hilary broman – The CNM Chronicle

CNM Student’s Dream Came True When She Went to NASA

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman

Senior Staff Reporter

Antonella Riega, a biology and Spanish major, dreamt of going to NASA ever since she was a child, but she said that she never thought it was realistic.

After seeing a flier for the National Community College Aerospace Scholars program, she spoke to one of her friends who applied and Riega decided to apply too.

Riega was one of the students chosen out of 600 applicants to take the 5-week long online class.

The 5-week class focused on planning to create a rover that is meant to go to Mars.

The students who did well in the class were asked to go to the on-site experience at NASA, Riega said.

“I didn’t think I would get in,” she said, but at the end of the 5-week program Riega was invited to go to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Riega was surprised to see 3 more CNM students there.

“It was nice to see some familiar faces,” she said.

On the first day of the experience all the students were divided into small groups of about 6 people, she said.

“Each group was a company and our mission was to get funds from NASA to send our rover to mars.”

Each person in the group was responsible for a different job such as; hardware design, software design, and publicity.

After they designed the rover they presented it to the NASA officials, and their rover was tested on how it moved and if it picked up rocks.

“Our rover kind of fell apart on the first time, it did okay but, in comparison to the other teams it didn’t do well,” Riega said, “But then in the second round we actually won!”

Riega and her team worked tirelessly to get the rover working, she said.

“Most days we woke up at 6am and worked all day until 2 or 3am into the next morning,” she said.

It was exhausting, but worth it, she said.

“We were mostly excited to see our rover work,” she said, “we were like, ‘Oh my god! We made this.”

Riega said that it was nice to see how in four days some random strangers could become really close.

“By the end of the four days we were all friends and we still talk to each other.”

After Riega’s experience she is reconsidering her childhood dream; working for NASA might not be as unrealistic as she thought.

Although working for NASA was always a dream of Riega’s as she grew older she realized that she wanted to go into medicine.

“I always thought that only engineers worked at NASA, but I found out that there is a surgeon who works at NASA who is also an astronaut,” she said.

Riega would like to finish her schooling and residency before she decides whether or not she wants to work for NASA, but it definitely an option, she said.

Riega’s advice for students who are thinking about applying for this program is to “just apply.”

“If you get into the online program don’t fall behind and if you get into the on-site experience, make the most of it.”

For more information about the National Community College Aerospace Scholars program click here

The New and Improved Smith Brasher Hall

October 19, 2017December 1, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman

Senior Staff Reporter

It’s no secret that Smith Brasher Hall has reopened after its $24-million renovation, but many students might still have unanswered questions about the new building.

CNM Chronicle’s, Hilary Broman, sat down with Donna Diller, Dean of School of Business and Information Technology, to learn about the new and improved Smith Brasher Hall.

The renovation was paid for by a bond that was passed by the community.

With budget cuts taking place at CNM many students might wonder why CNM spent $24 million on the building renovation, Diller said, but those capital bonds can only be used for building improvements.

“Also, from an efficiency standpoint we were maxed out at our HVAC availability, the technology also needed to be improved for the building to have better access for technology in our classrooms.”

The original structure wasn’t completely torn down. It was just gutted.

“The new structure is much more user friendly for students, faculty, and staff,”

Originally built in 1982, Smith Brasher Hall had very traditional style classrooms, Diller said.

“It was very dark and there were not any encouraging gathering areas for students to work in.”

Now Smith Brasher Hall has a lot of natural light which creates a more inviting environment, but it is also effective from a sustainability standpoint, she said.

Having a lot of natural light allows CNM to use less electricity.

In addition to the natural light Smith Brasher Hall was redesigned with sustainability in mind.

Some of these features include, geo thermal wells that are pumped in the parking lot, solar panels to power the front outside area, and special parking spots for students who drive low emission, fuel saving vehicles.

There is a free parking lot immediately south of the building, Diller said, but there is parking that is even closer for fuel efficient vehicles.

These parking spots are to encourage sustainability efforts and give students who do drive low emission vehicles a parking perk.

Click here to see if your car qualifies for a Go Green Permit.

The outside front area of the building was designed with opportunities for growth in mind, Diller said.

“We anticipate having food trucks in that area and being able to have a farmer’s market, and student run kiosks in the future.”

