OPINION Page 2
Graduation Issue
NEWS Page 4
Outro: From nervous newbie to storyteller SGA survey highlights parking frustrations
Opinion
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela, editor-in-chief
From nervous newbie to storyteller
Stepping into the Student Media office, I was not completely sure what I was getting myself into, and honestly, no one could have prepared me for it. As student journalists, we all have to go through the same classes that teach us how to write from scratch and how to edit video and audio. I was more than halfway through the curriculum when I joined The Prospector. Two people, who I was fortunate to call my friends later down the road, convinced me to join and to apply for the multimedia editor position. So, I did.
I was trained the week before the Spring 2024 semester and was given my first story, where I discussed the Foster Adopted Homeless Resources (FHAR) program here at UTEP. I think back to that story now and only think of what I could have done better. It’s funny how the mistakes that seemed overwhelming then feel like valuable lessons now. I was nervous, of course, but my friends, and of course our Director and Assistant Director of
Student Media Veronica Gonzalez and Crystal Hinga, supported me through every stumble. Over time, I learned to balance the chaos of covering stories, editing videos, and meeting deadlines. With every assignment, I got better—not just as a journalist, but as a storyteller. My confidence grew with every byline. It was because of The Prospector that I truly found what I wanted to write about more; issues that the student body truly cared about. It was exhilarating to give others a platform, to dig into issues that mattered, and to learn
from every challenge.
The newsroom became more than just an office; it became a space where we laughed, brainstormed, and sometimes argued. We celebrated every print issue and agonized over last-minute edits. My role as multimedia editor taught me discipline, empathy, and resilience—qualities I hadn’t expected to develop when I first walked in. Now, as I reflect on my journey, I realize that joining The Prospector was one of the best decisions I’ve made. It didn’t just make me a better journalist; it shaped me into someone who thrives under pressure, cherishes teamwork, and seeks to tell stories that matter. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.
Though I am a better journalist because of The Prospector and because of all the professors who taught me in the beginning of my journey here at UTEP; I am now a better person, a better friend.
When you step onto a college campus, I believe most of us are excited to have that college experience, the ones we see in movies, just maybe not with all the partying and not doing actual course work.
Those kinds of connections though are the ones we hope to one day have when in college. I am happy to report that I was able to do that.
Gael and Sofia, thank you for being my best friends here. You both taught me so much about what it takes to be a journalist, and what it means to be a friend. I will cherish our memories forever. Emmanuel and Avery, you both have bright futures and though I began being envious of you for the amazing work you do, all I think now is how lucky I am to have met you, and I just cannot wait to see what you guys all accomplish.
To Marco, Alyda and the rest of The Prospector staff. I love you all. Thank you all for the memories, the laughs, the cries in the Minero office and for rooting me on, no matter how things got tough.
Finally, to those reading. This is not the last you hear of Adam Regalado. I hope to continue being a voice for everyone here in the borderland in anything I do, because that is why I am a journalist.
Because your voice matters.
Adam Regalado is the multimedia editor at The Prospector and may not be reached at anregalado@ miners.utep.edu.
Parting Student Media and UTEP with pride
To sum up my experience at UTEP in one word, it would be pride. When I began college in 2020, it felt like a time when possibilities seemed slim due to the pandemic. Yet, the moment I stepped foot onto campus I felt like I had a second chance, a new beginning. As a child I always had a knack to reinvent myself. Every day, I wanted to embody a new character, whether it was Hannah Montana, Sharpay Evans, or Jenna Rink, I always knew I wanted to be someone that was successful and fabulous. In many ways, college reflected that same need for transformation.
Throughout my years at UTEP, I battled with the concepts of who I wanted to be and who I was becoming. This led me to change not only small things like my clothes, style, and haircuts, but it changed my creativity, opinions on womanhood,
and views on politics and society. College became my adult version of trying on different hats, yet the one that remained the same was my passion for journalism.
Journalism has always felt like a calling. I became driven to find a community where I could grow professionally and remain authentic to my all-time evolving creativity. In 2021, I embraced this passion by joining Student Media Publications, a decision that changed my life forever.
From starting as a simple staff writer for Minero Magazine, to climbing the ladder onto Editorin-Chief, I was able to create some of my most creative work possible. Through student media, I found myself. I began to understand and imagine a career for myself and apply the skills that I was working towards with my degree. I truly had the best job in the world.
Minero Magazine became my second skin — a space where I could
showcase my ideas without any fear of failure and worked with the most amazing and capable team. Together, we crafted two amazing volumes: The Age of Media and The Creative Renaissance. I am endlessly grateful to my mentors, Veronica Gonzalez and Crystal Hinga, for encouraging me to create my most authentic work. Their guidance gave me the confidence
I have today and gifted me with memories for a lifetime. Without student media, I would not be the journalist I am today.
I am also thankful to those who have believed in me and saw the value of my work, even as a one-in-amillion college student. I am proud to have learned at UTEP how to transform my potential into reality. This is leading me to the opportunities to craft stories and memories with the amazing publications of The City Magazine, El Paso Inc., Borderzine and Texas Standard, and represent the community of creatives in our Borderland.
As I now prepare to step into “adulting,” I can proudly say UTEP changed the perception of my professional life. I grew up. Leading me to achieve major milestones in my big dream to become a writer and I am proud to be part of UTEP’s orange and blue Miner pride.
Yoali Rodriguez is a guest contributor and may not be reached at yrodriguez23@miners.utep.edu
Expressing my gratitude for every shot while at The Prospector
Everything has a beginning and an end. After two semesters, it’s time to say goodbye to The Prospector and UTEP.
In January 2024, I decided to join the newspaper with the goal of improving my photography skills. I knew it would be the ideal place to grow personally and professionally. During my interview with Erik Acosta, the spring Editor-in-Chief, I felt nervous and afraid I wouldn’t be chosen as a contributor.
But a few days later, he gave me the great news that I would be part of the team as a photography contributor. I could not believe what I had achieved.
I called my parents who live in Guadalajara to share the news and they were filled with pride celebrating this new beginning with me. At first, I felt out of place in the office, being the newest member. However, little by little, I adapted, got to know my colleagues, and learned so much from them.
Although I wanted to photograph sports, that opportunity didn’t come during my first semester. Even so, I enjoyed every photo I took, knowing the moment to cover sports events would eventually
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MULTIMEDIA EDITOR THE PROSPECTOR
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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR THE PROSPECTOR
YOALI RODRIGUEZ B Y
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COVER photo by Iziah Moreno/ The Prospector
arrive. Over time, I realized how much I had learned about journalism and how important this space was for my personal and professional development.
When the spring semester ended, I decided to apply again for the upcoming fall semester.
I remember I was visiting my parents in Guadalajara, spending the summer vacation with my family and I got interviewed by Emmanuel, the current Editor-in-Chief. He confirmed that I would continue my journey with The Prospector. It was great news, and I promised my parents that this would be my best semester yet and that I would return to Guadalajara in December, after graduation to celebrate with them.
Upon returning to El Paso, the opportunity I had been waiting for finally arrived. I was assigned to photograph the home opener football game. That day was very special to me because from then on, I photographed sports every week, striving to improve my shots game by game. These two semesters were a transformative experience, and I will always be grateful to The Prospector for believing in me. I am from Guadalajara and decided to move to El Paso with the dream of studying at UTEP to build a better future and become the first generation in my family to earn a college degree.
Although there were difficult days when I considered returning home, I always reminded myself that every sacrifice was worth it. Today, as I approach graduation, I know every step has prepared me for what comes next.
I want to sincerely thank the entire team at The Prospector for believing in me when no one else did. Especially, thank you to Veronica, Crystal, Amy, Erik, Emmanuel, Sofía, Salma, and everyone at The Prospector.
I also want to thank my family, who despite being far away, have always supported me. They have always been my greatest motivation. This degree is dedicated to my family, The Prospector, team and everyone who supported me along my journey.
Jose
jgsaldana@miners.utep.edu
Capturing Miner snapshots at The Prospector
Eduardo “Eddie” Ibarra is a photo contributor for The Prospector. He began his journey with student media in the summer of 2023 as an intern for the department. Since the, Eddie moved up to a photography contributor in the spring semester.
He has taken photos for countless stories in the news and arts and culture sections that have been published on print and our website. Majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in film studies, Eddie
hopes to continue his academic pursuits in journalism while obtaining his MFA in studio art.
After grad school Eddie says he hopes to one day teach photography and film studies at the university level.
From The Prospector team to Eddie, we know you will accomplish a lot after graduation and succeed in all of your future endeavors.
Thank you Eddie for all your hard work and dedication. Good luck and congratulations on this monumental milestone.
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The Prospector can be reached at theprospector@utep.
Fitfam, El Paso Matters hosts mayoral forum
Four weeks before El Paso’s Mayoral runoff election, candidates Renard Johnson and Brian Kennedy met at the EPCC Administrative Service center to discuss their vision and plans for the city of El Paso in a forum.
Johnson and Kennedy are the two nominees left standing from the eight-person pool that ran on Nov 5. Johnson led the way with 33% of the vote, Kennedy came close to the businessman with 24% of the vote.
Bob Moore, founder and CEO of El Paso matters, had the task of mediating the forum. The rules followed those of a traditional debate where each candidate would have
90 seconds to answer.
Moore first raised the topic of El Paso’s economic development, and its contribution to enhancing the city’s quality of life. Johnson has postulated his campaign as wanting to further El Paso’s outreach to contend with cities like Austin and San Antonio, while Kennedy’s agenda has been seen as more reserved when it comes to spending.
“It depends on your definition of quality of life. Quality of life is fixing roads, making sure people can buy houses, and they’re safe with police and fire,” said Kennedy.
“As far as large projects, they all got to be public-private, because we’ve seen what happened, our population is now stagnant.”
Kennedy referred to a number
of bonds passed in 2012 in which voters approved over $470 million to renew parks, libraries, museums, and the now infamous downtown multipurpose arena that will no longer be built after voters decided to stop work on the project. Kennedy articulated that the bonds were underestimated in price, which led to the halt in population growth, and how focusing on that now could lead to the same problem. Johnson, like Kennedy, acknowledges that infrastructure and taxes are a problem, but believes that to fix the issue, El Paso’s economic world needs to expand. “The only way we can improve quality of life is through economic development.
read MORE at theprospectordaily.com
G. Saldana is a photo contributor at The Prospector and my not be reached at
Photo Courtesy Jose G. Saldana
THE PROSPECTOR STAFF
SGA survey highlights ongoing frustrations over parking
XIMENA CORDERO B Y
STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR
Parking at UTEP is an ongoing frustration for students according to a survey conducted by the Student Government Association (SGA). The survey shows that many students are dissatisfied with the current parking system and policies.
According to the survey, which gathered responses from 1,782 students, 89% of students live off campus and need to drive or take public transportation to get to campus.
Among these, 61% of students drive and park on campus daily, while 32% park off campus every day, 45.57% stated they never parked off campus.
From the start of the semester UTEP parking faced criticism as students had to wait hours to buy parking passes.
