Minero Magazine Spring 2019

Latinitas for the win Zero waste lifestyle

ÂżComprar o armar tu computadora?

UTEP alumni and their future

There are often times when I have felt overwhelmed about the fact that I take too much for my existence. Too many resources, space and lives just for a single human being at the borderland to exist.

I have recently read about how our existence does not pertain to ourselves only and the many sacrifices there have to be in order for us humans to just be— think of the animals/plants you ate today, the clothes you used and where they came from, the transportation and what it emitted to the environment (and not necessarily good stuff) and think as well of the many things you just bought for the holidays (all those things Socrates would say he did not need when he wondered at the Agora in Athens).

The unbelievable thing about all of this is that I am not the only one thinking about it. I’ve noticed more vegan restaurants in my hometown, Ciudad Juárez, and I’ve overheard people at restaurants not asking for plastic straws. My own family has even began recycling a couple of months back because my mom “saw the injustice” and my dad “noticed a lack of conscience.”

Needless to say, El Paso and Cd. Juárez have increased their environmental awareness such

that new trends like “zero waste” reached the borderland. Writer Ingrid Giese found out about how zero waste is being implemented in both sides of the border. She even found some helpful everyday tips for you to start helping the environment and hopefully counterattack the effects of global warming.

We also have a story on those students who prefer to learn how to build a computer from scratch instead of paying for the whole package at their nearest Best Buy. Writer Alfonso González talked to students from different colleges at The University of Texas at El Paso to know how a well-built computer determines their academic success at the university and how one can start pursuing that idea of building your own computer.

Another story in this issue talks about UTEP alumni that are working outside their field of study.

Writer Brandy Ruiz got to meet several students who shared their decisions about staying in El Paso to work in unrelated fields to their major after graduation.

Our last story involves one of the most gratifying memories of mine when I started in journalism. Writer Gloria Heredia writes about the

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nonprofit organization Latinitas that has been empowering Latinas across the border through media and technology. As I and one of the writers did an internship at Latinitas as our first journalism experiences, we felt it was important to share the much needed work of Latino activists such as Alicia Rascon and Isis Portillo for their continued efforts to support the Latino community.

Special thanks to Veronica Gonzalez and Alicia Rascon, who have both supported me in various ways throughout this issue and along my career. I am thankful for having met these amazing Latinas.

To our readers, Minero Magazine thanks you for your continued interest in our stories. We have put a lot of effort in brainstorming for this issue and each story tells a different perspective about the border. We hope you enjoy Minero Magazine and get something out of it.

Editor-In-Chief Grecia Sánchez Art Director Itzel Lara

Table of

Contents

Copy Editor Gloria Heredia Photo Editor Claudia Hernández Writers Ingrid Giese Alfonso González Gloria Heredia Brandy Ruiz Grecia Sánchez Photography Claudia Hernández Robert Corral Itzel Lara Cover Itzel Lara

Reducing Waste in the Borderland

¿Armar o Comprar?

4 Shoppin g recycle b ag

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Designers Salma Lozoya Edgar Hernandez Itzel Lara Advertising Designers Itzel Lara Salma Lozoya Cover Model Veronica Botello

What happens after you graduate?

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Latinitas for the Win

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Accounting Specialist Isabel Castillo

Stainless Steel straws

Administrative Secretary Marcela R. Luna Director Veronica González Minero Magazine is published by UTEP students through the Department of Student Media and Publications.

It is published once every fall and spring semester. Minero Magazine is not responsible for any claims made by our advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling Student Media and Publications at 915.747.5161.

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the University.

mineromagazine.com @minero_official Minero Magazine

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minero_magazine

R e d u c i n g was t e i n t h e borderland : A bilateral decision Writen by: Ingrid Giese pHOTOS AND DESIGN by: Itzel lARA

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ith an increasing concern of environmental issues everywhere, new environmental trends such as “zero waste” are reaching the borderland as a possible solution to environmental effects of causing harm to the planet.

According to planetaid.org, a nonprofit organization that seeks to mobilize communities to bring worldwide environmental and social progress, the zero waste movement is defined as a lifestyle where people’s objective is to eliminate their trash output completely.

Marianne Karlsson, a 58-year-old Swedish national who currently lives in El Paso, started implementing zero waste solutions about four

years ago to reduce her waste as much as possible.

“When I go to the grocery store, instead of using plastic bags, I have my own organic bags and I have tote bags to put my stuff in,” Karlsson says. “And when I go to restaurants, if I get take-out, I have my own containers to put the food.”

In 1996, when Karlsson arrived to the United States, she saw a vast lifestyle difference between Swedish and Americans, especially in regards to recycling and reducing waste.

“I was really concerned because at that time I wasn’t vegan, so we (my husband and I) drank milk. I poured milk in my coffee so when I first encountered those big gallon plastic things it was like, what do I do with

this? Am I supposed to throw it away just in the garbage?” Karlsson says.

According to Karlsson, milk in Sweden is served in glass recipients.

When comparing her home country Sweden with the United States, Karlsson also reflects on the differences in these countries.

“It’s easier to recycle in Sweden, the community takes times to educate people to do it and when to do it and you get incentives for being environmental concerned, it’s not so much into consumption in Sweden as here.”

The borderland seeking a sustainable environment In May 2018, a recycling plant located in colonia Granjas de Santa Elena in Ciudad Juárez, caught on fire because of “compact waste highly flammable bales of plastic, cardboard and other materials burned,” Mexican magazine Vanguardia MX reported. The same article says the fire caused air pollution not only in Cd. Juárez but also in El Paso.

It is because of these environmental tragedies that certain Juarenses such as Ivan Eduardo Mendoza Gutierrez, 32, feel like they need to do something. Mendoza works for Eco Bolsas as a production engineer in bags and ecological manufactures in Cd. Juárez. He says the company is helping people consume less plastic by using their ecological bags.

“We are a company that manufactures our own ecological bags, we are not distributors like other companies in México that imports from China, we manufacture it here in Cd. Juárez,” Mendoza says. “Our fabric is made of recycled polypropylene plastic which enters the fifth classification of recycle.”

