Category: Student News

Romance on a budget; Spend less this Valentines Day

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By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter

Valentine’s Day is a special day to treat loved ones to a fine dinner, and Albuquerque has many restaurants that would surely make this day one to remember.

The Chronicle has high­lighted four restaurants that might make this Valentine’s Day truly spectacular that offer Valentine’s Day specials and treats for couples looking to get out on the town this holiday.

Seasons Rotisserie and Grill in Old Town at 2031 Mountain Rd. NW special­izes in cuisine rooted in the American classics, serves simple dishes created with the freshest ingredi­ents and features an open kitchen where guests can see the restaurant kitchen in action, which creates a very memorable dining experience, according to the restaurant’s website.

According to the web­site, guests of Seasons can choose to sit in a dining room that features natural wood, terra cotta, and hand wrought light fixtures.

According to Season’s website this restaurant is located at 2031 Mountain Rd. NW and is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Manager, Keith Roessler said that for their Valentine’s Day special, Seasons will be serving a special four-course dinner, which includes a bottle of Feuillatte Brut Rose from France with the first course, for $55 per person.

The main course entrées include Crispy Duck Breast, Pan Seared Sea Bass, and Fresh Lobster Tail and Filet.

“The Brut Rosé is valued at about $50, so this dinner is a really good deal,” Roessler said.

Roessler said that res­ervations are required and can be made through the website or by phone.

According to the website, Seasons purchases locally or regionally whenever possible and they have been able to find an amazing variety of ingredi­ents from local sources.

For those who would like to dine in the Nob Hill area this Valentine’s Day, there is Scalo Northern Italian Grill located at 3500 Central Avenue SE and this restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then opens for dinner at 5:30 p.m. daily, according to the restaurant’s website.

Manager, Sarah Williams said that they will be running their regular menu and will add a special Valentine’s Day dinner, which will be an appe­tizer and two course dinner and can been seen at the res­taurant’s online menu at scalo­nobhill.com/file/Valentines_ Day_2014.pdf.

Williams said that pasta will run from $13 to $18 and dinner entrées will be from $24 to $32.

Reservations are recom­mended and can be requested by visiting the website or giving them a call, she said.

“Nothing says love like a glass of wine coupled with great Italian cuisine. Pair that with the backdrop of Historic Nob Hill, and you are sure to have a memorable Valentine’s Day,” a passage from the web­site reads.

El Pinto is the largest New Mexican restaurant in the state, with three indoor dining rooms, a cantina, and five patios that are enclosed during the colder months so that visitors can dine by a warm fire, according to the restaurant’s website.

According to El Pinto’s website, this restaurant is located at 10500 Fourth St. NW and is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

According to El Pinto’s menu, which can be seen online at elpinto.com/menus, most large dinners are from $18 to $20 per plate and there are many varieties of healthy and vegetarian plates ranging from $13 to $20.

Manager, Doug Evilsizor said he believes El Pinto would be a fine place for a romantic dinner because it has an old world feel with fireplaces and a romantic atmosphere.

El Pinto has tasty guaca­mole, delicious steak, and tra­ditional enchiladas, he said.

Evilsizor said that they have a wide variety of dishes, including healthy and vegetar­ian dinners that are delicious.

“There’s no better place to be for Valentine’s. We have good salads, great New Mexican food, and the best margaritas around,” he said.

Evilsizor said that there are a limited number of reserved tables, but reserva­tions are not necessary because there are lots of tables for walk-in visitors.

Chit Chat: What is your best and worst Valentine’s Day

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By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos by Nick Stern, and courtesy of facebook.com

Angela Perez, Testing Technician “My worst was when I was getting everything prepared for Valentine’s and my boyfriend at the time came home drunk from the strip club.”
Angela Perez, Testing Technician
“My worst was when I was
getting everything prepared
for Valentine’s and my boyfriend
at the time came home
drunk from the strip club.”
Erik Neumann, Computer Technician major “Me and my girlfriend jumped out of an airplane on Valentine’s Day.”
Erik Neumann, Computer
Technician major
“Me and my girlfriend
jumped out of an airplane
on Valentine’s Day.”
Deedee Velazquez, Biology major “The worst Valentine’s Day ever was when I got ditched because my boyfriend at the time wanted to go out with his friends and watch a football game.”
Deedee Velazquez, Biology major
“The worst Valentine’s Day ever
was when I got ditched because
my boyfriend at the time wanted
to go out with his friends and
watch a football game.”
Andrew Strenger, Food Services Supervisor at Westside Campus “Actually my best Valentine’s Day was when I was single. My worst was when I had a girlfriend.”
Andrew Strenger, Food
Services Supervisor at
Westside Campus
“Actually my best Valentine’s
Day was when I was
single. My worst was when
I had a girlfriend.”
Patti Haaland, Registered Nurse at the Student Health Center “Feb. 14, 2005, me and my husband got married on Valentine’s Day and that was the best Valentine’s Day ever.”
Patti Haaland, Registered Nurse
at the Student Health Center
“Feb. 14, 2005, me and my
husband got married on
Valentine’s Day and that was
the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

