Student Spotlights – Page 3 – The CNM Chronicle

From Knife to Stage; CNM culinary arts student takes on a new role

September 23, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Guadalupe Santos-Sanchez, Staff Reporter

Melanie Gruber is a Culinary Arts major at CNM who regularly performs in the Albuquerque production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

A few years ago she went to her first Rocky Horror Show and won a costume contest dressed as Janet, Gruber said, then in November 2013 she found out through Facebook that they were holding auditions, so she auditioned and made it.

She had no acting experience before she auditioned for the show, she said.

“The audition was very nerve-wracking we had a scene that we had to read, and then we had to do the same scene while they were yelling the call backs at us, and we had to do a Q&A,” she said.

The cast does not discriminate if you do not have any skill, if you cannot sing they are not going to turn you away because it is a fun show, she said.

If you do not have any acting experience they will try to train you, if not you can be part of the crew or a Tranny, which is mostly singing and dancing, she said.

“They just work with everybody they don’t like to turn people down unless they have a bad personality, if you’re going to cause problems then they won’t let you on the cast,” Gruber said.

She initially auditioned for Janet Weiss, but everyone who makes it automatically becomes a Transylvanian, or a Tranny, before becoming main cast, she said.

“A Tranny is a Transylvanian, they’re like the party guest/ chorus, so if you’ve ever seen the film they’re the people in the tail coats and fun hats that were weird looking,” Gruber said.

She has been in every performance since she started and she has played a Tranny, Janet, and Rocky Horror, she said.

When she is not playing Janet she plays a Tranny, she said.

“I like playing Janet the most, because I like to be on the stage, I like to be the person that everybody likes to look at,” Gruber said.

Having to dance around in a corset, underwear, fishnet, and high heels is very nerve-racking, however, because she is shy, she said.

“The first time it was really bad because my mom’s boyfriend was in the audience and I was like oh gosh… before the show I did a lot of hyperventilating ‘cause I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to feel about it and when I got out there I just blocked everything out, I was like, I’m doing this by myself nobody else is here, nobody’s watching,” Gruber said.

Her first performance as Rocky was for their Gender Bender show, Gruber said.

“He makes weird noises, so it’s really hard to get comfortable with him, because you don’t say anything really, you just make grunting noises,” she said, “it was difficult at first because you have to grunt the right way, or else you just sound awful.”

“When I was doing the gender bender show and I was playing Rocky for one of the scenes Rocky has to be touching Janet seductively, and the guy who was playing Janet decided to motorboat me into his fake boobs and put me under his slip,” she said.

Usually it is just touching or rubbing the chest area but he took it to a whole new level, she said.

To prepare for the show she watches the movie a lot and practices to ensure that she does not mess up, she said.

Before the show, she does vocal exercises because she has to do a lot of singing, she said.

For the show, the movie is projected onto a screen and the cast are on stage performing the exact same thing that the characters are doing in the film, at the same time, she said.

“We kind of block it out, we block out the movie and we block out the call backs- because the audience is screaming obscenities as part of the show,” she said.

“I put a lot of acting into it, actually for a show I become that character not just somebody in a costume saying lines, I pretend that I actually am that character,” Gruber said.

Her performance is a lot better than when she started, she said, she knows her lines and dance moves more and she does not get as nervous as she used to.

This is just a side thing and she never thought she would do theatre until she saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show, she said.

She first watched the movie when she was 6 years old, her whole family used to sit and watch the movie together all the time, she said.

“I just fell in love with the movie, and I was like I have to do this I can’t not act in this movie, I have to do it… you have to be a pretty big fan to run around in your underwear,” she said.

Rapper Engineer saves world one rhyme at a time

April 8, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos by Sandi K. Esque

5.2

Mechanical Engineering major Malcolm Shelby, also known as MXK, is an Albuquerque-born rapper whose music is meant to be the complete opposite of being meaningless and negative, he said.

Shelby said he has made it a point to create music that is inspirational in positive ways and can be the target of different audiences with broader tastes in music.

“I really try to create music that is in a sense universal and something that has a positive message in it. I am trying to create something positive so everyone can enjoy it,” Shelby said.

Shelby has been writing poetry since elementary school, which he said is where the evolution of his music began, and he also played the saxophone for band starting in middle school.

Eventually Shelby became a student at CNM in 2012 where he discovered a way to improve his music and stage presence while still being able to focus on his education, he said.

