VOL . 103, NO. 5
By CHristian vasquez The Prospector
When people ask Kenneth Chacón why he still dresses like a cholo—a Chicano with a bald head and tattoos—as a tenured professor, he tells them, “when a homeboy or a homegirl walks into my classroom, I want to say, ‘Ora, cholos welcome.’” “No Cholos Allowed: A Reading and Discussion on Cholos & Pachucos,” featured two brothers and writers from Fresno, California, Daniel Chacón, chair of creative writing at UTEP, and Kenneth Chacón, chair of the English Department in Fresno City College. A reading in honor of the book’s release was held at the Tomás Rivera Conference Center on Sept. 22. The brothers were estranged for years, and during this time, neither of them knew they were writing. When they reconciled, they discovered they were both coming out with a book with the word cholo in the title in the same month. Daniel’s book is “The Cholo Tree” and Kenneth’s first published book is a collection of poetry called “The Cholo Who Said Nothing.” “It’s not only interesting that we both decided to come out with books with cholo in the title and on some level deal with characters as cholos, but also that we’re writing about cholos in the first place,” Daniel said. “Because the fact is Chicano literature, Latino literature, is in a place where nobody writes about cholos anymore, nobody cares about cholos anymore, no-
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
body wants to represent Chicanos through a cholo.” Daniel’s novel, “The Cholo Tree,” is about an artist frequently mistaken for a cholo. Victor doesn’t think of himself as a cholo, though his mom thinks otherwise, and eventually finds himself drawn into the culture, partly because everyone thinks he already is one. “‘I’m not a cholo,’ I repeated,” Daniel writes in his book. “More for me than for her, because I knew she wasn’t listening to me. I started to wonder why so many adults thought I was a thug, which is what she had meant, by a cholo.” Daniel told a story of himself during high school, where, still insecure, he rode in a car with some real cholos on the way to lunch. This was his inspiration for Victor. “I was thinking that later on even though I wasn’t a cholo, the fact is in reality, whatever that means to you, I was a cholo. Because if somebody were driving by our car as we’re passing the joint around, they’re going to look in the car and say ‘Oh, it’s a car full of cholos,’ they’re not going to say ‘Oh, there’s two cholos in the front, and two chicano guys who really aren’t supposed to be there and are a little nervous about it,’” Daniel said. To many, the cholo represents the violent and misogynistic culture that surrounds gang culture, Daniel said. To dress like a cholo often means that others will assume you are in a gang, whether it’s true or not. This is also reflected in early Chicano literature that
see CHOLO on page 3
september 26, 2017
PAGE 2 september 26, 2017
OPINION
EDITOR-IN-CHIEf
ADRIAN BROADDUS , 747-7477
Kneeling players hit new low By JereMy CarranCo The Prospector
Sunday’s are all about the NFL. It’s a day to kick back and enjoy some football or get nervous, hoping your team pulls out a win, which can be fun in a strange and ironic way. Unfortunately, this past Sunday the attention around the league was not on the games, but what took place pregame during the national anthem. Many NFL players and staff members responded to President Trump’s recent comments against kneeling or sitting as a form of protest against police brutality aimed at black Americans during the national anthem by kneeling again, but this time in mass numbers as a team. The protest started right away with Sunday’s early kickoff between the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Most of the time you may see two to three players taking a knee in protest, this time it was a majority of players on both the Ravens and Jaguars sharing their sentiments by kneeling. Taking a knee or sitting during the national anthem became a trend during the last NFL season when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, decided to do so in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. Although Kaepernick remains a free agent this season, several NFL players have continued the protest. Sadly, some teams didn’t even show up on the field for the anthem on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers announced before the game that they would not even come out on the field for the anthem, but instead remain in the locker room until its conclusion. Head coach for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin told CBS that the reason they did not want to come out on the field was because his team did not “want to play politics,” yet, ironically, they did by doing just that. One Steeler player decided that staying in the locker room was not the best decision. Offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger veteran of the United States, still came out and put his hand over his heart while standing in the tunnel during the national anthem. Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in his postgame press conference on Sunday that if his team was going to be united that they needed to “all stand and
look at the flag, be at attention with feet at 10 and two, our left hand down on the side, right hand on our hearts and listen to the national anthem.” As a fan of the Tennessee Titans, I was disappointed when not a single Titans player was on the field for the national anthem before their game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks themselves made the same decision, as not a single player came out to honor the flag and its anthem. According to the NFL rulebook, the failure to be on the field for the anthem may result in discipline such as a fine, suspension or loss of a draft pick. The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league rulebook and it states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.” But a league official said the key phrase is “may result,” adding he won’t speculate on whether the Steelers would be disciplined. This shows you where the NFL stands on this issue and sadly it’s changing the meaning for football on Sunday for these players, which influences fans more than anybody. Although I understand the rights we have in this country and reasons for the players’ protest, its spread and evolvement of it in this form has reached a point of what I call ridiculous. Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy protested on Sunday by stretching on his knees throughout the national anthem, the only Bills player not standing, making his actions look much more ridiculously obvious. Patriots fans even booed their own team during the national anthem when some players decided to take a knee. It’s truly upsetting that fans, who want to respect the anthem, aren’t because they are so distracted and angry at what their players are doing. While Sunday’s tensions rose throughout the league and spread to
nearly every game, protesting even reached Major League Baseball on Saturday, when Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell took a knee during the national anthem before their game against the Texas Rangers, making him the first MLB player in history to do so. “My decision had been coming for a long time,” Maxwell said when speaking to the media after Saturday’s game. “The only way we can come together is by informing...To single out NFL players for doing this isn’t something we should be doing—I felt it should be a little more broad.” I rarely speak out about political issues because it’s a constant fight and there is always something to argue about. However, as a huge sports fan I have become annoyed, frustrated and angry that it has reached the sporting world and to the level that it has risen. I am also worried about where professional sports are heading with this fight. What if teams want to start protesting during the game too? Will teams “not want to play politics” then? If so, it sounds like teams will not even play the game they love. Our country is not under the best leadership at this moment and I acknowledge that, but where is taking a knee and sitting during the time when we honor our country going to take us? The NFL is the biggest stage in all of sports, and many players have influence on not just the fans at the game, but on the millions of viewers who watch these games every Thursday, Sunday and Monday. Think of all the children who look up to these athletes every Sunday. Will they start taking a knee and thinking the national anthem is a negative thing? They already have. An 8-year-old youth football team in Cahokia, Illinois, all took a knee with their coaches at a Sept. 19 game as a result of what the NFL players have decided to do. No, I do not agree with Trump that we should “fire” the players who kneel, but I honestly do believe that this level of protest is and will not accomplish anything for real change. The changes must come from the politicians and I highly doubt they’ll be influenced by these athletes. The world is hurting with racism and violence creeping back up in numbers as of late, but the sporting world has decided to do something about it and it’s simply not working. Follow Jeremy Carranco on Twitter @JCarranco22
WhaT Do you ThiNK? This week’s poll question:
Do you believe Nfl players should be allowed to kneel during the national anthem?
