October 13, 2011 by UTRGV Student Media

Volume 68, No. 7

WWW.PANAMERICANONLINE.COM

October 13, 2011

OCCUPY MCALLEN Alma E. Hernandez / THE PAN AMERICAN

See story on Page 3

SIGNS OF THE TIMES - About 200 demonstrators march the streets of McAllen Oct. 6 in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement that began Sept. 17. Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

CHECK THE WEB Majors Fair || Undecided undergraduate students congregated Wednesday to learn about ďŹ elds of study offered by the University.

Watch and learn Panel held for international visual artists || Discussion will

continue tonight at IMAS.

Blog

Follow exchange student Laurem Botelho dos Santos as she writes about her Valley experience.

Visit the panamericanonline.com Opinion Page

October 13, 2011

Opinion

Letter to the Editor

On my way to becoming a ‘geezer’ Roxann Garcia Co-Editor-in-Chief Last week I turned 23. The year before I was 22 and the year before that I was happily 21. And so on. Every year it seems to me that the idea of turning another year older seems to slip my mind. This year however, it really hit me. I haven’t been a teenager for sometime, but now I’m quickly on the way to my mid-twenties. This fact blew my mind. I keep forgetting that very important detail that, holy hell, I’m getting older. Not younger. I guess my point is, for some reason, I kept thinking “today” was disposable to me and “tomorrow” was just another day. The idea that I’d get these two back eventually, actually occupied my thoughts. How this idea even began to occur is beyond me. I mean,

seriously, how could I think for a second that I’d be 18 or 20 again? I’m taking life for granted. I thought I was going to be 22 forever. What. The. Heck? Graduation is quickly approaching; most of my friends have already graduated and have relocated to other cities and states after successfully finding well-paying job opportunities. I’m scared of this idea. Is anyone else? The “what ifs” seem to linger around my thoughts at night, thus making me dream up scenarios where I’m dressed like a homeless person living out of friends’ apartments and bumming rides with each one as if they’re a city metro system. The funny thing is, I’m not even that old yet, and I’m sure at this point this had begun to sound like a whiny piece. How about we look at it as a reminder that we’re never getting these few moments back and, as clichéd as it might seem, get your butt in gear. Make this semester worthwhile. Look into studying abroad, getting active on campus and building your

resume. Maybe even take up more reading material like, for example, another The Pan American issue. My old lady, Mom, said to me recently, “Roxi, in two more years, you’ll be 25.” To which I replied with disdain, “Oh no, and five years after that I’ll be 30.” Mom quickly responded, “No, no. Don’t count that far. Go by twos. After 25, you’ll only be 27.” She’s right, of course. But her point struck a chord. I’m not that old yet. And to be honest, 30 doesn’t look so bad. Life should be coming together by then. Hopefully it’ll go according to plan or, if that’s not the case (which I hope happens because, to some extent, the unknown sounds exciting), then I hope it’s amazing. And that I’m in good spirits once I become a geezer, at least. No one likes a grumpy old person. But then I always thought that was a privilege one receives once they reach that point… in that case, watch out for my cane.

Hello, I am emailing you to please reconsider your “Pan American” newspaper. You regularly feature articles written completely in Spanish, which plenty of students cannot understand or read. The language of America in not Spanish, it is disrespectful to have a university (state sponsored) publishing documents which every American cannot understand and read. If you insist on publishing these articles, why do you not publish articles in Japanese? Or Korean? How about Russian? There are plenty of students who speak those languages, but it is not America’s official language so why is Spanish given such special treatment? Perhaps having an article in a different language (Japanese for example) and the rest in English. Then, the next issue one article in Russian and the rest in English. Or just leave it all English. It’s the PAN AMERICAN, not the pan MEXICAN. Also just FYI, the KKK is not racist (just like you claim you are not racist) because they don’t hate other races, they simply LOVE white people (the same way you guys LOVE Hispanics, see the point?) I hope that you can consider these points and understand you are GREATLY offending all Americans by having Spanish articles without other languages, or at least keep them all English so that EVERY student can understand them. Peace and Love, Juan Gabriel Cruz

The opinions expressed in this letter do not reflect the views of The Pan American. We encourage any feedback or Letters to the Editor.

Vol. 68, No. 7

THE PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 665-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 The Pan American is the ofﬁcial student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily reﬂect those of the paper or university.

CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF: Alma E. Hernandez alma.e.hdz@gmail.com Roxann Garcia roxx.gar11@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR: Karen Antonacci keantonacci@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR: Michael Saenz mike_s2208@yahoo.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: Nadia Tamez-Robledo ntamezrob@broncs.utpa.edu PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Reynaldo Leal reynaldo_lealjr@yahoo.com DESIGN EDITOR: Erick Gonzalez erick.dgr@gmail.com MULTIMEDIA CO-EDITORS: Pamela Morales pamela.morales13@gmail.com Veronique Medrano veroniquemedrano@gmail.com SPANISH EDITOR: Norma Gonzalez ngonzalezz24@broncs.utpa.edu ADVISER: Dr. Greg Selber selberg@utpa.edu ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE: Anita Reyes areyes18@utpa.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mariel Cantu spubs@utpa.edu WEBMASTERS: Jose Villarreal josemvillarrealcs@gmail.com Selvino Padilla selvinop3@gmail.com

Delivery:

Thursday at noon Letters to the Editor

Erick Gonzalez/THE PAN AMERICAN

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

October 13, 2011

VALLEY MARCHERS JOIN NATIONAL MOVEMENT OTHER VOICES Ryan Santos Occupy McAllen bystander Works in the oil industry “You want to get ahead in life? Get two jobs. Or like that guy that just died (Steve Jobs) come up with a good idea. You make more money coming up with a good idea than you can with a lot of hard work. That is for sure. These poor guys are slightly misguided, but their ideas are good. We do need a change in government, but they’re all misguided on how to go about it. The good thing is, they live in a country where there’s millions of Americans who lived and died to give them this opportunity, create what they think is a new beginning.”

