Month: May 2012
U.S. secretary addresses veteran’s concerns
By: Joel Gilleland, Staff Reporter | Photos By: Joel Gilleland
Veterans who attend CNM and UNM were invited to a round table discussion with United States Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric K. Shinseki to discuss concerns and obstacles in using veteran benefits.
The May 24 discussion was followed by a press conference during which Shinseki discussed those concerns and his proposed VA budget plans for 2013.
“The discussion came to a question and answer session, and basically he wanted to know if there were any problems that people were having with their benefits, said student Ian B. Scott, who also works in the financial aid department as a VA Tech III.
Scott said that he was only able to ask one question which was about student veteran work-study pay. He said that he asked about veteran work-study paperwork not getting processed in a timely manner and checks coming late. Secretary Shinskei was very upset that this was happening, said Scott.
“He went off the handle and said ‘That is unacceptable.’ He started holding people accountable and he told one guy, ‘I’ll be in D.C. tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. and I expect an email with an answer by the time I get there,’ ” said Scott.
Oversight leaves student information vulnerable
By: Jonathan Gamboa, Layout Designer
The current employee email system allows all employees, including work-study students, to access emails containing personal student information such as student I.D. numbers, W-2 records, tax return transcripts, social security numbers and other information pertaining to a student’s educational records.
The CNM chronicle has discovered that thousands of emails sent to many offices across campus, including Financial Aid, Cashiers and Enrollment Services dating back to 2003 are available through the Outlook email system, which is a violation of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records in all schools receiving federal funding, such as CNM, from the U.S. Department of Education, which is stated on ed.gov.
“We take student information very seriously. We know that the Financial Aid office deals with sensitive documents and if sent over email, there are only a small number of officials who do have access to them,” said Assistant Director of Financial Aid Sarah Elliot.
Winograd: Faculty and staff receive one-time raise
By: Stefany Olivas, Business Manager
All full and part-time faculty and staff recently received a raise last to reward dedication and hard work, said President Katharine Windograd.
The one-time, non-recurring raise of $900 for full time staff and a pro-rated amount for part-time employees was approved by CNM’s Governing Board in April 2011, when funds became available at the end of the fiscal year, she said.
Over the past three years enrollment rates have increased while state funding has decreased, but faculty and staff have remained committed to the college and students, said Winograd“This was a way to show great appreciation for our employees. The compensation increase is an important investment in our faculty and staff. ” said Winograd.
Full-time SAGE instructor and Union President Andrew Tibble said that union members are happy that the raise was approved.
Editorial: Reconnecting the dots
CNM Connect is a prime example of a functional, sustainable system that includes individuals who are mutually dependent upon each other and the school. The office’s “no wrong door approach” puts the staff in a position to successfully assist students with the problems encountered throughout their college career. CNM Connect operates on almost all the levels that administration does: getting students’ course advisement and financial aid and developing grants and programs which CNM can use to better the education experience. Systems within society are constantly developing, which is often necessary because society and its environment are constantly in the process of changing. Everything and everyone is in a constant state of trying to reach equilibrium from the individual, to their coworker, boss, or predecessor and the people who depend on their services. The more people who make it a point to be aware of the changes, the more likely the final product will be functional and productive. Although the hole may seem deep pathways are already being made within CNM to improve the situation. Unity and understanding as individuals and as groups can help reconnect gaps and improve the college environment for everyone. When you see something that is not working, the thing to do is recognize and act on it to begin to make changes. Yet it is vital to also recognize and act when you see something that does work- acknowledge, utilize and expand it.
Editorial Cartoon Issue 32
Ruining childhood for fun and profit
By: Carrie Ratkevich, Staff Reporter
A review of “Battleship”
What happens when you mix a beloved childhood game, $200 mil and 30 years of alien movie clichés? 131 minutes of a slow sink into the sea of stupidity.
“Battleship,” based on the beloved Hasbro game, is the type of film that makes the world worse simply by having been filmed. Not even A-list stars like Liam Neeson (“Taken”, “Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace”) could turn dialogue that bad into something decent. What should have been an inspirational speech just before the final battle was instead, “Let’s go get those mother [expletive deleted]!” For a movie rated PG-13, there is a lot of cursing. Worse, the “You sank my battleship!” line spoken by Neeson in the trailers was cut from the movie.
Rhianna’s film debut as Petty Officer Cora “Weps” Raikes is a failed attempt at playing the bad-ass female character. Instead, she comes off as a woman in over her head who swears a lot.
Asian Grill serves up a tapestry of flavors
By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Copy Chief | Photos By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Staff
Asian Grill is a great place to go when the urge for Asian food hits, but no one can decide which style to eat. The menu is extensive, with offerings from regions spanning most of Central and Southeast Asia, and is sure to include something to excite even the most jaded palate.
The restaurant is tucked away in the southwest corner of Albuquerque’s “International Zone,” sharing a parking lot with the Pan- Asian supermarket, 99 Banh. The restaurant still sports the fixtures of the Souper Salad that formerly held the spot, but there are touches of Asian influence in the décor.
On our first visit, we were greeted by the owner, Thai Nang, who is known to his many regulars as “Mr. Thai.” Thai graduated from CNM (T-VI at the time) in 1993 with a double degree in laser technology and instrumentation control. He worked in the tech industry for some time before following his passion and opening Asian Grill.
Before we could be seated, some regulars nearby insisted we try the Wonton Soup, which they declared to be the best in New Mexico.
Singapore Chow Fun Noodles, Mongolian Beef, Malaysian Chicken, Grilled Chicken Bun are just some of the options availble at Asian Grill.
Album Review: Rachel Sage, “Haunted By You”
By: Jyllian Roach, Managing Editor
Artist: Rachel Sage and the Sequins | Album: Haunted by you | Label: Impress Records | Sounds like: Mumford and Sons, Sarah McLachlin, Regina Spektor, Ani Difranco
The tenth album by singer/songwriter Rachael Sage is hard proof that this indie artist’s star continues to rise. The deceptively titled album “Haunted By You” is not break-up themed, but is instead about passion and choosing between passions.
Through her music, and especially this album, Rachael conveys herself as the quirky big sister who breaks into song every time she shares a bit of learned wisdom or one of life’s secrets. Plus, she seems like she’d be a blast at a party.
The combination of well-balanced accompaniment and carefully chosen phrasing has become a trademark of Rachael’s music. The guitar – which Rachael plays herself – is remarkable and a welcome new addition to her musings. It’s also exhilarating to hear her unusual word choice – breathing new life into out-of-fashion words is the mark of a great lyricist.
Gallery connects artists and aficionados
By: Jonathan Gamboa, Layout Designer | Photos by: Jonathan Gamboa, staff
The Artists of New Mexico and Beyond Galleria provides an opportunity for all artists to promote and sell their work in a community oriented fashion, said gallery owner Bambi Cordova.
Since its opening on April 5 at the corner of Mountain Rd. and Rio Grande, the gallery has received an overwhelming amount of community support to help build up and maintain the site, she said.
“We accept and sell artworks of all types. Everything under the sun is what we try to have to accommodate anyone that walks in to our gallery,” said Cordova.
She said that the galleria has been a continuous process for three years, beginning as the Balloon Fiesta arts and crafts tent. Cordova knew she needed a more permanent venue because of the increase in artists wanting to sell more of their works with her, she said.