His improvement methods at school were practiced during his free time, between classes, when he and his friends would walk around Main campus and find random people to perform for without any warning whatsoever, he said.

This method not only helped Shelby boost his own creativity but it also taught him how to be a better performer by learning to become personal with his audience, he said.

“We would sit in the elevators, my friends and I, and we would wait for somebody to come in and then we would just start singing to them. That is like the most personal singing you can get, is right there in the elevator,” Shelby said.

Shelby not only raps but he also does party promotions for local businesses, records music, produces music, and even DJ’s house parties, weddings, skating rings, and just about anything he can get his talents on, he said.

He also has a YouTube channel called MXKS5, where he has uploaded quite a few music videos and even has one called the ‘Albuquerque Anthem,’ which is meant to represent his hometown in a positive way and also has had more than 11,000 views, he said.

Being a native of Albuquerque, Shelby saw the chance to write a song that could be listened to and appreciated by the Duke City as a whole, so he went with it, he said.

“I was born and raised here and that is where the origins of ‘Albuquerque Anthem’ came from. I really just wanted to create a song that all of Albuquerque can relate to and enjoy,” Shelby said.

While Shelby has been heavily involved in his music, he also has a job as a full-time employee with First Convenience Bank and is still a part-time student working hard towards getting his degree, he said.

Shelby said he has had a passion for engineering since he was a child and wanted to build spaceships or cars, and he also has dreams of working for NASA or an aviation company at some point in his career, he said.

Shelby said he still has intentions to perform and work on his music whenever he can, but he also wants to work at an engineering firm, because he believes that, like his music, he can seek to improve the lives of people with mechanical engineering.

“It also falls into wanting to help build up society and help others in a way because with technology I would be helping other people. So it is more than just my music I want to use to help people with,” he said.

Shelby said that on top of his music, CNM has truly helped him to be tough and persistent in pursuing his career goals and his time spent at college has taught him a lot in his intended field and also has taught him to work hard for his degree.

For more information on Shelby’s music, go to facebook. com/MXKTG4T.

Tattoo supply company owner, student has big plans for future

March 17, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Rene Thompson, Editor in Chief | Photos by Rene Thompson, and courtesy of Daniel Gonzales

supply

Photo courtesy of Daniel Gonzales Daniel Gonzales with his band Blinddryve. — Photo courtesy of Daniel Gonzales
Daniel Gonzales with his band Blinddryve.

Psychology major and tattoo supply company owner of “Boneyard Ink,” Daniel Gonzales said he has a very specific philosophy when it comes to helping heal people and wants to enact that into his ultimate goal, which is to make or be a part of a special kind of substance abuse treatment center, he said.

Gonzales said that he hopes to support people through helping them gain some spirituality, as well as through proper diet, exercise, education and getting people back their roots.

“I have a culinary degree and I was a cook in Seattle, so I feel like good food is an important part of our healing process too, and when people are trying to detox off drugs or things like that, they are eating food that have a lot of chemicals, and I would like to get into a treatment center that is based around having organic farm to table foods, because I think connecting with the earth is important too. It’s kind of like getting back to our roots,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales not only goes to school full time and still runs his tattoo supply business, but has also played bass for the last eight years in a local Metal band called Blinddryve, and has five children, he said.

“I have five kids, two are in soccer, the other is in voice and acting classes, then I have the two little ones, and this semester I’m taking five classes, so it’s a lot of work, but I’ve always wanted to help people,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said he had his own problems with substance abuse in his past and said he has learned so much since then that he wants to help others on their roads to recovery and a better wellbeing.

“I feel like I have some positive stuff to offer, I have life experience in that field and I want to go into counseling or therapy,” he said.

Gonzales said that his passion for helping people comes from his sister, who has a condition called Rett Syndrome and has the brain capacity of an 18 year-old baby, so she has stayed at ARCA who provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities for the past 20 years, and where Gonzales and his family go to see her regularly.

Gonzales said his sister inspires and helps him to stay motivated to succeed in his goal of helping others.

“The doctors said people with her condition usually don’t live past 30 and she’s 46 now, so she’s one of the oldest living people with her condition,” he said.

Gonzales said he opened his tattoo supply business in 2008 while working in the shipping department at The Zone, where they began to get artists who needed supplies.

