Daily Lobo 01/17/2023

ASUNM to lobby for campus safety projects

By Maddie Pukite

@maddogpukite

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico plan to lobby for their capital outlay projects during opening day of the 56th session of the New Mexico Legislature on Tuesday, Jan. 17. ASUNM hopes to secure funding for three projects, all of which are centered around safety on campus. They will be decided on by the administration, with limited amounts of student input, according to ASUNM President Ian May.

Each year, ASUNM decides on a project that ASUNM legislative members will lobby for in Santa Fe via a capital outlay bill, according to May. Capital outlay projects are state infrastructure projects that are funded by bonds. After statewide projects have been budgeted and passed by the Senate and the House, the rest of the money is then divided equally to representatives to decide to fund other projects, according to the New Mexico State Legislature.

ASUNM chose three separate projects this year rather than just one, as seen in previous years. These were decided on by the ASUNM administration itself, rather than a public vote as they had done for last year’s project: renovations to the bus stop at Redondo Drive and

Yale Avenue.

“The reason we didn’t really do that on our ballot this year is there weren’t enough ideas that, we thought, were in the price range that we were looking for to let students decide between. So even when we’re talking back to when it was on the ballot last year, it was, ‘Okay, we have three projects that are kind of in our price range. We don’t really have a preference. Let’s put it up to students,’” May said.

This year, ASUNM is hoping to secure $610,000 to fund all three projects, according to ASUNM Vice President Pacheco. These projects include increased lighting in the GR parking lot by Greek life housing on Sigma Chi and Mesa Vista roads, funding to continue the next phase of improvements to the bus stop on Redondo and Yale and the creation of a student-led escort service.

One group that influenced the project decision process was feedback from Greek life, according to both May and Pacheco.

“Another thing that really ties in the focus on student safety was I received an email from one of the Panhellenic sorority presidents and with support from the other Panhellenic sororities that we have on campus, pretty much wanted us to bring awareness to campus safety,” Pacheco said.

Instead of a ballot question, ASUNM had those within the stu-

dent government ask those around them where they think safety could be improved on campus.

“We started asking our folks to put out some feelers across the board. And one of the things that kept coming up, and this also looped into some stuff we had heard from the Greek folks like early on in the

year, that prompted us to … (look at) safety in Greek life in general,” May said.

The overarching theme of this year’s capital outlay projects center on campus safety, a goal that Pacheco said has also been sought after in other ways including a resolution by Mickenzie Chessman,

ASUNM’s president pro tempore, that advocated for increased funding to the UNM Police Department. That resolution was voted on on the same night that three students were detained by law enforcement during a peaceful protest on campus. The additional funding for the

Albuquerque Comic Con turns fandom into family

By Jessica Baca

@Jessica_Baca_

This past Friday, Jan. 13, Albuquerque Comic Con began at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The event — which brings fans of comics, movies and TV shows together from all over New Mexico — ran until Sunday, Jan. 15.

This year, Albuquerque Comic Con brought in guests ranging from Ari Lehman, the first actor to play Jason Voorhees from the “Friday the 13th” frachise, to Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. A complete list of guests from the event can be found on their website.

Also in attendance this year was local comic book artist David Harrigan, also known as the “Art Assassin.” Harrigan previously worked on comic covers for Coffin Comics for over 10 years, most notably in drawing the character Lady Death and creating almost 300 covers for the company, according to Harrigan. He provided all graphics for the event web -

site and worked on Albuquerque Comic Con’s first exclusive event covers.

This year was no different, with Harrigan creating three Al -

buquerque Comic Con exclusive covers. Two of the covers have Lady Death dipped in honey with the other featuring the character Hellwitch with Lady Death.

There were only about 150 copies of each cover design made, according to Harrigan.

Fans were able to have them signed for free in person by Har-

rigan and Brian Pulido, creator of Lady Death.

“Brian Pulido had come up

Weston Quintana / Daily Lobo / @wesss_jpg

The new installation on the corner of Girard Boulevard and Central Avenue. The installation was proposed as a capital outlay project in the 2020 state legislative session.

