Dan Chavez – The CNM Chronicle

Romance on a budget; Spend less this Valentines Day

February 11, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

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.

Registration change proves fruitful for students success

February 11, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter

The school’s updated registration policy that prohibits students from registering after the first day has not affected many students’ schedules since its inception at the beginning of the semester, and Brad Moore, Director of Marketing and Communications said that the strategy has been going as smooth as expected, also that there is a definite plan to continue the new rule into future semesters.

Moore said he believes the spring 2015 semester will start with much fewer difficulties because CNM’s offices will be open January 5, but classes will not start until January 20, which gives students two weeks to register for classes.

Moore said the new registration policy was a result of studies conducted by CNM, which showed that students who started a class later would tend to struggle a great deal in their coursework because they had fallen behind from the very start.

“CNM has known this for a while, that grades did drop off for students who started late,” he said.

Late starting students would have lower success rates and were more likely to drop out, and those who stuck with the course would still end the term with lower grades than those who were present from the first day of class, he said.

CNM felt that the previous way of registering was basically a disservice that the school was letting students start late, and that these students were already falling behind in their coursework from the very beginning of the class, Moore said.

“That’s the main reason behind it,” Moore said.

The large issue delaying the implementation of this new policy had to do with the short window between the date CNM offices were opened over the break and regular class start times, he said.

CNM plans to continue the policy barring late registration and administration will monitor any effects it may have, he said.

Moore said that CNM will continue to communicate to students regarding the registration policy before the next term begins so that they will remember to sign up for their classes before the starting date, and so that registration can go along smoother in upcoming semesters.

CNM did offer a significant number of late starting classes in anticipation of student need during this transition phase, but these classes are shorter and are also more condensed, so the curriculum is equivalent to regular classes, he said.

Moore said that there will be several late starting classes offered during the summer semester that are 8 weeks in duration, rather than the standard 12 week course, and that the fall schedule will also start to offer more 8 week courses as well.

“We know a lot of students need those classes due to work issues and family obligations and so forth. We try to accommodate all different types of students, so we’ll definitely continue to offer late starting courses,” Moore said.

Alexandra Fowler, Chemistry major, said she has been a CNM student for quite a while and she would advise any new student to meet with an academic advisor as early as possible to find out what classes should be taken and when to do so for each semester, or to find out if more classes are available to take during certain semesters.

Fowler said she felt that CNM spread the word about the new registration policy adequately enough.

“Teachers really drilled it in last semester and it was all over the website, so I think we did know ahead of time,” she said.

Dereck Swain, Engineering major, said he gets to pick his classes early, so he registers for the courses he needs way before the next term begins.

Swain said he had no major problems registering for the spring term and the new policy locking classes from registration after their beginning date did not affect him at all.

Swain said he was not aware that late starting registration was possible in previous semesters, and he advises newer students to go to the CNM catalog and write down the Course Reference Numbers (CRN) of the classes that are needed, as well as to register instead of doing a class search online, and to get it all done early.

“Don’t procrastinate. Try to get it done as early as you can,” he said.

Moore said that CNM will evaluate student performance at the end of the spring term to determine if final grades improve or not under the new registration guidelines.

Ten students receive All USA All-State scholarship

February 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photo by Dan Chavez

1.1

Ten students and recent graduates from CNM were honored with substantial scholarships toward a bachelor’s degree in a ceremony recognizing their leadership, involvement with the CNM community, commitment to community service, and high academic performance, Director of Service Learning Sharon Gordon-Moffett said.

Students received their awards at The New Mexico State Capitol Building in Santa Fe at 491 Old Santa Fe Trail on January 29, and afterwards all recipients got to have a free lunch with CNM Vice President Philip Bustos.

The All USA, All-State Academic Scholarship awards students from community colleges and university branch campuses across the state, who have demonstrated leadership, service to the community and academic excellence, Gordon-Moffett said.

