Graduatuation Issue

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The University of Texas at El Paso 路 December 4, 2012

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IllustrATION BY DIEGO BURCIAGA & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN STENE / The Prospector

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perspectives December 4, 2012

editor-in-chief Jasmine Aguilera, 747-7477

Column

Farewells from The Prospector’s graduating staff we asked,

By Daniel Ornelas The Prospector Graduation, the time is finally here.

There were often times I thought the day would never come.

The journey has had its obstacles, much like anything else.

From graduating high school in 2004, yes I’m one of many non-traditional UTEP students, to working three jobs at one point, switching majors a couple of times and even placing education aside, trying my hand at the Border Patrol, it’s been a roller coaster.

It was then that I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that a place of higher education is where I belonged, despite knowing I was leaving a potential six-figure paying job to chase my dream-job of becoming a sports journalist and a career that may never reward me with the pay nor benefits that a government job will.

I felt that I owed it to myself, and those in my family that sacrificed so much to improve our quality of life.

Becoming the first member of my family to earn a degree from an institution of higher education is a reward in itself. Humbling to say the least.

There are many people that have walked in and out of my life through-

By Karina Rodriguez The Prospector It was about a year and a half ago.

It was that time of the semester when early registration starts (eek!). I was sitting back at work looking at the accounting degree plan to see what classes I had to take. I looked at it once, then twice. Recounted the classes over and over again. It couldn’t be.

If I wasn’t mistaken, I had 14 classes left. That couldn’t be. I had only been in college for… three years?

I panicked for a moment. I remember telling my co-worker and all she did was congratulate me. Congratulate? It felt like a nightmare. It not only meant I had to organize my last semesters accordingly, it meant that I’d be graduating the next year. That’s when it hit me, I was graduating December 2012.

After that I made drastic changes in my college life, which impacted my life drastically. I know everyone says this, but it’s true. If I would’ve known these past four years and a half —yes, and a half, don’t judge—were going

the

prospectorstaff

Editor-in-Chief: Jasmine Aguilera Layout Editor: Diego Burciaga Copy Editor: Andres Rodriguez Photo Editor: Justin Stene Entertainment Editor: Alejandro Alba Sports Editor: Daniel Ornelas Multi-media Editor: Abel Casares Photographers: Greg E. Castillo, Michelle Franco, Aaron Montes, Brandy Posada, Karina Rodriguez Staff Reporter: Edwin Delgado, Rebbeca Guerrero, Andrea Acosta, Lorain Watters Correspondents: Vianey Alderete, Marylin Aleman, Robert Brown, Guerrero Garcia, Oscar Garza,

out the years and have contributed to my journey.

Of course my parents, Lorenzo and Olga, especially my mother, who’s sacrificed so much at a physical and emotional level for me and my two siblings, but it all can’t come to fruition without the efforts of my grandparents, Primitivo (Pivo) and Lupe.

Pivo was the one person who chased after that “American Dream,” his efforts allowed my family to migrate to the United States, therefore allowing my siblings and I the privilege to be born in this country.

Now that I look back at what led me to this moment, all I can be is grateful for the opportunity to expand my possibilities and further continue that pursuit of the “American Dream.”

Graduation may represent the culmination of a chapter in my life, but the hard work is only beginning.

There are a number of people that I need to thank for helping me through the process.

I’ll begin with my family, mom and dad—thank you for your patience, love and support through it all, I hope I’ve made you proud.

To my peers at The Prospector, Director Kathleen Flores, who often served as a mentor and kept us focused on the work at hand, Student Advisor Lourdes Cárdenas who, spent many late nights with the staff in the editing process. To advertis-

ing manager Veronica Gonzalez, who became a friend and a person who I could look to when needing advice.

To my fellow editors Jasmine, Alejandro, Diego, Andrés and Justin, thank you all for your hard work and the best of luck in your future endeavors.

To former editors William Vega, Sal Guerrero, Herman Rojas and Aaron Martinez, who are now on to bigger and better things, I appreciate all your advice and support.

Finally to EPCC journalism professor, Dr. Douglas Carr, my first journalism mentor, who truly helped me more than he could imagine.

It’s taken nearly eight years of onagain, off-again class taking to complete this process, often with doubt, sometimes indecision, but never with lost hope.

I have now found a greater appreciation for education, something that I hope to instill onto my children when that I have them.

I will cherish the memories and countless hours spent that have led me here, but it’s time for me to make new ones and make every opportunity that comes my way count.

Once again, thanks to everyone who’s helped me in this juncture.

to go by so quickly, I would’ve done things differently.

After that moment of epiphany I decided to take advantage of all of the great things UTEP has to offer. I decided to take a French class, I started attending UTEP sporting events on a regular basis and I used the library to its fullest potential. It might all sound silly but I think they’re the things I’ll miss the most about UTEP. It has gone by so fast. It might sound cliché but it is true when they say, enjoy every moment of your college experience. In reality, anyone can go back and get a degree but it is never the same. So cherish every moment. Do the things you’ve always wanted to do.

Apply for that internship, talk to that person next to you in class, join a club and go to the games. Don’t be afraid to do the things you’ve always wanted to do because you might regret it later.

You never know unless you try.

I’ve learned a lot in college. I’ve learned more out of class than in class.

I’ve learned by being involved in college. It is what makes college fun. I’ve met great people at The Prospector.

There are people I will never forget and moments that I will always cherish.

I can say that this year I’ve taken a chance and done things I wouldn’t normally do. That is how I ended up as a photographer at The Prospector and now am writing a column, which I never thought I would be doing.

I’ve always been afraid to do things out of the ordinary but I’ve learned that if you don’t take a chance, someone else will. It took me some time to actually get the courage to finally apply for this job because I thought I was never going to get it. After six months of working here, I can say this has been one of the most fun and stressful jobs I’ve had. With this job as a photographer, my other job and my last semester in college, I can only say that I miss sleeping, but I wouldn’t change anything.

To all of you still in college, I would like to encourage you to give it your best, take advantage of every moment and never give up. To the students graduating, I can’t do anything but wish you luck in whatever it is that you do in the future.

After all of my experiences in college, I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Miner.

vol. 98, no. 21 Leonardo Montañez, Steven Mansfield Cartoonist: Blake A. Lanham Asst. Director-Advertising: Veronica Gonzalez Ad Representatives: Eric Bretado, Christian Juarez, Julia Polanco, Jessica Talavera, Ad Layout Manager: Edgar Hernandez Senior Ad Designer: Hugo Garza Ad Designers: Fernie Enriquez, Joe Torres Edgar Hernandez Accounting Specialist: Isabel Castillo Student Assistant: Anna Almeida Student Publications Director: Kathleen Flores Editorial Adviser: Lourdes Cardenas Administrative Secretary: Marcela Luna Classifieds Ads Manager: Claudia Lugo

you answered

POLL RESULTS

Did you participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping?

17.25% 48.25%

17.25% 17.25%

Daniel Ornelas may NOT be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Yes, Black Friday.

Yes, I shopped both days.

Yes, Cyber Monday.

No, I didn’t shop either day

Accuracy Watch

The Prospector is committed to accuracy.

If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail us at prospector@utep.edu.

archiveSEARCH

Visit www.utepprospector.com to search the archives for your favorite articles and multimedia projects since 2007.

Karina Rodriguez may NOT be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

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, e-mail prospector@utep.edu, call 747-7477 or fax to 747-8031.

The Prospector (USPS 448-020) is published by the Student Publications Board, 105 E. Union, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968. During Fall & Spring semester The Prospector is published twice weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays, except holidays and when classes are not in session, once a week on Wednesday during the summer session. Subscription rates: $20 per year, $4 taken from fees to pay for student copies. Periodicals postage paid at El Paso, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Prospector, 105 E. Union, El Paso, Texas 79968-0622.

The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information can be obtained by calling The Prospector at 747-5161.

Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.

PAGEA3NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

High 70 Low 41

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High 69 Low 44

High 65 Low 40

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

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Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Breezy

10% Chance for Rain

Seasons greetings from The Prospector fall 2012 staff

Justin Stene / The Prospector

Left to right: Kathleen Flores, Andrés Rodríguez, Marilyn Aleman, Oscar Garza, Andrea Acosta, Alejandro Alba, Audrey Wescott, Lorain Watters, Jessica Talavera, Christian Juarez, Jasmine Aguilera, Rebecca Guerrero, Julia Polanco, Justin Stene, Claudia Lugo, Joe Torres, Michelle Franco, Marcy Luna, Hugo Garza, Verónica González, Jaime Quesada, Edwin Delgado, Edgar Hernandez and Daniel Ornelas. Not pictured: Diego Burciaga, Abel Casares, Aaron Montes, Karina Rodriguez, Vianey Alderete, Guerrero Garcia, Blake Lanham, Eric Bretado, Fernie Enriquez, Isabel Castillo, Lourdes Cárdenas, Leonardo Montañez, Sabrina Nuñez and Steven Mansfield.

PAGEA4NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Student life

Graduation rates, a reflection of student demographic

By Rebecca Guerrero The Prospector Graduation rates from UTEP President Diana Natalicio’s office show that only 1 out of 10 freshmen entering UTEP graduate within four years. This would suggest that UTEP is failing at its ultimate responsibility of graduating students, but according to Natalicio, these numbers are misleading because they fail to account for 70 percent of UTEP students.

Graduation rates only include in their calculations first-time freshman who are enrolled full-time in the fall semester, commonly referred to as FTFTF’s. This excludes transfer students, part-time students, returning students and those who enroll in the spring semester, a practice that eliminates a very large percentage of UTEP’s student population.

Eduardo Basurto, sophomore engineering major, is a transfer student from UT Austin.

“I don’t really care about not being counted in UTEP’s graduation rates, but I do hate the fact I lost several credits and as a result won’t be graduating in the traditional four year plan,” he said. “I don’t think having many students graduating in four years is an indication of a school’s success, mainly because I know many students that aren’t enrolled full-time whether it be because they have bills to pay and have a fulltime job, or another reason, but still do very well in their courses.”

In a New York Times article entitled “At UTEP success is not all about graduation rates,” by Reeve Hamilton published on March 2, Natalicio was quoted saying, “It’s regrettable that graduation rates have become such a handy weapon to use against institutions that serve low-income and first-generation

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students. If you collect a lot of data and you look at it, you recognize that some metrics fit certain institutions better than others. Graduation rate is much more about the demographics of your student population than it is anything about your efficiency or performance.”

According to Howard Daudistel, executive vice president for institutional advancement, the methods used to measure graduation rates only apply to a traditional college setting of the past. He claims a better indication of UTEP’s success is that over the last decade there has been nearly an 80 percent increase in the number of students receiving degrees as well as large numbers of students attending graduate programs and law schools after graduation.

“Public urban institutions today are serving a much more diverse student population, as they should,” Daudistel said. “More and more are beginning to realize that UTEP is the model because we’re serving the people, that’s our job and that means that we need to respect our students’ lives.”

Duadistel said that UTEP students have other obligations that may get in the way of taking a full-time load.

“Rather than dismissing those individuals, we accept them and embrace that situation,” he said.

“Those are the kind of people that ultimately will succeed because they’re persistent, serious and have goals, but they have life challenges and we respect that and work with students to get them through.”

According to Daudistel, UTEP serves students who are returning to school, students who began in a

see GRADUATION on page15

karina rodriguez / The Prospector

Alonso Morales, senior media advertising major, will be postponing graduation because he had problems with registration.

the finals week celebration for a hungry and stressed out

miner nation utep midnight breakfast tuesday,

december 11, 2012

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good luck on finals from your division of student affairs

PAGEA5NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Campus

Early college students prepare for life after graduation

By Marilyn Aleman The Prospector In Texas, an average of 15.4 percent of full-time college students 25 and older attain their bachelor’s degree in four years, according to a report by the non-profit group, Complete College America, as opposed to the 25.4 percent of students ages 17-19. Young students from early college high schools are breaking barriers by achieving their bachelor’s degree roughly at the age of 20.

“I graduated from UTEP in December of 2011 at the age of 19,” said UTEP graduate Crystal Morales. “I got my associates in December of 2009 and started UTEP in January of 2010.”

Being a young student in a crowd of older students did not stop Morales from finishing her degree in political science and psychology.

Morales, now 20, lives on her own in Phoenix and is attending law school at the Phoenix School of Law. “Most are really happy, certainly my family,” Morales said. “But some are really like are you sure you want to go to law school at 20 since most people there are like an average age of 26 or so.”

Morales plans to obtain her graduate degree in law in order to pursue a career at the El Paso County Courthouse.

Morales is part of a generation of students who are taking part in the early college high school program of El Paso Community College, which started in August 2006 at the Mission Early College High School, of which Morales graduated from.

Other El Paso school districts, including Ysleta ISD and Fabens ISD, have followed their plans and opened their high schools at the Valle Verde, Transmountain and Northwest EPCC campus sites, as well as Cotton Valley ECHS, which accepts students from the Fabens, Tornillo and Fort Hancock areas.

An early college high school grants students entering into high school the opportunity to gain an associate’s degree of their choice along with their high school diploma. Students in the ECHS system obtain credits through a mixture of dual-credit courses and by attending college courses on the EPCC campuses.

Currently there are more than 1,500 students attending ECHS’s in El Paso, according to the EPCC website.

aaron montes / The Prospector

Karina Enriquez, senior computer science major and MECHS graduate, is ready to enter graduate school at UTEP the following semester to gain more experience in the field she has been studying.

Ivette Lopez, senior biological sciences major and MECHS graduate, will be graduating this December at the age of 20.

Before going into graduate school, Lopez wants to experiment with her concentration in the pharmaceutical field for at least a year.

“I passed my certification to be a pharmacy technician, I’m just waiting for the paperwork to go through,” Lopez said. “It’s nice to work in your field, I want to explore with my options and work full time.”

Elizabeth Gonzalez, senior biological sciences major, plans to become an ER surgeon by getting into medical school at Boston University in Massachusetts.

“I didn’t want to go to a traditional high school, I wanted to try something new,” Gonzalez said. “At first (early college) was different because it was something new but I enjoyed the experience.”

By graduating from MECHS, Gonzalez and many of the other students who were a part of the 2010 class can now pursue their careers at a much faster pace.

For Gonzalez, exploring her options at Boston University will enable her to help contribute back to the community of El Paso by opening her own practice when she returns back home with a perspective medical school degree.

“We had to make sacrifices that traditional high school (students) don’t do. In the beginning it was hard, but now I am happy.”

