March 4, 2004

PAGE 16

S PORTS

■ Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

UTPA host Razorbacks in weekend series

By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

Why mess around?

That seems to be the philosophy of Willie Gawlik, UTPA’s baseball head coach, at least when it comes to the team’s 2004 schedule.

In his second year as the head of the Bronc baseball program, Gawlik has amassed a schedule which ranks 27th out of 287 teams in terms of difficulty. The Broncs will go head to head with several big-time programs this season, including this weekend’s series at home against Arkansas.

Why aim for the big dogs?

There are many reasons.

“One, when you play a schedule like that and you win, the NCAA is going to give you a consideration,” Gawlik said.

“Two, it will make you better players, you play better when you play better talent. And it gives you recognition for your school and program.”

By Gawlik’s best approximation it would take 32 wins to earn an NCAA tourney bid. By that standard, the Broncs (7-10) would have to win 25 of their 34 remaining contests to

accomplish the first objective.

Whether they can do that will be determined when those games are played, but the Broncs have already made great strides in fulfilling Gawlik’s other goals.

With a 3-2 win against Washington State Feb. 27, the Broncs showed they can compete with the big schools.

They also picked up wins against both Kansas and Lamar earlier this season, but WSU was ranked just outside the top 25 when they visited the Edinburg Baseball Stadium, so the extra-inning victory was huge.

Although the Broncs took the opener of that series, they slipped in the second and third games of the three-game visit losing 15-3 and 15-6. According to Gawlik, the main problem in those two outings was the pitching.

“The percentages for a walked player scoring is something like 70 percent,” Gawlik said. “We walked 15 players on Sunday and nine of them scored. You can’t walk players and win.”

This weekend the Broncs will host another big-name school when the University of Arkansas Razorbacks visit Edinburg to

compete in a two-game series, with games Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Razorbacks (11-3) have dropped only one road game this year, losing to Texas A&M, ranked 14th at the time.

Gawlik knows that to compete against a team of that caliber there can be no mistakes.

“We’ll have to get all the small things right. And that means getting here on time and playing a full game,” Gawlik said. “We can’t just play five or six innings against a good team and expect to win.”

But according to the UTPA boss, pitching will be the cornerstone of the Broncs’ success or failure.

“Everything starts from the mound,” Gawlik said. “You pitch well and you’re in the ball game.”

In Saturday’s contest, junior Juan Sáenz will take the mound in hopes of keeping the Broncs in the game. In his two appearances this season as a starter, the 6-foot Valley native has picked up as many wins and leads all pitchers with a 2.16 ERA.

■ Intramurals . . . . . . . . . 15 ■ Sports Clipboard . . . . . 13

With the 2003-04 CHL playoffs quickly approaching, the Río Grande Valley Killer Bees look to enter the playoff race seeded fourth in the Southern Conference behind Amarillo, San Angelo and Laredo, respectively.

The Bees, who have not yet clinched a playoff berth, still need to pick up one standing point, or see a regulation loss by the Austin Ice Bats, before a postseason appearance is certain. But after picking up at least one point in their last 10 games it would be highly unlikely that the red-hot Bees would be held pointless in their final seven contests.

For Trey Medlock, president and general manager of the Bees, the postseason bid is a sign of success. “[Getting into the post season] is a very good thing,” Medlock said. “It shows that there has been success on the ice, and it helps your bottom line off the ice when meeting your goals.”

The Dodge Arena, which has hosted 11 sellouts in 31 Killer Bee home games, will likely see consistently larger crowds once the playoffs begin. From an operational

THURSDAY

‘Havana Nights’

SPRING BREAK

March 4, 2004 An Inside Look:

See Page 7 for details

News ............................................2 ■ A & E............................................7 ■ Sports ........................................16 ■

8-12

T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n

The fad is in the word School janitors maintain jobs, juggle future plans

By EDWINA P. GARZA The Pan American

Bees on verge of clinching playoff spot

By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

HEADLINES

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Sophomore Aarón Guerra swings away at a recent game. The Broncs lost two of three games against Washington State University last weekend.

stand point Medlock says the Bees look to expanded the CHL to 19 teams. Both teams draw significant income from entering the should make it to the postseason, as Colorado leads the Northwest Division with playoffs.

