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The CNM
C o v e r i n g c n m a n d t h e s u r r o u n d i n g c o m m u n i t y
ChronicleVolume 19 | Issue 20 October 22, 2013/cnmchronicle thecnmchronicle.wordpress.com
Fright FestPage 8
By Stacie ArmijoStaff Reporter
The main campus writing group will be showcasing award winning poet Dana Levin for a reading on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7p.m., in Smith Brasher hall, said English Professor Rebecca Aronson.
This is a free event and all students are welcome to attend this event that the writers group has been doing twice a year with differ-ent published speakers, Aronson said.
According to Poetryfoundation.org, Dana Levin has pub-lished three books on poetry, including In the Surgical Theater, Wedding Day, and Sky Burial.
“It meant tremen-dous amounts to me to have my first book get published. It is what helped me start my career,” Levin said.
Levin said she cur-rently teaches three classes at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and she also teaches a course called Living Writers, which is an entry level class for beginning creative writers and poetry technique, that breaks down poems to their craft element.
“One of the classes that I am teaching is on myth and fairy tales. It is a fun class, we read a lot,” she said.
Levin has received fellowships from the Library of Congress and from the
Guggenheim Foundation. “The one from the
Library of Congress was a big deal. I am very sad that my parents were not alive to see me get that. They would have really liked that,” she said.
When Levin received the fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation she took a sabbatical to write her third book, Sky Burial, she said.
According to copper-canyonpress.org Levin’s third book is an examina-tion of the human pass-ing that explores “Tibetan Buddhist burial rites and Aztec human sacrifice while constructing a per-sonal mythology of death, lamentation, and rebirth.”
“I am proud of all my books for different reasons but I would have to say that the one I am most proud of is Sky Burial,” she said.
Levin lost both of her parents in 2002 and one of her sisters died in 2006, she said.
During that intense period and the grief that followed she produced “Sky Burial,” she said.
“I wrote through that experience with researching a lot of cross cultural burial practices and ideas about life after death, different religions and forensic anthropol-ogy,” Levin said.
Levin said writing Sky Burial was a challenge as well as a great distraction while going through so much grief.
Levin is motivated to bring dark into light she said, and finds her motiva-tion by writing about her
By Daniel MontañoSenior Reporter
Better pay and more job security — part-time instructors reported they want both in a recent poll conducted by CNM’s employee union lead-ing up to annual contract negotiations, Seamus O’Sullivan, part-time political science and soci-ology instructor, said.
Nariman Arfai, part-time psychology instruc-tor and head of the part-time CNM educator union, and his team will be looking to change that this year, he said during an interview on Oct. 3.
For the union, the part-timer negotiations, which began on Oct. 10, will center on com-pensation, job security and improving work-ing conditions for part-time instructors, also called adjunct faculty, who teach 63 percent of all classes at CNM, Arfai said.
“Adjunct means sup-plementary. How can you teach 63 percent of all the courses and be called sup-plementary?” he said.
O’Sullivan said there are 753 part-time instruc-tors and 302 full-time instructors teaching at CNM this semester.
Brad Moore, direc-tor of marketing and communication, was not able to answer specific questions regarding CNM poli-cies for part-time fac-ulty members’ pay-scale, course selection process, or contract eligibility, because of confidentiality issues, he said.
“CNM and the faculty union are currently in col-lective bargaining negotia-tions for a new contract.
To uphold the con-fidentiality and of the negotiation process, the rules of which have been contractually agreed upon by CNM and the union, CNM will not discuss issues that could be a part of the collective bargain-ing process,” Moore said in an official statement.
At the time of this publication, Tom Manning, labor rela-tions officer, who was asked to comment, did not responded to several
interview requests, which were initially sent prior to when negotiations began.
Most part-timers at CNM have a mas-ter’s degree, and a large portion hold a doctoral degree, yet if these aca-demics teach 10 classes in a year, they will earn about $27,000 before taxes or about $20,000 after taxes, Arfai said.
In comparison, according to the United States Department of Labor, tree-trimmers and receptionists earn an average of more than $33,000 a year before taxes — and neither job necessarily requires a high-school diploma.
“It’s impossible to sup-port a family with this salary and in this econ-omy,” Arfai said.
College administra-tors, however, have seen a steady increase in pay over the last 15 years, accord-ing to insidehighered.com.
The Chronicle previ-ously reported that Kathie Winograd, CNM presi-dent, received a 22 per-cent raise last November, which was approved by the schools governing board
and amounted to an extra $48,000 a year, bringing her annual salary to more than $260,000.
