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DRAMACARE
September 24, 2013
national
Students face affordable care act
SHFWIRE PHOTO BY ANDRés Rodríguez President Barack Obama speaks at a memorial service held at the Marine Barracks, attended by about 4,000 people. special to The Prospector
By S. David Ramirez The Prospector Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on the Affordable Care Act’s impact on UTEP students. The next major rollout of the Affordable Care Act is slated to begin Oct. 1 as the battle to strike it down and the ensuing shutdown of the U.S. government continues in Congress.
The legislation contains stipulations that could affect students at UTEP and across the nation. President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to as the ACA, was passed in March 2010. Among the provisions in the bill is the establishment of an insurance exchange and revamping of standards for government-sponsored health systems such as the Children’s Health
Insurance Program, Medicaid and Medicare. Tea Party Republicans in the House are threatening to shut down the government on Oct. 1 in an effort to block the act and withhold funding. On the UTEP campus, the ACA may change the way students will have access to services that are paid in part by their tuition.
see health on page 3
‘Our tears are not enough’ Obama speaks at Navy Yard Shooting memorial By Andrés Rodríguez SHFWire WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama counted five communities he has consoled after mass shootings and called on Americans to seek changes to prevent more tragedies. He spoke Sunday at a memorial ser-
vice for those who died Sept. 16 at the Navy Yard. About 4,000 people attended the service at the Marine Barracks, which is about two blocks from the Navy Yard. There is a “creeping resignation” to acts of violence in this country, Obama said. He added that change
see navy on page 4
Campus Life
Removal of inner campus parking leads to overcrowded perimeter By S. David Ramirez
2,946
The Prospector Construction and confusion have some students circling lots this semester. “(Students) have to look somewhere else when they’ve paid for parking near campus,” said Luis Torres Jr., junior costume design major. “It is unfair that they have to walk or go the extra distance.” Cynthia Villa, vice president of business affairs, said that parking is working hard to keep pace with campus growth. More and more students are utilizing carpool programs, taking special Sun Metro routes or biking to campus. “At the beginning of every semester people don’t always know the system,” Villa said. “Once we’re about two weeks into the semester things settle down.” But with the removal of most inner campus parking and the construction of Spur 1966, there has been a reduction in the number of available spaces.
Total of UTEP students:
23,000
2,600
Total number of parking spaces:
9,579
Total parking permits issued:
“It is unfair that they have to walk or go the extra distance.”
9,866
1,814
Number of parking citations issued:
2,691
839
557 355 255
213
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HOUSING
- Luis Torres Jr., junior music theater major
see parking on page 3
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Illustration by diego burciaga / The Prospector
PAGE 2 September 24, 2013
perspectives
Editor-in-Chief
Jasmine aguilera, 747-7477
COLUMN
The Affordable Care Act wants you (and your money) By Lorain Watters The Prospector With the Affordable Care Act rolling around the corner, I am a bit skeptical as to how far some of these benefits go. Don’t get me wrong. Having this pass will provide insurance to millions, whether they want it or not, and, ideally, help curb the growth in healthcare spending. But is Obamacare really concerned to how much Americans will be paying as a result of this new insurance or are they just concerned with the idea of everyone having health insurance? Come Oct. 1, those who are uninsured and underinsured will have the opportunity to accept this new health insurance and reap the same benefits as those who already have insurance.
That’s great for them, but what does that mean for those families who pay taxes—especially the lower and middle class? More taxes! Simply stated, to make up for the added health coverage being provided for millions, the alreadytoo-high taxes will only increase. Not only will taxes increase, but the insurance premiums will also rise due to the insurers having to provide covered services. This especially affects those who already have insurance and will most likely affect their deductible as well. So if you are a young, independent with insurance, Godspeed because your current plan will most likely change, having you pick a new one, which will make things even pricier for you. “Well, if prices go up, then I can always get another job that is full-time to help me pay for it all,” said no one ever.
Or, at least, you can’t say that anymore. Another result of Obamacare will be the reduction of full-time jobs available. Businesses that have more than 50 full-time employees will now have to provide them health coverage. And what’s an easy way to escape spending more money? Get rid of the problem. That is, essentially, what most businesses will be doing, putting people out of a job that really need it, ultimately affecting their total income and the economy itself. Sometimes I hear people say ‘it’s better to not have any insurance at all because it’s cheaper that way.’ Although that might be the case for many today, that will also change in January 2014. As stated in “Dramacare” by S. David Ramirez on page 1, the Internal Revenue Service will apply a penalty against anyone that is not insured in
2014; it will either be $95 per person for that year or 1 percent of their yearly income, whichever is greater. According to healthcare.gov, this fee will increase every year. By 2016 the fee will increase to 2.5 percent of that person’s income or $695 per person, whichever may be higher. So someone who decides to pay these fees in the years to come will not get any health insurance coverage and will remain responsible for 100 percent of the cost of their medical care. For those of you who are uninsured now but are planning on getting affordable care next week, may the odds be ever in your favor. Although there can be many downsides to this new act, including the ones mentioned above, there is a silver lining. According to whitehouse.gov, those who are uninsured and obtain affordable care will not be turned away due to preexisting conditions. Now called
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The Prospector is committed to accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail us at prospector@utep.edu.
the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, this insurance coverage is for those who have been uninsured due to the preexisting conditions. Insurance companies will have to cover recommended preventive services, such as pap smears and new baby care. The uninsured-turned newly insured will also be given a choice of who they want as their primary care provider, which will be based on their plan’s network of doctors. TL;DR (reddit.com lingo for too long; didn’t read) The affordable care act will benefit those without insurance now who plan on getting insurance after Oct. 1 and it may be a detriment for those who already have insurance. Lorain Watters may be reached at theprospectordaily. news@gmail.com.
