UNM Students: Take a Back Seat

I chose to take on this topic primarily because of events that take place where, as a student, I feel I have been neglected. Too many times through the course of my collegiate I have felt as though I have played second to alumni, faculty and sponsors who donate to the University. Granted these people have paid their dues and do have heavy influence on the University, but does that come at the price of the students.

Example 1. I attended a symposium at the SUB a couple of weeks ago honoring Mr. Ximenez, a distinguished writer in the Mexican-American culture (I will call him Mr. Ximenez because I don’t remember his first name). As I walked into the SUB ballroom I was excited to see empty tables filled with three course meals. My eyes immediately lit up! As I proceeded to a table I was stopped by security and asked to take a seat along the wall with the other students. How is that I pay over $2000 dollars in tuition, but yet I am forced to sit on the wall while there are rows of empty tables that can be filled by us students?

The tables were set aside for distinguished guests…… They were all prominent figures in the University, as well as in the community. Granted these people were of importance, but did students have to be subjugated to sitting against the wall while all these “other’ people eat. I should say lack of other people because the room was nearly empty at this point, well except for all the students sitting against the wall.

Why couldn’t the university make room for us, or at least throw us a lunchable when they knew we would be attending as well? Anyhow I think it was very degrading to have to sit on the side of the wall and watch these other people partake in the three course meal!

Example 2- The atmosphere of UNM athletics is awesome! The sights of tailgaters, bands, and painted faces are entertaining. What concerns me is the way students have been treated. I think that UNM should extend a shuttle to UNM students so that it isn’t a pain in the you know what to find a parking and moreover find the area for UNM entrance. Again, alumni and sponsors have curbside service that take them right to their parking and entrance. I know they are important, but I can guarantee our tuition far outweighs their contributions. At the previous University I went to, students were assigned a lot to park in that was close and near our entrance. Small detail, but it showed they cared….

On a good note I am happy to see the weekly communication sent out by President Schmidly. It is a step in the right direction that encourages student participation. I look forward to reading his weekly prompt. I think other University leaders should take the initiative and involve the students a little more as well.

-Adam

North Campus Development

In the daily Lobo on November 5th I read about how President Shmidly and the University Board of Regents are looking at proposals to develop part of the land on the North campus golf course. It talked about how the university looking to make some money has decided to look into options for developing the land, so far making a retirement community the most likely bet. Their plan is to take part of the land and build the home that would cater to retired faculty staff and alumni and with that they estimate they could generate a couple million dollars to put into other programs on campus.

However many people seem to be opposed to this plan as am I. Not only are they attacking the golf course, which over the many years since it was built has gone from 27 holes to nine, but they are also attacking valuable green space. As it is the Albuquerque metro/ university area is lacking in green, being built up every minute, but building, if even only on a part of the land, is only encouraging the developing. I can understand how they want to utilize what resources they have to make some much needed money instead of spending it on water for the course but if they start in one corner what would stop them from making excuses to build up on the rest.

Luckily, and this might be the only time I’m on Martin Chavez side , the Mayor and apparently the city are as opposed to the idea as most of the North Campus neighborhood. They don’t want to see the golf course divided up and green space taken away, and have openly said they will not support any bid to develop on the land. Even tough the University owns the land they need the cities permission to build and ultimately one would hope the University listened to the community because I feel we all own the University. The President of the University and the board of regents are there to help the place run but it’s the community that supports it, the students that fund it and all the other people who contribute something or other or work there that own it, and as such I think we should all have a say in what happens. Taking a place that harbors recreation, calmness and peace in nature (even if it is just a golf game, a weekend picnic a walk) and diminishing it by building in it and marketing to a certain age group and clientele. Just kind of stinks.

This is how I personally feel but Id love to hear other opinions, or other sides of the story. I read a couple articles on the matter but I was not present at the rally or anything having read about it later. But what about the green space issue, should it not be built upon just because it’s green space, or should more be taken into account. Does the University have a point trying to make more money and at that should the University be allowed to do with their land what they want to do or should the community and city be heard too.

-Maria

Online Education

There are so many oppotunities to get an education now a days and one of the most criticised is Online Education. This type of education affords people the chance to incorporate education into their already busy schedule. The idea of being able to access your classes from anywhere at anytime of the day or night is rapidly spreading while the question of online educations accreditation is still not answered according to most.

I began my educational journey with just one class at a time. It was a hassle to incorporate one class with a full time job, mother of four demanding kind of schedule that I had. I even tried taking full time face to face classes...only worked for one term. This is when I realized that if I did online courses I would be able to work school into my schedule. Many people frown at my education when they learn that it is online.....these people are ones that are older than me and had the ability as well as the opportunity to attend face to face classes. You know how times change and some don't accept it, well that is how it seems to be in the world today. I think that online education is just as hard if not harder than face to face classes. The instuctor's leave your assignments and trust that you will "come to class', so to speak to get the infromation needed. Also there is much exploration involved in online education. One is pushed to class discussions and graded for participation in these discussions.....if you don't speak you don't get the points...and it hurts your grade. I don't recall ever being penalized for not speaking in any of my face to face classes ever. There are quizzes, referrals to other sites that compliment the assignments given, and other little extra readings that you don't have to encounter in those face to faces classes.

Many companies frown at a degree that are obtained thru correspondence schools or some of the smaller on line educators. If the degree is attached to a university or well known educator then it is more likely that it will be an acceptable certifiction. There are many schools that offer these get it quick in three weeks degree and those are the types of educators that business people don't care to work with. The quality of education a person receives in a three week course does not compare to the quality of taking the course over a fifteen week period. That would result in condensing the course way to much. How much would a person retain? This is the quetion that many have in reegards to online education. But what they fail to realize is that not all educators aree the same. There are the educational establishments that are concerned about the quality of education the person receives. This is why they restict the type of classes that are offered online. Some courses just have to be taught in a physical form in order for the student to retain the information properly.

What might one of you reading this blog think about on line education? I would like to know if anyone agrees with what i mentioned in how the online education was obtained? The difernce in eductional establishments for example?

Yvette

Parking Permits

I believe that parking on campus is a huge issue on campus today. I really don’t see a reason that we are forced to pay for parking. I cannot understand why parking would not be included in our tuition costs being a necessary factor in our ability to get to class. I think that it should be included in our tuition and the only way we should be charged to park is if we were to obtain a parking pass that would allow us to directly park on campus and not have to worry about having to wait for the bus to pick you up and shuttle you to campus.

I have had many times where I arrive at the south lot bus stop 20 minutes before class is to start and still end up late to class. The busses are not efficient and should be on a strict time frame. There are sometimes when there will be three busses or more that are right behind each other and if you miss those busses you have to wait for them to go to campus and loop back around. Instead of all bunching up together they should be on set intervals so every 5 minutes there is a bus stopping at south lot, the yale mall, and the research stops.

