Month: March 2012

 Safety walk shines light on problem areas

 Despite having low attendance, the Executive Council of Students’ safety walk identified several major concerns regarding the safety and welfare of students, said council President Cesar Silva.

Paired with campus secu­rity guards, students walked main campus in the late eve­ning and identified several areas without proper lighting, lights that did not work, and also dis­covered that 12 of the 40 code blue emergency boxes were either out of order or not work­ing properly, said. The outdoor lights near Janet Stromberg Hall, Smith Brasher Hall, the por­tables by Ted Chavez and Ken Chappy halls, the BMX parking lot and all around the adminis­trative buildings were not work­ing, said Silva.

The pedestal lights along the walkway between Janet Stromberg and the science lab building were not only out, but did not have proper covering, said Levi Turner, president of Phi Theta Kappa, who partici­pated in the walk.

“Students could stick their hands in and get stuck or shocked,” said Turner.

Continue reading “Left in the dark” →

By: Scott M. Roberts

CNM to offer veterans services

 The CNM Veteran’s Administration department is creating a veteran’s representative position in the disability resource center to assist stu­dents who have served in the military, said Ian Scott a vet­eran administration tech III for financial aid and scholar­ship services.

There are 957 students currently enrolled at CNM who use certified veteran ben­efits to assist with education and funding, and at least 100 stu­dents who would immediately benefit from the on-campus location, said Scott.

Dean of Students Dr. Rudy Garcia said he has been heading up this project to get a Veterans Affairs representa­tive on main campus.

The Vet Success Office counselor would be assigned from the VA offices located in Albuquerque to give student veterans on-the-spot assistance, said Garcia.

Fine Arts major and Air Force veteran Terry Sexe said he is pleased by the upcoming position at main campus and he feels he and others will benefit.

Continue reading “Marching toward success” →

Employee contract negotiations stalled

The CNM Employees Union and the administration have come to an impasse in negotiations over the wording of a contract clause, said former union president Donna Swanson.

The clause would allow union member salaries to be cut if nonunion employees have to take a pay cut because of a budget shortfall, said CNM president Katharine Winograd.

There are currently measures in the employee contract that can be used in the event of a budget shortfall, these include furloughs and layoff. A temporary pay cut could be a better alternative, but the language must be specific in how this can happen, said union president Andrew Tibble. “I don’t think Winograd wants to pull something over, she just has other interests to protect,” said Tibble. A pay cut should not be spread equally across the board, either, said Tibble. “Security only makes about $10 an hour. A one percent pay cut would hurt them more than the faculty or administration,” said Tibble.

Continue reading “Bargain battle” →

The project is part of a larger nationwide initiative to raise awareness about genocide around the world through open art studios where members of the public can make a bone for free, said Hanson. The end goal of the project is to create an art installation of one million bones at the National Mall in Washington D.C. by April of 2013.

“Number one is to get more awareness. We’re trying to get public opinion and educate people more about what’s going on,” said Hanson.

UNM was the first college to develop a chapter after artist and activist Naomi Natele founded the project and began asking for participants, said Hanson.

Continue reading “Making bones to fight breaking bones” →