Students collaborate in art exhibition

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By Nick Stern, Managing Editor | Photos by Nick Stern

5.1 5.2

CNM students were proud to be a part of 516 ARTS’ Heart of the City Art Exhibition on 516 Central Avenue SW, from February 1 at 6 p.m. until May 3 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Art History major, Patricia Del Rio Jaen said.

Jaen said the same CNM art class that cre­ated the Signs of the Times mural was led by Instructor Larry Bob Phillips which the class also had an exhibit in the show, which was called Signs of Life.

Heart of the City con­sisted of a series of col­laborations, which all explored the city environ­ment through many differ­ent projects including art, urban planning, cultural and economic development, education, and community dialogue, said Executive Director of 516 ARTS, Suzanne Sbarge, who was also the project director of this collaboration.

There were thir­teen different organiza­tions involved with the collaboration, including CNM, and some of which were Ace Barbershop, Warehouse 508, and Amy Biehl High School, accord­ing to the program guide for the exhibition.

Jaen said the project CNM students had cre­ated was made up of over a dozen different signs that the students picked out, designed, and painted themselves.

Phillips’ class stuck to the traditional style of the Route 66 era sign painting that they had used for the mural they created down­town as part of the same Heart of the City collabora­tion called Signs of the Times, Jaen said.

“For the style, we tried to stick to the classic sign paint­ing style so everything is very crisp and it is very traditional,” she said.

Jaen said that it seems everyone had a great time as the art space was packed for most of the night, and that it is good that the school partners up with projects such as this for students to learn outside the classroom.

Jaen said she is very proud of the work that her class created and that CNM should be very proud of it as well.

Sbarge said the idea for Heart of the City came from a longing to exam­ine and analyze what was all around the people of Albuquerque, which could be interpreted differently by people, and making the focus of this project on Albuquerque culture and history based out of the Downtown area.

“The idea for Heart of the City emerged out of our desire to examine what is literally right outside our front doors,” she said.

CNM participation in the collaborations is very impres­sive because not only was their art next to other professional artists’ work but their Signs of the Times mural is also always going to be in public for the entire city of Albuquerque to look at, she said.

Jesse Philips, who has a bachelor’s in illustration, played a big part in designing both projects that CNM stu­dents worked on and he had a lot of fun doing it, he said.

Philips said he is good friends with Instructor Phillips and the two have worked on many projects together, he said.

Philips said he has always been inspired by the Route 66 era signage that has a big part in Albuquerque’s history and culture, who also believes that it is a lost art that has pretty much been replaced by canned signs that are a dime a dozen that require no skill to make, and he was happy to help pre­serve a little bit of the style.

“I think it is good that they are preserving stuff, like when hotels get torn down they keep the sign up because it is a symbol of our history,” he said.

Philips said he had a great time at the exhibition, as well as having a chance to work with the students of CNM on an outside project.

He had a lot of fun work­ing with them and was very impressed by their drive to get the project done.

Jaen said, the students had already gotten the credit for the class, yet they were still showing up every day to work on the project and in the end they had something much greater than a good grade to be proud of with this one of a kind project to work with 516 ARTS.

Neon sunset Class shines light on Duke City history

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By Nick Stern, Managing Editor | Photo by Nick Stern

8

Not only has the city of Albuquerque commissioned Art Instructor, Larry Bob Phillips and his 1125 Art Practices class to create an original mural to capture the history of Albuquerque displayed right in the heart of Downtown, the class’s mural will also be featured in the “Heart of the City” art exhibit starting in February, Phillips said.

The Heart of the City exhibition’s opening recep­tion will take place Feb. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be located at 516 Central Ave. at 516 ARTS.

