March 5, 2009 by UTRGV Student Media

UTPA student sinks position for national tourney, See page 14

Volume 65, No. 22

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 5, 2009

ADMINISTRATION

UT Chancellor Cigarroa to visit UTPA

By Brian Silva The Pan American University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa will be visiting the university next Friday. He will be accompanied by other highranking System officials and will tour the campus and talk with various groups. Sharon Millsap, who is a senior

administrative associate with System academic affairs, said the trip to UTPA is a routine visit that will give Cigarroa the opportunity to be introduced to the campus. “It’s an opportunity to catch up on the issues that are at hand, and also any upcoming issues that those on campus want him to know about,” Millsap said. Millsap said the agenda for the

visit will be set up by the Office of the President at UTPA. “We will focus on whatever they want to showcase or feel like sharing with us,” Millsap said. Carol Rausch, assistant to the president, said the Chancellor and the System delegation will be arriving at about 8:00 a.m. on March 13, and then will depart later in the afternoon at about 3:45 p.m.

SEEN AND CAPTURED

Rausch stressed that the tentative schedule for the day is still fluid and has not been finalized yet. She said that System has expressed that they want to meet with student leadership as well as transfer students during their visit. To get a good view of the issues, Millsap said it is very important to System leadership that they get to talk with students, as well as meet

with the faculty and administration of the university. Millsap said Cigarroa will also meet with UTPA’s new interim president, Charles Sorber, while he’s here. Those from System leadership who are tentatively scheduled to visit are: Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David Prior, Associate Vice Chancel-

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ADMINISTRATION

Medrano awarded $230,000 from lawsuit By Naxiely Lopez The Pan American

Ben Briones/The Pan American

I WISH I WAS A... - Melissa Uriegas, a biology major, poses for a photograph for her friend Seth Stogner in front of the Wienermobile in the Quad Thursday.

On Feb. 23 The University of Texas-Pan American lost the gender discrimination case former Dean of Education Hilda Medrano had filed against the university. In 2005, former UTPA President Blandina Cardenas demoted Medrano, who had served as dean for eight years, to a professor position. Rodolfo Rocha, then dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, was also demoted. According to the university, the moves were made to meet Cardenas’ goal to make the school a more research-intensive institution. Shortly after her demotion, Medrano filed a discrimination suit claiming the university had not paid her as much as other deans who were men. She also sought reinstatement

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

OK Go opening act for Dashboard Confessional

By J.R. Ortega The Pan American

By Victor Ituarte The Pan American As a roomful of University of Texas-Pan American students celebrated their last dance at the Homecoming Coronation Ball, the DJ announced Chicago-based rock band OK Go as the opening act for the University Pro-

INDEX

gram Board’s “big concert.” The event, which will feature headlining act Dashboard Confessional out of Boca Raton, Fla. is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Tickets for students will cost $25 and can be purchased at Payments and Collections. The gener-

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OPINION PG. 2

to the dean position and the annual salary that that had been cut from $116,322 to $85,000 after her demotion. Last week, a jury decided that the university had willfully violated the Equal Pay Act, a law passed by congress in 1963 declaring that women and men must receive equal pay for equal work, by paying her less than her male counterparts and for not paying her unused vacation time. As a result, Medrano was awarded $230,000. “The University of Texas-Pan American is disappointed with the recent jury decision in the case of Hilda Medrano vs. UTPA alleging salary inequity,” read a media statement released by university relations. According to court documents, at $116,322 annually, Medrano was the

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SGA prepares for April elections The Student Government Association is receiving final executive and college senator applications to determine its 2009-2010 administration, which will take the helm April 15 and serve as the voice of students at The University of Texas-Pan American. Voting is set for March 30 to April 3, with various public speaking events

NEWS PG. 3

for candidates to take place the last week of March. Events include a candidate debate March 24 and a “Meet the Candidates” event March 26. Deadline for applications is Friday. Those running for executive positions have yet to be announced, according to SGA President Marcos Silva. Over the past couple of years, voter turnout has been at a low for the more than 17,000 students at UTPA. According to Silva, despite consistent

ARTS & LIFE PG. 11

annual efforts at publicizing elections, voter turnout over the past couple of years has never surpassed 10 percent. “It increased last year,” said Silva about last year’s voter activity. “We are still at less than 10 percent of the total student body. It is great that we have more than 1,000 students who are voting, but it is still a small fraction.” Silva said low numbers might be attributed to UTPA being primarily a com-

See SGA || Page 5

SPORTS PG. 13

Page 2

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 5, 2009

Illustrated Opinion

Letter to the Editor

SGA lacks input from students on various issues My name is Joshua A. Trevino, lately I have been thinking about running for a specific office (I cannot disclose the specifics) due to election rules. The reason for this opinion is to address the Feb. 26 Pan American newspaper concerning articles found on page two. Our Student Government Association (SGA) is the voice of more than 17,000 students and I completely agree sidewalk crossings have in fact come under consideration while I was in the SGA senate. Unfortunately, not much if anything was done about the issue, although I do not mean to discredit the countless great things SGA did accomplish. Our current senate and its leaders (I can say with full confidence) are doing an outstanding job. As with most Student Governments a typical problem they face is simply not hearing from students about what they would like to have (dare I say) change. In any case, my hope is our SGA future and student body will reflect the type of changes

we all (including me) would like to see. About how thoughtful this university ought to be, I share the same opinion on why it is the Office of Students with Disabilities may be relocated to the third floor of any building. However, I believe our SGA can in the least suggest trading places with this office, as their new location happens to be on the first floor of the University Center. Though I cannot speak for SGA or the Office of Students with Disabilities, I would like you to know in my dealings with the administration under Mrs. Cardenas, I found them to be extremely thoughtful. It is my firm belief every administration could do more to benefit those with whom their care concerns. I just thought to share my optimism… Illustration by Anthony Salinas

Joshua Alfred Trevino English/History Major

Vol 65, No. 22

March 5, 2009

Opinion

Mid-Valley sees progression Isaac Garcia Assistant A&L Editor

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 EDITOR IN CHIEF J.R. Ortega / eortegaz5@utpa.edu MANAGING EDITOR Brian Silva / basilva1@utpa.edu ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ana Villaurrutia / alvillaurru@utpa.edu A&L EDITOR Laura Garcia / ldgarcia2@utpa.edu ASSISTANT A&L EDITOR Isaac Garcia / izek_el@yahoo.com SPORTS EDITORS Gregorio Garza / ggarzaz26@utpa.edu Pedro Perez / pperez@utpa.edu PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Ben Briones / ben.briones.jr@gmail.com DESIGN EDITOR Roy Bazan / rbazanzz@utpa.edu ADVISER Dr. Greg Selber / selberg@utpa.edu ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE Anita Reyes / areyes18@utpa.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER Samantha Quintana / spubs@utpa.edu

**Delivery** Thursday at noon The Pan American is the official student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or university.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. The Pan American reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to thepanamerican@ gmail.com. Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.

