ASNMSU president aims for progression

Imitating the U.S. model of government, The Associated Stu-

dents of New Mexico State Uni-versity will serve as the student body government with a newly elected president for the upcom-ing school year.

ASNMSU provides students with a variety of opportunities and services such as Crimson Cab and Aggie Transit, the on-campus transportation system. Crimson Cab is a way for stu-dents to get home safely and is

free for students who have a cur-rent NMSU ID.

Aside from working on home-coming and special events, “there are a lot of things (ASNMSU does) in terms of representing the student voice on a local, state and national level,” said Breeana Syl-vas, president of ASNMSU.

Sylvas also said there are key areas ASNMSU will focus on to improve the student experience;

to include parking and creating scholarships.

A new service ASNMSU will be offering this semester is free public transportation. ASNMSU has worked with the City of Las Cruces to create U-Pass, which is available at no cost with a valid NMSU ID.

Sylvas said U-Pass would make

Student loans change for 2012

Congress recently decided the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans will remain at 3.4 percent for one more year, but news of other changes will affect students.

The interest rate on these loans was set to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1 of this year, but a last minute congressional de-cision extended the current interest rate for another year.

The decision was “extremely im-portant” because “continuing the subsidized interest rate at 3.4 per-cent for another year will give stu-dent loan borrowers an additional year to better plan their financial resources for the following years,” according to the New Mexico State Office of Financial Aid and Schol-arship Services.

Although the interest rate will now stay the same, there will be new changes for undergraduate students taking out subsidized Staf-ford loans this year.

Before, students were not re-quired to make any payments on these loans until six months after their graduation, and the govern-ment covered the interest during this grace period.

Now, anyone who takes out a new subsidized Stafford loan dur-ing this year or next year will no longer receive that interest free

Blackboard replaced by social media savvy CanvasCanvas, by Instructure Inc., has

replaced Blackboard as the new ed-ucation leaning management sys-tem for New Mexico State Univer-sity since the summer 2012 term.

Canvas features updated com-munication functions in and out of the system, a simplified graphical user interface, built in chat options, online testing, rubrics, groups and reporting and analytics of student activity.

“The Blackboard Learning Sys-tem was ‘outdated,’ and a task force headed by Richard Oliver from the College of Business was formed to choose a replacement,” said Nor-ma Grijalva, New Mexico State’s Deputy CIO/Telecommunication Director. Twenty people formed

the task force to choose a system based on what students and faculty wanted, Grijalva said.

Canvas offers an app for Apple products and an Android app is under development. Canvas inte-grates social media by sending no-tifications via e-mail, Facebook or text message.

Canvas currently supports 1,000 course sections throughout NMSU. Grijalva said student feedback was “positive” and liked its communi-cation capabilities, “modern touch and feel” and its “social connec-tions.” She also said the company was good at responding to prob-lems and updating the system.

However, some students are not completely comfortable with the changes.

“Overall I like the change to

Canvas,” said senior computer sci-ence major Robert Kelly, “but I don’t think you should have to fix what isn’t broken. Familiarity isn’t a bad thing.”

Grijalva said social media has its impact on learning by becoming a method to spread knowledge.

Presently there are over 200 smart classrooms on campus. They vary from standard SMART board equipped classrooms to conference rooms. Canvas integrates with Big-BlueButton video, conference soft-ware for real-time lectures through-out smart classrooms.

Grijalva said students enjoy the standardized feel, and previ-ously unused classrooms are now constantly booked after becoming smart classrooms. To see the up-dated features visit learn.nmsu.edu.

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 Vol. 114. No. 1 roundupdaily.comtru!""#$%the Round Up

New Mexico State University

by Nick Njegomir "&"'()*+",-"!.,/012('"0

by Katy Fagan .)344 ,!0*)"0

by Peter Smith .)344 ,!0*)"0

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The Associated Students of New Mexico State University President for the 2012-2013 academic school year Breeana Sylvas begins planning university events over the summer.

The new canvas login screen is the first thing students will see when they first begin navigating the new infrastructure.

See ASNMSU pg. 3 See Loans pg. 2

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2Aug. 23news

grace period. These students still will not be required to enter repay-ment until six months after gradu-ation, but students will be respon-sible for the interest accumulated during that time.

There have been other changes made that will affect only graduate students. As of July 1, graduate stu-dents are no longer eligible for the federal subsidy.

If a student already has a subsi-dized loan they will not be respon-sible for interest until after gradua-tion, but any new federal Stafford loan taken out after July 1 will be unsubsidized and will accrue inter-est at a fixed rate of 6.8 percent as one works toward graduation.

Despite the new changes, New Mexico State University students still have many options available to them.

NMSU students must first apply for federal aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Stu-

dent Aid. Students will then receive an award package, which includes loan options.

Students can be offered numer-ous loans with varying interest rates such as the Federal Subsidized loan at 3.4 percent, the Federal Perkins loan at 5 percent, the Federal Un-subsidized at 6.8 percent and the Federal Parent Plus loan and the Federal Graduate Plus loan both at 7.9 percent.

Repayment options on these loans range from 10 to 25 years, but some students plan to pay it off quicker.

“I plan on saving up money here and there, slowly paying it off with money I earn from a job,” said sophomore Celina Bonilla. “I want to be able to save up enough at a time to pay off big chunks to get rid of the debt faster.”

Students can choose between several repayment plan options, which vary in the amount they pay and the length of time to repay the loan.

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Hello Aggies,

On behalf of the staff at The Round Up (TRU), I extend a warm welcome to all new and returning NMSU students, fac-ulty and staff.

I am Felicita “Lee-sha” Arzu, Executive Director of TRU. I am presently pursu-ing a Master of Arts degree in English. I come from the beauti-

ful country of Belize, which is located in Central America and the Caribbean.

Living in Las Cruces has been a new and exciting ex-perience, especially because of the pleasant people I have met and the extraordinary friends I have made. Although the change of environment was initially overwhelming, it did not take long for me to adapt to my new surroundings. I remember the first time I arrived on campus; I asked my friend Lisa Ramirez, “What is an Aggie?” Her first re-

sponse was, “We are all Aggies.” Well, I have embraced the Aggie spirit. I am an Aggie.Our campus is unique, particularly because of the mul-

ticultural community we serve. While attending NMSU, you will undoubtedly be exposed to diverse cultures, tra-ditions and a wide range of experiences. Many of your experiences can come from, but are not limited to, joining different student clubs, dining at the various restaurants or working on campus at organizations such as TRU.

The Round Up has been the student newspaper of New Mexico State University since 1907, and it will be distributed every Thursday throughout the academic year on and off campus. A daily online edition will also be available at roundupdaily.com. TRU will provide the New Mexico State University community with coverage of news and entertainment from campus, Las Cruces, the nation and the world. Like us on Facebook, tweet at us on Twitter, and download our app on your iPhone. Let us stay in touch.

Each year TRU expands its numbers and caliber of staff writers, executive news producers, advertising representa-tives, design specialists and graphic designers. This year is no exception. Our team is dynamic, innovative and com-mitted to producing only the best for the NMSU commu-nity. The staff at TRU works tirelessly collecting advertise-

ments and producing stories to create the paper you read each week.

