Not like all the rest
Study: RGV cities bear least resemblance to U.S. norm
Pages 4-5
Volume 71, No. 4
ONLINE CONTENT PanamericanOnline.com
September 18, 2014
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Former, recent UTPA professors die
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RGV Food Bank celebrates Hunger Action Month SUN Celebrating Founder’s Day
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Team ties for 12th place
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ting Pain y Awa er! g Hu n
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79%
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93%
of American homes served by the Food Bank have 15 incomes below the poverty line
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Shop st n Agai er g Hu n
ty Emp ls Bow eon h Lu nc
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64% 18
of which are food insecure 24
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of households served have an annual income of $10,000 or less 26
27 3rd al u An n ! CupK
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Updates on current events
STORY ON PAGE 6
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opinion
September 18, 2014
#UTPA
#UTPA
Tweet at and follow us @ThePanAmerican I hope I passed that test ._. #chemistry #utpa -@DeniseHeredia18 A Masters degree is rough. Last night all I learned about Theory was summed up as that Wet Gremlins make more Gremlins. #UTPA #CommMasters -@Mabetancour If #UTPA had a football team I think going to school here would be al ittle more fun -@ayssaescalante If you need to do anything online at #UTPA tomorrow, don’t count on it cause iOS 8 is being released, and we all know how that goes -@Apolonioman
Vol. 71, No. 4
Letters to the Editor
The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all letters to: thepanamerican@gmail.com
Jose S. De Leon III
Social Media Editor
At the end of August a Twitter user who will not be identified tweeted at The Pan American “your logo promotes you as a Bronc, RT if you are willing to step up for Bucky.” That tweet wasn’t the first nor will it be the last one where people have asked The Pan American to “tweet” support for the Bucky the Bronc or simply want to know where this newspaper stands on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley mascot options. As the social media editor, I think it’s nice that someone out there is interested in our opinion. Therefore, I’m publishing my own two cents on this issue: I’m not going to take a stance on this. As a result, The Pan American won’t do so either. Look, I love UTPA and the four years I’ve spent at this institution are ones I’ll end up treasuring for the rest of my life. Because of this I’ve decided that
Or, how everyone but The Pan American will voice their UTRGV opinions
the social media section will abstain from supporting the Bronc and the other mascot options. As the guy in charge of how the public will view our newspaper, I feel as if doing anything to visibly support any of the options would cause the public to incorrectly think The Pan Ameri-
topic is to the community. Besides, isn’t it fascinating to see how the public has been using social media outlets to voice opinions on the UTRGV mascot? When we first shared the news on the 10 proposed mascots Aug. 20, comments on our
I’m publishing my own two cents on this issue: I’m not going to take a stance on this. As a result, The Pan American won’t do so either. can is being biased when it comes to reporting any news related to UTRGV. It’s not as if we plan on ignoring updates about this issue. As you can see with last week’s article and video on UTPA reacting to the mascot options, we understand how important this
Facebook post about it were mostly filled with people angry at the options and wondering why anyone would dare get rid of Bucky. UTPA alumnus Alex del Barrio would later create a Change.org petition with the intent of convincing officials to
keep UTPA’s Bronc. Even more interesting though are the reactions from students at The University of Texas at Brownsville. Let’s face it, UTPA students have been dismissive of UTB and it’s almost as if they don’t care what their neighbors have to say even though we’re merging with them. A Sept. 4 article from UTB’s newspaper, The Collegian, discussed how several people in the UTB community find the attempts to save the Bronc “unfair.” A Facebook comment attached to the story summed it up by saying “UTB already lost its mascot with the separation from TSC, the last thing we need is to be taken over by UTPA.” All these opinions and more are signs of how everyone is handling this issue personally, which I think is awesome. After all, I am the one observing those reactions.
The Pan American thepanamerican@gmail.com 1201 West University, ARHU 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 665-2541 Fax: (956) 665-7122
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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.