The survey showed that 60% of students have an active parking pass while 40% do not. 61% of the ones without a parking pass cited the cost of parking as the reason for not purchasing one.
“I think parking passes are too expensive,” said sophomore Frida Loya. “I still had to buy a lot of things for my actual classes, a lot of books and lab coats so, I couldn’t really afford to get a parking pass.”
Parking permits vary in price depending on how close the parking is to campus. The Sun Bowl parking garage and Schuster garage are both $400 per year. The silver perimeter costs $300, while the blue and purple permits are $225. The green remote permit costs
$165 annually.
Sophomore Andres Garcia bought a parking pass but recognizes why the prices sway people away from purchasing UTEP parking passes.
“I’d say lower the prices because it really discourages people to even park here at all,” said Garcia. “People have to park really far away and to just get to their classes, which is hard, I have a lot of friends who do that.”
Loya chose to park in one of the nearby neighborhoods this semester. While it saves the cost of a parking permit, it has its own set of challenges according to Loya.
“I have to get here early to try and find a good parking spot,” said Loya.
“If I come in later I either have to drive around until I find something close by, park really far away or risk it and maybe get a ticket.”
74% of respondents consider UTEP’s Parking and Transportation policies and systems either “extremely important” or “very important.” The satisfaction levels were mixed as only 10% are “very satisfied” and 23% “moderately satisfied.”
Meanwhile, 22% said they are “moderately dissatisfied,” and 25% “very dissatisfied.”
Additionally, 61% of respondents preferred the option of open parking at a flat rate, where students would purchase a parking permit for $75 a semester or $150 per year and could park on a first come-first serve basis. 39% favored the assigned parking system that UTEP currently has in place.
Garcia proposed an additional approach where students could buy a pass only when needed.
“A day pass where you still pay to park, but it’s like for a single day cause a lot of the time the people that do have a parking pass don’t even get a guaranteed parking because the garages get full immediately,” said Garcia.
According to UTEP’s Parking and Transportation Department, its mission is to provide reliable, quality, and efficient parking and transportation services that meet the needs of the university. “The University sells parking permits based on International Parking Institute guidelines to ensure maximum use of parking spaces, taking into account vehicle turnover between classes,” said the department in a statement to KTSM.
The Prospector reached out to Parking and Transportation for comment regarding SGA’s student parking survey but did not hear back prior to publishing this issue.
UTEP continues to grow each year with an anticipated 30,000 students in the near future, parking remains a top issue for students.
xcordero@miners.utep.edu
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at
According to the survey, which gathered responses from 1,782 students, 89% of students live off campus. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector
CAPS offers mental health tips for upcoming graduates
Graduation season is one of the most significant turning points in a person’s life. While this time can be one of the most exciting and happy moments for students, it can also be full of uncertainty and dread.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), 93% of students are hopeful about their future but 71% also said they are somewhat or very stressed about joining the workforce with 68% saying their mental health is one of the main reasons for feeling less prepared out od school.
Marieli Piñero-Melendez, Ph.D., director of outreach and clinical psychologist at UTEP’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) shared that students often experience increased levels of stress and anxiousness as they prepare for life after graduation.
Piñero-Melendez recommended several ways to help students deal with stress and make the transition easier as they encounter this monumental challenge.
“Being able to maintain social support networks can be very important and having those spaces to have those concerns validated,” said Piñero-Melendez. “Having some structure in regard to planning out what they want to do next but also pacing them themselves and having a little bit of balance in between that and maintaining self-care.”
Additionally, Piñero-Melendez mentioned that students can feel more prepared by using the University’s resources, such as the Career Center, for help with job applications and opportunities.
“I think there has been a lot of job insecurity in the past years, I know it depends a lot on where they’re planning to apply for jobs too,” said Piñero-Melendez. “That is something that’s brought up and
we do try to connect them with resources that can help them prepare for interviews but at the same time normalizing that it’s a pretty natural experience to feel some anxiety or some stress related to graduating and related to uncertainty.”
According to Piñero-Melendez, students who plan to move out of town after graduation often feel more secure in their transition, as they may already have a sense of
where they want to apply for jobs or places where they have completed internships.
This brings its own challenges as the anxiety of adjusting to a different environment, building new relationships, and starting over in a new community can add to the stress of the transition.
Piñero-Melendez explained that CAPS is especially attentive for suicidal thoughts and the symptoms of
despair or hopelessness, which can worsen for many students before graduation as they deal with the sense of losing control over their future and careers.
The most important thing for students during graduation season according to Piñero-Melendez is taking things one day at a time, connecting with family and friends and practicing self-compassion.
“Practicing self-compassion is seeing ourselves or treating ourselves as we would treat someone that’s dear to us like a friend or family member,” said Piñero-Melendez. “Very often what happens with particular certain mental health concerns is when we’re very stressed, we tend to be very critical of ourselves.”
Piñero-Melendez shared that CAPS is open to students even after they graduate if they need to consult with a therapist or support in connecting with external psychological resources.
CAPS is located at 500 W University Ave., room 202 Union West. Students can contact CAPS through 915-747-5302 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The after-hours crisis hotline is 915-747-0291.
Other resources include Emergence Health Network, the local crisis line which can be reached at 915-778-1800 and the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@miners.utep.edu
Glean is an app offered by CASS that helps
Students interested in using Glean must be
and
CASS IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS WITH
UTEP’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) located at 202 Union West offer both in person and telehealth Timely Care services for UTEP students. Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector STAFF REPORTER
XIMENA CORDERO B Y
County and ‘Chicas Locas’ reach legal agreement
A court hearing was held Nov. 25 that resulted in a tentative settlement between El Paso County and newly established Chicas Locas Bikini Bar. The bar had its grand opening Sept. 19 at the previous location of Jaguars Gold Club, which was shut down in February.
The County Attorney’s office filed a suit Feb. 23 against RCI Holdings, former owners of Jaguars and current owners of Chicas Locas, for several criminal violations. Some violations include failure to provide a business license, unauthorized sale of beer/alcohol and prostitution.
In September, Chicas Locas announced its grand opening at the former location of Jaguars. The opening was met with another lawsuit by the County Attorney’s Office Sept. 20 for violations of the prior settlement agreement.
According to KTSM 9, the hearing originally scheduled for Oct. 16 was delayed after Judge Annabelle Perez determined the defense, RCI Holdings, did not have sufficient time to review the evidence against the establishment.
In the Nov. 25 hearing, it was determined that Chicas Locas must post a $10,000 bond and provide evidence of adherence to city ordinances and fire safety regulations. The club is set to reopen in March 2025 should such evidence be presented.
What Trump’s cabinet picks mean for the government
do with Trump’s expression.
After becoming President-elect, Donald Trump wasted no time in appointing members to serve in his cabinet. Before the election, Trump appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast followed by millions. When asked by Rogan what his biggest mistake was in his first term, the former president said, “I picked a few people I shouldn’t have picked.”
Just weeks after the election, Trump has already appointed over 30 names to fill his inner circle.
“It’s certainly him sending a message,” said Curry. The president started his cabinet pick with a light route, choosing his campaign co-chair, Susie Wills as his, and America’s first female White House chief of staff. Speculation from spectators began to mount once Trump announced Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his choice for Defense Secretary.
Amy Monsivais, a principal attorney for El Paso County, told KFOX 14 that the agreement will end all litigation between El Paso County and any club operating at 11377 Gateway West.
Before opening in March, RCI Holdings must also provide proof of employment of peace officers or level four security guards.
Prior to the hearing, the County Attorney’s Office cited violations of conditions established at the time of the injunction against Jaguars Gold Club.
Among these violations was the promotion of Chicas Locas that suggested the ‘bikini bar’ was to operate as a strip club, or sexually oriented business.
Counterclaims from Casey Wal-
lace, attorney for Chicas Locas, state the business had presented itself only as an adult entertainment bikini bar, but not a strip club. During the hearing, testimonies from undercover law enforcement say dancers at the club removed their tops to reveal a liquid latex covering that representatives from Chicas Locas argue is a “courtapproved covering” as reported by KFOX 14.
The parties will finalize and present the agreement to a judge on Dec. 6. Another hearing will be scheduled if there are any further violations of the settlement.
Alyda Muela is the web editor and can be reached at armuela2@miners.utep.edu
Among those include several industrialists and provocative politicians.
“I think what we have to stop with is saying that this is his cabinet because, at this point, these are his nominees,” said Dr. Todd A. Curry, an associate political science professor at UTEP.
Trump’s 2024 campaign was run on a more combative platform compared to his first run in 2016. What caught the attention of the media, and democrats, was the rhetoric of the former president. Specifically, the attention was on Trump’s repetition of the phrase “the enemy from within,” a vague label the president- elect used in interviews, and rallies.
Upon picking members for his cabinet, analysts are curious if the people selected have something to
Hegseth’s pick was reported as a “surprise,” the TV host served in the Army National Guard. Currently, Hegseth faces allegations of paying off a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
“I think it would be a naive assumption to assume that all of these individuals who have been put forth will be confirmed by the Senate,” said Curry. “What it really goes on, is how supportive the Senate is going to be of Donald Trump, and how much line they are going to allow him to have.”
Trump’s divisive decisions continued into his first pick for Attorney General. The president-elect chose former Florida house representative Matt Gaetz to be his legal adviser, and to have supervision of the Department of Justice. Earlier this year, Gaetz was under investigation by the DOJ over allegations of having sexual relations with a
see TRUMP on page 7
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The County Attorney’s office filed a suit Feb. 23 against RCI Holdings, former owners of Jaguars and current owners of Chicas Locas. Photo by Alyda Muela/The Prospector
then, 17-year-old girl, however, the case was dropped. As of now Gaetz is being investigated for allegations concerning illegal drug use, and paying for sexual relations, which includes involvement with a woman who was then 17.
The House Ethics Committee has not reached an agreement on whether to release a report on Gaetz concerning the document and will reconvene on Dec. 5 to further discuss. The Florida representative resigned from congress the day Trump announced him as his AG nominee.
“I don’t think Congressman Matt Gaetz has any chance in being confirmed by the Senate. I say that, not at all because of his politics or even because of his possible criminal issues. The members of the Senate do not like him as a person,” said Curry. “It’s one thing for an individual to be unpopular, or have policies that they may not support, but they just don’t like the man.”
Since the House Ethics Committee last met, Gaetz dropped himself from consideration for Attorney General. Just hours later Trump picked Pam Bondi to fill the vacated position. Bondi is the former Attorney General of Florida, during her term, she was active in efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act and make marijuana illegal. Since leaving office in 2019, Bondi has worked for republican lobbyist Brian Ballard.
What to expect during fall commencement
The Class of 2024 have earned their stoles and are ironing their gowns before taking the stage at Don Haskins. A total of four graduation commencements will take place from Dec. 14 through Dec. 15 to fit in seven total colleges.
