (with) removable walls that could open up the space for larger events.”

The kitchen/café was not mentioned in subsequent meeting notes, and Simon said a commercial kitchen is not a part of the current plan.

“Early in the process — when people were thinking big — we’re at the very beginning of the process. So what do you do when you do that? You start brainstorming, right? It’s, ‘Well, we could do this, we could do this, or we could do that.’ And you gradually narrow your focus down to like what people really feel is appropriate,” Simon said.

One of the current site options for the center is in Inner Loop Road, an area that Simon said has already been impacted by human activity vis-á-vis the current road and parking spaces available for visitors. The other options include at the Pino Trail, by the current attendant booth on South Loop Road, further down Tramway Boulevard or by Cottonwood Springs.

Another factor in the potential project is whether or not it would aid accessibility. By providing an indoor location, it would make school field trips more weather adaptable, however, projects to improve current trails and make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act

are separate and not contingent upon the education center plans, according to Simon.

Sanchez proposed that reducing parking fees or providing more public transportation to the park would better aid the accessibility of the area. The parks department has talked about creating a shuttle system up Simmons Road, which, according to Simon, would require funding.

“If you look at what makes the Elena Gallegos difficult to access, it’s the only open space property in the city that charges for parking. It’s a very low amount: it’s $1 during the week and $2 on the weekend. But even that small parking fee can be an obstacle to families,” Sanchez said.

While Simon said that the parks and recreation department has no plans to push for the development of the open space beyond the education center, Sanchez fears it nonetheless would set a precedent of development for those who come after Simon.

“Those restrictions in this deed are no longer relevant because they clearly didn’t apply in the past and are clearly no longer in effect. And it clearly is not against the history of the Elena Gallegos to have buildings: there is now a precedent for buildings,” Sanchez said.

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

LETTER: Support House Bill 43 this legislative session

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

How many of you have been to La Posada? Or the movie theater in the Student Union Building? Have you sat by the Duck Pond as the trees start to bloom? There are a lot of memories that I hold dear from my undergraduate experiences at the University of New Mexico, but of all the resources and activities UNM has to offer, the support services for sexual violence are the ones that meant the most to me.

Fall 2019 was the most complicated semester of my life. As a student, I took advantage of

counseling at SHAC, academic accommodations, and regular visits to the LoboRespect Advocacy Center to navigate the dramatically different landscape after my incident. I took advantage of the resources available to me and they made an impossible situation possible.

I think that the resources available at UNM should be universally available at every institution of higher education across the country, which is why I volunteer with Every Voice New Mexico. EVC is a student-run nonprofit that’s working to pass legislation to implement additional

resources for survivors of campus sexual violence.

This legislative session, we’ll be putting forward a bill that would implement resources for every college student — not just the Lobos. If you’re a New Mexico resident, please encourage your legislators to support House Bill 43 and the prevention of campus sexual violence across our state. Supporting this legislation will provide student survivors access to the support they need — use your voice and let your legislators know who you want to be represented this session.

Submitted by Emily Wilks

REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ pilot honors and furthers video games

By Jessica Baca

@Jessica_Baca_

This review contains spoilers

On Sunday, Jan. 15, HBO released the first episode of the highly anticipated “The Last of Us” series, based on the critically acclaimed game of the same name created by publisher Naughty Dog. The TV show comes one day after the game’s 10th anniversary, originally released on Jan. 14, 2013.

A big challenge with any video game adaptation is trying to create a series that will be engaging for the incoming viewer but faithful enough for fans of the game. It feels like most of the time with adaptations like this, the writing falls flat and is inaccurate to the game — with “The Last of Us,” fans have nothing to worry about.

For those uninitiated, the show takes place in a post-apocalyptic

world rocked by a fungal pandemic. The protagonist, Joel (Pedro Pascal), is tasked with escorting a teenage girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey), the only person immune to the zombiecreating virus, across the United States in hopes of reverse engineering a cure.

HBO’s “The Last of Us” is definitely one of the few adaptations that feels accurate to the source material. Every important beat of the story is hit in the first episode, in addition to expansions of the story that diverge from the lore completely.

