The Prospector April 18th, 2017 by UTEP Prospector

VOL . 102, no. 27

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

April 18, 2017

E A R T H D AY I S S U E

photo special to The Prospector

UTEP’s Student Green Team advocates for eco-friendliness By adrian broaddus The Prospector

When she first participated in UTEP’s Earth Week in 2014, Fernanda Lugo was surprised at how low-scale the weeklong event was. Lugo, who is a biology major, cared deeply about being eco-friendly and sustainable, and wanted to bring more of that to campus. Fast-forward to this year’s Earth Week and Lugo, now a senior, is currently embarking on her second Earth Week as president of the Student’s Green Team, and the once smaller-scaled event has turned into a school-wide function. “I’m in biology and I’m going into premed, which is something that helps people. I figured that you can’t help people if there’s no planet for people to be healthy on, so it’s interconnected,” Lugo said. “Even being in nature, there are studies that show that it improves your mental health and improves your immune responses, which are topics that will be discussed in Earth Week. Specifically, we will talk about how you can help nature and how nature can help you, you just need to start caring about it.”

From just participating in the 2014 Earth Week to directing the entire week of events, Lugo has developed a deep passion for becoming more eco-friendly. It started with gaining awareness toward sustainability, which led to Lugo leading forums on waste and consumerism. “I noticed that a lot of people were interested in it and wanted to do more in

We also just want to know people’s opinions and ideas— even if you don’t know anything about environmentalism. - Fernanda Lugo, senior biology major Student’s Green Team President

it, but the only student organization for it was environmental advocates, and it was small and dying,” Lugo said. “We decided to do a big collaborative event for Earth Week in 2016, and we tried to educate and advocate, while still making it fun.” An event that was a lot larger than imagined, Lugo saw a wide array of student interest and involvement in her inaugural Earth Week with the Student’s Green Team. “The biggest improvement since the start has been student involvement,” Lugo said. “We’ve heard a lot of students, who saw it last year, and (they) asked how they can help this year and are really excited to help out. It’s cool and it’s a bit scary because it’s pretty much me designating where they can help.” The school’s Green Team wants to not only advocate for eco-friendliness campus-wide, but also encourage other students to join them in practicing sustainability through volunteering, outreach and informing the student body. They have led different movements across campus. They meet each Monday in the Classroom Building, room 004 at 2 p.m. to dis-

cuss eco-related topics through different guest speakers. “We also just want to know people’s opinions and ideas—even if you don’t know anything about environmentalism, you can have the best idea on how to make it better,” Lugo said. “All the forums and discussions we’ve had led us to our current projects that we are having with eco-takeouts, the bike fix-it stations and outdoor drinking water fountains, which will be coming soon. We have the filling stations inside, why not outside?” For this year’s Earth Week, Lugo and the organization have planned various events ranging from planting cacti, open forums and even a solar hot dog cook-off. The week’s events will start on Wednesday, April 19, and will lead up to Earth Day, on Saturday, April 22. “We want to see as many students participating in these events and really engaging in the idea of how we have to change our morality towards environmentalism,” Lugo said. “It can’t be something that’s ultra political; it has to be something as being a kind person—something to do on your day-to-day—to think about recy-

cling, saving water and educating more to do the same.” Dillon Bouqayes, a freshman pre-med major, believes that one thing the Student’s Green Team can push for is more residential life recycling programs. “They haven’t promoted recycling in resident life at all in both dorms I’ve lived in,” Bouqayes said. “To promote or improve recycling, they should just at least have a place where we can recycle at the dorms. Right now, there’s none. And then maybe promote different recycling stations during our move-in day.” One of the biggest stereotypes surrounding the local environmental push is the fact that El Paso is in a desert ecosystem, so there’s not much to do for the environment. Lugo, however, aims to dismiss that preconceived notion. “The biggest problem is that we live in the desert. People aren’t aware that there is wildlife out there and it matters here,” she said. “We’re actually in a bio-diverse area here and it’s worthy to go see and go hiking in. That’ll make you care about it more. That’s some of the myths we’re trying to dispel.” Follow Adrian Broaddus on Twitter @Adrian_Broaddus

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PAGE 2 April 18, 2017

OPINION

Editor-in-Chief

Michaela Román, 747-7477

Invest in change By christian vasquez The Prospector

The news is chaotic. It seems as though every day something terrible and important has happened, and you haven’t yet grasped the implications of one tragedy before another takes its place. They’re exciting, no doubt, and each has it’s own importance in the world. Another bombing, an airline goes rogue or a press secretary makes a stupid blunder. Each of these issues in the past week received national attention. And deservedly so. Passengers shouldn’t be dragged covered in blood out of a seat they paid for, and it’s important to remember that Hitler did use chemical weapons. Some critics will call these recent scandals an example of “outrage culture,” where people are angry at seemingly inconsequential things. I would slightly disagree, but only slightly. It’s not a culture of outrage at meaningless events on a day-to-day basis, it’s an outrage of events that have an obvious fix, and an end in sight. When faced with multiple problems, it’s easy to focus on the one that can be solved the quickest. The larger problems are not ignored, but pushed to the back burner. And in the end we have pushed the largest and most complicated problem so far back that it has become as meaningless as talking about the weather. I’m talking about climate change. Don’t get me wrong, aside from those who blatantly ignore science, most people are aware of it. We know what the Paris Agreements are, which things to recycle and that we really should curb back emissions. But be-

sides agreeing that something must be done, nothing is getting done. Which is a problem because not solving it affects everyone, and solving it affects everything we know. Our entire economic system is based on the fact that people need to continue to buy things. We need cars, we need phones and we need to eat. The production and transportation of basic necessities constitutes a problem for our world. We know all of this, which is why we ignore it, and it’s not working. It’s not working because we think the problem is more complicated than it is, and nobody believes that the solutions to stopping the rising temperatures are feasible. But we are misinterpreting the problem for the solutions. Luckily, there is not one massive solution, but many smaller ones that can be implemented by everyday people. Just google “solutions climate change” and you are met with a plethora of sites, organizations and ways that people can help one of the greatest issues of our species. There is no reason to assume that the destruction of our environment is inevitable. People’s outrage changes the world every day. It only took one day for that ridiculous Pepsi commercial to be taken down, and that was just something annoying and benign. We live in a time where collectively we have a greater say in everything that happens because we are so connected to everything that happens. Collectively, climate change is a big problem, but it comes with a lot of easy smaller solutions. So instead of focusing on the larger problems that paralyze participation and progress, let’s focus on looking for smaller solutions. Follow Christian Vasquez on Twitter @chrismvasq

The Student Government Association announced their list of candidates for the 2017 election terms. The term for elected officials begins in July. Students can vote in person on Wednesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Union Plaza. You can also vote for candidates online from Wednesday, April 19 at 7 a.m. to Thursday, April 20 at 11:59 p.m. at sa.utep.edu/sga.

