58th Year No. 14
Thursday Dec. 5, 2007
SERIES
Winding down: By LEZETTE VILLARREAL The Pan American
D
uring finals week at The University of Texas-Pan
American, students scrambling to get a jumpstart on studying and finishing big projects are common sights. An exam in itself is stressful enough for some people, but add life
For students, finals often mean stress, studying and sleepless nights
outside of school and you’ll find yourself balancing a full plate. Maria Castillo, a sophomore nursing major, agrees that an exam is stressful, but with a 1-year-old child on board,
Veronica Gonzalez /The Pan American
THIS WEEK
RELAX - Jacqueline Adams (left), fitness and wellness coordinator, and Mercy Rentena, yoga instructor, gave free yoga classes provided by the Wellness and Recreational Center on Monday. The program aimed to help students unwind for finals.
things get even more difficult at times. “I have a baby so that brings more stress,” said the Weslaco resident. “I stress out a lot when I have an exam. I try to go relax by myself and try to take a time out.” According to psychology professor Grant Benham, stress is a physiological reaction the body has when it perceives a specific incident. “It is a healthy reaction. When we think about stress we think of it as being unhealthy, but the reason for that is that our bodies aren’t really set up to deal with long-term stress or what’s referred to as chronic stress,” Benham said. “Unfortunately that’s what most of us are dealing within this 21st century; a sort of relentless stress that we’re exposed to.” Reactions are individual, no two are alike, which makes any event difficult to place on the stress meter. But despite the various levels of tension, there are tips that can help any stressed student relax a bit. Benham suggests creating a timemanagement strategy to limit procrastinating and give students better control over their schedules. “One way to deal with stress is to come up with a list of priorities. There
See STRESS page 12
IT expert: Schools will impact innovations By BOBBY CERVANTES The Pan American As part three of a three-part series on technology and education, The Pan American uncovers new education-aiding gadgets in the works. Part one examined the evolution of technology in education. Part two examined the effects of technology on the learning process. Nearly 50 years ago, most people had the perception that the future would i n t r o d u c e humans to hovering cars and robotic house cleaners after the year 2000. While we don’t live in a Jetsonslike reality just yet, the technology boom of the post-Y2K years has proved outstanding growth, especially in education. Everything from technology infrastructure to how it fundamentally affects what happens in the classroom and the changes on the surrounding community
See TECH page 11
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
NEWS Experts: natural energy methods best See Page 3
A&E Winter break full of fun activities See Page 8 & 9
SPORTS Killer Bees host UTPA night See Page 13
SGA president resigns, VP to assume post New, old leaders respond to senator controversy By VERONICA GONZALEZ The Pan American Tony Matamoros is expected to step down tonight at the Student Government Association’s midterm ceremony, following an eight-month run as the group’s
president, handing executive powers to Tony Villarreal, current vice president. Matamoros, who was accepted to the Bill Archer Fellowship, is one of several students from the group leaving for the internship in Washington, D.C. on Jan.5. The fellowship, which was established by The University of Texas System and former U.S. Rep. Bill Archer, has been providing students with hands-on experience in politics since 2001. Matamoros is grateful for the experience he’s gained through his years in
SGA and admits he had to learn how to negotiate and get along with administration — a skill he used a lot during the term as president. “It’s a gradual process when dealing with administration.” he said in reference to the number of meetings he’s had to go through. While in office, Matamoros admits that the executive position brought with it added stress and often disagreements with counterpart Villarreal. But the two Tonys — as they were often referred to
among senators — worked out their differences along the way; debating over budgets, fees and proposals, always managing to work it out professionally, Villarreal said. “A lot of the time, we don’t take ourselves as serious as we need to and don’t recognize the honor that it is to be in SGA,” Villarreal said. “He’s been great at bringing back that professionalism.” Villarreal is nervous but excited about the new challenges before him.
See SGA page 11