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CAMPUS
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UNM awards exclusive soda contract to Pepsi
UNM has awarded the Pepsi Bottling Group an eight-year contract that will pay the University about $1 million a year and will give exclusive bottled and fountain drink sales rights to the international soft drink company.
Under the old contract, UNM collected nearly $200,000 a year from Pepsi for partial sales rights and the University managed a portion of vending machines on campus. Now the new contract includes all bottled and fountain soft drink sales in campus vending machines, at dining halls and at sporting events. The University can retain, under the new contract, 15 percent of convenient store space for drinks produced by other bottlers.
"We're pleased to be expanding our partnership with Pepsi Bottling Company, and we look forward to a rewarding collaborative relationship," said UNM president William Gordon in a news release.
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The contract also includes several joint marketing strategies such as Pepsi promotions and funding for and at UNM events off campus.
Soft drinks that will be sold on campus include Pepsi carbonated soft drinks, Aquafina bottled water, SoBe, Lipton Brisk iced tea and Starbucks Frappuccino.
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UNM ranked 15th of 100 in Hispanic education
UNM was recently ranked 15 out of 100 among U.S. undergraduate four-year universities for Hispanics by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. From 1999 to 2000, of the 2,723 bachelor's degrees awarded by UNM, 706 were earned by Hispanics. Among master's programs, UNM ranked 22 in the nation and 14 among universities with doctoral degree programs.
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Annual golf tournament to benefit new freshmen
UNM will host its 20th annual golf tournament fundraiser Friday, June 21 to benefit the Presidential Scholarship Program. During the past 20 years, the tournament has raised more than $750,000 to benefit incoming freshmen that have shown outstanding leadership and community service at the high school level.
Individuals can register to compete in the tournament for $125 and foursomes will pay $500 to compete in the round. The cost of registration covers greens fees, cart, range balls, drinks, snacks, and complimentary breakfast, lunch and admission to the event's awards dinner. Call 277-9723 or visit www.pspgolf.org for registration information.
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UNMH director awarded Guggenheim fellowship
Howard Waitzkin, director of the Division of Community Medicine at UNM Hospital has been awarded a 2002 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation award. The fellowship, which was awarded to 184 scholars, artists and scientists out of more than 2,800 applicants, will be used by Waitzkin to conduct a study of economic globalization public health. The fellowship will last a year and begins in July.
During the past 75 years, the Guggenheim Foundation has awarded more than $200 million in fellowships to more than 15,000 individuals.
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STATE
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Task Force offers tips to conserve state's water
The New Mexico Drought Task Force met with Governor Johnson this week to present its updated Drought Plan and Impact Report. The plan and report will be available to the public next week pending Johnson's approval. The task force has been divided into four sub-groups to address specific areas concerning the drought including agriculture; drinking water and health; wildlife and wildfire; and tourism and economics.
The state has offered several tips for New Mexicans to conserve water. Tips include taking shorter showers, washing only full loads of clothes and dishes, turning off water when brushing teeth, using mulch to reduce evaporation around plants and repairing leaking faucets as soon as possible.
More water conservation tips are available to the public at www.ose.state.nm.us/water-info/conservation or call 1-800-WATERNM.
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Two-year Big-I project done ahead of schedule
New Mexico's single largest highway construction project, known to most New Mexicans as the Big-I, was completed this week about a month ahead of schedule. The project took nearly two years to complete and cost approximately $293 million.
According to figures collected on traffic forecasting from the Transportation Systems Bureau in Santa Fe, more than 300,000 vehicles pass through the intersection everyday.
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WTC beams blessed at Hispanic Cultural Center
New Mexicans gathered at the National Hispanic Cultural Center last Saturday to celebrate the donation of two large, steel beams intended to be part of a local church bell tower.
The beams were previously part of the World Trade Center and have been donated to Sacred Heart Church in Albuquerque by New York City.
The two 20-foot beams will be incorporated into the design of the bell tower and memorialize victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and New Mexico Archbishop Michael Sheehan each wrote to N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January about using the steel from the World Trade Center to rebuild the bell tower and help revitalize the Barelas community.
The celebration began at 1 p.m. with entertainment including a mariachi band and performances by students from St. Mary's Elementary, Dolores Gonzales Elementary, St. Pius X High School and Navajo Elementary.
Archbishop Sheehan blessed the beams with holy water and sacred oil. Many dignitaries including Wilson, Chavez and Senate Pro Tem Richard Romero attended the celebration and the community was able to pay their respects and touch the beams.
