DAILY LOBO new mexico
The “i” in team see Page 7
tuesday November 5, 2013
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Aspire slate has diverse backgrounds, passions by Chloe Henson
assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5
Natalia Jácquez / Daily Lobo Rachel Williams, 20, a junior at UNM and political science and international studies double major, sat in on an ASUNM Senate candidate chat Monday morning. Williams is running for re-election and serves on the ASUNM Finance Committee. She and nine fellow senate candidates form Aspire for ASUNM, one of the three slates of students who will run for election starting Thursday.
by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
As student government elections near, some candidates are already geared up to snag a Senate seat. The Aspire for Associated Students of the University of New Mexico slate has started its campaign to be elected to the undergraduate student council’s Senate. Absentee voting for this semester’s ASUNM Senate elections starts Thursday and Election Day will be next Wednesday. Ten students are running with Aspire for this semester’s elections. Four of the candidates, Rachel Williams, Earl Shank, Mercedes Pratt and Grace Liu, currently hold positions in the ASUNM Senate. Williams, a junior pursuing her double major in political science and international studies, said she and her fellow
incumbents sought to “revolutionize what the stereotypical slate looked like.” “We came up with this really diverse group of individuals,” she said. “They all have a huge passion for the University and look forward to working in the student government and representing the students.” Williams said she served as chair of ASUNM’s Finance Committee this semester. She said her goal during her tenure was to restructure the committee. “I’m trying to keep a very open conversation,” she said. “I’m trying to be very transparent. I’m trying to change the motto of the Finance Committee to, ‘It’s your money, and we’re just here to figure out how much of it we can give back to you.’” Liu, a junior pursuing degrees in international relations and human rights, said that during her term the last two semesters she has worked on a committee to create the website students.unm.edu,
which is intended to increase student retention and involvement. She said she also served as vice chair of the Outreach and Appointments Committee. “I think this semester we have done more outreach events than in the recent past,” she said. “So, that has been an amazing experience, just getting out there and hearing what students have to say — not just assuming what students want, but instead going out and hearing them.” Shank, a junior majoring in business, said that as a senator, he has tried to communicate with students and to go “above and beyond.” “I’ve aspired to push myself to be an exceptional senator … through legislation, through trying to change the way things work to promote diversity and inclusion on campus through ASUNM,” he said. “And then my big thing has
see Aspire PAGE 2
At parade, (un)Occupy decries ‘fake borders’
For members of (un)Occupy Albuquerque, the Marigold Parade is something deeper than an annual Mexican tradition. Armed with signs and fake money, (un)Occupy members marched along Isleta Boulevard on Sunday, to protest against the U.S.’s Mexican border policies as part of this year’s Día de Los Muertos celebrations. “There’s tons of border injustice,” said Ruben Pacheco, a UNM alumnus and member of the local activist organization. “A part of celebrating death for Día de Los Muertos also includes immigrants who have lost their lives crossing their borders unnecessarily and unjustly. Our border policies cause so many unintended consequences.” Sean Potter, a UNM student and group member, said this is the third-straight year that (un) Occupy has participated in the parade. He said the organization has marched since its formation in 2011 and last year it protested the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Potter said (un)Occupy protests during the parade because it is an effective way of raising awareness among Albuquerque residents. He said his organization urges the U.S. government to tear down the Mexican border and to stop undermining Mexican immigrants in the country. Rachel Toraño-Mark / Daily Lobo “The theme of the parade is ‘Sin Papeles, Sin Miedo’ (‘Without pa- Attendees Tania Delgadillo and Omar Torres watch the Marigold Parade in the South Valley alongside countless other viewers Sunday morning. This year, a float operated by the group pers, Without fear),” he said. “Our (un)Occupy Albuquerque spread awareness about the U.S.’s Mexican border policies by linking the Día de Los Muertos tradition of honoring the dead to honoring the people that die ancestors are our documentation. crossing the U.S.-Mexican border each year. by our governments,” she said. “Our she said. “A lot of corporations are It’s challenging borders and chal- has always been a politically moti- UNM student with (un)Occupy. Jaynes said the organization communities are stronger than that. building a lot of money building the lenging states to do something vated event,” she said. “People have come addressing political inequali- stands behind undocumented im- We are all one people. States are wall and security systems that go that we really support.” migrants who are “being arrested, false and they just work to divide into detaining immigrants.” Darcy Brazen, one of the or- ties in this event.” Members of (un)Occupy carried being deported, being split up from our communities.” Jaynes said her organization will ganizers of the Marigold Parade, Still, she does not expect poli- continue protesting the border losaid the parade has traditionally protest signs and placards while their family members, being put in ticians and companies to react to cally and will participate in next featured political groups. She said walking the parade. The organi- jail, being racially profiled.” She said the U.S. should be more (un)Occupy’s message. year’s parade as well. she has participated in the parade zation also distributed fake paper “I don’t necessarily expect them “Unless the borders are down,” for five years and has been helping money to symbolize how corpora- inclusive and demolish the border. tions support the border because “We shouldn’t be split up by fake to address this effectively because she said. organize it for two years. “Día de Los Muertos, as I know, they earn from it, said Julie Jaynes, a borders, especially those imposed there’s a lot of money being made,”
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Daily Lobo volume 118
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Using your English degree
Makin’ bacon pancakes
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