Issue 3

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houzine issue number 3 - april

Inside the Resident Experience Film Review — The Drama

Nr. 3

picture by Carol Mora

CONTENTS

01-02

The insider Scoop #3: Resident Voices Edition

05-06 Film Review: The Drama (2026) by Copy Editor Jennifer N. Soliz

03-04

Check out guide and UP ALL NIGHT

07-08 Spotlight of The Month: Seth Marquez

09 Walking Distance Cafe Recommendations

picture by Carol Mora

picture by Carol Mora

Editor-In-Chief: Andrea Reyes Photographer: Carol Mora Copy Editor: Jennifer N. Soliz

houzine staff

hello!

the insider

For Many UTEP Students, Campus Housing Has Become Essential

resident voices

For some students at UTEP, living on campus has become a way to support their academic success. For others, it simply means gaining two extra hours of sleep before class. Many students come from outside of El Paso or even outside the country and need a place to stay during the semester.

Whatever the reasons, most agree on this: living on campus has become a major advantage, o�fering access to academic resources, a greater sense of community, and more opportunities for personal growth.

Adair Galindo, a biomedical sciences major and current Miner Village resident, says his experience at UTEP changed completely once he moved into the dorms.

“I am right next to the university, so I am never late to any of my classes. And I have met so many people.”

Living on campus has also opened doors for students to get involved and make friends, since all three UTEP Housing properties host multiple events throughout the month.

“Yesterday, there was an event with painting and bracelet making. I made one for my girlfriend.”

For Emilio Ramirez, a computer engineering major, living on campus has been especially convenient. He is from Villa Ahumada in Chihuahua, Mexico, and says the distance would have made his college routine much harder.

picture by Carol Mora

pictures by Carol Mora

1

scoop #3 edition

(Spanish) Andrea: “¿Cómo ha sido tu experiencia viviendo aquí?”

Emilio Ramirez: “Muy padre, muy cómodo, está muy bien.”

Andrea: “¿Has ido a eventos?”

Emilio Ramirez: “Sí, por ejemplo el de ayer de las pulseras. O me acuerdo mucho también de un karaoke. Yo creo que si no estuviera aquí, hubiera estado más difícil porque como estamos aquí podemos despertarnos más tarde, o sea podemos dormir una o dos horas más porque está aquí al ladito del campus.”

Mercedez Quinn, a civil engineering major and current resident assistant, has lived on campus since 2022. Having worked both inside and outside the department, she has seen Housing from multiple perspectives, and the environment has helped her balance her work and school responsibilities. She is from the Far East Side, so living on campus has been especially bene��cial.

For Quinn, the biggest di�ference has been the sense of stability that comes with living steps away from her classes and her job.

She says the convenience has shaped her routine in ways that would not have been possible from the Far East Side. And for students like Galindo and Ramirez, that same convenience becomes community, connection, and a little extra rest.

What their experiences show is that campus housing is not just a place to sleep. For many students at UTEP, it has become part of how they build their academic lives, their friendships, and their sense of belonging.

2

check-out & floor meetings guide If you are not planning to live on campus during the upcoming summer term, you must schedule a check out time slot through the Resident Portal. To ensure a smooth appointment, please complete the following: • Clear all belongings: Remove everything from your room before your scheduled check out time.

• Clean your space: Thoroughly clean your area to avoid cleaning charges.

• Double check drawers and closets: Make sure nothing is left behind.

• Return keys: Turn in your room and mailbox keys to Housing sta�f.

• Move out deadline: All residents must move out no later than May 16, 2026.

Check out extension requests are available for international students, graduation, and commencement related needs.

Our sta�f will be available in all properties from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during this period. Any questions or inquiries should be emailed to housing@utep.edu or ask a sta�f member working during this time.

Additionally, please attend the �loor meetings hosted by your RA to receive the latest updates and important end of semester information.

3

UP ALL NIGHT IS COMING! Thursday, May 7th 8:30PM TO MIDNIGHT! Up All Night is UTEP's big ��nals week tradition: a late night break packed with free activities, games, and campus energy. Come by Centennial Plaza, recharge with friends, and grab free food at 10 p.m. before diving back into the last stretch of the semester.

4

In this month's film review...

