Category: Campus News

World Cat Local | Navigating CNM’s new library system

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By Stephanie Stuckey, Staff Reporter

CNM’s new library system called World Cat Local is more of a “behind the scenes” operating system, said Renée Goodvin, Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian for the Jeannette Stromberg Library on Main Campus.

Transferring books from one campus library to another, placing books on hold, and renewing books are some of the behind the scenes, she said.

Renewing the library materials was a feature added during the upgrade, Goodvin said.

In order to be able to renew books or other materials, students will have to set-up an external account with World Cat Local, she said.

Students seem to get confused when logging into their World Cat Local accounts, the student needs to use their CNM student identification (ID) number rather than their email user names or log on names to CNM computers, she said.

She also said that World Cat Local would generate its own password after entering the CNM student ID number.

The easiest way to access the CNM library system is through the library’s webpage at CNM.edu and then click libraries under the Student Resources tab, she said.

Something important to remember, is that students can search for materials all they want; it is when an action is required such as placing a book on hold or renewing materials that logging into the World Cat Local account is required, Goodvin said.

Once students are logged in however, they can place holds, renew material, and see what materials they have checked-out stated Goodvin.

One of the upgrades made was to a service that through the old system was called Book Media Pick-Up and is now called Placing a Hold, and it is when a book is delivered from one campus to another, she said.

The name changed and the steps to use this function have changed as well, she said.

This new library system is the same system being used by the University of New Mexico (UNM) and allows CNM to work with UNM as well as other schools across the state because they all use the World Cat Local system, she said.

Goodvin stated that one minor downside to the new system is that because it is fairly new, there are many upgrades that have to be made in order to maintain the latest versions of the system, she said.

She has heard students saying that navigating the new system can be a little complicated, she said.

Goodvin has noticed that “students tend to be shy when it comes to asking about library materials” she said.

Goodvin encourages students who have questions regarding the new online library system to call the library, email the library staff, or just stop on by.

“We are happy to help,” she said.

If further help is needed, students can make an appointment with Goodvin by contacting the library and can get one-on-one help with the new system or other library related issues.

“It is actually my job to help people, it is what I get paid to do,” she said.

New transfer options for CNM students

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By Whitney Oliphant, Staff Reporter

CNM will be partnering with Western New Mexico University to offer online bachelor degree programs for its students that are seeking to continue their education at a four year institution, said Roberto Vasquez of Academic Affairs at CNM.

Beginning fall of 2015 CNM students will be able to transfer some of their associate’s degrees from CNM to Western New Mexico University to continue their education and obtain their bachelor’s degree in certain fields, he said.

“They are building this bridge that is just going to streamline the ability to transfer,” said Vasquez.

In all there will be at least ten programs offered through distance education with WNMU and CNM will be announcing all the names of the programs at a later date this summer, Vasquez said.

Some of the online programs that will be offered through WNMU will include Interdisciplinary Studies, Criminal Justice and Social Work, he said.

The approved associate programs will transfer directly over into one of the adjoining online bachelor’s programs at WNMU, said Vasquez.

Some students worry that certain classes may not transfer over to another four year institution and when a class does not transfer that student is faced with taking a similar course over, which can take away from the amount of time it takes a student to graduate, he said.

The partnership with WNMU will help ease those concerns, he said.

Western New Mexico University is also locking their tuition rates for their students, Vasquez said.

What this means is that CNM students who transfer to WNMU can keep the same tuition rates that WNMU offers from the beginning of their program to the end of their program, he said.

This is something that students should be aware of if they are planning on transferring to one of WNMU’s online programs, he said.

There are a few exceptions and guidelines in regards to the locked tuition rates but CNM will have more information available for its students on this as they finalize everything with WNMU, he said.

CNM is also in the process of building a transfer website from the ground up, he said.

What this means is that once the website is up, students will be able to access more information on CNM’s partnership with WNMU and many other universities, Vasquez said.

Students will be able to view the universities that CNM is currently partnering with and what associate programs at CNM will transfer to those universities, he said.

To make the stress of transferring to a new institution easier for students, CNM hopes to have someone from Western New Mexico University available at the CNM campus, he said.