Gonzales said artists would wonder why there was not a local source at the time that delivered supplies, because there was and still is a major demand, since Albuquerque has an abundance of shops and artists.

“I could see that there was a demand for it (tattoo supplies), because artists would say ‘it would be nice if there was someone who was local who could deliver supplies and then we wouldn’t have to get supplies online,’ so I’ve officially had the business for six years now,” he said.

His band Blinddryve, in their eight years, has played the Journal Pavilion, the South by Southwest Show, and has opened for Sevendust and Lucuna Coil, he said.

“I would say it’s definitely metal; it’s cross between Iron Maiden, Pantera, and maybe Kill-Switch Engage, and a touch of Queensryche,” he said.

For more information on Blinddryve shows go to blinddryve.com or holdmyticket. com for advance show tickets.

G o n z a l e s said he really wants to go to Highlands University at the school of social work, because they have such a great program.

He said they also have a jump starter program that helps students get a Master’s degree in three years.

He also hopes to make a program that not only instills his philosophy but also sets up people with proper work skills to be able to succeed beyond treatment, to less likely keep repeating the cycle of being a multiple drug offender.

“I think that people who use are just sick, and sometimes they were never taught that stuff, a lot of time people want to judge others, but sometimes these people were never taught to take care of themselves, or how to find to their own paths, and maybe they can get skills or certifications to have a better chance at being sober when they have a leg up. It could be 10 or 20 years from now, but my goal is to really help people beyond their immediate treatments and help to give them the skills to have a better life,” he said.

Suncat Chit Chat

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Carol Woodland, Staff Reporter | Photos By Carol Woodland

Do people judge your body modification? If you don’t have one, do you judge people by their body mods?

Lucky Armijo, Special Education major “I think the only way I've ever been judged or treated differently is in a positive light because of my tattoos. The kids that I work with at the elementary school love the tattoos, especially the Aquaman one.” — Lucky Armijo,
Special Education major
“I think the only way I’ve ever been
judged or treated differently is in
a positive light because of my tattoos.
The kids that I work with at
the elementary school love the tattoos,
especially the Aquaman one.”

Justin Nolen, History major “I think that tattoos that are able to be covered easily are fine, but if you're going in to any professional environment at all, getting a tattoo on your face or neck is basically going 'Yeah, don't hire me because I can't make good decisions.’ If you're going to get tattoos make them tasteful and able to be covered.” — Justin Nolen,
History major
“I think that tattoos that
are able to be covered easily are
fine, but if you’re going in to any
professional environment at all, getting
a tattoo on your face or neck is
basically going ‘Yeah, don’t hire me
because I can’t make good decisions.’
If you’re going to get tattoos make
them tasteful and able to be covered.”

Brienna Prudencio, Nursing major “Yeah, that's why I don't have anything below my elbows. It changes the way people see me, they don't see me how I really am.” — Brienna
Prudencio,
Nursing major
“Yeah, that’s why
I don’t have anything
below my elbows. It
changes the way people
see me, they don’t see
me how I really am.”

Alexander Gonzalez, Cosmetology major “Maybe a little, but I'm always smiling.” — Alexander Gonzalez,
Cosmetology major
“Maybe a little, but I’m always smiling.”

South Valley farm makes it all about community

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Jonathan Baca, Copy Editor | Photos By Jonathan Baca

farm 1 farm 2

In Albuquerque’s South Valley, there is a farm that seems to be removed from time, where people are growing food and raising animals the same way our ancestors did hundreds of years ago.

Anthropology major Elli Klein said this place is known as Erda Gardens, and members of the CNM community are hard at work here trying to preserve agricultural traditions, protect the environment, and above all to produce high quality food in the most sustainable way possible.

“We’d really like to see the South Valley, and all of Albuquerque, get restored back to its agricultural heritage,” Klein said, who lives on one of Erda’s properties and is one of four main farmers.

Erda Gardens is spread out over about six acres on several sites around the South Valley that have been leased from the county, and the members of this collective work the land by hand, using almost no gas or electric powered tools and no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, Klein said.

Full-time SAGE instructor, Jessica Mills, who has been on Erda’s board of directors for four years said the farm is Albuquerque’s oldest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, a model where members pay or work for a share of the farm’s crop, and share equally in the bounty and the risk.

“It takes the burden off the farmer as being the only person who suffers loss in the case of a poor growing season. It spreads that risk out among many. You are committed to a farm, instead of just being a passive consumer, wanting to just have the farmer serve you as a customer,” Mills said.

