Mar 17 2015

nmsuRoundUp.com

The Independent Student Newspaper of NMSU since 1907 • Tuesday, 3.17.2015 • Volume 116 • Issue 24

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STUDENT LIFE

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Voting now available until 5 p.m., March 20 visit vote.nmsu.edu

WILL THEY make asnmsu transparent?

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NEWS

Photos by Anthony Albidrez

FILM

SPORTS

News

vp candidates

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BASKETBALL

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PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN

WORTH THE WATCH

MEN & WOMEN TEAMS

Discussion on VAMs

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LETTER

THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

DEAN'S DISCUSSION

The Office of International and Border Programs: Discovering the World and Transforming Lives

By Cornell H. Menking Associate Provost I am certain, like myself, you often look around and find satisfaction in being part of such a diverse campus.

Not only do we have diverse of U.S. citizens, we also have an incredibly vibrant international community. This is attributable to a long and distinguished tradition of international engagement

by New Mexico State University’s faculty and staff.

My name is Cornell H. Menking, and I am the associate provost for International and Border Programs (affectionately known as “IBP”). The main purpose of this brief article is to get you up to speed on the international activities at our university and, hopefully, leave you wanting to get involved in some way.

IBP is comprised of four offices.

First, we have the Office of Education Abroad. Over 400 students travel abroad every year, and their programs and purposes vary. They do everything from enrolling at a foreign university for a full year to service and interning for as short as ten days. Why do they do this? It goes far beyond having fun – although there is that also. Studying abroad has been shown to dramatically increase personal development, academic commitment, intercultural development and career development.

Speaking from my own experience over 25 years ago, it made me grow up, get serious and get a job.

IBP also helps tend to the needs of over 1,400 international students from 75 different countries, who call NMSU and Las Cruces home. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) takes care of the needs of all of them – especially their visa needs. According to the latest count, there were 567 grad students and 515 undergrads, meaning they make up roughly 15 percent and 3.5 percent respectively.

Approximately 200 of those 1,400 students are studying English in our Center for English Language Programs

(CELP). Over the past two years CELP has become its own office and our English programs are now world class – and growing rapidly. Their curriculum consists of sequence of five levels of English courses that can be completed in one year. After completing the program, students can enroll in the university without taking the TOEFL. CELP frequently hosts special groups of students, such as the hundreds of Ecuadorians that we have hosted over the past two years.

IBP is also home to the Confucius Institute. This is an office that is dedicated to promote understanding of Chinese language and culture. This institute places Chinese teachers in schools and universities throughout the region and hosts cultural events, such as the recent Chinese New Year celebrations. We are very fortunate to have one of these prestigious institutes housed at NMSU. Finally, I want to point out the special events IBP organizes to help promote intercultural understanding and friendship. In addition to studying abroad and taking classes that teach you about the world, these events are a great way to get involved. For example, there is the upcoming International Festival at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 21, Las Cruces Convention Center. We expect 2,000 people to come and enjoy music, presentations, fun for kids and food.

There is also the “Thursday Global Meet-Up” at 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Thursdays, Faculty Senate Chambers in Garcia Annex. That’s a great place to make friends from other cultures.

The colleges also have great events, such as the College of Arts & Science’s “Global Connections” lectures held at the Center for Latin American and Border Studies (CLABS), and other special events. You can always find all the latest information on the IBP website – ibp.nmsu.edu – and we hope to see you around!

LETTER FROM

THE EDITOR It is vastly encouraged for the student body to read about the details of the presidential and vice presidential candidates in this edition.

The Associated Students of New Mexico State University has been far from transparent this year: from the bills drafted and passed to the people in office this school year. Did you know ASNMSU will not fund organizations 49 percent of expenses anymore? The amount they allocate to student organizations who seek ASNMSU funding decreased to 40 percent. This information would have not been known if there had not been ASNMSU personnel on staff at The Round Up. Since, TRU became independent from ASNMSU the voice from the student government has been silent. Even with members of ASNMSU on staff at TRU, information and details of ASNMSU operations has been cloudy. However, certain individuals did not hesitate to vocalize false accusations against TRU staff for allegedly contacting ASNMSU to digup “juicy” details about particular individuals who will not named. Where was the determination to get the news of ASNMSU out to the student body this year? Maybe it was lost in the dazzles of petty rumor.

Who knows? Most of the candidates are campaigning for transparency and accessibility of the student government this student election season. Transparency and accessibility are key to a working democracy; however, advocating for accessibility and transparency are a great election campaign.

I do want to take the time to thank some departments within ASNMSU for their support in the newspaper with their purchase of advertisements. Thank you, ASNMSU Intramurals and ASNMSU Student Discount Program. Also thank you, Karl Rysted, student attorney, for the informative editorial you wrote that which was published in TRU. It’s time to hold ASNMSU accountable for being the voice of all students and not just a selected group of students. Voting is available to all main-campus students at vote.nmsu.edu through 5 p.m., March 20. The ASNMSU headquarters is located in Corbett Center above Campus Activities.

This group of students has a loud voice amongst administration and legislature, and they are responsible for approximately $1 million of your student fees. Access them and utilize their services.

Here are the emails of the presidential and vice presidential candidates running for office: Chavez, Dustin: dchav@nmsu.edu Deaven, Katie: kjdeaven@nmsu.edu Lamb, Juliann: juliannl@nmsu.edu William VanOrder: willvo@nmsu.edu Best of luck candidates, Anthony Albidrez Managing Editor truprint@nmsu.edu (575) 646-5434

Volume 116 | Issue 24| March, 17 2015

Administration Executive Director Dustin Chavez

Comptroller

Jessica Chenoweth

Administrative Assistants Tatiana Miyazaki William Peck Maylynn Padilla

Editorial Managing Editor Anthony Albidrez

Online Editor

Christopher Allan

News Editor Dawn Franco

Sports Editor Cedric Wilson

Staff Writers Billy Huntsman Brynn Herndon Merrit Peterson Isaac Morales

Julian Martinez Jesse Moya Kelly O'Connor Efrain Hernandez

Design Design Specialist

Heather Nichole Miller

Graphic Designers Valentin Guereque Kimberly Rodriguez Heriberto Bajo

Photographers Olivia Baker Luis Miranda, Jr.

