New Mexico Daily Lobo 021010 by UNM Student Publications

DAILY LOBO new mexico

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The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895

February 10, 2010

Dean: Change requires effort

Ex-presidential candidate urges students to organize by Kallie Red-Horse Daily Lobo

Photo Illustration by Vanessa Sanchez / Daily Lobo UNM Police suspect arson after a bulletin board in Santa Ana Hall caught fire early Tuesday morning. The Daily Lobo staff was curious about how difficult it would be to light a bulletin board on fire. It’s not terribly hard, but we made sure to have a fire extinguisher and a bucket of water handy.

Santa Ana evacuated after early-morning fire by Pat Lohmann Daily Lobo

First-floor residents of Santa Ana Hall awoke at 4 a.m. Tuesday to screaming fire alarms and billowing smoke. A bulletin board on the east end of the first floor caught on fire, according to UNMPD spokesman Robert Haarhues. He said arson is the suspected cause of the fire. No one was injured, and only the board was damaged. Residents returned to their rooms around 4:30 a.m. Resident Kevin Blanton said

the Santa Ana staff orchestrated a fire drill at around 7 p.m. the day before, so all the residents knew to congregate at the Student Resource Center commons just south of the residence hall. “It’s kind of weird because we just had a drill, like, at 7,” he said. “It took me a little while to respond. I just flipped over because I thought it was a joke. But I went outside and there were already cops there.” Bobby Childers, spokesman for Residence Life and Student Housing, said the damage was slight and the response was prompt.

“It took me a little while to respond. I just flipped over because I thought it was a joke.” ~Student Kevin Blanton “We reacted quickly. The desk staff was prompt in reacting to the need,” he said. “Students reacted quickly, and we had very slight damage — half a bulletin board.”

All of the bulletin boards on the first floor have signs reminding students that open flames — from incense, candles, hookahs, etc. — are illegal. In September, a small fire broke out in the basement of Hokona Hall when a dryer caught on fire. Coincidentally, the hall’s residents had just completed a fire drill the day before the fire, as well. Vents above the dryer circulated smoke and ash throughout the building during that fire, but there are no reports of soot or smoke damage in Santa Ana as of Tuesday afternoon.

Former presidential candidate Howard Dean visited campus Tuesday to drum up Democratic support in New Mexico. Students gathered in the SUB Theater to hear Dean speak about national issues including health care and political participation. “Being in a democracy requires obligations, not just freedoms,” Dean said. “I don’t like talking about freedom, because people always want to talk about their rights and they never want to talk about their responsibilities. Freedom isn’t free. What freedom demands of us is working at it. Democracy is a human invention, and like every other human invention, if you don’t nurture it, it dies.” B. Lee Drake, national chair of the College Democrats of America, said he hopes Dean’s appearance will inspire students to realize their potential. “I’m hoping they will walk away with a realization that these are real people and get the sense that it is possible,” the UNM graduate student said. “This allows us to broadcast to students what they are capable of. I’m hoping it will send a strong message to students that we all have the capability to do great things.” Consistent political involvement makes the government the best it can be, Dean said, so students should get involved. UNM student Miranda Aragon said she was excited to see Dean in person. “I think it’s important that you

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UNM reaches fundraising goal, donates $1M to United Way by Tricia Remark Daily Lobo

The UNM community donated a record amount to United Way this year. The fundraising campaign began last semester and lasted until early this semester, when the UNM community exceeded its goal of $1 million by raising $1,010,604. “I think UNM is full of a lot of right-minded people who appreciate the need and realize that we’ve got pretty good jobs around here,” said Doug Brown, dean of Anderson

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School of Management. “We can dig in despite the financial pressures, and they did and we’re very pleased they did.” Connie Beimer, who coordinatated UNM’s fundraising effort, said this campaign had the highest number of participants in school history with more than 2,000 faculty and staff contributors this year, and 243 who contributed for the first time. Jenny Shroba, student liaison for United Way, said students gave $600 more than last year, totaling in $1,600, to the cause by purchasing paper paws in the SUB.

“It started out with just a couple paws, with people writing their names on it, and then a couple weeks go by and the walls are painted with the paws,” Shroba said. Brown, who volunteered as a co-chair for United Way, said nonprofits are receiving fewer donations lately due to the financial crisis, even though their services are needed more. “It’s really a compound problem,” Brown said. “We deans need to do everything we can to find good people within our organizations who can carry the torch and encourage others within our

faculty and staff to give.” Even though students only contributed .2 percent of the funds raised this year, Shroba said it’s important to inspire the spirit of giving early in life. “Eventually, we’re all going to graduate and hopefully be higher up and have more of a paycheck to contribute,” she said. “I think starting that generosity at a younger age will help perpetuate that when you’re older as well.” Brown said he wasn’t sure if UNM would meet its goal when many people are struggling with the economy already.

Where are we?

Snow maggedon

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“We’re a big part of the community, and the community is a big part of us,” he said. “If the community needs aren’t being taken care of, that’s going to affect us in many ways too.” Beimer said the largest chunk of change — $325,000 — was donated to the “community fund,” which United Way uses to give grants to nonprofits focusing on children, families, violence victims and health care. Last year, United Way contributed $4.8 million in community funds to more than 100 organizations, she said.

Today’s weather

47° / 31°