This show will feature lead artists, student appren­tices, public art projects and public programs focused on envisioning the future of Downtown Albuquerque, and partnered with thirteen Albuquerque organizations to examine the strengths, weaknesses and needs of the city’s urban core for this exhibition, according to 516arts.org.

For the project, the class decided to tackle a depiction of the Route 66 era “neon sunset,” which is near Century 14 Downtown, at the corner of First Street and Central Avenue, he said.

“For our location at First and Central we felt like it made a lot of sense to recog­nize and address this history of the neon sunset, western landscape, American Dream, car culture from the 50’s through the end of the cen­tury,” Phillips said.

The mural is called “Signs of the Times” and is a set of imagery that was devel­oped to pertain to the legacy of signage in Albuquerque, he said.

Students picked out dif­ferent signs from all around town that they thought were interesting and told some kind of story about Albuquerque, Phillips said.

Following that step they were tasked with creating a black and white line drawing of those signs which Local Designer, Jesse Philips col­laborated with the class to come up with a dynamic composition, in which all of the signs were conformed into a collaged landscape of Albuquerque’s most famous signage, Phillips said.

Signs are from well-known Albuquerque hot spots such as the Dog House, Octopus Car Wash, as well as many old hotel signs sprawled throughout Central Avenue.

Phillips said he was very interested in the art of sign and mural painting but he knew that lettering by hand involved techniques that were not normally taught by fine arts instructors, he said.

“There is a whole craft there that is almost like secret knowledge and is learned as a trade by profes­sionals, and it is not really what is in the purview of fine art instructors,” Phillips said.

When the class was commissioned by the city of Albuquerque to paint the mural, Phillips decided that quality instructions on how to do proper lettering was the greatest and most impor­tant thing that funds could go to, he said.

He got in touch with a sign instructor named Curtis Mott, who proved to be an invaluable asset to towards the project, Phillips said.

Mott taught them things that they never knew and they had quality instruc­tions in areas that they did not even know existed, Phillips said.

As teaching goes, Phillips said doing the mural was an incredible opportu­nity and even though there was a lot of responsibility as far as the quality expecta­tions went, there was no strict structure set around how they would get it done, Phillips said.

“As far as teaching, it was a dream come true because we had an expanded timeline. There was a lot of responsibility in terms of the quality of the final product, but there was no rigid struc­ture around how we would get there,” Phillips said.

Studio Arts Major and IT 1010 Instructor, Karina Guzzi said that she helped with the painting of the mural, and painted many of the different aspects seen in the mural such as some of the letter outlining, she said.

Guzzi said she had lots of fun working with her class on the project and is incred­ibly proud of the fine work that she got to be a part of in this project.

“It was a blast. It is really cool to drive or walk by and see that there is something that is public and visible that I helped create and that I was a part of,” Guzzi said.

Guzzi believes she was very privileged to be a part of Phillip’s Art Practices class and has gotten more out of it than she could have hoped for including the mural and an art exhibit that the class is preparing for, she said.

“We want your blood!”; Blood bank gives deals for donations

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By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photo By Dan Chavez

Issue 29 Volume 19

The United Blood Services hosted a blood drive on Jan. 14 and 15 in its mobile unit parked in the Student Services Center parking lot, with the expectation of recruit­ing 18 donors in a day, Mikayla Ortega, Senior Donor Recruitment Representative, said.

Ortega said that there is also a large blood drive scheduled from Feb. 2 through to Feb. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the UNM campus near the Student Union Building.

UNM will actually be in a com­petition against New Mexico State University, in which eligible donors from UNM, CNM and the surround­ing community are encouraged to visit the mobile contribution unit and donate, she said.

Ortega said that Student Activities Supervisor Brandon Seber and the entire Student Activities Department at CNM were instrumental in bring­ing the blood drive to the CNM campus for two days.

The goal for the event on Tuesday was 18 donors and ended up receiving 15, a number that was a bit short of expectation, but actually not too bad, she said.

Donors at this blood drive received a coupon for 50 percent off nail service or $25 off a hair service by Ruth Lucero at A Touch of Zen Salon, she said.

In addition, those who donate this month can sign up by contact­ing United Blood Services at 1-800- 333-8037 or by going online to unit­edbloodservices.org and entering sponsor code -CNM to get 200 points, she said.

People who would like to donate at a local blood drive can visit the United Blood Services website and click the “donate” link to find sched­uled events in the area, she said.