Currently the schedule stands as the following on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1p.m. the College of Health and Sciences and College of Nursing will have their ceremony, followed at 6p.m. by the College of Science, College of Business, and School of Pharmacy. On Sunday, Dec. 15th at 1 p.m., the College of Liberal Arts will be honored, and the commencement ceremonies will end at 6 p.m. with the College of Education and College of Engineering. Preparation is well underway to write this semester’s fall class into the UTEP history books, but the ornate celebration is built from key pillars that assure the commencement’s stability.
One that is at the forefront for those wanting to share the special moment with their graduate is
UTEP’s clear bag policy. This rule has been set for years yet falls short of reaching some because it can easily fly by a spectator’s mind.
As for the graduates, it’s best that they graduate based on separate colleges rather than all together. In the spring, each ceremony averaged around two hours and 15 minutes, group those all together in one, and best believe that the seat is going to be warm after over eight hours of constant sitting.
Upon entering Don Haskins, the students’ special occasion is welcomed with the tunes of the Miner band as they walk down the ramp in front of loved ones. The steps made by those in caps and gowns have been earned through a relentless effort to not succumb to any tangible and mental roadblocks.
To speak to the graduates is UTEP President Dr. Heather Wilson, behind her are decorative banners of all the colleges in the institution. Wilson in last year’s commencement referenced scientist Francis Bacon
“Learning connects us to each other, through conversation. Late
into the night with friends, or over a meal with family, or sending a text to a link of a really good podcast,” said Wilson. “We learn for joy, for engagement of others, and to do our jobs better, but what we should most value, is those that are learning.”
During this time Wilson also commends the staff and deans thanking them for the role they played in each student’s life. Finally, it’s time to be recognized.
The process of naming the students takes around an hour, or less. UTEP lights the pick on the roundabout orange and blue and illuminates the all too familiar “M” on the mountain.
Never will one be able to stop putting their picks up, but a commencement ceremony makes the symbolic gesture more valuable than words can describe.
Fall Commencement Schedule
Sebastian Perez-Navarro is a staff reporter for The Prospector and can be reached at spereznavarro@miners. utep.edu
Graduate merchandise and attire available for graduate students at the University Bookstore. Photo by Victoria Valadez/The Prospector
A parent’s perspective on cultural identity
Editor’s note: This article is part two of a three-part series surrounding the cultural discussions around Mexican Americans that do not speak Spanish, also known as “No Sabo,” kids.
From one no sabo parent to a whole generation of no sabo kids; there is hope in healing and opening the doors to learning Spanish whenever the time comes. Instead of being fearful or timid around language, there comes a pivot where one becomes eager to learn what is next for language.
Tim Hernandez, Associate Professor at UTEP, a published writer and author, speaks up on the phenomenon of being a “no sabo”. His relationship with Spanish is a curious one.
“Growing up, it was only the adults around me that spoke Spanish, and Spanish was a language where us younger kids weren’t allowed to be inside of that conversation that the adults were having,” said Hernadez. Spanish was always at arm’s reach. “My parents spoke Spanish whenever they didn’t want us to know what they were talking about. So, it was used as secrecy. That also taught us something as kids growing up in terms of that, that language wasn’t for us.”
Hernandez sympathizes and gives grace to all no sabo kids, because
he endured the same ridicule that came from the older generations when he was growing up. “I was raised with the other side, the old school way of our elders or the adults around us kids made us feel bad they didn’t teach us Spanish,” said Hernandez.
Something to remember and reflect on is that the Spanish language carries a lot of trauma and generational pain. From the shores of Veracruz to generations that endured the swatting culture in the 60s.
“What happens over time is you’re literally having the culture beat out of you,” said Hernandez. There were no expectations in his household raising his children that they must know Spanish. On the contrary, he had other ideals.
“I wanted my children to master the English language. I want them to become masters of this world that they’re in, you know, or at least in this particular country, and the reality that they have to navigate every day, which is here in the United States,” said Hernandez. Perhaps the reason why no sabo kids are merging into this country, not with their tales in between their legs, but with pride—to be able to speak fluent English, is because of their ability to choose, something generations before did not have.
“I think we’re (no sabo kids) the redemption that our grandparents
were seeking,” said Hernandez. What he says to other no sabo kids like himself and his kids is that they should not be ashamed.
“There’s no nothing to be ashamed of inside of that not understanding or speaking language when that wasn’t your reality or what you grew up in,” said Hernandez. “It’s sad that some parts of our community want the other parts to feel ashamed for that, or to feel or to be made to feel bad about the fact that they don’t speak Spanish. It’s sad because it’s negating who they are as a human being on their own,” said Hernadez.
The ironic dynamic that the ones who ridicule the no sabo kids are the people
monolingual in Spanish only. The ultimate peace that the no sabo kids could eventually face is healing from the resentment and burden of not being fluent. Hernandez rooted back into his learning journey recently when his books made him go into Mexico despite years of despising Spanish.
“It wasn’t until I moved away from home, when I got far away from that community, where I was in a place where I could hear myself thinking and my own voice…it took 10 years for me to come back around and realize that it was very practical to learn Spanish,” said Hernandez.
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER THE PROSPECTOR
DOMINIQUE MACIAS B Y
Tim Hernandez sympathizes and gives grace to all no sabo kids, because he endured the same ridicule that came from the older generations. Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector
“They Call You Back” opened to a chapter about his journey to Mexico without a translator and the lesson it taught him.
Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024
Raul Andre Romero
SUMMER 2024
Graduate
College of Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Richard Owusu Adansi
Brandon Javier Colon
Aibhlin Alexis Esparza
Angel Uriel Ortega-Castillo
Laura Leticia Sandoval Nazia Sharmin
Master of Science
Juan Antonio Barraza
Marisol Burciaga
Kenneth Wayne Burnham III
Kember Campbell
Hugo A. Castillo
Karen Chacon Flores
Georgia Collier-Bolling
Hector Cuevas
Damon William Cunningham
Julio Cesar Diaz
Luz Favela
Jesus Alejandro Gutierrez Araiza
Adrian Hernandez
Ivana Hernandez
Jesus Ricardo Herrera Garfio
Juanita Elena Jimenez
Jaime Marie Johnson
Guessim Mohamed Kafando
Jonny Lennon
Leila Alejandra Martinez
Jesus Antonio Molina
Xavier Ernesto Moriel Flores
Kirk James Murray Jr.
Zoe Ivie Ojo
Megan Owen
Vanessa Alondra Pena
S M Atikur Rahman
Eduardo Alonso Ramirez
Gustavo Adrian Rios Ibanez
Erin Belen Rivera
Miriam Sugey Rodriguez
Cessna Ivette Ruiz
Md Asif Khan Sharon
Victor Kenneth Silva
Karin Sinkevitch
Tahmineh Tahriri
David Tait
Edwin Tomy George
Laura Cristina Tovar Felix
Juan Carlos Zenil Araiza
College of Liberal Arts
Doctor of Philosophy
Jose Manuel Flores
Jacqueline Lechuga
Malinalli Xipil Leyva Jagadish Paudel
Master in Public Administration
Nissi Belen Jimenez
Aaron J. Mendez
Susan Raabe
Christopher Robert Solis
Perfecto Zarate Zarate
Master of Arts
Elyana Amparan
Karla Michelle Cerna Castillo
Christopher Michael Crane
Angelina Maribel Franco
Angelica Maria Loreto Lopez
Eugene Lopez
Arianne Duarte Morais
Master of Defense & Strategic Studies
Randall Austin Michael Reuben Faulkner
Haydn George Giannoni
Jennifer Newman
Gabriel Ivan Ponce
Brandon Reid
Master of Fine Arts
Maria Cecilia Herrera Astua
Master of Music
Jordan Ashby
Raymon Reuben Correa
Anne Janelle Griffin
Johnnie Aaron Hower
Nicholas Rene Saucedo
Master of Science
Christopher Joseph Lambert
College of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Oceane Da Cunha
Flor Brigitte Hernandez Camacho
Judith R. Hoyt
Stephanie Rebecca Kehl
Ebenezer Nkum
George Ekow Quaye
Alina Corrao Spera
Sheng Yin
Master of Arts in Teaching
Adrian Gustavo Luna
Master of Science
Olamide Foluso Adefioye
Andres Cadena
Robert Christopher Diaz
Solayman Hossain Emon
Luzconsuelo Gavaldon
Lucky Kofi Gbeda
Pedro Josue Hernandez Penagos
Safa Binte Hossain
Habibur Rahman Howlider
Ernesto G. Loera
Daisy Jennifer Lopez
Rebecca Dominique Navarrette
Ashley Obeng
Carley Cecile Oliver
Salvador Alexis Rodarte
Miguel Gonzalo Rodriguez
Yeshey Seldon
Tarana Sharmin
Fatema Tuz Zohora
Isaac Samuel Weislow
David William Konrad West
College
of Education
Doctor of Education
Jazmin Carrera-Blas
Doctor of Philosophy
Kenneth Albert Dore III
Master of Arts
La Toya Lynn Ballard
Alexis Jane Barker
Natalie Marie Bonelli
Sarah Cuellar
Melissa Sue Dilks
Kimberly Anai Esparza
Isis Guerrero Sanchez
Alex Hernandez
Emilia Lucia Lagunes
Lorenza Edith Lopez
Norma Veronica Lopez
Susana Jessica Martinez
Eleanor Morgun
Cynthia Ovalle
Jose Angel Renteria
Jorge Rivero Villanueva
Kevin Edgar Sias
Seth Edgar Sias
Kylie Marie Sorrentino
Leonardo Zapata Contreras
Master of Education
Mark Jason Alger
Brandy Blanco-Acosta
Bryanna Bouche
Deanna Camacho
Wendy Canales
Martha Ivonne Carrillo
Julio Cesar Chaparro
Beatriz Eugenia Chavarri Cazaurang
Rachel Nicole Esparza
Jennifer Marissa Flores
Gabriela Gonzalez
Cynthia Hernandez
Karlynn Anita Hochstein
Vanessa Iglesias
Kashada Resha Jones
Cristina Lopez Anahi Marquez
Brenda Susanne Matamoros
Claudia J. Melgoza
Elizabeth Miranda
Dania Yolanda Orozco
Marisa Arlene Ortega
Jennifer Perez Susana Ramirez
Liliana Victoria Reade
Yasmin Rocha
Stephanie Atilano Rojas
Armando Guadalupe Saucedo
Emma Jewell Stuart
Anita Jean Toto Seba
Stephanie Vega
Joe Elias Zajemski
Sandra Cristina Zavala
Master of Rehabilitation
Counseling
Crystal Nicole Orozco
Jaime Ivan Sosa
Master of Science
Jacqueline Magallanes
Stephanie Martinez
Ally-Anne Rigoli-Redd
Maria Isabel Rivera
Claudia Rodriguez
Nubia Rojas
WOODY
L.
HUNT
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Doctor of Philosophy
Trang Minh Pham
Shensi Wang
Master of Accountancy
Claudia Y. Aguilar
Valeria Aleman
David Baeza
Adrian Ivan Castro
Benjamin De Los Reyes
Carla Karina Garces
Monica Lopez Arenas
Alyssa Briana Montes
Gilberto Munoz Jr
Troy A. Nelson
Ana K. Palacios
Sofia Natalia Perez
Alejandra Prieto Moreno
Alfonso Rodriguez
Jocelyn Salazar
Samantha Contreras Smith
Master of Business
Administration
Susana Jauregui
Luis Ramon Rios Jr.
