Elevate Magazine

ELEVATE SEPTEMBER 2024 | ISSUE 4

4

12

In This Issue

4

Attendance Challenge: Show up for your future

7

Discipline at GMCS

10

Accelerating Futures

12

Diné in the Classroom

16

Rising Stars of GMCS

6

14

ELEVATE SEPTEMBER 2024 ISSUE 4 640 Boardman Avenue Gallup, NM 87301

PUBLISHER GALLUP-MCKINLEY COUNTY SCHOOLS

EDITOR JVANNA HANKS

WRITERS KATHY POLICH JVANNA HANKS OPHELIA SANCHEZ

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS JENNIFER BACA VANESSA DUCKETT

GRAPHIC DESIGNER JENNIFER BACA Front Cover: Navajo Middle School Student, Cruz Loera rides with his riding club.

Photo credit: Tim Pikaart.

Back Cover: Chief Middle School Students: Hayden Begaye, Anastasia Morgan, Eliy Jimenez, Nikko Yazzie, Kylie Wilson, Aiyana Benally, and April Williams. Photo credit: Tim Pikaart Page 4 Graphic Models: Jefferson Elementary Student, Talayiah Blanco and 2024 Miymura Graduate, Aubrey Tah.

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

3

ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE: Show Up for Your Future!

GMCS’ vision of the future, Excellence in educating our students to become selfreliant, productive citizens in a multicultural society, is essential in our everyday work.

The District’s Graduate Profile starts in Pre-Kindergarten, with core expectations and standards for each year of learning. This progression in knowledge is to help our students graduate ready for their post-secondary success in college, career, or civic endeavors.

You can think of each year in education as the next step for students in their progressive success towards life after graduation. Showing up consistently and being ready to learn are crucial life skills and can provide many lifelong benefits.

4

ELEVATE

Maximizes Learning Opportunities: Being present and prepared increases your chances of learning and growth.

Academic Progress: Students who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with their coursework, understand the material taught, and perform better.

Builds Reliability and Trust: Consistency in showing up demonstrates reliability to others, whether it is at work, in relationships, or pursuing personal goals.

Builds Self-Confidence: As you acquire new knowledge and skills through consistent effort, you gain a sense of accomplishment and belief in your abilities.

Creates Opportunities: Opportunities often arise from consistent effort and learning. Consistent expectations set by both schools and parents contribute to long-term success for students.

Social Development: School is not just about academics; it is also where students learn crucial social skills such as teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution.

Preparation for Adult Responsibilities: Regular attendance teaches responsibility and accountability. In the real world, being present and on time is often a requirement for jobs and other commitments.

Access to Resources: Public schools provide resources such as counseling, special education services, and extracurricular activities that contribute to a wellrounded education.

Absenteeism: Is it really an issue?

While there are many things that can impact a student’s success during the school year, one of the most important things for students is showing up to school, on time, and ready to learn. We know that our families want to see their student succeed, just as we want to see your student succeed. Our shared vision for our students’ successful future is only possible if they attend school. How does missing school, being tardy to school, or even showing up unprepared to learn impact their education? What happens when students stop showing up for their future?

It is no secret that the importance of attendance, including the concern about Chronic Absenteeism, is at the top of most academic discussions. Chronic Absenteeism is if “a student has been absent for ten percent or more of classes or school days for any reason, whether excused or not.” When a student misses school, it is much harder for them to stay on track with their peers and puts pressure on them to catch up on learning missed. Unfortunately, students who fall behind find it difficult to catch up and can often struggle throughout their school experience. Research from the US Department of Education cites the following top findings for students who are chronically absent: Social engagement: Chronically absent students may have difficulty building friendships and becoming involved in the school community.

Emotional well-being: Students who miss school frequently may experience feelings of alienation and disengagement.

Graduation rates: Chronic absenteeism is an early indicator of an increased risk of dropping out of high school. Students who fall behind in essential skills can struggle throughout their educational experiences.

Long-term outcomes: Students who miss school often may experience negative health outcomes, lower income, and increased involvement with the criminal justice system in adulthood.

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

5

Occasionally, students will need to miss school. What should I do if my student misses a school day? Please be sure that you are communicating with the school to ensure that your student has the necessary make-up work they need to catch up. If your student will miss more than one day, please communicate with the school to help them stay connected. If possible, schedule appointments, vacations, and other activities outside of the school calendar.

We are here to provide your student with a great educational experience, please be our partner.

Every student can have bad days. To get support for your child’s mental health at school, start by reaching out to the school counselor or school social worker – They are here to help! These professionals can share resources and start the process for any needed assessments in a supportive and understanding way. You are a great resource to your students as well. At home, keep communication open about feelings, listen actively, and create routines that promote well-being. These can include activities like regular exercise, healthy meals, and enough sleep.

Community Support I am a community member without a student in school, how do I help? Making sure that you encourage students to understand the importance of attending school as an investment in their future. Your words matter, please use them wisely.

Take on the Challenge!

Please treat education as a valuable investment and encourage every student to show up for their future!

6

ELEVATE

BE A COMMUNITY PARTNER

Hire an intern, be a mentor or host a lecture.

Contact CCCR for more information 505-721-1000

“Attending school every day is like putting money in the bank that will pay you dividends in the future. Education is an investment that will develop essential skills and set the foundation for success in any career path.”

-Chris Mortensen, GMCS Board President “The health of our community relies on continued investment in public education. A strong educational system produces caring, responsible, forwardthinking, problem solvers who make the most of emerging opportunities, while supporting collaboration and community engagement. As our environment becomes increasingly complex, we need to continue to invest in education to ensure that our systems remain effective and able to deliver new and improved opportunities that lead to successful individuals and a thriving community” -Sabrina Ezzell, Chancellor, UNM Gallup COLLEGE, CAREER AND CIVIC READINESS DEPT Jack McFarland- Director 505-721-1126 Arnel Delacruz - Coordinator adelacr1@gmcs.org Kyndee Keeler - Coordinator kkeeler@gmcs.org

DISCIPLINE AT GMCS Discipline is a necessary process to redirect students displaying negative behavior towards appropriate behaviors in school.

This process is important to an educational system so that all students have a productive learning environment that is safe and void of distractions so that learning is a priority.

GMCS prides itself on continually improving in the way we provide discipline and improving academics. Of the largest school districts, GMCS has shown the most academic growth, a testament to our dedicated staff and students.

In addition, GMCS has maintained the most academic growth for Native Americans over the last ten years in all districts in New Mexico. We have also created a more balanced proactive discipline process and had many successes in these efforts.

Despite the positive gains in GMCS, In December 2022 partnering news agencies alleged our staff was treating Native American students disproportionately with discipline compared to other school districts in New Mexico from years 2015 to 2020.

After reviewing the data supporting their allegations GMCS quickly found that the data was full of inaccuracies. These inaccuracies were not only internal but external across the State of New Mexico.

Discipline coding irregularities were the main culprit in these errors, but also state

definitions of discipline dispositions also led to data being incomparable. GMCS promptly and publicly denounced the allegations attacking our staff due to the data that was ripe with error. Rather than revisiting the data problems with journalistic integrity the media continued their attacks.

Through an internal audit of discipline data, GMCS found many examples of where the allegations were false. For example, media claimed GMCS had 735 arrests of students from 2015 to 2020. Firstly, computer entries for times when police came into the school to pick up drugs or paraphernalia for example were incorrectly coded under police arrests.

This is due to arrests being the only state code that pertains to police involvement in a disciplinary action. Secondly, police deciding to arrest a student is rare and when it does happen it is for an extreme event. During this 5-year period, 31 students were arrested by police, which is far from the 735 in the allegation.

Another example is the inaccuracy in expulsion numbers. Expulsions are when a student is permanently removed from school and is not allowed to return. This is also a very extreme and unlikely situation and GMCS takes many other precautions to ensure students have access to an education even if it requires them not to be a part of

NM State Discipline Code

2015-16

01-Arrest-Referred to justice system 02-In School Suspension 03-Out of School Suspension 04-Expulsion-No education services-Reg ed 05-Modified Expulsion-Receiving education services 06-Sent to alternative setting by school personnel 07-Sent to alternative setting by hearing officer 08-Other/Unknown 10-Restraint 11-Seclusion 12-Called Police-Instead of restraining or secluding student 13-No disciplinary action (This code to be used for incidence involving a firearm.