Presidential Candidates BOOST - Sergio Baltazar MARVEL - Kristen Ahumada INDEPENDENT - Eduardo Romero INDEPENDENT - Enrique Romero INDEPENDENT - Christian Castañeda

Vice Presidential (Internal) Candidates BOOST - Consuelo Gonzales MARVEL - Esber Aboud

Vice Presidential (External) Candidates BOOST - Jose Martinez MARVEL - Jonathan Cereceres

Senator At Large Candidates MARVEL - Jaime Aquino MARVEL - Omar Barriga MARVEL - Yousef Abugalyon MARVEL - Jacqueline Benavides MARVEL - Cristian Botello MARVEL - Vania Castillo MARVEL - Rocio Perez MARVEL - David Flores MARVEL - Laurence Loiselle MARVEL - Nallely Ramirez MARVEL - Alexis Rico MARVEL - Jacob Salado MARVEL - Andres Sanchez MARVEL - Brianna Dagostino MARVEL - Carlos Chavira MARVEL - Kristian Villegas

MARVEL - Kaelin Walker BOOST - Maria Jaquez BOOST - Antonine Leon BOOST - Nohemi Lopez-Valdez BOOST - Nathan Luke BOOST - Alyssa Terrazas BOOST - David Ramirez BOOST - Luis Reyes Independent - Mario Contreras Independent - Daniel Nicholas Independent - David Nicholas Independent - Ana Segura Independent - Isaac Varela

Colligiate Senator Candidates MARVEL - Luis Rodriguez (Engineering) MARVEL - Mario Reveles (Liberal Arts) MARVEL - Isabel Aguirre (Nursing) BOOST - Priscilla Del Valle (Science) BOOST - Abner Tarrango (Graduate) BOOST - Karen Guzman (Health) BOOST - Grissel Rodriguez (Business) BOOST - Christian Valdiviezo (Engineering) Independent Tony Perez - (Education) Independent Jonathan Picado (Liberal Arts)

The Prospector is committed to the accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail the editor at michaelairoman@gmail.com

STAFF V O L . 1 0 2 , n o . 2 7 Editor-in-Chief: Michaela Román Layout Manager : Ana Ramos Copy Editor : Christian Vasquez Web Editor : Adrian Broaddus Spor ts Editor : Jason Green Enter tainment Editor : Leslie Sariñana Photo Editor : Gaby Velasquez Multimedia Editor : Andres Mar tinez Staff Repor ters: Grecia Sanchez, Rene A. Delgadillo, Vania Castillo, Mike Flores, Mariana Rodriguez Photographers: Claudia Hernandez, Nina Titovets Contributors: Gloria Heredia, Jeremy Carranco, Claudia V. Flores, Alejandra De la Cerda, August Touris, Ramirez, Andrew Rios, Alonzo Mar tinez

Work-Study Students: Ashley Muñoz, Malia Greene Ad Account Executive: Jacqueline Razo Ad Layout Manager : Jacobo De La Rosa Ad Designers: Vanessa Guevara, Laura Chaidez Administrative Secretary: Marcela Luna Accounting Specialist: Isabel Castillo Asst. Director-Adver tising: Veronica Gonzalez Student Publications Director : Kathleen Flores

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THEPROSPECTOR

NEWS | 3 |

April 18, 2017

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Keeping Syrian and Middle Eastern cultures alive at UTEP

gaby velasquez / The Prospector Layali Al-Sham will host their next concert at 7:30 p.m. on April 29, at the Fox Fine Arts Center. they don’t feel lost the way they did. By michaela román Although the two said they did not The Prospector Reem Issa, senior mechanical engi- experience culture shock, they did exneering major, was born in Palestine, but perience a system shock. “I didn’t have anyone to help me,” Issa spent most of her life in the United Arab said. “Our English wasn’t that good so Emirates. Four years ago, Issa decided to we didn’t want to talk, but we decided we start the Arab Student Association (ASA) on campus in hopes of changing the ste- needed to talk even if it’s wrong.” ASA helps new students who speak Arreotypes about Arabs and Middle Eastern abic adjust to campus life by sometimes students in general. picking them up from the airport, helpIssa would create presentations about ing them with housing, groceries and by Middle Eastern cultures for freshman university classes and get asked why she is helping them feel like they are not alone. “The nice thing here is that we are in a not dark or wearing traditional clothing. mixed culture already here, the Hispanic culture, so we adapt to them more because we find a lot of similarities and traditions like being family oriented and we have a lot of cousins,” Issa said. Aboud studied mechanical engineering at Al-Baath University in Homs, Syria, where he was born and raised. He transferred because of the war that started in Syria in 2011 and moved here in 2012. Aboud received his master’s degree this past December and is now working on his doctorate. His parents and little sister still live in Syria, but he has his aunt and other relatives here. - Jad Aboud, “We have a big community from graduate student Homs in El Paso. That’s one of the main in civil engineering reasons I ended up here besides school. I heard about UTEP and I was looking at the programs and I love mechanical “When they hear my accent, they think engineering,” Aboud said. “It’s one of the I’m from Russia or Germany, but they never guess Middle Eastern,” Issa said. Issa reached out to Jad Aboud, a graduate student who is also studying civil engineering, to be her vice president in the ASA. “The purpose of the organization is to integrate Arabic students with the society here at UTEP and also to give people an idea of how we do stuff in the Arabic world, especially culture-wise, what type of events we have and how we celebrate things,” Aboud said. ASA has been on campus for four years now. They’ve participated in large campus events, such as Minerpalooza and the International Food Fair, and have hosted Arabic Movie Night, Taste of the Middle East and other culturally themed events. Issa and Aboud also wanted to help the new Arabic students on campus so