The first episode is so intense and heartbreaking and expertly makes viewers toe the line between fear and sadness.

The performances specifically stand out as faithful and respectful to the game. Pascal’s portrayal of Joel alongside Ramsey’s portal of Ellie make it feel as if I am playing the video game all over again.

The first episode starts with a ter-

rifying cold-open shot that gives lore background for new and old fans alike, giving viewers a glimpse of the real-world fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, that inspired the zombies.

I had no clue that there was a fungus that actually did this to a creature until I did further research after completing my first playthrough of the game. This scene adds to the series and sets another layer for incoming fans that this is not out of the realm of possibility — especially when creatures are forced to evolve in our everchanging world.

We then start off with one of the biggest additions to the lore: meeting Joel and his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) at the beginning of the day before the zombie apocalypse started, rather than in the evening. This gives the viewer the chance to connect with Joel and his daughter before the world diverges into chaos, giving us greater grounding going into the horror.

As nightfall hits and we get to see the full force of this zombie apocalypse, long-time fans might be a little hurt to see the lack of fungal spores. Instead, we see tendrils that spread the infection coming out of the neighbor’s Nana’s mouth — a grotesque but new change that I know will have long-time fans on the fence since the spores were a huge mechanic in the game with multiple future plot points having the spores playing an important role.

The spores were taken out early in the show’s development. The replacement with tendrils was partially to make the infection operate more like actual fungi, with interconnected networks between them, creating a unified front for our heroes to survive, according to game director Neal Druckmann. In all reality, it isn’t a horrible change. It could have been worse, and having more rooting it in reality is quite interesting.

Watching the show, you get the

sense that the team really cares about the story. In an after-credit scene, some dialogue suggests a certain character from the Left Behind DLC pack will be appearing in the show, meaning that the game’s DLC packs may also be explored as well. Hopefully, this will let us see the moments leading up to Ellie’s infection and her connection to the character Marlene, a commander of the revolutionary group “the Fireflies.”

The show airs on HBO Max every Sunday at 7 p.m. HBO also releases a podcast every week discussing that week’s episode, hosted by Joel’s voice actor from the game, Troy Baker.I definitely have high hopes for this series’ future, and I would recommend it to anyone.

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_

Land Acknowledgement statement

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play Joel Miller and Ellie Williams in “The Last of Us.” Photo courtesy of IMDb.

favorite fearless feline hero

By Elizabeth Secor @esecor2003

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” brings back the fan favorite legendary cat from the “Shrek” franchise for an adventure filled with delightful storytelling and nostalgia. A surprisingly satisfying movie, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” shows that Dreamworks Animation Studios can still produce films comparable in quality to the “Shrek” and “How to Train Your Dragon” movies of old.

With the spring semester starting up and the thoughts of graduating or simply moving on to the next year of college hanging over many of us, the movie helps one escape with a nice dose of childhood nostalgia.

The film follows Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), now on the last of his nine lives, as he journeys to the wishing star in order to wish for his lives back.

The recap of how he lost his previous eight lives had me crying with laughter, but the companions Puss travels with truly made the

film for me. Perrito (Harvey Guillén), an optimistic chihuahua, is by far one of my favorite characters introduced by Dreamworks in a while. Though his relentless optimism is sometimes played for laughs, he represents someone who doesn’t let trauma beat them down.

It’s nice to see a foil to Puss, who has taken all the bad that has happened to him and created an emotional wall to protect himself. Perrito tells us that, even with hardships, there’s a way to keep a cheery attitude and help those around you.

The villains of the story are generally top tier with a frankly terrifying wolf assassin representing death (Wagner Moura) pursuing Puss and company. The animation style and direction of the wolf — such as in his signature whistle — creates tension and stakes that are sure to frighten the audience. Seeing Puss afraid especially raises the stakes every time the wolf appears on screen.