Sales

Advertising Manager Jonathan Johnsen

Advertising Representatives Director of Marketing Sonia Diaz

Circulation Specialist Carlos Garcia

Submission Policy The Round Up welcomes submissions for publication. Submissions can be dropped off, faxed or emailed.

Submissions become property of The Round Up and will not be returned.

The Round Up reserves the right to edit articles and cannot guarantee publication.

Advertising Policy The Round Up welcomes paid advertisements for legal products and services. The Round Up does not accept ads deemed discriminatory by the editor. Any advertisement that might be confused with editorial content must be clearly labeled (paid advertisement.) Positions of ads cannot be guaranteed. The Round Up reserves the right to refuse publication of any advertisement.

About Us: The Round Up is published during the academic year by the students for the university community. Corrections of the print edition will be made of www.nmsuroundup.com. Editorial content of the newspaper is independent of advertising content. Opinions expressed in The Round Up are not necessarily those of the staff, New Mexico State University or the Associated Students of NMSU. Box 3004, Dept. CC New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 Phone 575-646-6397 Fax 575-646-5557

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Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Aggie Cupboard Continues to Aid Those in Need

By Kelly O’Connor Staff Writer Aggie Cupboard is a free and confidential service that distributes nonperishable food to students, staff and faculty in need of emergency assistance. Aggie Cupboard has been gaining momentum since the program’s founding in October 2012.

The name Aggie Cupboard was voted on by the NMSU community. Samuel Allen, a research scientist in the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Farmington, made the submission that eventually won.

Lori Martinez-Haussamen is an NMSU social worker and overseer of the Aggie Cupboard.

“My job is to help connect students to resources. What happened was I started having students come in for the same things and still even today the primary reasons students come in are finances, food and health insurance issues. Because so many food relat-

ed issues were coming up, I started talking to people about; is anyone else seeing this on campus,” said Martinez-Haussamen. “Then I started doing some more research, and turns out a lot of campus food pantries have popped up across the nation. So we started working on whether or not we could do that here and finally got things going in 2012.”

Students, faculty and staff can receive one bag of non-perishable food items once a week. To protect the privacy of those coming in, minimal information is collected.

The only things needed are a valid NMSU ID. The information collected is kept in a secure archive and is accessible to authorized personnel.

The Aggies Cupboard operates from numerous donations made in the Las Cruces Community.

Many different clubs and organizations have put on food drives to collect food items for the cupboard. Individuals can donate anytime. The cupboard is always in need of high-protein items such as

canned chicken, tuna, peanut butter and beans.

Churches in the community have also made large contributions.

Albertson’s donates a percentage of transactions to the cupboard if you swipe a special key tag offered in offices on campus.

These can be found at the front desk in the Office of the Dean of Students, Corbett Center, Room 317 and also at Student Affairs in the Educational Services Building.

For those who prefer to give money, donations are accepted at giving.nmsu.edu.

Currently the Aggie cupboard is

open 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Garcia Annex, Room 132. Students, staff and faculty in need food assistance are encouraged to use this

service.

For more information on the Aggie Cupboard contact Lori Martinez-Haussamen at (575) 6462731 or mlori@nmsu.edu.

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CAMPUS NEWS

THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

NMSU Developing Connections in Ireland

By Billy Huntsman Staff Writer Two students from Ireland are currently attending New Mexico State University participating in a 16-week exchange programs.

Eoin (pronounced “Owen”) Devlin and Shane Byrne, both 20, are electrical engineering majors from the National University of Ireland Maynooth, County Dublin. Maynooth is 30 minutes west of Dublin city.

“Maynooth is known as Ireland’s university town,” said Devlin.

The town is about 400 years old, and the university, which Devlin described “like Hogwarts,” was originally established to train priests. This portion of the university, called South Campus, is still active.

“There’s a lot of superstition around it (South Campus),” said Byrne.

One commonly known ghost story, dating back centuries, around the university is a room in South Campus in which three priests were found with their throats slit, supposedly after seeing the devil in the mirror as they were “having a shave.”

Byrne and Devlin typically stay around North Campus, where the more modern parts are.

Byrne and Devlin said they decided to come to America, NMSU in particular, in order to have new experiences. Devlin and his family are from Dublin, the Republic of Ireland’s capital, with more than 1.5 million people.

“I knew it was going to be a 180-turn, completely different (coming to Las Cruces) than what I’m used to,” said Devlin. “So

I’m just happy to experience it now.”

Devlin said Dublin is probably the same geographical size as Las Cruces, but things are more compact in Dublin; and despite its population density, Devlin said Dublin has “a huge community feel.”

Byrne and his family are from Carlow, County Carlow, about an hour southeast of Dublin. A town of about 30,000, Byrne said Carlow is a town where “everybody knows everybody.”

In regards to what they want to do in the long run, both said they envision themselves traveling extensively, adding to their already sizeable list of places visited.

While in Ireland, Byrne and Devlin have visited Scotland, Wales, England, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Madeira, Morocco, Italy, Malta, Poland, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean.

They had also been to United States before coming to NMSU. “I was in Tempe, Ariz., on an exchange,” said Byrne. “I was living with a family, that’s always going to stay with me.”

During that time, he and his companions traveled up and down the West Coast.

Devlin previously traveled with friends to New Hampshire for a snowboarding vacation during secondary school.

“This is my first trip away from home that’s been longer than two or three weeks,” Devlin said. “And it’s the first time I’ve lived by myself.”

During their time at NMSU so far, Byrne and Devlin have gone to Phoenix, El Paso, Las Vegas and Juárez.

One of the starkest differences between the Irish and the U.S. university systems are flexibility. “Back home, if you want to change your major, you need to go back, be a freshman and then go through the whole system,” Devlin said, adding he prefers the American university system.

Byrne and Devlin are the first students from NUI Maynooth to attend NMSU through the two universities’ partnership, which was established a year ago.

Clint Hourigan, an adviser in the Office of Education Abroad, said the partnership was established thanks to the networking efforts of Kristian Chervenock, the Office of Education Abroad’s director.

Both Devlin and Byrne said they were grateful for how helpful the NMSU staff

was, particularly in the OEA. “When we got here, we literally just finished six exams and got on a plane the next day, flew here and started on a Monday,” Devlin said.

NMSU’s partnership with NUI Maynooth is an exchange program. The base cost for which, Hourigan said, has fluctuated between $3,000-$4,000 in the last year.

