DAILY LOBO new mexico
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wednesday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
February 17, 2010
Victim possibly attacked for phone
ASUNM VP wants more lighting on campus by Tricia Remark
by Pat Lohmann
Daily Lobo
Daily Lobo
UNMPD officers say they may have found a motive in the stabbing of a UNM student Monday night on campus: The assailant allegedly slashed the woman’s throat for her cell phone. The victim told UNMPD officers that her attacker came up from behind her as she was talking on her phone, a BlackBerry, and slashed Amie Zimmer / Daily Lobo her neck while he snatched the Larissa Lewis stands in front of the UNM bookstore and pickets for safety reform in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. After her son, student Kerry device. The victim, a UNM student and Lewis, was murdered last summer, Larissa has been protesting both in town and at the state legislature to make progress toward safety. The employee, is reportedly in satisfac- Monday night stabbing prompted her appearance at UNM. “You have to provoke people, you have to push buttons,” she said. tory condition at UNM Hospital, according to UNMPD spokesman Robert Haarhues. “She’s obviously very tired from Monday, and, after Monday night’s stabbing, deStaff Report the trauma to her neck, but she’s cided she’d stop by UNM campus. Daily Lobo resting comfortably over at the hosKerry Lewis was shot and killed in his apartpital,” he said at a news conference Larissa Lewis, mother of murder victim and for- ment off campus last summer. Tuesday. Susan McKinsey, University spokeswoman, Haarhues said UNMPD investi- mer student Kerry Lewis, said the lack of security said Schmidly is very concerned about safety on gators don’t think the assailant is a at UNM and surrounding areas is appalling. That’s why she protested Tuesday outside of campus. UNM student. “The president said, ‘When it comes to safety, Because the investigation is on- President David Schmidly’s office and in front of there are no budget concerns and no short cuts.’ going, the police department’s re- UNM on Central Avenue. “Why isn’t he out here? Is he going to walk We want this campus safe,” she said. cords department will not release Robert Haarhues, UNMPD spokesman, said the victim’s name. Also, it is Dai- around campus tonight and stand by the anthroly Lobo policy not to release the pology area, which is right by his office?” she said. police are now striving to be more visible around names of crime victims without “That’s what I would do if I had any brains and I campus. He said UNMPD is expecting the number of police escorts to increase due to Monday’s was your president.” their consent.
Mother of slain student protests campus security after recent attack
see Investigation page 3
Lewis also picketed at the Roundhouse on
incident.
Six UNMH doctors headed to Haiti for emergency relief by Shaun Griswold Daily Lobo
The UNM community is responding to the earthquake in Haiti with on-the-ground support. The New Mexico Disaster Medical Assistance Team sent 23 doctors — six from University Hospital — to Haiti for a two-week deployment. UNM DMAT members include specialists in emergency medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, according to a press release. Michael Richards, chairman of the UNM Department of Emergency Medicine, said the DMAT team will work in Port-au-Prince — Haiti’s capital — with a mobile surgical facility that has same accessibility and resources as any hospital. “We are going with a 20-member surgical team from across the country. We’ll be rotating on a 24-hour-a-day system,” Richards said. “Individuals will be sleeping in tents with no electricity or running water.” In a phone interview Friday, Richards said he and his team are prepared for the response. “We identified our team for any deployment
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 114
issue 100
Mike Westervelt, ASUNM vice president, is planning to pass legislation to provide more lighting on campus to make sure a repeat of Monday’s student attack doesn’t happen again. “I don’t want there to be any more dark places where this kind of thing can happen,” Wester said. “I’m going to push really hard to get (something) similar to what the Johnson lights are, but all over campus — light the campus up to make it look like it is daytime even in nighttime.” Westervelt said his advocacy of improved lighting resulted directly from the Monday night stabbing of a UNM student and employee. He said he helped the victim until paramedics arrived. “We just want to be safe,” he said. “I think that’s what we all want at UNM. I didn’t realize how unsafe our campus can be before this.” Zoila Alvarez, an ASUNM senator, said she will draft a resolution asking administration to increase bike patrols, install better lighting and put up more emergency phones. “I hate walking at night on campus as a girl,” Alvarez said. “It’s sad
see Lighting page 3
Transferring a tune
weeks before the earthquake,” Richards said. “It takes months of training to prepare anyone for the environment, but someone with experience in a disaster zone is the best, and we have a strong team with a healthy mix of experience and training.” Of the six doctors, only UNM physicians Nancy Kurt and Joe Sparlon will be working in a disaster zone for the first time. “Nancy has experience with an international medical responder’s unit, so she should be prepared for the stress and high intensity we will face,” Richards said. NM DMAT is part of the National Disaster Medical System. Richards said the team averages one deployment a year and responds to terrorist attacks, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and floods. “We were at the Superdome during HurriAmie Zimmer / Daily Lobo cane Katrina and worked directly with the citiYu Ching Chen plays the xylophone Tuesday in Popejoy Hall. Chen, a graduate student, came to the University of New zens of New Orleans in their time of distress,” Mexico from Taiwan two years ago to pursue music. Richards said. The group is federally funded but was initially sponsored by UNM’s executive vice
see Relief page 3
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