The secondary villain cast are hit-or-miss; Goldilocks (voiced by the goddess herself Florence Pugh) and the three bears make

for an enjoyable B-plot focused on the found family trope that had me tearing up. A short cartoon series focused on them would be a satisfying spinoff for Dreamworks to create. However, the third villain I could have done without: Jack Horner (John Mulaney), a magic-artifact-wielding corporate maniac, felt like a throwaway villain. His main scenes were the only really “boring” parts of the film.

The film’s storyline is sweet and actually creates an arc for a solid chunk of the characters, an area where a lot of ensemble films like this can fall flat. The film is filled with more than just jokes geared toward a younger audience. Older members of an audience can find enjoyment in the film’s more adult jokes, making “Puss in Boots” the rare animated movie that’s not all about fart jokes with no substance or plot.

The two most enjoyable aspects of any animated movie for me are the actual animation and the soundtrack: “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” nails both of these aspects. The animation feels like a storybook, with lines to accentuate

motion in a comic book style. Along with the gorgeous animation, the soundtrack by Heitor Pereira is killer. Three weeks after seeing the film, I still have “Fearless Hero” stuck in my head.

Puss was always one of my favorite characters in the “Shrek” franchise, and getting to see his story continue after all these years was nostalgic. The film is set after the “Shrek” franchise, but with a sprinkling of references throughout, it left me hopeful that there might be a new “Shrek” film in the works.

Overall, the strong cast of char-

acters, storyline, animation, music

Last

“Puss

out of five (wishing) stars, making it a good pick for a theater adventure. If you want to watch it for free, the University of New Mexico’s midweek movies program will be showing it on Wednesday, March 29 in the Student Union Building theater.

Elizabeth Secor is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo. com or on Twitter @esecor2003

and pure nostalgia give

in Boots: The

Wish” five

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo Antonio Banderas voices Puss in Boots in “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Photo courtesy of IMDb.

Monday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status.

Walk in HIV Testing

Monday: 8am-noon 801 Encino Pl NE

Sunshine Theater Visit sunshinetheater.com for more showings! 505.764.0249 120 Central Ave SW, 87102

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop Check out our store! 4012 Central Ave SE Mon: 12pm-5pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall 505 Central Ave NE

Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 11AM9PM Thursday-Saturday 11AM-10PM Check out all our Vendors! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing

529 Adams St NE Open: 4PM-9PM Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House

Wine for the people! Food by Butter 201 Hermosa Dr NE Open: 4PM-9PM Publichouseabq.com

Tuesday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status.

Walk in HIV Testing Tuesday: 1pm-5pm 801 Encino Pl NE

Sunshine Theater Visit sunshinetheater.com for more showings! 505.764.0249 120 Central Ave SW, 87102

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop

Take advantage of delivery service! Delivery hours: 9am-5pm 4012 Central Ave SE Tues store hours: 11am-5pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today

Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall

505 Central Ave NE

Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 11AM9PM

Thursday-Saturday 11AM-10PM Geeks Who Drink at 7PM! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing

Franky’s Food Truck 4-9PM 529 Adams St NE Open: 2PM-10PM

Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House

Wine for the people! Food by Butter 201 Hermosa Dr NE Open: 2PM-10PM Publichouseabq.com

Wednesday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status. 801 Encino Pl NE 505-272-1312

Sunshine Theater Feb 22 Doors 7pm

BIg Gigantic- Brighter Future Tour 2023

505.764.0249 120 Central Ave SW, 87102

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop

Take advantage of our delivery service!

Delivery hours: 9am-5pm 4012 Central Ave SE Wed store hours: 11am-5pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall 505 Central Ave NE Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 11AM9PM Thursday-Saturday 11AM-10PM College Night 6-8PM! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE Open: 2PM-10PM

Tomboy Tako Food Truck 4-9PM Trivia @ 7pm! highanddrybrewing.com

Public House

Wine for the people! Food by Butter 201 Hermosa Dr NE Wednesday 2PM-10PM Publichouseabq.com

Thursday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status. Walk in HIV Testing Thursday: 5pm-7pm 801 Encino Pl NE

Sunshine Theater Visit sunshinetheater.com for more showings! 505.764.0249 120 Central Ave SW, 87102

The Entertainment Guide

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop

Take advantage of our delivery service!