CNM’s administra-tion set aside state funds to offer a 2 percent raise for part-timers this year, which amounts to an extra $56 per class taught, but the union will be look-ing for far more than that, O’Sullivan said.
Andy Tibble, full-time instructor and President of CNM’s employee union, under whose umbrella the part-timers union falls, said in an Oct. 1 inter-view that while part-tim-er’s may say they are not being paid enough, CNM does pay better than other institutions in the area.
For example, New Mexico Highlands University pays part-tim-ers $800 per credit hour taught, which works out to about $24,000 before taxes a year, to teach “overload courses,” according to the public bargaining agreement held between NMHU and their faculty union.
“So, while we would
Award Winning Poet comes to campus
Part-timers seek more respect
see TEACHERon page 7
sEE PoETRY on PAgE 7
PHOTO COURTESY OF POETRYFOUNDATION.ORG
Award Winning Poet Dana Levin will be reading at the writing group.
By Jonathan BacaStaff Reporter
Project Feed the Hood will be hosting a free screening of the documentary “A Place at the Table” followed by a panel discussion, in partnership with CNM’s Healthy Meals Fit for Life Program and the School of Business and Information Technology.
The event is sched-uled for Wednesday, Oct 23, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Smith Brasher Hall, room 100.
Project Feed the Hood, , the food jus-tice campaign of The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP),, started four years ago with the goal of raising awareness, educating, and organiz-ing with communities to address food insecu-rity and the structural inequalities in our food system, Stefany Olivas, Biology major and SWOP organizer, said.
“These organizations are not only about raising awareness, but also taking action, and doing things in
the community to make real change,” Olivas said.
SWOP teamed up with Active Voice, a media group that supports social justice issues, to screen the film, she said.
SWOP selected Albuquerque as part of a nation-wide campaign to “prompt communities to delve into the social and political roots of food insecurity,” according to activevoice.net.
“There are so many great organizations doing this work right now, and we partner with lots of
them. It’s all about build-ing these relationships,” Olivas said.
“A Place at the Table,” directed by Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush, follows the lives of a Philadelphia mother, a Colorado fifth-grader and a Mississippi second-grader, as they struggle with the uncertainty of not knowing where their next meal will come from, according to activevoice.net.
Documentry shines light on hunger
see FEED on page 7
2 | The CNM Chronicle OctOber 22, 2013NEWSOPINION
services
wanted
To submit items for Campus Bulletins, please email news item with a maximum of 150 words to: [email protected] or call 224-4755.
UNM IS RECRUITING WOMEN WITH ASTHMA FOR RESEARCH STUDY.
If interested, please contact study coordinator at 925-6174 or 269-1074 or [email protected]
TYPE 2 DIABETES RESEARCH HRRC #13-073 Have you had type 2 diabetes for less than 5 years? Are you currently only taking Metformin to treat your diabetes? You must have been at least 30 years of age when you were diagnosed (if you are an American Indian, you must have been at least 20 years old at the time of diagnosis) and are willing to add another diabetes medication to your treatment plan. You will be compensated for time and travel. If interested, please contact. Elizabeth at 272-9887 or 272-5454. Email at [email protected]
Bulletins2 | The CNM Chronicle OctOber 22, 2013
“TRABAJANDO CON USTED HOY PARA ASEGURAR SU FUTURO”WHITTENBURG LAW FIRM
Immigration Attorneys - Criminal Defense707 Broadway Blvd NE, Suite 100
Albuquerque, NM 87102(505) 247-9300
for sale1yr old sofa set. Paid $1400. Selling for $550. Excellent condition if interested in owning please contact 505-615-8662
student organizations cnm eventsECOS Accepting New Members
The Executive Council of Students is accepting new members.ECOS meets every Friday at 4 p.m. in ST 12-A.For more information,email [email protected].
Come check out M.E.Ch.A.
CNM’s chapter of el Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan meets every other Thursday search for
“M.E.Ch.A de CNM” on Facebook, or email at [email protected] for meeting locations and times.
EMERGENCY WRITING REPAIR WORKSHOP
Do you need help with your writing skills? There’s still time to enroll in English 1096, the Emergency Writing Repair Workshop. CNM now offers two sections at Main (at 7:30 a.m. on MW and at 6 p.m. on T/R) and one section on the West Side (4:30 on T/R).
Make stone tools and build fires!
CNM’s Anthropology club is looking for new members and officers.Become a part of a club dedicated to studying and understanding humanity. E-mail Sue Ruth: [email protected] or search for
“CNM anthropology” on facebook.