In addition if we are going to have to pay for parking pass we should not have to pay more than fifty dollars for a pass. It is ridiculous to have to pay 100+ for a permit that we must have in order to park without any violations. Also if we need to park in the structure I don’t understand the reason that structure prices are so high. I think it should be a set amount for a set amount of time. 1.60 per hour is outrageous. Also I think it should break the time into half hour intervals. I don’t see a reason why we would have to pay an extra 1.60 because you went over the hour by just a few minutes. I think that UNM should come up with a more efficient and reliable system in order to make students happier and getting to class a lot easier.

-Lauren

The Internet: The death-knell of academia?

Recently, I read an article in which a college professor grumbles about the state of research papers he receives, blaming both “word processers” and the internet. He complains of students who cheat paper-length by adjusting margins or font size, list unattributed quotes or out-of-date sources. He feels that even those sources that are current are somehow suspect. He goes on to muse that he would like for his “university's computer system […] crash for a day, so that [he] could encourage them to go outside, sit under a tree, and read a really good book -- from start to finish.” It was this last sentence that particularly struck a nerve and made me want to track this guy down and smack him a good one. Who did he think he was?

The idea that students don’t go out and sit under a tree and read a really good book because of the internet is ludicrous. For one thing, there are many students who are not going to go and read a book for pleasure – under a tree or anywhere. And there are freaks like me who would love to go sit under a tree with a book. I would love to be able to go to a bookstore and pick-up a good book and read it for enjoyment in the middle of a semester. If anything, the ability to do research online has given me the extra time to – barely – read the novel a week required in most Lit classes, along with the novel-length reading from textbooks required each week from other classes. This on top of writing assignments and other research projects. I’m not afraid of homework. I actually enjoy the majority of it. I realize there is a lot of material to cover in a semester and it seems that no one ever gets to it all. But what winds up happening is a lot of professors assigning a lot of reading. The result being that the half the class who actually read the assignment (in half of the time they should have spent on it,) wind up comprehending only half the material. (The other half of the class winds up comprehending nothing because they didn’t do the reading at all.) Rather than concentrating on the quality of the student’s understanding, the schools focus on the quantity of material covered.

The other point in this article that bothered me was that the professor – like many others – feel that using the internet for research is, somehow, lazy or cheating. They somehow feel that research that is not done by spending hours in the library is not research at all. This, of course, is analogous to your parents telling you how they had to walk ten miles to school, or how they only had three channels on TV when they were your age. To be sure there are lazy and/or stupid students who don’t see why plagiarism is wrong, but I think they are in the minority.

The online educational community has policed itself and responded to the complaint of academics. Not that long ago, we were admonished to not use Google for research purposes, yet today we have “Google Scholar” – featuring thousands of scholarly articles from journals and other accepted sources – on the UNM research database. There was a time, to be sure, that I might have found myself in the library for the weekend, poring through stacks of books, walking all over hell and creation in search of a book that was not on the shelf. Or I might track down a book through InterLibrary Loan, and have to wait for it to arrive. Thanks to great online Research and Database Index at UNM, this information is at my fingertips anytime of the day or night. Recently there was a water-main break at Zimmerman library – shutting the place down. When it reopened, services were limited. But those of us off-campus, at home in the middle of the night didn’t even know. We were able to continue with our work.

The internet is here to stay. An obvious statement, but a point that professors need to take to heart. Rather than complain about what they deem to be sloppy study habits by students, they need to focus on how to teach students to better use computers as tools for learning, perhaps even by requiring a 100 level class that teaches students how to use all that the computer offer them in a legitimate and scholarly manner. But more than that, we, as students/consumers, need to demand our money’s worth from our education. We need to demand quality of information over quantity. We are in college, not just to learn, but to learn how to learn. There is no room for instructors who are egocentric, Luddite, or, in the case of more than a few I’ve encountered, feel that we can learn more from each other than they can teach us.

~ Rick Raab-Faber

Study Abroad and Studio Arts

International study abroad

Just about this time last year, I wrote an essay to earn a scholarship to study art in China, the maximum award was at $1,000. Don’t count on the maximum amount, as it turned out, I got a $500 grant.

The cost for a two week study in China, visiting three major cities, was $2,700. Financial Aid would go $1,500; however, the trip was going to happen before the financial aid kicked in. It was May fifth, and I didn’t have a passport yet, expedition the process was an extra charge. I really didn’t get that far, because it was too tight financially for me to go that year.

What ended up happening, as I later read, was that passports were held up, and some people couldn’t go because they didn’t have their papers in order. Therefore, it is recommended that you get passports long before the month of departure.

To make sure you are able to purchase airfare, plan in advance. The airline tickets which were $1,300 had to be paid up front. That’s as far as I can take you. I did hope to go this year, but as of October 21, 2007 the China Study Abroad wasn’t happening. My guess is that because China is hosting the Olympics, it would be too much congestion.

The person to talk to is Ken Carpenter at the Study Abroad Office, Mesa Vista Hall. He takes appointments and discusses the options with you. He is a very nice guy, and he knows a lot. When I met with him he told me about another China program through the Taos, NM branch with a 70 year old Chinese teacher who is female and who teaches both art and Marshal arts, that was of interest to me.

I also found out, that there are three semester long UNM affiliated programs for the BFA program; meaning that the financial aid, grants, and scholarships for tuition would apply just like they would at home, as if you traveled to these countries. I think most of them were a matter of you paying housing costs. The countries with art programs are China, requiring a basic Chinese language course, Prague, Czech, or Glasgow, UK. The Regents Grant is the only available money for this study abroad, for any of the three choices.

I have gone online, and I asked for catalogs from them all. The school in Glasgow is the only one of the three that sent me their catalog.

-Buenacompa

My degree might make a great placemat someday.

First, I'd like to apologize to my classmates for missing my scheduled posting. Life sometimes brings things that are unfortunately unwelcome and inevitable. Sorry again.

Education has been drilled in me from infancy. My mother grew up in Mexico and never had the opportunity to attend school. My father did have a normal education but my parents got married at a young age. His parents were not fond of the matrimony and protested the marriage by refusing to further his education. (And I have to insert this note because every time I tell this story the first assumption is pregnancy. In fact- she was not… that came 3 years later. It really is a Romeo and Juliet type story without the dying of course!) My mom worked full time to put my dad through college and it paid off. He graduated UTEP in 1986 with honors and a degree in engineering and math. In his last semester his friend, who had graduated the previous semester, told him about the great job she had landed and the company was looking for engineers. She convinced him to apply for the internship and sure enough he landed the job. My dad STILL works for the company today. He has worked his way up of course, from incredibly meager beginnings in our tight family to a comfortable but moderate lifestyle for all of us. Although I must admit that I often wonder- where would he be if he hadn’t landed real life experience through his internship? Post graduation worries are everywhere. My friends, my sister my classmates all express the same concern. What happens next?