Delivery hours: 9am-5pm

4012 Central Ave SE

Thurs store hours: 11am-7pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today

Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall

505 Central Ave NE

Thursday-Saturday 11AM-10PM

Check out all our Vendors!

505central.com

High and Dry Brewing

529 Adams St NE Open: 2PM-10PM

Chachalacas Live Music from 6-8PM

Teo’s Tacos Food Truck 4-9PM

highanddrybrewing.com

Public House

Wine for the people! Food by Butter

201 Hermosa Dr NE Open: 2PM-10PM

Publichouseabq.com

Friday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status. 801 Encino Pl NE 505-272-1312

Sunshine Theater

Feb 24 Doors 8pm

Marauda

Rage Room Tour Ages 16+ 120 Central Ave SW, 87102

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop

Take advantage of our delivery service!

Delivery hours: 9am-5pm

4012 Central Ave SE

Fri store hours: 11am-7pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today

Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall

505 Central Ave NE

Thursday-Saturday 11AM-12PM

Kamikaze Karaoke begins at 6:30PM!

Bring a friend and grab some drinks! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing

529 Adams St NE Hours: 12PM-11PM

Betty Benedeadly 6-8PM Tikka Spice Food Truck 3-9PM highanddrybrewing.com

Public House

Wine for the people! Food by Butter

201 Hermosa Dr NE Hours: 11AM-10PM Publichouseabq.com

Saturday

Test With Truman

Be Empowered. Know Your Status. 801 Encino Pl NE 505-272-1312

Sunshine Theater

Feb 4 Doors 7pm

The Emo Night Tour Ages 21+ 120 Central Ave SW

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop

Take advantage of our delivery service!

Delivery hours: 2pm-5pm

4012 Central Ave SE

Thurs store hours: 2pm-7pm

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today

Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall 505 Central Ave NE

Thursday-Saturday 11AM-10PM

College Football Day! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing

529 Adams St NE

Goddammit Jimmy 7-9PM

Tomboy Tako Food Truck 12-9PM Hours: 12PM-11PM

Highanddrybrewing.com Public House Wine for the people!

Food by Butter 201 Hermosa Dr NE Hours: 11AM-10PM Publichouseabq.com

Tantra Night Club & Da One Hookah Bar

Now Open Every Saturday! 2 Clubs in 1! 11pm-3am 211 Gold Ave SW

Sunday

Test With Truman Be Empowered. Know Your Status. 801 Encino Pl NE 505-272-1312

Sunshine Theater Check out sunshinetheaterlive.com for more information! 120 Central Ave SW, 87102 (505) 764-0249

Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort Ski all season! Lock in your season pass today Sipapu.ski

505 Central Food Hall 505 Central Ave NE Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 11AM9PM

NFL Football Sunday! 505Central.com

High and Dry Brewing

529 Adams St NE Hours: 12PM-9PM All Greek to Me Food Truck 12-8PM Open Mic at 5pm Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! Food by Butter 201 Hermosa Dr NE Hours: 11AM-10PM Publichouseabq.com

City council continues to postpone decision on fate of zero-fare bussing

By Zara Roy

@zarazzledazzle

The Albuquerque City Council continues to stall the final decision on whether or not to continue zero-fare bussing and replace it with a pass system, deferring the ordinance for the eighth time on Wednesday, Jan. 18. This time, a third floor substitution was presented that combined the original pass system ordinance with two other ordinances meant to add additional security measures to the transit system.

The newest floor substitution has since replaced any specific language regarding fares with a study on how to equitably distribute passes. If the ordinance is passed in its current iteration, the zero-fare pilot program would continue through June, after which a study on the program with recommendations on how to continue the program as well as a cost-benefit analysis of the creation of a fare box and distribution of bus passes shall be presented to the Council by September 2023.

