University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP The rP ospector Special Collections Department 11-2-2010 The rP ospector, November 2, 2010 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 2, 2010" (2010). The Prospector. Paper 19. http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector/19 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]. The University of Texas at El Paso · November 2, 2010 UPDATE: Suspected gunman on campus • Students question lack of notification about incident prospectortheassayer of student opinion NEWS • 3 One free copy per student www.utepprospector.com ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH BURCHETT / The Prospector You Deserve It! Become our Fan 1700 Curie, Suite 2400, El Paso, TX 79902 | xÎÎUÎ{È£ÊÊÊ schustereyecenter.com Optional 0% financing on bilateral procedures with no previous eye surgery. PAGE 2 you think? THE PROSPECTOR This week’s poll question: November 2, 2010 PAGE3NEWS Did you register for the Miner Alert text message November 2, 2010 system? WHAT DO WHAT editor-in-chief perspectivesAaron Martinez, 747-7477 vote at WWW.UTEPPROSPECTOR.COM High 72 High 74 High 68 High 69 High 70 High 72 High 73 Column Low 47 Low 44 Low 45 Low 39 Low 38 Low 42 Low 45 A message from Safety Timeline of events Coach Floyd 10:53 a.m. Call logged by dispatcher to Computer Assistant Dispatch system. Acknowledgment of report of a male in a red car, Chihuahua license Alert system questioned plates. While on phone with dispatchers, two units go to scene to staff – we sold out a whopping 25 BY TIM FLOYD look for reported vehicle. home games. BY AARON MARTINEZ Angel Wallace, education graduate registered for the text message alert Special to The Prospector student, said he believes that an alert system has gone up to 14,400. Our staff will work just as tirelessly The Prospector 10:55 a.m. One unit at scene, unable to locate car in lot reported (Inner Greetings UTEP as we did in the ‘70s and ‘80s to build should have been sent out immediate- “Since registration began, we have Campus Lot 2, Liberal Arts Building). Students have expressed concerns ly to students to inform them of what students! I would a basketball program that regularly seen the number of students enroll(ed) Units searched reported area and IC-11 (behind Liberal Arts Build- over the fact that a text alert was not is happening on campus. 10:58 a.m. like to introduce competes for conference titles and dramatically increase,” Moss said. ing). sent out to students aft er an inci- “I think if a situation like this hap- myself. My name NCAA Tournament bids. We will “We went from a couple of thousand 11:00 a.m. is Tim Floyd and I dent involving an alleged gunman on pens, they should send out a message No red vehicle located, also calls from multiple witnesses in the De- work equally as hard to establish a students registered for it to well over partment of Liberal Arts offi ce came in wanting to speak with cers.offi am your new men’s campus. alert to students,” Wallace said. “Th ey strong bond between the UTEP bas- 10,000 now, and I believe as students basketball coach. “I didn’t know anything about it un- need to let students know, because if 11:02 a.m. ketball program and the student body. continue to register for their classes, Report modifi ed –by either initial caller or from Liberal Arts Some of you may til I was told in one of my university I got that warning, I would know to But in order to reach all of our goals, classes,” said David Portillo, freshman avoid that area, and also, if students that number will continue to increase. calls – saying there was a man holding up a gun and looking at the know that I was an assistant coach possible gun. criminal justice major. “It’s crazy that had an idea of what was going on they here back in the late ‘70s and early we need your help. I want the Haskins We could be at 18,000 or 19,000 by the nobody was even aware this happened could tell them (police) if they spotted 11:14 a.m. ‘80s, working for Don Haskins. Th ose Center to be just as rocking night in time registration is over.” Initial caller speaking with offi cer at scene saying black handgun on campus. Th ey did not even send the suspect anywhere else at UTEP.” were some of the best years of my life. and night out as it was 25 years ago, Moss said the alert system will only with ammo clip, possibly a 9 mm. out the text message alert system.” Numerous requests for an interview I am so excited to be back in El Paso. and for that to happen a strong turn- be used in emergency situations where Th e UTEP Police Department re- with UTEP Police Chief Clift on Walsh It is such a beautiful place with the out from the students is critical! there is a continuing threat to students. ceived a report at approximately 11 about the incident were not answered. Your support will help us build best fans in America! a.m. Oct. 22 of a man on campus Th e incident was not included on “Th e alert system is reserved for I have so many fond memories of an insurmountable home court ad- suspected of carrying a handgun by the UTEP Police Crime and Incident use only in valid emergencies where my fi rst time in El Paso. We won four vantage, one that will pay dividends the Liberal Arts Building in the in- Report. emergency personnel have had the straight Western Athletic Confer- when the Conference USA Tourna- ner campus 2 parking lot. According UTEP offi cials have recently opportunity to ensure there is a cred- ence titles from 1983-86, and won the ment returns to El Paso in March. to Robert Moss, assistant vice presi- launched a new campaign to get stu- ible continuing threat to campus, and WAC Tournament two of those years. We tip off the regular season ver- dent of the environmental, health and dents registered for the Miner Alert it will not be used to send unsubstanti- Our team was ranked as high as fi ft h sus Pacifi c on Friday, Nov. 12. UTEP safety department, UTEP police re- system. Part of this campaign is en- ated warnings through the messaging in the nation during the 1983-84 sea- hasn’t sold out its fi rst home game of sponded and declared the campus safe couraging students to sign up for the system,” Moss said. “Only valid, active son. Th at year the Miners began an the season since 1986, so I’m asking within fi ve minutes of the call. text message alerts as they register for unprecedented run, appearing in sev- threats will be communicated using you to play your part in fi lling the “A call did go into dispatch and the classes through Goldmine for the up- en consecutive NCAA Tournaments. message that was conveyed to them Miner Alert.” Haskins Center. All students get in coming semester. According to Moss, Back then UTEP Basketball was was the possibility of a weapon, so as of Nov. 1 the total number of people Aaron Martinez may be reached [email protected]. free with a valid I.D., so what’s stop- such a hot ticket, the students would what they did was dispatch to verify, camp out before the games. Th en ping you from being there to cheer on which is very routine. Essentially, you 12,222 fans would pack the arena on YOUR team? don’t want to cause a panic or an alert, Come early, be loud and be proud! Maldonado game day and the visiting team didn’t you want to get ahead of what is go- stand a chance. From 1983-86 – my And Go Miners! ing on in the situation,” Moss said. “I went through a considerable review last three seasons on coach Haskins’ Tim Floyd, UTEP menʼs basketball coach of the records on this and in my view, the dispatcher did a very thorough job, the offi cers as well, to check into the immediate report, and within 25 minutes they had concluded there was in La Union, NM no issue going on here. In fact, they Open From M-F 9am-1:45pm w/appointment had concluded that (no suspect was from 5pm-10pm to general public For more info call (915) 203-0515 on campus) within the fi rst couple of Saturday 10am-10pm Sunday 12pm-6pm www.cornmaze.com minutes.” Moss said aft er UTEP police made the determination that there was no threat to students, the decision not to send out a text message was made by the department. According to Moss, ACCURACY WATCH 13% POLL RESULTS permission from the UTEP police The Prospector is no chief is not needed to send out an Should UTEP offi cials emergency text message alert when committed to accuracy.