Next example, my best friend got her BA in communications. She’s had jobs but they’ve been all work study positions as a cashier or receptionist. All throughout college she lived on her own, whether it was in the dorms or in an apartment, she lived alone. She moved back home after graduation, searching and applying for jobs. Six months after graduation she still hadn’t found a job and she decided to get into real estate. She even moved up into an area where sales were great. She got her license and started selling… for 6 months after selling one small property. Most people wouldn’t buy from her because they felt she was too young and didn’t take her seriously. She graduated in 2005 and she just barely found another job. She works with the tribe in Durango for a meager 13/hr as a receptionist. She has no real world job experience, no serious computer, human resource or marketing skills. She stresses everyday to me “What did I go to college for if no one will hire me?” She has applied for every “entry level” position under the sun and still nothing. Is a degree really all you need anymore?

I think a degree isn’t enough anymore. I read an article early this year saying unemployed college graduates in on the rise. So many graduates move back home after graduation because they can’t find a real job. I haven’t graduated yet but I did what my dad did. I have tried to further my real world job experience as well as my education. A degree can’t be enough anymore. There is a lot of competition out there so what can we do to stand out from the other resumes? I’ve actually found some people get awesome jobs and don’t have a college degree. Examples include my boss, Brandon, who is in charge of lifestyle marketing for Atlantic and my friend, Matt, who is a marketing coordinator for Warner Music Group, but neither have degrees. What do they have? Experience- experience-experience. Brandon has seven years of marketing experience… he is 23! How should we go about getting this experience? I admit it is hard to get a decent job no matter how much experience you have (believe me I am sick of hearing the response “over qualified”) especially when you attend school. Should the school put more emphasis on preparing you? Could post graduate stresses be avoided by making a real job internship mandatory as part of you curriculum? Should we seek a professional mentor? Should we work our networks? I think it couldn’t hurt to try it all. I don’t feel that UNM puts enough emphasis on helping its students find jobs. Maybe it’s because I am uninformed about what the university offers but lets face it- I can’t be the only one. I read the lobo and listing career fairs can only do so much! I feel that at this point in our careers, if we don’t fend for ourselves, we’re screwed.

Transportation Dillemma: Scooters, Love ‘em or Leave ‘em?

Some people at the University of New Mexico have noticed the increase in motor scooter use on campus. Furthermore, not only has the increased use been noted, the increased nuisance due to these motor scooters has also been commented on. By looking at some differences in where scooters are more frequently used, versus where they are less commonly used, we may be able to identify if this is as big of a problem so as to consider banning motor scooter use altogether.

Transportation on main campus, aside from the shuttle system, involves a variety of numerous skateboards, scooters (both electric and non-electric), bicycles, sometimes even roller blades, and we can not forgot those who use good-old fashioned walking! On the north campus the majority of people either walk, ride a bicycle, and even a small amount of people ride scooters.

Although there are labels on the walk-ways of main campus that direct where bicyclists are supposed to ride, and where walkers are not supposed to walk, this seems to be a lost concept. It would be assumed that if one is riding a scooter, the same principal would apply to follow the labeled path. However, there have been many commentators who have mentioned one time, or several, when almost run down by someone riding on a bicycle or skateboard, and even scooter.

On north campus, although there are no labeled sidewalks for bicyclists, the populations are such that there is no confusion in which direction to walk when a bicyclist, or scooterist, is headed in your direction. It seems as though this may be proof of harmony between pedestrian and bicycle/ scooterist.

I do not think that banning motor scooters is the solution to the ever-growing “alternative transportation lifestyle” that the main campus faces. If anything, scooters are a better option than even bicycles because at least you can hear them coming behind you! Furthermore, a much more debated topic is the issue of being environmentally “friendly”, which scooters are more environmentally, and economically, sound, and produce much less pollution than cars and busses.

Therefore, rather than banning scooters I think it would be a much better solution if it could be enforced that bicyclists, scooterists, skateboarders, etc. could simply follow the bike pathways. Furthermore, this would also be easier to do, following the bike pathways, if there weren’t pedestrians walking on them. Needless to say, it may also help if people watched where they were walking, and could help to avoid these biker paths. This would be a great solution because than everyone would be happy. The only problem left is really HOW does one go about implementing this seemingly simple concept?

-Christina

What the...french toast?

OK people, lets be honest...

How many times have we gone hungry during our lunch breaks on campus due to not so grand food choices? Due to the fact that chick file just didn't seem to "float our boats" anymore or the fact that Sonic is on the worst list of food decisions when it comes to eating healthy and staying off the "freshman 15"?I have actually experienced something rather amusing yet ironic when i was last at Sonic...A worker that was busy shuffling fries in the grease was talking to her fellow coworker about this wonderful food resource. These were her exact words - " Why would anybody want to eat this? why would anybody want to stick so much grease onto their gut??"
So there I stand...stranded...waiting for my grease to be prepared, with such disgust and actual sorrow, thinking about my future harsh workout plan. Great!

Of course we also have "fresh" sushi and some Mexican variety...oh and lets not forget about the endless lines at the Deli corner and the carbs-full bread sticks from Pizza Hut...awesome!
Somethings gotta change. Don't you think?

For my personal research,I decided to talk to a couple of my friends who are transfers from other schools about the food choices in their previous schools and all came to the conclusion that UNM's food choices are pretty weak. What a shame. In such a diverse student community, with people wanting so many different things from life and living such different lifestyles I would expect all of my fellow hungry people to be satisfied when it comes to nutrition.
And some of you might be wondering right now- " gees, is it really that bad?do people really care?"

Well, i do have an answer. Indeed a problem persists....I read the Daily Lobo every day and I'came across many notes about how many people are dissatisfied with the food choices and the food decisions they are basically forced to make...

it comes to solutions, I wish i could see more restaurants open. The lines are ridiculous and take up so much of our time, especially when some don't really have long lunch breaks.
I'd love to see a salad variety.Maybe a special section in the sub that is all about the Healthy Yet Yummy food.

The only place I truly appreciate in the SUB is the Higher Grounds. I love their coffee and their breakfast and lunch specials. But it gets boring to eat that every day right?
Maybe some changes will appear very soon?

What do you think?

Time is running out!

Time is running out for Damien Echols, Jessie Miskelly and Justin Baldwin Jr. Three young men known as the "West Memphis Three" were injustly accused of murdering three 8 year old boys in West Mememphis, Arkansas in 1993. At the time they were arrested they were only teenagers who like many of the young students at the University of New Mexico wore heavy metal t-shirts, had long hair and liked to read Stephen King novels. There is no real evidence linking these men to the murders of these children. Except a 40 minute statement made by Jessie Miskelly who is mentally handicapped and was subjected to 12 hours of interrogation without legal counsel or parental consent. The three were convicted of murder in 1994; Damien Echols was sentenced to the Death Penalty, Baldwin was sentenced to life without parole.

