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The vacant houses of Greek row By Denicia Aragon
The Albuquerque Fire Department was dispatched to 1705 Mesa Vista to contain a blaze in the early hours of Feb. 23. According to AFD, no injuries were reported and the fire has not spread. There is still no further information at the time of publication as to what caused the fire. Part of that is because the structure was a former Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house, one of many Greek houses currently vacant. There are currently six abandoned Greek houses on Greek row, but the only one owned and managed by the University is the one that caught fire, said Greg Golden, Greek Life activities director. “The University is considering a lot of different options but they have not yet decided on what they are going to do with the property yet,” said Golden. The chapter houses are abandoned for different reasons, Golden said. David Lynch/ Daily Lobo / @RealDavidLynch “Sigma Alpha Epsilon was ... A spraypainted and shuttered fraternity house remains looming on Sigma Chi Road near main campus on Tuesday evening. Six Greek houses in the area are vacant, a possible part of UNM a couple of years ago safety concern for students who live nearby. (but) was banned from the University for multiple reasons, leaving their chapter house vacant,” he said. Another of the abandoned structures is the Alpha Chi Omega house. The sorority is still an active
chapter at UNM, but they do not use their chapter house for financial reasons, Golden said. The rest of the abandoned Greek houses are privately owned by either the housing core for the chapter that once owned the property, or a third party, Golden said. There is no way for the University to tell what will become of the houses that it does not own, as that decision is completely up to the property’s owner. “Since the University does not own the other facilities, we don’t have much of a say or much information on it,” Golden said. With the abandoned Greek life houses on Sigma Chi Road, the possibility of intruders can be a safety concern for the University, and especially for Greek members currently living in the chapter houses in the area. UNMPD Lieutenant Tim Stump said the buildings are patrolled regularly by UNMPD because they are abandoned and thus susceptible to trespassing. “We have caught people inside the buildings in the past who were homeless. It does not happen often. There are a lot of shelters nearby. If we come across homeless lingering by the abandoned buildings, we offer them shelters,” Stump said.
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Campus Captures Biraj Rawal/ Daily Lobo /Instagram:biraj9
Jackie Brown, a CNM student raps in front of the SUB on Tuesday evening. Brown said he has an underground movement with his friends, and he focuses on being an intricate rapper. “I think music is something that we build every day,” Brown said. “Even ‘left-right’, ‘left-right’ gives a beat if we understand the tempo”.
Former softball stars return to coach
J.R. Oppenheim
When Erica Beach needed two assistants to fill her softball coaching staff, she turned to two local products. One played for her during Beach’s early days at New Mexico. The other had a stellar prep career at a metro area high school. This year, the Lobos brought in Jessica Garcia and Shelby Pendley to complete their coaching staff after an assistant coach left the program for an opportunity elsewhere. Last year’s assistant coach, Lisa-Ann Wallace, took
the head coaching job at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, opening the door for Garcia and Pendley to return to Albuquerque to help the Lobos. “It’s an awesome feeling for a coach, a head coach, to have that trust in you and that faith in you to be able to contribute to a program in that sense,” Garcia said. “And being looked at in that way is pretty awesome.” The program got lucky bringing in both Garcia and Pendley, Beach said, considering how tough it is to transition from player to coach. So far, both have risen to the challenge and brought that energy and challenge in games and practices, Beach said.
“It’s a new role when you’re a player to go to that coaching position,” she said. “They’ve both been fantastic leaders to the team.” Former Lobo wants to give back to program Garcia played for New Mexico from 2009-12 and Beach said, put together one of the best careers in the program’s history. She twice earned top offensive player and MVP awards. Her 24 home runs in 2012 rank fifth in Mountain West singleseason record books. She also became the fifth Lobo, and the first since 1990, to earn NFCA All-American honors.
After completing her time at UNM, Garcia entered the professional ranks with the Akron Racers, a National Pro Fastpitch league team, winning the NPF title in 2014. Garcia also has previous coaching experience. After holding assistant posts at Division III University of Redlands in California then at Monmouth University in New Jersey spending one year at each stop - Garcia returned to the college program where she found so much success. “I’ve just always had a really good relationship with her,” Beach said of Garcia, who also held a studentassistant position in her final aca-
demic year at UNM. “I knew she was hungry to continue in the coaching game, and I knew it would be a really good fit both personality-wise and coaching-wise.” UNM hired Beach as its head coach in 2010, Garcia’s junior season on the team. Garcia said that the program had already been heading in the right direction, but Beach’s arrival helped the program make strides. Garcia pointed to the confidence she gained as a player, and as a woman under Beach and her coaching staff at the time. She will be working with the catchers and outfielders for
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