Students have to be nominated by the college president and they should prepare a track record of service to the community. This year there were some students who had worked on it for two or three years, she said.

Gordon-Moffett said students must complete a substantial application including official transcripts and letters of recommendation in regards to leadership and academic success and they must be graduating CNM with a minimum 3.5 GPA to receive this scholarship.

Student Activities Supervisor, Brandon Seber said that community service is really important to get the proper letters of recommendation for this scholarship.

“ Denonstrating leader abilities and creating a good rapport with faculty, so that students can obtain essential academic recommendation letters,” Seber said.

Gordon-Moffett said that although membership in the CNM Phi Theta Kappa honor society is beneficial, students do not need to be involved in any campus organization to apply and be considered for this scholarship.

“The focus is really on service within their community, leadership, and involvement on the college campus,” she said.

The scholoarship pays complete tuition for an additional two years at a university within New Mexico, which will vary depending on the school, but it averages at about $15,000, Gordon- Moffett said.

This award goes directly to the university and the funding will be adjusted to the particular school’s tuition costs, so students will not directly receive any funds from this scholarship, she said.

Go r d o n -Mo f f e t t said that with the academic credits earned at the community college level, a student could use the All USA, All-State Scholarship all the way to a bachelor’s degree without having to pay tuition.

“This is a substantial scholarship for students to graduate from a two year college with the goal of completing a four year bachelor’s degree at a New Mexico university,” she said.

Gordon-Moffett said that each award for this scholarship is a

one-of-a-kind original that must be held in a safe place because no other copies can be accepted, so this single piece of paper is worth about $15,000. for this scholarship is a

While Gordon- Moffett has helped organize the All-State Academic Scholarship on main campus, she said she has seen almost $1 million in scholarships awarded to CNM students.

Student body Vice President of the Executive Council of Students (ECOS), Carrie Ratkevch was awarded in this year’s ceremony, and is a CNM graduate with an associates degree of Applied Science in Criminal Justice.

Ratkevch said that it was exceptional to have this recognition because it means that others are supporting her in her academic aspirations.

“It means that people are behind me and saying ‘you can do it, you can finish, you can graduate, and you can do more than you ever thought possible.’ If it weren’t for CNM really showing me what I was capable of, I don’t think I would’ve gone beyond an associates,” she said.

Another award recipient and Business major, Jennifer Weber said she emphasized her degree in finance and accounting and that she will use her scholarship to continue business and finance studies at UNM.

“It feels wonderful; this was all a big surprise to read the letter and find out I’m getting a scholarship for four semesters to a university. I’m just over the top excited. It’s so pleasant to have that kind of recognition,” Weber said.

Robert Maler, a CNM graduate pursuing a mechanical engineering major at UNM, said that this scholarship is a fantastic opportunity and he would not have been able to continue toward a bachelor’s degree without this prestigious scholarship award.

He said he credits his parents with setting high standards for him to achieve.

“My father is my inspiration for continuing to go to school. He fell ill several years ago and now he’s doing much better. He’s here in New Mexico, in Las Cruces,” he said.

Iran Rodriguez, a CNM student majoring in nursing, will likely use this scholarship to study at UNM and complete his bachelor’s of science in nursing, he said.

“I feel very honored and very happy to receive this scholarship. It is truly a blessing and I’m very thankful for CNM and everyone who’s helped make this happen.” he said.

Gordon-Moffett said there are several levels for this award. The students who are awarded at the state level will be considered for recognition at the national level.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society has a scoring process that is used to select a national group for the All USA award, she said.

Gordon-Moffett said PTK International also awards a few of these students as Century Scholars and CNM had a student chosen for this honor in the past.

“So it may not be done yet for some of these students,” she said.

The All-USA scholarship is sponsored in part by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and the American Association of Community Colleges at the national level.

At the state level, the New Mexico All-State Academic Scholarship is sponsored and endorsed by the New Mexico Independent Community Colleges and the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges, Gordon-Moffett said.

