by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
With 35 days left until the election, Mayor Martin Ch†vez is still finding time to teach a class at UNM between campaign efforts.
Ch†vez is teaching a class called Careers in City and State Government this fall. He said he didn't have any first-day jitters about teaching.
"I'm really excited to be doing this," he said. "I love working with students."
He was absent for the first week of classes because of the memorial services for officers Michael King and Richard Smith, who were shot and killed Aug. 18.
Ch†vez sent a letter to his class of 10 students asking them to attend Smith's funeral service. Only one student attended.
"I wanted you all to attend," he said to the class. "What I wanted you to see was that this is part of what mayors do. It's the most horrible part of the job."
The course is designed to help students decide if they want a career in city government, said Mary Thomas, coordinator of Sophomore Seminars - the program offering the course. A student does not have to a sophomore to take the class.
Sophomore Jared Rostro, who is majoring in political science, said he wanted to take the class because he is considering going into politics or law.
"I think it's fun," he said. "We get to see how it works firsthand."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Ch†vez spent the majority of his first class Tuesday discussing his background and giving his students the pros and cons of law school.
"I actually now discourage people from going to law school," he said. "There are too many lawyers in the United States."
Thomas said the mayor is teaching the four-week one-credit course for free. He will not make up for the first week he missed.
"All of our instructors in this program are volunteers," she said.
Sophomore Seminars is offering 14 courses this fall, Thomas said, and all are designed to give students a better insight into different career options.
According to the syllabus for the course, students will learn about what it means to be a mayor, how to successfully win an election and activism.
Ch†vez said he plans on being a tough instructor and will be grading all exams and papers himself.
Toward the end of class, students got the chance to ask Ch†vez questions.
Rostro told the mayor he is concerned about the Albuquerque Police Department's Party Patrol, which breaks up parties around the city. They can ticket underage drinkers and the adults responsible for throwing the party.
Rostro said the patrol unfairly breaks up parties where college students are, because they aren't as irresponsible as high school students.
"College kids are a little more educated," Rostro said. "It just sucks for people who just want to go somewhere and hang out a little bit."
Ch†vez had a simple response for Rostro.
"My take on it is it's illegal," he said, referring to underage drinking.
Student Erin Muffoletto agreed with Rostro.
"I've had some friends who were designated drivers who got citations just from being at parties," she said. "They could have just not been there and worried about their friends."
Muffoletto suggested the Party Patrol do field tests or conduct a Breathalyzer test to see if someone is intoxicated.
Ch†vez said it was difficult for him to justify breaking up parties.
"I went to college too," he said. "But it's better to do everything we can to separate minors from alcohol and drugs. My police may go away if you behave yourselves."
The class meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