The Valley is not the same place it was 10 years ago, hell it’s not even the same place it was five years ago. I can truly say that today there is a lot to do here and that has been the case for quite some time. Yet many young Valleyites refuse to accept this fact and walk around all over town whining about how lame this place is and how there is nothing to do. I believe that kind of mentality is what’s going to keep the Valley from moving forward. For instance, this semester I have class with a French girl that moved to the Valley for her education. One day I was put in a group with her along with two other people, one from the Valley. My other classmate bombarded her with questions like: Why did you come here? Aren’t there better places? Don’t you think the Valley sucks? I wasn’t surprised when she answered, “No, I like it here—there is plenty to do.” I just don’t understand why a place with so much progress is encountering resistance and negativity from its own people.

I’ll acknowledge the argument it caters to every age, musical taste, that there is nothing to do here be- gender, class and even orientation. cause that was once the case. But However, young people are hard now we have promoters like: Good- to please and the Valley’s bad stigma bar Productions, Dontgetmemo, smells of skunk all over town. Even even the now disbanded Enthos that when traveling people always say continue to bring music acts from that they belong to the Valley with all over the country to excite and such dismay. Who cares if others entertain. If music isn’t the young can’t find us on a map! But if progress won’t make you Valley’s thing then let me introduce you culture and alcohol with events like the Valley then complain all you like the ArtWalk that take place on like and trash talk the area until the the first Friday of every month that day you leave. Just beware of a trend that I have nocombines art and culture, “I’d like to congratulate the art ticed, as many of those people seem creating a very unique vibe and district that is working dili- to reemerge in the Valley months or experience for all those who gently in creating a hip-young years later. For those who attend along feel to the area...” stay know that North Main change is understreet in downway. All it takes town McAllen. Isaac Garcia is open eyes to Now that I’m see it. If there is on the subject Assistant A&L editor something you of downtown want to see don’t McAllen I’d like to congratulate the art district be afraid to speak up, come together that is working diligently in creating and make your voices heard. Do you a hip-young feel to the area and the believe places like Austin, Seattle, revamped 17th Street that is a mini New York City and Los Angeles replication of 6th Street in Austin as were born the hip places to live in?

Dates to Know: Winter Writers workshop Saturday, March 7 9 a.m. to Noon COAS 254 and 255

March 5, 2009

THE PAN AMERICAN

Distinguished Speaker Judy Shepard Tuesday, March 10 7 p.m. Fine Arts Auditorium Page 3

SAFETY

Food complaint leads to new handling policy Hidalgo County inspectors review OSD’s policy By John Gallagher The Pan American Student organizations have a lot to be worried for this semester with the recent increase in suspensions. However those who have survived will soon

have new food-handling policies to fret about, and it’s leading to bigger hurdles for clubs attempting to fundraise. Policy changes regarding food handling are determined by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, and are relayed to clubs by the Office of Student Development (OSD). The recent ones are an effort to cut down on organizations’ allegedly poor food-handling skills. This semester Hidalgo County received a food complaint from a person

who had eaten at UTPA. Soon enough county food inspectors came to inspect campus food. Sayeed Wadud, a safety specialist at the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, explains the inspector’s findings. “The inspectors came and saw several problems with organization’s food booths,” program coordinator Jorge Zamora said. “They also asked them some basic food handling questions that the students couldn’t answer. This led the county to want the campus to

change its policies.” The OSD has already made some policy changes regarding the methods by which organizations acquire the handling safety certificate. “We added a quiz this semester to the food-handling workshop to make sure students are actually retaining the information, and we intend on increasing the number of officers that need to attend to three,” he added. The workshop entails a powerpoint presentation about the various aspects

of food handling safety, and is presented by a campus environmental health and safety official. Currently only one club officer is required to attend the workshop, and prior to this semester, quizzes weren’t required. Michael Marino, president of Sigma Tau Delta, regards the policy additions as practical and beneficial to the health of the consumer. “Food sickness is dangerous, and the school should ensure that every

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STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Organizations, programs unite for LGBT awareness By Ana Villaurrutia The Pan American

Ben Briones/ The Pan American

REMEMBRANCE - Communication major Juliessa Garza stops in front of the timeline on LGBT hate crimes displayed in the corner of the Student Union, Tuesday.

HEALTH

In preparation for the closing of the Distinguished Speaker Series by gayrights activist Judy Shepard, several lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender programs at the university have coordinated a two-week plan devoted to related issues. Shepard began supporting gay rights after her homosexual son Matthew was murdered in 1998, in a crime widely believed to be a hate crime, or one committed out of prejudice. Since then, she has lobbied on behalf of social justice and diversity. Last summer, Student Union associate director Delma Olivarez decided to hold the weeks during March 1 to March 12 in order to raise awareness on issues like LGBT stereotypes plus hate crime and marriage laws before Judy Shepard’s arrival on March 10. In the past 14 days, the Union collaborat-

ed with student organization Gamma Lambda Beta and the university Ally program to form Raising Awareness and Promoting Change Week. “Each distinguished speaker has a diverse background so we try our best to raise student awareness in order to gain interest to attend,” Olivarez said. “The murder of Matthew Shepard occurred ten years ago in 1998, so we thought it was important to provide educational information to our UTPA students.” The week began with a display at the Union of a timeline for hate crimes committed against LGBTs, and an information table with a manned by Ally program members James Berglund and Veronica Castro. The Ally program is an LGBT support group and offers training to students, faculty and staff who want to learn more on issues and stereotypes that affect the gay community.

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STUDENT ACTIVITIES

5k run, fair to heighten Wellness Center receives national award health, fitness alertness By Sara Hernandez The Pan American

By Abby Flores The Pan American Being physically fit and healthy are not the only definitions of wellness. Spiritual, environmental, and social wellnesses each contribute too. In order to address all facets of the concept, The University of TexasPan American’s Wellness and Recreational Sports Complex will host its 2nd Annual 5K Run and Awareness

Fair Saturday. The run is expected to begin at 9 a.m. in front of the WRSC and continue around the university heading south on Sugar Road., then east on University Drive, then north on 5th Street and west on Schunior, it will finish at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium parking lot. Registration fee is $7 and all money that is raised through registration fees will be used toward T-shirts,

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It may not be new anymore, but the Wellness and Recreational Sports Complex sure is making strides. The University of Texas-Pan American’s WRSC is considered one of the top six Outstanding Sports Facilities, the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association announced last week. UTPA and the other five recipients, including Stephen F. Austin and The University of Texas at San Antonio, will be recognized at the NIRSA Annual Conference and Exposition April

1 to 4 in Charlotte, N.C. Jim Watson, director of the WRSC, says this award will help the UTPA be recognized not only for its academic quality but also for providing excellent recreational opportunities. He mentioned that following guidelines set by NIRSA, which has 647 members across the nation and procures “optimal recreational experiences” for students, has been easier since the 156,000-square-foot WRSC opened in August 2007. Before that, the Rec Sports department had to share the Health and Physical Education Building, which

was just not ideal for recreational activities. “That was an academic building first, second it was faculty, and third students, so here is the reversal,” he said. “Here, students come first.” According to the coordinator of campus activities, Charlie Caceres, the $26 million facility was constructed to fulfill the needs and wants of UTPA students. “We’re here for the students,” he said. “Everything we bought, everything about the design was based around the students and their needs.”

