By Daniel Montaño, Senior Reporter
For the first time ever, the school of Communications, Humanities and Social sciences is offering a free meet and greet with instructors, Elizabeth Bennett, CHSS instructor, said.
Students can come to the event in the Richard Barr boardroom at the east end of the computer lab on main campus on October 4, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to get advice about careers in the liberal arts, learn more about what they can do with their CHSS major, and meet other CHSS students and faculty, Bennett said.
No other college at CNM has ever hosted an event like this, and this one has been in the making for more than five months because it was such a new idea, Bennett said.
“We’re trying to get information out about the majors: What might be interesting to students, or why should you major in this program? What are you going to be able to do with it?” she said.
There will be academic advisors, achievement coaches and faculty as well as transfer specialists on hand throughout the event, Bennett said.
Students will be able to perform a degree audit with academic advisors to find out how close students are to graduating, will be able to get advice from instructors on when certain classes will be offered, and learn about what jobs they can get into with their degree and find out specific UNM transfer information all in one place, Bennett said.
“Plus, there’s free food,” she said.
Representatives from student organizations will also be there giving out information on their clubs, Bennett said.
Students who might be normally too shy to seek out these groups will be able to learn about the clubs and form bonds with other students who are interested, Bennett said.
“I remember being a student and being really nervous walking up to strangers and talking to strangers in my classes, and so we thought maybe this was one more venue where we might be able to nudge people into getting to know other students,” she said.
While the event is hosted by CHSS faculty and is targeted at CHSS majors, any student is welcome to come regardless of their major, she said.
Representatives from every program within CHSS will be there to discuss their particular field, even if the major does not offer a degree path such as cultural studies, and to explain how their program can strengthen other majors, she said.
“Maybe there’s that student who really loves cultural studies and here’s a way to learn how to weave more of that into their anthropology degree,” she said.
Depending on the success of this first event, it could continue to be held annually but earlier in the school year now that the framework for how to run the event is in place, Bennett said.
“If students show up that’d be great, and if not we’ll just keep trying,” she said.
The idea for the event was spurred by a reception held for sociology graduates at the end of the spring semester, Bennett said.
Faculty recognized all the graduates for finishing their pro¬gram, and the graduates got to mingle and meet each other throughout the reception, she said.
“They were really happy, and a couple of them were saying that they wished they had gotten to know some of their fellow students and more of their faculty earlier on,” she said.
Day: October 2, 2013
Westside Campus and Nature
Nick Stern, Staff Reporter | Photos by Nick Stern and Rene Thompson
The Westside campus is favored for its environment, not only among students, but among various wildlife as well, Instructional Technician, Melanie Archuleta-Hallquist said.
There are many roadrunners which, in the spring, can be seen building their nests in different spots around campus, Archuleta-Hallquist said.
R e f e r e n c e Specialist at the CNM Westside library, Amy Baker, believes that the nature environment of the campus is a big part of what attracts people to it, she said.
In the morning hummingbirds can be found all over campus while in the evening rabbits can be found everywhere and if one were to take a three minute walk to the west end of the campus, they would find themselves completely surrounded by the desert, she said.
“It is like you are really living at the cusp of the urban sprawl where nature meets city. You really feel like you are in nature. I think that this campus feeds off of that energy and I think it makes staff, faculty, professors, and students a lot calmer,” Baker said.
Besides rabbits, hummingbirds, and coyotes, there has also been an occasional snake will show up on campus, and recently a venomous snake was seen on campus and had to be dealt with by animal control, she said.
“I was told not to go to my car because there was a snake in one of the bushes and animal control was on their way because it was a venomous snake. Security would not let me go to my car,” Archuleta-Hallquist said.
A coyote once walked right up to the front door of the Michael J. Glennon building and then walked away when it became uninterested, she said.
A family of skunks used to live on campus as well and anyone could smell them when on campus, and after living on campus for about a month the skunks were captured and relocated by animal control, she said.
There is a cat that lives on campus that is known as the campus’ “feral” cat but is prob¬ably not feral at all and has been fed by people, she said.
“I have seen the cat and I have tried to feed it and it ate. I do not think it is feral. I think it belongs to somebody and it just got lost on campus and does not want to leave because there is free food. It is like an all-you-can-eat buffet of lizards and bunnies,” Archuleta-Hallquist said.