Members pay $600 for a full share, and this guarantees them a box of produce every week for six months. When there is a bountiful crop, members can receive more food than they need, and when the harvest suffers due to weather or other factors, they all share the risk, and the farmer does not go out of business, Klein said.

The CSA model, like the farm’s growing practices, is aimed at sustainability and shared prosperity and responsibility, values that have completely disappeared from the large scale, corporate monoculture model that has taken over the world of farming, Mills said.

“It assumes a complete paradigm shift in thinking. People who are involved with a CSA are no longer a customer who doesn’t have a voice. They are a member of a farming project; they are part of a community who are doing something together and collectively. So it is truly community building, and that in and of itself is priceless,” Mills said.

At Erda Gardens one can see a large variety of crops grown there, from leafy greens and vegetables to herbs and spices.

A larger orchard on the property provides peaches, apricots, and several other fruits, along with several kinds of berries and grapes.

Klein also helps to raise free range chickens, geese, and several beehives, along with a small but growing family of goats that produce milk.

Each week, the produce box that members receive is different; containing whatever crop is in season and is being harvested.

This type of system highlights the values of the farm, where members are partners with the farmers, and the farmers are partners with the land, Klein said.

“In the corporate structure of our food system, we have very little choice and very little power as far as what we get to eat. And so here we get to preserve native varieties, heirloom seeds, and try to produce crops that are well suited for our climate here. If you eat local food and plants from your environment, you’ll be more resilient in that environment,” Klein said.

Another important value at Erda is environmentally sustainable farming, and Klein said they are committed to using zero pesticides and harmful chemicals, virtually no gas-powered tractors, and watering techniques that aim to preserve the limited resources of our state and climate.

Klein said that Erda is strongly opposed to genetically modified crops (GMOs), and that the farmers work hard to use heirloom seeds that have been passed down for generations, further preserving the area’s agricultural heritage as well as ensuring their members’ health.

Erda is also Albuquerque’s only biodynamic farm, a type of farming developed in the 1920s that uses the movements of celestial bodies as a guide to planting and harvesting, in an effort to achieve greater harmony with natural cycles, Klein said.

“Biodynamic farmers use astronomical planting calendars, homeopathic preparations as well as special composts to optimize soil and plant health. This approach recognizes the spiritual effect of agriculture in our environment and utilizes the interconnections among soil, plant and animal life,” according to their website at erdagardens.org.

Although Erda’s model is based on being a small operation, Klein said there are several ways that the farm could grow without compromising their quality and values.

Their major short term goal, Klein said, is to buy as much of the land they work on as possible, which is no small feat.

Klein said they would also like to eventually start a small elementary school, where kids would learn the skills and values of small-scale farming.

Mills said that small, community-based, environmentally friendly farming is the future, for the long-term survival of the planet, as well as the health of individuals and communities.

She said that people can begin making small steps toward this future, by joining a CSA, shopping at co-ops and farmer’s markets, and planting backyard gardens. She said she feels that the extra effort is absolutely worth it, to ensure a happy and healthy future for everyone.

“It’s good for your health, it’s good for the environment’s health, and it’s great for building community. And the food tastes better, absolutely hands down,” Mills said.

To learn more about Erda, go to erdagardens.org, or to find out about volunteer opportunities, students can email Elli Klein at openpalmsesame@gmail.com.

Students say mods do not affect their employment

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photos by Angela Le Quieu and courtesy of Facebook.com

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com UNM Professor, Bruce Potts with facial tattoos. — Photo courtesy of Facebook.com
UNM Professor, Bruce Potts
with facial tattoos.

Lindsey Taylor-Wise talks to customers as she works at Il Vicino’s tap room. — Lindsey Taylor-Wise talks to customers as she works at Il
Vicino’s tap room.

Tattoos and other body modifications, Lindsey Taylor- Wise, Fine Arts major, said that for her and some other students they are able to find work with their ink and piercings.

She works for Il Vicino tap room and said that her body modifications have never been an issue for her.

“I haven’t been told to cover up or take any of the piercings out, they seem to enjoy my colorful hair too, which is nice,” Taylor-Wise said.

Fine Arts major, Alicia Garrett has not had an issue with her tattoo, but instead said that one of them may have influenced an employer to hire her over other candidates.

