Perspectives

Louie talks with Nancy Natalicio about the art of creating memoirs for a lifetime, whether to create a family history volume, or to chronicle a life. For more information about memoir writing classes, Ms. Natalicio may be reached through the Osher Lifelong Learning Center at UTEP, 915-747-6280, 915-747-8848, or visit their website: http://www.olliatutep.org/home.html  Aired June 15, 2013.

Louie welcomes back best-selling author Steve Berry for a discussion about his latest Cotton Malone adventure, "The King's Deception."  This book is the 8th adventure between Cotton and his teenage son Gary as they travel to Europe to escort a teenage fugitive there.  Along the way, Gary is kidnapped, a high-stakes diplomatic showdown ensues, and secrets are uncovered about the mysterious Queen Elizabeth I, the Tudor dynasty, and the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. 

Berry also talks about his forthcoming Cotton Malone adventure, the challenges & joys of writing historical fiction, and why books are ALWAYS better than the movies they are based on.  http://steveberry.org/books/the-kings-deception/synopsis/

Aired June 8, 2013.

Louie talks with journalist Alfredo Corchado, who is the author of "Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter's Journey Through a Country's Descent Into Darkness."  Corchado is the Mexico Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News.  Corchado talks about his early career in journalism and about his mother's influence on his life & career.  A native of Mexico, Corchado studied in El Paso, yet decided to return to Mexico to be a reporter.  He talks about an experience in which he received a death threat in Mexico City on the very night he was to celebrate an award.  Corchado also explains why holding a U.S. passport may actually be a form of protection against narcos who might want him dead...a protection his Mexican colleagues do not have. 

http://alfredocorchado.com

Aired June 1, 2013.

Louie Saenz reads an excerpt from Alfredo Corchado's "Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Country’s Descent into Darkness." 

Corchado,(2013),p 233-234 Corchado, ,A. (2013) Midnight in Mexico, Penguin Press,New York City, NY

Louie talks with Chad Puerling and Steve Lama, two noted El Paso photographers/educators, about the evolution of digital photography, and how casual enthusiasts and experienced photographers alike can take advantage of classes at both UTEP and El Paso Community College, and experience the joys of capturing a lifetime on digital imagery.

Guest host Russ Chianelli joins Louie Saenz in the studio for a conversation with Gary Williams, director of the Center for Research, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Enterprises (CREIE).  They are also joined by students Alex Pastor, Eva Deemer, and Diego Capeletti, who founded the award-winning startup company, American Water Recycling Co.  They hope that their work with the material graphene, which is 200x stronger than steel and is highly impermeable, will lead to a water filter which will add clean water to the Rio Grande.  

CREIE was created to help students such as Pastor, Deemer, and Capeletti, as well as area faculty and entrepreneurs, commercialize their technologies.  They also talk about the importance of interdisciplinary study and overcoming the obstacles of understanding the technical terms and lingo of the various disciplines involved in commercializing a product.

CREIE:  915-920-0890, http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=research.utep.edu/creie

Aired May 18, 2013.

Louie talks with Christina Montoya, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at El Paso Water Utilities.  Montoya talks about the excellent conservation practices by El Pasoans, but why we need to conserve even more with the historic drought affecting the region.  She talks about why the river will remain dry until early June, and about the safety of the local water supply.  Montoya talks about the water-efficient shower heads available at the TecH2O Center, 10751 Montana ( http://tech2o.org/), and about EPWU's "Less is the New More" campaign (http://www.lessismoreep.org/).

Aired May 11, 2013.

Louie Saenz has a frank talk with Izzy Mora from the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation about cancer, including breast cancer: the discovery, emotional rollercoaster that comes with the disease, and how the foundation teaches families how to cope and how to help cancer patients survive. They also discuss the benefit concert set for Saturday, May 4, at the Chamizal National Memorial. It's titled, "Sgt. Pepper's Wondrous Wigorium: Seasons may change, but beauty remains." Showtime is at 7 PM; tickets are available through PayPal at www.rgcf.org.

Aired May 4, 2013.

Louie, Dennis, and guest host Russ Chianelli talk with Chef Keeley Cheshire, owner of Italians Restaurant in El Paso.  Keeley talks about her start in life pursuing the dream of becoming a ballerina, touring the US & Europe as a showgirl, and marrying an Italian man and living with her mother-in-law, who taught her authentic Italian cooking.  She talks about cooking by feel, what constitutes an "authentic" pizza, and why she will not allow ketchup or ranch dressing anywhere in her restaurant.  http://www.italianselpaso.com/

Aired April 20, 2013.

Louie talks with veterinarian Dr. Bernie Page to talk about how to care for pets now that the weather is getting warmer.  What kind of precautions should you take to care for outdoor pets, and why do certain breeds have such difficulty breathing and staying cool?  Dr. Page also talks about pet longevity, spaying & neutering, and the health benefits of companion animals.  Aired April 13, 2013.