If you would like to join TRU staff, visit our office at 1 Corbett Center, Jordan Street Entrance. You may call us at (575)-646-6397, or e-mail us at roundup@nmsu.edu to inquire about vacancies or ways in which you may contrib-ute. I guarantee the experience you will gain will not only build your skills in this area but will also be an impressive addition to your resume.

Once again, on behalf of myself and the staff at TRU, welcome to New Mexico State University, and have a re-warding and successful academic 2010-2013 year.

Sincerely,

Felicita ArzuExecutive Director

From the Executive Director

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Barnes and Noble on campus will have a hectic start for the se-mester with the promotions and sales being offered during the first week of the school year.

Students who are looking to purchase Apple products throughout the year can browse the upper-level Apple section of the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on campus after picking up text books.

The college bookstore has had a contract with Apple for more than four years allowing students easy access to any hardware they need to purchase along with basic technical support.

“While the service is offered to students, it is used very sporadi-cally,” said Joanna Koliba, the general manager for the campus Barnes & Noble.

The store offers AppleCare, an extended warranty plan that can be purchased for any of the Apple

products. The price for AppleC-are varies depending on what de-vice is being purchased.

The store is busiest at the start of the year, but more sales and deals are available at that time. For the start of this year, the store is holding a back-to-school pro-motion where any purchased iPad comes with a $50 iTunes gift card and a $100 gift card for any pur-chased computer.

“Move in day is when it gets re-ally busy,” Koliba said. “The first few weeks are busiest, but it calms down afterward.”

The store sells both desktops and laptops along with iPods, iPads and many other accessories including cases, styluses, head-phones and more. The computers are for sale only to students and faculty of the university, whereas the iPods and iPads can be pur-chased by anyone.

If students and faculty show a valid university ID when purchas-ing a computer they will receive a discounted academic price for the

computer. Koliba said the actual discount varies depending upon what computer is purchased.

Barnes and Noble will also be hosting a sweepstakes where stu-dents from across the nation will have a chance to win a $500 gift card to the store.

“By entering, an entrant should understand that he/she is provid-ing information to the Sponsor and not to Facebook,” Koliba said. “The information an en-trant provides will only be used for the purpose of the drawings and to notify potential winners.”

Entry in the “Back to Campus” sweepstakes starts midnight East-ern Time Aug. 6 and ends mid-night ET Sept. 21.

Students may enter on face-book.com/bncollege by clicking on the “like” button and then clicking on the “Back to Campus Sweepstakes” tab.

by Christopher Kelly and Priya Raj .)344 ,!0*)"0.

Barnes and Noble sells Apple products including iPods, iPads and many other accessories including cases, styluses, head-phones.

Barnes and Noble begins school year with discounts and promotions

parking more accessible because students would not have to take their personal vehicles to campus.

ASNMSU also creates financial opportunities for students such as the Student Service and Student Scholarship Endowment, which creates scholarships for both un-dergraduate and graduate stu-dents.

The Roadrunner program will be offered to give freshmen and other incoming students the op-portunity to work with ASNMSU and see how the student govern-ment process works. Students who are accepted into the Road-

runner program will shadow sen-ators and directors in ASNMSU and “will have insight to what it takes to be a student leader,” Syl-vas said. The program will select 25 applicants.

“Part of the reason I ran (for presidency) was to create oppor-tunities for students,” Sylvas said. “I am really excited about it (new programs).”

Sylvas said: “I’m here for the students. We can’t improve on what we don’t know about, so please come in and talk to us. I have an open door policy and you can come in at any time.”

For more information on AS-NMSU or information on how to participate in the various pro-grams visit asnmsu.nmsu.edu.

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4Aug. 23news

by Christophe Chino.)344 ,!0*)"0

Until recently, it was unclear who would be named as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate for the 2012 Presidential election. It was confirmed Aug. 11 Paul Ryan, a congressmen from Wisconsin, will be Romney’s candidate for vice president.

According to the Washington Post, Ryan is currently the chairman of the House Budget Committee. He has also served seven terms as a Wisconsin congressman. Along with this, Ryan is also a devoted member of the Catholic Church, holding many values of the church such as solid pro-life views that both he and Romney support.

Ryan is not the youngest Republican vice presiden-tial candidate in recent years; both Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle hold those titles. Palin ran in 2008, and Quayle in 1988. But both of these past candidates acquired poor

approval ratings; something Ryan is attempting to change this time around, according to USA Today.

Immediately following Romney’s vice president appoint-ment, Democrats began their arguments against Ryan. Democrats argue Ryan is trying to do away with Medicare and President Obama’s health care plan.

Ryan argues this is not true but agrees changes need to be made to preserve Medicare for future generations.

To refute the Democrat’s claims, according to USA To-day, Ryan spoke of his mother and his generation and said: “My mom is a Medicare senior in Florida. Our point is we need to preserve their benefits, because government made promises to them that they’ve organized their retirements around. In order to make sure we can do that, you must reform it for those of us who are younger.”

Vice President Biden offers Democrats a spokesman for the attacks on Ryan’s potential health care reforms to Biden’s older age group.

Ryan, on the other hand, offers Republicans a youthful spokesman who can reach the much needed votes of the youth. The youth could possibly reap the benefits or the difficulties that are being formed now, such as the national debt.

USA Today reported Ryan has made it clear his major stance is that the national debt needs to be greatly reduced in order to benefit future generations.

Regardless of age difference, the vast differences be-tween Republican and Democratic stance on major issues such as health care and how the national debt should be handled, gives way to numerous heated debates between the two party’s candidates for the upcoming election.

Paul Ryan named as Romney’s running mate

by Lillian Bowe .)344 ,!0*)"0

Las Cruces residents will no longer need to take a trip to El Paso for Panda Express. New Mexico State University will open a Panda Express restaurant in the Auxiliary Services building across from Barnes and Noble next year, which will be the first Panda Ex-press in Las Cruces.

Panda Express will open in the spring, and the NMSU Board of Regents approved construction during a regular meeting Aug. 20.

Panda Express Inc. plans to do-nate $25,000 to the NMSU gen-eral fund to benefit students and the cam-pus. It also will annually d o n a t e food to support s tudent organizations, clubs and campus events.

The new restaurant plans to have similar hours of operation

as its traditional store fronts. Park-ing will consist of 90 free two-hour parking spaces south of the

Auxiliary S e r v i c e s building.

M a n y s t u d e n t s are eager for the opening.

“I’m really excited about the opening,” junior Kari Harrelson said, “because it’s really good

food.”Other students said the Panda

Express location is very conve-nient and are excited about the aspect of a new take-out place.

Panda Express first opened in 1983 at Glendale Galleria in California after the success of the Panda Inn, the owner’s first res-taurant, according to the Panda Express website.

“Panda Express has 1,419 res-taurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and is America’s fastest growing Chi-

nese restaurant concept,” the Panda Express website reports.

Panda Express offers Chinese cuisine favorites including orange chicken and sweet and sour pork. They also offer chicken, beef, shrimp and vegetable entrees in their menu. The menu also includes chicken egg rolls and cream cheese Rangoon as appe-tizers.

For more information about Panda Express restaurants, visit pandaexpress.com

Panda Express to open on campus next year

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5August 23, 2011news

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by Lillian Bowe .)344 ,!0*)"0,

The second phase of Chamisa Village Apartments, located on the North side of campus near Corbett Center Student Union, opened for the public Monday, and the new building is one of the first housing facilities in New Mexico to achieve a “Gold” sta-tus from the Leadership in En-ergy and Environmental Design.

