Category: Campus News

Sexual Health Stations at CNM

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By: Devonny Grajeda

Senior Staff Reporter

CNM is introducing new sexual health stations on campus that are supposed to help students feel comfortable regarding sexual health. Former Phi Theta Kappa President and CNM graduate student Analaura Prado came up with the idea to implement sexual health stations around CNM’s campus.

Ms. Prado & PTK members were inspired by UNM’s sexual health stations around campus which had sexual health stations scattered around the campus she said. She then thought that the sexual health stations could benefit CNM as well.

For now, the stations are mainly located at main campus, later they might add on around the rest of the campus she said. Right now, one of the stations is located downstairs in the boys and girl’s restroom near the library she said.

“Even though I’m not president or even a student at CNM I’m still happy I can be a part of it. Or still kind of be a part of it since it was my idea,” said Ms. Prado.

The stations have latex condoms, pregnancy tests and bookmarks on how to take them, and informational sheets regarding sexual health she said.

Right now, the future of the stations is to focus on expanding to other CNM locations and possibly adding new items such as pads and tampons. Everything is still a work in progress, kind of a trial and error, having adjustments, and finding funding she said.

“The purpose basically is for students to be comfortable and just go in the bathroom and take what they need but not too much, I hope. Use it without judgement because I know it can be kind of nerve wrecking to buy it in stores and get it in front of people. Comfort is one of the main things” she said. The stations are meant to serve the students and give back to students at CNM she said. Mostly for comfort, resources, and just having that outlet for these types of situations she added

Women’s Trade Summit

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Story by

Devonny Grajeda

Staff Reporter

Official poster for the Women’s Trade Summit.

The women’s trade summit is an event that will help women look for a job and networking opportunities within the areas of HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, diesel mechanics, insulators, laborers, electricians, and more said Amy Ballard, Dean for the school of Applied Technologies.

The event will take place Friday, March 18th from 9am-3pm at the CNM main campus inside Smith Brasher hall.

This event can help women find mentorships as well as allow them an opportunity to ask questions directly to women who are working in trade fields right now, she said. 

There will be speakers such as presidents and representatives of companies, there will also be a panel consisting of women who work in different trades and they will be speaking on issues they have had to deal with inside their individual fields, she added.

This event is important for many reasons, the first reason being the ability to learn about the types of compensation, what kind of job availability there is, and what kind of opportunities can come from a career in trades for women, she said.

Then there is a need to let women know that there is incredible demand out for these positions out there right now she added.

Lastly, these jobs create great pathways to even better jobs, she said.

“For example, even if you start as a carpenter or plumber it’s not a far step to creating your own business or becoming a manager. Women may not realize that these jobs can be a launchpad to bigger and better things, there is a lot of money to be made these days, ” she said.

Companies are in need of highly skilled trade people she said. So much so that right now some companies have billboards advertising that they will offer up to a $10,000 sign on bonus for skilled HVAC employees. 

Getting involved in trades is not something that can be started tomorrow she said.

Education and training are required, but it will not be too long before a women can receive a high paying job she added.

“We would also like to see a stronger presence of women inside trades considering it is a male dominated field, the transition for women is happening in politics, medicine, science so there is no reason why trade fields can’t be the next frontier for women to become pivotal and pioneering“ she said.

Women can really empower themselves by hearing the stories of other women who also felt scared to take the leap into a male dominated field, but who are now successful and own their own businesses and love the trades, she said. 

“We hope the event will become a spring board for these speakers and mentors to help start something much greater for women in trades,” she said. 

The event will have vender booths from different companies such as Sandia Labs, Meta(FaceBook), and APD for those looking for jobs, she said.

If interested in attending this event you may sign up using the link provided below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-mexico-women-in-trades-summit-tickets-273089286407

CNM Food Pantry

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Story by

Devonny Grajeda

Staff Reporter

Brittany Karnezis, the new Director of Student Life said, CNM has permanently opened a food pantry with the hope to help aid students by making sure they have weekly access to fresh produce and dry goods.