“Points may be used in our store for items like movie tickets, T-shirts, Baskin Robins, or gift cards,” she said.

Anyone who wishes to donate but did not make the blood drive or cannot make it to the UNM blood drive can visit the United Blood Services Albuquerque loca­t i o n at 1515 Univer s it y Blvd. NE, Ortega said.

Donors who visit the location can still get the redeemable points, but coupons were only given to those at the blood drive, she said.

“We encourage people to donate blood. People always think that the blood is there, but really and truly, this month especially, it is not. So we really need the help of the community, the help of CNM to get behind us and help us stock our shelves,” Ortega said.

Donors may give blood up to three times a year and more than eight weeks between donations to ensure their health and wellness, she said.

Fall graduation included G.E.D. graduates for first time ever

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By Jonathan Baca

Copy Editor

On Saturday, December 7, the CNM Fall 2013 Graduation Ceremony went off without a hitch at Tingley Coliseum, and for the first time ever students who got their G.E.D.’s this semester were able to walk the line with all other graduates.

There were 714 graduates from the six schools at CNM, with 125 G.E.D. graduates that walked the line this semester. The ceremony featured inspired speeches by Albuquerque’s first Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy and student speaker and gradu­ate Amidooli Pacheco.

Bellamy’s keynote address, about the stories we create as we live our lives, brought a standing ovation from the audi­torium, which was nearly full of excited family and friends.

“People’s journey to receiving their degree is an intensely personal and trium­phant journey and story. So for me to be asked to be here to honor that, with so many people and so many great sto­ries, so many heroes in their own life and to their own fami­lies, I’m just really honored,” Bellamy said.

Bellamy’s speech fea­tured an ancient Zulu folk tale, which he adapted to New Mexico and CNM, and told the tale of the mankind’s first stories, and the stories we all live and leave behind.

He said his speech was partly inspired by the recent passing of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, and by his own trip to South Africa last year.

“To some people, these types of accomplishments matter most, but a lot of people in our various cultures value different things; the birth of a child, the passing on and transition of an elder. So I thought, what do all these things have in common, this graduation and all those major life events? It’s a story, right? This becomes another chapter of a larger story that you are living,” Bellamy said.

Pacheco, who received his diploma for an Associates in Liberal Arts, spoke about his own journey, and the value of perseverance in accomplishing his goals.

Pacheco discussed his heritage as a Native American from the Santo Domingo pueblo, and in addition to being a Marine; he is also an artist and silversmith.

He spoke about how he began his college career back in 1995, and how after collect­ing 60 credits and suffering many setbacks, he was able to overcome his obstacles and get his degree.

“My take on it is persever­ance. From the root to the fruit, it takes a lot of work. You got to have a sense of humor and a sense of direction to make it,” Pacheco said.

Pacheco congratulated all the graduates, and encouraged them all to continue working hard and pursuing their dreams.

“As a graduate now from CNM, one door closes and another one opens, and I wish everybody the best,” Pacheco said.

Pacheco said he thinks that CNM and other community colleges and trade schools are a big part of the state’s future development, and for many New Mexicans who cannot afford traditional college, they are a great alternative and an important opportunity to get a good education and compete in today’s world.

“You can know all the terms and all the intricate details of something, but if you are not applying it, then it means nothing. Everybody who stood out there today applied something,” he said.

The crowd was impressed by graduate Demetris T. Cleveland’s rendition of the National Anthem.

After the speakers fin­ished, President, Dr. Katharine Winograd spoke, congratulat­ing the graduates and thanking the faculty and the graduates’ families for their support.

Winograd also mentioned Nelson Mandela, who was famous for his views on the importance of education.

She quoted him to the audience, saying “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

The SAGE students received their high school certificates first, followed by the rest of the graduates, who went up in groups according to their specialized schools; Applied Technologies, Business and Information Technology, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health, Wellness and Public Safety, and finally Math, Science and Engineering.

The deans of each school handed out the diplomas and certificates.

As each student’s name was called, bursts of cheer­ing, clapping, and the occa­sional bullhorn ran out from the stands as family members scrambled to take pictures.

The graduate then walked up to the stage, was handed a black folder with their degree, and shook the hands of their dean and President Winograd.

After the last name was called, Winograd asked all the graduates to stand up, and she then said the words they had all worked so hard to hear.

“By my authority, I confer upon each of you your degree. Graduates, please turn your tassels. Congratulations, you did it!”

