Daily Lobo 02/06/2023

UNM Basic Needs Project grows into a statewide study

By Annya Loya @annyaloya

In 2020, the University of New Mexico Basic Needs Project released a study that revealed that over a third of UNM students were food insecure, and nearly two-fifths were housing insecure. This year, led by principal investigator Sarita Cargas, the team will begin a yearlong study that researches these insecurities at a statewide level.

The statewide survey, which went live on Feb. 1, will run until March 15. The research teams hope to get a minimum response of 10% of each institution’s population including students, faculty and staff, according to Kiana Frederick, student researcher and project manager.

“We(‘ll) really get a picture of where the state’s at — not only where the students in the state are at, but where the staff and faculty are. We(‘ll definitely get) a more diverse population of people to really understand what ... they have gone through. I mean, the

survey will range everything from food and housing to mental health questionnaires,” Frederick said.

The Basic Needs Project, in conjunction with the New Mexico Higher Education Department alongside Governor Lujan Grisham’s Food, Farm and Hunger Initiative, will study the prevalence of basic needs insecurity across 28 of New Mexico’s public colleges and universities, according to the project’s website. The only public college from the state who’s not participating is the Military Institute according to Frederick.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to housing and food insecurity for students such as loss of scholarships or loss of transportation through outside factors such as theft. These are just a few of the many reasons that the project has found, according to Frederick.

“There’s a snowball effect that leads to students being in a situation that overall compromises their success in the classroom,”

Frederick said.

Blake Hautzinger, a student ambassador with the project, said

Navajo Code Talker collections open in Center for Southwest Research

By Cyrrene Giaccardo @DailyLobo

In November 2022, the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico opened the Carl N. Gorman and William Dean Wilson Collections, presenting the materials and records of two original Navajo Code Talkers from the largest donation of Indigenous history materials ever received by the CSWR.

Zonnie Gorman, a doctoral candi-

date within the UNM history department whose research focuses on the Navajo Code Talkers, discussed her journey maintaining the materials of her father and uncle, Carl Gorman and William Dean Wilson, two original Navajo Code Talkers. The process of bringing these materials to the Center of Southwest Research took between two to three years, according to Gorman.

“As a student at UNM, I started a conversation with the Center of Southwest Research and at first, I

see Collections page 2

Inside this Lobo

LOYA: Santa Fe County Commission unanimously supports local choice energy (p. 3)

MARTINEZ: OPINION: How to pull off a successful ‘soft launch’ (p. 4))

SECOR: OPINION: Valentine’s Day recipes to fall in love with (p. 4)

that a lot of people may not know they’re food or housing insecure, and that both issues are prevalent in their college community.

“A bunch of these people are actually food insecure, but they just didn’t identify as (insecure) because they don’t know what it is,” Hautzinger said.

Hautzinger hopes that the survey will educate people on the signs of food and housing insecurity — especially college students, who they feel are an underrepresented community in studies like this.

“We (are) trying to educate people on that essentially, and I think especially through our entire survey, you’re gonna get a lot of questions that put you kind of having to self-reflect on your own experiences,” Hautzinger said.

Frederick said that the team used Hope Center studies and the United States Department of Agriculture questionnaires to help formulate their survey. She hopes that after analyzing all the data from each university, they can find solutions to improve food and housing security across the state’s

see Study page 2

New Mexico Education Department seeks to extend K-12 school year

By Annya Loya @annyaloya

During the New Mexico 56th legislative session, the New Mexico Public Education Department introduced Bill 130 to the Legislative Education Committee which would add an extended school program called the K-12 Plus Program. Bill 194, which further explains the finance of the program, was also introduced to the Legislative Finance Committee.

The K-12 Plus Program would provide additional program units for public schools that would increase the number of instructional days beyond 180 days for a five-day school

week and more than 155 days for a four-day school week, according to the bill. This means grades K-6 would have 990 instructional hours and grades 7-12 a total of 1,080 instructional hours per school year.

“(NMPED) know from a lot of research that, including in New Mexico, these extended school year programs have had a beneficial impact on student academic performance,” Eilani Arellano, NMPED policy analyst, said.

Currently, the NMPED has two programs with extended learning time: the K-3 Plus program, which was established in 2007 and includes kindergarten to the third year of elementary, and the K-5 Plus program, which was established in 2021 and

goes from kindergarten to the fifth year of elementary.

Both programs required schools to add a total of 25 days to their school year calendar, something many NMPED schools were not comfortable with. This is why the Extended Learning Program, which adds only 10 days to the calendar, was created, according to Arellano.

“Because of the restrictions that existed in law in the current programs, we thought we were missing out on schools that would participate if they were more flexible,” Arellano said.

