by Xochitl Campos
Daily Lobo
UNM's three ethnic centers are a safe haven from hectic school life for students of any racial background, said Christine Nelson, an adviser at American Indian Student Services.
"Here, you're not just a number," she said. "We get to know each other on a one-on-one basis, so that with any particular student, we can pick up where we left off."
The centers, in Mesa Vista Hall, were established in the '70s to help raise the retention rate for minority students, said Ogechi Chibueze, president of Black Student Union.
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They have similar programs because they have the same goal - to provide a home away from home for their students, Nelson said.
If there is a problem that cannot be settled at the center, the students are referred somewhere else on campus, she said.
"A lot of times, students may not know how to explain their situation," Nelson said. "We go in and help them to make sure it gets resolved."
El Centro de la Raza, a center aimed at serving Hispanics, has evolved to meet students' needs and wants, student Madalena Salazar said.
"It is where students can go for advisement - kind of like a one-stop shop," she said. "We work with student organizations, as well as University organizations, to help students in every aspect of their student development, particularly for Latino students."
African-American Student Services was created to build a sense of community and fight discrimination on campus, said Cherese Fine, an adviser at the center.
Now, it is a place to relax and meet people, Fine said.
"Students felt the need for a center and a support service," Fine said. "It is more of the social side."
The center is a welcoming environment for new students, Chibueze said.
"A lot of times, incoming freshmen come and get lost in the UNM experience," she said. "The ethnic center makes it smaller and more familiar for them."
The center has six to seven tutors on staff to help students regardless of their ethnicity, tutorial adviser Cedrick Parker said.
"It is open to all students, not just to serve our populations," he said. "Basically, it is set up to create a home away from home."
