Teacher, just shut up!

Have you ever had a teacher who not only drained the learning life away from your soul, but at the same time, made herself look incredibly stupid - begging the question - "how did you get this job?" I have one of those such cases this semester, here at UNM, right within our own 'heralded' university. The fact that the course in question is but a 200 level course, makes no matter to me in this case. More so I am concerned with the governing body who approved her for such teaching duties. Believe me when I say, I am not the smartest man to have walked this earth. Not even close. However I would venture to say that I am one of the world's foremost experts on detecting BullShit. My English 219 class this semester has its gawdy, awful stench written all over it. With respect, I will detail the class' and its instructors failures. Let me begin.

1. We worked on resumes for 2 calender months. This class meets 3 times every week. 12 classes. 12 hours. 1 resume.

My belief is that if a college student, at a 4-year university, WHO rejected a certain number of applicants based on poor scholastic performance, cannot create a credible resume in less than 12 hours of school --- SHOULD NOT BE IN COLLEGE AT ALL. Go back to ITT Tech, or Webster Univeristy. The University of New Mexico should not be for you. Now, with that said, I believe that the students in this particular class are smart. They are intuitive. I think they feel the same as I do.

The teacher had us "re-designing" for 2 weeks. This would have been helpful if she were reciting elements of visual rhetoric - aiding us in our efforts. Sadly, though, she was not. She filled the class time: writing an outline on the board of the day's agenda - WORK ON RESUME. We worked on this resume in groups, individually, and on at least on 1 occasion - were given the day off to work on them at home "in comfort". I, personally, do not pay for at-home learning. Phoenix University has plenty of online courses. Maybe that's better for this teacher, and perhaps some of her students.

2. Her "lecture" consisted of sordid tales of her weekend in South Carolina (extended vacation actually - we missed a day of class for her trip).

Besides having NO educational value, her stories we random - uninventive - and sad. I would hate to be her age, looking at speedos walk up and down Hilton Head beach. Sorry hun, the geriatric ward is to the left. In all honesty, our class to date, consisting of roughly 32 classes held this semester so far, 12 were on a resume, and at least 1-3 were spent out of class because she cancelled it, and another 3 were wasted on student speakers - talking about their dream job. Useful time and money being spent? Not. At. All.

I mention this class and my hardships because I think that blogs such as these, and topics of teacher failures need to be shared. There is of course the infamous "post semester evaluation", which is random, and often shortened so the student can leave early. But these evaluations are a pathetic attempt at governing the teacher who we pay - trust - and take professional criticism from. I will, however, look long and hard into their professional backgrounds before taking anything they say with more than a grain of salt. For my current teacher, SAYS she has a PhD, but I googled her - and I can't find it anywhere.

Dan Guglielmo

This isn’t the class I registered for!


It’s happens to us all, and every semester it’s the same thing. We sit down to check our list of required classes, we get online and make a selection of what we think, are ideal classes, selecting all of them in perfect harmony with our lives and outside responsibilities. We print out our schedule and think ok, this is good, this will work. We go about the rest of the week feeling ready for the new term, excited were on tract and ahead of the game.

On Monday morning or when ever it is, you get to your new class rooms, find a seat in the perfect spot and the teacher hands out the class syllabi. This is so exciting, what will I be doing, and what will I be learning? As you look over the syllabus and the teacher reads aloud the focus of the class, you start to get this feeling that you have just entered a foreign country, or something resembling a really bad horror movie. You scan the class schedule and start counting the amount of assignments, the amount of reading, and then you try to recall what the course catalog said the class would be about, by this time your head is spinning, you know what must be done. But you wait and you tell yourself maybe it won’t be so bad, I’ll just see what my other classes are like and then I’ll decide.

Later that day you sit down out side under a nice tree looking over all five or six syllabus’s that you received. Great! Two classes are manageable, but these other three or four are just not what you expected, and you’re just not interested in the class material, or maybe the work load will not be at all possible. You have a job, or maybe kids and a job, or two jobs to pay for all these classes. You head to the computer lab to do that thing that must be done. Drop a class.

There is a solution to this problem, a simple solution actually, but one that isn’t taken very seriously by the faculty or the staff at most universities. Why not? We are we paying for a service aren’t we?

Think about this for a moment, you go to the restaurant and look over the menu and you know exactly what is being served with your entre. You go online to order a book and there before you is a review or a summary telling you the basic ideas contained and the amount of pages to be read, or maybe you go to the store and buy a computer, the contents are not missing from the outside of the box. No. You know exactly what you’re getting. And students have the right as patrons to know what they are getting before they pay for it.

There are lots of reasons that factually and staff does not want to implement this policy and I have posted some links at the bottom of my blog so you can see some of them, but I’m sure you will feel as I do that they are not at all valid reasons.

There is however a valid and simple solution and that is for the universities to provide a link to the current class syllabus on the registration pages so that students can decide before registering if it is what they want, expect, or can even handle.

People don’t often think of an education as a product. But it is. And you can buy a good product or you can a bad one. Students need to demand that universities provide them product information. Too much valuable time and many credit hours are wasted that otherwise wouldn’t because students are unaware of what they are purchasing.

