Meant to be spent? Saving money as a college student
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Volume 70, No. 25
April 3, 2014
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Clad in his signature multicolored bowtie, Bill Nye kicked off his visit to UTPA Tuesday, April 1 with a blend of comedy and science aptitude. As the second speaker for the 2013-14 Distinguished Speaker Series, the first being columnist Ruben Navarrette, Nye spoke to a packed Field House about the necessity of science. One of Nye’s main talking points concerned the changing climate of Earth. According to the 58-year-old Cornell alumnus, Earth’s carbon dioxide levels have increased significantly since 1997. “Everybody in this room, or
Bill Nye talks climate change, creationism at UTPA
almost everybody, was alive, possess atmospheres that are of sulfuric acid,” Nye said of when that number changed made up of more than 95 per- Venus’ environment. “The reafrom .03 to .04 (percent),” cent carbon dioxide. As a re- son Mars is the way that it is said the former and the reason Vestar of Bill Nye nus is the way it is, That is the essence of science. is largely because of the Science Guy, It is inherently optimistic. carbon dioxide.” which aired from 1993-2011. “In What is worriTo celebrate the joy of knowyour lifetime, some, ing, that joy of discovery that is deep to Nye, isaccording the Earth’s atthat inwithin us. It’s what drives us. mosphere has creased levels of gone up a third.” the gas result in the Bill Nye To better ilthinning of the at-Scientist lustrate the mosphere and this significance of can lead to probcarbon dioxide levels in the sult, both celestial objects have lems for humanity. The popuatmosphere, Nye explained it climates much different from lation increased to 3 billion in terms of the atmospheres on Earth, and much deadlier. when the scientist was in third Venus and Mars. Both planets “The clouds are made
grade. Now, it stands at more than 7 billion. “The world’s population has more than doubled in my lifetime,” said the author of numerous children’s books, including Bill Nye The Science Guy’s Big Blast Of Science. “So the atmosphere of the Earth is thin, it’s got enough carbon dioxide to keep us warm. But now we have 7 billion people using it. Every single thing you ever do affects everybody in the whole world. We all share the air. There is nobody who doesn’t breathe the air.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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news
April 3, 2014
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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.
damn girl.. my idea of a date is getting hella baked, catching the Bill Nye speech/presentation at UTPA, & munching on sushi after... down? -@MarcusxAurelius
2016
BS PH
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE in Public Health (fall 2016)
srph.tamhsc.edu
Questions? Cyndi Torres Beltran (956) 668-6308 Torres-Beltran@tamhsc.edu
MORE Health visits UTPA
By Cynthia Rael The Pan American With student research posters lining the walls of the UTPA ballroom, demonstrations and games awaited the community in the quad the morning of March 29. fkk it took 23 minutes to find parking :/ Maximizing Opportuni#utpa #parkingsucks ties in Research and Education (MORE) took place on cam-@Ab_Man35 pus March 26-29. The four-day I love how on the days where I’m NOT on event included presentations and panel discussions by doctors and campus there’s always something out of professors. Topics ranged from the ordinary going on #utpa health care policies, such as the impact of the Affordable Care -@aliisegura Act, to new research related to diabetes, obesity and other lifeEvery Thursday I pass by and pick up @ threatening diseases in the Rio ThePanAmerican and just check if my Grande Valley. The event culminated to the tweet came out. Lol. #UTPA final day with a community -@ellems health fair open to the UTPA community. Here, more than Letters to 50 undergraduate, graduate and the Editor doctoral students presented their research projects the first day of The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent the conference in a competition newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. to find who was the best in each We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions academic level. Research from containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. students ranged from drug inPlease send all letters to: teractions to hearing awareness. Results were announced on the thepanamerican third day, with winners receiving @gmail.com a Kindle Fire as their prize. Vol. 70, No. 25 The event was an initiative by the College of Health Sciences and Human Services with assistance from the Pan American Collaboration of Ethics in Professions (PACE), Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and many other community partners from the Valley. The conference brought awareness to important health issues, such as diabetes and obesity. “It’s a chance for us to be engaged in the community, provide
PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECT and IMPROVE HEALTH MPH
