Dying for donors

National Organ Donation Month comes close to home

By: Shaya Rogers, Features Reporter | Photo By: Jamison Wagner

April is National Organ Donation Month, a time to think about the people across the nation, and on campus, who are in desper­ate need of a donor.

Elementary Education major Kimberly Wagner is in the final stage of Polycystic Kidney Disease and has been on the list for a new kidney since April 2010, she said.

The disease has no known cure and causes multiple cysts to form on the kidneys, which can kill a patient who does not receive a transplant. It is passed down from parent to child, she said.

“The cysts basically take over the kidney. My mom had it; it’s an inherited disease so my children have a 50 percent chance of having it,” she said.

Elementary Education major Kimberly Wagner is hoping for a kidney donor soon.
Elementary Education major Kimberly Wagner is hoping for a kidney donor soon.

Wagner, who is related to CNM Chronicle staff reporter Jamison Wagner, was diagnosed with PKD when she was 32, she said.

“Mine are twice the size of a normal person’s kidneys, just because of the cysts,” she said. Her family has been supportive through the years and have even offered their kidneys for donation, she said.

“My daughter and my husband have both tried to be live donors, because you only need one kidney, but they can’t because of health issues of their own,” she said.

National Organ Donation Month is a great opportunity for the CNM community to become educated on the need for donors, she said.

There are many parts of the body that can be donated, through both live and posthumous donations, she said.

“I’m a donor. They can’t take my kidneys, obviously, but if I died tomorrow they could take my corneas, my heart, my lungs, my skin, so all of these things can help someone,” Wagner said.

This month honors donators and creates a national platform to help others understand the specifics and to clarify any misconceptions about donating, she said.

“Sometimes there’s this little urban myth that if you’re a donor, paramedics won’t do everything and it’s not true. That would be silly,” she said.

According to organ­donor.gov, 117,972 people are waiting for an organ. Eighteen people per day will die waiting for an organ. One donor can save up to eight lives.

Although it does require a visit to the hos­pital and some time off work, the members of the donation community try to make it as easy as possible, she said.

“If there’s a live donor, it doesn’t cost them any­thing, it’s all covered by the patient who needs the transplant,” she said.

Many people who are able to donate do not because they may not know anyone close to them who needs a dona­tion, she said.

“I know a lot of times, we are so busy with our own lives we don’t think about it, but it gives you the opportunity to find out how this affects some­body,” she said.

The easiest way to help those in need today is to become an organ donor, she said.

“Check that box when you get your driver’s license, or if you already have a driver’s license, you just go online and fill out their little form and print it off and keep it with your license,” she said.

For more informa­tion about organ donation, visit nmdonor.org.

Health Science major awarded Work Study of the Year

By: Daniel Johnson, Investigative Reporter

Dominic Trujillo, a Health Science major and work study employee in the BIT offices, said he is honored to be recognized as Work Study Employee of the Year.

The title, which was bestowed upon Trujillo on April 12 at the work study appreciation luncheon, is given to one student employee annually, and Trujillo’s supervisor Elaine Sanchez said the staff could not be more proud.

“It is cool to be recognized since I help a lot of people in and out of the office,” Trujillo said.

Sanchez said Trujillo was nomi­nated because he goes above and beyond to help students and staff.

When students are lost or need assistance, Dominic is willing to walk them to other buildings to find what it is they are looking for, she said.

“He has a unique way of staying calm and cool in any type of situation,” she said.

He is always trust­worthy, reliable and extremely dependable in the office, she said.

Trujillo said the workload can vary from difficult to easy, but everything he does has to be on time and done accurately, he said.

Trujillo said that his co-workers deserve credit for their support.

He feels all of the women he works with are like office moms who help him to be his best, he said.

“They all make sure that I am doing my home­work, going to class and that I’m pushing and working hard to get out of being a work-study so that I can move on to bigger and better things in my life,” he said.

He plans to continue to be a work-study until he completes his degree and then move on to the Nursing program so he can continue to help people, he said.