Don’t you want to know what you’re paying for? Don’t you want to know that the English class you’re taking next term is going to teach you how to write a better argument like you thought it would instead of turning out to be a creative writing class? I know I sure do and as a student I am tired of having to drop classes that I paid good money for and then having to readjust my whole life, (or worse) have to keep a class that I know I’m not going to do as well in or struggle to get through.

I want to know what you think. This is our university and our education we are paying for. Please post and take a stand on the issue.

I would also love to hear the opinions about posting syllabi from any of the staff and faculty.
Thank you for reading, good luck next term and may all your classes be exactly what you thought they would be; or close.

LJ
Here are some links to other interesting articles on the subject if you are interested in doing further research.
http://www.popecenter.org/issues/article.html?id=2041

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:OjH441BWuBoJ:scue.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/syllabi-online-policy-paper.pdf+getting+class+syllabus+before+registration&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/

Animal Welfare

It was seven years ago that a small, pudgy, pit bull puppy came into our lives. She was crouched in the corner in a small kennel at the city pound. The employee told us that she had been brought in with 3 other dogs; two of which were her parents. The four dogs had been confiscated by the state in a protective custody case. I didn’t know exactly what that meant at the time but I quickly figured out that it was the label for a horrendous situation. There were numerous reports of domestic violence at the dogs’ previous residence and there were also strong allegations of dog fighting. The puppy, who came to be named Sadie, had fortunately been taken before her body had been subjected to the tremendous abuse and neglect that the owners had inflicted on her parents and the fourth dog.


The three adult dogs that had been confiscated along with Sadie were all severely malnourished; every rib could be counted underneath their dull coat. Their muscle tone had gradually disintegrated leaving behind weak, wobbly legs. Aside from these traits, the most evident and heartbreaking were the numerous scars on their faces. It was evident that the fur on their faces had been, at times, ripped off in chunks; bald spots and thick lines of scar tissue riddled the once beautiful faces. One of the dogs, Sadie’s father, had apparently been described as a “champion fighter” to witnesses; a good part of his pink nose was missing. The future was bleak for the three adult dogs at the time of Sadie’s adoption. Sadie’s mother and the third male dog, along with being severely malnourished, were found to have internal bleeding and also damage to many of their internal organs from being beaten by their previous owners. Due to the uncertainty that comes along with protective custody cases related to dog fighting, the staff at the city pound were uncertain of the adult dogs’ ability to be rehabilitated; euthinization was almost inevitable. Sadie came home with my family that day.


Fast forward to January of 2007. I began volunteering for the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico (AHANM) and Animal Protection of New Mexico. In the time that I have spent with these two organizations, I have found out that stories like Sadie’s are all too common in the city and state. Since AHANM is an animal shelter, abuse and neglect cases are a daily occurrence. It is at this organization where the rehabilitation of horrible abuse and neglect cases takes place. Depending on the degree of the situation that the animal came from, the re-socialization could take months. Many times I have sat in a kennel with a dog who has forgotten what it is like to have a friendly pat on the head. One case that is particularly memorable was that of Baby Boy. Baby Boy came to the shelter with a gunshot wound in his leg. The stout pit bull had a strong spirit, but the wound was physically wearing. It took months after his surgery to rehabilitate him. He had lost the trust that he once had in human beings. After countless hours of belly rubs and patience, Baby Boy was ready to find a true home.


The issues of animal rights and animal welfare are subjects that seem to take a backseat in most people’s minds. Current animal welfare regulations and laws are written in ways that leave a very faint voice for the voiceless. I often wonder why it is that society believes that animals should have less of a chance at humane treatment than we do. It is very rare that an individual is punished for any kind of animal cruelty. If, in the rare occasion they actually are charged, the sentence and punishment is usually insignificant and not taken seriously. Maybe it is because people are misinformed about the issue. Or, maybe people do not realize the seriousness of the abuse and neglect. Whatever the reason may be, citizens of Albuquerque need to start to correct the wrongs that society has deemed tolerable for so many years.

Should UNM Remain Dry?

Since 1984, the minimum age for purchasing alcohol in the United States has been 21. In fact, the USA is the only country in the Americas where 21 is the minimum. Even more interesting is that the purchase of alcohol is not strictly illegal, but any state that allows the sale of alcohol to those under the age of 21 receives a 10% cut in annual highway profits from the federal government. This pressure from congress is enough for all 50 states to comply to the “rule of 21”. The only exception is Puerto Rico, which accepts the 10% cut in funds. Different states have their own varying laws for the actual consumption of alcohol, as the National Minimum Drinking Age Act only applies to the acquisition of liquor. Even before the NMDAA was enforced, the limit was already set at 21 in a fair amount of states, with the others' limit at 18 or 19.

