DAILY LOBO new mexico
Fashion Q&A
summer
see page 6
July 19-26, 2010
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
UNM’s neighbors offer traffic input by Danielle Boudreau Daily Lobo
Jenny Gignac / Daily Lobo Members of the Bernalillo County Sheriff ’s Department SWAT team arrive at the scene of the Emcore shooting near Eubank Boulevard and Gibson Avenue on July 12. Summer Little, program manager for the UNM Women’s Resource Center, said the center is anticipating an increase in calls after the shooting.
Emcore puts domestic abuse on forefront by Tricia Remark Daily Lobo
Abuse victims may be more likely to come forward and ask for help as a result of Tuesday’s deadly shooting at Emcore, an Albuquerque fiber optics company. Summer Little, Women’s Resource Center program manager, said high profile events like the one at Emcore tend to draw a spike in the number of abuse victims who seek help. “Events like this can be a trigger for people who have experienced abuse or are experiencing abuse,” she said. “They might feel like they need to reach out for help and we’re certainly here if they do.” Little said the WRC had an increase in calls after UNM English professor Hector Torres and graduate student Stefania Gray were killed in March after a suspected domestic dispute. The WRC may see a similar increase in domestic violence victims asking for help after Tuesday’s shooting, she said. On Tuesday, Robert Reza shot six people at Emcore, killing two and hospitalizing four — including his ex-girlfriend, Adrienne Basciano. Basciano is still in critical condition at UNMH, said hospital spokesman Billy Sparks. Reza shot and killed 36-year-old Michele Turner and 47-year-old Sharon Cunningham. He wounded Malissia Mai, Rodney Noble and Dixie Colvin before killing himself. Nadine Hamby, APD spokeswoman, said Reza’s main motivation for the shootings was to kill Basciano. Reza and Basciano had twin 5-year-old boys who are now
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 114
issue 161
Women’s Resource Center
277-3716 www.unm.edu/~women being cared for by family, Hamby said. Reza may have been mentally ill, believing that Emcore had “implanted chips in his brain and could hear his thoughts,” according to a Saturday story in the Albuquerque Journal. Reza worked at Emcore from 2006-09, when he resigned for medical issues, the story said. Police also found a 40-page journal that Reza kept, although they are not releasing details about what was written, Hamby said. Hamby said the New Mexico legislature might take another look at “Kendra’s Law,” which was introduced after John Hyde killed five people in Albuquerque during a 2005 shooting spree. Hyde struggled with mental illness, authorities said. Kendra’s Law would make it illegal for people who are a threat to themselves or others to go without treatment. Former Mayor Martin Chavez introduced the law in 2005, but it didn’t pass through district court. T.J. Wilham, Albuquerque public safety director, said Mayor Berry could announce whether he will re-introduce Kendra’s Law as soon as Monday. Little said mental illness isn’t usually a factor in domestic violence. “(Domestic violence) is more an issue with power and control
than it is with mental illness,” she said. Tuesday’s shooting is a reminder that abuse is still a problem, Little said. She said the WRC deals with “quite a few domestic violence issues.” “We still have a lot of education and prevention work to do,” she said. “This is a real reminder of that.” The UNM community is already taking steps to curb domestic violence, Little said. The WRC and other departments wrote a grant for the Violence Against Women Act. Little said that if UNM receives the grant, the WRC will hire a coordinator to reduce domestic violence, stalking and sexual abuse. “We really need to move beyond shame and embarrassment around it,” she said. “People don’t ask to be abused — it just happens.” Little said the reasons people stay in an abusive relationship can be complicated. She said domestic violence often doesn’t stay in just a home setting. “A lot of people think it’s just private, so when it does happen somewhere public, it’s kind of shocking,” she said. Little said the WRC is partnering with the English department and other organizations, including GPSA, to host the first GrayTorres Symposium in September. She said stalking and domestic violence will be addressed. The WRC doesn’t just help women find resources, as men can call or come in for help also, she
see Emcore page 3
The Mid-Region Council of Governments held two kick-off meetings at UNM on July 14 to gauge public interest in alternative means of transportation to UNM and CNM. The council’s Travel Demand Management Study is an effort to avoid disputes that arose last summer over a proposed UNM parking garage, said Isaac Benton, city councilor and chair of the Rio Metro Board. In July 2009, the Spruce Park Neighborhood Association and the State Board of Finance expressed concerns over UNM’s proposed parking structure at Las Lomas Road and Redondo Drive. SBF representatives said they weren’t convinced UNM was promoting alternative transportations methods. And the neighborhood association representatives said the parking structure would increase traffic and threaten neighborhood safety. “It was a rocky time between the University and city regarding planning,” Benton said. In working to find resolutions that satisfy the community, MRCOG will identify and implement ways to improve transportation issues at both UNM and CNM, according to a July 7 news release. Parking, public transportation, consumer cost and environmental impact are among the study’s main concerns. The researchers will hear the needs and concerns of the UNM and CNM communities, said Augusta Meyers, MRCOG spokeswoman. Benton said the study will shed light on the concerns of students,
staff, faculty and community members around the two campuses. “At the end of the study, we will have recommendations on specific ways we can make travel to and from UNM and CNM more convenient, affordable and compatible with nearby neighborhoods,” Benton said in the release. Benton said working with the surrounding neighborhoods is a key focus. He said conducting a thorough analysis of transportation needs and hearing public concerns will hopefully prevent future discord. Attendees examined data regarding transportation around UNM and CNM, according to the MRCOG website. This included peak class enrollment times, travel times and demands, permitting and accessibility issues and distribution of residencies. A similar analysis is scheduled to continue through the end of the summer. Meyers said more public meetings will be held in late August and early September, but at this point it is still too early to tell what specific improvements will be made. “We’re really starting at the very beginning of this project, so everything is an option at this point,” she said.
Community members can voice their opinions by visiting the Mid-Region Council of Governments website at www.mrcog-nm.gov or calling 247-1750.
Clashin’ fashion
Vanessa Sanchez / Daily Lobo Megan Cuoco models her outfit at the first Clash Couture fashion show July 16. Cuoco and her team won the competition and donated their winnings to the sponsored charity of the event, Arts in the School. Check out our online photo gallery and culture editor Chris Quintana’s blog at DailyLobo.com about the event.
Armed and Ready
Wade‘s world
See page 3
See page 9