Smith Brasher Hall is also equipped with 10 state of the art computer labs as well as tutor support for students who are learning programming, networking, cyber security, and cloud computing.

A new feature that the building never had before are focus rooms, which are private, comfortable spaces that seat about 6-8 students at a time.

They are great spaces where students can work on group projects or where faculty can work with students one on one, Diller said.

As an accessibility option there is one universal bathroom in Smith Brasher Hall.

The bathroom is to provide students with access to be able to use the restroom of their choice, and have that privacy.

“We have a diverse student population,” she said, “That is something that the school has a goal of moving towards; making sure we have that accessibility.”

Smith Brasher Hall is home to the School of Information and Technology.

They are already sharing the space with some faculty from the School of Math, Science, and Engineering, and the school of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences, as they get ready to renovate Max Salazar Hall which is scheduled to take place in 2018.

As CNM takes strides to a more sustainable campus Donna Diller said that she feels grateful.

“I think sometimes we take for granted the facilities that we have,” she said, “We are very fortunate to live and study and work together in a facility like this.”

Balloon Fiesta 2017

October 13, 2017December 1, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

Photo Essay by Senior Reporter: Hilary Broman

BF 3 — Two balloons fully inflated waiting to take flight.

BF 1 — At the 46th Annual Balloon Fiesta the Wells Fargo Balloon ascends into the sunrise with an American flag during the National Anthem.

BF 12 — The Master Yoda Balloon, also from Belgium, takes flight.

BF 8 — One of the balloons begins to rise as the crowd below cheers.

BF 2 — One of the many Rainbow Ryders balloons (the balloons that provide balloon rides to passangers) takes flight during the morning ascension.

BF 7 — A spectator takes a photo of the festivities. The International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world.

BF 5 — A balloon flies into a clear sky with a view of the moon.

BF 9 — The Creamland Cow Balloon, Airabelle, from British Columbia, Canada, looks down over the crowd.

BF 11 — A Balloon Fiesta favorite, Darth Vader from Belgium, takes flight.

BF 6 — During the Kid’s Day the at Fiesta a child plays under the balloon as it inflates.

BF 10 — The Moo Crew helps Airabelle get ready for takeoff.

BF 4 — A crew member stands before a balloon spread out on the ground. Balloon crews lay the balloons on the ground, then inflate them while they are still lying down, then they work together to lift the balloon to a vertical position before takeoff.

A College Friendly Guide to the Balloon Fiesta

October 5, 2017November 1, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman

Senior Staff Reporter

As we approach the halfway point of the fall term here at CNM, Albuquerque is approaching Balloon Fiesta season.

With the 46^th annual Balloon Fiesta right around the corner students might be encountering extra stress.

While it is an exciting time it can be difficult to balance school, work, and family while trying to plan a trip to this year’s Balloon Fiesta.

To help ease the stress CNM Chronicle’s senior staff reporter, Hilary Broman, has put together an easy to read, stress free list of details about this year’s fiesta.

Find a headline that interests you and get all the details you need there.

The theme this year is Inflate your Imagination.

So, grab your favorite hoodie, a delicious cup of coffee, and Inflate your Imagination.

If you’re a Star Wars Fan:

Help welcome back the popular Darth Vader and Yoda balloons at this free, kid friendly event.

“Visitors will be able to encounter Darth and Yoda up close and they will also be able to meet the pilots and crew members,” according to the event Facebook page.

When: Friday, October 6^th at 8:30am-11:00om

Where: Balloon Fiesta Museum

For more information, click here.

If you have kids:

The entire balloon fiesta is kid friendly but, Thursday, October 12^th is Kid Day, presented by KOB-TV.

The morning will start off with a laser light show at 5:45 am.

Followed by dawn patrol at 6:00am and then a Special Shape rodeo at 7:00 am.

In the evening a Special Shape Glowdeo is scheduled at 6:00pm, followed by a laser light show at 7:45pm, then a firework show at 8:00pm.

*Kids 12 and under are free every day of the fiesta.

If you love the special shapes:

The special shape balloons are included in all of the mass ascension events, but if you are particularly fond of the special shape balloons try attending the Special Shape Rodeo and Glowdeo.

The Special Shape Rodeo is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 12^th and Friday, October 13^th.