For the last 25 years Americans have debated on what the minimum drinking age should be. Over the years various organizations have risen in opposition to the ban, some citing it as unconstitutional and an infringement of state's rights as well as the rights of young adults. The National Youth Rights Association believes the limitations on drinking deny citizens between the ages of 18 and 20 the same rights as other adults. The most recent organization is the Amethyst Initiative, a group of college presidents calling for the reconsideration of drinking age laws in the U.S. Their argument is that the current limit of 21 is not working. The Amethyst Initiative's official website claims that the illegal drinking occurs off-campus, and the current abstinence-only policy is more dangerous than if the age was back at 18.

According to the Associated Press, 157 college-aged people (18-23) died from alcohol poisoning between 1999 and 2005. The NY Sun claims that 1,700 college students die in accidents related to alcohol as well. New Mexico on average ranks 32nd on a list of alcohol related fatalities (alcoholalert.com). However, the average fatality rate of Americans hardly changed after 1984. This lends credit to those arguing that at 18 adults are allowed to vote, serve jury duty and risk their lives in war, but aren't allowed to drink a beer. At the same time, the average fatality rate has been lowering from 46,000 in 1987 to 41,000 in 2007. Though it's debatable as to what has caused the decrease in deaths, the higher age requirement may be partly responsible. Regardless, teens continue to drink, even those under 18.

So far President Schmidly has refused to join the 135 college presidents who have signed the Amethyst Initiative. Along with the fact that a smoking ban is being seriously considered, it looks like it will be a long time before Schmidly's mind changes. Even if the drinking age were to be lowered, does that change the idea that UNM should remain a dry campus? This is where I disagree with the presidents on the Amethyst Initiative. Although one can argue alcohol is acceptable in dorms and fraternity/sorority houses, it doesn't really belong on campus. Places like Zimmerman library, classrooms and the duck pond are much more public and socially unacceptable to drink. Nevertheless, the Amethyst Initiative's main goal is to fix the problem of 21 not working in society. They encourage responsibility foremost, something everyone can benefit from in every aspect of life.

Of Pups and Men

The world changed for me the morning of September 11, 2001. I was grading papers as a teacher’s assistant in High School. I remember the class going over a chapter out of the text when the teacher next door burst into the room. “The World Trade Center has been hit by an airplane!” I didn’t know what to think. From then on he continued to give us the play by play as the horror unfolded. From that day on everything changed.

Fast forward 8 years. I find myself on the brink of commissioning in the United States Army. When I take the oath in May, the world will change for me yet again. I have worked hard to make it to this point. I remember coming into ROTC and not understanding anything of the way it works or even if I had what it takes to make it.

Being a cadet as well as a college student has a number of responsibilities both seen and unseen. Not only must one be able to successfully complete their degree program but must also meet the Army’s standards as well. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have Physical Training. Every Thursday during the semester I have to show proficiency in warrior tasks such as First Aid and being able to lead my peers. My weekends are committed to the field training exercises, marksmanship training and fundraising. I remember jumping in the middle of it all and having to make a quick adjustment to a new lifestyle.

In the summer of 2007 I received indoctrination into the Army at Ft. Knox, KY. There I learned discipline and performing to the Army standard, not to mention being under the direct care of a drill sergeant was a real eye opener. I learned more about myself in the weeks there than any other time in my life. I came back to campus changed for the better. I understood what I was involved in and what it means to commit to the greater good, to be part of something greater than yourself. This past summer I was at the Leadership Development and Assessment Course in Ft. Lewis, WA. Here I hade to prove that I could lead others when morale was low and every conceivable thing went wrong. I have had to face my fears and take on challenges outside my comfort zone. Jumping off a high dive blindfolded in uniform with a rifle in to water, finding my way alone through the dark in the woods, and repelling from ridiculous heights. These real world situations force you to understand how your choices can mean the difference between life and death for others. Being a college student, I was never required to take such things into account before. Outside of being accountable for grades and staying out of trouble, I never had any other responsibilities. Now I carry the weight of college along with making these kinds of decisions soon. Not only will I have my own life, I will have the lives of others in my care as well. I have been through everything the Army has thrown at me and been deemed good enough to be an officer. This goal has been a long time in the making.

My father always told me: “Son, I want you to take the success I have had in this world and do better.” I knew there was only one way I could be the kind of man my father was. I had planned on enlisting after high school like he did and then going to college later. However, my father strongly encouraged me to go to college first before making any such commitments. I am glad I had listened to him. I feel as though I found a loophole with ROTC. The Army had offered a means of not just inculcating me with values and change but I knew it also offered a way to do better than my father had done. I choose to branch Medical Service Corps because I knew that with the right career choices it could carry me for the rest of my days and I would not have to worry about finding a job if I ever decided to retire from the Army. I also know that ultimately I can look back on my life when I am old and feel good about having committed it to saving lives.

Graduates Face a Struggling Job Market

This semester has been an exciting, yet nerve racking one for me. Exciting because I will be graduating this May, but nerve racking because of the scarceness of jobs and the struggling economy I will have to deal with, once I’m done. The fear of not finding a job after graduation is something that I, along with several other graduating seniors need to get around, by finding alternatives. However, since my degree is in print journalism and my minor in professional writing, the competition for me to find a job, seems even higher. In fact many of my professors have already begun offering us alternative opportunities, such as paid internships that could eventually lead to a full-time job.