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ADVERTISEMENTS

March 5, 2009

Dates to Know: Ram Danesse CD release Friday, 9 p.m. Rhythm and Brews March 5, 2009

THE PAN AMERICAN

New Kids on the Block Saturday, 8 p.m. The Dodge Arena Page 11

CAMPUS

ORGANIZATION

Expression through fashion Wanted: toilet-paper

By Marc Solis The Pan American Last Thursday the Black Student Association (BSA) presented its first fashion show, “Urban vs. Traditional,” as the club’s first major event of the year, to celebrate Black History Month at the University Ballroom at the University of Texas-Pan American. The urban clothing featured, which consisted of Baby Phat and Ed Hardy, was lent to the organization courtesy of Buckle and Underground Station at La Plaza Mall, which sponsored the event. Traditional garments featured were provided by BSA members from Ghana and Nigeria, while the performing artist, Sheppard, hosted the show. Chick-Fil-A and punch were served courtesy of the Multicultural Center at UTPA’s Student Life and Transition Services and its program coordinator, Annel Zamarrón. Terrel Brown, a sophomore at UTPA, had a big influence on the Urban wear according to Black Student Association president Linda Asaah-Gyamfi. Brown’s method of style revolves around what looks good to him as well as the others. Asaah-Gyamfi, a junior computer science major of Ghanaian and Canadian descent, elaborated on the essence of the Urban vs. Traditional Show, as well as the reason for having it. “When we first started thinking about what Black Student Association could do for Black History Month, we wanted to create something new, something that could fuse together the past but especially highlight the present and where African Americans are today, AsaahGyamfi said. “Those thoughts resulted in the idea for a fashion show featuring urban culture.” The difficulty came when the BSA looked around at its members and saw not only people from Houston, Dallas and elsewhere in the United States, but Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica, Guiana, and Haiti. They discovered that not every black person is a part of so-called Urban America. Because of that fact, members decided to mix it up and out of that came the dichotomy between urban and traditional. Traditional African garment gained much attention, since many of the people that attended had never seen it before, especially the Ghanaian outfits. It sparked interest, and people wanted to know what to call the outfits. “The Ghanaian girls’ outfits are called a Kaba and the men’s outfits are called a Kente. Both gender outfits are made from Kente cloth though,” said Asaah-Gyamfi. “ In Ghana and Nigeria people usually wear regular clothes like they do here except at weddings, birthdays, small business meetings, or spe-

cial events where they wear traditional outfits because it’s part of their culture. Great respect is needed while wearing the garment.” The Ghanaian wardrobe looked somewhat Americanized, which AssahGyamfi wanted. Her half- sister, Doris Gyamfi, created the female Ghanaian outfits, while most of the males wore Nigerian clothing. The fashion show was a reminder of the African American youth today, coming in all different sectors of life. As a bonus, the clothes were there to enhance the models and to feature their style and themselves. This is what the event was meant for. In addition, flyers were passed out featuring a prominent man in black history and culture, Sidney Poitier. The choice to spotlight the actor Poitier was made because during Black History Month we are frequently reminded of key players in the black movement such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. “We want people to remember that there are so many more than three or five or even 100 people that have helped progress African Americans,” AsaahGyamfi explained. “So many black men and women have contributed to where black men and women are today and they also need to be recognized and appreciated.” The host of the show, Larry Sheppard (aka Sheppard) who graduated in 2008 from UTPA, served as the house DJ and provided an eclectic mix of hip-hop music from performing artists such as Jay-Z, T.I., Beyonce, and others before doing a five-minute rap segment of his own. He elaborated on his role in the event and

how he thought it turned out. “The vibe from everyone was excellent, and everyone was smiling and having a good time. The female models looked very sexy in their traditional and Urban outfits, and I thought the male models did a great job as well,” Sheppard said. “I never hosted a fashion show before, and they would always call me to perform, so I was a little nervous at first. I just said a prayer and began to have fun with it.” The show marked the debut event for the organization since reforming in the fall of last year. It allowed its members to wear what they wanted from the list of clothing for complete expressionism at the fashion show. The BSA is a group that seeks unity through Black culture, but also unity in general that promotes individual freedom. Vice President and senior bio major Peter Ehimika gave more insight on the importance of the fashion show and how it relates to the essence of Black History Month. “Black History Month is mainly overcoming oppression and injustice and is history we all need to remember, but the fashion show is a way for the campus to celebrate it.” According to Ehimika, Urban style is defined by the fashion of modern Black youths, not the baggy clothes of what he called “past street fashion.” The combination of centuries-old African garment and modern urban wear broadens the roots of the Black cultural experience in America. The BSA encourages individual expression through clothes, and wants the campus to learn more about the uniqueness of its world.

BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION CAT WALK - A BSA member walks down the runway at last week’s “Urban vs. Traditional” fashion show held in the ballroom.

rolls for FESTIBA By Naxiely Lopez The Pan American

Arlene Robinson has always been drawn to trash. Whether she is picking it up in parking lots, creating art with it, or recycling, garbage has always been a big part of her life. It is this green lifestyle that has her collecting empty toilet-paper rolls for the third annual Festival of International Books and Arts (FESTIBA). FESTIBA is aimed at encouraging literacy and broadening cultural awareness. It is spear-headed by Dr. Dahlia Guerra, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas - Pan American. The weeklong event begins March 22 and will be filled with guest speakers, art exhibits, workshops, and various presentations throughout the week. It ends with Community Day on March 28, and among one of the events planned for that day is the Lifestyle Pavilion. The Pavilion will be held under a 90-by-60-foot tent at UTPA’s Quadrangle located between the Student Union and the Health buildings. Those in attendance will be able to walk through and learn of different ways to contribute to the Green Movement.Robinson, who specializes in business and marketing development and is overseeing the event, says it’s an effort to foster environmental awareness. “We want to introduce a different way of looking at life to the people of the Valley,” Robinson said. “Our goal is to show people how a small change in our lifestyle can make a big difference; even if it’s just a small one, like bringing your own canvas bags to the grocery store.” Television/film major Aaron Stidwell needs no convincing; he already owns his H-E-B green bags. “I’ve been using them for a while. I recycle all of my cans. I’m a big fan of re-using things. I do all of the little things you can do without donning a poncho and sleeping under a tree,” Stidwell said jokingly. “Everything that anyone can do, even a little thing, can help.” The 27-year-old says the Lifestyle Pavilion is a great idea and hopes that more people will contribute to the effort. To create this awareness, FESTIBA has partnered with four different groups, the World Birding Center, South Texas Renewable Energy, Cool Cities, and Sodexho. Through these participants, Robinson was able to set up attractions for the tent, including a solar-powered

water fountain, a wind turbine, and organic meals cooked by a chef from Sodexho, UTPA’s food service company. “I just want people to see these things in action and know that they’re here in the Valley. That they are doable,” added Robinson. “We envision the tent as being an almost completely different environment.” Robinson, who makes art out of objects she picks up from parking lots, will decorate the tent with natural and artificial greenery. As a symbolic gesture, Robinson plans to make palm trees out of empty toilet-paper rolls. She wants to show how art can be created with everyday materials that too often are considered waste. “The toilet-paper idea is to illustrate how much we throw away,” she explained. “There’s always someone that can use something that we think is trash.” She is collecting empty rolls through various sources including the office of Marianella Franklin, UTPA’s new sustainability coordinator. Until Friday, Franklin was the university’s construction special project coordinator and was in charge of making sure construction on campus was environmentally friendly. Now, she is to oversee not just the construction aspect of the university, but its overall sustainability. She says the university is already doing its part, but is getting prepared to do more. Roxie the Recyclesaurus Rex, a recycling program provided by the Edinburg Recycling Center, was put in place last semester. She says the new position will make it easier for her to develop programs that will make the campus more sustainable. “It’s been called many different things - sustainability, Green Movement, healthy living - but it’s all the same thing,” Franklin said. “It doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s whatever small contribution you make that matters.” And it’s the sort of small contribution Robinson is asking students for. From now until March 13, empty toilet-paper rolls can be dropped off in Room 140 of the Administration Building. “When you think about sustainability, you’re thinking of everything that is interconnected, and we are connected with our environment, and with each other,” Robinson added. “It is that interconnectivity, that mutual respect of the environment and of each other that gives us this tremendous power to move forward and make things happen that we thought we never could.”