During this event, only the special shape balloons take the field and take flight.

On the evening of the 12^th and 13^th there will be a Special Shape Glowdeo where the special shape balloons take the field but do not take flight. Instead, they ignite the gas which creates a glowing effect across the field.

In addition to all of the old favorites, 17 new shapes will be joining the special shapes family.

Below are the new special shape balloons:

Click here to see a directory of all the special shape balloons participating in this year’s event.

If you want to conquer your fear of heights:

If you want to catch a ride on a balloon, contact Rainbow Ryders Inc at:

Toll free: 1-800-725-2477

Phone: 505-823-1111

Email: flightinfo@rainbowryders.com

For more information, click here.

If you’re not a morning person:

If the 4:00am morning rush and the morning cold isn’t worth it to you, don’t worry. There are plenty of mid-day and evening events.

On Saturday, October 14^th, a music fiesta is scheduled to take place from 1:00pm-5:00pm.

Artists include; The Bus Tapes, Phil Vassar, and Billy Currington.

Admission to the music fiesta is not included in the general admission price.

Click here for ticket information.

There is also an AIBF Chainsaw Carving Invitational that is scheduled to take place on many days throughout the fiesta.

Click here to see when these events are scheduled.

There are many evening events scheduled throughout the fiesta including, laser light shows, balloon glows, and firework shows.

Click here to see when these events are scheduled.

If you’re a photographer:

The Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world, according to Balloon Fiesta officials.

Each year a photo contest is held for the best photos taken throughout the fiesta.

This year there are 5 categories;

Kids at Balloon Fiesta Photo Entry
Dawn Patrol/Balloon Glow Photo Entry
Mass Ascension Photo Entry
Special Shape Rodeo Photo Entry
AfterGlow Fireworks Photo Entry

There will be a grand prize winner and a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winner in each category.

Each submission costs $5.

To enter the contest or find out more, click here.

Transportation:

Don’t let parking stress you out. There are many options for drivers.

Park and Ride: There are many park and ride locations where you can pay for parking transportation, and admission into the balloon fiesta park all in one.

The park and ride locations include;

Cottonwood Mall
Intel
Coronado Center
Hoffmantown Church
Cliff’s Amusement Park

Click here for pricing information and to purchase tickets.

Parking on location:

If you decide to park on location make sure to leave extra early.

No matter what part of town you are coming from expect to be in traffic for an hour or more.

Be prepared to pay $15 cash per car.

Bike parking:

Beat the traffic when you ride your bike!

“Bike Valet is provided as a free service to promote bicycling to the Balloon Fiesta,” according to the balloon fiesta website.

Bike valet hours of operation:

Morning Sessions 5:30AM to 10:30AM
Evening Sessions 5:00PM to 9:00PM

For more information about the bike valet service click here.

If you’ve never been:

If you are from out of state or never had the chance to attend the event her are some tips that will make your first Balloon Fiesta experience enjoyable.

Dress warm, and in layers.
- The morning is usually very cold but it gets warmer as the sun comes up. You may want to peel some of those layers.
Bring a blanket.
- The event takes place on a grass lot. Blankets come in handy when you want to relax. You can stretch out and enjoy the fiesta from almost anywhere in the field.
Be prepared for a crowd.
- The first balloon fiesta experience can be a bit overwhelming. If you are someone who doesn’t like crowds be prepared for a loud and chaotic space.
Use the restroom before you leave home
- There are Porta-Potties are the balloon fiesta park but the line is always very long.
Buy all of your tickets in advance.
- The more prepared you are they less hectic the experience will be. Buying admission tickets, park and ride tickets, and parking tickets in advance can help reduce stress.
Take a camera
- The balloon fiesta is the most photographed event in the world. You’ll want to capture it.
Enjoy it
- The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest in the world. There is nothing else like it, so take in as much as you can and enjoy it!

*All events are weather permitting

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All photos by Hilary Broman.

Five CNM Clubs that you’ll want to know about!

September 29, 2017October 19, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman

Senior Staff Reporter

CNM offers many different clubs. However, with a student body of over 25,000 students it can be difficult to stay in the loop.

Not all of the clubs that are available at CNM are listed on the CNM website so we at the Chronicle researched to find new clubs that students might not be aware of.