However, although I agree that internships are a great experience, and sometimes do get students hired, lately it seems that most of the ones available are unpaid, because the companies can’t afford to pay them. Therefore, even though it might still be a good place to start, what about those students who need the money for rent, gas, food, and other expenses? How can they possibly make it on an unpaid internship without having to find another job on the side? Working multiple jobs is not an easy thing to do.

In my case, I decided to do some research and learn all my options and everything I could do with my degree, regardless if it fit into my original plan. I have talked to advisors, people already in the job market, and will also be going to talk to the career center here at UNM. In my opinion, doing all of these things will offer a wider perspective on things, and hopefully provide the encouragement needed.

With unemployment rates increasing, it is also a good idea to be aware of which states have more opportunities, and which ones have less. Especially for those students who are planning to live in another state. I’ve began to realize, that what this struggle in the job market really comes down to, is which career you’re actually going into. In other words, if you’re a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, etc, there will always be more job openings. In fact with my degree, one of the alternatives that I have been looking into is to get my teaching license in secondary education and possibly help run a school paper.

Now don’t get me wrong, other careers also have opportunities open, however, they are naturally more competitive and therefore harder to get. Nevertheless, I’ve learned that there are always ways to overcome the weakness of the current job market, by simply having the determination to find alternatives and grabbing a hold of every opportunity available. It never hurts to have more then one plan, especially with an intimidating job market, and constant layoff announcements all over the news.

Some of the most productive things that I’ve learned to do before searching for a job is to make sure to have an updated resume and a portfolio of previous work. Some classes even make it mandatory to turn in a resume as an assignment, which is helpful because it allows students to get feedback. However, I would highly recommend to other students, who have not been required to turn one in, ask for feedback anyway. Most professors are willing to help in any way that they can. And it is crucial to make yourself look good to a potential employer, in any way possible. For example, if a student has their heart set on a particular job, contacting that company and showing persistence could pay off. Most of the time, starting off small and working your way up is another alternative in a struggling job market.

Through my experience, and finding ways to get around the job markets’ worst downfall, I have discovered that it is all the little things that make the difference. Being resourceful and finding information online, talking to people, applying for internships, learning about the economic status of the companies you’re interested in, and preparing your resume and portfolio, are all things that can help you find a job faster. With a competitive job market, students who are graduating this semester, including myself, need to be aggressive in achieving our goals. Having confidence is key to being successful, and right now graduating seniors’ need all the confidence we can get if we’re going to be successful in today’s working world.

food not bombs, under legal fire

The charity organization food not bombs has been at odds with local law enforcement and the New Mexico Environment Department because they refuse to stop serving free food without a food license. The group has been issued several warnings to stop serving food without a license in front of the UNM bookstore. This week food not bombs was informed by the New Mexico Environment Department that they would be liable for a $3000 fine and forceful removal by APD if they did not comply with their request to stop serving food. This seems like action to take towards a charity group that is only trying to help spread a message of sharing and good will.

So is the New Mexico Environment department justified in taking legal action against food not bombs? I would say that from a legal standpoint they do have enough cause to threaten food not bombs with legal retribution (after all, every food vendor is required to have a license to serve food) However perhaps the NMED should take a look at food not bombs background and use their good judgment to determine whether or not their food could pose a significant health threat. On the group’s blog, they state that they have been serving healthy vegetarian food to the public since 2005 and have never encountered any incidents of people becoming sick from their food. From my perspective this shows that the group is obviously responsible about serving food to the public. From this perspective, I don’t understand why the NMED would choose to legally threaten this responsible charity that has no record of food-related health problems, instead of monitoring restaurants that have been red flagged several times for sanitary issues. I also feel that these actions are rather tasteless, as state organization should make an effort to help charities instead of haggling them with legal procedures. (Unless of course, someone has been affected negatively by the charity.) In short, I feel that food not bombs is a responsible charity that is merely trying to spread the message of helping others in need, and local government should promote the persistence of these charitable groups, instead of treating them as a nuisance.

Support the home team!!!

Recently I have been atttending a lot of UNM's sporting events. While watching the games I have notice how many people show up to watch the events, and well its pathetic at how some of our supports have the support of everyone while others have very few fans.

We all know Football and Basketball are the big name sports and are the most popular. But after attending some baseball games, indoor track meets, and tennis matches it is apparent that these sports are hurting for support. Especially when these sports are very popular at the upper world class levels. UNM athletics is having a better than average year in almost every sport at the University but the number of fans turning out to watch is still very low.

The most surprising sport with a lack of a fan base too me is UNM Baseball. This is a sport that is an American past time, and the Lobos even get use the Isotopes park for their home games, which is arguably the best facility in the nation for baseball. The team is even off to a great start at 13 and 3. Tickets for baseball games are even very inexpensive at just five dollars a game.

Other sports are such as track and feild, tennis, soccer and even womens basketball are in the same situation. It is just pathetic to me that when our sports are playing really well in their respective conferences and also at the national level that fans are still not coming out to support the home team. If Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico wants to have a nationally recongized university for athletics than they need to start top show up to these event, games and match's to show they care!