- Ivette Lopez, biological sciences major

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our view December 4, 2012

editor Justin Stene, 747-7446

The 77th annual Festival of Lights takes place at San Jacinto Plaza

Justin stene / The Prospector

(Top left) Firework display takes place at the 77th annual Festival of Lights Dec. 1 at San Jacinto Plaza. (Top right) Estela Casas, News Channel 9 anchor, speaks at the festival. (Center left) A police officer patrols at the Festival of Lights downtown. (Center right) People from the El Paso community purchase from food vendors at the festival. (Bottom left) A crowd of people watch the Festival of Lights. (Bottom right) Light displays take place downtown.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO CLASS OF 2012

Summer 2012

Doctor of Education Educational Leadership & Administration Patricia Ann Gutierrez-Hartell Doctor of Philosophy Computational Science Kiran Kumar Katta Computer Science Jaime Eduardo Nava

Bernadette Nunez Robert Portillo Brenda Rubi Ramos Teresa Alicia Rodriguez Laura Ortiz Schenk Nadia Gordillo Sung Ronald Mark Valenzuela Marcus Abraham Valenzuela Rubi Karina Yanez Margarita Cortez Allen Grandville Carter Jr. Sarah Ann Guzman Ralph Emilio Hart Martha Concepcion Lugo Angelica Monarrez Rodriguez

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology College of Engineering Grisel Edith Arizpe David Hwei-Len Lin Bijoy Krishna Halder Derrick O’Hara Environmental Science David Salgado Manzano & Engineering Tariq Iqbal Bidhan Kumar Dam Olatunde Adewunmi Adeoye Vishwanath Reddy Ardha Rajendar Reddy Annachedu Gloria Ann Villaverde Farhana Anwar Mario A. Franco General Psychology Sukhdeep Amarjeet Labana Katherine Rosamond Gay White Arturo Maya Pereyra Sr. Danny Wayne Muse History - Borderlands Heber Prieto History John Enrique Shelton Jamie Matthew Starling Samia Afrin Jorge H. Jimenez Juan Antonio Cornejo Antonio Reyes Lopez Jesus Francisco Hinojos Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Christopher David Navarro Md Rashedul Hasan Sarker Patricia Lara Juan Alejandro Saavedra International Business College of Health Sciences Kathy F. Otero Dominica Lee Givens Mohammad Aminul Karim Francis Javier Reyes Materials Science & Engineering Rosina Rodarte Bernadette Christine Baca Manuel Alvarado Manuel Colorado III Jose Luis Enriquez Carrejo Nidia Escobar James Heyward Howard Daniela Guerra Leticia M. Gurrola Teaching, Learning & Culture Ruth Crystal Marin Miguel Angel Serrano Maribel Jacklynn Mora Robert Ramirez Graduates Ryan Rodriguez Madelyn Dianne Moore College of Business Administration Adrian Leal Atul Ambhore David Andrade Issa Atiyah Alberto Mario Barraza Gerardo Adolfo Benavente Yassiara Hazel Berumen Benjamin Oliver Burt Javier Carrasco Flor Carrera Lila Carrera Rubina Lizzette Carrillo Maria Cedillo Jonathan Owen Julis Childress Jennifer Edith Clark Maria Guadalupe Edens Mireya Magdalena Espinosa Casaubon Alicia Lawrence Gacharna Luis Gerardo Garcia Antonio Jesus Garcia Daniel Gomez Joseph Henry Gonzalez Ricardo J. Gonzalez David Anthony Green Walter Guerrero Alfredo Guerrero Jr. Irene Sylvia Holguin Rocio E. Hunter Amjad Khaled Ismail Yvette Komaragiri Jesus Guillermo Leon Solorzano Evgenia Nikolay Lopez-Rogina Blanca Barthel Lorkowski Ramon Macias III Eloy Martinez Jesus Martinez Thomas Dean McFarland Mackenzie Rachel McLaughlin Ricardo Montenegro Erik Nevarez Mahesh Srinivas Nidadhal George Novela Jr. Jesus Pablo Onate Jose Luis Ortega Joel Leonardo Ortega Maribel Ostergaard Elida Eloina Perez Ajanel Mara Portillo Crystal Lynn Rau Alberto Rebellon Gabriela Rivera Adalberto Sanchez Jr. Marta Bronislawa Santiago Natalie Marie Santini - Tenzin Uriel Vasquez-Delgado Jr. Christopher Velasco Monica Villegas Syed Ather Yusoof Carlos Rafael Morales College of Education Isela Guzman Sandra Burciaga Jose Guadalupe Escobedo Lisa Flores Elsa Ivonne Holguin Karen Renee Johnson Sean Michael Kilkenny Manuel E. Medina Sr. Aviella Frilot Jessica C. Gelgand Rebecca Lynn Giron Anais Hernandez Veronica Johnson Erika P. Lopez Kelly Elizabeth McBurrows Elizabeth Aide Munoz Brenda Southern Iris Vasquez Dora Yoda Bailon Kathy Marie Bryant Sandra Carrasco Lisa Diane Corral Georgina Flores Ivan Francisco Garcia Jose Luis Giron Stacey Grado Calvillo Amanda Lorena Gutierrez Sherry Denise Klowetter Valles Crystal Laredo Nong H. Le Rocky Edward Loggins Brianna M. Marshall Eloisa Molina Susana Nanez

College of Liberal Arts Yanel I. Buendia Abel Mendoza Victoria Christine Estrada Mary Claire Baker Donald Levon Battle James Charles Beal Kendall Eugene Bean Joseph S. Buckler Todd McCall Burke Alphonso Burnett Jesse Castellano Christopher Lee Coolbaugh Marlon Cooper Carmen Daugherty Jermaine F. Davison Zachary Denton Brian Mitchell Disque Eric Dostie Brian Arthur Flom John Oliver Garrison Leslie Jeanee Hudson Marc Alexander Janvier Kevin Michael King James Lea Clifford Lo Mario Jose Malpica Brian Paul Riverman Milton Jerome Roberts Sr. Paul Nathan Schultz Samantha Sue Shirley Michael Dewayne Spears Von Quinn Staggers Cesar Torres Kanessa Rae Trent Terry Lee Vaughn Marco Antonio Vela Daniel Dominguez Heryca Serna Sandra L. Aziz Marcela Varona Carrillo Marie-Therese Joyce Bertha Lopez Byron Wade Cross Jeremy Manuel Burciaga Marissa Gabaldon Jonathan Fabian Nogueira Jacqueline Vargas College of Science Anthony Matthew Alvarez Ellen Dukler Esposito Alexandra Falcon Jessica Quinteros Blanca Ivette Ramirez Chavez Jessica Nicole White Jose Alfredo Rivas Jr. Venkata Bhimeswar Suman Alluri Karla Y. Garcia Joaquin Alfredo De Leon III Arturo Rocha Luis Javier Andujo Sr. Gena Rica Esposito Jose Humberto Garcia Lauren Patrice Storm Alexandra Macedo Khdiga Kalifa Tabib Karla Carmona Miranda Mudiyanselage Maduranga Kasun Dassanayake Rebecca Davis School of Nursing Tony Lenere Blair Cynthia J. Cuny Smriti Kana Goswami Jamie Lin Sherrill Robert Bush Armstrong Karla Paige Bedell-Wingfield Roberta Ann Gonzalez Nidia Kraft Laura Marquez Karina Palmira Mosier Kelly Marie Quinn James Anthony Tagle Jr.

Undergraduates College of Engineering Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Francisco J. Campos Alejandro Robles

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Jose Munoz Guillermo Alejandro Perez Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Gerardo Contreras, Jr. Gerardo Corona Asha Danielle Garcia Daniel E. Lopez Jesus Presa-Quiroz Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical & Material Engineering Roberto Ivan Meza Kimberlin Schnittker Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Ryan Jesse Aguayo Padilla Marcella Elizabeth Chavez Anuar David Dajlala Molina Aron Gallegos Pablo Antonio Mejia, Jr. Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Eduardo Xavier Barragan Fernando Estevan Garnica Veit Moritz Ross College of Liberal Arts Bachelor of Arts Yvette Aguirre Matthew Collins Akers Terran Cymone Alexander Isidro Almaraz Arlene Almela Angel Alexis Alvarez Maria Zelene Baacke Dmitriy R. Badalov Jesus A. Barrera Dominguez Lorena Barrio Luis Enrique Berumen Travis Richmond Brandt Aileen Cabral Fabian Raul Castorena Cynthia Cazares Mirna M. Ceron Miguel Javier Cervantes Omar Chavez Christina Marie Chavira Raul Contreras Stephanie Ann Correa John M. Costello Mona Jean Cruz Omar Cruz Irasema Cuellar Andres Cuevas Omar Davila Eder De Santiago Anna De la Cruz Carolyn Annette Delgado Pedro Delgado Adam Arturo Diaz Nicholas Diaz Mikaela J. Dykstra Dianne Marie Edwards Rose Annette Escamilla Jaqueline Esparza Claudia Fernanda Ferron Monica B. Figueroa Christopher Adam Flores Jaime Flores Natalie Flores Sergio Flores Ana Paulina Flores-Chan Ronni Lee Friend Joseph Norman Gainor Ebal Galan Joel Michael Gannon Alexander W. Griego Christian Guerra Manuel Antonio Gutierrez Robert Gutierrez, Jr. Timothy Michael Haren Valentin S. Herber-Valdez Karla Patricia Hernandez Vanessa Seline Hernandez Karen Paola Herrera Rogelio Adrian Herrera Kathryn Michelle Hilton Miriam Ibarra Hanna Mae Ingram Kimberly Marie James Georgina A. Jimenez Omar Lara Fabian Laveaga Michael Leon Matthew Anthony Liguori Andrew Lee Lopez David Mark Lopez Ignacio Lopez, Jr. Laura Leanne Macauley Myriam Macias Jon Joseba Marcaida Eduardo Marquez Brenda N. Martinez Dariza Patricia Martinez Auston Hunter Matcek Athena Kathryn Matyear Isaac Jacob Medina Miguel Alberto Mendez Sabra Cordon Meyers Natalie Meza Trisha Michelle Molina Maria Teresa Morales Jonathan Anthony Moran Candelario Murillo Amanda V. Muro Jorge Nevarez Ivonne Nunez Maria Anna Nunez Gladys Nneoma Nwaubani Ryan Christopher Otero Melissa Teresa Patino Jessica Perez Karla Cristina Perez Sergio Perez Jesus Alfredo Pimentel Liliana Quezada Jose Antonio Quinonez Benjamin Quintana Stephanie Nicole Rayas Steve Reyes Robert J. Robles Bertha Alicia Rodriguez Nick A. Rodriguez Saul Ernesto Rodriguez Michael Alberto Rodriguez-Cabral Luis Christian Rojas Sara Angelica Rueda Juan C. Ruiz Angel Joel Saenz Arianna Saenz

Phylisha Danielle Schinagel Jessica Tellez Angelica Terrazas Denise Yvette Terrazas Genesis Villa Molly K. Walker Darieus Antonino Zagara II Bachelor of Fine Arts Claudia Graciela Bernal Rocio Chavez Dana Courtney Gomez Christopher Andres Hoggard Lindsay G. Huseby Arturo Medrano Paola Moreno Susan Ramirez Nicole Danielle Soto Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies Alma D. Alvidrez Amanda Apodaca Lizeth Arreola Ana Lisa Arvizu Luis Omar Bagundo Benita Barriga Gregory Michael Bartley Michelle Leigh Beale Erin Benavente Adrian Gabriel Betancourt Jacob Nessly Bilbo Gloria Brown Timothy R. Brown Stephanie Angie Butcher Nidia Annette Cano Jose Carrillo Manuel C. Casanova Jesus Julian Casillas Lydia M. Castanon Gil Castillo Yvette Cereceres Ogechi Emmanuella Chibueze Gladys C. Chumba Isaac Wendell Cisneros Williams Paola Contreras Hilda De Lara Brittany Nicole Diaz William Patrick Dimmitt Kevin James Dorman Andrew Ubaldino Duffy Erik Elizondo Zuguey Blanca Enriquez Lance Efusa Evbuomwan Kelynn Renae Frye Cecilia Gallegos Erika B. Gamboa Jessie Nakuma Garay Deanna Marie Gardea Ann-Marie Gonzalez Zacarias Gonzalez Briana Noel Green Cynthia Gutierrez Ann Marie Hernandez Elizabeth Hernandez Jesus Antonio Jaquez Yunmi Lee Derrizet Ricardo Light Jessica ManceboDelCastillo Solanth A. Martell Luis E. Martinez Jose J. Mendoza Maribel Miranda Claudia Ana Moguel Leilyon Mardell Myers Jennifer Anne Navarro James Nelson Alfredo Olivarez April Monique Ornelas Marcus Allen Ortega Stella Owens Esperanza J. Paz Christina I. Ramon Eric Kiakahi Kekoa Ramos Mariel Rascon Christian Michelle Salas Kristina W. Samuel Christian Marie Schroder Terry Josiah Sharpe Kimberly Smith Kathleen Ruth Flint Stotler Martel L. Strange Miguel Angel Torres Erika L. Warren Clayton Andrew Webb Kevin Zortman Bachelor of Music Juan Abel Mireles-Payan Bachelor of Science Matthew David Duran Evelyn Escalante Ruiz Rosamaria Espinosa Jessica Fierro Allyson Sue Hughes Erika Abigail Pereda Devin Theresa Terrin College of Science Bachelor of Science Curtis Wade Atherton Natomi Akia Austin Robert Barajas Alejandro Bugarini Elizabeth Calzada Marissa Elizabeth Cameron Delilah Campos Isaac Alberto Castro Sergio Celis Augusto Cervantes Bertha Cortes Amber Lynn Coutino Bernadette Angelica De La Rosa Vanessa Duenas Priscilla Dion Duran Joel Eduardo Garcia Omar David Garcia Samantha Nicole Garcia Ana Emilia Garibay Eric Gonzalez Sandra Angelica Hardy Sahil Kassanjee Spoorthi Theresa Lawson Jorge Javier Lopez Sofia Fifi Maragoudakis Isha Selene McFarlane Omar Enrique Mejia Raudel Melchor Erika Yvonne Monroy Erika Yvonne Monroy Belinda Marie Olivas Marlene Itzel Palma Christian Hector Payan Laura Jannet Ramos Ryan Richardson Reeves Sheila Marie Robles