Itzel Lopez/ The Pan American
news
September 18, 2014
3
Republican guest speakers visit UTPA club By Mariana Ranzahuer The Pan American
Rojas worked on recruiting how much the group has grown students throughout the sum- since its foundation. mer and stated that he was excit“It first started (with) a few The College Republicans at ed to see the number of people members and it’s amazing how UTPA hosted their first meetwho attended. He also expressed tremendously it has grown,” said ing of the semester Sept. 9 as that being in the club is a great Ballenger, who has been part of approximately 40 students opportunity to make change as a the group since 2012. “Here it is gathered at the Business Adyoung Republican. where students develop their phiministration Building to learn about politics and discuss conservative issues. Several repThis state is the best state when resentatives arrived to talk in it comes to (having the) greatest the name of Texas Republican candidates, such as George P. values, which are faith, family Bush, who is running for Texas and freedom. land commissioner, Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor - Jaime Tijerina and Sen. Ted Cruz, who atEdinburg judge, 92nd District tended the meeting to support his Republican colleagues. Joshua Rojas, the club’s presi“It’s not only about being Re- losophies so it’s a great opportudent, began the meeting by expublican, but it’s the conserva- nity to make an impact on them.” plaining the purpose of the orgative principles that we are trying Rojas’ introduction was folnization and the benefits members to defend. After all, these are the lowed by an appearance by would gain by joining such as acsame exact principles that made 92nd District Court Judge quiring political experience, meetAmerica,” said Rojas, a UTPA Jaime Eduardo Tijerina, who ing elected and future politicians finance major. “We try to bring graduated from UTPA in 1991 and free food and drinks. The club awareness of the current situa- with a degree in business adhas been at UTPA since its foundations in Texas, things that most ministration. This motivated tion in 2011. It has never had more of the students (don’t) think are him to speak with the students than 10 members but now has important to know.” and show them the work he has more than 30 students who attend Josh Ballenger, a junior eco- done throughout the years as an regular meetings. nomics major, was pleased to see attorney, businessman, veteran
and public servant. Tijerina was appointed 92nd State District Judge by Texas Governor Ricky Perry in 2013 to fill the vacancy left by Ricardo Rodriguez. Tijerina is now running for reelection and encouraged the attendees to vote on election day Nov. 4 and, more importantly, to invite nine other people to do the same. As a former UTPA student, Tijerina stated that when the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is established next fall he will do his best to improve parking around the University. “I’m aware that the parking situation on campus is a big struggle for all of you,” Tijerina said. “I was a student like you, and I would like to make a change for you.” The last candidate to speak was Elijah Israel Casas, who is running for state representative for District 41. Born and raised in the Valley, Casas graduated from the University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He founded the College Republicans at UTPA in 2011 and stated that through
involvement in the organization he learned most about politics, which led him to run in this year’s election. “I was a student like all of you,” Casas said. “I created this group with the main goal of letting the students express their thoughts and learn more about politics.” The next College Republicans meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30 at noon in room
120-G in the Business Administration Building. Members will go over basic ideas about conservatism and compare them with other political views.
Page 4
September 18, 2014
THE PAN AMERICAN
Ranking low
September 18, 2014
THE PAN AMERICAN
Page 5
RGV cities ranked in a study that shows which metro areas are most and least like the U.S.
Valley cities least like the rest of the US
out of 366
By Andrew Vera In recent years, several Rio Grande Valley cities have been statistically ranked as the “lowest” or “worst” metropolitan areas in studies by US News and 24/7 Wall St. Whether ranking income, education or weight, area cities seem to always make their way onto the list. The Valley made another list recently when it was ranked by Wallet Hub, an online financial resource page, whose list shows McAllen-Edinburg-Mission as the metropolitan area that least resembles the rest of the nation. While McAllen ranked 366 out of 366 cities, Brownsville also made the list coming in at 363. The study compared socio-demographics, housing, education and economic factors of individual cities and at the top of the list were Nashville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The latest ranking is a bit tricky, however. UTPA Assistant Professor of economics Diego Escobari feels that the list may reflect hard numbers, but seems to give the wrong impression of the cities being ranked. “(Wallet Hub) says that (not resembling the U.S.) might be potentially bad, but that’s not a bad thing. People might be very happy in not extremely diverse cities. Being up in the ranks does not mean the city is po-
tentially better,” said Escobari, who received his doctorate from Texas A&M University in 2008. “The rank here uses some socioeconomic factors, but it does not mean that these cities are better than others.” METHOD The first method used to determine the ranking included socio-demographics. The factors included gender, race, age and “household makeup” - or the number of people living in a home and their relation to each other. In this part of the study, McAllen ranked 360. Zachary Wise, a junior history major, said that the prevalent cultures in the RGV may be responsible for this low score, but that being different may not always be a negative thing. “We have a very unique blend (in the RGV). We have primarily Hispanics and we have another culture similar to ours, which is Filipino. They are very much like the Hispanic culture. They have multifamily households and most of their money actually gets sent back to their families,” the 23-yearold said. “Down here in this area, we are so similar to different cultures rather than being not so similar.” According to USA.