Where Are All The Professors?

Over the past few years, the faculty to student ratio at the University of New Mexico has steadily decreased. As such, students are not receiving the highest quality education possible. UNM faculty members Eleni BastéA, Tim Lowrey and Edl Schamiloglu detailed the consequences of such shortages in the Albuquerque Journal’s Opinion columns. They note that their mission is to “provide New Mexicans with a first-rate, accessible education; quality classroom instruction and timely academic services and advisement…” This is a great goal; however, it is jeopardized by a lack of funding and resources. They also note how this lack of funding began long before the current economic crisis:

“Since the fall of 2007, months before the current state budget crisis developed, the central administration has withdrawn millions of dollars from the operating budgets of academic departments and programs on the main campus.”

They also mention that since 2001:

“Tuition for students on main campus has increased by more than 50 percent… and the Legislature has appropriated an additional 21.5 percent for the instructional and general funds. And yet, students now face larger classes, fewer student services and decreased campus employment opportunities, all of which takes a toll on student success.”

Today, KOAT 7 reported that applications for the fall 2008 semester at UNM had increased nearly 23 percent overall. Under normal circumstances these figures would be superb; however, under the current conditions they only make things appear bleaker. If it isn’t enough that UNM already suffers a lack of faculty it also must compete to keep faculty who are unhappy with the university. Although these are hard economic times there are still colleges out there who are willing and able to pay their instructors what they are worth. I have witnessed this with several of my professors during my time at UNM; they have interviewed with other universities willing to give them much more than UNM possibly will. (Luckily for me none of them decided to up and leave midway through the semester!)

If the past serves as any guide, UNM will continue to accept the majority of these students without thought to the disproportionate ratio of faculty to students it creates. Ever growing class sizes paired with faculty unrest do not aid in improving the quality of education at UNM in any way whatsoever. Although UNM President David Schmidly revealed plans to cut administrative costs and add 10 new full time faculty members over the next three years in late January, this course of action is simply a fraction of what needs to be done to fix the problem.

Throwing Schmidly to the Lobos

President David Schmidly appeared in front of UNM’s faculty on Feb. 25 (Ash Wednesday) facing numerous jeers, taunts, boos, and snide remarks. Is it just me or does the whole University community seem hell bent on crucifying Schmidly? Last time I checked it is 2009, not 1692. We’re in Albuquerque, New Mexico and not Salem, Massachusetts. You’d think it were a scene straight from the Salem Witch Trials…

In case you’ve been living under a rock recently, the University’s faculty voted no confidence in Schmidly (and President of the Board of Regents Jamie Koch and Executive Vice President for Administration David Harris… but this post will only focus on the ol’ Schmidmeister). It seems every day I pick up the Daily Lobo, there is some article by an up-and-coming journalism student who thinks they’ve written a Pulitzer prize-winning piece by interviewing someone at UNM who bitches and moans about something the prez has done wrong. Frankly, I’m tired of reading such rubbish. I am probably one of the rare few who won’t join the “burn-Schmidly-at-the-stakes” club.

With legislative budget cuts right around the corner, Schmidly is facing one of the biggest financial situations in UNM history. He’ll have to find some way to balance UNM’s budget without cutting jobs or raising tuition too much. Schmidly has said he does not want to cut necessary student services. In a time when the University community should be coming together to help in the budget-building process, it is instead being torn apart by incessant bickering and fighting. Some are even calling for President Schmidly’s resignation. To be perfectly honest, we are pretty lucky he hasn’t taken his $250,000 (or more?) golden parachute and said to hell with us all and let us figure it out on our own... remember Caldera?

That’s not to say Schmidly hasn’t made some mistakes along the way (like freezing faculty salaries, then realizing a few months later that maybe he should freeze administrative salaries, too). For crying out loud, the man is only human!! However, through everything, Schmidly has never stopped championing students. The President has spent numerous hours meeting with ASUNM and GPSA representatives, and he’s even attended ASUNM Senate meetings to get feedback on key issues affecting students. He can be regularly seen courtside cheering on our student-athletes, and he’s held numerous question-and-answer sessions and forums on a variety of topics. He even types a message every Monday morning to help keep EVERYONE in the UNM community connected. Bottom line: he’s trying.

Contrary to popular belief, the point of this post is not to defend President Schmidly or administrative actions. (Because I honestly don’t agree with some of things going on right now either). However, I do want to call attention to the domino effect—one person joins the “I Hate Schmidly” fan club, and soon everyone is hopping aboard the bandwagon. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to throw stones and boo? After all, the economic down turn is not Schmidly’s fault. And—he’s not Harry Potter who can wave his magic wand and fix everything.

Schmidly has been here for a little more than a year, and he hasn’t yet had his chance to leave a mark on this University. Why don’t we shut up, stop complaining, and let the poor man do his job? Or, are we no better than the condemning fools who threw 'witches' into the river tied up and when they drowned, they weren't a 'witch'?

