One Zumba class can burn anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories in a way that is fun and much more satisfying than your average stair-stepper. (Photo by Jenn Grider)

“Zumba is such a great, energizing workout without actually feeling like work,” Donna Ferguson, age 52, said. “I knew it was the perfect workout for me when, after just one month of classes, I could fit into my 20-year-old daughter’s jeans.”

Well, the fact that my mother could fit into my jeans was just the kick-in-the-butt I needed to try Zumba for myself, and I can honestly say it is one of the best workouts I have had, while also being extremely entertaining.

So, what is Zumba?

“Zumba is a Latin-inspired fitness-aerobic class,” Ryan Grovey, a Zumba instructor here in Las Cruces, said. “It features reggaeton, salsa, cumbia, flamenco, tango and belly dance.”

Just because Zumba is fun, doesn't mean that it is easy. You have to push yourself to get results. (Photo by Jenn Grider)

Zumba is, at its core, dance aerobics that pulls inspiration from all different cultures of dance. The very heart and soul of Zumba is to create an exhilarating and enjoyable workout experience that will make people want to and look forward to going to the gym.

“Zumba is just a party,” Grovey added. “We call it, ‘Ditch the workout, join the party.’ It’s really not in the gym lifting weights and running up and down stairs, but you’re sitting in a wonderful workout.”

Who practices Zumba?

This new and exhilarating dance-aerobics class is for all ages. Young and old, male and female.

“All different ages come to my class,” Grovey said. “I have kids from 10 years old to 70 years old. My oldest lady is 71.”

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Joann Torres said she loves Zumba because it is a family-friendly workout. She and her son have been attending Ryan’s class for three months now, and he loves it just as much as she does.

Why you should try Zumba?

“If you like to dance and you want to have a good time, but you don’t like to feel like you’re exercising, then that is the reason to come,” Linda Berez said.

The class provides an enjoyable and inviting atmosphere that feels like a fun night out. (Photo by Jenn Grider)

Zumba feels more like a night out with your best friends, dancing and having a good time. It doesn’t feel like a workout at all, which is why Zumba is so popular.

“I call the people that come to my classes my Zumbaholics. Zumba is just very addicting,” Grovey said.

How to find a class

According to the official Zumba Web site, as of July 2009, the Zumba program is taught at more than 50,000 locations in 75 countries, with 6 million participants taking classes on a weekly basis. And if working out in public doesn’t suit your lifestyle, millions of DVDs are available and sold everyday, and has changed the lives of Zumba Fanatics worldwide.

If you would like to try this new fitness program that is taking the world by storm, Zumba.com offers links to find a class near you.

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Basketball players of all ages dusted off their shoes, rounded up their teammates and threw on some cool uniforms this month for the 3 on 3 Gus Macker basketball tournament in Las Cruces.

Gus Macker history

The Gus Macker is a massive basketball tournament that pairs seeding based on age, gender and talent levels. The “Macker,” as people call it, is a national tournament that travels from city to city, and has hosted an event in Las Cruces every April since 1995. Brackets.pdf

Players showcased their ball handling, three point shots and teamwork all in hopes of being the best (and best looking) in the tournament.

Many different looking uniforms were seen during the recent Gus Macker Tournament (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

A team game

Sydney Gonzales was one of more than 2,000 players competing this past weekend in the tournament. Her team was composed of four girls from Ruidoso, N.M.

“We have been playing together since middle school,” Gonzales said

Teamwork was displayed throughout the day as many teams even developed special plays for tight games and tough situations.

Boys and Girls Club

This sportsmanship trophy is given by the Las Cruces Boys and Girls Club. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

For the first time since the Gus Macker began 15 years ago, all the proceeds raised at the event went to the Boys and Girls Club in Las Cruces. The Boys and girls Club in Las Cruces has been around for 45 years.

The club is a “very vital and exciting program that offers a lot of great programs to kids,” said Ken Hoeksema, who is the board president for the Boys and Girls Club in Las Cruces.

At the end of the event, even though only a handful of teams were named winners in the Gus Maker, all those who signed up and donated money to the club were winners in Hoeksema’s eyes.

Students receive advice about graduation and careers from others constantly, but one man’s guidance was different from anything professor Sean McCleneghan’s public relations students had ever heard before.

