V OL . 1 0 4 , n o . 7 October 9, 2018
th e u n iversit y o f te x as at el paso w w w.t h epros pec to rda i ly.co m
By ANDREA VALDEZ-RIVAS AND ALEXIA NAVA The Prospector
At the end of the semester, students at UTEP can no longer depend on the services provided by the pharmacy located in the Student Health and Wellness Center. The pharmacy, located at Union Building E. 100, will close its doors after Dec. 14. The closure is due to a consistent decrease of pharmacy usage by students and an increase in the demand of other services within the Student Health and Wellness Center, per Gary Edens, Vice President of Student Affairs.
see PHARMACY on page 3
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OPINION
October 9, 2018
More of the same thing By javier cortez The Prospector It’s over. Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, finally, although fiercely disputed and debated, was confirmed to the Supreme Court this past weekend. The confirmation capped a near month-long circus act that once again highlighted the deepening divide that continues to ruin this country and accountable democracy. Along partisan lines, this Kavanaugh-Ford debacle is either seen as an attack on due process or an attack on sexual assault survivors and women as a whole. Both of these sides are right and disingenuous at the same time. This scandal is a microcosm to the bigger problem: unaccountable and disingenuous partisanship that we as a society and elected politicians willfully and gleefully take part in. Regardless of where you stand on this debate and regardless of how impactful you think the result is, it behooves you to understand the bigger picture. We as a society are making things worse for not thinking with nuance and impartiality. If we think with nuance and impartiality, we will come to understand a few things: two things can be true at once and our own personal bias inform who and what we tend to believe. When the opposite is done, we end up with piss-poor results. The confirmation hearings were bad on both sides. Republicans and Democrats alike were grandstanding, indignant, myopic and downright disingenuous. And I keep using this word, disingenuous, for a reason. They act in this manner in response to our actions. They play off our tribalistic tendencies and reductive discourse. Politicians are smart, educated and calculated people who will pander to the lowest common denominator if need be.
STAFF Web Editor: Adrian Broaddus Layout Editor: Christian Gutierrez Copy Editor: Javier Cor tez Sports Editor: Daniel “Curly” Mendez Entertainment Editor: Jake Deven Photo Editor: Gaby Velasquez Multimedia Editor: Claudia “Gigi” Flores Staff Reporters: Brianna Chavez, Isaiah Ramirez, Andrea Valdez-Rivas Photographers: Claudia Hernandez, Sergio Muñoz Contributors: Catherine Ramirez, Priscilla Gomez, Eddie Velazquez, Oscar Avila, Alexia Nava
We don’t have good politicians because we don’t hold them to any standards other than confirming our biases and re-affirming what we already want to believe. Some people venture into politics for the right reasons, they do exist, but the culture of American politics on a local, state and nationwide level at this point is undeniably corrupt and again, disingenuous. If you eat fast food and in return get fat and feel like shit, guess who’s to blame? You. If you support celebrity over talent in mediums of film and music and in return get lowgrade art and entertainment, guess who’s to blame? You. If you give biased news sources your viewership and in return get unethical infotainment rather than substantive journalism, guess who’s to blame? You. The point is, we need to start taking responsibility for our part in our partisan and disingenuous political process, which was on display in full effect this past month. Don’t be distracted by the ostensibly horrid confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh and the poor handling of Blasey Ford’s accusations. Read the subtext. When we choose to exist on these rigid party lines in the form of our politics, religion, race, and gender, we inadvertently exacerbate the current strife and divide we are witnessing. This insatiable need to be right, to justify and point the finger the other way is self-serving and pointless. We need to learn how to talk to each other with an openness to understand the other side, humble ourselves to what we don’t know, while recognizing how our biases can profoundly influence our feelings and corresponding actions. If we don’t, things will only get worse, and the disingenuous behavior that we propagate will continue to poison our political systems and democracy as a whole. Javier Cortez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
VOL . 104, no. 7
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Web Editor ADRIAN BROADDUS, 747-7446
The Prospector joins hundreds of publications to support National Newspaper Week
In a time where the freedom of the press is often threatened and marginalized in our society, it’s time like these where we take a step forward as a publication and fight for our rights. The 78th annual National Newspaper Week, held from Oct. 7-13, recognizes the service of newspapers and their employees across North America, sponsored by Newspaper Association Managers. This year’s theme, “Journalism matters. NOW more than ever,” speaks volumes to our publication. Nationwide, newspapers are closing left and right, or solely becoming digitalized and minuscule by the day. Attacks on journalists continue to happen, whether they be verbal threats or physical harm to the journalists. In our own publication, we have dealt with budget cuts and have been asked to take down content or revise it to suppress the truth. There is power in association, and The Prospector formally acknowledges and recognizes National Newspaper Week in order to uphold the strong ethics, principles and impact journalists continue to do on a daily basis. To learn more, visit www.nationalnewspaperweek.com/
Speak your mind Submit a letter to the editor! 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, theprospector1@gmail.com, call 747-7477or fax
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The Prospector is published by the Student Media and Publications Board, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print once per week on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector does provide news online at www.theprospectordaily.com. The Prospector is provided to students through student fees. First copy is free. Any additional copies, if available, must be purchased for $1 through the Department of Student Media and Publications. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling The Prospector at 915-747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.