Other costs for spring/fall semesters at Maynooth add up to about $6,000. The overall cost, Hourigan said, is somewhere between $9,000-$12,000.

“Before Maynooth in the spring of 2014, probably our lowest program cost in Ireland was $16, 000,” Hourigan said.

In addition to spring/fall semester programs, Maynooth also offers a summer program, for about $5,500, tuition, housing and 95 percent of meals included.

Hourigan said Ireland is one of the most popular travel destinations for students who want to study abroad. In order to prevent overwhelming Maynooth’s System, Hourigan restricted the number of people who participate in the spring and fall programs at Maynooth to two. However, the summer program has no participant limit.

“I expect to send anywhere from 1015 this summer, which I’m really excited about,” Hourigan said.

Hourigan said responses from NMSU’s student body to the partnership with Maynooth have been overwhelmingly positive.

In November, the OEA hosted an information session with Chris Lawlor, director of Maynooth’s International Summer School.

“There was probably 30 people there,” Hourigan said, whereas typically, “If there’s not a $100 grand prize for attendance, no one’s showing up,” to an information session.

At the session, Lawlor said he had given presentations at universities in Arizona and California with less than five people attending.

Hourigan could only speculate as to why NMSU’s response to the information session was so strong.

Devlin said America’s fascination with Ireland lies in the fact many Americans have Irish heritage, which Hourigan echoed, saying many students could be attracted to Ireland because they want to trace their genealogical origins.

“They (Americans) want to just have

some sort of relation with their ancestors’ homeland,” Devlin said.

To come to America from a foreign country, “It takes a certain person,” Byrne said.

This type of person, Byrne said, is someone who does not mind being by themself every so often, someone who can “settle in.”

Going to Ireland from America, Devlin said open-mindedness is needed.

“You need someone who doesn’t get easily offended and someone who can listen to other people’s opinions,” Devlin said.

Both Devlin and Byrne encouraged people who travel to Ireland not to get the “diluted” experience.

“A lot of people when they come to Dublin, they’re like, ‘Let’s go to Temple Bar,’ but that’s just where all the tourists go,” Devlin said. “If you went with the real people, the people that actually go around every week, they’ll take you to the spots where the Irish people go and where other European people go, and that’s where you really experience it.”

NMSU also has a partnership with the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. In Fall 2013, current NMSU communication disorders major Adrianna Harrison attended the Jordanstown campus, which she said is right across from a beach.

“I have never been to Ireland before this time,” Harrison said. “I did visit the Republic a few times when I was there. I mainly visited Cork and Dublin. The North is a very interesting place when compared. One of the most interesting things I observed was how they were such a mix between the Irish and British cultures.”

Harrison said her fondest memory of her time at Jordanstown was Thanksgiving Day, when the chaplaincy held a potluck for American and other international students.

“My experience was very enriching here at this school, and although it is a lot smaller I feel like this gives a better opportunity to really care and provide the resources they were able to,” Harrison said. “I would definitely go back if I had the chance to.”

Hourigan said, NMSU is currently in the preemptive stages of forming another partnership with the Republic’s University of Limerick.

“Our (the OEA’s) whole aim as a department is to internationalize NMSU and Las Cruces at the same time,” Hourigan said.

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BASKETBALL

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Men’s Basketball Play in Fourth WAC Championships

By Efrain Hernadez Staff Writer For the fourth consecutive year, the men’s basketball team will participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament.

The Aggies captured their fourth straight Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship defeating Seattle University 80-61 and squeezing

by CSU Bakersfield with a 57-53 victory in the semifinals in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the semifinals, both teams kept up with one another throughout the first half as neither team was able to build momentum as the Aggies held small lead 28-23 entering the half.

“We never panicked, we stayed together,” Daniel Mullings said. “Chili got a big rebound late and Remi played big. The seniors helped hold it together.”

Building momentum in the second half, the Aggies held an 11-point lead with just over eight minutes left in the game, but the Roadrunners answered back with an 11-2 run to close in on the Aggies trailing 52-50. After a couple of late free throws, the Aggies were able to close it out.

“You’ve got to understand at the end of the day, Bakersfield is a good team that competes when it’s time to lace them up,” Marvin Menzies, head coach, said. “They did the same thing last year. We expected a battle, we expected a war, we expected two teams playing like there is no tomorrow and I’m happy that we got the win.”

The championship game was a one-sided affair as the Aggies decimated the Redhawks by 19 points never allowing the Redhawks to gain a single lead throughout the entirety of the game.

The Aggies offense shot 53 percent (21-of-40) from the field, while shooting 53 percent (8-of-15) from outside the arc. The defense played a key role holding the Redhawks to a shooting percentage of 40 and only 29 percent (2-of-7) from beyond the arc.

“I am proud of our team,” said Menzies. ”Chili Nephawe double-double,

Remi had 21. And we won with Daniel only scoring eight points. When you win by 20 (19) with Daniel only getting eight, it was a great team night.”

Tshilidzi Nephawe earned the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.5 points and 12 rebounds per game.

“I’m just glad I’m playing good basketball right now, because it is the most important part of the year,” Nephawe said. “I just want to thank my teammates because they helped keep me going and made it possible to do well.”

Pascal Siakam, Remi Barry, Mullings, Nephawe and Menzies, were all awarded by the WAC for their hard work during the season. Mullings and Siakam were voted first team all-WAC, Barry and Nephawe were voted second team all-WAC and head coach Menzies took home the Don Haskins Coach of the Year.

According to NMSU Athletics, the Aggies have the third-longest active winning streak with 13 games.

Women’s Basketball on to the NCAA

By Efrain Hernandez Staff Writer For the first time since 1988, the women’s basketball team will compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Division 1 Championship.

The Aggies defeated Seattle University in overtime 79-75 in the semifinals and defeating the University of Texas-Pan-American 70-52 to capture the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I thought our kids played well, I thought they were ready to play from the opening tip-off,” Mark Trakh, head coach, said. “We played great defense on a very athletic and very talented team. We felt we needed to rebound and take away their transition points and we did a real nice job of that. I’m just so proud of these kids, 99 percent of the credit goes to these young women.”

To advance to the championship game, the Aggies had their handful with Seattle University the day before, edging out a close victory in overtime.

