Assayer of Student Opinion.

The Prospector

Assayer of Student Opinion.

The Prospector

Assayer of Student Opinion.

The Prospector

Andrea Valdez-Rivas

All content by Andrea Valdez-Rivas
The Latin American exhibit features paintings and sculptures from the Spanish Colonial Era.

Museum of Art “Refresh” its exhibitions

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor March 23, 2021

The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) renewed its second floor gallery in 2019. It was the first time in 20 years the museum had done something like this. The museum’s newest exhibition, “Refresh,” features more than 300 new art pieces in its second...

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Maria Morado, 53, works in housekeeping at the University Medical Center. She began selling homemade masks to her coworkers at the hospital when COVID-19 cases were rapidly increasing in April 2020.

Handmade face masks: The business behind the art and craft

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor March 23, 2021

Wherever there’s demand, there will always be supply, at least that’s what local experienced seamsters found to be true as homemade mask businesses boomed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.   Throughout the past year, the Centers for Disease Control...

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Master Gardeners keep El Paso Municipal Rose Garden blooming

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor March 12, 2021

Caring for more than 1,400 rose bushes at the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden can be challenging, but also therapeutic, said M.J. Tangney, Rose Committee Chair of the El Paso Rose Garden Association.   The garden, home to more than 430 different...

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Mariana Briones, 22, co-founded InternMakers to help students unfamiliar with internships get a foot in the door with employers.

UTEP alumna advances students’ internship knowledge through InternMakers

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor March 1, 2021

Mariana Briones dubs herself a “STEMinist” on her Instagram biography. The term often refers to women who work in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). It’s used by women who advocate for more women in STEM fields. Briones is...

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El Paso sculptor Ho Baron reflects on his artistic journey

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor February 9, 2021

El Paso’s surrealist sculptor, Ho Baron, has been creating art since 1980. He’s made more than 100 cement and bronze sculptures throughout his life; with other pieces like doll-parts mobiles, smaller sculptures, and drawings of El Paso scenes fill...

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Women sew memory bears from Covid-19 victims’ clothing

Women sew memory bears from Covid-19 victims’ clothing

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor February 2, 2021

Editor’s Note: Quotes from Karla Muñoz and Eréndira Guerrero were translated from Spanish to English.  Karla Muñoz, a 41-year-old entrepreneur from Ciudad Juárez, never thought she’d be making teddy bears for a living.   The...

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Professors welcome spring semester with lessons learned

Professors welcome spring semester with lessons learned

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor January 19, 2021

As the coronavirus pandemic put a limit to in-person courses and shifted classes to online and hybrid methods, professors across the country found themselves needing to adjust to the new normal. A well-deserved and long-needed winter break let UTEP professors'...

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Jeremy Slack, associate professor of geography, is investigating the Mexicos immigration enforcement with help from a grant.

UTEP professor researches Mexico’s immigration enforcement with help from grant

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor November 23, 2020

Jeremy Slack, associate professor of geography at UTEP, was awarded a $39,500 grant this past summer by Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) and the University of Texas System for research on Mexico’s immigration enforcement. Slack’s...

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UTEP’s Union East Building was a site for early voting from Oct.13-30.

Election analysis: Biden won El Paso County by a smaller margin than Hillary Clinton

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributor November 11, 2020

The 2020 election proved to be the most nail-biting and consequential election of our lifetimes for many reasons: Record-high early voting and extremely close races with a raging pandemic as the backdrop. Voters cast a record-breaking 158,000,000 ballots...

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Matt Luna became chronically homeless at 27, but is now realigning his life by working and studying.

Homelessness a prevalent issue among college students

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter December 3, 2018

The average college student worries about deadlines, exams, projects and all that comes along with being a student. Many students at UTEP can maintain their standards in school on account of the privilege of living with family, roommates or a stable...

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El Paso Pro-Musica: A fuse of education and world-renowned performance

El Paso Pro-Musica: A fuse of education and world-renowned performance

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter November 26, 2018

El Paso is no Vienna, but El Paso Pro-Musica (EPPM), a local non-profit organization, strives to do its best impression of the City of Music. EPPM aims to educate El Pasoans through annual concert seasons of chamber music, bringing world-renowned artists...

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Good things to come from midterms

Good things to come from midterms

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter November 12, 2018

The 2018 midterms are finally over. The big Blue Wave never really came, although Democrats did flip the House. Republicans, on the other hand, secured the Senate. But something significant happened in the midterms: Texas, a state notorious for low...

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Musicians Stephen Nordstrom and Dominic Dousa performed on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at the Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall.

Dousa premiers Five Desert Portraits

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter November 10, 2018

The UTEP Music Department presented Musical Landscapes, a faculty recital featuring Stephen Nordstrom and Dominic Dousa on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Fox Fine Arts Recital hall. The recital presented work composed entirely by Dousa, premiering for...

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Democratic challenger ORourke and his wife Amy ORourke say their final goodbye after his watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at the Southwest University Park.

O’Rourke falls to Cruz in tightly contested Senate race

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter November 7, 2018

Republican incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the race for Senate on Tuesday night. Thousands of O’Rourke supporters showed for O’Rourke’s watch party in downtown El Paso, ultimately leaving disappointed. The...

