On Nov. 9 University of New Mexico students erected a Wall of Burning Issues, where about 50 students and organization representatives wrote their concerns about the university’s handling of issues such as student advisement, sustainability, and the university smoking ban. The wall hung in the student town hall, and stood as the backdrop for a meet and greet between different student community-oriented organizations.

The Student Action Network (SAN), a newly chartered group that acts as a networking aid for organizations and students to get involved in the UNM community, put the event together, said student co-founder Travis McKenzie.
 
McKenzie is optimistic about the power of networking on campus.
 
“It’s the feeling,” he said. “Hopefully if you came, you felt welcome, you felt like you can be part of it, like you can participate.”
 
SAN was born out of Service Action Network, a similar organization that met its end last year. McKenzie and Daniel Marzec revived the Student Action Network this semester. Marzec said he sees SAN as more than just a forum of ideas, using community service to advance student-driven issues.
 
Graduate student Andrew Marcum spoke at the event, representing the virtues of a student-focused dorm sustainability program.

“Cultivating an atmosphere of civic engagement on campus and making students realize it is their campus, and they should take responsibility for what is going on here — that is really a strong message,” said Marcum.


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