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STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Jasmine Aguilera Layout Editor: Diego Burciaga Assistant News Editor: Lorain Watters Sports Editor: Edwin Delgado Copy Editor: Kristopher G. Rivera Photo Editor: Veronica Enriquez Photographers: Flor Flores, Aaron Montes, Michelle Torres Staff Reporters: Javier Cortez, Oscar Garza, Amanda Guillen, Leonardo Montanez, S. David Ramirez, Eilisia Shafer Cartoonist: Blake A. Lanham
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Contributors: Jaime Quesada, Luis Barrio Asst. Director-Advertising: Veronica Gonzalez Student Ad Manager: Anna Almeida Ad Executives: Steven Mansfield, Mariel Mora, Jaime Quesada Ad Layout Manager: Edgar Hernandez Ad Designers: Damian Baldarrama, Fernando Enriquez Accounting Specialist: Isabel Castillo Student Assistant: Anna Almeida Student Publications Director: Kathleen Flores Administrative Secretary: Marcela Luna
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Letters will be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters over 250 words are subject to editing to fit available space. Please include full name, street address and telephone number and e-mail address, plus major, classification and/or title if applicable. Address and phone number will be used for verification only. Write to 105 E. Union, e-mail prospector@utep.edu, call 747-7477 or fax to 747-8031. The Prospector (USPS 448-020) is published by the Student Publications Board, 105 E. Union, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968. During Fall & Spring semester The Prospector is published twice weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays, except holidays and when classes are not in session, once a week on Wednesday during the summer session. Subscription rates: $20 per year, $4 taken from fees to pay for student copies. Periodicals postage paid at El Paso, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Prospector, 105 E. Union, El Paso, Texas 79968-0622. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information can be obtained by calling The Prospector at 747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.
THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | 3 |
September 24, 2013
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HEALTH from page 1 The Student Health Center is operated by Vivature, a company that administers health care support for more than 150 campuses nationwide. “More students will have health insurance, whether they have it through their parents or on their own,” said David Smith, vice president of corporate compliance at Vivature. “All of a sudden, you’ll see it easier to get health insurance.” Since 2010, dependents under 26 have been able to remain on their guardian’s insurance through a provision of the ACA. Smith said that most insurance carriers, who will be participating in the exchange, have not yet revealed pricing or plans. Vivature expects to acquire more details at the beginning of October and will share information to help students understand the full implications of the new exchange. “Being a college student, you have nothing to worry about honestly,” said Andrew Luengo, junior political science major. “It is short sighted to think that paying a few extra bucks for universal Medicare, like any other first-world country, will affect us.” According to a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, a private advocacy and independent research organization, more than one-third of
PARKING from page 1 There are 9,579 spaces in the existing parking inventory. Though not all students drive to school, the number is a harsh contrast to the recordbreaking enrollment of more than 23,000 students. So far, 9,866 permits have been issued for the spaces available. Permits are sold in recognition that not all students spend the entire day on campus. This semester, however, overcrowding has been an issue. Silver and garage parking are among the highest in demand, and perimeter and remote spaces sell at a slower rate. If students encounter a parking lot at capacity, Villa said students may look for parking in the nearest lot of the similar tier. Silver permit holders can move to an adjacent silver lot. Perimeter holders can move to adjacent perimeter lots. The office of business affairs plans to revisit some parking policies to ensure that students are being served with relevant rules and regulations. Almost 2,700 citations have been issued this semester. Villa said that many were warnings, not tickets with fee assessments. The exact dollar value of penalties was not immediately available. “We do not get any funding to support our Parking and Transportation Services infrastructure,” Villa said. “Any money that we get from parking permits, citations, all the parking visitor parking, goes to support services.” Villa said that the services include the maintenance and operation of the garages, the operation of the Miner
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young adult students (ages 19-29) were uninsured at some time in the past year. According to Healthcare.gov, the new site that will host the medical insurance marketplace, most insurance plans that will go into effect in 2014 will include a standard benefit package. Among these benefits are emergency services, maternity care, laboratory testing, mental health services and prescription drugs. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, insurance providers will accept new individuals for enrollment even with preexisting conditions. Individuals under the age of 30 who do not wish or are unable to purchase a full-tier of health insurance will be able to obtain a “catastrophic plan.” These plans are designed to protect individuals from the crippling expenses that can be associated with a major illness or injury. These plans also include three visits to a primary care provider at no additional cost. All marketplace plans must cover a series of preventative medical practices. These practices include STD screening, testing for diabetes and counseling for lifestyle issues such as alcohol misuse or tobacco cessation. The preventative policies also cover immunization for communicable diseases such as hepatitis, influenza and meningitis. Metro fleet and staffing for Parking and Transportation Services. The city of El Paso has indicated some plans to crack down on parking in residential neighborhoods and there have been “more complaints than usual” because of confusion regarding construction. There are still a fair number of students who are utilizing temporary parking permits rather than permanent placards or stickers, which transportation said is potentially due to a backlog. Parking decals are mostly distributed through a third-party mailing service and permit purchasers can usually expect to receive decals within two weeks. However, misrouted mail or incorrect addresses supplied by students can extend the waiting period. Undeliverable permits are mailed back to the Parking and Transportation Services offices. Students can contact that office if they have not received their permit. However, if they need to file a lost report and have a replacement issued, purchasers can expect to pay $20. “Before we implemented this fee, we had a lot of students report that it was lost in the mail and they were giving it to their friends, boyfriends or girlfriends,” said Paul Stresow, Parking and Transportation Director. “It was the only way to keep everybody honest.” Parking and Transportation Services may be contacted by phone at 747-5724. S. David Ramirez can be reached at theprospectordaily. news@gmail.com.
