Editorial Cartoon by Whitney Browneller
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Students Respond to Cuts, Scrapes, & Bruises
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
CNM students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program respond to the article “Cuts, Scrapes, & Bruises”, which addresses CNM President, Dr. Katharine W. Winograd’s plan to handle upcoming budget cuts.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Academic Transfer courses will go from $50 per credit hour to $51 per credit hour, and Career Technical Education along with Developmental Education courses for in-district residents will raise from $18 per credit hour to $25.50.
When asked how she felt about the budget cuts, CNM Diagnostic Medical Sonography student, Jenny Koyama stated, “the South Valley campus is in need of dire improvements and is currently undergoing construction which will reduce the number of classrooms and also bring the building up to date.”
She proposed that instead of spending such a large amount of money modernizing the South Valley campus, move the classes to more utilized campuses and close the South Valley campus.
Koyama also said the she understands the schools desire to have a presence in the South Valley but spoke on the idea of potentially using the funds on advertising alternative transportation for students to other campuses from the South Valley.
She also agreed that the tuition rate of $25.50 per credit for specific courses is extremely low in comparison to other colleges in the nation and that increasing the tuition rate will bring more funds for the college.
Melanie Lovato, a CNM Diagnostic Medical Sonography student, said that she thinks that raising the tuition is reasonable and also thinks that CNM could charge a small fee for general parking permits to help with the budget.
The Albuquerque Journal noted that President Winograd stated that CNM will hold a local bond election early next year and wrote that unless and until voters approve the added funding needed for capital projects, the eight master plan projects will remain in uncertainty.
The eight projects listed were the following:
- Phase two renovation of the J Building.
- Wayfinding improvements on several CNM campuses.
- A broadcast and display system.
- Renovation of the E Building.
- Grading and drainage improvements at Trades, Max Salazar Hall, and the Student Services Center.
- CNM Connect technology.
- Retro-Commissioning – HVAC of Max Salazar Hall, Smith Brasher Hall, the Student Services Center, the Workforce Training Center, K Building and J Building.
- Building information modeling for all campuses.
For more information about the budget cuts please visit the CNM home webpage at www.cnm.edu or call 505-224-3000.
Bernie Sanders Coming to Abq.
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will lead “The Future to Believe In” Rally this Friday, May 20 and doors open at 5 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center located at 401 2nd St NW Albuquerque NM 87102, according to the official Bernie Sanders campaign site.
According to Sanders official press release, the event is free and open to the public but seating is limited and is on a first come first serve basis.
Sanders officials recommend that citizens RSVP to the event but reminds them that it does not reserve your seat and that it is still on a first come first serve basis.
For security purposes those who attend the event should know that bags, weapons, sharp objects, chairs, signs, and banners will not be allowed through security, according to Sanders officials.
They also encourage attendees to limit what they bring to small, personal items such as keys and cell phones.
According to the official Bernie Sanders site, the presidential candidate would like to make college tuition free and debt free for everyone.
The Bernie Sanders’ campaign officially opened an office in Albuquerque this Monday, according to local new sources.
The campaign office is located at 2112 Central Ave. S.E across from the UNM campus according to the campaign headquarters.
The office is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until June 8.
For more information visit:
Student Spotlight: Nicole Tsosi
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
Nicole Tsosie is a Fine Arts and Digital Media major at CNM who was recently featured in the exhibition “Codes” at the Freestyle gallery on Central Avenue.
She primarily works with digital media to create her artwork but plans to keep working with different mediums in the future.
“I love to work with Photoshop when making my art. I love digital media but don’t want to tie myself down to one label. I think it’s great for artists to venture into as many things as they can get their hands on and it only seems healthy to get out of our own comfort zones,” she said.
She said she has always enjoyed art throughout her life, any type of art.
Nicole got into the arts while she was in school and remembers making a pattern that got a lot of recognition from her classmates, she said.
She got attention for her art more so than any other thing in school and found that her classmates were intrigued by her art.
“Growing up, I have always felt as though I am constantly stuck in my own head,” she said.
Nicole uses her art to overcome her own struggles and difficulties.
“I learned to turn my flaws around and use them as a gift,” she said.
