General News

Scooter Lady Puttering into Sunset
(Special Assistant to President/Coordinator of Grant Activities Due to Retire in May)
by Marc Schoder
Communication Services
(photos by Marc Schoder and Wendel Sloan)

Sharon King, Special Assistant to the President Coordinator of Grant Activities at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, is retiring after spring commencement.

“In my 25 years here at this university, 20 of those years have been spent here in the grant office,” says Sharon. The Portales native will continue to call the High Plains home after her departure from ENMU. “I will be staying in Portales, well into my retirement, since this is home to me,” says Sharon.

Dr. Steven Gamble, ENMU president, says, “Sharon is a valuable employee to this university. When I came here three years ago, she helped me in familiarizing myself with everything about this university. She is a good member of the Eastern community; I will hate to see her retire.”

The self-proclaimed scooter fanatic looks forward to traveling and taking some time away from working. At first, however, she has not ruled out a return to the working world. “At the age I am at now I have the choice whether or not to work or continue enjoying retirement,” says Sharon. “I would like to go back to Europe again since I have visited there before.”

The 51-year-old says she is excited about being able to do anything that she wants with her time. “For the first time in my life I will be able to do whatever I want – work, not work, travel, visit my great nieces and nephews, whatever. It's a great feeling,” says Sharon. The Grant Coordinator won't miss the people with whom she has worked because, "I'm not leaving the people, just the work. I will still be friends with the same people only now I'll have more time to visit with them." “I had a friend of mine tell me that I could sit in his office after I retire, and when someone would walk by me as I sit in the corner, my friend would have to say 'Oh, just ignore her, she's always here'," says Sharon.

When asked who impacted her the most over her 25 years at Eastern, Sharon says, “Dr. Everett Frost, my boss for 18 years, who never gave an answer without giving the rationale behind the answer which helped me grow as a professional.”

The ENMU employee of 25 years took up a new endeavor of teaching within the last three years. “I had not taught before,” says Sharon. “I was sharing the heartbreaks and seeing students grow as the semester continued.” Sharon says that she even got to see one of her classes bond.

“It was fall of 2003, all of the students in class just bonded well with one another, which is special to me. Since I am retiring, it will be harder to keep in touch with them,” says Sharon.

As Grant Coordinator, Sharon is responsible for assisting faculty and staff in getting grants from external sources for programs at ENMU. “I think four science instructors will be lost without my help on grant projects that they are doing,” says Sharon. "I've just spoiled them rotten and they know it."

Dr. Manny Varela, assistant professor of biology, says, "In short, she's one of the best colleagues, either at Eastern or Harvard, that I've ever had the pleasure of working with, as she is extremely devoted to her work. Sharon is the kind of person that when asked for help with any project, she cheerfully (and with a wonderful sense of humor) gives it her undivided attention and then goes well beyond the call of duty to help you or even get the job done for you. If she finds an obstacle to completing any project, she merely finds another way to complete it.

"At many institutions, the bureaucrat-type will make you wait a long time to complete the project, then finally tell you that the task just couldn't be done and, in fact, can't ever be done. With Sharon, there never has been such nonsense. Thus, Sharon is truly a remarkable person. With glee, I brag about Sharon to other very jealous colleagues at other institutions. Sharon is the reason we have been enjoying our huge successes in obtaining our numerous research grants. When Sharon King retires, it will be the end of an extraordinary era for Eastern."

Sharon says that there are peaks to her job as Grant Coordinator. “I will miss the big office I have as we do have monthly pot lucks in here (but don't tell Dr. Gamble),” says King with a smile.

Dr. Patrice Caldwell, Executive Director of Planning and Analysis, says of Sharon: “I consider Sharon as an ENMU treasure. Not only is she a reliable 'living memory' for the University, but also she's been a wonderful, loyal, smart colleague of mine for 25 years.”

Engaging Academe in Student Life: A Partnership for Changing the Culture
by Dr. Will Kayatin
Director of Student Activities and Organizations
(photo by Wendel Sloan)

Editor's Note: The following article by ENMU's Dr. Will Kayatin was recently published in the "Student Activities Journal" and is reprinted by permission of the author.

John Gardner’s interview in the November/December issue of the Student Activities Journal reminds Student Affairs theorists and practitioners about the necessity of taking a proactive stance to cultivate the “perception of value” among the profession. This also correlates directly to an upcoming initiative by APCA—Student Success. What is it about Student Affairs that contributes positively to this desired outcome? Are we just an over-budgeted service auxiliary that does what the faculty does not want to do; or, is there measurable, tangible value in what we do to enhance and promote student recruitment, retention and post-graduation success? The answer to both questions is yes, but with a twist.
Dr. Gardner alluded to a movement that has subtly swept the country. His points obviously have much merit. What happens in the classroom will always be the first curriculum. It should be. To expect equal status would only be an exercise in futility. However, with the boon in higher education during the latter half of the twentieth century, institutions had to respond structurally and culturally to the pervasive needs of the new college student. The result has been the development of the modern university system, one that is partly a business enterprise, replete with bureaucratic bells and whistles and a new subculture to match. The faculty retreated almost exclusively to teaching and research, and Student Affairs professionals filled the vacuum. While there is no turning back to universitas and the tutor-scholar model, there have been attempts at a second marriage, i.e.—learning communities, freshman seminar classes and service learning.

