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S PORTS
MASTER TIGER: Once again, Tiger Woods is the favorite to take The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club starting today and concluding Sunday afternoon. Woods, chasing his third green jacket, will have more obstacles to overcome this year around. Augusta National has revamped its course, increasing the yardage on eight of the 18 holes. Woods will also face stiff competition from a few guys who are long overdue for a green jacket. David Duval and Ernie Els would love to see themselves sporting the green blazer, but nobody wants this major more than Phil Mickelson. He is not only on a quest for the Masters title, but his first major championship in his pro career.
MOVING ON? With the 2002 World Cup just under two months away, Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he will not make a decision about his longterm future until after the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. Trapattoni’s contract expires after the finals and while he said he would return to club coaching after the World Cup, there have been suggestions he may be ready to extend his deal.
■ Bronc stats . . . . . . . . . . 15
Broncs one up, one down vs. South Texas foe
PGA
WORLD CUP
■ Sports Clipboard. . . . . . 15
The Pan American
Eladio Jaimez/The Pan American
MR. CLUTCH: Sharyland native Marco Garza receives high fives from his teammates after scoring a run in game one of a doubleheader against the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas. Garza came into the contest hitting .191 and broke up Javs’ starter Mike Huddleston’s perfectgame bid, leading off the sixth inning with a single. The freshman shortstop went 3-for-6 for the night to raise his average to .210.
If they could play the second game first, who knows. The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs, for the seventh time in seven 2002 doubleheaders, lost the first game against Texas A&M-Kingsville Tuesday, 3-2. They rebounded to win the second match 5-0, marking the fifth time in those seven twin bills that a split was attained. The ol' one-up, one-down routine sends them into a home weekend series against Houston Baptist with a 10-26 overall record. The Broncs got a pair of solid pitching performances against TAMUK (17-28), and hope that this will continue against HB, a highly ranked NAIA school, in a three-gamer starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. In the extra-innings opener against TAMUK, senior right-hander Mike Calvert pitched six strong innings, allowing just two runs, but UTPA fell short as the Javelinas pushed across the winning run in the eighth, benefiting from a throwing error by relief pitcher Skip Weast.
The Bronc bats, a problem most of the year, exploded for three runs in the first inning of the second game, and senior right-hander Justin Dowd did the rest, getting his first victory in seven decisions. He hurled the team's second complete game of the season, fanning 10 and walking just two on a five-hitter. He came into the game with a 12.27 earned run average, and made his best mound effort of the year. "Justin Dowd did a great job of pitching in situations," said UTPA head coach Reggie Tredaway. "He got big strikeouts in a few situations where they had two men on, and that's what you have to do." Tony Ortiz had three hits in as many tries and scored twice in the nightcap, while catcher Matt Eichel drove in two runs. Shortstop Marco Garza and left fielder Bruce Kennedy contributed two hits and a stolen base apiece. UTPA outhit the Javs 12-5 in the second game, but managed just four hits in the opener, with outfielders John Lopez and Jonathan Mason posting RBIs. The team continued to have trouble making contact at the plate, striking out 12 times and drawing just two walks in the doubleheader.
Thinclads ready for Angelo State By Mike Gonzalez The Pan American
The University of Texas PanAmerican track & field team stumbled in the Texas Relays last week, but looks to bounce back at the Angelo State Relays Saturday. The Broncs faced quality Division I opponents last week and this time will face powerhouse Division II schools such as Angelo State and Abilene Christian. Both are ranked in the top five in the country, according to head
coach Ricky Vaughn. However, Vaughn is optimistic his squad will be up to the challenge. "Their [team] expectations are higher," Vaughn said. "Maybe they are a little more focused. Hopefully it will be a good meet this weekend." He added that his Division II opponents have great programs, and fierce competitors . "They [opponents] have great athletes," Vaughn said. "It will be a high-quality meet and I hope some of our athletes qualify." Sophomore Rashaad Ben
knows his opponents will run at a high level, and it will be a challenge for the Broncs to qualify. "They [opponents] train pretty hard," Ben said. "You have to run your best at all times. It's a lot of competition." The young and inexperienced squad went up against tougher competition, including Big 12 programs, at the Texas Relays in Austin. Vaughn said last week's experience will help develop the program and put it on the map. "It's important for us to devel-
op our program," Vaughn said. "We need to start competing against bigger schools. We're ready for the next step." Although members of the team failed to qualify, the experience will not only help the athletes this weekend, but in future events as well. "No doubt, for most it was their first time competing in larger meets," Vaughn said. "They have to learn how to control their emotions." One bright spot at the Texas Relays was sophomore Valerie See ANGELO STATE page 15
THURSDAY
Campus VOICE What do you think about the doctors’ walkout?
Page 4
STATE NEWS ■ BIG WIN: Edinburg attorney Ramon Garcia defeated Hidalgo County Judge Eloy Pulido by over 12,000 votes in Tuesday’s run-off elections for the county judge’s seat. With all of the county’s precincts reporting, Garcia received 65 percent of the vote to Pulido’s 35. Pulido thanked everyone involved in his campaign and said it had been difficult to go up against a well-funded campaign like Garcia’s. In other local races, Omar Guerrero narrowly defeated Lupe SilvaAboud by fewer than 300 votes for the District Clerk position. Following Tuesday’s runoff, the Rio Grande Valley won representation in the Texas Senate when state representative Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa downed Corpus Christi lawyer and businesswoman Barbara Canales-Black. Hinojosa received 55.6 percent of the vote with 33,557 votes and Canales-Black got 44.4 percent with 26,749. In the US Senate race, former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk won the right to represent the Democrats by beating high school geography teacher Victor Morales of Crandall. Kirk faces GOP candidate John Cornyn in November. There was no runoff on the Democratic side for governor as Tony Sanchez builds his campaign for a November showdown with Republican incumbent Rick Perry.
April 11, 2002 An Inside Look: News ............................................2 A & E............................................7 ■ Sports ........................................16 ■ ■
FIDDLE DEE Dee Page 8
T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n
Doctors demand redress By Eladio Jaimez The Pan American
With loud Mariachi music playing in the background, doctors from Hidalgo and Starr County gathered on the steps of the county courthouse in Edinburg and voiced their concerns regarding malpractice lawsuits. Over 400 doctors walked out of their offices Monday morning in protest of increasing malpractice insurance costs. About 300 supporters showed up in Edinburg as well, including state representatives Kino Flores, D-McAllen, Miguel Wise, D-Weslaco, and county judge Eloy Pulido. Dr. Juan M. Campos, president of the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society, was one of several speakers at the event, which at times resembled like a political pachanga. The walkout was organized by by the Medical Society in conjunction with Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA). Campos said high insurance costs in this region have caused many “quality” doctors to leave, which has led to a shortage in physicians, particularly specialists, in the Valley. “We have to solve this crisis,” Campos said. Campos said Hidalgo County and Valley residents, especially children and the elderly, will be hurt the most by this “clear and present danger.” See WALKOUT page 11
Matt Lynch/The Pan American
PROTEST — Dr. Juan M. Campos addresses the crowd during a demonstration on Tuesday morning at the Hidalgo County Courthouse. Valley doctors gathered to voice concerns over rising premiums covering malpractice. However, some observers side with patients, and place partial blame for costs on the doctors.
It’s official: Munoz to head SGA By Matt Lynch The Pan American
University of Texas-Pan American students exercised their rights to choose Student Government Association officials last week, electing Alyssa Munoz president of SGA. Through increased publicity and encouragement from UTPA officials, students hit the polls in increased numbers over previous elections, with more than 1,100 votes being cast. This year’s vote total surpasses the sum of the last two years combined, as just 648 and 465 votes were cast in 2000 and 2001, respectively. “We try to promote campus involvement in everything we do,” said Dana Garza, coordinator of Student Development. “I’m hoping the students are realizing this can be a fun campus, and that we have an SGA that is eager to help them.”
Garza also attributed the improved voter turnout to the increased number of presidential tickets and candidates running for positions. According to Garza, many of the candidates campaigned and urged their fellow students to vote. But she feels Munoz, along with her running mate Jessica Ann Garcia, relied on their previous SGA experience to coax students to cast votes in their direction. “On the final day, everyone stepped up, but they [Munoz, Garcia] had an advantage through experience and knew what it took to win,” Garza said. Munoz, a senior biology major, is uncertain whether her experience played a part in her victory, but feels it will make her a more effective SGA president. “It will make it easier for me to get things done,” she said. “I know all the administrators, red tape and procedures.” The new president feels there are many things
for SGA to address regarding student life at UTPA, but believes SGA is up to the task. “It’s the little things we’d like to address,” she said. “The major thing is to make sure SGA is known to the students.” Teamwork is essential in many group functions, and Munoz feels the ability to work together is important for SGA as well. “I want to make sure we have teamwork,” she said. “If we don’t work together with other student organizations, it will be hard to get things accomplished.” To make SGA and its officers more accessible to UTPA students, Munoz hopes to make SGA increasingly visible through its participation in campus activities. “We hope to participate in all events on campus,” she said. “We’d like to say to students, ‘this is what we can do for you.’”
NEWS
April 11 2002
Local band frontman seeks campus unity By Jaime R. Garcia Jr. The Pan American
Celebrating 50 years 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 50th Year – No. 24
Editor Matt Lynch mlynch@panam.edu
News Editor Cristina Reyna creyna826@aol.com
Copy Editor Melissa Ciomperlik ciomperlik@yahoo.com
Graphics Editor Gabriel O. Hernandez gabo296@hotmail.com
A & E Editor Ashley Brooks Magrew2@hotmail.com
Sports Editor Eladio Jaimez ejaimez@panam.edu
Layout Designers Gabriel Hernandez Celeste Y. Tello Reporters Blake Daniels Jaime Garcia Jr. Mike Gonzalez Elizabeth Martinez Linda Martinez Nikki Ramirez Belinda Reyes Cesar Trevino Photographers Anna Stwora Mary Zuviri Advertising Dagoberto Perez Circulation Jesus M. Gonzalez Advertising Coordinator Juanita Sanchez Adviser Dr. Greg Selber
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 university.
Letters policy The Pan American gladly accepts letters from students, staff and faculty regarding newspaper content or current issues. The Pan American reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. Please limit submission length to 300 words. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters, or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor and must include the writer’s name, class/title and phone number. Readers with disabilities may request an alternative format of this publication at The Pan American business office. For special assistance to attend any event listed in this publication, contact the coordinator of the event at least one week prior to the advertised date.
The afternoon is sunny. It is mid-day and the ambience is universal. On this Thursday afternoon, the organization called “The Community” is hosting a free musical concert. The first band, having completed its set, is makes way for the next band entitled “We Suck.” As the band takes the floor, lead singer Marc ‘Marc Hardcore’ Villarreal, 23, yells through the microphone, “Welcome to the birth of a new revolution! The time for a change is now. I feel I have been robbed of a college experience here at this university and the time to act is now!” The hardcore 4-piece band (together since the fall of 1997) pounds in, encouraging the crowd to yell congruently, as Villarreal’s political messages burst through the speakers. Villarreal, a UTPA senior from Mission, explains that his rage when he performs comes from natural energy and is an attempt to encourage the audience to join in and do what they please. In that moment, he considers himself “extreme and energetic.” “The main theme [of the shows] is for people to relate to one another during the show. When people alienate themselves, they die off socially. My objective is to channel negative energy into something positive and constructive, to attack dogma and for people to reason and act together.” “I view myself [when performing] as a conduit of energy being used to provide a gift of liberation to the audience to do what they feel like doing there. It’s extreme and energetic and pushing limits. I’d rather be detested than apathetic.” Villarreal is the vice-president of “The Community,” which offers a chance for students of all creeds and educational backgrounds to congregate and speak their minds through an event called “Spoken Word.” Villarreal and his organization believe that they need to do something about student unity in order to form a more solid campus body. “People here in the Valley seem to have acquired a learned helplessness, and alienate themselves,” he said. “The university needs to do more to make the students aware of what they can do around their campus. Instead, it [the university] hinders student willingness to cooperate with activities around campus.” Villarreal, a psychology major/philosophy minor, believes that instead of the university administration posting regulations for student organizations, it should encourage more student activities. “This university seems to take for granted that we [students] pay tuition for a reason,” Villarreal said. “We should not be restricted and rather be allowed to do more.” Villarreal understands the importance of certain regulations when it comes to conducting demonstrations or posting advertisings, but feels that they are too meticulous and discouraging to some organizations and students, for example when it comes to getting fliers stamped. “In 1998 and 1999 we [The Community] used to throw shows free to the public for
people to come together,” Villarreal said. “One of the policies we had to abide by was to hire security. The University Police Department sent the amount they felt adequate, which was quite a bit, and we were forced to discontinue the shows due to overcharging, which led to lack of funds.” Villarreal states that it has become difficult for him and his organization to successfully attempt to gather and congregate, due to difficulties with the Office of Student Development. He added that the OSD did not fully comply with regulations pertaining to non-free-speech zones. “A while back, “Spoken Word” would gather at the University Circle until we [The Community] were advised to move into a designated free-speech zone located by the library with the excuse that we could not use amplifying devices in a non-free-speech zone,” said Villarreal, referring to a prior incident. A year ago, the organization on occasion set up a speaker with a microphone allowing students to express their thoughts, ideas and emotions freely. “We respectfully complied and moved to the other area,” Villarreal said. Christine Carruthers, coordinator for the OSD, said, “student organizations are allowed two university handbooks for reference on regulations when using both free and nonfree-speech zones: The Student Guide and The Handbook of Operation Procedures.” The Student Guide states on Page 21 in section 4, “Recognition and Approval of Student Organizations,” subdivision 1, that: 1) The University recognizes student organizations as an integral part of University life. 2) Student organizations offer an opportunity for personal growth and development of special talents and interests.” Villarreal, however expressed discontent over the fact that several weeks ago some religious organizations conducted a three-day demonstration that required the use of amplifying devices in a non-designated free-speech zone. Dana Garza, coordinator for the OSD, explained that “organizations around campus are allowed to use amplifiers on a non-freespeech zone during activity periods as long as the equipment is not obstructing traffic.” “While we were told to move [a year ago] to a designated free-speech zone to use our amplifier and microphone, these organizations were demonstrating for three full days from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. on a non-designated-free speech zone with plenty of amplification and definitely out of activity period,” Villarreal said. “If those organizations were amplified out of activity period, they should not have been and were advised several times not to,” reiterated Garza. Angie De Loach is a member of the campus religious fraternity, Chi-Alpha, a participant in last week’s spiritual events. “They [Student Development] approached us on several occasions to tell us to keep the volume low,” she said. “The reason we don’t permit amplification devices off activity period [in non-designated
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April 11, 2002
free-speech zones] is simply for the fact that it disturbs classes,” Carruthers said. De Loach disagreed and said their amplifiers were on after activity period. “Several classes were disrupted and they [student development] came again to tell us to turn [the amplifiers] off,” De Loach said. “However, we reached a compromise with them and they allowed us to keep them on as long as we kept them at a low and reasonable volume. So we did.” De Loach also stated that her organization has also had problems in the past with Student Development. “They informed us in the past that we could not express freedom of religion to the fullest. They told us that we could not have worship music, nor be allowed to exhibit religious films due to the separation of church and state,” she said. Carruthers cleared the issue of “separation of church and state” by explaining that “due to state funding [for the university], state funds may not be used to support religious or political activities.” Although Villarreal uses his music and lyrics as the essential tool for voicing his concerns to the local masses, The Community is focusing on alternate methods of reaching out to university students, as well. In hopes of making a difference and solidifying their aspirations, The Community’s president, Dan Vaughn, ran a campaign for SGA. Although he didn’t win, this action displayed evidence that The Community is diversifying its efforts. “We want everyone to unite and focus on similarities rather than differences,” Villarreal said. “If applied, this will rid mental pollution such as racism, structural bias and homophobia. We [The Community] just want to be treated equally, and have complied with the Student Government in all their requests.” Villarreal added that he simply wants the university masses to commune, to compose student unity in an institution of higher learning that should promote “general cognition.” “Some people have taken offense to our actions. But, if I illicit a response—positive or negative - I’ve served some kind of purpose because people have mobilized, acted and thought,” he commented. “The synthesis right now is the apathy of students and/or the school, but what we stress to the students is that the universe is indifferent, do as much as you can to build and create. People in the Valley need to mobilize and work together to build.” “It’s your university. Don’t be apathetic. I hope the university will evolve into positive change. There is much more than SGA, athletics, and other organizations that the university focuses on.”
CORRECTION The April 4 The Pan American reported that a gay film festival was to take place last weekend. The festival will actually take place the weekend of April 20.