Laudan Emilia Rowhanian Alejandra Saenz Tiffany Sanchez Kimberlin Schnittker Juan Alonzo Soto Jesus A. Valdez Paloma Valenzuela Jessica Valles Geoffrey Hugh Wiseman College of Education Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Yadira Aguilar Christina F. Aguilar-West Sandra Veronica Alaniz Halime Z. Alayyan Jacqueline Christina Aranas Christina Marie Astorga Dolores Ramirez Barrios Miriam Bencomo Luz Maria Bustamante Melissa Yvette Camargo Irma Virginia Candelaria Janet Carrera Ana Karen Carrera Salas Roberto Casas Olga L. Castillo Maria Elizabeth Chavez Edna Lorena Contreras Cherie Joy Alohalani Curb Raul De La Cruz Margarita Dominguez Romo Deborah Jeanne Galindo Dina G. Garcia Luciana Garcia Yvonne Garcia David Steven Gonzales Edna Beatriz Gonzalez Melissa Gonzalez Virginia Guerrero Adam Trevor Gutierrez Mary Ann Hernandez Valerie Diane Hernandez Nancy Hisa Sonia F. Jimenez Stella Juarez Jesse Lopez April Marie Manago Lydia E. Martinez Manuela Rebeca Medina Elaine Medrano Monica Marie Milam Kim Craigie-Marie Millender Emily Nicole Moore Jessica Mari Munoz Shontea Marie Muro Dayanna Mendez Nickels Jessica Socorro Ontiveros Carlos Daniel Padilla Amanda Paniagua Andrea Ivette Partida Reynalda Pereyra Sandra Patricia Perez Sarah Marie Quintana Juan Manuel Rabelo Karmin Alyse Ramos Elizabeth Grace Rivera Gabriela Maria Rivera Lileana G. Rivera Mayra Ivonne Rodela Jessica Coral Rodriguez Rosa Idolina Rodriguez Virginia J. Rodriguez Yvonne Rebecca Romero Lopez Maria Esther Rosales Beverly Gale Rowland Brian Lee Silva Anna Marie Silvas Martin Terrazas, Jr. Brittany Elise Thornton Aileen B. Torres Daniel Valenzuela Guadalupe Vela Claudia S. Villalobos Maribel Zamora Mara Zapata College of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration Aaron Acosta Enrique Alvarado Robert Nicholas Ambriz Alfonso Octavio Andre Randolph Luis Gilberto Aranda Norma Avalos Thomas Michael Baker Joshua Jacob Bieganowski Leonardo Camargo, Jr. Luis Alberto Cardenas Olga Lizeth Castaneda Maricruz Chavez Diana Veronica Chavira Alvarez Christian Joseph Cruz Alan Fernando Davila Andrea Isabel De La Rosa Christopher Rene De La Rosa Gloria Michelle Diaz de Leon Gonzalez Christian Escalante Alejandro Andres Escarcega Nancy Karely Escobar Enid Raquel Flores Jaime Flores Monica Victoria Flores Mayra Guadalupe Gallegos Daniel Gandara Erika Berenice Gardea Mendoza Jessica Yvonne Gonzalez Natalie Groeschel Alejandra Guzman Andrea Herrera Ivan Alejandro Herrera Richard Glenn Hunt Omar Andres Ibarra Karen Marbel Ibarra Lara Mariquel Haydee Iglesias Desma Jones Carlos Eduardo Jurado Lopez Lorena Rosario Lara Ariadne Georgina Lechuga Magdalena Lopez Virginia Lopez Amanda Kay Marquez Carla Maritza Martinelli Andrew Douglas Matney Zulma Acened Medellin Ernest Mijares III James Louis Morrow Griselda Yaneth Munoz Justin Ruben Munoz Rogelio Munoz Priscila Alejandra Navarro Montanez Teresa Nogues Fraile

Luis Alberto Ozaeta Orlando Perez Jessica Elizabeth Perez Thayne Tonia Luz Quesada Eva Ximena Quintana Erika Carolina Quiroz Agustina Juana Ramirez Diana Ramirez Sandra Karina Ramirez Ignacio Ramirez-Vargas Molly Christina Reyes Jeanette Alejandra Rodriguez Cathy Ray Romero Lucia I. Romero Anthony David Ruiz Isabel Salcido Nassim Hanna Salloum Carlos Xavier Sanchez Felipe Heriberto Sanchez Chris Joseph Segapeli Claudia Silva Alonso Simental Claudia Siqueiros Francisco Eduardo Tarin Claudia E. Terrones Mancilla Marisol Tinajero Marisela Tiscareno Javier Vela

Xiaojing Wang Francisco Adolfo Zapata Gonzalez Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Mark Jason Lara Environmental Science & Engineering Fernando Becerra-Davila Jesus Roberto Flores Michael Earl Landis Mohammed Noor-A-Alam Abdulganiu A. Odunmbaku Nancy Ivette Rivera Rivera Eugenia Shekhter Marian Nicte Zappala General Psychology Abigail Elizabeth Moore Oscar Valentine Torres Geological Sciences Sarah Natalie Heinlein Niti Mankhemthong History-Borderlands History Nancy Alexandra Aguirre

College of Health Sciences Bachelor of Science Edgar Adan Acuna Ricardo Aguilar Roxanne Monique Alvarez Kimberley Nichole Azcarate-Silva Ernesto Baca Marcela Bagues Edmundo Jesus Chasco Nicholas Chavez Sara Elena Chavez Abigail Hyonmi Delgado Justin Dominguez Juan Martin Duarte Antonio Jesus Durant Nancy Berenice Figueroa Silem Gomez-Gould Cinthia Celeste Harris Tawney Dyniel Hernandez Ashley A. Konrardy Elizabeth Llamas Sarai Martinez Theresa Marie Melendez Juanita Mendoza Cesar Andres Ortega Nunez Estrella Diamante Pena Gabriela Maria Ramon Irene Ramos Nicole Marie Reyes Martina Renee Rivera Angel Julian Rodriguez Cassandra Romo Marcos Arturo Sandoval Bachelor of Social Work Jose Arody Alvarez Ruth Alicia Puentes Nicole Celeste Roper Lupita Sanchez-Rodriguez School of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing Alexa M. Acosta Eduardo Aguirre Lisset Cristina Alcazar Tanya A. Arispe Daniel Arredondo Lydia Alejandra Arroyo Julio Cesar Barron Vivica Josephine Carlos Vennessa Ciriza Ana K. Corrales Silvia Lizveth Degollado Debra Ashley Drost Jacob V. Endlich Azalea Flores Bojorquez Michael N. Gomez Daniel Lino Harbison Mariana Herrera Lauren Daniele Hostetler Jared Lee Lanham Coral Ledezma Manuel Madrid Daniel Marquez Ana Carla Mena Jose Daniel Nunez Aaron P. Pedregon Czarina Natasha Quiambao Jacqueline Ramirez Yesenia Alicia Ramirez Crystal Vanessa Reveles Felicia E. Rios Marissa Rivera Monica Rodriguez Bianca Samaniego Falin Joanne Schaefer Ramon Sierra Jessica Victoria Sikes Rene Carlos Strickland Nancy Gail Tebay Raymundo Tejada Valeria Torres Rosana Tran Raquel Garcia Treftz Amelie Jaqueline Tremblay Valeria Vargas Edna Lizbeth Vazquez Anthony Mark Venegas Kristina Anne Walsh

Fall 2012 Doctor of Education Educational Leadership & Administration Holly Kay Fields Andrew M. Pena Sr. Edith B. Vera

Doctor of Philosophy Biological Sciences -Pathobiology Bo Peng Raquel Marie Suro-Maldonado Civil Engineering Mouyid Bin Islam Computational Science Juan Clemente J. Aguilar Bonavides Paula Andrea Gonzalez Parra Uram Anibal Sosa Aguirre Computer Science Leonardo Salayandia

Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Stormy Miracle Monks International Business Adolfo Sergio Coronado Parand Mansouri-Rad Materials Science and Engineering Nayeli Camacho Doctor of Physical Therapy James Edward Baird Abigail Yadira Cano Katherine Leigh Carson Eduardo Ceniceros Jr. Carmin Anahi Debora Valerie Michelle Garcia Samantha Leigh Garza Blaine R. Gibson Rachael E. Haverporth Samantha Christine Henderson Jamie Thomas Killings Marcos Federico Lopez Sarah Jayne Luin Melissa Marquez Matthew T. McLean Francisco J. Melendez Raymond Steven Moraga Cara Joanne Nordin Diana Ontiveros Thomas David Reese Lowell Tactay Tano

Graduates College of Business Administration Jose Ricardo Aguilar Jr. Jorge Roberto Almuina Sean Arthur Alvarado Jose Agustin Alvarado Justyna Antoszewska Michael Bustillos Veronica Elizabeth Caro Delgado Jazmin Carrera Jorge Raul Castro Gomez Alicia Teresa Chediac Mario Antonio Contreras Nicolas del Campo Michelle Nicole Donovan Adrian Enriquez Sr. Karina Ileana Escapita Adriana Favela Stephen Michael Flores Nicholas Apolonio Gallardo Karin Patricia Gottmann de Uranga Cesar Ivan Grado Tamera Lee Henderson Amro Gamal Hussien Nasser Ahmad Ikhlail Jr. Manasa Kadri Rajagopal Daniela Lerma Gilberto Martinez Gonzalez Sergio Luis Molina Alejandra Montalvo Yadira Veronica Murga Johanna Cathleen Nelson Vanessa Parga Jason Dale Paxton Andrew Michael Pena Jr. Perla Yvette Quezada Diana Carolina Ramirez Servando E Rojas Steven Sierra Teodulo Soto David Allan Swanson Cynthia Carolina Teran Lopez Mario David Torres Escobedo Daniel Paul Vasquez Luis Eduardo Vasquez Medina Sr. Naomi Cheyenne Venters Adrian Christopher Villalobos Cody Thomas Wells Elva Lorraine Williams Jessica Renee Yanez College of Education Melissa Nicole Aboud Melissa Aguilera Martinez Gabriela Aguirre Maria Teresa Alarcon Florita Resultay Alvarado Astrid Mariel Arciniega Lisa M. Arras Anthony Jason Arriola Lisa Arroniz Kim Lee Arroyo Tracy Kim Baeza Jackie Christine Beard Maria Luisa Burnette-Sanders Inez Sofia Carbajal Jose Angel Carlos Jr. Claudia Carrillo Lizeth Anabel Carroll Yolanda H. Castaneda Nivia Castro Michelle Andrea Cervantes Raul Berber Cervantez Israel Chavez Irais Yvonne Chavez Norma Jean Clement Melinda Yvonne Cofield Antonio Davila Angelica Davila Kayra Alexandra Davila Torres Erika Georgina Delgado

Rebecca Delgado Deyanira Diaz Tenzin Dorji Marisela Duran Jeanette Duran Rosa Linda Erives Elisa Espinosa Jennifer Marie Espinoza Crystal Marie Estrada Margarita Estrada Angelica Estrada Erin Ashley Evans Adela Marta Fernandez Natalie Fernandez Mario Fernandez Erika Figueroa Isela Fortolis Rosa Monica Frayre Jose Julio Galindo Benjamin Gallegos Raul Santos Gamez Robert Garcia Sandra O. Garcia Cynthia Olivas Gerardo Desi Lee Gonzales Jr. Eduardo Gonzalez Isela Gutierrez Torri Jennifer Hansen Andreana DeShawn Harkless Michael G. Harmon Amber Matriece Hart Judith Heredia-Perry Melissa Hernandez Maria E. Hernandez Maria Alma Herrera Mauro Alfredo Hinojosa Merry Christine Hogenson Angela Bernadette Ho-Shing Azusena Huizar Manuel Ibarra Jr. Elsa Jasso Patricia Elizabeth Johnson Kristina Nicolle Kniest Jo Lynn Knotts Perla Guadalupe Lampinstein Michael James Lampkin Veronica Manuela Lares Leticia Larriva-Avila Ana Bertha Loera Yara Lizvia Lopez Shivon Patricia Loya Claudia Irene Loya Corrinne Renee Luna Monica M. Marquez Noemi Martinez Edward Manuel Martinez Jr. Maria Teresa Mata Yesenia McKinney Melissa Renee Medlock Diana Cecilia Mendez Tania Mendoza Alicia Elena Muller Jessica Munoz Adriana Murillo Jessica Murillo Xochitl Cecilia Myers Maria Antonieta Nevarez Lozano Georgina Olivas Victoria Yvonne Ortiz Jovita Overton Angelina Chavez Pages Lee Ann Peacock Timothy Rall Eduardo Ramirez Sr. David Regis Ramirez Sharon Y. Randle Loren-Mari Renteria Aaron Abdiel Reyes Rubi Lizette Rivera Marta Rivera Joanne Macias Rodriguez Anaeva Corona Rodriguez Amber Nicole Romero Ceyra Odilette Ropele Demetrio Ruiz Perez Marco Cesar Saenz Ana Elizabeth Saenz Abel Saucedo Jeffery Duke Seay Cecilia Morales Serna Anthony Silva Fabiola Alejandra Tamayo Maria Vu Tran Ruenna Valdez Claudia Isela Valenzuela Estella Letecia Valles Isela Velazquez Lynnette Ami Vidales Anna Dolores Weaver-Guerra Richlyn Robin Woods Alicia Yniguez Joretta Young College of Engineering Arturo Acosta-Zamora Juan Carlos Adame Sergio Alvarez Manuel Adrian Alvarez Ramirez Sr. Carmen Elvira Avila Justo Astrid Barajas Jay Houston Barton Jorge Camarillo Cesar Ricardo Chacon De La Torre Arlette Maria Chavez Jonathan C. Contreras Lorenzo Emanuel Cornejo Eduardo Corona Gallegos Diego Cruz-Cano Hugo Curiel Castulo Aaron De la O Armando Delgado Jr. Jose Angel Diaz Marco Ernesto Escudero David Espalin David Espinoza Ricardo Aaron Espinoza Francisco Arturo Fierro Jr. Jose Flores Jr. Lizeth Fraire Jorge Alberto Frias Marco Antonio Garcia