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SPEAK YOUR MIND
Not protesting is what is really un-American By Jason Green The Prospector
Almost one year ago today, I wrote a column about Colin Kaepernick and the stand–or knee–that he was taking in response to his perceived racial inequality and police brutality toward African-Americans in the United States. This was during the Obama administration. A year later, we are 10 months into the Donald Trump administration and things are so much better! Racial inequality has been solved. White supremacy has virtually disappeared, and the protests in the NFL are all but non-existent thanks to the famed negotiating prowess of our president. Just kidding. At a recent campaign rally—yes, campaign rally—Trump brought up NFL players who kneel during the anthem and said that he would love to see the team owners say, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. He’s fired.” This is very similar to the comments that Trump made when White Supremacists wreaked havoc in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he said that all of the Nazis, KKK members and “alt-right” should also be fired from their jobs for their views on immigrants and minorities. Oh wait, no… he didn’t. Instead, he chose to criticize the NFL players, who are peacefully protesting to bring attention to racial inequality in the United States. Trump chose to point out the disrespect to the national anthem and the flag. Never once mentioning any reason behind it. Everyone gets super patriotic at sporting events for some reason. It’s just inherently patriotic, I guess–the soldiers, the fly overs. It’s all just so natural and… American. Well, not so fast my friend. In 2015, it was reported that the NFL had been paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.4 million for “paid patriotism” by the U.S. government, according to a report by the office of Senator John McCain. The Indianapolis Colts accepted taxpayer money from the National Guard for the use of a suite, autographed items and appearances from cheerleaders. Many military members appeared on field to hold the giant flags that have become ubiquitous with the NFL and it’s all-natural brand of patriotism that the president loves so much. While we have a second, let’s talk about those giant flags. Perhaps the president–and the NFL–is familiar with the US Flag Code: Chapter 10.176C, which reads “The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.” This would mean that any giant flag carried flat across a football field would be in violation. But, I digress. Beginning on Sunday morning, the leader of the free world tweeted a total of
12 times about the NFL and the anthem/ flag controversy that he created. NFL players responded to what they felt was an attack by Trump during his speech in Alabama by taking a knee during the anthem, joining arms in solidarity or in some cases not coming out for the anthem at all. Although some saw this as the ultimate sign of disrespect, in my opinion, this was probably more of an attempt to stay out of the controversy as much as possible. Worsening the situation for the Steelers, who stayed in the locker room during the anthem, was the appearance in the tunnel by lineman Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva is a graduate of West Point and is a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan. As a retired enlisted soldier, I can fully understand why Villanueva did what he did. In my 13 years and numerous deployments in the Army, I learned a lot about myself and a lot about race. In 2016, the officer ranks were 72 percent white, 11 percent black and 7 percent Hispanic. The enlisted ranks were 53 percent white, 24 percent black and 16 percent Hispanic. Compare this to the 13.3 percent black minority and 17.8 percent Hispanic minority in America. Why would a president, who refuses to chastise White Supremacists, target the NFL? I don’t know. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the league’s make-up is 68 percent black could it? There were also the tweets about the NBA, where the Golden State Warriors were “uninvited” to the White House. The league is 74.4 percent black and 47.5 percent of fans are black or Hispanic. There was the one about the NHL’s champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, being invited to the White House instead. The NHL is 93 percent white and 92 percent of its fans are white. There was also the one about NASCAR and it’s “supporters,” who won’t stand for the flag being disrespected. NASCAR’s fans are 94 percent white and the Monster Energy Series – the top series in the sport – currently lists no black drivers. All of that being said, this is entirely about the American flag and the national anthem, according to Trump. It has nothing to do with race, despite the fact that the original protest was entirely about race. It has to do with disrespecting our troops somehow. Well, as one of our troops, I will tell you that I do not feel disrespected when someone uses one of their American rights. I did not fight for a piece of fabric with red, white and blue printing on it. I did not fight for a piece of music. I damn sure did not fight so that black people can be racially profiled and murdered in the streets due to the color of their skin. Until we are all treated equally by the police and those in office, there is a reason to protest at sporting events and anywhere else. It is not disrespectful. It is our right as Americans. Follow Jason Green on Twitter @greenevansj
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THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | 3 |
September 26, 2017
To be a cholo can be a matter of selfidentification, a matter of identifying with a particular style, while at the same time not necessarily embracing those historically negative aspects of the subculture - Daniel Chacón
gaby velasquez / The Prospector Kenneth Chacón debuted his collection of poetry called “The Cholo Who Said Nothing.”
CHOLO from page 1 joint around, they’re going to look in the car and say ‘Oh, it’s a car full of cholos,’ they’re not going to say ‘Oh, there’s two cholos in the front, and two Chicano guys who really aren’t supposed to be there and are a little nervous about it,’” Daniel said. To many, the cholo represents the violent and misogynistic culture that surrounds gang culture, Daniel said. To dress like a cholo often means that others will assume you are in a gang, whether it’s true or not. This is also reflected in early Chicano literature that was masculine and violent toward women. Turning away from cholos in literature represents moving away from that toxic masculinity, Daniel said, and now the most prominent authors are women.
“What I’m saying with my book is there’s more nuances today to what it is to be a cholo. Because to be a cholo can be a matter of self-identification, a matter of identifying with a particular style, while at the same time not necessarily embracing those historically negative aspects of the subculture,” Daniel said. While Kenneth claims to not speak for the cholo, he joined the Fresno Bulldogs street gang at 16-years-old and embraced those negative aspects of cholo life. “The style of dress, the talk, the refusal to accept an inferior role despite poverty, and often a rocky home life, the pride of being who you are. That’s what led me from being a cholo to a gangster, and there is a difference,” Kenneth said. “I mistook being a Bulldog for showing pride in who I was.”