Incorporating nature into the architecture at Westside has also been accomplished very well and the new WS1 building is made with walls that are all glass to look out at the great scenery the campus has to offer, Baker said. So on one side of the building there is a vast view of the sprawling desert while on the other side there is a vast view of the Sandia Mountains, and people tend to be attracted simply by how nice it is there, Baker said.
With so many windows and such amazing views of Albuquerque, students are constantly rejuvenated and calmed by every¬thing beautiful there is to see, she said.
“I think they are really trying to make it seem like-instead of working against nature-we are really working with nature,” Baker said.
Another thing that is nice about the campus is the desert inspired fountains that can be found when walking through the campus, she said.
The fountain in the middle of the WS1 courtyard does not use too much water but just enough for some¬one to hear nothing other than the soothing sound of water trickling on the edge of rock, she said.
The shrubbery and landscaping used for the campus also consists of strictly native plants to New Mexico, which is all xeriscaped and consists of what would be found in the desert, she said.
The dedication to natural and native aspects within the campus plays a huge part of maintaining a calm learning environment for students and at the same time, attracting local wildlife of all sorts to the Westside campus, Baker said.
“I think the architecture of this building (WS1) is influencing students to just feel more calm, more Zen, more at peace and I think that is why we are seeing more wild¬life interacting. Part of the reason the hummingbirds probably still come on campus is because they are using native plants,” Baker said.
Editorial Cartoon; Issue 17 Volume 19
Editorial Cartoon Courtesy of James Griego
Editorial; Issue 17 Volume 19
By CNM Chronicle Editorial Board
For students attending community college, sometimes student-life can feel more college and less community. The Communication, Humanities, and Social Science department is trying to change that by bringing the students and faculty together for a day of socializing, as mentioned in the article “Mix it up!” on page 2.
At CNM, there is a definite focus on the trades programs, while other areas of study are seemingly ignored. It can feel, at times, that the college just wants to get us out of here and into a four year college. This event helps to put the CHSS areas of study back into the forefront of the college life, and put more emphasis on these types of degrees. Instructors want us to know that they are important and they do matter.
Often times we pick our majors because we are fascinated and truly engaged in all aspects of our study, but this is not always enough to get us through a dependable career. So, we try to avoid the dreaded question explored at the Thanksgiving dinner table: ‘What are you going to do with a degree like that?’
For a CHSS major, thinking about life after college can be discouraging; all around, others are focusing on degrees that seem to come with obvious career options and even the promise of a comfortable paycheck.
The instructors donating their time and energy for this CHSS event are hoping to provide answers, or at least, to provide direction to the many questions students may have. Students will be given the opportunity to get to know one another as well as members of the department, and be able to explore career options and expectations, which is crucial for success.
Not getting involved and making connections in college can be cause for regret. This CHSS event creates a platform for encouragement and networking. Making friends who have similar interest makes the college experience that much more meaningful.
Choosing a degree can be nerve-wracking. It also takes some trial and error before you find a field to pursue, so attending this event can take away some of the stress. Hopefully, it will make a much easier time of getting a degree and planning a future.
Bravo to the faculty who has attended to the needs of the students and has decided that an event like this is not only important, but necessary. All students that attend CNM need to feel like their area of study matters, because if we do not feel it now, we probably will not feel very optimistic about our futures.
Suncat Chit Chat
By Martin Montoya|Staff Reporter
What is your style?
style, it’s not really one specific thing. I’m kind of
country.”
at Forever 21, whatever they have I like to mix and
match. For my comfy I would maybe throw a sweater
on top of shorts but still have nice boots to go with it.”
“Very stylish. I love stuff that shows my figure but I
don’t like to overdo it because I know it attracts a lot
of males and I don’t want to get harassed by guys or
girls. I like Forever 21 because it’s kind of young.”
“My style conveys my attitude at the time. It’s my
own style; I don’t really go off of anything. I like Zoo
York and South Pole, stuff like that.”
I Madonnari
By Rene Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Art Instructor Lynn Johnson’s Drawing II class participated in the art contest titled, ‘I Madonnari (named after an Italian street painting festival), which began on September 17 and is coming to an end this week. Participants drew chalk or charcoal based drawings on sidewalks on campus, and provided ballots to observers to vote for their favorite one. Voter ballots are being tallied, October 1, 2013, and the group with the most votes will be the winners of this year’s contest.
There were four groups of four students each that participated in the event that had students make their own renditions of two famous art pieces, one classic and one contemporary, that are combined into one piece.