“The analysis shall include, but is not limited to, reviewing a method for creating and distributing passes that is equitable and accessible for all persons, especially those qualified as transit dependent, the process for applying for, receiving and replacing passes, the terms of the passes, the features that shall be included on the passes, and the ability to utilize technology as epasses, apps, pass readers, and

for applying for distributing and issuing and enforcing the use of passes,” the newest floor substitute of the build reads.

As well as allocating money for the study of a pass program, the ordinance also allocates $1 million to enhance transit security; it also establishes transit security officers as law enforcement officers. Finally, the ordinance refines requirements to apply for eligibility to ride Sun Van, Albuquerque’s paratransit service, creating “the most streamlined” application process available under federal law, according to Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn.

Ordinance O-22-47, originally co-sponsored by Dan Lewis and Klarissa Peña, proposes that the city institute a bus pass program wherein passengers could ride for free so long as they apply for a pass using a photo ID. In its original version and first floor substitute, those without photo ID would have had to apply for a 30-day nonrenewable pass. Those without a pass would have had to pay a $2 fare for the Sun Van paratransit program and a $1 fare for all other bus programs in town.

“There’s story after story of bus drivers who are unhappy

who attribute that to the current way we’re running things. People say the bus stops are dirty, the buses are dirty, and I can’t recommend my own daughter, my family riding the bus. I tell them it’s not safe, and so why as a city councilor would I recommend anyone riding the bus if I can’t recommend my own family to ride this bus system right now,” Lewis said.

Public comment focused on the convenience and equity of the currently existing zero-fare program. One community member, Althea May Atherton, said they spoke with bus drivers who

were apprehensive about the pass program and pointed out that a pay raise should be the real priority as far as improving conditions for bus drivers.

“I think that zero-fare is working great as it is, and in a time when the Albuquerque ride system is planning to suspend some service due to the lack of bus drivers, we should not be adding any arduous burdens to the shoulders of our taxed, and frankly, undercompensated bus drivers,” Atherton said.

Another community member, Sarah Manning, voiced concerns that the pass program was a form of undue surveillance rather than a truly effective form of crime prevention.

“If you engineer a pass system that requires electronic surveillance, essentially of who gets on a bus, where they go, what the bus number is, what the route number is, what time of day — that’s almost surveillance, and I truly hope we don’t go there. We want to make Albuquerque a modern, comfortable, welcoming city, and not trusting people enough to ride a bus does not stop fentanyl use, it does not stop petty crime, it does not stop people driving,” Manning said.

The ordinance will be heard again at the next city council meeting which will be held on Monday, Feb. 6 at 5:00 p.m. at the Albuquerque Government Center.

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

Freelance Reporter

Advertising Intern

Freelance Photographer

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.

Editorial Design

Required Knowledge, Skill and/or

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

Henry Hammel / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Two city buses arrive at the Central Avenue and Unser Boulevard transit center.

Men’s basketball: Lobos hunt down Broncos in overtime

By Thomas Bulger @thomasbulger10

On Friday, Jan. 20 the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team defeated the Boise State University Broncos 81-79. Going into the night, the Broncos were tied for first in the Mountain West conference, but are now tied for second with a 5-3 record in conference play.

Both teams played well throughout the game, and it took a game-winning layup from Morris Udeze with under 2 seconds left for the Lobos to win the game. The Lobos had another solid team win with four players in double-digit scoring.

Along with the game winner, Udeze had 15 points in the game while navigating foul trouble. Jamal Mashburn Jr. led the team in scoring with 25 points. Josiah Allick dominated the paint, grabbing 18 rebounds and 8 points. Jaelen House came in clutch scoring 14 of his 16 points after the first half.

Tyson Degenhart had an incredible game for the Broncos, having scored 28 points which included a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Max Rice helped give the Broncos a lead going into halftime by scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half.

Mashburn made a mid-range jump shot on the first possession of the game, but it quickly became clear that scoring for either team would be no easy task. The Lobos were down 8-4 at the first media timeout with 14:47 left in the first half.

On a fast break, Allick had a dunk to put the Lobos within 2 and KJ Jenkins was fouled on a made jumpshot to give the Lobos the lead 15-14. Birima Seck fought for a loose ball that led to Mashburn making a 3-pointer.