com, a city data website, the Filipino population in McAllen represents more than half of the entire Asian community, which is 2.6 percent of the population. Another factor in the ranking was “housing rates”, or how much houses cost in the areas being studied. The McAllen MSA ranked 299 while the Brownsville MSA ranked 270 out of 366. According to Wallet Hub, the average cost of a home in the U.S. is $174,600. A city data website said the average cost of a home in McAllen was $114,800 in 2012, nearly $60,000 less than the U.S. statistic. Escobari said that while these numbers look negative, there are a number of factors that are not taken into consideration when stacking cities against one another. “If I were making half the money here than I was making here in San Francisco, I would still be better off here. In San Francisco you can barely afford rent, where here you can buy a house with half the income,” Escobari said. “Whenever you look at average levels of income, you have to also control the average level of price.” Levels of education and economic status also played a role in judging U.S. cities. While education statistics looked at the
percentage of the population who had completed different levels of degrees, economic stats focused on the overall employment rates of each city. A study done in 2013 by 24/7 Wall St. showed the Brownsville and McAllen MSAs as the first and second poorest areas in the nation, respectively. Another study by Wallet Hub ranked McAllen MSA as the ninth least educated area in the country. These studies suggest why the McAllen MSA placed 312 in economic rank and why Brownsville placed 299. Wise explained why these cities rank so low and why the bills residents pay in this area may make the average median income of less than $34,000 seem not so low. “(Educated Valley residents) leave because all they know is this area, all they know is this little world. So when you have a job opportunity that shows it’s for $60,000 (per year), you take it but you don’t look at the cost of living,” the Weslaco native said. “Even though you’re making $60,000, it’s less than what you would make (in the RGV) because of what you’re paying out.” Sophomore finance major Marissa Ramos had mixed feelings about the ranking, saying that while the sur-
vey is based on facts and numbers, there are some things that cannot be accounted for. “Sure the education level is low here, but who’s to say that all of the people who were educated here didn’t just move away?” the 20-year-old said. “On the surface (the RGV) looks bad, but once all of these factors are taken into consideration, this area is actually considered to be thriving.” THE GOOD A 2012 Gallup poll ranked the McAllen MSA as the most obese city in the U.S. and noted the high prevalence of diabetes. While Escobari said these statistics look bad there is a silver lining to be found in all of this. “First, it’s good because we are in the rankings. The fact that we are very high in diabetes, this of course not good news, but there is some level (of ) good because we are creating awareness,” Escobari said. “You can see (in this study) that there are cities doing better, then there has to be something we have to do to improve this.” Escobari also discussed income dispersion, or how levels of income are divided among the general population. He said that even though McAllen’s overall income is low, with a small percentage of
people who make more than $200,000, 1.8 percent according to USA Today, this seemingly poverty-stricken area is far better off than other cities on the list. This characteristic of the Valley, he said, is less problematic than places with a higher level of average income and a larger wealth gap. “If the average level of income is low, but it happens that everybody makes the same level of income, then it’s not as bad as the average level of income being high and there being a huge dispersion,” Escobari said. “A huge dispersion means there are a lot of people making a lot of money and a lot of people under the poverty line.” Ramos and Wise agreed that while the Valley has a long way to go before it ranks higher on statistical lists, they feel that the RGV’s unique flavor and culture are immeasurable and impossible to rank. “I would feel that this area is more like America than most cities. Mainly because the history of this area, the history of the people, how this area was founded,” Wise said. “It is so colorful and vibrant, and it speaks truly to the hardships that surrounds the formation of this country.”
* includes McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan statistical area
Page by Francisco Rodriguez / The Pan American
Page 4
September 18, 2014
THE PAN AMERICAN
Ranking low
September 18, 2014
THE PAN AMERICAN
Page 5
RGV cities ranked in a study that shows which metro areas are most and least like the U.S.