Although these are wonderful, valuable examples of reconciliation, there are many other services and programs that reconnect Student Affairs to the academy. Student life is a leadership laboratory and a practicum for classroom knowledge, whether students participate on campus program boards, engage in community service projects, or work as student assistants in our offices. Moreover, the “fun stuff” does provide a very important social forum for building community; and the reality is that students are not going to stay if they do not feel a sense of community. But even more important is the negative affect on collaboration caused by the culture of faculty seclusion. How many times must one beg a professor to attend a program, especially one that was designed to appeal to the academic curriculum? This aversion to engagement must change for a healthy partnership to blossom.

Suggestions for Student Affairs
Student Affairs must do a better job of promoting its value. It must also systematically and quantitatively assess its programs to validate its value. There is no single recipe for success, because every institution is different. Find your niche! For example, at small, rural colleges, leadership and social programming may be far more valuable to student success than at larger, metropolitan universities that are naturally surrounded by social vehicles. Also, take the initiative to develop an action plan for integrating the faculty. Lastly, be persistent, but patient: “If you build it, they will come.”

The reality is that Student and Academic Affairs cannot exist in the university enterprise without a reciprocal relationship, so they better figure out a way to progressively change the social relations of the university work culture from seclusion to engagement. Transforming the culture will ultimately lead to Student Success.

Annual Williamson Lectureship Back For 29th Year on March 3
by Helen Carroll
Communication Services

The 29th annual Williamson Lectureship series will be held on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University on March 3, 2005. The day’s events include a luncheon, hosted by noted science fiction author Connie Willis. The luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. in the Campus Union Ballroom and will be attended by Dr. Jack Williamson and guest speakers Gregory Benford and Walter Jon Williams. There will also be a panel presentation by the authors at 7 p.m. that evening in Buchanan Hall of the Music Building. This year’s lectureship will address “Posthumanity Evolving,” and will engage the audience in discussion.

The lectureship honors distinguished science fiction author, scholar and Emeritus Professor of English Jack Williamson, whose recent and widely acclaimed novel,
“Terraforming Earth,” (2001) will soon be joined by “The Stonehenge Gate” (Tor, anticipated publication, August 2005). Joining Dr. Williamson will be two other noted science fiction authors, Gregory Benford and Walter Jon Williams.

Benford is a physicist and astronomer at the University of California, Irvine, and serves as a consultant for NASA. His best-known novel, “Timescape” (1980), his popular Galactic Center series “In The Ocean of Night” (1977), “Across the Sea of Suns” (1984), and "many others are all marked by the talent of a gifted writer and the knowledge of a practicing scientist," according to a supplied biography.

Walter Jon Williams is the author of 20 novels and several short story collections. His science fiction is "varied, intelligent and powerfully imaginative," according to his bio. "Hardwired" (1986) and "Voice of the Whirlwind" (1987) extend cyberpunk in new directions. "The Rift" (1999), "Metropolitan" (1995), "City on Fire" (1996, Hugo and Nebula nominee), and his trilogy of "Dread Empire’s Fall" "create worlds that readers want to explore and long to escape from," according to his bio.

Below is the schedule of events:

Williamson Lectureship Luncheon
11:45 a.m., Campus Ballroom ($7, payable at the door)
RSVP (for lunch) by Friday, Feb. 25, by calling 505.562.2315

Williamson Lectureship Panel
7 p.m., Buchanan Hall, ENMU Music Building
Free of charge. For more information, contact Patrice Caldwell at 505.562.2315 and
Visit our Web site: http://www.enmu.edu/williamson-lectureship

ENMU Employee Moving from The Alley in Basement of CUB to Upstairs in SAS Building
Story and photo by Shelley Gilmore
Communication Services

Susan Larsen is now a counselor in the Career and Counseling Services. She had been a counselor in the College Success Program for a year and a half but has decided to make a move.
Susan has really enjoyed being a counselor in the College Success Program, but the structure of the TRIO grant restricts her from working with students who are not part of Student Support Services. In the office of Counseling and Career Services she will be able to work with a greater percentage of ENMU students.

Susan says, “I’m excited about reaching more students. I really look forward to the challenge of meeting new students and expanding upon my role here at ENMU. I also think I can bring balance to the program for students who are more comfortable working with a same sex counselor.”

Ty Walker, director of Counseling and Career Services, is excited about Susan's appointment with his department. "We've been short-handed for some time, and Susan will certainly help fill a void. She is good with students and her expertise as a counselor is very valuable to the University."


Aside from Susan’s love of working with students she is also teaches Freshmen Seminar, a Special Education course, and a graduate level Counseling course. Susan says, “I love graduation. I love to see students that I’ve worked with graduate.”

Even though Susan is changing offices she will miss the relationships that she made in the TRIO program. Susan says, “It’s a small campus and it’s not hard to get to know people. Offices work together to help students and I’m glad to be a part of that.”

ENMU Students to be Surveyed on College Experience
by Marc Schoder
ENMU Communication Services

Eastern New Mexico University will participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

“ENMU chose to participate in the NSSE survey,” says Dr. Sue Strickler, coordinator of the Assessment Resource Office. “The survey gives us a view of how engaged our students are in their own learning process; the answers to these questions allow us an opportunity to improve teaching and learning and all aspects of campus life.”

The NSSE will soon come to ENMU and several hundred other colleges and universities across the country. While it's easy to ignore surveys, this one is short but has the potential to actually make a difference in the quality of undergraduate education here and elsewhere because it asks the kinds of questions that matter to student learning and
institutional effectiveness, according to a release from NSSE.

How much reading and writing is required? How often do students interact with other students who are from different backgrounds and cultures? How good is the academic advising? How many students work with faculty members on research and other activities?

“A sample of 450 freshmen and 450 seniors will be asked to complete the survey. The survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete – they will be sent a paper copy initially or they can complete it on the Web,” says Dr. Strickler.

The survey was to be mailed to students last week. The National Survey of Student Engagement is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to help colleges and universities improve undergraduate education. Pew is a philanthropic organization interested in college students and collegiate quality and is underwriting the project as a public service.

Additional information about The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is available on the Web at http://www.iub.edu/~nsse/ or http://www.indiana.edu/~nsse/html/quick_facts.htm

International Affairs Office Completes School Supply Drive
by Oscar Hua Wen
Communication Services

Recently, the International Affairs Office at Eastern New Mexico University conducted a School Supply Drive Donation for the children in Iraq, according to Rosa Zamora, director of International Affairs at ENMU.

“It started out only as an on-campus activity, and then it became open to all the community,” says Rosa. "Students, staff and off-campus groups made donations.

The International Office gathered pencils, erasers, pens, glue, rulers, crayons, paper and other things that children need to go to school.

Rosa said the activity was very successful. “We started out only trying to fill out one box, and when it ended we had four boxes.”

She noted that the only difficulty was the shipping. According to Diana Cordova, director of Multicultural Affairs, since the Multicultural Offices have an assigned amount with the Postal Office on campus, the shipping problem was solved through their account.

ENMU Alumnus Traveling the World to Help Find Cure for Parkinson’s Disease
by Helena Rodriguez
Communication Services

Justin Mounts is doing something many people only dream of. He has taken a leave of absence from his software job in California’s Silicon Valley to drive around the world in nine months, crossing four continents and 34 countries.

To top it off, Mounts and a team of eight others have a camera crew following their entourage around to document their globetrotting adventures. It’s almost like a reality TV show, but with a real purpose. The object of Drive Around the World is not for the team to be pitted against each other. Instead, they work together to create awareness and help raise money to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

For Mounts, Drive Around the World is not just about traveling to exotic places. Via an email interview, Mounts said, “It’s about giving something back and making a difference in the lives of others.” And this Eastern New Mexico University alumnus credits Eastern for allowing people like him to break ground. Mounts graduated from Eastern in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration. During his days at Eastern, Mounts was active with the Kappa Sigma fraternity and said that the fraternity organization also drove him to strive for excellence in all areas of his life.

“It was at Eastern that I made some of my best friends in life – all of whom I still speak to regularly,” Mounts said. “Going to a smaller school taught me that at any point in your life, you can choose to do something different – literally wipe clean the slate and charge at a new set of goals.”

Mounts set out to trek the world with the Drive Around the World organization on Nov. 1 at the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, Calif., and will finish at the same place in September. Mounts got involved with the drive when one of the organization’s founders, Chanda Baggarly, contacted him. “Chandra was aware of the volunteer work I perform regularly for the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and knew that I had a lot of connections around the U.S.,” Mounts explained. “At first, I signed up to be the volunteer coordinator. As time went on, I was eventually asked to take a larger role with the organization, that of assistant director.”

Mounts also added, “What most people don’t understand is that each team member has paid their own individual expenses up front. Each of us paid $10,000 to go
along, and we don’t receive salaries. Money can come and go, but I believe I was in the right place at the right time to help out. When you have the opportunity to meet the Parkinson’s patients worldwide and share their experiences, it makes the entire investment worth it.”