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ARTS AND LIFE

March 5, 2009

T MUSIC

Never Say Never festival may take Valley to the top By Laura Garcia The Pan American From this day on, no one is allowed to complain that there “just isn’t anything to do in the Valley” anymore. Grab your girlfriend, your boyfriend or just a massive group of friends, throw on your skinny jeans and Chucks and head out to the long-awaited musical experience. The guys behind Dontgetemo concerts will bring the Never Say Never music festival to the once dormant Valley. The festival is slated for March 18 at Las Palmas Race Park in Mission and will feature 30 bands from around the nation on three stages. Performers will include Forever the Sickest Kids, A Skylit Drive, and Dance Gavin Dance. Dontgetemo co-owners Zar Castillo and George Culberson first established the company during the summer of 2005 and since then have been making their contribution to area entertainment. They’re responsible for bringing down big names in the industry such as Shwayze and DJ Skeet Skeet and have already booked Mudvayne and Plain White T’s for April, also at Las Palmas. The idea for the bigger festival had been something the guys had been toying around with for some time, and now with less than two weeks to go, it may just go down as one of the biggest events in Dontgetemo history. Though the promoters have received zero support from local

Johnny Solis HERE’S HOPING - Scarlett O’Hara is just one of the local bands scheduled to play the Never Say Never festival March 18. businesses in terms of sponsorships, they agree that doing this on their own will only make them stronger. “We’ve always had an idea of a smallscale music festival for years now. Think mini Warped Tour,” Castillo said, speaking of the annual event sponsored by Vans held all across the nation. “We’ve been optimistic about what we do, even through hardships, so we kept patient and put it together at the right time.” Planning and preparation for the

event spanned seven months and in the process Castillo adds that they’ve learned so much about themselves and the type of work it takes to put an event of this caliber together. The festival was originally scheduled for the Pharr Convention Center, but when the national acts kind of snowballed and more bands wanted in, the venue was changed to Las Palmas, which was able to accommodate more stages and about 3,000 people. “Once word hit the streets across all

agencies I work with about the festival, they kept submitting countless amounts of artists that were interested in hopping on,” Castillo said. Also jumping on board are several local bands which include Madore, Scarlett O’Hara and The Requested, in hopes of getting to know the people who may one day be their ticket to the top. “This is the first time we do something like this, especially down here in South Texas, as far as the scene goes it is a huge opportunity,” said Madore guitarist J.J. Juarez 18, a business marketing student at UTPA from McAllen. McAllen/Austin based pop-rock band Madore has been around since October 2007, is excited to be playing the festival, and hopes to reach out to new fans. With one EP, “This Town Holds Too Many Secrets,” already under their belt, they are currently working on a second, due out in June, and will start touring at the end of July. Another local band joining the lineup will be Scarlett O’Hara of McAllen, which boasts a hardcore/screamo sound. They too have high hopes of the festival and just want to get their name out there and gain as much exposure as possible. “There will more than likely be record labels out there and we’re jus hoping to be seen, and maybe get a chance to get signed,” said Scarlette O’Hara’s vocalist Eddie Cano. Las Palmas Race Park will be one busy place this year thanks to Dontgete-

mo, but Castillo does make it a point to add that in order for the arts and music scene in the Valley to continue to flourish, some changes must be made. “South Texas is lacking legitimate venues,” Castillo said. “We have a handful, but most are only worried about themselves and making money at the bar, and don’t work with promoters very well.” Problems in the past include last minute cancellations and uptight owners who wanted to sell table for a general admission show without even running it by the promoters. If the festival matches the intensity of the pre-show buzz, the Keep a Breast Foundation will be very happy as well. Part of the proceeds will benefit the organization. Dontgetemo reps were quick to join the foundation in its efforts when they learned about the “Music for Awareness” program. A campaign designed to develop an avenue for musicians and young people to donate their time and influence for a better cause. As the first festival of this magnitude in recent years, Never Say Never has everyone talking and quite a few teens in giddy spells. In two weeks, bands from all over the nation will gather in this onetime ghost town, and hopefully help take the Valley to the top in terms of entertainment. For more information visit: neversayneverfestival.com or dontgetemo. com, tickets available at ez-tixx.com

T SEEN AND CAPTURED

T EXHIBIT

Art offers strength, courage, hope By Marco Carbajal The Pan American According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 out of every 6 American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Of them, 60 percent of cases are never reported. But just as darkness leads to light, victimization can lead to empowerment. Texas State Technical College in Harlingen announces a call for female artists for an exhibit titled “Strength, Courage and Hope of Women.” The exhibit will be on display at the Dr. J Gilbert Leal Learning Resource Center at TSTC throughout the month of April to highlight Sexual Assault Awareness Month. “The idea for the event stemmed from an idea to have an art exhibit coincide with campus performances of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ on April 7 and 8,” said Patricia Morales, mentoring coordinator at TSTC. “This is the first year we’ll have a V-Day celebration here on campus.” V-Day is an organization founded in 1998 by playwright and activist Eve Ensler, who penned “The Vagina Monologues” in 1996 after interviewing more than 200 women. Ensler originally wrote the piece to “celebrate the vagina”, but has since used performances to end violence against women. Many

celebrities have participated in staged readings of the monologues, which led to widespread popularity. Every year across the world, V-Day is a catalyst for creative events that help raise awareness and aim to stop violence against women and girls. In 2008, there were over 4,000 events around the U.S. alone. According to the organization‘s Web site, the “V” in V-Day stands for victory, valentine and vagina. For the exhibit, Morales says artists are not limited to the topics of violence and abuse. “It’s a positive exhibit about strength, hope and courage,” Morales said. “It’s just a representation of what a woman finds courage in, or gains strength from and that can be anything at all.” Rachael Freeman-Brown, a painter and art professor at South Texas College, often includes various textile fibers and braiding in her paintings. Brown has already signed up and thinks the exhibit is an interesting and wonderful way to unite both artist and viewers in strength. “A lot of times people look outside of themselves for strength,” Brown said. “One of the great things about art is that it gives everyone a chance to reach inside of themselves and pull some of that strength out. You can draw empowerment out of yourself sometimes by view-

ing the work of others.” Aliza Carbajal, a 2006 graduate of UTPA with a masters in sociology, says exhibits such as this are not only helpful in bonding and uniting women, but also in educating the public at large. “A lot of people don’t see violence against women firsthand,” Carbajal said. “It isn’t something that occurs someplace far away, it’s everywhere. Exhibits and events like this not only shed light on the issue and get people talking, but also give hope to those who don‘t have to suffer alone.” Any female artist is encouraged to enter, and all art mediums are welcome. Entry forms are available through the TSTC website on the Office of Student Success page. 2-D works must be 34” by 48”; 3-D works 48” wide by 48” deep by 84” tall; video or multimedia works must fit with all equipment inside the dimensional limits of 3D works. All works must be display-ready with frames or finished edges on hanging works, plus stable base and equilibrium for sculptural works. Artists should submit an intent-toexhibit form as soon as possible. Works must be delivered to TSTC LRC, 1902 North Loop 499, Harlingen, Texas 78550. Deadline for submission is March 28 at 4 p.m. For more information, call 364-4164.