Valley cities least like the rest of the US
out of 366
By Andrew Vera In recent years, several Rio Grande Valley cities have been statistically ranked as the “lowest” or “worst” metropolitan areas in studies by US News and 24/7 Wall St. Whether ranking income, education or weight, area cities seem to always make their way onto the list. The Valley made another list recently when it was ranked by Wallet Hub, an online financial resource page, whose list shows McAllen-Edinburg-Mission as the metropolitan area that least resembles the rest of the nation. While McAllen ranked 366 out of 366 cities, Brownsville also made the list coming in at 363. The study compared socio-demographics, housing, education and economic factors of individual cities and at the top of the list were Nashville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The latest ranking is a bit tricky, however. UTPA Assistant Professor of economics Diego Escobari feels that the list may reflect hard numbers, but seems to give the wrong impression of the cities being ranked. “(Wallet Hub) says that (not resembling the U.S.) might be potentially bad, but that’s not a bad thing. People might be very happy in not extremely diverse cities. Being up in the ranks does not mean the city is po-
tentially better,” said Escobari, who received his doctorate from Texas A&M University in 2008. “The rank here uses some socioeconomic factors, but it does not mean that these cities are better than others.” METHOD The first method used to determine the ranking included socio-demographics. The factors included gender, race, age and “household makeup” - or the number of people living in a home and their relation to each other. In this part of the study, McAllen ranked 360. Zachary Wise, a junior history major, said that the prevalent cultures in the RGV may be responsible for this low score, but that being different may not always be a negative thing. “We have a very unique blend (in the RGV). We have primarily Hispanics and we have another culture similar to ours, which is Filipino. They are very much like the Hispanic culture. They have multifamily households and most of their money actually gets sent back to their families,” the 23-yearold said. “Down here in this area, we are so similar to different cultures rather than being not so similar.” According to USA.
com, a city data website, the Filipino population in McAllen represents more than half of the entire Asian community, which is 2.6 percent of the population. Another factor in the ranking was “housing rates”, or how much houses cost in the areas being studied. The McAllen MSA ranked 299 while the Brownsville MSA ranked 270 out of 366. According to Wallet Hub, the average cost of a home in the U.S. is $174,600. A city data website said the average cost of a home in McAllen was $114,800 in 2012, nearly $60,000 less than the U.S. statistic. Escobari said that while these numbers look negative, there are a number of factors that are not taken into consideration when stacking cities against one another. “If I were making half the money here than I was making here in San Francisco, I would still be better off here. In San Francisco you can barely afford rent, where here you can buy a house with half the income,” Escobari said. “Whenever you look at average levels of income, you have to also control the average level of price.” Levels of education and economic status also played a role in judging U.S. cities. While education statistics looked at the
percentage of the population who had completed different levels of degrees, economic stats focused on the overall employment rates of each city. A study done in 2013 by 24/7 Wall St. showed the Brownsville and McAllen MSAs as the first and second poorest areas in the nation, respectively. Another study by Wallet Hub ranked McAllen MSA as the ninth least educated area in the country. These studies suggest why the McAllen MSA placed 312 in economic rank and why Brownsville placed 299. Wise explained why these cities rank so low and why the bills residents pay in this area may make the average median income of less than $34,000 seem not so low. “(Educated Valley residents) leave because all they know is this area, all they know is this little world. So when you have a job opportunity that shows it’s for $60,000 (per year), you take it but you don’t look at the cost of living,” the Weslaco native said. “Even though you’re making $60,000, it’s less than what you would make (in the RGV) because of what you’re paying out.” Sophomore finance major Marissa Ramos had mixed feelings about the ranking, saying that while the sur-
vey is based on facts and numbers, there are some things that cannot be accounted for. “Sure the education level is low here, but who’s to say that all of the people who were educated here didn’t just move away?” the 20-year-old said. “On the surface (the RGV) looks bad, but once all of these factors are taken into consideration, this area is actually considered to be thriving.” THE GOOD A 2012 Gallup poll ranked the McAllen MSA as the most obese city in the U.S. and noted the high prevalence of diabetes. While Escobari said these statistics look bad there is a silver lining to be found in all of this. “First, it’s good because we are in the rankings. The fact that we are very high in diabetes, this of course not good news, but there is some level (of ) good because we are creating awareness,” Escobari said. “You can see (in this study) that there are cities doing better, then there has to be something we have to do to improve this.” Escobari also discussed income dispersion, or how levels of income are divided among the general population. He said that even though McAllen’s overall income is low, with a small percentage of
people who make more than $200,000, 1.8 percent according to USA Today, this seemingly poverty-stricken area is far better off than other cities on the list. This characteristic of the Valley, he said, is less problematic than places with a higher level of average income and a larger wealth gap. “If the average level of income is low, but it happens that everybody makes the same level of income, then it’s not as bad as the average level of income being high and there being a huge dispersion,” Escobari said. “A huge dispersion means there are a lot of people making a lot of money and a lot of people under the poverty line.” Ramos and Wise agreed that while the Valley has a long way to go before it ranks higher on statistical lists, they feel that the RGV’s unique flavor and culture are immeasurable and impossible to rank. “I would feel that this area is more like America than most cities. Mainly because the history of this area, the history of the people, how this area was founded,” Wise said. “It is so colorful and vibrant, and it speaks truly to the hardships that surrounds the formation of this country.”
