The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) will be hosting a Resource Center Fair in the SUB Atrium on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
ASUNM Senator Sarah Moore, who sits on the Outreach & Appointments Committee and is project leader for the resource fair, said over the past few weeks she, along with other senators on the committee, has been coordinating the event with campus resource centers, SUB staff and ASUNM as well as spreading the word about the fair to other students.
Apart from enjoying refreshments during the fair, students will visit various resource center booths gathering information, she said. Over 10 resource center representatives will attend, including the Women’s Resource Center, LoboRespect, American Indian Student Services, African American Student Services, the College Enrichment Program, the Global Education Office, El Centro de la Raza, Career Services, the Veteran’s Resource Center, the Accessibility Resource Center, PATS and the LBGTQ Resource Center.
“Resource centers help students through providing services and knowledge to students that cater to the specific needs of the community with which a given resource center is concerned, as well as the UNM community overall,” Moore said. “There are a multitude of programs put on by each resource center that seek to alleviate students of burdens, or at least teach students how to manage the stresses that we all might face in our time at the University.”
ASUNM Senator Gabe Gallegos, current chair of the Outreach & Appointments Committee, said students may find that one-on-one interaction with representatives from various resource centers on campus is just what they need.
“ASUNM is full of great people that know a lot about what UNM offers Lobos,” Moore said. “From resident advisers, orientation leaders, to people that just know what they are talking about, ASUNM has a wealth of diverse information that can really help students out and has the ability to create programs that disseminate this information. So, we decided to use our capabilities to team up with the resource centers to find a way that best showcases some of the most beneficial services UNM has to offer.”
ASUNM is running the resource center fair, due to a need for a student-led push to educate students about UNM’s resource centers, Gallegos said. Each member of the Outreach & Appointments committee has been delegated a specific resource center and have all been in touch with them.
“It is not often that you see so many different departments brought together, and I am so proud of Senator Sarah Moore for spearheading this initiative,” he said. “This Resource Center Fair is only one part of a larger ASUNM initiative to better outreach to each of the resource centers and the communities they represent.”
Moore said students do not have to wear any particular attire to the “passerby” event. She encourages students to come prepared with questions if they are looking for information associated with a specific center.
She also hopes that students gain a sense of community by attending the event.
“The purpose behind the fair is to make sure that students know what is available to them,” she said. “None of us are immune to the stress of college and life in general. Therefore, this fair is necessary to show students that they aren’t alone. There are options in terms of social support, career support, educational support, etc. that are available on campus to ensure student success despite all that life might bring.”
Moore invites the public to join ASUNM at their weekly senate and committee meetings each Wednesday at 6 p.m., and to contact the undergraduate student governing body at asunm@unm.edu. Students can also visit https://asunm.unm.edu or attend office hours to learn more about the organization, or contact Moore directly at smoore9@unm.edu.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Elizabeth Sanchez is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.