These pieces can be seen on the walkways at school on the east end of Ken Chappy Hall, and at Jeannette Stromberg hall on both the south and west ends of the building until October 10, Johnson said.
Tina, By Candi Chavez, with Tess Morrison, Hannah Mora, and Isaac Trujillo.
Tina, By Candi Chavez, with Tess Morrison, Hannah Mora, and Isaac Trujillo.
Bop by Robert Jones, with Nancy Abeita, Anthony Harker, and B.B. Wood.
by Nichole Lucero, with Calvin Burgstahler, Nicole Bronowski, and Trenton Janssen
Voting 101: Municipal Elections
By Jonathan Baca, Staff Reporter
Local government can affect our lives in profound ways, and with Albuquerque’s municipal elections coming up, the Chronicle has gathered research about the basics of our city government’s inner workings to help students understand how local politics works, and how important it can be to our lives. For first time voters, or for anyone who has never voted at a local level, we hope this information helps in making an informed choice.
Basics
Albuquerque is a home rule municipality with a mayor-council government. The Executive and Legislative branches of city government work kind of like a small, local version of the President and Congress of the United States. The City Council is our main legislative body, representing our citizens, and introducing and voting on all of our laws and resolutions. The mayor is our chief executive officer, making our city’s budget, appointing heads of boards and committees. The mayor has the added duties of overseeing all the departments of our local services. Albuquerque does not elect our municipal judges. All local elections are non-partisan, or non-supportive of any specific political parties or policies, and anyone from any party can run for office, by getting enough people to sign a petition.
The Mayor
In Albuquerque’s system, the Mayor’s office is powerful, with lots of responsibilities which has far-reaching influences throughout the state. If fifty percent of voters choose a single candidate, that candidate becomes the mayor. If no one receives fifty percent of the vote, there is a run-off election between the two candidates with the most votes.
• Elected every four years, for four year terms; no term limit
• Chief Executive Officer
• Appoints and can remove city officials
• In charge of local police department; appoints Chief of Police
• Is head of the city’s water and sewer authorities, and oversees services like trash pickup
• Proposes the city’s budget, every year, to the City Council
• Has the power to veto decisions of the Council
• Can propose Executive
The City Council
The City Council is Albuquerque’s legislative branch. There are nine councilors, one for each district in Albuquerque. Citizens vote for only their own councilor, the one who represents the district that they live in. Any Albuquerque resident can attend City Council meetings, and can discuss any issue they choose, from local concerns like potholes to their opinion of controversial laws like the red light cameras. In this way, local government can be the most truly democratic form, where a single citizen’s voice can make the most difference in their lives.
• Elected to four year terms
• Half of the councilors are elected every two years, on a rotating basis
• Each represents one district of Albuquerque
• Main Legislative body of the city
Introduces and votes on:
• Resolutions – mandates or prevents something; dictates policy; examples are appropriations, adopting budgets and plans, preliminary actions on bonds, recent example: A city policy for no tolerance of gender pay inequality
• Ordinances – creates or amends municipal laws; always used for police power legislation ( something where it is against the law not to follow); used to adopt taxes or fees, and city organization and operation matters…..recent example: establishing of the Albuquerque Minimum Wage Ordinance
• Executive Communications – legislation from the Mayor sent for approval: appointments to boards or commissions, and contracts and grants for city, example: the City Budget
• Can overrule a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority
• Voters can only vote for one city councilor each election, and only for the District they are registered to vote in
• Any citizen can address the Council at every Council Meeting, and can discuss any topic of concern
• Most local level of all government; place where an individual’s voice can have the greatest impact
Local Voting Locations
To find out which district you live in, and who is running for that district’s City Councilor, go to cabq.gov, Sources: cabq.gov, Wikipedia.org.
Get to know the mayoral candidates
By Daniel Montaño, Senior Reporter | Pictures courtesy of nmpolitics.net, joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com, abqjournal.com
Election day is almost upon Albuquerque yet again, and The Chronicle has gathered information on the Mayoral candidates and the 10 general obligation bonds that voters can expect to see on the Oct. 8 ballot.
According to a recent poll, 15 percent of voters do not yet know which candidate they will vote for, which could be problematic because the incoming mayor must receive at least 50 percent of the vote in order to enter into office, according to cabq.gov.
If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the top two will go head-to-head in a runoff election in November, according cabq.gov.