Lending a healthy hand a service to the community, and give a reason for the community to come on campus and benefit from what the faculty and the students have to offer,” said Jon Ronnau, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services. “There’s all kinds of topics and activities that will get the people to think about health, being healthy and provide information to the community to get healthier and particularly how to combat and reduce the amount of diabetes and obesity.” This was the second year of the conference, and more than 100 students, faculty and members of the medical community were in attendance. Associate Professor of Nursing Beatriz Bautista commented on the benefits of the conference. “It helps us grow future health care professionals in different areas and research is part of what we do since it helps us take better care of patients,” said Bautista, who has been at the University since 1991 and is the director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at UTPA. “We have a lot of talent in the Valley, so this helps us bring out that talent and push them in that way.” Ana Quintero, a graduate nursing student, agreed with Bautista and compared the event to last year’s inaugural conference. “This is the second year it’s happened, and it seems to have improved from last year, so I really hope it continues on,” Quintero said. “As future health care providers in our college, I think it’s really important as we’re getting pushed out to start working, events like this bring up important topics for us to be aware of.” Denise Alaniz, a senior student
participant, shared her hopes of the conference receiving more attention in upcoming years. “I believe the effort that students put into studies, whether it’s something that they wanted to expand their knowledge about and present it to the community, that it’s great,” the communication sciences and disorders major said. “I just wish it was more known to the community, and that they knew the amount of work that the students put into this, because it took a lot out of us.” One of the main objectives of the event was to make a progressive impact on the UTPA community and the RGV. In 2012, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest rate of obesity and households below the poverty line in the nation, with percentages of 38.8 and 37.7, respectively. Currently, the rate of diabetes is 26 percent in the RGV, while Hidalgo County’s rates for hospital admissions for long-term diabetes are twice the statewide average, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. With these statistics in mind, Dean Ronnau hopes this conference and the years ahead will make a profound change in the RGV. “I think any time that the University reaches out to the community, and the community can see the value added to the University by what the faculty does and students do and the great work that our students are doing, I think that’s a huge win,” Ronnau said. “We had a real good participation, a nice good variety of topics, and I’m very pleased with the turnout and the level of involvement.”
arts & life
April 3, 2014
3
Saving and spending as a college student By May Ortega The Pan American On average, most college students accumulate $25,000 in debt after completing a four-year undergraduate degree, according to debt consolidation website Consolidated Credit. And for the first time ever, loan debt has outpaced credit card debt. College Board stated that in 2013, the average in-state tuition at a four-year public university was $8,522 per semester. At UTPA, tuition averaged to $5,446 in the spring 2014 semester. Along with a textbook education, college also comes with lessons about saving and spending money. Infographic website Daily Statistic states that 75 percent of college students hold down jobs and receive $1,200 a month with help from their parents. Forty percent of that amount goes toward things such as technology, clothing and food. General rehab major Aaron Cepeda recently became financially independent from his parents. Now his spending revolves tightly around bills and gas money for his new car. The 23-year-old Edinburg resident works as a personal assistant and earns between $570 to $650 every two weeks. Cepeda said that his decision to become financially indepen-
dent at the start of this semester came as a shock to his parents. He also mentioned how switching from his single-person scooter to a car has greatly impacted his spending. “I made all these life-changing decisions at the beginning of this semester and it threw (my parents) off. They kind of freaked out, but I’m managing,” he explained. “I’ve never had to pay for a lot of gas before because my scooter would only need like $3. Now it’s around $50, but it’s a lot better.” While his bi-monthly paychecks are spent primarily on bills, junior Dulce Garcia’s funds go toward gas, food and shopping sprees. Four days out of the week, the rehabilitative services student commutes from her home in Hidalgo to the University, a 45-minute drive. The 19-year-old worked at an HEB for two years then at a dd’s Discount store for six months, but has currently been unemployed for about two weeks. Because of this, Garcia’s cash comes from her parents, who give her an average of $80 weekly. She also said that her parents opened a savings account, but she withdraws funds from it. Taking money from her parents, Garcia said, is not something she wants to continue doing.
“It’s only been a week and I already need another job because it’s hard knowing where I’m going to get my money for the following week,” she said. “I don’t want to depend on my parents all the time, but right now I have to.” MEANT TO BE SPENT According to a December 2012 article by an online college community called Alive
but she also admits to having a spending problem. Once she is given money by her parents, the first thing she does is fill her gas tank and head to the mall. “On a day that I have money, I’ll go shopping and spend about $80 or $100 max. When I don’t have money, $40 or $50,” she explained. “I go major shopping about four or five times a month. When I have money, I go more than once a week.”
