The Prospector March 24, 2015 by UTEP Prospector

VOL . 100, no. 21

t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f t e x a s at e l pa s o

March 24, 2015

SHOOT ‘EM UP TEXAS Texas Senate approves open carry and campus carry bills The Prospector As the Texas 84th Legislature continues to move along, so do Senate Bills 11 and 17, which will bring Texans closer to the possibility of being able to openly carry a gun in the state and carry a concealed weapon on university campuses. On Monday and Wednesday of last week, the Texas Senate voted to approve SB 11 and 17, which would lift the state’s current restrictions preventing permit holders from carrying holstered guns openly, and repealing the existing law prohibiting concealed handgun license holders from carrying their weapons at public colleges and universities. The votes on both SB 11, also known as campus carry, and SB 17, referred to as open carry, were identical as both

were approved by a vote of 20 to 11, with all of the nays coming from the chamber’s Democrats. The bills will now advance to the Texas House of Representatives for deliberation and approval. “Because the Republicans have a strong foothold on the legislature, it looks like it’s going to be very probable that we will see them pass through the house,” said Jose Villalobos, associate professor of political science. “Also, the governor has already stated that he is waiting to sign them.” Regarding campus carry, the bill does have one exception when it comes to where it is valid, as the bill was designed to respect private property rights, meaning that private universities would have the freedom to decide whether to allow firearms at their facilities.

In regard to the possibility of guns being allowed on public universities, University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven wrote a letter to lawmakers at the start of the session in order to warn them about the dangers of implementing such a law. “There is great concern that the presence of handguns, even if limited to licensed individuals age 21 or older, will lead to an increase in both accidental shootings and self-inflected wounds,” McRaven wrote. Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, who has expressed his opposition to both bills in the past, issued a press release in which he expressed his disappointment with the passing of both bills. “Unfortunately, the supporters of SB 17 and SB 11 chose to ignore the objections of law enforcement, and they would not even accept reasonable amendments to make the proliferation

of guns less threatening for all of us,” Rodriguez said. Among the amendments proposed was the prohibition of handguns in university health clinics, areas where federal classified research is taking place and at public speaking engagements on campuses. “I personally don’t agree with the passing of a law that allows your everyday person to carry a gun, concealed or not, and less at school,” said Maria Hidalgo, junior social work major. “I don’t think we need access to carry guns to feel protected or feel that we can protect ourselves.” Although both campus carry and open carry have been the high-profile bills elected for consideration this session, constitutional carry, which would eliminate handgun permits, has also been very popular among gun sup-

porters, but has yet to receive any committee hearings by either chamber. “I am not in favor of carrying guns, not because I favor a political side, but because I firmly believe it to be unnecessary,” Hidalgo said. In Texas, to receive a concealed handgun license, a Texas resident must be 21 or older, take a half-day training course and pass criminal background and mental health checks. Should campus carry pass, these requirements would stay the same for individuals seeking to obtain a license to carry a gun on campus. Alonso Moreno can be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.

design by jacobo de la rosa / The Prospector

By Alonso Moreno

PAGE 2 March 24, 2015

perspectives

Editor-in-Chief

Lorain Ambrocio, 747-7477

Citizens United for Ted Cruz By Maria Esquinca The Prospector Ted Cruz just announced his bid to run for president and he wants you to know he’s here to save America. (Americans being white, straight, conservative, upper-to-middle class.) In his patriotic and nostalgia-inflicting ad he seems to lament the loss of traditional America, his voice is heard over a series of disconnected shots, whose common theme is not their content, but their essence: AMERICA, home of the courageous Christians, a country that needs to be reclaimed. Not to worry, Cruz is here to save us all. His voice is heard over a green meadow, the tops of skyscrapers, a church, a kid swinging a baseball bat, the Golden Gate Bridge, a classroom of kids reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Like God, he is everywhere, the allseeing, all-knowing Republican. “It’s going to take a new generation of courageous conservatives to help make America brave again, and I’m ready to stand with you to lead the fight,” he said. But the ad would be more accurate if Cruz said, “It’s going to take a new generation of courageous billionaires…. and I’m ready to stand with you.” Since, let’s be real, they’re the ones deciding elections. Thanks to the de-regulation of campaign finance after a 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United V. Federal Elections Commission, the floodgates of campaign spending opened, allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts of contributions in political campaigns. By pouring billions of dollars into ads, you can win elections. Surprise! The most obvious examples of this has been seen at the state level. In 2010, after Citizens United, Art Pope, CEO of Board of Variety Wholesalers, Inc. and Koch brother replica, spent $2.2 million on state legislative races in North Carolina supporting republican candidates. For the first time in more than a century Republicans took control of both chamber. 2010 was also a census year, allowing them to also control re-districting, essentially re-drawing district lines to favor a specific party. According to Public Citizen, that same year, out of 53 competitive House races backed by big money that exceeded Democratic contributions, Republics won 51 of them. Broadcasters