SPORTS CLIPBOARD Mavericks lasso Broncs EDINBURG -- The University of Texas-Pan American men’s tennis team gave a good account of itself in just about every individual contest in a match against the University of Texas-Arlington Sunday. But the Mavericks came through when it counted, defeating the Broncs, 7-0 to clinch the regular season Southland Conference championship and a first-round bye when the conference tournament begins April 26. Freshmen Filip Koziell and Jeremy Salvo lost their no. one doubles match to Andy Leber and David Corrie, 9-7, while sophomore Tom Mangelschots and junior Neil Barraclough lost at no. three doubles to Tom Zarzecny and Alon Goldshuv, 9-8, dropping the tie-breaker, 7-3. The doubles matches were played at the Cox Tennis Center, but the singles were moved to the Summit Sports Club in Pharr due to high winds. UTPA and UTA split sets in three of the six singles matches. Zarzecny defeated Koziell at no. three singles, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Javier Carrillo defeated Salvo at no. four, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; and Goldshuv downed senior Kareem Abdullah at no. five, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. “It was a very close 7-0 match, we had leads in five of the nine matches,” said UTPA head coach Todd Chapman. “We won the first set in three of the six singles matches, and we were up 6-3 at no. one doubles, and up, 6-5 and serving at number three. But we played a very good team today, the best team in our conference. It was good to see that we got ourselves into situations where we had the opportunity to win, but then we weren’t able to do what we had to do in order to win. Hopefully, we can learn from this experience.” The Broncs dropped to 7-7, 2-2 in the SLC with the defeat, while the Mavericks improved to 14-7, 6-0. UTPA will return to action when they visit Texas-San Antonio in another SLC match tomorrow.
Golfers struggle in Border event LAREDO -- The University of Texas-Pan American’s men’s golf team finished 17th at the 17-team Border Olympics, at the Laredo Country Club Saturday. The Broncs shot a final-round score of 301 Saturday, giving them a 54-hole total of 922, placing them 24 shots behind first-place Rice. Baylor finished first with a score of 845, followed by San Diego State at 858, New Mexico at 865, Pepperdine at 868, Texas-Arlington at 869 and Louisiana-Lafayette at 870. Next were Lamar at 874, Central Oklahoma at 875, Texas Tech at 876, Arkansas and Texas-San Antonio at 879, Colorado State at 881, Central Florida at 884, host Texas A&M at 885, and Sam Houston State at 887. Junior Omar Halldorsson led the Broncs by shooting a final-round score of 74 for a 54-hole total of 226, good for a tie for 63rd place. Sophomore Rudy Celedon shot a score of 74 for a total of 229, tying for 75th place. Sophomore Ben Piper shot a 76, for a total of 235, good for 87th place. Freshman John Huerta shot a 77, scoring 236 and securing 88th place. Senior Santiago DeLarrea shot a 78, good for a score of 239 and 90th place. The Broncs will play their final tournament of the semester at the National Minority Golf Championships May 10-13 at the PGA Headquarters in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
100 and counting EDINBURG -- Saturday night’s win over the 16th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in College Station was special in many ways. For one, the Broncs finally won a road game. Before the second game of the doubleheader, the Broncs were 0-11 on the road. Another positive from that game, and the series, was the Broncs’ pitching, as all three games were decided by one run. The Bronc hurlers did their job by keeping the team in the game. The most special moment probably came after notching the 3-2 victory over the Aggies in the rubber game on Saturday. The win was also head coach Reggie Tredaway’s 100th as skipper of the Broncs. The fifthyear head coach seemed to be well on his way to the 100-win mark after three seasons with 79, but a disastrous season last year and a slow start this campaign put his march to 100 on hold until Saturday. Tredaway recorded 30-win seasons in 1999 and 2000. Last year the Broncs finished 12-40 and have only compiled a 9-25 record this season. In his five years, Tredaway has accumulated a career record of 100-139-1. Tredaway took over for legendary head coach Al Ogletree in 1998, and put the program’s future before his own record. He veered away from recruiting junior college transfers and now brings in freshmen hoping to rebuild the Bronc baseball program.
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By the numbers April 25-27 May 3-4 May 20 May 28-June 1
BASEBALL BRONC LEADERS Batting Average Matt Sisk John Lopez Adam Farek Tony Ortiz Jerome McCoy
.322 .314 .297 .297 .288
WOMEN
Home runs Matt Eichel Matt Sisk Jarrad Maddox Sean Flynn Tony Ortiz
2 2 1 1 1
April 13 April 20 April 25-27 May 3-4 May 20 May 28-June 1
RBI Matt Sisk Bruce Kennedy Matt Eichel Tony Ortiz Jarrad Maddox
18 14 11 9 8
Hits Matt Sisk Jerome McCoy Bruce Kennedy John Lopez Skip Weast
38 36 29 27 25
Runs Matt Sisk Jerome McCoy Bruce Kennedy John Lopez Marco Garza
19 19 14 13 10
Upcoming schedule
Angelo State Relays Baylor Invitational Drake Relays Texas Invitational Houston Last Chance NCAA Championships
TENNIS MEN Upcoming schedule 4/12 4/16 4/16 4/18 4/26-28 * home match
Texas-San Antonio SE Louisiana Lamar LAREDO CC* SLC Tournament
WOMEN Upcoming schedule 4/12 4/12 4/18 * home match
Nicholls State Texas-San Antonio TAMUCC*
GOLF
TEAM NUMBERS Batting Average Home Runs RBI Hits Runs
Drake Relays Texas Invitational Houston Last Chance NCAA Championships
.262 7 113 302 136
TRACK AND FIELD
MEN Upcoming schedule 5/10-13 National Minority Golf Championship Port St. Lucie, FL
WOMEN
MEN Upcoming schedule April 13 Angelo State Relays April 20 Baylor Invitational
ANGELO STATE Partch, who broke the UTPA record in the high jump with a leap of 5-8 1/2 inches and finished fifth overall. The old record was 5-8, set by Partch earlier this year. According to Vaughn, the record will give Partch a boost going up against tougher competition. "It [the record] gives her confidence," Vaughn said. "She's as good as anybody, comparing UTPA to bigger schools such as Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. It shows the progress we're making as a program." Another event where the Broncs made some noise was the men's 110-meter high hurdles. Ben finished fourth with a time of 14.65, while freshman Matt Clinton finished seventh with a time of 15.15. Although a number of Broncs performed well in track events, UTPA hammer thrower Amy Moses struggled in her event. Moses was disappointed she didn't compete up to her potential. "I feel like I could've been there," Moses said. Although Moses didn't place in the hammer throw, she hopes next year will
Upcoming schedule April 10-13 EKU Lady Colonel Classic Richmond, KY May 10-13 National Minority Golf
continued from page 16 bring better results for her and her team. "I'll be ready next year because of the experience, and the team will be ready as well," Moses said. "It was new for the first-timers." Freshman Marlin Manley also struggled in the men's high jump, failing to qualify. Although the Broncs went through growing pains in Austin, Vaughn said he's proud of the way his team has responded. "You take it one step at a time," Vaughn said. "There's the good and bad. They'll be excited about the competition. We've made a lot of improvements and records have been broken. So our squad is getting better." The Broncs and lady Broncs get ready for the NCAA Championships with four more relays, including two against Baylor University and the University of Texas-Austin. Other contests include relays against Drake and the Houston Last Chance Invitational a week before the championships
April 11, 2002
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N EWS Valley faces academic ‘brain drain’ ■ Campus Voice . . . . . 4 ■ Light of Hope Vigil . . 5
By Cristina Reyna The Pan American
GETTING OUT “I wanted to challenge myself.” This response was unanimous from five Valleyites who will graduate this May from Ivy League universities. Each fall, high school graduates leave the Rio Grande Valley to attend enticing institutions of higher learning, with high hopes of achieving big dreams in the big city. For the Valley, however, this can prove to be a ‘brain drain’ when students choose not to return to their hometown communities and give back such scholarship they have achieved to familiar and needy areas. Elvie Davis, dean of students at the University of Texas-Pan American, said a brain drain does exist and, for students, there is a certain attraction to the idea of exploring new worlds. “As long as Ivy League and other prestigious institutions offer impressive scholarships, bigger research opportunities, academic programs that we don’t offer here, and new and different experiences on the whole, many of the Valley’s top students will continue to choose to go elsewhere,” Davis said. She explained that leaving the Valley appeals to a great deal of young people who have not been exposed to anything else. “As much as I’d love to see our top students enroll at UTPA, I also recognize how other institutions elsewhere can add to their intellectual and personal growth,” Davis said. Valley scholar Monica Lucero left Raymondville in the fall of 1998 to seek higher education more than 2,000 miles away, at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Lucero, 21, graduated as the salutatorian of Raymondville High School in May of 1998 with aspirations of attending Brown because it offered an eight-year medical program and an ethnic studies concentration. She wanted to learn about “communities of color to effectively treat them medically, socially and emotionally.” “Brown was hard to adjust to, especially coming from public Raymondville High School,” Lucero said. “The educational support I had was barely enough for me to get by.” But she did. In May, Lucero will graduate with an A.B. in Ethnic Studies and then pursue a medical degree. Priscilla Noriega, 22, left for New Haven, Conn. in the fall of 1998 after applying to Yale University on a dare. “I fell in love with the campus and I knew I would have access to amazing resources academically and socially,” Noriega said. “It was a chance to test myself and see what I could do.” Noriega, of Brownsville, graduated from Gladys Porter High School and loves the fact that she is now “able to hop on a train and go into New York for the afternoon.” Noriega will graduate in May with a degree in English and plans to pursue a law degree thereafter.
Zainab Zakari, of Harlingen, attends Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. She graduated as the valedictorian of Harlingen High School in 1998 and chose Stanford because of the “friendly and outgoing sense” she got from the community. “I wanted the social aspect as well as the academic,” Zakari said. “Stanford has a great balance of both.” Zakari will graduate this May with a degree in history. Cesar Garcia, 22, graduated from Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen in 1998 and left the Valley the same year to attend Brown University. “Brown promised an environment unlike anything I’d ever seen,” Garcia said. “And, it offered me the best financial aid. Without the money I get, I couldn’t dream of affording this kind of experience.” Garcia will graduate in May with a double major in American civilization and English literature. Magda Guillen, of Harlingen, was committed to getting an out-of-state education and chose Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Guillen, 22, was third in her graduating class at Harlingen High School in 1998. “I wanted to take part in an incredibly diverse academic environment,” Guillen said. “Harvard has a world-renowned faculty and its liberal arts education is among the best in the world.” Guillen will graduate in May with a degree in government as well as a specialization in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Mexico, from Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center. She will also bear a citation in Spanish from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. With top Valley students being lured away each year by top universities, one might wonder whether these soon-to-be grads plan to return to the Valley. COMING BACK Although the Valley would likely benefit from these students once they’ve become professionals, returning to their communities is ultimately a difficult personal decision for each of them. UTPA’s Davis said the Valley would benefit greatly from these individuals returning and using their acquired knowledge and expertise here, but it depends on how they feel about returning home. “It doesn’t matter how we feel,” Davis said. “They can’t be directed or forced to do so if they don’t want to.” While some feel that they will returning to the Valley without a doubt, other students were frustrated by the lack of economic and social conditions in the area. The Valley’s unemployment rate is at 12 percent and Hidalgo County is one of the top five poorest counties in the U.S. Lucero said she plans to attend medical school for the next four years and then pursue a residency for four additional years. “If there are opportunities for me to make effective change in South Texas at least 10 years from now, I will definitely come back,” she said. Lucero added that she will work for a Spanishspeaking community somewhere in the United States. “Even if it is not South Texas, at least I know that
my motivation comes from the inequalities I was raised in and educated to fight against,” Lucero said. Noriega plans to come back to the Valley to teach for a few years in Brownsville once she has attended law school. “I am motivated to get students from the Valley to attend Yale and I hope to encourage them to expose themselves to new opportunities,” Noriega said. Zakari said she will not likely return to the Valley because she is interested in book publishing and “the Valley doesn’t have much of a market for it.” “I would like to stay in the [San Francisco] Bay area but the only real market for publishing is in the East Coast/New York area,” she said. Zakari added that she appreciates the low cost of living in the Valley and the “high sense of community and family,” but she is looking to get ahead as soon as possible and “the Valley is not the place to do that.” Garcia said he will return to the Valley once he has finished graduate school. Until then, he hopes to live in different parts of the United States and abroad. “I always remind myself that I am not at Brown solely because of my own work,” Garcia said. “I am not self-made. I have arrived where I am because of the sacrifices of countless people. I am here because the kids I grew up with are not. My community has given me my life so I want to give something back to it.” Guillen, however, explained that she will not return to the Valley because she is frustrated with the lack of both economic and social opportunities in the Valley. “Though I realize that the economy of this particular area of the country is burgeoning right now, the kinds of jobs and careers that I am interested in pursuing are still scarce,” Guillen said. Guillen added that she is fond of the fast pace of the East Coast and its attractions, and has developed an appreciation for their lifestyle. “I would find it very difficult to slow down my own life to fit the pace of the Rio Grande Valley,” she said. “I have difficulty accepting some of the more right-wing tendencies of the average citizen in the Valley; my own personal political inclinations are difficult to reconcile with the prevailing socio-political norms of that area,” Guillen added. Davis suggested that these students’ “fresh blood and new perspectives can be a great thing,” and might, in fact, be just what the Valley needs. “There’s nothing wrong with turning our attention to not only getting our Valleyites back here, but recruiting more professionals from all over,” Davis said. GIVING SOMETHING BACK The students who do plan to return to the Valley intend to give back to their communities in several very different ways. Each feels very strongly that he or she can provide a breath of fresh air for the area. Lucero, for one, pointed out that she believes change must be made politically before it can trickle down to the South. “As a future physician, I feel that the economic
gain, both in Mexico and the U.S., is at the direct expense of the community’s health in South Texas,” Lucero said. “Since maquilas emanate and dispense thousands of chemicals daily, the health of those in the area is severely compromised.” Lucero added that the Valley has the highest incidence of cancer, diabetes and nervous disorders than any other region in the United States “As a young, proactive physician, I would love to come back and politically organize against such dumping in order to truly affect the public’s health,” she added. “However, I and others will not be well received by those who feel that maquilas bring excellent jobs, increasing economic development and decreasing crime, poverty and disease,” Lucero said. Noriega said she wants to bring back to the Valley the knowledge she has gained. “Since I’ve had the opportunity to work with the professors leading in their fields, I want to expose students to things I’ve learned here [Yale] and instill the same kind of excitement in others,” Noriega said. Garcia credited his college town, Providence, for teaching him the importance of working with community members to improve local conditions. He added that countless intelligent youth in the Valley do not fulfill their potential because they do not have access to the proper resources. BRAIN DRAIN? Each of these Ivy League students has expressed disappointment in the lack of economic and social opportunities in the Valley as a reason for their hesitation to return. But the Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in the country-- population wise, according to Davis. However, several inadequacies must be addressed in determining the factors influencing the decisions of those who choose not to come back. Noriega believes that although the biculturalism of the border is an intriguing dynamic, she said she finds that in the Valley many [people] exist in a vacuum. “Although the cost of living is very low, there aren't many opportunities that provide high income,” Noriega said. “Wages are also pretty low back home.” Noriega said it is great that people are seeking opportunity and forging their own careers and lives outside the Valley. Students deserve an opportunity to “get out,” agreed Lucero. “It’s crazy that I had to seek education more than 2,000 miles away to learn that South Texas is truly deteriorating,” Lucero said. “It should be their [students] decision to come back and they shouldn’t feel guilty if they choose not to. Everyone needs to be true to the quality of life they desire for themselves and their future family.” Zakari says there is a perpetual cycle in the Valley and she has had first-hand experience with managers of businesses whom she feels perpetuate the brain drain. “They are not encouraging to students who seek part-time work while spending their vacation time in
See BRAIN DRAIN page 11
THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
Campus VO I C E
What do you think about the doctors’ walkout? – Anna Stwora
Gustavo Delfin Int. Business/Management Senior I believe that people have taken too much advantage of loose rules and regulations of insurance companies which has led to the present chaotic situation. It seems new rules need to be implemented so people don’t get so much money from the agencies.
Jose Gonzales Computer Science Freshman [Doctors] have the right to defend themselves against unjustified lawsuits. And even though they should be held responsible for their mistakes the amount of penalties shouldn’t be that high.
Linda Mujica Pre-Med Sophomore I think since they pay a lot of money for insurance, which they should not, they have a right to protest for all the unjustified lawsuits.