CNM is hoping to have the advisor from WNMU at the CNM campus at least twice a month in order to answer any questions that may arise regarding WNMU, he said.

They will also be available to answer any questions students may have about transferring into one of their programs, Vasquez said.

“CNM is moving in a neat direction as far as transfer,” Vasquez said.

The new transfer website will be accessible through CNM’s web page as soon as they finalize everything and are able to launch the newly developed website, he said.

In the meantime if there are any questions about transferring to WNMU regarding the tuition rates, appointments can be scheduled with academic advisors, Vasquez said.

To schedule an appointment with one of CNM’s academic advisors on Main Campus call 505-224-4355.

The hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. according to the CNM website.

CNM fitness program offering internships to students

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By Stephanie Stuckey, Staff Reporter

CNM’s Fitness Technician Certification Program has an internship experience unique to other programs offered on campus said Dr. Vanessa Mikan, director of the Fitness Technician Program Health, Wellness and Public Safety.

The internship program is the last step in the certification process in which the students will need to complete 135 internship hours, said Instructional Technician, Coren Anderson.

The students can fulfill the internship requirement by teaching three fitness classes on campus at CNM or by teaching two classes on campus and one class at an outside location, Anderson said.

The internship program requires the students to write and teach ten exercise routines for the semester, as well as obtain two student clients who are volunteers from class, she said.

The intern will devise a training plan and advise the student clients so that they can meet their fitness goals, she said.

The CNM Fitness program allows students to obtain outside experience at Sports & Wellness, Anytime Fitness, YMCA, Planet Fitness, JCC, and Elevate: PHW, Mikan said.

The program has also established educational partnerships with America Council of Exercise (ACE) and Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), she said.

“By giving the Fitness students the opportunity to work within our FITT courses, they are helping our CNM students become stronger both mentally and physically,” Mikan said.

CNM has also partnered with the YMCA this summer for the AFAA Primary Group Exercise Certification that would nationally certify students as Group Exercise Instructors, she said.

The Fitness Tech. Certification Program’s purpose is to better educate students who want to teach group exercise classes and become personal trainers, Anderson said.

The fitness classes are not only available to students wanting to enroll in the Fitness Tech. Certification Program, Debbie Romero said.

Fitness classes are program approved electives for science majors, criminal justice, and other degree programs, Debbie Romero said.

“The interns have excellent instructors to help guide them in their fitness career paths,” Mikan said.

Having a knowledgeable staff of instructors is what makes the program, she said.

Two instructors who have been with CNM since the fall of 2002 are Elias Romero and Debbie Romero.

“The internship program is a great opportunity for Fit Tech. majors to gain experience before getting a real job, it’s hands on experience,” Elias Romero said.

Travis Holt who is currently enrolled in the Fitness Tech. Certification Program is in the internship part of his certification, said that he was not very happy with his health and appearance so he decided to take a fitness class.

He enjoyed it so much he switched his focus to fitness training and enrolled in the program, he said.

Student Jeffry Chalan who is disabled and confined to a wheelchair due to a car accident is enrolled in Debbie Romero’s Physical Fitness 1 class.

He relies on public transportation to get from home to school, he said.

Debbie’s class will not only help him obtain his degree, it will help get and keep him in shape Chalan said.

He does not let his disability keep him down, he said.

Chalan is one of many examples that anyone can take these classes and you do not have to be a fitness buff to take a fitness class, Debbie Romero said.

“We are not just a P.E. class!” Mikan said.

The Fitness Lab is located in Ted Chavez Hall, rooms 113, 115, and 141, Anderson said.

There is also a locker room with showers for students’ convenience, she said.

To learn more about the Fitness Technician Certification Program, go to cnm.edu and select Health, Wellness & Public Safety under Programs of Study.

CNM providing opportunities for CNM’s refugee and immigrant students facing difficulties

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By Shakir Farid Abdullah, Staff Reporter

CNM refugee and immigrant students
encounter new difficulties when trying to
have their degrees recognized or transferable
in America.

There are standards that have to be met for
evaluating credits to be transferable for students,
said Brad Moore, director of Communications
and Media Relations for CNM.

CNM always looks for ways to assist students
and verify credits that are transferable, he said.