Chamisa Village apartments include two and four bedroom layouts with a living room and kitchen that are all fully furnished. The apartments run from $2,493 per semester for a four-bedroom, to $2,849 per semester for a two-bedroom.

“It is my hope that we can ac-commodate more undergradu-ates here and potentially have ad-ditional space available for grad

students in other complexes,” said Julie Weber, director of Housing and Residential Life.

Chamisa Village apartments are for sophomore students or higher. The first phase of Chami-sa Village has been open since August 2007, which included Building A, B and C; the second phase was partially opened for students in spring 2012, which in-cluded Buildings E and F. Chami-sa’s Building D is the Chamisa Club House and is located in the center of the village.

The rest of the village was opened for the fall 2012 semester, which included Buildings G and H.

Weber said working on Chami-sa II was one of the best projects she has been involved with on campus.

“Probably the hardest time pe-

riod was when we opened the first two buildings and were still work-ing on the second two,” Weber said about the challenges during the spring 2012 semester.

Junior Kessi Walsh said she loves that she can move the fur-niture around the way she wants.

“Since the building is only up-perclassmen, they want to study more than freshmen,” Walsh said, “so it is pretty quiet.”

Now that the Chamisa Vil-lage is fully open, Weber said she thinks the apartments will bring more activities and community engagement to that section of the campus.

For more information about Chamisa Village visit nmsu.edu/~housing.

Chamisa Village opens new apartments on campus

by Nick Njegomir"&"'()*+",-"!.,/012('"0,

New Mexico State University will be offering students free public trans-portation with the Universal Pass pilot program for the 2012-2013 aca-demic year.

The Associated Students of NMSU has worked with RoadRUN-NER Transit, NMSU Transporta-tion and Parking Services and the Metropolitan Planning Organization to give students the opportunity to ride the city bus system for free for this academic year.

“It is a really nice program es-pecially for bigger campuses and if you are a student without a car,” said Ophelia Watkins, director of Trans-portation and Parking Services at NMSU.

Watkins said the Universal Pass is currently in a pilot phase, meaning the program’s future will be deter-mined by student use. If the Univer-sal Pass or “U-Pass” pilot program is successful, it will be implemented

permanently at NMSU.A student must present a valid

NMSU ID to get on the bus for free. Both NMSU main campus and Doña Ana Community College stu-dents are eligible for the program.

Watkins also said NMSU will ben-efit in other ways from the U-Pass pilot program because by giving stu-dents transportation, parking would become less of an issue by keeping cars off campus.

According to money.cnn.com, families spent an average of $368.09 per month in 2011 on gas; free trans-portation would save students money on gas.

“Most NMSU students live off-campus…or are considered com-muter students,” Watkins said. “The more they can be served by not hav-ing to drive a vehicle, the better.”

Watkins said the U-Pass system is a good opportunity for NMSU and the City of Las Cruces to work together and provide students and faculty a sustainable way to commute.

RoadRUNNER Transit Admin-

istrator Michael Bartholomew has previously worked with Washington State University transit programs and said he hopes the transportation system it will be utilized by NMSU students. According to parking.wsu.edu, WSU full-time students pay $25 in transportation fees, and if U-Pass continues to be used at NMSU stu-dents could see a hike in fees.

Bartholomew said a bus can make it’s way from University Avenue to the stops off Highway 70 within an hour.

RoadRUNNER Transit busses run from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon-day through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and are not in ser-vice Sundays.

“I am happy to see us running this demonstration program,” Bar-tholomew said, “to see if people would be happy with it.”

For more information on Road-RUNNER Transit visit las-cruces.org

Universal Pass gives students free transportation

NMSU President Barbara Couture and contributors to archi-tecture cut the ribbon at the opening of Chamisa Village II on Monday.

Chamisa Phase II E patio has open spaces for residents to interact and build community in.

photo by Jonelle Lopez

photo by Jonelle Lopez

6August 23, 2011

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by Tara Melton .)344 ,!0*)"0,

In today’s current economy, many New Mexico State Uni-versity students question their financial futures with their hard-earned degrees after graduation.

According to the Department of Workforce Solutions website, as of July 2012 New Mexico’s unemployment rate was 6.6 percent, which is below the na-tional average of 8.3 percent, as reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Recent statistics leave some students wondering if they will be able to find work with the degrees they have spent a large amount of time and money on. H o w e v e r , other stu-dents are still hopeful about finding jobs f o l l o w i n g -graduation.

“I plan to take my degree in psychology and join the

Air Force to help soldiers,” said ju-nior Chynna Moore about her plans in the future.

In New Mexico, the job markets for the four most popu-lar degrees at NMSU are promising. Ac-cording to a 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, el-ementary education

Despite unemployment rates, NMSU grads still hopeful

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has 9,910 employed positions, biological sciences has 12,720 employed positions, business has 30,300 employed positions and criminal justice has 1,230 em-ployed positions.

Five percent of the graduating class of 2010 at NMSU received a degree in criminal justice, 5 percent received a degree in el-ementary education, 4 percent received a degree in biological sciences and 3 percent received a degree in business. These are the four most popular degrees at the university, as reported by the U.S. News & World Report.

“I know the economy is in the tank, and this election is not re-ally doing wonders for people in college,” said biology major Jo-seph Moreno, “but I’m not too terribly worried about it.”

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the amount of employed positions in each of the following fields: elementary education, biological sciences, business and criminal justice.

business

criminal justice

elementary education

biologicalsciences

Four most popular degrees at NMSU and the number of employed positions

7Aug. 23

by Sidhelyn Talley-Bailey .)344 ,!0*)"0

New Mexico State University students interested going Greek will have the opportunity to meet, rush and socialize with fraternities and sororities during the upcoming Greek Week.

Greek tabling will begin today in-side Corbett Center Student Union from 10 a.m. to 2.p.m. where stu-dents can speak with members while enjoying snacks.

“I never thought I would be this tight with a group of girls,” said recent Pi Beta Phi recruit Megan Smith in regard to pledging, “but I absolutely love it. It’s as if I have a giant group of sisters.”

According to greeklife.nmsu.edu there are several advantages of being involved in Greek Life at NMSU such as developing a strong brotherhood or sisterhood and bonding with others.

The website acknowledges the importance of academics in Greek Life, and more than 70 percent of students involved in fraternities or sororities go on to graduate col-lege, while only 50 percent of un-involved students graduate.

Leadership can be developed through assigned duties and social

activities such as tailgates and din-ners are considered as an “advan-tage,” according to the website.

Along with community service, or “philanthropies,” participating in athletics is also required.

Rush week begins Aug. 27 for fra-ternities and Sept. 7 for sororities.

“Rush is the most important time of the year for us,” said Wesley Levy, a third year Pi Kappa Alpha, otherwise known as the “Pikes.”

Rushing for fraternities and re-cruitment for sororities does not mean a student is committed to Greek Life.

Although the Greek community is in search for members, some stu-dents never consider rushing.

“I’ve heard a lot of people refer-ring to being in a frat as ‘paying for friends,’” said junior biology major Zachary Baeza, “and although I don’t completely agree with the ex-pression, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for the experience.”

There are 10 fraternities and six sororities for prospective students to join on campus.