“I figure I’ll be work­ing at CNM for at least another two years, unless they try to keep me longer,” he said.

When he does leave, Trujillo will be missed, Sanchez said.

“We keep threaten­ing to tape him to the chair and kidnap him so he can stick around for longer and we have be trying to con­vince him to pick out a couple more degrees he could try to go for, so we could have him work for us a few more years,” she said.

Former student combats nuclear waste dumping

By: Jamison Wagner, Staff Reporter

Lucille Cordova, Liberal Arts gradu­ate, is working with the Southwest Research and Information Center to raise awareness of the dangers of highly toxic nuclear waste being dumped at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, she said.

Cordova is in charge of creating public awareness events for the Center to help the community become better informed of what is going on at the waste plant and, if they choose, get involved, she said.

According to wipp.energy.gov, the plant started receiving waste in 1999 and is designed to handle low- to mid-level radioactive waste, rather than the high-level waste that is being sent there.

Don Hancock, Nuclear Waste Program director at SRIC, said the WIPP is not designed to handle nuclear waste that comes from the developing of mate­rials for atomic bombs or the waste from nuclear power plants.

The Department of Energy has been trying to solve the issue of heavy con­tamination from leaking waste barrels at the Hanford, Washington nuclear waste site, and they are trying to change the law so that DOE can transfer nuclear waste from the Hanford site to WIPP, but this will not resolve the problem, he said.

Nearly two dozen nuclear facilities have unloaded waste at WIPP, but Hanford waste is not authorized there, accord­ing to hanfordwatch.org.

From the time of the Manhattan project, New Mexico has been heavily involved in the develop­ment of nuclear weapons and dumping of waste, Cordova said.

The WIPP site is not suited for this kind of waste because not only is there drilling for oil nearby, but WIPP is less than seven miles from the Pecos River.

If there is any mistake in storing the waste, the consequences could be severe for the local envi­ronment, he said.

“This is potentially dangerous to the work­ers handling the waste as well as the environment, said Hancock.

When workers were handling this waste in the past at Rocky Flats in Colorado, it was not secured properly, and they inhaled the chemicals which led to a few thousand work­ers getting severe lung disease, he said.

Since the 1940s, the government has used New Mexico as a place to do things out of the national eye, she said.

“I personally feel that this is a bit of an envi­ronmental racism issue. Even now, people don’t hesitate to say, ‘well let’s send our waste to New Mexico,’” said Cordova.

For more information, visit no2wipp.org, sric.org and wipp.energy.gov

Survey says!

Part-time instructor dissatisfied with work conditions

By: Jyllian Roach, Editor-In-Chief

A recent part-time faculty survey appeared to show quite a bit of discon­tent from part-time instructors.

The survey was given to the 727 part-time faculty members to help the CNM Employees Union gain a better understanding of issues faced by part-time instructors, Monie Arfai, part-time CHSS instructor and vice president of part-time fac­ulty for the union, said.

“We are going to have a contract negotiation to raise the standards of the contract and we just wanted to know what they want,” Arfai said.

A total of 302 part-time instructors responded to the survey, roughly 42 percent of part-time faculty, many of whom had negative things to say about the way part-time faculty is treated by those in power on campus.

About 54 percent of respondents said that teaching was their main source of income, but only 23 per­cent of respondents felt that they had job security.

Further, 46 percent said that CNM did not offer competitive pay to part-time faculty, while 29 percent felt that it was competitive.

“I am making what I made in 1990- 94 elsewhere,” one respondent wrote.

Eighty-three percent of survey respondents also said that additional pay should be added for instructors who are involved on committees and in other campus activities like the graduation ceremonies.

“Since full timers are paid more than twice our rate, I think we should see some compensation for extra work,” one respondent commented.

About 44 percent of respondents felt that quality performance was not valued or rewarded on campus. Fifty-two percent of respondents have worked here for six or more years.

“Hard to answer; I suspect that it is valued, but not rewarded,” one respondent said.

Part-time faculty office space was another point of contention. About 36 percent of those surveyed believed the workspace to be good, but exactly 50 percent felt that it was not adequate.