Yosef Bader, nursing major, said that no
one will recognize his bachelor’s degree in
Chemistry from the Mutah University in Jordan
or give him a job.

“All of us are the same. The new immigrants
and refugees are facing the same situation,”
Bader said.

Beatrice Villegas, program director for
the Center of Refugee Settlement and Support
at Catholic Charities, said that this is a system’s
issue.

Whatever the United States education system
standards are at this time requires looking at
them from a macro level and figuring out what it
requires from refugees and immigrants seeking
transferable degrees, she said.

“Things cannot change immediately, but we
can extend our concerns to the governor and our
state representatives,” she said.

This will enable them to figure out ways
to provide resources, which will assist clients,
some of which who are CNM students, in
achieving transferable degrees and successful
employment, Villegas said.

Catholic Charities clients often become frustrated
with the difficulties they face, she said.

“We say, Look, we live in this system, let’s work
with what we can change, and focus on the little steps
in order to achieve the bigger goals in attaining higher
education, degrees and securing employment opportunities,”
she said.

Their hope is to build a solid connection between
CNM antheir education director Kris Degenhardt
at Catholic Charities in order to assist refugees and
immigrants to become successful in completing ESL
programs, Villegas said.

“Ours is at a very base level, and if our clients are
able to attend CNM’s ESL courses, then I believe we will
have a 50 percent increase in the success rate of our clients
finding employment, achieving a higher education,
degree, and a better quality of life in America,” she said.

CNM has many programs established to help curb
the difficulties for many of the students, Moore said.

CNM Connect is a program engineered to assist all
students find efficient ways to develop and build a solid
approach in achieving desired degrees, and be on the
path towards a productive and successful career, he said.

Advisors and achievement coaches at CNM Connect
has programs such as the Competency Based Education
program, Credit for Prior Learning program, and ESL
Nursing Assistance program which are established to
assist students, he said.

Competency Based Education, provides a program
tract where a student advances forward in the program at
his or her own speed, he said.

Credit for Prior Learning program’s goal, is to
increase student retention and reduce time for completion
of degree and it is an academic credit awarded towards
a Certificate of Associates Degree program, Moore said.

Those who can use this program, are those
who completed AP or CLEP exam, have military
transcripts, have license or certification, pass
challenge exams, and uses course substitution or
waivers to achieve their degrees quicker, Moore
said.

The ESL Nursing Assistance Program, is a
new option funded by CNM’s Integrated Basic
Education Skills Training (I-BEST) Grant, he said.

It provides an extra class, where students can
build and strengthen their communication skills,
medical vocabulary, receive extra help with class
content, and test preparation, he said.

Bader said that this program will make it
possible for him to get a job soon.

“There is a higher cause here at CNM and we
know that refugees, immigrants, and any of the
lives of CNM students can improve if they can get
into CNM, take classes, and earn a degree, and
people here are very passionate about this,” he said.

The Center of Refugee Settlement and Support
at Catholic Charities is a non-profit agency of five
centers in the Albuquerque metropolitan area that
provides housing, community support, GED/ESL/
Civics courses, and assistance to immigrants, refugees,
and citizens in Albuquerque, Villegas said.

Job Connection Services

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By Stephanie Stuckey, Staff Reporter

CNM continues to offer services to students who
have graduated through Job Connection Services
(JCS) and the Alumni Association.

CNM alumni have access to lifetime services with
Job Connection, said Amanda Rubio, student services
technician at Job Connection Services.

According to Rubio, Job Connection helps students
obtain certificates and degrees, which is a service
that begins before graduation.

Rubio said that students can call and speak to a
career advisor and get help over the phone.

“Sometimes a little pep talk is all that is needed,”
she said.

With 339 jobs currently listed on their website,
students who have recently graduated are likely to find
a great job, she said.

These jobs are entry level positions that correlate
with CNM programs, she said.

Job Connection also help students find and attain
paid job internships, she said.

Rubio said that JCS has data analysts that contact
graduates to see where they are working and to find
out how much money they are earning.

This is just one of many ways that JCS stays on
top of what fields are hiring at competitive rates in
order to have data to show other students going into
that same field that they can find a job and earn good
money too, she said.