For more information visit greeklife.nmsu.edu to read fre-quently asked questions, look through pictures or to find out about more upcoming events.

featuresfeatures

Going Greek: It’s Not Just For Hercules

photo by Bethany Blundell

Christine Colwell (left) and Gabby Gutierrez (right) stand by the Zeta Tau Alpha table on the I-mall on Wednesday. Zeta Tau Alpha was one of the many organizations that participated at Aggie Fest.

8Aug. 23

by Keelin Hindi Hubbard.)344 ,!0*)"0

When deciding what school to attend incoming and graduate students are posed with a choice: Ivy League versus state colleges.

However, with the U.S. econ-omy in its current condition, at-tending an Ivy League institution is only a dream for many under-graduate and graduate students.

According to USA Today, “Ivy League school fees average around $55,000, more than the median American annual income of $46,000.” This makes attend-ing an Ivy League university a lot more work than is even possible for many families, but earning a degree from one of the eight Ivy League colleges may not neces-sarily provide one with a better education.

In an interview with USA Today, W. Kent Barnds, vice president of Enrollment, Com-munications and Planning at Au-gustina College, said he believes Ivy League students “enjoy a reputation that can’t be equaled. However, it doesn’t mean the education matches it...” and

that numerous other university programs have “caught up with them academically.”

The reputation of these col-leges is the price some are willing to pay for. It could be, for some students, it is not what is taught at the institution but rather the ex-periences gained each day.

Christopher Stanley, a 21-year-old interviewed by USA Today

about his Yale degree said, “Is my degree worth it? Maybe not. Are the connections worth it? Definitely.” Stanley received an investment banking job on Wall Street before graduating with his undergraduate degree.

Professor of Linguistics at New Mexico State University Linda Calk said she believes it is a mat-ter of what students wishe to do

with their education after they earn their degree.

“An Ivy League school would give (that) person the opportunity to network during their schooling and after graduation,” Calk said about students who have a spe-cific ambitions such as politics. “So if prestige is what a person is after, an Ivy League school might be a good choice.”

Public universities, such as NMSU, often times have larger classes than those offered at pri-vate institutions, which can be considered a downfall of public education. However, this is also due to the increasingly difficult acceptance ratings at the Ivy League schools. According to col-legedata.com, NMSU has 49 per-cent of classes with between 10 and 29 students. For a public uni-versity this is quite small and stu-dents can seemingly get as much academic attention as those pay-ing more for their education.

Rene Walterbos, Ph.D., teaches astronomy at NMSU and said the success of a student depends on how they go about their own edu-cation.

“For a student there are many important factors besides the ranking of the institution. Attend classes, do your work, go above and beyond what is required— especially on those topics that interest you— and take respon-sibility for your own learning,” Walterbos said.

Ivy League vs. State School Degrees: Does it Truly Matter?

by Andrea RojasB8C@,B&"'()*+",8"!.,C012('"0

In 2009, New Mexico State University was ranked in the top half of the America’s Top Colleges list by Forbes. Four years later NMSU has plunged from 193 in the list to 422.

According to Forbes, the 650 schools on the list are ranked based on “educational outcomes, not reputations.”

However, de-spite this change in placement NMSU continues to admit a rising number of stu-dents. The university’s website my.nmsu.edu reports a 1,122 un-dergraduate increase from 2009 to 2010.

Rebekah Worley, a third year nursing major said she did not ap-ply to any other schools because she was confident about being ac-

cepted to NMSU.“I actually do not know anyone

who has not been accepted to NMSU,” Worley said.

Worley, like other students, is within the high percentage of applicants admitted at NMSU annually, which is 82 percent, ac-cording to the university’s statis-tics.

As for ACT test scores, the av-erage score for students in 2009 was 21, while the current ACT composite test average is a lower 20.6. Both of which are lower than the University of New Mex-ico’s average score of 22, accord-ing to admissions.unm.edu.

“NMSU is a value driven school, looking for students with a high work ethic rather than a high GPA. It is not a statistics driven school like some others,” said junior marketing major Luke Williams.

Still, in order to be admitted to NMSU all applicants must meet certain deadlines and require-

ments. The academic threshold states a student must have 2.5 GPA or higher or a 21 ACT or higher, but the university accepts multiple combinations. UNM also looks for students with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

The university’s current aca-demic standards are higher than previous years when students needed only to obtain a minimum 2.25 high school GPA and ACT composite of 19.

Beyond test scores and GPAs, students must also adhere to guidelines set by the university for previously completed course work.

The most re-cent update by the university requires inbound freshmen to have taken four units of English, two units of science beyond general courses, three units of math-ematics and one foreign language or fine arts class.

What it takes to become an AggieD"E*-2,)E",327*..*1-.,'E3-6".,3),8"!,9"&*'1,5)3)",:-*+"0.*)%

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To find out more about what it takes to be an Aggie:

contact University Admissions at 575-646-3121 or visit nmsu.edu

features

New Mexico State University’s mascot, Pistol Pete, represents student spirit at a past volleyball game.

photo by Selene Romero

9Aug. 23

by Vicky Diaz.)344 ,!0*)"0

The days of lounging on end and waking up past noon are now over.

Endless school activities, back-to-back assignments and cram-ming sessions are now in order. Jolting the summer-slumber state our brains were in might come as a shock, unless summer readings were a routine.

Keeping the brain in top shape is not difficult, according to recent health studies. An active mind is es-sential to retain what was learned the prior semester, especially in applying cumulative knowledge to-ward the new semester. It is not as difficult as some might think.

There are creative ways to re-tain what was learned in the past semester, tips to refresh informa-tion, which might not be used, and finally tips how to make room for those extra tid-bits of information.

“Short-term memory lasts only about 10 to 15 seconds if the infor-mation is not repeated,” according to Back to College Journal. “The process of encoding or passing in-formation from short-term to long-term memory affects the way in which it will be recalled.”

Studies show if material learned in prior classes having to do with math, reading or writing is not re-viewed the memory bank signifi-cantly decreases.

No student or graduate wants to cram all of these subjects to relearn, but experts say doing ac-tivities such as crossword puzzles, playing Scrabble with a group of friends or having a reading list for the break helps stimulate the brain.

Reviewing turned up as the best method in retaining information, but during the weekend, who stud-ies voluntarily? Not many. There are other unorthodox methods of

refreshing mental input of infor-mation such as taking a bath while reading or studying.

“Water is said to have a calming and clarifying effect on the mental state, often inducing creativity,” the Princeton review reported.

Creativity stimulates the brain and once the mental state is on alert, more work is done, accord-ing to the review. Productivity is key for any student, so trying simple, cost-free methods ensures the best outcome for the cost of attending a university.

Susana Krauss, psychology professor at University of Massa-chusetts at Amherst, recommends watching a game show. If that does not sound appealing, other options might be getting involved in a cre-

ative activity like pottery, picking up something musical or other hob-bies. Resting between activities is also essential.

“The average human mind can only focus for a few minutes on any one thing, frequent breaks in ab-sorption actually help you,” Man-dy Borgmeier, a writer for Back to College Journal, reports.

Taking the time to invest in a good read or indulge in playing scrabble with friends are surefire ways to keep the mind at the top of its game. Getting enough sleep af-ter each activity will sharpen these skills and keep other functions of the body healthy.

“We (doctors) suspect that chron-ic sleep loss may not only hasten the onset but could also increase

the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obe-sity and memory loss,” said Dr. Eve Van Cauter, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and director of the study.

