This entry is all about UNM’s transportation options, on and off campus. Before I get too negative, I’d like to begin by praising the South lot bus drivers. Nothing but love for these hard working men and women. For the most part, they are very friendly, they’ll open the door even after they’ve closed it if you look panicked enough, and instead of slowing to a halt at a yellow light—losing precious minutes—they’ll put the petal to the metal and zip their passengers to where they need to be as if they were driving the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Whenever I exit at the front of the bus, I make sure to tell the driver thank you because as a busy college student those saved minutes are always appreciated.
Now on to the less pleasant business. Let’s talk about the multitudes of bicyclists and skaters that litter the campus on a daily basis. Right now, you may be saying to yourself, “Bikers and skaters have just as much right to the campus as anybody. What have they ever done to you, you hateful blogger?” Well, for starters, I’ve been run into. As a big man I do present a larger target than most people, but still it’s not as if I’m a contestant on “The Biggest Loser” the day before they start filming. I can still find stuff that fits me at the local Kohl’s. Maybe the kid (male) that slammed his bike right into my side underestimated the speed of which I was traveling—I do have long legs—but that’s no excuse. People of stature should not have to walk the campus in fear of being run into by cyclists with distorted senses of time and space. Luckily, the kid and his bike just bounced right off me, but his next victim may not be so fortunate. Because I was walking with someone and there were plenty of other witnesses, I just gritted my teeth and accepted his apology. But I’ve been tasting bile ever sense.
As for the skaters, they roll around campus like they own the joint. Who hasn’t had at least one close encounter with a skateboarder that left you feeling the breeze? Now I’m not suggesting that bikers and skaters be outlawed; that smacks a little too much of Martial Law. Besides, if UNM put the kibosh on unnecessary wheeled devices, they would be in danger of losing up to 20% of the student population. Yes, we pedestrians are the vast majority, but we’re not all-powerful. As the majority, however, incessantly plagued by the rolling minorities, all I’m asking for is this: one skateboard/bike-free day. One single day. The day will be well publicized so they’ll be no excuse for any violations. It will also not be on a Friday, so every regular student can appreciate the temporary peace.
And if students feel the need to skate and bike on campus on this most sacred day, pedestrians will be allowed to manipulate the trajectory of any illegal device, be it bike or skateboard. We won’t be allowed to perform violent acts upon their person, just their ride. See a bicyclist cruising around on the bike-free holiday? Slam a large stick into their spokes! That will teach ‘em. Are a couple of rogue skaters ruining No Skaters Allowed Day? Well, if you time it right (and if you weigh enough) you can jump on the back end of their board and send them flying into orbit! What fun! I know what I’d do if I got my hands on a bike during the day off, and as a result, we’d finally have an answer to two of any UNM student’s most nagging questions: How deep is the duck pond? And how hard is it to retrieve a bicycle from the duck pond? Won’t it be great?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Bad Administration
The University of New Mexico is and has been facing a substantial budget shortfall due in part to the recession. The UNM administration has been dealing with the budget crisis by cutting funding to various programs and increasing fees for students, to name a few. Tuition rates continue to slowly increase every year. Since 2002, undergraduate tuition has gone up 51 percent. Beginning this past January, students are now required to pay to use the printers in the computer labs on campus. The average student in America graduates with a debt of $22,000. This is a debt that they will be paying for a very long time after they graduate. With the job market in the current state it is in, students with large amounts of debt will undoubtedly face financial struggles following graduation.
What I don’t understand, is why it is so easy for the UNM administration to increase student fees and tuition every year, but it is so hard for them to cut administrative costs. I am not talking about faculty costs. I actually think faculty should be paid more than they are currently since they are truly the backbone of our university. I am talking about the sheer size of the administration, and the size of their paychecks.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not have a problem with UNM’s tuition. I still think it is a great value and is much lower when compared with many other colleges and universities. I also do not have a problem with people making a lot of money. But during a financial crisis, I just don’t think it’s right for our administration to keep getting rewarded with huge salaries when they are, and have been, doing a dismal job managing the university‘s finances. They are in part responsible for UNM’s budget shortfall by mishandling funds. What ever happened to people getting pay cuts due to poor job performance? That’s what happens to a lot of ordinary Americans, why not the administration?