Mendoza says that about 1,000 to 2,000 ecological bags are made per day, depending on the incoming orders that the company receives.

Eco Bolsas is raising awareness in big companies such as Johnson &

Johnson, S-Mart and even hospitals like Hospital Los Angeles, to protect the environment by reducing plastic and implementing biodegradable bags that decompose rapidly for people to use.

Mendoza also mentions that some states in México are taking the initiative into implementing laws to eliminate straws to reduce waste.

Baja California Sur and Veracruz are two examples of states that have eliminated the use of plastics bags and straws. Recently, Chihuahua, has also prohibited the use of plastic straws this year under the Law of Prevention and Integral Management of Waste.

Irasema Coronado, Political Science professor at The University of Texas at El Paso, says that a way to increase recycling and reduce consumption in the borderland is to build a joint recycling plant with Cd. Juárez. She thinks that reducing waste in this region depends on both El Paso and Cd. Juárez.

“It will be smart if we have a joint recycling facility at Juárez, we (the United States and México) would share the cost, therefore more people, they probably consume less than we do because of the economy.

Binational problems require binational solutions.”

But, what’s with the plastic waste?

Coronado says that the United States is a consumer-oriented society, meaning that people want new products based on trends, color, design, among others, while the older objects are just thrown away.

“Our economy is based on us buying things and gadgets, that’s part of it, we need to consume for the economy to work,” Coronado says. “One of the things that is a major problem is the manufacturing and the packaging of goods. In the past you would buy something, and it would last forever. Nowadays, it does not work after the first or second year because it’s planned obsolescence. So you go then and go buy another one. But, what peo-

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ple don’t think about is the waste.”

With a population of about 833,592 people in El Paso, the Environmental Services Department (ESD) collects more than 185,000 tons of garbage every year, leaving only 18.9 percent or 35,000 tons of recycle material.

Similarly, almost 35 million tons of plastic was generated in the United States in 2015, about 13 percent of the waste stream, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Only 9.1 percent of plastics were recycled in 2015.

With these statistics in mind, the issue on where to send all the waste has increased, especially after China, the country taking 45 percent of the world’s plastic waste imports according to National Geographic, implemented restrictions. Since the U.S. is the biggest contributor of waste, recycling programs are being affected because of China’s closeddoor policy.

“Now, with China’s door closed, much of that recycled plastic is likely ending up at your local landfill. China’s new policy could displace as much as 111 million metric tons of plastic waste by 2030,” Jenna Jambeck, a professor engineer from the University of Georgia, told National Geographic.

Ellen A. Smyth, Director of Environmental Services Department and UTEP guest speaker at Coronado’s doctoral seminar on Environmental Law and Policy, says all

tor of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands Andrew Hunter proposed to transition the band to a paperless model.

the junk that we consume and throw away is eventually going to local lands.

“There’s good junk and bad junk, but it’s all junk., so it’s going to the landfill eventually cause that’s where all junk goes.

So, when you go to buy something, be particular about what you buy, just be particular.

Don’t buy twelve of them, buy one. Don’t just buy to buy,” Smyth says.

UTEP: a sustainable campus?

Similarly to the states in México which are implementing environmental policies, UTEP has implemented measures to reduce waste in the university. The Green Fund Project was created to make it easier for students who want to support a sustainable environment on campus.

Each semester, three dollars are taken from a student’s fee tuition to help the Green Fund innovate projects in which students can propose their ideas or methods on how to improve UTEP going green, explains Sergio Baltazar, a UTEP student and chair of the Green Fund.

The most recent project from the Green Fund was a paperless marching band, in which the Associate Direc-

The paperless model was funded on September 18, 2018. Hunter explained his invention was aimed to tackle the high volume of paper UTEP uses every semester. With only four band performances each season, an average of 25 sets per show, paper usage can reach between 20,000 - 30,000 sheets, not including waste from reprints.

Is it a cultural factor or just laziness?

Mendoza urges Juarenses to start caring about the environment. He thinks that people’s concern is a big step toward increasing environmental awareness at Cd. Juárez, but that it has to start by people not being lazy.

“Because of laziness and for the product being cheap, people do not see the gravity of the problem that the cheap item at the end is costly for everyone,” Mendoza says. “It creates a lot of contamination, it harms the environment, and causes climate change which a lot of people think it’s not happening, but it is.”

Like Mendoza, Coronado agrees the impact of citizens sending waste into local landfills and natural resources may be a cause of culture participation.

“I think it’s a culture thing,” Coronado says. “Some people are conscious about recycle and more careful on how to reduce, reuse and recycle, but other people are not, for the reason that this is a consumer-oriented society.”

Celina Galicia, Communication Analyst at German factory Robert Bosch in Cd. Juárez, says the difference in how people between El Paso and Cd. Juárez use zero waste initiatives is significant because she has noticed more environmental awareness at El Paso, a city which she says, is also in a more consumer country.

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“There are these two sides, for example in El Paso, I have noticed that maybe they’re a little bit more conscient in a certain way but it is also a more consumer country, for example the plastic water bottles, they sell packs of 24 for 3 dollars, or something like that, and I mean, you can just not buy that and refill your own water bottle, that’s something cool,” Galicia says. “However, in Juarez you don’t see that much, is not as sensitive, I don’t feel that is that conscious, there are recycling issues and it still far from the idea (of zero waste).”

What can be done?

Zero waste activities may be difficult to implement in border landers’ daily lives, and according to Coronado, they are impossible to implement.

“Zero waste does not exist, because by virtue of us waking up every day we waste whether it’s toilette paper, whether it’s food packaging, whether it’s containers, getting into our car, we are wasting,” Coronado says.

“Zero waste is an aspirational goal that is very difficult to achieve, we just can’t, because of our lifestyle, our economy, if we purchase nothing and waste in nothing, then there wouldn’t be an economy, there wouldn’t be a tax pace, we couldn’t survive. Waste is unfortunate, a negative externality of our way of life, can we minimize it? Absolutely, can we totally eradicate it? No! Es una locura!”

At the same time, Coronado says that since waste is part of the economy system, society can implement zero waste by doing small actions.

“I make bread, I use these berries, so like, when people ask me ‘what’s in the bread?’ I’m like, everything.

And if you are allergic to something don’t eat my bread cause I can’t honestly tell you what’s in there,” Coronado says. “And I have another one, so whenever I have, you know, salad leftover or corn, or zucchini, or broccoli, I throw it all in there and I make soup, and I whip it all up.”

Coronado also emphasizes the importance of planning her groceries to prevent food waste because she grew up “in a culture where, you know, waste was bad because there were hungry people in our community.”

Furthermore, another solution that can be made to save the environment and minimize waste is to buy reusable bags, reusable containers and even buy plant-based products like Karlsson does.

“I like natural products, for example my toothbrush has natural bristles,

when I bought my orgonite was natural rubber not chemicals, I’m very much into plant-based products,” Karlsson says.

Implementing zero waste for El Pasoans and Juarenses, explains Mendoza, may be a challenge since most people grew up using plastic bags from the markets or taking disposable cups to a party that end up in the trash can.

“It can be achieved, it’s just a matter of changing the mentality to start helping the environment in eco-friendly ways,” Mendoza says.

en breve:

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uevas tendencias como “residuo cero” han llegado a la frontera como posible solución a los efectos del calentamiento global en el planeta. Según Planetaid, una organización sin fines de lucro que busca movilizar comunidades para el progreso mundial en medio ambiente y sociedad, el movimiento de residuo cero se define como el tipo de vida donde el objetivo es eliminar los residuos completamente.

Marianne Karlsson, de Suecia de 58 años, actualmente vive en El Paso e implementó el residuo cero hace cuatro años. Ella utiliza sus propias bolsas orgánicas y morrales para usar en vez de bolsas de plástico cuando va al mandado y cuando va a restaurantes, ella lleva sus propios contenedores si es que hay comida para llevar.

“Estaba muy preocupada cuando llegué a los Estados Unidos porque en aquel entonces no era vegana, y mi esposo y yo tomábamos leche.

Cuando me encontré con esos recipientes gigantes de plástico me quedé como, ¿ahora qué hago con esto? ¿Se supone que lo tengo que tirar a la basura?” Karlsson dice, recordando los envases de vidrio para la leche en Suecia.

Para Karlsson, es más fácil reciclar

en Suecia porque la comunidad toma el tiempo de educar a la gente en como y cuándo hacerlo, aparte de que hay incentivos por parte del gobierno a los que ayudan al medio ambiente.

En mayo 2018, una planta recicladora en la colonia Granjas de Santa Elena en Ciudad Juárez se incendió por los “residuos altamente flamables como el plástico, cartón y otros materiales quemados”, según la revista mexicana Vanguardia MX. El mismo artículo dice que la contaminación del aire provocada por el incendio afectó a Cd. Juárez y El Paso.

Es por daños como este que juarenses como Ivan Eduardo Mendoza Gutierrez, 32, trabaja para Eco Bolsas como ingeniero de producción en bolsas y manufacturas ecológicas en Cd. Juárez. Él dice que sus bolsas ayudan a la gente a consumir menos plástico al usar la versión ecológica.

También la maestra de ciencias políticas en la Universidad de Texas en El Paso, Irasema Coronado, dice que una manera de incrementar el reciclaje y reducir el consumo en la frontera es crear una planta recicladora conjunta entre Cd. Juárez y El Paso.

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“Sería inteligente hacer una planta recicladora conjunta. Nosotros (Estados Unidos) compartiríamos el costo, entonces más personas, probablemente consuman menos, pero los problemas binacionales requieren de soluciones binacionales”.

Con una población alrededor de 833,592 en El Paso, el Departamento de Servicios Ambientales colecta más de 185,000 toneladas de basura cada año, dejando solamente el 18.9 por ciento, o 35,000 toneladas para reciclar.

Mendoza piensa que la solución tiene que empezar con la gente dejando de ser floja. “Por flojera y porque los productos son baratos, la gente no se da cuenta de la gravedad del problema que representa un producto barato que al final nos sale caro a todos”, Mendoza dice. “Ese producto crea mucha contaminación, daña al medio ambiente, y causa el aceleramiento de calentamiento global, el cual mucha gente cree que no está pasando, pero sí está pasando”.

Story by: Alfonso González Design by: Edgar Hernández Rico Photos by: Robert Corral

¿Armar o Comprar?

Esa es la Cuestión.

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o importa si eres estudiante, exalumno, o graduado, todos nos hemos encontrado con la difícil decisión de buscar una computadora de escritorio, una ‘All-in-One’ (que es un monitor, el terminal, y en algunos casos el apuntador con pantalla táctil en un solo equipo), o una laptop para las tareas cotidianas (y no cotidanas) durante un semestre.

Sabemos también que no siempre el presupuesto destinado para una PC es alto. Aquí la incógnita es: ¿Cómo escoges esa computadora que te acompañará hasta tu graduación?

Jesús Meléndez es un estudiante de ingeniería mecánica en la Universidad de Texas en El Paso. Él y sus amigos decidieron armar una computadora para jugar videojuegos y hacer trabajos para la universi-

dad, ya que la necesidad por una computadora más eficiente en la universidad lo llevó a esta decisión.

“El escoger una computadora es muy importante para cualquier estudiante, sobre todo aquellos que necesitan programas demandantes”, Jesús dice.

A pesar de tantos modelos, marcas y combinaciones de elementos en la computadora, Jesús dice que armar su propia computadora de escritorio fue la única manera para él de tener una computadora.

“Armar una computadora te da más ‘bang for your buck’ (más beneficios de la computadora a un menor costo) debido a que puedes elegir las piezas de la computadora individualmente y a tu gusto”, Jesús dice.

A pesar de tener ayuda de sus amigos, Jesús tuvo que comprender

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que encontraría problemas al tratar de buscar las piezas individuales.

Sin embargo, Jesús continuó con su proyecto.

“Hay algunas restricciones, obviamente. Por ejemplo, como lo que es la fuente de poder. Ésta necesita dar la electricidad exacta a todos los componentes, o, así como algunos procesadores van mucho mejor con otra tarjeta de gráficos a la que tal vez compraste”, Jesús dice. “Se tiene que buscar una verdadera armonía entre las piezas que compraste, y saber perfectamente que no se creará algún problema entre ellas. Armar una computadora, en sí, es algo fantástico”.