weren’t left behind, they pocketed $3 billion in political ad revenues. This is mostly done through Super PAC’s (political action committees). They are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money for individuals, corporations and unions, but cannot coordinate individually with parties or individuals. Usually they pour money into negative ads toward political opponents. As media scholars Robert McChesney and John Nichols elaborate, “this warps the process in a perverse way, creating a circumstance where a candidate who is not particularly appealing to voters but who is particularly appealing to a small group of 1 percenters can, with the help of well-funded friends, frame a campaign in his favor.” As was the case in North Carolina. Taking this into account, all Ted Cruz needs is the help of a few friends. I’m talking about the Art Pope’s, Karl Rove’s and the Koch Brothers, the “courageous” white men who use their money to decide elections. Senator Bernie Sanders, D-Virginia, who introduced an amendment to overturn Citizens United, said, “unless the campaign financing system is reformed, the U.S. Congress will become paid employees of the people who pay for their campaigns—the billionaire class.” The amendment didn’t get passed. But Cruz, naturally, had a lot to say about that. According to Cruz, “This amendment here today, if adopted, would repeal the free speech protections of the First Amendment. . . This amendment, if adopted, would give Congress absolute authority to regulate the political speech of every single American, with no limitations whatsoever.” He also said it would ban the New York Times from criticizing members of Congress, and make Saturday Night Live’s political commentary illegal. “Lorne Michaels [SNL’s creator] could be put in jail under this amendment for making fun of any politician,” Cruz said. “That is extraordinary. It is breathtaking and it is dangerous.” It’s not hard to see why Cruz is concerned with the “political speech” of Americans, especially when his presidential bid depends on it. His version of Americans being Stand for Principle PAC and Draft Ted Cruz for President PAC supporting his presidential bid. This election will be an interesting one indeed, whether it’s Ted Cruz or Hillary Clinton, they’ll both be counting on big bucks to get them the title of president. Maria Esquinca may be reached at theprospectordaily. news@gmail.com.

Ac c u r ac y Watc h The Prospector is committed to accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail us at theprospectordaily.news@utep.edu.

STAFF V O L . 1 0 0 , n o . 2 1 Editor-in-Chief: Lorain Ambrocio Managing Editor: Amanda Guillen Layout Editor: Jacobo De La Rosa Copy Editor: Maria Esquinca Sports Editor: Luis Gonzalez Entertainment Editor: Kimberly Valle Photo Editor: Michaela Román Multimedia Editor: Christopher Zacherl Staff Photographers: Ruby Cerino, Andres Martinez Staff Reporters: Jason Green, Valerie Herrera, Julia Hettiger, Jesus Lopez Vargas Juan Carlos Navarrete, Benjamin Woolridge Cartoonist: Blake A. Lanham Contributors: Fernanda Leon, Alonso Moreno, Andrea Sandoval, , Sergio

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THEPROSPECTOR

NEWS | 3 |

March 24, 2015

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Title IX officials work to keep up with Dept. of Ed requirements By Allison Kite SHFWire Intern WASHINGTON – A national conversation and Department of Education investigations have brought campus sexual assault to the forefront as a national topic, and university officials are trying to keep up. Sexual assault is not a new issue for college and university campuses, but the recent heightened awareness means changes at many universities. For some, it poses a new set of challenges that officials have to stretch to meet. “But it was work for the betterment of the campus. I think it’s work to improve your campus climate,” Gretchel Hathaway, chief diversity officer, Title IX coordinator and Americans With Disabilities Act compliance coordinator for Union College inSchenectady, N.Y., said about the changes the college has made over the past few years. In 2011, the Department of Education released a Dear Colleague letter, which details universities’ responsibilities to both prevent sexual assault and harassment and handle reports of either offense. The department has also opened investigations at 104 universities for complaints of violations. Combined with a heightened awareness on college campuses across the country, the actions of the department have brought the conversation onto a national stage. University officials have questions and concerns about meeting the requirements of the department. Hathaway lead a session at the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education conference to help Title IX

officials understand their roles in the changing campus climate. Some in the audience raised general concerns about how to balance expanded Title IX responsibilities with their current workloads. Hathaway and others often serve as both the chief diversity officers and Title IX coordinators for their campuses. Others raised more specific questions. One person wondered if awareness training should be mandatory for faculty after feeling push back from her campus. Hathaway is part of the president’s office, so when she notifies the campus of a training, it comes from the president. Hathaway said her Title IX team includes deputy coordinators and members of the Greek community, athletics, counseling center, campus safety, judicial system, attorney, residential life and senior staff, which she said she considers an advantage. “It also helps that you have two senior staff in that meeting,” she said. “You have the vice president for academic affairs and the chief diversity officer sitting in on that meeting, and it let’s everybody in the room – the faculty and the staff and the administrators in that room – understand that this is really important.” The 2011 changes in federal oversight for Title IX have presented some challenges, including budgets and procedures. Some asked about conflict of interest–their offices both draft policies and enforce them. Hathaway said those functions need to be separated. At Union College, sexual assault cases are investigated by the campus safety office, Hathaway said, while at other

allison kite / shfwire Gretchel Hathaway, chief diversity officer, Title IX coordinator and Americans With Disabilities Act compliance coordinator for Union College, shares experiences and addresses questions from fellow Title IX officials. universities this is not the case. She said the school may start using external investigators for cases, but one case can cost up to $50,000. “We can’t allow the costs to get in the way of what’s right for the school, so we are still in the process of looking at the pros and cons of that,” she said. Juan Munoz, vice president of institutional diversity at Texas Tech Uni-

versity, expressed concern that Title IX coordinator responsibilities are being given to many chief diversity officers with “very little direction, guidance and resources.” Hathaway said she has communicated with colleagues whose universities are under investigation by the Department of Education.