Diego Escobari UTPA professor “The problem is that, even if we achieve equality, that would create a lot of efficiency problems because usually the people that have a lot of money are going to be the ones investing, they are the ones that are going to have the big firms to create employment. So at the end, we call it in economics there’s going to be a big tradeoff. Do we want to have a big pie and a few people are going to have a large share of a pie, or a smaller pie and everybody gets the same share? That’s the big problem.”

By Susan Gonzalez The Pan American As about 200 Occupy McAllen marchers wound their way toward Archer Park Oct. 6, they chanted “They got bailed out. We got sold out!” and “We are the 99 percent!” Brittany Perez, a UTPA sophomore in business administration, explained what these chants meant. “We were cheated out of the bailouts from big corporations, the 401Ks my family has lost due to bailouts, then losing tens of thousands of dollars for my family,” said Perez, who went to the rally with her sister, a UTPA alum. She choked up when discussing how these events have impacted her family. “Right now I’m here to represent my family, who has been treated unfairly, cheated by corporations, by the government, by Perry, by everyone,” she said. Adam Nieto, a UTPA graduate with a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in public administration, also attended the rally due to personal reasons. Nieto explained that “We are the 99 percent” refers to the fact that 1 percent of the population controls between one-fifth and one-quarter of the nation’s wealth. He feels he is part of this rest, or the relative havenots. “The upper crust is controlling the government through their corporations and their money,” Nieto said. “I am part of the middle class. I’ve lived poor and grew up into the middle class and I am educated and I’m wanting to do what’s best for the people and for my future children. We start it now, so future generations won’t have to fight it later.” He went on to explain that the “99 percent” is a diverse group, many of whom are still in a poor financial state despite having an education. This problem is evident in the 9.1 percent national unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, there seems to be no solution as of yet: President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act was filibustered by Senate Republicans Tuesday. “It’s nearly impossible to find a job because of the economy,” Nieto said. “I sent in nearly a hundred applications and have yet to get an interview. The wealthy want to export a lot of jobs to other countries, but they need to bring them here to the United States.” After the march, the attendees returned to the park and were free to speak on stage. David Anshen, an associate professor

with the Department of English, sympathized with the plights of Nieto and Perez but pinpointed a broader issue as the main focus of his argument. “I think it’s important we talk about what the real problem is,” Anshen said. “The problem, in my opinion, with no disrespect to other people’s comments, is not merely Wall Street and not merely Rick Perry. I think the problems go much, much deeper. These are symptoms of the problem. And the only way we are going to solve this problem is to recognize and begin a process of sustained struggle. What is the problem? Capitalism.” He went on to describe specific issues that brought many people to the rally. “The problem is that jobs, health care, basic human rights are only available if a small class of people can make profit off of it,” he said. “They underestimate us and think we will take it forever. They think they can take us and make our quality of life deteriorate.” THE OFFSHOOT Many of the McAllen protesters said they showed up to demonstrate solidarity with the original protests in Wall Street, or going on that same day across the country. Occupy Wall Street started when about 1,000 people gathered in New York City Sept. 17 in response to an idea put forth three months prior in the Canadian anticonsumerist magazine AdBusters. Similar to the Arab Spring in the Middle East, the movement gained momentum through social media and jumped onto news pages through dramatic videos depicting police violence against protesters. As time passed, the crowd swelled and Occupy spread to other cities, including Houston, San Antonio, Austin and now McAllen. Like Occupy Wall Street, Occupy McAllen spread its word through social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Unlike the original Occupy Wall Street, it was a relatively small crowd, only about 200 supporters came out to the event. The march and subsequent speeches were carried out peacefully with no police involvement. Something the McAllen group did have in common with its inspirational forefathers, however, was the diversity of opinion on problems and solutions. With members of the organization having varying goals and problems, the effectiveness of Occupy McAllen, and the movement from which it sprung (Occupy Wall Street), are being questioned. Michael Kazin, a professor at

Georgetown University and author of “American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation,” believes that a movement needs a leader or recognizable figure in order to succeed. “Flexibility can produce incoherence,” he recently told USA Today. “At some point, people are going to say, ‘I can’t listen to everyone.’” But Madeline Smither, who graduated in the summer from UTPA with a degree in journalism, thinks the movement can still be effective through rallies and other public demonstrations. “I hope that people see a sign or people hear a chant that actually affects them and actually gets to them and makes them want to get online and do a little research, go out and vote for somebody else, go tell a friend what’s going on,” Smither said. “I want word to spread.” She went on to describe how this is especially important for Deep South Texas. With a 12.6 percent unemployment rate in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area, it is evident that parts of the Valley are being affected more profoundly by the economy than other parts of Texas (which has an 8.5 percent unemployment rate as of September). “I definitely think it’s important to bring this movement to the Valley,” she said. “People don’t even see us on the map and we’re here and we have a voice and we need to use it.” Naomi Klein, author of “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” spoke recently to protesters about the beginnings and follies of smaller movements such as Occupy McAllen. “It is a fact of the Information Age that too many movements spring up like beautiful flowers but quickly die off,” she said recently in an Associated Press article. “It’s because they don’t have roots. And they don’t have long-term plans for how they are going to sustain themselves. So when storms come, they get washed away.” But Occupy McAllen is not without plans. The day after the initial rally, many protesters returned to the streets for McAllen’s monthly Art Walk. In addition, members have also suggested sit-ins and sleepins at Archer Park, but these events have not been confirmed. UTPA student Jay Zuniga has also proposed an Occupy McAllen club at the University, but no further plans have been confirmed. One event that has been confirmed by the organization is the Occupy Brownsville rally, which will take place Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Washington Park.

