Editor,
I want to congratulate the UNM administration and Board of Regents for some recent great decisions, some of which were pretty bold for UNM.
I’ve been a part of the UNM community for longer than I care to publicly admit. In all that time, I’ve never known UNM to do anything cutting-edge or gutsy, but it sure pulled off both when it made the UNM main campus tobacco-free. That bold move will help many smokers and tobacco dippers in the UNM community quit while at the same time protecting us nonsmokers from second-hand smoke everywhere we walk on campus.
For the past two years, New Mexico Rep. Gail Chasey brought home the bacon in the form of legislative appropriations of $35,000 to help CNM, UNM and the city of Albuquerque furnish free bus passes to UNM and CNM students. But there was no money to be had at last year’s legislative session and Chasey’s bill never made it out of the House Education Committee. Free bus passes to students go a long way toward lowering UNM’s carbon footprint, while at the same time making travel to and from UNM affordable for so many students who would otherwise struggle. So kudos to UNM and Mayor Martin Chávez’s administration for working out a deal where students continue to ride city buses for free.
Just before summer break, I noticed UNM was replacing Starbucks coffee shops with Satellite Coffee Co., a locally owned vendor. Last year, UNM contracted Saggio’s, another locally owned food vendor, to bring its delicious food to the SUB. Just last week I noticed that Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery moved to a satellite store next to Mondo Subs. In these hard times, it’s especially important to support our local economy, and contracting locally owned food vendors is a good move on UNM’s part.
Now, if it could also include Blake’s Lotaburger and the Frontier Restaurant to complete the ensemble of local eateries in the SUB, the UNM universe would be a much better place.
Great going UNM!
Danny Hernandez
GPSA Council Chair