Free Bus and Parking Passes
Current students qualify for a free general parking pass and AbqRide bus pass. The passes can be obtained at the Main campus Student Activities Office. Name, schedule, and student ID number are required. For a general parking pass vehicle and drivers license information must be provided. To register the online parking system for the free general parking sticker log-in to myCNM and follow links from the “transportation” section.
FREE flu shots
Main Oct. 21 and 22 Montoya Oct. 23 and 24Westside Oct. 28 and 29 South Valley Oct. 30 and 31 WTC Nov. 4 and 5 Call campuses for locations and timesMidtown Public Health at 2400 Wellesley Drive NE (behind Rudy’s BBQ) off Carlisle, also has walk-in free flu shots from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Volunteer positions
At pottery studio not made in china. Come volunteer here at NMIC and get jumpstart on learning ceramics. Volunteer one day a week and earn: unlimited clay, glaze, and fire, with free access from 12 to 7 p.m. every day. Contact notmadeinchina.com for more information.
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!
Come get your swing dance on every Tuesday night at the Heights Community Center! Intermediate and beginners swing classes start at 7:30 p.m. Free dance begins at 8:30 p.m.823 Buena Vista Dr SE$4 donations at the doorContact Desi Brown, [email protected]
Blood Drive @ CNM Main campus
Tuesday Oct. 22 and Wednesday Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 246-1457 to sign up.
12 p.m. Thursday prior to publication
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CNM CHRONICLE CLASSIFIEDS
LEONARDO is cre-ated of, by, and for CNM
students, and is edited and designed by CNM student vol-unteers. The magazine is pub-
lished and distributed every April (National Poetry Month) with the gener-ous support of CNM Student Activities.
Creative Writers!Submit written works in a single MS Word e-mail attachment to Patrick
Houlihan: [email protected]. Type “Leonardo” in the email subject line. CNM Artists!
Submit artworks to [email protected]. (no originals, please—we do not return submissions). All art (paintings, sketches, sculptures, ceramics, photos, etc.) must be submitted digitally as a Photoshop, Illustrator, or PDF file (mini-
mum 150 dpi resolution).
Include name, address, and phone wIthIn the attached document, and send from your cnm emaIl account. please lImIt submIssIons to no
more than 5 poems, 2 short storIes, and/or 12 pages of prose per student , and no more than 10 works of art per
student.
LEONARDO MAGAZINE 2014Call for submissions
JOB CONNECTION TIP OF THE WEEK
Thank You Letters
Writing a thank-you letter after an interview is more than good manners; it’s good strategy. The thank-you letter gives students the chance to remind the interviewers who one is and to reiterate some strong skills. If there’s something students wished they had mentioned in the interview, students can add it in the thank-you letter. Much like the cover letter and résumé, the thank-you letter is an important marketing tool you can use to enhance your job search.
Healthy living workshop on Main Campus
Do you want a healthier lifestyle? To make your heart happy? To have more energy?Come to Max Salazar hall room 201 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday Oct. 25Get on track to healthy living and eating by developing a wellness plan with Patti Haaland, RN, and discover the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
OctOber 22, 2013 The CNM Chronicle | 3
525 Buena Vista SE, ST 12b Albuquerque, NM 87106 Ph. 224.4755Copyright © 2013 The CNM Chronicle | This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.
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Jonathan Baca staff reporter [email protected]
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ChronicleThe CNM
EDITORIAL
S T E P H E N HARRISON, physics major said, “I never really thought about it. I’d probably want the abil-ity to read other peo-ple’s minds perhaps. I have spent my entire life being inside my head, I would like to know what goes on inside other people’s heads. Either that or I’d like to have amazing problem solv-ing abilities.”
S u n c a t C h i t C h a tBy Nick SternStaff Reporter
What would you want as a superpower?
JUSTIN GARCIA, political science major said,
“I would like to have like super strength like Mr. Incredible. That’s what I’d have, yeah, definitely. It seems like it would be cool, lot of uses.”
STEPHANIE PAULY, education major (“I’m going to be a teacher”) said, “To fly. So I could go anywhere.”
CARLOS MONTENEGRO, engineering major said, “Probably multi-ply something so I could have my other selves do other stuff at the same time. I’m a server at my job so I would have one be collecting stuff, one be cleaning, one be doing other stuff…and then for homework I would do the same thing.”
CYNTHIA CLARK, respiratory therapy major said, “I want to make fire! No wait hold on no I don’t…I want to be able to go invis-ible because then I could sneak around and get the 411, all the juicy gossip, and spread rumors. People would know the truth.”
