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
VOL . 103, NO. 21
F E B R U A R Y 2 7, 2 0 1 8
TEXAS ELECTIONS
WHAT TO REMEMBER AT THE POLLS BY THE PROSPECTOR STAFF The Prospector
Propositions: Check out EPCountyVotes.com to see exactly which candidates and propositions will be on the ballot. There are 12 propositions to vote for or against on the Democratic ballot and 11 on the Republican ballot, encompassing topics such as whether a universal Medicare-for-all should be implemented on the Democratic ballot, to school choice on the Republican ballot. What form of ID to bring: When heading to the polls make sure to have either your state driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal ID, Texas license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID card that includes a personal photo, U.S. citizenship certificate that includes a personal photo or a U.S. passport. Are you registered to vote? To make sure you are registered to vote, visit either the Texas Secretary of State or El Paso County Votes websites and enter your full name, birth date, zip code and the county you live in to check if you are registered.
DESIGN BY ALEJANDRA GONZÁLEZ/ THE PROSPECTOR
It’s been just over a week into early voting in the local region and Democratic voters have already made a large impression in the election. There were 4,800 El Pasoans who voted on the first day of early voting, according to the office of the Texas Secretary of State, and there was a significant jump in Democratic voter numbers. In just the first day, 4,018 Democratic and 791 Republican votes were cast on the first day of early voting. The increase went up 86 percent for Democrats compared to the 2014 election, and a 170 percent increase compared to the 2016 presidential primary ballot. The Republicans also saw a small increase from the 2016 election, where 777 votes were cast on the first day. Former El Paso Times editor Bob Moore reported Monday morning that the counties with the most Democratic votes compared to Republican votes were all border cities, with Hidalgo, Cameron and El Paso leading the way. The most Republican to Democratic votes were cast by suburban cities around
Houston, including Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston. However, Moore also reported that a seemingly drastic partisanship shift has occurred in Texas in just a week of voting, with the Democrats having a 28,000 voting edge over Republicans in the state’s six major urban counties, compared to 2014 when the Republicans had a 34,000 voting edge over the Democrats. If you can’t make it this week to early voting, the primaries are on March 6. Here is what you need to remember before heading to the polls: Seats up for grab: There are eight candidates for the race to replace Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the 16th Congressional District. The Texas Senate position is up for grabs as well as Senator Ted Cruz hopes to defend his seat from O’Rourke. The governor’s position has incumbent Greg Abbott running against nine Democratic and two Republican challengers. The lieutenant governor’s position is also up for grabs as well for current Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Attorney General Ken Paxton will also defend his seat this election cycle.
Follow The Prospector on Twitter @utep_prospector
Running red in a blue city: Alia Garcia-Ureste remains firm in race to congress BY CHRISTIAN VASQUEZ The Prospector
With six Democrats competing in the primaries to replace U.S. Representative Beto O’Rouke’s vacant Congressional seat, and El Paso being one of the steady blue counties in the state, Republicans are not often thought of as top contenders. Even so, Republican candidate for the 16th Congressional District, Alia GarciaUreste, believes she has to run. “I just felt that it doesn’t matter that I’m a Republican. Yes I know it’s a blue district, but if people will give me a chance and listen to what my platform is about, maybe they’ll give me a chance and vote for me,” Garcia-Ureste said. Garcia-Ureste is currently the Madame Commissionaire of the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, which creates awareness of the Holocaust as well as other genocides around the world. She was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2014. “I realized, gosh a lot of the things that I’m doing anyway could help at the congressional level, I chose to run for Congress in this district,” Garcia-Ureste said. Garcia-Ureste said her top priorities are very basic, but very vital for El Paso.
They include national security, energy independence, veterans, continuing tax reform, job creation and education. “What I hear more in this district in the six years that I’ve been here, not being able to find a job after you graduate college, and if you do, how low the wages are. That’s what I think are on people’s heart and mind,” she said. She wants to encourage small businesses to open up in El Paso and says they can be a great contribution to the local economy. “I encourage the kids at UTEP, get your college degree, but start at least on a part-time basis a small business,” GarciaUreste said. Garcia-Ureste also said that she would advocate for public-private partnerships to help city projects. She said that the medical portion of UTEP’s Professional and Public Programs is a successful example. “It would be terrible to increase our taxes, but without that tax money, then you don’t have a lot of funding for your programs, so where is that extra money going to come from? It’s going to be from partnering with these private organizations,” said Garcia-Ureste.
She said that green companies—companies that are trying to be environmentally friendly—could be a path forward to help the El Paso economy. She points to her own successful business that cleans up after oil and gas companies. “Little did we realize cleaning up Mother Earth was going to replace two incomes,” Garcia-Ureste said. Garcia-Ureste claims that one of El Paso’s strong points is that the economy does not rely on oil and gas like much of Texas. But also that oil and gas companies are coming to El Paso, given the drilling for shale oil in Hudspeth County. She wants El Pasoans to take advantage of the coming gas and oil industries and open up green companies, believing that there is a market need for new business startups that recycle pollution. But she also says that solar and wind energy are not likely to replace oil and gas anytime soon. “That won’t replace our need or our electrical grid, but we can combine all these alternative energies and we can put forward some jobs and in good numbers,” said Garcia-Ureste. She also wants to reduce the deficit.
