Category: Feature

Lighting the Plaza

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven 

Staff Reporter

Workers from Theco, an electrical contractor out of Corrales, install a light pole on the new plaza in front of the Louis Saavedra Administration Building, as the project reaches the finish line.  The project features concrete benches, freshly planted trees, and a new bike rack.  It occupies part of the space where “N” building once stood.  The workers requested to remain anonymous.

  • Location where light pole is to be installed
  • Workers from Theco work on light pole
  • The finished installation of the new light pole

ECOS & Dean to Discuss Future of Online Education

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By

Mark Graven

Staff Writer


Phil Lister, Dean of the School of Math, Science and Engineering at CNM has accepted an invitation to attend the next Executive Council of Students (ECOS) to be held March 19th, according to ECOS President Alex Crossland.
The EOCS board has been searching for a way of obtaining more interaction between professors and students in math and science courses in the remote learning process that has taken over CNM, during Covid times.
To that end the ECOS board members, at last Friday’s meeting, crafted an email inviting Dean Lister to meet with board members this coming Friday.  By the end of the meeting last Friday, Lister replied that he would attend, Crossland announced.
Dean Lister presides over a large amount of academic territory at CNM.  The MSE School offers degree programs in Biology; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Earth and Planetary Science; Engineering; Geography; Mathematical Science; Nutrition; Physics; and Pre-Health Scidnce; and non-degree programs in Astronomy and Natural Science (for teachers).
Physics course have come under particular scrutiny at ECOS board meetings because they lack a lecture component, according to Imane Bahji. ECOS vice-president.  
Bahji said that if difficult science and math courses are not going to offer lecture, or some other reasonable substitute for faculty student interaction, then CNM should say so upfront, so that students know what they are getting into.  
ECOS had previously contacted CNM President Tracey Hartzler, and met the the Faculty Senate, but did not achieve the improvement to remote learning that board members wanted to see.
Students interested in watching ECOS meeting with Dean Lister can go to My CNM and search for ECOS meeting link.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., as per usual with ECOS meetings.

Where’s Owlivia?

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven

Staff Writer

The tree’s an CNM’s Westside Campus where the famous horned owl couple live.

“Owlivia,” the female half of the now famous horned owl couple in residence at CNM’S westside campus peeks over the second level ledge, on the Southside of the main entrance to the Michael J. Glennon Building.  Her mate, “Whodini,” was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday, March  7th.   Campus personnel said that Whodini often disappears into the trees, by the entrance, when Owlivia, takes the south ledge perch.  
The owls have been recently spotted together on a ledge on the Northside of the MJG entrance, where “Owlivia” had laid two eggs.  Unfortunately, the eggs rolled off the ledge, and did not survive the fall, campus personnel said.  

Photo of an Owl peaking out over the second ledge on the South Side of the entrance at CNM’s Westside Campus.

This marks the second year in a row in which Owlivia has lost her eggs.  The owls achieved notoriety, when a young owlet fell out of his nest in a tree, near the entrance, in 2018, and had to be rescued by local wildlife workers.
Campus administration and security officers now keep tabs on the comings, goings and doings of the owls, which security officers have named.  The Chronicle spoke with Larrison Nelson,, an administrative technician with the Scholl of Adults and General Education and Roger Trujillo, a CNM security officer, outside WSII on Tuesday. 
Nelson and Trujillo said that during the summer months, the owls like to hang out in the pine trees to the north of Westside II building, but prefer to be around the MJG entrance when it is colder.
When the campus is busy, security has signs to set out to indicate the presence of the nesting owls.

Living Small to Live Large

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Story and Photos

By Angela Harrington

Staff Reporter

The tiny home movement is alive and thriving according to Mr. Elliott Espinosa.

Mr. Espinosa is an Albuquerque native and lifelong resident of the South Valley. He makes his living by locating, refurbishing, and reselling recreational vehicles (RV’s), travel trailers, and boats, he said.

“People of all ages are looking to downsize right now. Lots of people are trying to lower their expenses,” said Mr. Espinosa.

Small homes are easier on the environment and less expensive, he said

“Why go into huge amounts of debt when you can have all the necessary amenities and still have the ability to move and take it all with you?” said Espinosa.

According to Espinosa, working remotely is a trend that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon and this type of flexible living fits in well with that trend.

He said, “I find life to be more rewarding when the stressful components, like expenses, are simplified. Living small is a great way to leave time and finances available for the things we enjoy most in life.”

Mr. Espinosa suggests that people look into the many options available before committing to the high cost and singular location that comes with a home mortgage.

  • 76’ Airstream trailer
  • 81’ Guppy
  • 87’ Ford Econoline 250
  • 78’ Hunter Cherubini
  • 53’ Aljoa trailer

All Quiet on Montoya Campus

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Story and Photos by

Mark Graven

Staff Writer

It is a sunny afternoon at CNM Montoya campus, on a March day that would foster a beehive of activity during normal times but these are still COVID TIMES. The Montoya parking lots are practically bereft of cars.  Outside tables, where students might ordinarily be having lunch, are vacant.  Signs on the glass doors of Robert R. Barr Hall indicate that the library, within, is closed, and that assessments scheduled for March 23rd through April 5th, will be held at the CNM Main Campus.  The Sandia Mountains, in in the background, send a message that there are still tasks to be completed.  And the birds still chirp their songs from the bushes and trees, but garner applause from no one.

