University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP The rP ospector Special Collections Department 11-1-2016 The rP ospector, November 1, 2016 UTEP Student Publications Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector Part of the Journalism Studies Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Comments: This file is rather large, with many images, so it may take a few minutes to download. Please be patient. Recommended Citation UTEP Student Publications, "The rP ospector, November 1, 2016" (2016). The Prospector. Paper 264. http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector/264 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections Department at DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in The rP ospector by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOL. 102, NO. 11 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO NOVEMBER 1, 2016 Women’s basketball team overlooked despite success BY GRECIA SANCHEZ Levesque explained that there are many factors for advertising including AND JASON GREEN rivalries, end of season games, events The Prospector at the university such as homecoming, UTEP women’s basketball has among others. She says that gender is achieved a level of success that ranks not one of these factors. it near the top of all teams—male and “We don’t say this weekend we are female—at UTEP. The team was a promoting men and the next one runner-up in the Women’s National women. No, we just do it out of the Invitation Tournament in 2014. Dur- need and what’s important,” Levesque ing the tournament’s final four games, said. “We decide who needs help based the Miners made history as the first on the events of the sports themselves.” Roberto Avant-Mier, a communica- UTEP women’s basketball team to ever tion studies professor, said that this sell out the Don Haskins Center, which topic is a matter of culture and inter- they did twice. est. He believes that the lessons that are Even with the team’s success, players learned relating to sports and gender noticed the disparity in attendance be- are taught at an early age. tween their games and the men’s, who “Sports are a strong factor in cul- averaged 7,386 fans last season—com- ture. Sexism exists in society and pared to 2,696 for the women—who in culture. We don’t think what finished the season with 10 more wins the women do is worth as much as than the men, along with a C-USA men,” Avant-Mier said. “We have championship. not as much interest for women’s “As far as women’s games, the stu- sports. This is just the way it is. This dents don’t come to our games. If is not fair, but is a matter of culture.” you look at the students in the men’s Avant-Mier also said UTEP games, you’ll see it’s completely full,” makes a large effort to promote said Jenzel Nash, a graduate student women’s games, but that the efforts in communication and a member of are not enough. the team. “I promise, you probably “I know a lot of times tickets are don’t get three rows in the students’ given away, they sell it for free. section for our games.” But you go to the games and there Julie Levesque, senior associate aren’t many people,” Avant-Mier athletics director, said that advertis- said. “I imagine the only ones there ing in sports is based on trade with are friends from the players, family, companies and claimed it is the boyfriends, etc.—but from El Paso, same for all sports—no matter the many people don’t show up.” gender of the team. According to Nash, students who “Basketball is always together. You’ll come to women’s basketball games never see a men’s basketball commer- are only friends and other athletes—in cial without seeing the women’s bas- other words, not the regular popula- ketball there also. We use a lot of social tion of students. media, we send schedules, pictures, “I’m not sure if students don’t show updates, etc.” Levesque said. “We make up to our games because they don’t a lot of flyers passed around campus or know about them,” Nash said. “I would posters at the restaurants. We put them tell my classmates we are having a around campus so people can see the game this day and a lot of them don’t schedules.” even know about our games.” However, Nash said that she has not Levesque agrees with Avant-Mier seen equal advertising. that no matter the advertising or bud- “We don’t get the same (advertising get afforded to the sport, people are as) the men. You go to restaurants only going to see what they are cultur- that are close nearby and you only ally inclined to watch. get to see men’s posters,” Nash said. “People are going to go to a game that “And this happens even when we are they like. If you’re a soccer fan, you’re the ones who are winning. Even with going to be at every game or if you see the WNIT.” the team is winning, you would want see ovERlooKED on page 6 see ovERlooKED on page 4 Featuring 3435 N. Mesa St. ( Next to Wendy’s) Open 7am-10pm Breakfast Sandwiches PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 1, 2016 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OPINION MICHAELA ROMÁN, 747-7477 America Should Legalize Sports Betting Now BY JASON GREEN leagues will be damned if anything like comes with something like gambling,” so, that’s good for the people, right? Not notice large sums coming in on insignifi- that is going to happen again! Batson said to KFDA TV of Lubbock. like sports betting? Not exactly. cant games? The Prospector The Black Sox Scandal was the inten- That sounds just awful if you ask me. I In a 2012 Business Insider report, South Additionally, gambling is great for Former UTEP tional throwing of the 1919 World Series mean, just look at all of the seediness all Carolina was reported to have 28 percent sports—just like fantasy sports are. Any- student Michael by the Chicago White Sox, who were around us. In an op-ed in the New York of the state’s population making under thing that increases interest in games Karpus pled guilty heavily favored over the Cincinnati Reds Times in 2014, NBA Commissioner $40,000 per year. However, that 28 per- that otherwise people may not care recently to charges and conspired with gamblers to lose on Adam Silver estimated that illegal sports cent made up 54 percent of the state’s about should be fully supported by the relating to a gam- purpose. Many think that without this gambling in the United States could see lottery players. This is not an aberration. leagues—thus, NBA Commissioner bling ring, which scandal, gambling could have been legal- as much as $400 billion wagered annu- The lottery traditionally draws most of Adam Silver’s 2014 op-ed in the New he ran while en- ized nationwide with no problem. ally. We are surrounded by seediness. its customers from the ranks of the low York Times in support of legalization and rolled at the uni- This is the first big reason that sports Can you feel it? income—and even the unemployed. The the NHL’s recent announcement of an ex- versity. According wagering is not legal across the country. Better yet, do you feel it every time same report quotes a 2009 UT-Arlington pansion franchise in (GASP) Las Vegas. In order to make sure that our sports are you walk into the grocery or conve- to court documents, the gambling ring al- study as saying that an unemployed Tex- The last step would be for the gov- on the up-and-up, we cannot allow it. nience store? After all, the state of Texas legedly involved former UTEP basketball an was more likely to buy a scratch-off ernment to admit the hypocrisy in However, this is flawed logic; consider- is responsible for running the biggest players McKenzie Moore, Jalen Ragland lottery ticket than one who was employed keeping the gambling to themselves. ing that betting is still legal in places. Just gambling ring in the state, the Texas lot- and Justin Crosgile—who were dismissed or retired. Granted, there is the occasional Native as these players found a way, it can still tery. While telling everyone around that from the team in January 2014 when their This is all information that is available to American casino, but hey, you kind happen. Games have still been thrown for gambling is dangerous for people and alleged involvement was uncovered. the politicians who continue to ban gam- of have to give them something for betting purposes. The unscrupulous are that they only want what is best for their This type of scandal is the exact reason taking an entire continent away from not worried about betting legally. constituents, politicians consistently bling—except for the lottery. Do they re- them, right? But even they are not al- that most major sport leagues and espe- So, if it is going to happen anyway, why fight against sports wagering while sup- ally want to do what is best for the people? lowed to have sports wagering. cially the NCAA have traditionally been shouldn’t the government get in on the porting legalized gambling in their own Or do they really want to bring in the Instead of pretending that you care such staunch anti-gambling advocates.