Kenneth says that in his experience, the three main aspects of cholo life are fortuna, familia and muerte (fortune, family and death). His crew was his family—the whole gang even got matching tattoos on the chest, over their hearts, of a bulldog. He eventually found poetry, left the scene and got his master of fine arts degree in poetry from California State University. His past may seem like a lifetime ago, but there are times when it resurfac-
es. When introducing the gang he was a part of he said, “we” and “us” several times before catching himself and remarking that it was his old life showing up. Kenneth’s collection of poetry, “The Cholo Who Said Nothing,” is about his previous life and his new one. “I’m here telling these stories of homeboys that I grew up with, the ones that are still alive, the ones that are not in prison.” Kenneth said. “I’ve told them, ‘Hey I’m going to talk about you guys’ and I can’t imagine that they ever thought their lives would have been presented at the university. I mean, to them it seems like they don’t matter–no cholos allowed.” He writes in his poem “My tattoos still speak,” “Should I lead the quiet life of a graduate/letting people point to me as proof that you can get out/whipping out my degree whenever I hear my tattoos speaking too loudly/should I dance around the English department of central California community colleges/ become a full-time adjunct instructor dressed in tweed and targets reciting my favorite lines from twelfth night/wouldn’t that be like erasing my life’s true poem?” Follow Christian Vasquez on Twitter @chrismvasq
THEPROSPECTOR
| 4 | NEWS
September 26, 2017
Escobar sees experience as important element in Congressional race
file photo / The Prospector Veronica Escobar is running for Beto O’Rourke’s spot for Texas’ 16th Congressional District.
By eddie velazquez The Prospector On Aug. 25, Veronica Escobar filed paperwork to begin a campaign for Texas’ 16th Congressional District, a seat currently occupied by Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who is running for the Texas Senate against Ted Cruz. If elected, Escobar will be the first Latina Texas elect to Congress. Escobar said she feels like experience is one of the main factors that make her a viable candidate to represent El Paso in Congress.
“Any time I have looked to hire someone, whether it be a department head at the county, or someone on my own staff at the county or someone on my campaign team, one of the important components of the hiring process is looking at experience. I think experience is valuable and is especially important in governing,” Escobar said. “I hope El Pasoans have come to know me as an experienced and trusted leader who’s proven herself, and I know I’m ready for the next level and I don’t just have the commitment to public service that is proven by hav-
ing served for a decade, but I hope people have come to know my deep love and loyalty for El Paso.” Escobar described her formative years in El Paso as a time of recession for the city, former county commissioner and currently county judge, Escobar said she is the only one out of the five siblings to return to her roots. “When I was growing up in El Paso, unfortunately it was in decline. We had lost a number of jobs, our downtown was becoming a ghost town, we were losing talent at record levels that were unprecedented and we were losing jobs,” Escobar said. “I was part of a generation that felt that there was not a whole lot for us in El Paso.” Escobar, 47, received her undergraduate degree in English literature from UTEP and moved to New York City to pursue her master’s degree in the same field at New York University, citing a desire to live in a major urban center and an affinity for the East Coast as decisive factors behind her move. After a brief stay at NYU, Escobar wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in Chicano literature, however, the program in New York was not as extensive as she would have liked. “I wanted to work on a Ph.D. on the West Coast because I was very interested in Chicano literature and NYU just didn’t have that and there was no way that I’d have an opportunity to study something that inspired me and that motivated me at NYU, that was not going to happen,” she said. Her plan was to move to the West Coast to any of the California Statesystem universities in order to get a better exposure to a broader Chicano literature program. She’d also planned to make a brief stop in El Paso and make use of her master’s
degree to teach and pay off some of her college debt. Her return to El Paso marked one of the first moments she found a calling for public service. “As soon as I got back to El Paso, I just reconnected on a level that I can’t even articulate. I fell in love with the city in a way that I had never been in love with it before,” she said. “I saw it with different eyes and that was the value of my time in New York–is that I had enough time, that I understood what a magical and special place El Paso is, and at that point, there was no way of getting me out of this community and I was ready to settle in and pitch in.” In 2006, she had one of her first forays into local politics. She was elected county commissioner for precinct two. After a full term and amid a dubious criminal complaint from former County Judge Anthony Cobos that was later dismissed as “frivolous and without factual basis,” Escobar succeeded Cobos as the county judge in 2010. Her current term ends in December 2018. She also said her goal of improving transparency in the county is a source of legitimacy going into the 2018 race. “Four of my predecessors have plead guilty to federal crimes; Betty Flores the county commissioner I preceded, Anthony Cobos, the county judge I preceded, Luther Jones and Dolores Briones, county judges who preceded me,” Escobar said. “When you put that into context, I think it demonstrates that it took a lot of hard work and courage to turn the organization around.” Running with the Democratic Party, Escobar plans to continue making a push for health care and border is-
I hope El Pasoans have come to know me as an experienced and trusted leader who’s proven herself. - Veronica Escobar Congressional candidate sues, platforms that have carried over from her time in office at the county. “I have a record of expanding access to affordable healthcare, for creating a strong professional reformed government, and I also have a record for standing up for the border and El Paso. I will continue to push those values in Washington,” she said. “Additionally, I will push for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform.” Economically, she also wants to see that trade agreement renegotiations such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) take El Paso’s needs into consideration. “I want to also work to ensure that if there are any trade negotiations that happen, that El Paso’s needs and issues are at the table. That may be completed, it may be done in a year, maybe done in two, it may drag on for three or four years, we don’t know what’s ahead with the renegotiation of NAFTA, but trade is an important component of our economy,” she said. “A quarter of our jobs locally are at
see escobar on page 5
THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | 5 |
september 26, 2017
A look at August & september’s natural disasters hUrrICANE ProBLEMs
The Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean have been struck by five major hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey was the first one in the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.
