March 1, 2012

Hot Streak the

Broncs win first five games of the season Page 12

Volume 68, No. 20

Friedman

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner speaks at UTPA

March 1, 2012

SIDELINED

Page 5

Meme Trend

UTPA-related Facebook pages become popular

Page 6

Unique Beauty Student overcomes skin disease stigma

Page 8

panamericanonline.com

Pan American Blogs

ONLINE

Saira Trevi単o offers fashion advice to students

One point away from record, junior star injured Page 10

2

editorial

March 1, 2012

Photo of the week

A March without

opinion

madness

Mike Saenz Sports Editor

There’s nothing like a roaring student section on the road, thousands of fans rooting for the underdog that they don’t know one thing about or storming the court after an upset that never should happened. That’s the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

And one thing that the UTPA basketball program has never experienced.

The biggest moment for each and every college basketball player is playing in the NCAA Tournament or as some like to call it, the Big Dance. If it’s not, well it should be. But thanks to the Great West Conference, which UTPA competes in, the Broncs won’t have that opportunity this season and possibly won’t for some time. There are 31 automaticbids given to 32 NCAA Division I conferences and unfortunately, the Great West winner is the odd man out as the only D-I conference whose winner

doesn’t automatically qualify for the Dance. The National Invitational Tournament, College Basketball Invitational and Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament are the three other main tournaments that invite teams that don’t qualify to the NCAA but are a side note, if at all, compared to the Big Dance.

So yes, something is wrong.

The basketball program hasn’t been in a stable conference since the 1991-98 period, when it resided in the Sun Belt, and hasn’t participated in postseason play since the 1981 NIT. You got to think that the Broncs are due, but what would be the point if our players can’t get invited to the dance even if they were to win the conference?

Maybe it’s not entirely the school’s fault because, obviously, the conference has to invite a university. But has the athletics department been doing the best job in promoting itself? I know they recently went through changes and endured a facelift, but a decision needs to be made. Athletic Director Chris King and staff have done a wonderful job so far during his tenure,

but there is one more thing that the Broncs fans want and need. Either make up your mind in becoming a serious D-I program and trying to get into a “real conference” (which I think they are trying to do) or think about moving back into Division II program status. Plain and simple.

I know I may not see the Broncs in the Big Dance while attending UTPA, but I’m sure the new regime will get things done and enter a stable automatic-bid conference in the near future. And hopefully one day I will be able to see my team in the NCAA Tournament instead of rooting for another program just for the heck of it.

Nevertheless, while I watch the likes of Murray State, Wichita State, and New Mexico make Cinderella-type runs in this year’s tournament, I will keep reminding myself that one day (sooner rather than later) that will be the Broncs on the TV screen that I’m rooting for.

But hey, let’s look at the bright side. If the Broncs do indeed win the GWC tournament this season, at least we get to watch them in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Mac Peña/The Pan American

The UTPA baseball team shot out of the gates with a win against University of Texas at Brownsville in the season opener. The Broncs marched into the Al Ogletree Classic and scored a four-game sweep of the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds. The program has set a standard for ambition and intensity this year. Coach Manny Mantrana senses a new attitude in his fourth year as coach and he and his staff preach to the players: “We give them three doors. Door No. 1, they win. Door No. 2, they lose. Door No. 3, they give us their best. That is the one we want them to choose.”

Like The Pan American Facebook page to view the “Frames of the day.”

Vol. 68, No. 20

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Att UTPA students: an able-bodied person using a rolling backpack is the equivalent of using a wheelchair because it’s easier to get around.

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 665-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122

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Congrats to @TKE_Fraternity’s Kappa Beta Chapter for their Regional award! #UTPA -@UTPAGreekLife

News Editor:

Karen Antonacci

Sports Editor:

Michael Saenz

Arts & Life Editor: Norma Gonzalez

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Letters to the Editor

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ion t c du o r P otes N

Newsroom majors

Dr. Greg Selber Anita Reyes

Advertising Manager:

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En

y og ol yc rts Ps A io y ud ph St so g ilo l rin Ph ca ee ni in ha ng ec E l M ta ce en ien om Sc vir m

week 7

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na

ur

You don’t have to be a journalism major to work at The Pan American. If you possess an inquisitive nature, critical thinking skills, a basic grasp of English

Adviser:

Administrative Associate:

and thick skin, you already have all the qualities of a potential reporter. Representatives of many different majors contributed to this paper, here’s a sample.

c n hi ig ap es Gr D

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Pamela Morales

Jo

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

Erick Gonzalez

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.

Delivery:

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Page 3

4

March 1, 2012

Halting Default

newsbriefs Latino Initiative for Voter Empowerment is hosting Viva El Voto on March 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chapel Lawn. LIVE will be registering the UTPA community to vote. There will be free food and drinks, as well as a short dance concert of the Dancer’s Creative Motion and Latino Theatre Initiative.

They are currently looking for deputized students to help register voters. For more information on how to get deputized, please contact the Hidalgo County Elections Department at 318-2570.

The University was recently awarded a $500,000 grant by the National Science Foundation to provide 20 four-year scholarships and 12 three-year scholarships to students in STEM fields at UTPA. “We are all working to cultivate more Hispanic engineers by increasing our retention rate of students in helping them earn their college degrees,” said Congressman Ruben Hinojosa.

The Pan American will have a story about the grant in next week’s issue.

Sodexo now gives veterans a 20 percent discount.

Veterans must have a sticker as proof that they can receive it at the Veterans Affairs office at the University Center, located on the second floor.

news

UTPA office counsels students on loans

By Karen Antonacci The Pan American

The amount owed in federal student loans rose from $722 billion in 2010 to $848 billion in 2011, according to the Department of Education. That means all of the money owed by American students in loans is enough to give every person on the planet about $120.

It isn’t just the amount of debt, either. More and more students are leaning on loans to help them get through school. The Department of Education reports that a million more students took out loans in 2011 than in 2010.

Associate Director of Student Financial Services Karla Flores said the same is true at UTPA, with more students borrowing from a diversity of backgrounds.

“We’re seeing a lot of students borrowing from all different classifications, and all different income levels. It is on the rise,” she said. “At this time, without any new gift aid programs available, the loans are going to be (students’) only option to meet the cost of attendance needs.”

Not every loan gets paid back.

The Department of Education noted that $16.1 billion of the federal loan money in 2011 was in default, or the state when borrowers fail to make a payment for nine months. The 2011 amount was up from 2010 by about $2 billion.

In Texas, if a student defaults on a loan, the state can withhold

everything from 15 percent of wages and tax refunds to lottery winnings. Additionally, defaulting usually incurs collection fees, disqualifies a student for more federal aid, and hurts their credit score.

At UTPA, 4.6 percent of 2901 students who started repaying their loans in 2009 defaulted, which translates to 136 students haunted by their debt.

The Default Prevention Office at UTPA aims to do just what its name suggests, tackle the problems from both ends of a college education. First, when students are contemplating their first loan and again when they have to start repaying them, but don’t.

Flores said the office routinely assesses the group of first-time college students who are also becoming first-time borrowers, and requires almost all freshmen seeking a loan to get counseling before they take one out. The only exceptions are those in the top 30 percent of their class, those who are married, make more $40,000

a year, or whose parents make that amount.

In counseling, the students are made aware of all the options and consequences associated with loans, but never denied outright.

