This past Friday, the University of Texas at El Paso threw a bash for the ages, celebrating the oldest student tradition in its books, Texas College of Mines Day. The festivities tip their hat to the university's early days as a mining institution and include a unique whitewashing of a massive "M" on a mountainside, and a mining challenge that has teams racing around campus, as detailed by UTEP, which laid out the happenings of the day.
According to UTEP, this year's TCM Day brought in a crowd of over 175 students, alumni, and UTEP community members. Assistant Dean for Engineering Student Success, Gabby Gandara, said, "The leadership and dedication of students from several student organizations created a day filled with energy, smiles and lasting memories," as per UTEP. The key word seems to be "tradition," as this event traces its lineage back to 1920 and includes the induction of new student engineers and geologists into the Order of St. Patrick, the patron saint if there ever was one for engineers.
The tradition, which aligns with St. Patrick's Day celebrations in March, saw Mariana Sigala take the helm as this year's "St. Pat." A senior studying electrical engineering, Sigala's resume includes tutoring in the Advancement Center for Engineering Students and serving as the finance chair of the Engineering Student Leadership Council. This was her fourth swing at TCM Day, and in an interview with UTEP, Sigala shared, "It was awesome. I’m glad that a lot of people showed up. I had a lot of fun and was honored to lead us in remembering our mining roots and celebrating UTEP’s TCM Day traditions," as obtained by UTEP. Clearly a day for the books, the celebrations also included a mining-themed obstacle course, where teams grappled with coal carts, mining tools, and even a muddy treasure hunt for metal and ore "samples."
Additional festivities for the day had students serenading UTEP President Heather Wilson, and they wrapped up with an awards ceremony, and as the traditional "bean feed." For a university that prides itself on being a Hispanic-serving institution at "America's leading Hispanic-serving university," UTEP's TCM Day is a nod not just to their heritage, but also to fostering unity and spirited engagement amongst their diverse student population, 84% of which is Hispanic, illumines the importance of such community events in maintaining a vibrant campus life.