Another way is by using outside resources to find
out what employers might be hiring, she said.

Job Connection Services is not a placement center,
but they do help find job leads and have access to outside
resources, she said.

Other services offered by Job Connection include
help with cover letters and resumes, and practice
interviews, one on one, with a career center advisor,
she said.

She also said that alum have access to free paper
copies and faxes.

Job Connection Services is so much more than just
technical help, she said.

Once students have registered with Job Connection
Services they can utilize the website from wherever
and whenever, she said.

Students’ success is so important to Job Connection
Services that they even have a clothing exchange to
help students attain the necessary attire to go into job
interviews with confidence, Rubio said.

These exchanges usually happen once a year, but
if a student poses a need before or after the exchange
happens then all the student needs to do is give Job
Connection Services a call and they are willing to help
to the best of their abilities, she said.

When classes are in session, Job Connection
Services will see about 30 to 50 students per day,
Rubio said.

JCS is open five days a week Monday through
Friday from 8am to 5pm and closed for winter break
and national holidays, she said.

There are computers at JCS for students to conduct
job searches and offer a hot cup of Joe while conducting
searches, she said.

According to Roberta Ricci, CNM Director of
Development, there is also an Alumni Association that
was created in 2008.

Throughout the years the Alumni Association has
honored and recognized alumni with the Association’s
Distinguished Alumni Award, Ricci said.

Every year, an alum is chosen and celebrated
for their accomplishments at the CNM Foundation’s
annual Donor Appreciation Dinner, Ricci said.

Ricci also says that the CNM Alumni Association
is launching its first ever Brick Program.

“Alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, and
family can create a lasting legacy and a permanent way
to show support for CNM by purchasing a personalized
brick in the beautiful Alumni Courtyard on main
campus,” Ricci said.

A person’s name, or the name of a loved one, can
be forever etched into CNM’s history, she said.

The donations are 100% tax deductible and is designated
for the CNM Foundation to upkeep college
programs and scholarship initiatives per Ricci and the
bricks cost $100 per brick, she said.

According to Ricci, alumni can become part of the
CNM Alumni Association by filling out an online application
at http://www.cnm.edu/depts/foundation/alumni,
membership is free, and once an alum becomes a
member, they will receive a monthly e-newsletter.

For more information about the CNM Alumni
Association, feel free to contact Roberta Ricci,
Director of Development, CNM Foundation, (505)
224-4641 or rricci1@cnm.edu.

The best way to register for Job Connection
Services is to go to http://www.cnm.edu, Rubio said.

Under the Jobs tab click Job Connection Services,
then click Look for Jobs under Students, Graduates,
and Staff, she said.

The student will then be directed to Suncat Career
Connection where an account will need to be created
and once this is done the previously mentioned benefits
will be accessible, Rubio said.

Winter fashion show: Cosmetology students out on a show for class final

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By Daniel Johnson, Editor-n-Chief

The Advanced Salon Cosmetology 2692 class is putting on a student run fashion show on December 4, 2014 at the CNM South Valley Campus from 6pm to 8pm, Cosmetology Major Valerie Archibeque said.

The show will let fourth term students have an opportunity to use all the skills that they have acquired throughout the course of the program, she said.

“We will be able to apply and show off all the stuff we have learned while being students of the cosmetology program at CNM”, Archibeque said.

This is the first time we are doing this as a final for the actual class, she said.

Cosmetology major Natalie Rojo said the fashion show is not only the final for the class but it is also something that the department hopes will help to get the cosmetology program noticed.

“The show will allow the students the oppor­tunity to show off what they have learned in the different areas we study in cosmetology, like hair, nails, make-up, and other aspects of fash­ion,” she said.

Cosmetology major Louie Mendoza said the students will have to plan out the entire show from top to bottom.

There are 11 students doing this and each student will have two models so there will be 22 total models that will walk the runway, he said.

Students also have to plan out the floor design, seating, food, the theme, and how the show will flow, he said.

“It should be a lot of fun because we will get to express who we are with the help of what we have learned,” Mendoza said.

Each student will be able to show their true potential by using their models as a blank canvass and just creating an individualized mas­terpiece, he said.

The Cosmetology class does not get a lot of recognition since it is held only at the south valley campus which is kind of sepa­rated from the rest of Albuquerque, Rojo said.

“We want to leave an impression because we want our program to be seen and stand out more because we have the show as a final but just like regular areas of study we also have to study for paper finals and still do our homework,” she said.

This event will allow students to look for­ward to something fun as a final, Mendoza said.

The preparation for the show will take a couple of hours since we have to set up the catwalk and perfor­mance space all while making up our models, he said.

“It will be better than just doing a couple of perms and call­ing it a day,” he said.

With the show getting closer a lot of the students are starting to get that nervous filling and becoming very anxious for the show, he said.

Part time cosmetology instructor Babette Reeves- Harmon said the fashion show will be the fourth term final project which should be a fun opportunity for the students to do something exciting while still putting them­selves out there, she said.

Several years ago there was a fashion show that was done by the whole department but this time around it is just for the students in Cosmetology 2692, she said.

The students were informed that they should approach the local community for donations when it came to the clothing that the models are going to be wearing because it allows them to get out and communicate with the community which is going to be something they have to do regularly once they graduate, she said.

The students will be graded on how well they have allocated time for preparation of the show and the making up of the models hair, makeup, nails, and wardrobe, all the way to how well they clean the location after the show is over, she said.

“We are welcoming all students, staff and faculty to attend the show because we want people to come from all seven campus of CNM to support our little community that is nestled away here in the south valley,” she said.

CNM to celebrate Veterans

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By Guadalupe Santos-Sanchez, Staff Reporter

Starting on Monday, Nov. 10 and continuing on until Thursday, Nov. 13, CNM will celebrate veterans for a second year with Veterans Awareness Week, said Libby Fatta, Student Events and Programs manager for the Dean of Students office.

Events will be held in the Main, Montoya, Westside, and South Valley campuses at various times and the events will include Veteran Resource Day, flag ceremonies, and speeches, she said.

“This year’s theme is ‘Recognizing the Sacrifices of our Women Veterans’ and we expect to have two World War Two veterans and one Vietnam veteran as honorary guests,” said JR Romero, CNM VetSuccess Counselor.

Some of the speeches will be by vet­erans who will most likely be sharing memories and stories from their time in the service, Fatta said.

It is important to make everyone on campus aware of Veterans Awareness Week, she said.

“Showing that we support veterans is a way that the community can see that they do have a lot of support and they are honored and remembered every year,” she said.

The events assist our veterans with acknowledgement of a job well done, Romero said.

They are hoping that attendees rec­ognize all the sacrifices of the veterans to duty and country, he said.

“I think it is so important for us to never forget the sacrifices our veterans and families have endured,” he said.

Some veterans are a lot younger than others and they also need to be recog­nized, Fatta said.

Veterans Awareness Week can facilitate relationships between all veterans, she said.

It allows organizations to provide resources for veterans as well, Romero said.

“John F. Kennedy once said ‘a nation reveals itself not only by the men it pro­duces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers’,” Romero said.

“We are encouraged by these words, and we as Veterans know our own personal sacrifices, and it is great to have others spend some time honoring Veterans,” he said.

They are expecting a good turn out from students and veterans and a larger group of people to be at each of the five cer­emonies than in previous years, Fatta said.

They are also hoping that passerby come in and stay for the ceremony as well, she said.

They hope that the entire student body, staff and faculty will participate in the events, especially the flag event on Nov. 11, Romero said.

Starting on Monday, Nov.10 we will provide coffee and cookies for veterans and their dependents on Main, Montoya and Westside campuses from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and that will be outside the caf­eteria areas, Fatta said.

“So veterans will just be able to come up and we’ll give thanks to them and hand them coffee and cookies at that event,” she said.

On Tuesday, Nov.11 they are going to have a flag ceremony on Main campus that is going to start at 10 a.m. in front of the SRC flagpole and the Kirkland Air Force Base Honor Guard will be present­ing the colors, she said.

They will be followed by the Dean of Students, the Director of the Regional Office Chris Norton and a Female Wounded Warrior Christian Barden, she said.

And they will have special, honorable guests that are World War II and Vietnam women veterans, she said.