In some cases, the office can award a small grant of $100 or $500 instead of a loan if it would serve the student better, Flores said.

“Entering freshmen usually are not sure what they’re getting themselves into,” added Denise De Los Santos, default prevention officer. De Los Santos noted that some freshmen take out loans to cover expenses for their first semester and then leave, not realizing they must start paying their loans back even if they didn’t graduate.

On the other end of a degree, De Los Santos and the three workstudy employees at the Default Prevention Office call, email and send letters to those students who are about to default on student loans.

Then, the office works as a middleman between the student

2,901 students

started paying off their loans in 2009 and 136 defaulted within a year, leaving UTPA with a default rate of 4.6 percent.

and lender, negotiating payments or sometimes getting the student a deferment, which means pushing back the due date on the loan, without adding interest on it in the meantime.

The problem?

Students assume UTPA is calling to chide them about their debt, when in reality, the University is trying to help them get out of the red.

Once, one of the work-study employees called a borrower about to default, and left a voicemail explaining that the office was there to help and answer any questions, De Los Santos said. The borrower returned the call immediately without listening to the message.

“She answered the phone, you know, with ‘Default Prevention Office,’ but as soon as they heard the word ‘default’ she heard the click on the other end,” De Los Santos recalled.

For those students who do pick up the office’s call, Flores said one of the employees will try to set up an appointment to answer questions, even if it’s a bit later in

the day or the weekend.

“The main thing we want to get across is that we are not collectors,” she said. “A call from us is not to bill them on their loan, but to help them and give them options on what’s available.”

De Los Santos added that it’s important that all students, even after they graduate from UTPA, keep contact information up to date, stressing that office representatives are available to answer any questions about student loans. They can be reached at 665-2411.

“We’re willing to set up appointments for them after 5 p.m.,” Flores said. “We can stay because sometimes they’re working. These are students who owe money and they know they owe money. It is really hard for them.”

(This is Part Two of The Pan American’s series on financial aid. Part Three will appear next week and examine the worth of a degree from each UTPA college.)

REPAYMENT- When a student either graduates or drops below half-time enrollment, they enter the phase of repayment and must begin to pay their student loans back.

DELINQUENCY- When a borrower misses payments, but not enough to be in default.

DEFAULT- When a borrower misses payments for 270 days, or about nine months, the loan is

in default. In default, the government can start withholding wages, tax refunds and deny any other federal aid.

DEFERMENT- If a borrower qualifies for economic hardship, like unemployment or other life circumstances, they can apply to postpone their payments

FORBEARANCE - If a borrower does not qualify for a deferment, they still might be able to get forbearance, which allows a temporary stop to payments, or smaller payments for a time.

In the 2008 presidential election, 43 percent of registered Hidalgo County voters showed up to the voting booth, according to the Advocacy Alliance Center of Texas. With the March 5 registration deadline fast approaching, here’s a card detailing how to cast a ballot.

REQUIREMENTS 18 years old U.S. Citizen Live in the county Not convicted felon Not declared mentally incapacitated by a court.

TAKE WITH YOU

April 3 LOCATIONS: Student union

MWF 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. around campus T,TH

APPLICATIONS ALSO AVAILABLE AT: Hidalgo County Elections Department

ARE YOU REGISTERED?

Presidential Primary Election

Republican presidential candidate (1st round) Registration deadline

March 5

April 3

State Primary

State Senator and Congressman Go to www.votexas.org Registration deadline Scan the QR code Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE June 5

March 5

Primary Runoff Election

A Texas Driver’s license or other state ID with an address

101 S. 10th Ave, Edinburg, TX

Republican presidential candidate (2nd round)

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Registration deadline

Or the last 4 digits of a S.S. number

Public libraries

Not a UTPA ID

318-2570

Voter Registration Office

May 7

November 6

General Election

President of the United States Registration deadline

Oct. 9

news

March 1, 2012

‘Frustrated Optimist’

5

The Pan American

Thomas Friedman on the state of the country

By Karen Antonacci The Pan American Author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman spoke to the community Wednesday night about the state of the country and what the United States should be doing differently, moreover, he spoke to Claudia Ramirez.

Ramirez is an 18-year-old senior at the Idea Academy who visited UTPA to hear Friedman speak.

During his speech, Friedman advocated cutting government spending, raising taxes and investing in the future, a platform he called hybrid politics. The columnist, who has won three Pulitzer prizes, said he wanted to see a third-party candidate enter into the presidential debates.

“We have hyper-polarized politics,” he said. “We need an independent candidate who will give a shock to the system.”

Ramirez, who hopes to major in political science in college and is excited to vote in her first presidential election in November, said that part of Friedman’s speech caught her attention.

“I totally agree about a third political party,” she said. “We need someone to stand in the middle.”

At the beginning of his talk, Friedman told the audience that he was a frustrated

He said the U.S. used to function on a formula for success that is quickly crumbling. Education, immigration and government research have all gone downhill, according to the bestselling author.

“Have you heard the Republican debates lately?” Friedman asked the crowd. “It’s all about who can build the most electric fences…we’re sending a message to the rest of the world that says,

Have you heard the Republican debates lately?

It’s all about who can build the most electric fences.

- Thomas Friedman New York Times columnist

optimist, and throughout the night he expressed his frustration with what he called, “America’s slow decline.”

Dancing for everyone

‘Come to America and get your degree in our colleges, preferably in chemistry or physics, and then get out of our country. Go some-

Police Beat Natalia Rocafuerte/The Pan American

Distinguished Speaker - New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman addresses current political issues at the Fine Arts Auditorium Wednesday. where else and start your company with your American degree that will compete with us,’” he finished to applause.

This is the part that stood out to Manuel Campos, a 21-yearold psychology major.

“I remember when he started talking about immigration, how they just want you out, they don’t want to help. That’s absolutely true,” he said.

Towards the end of the speech, Friedman said that the community had heard his frus-

trations, and he would tell them why he is still optimistic about the future.

Friedman said he got a sense that the American public hadn’t gotten the news that the country is in a downward spiral, and that it gave him hope.

“I feel like if I had to draw a picture of the United States I would draw a rocket in blastoff,” he said. “With the boosters running at full power but …with energy leaking from the breakaway capsule.”

Student organizations host Friendship Dance for special-needs students

By Ayesha Zahid The Pan American “Party Rock Anthem” blares against the wooden gym floor, but Justin is standing outside, mesmerized by the constant motion of the sliding doors as people walk in and out. His teacher, Santiago Villarreal, stands by him holding the slice of pizza Justin isn’t hungry for.

“He’s interested in the mechanics of things,” said Villarreal, from John F. Kennedy Middle School. “He’s way smarter than me, too. But when it comes to socializing… ” He vaguely waves his hand toward the gym, the source of the music.

Justin is a special education student from the Mercedes school district, one of the more than 400 students who attended the Friendship Dance for Exceptional Children at the University Feb. 24.

The dance is an annual Valentine’s Day-themed event in its fifth year, arranged and hosted by the Health and Kinesiology Club,

which promotes physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. It is part of an outreach initiative by the club along with the Student Council for Exceptional Children, a University student organization dedicated to advocating for children with special needs.

“We have an interest in working with special ed students,” said Armando Perez, treasurer of the H&K club, “and we like reaching out to the community because that’s the field most of us are going to be working in.”

Events such as the Friendship Dance are an attempt to provide special education students an outlet to socialize with other students around the Valley.

