NMHU President’s Team has Divisional Win at Mt Taylor Quad

Last Saturday, the “NMHU Viejos” won the 60-69 year old division of the prestigious 27th annual Mt Taylor Quad in Grants NM. The 42 mile race up and down the 11,000 foot, snow packed Mt Taylor includes 4 legs: bike, run, ski, and snowshoe. NMHU President and runner Jim Fries joined biker Dick Greene, skier Kevin Hale, and shoe racer Barbara Trujillo as they bucked a sunny, but chilly, strong head wind up the old volcano. With a round trip time of 5 hours and 45 minutes, the team finished over 90 minutes ahead of their divisional competition. Amazingly, the “Viejos” finished in the top 50% of all 46 teams regardless of age and over 400 racers. Many teams consist of past and present professional triathlon or endurance athletes. There also is no shortage of weekend warriors.

“It was good to have NMHU represented again at this year’s Quad. Generally, UNM, NMT, NMSU, UWC, and the Air Force Academy carry their school names each year. I suspect that Jim was the only school president there,” noted Greene. “We hope to continue to represent NMHU well in the future. If students and colleagues see old geezers like Jim and me in this aerobic arena at our ages, they may consider avoiding the obesity epidemic in our country. It is a huge and costly public health issue, and this often lifestyle problem is sometimes exacerbated by some sports in the USA. By example, we want to promote both mental and physical fitness at NMHU. Other NMHU students, staff, and faculty are welcome, and encouraged, to join the fun and challenge next year. “added Greene.


Undergraduate Student Senate Establishes Scholarship in Memory of Gloria Brown-Lopez

The New Mexico Highlands University undergraduate student senate established a scholarship this semester in memory of longtime university employee Gloria Brown-Lopez, who died in a car accident last year.
 
Before her death, Brown-Lopez was the university’s retention and intervention coordinator and an academic adviser. She also taught courses in the School of Business.
 
“The undergraduate student senate felt Gloria had a very big impact on Highlands when she was here,” said student senator Tristan Loar. “She was a friend to every student, and wanted to see each of us succeed.”

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Highlands’ Student Senate Helps with Local “Empty Bowls” Hunger Benefit 

The undergraduate student senate at New Mexico Highlands University gave time and money to help with the Feb. 13 Empty Bowls luncheon, a local benefit to help feed the hungry in the Las Vegas area.
 
Jane Warsaw, the United World College-USA, New Mexico Highlands University, and local artisans and residents sponsored the luncheon to benefit the Las Vegas Soup Kitchen and Samaritan House food pantry.
 
 “We know that there are many opportunities to help with different needs in the community and this was just one way we could express our support for what the Empty Bowls luncheon stands for,” said Nicholas Maestas, vice president for the university’s undergraduate student senate. “We felt it was important to get involved to show that students at Highlands really care about people in San Miguel County.”

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Highlands Geology Professor Part of Arctic Circle Geology Research Grant
 
New Mexico Highlands University geology professor Michael Petronis will join a scientific expedition to the Arctic Circle this summer to research the Snowball Earth Hypothesis.
 
The research field camp will be on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard region of Norway, an archipelago of islands north of mainland Norway approximately 110 kilometers from the North Pole. The scientists will set up a tent camp within a polar bear refuge, near the edge of a glacier.
 
The research team is led by scientists from the United Kingdom, including one Petronis collaborated with on past joint geology research projects in Scotland, Ireland and the Southwest United States. He helped write the grant proposal for the Snowball Earth research initiative, which is funded by a $1.2 million grant from the United Kingdom’s National Environmental Research Council (NERC).
 
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Highlands University and UWC Present Rock Opera “Rent School Edition” in Feb., March

New Mexico Highlands University and the United World College – USA present the rock opera “Rent School Edition” in the university’s Ilfeld Auditorium Feb. 25, 26, 27 and March 5 at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. performance on March 7. The original Rent production won a Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1996 and a Tony Award in 1996 for best musical. Jonathon Larson wrote the music and lyrics, and the rock opera is based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme. Rent tells a modern story of struggling young artists and musicians in New York City’s Lower  East Side living with the reality of AIDS.

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Ray Drew Gallery Exhibits

Feb. 26 - March 30
Northern New Mexico Devotional Art Show
Artists' Reception on Friday, Feb. 26 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.


Cineflix at Ilfeld

Ilfeld Auditorium presents recently released movies on the big screen. Now in high definition BluRay and surround sound!  Cineflix in Ilfeld is a free-of-charge event open to both students and community members.

Law Abiding Citizen
  Friday, February 19, 8:00 p.m.

To keep up with Cineflix at Ilfeld, click here.


Cowgirls Pound Defending Two Time RMAC Tourney Champs

The John A. Wilson Complex was full of excitement as Tuesday night was a huge night for the Cowgirls basketball team. The Cowgirls hosted the CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves, who have won the RMAC Tournament for the past two years. The Cowgirls also had their Senior Night, as their seniors played in their last home game of the year, and Shootin’ for the Cure for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Cowgirls rolled over the ThunderWolves in a convincing fashion as they won 62-49.