“I’m a therapist and so tell me more about what you’re doing for yourself,” she said. “What are you doing to keep yourself above water?” Reach reporter Allison Kite at allison.kite@scripps.com or 202-408-1491.

House transportation chair confident about long-term highway bill By Sean McMinn SHFWire Intern WASHINGTON — Continuing its sprint from one governing crisis to another, Congress will face the threat of an empty Highway Trust Fund at the end of May. But this time, there’s hope that maybe — just maybe — lawmakers can agree on a long-term solution. House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee Chair Bill Shuster said Thursday he expects Congress will end the stopgap funding plans that have driventhe Highway Trust Fund for years. “I feel confident that we will do a long-term bill, a five, six year bill, and find the way to fund it being fiscally responsible,” the Pennsylvania Republican said. “Because both sides of the aisle, both sides of the Capitol and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue — everybody’s talking about a long-term bill. “ Congress failed to come up with a long-term funding plan for the Highway Trust Fund last year. The fund, which goes mostly toward highway

projects, has been operating with just enough cash to run until May. Most of the money for the Highway Trust Fund comes from an 18 cent-pergallon gas tax, which has put the fund on a path to bankruptcy since 2008. Several factors, including the increasing fuel efficiency of Americans’ cars and the failure of the gas tax to keep up with inflation, have made the gas tax an unstable source of money to ensure the fund remains healthy. Shuster addressed the fund’s problems with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxxat an event sponsored by the National Journal. Foxx said Congress will likely need to come up with an alternative to raising the gas tax to preserve the Highway Trust Fund. It would be politically difficult for Republicans in Congress to support an increase in taxes, and the White House has also been reluctant to embrace the gas tax plan. “The sense I get is that the gas tax increase is not a viable political strategy. Period,” Foxx said. “Maybe there will be an opening at some point where that comes up, but it will have to come up

out of Congress. And I just don’t know if it will.” Having Foxx and Shuster on stage together was a rare moment of bipartisanship in the usually contentious relationship between Congress and the White House. The Cabinet-level Democrat and Republican committee chair each acknowledged a sense of respect for his counterpart, and both pointed to transportation as a uniquely bipartisan issue.

But even though the two say they are willing to work together to come up with a long-term solution for the fund — and not just another temporary funding bill — it won’t come without some political tension. Asked what congressional Republicans would think about Foxx’s plan to bolster the fund, which would involve a one-time 14 percent tax on some overseas earnings, Shuster didn’t leave much room for negotiation.

“Uh, probably doesn’t happen with our guys,” he said. Reach reporter Sean McMinn at sean.mcminn@scripps. com or 202-408-1488.

| 4 | NEWS

inbrief

THEPROSPECTOR

March 24, 2015

ADAM ZIEGENHALS / The Prospector

30th annual Literature Lecture The 30th Annual Literature Lecture will begin at 7 p.m. on March 26 at the Undergraduate Learning Center in room 106. Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom, Dr. Neil Campbell will be conducting the lecture and a reception and book signing of Campbellâ€™s books will take place after the lecture.

Taste of the Middle East The Arab Students Association of UTEP will host Taste of the Middle East from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 28 at Miner Village. There will be a $10 donation fee. The event will have Middle Eastern food, live Arabic music and traditional Middle Eastern dancing. RSVP at Arab.sa@utep.edu by March 25th. Space is limited.

Union South steps closed Construction crews will temporarily close the south steps to the Union building from March 23 to April 5. This closure is to complete the sidewalks and arroyos along University Avenue. This is all a part of the Centennial Plaza project, which is projected to be completed by mid-April.

FREE TURKISH CLASSES

Free Turkish classes will take place from 3 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. from March 26 to April 30 every Thursday in the Union East Building River View Room 102 H. To register, email TurkishStudentAssoc@utep.edu or call (915) 600-0502.

THEPROSPECTOR March 24, 2015

NEWS | 5 |

Traffic and detours continue as city moves forward with projects By Alonso Moreno The Prospector Long lines of traffic with frustrated drivers will continue to be a common sight as El Paso continues to move forward with ongoing construction projects and prepare for new ones. The city of El Paso is bracing for more traffic tie ups, as a new fouryear $158-million renovation project is set to begin in April. The project will take place on Interstate 10 from Resler Drive to Executive Center Boulevard to build new ramps and an access road. “It’s pretty ridiculous at this point, you have projects going all over the place and we just can’t seem to catch a break,” said Isaac Villa, junior psychology major. “I think we can all understand why these projects are important, but it’s the mess they cause which makes it so hard to cope with them and it’s just going to get worse.” Although the western El Paso construction may be a traffic nightmare for many El Paso commuters, for others it will just be another hurdle to overcome. Many have already been dealing with other construction projects. “They don’t surprise me anymore, hearing that a new one is on the way is common now,” said Juan Carlos Raygoza, senior multimedia journalism major. “San Jacinto Plaza, Kansas (street) or UTEP, it doesn’t matter. You just have to learn to adapt and hope that you can find a way around them.” Part of what makes some of these construction projects such a challenge for commuters is that they seem to overlap with others that have already been going on for a while now. In the case of San Jacinto Plaza, the project recently was delayed and did not meet its February 2015 deadline. Instead, the plaza now is expected to reopen in May. The delay of the plaza also coincides with the closure of Kansas Street in Downtown El Paso, which is part of a bridge rehabilitation project seeking to give maintenance to bridges that were built in 1946, and have since outlived their expected lifespan. Kansas Street has been closed to all traffic between Main Street and Franklin Avenue since Feb. 3 and will continue to be closed until May. “A lot of these projects have strict dates and have actually been properly scheduled,” said Geoffrey Espineli, a civil engineering associate in El Paso’s Engineering Program Management. When asked about why some of the construction projects were so close to each other in dates, Espineli explained that a lot of it had to do with funding. Some of them were being funded by the Federal Highway Administration through the Texas Department of Transportation, as is the case with the bridge rehabilitation project. There is also the issue of the possibility of losing the funding or facing penalties for not meeting deadlines, so projects often must take off regardless if there are already ongoing projects affecting the city and commuters. “These projects are properly scheduled, there are always unforeseen circumstances on every project, but we are always trying to make up for lost time,” Espineli said. “In some cases, crews will even work around a project 24 hours a day in order to ensure that it meets the deadline.” Alonso Moreno can be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.

adam ziEgenhals / The Prospector San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso is under construction, along with other areas on the westside.

THEPROSPECTOR

| 6 | NEWS

March 24, 2015

Do you think Centennial Plaza will be completed by April 18? hugo brito, ruby cerino, andres martinez, michaela roman, sergio zamora, adam ziegenhals / The Prospector

Karla Lujan

Adriana Najera

“It’d be great if they did finish by then, but I really doubt they will.”

“There is no way they are going to get it done by the 18th, it’s just too much work.”

Sophomore business major

Jackie Prieto

Freshman mechanical engineering major

“I don’t think they will finish. April 18 is coming real soon and it seems that they still have a lot of work to do.”

Christian Gomez

Daniel Morrow

Erica Esparza

“They shound be done in time. I can’t wait to start tailgating on the lawn. Go Miners! LXA!”

“I dont think it will because they’ve been working on it for the past two years and to have it done by the 18th seems irrational.”

“No, I think it will take a little bit longer to be completely done.”

Javier Rodriguez

Joaquin Acosta

Karla Lara

“Yes, it is between reach to complete the project by that date, however, let’s hope the weather helps out.”

“Nah, it’s too soon for it to be finished then. They’ve put it off before and it looks like a lot of work.”

“Yes, because construction has been happening for too long.”

Freshman biology major

Junior psychology major

Sophomore mechanical engineering major

Senior anthropology major

Junior evolutionary ecology major

Freshman public relations communication major

Sophomore biology major

Abraham Pardo

Freshman pre-nursing major “I believe in them.”

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Mercedes Frescas

Oscar Zapata

“I don’t think they will be finished before the deadline based on the looks of it.”

“I really don’t think so because since August 2014, I haven’t seen a lot of progress. So it will probably be the same thing this time.”

Freshman biochemistry major

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Toriell Simon

Christian Garcia

“It would be great! But I think it might take a bit longer to finish.”

“I don’t think so. It depends on how they’re going with the construction, but I would say late April, early May.”

Sophomore business major

Junior mechanical engineering major

PAGE 7 March 24, 2015

entertainment

Editor

Kimberly valle, 747-7477

“Tinder” now charges for dating app

ruby cerino/ The Prospector A student uses the app “Tinder” in between classes. Since it was first launched in 2012, By Valerie Herrera

The Prospector The popular dating app “Tinder” launched its premium plus version earlier this month, which charges users who are over the age of 30 more than double for the same service.

the app has had more than 50 million

age of 30 and $19.99 a month for users who are over 30 years old.

downloads free of charge, but this is

In a recent press release, “Tinder”

the first time “Tinder” is asking its us-

said the charges were based off a com-

ers to start paying for a product.

bination of factors they found within

The subscription service charges $9.99 per month for users under the

certain age demographics during the testing trial.

During the test trial, researchers found that younger users are just as excited about “Tinder Plus,” but are more budget-constrained and would pay less for the app. More than half of “Tinder’s” membership is in the highly desired 18 to 24 age demographic and the app’s developers said they want to maintain their status of attracting a younger age group. Typically companies are eager to expand their demographic, but “Tinder” is taking the opposite approach as they seek to preserve and protect its youthful demographic with a surcharge on its premium service for those aged 30 and over. Atzimba Casa, junior cellular and molecular biochemistry major, said she has never used an online dating website before, but assumes the reason for the change is to dissuade trolls and attract serious customers. “They can do whatever they want if it falls within their policy guidelines,” Casas said. “ I think it’s fair because they are adding regulations to notso-serious users, so if people are interested and serious about finding someone, they will pay for it.” “Tinder” allows users to swipe to the right on their smartphone if they’re interested in a person and to the left if they are not. Many us-

ers swipe so fast that it’s common to occasionally remove a person they would have otherwise been interested in meeting. The new features of the premium service allow users to undo swipes, change locations and have unlimited likes on their profile. There is also a passport feature, which allows users to widen their search criteria overseas. While those are all features users have been asking for, the price change was unexpected. Leslie Ross, senior organizational and corporate communication major, said having to pay more for a dating service makes her not want to try it. “Given that it’s an app, I think they are trying to attract a younger crowd,” Ross said. “Younger people are usually more tech savvy than older ones, so the price increase is maybe their way of keeping old people out.” Based on “Tinder” app terms of agreement policies, the app will begin placing limits on users who have not subscribed to the newer version. Valerie Herrera may be theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.