Nicole’s artistic vision allows her to share her imagined world that is relatable to others.
“We all have our own flaws but with help we can use them for something good,” she said.
Nicole took several different types of classes during her first few semesters at CNM, including art classes.
“I realized that my art classes felt more right and natural,” she said.
Majoring in Fine Arts was a decision she made based on how she felt in her heart, and what she thought she would be happy with in the long run, she said.
She plans to one day bring her art to hospitals and senior homes to uplift peoples’ spirits, she said.
“I want to be able to brighten someone’s day with my artwork, who otherwise might not have any hope in their lives at the time,” she said.
After graduation with her digital media degree she wants to work on graphics and websites so she is able to use her art skills daily but also have stability for her family, she said.
She plans to still work on art in her free time and hopefully sell or donate art to places like hospitals and nursing homes that could use it, she said.
Nicole gets her inspiration from God, she said.
“I don’t have to look very far to find beauty and inspiration from nature,” she said.
Nicole specifically remembers using a cloud concept for one of her art projects a few semesters ago, she shaped different pieces of fabric in a way where each person could recognize something different but respond to same thing differently, she said.
“I feel like nature has a beauty that we cannot even begin to fathom, and I love putting organic and colorful ideas into my own art,” she said.
Nicole uses more of a mystical bright fantasy theme for her projects, it is how she is able to take her viewers into another world, she said.
She likes that this theme takes viewers out of their usual world, their usual way of things, and maybe get them to think differently, she said.
Nicole hopes to continue that in one way or another with her future art projects.
She said that she experiences artist block all the time and has a lot of self-doubt that she has to work around daily which keeps her from coming up with ideas.
She said the advice that she gives is to take a lot of breaks and know that it is okay to give oneself a lot of time because some of the best things in life take a lot of time.
Nicole also advises on having a good support group to help with problems of self-doubt.
“We all have amazing qualities to offer to this world, and sometimes we just need someone there to remind us,” she said.
Codes | CNM students participate in art exhibition
By Whitney Browneller. Staff Reporter
CNM Art Career Concerns class will present an art exhibition “Codes” from April 8 through April 22 at the Freestyle Gallery located at 1114 Central Ave SW, said Megan Salazar, artist, Fine Arts student at CNM, and press release manager for the exhibition.
The grand opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled to take place on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Freestyle Gallery, she said.
Codes is an exhibition that will feature a dynamic group of CNM students who are about to graduate from the Fine Arts AA Degree program, she said.
This exhibition will feature works such as oil and acrylic paintings, woodcut prints, drawings, wood burnings, and ceramics, she said.
“There’s not one set style as it is a group of students with different things presented, but it shows off the skills we have learned here at CNM,” she said.
The Art Career Concerns class holds an exhibition every year but only in the spring semester as that is when the class is offered, she said.
The class is responsible for titling the exhibition and no two exhibitions are ever the same, she said.
The CNM Arts Careers Concerns class is a class that focuses on what to do after students, as artists, graduate.
The class teaches students how to professionally deal with galleries, how to put their work out there, how to be professional and prepare them by having students create their resumes and artist statements.
The class helps students prepare for the “art world,” she said.
The class is only offered in the spring semester and is taken after the students have learned their craft and is there to help further their career and really helps give insight to how an artist can make a living or at least helps artists get their work out there the right way, she said.
Students graduating from the fine arts program can expect it to be like working at any program but students must be willing to put in time and dedication and passion, she said.
“I pushed through to finish this degree because art is a passion of mine and it is something I want to do with my life,” Salazar said.
Those who choose to go through the Fine Arts program not only need to be on top of the academic aspect of it but they must have the time and dedication to put into learning the craft whether it be painting or drawing, she said.
Salazar said that a lot of time is spent going into one piece of work and it can be anywhere from four to ten or more hours depending on what the artist is trying to accomplish or make.
Fine arts combine visual elements with the creative process, she said.
It is the practice of making art from various materials, methods, and styles, she said.
Fine art can include but is not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, it can be any other type of handmade artwork that requires skills and technical training to do, she said.
“The arts are important because it is an outlet for creativity and expression. It’s a way to be a part of something bigger,” she said.
Salazar said there are so many different types of art and each one of them are important.
