NM Daily Lobo 10 11 17

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Wednesday, O c tober 11, 2017 | Vo l u m e 1 2 2 | I s s u e 1 7

Lobo reporter catches a lift for the fiesta By Aaron Cowan @AaronTCowan

Once again the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has arrived, painting our city skies with colorful hot air balloons. Pilots from across the country and globe gathered on Saturday, Oct. 7 in the grass fields behind the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum to kick off this nine-day event with a Mass Ascension, in which hundreds of balloonists take to the air in two separate waves starting at 7 a.m. The only thing better than seeing this event up close on the field might be the opportunity to actually ride in one of the balloons. And this reporter got that chance, as part of the passenger group that flew with pilot Pat Harwell of Shreveport, Louisiana — a veteran pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight experience. “I’ve been flying 26 years, and I’ve been at the Fiesta for 21 years,” Harwell said. “I fly in about 20 different cities. This is a great place...I come here for the other pilots, for friends and to meet people. It is the most organized (balloon) event in the world.” The balloon — a multi-colored checkerboard of yellow, green and blue — was called “Maverick” and

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Balloon page 2

Celia Raney/ Daily Lobo / @Celia_Raney

After gusty winds and unexpectedly warm air on Oct. 9, 2017 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, one hot air balloon team decides to head home for the morning, deflating and folding their balloon.

HOCKEY

Org advocates for green campus UNM looks to continue hot start By Madison Spratto @Madi_Spratto

By Robert Maler @Robert_Maler

UNM hockey has charged out of the gates this 2017-18 season, picking up four wins to start the campaign. The team made things look easy during the first two weeks of the season, crushing its opponents in the first three games before finally meeting some resistance in the fourth. Team captain and wing player Austin Short said he has been pleased with the way the team has performed to begin the season and welcomes the hot start. “It’s been a good start so far,” he said. “Things are clicking so far this season and it’s nice to be 4-0.” Short has been a big part of the team’s early success, tied with center Jaxson Farnholtz with nine points for the team lead. The team captain has accounted for five goals and four assists in the team’s four wins, a release said. New Mexico (4-0) won both

games on the road in the opening series against Grand Canyon by a margin of seven goals. The Lobos earned a 7-0 shutout on Friday, Sept. 29 and continued to dominate with a 10-3 victory the following day. The Lobos then returned home to host Colorado School of Mines for a pair of games. UNM picked up its third lopsided win by remaining aggressive on offense to outscore its opponent 7-2 on Friday, Oct. 6 moving 3-0 on the season. However, New Mexico found itself in trouble late in Saturday’s game, and it looked as though it might be dealt its first loss. Short said the team trailed by a score of 3-1 with about five minutes remaining in the game, before the team mounted a comeback to force overtime. The Lobos ultimately prevailed in overtime, notching the decisive goal and emerging with a 4-3 victory to sweep the weekend over Colorado School of Mines.

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Hockey page 2

On the Daily Lobo website BACA: Music Blog — A tribute to Tom Petty

Environment New Mexico unveiled their 10-point plan that aims to assist colleges and universities with the transition to using 100 percent renewable energy on Tuesday at a press conference at the University of New Mexico. “Our message today is clear: colleges and universities across the country are situated to lead the charge in transitioning to a 100 percent clean, renewable energy future,” said Sanders Moore, the state director of Environment New Mexico Research and Policy Center. The plan, titled “Renewable Energy 101: Ten Tools for Moving your Campus to 100 Percent Clean Energy,” consists of 10 options to help institutions in New Mexico establish a 100 percent clean, renewable energy system. “UNM has the ability, and the knowledge, to lead by taking bold steps to shift to clean energy and greatly reduce pollution,” Moore said. The plan includes facts and strategies about solar, wind and geothermal energy collection

and also addresses the storage of renewable energy and general strategies for making campuses more energy efficient. Moore said, because New Mexico is the second sunniest state and the 12th windiest, the state should be a national leader in renewable energy. One square meter of solar panels in Albuquerque would generate more than double what they would produce in Berlin, Germany, said Dr. Ganesh Balakrishnan, the associate chair of UNM’s department of electrical and computer engineering. “The investment is very well worth it,” Balakrishnan said. Moore said that higher education institutions are highly influential and hotspots for innovation. As New Mexico’s flagship university, UNM should “be at the forefront of this transition,” she said. “Accelerating the development of renewable energy technologies can save money, provide learning opportunities and help colleges and universities achieve their climate goals,” Moore said. A recent report by Environment America said colleges and universities in the United States have

more than 20 million students enrolled and spend more than $15 billion per year on energy. When it comes to using 100 percent renewable energy, “we have the technology to achieve this goal,” said Harper Gamble, a sophomore majoring in economics with a minor in sustainability studies. The city of Albuquerque has committed to acquiring 25 percent of the city’s electricity from solar energy by 2025, resulting in an estimate of $3.6 million in savings, Gamble said. “If UNM invests in renewable energy, those savings could be used for other educational purposes,” he said. Renewable energy is one of the few segments of the economy that are actually growing in New Mexico, Gamble said. “As a native New Mexican and a student thinking about my future, I am optimistic about this growth and the potential for jobs in the solar and wind sectors,” he said. Balakrishnan said one reason it is important for universities to usher in renewable energy resources is because there is a

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Environment page 3

ARCHUNDIA SORIANO: UNM Student Veterans open new facility AWAD: KOB’s Steve Stucker and others open up about Balloon Fiesta


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