EDITORIAL CARTOON BY NICK STERN
Editorial By the Chronicle Editorial Board
It is so good to see that award winning pets and writers are coming to CNM to speak and inspire students to strive for what these writers have achieved.
Endeavoring to become a writer can be tough, especially with the abundance of writ-ing careers that are some-times impossible to get, which is not usually stable long-term employment, so it is crucial to have these successful writers come to the school to speak, to show students that they can succeed, and that they can in fact become the writer they hope to be in the future.
The Chronicle salutes the Writer’s Clubs on campus, that not only help up and coming writers to hone their skills, but also to bring students the opportunity to see real published writers that have succeeded in the world, and who inspire students to reach for their dreams of some-day being nationally published writers.
Student groups such as the Writer’s Club are the fabric of what makes our school special, because they can make a difference and inspire students to become everything they want to be after college.
Special speakers enrich student experience
4 | The CNM Chronicle OctOber 22, 2013STUDENT NEWS
By Jonathan BacaStaff Reporter
Maggie Shepard, a part-time instruc-tor of Journalism and Communications, said she loves making a dif-ference in students’ lives. Before teaching, Shepard worked as a journalist for ten years, covering the crime and criminal justice beat for many publications, such as newspapers like the Albuquerque Tribune to the Associated Press.
The Chronicle talked to Shepard about the thrills of newspaper reporting, making the world a better place through teaching, and her passion for raising hogs.
Chronicle: What was it like, being a reporter?
Shepard: I loved it. It was my dream job. It was really satisfying, really exciting, and really unpre-dictable. Years before the story went national; I covered the story of the
bodies that were found buried on the West Side. That was my story for a long time before it got picked up. That was one of my special ones. I covered lots of notable homicides in town.
C: I think some people might get a little queasy writing about that kind of stuff. How did you deal with it?
S: Yeah, it was all pretty serious stuff. That’s why I liked it. I realized that I was doing an impor-tant job, documenting his-tory and humanity. It was kind of part of this bigger quest to understand what people’s motivations are. I dealt with it by justifying my purpose.”
C: What is your favorite thing about teaching?
S: I love moments where students tell me that the information I’ve shared with them has changed their life. That is really exciting, and it feels really good. I love getting to know such a diverse group of people, and I love learning new things about my field from people who see things in a different way than I do. Sometimes
my students help me to see it in new ways.
C: What do you think about CNM, as a commu-nity college, and where it fits in with the bigger pic-ture of higher education in our community?
S: First off, I love CNM. I was offered a job at UNM, and it’s not a hit on them, but I think that CNM actually does a ser-vice to our community. I feel the teachers here really care about their students, and enjoy helping them evolve. The general atti-tude of teachers at CNM isn’t aligned with repu-tation, it’s really aligned with function, and I like that. I see students who are actually evolving into smarter, more produc-tive people because they can afford to take classes at CNM. I look at my stu-dents who are returning after raising kids, or after leaving a domestically vio-lent situation, and who are intimidated by the full process of college. CNM provides a place for people who need a place to start. That is really important, and I’m really glad to be a part of that.
C: How would you describe your style of teaching?
S: I think it’s expe-riential. I ask my students to experience the infor-mation on their own, and find where it fits and their life.
C: Classes you teach like Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking are life skills as much as they are academic skills. What do you think is the value of learning that stuff for stu-dents’ lives?
S: For people who already have high level interpersonal skills, it’s not a big deal. But better-ing our communication leads to a gentler, more peaceful world and that benefits everybody. So I find more value in the skills that actually change our world than in learn-ing academic terms and philosophies. What’s the purpose of learning some-thing if it can’t change your life and change your world?
C: What’s in the future for you? Do you have any other goals or things that you’d like to do?
S: That’s a good question, that’s kind of where I am in my life right now and what I’m trying to figure out. I love my job. It’s a very satisfy-ing job, teaching, and I see myself doing it for a while longer. But I’m also moving toward being a farmer, and making my living doing that. And I don’t know what else is going to pop up.
C: Do you have a farm right now?
S: I do, yeah. It’s in its rough stage right now. Mostly just animal hus-bandry right now, and we’re moving on in the next three years to possi-bly generating our entire income from it. We have chickens and hogs right now, and through a little meat co-op we do turkeys. Eventually we’ll probably bring in dairy. I’m not much of a green thumb, but we have enough space that we’ll probably partner with somebody to pro-duce some vegetables and a little orchard. It’s a big dream. But I’ll probably always teach a little bit. It’s exciting to see and make a difference in people’s lives.