Currently, Mounts and the Drive Around the World team are in Bangkok, Thailand, and are applying for permission to drive through Myanmar (Burma) China and India.
Mounts explained that this dream adventure around the world is not a vacation. “It is a job,” he said. “We manage four unique programs, so the team is literally working 18 hour days while driving anywhere from 150-700 miles a day.”

“Driving around the world is a double-edged sword,” Mounts continued. “I am lucky enough to see some places I have only seen on Discovery Channel. The downside is that I may only get to see them for less than one day. Our route and schedules are extraordinarily challenging and jam-packed. Even though we are traveling through 34 countries, we don’t necessarily get the full experience each one has to offer.”

Mounts is proud to be a part of Drive Around the World because of the adventures, but most importantly, because of the cause. However, he said that when the drive is over, his future trips will be of a smaller scope. “I would rather go explore one continent for five to six months to really get to know the culture better, plus I wouldn’t be learning new languages all the time. Thus far, Mounts has studied Malay, Mandarin, Thai, Bermese, Hindi, Urdu and Kazakh. He said that his Spanish, Portuguese and Russian speaking abilities are passable and his Asian could use some work.

Mounts is not married, although he does have a girlfriend in Brazil. He came to Eastern from Wichita, Kansas in the early 1990s. While at ENMU, Mounts was active in theater productions, Kappa Sigma, the Interfraternity Council, American Marketing Association and Blue Key.

The Drive Around the World team’s primary task is to bring information to people around the world about Parkinson’s Disease, most importantly, bringing research to the forefront of people’s mind. Mounts noted that proceeds from the film being made on Parkinson’s and their drive around the world will be donated to the Parkinson’s Institute to help them continue to search for a cure.

Mounts encourages people to visit their Web site at www.drivearoundtheworld.com to make a donation or get more information about the organization or Parkinson’s Disease. On the Web site, the team is keeping a detailed journal of their drive around the world. “The National Institute of Health actually put a price tag on finding a cure at one billion dollars,” Mounts said. “Scientists have identified all the avenues to a cure, now they just need the research dollars to make it happen.”

The message below is an update on the progress of Justin Mounts and his fellow participants from Nick Baggarly of Drive Around the World. It was sent to Helena Rodriguez, who wrote the story above.

Dear Friends of Drive Around the World,

After 16 months, four continents and countless cans of Red Bull, your LONGITUDE Expedition has some exciting news to share. After reaching the northernmost point of the journey Feb. 5 at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, our Land Rovers turned south and are pointed toward the finish line at the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Calif.

We're coming home!

If you've followed our journals and dispatches, you know where we've been. From California all the way to the road's end in Tierra del Fuego. Across Australia's Gunbarrel Highway. Through the muddiest parts of Southeast Asia, the highest roads of the Himalayas, the most treacherous parts of Pakistan and the coldest corners of Siberia.

You also know who we've met. The Dalai Lama, for starters (though we couldn't tell anyone until we made it through China)! We've rallied celebrities like Michael J. Fox, Jay Leno and James Cameron to our cause. We made friends on the streets of Bangkok and the reed houses of Bolivia.

And we met with people around the world who live with Parkinson's disease. Don Tito, a sheepherder from Patagonia, can no longer climb into his saddle and tend his flocks. Wang, from Singapore, gave up his career as a commercial pilot. Naomi, from Australia, thirsts for literature but cannot hold a book.

Their hands may tremble, but their hearts do not. The determination and strength of these people touched us, inspired us and reminded us that Parkinson's disease does not recognize international borders. It is a disease desperately in need of awareness, at home and especially abroad. In Laos, a country of over 6 million that likely has thousands living with Parkinson's, we found just one person who had been diagnosed with the disease.

Our expedition has been about bringing hope to Parkinson's sufferers. It's been about promoting cross-border understanding. In the most
essential sense, it's been about raising money to fund research to find a cure for PD, which the National Institute of Health believes will happen with the proper funding.

Tthe expedition isn't over yet. The truth is, this final leg is the most important of the expedition. We need your support to reach our fundraising goal and make a sincere difference in the fight against Parkinson's disease.

Land Rover Certified Pre-Owned and 60 other companies have made contributions to defray the expedition's costs and ensure that 100
percent of funds raised go directly to the Parkinson's Institute. To donate, visit www.drivearoundtheworld.com/support.

Until Feb. 28, we will carry all of you, in spirit, with us to the finish line. We thank you for your past support, and we hope to see you at the Parkinson's Institute!

Sincerely,

Nick Baggarly
executive director/LONGITUDE Expedition leader, Drive Around the World

ENMU Theatre Students to Become Arkansas Travelers for Regional Competition
by Stacy Allen
College of Fine Arts
(photo by Wendel Sloan)

Eastern New Mexico University will be represented in Fayetteville, Ark., on Feb. 22-26 at the regional competition of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Three theatre students, Chris Chavez, Jamie Barnes and James Villanueva, will be auditioning to win the Irene Ryan acting award. (Irene Ryan was best known as Granny Clampett in the Beverly Hillbillies.) Nineteen awards are handed out at each regional festival; 16 of which consist of a $500 scholarship.