The purpose of the organization is to integrate Arabic students with the society here at UTEP,

best programs in Texas. I applied and I got accepted.” Aboud said most people have the wrong idea about Syria from the media. He says the media will either exaggerate news stories or create propaganda. “They will hear something and it’s not going to be what I experienced there,” Aboud said. “At the beginning I would read every day what was going on over there, then I started to get bored with the same news, ‘somebody is bombing, then these people get killed’ so I don’t want to hear about it anymore. If something big happens, you can see it on Facebook.” Aboud said he really wants the war in Syria to come to an end. “I was very comfortable living in Syria. Everything was cheap and nice,” Aboud said. “I grew up there, I had my family and friends since elementary school, my whole life was there.” Andrea Shaheen Espinosa, assistant professor in the department of music, is the advisor for ASA and studied in Syria before teaching at UTEP. She is surprised at how receptive the local community has been to ASA. “So many students have come to me and said, ‘wow, I had no idea this was part of Middle Eastern culture,’” Espinosa said. “I think that getting to know each other through music, food and dance is a great way to not only know about someone who’s background is different than your own, but also the commonalities between them.”

discover about people in the Middle East,” Espinosa said. “Living in Syria was amazing, it was beautiful. I learned so much, not only about music but life in general.” Espinosa said although not all members of Layali Al-Sham come from an Arabic background, they’ve still remained in the ensemble, some of them for six years. In their upcoming show, Layali Al-Sham is partnering with Boundless Across Borders, a local activist coalition, to connect with Play for Hope, a non-profit organization that preforms music for refugees. They will be performing via video. “The music not only keeps us connected to our peers from Syria who perform this music, but are displaced, unable to perform because of the war, we continue to do it and keep in touch with those musicians because music is our life and keeping it alive is absolutely one of our goals,” Espinosa said. Layali Al-Sham’s next concert is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Fox Fine Arts Center recital hall. Admission is free for UTEP students and faculty and $5 admission for the general public.

Espinosa started the ensemble, Layali Al-Sham, in 2010. The ensemble is influenced by classical and contemporary Arabic music. The concerts can have up to 30 to 60 musicians every year. She studied in Syria right before the conflict broke out. “I do believe it’s one of the most beautiMichaela Román may be reached at michaelairoman@ ful things in the Middle East is the music. gmail.com. It’s also been interesting to see what they

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VOTE VOTE VOTE SPRING ELECTIONS STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA)

THE VOICE OF THE STUDENTS WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE

- ONLINE VOTING Begins: Wednesday April 19, at 7:00 am Ends: Thursday, April 20, at 11:59 pm

- ELECTION POLLING STATIONS Wednesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 20 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Union Plaza

- POSITIONS AVAILABLE President (1) VP Internal (1) VP External (1) Senator-At-Large (15) Business Collegiate Senator (1) Education Collegiate Senator (1)

Engineering Collegiate Senator (1) Graduate Collegiate Senator (1) Health Sciences Collegiate Senator (1) Liberal Arts Collegiate Senator (1) Nursing Collegiate Senator (1) Science Collegiate Senator (1)

For more information including the election code, Visit the SGA Office at 304 Union Bldg, East. 915-747-5584 or visit our website at www.utep.edu/sga

THEPROSPECTOR

| 4 | NEWS

April 18, 2017

Professor receives award for his work on water conservation By rene delgadillo The Prospector Last month, Thomas Davis, a civil engineering professor and director of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems (CIDS) at UTEP, received the Salt of the Earth Award from the Multi-State Salinity Coalition. This award recognizes the contributions and dedication of industry leaders in the water industry. “I was really honored that they had selected me for that award, I just didn’t expect it. I didn’t know I deserved that kind of honor, but I was really thankful for I got it,” Davis said.

Davis holds 16 patents for technology products. He has developed a desalination process that uses a combination of reverse osmosis and another process that separates calcium and sulfate, two components of gypsum, from the water. Associate director for CIDS, Malynda Cappelle, works with Davis in the engineering department, said Davis is one of the most dedicated person she knows. “Tom spends a lot of time in the laboratory developing and testing new technologies, ranging from finding new ways to desalinate water to figuring out

new ways of detecting hardness and other species in water,” Cappelle said in an email interview. “He’s a very creative individual. I think he invents things when he is sleeping.” Davis said El Paso is in an unusual position, when the Rio Grande is not flowing the city must get all its water from the ground, which is becoming salty. “Our research center is involved in doing research to improve the desalination process so people can use and drink it,” Davis said. “We are trying to minimize salt that is going to the river and try to minimize the salt that is used

by water softeners and possibly even recover that salt to use it over and over again.” Davis earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina, and has been at UTEP for more than eight years after a conversation with UTEP President Diana Natalicio. “She has a vision of educating the Hispanic community here and having people go out in the world and do good things,” Davis said. “She was the one who convinced me and it was worth it.” Davis left his research at the University of South Carolina, a decision he said he does not regret. “I was doing desalination research in a place where they really don’t need it. They got plenty of fresh water in South Carolina,” Davis said. “I’m happy a came to a city where the research would matter more than it would in a place where there is already plenty of fresh water.” Davis said working in the laboratory and creating things is a big motivation in continuing doing the work he likes. “Teaching was satisfying, I taught a thermodynamics class a couple of years ago, but it took a lot of time away from my research,” Davis said. “If I weren’t here (in my office) I would be in the

laboratory working on something. I really enjoy working there, it’s so satisfying. When I sit at my desk and use my computer I just think about things I could be doing in the laboratory and I really want to get back there and try it.” Davis said that new technologies for the conservation and desalination of water are created so future generations will benefit from them. “This will give job opportunities for students that are coming out of school,” Davis said. “These things help us keep clean and drinkable water, but at the same time it helps our community.” Davis said he would keep on working as long as his mind and body allow him to do so. He said retirement will never part him from UTEP and El Paso. “I love it here! El Paso people are great people and I just really love UTEP and I love the chance to live in El Paso,” Davis said. “I ultimately would go back to South Carolina, but of course I’m going to miss this university.” Follow Rene Delgadillo on Twitter @rdelgadillonews

ANdrew Rios / The Prospector Thomas Davis, a civil engineering professor at UTEP, received the Salt of the Earth Award from the Multi-State Salinity Coalition.

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THEPROSPECTOR

NEWS | 5 |

April 18, 2017

UTEP student brings e-waste recycling to campus

By grecia sanchez The Prospector

Nicole Eggert, a freshman international business major, is a member of the Lions Club International, a community service organization with more than 1.4 million members in over 200 countries around the world. Eggert is part of the environmental committee for El Paso’ chapter of the LCI. In an effort to keep electronics out of landfills, Eggert said the idea of creating a resource so the community can recycle their electronics originated at this chapter and she decided to take the project to UTEP. “UTEP doesn’t own a recycling plan, so I’m doing it as my honors project. This was a project which I was doing anyways,” said Eggert, who is also a member of the University Honors Program. “And so I started talking with my geology teacher of what I can do for my honors project. I mentioned it (the e-waste recycling project for LCI) and she was like, ‘well why don’t you just do that?’ So it was kind of like two for one.” Tina Carrick, assistant professor of research in the department of geological sciences and main sponsor of Eggert’s project, knows Eggert from her introductory to physical geology class. “She actually told me about this project of her interest, making people more aware of recycling in general, and it was specific of course to the electronic recycling and so the idea is Nicole’s,” Carrick said. “This is something that she has a great passion for.” The project’s goal is to tackle the fastest growing waste segment of the municipal solid waste stream, e-waste. It targets toxic materials found in everyday electronics such as americium, sulphur, mercury,

arsenic, lead and chromium. These materials are found in batteries, microchips, crystal displays, mobile phones, PVC, among others. “Let’s say everybody in the school decides to throw away five electronics per person. So the landfill would eventually be full of electronics right? Once you get water running through that, all those chemicals are leaching out,” Eggert said. “Once it gets into your soil, it can contaminate your soil, it can contaminate your groundwater; through groundwater, you can contaminate your wells and eventually you can contaminate water. That’s the basic premise of why you don’t want to put it in the trash.”

TAKE

Hazardous materials can damage human reproductive, respiratory and nervous systems; they can also cause damage in the brains and kidneys. Some toxins can poison people in high doses and others are associated with deficits in cognition, learning and even cancer. Eggert said that when you’re throwing your electronics away, you’re also wasting resources that can otherwise be saved, re-purposed and re-sold. Among the items that can be recycled for this project are cellphones, batteries, computers, laptops, CD/DVDs, chargers, speakers, keyboards, projectors, cables, ereaders and headphones, among others.

CARE OF YOUR

WATER

KEEP IT

CLEAN

Do not dump waste, chemicals, paint, custodial waste, and general rubbish items (tires, old car parts, shopping carts, etc.) into storm drains, channels, or ditches. No tirar basura, aparatos electrodomésticos, muebles, llantas, y chatarra a canales y acequias del systema de drenaje pluvial.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICE

HERTZOG BUILDING ROOM 170 (915) 747-7124 EH&S@UTEP.EDU

Carrick offers extra credit to classmates who drop off their electronics. “Almost anything can be recycled, the biggest factor of that is where you’re doing it. If you’re doing it with the city, I know their list is actually very short. Since I’m doing it at Best Buy, whatever they take is what I take,” Eggert said. The collection bin is located outside Carrick’s office in room 124 of the Geological Sciences Building. The project will be running until the end of the semester. Eggert said it is important to clear drives and sim cards before turning them in. Eggert is currently trying to get the Student’s Green Team involved in adopt-

Keep material out of the stormwater conveyance system (curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streets, drains, culverts, and arroyos). Dispose of grass, leaves, yard waste, and construction debris properly No tapar el flujo pluvial a canales, alcantarillas y arroyos con basura. Disponga correctamente de basura vegetal (césped, ramas, y hojas) así como basura de construción.

Report illegal dumping in storm drains, culverts, or arroyos to UTEP EH&S. Reporte el veritdo illegal de residuosen los drenajes o arroyos al departamento EH&S en UTEP

ing the project for next semester since she plans to transfer to UT Austin. “Today’s technology, everybody has cellphones and tablets and earphones and things like this that are harming nature, are very easy to bring in and drop off and prevent incorrect recycling,” Carrick said. “I think UTEP as a whole institution really should think about it (adopting the project). It’s a place where many of us come to on a daily basis so it’s very easy to bring something and to drop it off in the recycling bin.” To view the complete list of items that Eggert can accept, you can visit bestbuy. com/recycle. Follow Grecia Sanchez on Twitter @grecias068

Leave natural vegetation in place where possible to prevent erosion. Si es possible, deje crecer a vegetación en forma natural para evitar la erosion.

Properly dispose of hazardous wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers. Call UTEP EH&S to schedule waste pickups. Deseche correctamente los residuos peligrosos, pesticdas, y fertilizantes. Llama al departamento EH&S en UTEP y agendar fecha para recoger los desperdicios.

Recycle oil, antifreeze, and other vehicle fluids, or dispose of them properly to prevent the pollution of stormwater, groundwater and the Rio Grande. Recicle aceite, anti-congelate y lubricantes o disponga propiamente de ellos para prevenir contaminación de sistema de drenaje pluvial, mantos acuíferos y el Rio Bravo.

Storm drains are easily identified with “NO DUMPING” decals at stormwater inlets. Alcantarifado fe aguas pluviales es identeficado con anuncions de “NO REVERTIR DESECHOS AQUI”

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THEPROSPECTOR

| 6 | NEWS

April 18, 2017

question of the week

What comes to mind when you think about Earth Day? Claudia Hernaddez, Nina Titovets / The Prospector

EARTH DAY WEEK EVENTS Planting party

UTEP’s Student’s Green Team is partnering with other student organizations and departments to host a week of events starting with a planting party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, at Leech Grove. There will be live music at the party.

Geo-eco sciences fair Jeanette Mora

Louren Cisneros

Graduate electrical engineering student

Junior biomedical major

Sophomore pathology major

“I didn’t even know there was an Earth day.”

“I think about recycling because we need to be cleaner on this day.”

“I think about Michael Jackson because he has a song about the Earth.”

Cesar Valle

The Geology department will host a solar hotdog cooking contest, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, at the Geology Lawn. There will be a drone technology exhibit at the event and other activities all students can participate in.

Dining with the earth

Natalia Garcia

Orlando Barajas

Miriam Fonseca

Junior nursing major

Sophomore music performance major

Senior criminal justice major

“Earth Day means spending the day outside and appreciating nature.”

“Earth day shouldn’t be a thing because Earth should be taken care of every single day of the year.”

“I think Earth is the most important place for us and we have to celebrate it.”