For the last six years, UNM education money (from tax dollars, tuition, and federal funds) has been shifting away from the classroom to administration salaries and perks. In 2008, UNM spent $4.1 million more on executive salaries than it did in 2002. That is a 71 percent increase! The increase amounts to $9.8 million UNM is spending on salaries for its president, two executive vice presidents, nine vice presidents, 13 associate vice presidents, 44 directors of major divisions, and others with similar titles.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with getting paid $300-500K a year, which is how much some of these administrators get paid, as I hope to someday make that much money also. But when they are clearly not doing a good job, and when the university is hard up for cash, their salaries should be renegotiated. President Schmidly should not be rewarded year and year for poor job performance and for helping to lead UNM into this financial mess.
On a side note, UNM’s graduation rate (students that graduate within six years) is only 44 percent. The national average is 59 percent. If you compared this to a car company in which 44 percent of their cars stopped working after six years, the president of that car company would be held accountable and would most likely be fired. Yet the president of UNM is rewarded.
All I’m saying is that UNM should look to cutting more administrative costs to help balance the budget. I’m not talking about just a one week furlough, or some other minor action, I’m talking about significant changes. The administration doesn’t blink an eye when they increase tuition or implement new fees for students, but they throw a fit when someone even mentions the idea of making pay cuts or lay offs. In these difficult financial times, everyone at the university should help carry the burden, not just the students and faculty, but also the administration.
Statistical information taken from various Daily Lobo articles at www.dailylobo.com
What I don’t understand, is why it is so easy for the UNM administration to increase student fees and tuition every year, but it is so hard for them to cut administrative costs. I am not talking about faculty costs. I actually think faculty should be paid more than they are currently since they are truly the backbone of our university. I am talking about the sheer size of the administration, and the size of their paychecks.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not have a problem with UNM’s tuition. I still think it is a great value and is much lower when compared with many other colleges and universities. I also do not have a problem with people making a lot of money. But during a financial crisis, I just don’t think it’s right for our administration to keep getting rewarded with huge salaries when they are, and have been, doing a dismal job managing the university‘s finances. They are in part responsible for UNM’s budget shortfall by mishandling funds. What ever happened to people getting pay cuts due to poor job performance? That’s what happens to a lot of ordinary Americans, why not the administration?
For the last six years, UNM education money (from tax dollars, tuition, and federal funds) has been shifting away from the classroom to administration salaries and perks. In 2008, UNM spent $4.1 million more on executive salaries than it did in 2002. That is a 71 percent increase! The increase amounts to $9.8 million UNM is spending on salaries for its president, two executive vice presidents, nine vice presidents, 13 associate vice presidents, 44 directors of major divisions, and others with similar titles.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with getting paid $300-500K a year, which is how much some of these administrators get paid, as I hope to someday make that much money also. But when they are clearly not doing a good job, and when the university is hard up for cash, their salaries should be renegotiated. President Schmidly should not be rewarded year and year for poor job performance and for helping to lead UNM into this financial mess.
On a side note, UNM’s graduation rate (students that graduate within six years) is only 44 percent. The national average is 59 percent. If you compared this to a car company in which 44 percent of their cars stopped working after six years, the president of that car company would be held accountable and would most likely be fired. Yet the president of UNM is rewarded.
All I’m saying is that UNM should look to cutting more administrative costs to help balance the budget. I’m not talking about just a one week furlough, or some other minor action, I’m talking about significant changes. The administration doesn’t blink an eye when they increase tuition or implement new fees for students, but they throw a fit when someone even mentions the idea of making pay cuts or lay offs. In these difficult financial times, everyone at the university should help carry the burden, not just the students and faculty, but also the administration.
Statistical information taken from various Daily Lobo articles at www.dailylobo.com
Thursday, March 11, 2010
No Blazin' Allowed
The University of New Mexico became a tobacco-free campus on Saturday, Aug. 1 2009. The new policy includes not only cigarettes, but smokeless tobacco as well, and has been fully implemented for the return of students and faculty for the fall semester. The primary reason behind the tobacco-free initiative is to have a healthy environment for people to work and students to learn.
For Mand
ie Sload, college and nicotine go hand in hand. A 20-year-old student at The University of New Mexico, Sload never smoked in high school. She doesn’t smoke much over the summers but as soon as a new semester starts, she is back to four or five cigarettes a day. What is it about college life that lures her to smoke? Stress? Peer pressure? Smoking is an addiction. Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive. Once you start smoking, it is very hard, but not impossible to quit. Until recently, I think smoking on college campuses was largely ignored. Alcohol is such a major issue in college that smoking takes a back seat. In the last few years, however, smoking has become a hot topic. One of the reasons for this increased importance is the recognition that the college years are crucial in making or breaking an addiction.