“If you have a good playoff run you have 78 points. They will be the second and third a great opportunity to make more money,” teams in the new CHL to enter the Medlock said.

“We could have as many as 10 postseason games, and if you sell all those out you’ve been v e r y successful.”

In the history of the CHL/WPHL, which merged to form the existing CHL in May 2001, there have been 19 franchises that went bellyup.

Photo by Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American This year, the Killer Bees and The Killer Bees will continue their run for a playoff spot when they visit the Colorado Odessa today at 7 p.m. The Bees are 29-20-8 this season and in secEagles joined, ond place in the Southeast Division of the CHL.

postseason in their inaugural year, following the Laredo Bucks’ performance last year.

Steve Cherwonak, who has been the vice president of communication for the CHL since the 2001 merger, is pleased with the two teams’ results.

“A lot of work goes in to planning and preparation,” Cherwonak said. “We choose the right people and we are comfortable they will do a great deal of hard work. I wouldn’t say we feel relief that both teams have made the postseason, because we anticipated success. But it is a good thing.”

With the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs’ 32 regulation loss to the Memphis Riverkings at home on Tuesday night, the Laredo Bucks became the regular-season champions and in doing so will be awarded the Governor’s Cup. If the playoffs began today, the Killer Bees would face their archrival, the Bucks, in a best-of-five playoff round. In their last two meetings, the Bees and Bucks have split, with each picking up a shootout victory in front of a home crowd.

The Bees are 3-8-1 in the season series with the Bucks. The two teams will play once more before the playoffs on Friday, March 12 at Laredo.

When asked about the prevalence of crude humor and attitudes, Medrano said different people find different things funny. If people don’t like the captions on the shirts, she said no one is forcing them to buy them.

Parents and their children have for

McALLEN – “Only in American can the mentally retarded be President.”

“Boy Bands Suck.” These are just some of the one-liners that grace T-shirts across the country. In La Plaza Mall, stores like Hot Topic and Gadzooks are finding that this type of merchandise is popular with young adults, and sometimes, older people.

UTPA student Mari Mendoza, 20, is an employee of Gadzooks.

She said that among the amusing T-shirts the store sells, one that says “It worries me how dumb you are,” is a big seller.

“I think they’re funny,” Mendoza said.

“They aren’t offensive, they’re cute.”

Recently however, much has been made of the trend toward Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American antagonistic and sarcastic messages on BAD TASTE— T-shirts with raunchy or racy messages have shirts, reminiscent of become commonplace in recent times. This rack at La Plaza the bumper sticker Mall in McAllen is a good example of that. craze of the 1970s.

Some people say that years argued about style and what’s the appearance and proliferation of such appropriate for a young person to wear. messages is a continuing sign of the Los Angeles father’s-rights talk show coarsening of the modern culture, while host Glenn Sacks is a protester against others argue that free expression has shirts which include negative messages simply found another vehicle. about males, and he has started to ask Abercrombie and Fitch has had to pull that retail chains stop selling such some of its more offensive products from products. stores, including several with what can One of the most controversial lines is be considered ethnically insensitive. But manufactured by David and Goliath messages still continue to be sold on based in Clearwater, Fla. “Boys Are shirts, hats, and other merchandise.

Smelly - Throw Garbage Cans at them,” Hot Topic is a new addition to the says one shirt, and “The Stupid Factory McAllen mall, and caters to the punk- Where Boys Are Made,” is another, made rock crowd. The store sells chain belts, by chief designer Todd Goldman. leather, faux leather, lots of black, and An Edinburg woman shopping with her has a wall dedicated to around 25 teenaged daughter said she couldn’t different T-shirts with dry humor. imagine buying one of those shirts for her “I wish I could CRTL-ALT-DELETE children. you,” is one example.