The current existing programs, K-3 and K-5, have not had as much participation as the NMPED would like see School page 2

ROY: John Sommers Gallery serves up fresh student works this semester (p. 5)

BULGER: Women’s Basketball: Lobos stun Aztecs at The Pit (p. 8)

BACA: Artwalk draws in artists from all walks of life (p. 9)

ROY: Loboscopes: February general predictions (p. 10)

Weston Quintana / Daily Lobo / @wesss_jpg

The Roadrunner Food Bank, located off Office Boulevard in Albuquerque, is “the largest nonprofit dedicated to solving food insecurity in New Mexico,” according to their website.

Study from page 1

public colleges.

“The three main goals … is we’re trying to improve access to nutritional food, increase ac-

Collections from page 1

wasn’t really feeling comfortable with it,” Gorman said. “ The people I had talked with at that time were treating it like any other collection and not with the respect it needed, and they were only interested in select items.”

Oftentimes, Indigenous peoples recorded in American history are compacted into an imperialist narrative which continues the assimilation processes that all Indigenous communities still experience today, according to Gorman. This was something that contributed to her decision on which institution to trust with her father’s and Wilson’s materials.

Prior to deciding on donating her materials to the CSWR, Gorman considered donating them to the University of California-Davis, where her father Carl Gorman was a

School from page 1

to see due to the extra days required in order to get funding, according to Arellano. She hopes that by merging the proposals, they will have a better program with a better outcome.

“So, all of these proposals were talking about you hopefully getting to take all the best parts and put them all together, and the idea is to replace these existing programs that have had not as high performances,” Arellano said.

The current recommended budget for the program is in the $300 million range, which will pay for the participant school’s funding, according to Arellano.

Currently, only 13 school districts are participants in the K-5 Plus Program and 84 school districts

cess to affordable housing and overall improve student success,”

Frederick said.

The project will release a partial

part of the first four founding faculty members of the Native American studies program.

“I looked into Arizona and New Mexico. Both schools wanted to chop it up, as they were just interested in him as a Code Talker and not as a person,” Gorman said. “ So I didn’t bother with it: I continued to work on my degree.”

She ended up reopening the conversation with the CSWR after some time, partially after connecting with fellow historian and archivist for the center Chris Geherin.

“Big changes (are coming) as archives are evolving — as they should — (and) we want more and more to give Native peoples the voice in terms of how their collections are archived and where it is archived,” Geherin said. “That process is different than it used to be.”

participate in the Extended Learning Program, according to Arellano.

“This will actually fund the schools already doing it for doing what they’re already doing. And also give schools to meet the new minimum requirements, and then also have a really big pot of money for schools who even want to go over that and that’s in the extended learning in K-12 Plus,” Arellano said.

Billie Helean, a first grade teacher at Ernest Stapleton Elementary School, which is a participant in the Extended Learning Program, is not too supportive of the K-12 Plus Program.

“I think extending the time that our students are at school, either by hours in the day or by days in the year, would

data report on the statewide survey on May 5.

“It’s really empowering to actually be able to work on that (the

The CSWR in the last few years has endorsed the inclusion of Indigenous peoples’ protocols during the archival process.

“Archives are changing by including the endorsement of protocols for Indigenous archival materials, which formalizes the idea that Indigenous peoples should have the strongest voice in terms of deciding how their collections will be archived,” Geherin said.

This focus meant the Center was having many conversations with Gorman to make sure her wishes for the collections were understood.

When talking about her father and uncle, Gorman made note of their prominence outside of the Code Talkers. Both collections include things like letters, photos and documents from their lives, including from their period in the military.

be excessive. So, it just seems like a lot to me to ask for students to stay in a seat for that long. As a teacher, I know that we need to do what’s best for students,” Helean said. “And so it brings me to pause wondering as a teacher, if I work extra hours, is it really going to have the impact that everyone wants it to have?”

Helean said she’s enjoyed the Extended Learning Program as she feels that the extra 10 days have been beneficial not only to her but to her students as well.

“It also gives us time to reflect on the work that we’ve done in that period to make sure that we’re serving our student’s needs, and it’s really, really helpful for a teacher to be able to reflect like that,” Helean said.

study) and to make that change after learning so much about it,” Hautzinger said.

“(Wilson) definitely wanted to be remembered,” Gorman said. “He carried (his camera) everywhere, and I never really remembered him taking pictures, but when I was looking at this collection, I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ It wasn’t that he was taking pictures of landscapes: he was chronicling himself and his life.”

Included in Wilson’s collection are medals earned by Wilson from his participation in pistol and rifle competitions and over 1,400 photographs that chart his life from childhood, his service during World War II and his life after the war up until his death.

Wilson’s collection contains six boxes and is available to look at with permission from Gorman. The Carl Gorman collection is currently still being processed, with about 52 boxes of materials, according to Gorman.

The program also requires professional development for teachers outside of instructional hours. The goal is to provide teachers with, as the name implies, more professional development and support to encourage higher quality teaching and help them grow as professionals, according to Arellano.