Since 2012, UTEP has required a bacterial meningitis vaccine for all students under the age of 30. Texas Well and Healthy, a grassroots campaign, states on it website that “adequate health care coverage helps to protect young adults from unexpectedly high medical costs and can make a big difference in helping young adult students complete college and achieve academic success.” However, some are not convinced that the ACA is a positive initiative for students. “Opting into the ‘Obamacare’ exchange is a bad idea for young people,” said David Pasch, public information officer for Generation Opportunity, a non-partisan advocacy group. Pasch describes the ACA as “creepy” and potentially illegal. A press release from Pasch encourages youth to opt-out of “Obamacare” because of corporate cronyism and a shift in tax burden to the millennial generation. Pasch said in the long-term, students will be left to pay the bill for aging Americans. Pasch is also concerned about information that will be collected by the government to administer the new programs. Health insurance information is protected by the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prevents certain information
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Source: aspe.hhs.gox from being shared across electronic systems without a patient’s permission. Dec. 15 will be the last day to purchase healthcare coverage that will activate when ACA has its full rollout on Jan. 1, 2014. The Internal Revenue Service will apply a penalty against anyone not insured during 2014. The penalty fee
for the first year will be $95 or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater. The amount of the penalty fee is set to increase yearly. For more information about the insurance exchange, visit healthcare.gov. S. David Ramirez may be reached at theprospectordaily. news@gmail.com.
THEPROSPECTOR
| 4 | NEWS
September 24, 2013
feature
Students to compete in international solar decathlon By Amanda Guillen The Prospector
shfwire photo by Andrés Rodríguez President Obama consoles family members of those killed at the Navy Yard shooting, Sunday at the Marine Barracks.
navy from page 1 will not come from Washington, but from the American people. “We can’t accept this,” he said. “As Americans bound in grief and love, we must insist here today there is nothing normal about innocent men and women being gunned down where they work. There is nothing normal about our children being gunned down in their classrooms. There is nothing normal about children dying in our streets from stray bullets.” Officials say Aaron Alexis entered the secure compound with a shotgun and killed 12 people. Alexis died after a gun battle with police. District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray said at the service that a lesson is abundantly clear from the shooting. “Our country is drowning in a sea of guns,” he said. “Why is it that these tragic consequences and these tragic occurrences never seem to move us any closer to ensuring that guns don’t get into the hands of criminals or mentally unstable people?” Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said those
who died during the shooting were part of the best naval engineering team in the world. “Members of the Navy family demonstrated true courage at the Navy Yard last week,” Greenert said. “We will remember the fallen in the events of last Monday and we will grow stronger as an institution.” Obama spoke about the lives of each of the shooting victims, saying their families have “endured a shattering tragedy.” Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hugged family members of those who died before leaving the service. The president, listing other recent shootings in the U.S., said no other advanced country has this kind of violence. “What’s different in America is it’s easy to get your hands on a gun – and a lot of us know this,” Obama said. “But the politics are difficult, as we saw again this spring. And that’s sometimes where the resignation comes from – the sense that our politics are frozen and that nothing will change.”
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus attended the service. Holland Hardgrove, 27, a Navy Yard employee from D.C., said after the service that the president’s remarks about gun control were needed. “He really seemed sick of it himself,” Hardgrove said. “I think that’s the right tone and it did strike.” The president said that what the country truly needs is to find a common-sense way to preserve the rights of gun owners while reducing gun violence. He said this may not happen soon, but he assured listeners it will happen. “Our tears are not enough. Our words and our prayers are not enough. If we really want to honor these 12 men and women,” he said. “We’re going to have to change.” Andrés Rodríguez is a UTEP senior double major in Spanish and English and American literature. He is currently participating in the Scripps Howard Foundation Semester in Washington program. He may be reached at theprospectordaily.news@gmail.com.
For more than six months, Team Texas ADAPT Home–UTEP’s and EPCC’s solar decathlon team–have been preparing to compete against 20 universities for the 2013 Solar Decathlon. Team Texas students traveled to Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 21 to compete at the 2013 Solar Decathlon, which was hosted at the Orange County Fairgrounds. The final competition is set to take place Oct. 1-13. The Solar Decathlon is a bi-annual event hosted by the Department of Energy and The National Renewable Energy Laboratories. This year, the competition is comprised of students from 25 different schools representing four countries, and each team is competing to see who has built the best solar home. This is the first year UTEP has participated. Competitors include Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of NevadaLas Vegas, Czech Technical University, University of Calgary and The University of New Mexico, who is also partnered with Arizona State University. Team Texas is the only group representing the state of Texas. There are currently 80 students, 10 faculty advisors, 10 volunteers and 10 sponsors working on Texas’ solar house that will be sent to the competition. “We are confident about this competition,” said Lourdes Esquivel, communication team leader and senior pre-business major. “The competitors are great teams from universities from all over the world, but we have a talented team.” Construction management graduate student, Rogelio Dominguez, is the onsite construction manager
for Team Texas. He said that despite the challenges they have faced, he is proud of the accomplishments that have been completed so far. “This is the biggest college engineering competition in the world,” Dominguez said. “Our team had difficulties. Our design changed many times, funding was a big problem and construction had many problems to start. From all of the schools, we had the latest start, but we are proud to have been able to complete our house in less than 50 days and still be in the competition.” The home has to be built on less than $200,000 to show that it is a viable, marketable home. Among the home’s features is its efficiency. The home produces electricity through bifacial solar collection units. These collectors gather solar energy from both the top and the bottom of the device. Compared to traditional solar panels, these units can recover 30 percent more energy. Next week’s four-day competition will be closed to the public and only open to judges. Following the competition, representatives from each of the competing teams will host an open exhibition. It is expected that an estimated 90,000 people will walk through and view the houses. The week after the public exhibition, the home must be broken down and brought back to UTEP. Team Texas’s home will be brought back to the university as a part of the 2014 centennial celebration. Although there is no cash prize for the winner, past solar homes have been purchased for large amounts of money. Amanda Guillen may be reached at theprospectordaily. news@gmail.com.
