The Alumni Association has hosted house receptions for New Mexico legislators for six years, but the reception Wednesday night was the first time none of the invited legislators showed up.
Every year, the UNM Alumni Association holds several receptions, Lobos for Legislation, inviting three to 12 legislators from around the state.
Kim Feldman, associate director of the Alumni Association, said the receptions help legislators know what the University's priorities are and get them involved in higher-education funding.
Feldman described the reception as an informal opportunity for legislators to open up to UNM students and alumni and find out what is going on at the University.
"We are a group of dedicated, concerned alumni that work yearlong to build relationships with graduates from UNM, students and members of the Legislature," Feldman said.
Usually 30-60 UNM affiliates and members of the Legislature attend the receptions.
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Host Jennifer Riordan said she was very excited about inviting the legislators into her home. Riordan said it is a good way to spend time with alumni, staff and legislators in one place.
She said she didn't know why the invited legislators didn't show up.
Sens. Shannon Robinson and Sue Wilson Beffort and Reps. Tod Hobbs, Al Park and Mimi Stewart were invited to the reception.
ASUNM President Kevin Stevenson was one of the many people representing UNM who waited for legislators to arrive.
Stevenson said some of the issues he was hoping to talk with the legislators about included the tuition increase and the lottery scholarship.
"It's not usually like this," Stevenson said, referring to the lack of legislators at the reception.
He said he is lobbying against the governor's proposal to change the lottery scholarship to a flat rate, because the change would cost each recipient an additional $612 each year.
He said legislators have expressed an understanding of his concerns during previous receptions.
Stevenson said they generally don't know about changes to University funding and how it affects students. He said he plans to be in Santa Fe next semester to make sure changes to the lottery scholarship do not happen.
After the legislators were announced as no-shows, UNM lobbyist Carlos Romero briefed the crowd about the way a typical reception runs and mentioned a few priorities he would have talked to the legislators about.
He talked about improving the Health Sciences Center and constructing the Centennial Engineering Center.
Romero said he would like to recruit more high school seniors into the Health Sciences Center by offering benefits to students who want to attend medical school. He has proposed a combined bachelor of arts and medical doctor degree program for undergraduates.
Doctorate student Liz Walcher received an e-mail about the reception and attended with hopes to speak to members of the Legislature.
Walcher said she wanted to come to an event where she can meet the legislators to get some of her questions answered. She said she would like to know more about their philosophies on education.
She said she wondered why the Legislature always puts education on the backburner. She said she wants to know more about the legislative process and hear why there is not enough funding for education.
"I feel like education is a low priority on the scale where they're allocating funding," Walcher said.
Her questions were not answered. She and many others left after hearing the announcement.