Teacher Spotlight: Maggie Shepard
By Stacie ArmijoStaff Reporter
Job Connection Services are offering workshops to help cur-rent students as well as graduates succeed in find-ing a job, which are held on Main and Montoya campuses, Beth Moreno-Perine, Career Center Advisor said.
Main campus workshops are at the student services center in room 207, and at Montoya campus workshops are held at Tom Wiley Hall in room 105, she said.
These workshop sessions for resume building and interview skills are offered every two weeks where stu-dents can learn valuable tips regarding resumes and interviewing, Moreno-Perine said.
Students can register for the workshops online at cnm-csm.symplicity.
com/students/index.php,she said.
“Workshops are offered every other week here at Main Campus as well as Montoya Campus. Students are encouraged to sign up. The work-shops focus on resumes and interviewing,” Beth Moreno-Perine, Career Center Advisor said.
One of the valuable tips that the job connection services offers for instance, is if an interviewer asks about a student’s experi-ence with something they have not learned, such as using a particular soft-ware, Moreno-Perine said bringing up knowing a similar skill or program can convey enthusiasm and initiative for learning new skills.
“We can adapt the questions to the type of job that the student will be interviewing for,” Moreno-Perine said.
If students are inter-ested in a federal job,
they can get a sample of a federal resume, and be able to learn about effec-tive federal resumes, which can be long and detailed, she said.
When a student does find a job they are rewarded by the team at JCS by ringing a bell and have their picture taken for the center star-board that showcases a student or graduate, Moreno-Perine said.
D-Yanna Seonia, Pre-Health major came into the job connection services for help with her resume and for job leads. “I love that they are here to help me with any questions I might have, “ she said.
Donna Fastle, Career Center Advisor said, she is there to assist students whether they are in school and need a part time job, or if they are students that are close to finish-ing a degree and want to know how to get a job in their fields of study.
“Be confident, be per-sistent and be patient. Job Connect Services is out
there to help students,” Fastle said.
D’Yanna Seonia, Pre-Health major who came into the job con-nection services for help with her resume said, “I love that they are here to help me.”
Former CNM stu-dent and accouting major, Kitar Chen said she came in to the Job Connection services for help with her resume.
“The staff is the best. They do everything they can to help me,” she said.The job connection ser-vice center offers help to students with all aspects of finding a job, Moreno-Perine said.
“We get to see some-one no matter where they are at in their job search and a lot of times we have seen people come in very frequently sometimes daily,” Moreno-Perine said.
The job connect services can help stu-dents with cover let-ters, references and other services to help students or graduates search for jobs, she said.
“The good news is that even when stu-dents graduate they have a lifetime of free services no matter what happens in their academic world or in the work world”, Moreno-Perine said.
Job Connection Services is also planning a clothing exchange in December. Donations will be accepted after Thanksgiving.
Anna Watkins, Job Connection Services
Manager said that a job fair is planned for Wednesday March 5, 2014 at the CNM Workforce Training Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Watkins said that one of the things she loves about her job is seeing students recog-nize their own brilliance, skills and talents.
“I have the most wonderful employees. They take measures to get better and to learn,” she said.
Job Connection Services offers workshops
PHOTO BY JONATHAN BACA
Instructor Maggie Shepard grades students in her public speaking class.
Students can register online at:Go to: https://cnm-csm.symplicity.com/stu-dents/index.php Follow directions to sign-into your Simplicity accountClick on the “Events” tab Click on title of workshop you wish to attendClick on the “RSVP” boxStudents will receive a confirmation email. Walk-ins are welcome with space permitting. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows.
OctOber 22, 2013 The CNM Chronicle | 5STUDENT LIFE
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SUVA students are different, creative and challenge the status quo.
Call today to learn more about a university that’s as unique as you are.
505.254.7575 suva.edu
By Martin MontoyaStaff Reporter
Engineering major, Levi Green said he is trying to have changes made to the Math, Science, and Engineering program, mainly the Math curriculum, where there is a substantial gap between the Math 1315 and 1415 course that is hindering students.
Green said in his 1415 math course, which he had to drop because of the lack in overlapping teach-ings, there was about a 50 percent drop rate, with the majority of the class failing daily quizzes and tests.
After providing evi-dence of successful and understood quizzes and tests from 1315, Green said
he was not happy with the initial answers he received from administration.
“It kind of sucks to go in there and go talk to these people, and have them tell you ‘oh well, you are on your own,’” Green said.