THEPROSPECTOR
October 9, 2018
the university needs these items or services, there are students who do rely on them. Justin Esparza, a senior kinesiology major, is one of those students. He recalls visiting the pharmacy recently and finding out that it was going to close. “The RN (at the pharmacy) had told me that ‘I don’t know if I can prescribe you any steroids because I don’t know if we have them in stock, and we can’t order anymore because [the university] is closing the pharmacy, so they don’t want us to have excessive medication,’ so it’s already affecting students,” Esparza said. Esparza requires an anti-inflammatory steroid to ease his asthma condition, relying on the pharmacy to provide that prescription for him He will have to go elsewhere to fulfill his needs, which is what a lot of students have been doing in the first place, according to Edens.
Gaby Velasquez/ The Prospector The pharamcy located in the Student Health Center in Union East will close on Dec. 14, 2018.
PHARMACY from page 1 “We have seen a consistent drop in usage, by students, of the pharmacy,” Edens said. “As we look at making sure that we’re containing costs here as an institution, we look at how many students are using it, who’s benefiting, how much is the cost and if it makes sense to keep these facilities and services open. And what we were seeing over the past several years is a decrease in pharmacy usage and an increase in the demand of other things within the health center.” Students that were sick and sought treatment at the center had to be put on a waiting list or scheduled an appointment a couple of days after their initial walk-in, according to Edens. UTEP also charges a fee in every students’ tuition of $14.40 to cover the costs of the Student Health and Wellness Center. By closing the pharmacy, there will be more money for
other services within the health center, but as of now, the fee will remain on every student’s tuition, per Edens. “We see the demand on the one-on-one student interaction with a nurse practitioner much more in need than the need for a pharmacist,” Edens said. “So, what we thought made more sense was to close the pharmacy, use those savings to hire additional people in the health center so that students won’t have to wait, can get more immediate attention, get the services that people are asking us for.” The pharmacy offers students and staff items that they may buy without a prescription, such as general first aids, medications for pain, fever or inflammation, for a cough, cold or a sore throat. Items like condoms, topical creams and lotions, pill cutters, tissues, eye drops and ear wax removal drops are also available. Though not every single student in
NEWS | 3 |
“There are a lot of pharmacies right around campus and there’s a pharmacy on almost every corner now in this city, and those are open 24 hours, they’re convenient. I think people just tend to use those more than waiting until they’re on campus to go to a pharmacist,” Edens said. “We’ve also seen that students don’t use the pharmacy on campus on a regular basis, and so what happens, we can’t store all the medications and have them ready on a moment’s notice for when a student comes in because there are shelf-life issues with the drugs,” Edens added. “Students would come in and we wouldn’t have what they needed in the pharmacy, so it would take two days or so to go get the drugs and then bring them in.” Edens went on to explain that the abundance of pharmacies in El Paso creates competition, which
see PHARMACY on page 4
| 4 | NEWS
October 9, 2018
PHARMACY from page 3 sends students to those pharmacies for their pharmaceutical needs since items are inexpensive. “We’ve also seen that students don’t use the pharmacy on campus on a regular basis, and so what happens, we can’t store all the medications and have them ready on a moment’s notice for when a student comes in because there are shelf-life issues with the drugs,” Edens added. “Students would come in and we wouldn’t have what they needed in the pharmacy, so it would take two days or so to go get the drugs and then bring them in.” Edens went on to explain that the abundance of pharmacies in El Paso creates competition, which sends students to those pharmacies for their pharmaceutical needs since items are inexpensive. One of Edens’ biggest frustrations is that the university has so many services available to students, and although the university tries everything in its power to promote these services, students remain unaware of them. In spite of that, Esparza insists that the university must do a better job when it comes to promotion. In a tweet he shared on Sept. 25 to raise awareness about the pharmacy closure, students commented that they were unaware the campus pharmacy existed. “A lot of people were asking me or saying anything to the effect that they didn’t even know we had a pharmacy, they didn’t know we had a clinic here. That’s another thing, UTEP doesn’t really advertise
the clinic that well. I didn’t find out about it myself until maybe a year ago, and I’ve been here for three years,” Esparza said. Concerned students are wondering how they can voice their objections and if there will be a petition to keep the pharmacy open. According to a comment made on a Facebook post, SGA Vice President of External Affairs, Jacqueline Benavides, revealed that SGA planned on setting up a meeting with pharmacy representatives to further look into the issue and that any updates would be shared on social media. SGA president Cristian Botello met with the Dean of Health Sciences this past week to work and provide help for students. “When it came to the addition for the pharmacy, we need more students to make these decisions,” Botello said. “We now have a committee to meet with a group and start working on resolutions and also big announcements moving forward. We also want this committee to help better market the different resources across campus that are available to students.” Botello emphasized the importance of transparency that he wants to see from the university to allow a healthy communication between the school and its students when there will be announcement like this. “We’ll work with the Dean to transition students to different pharmacies, like Walgreens or CVS, and the near six percent of students that use the pharmacy department,” Botello said.
