Tag: Editorial Board

Just plane respect

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By The Chronicle Editorial Board

A definite quality difference is certainly evident in the instruc­tors and classes here at CNM, because of the high enrollment in one class with a great teacher and low enrollment in classes where teach­ers are lacking.

Most students are able to find this out by comparing instructors in certain classes on RateMyProfessor.com, where anyone can see why some classes are great, and why some just don’t cut it when it comes to the correct quality of education or respect that stu­dents should be getting from all instructors.

So, when students are willing to fight to keep an instructor from being fired, such as in the article on page 2 “Students want their teacher back,” many student said that instructor Jason Manzanares goes above and beyond to make sure his students are getting the quality of education they need to survive in their field of aviation, and that he deserves to have a second chance.

Our school cannot afford to lose any great instructors at CNM, and the school needs to take students views into consider­ation more often, especially when dealing with issues involving instructors.

The Chronicle was not made aware specifically why Manzanares was put on leave, as the school was not willing to comment on human resource issues, but it is apparent that many students in his class wish to keep their instructor around, especially since he developed the program and has estab­lished the curriculum that makes the CNM aviation program worth investing in for these students.

All the students who fund this school, by paying for and attend­ing classes, have earned consideration and some level of respect, instead of how these aviation students are being treated now, which is to be cast aside, left in the dark, and ignored by the powers that dic­tate whether these students get the quality of education they expect to get from CNM, or will have to go on without the teacher who inspires them every day to succeed and finish with their educations.

Students deserve to have a voice when it comes to issues with really great instructors, and with mediocre, disrespectful, or demeaning instructors, and students deserve to be heard with real concern from the school.

To have issues with instructors or the school in any capacity is hard enough as it is, but students need to feel there is good resolutions with complaints, and that the issue is not just resolved from the schools point of view, because when students are brushed off until frustration sets in, they give up.

Students should never have to feel they are not being heard by the school they pay to attend, and the school should care what students think to improve the curriculum here.

It is rare to meet and learn from an instructor who will challenge you, change your views, or help you to succeed when you need it most, so it is the Chronicle’s opinion that extraordinary instructors who teach suc­cessfully and the students that support them should be considered at this school, instead of casting them aside. Just as the aviation stu­dents have had to cope with when all they want is their teacher back.

Watch out for people out there on the roads

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By the Chronicle Editorial Board
Now that spring is finally upon us, there are definitely more people out and most importantly there are more people walking, or on bikes, scooters and motorcycles as the temperature rises toward summer, and it is up to all of us to make sure that these people are seen on the road, by putting down the phones or other distractions and paying attention ourselves when driving, especially around populated campuses.
Time and time again one hears about the rise of pedestrian and bicyclist related car accidents every spring, because there are more people out and about versus the winter months.
So drivers need to take these people into consideration while commuting and anticipate congested areas or leave early to ensure that someone slowly riding their bike in front of the car for a few miles will not make someone late to where they are going.
Distracted driving has become a prevalent and sustaining reality of the times, and it is crucial to be a defensive driver in order to anticipate the people who just do not pay attention on the road, because in 2012 alone, 3,328 were killed in distracted driving crashes, according to distraction.gov.
Also, Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard had the highest number of bicycle related crash rates from 2006 to 2010, while Central Avenue and San Mateo Boulevard hard the highest pedestrian related crash rates, according to mrcog-nm.gov, which shows that the congestion from commuters and campuses in these areas really should make people pay more attention.
Since February the Chronicle has heard about a handful of pedestrian and bike accidents at Main campus, so when you drive, make sure you are paying attention to EVERYONE on the road including bikes in blind spots and on foot commuters, instead of just paying attention the text you got or the facebook status you just had to like at that moment, because it is not worth dying for, or hurting someone else while driving.
Everyone be safe out there and have a great summer with many adventures and life experiences to write home about this season.

Students deserve better

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By the Chronicle Editorial Board

Degree program overhauls should be a basic requirement at community college level academics, and it is good to see that CNM is stepping up some of their degree programs to better accommodate students, and to match up even better with four-year schools, such as with the Fine Arts and Nursing degree program changes in our front page stories.

For most nursing students it has been an arduous and stressful task to even get set up in the Nursing program, with many students up in arms about the small number of people that are actually let into the program during reg­istration, and many students have simply given up, to move onto UNM or other four-year colleges just to be able to actu­ally get in another nursing program offered elsewhere.

Not only is CNM losing copious amounts of money while students are forced to flock to other schools, but the issues have also left a bad taste for CNM with most health related students, leav­ing them to tell people to stay clear of the programs pro­vided at CNM.

It is great to hear that real changes toward fixing the issues in the Nursing program are finally being addressed, but it seems the damage has already been done, so hopefully the department’s administrators can follow through and make these changes for the better.