At this festival, the students will be competing against schools from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Each ENMU student won acting awards at the state festival in El Paso this past November.

Cassie Parks, a junior, won an award for winning design for the Diversity Festival and will also be attending the regional festival. Libby Kofford, Solomon Romney and Heather Maez, the acting partners for the three nominated actors, are also going to lend their support.

The acting groups will perform scenes written by ENMU playwrights: students Joshua Aguirre, Jennae Pinnell and Solomon Romney, and faculty member Janeice Scarbrough. Regional festival winners will advance to the national competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Arkansas Travelers Headed for Big City

Science Fair Set for March 12
by Helen Carroll
Communication Services

The Southeastern New Mexico Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be held in the Campus Union Ballroom on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University on Saturday, March 12. The fair is one of six Regional Science Fairs held throughout New Mexico, and is open to students from the 6th through the 12th grade.

According to The International Science and Engineering Fair official rules, students wishing to participate in the fair need not have been previously entered in any other fair, although some of the schools in the district send their winners. Home-schooled students are also eligible to enter, as are students from the public schools, even if their teacher isn’t sponsoring them.

The fair has 13 categories: Behavioral and Social Sciences, Biochemistry (senior division only), Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Health Science, Microbiology, Physics, and Zoology. The fair is divided into two divisions: A junior division that includes 6th through 8th grades, and a senior division for 9th through 12th grades, according to Rosemary Mathews, secretary for the mathematical sciences department. Fair day consists of four activities: setting up, free time, interviews with judges, and an awards assembly. Lunch will be provided for participants and their sponsors.

Winners of 1st and 2nd place in their categories are invited to exhibit their projects at the New Mexico Science Fair held at New Mexico Tech University in Socorro in April. Each Regional Science Fair sends two delegates to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, which are held this year in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 8-14.

For additional information on the International Science and Engineering Fair rules and regulations, please visit the ISEF website at www.sciserv.org/isef.

ENMU Student Studies Mosquito Fish Habitat
(under supervision of Dr. Marvin Lutnesky)

Editor's Note: The following article about a fish habitat study conducted by ENMU student Tony Spitzack, under the direction of Dr. Marvin Lutnesky, was recently published in "Divining Rod," an online publication of the Water Resources Research Institute at New Mexico State University.

Eastern New Mexico University student Tony Spitzack has completed his study of the mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) and its habitat. Tony, a biology graduate student,
conducted his study under the supervision of Dr. Marvin Lutnesky. The study was funded by the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute’s Student Research Grant
Program 2003-2004. ÒThis experiment illuminates important life history traits of the mosquito fish, a poeciliid species that has been widely introduced for the biological control of mosquitoes and is closely related to at least one endangered species, Gambusia nobilis, according to Spitzack.

Tony collected mosquito fish for his project from the Pecos River near the Fort Sumner bridge, below the Alamogordo Dam. He then transferred the fish into the laboratory for experimental analysis. Spitzack explains that habitat use by fishes often varies spatially and temporally, and may have fitness consequences depending on the habitat that is chosen. Depth selection is an extremely important habitat choice in the life histories of fishes, and may be influenced by many variables. Some understudied variables that may affect depth choice include predation risk and sex. Furthermore, little is known about the effects of sexual interactions on depth choice. In this experiment, the role of predation risk, sex, and sexual interactions on depth choice (quantified as the distance from surface and distance from shore) in the mosquito fish was investigated.

Spitzack designed an experimental apparatus with a depth gradient, such that a fish of 10-50 mm could choose a distance from the surface ranging from 0-42 cm, and a distance from the shore ranging from 0-120 cm. A MANOVA test was performed to determine if predation risk, sex, and sexual interactions had any effect on depth choice. If a significant multivariate interaction of treatment and factors was found, Spitzack performed univariate tests for each variable.

A second test for sexual selection was performed by comparing regressions to determine if a relationship existed between the size of the companion individual and the depth
or activity of the focal individual. If any of the regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between companion size and focal individual depth, ANCOVA analyses
were used to test if the sex of the companion individual changed the relationship between companion size and focal individual depth.

Finally, regressions were performed to determine whether the focal individuals size affects its depth distribution. The MANOVA analysis revealed both sex and predation risk affect the depth distribution of mosquito fish. Although the MANOVA analysis revealed only a trend of companion sex affecting focal individual depth, the second regression
analysis revealed that increasing male size resulted in decreased female distance from the surface.

The subsequent ANCOVA analysis showed that female reaction to companion size was significantly different in the presence of another female than in the presence of a male. Therefore, it appears as though female G. affinis in this study incur increased predation risk to avoid sexual harassment by males. Although no evidence of a risk behavior trait was found in male G. affinis, that is, moving deeper in the presence of females versus in presence of other males, females appear to be more receptive to larger males by moving up in the water column, reducing the predation risk that they take upon themselves.