“We also want to put out polls to see what students know about across campus, and put out more marketing and students so they know what resources are available,” Botello continued. “Work on a proposal so for the future we can communicate in detail to students can understand it and know what’s going on.” The Prospector also reached out to the pharmacy itself and was directed to speak to Letty Paez, Assistant Dean for Community and International Programs of the College of Health Sciences. She did not comment on the matter. It is unclear whether other institutions across the state are having to make the tough decision to withdraw services within their health centers or not. Each institution differs in what they charge students. For example, the cost to maintain the Student Health and Wellness Center in UTEP comes relatively cheap compared to other institutions across the UT System. With a charge of $14.40, the health center fee in UTEP students’ tuitions is very low. At UT Austin, the university charges its students a $50 health services fee. UT Arlington charges its students $54.45, while UTSA charges a lower fee of $32.70. Edens does believe that health centers across the UT System may be facing underfunding issues as well. “Student health centers typically rely on student fees and in Texas, for example, we have not raised tuition and fees very much,” Edens said. “And state support for these areas has continued to drop. So other
THEPROSPECTOR
student health centers would probably say we’re really resource poor as well.’ But other campuses may be a lot different.” For universities like Texas A&M—a rurally placed institution with a large student population (68,000)—pharmacy services outside of the campus are scarce in comparison to institutions that are located in larger metropolitan areas. For UTEP students and college students within the state that live in bigger cities, the dilemma of a college pharmacy closing or less funding could be consolidated by using outside resources. For students in smaller cities where the bulk of the community is represented in a student populous, that dilemma is harder to resolve. Valdez-Rivas and Nava may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
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THEPROSPECTOR
October 9, 2018
NEWS | 5 |
Everything you need to know for Election Day By Adrian broaddus The Prospector
Less than a month away, Texas voters will be able to cast their votes on statewide, legislative and congressional seats for the Nov. 6 midterm election. And to help students across campus fully understand about the election in El Paso and Texas, here is a breakdown of early voting facts and how to register to vote.
Who’s on the ballot?
Beyond the statewide races that are voted on by all Texans, El Pasoans get their own slate of elections that citizens will be able to vote on. Federally, Texas is divided into 36 U.S. House districts. All U.S. House and Texas House districts are up for election, while only half of the Texas Senate and State Board of Education seats are on the ballot. For the 16th Congressional seat in the U.S. House, it will be Democratic party representative Veronica Escobar taking on Republican party representative Rick Seeberger. Earlier this year, Escobar earned the Democratic nomination from El Paso voters and if she wins the election, she will become Texas’ first Latina congresswomen. There are 436,440 eligible voters above the age of 18 in the county: 1.1 percent Asian, 4.3 percent black, 74.4 percent Hispanic and 19.0 percent white. For the Texas House, District 78 election, incumbent Democrat representative Joe Moody will go up against Republican nominee Jeffrey Lane. Among the larger statewide elections, Democratic party candidate Beto O’Rourke will try and unseat republican U.S. Senator Ted
Sepecial to The Prospector Early voting period begins Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 2. Cruz, who has held the seat since 2013. Governor Greg Abbott will seek reelection, as he faces Democratic party representative Lupe Valdez. And, both Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton will too seek reelection in this year’s midterm race, facing Democratic representatives Mike Collier and Justin Nelson, respectively. For a full list of candidates and midterm elections, visit votesmart.org/2018/s/Texas.
