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The WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Art held a well-attended reception to celebrate the opening of its Juried Student Art Exhibit on February 29, 2024. The exhibit showcases the diversity of art created on campus, from painting to ceramics to sculpture. “The innovative and divergent variety of work that has been executed by the students brings a fresh modern energy to this year’s exhibition,” said McCray Gallery Director Jill Winburn, “With the help of their professors, students really jumped into preparing their work for presentation and that has really made all the difference in this year’s juried exhibition. Their pride and delight in their work really shines.” Expressive Arts major Jasper Eyrich-Bingham noted how participating in the show allowed him a different perspective from what he has as a student in class. “I can get good feedback and engagement from peers and professors,” he said, “but there is something I find to be very profound about showing art...

WNMU will be on spring break, March 11-15, with campus offices closed for the...

The WNMU Nursing program’s recent pre-licensure BSN graduates have a 100% passing rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the test that is required to become licensed as a nurse. The most recent national average passing rate for baccalaureate students is approximately 90%. Associate Dean of the School of Nursing and Kinesiology (SONAK) Kimberly Petrovic attributed the success in part to state appropriations to the university, which allowed SONAK to make substantial changes to its prelicensure BSN curriculum. Professor of Nursing Charnelle Lee who has been taking a lead role in these revisions, said that some of the changes were in conjunction with changes to the NCLEX exam itself. “At every level , we changed our testing policy, adding clinical judgement questions to exams,” she said, “Those give the student scenarios that they have to go through. It replicates the real clinical environment much more than multiple choice questions do.” The...

Kinesiology major Itzela Darkenwald comes by her love of adventure honestly. “My family is a huge part of who I am and why I am here today,” she said, “My father is a pilot, so I grew up travelling the world. … And my mom is from Panama and is a massage therapist, so that gives me another international connection as well as my interest in the human body and how it works.” From her parents, she said, she gets “a lot of my aspiration and drive for new adventures and new things.” A member of WNMU Cross Country team, Darkenwald originally chose kinesiology with the intention of going to graduate school and becoming a physician assistant. “Being an athlete, I have always been super interested in the body and how it is working in relation to exercise, so that really drew me to kinesiology,” she said. However, her experiences as a minor in the Outdoor Leadership program have opened new possibilities for her to explore. One of the key things she has learned in Outdoor...

After a number of years of waiting tables and bartending, Regina Barnett (BS ’23) knew she wanted to change career directions, but with a young son with autism at home, she needed higher education to come to her. So Barnett enrolled at WNMU where she could take all of her classes online. While she originally started in the associate’s degree program, she soon decided to pursue a bachelor’s in English. “I have always loved reading, and I have always been analytical, so it just made sense,” said Barnett. After taking some history classes at WNMU, she found that a second major was within reach, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in both English and History. Barnett has since started working on her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, with the goal of one day teaching at a community college. She said that she was inspired to teach by her classes at WNMU. Specifically mentioning an English class with the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Professor Heather...

Staff Senate will celebrate its 30th anniversary on March 7, 2:00-3:30 in the Sunset Room of the Dining Hall. Refreshments will be provided. This is an opportunity to recognize the service of Staff Senators past and present and to celebrate the contributions of Staff Senate to the university and the...

It was a bit of serendipitous timing that brought art major Natalee Drissell to WNMU. Drissell moved from Iowa to New Mexico in 2022 after her father, WNMU Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing Matt Drissell, accepted his position with the university. That same year, New Mexico created the Opportunity Scholarship, which allows in-state students to attend state-funded colleges and universities for free. But it was not just the prospect of a debt-free education that encouraged Drissell to stay close to home. “I like that WNMU is a small college,” she said, “I did not want to go to one of the larger state schools because I am interested in the personal interactions with professors, especially in art. I do not want to be in a huge studio class; I want to be in a class with, like, twelve people I get to know really well.” She also appreciates the diversity of WNMU. “It is impressive that we have students from so many different places,” she said, noting how WNMU...

Adult Education Services is not a well-known part of the educational offerings at WNMU, but Adult Education Services Director Colton Bjerke hopes to change that. Bjerke, who joined the university in 2022, is working to increase public awareness of the services offered, as well as to expand services in areas of southwest New Mexico that are underserved. Bjerke explained that his office provides three different programs. “The most well-known one is the high school equivalency, which is preparing students to succeed on the GED or HiSET,” he said, “The second program for us is the Adult Basic Education program, which helps students develop basic literacy skills and basic numeracy skills, so they can then be successful in the more challenging classes .” In both of these programs together, Adult Education Services has 72 students enrolled. The third program is English as a Second Language (ESL), which WNMU offers at both its Silver City and Deming locations. There are...

The campus community is invited to stop by the tropical greenhouse this week to view an endangered species of plant in bloom. Strongylodon macrobotrys, or jade vine, which is indigenous to the Philippines, has unusual turquoise blossoms. This is the first time the university’s specimen has ever bloomed, said WNMU Horticulture Coordinator Chala Werber. According to Werber, the university nearly lost the plant several years ago, when water to the greenhouse was cut off while she was on vacation. Nearly 70% of the jade vine died back at that point, she said, but it has since recovered and grown. The plant is rarely seen in North America, with most specimens held by botanical gardens. The tropical greenhouse will be open Monday, February 26 and Wednesday, February 28, 1-4...

The path toward a nursing degree has never been straightforward for nursing major Megan Custer (BAS ’22). “I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up,” she said. What she did know was that she enjoyed playing volleyball. “I got into sports when I was really young and have always kept that going,” she said, “It is not something anyone pushed on me; it was an option and I always liked it.” When it came time to apply for college, the opportunity to keep playing was high on her priority list. “I wanted to find somewhere that would let me play in college because I knew it would be fun,” she said, “and I wanted the opportunity for a scholarship to help with my education.” She chose Western New Mexico University and soon decided that nursing was the major and career for her. Custer, though, was on the volleyball team and found balancing academics and athletics overwhelming. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting how she and her fellow...