ProjectPayAttention marks the latest social change initiative to come to SFUAD, this time prompting students to be more aware of their actions and words on social media. Following on the heels of online college safety program Think About It: Campus Clarity, which was rolled out in early September, PPA focuses on another national issue: social media bullying. “It’s a pledge to stop bullying online,” says Rachel Shuford, president of Student Voice. When signing the pledge, students swear to: speak up for others, choose their words wisely, track online behavior, inquire why, challenge yourself and spread the word. “We wanted to implement something where students know that they have the power to say ‘hey that’s inappropriate, you shouldn’t have said that,’ and it empowers the students and people to be able to stand up for themselves online and also for other people,” says Shuford. Originally started at Rutgers University following the suicide of Tyler Clementi after his roommate live-streamed Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man, the project soon spread to NYU, where resident assistants encouraged students to be more aware of what they posted online and said to others on a daily basis. According to the official PPA Tumblr page, more than 12,500 people have already signed the pledge. Now SFUAD is the latest to join the national conversation regarding online bullying and student safety. So far, more than 200 SFUAD students and faculty have signed. But student opinion of the initiative is somewhat divided. “It’s a good initiative, but it has to be dealt with carefully, because people may not take it seriously and can say things that fall on the wrong side of the line, and other problems can arise from that,” says Sandra Schonenstein, an RA who learned about PPA during Resident Assistant training. “There’s been a mixed response,” agrees Shuford. “There are students that are totally for it, and there are some students who are really confused by it, which makes sense, because it can be controversial and it was started by something that was severely controversial. But many people have taken it upon themselves to research it and learn more, and we’ve gotten a lot of positive results and no one has been openly rude or angry.” John Rodriguez, director of campus and residential life, was also thrilled by PPA’s ideals, specifically the involvement of faculty. “We all should practice what we preach, especially from a faculty and staff side. If we’re not living, eating, breathing this, how do we expect students to do the same?” Shuford stated that she does not believe bullying, either online or otherwise, to be an issue at SFUAD. “I don’t think it’s a problem, but I do think it’s something we should all learn to be a little more cautious about. We do sometimes have an issue with people speaking their minds without thinking about others, such as on the Student Life page. I’m not here to squelch anyone’s opinions, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to vocalize your opinion at the expense of another person.” In agreement, Rodriguez affirmed that to his knowledge, bullying is not an issue at SFUAD, but that it should be addressed before it could escalate to that point. “If just one of these initiatives helps one person or even saves one person’s life, then we’ve done our jobs. We just want everyone to be safe.” When asked how signing the pledge had affected her social media presence, Shuford said that the initiative has empowered her to stand up for others whom she sees being discriminated against around campus or online. She also urged students to sign the pledge, and then go by Mouton to pick up their complimentary PPA wristband, magnet, and sticker. “This is a great time in student’s lives to say, ‘think about it, talk about it, pay attention to what’s going on,” says...

For those in need of special parking accommodations, being able to access the handicapped spot in front of St. Michael’s Hall and other designated places around campus should be a little easier this year. Thanks to the efforts of SFUAD Director of Facilities Peter Romero and his staff, those who illegally park in these spots will be facing severe penalties. “We have new signs going up,” Romero explained. “The city of Santa Fe is imposing a $500 fine for violators, and we are instructing SFUAD security to call the police when they observe anyone violating the rule.” This was welcome news to someone like me. Having physical challenges, I have found SFUAD to be very helpful in accommodating my special needs. However, it has been frustrating to see how others abuse of the special parking that makes navigating campus a bit easier. It also seemed as if repeat offenders acted with impunity because the signs did not bear the standard warnings regarding fines, and I had recently emailed Romero regarding my concerns. When Romero called me a few minutes later, he informed me that not only were the new signs coming out, but thanks to some sprucing up, the spots themselves will be easier to detect. “If you notice, all the handicapped spots have been repainted.” Hopefully, the combination of spots being more recognizable and the threat of financial penalties will help alleviate the abuse in particular of the lone handicap spot in front of St. Michael’s Hall. The building’s main entrance is like a gateway to the rest of the SFUAD campus, with the post office, hallway to the cafe, and entrance to the dorms. Here, students wait for the shuttle and deliveries are made. Perhaps for some, the location—right by the door—is just too tempting. And, even though additional parking is right around the corner by Fogelson Library, security was called several times last year because of those unlawfully parking in the spot.  