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Hundreds stand in line for the first day of early voting at UTEP at Union East on Thursday, Oct. 25.

Early voting surges in El Paso

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter November 5, 2018

This year’s midterm election has proven to be pivotal for El Pasoans. The highly contested senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Beto O’Rourke has been one of the most publicized races in the country and has caused a surge of early voter...

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Candidate Rick Seeberger shakes hands with formal student.

Rick Seeberger rallies at UTEP before end of early voting

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter November 5, 2018

Early voting for the 2018 midterm elections is coming to an end, but that did not stop El Paso Republican candidate for the 16th Congressional District, Rick Seeberger, from rallying at UTEP’s Leech Grove on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 1. With...

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Milliken named new UT System chancellor

Milliken named new UT System chancellor

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter October 29, 2018

The University of Texas Board of Regents appointed James B. Milliken as the new chancellor of the UT System in late August, and on Oct. 25, Milliken paid a visit to UTEP. On Sept. 17, Milliken took charge of Texas’s most renowned public university...

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SGA takes a shot at saving pharmacy through proposal

SGA takes a shot at saving pharmacy through proposal

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 23, 2018

UTEP announced the closure of the pharmacy, located at the Health Center, which is set to close on Dec. 14. The UTEP Student Government Association (SGA) has introduced a proposal to continue the pharmacy to help favor students, per the organization....

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The death of accountability

The death of accountability

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 23, 2018

Over two weeks have passed since prominent journalist and critic of the Saudi government, Jamal Khashoggi, entered Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul and suspiciously disappeared. And after initial denials that the columnist had left the consulate...

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SGA President Cristian Botello wrote a proposal to keep the pharmacy in the student health center open.

SGA proposes alternative proposal to closure of campus pharmacy

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 15, 2018

In light of the campus pharmacy closure, UTEP Student Government Association (SGA) is proposing that the pharmacy continue to operate under a Class D grouping with a proposal written by President Cristian Botello. According to SGA, this proposal will...

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GOP Sen. Ted Cruz addresses his constituents at Franklin High Schools main gym.

Senator Cruz Rallies in El Paso

Javier Cortez and Andrea Valdez-Rivas October 13, 2018

El Paso, TX--In front of a capacity crowd at the Franklin High School main gym, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz rallied his constituents in what seems to be his final visit to the Sun City before the Nov. 6 midterm elections on Saturday night. Cruz was scheduled...

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Veronica Escobar gives her endorsement to Beto ORourke at the Leech Grove Park on Tuesday, Oct. 9

Veronica Escobar and Amy O’Rourke implore students to register to vote

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 10, 2018

The stakes are high for the upcoming 2018 Texas general elections, says local representatives. Tuesday marked the last day for voter registration and Amy O’Rourke Sanders, Beto O’Rourke’s wife, along with Congressional Democratic candidate...

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UTEP pharmacy set to close

UTEP pharmacy set to close

Andrea Valdez-Rivas and Alexia Nava October 8, 2018

At the end of the semester, students at UTEP can no longer depend on the services provided by the pharmacy located in the Student Health and Wellness Center. The pharmacy, located at Union Building E. 100, will close its doors after Dec. 14. The closure...

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Pharmacy at Student Health and Wellness Center set to close at the end of the semester

Pharmacy at Student Health and Wellness Center set to close at the end of the semester

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 4, 2018

At the end of this semester, students can no longer depend on the services provided by the pharmacy of the Student Health and Wellness Center. The pharmacy, located in Union Building E. 100, will close its doors after Dec. 14, 2018. The closure is...

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Our civic duty

Our civic duty

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter October 2, 2018

In recent weeks, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been accused by three women, one of them being, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, of sexual misconduct. That’s right, a nominee for the Supreme Court. As she sat before the Senate committee last...

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NORML continues fight for marijuana policy reform

NORML continues fight for marijuana policy reform

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Reporter September 25, 2018

The El Paso chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is moving to make Texas reform its marijuana laws and policies. In a meeting held on Saturday, Sept. 22, at The Pizza Joint on Westwind Dr., El Paso NORML focused...

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Hispanics in computer science supported by $10 million grant

Hispanics in computer science supported by $10 million grant

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter September 17, 2018

It looks like Hispanic students enrolled in Computer Science at the University of Texas at El Paso had good fortune this semester. UTEP is engaging in a national initiative to increase the number of Hispanic students who want to enroll, participate, and...

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Hugo Cortes interprets Juan Gabriel at the tribute event at San Jacinto Plaza.

Homage to Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel held at San Jacinto Plaza

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Staff Reporter September 5, 2018

Editor’s Note: quotes from Hugo Cortes, Teresa Quezada, Cesar Villa, and Armando Chávez were translated from Spanish to English. The El Paso Parks and Recreation Department hosted an event on Sunday, Sept. 2 at San Jacinto Plaza in downtown El Paso...

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Opening keynote speakers, Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas and Ambassador James R. Jones.

Speakers discuss bilateral relations at 2018 U.S.-Mexico Border Summit

Andrea Valdez-Rivas, Contributer August 16, 2018

After a long-awaited presidential victory for Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and plans by the Trump Administration to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), speakers shared their thoughts on U.S.-Mexico relations at the...

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Andrea Valdez-Rivas