Listed below is a list of CNM clubs accepting members this semester.

Club: Sunflare Photography Club

Photo Club 1 — The Sunflare photography club taking a picture of club president, Hannah Choy,
while she takes a photo of them.

When and where: From 3:00pm-5:00pm on most Fridays at 4501 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 unless stated otherwise. Club meetings are announced via Facebook and email.

Club activities: The club goes to different locations such as Oldtown, Downtown Albuquerque, and the Bio Park to take photos. Sometimes they go out to eat and visit photo galleries, said club president, Hannah Choy.

Photo Club 2 — Shot by Hannah Choy during one of the Sunflare’s photo walk in Oldtown.

Why students should join: “Students should join because our club is a good place to learn and practice photography skills, to make more experiences to put on resumes, to learn teamwork, to get networking opportunities, to gain leadership and to have lots of fun,” Choy said.

Contact information: Students interested in joining can contact Hannah Choy at hchoy@cnm.edu.

Club: Executive Council of Students (Student Government)

When and where: 4:00pm-6:00pm on Fridays at the ECOS office, BT3-b. (The portables near Trio and Taxhelp in the bookstore parking lot).

Club activities: The Executive Council of Students goals are to increase CNM’s sense community, provide opportunities for CNM students, provide fair representation of all students and bring those issues to the CNM administration, and to help distribute information about CNM to the students, said Council President, Jimmy Thompson.

Thompson is also hoping to provoke enough interest to support a CNMpics (CNM olympics) to host a series of events that are athletic, fun and all inclusive, he said.

Why students should join: Students should join because it not only increases one’s sense of community at CNM but it ensures a sense of community for everyone, Thompson said.

“ECOS works to represent the entire student body, no matter how small or diverse a population may be. The greater participation we have will result in a more varied governing body with a more extensive direct outreach to the student body and all persons on campus in general,” he said.

Contact information: Students who are interested in joining the Executive Council of students ca contact Jimmy Thompson at jthompson120@cnm.edu.

Club: Anthropology Club

When and where: Noon on the first Friday of each month in the Main campus cafeteria. The first meeting of the semester will be on Friday, October 6^th.

Club activities: In the past the Anthropology club has held Meet & Greet events, participated in the Westside Fall Festival and College Days, attended conferences, organized field trips and demonstrations, created campus displays, held fundraisers, and provided community service, said Sue Ruth, Anthropology instructor.

Why students should join: “Students should join if they have an interest in anthropology and want to get more involved at CNM”, Ruth said.

Contact information: Students interested in joining can contact Sue Ruth at sruth2@cnm.edu.

Students can also visit the CNM Anthropology Facebook page and click the “join group” button to get updates on events related to the club.

Club: Phi Theta Kappa

When and where: The upcoming general meeting is scheduled to take place on October 17. The upcoming officer meeting is scheduled to take place on October 4^th at 2:00pm. PTK members also volunteer with East Gate Church food pantry on the first Saturday of every month.

Why students should join: The benefits of being a PTK member include; being able to apply for transfer scholarships and academic scholarships in their majors, having an opportunity to participate and lead community service initiatives, having the opportunity to fulfill leadership positions, and being able to study topics which relate to local community and how it relates to the student’s own personal professional life.

Contact information: For more information, students can contact the public relation officer Frozan Popal at fpopal1@cnm.edu or the PTK student’s president Brittiana Padilla at bpadilla77@cnm.edu.

Club: Art Club

When and where: 4:30pm every Friday in room N12 on Main Campus

Club activities: We host workshops centering on various mediums and practices of art, anything from figure drawing to linocut printmaking, said the art club president Jennifer Woehrle.

Why students should join: Students should join if they are interested in art, or just in learning something new, Woehrle said.

Contact information: Students can join by showing up on a day that the club meets or they can email the art club president Jennifer Woehrle at jwoehrle@cnm.edu, or the art club vice president Carolina Kessler-Cocina akesslercocina@cnm.edu.

If these clubs don’t interest you, check out our summer club story here or check out the list of clubs on the CNM website.

If your perfect club doesn’t exist yet, create it! Click here for more information.