“We’re in a lot of debt, both foreign and domestic, numbers are moving up and down, and as always it’s up to the taxpayers. It’s people like us–the working class—we are going to have to answer the question of how are we going to balance the budget,” Garcia-Ureste said. On immigration, Garcia-Ureste said that she supports President Donald Trump’s idea for a wall, but calls for a “smart wall,” which she compared to the wall that is used in the Israeli West Bank Barrier. “We are a sovereign nation, we need to know who is coming and going, especially if they are not asking our permission to come in,” Garcia-Ureste said. “We know that the majority of people who are crossing the border are not criminals, but the ones who are, they’re a real danger.” She said that she does feel for Dreamers, but that she wished they had come to the United States in a legal way. She also said that there are many Texans who descend from land grants given by Texas when it was a state and a Republic that many Dreamers may have descended from. “In Texas alone, land-grant community estimates there is between three and nine million Tejanos that descend from the
original recipients of these land grants,” Garcia-Ureste said. “How many of those 11 million that are undocumented, and how many of the 1.8 million might have this genealogy too?” She said that descendants from those land grants could be a legal pathway to citizenship for the 124,000 DACA recipients in Texas. Like her fellow Republican candidate, Garcia-Ureste is not at the top of the list when it comes to total funds raised. The majority of her campaign funds have come from her recycling company. Her total contributions are $165, with $5 from her own funds. The other Republican candidate, Rick Seeberger, has raised $7,304, with $6,000 a loan from his own funds. The top two contenders for the Democrats have raised significantly more, with Dori Fenenbock raising nearly $1 million and Veronica Escobar just over $800,000. For more candidate profiles visit theprospectordaily.com Follow Christian Vasquez on Twitter @chrismvasq
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PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 27, 2018
OPINION
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MICHAELA ROMÁN, 747-7446
Black History Month matters BY AVERY OLIVER Special to The Prospector
Editors Note: Avery Oliver, junior multimedia journalism major, is a member of UTEP’s Black Student Union and currently acts as the BSU’s public relations officer. The organization has hosted numerous events this month including marching in El Paso’s Black History Month Parade on Saturday, Feb. 24. Every year, February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month nationwide, giving the country a chance to reflect on black history and the importance of the month itself. Yet, every so often, people question the reasoning behind this month and wonder why it is observed in the United States. More often than not, I have heard people question the importance of Black History Month. Well, to understand the importance of Black History Month, we need to understand how our nation came to be, and how, especially here in the South, the country was built upon the backs of black slaves. Observing social justice and civil rights movements from the ‘50s and up until now, we have seen strong black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and many others who have followed in their footsteps and shaped the nation’s perspective and point us in the direction of equality and justice for all citizens of America. Black History Month, however, isn’t simply dedicated to America reflecting on the same individuals we’ve learned about in elementary school and high school. It is also about us learning about the pain and struggles that black people have had to face since our battle to be recognized as first-class citizens in this country, up until now. That struggle starts from slavery, to horrific yet countless tragedies, like Emmett Till, to institutionalized racism like segregation here in the South, which I need only to go as far as my grandfather’s house to hear about, and finally, to the current Black Lives Matter movement today. Yet, Black History Month is also about showing people, black and non-black about the resilience and the strength of Black Americans and how, no matter what is thrown
at us, we have the strength and the power to move forward in the face of hatred and oppression. This month is for everyone to learn, witness and take part of the wonderful stories– told and untold–of black achievement from slavery up until today. One way Black History Month was celebrated here on campus was a lecture by Angela Davis, hosted by the Black Student Union and the African American Studies Program, to speak on issues regarding, but not limited to, immigration, feminism and civil rights. Like Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis was a powerful figure during the Civil Rights Movement and helped shape the nation’s view on topics like equality for black Americans, for women and even for LGBTQIA citizens. She also spoke about Black History Month in a way that resonated with me and many others, explaining that Black History Month is something that needs to be observed by all. As I looked at the crowd that had accumulated to hear Davis speak, I saw diversity. People of all ethnicities sat there, completely in tune and attentive to all Professor Davis had to say–and that spoke volumes. I witnessed such a prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement being respected and revered by people from all over, and I was once again reminded how important black history was to not just black Americans and black people in general (which Davis also spoke about, in regards to Black History Month not just celebrating African Americans, but African diaspora worldwide), but to everyone sitting in that auditorium, and everyone in this nation. Black History Month is for everyone because this month observes the birth of our nation. The rights for black Americans paved way for other movements, such as the feminist movements, anti-war movements and many more that followed. The Civil Rights Movement truly shaped the nation, and continues to do so today. So when people ask why we observe Black History Month, and what its importance is, they must realize black history is the history of this country and every citizen of the United States has a right and obligation to understand that.
The Prospector is committed to the accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, email the editor at michaelairoman@gmail.com
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Change starts now with the democratic primaries BY JASON GREEN The Prospector
According to the El Paso Times, early voting numbers for the Democratic Party primary in El Paso are up 86 percent from 2014 and 170 percent from 2016. It is probably safe to assume that the turnout, as has been the case in almost every election since 2016, is in reaction to Trump being elected president. In turn, Republicans have faced high-profile losses in typically red states, such as Virginia and Alabama. The Democratic Party is seeing a rejuvenation following their defeat at the hands of the Russians—I mean the Republicans. Several high-profile seats are up for grabs in November, and with El Paso being a blue city and county, the primaries on March 6 are basically the be-all and end-all for several seats. Here is a quick look at a few local races of note. We won’t even fool ourselves into thinking that the “Trump effect” could land Texas a Democratic governor. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed for Beto O’Rourke for now. Most of the elections this year are pretty boring to be honest. A lot of them are judges and commissioners. However, that does not mean that you need to sit at home and do nothing. It is apathy that keeps old white men in charge of this country with unchecked power. The race for Judge of County Court at Law 5 features four different candidates running, with Kristin Raquel Romero, Jesus Rodriguez, Mike Herrera and Danny Razo. According to the Texas Bar Association, Romero works for the El Paso District Attorney’s Office and holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Kansas. She has been practicing criminal law since 2004. Rodriguez has been practicing family law for 21 years and has served as an associate judge for 11 years. He was also named Outstanding Judge of the Year by the El Paso Bar. It may seem odd for a family law judge to run for this position, however, the court will be designated a family law court following this election to help alleviate a backlog according to the El Paso Times. Mike Herrera has also served as a judge in El Paso at the 383rd District Court. In 2016, he received the state’s second-most
Speak your mind