Supporters and friends have set-up a website at www.wm3.org and at www.myspace.com/almosthomevol1 to raise awareness as to the grave injustice taken against these three men. If you believe in the American justice system and believe that a man is innocent until proven guilty, I encourage you to visit one of these sites. There you will find the latest information pertaining to their case. Information on documentries, books, essays and music dedicated to the "West Memphis 3".

Here is a short list of some of the supporters of the "West Memphis Three";
Wionna Ryder
Michale Graves
Henry Rollins
Amnesty International
The Cure
Metallica
Abolish the Death Penalty
Marilyn Manson
Steve Earle
and the list goes on...

Use your first amendment right and speak out! "Free the West Memphis Three"

Josephine

Restructure Collegiate "Experience"

Throughout junior high and high school teachers, parents, and friends preached how important a college education is to our future career success. So with that in mind we engage in an endless number of hours of extra curricular activities, volunteer work, and “character building” activities. We then look at our past and find that one element that would embody who we are, how we got here, and what we have to offer to society. What would spur high school students that are more interested in the opposite sex to divert time from flirting and hanging out to countless hours of monotonous work? To perfect that dreaded college application.However, prior to1994 there was a potential catastrophe brewing in the United States. It was reported that 3.4 million youth ages 16-24, representing 11% of that population, had not completed high school and were not currently enrolled in any form of school. Even more stricken of the remaining 89% of youth that did graduate high school a wopping 75% did not complete college or any other form of high education/training.On the other end of the spectrum employers were faced with an unskilled workforce. US employers, at the time, estimated 20% of employees were not proficient at their jobs and over 50% of these employees could not find qualified applicants for ENTRY LEVEL JOBS. With all these elements at play these employees were forced to spend over 30 billion dollars annually to train and retrain these unprepared workers. With the increased competition of international employees entering the US workforce the Clinton administration passed the Opportunities Act of 1994. The Opportunities Act provides fund for the implementation of “School-to-work” programs.School-to-work programs have been implemented in all 50 states. A recent employer survey, conducted by the National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce and the U.S. Bureau of the Census, found that 25 percent of U.S. businesses are now involved in school-to-work partnerships and that more than 90 percent of those businesses are providing students with onsite learning experiences, such as job shadowing, mentoring, internship, and apprenticeship programs. With this great success why are more and more collegiate graduates leaving the realm of collegiate life and faced with closed doors into the working world? http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues040.shtmlThe most popular answer from interviewing employers is, “You lack the experience we are looking for”. WOW, so the countless business models, plans, and group projects for these same businesses that were carried out in Anderson School, or the hours spent on chemistry experiments, or the hundreds of drafts, thesis’s, and legislative proposal that the political science student drafted and were used on the floor of the legislature is “not enough experience”. That doesn’t even tap into those volunteer summer internships with law firms, medical facilities, and advertising/marketing firms to build experience and knowledge.The School-to-Work program has a major pitfall. The major focus for most states within this program is aimed towards teachers in the realm of true working experience. In the final semester for an education major career they are not attending classes and lectures at UNM on a daily basis. These individuals are in the classroom of high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools initially shadowing then teaching these classes. They meet with a “mentor” once a week to discuss weekly happenings, but they are truly immersed in the “work force”. Upon graduation a large percentage of these graduate are offered positions at the school they did their student teaching. Why can’t this system be implemented in other disciplines?The different departments need to reevaluate their curricula. Obviously, employers are not just looking for applicants with a college diploma. They want a person that has “been there and done that”. They want that applicant that has completed that business model on top of all the other unexpected projects that appear in the working world. They wanted that lobbyist that has drafted legislative documents and trudged the halls of the roundhouse pushing their agenda.With employers showing a strong participation in School-to-work programs why can’t universities truly utilize these opportunities. Restructure the curricula to model the education department, where students spend their final months at the University in the work force. Not as an intern, but as an employee. If you move away from internships and actually being immersed in the work force these students allow themselves the chance for positional advancement, additional training, and gaining that much needed “experience”.As it seems evident with the annual increase in tuition, the goal of universities seems to move from educating to building the bottom line. If students in their closing semesters were not actually attending classes at the university less professors would be needed and less classroom space would be utilized. This would cut salary, electrical, and maintenance costs drastically and would allow universities to puff their financial gains. So it looks like this would be a truly win – win opportunity for everyone. However, could the collegiate institution take on a drastic change such as this…….. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!

To Sit or Not to Sit

Campus facilities have taken much criticism in recent weeks. Unfortunately, I must add desks to the growing list of complaints- especially those tiny rigid desks filling many of the classrooms in many of the buildings all over campus. My gripe, frankly, is that some students, like me, just don’t fit! This only becomes an issue when, as in the case of many auditoriums, lecture halls and classrooms in older buildings, there are no alternate seating options. The result is that a larger student may have to painfully squeeze into an ill-fitting desk, hunt down a chair from another classroom and be yelled at by custodians, or sit on the floor or stand. When classes can last two and a half hours or more, these options become less than feasible, especially for students who may have health or mobility issues. So the question is, whose problem is it?

The easy way out is to blame overweight students for their condition, and insist they try diet and exercise-why should the university be responsible for finding larger seats because some students choose to maintain an unhealthy lifestyle? Well, this is a dangerous road full of assumptions. If losing weight and maintaining a trim body was so simple, people would have won the battle of the bulge decades ago. Instead, obesity in this country is growing at an alarming rate. According to the US Center for Disease Control in 2003/2004, obesity among adults aged 20–74 doubled from 15% to over 30% in the last thirty years. Despite mountains of research, doctors and experts in the field of obesity have not been able to pinpoint why so many people cannot permanently control weight by simply expending more energy than they consume.

It is now known that insufficient exercise and dietary behaviors are not the only causes of obesity. The non-profit organization called Obesity in America.org recognizes genetic, hormonal, environmental, and cultural factors attributing to loss of weight control as well. Genetic history, body type, slow metabolism, thyroid disorder, and medication side affects are just some of the mechanisms at work that can throw the balance of calories consumed and calories burned out of whack. So if we can admit that people’s loss of weight control is not entirely their fault, why don’t we give them the benefit of the doubt? And how can we possibly know where a person is on his/her weight management journey by mere appearance? My uncle has been faithful to a new health regimen and has lost 110 lbs, but you would never know it since he still weighs 280 lbs.

More important than why a student is overweight is the fact that overweight students at UNM pay tuition and fees for their education just like everyone else. Each student should be entitled to sit in a classroom as part of the learning experience. Alternative seating options like a bench or one set of table/ chairs in a classroom full of desks could easily be arranged without incurring high costs. A designated place to check out folding chairs or extendable desks could be another option. The point is that students don’t mind the extra effort to obtain alternate seating in a discreet and dignified manner.