reached

Martinis and manicures to benefit women’s homeless shelter By Julia Hettiger The Prospector Ardovino’s Desert Crossing will be hosting a Martinis, Manicures and Music fundraiser, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on April 2. Ardovino’s Desert Crossing is located at 1 Ardovinos Dr. in Sunland Park, N.M. There is a $40 admission fee and 25 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Villa Maria, a homeless shelter for women without children. “We’re hoping for a good turnout and to get as much exposure as possible,” said Marina Ardovino, co-owner of Ardovino’s. “We expect around 40 women to attend, which will allow us to raise between $350 and $400.” The event will include a mini-manicure, a choice martini and music. The manicures will be provided to patrons by the team at Westend Hair Company and Day Spa. “The event is planned to be a fun night out for the women who attend and to help the women at Villa Maria,” Ardovino said. Villa Maria’s purpose is to provide homeless women a temporary place to live so they can achieve wholeness again. Their mission is to help guide women back to healthy living through guidelines, such as abstaining from alcohol and drugs, being courteous to other members of the shelter and teaching them to save up money for permanent housing and furnishing purposes. “There’s always going to be people who are less fortunate, and we’ve been proactive with nonprofits to utilize what we can to give back,” Ardovino said. Villa Maria also provides its residents with counseling, job training and financial benefits to help them get back on track. The foundation collaborates with multiple agencies

to help provide its members with accurate, helpful and effective services. The intake process begins with receiving referrals from agencies or social workers. Once the referral has been processed, the women attend an interview with case managers to discuss the roots of their homelessness and what they can and need to do to reinvent their lives.

“Volunteering is important because it can enrich the community, inspire others to volunteer, and create a snowball effect on people who previously didn’t see the need to help others,” said Damien Smith, freshman psychology major. Rick Garcia, junior anthropology major, said volunteering and giving

There’s always going to be people who are less fortunate, and we’ve been proactive with nonprofits to utilize what we can to give back.

back to the community can help students get a sense of what the world is really like. “I’m not struggling, but the struggle is all around us,” Garcia said. “I see people who don’t have both their parents and need shelters and help. With volunteering you’re giving them something they long for.”

- Marina Ardovino Co-owner of Ardovino’s Desert Crossing “For the past three or four years we have been partnering up with Villa Maria for an annual dinner auction,” Ardovino said. “I think just getting the name out there is a big part of it and getting people to notice organizations like this one and to donate their time and money is critical.” Staff members and volunteers, some of which are UTEP students, run Villa Maria.

Villa Maria is located at 920 S. Oregon St. For more information, call 544-5500. To make a reservation for the Manicures, Martinis and Music fundraiser, call 575-589-0653 or email customerservice@ardovinos.com. Julia Hettiger may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.

photo courtesy of Ardovinos desert crossing facebook Martinis, Manicures and Music Fundraiser will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 2 at Ardovinos Desert Crossing, located at 1 Ardovinos Dr. in Sunland Park, N.M .

THEPROSPECTOR

| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT

March 24, 2015

New children’s music program launching in the spring By Valerie Herrera The Prospector Border Beats, a new children’s music program that teaches young individuals how to play music using the MIMA Method, will launch this spring at Providence Memorial Hospital. The MIMA Method focuses on the process of improvisation to unlock the creative potential of groups by working in successive hour-long workshops, weeklong trainings or year-long residencies.

Children unlock their creative potential by using interactive musical games and original songs. The MIMA Method of music teaching will help boost creative confidence and encourage empathy to young patients and children throughout the local community. Created as a collaboration between Neon Desert Music Festival, Creative Kids and MIMA Music, Border Beats will serve as the music arm of Creative Kids, which is a nationally recognized non-profit communitybased art agency that reaches more

Hugo brito / The Prospector Teaching artists meet at Creative Kids for a Border Beats workshop. than 600 youth in the El Paso area year round. Creative Kids first began working with the New York-based MIMA Music with the help of a donation provided by the Neon Desert Music Festival. Gina Martinez, executive producer of Neon Desert Music Festival, said in a press release that they are honored to be partnering with outstanding organizations and are confident the program will benefit the border region for years to come. “Creating a children’s music program has always been a goal of ours from the start and we are excited that this dream is finally coming true,” Martinez said. Through Border Beats, children apply new skills and knowledge into a

