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Monday, O c tober 16, 2023 | Vo l u m e 1 2 8 | I s s u e 1 0
ASUNM President presents a petition without Senate knowing By Karina Bolaños @DailyLobo
After the failure of the bills proposed in hopes of increasing voter turnout, President Krystah Pacheco and Vice President Mikenzie Chessman soon after created a petition to do the same as the failed bills. Bill 9F would have changed the constitution by combining Spring Presidential and Senatorial elections and Bill 10F would have been an extension of this bill to the ASUNM lawbook. Both failed at the Full
Senate on Sept. 27. “Our priority is to let the students have a say on this decision with its placement on the ballot and at the time of elections,” Pacheco wrote in an email addressed to the Senate on Oct. 9. The petition, according to the email, received enough signatures – 81 in total – in five and a half hours to be considered for the upcoming Senatorial elections, given the petition is sent and accepted by the Elections Commission. The signatures were collected without the knowledge of the Senate.
At the previous Senate meeting, multiple Senators voiced their opposition against combining the elections for fear of a superslate. Some ASUNM Senators found it was unnecessary and instead called for more outreach – including the co-author of the bill, Senator Alfred Achusim. “My issue (with the petition) is that there is no real plan that will actually increase voter turnout. We are just artificially combining the numbers,” President Pro Tempore Gabriel Gurule said. The petition has yet to be sent to the whole student body. The petition
Entering area 51 – years in the sky
was supposed to be made accessible to students this past week, although nothing has been sent yet. It is anticipated to be sent soon, Gurule said. “It is within their student rights (to create a petition). The only issue of it was the Senate finding out … There were a lot of frustrations with the miscommunication of not knowing what this was,” Gurule said. In the email sent to the Senate, Pacheco addressed several situations that surrounded the failure of both bills. The email was sent a week and a half after the Senate meeting on Sept. 27 when several comments were
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Mackenzie Schwartz / @artkenzie / Daily Lobo
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller discusses homelessness at ASUNM meeting By Jaymes Boe @DailyLobo Mayor Keller presented future city plans and developments to the ASUNM Senate – offering information regarding Albuquerque’s unhoused population, mentioning shelter and treatment but not addressing permanent housing solutions. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller
appeared as a guest speaker at Associated Students at the University of New Mexico’s recent full Senate meeting on Oct. 11. The Gateway Center aims to be Albuquerque’s answer to fill the need for a 24/7 shelter and treatment facility. The facility is currently under work to take over the old Gibson Medical Center located near the intersection of San Mateo and Gibson and is planned to open in stages.
“In the Gateway, this winter we’re expecting to open up a sobering center and a medical triage facility,” Keller said. Based on a feasibility report done for the sobering center, the initial staffing required would be 22 individuals, 15 being clinical staff. While Keller said the Gateway center aims to be a solution to address the size of the unhoused population, the population across New Mexico
New Mexico United played their final game of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 13 against Memphis 901. New Mexico took the match with a dominant scoring of 4-1, and with that final score, United will be attending the 2023 United Soccer League Championship playoffs. United came into the match off the back of a 2-1 win over Phoenix Football Club but still only had a seven percent chance to make it to the playoffs. They proved this statistic wrong. The match started strong for United with the first goal in the third minute by Harry Swartz. From there, the boys in black and gold kept up on the offensive, even on defense. United’s goalie – Andrew Thomas – was scrappy. By the 12th minute, United’s newest member, Zico Bailey, secured the second goal of the game – a beautiful shot right between the opposing goalie’s legs. United was solid in their form throughout the rest of the first half, securing a 2-0 lead. Coach Eric Quill was extremely pleased with the night’s turnout. “It’s amazing how we started the game with that first goal. It got the crowd behind us from the get-go, and it was a set plan that worked out perfectly,” Quill said. Memphis is from the Eastern
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Inside this Lobo Cicconetti: Football: Lobos slip up in second half against Spartans (pg. 3) Daniel, Smith & Schwartz: Entering area 51 – years in the sky (pg. 4) Dotson: In the shadow of the sun (pg. 5)
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conference and is known for being one of the top teams in the league. They came out the second half of the match wanting a comeback. Carson Vom Steeg (#3) scored the goal within the first five minutes, but that was all Memphis would find against our boys in black and gold. The first half started off well but the second half cemented the fact that United has the firepower to stand with the best in the league. All the players on the field worked their best with defense constantly keeping the ball out of the box and never letting the opposition get a chance to score. Then, the team’s offence brought the heat. Only 10 minutes after Vom Steeg’s goal, United’s Greg Hurst had a spectacular shot that secured the third goal for his team, but that wasn’t all for Hurst. He only needed another 10 minutes to send the ball flying past Memphis’ goalie, securing what would be the final score of 4-1. “I had the feeling tonight that I would get my chance to show the club, the fans – everyone – that I’m still here and I’ve loved every minute of it,” Hurst said. Before this match, Hurst had only seen four goals this year. Along with Swartz, Hurst and Bailey, Amando Moreno had two assists in the game. Moreno said he’s been on a path of redemption for himself and for the club for the last year after recovering from an injury. “With this mentality that we’ve been working on and the firepower
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Boe: Hotdogs, COVID and community UNM alum in ABQ Business First’s “40 under 40” (pg. 6) Prunty: OPINION: Upcoming women’s basketball season preview (pg. 8) Gomez: LGBTQ resource center provides resource for thosse coming out (pg. 9) Grey: UNM Art Museum Birthday Bash (pg. 9) Kallunki, Treat & Alexander: OPINION: Reporters horror picks (pg. 10)
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United goes to playoffs after a decisive win By BillyJack Davidson
Hot air balloons light up during the Balloon Fiesta Glow on Saturday, Oct. 7.
made by Pacheco and Chessman about their disappointment in the Senate for the failed bills. “I apologize for the bluntness of my remarks, but I stand by their sentiments,” Pacheco wrote, regarding the comments made at the prior Full Senate. Earlier in the email Pacheco writes, “(This is to) encourage a Senate that is engaged with their constituents and completes adequate research before meetings.” Discussion of polling stations and their pricings — an alternative