Even those who liked their office space agreed that Main campus part-time faculty offices were below standard.

“We call the Main campus offices for PT Faculty the ‘North Korean Barracks,’” one respondent said.

Another commented that the city kennels would be more suitable than the portable offices on Main campus.

In hiring practices, respondents said that years of being employed and quality of work or type of degrees did not seem to matter when a full-time position became available.

“I have applied every time there is an open­ing, but I never get an interview. I feel there is some bias against moving part timers to full time at CNM. I have talked to other part timers and the same thing happens to them,” one respondent wrote.

Another respondent said that hiring practices in their school seemed to border on illegal, but did not specify as to how.

Arfai said that the survey was still being reviewed by the union and that no determination would be made yet about which of these issues would be raised during the contract negotiations in September, 2013.

Only 28 percent of respondents were union members.

Digital design students host expo

By: Shaya Rogers, Features Reporter

B u s i n e s s Information Technology instructor Sonia Crawford said her Digital Design Studio students will be hosting their first ever Digital Design Expo to promote digital art­work completed through­out the course.

The April 19 event is open to anyone and is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. in Smith Brasher Hall, room 110, she said.

“It’s really just to high­light their work and all their expertise and their amazing creativity because the stuff that they’ve done this term has just blown me away,” she said.

The class has been working hard on many different projects in advanced Photoshop and illustration, and this would be a great way to wrap up the semester, she said.

“I’m course owner of the course; it’s never been taught before, and I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if they could just do kind of an exhibition of all of their stuff, you know, some of their projects?’” she said.

The event is a poster expo and students from the Culinary Arts program will be providing tasty treats, she said.

“They were given posters, kind of like those science fair posters, and they’re just going to display their artwork and then we’re going to have some food from Culinary and we’re just going to have an open space,” she said.

The students recently worked on a project where they created a comic book cover and a three-page layout, she said.

“I have parameters and rubrics set up, but in terms of the content, they have a lot of leeway,” she said.

She hopes others can help encourage the students and let them know how talented they are, she said.

“I just hope that other people outside of our little community can come in and say, ‘Wow, look at that! That’s fantastic, how did you do that?’” she said.

Her students are excited to show the proj­ects they have worked so hard on, especially since many of them are graduat­ing this term and starting careers, she said.

“I just keep push­ing them and I think the excitement is building because it’s so close now and they got their posters and they’re going to turn them into me on Wednesday, so I think it’s becoming more and more real for them,” she said.

Crawford hopes the expo is successful so she can start doing it every year, perhaps even expand­ing to other digital media classes, she said.

“I hope to encourage other digital students to come who are in digital media or who are inter­ested or possibly inter­ested,” she said.

She is proud of her stu­dents and is glad they have a foundation to share their work, she said.

“I really want to take the back seat, I want it just to be about them, they’re the focus,” she said.

Student Discounts to Save Some Dough

By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

In this terrible economy, many students may be saying to themselves: ‘Man, learning stuff is cool, but being poor sucks.’

Have no fear; the CNM Chronicle is out to save students from feeling like an over-used stereo-type with a ton of ways to live well and save money.

There are many places in Albuquerque that offer student discounts; here is a small list of vendors giving that savings to students with ID’s. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement.

 Services

Bus Passes

  • Students are entitled to a free annual bus pass, which can be picked up from the Student Activities Office on Main campus in the Student Services Center room SSC-109.

Airport Parking

  • 2200 Sunport Blvd. SE.
  • 244-7700
  • Fast Park parking offers students and employees their cheapest short or long term parking rates and other exclusive specials at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

 Entertainment

Explora

  • 224-8300
  • 1701 Mountain Road NW
  • explora.us
  • A year-long pass to the hands-on learning center is $30 instead of the regular $45.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

  • 224-8300
  • 1701 Mountain Road NW
  • The center is a Native American museum with exhibits and collections of Indian art. Also available is the Pueblo Harvest Café and Bakery, which offers traditional Native American foods such as fry-bread and mutton stew, as well as fusion foods like blue-corn crusted fried chicken. Student admission is $3.

