DAILY LOBO new mexico
tuesday February 18, 2014
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
ASUNM asks students to opine on scholarship by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
As this year’s state legislative session enters its last week, UNM community members continue to voice grievances about increasing the Legislative Lottery Scholarship’s GPA requirements. About 100 people gathered in the Student Union Building ballrooms for a Scholarship forum Monday afternoon. The forum was organized by the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico. ASUNM President Isaac Romero said he and the undergraduate student senate planned the event in a meeting Wednesday after several organizations criticized the body for misrepresenting UNM students’ stances on the Scholarship’s solvency issue. Two weeks ago, on UNM Day at the New Mexico Legislature, ASUNM distributed cards stating that “the students at the University of New Mexico would like to see the Lottery Scholarship GPA requirement increased to 2.75.” The cards were distributed to lawmakers and attendees. After explaining that the scandal was an oversight, Romero publicly apologized for the incident at the forum. “I know that my stance so far has raised concerns with a lot of students on campus, and for that I’m sorry,” he said. “But my job is not always to make the easy choice or the popular one. We have to make difficult choices, but I feel like every student has a voice that needs to be represented. And if the students of UNM want our stance on the Lottery Scholarship to change, then that’s something I want to take into consideration.” Still, students continued to express opposition to Senate Bill 150. Israel Chavez, an Albuquerquebased community organizer, said raising the GPA requirements for the Scholarship, as SB 150 proposes,
William Aranda / Daily Lobo Jessica Peabody, a non-traditional UNM student, finishes speaking her mind on the Legislative Lottery Scholarship at the ASUNM Lottery Scholarship Forum in the SUB Monday afternoon while holding her six-month-old daughter, Morgan. would disadvantage working and low-income students. “The decision to support … SB 150 hurts students who do not fit in the category of being traditional,” he said. “As you know, UNM is not a traditional campus. Those are the students that we need to take into account.” Chavez said that because Romero
did not approach the ASUNM Senate about the stance printed on the card, he failed to accurately portray students’ demands. “When Mr. Romero says ‘we,’ my understanding is that the senate was not involved in the decision,” he said. “The body that most reflects the student body was not involved in the decision
on how to approach the Lottery.” UNM student Jorge Garcia, senior program manager at El Centro de la Raza, said he echoes Chavez’s concerns. “The reason why, as a student, I was very offended by your comments is that it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “We should be polling everybody and getting the right
voices of those who will be affected … As a student, I’m going to ask Isaac Romero to be more in-tune with the student body.” UNM graduate student Virginia Necochea, who works with the New Mexico Coalition for Equity and Justice, said she demands that legislators find a way around raising
see Lottery PAGE 3
Children’s choir brings love from Uganda by Mariam Ajala
culture@dailylobo.com @M_A_Reports
Aaron Sweet / @AaronCSweet/ Daily Lobo Rebecka Compi, a member of the Watoto Children’s Choir of Ugandan Orphans, laughs with her friend Irene just after their performance Sunday morning at the Victory Outreach Church of Albuquerque.
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 118
issue 99
Children in brightly colored gomesis sail seamlessly across the stage. The kids leap, sing and chant to a crowd of more than 100 people in a small church. The Watoto Children’s Choir, an evangelist group from Africa, dances and sings to raise awareness of orphaned children in Uganda. There are four children’s choirs touring around the world, each lead by adult coordinators and a team leader, like Phillip Mugerwa. “Our goal for travelling in a children’s choir is most importantly to share with people the love of Jesus and what he has done for the children
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and where he has taken them,” Mugerwa said. “We raise awareness to try and help people know about what’s happening in Africa and how they can be part of it.” Uganda has an estimated 2.5 million orphans, about 1 million of whom lost their parents to AIDS, according to the website for Uganda Orphans Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides the country’s orphans with shelter, food and education. AIDS is the number-one cause of death in Uganda. The Watoto Childcare Ministry, founded by a church in Uganda, has rescued and cared for more than 3,000 orphaned African children, he said. A foster mother is responsible for the needs and welfare of eight children at a time.
“We believe we are building the next generation of African and Ugandan leaders,” he said. “The guardians to the children help them understand that it is not all about where they came from, but where they are going is all that matters.” Sunday’s performance at the Victory Outreach Church on Lead Avenue was one of nine performances in New Mexico this month. Danny Sanchez, a pastor for the Victory Outreach Church, said he was grateful for the message of the children’s choir. “I am motivated today; these children are being taught that they are great and that they can do greatness,” Sanchez said. For many of the children in the choir, who are home-schooled during
see Choir PAGE 3
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