CHECK ONLINE VIDEO

visit: panamericanonline.com/multimedia for an exclusive video report on Occupy McAllen.

OCCUPY AUSTIN Roxann Garcia/THE PAN AMERICAN

visit: panamericanonline.com for pictures of Occupy Austin.

October 13, 2011

National Coming Out Day

By Susan Gonzalez The Pan American

Student shares personal experience and struggle with faith and sexual orientation

When Marlon Duran, member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/ Transsexual (LGBT) Alliance, “came out” to his mother in sixth grade, he never imagined he would be part of the beginning of a movement that would last for years to come. “I asked her, ‘Mom, is there anything wrong with being gay?’ and she told me, no,” said Duran, a junior at the University double majoring in biology and political science. “So I felt confident and I told her that I was gay and I didn’t get the reaction I thought I would. She wasn’t mad or anything, but she thought I was confused. But ever since then, I tried to convince her that I wasn’t just confused. I was gay. And she finally accepted it around high school.” National Coming Out Day (NCOD) takes place on Oct. 11 every year as part of National Coming Out Week. In addition, the month of October is recognized as LGBT History Month, which observes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. NCOD was founded in 1988 Robert Eichberg, founder of the personal growth workshop, the Experience, and Jean O’Leary, an openly gay political leader and then head of the National Gay Rights Advocates. Duran believes this is a significant day for many LGBT students, considering the struggles many face prior to openly admitting their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to friends and family. “It’s very important because even a few years ago, it was very different,” he

said. “For me it was very difficult growing up and always constantly knowing there was a part of myself I had to hide and that I couldn’t tell anyone about it. I couldn’t tell my friends, my family because I was afraid I would be ridiculed or even hurt, and we have progressed so much as a society…the significance of this day is so important because it sends the message to LGBT youth that it’s OK to be who you are and it’s OK to express yourself, you don’t need to hide who you are.” He feels very fortunate to have had the support of family and peers, who were accepting when he openly announced he was gay the summer between eighth grade and freshmen year. This is not the case with every “coming out” story. According to a 2006 report, 26 percent of LGBT youth who come out to their parents are told to leave home. “I am very lucky. I know a lot of people who came out and their parents kicked them out of their house and that’s horrible,” he said. “People shouldn’t have children if they can’t love them and accept them for who they are.” While Duran did not face many external issues for being gay, he still had to deal with the internal struggle between his faith and sexual orientation - an issue he believes many LGBT youths have to handle. “I was raised Catholic. And I thought there was something really wrong with me,” he said. “I would cry and ask God why I was this way. But then I realized there wasn’t anything wrong with me. A lot of people in the LGBT community struggle with that: their spirituality and the compatibility of their sexual orientation with their religion.”

THE VIEW FROM FAITH This struggle is not lost on religious communities. Lily Sanchez, a member of the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) on campus had never heard of NCOD until recently, but offered a spiritual perspective on the matter. “Homosexuality is a sin,” Sanchez, a senior biology major, said. “It isn’t the worst sin. There are worse sins. People always point (accusingly) at the homosexual or the verse that says homosexuality is an abomination. But so are liars, so are murderers, so are people who gossip. God loves them all. Basically, the main thing is that it’s not the person God hates, it’s the sin.” Another member of BSM, Noel Lazo, agrees with her and adds that the teachings of the Bible are very clear on the matter: romantic relations should exist only between men and women. “The most important thing is our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. Hence, it’s the same thing in marriage,” said Lazo, a student at Rio Grande Bible Institute. “God created a man and a woman to reflect the all-important purpose of life. Husband and wife is the most beautiful thing in the world, and it reflects the relationship between God and his people. I believe the Bible is clear about that.” However, even without total support from everyone, Duran is confident in the LGBT community and its future. “The future is looking very bright,” he said. “I’m not trying to downplay the homophobia that still exists, but it feels great to be part of the LGBT community during this time.”

Chinese delegation visits UTPA

By Alma E. Hernandez The Pan American

The University of Texas-Pan American hosted six special guests Monday from China, as delegates from Shandong Normal University came to campus to talk with UTPA about an exchange program the universities will soon be participating in. The 2+2 program, which is still under development, will give students an opportunity to earn dual degrees from SDNU and UTPA by studying at each university for two years to earn a double bachelor’s degree. This is the first program of its kind at UTPA. On Monday the delegates spent the day touring campus and speaking with deans and representatives from each college, trying to figure out which degrees will be the best fit with SDNU’s students. Yvonne T. Quintanilla, director of

international programs and one of the driving forces behind implementing the program, thinks it’s is a step in the right direction for the University. “I think it’s really important for us to share, this opportunity is a first step in moving towards an international institution,” she explained. “We need to make this the mecca, we need to make this the international university.” During Monday’s visit President Robert Nelsen greeted the Chinese faculty and stressed the importance of bringing programs like this to the school. “As you walk across campus, you will see arches in all of the building and that is about bridging cultures,” he told the assembled group of six. “About connecting two cultures together and it is very essential that we have those opportunities. That we’re able to bridge cultures and get to know other cultures, so partnerships with your university, with

The LGBT Alliance will not be active until further notice, due to one of its officers not completing risk management training. But members will complete this week’s events for National Coming Out Week. “I feel even though the organization

might not be active for a few months, we’re going to come back,” Duran said. “And I think it’s the most exciting time in LGBT history because this is the time we’re seeing a lot of the returns and gains from the efforts that so many LGBT people have put in.”