Dates to know
The last day to register is Tuesday, Oct. 9, and there are still ways to find out whether or not you are registered to vote. One may visit the
Texas secretary of state’s website by providing your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth, providing first and last name and county, or by providing your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier (VUID), which is located on voter registration certificates. In order to register to vote, residents must fill out an application at their county voter regis-
trar’s office, in libraries across town or in most post offices. The form is also available online or by request through the mail. All mailed applications must be postmarked on or before the Oct. 9 deadline. For those that will not be in town, there is an option to submit a ballot by mail. Residents that will not be in the county on Nov. 6 (Election Day) and not in the county during the early voting period are eligible to do this. If you are sick or disabled, over 65 years of age, confined in jail but not convicted of a felony, Texans may vote by mailing in their ballot via an application, which is due by Oct. 26. Early voting begins Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 2. Voting locations will be set up across the city, including a voting booth at UTEP. For early voting, voters are allowed to vote at any polling location in El Paso. Anyone that is registered to vote is eligible for early voting but must do so in person. On Election Day, there will only be designated locations to vote, so early voting is encouraged. Adrian Broaddus may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
The Prospector is committed to accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail the editor at theprospector1@gmail.com
| 6 | NEWS
THEPROSPECTOR
October 9, 2018
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What are your thoughts on the shut down of the pharmacy in the health center? Claudia Hernandez, priscilla gomez, Sergio Muñoz/ The Prospector
Alex McRae
Amey Gomez
Dimitries Ortega
Stephanie Cisneros
Guillermo Herrera
“It’s pretty unfortunate that they are closing because it is very helpful, but I would personally be okay with the $15 being spent somewhere else so that everybody knows exactly what it’s going to be used on.”
“It’s really detrimental to the students at UTEP because the reason why they are shutting down is because there is not enough students going, but the real issue is that they’re not putting their name out there.”
“I think it’s a shame because they do not want to take the $15 away from tuition. I kind of feel that we’re paying for nothing if they shut it down and keep that. The pharmacy really helped people get medicines that they need for cheap.”
“I think that it shouldn’t shut down because it’s a way for students here to access affordable medication. For many of them this is their only way to be able to get what they need.”
“I think as long as people know they are going to spend the $15 in something else and what they are doing with that money it’s fine. Although, I think that if enough people use the pharmacy, they should keep it.”
Junior civil engineering major
Sophomore general business major
Junior graphic design major
Freshman buisness major
Junior civil engineering major
entertainment
October 9, 2018 Editor jake deven, 747-7446
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New boutique offers worldly experience Second annual Border Archives Bazaar to showcase regional history and artifacts
gaby velasquez / The Prospector On Next Sunday owner Erika Williams offers classes and events for the community.
By brianna chavez The Prospector
Comfortable, casual and affordable pieces to help the everyday girl feel confident and extraordinary. That’s the goal of El Paso’s newest boutique, On Next Sunday. Located in far east El Paso, On Next Sunday offers curated pieces of clothing and accessories for women. From dresses and jumpsuits to help upgrade your next Sunday best look to basic tees and jeans for a more casual look, On Next Sunday has it all. After traveling to parts of South America and Europe, store owner Erika Williams was inspired by what the world had to offer and wanted to offer a worldly experience to women in El Paso. “I love (El Paso) and I never want to leave, but traveling has been a big inspiration for the store,” Williams said. “There are so many options to shop outside of El Paso and on the east side there really aren’t any options.” The name, On Next Sunday, came from a culmination of Williams’ favorite things and her love of dressing up on Sunday’s for church. Williams, who was born and raised in El Paso and graduated from UTEP, started her online store about one year ago, but it came with its challenges. While online shopping has seen a big increase across the nation over the past couple of years, Williams’ online store did not take off. She knew if she wanted to see growth, she needed to make more of an investment into her business and decided to open a store front. The boutique’s store front, which has a clean bohemian look, has been opened for just four
months and her store has already gained a big following on social media. “It’s cool to see that people are interested and people have been so supportive about something different opening up on this side of town,” Williams said. Now that more El Paso women are taking notice of the boutique—the online store has seen more traffic. Several online sales are from women who live on the west side. That growth has led On Next Sunday to be nominated for The City Magazine’s Best Clothing Boutique. On Next Sunday also offers products made by local entrepreneurs, like Good Morning Kiss skin care products and soon clothing from Desert People. “It’s hard to get your foot in the door. I do try to invite (entrepreneurs) to set up their things here,” Williams said. While the shopping experience is a big part of On Next Sunday, Williams also tries to offer classes and events that people in the community can come and participate in. Recently, On Next Sunday held a candle making class hosted by Hippie Girl, a business that makes local skin care products. A sushi making class, hosted by local caterer The Sushi Girl, and a Lululemon popup event are schedule for the future. “People (in El Paso) complain that there’s nothing to do here, so I try to bring (events) here that we can all enjoy,” Williams said. On Next Sunday is located at 2106 N. Zaragoza. For more visit their website onnextsunday.com or their Instagram @onnextsunday. Brianna Chavez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
Special to The Prospector The Border Archives Baazar will be on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Tomas Rivera Conference Center located at Union East.
