Monday Memo — Printing all the news that fits

Sept. 15, 2008

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Features and Photos

Video Alert

Multicultural Affairs Sponsors ENMU Muslim Student's Discussion of "Islam Denounces Terrorism" on 9-11 in CUB – [video]

After World Travels, ENMU Grad Returns to Teach at Alma Mater
Story and top photo by Robin Haislett
Communication Services

“There are some universals in human behavior, but each archaeological site is different and offers a different window into the world that human beings once occupied."

Assistant professor of archaeology Dr. David Kilby is becoming reacquainted with his old graduate school in a new way. After receiving his master in anthropology from Eastern New Mexico University and Ph.D. in the same field from the University of New Mexico, Dr. Kilby decided to return to Eastern to teach.

“When I got into archaeology, I always wanted to teach. That’s always been my goal, so I’m just really happy to be embedded in that full-time. I got here right when classes started,” says Dr. Kilby.

Originally from western North Carolina, Dr. Kilby found his calling while taking anthropology as an elective in his undergrad work.

“I was actually an English major. It wasn’t until college and taking some courses that I realized that archaeology was actually something you could go out and do with your life. After the first class, I took several more thinking I would minor and, by the end of the year, I had changed my major,” recounts Dr. Kilby.

The opportunity to understand what the world was like in the past is what intrigues him. “There are some universals in human behavior, but each archaeological site is different and offers a different window into the world that human beings once occupied. Many past ways of life are substantially different than anything we are able to observe today.”

Dr. Kilby chose ENMU for a few reasons; one being the close proximity to the Blackwater Draw site which he explains as being similar to a “Rosetta Stone” of Paleo-Indian cultures. Another reason he decided to put down roots at ENMU was because of the work environment.

“I know a lot of the other professors and not only are they good archaeologists, they’re very amicable and open. The environment at Eastern is supportive rather than competitive,” he explains.

Dr. Kilby has traveled through the Southwest, the Plains, the east coast, Rockies, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guam doing consulting through his graduate career. Before that, his parents exposed him to archaeology as a kid by having him travel to Mesoamerica (central America) with them on volunteering ventures.

Dr. Kilby is getting married in October and has just bought a house with his fiance. “I’m kind of doing everything at once!” he laughs.

Enrollment Services Tries to Enroll 27-Year-Old Professor
Story and photo by Erin Griffith
Communication Services

“I appreciate the values the school has and its focus on students."

When 27-year-old Dr. LaChrystal Ricke-Radcliffe, assistant professor of communication, came to Eastern New Mexico University this semester, Enrollment Services kept trying to enroll her.

Dr. Ricke, who married Michael Radcliffe this summer and is still working out the details of her last name, recently graduated from the University of Kansas with her Ph.D. in communication studies.

“I’m much younger than the rest of the department; it has been difficult coming out of a graduate program and adjusting to a more experienced environment, but I love all of the faculty. Everybody says ‘hello’ every morning and is very welcoming,” said Dr. Ricke, a native of Wichita, Kan.

Dr. Anthony Schroeder selected her to be interviewed. "A debate coach from KU graduated from Eastern and told me he thought I would be a good fit," she said.

“I appreciate the values the school has and its focus on students. The classes are really a great size, and I have a good office with a window. My last office used to be someone’s audio/video closet, and they stored helium in it,” said Dr. Ricke, whose office is home to Cyclops, the one-eyed fish (he had a bad eye infection: no fish abuse occurred).

Her major project right now, other than adjusting to what her mother calls a ‘grown up’ schedule from a graduate student schedule, is publishing her dissertation about the CNN – YouTube Presidential Candidate Debates that occurred in 2007. The study analyzed how the debates allowed greater public access into a very traditional channel of political communication. There is a summary article coming out in Communication Currents [http://www.communicationcurrents.com/] in October.

Life in a small town has been different for the newlyweds, “I miss the shopping and my husband loves to cook, so he is sad without being able to buy kitchen gadgets from Bed Bath and Beyond,” said Dr. Ricke, who also loves to play with her three dogs Winston, Logan and Jake.

Her husband is attending Eastern as a full-time student studying information systems; she says he has to take freshman seminar even though he is 31.

Ag Students Working with Animals in New Lab: Getting New Building Story and photos by Erin Griffith Communication Services “The lab has enriched my learning; nothing can replicate hands-on learning and seeing the processes for yourself.” – Allie Brooks

Allie Brooks, a senior pre-vet major, studies a speciman through a microscope.
The animal and veterinary science students at Eastern New Mexico University will soon move out of their storage room and in with the animals. With the help of Dr. Steven Gamble, ENMU president, and money from the state legislature, Dr. Darron Smith, assistant professor of agriculture, and his students cleaned out a storage room in the Technology Building and began to set up a lab. Since then he has written many grants to help outfit the lab so students can process any feed and do nutritional analysis as well as manure analysis and blood assay cultures. Allie Brooks, a senior animal science pre-vet major, came to ENMU the same time as Dr. Smith in 2005 and has been helping with the lab since the beginning.
“The lab has enriched my learning; nothing can replicate hands-on learning and seeing the processes for yourself,” said Ms. Brooks, who plans to go to law school at Texas Tech when she finishes her degree. Although the lab has enhanced students’ education, it is missing one key component to their studies: animals. The lab is located in the back of the building, and students actually have to walk through other classrooms to get to it. Needless to say, they cannot take animals back there.	Dr. Darron Smith and Allie Brooks
(This space available for rent – call Wendel)
“We have some funds to build an animal and veterinary science building. It will have animal pens and the lab and classrooms will be there too. We will get a smart classroom too so that we can hook microscopes up and project the images,” Dr. Smith said. The rest of the Technology Building will be updated if General Obligation Bond D passes in the upcoming election. “The bond would certainly allow us to provide the scientific training that the animal and dairy science students need, as well as allow us to do a better job of teaching in family and consumer sciences and the textile program,” Dr. Smith said. Dr. Smith said the new facility will benefit those involved in area agriculture by giving them a place to bring their animals for testing, and evaluate feed nutrients.