I was at the point where I said, ‘I’m 23. I can’t really be this dependent on my parents anymore. It’s time to start being more financially independent.’ - Aaron Cepeda UTPA student
Campus, college students collectively spend more than $60 billion annually. Students spend nearly $13 billion on electronics and $11 billion on snacks and drinks, not including alcohol. An average of $5.5 billion is spent on the latter. Garcia estimated that she spends most of her dough on food because she often eats out or on campus. She said $40 goes to food and another $40 to gas,
For Cepeda, his spending goes a little differently. After receiving his check, he splits his monthly rent of $650 with his roommate, pays his phone bill and deposits $50 into his life insurance policy. Garcia is not the only one of the pair who likes to splurge on herself. After all of his dues have been paid, Cepeda has his own night in. “I have my typical Friday
night, which consists of something like pizza and junk food, because I’m so wiped out by the end of the week that I just want to stay home,” he explained. “I actually go crazy on the app store in iTunes. Maybe $30 of each paycheck will go to apps or to renting a movie or something like that.” Both students receive financial aid from UTPA, Cepeda with a scholarship that covers most of his tuition and Garcia with a grant that pays for part of hers. The two of them also use student loans, but Cepeda said he doesn’t see himself needing one next semester because of his salary and savings. “I did have to adjust and decide for myself to start financially planning now,” he said. “I was at the point where I said, ‘I’m 23. I can’t really be this dependent on my parents anymore. It’s time to start being more financially independent.’” Garcia, on the other hand, said she knows she must control her spending in order to pay off loans after she graduates in May 2015, but it is not easy to do. “It is a problem. When I have a dollar or two dollars, I’ll go and spend it. I’ll go buy a bag of chips if I have to. I cannot have money with me, I have to be spending it at all times,” she explained. “Everyone tells
me that I need to stop because it’s going to get to me one day, but I can’t save money at all.” SAVVY SAVING After becoming independent from his parents, Cepeda believes he is learning how to save every day, but he understands that spending is tempting. “I think it’s that you work so hard and you feel like you deserve (to buy something) and you want it, so why not take it? Sometimes it can be a little difficult, but I live by the philosophy that sometimes you have to treat yourself,” he said with a smile. Next semester, Garcia said saving should become easier for her because she will only be commuting to school twice a week, which will cut down on gas and lunch spending. Ultimately, Cepeda feels that becoming his own breadwinner has been troublesome, but necessary. “I feel really good,” he said. “It has its times where it’s stressful, and there are times where I don’t know what the heck I’m going to do, but I do feel proud of myself for accomplishing a lot of things on my own.”
This year, college students will spend 75% of students maintain jobs while attending school.
The typical college student gets an average of
a month from jobs, parents or other sources.
on everyday needs.
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THE PAN AMERICAN
April 3, 2014
April 3, 2014
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THE PAN AMERICAN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Nye has contributed to cliIn addition to climate dinner with the celebrity prior mate change discussions in the change, Nye also spoke about to the presentation. past. In January 2012 the sci- his continuing debate concern“I’ve loved Bill Nye since I entist wrote the foreword for ing creationism being taught as was young,” the sophomore Michael Mann’s The Hockey science. In February, Nye de- said. “Every Friday I would Stick and the Climate Wars: bated Kevin Ham, founder of watch him in elementary. I have Dispatches from the Front Lines. the Kentucky-based Creation Bill Nye to thank for most of Based on the findings of a 2001 Museum, about the origins of my science knowledge.” report by The Intergovernmen- life. Ham argued that the Earth While Lopez is not pursuing tal Panel on Climate Change of was created 6,000 years ago and a science degree, she believes the United Nations, the book that the Bible tells factual in- the presentation for the Speakuses the “hockey stick,” a chart formation about the origins of ers Series was relevant and imshowing global temperature Earth and life. portant to everyone. data over the “I know I’m not a past one thouscientist, I don’t unI’ve loved Bill Nye since I derstand as much as I sand years, as the crux of its arguwas young. Every Friday I wish, but I know sciment. The graph would watch him in elemen- ence is everywhere,” illustrates the rissaid. “Even tary. I have Bill Nye to thank for most Lopez ing temperature though science isn’t of my science knowledge. and the increased my calling, people rate at which it is who have that power Isela Lopez occurring due to to study that, should -UTPA sophomore carbon dioxide be able to pursue it, levels. and someone like The theory has faced scrutiny “They want to teach creation- him coming here to talk to us... as recent as May 2013, with ism in schools,” Nye said dur- it must mean a lot to them. It doubters arguing that it was too ing the question-and-answer even means a lot to me and I’m simple and that uncertainties session at the end of the pre- not a science major.” in historical climate readings sentation. “That’s fine, if they This idea was reinforced by were disregarded to make the want to teach it as philosophy Nye’s closing statements. chart more dramatic. But oppo- or history of myths. If you “That is the essence of scisition aside, Nye still supports want to teach creationism as ence. It is inherently optimisthe theory. part of that, that’s fine, but it’s tic,” he said. “To celebrate the “It’s not the temperature not science.” joy of knowing, that joy of of the world as such, it’s the Isela Lopez was one of the discovery that is deep within rate, the speed at which is more than 3 million people us. It’s what drives us. You can, changing,” Nye said at the pre- who tuned in to the debate ear- dare I say, change the world.” sentation. “That is our problem. lier this year. The business manAnd by our problem, I mean agement major, and fan of Nye, your problem.” entered an essay contest to have
4/23/14
Susan Gonzalez/The Pan American Bill Nye gives a presentation in the Field House Tuesday, April 1 as the second speaker of the Distinguished Speaker Series for 2013-14. Nye has visited UTPA in the past, speaking on the first day of Hispanic, Engineering, Science and Technology Week (HESTEC) in September 2011.