Trash today, art tomorrow; Students create sculptures from old cardboard

February 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photos by Dan Chavez

Party Rhino -Kristen Saiz, and J. Achen — Party Rhino
-Kristen Saiz, and J. Achen

The Kite -Amelia Sierra-Wilkerson and R. Karcher — The Kite
-Amelia Sierra-Wilkerson and R. Karcher

The Planar Problem Frustration -James Carrasco, Sandra Lopez, and G. Birkholz — The Planar Problem Frustration
-James Carrasco, Sandra Lopez, and G. Birkholz

The Feast - Krisitan Fleming and Kale Beck — The Feast
– Krisitan Fleming and Kale Beck

The Metamorphosis -B. Flowler, J. Hyland, H. Shih — The Metamorphosis
-B. Flowler, J. Hyland, H. Shih

Walking by the Student Resource Center one can see that some Art students have put together a sculpture garden for other students to admire, made out of cardboard to not only represent conservation but to also go with the theme of the RecycleMania competition CNM is competing in this Spring semester.

Art Instructor, Jennifer Johnson’s 3-dimensional design art class designed and set up the garden on January 28, with plans to dismantle it on February 11, provided the weather does not destroy the exhibit before then, Johnson said.

All of the projects were made with recycled materials that students pulled from nearby dumpsters, as well as reusing old wire clothing hangers to tie the pieces together, Johnson said.

“Instead of using costly art supplies, they decided that they would use recycled materials,” she said.

Johnson said that painting the sculptures was not allowed because the overall project theme was about recycling, and painting the cardboard would make them non-recyclable.

Johnson said there were teams of two or three students and they worked collectively to come up with the theme.

The students in this project could not construct closed sculptures, which means construction had to be open and transparent for people to be able see through, she said.

“They came up with a concept and they had to create in planer or sliced form construction, which is planes that are slotted and attached to create the dimension of the form. It’s also known as open sculpture,” she said.

Johnson said the students had a week and a half to develop a concept, complete the sculpture, and install it on the grass area near the SRC.

Johnson said the students worked during class time and in open studio hours to complete their projects.

Fine Arts major, Amelia Sierra-Wilkirson said she helped to create a sculpture titled “The Kite.”

Sierra-Wilkirson said her group’s concept was children climbing a tree, which she thought became ironic, because the team was combining a tree with cardboard made from wood, which is also recyclable.

Sierra-Wilkirson said her group began to like the concept so they went with it.

Once Sierra-Wilkirson’s group had all the pieces cut out, their sculpture took about five hours to construct, she said.

“We had it all planned out and we thought, ‘this is going to so be easy!’ It wasn’t,” she said.

Double major of Film and Veterinary Technician, Kristen Saiz said she was part of the group that constructed “Party Rhino,” who was sitting on the ground holding a bottle and having a good time.

Saiz’s team worked freestyle to create the sculpture’s pattern which made for a somewhat difficult task, she said.

She said that the project was a lot of work for a very short period.

“Party Rhino” took about 12 hours to complete and Saiz said she was happy with the outcome, she said.

“I’m pretty pleased with it, overall,” Saiz said.

Art major, Kristin Fleming and studio arts major Kale Beck constructed “The Feast,” which was a cooked turkey with ants marching toward it and a large fork stuck in the ground.

Fleming said some of the other teams had living animals in their projects, so for a different approach, they decided to construct a cooked animal.

Beck said this project took between 10 to 15 hours to construct over the course of a week, and that designing the sculpture was not too difficult.

“We kind of just winged it most of the way,” he said.

Their sculpture prop was of a fork, which was a challenge to keep in the ground, he said.

Beck said despite the long hours, he mostly enjoyed this project.

“But it’s been pretty fun,” he said.

Double major of Fine Arts and Mechanical Engineering, James Carrasco said he worked on a team with Sandra Lopez to construct a sculpture titled “The Planar Problem-Frustration.”