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collaborative project that leads to an original musical composition Kory Fernandez, senior computer science major, said the program is a much-needed resource in our local community and that it’s a great selfesteem booster. “It sounds like a good program because I heard music exposure exercises the brain very well,” Fernandez said. “It expands the mind and enhances coordination and motor skills.” Upon completing a project, students solidify their accomplishments through a group recording or performance. Teaching artists facilitate group discussions and peer reviews so students can reflect on their experience and integrate emotional and musical discoveries into their life. Zach Paul, a partner and founder of Splendid Sun Productions, said they hope the program will extend its reach to local schools by the fall. “Working with Providence Memorial Hospital is the start to where we want to take the program,” Paul said. “In the future we hope to expand into other hospitals and local schools as well as extracurricular organizations throughout the community.” Learning new material and discovering innate abilities helps children to

transcend their perceived limitations and allows them to become proficient singers, songwriters and musicians. It enhances creative confidence and encourages empathy Anaysa Arce, sophomore nursing major, said the program would benefit in helping education about music since many schools don’t have music programs in their curriculum. “I feel we need more programs targeted at not only entertaining young individuals, but educating them as well,” Arce said. “It sounds like a great program, especially if it will expose children to opportunities they otherwise might not have had access to.” Creative Kids is seeking teaching artists who are comfortable playing a musical instrument and speaking to other people about music. The hospital program will entail a commitment of one to two sessions per week through September. People who may be interested in becoming a teaching artist must be proficient in a musical instrument and be passionate about teaching MIMA is holding a weeklong training session for teaching artists from March 23 to 27. Valerie Herrera may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.

PAGE 9 March 24, 2015

Sports

Editor

Luis Gonzalez, 747-7477

Tennis continues to win, beats Seattle University

file photo The UTEP women’s tennis team will finish the season on the road with their final regular season match taking place in Las Cruces, N.M.

by Javier Cortez The Prospector This past Monday, March 23 the UTEP women’s tennis team closed out their home season is style, defending the Seattle University, defeating the Seattle University Redhawks 4-3 at the El Paso Tennis Club. The Miners have notched their best start in more than 13 years. The 10-3, 8-1 at home, start is the best for the program since 2002.

The Miners began their final home stand last Thursday, March 19, against Western New Mexico, defeating the Mustangs 6-1. That following Sunday, on March 22, the Miners defeated UT-Pan American 5-2, and wrapped it up by securing one of their toughest home wins of the season against Seattle University. “It was definitely a tough one today. Hats off to them, (Seattle University) they competed their butts off,” said head coach Cristina Moros. “We had a hard time putting them away, we

were definitely up in that number one singles and let things slip away.” The match Moros was referring to was senior Davina Meza’s singles match. Meza held a one-set lead and was up in the second set. Meza had a chance to force the second set to a tiebreaker, but was broken at 5-6. In the third set, Meza immediately went down a break and trailed the whole set before losing the match 5-7, 7-5, 6-4. Down for more than half of the match, Seattle University’s Michelle

Lui started to dictate the play late in the second set. In combination with a strong left-handed serve and topspin forehand, Lui never seemed to falter once the match went on. “Lefties are tough to play,” Moros said. “You don’t see them very often. I think if you are left handed you have an advantage before the match even starts. She (Lui) did a good job of using her lefty-ness with her serve and used her angles really well.” With the Miners leading 3-1 and only needing one more win to secure victory, the final three singles matches (one of them being Meza’s match) all went to a third set. Freshman Lois Wagenvoort, from the Netherlands, secured the Miners 10th victory of the season. After dropping the first set, Wagenvoort ended up dominating the match, only losing three games in the final two sets. “I was up in the first set and gave it away a little bit, but I fought back hard in the second and third set,” Wagenvoort said. “She played well and I had to fight really hard.” The Miners have now won nine of their last 11 matches and four straight overall. With the season winding down and shifting to the road, confidence seems to be at an all-time high. “The hard work is paying off,” said sophomore Duda Santos. “Our team is very united and strong and that has been showing in our matches. We’re just ready to play and win more matches.” With the home season concluded, the Miners will now finish their season on the road before the Conference USA Championships, which will take place in mid-April and will take place in Houston. The Miners will play three times in three days in Hattiesburg, Mississippi against Louisiana-Monroe, William Carey and Southern Miss from March 27-29. Louisiana Monroe is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and is 7-4 for the year. The Warhawks, who are on a three-match winning streak, have

played at a neutral site three times this season and came out on top in all three of them. The William Carey Lady Crusaders are 6-6 and have lost two straight. Southern Miss is 7-7 and 0-2 in Conference USA play. Still, the Golden Eagles, like the Miners, have been tough at home, winning five of the seven games they have hosted. Southern Miss beat William Carey 7-0 in late January and is looking for their first victory after four-straight losses.

knew that whichever team avoided the big mistakes was going to come away with the victory. “Getting two runs ahead in that sixth inning—that was a big thing. But, with a team like this that hits the way they do you just have to be prepared no matter what. You can never just think you have it in the bag, cause they’re gonna keep coming at you,” Echo-Hawk said. Sophomore pitcher Kaitlin Fifield battled the Aggies number one starter, junior Karysta Donisthorpe, who came into the game with a 2.68 earned run average. For a while it looked like she was going to come out on top. Despite giving up a first inning three run home run, Fifield pitched four more innings without giving up an earned run. UTEP was able to chase the Aggies’ number one starter in the fourth inning after two home runs and a run scoring double by freshman Hope Moreno. Echo-Hawk was pleased with Fifield’s performance but felt that a tight strike zone by home plate um-

pire Geri Magwire affected her young

We need time to really get our games in and see what we can do. Hopefully we can finish the season strong. - Cristina Moros, UTEP women’s tennis head coach The Miners’ final regular season match will be against rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces. Last season the Aggies defeated the Miners in El Paso 4-3. Although the Miners are off to their best start in more than a decade, coach Moros knows there is still work to do. “Our next four matches are going to be tough,” Moros said. “We’re trying to build up to this point. I’m glad we played the longer format today because we needed time on the court. We need time to really get our games in and see what we can do. Hopefully we can finish the season strong.” Javier Cortez may be reached at theprospectordaily. sports@gmail.com.