En el tiempo de búsqueda, Jesús se dio cuenta que las computadoras de escritorio en tiendas departamentales casi siempre son las

peores a comprar y dijo, “El precio que pagarás por un equipo, y el rendimiento que pueden entregarte en procesos complejos en marcas como HP, Dell o Toshiba casi van de la mano. Esto se debe a que tal vez es de buena marca, pero las piezas que contiene son demasiado básicas para ejecutar programas de edición, videojuegos, o tareas complejas”.

Claro que, antes de su gran decisión, Jesús buscó la computadora de sus sueños con mucha memoria RAM para la fluidez del equipo, tarjeta de video para rendimiento en videojuegos y edición de video, y que las piezas fueran más acorde al presupuesto que tenía en tiendas departamentales. Incluso buscó en páginas de internet por el precio más bajo de la computadora que específicamente quería. Sin embargo, nunca la encontró, pues las especificaciones técnicas no daban con lo que buscaba.

“Lo primero que me fijo en una computadora es el RAM, el procesador y la tarjeta de gráficos ya que esos componentes son imperativos para el software que mis estudios necesitan. En otras palabras, muchos programas contienen en sus cajas los requerimientos mínimos, y los requerimientos perfectos para que tengas una experiencia buena”, Jesús dice. “Si no me fijara en esos detalles al comprar un PC, me resultaría muy inútil”.

Jesús dice que UTEP debería tener en su plan de clases básicas alguna clase sobre los conceptos básicos en el armado de una PC. “Si la escuela tuviera programas como estos, ayudaría muchísimo en que jóvenes que no tienen mucho dinero puedan tener una PC decente.

Tal vez no tendrán un equipo de la más actualizada generación, pero les ayudará en el día a día”, Jesús dice.

Así como la tecnología está en evolución, la música va de la mano.

Brian Jarvis, profesor en teoría musical en UTEP, afirma que siempre le ha gustado vivir en contacto con

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la tecnología. De hecho, tiene una computadora de escritorio completamente armada por él en su casa.

“Me di cuenta de que puede ser bueno tener una computadora con poder productivo en casa”, Jarvis dice. “Creo que he invertido cerca de 1000 dólares en mi equipo. Las piezas en ella son de una gama media-alta, que sin ningún problema podrán trabajar por lo menos diez años sin ningún cambio”.

Jarvis utiliza su computadora como plataforma para jugar en sus ratos libres, como herramienta de edición de video para las presentaciones de la orquesta de la universidad, para retocar fotografías de conciertos y ensambles, y como grabadora de instrumentos eléctricos.

“El triángulo de equilibrio en una PC es la capacidad de memoria RAM para la productividad de tu procesador. La tarjeta de gráficos para cualquier programa de video, música, fotografía o videojuegos, y una fuente de energía que dé los watts exactos para cada pieza en el equipo”, Jarvis dice.

Jarvis dice tener amigos con mucha curiosidad hacia el hecho de ser un profesor de música y tener una computadora especializada.

videojuegos, o pueden ser usadas en trabajos pesados, como el rendering en diseños, o creaciones de planos para su hermano arquitecto.

“Es mejor comprar una computadora portátil y con especificaciones para videojuegos. Digo esto porque mi hermano se basó en críticas y reviews que existen en YouTube”, Jeff dice.

Por otro lado, David Colli, también estudiante de nuevo ingreso en ingeniería mecánica en UTEP, decidió comprar una laptop a una semana de em-

“

Armar una te da más ‘b buck’”.

“Es interesante que mis amigos y compañeros vean como algo curioso que haya invertido en un equipo así, pero deben entender que todo mundo debería tener un PC como el mío, o algo parecido para estar al día en tecnología del hogar”.

pezar clases.

David decidió ahorrar dinero vendiendo su vieja computadora de escritorio.

Jeff Acosta, estudiante de primer año en ingeniería civil en UTEP, está en busca de un equipo de cómputo para dejar de utilizar la portátil de su hermano.

“La PC que tenía en casa sacaba polvo por los ventiladores.

Necesitaba empezar de cero en la universidad”, David dice.

Jeff usa la nueva PC que pertenece a su hermano, que estudia arquitectura. Esta laptop es de las llamadas Gaming PC. Esto quiere decir que la portátil contiene especificaciones que tanto pueden servir para jugar

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El dinero para su nueva computadora tardó, y David terminó comprando una laptop HP con gráficos integrados y un procesador y memoria RAM perfecta para la actualidad a una semana de empezar clases. A pesar de eso, él

El Triángulo del Equilibrio unos años de apuros, incluso, voy a poder jugar un poco en ella”.

computadora bang for your

Cabe señalar que los fabricantes y marcas reconocidas ponen en algunos modelos de computadoras empresariales piezas que suelen llegar a ser de última generación. Una simple revisión de sistema basta para ver que contiene un equipo de cómputo. Es por esto que canales de YouTube llaman a que las computadoras en casa se actualicen.

-Jesús Meléndez

“Aún no tengo el dinero necesario, pero tengo una PC en casa de no más de cinco años. Mis amigos en Computer Science me han dicho ya varias veces que en YouTube explican como mi PC empolvada y guardada, puede convertirse en un equipo utilizable para un estudiante de clases básicas”, Jeff dice.

David, por su parte, cansado de batallar con la PC que rondaba su casa como un mueble más, decidió volverse móvil.

dice haber encontrado complicaciones.

“Fue muy complicado comprar mi laptop en tan poco tiempo. No sé cuál sea el fabricante de las piezas que lleva dentro, pero me sacará por

“No es que esté perdido en el mundo de la computación, es solo que una PC de escritorio ya no me era funcional”, David dice. “Tal vez después me arrepienta en unos años de la compra y venta que hice, pero mientras, no tendré contratiempos con mi decisión”.

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Sebastián González, estudiante de computación desde hace tres años en UTEP, ha decidido no meterse en mundo del “PC Building” y comprar una computadora que no le dará problemas hasta su graduación.