EArThQUAKEs hIT MEXICo
On Sept. 7, Mexico was struck by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, the most powerful to hit the country in a century. Only 12 days later, on the anniversary of the 1985 earthquake, Mexico was hit by a 7.1 earthquake that caused severe damage, as buildings collapsed killing hundreds of people. The death toll for both disasters has topped 300. Another earthquake occurred in Oaxaca state on Sept. 23 making it the third earthquake in the country in less than a month.
graPhic by aleJaNDra goNzalez / The ProsPecTor
esCObar from page 4
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tributable to trade and that is an issue of tremendous importance for El Pasoans.” Escobar also wants to make college education more accessible and she said that young people shouldn’t have to bankrupt their future to get a college degree. “I think we should either allow college tuition to be tax deductible or the federal government should expand access to grants and forgivable loans in order to get more people into college,” she said. “It is in our best interest as a nation that we have an educated, highly trained, highly motivated workforce. That’s how America will stay competitive, and we are not gonna get there if we make it difficult for young people to attain a college education.” She also wants to work to provide legal protection for DACA recipients. “While I was very disappointed in Trump’s actions, I do feel it is an opportunity for Congress to act and create permanent protection for DACA recipients as well as a path to citizenship,” she said. O’Rourke publicly endorsed Escobar via a YouTube video on Aug. 26, when she made the campaign announcement public. “She’s honest, she’s strong, she’s principled and she will fight for everyone in El Paso,” O’Rourke said in his endorsement. Escobar is a strong supporter of O’Rourke and one of the things he’s done that she would like to build on is accessibility. Coming home frequently and frequent town hall meetings are two of the things she said she would like to continue from O’Rourke’s current term. “There are members of Congress who make D.C. their semi-permanent home and it removes them from the constituencies they need to hear from and the ones they keep them accountable,” she said. Her candidacy, however, won’t be uncontested. According to paperwork filed with the Federal Election Commission, former El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) Board President Dori Fenenbock, lawyer Enrique Garcia and high school teacher Nicole Leclair are all running for the Democratic nomination. Cory Roen, who ran for the same position in 2014, is the only official candidate from the Republican Party. “We want contested races, we want competitive races. I think we should want to have a great debate of ideas and to have candidates who have to go to the people before they go on to that office,” Escobar said.
WA
For more information visit:
sa.utep.edu/cass
sa.utep.edu/cass/events/ability-awareness-week
R
OPENING SESSION
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
E D U C AT I O N A L S E M I N A R S
Monday, Oct.16 Tomás Rivera Conference Center, Union Bldg. East 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Welcoming Reception 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Program and Recognition awards.
/CASSatUTEP
Monday, Oct.16 Don Haskins Center 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. El Paso Air Wheelers vs the Wounded Warriors Halftime: UTEP Cheerleaders & Paydirt Pete.
UTEPCASS
UTEPCASS
Tuesday, Oct.17 College of Education, Room 302 9:00 - 10:20 a.m. Domestic Violence 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Service and Assistance Animals. Thursday, Oct.19 Acacia Room, Room 102A, Union Bldg. East 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. “My Disability is not an Inability” 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. NASPA Grant funded “CapABLE Voices: The Photovoice of Students with Disabilities” Reception.
SPECIAL PROGRAM
RESOURCE & CAREER FAIR
SOCIAL JUSTICE SEMINARS
Wednesday, Oct. 18 8:30 – 10:45 a.m. Tomás Rivera Conference Center, Union Bldg. East Building STEM Pathways for Students with Disabilities Engaging talks and activities along with a keynote presentation by Dr. Jeanine Cook, Principal Member Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories and Dr. Dean C. Hines, Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute. Wednesday, Oct.18 Centennial Plaza 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Employers, disability support and technical assistance exhibitors. Information, activities and door prizes. Friday, Oct.20 El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center (EPNGCC) 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. “Pillow Talk” Topics: Online dating, body image & health disparities. 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. “State Violence & the Disability Community” Panel: Patterns of state violence in disability communities.
| 6 | NEWS
THEPROSPECTOR
September 26, 2017
PAGE 7 September 26, 2017
entertainment
Editor
Eddie Velazquez , 747-7477
UTEP professor steps off center stage and into a new stage By Elenie Gonzalez The Prospector
It’s 1926 in Chicago, well into the Prohibition era. After a night of boozing with a striking couple in a speakeasy, a young, blonde, bright-eyed woman ends up dead, and her dress, once a sparkling gold, is now crimson. Her killer? A vampire. If you ask UTEP Assistant Professor Kim McKean, she will tell you that they do exist. After all, she was the victim of that fateful night. This was a scene out of an episode of HBO’s hit series, “True Blood,” just one of the television shows McKean has appeared in. “It was a really fun process,” McKean said about her role as a vampire couple’s prey. Along with that show, she’s also done episodes of ABC’s “Private Practice” and CBS’ long-time fixture “CSI: Miami.” Having landed roles in these wellknown shows, it’s clear that McKean has a gift for acting. Most notably, McKean won an award for best actress in the 2011 New York International Film and TV Festival for her role in the independent short film “Pretty Twisted” (2009). The film also won first place for best short film at the festival. Like many actors in the industry, McKean got her start on the stage and was able to grow from a young thespian from Normal, Illinois, into a well-rounded, award-winning actress, producer and director, who now finds herself in the Sun City. She grew up attending the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and went on to pursue her bachelor of arts degree in acting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to arriving to El Paso, her acting journey had taken her from stages in Chicago to Los Angeles and into the Big Apple. During her time in Chicago, she was able to meet and work with famous play-
wright Tracy Letts, whose best work includes the 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County.” After moving to Los Angeles and working for a few years, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts at the University of California-Irvine. While living in New York, McKean taught at the New York Film Academy. At the same time, she continued passionately working in film, television and stage productions as an actress and director before deciding that she needed a change from big city living. “I liked New York, but I wanted to be in a community that I felt wasn’t oversaturated with everything, and then I happened upon El Paso,” McKean said. One thing she loves about El Paso so far is that there is a strong support for the arts community. “There is a lot of support in the community for the arts, and I would love to see more theater and film happening here. It’s on the brink and everyone I’ve met is so supportive of it,” McKean said. “It seems like a very nurturing place for young artists and actors, and a great place to stretch yourself and grow and take some chances.” From the stage to the small screen, McKean brought her talents to the UTEP Department of Theatre & Dance in 2016, and has already had an impact on her students and the university. “Kim is a relatively new addition to the theater department, but her impact can already be seen in the growth of her students,” said senior theater major Brandon Mullenix. “Having had her as a professor, I’ve been lucky enough to see her process and can tell you that it’s an exciting experience for my peers and I to see her bring out the best in all of us.” Currently, she teaches acting, directing and script analysis classes for both stage and screen, but she’s also directed a few mainstage plays during her short time here, including last year’s sold-out production of “Lydia” by local playwright Octavio Solis.
Nina Titovets/The Prospector ”The Importance of Being Earnest” will play at the Wise Family Theatre from Sept. 28-30 and Oct. 5-6 .