Students that come here with the impression that they can finish their programs and degrees should be able to get just that, and should not be left high and dry every year while a small percentage of students get accepted.

The school should not mislead students into think­ing they have a chance in suc­ceeding in the program, and should be more upfront about the actual chances that stu­dents will have when entering into the Nursing program.

Any degree program should fit the needs of the students, plain and simple.

Being part of a student organization does help students to get ahead

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By The Chronicle Editorial Board

Students that take the time to get into a student based organization certainly get a much better expe­rience out of going to CNM than the average com­muter student.

There are so many reasons why student clubs are a great opportunity, but first and foremost it is because student organizations help students to see the inner workings of the school and can sometimes even have the chance of changing CNM for the better.

Not only do some student organizations open up oppor­tunities for grants and scholarships, but they also give stu­dents a sense of community, and allow them the chance to network with like-minded people who hope to achieve the same goals.

Student clubs can also help students when they leave CNM to move on to a four-year college or to help get employment when the extra effort is seen in college on a stu­dent’s resume.

It surely is worth it to invest the time and effort it takes to be in a student org., because the rewards far outweigh the efforts when students can get the true college experience and can gain friends and allies within a set community for years to come way after leaving CNM.

So, if you might be thinking of joining a student org. it truly is worth looking into, because if there is anything that you will remember from your time at CNM, it will be the people you met and connected with, and people that helped you to become the person you hope to become someday.

Student organizations can be somewhat hard to find through campus resources such as cnm.edu, so for a com­plete list of student organizations go to this link.

Farewell forever to spring break

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

It is so invigorating to be able to take a week long break during the spring semester to come back refreshed and ready to finish up the last weeks at school, but unfortunately this last spring break that passed will be the very last one ever, at least for CNM students.

Spring break has been a pastime since the Greeks and Romans started celebrating a sort of spring ritual, and has been a fad since the 1930s in America, according to content. time.com.

Not all students use the break for decedent debauchery or to have a good time, and for most, the break is a much needed rest for those that have hefty sched­ules and busy lives to lead.

According to President Winograd’s Blog, starting in January the idea of losing spring break all together was addressed, and was to be addressed by stu­dents and staff in a survey.

According to the Media and Communications Office as of Feb 14, “There will no longer be a spring break at CNM.”

It does not seem that this break survey was sent to all stu­dents, nor was the issue brought up through MCO until the decision had already been made to ditch the term break.

We all rely on the break for a much needed rest from the semester, and it might just be beneficial to students to just pass it right on by, but will hopefully not affect students to the point of burning them out and making their GPA’s or grades suffer for just a little less of a spring semester.

The vanishing taboo of tattoos

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By The Chronicle Editorial Board

Tattoos and body modifications are making a steady climb from the fringe, outlaw statement to a socially acceptable creative expression, and it is about time.

According to the Pew Research Center, around 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo, and in the age group between 18 and 40, roughly 40 percent have been permanently inked.

It is becoming clear that this is not a trend or a passing fad, and all signs are showing that the number of people deciding to modify their bodies will only increase.

In past decades, tattoos were reserved for freewheel­ing sailors, hardened criminals and outlaw bikers, but today, soccer moms get butterflies on their ankles and youth pastors have “Jesus Rocks” permanently stamped across their chests. These human canvases are everywhere, and a tattoo is no longer the rebel statement it once was.

During the recent tattoo industry boom, modern tat­tooists have taken the old sparrows and anchors and made them into a bona-fide art form, and people everywhere are lining up and spending record amounts of money to get these works of art inscribed on their bodies one pinprick at a time.

The modern age has made tattoos, piercings and other modifications as clean and safe as a trip to the dentist, and as employers are getting used to the change, there are fewer and fewer reasons not to get inked today.

Our society has always celebrated diversity and indi­viduality, and tattoos and body modifications are the new form of self-expression.

Hopefully in the next few decades, anyone with full sleeves or a pierced septum could be a doctor, a lawyer or even the President in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Commercialism at its best

cnmchronicleLeave a comment
By The Chronicle Editorial Board

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that makes one wonder why does this holiday exist, is it to make singles feel miserable, or is it there to force couples into some ridiculous tradi­tion of buying each other insignificant crap on a specific day; either way Valentine’s Day is one of the most useless holidays throughout the year.

Flowers, candy, and jewelry companies make a killing every year off of the guilt of well off men deal­ing with demanding women, and sets the scene of how people in our culture are inf lu­enced by advertise­ments and social appe­tites of normality.

Instead of worrying about what dead flowers or overly priced choco­late boxes to get, maybe make something from the heart without spend­ing ludicrous amounts of money, or better yet buy a living plant that will grow as the relationship does with time. Useless love trinkets are just that, useless.