The graduates were then led out by a Bagpipe band called the Mac Tire of Skye Pipe and Drums Band that includes Culinary Instructor, Carmine Russo, as the auditorium was filled with the sound of bag­pipes and the cheering of proud family members.

A college career, like all of life, is a lot like writ­ing a commencement speech, Bellamy said.

“You just kind of throw it all in the stew, cook it, leave it on 350 for three hours and then serve it up,” he said.

Joshua Escareno Computer Information Systems Major “I’m actually more driven now. I used to be kind of lazy, and now I can get things done.”
How has going to college changed you?
Joshua Escareno
Computer Information Systems Major
“I’m actually more driven now. I used to be kind of lazy, and now I can get things done.”
Anne Robbins BIT Accounting Major “I don’t feel as naïve. I’m more worldly maybe. Got to meet all types of people, different ages.”
How has going to college changed you?
Anne Robbins
BIT Accounting Major
“I don’t feel as naïve. I’m more worldly maybe. Got to meet all types of people, different ages.”

Making the goods; Terrifyingly tasty Halloween recipes

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By Stacie Armijo, Staff Reporter

One of the best parts of Halloween is eating decadent candies, and home-made treats can be tastier than knocking on doors and hoping for some­thing good to eat, Chef and part-time Culinary Instructor Julian Griego said.

Griego shared with the Chronicle one of his favorite recipes, full of tricks to make delicious treats for Halloween parties.

After Griego graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, NV, he came back to his hometown of Albuquerque, where he worked at some of the most highly regarded res­taurants in the city, including Savoy, Seasons and Marcello’s Chophouse, he said.

Pumpkin Espresso Creme Brulee
Ingredients
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
8 oz. fresh pumpkin (Avoid larger jack-O’-lantern varieties, stick to smaller pumpkins such as Baby Pam, Autumn Gold and Ghost Rider)
½ tsp vanilla extract or 1 fresh vanilla bean
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
½ oz. fresh ground Espresso beans
4 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup coarse sugar or raw sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
For the fresh pumpkin
Halve pumpkin and remove seeds by scooping them out with a large spoon.
Rub butter on the inside of the pumpkin and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and Roast espresso grounds at 400 degrees until soft, remove, and chill for 10 minutes.
Scoop roasted flesh out of pumpkin with a spoon and mash using food processor or large spoon.
Heat cream, milk and vanilla over medium heat in a medium sauce pan, stir occasionally.
Once it begins to boil, immediately remove from heat, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Whisk in pumpkin puree and pour mixture into 4 ramekins.
Arrange in hot water bath and bake in center of the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes.
The custard should be mostly firm when you shake the pan; it will firm up more as it cools.
Remove from the water bath and cool for 15 minutes.
Tightly cover each rame¬kin with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
When ready to serve, preheat broiler to very hot, uncover chilled custards and pour course sugar on top.
Place custards on baking sheets and broil until sugar is golden brown.
Cool, crack the sugar shell and enjoy!

Broken Glass Cupcakes From Easybaked.net
From Easybaked.net
Ingredients:
The Cupcakes:
One box Red Velvet cake mix, any brand
Milk (in the same amount of, and instead of, the water called for by mix)
Eggs (in the same amount called for, plus one extra egg)
Butter (twice the amount of oil required by mix – for example, if the box calls for ½ cup of oil , or use 1 cup of butter instead)
Measure and then melt before adding to the mix
The Frosting
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
½ cup of butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
Candy Glass
1 cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of light corn syrup
1 teaspoon of clear flavoring
The Edible Blood
1 (14oz) can of sweeten condensed milk
Red gel food coloring
Black gel food coloring
1 teaspoon of clear flavor¬ing extracts such as vanilla
Directions
Make the decorations first (the glass and the blood) and keep them until just before your party to decorate. They will both keep for several days so you can make them ahead of time.
Cupcakes
Follow the recipe on the box, with the altered ingredi¬ents provided above
Divide equally into 24 cupcake liners in cupcake tins.
Bake at 350 degrees according to times on box.
Remove cupcakes from oven and cool completely.
Candy Glass
Mix together granu¬lated sugar and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for three minutes, mix, cover with fresh plastic and microwave for another three minutes.
Watch carefully after two minutes to make sure mixture does not change color, remove from microwave.
Pour contents onto cookie sheet covered in wax paper that has been liberally sprayed with cooking spray.
Let sit for two hours until completely hardened.
Once dry, break apart and remove from wax paper
Edible Blood
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, red food col¬oring and flavoring in small bowl until a bright red color develops.
Add a very small amount of black food color to make a blood red color.
Store in a zip-top bag in refrigerator.
Frosting
Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt on medium speed.
Gradually add powdered sugar, while beating until smooth
Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring between, until smooth.
Add melted white choco¬late to icing and beat on low until completely combined
Place in a zip-top bag fitted with a decorating tip and pipe frosting on top of cooled cupcakes
Decorating
Decorate on plat¬ter you will serve on, which makes for nice blood splatter.
Place frosted cupcakes on protected surface and press two to three pieces of candy glass into the top of each.
Clip the corner on the bag of edible blood and drizzle over the top of the glass and the cupcakes, allowing it to drip down the sides of both.