SEF-FUNDED The expenses for the event are going to be reimbursed by the Special Events Fund made available to individuals and student organizations by the Student Government Association. Since the dance was open to all students and took place on campus (Health

Mac Peña/The Pan American

Stepping out - Special-needs students from across the Valley dance to the YMCA during the Friendship Dance held at the Health and Physical Education Building II Feb. 24. and Physical Education Building), it qualified for an SEF reimbursement of $430.

The estimated number of attendees was around 200. However, the actual number increased to double the expected amount.

“We were expecting more than 200, obviously,” Perez said, “but we ended up getting way more people than that. The word gets around from district to district and the students have a lot of fun. They look forward to coming.”

Most of the expenses went toward providing pizza, napkins, and other supplies for guests. Extra food had to be ordered when it was clear that the pizza was not going to be enough for all the guests, and Perez found himself at an SGA meeting again as the event wrapped up,

this time asking for an increase in the reimbursement due to the high number of guests.

There was one vote against, and two abstentions toward approving a higher amount for reimbursing the H&K Club.

Student organizations can be reimbursed by the SEF for a maximum of $750 per year as long as the event is open to all students.

The Friendship Dance welcomed the University’s students, faculty and staff; however, the advertisement for the event was done mostly verbally and in person.

The event mainly concentrated on special education students from school districts around the Valley. Special education students from UTPA were not the main focus, however.

“We should have reached out to them,” Perez commented, “but we were just aiming more towards the students in the Valley, the younger ones as well as high school.”

Students from nearly 20 schools around the Valley were in attendance, along those from several adult day-care centers.

“We found out about the event at the Special Olympics,” said Angelica Lopez, a teacher from Memorial High School, referring to the games held at Weslaco High School Feb. 18. “The kids were really excited, because there’s not a lot of social events for them here. We try to take them out as much as we can, but we’re really glad when something like this dance comes up.”

Wednesday, Feb. 22 A male, who was not a student, was arrested on Schunior for driving while intoxicated and for possession of marijuana.

Thursday, Feb. 23 UT Police contacted two males, who were not students, for suspicious behavior in Lot C. Both males were given a criminal trespass warning and escorted off campus.

Friday, Feb. 24 A staff member reported abusive language at the Administration Building.

Four Ford F-150s were broken into during the day while parked on campus, damaging the steering columns. The UTPA police department suspects that a group targeted the model because it’s currently popular in Mexico.

Assistant Chief James Loya stressed that if students see a vehicle passing up parking spaces, or if they are the victim of a burglary, they should alert the PD immediately.

The PD also suggested students register with the Help End Auto Theft program, which allows police officers to stop registered vehicles if they are found on the road between 1 and 5 a.m., or if the vehicle shows up at the border. To register, go to txdmv.gov/protection/auto_ theft/heat.htm Monday, Feb. 27 UT Police responded to a medical assist for a student at the Student Health Center. The student was seen by staff at the Health Center but the student refused to seek emergency medical attention.

A student reported the theft of an unattended backpack containing a laptop and different forms of identification at the Academic Services Building.

Page 6

Satirical pages all the rage THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

By Norma Gonzalez The Pan American

Although millions of people use the Internet every day, the subculture of memes, rage faces and viral videos can seem like a huge inside joke. But college-themed humor pages are growing in popularity and quickly becoming a way for students to parody and deal with their college experiences at UTPA. Can’t find parking? Build a meme. Don’t like the fact that a Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant is being built at the Student Union?

Create a video.

“I’ve spent years creating and enjoying memes on other websites such as 9gag.com, 4chan.com and reddit.com,” said the creator of UTPA Memes, a pre-pharmacy major who requested anonymity, as did other initiators of Universityrelated pages. “It’s amazing to realize just how witty the human mind can be when one takes the time.”

Most memes (defined as an idea, behavior or style that spreads

from person to person within a culture) created by students involve a generic photo with a “set-up” on top and “punchline” at the bottom of the frame. Any topic is fair game, and the goal is to develop reusable characters - “Philosoraptor,” “Success Kid” and “Socially Awkward Penguin” are examples image macros designated to show thoughtfulness, success, and being stuck in an awkward situation. A image macro is a picture with superimposed text, often for humorous effect.

“There are unwritten rules on how to make a meme,” said the freshman who co-created the UTPA Memes (Funnier) page, an off-shoot of the original UTPA Meme page. “Memes are supposed to be funny, so we try our best to make them reflect our own personal experiences here at UTPA.” The ability to remain anonymous and say what is on their

minds without censorship has prompted several students and alumni to develop Facebook pages that reflect everyday situations and problems, like almost getting hit by a car walking through a parking lot.

“The status updates are mostly to bring a smile to people’s faces by making uplifting status or something to the matter,” said a 22-yearold UTPA alumna and co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA. The Friendly Squirrel has developed a personality - posting about SGA elections and LMFAO’s songs. “I mean, just try to imagine a squirrel dancing to the ‘wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah’ part of the song. That makes my day, any day.”

University fan pages have also seen an increase in popularity and have acquired several “likes” and followers. The Friendly Squirrel almost triples in popularity over The Creepy Fat Cats at 1,822

likes. From the cats that roam the area around the Communication Building to the squirrels that have become very comfortable with students walking by, these creatures have been humanized.

“The fact that one of my friends said the friendly squirrel had walked her to class one day, this made me realize how friendly the squirrel really was,” co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel said. “So I thought it deserved a fan page since several other people had also been talking about it.”

Students post comments directed to the cats or squirrels, but are really directing them to the person behind the computer screen.

For example, a student asked The Friendly Squirrel if he has been in hiding due to the bipolar weather.

“I try and make it seem like they are actual students here,” said a Falfurrias native who is the creative impulse behind The Creepy

Fat Cats at UTPA. “Secretly taking night classes when everyone’s gone and that the English teachers at the COAS decided to teach them English and now the cats are studying to get their, what I call, ‘Meowsters Thesis’ in ‘Feline Ethics in University Systems’ and also ‘Heritable Genetic Disorders in Cats.’”

The online trends are not just bound by YouTube uploads or comment posts. Internet interactions seem to be seeping out of the computer and turning into everyday conversation among students.

“I believe that they are a great way to have people interact with others with the same interest,” said the UTPA Memes person. “Basing my idea on that, then it would be a nice way to break the ice if you so happen to run out of ideas to talk about with someone you have just met. ‘Hey, so did you know that squirrel had a Facebook page?’”

if u no what i meme...

The Creepy Fat Cats at UTPA

“UTPA Parking Gave Me Heatstroke”

1982 First emoticon created

The Pooping Pigeons at UTPA

Co-creator of the Friendly Squirrel page wasn’t surprised that another UTPA animal page wasn’t as popular. With only 49 likes, this page is struggling to keep a sliver of Internet history.

:-)

2000 “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” goes viral on Newgrounds.com

2006

“La Caida de Edgar,” or Edgar’s Fall, posted online. Young Spanishspeaking Edgar gains Internet fame for falling off a log into a creek.

2007 “Charlie Bit My Finger,” posted to YouTube. British babies amass over 425 million views to date.

2006 2007 “Sneezing Baby Panda” video makes Chris Crocker tearfully all of Internet go, demands that the Internet “Awwww.”

“Leave Britney Alone!”

2010

2009 “David After Dentist,” gains over 107 million views.