Sharifa Llemit Pre-Med Sophomore The doctors’ actions are justified because they have a good reason to be upset about the tremendous amount of insurance they must pay.
Armando Galarza Music Sophomore I think the doctors are finally taking a stand to have their rights protected in order to ensure the well-being of the patients.
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Business College revising its plans UTPA: Vision of Success FIFTH IN A CONTINUING SERIES
By Eladio Jaimez The Pan American
When John Emery took the position as Dean of the College of Business in Feb. 2001, the college was facing internal turmoil impeding its progress. Emery said a strategic plan was in place when he arrived, but it wasn’t as detailed and structured as today’s plan. “We’ve done revisions [to the plan],” Emery said. “It was drawn over two years ago and we’ve had to clarify what it is we want to accomplish.” Emery said the University of TexasPan American is currently taking part in a comprehensive study called “Closing the Gap,” in hopes of finding ways to increase enrollment at the university by the year 2015. Emery said the university’s goal is to increase the participation rate of nontraditional students and change the demographics of students at UTPA. Here, nontraditional refers to older students continuing or even just beginning their educational journey. “Our college [business] will grow as fast as the rest of the state,” Emery said. Approximately 2,400 undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Business, with 150 graduate students including about 40 doctoral candidates. While increasing enrollment is one of Emery’s top priorities, increasing the number of graduate and doctoral degrees offered by UTPA also ranks high on his laundry list. The college offers one of two Ph.D. degrees at the university, in international business. The other is in educational leadership. Emery said the degree is offered with specialties in marketing, management, and finance under the international business umbrella. He also said the college is
equipped with faculty strong enough to train doctoral students in accounting and computer information systems. “We’re not formally accepting students to those Ph.D. programs yet,” Emery said. “Our accounting degree is very likely to happen. We may start recruiting candidates next year and accepting students the year after that.” Another project the College of Business looks forward to offering is referred to as The Big Mac. “We want them to go after the Big Mac,” Emery said. “UT already has a program like this.” Under this program, an entering freshman can enroll in a five-year accounting program and earn a master’s degree upon completion, specializing in public accounting. Emery said the University of Texas Board of Regents must still review a proposal submitted by the college. “It’ll probably be about two years before this gets under way,” Emery said. Emery said the college also offers services to the region in form of research that will benefit the entire Valley. “The most dramatic research is what is going on at the Center for Border Economic Studies,” Emery said. “That’s our primary thrust.” Emery said his college currently has 12 research projects approved, and 23 more faculty members have applied this year. “We have research being done on consumer behavior and peoples’ reaction to Web pages,” Emery said. He also commented that centers like the Center for Tourism Research and the Neuhaus Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education are examples of research hubs which benefit the Valley. The Center for Tourism Research was featured recently in a six-page article of The New Yorker magazine about the economic impact of Spring Break on South Padre Island.
April 11, 2002
THE PAN AMERICAN
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April 11, 2002
CAMPUS LIFE
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What students are doing at UTPA
Cooperation: Families seeking solutions By Elizabeth Martinez The Pan American
Now that Patty Ruiz’s senior year at Edcouch-Elsa High School is coming to an end, so is her participation in the Mother Daughter Program (MDP). But she has been able to build a better relationship with her mother along the way. Located at the University of Texas-Pan American, MDP offers females enrolled in 8th through 12th grades support and encouragement needed to complete high school and pursue higher education. The program, which enlists the help of the students’ mothers in doing this, recruits female students from the Edinburg, Edcouch-Elsa, Hidalgo, and La Joya school districts, providing monthly workshops, seminars, meetings and field trips to aid students in taking the next step in education.
The program spotlights six components including academic enhancement, career exploration, community outreach, cultural diversity, personal growth, and social development. MDP has hosted events such as leadership conferences, college tours, and career days, in addition to workshops on stress management, scholarship information, decision making issues and etiquette. Patty Ruiz said the program not only has prepared her to deal with different financial issues such as financial aid, scholarship opportunities and money management, but has also given her an opportunity to spend time with her mother, Laura Ruiz. “This gives me a chance to do something with my mother, develop a better relationship with her and learn a lot about college,” said Patty, who has been involved in the program with her mother since the 8th grade.
UTPA staff members to attend awards banquet By Belinda Reyes The Pan American
A number of University of Texas-Pan American staff members will be recognized for their hard-working efforts during the 14th Annual Staff Employee Awards ceremony Friday, April 12 at the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre from 10 a.m. to noon. The purpose of the ceremony is to recognize UTPA staff employees for various efforts they have shown during the past year, according to Alicia Guerrero, training coordinator for Personnel Services. “There is no other ceremony or event that all employees are invited to, where they get to be recognized in front of everybody,” Guerrero said. “This is the only time that it [awards] really happens.” The annual award ceremony is hosted by UTPA’s Office of Personnel. “Personnel has always had the staff awards ceremony, it has [always] been their project to coordinate,” Guerrero said. There are seven awards to be given, including ones for length of service, retirement, meritorious service, distinguished service, outstanding suggestion, staff senate, and the president’s excellence award. The length-of-service award is presented to employees who have completed five years and increments of five years at UTPA. “With the length-of-service awards the employee receives a pin and certificate,” Guerrero said. “When the employee has 20 years, they also receive [an extra] special award item like a mug or watch with the UTPA seal on it.” The other awards are given after supervisor nominations which are ultimately approved by a hierarchy, eventually including the UTPA president. The number of employees who can
be nominated varies by UTPA’s five divisions. The Office of the President has one nomination, the Division of Academic Affairs has three nominations, the Division of Enrollment and Student Services has two nominations, the Division of Business affairs has three and the Division of External Affairs has two, according to Guerrero. One award that will receive no recognition this year is the distinguished service award. There were no nominations for that category. Usually the recipient of this honor receives a monetary prize of $500. The staff senate award recipients are recognized for their outstanding performance in demonstrating a commitment to the university by improving the work process or system. There will be five recipients for this award. “These people have shown an exceptional ability to promote collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and university constituents,” Guerrero said. “These individuals are nominated by their peers.” While there are many awards given at the event, the president’s excellence award is considered the most prestigious. This award is given to individuals who have brought local, state and national recognition to UTPA by their efforts. Employees who share the honor this year are basketball coach Bob Hoffman and Earl “Bud” Frankenburger, who retired last year as special assistant to the president. A special monetary prize of $700 will be awarded to each of them. A total of 145 employees will be recognized at Friday’s ceremony, where the master of ceremonies will be William J. Weidner, director of the athletic department. This will be his third year as the master of ceremonies, Guerrero said.
The Ruizes took part in an amalada, a Mexican-American tamale-making tradition, in January. “Activities like making tamales or trips to colleges in San Antonio and Corpus Christi give us a chance to share and talk with each other,” Laura Ruiz said. A “Senior Sleepover” is scheduled for April 19-20 at UTPA. Teams of mothers and daughters will stay the night at the campus dorms and attend workshops the next day. Idee Reyna, program assistant for MDP, believes the program provides an environment for mother and daughter to interact with each other and make important academic career decisions together. A portion of the funding for the program comes from UTPA and private sponsors. Through fundraisers, MDP members raise the remainder of the funds needed to keep the program operating.
The current fundraising project is the “Sabor Familiar Cookbook,” which contains over 150 recipes created by the women from MDP. The cost of the cookbook is $10, and each mother/daughter team is required to sell at least seven copies. The 10-month program ends in May with a trip to San Antonio to visit universities. Reyna explained that the trip was a reward for hard work put in during the year. She feels the trip also enables the members to gain firsthand experience of campus life. According to Reyna, the program has been a proven success because all graduates of the program have gone on to college. “Besides the educational aspect, it helps mothers and daughters gain a better relationship,” Reyna said. “ The mothers have learned how to help their daughters along the way and help them make decisions that will affect their college career.”
Continuity taught by UB By Melissa Ciomperlik The Pan American
For many high school students, making the leap from high school to college seems like too much to handle. But there is a program willing to give local high school sophomores a helping hand, provided they make a three-year commitment. Upward Bound (UB) is a federally funded program that assists high school sophomore, junior and senior students in preparation for post-secondary education. “Students make a three-year commitment to stay with the program from their sophomore year until they graduate high school,” said Sofia Pina, director of the Upward Bound program at the University of TexasPan American. “They must attend both the academic and summer components of the program.” UB emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and was designed to help first-generation students from economically disadvantaged families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. It has been in place at UTPA for 29 years. There are now over 2,000 UB programs in the United States and 55 in Texas, Pina said. There are two UB facilities in the Valley. One office is located at South Texas Community College and the other is housed at UTPA. UB at UTPA serves 150 students from six high schools in the Valley including Edinburg North, Edinburg Economedes, Edcouch-Elsa, Mission, Hidalgo, and Valley View. Students are transported to UTPA for 25 Saturdays from October through May to receive academic support and assistance in core subject areas from 14 instructors. “It takes a special person with a lot of determination to give up 25 Saturdays for three years and then a five-week summer program,” Pina said. The goal of UB is to increase rates of
enrollment, graduation, and success at institutions of post-secondary education, according to Pina. Aside from assistance on campus, the program also offers tutoring to students four days a week. High school sophomores and juniors in UB attend a summer program at UTPA where they prepare for the school year. Graduating seniors who participate in UB all three years are eventually offered a scholarship that pays for various college expenses. These six hours of courses must be taken at UTPA and are the final phase of the program. Pina tells students that the five-week summer program will help them to develop some very good habits that will benefit them wherever they choose to go to college. “We do not recruit for the university. Students can go anywhere they want [for college],” Pina said. Students do not pay for the services that UB provides. In fact, they are paid a stipend of $10 a week to participate. The UB program at UTPA has a budget of over $500,000, according to Pina. The program also offers “Fun Fridays,” where students go skating or bowling, and a four-day college tour to campuses. Approximately 50 percent of the UB program students who enroll in college attend either UTPA or South Texas Community College, according to Pina. “It (Upward Bound) has really helped me to advance in my classes and to develop as a person,” said Gloria Proa, a senior at Hidalgo High School and participant in the program. Proa serves as the Student Council President of the program and credits UB for her successes and her knowledge of the college entrance process. “I know so much more than my friends about scholarships and how to fill out the paperwork for college,” Proa said. “It (Upward Bound) has been my salvation.”
Comet group will provide smarts, work By Nikki Ramirez The Pan American
Recent computer science and engineering college graduates have increasingly felt the need to leave the Valley to find better, higher paying jobs. Comet Technologies, a mediumsize company out of Tyler, Texas, is attempting to change that. “Comet Technologies will offer an alternative for those who want to find those first-rate software engineering jobs here in the Valley in addition to the few that currently exist,” said Richard Fowler, interim chair of the computer science department at the University of Texas-Pan American. Comet is a software development company that serves large industrial corporations, according to a recent article in The Monitor. It is designed to improve order entry, warehousing, inventory management, and billing and invoicing, among other processes. The program, which starts in June, will train local computer graduates to write programs for the maquiladora industry south of the border. It will teach students to use AS/400, Java, HTML, COOL, Plex, and other programs. The use of these programs should enhance the capabilities of local businesses using them, providing jobs for trained graduates along the way. The computer program will be run by UTPA students, local community college students, and some people who are already working in the business. The program will begin with a foundation of 12 positions, and the staff will increase in increments of 12 each year for the next four years. Susan Valverde, director of business development for the McAllen Economic Development Corp, said in a recent article in The Monitor that positions at Comet Technologies have an average yearly salary of $50,000. According to Fowler, Comet Technologies is made up in part of people who chose to leave the boomtown of Austin and go to a more relaxed environment. The recent economic downturn hit Austin hardest of Texas cities, and this may have contributed to the move as well. “Two of the principles in Comet Technologies are from McAllen, and I think that is a real plus in that they have roots here and would like to see the Valley grow in the software, engineering arena,” Fowler said. The new software development could serve as a benefit for graduates who are not ready to leave the Valley. And it may convince others who were set to fire out that there are legitimate opportunities right at home. “I think this is a good idea since it helps students in the engineering program to stay in the Valley and help support the program within the Valley,” said Jesse Hernandez, manufacturing engineering major. “And it also helps other computer science and engineering majors who want to stay in the Valley.”
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Vigil to honor abused children By Veronica Barrera Special to The Pan American
In July of 2001, a six-week-old boy was taken to the emergency room at Edinburg Regional Medical Center for several injuries to his left hand. When doctors did a complete examination they found the baby had two broken legs, two broken arms, at least 15 broken ribs, was blinded in his right eye and almost blind in his left eye. After physicians did a complete set of skull exams, they found out the baby had bilateral frontal brain lobe injuries. The Hidalgo County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) tackles cases such as this every day. This nonprofit organization is at the forefront in the battle against child abuse. CASA workers are trained volunteers responsible for researching cases, representing children in court, and looking out for victims’ best interests. According to Jose Antonio Gomez, CASA Volunteer Recruitment/Training coordinator, there is a core of about 25 active volunteers, but not all of them are active at the same time. Volunteers are not assigned more than two cases at a time. Due to the nature of the volunteer work, it is common for workers to take some time off before beginning new cases because it is intense and emotionally trying, Gomez added. “We look for a variety of people that we train to help us deal with those families and the victims of such a terrible
thing,” said University of Texas-Pan American psychology professor and CASA board member Dr. A.J. Alamia. CASA is sponsoring the “Light of Hope,” a national event to remember children who have been abused and neglected. The candlelight vigil is one event in April that commemorates National Child Abuse Prevention month. “The purpose is a rather sad one,” Gomez said.“We are going to light a tree commemorating over 800 children in our community that have been victims.” The lighting of a tree will symbolize the hope for an improvement in the lives of children who have been victimized. The vigil will be held Thursday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., at the east side of the Hidalgo County Courthouse. This public event is designed to bring awareness and sensitivity to the community regarding the issues of child maltreatment and abuse, according to Alamia. “People are not aware that these bigcity problems exist here,” Gomez said. “We have urban problems with rural responses and we have grossly inadequate resources to deal with [child abuse].” Gomez urges the community to do its part and make a difference for children who are being victimized. Monetary donations and toys are welcome, but acting to protect a child is the ultimate goal, he added. Gomez feels there is a need to focus on UTPA and inform the student body about the problem of child abuse and neglect in
the community. “What we were doing is actively recruiting volunteers, and I see the university as a resource for our community. It is essentially untapped, so far as this issue is concerned,” Gomez said. “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” Gomez said. “We have got to act to protect the children. The children cannot protect themselves.” CASA volunteers and board members work closely together, and in conjunction with social workers and attorneys to improve the lives of these children. Gomez explained that CASA was created in 1994, but has been functioning fulltime since about 1997. Alamia has been involved with the organization for five years and says that it is rewarding to give back to his community. “CASA has raised my sensitivity to the travesties and the tragedies that children sustain, under a blanket of trust they feel like they should have from adults, their primary care givers,” Alamia said. “It has raised a level of awareness for me. It really taught me that there are a lot of different personality types that really need help, especially those that perpetrate abuse on children.” If CASA had not stepped in, a sixweek-old boy may have been left in jeopardy. The child is now safe in foster care. It is success stories such as these that keep CASA volunteers motivated to make a difference.
Monies target engineering graduates By Celeste Y. Tello The Pan American
Engineering students at public and private schools across the state of Texas will be sharing in a $4.5 million grant. According to a recent San Antonio Express-News article, the fund was an outgrowth of Senate Bill 353, which established the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium. TETC is comprised of representatives of education and technology and is geared toward promoting education in the computer science and engineering fields. The grant was funded by the first collaborative effort among government, industry, and higher education. According to the Express-News, donors offering a two-year commitment to the fund include Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and Sabre. The University of Texas-Pan American was awarded $268,180 of the overall grant, and according to Dr. Edwin LeMaster, associate dean of the School of Engineering, the grant will lead to improved efforts in recruiting. “It will allow us to focus our efforts on recruiting engineering students, specifically into the areas where there are shortages in the state,” LeMaster said. “The areas where there are shortages are computer science and electrical engineering.” The engineering department at UTPA cur-
rently has 687 engineering majors. The University of Texas-Austin currently has 6,600 engineering majors. Despite the difference in size between the engineering departments of the schools, UTPA was still able to receive nearly one-third of the amount of the grant received by UTA. “We were happy to get that amount,” said LeMaster. He added that the employment rate among graduating UTPA engineering students is not that different from rates of students at bigger schools such as UTA. He also added most engineering students at UTPA have actual experience in research projects and internships. Larger schools are not able to provide those services to as many students. In order to renew the yearly grant over the next five years, the engineering department at UTPA must meet certain criteria. According to LeMaster, if the department meets its first year goals of increasing enrollment by certain numbers, funding for the second year is assured. Enrollment must increase from 280 in Fall 2001 to the target enrollment of 309 for Fall 2002. In 2003, the enrollment should be at 365 for the engineering department. Aside from increasing enrollment, the funds will also go toward scholarships for students. LeMaster believes the general student in the engineering department will benefit from the bigger pool of money in the department.