NMSU alumnus Larryl Lynch returned to NMSU to share his story on how he founded Albuquerque: The Magazine and offered advice about entering the work force with a journalism degree.

Coming from humble beginnings, Lynch did  not even have running water growing up.  When asked what led to his success, he replied, “Be humble, take the initiative and care about what you do.”

He continued, “Decide what is important to you from the get-go, find your happiness and the rewards will come.”

Lynch said he had always enjoyed writing. Willing to risk failure to be successful, he immersed himself in the world of journalism. He told students to embrace it, because it “comes from the heart.”

While at NMSU, Lynch was editor of the Round Up and anchored the television news at KRWG. It was Lynch’s probing reporting that eventually led to the investigation of the Aggie Basketball Program and its graduation rate in the early 90s.

Currently, Albuquerque: The Magazine has a subscription base of more than 15,000 and is the fastest growing magazine in the state of New Mexico.

Participants in team roping events raise money for research during the Cowboys for Cancer event. (Photos courtesy of Cowboys for Cancer)

Cowboys are known for horseback riding, roping bulls and branding, but  in Las Cruces, they are also known for starting a non-profit organization called Cowboys for Cancer Research.

Cowboys for Cancer Research began 28 years ago when Las Cruces native Alma Cohorn died of breast cancer. To honor her memory, Cohorn’s family and friends decided to get together and host the first dinner and team roping competition to raise money to fight the very disease that took the life of a good friend.

According to Co-chair Geraldine Calhoun, the event turned out to be a success.

“As far as we know, the first event made about $700 or $800 dollars,” she said. “The people putting the event on were happy they could do something in honor of their friend Alma Cohorn.”

Committee donates funds

After the first event, Cowboys for Cancer Research decided to send the funds to the University of New Mexico Cancer Center with instructions that the funds be used by UNMCC where they were needed.

Not long after, Cowboys for Cancer Research committee members and the head of UNMCC decided to establish The Alma Cohorn/Cowboys for Cancer Research Endowment.

According to Calhoun, only the spendable portion of the earning can be used.

 “Because only a certain portion can be used, C4CR decides where this money is to be used, along with guidance from a group of doctors at UNMCC,” Calhoun said.

Several years ago, C4CR learned of a collaborative cancer research being done between NMSU and UNMCC. C4CR decided to support this research and chose to hold the dinner and roping competition in Las Cruces.

“The money raised is sent to the UNMCC to be deposited into the endowment, and the spendable portion of the earnings is sent back to NMSU to support the ongoing cancer research in progress,” Calhoun said.

Events

This saddle displays the Cowboys for Cancer Research logo.

C4CR holds a three-day fund raising event. Friday there is a dinner, dance and silent auction. Saturday and Sunday. A team roping competition and silent auction is held.

“The event is about fun, fellowship, family, and fundraising,” Calhoun said.

The event is held at the Dickerson’s Event Center with a western band, “The Delk Band,” providing the music. The team roping competition is held at the Sproul Arena, north of Las Cruces.

“Families come to visit, participate and raise money for a great cause. We have had as many as 1,500 teams from throughout the Southwest come to this very enjoyable event,” she said.

Main goal

C4CR’s main goal is to raise money to support cancer research.

“Cancer is a terrible disease. It touches so many lives, regardless of age, race, national origin, one’s position in life or the state of the economy,” Calhoun said. “Research is the way to finding a cure for this terrible disease.”

Learn more about C4CR, make your donation or request information at the organization’s Web site.

Players sign balls for fans on Sunday at Fulton Center. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

The New Mexico State Aggies are 2010 Western Athletic Conference champions, but the road to becoming champions was far from easy for them.

The WAC tournament road

The last two regular season games for the Aggies were against conference rivals Nevada and Utah State. Sadly, for Aggie fans those two games both ended up being losses to end their regular season. Coincidentally, the last two teams the Aggies played in the WAC tournament were those same teams.

This time, the games held more meaning and also featured a very different result.

The Aggies knocked Nevada out of the tournament on Friday and then took down Utah State the night after to claim the WAC Championship title and a spot in the NCAA tournament.