severe sanction for a judge after he was found to have held his own divorce case in his court for several months. Danny Razo graduated from Texas Tech in 2003 and has practiced all types of law from his office in El Paso, according to the Texas Bar. His campaign materials mention that he has worked with youth in El Paso for many years and has taught law at local high schools. Despite the number of candidates for this position and the available “dirt” on one of them, this race has stayed fairly clean. The same cannot be said for Judge of County Probate Court 1. Incumbent Patricia Chew has held the seat since 2011. Now she faces a challenge from probate lawyer Darron Powell. Chew claims that Powell donated money to her campaign until a ruling in her court did not go his way, then he decided to run against her at the last minute. Meanwhile, Powell is busy with a court case of his own where he is a defendant. Powell is being sued by seven former clients who say that he overcharged them and attempted to bully them into selling a ranch and mineral rights involved in a will dispute that he was working on for the family. Powell says that the lawsuit is unmerited. He also says that Chew has problems of her own in her courtroom. Powell claims that an associate judge in Chew’s probate court purchased a house involved in a trust that the court managed, which would be an ethics violation. Chew says that the house had changed hands several times since being handled by the court. Who knew that a Probate Court election could be so interesting? Speaking of interesting, the race to replace Beto O’Rourke, as if that was possible, has become very interesting. There are eight names on the ballot for the U.S. Congressional District 16 seat, but let’s be honest, Dori Fenenbock and Veronica Escobar have made it a two-woman race. Fenenbock, the former president of the El Paso Independent School District Board, kicked off her congressional bid with $300,000 from campaign donors. According to her Federal Election Commission filings, 47 percent of that money came from individuals who had voted in the 2016 Republican primary. Only 17 percent came from individuals who had voted in the Democratic primary. Until 2014, Fenenbock was a registered Republican. It seems right up until the congressional seat opened up. We all
know that Republicans don’t get elected in El Paso. Some billboards on I-10 have Escobar’s face on them talking about how she raised her salary and taxes while she was a county judge. Those weren’t put there by Fenenbock, although she has said that she agrees with their message. Instead, the billboards were put there on behalf of Fenenbock by a Republican Super-PAC named Keep El Paso Honest. So far, all of the organizations claims have been proven false and more importantly, have even helped to catch Fenenbock in some unethical deeds of her own. The Keep El Paso Honest Super-PAC accused Escobar’s campaign manager Susie Byrd, a volunteer on the EPISD board of trustees, of soliciting donations from vendors on Escobar’s behalf. A report in the El Paso Times stated that Fenenbock, in her position on the school board, solicited donations, while Byrd had not. Escobar has received the endorsement of O’Rourke, EMILY’s List, Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC, National Nurses United, Texas State Teacher’s Association, Gabby Giffords, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressman Steny Hoyer (Democratic whip), El Paso Times and numerous other congressmen and women. She has also managed to run a clean campaign despite the constant onslaught by the “Democrat in Name Only” Fenenbock and other outside Republican organizations. On another interesting note, sitting Judge Luis Aguilar of the 243rd Judicial District would very much like you to vote for Selena Solis, Feliciano “Felix” Castanon or Roberto J. Ramos. His name appears on the ballot just below those three, but it was entirely by accident. He forgot to have it removed and does not want to be re-elected. Regardless of how you feel about the mudslinging and the ugliness that crops up every year, regardless of how you feel about the situation in Washington, 2018 is our chance to do something about it. That chance begins in on March 6 and early voting has already begun. If you are a Democrat and want the best people in Washington to fight what is happening, or here in El Paso to do what is best for us despite what is happening at the national level, this is the time to stand up and be counted. Don’t be jaded. Get out and vote. Follow Jason Green on Twitter @greenevansj
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Letters will be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters over 250 words are subject to editing to fit available space. Please include full name, street address and telephone number and e-mail address, plus major, classification and/or title if applicable. Address and phone number will be used for verification only. Write to 105 E. Union, e-mail theprospectordaily.news@gmail.com, call 747-7477 or fax to 747-8031. 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, spring, and summer 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
NEWS | 3 |
FEBRUARY 27, 2018
“El Paso” Ai-Hwa Chinese School celebrated Year of the Dog
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3 BY JAKE DEVEN The Prospector
Students, faculty and parents came together at a packed Union Cinema to celebrate the incoming Year of the Dog with traditional Chinese performances at UTEP on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 24. “This is what universities are for–these incredible celebrations of culture, friendship and learning. To come together to understand each other and develop the skills, abilities and confidence to be competitive in the world,” said Alberto Lopez, assistant vice president for the Office of University Relations. Among those welcoming the Chinese New Year on Saturday were Boy Scouts of America, third graders from Mesita Elementary, fifth graders from Eastwood Knolls Elementary, students from EPCC, Rotary Youth Exchange students and the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (TCC) in El Paso and Juarez. Also performing in the celebration were students from various schools in El Paso, who are studying Chinese through UTEP’s Professional and Public Programs’ Ai-Hwa Chinese School, which will be celebrating 20 years of providing Chinese language and culture classes in El Paso next year. Current principal of the school, Shinping “Champagne” Chyi, was the main organizer of the Chinese New Year celebration.
4 Performances by third graders from Mesita and fifth graders from Eastwood Knolls included a rendition of the “Beautiful Jasmine Flower Dance” and a “Mongolian Chopstick Dance.” Students from the Rotary Youth Exchange presented the audience with a “Sunshine Flower Dance,” while students from EPCC performed a rendition of the “Green Dragon Crescent Moon Sword” with their professor, KangHoon Choi. In addition to performances by students from the elementary schools and EPCC, the audience was treated to a few performances by younger children who performed a “Happy Bunny” dance, which is a Chinese version of “Old MacDonald had a Farm.” Following these performers was a brief presentation by the TCC showcasing the progress the organization has brought to the community. The TCC partnered with companies from around the country to bring more jobs and development to the area. Finishing off the event was a performance by all performers called “Red Envelopes with the Wealth God.” The red envelope is a gift traditionally presented during the New Year. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. Follow Jake Deven on Twitter @jakedeven
PAULETTE VILLA / THE PROSPECTOR “El Paso” Ai-Hwa Chinese School and UTEP’s Professional and Public Programs hosted the annual Chinese New Year Celebration at Union Cinema on Saturday, Feb. 24. 1. Two women from the Shaolin WuShu Kung Fu of El Paso perform at the festival 2. Performers demonstrate a TaiChi Sword dance. 3. Mesita Elementary School third graders perform a “Jasmine Flower Dance.” 4. Ambassador of Taiwan in Mexico, Carlos S.C. Liao, kicks off the event while children participate in a Chinese dragon dance around him. 5. Elementary school students perform a LianXiang Folk Dance.
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THEPROSPECTOR
| 4 | NEWS
FEBRUARY 27, 2018
UTEP grad student selected for United Nations practicum BY JAKE DEVEN The Prospector
At the upcoming 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York from March 10-17, women from every corner of the world will gather to discuss challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls. This year, Julissa Corona, a UTEP master of social work student, is one of 10 students who were selected from across the nation to participate in the CSW as a delegate for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. “I’m excited to learn about policies and how to change them and I’m excited to participate in advocacy for women’s rights,” Corona said. The WILPF is an organization that works to achieve racial and economic justice, world disarmament and other rights for women. Corona will gain temporary delegate status, where she will have the opportunity to observe how the United Nations works to address certain issues that
PHOTO COURTESY OF UTEP COMMUNICATIONS Health Sciences student, Julissa Corona, is one of 10 students selected to participate in the CSW as a delegate for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom this March.
require multilateral engagement and coordinated action. She will also attend official and non-government organization sessions and contribute to the official
documentation of both official and NGO meetings. Corona earned her bachelor’s of science in psychology degree from Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2014. Soon after, she started working in clinical psychology, where she worked with an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. The goal of ACT is to help people stay out of the hospital and to develop skills for living in the community, so that their mental illness is not the driving force in their lives. During this time, she practiced psychological rehabilitation, working with clients who were experiencing schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms. Corona became especially interested in the social aspect of the job, understanding the issues that impact individuals, their response to the issue and how to fix the issue.