How these changes can be implemented is another problem. The natural assumption is that UNM Accessibility Services (2021 Mesa Vista Hall) would be the department primarily responsible for these kinds of accommodations. Their mission statement claims: “Our commitment to quality and dedication to providing the best possible accommodations to our students is the hallmark of our department.” When I approached the office last year, however, they told me that alternative seating was not under their jurisdiction, nor could they direct me to any department that could help. When I complained to my instructors about insufficient seating, they told me their superiors had no answers. While obesity itself is not considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with obesity-related disabilities are protected by ADA. Therefore, Accessibility Services should champion this cause -the right to sit -for UNM students of all shapes and sizes. If you want to take a stand against weight-bias on campus, contact Accessibility Services and let them know that access to adequate seating should be ensured for all students.

Keep an eye out for the Soap Boxes

It is almost 2008 and with the coming of a new year, there will be “soap boxing” political candidates, debates, and many flyers and demonstrations around campus! This upcoming Presidential Election will be an exciting and potentially history-making event with a potential first minority president, one of which could possibly be our own Governor Bill Richardson.

So with all the exciting debates and speeches from political candidates coming to our state and our universities, how much will it change the turn out rate of College students actually voting?

According to a nationwide campus survey conducted by Tufts University, the more college students discuss politics and current events outside of class, the more likely they were to vote. However, there are many other factors that equate into a students choice to vote or not that include the major the student is studying, how politically active their family is and how politically active their college or university is.

This survey found that about 88% of students who discuss politics and current events outside of class on a near-daily basis said they went to the polls on Election Day. This number dropped however to 66% when those who discussed politics outside of class only a few times a month.

This survey also found that the major the student was studying also effected the turn out rate at the polls. Students who major in engineering, math, science and education are found to have voted the least often of the students surveyed.

I think that personally, which major I am studying isn’t a factor for me voting or not, it’s that I have a major in the first place. I feel that I am sometimes too wrapped up in studying for tests, writing papers, going to class, and working part time to pay attention to politics and how it affects my life and my future, and feel that a lot of other students feel the same way. I don’t feel that it is a lack of caring about the subject, it’s just sometimes we don’t have the time or mental energy to take away from the subjects we are studying until its really crunch time and elections are right around the corner. Only recently have I been paying more attention to politics, economics, policymaking and the world around me outside of my campus life.

One of my friends actually dosent exercise his right to vote at all because he dosent feel like he has enough knowledge on the subjects they are debating and dosent want to make an uneducated decision or base his opinion on superficial reason. But at the same time, he dosent have the time to devote to really understand the issues until he is probably out of college and no longer engulfed in studying.

I also think that the voting turn out will be determined on how active the candidates are with visiting Colleges and Universities and discussing their views with the student body, and how active the student body is about debating the points among friends and family.

But how much does the candidates coming on campus really effect who and how they vote?

Perhaps having our own state governor campaigning brings the choice of voting and the election that much closer to home (literally), and will catch the attention of more UNM students to learn, question and decided on political opinions.

I am really interested in seeing how UNM will change leading up to election time next fall due to the fact that I have never been in college during a major presidential election and am excited to see everything unfold.

So I say, bring on the flyers!

Possibly Offensive Displays at UNM

It’s always interesting when the subject of what is and isn’t acceptable propaganda for a college campus comes up – we’d like to think that most college students are mature adults that can handle adult subject matters, yet last October, when anti-abortion organization Justice for All put up a display in front of Zimmerman, many a student feather was ruffled. Why? Well, it might be due to the fact that the display, consisting of fifteen panels measuring eight feet wide by two stories tall, presented large, graphic and disturbing pictures of aborted fetuses for all to see. Or perhaps it was comparison of abortion to the Holocaust.

To be fair, those images and that comparison are extremely offensive, but it’s controversial tactics like those that grab your attention; in the Daily Lobo, spokeswoman Rebeccah Pedrick was quoted as saying, “The main reason we use this is because this causes people to stop and talk." Viewing the display on that day, it was hard to ignore the huge response received and the moth-to-flame like draw it had upon the students. If nothing else, Justice for All was getting their message heard.

But is that reason enough to display heartbreaking images that are so large it’s hard to miss while walking from class to class? Judging from the abundant outraged letters to the editor at the Daily Lobo, most students (and quite a few faculty members) did not think so and Tanya, a student writing to the Lobo, went so far as to say she felt “assaulted”. In fact, someone put use to the infamous UNM chalk messages and directed students to a “non-offensive” path. This brings up another issue: is it the responsibility of UNM to regulate these displays?

It’s hard to say and it’s definitely not a black and white issue. Banning displays because we find their images offensive sounds dangerously close to censorship, but you also have to look at the issue in the context of whether or not the pictures are proper for a learning environment. When faced with the criticism surrounding the abortion display, the dean of students commented that, “As long as an activity does not materially disrupt the teaching, learning, research or business activities of UNM, (the activity) would be approved.” This is actually a good point – the display wasn’t in classrooms and students weren’t required to stand and gawk at it like many did. I suppose a case could be made for “emotional distress” but, to be perfectly honest, that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason for banning.

If the university is to be faulted anywhere in this ordeal, the fault would lie in the fact that there were no proper warnings given out during class or before you entered the plaza. I, myself, had absolutely no idea that I could be accosted with such images as I walked to English class and, furthermore, if a student needed to get to the Humanities building, Zimmerman library or walk across campus, there was simply no way to avoid the display. However, on a campus with thousands of students, getting the message out to every single one of them would be near impossible.

Don’t get me wrong the display and its tactics were abhorrent, especially when you consider the erroneous and outdated misinformation that some of the panels contained. A better question might be whether the university has a responsibility to regulate displays that purport faulty facts to be true, but the overwhelming issue taken up here dealt with the heartbreaking photos. Even if it weren’t, it’s up to the student to cross-check facts – I’m sure the university has better things to do than research abortion.

Though their tactics were despicable and their “facts” deplorable, there’s one undeniable fact – the function of the pictures is flawless. Regardless of whether or not students were talking about the display in outrage, Justice for All accomplished its goal to create a dialogue, but does that dialogue have a place on campus? As an institute of learning, I think it does, though I may not agree with the execution.

Mitchell Hall: I Caught the Stink a Long Time Ago

Ever since the Fall semester of my freshman year, my thoughts on Mitchell Hall have not been positive. Unfortunately, I have had at least one class a semester in Mitchell since I began my education here at UNM. This building has not only been one of the least attractive, displeasing sights on campus from the outside, but the smell associated with this sight on the inside definitely is not a complimentary factor. From a molded, dirty water fountain to a constantly rattling heater to the unsanitary smell of a bathroom, Mitchell Hall is filled with unpleasant surprises.