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

A group of cosplayers from the New Avengers of New Mexico stand at their booth at Albuquerque Comic Con on Saturday, Jan. 14.

bus stop is a continuation of the capital outlay projects that ASUNM had lobbied on behalf of in 2022 but is still in need of additional funding to complete the renovation plans, according to May.

The decision to seek funding to create a student escort service was motivated by a growing existence of similar programs at other college campuses across the country — including New Mexico State Uni-

with the idea with this honeydipped kind of thing, and I thought, ‘Yeah, that was really cool. That's fun’,” Harrigan said

The convention consisted of a multitude of events, from panels featuring different actors, to visiting the van from “Breaking Bad,” to a cosplay contest, making it an event accessible to anyone, according to Sara Benavides, local cosplayer and part of the nonprofit cosplay group New

versity, according to May.

“That’s a little bit more driven from our experience and going to NMSU (and) seeing that they had this; me reaching out to my high school friends and being like, ‘Hey, do y’all have this at your university?’ and getting unanimous yeses,” May said. “So I think it’s something that’s becoming pretty common in higher ed and UNM really needs something like that.”

Avengers of New Mexico.

“I wanna say the atmosphere is busy, it's fun. My auntie, who actually came here with her kids, said everybody was so nice. They wanted to take pictures, they were complimenting on their costumes.t's very family oriented. It's very friendly,” Benavidez said.

The welcoming atmosphere is what makes the convention so important to cosplayer Xan -

A past capital outlay project that is currently coming to fruition, is the $400,000 “UNM” installation on Central Avenue and Girard Boulevard, which was decided on by the 2020 ASUNM administration, according to both May and Pacheco.

As the upcoming legislative session commences, ASUNM will have representatives in Santa Fe lobbying throughout the session, along with on UNM day — a day organized

der Ferguson, citing that some of their closest friendships have been made as a result of the event.

“Albuquerque Comic Con means the world to me. It means that everyone can express themselves and show their fandom what they love. They can just prove to everyone that they're a fan; it doesn't matter how dedicated … It's a place for people to connect. I made some of the

by the ASUNM governmental affairs agency to bring UNM students and other members of the campus community, to lobby in support of legislation that would benefit the University, according to the agency’s website.

“(For UNM day), a bunch of other UNM departments that are going to be there because there’s also a lot of other requests on the institution that go into capital outlay …

best friends that I've ever made here at this convention. I've been going since I was little,” Ferguson said.

This community is what draws people back to Comic Con each year, according to local artist Brandi, who attends each year as a vendor under the name “Crayon Queen.”

“I see so many people every year that I love. I get to catch up with people. A lot of the custom -

It’s not just going to be students. So that’s a big push there, especially to get a lot of students’ support for what we’re doing within ASUNM,” Pacheco said.

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

ers that come up, it’s like I've been watching some of them grow up. There's so many people I recognize and it gives me such a community,” Brandi said.

Albuquerque Comic Con will next take place in 2024.

Jessica Baca is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted at culture@ dailylobo.com or on Twitter

@Jessica_Baca_

ASUNM Southwest Film Center spring pre view

By Elizabeth Secor @esecor2003

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico Southwest Film Center, located on the first floor of the Student Union Building, is a student-run organization that showcases films for free throughout the semester. The upcoming spring semester includes a line up of film screenings and returning annual events.

The main purpose behind the SWFC is to connect the larger student body with film, according to Emma Harrison, the program’s assistant director.

“The purpose of the Southwest

Film Center is to present new, experimental, classic and studentmade films for free to the UNM student body, and to provide fun opportunities for students to engage with and learn about film,” Harrison said.

Students are able to attend screenings most weekends during the semester and enjoy free concessions.

“Usually, our films are Fridays and/or Saturdays at 6 p.m. So, you can show up basically whenever. We open the doors 15 minutes before, and it’s totally free admission and free concessions,” Harrison said. “We usually have popcorn, candy and some drinks. And then you can just go sit wherever you

want with your friends and watch the movie for free.”

