This November, as the rest of the country prepares to vote for a new president, SFUAD students are invited to take part in an election on campus. For the first time ever, elections will be held for Student Voice positions, voted on by the student body. All students are eligible for candidacy, so long as they announce their intention to run at a Student Voice meeting.

Larry Hinz, president of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, has seen the school go through major changes since 2009. Here he answers some questions about how the school is growing, his vision for the future, and what it is that makes SFUAD special. *The following interview has been edited for conciseness. JM: How do you think SFUAD has changed since you began as president? LH: We’ve had an incredible 3 1/2 to four years of transition. We’re at an exciting place in time for this school. We have over 800 students, and the campus seems more alive—I walk across campus and I see students, so it’s really good for me to have that contrast to what it was like four years ago when we were trying to save the school. The student body is the most talented that I’ve seen since I’ve been here; it’s an engaged, energetic dynamic group of students that we have here and the faculty are really jazzed about that. I also think the campus looks really good; the quad is more welcoming than it was two years ago, for example. We will continue to make improvements to the campus and the buildings as time goes on. Also, we do a satisfaction survey every April, and student satisfaction is way up. There are common themes: students love the faculty, love the classroom, love the courses, love the facilities. Some of the negatives continue as well, like the cafeteria and the dorms and student activities, but this year has been a huge improvement overall. Another area that we track closely is student retention rates. That has also shown consistent improvement over the last year. I think this goes back to that engaged student body. Overall, the group of kids that are...

By Charlotte Martinez/ Photos by Christopher Stahelin It’s all about timing and planning for the unexpected. That’s the movie business for you. The sky is clear at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 24 on the Santa Fe University of Art and Design campus. The Screen, SFUAD’s independent movie theater and my work place, has a sidewalk leading to the entrance and though the concrete is cracked and dusty, I feel like I’m passing Hollywood’s red carpet. There’s a lot of excitement the day of SFUAD’s Oscar Night, but like I said, the movie business isn’t predictable. Here at the Screen, Oscar Night means a live stream of the 2013 Academy Awards for students and faculty of the Film Department. In addition, this event premieres the Film School’s first Shoot the Stars production, two student-made films featuring big name actors Wes Studi, from Avatar, and Canadian actor Luke Kirby. My red carpet disappears, however, when I’m told we’re running 20 minutes behind. Peter Grendle, manager of the Screen and professor at the Film School, strides in with his usual short-breathe grin (I’m convinced he runs everywhere). I tell him our last movie will let out 20 minutes late. He says he knows and we make a plan. It’s 3:45 p.m. I smile at the gathering audience and promise that they’ll be let into the theater soon. There’s some confusion as to when the student films will begin. “We’re playing it by ear,” I say. This turns out partially true. For the first 30 minutes my ear stays glued to the theater’s closed doors, behind which Peter struggles to stream cable to both the Screen and the monitor down the hall in Studio C, where the Oscar party begins. This party is legit! Red carpet, decorations, paparazzi, finger...