The celebration party

Aggie guard Johnathon Gibson looks to the television as the bracket seeding is revealed. (Photos by Cody Hoffman)

Sunday afternoon, the New Mexico State Athletics Department hosted a selection Sunday party for all Aggie fans, players and coaches. When the bracket was revealed, the sound of loud cheers rang from the room when the television screen showed New Mexico State, the 12th seed taking on Michigan State, the fifth seed. The last time the Aggies played in the NCAA tournament was in 2007. They played Texas and lost in the first round.

Coach Marvin Menzies

NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said the theme behind his team’s rise to becoming champions was based on the motto of “one more…”; Each time the Aggies took the court before a game, they always thought it as one more game and one at a time. This helped them to become WAC champions and find their way into the “big dance” on Friday.

The NCAA Tournament

The Aggies headed to Spokane, Wash., Wednesday. They play Friday night at 5:20 p.m. Their hope for the tournament is just “one more” game,  and in the NCAA bracket of 64 teams that includes exactly six more to becoming national champions.

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 I’m sure there are several women who feel as though they are not taken seriously. Why is this so? Well, there is this ideal that has continued to hover over women for years and years called “patriarchy.” This practice is one that affects women globally.

As the United States has been engaged in “war” with the Middle East, several stories have come out in which several male voices speak up on the different issues that happen, but the women who are involved go on silently.

Something’s missing

In one world news story, “Iran arrests Sunni rebel accused of links with the West,” by Parisa Hafezi and Hossein Jaseb, subjects of the al Qaeda and bombings were all about men.

It seems like any mention of women in the Middle East only happens when death counts are given, such as in, “Shiite family of 8 killed in Iraq, some beheaded,” by Rebecca Santana.

The women who do not speak up, such as those who perform poetry, fall between cracks to the nation’s news−watching eye. Should we really have to search and search the Internet before we can find one little clip or one story including a woman’s view and opinion? Must we rely on the words of men we do not know to give us information on the rest of the world? Let society hear from the mothers, the sisters and the wives. Let them tell their stories. These are the voices that matter and should be taken seriously.

The Guerrilla Girls will perform – and question equality in art – Thursday.

Fewer than 3 percent of the artists in the Metropolitan Museum of Art are women, but 83 percent of the nudes are female.

 With this tagline, the Guerilla Girls, an internationally known group of anonymous avengers, pose the question: “Do women have to be naked to get into United States art museums?” Gender equity in the arts will be the message delivered to a Las Cruces audience this week.

The Guerrilla Girls are a group of feminists and artists who use the names of deceased female artists as pseudonyms and appear in public wearing gorilla masks to conceal their identities. This removes the focus from the performers and aims it at the issue.

 According to the group’s Web site, the historical activist group started in 1985 in response to The Museum of Modern Art in New York’s exhibition, “An International Survey of Painting and Sculpture,” in which only 13 of 169 artists were women, and all 169 artists were white.

Not a narrow focus

Though the group originally started as the “conscience of the art world,” it has also brought attention to important issues such as inequality in the world of politics and in Hollywood and the film industry.

 The NMSU Department of Women’s Studies reports that the Guerrilla Girls Las Cruces debut performance will take place Thursday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Court Youth Center. The performance will commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program at New Mexico State University, as well as help celebrate Waded Cruzado Gender Justice Week. 

 “Dr. Cruzado believed in women’s studies and its significance at the university. She understood the potential of women’s studies at NMSU and invested resources where little had been invested before,” said Lisa Bond-Maupin, director of the women’s studies program and sociology department head, said in a press release.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster or at the Pan American Center. Students can purchase tickets for $5 and members of the general public can purchase tickets for $12.

The event is sponsored by NMSU Women’s Studies Program, NMSU Department of Sociology, NMSU Office of the Provost, and Women’s Studies/Journalism “Women and PR Group.”

Stacie Christiano explains how NMSU students can become Big Brothers and Big Sisters.(Photo by Chelsey Drummond)

“Little Moments, Big Magic” is exactly what the Big Brother Big Sisters program is all about.  Stacie Christiano, chief executive officer of the Southwestern New Mexico branch, knows all too well how accurate the slogan can be.

“We’re in the business of providing one-on-one mentoring for any child who wants a positive impact in their life,” Christiano said. “We live for the magical moment when the matched little brother or sister is introduced to their mentor. The look on their faces makes the whole experience worthwhile.”