Francisco Rodriguez/THE PAN AMERICAN

other universities and with China are essential for us to serve our mission. “Our students are wonderful. We have 19,000 students. Of those, 89 percent of them are Hispanic, of Mexican-American origin. They come with a distinct culture themselves and are looking to embrace other cultures.” SDNU is located in Jinan, the capital of the Shandong Province. It was founded in 1950 as Shandong Normal College and morphed through name Reynaldo Leal/THE PAN AMERICAN changes until becoming Shandong Normal University in 1981. It has GLOBAL UNIVERSITY - UTPA President Robert Nelsen discusses 23 established colleges offering 76 future relations with Chinese Shandong Normal University faculty doctoral degrees, 177 master’s degrees over breakfast in the Education Building Monday. and 72 bachelor’s degrees. Full-time Science Xi Chen, began discussions beyond the Valley, Texas and the U.S. enrollment is 37,000 students, about as many as Texas State or the University in the spring to develop the program. to be exposed to an international The greatest benefit, in her eyes, will be environment,” she said. “This will greatly of Houston. broaden their horizon and prepare them With the support of the provost’s for students. “First of all, it will offer precious for future world leadership in the age office and the Office of International Programs, Associate Professor of Political opportunities to our students to go of globalization.”

October 13, 2011

Students oppose pipeline plan Extension to Port Arthur draws national controversy

By Daniella Diaz The Pan American The UTPA Sierra Club recently joined politicians, concerned citizens and other environmental groups in protesting TransCanada’s plan to expand the Keystone XL pipeline to Oklahoma and Port Arthur, Texas. The protesters believe that the expansion of the pipeline, which currently transports synthetic crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to Illinois, will pollute the environment and harm indigenous peoples. Jacqueline Ho-Shing, UTPA Sierra Club campus representative, teamed up with fellow student and friend Christina Alvarez to spread the word on campus about the situation after learning about the issue at a Sierra training over the summer. “I went to a training in Louisiana… this environmental training called SPROG. It’s hosted by the Sierra Club, and from there I met the director of the student section of the Sierra Club and he told me about this pipeline that is planning to be built that would end up in Port Arthur,” Ho-Shing said. “So from there, from the beginning of August ‘til now, we’ve been campaigning to let people know about this pipeline and to go to the hearings that (the government) was having in Port Arthur and in Austin to say why we’re against the pipeline.” The Sierra Club is recognized as one of the largest environmental organizations in the country, with chapters at many universities. The group is known for national activist work, and lately has focused on moving the country beyond dependence on oil and coal. The organization also promotes clean air and water and the

prevention of pollution. The training camp called SPROG is a leadership and informational event that educates high school and college students on ways to start movements and run campaigns pertaining to environmental issues. “We were born into this world and it’s our job to fix it,” said Alvarez, who is majoring in English and philosophy. “We were left with this mess but we have to clean it up. It’s our responsibility.” Construction of the original pipeline started in 2008 and became operational in 2010. According to the U.S. Department of State website, TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP filed an application in 2008 for a presidential permit to build and operate the extension of the pipeline. According to the Perryman Group Study available on TransCanada’s website, the pipeline project is expected to directly create more than 20,000 high-wage manufacturing and construction jobs by 2012 across the country. Also, the states along the pipeline route are expected to be able to collect an additional $5.2 billion in property taxes during the estimated operating life of 100 years. The two UTPA students said they understood the economic implications of the pipeline but would rather create jobs with alternative energy research. “We understand that (the world) needs oil but at the same time we want to push to search long-term solutions,” Ho-Shing said. However, the national environmentalist organization Friends of the Earth released information that argued the extension of the structure by 1,700 miles would create water waste, affect indigenous populations, pollute the air and possibly cause future oil spills. The extended pipeline would

carry 900,000 barrels of tar sands oil into the United States daily from a drilling site in Canada. Friends of the Earth representatives predict that U.S. dependence on oil will double. The original keystone pipeline has already had a reported dozen spills in less than a year of operation, although all but two accidents resulted in fewer than ten gallons leaked. One released 21,000 gallons and another 2,100. Both Ho-Shing and Alvarez are finding out that activism can be tricky. They attended what they thought would be a state department hearing in Port Arthur about the pipeline a few weeks ago to voice their concerns. But said it was not what they expected. “It turned out that it was just a company hired by TransCanada … they hired them because they specialize in getting things approved in environmental issues, apparently. We basically found out it was just a farce,” Alvarez said. “It was also our fault because we didn’t do any further research (on the event), but it was also just a big slap in the face.” A spokesman for TransCanada said the girls were mistaken about the meeting. “Those are Department of State meetings run by the Department of State,” he said. “The meeting allowed anyone who wanted to speak to sign up and register and then they did a roll call. You were allowed to speak for two to five minutes. We didn’t take part.” The Department of State is conducting an environmental review of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act (1969). President Barack Obama is expected to make a decision about the construction permit of the pipeline by the end of this year.

Expected pipeline extension benefits:

20,000 High-wage jobs over the course of

$5.2 billion

100

Reynaldo Leal/The Pan American

oil boom - A major portion of the proposed Keystone Pipeline expansion will run through East Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline is projected to carry 900,000 barrels of oil into the U.S. daily from Canada.