Jobs for those who choose to take the Fine Arts path could look into doing commissions or they could try to get into group and solo exhibitions at various galleries either around town or even nationally, she said.
There are always opportunities for artists to submit their works to an array of different galleries that cater to all styles, she said.
“This exhibition (“Codes”) is the first of shows on many of our art resumes but it only opens the door on much more, and being a part of it encourages each one of us to try to submit other works into different exhibitions,” she said.
Salazar encourages students who want to go the exhibition but have never attended one to expect a professional atmosphere, casual dress is appropriate, and behavior should be the same, she said.
“It’s going to be a fun time though and a great way to talk to all the artists, so if anyone had questions about the program or art they can probably get some answers from us,” she said.
If anyone has questions about the show they can email the program director, Danielle Miller, at drmiller@cnm.edu.
Again, the grand opening reception for the exhibition should be held on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Freestyle Gallery located at 1114 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 but the exhibition will be there for public viewing until April 22.
Salazar encourages everyone to attend the exhibition.
Hola! Hello!
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
There is a conversational Spanish group open to all students, staff, and community members every Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. and is held in the SRC 203T, said Laura Dulin ALMA supervisor.
The meetings are held by Dulin to help those who are interested in learning some Spanish and also for those who want to practice speaking the language, she said.
Dulin said that all skill levels are welcome to attend the meetings but that it is usually most beneficial for students who have at least a basic knowledge of Spanish.
Those that are really serious about learning Spanish but have no knowledge at all are also welcome to attend as well, she said.
Dulin wants to remind everyone that these are just meetings to help students practice Spanish, they are not CNM courses or classes.
The meetings start off with an hour of dialogue and the last fifteen minutes are used to watch short videos, she said.
She said she usually starts the meeting off with a list of phrases for the group to practice with but that the group is the one who is in control of the meeting and she is just there as a facilitator to help guide the students and allow them to get the most out of the meetings.
Students should feel free to throw in their own questions or practice certain phrases or words that they are having a hard time with, she said.
Dulin said that it takes a lot of practice, perseverance, and self-motivation to learn a new language.
“It’s really rewarding, fun and amazing to learn a new language,” Dulin said.
If students get the chance to go abroad that is the best way to learn a new language, there is nothing like immersing yourself in the language, she said.
Dulin spent five years in Costa Rica teaching English as a second language and working on her master’s degree.
“I was a horrible Spanish student, I was terrible at learning Spanish,” Dulin said.
It was not until she immersed herself in the language that she really began to pick it up, she said.
It took her three years of living in Costa Rica before she became fluent in the language, she said.
Being fluent in another language looks really good on a resume and it can be very beneficial when it comes to working in the medical field, in a school, and in the business profession, she said.
“No matter what, there are people everywhere that you can carry on a conversation with who don’t speak English as their native tongue,” she said.
It’s crucial to speak it in order to learn it, she said.
Practicing the language and working with each other is one of the best ways to learn the language, she said.
It takes a lot of effort and practice to learn a new language, she said.
For students who are interested in conversation Spanish groups but cannot make the Wednesday meetings Dulin suggests looking up a Meetup group online, as she says there are a few to choose from.
Currently there are about four people attending the meetings but she said that she would like to see that number raise to eight or ten people.
Dulin started the conversational Spanish group about a year ago because she said that there was not a lot of groups focusing on that.
She said that there is also an ESL conversation group for students to practice English with one another.
For more information visit:
Behavioral Health Speaker Series
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
CNM is offering Behavioral Health Speaker Series to students, community members and staff, said Student Events and Program Manager Libby Fatta.
The CNM/UNM behavioral speaker series started in fall of 2014 and it was a partnership with the UNM department of psychiatry, Fatta said.
The goal with the speaker series is to bring various mental health and behavioral health lectures to CNM and to the community and invite people to come to a free mental health lecture, Fatta said.
A lot of these lectures have different resources people can use and they are all given by doctors with the UNM department of psychiatry, Fatta said.
The doctors are the ones who lead the lectures and we determine what the topics are going to be, she said.
“All the lectures are free and available to everyone,” she said.
The lectures are held during lunch time to encourage staff and students to come listen to a free lecture while on their lunch break, she said.
