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Monday, March 28, 2022 | Vo l u m e 1 2 6 | I s s u e 3 0
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
7 candidates vie for GPSA president Elections ongoing March 28 to April 1
Sandeul Noh / Daily Lobo / @unmsandy
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Graduate engineering student Paul Tice stands outside the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department building at UNM.
Law student and GPSA candidate Augustin Ternoir. Photo courtesy of GPSA.
First-year master’s student Inusah Mohammed poses at the Student Union Building. Photo courtesy of Mohammed.
Courtesy Photo
Shaikh Ahmad is pursing a Master of Science in information systems and assurance and a Master of Health Administration. Photo courtesy of GPSA.
By Megan Gleason @fabflutist2716
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Aaron Cowan is a doctoral teaching assistant in learning sciences. Photo courtesy of GPSA.
Joseph Ikogho is studying in the School of Engineering. Photo courtesy of GPSA.
Ansely Emeanuwa, a graduate student at the Anderson School of Management, poses outside. Photo courtesy of Emeanuwa.
Presidential elections for the University of New Mexico’s Graduate and Professional Student Association are being held online from Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1. On Tuesday, March 22, the seven presidential candidates — who are listed in ballot order in this article — met for an online forum highlighting their various platforms with goals ranging from better wages and benefits to equity to outreach and engagement.
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GPSA page 2
ABQ Backyard Refuge program sows homes for wildlife By Liam DeBonis @LiamDebonis When one thinks of a city, wildlife is likely to be the last thing in the mind’s image. But the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge program aims to change that by increasing the presence of wildlife in the city by empowering residents to create sanctuaries for the living creatures who are native to the land. Through the program, citizens transform their patios, balconies and lawns into diverse environments teeming with life. Residents whose yards meet the
standards of the program can apply to certify their spaces as a backyard refuge. “The goal is to create a mosaic of habitats across the city,” said Laurel Ladwig, the program’s director and a graduate from UNM with a master’s in geography. The program also seeks to combat the urban heat island effect, a temperature discrepancy between urban and non-urban areas, which has plagued Albuquerque over the past year, according to an article in the Albuquerque Journal. The program has 127 individuals as well as a number of local businesses participating, according to Ladwig. Participants who
certify their yards receive a sign to display, which marks the property as a wildlife refuge and helps advertise the program to others in the neighborhood. The UNM University Club became involved in the program in fall 2021, working with Ladwig to transform the property they manage, according to Monica Lopez, the special events coordinator for the University Club. “The ABQ Backyard Refuge team was able to provide the club with plants that help us deter squirrels and rabbits, since they can be problematic for a venue like ours and created a habitat that encourages other
wildlife to thrive,” Lopez said via email. “We love that they were able to help us find a creative and environmentally safe solution for our situation.” Brian Anderson, a volunteer for the Albuquerque Open Space Visitors Center and participant in the program, counted roughly 24 different species of birds at his house after participating in the recent Great Backyard Bird Count. For Anderson, his backyard habitat is a sanctuary. “It’s kind of coexisting with what was here already and supporting what may have been displaced,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of peaceful and entertaining
and it’s definitely good for you.” Laura Burkemper, a research scientist at the Center for Stable Isotopes, certified her yard late last year but began her backyard transformation around 2020 when she turned to gardening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her backyard has become a source of entertainment and education. Since she began, she has found herself noticing more wildlife throughout her day. “It makes you pay attention more and gets you out of your own head,” Burkemper said. Mary Anne Santos Newhall,
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Refuge page 2
Inside this Lobo
JOHNSON: REVIEW: Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ is a colorful exploration of family dynamics (pg. 5)
JUDE: UNM student talks spring fashion (pg. 3)
SECOR: UNM student takes on American Ninja Warrior challenge (pg. 8)
BROWN: LETTER: UNM admin needs to meet UA-UNM’s push for livable wages (pg. 4) KNIGHT: LETTER: New Mexico’s children deserve a landscape free of orphaned wells (pg. 4)
KLEINHANS: Lobos softball team gets swept in home series against Utah State (pg. 8) BULGER: UNM women’s tennis falls to Air Force 4-0 (pg. 10)