Ben Briones/ The Pan American

RACE TO THE BOTTOM - Seven-year-old Chibueze Obiefule of Nigeria goes down a 20-foot slide on a potato sack at the Fiesta Edinburg Celebration Friday night at Doolittle Park.

Dates to Know:

March 5, 2009

Track and Field

Madden ‘09 Tournament

Border Olympics Saturday Laredo

Monday, 3 p.m. Game Lounge

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 13

TRACK AND F IELD

UTPA brings home records from Great West tourney

By Pedro Perez IV The Pan American Luis Nava thrust his chest out on Monday at the end of the men’s distance medley at the Great West Conference Championships. It was just what the senior La Joya native needed to capture the win by one-tenth of a second. “The distance medley was an extremely exciting event for us,” first year head coach Dave Hartman said. “All of the guys on the team showed a lot of heart and strength in running that. Especially Nava. To get past the guy from Utah Valley just shows how tough he really is.” Overall, the Broncs finished third with 87 total points in Vermillion, S.D. but they were still able to capture their share of first-place finishes, in the men’s 200-meter dash, men’s 800-meter run, men’s 5000-meter run, men’s

Sara Hernandez/The Pan American

AND THE WINNERS ARE - The UTPA men’s medley team placed first in the Great West Championships with a time of 1:55.13. distance medley and the women’s shot put and weight throw. “Overall I was extremely pleased

with how both our men’s and women’s teams performed at the conference championships,” Hartman said. “Vir-

tually every one of our athletes either did what we expected them to do or went above and beyond what we expected them to do, and that’s a tremendous accomplishment at a championship event.” Junior Bahamas native Jameson Strachan captured first in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 49.96, setting a new conference record with his time. Edinburg native Wally Gonzalez, who set a school record in February, accomplished his goal as he beat out Tim Rowberry from Utah Valley with a final time of 1:55.13. The medley team consisting of Gonzalez, McAllen native Gilroy Martinez, Edinburg’s Omar Doria and Nava recorded a final time of 10:09.37. Nava also earned a first-place finish in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:18.73. On the women’s side of the action

senior San Antonio native Amanda Ferris captured first place in both the weight throw and the shot put. In the shot Ferris recorded a 14.07-meter throw and a 17.52 in the weight event. Hartman also commented on the performance of third-year assistant coach Hugo Cervantes and first-year assistant coach Jennifer Leatherman. “I think our coaching staff did an amazing job at preparing our athletes for the championships,” he said. Up next for the track and field program is the beginning of the outdoor season, at the Border Olympics Saturday March 7 in Laredo. “We gave them a little bit of a break,” Hartman said. “A lot of our training will be on strength base. We will work harder in practice to focus on some of the early competitions but still get around and peak our performance when conference rolls around again.”

BASEBALL

Broncs suffer defeats at home, hope to make comeback on road By Kevin Stich The Pan American The lawns were mowed and the dirt was raked at the Al Ogletree Classic as the Friday night lights illuminated Edinburg Baseball Stadium. It was opening night at home for the University of Texas-Pan American baseball team, which had started the season 0-4 but had high hopes for a win for its first Valley game against the University of Illinois (5-1). They sported new gear, however, the Broncs had their hopes dashed when Illinois catcher Aaron Johnson hit a line-drive grand slam home run in the first inning giving the Fighting Illini a 4-0 lead. By the end of the first, head coach Manny Mantrana walked out to the mound, giving pitcher Scott Wingo a short talk and bringing in David de Leon to relieve. The Broncs never recovered and by the end of the night the Green and Orange had a 0-5 record staring them in the face. Illinois went to score four more runs to give them an 8-0 victory as pitcher Mike Haig managed a good game, giving up only three hits and no runs in seven innings. Illini second baseman Josh Parr went 4-4 on the night with 2 RBI. At this stage, the Broncs are 0-9, off to one of the worst starts in program history, but that hasn’t quelled the enthusiasm of the new regime. After the Illinois game, Mantrana had a very simple solution: get better. “I’m not gonna’ give up on them, they’re not going to give up on them-

selves,” he said. “I knew what I was getting myself into when I took the job and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Mantrana told his team that they will improve and said that a true sign of a competitor is when things aren’t going smooth the solution is to work harder. “They’re competitors, I’m a competitor and we are just going to work harder to get better,” he said. The Broncs, who besides lacking run support of their own, gave up a total of nine hits and rarely had runners in scoring position. Saturday, the Broncs would have at it as they squared off against The University of Texas at Arlington (4-5) as the Al Ogletree Classic continued. The boys once again had cold bats as they held the Mavericks to four runs but could produce no runs of their own even with seven hits on the night. Sunday proved to be a much closer match, as UTPA faced Stephen F. Austin University (3-5). The home team generated some offense with 11 hits, including a 3-for-6 hitting performance by first baseman Garrett Bivone, but lost hold of a four run lead in the eighth inning, dropping a 10-7 decision and moving them to 0-7 on the season. THE STREAK CONTINUES With a day to rest after the tournament, UTPA faced a doubleheader Tuesday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-7). The Islanders won the afternoon game in a blowout, 13-6, and again in the evening, as UTPA held the visitor to a more respectable 6-2 count.

In the first game the Islanders scored five runs in the third in five straight bases-loaded walks, and put up two more in the sixth. The Broncs didn’t score until the sixth when Ryan Vest batted in Andrew Perez to put the game at 7-1. They would go on to score five more runs, but it was too little too late as Corpus built a significant lead and held it throughout the game. In the second game, UTPA struck first with a run in the second, but De Leon gave up four runs in the fourth and the Islanders added two more over the next two innings. With the losses the team dropped to 0-9 for the season. Despite the slow beginning, Broncs Shane Janecka and Jose Mendoza were awarded with Great West Conference player of the week the honors were elated about it. Now they’re focused on the task of picking up a win. “It was my first time ever getting something like that,” said Mendoza, a sophomore infielder from Corpus Christi. “We’ve got a lot of work to do first of all, and the guys are willing to work and the coaching staff is putting in the extra time. We’ve got to keep our heads up and feed off of each other and hopefully tomorrow we’ll come out with a win.” Pitcher Janecka, a senior from Weimar, Texas related that he was happy to receive the award, but he would rather have wins in its place. “It’s a great honor. It’s one of my first collegiate awards so I’m pretty happy about that,” said Janecka. “It’s tough when you still lose. When you

Isaac Barrientes/The Pan American

FRUSTRATED - Junior Chucky Garza throws off his helmet after being struck out during Tuesday’s game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. lose it kind of nullifies it. You want, as a team, to get an award and win.” The last time that UTPA started 0-4 was in 2001 under Reggie Tredaway; they went 12-40 that season.