Since females participate actively in the probability of success of a given male, sexual selection is occurring as active sexual selection rather than passive sexual selection.

Eastern New Mexico University graduate students Jennifer Buntz (left) and Tony Spitzack (right) collect mosquito fish on the Pecos River during the summer of 2004.

ENMU Novice Debaters Tie for Third at the University of Kansas Tournament
submitted by Debate and Forenics

First timer novices led the way for the Eastern New Mexico University Debate and Forensics team at the recent Heart of America tournament at the University of Kansas, again demonstrating ENMU team's ability to prepare individuals with no experience for success in forensics.

Senior Lisa Hunter and Junior Whitney Hobson defeated several experienced competitors and advanced to the semifinals of the novice division of the Heart of America where they lost a close 2-1 decision to the University of Central Oklahoma. Hunter was named the 3rd Place Speaker in the novice division.

"Hunter and Hobson worked extremely hard in the weeks coming up to the tournament," coach Kara Dillard said."Many of their opponents had a lot more experience, but our coaching and their work ethic really paid off."

Hunter and Hobson are the latest in a series of excellent novice teams from ENMU. After last semester, Beverly Reynolds and Josh Wilson were rated as the #1 novice team in the country. Recent RPI rankings still list them as the #25 in nation, despite Reynolds leaving the team for an internship and not competing for the past three months.

Hispanic Affairs Hosting Motivational Speech by Retired High-Ranking Female Army Officer
by Oscar Hua Wen
Communication Services

Hispanic Affairs is hosting a motivational speech by Lt. Col. (retired) Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch. Her presentation will be in the Becky Sharp Auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25.

Lt. Col. Lickbusch, from San Antonio, Texas, was the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field in the United States Army. She is now retired and dedicates her time to be a motivational speaker in the search to create tomorrow's leaders. "She is a great speaker, she really makes an impact on your life," said Nancy Varela, student advisor of Hispanic Affairs at ENMU.

Besides her presentation, there will also be a reception, where students will have the opportunity to talk to her, according to Ms. Varela. "Do not miss this opportunity to come and let her inspire you not to give up hope, but rather to take charge and make a difference," she added.

College of Business Participating in Black History Month
by Dr. Bill Brunsen
Professor of Finance

To take a more active role in Black History Month, the ENMU College of Business (COB) has worked with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of African-American Affairs to invite Dr. Percy Vaughn to the ENMU campus. Dr. Vaughn earned his DBA at Texas Tech University and has been dean of the College of Business at Alabama State University since 1975.

Dean Gerry Huybregts and Professor Bill Brunsen have worked with Dr. Vaughn for nearly 15 years as a part of their involvement with the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society in Business Administration. Dr. Vaughn is a nationally known educator who is held in high regard within the higher education community. ENMU is confident that he will bring an important perspective and message to our students.

Given Dr. Vaughn’s stature in ACBSP and the academic community in general, we are fortunate to have him visit ENMU. Dr. Vaughn will speak to the African-American students during a special luncheon on Feb. 22.

Dr. Vaughn will also speak to ENMU classes during his visit. He has strong views on students accepting and meeting their responsibilities; while supportive, he is demanding.

Further information is available from Office of Multicultural Affairs, 562.4914, Office of African-American Affairs, 562.2437, or Bill Brunsen, 562.2744.

Planning Ahead for Future Fine Arts Events

Spring Choral Concert
Tuesday, March 1, 7 p.m., Music Building, Buchanan Hall
Contact: Joyce Stagg 505.562.2377
Free

ENMU Student Juried Exhibition
Feb. 23-March 27, Golden Library, Runnels Gallery
Awards Ceremony: Feb. 25, 4-6 p.m. Golden Library, Runnels Gallery
Contact: 505.562.2778
Free

Symphonic Band/Wind Symphony
Sunday, March 6, 3 p.m., Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Contact: Dustin Seifert 505.562.2671
Free

"Molly Sweeney"
March 13-16, 8 p.m., University Theatre Center, Studio
Contact: Stella Bouie 505.562.2711
General Admission $3

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
(Dinner Theater with a Roman flair)
March 31-April 2, Dinner 6:30 p.m., Show 7:30 p.m., Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Matinee April 3, Lunch 1 p.m., Show 2 p.m., Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Contact: Nikki Howard 505.562.2373

Masterclass, Kenneth Grant, Clarinet
Guest Artist, Eastman School of Music
Friday, April 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Music Building, Buchanan Hall
Contact: Joyce Stagg 505.562.2377
Free

ENMU Concert Band Clinic
April 4-5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Contact: Dustin Seifert 505.562.2671
Free