“The (social worker’s) work was more broad and focused on human behavior. I liked that,” Corona said. She was excited to learn that she was chosen as a delegate for the CSW, which is a governmental body that focuses on gender equality and the advancement of women and draws representatives of governments to address the problems facing women around the world. The application process for this unequaled opportunity is highly competitive and focused on the applicant’s professionalism, academic success and community outreach. “I know it’s going to change who I am as a professional, and I’m hoping transfer what I learn to give back to the community,” she said. When Corona returns to UTEP, she will create an advocacy project that will encourage equality and hopefully generate a better understanding
of the processes of changing unbalanced policies. “Women have had rights for decades, but there’s still a lot of hard work to be done,” she said. Corona says the possibility of being able to change policies and how those policies will affect women is what motivates and inspires her to continue her work as an advocate for women’s rights. She wants to bring back whatever she learns to the community and see how things can change locally. “I’m hoping to bring back what I learn to the El Paso community,” Corona said. “Even if it’s in a small way, whatever it may be, I just want to give back rather than just go and experience this event and that’s it.” A native of La Chorrera, Panama, Corona will graduate from UTEP in May 2018. Last year, she was one of four UTEP students invited to present at the 14th Feminist Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (EFLAC) in Montevideo, Uruguay. She is also the co-host of the UTEP’s social work department’s bilingual radio talk show called “Health and the Borderland Culture/Salud y Cultura Fronteriza.” On the recent #MeToo and Times Up movements, Corona said it’s inspiring and valuable to see how they’re affecting other movements, such as the recent student marches in Florida after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She said the collaboration seen between students and #MeToo advocates is the best representation of the good that society can be. “I think it’s powerful when oppressed groups speak up and it’s really powerful when we support each other,” she said. Follow Jake Deven on Twitter @jakedeven
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Which African-American leader do you find the most influential? CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ, SERGIO MUÑOZ / THE PROSPECTOR
ANGELES PARRA
KARINA MARQUEZ
OSCAR VERGUEZ
“Frederick Douglas. I read his biography a while ago and I think I really appreciate the way he fought for education for his fellow people.”
“I would say Barack Obama, mainly because I feel like he changed a lot of things in history and he brought a lot of minority groups into the light.”
“Martin Luther King because he did a lot of activism movements to support the black community.”
SOFIA CARRANZA
SAMUEL ABOUD
SERGIO ORNELAS
“Morgan Freeman. I believe like his perspective on the way he thinks on, like about God and everything, I think it’s very inspirational.”
Martin Luther King, because of the achievements he made and the mind sense that he had are outstanding compared to other people.”
“I’ll go with MLK because the way he worked was peaceful. He wanted to show that communities and the public actually does have a voice .”
Freshman creative writing major
Freshman rehab science major
Senior health promotion major
Freshman biomedical sciences major
Junior mechanical engineering major
Freshman biology major
PAGE 5 FEBRUARY 27, 2018
entertainment
EDITOR
CLAUDIA FLORES , 747-7446
El Cuartito: A Japanese favorite with a Mexican twist
CLAUDIA FLORES / THE PROSPECTOR El Cuartito will offer four different variations of ramen based on traditional Mexican plates. tina at TI:ME at Montecillo, on N. BY CLAUDIA FLORES Mesa Street, El Cuartito will open The Prospector Ever since Malolam opened its its doors on Feb. 28, serving meals doors four years ago, restaurateurs from Wednesday to Sunday from Octavio Gomez, Rudy Valdes and 11 to 2 a.m. Growing up in the border citNick Salgado held on the idea of opening a ramen shop with a Mex- ies of Juárez and El Paso, Gomez, Valdes and Salgado wanted to offer ican approach. “(El Cuartito) was one of the a new concept that combines the original concepts, but we were Japanese cuisine with the authentic looking for the right moment to flavors of the borderland. “I think the approach that we do it,” Gomez said. “It feels good to see something that you put on take is the easiest part of it. We paper come to life.” all have a collective background– Located next to Malolam Can- I grew up in Juárez, Nick grew up
here in El Paso, and we all are children of the border,” Valdes said. “When I say menudo, everyone knows what I’m talking about because we all share those collective experiences and that’s why we take that approach on Mexican ramen.” El Cuartito will offer four different variations of ramen, such as chile colorado, which includes carnitas (pork), salsa verde with chicken, al pastor, which has the traditional marinated pork and pineapple, and a vegetarian option that has portobello mushrooms
with vegetable broth. “The reason why we do this is because some people are afraid of eating ramen. My wife and Nick’s wife wouldn’t eat ramen, but you put this spin on it and maybe they will be also willing to eat the traditional ramen–it’s all about opening doors,” Gomez said. Valdes, who is also the executive chef for Stonewood Modern American Grill, said that ramen is about taking humble ingredients and turning them into a new product. “Ramen to me has the same place in my heart, maybe slightly below where menudo, pozole, pho and these other soups sit. It’s about taking humble ingredients, basically things people didn’t originally want to eat,” Valdes said. “With ramen we’re taking bones and noodles and tuning super humble ingredients into something better, and we marry them with the flavors that we grew up with, such as menudo, pozole and tacos al pastor–putting together familiar with less familiar and creating an awesome new product.” With the final product, the food has been in the making for over 24 hours. Valdes explained that he starts with the traditional ingredients with ramen, and it is near the end of the process that he takes a Mexican turn. “We start with kombu (kelp), katsuobushi (smoked skipjack tuna flakes) and dashi, which is the stock of Japanese cuisine and is the Knorr Suiza of Mexican cuisine,” Valdes said. “Our broth is considered a pork broth, but there
are also chicken bones in there and those bones get blanched and clean and they go into the dashi. It takes 24 hours to make and it takes two days to make the whole thing.” Valdes said that making ramen takes a lot of practice, knowledge and patience. In fact, the main ingredients to make the savory broth consist of elements in which some people would consider leftovers. Ramen arrived to Japan in the 19th century and has since spread all over the globe. People take their own approach to reinvent the classic plate, however the creation process is a tough one, as one simple mistake can alter the whole plate. “A lot of time you won’t know if you mess up until the end. So if you’re in a restaurant and you order something and I mess up it will take me 30 seconds to fix,” Valdes said. “But if I mess something up that takes 48 hours to make, and I won’t notice until the very end–something just happened–that’s why the time and precision are so important because I have to ensure that those 48 hours weren’t in vain.” Other ramen restaurants in El Paso, such as Kaedama and Nishi Ramen, offer a more traditional style of ramen. Aside from serving as a restaurant, El Cuartito will also have a bar offering a variety of drinks such as Mezcal and Estrella Jalisco beer.
Claudia Flores may be reached at gigiberta ores43@gmail.com.