Degenhart made a difficult layup to tie the game for the Broncos 18-18 which led to a timeout with 7:12 left in the half.

Out of the timeout, Lobo Donovan Dent hit a 3-pointer, but the Broncos were able to respond every time the Lobos pulled ahead. With 3:51 left in the half, the score was 27-27.

The Broncos went on an 8-2 run to close the half; the Lobos were down 37-31 going into the second half.

UNM was struggling to make their shots, making only 13 of their 37 shots.

The Lobos forced back-to-back turnovers to start the half, and Udeze scored on a layup. Mashburn made an open 3-pointer to cut the lead to 3.

Dent had back-to-back blocks which ultimately led to a fast break dunk for Udeze to tie the game 42-42.

Allick was fouled and made both free throws; Mashburn followed it up with his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Allick gave the Lobos the lead with a layup. House scored in the paint to cap off a 6-0 run for the Lobos, forcing the Broncos to call a timeout down 55-52 with 8:48 left in the second half.

Degenhart made a 3-pointer out of the timeout to tie the game, but Udeze responded with a dunk to take back the lead. House was taking over the game on offense, scoring a 3-pointer. Dent checked into the game and drove straight to the lane for a layup to put the Lobos up 62-57.

Degenhart kept working in the paint, forcing his way to the basket for a layup and on the next possession, scored a 3-pointer. The Lobos never stopped scoring, though: House drove the lane in between defenders to make an easy basket.

The Lobos were up by just 1 and had possession with 23.8 left in regulation. The Lobos inbounded the ball, and Boise fouled House. With the Lobos in the bonus, House shot one-and-one but missed his first free throw. The Broncos recovered the ball and quickly drove down the court.

With the clock winding down, Degenhart airballed a layup; Mashburn was then fouled with 4.9 seconds left. He made both free throws and put the Lobos up by 3. The Broncos successfully inbounded the ball and called a timeout to draw up a play with 4.1 seconds on the clock and the Lobos up 72-69.

After the inbound, the Broncos got the ball to Degenhart who made a 3-pointer to tie the game. Lobos called a timeout with 1.3 in the game. House attempted a half-court shot but missed. The score was 72-72 going into overtime.

Mashburn scored the first points of overtime with a jump shot, and the Lobos forced a turnover. Dent checked into the game and again went straight at the basket; he was fouled on a layup and made his free throw. Degenhart’s late game heroics didn’t stop in the second half, making a layup to put the Broncos down 3.

The Lobos were up 79-76 when the Broncos called a timeout with 32.2 seconds on the clock. Degenhart drove to the basket and was fouled on

his layup; he made his free throw to tie the game. Lobos called a timeout with 4.0 seconds left and the game tied 79-79.

Dent inbounded the ball with the play designed for either Mashburn or Udeze to get the ball, depending who was open. With Mashburn covered, Dent passed to Udeze who drove the lane and rose up for a layup to win the game 81-79.

In his press conference after the game, head coach Richard Pitino stated how great of a game it was and gave credit to the 14,566 fans at The Pit.

“What an amazing college basketball game by both teams: they made plays, we made plays. They executed down the stretch, we executed down the stretch. They’re really good.

They’re tough, they’re physical, but I’m really proud of our guys to be able to bounce back in the second half and just find a way to cut that lead and go make a huge play … I’m not just saying this: that was the loudest building I’ve ever been in by far, and (it’s) not even close. Our fans were amazing … Thank you so much to our fans,” Pitino said.

The Lobos are now 18-2 overall and 5-2 in conference play — tied for second in the Mountain West conference. They next play in Reno against the University of Nevada on Monday, Jan. 23.

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

Jerimiah Anzures / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Lobo forward Jaelen House gets pumped up before game against Boise State.

President Stokes’ speechwriter brings impressive resume back to New Mexico

By Zara Roy @zarazzledazzle

When Brian Jay Jones graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in English literature, his aspiration to be a novelist was dashed by a realization that he was a terrible fiction writer. Now, with a decades-long career as a legislative staffer and four biography credits in tow, UNM President Garnett Stokes’ official speechwriter has found his own voice in writing by breathing life into others’.