* includes McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan statistical area
Page by Francisco Rodriguez / The Pan American
6
arts & life
September 18, 2014
Food, friends and culture RGV Food Bank celebrates Hunger Action Month By Elisa Garcia The Pan American The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley currently works with 230 agencies that have distributed more than $34 million dollars worth of food since 2012. According to the organization’s website, 42,000 Valley residents recieve food assistance. Within this group, 79 percent have an income below the federal poverty line, which is $23,830 for a family of four. September marks Hunger Action Month, a nationwide campaign led by Feeding America that calls upon
tended and about $50,000 was raised, which was equivalent to 250,000 meals. “Most of the time, people that live in poverty and are in need of food assistance know where to go for help,” Drefke said. “But middle class individuals who are suddenly hit with a financial crisis have no clue where to turn for assistance. So these types of events are now put on their radar… now they know where to turn.” About 50 percent of those served by the food bank are children under 18-years-old. With hunger impacting children and young adults locally, the University opened a Stu-
Everyone in America should be well fed because of the resources we have here. - Samuel Morales UTPA junior individuals and food pantries to get involved in the fight against domestic hunger. Feeding America allows participants to engage in the campaign by offering information about hunger-related issues, tips on how to organize community projects and ways to donate. The month is intended to remind Americans to help 47 million citizens that rely on food stamps year-round. According to Terri Drefke, chief executive officer for the Food Bank of the RGV, the group is hosting the “30 Days in 30 Ways” campaign that started Sept. 4 at the UTPA’s women’s volleyball game, where fans were encouraged to bring four canned goods in exchange for free tickets. Throughout the month the group will find different ways to feed the hungry. There will be free events such as Empty Bowls at the Pharr Events Center Sept. 23. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from local restaurants or purchase handcrafted ceramic bowls made by volunteers from the UTPA Art Department. Last year at the eighth annual Empty Bowls event, approximately 900 people at-
dent Food Pantry Sept. 8. UTPA junior Samuel Morales believes hunger is a significant issue that the nation must solve. “There is no excuse in this country why we can’t put a solution to this issue,” the Edinburg native said. “Everyone in America should be well fed because of the resources we have here. It’s also an issue that we should look to combat around the world because every human being deserves a meal every day.” Morales hopes to get involved with organizations that raise awareness for hunger and looks to help the cause in anyway he can. “I think the solution is for people that are fortunate enough, including me, to make room to help,” the 21-year-old said. “If we help those that need help then they’ll be content and they’ll eventually be able to help others...it’s a relationship I think we should have as a society.” Philip Farias, manager of corporate engagement and events for the Food
Bank, admits the best part about helping others are the countless words of gratitude he has received. “(Helping others) is something that’s always been in my heart. It’s very rewarding to see because I didn’t know much about the food bank and now I’m just like ‘whoa,’” the 28-year-old said. “And it hit me the first week on the job when I went to go distribute 30 pound bags of food to the senior (citizens) and to see how happy they are, how excited they get…is just something else.” Along with Farias, Morales has experienced the issue of hunger firsthand when he noticed that a handful of friends were not able to have more than one meal a day. “I’ve had friends that come from low-income families who only eat however much they’re able to afford,” the 21-yearold said. “People that come from low income families... it’s not their fault they were born under this situation and they grow up hungry and that shouldn’t be something that happens here.” Texas showed a significant food insecurity rate, the uncertainty of one’s next meal, in 2012, ranking third in the nation based off a 21.8 percent food hardship rate. The rate reflects percentages of the federally-established poverty line, which varies based on household size. Drefke explained the percentage of need in the RGV has nearly doubled since the Great Recession of 20072009, when the U.S. economy experienced the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression. “With (the Great Recession) it was the first time in the 25 years that I’ve been here we started seeing middle class families come to the food bank,” she said. “Even though we double in numbers, that’s only meeting 20 to 25 percent of the need in the RGV. Some people are either going without assistance because of pride or because they don’t know where to turn.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
By Ramiro Rios The Pan American In French culture the serving of orange juice typically means the hostess is ready to say goodbye. Yet at the UTPA French Club’s first meeting of the semester, which took place Sept. 9, orange juice and broccoli cheese pizza served were as introduction entrées for students to eat while getting to know each other. The French Club meets every other Tuesday in Room 351 of the Arts and Humanities Building from noon to 1 p.m. Activities involve watching French movies such as Paris Je T’aim, a movie that takes place through the neighborhoods of Paris. Another activity proposed for a future date is the game of pétanque where the object of the game is to throw small metallic balls closer to the cochonnet, a heavier ball, than the opponents. The club has been active at UTPA for more than 20 years and its mission, according to group adviser Irina Armianu, is to foster an environment where students can practice and expand their knowledge of the French culture. Armianu, who is from Romania, has been an assistant professor of French for UTPA for the past three years. She hopes students feel more at ease learning the French language in the social and casual setting the club provides. “Students here get to practice French without the added pressure they have in a classroom where they are tested,” the
