Press Releases

Western New Mexico University Foundation's annual Hats in The Garden is scheduled for Sunday, October 1, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. in the WNMU Alumni Gardens, adjacent to Hunter Hall. Themed Victorian Impressionism, this elegant event gives attendees a chance to unleash their inner British Queens and don their fanciest headwear. A People’s Choice Award will be awarded to the person with the most-eye catching hat. “Guests enjoy voting on their favorite hat. It is quite competitive and exciting,” said Western New Mexico University Foundation Executive Director, Jodi C. Edens-Crocker. Attendees can bid on themed baskets during the silent auction and enjoy a fashion show, presented by Vintage Fantasies, that will evoke the sense of stepping into a late 19th-century painting. “The event is a fun and unique opportunity to support the university. Both men and women attend, and it has become a wonderful mother-daughter afternoon out. Many attendees embrace dressing up for the theme,...

Western New Mexico University is hosting the 7th Annual James H. Pirtle Walk for Heroes, which starts and ends at Old James Stadium on Saturday, September 30. This year’s participants will walk three miles around campus and through the historic downtown Silver City area then enjoy speakers and food together afterward. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event and costs $25 per person or $30 per couple. Registered participants will get a T-shirt and lunch. The remaining funds go to local charities. While the walk began as a grueling and lightly attended trek along the highway between Hurley and Deming, it has evolved into a more community-focused event that benefits locals in need. The fundraising event also brings awareness to local military organizations such as the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 368, which co-sponsors the event. Local veteran Mike Lopez founded the event and, along with his wife Liz, still organizes it today. After a couple of long and...

The first round of Legacy Bricks have been installed on the Western New Mexico University campus, and the school invites those visiting for Homecoming 2017 to wander among the bricks. Commemorating alumni, loved ones and friends, Legacy Bricks are sold through the University Foundation and placed in the school’s most scenic spots. These first Legacy Bricks are located in The Gardens, adjacent to Light Hall. Whether Legacy Bricks contain loved ones’ names, special dates, or words about favorite memories, each leaves a lasting testament on campus. “We’re excited that anyone who has an important memory or accomplishment at WNMU has the opportunity to leave their legacy on a brick that will be a part of the landscape of our future,” University Foundation Executive Director Jodi Edens-Crocker said. Bricks can contain one line of information for $100 or two lines for $125 of up to ten spaces per line. “Salute the past, capture the present, and pave the future for...

Three Western New Mexico University alumni will be honored during the 2017 Homecoming Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, September 22, at 6:00 p.m. followed by an induction at the homecoming football game on Saturday. Rosie Gomez (’02) and Thaxter “Scrappy” Richard (’97) will be honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award, while Larry Barstow (’62) will be receiving the Outstanding Alum Award. Tickets to the awards dinner, which will be held in the Student Memorial Building Student Dining Room, are available online at alumni.wnmu.edu for $20 per person. Gomez is being recognized for dedicating a career to improving the health and wellbeing of children and families. A social caseworker with the Denver Department of Human Services, Gomez also served in various roles with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She oversaw the distribution of millions of Federal dollars to decreasing child maltreatment, brought state leaders together at the White House to...

Violist Willy Sucre kicked off the inaugural season of the Western New Mexico University President’s Chamber Music Series last fall and returns to campus with a string quartet this Tuesday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Light Hall Theater. A pre-performance reception will take place on the Light Hall Patio at 6:30 p.m. Originally from Bolivia, Sucre studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica in La Paz, at Colby College Chamber Music Institute in Maine, Mannes School of Music in New York, and the Peabody Conservatory in Maryland. With experience as a conductor, a symphony violist, and an orchestra director, Sucre’s passion is chamber music ensembles. He spends his summers in South America searching for new chamber music pieces by modern composers and encouraging composers both here and in South America to write new pieces. Sucre has performed and recorded music throughout South, Central, and North America. He is now a member of the New Mexico Philharmonic and the driving...