Fahrenheit 180 offers café destination near campus BY CLAUDIA FLORES The Prospector
Fahrenheit 180 is one of the newest places in town that offers more than just your typical cup of coffee and is located right across from the Don Haskins Center. “My friend runs Fahrenheit 32 (ice cream shop), and what he does is that he tries to bring new things to El Paso or whatever is trending in other states like New York or other parts of the world,” said owner James Kim, 24. Even though El Paso has a large variety of places to relax with a good cup of coffee, to Kim, creating a space with different products was one of the important factors that led to the creation of Fahrenheit 180. “When I first came here, there was nowhere to go. When my girlfriend came to visit we wanted to go out somewhere to just hang out and chill, but the closest thing was Starbucks, which only fits in a couple of people,” Kim said. “So I tried to vision a place where people can come and study and just chill out.” Known for their popular charcoal drink, Kim said that they try to infuse products that are trending in the state of New York, San Francisco and other places of Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Korea. “Other than coffee, I wanted to introduce people to some new drinks and one of them is the char-
coal latte, and what we use is activated charcoal, and it’s not just for the color or aesthetic effect, it’s also good for digestion and health benefits,” he said. Kim explained that in order to create the drink, they use coconut ash charcoal, which is an edible charcoal, and they add coconut cream and coconut extract. Kim said that all of the product’s ingredients are from Japan to maintain the products as authentic as possible. “The charcoal is imported, and if it’s a matcha, we try to get highclass products so we import it straight from Japan,” Kim said. “Same thing for ube (purple yam), it’s imported from Southeast Asia, where it is grown.” Besides the charcoal latte, Fahrenheit 180 offers a new insight to some of the most popular drinks and desserts in Asia, such as the bicolored croissant, the angel snow dessert, matcha crepe cake and ube drinks. “The bicolour croissants are filled with different types of fillings, but it’s not like a regular croissant where you just roll chocolate inside,” Kim said. “We actually give it a little twist by adding color to it. So if it’s a chocolate croissant, we add dark chocolate and with a marshmallow fluff.” Another product that Fahrenheit 180 has on their menu is their popular Japanese cheesecake, which took over the Internet last year for
CLAUDIA FLORES / THE PROSPECTOR Fahrenheit 180 offers a variety of drinks that include the popular charcoal latte, among other products. its unique texture and appearance. “People are familiar with the New York cheesecake, which is very thick, and the Japanese cheesecake is more bready, is more fluffy and is not as thick as the New York cheesecake,” Kim said. “You can eat a whole portion and still be fine.” Part of the concept of Fahrenheit
180 is not only to offer new trending products, but also to bring parts of different cultures to blend in with the El Paso community. “I feel it’s very important that everywhere else is moving forward and El Paso is not there yet,” Kim said. “So, I feel that bringing this here is a cultural effect and is just not about bringing just one culture,
it is about bringing cultures from other parts of the world.” Fahrenheit 180 is open from Monday to Sunday. from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Claudia Flores may be reached at gigiberta ores43@gmail.com.
21st Century Scholars Class of 2018
THEPROSPECTOR
| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT
FEBRUARY 27, 2018
Musician’s Forums bring awareness to local music scene
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MUSICIAN’S FORUM The Musician’s Forum is a group for El Paso musicians that meets every month to learn about the efforts of working in the music industry.
BY ELENIE GONZALEZ The Prospector
There is a strong music scene in El Paso that has been unknown for quite some time. The scene has emerged in the last few years thanks to venues such as The Lowbrow Palace and Tricky Falls. As the local music scene continues to rise, local artists are collaborating in an effort to bring more awareness about other musicians within the community. Christian Yanez is one of those artists. He is spearheading an initiative called the Musician’s Forum, which is a monthly meeting inviting local artists to come together and learn about different topics regarding the efforts of working as a musician. The forums take place at the Outpost, located on 2317 E. Missouri
Ave., which is a facility in El Paso that provides amenities to traveling musicians for free. Yanez though it would be the perfect space to hold the forum. “When I put this together this time around, I wanted it to be for musicians only,” Yanez said. “The thing about the scene here is that all the musicians know each other because they all play shows together. I felt that if I put that spin on it, and by having it at the Outpost, especially because not many musicians know what it is or that it’s a resource for them, it would help increase attendance.” However this wasn’t the first time Yanez has tried hosting a forum. Yanez’ first two attempts at hosting the forum in 2015 and 2016 weren’t as successful as he had hoped for. Along with the musicians, he invited people who worked within the
music scene such as in recording studios, marketing and any other resources musicians might need to move forward in their careers. Although there were about 30 business people in attendance, only about three musicians showed up. This year over 100 musicians attended the forum in January. Yanez, who works for several of El Paso’s music-centered companies such as Splendid Sun Productions, Neon Desert Music Festival and The Lowbrow Palace, said it’s easy for him to reach out to members of the music community since he’s already in touch with them through Facebook. Since the Outpost does not have any social media pages or accounts, Yanez uses his own Facebook account to inform musicians about the upcoming forums. He said that after the first forum, he created a Facebook group to be able to send updates to the musicians. “What we want is for local bands to be able to have successful shows so that they can make a living out of being musicians,” Yanez said. Each month, the forum will have a different focus. The forum in February focused on marketing and how to increase attendance at a show. He’s planning a forum in the next few months that will focus on how to book a tour or show. Sorrytown, a local band, will lead the forum after returning from their own tour, which they booked entirely on their own. “For the most part, I pick the categories that we talk about, but the goal is to have enough people collaborating to those who attend can see from a real-life standpoint what it’s like to specialize and exceed in that specific topic,” Yanez said. Rolph Zehntner, vocalist for Acid Pie, has attended the forums.
He thinks it’s essential for bands, musicians and anyone from the community who are a part of the scene to come together and actually be a community. “As someone who’s been in the scene for a while, I know there’s so much that we can share in terms of experience and knowledge,” Zehntner said. “Some things we learned the hard way, some that we’ve learned from others and some that we’re still learning.” Zehntner said he understands how important it is for the local music community to have this forum, specifically for them. “What I saw in these forums first of all is how much they’re needed– a lot of people were there who had been waiting for something like this for a while. Everybody was trying to connect, to find people who are going through the same experience,”
Zehntner said. “Now that a connection has been made, we’re hopeful that it’ll be the foundation for a real community, not just a group of people occupying the same space, but a scene that works together for everyone’s benefit.” This is only the beginning of the musician’s forums and Yanez is hoping to see success stories emerge from his push for awareness in the local music scene. “At the end of the day, this is about improving the scene as a whole,” Yanez said. “If we, as a team, can improve attendance at shows, that results in venues and promoters getting higher profits, which then results in bands getting paid, which is a goal for the bands.” For more information send an email to caroline@thisisthepa.com Follow Elenie Gonzalez on Twitter @eleniegonz
METALLICA TO BRING TOUR TO THE DON
PAGE 9 FEBRUARY 27, 2018
Sports
EDITOR
JEREMY CARRANCO, 747-7446
Blair overcomes health issues to shine at UTEP
MICHAELA ROMÁN / THE PROSPECTOR UTEP softball player Ariel Blair leads the team in stolen bases with six.