ENMU Observing Constitution Day on September 18
by Erin Griffith
Communication Services

“Every citizen should know and understand their rights and obligations under the Constitution." – Dr. Steven Palmer


Dr. Donald Elder III	Dr. Steven Palmer	Dr. Sue Strickler

ENMU will observe the federally-mandated-for-schools Constitution Day with a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 in the Becky Sharp Auditorium in the College of Business. (Constitution Day is officially Sept. 17.)

Drs. Donald Elder III, professor of history, Steven Palmer, assistant professor of law, and Sue Strickler, professor of political science, will present the past, present and future of the Constitution, with an emphasis on the Supreme Court’s role in determining the meaning of the Constitution.

“Every citizen should know and understand their rights and obligations under the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the focus because it is the ultimate decider of what the Constitution means,” Dr. Palmer said.

He will talk about what the condition of the Constitution is in the 21st century with emphasis on Bush vs. Gore, the unitary presidency, Patriot Act, and habeas corpus. He will also discuss the current justices’ political views.

Dr. Elder will discuss how the Constitution has developed since its creation in 1787. He will point out major Supreme Court decisions that have helped define the Constitution.

Dr. Strickler will talk about the constitutional issues anticipated to come before the court in the future. She will also discuss how the makeup of the court is likely to change over the next four to eight years.

“All students, especially during an election year, need to understand the Constitution. The outcome of the election may influence both, the Supreme Court and the Constitution,” said Dr. Palmer.

The meeting is open to the public free of charge.

For more information, call Dr. Palmer at 562.2542.

Mystery Employee Identified

Winner Gets Sandwich from Do Drop In – Only two employees correctly identified the boy in the Mystery Employee Photo Contest. Guessing correctly were Darren Pollock and Ellen Gardiner. Four people guessed it was Wendel Sloan, and getting one vote apiece were Fabian Lopez, Bill Gaedke and Clark Elswick.

And the Employee Was...	And the Winner Is...
Gene Smith – The dean of the College of Business draws the winner of a sandwich from Do Drop In between correct guessers Ellen Gardiner and Darren Pollock. (photo by Robin Haislett)	Darren Pollock – Upon hearing the news of his big win, the associate professor of biology said that he planned on eating half of the sandwich, and conducting experiments on the other half – promising that no animals not already in the sandwich would be injured. (photo by Robin Haislett)

ENMU to Host Collection of Student-Written Theatre/Dance on September 20
by Robin Haislett
Communication Services

Eastern New Mexico University will host the first “Saturday Night Lab,” a collection of theatre pieces created and directed by ENMU students, on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Universisty Theatre Center.

This performance is the first “Saturday Night Lab” put on by the theatre department. “It provides an opportunity for students who are not cast or crew on a production to showcase their work,” explains chair of theatre and digital cinema arts and professor of theatre Janeice Scarbrough.

The students who created the pieces presented each of their works to theatre and dance faculty for approval. Five pieces were chosen including:

“Flo,” a dance piece, and “Sun Up Sun Down” by Stephanie Miller from Carlsbad with actors Angee Keen from Santa Fe, Jessica Pangle from Carlsbad, Amber Glasgow from Farmington and Robert Tucker from Los Alamos.

“Language of Angels” directed by Laura Holder from Artesia with actors Devin Fields from Portales, Iam Guinard (hometown unknown), Erica Jayne Christian from Silver City and Jennifer Senn from Portales.

“E-harmonized” by Amber Glasgow from Farmington with actors Wes Dudley from Amarillo, Texas, Stephanie Miller from Carlsbad, Louis Pacheco from Clovis, Laura Holder from Artesia and Erica Jayne Christian from Silver City.

“The Bowtie Nouce” by Samantha Fields from Lubbock, Texas, with actors Devin Fields from Portales, Erica Jayne Christian from Silver City and Jennifer Senn from Portales.

All parts have been cast from theatre majors.

The event is free of charge. For more information, contact Shirlene Peters at 575.562.2711.

Scenes from First Home Game for Greyhounds
(click on arrows below photos)

Slackliners Not to be Confused with Slackers
(photos by Wendel Sloan)

No Trees Were Hurt – Stephanie Bemis, a sociology and theater major from Carlsbad, and her friends enjoy slacklining on campus. Despite appearances, they are not part of a fringe shoeless cult or hippie independent political party – just students having fun. Imagine that!

(According to Erin Griffith's research on Wikipedia, “Slacklining is a balance sport that utilizes nylon webbing stretched tight between two anchor points”)

Immodest Moose

Mardi Gras Moose in Roosevelt Hall had to work hard for these beads.
(photo by Robin Haislett)

Chinese Graduate Works at Democratic Convention
	Oscar Wen, an ENMU graduate from China, worked at the Democratic National Convention. She took this photo of Michelle Obama with her cellphone.


After the convention, Oscar escaped to the mountains to contemplate who she would vote for if she were a citizen.

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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/Photographers Robin Haislett Erin Griffith	ENMU-Roswell Contributing Editor Donna Oracion	ENMU-Ruidoso Contributing Editors Michael Elrod Coda Omness	Technical Support Minh Tran