14-Restoriative Justice

16 4 0 3 9 0 0 0 47 36 41 152 77 14 149 128 2246 2023 789 1080 526 73 1069 1102 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0

Grand Total

2318

FF086-Students involved with firearms file specification)

2016-17

2069

2017-18

830

2018-19

1235

2019-20

612

2020-21

90

2021-22

1218

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

2022-23

1264

7

the general student population for a period are baseless. of time. The accusation claimed we had 211 Even though the NMPED confirmed the expulsions when GMCS had zero expulsions data from school districts is not comparable, during that period. Again, over the five years GMCS agreed with the Attorney General’s there were several inaccurate entries in the office that an independent analysis of the computer system that typically happened internal GMCS discipline data would at least when a discipline action for a suspension was be analyzed for discrimination per the United accidentally logged as an expulsion.

States Federally recognized Disparate Impact Superintendent Hyatt stated “They Test for discrimination. As a part of this pushed false stories despite the facts. These analysis, GMCS decided to also include recent news agencies, many of which are not local years of student discipline data that is outside or native American led, are simply using this the years relating to the allegations. narrative to get clicks and money. But we have also seen a few politicians in New Mexico jump on this story to gain political points. Using An independent analysis firm our staff and students for personal motives conducted a comprehensive and impartial is an unfortunate example of the sickness in analysis of the data using the Four-Fifths our society when it comes to some people’s Rule, a Federally implemented guideline used political ambitions and greed.” in data to determine if there is potential Once GMCS pushed back on these false discrimination by comparing the selection allegations for several months, a few of these rate of a minority group to that of a majority outside people called the New Mexico Attorney group, where a rate below 80% (or four-fifths) General to try to pressure him into looking at suggests possible disparate impact. The GMCS discipline. analyst concluded, “We found no evidence GMCS met with the Attorney General of disparate impact in the four-fifths Rule and staff, verbally and in writing, on Analysis.” multiple occasions to discuss the allegations.

Interestingly, during this time, the Secretary of Education, Arsenio 2024 GMCS Student Ethnicity Totals Romero and highranking officials 9,000 in the New Mexico Public Education 8,000 Department (NMPED) 7,000 also acknowledged the discipline data 6,000 in New Mexico public schools has 5,000 inaccuracies and 4,000 is not comparable due to the data 30,000 integrity problems.

According to GMCS, 2,000 this pertinent 1,000 information from those who oversee 0 the data is crucial in r n n n n ic an ian de ter sia sia ica an n s ric r substantiating that a p As a a us e e l c s i E R s u m m I H A le c Ca these allegations eA cifi an idd tiv c a i a P M r N against GMCS staff Af

The results of the test

8

ELEVATE

An interesting note is that 16 of the 32 GMCS schools are nearly 100% Native American students and therefore virtually 100% of the discipline in these schools is going to automatically be attached to a Native American student. This data is therefore disproportionately increased with Native American discipline numbers. Even with these inflated Native American discipline numbers, GMCS still passed the federally recognized discrimination test.

Superintendent Hyatt said “During this time, GMCS has had to unfortunately waste 10’s of thousands of student’s dollars on these false allegations. These dollars should have been used more appropriately for the student’s education. The State of New Mexico has continued to discriminate against our GMCS students by grossly underfunding our children for decades and this proven discrimination is what truly should be the topic of discussion. We now see these media outlets and politicians perpetuating this nonsense for who they are. They do not care about our students but only care about their own political gain, money, and notoriety at the expense of our students and staff.”

Superintendent Hyatt continued, “Throughout this ordeal, most of our McKinley County community has been smart enough to see through these false allegations. Most McKinley County citizens are relatives of at least one of our almost 2000 GMCS staff members and know they are not race driven individuals. They also know that not only are our students and school board predominantly Native American so is the largest part of our staff and we are not discriminating against each other. We are a diverse community with different ethnicities, and we are friends, relatives and colleagues. We live together productively in an incredible and unique part of New Mexico. Our schools and community will always have room for improvement, but we have many more assets than deficits to celebrate.”