Cliff’s Amusement Park

  • 881-9373
  • 4800 Osuna Road NE
  •  Admission prices are 20 percent off for students

 Daycare

Children’s Learning Garden

  • 268-8834
  • 801 Girard Blvd NE
  • Student parents can get discounted fees when qualifying for a financial program for low income households.

Little Light Child Care Center

  • 255-8918
  • 128 Jackson Street NE
  • 10 percent off for multiple children.

Monte Vista Day Care

  • 255-3655
  • 3208 Monte Vista Blvd. NE
  • Registration fees are waived for student parents at CNM.

 Fitness

UNM Fitness Center

  • 277-4347
  • Johnson Center
  • CNM students can take advantage of the $40 semester rate to have access to the Johnson fitness center. Students must provide a current schedule of classes and proof that their CNM courses have been paid in full.

Flavor Fitness

  • 280-6462
  • 5600 Menaul Blvd. NE
  • Students can get a monthly pass to unlimited classes for $38 a month with one free month, compared to the full price at $58, a $20 monthly savings. Flavor fitness offers zumba, yoga, piyo (Pilates and yoga), and turbo kick classes.

Snap Fitness

  • 908-9978
  • 300 Menaul Blvd. NW
  • Offers CNM faculty and students free enrollment and $29.95 individual access monthly membership.

 Restaurants

Cheba Hut

      • 232-2432
      • 115 Harvard Drive. SE
      • Offers “toasted” subs and a sizable selection of local beers on tap. Students get a free soda and bag of chips with a sandwich purchase on Mondays.

Fans of Film Café

      • 504 Yale SE
      • fansoffilm.tv/cinemacafe
      • Offers burritos, pastries, sandwiches and an array of locally made coffee. 10 percent off for CNM students.

Mean Bao Bakery

      • 632-6226
      • 3409 Central Ave. NE
      • Offers Asian style baked goods, bagel dogs, and breads and free coffee or tea with the purchase of a $4.00 reusable coffee mug.  10 percent off.

Serafin’s Chile Hut

      • 266-0029
      • 3718 Central Ave. SE
      • Offers authentic New Mexican food. Students get a 15 percent discount.

U-Swirl Frozen Yogurt

      • 797-1075
      • 115 Harvard Drive SE
      • Large selection of frozen yogurts. 20 percent off for students

Olympia Café

      • 2210 Central Ave. SE
      • Greek food in the heart of University area. 10 percent off any meal items for students.

 Local Retailers

Artisan Art Supplies

      • 256-4540
      • 3017 Monte Vista Blvd. NE
      • 10 percent off on any art supply items including sale and clearance items.

Frock Star Vintage Clothing

      • 266-6979
      • 115 Harvard Dr. SE
      • 20 percent off non clearance vintage clothing items.

Lobo Scooter

      • 200-0486
      • 500 Yale SE
      • Any new scooter will be discounted $50 off.

Master Touch Automotive

      • 883-9141
      • 4113 Menaul Blvd. NE.
      • 10 percent off all services.

Rollin’ Ro’s Discount Tobacco

      • 333-8369
      • 2347 Eubank Blvd. NE
      • All tobacco, tubes and rollers 10 percent off for students.

Sachs Body Modification

      • 266-1661
      • 3112 Central Ave. SE
      • 10 percent off on any body piercing or tattoo.

Self-Serve Sexuality Resource Center

      • 265-5815
      • 3904 Central Ave. SE
      • 10 percent off any purchase.

The Guild Cinema

      • 255-1848
      • 3405 Central Ave NE
      • $5.00 ticket admission prices.

The Zone Gift Shop

      • 255-5772
      • 2222 Central Ave SE
      • 15 percent off most products.

 

 

Editorial: Let’s take a collective breath

By: The CNM Chronicle Editorial Board

Something is very wrong.

A sort of decay is spreading throughout our society, rotting good people from the inside.