For Wednesday, Nov. 12 they will have the flag ceremony at Montoya campus near the flagpole from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and it will be the same schedule of events for that, she said.

Thursday, Nov. 13 they will have the flag ceremony at the Westside campus from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and at the South Valley campus from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and it will be a similar ceremony with the guests they invited, she said.

CNM Monster Mash is back

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By Guadalupe Santos-Sanchez, Staff Reporter

The CNM Monster Mash Costume Contest is coming back to the school on Oct. 31, 2014.

The costume contest will be at the CNM Main Campus SRC Breezeway, said Events Manager at Outreach Services, Maren Stockhoff.

CNM Students, Faculty, and Staff can get their picture taken at the photo booth any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., she said.

If students are not going to be on the Main Campus on Halloween they can email a picture of themselves in their costume to tweet@cnm.edu before 3 p.m. the day of Halloween, she said.

The pictures will be put up on the CNM Facebook Page and the top three pictures that receive the most likes will be declared the winners of the contest, she said.

The top three winners will get prizes that will be determined after the winners are picked, she said.

This is the fifth year that CNM host the Monster Mash Costume Contest, the first one having been in 2010, she said.

The first year they held the costume contest to see if it was something students and employees would enjoy, she said.

“It’s been popular from the beginning. We are looking for­ward to another fun day and seeing some awesome cos­tumes,” Stockhoff said.

An exploration of the flora on Main Campus

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By Carol Woodland, Guest Writer

CNM’s Main campus has a commitment to using native, drought tolerant plants in their landscaping, said Anthony Rael head of Maintenance and Operations.

Rael said the landscape was designed to con­serve water by using only enough to establish new plants and to water only when and where it is needed as plants grow.

Some of that water used comes from building runoff which flows directly into planters, he said.

Biology professor Deborah Muldavin and avid gardener, said she takes notice of the land­scaping at CNM.

“I wanted to point out to you that a lot of these things that we’re calling native plants, if you look carefully at the distributions, you’ll find some that are real generalists that are all over, and then you’ll find that some plants that are used actually would not naturally grow here, but they’re still called native,” Muldavin said.

A lot of the plants we are seeing on campus could be better described as “regional”, and might not be able to survive without the inter­vention of humans, she said.

Muldavin said that when growing native plants; putting plants together that have the same needs in terms of soil, moisture and sun­light is essential, and that she watches the plants at Main to see how the landscape planning works out.

The right plants grown together will do a better job taking care of themselves better than people could ever do, and that this concept is called ‘preservation,’ she said.

“Preservation is something different than landscaping, we’re not doing any preservation here at all,” Muldavin said.

Rael said that the mission of the Grounds Department is to make sustainability one of the key decision making components for grounds design and management, which includes consid­ering all inputs to grounds relative to their cost and benefits to the earth and local ecosystem.

“Our directive is to increase biodiversity and self-sustaining systems while reducing depen­dence on fossil fuels and other extracted miner­als,” he said.

Muldavin said that some of the diversity can unfortunately be damaging to native plants and ecosystems explaining that non-native plants compete with native ones, especially in “dis­turbed” locations.

These plants can be disturbed by over graz­ing animals or digging up the earth to try to plant something else, she said.

“When we landscape our yards and around buildings the initial thing we do is create distur­bance,” she said.

One invasive tree grown on Main and all throughout Albuquerque and beyond is the Tamarisk, which was originally planted all over New Mexico to control soil erosion, she said.

In some areas, such as the Bosque del Apache, ecologists have been using efforts for decades to try to remove the Tamarisk; including fire, bulldozers and introducing a new insect to the environment, Muldavin said.

When the Tamarisks are able to grow freely, they take over extensive areas, and almost noth­ing else can grow there, nor do the trees sup­port very many animals because they are not edible, she said.

“They plant them intentionally because they’re really drought tolerant, but some stud­ies suggest when you’ve got thickets of Tamarisk along the acequias that it literally draws the water down, but that’s controversial– some people say yes, some people say no,” she said.

One interesting tree found on campus is the Chitalpa, which is a hybrid between a desert willow and the Catalpa tree, she said.

“I think it’s lovely, I really like it,” Muldavin said.