Existing pipeline leaked 12 times in a year Number of minor spills (<20 gallons)

Number of major spills

in property taxes

Years

2,100 gallons

216

21,000 Karen Villarreal/The Pan American

Page 6

By Michael Saenz The Pan American The madness is here, finally. After a long summer of few headlines from the basketball squads, it is officially time to kick off the 2011-2012 season. Midnight Madness is an annual national event on college campuses that celebrates the first official day that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) allows official basketball practices to begin. For the Broncs it will take place Friday in the Field House at 9:30 p.m. At the glorified pep rally, the basketball teams will be introduced for the first time to fans and will perform the first short scrimmage during the event as well. “I think that Midnight Madness is an opportunity to showcase our basketball teams and our campus organizations,” said Andrew Haring, senior associate athletic director for external operations. “We want this excitement and enthusiasm to continue through the season. We want to attract people to attend our athletic activities.” Leading into the madness on Friday is “Spirit Week,” which began Monday. It includes events each day of the week that promote campus involvement and enthusiasm. On Sunday things kicked off with “Paint the Campus Green,” Monday featured “Bongo Ball Mania,” Tuesday offered an Athletics Photo Meet and Greet, and Wednesday had a Majors Fair. Thursday

THE PAN AMERICAN

there will be a Spirit Rally at noon in the Quad followed by a Bronc volleyball game at 7 p.m. that will honor Breast Cancer Awareness month. Friday will conclude the week with the UTPA Tailgate Party starting at 5 p.m. followed by Midnight Madness at 9:30 p.m. “During the entire spirit week we have great things for the students,” Haring said. “But the four things that we really wanted to hit and get people to attend were the meet and greet with the athletes on Tuesday, the Spirit Rally on Thursday, the volleyball game on Thursday night, and of course Midnight Madness.” The game against Utah Valley State will take place at 7 p.m. and will feature the women wearing pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. There will also be a special performance by a few student organizations that will prep for the dance competition to take place on Friday night. The various elements of Spirit Week are just side items when it comes to the celebration that Midnight

October 13, 2011

THE PAN AMERICAN

Madness brings. Friday night is filled with many activities that will keep the audience intrigued. “(Midnight Madness) is going to be about the same schedule as last year. We are going to have dance competitions, scrimmages, and a few contests,” Haring said. “And of course we will have the tailgate party before. During the tailgate party, which is outside the Field House, we will be having a fajita cookoff and student organizations distributing material. We also expect the coaches and players to hang out with the fans too.” The night is scheduled to begin with performances from the cheerleaders and dance team, men’s and women’s basketball team introductions, a few basketball contests, and scrimmages to follow. There will also be other small performances and competitions in between featuring student organizations, including contests of dance and of spirit. Last year a couple of the basketball contests were the slam-dunk contest and a battle of the sexes three-point shootout. Even though Midnight Madness is an on-campus event and very popular

Page 7

among students, UTPA is not limiting the event for just them. “We not only are encouraging the students to attend, but we would also welcome the community. It’s very much a public event,” Haring admits. “Our advantage is that it is popular with the students.” Once the madness is over, the basketball teams can get together with coaches, who have up to this point have been in a separate universe for the most part. “This is a great conclusion to Spirit Week where we highlight the passion of our fans that we have on campus,” Haring said. “It also basically marks the first time that both basketball teams can officially have a full practice.” Midnight Madness is also one opportunity in which UTPA shares a tradition with all the other universities in the nation. No matter how big or how small the school may be everyone celebrates the madness one way or another. In a school where there is no football to rule basketball often takes center stage, and Friday night is the perfect example why. “We really feel that the (UTPA) athletics plays an important role in on-campus involvement,” Haring said. “Our goal is that people come out, have a great time, be a Bronc and get loud.” It is likely that the basketball teams will have a full practice during the next day or so, but the men’s have their first game on Nov. 5 while the women’s season starts a day sooner; both games are at home.

PHOTOS BY Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 6

THE PAN AMERICAN

October 13, 2011

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 7

PHOTOS BY Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

October 13, 2011

FEMALE Hey, Miss Dee jay PICKS ICKS OF THE WEEK Film

Female disc jockeys in the Valley few and far between

By Dimitra Hernandez The Pan American

The Museum of South Texas History will host a screening of classic Mexican ﬁlm, “Macario” Sunday at 2 p.m. with screenwriter Alvaro Rodriguez. Admission is free to the public.

Theater

The South Texas College Theater Department will perform “Dracula” at the Cooper Center for Performing Arts from Oct. 13 through Oct. 16. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for public.

Music

RockStar Vintage will host a live rock show Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at their location at 808 W. University Dr. Admission is free to the public.

Organization rganization

There’s more to Sandra Gaurdiola then meets the eye. The 23-year-old Hooters waitress has a passion that not too many girls her age acquire: trying to become a professional deejay. Now if she could only get the chance to show off her skills. “This one promoter considered hiring me as a deejay but only if I’d wear a bathing suit doing it,” said Guardiola, an up-and-coming music-maker also known as DJ Champagne. “I told him, ‘Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather wear clothes.’” The Edinburg resident is originally from Monterrey, Mexico, and while struggling to find a gig she still keeps her skills sharp and hopes high. “I felt bad because he wanted to use me in a different way, not for my music,” Guardiola said of the “offer.” “The thing is, I just need a serious opportunity to show my skills.” Guardiola remembers the first time she touched a turntable. She was hooked. “I started when I was 21 years old. Back then I was dating a guy who had a deejay for a roommate,” Guardiola recalled. “I started to mess around with his turntables and that’s what sparked my interest, but I’ve always wanted to be in music, ever since I was a little girl.” Guardiola enjoys coming up with innovative ways to mix music but lacks proper equipment. She spent four months saving $1,800 for a set of pink turntables and headphones, but the up-and-comer still has to borrow speakers from the people she spins for. “When I practice my music, I hook up my

auxiliary cord to my computer and connect that to the TV,” she laughed. “Because I don’t have party speakers, when I deejay at parties, I’ll use their speakers instead.” Guardiola enjoys listening to FunkMaster Flex, a prominent hip-hop deejay from New York, and suggests that deejaying is the most important component to any party/club scene. “Deejaying isn’t just about putting a track of music on your iPod,” she said. “You need to pump up the people and get them going to have a good time. It’s what they’re there for.”