Garrett said that her tattoo of a band logo gave her interviewer a connection to her personally that might not have been there otherwise.

“I think maybe with tattoos, when you’re interviewing don’t hide them, because it may be a conversation starter to help them learn a little more about you on a personal level that may make them want to work with you more,” Garrett said.

In 2012 Albuquerque had over 50 tattoo parlors according to “Are tattoos becoming more socially acceptable in the workplace?” an article in UNM’s CJ 475 News, and the article also named New Mexico as one of the most accepting states for tattoos in the work place.

Taylor-Wise said she has had experience in several aspects of the restaurant industry and her ability to sport her body modifications has, in the past, depended on where she was working and what her job was at the time.

“I feel like it just depends on the owners and the management, depending on if they have tattoos or if they are open minded people,” Taylor- Wise said.

Although the tattoos and body modification may affect her employment in the future she said that her choice in a career in art should allow her to not only sport her tattoos but to get new ones as well.

Both Taylor-Wise and Garrett have visible tattoos and stretched ears, and both also work in places where they are visible to the public.

“If I’m applying somewhere, I want to make sure that I can be myself and put it out there, if I have and interview I try not to hide stuff,” Taylor-Wise said. “Tattoos No Longer a Kiss Of Death in the Workplace,” an article from Forbes magazine highlighted a UNM professor, Bruce Potts, who has a facial tattoos and other body modifications and had not affected his employment with the university.

Forbes also said that 14 percent employment aged Americans have tattoos and that policies on tattoos vary from industry to industry and workplace to work place.

At CNM the official Employee hand book contains no language pertaining to tattoos or piercings, but does say that wearing inappropriate clothing may be grounds for disciplinary action or termination.

Director of Communications & Media Relations Brad Moore said that CNM does not have a specific policy regarding tattoos.

“The standard for tattoos in the workplace at CNM depends on the work environment,” Moore said.

Supervisors can use their own discretion to deem what is appropriate for a specific workplace or a specific job position, Moore said.

Tattooist and shop owner Leo Gonzales said some of the shift in attitude about tattoos is because of the popularity of shows about the industry making it mainstream and more acceptable.

“Depending on where you live and what your job is having/being heavily tattooed isn’t as big of a deal these days as it was even ten years ago, and I think that has a lot to do with tattoos being portrayed in the media as much as they are these days,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that this acceptance may have opened up the job market to people with tattoos, but that it is a double edged sword, meaning it has also taken away the mystery of tattoos, which used to not be socially acceptable.

Fellow tattooist Mathew Pippin said that the trend of television shows that highlight tattoos has not changed the overall taboo of body modification as a whole.

“That has always been a thing and that will always be a thing regardless of how many cool TV shows there are, there will always be that stigma,” Pippin said.

Taylor-Wise said that Albuquerque is a good town for people with body modifications to work, because it is college and the large amount of people have tattoos.

With so many people in town that are tattooed it has become less of an excuse for an employer not to hire a person who is well qualified and has the needed experience for a position, Taylor-wise said.

“I think it’s changed a lot and it’s continuing to change, because I feel like the people who are getting tattooed are only going to get more tattooed; then the next generation is going to be so used to it and everybody’s going to have tattoos and it won’t be such a big deal anymore, it’s just going to be an acceptable way to express yourself,” Taylor- Wise said.

Band provides pipeline to Celtic culture

February 25, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photos By Angela Le Quieu

band 1 band 2

The bagpipe and drum band Mac-Tire of Sky Pipes and Drums connects with CNM and Celtic heritage through community involvement and performances, Suzanne “Aden” Kemp, Psychology major said, who is the Pipe Major and President for the band.

There are three people in the band who are also part of the CNM community, and the band also plays twice a year at CNM graduations, Kemp said.

“And we’ll keep it, we have CNM pride here,” said Tara O’Mahony, English major, and who is the Drum Major for the band.

Although the band plays at multiple occasions every year, such as Veteran’s Day events in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque and multiple St. Patrick’s Day events, CNM is one of the band’s main supporters, Kemp said.

The bands sponsors and supporters help to cover expenses and allows them to offer free lessons to students who wish to learn how to play the bagpipes, Scottish drums, or to learn about Celtic heritage and the history of bag pipes, O’Mahony said.

“The most good we do is the free lessons we offer,” O’Mahony said.

The lessons are offered on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hope of Cross located at 6104 Taylor Ranch Rd NW church and more details can be found at their website mactireofskye.webs.com, O’Mahony said.