Zenia Alejandra Garcia Alejandro Garcia Osvaldo Garcia Arellano Carlos Alejandro Garcia Rosale Dan Elias Gaspar Gilberto Gabriel Gutierrez Zephyr Iyk Hernandez Matthew Hernandez Roberto Herrera Daniel Holguin Jr. Zhonghua Hu Mohammed Shahidul Karim Md Ashiqur Rahaman Khan Karthik Varma Manikanta Koppella Itzel Kuchle Jennifer Jazmin Kuchle Ituarte Arun Joseph Kurian Jose Antonio Lozano Sr. Sergio Alberto Luna Fong Luis Demetrio Maldonado-Castaneda Erika Elizabeth Mancha Fabian Marquez Avila Sr. Damian Marrufo Aaron Arturo Martinez David Martinez Cora Martinez Salvador Melendez George Mendez Miguel Mendoza Aaron Mendoza Marquez Elias Alberto Montoya Robert Desmond Moss Baltazar Munoz-Jimenez Sr. Eric Raul Navarro Jesus Roberto Nevarez Jose L. Palomino Sr. Hemraj Rajan Parate Pepito B. Raguini Pablo Rangel Julio Enrique Rincon Jaime Eduardo Rios Alejandro Rivas Iskra S. Rodriguez Joaquin Rodriguez Ernesto Javier Rubio Jr. Sampath Kumar Samala Carlos Antonio Sanchez Luis Marcelo Sanchez Soltero Adrian Michael Sandoval Mohammad Arif Ishtiaque Shuvo Martin Jesus Sotelo Miguel Angel Torres Aaron Torres Perla Teresita Torres Munjal Alkesh Alkesh Trivedi Olga Yazmin Trueba Jose Carlos Valdes-Barrena Carlos Alejandro Valdez Alejandro Vega Hiram Ali Villalobos Ernesto Vizcaino Jr. Ying Yang Yang Zhang College of Liberal Arts Gema Alig Lauren Christine Alvidrez Joaquin Rogelio Arce Yuniar Ardianti Rafael Arellano Anabele Binarao Barillo Rodrigo Giovan Barragan Cervantes Vidi Bahtiar Bethan Randi Michelle Bossie Michael Eric Brooks Cassandra Brown Marcus Jacob Brown Jaime Alberto Cadena Joseph Ephraim Charter Regina Chavez Muir Troy Collavo Gregory Robert Conte Izul De La Vega Catherine Brugada Demesa Vincent Albasin Duenas Jovenal Galopo Edquilag Heidi A. Enriquez Maria G. Fernandez Alonso Fierro Richard Sebastian Flore Janette Galvan Marisela Garcia America Yvonne Guevara Jessica Eugenia Gutierrez John Orrin Hanna Michael Edward Herrera Taufiq Hidayat Hayley Hill Gemini Jarvis Gloria A. Lerma Tanya Kalya Loya Mandie Michael Lozano David Kenneth Lyons Nicholl Maputol Gabriel Garrett McCulley Richard Edward McKinnon Jr. Stacy Ray McNeil Ruby Lobrigo Mendones Laura Enriqueta Mendoza Ralph Charles Merrill Raagan Alicia Miles Jonathan Dennis Moore Stephen Keith Mulhern Muhammad Desna Noronhae Eric Olvera Serhiy Vasilovich Panchuk John Michael Phegley Hali Joi Picciano AgustinePimentel Jaime Portillo Uriel Gustavo Posada Rebecca Mary Prado Lludeza Mellomeda Quesad Jose Ignacio Quinones Cherry Maglinte Ravelo Jorge Luis Reyes Jr. Adam Richardson Marybeth Ata Rita Marco Antonio Rodriguez James Nelson Ross Gatot Santoso

Penelope Karina Serdan Williams Hasan Sezer Ernesto Silva Jr. Jose Raul Soto Mirian Denise Spencer Robert Quinton Steele Wida Sulistyaningrum Yusuf Syaifudin Rosita Tariola Sheryll Calaguas Tesch Maritza Tovar Priscilla Marie Tremenheer Bernadette Marie Valenzuela Daniel Alfredo Vega Diane Elaine Vera Adrian Christopher Villalobos Mark Wilson Bryan Charles Winter James Wayne Wolff College of Health Sciences Michelle Marlene Alvarado Beau James Bradberry Anabel Cardiel Amber Kristine Coltrane Liliana Socorro Duran Jacqueline Ekstrom Jose Ricardo Escobar April Y. Esparza Merlyn Milissa Estrada Erick Luis Fontanez Katherine Zoe Giovas Rosalinda Rodriguez Gonzalez Jessica Faye Hammer Erika Cristina Hernandez Jeanelle R. Jimenez Jayme Michelle Mancera Jacqueline Alyssa Mariscal Laura Teresa Marquez Vianey Moreno Madalyn Tamara Ochoa Sarah Marie O’Keeffe Melissa Padilla Stephanie Amanda Perez Marlina Sara Ponce de Leon Candace Kay Priegel Michelle Massiel Renteria Jena Renee Rhodes Sarah Saenz Takeshi Sasada Cecilia Nallely Suarez Ashley G. Trapp Brenda Yepez College of Science Naima Alshrif Daniel F. Arriaga Amira Thabet Awad-Del Valle Ibrahim Cerda Liliana Diaz Joshua P. Frederick Adrian Emmanuel Gutierrez Ahmad Khalil Kachmar Juana Kasiuba Vikram Kumar Reddy Kodimala Luis Armando Leal Sarah Elisabeth Leedberg Joe Edward Luevano William D. Lukefahr Javier Polanco Venkatesh Rajamanickam Berenice Salazar Christine Sanchez Christian Servin Patricia Silva Erik Rodrigo Valdes-Estrada Sarah Jane Vega-Marchena Gilda Victorino Daniel Tesfai Yehdego School of Nursing Irene Cabrera Luis Sergio Cardenas II Loretta A. Carruthers Steven Emil Davidson Katrina Lim Eclarino Heather Morris Fowler Donna Lee Hall Michael Lloyd Harris Iris Elizabeth Boulger Hobson Kathleen Jendrzejewski Kepple Theresa Lambert Patricia Rose Logue Lucia Marquez-Valdepena Ronald Barry Moore Evangelina Macias Pena Juanita Renee Price Elsa H. Rodriguez-Roth Teri Lynn Rosen Barbara Stafford Rush Nancy G. Ryman Nikki Jennifer Shaleen Mary A. Terry Laura White

Undergraduates College of Engineering Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Lowell Vincent Anana Jorge Yubelle Cabrera Damian Caraballo III Savane Nicole Carnera Daniel Humberto Grajeda Claudia Lorena Guevara Mario Gutierrez Anuar Yahir Jauregui Ricardo Nevarez, Jr. Ricardo Nunez Laura Maria Rodriguez Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Carlos Javier Arriaga Andres Avila Edgar Calzada Elizabeth Salazar Calzada Eric Roy Gonzales Dora Eliza Grijalva

Laura Patricia Lopez Oscar F. Mejia Marysol Montilla Ilse Anahi Nevarez Salazar Luis Andres Pacheco Jorge Luis Pinon Pablo Quintana Janet Angelica Quiroz Rebeca Getzemani Sanchez Carlos Eduardo Sandoval Alejandra Sandoval Vazquez Jessica Ulloa Nancy Elizabeth Vela Luis Fernando Villeda Trejo Juan Pablo Villegas Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Gabriel Octavio Becerra Thomas Eugene Brown Luz Irene Bugarin Luisa Alejandra Cabreara Maynez John Nicholas Carey Miguel Angel Carrera Jesus Castro Ivan William Chan A S M Raufur Rahim Chowdhury Jose David Cruz Garcia Paul A. Davila Juan Carlos Enriquez Rene Gabaldon, Jr. Alejandro Garcia Pedro Demian Guerra Alberto Isaac Guerrero Cesar Jr. Hernandez Daniel H. Hernandez, Jr. Alfonso Hidrogo Marjorie Adele Ingle Eric Albert Lucero Jesus Armando Mendoza Emma Annalise Navar Jesus Daniel Ortega Ricardo Pena Armando Rivera III Anthony Gabriel Sanchez KiraLise Silva Jose Miguel Soto Jose Armando Terrazas Adrian Alberto Torres Sergio Adan Vazquez Alexander Arthur Vega Jorge Alberto Velazquez Linda S. Vera Christopher Joseph Wilcox Linda H. Yoon Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical & Material Engineering Amanda Barba Felix Francisco Erales Jose Angel Gonzalez Edward Anthony Zambuto, Jr. Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Adrian Briones Aaron Michael Cano Mario Alberto Carbajal Oscar Jose Chambers Elvia Mariana Cuellar Joshua Manuel Diaz Sofia Escajeda Felix Arturo Fuentes Perez Michael Bengurian Garcia Carlos Enrique Guillen Carlos Lozada Manuel Abelardo Martinez Frank David Ortiz Taina Padilla Pablo Palacios Daniela Perez Zilthai Orien Soto Silverio Villalobos Mr Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Andres Aguilar Robert Aguilar IV Aaron Ryan Aragon Ricardo Barcenas John Robert Beltran Brian S. Brooks Alejandro Cano Isaac Cereceres Yvonne Arlene Chavez Jeremy Joseph Clifford Salvador Contreras Jesus Correa Jaime Alejandro Cortez Luis Enrique Delgado Ramos, Jr. Eduardo Estrada Juan Pablo Fernandez Michael Edwin Furth Diane Garcia-Gaytan Rosalinda Gaucin Luis Guerrero Sofia Guizar David Guillermo Guzman Hugo Arturo Lopez Alfredo Luevano Derek Rene Maese Ruben Eduardo Martinez Quiroga Victor Antonio Nelce Olayinka Obafemi Luis Alberto Oliva Robert Benjamin Post Aaron Ramirez Jennifer Nina Ramos Robert Rehrig David Evaristo Reyes Ashley Marie Rivas David Robles Carlos Rodriguez, Jr. Hugo Alberto Rodriguez Stephanie Michelle Sanchez Joshua Blaine Simmons Ricardo Urquidi Chavez Jose A. Valencia

College of Liberal Arts Bachelor of Arts Julian Acosta Claudia Yvonne Aguirre Ivan Pierre Aguirre Stephanie Aguirre Isabel Aleman Jacqueline Aleman Phillip Jacob Alig Efrain Alvarado Aldo Ivan Amparan Guadalupe Raquel Anchondo Steven Lawrence Anderson Roberto Jose Andrade Juan Antonio Aranda Yvonne Aranda Brenda Armendariz Erin Rae Armendariz Ms Guido Harim Armendariz Rain Melissa Arredondo Diana Araceli Arrieta Aaron Christian Arriola Anthony Arthur Avila Annette Arlene Baca Joshua Michael Baca Nicholas Andre Balcazar Paola Nayeli Balcazar Soto Rolando Barbosa, Jr. Paul Anthony Barela Alejandra Barrera Chandra Morden Bednar Jennifer Sue Berlin Tifhany Crystal Berumen Eric Joseph Biernacki Michelle Bitar Diana Marie Blake Andrea Phiana Borunda Victoria Lynn Bowler Johnathon Philip Bramble David Briones Victoria Michelle Briseno Shaniesha Antoinette Buchanan Samantha Bustamante Mariana Isabel Bustillos Matthew Shawn Cabigon Laura Calleros Miguel Angel Campos Aide Guadalupe Cardoza Isaac Jason Carranza David Carrasco, Jr. Diana Carrillo Kimberly Ann Carter Andrea Lora Castillo Nicole Castillo Tali Castillon Josias Castorena Andrea Yvonne Chacon Stephanie Ann Chapa Eduardo Manuel Chavez, Jr. Erick Armando Chavez Jessica Elena Chavez Lorena Giovana Chavez Mario Javier Chavez Elaine Coley Claudia Patricia Contreras Christopher Steven Cortez Jorge V. Cortez Crystal P. Costa Cynthia Cruz Elizabeth Cruz Liliana A. Cuellar Kris Shannon Cullen Bret William Dameworth Keith Stuart Dautrich Adriana Lizette Davalos Jessica DeHaro Jessica Del Rio John Pangelinan Del Rosario Luisa Fernanda Del Villar Elizabeth Delgado Ana Luisa Diaz Cecilia Diaz Dennise Diaz Victor Daniel Diaz, Jr. Ashlyn Wrenn Dickson Betsy Ortiz Dominguez Elizabeth Angelica Dominguez Melissa Dominguez Victoria Eugenia Dominguez-Cortez Lisa Irean Dotson Christina Marie Duran Rayneiqua Cierra Edwards Sandra Esparza Chris Jack Espinosa Luis Alfredo Espinoza Roman Estrada Tabare L. Faison Andrew David Favela Erika A. Favela Rocio Favela Valerie Fernandez Daniel Matthew Figueroa Stephanie M. Figueroa Thomas Antonio Figueroa, Jr. David Evan Flores Maria Isabel Flores Dina Gabrielle Fornelli Thomas Christopher Gabriel Marie Ivan Gaines David Gallegos Rebecca Gallegos Cassandra Galvan Amanda Alicia Garay Jesus Raul Garcia Ulyses Garcia Arabeth Gardea Josue Ozni Garza Ana Isabel Gonzalez Cristina Guadalupe Gonzalez Irving Ivan Gonzalez Jazmin Adriana Gonzalez Jessica Michelle Gonzalez Jose Guadalupe Gonzalez Vivian Gonzalez Ruben Enrique Gonzalez-Avila Abril Govea Rebekah Renee Grado Shane Zackery Hamm Robert James Harding II Jim John Henry

Carlos Omar Hernandez David Carlos Hernandez Jorge Luis Hernandez Mari Yvett Hernandez Rita Nicole Hernandez Yvette Hernandez Jessica Herrera Laura Liliana Herrera Cristina Hidalgo Christopher Joshua Hinojos Krystle Marie Holguin Priscilla Iglesias Ricardo Xavier Infante Eric Roberto Jara Enrique Jasso Maria Angelica Jimenez Laura T. Juarez Vanessa Marie Juarez Gregory Eric Kahn Darrell Patrick Kane Cynthia Nichol Keith Richard Dale Kimball Josh M. Kitzmiller Kimberly Christine Lambert Abril Anahi Lechuga-Avalos Samantha Nichole Lee Tanya Yaddette Legarda Matthew Jevon Liden Alejandra Lopez Bianca Clarissa Lopez Jasmine Desiree Lopez Melissa Danette Lopez Miriam Lopez Rosa Linda Lopez Mario Alberto Loya, Jr. Omar E. Lozano Adriana Isela Luevano Lidia Lucia Macias Lidia Lucia Macias Anthony Edward Maese Janet Maldonado Alfonso Marquez, Jr. Brenda Ivonne Marquez Lucerito Marrufo Carilu Martinez Carlos Ceasar Martinez Jesus Arturo Martinez, Jr. Mariana Martinez Sally Alina Martinez Davalos Andrew Joseph McLane Janice Patricia Medina Vaneza Nataly Meinjueiro Ivan Mejorado Laura Alejandra Mena Abigail Mendez Erika Mendoza Ofelia Ivonne Meran Jaime Merjil Justin Edward Metcalf Gloria Michaud Esther Marie Mijares Irene Mikelson Ricardo E. Molina Monica Melissa Molinar Bridgette Lee Montgomery Cristina Montoya Crystal Lynn Montoya Jebediah Montoya Omar Montoya Rebecca Montoya Travis William Moore Carolina Morales Oscar Morales Nahtahnee Moreno Oscar Antonio Moreno Huizar Liana Maria Murphy Esther Ingrid Muus Alejandra Najera Nicole Renee Neil Jeremiah Hunter Nelson Ana Patricia Nouel George David Nuila Mayra Alejandra Ochoa Steven M. Ogrey Humberto Olivas Ivan A. Olivas Jesus Manuel Olivas, Jr. Daniel Lorenzo Ornelas Eduardo Oropeza-Sanchez Angie Ortega Melissa Ann Ortega Arturo Juan Ortiz, Jr. Jennifer Ortiz Lourdes Marie Ortiz Marcia Ortiz Pedro Ortiz, Jr. Lauren Elizabeth Pace Cynthia Marie Pacheco Isela Padilla Jasmin Araceli Palomo Arleen Parada Priscilla Parra Enrique Perea Carlos Enrique Perez Cesar Perez Victoria Alejandra Perez Yazmin Herminia Perez Ydali Phoenix-Cervantes Jennifer Ponce Candice Ariel Provencio Carole Jean Puente Ivan Quintana Leslie Patricia Ramos Michelle Vanessa Ramos Misty Grace Ramos Ruben R. Ramos Abril Eunice Ramos Delgado Ramon Raya Brenda Lizeth Renteria Diana Fatima Resendiz David Antonio Reyes David Reyes Michelle Reza Nancy Fabiola Rios Tanya Naylu Rios Anjelica Pink Rivera Carlos Robles Maria Guadalipe Robles Meili Bettina Robles Yesenia Robles Renee Rocha