“There’s a bigger pie, and so now, more people get to eat pie,” said LeMaster of the increase in funding for the department. Students in the engineering department also believe the grant will bring improved conditions to other areas of the department. Patty Salazar, president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is a mechanical engineering senior who believes that the grant will go beyond scholarships and recruitment. She thinks that the funding will help maintain equipment undergraduate students use as educational tools. Salazar also believes that the funding will increase participation of student organizations within the department. “Student interest in organizations will probably increase if they know that we have departmental funding for events that we plan, such as bringing in company representatives to speak to engineering students,” Salazar said. However, Denise Quezada, president of the Society of Women Engineers, reflected the view of some graduating seniors who know that they will not be affected by the grant because they are graduating. Quezada, a senior mechanical engineering major, did say that the grant would be beneficial to the department. Ernesto Avila, a senior mechanical engineering major, added that the grant will be a great opportunity to employ the money toward younger majors.
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WALKOUT
continued from page 3
the Valley,” Zakari said. “They don’t want to hire us for temporary positions.” Garcia believes the Valley suffers from a terrible brain drain. “We don’t necessarily lose the most intelligent individuals, but we do often lose the most privileged individuals,” Garcia said. The fact that only 55 percent of McAllen’s residents have finished high school and only 11 percent have a bachelor’s degree could be reflective of the problem, according to Garcia. “Both of these figures are far below the rest of the country,” Garcia said. The lack of urban exposure in the Valley tends to romanticize the idea of “moving away to the big city” for many young adults, Guillen said. “I’ve often found the Valley to be a particularly insular place, where many students rarely get the opportunity to live or travel throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world,” Guillen said. She added that a reason for this might be that the dense social and family networks in the Valley don’t leave much room for self-actualization or the opportunity to develop fully as an individual. “It’s a curiosity, a desire to test one’s own wings, that feeds the exodus more than anything else,” Guillen said. GETTING THEM BACK Different incentives exist for different people and different professions. Getting students to return to the Valley requires just that. Incentives. Davis explained that higher salaries and more perks would certainly help lure Valley people back, and a more cosmopolitan environment might be what appeals to those who have been to school in the East and in California. “Some of our Valley students major in and
go into professions that are not in great demand here, so they will stay where they are needed,” Davis said. Garcia said that residents of this region need access to the same opportunities as people in the rest of the country. “We need to eliminate the unequal access to educational opportunities that exist in the Valley,” said Garcia. He believes the privileged communities in the Valley have been unwilling or unable to spread the prosperity to the less advantaged. “While we spent the ‘90s being told that economic conditions were quickly improving, unemployment rates remained in double-digits and the Department of Commerce reported that McAllen has the lowest average income of any metropolitan region in the country,” Garcia said. The Valley is increasingly having to confront the challenges of modernization and development, according to Guillen. Slowly, it has begun the difficult process of opening up to new ideas, ideologies and ways of life, she added. “I firmly believe that as the Valley changes and develops, it will become more attractive for students to remain there,” Guillen said. “But first, the outdated outlooks of so many of the Valley’s inhabitants must be done away with.” Davis said the area can gain a great deal from people who might want to come from other parts of the country and other countries as well, but the Valley needs to work on getting them to want to move here permanently. ROOTS AND DISCOVERY The Rio Grande Valley may lose students to prestigious institutions each year, but according to Davis, talented people who want to see this part of the world for the first time can make up
Page 11
for the loss of our students who are exploring elsewhere. “It’s time we start thinking more in terms of the rewards of diversity,” Davis said. Guillen is convinced that just as many intelligent and creative students choose to remain in the Valley as decide to leave each year. “Often, students that move away to big name institutions get a lot of press--unduly, I should admit--which tends to overshadow the accomplishments of local Valleyites who are committed to improving their towns and communities at the local level,” Guillen said. As much as each student does feel ties to the Valley, some are gratified by their accomplishments elsewhere and feel they made appropriate choices. “I had the best experience working alongside some of the most incredible advocates of social justice,” Lucero said. “Brown was the perfect choice.” But always keep in mind where you came from, Noriega warned. “I do think that for the most part we need to keep some kind of attachment to our roots,” she said. Davis added that there is a “whole big world out there, and as much as we love this area, the rest of the world has much to offer in the way of new experiences and a new way of life.” During her four years at Harvard, Guillen has seen the likes of Nelson Mandela, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ernesto Zedillo, Kofi Annan and Alan Dershowitz, among others. Garcia said that as a native of McAllen who has been graced with the fortune of attending an Ivy League school, “not only am I among a privileged group nationally, but I am among a very privileged group of Valleyites.”
continued from page 1
“A lot of doctors want to be here,” he said, adding that insurance costs are too high and sometimes unaffordable. Campos said the protest wasn’t organized overnight, and plans had been in the works for the past 10 years. Plans for the walkout, or Day of Awareness, came into fruition earlier this year, and Campos said the physicians’ hopes are to implement stronger tort reform and change certain components of the judicial system. “We need to reform everything from the lawyers to the judges and even the jury selection process,” Campos said. Former president of the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society Carlos Cardenas also spoke out against increasing malpractice suits, and he demanded change at the governmental level. “For a long time these raw issues have been swept under the rug,” Cardenas said, reiterating Campos’ concerns about losing quality physicians. “We have a recruiting and retaining problem,” Cardenas said. “The Valley can’t afford that. It is our duty to point this out.” The Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society is comprised of over 700 members, with about 680 members from Hidalgo County and 20 from Starr County. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, insurance carriers in the state paid more than $381 million in claims last year, an 87-percent increase since1995. According to the CALA, the average costs of malpractice claims hiked from $46,079 in 1995 to $68,681 in 2000. In an article on Saturday’s issue of The Monitor, Dan Lambe, executive director of Texas Watch—a statewide consumer research and advocacy organization—spoke out against Monday’s walkout. Friday, Texas Watch sent an open letter to the medical societies of all counties participating to call off the walkout. “Now is not the time to use your power as caregivers as a political tool when the patients of the Rio Grande Valley deserve better,” Lambe said.
THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
The
CULTURE CLUB What students like to read, listen to and surf.
Page 10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 7
Around Town
Roel Reyna Senior International Business Website: spursreport.com Book: “The Way Things Ought to Be” by Rush Limbaugh Movie: “Life is Beautiful”
Emily Malcik Freshman English Website: rotten.com Book: “Night” by Elie Wiesel Movie: “The Godfather”
Linda Perez Senior Interdisciplinary Studies CD: “Set this Circus Down” by Tim McGraw Book: “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling Movie: “Lorenzo’s Oil”
Drink/Snack Sale April 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Info: The UTPA Society of Women Engineers will hold the sale to fund a crossTexas road-trip. Place: Outside the library. ‘Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius’ April 12 at 3 and 7 p.m. Price: Students are free with a valid UTPA identification card, general admission is $1, and children under 12 are free with adult supervision (limit 5 children per adult). Refreshments are free. Place: Student Union Theater Pan American Days 2002 April 15-19 Info: A variety of lectures concerning “Hispanics and the Americas in the New Millennium.” Lectures include “Biculturalism and the Bilingualism in the Americas” on April 15 at 7 p.m. in BA 110, and “Telecommunications in Mexico” on April 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the Engineering Building Auditorium. Place and Times: Varies with each event. Call: For more information, contact the Center for Latin American Studies at (956) 381-3572 or stop by the office in CAS 125. 13th Annual Onion Festival April 13 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Events: Include a 5k run/walk, arts and crafts tent, celebrity onion-eating contest, food booths and a carnival. Place: Weslaco City Park; 300 N. Airport, Weslaco
A MUSEUM
OF
■ Fiddler . . . . . . . . .8 - 9 ■ Culture Club . . . . . . 10
THEIR OWN
Set to start up in May, RgvWomensMuseum.com will take visitors on a virtual tour of some of the Valley’s most prominent women of past, present and future, hoping to ‘educate, enrich and inspire all visitors by celebrating the Rio Grande Valley women’s history’ By Elizabeth Martinez The Pan American
With a simple click of a mouse, computer users can find themselves visiting thousands of virtual museums around the world. May 1, founders will launch RgvWomensMuseum.com, a Website dedicated to honoring women of the Rio Grande Valley, past, present and future. Two years ago Ivy Easterly, president of the Website, visited the Women’s Museum in Dallas, which is devoted to celebrating the lives and contributions of women. It was there that she decided a museum dedicated to Valley women was necessary. “There are many women in the Valley who deserve credit like this,” Easterly said. With experience working at the McAllen International Museum and knowledge of Web design, Easterly decided to make her plan a reality. She explained that the purpose for the Museum is to recognize the influential achievements, creativity, academics, dreams, and labors of women in Valley history. Together with 16 other women, Easterly performed a year’s worth of research to uncover stories of women who made significant contributions to the Valley, such as Theresa Clark Clearwater of Clarksville. In 1872 she was one of the first certified teachers in the area and became the teacher of the first school in Cameron County.
“
With a virtual museum there is a certain amount of comfort, it leaves more to the imagination and reaches out to thousands of people, whereas with a physical one there are things you can touch.
”
- Ivy Easterly President of RgvWomensMuseum.com
In the 1960s, a group of women who called themselves the Valley By-Liners wrote the book, “100 Women of the Rio Grande Valley” highlighting Valley women, including early Spanish-American pioneers who settled in the Valley area in the 1700s. This book can be found in the McAllen Public Library. When the Website becomes accessible to the public, it will accept nominations from the public of women who deserve recognition. In September, board members of the museum will gather the nominations and select 100 stories for a millennium edition of “100 Women of the Rio Grande Valley.” “The new book will feature women from all walks of life, from the stay-at-home mom to the secretary, the next-door neighbor, the volunteer, and the police woman. It is open,” Easterly said.
“These women have earned a place in the hearts of all who call the Rio Grande Valley a home today,” she added. The Website will include interactive areas allowing viewers to access information and participate in on-line discussions. Guests will have the opportunity to submit stories which will be judged for prizes. Although the site is still under construction, Easterly stated that she has received several e-mails from people expressing an interest in RgvWomensMuseum.com, which is primarily funded by GSV network Media Group, a global media consulting firm of which Easterly is part-owner. “The majority [of people] are looking forward to the opening and are willing to do some sort of volunteer work, become board moderators, or submit their art or literary work,” Easterly said.
Sheila Pozorski, assistant dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences and professor of anthropology at the University of Texas-Pan American, believes that a museum focusing entirely on the achievements of Valley women is a good idea. “Students, especially history students at all levels, could be referred there to research topics that are closer to home,” Pozorski said. “This should make their study of history more personal and potentially lead to interaction with older family members and friends who might have firsthand knowledge of featured women or events.” Down the road, Easterly hopes to see the virtual museum become a three-dimensional reality. Fifty percent of the profits made from the upcoming book will be used to construct a physical-site museum, and the other half will be donated to local women’s charities. “With a virtual museum there is a certain amount of comfort, it leaves more to the imagination and reaches out to thousands of people, whereas with a physical one there are things you can touch,” said Easterly, who compared the experience to looking at pictures of the Grand Canyon instead of actually being there. “You can see it there on the computer, but to actually look at an artifact in front of you, it’s more overwhelming,” Easterly said.
THE LIST OF VALLEY WOMEN WHO WILL BE FEATURED ON RGVWOMENSMUSEUM.COM INCLUDES: • ELLEN ALLEN • MARY HOLDSWORTH BUTT • ROSA HINOJOSA DE BALLI • TILLIE GARZA
• GINNY MARTIN • PENNY PAYTE MCLEAISH • SONIA PEREZ • GLADYS SAMS PORTER
• GUTIERREZ POITINGER • EMELIA SCHUNIOR RAMIREZ • AMELIA MOLINA • FLORENCE JOHNSON SCOTT
• EDNA TAMAYO • YOLANDA YBARRA • VERNA JACKSON MCKENNA • LUCY HOPSON WALLACE
Arts & Entertainment
April 11, 2002
Page 8
April 11, 2002
Arts & Entertainment
“
“
It [‘Fiddler’] has a timeless message for any audience.
”
- Johnny Gonzalez ‘Perchik’ in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
By Cesar Trevino The Pan American
(Below) - Perchik (played by Johnny Gonzalez) sits with Tevye and Golde’s other daughter’s Shprintze (Nicole Garza) and Bielke (Kelly Reed).
I’m focusing on getting across the author’s original intentions [with UTPA’s production]. We are doing it as close to the original styling because it is so well known, and the audience expects a show they are familiar with.
FIDDLEDEE “Fiddler on the Roof,” the last theater performance of the year, takes place in a small Russian village and tells the story of a Jewish man and his plight to deal with the changes taking place around him. “Fiddler” begins Thursday, April 11 and runs through Sunday, April 14 in the Fine Arts Auditorium
(Right) - Tzeitel (played by Ivy Vela) and Chava (Didi Duron) are the daughters of Tevye (Jeff Marquis) and Golde (Pat McEnnis) in ‘Fiddler.’
Page 9
A familiar face is bringing an old classic home to the University of Texas-Pan American. The UTPA Theatre Department, with help from the music and dance departments, will present the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” April 11-14 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. The last production of the semester is directed by and stars alumnus Jeff Marquis, who graduated from UTPA in 1991 and has since spent his time working in New York City. His directing works include over a dozen shows in the Valley, both as a teacher and with the UTPA
Theatre Department. The production is set at the turn of the century and tells the story of Tevye, a Jewish milkman who has to deal with changing traditions in his small community. Each of his daughters wants to marry a suitor he doesn't approve of. To make matters worse for Tevye and his neighbors, the Russians are intent on driving the Jews out of their village. Aside from being the director, Marquis also wears the hat of actor in “Fiddler” as the main character. Tevye is the only character who talks directly to the audience, acting as a narrator for the story. “Jeff is really talented, and comes across well with actors because he himself is an actor and understands them while getting what he wants out of them,” said Ronnie Navarro, the show's stage manager and a senior theater education major. “I’m focusing on getting across the author's original intentions [with UTPA's production],” Marquis. “We are doing it as close to the original styling because it is so well known, and the audience expects a show they are familiar with.” “I think what sets it apart from other shows is that it has such a big cast,” Navarro said. The cast consists of 38 actors and dancers, not including the technical staff that runs the show. The stage manager's duties include making sure the actors are present and ready.
”
Dee
“I’m the bridge between the director and the actors, I guess I'm the bad guy so Jeff [Marquis] doesn't have to be,” Navarro said. “He just directs. Besides, I enjoy being the bad guy.” One different element to the play is that the theater department, along with the music and dance departments, is presenting the play in the Fine Arts Auditorium. “It’s interesting to come into a space that isn't ours and have to bring everything in [for the show], because every time we're going to need something, it’s going to be over there [Jeffers Theatre],” said Tom Grabowski, designer/technical director for “Fiddler.” “Because of the short time frame, we are renting most of the scenery. We don't have the time or space we need [to build our own],” Grabowski said. “Since we are scheduled earlier in the season, we lost about two or three weeks of our regular production period.” But aside from the time limits, students and faculty continue to put together the production. “It [‘Fiddler’] has a timeless message for any audience,” said Johnny Gonzalez, a freshman theater performance major. “And it's coming along okay, though there are still rough spots. The thespian gods won't let us make fools of ourselves.” “The music and choreography is great. The show begins really strong and all of it goes together, which is really extravagant to
watch,” Navarro said. “It’s always a challenge to coordinate the different elements [music, dance and drama] in a musical because the practices are separate, and putting it together is like a jigsaw puzzle without a box lid,” Marquis said. “This show is definitely for everybody, and has one of the best scores out there, musically,” Gonzalez said. And so the actors, workers, and staff continue to strive to put on a wonderful show for the public, until the night comes when the curtain must rise and the stars must shine. Performances for “Fiddler on the Roof” are at 8 p.m. April 11 through April 13 with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. on April 14. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $10 for reserved tickets and free for UTPA faculty, staff and students with identification. For more information, contact the University Theatre Box Office at (956) 381-3581.
-Jeff Marquis
Director of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
(Left) - Mordcha, an innkeeper (played by John Luna), talks with Tevye (right), a dairy man at the center of the story. (Right) - Jeff Marquis plays Tevye, the main character of the play, as well as directs ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’
Photos by Cesar Trevino
Arts & Entertainment
April 11, 2002
Page 8
April 11, 2002
Arts & Entertainment
“
“
It [‘Fiddler’] has a timeless message for any audience.