Most of the doctors will include slides that feature local resources for anyone that may need help with the type of issues that are being discussed or if students know of someone that may need help, Fatta said.
The doctors giving the lectures are specialists in the area that they are giving the lecture on and can usually provide specific resources to those who need additional information, she said.
Fatta said that the Behavioral Health Speaker Series will continue and there will likely be lectures in the summer and fall terms.
CNM chose to do it every third Thursday of the month during lunch to encourage more people to come to the lectures since it is a consistent time, she said.
The next lecture will take place on Thursday March 24 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Campus in MS room 102 and will be on Alcohol and Domestic Violence and the research behind it.
The speaker of this lecture will be Dr. Brandi Fink with the UNM Department of Psychology.
The last lecture of the spring 2016 speaker series will be held on Thursday April 21 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Campus in MS room 102 and Dr. Kristina Sowar will be covering the topic of Eating Disorders.
“These speaker series are a great way for students to learn more about topics related to their classes or their future careers,” Fatta said.
If students need any information about the lectures, please email Libby Fatta at efatta@cnm.edu.
Working Food | CNM and SFI offer duel credit culinary courses
By Whitney Browneller, Staff Reporter
The Street Food Institute (SFI) has partnered with CNM and RFK charter school to offer duel credit classes to high school students who are interested in the entrepreneurial food service industry, said lead instructor and chef of the SFI, Julian Griego.
Students and community members will get the opportunity to learn about the food service industry and what it takes to start a successful small business, he said.
“It’s been a pretty exciting semester to be able to offer the duel credit class here,” he said.
The program offers different types of business training but the primary focus is on mobile food service which is the food truck industry, Griego said.
Market vending is another type of business training that is offered through the program, the class goal is to help students sell their food products at local farmer’s markets or the rail yard markets, Griego said.
Catering and wholesale business trainings are also part of the business training that can be offered to students who are interested in either catering at various events or to those who want to have their food products packaged for wholesale distribution, he said.
SFI is an entrepreneur-focused culinary program dedicated to inspiring the success of small, local businesses in New Mexico. SFI supports the development of small business by growing the state’s local food economy and developing strong future business leaders. SFI trains its emerging business leaders to employ sustainable business practices that support local farmers, entrepreneurs, and families.
SFI partnered with CNM almost three years ago to offer bilingual classes to students and community members who were interested in the food service and entrepreneurial industry, he said.
The first year of the partnership the program only had one food truck and the classes were only available at CNM, he said.
The SFI then partnered with Southwest Educational Partners for Training to develop a program that would allow community members to have access to the program.
“We wanted to be able to reach low income communities as well as bilingual and immigrant populations,” Griego said.
All the classes offered through the SFI are taught in both English and Spanish.
The classes with the program are offered at the South Valley Economic Development Center (SVEC) which is located at 318 Isleta Blvd SW, in Albuquerque and even thought this is the central location for the duel credit program the classes that are offered are opened to all students, he said.
“The idea is that if there is a student who wants to start a food service business like a food truck then they can come and take these four classes at the SVEC and will have most of the knowledge they need to start their own business,” he said.
In addition to that, students can then transfer to CNM main campus to finish their culinary arts degree if that is what they want to do, he said.
Students will be taught everything from how to properly hold a knife and proper sanitization to business planning and recipe tests, he said.
The SVEC is part of CNM and their mission is to provide resources for economic development for small businesses’ growth to help build the local economy, he said.
“There is a kitchen at the SVEC that we call the mixing bowl and it is a community kitchen that also acts like a food service business hub so the community can come in and become a member of this kitchen to start the process of starting their businesses,” Griego said.
The program is four courses, which is one semester, and the classes are generally offered in the evening times so that students who work or attend other classes in the morning and afternoon can make it, he said.
Students follow the exact same process for enrolling in these classes as they would with any other CNM class, he said.
“You gain the theory, knowledge, and the real life experience of this extremely popular industry,” he said.
Students have the opportunity to work on the SFI Food Truck and get real life experience in what it means to run, work, and operate a food truck, he said.