According to the June 2012 Harvard Health Letter, eating also plays a huge role in mental health. High caloric intake reduces brain function, especially in the long run. With unhealthy options at arms reach, eating fruits and vegetables versus fries and soda is difficult.

To keep note of what foods to eat and store in the fridge, follow these doctor recommended foods com-piled by Self Growth on hand:

1. Some of the best foods for phytochemicals and vitamins: broc-coli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cau-

liflower and bok choy.2. Some of the best foods for

minerals: spinach, collard and mus-tard greens, kale and Swiss chard.

3. Some of the best foods for antioxidants: berries (all varieties), cherries, black currents, eggplant, red, black and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, red onion, red apples, red/purple cabbage and red beets.

4. Some of the best foods for im-mune health: onions (red, yellow, white), kale, leeks, cherry tomato, broccoli, blueberries, black cur-rants, elderberries, apricots, red apples with skin and red, purple and black grapes.

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by Lillian Bowe .)344 ,!0*)"0,

For some students the first day of

college is a chance to adjust to a new school year, but for oth-ers “First Thurs-day” is a day to

party.First Thursday

is an unofficial holiday as called by many students at New Mexico State University, and some

see the day as a fun way to bring in the school year.

“First Thursday, for me, has always just been an opportunity to let loose and relax with my friends before our classes

‘actually’ start,” said Bran-

don Sours NMSU graduate stu-dent.

As students celebrate the be-ginning of the year, the danger of over consumption of alcohol can result in the blocking of key receptors in the brain and trig-ger production of a steroid that interferes with the brain function critical to learning and memory, according to a 2011 study by neuroscientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In the United States 90 per-cent of youth under the age of 21 consume alcohol in the form of binge drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education Program is a NMSU sponsored program which educates students on per-sonal safety and well-being.

WAVE member Gabriela Ramirez said students should be aware of what binge drinking is before First Thursday. Binge

drinking, according to the Na-tional Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is the pattern of drinking in which a male con-sumes five or more alcoholic drinks and a female consumes four or more alcoholic drinks in about two hours. One drink is considered a 12 fluid ounce of beer, 10 fluid ounce wine cooler, four fluid ounce of wine and one fluid ounce of an 80-proof liquor, according to WAVE.

CDCP reports binge drinking can cause unintentional injuries, intentional injuries, alcohol poi-soning, liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other cardio-vascular disease.

WAVE advises students to learn about the effects alcohol has on the human body. Death could be prevented if one understands the symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include uncon-sciousness or struggle to wake up for long periods of time. If the individual looks pail or is cold,

clammy and has bluish skin, members of WAVE advise to call 911 immediately.

To avoid binge drinking, WAVE suggests to space out each drink accompanied by drinking a glass of water. Eating before and during the party will help slow the absorption of alcohol. Following these precautions will help avoid binge drinking on First Thursday and throughout the semester.

“Binge drinking has gotten bet-ter and 66 percent of students don’t binge drink,” Ramirez said.

CDCP also reports 70 percent of binge drinking involves adults from the age of 26 and older. Ramirez said on campus, 39 per-cent of students do not drink al-cohol at all.

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Binge drinking cause for concern on First Thursday

Summer slumber: How to turn the mental switch on for school

10August 23, 2011

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!3&,-!!#./ reviews guess the locationart in focus recipes games

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Bartending$250/Day PotentialNo experience necessaryTraining provided800-965-6520 ext. 280

Youth soccerreferees wanted!A grade 9 USSF clinic will

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Association.

Earning a degree in college can be a challenge within itself, but one New Mexico State University student proves the tribulations of mixing a military job with classes and a family is achievable.

Staff Sergeant Amanda John-son has been in the Army for 10 years and is currently in the Army Green-to-Gold Active Duty pro-gram. This program allows sol-diers to go to a college or univer-sity to earn a degree while still keeping the status of active duty.

Johnson is considered Active Duty Military as part of the Stu-dent Detachment located in Fort Jackson, S.C. She is currently studying sociology as a full time student at NMSU.

With this program, Johnson gets to keeps her current pay grade and all of her military ben-efits. Also, her time served in the Army continues. In order to enter the program, she was required to have the credit hours equivalent to an associate’s degree and has 23 months to earn her bachelor’s degree.

“It’s challenging,” Johnson said, “but it’s all going to pay off.”

Since her detachment is locat-ed in South Carolina, she lives at White Sands Missile Range and participates in the NMSU’s Army ROTC program.

White Sands Missile Range Second Engineer Battalion Com-mander Lieutenant Colonel An-dre Balyoz encourages his own soldiers to further their education. He said it not only helps them ex-cel personally, but also increases

their points for promotion, helps the unit and overall “gives us bet-ter Soldiers.”

Although not part of the Sec-ond Engineer Battalion, Johnson took the challenge of becoming a better soldier, and she is a mother of a two-year-old and a seven-year-old.

Johnson gives a lot of credit to her husband Kevin for being sup-portive during the entire process. When they first got married, how-ever, Kevin was in the military as well, and they each were deployed twice, right after each other.

Johnson said they spent nearly two-and-a-half years separated from each other, and that was when they both decided it was time for Kevin to step down from military duties. Johnson explained how tough it all was but also said, “I enjoy the military…it has taken care of me.”

Johnson will graduate in May and commission as a Second Lieutenant. After getting her bachelor’s degree, Johnson wants to get her master’s degree in So-

cial Work through a program in San Antonio, Texas that is offered through the military.

Johnson wants to retire as an officer, which means she will be in the Army for at least ten more years. She said, “I don’t see the military as a career, I see it as a way of life.” She said life hap-pens and things get pushed back, so you really have to want some-thing in order to get it.

Lt. Col. Balyoz encourages more of his soldiers to further their education.

“I like to encourage the soldiers to take advantage of these oppor-tunities,” Balyoz said in addition to soldiers having a good relation-ship with NMSU. “We are very thankful that (NMSU) and other schools are flexible with their schedules.”

Both Balyoz and Johnson agree it is difficult adjusting to the schedule and finding time for school along with being in the military, but it is an outstanding opportunity that will pay off in the end.

By Bethany BlundellB&"'()*+",8"!.,C012('"0

Hometown HeroLocal Staff Sergeant pursues higher education while honorably serving the country

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nut butter on top of each slice of bread. Place the banana slices on top of one of the slices of bread. Place the other slice of bread on top of the first, to make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

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1&%*"$&'+#0-2/$20&#Shino Naito, International Stu-

dentOutfit: Mostly Forever 21Favorite Designer: No one spe-

cific but is inspired by Mia Wa-sikowska who plays Alice in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”

Back to School Must Have: “Girls should have skirts and flats for back to school because they are comfortable.”

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e-mail your answer to roundup@nmsu.edu and you could win a $20 Starbucks gift card courtesy of the Round Up!

+2)3'45'+#0&")If you are looking for a way to get a tighter stomach or firmer thighs

and arms, add a little more to your simple workout routine. You can still run on the treadmill, do sit-ups or take a jog wearing your regular workout gear, but use saran wrap to cover those areas you are hoping to tone up. Covering your “jiggly” spots with saran wrap will cause you to sweat and detoxify your body. Just remember to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

11August 23, 2011tru culture

The White Sands International Film Festival began yesterday at the Allen Theatre’s Cineport 10 at 6:30 p.m. with the premiere of “Bringing Up Bobby” and will continue until Aug. 26.