“It’s also helpful because during what we call Professional Learning Communities, we actually have time to look at student data and to look at ways that we’re doing interventions. For students to make sure that we’re targeting where students have the most gaps and filling in those gaps,” Helean said.

The professional development hours will be decided on the local

Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @annyaloya

The CSWR specializes in preserving historical manuscripts, books, photographs, architectural drawings, recordings, and other library materials relating to New Mexico, the Southwestern U.S. and Latin America. It also houses the UNM university archives, as well as a collection of rare books on various topics from around the world. All collections are accessible to students.

“I don’t think they have a lot of, if any, individual Indigenous collections that serve as a historical perspective to us,” Gorman said. “This offers a place where we can celebrate our commonalities, but also to celebrate our differences — one of those differences saved our country.”

Cyrrene Giaccardo is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com

level as long as they meet an unspecified minimum of professional development hours, according to Arellano.

Ultimately, Helean said that she hopes the legislation will actually help students and staff.

“I want to make sure that the legislation that’s being passed is going to be beneficial for those who are most directly impacted: the staff and the students. And it’s tricky because, in some of it, you really want to see extra funding,” Helean said.

Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ annyaloya

Santa Fe County Commission unanimously supports local choice energy

By Annya Loya @annyaloya

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Santa Fe county called for New Mexico state legislators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to pass the Local Choice Energy Act, officially known as Senate Bill 165. A resolution in support of the legislation, sponsored by Santa Fe County Commission Chair Anna Hansen and Commissioner Camilla Bustamante, passed unanimously at Tuesday’s meeting. The act would allow municipalities, counties and tribes to generate or purchase electricity and provide it to those in their respective service area while still utilizing the transmission service from independent providers. The act seeks to introduce choice into a market that is almost entirely dominated by investor-owned utilities, according to Alysha Shaw, campaign director for Public Power New Mexico.

Public Power New Mexico is a coalition of grassroots orga-

nizations throughout NM that work to generate affordable renewable electricity which can lead to jobs and investment in local economies.

“It’s a platform that enables our communities to launch renewable programs and have choices. And right now, we don’t have choices,” Shaw said.

Currently, New Mexico is served by three investor-owned utilities: PNM Resources, Southwestern Public Service and El Paso Electric.

Shaw believes these companies prevent the state from reaching a higher energy-renewal potential.

“New Mexico has some of the greatest renewable energy development potentials in the entire country. And yet, we’re not using (it): we’re barely using any of it. And (it’s) partly because we live in this monopoly system,” Shaw said.

New Mexico currently ranks second in the U.S. for solar energy production potential and 10th in wind energy potential, according to New Mexico’s Office of Renewable Energy.

“I think really importantly, (it could) lead to more local control

of electricity and particularly how it’s generated: making sure that there’s an emphasis on renewables and other forms of energy that are nonpolluting and help address our climate crisis,” Eric Olivas, Bernalillo County commissioner of District 5, said.

The legislation is similar to community choice aggregation, which exists in 10 states such as Ohio, New York and California. Other states, including neighboring Arizona and Colorado, are considering similar legislation this year, according to a press release.

If passed, the act would take effect July 1 of this year. The Public Regulation Commission would undertake rulemaking an undetermined amount of days from that date to define rules for implementing the act, according to Shaw.

Shaw said there’s plenty of support from the community as people want “something different.”

“It’s about choice, and it’s about … being able to access and generate and produce renewable energy. And it’s about lowering costs. And it’s about having control and community control and

accountability,” Shaw said.

While he deeply supports Bill 165, Olivas still sees some challenges that could come with its approval. He believes the approval would move some of the jobs from the private sector to the public sector, which is much more difficult to maintain and collect union dues because of the Janus v. AFSCME decision. The decision determined that public-sector employees are no longer forced to accept a union’s exclusive representation by law.

“If communities chose to do this, it could jeopardize the ability of work people to unionize and quickly collectively bargain. So I think that’s a really big issue for me because I think it’s important that working people be able to advocate for better wages and better working conditions. And so I don’t want this to jeopardize them,” Olivas said.

One of the major changes from the 2021 version of the bill to the current one is that rural electric cooperatives, member-owned cooperatives who provide electricity to those in their service area, ac-

cording to the Central New Mexico Electrical Cooperative. Now, the bill gives rural electric cooperatives the opportunity to opt-in to participate in local choice if they want to.

The Bernalillo County Commission voted unanimously last week in support of Local Choice Energy. Bayard and Hurley, small rural communities in the mining district in southwestern New Mexico, were the first communities to unanimously pass resolutions in support of the 2023 Local Choice Energy Act, the press release reads. “Not every community is going to jump right on us … It’ll take time. It won’t happen the day after the bill has been signed into law and it’s effective, but we’ll see movement towards more local regional development of renewable resources that’s communitycontrolled, which is exciting and what we’re hoping for,” Shaw said.

Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @annyaloya

Kevin Maestas / Daily Lobo / @ChunkFuKevin

A solar panel field in the South Valley provides energy for several facilities on UNM campus.

OPINION: How to pull off a successful ‘soft launch’

By Sierra Martinez @sieraaspen11

With Valentine’s Day approaching, ‘tis the season to “soft launch” your new partner. If you’re wondering what a soft launch is, think back to every cryptic Instagram story of two people holding hands with no tagged account to be found — those were soft launches. One of the most appealing parts of a soft launch is the mystery. Why would you announce your new relationship with a picture of their face and a tagged account when you could keep people guessing, turning your followers into the Pepe Silvia meme?

If you’re looking to execute a flawless soft launch, look no further. These tips will have your entire social media network chomping at the bit to find out who could be attached to the other hand in the photo.

First and foremost, start small: allow your audience to do some of their own detective work. In other words, don’t make the most important part of the photo the most obvious. Done well, a soft launch is a marathon, not a sprint.

Say, for example, you go to dinner or a movie with your new significant other, the focus of the story shouldn’t be that you were holding hands with a mystery person. Instead, it should be the movie tickets or the meal in

front of you with hand holding being the tiniest, seemingly most insignificant portion of the photo. Do this and prepare for your direct messages to be flooded with eyeball emojis.

The next phase of the soft launch can be done various ways, depending on your desired level of drama. If you’re anxious to reveal your partner to the world, now would be the time to tag them — perhaps in a photo that you’re both in, but you can’t quite see their face. Though, if you’re leaning toward the more prolonged and dramatic soft launch, building to the tagged photo is best.

Consider posting spaced out stories that put your mystery relationship at the center of the pho-

to, revealing more and more details about your partner’s identity with each post. Or, if you see this relationship lasting beyond the Valentine’s season, you may decide to establish their permanent (or semi-permanent) presence in your life by incorporating them into a few photos deep in an Instagram carousel. Don’t worry — Instagram has our backs and now lets you delete single photos from your carousels, just in case.

From there, the only thing left to do is decide at what point you want to “make it official” and hard launch your partner to your friends and followers. Let the Insta-stalking of their profile commence.

Keep in mind that a soft launch is

not a requirement for introducing your significant other to your corner of the internet. If you’re more direct, a hard launch is perfectly acceptable, and if you’d prefer to leave your relationship off the internet altogether, that’s fine too. Above all else, a soft launch should be something you and your partner have fun with. So by all means, throw these tips out the window and make it your own.

Happy Valentine’s season, and happy soft launching.

Sierra Martinez is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on twitter @sierraaspen11

OPINION: Valentine’s Day recipes to fall in love with

By Elizabeth Secor @esecor2003

Baking is a wonderful way to show your loved ones how you feel about them, and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I decided to hit the kitchen to whip up some delicious Valentine’s themed recipes that are sure to satisfy anyone — whether it be significant others or friends and family.

Chocolate-covered strawberry cake balls

Ingredients:

-1 box strawberry cake mix

-1 cup of water

-3 eggs

-1/2 cup of oil

-8 ounces strawberry frosting

-16 ounces meltable milk chocolate

-2 ounces freeze-dried strawberries

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your strawberry cake mix, water, eggs and oil in a medium-sized bowl. Bake for 35 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

While the cake bakes, take 1/4 cup of the freeze-dried strawberries and place them in a sandwich bag. Use a rolling pin to squish them into small pieces. Repeat and set both bags aside.

Let the cake cool completely. Take a large mixing bowl and

Volume 127 Issue 23

crush the cake into a fine crumble. Mix the cake crumbles and strawberry frosting together. Then, take the first bag of the freeze-dried strawberries and mix it into the cake and frosting mixture.

Form about 18-20 spheres from the mixture and pop these in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Next, melt your milk chocolate: I use a microwavable tray version for easier usage and cleanup. Take the cake balls out of the freezer, dip them into milk chocolate and cover completely. Finally, sprinkle with the freeze-dried strawberries from the second bag as a garnish and enjoy.

see Recipes page 5

The New Mexico Daily Lobo is an independent student newspaper published on Monday except school holidays during the fall and spring semesters. Subscription rate is $75 per academic year. E-mail accounting@dailylobo.com for more information on subscriptions.

The New Mexico Daily Lobo is published by the Board of UNM Student Publications. The editorial opinions expressed in the New Mexico Daily Lobo are those of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the students, faculty, staff and regents of the University of New Mexico. Inquiries concerning editorial content should be made to the editor-in-chief.

All content appearing in the New Mexico Daily Lobo and the Web site dailylobo.com may not be reproduced without the consent of the editor-in-chief. A single copy of the New Mexico Daily Lobo is free from newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies is considered theft and may be prosecuted.