Armand Joel Torres
Irene Villa
College of Health Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy
Josette Pelatan
Michael James Sanchez
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Charwin Kenneth Andaya
Isabel Celeste Valdez
Master of Science
Alyssa Gabrielle Moreno
Gabriel Fernando Narvaez
Master of Social Work
Christina E. Garcia
College of Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing
Vivian Abascal
Jacobo Isaac Almanza
George Avitia III
Isela Beanes-Lazcano
Ashley Rae Benko
Lydia Camacho
Victoria Castellanos
Analisa Nicole Cintron
Adriana Yvette Diaz
Yazmin Adilene Gamez
Jessica Carlene Garcia
John Edward Garcia
Lucia Gartner
Amber Monique Herrera
Michael Phillip Huffman
Alejandra Iglesias
Gabriella Vianey Lara
Lauren Daniele Linton
Melynda Janelle Olguin
Natalie Ontiveros
Carla Regina Rivas
Liliana C. Rivas
Kamal Ken Vasandani
School of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
Humberto Barboza Jr
Stephen Phillip Nunez II
Engineering Science/ Interdisciplinary
Doctor of Philosophy
Liliana Lozada Medellin
WOODY L. HUNT
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Bachelor of Business Administration
Accounting
Jocelyne Dayana Gomez Mendoza
Miguel Angel Ramirez Montero
Victoria V. Vargas
Economics
Aaron Gabriel Bustillos
Aleks Krasimirov Hristov
Jose Carlos Simental
Finance
Guillermo Diaz
Alizae Danielle Flores
Mario Octavio Lugo Jr
Deborah Maria Mercado
Sergio Javier Molina
Jacob David Quintana
Adrian Gilberto Reyes
General Business
Bryana Michelle Garcia
Luis Alberto Lopez
Information Systems
Ivan Alejandro Herrera Guzman
Javier Olmos Rodriguez
International Business
Mario Barajas Jr
Karina Maria Loya
Silvia Victoria Polanco Dominguez
Angelica Marie Valencia
Julian Varela
Management
Alondra Bello Mojica
Enzo Enriquez
Larissa Elizabeth Leal
Jose Maldonado
David A. Martinez
Jesus Mauel Olivas
Vincent Ramirez
Michael Demitri Salas
Grecia G. Siqueiros
Joana Villegas
Marketing
Jonathan Nathaniel Alvarado
Tamara Aylin Beltran
Armando De Los Rios
Daniel Espino
Samantha Estrada
Noe Flaco Jr
Millie Daniela Munoz
Victor Munoz Jr
Osvaldo Olivas
Noah Dominick Sepulveda
Jose M. Solis III
Operations & Supply Chain
Management
Michelle Heredia
The University of Texas at El Paso
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science
Education
Zoeth Rocio Aguilar
Marina Horta
Yesenia Angelica Otero
Carlos A. Penaflor
Diana Marlene Rocha
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Bachelor of Science
Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering
Tamara Camille Maliwan Da Silva
Civil Engineering
Daniela Castro
Braulio Delgado
Melanye Pamela Gutierrez Loya
Marian Loaeza
Ilian A. Martinez
Luis Miguel Rocha
Claudia Elizabeth Rosales
Emiliano Ruiz Scott
Computer Engineering
Cesar Corral
Computer Science
Jordan Antonio Thomas Aguon
Ruben Carmona-Medrano
Jacob Austin Gonzalez
Omar Alexander Hoang
Mario Dante Martinez
Bella Luz Quintero
Enrique Alonso Rico
Sebastian Rodriguez
Avery Anthony Sehic
Miguel Angel Sepulveda
Samantha V. Silva
Gabriel Abraham Terrazas
Construction Engineering & Management
Martin Alderette Jr
Roberto Dingler
Maria Fernanda Luevano
Electrical Engineering
Osama A. Awadh
Arturo Bencomo
Adrian Alexis Giron
Mercedes Kassandra Murrillo
Christopher A. Rivas
Bryan Aidan Romero Garcia
Gabriel Alberto Saucedo
Angel Yglecias
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Enoc Ferniza
Carlos Eduardo Ortega
Luis Mario Ponce Garcia
Mechanical Engineering
Ulysses Fernandez
Brian Jesus Garcia
Mario Cesar Gonzalez
Juan Carlos Herrera Jr
Mauricio Lopez
Hector Alejandro Mcdonald
Carlos Olivas
Javier Ordaz
Michelle Ramirez
Josue Rodriguez
Marco Antonio Valdiviezo Jr
Angel Eduardo Villalobos Jr
Metallurgical and
Materials Engineering
Jorge Eduardo Enriquez
Mariana Hernandez Amaya
COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Bachelor of Science
Health Promotion
Abigail Antonia Viescas
Kinesiology
Michael Edward Aguilar
Guillermo Antonio Alarcon
Alaja Kiara Anderson
Amelia Renee Carson
Leesly Estaco
Angelina N. Garcia
Vashti Celestial Garcia
Melissa Adriana Guillen
Angel Hernandez
Isaac Miguel Jaimes-Dominguez
Amaya lee
David Nava Jr
Christopher Edmon Nobles
Joanna Natal Preciado
Dayviana Rodriguez
Alleyna Soel Romero
Public Health
Hicsyl D. Falcon
Britny Rios
Rehabilitation Sciences
Alexa Sophia Andrade Fuentes
Corina Patricia Arroyo
Oscar Avila Jr.
Gabriella Elizabeth Bermea
Sophia Chew
Valeria Del Campo
Jizelle Duarte
Vanessa Enriquez Caballero
Priscilla Escajeda
Jessica D. Fattorini
Hannah Marina Flores
Karen J. Garcia
Sophia Isabella Lazcano
Ashley Manzano
Tracy Martinez
Isaac Medina
Jacqueline Nicole Peinado
Andrea Pizana
Carolina Prieto
Bailey R. Ramirez
Kimberley G. Ramirez
Jaqueline Ramos
Megan Angelic Ramos
Chyanne Alise Reveles
Jetzemany K. Reyes
Lily Rodriguez
Victoria Yvonne Seyffert
Anika Therese Trujillo
Ximena Valenzuela
Aylin Varela
Isabella R. Vasquez
Valeria Vazquez
Alfredo Verduzco Jr.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Bachelor of Applied
Arts and Sciences
Applied Arts and Sciences
Roxanne Arreola
Bachelor of Arts
Art
Camila Abbud
Victoria Ashley Meyers
Andrea Clarice Paz
Chicano Studies
Kenneth Danneman Jr
Laura Patricia Loy Cortez
Adrianna Guadalupe Rodriguez
Communication Studies
John Adam Martinez
Eddie Wayne Sinegal
Denise Roxana Venzor
Creative Writing
Casey Rae Cervantes
Criminal Justice
Teah Rae Adkins
Jorge Alberto Andrade
Ever A. Atilano
Adriana Avila
Stephanie Rachelle Bonneau
Isabella Bulger
Shawanna Bush
Hiram Calderon Calderon
Idaly Campos
Clarissa Ivette Cazares
Hugo De Avila
Raymond D. DeSantos Jr
Veronica Escarzaga
Britton V. Gantt
Alicia Socorro Garcia
Miranda Krisay Garcia
Carmen Angelica Guerra
Leticia A. Lopez Adame
Dania Martinez
Sahian A. Martinez
Luz Elena Melendez
Marcos Angel Mendoza
Nancy Ogali Monreal
Abraham Morad
Brisa Alejandra Moran
Natalie Jovita Murillo
Adriana Murillo Lopez
David Anthony Olmedo
Lexy F. Oropeza
Danielle Marie Ramirez
Sarah Capri Ramos
Diego Reyes
Sabrina N. Rivera
Melissa Royval
Alan Sanchez
Jose L. Santibanez
Rosa Elena Solis
Kasandra Naomi Sotomayor
Luis Stansberry
Elijah Santana Vasquez
Roderick Darwin Williams II
Aza Yang
Digital Media Production
Gabriel Blanco
Jesus Roberto Ceniceros
English
Christian Julian Ramirez
English &
American Literature
Mark A. Alvarado
Ashley Y. Nunez
Lisette Marie Villegas
History
Madison Jaselle Adelstein
Omar Alfonso Castrejon
Fernando S. Deyoung
Michael Ray Flores
Gene W. Haberlein
Ruben Paul Marquez
Justin Tyler Martinez
Charles Thomas Peer II
Media Advertising/ Communication
Daphne Polet Duran
Richard Clark Gray
Amkar Eduardo Hernandez
Christopher Joseph Kelly
Multimedia Journalism
Lorenzo E. Leyva Jr
Organizational & Corporate Communication
Audrey Marie Barragan
Diego Cruz
Vanessa Guadalupe Guerra
Marcelo Eugenio Manriquez
Jennifer Marie Portillo
Elena S. Saenz
Bryan Carlos Zuniga
Philosophy
Matthew Gardea
Political Science
Daniel Adame
Teresa M. Aguilar
Samantha Alexis Chairez
Aine Valeria Garcia
Daniel Martin Lingen
Christine Martinez
Arantxa Sofia Rangel
Daniela Isabel Vargas
Psychology
Mia Zade Alvarado
Iran Ivette Aranda
Cassandra R. Castanon
Isabella Victoria Chacon Holguin
Sydney Isabelle Duarte
Victoria A. Escalera
Chelsy A. Garcia
Ismael Gonzalez Jr
Brendon M. Hermosillo
Amber I. Herrera
Betzabe Lira
Alondra Samantha Lujan
Daniela M. Martinez
Victoria Alese Martinez
Kimberly McKinney
Jocelyn Mendoza
Cecilia Brielle Mercado
Angelica Munoz
Beatriz Isabel Orozco
Idali Pena
Rebecca Janet Pulido
Selma Alyssa Ruhle
Madalynn Merce Sanchez
Viviana Alejandra Velazquez
Psychology/Criminal
Justice
Aracely Terrazas
Security Studies
Aaron Isaiah Chairez
Cameron William Dunn
Christopher D. Loya
Mariah A. Martinez
Courtney DeAnna Williams
Sociology
Gabriel Alberto Carreon
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Studio Art