In total the festival will occupy three local theatres, the Cineport

10 theatre, The Rio Grande The-atre and the Black Box Theatre.

Among the list of famous con-tributors to the films are names like Milla Jovovich and Jeffery Tambor.

Jovovich, most commonly known from the blockbuster

“Resident Evil” films, starred in the premiere film and Tambor, who has been seen on Fox’s sat-ire comedy “Arrested Develop-ment,” will be receiving a lifetime achievement award along with hosting workshops.

Over the course of four days, the festival will host over 100 films including narrative shorts, feature films, documentaries and student films.

One of the films, “The Olivia Experiment,” will be showing to-day at 12:30 p.m. in theater three at Cineport 10.

The film follows the story of Olivia, a gender studies gradu-ate student who has not had any sexual experiences. She begins to feel confused about her sexual ori-entation and believes she may be asexual.

Alexandra Komisaruk the film’s producer and screenwriter said inspiration for the film was drawn from the stories of people she knew who did not fit easily into

“standard, one-size-fits all labels of sexual orientation,” and said the group has been “overlooked” by the media.

With the biggest challenge of the film being budgetary issues, it took a year to produce the film and 15 days to shoot, which in-cluded non-actor shots later on.

Sonja Schenk, the film’s direc-tor, who worked as an editor and co-executive producer for the “The Bachelor,” liked the idea of continuing her work in the realm of dating and romance for the film.

“I appreciated the opportu-nity to tell the story of characters I had not seen before,” Schenk said, “specifically a woman who did not fit into anyone’s definition of sexuality.”

Schenk said the audience laughed at the right spots at the initial premier and gladly re-ceived the moral of the story that it is okay to be different and not to fit into prescribed definitions of

sexuality and movie romance. “We hope this trend continues,

and we hope to continue to make films with relatable characters who feel authentic,” Komisaruk said.

This film is one of many that will spur discussion and curiosity of certain ideals implemented by society.

A normal ticket for WSIFF runs $75 not including the work-shops, but with a student ID a pass is $30.

The festival ends Sunday with the award ceremony starting at noon. Categories such as best di-rector and best feature film are amongst a few to be reviewed.

To find out more about the his-tory of the festival or to view the full lineup of films visit wsiff.com.

!3&0'1!'.# reviews guess the locationart in focus recipes games

healthy living trustoriesfashion of the week

By Natasha Sanchez 5)344 ,F0*)"0

Film Festival brings unique films to the silver screen!3&4!%35#4

ViPs and Director check in at the White Sands International Film Festival last night at the Cineport 10. Photo by Jonelle Lopez.

12Aug. 23tru culture

Five disparate people, in dif-ferent stages of life, ages 16 to 60 finding their way in life. These are the three main components to “Circle Mirror Transformation,” written by Annie Baker, a New York Times raved play showing this Friday.

In entertainment, the spotlight rarely shows honesty as a key to fulfillment; however, “Circle Mir-ror Transformation” will hasten viewers to do some soul searching at New Mexico State University Reader’s Theatre.

The New York Times wrote an elating review describing the play as “an absolute feast.” In it, five unlikely people come togeth-er in a six-week acting class where each learn about life, passion and honesty.

“Viewers see just particular moments,” said actor Cindy Mur-rell, a professor at NMSU. “The audience gets involved with the characters as they figure out the meaning of what the characters show in these moments.”

Brandon Brown, director of the play, is a former NMSU en-gineering student whose interest was sparked when he was urged to read a copy. Brown said he instantly loved the story and the way it was written.

“It doesn’t have a really obvi-ous story line,” Brown said. “The scenes are really short; it’s like a

book with very short chapters. You see people getting together, breaking up, (while) some (scenes) are theater exercises.”

He said the play is very much like an indie movie, whose mo-ments are noted by the minute and uncanny realness audiences can relate to.

Murrell agrees with the unique

qualities the play offers the audi-ence.

“This (production) is much more low key (compared to pre-vious plays),” Murrell said. “(It is) very naturalistic with only a few props and lights, not very compli-cated.”

The simplicity of the stage is bare to incite vulnerable mo-ments pertaining to the various characters. In doing so, the audi-ence will be able to imagine the character’s life and relate to that moment. For example, Murrell’s character has a moment where she mispronounces “said” pro-nouncing it “sad.” It is in the little things where this production will engage the viewer.

Not only is this play highly re-garded by the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, among others, but also won an OBIE Award for Best New American Play in 2009. Since then, the riv-eting moments this play single-handedly brought have captured audiences across the globe. Many

play reviewers regard the film as natural, allowing the viewer to relate and imagine every moment each character experiences.

Annie Baker is noted for her works, which include “The Aliens,” nominated for the Dra-ma Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award, and “Body Awareness,” Baker’s first staged Off-Broadway by the Atlantic Theater Company, according to theater-centered site Playbill.com.

“I love entertaining an audi-ence with a good story,” Brown said.

Opening night is Friday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the entrance for $5 for the gen-eral public and $2 for students, faculty and staff. Other perfor-mances will be Aug. 25 and 31, Sept. 1,7 and 8 at the Reader’s Theatre on campus located across the parking lot from Barnes and Noble.

!3&0'1!'.# reviews guess the locationart in focus recipes games

healthy living trustoriesfashion of the week

Actors from “Circle Mirror Transformation” rehearse lines for the play’s premiere tomorrow at 8 p.m. on campus at the Reader’s The-atre. Photo courtesy of Circle Mirror Transformation production.

By Vicky Diaz,5)344 ,F0*)"0

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13Aug. 23

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!3&0'1!'.# reviews guess the locationart in focus recipes games

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Being the only dinner cabaret in town is not the only unique quality Boba Café and Caba-ret possesses. Over the past five years, this quaint restaurant has made a statement with its modern feel, nighttime performances and mouth- watering dishes.

Boba is immediately inviting and comfortable upon entering the front door.

S t u d e n t s are instantly attracted to its “light, eclectic atmosphere,” Jourdyn Fin-lay, general manager said. Not only is the vibe enticing but the loca-tion is perfect for studying because it is located across New Mexico State Univer-sity on 1900 S. Espina.

“It’s close to the university and not re-ally loud and crazy in the evening,” Finlay said.

On my visit to the cabaret I ordered one of their popular dishes the chicken salad sandwich with grapes and nuts. This plate is truly delicious and has since become one of my regular lunch-time cravings.

Served with sweet potato fries, which should be tried with their honey mustard sauce, this filling dish is reasonably priced at $7.25.

Boba Café is also well-known for serving Boba Tea. Made with china black tea, soymilk, vanilla, tapioca balls and choice of flavor-ing “it is the perfect refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day,” said Boba frequenter Chelsea Duncan, junior at NMSU.

Performances are held through-out various times of the month for the public and shows differ from barbershop quartets to comed ians and op-era singers. Along with the shows, dinner spe-cials are of-ten offered.

P e r -fect for a day with friends or even a first date, stu-dents should exper ience the quality

food and atmosphere Boba Café has to offer.

Boba Café is open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and closed Sunday.

!3&4!%35#4

By Chelsea Hooper,5)344 ,F0*)"0

Boba Café serves up diverse food and atmosphere

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Artists from poet to painter, read this.