Letter submission policy: The opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. Letters and guest columns must be concisely written, signed by the author and include address and telephone. No names will be withheld.

UNM Land Acknowledgement statement

Editor-in-Chief John Scott

Managing Editor Madeline Pukite

Advertising Manager Jordynn Sills-Castillo Campus Advertising Victoria Ruiz

News Editor Annya Loya Orduno

Sports Editor Thomas Bulger

Advertising Representatives Natalie Hughes Ahmad Oweis

Editorial Staff

Telephone: (505) 277-7527

Fax: (505) 277-7530

Advertising Staff Telephone: (505) 277-5656 advertising@dailylobo.com www.dailylobo.com

Photo Editor Mackenzie Schwartz

Culture Editor Spenser Willden

Advertising Design Ethan Weiner

Copy Editor Zara Roy Multimedia Editor Elizabeth Secor

Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico – Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache – since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history. This statement was developed by Pam Agoyo, director of American Indian Student Services and special assistant to the president on American Indian Affairs, in consultation with the Native American Faculty Council.

Spenser Willden / Daily Lobo / @spenserwillden

Two people hold hands.

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle

Red Velvet Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

-1 box red velvet cake mix

-3 eggs, beaten

-1/2 cup softened butter

-1 bag Hershey's Kisses

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the red velvet cake mix, eggs and softened butter together in a bowl. The mixture should be a thick consistency, like cookie dough.

Uing a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), scoop the dough onto a cooking sheet. Place each cookie about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes.

While the cookies bake, unwrap the Hershey’s kisses — one for

each cookie. Once the cookies are done baking, take them out of the oven, plop a Hershey's kiss in the middle of each and enjoy.

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Brownies

Ingredients:

-1 box chocolate brownie mix

-3 eggs

-1/4 cup of water

-1/2 cup of oil

-1 can cherry pie filling

-6 ounces cream cheese, softened

-⅓ cup of sugar

-1 teaspoon of vanilla

Recipe: Originally by Laura Franco’s Krazy Kitchen Mom blog, these brownies are sure to improve on the classic chocolate brownie mix.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the brownie mix, eggs, water and oil in a separate bowl.

Pour the brownies mix into a nonstick pan. Pour the cream mixture on top of the brownie mix. Then, pour the cherry pie filling on top of the mix as well.

Using the back of a spoon, swirl the cherry pie filling and cream cheese together with the brownie mix.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy.

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

John Sommers Gallery serves up fresh student works this semester

By Zara Roy @zarazzledazzle

On Thursday, Feb. 2, the University of New Mexico art department kicked off their semester with a closing reception for their juried exhibition showcasing undergraduate works from across disciplines at the John Sommers Gallery, the main exhibition space at the university where students and faculty present their latest works.

The gallery, which is free to all, rotates shows every two weeks, meaning there is always something new to experience there, according to manager Anna Rotty. This semester, a variety of solo shows from master and bachelor of fine arts students will be presented at the museum, along with a capstone exhibition for the graduating seniors.

Over the next several months, solo shows will be shown from students Santiago Meyer, Marina Ramirez, Heather Bergerson, Asjann Hentsch, Blayne Greiner and Lucien V. Sebastian, alongside an exhibition for the Covington-Rhode Scholar finalists and the capstone show.

The first exhibition of the year,

“Concrete Tenderness,” ran from Jan. 23-Feb. 3. This was a juried exhibition in which nine artists were chosen to be shown at the gallery with additional recognition being given to third, second and first place artists: Najwa Bilal, Sebastian and Ruby Kraft, respectively. The event was juried by UNM alumnus Viola Arduini.

“Students shared their work with so much generosity, and it’s always so exciting to see what students are working on and see what matters to this new generation … It’s always very beautiful, it’s a beautiful discovery,” Arudini said.

Arduini was struck by a throughline that emerged between the selected pieces despite the fact that they were juried without a specific theme in mind. The name of the exhibition came from this emerging narrative of “pouring concrete into the cracks” by finding connections between the individual and the environment around them.

“(It) made me think of how these works are placed in the larger framework. I feel like maybe there is some collective process that we all are going through; that’s why I selected the title of “Concrete Tenderness” … You

almost feel like, right now, the world is kind of full of cracks. There is a lot of different conflicts that come from the pandemic, and I think these artists really show us that in the cracks there is so much. It doesn’t have to be hard or stressful work to be strong. There is strength in softness as well,” Arduini said.

Bilal’s piece, “Fragments,” was her most recent work which came after blindly taking a mold-making course. This was her first time in a juried exhibition, and she highly encouraged other students to submit their works when presented with the opportunity.

“It’s nice to have an opportunity to be able to show your pieces to people and hear feedback and see reactions and know that you can do whatever you want to do and you can get to where you want to be with your art, especially with the struggling artist narrative,” Bilal said.

