Daily Lobo new mexico
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
summer May 26-31, 2015 | Volume 119 | Issue 154
Assault campaign aims to create unity By David Lynch A public service announcement, created by UNM students driven to spur a culture change surrounding sexual assault and other abuse on campus, was released early this month as part of a new campaign dubbed Protect the Pack. The 45-second long PSA shows a diverse group of UNM students, as well as President Bob Frank and other members of University administration, saying “it’s time for a change, of real change,” concerning issues on campus that make it an unsafe environment. The Protect the Pack initiative is the student-led side of LoboRESPECT, an initiative created in September to “combat sexual misconduct on campus, including assaults, domestic violence, dating violence and even stalking,” according to a University press release. But Kyle Stepp, a senior organizational communication and management major and a student coordinator with LoboRESPECT, said the newly-established initiative goes beyond fighting sexual assault. “The idea with Protect the Pack is not only sexual assault, but it’s hazing, it’s hate biases, it’s suicide, it’s alcohol and substance abuse.
So anything that affects our student body, we should be protecting one another,” Stepp said. Stepp helped organize and create the PSA, along with Jacqueline Eckman, a junior psychology and statistics double major, who also works with LoboRESPECT. Eckman said many students are oblivious to the problems on campus that Protect the Pack seeks to address. She said her passion for combating sexual assault has grown the more she has worked with LoboRESPECT, and she hopes the video does the same for the UNM community. “I hope that everyone will feel, like I feel, that it’s a really empowering video about uniting ourselves as Lobos and joining together to make this movement happen,” Eckman said. She said cooperation among not just the thousands of students on campus, but the 400plus student organizations, is integral to a successful campaign and eradicating any kind of negative or hateful influence on campus. “It’s incredibly important. I can’t do this alone. Kyle can’t do this alone. LoboRESPECT can’t do it alone,” she said. “It’s really going to take everyone to stand up to-
gether and put an end to this.” Dean of Students Tomas Aguirre can be seen in the video, along with members of Associated Students of UNM, Residence Hall Association leaders and UNM athletes, emphasizing the campaign’s mantra that it will take everyone to make our campus safer. Stepp said that they drew inspiration for the campaign from UNM’s mascot. “Look at it like a pack of lobos; you see a pack that goes places together, they support one another,” he said. “It is the due diligence of the University to provide a safe place, but it’s also our responsibility as Lobos to keep each other safe and make sure that our classmates are doing well and making sure that there is always someone there to protect them and (provide) that sense of family.” Eckman said LoboRESPECT is working with new student orientations over the summer to promote the group to incoming freshman and bring attention to the issues it’s working to combat. Stepp said the Protect the Pack campaign will be out in full force when school starts up. They will be partnering with organizations and events on campus to raise awareness about hazing and abuse on
ScreenShot on YouTube
UNM President Bob Frank and a group of UNM students emphasize the importance of looking out for fellow students and creating a safe campus.
campus, as well as continuing to promote the ideas of unity and community. “We’ll also be doing trainings: bystander intervention training, training for how to tackle sexual assault, hazing, hate biases. We’re working a lot with student organization leaderships, as well as ASUNM, GPSA, Greek Life and Athletics,” he said. Taking a cue from the PSA, Stepp said it is ultimately up to students to keep the movement alive on campus, so that UNM’s diverse population can continue to be as safe and welcoming as possible.
“I think the time is right now. As classmates and as fellow peers, it’s our responsibility to stop this,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to keep each other… in an environment where people can succeed academically and socially and thrive in all aspects of life.” The video can be viewed at https ://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=79b9NQ8pYow. David Lynch is a staff reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @RealDavidLynch.
Baseball
Season comes to a heartbreaking close By Thomas Romero-Salas
New Mexico’s streak of Mountain West championships came to an end Sunday. The Lobos had won either the MW regular season or tournament title the past four seasons, but that run ended with a 6-4 loss to San Diego State in the title game of the MW tournament in Reno, Nevada. UNM, which finished fourth in the regular season, lost a chance to win the MW tournament title when the Lobos were blown out by the second-seeded Aztecs 11-1. SDSU has now won the last three MW tourney championships. “When we go on the bus that night (after the first game loss), I said we have them right where we want them,” SDSU head coach Mark Martinez said in a release. “Our guys responded. We got after it offensively.” The Lobos did bring the gamewinning run to the plate in the ninth inning. After catcher Cory Voss singled and third baseman Carl Stajduhar walked, first baseman Jack Zoellner went up to bat with two on and two men out. However, Zoellner, who went 2-3 on the day, was unable to do anymore damage and flew out to center field to end the Lobos rally attempt and the game. UNM had a couple of brief leads in the championship game. The Lobos took a 2-1 edge in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run by Zoellner. SDSU tied the game the next inning with an RBI single from outfielder Spencer Thornton. In the fifth inning, the Aztecs took a 3-2 lead with a one-run single by
Courtesy / Justin Tafoya / NCAA
New Mexico’s Carson Schneider throws a pitch during the Lobos’ 9-1 win over Fresno State during a Mountain West Tournament game in Reno, Nevada. The fourth-seeded Lobos fell one game short of the tournament title following Sunday’s 6-4 loss to San Diego State.
outfielder Seby Zavala. The Lobos (32-27) responded with two runs in the sixth inning for a 4-3 advantage. UNM’s lead didn’t last long as SDSU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning for a 5-4 edge. The Aztecs (40-21) added an insurance run in the eighth inning thanks to an RBI single from infielder Danny Sheehan for the
final score of 6-4. Stajduhar, Zoellner, catcher Lane Milligan and pitcher Carson Schneider were named to the Mountain West All-tournament team. The Lobos dominated their first three games in the tourney by outscoring their opponents 36-6. UNM defeated Air Force 14-1 in its first game of the tournament, then beat No. 14 Nevada 14-4 in its second
game and reached the championship game by blowing out Fresno State 9-1.
Mountain West honors
Five Lobos were honored with All-Mountain West nods, the league announced on Wednesday. Catcher Cory Voss was named the Mountain West’s CoFreshman of the Year along with Nevada’s Cal Stevenson.
Pitcher Toller Boardman was named to the first team along with outfielder Danny Collier. Zoellner and third baseman Carl Stajduhar were selected to the second team. Thomas Romero-Salas is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.