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Cowboys Fall in Last RMAC Dual

The NMHU Cowboy Wrestling team hosted the Western State College Mountaineers on 2/17 for their last home dual of the year. Only two Cowboys were able to come out with a win making the final score 6-37, in favor of the Mountaineers who have three wrestlers in the top five in the nation for their weight class.

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Cowboys Edge Out Thunderwolves 78-76

The NMHU Cowboys rattled off their eighth straight win on 2/16 as they edged out the Thunderwolves in a thriller by a final score of 78-76. The Cowboys and the Thunderwolves traded blows throughout the contest as the lead changed 15 times in the RMAC slugfest. The Cowboys are now 17-7 overall and 11-5 in RMAC play. The Cowboys will be on the road for the rest of the 2009-10 season as they will finish the season with three straight road contests. The Cowboys will travel down to Silver City, N.M. to face in-state RMAC rival Western New Mexico University on 2/18.

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Coach Steve Jones Breaks All-Time Wins Record with 385th Win

NMHU Head Baseball Coach Steve Jones has broken the All-Time Wins record for the NMHU Baseball Program and in doing so, became the winningest coach in NMHU history. Coach Jones earned his 385th win on 2/14 as his Cowboys defeated Hardin Simmons University by a final score of 16-3. Coach Jones now has a career record of 385-294 with a .567 winning percentage in his 13 years at the helm of the Cowboys Baseball program, which also makes Coach Jones the fastest to reach 385 wins in NMHU history. Coach Jones and his Cowboys are off to a great start as they are now 5-0 on the season and have done so in convincing fashion as they have outscored their opponents 96-18 in their first five games.

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Cowboys Win Big Over Adams State 104-77

The NMHU Cowboys made it seven wins in a row on 2/13 as they pummeled the Grizzlies of Adams State by a final score of 104-77. The Cowboys started out the game a bit slow, but rode a tidal wave of momentum in the second half to secure the lop-sided win. The Cowboys are now 16-7 overall and 10-5 in RMAC play. The Cowboys will suit up for their final regular season home game on 2/16 as they take on the visiting CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves in the John A. Wilson Complex at 8:00pm.

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Cowboys Make it Six in A Row; Knocking Off Fort Lewis 96-85

The NMHU Cowboy basketball team upended the Fort Lewis Skyhawks on 2/12 by a final score of 96-85. The Cowboys came through in a big way as they shot an impressive 57.4% from the field and finished the night with four Cowboys in double figures. The Cowboys made a statement to the regional voters as they handily knocked off the Skyhawks who were ranked sixth in the latest regional poll in front of the Cowboys who were voted eighth. The Cowboys will be in action again on 2/13 when they play host to the Adams State Grizzlies at 8:00pm in the John A. Wilson Complex. The Cowboys are now 15-7 overall and 9-5 in RMAC play.

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Cowgirls Announce 2010 Soccer Signing Class

Head Coach Justin Wagar has announced the signing of 10 athletes who will join the Cowgirls in the fall. Wagar said “We feel our new signees plus our returners from last year’s squad will be an integral part in making this program what we want it to be.”

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Upcoming Games

Thu, Feb. 18, 2010
   Women's Basketball at Western New Mexico University 6:00pm
   Men's Basketball at Western New Mexico University 8:00pm

Fri, Feb. 19, 2010
   Baseball at Colorado State University - Pueblo 2:00pm
   Women's Track & Field at CSM Twilight TBA

Sat, Feb. 20, 2010
   Baseball at Colorado State University - Pueblo (DH) 12:00pm

Sun, Feb. 21, 2010
   Baseball at Colorado State University - Pueblo 12:00pm


Notes and News

Las Vegas Chapter Business After Hours Event
Come join us on St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the NMHU Gene Torres golf course.  Free admission and hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Raffle prizes and a cash bar will add to the fun. See you there!

Las Vegas Alumni Chapter Seeking New Board Members.  We’re looking for volunteers for the Las Vegas Chapter to serve on its board.  If interested, please contact Jim Mandarino at alumni@nmhu.edu.

Homecoming 2010 will be Sept. 30, Oct. 1 to Oct 2. Start planning now. Game will be Saturday, October 2. We will be honoring the class of 1960 with an induction of alumni into the Golden Society.

We are looking for volunteers to be Class Agents for Homecoming events for Sept. 23-25, 2010. Class agents will work with the Alumni office to provide activities for their class for Homecoming 2010 including making contacts with their peers to provide information and encourage participation. If you are willing to be a class agent contact Jim Mandarino at alumni@nmhu.edu.

Wishing you could start an NMHU Alumni Chapter in your home town? If you have ten or more NMHU alumni in your community and would like someone from the NMHU Alumni Association to visit with you to start a chapter or have a representative speak about the exciting activities happening at NMHU, please contact Jim Mandarino at alumni@nmhu.edu.

What’s going on your life? Let us know for the NMHU alumni Notes. New job? Retirement? New members of the family? Travels? Let us know by contacting Jim Mandarino at alumni@nmhu.edu.

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