Brad Moore, Director of Communications and Media Relations said the School of Math, Science
and Engineering will be reviewing their objec-tives in the 1415 Math course to ensure stu-dents are learning the required curriculum.
Green said the instructor for his 1415 Math class, was stricken aback that so many stu-dents came unprepared to the class.
“That is detrimental to engineering students, not having that prepa-ration,” Green said.
Along with an issue in the math department, Green said the Engineering S u p p l e m e n t a l Instructors who are supposed to help other students, have failed to show up at meet-ings with Green due to a lack of engineering student involvement.
“Everyone is aware there’s an issue here, that is why I’m trying to be proactive about it, instead of throwing everyone under the bus,” Green said.
The department’s curriculum is where the problems lie, and no one person can be
blamed for the issues with the department, Green said.
With many faculty members at his side, Green said there is worry that students are get-ting through their classes because they were “close enough” to passing.
“Then we get thrown into the sharks when it comes time to go into a higher math program,” Green said.
Green said he has produced a possible solution; having a cor-respondence course in between the two math classes for the benefit of engineering students like himself.
It was suggested by the 1415 math teacher that there needs to be a 1315 class strictly geared towards Engineering stu-dents, he said.
“I think that is a little outlandish,” Green said.
With that in mind Green said he set forth with the help of instructors to create a two week course, com-plete with a supplemen-tal instructor, handouts
and notes, as well as a syllabus, he said.
“This is a serious issue and it’s not going to go away,” Green said.
After four weeks of repeated attempts to get through to some-body, Green said he had a plan for a peti-tion, but that it is not needed now that people have listened.
But in the case that it is needed, Green said he will push it through and present a petition to the foundation and board members.
“Hands down, the faculty has been tre-mendous presenting this to the instructors. I don’t want it to be ugly,” Green said.
If there are any stu-dents who may be feel-ing like there is some-thing missing between 1315 and 1415 math classes, or who are having troubles with supplemental instruc-tors, to contact Levi Green at [email protected].
Engineering student attempts to change math course
GRAPHICS BY MARIE BISHOP
6 | The CNM Chronicle OctOber 22, 2013ADVERTISEMENT
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OctOber 22, 2013 The CNM Chronicle | 7CONTINUEDTEACHERContinued from Page 1
complain that all part-time faculty are underpaid, we can’t complain that CNM pays less than other institutions,” Tibble said.
O’Sullivan agrees that CNM is not the only school underpaying their part-time faculty, but does not believe that just because it is a common practice CNM is excused in underpaying anyone, he said.
“I’m frankly very tired of hearing that as an excuse. ‘Well, every-body’s doing it.’ That doesn’t make it right, doesn’t make it fair, doesn’t make it moral and you’re exploit-ing your workforce.” O’Sullivan said.
Tibble stressed that CNM does at least offer benefits to part-time instructors who teach
more than eight contract hours per week, a prac-tice that is not common among higher education institutions, he said.
“You know that’s pretty big, because it’s actually more generous than, say, the affordable care act requires. That’s just not available at a lot of other institutions. I don’t even believe that UNM offers that,” Tibble said.
For O’Sullivan though, the problem is the administration’s lack of appreciation for its largest teacher workforce, he said.
He thinks the lack of respect begins with the fact that Colleges and Universities nationwide are moving toward a busi-ness model to run their schools — the Wal-Mart mentality of seeking prof-its, in part, by disregard-ing employees, he said.
O’ Sullivan thinks administrators in those
schools look at their workforce as numbers, not people, and search for ways to deliver their “edu-cational product” cheaper, he said.
“I think in most cases for the levels at the top, it’s just economics. It’s got nothing to do with anything else, it’s just eco-nomics,” O’Sullivan said.
Andy Russell, full-time history instruc-tor, was once a part-time instructor, and thinks that one of the major benefits of being a full-timer is the job security that comes with it, he said.
Part-timers are contracted to teach on a semester-to-semester basis, and receive no guaran-tee that they will be given any classes once the semester runs out, Russell said.
“There’s nothing that guarantees your right to
classes the next semester, and they don’t have to give any explanation, as far as I know, to why you won’t be teaching,” Russell said.
Part-timers are assigned the courses they will teach by administra-tors, usually the deans of the school, Russell said.
While part-time instructors’ requests for where and what they would like to teach are taken into consideration, classes are assigned based on CNM’s needs
— not the instructors, Russell said.
Because of this, part-timers do not know how many classes they might be teaching from one semester to the next, and sometimes may even receive fewer classes if they are on the wrong end of office politics, Russell said.