Safety on Campus: Pepper Spray

September 19, 2017October 13, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman, Senior Staff Reporter

Nursing major, Marcela, believes that students, especially women, should be able to carry pepper spray on campus when they have classes late at night, she said.

However, pepper spray is considered a banned weapon on CNM campuses, said Louis Medina, Deputy Chief of Safety and Security.

Main campus has more reported crimes against women than any other CNM campus, according to the Clery Act, a document disclosing campus security policy and campus crime statistics.

*No Crimes reported at Rio Rancho and STEMulus Center*

Although nursing major, Marcela, is not surprised by this fact she stated that she feels safe at Main Campus, because she takes morning classes and she recommends that students try to take classes during the day in order to stay safe.

However, she knows that many students have to take night classes due to their schedule.

“It’s hard, because people work, they have to take classes late. It’s hard for a lot of people,” she said.

How can students who have to take night classes feel safe if they cannot carry pepper spray?

“Know a little bit of self-defense,” said Zaya Osborn, Earth and Planetary Sciences major, “at least enough to know how to get out of holds and run away, enough to get yourself to safety.”

Osborn also aims to take morning classes to avoid coming to campus late at night.

“I live in Albuquerque and Albuquerque is more dangerous at night,” she said.

John Corvino, Chief of Security and Safety, is aware of the challenging climate that Albuquerque faces.

“Crime is rampant, it’s more outrageous than it’s ever been,” Corvino said, “but we’re doing our best.”

Students who feel unsafe walking to and from their car can call for a security escort at (505) 224- 3002.

“Don’t hesitate,” Corvino said, “If you are here late at night, call us. We are happy to do it. We’ll give you a ride, we’ll walk with you. We’re going to get you to your car safe.”

The security department is being innovative in their approach to increase safety on main campus.

They just implemented a new bike patrol system in which officers can patrol the entire perimeter of campus four to six times an hour, Corvino said.

Even with the steps taken by the security department to keep main campus safe, female students like Rebekah Monje, a Diagnostic Medical Sonography major, avoid taking classes at main campus at night.

Although she feels “pretty safe for the most part” on main campus, she prefers to take classes at the Rio Rancho campus if they are later in the day, she said.

“Maybe just for students who have class in the evening there should be a lot more security guards on duty at that time,” Monje said.

If students encounter and emergency they can call security at (505) 224- 3001.

Students can contact security for non-emergencies at (505) 224- 3002. This line is open 24/7.

Crime is Rampant

July 17, 2017October 5, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman, Senior Staff Reporter

Physical Therapy major, Geovanny Castillo fell victim to having his bike stolen from main campus.

His bike was parked at a bike rack by the LS building and when he got out of class it wasn’t there.

“I didn’t see that coming,” he said.

Castillo reported it to security but he doesn’t have much hope that it will be found, he said.

He has since then bought a new bike and the best lock that he could get.

“I just took it as a learning experience,” Castillo said.

This is just one example of a theft at main campus.

According to the Clery act, https://www.cnm.edu/depts/security/documents/2016-annual-security-report.pdf a document disclosing campus security policy and campus crime statistics, main campus had the most motor vehicle thefts of all CNM campuses in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

In 2016 fifteen cars were stolen from main campus, said John Corvino, Chief of Security and Safety, and so far in 2017 seven cars have been stolen from main campus.

That is just a dent in the 10,000 cars that were reported stolen in Albuquerque and surrounding counties in 2016.

Chief Corvino and his officers are doing their best keep main campus safe from motor vehicle theft, he said.

One of the things the security department is doing is putting fliers on the top cars that the bad guys want, he said.

Honda Civics and trucks are the top stolen cars, Corvino said.

About one week ago a 2000 Honda Civic was stolen from main campus and two months ago a 1998 Honda Civic was stolen.

“You need more than just locking your car,” Corvino said, “You need to have a club or a similar device.”

Although security is constantly patrolling all the parking lots, even the secluded ones, it is important to park in a good area where there are a lot of people, he said.

Also, if students have early morning or late classes, they should try to park closer to the building that their class is in.

Students who are concerned about the safety of their motor vehicles on campus can go into the security office, https://www.cnm.edu/depts/security/security-office-locations where they will give students tips on how to secure their vehicle.

The security office is located in the DPS building on main campus at 725 University Blvd. SE.