Albuquerque's Under 21 Population

With all of the talks lately on how to allocate billions of taxpayer dollars, isn’t it time that some of the local governmental agencies take some time to consider America’s youth? Specifically, the departments that deal with the under 21 population here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the major concerns right now with our current economy is the lack of economic stimulation, thus furthering the contraction of the worlds, the nation’s and our local economy. Jobs must be created. So, let’s kill two birds with one stone. Let’s provide quality entertainment for Albuquerque’s youth while also providing good paying jobs for our city’s workforce. Locals are tired of hearing about major company’s lay-offs and Albuquerque’s youth has grown restless with not having anything to preoccupy their time; beyond the mundane of work and school. It’s not too long ago when I was under 21 and my friends and I would sit around bored out of our minds wondering what we could to do to amuse ourselves. Most of the time giving into the usual mind-numbing activities: video games, movie, going out to eat, bowling or going to a hookah lounge (which is not the best for one’s health).
So let’s combat the youth’s longing to be entertained and the current economic downturn. To aid in minimizing the amount of “boredom” suffered by local under-agers, I have sought the suggestions and ideas of several of my peers who are under 21 living in Albuquerque. Here is what we came up with:

Updating and renovating of Cliff’s Amusement Park. Several of the people I spoke with expressed that the facility is out-of-date and is “child-like.” There was also the suggestion that Cliffs consider offering a discounted rate, several nights a week to encourage Albuquerque’s youth to utilize their facility. It was also suggested that an entirely new facility be erected.

Organize music festivals that promote local bands and bring well known artists, popular amongst teens, to perform here in Albuquerque. These festivals will include outdoor games like paintball, mud wrestling tournaments, somo wrestling arena and beach volleyball courts. There will be a wide selection of food ranging from Dion’s and other popular local vendors and areas designated for outdoor picnics. These events can be hosted at Albuquerque’s very own Journal Pavilion or at The Balloon Fiesta Park.

Several under-age peers also encouraged the continuation and an increase in Albuquerque’s Movies in the Park to take advantage of Albuquerque’s inviting weather and warm summer nights. It is a great opportunity to provide all age groups with the ability to spend quality time with friends and/or family while enjoying the outdoors.

A trampoline facility similar to the one located in Las Vegas, Nevada, where patrons can jump on hundreds of square feet of trampolines, and enjoy a small selection of food and beverages. On occasion, also enjoy a FREE PIZZA NIGHT! This facility will also include a section customized for smaller children 10 and under.

Lastly, and the most radical of the proposed ideas, is the development of a Super Community Center. This community center will incorporate indoor and outdoor activities in one convenient location. Activities would include outdoor go-karting, in-door bowling, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, paintball arena, rock climbing room, arcade, gym, basketball courts and movie theater. This facility will be accessible year round versus Cliff’s Amusement park, which is only available a few months a year.

The insatiable desire for teens to be entertained and the need for jobs can be achieved. By striving to create “fun” that encourages physical activity and the interaction with others in the same age group, can at least for a moment, solve the age old problem of “boredom.” The drive to meet the demand of Albuquerque’s youth will ultimately fuel all different forms of labor ranging from: construction to build the facilities, event planning, acquisition coordinating, food servers, maintenance (to maintain facilities and equipment), engineers (to handle the different types of technology that will be implemented in the new facilities) and alternative means of transportation, as many of the partakers will need a means to get to and from, for those that are not of age to drive.

Unnecessary fees at UNM

I believe there are unnecessary fees that UNM charges students for but I will only mention two, which consist of paying to print in Zimmerman Library and the parking meters. If someone is doing research in the library, the only way to print is to pay 10 cents per page to print. It is inconvenient for most students because many do not carry change. We all pay students fees for paper with in our tuition. Therefore, why do we have to pay for paper twice? We are encouraged to print at the library yet with these fees, it discourages many students. Much of library info is online therefore needs to be printed out. For newspaper articles, you have to pay to print which are very valuable for research papers. Yes, there are computer pods in the Dane Smith, the Sub and the engineering and science computer pod where students are not charged with these fees.

However, during certain hours of the day it is difficult to get a computer in one of those areas. This is because of the high volume of students during certain times of the day. You need either to go early or stand in line for a few minutes. There are other areas on campus were you can print but only if you are part of certain departments. For example, if you print in the Ortega building you cannot get what you printed until you can prove to them that you are a language student. In addition, the Political Science building their computer pod is locked and only individuals who are graduate students have permission to use them. The computer pods are for all students to use them but they are not available to all students. Perhaps UNM should invest in some more computers for students to use.

The parking structure was made primarily for students. Yet we are paying to park not to keep it maintained but to paying to use it. Also, parking meters on campus during Tuesday and Thursday classes students are only allowed to put coins in the meter to last for an hour. However, Tuesday and Thursday classes last for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Are we supposed to get out of class early to pay the parking meter more money? Even if its empty for 15 minutes and you show back up at your car there will be a ticket for 15 dollars and if not paid it keeps going up. Even though after certain hours students do not need to pay for meters, I believe there are more students on campus during the day versus the evening. We should be paying for a lot more important issues such as better security because there are quite a few thefts on campus.