Dining with the earth features a free meal and forum on sustainability, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, at the Tomás Rivera Conference Center. The discussion will be about UTEP’s plan to help the community go green including new Eco-Takeouts program. The dinner is free if you RSVP at minetrackerutep.edu/form/start/125122

Sustainability symposium Students can meet local organization and learn about cutting-edge Green Research at UTEP, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, at Union Plaza.

intersectional environmentalism

UTEP’s Young Democratic Socialists will host Inclusion in Advocacy: Environmental policy and Justice from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, in Liberal Arts room 326.

banner making party

Help prepare posters from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday on Friday, April 21, for the March for Science event that plans to defend climate facts and policy.

8 EL PASO AREA LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU SKIP THE WAIT. ORDER @ WINGSTOP.COM

PAGE 7 April 18, 2017

entertainment

Editor

LESLIE SARIñana, 747-7477

10 simple ways you can help save the earth By leslie sariñana The Prospector

This list is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Insulation

On average, households lose about 20 percent of their heated and cooled air to the outside through the duct system. To avoid wasting energy, have your ducts inspected to ensure they’re sealed properly and insulated if necessary.

Switch out bulbs

Switch to new and improved light bulbs. Reduce energy use from about a third to as much as 80 percent with energy-efficient halogen incandescents, CFLs and LEDs.

Cooling and heating

Programmable thermostats can save up to $150 a year on energy costs. Use a thermostat that can automatically turn off your cooling system when you are not home and turn back on when you arrive home.

Buy in bulk

Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging. Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You won’t have to replace items as frequently and this also means less waste.

Manage water use

Use low-flow faucets and shower heads to save on water bills and conserve water. Heating the water in a washer uses 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes. Washing your clothes in cold water can also save you $63 per year.

Use less energy

By using the microwave, toaster or a countertop grill rather than an oven, you’ll use less energy and avoid excess heat that increases room temperature. Placing lamps or TV sets near your room air-conditioning ducts can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary because the thermostat senses heat from the appliances. Set them apart and save energy.

Unplug everything

Save money and energy by unplugging electronics and appliances you’re not using. Leaving a computer on all day can cost about 21 cents per day, or about $75 per year. An easy way to follow this tip is by using multiple-outlet strips, which can turn everything off with the flip of a switch.

Electronics

Recycle your cell phones and electronics. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.

Eliminate water bottles

Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. Use a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic.

Light conservation

During daylight hours rely on the natural lighting instead of turning on the lights on around the house. Keeping the lights off can help you conserve energy and save on your electric bill. Leslie Sarinana may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.

“DAMN.” continues Kendrick Lamar’s successful run

By eddie velazquez The Prospector

After experiencing stellar success with his universally acclaimed album,

special to The Prospector “To Pimp a Butterfly,” rap idol Kendrick Lamar returned to scene on April 14 with “DAMN.” The new self-referential project sees Lamar fully embracing his

legacy, as he candidly talks about what it is like to deal with it. The album starts with “BLOOD.,” a mood-setting track that will remind fans of shorter, more narrative driven tracks such as “Chapter Ten.” In it, Lamar narrates a parable about helping a blind woman look for something she lost. As he asks if he can be of help, the woman replies, “oh yes, you have lost something, you’ve lost your life,” ending with a gunshot that suggests Lamar’s death. This track evokes a unique episodic, and to an extent cinematic, feel that develops through the album and reaches an eclectic conclusion. However, unlike previous works, “DAMN.” doesn’t address social issues directly. Instead, it tries to tell an interconnected personal narrative with powerful lyrics and religious symbolism that allude collaterally to topics such as police brutality, racism and the current political climate in the United States. Thematically, the 14-track LP seems to be a variety pack. In layers, Lamar talks about his hometown of Compton, California, the experiences that have

made him, the price of success and how to deal with it, religion and even gender stereotypes. The album is nonetheless cohesive in its narrative, never losing focus on Lamar’s rags-to-riches story and how he relates that to what happens around him. Musically, this album represents a step in a different direction from “To Pimp a Butterfly’s” old jazz, soul and funk sounds. Instead, Lamar opts for a more trapheavy approach, while also adding some lo-fi elements to more laid-back songs such as “YAH.,” “PRIDE.,” “LOVE.” and “FEEL.” This doesn’t always work. For example, in “PRIDE.,” where the guitar arrangement doesn’t contribute to the song, it feels out of place. While the production values are conservative, they are also top notch. But that does not stop the album from feeling safe. A disappointing aspect, considering Lamar, alongside other black artists, had been at the forefront of embracing other genres such as soul and funk as part of their repertoire. Because of this, Lamar’s growth as an artist takes a dent. “To Pimp a But-

$1 TENDER ROLL$

terfly” was a step in the right direction for the rap industry as a whole, showing a more complex approach to traditional beats, and at times showing that genre fusions can result in more enjoyable tracks. Despite the different studio approach this time around, Lamar is still one of the best lyrical proponents of the genre. Songs like “XXX.,” “DNA.” and “Element” showcase Lamar’s frantic flow paired with fitting beat elements. In “XXX.,” Lamar’s friend calls him for advice regarding the death of his son and he responds with police sirens in the background, “ain’t no black power when your baby killed by a coward. I can’t even keep the peace, don’t you fuck with one of ours. It be murder in the street, it be bodies in the hour.” “DNA.” is perhaps one of the album’s most impressive tracks, mixing in blunt lyrics about what being from Compton represents, a diss to talk show host Geraldo Rivera and Lamar’s ascent to fame, all with a sublime beat switch fans of the rapper will love. Lamar boasts about overcoming the hard life that was set

see DAMN. on page 10

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Limit 5 Tender Rolls per visit. Offer good at all BUSH’s locations in El Paso. Offer good through the end of April.

