Wayne Thornton (BA,1978)
This was a special time for me in my life. Being a part of the first-ever UTEP Women’s Basketball Team, coaching intramurals with a girls’ flag football team called the “Happy Hookers” and even at that time seeing our now Mayor of El Paso Joe Wardy play intramural sports.
The greatest pick-up games in the world were played in the old Women’s Gym -- there were no nets on the rims but it was special.
I recall being involved in freshman orientation , showing the freshman how to succeed at college and life. I was very lucky to call UTEP home and even more so by living in this great city.
KTEP and the late night “Tootsie Roll Soul Show” at the station with all the dedications were special, as well as working with former El Paso TV star Raymond Mesa at 1 o’clock in the morning.
It's just not the education you get from a university like UTEP, but also the education in life and memories that you will treasure forever. Thanks UTEP, you are special.
Bryan L. Johnson (BA, 1991)
Deciding to go to UTEP was an easy decision for me. I recall driving by the campus on I-10 and seeing the wonderful buildings and the beautiful desert scenery when I moved from Austin to California.
As I drove by, I thought to myself, "I'll be back."
Three years later, I packed my car and moved to El Paso to finish my college years at UTEP. Once on campus, I had two things that occupied my time: Spanish/Translation classes and Miner basketball (I still remember each day tickets were released to students for upcoming games, I'd go to class with what looked like a deck of cards of basketball tickets).
Translation classes were usually in the evening, so a group of us would go to the student union and play canasta in the stairwell after our morning classes.
I visit the UTEP Web site often, it takes me back to the wonderful memories of UTEP! Happy 90th!!! GO MINERS!!!
Cindy Darlene Holmes(BS, 2003)
My favorite memories revolve around my graduation. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of Science in December of 2003.
Because of my high GPA, I was elected to be the Undergraduate Student Marshall at commencement. Words cannot explain what an honor it was to lead my college into the Don Haskins Center.
As if that wasn't enough, my "Tell Your Story" was selected, and during the ceremony (UTEP President) Diana Natalicio spoke about me, she told my story of the challenges I encountered and how I succeeded.
Also during the ceremony, Dr. Natalicio asked the graduates who were grandparents to stand up. As I looked around, I was the only one. It gave me the most incredible feeling of accomplishment!
Thank you for letting me share this story. UTEP FOREVER!
Henry Quintana Jr. (BA, 1975; MA, 1994)
My most memorable moment of my days as a student at UTEP was the day the "streakers" invaded the campus.
More specifically, I remember a gentleman who took part in the streakers parade who was known as Grandpa. This was an elderly gentleman who decided to join in the fun and sat atop a car at one of the streaker functions. Seeing him that spring afternoon was a surprise to me because I knew him under quite different circumstances.
Being a Voice Major when I began my college career, I was given the opportunity to sing at a local Methodist church to help pay my tuition. Also a member of this church choir was a kind, elderly man who sang tenor just like me.
Well, to my surprise and amazement this was the same gentleman that I saw that afternoon riding on top of a car completely naked, carrying a strategically placed brief case.
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to discuss this with him because he never went back to the church choir.
Larry Kohler (BA, MA, 1968)
As an incoming freshman in 1964, I had the dubious distinction of registering for my full-load of five classes and coming out with three classes scheduled at the same time.
A few hours later after discovering my error, I went back only to exit again with two classes scheduled at the same time. Talk about freshman jitters.
Eventually that day I did manage with the help of some kindly souls to schedule all my classes at different times. Years down the road and having learned from my mistakes, I obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Maybe I wasn't so stupid after all!
Stanley J. Bass , (BA,1970)
In the Fall of 1969, I had a World History course with Dr. John Creighton. He was a wonderful man: totally unpretentious and kind, and very easy to befriend.
We became good friends. Most people never even knew this, but John was a national master's champion in long-distance running. He got me hooked, and I consider that one of my life's two great salvations (the other being my marriage).
