DAILY LOBO new mexico
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February 4, 2010
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
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what he’s done for the paper, for the community,” Holm said. “So often in newspaper work, you file your reports every day, and you don’t have a real clear sense of who’s reading it, or how widely it’s read, and out there you get a real clear picture of that.” Now, without further delay, the Daily Lobo is proud to present M.E. Sprengelmeyer, in his own words: - Until I came here, I would just focus on one story a day, two
Students might not know that the 100 tall, blue columns around campus house emergency phones. When the red button on the column is pressed, the phone connects directly to UNM Police Department. There are more than 200 emergency phones not in columns on North, Main and South campus. Vanessa Baca, communication specialist for Information Technologies, said most calls received are either mistakes or from students feeling uncomfortable at night. “The majority of the calls from all of the phones on main campus are people calling for escorts, like people calling for escorts to their cars after dark from classrooms, or students who need somebody to walk with them to and from the dorms,” she said. “They definitely give students a feeling of security.” IT is currently working on a map of all emergency phones on campus, which should be available in February, Baca said. The map, which will be posted on the IT Web site, will help students locate hardto-find phones, including those on the sides of buildings, in dorms and in elevators, she said. Segura said he has only thought about using the emergency phone one time when he was concerned for the safety of others. “There were some transients here bothering some other people and I thought, ‘If they get a little bit rowdy, I might just go and press the thing and have somebody else come and deal with them,’” Segura said.
see News page 5
see Phone page 3
Courtesy of Mark Holm M.E. Sprengelmeyer, right, publisher and reporter for the Guadalupe County Communicator, interviews Santa Rosa City Councilman Pat Cordova. Sprengelmeyer purchased the Santa Rosa weekly paper last August after the Rocky Mountain News in Denver closed about a year ago.
Santa Rosa paper owner advocates local press by Andrew Beale Daily Lobo
M.E. Sprengelmeyer may be the hardest-working newspaper man on the planet, a man described in a recent New York Times profile as working “to the brink of exhaustion, fueling late-night production sessions with nicotine and caffeinated energy drinks.” Sprengelmeyer owns the weekly Guadalupe County Communicator, based in Santa Rosa. Besides handling the business decisions, he
works as a reporter and page designer, and even picks the papers up from the printers in Clovis — about a three-hour round trip. Sprengelmeyer grew up in Albuquerque, and worked various newspaper jobs in Albuquerque before settling at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, where he covered national politics from Washington, D.C. When the paper shut down, Sprengelmeyer went on the hunt for a small-town paper to buy, and discovered one two hours from his hometown.
On Monday, Sprengelmeyer celebrated his six month anniversary as the paper’s owner. Mark Holm, a Communicator contributor, said Sprengelmeyer’s newspaper has revitalized Santa Rosa and serves as an example of the enduring need for newspapers, especially in small towns. “Generally speaking, when I go out there, which is about once a week on average, it almost always happens that people will approach us. … They come out of their way to tell him how much they appreciate
UNM looks to raise admissions standards
Standardized tests may carry less weight by Kallie Red-Horse Daily Lobo
New Mexico high school students might consider buckling down on their day-to-day schoolwork instead of putting all of their college admission eggs into the standardized test basket. On Wednesday, the Student Affairs Committee from the Board of Regents approved a redesigned admissions process that emphasizes high school GPA, additional
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Daily Lobo volume 114
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college preparatory courses and a new grade-point average weighting system. High school GPA is the largest indicator of collegiate success, said Terry Babbitt, associate vice president of Enrollment Management. By emphasizing grades over ACT and SAT scores, for example, UNM students are more likely to succeed throughout college, he said. “We are trying to address retention and the graduation rate issue through the things that have a longer term impact on staying power and graduating on time — having to do more with the core of what students learn in high school, the
curriculum, content and number of units they take in those areas,” Babbitt said. The new standards still have to be approved by the Board of Regents. The University cannot ignore the importance that standardized tests have for funding and rating purposes, said Maria Probasco, UNM Parent Association President. “The reality is we are tested nationally,” she said. “You have students in high school getting our advertising saying ‘UNM is de-emphasizing test scores.’ We have to
see Admissions page 3
High school students urged to increase GPAs by Nicole Raz Daily Lobo
If the regents pass the admissions standards, they will be implemented gradually over the next few years. High school seniors currently have to achieve at least a 2.3 GPA, 13 college preparatory units or a high enough ACT or SAT score, according to the UNM admissions Web site. The proposed admission
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standards will increase to include a 2.5 GPA and 16 high school class credits including an additional math, social science and science class, said Terry Babbitt, associate vice president of Enrollment Management. Over a three-year period, UNM will encourage high school seniors to increase their GPAs and course loads incrementally. High school seniors in 2011 will need to graduate with a 2.3 GPA and an additional social science class. The next graduating class will need a 2.4 GPA with an extra science class, and in
see Standards page 3
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