Tag: Rene Thompson

Student counseling needs increase, Health Center staff size does not

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By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

There has been a steady increase of students seek­ing out counseling services on campus, and it is caus­ing some problems, Merry Guild, licensed therapist and Student Health Center employee, said.

About 250 students visited the center last semester, even though only about three out of 10 students know about the services, she said.

“I think CNM does a terrific job with support services, and the students that do know about these services express a lot of positive feedback for what we provide. Unfortunately though, we seem to be expanding more than the services provided right now,” she said.

The Student Health Center, located in room 206 in the Student Services Center on Main campus, has taken on two interns from UNM to help with the load, Guild, who counsels up to six students per day, said.

“If we didn’t have UNM interns, there would be at least a month waiting list, so they really help with the volume of students seeking help,” she said.

The center offers a free, one-time, eight-week counseling session and referrals for low-cost or free long-term counseling, she said.

Guild believes that the increase comes from a wider acceptance of coun­seling and those who seek it, she said.

As many males as female request services from many different social and cultural backgrounds, she said.

“Times are changing; it is more acceptable and less of a stigma to go to coun­seling these days to seek help,” she said.

For more informa­tion, visit CNM Mental Health Services web­site at cnm.edu/depts/ health-center/counseling.

Knowing the unknowns

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By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

Student art exhibit opens

For many Art majors, the Known Unknowns art show is the first gallery exhibit they experience.

The show, which opened earlier this month, features art­work from 21 students in this spring’s Art Career Concerns class, Danielle Miller, Art instructor, said.

This exhibition, which opened on April 5 at the Downtown Contemporary Gallery, features the work of several local student artists attending CNM, with various styles and approaches that form a diverse collection of works, she said.

“These students from Art Career Concerns class are required in their degrees to learn how to exhibit their art in a real art show, so we have these events to give them the experience of learning how to get their art up for other people to see and have their art for sale so they know how to market their work in a gallery,” she said.

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Instructor’s thoughts on rate my professors

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By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

The oft-used website RateMyProfessors.com, can help give students an idea of what to expect in an upcoming class, but what do instructors think about their scores on the site?

The CNM Chronicle asked instructors what they think of the site and whether it is a good tool for students.

The site’s rating system ranges from 1.0 to 5.0, with 5.0 as the highest. Categories include class quality, clarity, helpfulness, and easiness of classes, as well as a “Hotness” rating. These scores, except the “Hotness” score, are combined for an overall quality total.

Angie Alley, a Communications instructor, said she is humbled by the over­all 5.0 quality scores given by her students.

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Play time

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By Adriana Avila, Managing Editor and Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

How to buy and use the right toy

  Shopping for sex toys can be tough for those who do not know what to search for. With the vast variety of toys, the frustration of not knowing what to buy can be overwhelming. Research online and visits to local sex shops can prevent the annoying case of receiving the wrong size or material of a toy without realizing it.

 Size (and shape) matters:

There are various shapes when it comes to vibrators and dildos, and run a gamut from smaller, penile-shaped to dongs the size of a friendly dino­saur. Most sex shops carry a wide variety – from slender and short to long and wide, and are even available double or triple-ended. Research is rec­ommended to know what your body can handle.

Using a toy that is too big can cause micro-tearing, especially with anal play, so a good rule is to start small and work up to larger toys.

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Safe, sane, and consensual

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Capture BDSM

Safe, sane and consensual: Exploring the World of BDSM

By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

The world of BDSM, or bondage; discipline; sadism and masochism, is often misunderstood by those who do not live the lifestyle.

BDSM can seem extreme by those who see sex in a more conventional way, but three rules of BDSM are: safe, sane and consensual, Julian Wolf, sexuality lecturer and enrolled student said.

“Conventional relationships are not much different from ours, in the sense that some people communicate better than others about what is wanted form a significant other,” she said.

Roxanne Youngblood, former student and submissive, said that she began to explore the BDSM lifestyle after learning about it in a Human Sexuality class at CNM.

“I had urges that were not understood in my previous relationships. I wanted to explore what it is that I really am, if I’m straight or bisexual or gay, as well as be able to have my particular needs be met in a BDSM relationship,” she said.

Youngblood has been in a submissive/dominant relationship for eight months and wears a collar from her dominant, she said. The collar is an outward symbol of their relationship, similar to a promise ring.  The relationship can be ended by either side at any time.

“At any point, if I am not into it anymore or I am not happy, I can take off the collar and walk away,” she said.

Being in an environment that allows and approves of sexual exploration has help Youngblood to accept herself, she said.

“I have a much better understanding of what I want out of my relationships, and I am so much happier because I am able to fulfill my needs, and not just sexually,” she said.

Ken Cornell, a long-time dominant in his private life and in public performances, said that every relationship needs communication, but BDSM relationship simply cannot survive without it.

“You have to be honest about what you want up front, because if not, people can become uncomfortable in what they are seeking, and no one wants that from a BDSM relationship,” Cornell.

Aside from communication, a dominant also has the responsibility of guiding a submissive and others new to the lifestyle, so that they understand that submissives still have the right to say no at all times and that being a submissive does not mean a person has absolutely no control over what happens with them.

“As a Dom I feel like a protector of my subs, in guiding them through what needs they really have, and showing my subs that there is complete trust from me to do what they want me to do and figure out what they need,” he said.

Many safeguards are in place to protect all parties in BDSM relationships, such as safe words, signed agreements and having first aid kits on hand, just in case.

“We have to be completely honest with one another about our needs and expectations to better understand what is really wanted from both parties,” he said.