Thank you, McKinley County, for your support of GMCS and our incredible employees.

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKER I show my creativity and critical thinking when I...

• SOLVE PROBLEMS • SHARE MY WORK • PERSEVERE

RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL I show I am a responsible individual when I… • am ACCOUNTABLE • am PREPARED • MAKE PLANS

EFFECTIVE COLLABORATOR I show I am an effective collaborator when I… • LISTEN • SHOW MUTUAL RESPECT • BUILD MY TEAM

LIFELONG LEARNER I show I am a lifelong learner when I… • am AUTHENTIC • am REFLECTIVE • USE TECHNOLOGY

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

9

ACCELERATING FUTURES In today’s fast-paced world, more than traditional classroom models are needed to adequately prepare our students for the complexities of the 21st century. The dynamic job market, shaped by technological advancements and evolving workforce needs, necessitates a new approach to education.

More than imparting knowledge is needed; we must equip students with the essential skills to navigate an ever-changing employment landscape. Introducing employability skills early on is crucial. This strategy empowers our

10

ELEVATE

youth to thrive in an uncertain future where adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking are paramount.

GMCS starts by integrating employability and soft skills into elementary education. Classrooms incorporate activities that promote communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management into daily routines. Students develop effective communication and teamwork skills through collaborative projects, role-playing scenarios, and group discussions. Problem-solving

is encouraged through puzzles, games, and real-world challenges, while time management is fostered through structured schedules and personal responsibility tasks. By embedding these skills in the curriculum, teachers prepare students for future workplace environments and instill confidence and readiness for future challenges.

In middle school, GMCS students begin to take Employability Skills classes. These classes allow students to explore essential skills they will need to work collaboratively with others. It is important that students begin to think about post-graduation aspirations, public speaking and even the importance of social media reputation as it applies to future opportunities. The curriculum builds over the years, and by high school, students are not only taking Employability courses, but employability skills are saturated throughout pathways and internships. Employers become mentors for students, teaching them both specific technical skills but also the importance of teamwork, confidence, customer service, self-advocacy and both independent and interdependent skills.

GMCS understands that our students need to be well prepared for the challenges they will face after graduation. The lines between education and employment are increasingly blurred in today’s rapidly evolving job market. Automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping the workforce, demanding skills beyond academics. Adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking are now vital. Employability skills, which include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and self-awareness, are essential for navigating this landscape. These skills not only help individuals secure employment and excel in their roles but also adapt to new situations and engage in continuous learning and growth. By introducing these skills early in education GMCS gives our youth the tools they need for longterm career success and fulfillment, instilling optimism about their future.

Technology on Task Students need to know the importance of Technology on Task.

Technology has given students access to more resources, opportunities for engagement, hands on learning, personalized learning, group collaboration and the ability to move through activities at their own pace among various other benefits. It is undeniable though that technology off task (texting, scrolling social media or even the distraction of constant notifications during instructional time) is reducing learning. It is important for students, as well as those of us in the working world, to utilize the technology we have available to us appropriately. Families should talk with their students about appropriate use of technology now and in their future. Teaching our students to be self-reliant, responsible and disciplined is another great skill that will help throughout their lifetime of learning.

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

11

DINÉ IN THE CLASSROOM

12

ELEVATE

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

13

14

ELEVATE

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

15

6

ELEVATE

RISING STARS OF GMCS

The film industry in New Mexico has experienced significant growth and profoundly impacts local communities.

State incentives, diverse landscapes, and a supportive film community drive this. Long before Albuquerque started branding itself as Southwest Hollywood, Gallup had been steady in movie credits for location. The historic El Rancho Hotel and Motel was a mainstay for filmmakers and actors in the 1940s and 1950s. The iconic Superman, filmed in Gallup in 1978, is one of the most notable. Gallup continues to be a hotbed of activity, with the film industry playing a vital role in its development. The City of Gallup has a film office and partners with the New Mexico Film Office to offer incentives to films shot in the area. Visit their website, www. gallupnm.gov, for an exciting list of all the movies shot in the region since the 1940s.