| 6 | ENTERTAINMENT
THEPROSPECTOR
September 24, 2013
Countdown to
THEPROSPECTOR September 24, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT | 7 |
o 2014 begins with kick-off event By amanda guillen The Prospector The university opened a new Welcome Center and hosted a centennial kick-off party Sept. 23 on the front lawn of the Centennial Museum to commemorate the 100-day countdown to 2014. Students, faculty and staff were invited to attend the event and free food was provided. In addition to the centennial kickoff party, the Welcome Center had their official grand opening and unveiled a large LED clock, which reflect UTEP’s Bhutanese theme. The clock—that has been hidden behind a large black tarp for the last few months—will count down to Jan. 1, 2014. Students opened the ceremony with a music mash-up dance routine and wore white UTEP centennial t-shirts. Paydirt Pete, the UTEP cheerleaders and the UTEP band were in attendance. Jasmine Ramirez, freshman pre-science major and orientation leader, participated in the choreographed dance. “A bunch of different organizations that wanted to participate came together and we had rehearsals and then we performed today,” Ramirez said. There was an overall positive reaction to the clock and the kickoff party. “I think this is awesome,” Ramirez said. “It is a new gift that looks amazing here and it is just awesome.” Freshman pre-nursing major Keith Barkley cheered with the UTEP cheer squad at the event. He said that he is excited about the centennial celebration. “I think this is going to be a really good way to show people that we are really celebrating the 100 years and that we are going to have a great time,” Barkley said. Along with UTEP officials, President Natalicio, students and alumni were invited to share in the celebra-
tion. Adorned with blue UTEP centennial shirts, alumni from a variety of graduating classes attended. Gerry Laird Porter, class of 1951, and Carol Gordon, class of 1954, were dressed from head-to-toe in Miner gear. Both expressed their excitement for the upcoming centennial celebration. “We are friends and we were Chi Omegas together many years ago and we are still active in the UTEP community,” Porter said. “We also happen to be golden girls, which means that we graduated over 50 years ago, so therefore we come back and help the alumni house.” Both said that the clock and ongoing campus transformation will be great assets to the campus. “I think it will be an addition to the campus,” Porter said. “The display inside the museum is marvelous.” The clock was given to UTEP by GECU. The partnership with the university has led to sponsorship of many events this year, and they plan on continuing their cooperation with UTEP going into 2014. Crystal Long, president and CEO of GECU, spoke about the credit union’s partnership with UTEP. “As part of UTEP’s transformation, GECU is proud to be a communitysupported business leading the way,” Long said. “GECU’s gift will be a permanent fixture on campus and will be a figure significant to UTEP’s transformation, today and into the future.” The Welcome Center is now officially open to the public and is located on the corner of University Avenue and Wiggins Road. For more information on UTEP Centennial events, visit centennial. utep.edu/events.
Amanda Guillen may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.
veronica enriquez/the prospector
UTEP commemorated the 100-day countdown to 2014 by unveiling the new Welcome Center on Mon. Sept 23 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. that took place on the Cnetennial Museum’s front lawn.
THEPROSPECTOR
| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT
September 24, 2013
‘The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD’
By leonardo Montañez The Prospector The original “Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” was released in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, and after a decade its well-deserved HD remake is finally here for the Wii U. The game is by far the most beautiful game in the series. The original “Wind Waker” has always stood out from the rest of the series because of its cartoon-like and
colorful graphics and the beautiful overworld and vast sailing seas. Having received mixed reviews from critics that range from having a childish atmosphere and boring landscapes to it being the best game of the series, the re-release has received some tweaks to make it the definitive Zelda game. “Wind Waker HD” shows what may very well be Nintendo’s most beautiful game to date. With the use of cel-shading graphics, lighting effects, shadows for details and
improved textures, the environment looks amazing. This is noticed from the very first steps on Outset Island at the beginning of the game all the way through to the end. This is especially noted when sailing upon the seas, where fog, a blurry sky and islands in the distance give the game a real feeling of navigation. With this re-release, Nintendo not only improved the game’s visuals, but made intelligent decisions on what to add and what to remove from the
game. Some of its new features include the swift sail that cuts down to half the travelling time between islands, which was major complaint a decade ago. The “Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD” has interchangeable screens to play between TV or the Wii U game pad, and both run on 1080p, making any of the two screens just as good as the other. Nonetheless, when playing on a TV screen, the game takes advantage of the Wii U game pad, allowing players to access the menu screen and items without pausing the game, which makes it flow better. As for gameplay, “Wind Waker HD” is as brilliant as ever with some of the best combat mechanics that only “The Legend of Zelda” can deliver. It has the classic lock-on and several techniques such as parrying and offers more than 30 hours of gameplay with plenty of side quests and intricate dungeons and puzzle solving that never gets repetitive.
special to the prospector One of the biggest features of the game is the new “hero mode,” which adds a great level of difficulty to an already challenging game. By deleting hearts (health-recovering items) from the game and adding tougher enemies, players can experience the game as if it were their first time playing. It may be a remake of a decade-old game, but “The Wind Waker HD” is definitely an adventure that no gamer should miss, especially if they never played it before. With its improved graphics and new features, it is an already charming game with lovable characters. Add in its superb design, great storyline and one of the best gameplays in action RPGs of all time, “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD” is one of the best Zelda games to date. Leonardo Montañez may theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.