THEPROSPECTOR

| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT

April 18, 2017

‘Anything Goes’ sails into the UTEP Dinner Theatre

CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ / The Prospector

FRENCH

Starring Jorge Blakely as Billy Crocker Josey Mitchell as Hope Harcourt Jared Berry as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh

REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY MAY 17th

Spanish

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Contact Josette at (915) 219-0543 josettepelatan@hotmail.com

“Anything Goes” will be at the UTEP Dinner Theatre April 21 to May 7. There will be both matinee dinner performances and no dinner matinee performances. The Dinner Theatre is bringing a musical about two opposites who fall in love on the SS. America. Stowaway Billy Crocker falls for engaged heiress Hope Harcourt. With the help of the crew he will try and win her over.

the university of texas at el paso

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take back the night & candlelight vigil april 27, 2017

7pm - 9pm | union east building candlelight vigil | 8:45 pm r o o m 3 0 8 | t o m a s r i v e r a co n f e r e n ce ce n t e r ketnote speaker:

s tac e ya n n ch i n u t e p st u d e n t s: sh a r e t h e i r s t o r i e s

#ute pb e thevoi c e For more information: Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution T:(915) 747-8694 // E:studentconduct@utep.edu *Please contact us one week prior to the event if special accommodations are needed. I n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h U T E P A t h l et i c s - L i fes k i l l s , A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n f o r M i c r o b i o l o g y, C C R Te a m , D o O n e T h i n g - B y s t a n d er I n t er v en t i o n I n i t i a t i v e, M i l i t a r y S t u d en t S u c c e s s C e n t e r, Of f i c e o f S t u d e n t C o n d u c t a n d C o n f l i c t R e s o l u t i o n , O f f i ce o f S t u d en t L i f e, Res i d en c e L i f e, S t u d en t E n g a g emen t a n d L ea d ers h i p C e n t e r, C e n t e r a g a i n s t S e x u a l & F a m i l y Vi o l e n c e , U T E P P o l i c e , U T E P Wel l n es s - H ea l t h y M i n ers , U n i v er s i t y C o u n s e l i n g C e n t e r, a n d P s i C h i .

THEPROSPECTOR

ENTERTAINMENT | 9 |

April 18, 2017

The 1975 make their way to El Paso UPCOMING CONCERTS CHRIS TOMLIN

Contemporary Christian artist, Chris Tomlin will be at the Don Haskins Center on Wednesday, April 26. He will be making a stop as part of his “Worship Night in America” tour. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. com or the UTEP Ticket Center.

PIERCE THE VEIL AND SUM 41

By claudia flores The Prospector

On April 21, El Paso will host the British alternative pop-rock band, The 1975, at the Abraham Chavez Theater with their 35-day tour, “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.” Originally from Manchester, England, Matthew Healy (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) met Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass) and George Daniel (drums) at Wilmslow High School in 2002. It was then that they started to play music together as teenagers. Before choosing the name The 1975, they considered names such as Talkhouse, The Slowdown, Big Sleep and Drive Like I Do. The inspiration behind their name came from a beat-poetry book by Jack Kerouac which Healy bought at a yard sale.

In 2012, the band had their first hit with the release of their first EP “Facedown,” and their single “The City.” They were later featured on Huw Stephens’ BBC Radio 1 Show. Toward the end of 2012, The 1975 were in the spotlight again as they released their second EP titled “Sex,” and by the following year, they released their third EP “Music for Cars,” where the EP’s single “Chocolate” ranked no. 20 in the U.K.’s Top Singles Chart. In 2013, they released their first full-length album “The 1975.” This was co-produced by Mike Crossing, a producer for the Arctic Monkey and Foals. Their self-titled album hit no. 1 in the UK’s albums chart and it reached no. 20 in the U.S. 200 Billboard. Their most recent production, “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are

special to The Prospector So Beautiful yet So Unaware Of It,” was released in May of 2016, which made this their second full-length studio album. Featuring their singles “Love Me” and “The Sound.” With two nominations for the British Awards, one for Best British Group and Best British Album of the Year, The 1975 positioned their second album as no. 1 in the U.K and U.S charts. Promoting their second album with their “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It” tour, the tour opened with a series of concerts in Mexico and will continue on in the U. S. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com. Claudia Flores can be reached at gigiberta43@gmail.com.

Rock band’s Pierce the Veil and Sum 41 are touring with Emarosa and Chapel and will be stopping in El Paso. They will be at TrickyFalls on Monday, April 24. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketfly.com or at the door the day of the event.

TWIN PEAKS Twin Peaks, an indie, garage rock band will be at the Lowbrow Palace April 26. They are touring their last album, “Down in Heaven” which was released in 2016. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketfly.com or at the door the day of the concert.

AT THE DRIVE-IN The punk band originally from El Paso, is returning home May 6 to perform at the El Paso County Coliseum. They will release their first album in 17 years on May 5. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or the County Coliseum Box Office.

THEPROSPECTOR

| 10 | ENTERTAINMENT

April 18, 2017

EP Comic Con strikes back

photo courtesy of ep comic con facebook page

By leslie sariñana The Prospector In his second year as EP Comic Con owner and director, Tony Stegner, hopes to bring a bigger convention than he did the previous year. He has made sure that there’s something for everyone. “You’re going to be able to see and do things you wouldn’t normally do. There will be gaming,

cosplay and you can build your own cosplay stuff,” Stegner said. The weekend will be filled with game tournaments, panels, cosplay, seminars and photo ops with some of the celebrity guests. EP Comic Con’s mission statement is, “Fly your nerd flag high!” and it certainly seems like they will. Guests will include Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Rogue One), Lou Ferrigno (Hulk), Kevin Grevi-

oux (Underworld), Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers, SAW), Nicholas Brenden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds), and Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean, Scrubs). Regarding future conventions, Stegnar said, “My vision for the future of El Paso Comic Con is for it to grow outside the confines of the El Paso Convention Center. There is no reason why all the businesses in downtown

El Paso can’t participate in this annual event.” They will have a costume contest, but anyone who wishes to participate must register online. Guidelines for the contest can be found on their website, elpasocomiccon.com. The contest will be held in the El Paso Convention Center Juarez Room Center on Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m. Best show winner will receive a $500 cash prize.

EP Comic Con will run April 21 through April 23. They will also be hosting a pre-party on April 20 at Dave & Busters. Passes can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Plaza Theatre Box Office. Three-day passes are $60, Friday only is $15, Saturday only $30 and Sunday only $20. Leslie Sarinana may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.