Trailing by five in the first half, the Aggies offense and defense stepped up as they went on an 18-0 run but the Redhawks answered right back with a 12-4 run of their

own leading at the half 35-30.

“Give Seattle all the credit in the world, they played really, really hard and executed well,” Trkh said. “Having said that, I’m really proud of our young student-athletes, they did a great job out there. They’ve been handling pressure all year and they always felt they could win that game.”

Coming down to the final seconds of the game, the Aggies held a three-point lead before Crystal Allen tied up the game at 67 a piece sending the game into overtime. In overtime, both teams battled back and forth before Abby Scott knocked down a go-ahead three to give the Aggies their final lead of the game.

In the championship game, the Aggies easily rolled past UTPA defeating the Broncos by 18 points only surrendering the lead once after the Broncos scored the first three points of the game.

Brianna Freeman, the WAC Player of the Year, picked up another accolade as she was nominated as the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. In the tournament, Freeman averaged 18 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

“The awards and honors are great, I’m honored, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Freeman said. “I’m not dribbling down the court and scoring, I get passes from Shanice, Sasha, Mo, Abby, so it’s a team effort, without them I couldn’t have done this.”

Sasha Weber, Shanice Davis and Freeman earned First Team All-WAC; Moriah Mack earned All-Defensive Team and coach Trakh was voted as the Coach of the Year.

According to NMSU Athletics, the Aggies are the third university for coach Trakh to take to the NCAA Tournament. Trakh led Pepperdine to three NCAA Tournaments and three WNIT appearances and led Southern California to consecutive NCAA appearances.

ELECTIONS

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THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

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Will New VP Bring Accessibility to ASNMSU? Photos by Olivia Baker

Katie Deaven

By Billy Huntsman Staff Writer One of the two candidates for the vice presidency of ASNMSU is Katie Deaven, 20, a philosophy-mathematics double major.

Deaven said she was inspired to partake in student government because of her brother.

A former chief justice and senator at NMSU, currently attending law school in Baltimore, Deaven’s brother encouraged her to run for Senate after she was not selected for Model United Nations.

“He was huge inspiration to me,” Deaven said.

As president of the Sophia Philosophy Club and event coordinator for the Law and Society Club, Deaven’s duties include coordinating lectures and community service events.

“I really like helping people on campus,” she said. “I think there’s a lot that NMSU can offer to students, but it’s just making sure that they have the avenue to be able to reach the resources we have.”

For almost two years, Deaven has served as a senator for the College of Arts & Sciences.

“During that time, I’ve been the Intramural Senate representative,” she said. “I’ve served on numerous budget committees, including the General Appropriations Committee last year, which is one of the most important committees in Senate.”

Additionally, Deaven is the current Faculty Senate representative.

“I sit in as an ex officio member on all the Faculty Senate meetings,” she said, “and then I also chair one of the three committees in Senate—Community Affairs Committee.”

If elected vice president, Deaven has three main initiatives: the first being paperless legislation.

“This past year, Vice President Witte re-

ally wanted to make everything digitized,” Deaven said.

This effort, she said, has been trial-anderror, but she hopes to continue Witte’s efforts if elected as his successor. The significance of this initiative, she said, lies in the fact that it would enable students to see what requirements certain bills need in order to be passed.

“My second initiative is to start a Senate mentorship program,” Deaven said. “This would be senior senators of every college actually working with freshmen senators, helping them write bills, learn about all the clubs and organizations in their college so that they (the senators) know the people they’re actually representing.”

This initiative, Deaven said, would aid Senate accountability.

“We have a bunch of really great senators, but then we have some that just don’t do anything, and they’re just paid to sit there,” Deaven said.

Her third initiative would be roundtable discussions.

“It would include one or two students from every single college, as well as one or two students from all the diversity board programs come together with Faculty Senate members, as well as administration, and talk about any problems they may be having in their departments or colleges and figure out a way to fix them,” Deaven said.

Deaven said ASNMSU would benefit from her vice presidency because of her dedication.

“If I say I’m going to accomplish something, I get it done,” she said.

Deaven said the student body is important to her because they are the people she sees everyday.

“They’re my friends,” she said. “They’re the people in my classes, the people eating lunch next to me. There’s no one more important than that when it comes down to it.”

Deaven said student government is important because students need a liaison between themselves and administration, more than just a dean of students.

“I think it’s really important to have some uniting factor, and I think student government really does that well,” she said.

Compared to this year’s student government, Deaven said she would hold senators more accountable if elected vice president.

“I think it’s really important to set a standard but also be the standard,” she said.

Deaven’s future goals entail going to graduate school for philosophy.

“I want to end up teaching, that’s the goal,” Deaven said.

Teaching at the college level, she would like to specify in logic, philosophy, math and ethics.

program for sharpening her abilities to think creatively and be prepared for anything thrown at her.

Lamb is currently majoring in criminal justice with a supplementary major in law and society. She is also working on a minor in child advocacy studies, this coincides with career goals she’s had for years.

“Upon my graduation I would like to attend law school. This has been my vision since I was roughly seven, and amazingly, I have yet to change my mind. I would love to pursue family law or water law. Both issues can help me give back to New Mexico as an attorney,” Lamb said.

Lamb has gotten the chance to work for the Associated Students of New Mexico State University in the capacity of an intern and also a Senator. She is currently serving as a Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences as well as being the senate representative on the Alcohol Review Committee.

The work she has done for the Alcohol Review Committee will hopefully get licensing for the baseball, softball and football stadiums so beer and wine can be served at these sporting events.

Running for vice presidency will help in her efforts and will make more of an impact.

This is just one instance she is working to get students what they want. Student government has always been a passion of hers.

“I have been involved with student government since high school, serving both as class vice president, as well as class representative, but also for two years as student body historian. I have loved student government from day one and love having the opportunity to continue pursuing this passion here at NMSU,” Lamb said.

Creating an open door policy is also of interest to Lamb. She wants students to feel comfortable coming to the ASNMSU office.

“I intend to work on bridging the gap between students and ASNMSU, specifically the senate, because I know that it can be somewhat intimidating to walk into the

office and not necessarily know who to talk to,” she said. “I want to ensure that students, as well as student organizations, not only can become acquainted with the Senators, but also to have them know the wide array of services provided by ASNMSU.” Another goal of Lamb is to ensure that NMSU is being as fiscally responsible in as many ways as possible. She wants to ensure that the Senate is spending in such a way that there is longevity to NMSU’s ability to fund.