The Broncs will look to turn it around against Alabama (5-2) Feb. 6 at the Whataburger Classic in Corpus Christi. They then return home for four games at the Stadium starting March 16.

Page 14

SPORTS

March 5, 2009

LOCAL SPORTS

UTPA student defies odds, wins position in national tourney By Pedro Perez IV The Pan American The match was about to become hill-hill, the term used to describe a tied billiard match. The momentum was going toward the Broncs. But time would expire for Juan Carlos Sanchez, leaving him in shock as he was about to shoot the nine-ball into a corner pocket to tie the match. Although in most cases seventh place isn’t a winning situation, at this tournament, eight spots would qualify for nationals, giving Sanchez the edge by one spot and sending him to West Virginia in July. He is a member of a recently formed five-member pool team the University of Texas-Pan American that went to Corpus Christi Friday looking to qualify for a national tournament at West Virginia University. The nine-ball competition was part of the 73-team, double-elimination ACUI pool competition hosted by Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Sanchez, a mechanical engineering major from McAllen, was in the fourth round of the winner’s side of the bracket. After falling behind, he had started to come back, in the latter stages. The look on the face of opponent Rob Quarantello of Sam Houston State was that of

Pedro Perez IV/The Pan American

STEADY SHOT - Juan Sanchez placed seventh at ACUI nine ball tournament. The top eight spots will play at the national tournament at West Virginia University in July. a defeated man. Quarantello knew that the balls were now falling in Sanchez’s favor. A win by the Bronc would decide an easier path to qualifying for nationals. But the 1-hour time limit expired before Sanchez could attempt the tying shot. There was a protest by Edna Zambrano, director of the UTPA Student Union, and at the end of a conversation with the Gary Roarke, ACUI Tournament Director, Sanchez was allowed to continue against Quarantello. Sanchez had the break in the 13th rack to decide the match, but unfortunately the momentum was now gone.

He sent the cue ball toward the stack at full force hoping to make the nine on the break or get a nice spread rack, but as the balls spread open, the cue ball went flying off the table. “I was basically trying to make the nine on the break since they played me wrong,” Sanchez said. “They tried to take the win just by saying time was over. They gave me a chance to play the last rack but the ball jumped off the table.” With ball-in-hand, Quarantello made the one ball and executed a textbook jump shot to drill in a two-nine combina-

tion and win the match 7-6. Sanchez was satisfied with how he ultimately lost, because a pocketed nine ball decided the match, not a time constraint. Afterward, Zambrano commented on the controversy. “I didn’t think it was fair that time was called right as he (Sanchez) was going to tie the game,” Zambrano said. “After speaking to Gary he did advise me and the student (Sanchez) that in the future if the player is about to tie and the match is about to be called they are able to play it out.”

SATURDAY’S ACTION The Broncs still had two players on the winner’s side of the bracket, Omar Pineda (4-2) and Sanchez. The action for them would start at around noon. The other three members on the team, Jorge Moncivais (1-2), Jorge Ortiz (1-2) and Pedro Perez IV (1-2) would all get to work on the left side of the bracket starting at 9 a.m. Pineda missed the cut by two matches, leaving only Sanchez to vie for a spot at the national tournament. Sanchez came out of the gate Saturday with determination for victory. Four out of his four matches went hill-hill and in his final try against UTSA, which finished in second, he was eliminated. Adam Maloney of Texas A&M College Station captured first place, a repeat from his 2007 victory at the same tournament. After a promising inaugural performance, UTPA plans to return to the event in the future, and will seek to double the number of participants. “We want to continue taking students to this tournament and we want to prepare them by having nine-ball tournaments on campus that have a similar format,” Zambrano said. “Hopefully what will happen out of going every year is students will form a student organization or a league in our game room.”

March 5, 2009

SPORTS

Page 15

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Broncs end season with road win against NJIT Highlanders

By Ramiro Paez The Pan American Head coach Tom Schuberth and The University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team exhaled a huge sigh of relief Tuesday night. After losing a 92-75 road decision to Chicago State Saturday night, one game remained on the 2008-2009 schedule, weighing huge in importance to the season’s final stretch after the program had endured a tumultuous year. New Jersey Institute of Technology stood as the final team separating the Broncs from completing their third

consecutive double-digit win season under Schuberth. UTPA captured that achievement after sweeping the season series against the Highlanders in a 63-49 victory in Newark, N.J. The Broncs conclude the year with a 10-17 overall record with uncertainty now looming since Schuberth’s three-year contract is set to expire. The contest was originally scheduled for Monday night but because of the brutal snow storm that swept across the East, the game had to be postponed. Schuberth says he was proud of the way his team performed in the season finale after it took two

ALL GAMES

Jones, Emmanuel Weiermiller, Nick Hawkins, Nathan Smith, Ben Valera, Luis Maree, Jared Turner, P.J. Allgood, Julius Smith, Andrew Jensen, Jason Trader, Jacob Silva, Steve Zaney, Matt Gonzales, Jesse TEAM Total Opponents

OVERALL (10-17)

days for them to arrive in New Jersey. “We played particularly well in the second half and it was team effort. That’s what I liked,” Schuberth said. “It wasn’t just one guy, everybody contributed. It’s very exciting to end on a winning note for our two seniors, Julius (Allgood) and Emmanuel (Jones). Winning four out of our last five games is big for a young basketball team; it shows that we’re making progress. We got the double-digit win, which for our program right now is not great, but for our past programs it has been good.” Jones recorded a double-double in his final game as a Bronc, scoring 13

HOME (7-3)

AWAY (1-10)

points with 11 rebounds. Newcomer Luis Valera led all scorers with 14 points and sophomore guard Nick Weiermiller pitched in 13. Jones lit up the scoreboard this season, accounting for more than onefourth of the team’s total offense. He averaged 17.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game with a team-high 23 blocks, and finished as the leading scorer in all but nine of the team’s 27 games. COACH’S FUTURE It was no secret that the success garnered by the Broncs last season was going to be difficult to top enter-

NEUTRAL (2-4)

GP-GS Min--Avg

|----TOTAL----| |-----3-PTS-----| |---REBOUNDS---| FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl

Pts Avg

26-25 27-27 27-16 27-20 27-10 27-16 20-12 27-3 14-0 26-6 5-0 7-0 8-0 2-0

792 964 538 640 472 679 575 281 66 343 15 9 19 7

185-332 98-236 99-188 53-166 53-105 52-131 30-75 36-74 13-24 17-60 3-5 2-6 1-2 0-0

460 288 263 162 150 149 96 91 42 46 6 7 3 0

27 27

5400 5400

30.5 35.7 19.9 23.7 17.5 25.1 28.8 10.4 4.7 13.2 3.0 1.3 2.4 3.5

.557 .415 .527 .319 .505 .397 .400 .486 .542 .283 .600 .333 .500 .000

1-4 48-126 0-0 45-147 0-1 10-47 3-14 3-18 0-0 7-37 0-0 2-5 0-0 0-0

.250 .381 .000 .306 .000 .213 .214 .167 .000 .189 .000 .400 .000 .000

89-135 .659 44-61 .721 65-133 .489 11-19 .579 44-69 .638 35-50 .700 33-49 .673 16-23 .696 16-23 .696 5-10 .500 0-0 .000 1-2 .500 1-4 .250 0-0 .000