4/23/14
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THE PAN AMERICAN
April 3, 2014
April 3, 2014
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THE PAN AMERICAN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Nye has contributed to cliIn addition to climate dinner with the celebrity prior mate change discussions in the change, Nye also spoke about to the presentation. past. In January 2012 the sci- his continuing debate concern“I’ve loved Bill Nye since I entist wrote the foreword for ing creationism being taught as was young,” the sophomore Michael Mann’s The Hockey science. In February, Nye de- said. “Every Friday I would Stick and the Climate Wars: bated Kevin Ham, founder of watch him in elementary. I have Dispatches from the Front Lines. the Kentucky-based Creation Bill Nye to thank for most of Based on the findings of a 2001 Museum, about the origins of my science knowledge.” report by The Intergovernmen- life. Ham argued that the Earth While Lopez is not pursuing tal Panel on Climate Change of was created 6,000 years ago and a science degree, she believes the United Nations, the book that the Bible tells factual in- the presentation for the Speakuses the “hockey stick,” a chart formation about the origins of ers Series was relevant and imshowing global temperature Earth and life. portant to everyone. data over the “I know I’m not a past one thouscientist, I don’t unI’ve loved Bill Nye since I derstand as much as I sand years, as the crux of its arguwas young. Every Friday I wish, but I know sciment. The graph would watch him in elemen- ence is everywhere,” illustrates the rissaid. “Even tary. I have Bill Nye to thank for most Lopez ing temperature though science isn’t of my science knowledge. and the increased my calling, people rate at which it is who have that power Isela Lopez occurring due to to study that, should -UTPA sophomore carbon dioxide be able to pursue it, levels. and someone like The theory has faced scrutiny “They want to teach creation- him coming here to talk to us... as recent as May 2013, with ism in schools,” Nye said dur- it must mean a lot to them. It doubters arguing that it was too ing the question-and-answer even means a lot to me and I’m simple and that uncertainties session at the end of the pre- not a science major.” in historical climate readings sentation. “That’s fine, if they This idea was reinforced by were disregarded to make the want to teach it as philosophy Nye’s closing statements. chart more dramatic. But oppo- or history of myths. If you “That is the essence of scisition aside, Nye still supports want to teach creationism as ence. It is inherently optimisthe theory. part of that, that’s fine, but it’s tic,” he said. “To celebrate the “It’s not the temperature not science.” joy of knowing, that joy of of the world as such, it’s the Isela Lopez was one of the discovery that is deep within rate, the speed at which is more than 3 million people us. It’s what drives us. You can, changing,” Nye said at the pre- who tuned in to the debate ear- dare I say, change the world.” sentation. “That is our problem. lier this year. The business manAnd by our problem, I mean agement major, and fan of Nye, your problem.” entered an essay contest to have
4/23/14
Susan Gonzalez/The Pan American Bill Nye gives a presentation in the Field House Tuesday, April 1 as the second speaker of the Distinguished Speaker Series for 2013-14. Nye has visited UTPA in the past, speaking on the first day of Hispanic, Engineering, Science and Technology Week (HESTEC) in September 2011.