This semester, the center will showcase a lineup under the theme of “cult classics,” and host several other events including the Cherry Reel Film Festival, an event where students can submit original films to have a chance to be chosen to be shown at the film center, according to executive director Rylee Norman.

“I think it is so important for students to showcase their stuff because a lot of times they don’t get (to show) that we’re here and that we’re doing great things, just as much as the nursing program or the engineering program,” Norman said. “Albuquerque is so big

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

The ASUNM Southwest Film Center, located on the first floor of the Student Union Building, is a student-run organization that showcases films for free throughout the semester. Photo courtesy of UNM Newsroom.

OPINION: “Avatar” highlights the danger of computer-generated films

By John Scott @JohnSnott

Well, it’s official: we’re gonna see a whole lot more “Avatar” in the next 10 years. With “Avatar: The Way of Water” poised to make its money back and essentially confirming that we’ll see an “Avatar” 3, 4 and 5, we can rest easy knowing now that the original “Avatar” truly did have some sort of cultural impact and naysayers were just wrong. This begs the question, though: what about its impact on filmmaking, or rather, lack thereof?

At the time of writing this article on Saturday, Jan. 14, the sequel is poised to reach $566.7 million at the US domestic box office over Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend which will put it at number 13 for the highest grossing films of all time in the US and Canada, according to Deadline. Now, out of curiosity, how many other films in this top 15 contain the same level of computer-generated characters and environments? Discounting “The Way of Water,” it’s two: the original “Avatar” and 2019’s “The Lion King.”

“The Lion King” helps us to get to the bottom of the “Avatar” problem. The film currently sits at a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics: “While it can take pride in its visual achievements, ‘The Lion King’ is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the

original so beloved — though for some fans that may just be enough,” the critics consensus reads. Considering the 2019 film is largely a beat-by-beat retelling of the animated original, what caused this lack of energy and heart? It’s the visual effects.

There are 12 principles of animation that essentially every good animated film abides by with. Squash and stretch, and especially exaggeration, are the two that are arguably the most essential. While 2019’s “The Lion King” is admirable in its visual effects, it disregards these two very important principles in favor of realism, which creates something that lacks the distinct energy and heart that is present in the animated original.

Of course, some of you might say, “Well, the 2019 version is a live action film and it doesn’t need to obey these rules.” There is only one shot in that film that is not entirely computer generated — it’s an animated film: just because it aims for realism doesn’t mean it can just be classified as live action.

This doesn’t mean I’m trying to say that “Avatar” is an animated film because of its heavy employment of CGI, or that because of its own dedication to realism it also fails on the same grounds as 2019’s “The Lion King.” What I am trying to say is that the computer-generated characters of “Avatar” — these, for all intents

and purposes, animated characters — have no heart. You could have the best actor in the world in the motion capture suit, but as soon as you cross that threshold into the entirely computer-generated territory, it’s nothing more than exaggerated voice acting.

Take this viral behind-the-scenes clip of Zoe Saldana from the original “Avatar.” Her performance here is outstanding; this is some Oscarworthy work from Saldana. But watching the final version from the film, you don’t get the same nuances in Saldana’s physical performance. Chalk that down to what is probably an irresolvable margin of error in translating a motion capture performance. Virtually all of the performance comes from Saldana’s line delivery: she’s voice acting. And now we’re back at our “Lion King” problem.

Finally, I want to briefly look at what is a widely well-received motion capture performance: Josh Brolin as Thanos. In any of the however many films Thanos is featured in, it often feels like Brolin is the only one giving an entire performance; it’s not just voice acting. But why is that? Well, Thanos doesn’t have any expressions. He’s just a smoldering, straight-faced villain. There’s no exaggeration needed. Brolin’s Thanos plays to what motion capture can do well: straight faces and meaningless expressions.

This is all to say that when we think

about the impact that “Avatar” has had on filmmaking, we should acknowledge that: one, it’s relatively minimal (there’s really no other film like it, thankfully) and, two, that computer-generated characters should not be prioritized over real actors. I do think that there are good performances to be found in motion capture (Andy Serkis in the “Planet of the Apes” films), but not enough to justify it as the most viable option when it comes to bringing nonhuman characters to life.