“Crime is rampant, it’s more outrageous than it’s ever been,” Corvino said, “but we’re doing our best.”

The security department is being innovative in their approach to increase safety on main campus.

They just implemented a new bike patrol system in which officers can patrol the entire perimeter of campus four to six times an hour.

They also have portable security booths that they set up at different locations around campus.

“We choose locations that we believe might have more crime than others,” Corvino said.

Students can also go to the booths to ask security related questions.

“The officer in the booth is visible,” Corvino said, “I want predators to see us. We are looking for predators to be off our campus.”

Welding program students are currently building two new booths for the security department.

The consensus among students who attend classes on main campus is that they feel generally safe.

Physics major, Ethan Johnson, who is usually at main campus for the majority of his day stated, “I do feel pretty safe. Security does a good job to make this campus feel protected.”

Bike theft victim, Geovanny Castillo, stated that he does feel safe on campus but his one recommendation for security would be to spread out more.

“I usually see them all together in a group,” he said.

What Castillo could be witnessing is one of the new approaches that Corvino implemented to increase visibility.

Corvino and his officers used to hold briefings in the office but have recently changed to field briefings.

‘Presence, presence, presence, that’s what we have to do,” he said.

If students encounter and emergency they can call security at (505) 224- 3001.

Students can contact security for non-emergencies at (505) 224- 3002. This line is open 24/7.

Pet Your Stress Away

July 6, 2017September 29, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman
Senior Staff Reporter
Students are invited to take a break from their week eight stress and go pet dogs at Montoya campus.
Therapy Dog Thursday is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 6th from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, in Building H, room 126.
The main mission of the event is to help CNM students let go of anxiety as they prepare for finals, said Daniel Hay, Library Circulation Specialist.
Hay will also be on hand to inform students of other helpful services and resources, he said.
“Studies have shown the stress-relieving benefit that animals have on people,” Hay said.
The dogs that will be at the event are specially trained therapy dogs.
The dogs and volunteers are from the Southwest Canine Corps of Volunteers.
The therapy dog event is the most well attended event at the library, Hay said.
This is a recurring event and it takes place at Montoya, Main and Westside libraries throughout the year.
Check the CNM library events guide upcoming dates.

Daniel Hay & Scruffy — Daniel Hay petting Scruffy at the Spring April 6, 2017 Therapy Dog event. Photo taken at event by Tamara Bicknell-Lombardi

Culinary Arts Bake Sale

July 6, 2017September 19, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman
Senior Staff Reporter
Students can indulge in a yummy treat while supporting CNM.
The Culinary Arts program bake sale is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 6th from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Main Campus in the RP Matteucci Hall Lobby.
All proceeds support CNM.
There will be a variety of baked items produced by the baking lab classes as well as some large cookies and other fun items produced by the Retail Baking class, said Andrea Schulte, Culinary instructor.
Cash is the only accepted form of payment for this bake sale but, card will be accepted at future bake sales.
The Culinary Arts program usually holds four bake sales every semester, Schulte said.
Click here for a schedule of future bake sales.
On August 3rd, the Retail Baking students will be featuring their specialty items that they are in the process of testing for their own retail bakery concepts, Schulte said.

Featured illustration by Heather Hay

Albuquerque Celebrates LGBTIQ+ Pride

June 12, 2017June 12, 2017 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Hilary Broman

Staff Reporter

Photos By Hilary Broman and Wade Faast

Thousands of people gathered along the sides of Lomas Boulevard on Saturday morning to celebrate the 41^st annual Pride Parade.

The parade was a celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer community.

Many local businesses participated in the parade such as; Sandia National Laboratories and Albuquerque Public Schools.

Nationally recognized businesses such as; Planned Parenthood and T-Mobile also participated.

The Grand Marshal of the parade was Axel Andrews, an entertainer from Pulse Nightclub in Orlando Florida.

Pulse Nightclub was the location of a deadly mass shooting that took place in June 2016, in which the shooter specifically targeted members of the LGBTIQ community.

Pride Parades around the world are meant to build unity and strength in the LGBTIQ+ community as well as send a message to others that they will not tolerate hate.

This was the first year the Albuquerque Pride Parade took place on Lomas Boulevard.

Due to ART construction on central the parade did not take place on its normal route.