Softball stumbles at NMSU, heads to road BY Jason Green The Prospector

michaela roman / The Prospector The UTEP softball team will play the NMSU Aggies again on April 28 in El Paso.

The New Mexico State Aggies used an eight run sixth inning to defeat the visiting Miners by a final score of 126. In a place where victories historically have been hard to come by, the Miners let a great oportunity to notch a valuable win slip away. After the one-game break from conference, UTEP resumes its Conference USA schedule with a visit from Southern Miss. The Miners will host the Golden Eagles for a threegame series at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex. The teams will play two games on Saturday, March 28 and one on Sunday, March 29. A mistake by the Aggies—a failure to cover second on a potential double play in the top of the sixth—lead to a much needed insurance run for the Miners. However, several mistakes in the bottom of the sixth by the Miners would allow the Aggies to put up eight runs and win the game. Heading into the battle of I-10, UTEP head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk

pitcher. “I think that she got a little frustrated. She let the umpire’s zone get to her a little bit. When you’re doing that you start to stiffen a little bit and you don’t really stay on your game plan,” Echo-Hawk said. “She just needs to do a better job of staying on her game plan regardless of what the umpire’s strike zone is like.” The partisan NMSU crowd came to life only after Fifield gave up a walk to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. An error at shortstop by junior Kawehiokalani Netane, which was ruled a hit by the NMSU scorer, allowed two runs to score and bring the score to 6-6. Fifield continued to struggle with finding the strike zone

see softball on page 12

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March 24, 2015

Track and field solid at home in first outdoor meet By Juan Carlos Navarrete The Prospector The UTEP track and field teams started their outdoor season on Saturday, March 21 at Kidd Field. The Springtime Invitational is seen by participating teams as more of a warm up for the rest of the season. The invitational included several different universities and professional runners, and was a good way to kick off a promising outdoor season. Despite the results not being crucial to the season or to the team’s individual or collective success, the Miners gave it their all. UTEP came away with 12 first-place finishes and got off on the right foot. “Not bad,” said UTEP head coach Mika Laaksonen. “It was a good start.” Several Miners took to the track for Saturday’s meet, including Cosmas Boit who is looking to follow up an impressive indoor season, in which he was crowned the Conference USA champion in the mile. He finished invitational’s mile run in second place, but since the winner was a professional runner, it is a first-place victory for Boit according to NCAA rules. Boit also participated in the 1,500-meter run, in which he placed second. Boit ran without running partner and C-USA Bowerman Watch List runner Anthony Rotich, who was given the day off since he has been out of town competing and training for the final stretch of his career as a Miner. The Miner men also dominated the 800-meter run. The podium was all

orange and blue after the race with Danny Tarango, Ramon Garcia and Esteban Montanez taking the top three spots. Tarango clocked in with a time of 1:55.39, Garcia was just behind him with 1:55.70 and Montanez rounded the event out with a time of 1:56.11. Adding to UTEP’s successful day at home, junior Sven Zellner won a very close and exciting 110-meter hurdles. Zellner finished with a time of 14.53. The men were not the only winners, as the women also had a successful day on the track. The women ended up in first place at Kidd Field more than five times. Leading the efforts for the women’s track team were Aiyana Stiverne and Lilian Koech, who both ended their respective races in first place. Stiverne ran three events and did well in all of them—she won the 400-meter dash race with a speedy time of 52.81. The sophomore eclipsed her outdoor personal record of 56.86 and improved her overall personal best in th 400-meters by almost three quarters of a second. “I thought about being aggressive, staying focused,” Stiverne said. “This felt really good, but I know I have a lot more in me.” The women’s sprint relay team of Stiverne, Greta Kerekes, Anna-Kay James and Florence Uwakwe got to a fast start with a time that could very likely qualify the for regionals. The 45.27 seconds in which the ladies finished the race is faster than any of the

times they before mid-April in last year’s season. “The handoffs can always be better, but we’re starting off better than we did last year so I can’t complain,” Stiverne said. “The handoffs can always be better, but we’re starting off better than we did last year so I can’t complain.” The women also had a good showing in the hurdles. The 100-meter hurdles saw three Miners place in the top four—two on the podium. Senior Ana Kay James finished in second, while teammate and indoor champion Greta Kerekes ended in third. “There’s a lot of room for improvement,” James said. “I had my tunnel vision on. Now I just need to sprint. My technique is good, I just need to cut loose and run.” UTEP had success in the field events too. Sophomore Samantha Hall won the discus throw for the Miner women with a toss of 52.81 meters. Senior Taylor Gunn had a solid day throwing the discus and shot put. Gunn finished second in the shot put with a toss of 13.60 meters and added a fifth-place in the discus with a throw of 46.40 meters. The men impressed with their performance in field events too. Firstplace finishes in javelin and high jump were big factors in the Miners’ success. Freshman Rasmus Maukonen won first and junior Kevin Rincon was right behind him in the javelin. Maukoen out threw the competition by almost 10 meters with his dazzling

67.91-meter throw. The newcomer is still getting adjusted to the border and had a couple of faults, which in his eyes stained his performance a little.

