Arts & Entertainment Issue
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University of Texas at El Paso ScholarWorks@UTEP The Prospector Special Collections Department 2-16-2021 The Prospector, February 16, 2021 UTEP Student Publications Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.utep.edu/prospector Part of the Journalism Studies Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Comments: This file is atherr large, with many images, so it may take a few minutes to download. Please be patient. VOL. 106, NO. 10 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO FEBRUARY 16, 2021 Arts & Entertainment Issue Casa Ortiz builds artistic community Nicole Lopez To the left of the entrance of the The Prospector venue, there’s a setup for live music. To the right is a long hallway decorated Casa Ortiz Gallery, a start-up with sculptures and paintings just entertainment venue that began waiting to be explored. operating in October 2020, is Gabriel Martinez, a co-founder and providing El Paso with a spark of artist at Casa Ortiz, had a vision and artistic life. was able to manifest his ideas into an Lying in the heart of Socorro, artistic place. Texas, one of El Paso’s most historical “With the experience and the districts, Casa Ortiz Gallery is based background I had with Galeria in an infrastructure from the 1800s. Lincoln, I was able to know the right Carefully crafted out of adobe, the people and the art community had building has several rooms available already kind of been in the works,” for artists to rent out. In each of these Martinez said about establishing the rooms, El Pasoans can get a closer look gallery. “I am definitely a big part of at the artists' work and what it has to say about them. See Casa Ortiz page 4 The Liquid Gates of Time UTEP Dinner Theatre’s performance New exhibition at the Rubin Center undergoes changes amid COVID-19 Alyson Rodriguez anthropology and director of UTEP’s The Prospector Center for Interamerican and Border Sven Kline this situation. In the early rehearsal Backstage, performing students Studies, and guest curator from The Prospector stages we had to get new equipment were required to remain distant and The Rubin Center held a virtual the Museum of Contemporary Art to be able to rehearse virtually.” wait in the lobby before entering opening on Jan. 28 for its new Tucson, Kate Green. With the coronavirus pandemic Aside from bringing in new the stage, to ensure no crowds were exhibition, “Liquid Gates of Time,” In this ethnographic exposition stretching into 2021 and school equipment for its performances, formed. Every rehearsal, the staff created by the artist XX. of the taxonomy in the El Paso continuing to be affected by social the production’s typically crowded would also disinfect chairs, props The event was hosted by Josiah distancing regulations, UTEP’s ballroom also experienced some or stands before and after people Heyman, UTEP professor of See Rubin Center page 3 Dinner Theatre students and staff changes. According to Zachary touched them, as an extra safety returned to the stage with various Spencer Weigart, a cast member precaution. health regulations in place. and undergraduate assistant for the “I’m sure everyone wants to go The department’s “Broadway theatre, during rehearsals the room back to live performance, because it in Concert” was its first 2021 live, was cleared for more open space isn’t quite the same,” Weigart said. “I online performance. and doors were left opened for air to think throughout this semester there However, with the risk of flow in. will be many live streamed forms spreading COVID-19, the “Theatre is persistent; theatre will of theatre, so we can only hope and production had to adjust to wearing always be around,” Weigart said. “The look forward to live performances masks and performing at a distance. general mood is excitement overall; I again.” “Coming back to rehearsals while think we at the Dinner Theatre have “Broadway in Concert” was a in a pandemic has been interesting, something special and are so lucky to compiled performance of different since we all have to be separated by have the space and opportunities.” Broadway shows like “Chicago,” “The six feet and wearing masks,” said The stage floor was also marked Lion King,” and “Wicked.” The strain Rebecca Quevedo, a freshman and with six-feet apart indicators, so of breathing through masks during musical theatre major, who debuted performers maintained a safe social choreography, was a challenging Photograph courtesy of the Rubin Center on Feb. 6’s performance. “I feel like distance while on stage. This also aspect of rehearsing amid the "Liquid Gates of Time” is available for the public to see through Rubin Center’s we can’t interact with each other as included