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“God is found in the white flash of my sister’s teeth, and in the pattern of the wiggling squares at the bottom of the pool she splashes into— not an ounce of hesitation resides in that taught, slim body. And God is found in the stretching of my brother’s mouth when the streetlamps flicker on, and in the ever-violent adieu of the sun from our skies.” —Emma Jefferson, the incoming sophomore who earned first place in the WNMU Creative Writing Contest for this poem, “Philosopher” From Carlsbad, Emma completed her freshman year at WNMU online, staying at home until after she turned 18. “I’m going to start classes this fall in Silver City. I want to go to campus, make friends and just enjoy campus life and all of that, get involved with the community,” she said. The psychology major is considering a pre-law minor. “Those two can go really well hand-in-hand,” she said. Emma wrote this piece for a creative writing class. The assignment was to...

Members of the Western New Mexico University board of regents approved an amended fiscal year 2020-21 budget and voted to continue advancing the university toward its energy efficiency goals during a meeting on Thursday morning. They also heard from WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard, who reported on the university’s plans to reopen using a hybrid model this fall. “We will not create a zero probability of COVID, but we can be prudent,” he said. “All of this could change on a dime, based on the governor’s orders.” The board approved a fiscal year 2020-21 budget adjustment request to reduce the state appropriation based on House Bill 1 passed in the 2020 Special Legislative Session. Decreases were made to the Instruction and General fund, athletics and public service for a total decrease of $2,344,900. The amended budget removes 4% compensation increases provided in House Bill 2 during 2020 Legislative Session, and reduces other expenses to offset loss in revenue....

Kaitlyn Rutherford earned her bachelor’s in psychology and early childhood education from Western New Mexico University this May and is returning for her master’s degree. “I’m actually moving back this week,” says the Colorado native who originally came to WNMU on a volleyball scholarship. “I have a good friends group and like the academics and the atmosphere of the school.” Kaitlyn cites the one-on-one time she was able to get with professors at WNMU as a reason for returning. She worked on a research project with associate professor of psychology Dr. Po Sen “Mark” Chu and recently placed in the campus-wide WNMU Academic Writing Contest for a literature review piece she wrote on childhood development for her senior seminar class with assistant professor of psychology Dr. Jennifer Johnston. “In 2016, I got first place in the WNMU Creative Writing Contest, and it came full circle my senior year,” she says. The internships Kaitlyn did over the course of her...

This summer, Kevin Allemand is starting toward his Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in history and political science at WNMU. For the past 15 years, he has taught social studies at Hancock High School in Kiln, Mississippi. “History is an explanation of the present. If you want to understand the world around you, you have to understand the past,” he says. And now Kevin is working toward an advanced degree so his students also have expanded higher education opportunities. “I’m interested in teaching dual credit to better prepare my students for college and walk into college ready to take classes applicable to their major,” he says. “The goal is to prepare for a possible Ph.D. afterward but also to become the best teacher of the constitution that I could become.” A James Madison Memorial Foundation Fellow, Kevin received $24,000 to attend graduate school and meet the latter goal. Based on recommendations from Madison Fellows who...

One hundred Western New Mexico University graduates received diplomas during the university’s virtual commencement ceremony, which was held live on Friday, May 29. The event allowed each participant to have 15 seconds in the spotlight. Graduates used this time to celebrate and receive their diplomas from loved ones, children, pets and even fellow graduates. Members of the class of 2020 designed their own cap and gown ensembles, improvised hoods, created their own diplomas, and selected the venues of their choice. Some attended from locales such as Hawaii and Belize while others attended from their living rooms. Some received homemade diplomas from their husbands — others from their dogs. Children were included in ways not possible during in-person ceremonies. In real time, graduates first heard remarks from WNMU student body president Brenda Hernandez, who also received a degree, and from members of the WNMU board of regents. After the conferrals of degrees, WNMU...

“One more course, and I’ll be finished,” says Elly Loman, a James Madison Senior Fellow who teaches high school in southern Idaho. Through the Madison Foundation, Elly is working toward a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at WNMU. “My bachelor’s is in history. I also have an endorsement to teach English language arts, but they’re not the classes I want to teach. As a teacher, I find social science exciting no matter how many times I teach it,” she says. “I thought if I could get a master’s in history or political science, I’d make myself more employable in social sciences.” The Madison Foundation requires fellows be enrolled in a program that emphasizes constitutional studies, which the versatile Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree allows. “It’s nice to take courses that are interesting instead of ones that are just part of a pre-packaged deal,” Elly says. “The course I just finished up is a course on the drug wars, which I...

Western New Mexico University Leading Project, Invested in Land for New Site The Mimbres Valley Learning Center is slated to get a new location on the west side of Deming to be more accessible to the Deming high school and the local hospital. The new site will allow better access to advance higher education opportunities for the region’s population. At the beginning of 2020, Western New Mexico University purchased 40 acres on West Florida Avenue for the purpose of building a new learning center focused on health care and sustainability to provide Deming students of all ages broader opportunities. The campus will set a new standard in the southwest for how sustainability and education can work together to create unique indoor and outdoor learning experiences for students, faculty and the surrounding community. Western New Mexico University, which has an extended university in the existing Mimbres Valley Learning Center, is leading the project design and implementation. “The...

During a virtual meeting Wednesday morning, the Western New Mexico University Board of Regents approved a fiscal year 2020-2021 budget to present to the New Mexico Higher Education Department by the Friday deadline but expects it will be necessary to change the budget once the legislature meets in special session to determine the overall state finances. WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard announced that WNMU will move commencement to a virtual live ceremony on Friday, May 29. “We’re going to Zoom all 300 plus participants,” President Shepard said. President Shepard also reported that the university is making plans for the return of employees and students this fall or when the state’s stay at home recommendations are lifted. “I suspect we’ll have to manage our class sizes. I expect the faculty might continue a hybrid method. We’re sensitive to maximizing the health and minimizing the risk of our faculty, staff, students and community as well,” he said. Regent Dr....

Justyce Millan will graduate with her bachelor’s this spring and go on to the forensic psychology master’s program at Arizona State University. Millan majored in both psychology and sociology, playing Mustang softball for three years of her university career and being involved on campus through the National Society of Leadership and Success, Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology, and Mustang Cares. She also worked in the WNMU Center for Student Success. “I chose Western New Mexico University because I wanted to get away from home yet stay close. I knew they had good programs in psychology and sociology, which I was interested in,” she said. The senior said her WNMU professors advised her to double major and guided her through the graduate school selection and application process. “I’ve learned a lot from everybody there. It’s definitely been an amazing experience,” she said. When applying to graduate schools, Millan was looking for...

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents unanimously agreed to raise tuition and also approved the fiscal year 2020-21 student fees during a meeting held over Zoom on Tuesday. The members also approved the final Budget Adjustment Request and the 2019-20 Quarter 3 Financial Actions Report, tabling a vote on the fiscal year 2020-21 budget until the next meeting, which they scheduled for Wednesday, May 13. In his report, WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard discussed oil prices’ influence on the state and university budget, which he recommended the board delay determining until the mid-May deadline. Projecting about a 20% decrease, he said this summer’s state legislative special session would determine what cuts WNMU should actually expect. “We’re in for a very, very difficult time. Higher education is 12.8% of the state budget. We can expect substantial cuts no matter what happens.” The president reported that while summer session applications are tracking about...