“I have never bought one of those, and “People shouldn’t take it so serious,” I don’t intend to,” she said. said Lorie Medrano, 16, of McAllen.

While she doesn’t want to purchase “They’re just T-shirts.” these products for her children because The McAllen Memorial High School she finds them rude, she still enjoys student said the shirts are a new way to reading what they say. flaunt a bit of personality.

“I like to read them,” the school “They’re just really funny, and they counselor admitted. “They’re funny, but add personality - so that’s cool,” they aren’t funny on my kids.”

Medrano said.

By JULIAN CAVAZOS The Pan American

spend as much time with the family as he’d like to because of his work. This is a common problem for those who work the shift; they are shifting into gear when most people are winding down for the day.

“I work all night, and then I have to get up at 6:30 to take them to school. Then they get home at 3:30 or 4, and I see them for a little bit, then I have to come work,” said Rodriguez. “ I only get to see them about 8-10 hours a week, about two hours a day. I have to spend most of my time with them on weekends.”

Instead, while he wishes to be at home but cannot be Rodriguez probably sees the reflection of his loving wife and two children within the shiny tiles he cleans on the second floor.

Not seeing the family enough is one thing.

Not getting enough sleep is another.

“I don’t get too much sleep, especially when I have to go make some errands during the day.

I wake up at 6:30 to wake up and kids and have them get dressed and take them to school,” said Rodriguez. “By the time I get my sleep back, it’s already 9 or 10 and then the phone starts ringing, so I don’t get too much rest.”

The Rodriguez family only has one car, so his wife has to drop him off at 6 p.m. and then wake up to pick him up at 2 a.m., when he is finished for the day.

“It’s difficult, especially if you have kids and

Just like many students sail away in their own fantasies of someday becoming lawyers, doctors, musicians, and astronauts, Sylvia Saenz once dreamt of becoming a teacher aid.

Then, after doing some thinking, she decided that becoming a janitor was a better match for her.

“I had my thirty hours required to be a teacher aid, and I could have gone that way, but I realized that I really enjoyed being a janitor,” said Saenz, as her big hazel eyes and soft smile illuminated the Student Union. “I had previous experience working as a janitor in hotels and motels, so I already knew what to do. I love being a janitor.”

Saenz, wearing a button-down khaki uniform with her last name emblazoned in the upper corner of her shirt, has worked here for a little over a year, on the daytime shift from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Student Union. Every other week, she switches with another janitor from the same building to work from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Since she started at UTPA, she has found it interesting to be working around so many other people.

“It is interesting because I meet a lot of people; it’s never lonely. The most fun part is when events are going on, especially the holidays,” she said. “There are a lot of parties, and the students all gather together and have a good time. Its fun to watch them enjoy themselves.”

Working in the Science building is another janitor, Gabriel Rodriguez Jr. The difference between him and Saenz is that he works the night shift, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. After marrying young and then having a family start to come along, Rodriguez had to find some way to support his family.

“I got married real Franco Caballero/The Pan American young, when I was 16,” he SOLO FLIGHT— Most UTPA custodians work odd hours and said. “After the kids were usually by themselves, and deal with student sanitation apathy. born, I have more responsibilities now. I had only one car,” Rodriguez commented. “If you to think about what I could give to them. When have a wife who works, you have to take them you have kids, you have to work. You have to to work, and then they have to come drop me pay bills.” off and then pick me up. Sometimes I have to The night shift is hard for See JANITORS page 12 Rodriguez, who isn’t able to

PAGE 2

March 4

OPINION

March 4, 2004

letters

■

editorials

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cartoons

UTPA golfer coordinates Future tour

2004

By MATT HALL The Pan American Christine Treanor, of the women’s golf team, is making moves on the links and in the business world as well.

The junior from Bulverde has landed an important job at the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as the tournament coordinator for the Future’s Golf Tour.

This is the developmental tour for the LPGA, the final step before making the LPGA. One can make a comparison between this tour and the minor leagues in baseball or the NBDL in basketball.