Louie talks with Nina Litvak, co-writer, and Salvador Litvak, co-writer and director of the film "Saving Lincoln," a film which tells the story of the friendship between President Abraham Lincoln and his self-appointed bodyguard Ward Hall Lamon.  They talk about why Lamon was so trusted by the president, and why he wasn't by the president's side when Lincoln was assassinated. Sal Litvak also explains how he was able to shoot scenes from the film "inside" vintage photos. The Litvaks talk about how their first attempt to make a Lincoln film was derailed with the announcement that Stephen Spielberg was ALSO going to make a Lincoln film.  www.savinglincoln.com.    Aired April 6, 2013.

Louie welcomes Tom Fullerton back into the studio to talk about the border economy.  Fullerton is a Professor of Economics & Finance with the UTEP College of Business.  He talks about the UTEP Border Region Modeling Project (http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=academics.utep.edu/border), as well as the urban revitalization of downtown El Paso, and about the changes happening on the UTEP campus, both aesthetically and academically. Fullerton also talks about why so many young people migrate out of El Paso after college only to return, and about the job prospects for recent graduates.  Aired March 30, 2013.

It's time for March Madness, so we are happy to present a rebroadcast of an interview with author and former UTEP & NMSU basketball coach, Rus Bradburd; and legendary former head coach of the University of Arkansas, Nolan Richardson.  Rus wrote a biography of Coach Richardson in 2011 called "Forty Minutes of Hell: The Extraordinary Life of Nolan Richardson."  Rus talks about why he chose to write about Nolan Richardson, who was the first black coach at a southern school to win an NCAA Championship.  Coach Richardson talks about his career path that led to his position as head coach for the University of Arkansas.  He was raised in El Paso's Segundo Barrio where he faced some racism, but he experienced a sort of freedom when crossing the border into Mexico.

Originally aired Feb 6, 2010, re-aired March 23, 2013.

Louie and guest host Dennis Woo talk to Julie Zimet and David Thackston about the National Issues Forum, which tackles several public issues of national concern each year, and invites the community to bypass the political process and discuss the issues rationally amongst themselves.  Zimet and Thackston talk about the effectiveness of the National Issues Forum in impacting political change.  Learn about an upcoming forums by calling 915-751-6481 or visiting www.nifi.org.

Aired March 16, 2013.

Louie talks with Gregory Rocha, Associate Professor of Political Science at UTEP, about a variety of local, state, and national issues.  Rocha discusses Congressman Beto O'Rourke's recent display of bipartisanship on the House floor.  He also discusses how the U.S. might diplomatically handle the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.  Plus, Rocha talks about the El Paso mayoral race and the challenges facing the candidates.  Aired March 9, 2013.

Louie talks with Michael Moss, investigative reporter with the New York Times, and author of "Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us."  Moss talks about how food giants like Kraft and General Mills were asked to consider the obesity crisis in the U.S. and reduce the amount of salt, sugar, and fat in their foods.  Kraft actually began offering more information on their nutritional labels and capped the levels of sugar, salt, and fat in their foods.  However, due to our fast-food paced society, highly processed foods are still readily available and consumed.  Moss also details some of the false marketing strategies to make consumers believe the foods they purchase are "good for them," and why it's so difficult to decipher nutritional labels.  Aired March 2, 2013.

Louie talks with Barbara J. Dzikowski, author of "Searching for Lincoln's Ghost," a young adult historical fiction novel set in the 1960s.  Dzikowski talks about how the book reflects on the growing pains the nation was suffering during the civil rights movement.  They also reflect on the apparent parallels between civil rights abuses in the `60s and the more-recent sexual abuse in the Catholic church. http://www.barbarajdzikowski.com/Home.html   Aired Feb. 23, 2013.

Louie talks with Zita Arocha, senior lecturer with the UTEP Department of Communication.  Arocha talks about her memoir "Adios, Cuba," which tells the story of her family's departure from Cuba in the 1950s.  She explains why she once sided with Castro -  a decision which divided her family - and why she returned to Cuba decades after her family's departure to gather their stories.  Arocha's memoir, "Adios, Cuba," is available as a pdf download at the UTEP Library, and is yet to be published.  Aired Feb. 16, 2013.

Louie talks with Donald E. Moss, PhD, neuroscientist, researcher, and author of "Alzheimer's: My Journey to a Next Generation Treatment."  Moss talks about the development of the drug MSF which has been shown in animal & human trials to selectively boost acetylcholine in the brains of Alzheimer's patients without the side effects of medicines on the market today which also boost acetylcholine levels.  It would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to get FDA approval on MSF, so it has essentially fallen through the cracks.  Moss and his colleagues are currently looking for private sources of funding to continue their research and eventually offer it to Alzheimer's patients at the staggeringly low cost of $1-$2 dollars a day. Learn more about MSF and about plans to make MSF available to the public at http://brain-tools.com.  Aired Feb. 9, 2013.

Louie and guest co-host, UTEP Political Science professor Gregory Rocha, talk with Congressman Beto O'Rourke about his first 4 weeks in office.  O'Rourke talks about the debt ceiling, committee appointments, immigration reform, assistance for veterans, and gun control.  http://orourke.house.gov/  O'Rourke's El Paso district office is located at 303 N. Oregon St., M-Thu 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  915-541-1400.  Aired Feb. 2, 2013.