Their concept was an elephant trying to figure out a ball, which he finds complicated, he said.

Carrasco said his team’s sculpture took about 16 hours to complete.

Fleming said that one requirement for the project was that the sculpture has to consist of two things interacting with a prop, which limited them to animate objects.

“The hardest part, I think, was figuring out how to put it all together, we had a good design but then getting it to actually fit together,” she said.

Mountain of trash meant to teach the value of recycling

January 28, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter

CNM students, staff, and faculty have organized an event called Mount Trashmore to demonstrate how much recyclable materials are being sent to landfills every day and to generate awareness of the importance of recycling.

The event will take place on Feb. 26 in one of the main campus parking lots yet to be determined, in which Waste Management, a CNM branch that handles recycling and trash collection will collect one day’s worth of trash from Main Campus and pile it all in one massive trash mound.

Luis Campos, Executive Director of the Physical Plant, said service learning students and faculty will then sort through the heap in protective clothing, separating recyclables from waste, to demonstrate the amount of recyclables that end up going to a landfill instead of recycling plants.

“What we’re not doing very well is getting the student engaged in the idea of recycling, so we’re trying to figure out how do we do that, and that’s exactly what Mount Trashmore is.” Campos said.

Students looking for more information, or have any suggestions to improve campus recycling should email Luis Campos at lcampos@cnm.edu, or Director of Maintenance Anthony Rael at arael9@cnm.edu.

Campos said that improving CNM recycling and sustainability may be a daunting task, but it is also a very exciting undertaking and that the school looks forward to succeeding in this challenge.

E n g l i s h I n s t r u c t o r, Carson Bennett said CNM currently recycles about 42 percent of the trash that is thrown in campus dumpsters, so there is a lot of work to be done in order to significantly raise that number.

“If we were a zero-waste campus, that would be wonderful,” Bennett said.

Mount Trashmore is an event that is part of RecycleMania, a two month competition against colleges from around the country, according to CNM Media and Communications office.

Each week, the amount of recycled material will be weighed by Waste and then reported to RecycleMania officials.

Campos said that custodians and other staff are being trained to identify recyclable waste and place it into the appropriate dumpsters so that Waste Management will recycle these materials, but there is more work to be done with getting CNM students involved.

Campos said that during the RecycleMania competition, Waste Management will be placing temporary recycling bins around campus so that they can get a better idea if they should install more recycling bins and where they should be placed.

These bins are meant for all recyclable items and Waste Management will sort them appropriately, and will also rely on student input to determine where extra bins should be located, he said.

“Having a different perspective from students a n d faculty is going to help us to be really good at what we do,” Campos said.

Sharon Gordon- Moffett, Director of Service Learning, said that volunteers would work with Service Learning students, who will be participating in events like Mount Trashmore for some hands-on learning and class credit.

“My side is making it an educational opportunity, making it a Service Learning component directly connected to course content,” she said.

A goal of the event is to incorporate RecycleMania and Mount Trashmore as an academic component and having instructors offer this event as a service learning opportunity in which students gain real-world experience and apply their lessons to this event, recycling in the community and to the other Service Learning or community activities they work on in the future, she said.

Gordon-Moffett said that Service Learning is comprised of four components in which students learn academically, serve in the community, reflect on what they accomplished, and become engaged in their communities.

Service Learning students are given opportunities to earn credit hours working with several approved non-profits outside of CNM, but the Recyclemania event presents the first time t h e y can get their hours on campus, she said.

RecycleMania is only one of the many events that Service Learning students are involved in, she said.

Gordon-Moffett said she would emphasize the fact that events like Mount Trashmore and the larger Recyclemania competition work to form significant partnerships between facilities, Service Learning, and faculty.

Psychology Instructor, Asa Stone said Mount Trashmore is one of many RecycleMania events being held for a nationwide competition against other schools and institutions, and is also a demonstration of how far CNM has come with recycling and how far the school has to go.