As a college student, I have seen first hand the prevalence of smoking. All across our campus, college students are lighting up at an alarming rate. In a campus survey I conducted of 15 college students in March 2010, eight students said they were current smokers. I surveyed eight males and seven females. My survey included 18 questions revealing gender, age, class, familial history of smoking, frequency of smoking, desire to quit, methods used to quit, awareness of hazards, etc. I surveyed several of my classmates in class, a few sorority sisters in our suite, and random students at the SUB.
Fifty-three percent of the individuals I surveyed smoke. Sixty-two percent of the students who smoke consider themselves “social smokers.” Eighty-seven percent of the smokers have tried to quit. The students who have tried to quit have used the cold turkey method and intake reduction by decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked in a week.
Many of the students I interviewed reported the average age they tried their first cigarette was 15. Not surprisingly, I found that smoking is higher among students who have “a strong party orientation.” College students who are binge drinkers admit “I only smoke when I drink.” On the bright side, many of the cigarette smokers I interviewed said they do not smoke every day, indicating they are only casual users. My research did not show any relationship in smoking and age, sex, ethnicity, familial history, etc. Most of the college smokers I surveyed are not heavy smokers. Several of the smokers I talked to said they did not smoke daily, while others reported that they smoked every day but did not smoke more than one pack per day. Half of the college smokers I surveyed and interviewed reported they had tried to quit in the previous year, and several of them had made four or more attempts at kicking the addiction.
Many smokers, like Sload, take their first puffs in college. Other students experiment with cigarettes in high school but start smoking heavily in college. Everyone I surveyed and interviewed is aware that smoking is responsible for the deaths of many people every y
ear. They know it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and adversely affects breathing and the lungs. And like smokers of any age, many college students are actively trying to quit. Mandie Sload knows that four or five cigarettes a day are four or five too many. She plans to quit some day. She understands that if she quits her breath will smell better; she will taste and smell food better; her cough will go away; she will save money; she will reduce secondhand smoke for others; and she will reduce her risk of lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, lung disease, and respiratory illnesses.
We need to save lives. We need to have a unified anti-smoking approach. Colleges must find ways to curb tobacco use among students and try to get them to quit. What is the best way to get college students to quit smoking? A multi-faceted approach including high cigarette taxes; heavy-hitting anti-smoking ads; and a total ban on smoking in public places; increased access to programs that help smokers quit; and pharmaceutical treatments for nicotine dependence. At UNM, as well as other college campuses, all buildings should go completely smoke-free, banning smoking from dorm rooms and common living areas. Such measures would protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and reduce the visibility of smoking on campus. I am sure that high cigarette taxes and anti-smoking campaigns will not be enough to get college students to stop smoking, but it is a start in the right direction.
My suspicions about smoking proved correct. College students are putting themselves at risk of a lifelong addiction to nicotine. They are playing with fire! Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of many life-threatening diseases. Despite campaigns encouraging young people not to take up smoking, my findings indicate that more and more college students are currently smoking. Substantial numbers of students are both starting to smoke regularly and trying to stop. Increased efforts by national health organizations to reduce smoking should be extended to college students.
For Mand
ie Sload, college and nicotine go hand in hand. A 20-year-old student at The University of New Mexico, Sload never smoked in high school. She doesn’t smoke much over the summers but as soon as a new semester starts, she is back to four or five cigarettes a day. What is it about college life that lures her to smoke? Stress? Peer pressure? Smoking is an addiction. Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive. Once you start smoking, it is very hard, but not impossible to quit. Until recently, I think smoking on college campuses was largely ignored. Alcohol is such a major issue in college that smoking takes a back seat. In the last few years, however, smoking has become a hot topic. One of the reasons for this increased importance is the recognition that the college years are crucial in making or breaking an addiction.As a college student, I have seen first hand the prevalence of smoking. All across our campus, college students are lighting up at an alarming rate. In a campus survey I conducted of 15 college students in March 2010, eight students said they were current smokers. I surveyed eight males and seven females. My survey included 18 questions revealing gender, age, class, familial history of smoking, frequency of smoking, desire to quit, methods used to quit, awareness of hazards, etc. I surveyed several of my classmates in class, a few sorority sisters in our suite, and random students at the SUB.
Fifty-three percent of the individuals I surveyed smoke. Sixty-two percent of the students who smoke consider themselves “social smokers.” Eighty-seven percent of the smokers have tried to quit. The students who have tried to quit have used the cold turkey method and intake reduction by decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked in a week.