The traditional sounds of Estonia with a modern twist will be performed live on the Western New Mexico University campus, Wednesday, September 20, 2017. Trad.Attack!, an internationally popular and endlessly energetic trio, will rock Light Hall Theater beginning at 7:00 p.m. Drawing inspiration from recordings of the great Estonian folk singers and instrumentalists, Trad.Attack! brings these traditions to the 21st century but also experiments with different styles and musical directions. Creating the perception that there are more than three people on stage, Trad.Attack! builds on ancient rhythms, fleshing out Estonian folk songs with acoustic 12-string guitar, drums, whistles, bagpipes, and Jew’s harps, plucked instruments that produce one pitch with multiple overtones. Band members and close friends Sandra (bagpipe), Jalmar (vocals) and Tõnu (trombone and drums) had each individually been engaged with the Estonian music scene for more than 15 years prior to forming...

A celebration of Mexico’s independence will be commemorated through song and dance at Western New Mexico University. Mariachi Plata, WNMU’s award-winning mariachi ensemble, along with Ballet Folklorico Paso Del Norte, Mariachi Raices de America, and Antonio Reyna, New Mexico’s Male Vocalist of the Year, will be on campus to conduct music workshops and perform in concert. The workshops will take place Thursday, September 14 and Friday, September 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Parotti Music Building. Designed for musicians with a minimum of two years experience in their instrument, cost is $50 per participant. Registration is available by contacting Bryant Chaffino at 575-538-6617. The weekend will conclude with a concert featuring the three ensemble groups and Antonio Reyna on Saturday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Theater. Admission is $10 per person. WNMU students and children aged two-years old and under are free. Tickets may be...

Western New Mexico University is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month with several events planned between September 15 and October 15. Most events are free to the public and center around food, culture, music, history, and current political issues. “As a Hispanic Serving Institution, we take seriously how important Hispanic culture and history have been to our region and the students we serve,” said Abe Villarreal, WNMU Director of Communications. “We are excited to present these events and engage in greater dialogue with the university community.” Listed are the events open to the community: Friday, September 15 Mexican Independence Day lunch, 11am to 1pm, Student Memorial Center patio. Cost is $8.26 per plate and free to WNMU students. Saturday, September 16 Mexico Vive Mariachi concert, 7pm, Fine Arts Center Theater. Admission is $10 per person and free to WNMU students. Sunday, September 17 Lowriders, Hoppers, and Hot Rods Car Show, 12pm to 4pm,...

Five Western New Mexico University nursing students are the recipients of scholarships awarded by the Martin Family, marking over 16 years of scholarship support to WNMU students. Jerrika Lewis, Jasmine Romero, Tim DeJardins, Amanda Pryor, and StarrAnn Moon were the recipients of the Robert and Ione Martin Scholarship, the Frank and Bernice Parrish Scholarship, the Robert and Ione Martin State Match Scholarship, and the Frank and Bernice Parrish State Match Scholarship. All scholarships were created and awarded by the Martin Family. Bob Martin, owner of Western Bank, presented the scholarships at his place of business, congratulating each student and proclaiming that the 2017 nursing awards were the among the largest distributed by his family. Recipients are chosen through a competitive application process based on academic progress, dedication to the nursing profession, and financial need among other application requirements. “The WNMU Foundation is honored to help...

Registration is open for the upcoming Homecoming Parade at Western New Mexico University on Saturday, September 23 at 10:00 a.m. Community organizations, non-profits, small businesses, and candidates for office are encouraged to submit an entry into the parade. Entries can be submitted online at www.wnmu.edu/homecoming-reserve. There is no registration fee. Parade lineup will be at 9:00 a.m. on September 23 at the Grant County Courthouse on Cooper Street. The entries will be judged in various categories. The parade route begins at the Grant County Courthouse at 10:00 a.m. and entries are paraded through historic downtown with finale being the Fine Arts Center Theater parking lot on campus. Following the parade are tailgate festivities in the Juan Chacon Building parking lot culminating with the Mustang football game at 1:30 p.m. in Ben Altamirano Field when the Mustangs take on UT Permian Basin. The Office of Alumni Affairs is hosting several activities throughout...