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THEPROSPECTOR
ENTERTAINMENT | 9 |
September 24, 2013
Rio Pod Co: local podcast encourages dialogue about El Paso By leonardo montañez The Prospector The Rio Podcast Company is a weekly video podcast show that promotes El Paso and brings a local perspective to national news, art and sports. Member of Rio Pod Co. Joseph Brooks said that the Rio Pod Co. is an umbrella for other podcasts. “It is a collection of podcasts and we do three different shows,” Brooks said. “We do a sports show, a show about El Paso that promotes local businesses and artists and we have our entertainment show that is about current events.” Being an independent broadcast, the Rio Pod Co. can address a wide variety of topics and talk about them however they wish. “We speak of local and national sports, we have ‘Chuco Talks’ that’s promoting El Paso, we get owners of local businesses and we let listeners know about them,” Brooks said. “Our last show is ‘Rio Pod Co.,’ we speak of current national events from a local perspective.” According to Brooks, the Rio Pod Co. but is not necessarily only about themselves they try to help other podcasters. “The Rio Pod Co. is a company that hosts podcasts. If somebody else has a podcast they can give us a call and join us and see if we can get them on our website,” Brooks said. Rio Pod Co. member Gabriel Acuña, UTEP alum with a degree in media advertising, said that Rio Pod Co. is a way to have fun and promote El Paso. “Our premises are a different form of entertainment,” Acuña said. “It is online and an alternative to your standard radio shows. So we give a different perspective on topics, whether it is local or national and something that is not censored or diluted as you get on radio.” Rio Pod Co. can be heard online at their websites at riopodco.com and through an app called Stitcher available on iTunes and Google Play.
“We transmit live shows, but we always post them on our websites every Tuesday by midday,” Acuña said. Rio Pod Co. encourages local artists and businesses to approach them to get promoted. “People just need to inform us in advance that they want to be in the show–of course it has to be local,” Acuña said. “We get booked very quickly, so inform us more than a week in advance.” Rio Pod Co. began in 2011, but they took a one-year break and decided to bring back the podcast in 2013 because, according to Brooks, it was the perfect time. “We felt that we had to do it because El Paso is changing right now,” Brooks said. “I think we can be the voice of that change.” Rio Pod Co. member Javier A. Martinez, UTEP alum with a degree in computer science, said fans have received the show very warmly. “Curiously, most of the listeners are females,” Martinez said. “We played with Google analytics and we noticed we had listeners from Alaska and Germany, and I think some people here from El Paso took it and went over there and just to keep up with El Paso they listen in and we give them that.” Tim Haren, UTEP alum with a degree in political science and Rio Pod Co. member, said fans also let them know how much they are interested in the show. They encourage them to contact the show if they don’t agree with what they are saying. “We are interactive, we like to hear from people via Facebook, email or they can call us if they don’t agree with what we are saying,” Haren said. “We will address it, we are always willing to bring the subject back and expand on it.” According to Rio Pod Co., in the future the podcast will continue as it is, but the company has many different things planned such as Rio Online Radio and Rio TV. “Rio Online Radio is going to be local music and we are going to be pro-
moting local music through the online station––and not only that, every time any band comes into town, we will let you know and you’ll be able to hear that band before their event,” Brooks said. “Rio TV is so that people can actually watch us and what we are doing and interact with us better and we will bring people and we want to do this through a livestream.” To learn more about Rio Pod Co., visit www.riopodco.com or call 915 247-8746. Leonardo Montañez may thedailyprospector.ent@gmail.com
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Aaron montes /the prospector
Rio Pod Co. producer Joseph Brooks gets ready to record ‘Chuco Talks’ live at the Pershing Inn located at 2909 Piedras, every Sun. from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Hexoskin: bluetooth shirt tracks vitals
Tuesday October
ABILITY AWARENESS WEEK Oct. 7-11, 2013 Monday October
7
Ability Awareness Week Kick-Off Tomás Rivera Conference Center, Union Building East, 3rd floor Welcoming Reception 8:30-9:00 a.m.
By marcus seegers The Prospector In the past several years, there has been a trend of smart fitness trackers that can be used by athletes, trainers and fitness enthusiast. Examples of these devices are Nike+ FuelBand, Fitbit Flex and Up by Jawbone. These devices all monitor your physical activities and track them through software that displays analysis and progress. A new fitness tracker, which is built into a shirt/tank-top called Hexoskin, has made its debut into the market. Hexoskin is at $86,923 of its $100,00 funding goal on Indiegogo–an international crowd-funding site, where any-
special to the prospector one can raise money for film, music, art, charity, gaming, theater and more. The advantage of using a shirt instead of a traditional fitness tracker is there is no armband. It offers a larger coverage area on your body to monitor and it provides much more information and analysis with the use of all its sensors, providing you with increased feedback. All the sensors in Hexoskin are built into the shirt/tank-top’s fabric in such a way that it provides maximum comfort. These sensors monitor heart rate, steps, speed, breathing, sleep patterns, respiratory rate (RR) inter
see HExoskin on page 10
Overview of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 9:00-11:00 a.m. Plenary session Keynote Speaker Presentation of CASS Challenge and Opportunity Award Honorees Follow-up reception by Military Student Success Center 11:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Templeton Suite, Union Building East, 3rd floor Walgreens Flu Clinics Monday 7th-Saturday 12th For schedule and locations go to: sa.utep.edu/cass click on Events, then on the Ability Awareness Week tab
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All activities for this day will be held in the Union Building East Disability-Related Sensitivity and Etiquette Training 9:00-11:00 a.m. Acacia, Room 102 A Campus Transformation Update 11:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m. Andesite Room 102 B In Their Shoes: Sensitivity and Awareness Experiential Training 12:00-1:00 p.m. Acacia, Room 102 A Photo Voice, Perspectives of Students with Disabilities 1:30-2:45 p.m. Acacia Room 102
Wednesday October
9
Assistive Technology Lab Open House 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. UTEP Library Resource Fair 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. UTEP, El Paso Natural Gas and Conference Center Demonstrations and Services; Door Prizes
Thursday October
10
From Combat to the Classroom,Veterans in College 10:00-11:00 a. m. UTEP Library Tour of Military Success Center 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. UTEP Library “Don’t Dis My Abilities” Ability Awareness Walk and Roll 2:00-3:00 p.m. Meet at Memorial Gym Sports Ability Showcase Which sports can be adapted to include people with disabilities? Learn what it feels like to have a visual or physical challenge. 3:00-6:00 p.m. Memorial Gym
Friday October
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First Annual Interdisciplinary Symposium: 21st Century Developments in Health Promoting Fields Union Building East Sign up early. Get more information at chs.utep.edu/mrc
THEPROSPECTOR
| 10 | ENTERTAINMENT
September 24, 2013
The Green Ingredient for healthy eaters