In one article published in the Daily Lobo at the beginning of last week, which I am unable rediscover the date or title, the displeasing characteristics of Mitchell Hall were addressed and revealed, as the discontentment of the students was apparent. Observing the various new buildings being built all over campus, including the recently finished Architecture building as well as the up and coming Centennial Engineering Center, it does not seem reasonable that the current issues arising about Mitchell Hall are even a problem today. Although Mitchell Hall is an older building, with much historical value and pleasure to appreciate, sewage smells and unclean commodities are not acceptable.

In a following article, “UNM Getting Into Stink Over Mitchell Hall,” published in the Daily Lobo on Friday, October 5th, it addressed the concerns discussed in the previous article about the deterioration of the building, mainly focusing on the disgusting sewage smell and the smell of trash, which once was produced by the trash collection room which has recently been relocated. In this article, it reveals that officials have met and discussed these problems and concerns, but are still indecisive on what action should be made. It states that, “the Physical Plant told the Daily Lobo in 2005 that two ventilation motors caused the stench.” If that is the case, which it appears to be, I think that two years is more than enough time to discuss and decide an appropriate action to take to stop this put a stop to and fix this issue. In many people’s households, if for any reason a problem arises dealing the plumbing, you can bet that the problem is taken care of immediately. I know this is true for my household, what about you? I am shocked that this problem began two years ago and still, nothing has been done. This irresponsible decision to ignore the downfall of Mitchell Hall has only become worse over time and is a major factor contributing to the unpleasantness and discontentment connected to the building, by both students and staff, as well as visitors and perspective students.

Within the past week, there have been two articles directed at the “stink” of Mitchell Hall revealing its importance and its impact on the life of the students and the campus as well. In my opinion, Mitchell Hall is in dyer need of improvement. If the university has money to build brand new buildings and pay our newly hired basketball coach $975,000 a year, like discussed the “Where Does Our Money Go?” blog, I feel that the university officials have had the time and the money to take appropriate action. The sewage smell is unacceptable and has an overall negative impact on the perception of the university as a whole. The supposed $70,000 plan to fix Mitchell Hall may affect and restrict the budget in some fashion, but will have a minimal impact on it as a whole when looking at the outrageous amounts spent elsewhere. The smell is affecting the performance and attitudes of the students, staff, and faculty, therefore dampering the reason we are all here, educational achievement and success. It is time this problem gets solved and addressed, one step at a time! Who’s with me?

Online Courses: Do They Help Or Hurt Students?

I like many other students here at UNM and many other colleges are taking online courses. At this point I’m discovering the pros and cons of online courses because this is my first semester taking them. Students are offered both advantages and disadvantages from online learning.

It was estimated in a 2003 Daily Lobo article that about 8,000 to 10,000 students were taking online classes. I was unable to find any clear counts on how many students right now are using online methods. It’s safe to say the numbers are probably high.

Taking online classes provides a person with certain liberties and independence. The structures of the courses vary on the preferences and plans of professors. Often some classes do involve meetings on campus buildings to take tests or do presentations. The tradition of classrom discussion is modified in a virtual classroom through discussion forums, chat rooms and live sessions. Quizzes, research papers and deadlines come along with taking an online course. Many aspects of face to face learning and environments are modified to virtual settings. Textbook use is also present in some classes but some professors use various articles and excerpts, books, journals and magazines as reading material.

I have known several past and current UNM students and college students from other colleges who have gone the online route for different reasons. A few are also parents who use online learning to help them better juggle the parental and academic roles. Others use online learning to juggle work, health conditions, school and other obligations. Students have to worry less about arriving to class late and are able to spend more time at home or work. Some students are able to work maybe a few hours more each week in order to save money or survive financially. One of my out-of-state relatives depended on online learning for awhile after he was injured in a car accident. The convenience aspect of online classes is evident. But other aspects of online learning sometimes don’t always help students.

Online learning brings out stress for many and sometimes the online aspect of learning makes it harder for students to deal with. People have told me that they feel really alone and disconnected because they can’t communicate with their instructors or classmates in a physical sense. I know from past experience having physical contact with others helps when you have problems understanding course material. It is hard at times for me not to be in physical contact with other students who are learning the same material. Others have stated they hate depending on technology all the time in order to earn credit hours. A few people have admitted to me that often procrastinate more because they are not in a real classroom. I also understand the negative view on technology there are times I don’t want to spend time in front of a computer. Not being in a classroom also will give people more reasons to procrastinate because they really don’t have to answer to an instructor.

In many ways you could say that online education isn’t suited for everyone. Online classes take dedication and the ability to work independently. The downsides will continue to exist. But several universities and education advisement websites have published articles that give tips to students who are involved in online learning. So far I haven’t been able to find any tips lists or articles published by UNM to help students. In both my online courses the instructors have provided tip lists.

Students who are having difficulties with online classes should talk to their instructors or seek advice from students who have taken them in the past. I also think maybe on-campus study groups or workshops could also help students with their work in online classes. The experiences of students with online classes will vary because each experience is based on the habits and learning rates of students.

UNM honors might need some improvement

The honors program at the University of New Mexico is a wonderful program that offers a safe way for students to venture out side of their major. They do this by having a grading option where of pass/fail or “A”. This makes the honors class either a GPA booster or a safe chance to gain knowledge from a different subject area. Furthermore the program is equipped with very knowledgeable and qualified teachers. They are seriously the best of the best and treat the students with respect. So the problem is not with the content or the people, but it is one strange procedure.

The great flaw of the honors program is the odd requirement to attend preview night at the start of each semester. This is a one night event where the content of each class is presented and then each student hands in their two or three top selections for the classes. However if you cannot attend the preview night your picks are submitted on a different form and unlocked days after those who could attend. Consequently, those who are unable to attend are unable to register for their classes until after the general registration of all other UNM students. Most will find that there top choices are filled and they are forced to either shift their schedule around or sacrifice the honors class for a semester. Also since each person can only unlock three classes initially if those three classes are filled then the person must then go back to the honors forum and request for additional classes to be opened. I guess I just do not understand why they cannot mark honors classes like they mark prerequisites classes, just blocking them unless accepted into the program.

Personally I loved the honors class I took, it was very different and I learned a lot. Unfortunately, the next semester I could not get a class that fit in my schedule because I work, and was unable to attend preview night. Initially I was going to just skip a semester and make it up in the summer or double up the following semester. However I eventually found that it just was not worth it for me.

The honors program at the University of New Mexico is great…for the most part. The system just needs to be updated, perhaps like other universities. For example, the University of Utah has an honors program which allows students who have been accepted in to the honors program to automatically enroll in the appropriate honors class level. Also they have the option for departmental honors too, which are just specialized courses in the student’s major rather than courses that are random; however they also allow for regular honors if they choose to get general honors. Most importantly, they do not have the requirement to attend a “Preview Night”. Maybe UNM could just update the system a bit.