Many of the students I interviewed reported the average age they tried their first cigarette was 15. Not surprisingly, I found that smoking is higher among students who have “a strong party orientation.” College students who are binge drinkers admit “I only smoke when I drink.” On the bright side, many of the cigarette smokers I interviewed said they do not smoke every day, indicating they are only casual users. My research did not show any relationship in smoking and age, sex, ethnicity, familial history, etc. Most of the college smokers I surveyed are not heavy smokers. Several of the smokers I talked to said they did not smoke daily, while others reported that they smoked every day but did not smoke more than one pack per day. Half of the college smokers I surveyed and interviewed reported they had tried to quit in the previous year, and several of them had made four or more attempts at kicking the addiction.
Many smokers, like Sload, take their first puffs in college. Other students experiment with cigarettes in high school but start smoking heavily in college. Everyone I surveyed and interviewed is aware that smoking is responsible for the deaths of many people every y
ear. They know it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and adversely affects breathing and the lungs. And like smokers of any age, many college students are actively trying to quit. Mandie Sload knows that four or five cigarettes a day are four or five too many. She plans to quit some day. She understands that if she quits her breath will smell better; she will taste and smell food better; her cough will go away; she will save money; she will reduce secondhand smoke for others; and she will reduce her risk of lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, lung disease, and respiratory illnesses.We need to save lives. We need to have a unified anti-smoking approach. Colleges must find ways to curb tobacco use among students and try to get them to quit. What is the best way to get college students to quit smoking? A multi-faceted approach including high cigarette taxes; heavy-hitting anti-smoking ads; and a total ban on smoking in public places; increased access to programs that help smokers quit; and pharmaceutical treatments for nicotine dependence. At UNM, as well as other college campuses, all buildings should go completely smoke-free, banning smoking from dorm rooms and common living areas. Such measures would protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and reduce the visibility of smoking on campus. I am sure that high cigarette taxes and anti-smoking campaigns will not be enough to get college students to stop smoking, but it is a start in the right direction.
My suspicions about smoking proved correct. College students are putting themselves at risk of a lifelong addiction to nicotine. They are playing with fire! Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of many life-threatening diseases. Despite campaigns encouraging young people not to take up smoking, my findings indicate that more and more college students are currently smoking. Substantial numbers of students are both starting to smoke regularly and trying to stop. Increased efforts by national health organizations to reduce smoking should be extended to college students.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Advertising: Love it or Hate it
Early in my college career, I was given a list of the top 10 careers that society, in general, views as “unethical.” On that list was Advertising, which so happens to be my chosen career path. So I thought to myself, “Great, I’m studying to be someone everyone will hate.”
But then I thought, “Wait a minute. I don’t have to engage in unethical practices to be a good advertiser.” If your main purpose as an advertiser is to swindle people into giving you money, then you would be better off pick-pocketing people off the streets. This misconception of Advertising must be the main reason why it would show up on the top 10 unethical careers list to begin with.
The way I look at it, advertisements are just a tangible way of getting the word out about a product, service or event. How else would you know about certain products without advertising? I mean, unless you’re a movie guru, how else are you to know that Harry Potter 7 (the first installment) is coming out this November without seeing a movie poster or trailer (or the fact that I just told you)?
Besides, don’t we all, in a sense, advertise ourselves every day? We show up to job interviews dressed to impress (or at least we should), with a killer resume in hand and a confident, yet professional attitude.
Of course I am aware that false and deceitful advertising exists, everybody should. So why did I continue to pursue this career path? It’s simple, I enjoy graphic design. Advertising seems to be the best way for me to demonstrate artistry and creativity, and still get paid. I’m just not good enough at drawing and painting to make money off of it.
It all started my senior year in high school when I took a Desktop Publishing class. I learned how to use programs like Adobe Photoshop and In-Design. I knew I wanted to find a way to do graphic design for a living, so I chose to study advertising.
The best part is, I don’t have to move to New York or California to have a successful career in Advertising. There are plenty of ad agencies here in Albuquerque: RJC, 3 Advertising, Esparza, to name a few. And, to my advantage, the University of New Mexico has an excellent Advertising program.
This semester, our client for the Campaigns class is ARCA, or more specifically, their Administrative and Training services (such as payroll, accounting and background checks). Our class is broken up into 6 groups, or agencies, and our job is to help ARCA find a way to advertise these services to other businesses.