The addition of the tournament marks the latest Valley improvement on the sports scene. The Edinburg baseball Roadrunners came first and the Killer Bees hockey team is now playing at the new Dodge Arena in Hidalgo. An arena football team, the Dorados, will start up soon, as the area continues to mature in terms of attracting legitimate sporting teams and events.

The tournament is over a year away, during the week of April 18-24, 2005 at the Palmview Golf Course, but the legwork is being done now.

Treanor is thrilled to have an opportunity like this and is living a dream.

“It’s been really exciting because this is what I have always wanted to do,” said Treanor. “I get experience at what I want to do while I am still in college and this busi-

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 53rd Year – No. 21

Editor Arianna Vazquez gareyjup@aol.com

News Editor Belinda Reyes mstxbellezalatina2003@ yahoo.com

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Layout Designers Dägoberto Pérez Ginmarie Mabry Reporters Brian Carr Vanessa Castillo Julian Cavazos Edwina Garza Dulce Gonzalez Matt Hall Christina Harris Aaron Lozano Vanessa Lucio Clarissa Martinez Amy Medellin Photographer Franco Caballero Copy Editor Joe Anna Moreno Student Pub. Secretary Jo Anne Murphy Adviser Dr. Greg Selber

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 university.

Letters policy The Pan American gladly accepts letters from students, staff and faculty regarding newspaper content or current issues.

The Pan American reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. Please limit submission length to 300 words. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters, or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor and must include the writer’s name, class/title and phone number.

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ness is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Treanor found out about this job through her adviser and professor. Her adviser received an e-mail and then passed the message to her.

So Treanor did what any aspiring college student did and sent in her resume. Then she got an interview and the rest is water under the bridge.

She started work Jan. 12 and is guaranteed employment through the tournament, but there is a chance she will be on board through 2007.

For now, Treanor knows some pros on the tour and is anticipating seeing them in action.

“I have friends who play on this tour and I hope they will come down here and play.

It would be good to see them and a bonus to see them play,” said Treanor. “It is just good to be a part of golf, not the playing but what goes on.”

The UTPA golfer currently works with local media outlets to promote her tournament. Plus, she is trying to get something going with the local colleges and high schools to promote this tournament, seeking the young crowd’s support.

Treanor is beginning to see how things work in the real world and has experienced positive support from her experiences, and her teammates.

Student-athletes aim high, score big GPAs

By AMY MEDELLÍN The Pan American

NEWS

■ ■ ■

LULAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Enrollment. . . . . . . . . 4 Career Day . . . . . . . . 5

Elevator repair proceeding after message

By CLAUDIA L. FARIAS The Pan American

Three months and a covert publicity campaign later, the elevator in Fine Arts Building B is expected to be repaired by early March. The completion of the custom-made part, the jack, is causing the delay.

That the inoperable elevator, out of service since November 2003, was not working was made known to the university community this semester through a flyer posted around campus. The flyer’s creator remains unidentified.

Page 15

Sports

Adorned with a picture of a wheelchair, the flyer encourages students to voice their concerns about potential injustices on campus.

“This is Discrimination,” the flyer reads.

“The Elevator In The Arts and Music Building Has Been Out Of Service Since Last Semester. I am In a Wheelchair, Please Help!”

The flyer’s author did not provide personal contact information, but encouraged students to “Speak Up For A Good Cause” by calling Dr. Jerry Price, dean of students.

“I think most people are satisfied,” Price

said, referring to the way the university has handled the situation. “Everyone involved has been very conscientious.

“Posting flyers can get people’s attention, but I don’t think it’s as effective as coming in and talking to us,” Price said.

Currently, there is a new flyer displayed throughout campus, on which the Student Government Association’s letter, addressed to students, explains the delay of the elevator’s repair.

The university has accommodated physically disabled students by moving their classes to the first floor of the Fine Arts See ELEVATOR page 12

There have been countless movies and television shows which have portrayed studentathletes as the typical ignorant jocks who will do just about anything to get out of a test or writing a paper. In reality, or at least at the University of Texas-Pan American Athletic Department, this overplayed scenario does not reflect real life.