The next time you watch a film that features a character who’s been rendered with CGI based off of a motion capture performance, I want you to ask yourself: is this actually a good performance or just good voice acting? The answer might surprise you.

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

OPINION: “This Place Rules” doesn’t rule

@spenserwillden

Two years ago on Jan. 6, 2021, a group of right-wing pro-Trump rioters stormed the capitol building in Washington D.C., marking the violent culmination of a historic cultural and media frenzy around the polarizing 2020 election cycle. This event, and the frenzy leading up to it, are the subject of journalist and documentarian Andrew Callaghan’s new documentary on HBO, “This Place Rules,” which premiered Dec. 30, 2022. Though laudable, the filmmaking is surprisingly shallow, making “This Place Rules” an ultimately skippable watch.

The recent allegations of sexual coercion and assault against him further complicate any viewing experience — there’s little worth to be found here.

Callaghan, who built his career around man-on-the-street interviews (often of a comedic bent) attempts in his new film to get at

the heart of American radicalism and political indoctrination: ultimately, his efforts are scattershot.

“This Place Rules” never quite lands on a tone and doesn’t find a thesis until nearly the end of the film. The title suggests a lacking irreverence and each act suggests conversations ultimately unspoken or otherwise abandoned. For better or worse, Callaghan captures a lot with very little depth, rather than focusing in on any one point. It’s not until Jan. 6 happens that he seems to realize what the film’s about. Much of the first three quarters is spent wondering when there will finally be a point.

This being said, there are some outstanding moments. Callaghan interviewing the QAnon family is heartbreaking and caring in a way that shows depth beyond the late night talk show style of “gotcha” political comedy. When he returns to them following Jan. 6, we see a family irrevocably broken by zealous belief, and though the questions are tough, there’s sympathy there which is a nice change

of pace. Unfortunately, the rest of the documentary doesn’t hold with it.

Part of what works well in the documentary (pre-allegations) is Callaghan’s comic persona, a quiet everyman that both sides of the aisle can project themselves onto. He knows he can’t change anyone’s mind in an interview, so rather than scoring points, he carefully lets them fold in on themselves. It’s a technique that works well in interviews with such scorned figures as Alex Jones and Henry “Enrique” Tarrio.

This is all well and good, but ultimately, the film seems to think itself funnier than it is. There’s an aura of knowing smarm that it just can’t shake, only exacerbated by Callaghan’s self-righteous narration. By all accounts, the humor of the documentary should be a standout — after all, the film is produced by Tim Heidecker and Eric Waerheim — and at times it is, but often Callaghan and company’s attempts fall flat in the

Land Acknowledgement statement

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo Sam Worthington plays Jake in “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Photo courtesy of IMDb.

Spenser Willden

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Andrew Callaghan plays himself in “This Place Rules.” Photo courtesy of IMDb.

Preview from page 3 for film, and so having these film festivals and having (the) word out to people catches attention.”

The film festival is one of many ways students can engage with films at the Southwest Film Center. Other student organizations can connect with the film center to present shows. An example happening this semester is the University of New Mexico’s Lobothon partnering with the Southwest Film Center to show “Monsters Inc.”

“(Organizations) just have to connect with us to let us know what

they want. And we can try and fit them into our schedule. We do ask for a little support, like we want the club to also bring people in,” Harrison said. “So we would appreciate it if clubs help with the advertising, help with outreach and stuff like that. But otherwise, we’ll handle getting the movie and then doing the concessions and everything like that.”

Along with the “cult classic” theme and movies showcased in partnership with various organizations, the film center also focuses

on showing foreign films to the student body to provide a broader range of experiences.

“There’s so much more to be seen if you go and see a film that was made in Italy. They have a very different way of life than we do and a very different way of storytelling than we do,” Norman said. “And so I think it’s important to showcase all stories, all voices, and I think we at Southwest Film Center understand the importance of not limiting the students to only seeing very Americanized films.”