The free lessons that they give often help parents who want their kids to have more musical experience, but who go to schools that do not offer music programs, Kemp said.

The band also does educational performances at schools in the community, teaching people about the origins of the bagpipe, Kemp said.

“A lot of people are just drawn to the sound and the feeling they get when they hear bagpipes and drums,” Kemp said.

Chef Carmine Russo, Culinary Arts instructor, who is also in the band, said that his wife was interested in bagpipes, but that it was not until he saw a pipe band play at a TVI graduation that he got interested.

During Russo’s early years with TVI, he and another teacher were trying to get other teachers to attend graduation, and for him, one of the main reasons to go to the graduation ceremony was to see the bagpipes played at the end, he said.

There was one teacher at the time who was not interested in going to hear the bagpipes because her husband was in the band, and it was that teacher who told him about free bagpipe lessons being offered and how he could start learning to play, Russo said.

“I had never heard of free lessons, nobody gives free lessons, I’m saying you’re kidding, and she said no it’s free, you have to buy a practice chanter and a book and they’ll get you started,” Russo said.

Currently there are 40 different kinds of bagpipes around the world, Kemp said.

Another part of the band’s connection to Scotland comes in the tartan kilts that are a part of their uniforms, the tartan that they use is the Ancient Urquhart which comes from a clan near Loch Ness in Scotland, Kemp said.

“The Irish have what they call a saffron kilt which is a solid color, but the Scots have the tartan and I hate to call it plaid, but people call it plaid; plaid is when there is no name assigned to it, no anything assigned to it, it’s just like a made up tartan,” Kemp said.

A tartan belongs to a clan or a family, O’Mahony said.

Pipe bands like Mac- Tire of Skye are a recent development in the last two hundred years, but drum corps had marched with military regiments,and that military tradition is still with the bands who operate the same whether they are military or civilian, O’Mahony said.

“Before the drummers used to march in front of the pipers when they first started putting pipe bands together and that’s a, us pipers are a little proud for that so now we are in front of the drummers when we march with the military regiment,” Kemp said.

Handyman brings classroom knowledge to his business

January 28, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photo courtesy of facebook.com

Construction management major, John Whitney emigrated from Ireland, has lived in various places within the United States, and now oversees a handyman and home improvement business while completing his degree at CNM, he said.

Whitney said he owns and operates “Mr. Fix It Irish Handyman, LLC,” a business where he does nearly any type of job, from adding a deck to a home or complete restoration of a kitchen, to roof repair and even landscaping.

“There’s not much we don’t do,” he said.

Whitney said he works 80 hours a week at his business while attending classes at CNM and working toward a degree in construction management, so that he can be a more efficient and productive manager at his business.

Whitney began his business after enrolling at CNM, when a few neighbors admired some improvements he did on his own home, he said.

Whitney said CNM courses in English, math, estimating, project management, scheduling, and business law have helped him to become better at his business.

Whitney said he has enjoyed nearly all classes he has attended and the instructors he worked with at CNM have been very good teachers who not only gave him knowledge, but also inspired him in many subjects.

“I can’t think of a class I didn’t like,” he said.

He will be graduating in May, but he intends to take further courses occasionally to stay up to date for his business, he said.

“I’ll probably keep chipping away at something, even if it’s online,” he said.

While he immensely enjoys construction and working with his hands, Whitney finds himself spending more time working with the management side of his business, he said.

Whitney said these neighbors asked him if he would complete some home improvement projects on their houses and he accepted.

“I just had some basic tools, and I kind of just went from there. I enjoyed it, meeting people,” Whitney said.

Whitney said he met a website designer and they made a deal in which Whitney completed a few projects and his friend built the website mrfixitirishhandyman.com, which has been the company’s main marketing tool.

“He’s worked wonders for me and he’s a good friend of mine too. Really, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have much of a business,” he said.

He said he understands that he must manage the operations side of his business now, and leave all the labor to his employees for now at least, in which he has anywhere from two to four temporary employees depending on the amount of work available.

“I take on students and the most I have ever had working for me was five or six guys,” he said.

Whitney’s hometown is located in Leitrim, Ireland’s least populated county, where there is much open land and relatively low crime rates, he said.

“It was a great place to grow up, no major crime,” he said.

Whitney helped construct a three-mile long tunnel under Dublin City, Ireland’s longest traffic tunnel, he said.