Louie talks with UTEP Political Science Professor Gregory Rocha about the second term of Barack Obama's presidency.  They talk about what is traditionally expected of second-term presidents, and why presidents have served only 2 terms since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  Rocha talks about the issues that may face President Obama in the next 4 years, including immigration, challenges from the National Rifle Association, changes in his Cabinet, and how he plans to mark his legacy.  Aired Jan. 26, 2013.

Louie talks with John Stuart, a high tech entrepreneur who co-wrote with his teen daughter Caitlin the novel ""Hiding in Sunshine," which tells the story of a family whose identity was stolen, and about their life on the run when their lives are threatened.  Stuart talks about the real-life threats we all face as more of our our personal & business interactions take place online and on social media.  http://hidinginsunshine.com  Aired Jan. 19, 2013.

Louie talks with Dr. Elena Izquierdo, Associate Professor of Teacher Education at UTEP; and Kathleen Staudt, Professor of Political Science at UTEP.  They discuss the upcoming conference, "Social Justice in Public Education."  Izquierdo & Staudt talk about the importance of getting teachers, parents, and community leaders involved in public education.  They also offer their views as to why time-consuming standardized tests have alienated students facing a language barrier, and why those tests have taken valuable teaching time out of the classroom.  They explain why the punitive nature of standardized tests have often led schools to partake in unethical behavior, leading them to sacrifice students to save the school's ranking.

The conference, "Social Justice in Public Education," will take place Jan. 18-19 at Bowie High School, and is open to all.  Info: Kathleen Staudt 915-747-7975, or visit www.elpasoteachersassociation.org.

Aired Jan. 12, 2013.

Louie talks with Rus Bradburd, former UTEP & NMSU basketball coach, and author of "Paddy on the Hardwood" and "Forty Minutes of Hell."  Bradburd talks about how his interest in poetry & literature grew while coaching basketball, and why it's hard to NOT write about sports.  He also talks about his latest novel, "Make It, Take It," a linked collection of stories, published by Cinco Puntos Press, www.cincopuntos.com, located at 701 Texas Ave., El Paso TX.  http://rusbradburd.com.  Aired Jan. 5, 2013.

Louie talks with Harry Meeuwson, director of CETaL (Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning); and Karla Ramirez, program director of CETaL.  Meeuwson & Ramirez talk about how CETaL focuses on improving teaching skills for UTEP faculty and graduate student instructors. 

CETaL will be sponsoring the upcoming International Sun Conference on Teaching & Learning, February 28 & March 1, at the Tomas Rivera Conference Center in the UTEP East Union Building.  Guest speakers at the conference will be Richard Pineda of the UTEP Department of Communication, and Marsha Lovett, co-author of "How Learning Works."  Advance registration available at http://cetalweb.utep.edu/sun; registration also available on site the days of the conference.  More information: 915-747-8793.  (The deadline for submitting papers for the conference is Jan. 3.)

Aired Dec. 29, 2012.

An encore presentation of a 2001 conversation Louie had with John O. West, the late UTEP English professor and folklorist.  West shares personal stories about the holiday traditions he observed & celebrated, and talks about the holidays foods that make the season so special, especially here on the border.  Aired Dec. 22, 2012.

Louie talks with John White, curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at the UTEP Centennial Museum. John gives us the lowdown on holiday plant care, including the care of poinsettias, Christmas cacti, and live or cut Christmas trees.  He also talks about why we shouldn't sing the praises of the parasitic, poisonous mistletoe!  John also fills us in on holiday snacks such as pecans, and why the drought is affecting the supply.  Aired Dec. 15, 2012.

Louie talks with Laurie Paternoster, owner of Lynx Exhibits; and Deborah Chaney, Education Director at Lynx Exhibits.  Laurie & Deborah talk about this unique El Paso museum which offers fun & educational traveling exhibits which invite families to immerse themselves in hands-on activities.  Hear about some new exciting exhibits coming in January 2013.

Lynx Exhibits is located at 301 W. Overland in Downtown El Paso.  915-533-5330, www.lynxexhibits.com.

Aired Dec. 8, 2012.

Louie talks with Catherine McCorry-Andalis, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Student Affairs at UTEP.  McCorry-Andalis talks about her role as Dean of Students in getting all undergraduates and graduate students engaged in campus activities outside the classroom.  She also discusses how UTEP welcomes and accommodates non-traditional students such as military veterans, single parents, older students, and international students.  www.utep.edu/studentlife, 915-747-5648.

Aired Dec. 1, 2012.

Louie talks with UTEP Associate Professor of Political Science, Chuck Boehmer.  The discuss the current situation between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza Strip.  Boehmer talks about the decades-long conflict in the region, and its relation to Israeli territorial expansion and Arab displacement.  He talks about the potential role the U.S. may play in the current conflict, and how tension in the region could affect neighboring countries.  Aired Nov. 24, 2012.