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42 views The Pan American’s newscast of the Valley Metro goes largely unseen, as do many of our videos.

The extra-nice squirrel in front of the library has its own Facebook page, with 1,822 likes. He replies to comments as well as being very interactive “in person,” running up to shoes and using his cuteness to extract a treat.

Y U NO AWARE OF MEME HISTORY?

Page 7

Frozen Yogurt

The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA

The discomfort of encountering the territorial stares of a herd of UTPA cats has inspired the creation of a “Creepy Cats” Facebook page. 605 people are disturbed enough by the campus felines to “like” the tribute page.

The Facebook page for the parking situation at UTPA is currently on hiatus, posting very sporadically. The lack of parking spaces isn’t even funny anymore, but the page does have 130 likes.

3,926 views

UTPAs New Restaurant (Hitler Video) has become popular since the announcement of the future Poncho’s on campus.

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

Antoine Dodson issues a public warning to “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wives,” which gets picked up by “Auto-tune the News” and finds fame on iTunes.

2011 “Nyan Cat” or “Pop-Tart Cat” gains over a million views in its first two weeks.

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Page 6

Satirical pages all the rage THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

By Norma Gonzalez The Pan American

Although millions of people use the Internet every day, the subculture of memes, rage faces and viral videos can seem like a huge inside joke. But college-themed humor pages are growing in popularity and quickly becoming a way for students to parody and deal with their college experiences at UTPA. Can’t find parking? Build a meme. Don’t like the fact that a Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant is being built at the Student Union?

Create a video.

“I’ve spent years creating and enjoying memes on other websites such as 9gag.com, 4chan.com and reddit.com,” said the creator of UTPA Memes, a pre-pharmacy major who requested anonymity, as did other initiators of Universityrelated pages. “It’s amazing to realize just how witty the human mind can be when one takes the time.”

Most memes (defined as an idea, behavior or style that spreads

from person to person within a culture) created by students involve a generic photo with a “set-up” on top and “punchline” at the bottom of the frame. Any topic is fair game, and the goal is to develop reusable characters - “Philosoraptor,” “Success Kid” and “Socially Awkward Penguin” are examples image macros designated to show thoughtfulness, success, and being stuck in an awkward situation. A image macro is a picture with superimposed text, often for humorous effect.

“There are unwritten rules on how to make a meme,” said the freshman who co-created the UTPA Memes (Funnier) page, an off-shoot of the original UTPA Meme page. “Memes are supposed to be funny, so we try our best to make them reflect our own personal experiences here at UTPA.” The ability to remain anonymous and say what is on their

minds without censorship has prompted several students and alumni to develop Facebook pages that reflect everyday situations and problems, like almost getting hit by a car walking through a parking lot.

“The status updates are mostly to bring a smile to people’s faces by making uplifting status or something to the matter,” said a 22-yearold UTPA alumna and co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA. The Friendly Squirrel has developed a personality - posting about SGA elections and LMFAO’s songs. “I mean, just try to imagine a squirrel dancing to the ‘wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah’ part of the song. That makes my day, any day.”

University fan pages have also seen an increase in popularity and have acquired several “likes” and followers. The Friendly Squirrel almost triples in popularity over The Creepy Fat Cats at 1,822

likes. From the cats that roam the area around the Communication Building to the squirrels that have become very comfortable with students walking by, these creatures have been humanized.

“The fact that one of my friends said the friendly squirrel had walked her to class one day, this made me realize how friendly the squirrel really was,” co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel said. “So I thought it deserved a fan page since several other people had also been talking about it.”

Students post comments directed to the cats or squirrels, but are really directing them to the person behind the computer screen.

For example, a student asked The Friendly Squirrel if he has been in hiding due to the bipolar weather.

“I try and make it seem like they are actual students here,” said a Falfurrias native who is the creative impulse behind The Creepy

Fat Cats at UTPA. “Secretly taking night classes when everyone’s gone and that the English teachers at the COAS decided to teach them English and now the cats are studying to get their, what I call, ‘Meowsters Thesis’ in ‘Feline Ethics in University Systems’ and also ‘Heritable Genetic Disorders in Cats.’”

The online trends are not just bound by YouTube uploads or comment posts. Internet interactions seem to be seeping out of the computer and turning into everyday conversation among students.

“I believe that they are a great way to have people interact with others with the same interest,” said the UTPA Memes person. “Basing my idea on that, then it would be a nice way to break the ice if you so happen to run out of ideas to talk about with someone you have just met. ‘Hey, so did you know that squirrel had a Facebook page?’”

if u no what i meme...

The Creepy Fat Cats at UTPA

“UTPA Parking Gave Me Heatstroke”

1982 First emoticon created

The Pooping Pigeons at UTPA

Co-creator of the Friendly Squirrel page wasn’t surprised that another UTPA animal page wasn’t as popular. With only 49 likes, this page is struggling to keep a sliver of Internet history.

:-)

2000 “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” goes viral on Newgrounds.com

2006

“La Caida de Edgar,” or Edgar’s Fall, posted online. Young Spanishspeaking Edgar gains Internet fame for falling off a log into a creek.

2007 “Charlie Bit My Finger,” posted to YouTube. British babies amass over 425 million views to date.

2006 2007 “Sneezing Baby Panda” video makes Chris Crocker tearfully all of Internet go, demands that the Internet “Awwww.”

“Leave Britney Alone!”

2010

2009 “David After Dentist,” gains over 107 million views.

GRAND OPENING Saturday, March 3, 2012

•

12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM

FREE Free T-Shirts For The First 100 People In Line RED MANGO® McAllen

42 views The Pan American’s newscast of the Valley Metro goes largely unseen, as do many of our videos.

The extra-nice squirrel in front of the library has its own Facebook page, with 1,822 likes. He replies to comments as well as being very interactive “in person,” running up to shoes and using his cuteness to extract a treat.

Y U NO AWARE OF MEME HISTORY?

Page 7

Frozen Yogurt

The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA

The discomfort of encountering the territorial stares of a herd of UTPA cats has inspired the creation of a “Creepy Cats” Facebook page. 605 people are disturbed enough by the campus felines to “like” the tribute page.

The Facebook page for the parking situation at UTPA is currently on hiatus, posting very sporadically. The lack of parking spaces isn’t even funny anymore, but the page does have 130 likes.

3,926 views

UTPAs New Restaurant (Hitler Video) has become popular since the announcement of the future Poncho’s on campus.

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

Antoine Dodson issues a public warning to “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wives,” which gets picked up by “Auto-tune the News” and finds fame on iTunes.

2011 “Nyan Cat” or “Pop-Tart Cat” gains over a million views in its first two weeks.

5401 N. 10th St. I McAllen, TX 78504 956.630.0052 facebook.com/redmangomcallen

Located at the Courtyard Plaza

Offers valid 3/3/12. Valid only on at the participating RED MANGO® location listed above. Free tshirts while supplies last. Not to be combined with other offers and not valid on purchase of gift cards. No cash value. May not be duplicated. Not for resale. Limit 1 coupon per customer per transaction. Coupon must be surrendered upon redemption. RED MANGO name, design and related marks are trademarks of Red Mango, Inc. © 2012 Red Mango, Inc. All rights reserved.