See how the film industry has woven itself into the fabric of our local communities, contributing to our sense of pride and connection.

GMCS students have been making their mark as up-and-coming filmmakers and actors, a testament to the promising future of the film industry in New Mexico. Film Prize Junior New Mexico is an initiative in which middle school and high school students across New Mexico learn all aspects of filmmaking.

They create concepts, write scripts, and produce and edit short films. Students receive equipment and mentorship from industry professionals. Finished products are submitted to the movie festival and have the chance to win equipment grants and scholarships. In 2023, Megan James from Miyamura, walked away from the festival with the High School Grand Prize Award for her film Deprived. This

April, an ensemble group from Tohatchi High School consisting of Myles Begay, Demetrius Hawthorne, Seth Henio, Cory Herbert, Lane Paul, KyMora Sleuth, and Abbagail Yazzie brought home honors for their film Ya’at’eeh, Shimasani. The Tohatchi students were involved with every aspect of the film, showing us the bright future of the film industry in New Mexico and the opportunities it presents for our students.

The College, Career and Civic Readiness department is crucial in creating opportunities for student involvement in the film industry through internships.

One such partnership is with Knifewing Productions, Inc., a company based in Gallup that specializes in live sound, largeformat video, and lighting. Knifewing Productions currently houses the Film Prize Jr. equipment. Owner Knifewing Segura expressed his excitement about the students’ involvement, stating, “It is so exciting to see the young people in our town get involved. In some cases, exposing the students to industry standard equipment and processes brings out their passion and direction.” He added, “Through our collaboration with GMCS, we will continue to provide students with incredible opportunities to explore and excel in the film industry.” You can view both Deprived and Ya’at’eeh, Shimasani at www.gmcsnews.com

The War Paint Specialist Goldie Tom is an entrepreneur, actor, screenwriter, clothing designer, and soon-to-be movie producer. She owns Goldie Luxe Studio in downtown Gallup, where she is a hair and makeup artist. Across the globe, in the high fashion industry, her name is The War EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

17

Paint Specialist. Goldie has done hair and makeup at New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week, and many other cities across the USA. She has credits in movies for hair, makeup, and acting. Goldie has turned down offers to relocate to stay in her hometown. I recently sat down with the 2003 Gallup High School graduate to discuss her multifaceted career.

A self-proclaimed people person, Goldie spoke about how much she enjoyed her time at GHS. “I loved school. I loved school for my friends and the community.”

Goldie joked that she even threatened her mom with not graduating so she could stay in school. At the time, the primary

18

ELEVATE

focus of the schools was to drive students to college over vocations. Goldie struggled a bit with academic motivation but ended her time as a Bengal, ready to pursue a career in cosmetology. A combination of self-doubt, lack of support, and mentorship derailed her plans. She spent several years bouncing around. She tried a few different fields of study in college, including early childhood education, but nothing stuck. If you lived in Gallup in the early 2000s, Goldie probably served you a meal; her resume was full of jobs in the food industry.

Later when her radio personality and DJ job ended, Goldie did some soul-searching. With the encouragement and coaxing of a few great friends, Goldie headed back to school. This time, she pursued her passion and followed her dreams since middle school. The first day she had class at the UNM-Gallup Cosmetology program, she knew she had found her place. “I sat at the front desk before class started, and students were still coming in. I remember looking around and feeling like this is where I belong and thinking, I should have been here a long time ago.”

Goldie’s college time was marked by resilience and hard work. She hustled tirelessly to pay for her tuition and supplies. Even though she had financial obstacles, she enjoyed her time in school.

Goldie stated, “When I was in high school, I loved school for my peers, but I didn’t connect to academics. Once I got into cosmetology school, I loved learning.

Everything was interesting. I liked learning about hair, skin, and nails, of course. But

I also was fascinated by learning about the industry’s business side.”

After completing her studies, Goldie worked at different salons in town, learning all aspects of the business and building clientele and business relationships. Fastforward a few years, she applied to work as a makeup artist at New York Fashion Week on a whim. Goldie got the job and impressed her boss so much that they invited her back to the next one as a supervisor. Since then, she has traveled the globe doing hair and makeup. She has also opened her studio in downtown Gallup, thanks partly to a grant from Change Labs. This 501(c) nonprofit organization helps entrepreneurs establish businesses in Navajo and Hopi lands.

Goldie Luxe Studio is more than a salon. “I want this to be a place where people can unite and have community.

I want this to be a safe space where people can learn something.”

She offers classes on making traditional Navajo skirts and beading and hopes to add more traditional teachings in the future. There is a space for headshots and recording audition footage.

Goldie gets very animated when she talks about giving back to the people of Gallup. “It is so exciting to be in a

place where I can start implementing internships, mentorship, and sponsorships.”

Goldie continues, “I want to encourage people to follow their dreams. It is exciting to see the students now have opportunities to be exposed to more than straight academics.” She also wants to encourage people that there is always time to follow your heart. “Success has no age. Vera Wang didn’t become Vera Wang until she was 48. Colonel Sanders did not make it until he was 60. Don’t give up. You can see success at 17 or 70!”

Involved in many areas of the film and fashion industry, Goldie is making her mark. Her style is a fusion of Traditional Native and Modern chic. If you catch one of her fashion shows or workshops, EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

19

and that’s neat to watch.”

Amias, the eleven-year-old with many interests, is not just about baseball.

He’s a budding chef, finding joy in cooking and learning from his father.

His enthusiasm for learning and growing in these hobbies is palpable. As he says, “I love to cook. I’m an amateur, but I learn from my dad. He’s a professional.”

Matthias, a sous chef, explains how Amias is gaining various skills through cooking.

He uses organization, math, and various other skills. His love for trains is another passion that he nurtures “I love trains. I’m interested in the new generation trains like

take advantage of it. I’m sure it will be soon that El Morro Theater will host a red-carpet premiere of one of her films!

Stay tuned for the upcoming film she is producing, which will soon begin shooting in the Gallup area and will showcase a cast and crew of at least 80% Navajo!

From the Classroom to the Big Screen GMCS student Amias Chavez spent his summer like many other kids. Dreaming of hitting a home run, the Red Socks shortstop/outfielder enjoyed his time on the baseball field. His baseball confidence emerged between working on his power swing and his fielding techniques. The JFK sixth grader stated, “I’m very interested in baseball. I have never had a relationship this strong with it!” Matthias Shirley, his dad, interjected and said, “He has taken a serious approach to baseball this season,

20

ELEVATE

diesel and electric trains.

When Amias is not on the baseball diamond or serving up his signature egg sandwich, you can probably find him honing another one of his crafts: acting.

He loves action movies, and some of his favorite all-time are movies with train

stunt scenes, like Unstoppable. Amias said, “One actor from that movie inspires me, John Voigt.” Amias, describes how, in third grade at Jefferson Elementary, he did a project about his favorite actor.

“My teacher, Ms. Masingale(Mrs. Furney), assigned us a project that asked us who our favorite actor was. I had always been into movies, but that project got me more interested in the process.” Fast forward a

few years, and Amias has a credit on the hit TV series Dark Winds. He’s quick to give his grandma credit for helping him get started. “I’ve always aspired to be an actor, and my grandma played a huge role because she pushed my dad into getting me into acting and encouraged me to go for it as well.” His dad recalls how, for years, Amias has been producing short films on his phone. “It’s cool; he does interesting little stories on his cell phone and even edits them. He’s always been pretty charismatic.” His dad described how interesting it has been to watch Amias on set and how the entire crew works together to finish the project.

Matthias spoke about how proud he is of Amias. “It’s a blessing to have him doing what he enjoys. I tell him it’s really cool because someday when you are an adult, other Indigenous children potentially watching might think this kid did it; I can too.”

Amias, a member of the Navajo Tribe and Santa Domingo Pueblo, is excited to be part of the surge in Native American films. “On Dark Winds, I got to work with some of my favorite actors from the show Rez Dawgs, especially Zahn McClarnon. I have always looked up to him. Amias is looking forward to middle school, where he is interested in a possible shot at winning a Film Prize JR award. When I asked him if the School of Media at the high school, he would attend sounded like an attractive place to be in a few years, he grinned and said, “Oh yeah, that sounds great!” We went on to discuss the internships and mentorship programs GMCS has to offer. Keep an eye out for Amias; with his determination, he will end up on the big screen or the professional baseball diamond, whatever train he decides to jump on.