Along with the goal to showcase more than just American or English-language films, the Southwest Film Center hopes to bring in more students this semester’s screenings.

“You never know what a student’s financial situation is, and you never know what could be holding back a student from feeling like they can belong in a community. We don’t want a $20 Coke to hold somebody back from coming to a screening and having fun with their friends. We don’t want to ever

hold a student back from going to an event just because of financial stuff,” Norman said.

The first screening of the spring semester will be “The Breakfast Club” on Friday, Jan. 20; a full lineup of the films being screened this semester can be found on the Southwest Film Center website and social media pages.

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

really well-done

hilarious, even if concerning. However, these instances highlight the artificiality of the production, which steals an unnecessary amount of credibility from the documentary. In cutting

together footage from interviews to highlight hypocrisy, we’re asked to trust that the subjects and their viewpoints are being honestly represented, but the manipulative editing elsewhere kills the trust we have. This trust is even further degraded following the allegations

against Callaghan.

Ultimately, this documentary is only surface deep, and if you’ve stayed relatively well-informed in the past few years, there isn’t much new you’ll take from it. It could’ve been really great — or, at least, better — if it chose to focus

on, say, political celebrities and their niche influence on culture at large. Instead, however, it takes a wide angle view of the election protests, and as a result, any “journalism” it accomplishes isn’t much more than pure summary. If you’re looking for a documentary

to unwind with over the weekend, I’d look somewhere else —”This Place” stinks.

Spenser Willden is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on twitter @spenserwillden

HAPS The Entertainment Guide

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

Computer Transformers Your university computer repair shop! Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 1606 Central Suite 105 505.503.6953

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE Monday 4PM-9PM Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! 201 Hermosa Dr NE Monday 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 our 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

Computer Transformers

Your university computer repair shop! Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 1606 Central Suite 105 505.503.6953

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE Tuesday 2PM-10PM Taco Tuesday, $2 Tacos! Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! 201 Hermosa Dr NE Tuesday 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

Computer Transformers

Your university computer repair shop! Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 1606 Central Suite 105 505.503.6953

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE Wednesday 2PM-10PM Live Music Trivia at 7pm! highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! 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

Duke City Herbs & Bake Shop Check out our store!

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

Computer Transformers Your university computer repair shop!

Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 1606 Central Suite 105 505.503.6953

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE

Thursday 2PM-10PM Live Music highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! 201 Hermosa Dr NE Thursday 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 Check out our store! 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

Computer Transformers Your university computer repair shop!

Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 1606 Central Suite 105 505.503.6953

High and Dry Brewing 529 Adams St NE Friday 12PM-11PM Live Music highanddrybrewing.com

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 Saturday 12PM-11PM Live Music

Highanddrybrewing.com

Public House Wine for the people! 201 Hermosa Dr NE Saturday 11AM-10PM

Publichouseabq.com

Tantra Night Club & Da One Hookah Bar We are Back! 10pm-3am 211 Gold Ave SW

Sunshine

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

Football: College hall of fame adds UNM footballer

By John Scott

@JohnSnott

A former offensive player for the University of New Mexico football team, Terance Mathis, was selected for the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 on Monday, January 9. He will be the second Lobo to be bestowed with the honor alongside linebacker Brian Urlacher, class of 2017, according to a press release from UNM Athletics.

Mathis will be officially inducted on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. Mathis joins a class which also consists of players like Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow: Bush led the nation in allpurpose yardage in 2005, according to Fox Sports , and Tebow won the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player in any given season, according to the ESPN Press Room.

“The 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches in the 2023 class were selected from the national ballot of 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks,” according to the NFF’s website.

Mathis, who was “perhaps the greatest offensive player in the history of Lobo Football” is the only player in UNM’s history to have 250 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 6,000 allpurpose yards during his career with the Lobos, according to the UNM Athletics press release. He holds school records with 263 career receptions, 4,254 career receiving yards, 1,315 single-season receiving yards, 36 career touchdown receptions, 13 single-season touchdown receptions and 3 touchdown receptions in a game, according to the press release.