“Me fijé en el procesador de mi computadora, mientras más actual sea, más tiempo podré utilizarla sin cambios dentro”, Sebastián dice.

“Creo que lo más importante es revisar la memoria virtual (RAM) que tiene una computadora al comprarla.

Mientras más capacidad de esta haya en el equipo, más programas puede mantener abiertos, sin perder la fluidez”.

A pesar de la satisfacción que tiene ahora con su computadora, Sebastián no deja a un lado el proyecto de armar su propia computadora.

“Por ahora, la inversión de dinero, y tiempo que lleva el ensamblado de la computadora de mis sueños, se ve un poco lejana. Sin embargo, en los primeros años de mi futuro trabajo, empezaré la construcción de un equipo”, Sebastián dice.

“Quiero experimentar con este tipo de computadoras. Obviamente he visto varios ensambles en algunas conferencias aquí en la escuela, pero no es lo mismo solo mirar a poder ensuciarte las manos”.

A manera de recomendación, Jarvis propone balancear los precios de

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“Si ponemos en una balanza precios de piezas por un lado, y los precios de las computadoras más actuales en otro, podríamos ver la diferencia abismal en los precios por pieza. Las computadoras que la gente compra en tiendas son desechables, y sabes que sólo durarán por un tiempo”.

Por otro lado, la rapidez de tener una computadora portátil es saber que llevarás contigo gran parte de tu mundo, según David.

“No puedo arrepentirme de la decisión que tomé. A pesar de que fue una compra sin pensar mis otras opciones, me siento feliz con los resultados que mi PC me ha dado”, David dice.

In Brief

It doesn’t matter if you are a student, alumnus, or graduate, we have all come across the difficult decision of searching for a desktop computer, whether it is an ‘All-in-One’, or a laptop for everyday use.

We also know that the budget allocated for a PC is not always high. Here the question is: How do you choose that computer that will accompany you until your graduation?

contact with technology. In fact, he has a fully home-built desktop computer in his house.

“I realized that it can be good to have a computer with a productive power at home,” Jarvis says. “I think I’ve invested about 1,000 dollars in my team. The pieces in it are of a medium-high range, which without any problem can work for at least ten years without any change.”

Jesús Meléndez is a mechanical engineering student at The University of Texas at El Paso. He and his friends decided to put together a computer to play video games and do homework for the university.

Jarvis uses his computer as a platform to play in his spare time, as a video editing tool for the presentations of the university orchestra, to retouch photographs of concerts and ensembles, and as an electric instrument recorder.

“Choosing a computer is very important for any student, especially those who need demanding programs,” Jesús says.

Jarvis says he has friends with a lot of curiosity about being a music teacher and having a specialized computer.

Despite many models, brands and combinations of items on a computer, Jesus says that building his own desktop computer was the only way for him to have a computer.

“It’s interesting that my friends and colleagues think it’s something weird to have invested in such a computer, but they must understand that everyone should have a PC like mine, or something similar to stay up to date on home technology.”

“Building a computer gives you more of a ‘bang-for-your buck’ because you can choose the pieces of the computer individually and to your liking,” Jesús says.

Just as technology is evolving, music goes hand in hand. Brian Jarvis, professor of music theory at UTEP, says he has always liked to live in

14

Sebastián González, a computer science student at UTEP, has decided not to get into the ‘PC Building’ world and buy a computer that will not give him problems until his graduation.

“I noticed the processor of my

11

Build or buy?

las piezas con las computadoras ya ensambladas.

computer, the more current it is, the longer I can use it without changes inside,” Sebastián says. “I think the most important thing is to check the virtual memory (RAM) that a computer has when buying it. The more capacity there is in the team, the more programs you can keep open, without losing your fluency.”

Despite the satisfaction he has now with his computer, Sebastián does not leave aside the project of building his own computer.

“For now, the investment of money, and the time it takes to assemble the computer of my dreams, looks a bit distant. However, in the first years of my future work, I will begin the construction of a team,” Sebastián says. “I want to experiment with this type of computers. Obviously I’ve seen several assemblies at some conferences here at school, but it’s not the same to look than getting your hands dirty.”

As a recommendation, Jarvis proposes to balance the prices of the pieces with the computers already assembled.

“If we put part prices on one scale, and the prices of the most current computers on another, we could see the abysmal difference in the prices per piece. The computers that people buy in stores are disposable, and you know they will only last for a while.”

What Happens After You Graduate?

Written by Brandy Ruiz Story Alumni

Armendariz delivers pizza. On Rene Monday through Thursday, when he’s

not programming for the Ysleta School District, he’s sticking the blue and red dice on the top of his car and delivering the Mix & Match deal that you ordered over the phone to your front door.

Rene graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso in May 2007 with a Masters in Programming Science and received his Bachelors with a double major in Business Management and Computer Information Systems. But, he needed to start working as soon as possible.

“I was getting married and I had no money,” Rene says. As soon as he graduated, Rene got a job at Texas Tech where he worked as a technician for five years.

Designed by Salma Lozoya Photos by Claudia Hernández

However, Rene didn’t tap into his programming skills until eight years after graduating. His previous jobs at Texas Tech and at the El Paso Independent School District were all just technical jobs.

“At the beginning it was about where can I go to get the highest pay and I got some job offers. I got some job offers from Dallas and some offers from Austin. But, the reason I decided to stay here in El Paso (is) because my wife is really close to her family and it would be a very big burden for her. I told her I got my degree so I can give her a better life and what life would it had been if I left and she was in sorrow,” says Rene.

Rene says to have told his wife that they were giving up close to a hundred-grand a year. Still, Rene does not regret his decision and says it has been a “great life.”

“I would tell her, we could go and come back and go and come back. But, she was telling me no. She kept telling me about her mom and her dad,” Rene says. “So, I came to the conclusion you can either have your family close to

12

you or you can make a lot of money. It’s whatever you want to do. In this case, we decided to stay here and we’ve been really happy.”

Once Rene had the opportunity to take a programming job at the Ysleta School District, he took it with open arms. Yet, he still had loans to pay after graduating with a Masters degree. So, even after presenting the district with his Masters degree as he was looking for an opportunity to pay off those loans, he was not offered the raise.