When asked why students should vote for her, she said she wants students to know she is doing everything she can to make a positive impact in the lives of her fellow students.

“I would like students to vote for me because I am a capable and enthusiastic candidate with a greater vision to improve ASNMSU, especially in regards to Senate,” Lamb said. “I take the office of vice president very seriously and hope that, if elected, I can work cohesively with other groups and organizations to have the best outcome possible for NMSU.”

Juliann Lamb

By Kelly O’Connor Staff Writer Juliann Lamb, 20, is running for vice president. She has become accustomed to hard work. She credits the criminal justice

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Tuesday, 3.17.2015

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THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Will New President Make ASN

Transpare William VanOrder

By Kelly O’Connor Stafff Writer Currently majoring in marketing, William VanOrder, 20, said he thrives on person to person interactions and creative liberty. He loves the idea of creating an open forum for his peers to come to him with their concerns.

With a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, VanOrder is deciding on the option to work in insurance. Another option he is considering would be to work for Major League Ultimate, a professional ultimate Frisbee league. VanOrder said ultimate frisbee is a passion of his and is currently on a team that competes.

VanOrder’s interest in student government started in high school

and has followed him into college.

He has done work with the Associated Students of New Mexico State University as a Roadrunner intern and worked in the athletics public relations department. He has also gotten the unique experience of sitting in on committee boards as a proxy to Wesley Jackson. Currently, he works in the activities department of ASNMSU. “One committee board I sat in on was one where we were working with the Barnes & Noble’s bookstore. They actually took some of my advice and are currently planning on incorporating a discount system for future students,” VanOrder said. “If you take your entire schedule to them to get your books ordered, they’ll give a discount to students.

They haven’t set the amount, and it hasn’t been put into action yet, but it was a really great opportunity working with people who directly affect students.”

One of his main goals and his platform is getting more students involved in the student government. With every student paying $35 dollars every semester towards ASNMSU, he doesn’t want that to go to waste. He said it is of special interest that students are represented and are getting what they want brought to the university.

“Hearing what the students want directly is important. I’ve been giving out my personal information to everybody that I go talk to because I want them to know that I, a president for students, shouldn’t be somebody that only works behind

closed doors,” he said.

Another plan he has is to approach professors and get them to commit to using the same edition of a textbook for a set amount of time. Students would know how many semesters are left for each edition. He said students then wouldn’t have to worry about the used book they are buying or needing to sell. This again is another way he wants to make sure students are being represented.

Working with smaller student organizations to get them more recognized on campus is an area of interest as well. He said he wants organizations to collaborate more with the Executive Branch of ASNMSU. Things like scheduling discrepancies where one organization is having an event and so is

ASNMSU. He wants to work together with them to make an even bigger event to make sure the organization is getting their foot in the door and being recognized.

These are just some of the ideas VanOrder has if he were to gain presidency. It wouldn’t stop if he were to win, he wants to continuously hear what students want and put it into action.

“I want to go to lunch with people; I want to have coffee with people. I want to sit down and talk to people and hash out ideas,” VanOrder said. “If they’re worth following up with then I want to make sure that the right people in ASNMSU get ahold of those ideas. So that then, we can try and bring the things the students care about to the university.”

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| page 9 | THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

NMSU

ent?

Dustin Chávez

By Billy Hunstman Staff Writer Voting for the next officers of the Associated Students of New Mexico State University will be available until 5 p.m., March 20.

Dustin Chavez is one of two candidates for the presidency of ASNMSU. An accounting-finance double major, Chavez, 23, decided to run for the office of president to make sure money is spent appropriately, and that students’ rights are observed, he said.

“Through the Student Advocacy Board, we’d go to Santa Fe and lobby on behalf of student rights,” Chavez said.

His time on the board in his late sophomore year sparked his interest in politics.

“Going up to Santa Fe and advocating for students, it’s fun, there’s a thrill to it,” Chavez said.

Chavez then ran for student Senate, for which he was elected. He currently serves as a senator, sits on the Finance Committee and formerly sat on the Lawbook Committee. Additionally, he serves as the executive director of “The Round Up” and overall has “always been good with numbers.”

These facts are what will make him a valuable addition to ASNMSU, Chavez said.

“The platform that I’m running on is threetiered,” Chavez said. “Tier one is advocating for students. Not everyone’s willing to face adversity or necessarily promote the popular

student opinion, but for me, if elected, those (the students) would be my constituents, and that’s who you’re supposed to serve.”

Chavez said if students voiced concern over school, city or state matters, he would not be afraid to address such issues, even if it would mean going to Santa Fe and speaking before the legislature.

Chavez said tier two of his platform is accessibility and transparency.

“For me, one of the things that’s always made me mad during election season is, during campaigning, you’ll see the people who are running for either Senate or one of the two executive elected positions, and then you don’t really see them too often after that,” Chavez said. “You might see them giving a speech, you might see them going around campus, walking around to class, but the accessibility and transparency of what’s going on isn’t always there.”

Chavez said having an open student government students feel comfortable in approaching to voice concerns would be an integral part of his presidency, as would going out and getting to know the student body.

“To me, you can’t really be a good advocate for students if you don’t know what their concerns, questions or what they want out of their student government is,” Chavez said.

Tier three of Chavez’s platform is spending reform.

“Making sure that the money that we do control is actually being leveraged to its full

extent and actually providing services that the students want to see, rather than what we think they want to see,” Chavez said. “And that comes again through accessibility from going out and talking to them, finding out what’s being used, what’s not, what they want to see, what they don’t.”

Chavez said his presidency and the student body would benefit from his experience on both sides of student government, his knowledge of ASNMSU’s Lawbook, his willingness to spend time with students and his familiarity with “fiscal matters.”

“The student body is important to me mostly because I feel that all students during college should have the opportunity to do what they want in terms of academic success, as well as being able to find positions to further themselves so when they graduate they’re actually able to find gainful employment,” Chavez said.

Chavez went on to say the protection of students’ rights and providing of services they want, instead of what the administration feels the student body needs, is what can help students get the full college experience.

“If students don’t have services being provided to them, you’re going to have a higher dropout rate,” Chavez said, “as well as a distaste for the university if funds aren’t being appropriated correctly.”