The juried exhibition is an annual event designed as a way to honor the work of undergraduate art students at the University. This is the first year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic they’ve been able to hold a reception for the event, according to Rotty.

For Rotty, the student-oriented nature of the gallery is its primary driving force; especially in an art world that often makes it difficult to gain experience with solo shows early on in your career.

“I think it’s great because it’s something that’s really accessible. A lot of gallery spaces, you have to submit a proposal or you have to pay a fee, outside of the University … It’s nice to have a space where a student can propose a show and generally we’ll accept it and try to do what we can to make it work for them,” Rotty said.

Along with being shown in the exhibition, Sebastian has a solo thesis show scheduled to begin on April 10 in which he expands on themes from a solo show he did last semester in the gallery. He said that one of the great things about the gallery is that you have freedom to do whatever you want in the space to present or install your work.

“I think it’s amazing that we have this resource here and I wish more undergraduate students would take advantage of it, because we have John Sommers but there’s also at least one other exhibition space, and I feel like undergraduate stu-

dents don’t utilize that to the extent that they could to learn what it’s like to actually show your work in a show and how stressful it is, but how fun it is after you’ve done it,” Sebastian said.

Artist Elba Celeste Rudolfo, whose work was featured in “Concrete Tenderness” is particularly excited for the upcoming thesis shows from the master of fine arts students, and hopes to eventually show her own work in a solo show in the gallery.

“I think it allows students to feel the reality of what it is to express and place your art in the real world and manifest it into reality for people to see … on top of that aspect, there’s also the opportunity for students on campus everywhere to come and see art and be really involved … This museum is very much community and student-oriented,” Rudolfo said.

The John Sommers Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. A full schedule of shows can be found on Instagram @unm_art.

Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @zarazzledazzle

Hours: Mon-Thurs

Quirky Used Books & More is a locally owned bookstore offering a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction titles in a variety of genres and subject areas! Cookbooks! Mysteries! Biographies! History! Art books! Teacher materials! Kids books! And more! Our 3,800 square foot store opened in April 2022, fulfilling a long-time desire by the owner to open his own brick and mortar store. We carry greeting cards, collectibles, clothing and jewelry items, and a small selection of CD’s, LP’s, and DVD’s. Quirky Books also proudly displays and sells artwork by local artists! As part of our commitment to the Albuquerque community, we are proud to partner with local organizations to help them raise funds through book donation drives. We’re located just east of the Nob Hill area at 120 Jefferson NE. Stop by and get Quirky!!!

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle

These chocolate cherry cheesecake bars are a surefire way to win hearts this season.

HAPS The Entertainment Guide

Women’s basketball: Lobos stun Aztecs at The Pit

By Thomas Bulger @thomasbulger10

On Saturday, Feb. 4 the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team upset the San Diego State University Aztecs 83-78. The Lobos are now 14-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The Aztecs are second in the Mountain West conference with an 8-4 record.

It was the “Lobos Love Pink” game at The Pit to honor breast cancer survivors. Fans were dressed in pink, and the Lobos wore pink and white jerseys for the game.

The Lobos built an early lead and we’re able to maintain it throughout the game. The Lobos won the rebounding battle 35-30 and made 56.9% of their shots, making 29 of their 51 attempts.

The Lobos had four players in double-digit scoring: Paula Reus and Aniyah Augmon came off the bench and led the way in scoring with 17 points each. Vianè Cumber scored 16 points and made four of her six 3-pointers.

Sophia Ramos had a great game for the Aztecs with 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Yummy Morris scored 18, making eight of her 12 shots. Mercedes Staples had 17 points — mostly coming from the 3-point line — making five of her 13 attempts.

At the start of the game, the Lobos turned the ball over which led to an Abby Prohaska layup. Cumber and Reus made back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Lobos the lead. LaTora

Duff then stole the ball and went all the way to the basket for a layup. Cumber made her second 3-pointer to cap off a 15-0 run which forced the Aztecs to call a timeout down 15-4 with 5:24 left in the first quarter.

Out of the timeout, Staples ended the run with a 3-pointer. San Diego switched to a full-court press, but the Lobos were able to break the press by finding open teammates near the basket. In the first half, Morris was able to exploit the Lobos’ defense with post-up opportunities scoring on three straight possessions — but the Lobos’ offense stayed consistent. Going into the second quarter, the Lobos were up 27-17.

Staples started the quarter with a 3-pointer, but Cumber responded with a 3-pointer of her own. Augmon drove the lane for an easy layup to add to the Lobo lead. The Lobos were on a 6-0 run and up 38-22 at the media timeout with 4:47 left in the half.

Ramos and Staples both made 3-pointers, but the Lobos’ offense did not go stagnant with Reus scoring 5 straight. Staples ended the half with her fourth 3-pointer. The Lobos were up 45-31 going into the third quarter. The Lobos’ offense was incredible, scoring from the 3-point line and penetrating the Aztec defense with drives into the lane. On defense, they forced eight turnovers, but Morris and Staples were giving the Lobos problems with post-ups and 3-pointers, respectively.