FREE DRINK WITH ANY ORDER *OFFER EXPIRES 03/31/2012

PHONE: 956 386 9398 :: 1653 W. UNIVERSITY DRIVE

Page 6

Satirical pages all the rage THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

By Norma Gonzalez The Pan American

Although millions of people use the Internet every day, the subculture of memes, rage faces and viral videos can seem like a huge inside joke. But college-themed humor pages are growing in popularity and quickly becoming a way for students to parody and deal with their college experiences at UTPA. Can’t find parking? Build a meme. Don’t like the fact that a Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant is being built at the Student Union?

Create a video.

“I’ve spent years creating and enjoying memes on other websites such as 9gag.com, 4chan.com and reddit.com,” said the creator of UTPA Memes, a pre-pharmacy major who requested anonymity, as did other initiators of Universityrelated pages. “It’s amazing to realize just how witty the human mind can be when one takes the time.”

Most memes (defined as an idea, behavior or style that spreads

from person to person within a culture) created by students involve a generic photo with a “set-up” on top and “punchline” at the bottom of the frame. Any topic is fair game, and the goal is to develop reusable characters - “Philosoraptor,” “Success Kid” and “Socially Awkward Penguin” are examples image macros designated to show thoughtfulness, success, and being stuck in an awkward situation. A image macro is a picture with superimposed text, often for humorous effect.

“There are unwritten rules on how to make a meme,” said the freshman who co-created the UTPA Memes (Funnier) page, an off-shoot of the original UTPA Meme page. “Memes are supposed to be funny, so we try our best to make them reflect our own personal experiences here at UTPA.” The ability to remain anonymous and say what is on their

minds without censorship has prompted several students and alumni to develop Facebook pages that reflect everyday situations and problems, like almost getting hit by a car walking through a parking lot.

“The status updates are mostly to bring a smile to people’s faces by making uplifting status or something to the matter,” said a 22-yearold UTPA alumna and co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA. The Friendly Squirrel has developed a personality - posting about SGA elections and LMFAO’s songs. “I mean, just try to imagine a squirrel dancing to the ‘wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah’ part of the song. That makes my day, any day.”

University fan pages have also seen an increase in popularity and have acquired several “likes” and followers. The Friendly Squirrel almost triples in popularity over The Creepy Fat Cats at 1,822

likes. From the cats that roam the area around the Communication Building to the squirrels that have become very comfortable with students walking by, these creatures have been humanized.

“The fact that one of my friends said the friendly squirrel had walked her to class one day, this made me realize how friendly the squirrel really was,” co-creator of The Friendly Squirrel said. “So I thought it deserved a fan page since several other people had also been talking about it.”

Students post comments directed to the cats or squirrels, but are really directing them to the person behind the computer screen.

For example, a student asked The Friendly Squirrel if he has been in hiding due to the bipolar weather.

“I try and make it seem like they are actual students here,” said a Falfurrias native who is the creative impulse behind The Creepy

Fat Cats at UTPA. “Secretly taking night classes when everyone’s gone and that the English teachers at the COAS decided to teach them English and now the cats are studying to get their, what I call, ‘Meowsters Thesis’ in ‘Feline Ethics in University Systems’ and also ‘Heritable Genetic Disorders in Cats.’”

The online trends are not just bound by YouTube uploads or comment posts. Internet interactions seem to be seeping out of the computer and turning into everyday conversation among students.

“I believe that they are a great way to have people interact with others with the same interest,” said the UTPA Memes person. “Basing my idea on that, then it would be a nice way to break the ice if you so happen to run out of ideas to talk about with someone you have just met. ‘Hey, so did you know that squirrel had a Facebook page?’”

if u no what i meme...

The Creepy Fat Cats at UTPA

“UTPA Parking Gave Me Heatstroke”

1982 First emoticon created

The Pooping Pigeons at UTPA

Co-creator of the Friendly Squirrel page wasn’t surprised that another UTPA animal page wasn’t as popular. With only 49 likes, this page is struggling to keep a sliver of Internet history.

:-)

2000 “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” goes viral on Newgrounds.com

2006

“La Caida de Edgar,” or Edgar’s Fall, posted online. Young Spanishspeaking Edgar gains Internet fame for falling off a log into a creek.

2007 “Charlie Bit My Finger,” posted to YouTube. British babies amass over 425 million views to date.

2006 2007 “Sneezing Baby Panda” video makes Chris Crocker tearfully all of Internet go, demands that the Internet “Awwww.”

“Leave Britney Alone!”

2010

2009 “David After Dentist,” gains over 107 million views.

GRAND OPENING Saturday, March 3, 2012

•

12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM

FREE Free T-Shirts For The First 100 People In Line RED MANGO® McAllen

42 views The Pan American’s newscast of the Valley Metro goes largely unseen, as do many of our videos.

The extra-nice squirrel in front of the library has its own Facebook page, with 1,822 likes. He replies to comments as well as being very interactive “in person,” running up to shoes and using his cuteness to extract a treat.

Y U NO AWARE OF MEME HISTORY?

Page 7

Frozen Yogurt

The Friendly Squirrel at UTPA

The discomfort of encountering the territorial stares of a herd of UTPA cats has inspired the creation of a “Creepy Cats” Facebook page. 605 people are disturbed enough by the campus felines to “like” the tribute page.

The Facebook page for the parking situation at UTPA is currently on hiatus, posting very sporadically. The lack of parking spaces isn’t even funny anymore, but the page does have 130 likes.

3,926 views

UTPAs New Restaurant (Hitler Video) has become popular since the announcement of the future Poncho’s on campus.

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 1, 2012

Antoine Dodson issues a public warning to “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wives,” which gets picked up by “Auto-tune the News” and finds fame on iTunes.

2011 “Nyan Cat” or “Pop-Tart Cat” gains over a million views in its first two weeks.

5401 N. 10th St. I McAllen, TX 78504 956.630.0052 facebook.com/redmangomcallen

Located at the Courtyard Plaza

Offers valid 3/3/12. Valid only on at the participating RED MANGO® location listed above. Free tshirts while supplies last. Not to be combined with other offers and not valid on purchase of gift cards. No cash value. May not be duplicated. Not for resale. Limit 1 coupon per customer per transaction. Coupon must be surrendered upon redemption. RED MANGO name, design and related marks are trademarks of Red Mango, Inc. © 2012 Red Mango, Inc. All rights reserved.

FREE DRINK WITH ANY ORDER *OFFER EXPIRES 03/31/2012

PHONE: 956 386 9398 :: 1653 W. UNIVERSITY DRIVE

8

March 1, 2012

Carnage and chaos

skin deep

arts & life

UTPA student embraces another view of beauty

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo The Pan American Punk’s not dead. Neither is metal or surf rock or indie.

They’ll all be represented live and in concert Saturday at the Carnage and Chaos Art and Music Festival in San Benito.

The showcase at Oak Hill Event Center will feature Valley bands spanning the subgenres of rock music, playing on two stages along with local artists and vendors. Doors open at noon.

“Pretty much everyone offers something a little bit different from the other,” festival organizer Raul Garza said of the lineup.

Brownsville’s Story OfA Song are among the indie rock bands on the roster, and Harlingen-based El Jefe and The Riffs will be turning out instrumental surf rock.

“They’re very cool, very different,” Garza said of El Jefe, likening their music to that found on the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction. “They’re the only band I know in the Valley that plays that type of music.”

Carnage and Chaos has at least five local artists and vendors signed up to exhibit and sell their work. The artists range from clothing designer Dante Becerra and other crafters to painters and a custom horror mask sculptor.