On Monday, an unknown assail­ant placed four explosive devices near the finish line of a marathon in Boston, killing two people at the time this edi­torial went to print.

On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary.

On Aug. 5, 2012, a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple, killing 10 people in Oak Creek, Wisc.

On July 20, 2012, a gunman walked into a theater and killed 12 people in Aurora, Colo.

Why?

Why do people kill people?

These events have driven a conversation about gun violence. One side claims more guns are needed to protect ourselves. The other is certain that we need to ban guns.

We have to face the fact: the genie is out of the bottle. We can no more ban guns than we could ban alcohol in the 1920s.

However, violence begets violence. More guns will not cure violence any more than bloodletting cured disease more than 200 years ago.

Our society has an undiagnosed illness that goes far beyond a single individual.

We are a sad, angry, powerless bunch. We hurt the people around us because we need to feel better than someone, anyone.

Punishment is not the answer. Of the seven mass shootings documented by the mass media in 2012, five of the shooters committed suicide.

These are acts of desperate defiance.

We need to stop talking about gun laws, about mental illness, about religious extrem­ism, about terrorists.

We need to listen to each other. We need to stop worrying about being right, and start worrying about rebuilding what is left.

Editorial: Thank you to part-time faculty

By: The CNM Chronicle Editorial Board

Part-time faculty members seem to be getting a raw deal here on campus.

As mentioned in this week’s front page story “Suvery say! Part-time instructors dissat­isfied with work condi­tions,” many of those community members feel undervalued and poorly treated.

What was not included in the story was a comment from one of the respondents: “I do this for the students, not the pay.”

After reading through the results of the 29-question survey, we can only assume that most part-time instruc­tors feel the same.

Instructors have little say in changes to their job, almost no job security and feel that they get no respect.

And yet, most of those who responded to the survey have been here for more than six years.

Thank you for caring. Thank you for putting up with what seem to be deplorable working conditions to continue teaching those who want to learn.

We hope that all of you receive the respect, pay and working condi­tions you deserve in the next contract.

Until then, remember that the students appreciate all of the things you do on their behalf.

Letter to the editor: In response to Volume 18, Issue 28 “Shooting Club: Allow students to carry

After reading “Shooting Club: Allow stu­dents to carry,” I felt com­pelled to write.

I honestly cannot fathom why students think they should be allowed to have weapons on campus. The rule is not a violation of anyone’s rights.

Colleges also have rights, and the school is perfectly within their rights to not allow weapons on campus. Or alcohol, or unruly behavior, or people who haven’t signed in with the visitors center.

This is a place of learning. Furthermore, what pos­sible benefit could students gain from bringing their guns to school?

If you start to answer that with “they might be able to shoot someone” please just stop there.

“I might have to shoot someone someday” is the worst argument I’ve heard for gun rights in general.

That argument makes it sound like the students who want to carry see themselves as distributors of vigilante justice and are fine with shooting some­one they view as a “bad guy” without compunction.

Does having a legal right to carry in public automati­cally make you trustworthy of making life and death deci­sions for the rest of us?

From a personal stand­point, it would not make me feel safer to have more guns on campus. I would feel much, much less safe.

So please, keep your holsters empty in class. Jess Evans

Notetaker 

Working together

By Daniel Johnson, Investigative Reporter

Inaugural CNMunity day attracts many students, orgs

The Executive Council of Students is trying to create a semi-annual CNMunity Day, since the first event received so much support, Stephen Martos, Criminal Justice major and president of ECOS, said.

The event gathered about two dozen student volunteers from student organizations to help at four local non-profit organizations: Contact Tree New Mexico, Rio Grande Community Farms, Restore and Mandy’s Farm, he said.

“Our new goal is to make it a bigger and better event and hopefully have it held twice a year,” he said.

Some of the participat­ing student organizations were Anthropology club, Phi Theta Kappa-Alpha Upsilon Chi, Chemistry Society, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Art Club, TRiO Achievement Group and Math League, Martos said.

Continue reading “Working together”