Another plant Muldavin likes is a rose variety sometimes called the “near-wild rose,” because though it isn’t wild it retains the look of a wild rose, and is planted in a few different areas on Main around the TC building and in the court­yard of KC and grows well here, she said.

Of the native plants on campus, one called rabbit brush or Chrysothamnus is growing all over and is used as medicinal plant for a lot of people and can be identified by its pungent smell, Muldavin said.

In the planter to the west side of the JS building, a native tree called the New Mexico Olive is thriving, and though the fruits it bears are not edible for humans, they are a favorite of birds, she said.

Muldavin said she thinks it would be won­derful if CNM was able to get someone who was a really good botanist to come in to do a semi­nar for the grounds people to teach them more about native plants.

She said she likes seeing the effort to bring new plants in, but thinks the way the plants are maintained could be made simpler by allowing the plants to assume a more natural appearance.

“What frustrates me with the way that they are managed; I don’t think that the maintenance people who go out and do this are responsible for these decisions. But it’s odd to see native plants put in and somebody somewhere decides that these plants need to be tidied up and pruned into globe shapes when the natural form allows for more circulation of air. Being an ecologist, I really like the natural form, and I would think that it would be less labor intensive if they would just accommodate that— just leave it,” she said.

Support groups for students on campus

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By Nick Stern, Copy Editor

Undergraduates can find themselves with many problems aside from the obvious stress that comes with trying to get that degree, but luckily for students, different support groups of many different shapes and sizes are springing up on campus, including the four groups listed below.

Students Support Sobriety

Child Youth Family Development major, Denise Savchuk has succeeded in getting a sobriety support group officially approved by CNM and has been working quite hard to get the program up and run­ning by the fall semester, she said.

The name of the support group is Students Support Sobriety and is a program that is intended to follow in the footsteps of the traditional Alcoholics Anonymous organization, she said.

Savchuk believes that there are a large number of students who are willing to attend the meetings, which reflects the necessity and benefits the program could provide for many people who are working on their sobriety, she said.

“I feel that there is a dire need for it and I have gotten tons of emails regarding when the meeting is,” she said.

Unfortunately, despite the large inter­est in the support group among students, Savchuk is short of starting the meetings until a proper organization is grounded, she said.

To create a board for the group Savchuk would only need to recruit five members, but so far the large number of people that have been interested have been strictly interested in showing up for the meetings as guests and Savchuk is unwill­ing to have the meetings without the assur­ance of longevity, because the organization would provide such an important service to the large number of people who need it, she said.

“I believe I just have not come across the right people. I really want this organi­zation to carry on. I want the backing of CNM to support this and they are-they want it as much as I do but I am not willing to just have any meeting,” she said.

Speakers are intended to inspire and motivate students who are newer and cur­rently trying to walk the path of sobriety while also trying to complete their educa­tion, she said.

“We need to hear these people that have already walked this path. People who are currently on the road to recov­ery can see that it can, and has been done,” Savchuk said.

To contact the sobriety support group, email Savchuk at dsavchuk@cnm.edu or Lori Gallegos at lgallegos4@cnm.edu.

 

Mothers and Mothers To Be

CNM Moms and Moms to be is a support group that is directed at helping mothers who are also trying to make it through school as well, Treasurer Torrey Moorman said.

The group came to be when a number of mothers decided that CNM needed a resource where mothers could get support and education about breastfeeding, access to parenting classes and support, and access to any other resources that could benefit mothers or future mothers who are also enrolled in school, she said.

“A whole bunch of mothers were like ‘let’s at least have a support group at school so that we had a place to have a support group at school,’” She said.

The lack of official status has led to a lack of students who show up regularly along with limited potential candidates that could be elected as officers which would then help make the support group an offi­cial student organization, Moorman said.

“This term was primarily supporting three pregnant moms and so we did a lot of pre-natal education classes. We talked about how to make breastfeeding easier, we talked about the fact that it is the act of breastfeeding that increases IQ and changes oral development,” Moorman said.

There is a plan for having meetings during the summer semester of 2014 and, Moorman said the goal is to have meetings at the Montoya campus on Thursdays and then at Main campus on Tuesdays, she said.

The times have not been decided yet because the room locations are still being figured out, but the meetings will most likely be held between 9 a.m. and noon, she said.