65 10 40 9 34 13 3 18 14 8 2 1 0 0 40

142 207 8.0 67 77 2.9 51 91 3.4 44 53 2.0 67 101 3.7 51 64 2.4 35 38 1.9 33 51 1.9 11 25 1.8 40 48 1.8 2 4 0.8 1 2 0.3 5 5 0.6 0 0 0.0 50 90 3.3

49 66 63 54 67 70 52 54 13 14 0 2 2 0 1

2 0 1 3 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

28 66 152 83 12 34 54 35 6 35 36 32 93 71 13 24 2 3 26 15 1 1 0 1 0 3 1 0 20

23 0 3 6 6 2 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 0

20 43 7 25 7 13 26 4 0 8 0 0 1 0

17.7 10.7 9.7 6.0 5.6 5.5 4.8 3.4 3.0 1.8 1.2 1.0 0.4 0.0

642-1404 .457 119-399 .298 360-578 .623 257 599 856 31.7 507 15 424 423 48 154 1763 65.3 654-1407 .465 178-489 .364 385-561 .686 250 620 870 32.2 527 - 381 407 82 185 1871 69.3

ing the new campaign, due to extreme graduation losses. It was obvious that Schuberth was going to face his biggest challenge yet coming off the program’s first winning season and highest win total (18-13) since 2001. With a difficult schedule already on board, the men’s basketball program was hit with an internal investigation by the university for possibly violating NCAA rules and regulations early in the season. Then began an onslaught of nine road games to begin the year, where the squad went 2-7, further dampening the young club’s morale. As the season progressed, speculation about Schuberth’s future with the program began to unfold, triggering no comment from interim athletic director Ricky Vaughn in an interview with The Pan American earlier in the year. Vaughn did state that an evaluation on Schuberth’s position would take place once the season was over. Schuberth wouldn’t comment this week about the speculation concerning his situation, but says he is focused on the future of the program. “When I came here, you take every job like it’s your last job,” Schuberth said. “My promise was to work hard and make the program better, which I think we’ve done. I want to continue to do that. I’m excited about the future. I think we’re heading the right direction.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Broncs end season 13-14, look to National Independent Tourney By Ramiro Paez The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American basketball team probably won’t be sending Chicago State University a gift basket any time soon. That’s because for the second consecutive year, the Cougars spoiled commemorative plans for the UTPA program. Last year, the Bronc men entered their Homecoming game against Chicago State at the Field House riding a 7-1 hot streak and a 14-11 overall record, setting their sights on a 20-win season. The Cougars, however, dented that hope as they were one of two teams

who handed the men a loss during the final six games of the ’07-’08 campaign. This season, the Lady Broncs endured the same displeasure at the hands of Chicago State. The Lady Cougars exacted revenge for their Jan. 31 loss at the Field House, defeating UTPA 55-47 Saturday in Chicago, Ill., and ending its chance at making regular-season history. The women were looking to match the 14-win total from the 2004-2005 season when the Lady Broncs finished 14-14 after the first year of National Independent Tournament play. That year, UTPA ended the regular season 13-12 and with a win at Chicago State on Sat-

ALL GAMES

OVERALL (13-14)

urday, they could have tied the mark. “I thought that we played hard enough to win, but we didn’t shoot the ball well enough to win,” sixth-year head coach DeAnn Craft said. “We played very solid defense. We won the rebounding war, which we had been struggling with. So we improved in a couple of areas, but our offensive shooting just didn’t show up that night.” The women struggled to keep pace with the Lady Cougars all afternoon as the home team built its largest of lead of 52-37 with 4:38 remaining. Newcomer Brittany Demery was one of three Lady Broncs who finished in double figures, recording 14 points

HOME (10-3)

AWAY (3-9)

with 13 rebounds. Despite the setback, Craft says her team surpassed many of the season’s expectations after graduating four perimeter players from last year’s roster, including leading scorer LeKeisha Gray. “We had to turn over our basketball team to a brand-new point guard, freshman Epiphany Smith, and I tell you, I think she’s one special player and really mature young lady,” Craft said. “…I think our youth’s incredible skill and our older players really developed over the offseason so we are extremely proud of the type of unit we were able to have.”

NEUTRAL (0-2)

|----TOTAL----| |-----3-PTS-----| |---REBOUNDS---| GP-GS Min--Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts

Avg

Winfrey, Teshay Smith, Epiphany Demery, Brittany Jean, Rose Esther Hester, Rachel Grigsby, Aleeya Garrett, Robin Erlingdottir, Mari Guzman, Marah Kostacky, Danielle Garza, Andrea Walker, Jessica Walker, Shavon Davis, Sherrell Session, Janita Schneider, Taylor TEAM

27-22 27-27 27-17 25-21 18-3 27-12 26-9 20-12 23-6 24-2 11-3 20-1 15-0 7-0 20-0 14-0

750 977 547 714 293 604 245 307 217 235 81 172 71 36 126 75

11.8 10.2 7.1 6.8 4.7 4.6 3.9 3.4 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.6 0.1

Total Opponents

27 27

5450 5450

27.8 36.2 20.3 28.6 16.3 22.4 9.4 15.4 9.4 9.8 7.4 8.6 4.7 5.1 6.3 5.4

109-251 .434 81-230 .352 69-171 .404 73-185 .395 29-87 .333 50-106 .472 38-73 .521 27-84 .321 18-40 .450 15-44 .341 9-23 .391 10-33 .303 7-23 .304 1-6 .167 4-23 .174 1-12 .083

44-124 41-128 2-10 2-12 14-46 6-13 0-1 9-34 2-6 5-14 0-0 6-23 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-4

541-1391 .389 131-416 571-1453 .393 152-498

.355 .320 .200 .167 .304 .462 .000 .265 .333 .357 .000 .261 .000 .000 .000 .000

56-68 73-95 53-76 21-33 13-19 18-31 26-32 5-11 7-10 7-10 1-2 0-0 3-12 3-4 3-4 0-0

.824 .768 .697 .636 .684 .581 .813 .455 .700 .700 .500 .000 .250 .750 .750 .000

50 9 53 48 4 47 16 13 3 5 6 4 9 4 10 4 72

99 48 77 71 12 75 29 24 11 22 8 13 10 2 12 6 70

149 5.5 57 2.1 130 4.8 119 4.8 16 0.9 122 4.5 45 1.7 37 1.9 14 0.6 27 1.1 14 1.3 17 0.9 19 1.3 6 0.9 22 1.1 10 0.7 142 5.3

45 50 72 65 25 32 36 23 12 12 10 8 5 3 5 5 0

0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

.315 289-407 .710 357 589 946 35.0 408 4 .305 272-399 .682 367 574 941 34.9 392 -

58 62 117 85 13 61 52 70 12 27 26 48 4 24 12 21 26 26 12 5 1 8 6 13 2 8 4 4 4 13 2 10 38

10 2 5 32 0 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

38 40 29 54 20 13 8 6 14 8 5 6 6 3 4 1

318 276 193 169 85 124 102 68 45 42 19 26 17 5 11 2

351 523 56 255 1502 55.6 376 502 60 223 1566 58.0

UTPA recorded its sixth consecutive winning season at home and best home record (10-3) ever. Now, the Lady Broncs will set their sights on the three-day National Independent Tournament in Orem, Utah, which begins today against Longwood University. UTPA is the No. 3 seed out of six seeds in the tourney. The Field House was the site to the five-year-old tournament last season, which saw the Lady Broncs come within minutes of advancing to the championship round after upsetting the No. 1 seed in Utah Valley State. UTPA held a 47-39 lead with 6:04 remaining, but went scoreless the rest of the way until 34 seconds left on the game clock. New Jersey Institute of Technology went on a stunning 20-2 run to finish the game, kicking the Lady Broncs to the third-place match. The women will use the staggering loss as incentive to capture this season’s NIT championship, but they also still have a chance at making history. If the Lady Broncs can capture two wins in their three games, then they will have recorded their best season in the program’s history. “You have to take one game at a time,” Craft said. “That’s a phrase that most coaches use but it is absolutely the end-all when you are talking about tournaments, because if we want to position ourselves to get into the finals in this tournament, you can’t overlook any opponent.”

