Paydirt Pete became the Miners' mascot in 1974 when Physics Professor Michael Blue won a contest to name the spunky guy with a miner's pick across his shoulder. Marshall Meece, an alumnus and artist for the original Pete drawing, served on the committee that picked the winner. An animated Paydirt Pete was created in 1980, designed by El Paso artists Henry Martinez and Mike Steirnagle and built by Roschu of Hollywood. Richard Pearson, Alumni Association president, spearheaded the campaign for that figure. Then in 1983, Pete was streamlined to look leaner and meaner and a new costume called Paydirt Pete II was designed and constructed by El Pasoan Richard Glass. Pete I, dubbed "Sweet Pete, " became a goodwill ambassador, with Pete II official mascot for . rathletic events. Bernie Lopez, a 1972 ~ UTEP graduate, designed the new cartoon version of Pete, right, which is a trademark of the university. In 1980 the university colors, traditionally the same orange and white as used by Austin, were changed to a deeper tone of orange, white, plus Columbia blue.
Uniforms of the Miner Band bear the emblem of the jaunty Paydirt Pete mascot. La Rondalla, a student mariachi group of singers and instrumentalists, was started in the early eighties by Aquiles Valdez of the Music Department. Their costumes are in the UTEPcolors-orange. blue, and white. This performance was during the fall 1983 observance of Hispanic Heritage Week.
196