As of the fall 2003 semester, the GPA for the athletic department averaged 2.84, which is higher than the UTPA undergraduate average of 2.62.

During last semester, 62 student-athletes, or 39 percent of UTPA’s athletes, accumulated a 3.0 GPA or higher and 13 of them earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. The department is inducting 60 new members into the Bronc Pride 3.0 Club, which is the department’s second largest group ever to be inducted.

The women’s tennis team has received national academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in all three of its previous seasons, and has accumulated the highest team GPA, 3.36, this fall than it has its past three seasons.

Another academic record broken in 2003 was the number of student-athletes who received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, given to student-athletes who excel academically, in memory of tennis legend

Arthur Ashe. Nine won it at all.

Matt Hall, a guard for the men’s basketball team and communications major, who is a member of the Bronc Pride 3.0 Club, has made the National Dean’s List every year in college, has made UTPA’s Who’s Who, and was a UTPA student of the week. He feels that not only is sports helping him physically, but academically as well.

“The discipline that I learn on the court, I turn back around to my studies and I feel that the help from my coaches and professors has really helped me to do well in my classes,” Hall said.

Academically, the department has made an outstanding improvement since 1997 when the athletic department GPA was a 2.1.

Since hiring Athletic Director William J. Wiedner five years ago, UTPA has implemented an academic support system that closely monitors the academic progress of all student athletes, headed by Chris Uchacz, the assistant athletic director of Academic Support and Student Services.

“This program allowed us to be able to see all the ‘red flags’ as they popped up, signaling that a student athlete was struggling academically or not following through on his or her academic commitments,” said Uchacz. “As a result, we are able to take a proactive rather that a reactive role in the academic success of our students.”

“I have a good idea of what aspects make a good tournament since I have played in so many myself. Hopefully people will come out and support it,” said Treanor. “At first it was a little struggle, but so far everyone has been really supportive and understanding of what I am doing.”

Treanor believes that her career as an athlete gives her an edge on the competition in the real world.

“Being a student-athlete I know how to manage my time and juggle my responsibilities,” said Treanor. “Employers don’t look at the fact you played for four years, but that you were able to keep your grades up and play. Employers do look at it and take it into consideration.”

So it’s been a busy period for one UTPA athlete getting a taste of the world to come.

The hardest thing for her to do right now is have free time for herself.

“Trying to juggle everything as far as playing golf, grades and work has been hard,” said Treanor. “It has been demanding.”

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

UTPA junior golfer Christine Treanor has an 87.2 average in two seasons.

Intramurals suffer, lack of time cited

By MATT HALL The Pan American If you build it, then they will come.

Or will they?

The officials with the University of Texas-Pan American Intramurals and Recreation Sports are trying to find ways to increase student participation. With a newly built softball field and two new football fields which can double as soccer fields, one would think that participation would be on the rise. But not so.

Plus, all of these fields have lights too, so what is the problem?

Director of Intramurals Charlie Cáceres believes the interest is there, but finding times to meet everyone’s schedule is the problem.

“We are a commuter school and that is a problem, plus people have night courses and have to work too,” said Cáceres.

“The interest is up, but times are not compatible.”

The department has made a couple of changes to the way they do things and Cáceres believes this has a lot to do with the low turn out rate.

“Honest to goodness I don’t know what the problem is,” said Cáceres. “We are doing a couple things differently this year. The big thing is that at the captains meeting we are closing the rosters and not allowing teams to add people to them so teams can’t make adjustments.”

At the captains meeting the teams get their schedules and when the captains report back to their respective teams they find out people have conflicts and cannot make games at the times they are scheduled.

At one point this year intramural softball had a 100-percent forfeit rate, but now people are attending the games at the

right times.

This presents another problem: having paid officials at the games but no players.

So the department is wasting money because all the games were being forfeited.

The Rec-Sports people are going to try a couple of things different for next year to help draw participants.

