Pet food pantry helps keep animal friends in the family during tough times

Many pet owners view their pets as part of their family. They do everything they can to care for them, including feeding them their favorite food or buying them a new outfit. But, things can happen in life, and pet owners can be left unable to care for their beloved pets. Former El Paso Humane Society volunteer, Josie Gonzalez, saw many pet owners who were forced to surrender their pets to the shelter because they could no longer afford to feed and care for them. Gonzalez thought of a new way to help keep pets at home with their families.

These 4 treats are worth tracking down at El Paso’s Mexican snack shacks

When I first moved to El Paso from Arkansas, my definition of Mexican food was tacos, guacamole and quesadillas. After living here for 10 years now, I have expanded my palette and grown to enjoy even more Mexican foods and snacks than I knew existed. I’ve come to enjoy authentic Mexican plates at restaurants like tacos al pastor, tampiquena, and aguachiles. But, I have also grown fond of some more unusual culinary treats available at local snack shacks anchored in parking lots around town. Not the newer trend of gourmet food trucks, which come replete with chefs from California and Las Vegas, but the simple mom-and-pop snack spots closer to El Paso border style.

Talking hazing to prevent hazing among college students

EL PASO — As part of Hazing Prevention Week 2015 at UTEP, students played a game in which they placed red or green pellets in boxes containing different potential scenarios: red if they thought it was not hazing and green if they thought that it was. Sometimes the scenarios fell into the “gray area” for participants, highlighting one of the biggest problems of hazing for some students – knowing when the line has been crossed. Delecia McPherson, president of the National Panhellenic Council at UTEP, said the scenario game and other exercises were great ways to engage students in discussions about activities that may humiliate, degrade, abuse or endanger group members or initiates – even if they seem willing to participate. “I believe my knowledge on hazing has better informed students on what is considered hazing and how we can question situations that may draw a fine line on the subject,” she said. National Hazing Prevention Week ran from September 21 through the 25.

Shop brings second-hand chic to university area

EL PASO — Opening to a huge crowd here this summer, the first Uptown Cheapskate store in this area specializing in used clothing, shoes and accessories aims to bring affordable fashion to students, young professionals, and those simply looking for a great buy. According to owner Kevin Drennan the store opening on August 27 drew the third largest crowd in the history of Uptown Cheapskate store franchises, resale stores with a particular point of view. “The difference between thrift and resale is we’ll pay you cash for your clothes, whereas thrift will just take your items and don’t pay you anything for it. Consignment gives you fifty percent of the profit from an item after they sell it,” Drennan said. The first franchise of the company opened in 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah.