DAILY LOBO new mexico
friday
11/22/1963 see Page 4
November 22, 2013
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
ASUNM: Do not ignore Lottery
CHEERING ON THE LOBOS
Senate fears legislature won’t address scholarship by Chloe Henson
assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico senate passed an emergency resolution on Wednesday concerning the Lottery Scholarship. In a full senate meeting, ASUNM senators enacted a resolution that calls for Gov. Susana Martinez to give a special message that recommends all legislation on the Scholarship to be considered during the state Legislature’s 30-day session. The legislative session begins in January. ASUNM President Isaac Romero said that at a recent meeting of a statewide student coalition working on the Lottery Scholarship, representatives from universities across the state learned there was a possibility that scholarship legislation might not be considered during the next legislative session. “It was established that there’s a chance, however unlikely, that any legislation pertaining to the Lottery will not be heard,” he said. Romero said the legislation may not be considered because it is not budgetary. He said the legislation would therefore require a special message from the governor. Funding for full-time awards under the Lottery Scholarship is supposed to run out during the beginning of next fiscal year because of lower revenue in lottery sales in the state accompanied by an increasing demand for the scholarship. According to the New Mexico Higher Education Department, lottery sales only amounted to $40 million this year, leaving funding for the Scholarship at a $20 million shortfall. Per the resolution, the recommendation was forwarded to Martinez’s office, as well as to those of some state legislators. SUB Pub ASUNM unanimously passed Resolution 77F, a mock resolution that called for a University pub in the Student Union Building. Sen. Earl Shank, who failed to win re-election next term, introduced the resolution, which aims to convince governing bodies to
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Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 118
issue 68
Rachel Toraño-Mark/ @carpeline / Daily Lobo UNM alumnus Pedro Perez-Ochoa roots for the Lobo men’s basketball team while watching the broadcasted game at the Student Union Building on Thursday afternoon. The Lobos won 97-94 over University of Alabama at Birmingham after a double-overtime game. See full story on Page 6.
UNM eyes $4.5M Aperture Center Abandoned building would house part of Innovate ABQ by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
UNM might be able to continue development of Innovate ABQ for much cheaper by next month. Mesa del Sol developers have offered the Aperture Center, a 78,000-square-foot building in east Albuquerque, to UNM for $4.5 million as part of the University’s push for a two-site Albuquerque business and innovation hub. UNM President Robert Frank said developers originally priced the building at $16.5 million, offering the University a $12 million discount. Innovate ABQ officials have already approached UNM’s Board of Regents for a final approval to buy the building, Frank said. He said the regents will discuss the possibility of acquisition in their meeting in December. Frank said Mesa del Sol developed the structure four years ago, but abandoned it because of lack of funds. He said that upon acquisition of the building, UNM plans to establish a business incubator there. “As entrepreneurs are developing things and UNM has students and faculty who have ideas that they’re developing all the time, there’s no incubation space right now
in Albuquerque,” he said. “It’s going to take a while to … build things. That building is sitting right there at a great price. We know we can rent it out immediately and we can make it a technology transfer center.” The offered price for the building is economical, Frank said, considering that it is LEED certified, which means it has efficient insulation and meets other “green” building standards. He said UNM plans to use private money to continue with development of the Aperture Center and of Innovate ABQ by leasing the building to private businesses. “It’s a huge building. Some of the tenants will come in and tell us how they’re going to build in it,” he said. “We would work with them to fulfill their needs.” A business incubation site in the area would also benefit students, Frank said. “We think entrepreneurial education is important for UNM students because we want them to have the opportunity to learn about how we create opportunities,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to stimulate here.” Lisa Kuuttila, president and CEO of UNM’s Science and Technology Corporation, said the space will attract international businesses as well as smaller local businesses. There will also be business events in the site, she said. Because Innovate ABQ’s primary business hub site set at the intersection of
Performing to learn
Lobos on the prowl
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Broadway Boulevard and Central Avenue is still in the middle of the planning process, the acquisition of the Aperture Center can provide immediate business incubation and training to local businesses. And they desperately need it, she said. “There is a tremendous need for additional incubation space in Albuquerque,” she said. “UNM’s Science and Technology Park is at capacity, and other incubation space in the city is also full … Entrepreneurial training of many different types could be provided at Innovate ABQ at Mesa (del Sol) right away and streamed to other locations throughout the state.” The Aperture Center would be a good investment by UNM, Kuuttila said. Frank said developing Mesa del Sol might help keep tuition rates in the University from rising by bringing additional revenue sources to UNM. “As Mesa del Sol grows, because UNM owns 14 percent of Mesa del Sol, it helps students’ tuition,” he said. “It’s not going to happen that quickly, but in five or 10 years, it will help students.” Frank said that although it is uncertain whether the regents would surely approve the project at their meeting next month, he said he hopes they will. “We don’t take things to the regents that would get voted down,” he said.
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