The Games That Are Getting Us Through

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Story and Photo

By Angela Harrington

Staff Reporter

 Psychology major Isaiah Theodis said that game play has been a great way for him to get away from the stresses of not seeing friends.

He does still get out and partake in some outdoor activities, but playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with friends and online role-playing games (RPG) has helped him get through the social distancing that has become a way of life over the last year, he said.

 “I generally like the RPG games because it kind of gets you away from what you are doing and puts your mind in a different place,” said Theodis.

 Theodis recommends games like Minecraft because players can let their imaginations fly by building things like mansions or castles, he said.

Photo of the Game Survive

 He stated, “With a lot of those action adventure games, the concept is just destroying, but at the end of the day, building something is a lot more fun and productive.”

He said he likes board and card games as well.

“I have been making my parents pretty mad lately with UNO. It’s hard for people to smoke me in UNO, that’s like one of my favorite things,” said Theodis.

Geography instructor Justin Fuller said Uno is one of his family’s favorites, but they also play Chutes-and-Ladders, Connect Four, and Go Fish, among others.

 “I introduced my kids to Battleship, which they liked with the hunting and finding your opponent and using the Grid-type, almost a map, to record where you and your opponent’s ships are located,” Fuller said.

If you are looking for something different to play maybe try a game called SURVIVE Escape From Atlantis! (Currently being played by a member of the CNM Chronicle Staff). The idea of the game is to save people on an island, before a volcano erupts.

Click the link here for more game ideas.

ECOS Looking For Answers

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Story By

Mark Graven

Staff Reporter


Frustrated by what it perceives as a lack of a response in its call for improvements to remote learning at CNM,  the Executive Council of Students (ECOS) has decided to target the mid-level of the CNM  bureaucracy to get action. 

At a meeting on February 5th, ECOS decided to contact the Physics Department to try and arrange meeting with its professors to convince them to insert a lecture component in the instructional programs.

Imane Bahji, ECOS vice president, said it was puzzling that the students should be in a situation where “we have to inform educators that we need a lecture.”

Within the last six weeks, ECOS has written to the president of CNM, Tracy Hartzler, and met with the Faculty Senate, about its concerns, but little has changed, according too Bahji, a Math, Science and Engineering (MSE) major.

“All we can do is to keep on trying”  said Colin Stapleton, ECOS outreach officer.

ECOS President Alex Crossland said that it makes sense for ECOS to be persistent in trying to improve remote learning.  “We need to pursue this at various levels” he said.  

Bahji has consistently contended that students need to be able to have real time interaction with professors to clarify difficult concepts in math, science, and computer programming.  

“Otherwise students will just pay a couple hundred bucks more and take the classes at UNM, or elsewhere,”

Bahji

CNM President Tracey Hartzler said in her state of the college address in January that the enrollment for Spring semester showed an 11 percent decline over last year.  She noted that CNM is slightly behind the national average in enrollment decline–which is 10 percent, in this time of Covid.  Most of CNM’s classes have gone remote in this time, with just a few returning to campus under restrictions.

ECOS board members said they would like to meet with Linda Martin of CNM’s Office of Data Strategy, for a more in depth look at the reasons for the enrollment decline.

Bahji said she thought Spring Semester would be different after ECOS raised concerns over remote learning during the fall.

“But it is not (different),”said Bahji, noting that professors had the winter break to make adjustments.  “Now we want to express urgency,” said Bahji.

Hartzler State of the School Address

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Story by

Olawale Oluwakoya

Staff Repoter

Tracy Hatzler the president of CNM gave a speech addressing the state of the college and new strategies for the year ahead and beyond.

CNM has met, managed expectations, and shared information to build a community in a way that many places have not been able to, she said.

 More than 4 million dollars unexpectedly came into the schools budget during the pandemic, allowing the school to focus on e-caring, and give more than a million dollars in awards to students within the spring and summer time, said Tracy.

In addition to creating Wi-Fi hotspots around campus, CNM ramped up the frequency of training sessions and webinars for employees to be able to expand and use the latest technologies available to them, she said.

“The progress made by CNM during the pandemic has been outstanding, the tireless effort put in by each member of the team for the benefit of our students and community has been inspirational,” she said.

Making changes during a pandemic takes a lot of courage, the school is thriving  thanks to our courageous teams, we appreciate the work that they have done and how they were able to live our values, she said.

”The courage of individuals who come to campus on a regular basis to keep us safe is really inspiring so I want to thank maintenance, operations, security, IT and so many who’ve been around and on campus, “she said.

Construction in the Pink

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Photo by

Mark Graven 

Staff Writer

Contreras Construction Corp. Workers at Work

Workers from Contreras Construction Corp. of Albuquerque were part a colorful pink panorama as they poured concrete tables and benches for the plaza being constructed in front of the Louis E. Saavedra Administration Building, at the CNM Main Campus.The pink cement mixer is a hallmark, of Roadrunner Redi-Mix, Inc., of Albuquerque, which features the sole female, minority owner/operator in New Mexico, in Juliie Villegas,  according to its website.