“I needed to find another source of income.

So, there were two things I could do,” says Rene. “I could look for another job somewhere else, making more money or try to find a second job,” Rene says.

“I didn’t really want to find another job. I enjoy my job tremendously, for me to leave it just for money…well, in that case, then I can deal with it for a while,” Rene says.

So, he took on the role of a delivery driver for Domino’s pizza and has been working

“...You have to take whatever life gives to you and run with it, try to be your best at it.”

-Rene Amendariz

Alumni Story

there for 10 years.

“Living in El Paso, basically, if you stay here, it’s a way of life. I mean, everybody that graduated with me doesn’t live here in El Paso. Everybody is living in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio where all the high paying programmer jobs are at and they’re making a lot of money,” says Rene.

Betsabe Castro-Duarte, Director of the University Career Center at UTEP, says that an individual’s success in getting a job after graduating is dependent on the challenge they choose to accept.

“Depending on your major, there’s some that are really direct career paths into different jobs that are very obvious.

So, it’s more of an easy gateway,” says Castro-Duarte, “But, for example, like me, if you get a government degree, I can go to law school, I can go to a policy center, I can go maybe work for a government agency, non-for-profit. And that’s good because you can have more options. But, that can also be scary to figure out which one you’d want to do.”

Aridiana Carillo, another graduate from UTEP who majored in Biology with a focus in Biomedical Sciences, did not look for a job after she graduated. She had always studied biology at Universidad Autónoma

de Ciudad Juárez until her family began to experience attacks while living in Juarez.

“My father was kidnapped 6 years ago, outside my house and my mom, carjacked a year after,” says Aridiana. “After that, you live with the fear that something worse will happen, that’s why we decided to move.”

So, her family moved for their safety and she decided to study at UTEP.

has Mexican American applicants to top professional programs at US Medical Schools, according to the 2013 study done by the CIE. So, it seems as though Carillo definitely won’t have a problem with getting that job. But, this begs the question as to why it seems like graduates in other majors aren’t getting jobs.

“The education system of the United States and the one in México are different.

Therefore, it was difficult for me to adapt,” Aridiana says. “But, being an applicant for medicine and being Hispanic, I think it is an advantage since schools seek diversity in their applicants.”

UTEP’s Career Center has reported that 4% of students who graduate from the College of Education at UTEP are currently employed or have participated in an internship experience during college while 0% of students from the College of Nursing have participated in these same internship experiences.

Because she plans to attend medical school, Aridiana has been studying for the MCAT exam for 6 months.

“I feel a bit rushed,” Adriana says. “My family and friends ask me questions daily about my career and job. But, for the moment, I keep my priorities clear. It’s more important to do well in my MCAT exam.”

According to research done by UTEP’s Center for Institutional Evaluation (CIE), Research and Planning, UTEP is ranked second for being one of the most successful undergraduate institutions that

Aridiana Carrillo, UTEP Graduate

Furthermore, 17% of Liberal Arts students and 27% of Engineering students have been involved in internships and part-time/ full time jobs according to the UCC. These numbers indicate that students outside of the College of Nursing are more likely to seek job opportunities and internships.

“Nursing students go into their nursing area. So there, you have a really high percentage (of nursing students going into the work force). They are pretty much set.

Those programs are intended to give you

Betsy Castro-Duarte, Director of UTEP’s University Career Center a really direct path in that your degree aligns with a particular job,” Castro-Duarte says. “So, for liberal arts majors, you have more options and in having more options, maybe career paths are not as easily delineated for you. Sometimes I find that when you have more options, that’s great, but sometimes students might see that as a challenge.”

Castro-Duarte says that a student “will figure it out” if they are open minded and curious.

“You’ll be fine because you’ll be flexible and you can adapt. But, if you’re scared of

change, change is going to happen. You have to be able to embrace it and go with it and be open to learning new things.”

“You’ll be fine because you’ll be flexible and you can adapt.”

-Betsy Castro-Duarte

This is also what Rene likes to tell teenagers that work at Domino’s.

“I like to tell them you have to take whatever life gives to you and run with it, try to be your best at it,” Rene says. “Find what you love to do. It’s not the money that’s going to make you happy, it’s what you do to get it that’s what is going to make you happy.”

EN BREVE Rene Armendariz reparte pizzas de lunes a viernes. Cuando no está programando para el Distrito Escolar de Ysleta, él coloca los dados magnéticos color azul y rojo en la parte superior de su auto y tu orden está por ser entregada a tu puerta.

Rene se graduó de la Universidad de Texas de El Paso en mayo del 2007 con una maestría en Ciencias de la Programación, habiendo recibido su título de licenciatura con una doble carrera en Manejo de Negocios y Sistemas de Computación Informacionales. Aun así, Rene no pudo mostrar sus habilidades de programación hasta ocho años después de su graduación.

“Al comienzo pensaba a dónde ir para tener el sueldo más alto y tuve algunas ofertas de trabajo en Dallas y otras en Austin. Pero, decidí quedarme en El Paso porque mi esposa es muy cercana a su familia e iba a ser una carga muy pesada para ella”, Rene dice. “Le dije que estudié para que le pudiera dar una mejor vida, pero qué vida podría darle si me voy y ella se queda con el dolor”.

Como Rene debía pagar el préstamo que pidió para graduarse con su maestría, él pidió un aumento de sueldo en Ysleta.

Cuando se lo rechazaron, Rene comenzó su segundo trabajo como repartidor de pizzas para Domino’s. Él ha trabajado ahí por diez años.

Betsy Castro-Duarte, directora del Centro Universitario de Carreras en UTEP, dice que el éxito de un individuo en tener trabajo después de graduarse depende del tipo de desafío que elija tener. Según ella, hay carreras que tienen caminos directos y trabajos que son muy obvios y que por lo tanto no hay que decidir muchas cosas.

“Pero si por ejemplo, como yo, tienes una carrera en gobierno, puedes ir a la escuela de derecho, o a un centro policiaco, o a una agencia de gobierno, o una organización sin lucro. Y eso es bueno porque tienes más opciones, pero puede ser aterrador tener que ver qué es lo que quieres hacer”.