instrument players, with the well as we could have if we weren’t in virtual tours, created by R. Eric Bowers of Eyefisher. drummer having an acrylic shield. See Dinner Theatre page 3 PAGE 2 OPINION FEBRUARY 16, 2021 ANAHY DIAZ, 747-5161 Black coaches still lack fair opportunities only two teams out of 32 in the NFL of college presidents are white, as are chance at a lower-tier school to coordinator. One of its few minority with a Black offensive coordinator. the vast majority of athletic directors. prove yourself for a major college hires as a coordinator, Mike Canales, Eric Bienemy and Byron Leftwich Conference-USA (C-USA) has one job. Unfortunately, even getting was let go after three seasons. both led two of the top offenses in Black athletic director in its league of the coordinator jobs can be almost Overall, three of the 10 position the league, yet neither was offered a 14 teams. Two of the 14 head coaches impossible and it seems that coaches to include coordinators for head coaching job. in C-USA are Black. programs still do whatever they like UTEP are people of color, running According to the Institute for Among coordinators, the when it comes to hiring coaches back coach, Theron Aych, and Diversity and Ethics in Sports, disparities are equally alarming regardless of experience. cornerback coach, Treyvon Wade. 70% of all NFL players are Black. across the entire NCAA. Of the Mike Huff was the only Black While UTEP is not unique in Approximately 53% of all college NCAA's 65 Power Five schools, coach hired this offseason out of 15 these regards, it is disappointing football players are Black and about there were five Black offensive coaching openings in the NCAA that a school that revels in its 60% are minorities. coordinators and six defensive Division 1. Apparently, the NCAA history for the historic 1966 NCAA So in a sport such as football, one coordinators. Within C-USA and the colleges decided that only one Black Men's Basketball championship would assume that Black players minor conferences, the numbers are coach was good enough to get an has not led the way in its football down the line would turn into somewhat better. C-USA currently opportunity to be a head coach in coaching opportunities. The national Michael Cuviello coaches since their experience on has two teams with Black offensive a sport that is represented on the championship basketball team is the field would give them greater coordinators and five with defensive field by majority-minority athletes. championed for being the first all- The Prospector knowledge of the game they play. coordinators. This whole process and idea is Black starting five in NCAA history Some can argue the impact Unfortunately that is not the case It all starts at the top, where mindbogglingly flawed and has no and led the way for desegregation of of institutional racism has on at the pro or college level. In the mostly white boards choose mostly oversight for hires. major college basketball. advancement within all sectors and NFL, there are only three Black white college presidents and, in We as fans and members of these The lack of diversity with UTEP industries may have been somewhat head coaches out of 32 positions. turn, continue the cycle with their colleges should demand more from football hires sticks out like a sore diminished. Nowhere does the stark The college ranks fare no better in athletic directors. The overwhelming these schools that make money on thumb for a school with its history discrepancy of opportunities for the top division. At the end of the majority of coach hirings are white these minority athletes' backs while and demographic makeup. advancement by people of color 2020 football season, 12 Black head by these same people who build holding little regard for coaches of So as we recognize all the great illuminate itself as sport does. coaches were left standing out of 130 mostly white staffs. color. The NCAA and the universities Black athletes who have starred for As fans of all color celebrated the Division I programs, which amounts Even worse, when a Black head within them should have a clear-cut the Miners during Black History Super Bowl victory by the Tampa to 9% of all hired. coach gets fired, they are also less plan to address these discrepancies Month lets push our institution and Bay buccaneers over the Kansas City College football has no likely to get hired than their white that should be made public. the rest of the NCAA to do better Chiefs, one could not help but notice requirement for its institutions to counterparts for another head UTEP has hired 23 coaches in in promoting opportunities for that the vast majority of people interview a minority candidate for coaching job. their history and not one was a minorities in coaching.