 

Getting the goods Albuquerque’s best and safest places to trick-or-treat

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By Daniel Montaño , Senior Reportermaps

For parents, keeping their little monsters from running into something truly scary while trick-or-treating means knowing the safest neighborhoods to go to, and Albuquerque has some of the best neighborhoods in the country for Halloween fun according to Zillow.com

Zillow annually ranks the best cities in the United States, and although Albuquerque just narrowly missed making the top 20 this year, our fair city has held that honor in the past, according to their website.

Beside which neighbor­hoods tend to be the most generous with candy treats, the website’s real-estate data experts calculate which neigh­borhoods top the list by look­ing at home values, how easy it is to walk the streets, population density, and most importantly crime statistics, according to their website.

According to Zillow’s most recent data, topping the list for Albuquerque is the Altura Park neighbor­hood, which consists of homes surrounding Altura Park on Morningside drive and bordered by Indian School Road to the north, Washington Street to the east, Constitution Avenue to the south and Carlisle Drive to the west.

The data said the Oso Grande neighborhood on the southwest corner of Spain Road NE and Eubank Boulevard NE, is the next best place to go, and Academy Hills on the southwest corner of Academy Road NE and Eubank Boulevard NE came in third.

Fourth and fifth place went to Peppertree-Royal oak, west of Tramway Boulevard NE, between Academy and Spain roads NE, and Embudo Canyon east of Tramway Boulevard at Indian School Road NE, according to the website.

Even for trick-or-treat­ers who live in another part of town, the drive to these neighborhoods should prove worth it in pounds of glorious candy, chocolate and other sugary snacks.

Job Connection Services offers workshops

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By Stacie Armijo, Staff Reporter
Job Connection Services are offering workshops to help current students as well as graduates succeed in finding a job, which are held on Main and Montoya campuses, Beth Moreno-Perine, Career Center Advisor said.
Main campus workshops are at the student services center in room 207, and at Montoya campus workshops are held at Tom Wiley Hall in room 105, she said.
These workshop sessions for resume building and interview skills are offered every two weeks where students can learn valuable tips regarding resumes and interviewing, Moreno-Perine said.
Students can register for the workshops online at cnm-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php,she said.
“Workshops are offered every other week here at Main Campus as well as Montoya Campus. Students are encouraged to sign up. The workshops focus on resumes and interviewing,” Beth Moreno-Perine, Career Center Advisor said.
One of the valuable tips that the job connection services offers for instance, is if an interviewer asks about a student’s experience with something they have not learned, such as using a particular software, Moreno-Perine said bringing up knowing a similar skill or program can convey enthusiasm and initiative for learning new skills.
“We can adapt the questions to the type of job that the student will be interviewing for,” Moreno-Perine said.
If students are interested in a federal job, they can get a sample of a federal resume, and be able to learn about effective federal resumes, which can be long and detailed, she said.
When a student does find a job they are rewarded by the team at JCS by ringing a bell and have their picture taken for the center star-board that showcases a student or graduate, Moreno-Perine said.
D-Yanna Seonia, Pre-Health major came into the job connection services for help with her resume and for job leads. “I love that they are here to help me with any questions I might have, “ she said.
Donna Fastle, Career Center Advisor said, she is there to assist students whether they are in school and need a part time job, or if they are students that are close to finishing a degree and want to know how to get a job in their fields of study.
“Be confident, be persistent and be patient. Job Connect Services is out there to help students,” Fastle said.
D’Yanna Seonia, Pre-Health major who came into the job connection services for help with her resume said, “I love that they are here to help me.”
Former CNM student and accouting major, Kitar Chen said she came in to the Job Connection services for help with her resume.
“The staff is the best. They do everything they can to help me,” she said.The job connection service center offers help to students with all aspects of finding a job, Moreno-Perine said.
“We get to see someone no matter where they are at in their job search and a lot of times we have seen people come in very frequently sometimes daily,” Moreno-Perine said.
The job connect services can help students with cover letters, references and other services to help students or graduates search for jobs, she said.
“The good news is that even when students graduate they have a lifetime of free services no matter what happens in their academic world or in the work world”, Moreno-Perine said.
Job Connection Services is also planning a clothing exchange in December. Donations will be accepted after Thanksgiving.
Anna Watkins, Job Connection Services Manager said that a job fair is planned for Wednesday March 5, 2014 at the CNM Workforce Training Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Watkins said that one of the things she loves about her job is seeing students recognize their own brilliance, skills and talents.
“I have the most wonderful employees. They take measures to get better and to learn,” she said.