Aridiana Carillo, quien se graduó con una carrera en biología de UTEP, no ha conseguido trabajo porque quiere aplicar

a la escuela de medicina y ha decidido enfocarse en estudiar para el examen de admisión (Medical College Admission Test) por seis meses.

“Mi familia y amigos me preguntan a diario sobre mi carrera y mi trabajo, pero por el momento, mantengo mis prioridades claras. Es más importante sacar buenos resultados en el examen MCAT”, Aridiana dice.

Castro-Duarte dice que un estudiante “lo resolverá” si es curioso y de mente abierta.

“Estarás bien si eres flexible y puedes adaptarte. Pero si te aterra el cambio, el cambio va a suceder. Tienes que poder abrazarlo e ir con ello y estar abierto a aprender nuevas cosas”.

Esto es lo que Rene también dice a sus compañeros de trabajo en Domino’s.

“Me gusta decirles que tienes que tomar lo que sea que la vida te da y vivir con ello, tratar de ser lo mejor en eso”; Rene dice.

“Encuentra algo que ames. El dinero no te hará feliz, es lo que haces para conseguir dinero que te hará feliz”.

latinitas for the win By: Gloria Heredia Design by: Itzel Lara

W

hat initially started as a class project became a prominent organization and an online magazine throughout the state of Texas with the purpose of empowering young women and getting them into male-dominant careers.

In 2002, Alicia Rascon, a then 21-year-old El Paso native, was studying Multimedia Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin.

One of her classes was Latino Media Studies in where she says she learned a lot about the stereotypes of media and Latino representation.

“When I would watch TV it was really rare to see Latinas, and when I did, it always felt like she was a chola or she was getting arrested,” Rascon says. “It felt like it really didn’t reflect the real diversity of being a young Latina. We didn’t see a lot of examples in media like women getting a college education.”

As part of the class, the professor challenged the students to do a service project where Rascon and

her classmates could incorporate communications and help the Latino community.

“At the time, we felt like a lot of the mainstream media and magazines weren’t really representing Latinas,” Rascon says. “We also felt that there were a lot of stereotypes out there so we really wanted to make sure that we could provide a venue where girls could express themselves, feel confident and really celebrate their culture.”

“When I would watch TV it was really rare to see Latinas, and when I did, it always felt like she was a chola or she was getting arrested,”

Alicia Rascon Throughout the course of the class, Rascon, alongside founder Laura Donnelly, started ‘Latinitas’ the first online magazine by and for young Latinas in Texas.

16

“From there we decided that we wanted to keep it going after the class ended and make it into a non-profit organization with the big focus of empowering young Latinas,” Rascon says.

So, what is Latinitas?

Latinitas is a non-profit organization focused on the empowerment of girls to innovate through media and technology, according to their website.

Jazmin Lopez, 24, is a former program coordinator for Latinitas.

She says this organization changes the lives of many young girls and women not only by inspiring them to be confident and outspoken, but also by being proud of their Latina identity.

“For me, it is so important to have that connection to your culture and Latinitas provides that safe and creative space where girls can learn about Latino/a history, traditions, and art,” Lopez says.

According to Rascon, over a hundred girls get published each year for the online magazine, latinitasmagazine.org.

“One of the really neat things about the magazine is that we have contributors all across the country,” Rascon says. “We even have a young woman in London where there is a young Latina that is doing study abroad and wants to connect with our culture even though she is all the way over there.”

Those who become part of Latinitas can expect to be given the opportunity to write,, take pictures, shoot video and get published.

“My top favorite memory was when we filmed a short documentary with the girls about how Latinos and Latinas are represented in mainstream media,” Lopez says. “It was so wonderful to see them excited about interviewing Latinas about their experiences and to see them take charge of what shots we were going to do for the day. I feel that shooting the documentary made them feel, rightfully so, that their stories and perspectives matter.”

In addition to the magazine, Latinitas offers outreach throughout the year like afterschool programs, summer camps and different conferences to help young girls succeed in their emotional and academic life.

Veronica Martinez joined Latinitas in the Spring of 2016, because

she needed to do service hours for a class she was taking while pursuing her undergraduate degree.

“I already knew I wanted to do my service hours with Latinitas because I already knew about their mission. I just thought it was a combination of two things I was very interested: women empowerment and media.”

When Veronica was done with her service hours, she decided to stay as an intern and was later hired as media producer.

“It is very important to me to see this organization succeed and continue doing what they are doing because I never had something like this when I was young,” Martinez said.

Veronica is now a graduate student at the University of Texas at El Paso pursuing a Masters in Communication Studies.

“My favorite memory was from the (Latinitas) 2018 summer camp.

We had this program called ‘Chica Reportera’ in which the girls got in groups to do stories as reporters,” Martinez says. “They were doing some interviews during our field trip to the courthouse and me (acting as an editor) asked them to just do three interviews. The girls loved it so much that they just wanted to keep doing interviews.”

Other programs Latinitas offers include ‘College Chica’ in where girls learn about the importance of college, ‘Coding Chica’ where girls can learn about coding and ‘Healthy Chica’ where they learn from doctors and professionals the importance of living a healthy life.

Even though Martinez left her job at Latinitas as media producer to focus on her studies, she still volunteers whenever she has free time.

“For me and the staff it is all about

17

the girls. Whenever we heard one say ‘I want to be an engineer’ or a scientist, a reporter, a film director or whatever, it made us feel that we were doing a good job,” Martinez says.

Latinitas in El Paso and the Media Latinitas started in Austin in 2002 but it has now spread to several locations in where they offer various programs across Texas like Round Rock, San Marcos, San Antonio, and El Paso.

Isis Portillo, Executive Director of Latinitas in El Paso, says she first heard of this organization in 2010 while volunteering at the Junior Woman’s Club of El Paso. Portillo wanted to help as she encountered difficulties in her own journey to become a journalist.

“As a woman in the 90s, you really had to compete for airtime so that organization for me was perfect because I had struggled so much throughout my career to have had someone influence me,” Portillo says. “They are things that we don’t like to talk about, but it’s just the truth.”