BREAKING GROUND Gabriel Cabrera, a 24-year-old UTPA senior and promoter at Woodreaux’s Cajun Bar and Grill in Edinburg, knows the importance of a good deejay. As a regular at Hooters, he and Guardiola exchange feedback about the club scene. “Deejays are the ones keeping the people there,” said Cabrera, an engineering major at the University. “If the drinks stop, people might still stay to enjoy the music, but if the music stops, it’s over.” Cabrera puts a lot of thought into his promotional tactics to make sure that Woodreaux’s is the place to be for students. “College students want to go somewhere that gets good. That’s the first question they ask,” Cabrera said. “I try to get as many people to go so that it does ‘get good’ and keep it fresh in their minds about upcoming events. Facebook has helped a lot with posting the events.”

Cabrera takes pleasure in helping new deejays find their way in the business he’s been promoting since early summer. However, he has not come across too many female deejays. “It would be great to see more female deejays, but in the Valley, there’s very few,” he said. “When it happens, I’m sure people will jump on the idea because it’s so new. For now I think that there’s just fewer girls in that realm. I don’t see too many girls looking to be deejays, but I’m sure they could if they wanted.” According Krystal Hernandez, a107.9 Mix F.M. deejay, deejaying for a local radio station is easy once you’re in. The 22-year-old met the station’s veteran voice DJ Alex at a meet-and-greet, and he encouraged Hernandez to apply. “It took a good two months because they weren’t hiring at the time, but every two weeks he’d have me go in and record myself,” said the broadcast journalism major. Soon enough Hernandez was hired and it was time to begin work. “It freaked me out because as soon as I got hired Alex was like, ‘You’re going on tonight.’ I was super scared,” Hernandez recalled. “I remember that first night I didn’t even want to push the button to go on, and the adrenaline was crazy. I was hot and shaking. The feeling of nervousness is gone. Now I know what I’m doing.” Hernandez too regrets to say that she hasn’t come across female deejays that mix their own music. She sees this in her work environment, as well. “When I go into work it’s me, and the rest of the people there are mostly guys,” she said. Despite that, she too keeps her skills sharp to keep her listeners intrigued. “I think you have to be entertaining overall, do give-a-ways and keep it fun, also, be informative,” Hernandez advised. “Whenever I talk on air, I like to pertain it to something local, like an event we’re having. I also like to go on the Internet and find stuff on people to talk about so it’s not boring.” Meanwhile Guardiola keeps perfecting her routine with an even bigger smile on her face, despite negative comments from promoters, as she waits for the opportunity to shine. “Everybody gives me a confused look like, ‘Are you kidding me right now?’” Guardiola said. “But I’m 23, I love to deejay and I will pursue it to the fullest.”

Frank Rodriguez/THE PAN AMERICAN

PIONEERS IN MUSIC

1979 Sylvia Robinson co-founded Sugar Hill Records

1988 MC Lyte

became the ﬁrst female rapper signed to a major label

1990 Selena’s

“Ven Conmigo” was the ﬁrst Tejano album by a female singer to reach gold status

mp3 2011 Katy Perry

became the ﬁrst singer since Michael Jackson to have ﬁve #1 singles on one album Karen Villarreal/THE PAN AMERICAN

ONLINE The UTPA Indian Cultural Association will hold its ﬁrst meeting Oct. 19 at noon in the Science Building, room 2.228. Members will discuss upcoming events and fundraisers.

Dance ensemble performs to Caribbean rhythms for a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. Look for the story and photo on Friday at panamericanonline.com.

In brief; Wind Ensemble performs ﬁrst of three concerts of the semester. Check online for upcoming performance dates.

Chicana author Cynthia Orozzo will lecture on her book, “No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed,” Thursday, Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

October 13, 2011

Perdiz Points from San Ignacio 700-1600 AD

Guerrero Points 1600-1800 AD, San Manuel Area

Catan Points, Late Archaic 1000-300 BC

Badges, buttons Palo Alto battleﬁeld

Archaeology program unearths historical Valley treasures

CHAPS volunteers take history and science to community

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo The Pan American As graduate student Sandra Salinas drew a soil auger, a geological tool used to collect soil samples, from the ground at the Palo Alto National Historical Battlefield, UTPA professor Russell Skowronek reached for the clot of dirt. “What have we got? What does it taste like today?” he asked, breaking off a bit of the dark earth as the surrounding children grimaced and giggled. “I taste silt.” Salinas, Skowronek and other members of Community Historical Archaeological Project with Schools (CHAPS) made the cross-Valley trip to Brownsville Saturday to help local children get their hands dirty at the fifth annual Rio Grande Delta International Archaeological Fair. “People are coming for archeology and history, and this proves that archaeology sells,” Skowronek said. CHAPS aims to educate Valleyites about the region’s cultural and natural history. Faculty and student volunteers for the UTPA-based program have taken archeology to K-12 classrooms throughout Hidalgo County and events like HESTEC and FESTIBA since 2009. Volunteers set up three stations Saturday in the white- and green-topped ring of tents at the edge of the field where the first battle of the U.S.-Mexican War was fought 165 years ago. “We teach kids that it’s not just where you live,” said Maria Vallejo, a UTPA graduate history student. “It’s a place you can discover and find

interesting.” While her fellow volunteers led an activity on ceramic artifacts, Vallejo spoke to attendees about land grants in present-day Hidalgo County that were awarded to families by the Spanish crown in the 1700s and 1800s. “We try to help students discover the RGV and their history,” she said. “Sometimes it’s lost in the big U.S. perspective.” Vallejo is enrolled in the “CHAPS class,” an interdisciplinary course called Rediscovering the Rio Grande Valley. Faculty take turns

and Northern Mexico. History and philosophy professor Sonia Hernandez is leading students as they research the Spanish land grants on which the University now stands. “You get a circle of events that affects the border on both sides,” Vallejo said of what she has learned in the course. “I love history, [and] I love learning about where I live.” In addition to community outreach, students who volunteer with CHAPS, largely members of the Anthropology Club, have taken a role in

