By Justin O’Donnell

Not many people at UTPA know that Kevin Bacon often walks the campus, exploring, seeing the sights and making friends with people and animals.
Bacon is a fairly new resident to the Rio Grande Valley, living with his new roommate, Edinburg native and sophomore Rick Lopez, across the street from the campus.
Also he is a pig, literally. Kevin Bacon, named after one of Lopez’s favorite actors, not only has the name of a celebrity, but the attitude also.
“He’s loved by all. He’s very outgoing and very photogenic,” according to Lopez.
Often times Bacon can be seen at campus events at UTPA’s quad in front of the Student Union, basking in the attention of students.
Also like a celebrity, sometimes the attention gets to his head.
“He’s very needy. Definitely a lot harder to take care of then a dog. He needs attention a lot,” Lopez said, further remarking that Bacon was a prima dona.
“He sleeps with me every night, you know. He’s with me almost 24/7,” said Lopez, fondly recalling their nights in the Pana Vista apartments next to Bronc Village.
Kevin moved eight months ago from a Crockett, Texas farm that sells miniature pigs for people to keep as pets. Before then, he had no human contact so that he would bond strongly with his new owner. Lopez recalled picking up Bacon at the airport, saying it felt like going to pick up one’s baby.
Despite the vast change in Bacon’s environment from the quaint Crockett farm to the relatively bustling Valley, he is adapting.
“He loves it here. He loves the weather, he loves the heat,” Lopez explained.
Not only has Bacon become adjusted to the climate, but also the people.
“He struts his stuff,” Lopez said with a laugh. “He knows he gets a lot of attention, and he knows that people like him so he just walks around like he’s all that.”
For the most part Kevin Bacon gets along with the animals in Edinburg as well. His best friend  (aside from Lopez) is Ren, a 7-month-old Miniature Pinscher belonging to Lopez and Bacon’s roommate, John Peña. The two were practically raised together and do almost everything with each other, from running to playing around campus. Ren has even been known to comfort Bacon when he’s scared, by embracing and caressing him.
However, not all animals find Bacon so endearing. On one occasion a Husky “picked him up like he was a chew-toy and ran off with him.”
“He screamed. He squealed,” recalled Lopez who rescued him.
Lopez affirms that Bacon can be summarized: “Kevin Bacon’s motto is PIG. P stands for persistence. I stands for  integrity. G stands for guts.”
People can find Kevin Bacon on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kevin-Bacon/287221471302508