CNM acknowledges students’ needs outside of the classroom said Ms. Karnezis. CNM hopes the food pantry will provide a space where students have access to their holistic needs, she said. Through CNMs partnership with Roadrunner Food Bank and MoGro, CNM hopes to meet students’ needs head-on, she added.

The food pantry is located at the Main Campus Library inside the SRC building and is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 pm, said Ms. Karnezis. 

Ms. Karnezis said the pantry will accept new personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes/paste, floss, deodorant, soap, and feminine hygiene products. Anyone can donate toiletries; however, she said the food pantry does not accept food donations.

Ms. Karnezis says CNM knows students’ needs are significant, especially during this time of COVID-19. She added, “We provide the highest quality of education, but we realize students have needs that go far beyond the classroom doors.” By opening the food pantry, CNM hopes to support their student’s educational and personal needs, she said.

Calling All Artists

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Story by

Devonny Grajeda

Staff Reporter

Faculty Advisor of CNM’s visual arts magazine Leonardo, Carly Harschlip said she is inviting all CNM students to attend the first ever Leonardo Open Mic Night.

The event is for all CNM students and will be hosted via zoom on November 12th from 7:00-8:00PM she said.

If students would like to attend/preform they can email Leonardo at leonardo@cnm.edu and they will then be added to the list, she said. Or they can go to their website under Blog and Events to sign up as well, she said.

The Leonardo Open Mic Night is intended to provide students with a venue that will be fun and interactive while allowing students to show off their creative sides, “It will allow students to share their creative work and have a sense of community, which is important for them,” she said.

Finding a community that a student can share their feelings with is just as important as taking a class. It is a big step to share creative work and it can be scary, but it can also be worth it she said.

Attending the Leonardo Open Mic Night may teach a student something about themselves, they may even come to find out they might have stage fright, she said.

She said, “Being a college student is also about exploring things and finding your place in the world.”

COVID has made things a bit harder by making everyone more isolated. Of course, one Open Mic Night is not going to change everything but it is a start she said.

Students are also welcome to attend the event as audience members only and are not required to share if they do not wish too, she said.

If students do not feel ready for either of those then perhaps they may find interest in working with Leonardo, which has been a part of CNM since 1991 and is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, she said.

She said, “Leonardo hopes to get people interested in the magazine itself. Or, to contribute if they want to be an editor perhaps at some point or they want to submit their work to it in print which is important for any beginning writer.”

Return of the Balloon Fiesta

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Pictures and Story by

Salvador Zambrano

Staff Reporter/Graphic Designer

The calm before the storm
The Sun begins to peek over the Sandias
Star Wars themed balloons
A Storm Trooper stands at the ready
Multicolor balloons
The blue sky is filled with many balloons
People watch in amazement as balloons begin to rise
The famous 3 Bees await their takeoff
A crew gives their final goodbye before liftoff
A balloon sports the Mexican flag
Various balloons fly high in the sky
Various balloons begin their takeoff

2020 was the year COVID-19 began. During the year lots of events were canceled to protect people from outbreaks of the virus. One event affected was The famous Balloon Fiesta. After taking the year off Balloon Fiesta made it’s return for the 2021 season.

Balloon fiesta park was filled with many spectators waiting to see the many balloons take off into the sky. This year 866,414 guests made their way to the park during the 9 day period.

The Balloon fiesta picked up right where it left off with a total of 588 balloons making an appearance this year. 671 pilots also made the trip from around the world for this years event. The Albuquerque community seemed full of life after the return of the Balloon Fiesta.

A New Perspective

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Story by

Devonny Grajeda

Staff Reporter

A full-time English instructor, Tammy Wolf, said that teaching online can be difficult because there is still work to be done explaining concepts of online classes.

In-person classes allowed her the ability to explain topics face-to-face, which can be easier, she said.