Party Affiliation: Republican
Elected offices held: District 20 state representative from 2006 – 2009, Albuquerque Mayor 2009 – present
Other: Owned and operated a general contracting company, eagle scout with the Boy Scouts of America, graduated from Anderson School of Management with a degree in Finance and Administration
Current Mayor Richard Berry is seeking a second term in office and stands on the platform that, if re-elected, he will finish the work he has already started in order to “build a city with safer neighborhoods, respon¬sible budgets and more jobs,” he said in an open letter to the citizens of Albuquerque.
Berry cites Albuquerque’s lowest FBI crime rate in 20 years and a balanced city budget that was achieved “without significantly slashing city services or laying-off city workers,” and his social service initiatives such as ‘Albuquerque Come Home,’ through which 200 home¬less people have been provided housing, as just a few of the many achievements in his first four years, he said.
He also said that since he has been in office he has cut the size of local government by almost 200 posi¬tions producing more transparency, reducing fraud and increasing government efficiency, which combined has saved the city more than $14 million dollars, he said.
“There’s a lot left to do. We’ve got the train on the track if you will, and now we need to get the train down the track,” he said.
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Elected offices held: City councilor 1985 – 1989
Other: Former chief public safety officer, work¬ers’ compensation judge, chief deputy district attorney, assistant attorney general, director of the safe city strike force; graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in finance, and from St. Mary’s University School of Law with a Jurist Doctorate, born and raised in Albuquerque.
Pete Dinelli is no stranger to local politics: he first held office in 1985 and has been involved with local gov¬ernment in one capacity or another ever since, he said in a statement to the Albuquerque Journal.
During the last mayoral debate, Dinelli said his platform focuses on four major areas: improving public safety, increasing economic development (bring¬ing more jobs to the city), improving early childhood education by supporting coursework in math, science and technologies, and increasing transparency in local government.
Dinelli has proposed a plan called Energize Albuquerque, which will bring twenty-thousand jobs to Albuquerque by investing $1.5 billion dollars in infra¬structure and public service upgrades which will mod¬ernize the city, he said.
Throughout his campaign, Dinelli has been highly critical of how Mayor Berry has handled the Albuquerque Police Department, often highlighting that before Berry took office APD “was the best trained, best funded, best paid, best equipped and best manned department in the city’s history,” he said.
“During a 24 month period under Mayor Berry, Albuquerque had 27 police officer involved shootings with 17 fatalities,” Dinelli said.
If elected, one of the first things Dinelli said he will do is replace the chiefs of APD and the Albuquerque Fire Department — Dinelli has been officially endorsed by Albuquerque’s Firefighter and Police unions, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Party affiliation: Republican
Elected offices held: None
Other: APD Sergeant for 25 years, Hobbs police department for 7 years, only candidate not officially endorsed by a political party on the ballot.
During a recent mayoral debate, Paul J. Heh said he is proud that he is not a career politician, and didn’t hesitate to interrupt his opponents’ answers by calling “bullshit” — his words.
Heh’s campaign is based on the fact that he a self-proclaimed “blue-collar man” who has experience deal¬ing with the problems Albuquerque faces on a street level, he said.
Heh believes that Mayor Berry has been lying about the crime statistics in Albuquerque, and that crime has actually been growing over the past four years because of the “hopeless drug addiction here in Albuquerque,” he said.
Heh believes that many of Albuquerque’s problems, everything from corporations being afraid to move here to low performance in education, stem from unchecked drug use, he said.
If elected, his first order of action will be to estab¬lish an inner-city drug rehabilitation center that will be used as an alternative to incarceration for criminal offenders with substance abuse issues, he said.
“Jail is not always the answer for non-violent offend¬ers. Sentences can often be better served in drug-free rehabilitation and related programs,” he said.
Heh said he is a man of action who is not afraid to do whatever work needs to be done to bring safety and prosperity to his city, and he is motivated to bring accountability back to local government.
“The city should not be owned by the mayor’s office; it is a public office and belongs to the people not the career politicians offering empty promises again and again,” he said.
Bond Issues
A general obligation bond is money that Albuquerque borrows and pays back with interest within 13 years using money gained from property taxes; however the bonds on this year’s ballot will not require a property tax increase, according to cabq.gov.
Public safety:
$11,565,000 for Police and Fire departments to repair existing and purchase new vehicles, buildings and land.
Community centers:
$10,429,000 to repair and revitalize community centers, build community projects and general economic development projects.
Parks and recreation:
$12,544,000 to build new and revitalize current parks and the equipment within them such as tennis courts, playgrounds and more.