BY MIKE FLORES The Prospector Ariel Blair began playing softball at the age of 6 and instantly fell in love with the game. But where she is now, a key piece to UTEP softball’s team, is something far different from where she thought she would end up. When Blair was 14 and in the midst of her sophomore year at
Hanks High School, she contracted a throat infection that would turn into something much worse. First her hands went numb and then her feet went numb. “There was a short moment where I thought I would never play again.” After a week in the hospital with multiple CT scans, an MRI, blood work and other work done on her, Blair became paralyzed from the
elbows down and the knees down. Blair went from fielding balls and running the bases at Hanks to being in a wheelchair. She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. The exact cause of Guillain-Barre Syndrome is unknown. “It definitely was something that changed my outlook on things. It
was something I was able to triumph through just with the help of my support system, my faith in God and my family,” Blair said. “I felt it in my heart that I was going to get through it.” A big part of her support system is her dad, former UTEP tight end Jason Blair (1993-96). Although Guillain-Barre Syndrome forced Blair to go through something many don’t, she didn’t look down on it, instead she saw the silver lining to having the illness. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for going through that because it did make me realize that I can get through something like that–and it felt good to know that I had people behind me,” Blair said. “Even now in college, my teammates, coaches, trainers and everyone is so supportive. They always remind me that I have that strength because they’re behind me and support me.” Now, with her health back on track, Blair does not want what she went through to define her as a person. Instead, Blair said she can be defined as a Division I softball player who got the opportunity to accomplish something not many can claim—she earned the right to play for her hometown university at UTEP. In her high school career, in which she played all four years of varsity softball for the Knights, Blair was named to the El Paso Times All-City first-team her senior year. During that year, she hit .469, recorded 25 RBIs, had six doubles, two home runs and was
one of the biggest threats in stealing bases. In fact, she was third in the nation in bases stolen (39) and second in state in runs scored (65). With UTEP being more than interested in adding a talent like Blair, she said she knew El Paso was where she wanted to continue playing softball.
I felt it in my heart that I was going to get through it.
- Ariel Blair Junior outfileder UTEP Softball “This is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love being able to wear UTEP across my chest every game and to support my hometown,” Blair said. “I want to make the community proud.” Not only would Blair bring major value on the field for UTEP, but
see BLAIR on page 10
Five players to watch for in spring football BY ADRIAN BROADDUS The Prospector For three weeks, the new football coaches and players will finally be able to put on pads, run plays and schemes, and get a feel for the fall as spring ball commences. It will be the first chance for the players to get a true feel for each other and it will also be the first chance to see how much will be changed come the fall under the new coaching staff. Below are five of the players to watch out for this spring ball season, which begins March 5-April 11:
1
Kai Locksley Quarterback
The 6-foot-4 dual-threat quarterback out of Iowa Western has carried a lot of hype around his play, so spring ball will be the first time Kai Locksley steps on the field in UTEP colors. First, Locksley will have to secure the starting job, competing with the likes of Ryan Metz, Alex Fernandez and Mark Torrez. UTEP hasn’t had a true starting quarterback in three years, so having a true quarterback as early as spring ball would be to their advantage. Head coach Dana Dimel said in his introductory press conference that they would morph the offense around the quarterback. So with that being said, it will probably be a run-first offense, with Locksley not being afraid to run the ball when given the chance. Expect Locksley to take a majority of snaps during spring ball and show off some big-time plays.
2
Quardraiz Wadley Running back
After missing the majority of the 2017 season due to an injury, running back Quadraiz Wadley will be back on the gridiron to have his first truly healthy spring season since his freshman year. During the rough points of last season, Wadley was really all the Miners had as an answer for offense. As he will probably trade off reps with running backs such as Ronald Awatt and Joshua Fields– Wadley, if healthy, can show some glimpses of greatness this spring. As the college football trend for running backs is shifting to more of a bipartisan running back duo, look to Wadley and Fields to both do damage on the field.
3
5
Nik Needum Defensive Back
One of the best things this defense will bring next season is a sharp secondary. Led by 2017 CUSA Honorable Mention defensive back Nik Needham, the Miners secondary core has the potential to be the best in the conference. Needham, a senior in the fall, will enter the spring season as one of the most talented pass breakers in school history, tied for fifth in the program’s all-time list, with 24 pass deflections. What makes Needham such a threat is his composure through plays in the air and his ability to swarm to the ball almost instantly. With players like Kalon Beverly, Michael Lewis, Justin Rogers and Kahani Smith backing him in the secondary, Needham could see a lot of success this season.
4
CJ Reese Defensive End
The graduate transfer, CJ Reese, out of Kansas State, has been showing his excitement over the school ever since he decided to become a graduate transfer and follow the former K-State coaches. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end specializes in rushing the passer and will add much needed depth to the UTEP defensive front. Although he didn’t receive much playing time during his time with the Wildcats, Reese has a lot of potential to see a lot of playing time with the Miners and make a quick impact on the field almost instantly. Another interesting thing to see is what defensive coordinator Mike Cox decides as his defensive look. Kansas State would run a 4-3 and switch almost instantly to a 4-25 scheme, so this will be the first sight at what Cox will decide to do with his defense.
Justin Rogers Cornerback
Throughout his two seasons stepping in as a corner back, Justin Rogers has put up some impressive film and turned some heads in the defensive backfield. The junior out of Los Angeles is a playmaker and able to wreak havoc in the pass game. He is also an open-field tackler for the defense, as he finished last season with 39 tackles. Through 2017, he caused two key turnovers with a forced fumble and an interception, and has the definite potential to do more this season. If Rogers can emerge among the corners this spring ball season, he could lock in the second starting corner spot and be among the conference’s best secondary men.
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FEBRUARY 27, 2018
BLAIR from page 9 also with her team-first attitude, she is also known as a person that lifts the spirits of her teammates and helps make the team the family that they are. “AJ (Blair’s nickname on the team) will go through a brick wall for anyone on this team,” said senior Kaitlyn Ryder. “The definition of a great teammate is AJ. She picks everyone up, she is the first one that offers to do extra to make the team better, and she’s just the type of person you can really rely on.” From day one with UTEP, Blair would see a lot of playing time as a freshman. During her freshman year, the center fielder played in 34 games and started in 22 of them. She hit .290, scored 15 times and was tied for the team lead with two bases stolen. In her first year (2016), Blair helped lead the Miners to their only winning conference record in program history (13-11 C-USA) and most wins since 2010 (23). The following year, she made 32 starts and played in 38 games. Being the speedy player, Blair led the Miners in bases stolen (five). She also tied the team-high five sacrifice hits and batted a .265 batting average, totaled 16 runs scored with 47 putouts and four assists. Fast forward to today, Blair has kicked off her junior season on fire. During the Marucci Desert Classic tournament in Las Vegas earlier this season, Blair paved the way for UTEP to win their final three games of the tournament after losing the first two games. She batted an eyepopping average of .500, had a .538 on base percentage, stole three bases, scored three times and added one RBI to her impressive weekend.