Chavez said student government bridges the age gap between students and the administration.

“The time that we’re going through now versus the time that a lot of these professors and administration were going through is vastly different,” Chavez said. “You could work a summer and get a car, but now you work a summer and you can pay for food for the semester.”

Having a representative who knows the wants and needs of the student body is essential in protecting the rights of students, as well as preserving their college experience, Chavez said.

“The times are different and they (the administration) don’t always see it through students’ perspective and a lot of the cuts, or regulations, or change to policy that they want to make adversely affects the students and this (student government) is just a platform for them to get their voice across,” Chavez said.

Chavez’s future plans include serving New Mexico in politics, but, before then, he wants to do “something in the realm of finance to where I can actually back myself so I don’t have to take money from lobbying committees to where you owe them favors,” Chavez said.

By not owing favors to anyone, Chavez said, he would be able to focus entirely on what his constituents want.

For more info on all candidates go to asnmsu.nmsu.edu to vote go to vote.nmsu. edu.

r

| page 10 |

TITLE THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Stand out with FREE DESIGNS by the RoundUP trudesign@nmsu.edu

Have a fun and safe

Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

TITLE culture

| page 11 | THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Folk Band Cruises through Cruces

By Jesse Moya Staff Writer Two days before the massive Mountain Blood Fest, a folk festival in Albuquerque, folk punk veterans Days N’ Daze made a stop in Las Cruces during their southwestern tour. The tour had taken Days N’ Daze and other bands around the southwest for two months of shows from the Midwest through the Southwest. Along with them, the band met up with Alexander the Terrible and Catfish Steve, folk acts who were also on a tour of the southwestern states.

Days N’ Daze is a folk band from Houston who tours nation-wide completely independent of any major label support and mostly on the backs of their estimated 15,000 loyal fans. Their stop in Las Cruces included a show at HapHazard Hall, a DIY space which brings in bands like Days N’ Daze to a crowd of people who have either never heard of them or are their biggest fans. The show was one of the largest yet at HapHazard and yet didn’t top more than 50 people.

“Bigger cities may have larger turnouts,

but nothing beats the feeling of playing a show where everyone kind of knows each other,” said Jesse Sendejas, front-man for Days N’ Daze.

“It’s just more personal. It feels more like hanging out with some friends than playing a show” he said.

Days N’ Daze is an all-acoustic band who utilizes old time instruments such as washboards and washtub bases for their set. Because of this, the band does not normally play with any sort of amplification and yet they manage to completely fill the room and command attention from the crowd.

In addition to Days N’ Daze, Las Vegas folk-punk duo Alexander the Terrible also made an appearance at the show to deliver their powerful distorted ukulele and drum combo to the crowd. Being the only band on the bill who used electricity, Alexander the Terrible was able to play above the creeping noise that slowly seeps over the crowd at acoustic shows. Overall, all the bands enjoyed a night of small town “Cruces comfort” in comparison to their often crazy, wall to wall shows.

“I feel like smaller town DIY spaces can

be just as important as big cities” said Alice Villa, front-woman for Alexander the Terrible.

“We were introduced to so many kind and nice people that night” she said.

With bands like these traveling through Las Cruces, more and more DIY bands will see it as a good place to book a show on their cross country tour. In respects to the Trainyard having to close its doors, HapHazard Hall serves as the only other DIY location where bands like these can book a show and get their music out to their fans or new listeners. Local venues are considered highly important to touring acts; they may not be able to play a show at a major concert venue or bar.

Days N’ Daze will be back through Las Cruces on their next tour, as will Alexander the Terrible and Catfish Steve.

“We love Las Cruces!” said Villa.

Missed the show? Check out the artist’s music online at Bandcamp.com for free!

•daysndaze.bandcamp.com •alexandertheterrible.bandcamp.com •catfishsteve.bandcamp.com

| page 12 |

TITLE

FILM

THE ROUND UP

By Billy Huntsman Staff Writer “Serena,” the newest film by Danish director Susanne Bier, none of whose films most American audiences have seen, has a lot of things wrong with it.

Primarily among them is the film’s misleading pitch as a romance film. Available on iTunes before its March 27 theater release, the film’s tagline is, “Some loves can never let you go,” which to me reads like a “Great Gatsby” kind of plot.

There’s about as much romance in “Serena” as there is in “Macbeth.”

The second very big thing wrong about the film is how the film tells its story. In truth, it’s not a bad story: 1930s Carolinas, George Pemberton (Bradley Cooper) is a timber baron who falls in love-atfirst-sight with Serena Shaw (Jennifer Lawrence), about whom whispers are passed around relating how her whole family was killed in a fire.

They get married, seeming to adore each other. Returning to Pemberton’s timber camp, Serena quickly proves herself as ablebodied as any of the axe-wielding, plaid-wearing thickly bearded men under Pemberton’s employ.

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

To solve the problem of rattlesnakes killing the men, Serena tames and trains an imported eagle; when she sees a man swinging his axe too high on tree, she shows him the proper way to cut so as to maximize timber harvest.

Personally, I find this “woman in a man’s world” motif clichéd and boring. I find it boring in “The Silence of the Lambs,” in “Million Dollar Baby” and in so many other movies who want to push that women are just as capable as men.

I agree, but I believe the best way to do that is not to highlight it.

In “The Hours,” Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman are not women living in a man’s world; they’re women living in the world. They deal with their struggles, both existential and tangible, and there are plenty of them.

As an audience, we interpret more with subtlety than we can digest with being shown. So if you want to show us Serena is holding her own with the men in the timber camp, do it subtly. Show her balancing the ledger, managing the finances, handing out payment to the loggers on payday.

Is this boring? Sure, but it speaks volumes more than swinging an axe into a tree.

Additionally on this point, the film thinks it can make an unsym-

pathetic character digestible for the audience by filling the role with Jennifer Lawrence. Serena is not a nice person. She’s calculating, jealous, envious, furious and manipulative to the point of homicide.

Yet watching the movie I found myself siding with her. I felt sorry for her; I even rooted for her at points. Did I like the character of Serena, or did I like her purely because of Lawrence?

I think it was the latter, which is not good. For a story to elicit pathos, it must do it on its own, without the appeal of its actors. I didn’t care for Serena so much as I cared for Tiffany Maxwell, and wanted to see her and Pat Solatano happy together.