By Jake deven The Prospector
It’s no secret that the borderland is rich with history, but with all of today’s distractions it’s easy to forget how accessible this history really is. On Saturday, Oct. 13, The Border Regional Archives group will host the second annual Border Archives Bazaar, which is a free event for the community to interact with fascinating historical collections from the border region. The Border Archives Bazaar is a collaboration between archivists, preservationists, museum curators and librarians from the El Paso, Juarez and Southern New Mexican regions. Many of the institutions will bring all kinds of archives to UTEP, including space-related archives, biology-related archives and art-related archives. “This year we have over 20 institutions that are participating, including two from Ciudad Juarez, so we’re very excited that this year our event is going to be binational and bilingual,” said Abbie Weiser, assistant head of Special Collections and organizer of the event. Institutions participating at the Border Archives Bazaar include the Archives of the Big Bend from Sul Ross University, Casa de Adobe Museum from Ciudad Juárez, New Mexico Space Museum and the White Sands Missile Range Archives. The event will also include the Mini-Digie wall, which is a vast collection of images and videos (more than 12,000 to-date) exploring El Paso’s past
and present including an interactive 3-D CityScape. Participants of the event will also curate short presentations in English and Spanish about regional history, archives, genealogy, preservation and researching historic buildings and neighborhoods. There will also be a chance for the attendees to ask the institutions questions, which Weiser says is a great opportunity for the community to learn about themselves and their own family history. “We have such a rich and fascinating history, it’s a great opportunity for the public to learn about some of the resources that we have on campus, as well as resources that other institutions have,” Weiser said. Weiser says that UTEP’s Special Collections department is planning to showcase some World War One scrapbooks, early twentieth century cameras, historic maps, old county books and Spanish colonial documents. And, because of the local cultural heritage institutions participating, it’s a chance for the community to see a good sample of historical materials all in one place. “Archives are really the building blocks of history and archivists make history accessible,” Weiser said. “Our culture is binational and transnational and the collections and archives reflect that.” Check out the full list of participating institutions at theprospectordaily.com Jake Deven may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT
THEPROSPECTOR
October 9, 2018
StreetFest 2018 rocks Downtown El Paso
sergio muñoz / The Prospector Dennis DeYoung performs music of STYX on the first day of StreetFest, at the Bud Light stage on Friday, Oct. 5. gated her way through the world of the living By catherine ramirez as she and her band presented their transmedia The Prospector This year’s StreetFest rocked Downtown El dark culture through music. Closing out StreetFest 2018 was rock icon Paso and the Convention Center, as thousands Jonathan Davis of Korn. Davis pulled in a large of guests toured a car, truck and motorcycle show, satisfying their appetites with local food crowd and had their heads and hands banging to his hit songs. and music over the course of two days. StreetFest hosted a variety of local and reMark Farner’s American Band opened day one at the Bud Light stage as the crowd danced gional bands as they performed on over five to their upbeat locomotion. Jefferson Starship, stages and competed in the StreetFest local who is an evolution of the rock legends Jeffer- band competition. If none of the bands were of interest to some son Airplane, had the Bud Light stage jamming out to their greatest hits, while Dennis DeYoung StreetFest goers, a Silent Disco DJ Stage was another alternative. Guests could walk up to the performed classics from his 70s band Styx. Day two featured rock band Dead Girls stage, grab a pair of headphones and tour any Academy, followed by Shim Moore, the vocalist part of the El Paso Convention Center as they from Sick Puppies, as they hyped up the crowd listened to a variation of live DJ mixes. StreetFest and Imperials El Paso Car Club with their rock hits. September Mourning, navi-
catherine ramirez / The Prospector Jonathan Davis performs on the second day of StreetFest at the Bud Light Stage on Saturday, Oct. 6. presented the 2018 O’Reilly Auto Parts Cham- empty stomachs. pionship Custom Car, Truck and Motorcycle The vendors ranged from Great American Show where over 200 custom vehicles were Steakhouse and Sushi On Wheels to local taquedisplayed. Cars, trucks and motorcycles of all rias and, of course, an El Paso gathering would years, models, brands and colors filled the El not be complete without a refreshing Clamato Paso Convention Center and attracted hun- and beer offered at almost every corner. If guests filled up on food and wanted to do dreds of vehicle lovers. To thank and support the military, Street- a little shopping, local artist and craft vendors Fest featured a Military Village where military set up tents all over the convention center to sell vehicles were on display for vehicle enthusiast their paintings and handmade items. Local and national companies and organizaand for kids of all ages. The village also had interactive tent displays tions set up booths and tents throughout the fest with games and prizes for visitors. Not only handing out freebies, coupons and information were adults invited to play but children as well, inviting guests to interact and play a few games. StreetFest is over for now, but it’s sure to be the village hosted a Kid Zone with an enormous back next year with bigger names and whole lot slide, a moonwalk experience and crafts. The fest hosted over 10 food and bever- more fun. age vendors to meet to all guests’ cravings and
Catherine Ramirez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
Sports
October 9, 2018 Editor DANIEL MENDEZ, 747-7446
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Fans get a taste of the upcoming basketball season
file photo / The Prospector UTEP men’s basketball begins the Rodney Terry era against UT Permian Basin on Nov. 6 at the Don Haskins Center.
By Daniel Mendez The Prospector On Wednesday, Oct. 10, fans will get their first look at the 2018-19 UTEP men’s and women’s basketball teams as they hold the Miners Preseason Showcase at the Don Haskins Center. The event is free to all fans and will include an open practice with both squads, followed by an autograph session. Fans in attendance, interested in season tickets can purchase tickets as the UTEP Athletics Ticket Office and the Miner Athletic Club will be hosting a one-time-only select-a-seat promotion. Fans who buy their season tickets at the showcase will be able to select one of their choice for the following basketball season. Getting to know both teams The men’s team will give fans the opportunity to get their first look at the Rodney Terry era. Coach
Terry was introduced as the 19th head coach in UTEP men’s basketball history in mid-March. Terry was the former head coach at Fresno State for seven seasons from 2011-18. Leading the Miners will be the lone senior forward Paul Thomas. As a junior last season, Thomas averaged 8.1 points per game and a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guards Kobe Magee and Evan Gilyard are the other two returnees for the Miners. Both guards as freshmen provided stellar play for UTEP. Gilyard set a UTEP freshman record for free throw percentage at 84 percent and Magee shot 42.5 percent from behind the arc. During the off-season, coach Terry had to coordinate a massive roster overhaul that featured 13 new players. The highlight of his first recruiting class includes snagging four-star guard Jordan Lathon out of Mississippi, three-star guard Nigel Hawkins, three-star center Efe Odigie and 6-foot-10 forward
file photo / The Prospector Women’s basketball coach Kevin Baker will look to build upon a strong first year with the Miners. Kaosi Ezeagu. These incoming freshmen will be looked upon to contribute early. In addition, UTEP will have four Division One transfers that will need to sit out the year because of NCAA regulations, which are Souley Boum (San Francisco), Anthony Tarke (NJIT), Tydus Verhoeven (Duquesne) and Bryson Williams (Fresno State). On the women’s side, the Miners are led by second-year head coach Kevin Baker. In Baker’s first year gracing the hardwood, the team went 17-14 and advanced in the Conference USA Tournament before getting bounced out by the top seeded UAB. Baker became the most successful first-year head coach in the program’s history since Carol Ammermann (115, 1974-75) and Janet Wood (11-16, 1979-80). Coach Baker’s squad returns four letter winners–senior guard Jordan Alexander (8.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game), sophomore guard Jordan Jenkins (2.0 points per game, 1.4 assists per
game),junior forward Zuzanna Puc (9.1 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game) and junior guard Katarina Zec (9.2 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game). In addition, two junior players who sat out last year due to redshirt, forward Ariona Gill and guard Neidy Ocuane are set to make their Miner debut. There are six newcomers—sophomore guard Alexa Hoy, freshman guard Sabine Lipe, freshman forward Ariana Taylor, freshman guard Conchi Satorre, and junior forward Jade Rochelle. Last season as a sophomore, Puc shot 55.3 percent from the floor coming off the bench, which ranked second in C-USA. Puc had a career night against Florida International University on March 1, where she exploded for a complete game of 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The showcase will start at 6 p.m. at the Don Haskins Center. Daniel Mendez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
UTEP Volleyball hopes to improve for the remainder of the season By Isaiah Ramirez The Prospector
It’s been a rough season so far for the UTEP volleyball team, but with nine conference games left to play there is still hope for a turnaround. The Miners are showing signs of improvement as of late and look to exceed expectations through conference play despite a six-game losing streak. In their matchup against UTSA on Sept. 30, the Miners came back from a two-set deficit to extend the match to five sets. UTSA is currently in fourth place in Conference-USA standings at 11-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
Earlier in the season during their Golden State road trip against San Diego State (5-14, 3-7) on Sept. 15, the Miners came out victorious in five sets. Sophomore outside hitter Cheyenne Jones had a career-high of 15 kills, and freshman setter Kristin Fritsche secured her first 50 plus assist match with 54. Senior middle blocker Kylie Baumgartner is now third all-time in block assists with 295 and sixth all-time in total blocks with 336. Junior outside hitter and team captain Briana Arellano had a career-high 29 digs in the last matchup against UTSA and freshman setter Hay-
ley Meshay had a career-high five kills and 15 assists against the Roadrunners. The Miners last winning season was in 2012, which was head coach Holly Watt’s first year coaching the team when they finished with a 1613 campaign while going 10-6 in conference play. Now in 2018, the road to a successful season has been a tough one with opponents like Pac-12 powerhouse No. 21 Arizona (14-3, 7-1) on Sept. 7. The Wildcats defeated the Miners in four sets but there were signs of progress within that match. Freshman middle blocker Martine Kragholm recorded a career-high with three aces. Sophomore