Nina Titovets/The Prospector Professor McKean has experience working on television shows such as “True Blood,” films such as “Rook” and plays such as “King Lear.” McKean felt the need to ensure that her students felt really connected to the play. She applied for a grant and was able to bring Solis into town to meet with the actors in the play. “She is really invested in our students,” said Adriana Dominguez, clinical professor and director of audience development. “Very rarely do actors get to meet the playwright on a work they are actually doing, and that to me spoke volumes that Kim really wanted our students to go through that process. I’m very grateful that she’s here and I think she’s a great asset to our community and university.” Her next project is the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” written by famed playwright Oscar Wilde, which opens Sept. 28 at the Wise Family Theatre. McKean is excited to show what her students can do. “This is a play that is very active and engaging, and hopefully will keep the audience on the edge of their seats,” McKean said. “We as a company and me as a director have really tried bringing the words to life in this play.” Dominguez is also eager for the audience to see this play. “It’s a fun, hilarious piece full of energy! The actors we have are top notch. The costumes are gorgeous,” Dominguez said. “The set is really cool, so people are going to see a lot of magic on stage as well in terms of the design as well.” Student actors in the production are equally excited to have McKean as a mentor and guide as they get ready to open the show. Senior theater major Gabriel Franco Kull has worked with McKean since her arrival at UTEP. He will be
starring as one of the lead actors of the play in his role as charming bachelor, Algernon Moncrieff. “This is my second show with Kim, I really love working with her. She makes you feel like she totally believes in you, which is awesome,” Kull said. Lauren Wagner, who plays female lead Cecily Cardew, attributed her artistic development to McKean. “It is an amazing opportunity to be directed by Kim. She has pushed me to be confident and make bigger choices,” Wagner said. “I’m excited for the audience to see all the hard work that the cast and crew has put in. This play’s humor comes from the relationship between the characters and we have a strong cast to showcase that!” While McKean has been working on directing plays and teaching students to become better actors, she has also continued to work on her artistry. Over the summer, she took a trip to Oregon to attend a month-long Meisner camp and become certified as a teacher in the Meisner technique, which is different from method acting. McKean describes the Meisner technique as one that trains actors to be genuinely spontaneous and genuinely present with who they are in the scene with. “It was a great opportunity to go back into the eyes of a student and get to relearn some of those things,” McKean said. She just finished shooting a film that was written and directed by UTEP graduate Robert Robles. Before getting in touch with McKean, Robles reached out to another professor Jay Stratton about the film, and he referred her to the actress and director. He
sent her the script for “Rook,” hoping to receive feedback and instead, she asked if she could read for one of the roles in the film, and she ended up getting the role. “Kim has a tireless work ethic and has very talented intuition in writing, acting and directing,” Robles said. “She was on set at 3 a.m. for the last part of production and still cracking smiles and helping with some aspects of the production outside of acting. It was a sincere privilege to work with her.” The film they worked on is about people not getting along when things get difficult and is set to premiere in next year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival. One of McKean’s goals is to direct a feature film. She also plans to continue working professionally as she lives in El Paso. She currently has an agent in Austin, whom she works with while she auditions for roles. “For me, it’s not about the fame, it’s about doing really good quality work. I think that’s really important as a teacher, to do the work so we can use that to help the students,” McKean said. “I love completely immersing myself in the character. When you’re really focused and present, everything else just goes away, and it’s almost like a form of meditation.” She also has some advice for aspiring actors. “Travel, read, work as hard as you possibly can, go to school, get a wellrounded education because all of those things are going to deepen your acting work and make you more versatile. To be a good actor, you really have to understand people,” she said. Follow Elenie Gonzalez on Twitter @eleniegonz
THEPROSPECTOR
| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT
September 19, 2017
‘Tittie Talk’ discusses local and state politics through a Latina’s perspective
Special to The Prospector Carla Lozano and Lola Vaughn have released 19 episodes of their audio show “Tittie Talk.”
By Daniel Mendez The Prospector It started off with an idea which sprang to life with a podcast. The “Tittie Talk Pod” podcast dares to push the Mexican American culture
forward, by expressing all points of views through a Latina’s perspective The “Tittie Talk” is a podcast for millennials, by millennials, that involves topics such as politics, news, pop culture and whatever else is going on in the world.
Carla Fernanda Lozano and Lola Vaughn, both 24, were born and raised in El Paso. They met in high school when they both attended Loretto Academy, and developed a friendship that changed due to some life obstacles. Vaughn left to another school, they both attended different universities and graduated with degrees in liberal arts. It wasn’t until seven months ago that the two rekindled their friendship. Now Vaughn a married mother of one, and Lozano, who lives in Austin, are the duo behind “Tittie Talk Pod.” The origins of “Tittie Talk Pod” are simple, The duo started recording when Vaughn approached Lozano about being part of a podcast, and she was instantly in. “I’m a stay-at-home mom, besides taking care of my baby, I don’t do much, so I needed something to do and I knew my husband would back me up because he does podcasting,” Vaughn said. “I knew I had to reach out to someone who I was really good friends, who was creative and had a background in branding and that’s what she (Lozano) does.” Lozano described the weekly audio show as a variety show with news both state and local. “Our discourse has kind of turned into this really digestible form of like news, that ranges through politics, local news from El Paso and local news in Austin, and then we end up focusing on female-centered views,” Lozano said. The idea for the name came after brainstorming ideas related to the female gender. “We were honestly just chatting on Gchat and were just spitting out names and was like obviously were thinking like chat, talk, conversation and then I was like ‘what if we do tête-à-tête,’ you know in French that means chat, but I was like we got to insert some type of female innuendo and we were like
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‘boobs, butts and then we were like titties,’” Lozano said. “Then I was like tête-à-tit, that really didn’t flow that well, then she was like tittie talk. ‘Tittie Talk,’ it just kind of like clicked.” Throughout the podcast’s current run, Lozano and Vaughn created, “Latinas in the digital space” a segment dedicated to having young Latina creatives be guests on the show and discuss their lives, what they do and how they’ve used social media as a tool. So far the guests have been from El Paso and Austin, with possibly their first male guest on the way. “When we started the podcast,
We didn’t have a direction of what we wanted to do, but slowly our conversation was very focused on both us being female and Mexican.
- Lola Vaughn, co-creator of “Tittie Talk”
we didn’t have a direction of what we wanted to do, but slowly our conversation was very focused on both of us being female and both of us being Mexican,” Vaughn said. “It was important for us to, I think, recognize Latinas, just like us, who are doing amazing and creative things in their field, and I think sometimes it goes very unnoticed, so Carla was like, ‘dude let’s use our platform to highlight these women.’” On Friday, Sept. 22, Lozano and Vaughn hosted a networking event in El Paso. The goal was to introduce El Paso to something that doesn’t often happen here. “It was important for us because we are both from here and it was important to touch base with our local community before we touch base outside. Carla has been to a lot of network events in Austin.