4/23/14
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arts & life
April 3, 2014
UTPA student bands discuss accomplishments By Elisa Garcia and Jose Salvador De Leon III The Pan American Some students zip up their backpacks after a day of classes and head to work or their homes. But for UTPA students Matthew Castillo and Sarah Walker, who perform in local bands, the day doesn’t end until the crowd applauds. Texas country band Matt & The Herdsmen and alternative punk group Pinky Swear bring their own rhythms to the local music scene while balancing classes at the University. COUNTRY STRONG Matt & The Herdsmen is a four-piece Texas country band starring three UTPA students: Matthew Castillo, Beto Cavazos, Danny Salinas and Texas A&M Kingsville alumnus Ruben Cantu. Since November 2013, Matt & The Herdsmen have been a part of the local music scene, performing in events as far as Austin. Austin native and group frontman Castillo said he had always wanted to start a band and finally did when introduced
to the group’s current drummer, Cantu, in October 2013. “I’m happy with the group that I have,” said Castillo, a kinesiology major at UTPA. “We’re all hard workers by heart, we love what we do and we’re always itching for a new gig, changing it up.” Castillo explained that Texas country is western music with a modern twist. He believes his band is one of few such bands on campus, and notes that each member brings a different element into the creation of songs and can’t wait to earn more notice and credibility in the music scene. The members have been inspired by Country Music Hall of Fame artists such as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Despite the fact that Matt & The Herdsmen have been playing together for a short period of time, they’ve found themselves performing locally at Monster Car Wash Bar & Grill and Austin’s Nutty Brown Café. The band finds themselves pleasing crowds with top original songs such as “Too Drunk
Anyway”, “Come Back Home” and “Dance All Night.” As Matt & The Herdsmen prepared for a performance at The Flying Walrus March 27, the guys hoped the audience members would feel as if they were part of the music themselves. “That’s the biggest reward, when nobody knows who you are, they go check you out and they end up staying the whole night,” Castillo said. “There’s
plained that his favortie part of the music making process is nearly completing songs. He shares his passion for music with his bandmates and looks forward to what the future has to offer. “When we finish a song and when we listen to it I’m like, ‘Wow, did we really just come up with that?’” said Cantu, an Edinburg native. “I really think they’re something you could hear on the radio one day.” The Herdsmen all share a sense of accomplishment when it comes to creating original music, however Cavazos, who has been playing guitar for almost nine years, admits that with music comes hard work. “I don’t know what else I would want to do sometimes,” the Edinburg native said. “I just want to play guitar and whatever I feel needs to come out, comes out.”
I don’t mind performing for a long time. You get to write music, put your life on a piece of paper, make a rhythm out of it and have people relate to it. - Matthew Castillo Band frontman
people that have never heard us play or they don’t even like country, but they just like the style and how we push it and I think that’s what gets them.” As Castillo described the process of adding the finishing touches on a song, Cantu ex-
Jon Nutt/The Pan American Pinky Swear prepares to play at the third annual Galax Z Fair March 10. (From left) Sarah Walker, Christian Hanks, John Morales and Max Perkins (not pictured) started the band July 2013.
VALLEY POP The night following Matt & the Herdsmen’s gig, McAllen’s Simon Sez was over capacity during a concert featuring San Antonio-based punk band FEA. The first performance of
the night was by local band Pinky Swear, an alternative punk rock band whose members include: Sarah Walker, Christian Hanks, John Morales and Max Perkins. Pinky Swear, whose four members are all UTPA undergraduate students, have been on the music scene since October 2013. The alternative punk rock crew formed when lead singer Walker met bass player Morales through mutual friends and discussed forming a band as a “side project.” They then met current drummer Perkins, who introduced them to existing guitarist Hanks. After their recent McAllen gig, the band discussed onstage experiences. “It’s always intimidating to perform, especially with other bands,” said Morales, a 21-year-old anthropology major. “But after the show, especially tonight, when members of the other bands congratulate us and remarked that they enjoyed our music, it’s always really cool.” Since its creation, the band has mainly played in do-ityourself, or self-funded shows, in venues such as local bars, like The Flying Walrus and the latest McAllen’s Galax Z Fair. The group’s members briefly argued about which type of venue was the best kind to perform in. Morales, a Philippines native, vouched for smaller shows due to the “intimacy” that is provided between the audience and performers. But guitarist Hanks defended big stages. “The bigger the crowd, the more exposure you’ll get,” said Hanks, a geology major from McAllen. “It’s also great to use it as a test to see what kind of reactions a big crowd will get.”