Despite his ambition to improve, Maukonen was pleased and enjoyed the meet in his new home. “It feels great to be competing at home, the atmosphere here is great

It feels great to be competing at home, the atmosphere here is great and its good to compete in your own stadium.

and it’s good to compete in your own stadium like now,” Maukonen said. Other Miners who enjoyed success on Saturday were senior Abiola Onokoya, who won the 200-meter dash, Carlos Hernandez had a first place in the high jump, senior Roberto Camacho finished second in the 400-meter hurdles, A-Shawni Mitchell had a second-place finish in the 400-meter

- Rasmus Maukonen, freshman thrower

dash, and Ada Benjamin, who took silver in the women’s 200-meter dash. The Springtime Invitational was the first of four track meets UTEP will

“I feel great to have thrown well, but I could have thrown further if my two throws weren’t faults” Maukoen said. “The target is May and I’m hoping to be throwing over 75 meters by then.” The Conference USA Outdoor Championships will take place in May and UTEP will host the meet. That is Maukonen’s focus and Laaksonen is confident he will only get better after this initial contest. “It was the first meet and he was kind of lost early on,” Laaksonen said. “He has been practicing well and he will throw longer... probably even next week.”

host in 2015, with the next one taking place in mid-April. The Miners will be on the road for the next few weeks, traveling to Texas, California and Arizona before returning to host the UTEP Invitational on April 18. The team will be in Austin, from March 25-28 for the Texas Relays meet. Juan Carlos Navarrete can be reached at theprospector. sports@gmail.com.

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SPORTS | 11 |

March 24, 2015

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michaela roman, 747-7477

Track and field hosts Springtime Invitational at Kidd Field

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andres martinez / The Prospector 1. Freshman Joan Jepkirui runs the 3000-meter event. 2. UTEP’s 400-meter relay team finished their event with a time of 45.27. 3. Senior jumper Carlos Hernandez clears the bar during the Springtime Invitational.

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March 24, 2015

jason green / The Prospector The UTEP softball team is undefeated this season when playing at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.

softball from page 9 and once again loaded the bases with a walk before giving up a grand slam to Aggie leftfielder Malena Padilla. Echo-Hawk was unhappy with her team—rather than her pitcher—following the game. “Having them score eight runs with two outs is not ok. We should have made plays and we didn’t. We told them before the game that they’re going to hit the ball hard and to be expecting it,” Echo-Hawk said. Much like last week’s close losses to No. 25 University of Alabama-Birmingham, Echo-Hawk was able to find plenty of good in tonight’s tough loss. Freshman catcher Kaitlin Ryder caught two base stealers and hit one of the Miners’ three home runs. Junior Danielle Pearson hit her first home run for UTEP and at any level. More than anything, Echo-Hawk was happy with the fight that her team put up. “There’s a lot of good—they kept

There’s nothing better than playing in front of your friends and family, and have that crowd support. - Tobin Echo-Hawk, UTEP softball head coach going at them —especially getting down early 3-0. They could have laid over and just let the game happen but, they fought back. If you end the game in the fifth inning we’re fine. But, you’ve got to play all seven,” EchoHawk said. Echo-Hawk and her squad now turn their attentions back to Conference USA, where they are at the bottom of the West Division with a record of 3-3. Of the 12 teams in the league, six have a winning record—four of them are in the Miners’ division. That places the Miners in fifth place, only ahead of the 1-8 Golden Eagles. Southern Miss is 15-14 overall on the year, worlds better than the Miners’ 8-23, but are currently on a seven-

game losing streak that has them as one of the worst teams in the conference. Their last victory came over two weeks ago and it is the Golden Eagles’ lone conference win—a 5-4 win over UTSA at home. Despite a decent conference start, the Miners swept Middle Tennessee and got swept at No. 25 UAB, UTEP is near the bottom of Conference USA in both team batting and pitching average. The Miners’ .287 average at the plate as a team is 10th and the 6.33 earned runs they allow per game is the worst in the league. Southern Miss is the fifth best when it comes to offense, with a .255 batting average as a team, and also at the mound where the Golden Eagles have a 3.45 team ERA. USM’s junior infielder Morgan McKeever comes in to the series as the tenth best hitter in the conference. McKeever is just under .400 when it comes to batting average, recording 35 hits and bringing in 18 runs on the year. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Samantha Robles is also among the top ten pitchers in the league with an ERA of 2.65. She has nine appearances in which she has allowed 28 hits, 13 earned runs and has struck out 29 batters.

The all-time series between Miners and Golden Eagles is very even. UTEP holds a 13-12 edge over Southern Miss, who beat the Miners two of the three times they faced each other in 2014. All teams enjoy playing at home rather than on the road and look to make. T heir park a place where visiting teams will struggle to get a victory. So far this year, the Miners’ preference to playing at home has really shown. UTEP has yet to win a game on the road, having played 10, and has yet to lose at home, winning all five of the games they have played at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex. “It’s just nice to be at home,” EchoHawk said. “It’s nice to be in a familiar place and wake up in your own bed. There’s nothing better than playing in front of your friends and family, and have that crowd support.” Jason Green may be reached at theprospectordaily. sports@gmail.com.