It’s common over there, and here in El Paso, it’s not common at all. I’ve been living here three or four years,” Vaughn said. “There’s nothing that’s really interactive for young creative people, which I think sometimes is easy to stray away from and focus on people with business degrees, people who want to be nurses, all that is cool. But what happens to the people that studied graphic design and sometimes I feel like it’s easy to lose focus on those types of people.” The goal was to take away social media and interact with everybody and get introduced to creative people. “This event was catered to let’s take away all social media outside, like get together in one room and just like meet and chat and have the liberty to,” Vaughn said. “Once this event is over you guys can connect outside of this event, know who you guys are and create collaborations. That really is the thing that make things happen. Carla and I collaborated to make a podcast. We hoped that from this event there are tens of thousands of collaborations that happen,” Vaughn said. Some criticism states that Vaughn and Lozano have pigeonholed themselves by catering to one specific audience, but that doesn’t faze the creators at all. “Listen, right now with the way things are with our political climate amongst society, the only thing that matters is representation and whether you think we’ve pigeonholed ourselves or not, we don’t care,” Lozano said. “We don’t see this as being pigeonholed, we see this as amazing visibility that is to relevant right now and has been relevant forever. But it’s now on a platform and we’re going to keep that momentum going. Even though if were not reaching all females, which we’d love to, but it’s important for us and to represent the community.” The podcast can be found on the podcast app on iOS devices, SoundCloud and tittietalkpodcast. wordpress.com. Daniel Mendez may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.
THEPROSPECTOR
ENTERTAINMENT | 9 |
September 19, 2017
Time to let NCAA athletes earn a profit off themselves By augie touris The Prospector
It’s been a tumultuous week in this country. Amidst the headlines over hurricanes and national protests, this article will leave those topics to the pros. Ryan Trahan, a runner at Texas A&M, was recently ruled ineligible to compete due to a YouTube channel, where he promotes a company he started. His channel revolves around his habits and works to assist other aspiring runners to improve their games. The NCAA is notoriously selfish with its athletes. The debate over whether student athletes should be paid has raged on for many years now. Many issues have arisen, from how the stipulations would be made, to the logistics of how participants in other sports that may not bring in money for the university to receive pay. The idea that student-athletes cannot profit off themselves is outrageously asinine. This restriction applies to many
things from jersey sales to posters, or anything with the athletes’ likeness on it. So basically, when a football player at a major university becomes immensely successful, they receive none of the profits that they generate for their schools. A football team typically has 100 players on its roster, with more than 80 being on scholarship. Those on scholarships have their tuition paid for. They receive textbooks and a stipend per month for rent and bills–usually $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the university and cost of living in the state. With rent, car, phone, groceries and other bills taken out, the athletes are usually left with a couple hundred bucks when it’s all said and done. So for the sake of argument, let’s say a player at Ohio State makes $60,000 a year in total scholarships, counting the cost of school and monthly stipends. The school makes one billion dollars off of football alone. Not any other sport necessarily, so this erases the vagueness of the studentathletes being paid argument. Although the school makes 10 figures, while the athletes make near minimum wage—factoring in work devoted to their respective sport, which is usually 60-plus hours per week between prac-
tice, film, weights, games, travel and meetings— we’ll let that slide. However, the idea that individual athletes cannot make any type of profit off of their own likeness is pathetic. The NCAA cracks down and touts its power with a ridiculous authority, profiting by billions annually, while athletes make zilch. They wield the threat of ineligibility and bully teenagers into deleting YouTube
channels. They care very little for those who do the hard work, while those at the top, who don’t get their hands dirty, simply get to grease their palms. Star players are exploited for their talents and held in college football for three years under the guise of being responsible. Who cares if a player leaves early and isn’t ready? The pros are a jungle. It’s a risky system, but better
than staying in college and accumulating head hits and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, for the cost of minimum wage. Yes, it’s a choice to play college football—nobody is arguing otherwise. However, the least the NCAA can do is let its athletes make money. Augie Touris may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.
THEPROSPECTOR
| 10 | ENTERTAINMENT
September 26, 2017
‘Wonderful Wonderful’ sounds like having a perpetual hangover
Special to The Prospector
By Leslie Sariñana The Prospector
It’s been five years since The Killers released their averagely acclaimed “Battle Born,” and now they return with “Wonderful Won-
derful” in attempt to get back up to greatness again. Although “Wonderful Wonderful” has generated generally favorable reviews, it’s peculiar to see them snatch headlining spots in big
music festivals and yet stay in the back burner of the music spotlight. This album includes an unnecessary amount of remixes of “The Man.” The original track itself is a sonically solid feel-good track, but recreating the sound on two other tracks takes away from that. All they manage to do is prove that they can do the same thing three different ways, which is a good metaphor for their last three albums. They are trying to revive a sound that has been beaten to death and forgotten. Despite keeping the same recycled songs, some of the songs on “Wonderful Wonderful” shine on their own. “Some Kind of Love” gives listeners a glimpse at the greatness that The Killers could possible achieve if they ditch the electro, dream-pop heavy melodies. The song doesn’t feature deep lyrics but Flowers’ low falsetto touches on something wonderful. The track is a great break in the middle to give listeners hope and keep listening to the rest of the album. Even the follow up track “Out of My Mind” has a spark of those signature Killers singles but relies too heavily on the techno to come off as anything wholesome or decent. A good album should be consistent throughout, not have only a few solid parts. “Wonderful Won-
derful” is lyrically strong in most songs, but sonically destructive. This feels like another throwback to their old sound and sounds of the electropop 80s. Flowers described the album as one of their more personal ones as he touches on his wife’s depression in “Rut,” but the 80’s synth wave sounds that accompany the track make it difficult to take as personally. The lyrics are there but they don’t quite reach the melodies. The Killers sound unsure of themselves as they struggle to move forward artistically. Even Flowers recently said, “I feel like I write a lot of solid 6s and 7s.” Flowers questions himself with “Have All the Songs Been Written?” asking if everything he could possibly have written has been done. The answer is no. Flowers on his own is a great artist who just needs a push in the right direction to improve on his artistry. It’s his doubt that holds him back and keeps him in the same place musically—as evident with “Wonderful Wonderful.” Even the intro to this track is reminiscent of the intro to “All These Things that I’ve Done.” “Life to Come” sounds like something straight out of a U2 album—a great comparison to where the band is headed. U2 rides on the success of their clas-
sics, something that The Killers seem to be doing. They remain somewhat popular and sell shows, but it’s songs like “Mr.Brightside” and “All These Things That I’ve Done” that keep them afloat and filling up venues. “The Calling” is the most diverse song on the album, utilizing strong guitar riffs and references something religious. Unsurprisingly, Flowers is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints None of the tracks off “Wonderful Wonderful” are memorable, each sounding like an extension of the last. Flowers struggles to make this “personal” album resonate with his audience. His attempts are emotionally stagnant. The techno and funk clash with the lyrics that they’re trying to deliver. “Wonderful Wonderful” is far better than “Battle Born” but its not quite a comeback. They lack artistic growth and have to resolve their tension before they truly comeback. Leslie Sariñana may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.