ENMU Concert Band Clinic Concert
Dr. Richard Mark Heidel, guest conductor
Contact: Dustin Seifert 505.562.2671
Free

Artesia High School Concert Band and ENMU Wind Symphony
Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m., Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Contact: Dustin Seifert 505.562.2671
Free

Darren Feldberg, Violin Guest Artist Recital
Monday, April 18, 7 p.m., Music Building, Buchanan Hall
Contact: Joyce Stagg 505.562.2377
Free

"The Seagull"
April 13-16, 8 p.m., University Theatre Center, Studio
Contact: Anne Beck 505.562.2711
Admission: $3

Spring Graduating Senior Art Exhibition Show #1
April 25-30, Participants TBA, Reception April 29 4-6 p.m.
Contact: 505.562.2778
Free

Large Works Choral Concert
Tuesday, April 26, 7 p.m., Music Building, Buchanan Hall
Contact: Joyce Stagg 505.562.2377
Free

Spring Dance Concert
April 28-30, 8 p.m., University Theatre Center, Mainstage
Contact: Jill Pribyl 505.562.2229
Gen Admission $7, $4 for ENMU students with ID, $5 for pre-college and $6 for seniors

Symphonic Band/Wind Symphony
Sunday, May 1, 3 pm, Campus Union Building, Ballroom
Contact: Dustin Seifert 505.562.2671
Free

Spring Graduating Senior Art Exhibition Show #2
May 2- 7, Participants TBA, Reception May 6, 4-6 p.m.
Contact: 505.562.2778
Free

Spring Graduating Senior Art Exhibition Show #3
May 9-14, Participants TBA, Reception May 13, 4-6 p.m.
Contact: 505.562.2778
Free

ENMU-Roswell Employee Appointed to Regional Health Advistory Committee
by Donna Gutierrez
ENMU-Roswell

Jane Batson, Division of Health Chair at ENMU-Roswell, was recently appointed to serve on the National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region (NN/LM SCR), Regional Advisory Committee as a representative to the Health Professionals Group. Batson’s term will continue through April 30, 2006. She will attend her first meeting March 17-18 in Houston, Texas.

The Houston Academy of Medicine--Texas Medical Center Library in Houston serves at the Regional Medical Library (RML) for the NN/LM SCR. The mission of the NN/LM SCR is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and to improve the public’s access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health in a five state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The responsibilities of the Regional Advisory Committee include: Advising the RML on appropriate mechanisms within the framework of the NN/LM SCR contract for developing and implementing programs to improve health professionals’ and consumers’ access to biomedical information; Advising the RML in establishing regional priorities, policies, and procedures; Developing plans to encourage health professionals and health science librarians to participate actively in regional and national programs affecting the delivery of health information; and Assisting the RML in identifying health professionals without access to health information and recommending ways to assist them through NN/LM programs.

ENMU-R Financial Aid Assistant Director Elected State President of Financial Aid Organization
by Donna Gutierrez
ENMU-Roswell

Analisa Mestas, assistant director of the ENMU-Roswell Financial Aid Department, was appointed the State President of the New Mexico Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NMASFAA) on Jan. 1. Her term will run for one year.

The NMASFAA is a non-profit association that serves the interests and needs of students who seek post-secondary education in New Mexico by providing financial aid information. The association also assists in coordinating plans and programs and involving federal, state, and private agencies to facilitate financial aid delivery to students in post-secondary education. In addition, the organization provides resources for professional development of financial aid administrators, so that their preparedness, knowledge, and efficiency are enhanced when they assist college students.

Mestas has worked in the ENMU-R Financial Aid Department for thirteen years. She is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the Southwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, where she is currently serving on the board as the State Delegate for New Mexico. She has presented at conferences sponsored by the Department of Education, New Mexico Student Loans, and SETA-SCT Education Technology Association. In addition, Mestas has participated in data verification for the New Mexico Council on Higher Education. She attends several state and national conferences and workshops each year to stay current on state and federal financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures.

Regarding her new NMASFAA Presidency, Mestas says, “My biggest challenge at this point is the upcoming NMASFAA spring conference that will be held in Silver City in March. I am responsible for working with various committees, lenders and sponsors to insure that the conference comes together. I have to come up with the sessions, presenters, moderators and be sure all is set up at the conference site. It’s been an interesting experience, but I am working with awesome people. The friends and contacts I have made through the years working in financial aid are invaluable. The financial aid community is one big family and we work with a great group of people.”

