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The Western New Mexico University Foundation is holding a special fundraising drive leading up to the university's 125th anniversary. The 125 Hours of Giving event takes place Monday, Feb. 5, through Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, as Western New Mexico University celebrates Founder's Day on the latter date. The Foundation's goal is to raise $16,000 that week, which means donors need to contribute about $125 per hour over the 125 hours. "One hundred and twenty-five dollars goes a long way at Western New Mexico University. That amount makes the difference between an undergraduate being able to buy his textbook or dropping the class and between an online master's student paying for a semester's worth of Wi-Fi or putting her degree on hold again," Western New Mexico University Foundation Director Jodi Edens-Crocker said. Since 85 percent of Western New Mexico University students draw on financial aid, contributions to the Foundation enable the university to continue providing low-cost...

The following two stories were originally published by The Mustang, Western New Mexico University's student newspaper. Read them below or click on the article titles to see the original pieces. Legislators Meet With Lobbyists on Grant County Day By Eric Lowe Additional reporting by Brenda Acosta The Associated Students of Western New Mexico University were among the many organizations from Grant County to participate in the day-long lobbying session in Santa Fe, NM, on Wednesday. The members of student government planned to present their plans for Virtual Applications for Western New Mexico University students, while the Western New Mexico University Early Childhood Program lobbied for sustain funding for their program. The university also requested funding to Phase III renovations of Harlan Hall, roof replacements, information technology infrastructure and more funding for Mustang Athletics and the Student Success Center. They expressed their hope to maintain their current...

Western New Mexico University will commemorate its 125th anniversary with a Founder's Day celebration on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, hosting the public for tours, birthday cake and history presentations on campus. Founder's Day will kick off at 11 a.m. in Light Hall Theater. Silver City mayor Ken Ladner and other WNMU dignitaries will speak at the opening ceremonies, which will also include a reading of Western New Mexico University's Founder's Day proclamation and an historic video presentation. Local musicians will give a live performance during the cutting of the cake on Light Hall Patio at noon, and Western New Mexico University's Mariachi Plata will play in Old James Stadium, while the university photographer gets an aerial group photo at 1 p.m. Members of the public are invited to be in the photo, forming the numbers 125 with their bodies for the camera. During the campus tour, which starts at 2 p.m., the public can wander campus and learn some of the stories behind historic...

The President's Chamber Music Series continues with an Argentine-inspired Willy Sucre and Friends concert next week. The Albuquerque-based QTango ensemble will be featured in a concert on the Western New Mexico University campus (1000 W. College Ave.) on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. Beginning at 7 p.m., the audience in Light Hall Theater will explore the history of tango from French composer Bizet to Argentine composer Piazzolla. The program features music from the parlors of wealthy patrons of classically trained musicians in Vienna and from the bars, streets and tenements of Buenos Aires, a melting pot of cultures on the Río de la Plata. "I love music that reaches into your soul," said Faye McCalmont, Special Assistant to the President for Cultural Affairs at Western New Mexico University, who organizes the series. Anchored by violist Willy Sucre, this group includes violinist Olga Tikhovidova, pianist Natalia Tikhovidova, and double bassist Jeremy Sment, and third...

About 400 middle school and high school students from 20 schools in southwest New Mexico will compete during the Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Western New Mexico University on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. The Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Competition opens with a ceremony in the Fine Arts Center Theatre at 8:30. The competitive action runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in the Fine Arts Center Theatre at 4 p.m. All 46 of the events are held on campus. Some take place in the Intramural Gym and others occur in Harlan Hall and the Phelps/Dodge-Martinez building. “The active events in the gym are likely to be the most interesting, and the public is invited to spectate at any of them,” Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Tournament Director Eric Casler said. The Science Olympiad teams compete in categories such as Life, Personal and Social Science; Earth and Space Science; Physical Science and Chemistry; Technology...

Anonymous donors recently contributed funds to the Western New Mexico University Foundation, establishing an endowed named scholarship to support Native American students. In addition to the scholarship, the donors created an immediate use fund to supplement the endowment while it grows. This gift and pledge commitment honors the couple’s belief in education and the impact it has on creating opportunities for Native American students specifically. One of the donors developed this cultural endearment early in her professional life while teaching on a reservation. “They have a care and concern for Native American cultures and indigenous students,” said WNMU Foundation Director Jodi Edens-Crocker. Endowed scholarships are created with gifts that total a minimum of $15,000, and this overall pledge amounts to more than $130,000 over the couple’s multi-year commitment. The supplemental scholarship will be awarded by the Foundation as soon as possible. “To me, this...

Longtime Brewer Hills Baptist Church pastor Earseye B. Ross II will be honored at Grant County’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Western New Mexico University on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Hakim Bellamy, who was Albuquerque’s inaugural poet laureate, will perform live for attendees. The commemorative event begins at 10 a.m. and will be held in Light Hall Theater. Western New Mexico University planned the event in conjunction with Brewer Hill Baptist Church, the Democratic Party of Grant County and the Concilio Campesino del Sudoeste, Inc., Senior Volunteer Program. “Western New Mexico University is honored to join with our community partners each year as our students continue to embrace the many important values left to us by Dr. King,” said Abe Villarreal, Assistant Dean for Student Activities. Ross moved to Silver City from his native Louisiana in 1977 and worked as the pastor of Brewer Hills Baptist Church for 40 years, retiring last year. He was also...

Western New Mexico University’s School of Education was recently earned the top slot in a ranking of Best Online Master’s Degrees in Teaching developed by Early-Childhood-Education-Degrees.com. The site rated master’s in teaching programs according to affordability, flexibility and academic prestige and found that WNMU offers a fully online, field-based program for the lowest cost. “We’re proud of the ranking,” said School of Education Associate Dean Dr. Debra J. Dirksen. The ranking was determined by measuring the estimated out-of-state tuition per credit hour rate and researching the accreditation status of each university. Programs highest on the list have the most flexibility-granting components, as Early-Childhood-Education-Degrees.com included institutions that allow for a variety of specializations, give credit to students with prior experience, offer accelerated courses, and permit students to take synchronous or asynchronous coursework....

Research scientist and glass artist Dr. Jerri Bartholomew will give a free lecture on the Western New Mexico University campus in Light Hall Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. Part of the Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts lecture series, this talk is open to the public but seating for the event is limited. Bartholomew has combined her lifelong fascination with both science and art for twenty years. “In some ways, science is stripping away the layers to see what’s beneath, and art is the opposite, building up the layers to create something new,” she said. “Art trains your mind to be open to different solutions.” Inspired by both creativity and a desire to ask questions and make discoveries through trial and error, Bartholomew experiments with collages in glass, combining photographic screen printing with free-form imagery, and using a variety of fusing and cold-working techniques like squeezing, bending, shearing and drawing. “I have...

Due to the increasing cost of education, the decreasing amount of state funding available and the predicted drops in enrollment, privately donated funds from the Western New Mexico University Foundation are critical to student support. The Foundation aims to raise at least $400,000 by June 30, 2018, for WNMU’s 125th anniversary. “The progress we are making at Western New Mexico University is thanks to the alumni and friends who give through the Foundation. They ensure that Western New Mexico University continues to be able to offer top educational experiences,” WNMU Foundation Director Jodi Edens-Crocker said. The Foundation’s Annual Giving Fund is a way anyone can get involved and help the Foundation provide students with scholarships, and university program assistance. “The Annual Giving Fund is a straight-forward way to assist Western New Mexico University in transforming the future. Any gift amount matters,” Edens-Crocker said. Just as the university has...