Page 16

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 5, 2009

FEATURE

By Kevin Stich The Pan American 1. THE GRIP One of the most important aspects of any golf swing is a good grip. For the glove hand (the left hand for right-handed golfers), the handle of the club should lie across the part of the hand where the fingers meet the palm. The outside pad of the hand should be used in part with the index finger to stabilize the club – think of how one might hold a pistol with the thumb on the hammer. Next, for the dominant hand (the right hand for righthanded golfers), the handle of the club should be held in the fingers with the pinky either interlocking with or overlapping the index finger on the glove hand. The “V” formed by the thumb and the index finger on the glove hand should point toward the chin, while the “V” on the right hand should point more towards the dominant shoulder. In terms of grip pressure, if one is the lightest grip and 10 the tightest, a five should be sufficient. UTPA men’s golf coach Santiago De Larrea:

“Just make sure your grip is on your fingers, not on the palm of your hand. And make sure you have a very neutral grip, don’t try to get it too strong or too weak.” 2. THE SETUP The setup should be athletic, and posture is key. Address the ball in a fairly upright position with knees bent and feet placed about shoulder width apart. Good posture can be thought of in terms of a clock, with one o’clock being the optimal position. The golfer should not be leaning over too far as it will cause him/her to take the club back too far to the inside; this can result in inconsistent ball-striking. The ball should be placed off the leading heel (the left heel for right-handed players) and the arms should hang perpendicular to the ground. Weight should be evenly distributed on the balls of the feet to help maintain balance. Drill: Try placing two balls under each heel to keep the weight in the proper place. Coach De Larrea: “People that don’t have a good setup from the beginning, they tend to actually struggle a little on their swing.” UTPA golf sophomore A.J. Gonzalez: “Good posture is the key to a good swing, if you don’t have a good posture it’s going to be hard for you to keep everything in control.”

TENNIS

3. THE BACKSWING The golf swing starts from the ground up, meaning that the lower body leads the upper body. Start back slow with a weight shift to the back foot and let everything else follow in sync. The motion, according to pro Ben Hogan, should feel much like swinging a pail of water from front to back. Try to take the club back “low and slow” and remember to feel loose, as supple muscles create speed. As the club is taken back, the shoulders should naturally follow and the leading shoulder should turn so that it is directly over the back foot. The left arm should be fairly straight, but don’t overdo it. A common misconception is that the club has to reach a parallel position at the top of the swing. Not necessarily. Some of the best swings are short and compact – the best thing to do is make sure that the shoulders have turned at least 90 degrees from the address position. Drill: Lay two clubs on the ground, one at the feet, and one parallel to that, outside the ball – both clubs should be parallel to the target line. Align the feet to the first club and use the second club as a guide to the correct line the swing should follow back. This drill often helps golfers to stay on plane. Coach De Larrea: “Obviously, try not to waste any energy on your backswing because it doesn’t matter how fast you take it back, it doesn’t mean you’re going to hit it any longer.” 4. THE DOWNSWING This is by far the most important aspect of any golf swing. It’s where the magic happens. The downswing is initiated by a weight shift back to the front foot and a “dropping” of the club into the “slot.” What this means is that the club should be on plane during the downswing and the right elbow should almost graze the inside hip. The head should stay slightly behind the ball and down at impact as the shoulders and arms pass through in sync. Maintaining spine angle is a key to saving power – don’t lose the one o’clock angle. Don’t hit at the ball, hit through the ball. Remember to let the club release fully through im-

pact. The hips should open naturally toward the target. The swing should be relaxed and in tempo. Often times, amateurs try to swing too hard and end up losing distance. Another common pitfall is releasing the club from the top too early, causing a slice. Drill: Take a tee and stick it in the end of the club. On the downswing feel the sensation of sticking that tee into the back of the ball as this will promote an on-plane swing and delayed release. Gonzalez: “Keep everything smooth. Don’t get too quick with the swing because then you’re just not going to hit it straight.” 5. THE FINISH Always try to finish on balance. A good way is to simply mimic the PGA tour logo as it displays a picturesque follow-through and finish. All weight should be distributed to the front foot. Drill: As the ball is struck, the golfer should hold his/her posture until the ball has landed. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Much of the instruction in this article should be practiced while on the range where mishits don’t matter. On the course, managing one’s game means knowing what one can and can’t do; this will help improve the weekend golfer’s score.

Illustrated by Anthony Salinas

Broncs drop road game to SMU, 6-1 By Sara Hernandez The Pan American Facing the No. 43-ranked team in the nation, The University of TexasPan American men’s tennis team suffered a 6-1 setback Sunday against Southern Methodist University at Dallas. But their coach is enthused about the effort, despite the result. “I’m very encouraged about how everyone played, we played a very strong team,” interim head coach Chris Gill said. “When you go out there and play as well as we did against teams like that, you don’t look at the scores. I thought everyone fought hard and played well.” The men were not able to pick up a win in doubles, where Aswin Vijayaragavan and Nirvick Mohinta fell against Chris Hoshyar and Artem Baradach, 8-6. The duet formed by Brett Bernstein and Marcus Dornauf dropped a 8-4 decision facing Darren Walsh and Adham el-Effendi while Robin Fahgen and Gaston Cuadranti defeated the doublet formed by Beau Bernstein and Andrew Irving (8-2). In singles, freshman Beau Bernstein completed the only win defeating el-Effendi 6-2, 6-2 in the fifth spot of the rotation. “It was a tough match,” said Vijayaragavan of Bernstein’s performance. “I was really impressed because he did a pretty good job and beat a very good player.” Bernstein, who has a singles record of 7-6, assures that his first season of collegiate play has been satisfactory. “I feel that I’ve been playing very good,” he said. “I’ve lost to people who are very good and I haven’t had a bad match yet, so I’m pretty happy about that.” In the top two spots, sophomore Vijayaragavan lost 6-3, 6-3 to number 54 Fahgen while SMU’s Costa beat junior Mohinta (6-1, 6-1). Sophomores Irving and Dornauf fell to Baradach and Cuatranti respectively, both 6-2, 6-2. Junior Brett Bernstein was dropped 6-3, 6-3 by Hooshyar. After defeating Nicholls State last week and giving competition to SMU, the Broncs will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sunday at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. “We’re going into this weekend after…getting our first win of the season, coming back and playing pretty solid against SMU,” Gill said. “I know it’s a team we should do well against.”