Student’s team competes in lego robotics world championship

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By: Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter | Photo By: Rene Thompson

Team Dutch 200 won the Inspire Award in the regional competition with their robot Hal (left) placing tenth.
Team Dutch 200 won the Inspire Award in the regional competition with their robot Hal (left) placing tenth.

A New Mexico chap­ter of the First Tech Challenge Lego Robotics program is raising money to compete in the FTC World Championship next month, dual credit CNM student and team leader Haley Hanson said.

Hanson’s team, Dutch 200, which competes against other teams using Lego Robot kits, has won a spot in the FTC World Championship on April 24-27 in St. Louis Mo., but must raise a $1,000 entry fee first, she said.

“The team is really happy about going to the championship,” team chaperone and Haley Hanson’s mom, Lori Hanson, said.

Dutch 200 was invited to the world championship after winning the Inspire Award in the regional competition on March 16, said Lori Hanson. The team’s robot, Hal, won tenth place in the robot competition, she said.

The team does not yet know what they will do to raise the entry fee, but will post the details and how others can help on their Facebook page at facebook. com/ftcteam5666, Lori Hanson said.

Haley Hanson said she learned about robotics when she was 11 when she and her brother joined a team in the junior league of the same organization.

“We build our robots to complete a certain challenge each year that is released in September, and challenges consist of game like competitions for children to better under­stand, such as this year’s form of a three-dimen­sional vertical Tic-Tac- Toe, taking objects from one point to another in a specific pattern,” she said.

The FTC and the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) organization work to get kids from Kindergarten through grade 12 inter­ested in learning about science and technol­ogy through robotics challenges, she said.

“It is a fun way to learn about new technolo­gies, as well as teamwork and strategy, with a very unique sports model,” she said. It also teaches gra­cious and ethical profes­sionalism at an early age,” Haley Hanson said.

Dutch 200 works with several chil­dren’s organizations and schools, such as the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy, the Albuquerque School of Excellence, and the Pruitt Reservation, teaching students about Lego robotics, she said.

“Our team has mentored over 60 First Lego League and First Tech Challenge teams in our five plus years with the FIRST organization,” she said.

For more informa­tion on Lego robotics and competitions visit usfirst.org.

Public Access Opportunities

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By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

U-Public changing the face of Albuquerque Public Access Television

Students with an urge to try their hand at working in television can learn the ropes through U-public, the operators of Albuquerque’s Public Access channels.

The non-profit organization offers classes through meetup.com/upublicans which range in price from free to $10 and teach things like how to develop a show concept, how to use production and recording equipment and how to make money through programming, said U-public Director Toby Younis.

The program has offered 75 classes and trained 138 volunteers since July  2012, and has 35 more classes in the works, he said.

Since U-Public began operating channels 17, 26 and 27 in the city, it has offered seven in-house productions and 18 independent productions. More than 30 more are in various stages of production, he said.

“We have been working on bringing in all types of content to public access, from shows such as an online web-series, to educational and local based content, as well as sports broadcasts such as Women’s Liberal Basketball,” Younis said.

Theater major Shelley Carney said U-public’s vision of training and supporting budding TV producers has done a lot to bring public television back into the public forum in Albuquerque.

“U-Public has succeeded in changing the face of public access television with educational and local community based programming, and U-Public’s main focus is to produce shows with quality content that add value to the community,” she said.

Carney, who produces a local talk show called “New Mexico Media Makers” on U-public, said the content on U-public is education-driven and locally-based, which has made it valuable to the public.

“We have a show that educates on how to deal with the death of a loved one emotionally and financially, a show that gives legal advice on many common scenarios from legal experts and we have productions that showcase local community media,” Carney said.

For more information on U-public, visit upublic.tv.

Guild Comedy Event

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By Rene Thompson, Best of Six ComediansStaff Reporter

The one-night-only “Boys will be Boys Stand-up Comedy” event will be coming to The Guild Cinema later this month.

The March 15, 18 and over show will feature six local comedians including former General Studies major and event coordinator Matt Peterson, who said he began holding local comedy events after Laffs Comedy Club closed in 2008.

“We hear people tell us that they don’t hear too often about local comedy events, and comments like these are what drives us to make our own open-mic and stand-up shows almost every day of the week throughout Albuquerque,” he said.

Peterson was a contestant on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2007, and has been a part of the local comedy scene for more than a decade. The rest of the lineup includes comedian and author Mike Long, known for his dark sense of humor; comedian and former Laffs veteran John Cuellar; sharp-witted James Marrow; Young, Dumb and Full of Comedy member Joe Quesada and “Last Comic Standing” contestant and Terrene Hookah Lounge Comedy Contest host Rusty Rutherford.

The group draws from comic legends Louis C.K. and Doug Stanhope as well at their personal experiences. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased at Mean Bao Asian Bakery at 3409 Central SE, from 10am-7pm, Tuesday- Sunday, or at the Guild Cinema on the day of the show for $10 each).

For more information on local comedy shows, go to albuquerquecomedy.com and click the schedule for details.

“This show is going to be nonstop laughs, and poop your pants funny,” Long said.

Film tax increase bill offers hope to students, industry

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By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter

New legislation to the Film Bill could raise the Tax Incentive cap for the filming industry, and film students as well as local members of the film industry could be affected by these changes for the better.

The “Breaking Bad bill” would raise the tax incen­tive for television shows filmed in New Mexico that hire New Mexico residents for 60 percent of their crew from 25 percent to 30 per­cent as an offset to the $50 million cap that was placed on the incentive in 2011.

The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is moving onto the Senate, according to the New Mexico Legislature website.

Full-time Film Instructor and Local 480 Film Technician Union member Jim Graebner said raising the bill is cru­cial because it means there will be more opportunities for television shows to be filmed in New Mexico.

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