“She’s starting to put everything together and everything is clicking for her right now,” said UTEP head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk on Blair. “She really worked hard this offseason to perfect some of her slaps. She’s done a great job of listening and being coachable, I think that’s a big reason why she’s having the success she is.” As of now, UTEP is 8-7 after winning eight of their last nine games. Blair has been the lead-off batter for the Miners for the majority of the games this season, and it has improved the overall play for UTEP since the move. Blair again leads the team in steals (six) so far, but she is much more than just her speed. She’s fourth in batting percentage (.414), has 12 hits, has scored seven times and has a .452 on base percentage so far this season. Since her first year to now, EchoHawk and Ryder said that the aspect that Blair has improved the most in is her confidence. She has more of the mentality this year to attack the pitcher and not let the pitcher attack her. Blair’s goal this year is to win Conference USA. She believes UTEP has the tools to do so. “I know this year we definitely have the potential to do it,” she said. “Everybody is 100 percent bought in. That’s definitely a goal we’re shooting for, if not, past that goal.” Aside from softball, Blair is a health promotion major and would like to pursue her dream of going to nursing school, specializing in neurology.
ollow i e lores on witter @mi ey
ores
Final games to decide Miners fate
GABY VELASQUEZ/ THE PROSPECTOR
BY MIKE FLORES The Prospector A two-game win streak doesn’t mean much in the big picture of a basketball season, but the last two wins for the UTEP men’s basketball team, coming against Louisiana Tech (74-72) and Southern Mississippi (73-44), put them in the driver’s seat for a spot in the upcoming Conference USA tournament in Frisco, Texas. Now at 10-18 and 5-11 in Conference USA, the Miners have a two-game lead over Rice for the final spot in the conference tournament, with only two games remaining in the regular season. Here are five things to know for UTEP’s final two games on the road against Rice and North Texas to finish off the regular season. 1. One win for UTEP and they’re in By this time last season, UTEP was fighting for a first-round bye in the C-USA tournament, but this season, the team is battling just to clinch a spot in the tournament. The top-12 teams in C-USA by the end of the regular season earn their chance to battle against one another to get into the biggest stage in college basketball—the NCAA tournament. UTEP is currently the 12th seed in C-USA, and has a two-game lead on Rice (623, 3-11 C-USA) and four-game lead on last place Charlotte (5-22, 1-15 C-USA). If the Miners were to beat Rice for the second time this season on March 1, that would eliminate the Owls from tournament contention and get UTEP in no matter the outcome in their final game. But if UTEP were to come up short against Rice, that would mean the Owls would still have a small chance to snatch
that 12th spot from the Miners—if UTEP were to lose their last two games and if Rice were to win their final two games. A win over North Texas would secure the Miners’ C-USA tournament spot as well. 2. UTEP could still move up in the standings Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic have six conference wins each and are both only a game above UTEP in the current standings. For UTEP, they have a winnable game against Rice since the Miners have already handily beat the Owls earlier this season, 80-62. But for Southern Miss, they are coming off their worst conference loss of the season from the hands of UTEP, 73-44, and have also lost five of their last six games. It won’t get any easier for the Golden Eagles as they are set to face a LA Tech team for the second time this year, who has already beaten them, 89-66. For FAU, they have a top-three team in Old Dominion coming up on their schedule. ODU has won six of their last seven games and holds C-USA’s top-ranked defense, only giving up 63.5 points per game. However, FAU holds two things over UTEP if they were to end with the same record—the Owls have beaten the Miners head-to-head and FAU has last-place Charlotte still remaining on their schedule. 3. UTEP avoided a home-losing record Coming into their final homestand of the season, UTEP had a 7-8 home record and was on the verge of finishing with a home-losing record for only the second time since they’ve played at the Don Haskins Center. But with a nail-biting win over LA Tech, 74-72, and a blowout victory over Southern Miss, the Miners secured their 15th straight winning season at home.
Away from the Don Haskins Center this year, UTEP is 1-7, with their only road win coming against a one-win Charlotte team on a last-second shot from Paul Thomas. 4. Omega Harris has found his offensive game In UTEP’s two-game winning streak, senior guard Omega Harris scored 21 points in both games to help lead his team to victories. His stats read an average of only 11.4 points per game, but if the last two games were any indicator of how Harris is going to play in the final games of his college career, UTEP could finally lean on his usual consistent scoring. With UTEP’s second-leading scorer Keith Frazier (11 points per game) seeing very limited playing time since coming back from his mid-season departure, and with a UTEP offense that is last in C-USA in scoring (67.8 points per game), UTEP will need repeat performances from Harris if they hope to keep the season alive. 5. Tournament experience could be crucial for the years to come UTEP will be losing four players—Harris, Matt Willms, Jake Flaggert and Frazier—when the 2017-18 season comes to an end. On the other hand, despite their record and struggles this season, the Miners have some key talent to turn to in the upcoming years with five freshmen and one sophomore transfer making their UTEP debuts this year. The new faces this year for UTEP—Evan Gilyard, Tirus Smith, Trey Wade, Kobe Magee and Isiah Osborne—have played significant minutes already, but there is nothing like postseason play to gain the experience and knowledge of a one-elimination tournament. ollow i e lores on witter @mi ey
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FEBRUARY 27, 2018
Opportunity in U.S. fuels Zec with Miners
FILE PHOTO / THE PROSPECTOR Katarina Zec was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and played on the U20 Serbian National Team.
BY JEREMY CARRANCO The Prospector It’s hard to tell exactly what in a player drives them to play their best game. For UTEP sophomore point guard Katarina Zec, it was getting the chance to play collegiate ball at the Division I level in the United States—the opportunity of a lifetime. “I just wanted to go to the United States,” Zec said. “Coach Eva (Laskowska), the assistant coach from last year, approached me and I was ready to go.” For the Serbian-born player, growing up was anything but ideal for someone who just wanted to enjoy their childhood and play basketball. “I was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1997, and the two years before that and two years after that there was a war,” she said. “So I grew up in a war country, with economic, political and social crisis, and the struggles (financial) are still going on today.” Despite these everyday challenges, Zec said she always found a way onto the court.
“My mom (Natasa Zec) was a basketball coach for little kids, so I started playing when I was 8 years old,” she said. “I played throughout primary school and high school before I received an invitation at 15 to be on the Serbian national team.” With the U20 Serbian National Team, Zec helped her team take fourth place (Division A) at the 2016 European Championships, averaging 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in the event. She nailed 41.9 percent of her shots from the floor, while going a perfect 9-for-9 at the charity stripe. More importantly, landing on the national roster gave the future Miner some confidence heading into her collegiate career. “It was a pretty good experience,” she said. “You got to feel some honor and pride for getting the opportunity to play for your own country.” While coming to the U.S. is a dream for many across the seas, Zec knew she had to make the decision to come to the U.S. to both save her basketball career and to learn in the classroom at a high level.
