Borrowers without alternatives fall prey to predatory lenders

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EL PASO, Texas — Payday lending seems to be the only recourse for many people with no credit or damaged credit needing financial assistance in this rough economy. Many people find it hard to pay all their bills when their work hours are cut and they find themselves without cash. They have to turn to payday lenders. People with good credit normally just go to the local bank and ask for a routine signature loan. However, even for them, getting a loan is not easy anymore.

Buckram rushes for the Miners and El Paso aiming for the NFL

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EL PASO, Texas — Donald Buckram played his career breakout season in 2009 knowing that he needed exactly that to let the NFL scouts know that he has what it takes to shine on Sundays in the big league. The senior running back from the University of Texas at El Paso compiled 1,594 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior season with the Miners. Not only did he run the ball, Buckram, broke a UTEP record that stood since 1948, held by former Texas Western (now UTEP) running back Fred Wendt. Buckram didn’t always aspire to play football. Growing up in Copperas Cove, Texas, he idolized another sport other than football.

UTEP’s Randy Culpepper Can Fly on the Court and in the Classroom

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EL PASO, Texas — Dribble, swish, slam, fly and dunk. That describes Randy Culpepper —Conference USA’s 2010 Player of the Year. Although the junior shooting guard at the University of Texas at El Paso didn’t start out wanting to play basketball, Culpepper has turned into one of the best players ever to don a Miner uniform. That is a great accomplishment in itself since an array of great talent has played at the school, including Nate Archibald, Bobby Joe Hill and Tim Hardaway. Growing up in Memphis, Tenn., Culpepper originally started training as a gymnast long before touching a basketball.

A Dream Fulfilled at Estine’s Eastside Barbershop After All These Years

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EL PASO, Texas — The barbershop is hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city on a side street at the corner of Piedras and Alameda that was created when the Piedras overpass and Interstate 10 highway were built in the mid 1960’s. Working inside, Estine Davis, an elderly but lively African-American woman who won’t reveal her age, has cut hair for decades. The wrinkles on her face and the countless plaques on the wall whisper tales of times long past. Davis is the owner of Estine’s Eastside Barbershop. For those familiar with this border city, this area is considered South Central El Paso.

A Miners Season to Remember

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EL PASO, Tex. — As a student at UTEP for almost three years, I have never witnessed a basketball season as successful as the one this year’s UTEP team accomplished. For the first time in five years, the Miners’ regular season victories earned them an NCAA tournament bid. This season was a wild ride for the team as well as the fans. The Miners closed out the regular season with an impressive (15-2) record at home this year and an impressive (24-5) overall.

Ministry Students’ Help Goes Beyond Borders

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EL PASO — The massive earthquake that devastated Haiti causing the world to respond with help resonated in a small way in the Catholic Campus Ministry located just off-campus from the University Of Texas at El Paso. As people watched the rescue workers remove thousands of bodies from the rubble, some college students in El Paso, Texas, decided to help by adding some money to their prayers in their Sunday worship services. The organization along with help from the diocese of El Paso collected money during each Sunday service in January. In addition, an online campaign via social networking sites and word of mouth resources provided funds for the people of Haiti. “We see Haiti’s need in many dimensions, the physical, emotional, and spiritual.