DAILY LOBO new mexico
Behind the scenes see page 6
thursday volume 115
February 24, 2011
issue 106
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
‘An overwhelming, calming sensation’
Student vets receive free acupuncture services by Kallie Red-Horse kallie69@unm.edu
Student veterans have the chance to reduce their stress one pinprick at a time. The Veterans Acupuncture Clinic, a free service for UNM and CNM student veterans and their loved ones, holds sessions Tuesdays at 4 p.m. on the second floor of Student Health and Counseling. Acupuncture helps veterans deal with everyday stresses, Doctor of Oriental Medicine Keith Drummond said. “A lot of times, with veterans of combat, they are hyper-vigilant because they have had to be in war,” he said. “They are extremely alert and extremely tuned in to everything. It is hard for them to adjust and come back into a normal reaction to things, especially coming back to a university setting.” Patients receive the standard ear-point acupuncture treatment used for stress management and rehabilitation purposes, said Constance Gehring, an acupuncturist at the clinic. “When people do this, they tend to make better decisions,” she said. “They are not as anxious, and they are more rounded.” Veteran John Buckovetz attended two sessions and said the acupuncture was so effective, he is returning for a third time. “It definitely gives you a sense
see Acupuncture page 3
Robert Maes / Daily Lobo UNM student veteran John Buckovetz receives acupuncture treatment Tuesday. The UNM Veterans Acupuncture Clinic offers free treatments for veterans and their loved ones Tuesdays at 4 p.m. at the SHAC. The treatments ease stress and anxiety.
Grad student group discuss costs of admins, Athletics by Andrew Beale abeale@unm.edu
Robert Maes / Daily Lobo Student Timothee Bernard listens to students’ concerns about tuition and fees, and spending and budget cuts. Graduate Employees Together invited the UNM community to an assembly at the SUB on Wednesday to plan demands, protests and events.
A group of about 70 students, faculty and staff came together Wednesday to plan ways to force UNM’s administration to “focus on the University’s core academic mission.” Graduate Employees Together, or G.E.T., organized the meeting, which featured information on the University’s funding. The University’s tuition revenue has doubled in the last decade, because of tuition increases and a rise in enrollment, according to G.E.T. However, class sizes are now larger because the student-to-faculty ratio has increased and the six-year graduation rate has dropped only slightly. G.E.T. member Liza Minno Bloom said similar statistics are common at universities around the country. “This is a trend,” she said. “It’s insidious. We’re seeing universities be treated more and more like corporations.” G.E.T.’s presentation said that Athletics has seen a funding increase of almost $800,000 since 2004, a larger increase in funding than any other University program. Nonetheless, G.E.T. member Euan Mitchell said, the University is unwilling to cut Athletics and other programs that have seen increases in the funding they receive from student fees, choosing instead to cut programs that receive little funding and haven’t seen funding increases.
“As we all know, the money is starting to dry up,” he said. “But cuts are not being made in the programs that saw all this growth.” Mitchell said the number of senior administrators has risen by 124 percent in the last decade, and the number of executive administrators has risen by 650 percent. He said the average administrator’s salary has risen by 64 percent in the same time period, and little money was put into academics.
“We’re seeing universities be treated more and more like corporations.” ~Liza Minno Bloom G.E.T. Member “When times were good, tuition was up, enrollment was up, the University still wasn’t focusing on its core academic mission,” he said. Mitchell said the University had $753 million in liquid assets in 2009, and therefore most recent cuts were unnecessary. After G.E.T.’s presentation, it gave attendees an opportunity to make their voices heard. At the end of the meeting, the participants split up into smaller groups to make recommendations about ways the group can pressure the University to change its policies. G.E.T. member Megan McRobert
see Forum page 5