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While most people associate Arbor Day with the month of April, Western New Mexico University held its own Arbor Day celebration Friday, September 20, 2024. Holding the annual celebration is one of the standards that WNMU maintains to be an official Tree Campus, named by the Arbor Day Foundation through its Tree Campus Higher Education program. The university has held this status since 2023. The Tree Campus Higher Education program provides a simple framework for colleges and universities to grow their community forests, achieve national recognition, and create a campus their students and staff are proud of. “For our event we planted a row of peach trees, berries, and herbs in our all-edible landscape project on the future food security site,” said WNMU Horticulture Coordinator Chala Werber, referring to the site off Mississippi Street where the university plans to construct a greenhouse and develop a sustainable garden as part of its food security and sustainability...

Western New Mexico University hosted the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee in J. Cloyd Miller Library, September 23-25. While on campus, the committee heard from health care leaders, including a presentation about expanding the rural health care workforce by WNMU Associate Dean of Nursing and Kinesiology Kim Petrovic and Director of Health Care Workforce Programs Victor Stephen Gonzales, Jr. In addition to hearing presentations on topics ranging from social safety-net programs to psilocybin, the committee also opened the floor to public comment. The committee was welcomed to campus by WNMU President Joseph Shepard who spoke about the importance of strengthening the health care workforce in New Mexico. “I know we have our differences at times,” he said, “but I think one thing that we don’t have a difference on is the desire for excellent health care. … Health care is critical.” The state is facing a looming crisis due to the shortage of...

Western New Mexico University recognized Banned Books Week on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, with an event in J. Cloyd Miller Library. Miller Library Director Samantha Johnson opened the event by speaking about how the American Library Association created Banned Book Week over forty years ago to call attention to the increase in challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools. “Unfortunately,” she said, “we are still dealing with the problem of censorship in libraries today, as well.” Following Johnson, WNMU Writer-in-Residence JJ Amaworo Wilson spoke about the power of the written word. “Reading opens your mind,” he said. “It teaches you that there is another way to live in this world. Books are often likened to both a mirror and a window. They are a mirror in that you can see yourself reflected in stories. They are a window in that you can see beyond yourself. You can see outside. You can see how other people live, and, of course, that is how reading...

Going to college was never part of the plan when WNMU undergraduate Kelly Snyder was younger. “I dropped out of high school when I was like fifteen,” said Snyder. “I grew up outside of Philadelphia, and I pretty much lived on the streets for a long time in Philly.” After having her two daughters, however, Snyder knew she needed to make a change in her life, so her first move was to leave Philadelphia and settle in New Mexico. “I just got tired of everything , the rat race and everything,” she explained. “I just needed to get out of there and change my lifestyle.” Her life in New Mexico has been far from the urban bustle of Philadelphia, as she made the decision to homestead, first in Belen, then Williamsburg and eventually in Pie Town, in rural Catron County, where Snyder and her husband are homesteaders on just over eleven acres. They are now living “off grid and in the middle of nowhere,” as she puts it. They raise animals—rabbits, chicken, and...

The Lone Star Conference announced their Academic Excellence Awards and Individual Sport Academic Champions List. Topping the latter list with three individual men’s sports champions were the Mustangs of Western New Mexico University. The Mustangs earned top GPAs in football (2.780), men’s outdoor track and field (3.356) and men's golf (3.815). “Achieving top GPAs across multiple sports is a testament to our student-athletes’ commitment to excellence both on and off the field.” said Executive Director of Athletics, Scott Noble. “Our student-athletes taking advantage of resources, such as academic advising, tutoring, and study facilities, allow them to thrive academically and demonstrates that academic success and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive, but rather, they complement and reinforce each other.” “Additionally, our coaches’ dedication to recruiting individuals who embody the values of our university has been crucial. They seek out...

Western New Mexico University celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its Law Enforcement Academy on September 11, 2024 at the Besse-Forward Global Resource Center. Those in attendance were welcomed by Director of the Law Enforcement Training Academy Gil Najar and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jack Crocker. Crocker emphasized how the academy has not just contributed significantly to public safety in southwest New Mexico but to the state as a whole. “Many have gone on to be leaders in law enforcement and are keeping our communities safe,” he said. “We are continuing to serve the community and the state well trained officers who move into the community and serve in leadership positions as well as protect us.” The keynote speaker for the event was Fred Radosevich, a member of the first graduating class who served as chief of police for multiple New Mexico communities. Radosevich reminisced about his time at the academy and how regimented the...

The Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Board of Regents approved updates to university handbooks, accepted a financial certification, approved an adjustment to the student textbook fee and discussed performance goals for WNMU President Joseph Shepard, during their meeting of September 12, 2024. Regent Chair Dr. Mary E. Hotvedt presided over the meeting from the Thomas B. McDonald Student Memorial Building with Regents Dr. Lyndon Haviland, Dal Moellenberg and Student Regent Trent Jones joining virtually while Regent Dr. Dan Lopez was absent. In his report to the board, President Shepard noted the university’s enrollment numbers remain steady, reflecting similar figures to last fall’s enrollment, while highlighting university housing sits at 98% occupancy for the fall semester. Additionally, President Shepard briefed the Regents about the shooting incident that occurred near the Silver City campus, which led to a campuswide shelter-in-place order. “During this incident, no...

September 15 marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. What began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 has since been expanded into a month-long celebration of all things Hispanic and Latino. WNMU, an Hispanic Serving Institution and a charter member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, has several activities planned in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month. On Thursday, September 19, there will be an Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta on the pool patio from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Grant County native, WNMU Nursing major and singer Keana Huerta will be performing, and there will be food and dancing. Also on September 19, Brasil-based Argentine composer, accordionist, and researcher Alejandro Brittes will perform in concert at Light Hall. Brittes explores the music and dance tradition of northeastern Argentina, chamamé,...

Voters in New Mexico have overwhelmingly supported General Obligation (GO) bonds in recent years, making possible crucial capital improvements to the state’s universities, colleges and specialty schools. On the WNMU campus, successful projects have ranged from the remodeling of existing structures to construction of new facilities that expand the university’s educational reach. One project funded by previous GO bonds is the WNMU John Arthur and Janette Smith Educational Center, an 8,697 square foot building that houses the university’s Deming health sciences offerings, including its nursing, phlebotomy, pharmacy technician, and Certified Nursing Assistant programs. Completed in 2023, the new center cost $10,765,000, partly paid for by GO bonds in 2018 and 2022. The new facility in Deming expands educational opportunities for people throughout Luna and Hidalgo Counties, who have traditionally been underserved. The new John Arthur and Janette Smith Educational Center, said...

The WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art is featuring a new installation by Assistant Professor of Sculpture Erin Monet Wheary. The exhibition includes a large-scale collaborative drawing as well as corresponding photographs and cyanotypes. The works have their origin in Santa Cruz de Mompox, Colombia, where Wheary was invited to an artist’s residency last winter. Wheary was inspired by the Magdalena River, which flows through Mompox and has changed course over the years. “This installation is an homage to the intrinsic power of the river, a celebration of its ability to carve and shape the very foundations of our existence,” said Wheary in her artist’s statement. “Water, an elemental force, serves as the sculptor of landscapes,” noted Wheary, “etching its passage through the earth, leaving behind a tapestry of layered memories in the form of riverbanks.” Meandro, she said, “encapsulates the essence of this dynamic relationship.” Expressive...