“There seems to be some indication that
personality issues occa-sionally enter into things,” Russell said.
O’Sullivan said there is a core of part-time instructors who some-times teach five or more classes per semester — more than is required of full-time instructors — and have done so for years.
A two-term, full-time faculty member makes about $44,000 a year teaching 10 classes, and the part-timers who take on the same load deserve recognition from admin-istration for their service, O’Sullivan said.
“I guarantee you they’re not here for the money, they’re here because they love doing what they’re doing,” O’Sullivan said.
Arfai said these core part-timers take on the extra workload despite the fact that they do not get paid the same
as full-timers, because they truly care for CNM students.
“Deep in their heart part-timers really have a good soul, they don’t want to let CNM students down,” he said.
Higher education is adopting a business model and it seems that part-timers’ contribu-tions are being left by the wayside in favor of profits, Arfai said.
But these teachers do not plan on putting down the chalk any time soon — for them teaching is a reward unto itself, Arfai said.
“Some of them come from CNM or other community colleges. They’re paying back their community with their altruistic, pro-social behavior,” he said.
POETRYContinued from Page 1
life experiences. “My new poems
are in hunger, appe-tite and the end of the world,” she said.
Levin has also received the National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Whiting Writers award for poetry, Rona Jaffe Writers, and several Pushcart prize, she said.
“What I love the most is when the form of a poem and the feeling inside the poem begin to work together and somehow merge in this strange magical way,” Levin said.
Levin loves to write and has been writing since the second grade.
“I have always written and I started to write seriously as an adult around age 25,” she said.
When it comes to writing Levin said that it is like having to breathe air or drink water.
“It’s something that I have to do,” she said.
This event will be her first time speaking at
CNM Aronson said. “I want the readers
of the Chronicle to know that poetry is totally awe-some and they should read more poetry,” she said.
FEEDContinued from Page 1
The film shines a light on the huge number of low income Americans who do not have access to affordable, nutritious food, and who are struggling daily to feed themselves and their families, accord-ing to activevoice.net.
The film also high-lights various food banks and charitable organiza-tions that are fighting to help these families, and discusses the challenges they face, as well as some of the larger social issues that create these problems, Olivas said.
“People are struggling, it is overwhelming. But there are a lot of people committed to change,” Olivas said.
The panel discussion following the screening will feature local profes-sionals and community leaders, including CNM Psychology instructor, Nariman Arfai, Ph.D, Olivas said.
The talk will focus on the unique challenges that New Mexico faces,
including some of the country’s largest “food deserts,” which are areas where healthy foods are hard to find that have very high numbers of dietary diseases, like diabetes and heart disease, Olivas said.
“New Mexico is unique. We have lots of problems; racial issues, economic inequality, that creates food insecurity,” Olivas said.
The goal of the event is not only to discuss the problems, but also to show people ways that they can get involved in the solution, and to help them connect with their communities in ways that will truly make a difference, olivas said.
“Things like getting involved in the local food system, whether it’s by supporting local business, local farms, or a commu-nity garden. Taking action immediately,” Olivas said.
Project Feed the Hood runs a community garden in Albuquerque’s Southeast Heights, as well as a new farm in the South Valley, as a way to share healthy, organic food with Burque residents, she said.
“We partner with local schools, to teach kids gar-dening and eating healthy,” Olivas said.
The farm also helps to raise money for SWOP by selling the food they grow, she said.
As part of the screen-ing, Active Voice asked each city that partici-pated to include a project encouraging people to take some type of direct action in their community, she said.
So on Oct 30, Project Feed the Hood will be knocking on doors in the neighborhood surround-ing their community garden, to invite people to a pumpkin smashing event, as part of an effort to make the garden a gath-ering place for families, she said.
Another important part of SWOP’s mis-sion is working toward change through politi-cal action, by helping to create new legislation, working with policy makers, and mobilizing communities to support new bills, according to SWOP.net.
Last year, the Chronicle covered SWOP’s success in help-ing to raise the city’s mini-mum wage. Olivas said the National Farm Bill will be important to our state’s future food security.
“It addresses issues not only for farmers, but also for low income families trying to feed their kids, their parents and them-selves,” she said.
Olivas said that too many people are unaware
of the issue of hunger in America, and when they start to learn about these problems, it can seem daunting.
“It is definitely a tough battle. It’s always been a battle and it will continue to be, but we do have allies and we’re building new ones every day,” Olivas said.
But through Olivas’ work with SWOP and Project Feed the Hood, she has been amazed to discover how large and
how strong the activ-ist community is here in Albuquerque, she said.