defensive specialist Briana Bustillos had a gamehigh 16 assists in that matchup. In their first conference matchup of the season, UTEP faced the Rice Owls which ended in a three-set shutout defeat. The Owls are currently in first place in C-USA with an undefeated conference record of 4-0 and an overall record of 13-4. The Miners battled conference foe UAB in a match that had a promising start. Through the first-set, freshman outside hitter, Serena Patterson and junior outside hitter Macy Austin combined for six kills that led to a first set victory, 25-17.
see volleyball on page 10
| 10 | SPORTS October 9, 2018
THEPROSPECTOR
Up Next: UTEP Hockey By Isaiah Ramirez The Prospector
file photo / The Prospector UTEP volleyball will have a home game on Oct. 12 at Memorial Gym at 6 p.m.
volleyball from page 9 for six kills that led to a first set victory, 25-17. Unfortunately, the early spark was put out and UAB moved on to win the next three sets, Baumgartner had a season-high three blocks for the Miners. UAB is currently ranked among the top five
in conference play in kills per set with 12.81. Close matchups have been the narrative as of late for UTEP, and that was evident in their recent matchup this past Sunday, Oct. 7, against Marshall. Through the first three sets, UTEP was up two sets to Marshall’s one. As they were led by
junior Briana Arellano’s three straight kills to put the Miners up 9-3 in the third set in route to the set victory. Marshall would then come back and take the next two sets winning the third set 15-6. The Thundering Herd who are now 9-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play were led by redshirt sophomore Ciara Debell who had 27 kills for the game. Bustillos had her third 20-plus dig performance of the season. UTEP is currently 3-11 overall and 0-5 in conference play. Moving forward the Miners will return home from their two-game road trip to battle Florida Atlantic (13-4, 4-1) on Oct. 12, at 6 p.m. at Memorial Gym. Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
The UTEP men’s hockey team had their first road trip of the season playing three games in three days against Texas State and UT Austin. With their first conference matchup of the season, the Miners dominated Texas State in route to an 8-2 victory. Freshman defenseman Austin Simpson recorded his second hat trick of the season. Sophomore goalie Angus Campbell had his second start of the season, blocking 21 of 23 goals for the Miners. Moving forward to their next conference matchup against UT Austin, UTEP was handed their first loss of the season in a 5-4 overtime finish. Sophomore forward Matt Sanca scored a goal with two minutes remaining in the third period but the Longhorn’s capitalized for the gamewinning goal in overtime. The next day the Miners were off to a contested start with the Longhorns after a 2-2 tie at the end of the first period. Defenceman Kevin Duncan and forward Jayden Ritchie would tie the game up for the Miners. Going into the second period after a tripping penalty by the Longhorns UTEP would capitalize by scoring three goals. The scoring party involved freshman forward Jake Kopinski who had his first goal as a Miner, Sophomore forward Noah Vanderzwan, and Austin Simpson. The Miners would end the game with one more goal which capped off a 6-2 victory. For his four-goal and standout performance over the weekend, Austin Simpson was named TCHC player of the week. UTEP will have a bye this week but will hit the road again to battle Texas State and Texas A&M Oct. 12-14. Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
THEPROSPECTOR
October 9, 2018
SPORTS | 11 |
El Paso Locomotive FC updates fans on organization’s latest Texas Sky (light blue) and Desert Dusk (navy). “I love it,” said striker Omar Salgado, a hometown professional soccer player, and the team’s first player. “That was my favorite for sure. I expect us to win, I expect us to entertain, I expect us to win a championship next year or in the next couple of years.” Finalizing the team and preparing for next year The team’s unveiling gave the media members an opportunity to speak with Lowry and get an update on the team and their progression in anticipation for their inaugural season next year. Lowry indicated that the team’s roster will be “95 percent” complete by the end of November. He says that the team has been in constant contact with players across the world—mostly English and Mexican leagues—and continue to try and purchase some contracts. Although they are close to settling on some contracts with a few players, Lowry awaits final confirmations from prospective players to join their squad. They will start practice and training camp on Jan. 9, 2019, and will take on different professional soccer clubs around the area in friendly scrimmages, such as FC Bravos or other southwest clubs. “We’re close with a number of players. We’ve even agreed to terms with a few,” Lowry said. “I like where we are.”