By jaime quesada The Prospector
Getting fresh greens is sometimes hard to come by in El Paso. While many restaurants do offer vegetarian plates, an all-green vegetable menu has been introduced to the downtown area, located inside the Chase Tower building at 201 E. Mills. The Green Ingredient is a vegetarian restaurant first started by Jacqueline Cordova, who studied how to prepare raw foods at the Art Institute of Atlanta in Ga and also a health coach from integrated nutrition in New York. The menu-while on the surface seems actively vegetarian–it still offers different meats as well. “This restaurant isn’t vegetarian as much as it is a healthier option where we provide balanced meals of vegetables and healthy meats,” Cordova said. Providing health education is a big part of what the Green Ingredient does. Their website offers blogs with health tips, studies and explanations as to why certain foods are bad for you. Moreover, Cordova’s previous work of providing workshops and tours continues. In her workshops, she teaches guests how to be a healthier eater. As a result of this, Cordova will be taking grocery store tours in October, where she will teach what to look for in nutritional facts and ingredients.
“My parents never focused on nutritious meals so I never really emphasized on it myself,” said Candace Alvarado, junior kinesiology major. Although the menu is a single page, the restaurant boasts that it offers quality over quantity. In the salads section, you can choose from a meatinfused salad, where you can add either chicken or salmon. You can also pick from a classic Mediterranean salad or the roasted cauliflower and beet salad. If you are willing to keep it a green salad, the menu offers a mix-andmatch section, choosing from 11 different salads. Clients also have the option to serve themselves a full plate of just one type of vegetable or they may get up to two ingredients in their salad. For those guests who may like a protein with their vegetarian selections, they can choose from tuna, egg and chicken variations. The menu, aside from salads, provides vegetarian takes on burgers and sandwiches as well. A GI Panini is filled with grilled portabella mushrooms, eggplant, red bell peppers and more and a raw taco is made from walnuts and pecans as the meat, pico de gallo and avocado cream wrapped in romaine hearts. Cordova said that the nuts, included in almost all their plates, are soaked to remove enzyme inhibitors. This makes the food easier to digest.
The cookies also go through a ten hour process of dehydration instead of baking. Dehydration keeps all the nutrients and vitamins that baking would otherwise burn off. “Everything on our menu has been carefully selected and prepared to be a healthy meal without losing any flavor,” Cordova said. This is just their lunch menu, their morning menu is an entirely different and worth looking over. They offer pancakes with agave nectar, yogurt and fresh berries, while their GI omelets come with pesto, asparagus, tomato and feta cheese. Their beverages go through the same health process. The Green Ingredient provides different mixed waters instead of soft drinks. Their main drink is infused with cucumber and lime, but their other mixed waters change constantly. Their menu presently offers plum infused with cinnamon water and organic black tea. “I usually eat healthy meals but when I don’t, it is because I don’t have time to prepare something before hand.” said Armand Salas junior criminal justice major. If the menu seems overwhelming, the wait staff is well prepared to orientate you toward wherever the direction your palette wishes to go.
Jaime Quesada may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.
veronica enriquez/the prospector
The Green Ingredient is located at 201 E. Main St., Suite 112, inside the Chase Building. Open Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.- 3 p.m.
music
special to the prospector
Top three music services By Marcus Seegers The Prospector With Netflix and Hulu, we love to pay one flat rate and gain access to the entertainment we want. It’s been becoming more popular to do the same with music. How do you sift through the list of music subscription services and decide which one is right for you? This is a list of my top-three music subscription services. Rdio Rdio is a very popular and upcoming subscription service. It has 20-million tracks and costs $10 per month for one mobile device or $5 per month for web play. However, Rdio also has a family plan, two people for $18 per month and three for $22. This plan makes it economical for families or friends. Rdio has the nicest user interface of the three. Its interface is very slick and easy to navigate. You can download and sort your music in the app by artist, track and recently added, as well as make playlists. Rdio has applications for Mac and PC, as well as Windows phones, Blackberry, Android and iOS devices. Spotify Spotify is the most popular musicstreaming service. You can download the Mac or PC application or listen on the web to the more than 20 million tracks. Listening on the web or by computer is free, but with ads. If you want to listen ad free, you have to pay $5 per month. If you want the ability to listen on your phone you pay $10 per month (for one mobile device). Spotify has applications for Windows phones, Blackberry, Android and iOS devices. With the $10 per month subscription, you can listen offline by downloading select playlists. The worst thing about Spo-
hexoskin from page 9
vals and much more. With all this technology built into the shirt, you would think that washing it would be impossible and it would start to smell after awhile. However, that is not the case with Hexoskin, being that it’s machine washable in cold water, and it must be hung up to dry rather than putting it in the dryer. The shirt ‘s multiple sensors transfer the data to a small storage device kept in a pocket of the shirt. This device offers more than 150 hours of data recording. The Hexoskin data recorder can pair via Bluetooth with Android and iOS devices. This feature gives you instant access to all your fitness data. The fitness and training information can be transferred to a computer with the use of USB. Another useful Hexoskin feature is its ability to sync multiple shirts to one device, opening the opportunity for
tify is that you can only save playlists on the computer and mobile application (with a subscription), which means no saving individual artists or albums without creating a playlist. Rhapsody Rhapsody is another very good music-streaming service. It has the third-largest selection of songs for streaming music. Rhapsody has a subscription option for $15 per month, where you can use the subscription on three mobile devices. If you have two friends you could each pay $5 and have Rhapsody on all three phones. It also has a $10 subscription fee for one mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows phones and Blackberry). Rhapsody also allows you to sort your favorite music and download music in the app by artist and album. This is a more useful feature than Spotify’s use of playlists. The negatives of Rhapsody are that it doesn’t have as much music as Spotify or Rdio, and there are no applications for Macs. There is an application for Windows PC and you can listen on a web browser. In the end, there are dozens of music services out there. However, these are the three with the largest song selections and widest variety of services. If you are wondering whether or not it’s worth it to pay for a service like this, try it out first. All these services offer a free trial. How many CDs do you purchase a month? If it’s more than $10, it might be worth it for you to invest that money in a massive library of music. When you find music you really love, you can always buy it on CD. Music-streaming services are great for the music lover. Marcus Seegers may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.