The idea of casting Cooper and Lawrence together for the third time is appealing but not in the best interest of the film. It relies too heavily on these actors.

But I think this might have been unavoidable. Often, when a film’s story is not as traditional or appealing as producers and distributors would like, they push for certain

actors to appear in such films, in order to provide audiences an incentive to see the film.

This is what I think happened.

Produced in part by 2929 Entertainment, Mark Cuban originally responded to the film’s pitch with something like, “1930s? Timber?

Carolina? I don’t know.”

Then someone suggested, “How about we get Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence?”

And then suddenly everyone was for the idea.

Had Cooper and Lawrence not been in the film, would the film have been made? I doubt it.

The film’s story is more along the lines of a novel’s story, which in fact it was, “Serena” by Ron Rash.

Is the film good?

In the beginning, it has its moments. Then, as the story progresses and the stakes get higher, yes, it becomes good. It never approaches the level of great.

The most fascinating aspect of the film, and the part I wish the film had focused on more, is a character who draws a parallel to

Hester Prynne.

She’s the only woman in town to get pregnant and have a child out of wedlock. I have no compunction in telling you the father is George, since he tells Serena at the beginning of the film.

George got this woman pregnant and sends her money each month, and in exchange she sends him pictures of the child. Throughout the film, we see Serena and this woman cross eyes more than once.

The woman’s disposition seems to be indifferent; but Serena’s is clearly furious.

This is what the film becomes about near the end; but it should have been the very core of the story.

Other good points of the film include Lawrence’s and Cooper’s performance, although I have my doubts as to whether his accent was Carolina so much as it sounded Boston, and the film’s cinematography.

Cooper/Lawrence fans will surely flock to this film; others may watch it once it becomes available on Netflix Streaming.

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TITLE OPINION

| page 13 | THE ROUND UP

Why Greek Life Needs to Tread L i g h t l y

By Brynn Herndon Staff Writer Fraternities are making the news day after day recently, and not in a good way.

Fraternities across the United States, particularly many branches of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, have been accused left and right of being racist. These accusations may have something to do with the fact that many of these branches were kind enough to record their racist chants and post them online.

According to CNN, this massive uncovering of racism began with the University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon engaging in a chant including the slur that racists most commonly use towards black people specifically. So, no, it can’t be argued that it was taken out of context or something. That word is literally in the chant at least twice, and that’s before the reference to lynching also contained within it.

Dean Obeidallah of the Daily Beast wrote a lengthy article on his disgust.

“Watching these white students—clad in tuxedos and cocktail dresses—sing these lyrics with such joy and gusto made it feel like it was a scene from a movie about cartoonish racism from an era gone by,” said Obeidallah.

Though there haven’t been news reports of discrimination at New Mexico State University in the news (and hopefully there won’t be any time soon), Greek Life still has a history of not being as inclusive as it could be. Ali El-

kin of Bloomberg Politics says that “as recently as 2013, there were at least four sororities at the University of Alabama that accepted no black women.”

There’s a pattern here: almost all of the schools mentioned or being investigated (USA Today reports that universities in Texas and Louisiana are also under scrutiny) are in what’s known as the “Deep South.” New Mexico is technically not a part of the Deep South, and boasts a decent amount of diversity, but it’s still right next to Texas, which doesn’t have the greatest reputation in terms of equality (thought their problem primarily lies in gender and LGBTQA issues).

Not all of the schools under fire are in the south, of course – the University of Maryland’s branch of Kappa Sigma is coming under fire for sending a racist and sexist email to its members 15 months ago, which CBS describes as containing “vulgar language and reprehensible views” but does not provide quotes, which is probably telling.

Sexism is also a big problems, particularly with fraternities, as being around a bunch of bro-tastic bros all the time can distort one’s view of other genders. Homophobia is also an issue, but both this and sexism is another article entirely.

The point is: Greek Life participants, be careful. It’s basically the easiest thing in the world, just look at what Oklahoma did and don’t do that. It’s that hard to not be horrible, keep NMSU fraternities out of this mess.

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Why Public School Testing Affects College Students

By Brynn Herndon Staff Writer Mentioning standardized testing to any college student will most likely get an eye roll and probably an “ugh” in response, but nothing more.

For many New Mexico State University students, tests like the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment are a thing of the past – and they really are, as most of the NMSBA assessments are obsolete save for the science section.

The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) replaces tests like the NMSBA, according to the Las Cruces Public Schools website. The only immediately discernible differences between this test and past tests are is that students take the text on the computer and the alarming new policy my prohibit a student from graduating if they do not take the PARCC. Judging by the protests of students and teachers, the introduction of the PARCC has been less than well received. Teachers lose time that could be used for educating their students by just sitting them in a room and watching them try not to fall asleep at their school-provided laptops, and students lose time that they could spend learning or stealing lunch money or whatever it is kids do.

NMSU students undoubtedly think the PARCC doesn’t affect them, and in most ways, it doesn’t. However, one thing it does change is incoming students really have no idea what expect for college.

Think about it, these fresh-faced 18 year olds will filter into NMSU next fall not

having a clue what to do with themselves.

They’ve spent their entire school lives learning useless things so they can pass a test and then are suddenly asked to decide what they want to do with their lives. Any financial literacy and learning of things like living away from home and the cost of having a car and the benefits of having a job (for students who didn’t work part-time in high school) has to be taught to them by their parents (who may not have the time or best grasp on these concepts) or learned on their own time.

So because of not only the PARCC, but ALL standardized tests, current students have to share a campus with people who know nothing about who they are or what to do with their new freedom. This can result in either annoyance or older students taking it upon themselves to deal with copious hand-holding. And this will never end.

This will happen every year that students have to focus on tests instead of actually learning how to function as an adult.

This is not saying freshmen are stupid.

They probably have a better grasp on the Pythagorean Theorem or something, but soon all New Mexico colleges and colleges in other states that use the PARCC test will have no concept of what to do once they make it to college. Even students who had some college prep in the past probably found being treated like an actual adult a bit disorienting at first.

So, next time a freshman does something that older students perceive as dumb (like asking for permission to use the restroom), keep in mind that it’s more than likely that their previous schooling has failed them.

| page 14 |

TITLE

OPINION

THE ROUND UP

Word street ON the

Photos by Luis Miranda, Jr.