”
- Johnny Gonzalez ‘Perchik’ in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
By Cesar Trevino The Pan American
(Below) - Perchik (played by Johnny Gonzalez) sits with Tevye and Golde’s other daughter’s Shprintze (Nicole Garza) and Bielke (Kelly Reed).
I’m focusing on getting across the author’s original intentions [with UTPA’s production]. We are doing it as close to the original styling because it is so well known, and the audience expects a show they are familiar with.
FIDDLEDEE “Fiddler on the Roof,” the last theater performance of the year, takes place in a small Russian village and tells the story of a Jewish man and his plight to deal with the changes taking place around him. “Fiddler” begins Thursday, April 11 and runs through Sunday, April 14 in the Fine Arts Auditorium
(Right) - Tzeitel (played by Ivy Vela) and Chava (Didi Duron) are the daughters of Tevye (Jeff Marquis) and Golde (Pat McEnnis) in ‘Fiddler.’
Page 9
A familiar face is bringing an old classic home to the University of Texas-Pan American. The UTPA Theatre Department, with help from the music and dance departments, will present the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” April 11-14 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. The last production of the semester is directed by and stars alumnus Jeff Marquis, who graduated from UTPA in 1991 and has since spent his time working in New York City. His directing works include over a dozen shows in the Valley, both as a teacher and with the UTPA
Theatre Department. The production is set at the turn of the century and tells the story of Tevye, a Jewish milkman who has to deal with changing traditions in his small community. Each of his daughters wants to marry a suitor he doesn't approve of. To make matters worse for Tevye and his neighbors, the Russians are intent on driving the Jews out of their village. Aside from being the director, Marquis also wears the hat of actor in “Fiddler” as the main character. Tevye is the only character who talks directly to the audience, acting as a narrator for the story. “Jeff is really talented, and comes across well with actors because he himself is an actor and understands them while getting what he wants out of them,” said Ronnie Navarro, the show's stage manager and a senior theater education major. “I’m focusing on getting across the author's original intentions [with UTPA's production],” Marquis. “We are doing it as close to the original styling because it is so well known, and the audience expects a show they are familiar with.” “I think what sets it apart from other shows is that it has such a big cast,” Navarro said. The cast consists of 38 actors and dancers, not including the technical staff that runs the show. The stage manager's duties include making sure the actors are present and ready.
”
Dee
“I’m the bridge between the director and the actors, I guess I'm the bad guy so Jeff [Marquis] doesn't have to be,” Navarro said. “He just directs. Besides, I enjoy being the bad guy.” One different element to the play is that the theater department, along with the music and dance departments, is presenting the play in the Fine Arts Auditorium. “It’s interesting to come into a space that isn't ours and have to bring everything in [for the show], because every time we're going to need something, it’s going to be over there [Jeffers Theatre],” said Tom Grabowski, designer/technical director for “Fiddler.” “Because of the short time frame, we are renting most of the scenery. We don't have the time or space we need [to build our own],” Grabowski said. “Since we are scheduled earlier in the season, we lost about two or three weeks of our regular production period.” But aside from the time limits, students and faculty continue to put together the production. “It [‘Fiddler’] has a timeless message for any audience,” said Johnny Gonzalez, a freshman theater performance major. “And it's coming along okay, though there are still rough spots. The thespian gods won't let us make fools of ourselves.” “The music and choreography is great. The show begins really strong and all of it goes together, which is really extravagant to
watch,” Navarro said. “It’s always a challenge to coordinate the different elements [music, dance and drama] in a musical because the practices are separate, and putting it together is like a jigsaw puzzle without a box lid,” Marquis said. “This show is definitely for everybody, and has one of the best scores out there, musically,” Gonzalez said. And so the actors, workers, and staff continue to strive to put on a wonderful show for the public, until the night comes when the curtain must rise and the stars must shine. Performances for “Fiddler on the Roof” are at 8 p.m. April 11 through April 13 with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. on April 14. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $10 for reserved tickets and free for UTPA faculty, staff and students with identification. For more information, contact the University Theatre Box Office at (956) 381-3581.
-Jeff Marquis
Director of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
(Left) - Mordcha, an innkeeper (played by John Luna), talks with Tevye (right), a dairy man at the center of the story. (Right) - Jeff Marquis plays Tevye, the main character of the play, as well as directs ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’
Photos by Cesar Trevino
THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
The
CULTURE CLUB What students like to read, listen to and surf.
Page 10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 7
Around Town
Roel Reyna Senior International Business Website: spursreport.com Book: “The Way Things Ought to Be” by Rush Limbaugh Movie: “Life is Beautiful”
Emily Malcik Freshman English Website: rotten.com Book: “Night” by Elie Wiesel Movie: “The Godfather”
Linda Perez Senior Interdisciplinary Studies CD: “Set this Circus Down” by Tim McGraw Book: “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling Movie: “Lorenzo’s Oil”
Drink/Snack Sale April 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Info: The UTPA Society of Women Engineers will hold the sale to fund a crossTexas road-trip. Place: Outside the library. ‘Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius’ April 12 at 3 and 7 p.m. Price: Students are free with a valid UTPA identification card, general admission is $1, and children under 12 are free with adult supervision (limit 5 children per adult). Refreshments are free. Place: Student Union Theater Pan American Days 2002 April 15-19 Info: A variety of lectures concerning “Hispanics and the Americas in the New Millennium.” Lectures include “Biculturalism and the Bilingualism in the Americas” on April 15 at 7 p.m. in BA 110, and “Telecommunications in Mexico” on April 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the Engineering Building Auditorium. Place and Times: Varies with each event. Call: For more information, contact the Center for Latin American Studies at (956) 381-3572 or stop by the office in CAS 125. 13th Annual Onion Festival April 13 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Events: Include a 5k run/walk, arts and crafts tent, celebrity onion-eating contest, food booths and a carnival. Place: Weslaco City Park; 300 N. Airport, Weslaco
A MUSEUM
OF
■ Fiddler . . . . . . . . .8 - 9 ■ Culture Club . . . . . . 10
THEIR OWN
Set to start up in May, RgvWomensMuseum.com will take visitors on a virtual tour of some of the Valley’s most prominent women of past, present and future, hoping to ‘educate, enrich and inspire all visitors by celebrating the Rio Grande Valley women’s history’ By Elizabeth Martinez The Pan American
With a simple click of a mouse, computer users can find themselves visiting thousands of virtual museums around the world. May 1, founders will launch RgvWomensMuseum.com, a Website dedicated to honoring women of the Rio Grande Valley, past, present and future. Two years ago Ivy Easterly, president of the Website, visited the Women’s Museum in Dallas, which is devoted to celebrating the lives and contributions of women. It was there that she decided a museum dedicated to Valley women was necessary. “There are many women in the Valley who deserve credit like this,” Easterly said. With experience working at the McAllen International Museum and knowledge of Web design, Easterly decided to make her plan a reality. She explained that the purpose for the Museum is to recognize the influential achievements, creativity, academics, dreams, and labors of women in Valley history. Together with 16 other women, Easterly performed a year’s worth of research to uncover stories of women who made significant contributions to the Valley, such as Theresa Clark Clearwater of Clarksville. In 1872 she was one of the first certified teachers in the area and became the teacher of the first school in Cameron County.
“
With a virtual museum there is a certain amount of comfort, it leaves more to the imagination and reaches out to thousands of people, whereas with a physical one there are things you can touch.
”
- Ivy Easterly President of RgvWomensMuseum.com
In the 1960s, a group of women who called themselves the Valley By-Liners wrote the book, “100 Women of the Rio Grande Valley” highlighting Valley women, including early Spanish-American pioneers who settled in the Valley area in the 1700s. This book can be found in the McAllen Public Library. When the Website becomes accessible to the public, it will accept nominations from the public of women who deserve recognition. In September, board members of the museum will gather the nominations and select 100 stories for a millennium edition of “100 Women of the Rio Grande Valley.” “The new book will feature women from all walks of life, from the stay-at-home mom to the secretary, the next-door neighbor, the volunteer, and the police woman. It is open,” Easterly said.
“These women have earned a place in the hearts of all who call the Rio Grande Valley a home today,” she added. The Website will include interactive areas allowing viewers to access information and participate in on-line discussions. Guests will have the opportunity to submit stories which will be judged for prizes. Although the site is still under construction, Easterly stated that she has received several e-mails from people expressing an interest in RgvWomensMuseum.com, which is primarily funded by GSV network Media Group, a global media consulting firm of which Easterly is part-owner. “The majority [of people] are looking forward to the opening and are willing to do some sort of volunteer work, become board moderators, or submit their art or literary work,” Easterly said.
Sheila Pozorski, assistant dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences and professor of anthropology at the University of Texas-Pan American, believes that a museum focusing entirely on the achievements of Valley women is a good idea. “Students, especially history students at all levels, could be referred there to research topics that are closer to home,” Pozorski said. “This should make their study of history more personal and potentially lead to interaction with older family members and friends who might have firsthand knowledge of featured women or events.” Down the road, Easterly hopes to see the virtual museum become a three-dimensional reality. Fifty percent of the profits made from the upcoming book will be used to construct a physical-site museum, and the other half will be donated to local women’s charities. “With a virtual museum there is a certain amount of comfort, it leaves more to the imagination and reaches out to thousands of people, whereas with a physical one there are things you can touch,” said Easterly, who compared the experience to looking at pictures of the Grand Canyon instead of actually being there. “You can see it there on the computer, but to actually look at an artifact in front of you, it’s more overwhelming,” Easterly said.
THE LIST OF VALLEY WOMEN WHO WILL BE FEATURED ON RGVWOMENSMUSEUM.COM INCLUDES: • ELLEN ALLEN • MARY HOLDSWORTH BUTT • ROSA HINOJOSA DE BALLI • TILLIE GARZA
• GINNY MARTIN • PENNY PAYTE MCLEAISH • SONIA PEREZ • GLADYS SAMS PORTER
• GUTIERREZ POITINGER • EMELIA SCHUNIOR RAMIREZ • AMELIA MOLINA • FLORENCE JOHNSON SCOTT
• EDNA TAMAYO • YOLANDA YBARRA • VERNA JACKSON MCKENNA • LUCY HOPSON WALLACE
April 11, 2002
THE PAN AMERICAN
Page 6
THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
BRAIN DRAIN
WALKOUT
continued from page 3
the Valley,” Zakari said. “They don’t want to hire us for temporary positions.” Garcia believes the Valley suffers from a terrible brain drain. “We don’t necessarily lose the most intelligent individuals, but we do often lose the most privileged individuals,” Garcia said. The fact that only 55 percent of McAllen’s residents have finished high school and only 11 percent have a bachelor’s degree could be reflective of the problem, according to Garcia. “Both of these figures are far below the rest of the country,” Garcia said. The lack of urban exposure in the Valley tends to romanticize the idea of “moving away to the big city” for many young adults, Guillen said. “I’ve often found the Valley to be a particularly insular place, where many students rarely get the opportunity to live or travel throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world,” Guillen said. She added that a reason for this might be that the dense social and family networks in the Valley don’t leave much room for self-actualization or the opportunity to develop fully as an individual. “It’s a curiosity, a desire to test one’s own wings, that feeds the exodus more than anything else,” Guillen said. GETTING THEM BACK Different incentives exist for different people and different professions. Getting students to return to the Valley requires just that. Incentives. Davis explained that higher salaries and more perks would certainly help lure Valley people back, and a more cosmopolitan environment might be what appeals to those who have been to school in the East and in California. “Some of our Valley students major in and
go into professions that are not in great demand here, so they will stay where they are needed,” Davis said. Garcia said that residents of this region need access to the same opportunities as people in the rest of the country. “We need to eliminate the unequal access to educational opportunities that exist in the Valley,” said Garcia. He believes the privileged communities in the Valley have been unwilling or unable to spread the prosperity to the less advantaged. “While we spent the ‘90s being told that economic conditions were quickly improving, unemployment rates remained in double-digits and the Department of Commerce reported that McAllen has the lowest average income of any metropolitan region in the country,” Garcia said. The Valley is increasingly having to confront the challenges of modernization and development, according to Guillen. Slowly, it has begun the difficult process of opening up to new ideas, ideologies and ways of life, she added. “I firmly believe that as the Valley changes and develops, it will become more attractive for students to remain there,” Guillen said. “But first, the outdated outlooks of so many of the Valley’s inhabitants must be done away with.” Davis said the area can gain a great deal from people who might want to come from other parts of the country and other countries as well, but the Valley needs to work on getting them to want to move here permanently. ROOTS AND DISCOVERY The Rio Grande Valley may lose students to prestigious institutions each year, but according to Davis, talented people who want to see this part of the world for the first time can make up
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for the loss of our students who are exploring elsewhere. “It’s time we start thinking more in terms of the rewards of diversity,” Davis said. Guillen is convinced that just as many intelligent and creative students choose to remain in the Valley as decide to leave each year. “Often, students that move away to big name institutions get a lot of press--unduly, I should admit--which tends to overshadow the accomplishments of local Valleyites who are committed to improving their towns and communities at the local level,” Guillen said. As much as each student does feel ties to the Valley, some are gratified by their accomplishments elsewhere and feel they made appropriate choices. “I had the best experience working alongside some of the most incredible advocates of social justice,” Lucero said. “Brown was the perfect choice.” But always keep in mind where you came from, Noriega warned. “I do think that for the most part we need to keep some kind of attachment to our roots,” she said. Davis added that there is a “whole big world out there, and as much as we love this area, the rest of the world has much to offer in the way of new experiences and a new way of life.” During her four years at Harvard, Guillen has seen the likes of Nelson Mandela, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ernesto Zedillo, Kofi Annan and Alan Dershowitz, among others. Garcia said that as a native of McAllen who has been graced with the fortune of attending an Ivy League school, “not only am I among a privileged group nationally, but I am among a very privileged group of Valleyites.”
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“A lot of doctors want to be here,” he said, adding that insurance costs are too high and sometimes unaffordable. Campos said the protest wasn’t organized overnight, and plans had been in the works for the past 10 years. Plans for the walkout, or Day of Awareness, came into fruition earlier this year, and Campos said the physicians’ hopes are to implement stronger tort reform and change certain components of the judicial system. “We need to reform everything from the lawyers to the judges and even the jury selection process,” Campos said. Former president of the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society Carlos Cardenas also spoke out against increasing malpractice suits, and he demanded change at the governmental level. “For a long time these raw issues have been swept under the rug,” Cardenas said, reiterating Campos’ concerns about losing quality physicians. “We have a recruiting and retaining problem,” Cardenas said. “The Valley can’t afford that. It is our duty to point this out.” The Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society is comprised of over 700 members, with about 680 members from Hidalgo County and 20 from Starr County. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, insurance carriers in the state paid more than $381 million in claims last year, an 87-percent increase since1995. According to the CALA, the average costs of malpractice claims hiked from $46,079 in 1995 to $68,681 in 2000. In an article on Saturday’s issue of The Monitor, Dan Lambe, executive director of Texas Watch—a statewide consumer research and advocacy organization—spoke out against Monday’s walkout. Friday, Texas Watch sent an open letter to the medical societies of all counties participating to call off the walkout. “Now is not the time to use your power as caregivers as a political tool when the patients of the Rio Grande Valley deserve better,” Lambe said.
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THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
CAMPUS LIFE
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What students are doing at UTPA
Cooperation: Families seeking solutions By Elizabeth Martinez The Pan American
Now that Patty Ruiz’s senior year at Edcouch-Elsa High School is coming to an end, so is her participation in the Mother Daughter Program (MDP). But she has been able to build a better relationship with her mother along the way. Located at the University of Texas-Pan American, MDP offers females enrolled in 8th through 12th grades support and encouragement needed to complete high school and pursue higher education. The program, which enlists the help of the students’ mothers in doing this, recruits female students from the Edinburg, Edcouch-Elsa, Hidalgo, and La Joya school districts, providing monthly workshops, seminars, meetings and field trips to aid students in taking the next step in education.
The program spotlights six components including academic enhancement, career exploration, community outreach, cultural diversity, personal growth, and social development. MDP has hosted events such as leadership conferences, college tours, and career days, in addition to workshops on stress management, scholarship information, decision making issues and etiquette. Patty Ruiz said the program not only has prepared her to deal with different financial issues such as financial aid, scholarship opportunities and money management, but has also given her an opportunity to spend time with her mother, Laura Ruiz. “This gives me a chance to do something with my mother, develop a better relationship with her and learn a lot about college,” said Patty, who has been involved in the program with her mother since the 8th grade.