Stop Smoking on Campus

Smoke blown in your face as you’re walking through campus is not a good feeling. There are times when I’ll see a smoker approaching me and in order to avoid smelling the cigarette smoke, I’ll start walking in a different direction. That’s pretty sad. People shouldn’t have to change the path in which they are walking just to avoid a smoker. Since I have asthma this issue affects me more than other people. It’s already hard for me to breathe as it is, so when cigarette smoke is thrown into the mix, it makes it ten times harder to breathe.

Smoking on campus does not have to be an issue anymore. There are already 60 college campuses around the U.S. that have smoke free policies that affect the entire campus. On these campuses smoking is banned indoors, in dorm rooms, in student facilities as well as throughout the campus. Once a college campus becomes a smoke-free campus the air becomes cleaner, and the campus itself becomes cleaner since there are not any cigarette butts lying around.

This idea may seem terrible for people who do smoke, but this can also be seen as a great opportunity for smokers to quit. A big issue that people face when deciding to quit is that there is not a support group available to help them quit, but there are programs aimed at supporting college students who decide to stop smoking. The American Cancer Society encourages campus directors to give out items such as gum and support information to people who are interested in quitting. This type of information lets students know that the faculty members as well as other students are there to support them, and that they are not alone when deciding to quit.

The reality of the situation is that prohibiting smoking on campus altogether might be a hard first step. In order to make the transition a bit easier, the campus should first designate areas where students are allowed to smoke. These areas would be away from entrances to buildings and away from any areas where people usually walk or gather. There would only be a few designated areas for smoking on campus, making it harder for smokers to get to one, thus convincing them to start thinking about quitting. The Daily Lobo did a survey on this issue and 42% of students thought there should be designated areas for smoking on campus, so that people who want to avoid those areas are able to.

I think that once UNM starts designating specific areas for smoking, it will become easier to stop smoking on campus altogether from that point. The majority of UNM’s student population seems to agree on this issue, but the question is, how can we get this movement started?

The First Eighty Percent

When I began my UNM career last June, I knew that one problem I’d have was transportation. At age 42, I had no intention whatsoever of living on campus. However, living about 1-½ miles from campus made walking inconvenient at best. I thought about bike riding, but having been laid off six months prior, I hesitated to invest in a bike. For the same reason, I didn’t want to drive. Gas was rocketing toward $4.00/gallon, and parking was a nonsensical issue. Why pay $125.00 to park a mile or more off campus and take a shuttle bus when I already live that same distance from campus in a different direction?

The university solved my problem by advertising the free UNM bus pass program. I saw it everywhere on signs, fliers, and in newspaper articles. It was lauded by UNM – and CNM, who had initially been left out – as a primary answer to several problems. Foremost, of course, is the abominable parking situation at both campuses. There simply isn’t enough parking to accommodate commuting students. Secondarily, the program was advertised as a solution to high gas prices, air pollution (and, by extension, global warming), and congested traffic along Central and Lomas. “Free public transportation for UNM is one way that we all show commitment to both University success and environmental sustainability," said UNM Parking and Transportation Services Director Clovis Acosta.

It became an excellent solution for me. I walk about two blocks to the bus stop, ride for about five to ten minutes to campus, and go home contrary-wise. Not only does it save me money, it eliminates the hassle of parking as well as the possibility of having my car stolen or vandalized. The extra walking has become a habit, one that, along with regular visits to the gym, has helped reduce my waistline. I’m not alone. There are over 7,000 free bus passes in the UNM community alone. Only halfway through this fiscal year more than 500,000 rides have been given. At a cost of $65,000, this is a prime example of the University getting its money’s worth.

That is why I was amazed to see that the program’s funding could be cut as a result of budget cuts relating to the current American economic situation. I feel that of all possible sacrifices to the Gods of the Bottom Line, this should be among the last

I am here at UNM for one reason only – education. Having grown sick of not making good money at jobs I don’t like, I am driven to do something that I do like and will probably be far more lucrative. I have not joined any clubs or extracurricular programs. I come to class, I use the gym, I study at home. While I feel no disdain toward any extracurricular clubs or programs, they are not my priority, and I’m guessing that can be said for a large number of students like me – those that are older than the student body average and are here to change or improve their careers. I’m not saying that these programs have no value – of course they do. When cuts are inevitable, however, a long, hard look at the organization’s purpose is in order, as well as a long, hard look at every program’s contribution to that purpose.

What is UNM’s purpose? Higher education. Do political clubs contribute to learning? Absolutely. Can one earn a degree without participating in a political club? Yes, one can.

Do ethnic clubs contribute to the purpose of higher education? Undeniably, they do. Is it possible for a person of any ethnic group to earn a degree without these programs? Undeniably, it is.

Don’t even get me started on the “necessity” of having a football team. Educationally, that’s a null set.

Transportation, however, is highly integral to getting an education. Not all classes can be taken via Internet, especially by those who don’t have computers. Learning is a participatory process. As Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” People cannot benefit from UNM without getting here. Why make that more difficult, especially when the program is one that actually works as it is supposed to? Greg Payne, ABQ Ride director, estimates it would cost “about $204,000 a year” for the current pass holders to continue riding the bus if the program were eliminated. The state cannot afford $65,000 to support the use of its main educational institution, but 7000 students can afford to pony up more than three times that much?