THE DRAMA (2026)

Poster for the film The Drama. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, A24, 2026. IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33071426/ 5

Who would you confide your "darkest" secret to?

Film review by Copy Editor, Jennifer N. Soliz The Drama is the literalization of “we listen, we don't judge” gone wrong. It’s one of those movies where you love the cast (Robert Pattinson and Zendaya) and have high hopes for, but then you watch it, and it suddenly becomes a tough recommendation because it’s an anxiety watch (although people in the screening I went to thought it was comedic). Heads up, there will be “minor” spoilers, so stop reading if you don’t want any. The film itself is a masterclass in emotional friction, using a countdown to Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma’s (Zendeya) wedding to explore the “moral line” of its characters and into an uncomfortable world of anxiety.

During a catering tasting before the wedding, Rachel (Alana Haim) says that before she and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) got married, they revealed their “darkest” secrets to one another, so they had no secrets between them, so she suggests telling the group the worst thing they have ever done. This is where we have the film’s center and crazy revelation— Emma (Zendaya) once planned to commit a crime but chose not to go through with it. This raises the central question of whether she should be judged for a version of herself that is now in the “past”. While the characters (Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, and Mamoudou Athie) actually committed insensible and I would say insane acts, they view her as a “psychopath,” and their secrets never get attention after that and ignore their own histories of actual cruelty. This is where the film, and some viewers, suggest that the judgment Emma faces is hypocritical.

There’s an entire online discourse that believes Rachel (Alana Haim) arguably deserves more accountability than she receives. While she positions herself on a “moral high horse,” she admits to doing something, and unlike Emma’s aborted plan, Rachel’s actions caused actual harm, yet the group meets her story with laughter rather than the persecution Emma faces. This disparity highlights a disturbing theme— the group forgives those who commit “minor” cruelties while alienating those with “horrific” thoughts, even if those thoughts never resulted in action.

The film forces us to question how well we truly know those closest to us. Charlie (Robert Pattinson) feels the person he knew for two years “no longer existed” after the reveal, leading him to wonder if there is a “limit to love”. Ultimately, the film asks if “almost” committing a crime should be taken as seriously as the act itself and whether Emma should be judged as harshly as she is by her peers. The Drama is extremely complex. I recommend watching this film without prior expectations, and I hope you enjoy the watch.

6

Photo courtesy of Seth Marquez.

7

the month spotlight

Seth: “My name is Seth Marquez, I am 25 years old and I come from the Panhandle (specifically Dumas, Texas). I have a double major Bachelor’s in Sociology & Psychology, and my Master’s in Counseling Psychology. I have worked in Housing and Residence Life throughout my six years in academia at Angelo State. I recently started as the Senior Coordinator of Housing overseeing the Miner Heights Residence Halls. My position entails managing the buildings and leading a team of Residential Assistants to meet the needs of our students, ensuring they have an environment that is conducive to growth in their time here at UTEP. I work in conjunction with other teams in my department to ensure the day to day operations are running smoothly, and that our facilities are of quality standard for our students. I also enable our RA’s in their work to create and maintain communities in our buildings for our students in an effort to support & prepare them as they transition between young adulthood to a post graduate life. I also serve as a primary point of contact for things like student conduct, room/building concerns, and crisis management to name a few.”

Andrea: “What are you most looking forward to in this position?”

Seth: “The thing I am most looking forward to in this position is creating and leading an exemplary team of Resident Assistants who have stepped up into their own positions of leadership and pillars in our communities as well as elevating the residential experience we provide to our students.”

Andrea: “What is a fun fact about yourself?”

Seth: “A fun fact about myself is that I have 2 extra teeth, one is fused to my upper jaw and the other to the bottom jaw.”

8

walking distance cafe recommendations miner village edition

kinley's Located at 2231 N. Mesa Street, Kinley’s offers a cozy environment for students who want to focus while enjoying a drink, lunch, or pastries.

It is also a great spot to hang out, hold meetings, or simply unwind.

There is a drink for everyone: hot coffee, iced coffee, shaken iced tea, chai lattes, matcha lattes, boba, smoothies, and more to explore.

The space is open and comfortable, with plenty of tables and areas for studying, doing homework, or talking with friends. Outlets are easily accessible if you need to charge your laptop or phone.

5 min walk.

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see the good.

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picture by Carol Mora