When Whitney was 17-years-old, his uncle, who was a roofer in Massachusetts, invited Whitney to come to America and work for him, so he made his way to the East Coast, he said.

Whitney then decided on a move to California and lived and worked there for five years, but he began to long for a more rural environment, he said.

In 2009 he decided on a drive to New Mexico, and as he entered the state, one thing he noticed was that people would wave as he drove by, which he had seldom seen since leaving his hometown, he said.

He worked for several months on a large ranch, roping animals, riding horses, and helping with cattle drives, which was an absolutely amazing experience, he said.

Whitney said he met his now wife and because she worked as a teacher in Rio Rancho, he moved to the area and he took this opportunity to attend CNM.

“If it weren’t for that, for her, I would probably still be out there looking at cows,” he said.

Whitney has also dabbled as an estimator for a paving company and spent two to three months as an extra during the filming of “The Lone Ranger” in a town that was built specifically for the movie, he said.

Whitney said that establishing his company was something of a lucky accident, and now he is determined to take this opportunity that he has made for himself as far as possible.

Whitney said he hopes that he can expand his business to the point where he could hire managers and others to run the operations side of the business, which would allow him the freedom to do what he loves, which is to get back to the job site and work with his hands while overseeing his company.

Business major brings out the beauty underneath

December 3, 2013 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photos by Daniel Johnson and courtesy of popejoans.com

Liesse Jones, Business Administration major, founded her own business, Pope Joans, with a mission to make women feel confident and beautiful, and to challenge harmful standards of beauty, she said.

Jones sells handmade lingerie made of natural materials, including silk, bamboo, and cotton, which is treated with natural dyes, she said.

Jones only works with materials that are not harmful to the environment and designs her garments to be comfortable to wear and to boost self-esteem, she said.

In the creation of Pope Joans, she took the concept of natural beauty and rendered it to an idea incorporating personal health, confidence, self-esteem, and care for the environment, she said.

“To me it made sense that if you feel beautiful in your undergarment, then anything you put on top of that is just going to exude self-confidence,” she said.

Jones mainly sells her products through her website, popejoans.com, but she also has two stores that sell her clothing line: Headliners, a full service salon, and the Octopus and the Fox, a local store that supports local businesses, she said.

She also hosts private events, where five to ten women meet, are served champagne and chocolates, and purchase custom made lingerie, which are a lot of fun, she said.

“And a couple of times a year I do big shows for business events,” she said.

Jones hosted a show on Nov. 30 promoting her clothing line as well as some accessories and she said 15 to 20 friends, supporters and potential customers were in attendance at any given time, many of them leaving with their purchases, while others gleefully entered the front door.

Like all of her shows, there was a spread of refreshments and snack foods, and Jones’s products were displayed for sale on various tables and hangers, she said.

She said that these events are good for selling merchandise as well as spreading the word about her business, and that many people attend these events knowing they will be making a purchase and set aside finances for it.

“I had a great time and I think it’s been successful so far. People seem to be happy, enjoying the food and it’s a great time for me and other artists to mingle,” she said.

As she began her journey into design, Jones said she was accepted into a fashion show for Toronto Art and Fashion Week.

Although she was thrilled at the opportunity, she noticed that the fashion was to select only extremely thin models for the runway, she said.

She felt that it is harmful for women in society when being super skinny is trendy and popular as it promotes a negative body image, she said.

Since the Toronto Fashion show, Jones has endeavored to create lingerie that makes women feel better about themselves, she said.

“I love the fashion part of it but for me it’s really a tool to kind of make social change,” she said.

Jones said she operates her company while attending several classes at CNM, which is constantly a frantic effort at keeping pace with all her deadlines.

She usually works about 60 hours a week at her business on top of the hours she works as a student, she said.

“Right now, especially entering the Christmas season which is my busiest time of the year, it’s a huge time crunch to maintain my class work and prepare for the holiday season,” she said.

Despite her hectic schedule, Jones feels that attending business courses at CNM has helped her learn the details of managing her business, she said.

She has felt that the classes she has attended thus far have applied to her business quite nicely, she said.

In her entrepreneurial class, Jones has had lessons on developing a business concept, conducting market research, and feasibility tests to make sure this is a sound business idea, she said.