Ricardo Rocha Ezra Alexandro Rodriguez Leticia Iris Rodriguez Marina Matilde Rodriguez Sylvia Elsa Rodriguez Iliana Aracely Rosales Monica M. Rosales Vanessa Rosales Fernando Rubalcaba George Albert Rubio, Jr. Erika Diana Ruelas Denisse Anai Ruiz German Saenz Raul R. Saenz Daniel Salcido Alejandra Saldana Jazmin Rae Salinas Miriana Salinas Carina Estela Sanchez Jorge Raul Sanchez Priscilla Azucena Sandoval Samuel Saucedo Chavah Inez Schwartz Julio Refugio Seanez David Sigala, Jr. Lirio Margarita Silva Mario Alberto Simental Hercilia Simons Victor Manuel Siqueiros Micah David Smartt Aaron Lujan Smith Eduardo Soto Louis Raymond Southard Rhasean Terrell Stephens Nancy Marisol Sutherland Mercedes Renee Taylor Brian Neil Tebay Sandra Marie Terrazas Joseph Alden Testerman Andrew Philip Thomas Elliot Michael Torres Liliana Torres Maria Teresa Torres Stephanie Danielle Truax Danielle Marie Urbina Benjamin Valencia David Isaac Valencia Joseph Valencia Alex Valenzuela Liliana Valladolid Claudia Isela Vargas Ruben Vasquez Miguel Angel Vazquez Odette Velasco Rameses Velasquez Natalie Vidales Karla Denisse Villado Yesenia M. Villagrana Cynthia Villegas Irais Yadira Villescas Isaac Yanez Susana Zaldivar Joel Zapata Diane Arlene Zaragoza Andrea Zurita Bachelor of Fine Arts Alejandra Sarahi Amador Hernandez Katia del Rocio Ayala Brian Keith Beasley Patricia Odette Carrete Maria Elena Castaneda Arianna Castor Alina Margarita Castro Jesus Abraham Coronado Elisabet De La Torre Monica De La Torre Cynthia Esparza Nabil G. Gonzalez James E. Hicks Ruben Omar Limas Ivan Ortega Victor Manuel Portillo Ochoa Alexis Cristina Ruiz Georgina Samaniego Silvia Cristina Segura Itzel Adali Zambrano Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies Sonya Adkins Jesus Jose Aguirre Laura Florentyna Alfaro Becky Alvarado Juan Manuel Aragon Jennifer Bankhead Heather Lynn Banks Krissi Rae Bennett Kevin Jackson Blalock Jane McGregor Bongiorno Robert Anthony Brass Amanda Lynn Bustamante Louis Eugene Butler II Lorenzo Casarez Denisse Gabriela Castillejos Norma Yvonne Castro Raul Guillermo Castro Jacqueline Nicole Cavazos Aaron Cedillo Lidia M. Cervantes Alexander Daniel Chavez Erika Chavez Melissa Annette Corral Luis Martin Cortez Lorenza De Los Santos Elizabeth De Moultrie Cynthia Del Rio Deena Rae Delgado Matt Tod Dudley Alejandro Espinoza Zachary Kent Faris Joshua Kaona Fely Alfred Flores David Edison Forbes, Sr. Maria Rosario Galvan Delia Lorena Gomez Joe Anthony Gonzales Robert Gonzales, Jr. Bertha Alicia Gonzalez Marisa Tijerina Gonzalez Phillip Sean Gore

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PAGEA10NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Politics

Secession movements sweep nation, El Paso included

By Rebecca Guerrero The Prospector A petition on the We the People website that has already received over 118,000 signatures reads, “Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the Union, and to do so would protect its citizens’ standard of living and resecure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government.”

Texas is not alone in their attempt to become an independent nation. According to theexaminer.com, all 50 of the United States currently have secession petitions on the White House’s We the People website. Of that 50, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma and Ohio have the required 25,000 signatures needed to prompt a possible official response to their petitions from President Barack Obama.

“In my view, this is simply a function of political frustration and a lack of understanding of politics that more reflects fantasy than objective reality,” said political science professor Charles Bohemer. “Secession would mean losing all benefits of being in the Union, such as protection by the U.S. military, economic benefits from U.S. military bases in Texas, facing potential tariffs on goods produced in Texas—one reason the Articles of Confederation did not work—and higher taxes given the new Texas government would have to raise money for a military.”

El Paso native Jeffery Varnsdall is currently a marine stationed in North Carolina, and he supports the secession petitions because they encourage political involvement and voice.

“At the very least, I support a state’s ability to forge their own path,” he said. “So right on, Texas and you too, Louisiana, along with all of the other states that have started their petitions.

Fight for your beliefs, and if any form of government forces you to follow ideas that don’t mesh with your beliefs, break free of the chains. I guarantee if the administration on Capitol Hill says no, then the spark will hit kindling, and you’ll have many, many more people signing the petitions in their individual states.”

Because there was a rush of thousands of Americans signing the petitions in the immediate wake of Obama’s re-election to office, there are some who believe the movement is motivated by prejudice as well as politics.

“In a decade or two, with changes in the state demographics, people of color will be the majority of voters in Texas,” said political science professor Kathleen Staudt. “The results of the last election made it clear that Republicans will need to alter their agenda to change not only their image among persons of color but also among the majority of young people under 30.”

According to the U.S. Census statistics, Texas is home of 26,403,743 people, which means that the vast majority have not pledged their support for the secession movement. The 118,000 signatures on the petition represent less than 1 percent of the population.

“The state would face a massive outflow of real Americans that would leave the state to live in their homeland, the United States of America,” Bohemer said. “The population

would drop significantly, especially over several years. Would then the remaining true Americans be illegal aliens in Texas if they remained? This is happening because of frustration and anger fueled by a small number of people that are detached from political reality who have access to the Internet and other modern media. It is a sensational topic that attracts attention given its absurdity.”

In the wake of the Texas secession movement, another movement has been initiated by an El Pasoan identified only as Raymond K. to have El Paso secede from Texas into New Mexico. According to the El Paso Times, the petition asks that the city be allowed to secede from Texas because, “El Paso is tired of being a second class city within Texas.”

The petition also states that El Paso has little in common with the rest of Texas and its demographics are more similar to New Mexico and that the city is proud to be part of the U.S. and wants no part of a state that publicly contemplates secession from the U.S. Josif Nieto, sophomore pre-engineering major, has signed the El Paso secession petition, one that thus far only has 1,387 signatures out of a necessary 25,000 to elicit an official response.

“I think the petition for the secession on El Paso is a good thing for our city,” Nieto said. “I feel that our city has never really gotten the attention it deserves due to the gap in our political beliefs and our geographical location from the rest of the state.”

According to an election summary report by El Paso County, 75.3 percent of El Pasoans voted Democrat in this year’s presidential election, while 23.14 percent voted Republican. According to an election summary report by the Texas Office of the Secre-

tary of State, 57.2 percent of Texans voted Republican this year, and 41.36 percent voted Democrat.

“Over the last few years Governor Rick Perry has labeled El Paso as a violent border city,” Nieto said. “I feel it is the lack of El Paso representation in our state that led to these false accusations. I believe that if we were indeed a part of New Mexico this would not be the case because of the shared

political views and our geographical proximity to the rest of the state.”

The capital of Texas has issued a similar petition to withdraw from the state of Texas that has 1,400 signatures. The deadline for all petitions to acquire the amount of signatures necessary is Dec. 9 at which point the ones that have managed the feat may receive a response.

Rebecca Guerrero can be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

SECESSION SIGNATURES

TEXAS

118,475 L o u i s i a na

37,195 FLORIDA

35,028 Georgia

32,234 South

C a r o l i na

24,671

Source: petitions.whitehouse.gov

PAGEA11NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Community

Eastridge residents participate in Christmas tradition

By Lorain Watters The Prospector With the arrival of the Christmas season, the homes in the Eastridge community on El Paso’s East Side have begun to put up their snowmen and Santa Clauses, which draws crowds of thousands each year.

There is no entrance fee to view these decorated homes and can be accessed for viewing by car or walking along the sidewalks.

“I’ve only gone once when I was smaller,” said Jimmy Agers, junior media advertising major. “My mom wanted to go and I wasn’t too excited about it because I wanted to stay home—I could have looked at my own lights.”

However, Agers’ visit to the Eastridge community left a lasting impression on him.

“It was bright, almost like day time, and really pretty,” Agers said. “I have never had the time to go back because of work and school, but it is a really nice place to go.”

Some houses have a theme, such as the “Nightmare Before Christmas” or “Peanuts,” while others may have a more traditional view with nativity scenes and Christmas trees.

“When I was smaller, I was expecting to see house after house just full of lights,” said Michael Vasquez, junior civil engineering major. “Now that I am older, I go through and look at how each house is in competition with the others, and how they top themselves each year.”

Like Vasquez, most seem to be impressed by the grand display of lights at each house, even though there is no consistent theme between houses.

“I was impressed the first time.

I remembered going back in 1997.

Going the first day they turned on the lights was impressive to see, how people decorated their houses and to see a line of cars to enter with people walking on the sidewalks,” said Flor Flores, junior multimedia journalism major. “There were so many lights that all of the cars had their lights turned off to enjoy the decorations.

It was an amazing experience to see.”

For Eddie Medina, sophomore mechanical engineering major, the experience of the Eastridge lights has an entirely different meaning

“There were so many lights that all of the cars had their lights turned off to enjoy the decorations. It was an amazing experience to see.”

-Flor Flores, multimedia journalism major and changes his own style of celebrating Christmas.

“I live in the Eastridge area and I’ve been in this home for 12 years, since 2000,” Medina said. “We usually decorate the week after Thanksgiving.”

However, because of the throngs of cars entering the area, it can take up to 30 minutes just waiting in line to enter the community. Then another 30 minutes to make way to the houses.

“My family and I will celebrate Christmas at another siblings house because there is too much traffic during the season—our house is hardly used during this time.”

Medina and his family enjoy Christmas but do not decorate their homes at the same extravagant level as other homes in the community may.

“We don’t go all out like some houses because we don’t see the need to,” Medina said. “It does get pricey too, but we make sure to keep adding stuff every year.”

There is no clear indication as to when this tradition began. Most residents, like Medina, upon moving to their home figured out the Christmas tradition on their own and decided to join in the following year.

“We make sure to keep decorating because we don’t want to be that house,” Medina said. “There is a pressure to keep decorating for the community.”

Unfortunately, Medina has witnessed a decrease in traffic and viewers during the Christmas season.

“I really wish more people would come look at the lights,” Medina said.

“Over the years the traffic has gone down and seeing them really does get you into the Christmas spirit.”

Lorain Watters may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Aaron montes / The Prospector

The Eastridge community in the East Side of El Paso decorates extravagantly every year during the holiday season.

PAGEA12NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

National

Low draw, but a decent office for new Texas House member

States will save money with Medicaid expansion, report says

By Jory Heckman Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

kristopher rivera / The Prospector

(Left to right) Beto O’Rourke, his wife, Amy O’Rourke, and David Wysong, head of O’Rourke’s transition team.

By Kristopher Rivera Scripps Howard Foundation Wire WASHINGTON—Newly elected members of the House of Representatives were in a light mood Nov. 30 as they drew numbers in the lottery that would assign their offices for the next two years.

“We just went through a room lottery drawing right now,” Rep.elect Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, said.

“There were 70 numbers to draw, we drew No. 50, which means we’re not going to have the best office, but we’re not going to have the worst office … but really not the most important thing in the world.”

O’Rourke and other freshmen members of Congress participated in the lottery near the end of two weeks of orientation. Incumbent members chose new offices earlier based on seniority, generally leaving smaller offices farther away from the Capitol for

newcomers. Members of the 113th Congress will be sworn in Jan. 3.

After the drawing, O’Rourke, his wife, Amy O’Rourke, and David Wysong, head of O’Rourke’s transition team, examined available rooms in the Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings. Amy O’Rourke made sure to point out the pros and cons of each office, such as small legislative offices, small lobbies, bad lighting and other details.

Occasionally, they would bump into other newly elected House members who were looking around as well. They would playfully try to discourage the other freshman from liking the same offices.

“You know what would be awesome, to go into the office of a current member, ‘Oh no, this is on the list,’” O’Rourke said to his wife goodhumoredly while inspecting prospective offices.

O’Rourke did not show much interest in which office he ended up

with. After all, he said he started his campaign for Congress out of his garage.

“That is one of the smallest offices you could possibly work out of, one of the least comfortable places from which to launch one of the most unlikely possible—but ultimately successful—campaigns,” O’Rourke said.

“So (it) doesn’t matter if they put me in a broom closet, in the basement or if we have the most spacious office in the Rayburn House Office Building, we’re going to be focused on what El Pasoans want us to do up here.”

As O’Rourke made clear, his office location is the last thing on his list of priorities.

“The big deal was getting here, and now that we’re here, working on the legislative priorities that El Paso has,” O’Rourke said. “Fixing our problems at our international bridges, making the most of the investment at Fort Bliss, turning things around at the VA and ultimately getting a full service veterans hospital in El Paso and then countless constituent issues that people in El Paso are counting on us to work on for them. Those are the things that I’m focused on.”

At the end of the day, O’Rourke got one of the less-desirable offices on the seventh floor of the Longworth Office Building. His office, No. 1721, at the back of the building, overlooks C Street.

