NM Daily Lobo 110713

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DAILY LOBO new mexico

The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895

S #AreRelationship you a #Hallowinner? see Page 4

thursday November 7, 2013

‘Team You’ slate plans to focus on academics by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno

Absentee voting for undergraduate senator spots begins today and the Team You slate hopes to outwit the other candidates for the soughtafter Associated Students of New Mexico seats. Ten student politicians will run with the Team You for ASUNM for this semester’s senate elections. One incumbent ASUNM senator and nine first-time candidates are campaigning with the slate. First-time candidate Ayham Maadi said Team You will equally represent the interests of UNM students of all demographics. “We wanted to make a group that is more representative of the student demographic, not just culturally, ethnically or even major-wise, but also holistically,” he said. “We took into consideration … what the students were involved in on campus. People in our team have diverse passions.” Maadi, who is pursuing a double major in chemical engineering and languages, said that although his slate shares Aspire’s desire to improve the University, Team You plans to address campus issues in a different manner. He said his slate would prioritize academics and scholarships. “We recognize that the overarching problems for UNM are

graduation rates, first-year retention rates and the Lottery Scholarship,” he said. “We focus on those longterm goals and forward that agenda because pretty soon, the Lottery would run out if nothing’s done.” Sam Greenblatt, another newbie in the ASUNM scene, said Team You plans to initiate a student-loan forgiveness program with the help of other ASUNM officials and legislators. He said it also aims to provide incentives to students who could graduate in four years. But Greenblatt, a chemical engineering major, said his slate also aims to solve the little problems students have on campus, such as teacher evaluations, Wi-Fi access and parking. “Parking, especially for students coming out of campus, is a pain,” he said. “There are multiple parking lots on campus that are overflowed. For the people living on campus — this is their home — who have to park on the other side of campus, it’s a little bit absurd.” Through its campaign, Team You plans to increase student involvement on campus especially when it comes to the University’s finances, Greenblatt said. “I wasn’t really involved in campus politics or things of that nature at the beginning of all of these,” he said. “But as I went on, I realized that less people was involved in what was going on with student fees and on

Arsenii Morin / Daily Lobo ASUNM incumbent Sen. Colt Balok, left, and first-time candidate Ayham Maadi from the Team You ASUNM slate discuss details of their campaign on Wednesday. Ten student politicians will run with the Team You slate for this semester’s senate elections. Absentee voting for the senate of UNM’s undergraduate student government elections begin today. how all this money was appropriated. This became important to me, to voice my opinion.” Greenblatt said Team You has an edge against Aspire because of its diversity. Also, newcomer Kaitlyn Loafman,

an elementary education major, said the fact that most candidates with Team You are ASUNM novices will be advantageous for the senate. “I believe it is good to have a mix of the newcomers and the incumbents in the senate,” she said. “New issues

arise, so it’s good to have people in there who know what they’re doing and can guide newcomers along, but also people with fresh ideas that haven’t been seen before.” ASUNM Sen. Colt Balok, the only

see Elections PAGE 3

Court: Garcia gets stuff back Some may lose UNMH providers by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno

by Stephanie Hoover

Bernalillo County courts ruled Wednesday morning that former UNM President F. Chris Garcia, who faced charges of prostitution in 2011, should be allowed access to property seized by authorities during investigations relating to the case. Second District Judicial Court Judge Stan Whitaker approved a court order after the confidential hearing that morning. The request for the order was filed by Garcia’s lawyers Robert Gorence and Andrea Harris in October. Gorence said that because Garcia’s case had been thrown by the court earlier this year, police had no more reason to keep Garcia’s property in their custody. “Now that the case has been dismissed, you can’t indict someone for something if there’s no crime,” he said. “There’s not an investigation in any respect.” In June 2011, Albuquerque Police Department arrested Garcia, 71, along with UNM professor David Flory and five others who managed the site southwestcompanions.com for online prostitution ring. But in January, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that no state law prohibited running the website and dismissed the case.

Inside the

Daily Lobo volume 118

issue 57

news@dailylobo.com @StephCHoover

Courtesy photo Former University President F. Chris Garcia will be allowed access to property seized during a 2011 investigation involving an online prostitution ring, a Bernalillo County judge ruled Wednesday. Search warrants were issued APD about retrieving property for Garcia’s residence and on- in September, the department campus office in 2011 in com- told him that it would not repliance with the investigations, lease seized items until a court and in 2012, he became subject order was approved, according to a grand jury investigation, to the request. according to the court order According to the request, request. But after the Supreme Garcia “respectfully requested Court dissolved the case this that this court enter an order year, APD notified Garcia that directing APD Evidence to re“the State no longer needed the turn each and every item that items for prosecution of this was seized from his residence matter.” and workplace forthwith.” But when Garcia contacted see Garcia PAGE 3

Preseason in the books

Unique structures

see Page 5

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Contract renegotiations between insurance provider Presbyterian Health Plan and UNM’s Health Sciences Center have left some patients looking for a new primary care provider. PHP members who use UNMH as their primary care, which includes family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, can continue to see their UNMH providers until Dec. 31. But as soon as New Year’s Eve, some members will need to seek primary care services from Presbyterian Medical Group and other independent physicians contracted with PHP. PHP President Lisa Farrell Lujan said they have already begun notifying members of these changes. “Most of the 3,000 members assigned to a UNMH primary care provider have been notified by letter,” Lujan said. “We are also calling these members to assist them with choosing a new primary care provider and to schedule their first appointment.” The changes would affect about 3 percent of PHP’s

420,000 members across New Mexico, Lujan said. Billy Sparks, executive director of communications for the UNM Health Sciences Center, said UNMH will remain a Presbyterian network provider, although most services will require preauthorization. He said that UNM employees won’t be impacted by these changes. “This decision will not impact LoboCare patients,” Sparks said. “We will continue to provide primary care for UNM employees under the UNM Medical Plan as administered by Presbyterian.” Many of the providers in Presbyterian’s network have been in renegotiation contracts in order to provide affordable health care for their members, Lujan said. Lujan said UNMH is still an important asset to PHP members and will continue to provide PHP members with behavioral health services and specialties, such as trauma, burn treatment and pediatric specialties. “UNMH is a vital and important partner in health care for the people of New Mexico and for Presbyterian,” Lujan said. “In addition to being the state’s

see Presbyterian PAGE 3

TODAY

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