UTPA staff members to attend awards banquet By Belinda Reyes The Pan American
A number of University of Texas-Pan American staff members will be recognized for their hard-working efforts during the 14th Annual Staff Employee Awards ceremony Friday, April 12 at the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre from 10 a.m. to noon. The purpose of the ceremony is to recognize UTPA staff employees for various efforts they have shown during the past year, according to Alicia Guerrero, training coordinator for Personnel Services. “There is no other ceremony or event that all employees are invited to, where they get to be recognized in front of everybody,” Guerrero said. “This is the only time that it [awards] really happens.” The annual award ceremony is hosted by UTPA’s Office of Personnel. “Personnel has always had the staff awards ceremony, it has [always] been their project to coordinate,” Guerrero said. There are seven awards to be given, including ones for length of service, retirement, meritorious service, distinguished service, outstanding suggestion, staff senate, and the president’s excellence award. The length-of-service award is presented to employees who have completed five years and increments of five years at UTPA. “With the length-of-service awards the employee receives a pin and certificate,” Guerrero said. “When the employee has 20 years, they also receive [an extra] special award item like a mug or watch with the UTPA seal on it.” The other awards are given after supervisor nominations which are ultimately approved by a hierarchy, eventually including the UTPA president. The number of employees who can
be nominated varies by UTPA’s five divisions. The Office of the President has one nomination, the Division of Academic Affairs has three nominations, the Division of Enrollment and Student Services has two nominations, the Division of Business affairs has three and the Division of External Affairs has two, according to Guerrero. One award that will receive no recognition this year is the distinguished service award. There were no nominations for that category. Usually the recipient of this honor receives a monetary prize of $500. The staff senate award recipients are recognized for their outstanding performance in demonstrating a commitment to the university by improving the work process or system. There will be five recipients for this award. “These people have shown an exceptional ability to promote collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and university constituents,” Guerrero said. “These individuals are nominated by their peers.” While there are many awards given at the event, the president’s excellence award is considered the most prestigious. This award is given to individuals who have brought local, state and national recognition to UTPA by their efforts. Employees who share the honor this year are basketball coach Bob Hoffman and Earl “Bud” Frankenburger, who retired last year as special assistant to the president. A special monetary prize of $700 will be awarded to each of them. A total of 145 employees will be recognized at Friday’s ceremony, where the master of ceremonies will be William J. Weidner, director of the athletic department. This will be his third year as the master of ceremonies, Guerrero said.
The Ruizes took part in an amalada, a Mexican-American tamale-making tradition, in January. “Activities like making tamales or trips to colleges in San Antonio and Corpus Christi give us a chance to share and talk with each other,” Laura Ruiz said. A “Senior Sleepover” is scheduled for April 19-20 at UTPA. Teams of mothers and daughters will stay the night at the campus dorms and attend workshops the next day. Idee Reyna, program assistant for MDP, believes the program provides an environment for mother and daughter to interact with each other and make important academic career decisions together. A portion of the funding for the program comes from UTPA and private sponsors. Through fundraisers, MDP members raise the remainder of the funds needed to keep the program operating.
The current fundraising project is the “Sabor Familiar Cookbook,” which contains over 150 recipes created by the women from MDP. The cost of the cookbook is $10, and each mother/daughter team is required to sell at least seven copies. The 10-month program ends in May with a trip to San Antonio to visit universities. Reyna explained that the trip was a reward for hard work put in during the year. She feels the trip also enables the members to gain firsthand experience of campus life. According to Reyna, the program has been a proven success because all graduates of the program have gone on to college. “Besides the educational aspect, it helps mothers and daughters gain a better relationship,” Reyna said. “ The mothers have learned how to help their daughters along the way and help them make decisions that will affect their college career.”
Continuity taught by UB By Melissa Ciomperlik The Pan American
For many high school students, making the leap from high school to college seems like too much to handle. But there is a program willing to give local high school sophomores a helping hand, provided they make a three-year commitment. Upward Bound (UB) is a federally funded program that assists high school sophomore, junior and senior students in preparation for post-secondary education. “Students make a three-year commitment to stay with the program from their sophomore year until they graduate high school,” said Sofia Pina, director of the Upward Bound program at the University of TexasPan American. “They must attend both the academic and summer components of the program.” UB emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and was designed to help first-generation students from economically disadvantaged families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. It has been in place at UTPA for 29 years. There are now over 2,000 UB programs in the United States and 55 in Texas, Pina said. There are two UB facilities in the Valley. One office is located at South Texas Community College and the other is housed at UTPA. UB at UTPA serves 150 students from six high schools in the Valley including Edinburg North, Edinburg Economedes, Edcouch-Elsa, Mission, Hidalgo, and Valley View. Students are transported to UTPA for 25 Saturdays from October through May to receive academic support and assistance in core subject areas from 14 instructors. “It takes a special person with a lot of determination to give up 25 Saturdays for three years and then a five-week summer program,” Pina said. The goal of UB is to increase rates of
enrollment, graduation, and success at institutions of post-secondary education, according to Pina. Aside from assistance on campus, the program also offers tutoring to students four days a week. High school sophomores and juniors in UB attend a summer program at UTPA where they prepare for the school year. Graduating seniors who participate in UB all three years are eventually offered a scholarship that pays for various college expenses. These six hours of courses must be taken at UTPA and are the final phase of the program. Pina tells students that the five-week summer program will help them to develop some very good habits that will benefit them wherever they choose to go to college. “We do not recruit for the university. Students can go anywhere they want [for college],” Pina said. Students do not pay for the services that UB provides. In fact, they are paid a stipend of $10 a week to participate. The UB program at UTPA has a budget of over $500,000, according to Pina. The program also offers “Fun Fridays,” where students go skating or bowling, and a four-day college tour to campuses. Approximately 50 percent of the UB program students who enroll in college attend either UTPA or South Texas Community College, according to Pina. “It (Upward Bound) has really helped me to advance in my classes and to develop as a person,” said Gloria Proa, a senior at Hidalgo High School and participant in the program. Proa serves as the Student Council President of the program and credits UB for her successes and her knowledge of the college entrance process. “I know so much more than my friends about scholarships and how to fill out the paperwork for college,” Proa said. “It (Upward Bound) has been my salvation.”
Comet group will provide smarts, work By Nikki Ramirez The Pan American
Recent computer science and engineering college graduates have increasingly felt the need to leave the Valley to find better, higher paying jobs. Comet Technologies, a mediumsize company out of Tyler, Texas, is attempting to change that. “Comet Technologies will offer an alternative for those who want to find those first-rate software engineering jobs here in the Valley in addition to the few that currently exist,” said Richard Fowler, interim chair of the computer science department at the University of Texas-Pan American. Comet is a software development company that serves large industrial corporations, according to a recent article in The Monitor. It is designed to improve order entry, warehousing, inventory management, and billing and invoicing, among other processes. The program, which starts in June, will train local computer graduates to write programs for the maquiladora industry south of the border. It will teach students to use AS/400, Java, HTML, COOL, Plex, and other programs. The use of these programs should enhance the capabilities of local businesses using them, providing jobs for trained graduates along the way. The computer program will be run by UTPA students, local community college students, and some people who are already working in the business. The program will begin with a foundation of 12 positions, and the staff will increase in increments of 12 each year for the next four years. Susan Valverde, director of business development for the McAllen Economic Development Corp, said in a recent article in The Monitor that positions at Comet Technologies have an average yearly salary of $50,000. According to Fowler, Comet Technologies is made up in part of people who chose to leave the boomtown of Austin and go to a more relaxed environment. The recent economic downturn hit Austin hardest of Texas cities, and this may have contributed to the move as well. “Two of the principles in Comet Technologies are from McAllen, and I think that is a real plus in that they have roots here and would like to see the Valley grow in the software, engineering arena,” Fowler said. The new software development could serve as a benefit for graduates who are not ready to leave the Valley. And it may convince others who were set to fire out that there are legitimate opportunities right at home. “I think this is a good idea since it helps students in the engineering program to stay in the Valley and help support the program within the Valley,” said Jesse Hernandez, manufacturing engineering major. “And it also helps other computer science and engineering majors who want to stay in the Valley.”
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Vigil to honor abused children By Veronica Barrera Special to The Pan American
In July of 2001, a six-week-old boy was taken to the emergency room at Edinburg Regional Medical Center for several injuries to his left hand. When doctors did a complete examination they found the baby had two broken legs, two broken arms, at least 15 broken ribs, was blinded in his right eye and almost blind in his left eye. After physicians did a complete set of skull exams, they found out the baby had bilateral frontal brain lobe injuries. The Hidalgo County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) tackles cases such as this every day. This nonprofit organization is at the forefront in the battle against child abuse. CASA workers are trained volunteers responsible for researching cases, representing children in court, and looking out for victims’ best interests. According to Jose Antonio Gomez, CASA Volunteer Recruitment/Training coordinator, there is a core of about 25 active volunteers, but not all of them are active at the same time. Volunteers are not assigned more than two cases at a time. Due to the nature of the volunteer work, it is common for workers to take some time off before beginning new cases because it is intense and emotionally trying, Gomez added. “We look for a variety of people that we train to help us deal with those families and the victims of such a terrible
thing,” said University of Texas-Pan American psychology professor and CASA board member Dr. A.J. Alamia. CASA is sponsoring the “Light of Hope,” a national event to remember children who have been abused and neglected. The candlelight vigil is one event in April that commemorates National Child Abuse Prevention month. “The purpose is a rather sad one,” Gomez said.“We are going to light a tree commemorating over 800 children in our community that have been victims.” The lighting of a tree will symbolize the hope for an improvement in the lives of children who have been victimized. The vigil will be held Thursday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., at the east side of the Hidalgo County Courthouse. This public event is designed to bring awareness and sensitivity to the community regarding the issues of child maltreatment and abuse, according to Alamia. “People are not aware that these bigcity problems exist here,” Gomez said. “We have urban problems with rural responses and we have grossly inadequate resources to deal with [child abuse].” Gomez urges the community to do its part and make a difference for children who are being victimized. Monetary donations and toys are welcome, but acting to protect a child is the ultimate goal, he added. Gomez feels there is a need to focus on UTPA and inform the student body about the problem of child abuse and neglect in
the community. “What we were doing is actively recruiting volunteers, and I see the university as a resource for our community. It is essentially untapped, so far as this issue is concerned,” Gomez said. “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” Gomez said. “We have got to act to protect the children. The children cannot protect themselves.” CASA volunteers and board members work closely together, and in conjunction with social workers and attorneys to improve the lives of these children. Gomez explained that CASA was created in 1994, but has been functioning fulltime since about 1997. Alamia has been involved with the organization for five years and says that it is rewarding to give back to his community. “CASA has raised my sensitivity to the travesties and the tragedies that children sustain, under a blanket of trust they feel like they should have from adults, their primary care givers,” Alamia said. “It has raised a level of awareness for me. It really taught me that there are a lot of different personality types that really need help, especially those that perpetrate abuse on children.” If CASA had not stepped in, a sixweek-old boy may have been left in jeopardy. The child is now safe in foster care. It is success stories such as these that keep CASA volunteers motivated to make a difference.
Monies target engineering graduates By Celeste Y. Tello The Pan American
Engineering students at public and private schools across the state of Texas will be sharing in a $4.5 million grant. According to a recent San Antonio Express-News article, the fund was an outgrowth of Senate Bill 353, which established the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium. TETC is comprised of representatives of education and technology and is geared toward promoting education in the computer science and engineering fields. The grant was funded by the first collaborative effort among government, industry, and higher education. According to the Express-News, donors offering a two-year commitment to the fund include Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and Sabre. The University of Texas-Pan American was awarded $268,180 of the overall grant, and according to Dr. Edwin LeMaster, associate dean of the School of Engineering, the grant will lead to improved efforts in recruiting. “It will allow us to focus our efforts on recruiting engineering students, specifically into the areas where there are shortages in the state,” LeMaster said. “The areas where there are shortages are computer science and electrical engineering.” The engineering department at UTPA cur-
rently has 687 engineering majors. The University of Texas-Austin currently has 6,600 engineering majors. Despite the difference in size between the engineering departments of the schools, UTPA was still able to receive nearly one-third of the amount of the grant received by UTA. “We were happy to get that amount,” said LeMaster. He added that the employment rate among graduating UTPA engineering students is not that different from rates of students at bigger schools such as UTA. He also added most engineering students at UTPA have actual experience in research projects and internships. Larger schools are not able to provide those services to as many students. In order to renew the yearly grant over the next five years, the engineering department at UTPA must meet certain criteria. According to LeMaster, if the department meets its first year goals of increasing enrollment by certain numbers, funding for the second year is assured. Enrollment must increase from 280 in Fall 2001 to the target enrollment of 309 for Fall 2002. In 2003, the enrollment should be at 365 for the engineering department. Aside from increasing enrollment, the funds will also go toward scholarships for students. LeMaster believes the general student in the engineering department will benefit from the bigger pool of money in the department.
“There’s a bigger pie, and so now, more people get to eat pie,” said LeMaster of the increase in funding for the department. Students in the engineering department also believe the grant will bring improved conditions to other areas of the department. Patty Salazar, president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is a mechanical engineering senior who believes that the grant will go beyond scholarships and recruitment. She thinks that the funding will help maintain equipment undergraduate students use as educational tools. Salazar also believes that the funding will increase participation of student organizations within the department. “Student interest in organizations will probably increase if they know that we have departmental funding for events that we plan, such as bringing in company representatives to speak to engineering students,” Salazar said. However, Denise Quezada, president of the Society of Women Engineers, reflected the view of some graduating seniors who know that they will not be affected by the grant because they are graduating. Quezada, a senior mechanical engineering major, did say that the grant would be beneficial to the department. Ernesto Avila, a senior mechanical engineering major, added that the grant will be a great opportunity to employ the money toward younger majors.
THE PAN AMERICAN
April 11, 2002
Campus VO I C E
What do you think about the doctors’ walkout? – Anna Stwora
Gustavo Delfin Int. Business/Management Senior I believe that people have taken too much advantage of loose rules and regulations of insurance companies which has led to the present chaotic situation. It seems new rules need to be implemented so people don’t get so much money from the agencies.
Jose Gonzales Computer Science Freshman [Doctors] have the right to defend themselves against unjustified lawsuits. And even though they should be held responsible for their mistakes the amount of penalties shouldn’t be that high.
Linda Mujica Pre-Med Sophomore I think since they pay a lot of money for insurance, which they should not, they have a right to protest for all the unjustified lawsuits.
Sharifa Llemit Pre-Med Sophomore The doctors’ actions are justified because they have a good reason to be upset about the tremendous amount of insurance they must pay.
Armando Galarza Music Sophomore I think the doctors are finally taking a stand to have their rights protected in order to ensure the well-being of the patients.
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Business College revising its plans UTPA: Vision of Success FIFTH IN A CONTINUING SERIES
By Eladio Jaimez The Pan American
When John Emery took the position as Dean of the College of Business in Feb. 2001, the college was facing internal turmoil impeding its progress. Emery said a strategic plan was in place when he arrived, but it wasn’t as detailed and structured as today’s plan. “We’ve done revisions [to the plan],” Emery said. “It was drawn over two years ago and we’ve had to clarify what it is we want to accomplish.” Emery said the University of TexasPan American is currently taking part in a comprehensive study called “Closing the Gap,” in hopes of finding ways to increase enrollment at the university by the year 2015. Emery said the university’s goal is to increase the participation rate of nontraditional students and change the demographics of students at UTPA. Here, nontraditional refers to older students continuing or even just beginning their educational journey. “Our college [business] will grow as fast as the rest of the state,” Emery said. Approximately 2,400 undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Business, with 150 graduate students including about 40 doctoral candidates. While increasing enrollment is one of Emery’s top priorities, increasing the number of graduate and doctoral degrees offered by UTPA also ranks high on his laundry list. The college offers one of two Ph.D. degrees at the university, in international business. The other is in educational leadership. Emery said the degree is offered with specialties in marketing, management, and finance under the international business umbrella. He also said the college is
equipped with faculty strong enough to train doctoral students in accounting and computer information systems. “We’re not formally accepting students to those Ph.D. programs yet,” Emery said. “Our accounting degree is very likely to happen. We may start recruiting candidates next year and accepting students the year after that.” Another project the College of Business looks forward to offering is referred to as The Big Mac. “We want them to go after the Big Mac,” Emery said. “UT already has a program like this.” Under this program, an entering freshman can enroll in a five-year accounting program and earn a master’s degree upon completion, specializing in public accounting. Emery said the University of Texas Board of Regents must still review a proposal submitted by the college. “It’ll probably be about two years before this gets under way,” Emery said. Emery said the college also offers services to the region in form of research that will benefit the entire Valley. “The most dramatic research is what is going on at the Center for Border Economic Studies,” Emery said. “That’s our primary thrust.” Emery said his college currently has 12 research projects approved, and 23 more faculty members have applied this year. “We have research being done on consumer behavior and peoples’ reaction to Web pages,” Emery said. He also commented that centers like the Center for Tourism Research and the Neuhaus Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education are examples of research hubs which benefit the Valley. The Center for Tourism Research was featured recently in a six-page article of The New Yorker magazine about the economic impact of Spring Break on South Padre Island.