At the end of the program there is an internship that is offered to students that will help them to build their resume by actually receiving work experience
“The classes cover every topic from a business plan to an operational plan to get your health permit, financing, funding the business, the food product and how it works out in the market, and we talk about marketing, cost analysis and finances,” he said.
The mobile food operations course is focused primarily on food trucks, so in that students develop the operational plan for their permit, he said.
“In the course they will develop their own food items and do recipe tests every few weeks where they bring in their ideas for their food concept and we test their items and taste them to critique them and talk about the cost analysis behind the recipes,” Griego said.
SFI Students taking the course, Monica Gutierrez and Adrian Baca, said they originally took the courses for something to do together as a couple but they are now thinking of opening a small family business that will probably feature a New Mexican fusion cuisine.
Another SFI student, Elfigo Castillo said that he has been working on his food truck concept for a while and when he was recently laid off work, his wife informed him of the courses at CNM and he decided to enroll.
“This is like a blessing that fell in my lap,” Castillo said.
Castillo said that along with being enrolled in the classes there is free help from the small business bureau on getting a plan and funding for a business.
“This program has really been a confidence booster,” he said.
For students who are less interested in starting a food truck, CNM also offers a retail baking operations course and a catering course, Griego said.
“These business topics apply to all types of business,” Griego said.
If students or community members are interested in the food service industry but have no experience they can take entry level courses that will teach the basics to cooking, Griego said.
Currently students are offered a certificate from the SFI after they finish the four course program but they are working with CNM to hopefully offer a certificate from the CNM culinary department in the future.
For more information about the classes offered please set up an appointment with an academic advisor by calling (505) 224-4355.
MORE INFORMATION:
Link to SFI webpage: http://www.streetfoodinstitute.org/
Link to the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/streetfoodinstitute/
Transcripts, Get Your Transcripts Here
By Whitney Browneller, Copy Editor
CNM will be offering online transcript services to its students beginning May 2016, said Marketing and Communications Director Brad Moore.
Right now, if students want to get their transcripts they have to complete and sign a transcript request form, then submit it to CNM Student Records by either emailing, mailing, in person, or faxing the form over, Moore said.
The Transcript Request Form can be found at the following website, https://www.cnm.edu/depts/enrollment/documents/transcript_request_form.pdf, where students can print the form, Moore said.
Students must provide a copy of an official photo ID which would include either a current driver’s license, college issued ID, high school ID, or a government issued military ID, he said.
There is not an option to get a rush transcript but come May 2016, along with requesting a transcript, students will also be able to rush their order for an additional fee, he said.
The cost of an official transcript is $5.50 per copy, he said.
If students want a transcript faxed to another school, the cost is $10.00, Moore said.
“A transcript is not considered official when faxed.” he said.
Students will be able to pay online for their transcripts with the new transcript service but for now students either need to pay with a check, money order, credit card, or if students wish to pay with cash that must be done in person, Moore said.
Students may also pay for transcripts over the phone using a credit card by calling (505) 224-3471 anytime Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am to 5pm, he said.
According to the CNM webpage, transcripts are usually processed within two business days from the time that the request and payment were made.
For more information or questions regarding transcript services students may contact the records office at (505) 224-3202.
In order for a student’s official transcript to be released there must not be any holds on the student’s record.
Students who have holds on their record can contact the cashier’s office to discuss the account at (505) 224-3471.
Students may still obtain a copy of their unofficial transcript with a hold on their account but the copy is not considered official.
Current students who wish to obtain an unofficial transcript can do so on their own by visiting their myCNM account, according to CNM records office.
“A student transcript is documentation of a student’s permanent record which includes all courses completed, grades received and degrees and certificates conferred,” Moore said.
HOW TO:
Complete and sign the Transcript Request Form and submit it using one of the following methods:
Send form as an attachment to:
Records@cnm.edu
Completed and Signed Form to:
CNM Student Records, Main Campus
525 Buena Vista SE
Albuquerque New Mexico 87106-4096
- Fax
Fax completed Form to (505) 224-3237.
NOTE: Please remember to include your signature on the Transcript Request Form and a copy of an official photo ID is required.
The link to the Transcript Request Form: https://www.cnm.edu/depts/enrollment/documents/transcript_request_form.pdf
*According to CNM.edu