Page 12 - UTEP Miner Guide

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Cardiac Hill begins at the base of the Education Building and connects the main campus with Memorial Gym and Kidd Field.
BEANIES
New students were once required to wear fresh- man beanies during their first semester of study.
SIGMA GAMMA EPSILON - ΣΓΕ
Etched in rocks across campus are these Greek let- ters. The National Earth Sciences Honorary Society used to require new members to chisel letters into campus rocks without getting caught by authorities. The outcrop around the Liberal Arts Building is a great place to look for this unique tradition.
STREAKER SPIRIT
The 1960s at UTEP were a hotbed for political expression and little to no inhibition. On several oc- casions, naked students were seen streaking down University Avenue and during football games.
SADIE HAWKINS
The Sadie Hawkins Dance was once a highlight of the school year. Female students would dress up in their finest male attire and chase their “beloveds” around campus. If the boy was caught by a girl, he had to escort the girl to the dance.
UTEP TRADITIONS
GATOR CAMP
Gator Camp is an annual overnight new student experience that commemorates a 1950s prank turned UTEP tradition. Students “borrowed” a live alligator from San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso and placed it in the office of a faculty mem- ber. On another occasion, an alligator was found at the bottom of the campus swimming pool.
MINERPALOOZA
What began as the alumni picnic on the lawn has now become Minerpalooza, the official back- to-school party for students, faculty, and staff. Attendees will enjoy live music, activity booths,
food and so much more. Join us this year on September 5, 2025 for Minerpalooza!
MINING MINDS SCULPTURE
Mining Minds is a 25-foot-tall pickaxe head partly buried in a rock garden within the campus roundabout at University Avenue and Sun Bowl Drive. A unique binary code (a pattern of ones and zeroes) is sculpted into the top and bottom thirds of the pick to signify the language of modern technology. The binary code is based on an inspirational quote from University President Dr. Diana Natalicio’s 2008 Convocation speech: “Believe in yourself and in your dreams. Believe in UTEP and its aspirations. Share the dream!” By day, sunlight shines through the perforated numbers. By nights, LED lights illuminate the pick’s ends. The iconic artwork is visible to the thousands of travelers who pass the university along I-10.
MINER GUIDE 2025 - 2026 • THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO