Associated Students of New Mexico President Noah Brooks and Vice President Sally Midani each gave a State of ASUNM address Thursday afternoon.
The address highlighted campus events, improving campus lighting, promoting sexual assault awareness and this year’s tuition bump.
“We had a lot of big challenges that we faced from the very beginning,” Brooks said, addressing students in the Student Union Building theater.
“About two weeks into our term, we had on the same day the Budget Summit, which was one of the…enjoyable experiences I had as president, and on the same day was the special session in Santa Fe. We had to split up and start working on the Lottery Scholarship right away,” Brooks said.
He voiced opposition in tuition hikes and scholarship cuts and said calling on lobbyists and lawmakers to do more “worked to an extent.”
“We met with the author of House Bill 147, one of the bills we were trying to originally kill, and it ended up dying in the session, but with some amendments, we worked with the legislators to make it better for students,” Brooks said.
The amendment that he helped attach would have transferred unclaimed lottery funds back into the Lottery Scholarship pool.
Though Brooks has had a history of opposing policies that increase student fees and tuition, he endorsed a 2.39 percent tuition increase in March.
While students will experience an increase in tuition, some of that money is going toward better lighting on campus in areas, such as the Redondo parking lots and the Duck Pond, he said.
Better lighting has been one of Brooks’ administrative goals since August, in addition to improving the Lobo Achieve website.
Brooks said he deliberated with regents for student shuttle transportation from Main Campus to University home games to increase UNM’s “destination University” appeal.
“We didn’t end up getting that, but we had students at the table talking about how to bring students to these games,” he said.
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Though Brooks did not get that win, he highlighted events on campus that brought the University community together such as Red Rally, Fiestas and others, thanking Student Special Events for its work.
Brooks said campus clean-up events, Spring Storm and Fall Frenzy, had over 1,200 student participants.
“This was something they did not have to do, but I think it says something about our University when we get 1,200 students to come to something they don’t have to come to and help better their community,” he said.
In addition to praising student committees, Brooks highlighted ASUNM’s “positive new stories” throughout his term.
“In a dark time of media for UNM, this was a great way to showcase everything good about the University and what the students were doing and how amazing the…quality of students really are,” Brooks said.
With his term coming to an end and President-Elect Becka Myers about to take the reins, Brooks left parting advice.
“Make sure everything you do is for the students — even when you feel like you’re losing sight, remember you’re here to represent students,” he said, adding that the most difficult part is reaching to students, because “it’s so hard to reach every population of students and that is something that ASUNM faces every year.”
Abby Lutz, a freshman studying political science and economics, attended the address and said she thought highly of it. She is involved with the Emerging Lobo Leaders student organization.
“I thought it was really great, because I think a lot of students do know what ASUNM is or what they do, but this gave a really good comprehensive breakdown of every success they’ve had this year,” she said. “It’s been a rough year for them, but they’ve done a lot of great things.”
Lutz said Brooks left a good legacy at the University, and is hopeful that the incoming ASUNM President and Vice President will continue to “go in a good direction.”
Anthony Jackson is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TonyAnjackson.