“What I’m really hoping is this will turn into a yearly event,” Garza said. “To show that the Valley has more to offer than country and Tejano, and bring the underground artists to a mainstream crowd so they can see what they’re all about.”

Advance tickets can be purchased for $10 from any performing band and for $12 at the door. A full lineup is available on the Carnage and Chaos Art and Music Festival Facebook event page.

Arts & Life Briefs Hummingbird expert at Quinta Mazatlan Quinta Mazatlan will continue its Nature Speakers Series Thursday at 6 p.m. with Mark Klym of the Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Klym, coordinator of the Texas Wildscapes and Texas Hummingbird Roundup programs, will lead a lecture on

By Vanessa Garza The Pan American Running a simple errand at Sun Harvest Farmers Market in October of 2011 gave 20-year-old Gloria Reyes, a studio art major, a memory she will never forget. Standing in front of the nut bin with a baggie in her hand and a scoop in the other, Reyes was approached by a little girl who just had one thing to say before scurrying off.

“I remember a little girl told me the spotting on my hands looked like stars,” Reyes said. “It made me realize how differently things can look to different people. That little girl telling me that made my day.”

Reyes has a condition known as vitiligo, which targets less than one percent of the world’s population, according to the National Vitiligo Foundation. It causes the

the unique characteristics and behavior of hummingbirds with tips about how to attract them to any garden or green space.

“He’s known as the state expert on hummingbirds and promotes designing small native backyards to attract and support hummingbirds yearround,” Colleen Hook, manager of Quinta Mazatlan, said.

Klym, who is also an avid photographer of the tiny fowl, co-authored “Hummingbirds

pigment cell, a melanocyte, to be drained of the pigment and results in white spots that can cover any part of the body.

The cause of the disease is unknown, however, it is thought to be an autoimmune disease where the bodies immune system attacks its own organs and tissues.

one from the little girl in particular, have helped ease her insecurity when showing off skin. But it hasn’’t been easy.

“I first started to get white spots on my neck in 2008,” Reyes said. “I didn’t think it was a problem until I went to Warped Tour (a nationwide concert tour) with my sister

Refusing to cover up the spotting, she has dealt with stares and comments, good and bad. However, having positive comments, like the

(during the summer). I got super sunburned and the spotting got worse.”

For any teenage girl growing up, appearance is very im-

portant. Every hair has to be in place and the clothes have to be in tip-top shape, but Reyes strayed away from the norm.

“I was diagnosed and told there was no cure,” she recalled. “Some people who have Vitiligo get tattooed to cover it up, but I rather not do something to cover it up, even though it keeps spreading. It’s a part of me and I don’t want to try to hide myself. I do get insecure about it, though.”

Staying true to herself, Reyes has begun to hone and expand her love of the arts.

From playing guitar and singing in a band to picking up a pen to draw, Gloria has found what she loves to do. She aspires to make a living off of her art. With that in mind, Reyes has begun experimenting with her art, picking up different mediums like comics, painting, and portraits.

“Art looks different to

of Texas,” which will be available for purchase at the event.

Admission is $2.

“Our goal is to inspire somebody to want to learn more and do something, whether it’s in their own backyard or their work or campus,” Hook said. “It’s about spreading conservation from Quinta Mazatlan’s backyard through the Valley.”

The Nature Speakers Series will continue every Thursday through April.

Border Fest Border Fest, now in its 36th year, will return to the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo from March 1 to March 4 in celebration of the culture and heritage of Great Britain.

From the monarchy to the Beatles, this year’s festivities will bring a taste of England to the Valley during the four-day event.

“We decided to celebrate

England because the 2012 Olympics are going to be held there,” organizer Shalimar Madrigal said. “We hope that people have a good time and experience a new culture.”

Event organizers expect 100,000 people to attend the celebration and view artists like Demi Lavato, Clay Walker and Rolling Stone and Elton John tribute acts.

different people,” she said.

“So when I draw people, I draw them ‘normal.’ Someone looking at my art may not understand if I drew people with Vitiligo. Like wondering why are there spots, or if I forgot to color in the whole picture, but I hope to do a portrait of someone with Vitiligo (in the future).”

Through this disease, Reyes has come to think about a different kind of beautiful.

Rather than looking to a magazine with made-up models or watching popular actresses on the big screen, she has started looking for beauty around her.

“Now I feel like everything has beauty,” she explained.

“Everything can be beautiful like moles, scars or crooked teeth. They’re imperfections that won’t be on anyone else.

No one else will have those crooked teeth or that scar. Every imperfection is beautiful in it’s own way.”

Thursday, March 1st 6PM

Thursday, March 1st through Sunday, March 4th

arts & life

March 1, 2012

&

9

CIVIL RIGHTS

UTPA celebrates Black History Month with photography exhibit From the segregated Baltimore of the 1960s to the ongoing protests on Wall Street, Cassandra Griffen has spent nearly half her life documenting civil rights activism from behind the lens of a camera.

The activist and selftaught photographer spoke to a class of digital photography students before celebrating the opening of her exhibition, “From Civil Rights to Jazz,” in the Communications Arts and Science Building’s Clark Gallery Feb. 24.

“Your words are your photos,” Griffen said to the students. “They either show a resistance of something true or untrue, or acceptance.

You decide.”

Through the eye of the camera, Griffen has spent over 30 years documenting her experiences with black-and-white photography, a medium she considers timeless.

“Black and white stops it in

time. If it’s in color you can say, ‘Oh, no, they didn’t have that

Cassandra Griffen in 1962, that’s 1965, but when you look at this,” Griffen said, referencing a picture of singer Nina Simone, “her dress is not telling you anything because the black and white forces your hand to look at the image.”

She has chronicled the events and effects of Civil Rights Movement in both the North and the South. Griffen recorded everyday life in Alabama and segregated Balti-

By Lea Victoria Juarez and David Alvarado The Pan American

more. She also shot the art deco facade of the Charm Center, a women’s dress shop in New York City.

“My work is an artist’s representation of the civil rights movement through single-lense reflection,” she explained.

The 62-year-old photographer regularly hits the ground to document political unrest.

While in New York City last year, she found herself swept into the tides of protest and activism once again at Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park.

“What connects the occupiers with other protesters are their vulnerabilities,” Griffen explained to the class. “Activism is one of the most expressive art forms where you are at your most revealing.”

Griffen was covering the protests at the World Financial Center when police blocked her from getting shots of people being arrested.

“One police officer shoved

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Mac Peña/The Pan American

The Beat of life - UTPA African Folk Band performs at the opening of the exhibit in honor of Cassandra Griffen. The Clark Gallery will host Griffen’s photographs until March 16. me, and another hit me in the back of the head with a baton,” she said.

Various institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York have previously exhibited her images.

“From Civil Rights to Jazz” will be in the Clark Gallery until March 16.

REACTIONS An audience gathered inside the Clark Gallery at UTPA on Thursday night to view Griffen’s portraits and wild art.

The exhibition was organized by imaging illustration professor Lorenzo Pace.

“I think it’s a great event.

Not only the pictures of all the great Black Americans [that]

contributed to the culture of this country, also to have the performance,” French professor Stella Behar said. “I’m very happy that we put it together.”

As a token of appreciation, Griffen donated her piece of saxophonist Marshall Allen, titled “Marshall Allen, Sun Ra” to the University. The artist wants her audiences to take away “an awareness that in the American Black Community, there are many faces and behind those faces are human beings.”