“I already did a lot of that stuff for the company I own, but I’m interested right now in kind of moving this company forward and changing the way I run it a little bit, so I have been able to do all that market research more in depth and apply it to where I want to be in my company,” she said.

Jones runs her business entirely as a sole proprietor with no employees or partners, and because she produces all the lingerie and accessories while managing the operations side of her business, her workload can become tremendous, she said.

Jones said she personally creates her clothing line from the design all the way to the finished product.

She has considered hiring a seamstress to take a large portion of the work off her own shoulders, she said.

“It’s a lot, especially right now I’m really busy with orders, which is great but I have to personally fill all of them,” she said.

Last year’s business caught Jones by surprise and she worked very hard to fill all the online orders as they came in, she said.

The holiday season is among her busiest times and she found herself unprepared for the number of orders from her clients, many of whom reside in Canada, Albuquerque, and various areas within the U.S., she said.

Despite the deadlines and heavy workload, Jones said she loves it when she receives more orders for her products.

“It feels pretty good. It’s pretty rewarding,” she said.

Jones encourages shoppers, especially during the Holiday season, to support and purchase from local business because they need local community members in order to keep their doors open, and shoppers can pick up some very unique gifts that cannot be found anywhere else, she said.

She also encourages future entrepreneurs to find their passion as they seek out a business idea, she said.

“Make sure you love it because it is a lot of work and you have to focus all your time and energy on what you do. If it’s not anything that you put your whole heart into, it won’t be successful and it won’t be worthwhile,” she said.

To check out Jones’ fashions go to popejoans.com. 4.3 4.2 4.1

Shelter that clothes, feeds, cares for city’s homeless

December 3, 2013 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Daniel Montaño, Managing Editor | Photos by Daniel Montaño

4.4

At 11:30 a.m. on any given weekday, if one sits down at the long particle-board table that runs in front of the kitchen window in St. Martin’s day shelter, one can see what genuine compassion looks like.

That is when the staff and volunteers of St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, located at 1201 Third St. NW, take their midday break to sit down and eat, courtesy of the kitchen manager, Chef Joe Moreno, who is usually seated at the head of the table.

“That’s the one word I would use to describe this place: genuine,” Moreno said.

Moreno is one of only eight to 10, depending on the day, official staff members who work in St. Martin’s day shelter, all of whom serve up genuine kindness, compassion and care along with food and other daily necessities to more than 300 people who go through St. Martin’s doors every day, Linda Fuller, executive director of shelter services, said.

The shelter provides everything from storage and mail services to meals, showers and toiletries for homeless and near homeless clients, and relies on this small workforce of motivated individuals to do it, Fuller said.

Although some volunteers do help, especially on holidays — this Thanksgiving, for example, there were about 60 volunteers who showed up to offer a helping hand — most days there are not enough volunteers, if any at all, to run all the service stations, Fuller said.

“It’s great that they show up on holidays, but I tell them ‘you know, we’re open another 300 days or so this year,’” Fuller said.

Fuller credits CNM for providing student helpers through the service learning program, who work at St. Martin’s in order to get credit in classes, but said after the students complete their hours, they rarely come back and continue volunteering.

That means the staff takes on the brunt of the work at the shelter, and Moreno said they’re happy to do so.

“I love working with the homeless. It’s what I’ll do for the rest of my life,” he said.

Dani Hunter said she has been on staff for about two years, but has been volunteering at St. Martin’s for about 10 years, and she is a perfect example of the genuine compassion that is common among all the staff members.

The day before Thanksgiving, Hunter said she strained her back early on in her shift, yet she could still be seen smiling and laughing, working tirelessly through the pain to help out as many clients as possible.

Hunter said her motivation to remain positive and help others comes from her upbringing, her family and her faith.

“This work keeps me humble and grateful. I’ve seen hard times in my life, and I may be two or three paychecks away from being in the same situation (as the homeless),” Hunter said.

While St. Martins offers a range of services, from assistance with housing, mental illnesses, substance abuse, and job placement, Fuller said she believes the heart of St. Martin’s is the day shelter.

The shelter is on the front lines in the battle against homelessness, Fuller said.

During the holiday season, there is an influx of donations to most homeless shelters, but Fuller said what St. Martin’s needs most are the basics: socks, underwear, toothbrushes, combs, gloves, coats, and hats.

Volunteers or donations are always welcome and appreciated, and people can contact Fuller at 363-9370 or by email and lfuller@smhc-nm.org for more information.