A manual for international UNM students, please

At UNM Admissions is divided in International Admissions, and “normal” Admissions.
It seems to make sense, but does it?

I am born and raised in the Netherlands, and of course I did all my school before UNm in the Netherlands, ergo I must be an International student. But wait: Over 5 years ago I moved to Albuquerque, which makes me all of a sudden domestic, even an in-state student. Confused? I am! As I am a permanent resident of New Mexico I am a domestic student. As all of my diplomas and certificates from before UNM are Dutch, the domestic people of UNM’s Admissions have no clue and need advice from UNM’s International Admissions.

One of the things I started to realize along the way was that I just knew that I wasn’t the first person who had to figure everything out by himself. Through the years UNM’s Admissions gave me different stories, and nobody could really tell me where to go. When I talked to a faculty member who was from Germany I got even confirmed that different Admissions people will tell you different things. At one point I finally got some useful advice: First I was told that I needed to translate all my Dutch diplomas and certificates and have these translations verified, and after that I needed to get evaluated by an organization which was a member of the “American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers” (AACRAO). As I have in-laws living in Los Angeles I chose to go with “International Education Research Foundation” (IERF), which turned out a big mistake. IERF turned out to in my opinion take shortcuts, and only recognize the most obvious diplomas. They simply claimed that the rest was short-term courses meant for professional development only. Thinking back of it I think I should have gone with an organization at the east coast instead where they’re more familiar with European education.

The most horrible thing was even when I found out that even the few diplomas that were recognized by IERF didn’t get me any credits at UNM Admissions. Because I had not heard anything from Admissions I dropped by after a few months, and after I only told the lady my name her response was: “O my God.” Apparently my name was well known at admissions, which didn’t feel like a good sign to me.

The mere fact that I had to find out every step by myself, while I am pretty sure that I am not the first person who comes to UNM with international diplomas and certificates, gives me the feeling like they say in Holland that I am inventing the wheel: It must have been done by others before me. I think that even at International Admissions people don’t realize enough that foreigners are not familiar with the American education system and have no clue where to go or what to do. I think it would be welcomed when UNM would make and issue a small manual for international students, which would contain a step-by-step plan for the students what to do. If UNM already has one, then International Admissions surely knows how to hide it.

Are Students Really Safe at Football Games

On Septembe 26, 2007 the Daily Lobo posted a great article about the UNM football games. The article stated how the UNM athletic department announced that they will no longer be selling standing room only tickets at any future football games. The athletic department claims that it is necessary to ban the standing room only tickets in order to keep everyone at the game safe. They have been contemplating the decision for a while, and after the Lobo game against the Aggies they have made the decision final.

The Football game against NMSU was the fourth largest game in the history of UNM's stadium. There was a total attendance of 41,033 people at the game. Out of all these people, only 700 were standing room only tickets. In a crowd of 41,033 people I doubt that the 700 standing room only tickets had any affect on the overall safety at the stadium. I think that it is really unfortunate that the athletic department has vetoed the standing room only tickets. UNM games often sell out so it is unfortunate that all of the other fans will have to be turned away.

It is really sad that the safety of the stadium depends on the size of the crowd that attend it. The safety should solely depend on the security guards. If the game is sold out more security should be brought in. With a game the size of the NMSU one, additional security must be brought in. I do agree that the game against the aggies was out of countrol. I was personally there and it was pretty crazy. I got caught in the mob, and got pushed around a lot. I am a guy though so it was not very bad for me, but a petite girl or a handicap person could have been seriously injured. The Daily Lobo article talked about a girl who was in a wheel chair and unfortunately got caught in the mob. She got pushed into a cement wall and could not free herself. Thankfully she was with friends and did not get seriously injured. This is when it is essential that security be present to prevent incidents like this from happening.

There was also a number of fights reported at the game against NMSU. A lot of students tailgate before the games and get drunk. This is why tempers are high and especially when playing a rival, students will be fighting. It is unfortunate but at the same time inevitable.

I really want to veto against the athletic department and try to get the standing room only tickets back. It is not fair to the lobo fans to not offer standing room only. Yes, safety is a big issue and changes with the stadiums security must be made. Incidents like the one with the handicapped girl are extremely dangerous and should not be happening. Hopefully the athletic department will be able to upgrade security and bring back the standing room only tickets.

Where does our money go?

Since I am not a current student on main or any UNM campus, I began my research for this blog in the Daily Lobo archives. I found an article dated September 5th that describes to student where their fees end up in the university. There was a pie chart that gave a breakdown of everything; the top three fees went to a faculty fee, the student health center, and ITS. Upon further reading there was a debate about whether or not athletics should get a student fee. According to the article, UNM students do not have it “that bad” when it comes to paying for athletic fees. Schools like Utah State pay a $53 fee where we pay a mere $36. The end of the article touched on the fact that tuition never pays for athletics and “never has and never will”.
First of all I want to mention how the students have no say in where their fees go. It is all left up to a board who decides what they think out fees would be best for. I would like to see a questionnaire go out to all students to see what they want (since we are the ones using the University Purposes and services). At lest that way the board would know what we all think. Now, I will move on to the athletics.

I am sports fan, however I think that UNM already spends too much on athletics to begin with, not all of them however get fair funding. An article from April 4th 2007, explains that our past tuition increase is to go to things like an increase in faculty salary, hiring minority faculty and establishing a department of international diversity. These things sound great right? Well now I will quote an article from March 26th that says that the newly hired basketball coach will earn $975,000 a year and his assistant will earn $250,000 for a total of $1,225,000. This is ridiculous compared to the $590,000 coach McKay and his assistant made combined, which is also ridiculous. These men are faculty so therefore we are paying them with our tuition increase, which the first article said tuition never pays for. The faculty of athletics counts as athletics therefore the quote from Curt Porter who is the VP of the fee board that tuition won’t go to athletics is a flat out lie. The current basketball coach makes more then the president of the United States and our team isn’t even good anymore! Now our tuition is paying for the coaches, although I’m sure the soccer, hockey, track etc. coaches are not making nearly this much.
So maybe our fees are to pay for new equipment and upkeep of the facilities, however, our amazing track coaches quit because the board would not give them money to upkeep the track. I had the privilege of working with both coach Henrys in high school before they moved to UNM and they are amazing men and know their stuff, but none of the money we pay in fees went to them. Why do I have the feeling it went to basketball and football? The reason I am told that these two sports get the most of the money is that they are big income bringers to UNM, however attendance at these two sports was at a low last year.