“We want to make recycling a normative behavior,” she said.

Stone said that she would like to see Mount Trashmore organized in a way that students and community members can volunteer and participate in the event in order to make it as inclusive as possible.

It is a great way to establish a coherent identity as a member of the CNM community, as well as a member of the larger community, and to be responsible to the surrounding areas, Stone said.

Bennett said he had been involved in an annual Mount Trashmore Earth Day event while he was a faculty member at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and he suggested holding a similar event at CNM.

Bennett said he is gathering logistical information from past events held at UCCS, such as security and safety, and using it toward the event at CNM.

“Student involvement is key; students need to be the ones sorting through this stuff because it’s much more relevant to the student population, and because there are so many more students here than anyone else,” Bennett said.

Bennett said that if they can get a fraction of the CNM student population to participate, that would go a long way to getting the college on track to sustainability.

He is hoping to recruit a couple dozen people from Westside to come to Main Campus and participate in Mount Trashmore, Bennett said.

Campos said he uses the analogy of seat belt use to think about how recycling can be ingrained in social culture and everyday behavior.

There was a time when people did not wear seat belts, and when it became a law, some people resisted, but now it is almost automatic to buckle up, he said.

“Recycling should be that seat belt, and we’re not there yet, but we will get there,” he 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.

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

January 21, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

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.

Free financial seminars offered on campus

January 21, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter

A free two-hour workshop seminar will be at CNM for those out there that need help getting personal finances in order, or just want to learn more about improving financial stability.

The workshop is scheduled for Thursday January 24 at 2 p.m. in Smith Brasher Hall Room 132, and will educate attendees and participants on the basics of financial management, trainer Vickie Oldman-John said.

The workshop is expected to bring in 25 to 30 and possibly as many as 40 participants of various backgrounds and levels of financial expertise, she said.

Oldman-John said the workshop is open to anyone who wants to learn more about managing money and spending wisely to avoid future financial problems.

Oldman-John is a founding partner and co-manager of Seven Sisters Community Development Group, LLC, one of a handful of groups organizing these workshops, including the New Mexico Native Financial Security Initiative, Native Community Finance, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing and Securities Division, and there are several workshops scheduled in various Native American communities within New Mexico, she said.

People of any level of knowledge of finance, from the very inexperienced to very educated, should attend these workshops to gain a better knowledge of dealing with personal finances, she said.

“Many times an experienced person can help us reinforce what is being taught because that person has actually experienced what we are talking about,” she said.

According to the workshop flier provided by CNM School Relations Manager Julie Fisher, the workshops are organized as a resource for Native American people interested in learning more about managing money and investing wisely.

Oldman-John said that although the seminar is tailored to Native persons, she encourages anyone of any background to attend and participate.

There are also one or two 1-hour coaching calls for participants who are interested in continual learning after the workshop, she said.

Many times, people who earn or have an abundant income will think they are experienced in financing, but they attend a workshop and learn so much more about financing and their own spending habits, she said.

“There is a misconception where people think this is for people who have money problems, but we could all use more education,” she said.

These workshops educate participants in various financing sub-topics, such as budgeting, saving, managing credit, managing money, and holding a retirement account, she said.

One major topic these workshops bring up is how to conserve money when a person is granted a lump sum, such as a settlement, a loan or grant, or an inheritance, she said.

Many people who receive a lump sum will spend unwisely until all the money is gone. This workshop teaches people how to invest money so that it will remain and possibly grow, she said.

“They might go out and buy expensive merchandise. We teach them to step back and say, ‘do I need this?” Oldman-John said.

Another topic is how to avoid being a victim of fraud or predatory lending. Many entities specifically target certain people who are stereotyped as being financially inexperienced, she said.

These workshops teach participants how to spot predatory lenders and fraudulent entities so that they will not be victims, she said.

“We also teach them how to not fall into the trap of taking out a loan to pay another loan, which is a very bad thing to do,” she said.