Energy and water conservation:
$12,853,000 to upgrade public buildings to be more water and energy efficient.
Libraries:
$5,798,000 to buy new books and other media for and otherwise repair and update city libraries.
Streets:
$39,085,000 to construct new roads, bridges and sidewalks and repair existing ones. Note that the Paseo and I-25 interchange project has already passed, so this bond money will be used elsewhere.
Public transportation:
$5,555,000 to improve and maintain public transit.
Affordable housing:
$2,525,000 to the Workforce Housing Act, which will construct facilities to house low and moderate income families and provide cheap rentals for seniors.
All information sourced from cabq.gov, mayorberry.com, petedinelli.com, heh4abq. com, abqjournal.com, koat.com, kob.com, krqe. com, bizjournals.com, ourcampaigns.com, The New Mexico Attorney General’s office (nmag. com), the New Mexico Foundation For Open Government (nmfog.com), the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office (bernco. gov/clerk) and the press releases contained therein.
Student turns hard times into good times
By Jonathan Baca , Staff Reporter | Photo Courtesy of Catie Mathis
A large group of women and their families gathered excitedly outside of Cliff’s Amusement Park in a scene of children jumping up and down with excitement. This sight did not seem much out of the ordinary, but this group was unusual because all of these women and their families happen to have been homeless at one point or another.
These women were part of a charity group called Crossroads for Women, and this trip to Cliff’s was the brainchild of Integrated Studies major Caite Mathis, with the help of her partner Lambert Lamphie and Crossroads’ Resource Development Coordinator Amanda Douglas, as part of an assignment for a business class last summer.
“It’s very exciting. I’m very grateful to them for doing this,” said Radiology major Angela McGoldrick, as she waited with her children to enter the amusement park.
McGoldrick said that Crossroads helped her to get back on her feet, and was the inspiration for her to go back to school.
Crossroads for Women is a nonprofit that, “provides comprehensive, integrated services to support women working to break the cycle of homelessness and incarceration and achieve healthy, stable and self-sufficient lives in the community for themselves and their children,” according to the Crossroads for Women mission statement.
As part of his Managing Principles class, instructor Eric Strauss had assigned his students to create a virtual campaign to raise money for a charity organization. The assignment was simply an exercise, but Mathis and Lambert wanted to take it to the next level and make their project a reality, Mathis said.
“If I was going to put that much effort into something, I wanted to do it for real,” Mathis said.
The project included working out all the details, including which charity would benefit, how much money was needed, and how the money would be raised. As a private life coach and dance instructor, Mathis had worked with dozens of children, helping them to find direction and joy in their lives, she said.
For the project, she and Lambert decided they wanted to help homeless children, and they chose to work with Crossroads, Mathis said.
“I wanted to plant some seeds of pure joy, from a total stranger, so these kids can have faith in life later and know that there are people out there who care about them,” Mathis said.
Crossroads had always wanted to send the women and children they worked with on a trip to Cliff’s, but they had never been able to get free tickets, Douglas said. Through sheer enthusiasm and tenacity, Mathis was able to secure a donation of free passes for all the families at Crossroads, an estimated $3,000 value, she said.
“I was totally surprised when she pulled it off. It was way beyond what I thought they were going to do, and it has just been great,” Douglas said.
Douglas said the trips to Cliff’s have been a terrific experience for her and Crossroads’ staff, and have meant a lot to the families who attended.
“We know that the women and children are more successful when they feel connected to a community that supports them. Special events that create that sense of community are really important, and having fun is a big deal for someone who has been through a lot of trauma and stress,” Douglas said.
Mathis said she and Lamphie had always been concerned with homelessness, and before they started their project, something happened that made the issue real for them. One night Lambert found a child sleeping in his truck, and discovered that an entire family had been using the truck for shelter.
Instead of calling the police or kicking them out of his truck, Lambert decided to invite them into his home, and he let them stay at his house for an entire month, rent free, she said.
“Isn’t that amazing? What if we all did that?” Mathis said.
Douglass said the main challenge for Crossroads is finding resources and volunteers. Several CNM students have volunteered, and students from UNM and several high schools have worked with Crossroads for class credits, something Douglas said she would like to see more of in the future.
Douglas said there are several ways people can help at Crossroads, which the organization is always looking for volunteers, as well as donations of cleaning supplies for the women, she said. Crossroads could also use help with food drives before the holidays, so that the women can prepare meals for their families during Thanksgiving and Christmas, she said.