associate professor of French said. “We want to improve their French speaking skills just by having regular conversations at their own pace.” Discussions are mostly in English but the club tries to integrate the French language into activities and meetings. The first gathering had a turnout of 20 students, five of whom are French majors, with different levels of French-speaking capabilities. While some were shy in introducing themselves Armianu encouraged them to start with a simple “Bonjour, Je m’appelle,” which translates to “Hi, my name is.” The meeting also served as an opportunity for members to discuss activities for the fall semester. Past get-togethers included picnics where French food was served and discussed, Halloween pumpkin carving and watching French movies at McAllen’s Cine El Rey. The club also works with the French Club of the Rio Grande Valley where fluent French speakers from Quebec, Canada and Winter Texans are invited to talk to members during the winter. Genesis Davila, a mass communication major with a French minor found herself enamored with the language in high school while visiting a friend in French class during her free time. Her exposure to the class ended up being a deciding factor when she chose a minor at the University. “I love everything about the culture, the language and of
How to make French Macarons
course some of the best foods come from France,” the 19-yearold French minor said. “I joined because I’ve always loved France and I want to know more about the culture and be politically correct about it.” With the merger of UTPA and the University of Texas at Brownsville taking place fall 2015, Armianu said the French Club will remain intact in the new university. UTB has its own French group so both groups will likely remain at their respective campuses with collaborative activities anticipated in the future. “Nothing will change in the French Club’s structure when the merger happens,” Armianu said. “This will be a great opportunity for our members to meet new students and make lasting friendships.” Armianu expressed her excitement for the upcoming activities the French Club will offer, such as a cheese tasting event to be held later this semester. Members of the club are arranging the dates for the activities, and they will be posted on their Facebook page. She encourages students to join the club not only to expose themselves to the country’s culture but also for professional development. “We are always eager to have more students join. They don’t have to be a French major or minor,” Armianu said. “The activities we do help build leadership skills and it also helps them improve their social skills, and why not help them learn about a new culture at the same time.”
See full recipe at MarthaStewart.com
INGREDIENTS Pinch of cream of tartar 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup superfine sugar 3/4 cup almond flour 2 large egg whites, room temperature CHOOSE A FILLING Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache. Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut. Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter. Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam.
arts & life
September 18, 2014
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Among other events, in the “30 Days in 30 Ways” campaign, the Food Bank of the RGV will hold an open house at their facilities Sept. 25 for individuals who are in need of assistance or for those looking to volunteer. “(The Food Bank of the RGV) has VIP lunch tours on Tuesdays and we bring people in and show them around the food bank,” Farias said. “We tell them what we do to help feed the Valley and when they hear what we have to say and realize how many programs we
have, they are always in shock.” Drefke admits her role at the food bank has changed over the 25 years she has been there, but insists that the need for hunger has always been her main focus. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “I always said it was a God thing because I had worked with nonprofits before with the church and I knew that if I couldn’t find the pastor at home I could find him at a food bank.”
42,000
(Helping others) is something that’s always been in my heart. It’s very rewarding to see because I didn’t know much aboutweekly the food bank people fed and now I’m just like ‘whoa.’
by the food bank
- Philip Farias Food Bank member
64%
of households served have an annual income of
$10,000 or less
79%
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93% of households are food insecure
Sept. 18
EVENT CALENDAR
Buckets of Fun
Sept. 18
Sept. 20
Eighth Annual Dinner Banquet
Songbird Stroll
A series of hands-on, nature-inspired lessons filled Annual fundraiser for the with song, discovery, so- Mission Historical Museum, $30 for members cializing and exploration. ($40 non-members)
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Join an expert birder on a one-hour bird walk for all skill levels. More than 200 species have been seen in the park since 2006.
Time: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Time: 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Place: Quinta Mazatlan, Place: Mission Community Place: Quinta Mazatlan, Center McAllen McAllen
Sept. 20
Sept. 21
Mexican “Grito de 956 Yoga for a Cause Independencia” Fiesta Dress up in your tradi- Donation-based yoga class, tional Mexican clothes, supporting a spay-and-neubring a potluck dish ter campaign. and enjoy food, music and more.
