Eastern New Mexico University Archives

All the safest New Mexico college campuses

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By Piñon Post

The college and university ranking and review site, Niche.com, ranked New Mexico’s college campuses in terms of safety.

The safest college campus, according to Niche, is Northern New Mexico College in Española. The four-year degree offering school earned a “B+” safety ranking.

The top-ranking university campus is Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales, which ranked a “B+” grade and the second spot overall when factoring in both colleges and universities.

ENMU President Patrice Caldwell said to Eastern New Mexico News, “Our Public Safety Department, vigilant faculty and staff, and our well-maintained facilities make ENMU an attractive home away from home for our students. Student success begins with a safe place to live and learn.”

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro clinched the third spot out of all schools in the state, with a “B” rating. New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas ranked fourth among all colleges and universities in the state with a “B” rating as well.

New Mexico’s other universities went unranked, with New Mexico State University in Las Cruces scoring a “B-” grade while the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque scored a much lower “C-” grade. Albuquerque is the sixth most dangerous city in the United States.

Read Niche’s full rankings of New Mexico college campuses here.

All the safest New Mexico college campuses Read More »

The latest victim of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s lockdown: ENMU men’s soccer program

1 Comment / New Mexico, News / By John Block

On Friday, the Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) Board of Regents in Portales announced that the university would be cutting its men’s soccer program “with the long-term interest of all our Eastern New Mexico students in mind,” according to athletic director Matt Billings.

According to a press release from the school, “The Greyhound soccer team became an NCAA varsity program in 2004. Most recently, during the 2019 season, the Hounds posted the most wins in a season in program history with an overall record of 12-5-1. Overall the program compiled a 75-134-35 record in 16 seasons.”

“All current men’s soccer student-athletes will have their athletic scholarships honored if they choose to remain at Eastern New Mexico. Those wishing to transfer will be given assistance moving to another program.”

The news comes as other programs across the country have been cut for good amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where lockdowns have virtually stopped all playing of college sports altogether, especially in New Mexico.

In October 2020, NBC News reported that “Twenty-six colleges and universities, from Stanford to Dartmouth College, have cut more than 90 sports programs.” That list has only grown since.

Another tracker from Business of College Sports lists many other schools that have permanently cut programs, including universities such as Stanford, Dartmouth, Brown, and others.

The ENMU soccer program joins other entities across the state closing for good amid the pandemic, which has forced many college sports teams to flee the state altogether and play in states like Nevada and Texas.

For example, the 2020 New Mexico Bowl took place in Frisco, Texas due to Gov. Lujan Grisham’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which have shuttered countless communities resulting in financial ruin.

The latest victim of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s lockdown: ENMU men’s soccer program Read More »

ENMU regent takes a stand against recreational pot

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By John Block

On Saturday, Dan Patterson, a 50-plus year educator, and current Eastern New Mexico University regent wrote an op-ed for the Santa Fe New Mexican relaying why he thought the recreational marijuana bills in the Legislature are wrong for New Mexico.

“During my career, I have worked with more than a hundred thousand students, helping them through difficult times through counseling and the disciplinary process. I can say through firsthand experience that I believe approving recreational marijuana will bring extreme harm to a tremendous number of our youth,” said Patterson.

Patterson noted that even though proposals currently have the age limit for recreational pot at 21, younger New Mexicans will still get access. “We all know, if we are honest, that if older brother has legal access, then younger brother also has access,” he wrote.

“I have seen too many kids get caught up in drugs that begins with the casual use of marijuana. Good kids suddenly start changing. Grades drop, attitudes change, dropouts increase, behavior changes, and disciplinary problems and auto accidents increase. Before long, good kids become troublemakers, get lost or flounder. Potentially productive members of society become druggies, criminals or just dregs of society. I have seen too many promising lives lost this way.”

“Not every kid who smokes marijuana goes down this path, but it happens far too often. Why are we so eager to bring such potential harm to so many of our youngsters? Money? Are we really willing to sell the health and well being of so many of our youngsters for greenbacks?”

“Throughout this pandemic I kept hearing that if we can save a single life through a certain regulation that it would be worth it. Well, authorizing the use of recreational marijuana will, without a doubt, lead to the loss of many lives, particularly among our youth — if not through actual death then through the loss of otherwise productive, contributing assets.”

The op-ed comes as the New Mexico Senate mulls a bill, H.B. 12, which narrowly passed the house, and would be one of the most expansive marijuana bills proposed this session. Democrat leaders in the Senate see it as the best shot to ram through marijuana legalization. Multiple other bills also aim to legalize pot.

Pro-family groups such as the Family Policy Alliance are organizing against the legalized pot bills, making the case that, “Since Colorado legalized recreational weed, our neighboring state has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime, traffic fatalities, and marijuana hospitalizations. And usage by minors – sometimes fatal, from eating poorly regulated marijuana “candies” – has soared.”