DAMN. from page 7 for him as he raps, “I got millions, I got riches buildin’ in my DNA. I got dark, I got evil, that rot inside my DNA. I got off, I got troublesome, heart inside my DNA. I just win again, then win again like Wimbledon, I serve.” In the album’s conclusion “DUCKWORTH.,” it all comes full circle for Lamar. He details a story where Top Dawg Entertainment founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith almost killed Lamar’s father years before signing a 15-yearold Kendrick to his record label. Additionally, the end of the track seems to rewind the whole album up to the blind woman anecdote. Lamar’s guest list is short this time around, featuring legendary band U2 and pop sensation Rihanna. While it isn’t too detrimental to the overall product, the star power behind these artists leaves their contributions feeling lackluster. However, singer-songwriter Zacari’s crooning vocals in “LOVE.,” make for a refreshing, more lighthearted and welcoming track for new fans. At a time when rappers participate in seeming wars of escalation with each other, Lamar seems to unintentionally abandon that type of competition, with unique ways of interweaving his own mystique into his musical career. For example, Lamar’s first track of 2017, “The Heart Part 4,” is not a part of the 14 songs that comprise this album. However, the song finds its contribution to the album sporting the same simple guitar arrangement during beat shifts that also permeates “FEAR.” These easter eggs make it a more engaging listening experience, and have even led fans to speculate about the future and possibly a second album release. The cryptic atmosphere that surrounds the release of “DAMN.” also separates him from other artists such as Drake or Big Sean, who have also released new material in 2017. When it all comes together, Lamar’s lyrics and characteristic flow shine through a conservative, but well-produced library of beats, making it one of the rapper’s best offerings to date. As a purely musical device, “DAMN.” reflects Lamar’s evolution and apex, even if it doesn’t quite have the social impact that “To Pimp a Butterfly” did. Follow Eddie Velazquez on Twitter @ezvelazquez

PAGE 11 April 18, 2017

Sports

Editor

jason green, 747-7477

Miners will carry important momentum into C-USA championship

Michael reese/utep athletics After a seventh-place finish at the Western Intercollegiate Tournament, UTEP golf looks to keep the momentum going in the C-USA championship tournament in Texarkana, Arkansas beginning April 23. naments this season with a best 54 and will conclude the championship By Jeremy Carranco of 829. In the previous four tourna- on the fourth day with a match play The Prospector ments before the Western Intercol- playoff. Playing partners for the first The UTEP men’s golf team is com- legiate, the Miners placed in ninth day will be determined by a blind ing off a seventh-place finish out of twice (John Burns Intercollegiate and draw and for every succeeding round, 15 teams at the 71st Annual Western Border Olympics) and fourth twice team scores will determine pairings. Intercollegiate Tournament in Santa (National Invitational and Lone Star In the 2015 Conference-USA chamCruz, California. The Miners, who Invitational). pionship, UTEP finished in third are no. 55 in the nation, shot 34-over Now the Miners will prep for the place at 7-over 871 (287-290-294) to 1,084 (361-356-367) in a tournament 2017 Conference-USA tournament place its best since joining the league that featured five top-25 teams, in- in Texarkana, Arkansas, for a chance in 2006. The highest the Miners had cluding no. 1 Southern California, to claim the league’s automatic bid to ever placed before 2015 was a sixthwho won the team title. UTEP placed the NCAA Championship. The four- place tie with Southern Mississippi in higher than two of those five ranked day championship will feature all 13 2014 when the Miners shot 46-over teams (no. 17 Texas and no. 25 Ari- Conference-USA squads and will be 886 (302-292-292). zona State) in the final standings. Last season (2016), UTEP failed to 18 holes scheduled for the first three The seventh-place finish gave the days. After 54 holes of stroke play, replicate a strong 2015 effort, when Miners their fifth straight and 10th only the top four teams will be seeded the team was unable to make the final overall top-10 finish out of 11 tour-

four, placing sixth alone at 23-over 887 (302-292-293). The Miners are hoping with their current momentum, that they can rebound from a disappointing 2016 showing. “We’ve had a nice regular season, our fall was outstanding and in the spring our schedule has been much tougher, but it was nice for us because we really turned the corner and have been playing better,” head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. “I think we have some nice momentum heading into the conference championship this time around.” One of the Miners’ top players is also the team’s lone senior, Frederick Dreier. Dreier, a Denmark native, has played all four years at UTEP and has been a vital part of the Miners’ recent success. Last season, Dreier finished sixth individually at the Conference USA Championships (2-over, 73-7372/218) to earn a trip to the NCAA Regionals. Dreier was also named the 2015-16 Conference USA Golfer of the Year and became the fourth Miner to earn the honor. Dreier has also been successful in the classroom, having been named to the ConferenceUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of his past three seasons (2014, 2015, 2016). “I have matured a lot on this team over the last four years. It has been a tremendous time and I value everything I have gotten from being here,” Dreier said. “I was little Fredrick coming from Denmark when I first arrived, I had a lot to learn and coach Lieberwirth helped me in my process of getting better as a golfer, and also growing as a person both on and off the golf course.” This spring season, Dreier, who owns a current 71.09 stroke average (32 rounds/2,275 strokes) has record-

ed six top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments played, all of which he was or was tied as UTEP’s top finisher. He is hoping to lead UTEP to its first ever Conference-USA golf title. “Freddy has been great,” Lieberwirth said. “As a senior, he has progressively gotten better every year, his game is at a level where he is going to be ready to make a living at this very soon professionally. He’s emerged as a great leader for us and someone that we can always depend on to play great golf and give a great effort every time out.” Junior Charles Corner, who was recently named the Conference-USA Golfer of the Week for his outstanding performance in California, is also looking to carry his momentum into the Conference-USA tournament. Corner shot 2-over 212 (72-69-71), with 12 birdies and finished just two strokes behind Dreier in the Western Intercollegiate. Of the 96 players in the tournament, only three shot under par, while Corner’s score was better than 19 players ranked in the Golfstat Top 100, including six of the top-10 players. Andreas Sorensen and Dreier were also named as Conference-USA Golfer of the Week earlier this season. Dreier earned the honor on October 19 and Sorensen was the named the first Golfer of the Week for Conference-USA on September 14. “I feel our team is stronger than it has ever been while I have been here,” said Dreier. “I feel like we have a really good chance to win conference and do a really good job in Texarkana.” The Conference-USA championship tournament will start on Sunday, April 23 with the action concluding on Wednesday, April 26. Follow Jeremy Carranco on Twitter @J_Carranco22

UTEP football spring game: two offensive and one defensive takeaway “We have a lot of talent there. We’ve got good running backs, and we may add one more to that group,” Kugler said. “We’ve got a young but talented group. My biggest concern would be protectionwise when you have young guys like that, but we will be creative and make sure we get that taken care of.”