Sept. 22 SpaceX Celebration Bring the whole family to celebrate the arrival of a commercial space station in the RGV with games, activities and food.
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Time: 7p.m. – 8 p.m. Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Place: Centro Cultural del Place: Bannworth Park, Place: Brownsville Sports Park RGV, McAllen Mission
sports
September 18, 2014
By Kristela Garza The Pan American The UTPA men’s soccer team held open tryouts for students Sept. 15 at the new Soccer and Track & Field Complex, which is still under construction. Head Coach Paul Leese supervised the 97 soccer hopefuls from across the Rio Grande Valley as they scrimmaged and ran fitness tests. “I’m very pleased at the numbers,” Leese said. “I said to the guys right away as soon as they all got here that it shows a tremendous passion for soccer here at UTPA. I am glad they came out, they worked very hard. It was a fantastic night.” The men’s soccer team is still in preparation for its first season in fall 2015. Currently, the head coach has eight players recruited and is looking for more to create what he calls the “core” of the program. Leese, the former head men’s soccer coach at Coker College in South Carolina, does not know how many students from the tryout he will invite for the final roster, but he was impressed with the amount of prospective players and their passion for the sport. Leese immediately separated the players into groups to find out who would be the best for the team. First, the players ran lines
across the soccer field to test their endurance and the fastest 32 players made the cut. The remaining players scrimmaged as the coach once again pulled out players who were not performing as well as others. Finally, the coach ran another scrimmage and from there selected 14 players to return for a more thorough evaluation Wednesday. UTPA soccer hopeful and accounting major Joseph Hemer was excited about the competition and is looking forward to seeing the men’s soccer program finally begin to take shape. Hemer, a former Sharyland soccer athlete, heard about the tryouts from a friend and felt he could do well on the field as a midfielder or on defense. The sophomore’s preparation paid off and he was one of the 14 called back for the second round of tryouts this week. “Tryouts went very good, very competitive,” the Mission native said. “There were a huge number of guys out here that are really tough players. It was a tough day today.” Players like Hemer stood out to Leese from the 32 originally selected. The veteran coach knew exactly what he was looking for as he watched the students play. “One of the things I am trying to do with the program is make
sure we can put together a team that really understands the team dynamic,” the England native said. “Not just the individual aspect of playing soccer.” The coach is looking to build a team that gets along well; together they will train to build a long lasting program. One of the eight recruits is UTPA junior Reydasel Rivas, who played for the Houston Dynamo South Texas Academy, an American Major League Soccer club. Rivas has been looking to play for a Division I program. “This is a great opportunity that we have to start the program,” the 22-year-old right midfielder said. “It seems like a dream come true. Since I got out of high school I wanted to play college level. I found out Pan Am was opening up a new soccer team for National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and I was lucky to have the coach choose me.” The Mission native is one of the few chosen to train and possibly play in the inaugural team. However, the coach has a handful of students selected and is looking to find the right combination for the first season. “We are still in the evaluation process,” Leese said. “There are a number of players from here in
Texas, from out of state, here in the U.S. and a handful of internationals that we are considering. Now over the next couple of months my job is to piece together the best possible combination of those players.” The team is looking to get to a point where they can readily train. But the head coach is still considering the possible changes the merger between UTPA and the University of Texas at Brownsville might bring, such as the possible influx of student athletes still on scholarship. However, he does not let this interfere too much with his thought process. “Officially we will not be a UTPA soccer team,” Leese said. “When we go to competition we will be UT Rio Grande Valley. However, we are trying to begin early in the process so that we have a core team and we have something in place for the preseason next year. I don’t want to be in a position where we are bringing in players who are completely brand new without some idea of the team concept.”
By Marco Torres The Pan American After a weekend of competition the Bronc men’s tennis team opened the season with key victories in the Marco & Co. Catering Islanders Open at the H-E-B Tennis Center Sept. 12-14. In the men’s division freshmen Koby Jansen and Hector Ramirez both advanced to the doubles semifinals. In the women’s division sophomore Mariana Ranzahuer made it all the way to the back draw finals on the final day.