For Thalia Cortez, a freshman pre-medical biology major, Griffen’s message hit home.

As a Hispanic migrant, Cortez has experienced racial discrimination firsthand. Although she never followed Griffen’s art

work before, Cortez can empathize with what Griffen is trying to say with her photos and was inspired by the art.

“The culture just blows you away,” the 19-year-old said. “She captures beauty. You could feel like you’re actually in the pictures. You could actually feel what they’re feeling.”

Through her work, Griffen set out to prove that black Americans are more than just the color of their skin.

“I want people to see this is what we are about too,” said Griffen, motioning to portraits of famous African-American musicians such as James Brown and David “Fathead” Newman. “We are talented, we are smart.”

10

sports

March 1, 2012

Filling the void Broncs hope to rally after Torre loss With leading scorer Torre out for what appears to be the rest of the season with a knee injury, Coach Denny Downing and the team will look to call on its seniors to bring them the rest of the way home.

“Well, I think they are just going to step up,” Downing said.

“Most of them have been with me a couple of years, and they

Five minutes passed and the junior guard finally sat up, but still had to let out another loud cry. She was then helped up and carried off the court as a mix of tears and sweat ran down her cheeks.

“I didn’t really care. I just wanted us to win,” Torre admitted. “I don’t know how I’m suppose to feel about this.”

”

By Ruben Gutierrez The Pan American The women’s basketball team was battling for the lead throughout the entire game against Utah Valley on Feb. 25.

The athletic department touted the night as a “chance to witness history.” Sweat dripped from Bianca Torre’s face as the second half went on. She was two points away from the all-time University scoring title and her team had a chance to extend the game into overtime. All they needed was a stop.

With five seconds left, Utah Valley drove the ball up the court against a stubborn Bronc fullcourt press. Five, four, three, the Wolverines shot, two, one, buzzer sounded and the game and Torre’s chances at breaking the record would continue when the visiting team’s shot bricked off the backboard.

Not long into the extra period of play, Torre stole the ball from a tired UVU squad.

She made her way downcourt to the right while the defense chased her. She had a wide-open layup, but fatigue quickly caught up with the Valley native. The defender blocked her shot at the last moment or it appeared. It was followed by an awkward fall, no foul called. She quickly tried to pick herself up, which she had done time and time again.

Except, this time she couldn’t.

It was obvious something was wrong as the cheering crowd hushed into worried silence.

“I just remember shooting a jump shot and my leg just giving out on me,” Torre said. “So I didn’t bother to try to shoot or anything. I just fell down and I knew right away that I was injured, just the way my knee went as I fell.”

She grabbed her knee while on the floor and a loud cry was heard. The crowd hoped for the best but feared the worst. The athletic trainers rushed to the court.

I didn’t really care.

I just wanted us to win.

”

- Bianca Torre Junior guard

The chance to make history came to an end with only one point left to go. The game still had to continue, so senior Donna Jackson stepped up.

With seconds left in overtime a Utah Valley player drove into the paint. Jackson stepped in front and a loud whistle was blown.

Everyone was waiting on the call.

As the official pointed out an offensive charge, the gym let out a huge cheer with 0:02 left on the clock. The Broncs won 71-70 as the overtime period finally came to an end.

Now with one home game left in the season, the Broncs (4-5 GWC, 11-16 overall) will need another jumpstart. After putting together three straight quality performances in front of its home crowd, including against the two best teams in the conference, they are going to need another push.

understand the value that playing here has brought to their lives.

After Saturday’s game is when we like to say the real season starts and that’s the postseason play.

So I think they’ll be focused and ready to go.”

Forward Jackson has been perhaps the most consistent and reliable player on the team.

Anchoring the defense along with being the only Bronc to start every game this year will take on an even bigger meaning with Torre out. She will need to improve her 8.6 points and six rebounds per game to help out in carrying the workload.

“We will pick it up and win it all for her,” the senior from Arlington said. “But we also need other people to step up and score. I know I haven’t been scoring lately and been more of a defensive threat, so I got to step

my offense up too.”

On Saturday, Jackson will have an even bigger incentive to play well with her family expected to be in attendance.

“I am really excited,” Jackson said about Saturday’s finale against Houston Baptist, before the Great West Conference Tourney starts March 8. “But more anxious than excited and nervous ‘cause it’s my last home game. But I’m more excited because my family is going to come and see me play. I usually play very good when my family is here, hopefully we can kill them pretty bad.”

In addition to Jackson, Adanna Opara and Erin Lewis will also need to help fill the void.

Point guard Lewis will likely see more than her usual 28 minutes per game from here on out and Downing will call on Opara, in addition to Jackson, to be more of an aggressor on the offensive end.

Opara is currently averaging 8.2 points and 6.4 boards per game.

Before her injury, the junior from Harlingen South was averaging a team high 10.9 points and had passed for 84 assists. Torre is expected to know the extent of her injury from her MRI results that was scheduled to be taken Feb. 29.

“I believe someone will step up from a starting stand point,” Downing said. “You know Erin Lewis has played the point guard position as much as Bianca and you know with (LaQuita) ‘Quita’ Garner coming back off of her injury can now play the two.

Bianca played a lot at the two not just the one. We feel like we have adequate people to step in. So Bianca, I can’t tell you in words what she meant to our program, and she will be back next year, but I think we will be fine. We just need people to step up in the scoring stand point.”

The Broncs will close out the regular season on Saturday against Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. at the Field House.

seniors

Adanna Opara 8.2 ppg 6.4 rpg 25.8 mpg

Ashley Watson .444 fg pct 1.3 ppg 3.5 mpg

Ruben Gutierrez/The Pan American

double teamed - Junior guard Bianca Torre goes up for a finger roll finish with the Utah Valley defense draped all over her.

Ruben Gutierrez/The Pan American

sizing up - Senior forward Donna Jackson gets ready to make her move against a Utah Valley defender.

upcoming games

Erin Lewis 3.3 apg 3.3 ppg 28.2 mpg

Donna Jackson 8.6 ppg 6.0 rbg 28.1 mpg

UTPA vs Houston Baptist March 3 at 7 p.m.

Great West Conference Tournament March 8-11 Chicago, IL

sports

on track 1102 ,01 rebmevoN

By Michael Saenz The Pan American

The UTPA men’s and women’s track and field teams have a history of performing well in championship meets and Andrew Lopez, among others, continued the tradition last weekend in Illinois at the Great West Conference indoor championships.

“He had a great run,” coach Xavier Richardson said of Lopez, who is from McAllen. “He had a fantastic finish as the final leg in the 1,600-meter run the day before and in the mile prior to his win in the 800. He was poised and showed endurance throughout the weekend.”

Lopez won the 800 run with a time of 1:55.15 for his first career conference title. Overall, both the men and women finished fifth out of seven squads in the GWC event. Sophomore Alex Trevino of Palmview was the other individual athlete to win a championship with a 13.91-meter jump (45.63 feet) in the triple-jump. Even though Lopez and Trevino headlined the closing day of competition for the Broncs, several other UTPA athletes came close to first

Briefs Downward swing The women’s tennis team hit the road this past weekend for three matches in three days in Louisiana. On Feb. 24 the Broncs fell to University of Louisiana at Monroe 7-0. One day later they fell to the hands of Louisiana Technical University 6-1 and closed the disappointing road trip with a scoreless defeat against Northwestern State University 7-0.

