by Eva Dameron
Daily Lobo
Legislators had a chance to hear students' voices in Santa Fe on Wednesday during the annual UNM Day.
About 20 UNM groups and departments had displays in the Roundhouse, supplying students with information and giveaways. Hundreds of people attended the event.
Business student Kedar Bhasker got up early on Wednesday to board the 7 a.m. bus that shuttled students to Santa Fe.
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"I thought it would be a good idea to tag along and talk with everyone," he said. "I get a free ride, a free lunch and get to shmooze with people."
Bhasker is on a team with two other students for UNM's business plan competition.
"It's a video game that teaches people languages, and it's starting off with Japanese," he said. "I'm working on the business side of it, and my job is to commercialize it."
Bhasker said he talked to Sen. James Taylor about the video game, who told him if he needed any help in the future to give him a call, and his doors are open.
"You know, the New Mexican government wants to invest into UNM students and the future of New Mexico," Bhasker said. "And that's my plan - to get a degree from UNM, live in Albuquerque, and just make New Mexico a better place. A lot of people get their degrees here and want to move out right away. I don't want to do that. I want to stay here."
He came to UNM to network his idea, he said.
Jon De Young, director of UNM's lobby committee, said a lot of legislators don't know students care about what goes on in the capitol.
"It's (UNM Day) a way to show them that UNM cares about where their tax dollars go," he said.
The Associated Students of UNM planned to discuss the Lottery Scholarship's declining funds with Sen. Michael Sanchez, who designed the scholarship.
But the senator's busy schedule kept him from meeting with students.
"They never were able to get him off the floor. We'll meet with him later this week or possibly even next week," De Young said.
The UNM Health Sciences Center brought a computerized mannequin as part of a program called Basic and Advanced Trauma Computer Assisted Virtual Experience, or BATCAVE.
"We've got computerized mannequins that New Mexico's doctors and nurses learn how to treat their patients on," said Larry Cobb, Advanced Life Support coordinator. "So in a controlled simulation lab, we can control the patients' complaints or disease process, and stress the nurses and doctors treat them properly."
The skin is made out of vinyl, and the mannequins' eyes react to blood pressure levels.
He said they have all ages, from babies to geriatrics. There is also a mannequin that gives birth - and it makes moaning sounds during the simulated labor.
"We're up here today for the legislature to let them see what they're funding as far as UNM BATCAVE and research," Cobb said. "Because Gov. Richardson picked this to be the year of the child, we brought our computerized baby along."
De Young said the secretaries and legislators look forward to students visiting the capitol every year.
"They remembered us from last year and the year before," De Young said. "They pulled out some of the promotional items that we gave them the previous years. So they really do appreciate UNM coming up there and look forward to it every year."