What is the importance of student government?

Adam Sayre, economics major

Valarie Valencia, Master’s of business administration

“It allows students’ voices to be heard and gives other students the opportunity to represent their peers.”

“Student body government is essential to helping students voice their opinions, create the optimal learning environment and succeeding on their chosen path. They are the voice of the students.”

Andrew Chavarria, business major

Heather Sterling, pre-med, biology major

“I think it’s important because it involves interaction with other students. And they speak for students, knowing the same problems we feel. It could help better the campus and on a personal level help a résumé.”

“Student government is important for other students to have a role model. And the events they hold are fun and helpful.”

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Tuesday, 3.17.2015

HEY SONIA!

I recently saw attacks on social media concerning your funding, how are you all funded? -wondering Yes it is true!

There have been recent comments on The Round Up’s social media platforms, specifically Twitter, that are far from supportive.

A question posed by a Twitter commentator was in regards to how The Round Up is funded and included a personal statement of their feelings towards TRU. This Twitter user stated they do not want any percentage of their tuition utilized to support or directly fund the student newspaper.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion concerning what your tuition and fees are applied to at New Mexico State University. TRU supports students voicing these opinions. It is rather unfortunate that they do not see the value our newspaper brings to our university, the community and to the students who are currently employed at TRU. If any student would like to take a deeper look into where tuition and fees are allocated, look for the NMSU budget via the NMSU website. It is available to all. TRU is part of the Student Media Department, and the funding given to the department is divided between KRUX and TRU, depending on certain factors.

With the support of local businesses, who advertise in the newspaper, TRU is able to sustain a high percentage of their operating expenses. Any expenses that are not covered by the self-generated revenue are then taken care of by a percentage of the student fees.

We are grateful we have the opportunity to express our opinions, to gain experience, to share stories and to write. This paper provides for many students their first publication opportunity, and this experience aids them when applying for internships and careers as well as sharpening their skills in the newspaper profession.

This newspaper was founded in 1907, and it is a part of NMSU history. I am thankful to the former Aggies who started this paper and for the efforts of the current Aggies who work hard every week to publish and print a new issue. Fellow Aggies, let’s keep supporting an outlet of free speech for ourselves and let’s keep placing value in news and writing.

-Sonia Diaz, Marketing Director

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| page 15 | THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015

Visiting Lecturer Discusses Value-Added Models

By Brynn Herndon Staff Writer On March 13, 2015, Dr. Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Ph.D. and an Arizona State University associate professor in the Educational Leadership and Innovation division of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, addressed the Las Cruces community’s concerns about the standardized testing currently underway in the Las Cruces Public School District.

During her appearance at New Mexico State University’s Health and Social Services Auditorium, Amrein-Beardsley engaged the community in a dialogue about value-added models (VAMs) and the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) of education, especially their beneficial and negative impact of these approaches on students and especially teachers.

Originally part of an agricultural study, VAMs were created by econometricians to study genetic trends in cattle (level of milk production, etc.). W. L. Sanders, an economics professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, determined that the model could be used to measure student achievement. This approach, TVAAS (the “T” stood for Tennessee), evolved into EVAAS. “Today, EVAAS is thought to be the best and most highly sophisticated model on the market and it’s the most widely used,” said Amrein-Beardsley. “Like all models, though, it’s not without its problems.”

The pervasiveness of high-stakes testing of academic achievement (“No Child Left Behind,” “Adequate Yearly Progress”) required the development of a statistical method to accurately measure and compare the success of competing academic techniques. The dominant corporation in this field is SAS, a North Carolina company that has pushed the United States education system toward increased valuation of standardized test scores and holding educators responsible for student results. Am-

rein-Beardsley believes that these high-stakes testing policies have had little to no impact on students’ actual success.

“The assumption is that, after the policy is passed, you would expect to see the intentions of the policy play out,” stated AmreinBeardsley.

Amrein-Beardsley conducted research for her graduate dissertation on the subject. She said, “Literally never did the intended consequences of this policy come to fruition, whether it was one, two, three or five years post-policy.”

Amrein-Beardsley said consequences like holding students back a grade and other carrot and stick incentives to encourage students to pass the standardized test had little impact. She also found that only econometricians, the creators of the system, believe that it works.

“Econometricians have very different perceptions of tests than educators do. Econometricians really believe that tests are really, really valid indicators that yield a pretty significant level of truth. Educators are not on the same page,” Amrein-Beardsley said.

An important consideration for Amrein-Beardsley is the VAMs’ impact on teachers, especially when such methods are used to measure teacher effectiveness and have consequences for teacher salary and tenure.

“These tests have never been validated as measuring teacher effectiveness. They only validly measure student learning,” said Amrein-Beardsley.

Although econometricians think student results have a direct correlation with teacher effectiveness, correlation does not equal causation, she said In her talk, Amrein-Beardsley cites factors beyond the teacher’s control that can affect test scores, such as a significant influx of nonEnglish-speaking students into a school district will likely result in lower standardized scores because of an established language barrier.

Using those test scores as the basis for teacher evaluations will lead to some teachers being unjustly terminated.

The State of New Mexico has adopted the Partnership Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) test. This is having a significant impact on Las Cruces’ K-12 students and their teachers. One consequence is that high-school students who do poorly on the PARCC will be granted a “certificate of completion” in lieu of a diploma. Although there is supposedly no stigma attached to the former, colleges will be more likely to accept students who received a formal diploma.

Many students (with their parents’ approval) have decided not to take the test. Sophomores Sarahi Bedell and Daniela Prieto, who did not opt out of the exam, have found that the consequences of taking the test are not sitting well.

“I don’t really know how to feel about it,” said Bedell, “I know it’s mandated, but it feels kind of unnecessary, because we already had tests that were working.”

“I don’t think it should be as important as it is, because some of the things on the test are things we

have not learned yet,” Prieto said.

Despite how VAMs have warped people’s views of teachers and their contributions to students, they were made with good intentions, and are adequate in measuring what they were designed to measure: student achievement.

The problem is major players in the education system like SAS are using the tests to measure things they were not designed to, and both teachers are suffering for it.

DID YO YOU PASS

SUSANA? up ass Can you pas ass

this CCRAP?

THE ROUND UP

Tuesday, 3.17.2015