Office of the President
Monday Morning Memo
October 13, 2008
Dear NMSU Community:
Good morning! We certainly are in a mood to celebrate today after two great victories this weekend: Our football team defeated the University of Nevada in Reno, and our women's volleyball team swept in Hawaii (6th in the nation) in three sets! We also are celebrating our rich culture and heritage after the vivid and entertaining Rio Grande Pow Wow on our practice field Saturday and Sunday. A festive and spiritual expression through dance and song, the Pow Wow was a wonderful opportunity for NMSU to once again host this important Native American gathering.
As this week gets started, take some time to check your closets to be sure you have something pink to wear! The football game on October 18 against San Jose State University at Aggie Memorial Stadium has been designated as our "NMSU Aggies Are Tough Enough to Wear Pink" campaign to help raise awareness about breast cancer and to help raise funds for local breast cancer research. I encourage all fans attending the game to wear pink to show your support for this important campaign. I plan to wear pink all week to show solidarity for this important cause.
In 2007, the "NMSU Aggies Are Tough Enough to Wear Pink" campaign generated more than $280,000 in contributions making it the second largest event of its kind in the world. For information about the campaign, visit www.pinkaggie.com.
This week also is a good time to prepare for the election coming up on November 4. There will be a lot of important decisions to make about the future of our country, our state and our university. This year, New Mexico State University is represented in three of the General Obligation Bonds that will appear on the November ballot. If all three bonds pass, the cost to citizens would only be $14.58 per year/$1.22 per month for every $100,000 in assessed property value. Details are as follows:
Bond B will benefit our library system while Bond C will allocate $3 million for the Allied Health Center at NMSU-Carlsbad. Bond D will support NMSU campuses systemwide. This includes allocations to help improve the aging infrastructure at Alamogordo ($1 million), Carlsbad ($300,000) and Grants ($1 million). For Dona Ana Community College, it includes $6 million to help construct Phase Six of the East Mesa Center and $500,000 for the Technical Studies Building. The bond includes $19 million to make our Arts Complex a reality, providing much needed classroom, exhibit and performance space. Bond D also includes $2.4 million for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's agriculture facility. All these measures will not only benefit NMSU, but more importantly, they will benefit the communities we serve.
I want to recognize the dedication of our team that worked so hard to get these bond measures on the ballot. I also want to thank Governor Bill Richardson and the legislature who approved a record level of $33.2 million in projects for NMSU along with the New Mexico Higher Education Department for its continued support of NMSU. We are definitely making progress in moving the university forward.
I encourage all of you to exercise your right to vote this election year. You can make a difference.
Go Aggies ... and Go Pink!
Waded Cruzado
