DPOLITICS AILY LOBO OF EDUCATION new mexico
Favre troubles? see page 10
wednesday
October 13, 2010
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
by Chelsea Erven cerven@unm.edu
Legislators to address hard-hitting issues The UNM Faculty Senate is hosting an oncampus Forum on Higher Education today, where state legislators and gubernatorial candidates are invited to share their perspectives on New Mexico’s higher education. Faculty Senate President Richard Wood said community members can engage candidates and elected officials about the highereducation issues. “We want to get key higher-education issues that affect students, staff, faculty and the whole higher education community onto the table, and talk with our elected officials about them,” he said. Nine New Mexico legislators, including seven democrats and two republicans, as well as Lt. Gov. candidate Brian Colón, plan to attend the event and answer pre-selected questions, Wood said. The questions were selected from hundreds of questions submitted by faculty, students and staff members in an online survey and will focus on higher-education funding, strategic priorities for higher education, the regent selection process and student preparedness. Wood said the budget is the critical issue being addressed at the forum. “Budgets always sound boring, but this is about pocketbooks and the
learning environment for all of us, and how UNM can stay the kind of place where students can thrive in higher learning,” he said. Student Kayla Ulibarri said she is interested to see what candidates have to say about budget issues. “I would go just to see where the budget is going and see what our leaders are doing about it,” she said. Graduate student Andrea Ochoa said she plans to watch because she is unhappy about problems affecting graduate students. “As a grad student, I see our department taking huge budget cuts, and I’m disappointed in the school’s priorities when it comes to grad students. Something needs to change,” she said. Senate leaders from other higher education institutions around the state have also been encouraged to participate, Wood said. The event will be simulcast online so that faculty, students, staff and other higher education institutions in the state can see the legislator’s responses to questions, said Antoinette
see Forum page 5
by Chelsea Erven cerven@unm.edu
Barring unforeseen change, candidates to miss forum The UNM Faculty Senate made repeated efforts to connect with state legislators and gubernatorial candidates, but neither gubernatorial candidate will attend today’s Forum on Higher Education. Faculty Senate President Richard Wood said both gubernatorial campaigns have ignored higher education issues, even though it’s an important topic to New Mexico voters. “We think that’s a real mistake. To vote well, voters need to understand where candidates stand on the crucial issues,” he said. “The forum will do that.” Both gubernatorial candidates Diane Denish and Susana Martinez were invited in September to the forum, and Wood said the Faculty Senate communicated with their campaign staffs since June 23 about the event. Diane
Forum on Higher Education Today at 12p.m. in SUB Ballroom C To view the webcast, visit facgov.unm.edu Follow the Daily Lobo’s coverage of the forum on Twitter.
Denish’s running mate, Brian Colón, will attend the forum, and Martinez’s running mate John Sanchez will not be at the forum because of a scheduling conflict. Wood wrote in the candidates’ invitation that given New Mexico’s higher-education issues and the looming UNM budget crisis, the Faculty Senate thought their campaigns would be incomplete without a public discussion on the topic.
“To vote well, voters need to understand where candidates stand on the crucial issues” ~Richard Wood “New Mexican students and parents deserve such a discussion, and residents threatened with insecurity in their jobs or their businesses need to know how each campaign might strengthen higher education once in office,” Wood said. Both Denish and Martinez were unavailable for comment. Donald Gluck, president of UNM Conservative Republicans, was among several people demonstrating by Johnson Gym on Tuesday. He said
UNM joins forces to teach organic farming by Sean P. Wynne seanpw@unm.edu
UNM is teaming up with local farmers to feed and educate its neighbors. UNM students collaborated with South Valley Academy Charter School to create a program aimed at teaching students the importance of local organic food. Richard Brandt, founder of Dragon Farm at South Valley Academy, said the program allows students to get their hands dirty in every aspect of farming. “The students are exposed to the full gamut of farming. They help prep the beds, plant, harvest and market the produce at the farmers market. It’s full circle; we produce food nine months out of the year, and we’ll get started again next spring.” Dragon Farm not only educates but improves the community, Brandt said. “This is the first year some of the produce went to the lunch program. We’ve painted two murals with agricultural themes and designed and planted a one-acre corn maze,” he said. “We donated the corn to the Albuquerque rescue mission.” Lurdes Ortiz, a junior at the South Valley Academy, said working on the farm allows her to be involved in the production of what she eats. “I think it’s fun,” she said. “It teaches you a lot about how the community used to be when we didn’t have companies making the
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 115
issue 38
see Candidates page 5
Stan Handmaker, a customer of Los Poblanos Ranch in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, looks through this year’s tomato harvest. Local farms are finding ways to integrate students into the growing process.
food. I’m getting my own lettuce and I can say, ‘I helped with this.’ I’m pretty proud of it.” Despite past budget problems, the Dragon Farm has received assistance from federal programs, Brandt said. “It’s been a rocky road getting this program started in terms of funding, but the McCune Foundation has been very generous. Next week we will receive some funding from a USDA grant.” Brandt said Dan Young, of the Research Service Learning Program, and Bruce Milne, of Sustainability Studies, invested in Dragon Farm. “I owe a lot to those guys,” he said. UNM student Derek Crook said he started working with Dragon Farm though the UNM Service Corps and an anthropology course taught by Patrick Staib. He said more awareness and participation would benefit the Dragon Farm. “I think there are a lot of people who would be interested but just don’t know about it,” he said. “A lot of people show up every day for a week and then they get burnt out on it. It would be a lot more useful for people to work possibly one day a week, but keep coming for a month. That would show them a little bit more about what happens.”
Laurisa Galvan
Daily Lobo
Dragon Farm To get involved with Dragon Farm go to http://www.unm.edu/~unmsc
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