By Mike Flores The Prospector To wrap up workouts before the summer begins for the UTEP football team, the Miners ended their spring season by hosting a football scrimmage on April 14 at the Sun Bowl. With 44 athletes returning from last season, and plenty of new talent coming in, UTEP provided a look at what next year’s team has in store for their fans. Coming off of a 4-8 (2-6 C-USA) overall record in the 2016-2017 season, the Miners are seeking improvement under fifth-year head coach Sean Kugler. It won’t be easy, as the orange and blue has lost some key talent, all-time leading rusher Aaron Jones departing, along with tight end Hayden Plinke, fullback Darrin Laufasa, safety Dashone Smith and many others. Kugler has reinforced his troops with 14 starters coming back and 22 newcomers—17 of them coming straight from high school and the other four are transferring to UTEP from other colleges. Here are three main takeaways from the scrimmage that was held on Friday night: The running back position for the Miners is a question mark and up for grabs

Gaby Velasquez / The Prospector UTEP football held their spring game scrimmage on April 14 at the Sun Bowl. After Jones hung up his Miners jersey for a shot at wearing an NFL jersey, the running back position is up for grabs. He was the first modern day UTEP underclassmen player to declare for the NFL draft. Jones left a mark in UTEP’s history book by eclipsing the school’s all-time leading rushing record with 4,114 total career yards. He rushed for a single-season record during his junior season (1,773 yards) and ran for over 100 yards in 17 career games, also a school record.

Whoever steps up in Jones’ place has big shoes to fill since UTEP’s bread and butter was their rushing attack for the last three years. The projected starting running back for the 2017 season, sophomore Quardraiz Wadley, is dealing with an injury, according to Kugler. He was sidelined for the spring game and will need to get his shoulder re-evaluated as the severity of the injury is still unknown. In order to cope with Wadley’s injury and the position of need, Kugler tested a number of half-

backs in the spring scrimmage and even moved Walter Dawn from wide receiver to full time running back. As a result, Dawn received the most carries on Friday with 11 tries for 29 yards and one score. Freshman tailback Ronald Awatt got nine carries for 22 yards. Kevin Dove rushed six times for 21 yards. None of the running backs had strong outings during the scrimmage, but some of the backs showed Kugler enough to be confident going into summer.

UTEP will improve their passing attack under Ryan Metz Quarterback Ryan Metz will be going into his junior year as his first time as a full time starter for the Miners. He will have the keys to the offense and has built chemistry with the returning wide receivers such as junior Warren Redix and newly assigned fulltime wide receiver Kavika Johnson. Metz connected with Johnson early and often in the scrimmage, and allowed Johnson to show off at his new position as he caught four passes for 29 yards. Metz finished his spring game completing 12-of-17 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown throw. He showed his wheels on a couple of occasions as well. Moving the ball down the field was no problem for Metz.

see football on page 12

THEPROSPECTOR

| 12 | SPORTS

April 18, 2017

football from page 11 Last season, Metz started seven games and played in 11. He improved drastically from his freshman season, as he completed 64.7 percent of his passes his sophomore season, which is good enough for the second best mark in single-season history for UTEP. Even though Metz did not start every game, he still threw for 14 touchdowns last year—the most by a Miners’ quarterback since 2010.

With new weapons at Metz’s disposal, like the duo of new transfer tight ends David Lucero and Josh Weeks, Metz will have options to look for since the bulk of the offensive plans will fall in his laps since he is the veteran and will need to make up for the loss of Jones’ and Plinke’s play-making.

The offense looks to be more pass heavy than seasons prior, if Friday’s scrimmage was any indication. “Ryan was solid moving the ball. In the red zone, he threw a nice fade ball down there for the score. Ryan has had an outstanding spring, he’s a leader and works really hard,” Kugler said. Metz added, “This whole spring is a whole new learning curve for me going forward. I need to be more

demanding, that’s something I need to be great at. I have to lead by example and be that coach on the field. Going forward, I feel like I have two Plinke’s this season with the group of tight ends.” The defense showed up Even without three stars on the defensive side of the ball on Friday such as linebacker Alvin Jones, Dante Lovilette and Devin Cockrell (all out for various reasons), UTEP’s defense came out with something to prove. They bent at times by allowing the offense to move the ball, but stood tall on many occasions when the ball got close to the end zone. Last season, UTEP had the least amount of sacks in C-USA with only 14. However, even against a welltuned offensive line, UTEP’s defense got to the quarterback a total of five times during the scrimmage. The defensive line looked hungry, and only allowed 72 rushing yards all day on 26 carries. During the segment of 12 plays to move the ball, the Miners’ defense stopped the offense five straight times and did not allow one first down in that part of scrimmage. In the red zone work segment, UTEP’s defense clogged up two run plays in a row to force the offense to look at 3rd and 21. The play after, Metz could not find anyone open so he scrambled but could not gain the yardage back. Sophomore defensive back Jerrell Brown had a strong outing with four tackles (one for loss), a pass break-up and one sack. This year, UTEP plays offenses that can score in a hurry such as Oklahoma, Arizona, La Tech, WKU, Southern Mississippi and Army. The

Miners will need to improve their defense that allowed nearly 35 points per game last season, but they showed steps in the right direction on Friday.

I have to lead by example and be that coach on the field. - Ryan Metz, junior quarterback Kugler said this team reminds him of the 2014 squad that went 7-6 and participated in the New Mexico Bowl game. He said they have a chip on their shoulders and are completely focused with zero distractions holding them back. “Both sides competed well. Both sides of the ball have shown some tremendous flashes,” Kugler said. “We accomplished a lot this spring. I really like this team. This is the group of guys we are going to move forward with, and I feel good about that.” Follow Mike Flores on Twitter @MikeyTheReal

We Our readers! Fans Get ready for our biggest Giveaway of the semester! From April 4 - April 25, our readers will look through the ads in and find a special symbol ( ) hidden in one of the ads for every issue in April. In order to enter the drawing you will need to tell us in which ads you found the special symbol by submitting the entry form below to our office at 105 Union East.

All entry forms must be submitted by Friday, April 28 before 5 p.m. In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must find the special symbol in all four issues of April and complete the form in its entirety. You must be a currently enrolled student with a valid Miner Gold Card to claim your prize.

Prizes include •UTEP Food Vouchers •Planet Fitness Passes •Chihuahua Baseball Game Tickets/Food Vouchers •Neon Desert Music Festival Tickets

Please write the name of the advertiser where you found the hidden symbol for each issue date of

April 4 April 11 April 18 April 25

Name: Classification: Major: Phone number: Email:

*Giveaway winners will be selected at random through a drawing of all eligible entries.