Also, maybe this year take the time to show sig­nificant others love by turning off all devices and giving them undi­vided attention.

Everyone wants to be loved and have emotional intimacy, but it should not matter if a person pro­fesses their love with gifts one measly day of the year, and what should matter is how couples treat one another all year round.

This holiday’s com­mercialism not only obligates couples to spend, but parents are also obligated to buy their children cards to give at school, and can make single people feel badly for not having someone to spend money on.

This year, instead of giving into the hype of Valentine’s Day, close the wallets and open your hearts on this fake holiday to show love by actions and not

Lets acknowlege cancer awareness

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

Editorial, by the Chronicle Editorial Board

Tuesday, Feb. 4 is World Cancer Awareness Day, and students as well as faculty should take the time today to think about how cancer has affected their lives and the lives of people they care for who are affected by the devastation that cancer can bring into one’s life.

Knowing the myths, how symptoms can be detected and the resources out there that are available to test for cancers is crucial to keeping one’s body cancer free and healthy, because early prevention and detection can be the difference in living and beating the odds.

Not only is Cancer Awareness Day all about learning to care for oneself, but to also remember the loved ones that many of us have lost or have had to watch go through the process of chemotherapy.

Some of us have been fortunate enough to have had loved ones survive this disease, but many still pass away, and is why aware­ness of this issue is vital to prevention and early detection for all the additional loved ones we all care about in our lives.

According to worldcancerday.org the goals declared for this year are to strengthen health systems for effective cancer control, measure cancer burden and impact of cancer plans in all countries, reduce exposure to cancer risk factors, universal coverage of HPV and HBV vaccination, reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer, universal access to screening and early detection for cancer, improve access to services across the cancer care continuum, universal availability of pain control and distress management and improve education and training of healthcare professionals, with the ultimate goal of major reductions in premature deaths from cancer.

For people who want to help, but do not know how to get started; there are many resources one can become a part of to help people that suffer from cancer or to even help with the goals of this year’s cancer awareness day.

People can do anything from just wearing a cancer awareness ribbon, sharing information via social networking, or even volunteering.

Resources to volunteer can be found at volunteerlearning.cancer.org/,

testicularcancerawarenessfoundation. org/volunteer/, and at nationalbreastcan­cer.org/breast-cancer-volunteer.

Also for information on early detection readers can go to earlydetectionplan. org/

Recycle This Newspaper

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By the Chronicle Editorial Board

It is so great to see CNM taking the initiative to get stu­dents educated in recycling, and helping students take these habits with them to maybe start recy­cling in their own homes.

New recycle bins will be placed throughout CNM cam­puses that do not require separa­tion of recyclable items.

Recycling helps keep disposal costs down while preserving nat­ural resources and protecting the air, soil, and groundwater. Much of the more than 1,800 tons of trash generated by the city each day can be recycled, and just think how much CNM can con­tribute to making Albuquerque a top recycling city.

If materials are reused or recycled instead of being dis­posed of at landfills, less energy will be used, such as the produc­tion of an aluminum can from recycled metal uses 95 percent less energy than a can produced from raw aluminum.

Also, recyclables are now finally being collected with curb­side service receptacles through­out the city, so if you have not gotten a recyclables container in your home, you can always call Waste Management at 761- 8100 and request a recyclables container.

Using the 3 R’s of reducing, reusing and recycling at home, in school or at work can greatly help to change our great city for the better, and will show that Albuquerque residents have come along from the days of illegal Westside dumping sites.

Don’t stress, it’s almost over

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

Editorial, By the Chronicle Editorial Board

During times such as this when the semester is ending, students tend to get stressed and freaked out because of finals.

No one really ever wants to take tests or have their education measured by a final semester evaluation, but unfortunately that is the world we live in, so one is forced to go through the motions to hopefully pass a class, but that does not mean students should be required to neglect themselves just to get a better grade.

It is crucial for students to be vigilant of their needs first before studying, because many students become fatigued and panicky while trying their best to study up for demanding finals.

Make sure to get fluids, eat every once in a while, take breaks, and above all else, make sure to take care of oneself before caring about infuriating tests.

Sometimes it is just not worth all the stress students put themselves through sometimes at the end of every semester, just to have a mar­ginally better grade at best.

All of us have our per­sonal lives where kids, work, and daily stresses of life already take most of us to the tipping point, so if a stu­dent happens to fail a final, it is okay, because there is always next semester to re-take a class or get a tutor next time so it is not so stressful to learn in classes.

Know that most stu­dents on campus are going through the same exact thing of attempting to pass finals successfully, and know that everyone who has ever gone to college has gone through the same things and actually made it out alive.

You can do this; just make sure to take care of yourself as well in the process.