DAILY LOBO new mexico
Puff, puff, pass Sandy! see page 4
November 1, 2012
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Congressman talks grants, NM poverty by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com
Congressman Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said the Pell Grant is especially crucial to students in New Mexico. During his visit to UNM on Wednesday, Heinrich said that because New Mexico has high poverty levels and most New Mexicans in college are first-generation students, the Pell Grant is a great way to help disadvantaged students stay in school. According to the Census Bureau, the poverty rate in New Mexico in 2010-2011 was about 20 percent, compared to 18.8 percent in 2009-2010. According to the bureau, in 2011 the poverty rate nationwide was 15 percent. “We have one of the highest utilizations of the grant in the country, and they’re most often utilized by people who are the first person in their family to go to college,” Heinrich said. “If they get a college degree, the chances that their kids get a college degree is much higher.” Despite the current weakened state of the economy, Heinrich said investing in higher education in the state can solve unemployment. “We learned through this very tough recession that we’re finally getting out of, that people with college degrees only saw an unemployment rate of less than 5 percent,” he said. “That underscores just how much higher education is. Even in a tough economy, people with a good college degree can find a job.” Alex Bazan, president of College Democrats UNM, said that one of the issues New Mexico politicians should focus on is funding for higher education. She said Heinrich has been addressing the issue throughout his political run.
“A lot of our students are below the poverty line, so it’s important for things like Pell Grants to stick around,” she said. Heinrich said he hopes there will be a big student voter turnout during the election on Tuesday. He said the government should pay attention to issues concerning higher education. “I think (student voters) are an incredibly important part of the electorate, and they are the future voters that are going to make the decisions here in 20 years,” he said. “The more people who turn out, the more important their vote is. What I tell students is if you turn out and you vote, all the politicians will start to pay attention to you.” Bazan said the event was an opportunity for students to meet Heinrich, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), and get to know him better. “It’s really important for students to actually meet the people that they’re voting for and to get that one-on-one interaction with them,” Bazan said. “Especially with the higher ballot candidates that we usually don’t get to meet.” Bazan said meeting political candidates face-to-face will increase candidates’ credibility, because negative publicity often distorts the public’s views on political candidates. “It’s a great way to compare what they see in negative ads and make decisions on their own, rather than let such scripts make decisions for them,” she said. Heinrich declined to comment on Wilson’s campaign. “Whether you’re Republican or Democrat or Independent or Green, it doesn’t matter,” Heinrich said. “If you don’t vote, people won’t listen to you, so get out there and vote.”
Adria Malcolm / Daily Lobo Congressman Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) greeted students in Zimmerman Plaza on Wednesday as part of his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 117
issue 52
Cats rule, dogs drool See page 10
thursday
TASTEFUL TEASE
Juan Labreche / Daily Lobo Vivian MirAnn hugs Intoxi Kate after her first burlesque performance in two years at The Son of the Creepshow Peepshow at Low Spirits Bar & Stage on Saturday night. MirAnn said that before she performs, she does a shot in honor of voodoo icon Marie Laveau to help her be a “queen” performer. See full story on Page 8.
Contest solicits ugly photos by Zuzanna Kajzer and Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com
Students who want to see improvements made to unsightly areas of campus can submit a photo to the UNM Staff Council Environs Committee, which will select a winning location to be improved. The Ugly Duckling Contest, which is hosted by the committee, will allow students to provide the committee with input on which spaces on campus should be improved. Contestants should send pictures of landscapes that they believe need improvement, and can suggest how they would like the space to be arranged to look better. Senior University Communication Representative and project administrator Karen Wentworth said that in past years, the Staff Council has raised money for changes in several places on campus, but that this is the first time students can contribute by making their own suggestions through the contest. She said that in the past, the committee chose the areas that could be enhanced with the money they had, which included planting pear trees in the area in front of Johnson Center and plants near the Mechanical Engineering building. “Other people might have an idea what they would like to see improved,” she said. “It makes it easier to see what students think about that, and helps them
contribute in the whole process.” UNM student Audrey Ayala said the campus in general needs more trees, but that the areas outside the SUB and bus stops, such as the one next to Marron Hall, need plant life the most. “We don’t have a lot of vegetation there,” she said. “I like the idea of putting more trees.” Ayala said that it would be ideal if the University installed lights on trees in those areas and around the Duck Pond, which could be modeled on the multicolor lights at the Big-I. She said she wants the lights to change color and light up at night, which she said will beautify the campus. “Where I-25 and I-40 cross, there are some lights that change colors,” she said. “We can slip the lights under the trees and they can change colors, and it will make it look really nice.” Ayala said that while increasing vegetation near bus stops, the University can renovate stations so they can provide more shade to students waiting for shuttles. UNM student Megan Drechsel said that in addition to vegetation near the SUB, she would like to see the ramp that goes to Zimmerman Library be renovated. “I was in crutches for a while earlier this semester, and I found it kind of hard to get around,” she said. “It’s really scary up there. I wish we could make things more
Due to space constraints, this week’s 2012 Election Voter Guide does not appear in the print edition of the Daily Lobo. View the voter guide at DailyLobo.com
visible in there.” Drechsel said that by altering the landscape of the area, the University can make the ramp less steep and more accessible to people using wheelchairs. “I think it can be more accessible for everybody … especially for people with disabilities,” she said. Wentworth said that funding for the project will be raised through donation jars at the bookstore on main campus and the Family and Community Medicine Center on north campus. She said that every cent counts and that anyone can help beautify the campus by donating spare change. “We think that everybody thinks about what the campus looks like, and this is a way to concretely help us improve, at least in a small part,” she said.
Photograph submission deadline:
Nov. 28 Email photos to recycle@unm.edu
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