As a nonprofit organization, ARCA’s main services help people with developmental disabilities to be “in and of the community.” This includes helping these individuals find jobs. As a nonprofit organization, it is important for ARCA to gain revenue from these “for-profit” services because they are aspiring to become a self-sufficient organization to fund their main services.
This year, UNM is offering a yearlong Advertising Competition class. This class started in fall 2009, and continues throughout the spring. This class is broken up into several groups, including the media planning team and the pitch team. Their client is State Farm, and their goal is to pitch a campaign to boost their market share in the 18-25 age demographic.
On April 24th, the pitch team for the Competition class will be presenting at Hotel Albuquerque. They will be competing against 11 different schools including the Art Center Design College and BYU.
Without advertising, ARCA, State Farm and many other companies would have a difficult time spreading the word about the product and services they have to offer.
Sure, advertising can get annoying, especially when it’s thrown in your face every minute of every day. But, I’m sure every one of you can think of good ad as easily as you can think of an annoying one. I mean, who can’t describe at least one Geico commercial?
Besides, a lot of people wouldn’t even know about the existence of this blog if I hadn’t created and handed out this flyer. =)
But then I thought, “Wait a minute. I don’t have to engage in unethical practices to be a good advertiser.” If your main purpose as an advertiser is to swindle people into giving you money, then you would be better off pick-pocketing people off the streets. This misconception of Advertising must be the main reason why it would show up on the top 10 unethical careers list to begin with.
The way I look at it, advertisements are just a tangible way of getting the word out about a product, service or event. How else would you know about certain products without advertising? I mean, unless you’re a movie guru, how else are you to know that Harry Potter 7 (the first installment) is coming out this November without seeing a movie poster or trailer (or the fact that I just told you)?
Besides, don’t we all, in a sense, advertise ourselves every day? We show up to job interviews dressed to impress (or at least we should), with a killer resume in hand and a confident, yet professional attitude.
Of course I am aware that false and deceitful advertising exists, everybody should. So why did I continue to pursue this career path? It’s simple, I enjoy graphic design. Advertising seems to be the best way for me to demonstrate artistry and creativity, and still get paid. I’m just not good enough at drawing and painting to make money off of it.
It all started my senior year in high school when I took a Desktop Publishing class. I learned how to use programs like Adobe Photoshop and In-Design. I knew I wanted to find a way to do graphic design for a living, so I chose to study advertising.
The best part is, I don’t have to move to New York or California to have a successful career in Advertising. There are plenty of ad agencies here in Albuquerque: RJC, 3 Advertising, Esparza, to name a few. And, to my advantage, the University of New Mexico has an excellent Advertising program.
This semester, our client for the Campaigns class is ARCA, or more specifically, their Administrative and Training services (such as payroll, accounting and background checks). Our class is broken up into 6 groups, or agencies, and our job is to help ARCA find a way to advertise these services to other businesses.
As a nonprofit organization, ARCA’s main services help people with developmental disabilities to be “in and of the community.” This includes helping these individuals find jobs. As a nonprofit organization, it is important for ARCA to gain revenue from these “for-profit” services because they are aspiring to become a self-sufficient organization to fund their main services.
This year, UNM is offering a yearlong Advertising Competition class. This class started in fall 2009, and continues throughout the spring. This class is broken up into several groups, including the media planning team and the pitch team. Their client is State Farm, and their goal is to pitch a campaign to boost their market share in the 18-25 age demographic.
On April 24th, the pitch team for the Competition class will be presenting at Hotel Albuquerque. They will be competing against 11 different schools including the Art Center Design College and BYU.
Without advertising, ARCA, State Farm and many other companies would have a difficult time spreading the word about the product and services they have to offer.
Sure, advertising can get annoying, especially when it’s thrown in your face every minute of every day. But, I’m sure every one of you can think of good ad as easily as you can think of an annoying one. I mean, who can’t describe at least one Geico commercial?
Besides, a lot of people wouldn’t even know about the existence of this blog if I hadn’t created and handed out this flyer. =)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ariel
Ariel. Courier. Times. I prefer Ariel. It's amazing how much I have learned about the time and thought that has been put into fonts. It's just one of the many things I have thoroughly been educated on. I've even watched a whole documentary on the perfection and preciseness of Helvetica, and constant subjection to my advertising and marketing major roommates ramble on about the importance, and overall coolness, of typeface. It has been very interesting, this little thing called college. Now that I am approaching my last semester here at UNM, it's easy for me to forget how much I have actually learned about myself and the world that I am a part of, all thanks to my four years here in college.