Pinky Swear practices at least twice a week in their drummer’s garage before the night of a performance, but meet up as often as possible to write music together. Walker remarked on the sense of camaraderie being in a band provides. “It’s great just to hang out with each other and perform music that we’ve worked on to present to the public,” said Walker, a film and TV major from McAllen. While most of the members of Pinky Swear admitted that they weren’t sure whether or not they’d want to continue performing in the future, Perkins expressed an interest in it. “When I’m in a band, it’s a commitment,” said the 20-year-old biology major from McAllen. “I put my time, sweat and effort into it. I wouldn’t say that maybe I won’t make a career out of it, but if it happens, I wouldn’t mind.” SOUNDCHECK With upcoming gigs around the corner, Matt & The Herdsmen have been busy practicing, as well as writing original songs. The group hopes to start recording an album later this year and celebrate with a release party. “I don’t mind performing for a long time. You get to write music, put your life on a piece of paper, make a rhythm out of it and have people relate to it,” Castillo said. “We would all give up everything if we could just make it, but we’re five months in and we have a long way ahead of us.” Pinky Swear plans to release a cassette tape filled with their original songs later this year and has an upcoming performance at Simon Sez April 12.
Jon Nutt/The Pan American Matt & the Herdsmen play at The Flying Walrus in McAllen March 27. (From left) Beto Cavazos, Matt Castillo, Danny Salinas and Ruben Cantu (not pictured) have been playing together since November 2013.
sports
April 3, 2014
7
The Broncs baseball team season is currently 11-20 in its first Western Athletic Conference. So far, three players have distinguished themselves from the pack. senior infielder Alberto Morales, senior outfielder Alex Howe and senior pitcher Sam Street have proven themselves and are all currently in their second season with the Broncs. Their stats vary as Howe pushes the game when at bat while Morales follows closely with run batted ins and Street is the best pitcher thus far. Team Batting Average - .241, Opponent Earned Run Average (ERA) - 3.26, Team ERA - 4.53, Opponent Batting Average - .271
ERA - Sam Street 1.84
Batting Average - Alex Howe .346
Runs - Alberto Morales 13
Strikeouts - Sam Street 44
Slugging Average - Alex Howe .519
Home Runs - Alex Howe and Alberto Morales 2
Innings Pitched - Sam Street 58.2
RBI - Alex Howe 21
Wins - Sam Street 6
On Base Percentage - Alex Howe .473
Jon Nutt/The Pan American
By Marco Torres The Pan American More than four months after their last match, the Broncs returned to the volleyball court March 29 to host a spring tournament at the Field House; each match consisted of two sets of 25. The Broncs faced the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Coastal Bend College, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and The University of Texas at Brownsville in the first of three spring events for the semester. Head Coach Brian Yale saw some good things from the tournament and some things they could work on as the Broncs struggled through the tournament, losing one match, winning one and tying two matches. The winning match was against Coastal Bend as the Broncs (1-12) took both sets. Yale vows that the women are going to continue to improve and get ready for upcoming tournaments in the next couple of weeks. Preparation for the regular season has begun as the team seeks to better last fall’s 13–20 record. “We got about four to five more weeks to improve to get
ready for the fall,” Yale said. “(Communication is) a working process, it is something we talk about weekly in practice. There were definitely some moments of a communication breakdown, which I am not happy with, and it caused a little bit of problems for us.” According to Yale, the team was able to get good repetitions in this competition, especially since it was their first action since a 3-0 loss to California State University Bakersfield in November. “For all the teams, it’s a different kind of conditioning, playing that many sets in a row with a little break here and there,” Yale said. “It is definitely different than how practice has been.” The event was a first for Lauren Mathewson, the newest addition to the coaching staff, who graduated in 2011 from Kansas State with a marketing degree. She was one of the top liberos in Wildcat history and joined the team April 15. Liberos are defensive specialists, they need to be able to dig well, get a hand on every ball that comes their way and keep the play alive. Mathewson is in charge of the li-
Jon Nutt/The Pan American
Jon Nutt/The Pan American
beros, outside hitters, recruiting and organizing summer youth camps. The camps will take place throughout July; three position camps, a two-day all-skills camp and a team competition camp. “I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Broncs volleyball team as an assistant coach,” Mathewson said. “I was immediately drawn to Coach Yale’s passion for coaching and his attention to detail.” Next tournament for the Broncs is April 5 when they travel to Houston to compete in an event hosted by the Fundamental Athletic Sports Training Complex and Houston Junior’s Volleyball Club at the Reliant Center next to Reliant Stadium. The Broncs will face off against Houston Baptist, Texas Southern, Louisiana-Lafayette and the University of North Texas. “This tournament was the first one of the semester and one to get all the jitters out of the way and working on new relationships,” Yale said. “We will be better next week in Houston and the week after that we will be better in San Antonio, so it is a building process.”
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