Kristopher Rivera is a multimedia journalism major at UTEP. He is currently interning at Scripps Howard Foundation’s Semester in Washington program. He may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

WASHINGTON—States should think twice before turning down optional provisions of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, a new report finds.

The report released Dec. 1 by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation argues that states could cut the number of uninsured Americans in half by expanding Medicaid under the new law with less than a 3 percent increase in overall state Medicaid spending.

The hardest selling point is for states with the highest uninsured populations, including Texas, Nevada, Florida and Mississippi. These states would be responsible for the most new enrollees to Medicaid and would face the highest costs to expand their Medicaid programs.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents of any state at 26.3 percent, according to data from the 2010 Census. The report says Texas could face a 2 to 4 percent increase in Medicaid spending. In 2010, Texas spent more than $27 billion on Medicaid.

John Holahan, the primary author of the paper and director of the Health Policy Research Center at the Urban Institute, said in a conference call that 12 states, mostly in the South and Southwest, might face a 4 to 7 percent increase in Medicaid expenditures if all states approved the expansion. In 2010, Florida spent $17.3 billion on Medicaid, while Nevada spent $1.5 billion and Mississippi spent $4.1 billion.

The report’s authors argued that federal subsidies would absorb most of the costs.

“States are deciding whether to expand the Medicaid program, and they clearly will be balancing improvements in coverage against new costs for states,” Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Foundation, said.

The total cost of the Medicaid expansion from 2013 to 2022—if all states take part—would be $1.03 trillion. Of that, states would pay $76 billion, an increase of 2.9 percent compared to what states would have paid without the Affordable Care Act. The federal government will cover all the costs of the Medicaid expansion from 2014 to 2016, and will pay at least 90 percent in the following years, the report said.

Rowland argued that if coverage is expanded, these states will save by lowering uncompensated care costs—emergency room treatment for uninsured patients. If all states adopt Medicaid expansion, that savings could reach $18 billion by 2022, according to the paper.

“While some states will see net savings, others will need to weigh the trade-offs between small increases in state spending in return for large gains in coverage supported by mostly federal dollars,” Rowland said.

The report finds that states with Medicaid programs that already cover adults, including Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Maine and Maryland, will save money.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government will offer higher matching rates for states that already cover adults.

Alan Weil, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, said states often balk at the total cost of the Affordable Care Act, but don’t realize that the optional

“Medicaid continues to consume more and more of the state’s budget, crowding out funding for other important areas.”

- Jeff Caldwell, press secretary for Gov. Bob McDonnell, R part—expanding Medicaid—is only a fraction of the cost.

“It’s fairly easy to have a little sticker shock at the potential cost of various policies’ options in this area,” Weil said. “I think many states will be surprised at the result showing that the cost to them with the coverage expansion in the ACA comes largely from the things that they must do, and that the choice about expanding Medicaid actually is a fairly small share of the ultimate cost that states may face.”

If states expand their Medicaid programs, they would have to accept into Medicaid adults under age 65 who have incomes less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level $15,415 for an individual or $26,344 for a family of three. This new coverage under the Affordable Care Act ends a longstanding exclusion of adults from the program.

If all states choose to expand Medicaid, the report claims that an additional 21.3 million individuals would gain Medicaid coverage by 2022, cutting the national uninsured population by 48 percent.

Governors in eight states—Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas—have said they will not expand Medicaid.

Many states have yet to make a decision.

In New Hampshire, Jennifer Kuzma, liaison to the executive council at the governor’s office, said Gov. John Lynch, D, is in favor of expanding Medicaid.

“The expansion of Medicaid under the ACA would provide health coverage for thousands of New Hampshire’s uninsured - a goal Governor Lynch supports,” Kuzma said.

She said the state Department of Health and Human Services is assessing the cost of the expansion, which will help Gov.-elect Maggie Hassan, D, decide how to make the program work.

In Virginia, Jeff Caldwell, press secretary for Gov. Bob McDonnell, R, said the expansion will take a backseat to more pressing issues.

“Medicaid continues to consume more and more of the state’s budget, crowding out funding for other important areas,” Caldwell said. “Right now, we cannot consider expanding Medicaid without some concurrent, meaningful reforms of the system that will make it affordable and sustainable moving forward.”

Caldwell said that a number of governors have reached out to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius for additional information about the merits of expanding Medicaid and how they might find room for it in their budgets.

Jory Heckman is a print journalism and political science major at Hofstra University. He is currently participating in Scripps Howard Foundation Semester in Washington program.

He may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

PAGEA13NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

simplystated

Wild art

Geothermal energy

UTEP alumni help Kenya turn towards volcanoes and earthquakes for new geothermal energy. Instead of using rivers, which have already been tapped, the Geothermal Development Co. (GDC) has turned to other natural resources for energy.

Midnight Breakfast

The Midnight Breakfast tradition, to kick-off finals week, will continue December 11 at 11:55 p.m. at the El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center. It is open to all students, no fee required.

Nanoparticles found in food

UTEP Chemistry professors were funded $24 million by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency for research in nanoparticles. Focusing on soybeans, the team will study how these nanoparticles are affecting the environment and humans.

Ecuador students visit UTEP

As part of the Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program, students and professors from Universidad Regional Autónoma de los Andes “Uniandes” in Ambato, Ecuador, they will participate in medical research and a collaboration with UTEP.

justin stene / The Prospector

A butterfly seems to pose for the photographer at the UTEP campus.

Google looks for UTEP students

A retreat held on Nov. 9 allowed UTEP computer science and engineering students to get to know each other while participating in Google DIVE (Developing Innovative Engineers), which helps students become motivated in earning their bachelor’s degree.

Honors MBA Program for Hispanics

The Master’s of Business Administration received the Vision of Excellence Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Among their program are three formats (accelerated, executive, and full-time) for students, which allow them to complete a degree in two years while maintaining a full-time job.

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PAGEA14NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Question of the week

How do you plan on spending your holiday break?

Albert Anguiano

Adriana Rosales

Gabriel Dehara

Brenda Luna

Christian Peralta

“I’m going to visit family in Chihuahua.”

“Just work and organize myself for the next semester.”

“Work around 30-35 hours a week.”

“I’m gonna go to Ciudad Juárez to visit family and have our traditional Christmas dinner, which includes a piñata.”

“I’m going back to New York to visit family, friends and go clothes shopping.”

Junior pre-education major

Senior kinesiology major

Senior civil engineering major

Sophomore communications major

Sophomore multidisciplinary studies major

Carolina Castrejon

Edgar Acosta

Nina Ortiz

Kris Hemme

Crystal Montes

“I’m just going to stay here. My family from California is coming in.”

“I’m going to spend time with my family, wife and kids. Also study for my next courses.”

“Sleeping, crafting and not school.”

“Sleep, work, do some shopping. Rinse and repeat.”

“Watching Netflix catching up on shows like ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Walking Dead.’

Also catching up on sleep.”

Senior finance major

Graduate computer science major

Senior pre-nursing major

Graduate international securities major

Junior health promotions major

Emilio Morales

Tania Ramirez

Miguel Gonzalez

Viviana Valdez

Alejandro Vazquez

“Just working, working, all the time. Also do some Airsoft.”

“I am traveling to San Miguel de Allende to spend Christmas and New Year’s with my family. Moreover, I will rehearse all December for a dance presentation and a musical.”

“I plan on traveling by train during the holiday season.”

“For the vacations, I’m going to Cancun with my boyfriend. I am extremely excited about it. Only 11 more days.”

“Basically, work, work, work, rest and eat tamales.”

Jillian Ortega

Blake Bullard

Luis Larrieu

Ana Nouel

Braxton Wooten

“During my winter break I will be sleeping, I will finally go shopping for Christmas gifts and will do nothing productive with my life.”

“I am going to Mexico City to spend the holidays with my family.”

“I’m going to Puerto de Veracruz with my girlfriend to spend time with my family.”

“I don’t know. I’m just gonna spend it with my family. Get everyone together and have dinner.”

“I will be going back to my hometown in Minnesota, will hang out with old friends and volunteer at church.”

Senior criminal justice major

Sophomore political science major

Senior accounting major

Senior media advertising major

Senior media advertising major

Senior graphic design major

Sophomore psychology major

Senior criminal justice major

Junior digital media productions major

Freshman sociology major

PAGEA15NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012 GRADUATION from page 4 community college and transfer in, and those who step in and out as they deal with life circumstances, but generally graduate at the end of six years.

He claims that the key to a good public institution is the blending of access (or affordability) with quality opportunities and research programs.

“I am not going to graduate in the traditional four years because of family and personal issues in which I had to miss a semester from school, and I have changed majors, which set me about a semester behind,” said Corina Salas, junior prebusiness major. “I don’t believe that any university should be considered a bad university just because most students do not graduate in four years. Personal issues, such as mine, happen to many of the students, and that is something that the university has no control over.”

According to Natalicio’s report “Graduation rates, whose success do they measure?” UTEP is ranked number seven in feeder schools for Hispanic doctorates, and the Washington monthly rankings rated UTEP number 12 among all public institutions in the nation based on a set of metrics that include social mobility and net cost for students.

According to Daudistel, when you only consider the social mobility index, UTEP ranks number one in the entire country out of all public institutions.

“I believe the system is what is to be expected of a university such as UTEP, but I don’t think that it is the best it can be. It is a complicated matter since, students are responsible for their registration, and the removal of their holds, but are left

without being able to register when tiny mistakes occur in the system,” said Alonso Morales, senior media advertising major.

Morales originally planned to graduate in May 2013 but now expects to graduate in December 2013 because of registration problems.

He believes there are not enough courses available to students and that leads some to put off graduation.

“Maybe they could push registration advice up a few months for them to have fully planned the number of students required for a class and the classes that they require,” he said.

Natalicio has been traveling to conferences nationwide in order to advocate for change in the way higher education is viewed and measured.

“We are used to having to be strong advocates for ourselves and having to push back from opinions and visions of who we are and what this region is like,” Daudistel said.

“We still have ways to go because a lot of people refuse to understand how the demographics have changed and that the urban institution is the much more dominant institution than the small private school serving affluent students.

The old images are becoming like movie images in the ‘50s, it’s a goner. We’re just way ahead of the curve and it’s nice to be a leader.”

Lorain Watters contributed to this story.

Rebecca Guerrero may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

ECHS from page 5

“Some people are jealous, and some of the professors even think we are too young but that is why we worked hard so we can prove them wrong.”

- Elizabeth Gonzalez,

all it was a brand new program and I didn’t know what to expect, it’s those first year doubts because all my friends went to Americas.”

According to Gonzalez, some of the older students that she has had classes with were not too friendly when it came to having younger peers in the classroom.

“I am used to it now but at first it was kind of weird but they also get used to it,” Gonzalez said. “Some people are jealous, and some of the

professors even think we are too young but that is why we worked hard so we can prove them wrong.”

ECHS students focus primarily on their academic career as opposed to extracurricular activities, but for Lopez that was not an issue.

“We had to make sacrifices that traditional high school (students) don’t do,” Lopez said. “In the beginning it was hard but now I am happy.”

Marilyn Aleman may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

biological sciences major Adriana Minjares, senior organizational communications major, is also part of the first generation class from MECHS. “I was there for a reason and it is what made me who I am today,” Lopez said.

After Minjares graduates in May 2013, she wants to continue her internship by gaining employment with Editorial Mundo Hispano, a religious publication house in El Paso.

Karina Enriquez, senior computer science major and MECHS graduate, is ready to enter graduate school at UTEP the following semester to gain more experience in the field she has been studying.

“I want to go into graduate school at UTEP, I’m going to be 21,” Enriquez said. “I still feel a little undecided but that is why I’m going to be learning more in graduate school.”

Enriquez said her first year at MECHS was the most difficult because of the challenging college courses that the students must take at a young age.

“I was in the eighth grade when they talked to us about it, and I did question it,” Enriquez said. “First of

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PAGEA16NEWS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

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UTEP non-profit chapter to host Christmas fundrasier

By Vianey Alderete The Prospector The non-profit group JovesMAS will host Saving Xmas, a fundraiser event to help unprivileged communities of Ciudad Juárez celebrate Christmas.

The event will take place on Dec. 7 at the nightclub Aura Ultra Lounge in Juárez.

The $5 cover and profits from certain drinks will be donated to the cause.

“We are trying to gather enough funds to deliver toys to 10,000 children in need this year,” said Casandra Reyes, JovesMAS member and representative at UTEP. JovesMAS is a collaboration of students from UTEP and Juárez universities. This will be the fifth year they organize the Christmas event.

“We have about eight representatives of the group at UTEP,” Reyes said.

The organization was started by a UTEP graduate, Guillermo Asiain.

“JovesMas is dedicated to recruiting and training young leaders who can change their social environment and shape the future of the world,” said Samuel Soltero, JovesMAS vice-president.

Reyes said the idea for Saving Xmas came from the Dr. Seuss story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

“Because of the violence that has taken Juárez, we feel as if kids have been left out of Christmas. Saving Xmas is about bringing hope again, and proving everyone that the youth in Ciudad Juárez and in El Paso are coming together and are stronger than ever,” Reyes said.

The group has had to deal with the Juárez violence in order to create the event. “[Previously] because of the violence we could not have fundraising events at public venues. Now we have more sponsors,” Reyes said.

“This year we will be having the event at Aura Ultra Lounge because the owner volunteered the venue for the event.”

Once the youth group gathers the money for the donations, they prepare the celebration and deliver it to the communities in need.

“We buy toys and wrap them, we also create posadas for them. The volunteers from the organization also help putting presentations and plays for the events,” Reyes said.

“Also, people from the communities bring volunteers to help us out.”

According to Reyes, last year 6,000 kids were able to receive a present that was purchased with funds raised at the event.

“Because of Saving Xmas, other organizations have decided to help out and make things better for kids in Christmas,” Reyes said.

To be able to reach out and help more communities, JovesMAS also works with groups such as Ciudad del Niño, Loretto Angels for Kids, Colonia Loma Blanca and Maria Niña.

JovesMAS focuses on trying to unite the youth in one nobel cause, Reyes said, and this involves people from both Juárez and El Paso.

“When it comes to Ciudad Juárez people can become impotent about doing things, but we young people have good motivations, and this is the

perfect way of having a very great impact on kids,” Reyes said.

According to Reyes, the organization is constantly looking for volunteers.

“We encourage people to come and participate. They can help us wrap gifts and deliver. We do everything in Juárez,” Reyes said.

For those who want to help from El Paso, Reyes said JovesMAS is always open to donations.

“We try and check our Facebook constantly because we want to answer any question anyone may have,” Reyes said.

JovesMAS also hosts other fundraising and charity events throughout the year like 50 horas MAS 50 Bicicletas (50 hours PLUS 50 bicycles), and MAS Mujer (MORE woman).