April 11, 2002
THE PAN AMERICAN
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April 11, 2002
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N EWS Valley faces academic ‘brain drain’ ■ Campus Voice . . . . . 4 ■ Light of Hope Vigil . . 5
By Cristina Reyna The Pan American
GETTING OUT “I wanted to challenge myself.” This response was unanimous from five Valleyites who will graduate this May from Ivy League universities. Each fall, high school graduates leave the Rio Grande Valley to attend enticing institutions of higher learning, with high hopes of achieving big dreams in the big city. For the Valley, however, this can prove to be a ‘brain drain’ when students choose not to return to their hometown communities and give back such scholarship they have achieved to familiar and needy areas. Elvie Davis, dean of students at the University of Texas-Pan American, said a brain drain does exist and, for students, there is a certain attraction to the idea of exploring new worlds. “As long as Ivy League and other prestigious institutions offer impressive scholarships, bigger research opportunities, academic programs that we don’t offer here, and new and different experiences on the whole, many of the Valley’s top students will continue to choose to go elsewhere,” Davis said. She explained that leaving the Valley appeals to a great deal of young people who have not been exposed to anything else. “As much as I’d love to see our top students enroll at UTPA, I also recognize how other institutions elsewhere can add to their intellectual and personal growth,” Davis said. Valley scholar Monica Lucero left Raymondville in the fall of 1998 to seek higher education more than 2,000 miles away, at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Lucero, 21, graduated as the salutatorian of Raymondville High School in May of 1998 with aspirations of attending Brown because it offered an eight-year medical program and an ethnic studies concentration. She wanted to learn about “communities of color to effectively treat them medically, socially and emotionally.” “Brown was hard to adjust to, especially coming from public Raymondville High School,” Lucero said. “The educational support I had was barely enough for me to get by.” But she did. In May, Lucero will graduate with an A.B. in Ethnic Studies and then pursue a medical degree. Priscilla Noriega, 22, left for New Haven, Conn. in the fall of 1998 after applying to Yale University on a dare. “I fell in love with the campus and I knew I would have access to amazing resources academically and socially,” Noriega said. “It was a chance to test myself and see what I could do.” Noriega, of Brownsville, graduated from Gladys Porter High School and loves the fact that she is now “able to hop on a train and go into New York for the afternoon.” Noriega will graduate in May with a degree in English and plans to pursue a law degree thereafter.
Zainab Zakari, of Harlingen, attends Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. She graduated as the valedictorian of Harlingen High School in 1998 and chose Stanford because of the “friendly and outgoing sense” she got from the community. “I wanted the social aspect as well as the academic,” Zakari said. “Stanford has a great balance of both.” Zakari will graduate this May with a degree in history. Cesar Garcia, 22, graduated from Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen in 1998 and left the Valley the same year to attend Brown University. “Brown promised an environment unlike anything I’d ever seen,” Garcia said. “And, it offered me the best financial aid. Without the money I get, I couldn’t dream of affording this kind of experience.” Garcia will graduate in May with a double major in American civilization and English literature. Magda Guillen, of Harlingen, was committed to getting an out-of-state education and chose Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Guillen, 22, was third in her graduating class at Harlingen High School in 1998. “I wanted to take part in an incredibly diverse academic environment,” Guillen said. “Harvard has a world-renowned faculty and its liberal arts education is among the best in the world.” Guillen will graduate in May with a degree in government as well as a specialization in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Mexico, from Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center. She will also bear a citation in Spanish from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. With top Valley students being lured away each year by top universities, one might wonder whether these soon-to-be grads plan to return to the Valley. COMING BACK Although the Valley would likely benefit from these students once they’ve become professionals, returning to their communities is ultimately a difficult personal decision for each of them. UTPA’s Davis said the Valley would benefit greatly from these individuals returning and using their acquired knowledge and expertise here, but it depends on how they feel about returning home. “It doesn’t matter how we feel,” Davis said. “They can’t be directed or forced to do so if they don’t want to.” While some feel that they will returning to the Valley without a doubt, other students were frustrated by the lack of economic and social conditions in the area. The Valley’s unemployment rate is at 12 percent and Hidalgo County is one of the top five poorest counties in the U.S. Lucero said she plans to attend medical school for the next four years and then pursue a residency for four additional years. “If there are opportunities for me to make effective change in South Texas at least 10 years from now, I will definitely come back,” she said. Lucero added that she will work for a Spanishspeaking community somewhere in the United States. “Even if it is not South Texas, at least I know that
my motivation comes from the inequalities I was raised in and educated to fight against,” Lucero said. Noriega plans to come back to the Valley to teach for a few years in Brownsville once she has attended law school. “I am motivated to get students from the Valley to attend Yale and I hope to encourage them to expose themselves to new opportunities,” Noriega said. Zakari said she will not likely return to the Valley because she is interested in book publishing and “the Valley doesn’t have much of a market for it.” “I would like to stay in the [San Francisco] Bay area but the only real market for publishing is in the East Coast/New York area,” she said. Zakari added that she appreciates the low cost of living in the Valley and the “high sense of community and family,” but she is looking to get ahead as soon as possible and “the Valley is not the place to do that.” Garcia said he will return to the Valley once he has finished graduate school. Until then, he hopes to live in different parts of the United States and abroad. “I always remind myself that I am not at Brown solely because of my own work,” Garcia said. “I am not self-made. I have arrived where I am because of the sacrifices of countless people. I am here because the kids I grew up with are not. My community has given me my life so I want to give something back to it.” Guillen, however, explained that she will not return to the Valley because she is frustrated with the lack of both economic and social opportunities in the Valley. “Though I realize that the economy of this particular area of the country is burgeoning right now, the kinds of jobs and careers that I am interested in pursuing are still scarce,” Guillen said. Guillen added that she is fond of the fast pace of the East Coast and its attractions, and has developed an appreciation for their lifestyle. “I would find it very difficult to slow down my own life to fit the pace of the Rio Grande Valley,” she said. “I have difficulty accepting some of the more right-wing tendencies of the average citizen in the Valley; my own personal political inclinations are difficult to reconcile with the prevailing socio-political norms of that area,” Guillen added. Davis suggested that these students’ “fresh blood and new perspectives can be a great thing,” and might, in fact, be just what the Valley needs. “There’s nothing wrong with turning our attention to not only getting our Valleyites back here, but recruiting more professionals from all over,” Davis said. GIVING SOMETHING BACK The students who do plan to return to the Valley intend to give back to their communities in several very different ways. Each feels very strongly that he or she can provide a breath of fresh air for the area. Lucero, for one, pointed out that she believes change must be made politically before it can trickle down to the South. “As a future physician, I feel that the economic
gain, both in Mexico and the U.S., is at the direct expense of the community’s health in South Texas,” Lucero said. “Since maquilas emanate and dispense thousands of chemicals daily, the health of those in the area is severely compromised.” Lucero added that the Valley has the highest incidence of cancer, diabetes and nervous disorders than any other region in the United States “As a young, proactive physician, I would love to come back and politically organize against such dumping in order to truly affect the public’s health,” she added. “However, I and others will not be well received by those who feel that maquilas bring excellent jobs, increasing economic development and decreasing crime, poverty and disease,” Lucero said. Noriega said she wants to bring back to the Valley the knowledge she has gained. “Since I’ve had the opportunity to work with the professors leading in their fields, I want to expose students to things I’ve learned here [Yale] and instill the same kind of excitement in others,” Noriega said. Garcia credited his college town, Providence, for teaching him the importance of working with community members to improve local conditions. He added that countless intelligent youth in the Valley do not fulfill their potential because they do not have access to the proper resources. BRAIN DRAIN? Each of these Ivy League students has expressed disappointment in the lack of economic and social opportunities in the Valley as a reason for their hesitation to return. But the Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in the country-- population wise, according to Davis. However, several inadequacies must be addressed in determining the factors influencing the decisions of those who choose not to come back. Noriega believes that although the biculturalism of the border is an intriguing dynamic, she said she finds that in the Valley many [people] exist in a vacuum. “Although the cost of living is very low, there aren't many opportunities that provide high income,” Noriega said. “Wages are also pretty low back home.” Noriega said it is great that people are seeking opportunity and forging their own careers and lives outside the Valley. Students deserve an opportunity to “get out,” agreed Lucero. “It’s crazy that I had to seek education more than 2,000 miles away to learn that South Texas is truly deteriorating,” Lucero said. “It should be their [students] decision to come back and they shouldn’t feel guilty if they choose not to. Everyone needs to be true to the quality of life they desire for themselves and their future family.” Zakari says there is a perpetual cycle in the Valley and she has had first-hand experience with managers of businesses whom she feels perpetuate the brain drain. “They are not encouraging to students who seek part-time work while spending their vacation time in
See BRAIN DRAIN page 11
NEWS
April 11 2002
Local band frontman seeks campus unity By Jaime R. Garcia Jr. The Pan American
Celebrating 50 years 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 50th Year – No. 24
Editor Matt Lynch mlynch@panam.edu
News Editor Cristina Reyna creyna826@aol.com
Copy Editor Melissa Ciomperlik ciomperlik@yahoo.com
Graphics Editor Gabriel O. Hernandez gabo296@hotmail.com
A & E Editor Ashley Brooks Magrew2@hotmail.com
Sports Editor Eladio Jaimez ejaimez@panam.edu
Layout Designers Gabriel Hernandez Celeste Y. Tello Reporters Blake Daniels Jaime Garcia Jr. Mike Gonzalez Elizabeth Martinez Linda Martinez Nikki Ramirez Belinda Reyes Cesar Trevino Photographers Anna Stwora Mary Zuviri Advertising Dagoberto Perez Circulation Jesus M. Gonzalez Advertising Coordinator Juanita Sanchez Adviser Dr. Greg Selber
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 university.
Letters policy The Pan American gladly accepts letters from students, staff and faculty regarding newspaper content or current issues. The Pan American reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. Please limit submission length to 300 words. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters, or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor and must include the writer’s name, class/title and phone number. Readers with disabilities may request an alternative format of this publication at The Pan American business office. For special assistance to attend any event listed in this publication, contact the coordinator of the event at least one week prior to the advertised date.
The afternoon is sunny. It is mid-day and the ambience is universal. On this Thursday afternoon, the organization called “The Community” is hosting a free musical concert. The first band, having completed its set, is makes way for the next band entitled “We Suck.” As the band takes the floor, lead singer Marc ‘Marc Hardcore’ Villarreal, 23, yells through the microphone, “Welcome to the birth of a new revolution! The time for a change is now. I feel I have been robbed of a college experience here at this university and the time to act is now!” The hardcore 4-piece band (together since the fall of 1997) pounds in, encouraging the crowd to yell congruently, as Villarreal’s political messages burst through the speakers. Villarreal, a UTPA senior from Mission, explains that his rage when he performs comes from natural energy and is an attempt to encourage the audience to join in and do what they please. In that moment, he considers himself “extreme and energetic.” “The main theme [of the shows] is for people to relate to one another during the show. When people alienate themselves, they die off socially. My objective is to channel negative energy into something positive and constructive, to attack dogma and for people to reason and act together.” “I view myself [when performing] as a conduit of energy being used to provide a gift of liberation to the audience to do what they feel like doing there. It’s extreme and energetic and pushing limits. I’d rather be detested than apathetic.” Villarreal is the vice-president of “The Community,” which offers a chance for students of all creeds and educational backgrounds to congregate and speak their minds through an event called “Spoken Word.” Villarreal and his organization believe that they need to do something about student unity in order to form a more solid campus body. “People here in the Valley seem to have acquired a learned helplessness, and alienate themselves,” he said. “The university needs to do more to make the students aware of what they can do around their campus. Instead, it [the university] hinders student willingness to cooperate with activities around campus.” Villarreal, a psychology major/philosophy minor, believes that instead of the university administration posting regulations for student organizations, it should encourage more student activities. “This university seems to take for granted that we [students] pay tuition for a reason,” Villarreal said. “We should not be restricted and rather be allowed to do more.” Villarreal understands the importance of certain regulations when it comes to conducting demonstrations or posting advertisings, but feels that they are too meticulous and discouraging to some organizations and students, for example when it comes to getting fliers stamped. “In 1998 and 1999 we [The Community] used to throw shows free to the public for
people to come together,” Villarreal said. “One of the policies we had to abide by was to hire security. The University Police Department sent the amount they felt adequate, which was quite a bit, and we were forced to discontinue the shows due to overcharging, which led to lack of funds.” Villarreal states that it has become difficult for him and his organization to successfully attempt to gather and congregate, due to difficulties with the Office of Student Development. He added that the OSD did not fully comply with regulations pertaining to non-free-speech zones. “A while back, “Spoken Word” would gather at the University Circle until we [The Community] were advised to move into a designated free-speech zone located by the library with the excuse that we could not use amplifying devices in a non-free-speech zone,” said Villarreal, referring to a prior incident. A year ago, the organization on occasion set up a speaker with a microphone allowing students to express their thoughts, ideas and emotions freely. “We respectfully complied and moved to the other area,” Villarreal said. Christine Carruthers, coordinator for the OSD, said, “student organizations are allowed two university handbooks for reference on regulations when using both free and nonfree-speech zones: The Student Guide and The Handbook of Operation Procedures.” The Student Guide states on Page 21 in section 4, “Recognition and Approval of Student Organizations,” subdivision 1, that: 1) The University recognizes student organizations as an integral part of University life. 2) Student organizations offer an opportunity for personal growth and development of special talents and interests.” Villarreal, however expressed discontent over the fact that several weeks ago some religious organizations conducted a three-day demonstration that required the use of amplifying devices in a non-designated free-speech zone. Dana Garza, coordinator for the OSD, explained that “organizations around campus are allowed to use amplifiers on a non-freespeech zone during activity periods as long as the equipment is not obstructing traffic.” “While we were told to move [a year ago] to a designated free-speech zone to use our amplifier and microphone, these organizations were demonstrating for three full days from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. on a non-designated-free speech zone with plenty of amplification and definitely out of activity period,” Villarreal said. “If those organizations were amplified out of activity period, they should not have been and were advised several times not to,” reiterated Garza. Angie De Loach is a member of the campus religious fraternity, Chi-Alpha, a participant in last week’s spiritual events. “They [Student Development] approached us on several occasions to tell us to keep the volume low,” she said. “The reason we don’t permit amplification devices off activity period [in non-designated
sports
April 11, 2002
free-speech zones] is simply for the fact that it disturbs classes,” Carruthers said. De Loach disagreed and said their amplifiers were on after activity period. “Several classes were disrupted and they [student development] came again to tell us to turn [the amplifiers] off,” De Loach said. “However, we reached a compromise with them and they allowed us to keep them on as long as we kept them at a low and reasonable volume. So we did.” De Loach also stated that her organization has also had problems in the past with Student Development. “They informed us in the past that we could not express freedom of religion to the fullest. They told us that we could not have worship music, nor be allowed to exhibit religious films due to the separation of church and state,” she said. Carruthers cleared the issue of “separation of church and state” by explaining that “due to state funding [for the university], state funds may not be used to support religious or political activities.” Although Villarreal uses his music and lyrics as the essential tool for voicing his concerns to the local masses, The Community is focusing on alternate methods of reaching out to university students, as well. In hopes of making a difference and solidifying their aspirations, The Community’s president, Dan Vaughn, ran a campaign for SGA. Although he didn’t win, this action displayed evidence that The Community is diversifying its efforts. “We want everyone to unite and focus on similarities rather than differences,” Villarreal said. “If applied, this will rid mental pollution such as racism, structural bias and homophobia. We [The Community] just want to be treated equally, and have complied with the Student Government in all their requests.” Villarreal added that he simply wants the university masses to commune, to compose student unity in an institution of higher learning that should promote “general cognition.” “Some people have taken offense to our actions. But, if I illicit a response—positive or negative - I’ve served some kind of purpose because people have mobilized, acted and thought,” he commented. “The synthesis right now is the apathy of students and/or the school, but what we stress to the students is that the universe is indifferent, do as much as you can to build and create. People in the Valley need to mobilize and work together to build.” “It’s your university. Don’t be apathetic. I hope the university will evolve into positive change. There is much more than SGA, athletics, and other organizations that the university focuses on.”