ﬁeld in le t t a b o lt A nnon, Palo a c n a ic r e Am ounty Cameron C

Fort Brown, Brownsville Karen Villarreal/THE PAN AMERICAN

teaching students about South Texas through the lenses of their various specialties, which span from history to the hard sciences. Physics and geology professor Juan Gonzalez heads research that takes a look at how the Rio Grande has moved back and forth across the United States

unearthing the archaeological sites being studied in the Valley. Last May they took up metal detectors alongside the National Park Service to study the Palo Alto battlefield, picking up on everything from buttons to cannon balls that litter the plain. “You can see the movement of the armies in a very detailed way

because when an army goes into a place, thing are lost, and they can help use reconstruct the battle,” Skowronek explained. “[Soldiers] tasted battle for the first time here, and the last battle of the Civil War was right over there.” Archaeology Club president and graduate student Sandra Salinas was among those who traced the steps of the battle. She also participated in a mapping of Fort Brown in Brownsville, a Civil War-era stronghold that now lies beneath a golf course. “With all the technology we used to do the mapping, we were actually able to find Fort Brown, so it was a really good day,” the Edinburg native said. “That’s really cool to be able to say, ‘I helped in that.’” Salinas added that CHAPS gives students interested in archaeology something more valuable than just volunteer hours. “It’s just a great thing for us since we don’t have a field school, it gives us hands-on experience so that when we do start as archaeologists, we have that experience,” she said. Skowronek hopes that CHAPS will eventually be partly housed at Sharyland Estate, similar to UTPA’s satellite lab at South Padre Island. He said the off-campus site would enhance their community outreach abilities. In the meantime, Skowronek, a former professor at Santa Clara University in California, said he‘s looking forward to seeing the program and the research by faculty and staff continue. “I knew when I came here…this place screamed ‘potential,’” he said. “It is a neglected part of the state, and if you think about it, it’s not part of the state. And you know what? I like it that way.”

October 13, 2011

Lenguaje, además de inglés, hablado en casa

83.3%

74.9%

40.7%

39.3%

31.9%

24.4% Erick Gonzalez/The Pan American

La herramienta para aprender inglés By Saira Treviño y María Alanis The Pan American

Para las personas que no hablan inglés y deseen aprenderlo, UTPA ofrece clases. Desde 1982 la institución de lenguage inglés, conocido por el English Language Institute de UTPA provee una alternativa a personas quienes el inglés no es su lengua natal. Este programa se enfoca en reforzar y ofrecer los básicos o las instrucciones necesarias a los estudiantes quienes tienen el hambre de aprender el idioma. Cuyo programa prepara a las personas quienes desean tener un título profesional en un cito educativo o hasta en una universidad americana. Las clases de inglés les da la oportunidad a sus participantes a exitosamente tomar lugar y participar en un atmosfera cultural norteamericana. E.L.I. contribute con un laboratorio que consiste con la tecnología más reci-

El 11 de octubre el Centro de Desarrollo de Negocios Pequeños, S.B.D.C., tuvo un entrenamiento básico titulado: Como empezar su negocio. EL SBDC es un servicio, no solo para estudiantes, sino también para la comunidad donde la gente puede ir por asesorías sobre como iniciar un negocio o mantener uno ya empezado. El entrenamiento dado este martes fue en español, ya que el centro asiste a gente de habla hispana, al igual que la gente de habla inglés. “Hay entrenamientos muy básicos que explican regulaciones e información general y otros son mas avanzados como cursos de manual para los empleados y entrenamientos de comercio global o contratos de gobierno,” Esperanza Pérez Delgado, coordinadora de negocios para el Grupo de desarrollo e innovación de negocios, dijo. Todos los entrenamientos son ofrecidos en ingles y español varias veces al mes. Estos entrenamientos son una manera de ayudar a la gente de la comunidad a que emprendan sus negocios y que puedan mantenerlos. Solamente en el año fiscal 2009-2010 el SBDC ofreció 217 entrenamientos para la comunidad en el 2009 y 177 en el 2010. El entrenamiento de esta semana fue presentado por Francisco Rangel, el asistente del investigador de negocios. En tal entrenamiento se habló desde la visión de el centro hasta lo que constituye un plan de negocios, cuales son los negocios mas riesgosos y los mas seguros en el mercado a nivel nacional y donde conseguir asesoría que el centro no

otorga como asesoría legal o de contaduría. “Lo mejor que me gustaría es que yo les halla ayudado, a que tengan una idea del negocio que ya tienen y de ahí que vengan y empecemos a trabajar en su negocio para que puedan sacarlo adelante,” Rangel dijo. Entre la gente que atendió estaba Diego Sánchez, quien planea abrir un negocio de artesanías de cerámica echas por el mismo. Siendo la primera vez que Sánchez puso pie en el SBDC casi toda la información otorgada era nueva para el. “Yo creo que a lo que le puedo sacar mas ventaja es a la asesoría en todo el sentido de la palabra, la de planeación y legal, al menos le dan una idea mas clara a uno,” Sánchez dijo. El SBDC es parte de un grupo llamado: El grupo de desarrollo e innovación de negocios de UTPA. Este grupo es un marco para otros centros como el Centro de Alcance de Negocios para Veteranos, el Centro de Asistencia de Procuraría Técnica Regional de el Rio del Sur de Texas y el Proyecto de Entrenamiento Empresarial. “Todos estos centros trabajan juntos para otorgar servicios comprensivos para gente que necesitan ayuda empezando o expandiendo un negocio por medio de consejería y por medio de los entrenamientos,” Pérez dijo. El SBDC acaba de celebrar su vigésimoquinto aniversario en el año fiscal 2010-2011 el cual terminó este Septiembre. Después de tantos años sirviendo a la comunidad, este grupo continúa ayudando a pequeñas empresas y nuevos negocios para que emprendan y mantengan sus negocios a pesar de la economía en la que nos encontramos.