The Aztecs scored 5 straight to start the half, but Shaiquel McGruder scored on back-to-back possessions to protect the Lobo lead. McGruder scored a layup to put the Lobos up 55-

41 with 4:55 left in the third quarter. Out of the timeout, Augmon was able to run by her defender for a layup and later, with three seconds on the shot clock, she did the exact same play. The Lobos were up 62-49 going into the fourth quarter.

Staples made her fifth 3-pointer at the start of the quarter, but then Cumber hit a 3-pointer. Morris was able to stay in the post and score in the paint to chip away at the Lobos’ lead. UNM was up 72-65 with 5:14 left in the game.

Reus scored with a jump shot and forced a miss by Morris on defense. Both offenses went stagnant at the end of the quarter and it came down to making free throws. LaTora Duff made two free throws, but Ramos responded with a 3-pointer. The Lobos were up 77-71 with 58 seconds in the game.

The Lobos inbounded the ball

and LaTascya Duff was immediately fouled. She made both free throws. The Lobos forced a miss, and this time LaTora Duff went to the free-throw line and made both free throws. Ramos scored another 3-pointer. The Lobos were up 83-76 with 19.4 seconds on the clock.

Reus was fouled but missed both free throws, and the Lobos gave up an easy layup to Kim Villalobos. With 2.7 seconds left, the Lobos forced a miss and won the game 83-78.

Head coach Mike Bradbury said both teams had a great offensive performance and thanked the 5,143 fans in attendance.

“Good game, hard-fought game. I thought both teams were really good offensively. I thought both teams were shooting at a high rate and it was a fun game to be a part of. I appreciate that crowd coming out especially for breast cancer awareness. It was

nice to get a good crowd in here,” Bradbury said.

After the game, Augmon said her role on the team is to be the “Energizer Bunny” and help keep the tempo up for the team.

“It’s like the Energizer Bunny: you put the batteries in and just go. I just think my team needs energy sometimes and coming off the bench I think I’m able to provide that and so that’s been my role. Even from last year a little bit: come off the bench and make sure I have a high energy and energy is really contagious,” Augmon said.

The Lobos next play in Boise, Idaho against Boise State University on Thursday, Feb. 9.

Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10

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Adrian Alexander Jones / Daily Lobo / @AAlexanderjones

Lobos guard Aniyah Augmon dribbles past a San Diego State player.

Artwalk draws together artists from all walks of life

By Jessica Baca

This past Friday, Feb. 3 Albuquerque Artwalk took place in downtown Albuquerque to provide artists the chance to share their work with the public. Every month, Artwalk picks a featured artist for the event. This month’s artist is Beedallo, a local artist from Los Chavez, New Mexico. As a painter and illustrator, Bedallo’s work revolves around combining her love for cartooning with traditional folk art to create surreal scenes.

The event attracted more than just featured artists, though. Jacob

Spill, a local artist born in Española who has done a gallery show at the OT Circus in the past, attended this past walk as a spectator, allowing him to experience what he likes most about the event.

“What I like most about Artwalk, especially if I’m just here as a spectator, is seeing all the young kids, like high schoolers, all punked out in their wild outfits,” Spill said.

The OT Circus is a local gallery featured during Artwalk. The gallery was open to the public during the event, with multiple vendors selling their art beside the building.

Curious Toast, a cafe-meets-art gallery located across the street

from the OT Circus, has their own featured artist that gets to create their own “toast for the month,” with attendants being able to meet the artist and try their toast. This month’s featured artist, Comic Desert, created a toast with Mexican bolillo, black bean spread, pork al pastor, pickled pineapple, queso fresco and guacamole. The toast is served with a Jarrito soft drink.

Cosmic Desert creates artwork that mixes local New Mexican locations with elements of pop culture — one piece that represents her work features Totoro standing outside Frontier Restaurant.

Comic Desert wasn’t the only artist selling her art in Curious Toast, though: 11-year-old Autumn Horner was selling her artwork upstairs with the help of her mom, Steph Sugar.

“During (the pandemic), Artwalk was Autumn’s way to get out and sell her art again, since comic cons and everything stopped. So being able to be outside in the streets was a way for her to get back out again and get inspired,” Sugar said.

Horner has been creating art for about 6 years now, starting when she was 5. She now attends the New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts.

“Now, I see how many opportunities (there are) for kids. To get a $30 booth and for a kid to be able to sell their artwork and make money before they leave high school is amazing to me,” Sugar said.

Horner’s most notable artwork for this event would be of her character “Gircat,” a combination of a giraffe and a cat. Gircat is Horner’s favorite character she has created, and there’s even a special Valentine’s Gircat with heart-shaped spots created for Valentine’s Day.