If there are any mothers who are inter­ested in receiving more information about the support group and discovering the times for the future meetings, their best bet is to find the support group on Facebook. com/moms.moms2b, Moorman said.

The group has also anticipated the need for a new president, vice president, secretary, and a treasurer after the fall semester and would greatly appreciate having enough people to run, Moorman said. To contact Moms and Moms to be support group email Torrey Moorman at tbrooksprovost@cnm.edu.

 

National Alliance on Mental Illness

The NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) on Campus support group is another group that is in the process of becoming an official student organization which is meant to sup­port students and the family of students with mental health issues, Disability Resource Center Counselor Kate Rogers said.

NAMI has helped people by using support groups which cover how to deal with mental health issues and also provides support for family members to help educate them on how to support their loved ones in the best manner possible, Rogers said.

“Family members can be so influential in people’s health and so family members got train­ing on what to do in certain situations so they could support the person and keep that person out of the hospital or out of institutions,” Rogers said.

The support group focuses on and is open to all students whether they are diagnosed themselves with mental health issues, related to someone who is diagnosed, or even just inter­ested in learning to be supportive, Rogers said.

Educational meetings and events are anticipated to be scheduled on a regular basis for the fall semester of 2014 and the current task is getting a solid board and proper bylaws together so the group can become an official student organization, Rogers said.

“What they are really hoping to do is have events that help educate people about mental health. We want to be sure to be involved in student health fairs and things like that,” she said.

Rogers believes the support group is beneficial to students because students who have problems and feel uncared for will have a chance to talk to people who really do care, and are willing to discuss problems and provide the support that might make all the difference in someone’s life and educational success, she said.

“If you don’t feel like anybody here actually cares, you might just stay home. So if you have a support group you can call up and say ‘I’m really feeling depressed’ somebody might say ‘hey I’ll meet you after class and we can talk,’” Rogers said.

The community could also benefit immensely from the support, Rogers said, because by learning the proper education about different mental diseases, people will learn just how invalid the stigmas are and learn to be compassionate and understanding towards people with these issues.

Rogers advises anyone who is interested in contacting NAMI on Campus for sup­port, interest in volunteering, or for information can contact Rogers through her email at Krogers25@cnm.edu, Rogers said.

 

LGBTQ+

 

The LGBTQ Plus support group is a group that is intent on creating safety zones on campus and providing safety training to create such safety zones, all for the benefit and support of people of all genders and sexualities, Treasurer Torrey Moorman said, who participates in both Moms and Moms to be, and the LGBTQ support groups.

The group has a goal which is to let people know that no matter what their gender or sexuality is, it is important to communicate openly and honestly about tough subjects, she said.

“What we are trying to do is-people need to know that information whether you are les­bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or whether you are straight. You need to know how to have good communication skills to talk about these things. You need to know where to go to get tested. You need to know how to get tested,” she said.

The support group plans on holding its meeting during the summer semester every Tuesday but the exact location and time is still yet to be announced, Moorman said.

The group has also planned to have a safer sex workshop on Friday, May 30 and has already confirmed two speakers for the event, she said.

The workshop is meant to cover everything from the basics of safer sex like using con­doms to the tougher subjects like talking to partners about getting tested, Moorman said.

“We are going to be covering the basics but also the nitty gritty stuff that people do not want to talk about like how do you talk to somebody about being safe during sex, how do you talk about being tested before you have sex because it’s not just vaginal or anal that can cause problems but the fastest growing trait of oral cancer is in the 15 to 25 age range from oral sex without a condom,” Moorman said.

The meetings are planned to be more like a lounge and coffee situation where people can choose to stay as long or short as they please, she said.

If any participants have questions, concerns, or personal problems they will have the option to seek help during the meetings and will even have the option to ask for a mentor, Moorman said.

Moorman also said there is a need for a CNM faculty member who would be willing to support the CNM LGBTQ Plus community, she said.

“These support groups are helpful because it is hard enough to be in college. There are always stresses and we need to eliminate all the things that should not be stresses,” Moorman said.

To contact the LGBTQ Plus group contact Torrey Moorman at tbrooksprovost@cnm.edu.