Tag: Issue 3 Volume 18

Have a Bite of Language for Lunch

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By: Jodie Darrell, Staff Reporter | Photo By: Scott M. Roberts, Photojournalist

A new forum is now avail­able to students for learning and practicing French and Spanish language skills in the Main campus cafeteria, said full-time CHSS Instructor Christopher Frenchette.

For French speakers, La Table Française occurs on Mondays and for Spanish speak­ers La Mesa Espanola occurs on Wednesdays. Both are open from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All students can attend, even if they have no prior experience. The only thing required is a thirst for knowledge, said Frenchette.

“It’s a chance for stu­dents to practice the lan­guage skills they’ve learned if they’d like to. It’s a chance for them to ask questions for clarification if they didn’t understand something in class,” said Frenchette.

Every day will be dif­ferent; there will be no set agenda and the entire hour will focus on students’ ques­tions, said Frenchette.

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Typo May Prevent Vote on Minimum Wage Increase

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By: Jonathan Baca, Staff Reporter

The proposed city ordinance that would increase the city’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $8.50 an hour is currently in limbo because of a typo, said CNM stu­dent and Organizers in the Land of Enchantment member Lucia Fraire.

The mistake is a single sentence in which the ordi­nance states that employ­ers, rather than employees, would be paid $8.50 an hour. Fraire said that the mistake is clearly a simple typographical error that does not confuse voters or change the true meaning of the ordinance.

“It’s definitely a fight,” said Fraire.

OLE New Mexico col­lected 26,000 signatures from Albuquerque voters to present the issue on the Nov. 6 presidential election ballot, but the typo in the ordinance has slowed the process and could completely end it, said Director of City Council Services Laura Mason.

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Student Unicyclist Goes Solo

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By: Stefany Olivas, Managing Editor | Photo By: Scott M. Roberts, Photojournalist

Single Wheel Transportation Fun and Practical

Culinary Arts major Zachary Carris said he has been riding his unicycle since he was eleven years old, and now he rarely ever rides a bicycle.

His parents thought his desire to ride a uni­cycle was just a phase, but he said he contin­ues to use his unicycle because it is easier to ride and maintain than a bicycle.

“The only thing I can remember was excite­ment. It was the coolest thing on the planet to me at that point. Half my life later, I’m still going strong,” said Carris.

He said he the single contact point with the ground and the minimal length of the unicycle make it easier for him to maneuver.

“Getting through crowds of people is easier, and since there’s one con­tact point, you can slow a little bit and turn on the dime,” said Carris.

His parents bought him his first unicycle after Carris became enthralled with a family friend’s uni­cycle, he said.

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Art Club to Present Chalk Show at Mall

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By: Stefany Olivas & Amy Foster | Photo By: Scott M. Roberts, Photojournalist

The Art Club is planning a sidewalk chalk art project to take place outside of Coronado Mall, and members are inviting other CNM artists to participate, said Art major Steve Stauffer.

There will be eight days of drawing beginning Oct. 6. Students who are interested can contact Art major and Art Club President Alexander Casper at alexandercasper@gmail.com.

“We’ll have artists who we love participating. We’re emerging and we’ve got some really talented people over here. Our community is yours,” said Casper.

The Coronado Mall is a suitable venue to draw large pieces, reach out to the community and have a large number of artists come together, said Casper.

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‘Dezert Banditz’ Stealing the Scene

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By: Jonathan Baca, Staff Reporter | Photo Courtesy: Kron Jeremy, Dezert Banditz

The Duke City’s hip-hop scene is alive and kicking, said Liberal Arts major and local MC Jeremiah Cordova who performs under the alias Kron Jeremy.

Cordova is a member of the Dezert Banditz, a collec­tive of local MCs, DJs, pro­moters, producers and artists the goal of which is to support the growing hip-hop scene in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, he said. The Dezert Banditz help to sponsor shows to keep the scene working together as well as help new MCs get recog­nized, said Cordova.

“We’re trying to show love and stay humble,” he said. Cordova said the name is a ref­erence to the intention of the group — to steal the hip-hop scene back.

The group formed in 2011 as a response to the local scene at the time, which was very exclu­sive and hard to break into, said former student, member and producer Bryan Higgans, also known as Kuma.

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Column: The Fine Art of Misery

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By: Kristin L. Roush, Ph.D., Psychology, Guest Columnist

The first five installments of “The Fine Art of Misery,” including this introduction, appeared on Dr. Roush’s blog movedandshaken.com. Topics five through 10 will appear on her blog following publication in the CNM Chronicle.

This series is intended to be a spoof, a lighthearted invitation to look at how we create our own misery. It is by no means meant to be disre­spectful or minimizing of anyone’s true pain, particularly regarding depression and anxiety.

This series is being brought to you as a public service. I have recently observed an alarming number of CNM students smiling, walking with long, confident strides; their heads held high, greeting total strangers with kind­ness, remaining optimistic in the face of disappointments, and perhaps most alarming, exhibiting generosity while searching for parking spaces.

Now, to the casual observer, these might appear to be positive behav­iors. Don’t be fooled! Look around you. It is not normal to be happy and carefree.

If you are well adjusted, physically healthy and you enjoy a satisfying relation­ship, you are a social outcast.