Each semester, artists of all kinds are invited to submit their work for a chance to be featured in The Round Up. With the amount of talent strewn around New Mexico State University, each piece of art, whether writ-ten or painted, will be reviewed by a professional in the field then selected.

Each week an artist’s work will have a spot in the “Culture” sec-tion of The Round Up, with a brief on background and inspi-ration as well as critiques by the

professional in the field.These articles are not only a

way for parents to share their pride but also aid the chances for recognition within the communi-ty and the field. Using the feature article on a resume or CV is an-other great way to be recognized. Students can refer to the article clipping if one is applying for a position in your field.

So here is the chance. The Round Up invites all artists to re-spond to this call. Contact Vicky Diaz at vickyd@nmsu.edu with a brief on the style of art followed by an artist statement.

By Vicky Diaz,5)344 ,F0*)"0

ART IN FOCUSTRU welcomes artists and poets to submit work to be featured weekly

14August 23, 2011

1900 S. Espina St. #1 Las Cruces, NM 88001 575-526-0011

!

!opinion

Who is your favorite

Olympian?

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by Jessica Cervantes 73-36*-6,"2*)10Over the summer, the company that prides itmself on inventing the chicken sandwich did not only cook up waffle fries but felt the

heat for some controversy as well.As reported by The Washington

Post, President of Chick-fil-A Dan Cathy told the Biblical Recorder newspaper, “We are very much supportive of the family—the bib-lical definition of the family unit,”

which was reprinted by Baptist Press July 16 and lighted the fire for discussion.

Opinions about the company im-mediately flooded the Internet and social media sites about possible boycotts and anti-Chick-fil-A re-

marks. But although Cathy’s statement is potentially hurtful to those who do not agree with his beliefs, Cathy did have the right under the First Amendment to say it.

And those who did boycott or express their feelings against the company on Aug. 3, Same Sex Kiss Day, at Chick-fil-As around the nation, also have the right to do so.

“Chikin” lovers should raise concern, however, when recent

numbers reported by policymic.com show that at $5.25 a Classic Sandwich the $2,500 given to the Georgia Family Council, which ac-cording to their website states, “…gays and lesbians already have the right to form meaningful relation-ship, as we all do. We just don’t call every important relationship we have ‘marriage,’” would buy roughly 476 sandwiches.

Policymic.com reported the highest amount of money was giv-en to the Marriage & Family Foun-dation at $1,188,380.

As Cathy has the right to state his opinions and donate money to whatever company he wants, when activists and students find out about these matters, universities should expect boycotts from those who op-pose Chick-fil-A. In turn this could lead to campuses distancing them-selves from a company that does not exactly promote equality and diversity just as universities should.

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Welcome and Bienvenidos To New Mexico State University!

This is the beginning of what promises to be a wonderful year at New Mexico State University, and I am glad to welcome all new and returning students as this fall term begins. This is also a time when all of you will discover great opportunities and meet new chal-lenges. You can be proud of being part of a diverse, internationally renowned research university. We are pleased that you are with us and we look forward to the posi-tive impact on our community that you will have as a student here.

Every Aggie brings some-thing special when they join the campus community – I see such great enthusiasm and dedication to academic studies when I talk

with students I meet every day! One way NMSU has found to set a powerful tone for the begin-ning of academic endeavors here is our tradition of welcoming our incoming freshmen at a special orientation. At the new student orientation on Monday, each new Aggie was given a “Chal-lenge Coin,” which will serve as a daily reminder of the academic goals they set for themselves. Re-member – our faculty and staff are here to help you meet our #1 Goal – Graduation!

This year, we are also plan-ning some exciting new traditions that will surround the first home football game on Thursday, Aug. 30. You will receive more details as that date approaches, but this much is certain: It will be an event to remember!

Of course, the experience at NMSU includes a full spectrum of activities, and my wish is for all of you to get the most out of your time at this great university. I encourage you to commit your-self to excellence and take full advantage of the learning oppor-tunities we offer, in and out of the classroom.

Your number one priority must be success in your academic class-es, but please also balance your academic interests with extracur-ricular activities that help you grow. NMSU has many to choose from, including artistic and musi-cal performances and exhibitions, intercollegiate and club sports, community service organizations, student leadership opportunities, and much more.

Also, please remember that this

is a chance to broaden your ho-rizons, stretch yourself intellectu-ally, and learn everything you can about our world. Participating in social events is also an impor-tant part of your life as a student; please be careful and make re-sponsible decisions.

You have many resources at NMSU to help you accomplish your goals. Many people on cam-pus – administrators, faculty and staff – are all committed to help-ing you make your college experi-ence educationally rewarding and enjoyable.

For all of us here at NMSU, it’s the beginning of a wonderful, successful and productive year.

Go Aggies!

Barbara CoutureNMSU President

Letter from NMSU President Coutureillustration by Aaron Flores

Food fight!

opinion

15August 23, 2011

by Anthony Esparza '1-)0*G()*-6,.)344 ,!0*)"0

When DeWayne Walker took over the New Mexico State foot-ball program in 2008, he knew it was going to be a rebuilding proj-ect.

Walker, now in his fourth year at the helm of Aggie football, was well aware it would take time to change the culture of a program that has not played in a bowl game since 1960, but he had his sight set on the future.

“When I first took this job, I was definitely looking forward to our fourth year,” Walker said. “I knew the first two years we had to go through a process of trying to rebuild a program.”

Walker’s first two years at NMSU were certainly challeng-ing, as the Aggies posted a 5-20 record during that span. In the past the team was not very com-petitive and lost by an average of 28.2 points.

“Reflecting back, as good as this conference was back then with Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State, to a certain degree we were

probably a little undermanned,” Walker said. “We probably didn’t do a good enough job coaching and underestimated the confer-ence. It was a tough few years for all of us to figure it out.”

The team, however, showed signs of life in 2011. The Aggies’ 28-21 victory over Minnesota was the first win over a Big Ten opponent in the school’s history. NMSU also defeated Fresno State, snapping a 17-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

NMSU finished the season with a 4-9 record, but the bar had been raised for 2012 from a competitive standpoint. Expecta-tions are seemingly higher this fall, as the Aggies prepare for the season opener against Sacra-mento State Aug. 30.

Redshirt senior defensive line-man Donte Savage, who has been at NMSU throughout Walker’s tenure, said he has no-ticed many changes within the program in the past four years.

“At first we started off slow, but now we’re starting to get into the groove of things,” he said. “Ev-erybody has bought into coach

Walker’s plan at this university, so all we have to do is go out there and do what we’ve got to do.”

Redshirt sophomore quarter-back Andrew Manley has also noticed a difference in the team’s attitude this offseason.

“Our team is more motivated this year. We want it more; I be-lieve,” Manley said, “last year we were out here just going through the motions. I feel like this year we actually want it, and we’re go-ing to actually go for it this year.”

Ending the longest bowl drought in college football is not out of the question for the Aggie football team.

Teams that NMSU has tra-ditionally struggled against —namely Boise State, Nevada, Hawai’i and Fresno State— are no longer in the Western Ath-letic Conference and have been replaced by first-year Division I programs Texas-San Antonio and Texas State.

Also, the first half of the schedule is set up for the Aggies to get off to a decent start.