As Stokes’ executive communications manager, Jones helps to coordinate all written and spoken correspondence from the president and gets “last pass” on any speeches to be given by her. Prior to coming to work at UNM, Jones worked as a legislative assistant for senator Pete V. Domenici and later senator Jim Jeffords.

His first job was answering constituent mail on behalf of Domenici before being promoted to handling education policy.

Jones came across the job by happenstance; having graduated from UNM as an English major with no prior studies in public policy, he came out of school mostly lost in terms of career direction.

“I sort of backed into landing a job in D.C. Turned out to be a great place to go. Those of us who all worked there together … It was a group of 5 or 6 of us who were all in our early 20s and we were all making like $10,000 a year, we’re

living in group houses, none of us had cars. You’d go across the hall when there was a reception and we’d all trickle in there instead of buying food,” Jones said.

Jones said his work in Congress researching and condensing policy questions turned out to pave the way for his work in biography: he has written biographies for Washington Irving, George Lucas, Dr. Suess and perhaps is most notable for being the first person to write a comprehensive biography of Jim Henson, creator of “The Muppets.”

“Every English major thinks that they’re gonna write the great American novel, and I found out I just can’t make stuff up. I’m a terrible plotter … but what I found out from working in Congress was that I was a pretty good explainer, and that’s pretty good practice for biography,” Jones said.

Jones decided to write his first biography after reading the Christmas stories of Washington Irving and subsequently seeking out a biography only to find that there was none. In the spirit of “writing the book you want to read,” Jones started from complete scratch, spending seven years researching and writing and learning how to seek publication by reading “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published.”

James McGrath Morris, best known as the biographer for New Mexico-based novelist Tony Hillerman, met Jones through the Biographers International Organization, a support network for fellow biographers of which

Morris was the president, a title later passed down to Jones. Morris credits Jones with helping tremendously to grow the scope of the organization from a small handful of members to a truly international group.

“Many people, when you meet them through your book, your initial impressions will be from their work, and he was in the process of writing a rather remarkable book on Washington Irving, which at first sounds like a dull subject, but he managed to make it very interesting and approached it from a very different point of view,” Morris said.

Jones said he is most proud of his Henson biography, especially since he was the first to complete an official biography of him, despite the fact that several writers before had reached out to the family and were unable to get the blessing to tell Henson’s story. Morris said that part of Jones’ skill as a biographer lies in capturing the culture his subjects encapsulated.

“He’s very plugged into a kind of approach to the culture in which his subject is featured, in the sense that he writes books that, in a way, could be about American culture even though they’re biographies of figures … he has a particularly good ability to capture that. And secondly, like many successful biographers, he’s quite obsessive about the research, and creates these incredible binders with all these interviews that he does and his notes,” Morris said.

Currently, Jones is working on a biographical history of the U.S.

Capitol Building. He was spurred to do this after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, which frustrated him as a former staffer in D.C. He hopes to capture the contentious history that has always surrounded the building, and the ways in which we have been able to come to agreement for the sake of the country.

“Having been a congressional staffer, Jan. 6 made me really mad. Watching people on the floor of the Senate: that was one of the moments I stood up and was screaming at the screen. There’s people sitting in the speaker’s chair on the floor of the Senate, and I was like, ‘How dare you? You don’t understand the history of that building,’” Jones said. “I want people to understand how special that

building is.”

Since coming back to Albuquerque, Jones has enjoyed becoming reacquainted with the city, which he said still feels the same, despite the many changes made since he moved away nearly 30 years ago.

“During the pandemic I just loved … walking my dog out on the mesa and then taking him down to the Bosque. I just love the open spaces around here. Albuquerque looks like nothing else. And I loved D.C., and there was tons of stuff to do in D.C., but it’s not the same as out here,” Jones said.

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

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle Brian Jay Jones is the executive communications officer in UNM’s Office of the President.