Olivas said she finds it very encouraging to meet so many people who are committed to working for change.
“The people are react-ing, with equal and oppo-site force. It’s changing, slowly but surely,” she said.
For more informa-tion, visit swop.net, pro-jectfeedthehood.org, and activevoice.net.
8 | The CNM Chronicle OctOber 22, 2013FEATURE
By Daniel MontañoSenior Reporter
Something wicked this way comes — straight to the South Broadway Cultural Center.
The first annual New Mexico Fright Fest will be taking over the SBCC at 1025 Broadway Blvd. SE from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26 to showcase and pres-ent awards to horror films from around the world, Ashley Heffron, Biology major, said.
Heffron is one of the co-founders of the film festival, which will also feature workshops where budding film makers can learn how to make spe-cial effects makeup using latex, how to properly use three point lighting, and will even include an acting workshop, Heffron said.
“It’s going to be super, super fun. Especially if you like films in gen-eral because for 65 bucks you’re getting 19 films, plus workshops,” she said.
Tickets can be pur-chased at www.hold-myticket.com and prices vary, starting at $7 to view a single film and going up to $65 for the all access pass, which includes all the films being featured, entry to the awards ceremony, costume contest and the after parties on Friday and Saturday night, Heffron said.
Fright Fest has also partnered with Jacko’con, a four day c o m i c , a n i m e , h o r r o r , s t e a m -pu n k
and Halloween conven-tion, by offering a $110 all access pass to both events, she said.
“If you get the combo, that’s two weeks’ worth of Halloween fun,” she said
After receiving entries from all over the world, Fright Fest staff picked the top 19 films to show, which all have the chance to win one of their “Skully” awards, she said.
The films chosen come from a huge range within the horror genre, some being suspenseful thrillers, others slasher flicks or 80’s throwback horror films, Heffron said.
“A lot of them have a fantastic production value despite their small budgets. We have films of different lengths, from a few minutes to full fea-ture length, and they’re all awesome, awesome films,” Heffron said.
Trailers and show-times for all the films being featured are avail-able at www.nmfrightffest.com, Heffron said.
These are horror films, which means some of them feature
v i o -
lence, scenes of gore and some brief nudity, so Heffron urges par-ents to check out the movies online before bringing children to the festival, she said.
“It’s up to the par-ents’ discretion.
A lot of these movies have typical horror stuff, but it’s not too bad,” she said.
The festival winners will be chosen by a selec-tion committee, but the top films in each category, such as best creature fea-ture or best slasher, will be chosen by two celebrity judges, actress Amanda Wyss, from “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, and writer, direc-tor and native New Mexican Thom Eberhadt, Heffron said.
Wyss will also be helping with the acting workshop, which will be led by LeAnn Powers, one of New Mexico’s leading acting coaches, Heffron said.
“It’s going to be amazing. The acting session will be especially fun,” Heffron said
Heffron has been putting work into Fright Fest since January, when she and Founder Carlos Montoya decided to start the event, which Montoya had been talk-ing about starting for over 10 years, she said.
Montoya has worked as an assistant director and production assis-
tant on over 40 films in New Mexico, but this is Heffron’s first
move into the film industry,
she said.
She and Montoya have been friends for years, and being a horror fan, when she first heard Montoya’s idea she signed up immediately, she said.
“I’m a huge horror fanatic in everyday life, so when I heard about it I was like ‘Let’s do it!’” she said.
Because of Montoya’s busy schedule, Heffron has had to handle much of the planning herself, she said.
The event is sponsored by several local businesses, including the Rio Grande Media Group, Free Radicals clothing, Del Sol Aviation and even the city of Albuquerque, she said.
“The Albuquerque Film Office has been awe-some. They actually spon-sored our venue this year. I can’t thank them enough,” Heffron said.
Most of the sponsor-ship has been through donated items or prizes; Del Sol for example, is giving the winner of best in show flying les-sons, she said.
Beside one gener-ous donor who provided funds to secure the web-site where film entries were made, Heffron and Montoya have largely had to pay for the festival on their own, she said.
“That was a huge help, but as far as anything beyond that, most of this has been privately funded by us,” she said.
Still, Heffron and Montoya plan to host the event again next year, she said.
“Now that I’ve done this I think it will be a lot easier for me next year. A lot of what I have done this year has been very new and foreign to me,” she said.
Film fest features freaky fright flicks
Pie eating zombie fans compete at a fundraiser for Fright Fest.PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASHLEY HEFFRON
