Daily Lobo 9/12/19

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Daily Lobo new mexico

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Thursday, S eptember 12, 2019 | Vo l u m e 1 2 4 | I s s u e 9

Semicolon Tattoo Project benefits suicide prevention awareness By Beatrice Nisoli @BeatriceNisoli Tuesday was World Suicide Prevention Day. This week, the Agora Crisis Center is partnering with Archetype Tattoo Shop to host a week-long fundraising and awareness event. Starting on Sept. 10 and lasting until Sept. 14, Archetype Tattoo will be championing the Semicolon Tattoo Project by administering tattoos of various designs and colors, ranging from $30 to $90 in

price. All proceeds will directly benefit the Agora Crisis Center’s suicide prevention program located in Albuquerque. The semicolon itself is a metaphor: Just as an author adds a semicolon when they consider ending a sentence but do not, the semicolon represents a stopped impulse to end one’s life. The Semicolon Tattoo Project began as a social media movement in 2013. Individuals were encouraged to draw a semicolon on their wrists to represent awareness for suicide prevention. As its message gained in popularity, people took to permanently inking semicolons

onto their skin as a way to show support for those struggling with suicidal ideations or actions. The Agora Crisis Center is a student organization that provides free support and listening for anyone in need of emotional guidance. Such assistance is provided through helplines, online chats and volunteer opportunities. Agora has attempted to organize the Semicolon Tattoo Project annually, but are largely restricted by whether or not tattoo shops can host their event. This year’s event promises an overwhelming turnout of individuals of all ages wishing to show their support.

Luisa Pennington / @_lpennington_ / Daily Lobo

Archetype Tattoo Studio located on Menaul Boulevard.

Krebs surrenders to authorities, released By Makayla Grijalva @MakaylaEliboria The former University of New Mexico Athletics Director Paul Krebs turned himself in to authorities at the Metropolitan Detention Center on Tuesday and was released immediately after booking. Krebs was indicted last month on seven felony charges including embezzlement, money laundering, tampering with evidence and

fraud. A judge ordered him to turn himself in by Oct. 2. Krebs is scheduled to appear in the 2nd Judicial District Court for a hearing on Sept. 26 of this year. His two newest charges, issued in August, were two counts of embezzlement for using nearly $25,000 of University money on a golf trip to Scotland in 2015 — one charge was to fund the trip itself and one for his personal charges incurred during the trip. The initial five complaints came

Makayla Grijalva is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com and on Twitter @MakaylaEliboria

Courtesy Photo

peal to a lot of people help connect everyone, and help them have an open-minded view on mental health.” Tibble, Huddleston and Chaffin are all members of Agora’s Executive Committee, and their roles consist of mentorship, training for new volunteers, helping crisis support teams and being on-call, among other duties. Samantha Gonzales, a junior majoring in theater at UNM, obtained her first ever tattoo at the Archetype Tattoo Shop: A semicolon designed as a cat. Gonzales spoke about the importance of the event as well, saying “events like these bring a different level of awareness to issues. It is easy to just talk about an issue, but to have a permanent reminder of that issue is a totally different level of awareness.” The event will continue until this Saturday. Archetype Tattoo is located at 2019 Menaul Blvd NE. The Agora Crisis Center, a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network, can be contacted 24/7 at 505-2773013 or online at agoracares.org/ chat-service. Beatrice Nisoli is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @BeatriceNisoli.

NM Committee seeks new direction on recreational marijuana By Daniel Goodwin Lissa Knudsen

last February when Krebs was charged with money laundering, tampering with evidence, fraud amounting to $20,000, criminal solicitation and making or permitting a false public voucher. If he is found guilty, Krebs faces up to 16 and a half years in prison.

Paul Krebs, a former UNM Athletics Director, turned himself in to authorities on Sept.11.

Alex Tibble, a former University of New Mexico student and current volunteer representative at Agora, said the unity aspect of the Semicolon Tattoo Project primarily constitutes its significance. “It helps bring a community together and connects people who have personally been affected by suicide,” Tibble said. “Events like this help us talk about suicide in an open and healthy way, which I think is important, because when we don’t talk about it, we’re perpetuating the stigma around mental health.” Brittany Huddleston, another volunteer for Agora, said events like the Semicolon Tattoo Project ultimately aid the healing process for individuals suffering from mental health due to their effect on the stigmatization surrounding such issues. “By ending the mental health stigma, affected individuals can continue on with their lives, even if they’ve had bad times,” Huddleston said. “They’re able to live on after that.” Houseton Chaffin, who is also a volunteer for Agora, said that such events have the power to shift the discourse surrounding topics regarding mental health. “When people talk about suicide, it’s often not a healthy depiction,” Chaffin said. “It seems glamorized. Events like this, that are public and ap-

@dg_5353 @lissaknudsen On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the New Mexico Governor’s Working Group on Cannabis Legalization convened in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers in the basement of Albuquerque City Hall. Members of the group discussed the licensing, workplace protections and cannabis manufacturing sections of House Bill 356, the Cannabis Regulation Act, in front of a group of about 20 people. HB 356 was introduced in the 2019 legislative session and sought to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in the state of New Mexico. The bill passed the House, stalled in the Senate and did not make it to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk by the end of the session, rendering it dead on arrival. Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis, the chairman of the working group, said “the governor wanted to make this the first priority going into the 2020 session” as they labored to craft a bill that will be as passable as possible. Dr. David Duhigg of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a member of the working group, expressed concerns about workplace protections for potential cannabis users whose employers must comply with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act in order to receive grants and be able to work with health insurance companies. The concern was

echoed by Councilor Davis about employees who must carry a firearm on the job. State Representative Bill Pratt, a physician by trade and a presenter at the meeting, urged the working group to consider adding language to the manufacturing section of the bill which would define what types of products would ultimately be offered to the public. He expressed concerns about products containing sugar or flavorings that children and young adults may find enticing. Members of the group who already work in medical cannabis production pushed back, citing the significant portion of sales they earn from edible products. Medical providers chimed in as well, arguing that, in their experience, most young people are using because of the high they experience and not because of the taste of the product. If the Governor’s group members are an indicator, recreational cannabis production — should it become legalized in New Mexico — will be highly regulated, and many aspects of the manufacturing process will require licenses. The group is proposing that dispensary licenses, much like New Mexico’s current liquor licensure system, would be limited in number. “One of the challenges the Governor gave us was to create a system that ensures that formerly incarcerated people and over-criminalized communities are first in line to access these new opportunities,” Councilor Davis said. This could

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