She added that teachers do not like sending students “out of the shell” because an ad can pop up, making it hard for students to stay focused.

“It’s not fair to the students either in some ways because if you don’t love reading, now you have to read all your instructions, you have to read all the support materials… which can be harder for students who don’t read as much,” she said.

The two groups she thought that were the most affected were students who have never learned online and teachers who have never taught online, she said.

She said her biggest obstacle has been isolation. Most of the time, she is at home in her office, grading, which she said could be overwhelming at times.

Wolf said it was not until Christmas last year that she realized the pandemic would not end quickly, and class would not be in person for a while.

She said she misses seeing students challenging one another’s ideas or getting that aha moment when everything starts to make sense. She said that is why she wants students to reply to one another on discussions and ask questions.

She also mentioned how students do not get to see the passionate side of their teachers.

“We just turn into this robot that you’re emailing.” A massive disconnect is present between teachers and students, she said.

Wolf adds that students are tired, and everyone is dealing with so much amid a pandemic, she worries about students who are losing their drive to continue.

Compared to in the beginning when she believed that students as well as teachers may have enjoyed having a break and being online for a little bit.

“Now we’re over it,” she added, “but students need to just keep going, it’s going to get better, just keep going were all in it together, and I know there’s a real divide between faculty and students, but we’re cheering you on, and we want to see everybody succeed.”

Construction on Catering/Brewery Enters the Black Phase

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven

Staff Reporter

  • The Black Phase.
  • The End Game.

Construction on the Catering Brewery Facility at Robert P. Matteuchi Hall continues, and has entered the Black Phase, as pictured on September 28.

The project has already passed through yellow and light blue phases, but must undergo a metamorphosis into creamy white, before it is complete, according to architectural renderings prepared by FBT Architects of Albuquerque.

A rendering of the project, as finished, is displayed on a fence at the construction site on University Boulevard, just south of CNM’ s newly constructed Market Place.

General Contractor for the project is Brycon Construction of Albuquerque.

Vacant Homes Now Belong to CNM

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven

Staff Reporter

  • All Quiet at Former UNM Student Housing Parcel.
  • Peeking into the Future.

Behind sturdy fences, the former UNM student housing units, located on Buena Vista Avenue, await their future.

The units are located on a 13-acre parcel, that was recently sold by UNM to CNM. CNM has approved the acquisition for a price of 1.5 million, and UNM has approved the sale, according to CNM.

When the CNM Governing Board approved the acquisition in July, CNM officials said that they had not determined how they would use the property. At recent CNM meetings the idea that has been presented is to demolish the housing units, and build a state-of-the-art space for the applied technologies and trades programs.

But, as pictured on September 28, from Buena Vista Avenue, these unoccupied housing units, will have to wait to find out their precise fate.

Free Parking for UNM Students

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven

Staff Reporter

  • UNM shuttle bus on University Boulevard, on its way to pick up UNM students who park for free at the massive University Stadium parking lot.
  • University Stadium parking lot is brimming with cars, as UNM students park for free and catch a shuttle bus to their main campus. Two shuttle buses are visible in the background at a pickup point.

While CNM students have seen the imposition of paid parking for their campus lots, UNM students are able to skate on charges by parking at the massive University Stadium parking lot, south of the CNM campus.

Of course, if there is an athletic event, like a home Lobo football game, paid parking goes into effect, according to lot attendants.

But on a beautiful weekday afternoon, the University Stadium is brimming with cars, whose drivers had to pay nary a farthing for their place in the sun. Shuttle buses are ready to ferry UNM students to their main campus as soon as the students park. It is about a mile walk that some students might not want to endure in the afternoon sun.

The red Lobo shuttle busses are highly visible as they go to and from the Stadium lot to Main campus, via University Boulevard.

Lot attendants are scooting about in their golf carts to monitor the situation, but everything seems peaceful and calm. There may be no such thing as a free lunch these days, but for UNM students there is free parking.