Valeria Alejandra Tejada
Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies
Multidisciplinary Studies
Vanessa Alvarado
Jesus David Alvarez-Garcia
Paola Guadalupe Anchondo
Valerie M. Anguiano
Veronica Avad
Eduardo Avalos
Magaly Berumen
Carmelo Bane Bralich
Stefan Enrico-Earl Cameron
Evelin D. Carrasco
Sergio Daniel Castro Rivera
Araceli Lizbeth De La Garza
Jasmine Del Rio
Xochitl Duran
Teresa Giovana Escobedo Carrillo
Nicole Esparza
Alec Espendez
Daniela Beatriz Garcia
Kirsten Garcia
Roberto Lorenzo Gonzalez
Sophia R. Gonzalez
Kaitlyn Theresa Urenda Harrison
Cecilia Elena Jaquez
Erika
Cecilia Ochoa
Ochoa
Santiesteban
Jemor Simoneaux
Christopher Allen Spangler
Kenneth Antonio Talavera
Jasmin Thomas Sophia Catalina Trevizo Daryon Triche Marisol M. Valadez
Christopher Joseph Valdez Derek Vasquez
Maria Gabriela Vidal
Meghann Ariel Webster
Bachelor of Science
Commercial Music Ramon E. Valenzuela
Music
Jaime Ramos Magallanes
Bachelor of Science Psychology
Diamariz Marie Burciaga
Adriana Cruz Escudero
Marisela Martinez Hernandez
Ivonne Alejandra Perez
Bryan Sebastian Reta
Alan Javier Varela
COLLEGE OF NURSING
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Nursing
Susmaury Acosta
Iliani Vianey Aguilar
Andres Alderete
Michelle Alvarez
Nazareth Arellano
Mariana L. Betancourt Herrera
Nicole E. Black
Ashley Bousquet
Kevin Cabada
Anissa Brittany Campa
Cinthia Alejandra Cano Esparza
Arlie A. Carrillo
Rebecca Nicole Carrillo
Jacqueline Castillo
Maria N. Castorena
Joanna Chaparro
Angelica Chavez
Jacquelin Victoria Chavez
Marie Chazoule
Anna Marie Clark
Natalia Contreras
Rosa Coronel
Rosemarie Corral
Mariah Antoinette Crouse Mendoza
Alyssa N. De Avila
Stephanie Guadalupe Dominguez-Garcia
Ashley Duron
Joshua Estrada
Odeth Lizzet Estrada
Emily Danielle Felix
Maria Fernanda Fraire
Andrea Franco
Maaike Ellen Frerking
Elva Ariana Galindo
Laura Anais Gameros
Aliyah Alejandra Garcia
Gael Garcia
Savannah Garcia
Abby Christine Giersdorf
Vanessa Louise Glover
Zyan I. Gurrola
Adrian Gutierrez
Briana F. Gutierrez
Samuel Christopher Gutierrez
Zayya Gutierrez
Amanda Hernandez
Asiyah Felicia Hernandez
Nathan P. Hernandez
Rocio Jasmine Hidalgo
Esteban Ulises Holguin
Brandy Nicole Jaquez
Liliana Esmeralda Jaramillo Gomez
John Paul Juarez
John Julian Kareh
Flor Lizeth Lopez
Julian Martin Lopez
Lauriane Loya
Alec Andrew Lozano
Victoria Luna
Axxel Gabriel Macias Hernandez
Alanee Marcella Madrid
Lizbeth Martell
Class of 2024
Karina Martinez
Paulina Briann Mata
Alyssa Toni Medrano
Karla Nalley Mena
Katherine B. Mendoza
Leinani Marie-Juliette Mikol
Yeonghee Yoo Moore
Alexa R. Morales
Savannah Elise Morales
Develyn Muniz
Saraih Diana Napiwocki
Alicia Liliana Ogaz
Sabrina Evangeline Orellana
Isabel Orozco
Stevie Jo Padilla Ochoa
Kyla Arizona Peoples
Elisa A. Priddy
Iniesesha Shann Quinones
Rebecca M. Ramirez
Noreen Rios
Akeala Lean Rodriguez
Alyssa Nicole Rodriguez
Keana Soleil Rodriguez
Selena Rodriguez
Lorena Mabel Rodriguez-Velazquez
Rocio Guadalupe Romero
Heidi Renee Romine
Jacqueline N. Salas
Jason Salcedo
Miguel Salcido Ramirez
Sarah Salgado
Diego Alberto Sanchez
Evelyn Alondra Sanchez
Desiree E. Sandate
Corina Saucedo
Ashley M. Silva
Samantha Simmons
Brandy N. Sotelo
Arlette Vianey Soto
Rosa Esme Soto
Cameron M. Taylor
Natalie Yasmin Tinajero
Jazmin Denise Torres
Alejandro Tovar
Yahaira Sulai Ugarte-Lopez
Amber Lynn Ussery
Sabrina Alessandra Valenzuela
Joaquin S. Vazquez
Rachele Esmeralda Vazquez Morales
Angela Vela
Vanessa Velasquez
Lluvia Villagrana
Deante Marquise Wells
Monique R. Wells
Julia Michele Wiernicki
Samantha Lizzette Zamora
Kathya Vanessa Zatarain
Bianca Abigail Zavala
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Bachelor of Science
Biolochemistry
Lesly Janette Castaneda Saldana
Alan Rodriguez
Biological Sciences
Abduljalal Ayodotun Adams
Michell Alexa Aguilar
Melissa Ann Alvarez
Alvaro Luis Ambriz II
Francisco Xavier Baca
Ximena Beltran Medina
Keyla Alexa Briseno
Jesus Manuel Brito
Andrea A. Campero
Jazmin M. Chavez
Andrea Cueto
Alexzandra Renee Digiambattista
Jazmyn Esparza
Nicole Gamez
Silvia Bridgette Garcia Najera
Luis C. Gonzalez
Manuel Arian Guerrero
Fernanda A. Gutierrez
Samuel Gutierrez
Jaqueline Hernandez
Victor Aiden Ilog
Sharon Keyvan
Maritza Lopez-Aguirre
Maria Fernanda Mancera
Diana Mandujano
Brianna Nichole Moreno
Jazmin Jamillette Moreno
David Zeth Perches
Leilani Lexin Quintero
Damaris Reyes
Javier Rodriguez
Mauricio Ivan Rodriguez Rodriguez
Hector A. Ruiz
Christabel R. Sepulveda
Luis G. Tibuni
Valeria Torres Valles
Lilia Dominique Vazquez
Damaris Velazquez
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Clarissa Gonzalez Arambula
Kajaya Pollard
Alejandro Rosales
Sol Xitlali Saenz-Arreola
Environmental Science
Malcolm Levitt Furr
Jovannie R. Gomez
Gerardo Isaac Marquez
Calliope Irene Torres
Mya Valenzuela
Forensic Science
Alejandra Hernandez
Madison Makayla Leyva
Jazmine Martinez
Danielle Nicole Prado
Angelica L. Soltero
Geological Sciences
James Boyette Barker Jr
Angie Lynette Cano
Mallory Rose Harmann
Caden Michael Hopkins
Juan Manuel Navar IV
Muriel Michelle Sandoval Vazquez
Fernando Vasquez
Geophysics
Leah Josephina April
Mathematics
Brisa M. Castor
Yasmin Garcia
Daniela Michelle Vela
Microbiology
Clarissa F. Garcia
Xochitl Zapata
Neuroscience
Devin Andrew Hernandez
Luis Sebastian Martinez
Yesenia Venegas
Physics
Carlos Adrian Chavez
Carlos Ignacio Hernandez
Martin Homero Quintana
Ammber Anais Valverde
FALL 2024 Graduate College of Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Jesus Baca
Elfa Kathlene Beaven
Zachary Aidan Chanoi
Sofia Gabriela Gomez
Callan Austin Herberger
Sheikh Dobir Hossain
William Marfo
Arturo Rodriguez
Anamika Ahmed Siddique
Master of Engineering in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Alberto Caballero Jr.
Carla Ivette Carnero-Hernandez
Master of Science
Md Fazlay Alam
Daniel Aleman
Jacob Emmanuel Almanza
Diego Alejandro Ariza-Barba
Aimee Barraza
Daniel Belio
Mila Biswas
Dawn Star Blazer
Ruben Esteban Bolado Garcia Jr.
Miguel J. Camarena
Brandon Cartwright-Li
Maria Concepcion Chavarria
Angel Coronel
Carlos Cortes Jr.
Francisco J. De La Rosa Jr.
Yamel Veronica De Leon
Carlos Diaz
Fernando Dominguez
Nicholas Edward Duran
Jesus Alejandro Fabian Martinez
Larissa Fernandez
Christopher Arturo Flores
Jorge Flores
Seth Abel Flores
Diana Fontes
Ricardo Gallegos Hernandez
Ernesto Gamboa Tiscareno
Juan Pablo Garcia Chavira
Nanette Estrada Giron
Daniela Gonzalez
Karen Daniela Gonzalez Silva
Jose Maria Granados
Francisco Israel Guillen
Jaime Ramos Hernandez
Stephen Hernandez
Mohammad Akidul Hoque
Thinley Jurmi
Mohammad Ariful Islam Khan
Guillermo Lam
Michelle Lara
Robert Lars Larson
Scott R. Ledford
Tenzin Lhaden
Tania Lizbeth Limon Bustamantes
Juan Lopez
Carlos Eduardo Maldonado
Asahel Alberto Marinelarena Diaz
Alex Michael Martin
Laura Alejandra Martinez Espinoza
Jaime Roberto Mata Jr.
Andrew McNay
Maria De La Luz Medina
Sarahi Mendivil
Dylan Metz
Jorge Minjares
Cesar Eduardo Moriel
Joseph Matthew Munoz
Anika Nawer
William Newcomb
Mark Anthony Ortiz
Nicolas A. Pielczyk
Vignesh Ponraj
Alexander P. Pustinger
Michel Ramirez
Ricardo Ramirez Rivera
Estevan Homero Ramos
Elias Ramos - Ibarra
Samuel Ramos Sanchez
Kevin Noe Renteria
Adriana Rivera
Cynthia Ivonne Rodriguez
Peter R. Sanchez
Safwan Shafquat
Anika Farhat Tasnim
Alfredo Torres Loya Md Isteak Uddin Juan Ulloa Jr. Jesus A. Valadez Aragon
Alexis Valencia Andrea Karina Vargas
Manuel Alejandro Vazquez Valeria Odette Velarde Ruiz Tony Via
Vielma
Alberto Zambrano
Alejandra Zamorano Orozco
Master of Science Data & Information Sciences Lorelyne Chavez
Eduardo Dominguez Garcia
Master
College of Liberal Arts
The University of Texas at El Paso
Daniela Marina Ochoa
Andrea Gabriela Seanez
Master of Arts
Nisna Mireya Castaneda
Gustavo Diaz de Leon
Nestor Mahatma Espino
Horacio Estavillo Jr.