For more information about JovesMAS, students can visit their Facebook page facebook.com/ JovesMAS. Vianey Alderete may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Special to the prospector

The UTEP Chapter of JovesMAS host an annual Christmas fundraiser for children in Ciudad Juárez. In 2011, 6,000 kids received presents.

2012 Winter Commencement Saturday, December 15, 2012

Don Haskins Center - The University of Texas at El Paso Commencement Ceremony Times: 9 a.m.

Morning Commencement College of Liberal Arts

2 p.m.

Afternoon Commencement College of Business Administration, College of Education

7 p.m.

Evening Commencement College of Engineering, College of Science, College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing

All ceremonies include Graduate School candidates corresponding to their respective colleges.

THE DAY OF COMMENCEMENT

1. In order to experience an enjoyable Commencement ceremony, please arrive at Memorial Gym at least an hour prior to the ceremony. Check-in will begin inside of Auxiliary Gym (room 120) at the following times: • For 9 a.m. Ceremony: 8 a.m. (doors open at 7:30 a.m.)* • For 2 p.m. Ceremony: 1 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.)* • For 7 p.m. Ceremony: 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)* *Please ensure that you have checked-in and picked up your reader card during these times.

2. Arrive early and have a photo taken in Memorial Gym prior to the ceremony.

3. Please leave all personal items (backpacks, cell phones, purses, coats, etc.) at home or in your automobile. These items (along with beach balls, balloons, confetti, noise makers, silly string, etc.) will not be allowed in the Don Haskins Center.

4. Though your family and friends are an important part of Commencement, child care services will not be provided, and children may not accompany graduates during the Commencement ceremony. Please make appropriate plans for the care of your children.

5. Wear regalia, comfortable shoes and out of courtesy for your fellow graduates, please remain for the duration of the ceremony.

6. The procession will depart from Memorial Gym to the Don Haskins Center at the following times: 9 a.m. Ceremony: 8:45 a.m.

2 p.m. Ceremony: 1:45 p.m.

7 p.m. Ceremony: 6:45 p.m.

For parking recommendations, tips for families and friends and other information:

www.utep.edu/commencement

Congratulations to all the graduates!

Commencement ceremony coordinated by the Office of University Relations www.utep.edu/universityrelations

Holiday Season releases 1. “Les Misérables” - Dec. 25 2. “The Hobbit” - Dec. 25 3. “Django Unchained” - Dec. 25

PAGE B1

entertainment December 4, 2012

editor Alejandro Alba 747-7442

Local R&B musician records with Grammy award winner

By Andrea Acosta The Prospector After 10 years of consistent and hardworking preparation, 24-yearold local R&B songwriter and producer, Aubrey Mikel is finally living his dream as he has been taken under the wings of major hip-hop producer, Nitti Beatz.

Through the collaboration with Beatz, Mikel released the single, “All Around,” in March of 2011, featuring Grammy award winning rapper and producer David Banner.

“I’ve been blessed with a gift of God,” Mikel said. “I’m thankful for everything that I’ve accomplished. I knew that I would make it someday, it was just a matter of time.”

Mikel said he reached Beatz through his Twitter account, after Beatz began following him in the middle of January 2010.

“It was such a great feeling to be followed by a well-known record producer; whoever invented Twitter I have yet to thank him,” Mikel said.

“After sending Nitti a track along with my portfolio and songs I’ve written, through email, Nitti Beatz responded and gave me a call. It felt so surreal, I knew from that day on my life would change.”

Beatz—credited for working with artists such as Yung Joc, Gucci Mane, Bow Wow, Drake and Boys in the Hood—was impressed by Mikel’s talent and persistence and signed him to his label Nitti Beatz Digital in 2011.

“He was very aggressive about me hearing his music,” Beatz said. “He is the type of artist who thinks big and he is very into the art of music.”

Mikel said he first became interested in music and began writing songs at the age of 11, leaning towards rap music. It was at the age of 14, howev-

er, when Mikel took this career path seriously, making it a turning point in his life.

“On my own, I began to search for events where I could sing,” Mikel said.

“I sang to whomever I could and began to release my own music.”

According to Mikel, his drive to become an artist followed him through high school, and while everybody would go partying, he would stay home and work on his music.

“I was always involved in music, joining a piano class in high school,” Mikel said. “I also won my first talent show my sophomore year by performing a song by Amerie called, ‘One Thing,’ this was a really cool experience boosting up my confidence even more, thanks to all the positive comments from my class.”

Two years after Mikel’s graduation in 2007, he was fully inspired by the birth of his son and decided to take a different approach to his career.

“I knew that I had to take it to the next level, which is why I decided I could become a singer,” Mikel said. “I realized everyone could rap but not everybody could sing, my son played a big part on this decision.”

Greatly influenced by artists such as Usher, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Jay-Z and Michael Jackson, Mikel hopes to collaborate and tour with some of them in the future, including Ne-Yo and Jason Derulo.

“I admire the control of everything they do and the dedication they put into each one of their performances and shows,” Mikel said. “It takes hours and hours and days of hardwork to accomplish something like what they put on stage.”

Although it’s been only a year since his breakthrough, Mikel has already

see GRAMMY on page B6

Karina Rodriguez / The Prospector

Aubrey Mikel, local R&B singer and songwriter, recorded a single, “All Around,” with Grammy winner David Banner.

Movies

Heartfelt movies for upcoming graduates

By Oscar Garza The Prospector

Special to The Prospector

“The Graduate,” starring Dustin Hoffman, follows a college graduate as he is seduced by an older woman and falls in love with her daughter.

With graduation rapidly approaching and in order to get into the emotional spirit of the season, here are a few movies that relate to the good and difficult times that graduates may face upon graduating.

“Reality Bites”—Directed by Ben Stiller, this early ‘90s comedic drama follows Winona Ryder after her college graduation. Working as a videographer, she documents the lives of her friends (also graduates) and people close to her. Featuring the struggles of life after college, the friendships we make during this time and the opportunities of success, Stiller’s film is able to be both dramatic and funny. With an outstanding cast that also includes Ethan Hawke, Steve Zahn, Jeneane Garofolo and Renee Zellweger, the trends of the ‘90s and a great soundtrack, the film remains a perceptive and nostalgic look at ‘90s culture.

“Adventureland”—Based on writer/director Greg Mottola’s own experiences of life after college, the film follows Jesse Eisenberg working a summer job at an amusement park.

Combining broad humor and smart dialogue between its memorable cast of characters, Mottola creates a funny yet also affecting story about having certain expectations after college and seeing them play out. The film also has a killer soundtrack with the best of the ‘80s including Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, New York Dolls and more. “Adventureland” is a nostalgic coming-of-age story that appeals to the student in all of us, wanting to see what happens after college. The cast includes Eisenberg, Martin Starr, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Kristen Stewart.

“Into the Wild”—Adapted by Sean Penn from the celebrated Jon Krakauer bestseller, it tells the true story of Christopher McCandles, who after graduating college leaves all his possessions and heads into the wild.

Powerful, beautifully shot and poetic in its presentation of men and nature, it might be too serious but it’s absolutely worth watching. Emile Hirsch stars as McCandles in a revelatory performance and its great supporting cast shines as well. “Into the Wild” presents the alternative of what to do after college for those wanting to escape modern society and live an adventurous lifestyle.

“The Graduate”—From its haunting opening titles set to Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” to its great ending, this Mike Nichols film (Academy Award winner for Best Director) has stood the test of time as a generation-defining classic. Starring Dustin Hoffman as a recent college graduate returning to his parent’s house in Los Angeles, who wonders what he’ll do over the summer and is seduced by Anne Bancroft only to later fall in love with her daughter.

Funny, contemplative, impressively constructed and iconic, “The Graduate” (which received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture) catapulted up-and-comers into stardom with a story that represented its time and place to perfection.

“Say Anything”—Before Cameron Crowe showed us behind the scenes with a rock band in “Almost Famous,” he wrote and directed this 1989 romantic comedy with John Cusack, about a high school underachiever who falls in love with a valedictorian planning to go to England after their high school graduation. Touching, sweet and romantic, “Say Anything” is a delicate romantic comedy set after those insecure times after gradu

see MOVIES on page B6

PAGEB2ENTERTAINMENT

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Shopping

Gift ideas for your fall 2012 graduates

By Steven Mansfield The Prospector When invited to a graduation ceremony, it is common to bring a gift for the graduate.

Aside from the typical bouquets and balloons, finding the right gift can be tedious. To make the task easier, here is a list of possible gifts for graduates.

Money

More than likely you will be celebrating a student’s graduation while their pockets are nearly empty, which makes giving money the easiest and possibly the most helpful gift a grad can receive. Giving cash means that it will be put to good use while they stuff their face at their favorite restaurant, grab a drink later with friends at a local bar, buy clothes or pay off outstanding bills.

Alternatives to cash are gift cards, which enable the graduates to buy something they may have been eyeing in the window for many months.

If the graduate has plans to move, a gift card to places like Bed Bath & Beyond is a great way to help them fill up their new place with useful items. No

matter what the money is spent on, any graduate will be grateful to have some extra dough in their wallets.

Cameras/Video Recorders

Instead of letting your graduate bust out their phone every time they want to take a picture, buying them a camera or video recorder is a great and fun gift. Now that college is over and they are preparing for the rest of their life, it is time for a new device to capture these new moments. Cameras are long lasting and will enable the grad to record the adventures of their post-college life—when they move for the first time, take that vacation overseas, or simply take pictures of their graduation celebrations.

Tablet

It is safe to say that for more than four years your graduate has spent the majority of their time with their nose stuck in a textbook or staring at a computer screen trying to finish their term paper. But now it is time to spend that time on entertainment or leisure. A tablet is a great gift for the grad to play games, surf the web, watch movies, listen to music or read books. The Kindle, Nook, iPad, and

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other tablets are all great alternatives.

Although a bit pricey, this gift could be split between multiple people to ensure a great gift for the grad.

Bags

Now that the tattered backpack can be put to rest, graduates entering the professional world are in need of something to carry their necessities around. For girls, this is easy—a large, professional-looking purse from any designer, expensive or not, with enough room to carry their usual necessities along with anything they may need for work or an interview. For men, this can be a bit more challenging. Depending on the person, a briefcase or satchel are great to carry paperwork, a laptop, books or anything else they may need for work or an upcoming interview. Regardless, this gift can be put to use in a multitude of ways.

Clothes/Accessories

Some students spend their entire college career going to class in sweats, but now that they have entered the real world where those clothing options are no longer acceptable. Interviews and the workplace will soon

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engulf their minds and a suit for men is a great way to overcome this problem. If a full suit is too expensive for your price range, a blazer, slacks, dress shirts, ties, long socks and dress shoes are good gifts to ensure that your male graduate looks flawless at his first interview. For women, a professional looking outfit or dress is a good alternative to a man’s suit. Dress tops, skirts, dresses, stockings, heels and jewelry are good additions to a woman’s closet in preparation for her next interview.

Personal gifts

It is about time that the writable wiener dogs are left at the store and something more heartfelt is wrapped for graduates. Purchase a picture frame and put a picture of you and the grad, your group of friends or family members for a long lasting gift that will carry great memories along with it. A gag gift or a gift with an inside joke are also perfect gifts to make this grad laugh at the site of the gift and

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Steven Mansfield may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

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maintain a special memory with you. Any personal gift is great as a standalone gift or an addition to anything else you gave them. But please, do not forget to include a card with your gift.

Even though the card will end up in the trash later that week, this is the perfect chance to say how proud you are of them and any other feelings you may have that can only be put down in words.

Graduation Bears are another low cost gift for graduates, ranging from $5 to $10 and can be found at any local Walgreens or Walmart stores.

Flowers can also be given as a cheap alternative for graduates. A bouquet can range from $10 to $15, while still serving as a sentimental gift.

Balloons are a festive, fun gift for graduates, ranging from $5 to $10, depending on the bundle that is bought.

Mugs Mugs are a simple, yet convenient, gift for grads who are headed straight to the office. These can be found at Walmart for $10.

PAGE B3

our view December 4, 2012

editor Justin Stene, 747-7446

Entertainment: fall 2012

FILE PHOTOS / The Prospector

Best photos of 2012. (Top left) Savannah, the Asian elephant, turned 60 years old in September. (Top right) UTEP’s Dinner Theatre presented “Monty Python’s Spamalot” during October. (Middle left) Chalk the Block featured different kinds of art including a walk-in art light show. (Middle right) The UTEP Library exhibited a collection of presidential buttons and pins. (Bottom left) Local artist and vendor, Francella, had her painting “Si Se Puede,” travel to Washington D.C. as part of a strike. (Bottom right) The Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center showcases art from the El Glow exhibit.

CONGRATULATIONS

CLASS OF 2012

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PAS

WINTER COMMENCEMENT

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instea where there is no path and leave a trail.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerso

S!

2

SO

T

ad

on

PAGEB6ENTERTAINMENT GRAMMY from page B1 started his journey, performing in the New Mexico cities of Las Cruces, Alamogordo and Silver City, along with places like Odessa, Texas, Las Vegas and Colorado. Additionally one of his singles, “Clubbers,” has been featured on MTV. “It’s not easy to have a deal,” Mikel said. “It’s just the beginning.

You have to stay persistent, build yourself, as well as your image. It’s all part of the process of being new to the industry.”

Gideon Udo, senior electrical engineering major and longtime friend of Mikel, said he feels that Mikel is ready for whatever is to come.

“The man is incredibly confident; he really believes in his music and has unconditional faith in his talent and potential,” Udo said. “I think that’s why he has gotten so good at what he does.”

Udo said he believed that someone should have invested in Mikel, and that is when Beatz came in to give Mikel more exposure.

“When Nitti premiered the David Banner verse to Aubrey over the phone, we were ecstatic,” Udo said.

“It was perfect to see David Banner’s collaboration, since he has been one

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

5

of the biggest musical and political influences in Aubrey’s life.”

Mikel said he hopes to meet Beatz in person next year. In the meantime, Mikel said, they have remained in contact.

“We plan on hitting the studio to

Deadmau

to Come to El Paso

record new music,” Beatz said. “We have been brainstorming over the past year.”

Mikel said he hopes to accomplish many of his dreams next year, one of them being touring around the country.

“I have always been aware of my surroundings, focusing on my goal to become an artist,” Mikel said.

“Anyone who is trying to achieve the same dream should never settle for less or do what other people say.

Bottom line, if music is the first thing they think about when they wake up, then music is what they should be doing.”

Andrea Acosta may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Special to The Prospector

By Leonardo Montañez The Prospector Back for his Unhooked tour, Deadmou5 will arrive at the Sun City on Dec. 29 to perform at the Convention Center. The deejay will be performing along side Chris Lake and Audrey Napoleon.