The Broncs are 1-5 so far this season and will open the home portion of the schedule tomorrow against Texas A&M University - Kingsville at the Orville I. Cox Tennis Center.

Road Woes UTPA men’s basketball has dropped its last two road games, both by double digits. First,

place finishes on the day.

Senior Sylvia Alboniga set a school record in the 60-me-

third in the shot put with a 12.62 meter throw (41.05 feet).

“We’re a relatively young

Andrew Lopez Senior runner

Won his first Great West Championship on Feb. 24 in the 800.

ter hurdles with a time of 9.01, finishing second behind Utah Valley’s Jessica Lingwall by crossing the finish line .05 seconds later. Alboniga had carved out a record in the same race the day before during the trials, 9.04.

In addition, a couple of freshman also imprinted their mark during the weekend.

PSJA Memorial product Macario Zarate finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 8.37, while San Antonio native Jasmine Davison placed

team and it was good to see our younger athletes compete,” Richardson said. “It was great to see our more veteran athletes take over the reins while the younger ones got to finally compete.”

During the opening action of the two-day event, the Bronc distance medley relay team that consisted of Martin Casse, Guillermo Martines, Sebastien Benavides and Lopez brought home the victory for the fourth straight year. They posted a time of 10:25.00, finishing 0.41 sec-

against conferenceleading Utah Valley 7464 Feb. 25, then again 48 hours later at North Dakota 86-60.

The Broncs (5-4 GWC) now

round bye in the GWC tournament by beating Houston Baptist in its season finale on Saturday.

The GWC tournament will take place in Chicago March 8 through 11.

Josh Cleveland find themselves in third place in the conference standings after having the opportunity on Monday to clinch the #2 seed. But UTPA can still earn a first

Streaking The Broncs baseball team knocked off the University of Texas at Brownsville 5-3 in their first trip to Brownsville in school history on Feb. 28. This is the second straight year in which the Broncs have opened the season with a 5-0 record. UTPA’s Jonathan Sa allowed five hits while striking out five in his six innings on the mound.

The Broncs broke the scoreless tie in the sixth with a one out RBI-single

by Mike McCarthy.

Austin Casas struck out two while pitching two scoreless innings for his first save of the season.

March 1, 2012

11

Broncs eye outdoor season after indoor championships onds ahead of second place Seattle University.

Scott Bann finished in third in the men’s weight throw marking 16.62 meters (54.06 feet) during day one of the competition as well, which was good enough for fourth best all-time in program history. The indoor championship meet also went down as Richardson’s first Great West Conference event as head coach. He was given the interim tag earlier this year after the departure of Dave Hartman.

Now with the indoor season out of the way, the Broncs will turn their focus toward the outdoor campaign. It’s a short turnaround and coach Richardson knows how important this week will be.

“We want our athletes to let their bodies recover,” he said.

“Whether that means to rest or staying active, we just need them to get recover.”

The Broncs are set to compete in Laredo at the Border Olympics on Saturday, starting a stretch of five straight meets in the state of Texas. After Laredo they will compete in Kingsville, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Alma Hernandez/The Pan American

full stride - Senior runner Andrew Lopez leads a wave of runners during a practice.

12

sports

March 1, 2012

Clean Sweep Extra inning walk-off gives Broncs victory in Al Ogletree tourney finale Perfect form - Mike Zouzalik pitches against Southern Utah University during the annual Al Ogletree classic Feb 26.

Adrian Castillo/The Pan American

By Alex E. Peña The Pan American For Sunday’s doubleheader at the 10th annual Al Ogletree Classic, Broncs coach Manny Mantrana and Southern Utah coach David Eldredge met at the pregame conference and agreed that no inning would start after 7 p.m.

That’s because the Thunderbirds had a plane to catch back home after their third game of the tournament, named after the UTPA coaching legend.

Eldredge didn’t have to worry about his team missing that flight. Not with Shane Klemcke batting ninth.

The Bronc junior center fielder hit a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift UTPA past the Thunderbirds 6-5 in the final game of the tournament at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The big hit got the club off to a 4-0 start for 2012.

As soon as Klemcke slammed a fastball over the head of third baseman Kevin Kline, the entire Bronc dugout crew, along with Mantrana, rushed over to home plate to greet the advancing Andre Cordova, who was pinch-running for catcher Mike McCarthy and scored the winning run.

Mantrana knew Klemcke had been through a rough patch and

was relieved to see him bring in the winning run. “(Shane) is a great kid, he gives you 100 percent every day. He loves to practice, tremendous student.

He’s what a student-athlete should be and more,” Mantrana said.

“He’s been struggling with the bat and keeps working, and I’m very happy that he came with the gamewinning hit.”

Klemcke was 0-for-13 prior to that game-winning single.

The Broncs rallied from deficits in both games Sunday to send the Thunderbirds (0-6) home winless on the season. UTPA came back from a 5-3 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with Roger

Bernal’s game-tying single.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Broncs, down 5-1, had scored nine unanswered runs to win 10-5.

Sure, it’s just the beginning of the season, and yes, it was against the winless Thunderbirds. But given the team’s struggles to close out games during last year’s 21-32 season, Mantrana was satisfied with the effort his players made coming back on Southern Utah twice in one day.

“The biggest thing that we need to do, is that when you get a win like we did, and coming back from a large deficit, is stay humble,” Mantrana said. “You have to keep working pitch by pitch. Most games are going to be won or lost in those last nine outs, they have to be mentally tough. We address some of those needs with the recruiting class we’ve brought in this year. It was a good team effort and I’m proud of the win for Bronc Nation.”

Senior Michael Zouzalik pitched five innings in the second game, allowing eight hits and three

earned runs. Bernal went 3 for 4 with an RBI while Klemcke was 1 of 3 with two RBIs. The doubleheader was originally schedule to be played Saturday with the one-game finale Sunday at noon but due to bad weather and unplayable field conditions the DH was moved back a day.

The Broncs had opened the Classic with a win over SUU 1-0 in a pitching duel between junior right hander Bryan Maxwell and Thunderbirds starter Kelsey Outram. Maxwell pitched six no-hit innings with seven strikeouts to start. Outram matched him pitch for pitch, allowing only six hits in eight innings in the loss.

An infield single by Angel Ibanez scored Bernal in the seventh inning. Then, Jonathan Sa came in to save the game with a perfect ninth inning.

The Broncs return to the diamond Friday at 7 p.m. against Arlington Baptist College at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. They will host the Patriots for a three-game series that will conclude Saturday with a doubleheader.

AVG AB H RBI

Adrian Castillo/The Pan American

Big Hit - Mike McCarthy played a crucial role as catcher during the Ogletree. He also connected with the ball every time he went up to bat. The Broncs started off the season 5-0.

feb. 21

UTPA 13, UTB 1

feb. 24

UTPA 1, SUU 0

feb. 26

UTPA 10, SUU 5

feb. 26

UTPA 6, SUU 5 (10)

feb. 28

UTPA 5, SUU 3

Pitching

Batting R. Bernal .591 M. McCarthy .471 A. Ibanez .409 D. Hagy .350

-

22 13 17 8 22 9 20 7

2 6 5 5

Z. Zouzalik J. Sa M. Zouzalik L. Flores

IP ER BB SO 4.1 8.1 6.0 4.1

0.00 1.08 4.50 2.08

0 0 0 1

3 7 1 3