It is not the best of times; it is not the worst of times. It is a time for President David Schmidly to set aside aphorisms - especially those that invoke decapitated autocrats - and speak plainly to his employees. Yes, employees, not subjects or serfs.
Student Health and Counseling has been very busy lately with a lot of sick people dragging in the door for help. I thought it would interest the rest of you to know what these folks have so you can do your best to avoid it. Typical for this time of year, we're seeing a lot of respiratory infections: colds, bronchitis, sinus infections and the like.
Editor, When I immigrated to the U.S. and to New Mexico in 1992, I began to hear the very famous saying that in this country "everything is possible." I was very skeptical about believing in this idea because I grew up in a country where hope had been killed by authoritarianism.
Editor, I am disappointed with the objectivity the Daily Lobo staff has shown in matters pertaining to President David Schmidly. You have run article after article on your front page blasting him and his administration without any representation from different views.
Online criminals are creating malicious software and online schemes specifically targeted at Macintosh computers primarily because of the increased popularity of Apple's flagship computer system. And while the Mac OS X Leopard operating system has one of the most secure default installations of any desktop operating system, the operating system does include features and additional tools that can help users manage the security of their data.
Editor, As a general principle, I think people ought to hold their governing bodies accountable, whether elected or not. But holding others accountable needn't and shouldn't preclude taking personal responsibility for one's community's welfare. It should be too obvious to be stated, but I'll say it anyway: We're in a recession.
Editor, During last year's election, a New Mexican politician made international headlines when he announced that most Latinos would not support an African-American for president. This gentleman, obviously, was not aware of the long history of co-existence and cooperation of Latinos and Africans throughout the United States and Latin America.
I commend the thoughtful UNM student letter writers on their charming ideas for exciting and innovative ways that this institution can offer fewer services. In budget-cutting discussions, much like politics, no one is ever truly right or wrong. The brightest plans often emerge from intense debate.
Editor, I have been interested in the recent articles addressing the salaries of UNM staff, faculty and administrators. The compensation structure seems to be blatantly offensive to the staff and faculty. It should be a source of keen embarrassment and shame for the higher-salaried administrators.
Editor, I don't want to hurt any administrative feelings, because I know the new definition of campus integrity requires that I "demonstrate self-control in difficult situations" and that freedom is now defined as "open-mindedness toward people who hold differing opinions" than I do.
Editor, We all value the diversity of New Mexico, particularly at UNM. Multiculturalism is a valued perspective and appears to be sought after across the board. If we evaluate issues affecting our state in terms of productive versus nonproductive activities, perhaps we can identify and determine which aspects of diversity and multiculturalism are an end or a means to an end.
Editor, President David Schmidly may not be the best president for UNM. Though after President William C. Gordon left, UNM hasn't exactly been a magnet for successful leaders. There have been more than enough lackluster presidents to pass through the revolving doors of Scholes Hall.
Editor, In response to the gathering economic storm, the University administration plans to give staff the option to take unpaid furloughs from their jobs. Few staff members are in a financial position to do this. Therefore, it is logical to expect that the policy will save little money.
In Regents President Jamie Koch's op-ed published in the Albuquerque Journal on Feb. 4, he made two statements that I would like to address. First, he claimed that tenure and tenure-track faculty members on the UNM Main Campus make "an average of more than $94,000 in salary" per year, and second, that these same faculty members are "contracted to work for 189 days per year" and are given an additional "39 personal days per year to devote to outside interests and pursuits.
There is a parallel between the meltdown on Wall Street and the meltdown at UNM. Both have taken place at almost the same time, and both were deregulated by their public oversight bodies. Congress deregulated Wall Street; the governor and state Legislature deregulated UNM.
Solutions by The State News