move on in the event. On day two, Jansen and Ramirez had an 8-5 triumph against UTSA’s Eric Buchalter and Carrillo. Then Jansen and Ramirez continued on to victory lane in the quarterfinals as they won 8-5 against Texas A&MCorpus Christi’s Richardo Mayagoita and Javier Pujols. Bronc Coach Brandon Stokes said opening up with the tournament was a valuable experience for his team. “It was good for the team with so many new guys to have their first collegiate experience,” Stokes said. “The weekend revealed many truths for the coaching staff and for the guys. We will continue to improve regardless of the results. Our process is just beginning.” Also advancing to the quarter finals for the Broncs was the team of Alvarez-Hevia and Elliot Johnstone. The two defeated Lamar University’s Niko Ramajaki and Joan Bonilla, 8-7. The freshmen’s luck ran out as they lost 8-1 to Incarnate Word University’s Leonard Ivic and Jossip Smoljan. The doubles competition con-
tinued Sept. 14 where freshman Jansen and junior Ramirez lost in the semifinals, 6-8, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Kevin Bettendroffer and Guillame Rauseo. “We are becoming a team and to single out one guy is not advantageous to promoting our team right now,” Stokes said. “It was beneficial to see our team compete in singles and doubles. We were nervous, excited, energetic and passionate. We were also inconsistent in our level of play and competitiveness.” In singles action on the third day the lone victory came in the back draws competition as sophomore Juan Cruz Soria closed out with victory over UTSA’s Carrillo, 7-5 and 6-2. The men’s team will return to the courts Oct. 3 in Beaumont at the Ron Wesbrooks Invitational, hosted by Lamar University. Stokes believes there are three things the Broncs need to do to be successful this season. Some things he is looking for is the team to trust one another, create a brotherhood and create an identity. “We have our daily and weekly
missions that we must meet as a team and as individuals. Each Bronc knows what our purpose is to improve,” he said. “We are committed to our process of trust, creating our identity, and developing an unbreakable bond.”
MEN’S On day one of the Open the men earned five singles victories. Freshman Miguel AlvarezHevia, from Asturias, Spain, earned his first collegiate win as he beat University of Texas San Antonio’s Christian Carrillo, 6-1 and 7-5. Also making his collegiate debut with a victory was Jansen from Queensland, Australia, as he defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Wilkes Kothman 6-3 and 6-2. Three more Broncs advanced to the round of 32 but couldn’t get the victories necessary to
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Head Coach Paul Leese instructing the participants Sept. 15 as they rest after making the first cut of the day.
Fernando Garcia/ The Pan American
WOMEN’S The UTPA women’s tennis team competed in the same tourney in Corpus Sept. 12-14. Sophomore Katia Stavroulaki won her first two matches on day one at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center. She opened with a victory over University Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Vanessa Figueroa 7-6, 6-4 and followed with a 6-4, 6-4 over UTSA’s Lina Hallgren. Head Coach Stephanie Vallejos knows that the team has to get better in doubles, where the furthest they got was the round of 16. “It was a tough weekend overall for us, but for the majority of the team played well,” Vallejos said. “There was a few struggles at the start of the tournament, but what was most important about the weekend is that they bounced back from each match and played
better with each round.” Ranzahuer, who lost in her opening round, returned with a winning streak as she took straight sets 6-2, 6-0 over Incarnate Word’s Sarah Savedra. Junior Christel Amsallem lost her first match but won her second 6-2, 6-1 against Incarnate Word’s Taryn Strahl. Vallejos believes that the work that Ranzahuer did over the summer helped the Mexico native bring her A-game to the tournament. “It was important for her to use the summer to gain confidence in her game and the weekend of matches in Corpus Christi proved that she is starting to believe in herself again,” Vallejos said. “She’s very talented and has a variety of shots in her game that we will continue to work on.” Doubles action was delayed on day one due to lightning in the area but Sept. 13 Amsallem and Ranzahuer led the Broncs as they defeated Lamar University’s Hanna Elfving and Teodora Stefanovic, 8-2, in the round of 16. The two lost in the following round to the Islander duo
Maider Martin and Celia Rodriguez 4-8. Stavroulaki continued her streak as she gained two more wins to advance to the quarterfinals, but lost 1-6, 3-6 to the Islanders’ Judit Vives. In the final day of competition Ranzahuer continued to excel, defeating UTSA’s Sonia Madronal 6-2, 6-0 in the back draw quarterfinal round. In the semifinals she bested the Islanders’ Vanessa Figueroa 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the back draw finals; there she was beaten by UTSA’s Jacoba Junger 1-6 and 2-6. The Bronc women are back in action Oct. 16 when they compete at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals in Waco. “The time we have until our next tournament will allow us to really train harder and get stronger,” Vallejos said. “We played the last tournament with just a few days of practice and now we have the opportunity to learn from our last competition and take those things into the next few weeks of practice.” Jon Nutt/ The Pan American