trainers or coaches to monitor groups of people as they train together. The Hexoskin opens the market to new and smarter fitness trackers, with the use of better sensors, smarter monitoring and more analysis of health data. This technology is perfect for athletes of all kinds and provides the opportunity for individual and group training. The Hexoskin is still in the funding stage with several options for funding the project, including $39 up to $10,999 depending on which package you choose and how much you want to spend. The estimated delivery of the product after funding is complete is January 2014. If you are serious about your fitness, check out the available packages, and those who help with funding will receive discounts. Marcus Seegers may be reached at theprospectordaily. ent@gmail.com.
PAGE 11 September 24, 2013
Sports Laufasa making an early impression Editor
Edwin Delgado, 747-7477
By Javier Cortez The Prospector Darrin Laufasa, freshman running back made his name known in his breakout game against the Aggies, rushing for 74 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns. His biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter as he blew past New Mexico State’s defense with a 45yard touchdown run. After the first three games, Laufasa has ran for 103 yards averaging 5.7 per carry. “He’s a really hard worker, being a freshman he’s doing really good,” said junior running back Nathan Jeffery said. “He’s really surprised me with the runs that he had. He’s a big back that can run the ball and so far he’s doing really good.” It might be Laufasa’s first year of college football, but the sport has been a part of his life from a young age in his hometown of Bothell, Wash., Laufasa has been serious about football for quite some time now. “My parents got me into it and my oldest brother was already playing. The youngest you can start playing in Washington was at 6, so that’s how it all started,” Laufasa said. “I’ve always had aspirations about playing in college and around that time I started working out and became really adamant about staying focused on football.” Coming into this season, Laufasa was a three-star recruit and the No. 9 player in the state of Washington, and the No. 15-ranked fullback in the nation by ESPN/Scouts. It was almost a certainty that Laufasa would be
spending his Saturday’s in the Northwest since he was heavily recruited Brigham Young. His two older brothers were playing for Washington State, but some good timing and luck played into Laufasa’s coming to UTEP. “The reason why I came here was because one of the coaches that was recruiting me at Washington State moved down here and that’s when I found out about UTEP,” Laufasa said. “I fell in love with UTEP when he started recruiting me and that’s how it all started.” Laufasa might be a newcomer, but he already brings another element to the Miners’ run game. Throughout his high school career, Laufasa spent time as running back and fullback, which brings great variety to the UTEP backfield. “In high school I split time between running back and fullback,” Laufasa said, “I did a little of both, mostly fullback my senior year.” The Miners have plenty of speed in the backfield with Jeffery and fellow freshman running back Aaron Jones, but there is one key attribute that Laufasa brings power. “Each one of us are different types of runner,” Jones said, “You have your short down back (Nathan), speed back (Aaron), and your power back (Darrin), I feel like we all fit in well, and Darrin especially, he did a great job last week (against New Mexico State) and I’m proud of him.” Running backs coach Cornell Jackson simply wants Laufasa to continue to be himself and work hard. “He has the size, the speed, good hands and he’s a tough kid,” Jackson
Aaron Montes / The Prospector Freshman running back Darrin Laufasa gets past two Aggie defensive backs to score on his first career touchdown on Sept. 14. said. “My expectations for Darrin are for him to continue to be the complete player that he is, and overall continue to contribute to this football team.” Laufasa also has developed a very tight friendship with fellow freshman back Jones and both try to help each other improve.
“Ever since the first day on campus, since summer school, we’ve been hanging,” Jones said. “We’ve created a really good relationship and we trust each other.” With most of the season still ahead of the recently declared kinesiology major, Laufasa said his focus is on the
team, his studies, and at the end of the day, practicing hard. “If you practice exactly how you play, as you see from last week, we’ll be good,” Laufasa said. “My main focus is just coming out and practicing hard.” Javier Cortez may be reached at theprospectordaily. sports@gmail.com.
Mental strength the key for success for Gina Soto By Luis Barrio The Prospector
File Photo / The Prospector Senior midlfielder Gina Soto dribbles her way to the UC Riverside penalty box on Sept. 6 at University Field.