According to a SMG Events representative, the expectation is to have a full house at the Convention Center.

The representative said that they are strongly encouraging pre-sale ticket purchases to ensure entry.

“When he was in town previously, we have had sold out shows,” the representative said. “This was long before he had all of his major commercial hits, Grammy nominations, video games and all the great marketing team behind him.”

The event will be held at the Convention Center instead of Don Haskins Center because it is a concert/dance event, according to the representative, and the Convention Center will allow people to dance instead of being assigned to a seat.

Oscar Hernandez, freshman civil engineering major, said he is not go-

ing to miss the opportunity to see Deadmau5 live.

“I’m very surprised to see him,” Hernandez said. “It’s rare for artists outside from rancheras, cumbia or duranguense to come to El Paso.”

Hernandez, who discovered Deadmau5 from the “Need for Speed” soundtrack, said he likes his upbeat style of music. “It’s his different style (that I like) that pumps you up to start jumping through the whole song,” he said.

Arely Barragan, sophomore biological science major, said she also likes Deadmau5 for his unique style of music and performance.

“I have liked him for a couple of years now, so I’m very excited about it,” Barragan said. “He is known for having amazing shows and I know he will do something incredible in this show.”

With many expecting a great show, Hernandez has already set goals for the night of the performance.

“Aching legs and a good time among friends, that is my goal,” Hernandez said.

According to the Deadmau5 website, the Unhooked set is different from other shows that offer a spectacle.

“The Unhooked show is basically without all the bells and whistles of the big show. There’s no cube, no back lighting, no LED Mouse head.

It’s just Deadmau5 with his music gear, nothing else.”

The SMG Events representative said that many shows similar to this are expected in the future, such as the Sun City Music Festival in September and large scale shows throughout the year.

“El Paso has great energy, which artists love,” the representative said. “El Paso has already made a name for itself in the electronic music community.”

According to SMG Events, the event will be one of a kind.

“El Paso is one of three U.S. cities he will be doing this December, so we recommend anyone who enjoys his work doesn’t pass the chance to see him, because it really is a rare act,” the representative said.

Doors open at 8 p.m. at the Judson F. Williams Convention Center, located at 1 Civic Center Plaza. The event will be from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and will be for all ages. Tickets begin at $47 and are sold online.

For more information visit ticketmaster.com or deadmau5.com.

Leonardo Montañez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

MOVIES from page B1 ation—whether it’s high school or college. The film has now become an iconic pop culture visual, especially the scene where John Cusack holds the radio over his head. The movie soundtrack is full of ‘80s classics including Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Cheap Trick, which are ideal for the graduation season.

Oscar Garza may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

PAGE B7

79th annual sun bowl game Football: the 2012 hyundai sun bowl will feature the USC trojans against the Georgia tech yellow jackets at noon on dec. 31.

sports December 4, 2012

editor Daniel Ornelas, 747-7445

Top-25 recruit headlines 2013 class

Still taken from ESPNU

Guard Isaac Hamilton announced his commitment to UTEP during the ESPNU signing day special Nov. 16.

By Audrey Westcott The Prospector From 1982 to 1986, Kevin Hamilton dominated the court as number 31 for the UTEP Miners, helping the team to three NCAA tournament appearances. Twenty-seven years later, the Hamilton name will return to the Don Haskins Center as his nephew Isaac Hamilton signed to become a part of UTEP basketball.

Hamilton announced his decision in an interview on ESPNU on Nov. 16, next fall he will be sporting the orange and blue of the Miners. He is

currently playing in his second season at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif.

“This is great for UTEP,” head coach Tim Floyd said. “I feel like we have just signed a young man who will play in the NBA. We intend to play Isaac at the point guard position. We see a lot of Seth Curry (Duke guard) in him—a big guard who can score.

Isaac is not only a really capable scorer and shooter, but has the instincts to make players around him better.

We feel like with Isaac and McKenzie Moore, we’re returning to how our teams looked at USC with big point

guards like O.J. Mayo (Dallas Mavericks) and Gabe Pruitt (Boston Celtics) who can play together and play off of each other.”

As a junior, Hamilton averaged 24.3 points per game, 9.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.2 steals, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 30.9 percent from 3-point range and 68.6 percent from the free throw line in 27.2 minutes per contest.

His talents earned him the honors of first team All-State, All-League and All-Region accolades for a 25-8 team, and ranked him one the nation’s best.

Rivals.com ranked Hamilton the No. 4 shooting guard and the No. 16 player in the country. Scout.com has him as a five-star prospect and the No. 5 two-guard in the class of 2013.

With offers from various universities, Hamilton narrowed his list down to four schools: San Diego State, UCLA, UNLV and UTEP. For the ESPNU interview, Hamilton was wearing a powder blue sweater and a gold bow tie, leading many to believe that he was going to announce UCLA as the decided school.

However, after much consideration and some advice from his older brother, Jordan Hamilton, who is currently playing for the Denver Nuggets, Hamilton says his decision came down to relationships, and wanting to work with someone he knew he could trust.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but Tim Floyd has been a close friend to

“I feel like we have just signed a young man who will play in the NBA.” - Tim Floyd, UTEP head coach the family,” Hamilton said via UTEP athletics. “He coached my uncle (Kevin Hamilton) at UTEP and he has been really good friends with my grandmother who just passed away. I just felt I should go with someone I should trust and feel that I know so that’s why I went with UTEP.” St. John Bosco High School head coach Derrick Taylor said that Hamilton’s talents on the court have yet to reach their prime and the all-around athlete will be an excellent addition to the UTEP team.

“He is absolutely the ultimate model student-athlete,” Taylor said.

“He is completely no maintenance.

He will go to class. He’s the first one at practice and the last to leave. He is skilled and he scores a lot of points.

He understands the importance of balancing scoring with making plays for others.”

Audrey Westcott may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Women’s Basketball

I-10 rivalry set for Act II as Aggies visit the Don

By Sabrina Nuñez The Prospector The Miners were handed their first loss of the season by New Mexico State on Nov. 28 at the Pan American Center. The game went down to the wire and the Miners fell to the Aggies 69-68, on the same night the men edged the Aggies by one point.

The Miners held the lead the majority of the game before the final few minutes entered a series of lead changes. With 12 seconds left, NM State’s sophomore guard Danesia Williamson made two free throws, giving the Aggies the 1-point lead to win the game.

“We didn’t execute like we needed to down the stretch. It was a tough way to lose one, but we’ll bounce back. We’ll grow from it. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to New Mexico State. They had some nice guards and they can shoot the basketball,” head coach Keitha Adams said.

“When you win, you’ve got to move forward the next day and when you lose, you’ve got to move forward the next day. Just turn the next page and keep moving forward.”

Williamson led the Aggies with 23 points, while senior guard Stefanie Gilbreath scored 22 points.

“We need to do a better job on (stopping) their offense,” senior center Anete Steinberga said. “They had two players that had forty points

(together). If we can stop two players, then it can make a big change for the game.”

The Miners came into the game with a 5-0 record after playing in the Junkanoo Jam over the Thanksgiving break and were also playing without senior center Kristine Vitola. Vitola joined sophomore guard Jenzel Nash on the injured list. Both players suffered torn ACLs, putting them out for the season, forcing the Miners to make adjustments to their rotation.

“Returners need to play more and smarter because of their experience.

(But) the newcomers are doing really good,” Steinberga said. “They’re stepping into the game and showing some progress. We are doing fine so far” UTEP bounced back after the loss to the Aggies by beating Texas State 88-81 Dec. 1 at home, improving their record to 6-1 on the season.

“It’s disappointing losing to (NM State) because every year we beat them. Even though we lost the game, it’s more than a loss, we’ve been in those shoes,” junior forward Kayla Thornton said. “But we can’t dwell on that game. We have many more games ahead of us and it’s not conference yet, so we’ve just got to keep working and move on.”

With a 40-mile stretch of highway between campuses, athletic meetings between the two schools have evolved into a regional rivalry referred to as the Battle of I-10. The

FILE PHOTO

The Miners suffered their first loss of the season against I-10 rival NM State Nov. 28 in Las Cruces. The two teams face each other again Dec. 5 at the Don Haskins Center.

Miners and Aggies will face off for the second time at 7:05 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Don Haskins Center.

“It always means a lot to the fans, and people get into it. When we go up there, it’s always a dog fight,” Adams said. “(The Aggies) have gotten better and it’s a tough loss for us, but

we’ll learn from it and we’ll get to play them again.”

Assistant coach Ewa Laskowska announced on Twitter that Adams will buy pizza for all UTEP students who attend the game.

Sabrina Nuñuez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Fan support key for men’s basketball

By Tim Floyd Special to The Prospector Dear UTEP students: First of all, on behalf of Miner Basketball, I’d like to wish you and your families a wonderful

holiday season.

Congratulations on getting through the first semester, and I hope you enjoy some much-deserved time off !

I can’t thank you enough for the support you’ve given our team early this season.

The atmosphere in the Don Haskins Center for the first two games against Oral Roberts (Nov. 9) and New Mexico State (Nov. 28) was tremendous.

In fact, the crowd was as electric for those two games as any others in my time as head coach. It was so awesome seeing the student section full for both games.

While our team has had its struggles early in the year, your support has been unwavering and we truly appreciate that.

I can promise you that our staff is working very hard and we will continue to improve as the season goes on. We will also be getting a big boost from the additions of McKenzie Moore and Konner Tucker to our team this month.

The future is very bright for UTEP Basketball.

Our 2013 recruiting class, featuring a unanimous top-25 signee and two other top-100 prospects, was recently rated No. 16 in the nation

by Rivals.com.

That ranking could actually be higher when you factor in the addition of 7-1 center Matt Willms, who is redshirting this season.

We need you to keep packing the Haskins Center every night as we continue our climb back to national prominence!

I know school is out of session, but we have two huge home games coming up in mid-December and I hope you can find your way back to campus to support your team. Both games will be nationally televised. I’m not telling you this so you can sit on the couch and watch on TV. I’m telling you this in hopes that you’ll come out and show the rest of the country why we have the best student section in the country!

On Dec. 17 we will play UNLV and on Dec. 19 we will play Oregon. UNLV is currently ranked in the top-25 and Oregon is receiving votes.

These are two supremely talented teams that will pose a major challenge.

But we will be ready, and we need you to be our Sixth Man in the Stands!

Please make plans to attend.

Tip-off for both games is at 6 p.m., but arrive early! Show the Runnin’ Rebels and the Ducks that it’s not going to be an easy night for them.

Once again, thank you! Happy holidays and we’ll see you at the DHC! Tim Floyd is the head coach of the UTEP men’s basketball team.

PAGEB8SPORTS

THE PROSPECTOR December 4, 2012

Football

Darren to be great: Q & A with senior defensive back

By Daniel Ornelas The Prospector As graduation nears, seniors prepare for the next chapter of their lives. For UTEP defensive back Darren Woodard, a multidisciplinary studies major and a native of Freeport, Texas, graduation could be the beginning of a new playing career and a better future for he and his son, Jaylen.

Q: What does graduating mean to you?

A: It’s an accomplishment for me and my family, something to be proud of. To be going through this since pre-K, to get to this point, it means a lot.

Q: What will you remember the most about your time at UTEP as a student?

A: The one thing I’ll always remember is the amount of traffic.

It’s so crazy trying to get onto cross walks and it gets so crowded. Also, the teachers…the people in the MAC (Miner Athletic Club) did a really good job scheduling me with good professors and I enjoyed it. They gave me the opportunity to get an education and better myself.

Q: What’s the one thing you’ ll cherish the most about playing for the football team?

A: Just being a Division-I athlete. I’ll never have this chance again at this level. It’s a bittersweet thing, for it to have to end. I’ll cherish everything... the lights, teammates, coaching staff, fans, the media. I’ll miss it all.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I’m going back to Houston and train. I’ve been talking to some people about getting bigger, stronger, faster. I’ll come back in March for pro-day and show the (NFL) scouts what I can do. I know they’ve been around looking at me and other guys on the team. We have to get our bodies in the best shape possible so we can show those scouts that we can play at the next level.

Q: What are your thoughts on Mike Price’s, former head coach, retirement?

A: I love him. I can honestly say one day, in the future, that I played for a legendary coach. He gave me the opportunity to play college football at the Division-I level. It’s kind of sad that we didn’t get to go out on top with a win for him.

He’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in the NCAA and in UTEP history.

Q: What’s one thing about yourself that many people might not know?

A: Many people don’t know I have a son, my teammates do, but a lot of people don’t. I take care of him everyday. He lives here in El Paso with me and it’s just a blessing to have him around and be able to let him see me do good things. I try my best everyday to be a father and a mentor, to show him that I can balance everything with football, school and taking care of a child.

Daniel Ornelas may NOT be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

ATTENTION!

Students the in

visual arts

The UT System Board of Regents wants to recognize you

Graduating student athletes FOOTBALL Eloy Atkinson Ian Campbell Joshua Fely Rodney Huntley Jamie Irving Nicholas Lamaison Bernard Obi Humberto Padilla Andrew Thomas Dakota Warren Gregory Watkins Darren Woodard SOCCER Skye Schultz VOLLEYBALL Stephanie Figueroa TRACK AND FIELD Matt Dudley Anderson Mutegi Richard Olsson Kathya Garcia SOFTBALL Chelsea Troupe GOLF H.J. Roberts

FILE PHOTO

Senior defensive back Darren Woodard will train in Houston after graduating in preparation for UTEP’s pro day in March.

TENNIS Martina Trierweiler

Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate students of any major studying at a UT institution General Criteria: Must sustain high academic performance Must demonstrate commitment to the arts through participation in university and community activities

How to participate: Fill out and turn in an application form Submit a maximum of 10 photos of your work. Images should include no less than five different artworks. All images must be embedded in a single file (pdf) along with a brief description (200 words or less) of each piece. List the title of Submit your two-dimensional artwork each piece, medium and when it was made, and its dimensions. and three-dimensional artwork. One winner

will be named in each category. A $1,500 monetary award will be made in the winners’ names to the department of their choice.

Submissions due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2013.

Review of nominations by a panel of UTEP representatives will begin and the top finalists will be forwarded to the UT System. Award recipients will be announced on April 1, 2013.

All work submitted will become the property of The University of Texas System, and will not be returned.

The finalists may be required to sign permission documents to allow UT System to display selected artwork on a limited basis.

S SpeSSSpecific Evaluation Criteria: Originality, use of media, artistic composition

For application and to submit materials contact: Hilda Alarcon - Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs hlechuga@utep.edu (915) 747- 7480