BBBS, as a nationwide program, encourages youth mentoring and attempts to create influential bonds between adults and children. 

Christiano said she believes that of the potential volunteers in Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University students could especially benefit from joining the mentoring service.

Program is mutually benficial

A big and little brother bond over arts and crafts. (Photo courtesy of BBBS Southwestern New Mexico)

“University students are some of our most successful matches because of the smaller age gap between Bigs and Littles,” Christiano said.

“The little brother or sister develops a deep connection with the student, increasing their academic goals at an early age,” she said. “They essentially want to follow in their Big’s footsteps, to shadow their lifestyle.”

How do students get involved?

A rather extensive application and background check is required of all potential big brothers or sisters. After filing an application, an in-depth personality/activity match and personal interview complete the process. Christiano stresses that becoming a Big is very easy and entails only three basic criteria.

“We only require that you give us time, talent, and treasure,” she pointed out.

BBBS offers many different programs to fit any potential volunteer’s schedule, the director said.  There are two different forms of matches:

• A school-based match requires only one hour per week of one-on-one time at the child’s school.

• The community-based match requires four to six hours a month and is virtually limitless as far as activities are concerned. 

Matches are encouraged to experience fun, interesting and new things for both members. Activities can range from coloring and fishing to sports and movies. The most important aspect is to bond and spend quality time with one another.

More than just fun and games

The program is not solely for fun and games, however; a significant part of the match must be designated to schoolwork or educational improvement.

“We work really hard to create an academic feel for our kids. We try to promote reading and writing as well as verbal and social skills. The Big becomes an all-in-one: friend, counselor, and teacher,” explained Christiano.

Of all the volunteers at BBBS of Southwestern New Mexico, around 30 percent are NMSU students. The program has proven that by pairing a child with someone experiencing higher education or promoting academic success, the more likely the child is to graduate high school or college.

Whether a school-based match or community-based match, both the Big and Little benefit from the experience. “The majority of the benefit falls on the Little, but success is a two-way street. If the match is successful, then the Big also learns and grows,” said Christiano.

Opportunities to help

(Photo by Chelsey Drummond)

If NMSU students are not able to volunteer as a big brother or sister, then there are other opportunities to help. BBBS holds several fundraising events throughout the year and is always looking for people willing to help. Bowl for Kids Sake, held on April 11 of this year, is one of the most profitable events for the program.

 “Any spare time that can be given is for a great cause. We want NMSU and the community to help ensure a brighter future for the youth of Dona Ana County,” Christiano said.

For more information, contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern New Mexico at 523.9530 or visit the Web site.

Director Charlie Minn talks to an audience of bowling massacre survivors, along with friends and family of lost loved ones, before the showing of his documentary, "A Nightmare in Las Cruces" at the Cineport 10 theater on South Telshor Boulevard. (Photo by Victoria G. Molinar)

If losing someone you unconditionally love to a heinous crime is unbearable, imagine watching a documentary showing a reenactment of the atrocity that changed your life 20 years later.

That’s what the victims and family members did on Tuesday, Feb. 9, during the premiere of “A Nightmare in Las Cruces.”

The documentary, which tells the story of the massacre that took place at what used to be called the Las Cruces Bowl on East Amador Avenue Feb. 10 of 1990, included commentary of the survivors and family members of the deceased victims.

Emotions surface

As the crowd of people waited in the Cineport 10 theater lobby, tears were already rolling down people’s faces. While the idea of having to relive a violent incident that one wishes to move on from seems daunting, the survivors evidently found importance in telling their story when they chose to be a part of the documentary.

From left: Patricia Rodriguez, Audrey Teran and Margaret Chip attend the Las Cruces opening. Audrey Teran lost her husband Stephen Teran and two daughters, Paula Holguin (age 6) and Valarie Teran (age 2) to the bowling massacre. Her sister, Patricia Rodriguez, was also interviewed for "A Nightmare in Las Cruces." (Photo by Victoria Molinar)

Not too long after the bowling massacre, director Charlie Minn saw an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries,” which featured the story about the three survivors and four murdered Las Crucens who were all shot several times at a close distance.  The fact that the murderers were never apprehended disturbed Minn and eventually drove him to create a film that he hoped would encourage anyone who might know the killers to report them to the Las Cruces Police Department.