When I was younger, I would always have these little life epiphanies. I still have them, but the older I get, the less shocking they are for me. Now, instead of being like, "this is life changing!" it's more like, "Wow, how did I never understand this?" The most important of these being, organization! I don't know how long took me to realize and admit that I am a very forgetful person. Organizing has saved my life. I can't go a day through school without writing lists for everything I do and when I need to do it. I've always been a list maker. I only have to think to look back at my lists. Sometimes it takes me a few days. This last year of college has made me realize that my life is much less stressful if I take the time to do a little tidy work. Applying to schools, remembering which forms to send to who, remembering which forms to send has been remembered by the scratch out on my list.
Another of these epiphanies, probably around my second semester here at UNM, was how lucky I was to have the opportunity of a college education. I will never forget my first taste of gratitude. My political science teacher was explaining a theory on why people choose to be Democrats and why some choose to be Republicans. Most Democrats were college educated, often times finishing multiple degrees. Not that I have any personal regard for either. But, it made a little more sense of the idea that the higher education that people receive at institutions where thoughts and ideas are exchanged in almost every interaction, is one only achieved through actual higher education (i.e., college). I can't imagine what my life would be like today if I had not attended college. I can't imagine my life without college either, so I plan on spending at least five more years furthering my degrees.
The latest epiphany I have had is that people live a lifetime, and I am in my youth. It's a little scary. College is like kindergarten for life. Shaping you into the person you will be for the rest of your life. Even though I believe that people are in perpetual motion and constant change, I know that values are instilled in such developmental phases of our lives. I still have a whole lifetime ahead of me. It blows my mind to think of a person who is, let's say, sixty. How much one person can go through in sixty years. I can't even wrap my mind around what I will be like, what I will have gone through, or the person I will be when I am sixty years old. It hurts my head. But, I am really glad that I realized this now, instead of when I am hitting a midlife crisis, thinking about wasted youth. It makes me feel like I need to value my time and life today and everyday. I know that I will always thank my education for this last epiphany, because I only realized it thinking back on how much my life has changed and how much I have been through in these last four years.
It's going to be weird to not walk onto our beautiful campus next semester. I will miss walking to school on a rainy day listening to my ipod, wondering what people are thinking about, what I'm missing out on, what being a careless undergrad feels like. I am truly grateful for my time here at UNM. Even though I am continuing my education in the fall, it won't be the same walking between city buildings and cement instead of through trees and a duck pond.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Campus Sweet Campus
The University of New Mexico is open to many students and encourages all income types to attend. The Lottery Scholarship is welcoming to low-income families that may not have considered sending their child to college. Because of this, students from all over the city attend UNM, commuting from all parts of the Bernalillo county. Since this constitutes most of the students, they tend to leave directly after a class, essentially leaving the loop-hole of studying and academics. Making campus comfortable would encourage students to stay around, study, or utilize office hours.
Only recently have I really become interested in making this process less gruesome, and tried to stay on campus more often. Recently, I rented a locker at Johnson gym where I keep alternate gym clothes in case I feel the urge to work out. Also, I keep my bathing material in the locker, so that I can shower after a rigorous workout. The showers there, however, are almost entirely out of service. You have to go to three different stalls before you found a spicket that works but the drain doesn't even work. By the end of the shower, a large puddle of water has taken over the floor, creating a mini bath. Not to mention, the tile looks as if it has been there a comfortable 20-30 years.
It seems to me, that all of the face-lifts given to the UNM campus recently, could easily be applied to making UNM a comfortable place for students to relax as well. Something as easy as replacing the showers is not terribly expensive, and could go a long way. If students are comfortable with sticking around campus, then they are also more likely to study school work and keep grades up. Likewise, it seems that designated rest areas would be beneficial to the campus, if not just comfortable places to relax for awhile and let your mind calm down. Often, I am between classes, and am dying to rest my eyes for thirty minutes, or just sit back and relax. But all of the chairs at UNM are single-seating, or look very uncomfortable.
Finally, it seems that alternate off-campus housing, bought by UNM for students, would be beneficial to encouraging students to stay on campus. Not everyone is interested in living in the dorms, or sharing a room with someone else. Some people prefer the personal space, where they can feel at home. But, if they dont want to live in the dorms, they have to try to house with other college kids, or look for cheaper living even further from campus. Then they have to muster up down payments or sign renting agreements. The houses near UNM are not cheap, and if they are affordable, they are falling apart. So, if UNM would buy housing around campus, students may spend more time at UNM and therefore increase their GPA.
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