Oldman-John said she frequently receives feedback from people who are excited that they now know much more about the speech and terms used in financing, she said.

“Many people come back and say how nice it is to have a real conversation with their financial manager. They now understand what’s being said and what’s being asked of them,” she said.

Because these workshops are framed around Native peoples and financing, trainers tend to use examples from tradition and traditional practices of managing natural resources, she said.

“We try to think of how our ancestors lived with natural resources,” she said

Money is thought of as a natural resource and spending money is thought of as using a natural resource that is not abundant, she said.

“So if a person spends more money than what is being earned, it’s like overhunting, or using too much water,” Oldman-John said.

Workshop trainers sometimes change the metaphor to refer to other ways of life, such as farming where conservation of resources is vital to the successful management of the farm, she said.

In this way, money can be thought of as a supply that is not abundant, has to be used efficiently and can easily be spent in wrong ways, leading to problems down the road, she said.

Using these metaphors, participants in the workshop can clearly ask themselves if they have enough money to spend, what types of spending is unwise, and in what ways they can reduce spending and save money that may be needed in the future, she said.

Foul Play Café Murder, mystery, mayhem and dinner

January 7, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter | Photo Courtesy of Foulplaycafe.com

A dramatic scene the cast of Foul Play Cafe enacted while customers dine.

Guests to the Foul Play Mystery Theater can try to solve a crime while dining, enjoying a show, and picking up clues as they are revealed.

Physics major, Cora Brittain manages the operations, advertising, sets, props, and costumes for the production of Foul Play Café located on the ground floor of the Sheraton Inn at 2600 Louisiana Blvd N.E.

Brittain described Foul Play as an interactive production in which the actors mingle around the dining floor and stay in character while helping the audience to solve a murder mystery, she said.

Guests can ask the actors for clues to the mystery and try to identify the culprit to the heinous crime of the night, Brittain said.

Main director, Eddie Dethlefs, said Foul Play Café is basically a murder-mystery theater and dinner event, and that the production consists of an interactive mystery play in which the actors also serve food to that evening’s guests.

“The way I like to sum it up is basically live action Clue,” Dethlefs said, which is a comedic murder mystery movie and board game.

Guests can play along as much or as little as they want, and it is fun when an audience member will dance around with the actors or play a part as an improvised character, Dethlefs said.

Brittain said the current mystery is a play off of “Casablanca” with characters loosely based on those in the movie.

The show features a Humphrey Bogart character played by two different actors who alternate for different shows; they also have two actresses who play a character based on Ingrid Bergman, she said.

The tone is one of fun and comedy with a prize for the guest who solves the mystery, which is a t-shirt that features the show’s logo saying, “I solved the mystery,” she said.

Brittain felt that the current show is their best yet.

“It’s a lot of fun, high energy, the cast is a really good mix, and so far we’ve had a lot of really good feedback,” she said.

The food for the Foul Play Café is banquet style, that is handled by the hotel and consists of selections including beef or chicken entrées, or vegetarian dishes, Britain said.

The selection of food changes for each show and the menu changes periodically, she said.

The production is a small, which has a seven-person cast with a minimalist set and more of a concentration on costumes, she said.

The audience size is kept small with as few as 15 guests to a maximum of 100, and Brittain said that there tends to be more interaction between guests and the actors in smaller groups, while a larger audience may be more of a traditional show with less interaction.

The Foul Play Murder Mystery Theater attracts a wide variety of audiences, so there is no particular type of person who comes to watch the shows, she said.

“We have people who love theater and people who are just looking for a night out. We don’t really have a certain demographic other than people who have a little more disposable income. Beyond that, it’s a wide age range,” Brittain said.

Rebecca Holcombe, one of the actresses playing the Ingrid Bergman character in the current production said that she was so glad to get cast in the show.

“I love doing it, I really do. I’m excited for more, I’m really excited for the next show, because I play a crazy character,” she said.