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

21

WHY STUDENTS SHOULD SAY NO TO

VAPING

Vapes are battery-operated devices used to inhale an aerosol, which can contain nicotine, marijuana or other mood modifying substances, and have quickly become a dangerous pastime for some students. These devices can often be designed to look like everyday items and to smell like candy or fruit. Manufacturers of these products work hard to attract customers and make the products hard to detect.

How do these Devices Work?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most Vapes consist of four components: • a cartridge or reservoir or pod, which holds a liquid solution (e-liquid or e-juice) containing varying amounts of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals • a heating element (atomizer) • a power source (usually a battery) • a mouthpiece that the person uses to inhale Many Vapes are unregulated, meaning there is no guarantee what substance is

being ingested by the user. The American Lung Association has put a list of toxic chemicals and metals that have been found in Vapes, which include the following: (Figure 2.1) Why would anyone use Vapes?

Vapes are often deceptive and highly addictive. Some students may not realize initially what they are ingesting, and instead may not recognize the long-term dangers of these products. As with many controlled substances, sellers may often play down or not disclose the negative side effects their products produce. These products are also highly addictive. The product is delivered directly into the lungs and quickly enters the bloodstream. Depending upon the substance being ingested, the brain’s reward response can create a chemical messenger to release dopamine which will continue to reinforce the behavior.

Legalization When the New Mexico State legislature voted to approve the recreational sale of marijuana and the Governor signed the legislation into law, cannabis dispensaries began opening

Nicotine – a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development

Propylene glycol – a common additive in food; also used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke in fog machines

Carcinogens- chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde

Acrolein – a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds, can cause irreversible lung damage

Diacetyl – a chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans aka “popcorn lung”

Diethylene glycol – a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease

Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead

Cadmium – a toxic metal found in traditional cigarettes that causes breathing problems and disease

Benzene – a volatile organic compound (VOC) found in car exhaust

Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs

22

ELEVATE

state-wide. Total sales to date state-wide according to NM Regulation and Licensing department exceed $1.2 Billion Dollars.

This includes over 27 Million transactions at over 1 Thousand dispensaries state-wide.

According to the same data source, Gallup has over $22 Million in total sales with over 700 Thousand transactions. While the original bill which set these sales into law did set standards for packaging that would “…not be designed to be appealing to a child;…” experience with Vapes that have been confiscated would indicate that not enough is being done to keep our students safe. There needs to be more oversight and restrictions on students being able to be lured into these intoxicating substances.

The State has the tax revenues to increase enforcement of regulations and provide additional supports for student safety.

How Concerned Should I Be? Vapes are not meant to be consumed by students. When students utilize vapes and/ or electronic cigarettes, student’s brains become addicted to our body’s chemical response. The drug or substance stimulates our own (feel good) chemicals. Nicotine and other substances can “hijack” the brain mechanisms that support reward and executive functions and bias them toward

nicotine, nicotine-associated cues and other substances. In turn, this can cause dependency that translates into depletion of student’s mental health (Newport Institute, 2024).

Vapes have comorbid links to mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. This can affect students’ ability to perform in school, academics, athletics, and daily life. In fact, students with symptoms of depression “...were 34 percent more likely to use e-cigarettes/vapes as a coping mechanism or dependency item” (Newport Institute, 2024). Additionally, since the human brain continues to mature until a person is in their mid-20s, when school age individuals participate in vaping, they develop concerns such as: • attention deficits • impulse control • mood dysregulation (loss intertest in school oractivities they found enjoyable) • Reward centers sensitivity or loss For these reasons, youth and young adults should avoid using nicotine, including vape products (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024).

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE

23

P R S RT ST D EC RWS S U. S . P O STAG E PA I D E D D M R E TA I L

Local Postal Customer

EMPOWERING OUR FUTURE Instagram @ GMCSNews

505.721.1000 | GMCS.ORG

Facebook @ Gallup-McKinley County