My overall view of all of this is that we are being lied to, which I don’t find surprising. Our fees are going to help one or two athletic departments while the others are left to fare for themselves in fundraisers. Our tuition increase goes to pay the basketball faculty ridiculous amounts of money, and we have no say in any of it. I would like to see us start deciding these things, not a board. For one, our money would go where the students want it, and two, the university boards and heads would know what we want for once. I don’t mind my fees to pay for athletics, I would just like to see it spread evenly or distributed between sports that I choose. Tuition increases to pay for faculty are okay too, but again I would like to choose the faculty departments that my money goes to. I don’t want to pay for basketball or football; I want to pay for hockey and soccer and rugby; I don’t what to pay the basketball coaches; I want to pay the Philosophy and English departments. It’s our money so I think we should have the final decision, or at least a say, in where it goes.

Money, Money, Money

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “university” as “...an institution for higher learning with teaching and research facilities constituting a graduate school and professional schools that award master's degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate division that awards bachelor's degrees.”

The primary purpose of a university is to provide for academic advancement and to conduct research in any number subjects. What about the secondary activities offered by the University? Athletics and student performance groups, for instance. Increasingly, university athletic teams have become symbols of pride for students, staff, and faculty. They are encouraged and everyone -- almost universally -- enjoys watching their team compete. While not everyone enjoys theater or concert choir performances, the principle is the same: the community felt and experienced directly and indirectly at these events is unique and plays an important role in terms of providing diverse students commonality.

There comes a point, however, when the primary goals of the university seem eclipsed by the secondary activities that are intended to play a supporting role to academics and research. How do we know one of these secondary activities has eclipsed academia and research?

Well...a university has to pay competitive salaries in order to attract good faculty. They have to provide decent benefits as well, so those are a given. But in some cases, the most superlative of salaries aren’t awarded to faculty or researchers. Instead, they're awarded to a staff member in another, less mission-oriented area. Specifically, I’m speaking of the exorbitant salary the University of New Mexico has awarded its basketball coach.

According to the Albuquerque Tribune (here), Coach Steve Alford is making about $975,000 a year, base salary and fringe all considered. That sounds like quite a bit, especially for those of us who are students. Personally, I know that much money would pay for my schooling (entirely) all the way through grad school and then some. It would pay for about 1,000 nicely-equipped Dell Optiplex GX 740’s. I’m not sure how many undergrads it would fund through their bachelor’s, but I’m guessing at least twenty.

I would imagine that the University has addressed its academic and research obligations before spending so much money to attract a basketball team coach. I mean, take care of academics and research first, right? Sadly, the opposite is true.

Example: A prominent research institution located near campus was told recently that the University would no longer pay its rent, which is a cool ten-thousand dollars a month. In a time when deep cuts were being made to conserve money, this institution is having to let go of staff, and stretch equipment and computers further than they are stretched already. Given the amount of money this particular institution brings to the University (well in excess of the cost of the rent) I find it shocking that UNM would simply renege upon its obligation to pay the rent. This institute is part of UNM. They just happen to live across the street.
So here’s an idea: pay the basketball coach one-hundred thousand dollars less a year and maintain the status quo. Pretty radical, huh?

Another example: Has anyone actually visited Carlisle gym? The dance majors -- and the people like me, who take an African dance class or Flamenco for fun -- are dancing on springboard floors built in the 70’s, according to one faculty member. These are bad for feet, knees, and back because the floors get old and "give out." There are no sound systems of worth in any of the studios. I wonder what $250,000 (the dollar value of Coach Alford’s TV and radio contract) a year for the next four years (the length of Alford's contract) would do for the Dance program and Carlisle gym. Wow -- new floors? Sound systems? Air conditioning and heating that doesn't alternately freeze and roast students? Stuff that’s been needed for years and years.

Am I the only person who thinks that perhaps the resources being flung at the basketball team are a bit excessive? In terms of what money goes where, I would like to believe that an accounting can be given to the public to show than this isn't the case. I'd like to believe that people pushing the money around do everything for the advancement of academics and the furtherance of research. Maybe there's a method to the madness. (Certainly I can’t claim to have a full understanding of the situation without such an accounting, and I ask that if anyone has one or has some knowledge that can shed light on this topic, please do.)

Until I hear otherwise, my feelings can be summarized as such: clearly, someone has got the wrong priorities at the top of the “To Do” list. UNM is not a sports franchise, we are a university. Academics and research are our primary goals. Obviously, athletics have trumped them both.

Technology Isn't Just For Phones and IPods.

On September 6, 2007 The New York Times Company made an announcement regarding their most recent contribution to higher education. Now students in campus classrooms or taking distance learning courses will have access to the Knowledge Network, which incorporates all of their printed documents, videos and Web casts. They are also working with many schools to enlarge their distance education programs. I see as this as an opportunity for education to start taking advantage of the technology, resources, and money being offered. I think that more colleges and universities need to move forward from the traditional modes of learning and begin offering more degrees and classes online.

There are schools that offer distance education, ranging from a few classes to entire degrees. My school, The University of New Mexico, does offer many online classes each term, but only two degrees. Unfortunately, neither my major nor my minor is offered completely online, and the online class selection seems to repeat each term. I have taken courses on campus most of my education; however, I took my first online course over two years ago and since I have been hooked. I know that for some people it is intimidating and others may think it’s not a real education. As a person who has taken almost a dozen online classes let me clarify a few things. Yes, it can be intimidating at first, but all my teachers have always been extremely helpful and answered all my questions. It is a real education and in my experience online classes require more time and energy than classes on campus. Even though they require more time and effort then going to campus I still prefer them and wish more were offered. What is better than attending class at a Starbucks that offers a WIFI connection or going to class in your pajamas?

You may think I am just being funny, but think about it for a minute. Taking classes on campus involves more hassles than distance learning, such as hundreds of dollars in parking fees a year, if you’re lucky enough to find a spot. An hour or more out of your day driving to and from school, and possible bankruptcy from gas prices. If you work, like most students do, organizing your schedule for work and school. Then, on top of all that, childcare and familial responsibilities cause additional time conflicts for many of us. I always feel a sense of panic when the classes I need to take are not offered at any time I can possibly take them. I do not have an endless amount of time or an extremely flexible schedule, and I do not think I am alone. There is not a typical college student anymore and the average nine to five schedules are virtually gone. Colleges need to recognize the need that so many students have for a flexible, adaptable, and still worthwhile education. Distance learning is the answer.

What hassles do you face trying to register for classes each term? What happens when you have to take two classes that are offered at the same time? What if you don’t even live in the same state or country as the school you attend? If you are like me stress and frustration set in at the same time. It makes sense to me that distance learning is the future in education, not a replacement for traditional learning, but a strong and viable option. For all the above reasons, I think that UNM, as well as other schools need to listen to those of us who want more classes offered online. There are so many of us who have a lot of priorities and responsibilities besides school. We pay the same tuition, take the same classes, and should be given the same consideration.

Coming Soon!

In the next several weeks, this blog will begin to share perspectives from UNM students (all enrolled in a section of English 220) on various subjects related to life at the University of New Mexico. Stay tuned!