You are in a minority that enjoys no legal protec­tions. You are hopelessly doomed to a life of being misunderstood, judged, and socially shunned. The normal person won’t be drawn to you. You will never be able to relate to Wednesday Afternoon TV Specials or Lifetime Channel movies. With no excuses for poor performance, people will expect quality outcomes from you. The pressure will be too much.

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Cool Classes: It’s Always Sunny in the Photovoltaic Program

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By: Amy Foster, Staff Reporter | Photo By: Stefany Olivas, Managing Editor

“Cool Classes” is a feature which focuses on an interesting program or class at CNM. To nominate a class or program, send an email to jyllianchroni­cle@gmail.com

The Photovoltaic pro­gram is designed to train students in the steadily emerging technology that helps save the environ­ment through solar energy, said full-time instructor Jessie Harwell.

CNM’s program is in its second year and its four-course series of classes is at full capacity, said Harwell. Photovoltaics are the solar panels that appear blue or reflective silver from far away and are grouped together in large square grids.

“The Photovoltaic system is just another branch of electrical to me. It’s a branch that I’ve always loved. My favorite days are always out in the field installing solar modules,” said Harwell.

In the lab courses, stu­dents break down grids to see how they are put together, wire systems and install modules on roofs inside the WTC laboratory, said Harwell.

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How to: Get a Campus Security Report

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By: Daniel Johnson, Staff Reporter

A student who needs a security report from any campus can get one from the security office beginning 10 business days after the report is filed, said Campus Security Lieutenant Bernard Rogers.

The reports are consid­ered public information and can be requested at the Main campus security office, at the corner of Basehart Road and University Boulevard, he said.

“This includes all inci­dents that occur at all CNM facilities,” said Rogers.

Because of the safety of personal informa­tion or the risk of iden­tity theft, he said Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects information such as Social Security Numbers, birth dates, and other personal information which is withheld from the secu­rity reports.

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Special Series: Alternative Transportation

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By: Amy Fost, Staff Reporter | Photos By: Scott M. Roberts

Motor Scooters

“Alternative Transportation” is a special fall term series that looks at various means of transportation. Look for “Trains” in issue four.

Amotorized scooter is a good money saver with lots of other benefits, said Youth Development major and Lobo Scooter repair­person David See.

A 50cc scooter has a two gallon tank and gets up to 90 miles per gallon, said See. With gas prices above $3 per gallon, a scooter costs far less to fill than a car, truck or SUV, said See.

“Oil prices are through the roof right now. Gas is expensive. I just went to the station and filled up my tank. Cost me $6,” said See.

Expenses to drive a scooter after purchase are also less than a car. Scooters with less than 50cc do not require taxes, ownership titles or a driver’s license to operate in the state of New Mexico, said See.

Parking is stress-free for owners in Albuquerque because all parking meters are free for scooters, even downtown, said See.

“You can park on any lot for free, at any campus, and get right up front in the first row where the bikes park. Then you don’t have to walk so far to class,” said See.

Part-time SAGE Instructor and scooter owner Patrick Fairbanks said he has only needed to pay for one oil change and one belt replacement since he bought his scooter three years ago.

Fairbanks uses his scooter as daily transporta­tion from Montoya Campus to Main campus and home, he said.

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Editorial: Proposed Wage Increase Not Enough for Students, Families

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A $1.00 minimum wage increase, as proposed by Organizers in the Land of Enchantment New Mexico, would certainly help many New Mexicans, but it is just not enough for students or workers with dependents.

When the minimum wage for Albuquerque was raised to $7.50/hr in 2009, a one bedroom apartment cost $628/month, a loaf of bread cost $1.77, tuition at CNM was $492 for a full-time stu­dent, electricity ran $45/mo. and a gallon of gas was $2.66.

Today, a one bedroom apartment costs $672, a seven percent increase; bread is $2.25, a 27 percent increase; tuition is $579, a 23 percent increase; electricity runs $88/ month, a 95 percent increase; and gas is $3.63/gal, a 36 per­cent increase. A minimum wage increase of 13 percent will not make the difference for most students.

A monthly paycheck for a student with a full time job will be $1,360 before taxes. Half of that goes to rent. Now we will pretend that this stu­dent fills the car up once a week, that is $43.56. $88 goes to the robberbarons at PNM, and we will pretend the stu­dent eats about $100 in gro­ceries a month. The student has $456.44 left before taxes, mind you to pay a phone bill, internet, car insurance and other monthly necessities. A student working full time with no dependants could probably survive this way, provided that student had no interest in saving any money for the future.

Most full time students will only work part time. In that case, the student is left with $8 after monthly rent. If a student has dependents, full-or part time, that student’s expenses will go up exponen­tially — kids are not cheap.

Online, ehow, cnn, msn, forbes and a host of other websites recommend not spending more than 30-35 percent of a monthly paycheck on housing. That means the full time work­ing student needs an apart­ment that costs no more than $476/month and the part­time working student should look for one that costs $238. Perhaps, that is reasonable for a single student who does not mind a roommate or two.

In the end, the proposed wage increase will not help already low-income New Mexicans and will just give businesses a reason to raise prices. What is needed instead is a more robust wage increase that allows New Mexicans to find this fabled 35-percent-of-their-income housing and includes language that caps the amount businesses can increase their prices. Until then, any other wage increase is just a bandage on what is fast becoming a gaping wound.