In our case, security was always quick to respond, but if it wasn’t a repeat offender, several minutes could pass before the car’s owner could be tracked down—and that’s if the vehicle was registered to a SFUAD student. When a student is rushing to get a meal before class every moment is precious. It’s not as if SFUAD has a PA system like Wal-Mart to simultaneously announce and embarrass over the loudspeaker,  “Would the owner of the beige Taurus, license plate ABC 123 please move your vehicle from the handicap spot? Thank you.” The same dilemma also has occurred in the on-campus apartments. Interlopers casually used the handicapped spot in front of my own apartment as a loading and unloading area for people and packages.  When asked to move, replies were given such as, “oh, I was only going to be here for a minute,” or “I didn’t know anyone disabled lived here.” Reactions such as this miss the mark. It’s not about who could potentially need the spot; it’s that the person using it, if only for a moment, has no right to be there. Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act states that the ratio for parking lots is one handicapped spot for every 25 regular ones, it was welcome news to learn that SFUAD of its own initiative is considering an additional handicapped parking spot in front of St. Michael’s Hall.  “We have more disabled students here this year,” Romero said. Shortly after our conversation, an email came out from Student Life. The message, from Romero, advised students of the guidelines regarding handicapped parking. There also was a reminder that there is ample parking all over campus and to “please plan accordingly in advance of your classes.” As SFUAD students head into the colder months, perhaps those who once took advantage of the handicap parking spots with no fear of reprisal will have second thoughts. $500 is a lot to pay to avoid walking a...

There are few greater ways to kick off a school year than with a parade. Every year in early autumn, the city of Santa Fe mobilizes around its most cherished of local traditions, Fiesta. Originally established in 1712 to celebrate the Spanish re-conquest of the city, the Fiestas de Santa Fe may have a religious overtone, involving several masses throughout the week, but perhaps most beloved are the ritualistic burning of Zozobra, Desfile de Los Ninos, or as it is affectionately known, the Pet Parade, and the Historical/Hysterical parade, a salute to Santa Fe’s past and current quirky citizens. This year, the broiling Sunday afternoon was greeted by devoted Santa Feans lining the streets of downtown, caked in sunscreen and hovering under umbrellas for protection from the fierce desert sun. Everywhere, women and young girls twirl their traditional fiesta dresses, colorful concoctions of lace and satin. Men roar “Que Viva!” while pumping their fists skyward. The air is ripe with celebration.                           Midway through the parade, a truck driven by Peter Romero, head of SFUAD facilities, chugs down the street, dragging behind it a trailer covered along the bottom with a flowing silver tinsel skirt, and on the wooden flats above, an eye-catching display of earthy-toned triangles. A huge black arch protrudes from the back, proudly proclaiming SFUAD. On the back of the arch, the names of the various departments are written carefully in white paint, each with a different font or symbol to celebrate the department’s specialty. People cheer as students wave from the float, throwing candy into the crowds. A few students on the sidelines cry “Que Viva SFUAD!” The float was the handiwork of senior Chelsea Kuehnel, who played a key role in deciding a theme, as well as in making the float safer for students to ride on, thanks to her background as a technical theater major.                           “My experience with technical theater was definitely a plus, especially having worked a lot with flats and painting,” she says Friday afternoon, having set up several volunteers with tasks before hurrying off to class. But this was not her first time being involved with the Fiesta Float. “I first did it my freshman year. I walked behind it in the parade.” The 2014 float theme centered around SFUAD’s distinctively shaped and colored logo, as demonstrated by the cuts of the flat boards, the multi-colored array of triangles, and the black arch with the department’s names. “We wanted to showcase the overall unity of the campus,” Kuehnel says.                         Raya Lieberman, a freshman photography major, notes that the colors used “went with the landscape of the school and Santa Fe.” But there was more inspiration behind the design than met the eye. “We tried to incorporate a little bit of College of Santa Fe into it (the float), because there is a historical component (to the parade), and in fact one of the categories for the float was historical,” says David DeVillier, the new assistant director of student life, who collaborated with Kuehnel and other student leaders and organizations, such as the SFUAD Student Ambassadors, to create the float.                   “We wanted to really be a part of Fiesta Parade as it was intended… there is a rich history of celebrations and festivals. So, since there’s a religious component to the parade itself, College of Santa Fe also had a religious component, with the LaSallean brothers…. so we tried to build on that, and we thought of using some icons and images relating back to the history and how we have come to this creative art school.” DeVillier also expressed gratitude to Kuehnel and the...