I’m one of the lucky ones. After all, I have a car that I can use if need be, and with some uncomfortable re-budgeting I could probably manage to pay for either bus fare or gas/parking, whichever is ultimately cheaper. I’m sure there are many who are cutting things a bit tighter. I can easily imagine that losing your favorite club or activity can reduce the benefit that you gain from your education, but imagine losing a program that helps make your education possible in the first place. If New Mexico’s – and America’s – long term economic health is the issue, then the benefit of helping as many people as possible get to and use UNM is obvious, isn’t it?

No matter what, cuts will have to be made, and someone is going to be disenfranchised. That’s the reality of the situation we are in. The responsible way to do it, however, is to preserve, as long as possible, those programs that directly impact students’ educational opportunities regardless of ethnicity and interest – in other words, those that address both the core purpose and the big picture. After all, what could possibly promote diversity on campus more than helping diverse groups of people make it to class?

Taking a Stand

As many of you all know the economic state is affecting the University, and the University’s response to this is to cut the minority programs, or the programs that receive less than 35 thousand in funding, which just so happen to be the minority programs. I know that some of my class mates are writing about the same issue so I’m trying to approach it form a different angel not blogging about the issue itself but by blogging about the students response to the recent cuts and articles regarding the University’s so called solution to the recent economic crisis.

Now if this is your first time hearing this you must have been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, but there are numerous articles online on the Daily Lobos website locate in the archives dating back to January 23rd 2009 that will help fill you in a little more. But basic any program that receives less than 50 thousand dollars of funding is currently on the chopping block to cut all funding. It just so happened to be programs geared towards minorities and women. But to my understanding 5% of the funding they receive currently will be taken as soon as next fall.

I know there are number of things that different programs have done in order to raise awareness of this problem but I can only speak for the things that the African American Student Center or the “Fro” has done because I guess this is what has directly affected me. The First thing the “Fro” did was organize a meeting to kind of put all the chips on the table and reveal to the students exactly what was going on and to tell them what wasn’t in the Lobo articles they have read. This meeting also pointed out the importance of student participation in all the AASS events, because this is how the University is basing its cut upon, importance to and benefit to students.


I think that’s apart of the problem though, having these separate meeting! I think the first thing that needs to happen in order for the UNM to understand the importance of these smaller programs is to see all the programs come together and make a stand. Cause when we come to the board and when we write letters to the Lobo we look like a slim few fighting for individual programs, especially since we are all ready the minority. But I think if we band together instead of fighting for just Native American student programs or just for African American student programs and fight for Minority programs together the University will understand that cutting these programs are not okay and shouldn’t even be an option!!!

See http://www.dailylobo.com/home/archives/
Jan23-31

UNM Funding Cuts

In recent weeks, UNM has been advised that the state will be reducing its funding, affecting specific programs by reducing some program/department budgets and eliminating others. The cuts and eliminations as of today are only recommendations and the numbers can change or stay the same. Some of these cuts will be affecting the students of color programs known as special projects by the state legislature. For many years the ethnic centers have counted on the state legislature money to keep the centers running. Some of the places affected are the American Indian Student Services, African American Student Services and El Centro de la Raza. To better understand the impact these cuts will have at UNM, I am providing some examples. The information is provided by the Project of New Mexico Graduates of Color (PNMGC). If you would like further information you can visit www.unm.edu/~gradpeer or http://www.dailylobo.com/. American Indian Student Services will lose 33.3% $33,300 according to Pamela Agoyo, the director of the center. She said that these funds are used for the American Indian Summer Bridge Program faculty, and UNM student outreach and support services. African American Student Services will lose 100% ($34,500) of their program funding, and El Centro de la Raza will lose 39.2% ($78,300) of their funding resulting in a potential loss of three of their staff members according to Veronica Mendez-Cruz, the director. Not only are the centers losing funding which will impact the retention rate of many students of color. These Student Service Centers help students to make the transition into a college environment.

Many students served by these Centers are first-generation college students, away from home for the first time. These Centers provide support for them which includes addressing their cultural needs. I am one of them. Although, I, like others, are appreciative of the State funding these student centers and other programs, the funding process is not transparent to determine who is making the recommendations to cut specific programs/departments at UNM. Is it UNM’s leadership, the powers that be, or the State Legislator? As a minority student I am suggesting that it is time for the University to make these programs that support student retention a priority in their decision-making.

The centers should not be struggling every year to retain level funding. It is now time for us to take the initiative to make the centers stable. The minority groups are being hit the hardest. The state legislature has done its part in helping to build these centers over the years, and so today I urge UNM, the president and all the students to advocate that UNM place level funding for these Centers within its priority funding. What are your feelings towards this issue? What steps should UNM take to fix the situation? Or do you think the state should be held responsible? Please give your sincere opinion it would be greatly appreciated.

Coming Soon!

In the next several weeks, this blog will begin to share perspectives from UNM students (all enrolled in a section of English 320) on various subjects related to life at the University of New Mexico. Stay tuned!