After my wife Mague and I moved to Southern Calif., we would always visit with the Creightons when we came home on vacation. My wife is from Fabens, so John and I would either run a long 8-miler out in the wonderful, clean, clear high desert north of Indian Cliffs, and have a beer or two afterwards at Beto's in Fabens, or we'd run a 6-miler around UTEP and Kern Place, and have a few brews at the great old Kern Place Tavern.
It upset us and saddened us terribly when all of a sudden, in 1982, when John was running a country road in his native Colorado, he had a fatal heart attack. Now, 22 years later, of all the friends I've lost or run off, I still miss John most of all.
He enjoyed teaching, and we all really cared for him and enjoyed his classes immensely. God bless John Creighton, a UTEP Star.
William (David) Henderson , (BA,1974)
In the early 1970s, the new "state of art" computer had been installed on campus. Punch cards had been used to install data on the computer.
(For you youngsters, punch cards were cardboard cards with punched holes made on a keypunch machine.)
After the program ran, the punch cards and the printouts from the computer were placed in a pigeonhole for retrieval by the student.
I placed my punch cards, containing a small program, in the box for loading and returned the next day to get what I thought would be a one-or-two-page print out. After looking for a few minutes, I found my punch cards on top of a ream of paper stuffed into the pigeonhole!
I found that I had accidentally put a "do loop" in my program and it would not shut down. With one of my first programs, I had bankrupted the department for the year!
Pat Littledog, (BA,1969; MA, 1976)
My undergraduate years were longer than most because I was a married, working woman who took freshman English in 1959 and didn't graduate until January 1969, two months after the birth of my third baby.
It didn't bother me too much that there were no commencement ceremonies for people who fufilled their degree requirements at the end of the fall semester rather than the spring. Someone told me there would be no problems getting my papers. But when I got there, a clerk found only an index card that said my diploma was on hold.
"It must be that you owe someone money or have some outstanding warrant or incomplete work," he said.
He sent me to the library, the Dean of Humanities, registration, campus police, loans and even to the basement. I gave out my name to a man in rolled-up sleeves behind a disordered desk. He ran into a file and drew out a document.
"It was routed here for special printing," he said. "Graduating with Honors." Exposed basement pipes rattled over us and printing machines clattered behind us as he passed the paper to me. He then stuck his hand out. "I guess I should say, 'Congratulations,'" he said. It wasn't an elaborate ceremony, but it was unique and at the heart of the matter.
Mina Carver Kidd (BBA,1966)
I vividly remember where I was when they announced over the loudspeaker that President Kennedy had been killed. I froze on the sidewalk next to the student union. The school was in a state of shock. I was a sophomore.
I graduated in January 1966, and went to Washington, D. C., to train for the Red Cross before going to Vietnam. Our awesome basketball team was there for the NCAA championships - creating quite a stir.
While I was getting my medical exam, the doctor asked where I had graduated from and when I said, "Texas Western", he immediately said, " I thought that was a black school."
William M. Leff D. C. (Student, 1978-81)
One cold, windy December night in 1980, I was out for a walk to work off some excess energy from cramming for finals. At the time, I was living in the UTEP married family housing dorms. My pregnant wife was resting at home, a bit uncomfortable but healthy.
At the Special Events center, I noticed that an event was happening so I wandered over and noticed an impressive tour bus that had a splendid scene of horses and mountains on the side. I stood wondering, "Who's bus is this?" as I admired the artwork. A man suddenly yelled at me from a car, "Ticket!".
"No ticket," I responded thinking he was looking for a scalped ticket.
"Do you," he pointed at me, "want a free ticket? Headache," he said as he pointed to his female companion.
"Of course, but do you have an extra one for my wife?" I knew going to the concert without her was a naughty idea.
"Sure", he said as he handed me two sweet tickets to the John Denver concert. I couldn't believe my luck as I sprinted home since the concert was already started.
The music was splendid with John Denver on a circular stage moving slowly round and round. Now that John Denver is gone, I realized what a special UTEP moment I had.