Priscilla Giner
Joshua H. Hancock
Demetrio Hernandez
Jesus Hernandez
Julian Robert Lopez
Benjamin Stuart Milam
Andrea Michelle Nunez
Sebastian Ortegon
Andrea Elizabeth Ostos Mendoza
Gabriel Thomas Peek
Eric Raska
Steven Thomas
Diana Uribe
Master of Defense and Strategic Studies
Dacoda Leiann Biggs
Matthew Dean Clark
Aleksa Davis
Poqui Andre Escalante
Jimmie Wayne Harris
Daniela Hernandez
Austin Robert Hill
Jay Michael Lorentz
Gilbert David Traverse
Master of Fine Arts
Alfredo Avalos Lara
Matthew Benjamin Edwards
Jesse Scott Epps
Maria Cristina Gutierrez-Boswell
Andrea Jean Lombardi
Jean McAulay
Andrew William Moesel
Daniel Murillo
Britain Noelle Powers
Shadia Tianna Sobers
Makani Speier-Brito
Master of Music
James Green
Corey Douglas Simmel
Master of Science
Micaela Alexandria Granados Bruno Aldair Zapata
College of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Samuel Alexander Castillo
Aimee Angelica Gaytan
Daniel Alejandro Gomez Bustos
Bimal K C
John Koomson
Jeanette Paola Orbegozo Ramirez
David Paz
Cuipeng Qiu
Jeffrey Scott Richards
Juan C. Silva Espinoza
Tara Lynn Sweeney
Master of Arts in Teaching
Alejandra Lugo
Kyle Mcconnell
Master of Science
Gabriela Alexa Acuna
Ranit Debnath Akash
Tamim Alam
Raymundo Aragonez
Blaise Awola Ayirizia
Michael Joseph Buontempo
Pablo Bustamante-Murguia Jr.
Andrea Mariana Carlin
Ephraim Dautey
Jose David Franco Moraga
Atanu Giri
Purvi Praful Kanfade
Sri Varsha Kodiparthi
Michael David Laase
Christian Lestat Leach
Omodolapo Ideraoluwa Nurudeen
Eric Olvera
Romasa Qasim
Maria Aleida Ramirez Vega
Satya Prakash Suman
Shandell Aleah Thomas
Mia Alexandra Trevino
College of Education
Doctor of Education
Patricia Ann Cuevas
Marcus Gay Mauro Alfredo Hinojosa
Myrna Lozano
Jonathan Nickerson
Luz Elena Nieto
Akindele Ogunleye
Marcos E. Pena
Ricky Angel Ramirez
Jorge Horacio Valenzuela
Doctor of Philosophy
Shahbaa Zaidan
Master of Arts
Paul Thomas Bell
Kristen Branch
Messiah P. Bryant
Miles J. Cooper
Danielle Alexis Del Hierro
Alexis Andrea Duran
Rocio Etcheverry
Bob B. Jensen
Rosanna Yvonne Jimenez
Jennifer Luna
Mishaal Mahmud
Emiley Masloski
Dalila Corine Morales
Diana Eliza Olvera Andrea Orozco Megan Anne Pheterson Brianna Rodriguez Amanda Christine Saucedo
Sydnie Lynn Smith Sadie Thole Rebecca Valadez
Camila Viana Viana
Master of Education
Linda Christine Acosta
Alexandra Aguilera
Alejandra Avalos
Kahla Alexandra Balderas
Salina Bustillos
Jesus Camargo
India Sarahi Castillo
Ryan Douglas Dillard
Haley Allison Duplessis
Gisel Figueroa
Wendy Galvan Adonica Lorraine Ginithan
Alyssa Evai Godinez
Jessica B. Gonzalez
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Why young Latino men chose Trump
As November nears its end and we are four weeks past election day, discussions persist about who should be held accountable, or who should be thanked depending on one’s political affiliation, for Trump’s resounding win.
Situated on the U.S./Mexico Border, El Paso has one of the largest Latinobased demographics in the country. As political scientists, scholars and the public alike continue to analyze the results, the increasing number of young Latino men shifting right has been a noticeable change during this election cycle, one that exacerbates a growing divide along gender lines.
Ashley Rodriguez, a political science professor at UTEP, noticed within her own classroom, the growing division between the political ideologies of her students.
“I’ve seen a much more conservative take from Latino men and am seeing a much more progressive take from Latinas. And so, there’s clearly becoming a gender divergence, and I think that’s unique to Gen Z for sure,” said Rodriguez. In this election cycle, Trump won 55% of Hispanic men, 19 points more than the 36% share he won four years earlier.
Rodriguez attributed much of this trend to the underlying theme of misogyny.
While not a single-handed issue and certainly one that operates at a
‘Wicked’
more covert level, Rodriguez noted that it continues to be something that permeates the political space, especially when a woman is on the ballot.
“When it was Biden on the ballot with Trump, the same candidate across all three elections, Trump lost,” she said. “But in elections with a woman opponent—like Kamala Harris— or Hillary, Trump performed much better with men.”
“A lot of men just don’t want to vote for women, and it’s a shame that it’s still an issue at this stage of the American Democratic project, but it really is,” said 20-year-old political science student Randall Barraza. “And it really shined this time around, especially when you’ve got a guy telling you that if you are a real man, you’re going to vote against a woman, because a woman is unstable, and a woman is this and this and this. And that indirectly, but directly... got to the hearts of many Latino men and really swayed the election this time around.”
Trump’s resounding win led to many expressing their concerns over the Democratic Party’s failure to effectively address the needs of the working-class.
“Trump speaks the language of economic populism, convincing people he’s for the working class,” Rodriguez said. “Given that Latinos are primarily working class, his rhetoric resonates, especially with men.”
Latino Americans skew more
working-class than the country’s white majority, with larger shares of Latinos lacking college degrees, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Following the Republican’s populist campaign, in which he promised to shield workers from global economic competition and offered a wide range of tax-cut proposals, continued to garner the attention and support of Latino men.
Rodriguez however, warned of the inflationary implications of a Trump economy.
“Economists were warning pretty widely about his plans because they’re going to be very inflationary,” said Rodriguez. “The likelihood of a recession has increased dramatically since the election outcome.”
Jesus Reynaga, a 23-year-old political science major, highlighted the role of digital platforms in shaping political preferences, particularly for Gen Z voters.
“Social media is the strongest tool swaying elections now, especially for younger people,” Reynaga said. “Trump’s campaign made appearances on random podcasts and streamers because they know that’s where young men are looking. Unfortunately, the Democrats didn’t focus on that.”
Reynaga however, also cautioned against relying on influencers for political information. “Don’t make podcasts or YouTubers your main source of information,” he said. “Go to actual elected officials or
people who’ve made their careers in politics.”
The shift in Latino male support reflects broader challenges for Democrats. Rodriguez argued that the party has taken Latino voters for granted for years.
“Latinos were a big part of the coalition that got Obama elected, but the Democratic Party hasn’t consistently delivered results for the community,” she said. “The failure to speak the language of economic populism is a real issue. Why would someone vote for a Republican-lite candidate when they can get the fullblown Republican?”
For Latinos specifically, Rodriguez noted that it is difficult to fully assess the reasons for some policies mattering more than others, because ultimately, Latino people are not a monolith.
“You can have Latinos who are, you know, one generation remove or they could be several generations. They can have different countries of origin, they can speak a different language, and they can have different views on so many different issues,” Rodriguez said.
For now, the growing support for Trump among Latino men serves as a wake-up call to both parties, highlighting the complexity of the Latino electorate and the critical role of cultural, economic, and social dynamics in shaping political outcomes.
Rumi Sevilla is a Staff Reporter for The Prospector and may be reached at Rmsevillahe@miners.utep.edu
What are Latino men saying?
Ahead of the story, The Prospector conducted interviews among UTEP students to explore the perspectives of young Latino men on potential reasons they might support Trump, or why they chose to support him. The anonymous responses highlight a range of beliefs and perspectives shared in the wake of Trump’s victory:
“I voted for Donald Trump. It was a tough decision, I don’t think he was the right choice, but I didn’t think the other person was the right choice either.”
“Mexican men who feel the need to prove their masculinity, at least from the experiences that I've had with other guys in that area, tend to not have the most respect for women. And I feel like that was really translated in this election.”
“Trump is very good at communication, and I’m not going to deny that he’s funny man. I feel like that goes along with today, and if you’re able to talk to people with confidence, it shows what type of person you are. I just think a lot of men didn’t want to think deep into what they voted for by voting for him.”
“I think Trump stands more for the traditional Mexican morals, like women staying at home, and men going out and work, so I think it was just a familiarity feeling.”
“A lot of Latino men are really religious. They see that Donald Trump really supports catholics and christians, and so they took into factor you know ‘Oh he really likes God, and I’m really religious so I’m gonna vote for this man. Harris doesn’t seem to care about people who are religious like us, so I’m gonna vote for him.’”
brings the magic of Oz to life and to the box office
The highly anticipated movie adaptation “Wicked” directed by Jon M. Chu, brings the iconic Broadway musical to the big screen with vibrant visuals and memorable performances. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” the movie retells L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz story
from the perspectives of Elphaba, the misunderstood, green-skinned witch and Glinda the perky and popular, good witch. Wicked the musical first debuted on Broadway in 2003 and has built a long-lasting legacy and devoted fandom, becoming Broadway’s fourth longest-running show.
The film starts where the Wizard of Oz ends, with the announcement that the wicked witch of the west, Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo is dead. As Glinda played by Ariana
Grande watched the celebrations, she is asked about her friendship with the wicked witch, taking the audience back in time through their relationship.
The supporting cast is stacked with stars including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marrissa Bode as Nessarose and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond.
Throughout the movie, we see Glinda and Elphaba’s contrasting
personalities and rivalry, though the students of Shiz University love Glinda and hate Elphaba, the professors and the Wizards take notice of Elphaba’s skills and intelligence.
As Elphaba navigates the world that is quick to judge and exclude her, she begins forming a unusual friendship with Glinda. At the same time, she begins to stand up for the animals of Oz who are losing their jobs and voices.
As Elphaba gets the opportunity
to meet the Wizard, she and Glinda take off for the Emerald City. Here though they discover that the Wizard and Madam Morrible, Elphaba’s mentor, have more manipulative and wicked intentions for her.
Their actions are blamed on Elphaba, causing the citizens of Oz to deem her wicked and causing her to flee to the West.
Jesus Reynaga looks out toward the US/Mexico border where parts of the border are situated right alongside UTEP campus grounds, with many students coming from Ciudad Juàrez to attend classes. Photo by Rumi Sevilla/The Prospector
A journey through the miraculous show that is Edward Tulane
On the third production of the semester, UTEP’s Theatre and Dance department is taking their audience on a journey like no other.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane follows the story of an expensive china rabbit named Edward. Through a series of trials and tribulations, Edward goes on a journey to many places, where
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he experiences what it means to love and finds the courage to love again. This is UTEP’s first sensorysensitive production, adjusting to those with sensitive eyes and ears. The show’s tone is also geared for younger audiences, one of the departments first children-geared shows in some time.
Starring Sean Decourtenay as The Musician, Magali Vasquez as The Traveler, Mellisa Gutierrez as Woman 1, Sofia Saavedra as Woman 2, Jared Chavez Moreno as Man 1, and Paul Kim as Man 2. Decourtenay, who plays the lead, recounts how a high school class sparked his ambition to pursue acting, “What got me into acting was my ninth grade drama class. I was a football player and had no idea what drama was until my teacher introduced me into bringing real
life into this,” Decourtenay said. The character of Edward may not seem complicated to play on paper, but an experienced actor like Decourtenay knows it is important to understand the full spectrum of emotions needed to play such a character. Decourtenay highlights the amount of preparation and hard work it takes to fully immerse himself in the production.
