Daily Lobo: Why did you choose to study economics?
Sam Hinton: My freshman year, I walked into 105 and fell in love with it.
DL: What's your favorite thing about economics?
SH: It gives you insight to how things work in the world, the motivations and the driving factors for some of the decisions that have an effect on us and our generation.
DL: Did today's economy help spark your interest in the field?
SH: Yes, it's a real important time, especially with our economy the way it is going and what needs to happen and the changes that need to take place. We need to fix the problems that we are currently having.
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DL: Where do you see yourself in two years?
SH: Hopefully with the Albuquerque Police Department.
DL: What made you want to join?
SH: I wanted to be a part of a community-service industry. I've been in health care for a while as an undergraduate, and I've enjoyed it, but a desk job is not for me. I want to do something that gets me out into the community.
DL: What about police work interests you?
SH: I think the city of Albuquerque is in a state of
limbo by not being a big city or a little city. There's a lot of economical and cultural backgrounds that interact closely with each other. That makes for a lot of interesting situations and opportunities for me to help people.
DL: How does your economics degree play into this?
SH: Purely financial as far as the Albuquerque Police is concerned. You don't need a degree to join; all you need is a high school education, but I'll be paid more with a degree.
DL: How long do you see yourself being a police officer?
SH: I see myself going to work for the federal government, the FBI or the CIA. The economics degree will come in handy.
DL: When do you graduate?
SH: This semester.
DL: What are you going to miss the most about UNM?
SH: The opportunities to study different subjects. I think there is so much knowledge here, and people are willing to share it with you in a fashion that allows a person to become familiar with so many different subjects.
~ Rikki-Lee Ulibarri