“The film is not really just about the massacre, but it’s also about heroism, courage, and healing,” Minn added.

The courageous act that Minn particularly pointed out was the one in which Melissia Repass, who was 12 years old at the time of the massacre, made a call to 911 and gave a clear description of what happened despite a gunshot to the head.

This four-minute 911 call was played at the beginning of the film, sending a chill up everyone’s spine.

The audience attending “A Nightmare in Las Cruces” earlier this month was made up of the contributors to the film, the bowling massacre survivors and the friends and family of survived and lost loved ones.

Before the movie was shown, Minn stood in front of the audience to explain his decision to make a film about a Las Cruces disaster although he is from New York, where very few people know of the massacre. The fact that a violent act took place in a small town like Las Cruces did not just shock the locals, but Minn as well.

The Las Cruces tragedy was recreated on the set of "A Nightmare in Las Cruces." The film was shot in Sept. of 2009 at the bowling alley where the real massacre took place. (Photo by Larry Meraz)

“I made this movie to evoke emotions and encourage the person out there who knows who did this to report it…and I hope that those dirt bags get caught.”

An immediate applause from the audience followed.

Using interviews with family members and survivors, file footage from KRWG-TV, reenactments of what took place and the sounds of gunshots and a baby crying, the film had an even more powerful effect on the viewers.

Sniffs and sighs from the audience could be heard throughout the movie.

“I think it took a very courageous man with strength and compassion to put this movie together,” said Gloria Woods, whose daughter, Amy Houser, was shot and killed at age 13 during the massacre. “If this movie makes people talk and solves the crime, it’s definitely well worth it.”

The interviews with Gloria Woods in “A Nightmare in Las Cruces” were some of the most emotional clips in the film, along with the interviews with survivor Melissia Repass and Audrey Teran, who lost her husband and two daughters at the violent incident.

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Local assistance

The film was shot in Las Cruces in Sept. of 2009 for about six days. Minn explained the process of making the movie at New Mexico State University in the Creative Media Institute’s directing class with Rod McCall. He contacted Larry and Russell Allen to ask if his film could be shown at their theaters, Cineport 10 on South Telshor Boulevard and Aviator 10 in Alamogordo, N.M.

“The first thing we did was call the PR of the Las Cruces Police Department because we were afraid of opening an old wound,” said Vice President of Operations Russell Allen at the opening of the movie. “The police department encouraged us to play it so that it could open up some eyes and help solve the case.”  Allen added that Minn’s passion for the massacre was evident, and he and his father Larry Allen were happy to oblige.

“I think that Feb. 10, the day of the massacre, should be a day to commemorate the victims,” said Minn to the directing class. “That’s why I chose to have it play on that day.”

“A Nightmare in Las Cruces” will also be playing at the Premiere Cinema 18 theater in El Paso, Texas starting Feb. 26.

For more information on the movie showings, visit www.bowlingmassacre.com and http://www.allentheatresinc.com.

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Most all students wish there was a bookstore where they could sell their college books back and get more than a couple bucks and buy books for cheaper than what they are used to paying.

What is Campus Bookstore?

The Campus Bookstore does just that.  The owner and its employees are committed to giving back to the students.  They offer a place for students to save money on their books they buy and selland wanted students to have a place where they could save money and not have to wait for 30 minutes in a line, said Cody Miller, owner of Campus Bookstore. He decided to move to Las Cruces when he heard that Barnes and Noble would be leasing the building on campus and was then going to become the new bookstore for New Mexico State University.

About the new bookstore on campus

The New Mexico State University bookstore that we all know will be no more in due time.  There is a new building planned on campus that Barnes and Noble will lease from the university.  Barnes and Noble and New Mexico State University have a contract with that stipulates Barnes and Noble can lease the new building for a yearly fixed rate.  The corporation has to pay this fixed rate regardless of the amount of merchandise and books they sell, will profits going to Barnes and Noble.

Why buy from Campus Bookstore?

The No. 1 reason to sell and buy books and merchandise at Campus Bookstore, located  across the street from the university at 1713 East University Ave., is to support a small local business. Contact The Campus Bookstore at 575-521-9173 for more information.

The Campus Bookstore is located across the street from NMSU. (Photo by Carli Chavez)