special to the Prospector Pictured above is the offical crest for El Paso Locomotive FC designed by Brandiose.
By adrian broaddus The Prospector
Last week in front of about 200 fans, media and community members, MountainStar Sports Group and the El Paso USL unveiled the team name as El Paso Locomotive FC. The announcement came upon months of being nameless and billboard conspiracy theories that predicted the team name that took over social media by local El Paso USL support organizations. The name was chosen over Tejanos, Estrellas, Stars, and Lagartos, which were other team name finalists. “It was my favorite out of all the names,” club manager Mark Lowry said. “It has significance for El Paso. For me, I look at a locomotive, it’s powerful, strong, it has a lot of energy, it moves forward, it knows where it wants to be. That’s what I want this team to be.” The brand itself The search for the team name started by allowing fans to submit names through the El Paso USL website. The list was narrowed based on creativity, marketability, fun and relevance to El Paso’s unique character, according to the organization. Then, fans were able to vote on which they liked based on five finalists. According to the club, Locomotive was chosen to “reflect El Paso’s history, unique spirit and mo-
mentum.” Historically and for merchandising, Locomotive is a perfect fit. The Transportation Museum downtown showcases the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad No. 1, a 4-4-0 type steam locomotive. “Thanks to input from thousands of people throughout El Paso and the Borderplex who participated in our ‘Name The Team Contest,’ we believe El Paso Locomotive FC and its crest accurately represent this region,” said Alan Ledford, President of MountainStar Sports Group. “The overriding objectives of MountainStar Sports Group are to improve the quality of life in this region and to make it more economically competitive, and the addition of USL professional soccer beginning in 2019 is a significant step forward in that effort. We’re proud to represent the 915.” Merchandise is already being sold to fans, while jerseys and other team accessories will be revealed at a later date. The team colors will be baby blue, navy blue and yellow. The crest, which was designed by Brandiose, a design firm in San Diego, incorporates the train and the star on the Franklin Mountains together. The crest includes 11 bars representing the team’s starting 11. The outline along the bottom portion of the crest is a tribute to the region’s architecture, while the top half represents the Franklin Mountains— hence the star atop the crest. The team colors, as detailed by the team, are High Noon Sun (yellow), West
For Salgado, this entire experience has been a dream come true. He is currently playing with Las Vegas on a loan for the rest of this season and has good things to say about the USL as a whole. “I’ve always dreamed of one day playing for my home city, and I’m so excited that this is happening,” said Omar Salgado, who will play forward for the team. “The league [USL] is surprisingly a lot faster than people may think. Futbol in the U.S. is becoming very competitive, like Mexico. Now, people are starting to grow up to compete with the best.” New possibilities bring excitement As the El Paso Locomotive will get ready for their inaugural season at Southwest University Park beginning in March of 2019, MountainStar is still optimistic for a future location for a stadium. Last week, MountainStar Sports Group and the city of El Paso entered into an agreement to have the Locomotive practice at the Westside Sports Complex. They will invest $500,000 to improve two of the 13 fields at the complex, which are located at 201 Isela Rubalcava Blvd. The community will still have access to those two fields, Sam Rodriguez, city engineer, told the El Paso Times. Adrian Broaddus may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
INTRAMURALS
SOCCER & Volleyball Registration Deadline: Oct. 10 Captains’ Meeting: Oct. 11 Season Begins: Oct. 15
TRIPS Oct. 13
Franklin Mountains Bike Ride Trip
Oct. 19- Oct. 21
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Trip
Oct. 28
La Union Corn Maze Trip
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