PAGE 11 September 26, 2017
Sports
Editor
Jeremy Carranco, 747-7477
Miners searching for first win against Army
nina titovets / The Prospector
The UTEP football team travels to West Point this weekend to face Army.
By Adrian Broaddus The Prospector Head coach Sean Kugler and his squad are back again in a similar situation as last week—another must-win game this Saturday against Army—coming off, yet again, another tough loss. The Miners were hammered by rival NMSU, 41-14, in Las Cruces on Sept. 22—their first loss to the Aggies since 2008. This Saturday is also another chance for the Miners to finally break their
all-time losing record in the Eastern Time Zone, as they are 0-21-1. This week is another week where the Miners are battling injuries, with 11 players who are out against Army, according to Kugler. “It sounds like a broken record, but it was a really disappointing loss (against NMSU),” Kugler said. “(Army) will be a challenge for us. Right now we’re a wounded animal. We can either give up or fight back and our mentality is to fight back.” The “wounded animal” Kugler talks about usually translates to his regard
for the team’s efficiency on both ends of the ball. Currently the Miners are last (no. 129) in all of FBS in total offense, averaging 210.3 total yards of offense per game. They are also last among all teams in rushing offense with just 62.8 yards per game. Last week was the coaching debut of new offensive coordinator Brian Natkin, who replaced Brent Pease for the coaching job. Despite the Miners giving up five interceptions from the quarterbacks, Kugler believed Natkin had a promising debut. “He called a good game,” Kugler said. “He called a great first quarter. We ran the ball more effectively. For his first game, he did an outstanding job.” In fact, being last in rushing yards among all other FBS teams might change now that Quadraiz Wadley will return to the running back mix after missing the first three games due to an injury. Wadley debuted last Saturday with 18 carries for 81 yards. It was an impressive start for a much-needed rushing attack. Walter Dawn, the team’s former starting running back, will now switch over to the receiver spot on the team. Against NMSU, the Miners quarterback core threw five interceptions—three by Ryan Metz and two by Mark Torrez. At the half, the Miners benched Metz for Torrez, trying to find a “spark,” according to Kugler. But he assured that Metz will be the only quarterback moving forward.
“Ryan isn’t going to make an excuse about his performance,” Kugler said. “We pulled him to the side at the end of the game and said you’re our guy. We have confidence in him moving forward. We need exceptional play from that position.” Defensively, the Miners are the third worst (no. 126) in most points allowed, as they average giving away 47.8 points per game. However, for this game, Kugler believes that defensive coordinator Tom Mason and the staff have been keying on Army’s triple option to stop their game. This is a team who came in last year to the Sun Bowl and embarrassed the Miners on the triple option, totaling 424 yards of rushing and beating the Miners 66-14. “Coach Mason and the staff spent more time than ever on it,” Kugler said. “More time invested than ever, and now we have to go in on Saturday and execute.” Army returns junior running back Andy Davidson, who combined with former Black Knights quarterback Chris Carter for 200 yards of rushing against UTEP last year. This year he looks as pristine as ever, already totaling 207 yards of rushing and a touchdown. The Black Knights also have quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, who leads their team with 439 yards on 63 attempts, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. The team itself currently ranks third in the nation for rushing yards. They average an impressive 366.3 rushing yards per game.
This is going to be trouble for the Miners, who just so happen to be the 10th-worst team in FBS in rushing defense. This will be one of the fiercest rushing teams Kugler and his team will face this season. “They’re an outstanding football team,” Kugler said. “Very disciplined team. The triple option offense—with the fullback and the quarterback—you also have to keep your eyes focused because at any time they can pass.” The Miners really need their best defensive game Saturday. Although he agreed this is a lowpoint in his tenure as head coach for the Miners last Saturday, Kugler justified this experience with those he’s been through before. “I’ve been in several situations like this. You keep fighting and you can’t fold,” he said. With a new athletic director likely to be hired soon, Kugler was questioned about his about the possibility that his job status is nearing an end with the program. “If it is, I’m going to continue to work,” he said. “I don’t care about what the outside has to say. All I care about is the 105 players in that locker room. But I’m a grown man, so I know the consequences. It’s not in the back of my mind though.” Kickoff in West Point, New York, is slated for 1:30 p.m. MT. Follow Adrian Broaddus on Twitter @Adrian_Broaddus
Bohdan praises team unity in season turnaround By eddie velazquez The Prospector
It is no secret that Canada is a cold place. The highest temperature recorded in the history of Calgary, Alberta, is 27.2 C, which roughly translates to 80.96 F. For a soccer player coming to El Paso from Calgary, the difference in temperature can be an insurmountable obstacle. For Victoria “Vic” Bohdan, it was the hardest thing to adapt to. “Definitely the heat, that was really hard to get used to,” Bohdan said. “Also, in Canada, in soccer, the refs in Canada they call a lot more. Whereas here you are allowed to be more physical, so you get knocked off the ball a lot more.” Bohdan, 17, began playing the game of soccer because of her brother. “I’d go out to watch him and I thought it was a really cool sport and I told my mom to put me in it and then I had a lot of fun with it, like the competition aspect of it was a lot fun, so I decided to continue on,” Bohdan said. While she was growing up, Bohdan played for the Napoli women’s team, where she led the team to nationals and helped secure a bronze medal. She also played for the Calgary Blizzards and her high school team at St. Francis, where she helped the team win their division all three years. She was also selected to represent the school in the All-District All-Star game. Adapting to Miners’ coach Kevin Cross’ squad was difficult for the freshman at first, but Bohdan thinks of the team as a family. “When I first got here, I looked at the other freshmen, and now I’m like ‘how did the team get so close?’ Because for a little while, the fresh-
men weren’t connecting very well with the rest of the team, but now we are all like a big family,” she said. “We all hangout, we all laugh all the time in the locker room. I get a cool vibe from them, it is always fun to be around the team.” The nervousness showed in Bohdan’s game at the start of the season. As a forward, she did not take on defenders as often.