NMSU opens the season at home against Sacramento State, a Division II program from the Big Sky Conference. The Aggies then go on the road to take on

the Ohio Bobcats, a bowl team from a year that defeated NMSU in Las Cruces in 2011.

The Aggies then travel down

Interstate 10 for a road game against University of Texas El Paso, before returning to Las Cruces to host New Mexico. Af-ter that, NMSU goes back on the road to face Idaho, a team the Ag-gies defeated 31-24 last season.

Although making a bowl game would certainly be an impressive feat for NMSU football, Walker said it is something neither he nor the team discusses outside of the locker room.

Walker and the Aggies experi-enced more lows than highs on the field in his first two years at NMSU but saw reasons for op-timism in year three. This year, the team wraps up fall camp with heightened expectations and a positive viewpoint on the season ahead.

“I figured that it would take some time, especially after the first two years,” Walker said. “I (said), ‘Let’s just compete at a higher level the third year, and then the fourth year let’s go for it…’ So this is a year that I think all of us are excited about.”

sports

Year Four: Walker begins fourth season as Aggie coach

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New Mexico State football players train in the heat over the summer season with Coach Dwayne Walker.photo by Anthony Esparza

16August 23, 2011

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8/23 First day of class Late registration begins

8/31 Degree application deadline date without late fee

9/3 Labor Day Holiday

9/4 Last day to register

9/7 Last day to DROP course (not recorded on academic record) except courses carrying designated dates

10/3 Last day to apply for degree

Commencement and Diplomas

Enrollment Verification

Fee Statement / Class Schedule

Loan Deferment Forms

NM Residency Applications

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A late fee of $25 will be added toapplications recieved after 8/31.

10/16 Last day to drop with a W, except courses carrying designated dates11/16 Last day to withdraw from the University

11/19-23 Thanksgiving Holiday

12/10-14 Final Exam Week

12/14 Last day of class

12/15 Commencement Housing Facilities close

12/18 Fall grades available

Name and Address Changes

Registration Corrections

Transcripts, Official / Unofficial

Transfer Credit Evaluation

University Withdrawal

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the Round Up

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17Aug. 23

by Nick Njegomir "&"'()*+",-"!.,/012('"0

Alcohol sales at New Mexico State University sporting events have been a topic of discussion for the past year but still no decision has been made.

In March of 2012, Trusportsxtra.blogspot.com report-ed Janet Green, Ph.D., director of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism program at NMSU and chair of the Alcohol Re-view Committee, said she envisioned the final decision to be made this year.

“No decision has been made, and no recommendation or proposal has been submitted to our Board of Regents on this issue,” said Ben Woods, senior vice president of external communications.

Alcohol sales at NMSU sporting events could be finan-cially beneficial for the university.

“The university has preliminary estimates reflecting in-creased revenues,” Woods said, “but further analysis on the fiscal impact would need to be completed before any recommendation on the issue.”

While alcohol sales could generate revenue, Woods said safety must be taken into consideration before a decision is made.

“It would definitely make more money for the univer-sity,” said senior education major Ashley Merhege, “but I can understand that the safety of students is a priority.”

While alcohol is not sold inside of Aggie Memorial Sta-dium during football games, students are still allowed to have alcohol at tailgates before football games.

NMSU is not the only school that does not sell alcohol at sporting events. The University of Texas El Paso also does not sell alcohol at athletic events.

Trusportsxtra.blogspot.com reported the University of New Mexico does sell alcohol but only to club level ticket holders.

The final decision will be made by NMSU’s Board of Regents, when and if a proposal is sent.

‘No decision’ on alcohol sales at NMSU sporting events

sports

18Aug. 23

Corbett Center

Garcia Annex

Breland Hall

Milton

Zhul Library

James B. Delameter Activity Center

Natatorium

HardmanHall

Branson Library

English Building

Health and Social Services building

Williams Art building RGH

ResidenceHall

Foster Hall

Thomas and Brown Hall

Engineering Complex

Knox Hall

Gerald Thomas Hall

Science Hall

Walden Hall

Astronomy Building

O’Donnel Hall

Guthrie Hall

Business Complex

Gardiner Hall

Honors Center

Skeen Hall

Piñon Hall

Bookstore

Chamisa

Monagle Hall

The Round Up is published every Thursdayand can be found in any ofthese locations!

Bin Locations -

EducationalServices

DACC

Pan AmCenter

Anderson Hall

sports

19Aug. 23

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by Anthony Esparza '1-)0*G()*-6,.)344 ,!0*)"0,

New Mexico State Athletics Direc-tor McKinley Boston confirmed Tuesday NMSU football will operate as an indepen-dent program in 2013.

This came after Western Athletic Con-ference commissioner Jeff Hurd told the Denver Post the WAC would not be a football-playing conference next season. Boston said the athletics department had forecasted this outcome prior to Hurd’s com-ments.

“We all have been pretty cer-tain that the WAC would not operate in the fall of 2013 as a foot-ball conference,” Boston said. “We’ve been looking at foot-ball scheduling for the fall of 2013 as a pos-sible independent, so we’ve been operating under that assumption.”

Boston said that being an independent football program will not have any negative economic implications for the 2013 season, but added that NMSU could not sustain being an independent for the long term.

“As a long-term model, it is something that could have challenging repercussions because you would have to pay schools guaranteed money to come and play home games if they’re not home-and-away con-tractual agreements,” Boston said. “That could be a hurdle in fall of 2014, but it is not one that we’re having issues with in fall of 2013.”

Because of the long-term costs, being an independent football program would only be a short-team solution while the athlet-ics department examined other conference membership options.

One option is a potential conference alli-ance between the WAC and Big Sky, which is being discussed by WAC administration. The NMSU athletic department will also consider any available options in joining the Mountain West, Conference USA or the Sun Belt after the conferences conclude their respective television deal discussions in late fall.

Boston said the ideal solution for NMSU would be to receive an invitation to join the Mountain West. However, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said

neither NMSU nor Idaho will be invited to join the conference.

“In all fairness to New Mexico State and Idaho, we’ve informed them that they will not be members of the Mountain West,” Thompson said at Mountain West media day last month. “Go on with plan B, what-ever plan B may be.”

Thompson also said NMSU’s market size would not “move the needle on a tele-vision package.”

Boston is well aware of the pro-found impact televi-sion revenue has in conference align-ment discussions and said the athletics department will con-tinue exploring the various options that are on the table.

“Most of this is driven by the econom-ics of TV and the television revenue,” Bos-ton said. “Unfortunately the state of New Mexico brings zero television value into the discussion, and that makes it a very com-plicated set of circumstances to manage.”

Boston said the oth-er 15 NMSU sports would remain in the WAC next season, as the conference would operate a non-football league.

However, Hurd told the Denver Post the WAC would have to add multiple univer-sities for the 2013-14 academic year in or-der to have reach the seven-member mark, which is minimum re-quired by the NCAA.

“If we can’t get enough league mem-bers, we can’t oper-ate as a conference,” Hurd told the Post. “We’re going to do everything possible to avoid that. There aren’t any obvious an-swers out there.”

NMSU football going independent in 2013

The New Mexico State football team gathers at Aggie Memorial Stadium for practice.

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sports

Anthony Esparza

BEING OF NO TRUST FUND or athletic scholarship, I will hereby spend less for my textbooks and thus enjoy a life of not raiding couch cushions for extra spending money.

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