Ahora Laura es una maestra certificada en la ciudad de San Juan. “Antes de tomar clases de inglés se me hacía muy difícil pasar el examen, pero ya, gracias a Dios, lo pasé y ya me pude certificar.” La escuela de E.L.I. tiene estudiantes que provienen de México en su mayoría, pero también hay muchos estudiantes de Venezuela, Costa Rica, Corea y Rusia. Al finalizar cada sesión los estudiantes reciben un certificado de reconocimiento . Si a ti te gustaría aprender el idioma del inglés y te interesaría ser parte de E.L.I. las clases se toman acabo de lunes a jueves y sábados en el Lamar Bldg. 1201 West University Drive Edimburgo, Texas 78539-2999, en el salón 1. Para más información puede llamar al (956) 665-2133 o (956) 665-7101. También puedes mandar un correo electrónico a eli@utpa.edu o visitar su página de internet en www.utpa.edu/eli.

De fiesta: pero para servir

Ayudando al pequeño y nuevo empresario By Zaira J. Heredia The Pan American

ente, equipados con profesores calificados para enseñar. Esta facultad brinda cinco programas de inglés intensivo que duran ocho semanas cada año. Los niveles varian desde el inglés básico hasta el avanzado. Cada etapa incluye programas que abarcan las necesidades de los estudiantes que se inscriben. También se ofrecen clases de verano para niños pequeños, empezando desde los ocho años. Cada nivel ofrece sesiones de gramática, escritura y pronunciación. Las clases también se ofrecen los sábados para las personas quienes trabajan durante la semana. “Yo tomé clases de E.S.L., o clases de inglés, para poder pasar el examen del TOEFL, que es el examen que se necesita para entrar a la universidad, y la verdad me ayudó mucho,” dijo Laura Treviño, quién estudió en el E.L.I. de UTPA.

By Saira Treviño The Pan American

Nombre: Eric Horton Ciudad Natal: Kailua, Hawaii Clasificación: Freshman Carrera: Ingeniería Eléctrica Norma Gonzalez: ¿Cómo te sientes cuando la gente mezcla Español e Inglés en las conversaciones? Eric Horton: Bien. No me molesta. NG: ¿Te confunde? EH: Sí, me ha pasado. Un poco. NG: ¿Cuál fue tu primera impresión? EH: No tenía idea de lo que estaban hablando. NG: ¿Te gustaría aprender español? EH: Sí, creo que es importante aquí. Espero poder hablar con fluidez en español. NG: ¿Qué tan avanzado crees que estás ahora? EH: Se lo suficiente para sobrevivir.

No lo podemos negar. Los universitarios tienen la reputación de ser fiesteros y parranderos. Si a ti te gusta pasártela bien con tus amigos y quizás bailar un poco, pero a la vez también tienes la inquietud de hacer una diferencia, entonces hoy jueves, 13 de octubre, es tu oportunidad. La organización ‘Soñar despierto de UTPA’ ha organizado un servicio a la comunidad, en donde se recaudará dinero para niños marginados que sufren de enfermedades terminales. “Vamos a ir al Children’s Hospital con niños que están en fases terminales, que tienen cáncer u otro tipo de enfermedad,” Sara Castillo, estudiante de relaciones publicas quien está encargada de planear las actividades de esta organización, dijo. “Más que nada es para darles ánimo y levantarles esa esperanza.” Este evento es para recaudar dinero y de esa manera promover y vivir la transformación de la vida de aquellos que se encuentran más desprotegidos: los niños. “Nos gustaría ir al hospital, por lo menos dos veces al mes para ponerles actividades a los niños; como pintar, o jugar boliche, o hacer figuritas de plastilina,” Castillo dijo. “Vamos a tener temas como pintar camisas de “tie-die” or artesanías, al fin, actividades para niños.”

El dinero que se recaude será utilizado para comprar los materiales necesarios para las actividades planeadas. Si te interesa aportar a esta causa el evento se tomara acabo el jueves, 13 de octubre, en NOX. DIEM alado de OMG Bar, enfrente de Bar 201, en la calle 17 del centro de McAllen, Texas. “(De) lo que se junte de esa noche, NOX.DIEM nos va a apoyar con un porcentaje,” Castillo dijo. Las puertas se abrirán a las 8:00 de la noche y durará hasta las 2:00 de la madrugada. Habrá especiales en las bebidas alcohólicas y también estará presente DJ Sergio de la estación de radio Digital 101.5. “Están todos invitados. Al final de la cuenta es para una buena causa, con lo recaudado se va a comprar el material para las actividades de los niños,” Castillo dijo. Si desean más información pueden acudir a la página de FaceBook de “Sonar despiertos de UTPA.”

October 13, 2011

THE PAN AMERICAN

STUDENTS & TEACHERS

Earn $95 this week

30-50% OFF COSTUMES

Donate your plasma to help save the lives worldwide. If you qualify as a new donor, you can earn up to $95 this week.

10-15% OFF

ACCESORIES

TPR_1010_A_1001

500 S. Bicentiennial Blvd. Ste. 200 McAllen, TX (651) 501-0800 Monday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. www.talecrisplasma.com In addition to meeting the donation criteria, you must provide a valid photo I.D., proof of your current address and your Social Security or immigration card to donate.

Page 11

(Must show ID)

Page 12

THE PAN AMERICAN

October 13, 2011