When I first got here, I looked at the other freshmen, and now I’m like ‘how did the team get so close?’” - Vic Bohdan UTEP forward “I think I was a little bit nervous starting the season and one day Kevin came to me and told me ‘we look up to you as like a starting freshman and we want you to be a leader,’ and I think that sort of kinda kicked in and I was like ‘I need to start doing what I do best’ going up to players one v one with my speed, and I was like ‘I can do this, I can take on players one v one,” she said. Bohdan and the Miners were off to a rough start in 2017, dropping their
first five games of the season with four coming in overtime. Since, Bohdan has earned four goals coming off two braces in back-to-back games against University of the Incarnate Word and Stephen F. Austin State University with four assists. The Miners won both of those games and three more since for a total of five victories in their last six contests. “I would like to be awarded maybe like some type of award, maybe best freshman or something like that,” she said. “As a team, I definitely want to reach the conference tournament and win it and definitely win the first round of the NCAA tournament, so I think that is honestly all of our goals as a team.” Coach Cross praised Bohdan for her ability on the ball and her speed. He also highlighted her on-the-field leadership as a freshman. “We know that we had that special ability and we’re not looking at her as a freshman, we are looking at her as an important part of this team, and we needed her to be a big player for this team and she stepped up in a big way,” Cross said. “She’s been an attacking threat in all the recent games, and in fact last weekend she scored two braces, which is crazy good for any player. I mean that is almost unheard of–scoring twice in back-toback games and tough games.” Bohdan said she looked at two players to model her game after. First is her teammate and fellow Canadian sophomore defender Peyton Ross. “I can say Peyton Ross,” Bohdan said. “She talks a lot on the field and she tells others what to do and where to position themselves, which is really cool because without her in the back, I
gaby velasquez / The Prospector
Freshman Vic Bohdan finds her role with teammates and head coach Kevin Cross. feel like she’s our main communicator on the field, so I feel like without her the team wouldn’t be so connected” Second is Jessie Fleming from the Canada women’s soccer team. “Jesse Fleming from the Canada women’s soccer team, because she is very young and I’d say she’s very good. She does take players on a lot and I think that is kinda how I play now that we are further into the season and I’m starting to take players on a lot more,”
Bohdan said. “She can get around them, she’s 18 playing with older players.” Cross has already set in motion plans to showcase Bohdan’s skills to Canada soccer. “She told me her dream was to get an opportunity with Canada soccer, so we’ve already started that, we are gonna try to get them video of her play,” Cross said. “So to do that you have to step up big in these conference games and I know she will.” Follow Eddie Velazquez on Twitter @ezvelazquez
THEPROSPECTOR
| 12 | SPORTS
September 26, 2017
El Paso adds two titles in 2017 inbrief volleyball hits the road to take on UTSA
soccer to host charlotte and old dominion
Rifle opens season against nevada File photo/ The Prospector
The El Paso Chihuahuas have six championships in four seasons of play.
By Daniel MendeZ The Prospector
The El Paso Chihuahuas’ season came to end in game five of the Pacific Coast League finals to the Memphis Redbirds on Sept. 17 at Southwest University Park. The Chihuahuas had themselves a magical hot streak at the end of the season, which got the team to the playoffs for the third straight year. El Paso was four games back and in third place in their division on Aug. 7 and won won 19 of their final 27 games to win the PCL Pacific Southern division for a third-consecutive season. The Chihuahuas then swept Reno in the PCL semifinals to win their second-consecutive Pacific Conference championship. Since missing the playoffs in their first season of play in 2014, the Chihuahuas have won three division titles, two conference titles and one league title for a total of six banners in four seasons of play. In the months of late July and early August, it was questionable if this year’s squad could make the postseason. The team trailed the Salt Lake Bees the entire season, but manager Rod Barajas and his club pulled off the magic to finish 73-69 and four games above .500. In the early months of the season, the Chihuahuas had an abysmal display of pitching. The team finished in the top three for allowing the most home runs, runs allowed and hits. The team also finished second to last with 995 total strikeouts, just one of two teams out of 16 who didn’t reach over 1,000 strikeouts. One pitcher for the club, Bryan Rodriguez, led the Chihuahuas with an ERA of 4.90 thanks to a strong finish to 2017. Look for him to get his shot in the big leagues before the regular season of Major League Baseball ends. As the season wound down toward the home stretch, the pitching improved in the last month of the season and in the postseason. Among the squad finding a groove on the mound, the team also found success with the bat. El Paso finished this season with a combined total of 160 home runs (second in PCL) and a top three finish in the league for RBIs. Nick Buss, outfielder and first baseman on occasion, became the first in Chihuahuas’ player to ever win the PCL batting title. Buss led the league with a batting average of .348. Other noticeable outfielders, Franchy Cordero and Rafael Ortega, finished among the league’s top 15 in batting average with .326 and .317, respectively.
Cordero also led the league in triples with 18. While constantly moving between San Diego (MLB) and El Paso (AAA) during the course of the season, right fielder, Jabari Blash, still led the Chihuahuas in home runs with 20. Hunter Renfroe, who was the PCL MVP for the Chihuahuas in 2016, was sent back down to El Paso on Aug. 19. Renfore spent the whole season in the majors up to this point with the Padres, where the slugger struggled to be consistent. He was a fundamental piece of last season’s team, his leadership was fundamental for how the Chihuahuas squeaked by and made the playoffs for the third year in a row. Since getting demoted down from the Padres, Renfore batted an average of .509, with an on base percentage of .557, to round up a .891 slugging percentage with El Paso. While registering only 55 at bats, Renfroe who got called back up the Padres after the Chihuahuas’ season came to an end, and became the first Padre to hit three home runs in a game at Petco Park on Sept. 20. Overall for the Chihuahuas, they were able to gather momentum and continue to build a winning tradition in El Paso. With Double-A San Antonio also making the playoffs in 2017, Chihuahuas’ fans can expect the success to continue while Padres’ fans can hope for the future. Follow Daniel Mendez on Twitter @dmendez24
TAKE
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
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
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”