Author Archives: Abe Villarreal

AmBank, soon to known as First American Bank, has once again partnered with Western New Mexico University in promoting the statewide General Obligation Bond C campaign. AmBank temporarily donated the use of its billboard on Highway 180 for the use of promoting the campaign. The billboard features artwork and messaging similar to other billboards across the state with Bond C information describing the estimated 1,400 jobs and $139 million in infrastructure funding to colleges and universities in New Mexico that will occur if a majority of voter’s approve the bond’s passage on November 4. “We are glad to support Western New Mexico University,” said Mike Trujillo, AmBank President. “We are supportive of Bond C and getting information out there about the campaign.” With voter approval, WNMU will receive $6 million in funding that will benefit technology updates to Light Hall, renovation of Fleming Hall and planning money for future improvements to Harlan...

Western New Mexico University is partnering with several community organizations to participate in Take Back The Night, a nationwide event focusing on eliminating sexual violence. Set to take place on Tuesday, October 28, Take Back The Night will include guest speakers and a march through historic Downtown Silver City. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Student Memorial Center patio where the march will begin. The march will proceed down College Avenue and through Broadway and Bullard Streets. At the end of the march will be guest speakers, a photo booth, food and prizes. Take Back The Night is sponsored by The Center For Gender Equity, El Refugio and Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services. More information is available by contacting...

Western New Mexico University has a new initiative called The Center For Gender Equity. It is the first center focusing on all genders on a college campus in New Mexico and its opening marks another step in making the WNMU campus an open and diverse community for students. The new Center will have a ribbon cutting and open house on Thursday, October 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Located on 1211 Mississippi Street, The Center will be the home of programs and initiatives celebrating gender and sexual identity diversity and inclusion for students at WNMU. “We are focused on students having a safe area to do work and study without them feeling like they are judged for anything,” said Marilynn Grijalva, a junior from Douglas, Arizona. Grijalva is one of five students working for The Center and developing programs such as the National Coming Out Day that took place on October 9. “I think a lot of students will open up their minds,” said Grijalva. “They are sometimes...

Officials from the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez (UACJ), a university located in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; visited the Silver City campus on Friday, October 17 to sign an agreement with Western New Mexico University’s Language Institute. Both universities previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement in June during a visit by WNMU officials to the UACJ campus. “We have signed a couple of agreements and we are here to put it into action, to bring new ideas forward, and to go further in developing our partnership,” said Deirdre Dazan, UACJ Director of International Relations. At least 17 UACJ officials met in Silver City with faculty and staff members representing several academic areas including education, social work, nursing, business, occupational therapy and Spanish. The meeting was designed to create dialog among representatives from both universities specific to the disciplines which both see as areas of opportunities for exchanges among faculty and...

General Obligation Bond C Will Provide $6 Million In Funding To WNMU For Infrastructure Updates   Bond Money Will Help Fund Higher Education Without Raising Property Taxes While Creating Jobs  Silver City, NM – This fall voters in Grant County will have the opportunity to invest in the state’s public colleges and universities without any increase to their property taxes. General Obligation Bond C (also referred to as GO Bond C) proposes a total of $139,755,000 for New Mexico’s public colleges and universities, of which $6 million will be allocated to Western New Mexico University. These funds will be used to improve and upgrade the university’s main campus in Silver City. These voter-approved projects create new jobs in Grant County, all without increasing property taxes. Voter approved GO Bond C funding is the only source of funding for many New Mexico-based public colleges and universities. Many institutions use GO Bond C as an opportunity to repair and...

Students of all ages in the Grant County, Luna County and Hidalgo County school districts are invited to participate in an essay contest titled “The Dream: What It Means To Me”. Essay participants will be celebrated along with other special guests at the annual Martin Luther King Jr Day celebration on Monday, January 19 on the Western New Mexico University campus. For the high school division, a panel of submission readers will select one student participant to receive a paid semester of tuition to WNMU. High school entries should be a minimum of three paragraphs in length. Essays should address what the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. means to the student. Essay writers from the elementary and middle school levels should submit essays that are a minimum of one paragraph in length. These essays should also address the meaning of the Martin Luther King Jr legacy to each writer. Essays can be written in any language. Entry deadline is December 1. All entries will be...

The tastes of Malaysia will be served up by Sodexo Global Chef Vigean Suparamaniam on Thursday, October 16 and Friday, October 17. Chef Suparamaniam will prepare classic dishes from Malaysia and other Asian countries and will provide active demonstrations of meal preparation that involve the students and other attendees. Chef Suparamaniam is participating in this program at the Western New Mexico University Mustang Dining Hall as part of the 2014-2015 Sodexo Global Chef Program. The program is a month-long international chef residency that provides an opportunity for Sodexo’s top chefs worldwide to travel to different countries and share authentic international cuisines with students, faculty and staff. The program allows students to sample a slice of another culture while also exposing the local culinary staff to new techniques and flavors. The presentations will be given on Thursday, October 16 from 11:00am to 1:30pm and 4:30 p.m. to 7pm; and on Friday, October 17 from...

Western New Mexico University is once again partnering with the Volunteer Center of Grant County and the American Association of University Women of Silver City to host the annual Hunger for Knowledge Dinner fundraiser. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Commons on 501 E. 13th Street. The dinner is a unique experience for attendees to learn about hunger and poverty in New Mexico. Tickets are $15 per person and all proceeds benefit hunger programs facilitated the Volunteer Center of Grant County. The programs include the community food pantry, backpacks for kids in Grant County and the mobile food pantry. Each year about $2500 are raised for the center. Students in the sociology program at WNMU assist in facilitating the event. For more information, contact...

He’s been referred to as the country’s best diversity artist, and now he is ready to inspire audiences at Western New Mexico University on Monday, October 13. Matt Glowacki will be speaking at the Global Resource Center at 7:00 p.m. to WNMU students and anyone else in the community who wants to hear his inspiring message. His talk is inspired by two animated programs, Family Guy and South Park. Glowacki is a motivational speaker and a wheelchair bound athlete. He will be using his presentation to deliver his uplifting message related to stereotypes and prejudices. Born without any legs, Glowacki travels the country delivering his message and inspiring younger audiences to break stereotypes and look beyond people’s differences. Glowacki began sharing his message in college, while he attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He played wheelchair basketball during his collegiate years and simultaneously...