Gina Soto, senior midfielder, said that she takes after her father when it comes to spontaneity. But when it comes to soccer and her ambition to improve, she sticks to the same concepts, patience and attention to detail like her mother. Acknowledging that she was a little immature when she started her collegiate career, she feels the experience and coaches have helped her grow a lot in the past four years. “I was one of those freshmen that were young-minded and wild. I wanted to do everything at once,” Soto said. For Soto, experience comes from mental toughness and focus, which she believes has been the area in which she has improved the most during her UTEP career. “Mentally, I’ve progressed significantly from my freshman to senior year,” Soto said. “As time went on, you learn to set your priorities straight and focus on the things that actually matter.” Soto attributes the improvement of her mental strength to a number of people, but none more than her current roommate and former UTEP tennis player Carolina DeLuca. Soto simply put it, “she’s amazing.” Soto was born and raised in Provo, Utah, but is considered a local girl. Her father moved the family around a lot. “I went to a lot of high schools. My Dad is very spontaneous,” Soto said.
“I came to El Paso for two months and went to El Dorado, and then we moved back to Provo.” She returned to El Paso two months later for her senior year and attended Coronado High School. Her roots in soccer go back to when she was seven years old. Her mother played at a competitive level in her native country of Venezuela, where the popular sports are baseball and volleyball. “Soccer has always been my passion. It was my mom that started me out and developed me as a player,” Soto said. Soto has started in 36 games in her career and is one of the seniors leading this year’s squad. She has contributed scoring to the team’s 11-6 scoring ratio over its opponents. The UTEP women’s soccer team has started with six wins in their nonconference schedule before starting to compete in a tough league such as Conference-USA. Mackenzie German, one of Soto’s teammates, said Soto has displayed technically sound skills all her career. “She puts herself out there and leads by example,” German said. “She has great touch, the ball just sticks to her when she dribbles.” Based on Soto’s expectations, the Miners are in a great position to stand out and win their conference. The Miners are off to a 7-2-1 start before conference play begins when they face Rice on Sept. 27 at Universi-
As time goes on, you learn to to set your priorities straight and focus on things that actually matter.
- Gina Soto, senior midfielder. ty Field. Despite the new teams added to the conference, Soto said she has high expectations for the team. “We definitely want to win our conference and make the NCAA tournament,” Soto said. “I think this year, our team’s been a lot closer than we’ve ever been; it helps us to play together on the field.” Luis Barrio may be reached at theprospectordaily. sports@gmail.com.
THEPROSPECTOR
| 12 | SPORTS
September 24, 2013
Valencia brings the energy to the team
scoreboard
By Ellisia Shafer
Sept. 21 UTSA 32-13 UTEP
The Prospector A local girl from San Elizario, Texas, senior defensive specialist Victoria Valencia is set to give her all in the final season of her collegiate career. Valencia just received All-Tournament Honors over the weekend at the UTEP invitational volleyball tournament, in which the Miners swept Texas Southern University, 3-0. Now in her senior year, Valencia remembers transitioning from highschool divisional play in San Elizario, to becoming a key contributor on the volleyball court. “When I got here to UTEP, the game was a lot harder, a lot quicker, so the transition was a wake-up call for me to work harder, especially with the pace of the game,” Valencia said. “With time and effort, I was able to adjust and I try to bring lot of energy to the team, positivity.” While playing in San Elizario, Valencia received the El Paso Times’ AllCity First Team three times. She was named to the 4A All-District Team in 2009 and led San Elizario High School to a district championship in 2007 and 2008. Valencia was ranked nationally as 7,220 and 631st in Texas, while maintaining a hitting percentage of .484 and averaging 112 sets played as a starter. Valencia contributed to the team by defensively helping to secure five digs in the 3-0 victory over Texas Southern on Sept. 14. She leads the team in digs and served aces. Head coach Holly Watts said Valencia also helps contribute to the team in other ways, beginning with her attitude. “She helps to bring a lot of energy to the team,” Watts said. “She brings a lot of chemistry because she works well with everyone and is very consistent and acts as a good leader.
football
Soccer Sept. 20 UTEP 4-3 Northern Arizona Sept. 22 UTEP 2-1 Southern Utah
Volleyball Sept. 20 South Dakota State 0-3 UTEP (14-25, 1625, 25-27)
Aaron Montes / The Prospector Senior defensive specialist Victoria Valencia digs a shot from Hampton in front of head coach Holly Watts on Sept. 21 at Memorial Gym. Senior middle blocker Xitiali Herrera describes Valencia as a motivator. “It’s fun playing with her,” Herrera said. “She is a good teammate and does a good job in pushing everyone by always having a lot of energy on the court and making sure we all give 100 percent.” Continuing to play the sport that she began at the age of 9, Valencia credits her success thus far to great family support, the ability to adapt and working hard. “My family are the ones that dragged me into the sport,” Valencia said. “There are four of us and all of us played sports, so we
all went to each other’s games and supported each other–I grew up with that family support.” Looking back on her career at UTEP, Valencia said she is thankful to have been a part of the team and remembers her most memorable moment as a Miner. “My favorite moment as a Miner for sure was when we beat Tulsa in five games and the feeling of playing in Hawaii this past month–the atmosphere and having every seat filled was just a great feeling,” Valencia said. Valencia is optimistic about what the Miners will be able to accomplish this season, but she also has plans for
life after UTEP. She is currently planning on graduating in May 2014 with a degree in physical therapy. She then plans to continue her education. “This semester, I am applying for some physical therapy schools,” Valencia said. “I am applying to four schools and I find out in the spring semester if I am accepted to either one of them. So if and when I get accepted, I look forward to pursuing my degree.” Ellisia Shafer may be reached at theprospectordaily. sports@gmail.com.
Sept. 21 Hampton 1-3 UTEP (22-25, 16-25, 25-19, 18-25)
Women’s Golf Sept. 21 Women’s Golf Caps Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire invitational in 15th. The Miners shot 317 in each of the final two rounds, recording a 54-hole total of 943.
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