General Comments and Compliments

AEOP would like to thank all of our off- and on-campus community for their continued support in our yearly fundraisers. Without your support, we would not be able to provide scholarships. We would also like to congratulate Dr. Zhiming Liu and Sara Bulls in winning the Valentine's Baskets. (see related photos in Candid Camera section below)

"I opted not to run the photo of XXX (ENMU student), due to the angle of the hat. I fear phone calls from supervisors and elderly subscribers who will tell me about respect and wearing your hat right and saluting the American flag every morning." – local newspaper editor

Quote of the Week

"What time he can spare from the adornment of his person he devotes to the neglect of his duties." – Alan Gregg (an Oxford don describing a colleague)

Employee Briefs

Dr. Michael F. Shaughnessy and Dr. Arnold A. Lazarus of Princeton University have had a paper accepted for publication in England. It will appear in two parts during the coming year: during the Summer and the Fall.

Megan Chilson and Fredrick Chilson recently presented "Integrating Movement Across the Curriculum" at the Southwest District Conference for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in Phoenix, Ariz.

Wendel Sloan, director of Media Relations, has published an article on science fiction writer Jack Williamson in the March issue of New Mexico Magazine.

James McClinton, Physical Science instructor at ENMU-Roswell, has published a document on the basic framework for teaching radio astronomy in preparation for class visits to the Very Large Array outside of Socorro. His work can be found on the National Radio Astronomy web site. The address is http://www.vla.nrao.edu/genpub/tours/teachers/. You need to scroll down to "Preparing for the Visit" and select the link to "basic framework".

Candid Camera

Mystery Nose Scratcher Revealed! (photo by James Chacon)

As She Draws Winner (photo by Marc Schoder)

Of DQ Blizzard – Safety officer Ginger Creighton was revealed as the mystery nose scratcher from the Monday Memo two weeks ago as she draws the winner of a pecan cluster blizzard from Dairy Queen. Ginger took a break from her crutches to draw from 11 persons who correctly guessed her identity. They were: Rick Taylor, Oma Creighton, Dona Mae Skinner, Mick Hoffman, Rena Garrett, Janice Cowen, Sharon King, Newton Hilliard, Rosemary Mathews, Bobby Brunson and Jerri Kent. At first, Ginger claimed that Oma Creighton was the winner. But when the Monday Memo editor insisted on verifying the name, Ginger claimed that her recent racquetball injury had also affected her eyesight.

And the Winner Is (photo by Shelley Gilmore)

Dona Mae Skinner – The reproduction operator at University Printing Services enjoys the Dairy Queen pecan cluster blizzard she won in the first non-controversial election results in the United States since 1996. Dona Mae said that she had seen enough students scratching their heads over the tests she duplicates to become an expert at recognizing nose scratchers. She also said that, when the camera is not present, she finds that dipping her fingers into blizzards gives her the just the right grip for separating duplicated pages.

Chinese New Year (photos by Richard Salas)

Celebrated Last Week in Ballroom – The International Affairs Office celebrated the Chinese New Year last week in the Ballroom. Here, Wenhai Wang sings a bluesy song to match her beautful dress.

Different Kind of Paper Cut – Liguang Zheng shows a "paper cut" book. Her exquisite dress was borrowed from fellow Chinese student Oscar (Hua Wen).

No Translation Needed – For the universal victory sign. However, when Lan Nan, Qi Huang, Qian Huang and Chen Ye give the "Hook'em Horns" sign, we'll really be impressed (almost as much as if Texas ever beats Oklahoma).

Stick Dancing – These Chinese students gave a demonstration of stick dancing, which originated among one or more of the 56 minority groups in China (according to Hua Wen, who has adopted the American name of Oscar).

AEOP #1 Basket Winner (photo by Colita Hagar)

All for a Good Cause – Dr. Zhiming Liu won the top prize in the AEOP Valentine's Basket raffle fundraiser. Betsy Chavez presented the bounty. Funds go to scholarships.

AEOP #2 Basket Winner (photo by Richard Salas)

The Good Cause Continues – Sara Bulls won the second AEOP basket in their scholarship fundraiser, as Betsy had to help hold up the heavy basket.

Teachers on Campus (photo by Shelley Gilmore)

Action Research Training – There were over 30 teachers on campus on Friday and Saturday for their final training in conducting Action Research. All teachers are part of teams from around the state who have received grants from the Center for Teaching Excellence to conduct classroom research. Teachers were here from Aztec, Bloomfield, Deming, Socorro, Carlsbad, Ruidoso, Roswell, Dexter, Hagerman, Tatum, Clovis, Portales, Grants, Cloudcroft, and Alamogordo.

New Furniture Arrives (photo by Lavonda Franco)

For Natatorium – A new shipment of lounge chairs has arrived for student use in the Natatorium. The innovative designs can be form-fitted to each student's individual body shape.

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The Monday Memo is published by the Office of Communication Services Editor Wendel Sloan Monday.memo@enmu.edu 505.562.2253 Staff Writers Marc Schoder Shelley Gilmore Helen Carroll Oscar Hua Wen Staff Photographer Emeritus Richard Salas ENMU-Roswell Contributing Editor Donna Gutierrez ENMU-Ruidoso Contributing Editor Michael Elrod Technical Support ENMU Web Team