Actor Chris Adams, who plays the modified Humphrey Bogart character in the current production said he is challenging himself to develop his character while keeping with the tone of the production.

Adams said he enjoys the variation in audience members, some of whom include children, couples celebrating an anniversary, and various others celebrating birthdays, he said.

NMSBDC helping new small bussiness owners to succeed

January 7, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Dan Chavez, Staff Reporter

Starting a small business can be a daunting prospect, but entrepreneurs whether novice or experienced do not have to go it alone, said Trish Abbin, who is a Business Specialist at the New Mexico Small Business Development Center here in Albuquerque.

The NMSBDC is an established resource for students or anyone who is interested in starting a business but need help getting their business idea off the ground.

According to nmsbdc.org there are 21 locations throughout New Mexico, and two centers that serve the local area, with one at the CNM Workforce Training Center at 5600 Eagle Rock Ave. NE and in the South Valley at 1309 Fourth St. SW.

The Workforce Training Center location will be having pre-business workshops on Jan. 8 and 22 at 10 a.m., which is open to all students and will be free, and can help with learning about business resources and getting assistance to starting a new business, according to the nmsbdc.org site. The SBDC can help people with a variety of issues when starting a new business, to include computer and technical training, one-on-one business counseling, information access and referrals, as well as help with finance, accounting and procurement, according to nmsbdc.org.

Clients can also get help with business and marketing plans, and caters to all types from women and minorities to young students and Spanish speakers, according to nmsbdc.org.

The South Valley NMSBDC has helped many people in their efforts to get business ideas up and running and a wide variety of people with all types of business ideas come through the door, she said.

The business ideas brought in by clients vary greatly and there are a wide variety of personal situations, she said.

Clients asking for help may have very different types of questions on starting up their business ideas, but most questions and problems seem to be about funding a startup, she said.

Traditional sources of business funding, such as banks, will rarely lend money to a person looking to start up a small business, and those entrepreneurs that manage to secure a bank loan would require having an excellent credit rating, she said.

“Probably the biggest question that we get from people or the biggest reason people come is they went to talk to a bank about getting a business loan and the bank said, ‘no, you’re nowhere close to getting ready, go see these people (NMSBDC),’” Abbin said.

Because a client’s credit rating is a major determining factor for funding, Abbin requires clients to pull a credit reports, and their credit will determine what type of lender will approve a loan, as well as the likelihood that a client will get a loan at all, she said.

A higher credit score will mean the entrepreneur has far more options than someone who has poor credit, and creditors such as a bank may lend out money depending on the amount requested as well as the collateral that is being offered, but only if the borrower’s credit is excellent, she said.

There will be the client who has very poor credit, so low that they will never be approved for any type of loan, but Abbin avoids directly telling this person that they cannot get financing.

“I do talk to them about their credit and a lot of times we will work with them. You bring in their credit and we will go over what things you can take off to raise your score,” she said.

Abbin said she gives the client homework assignments that she puts in a file, and when the assignments are compiled, they will amount to a completed and detailed business plan.

Rather than seeing an impossibly large project of starting a business, the entrepreneur works on small steps to succeed, she said.

New business entrepreneurs commonly have a general idea of what they want to do for a business, but they do not yet have a business plan nor have they gone through any part of the process involved in creating a business, she said.

“It’s anything from you have an idea and you’re not sure what to do with it, to people who have been in business for many years and need some sort of assistance with their business,” she said.

The success of a business usually depends more on the person running the business rather than the business idea itself, she said.

The people who are more passionate and driven will be more likely to work harder in an effort to see their business succeed, she said.

“A lot of times that’s where you get the person who has the drive. They see a business and it’s not necessarily the passion, but they know it’s needed, so they know they can take that business to a point of making money and success,” she said.

The first step, Abbin said, is to give the SBDC a call at 248-0132 to set up an appointment or go to nmsbdc.org for more information.

For more information on SBDC campus workshops, contact Christina McQuerry at 224-5250.