Mallery Quetawki, member of the Zuni Pueblo and a University of New Mexico employee, was also in attendance at the walk. Quetawki has been doing art since 2014, working as the artist-inresidence with the Community Environmental Health Program in the College of Pharmacy. She creates art as a tool for translation of

scientific and health information for Native communities.

Quetawkis art prices anything from $2 to $40, making her art available to anybody at any price range. Although, Artwalk isn’t always about turning a profit.

“Even if no one buys anything, just chatting with people,talking about our art — it’s pretty neat,” Quetawki said.

Jessica Baca is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Jessica_Baca_

@Jessica_Baca_

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

Local artist Mallery Quetawki sells her art on Central Avenue during Albuquerque Artwalk on Friday, Feb. 3.

Jessica Baca / Daily Lobo / @Jessica_Baca_

The “Gircat,” drawn by 11-year-old artist Autumn Horner on sale at Curious Toast during Artwalk on Friday, Feb. 3.

Loboscopes: February general predictions

By Zara Roy @zarazzledazzle

February kicked off with a dreamy start as Venus, planet of love, entered Pisces, where it will thrive for the next several weeks. With Jupiter and Venus entering Aries and reaching a conjunction at the end of the month, this will be the perfect time to get a jump-start on plans that have lied stale for a while — the active energy of the first sign of the zodiac calls you to action.

This is only heightened by the fact that, currently, no planets are retrograde. This is the universe calling for you to outwardly channel any energies that have previously been internalized. Read on to find out what this means for your sign.

Aries

The final week of the month will be a lively and eventful one for Aries. Shake-ups may be in order in your personal life, but they will be for the better as your identity blossoms and thrives. Now is a great time to catch up with friends and strengthen old bonds that may have weakened with time.

Taurus

Money matters may be on the upturn this month for Taurus. Take any chances given to make new connections, especially concerning career matters. These encounters may be the beginning of fruitful opportunities for work and business.

Gemini

The already lively sign of Gemini may be feeling an even brighter burst of energy this month. Now is the perfect time to focus your usually divided attention into a passion proj ect or interest: take advantage of the fire in your belly before it burns out. Try to make connections with people who share these interests: talking with others will only help nurture your creative energy.

Cancer

Now is a time of reflection and internal work for you, Cancers. You may be called to retreat into yourself and really think about what in your life has been serving you — jump on these feelings and take time to express them through art, writing or whatever else brings out your creative side.

Leo

Some conflict might be at play in Leos’ friendships and romantic relationships this month. These may manifest especially potently around the full moon in Leo on Sunday, Feb. 5. The ball will be in your court to smooth out these conflicts — or at least make your feelings known — and to possibly break off connections if these relationships are only causing you damage. Try to find the balance between protecting yourself and not leaving others walking on eggshells when they’re around you.

Virgo

Virgos’ love lives and one-on-one relationships will be in

focus this month. Now is a good time to reaffirm relationships with loved ones and possibly spark up new relationships — if you’re ready for real commitments.

Libra

Restlessness is the theme of the month for the easily bored sign of Libra. You may be feeling directionless right now, and you could be filling that space up with fleeting relationships, idle activities or things that otherwise feel meaningless to you. The end of the month should provide you with more direction and possibly a new partnership that will reinvigorate your life.

Scorpio

Now is a good time to relish in romance for the magnetic Scorpio. Plan a romantic date with the one you love or take a chance on a potential new special someone. You can also channel your passions into art: find a way to externalize the love in your heart.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius should try to connect with family this month. The alwaysmoving explorers of the zodiac may struggle to settle into a home life, but reconnecting with those who make you feel at home will help to ground you and put you at ease this month. The world can wait: take some time to steep yourself in simple comforts.

Capricorn Be wary of roadblocks in your work life or routine, Capricorn. You

may already be feeling somewhat stunted by challenges to things you once thought vital to your identity, and these little disturbances to your routine may add up to be especially frustrating at this time. Don’t let the little things get you down, though: these things are bound to pass.

Aquarius

February should be pretty breezy as the Sun spends most of the month illuminating the sign with vital energy. Money should come easily, and now is a good time to treat yourself and indulge in things that make you happy.

Pisces

Pisces should feel free to step outside of the comforts of their inner world and connect with others. Friendship and goodness should come easily to you this month, so long as you give the same back. Try

not to close off at the slightest feeling of vulnerability; closing your walls off isn’t the be-all end-all solution for avoiding heartbreak.

With Venusian energy at its height, make sure to seize this mood of creativity and love, especially during the Valentine’s Day season. Hopefully, this guidance has given you some clue on how to take advantage of the sheer potential for love and abundance in the air this month.

Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @zarazzledazzle

We highly recommend reading horoscopes based on your rising sign. If you do not know your rising sign, you can calculate it at Cafe Astrology

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