“I decided because I didn’t have the opportunity to play basketball at a professional level and go into a school at a higher level than what was there (in Serbia), I just had to move to the United States because they (UTEP and Wyoming) offered me that opportunity,” she said. Zec signed to play basketball with UTEP over Wyoming in 2016, and enrolled in school as a biochemistry major for the fall semester later that year, which was her first as a collegiate student-athlete in the U.S. “It took time to adjust and completely focus in school because it was a real challenge to write the English language at first,” she said. “My academic English was not at a great level at the time. I could talk and communicate, but someone had to check my spelling and grammar. Now I don’t need any help, I’m completely fine.” First-year head coach Kevin Baker knows about the challenges Zec had to go through from getting to know her, but is surprised how far she has come in adjusting from what she has told him. “Can you imagine how scary it must be to come from Serbia and play Division 1 basketball while trying to learn a new language on a new campus and in a new city?” Baker questioned. “With familiarity brings confidence and that’s where she is now.” As a freshman, Zec missed part of the season due to a dislocated kneecap during a practice in early December 2016, which sidelined the newcomer for six contests. Around her injury period, the freshman was productive in 25 appearances and 19 starts, averaging 5.7 points per game in 20.8 minutes played, while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. This season, Zec has become more of an all-around role player, but her
ability as a 3-point sniper is also her most favorite thing about her game. “I feel really confident when I shoot the 3,” she said. “It feels even better when it’s a clutch shot, but I also like playing defense because I normally have the job of defending the other team’s most dangerous shooter.” Although he didn’t recruit Zec or see her during her freshman campaign, Baker knows how much Zec has improved since he took over the reins of the women’s basketball program. “When we first got here, we didn’t really know what hand we were
dealt,” Baker said. “It’s amazing to me to see how far she’s come in such a short period of time–to be that player we can count on consistently to score and guard night in and night out.” So far this season, the sophomore is second on the team in field goals made (94), 3-pointers made (35) and 3-point shooting percentage (36 percent). Zec leads the team in free throw percentage with an 87 percent clip (40-46) and averages 9.7 points per game.
see ZEC on page 12
SGA IN SEARCH FOR
Election Commissioners Apply today! • Applicants must be in good standing. (Full time students with a minimum GPA of 2.5) • Applications are available in the SGA office, or online at utep.edu/sga (under Documents) Deadline to apply: March 9, 2018 • Spring Elections’ week is April 10-12th!
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FEBRUARY 27, 2018
ZEC from page 11 Her best game of the season came against rival New Mexico State on Dec. 10, where she tallied a careerhigh 22 points with seven 3-pointers made in the 76-68 road loss. “I remember I shot my first 3 that day in the corner off an inbounds play and it went in,” she said. “After that, I shot every single one (3-pointer) that I was open for. They didn’t cover me the whole game and I just kept shooting them the whole game.” The Miners opened the 2017-18 season with a 4-0 start that gave Baker the best start for a first-year head coach in program history but the team has now lost nine of their last 13. In UTEP’s most recent loss at Southern Miss (60-53) this past Sunday, Zec was just 2-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-5 from behind the arc. “She hit those seven 3’s against NMSU and hasn’t had a game like that since,” Baker said on Zec’s recent struggles. “The teams we play now have (their) game planned to her side of the court.”
As a team, the Miners have lost five straight and find themselves in the No. 12 and final spot needed to make the Conference USA tournament next month. Zec knows that if her team is going to snap the losing streak, she will need regain her scoring touch. “We all need to lock in and have a sense of urgency,” she said. “I keep thinking about these games and I know I shouldn’t because it’s about executing on offense, defense and scouting the next opponent.” Zec and the Miners will return to the Don Haskins Center this Thursday, March 1, to take on the FIU Golden Panthers. UTEP defeated FIU 77-76 in the first matchup this season in Miami on Jan. 5 in the C-USA opener for both squads. Now with 13 conference games sandwiched in for each team since they last met, the two now stand side-by-side in the C-USA standings at the 12 and 13 spots, with just one game separating the two schools. Follow Jeremy on Twitter @JACarranco_
The beginning of NCAA turmoil BY DANIEL MENDEZ The Prospector
Yahoo! Sports dropped a bombshell that could dramatically change collegiate sports, its studentathletes and affect current and former college basketball players. The report details an extensive federal investigation into an underground recruiting operation in college basketball. The documents show an operation that appears to violate the NCAA’s amateurism rules, which comes near the start of the NCAA basketball tournament and puts into question some players availability to play. However, a scandal like this isn’t new to the NCAA. Given this newest occurrence, now is the time to start offering some sort of compensation to student-athletes. The players bring money to big-time universities with ticket sales, donors and their sale of sports merchandise, especially with jersey sales. The NCAA is a billion-dollar venture, with one of its main cash crops being the men’s basketball national championship tournament–better known as March Madness. The tournament dominates spring break with upsets, big time players making big plays and Cinderella teams. “Everybody knows everybody’s getting paid,” said Lakers guard Lonzo Ball, who played for UCLA last year. “That’s just how it is. Everybody’s getting paid anyway, you might as well make it legal. That’s how I feel.” At least 20 Division 1 basketball programs and more than 25 players, including major schools such as Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas are under investigation.
The feds have reportedly been investigating this for three years and had multiple federal authorities monitoring multiple targets and intercepting more than 4,000 calls, providing the FBI with a clear-cut view of how extensive these underground recruiting operations are. If convicted, some teams may be ineligible to play in the upcoming basketball tournament and some programs might be in major jeopardy in college basketball. The main agents getting investigated are former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency ASM Sports. The documents include expense reports and balance sheets that list cash advances, as well as entertainment and travel expenses for high school and college prospects and their families. It all started before the college basketball season with Rick Pitino and the University of Louisville. Authorities say that a Louisville assistant coach sought to spend $100,000 on the father of five-star recruit Brian Bowen. Bowen committed to Louisville, but is currently playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Reports are stating that Bowen was shopped around everywhere to multiple different universities that were willing to participate in the illegal recruiting scheme. Because of this allegation, which also involved Adidas, who sponsors the university, Pitino lost his job and Louisville’s national championship in 2013 was declared null and void. Later that same day, ESPN dropped another bombshell that could include criminal charges against University of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller. During the FBI investigation, the feds wiretapped a phone conversation with Miller, where he had a $100,000 deal to lure one of the top prospects in the country at the time, Deandre Ayton.
Miller, the only coach to be named so far in the report, did not coach his team against Oregon over the weekend, but Ayton did play and had a double-double in the overtime loss. Current players included in the investigation are Alabama guard Collin Sexton, Duke forward Wendell Carter, Kentucky forward Kevin Knox, Michigan State forward Miles Bridges, Texas guard Eric Davis, South Carolina’s Brian Bowen and two USC players, Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu. Notable former players who were included in the investigation are Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Kyle Kuzma from Utah, Dallas Mavericks rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. from NC State, Phoenix rookie guard Josh Jackson from Kansas and former number one pick of last year’s NBA draft, Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz from Washington. This whole investigation may have opened the floodgates. If the NCAA changed their amateurism rules, this may not have happened to this extent. The rule that is being called into question is the one-and-done rule. The rule was implemented to prevent highly scouted basketball players from entering the NBA immediately after high school. The NCAA established that the player must be one year removed from high school. Over the weekend, Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy brought up an interesting take on the one-anddone rule. It’s a take that at first I was thrown off guard by, but when Van Gundy elaborated on it, his take brings awareness and quite frankly I couldn’t agree more. Read the full column on theprospectordaily.com ollow aniel ende on witter @dmende 24