“I put a lot of work into growing as an actor, so I was really excited to put into place the things I have been studying already,” Decourtenay said. “Personally, as actors we notice our progression over time and over the summer, I did a lot of deep diving into a couple of books on acting. I am most proud of my ability now to create character arcs scene by scene and over the course of the play.”
One of the important elements for a production to work, is the actors who are playing supporting roles. The supporting cast usually helps the characters confront themselves and present scenarios in which they can change. Sofia Saavedra, who is majoring in theatre with a concentration in performance, plays multiple characters and speaks to her school’s Christmas recitals as the spark for her acting.
“I grew up dancing and during primary school we used to do these Christmas recitals, where they would write a whole play with dancing and I really liked it,” Saavedra said. “It was fun to play these characters and dance.”
Saavedra, who is a freshman, speaks of the process of acting in English and the feelings she has days before her debut in a college production. “It’s scary, because everything is really new to me,” Saavedra said. “The rehearsals for this play have been helpful in getting to know myself and the skills I have learned this year to then put them on stage. The people who I’m
working on the play with have been helpful and have lots of knowledge and have helped me build up my character.”
In all productions, but for this one in particular, the audience needs to feel transported to this world, with the work done by Scenic Designer Arely Garcia and the production team was executed flawlessly.
“I knew I loved working with clothing and making things with my hands, so I knew this is a thing I really wanted to go for,” Garcia said. “My favorite part in seeing things happen, would be seeing an idea go into reality. This show has a lot of magic even though it’s set within reality.”
Family friendly performances are on Dec. 6 and 7 at 7:00 p.m. Performances at 2:00 p.m. are on Dec. 7 and 8. Tickets can be purchased online through the department’s website or in person at the Fox Fine Arts building on the second floor through the department’s box office.
Catching Marginot is a contributor and can be reached at hcmarginot@miners.utep.edu
Edward Tulane witnessing the abuse of a father. Photo by Victoria Valadez/The Prospector
Edward Tulane visiting the Doll Shop and getting repaired after being damaged. Photo by Victoria Valadez/The Prospector
WICKED from page 21
Songs like “Wizard and I,” “What is This Feeling?,” “Dancing Through Life,” “Popular,” and “I’m Not that Girl” help transport the audience fully into the world of Oz.
At its core, Wicked is a story about the complexity of friendship and a commentary on stigma, oppression and resistance. Elphaba’s rebellion against the Wizard of Oz and his corruption mirror real-life struggles for justice.
The film makes it clear that while Elphaba is seen as the wicked one, she is the one actively fighting and advocating for others even if that comes with the sacrifice of her friendships and reputation.
The showstopping finale “Defying Gravity” shows these themes as it serves as an anthem of freedom. It also serves as a reminder to fight for what is right and that not everything is as it appears, questioning what is good and bad.
With beautiful sets and costumes, elaborate musical performances, powerful vocals and timeless themes, the Wicked movie stays true to the original musical while adding some surprises.
The film brings the magic of Oz to life and it’s not over yet as fans can look forward to the sequel movie which will continue years later in the lives of Glinda and Elphaba and intersect with Dorothy’s time in Oz.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@miners.utep.edu
El Paso was ready for a show about death, Beetlejuice: The Musical
STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR SEBASTIAN PEREZ-NAVARRO B Y
El Pasoans got a taste of the afterlife when Beetlejuice the Musical paid a six-day visit to La Plaza theatre. After watching the extraordinary show, maybe “the whole being dead thing” isn’t that bad, just stay away from the netherworld.
The diehard Beetlejuice fan can breathe easy knowing no absurdity from the original films is lost, instead it’s ramped up to a 100. Alex Timber, the play’s director, let the story loose to include as many raunchy jokes, political references, and contemporary satire as it wanted. Pay attention to the puppet show, it makes for a pretty good example of the show’s comedy.
Behind the humor is a play that isn’t afraid to go all in on their stories’ visual ludicrousness, letting no stage space go unused. The creative crew goes all in on the source materials seldom cartoonishness and provides a caricatured background projected off the stage’s curtains. When it comes to the tangible set, it’s nothing short of majestic. The house setting encapsulates Beetlejuice’s whimsical architecture. As the show proceeds, they submerge themselves in eccentric visual gags that one would only find in a Tim Burton universe. The prosthetic
punch also calls for the cameo of two highly recognizable figures from the Beetlejuice universe, one of which impossibly made its way on stage.
The eye-popping props in no way distract but instead add to the cosmically accurate performances provided by the show’s actors. Undoubtedly the show stealer is Justin Collette as Beetlejuice. It may be a no-brainer statement considering the show’s title, but the shoes that Collette steps into are no easy feat. Collette blends the character perfectly between play acting and the movie. The comedian follows the model built by Micheal Keaton in the films but manipulates it to best fit a theater setting by overexaggerating his movements, pumping in more vocal power and adding in some speed to his verbal zingers.
Will Burton and Megan McGinnis play Adam and Barbara respectively, and in roles where they’re intentionally destined to be boring, their portrayals were the exact opposite. Like Collette, Burton and McGinnis made fun of their archetypes by amplifying the stereotype of the “traditional” couple, leaning into the erotic jokes that “Mr. Juice” would like to make a reality.
At the center of the chaos is possibly the world’s most famous goth girl, Lydia Deets. Deet’s hefty emotional toll over losing her mother is diffused across the whole theater and poses the rhetorical question of how far grief can go. In Lydia’s case, that answer carries some distance.
Putting a bow on Lydia’s conflict involves conversations with both the living, the dead, and a certain demon that Beetlejuice knows too much about.
What Beetlejuice the musical provides is an alternate medium to telling Burton’s unhinged story. It isn’t the same as the movies and that’s what works, because the play isn’t forcefully delivered, but instead cleverly adapted into the model of a musical.
But beware, unlike other shows, here, there might be a “beautiful sound, of clean white shorts turning brown.”
Sebastian Perez-Navarro is a staff reporter and can be reached at spereznavarro@miners.utep.edu
2024 FALL COMMENCEMENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO | DON HASKINS CENTER
Saturday, December 14, 2024
1 p.m. - College of Health Sciences & College of Nursing
6 p.m. - College of Science, Woody L. Hunt College of Business & School of Pharmacy
Sunday, December 15, 2024
1 p.m. - College of Liberal Arts
6 p.m. - College of Education & College of Engineering
Beetlejuice toured the Plaza Theater in Downtown El Paso from Nov. 26 until Dec. 1. Photo by Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela/The Prospector
‘El Tiny Café Sessions,’ an El Paso take on NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ Concerts
On Nov. 22, Café Con Leche transformed their space into an after-hours beer, wine and music hangout for the debut of their El Tiny Café Sessions. Right in the heart of the city, the outdoor/indoor coffee shop used their central El Paso venue to prepare for a unique musical experience —one that willfully chose to take advantage not of their large fixed outdoor stage, but rather inside their small cafe space— right next to their espresso machines.
The idea behind El Tiny Café Sessions was inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, as café owner Julio Mena wanted to use his space to promote some of the city’s local artists. For its debut, the event showcased local hip-hop rap artist Adrian, known as Tony Mundo, alongside his producer and friend Aaron, also known as System A. Mena reached out to the duo through his friend Richard Aguilar, better recognized as SWINGHEAVY, who has been instrumental in promoting local artists in the area.
“We’re trying to highlight local talent and make the experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible for the artists,” said Mena. “It has to be a good experience for the artist, first and foremost. I just so happen to have the capacity to own a business, and a venue, so it seemed like a natural fit.”
As more and more people showed up early into the night, many gathered under the cafe’s string lights and patio seating, sharing drinks and engaging in conversations as Mena and some of the other artists continued setting up.
The night kicked off with a DJ set from SWINGHEAVY, before Tony Mundo and System A performed around 9 pm. Mena expressed that this wasn’t the first music event hosted by the cafe. El Tiny Café Sessions marked the start of a new series focused on bringing music into the small cafe space. “We’ve had events on our outdoor stage before, but this series feels different,” said Mena.
Whether you’re an artist, a coffee lover, or someone looking to have a great night out with friends,
Café con Leche has found a way to bring people together with El Tiny Café Sessions lending it’s small and intimate space to highlight all the talent that El Paso has to offer.
Rumi Sevilla is a staff reporter at The Prospector and may be reached at rmsevillahe@miners.utep.edu
Julio Mena, owner of Café Con Leche, uses a turntable during the El Tiny Café Sessions in El Paso, Texas on Nov. 22. Mena has over 20 years of experience as a drummer. Photo by Rumi Sevilla/The Prospector
Attendees gather in the outdoor seating area of Café Con Leche during El Tiny Café Sessions in El Paso, Texas on Nov. 22. String lights illuminate the small cafe space as live music by local artists plays in the background. Photo by Rumi Sevilla/The Prospector
STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR
RUMI SEVILLA
Y
Sports
Sofia Sierra, editor
Rolling back the tape on UTEP Athletics’ fall season
Rifle
Fall of 2024 sprung the UTEP history books open to make way for a new chapter in sports. Some programs reached monumental highs, while others are still trying to form their identity. Here’s a look into how the Miners fared in athletics this semester.
Volleyball
After making it to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) finals last year, expectations were high for volleyball Head Coach Ben Wallis’ crew, and the Miners responded.
UTEP (27-5, 16-2 ConferenceUSA) increased their overall hitting percentage record by .130, and were even more dominant in conference play by winning four more games than the 2023-2024 season.
The Miners as a team put up more kills, assists, aces, and digs than their opponents.
Memorial Gym, or as coined this season as “Club Memorial” would play host to the C-USA volleyball tournament. Despite the stars aligning for UTEP, their season would end with a heartbreaking loss to cross-city rival New Mexico State University. The Aggies bested the Miners in five sets to win the semi-final matchup.
UTEP was eliminated in the C-USA tournament semi-final in back-to-back seasons. However, with a program that grew in skill, and is out for retribution, for the first time in UTEP history, the volleyball team made it to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid.
Football
It was a new beginning for Miner football, labeled the “Scotty Walden Era,” but the young head coach’s job wasn’t easy.
UTEP (3-9, 3-5 C-USA) faced a harsh schedule that included strong programs like Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten Conference) and Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 South Eastern Conference). UTEP also had to deal with C-USA champion Liberty (8-2, 5-2 C-USA) in week three.
The loss against FCS opponent Southern Utah left some fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. Walden, however, was able to stay energetic, and led the Miners to two wins despite playing quarterback roulette.
Their season ended in Las Cruces with a win over New Mexico State University. It was Walden’s first time coaching in the Battle of I-10, and despite a tough season, the win can give UTEP the confidence they need to strengthen their program to prepare for not only next season, but a Mountain West schedule that awaits in 2026.
UTEP snuck into the NCAA Collegiate Rifle Coaches As sociation Top 20 list at 19 in the pre-season, since then, the Miners have moved up to No.14. Through 10 matchups, the rifle team has an aggregate score of 4670 as their season average, which is only 20 points under their school record.