Another need is donations for the Crossroads emergency fund, which exists to help women with emergency medical expenses and other unforeseen needs, Douglas said.
Mathis and Douglass agree that homelessness is one of the greatest problems in our society today.
“It is just terrible. We are not taking care of our children. Any woman who makes it out of the cycle of homelessness, substance abuse, prison and all that goes with that, is a heroine,” Mathis said.
Cultura Cura; Bringing culture back into the community
By Daniel Montaño , Senior Reporter
Andrew Lucero, Social Work major, said he is motivated by his past to help people where he works at the La Plazita Institute, a local community center that is an alternative to detention center for juveniles convicted of crimes, and where Lucero tries to be a positive role model for kids who have lost their way.
Lucero grew up in a single parent family, and when he was 15-years-old his father passed away from a heroin overdose, which he has also had his fair share of including trouble with alcohol, drugs and police, he said.
But instead of allowing himself to continue down a destructive path, Lucero decided to change his life and dedicated himself to helping people who have to deal with similar struggles, he said.
“Everything I’ve done has led up to where I’m at right now. I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t regret. I’m not embarrassed. I embrace it; I use it to continue making a difference,” he said.
La Plazita along with Lucero teaches these juvenile offenders about their culture and heritage and reintroduces them to their community so that these young men can begin working to clean up their communities rather than damage them, Lucero said.
“I think we all need it in our life; we all need our culture because if you know where you come from, you’re more likely to succeed in where you’re going,” he said.
At La Plazita they call it cultura cura, or culture cures, he said.
It is something Lucero himself had to do in order to get back into social work after spending years in marketing, a career which allowed him to live a lavish lifestyle filled with alcohol and the problems that often come with it, he said.
After spending a year in jail for being convicted of his third DUI, Lucero took the time to rediscover his culture, reorganize his life and priorities and rededicate himself to helping others, he said.
“I kind of cleaned my own backyard. Plato (Greek Philosopher) said ‘Know thyself,’ and I take that seriously because I can’t help somebody if I don’t know myself and I don’t have a clean backyard,” he said.
From working with troubled kids in schools, to lobbying in Santa Fe to start a clean needle exchange program and now working to eliminate racial disparities in New Mexico laws, he has had plenty of different opportunities and avenues of helping others, he said.
He eventually wants to expand on that experience by building a community center in the international district once he is finished with his master’s degrees in social work and business, he said.
He wants to work with La Plazita and use the concept of cultura cura in his community center to build a neighborhood people will be proud to be a part of, he said.
“I think that’s the only way that a community organization can thrive and survive, is communication with each other,” he said.
Lucero’s first experience of being a positive role model for kids was as an educational assistant in the behavior intervention program in Albuquerque Public schools, he said.
He worked with kids who were often violent, that had come from hard upbringings and needed a positive role model in their lives to show them life didn’t have to always be a fight, he said.
The kids he worked with often didn’t have that role model at home, and were ignored in schools, he said.
“Nobody wanted to work with the kids I was working with,” he said.
Lucero then began working with Healthcare for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization that provides free doctors, counseling and dentistry to people who live on the streets, as a harm reduction technician, he said.
His job was to work with people who had substance abuse disorders, and work to minimize the damage they were doing to themselves through various healthcare techniques, he said.
“It was such a new healthcare approach, that’s what I think it is more than anything, and it was real controversial and still is,” he said
A huge part of his job was lobbying in Santa Fe with the state legislature and Governor Gary Johnson to enact a clean needle exchange, he said.
“Harm reduction was something (Johnson) didn’t understand and almost didn’t want to accept,” he said.
He had worked hard and was motivated by his own father’s death to get the law enacted, he said.
“I think that if he had something like that maybe he could have changed his life,” he said.
After lobbying for almost two years, he got the law passed and intravenous drug users could bring in dirty needles, possibly infected with multiple diseases, and get a sterile needle in return, he said.
Through La Plazita, Lucero is now on the New Mexico RRED committee, a committee to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in New Mexico Laws, and is composed of people within the justice system in Albuquerque and community members who work with people convicted of crimes, he said.
The committee combs through the language of laws and advises the legislature on how the laws can be changed to make them fairer to minorities, who often have higher rates of conviction or failed probation, he said.
Working with the committee has interfered with his class time, but his teachers have been great in allowing him the time he needs to work for a better tomorrow, he said.
“Most of my teachers have been really understanding because of the work I’m involved with,” he said.