Portillo has lived in the media atmosphere for more than 21 years working on TV, radio and marketing. She says she grew up in a time where being on TV even here in El Paso was very difficult for a woman, especially a Latina.

“A lot of the times, the Spanish TV stations bring people from México so how can you and I compete when, if we had any education in México (it) was just a little bit of elementary and the rest of our lives we’ve been here in the United States learning how to adapt to a new culture,” Portillo says. “We don’t speak English well enough for an English station. We always get criticized for our accents, or that we speak border Spanish, or that our vocabulary is not extensive enough.”

She says to want to encourage young girls and provide them with as much training as possible for them to be able to compete in jobs in the media industry.

On the other hand, Jazmin Lopez believes that misperceptions of Latinas in the media are a direct result of the lack of Latinas in decision-making positions within this field.

“We don’t have enough positive stories of women of color in mainstream media. More often than not, women of color are subjected to stereotypes in films, TV shows, and news shows. Again, this goes back to who is in charge of creating this content,” Lopez said. “Latinas are extremely underrepresented in directing and producing roles, which can only mean that their experiences are being left out or misunderstood. We need more Latinas telling their stories in mainstream media so we can take back our narrative.”

Lopez says that when it comes to STEAM fields, the issue is very similar and it starts at a young age where girls begin to question their

En Breve

L

o que inicialmente empezó como un proyecto para una clase, se convirtió en una organización y revista a lo largo de Texas con el propósito de empoderar a mujeres jóvenes y darles oportunidades en campos laborales todavía dominados por hombres.

En 2002, Alicia Rascon era una estudiante de 22 años de

periodismo en la Universidad de Austin. Ella tomó una clase de estudios de media latina, donde el profesor pidió a los estudiantes hacer un proyecto donde pudieran ayudar a la comunidad latina incorporando lo aprendido sobre los estereotipos en la representación de latinos en las plataformas multimedia.

Durante la clase, Rascon, jun-

18

interest in STEAM related fields.

“During my time with Latinitas, I remember hearing young girls say they were ‘too dumb’ to be good at math or science. Or they would be embarrassed to say they were interested in working in a STEAM career. We as a community need to do better and encourage our young girls to cultivate an interest in STEAM fields,” Lopez said.

Originally from California, Lopez now lives in Washington D.C. working as a lobbyist for a government affairs firm. She says that living at El Paso opened her eyes to issues faced on the border and the importance to share these stories.

“We need to empower women everywhere and give them the space, resources, and encouragement to achieve their goals,” Lopez said.

“Women can do anything they set their mind to. As long as they are given the same amount of respect and opportunities as everyone else, I think women can accomplish so much. And they might teach people a thing or two.”

to con la también fundadora Laura Donnelly, comenzaron ‘Latinitas’, una organización sin fines de lucro enfocada al empoderamiento de niñas para innovar a través de la media y tecnología, según su página web.

Aquellos que forman parte de Latinitas esperan tener la oportunidad de escribir en la revista en línea latinitas-

magazine.org, tomar fotos, grabar video y ser publicadas. Latinitas también ofrece programas durante el año como el programa después de la escuela, campamentos de verano y conferencias con diferentes temas que ayudan a niñas a tener éxito en sus vidas académicas y emocionales.

Los programas que Latinitas ofrece incluyen ‘College Chica’ donde niñas pueden aprender sobre la importancia de una carrera universitaria, ‘Coding Chica’ donde niñas pueden aprender a programar, ‘Healthy Chica’ donde se aprende de doctores y profesionales la importancia de vivir una vida saludable, y ‘Chica Reportera’ donde las niñas pueden entrevistar y armar paquetes multimedia que incluyan video, historia escrita y paquete de fotos.

Jazmin Lopez, quien fue coordinadora de actividades en Latinitas, dice que la or-

ganización cambia la vida de muchas niñas jóvenes y mujeres, no sólo inspirándolas a tener confianza en sí mismas, sino también a que se sientan orgullosas de su identidad como latinas.

“Para mí, es muy importante hacer esa conexión con tu cultura y Latinitas provee ese espacio seguro y creativo donde niñas pueden aprender sobre la historia de los latinos, sus tradiciones y su arte”, Lopez dice.

Isis Portillo, directora ejecutiva de Latinitas en El Paso, oyó de Latinitas por primera vez en el club de mujeres de El Paso. Ella dice que quiso ayudar ya que ella misma ha tenido que superar varios obstáculos en su carrera de periodista.

“Muchas veces, las estaciones de televisión en español traían periodistas de México así que, ¿cómo podemos tú y yo competir con ellos cuando, si es que hemos

19

tenido alguna educación en México, ha sido solo hasta nivel primaria si mucho, y el resto de nuestras vidas la hemos pasado aquí en Estados Unidos aprendiendo a adaptarnos a una nueva cultura?”, Portillo dice. “No hablamos inglés lo suficientemente bien para una estación de habla inglesa. Siempre nos critican por nuestro acento, o porque hablamos ‘español de frontera’, o porque nuestro vocabulario no es lo suficientemente amplio”.

Portillo ha trabajado en la industria por más de 21 años en plataformas de televisión, radio y marketing. Ella dice que creció en un tiempo en donde estar en la televisión, incluso en El Paso, era algo muy difícil para una mujer, y más siendo latina. Ella dice que quiere apoyar a las mujeres jóvenes y darles tanto entrenamiento como sea posible para que ellas puedan competir en los trabajos de la industria de la media.

The Center for Accommodations and Support Services wants you to succeed at UTEP! We provide student accommodations to address issues associated with: • Mobility and temporary disabilities • Vision and hearing • Learning disabilities • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Mental Health • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) • Any disability recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAA) and the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968

Accommodations can include:

• Note takers and reader/scribes • American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters • Assistive technology, including books in alternative format • Extended time and alternative environments for exams • Priority registration • Authorization for the use of service and assistance animals on campus • Detail on other accommodations are listed in the Accommodations Glossary

Resources and Training for Students, Faculty and Staff: • Disability-related training and presentations • American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters for classes and events • Consultation on accommodations and accessibility • Advice regarding ADA accommodations during events.

Union East Bldg. Room 106 • cass@utep.edu • (915) 747-5148

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