CORRECTION The April 4 The Pan American reported that a gay film festival was to take place last weekend. The festival will actually take place the weekend of April 20.
SPORTS CLIPBOARD Mavericks lasso Broncs EDINBURG -- The University of Texas-Pan American men’s tennis team gave a good account of itself in just about every individual contest in a match against the University of Texas-Arlington Sunday. But the Mavericks came through when it counted, defeating the Broncs, 7-0 to clinch the regular season Southland Conference championship and a first-round bye when the conference tournament begins April 26. Freshmen Filip Koziell and Jeremy Salvo lost their no. one doubles match to Andy Leber and David Corrie, 9-7, while sophomore Tom Mangelschots and junior Neil Barraclough lost at no. three doubles to Tom Zarzecny and Alon Goldshuv, 9-8, dropping the tie-breaker, 7-3. The doubles matches were played at the Cox Tennis Center, but the singles were moved to the Summit Sports Club in Pharr due to high winds. UTPA and UTA split sets in three of the six singles matches. Zarzecny defeated Koziell at no. three singles, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Javier Carrillo defeated Salvo at no. four, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; and Goldshuv downed senior Kareem Abdullah at no. five, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. “It was a very close 7-0 match, we had leads in five of the nine matches,” said UTPA head coach Todd Chapman. “We won the first set in three of the six singles matches, and we were up 6-3 at no. one doubles, and up, 6-5 and serving at number three. But we played a very good team today, the best team in our conference. It was good to see that we got ourselves into situations where we had the opportunity to win, but then we weren’t able to do what we had to do in order to win. Hopefully, we can learn from this experience.” The Broncs dropped to 7-7, 2-2 in the SLC with the defeat, while the Mavericks improved to 14-7, 6-0. UTPA will return to action when they visit Texas-San Antonio in another SLC match tomorrow.
Golfers struggle in Border event LAREDO -- The University of Texas-Pan American’s men’s golf team finished 17th at the 17-team Border Olympics, at the Laredo Country Club Saturday. The Broncs shot a final-round score of 301 Saturday, giving them a 54-hole total of 922, placing them 24 shots behind first-place Rice. Baylor finished first with a score of 845, followed by San Diego State at 858, New Mexico at 865, Pepperdine at 868, Texas-Arlington at 869 and Louisiana-Lafayette at 870. Next were Lamar at 874, Central Oklahoma at 875, Texas Tech at 876, Arkansas and Texas-San Antonio at 879, Colorado State at 881, Central Florida at 884, host Texas A&M at 885, and Sam Houston State at 887. Junior Omar Halldorsson led the Broncs by shooting a final-round score of 74 for a 54-hole total of 226, good for a tie for 63rd place. Sophomore Rudy Celedon shot a score of 74 for a total of 229, tying for 75th place. Sophomore Ben Piper shot a 76, for a total of 235, good for 87th place. Freshman John Huerta shot a 77, scoring 236 and securing 88th place. Senior Santiago DeLarrea shot a 78, good for a score of 239 and 90th place. The Broncs will play their final tournament of the semester at the National Minority Golf Championships May 10-13 at the PGA Headquarters in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
100 and counting EDINBURG -- Saturday night’s win over the 16th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in College Station was special in many ways. For one, the Broncs finally won a road game. Before the second game of the doubleheader, the Broncs were 0-11 on the road. Another positive from that game, and the series, was the Broncs’ pitching, as all three games were decided by one run. The Bronc hurlers did their job by keeping the team in the game. The most special moment probably came after notching the 3-2 victory over the Aggies in the rubber game on Saturday. The win was also head coach Reggie Tredaway’s 100th as skipper of the Broncs. The fifthyear head coach seemed to be well on his way to the 100-win mark after three seasons with 79, but a disastrous season last year and a slow start this campaign put his march to 100 on hold until Saturday. Tredaway recorded 30-win seasons in 1999 and 2000. Last year the Broncs finished 12-40 and have only compiled a 9-25 record this season. In his five years, Tredaway has accumulated a career record of 100-139-1. Tredaway took over for legendary head coach Al Ogletree in 1998, and put the program’s future before his own record. He veered away from recruiting junior college transfers and now brings in freshmen hoping to rebuild the Bronc baseball program.
Page 15
By the numbers April 25-27 May 3-4 May 20 May 28-June 1
BASEBALL BRONC LEADERS Batting Average Matt Sisk John Lopez Adam Farek Tony Ortiz Jerome McCoy
.322 .314 .297 .297 .288
WOMEN
Home runs Matt Eichel Matt Sisk Jarrad Maddox Sean Flynn Tony Ortiz
2 2 1 1 1
April 13 April 20 April 25-27 May 3-4 May 20 May 28-June 1
RBI Matt Sisk Bruce Kennedy Matt Eichel Tony Ortiz Jarrad Maddox
18 14 11 9 8
Hits Matt Sisk Jerome McCoy Bruce Kennedy John Lopez Skip Weast
38 36 29 27 25
Runs Matt Sisk Jerome McCoy Bruce Kennedy John Lopez Marco Garza
19 19 14 13 10
Upcoming schedule
Angelo State Relays Baylor Invitational Drake Relays Texas Invitational Houston Last Chance NCAA Championships
TENNIS MEN Upcoming schedule 4/12 4/16 4/16 4/18 4/26-28 * home match
Texas-San Antonio SE Louisiana Lamar LAREDO CC* SLC Tournament
WOMEN Upcoming schedule 4/12 4/12 4/18 * home match
Nicholls State Texas-San Antonio TAMUCC*
GOLF
TEAM NUMBERS Batting Average Home Runs RBI Hits Runs
Drake Relays Texas Invitational Houston Last Chance NCAA Championships
.262 7 113 302 136
TRACK AND FIELD
MEN Upcoming schedule 5/10-13 National Minority Golf Championship Port St. Lucie, FL
WOMEN
MEN Upcoming schedule April 13 Angelo State Relays April 20 Baylor Invitational
ANGELO STATE Partch, who broke the UTPA record in the high jump with a leap of 5-8 1/2 inches and finished fifth overall. The old record was 5-8, set by Partch earlier this year. According to Vaughn, the record will give Partch a boost going up against tougher competition. "It [the record] gives her confidence," Vaughn said. "She's as good as anybody, comparing UTPA to bigger schools such as Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. It shows the progress we're making as a program." Another event where the Broncs made some noise was the men's 110-meter high hurdles. Ben finished fourth with a time of 14.65, while freshman Matt Clinton finished seventh with a time of 15.15. Although a number of Broncs performed well in track events, UTPA hammer thrower Amy Moses struggled in her event. Moses was disappointed she didn't compete up to her potential. "I feel like I could've been there," Moses said. Although Moses didn't place in the hammer throw, she hopes next year will
Upcoming schedule April 10-13 EKU Lady Colonel Classic Richmond, KY May 10-13 National Minority Golf
continued from page 16 bring better results for her and her team. "I'll be ready next year because of the experience, and the team will be ready as well," Moses said. "It was new for the first-timers." Freshman Marlin Manley also struggled in the men's high jump, failing to qualify. Although the Broncs went through growing pains in Austin, Vaughn said he's proud of the way his team has responded. "You take it one step at a time," Vaughn said. "There's the good and bad. They'll be excited about the competition. We've made a lot of improvements and records have been broken. So our squad is getting better." The Broncs and lady Broncs get ready for the NCAA Championships with four more relays, including two against Baylor University and the University of Texas-Austin. Other contests include relays against Drake and the Houston Last Chance Invitational a week before the championships
PAGE 16
S PORTS
MASTER TIGER: Once again, Tiger Woods is the favorite to take The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club starting today and concluding Sunday afternoon. Woods, chasing his third green jacket, will have more obstacles to overcome this year around. Augusta National has revamped its course, increasing the yardage on eight of the 18 holes. Woods will also face stiff competition from a few guys who are long overdue for a green jacket. David Duval and Ernie Els would love to see themselves sporting the green blazer, but nobody wants this major more than Phil Mickelson. He is not only on a quest for the Masters title, but his first major championship in his pro career.
MOVING ON? With the 2002 World Cup just under two months away, Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he will not make a decision about his longterm future until after the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. Trapattoni’s contract expires after the finals and while he said he would return to club coaching after the World Cup, there have been suggestions he may be ready to extend his deal.
■ Bronc stats . . . . . . . . . . 15
Broncs one up, one down vs. South Texas foe
PGA
WORLD CUP
■ Sports Clipboard. . . . . . 15
The Pan American
Eladio Jaimez/The Pan American
MR. CLUTCH: Sharyland native Marco Garza receives high fives from his teammates after scoring a run in game one of a doubleheader against the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas. Garza came into the contest hitting .191 and broke up Javs’ starter Mike Huddleston’s perfectgame bid, leading off the sixth inning with a single. The freshman shortstop went 3-for-6 for the night to raise his average to .210.
If they could play the second game first, who knows. The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs, for the seventh time in seven 2002 doubleheaders, lost the first game against Texas A&M-Kingsville Tuesday, 3-2. They rebounded to win the second match 5-0, marking the fifth time in those seven twin bills that a split was attained. The ol' one-up, one-down routine sends them into a home weekend series against Houston Baptist with a 10-26 overall record. The Broncs got a pair of solid pitching performances against TAMUK (17-28), and hope that this will continue against HB, a highly ranked NAIA school, in a three-gamer starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. In the extra-innings opener against TAMUK, senior right-hander Mike Calvert pitched six strong innings, allowing just two runs, but UTPA fell short as the Javelinas pushed across the winning run in the eighth, benefiting from a throwing error by relief pitcher Skip Weast.
The Bronc bats, a problem most of the year, exploded for three runs in the first inning of the second game, and senior right-hander Justin Dowd did the rest, getting his first victory in seven decisions. He hurled the team's second complete game of the season, fanning 10 and walking just two on a five-hitter. He came into the game with a 12.27 earned run average, and made his best mound effort of the year. "Justin Dowd did a great job of pitching in situations," said UTPA head coach Reggie Tredaway. "He got big strikeouts in a few situations where they had two men on, and that's what you have to do." Tony Ortiz had three hits in as many tries and scored twice in the nightcap, while catcher Matt Eichel drove in two runs. Shortstop Marco Garza and left fielder Bruce Kennedy contributed two hits and a stolen base apiece. UTPA outhit the Javs 12-5 in the second game, but managed just four hits in the opener, with outfielders John Lopez and Jonathan Mason posting RBIs. The team continued to have trouble making contact at the plate, striking out 12 times and drawing just two walks in the doubleheader.
Thinclads ready for Angelo State By Mike Gonzalez The Pan American
The University of Texas PanAmerican track & field team stumbled in the Texas Relays last week, but looks to bounce back at the Angelo State Relays Saturday. The Broncs faced quality Division I opponents last week and this time will face powerhouse Division II schools such as Angelo State and Abilene Christian. Both are ranked in the top five in the country, according to head
coach Ricky Vaughn. However, Vaughn is optimistic his squad will be up to the challenge. "Their [team] expectations are higher," Vaughn said. "Maybe they are a little more focused. Hopefully it will be a good meet this weekend." He added that his Division II opponents have great programs, and fierce competitors . "They [opponents] have great athletes," Vaughn said. "It will be a high-quality meet and I hope some of our athletes qualify." Sophomore Rashaad Ben
knows his opponents will run at a high level, and it will be a challenge for the Broncs to qualify. "They [opponents] train pretty hard," Ben said. "You have to run your best at all times. It's a lot of competition." The young and inexperienced squad went up against tougher competition, including Big 12 programs, at the Texas Relays in Austin. Vaughn said last week's experience will help develop the program and put it on the map. "It's important for us to devel-
op our program," Vaughn said. "We need to start competing against bigger schools. We're ready for the next step." Although members of the team failed to qualify, the experience will not only help the athletes this weekend, but in future events as well. "No doubt, for most it was their first time competing in larger meets," Vaughn said. "They have to learn how to control their emotions." One bright spot at the Texas Relays was sophomore Valerie See ANGELO STATE page 15
THURSDAY
Campus VOICE What do you think about the doctors’ walkout?
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STATE NEWS ■ BIG WIN: Edinburg attorney Ramon Garcia defeated Hidalgo County Judge Eloy Pulido by over 12,000 votes in Tuesday’s run-off elections for the county judge’s seat. With all of the county’s precincts reporting, Garcia received 65 percent of the vote to Pulido’s 35. Pulido thanked everyone involved in his campaign and said it had been difficult to go up against a well-funded campaign like Garcia’s. In other local races, Omar Guerrero narrowly defeated Lupe SilvaAboud by fewer than 300 votes for the District Clerk position. Following Tuesday’s runoff, the Rio Grande Valley won representation in the Texas Senate when state representative Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa downed Corpus Christi lawyer and businesswoman Barbara Canales-Black. Hinojosa received 55.6 percent of the vote with 33,557 votes and Canales-Black got 44.4 percent with 26,749. In the US Senate race, former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk won the right to represent the Democrats by beating high school geography teacher Victor Morales of Crandall. Kirk faces GOP candidate John Cornyn in November. There was no runoff on the Democratic side for governor as Tony Sanchez builds his campaign for a November showdown with Republican incumbent Rick Perry.
April 11, 2002 An Inside Look: News ............................................2 A & E............................................7 ■ Sports ........................................16 ■ ■
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T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n
Doctors demand redress By Eladio Jaimez The Pan American
With loud Mariachi music playing in the background, doctors from Hidalgo and Starr County gathered on the steps of the county courthouse in Edinburg and voiced their concerns regarding malpractice lawsuits. Over 400 doctors walked out of their offices Monday morning in protest of increasing malpractice insurance costs. About 300 supporters showed up in Edinburg as well, including state representatives Kino Flores, D-McAllen, Miguel Wise, D-Weslaco, and county judge Eloy Pulido. Dr. Juan M. Campos, president of the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society, was one of several speakers at the event, which at times resembled like a political pachanga. The walkout was organized by by the Medical Society in conjunction with Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA). Campos said high insurance costs in this region have caused many “quality” doctors to leave, which has led to a shortage in physicians, particularly specialists, in the Valley. “We have to solve this crisis,” Campos said. Campos said Hidalgo County and Valley residents, especially children and the elderly, will be hurt the most by this “clear and present danger.” See WALKOUT page 11
Matt Lynch/The Pan American
PROTEST — Dr. Juan M. Campos addresses the crowd during a demonstration on Tuesday morning at the Hidalgo County Courthouse. Valley doctors gathered to voice concerns over rising premiums covering malpractice. However, some observers side with patients, and place partial blame for costs on the doctors.
It’s official: Munoz to head SGA By Matt Lynch The Pan American
University of Texas-Pan American students exercised their rights to choose Student Government Association officials last week, electing Alyssa Munoz president of SGA. Through increased publicity and encouragement from UTPA officials, students hit the polls in increased numbers over previous elections, with more than 1,100 votes being cast. This year’s vote total surpasses the sum of the last two years combined, as just 648 and 465 votes were cast in 2000 and 2001, respectively. “We try to promote campus involvement in everything we do,” said Dana Garza, coordinator of Student Development. “I’m hoping the students are realizing this can be a fun campus, and that we have an SGA that is eager to help them.”
Garza also attributed the improved voter turnout to the increased number of presidential tickets and candidates running for positions. According to Garza, many of the candidates campaigned and urged their fellow students to vote. But she feels Munoz, along with her running mate Jessica Ann Garcia, relied on their previous SGA experience to coax students to cast votes in their direction. “On the final day, everyone stepped up, but they [Munoz, Garcia] had an advantage through experience and knew what it took to win,” Garza said. Munoz, a senior biology major, is uncertain whether her experience played a part in her victory, but feels it will make her a more effective SGA president. “It will make it easier for me to get things done,” she said. “I know all the administrators, red tape and procedures.” The new president feels there are many things
for SGA to address regarding student life at UTPA, but believes SGA is up to the task. “It’s the little things we’d like to address,” she said. “The major thing is to make sure SGA is known to the students.” Teamwork is essential in many group functions, and Munoz feels the ability to work together is important for SGA as well. “I want to make sure we have teamwork,” she said. “If we don’t work together with other student organizations, it will be hard to get things accomplished.” To make SGA and its officers more accessible to UTPA students, Munoz hopes to make SGA increasingly visible through its participation in campus activities. “We hope to participate in all events on campus,” she said. “We’d like to say to students, ‘this is what we can do for you.’”