Teacher Spotlight: Maggie Shepard

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By Jonathan Baca, Staff Reporter | Photo By Jonathan Baca

4Maggie Shepard, a part-time instructor of Journalism and Communications, said she loves making a difference in students’ lives. Before teaching, Shepard worked as a journalist for ten years, covering the crime and criminal justice beat for many publications, such as newspapers like the Albuquerque Tribune to the Associated Press. The Chronicle talked to Shepard about the thrills of newspaper reporting, making the world a better place through teaching, and her passion for raising hogs.
Chronicle: What was it like, being a reporter?
Shepard: I loved it. It was my dream job. It was really satisfying, really exciting, and really unpredictable. Years before the story went national; I covered the story of the bodies that were found buried on the West Side. That was my story for a long time before it got picked up. That was one of my special ones. I covered lots of notable homicides in town.
C: I think some people might get a little queasy writing about that kind of stuff. How did you deal with it?
S: Yeah, it was all pretty serious stuff. That’s why I liked it. I realized that I was doing an important job, documenting history and humanity. It was kind of part of this bigger quest to understand what people’s motivations are. I dealt with it by justifying my purpose.”
C: What is your favorite thing about teaching?
S: I love moments where students tell me that the information I’ve shared with them has changed their life. That is really exciting, and it feels really good. I love getting to know such a diverse group of people, and I love learning new things about my field from people who see things in a different way than I do. Sometimes my students help me to see it in new ways.
C: What do you think about CNM, as a community college, and where it fits in with the bigger picture of higher education in our community?
S: First off, I love CNM. I was offered a job at UNM, and it’s not a hit on them, but I think that CNM actually does a service to our community. I feel the teachers here really care about their students, and enjoy helping them evolve. The general attitude of teachers at CNM isn’t aligned with reputation, it’s really aligned with function, and I like that. I see students who are actually evolving into smarter, more productive people because they can afford to take classes at CNM. I look at my students who are returning after raising kids, or after leaving a domestically violent situation, and who are intimidated by the full process of college. CNM provides a place for people who need a place to start. That is really important, and I’m really glad to be a part of that.

C: How would you describe your style of teaching?
S: I think it’s experiential. I ask my students to experience the information on their own, and find where it fits and their life.
C: Classes you teach like Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking are life skills as much as they are academic skills. What do you think is the value of learning that stuff for students’ lives?
S: For people who already have high level interpersonal skills, it’s not a big deal. But bettering our communication leads to a gentler, more peaceful world and that benefits everybody. So I find more value in the skills that actually change our world than in learning academic terms and philosophies. What’s the purpose of learning something if it can’t change your life and change your world?
C: What’s in the future for you? Do you have any other goals or things that you’d like to do?
S: That’s a good question, that’s kind of where I am in my life right now and what I’m trying to figure out. I love my job. It’s a very satisfying job, teaching, and I see myself doing it for a while longer. But I’m also moving toward being a farmer, and making my living doing that. And I don’t know what else is going to pop up.
C: Do you have a farm right now?
S: I do, yeah. It’s in its rough stage right now. Mostly just animal husbandry right now, and we’re moving on in the next three years to possibly generating our entire income from it. We have chickens and hogs right now, and through a little meat co-op we do turkeys. Eventually we’ll probably bring in dairy. I’m not much of a green thumb, but we have enough space that we’ll probably partner with somebody to produce some vegetables and a little orchard. It’s a big dream. But I’ll probably always teach a little bit. It’s exciting to see and make a difference in people’s lives.