“It’s impossible to (at) look the Lobo record book and not

find Mathis’ name dotting the various lists. He is second, third and seventh on the single-game receptions list (16 vs. Utah, 14 vs. Arkansas and 12 vs. San Diego State); he is second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth and 10th on the single-game yardage list; second and sixth on the singleseason receptions list; first and fourth on the single-season receiving yards list; first, third and eighth on the single-season touchdown receptions list; and first and third in single-season all-purpose yardage. His three kickoff returns for touchdowns in 1989 has been tied, but not broken, at UNM,” according to the press release.

Also serving as UNM’s first consensus All-America selection in 1987, Mathis set the school’s single-season record for all-purpose yardage with 2,138 that season, according to the press release. The All-American designation is bestowed upon the most outstanding amateur players from any given sea -

son, according to the American Football Database.

Following his career with the Lobos, Mathis would be drafted by the New York Jets in 1990 where he played for four years. Mathis’ most successful season in the NFL came in 1994 with his first season playing for the Atlanta Falcons: Mathis would be a Pro Bowl selection and set a club record of 111 catches in a season, according to the press release. Mathis would retire from the NFL in 2004 following a brief run with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Savannah State University Athletics.

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

HOUSING GUIDE daily lobo

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @ DailyLobo Terance Mathis is named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Lobo Football History on Twitter.

OPINION: Monster trucks rally is a Rio Rancho smash hit

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

On Jan. 13 and 14, the Rio Rancho event center sold out every seat in the house for the Toughest Monster Truck Tour. And my god, were they tough: the flips, the stunts, the cars smashed are all enough to attest to that — and the crowd ate up every moment.

The trucks featured included Dozer, who made their indoor arena debut, Buckshot and Rat Attack. Dirt Crew, my personal favorite truck, looked like a dump truck (monster-sized, of course). Also present was Tailgator, who rivaled Dirt Crew for best aesthetic with a gator-themed truck, and Maximus, a brand new truck

who made their debut.

The event included three competitions for the trucks: wheelies, racing and freestyle. Then, the overall Toughest Truck award is based on scores from the three competitions the trucks competed throughout the night. Dirt Crew earned the first Toughest Monster Truck title of 2023 and did so by winning the wheelie and freestyle events.

All the trucks, both winners and losers, did not disappoint with a variety of flips and stunts. Reminiscent of a time I embarrassingly tried and failed to learn tricks on my bicycle, they actually managed to pull them off in machines that practically towered over the obstacles themselves — not with grace, but in an eye-catching, spectacular way

nonetheless. Watching a truck land on its roof was shocking and bizarre: watching it come back from it was even more so.

Seeing monster trucks was similar to watching “Toy Story” and witnessing the toys come to life. I have only interacted with monster trucks as remote control toy cars before. Now, having seen them fly and race with seemingly free will, in a stadium that all of a sudden felt a lot smaller with multiple monster trucks flying around the ring, was a feat for sure.

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

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

A monster truck jumps over a dirt mound on Friday, Jan. 13 at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

The monster truck “Buckshot” crushes a row of cars.

by Christoper Tran

ALBUQUERQUE CLINICAL TRIALS

INC. is a locally-owned, dedicated clinical research center founded in 1988.

We specialize in Phase II-IV clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors. We love our patients and the opportunity to help advance medical research.

We are seeking a part-time (20-24 hours perweek) or a full-time Data Entry

Speicalist/Receptionist to join our admin team. The ideal candidate is someone who is motivated by a challenge and prepared to learn. In order to succeed in this role, you will need excellent organizational and communication skills and the ability to multi-task. Technology skills are a must.

Benefits include

•FLEXIBLE scheduling, with the ability to work around school schedule.

•Monday-Friday hours (M: 9AM-5PM, T-TH: 8AM-5PM, F: 8AM-3PM)

•Company paid healthcare, dental coverage; vision coverage.

•Company match 401(k)/profit sharing plan.

•Paid Time Off (PTO)

•Salary: $13.50 per hour

Please email your resume to jobs@ abqct.com with subject line: Data entry