The records don’t stop there, when taking on Jacksonville State at home, freshman Kameron Wells broke UTEP’s school record for highest score in Air Rifle with a tally of 598. Leading the pact in aggregate average is freshman Carlee Valenta, and right behind her is Wells.
For their last fall matchup UTEP welcomed No.11 ranked Ohio State to face off in back-to-back dates. In their matchup, the Miners set a new school record for their highest aggre gate score with a total of 4690. UTEP will continue to fire in Spring 2025, traveling first to Fort Worth, Texas to compete with Texas Christian University, and Ohio State.
Tennis
With a singles win rate of 54% and doubles win rate of 59%, ten nis just posted its best fall season winning percentage since 2011.
The record marks only the second time in 15 years that UTEP is above .500 at the end of their fall campaign. This year’s wins also beat out their 2011 records, which were 53% in singles, and 51% in doubles.
The historic win rate is composed of 68 total wins through a limited five tournaments. UTEP’s last competed at the CSUN Invita tional, where they were able to rack up some wins, but fell short of tournament glory.
Head Coach Ivan Fernandez’s team has a monumental fall start to build off, and tough matches to learn from. UTEP won’t stop hit ting on the court, as they continue to play in January. The Miners are hoping to improve last years’ disen chanting 1-4 conference record.
Soccer
Playing at home was pivotal for the Miners, as they walked away from the season with a 4-3 record at University Field, but those wins weren’t enough to account for UTEP’s 1-5 away record.
Freshman forward Ana Quintero led the team in goals made.
Photo by Iziah Moreno & Jose G. Saldana/The Prospector, and UTEP Athletics
Sharpshooting sisters set their sights on UTEP rifle
Kennedy Wells, a sharpshooter from Granbury, Texas, is set to join the UTEP rifle team in the fall of 2025. She is currently a senior at Granbury High School and will join her sister Kameron Wells, who recently joined UTEP’s rifle team in the 2024-2025 season.
As a member of Granbury High School’s varsity air rifle and Marine Corps JROTC teams, Kennedy Wells brings with her an extensive resume, built through years of competitive shooting.
She holds seven National JROTC Championships, an Orion Air Rifle League title, and the American Legion Championship. She also played a key role in helping her team secure the Junior Olympic State Championship.
Individually, Kennedy Wells’s shooting stats include a 619.9 in the 60-shot standing event and 596 in the 3x20 precision event. While Kennedy Wells finishes up her senior year in Granbury, the antici pation of her arrival is the start of a family legacy for both sisters.
Both women noted that the journey into competitive shooting began in their childhood.
“When we were little, our dad would take us to shoot. It wasn’t anything formal, and it wasn’t sharp shooting, more like small rifles,” said Kameron Wells. “But
Cheer On
El Paso Rhinos!
because we’re super close,” said Kennedy Wells. “Being on the same team, I think we’ll bring lighthearted competition, which will make us Kameron Wells also expressed her excitement about the team’s future with her sister in the lineup. “We have a really good team dynamic right now, and I think Kennedy brings some stuff to the table that would fit in with that dynamic as well,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re sisters so even if something doesn’t go as planned, we’re there for each other and ready to
Once graduating high school, Kennedy Wells expressed her hopes of getting an invite to shoot at the Olympics. Long term, she hopes to translate the precision and discipline of rifle sports into her future career. “I later want to become a state trooper, and I think being on the rifle team will help me with my precision if I ever need to use a gun,” said Kennedy Wells. As UTEP awaits the future arrival of Kennedy Wells, both sisters continue to push themselves —and each other— proving that talent, dedication, and a little sibling rivalry, can lead to many extraordi-
The Wells sisters will reunite on the range in the fall of 2025. Photo by Iziah Moreno/The Prospector
Senior Spotlight: Danika Washington, acing grades and breaking the barriers
Senior middle blocker Danika Washington competed in her final home game with UTEP volleyball Nov. 23 at Memorial Gym. The senior middle blocker had an impressive season with several accomplishments such as reaching eight blocks in the Conference-USA tournament versus Liberty University and scoring a total of 14 points against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Now, Washington is gearing up for her next event–graduation.
The Fort Worthian began her journey at UTEP as a public health major and student athlete in 2023, but her love for volleyball came much earlier. Washington, who was initially a track athlete, joined volleyball in seventh grade but she said it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she became hooked on the sport.
“It was my junior year of high school, and we were stuck inside, and I remember thinking, ‘Okay, we’re inside; let’s go see about volleyball,’” said Washington. “Then I went back to school my junior year and it just flipped for me.” Washington said the Miners’ coaching staff and ‘winning culture’ is what drove her to join the university’s volleyball program. She describes the Miners’ training sessions as some of the most intense workouts she has ever done but believes the discipline is what revealed her athletic prowess and molded her into the athlete and student she is today.
“The volleyball was really starting
to click for me. I was executing these skills that I’ve never done before,” said Washington. “And I feel like it’s kind of shaped a lot of things in my life, like the indepen dence and the ability to have that emotional control in my school too.”
Graduating from college is no easy task, but having to balance aca demics and athletics is an entirely different ball game. Washington continues to persevere despite the physical and mental obstacles she faces on a daily basis.
“Of course, it gets hard at times. It’s hard to balance practice when you’re physically tired and you’re emotionally tired,” said Washing ton. “But I just stay strong and go to school because I know at the end of the day, my education is what’s most important.”
While Washington nears the end of her chapter at UTEP she hopes to begin an internship within public health and is con sidering plans to play professional volleyball overseas.
As she reflects on her time at UTEP, Washington emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and confidence in her ability to succeed in her academic career.
“There’d be hard practices and hard days where I thought, ‘What if I’m not cut out for this? What if I‘m not that person that could be a full-time student and an athlete?’
So, I wish I would’ve been nicer to myself and given myself a little more grace,” said Washington.
Though UTEP volleyball was
UTEP record-breaking performance falls short to No. 11 OSU in a ranked matchup
No. 14 UTEP rifle took on No. 11 Ohio State (OSU) Nov. 23 and 24. Even with strong performances across the board, the Miners would go on to drop both days to OSU.
The Miners hosted its fifth and sixth home game to conclude the fall regular season.
The rifle team strung together a 4667-aggregate score, but Ohio state outlasted with 4709 aggregate.
Freshman Kameron Wells led UTEP in aggregate with 1175, having her finish third overall in the match and fourth in smallbore.
Though falling short, the Miners would see improvement in production from a couple of players.
Freshman Julia Czernik (566) and sophomore Paige Hildebrandt (578) passed their personal best each in smallbore.
UTEP went on to keep their
morale up heading into Nov. 24 wanting to achieve more.
On day two, the Miners broke through barriers shattering the program record of aggregate with their score of 4690. Ohio State again would reach 4709.
Freshman Carlee Valenta headed this historic performance achieving her career best of 1178 aggregate on top of a best in smallbore. She would also achieve second in discipline. Wells would follow behind in a close second with 1176.
Over the course of their fall season, the Miners have seen steady improvement and players have stepped up coming into their own. This final exhibition match will conclude UTEP’s fall campaign.
The Miners will resume competition on Jan. 19 with a triangular match alongside OSU.
The UTEP rifle team continues to climb up the rankings as they deliver strong performances. The team closed out by breaking the school record of overall aggregate score. Photo by Luis Padilla/The Prospector
CONTRIBUTOR
Texas reclaims the I-10, UTEP beats NMSU in Las Cruces
against the Aggies in the 101st Battle of I-10.
Although it was a rough start to the Scotty Walden Era, the finale to the new head coach’s first season couldn’t have been any more poetic. After having to agonizingly watch New Mexico State University hoist the Silver Spade Trophy, and the Mayor’s Cup, the two awards that switch between the winner of each year’s rivalry game– in home turf, UTEP went into Las Cruces on a mission, and left enemy ground with their picks up.
Despite facing a 24-7 deficit, the Miners epitomized their slogan of “Win the West,” and rallied to an offensive spectacle, and a defensive shutdown to claim a 42-35 win
The Miners took an early lead after Aggie sophomore quarterback Parker Awad was crushed in the pocket and fumbled the ball, scooping it up and speeding to the end zone was senior defensive end Bryton Thompson.
NMSU found a groove after their early mistake. In their second offensive drive senior kicker Abraham Montano drove a 59-yard field goal try through the posts, marking the longest field goal made in NMSU history. The Aggies followed the historic kick with three unanswered touchdowns, two of which were passes from Awad, the other being a run by junior
running back Mike Washington. Possibly the biggest roadblock that UTEP had to overcome in Saturday’s win was NMSU’s potent rushing game. Running backs Seth McGowan and Washington have rushed for a combined 1,548 yards, and have punched in 11 touchdowns, which makes up the majority of the Aggie’s season scores in the endzone.
Walden’s unit ended up losing the ground game to NMSU, but the “orange swarm” defense found success in attacking the passing game, recording a season high eight sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
The “blue blaze” offense didn’t let NMSU’s lead hinder their belief. In nine plays, sophomore quarterback Skylar Locklear led the Miners to a touchdown that would decrease the Aggie lead to 10. The drive at the end of the first half was highlighted by two deep passes to senior receiver Trey Goodman and was capped off with a two-yard run by junior Jevon Jackson, UTEP’s leading rusher.
Special teams for NMSU were stout leading up to rivalry week, only missing four field goals before the season finale, yet the Aggies went on to miss three versus UTEP. Two of those occurred on consecutive drives, causing the
Aggies to end the first, and start the second half on a whimper. When getting the ball back, Locklear took a chance at going deep and completed a 69-yard pass to junior ‘Miner Back’ Kam Thomas. The long ball set up Jackson’s second touchdown of the day and cut NMSU’s advantage to three.
Since both teams missed their chances at a bowl, paired with the Aggie’s abysmal day on special teams, head coach Tony Sanchez decided to gamble and go for a fourth down and seven at UTEP’s 34-yard line with a three-point lead. Awad couldn’t complete a pass on the play, turning NMSU’s risk into a UTEP touchdown from the arm of Locklear, who fired a 30-yard pass to sophomore receiver Kenny Odom to give the Miners their first lead since the start of the game.
On their next series inside Miner
territory the Aggies decided to be conservative and kick the field goal, yet the only number the Aggies increased was the number of missed kicks from two to three total. Both teams traded punts early in the fourth quarter, but awaiting the Aggie kick was Thomas, who all season long has been trying to define what being a “Miner Back” means. The junior showcased the validity of the position by returning the NMSU punt from 93-yards out to the house, extending UTEP’s lead by 11.
Thomas tied the UTEP record for longest punt return touchdown and stands beside Reggie Mathew’s 1966 return vs San Jose State, in the history books.
Another scoop and score from Thompson dug a hole for NMSU.
Sophomore quarterback Skylar Lockear totaled 177 passing yards, and one touchdown against NMSU. Photo by Iziah Moreno/The Prospector
‘Miner Back’ Kam Thomas avoids tackle from an NMSU player on Nov. 30. Photo by Iziah Moreno/The Prospector