First, they are going to charge an entry fee for everyone and return the fee at the end of the league season if the team forfeits fewer than two games. This is going to act like a deposit, to help people show up. If they do not attend, they will lose money.

Secondly, they are going to allow the rosters to be open for the first two games.

This will give teams a chance to see who can play and who cannot. Then they can make changes so they do not lose their deposit.

Cáceres believes this situation is about making adjustments both on the department’s part and on that of the students.

“I know the interest is there, but it is a question of convenience,” said Cáceres.

“We have to understand the times and adjust to that. The afternoon was too early and hot and the evenings are too late.”

Cáceres has an idea of where he wants this department to go, but he needs the students to participate.

“We want a recreational facility so we can provide students a place to relieve stress and train,” said Cáceres. “This facility would have a weight room with longer hours, racquetball courts and everything else. We want it to be almost a 24-hour type of service.”

But for now, Rec-Sports will concentrate on making a peculiar situation work out for the best.

Sports

Page 14

March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 3

Oldest political group prepares for 75th anniversary events

By JULIAN CAVAZOS The Pan American

working on is immigration.

“Immigration is our top policy. In Bush’s recent announcement, his current temporary work program Two years ago, UTPA celebrated its 75th year gives Hispanics three years of work here. [LULAC] took anniversary. This year, it’s the League of United Latin a position against the president’s immigration reform because we support a concept called Earned American Citizens (LULAC) that has such a chance.

On its actual 75th anniversary date, Feb. 17, the Legalization, where Mexican immigrants working here organization kicked off its celebration in Corpus Christi, would entitle them to gain citizenship,” explained where officials laid a wreath over the gravesite of Fernandez.

LULAC is also trying to increase political access for LULAC’s first president, Ben Garza.

On March 9, the group will sponsor the LULAC Hispanics. Fernandez says that providing more training National Legislative Awards Gala in Washington D.C. for Hispanics in federal jobs would solve the problem of Here, important Hispanic leaders will be recognized for Hispanic under-representation.

“Hispanics have a very low employment rate in the serving the community. f e d e r a l The celebration will continue government.

We into July, when the LULAC The League of United Latin are very underNational Convention and represented Exposition will be held in San American Citizens (LULAC) p r o p o r t i o n a l l y, ” Antonio. At the convention, many c o m m e n t e d events, showcases, and ◆ LULAC formed in response to the disFernandez.

“We workshops are offered to want to increase the Hispanic students. Each year, top crimination 77,000 newly Mexicanamount of Hispanic leaders in business, American citizens faced after a third of Hispanics in government, and the Hispanic Mexico was annexed by the United f e d e r a l community address crowds in government. To get excess of 9,000 spectators.

States. representation is education.” ◆ LULAC has trained and found jobs for ISSUES LULAC receives LULAC is the oldest, largest thousands of Hispanic, built housing for its funds from and most successful Hispanic thousands more, provided $5 million in v a r i o u s organization in the United States. corporations and scholarship aid to Hispanic students.

Currently, membership is a g e n c i e s approximately 150,000 members.

Source: www.lulac.org. nationwide.

It is probably most known for the “Funding comes scholarships it offers annually.

Like any organization, especially one of a particular from membership dues, corporate foundations, ethnicity, LULAC faces many issues and makes policies government agencies. Typically it’s a grant process,” geared toward the betterment of Hispanics in the United said Fernandez. “We also work really closely with the States. Miguel Fernandez, coordinator of program Department of Human Services and the U.S. development for LULAC, says one issue they’re Department of Agriculture.”

RECALLING HISTORY The organization has a very unique history. After the Mexican-American War in 1846-48, the United States inherited one-third of Mexican territory, including nearly 80,000 residents. Mexicans living in the territory were given the option of remaining in what was now United States territory or to go into Mexico. Most of them chose to stay there, where they later raised future generations of families.

Although the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo granted these Hispanics full citizenship, their rights soon began to be denied by many racist white-Anglo Saxons, according to LULAC doctrine. These Anglos deprived Hispanics of their land and political power, and the right to vote.

Mexican-Americans were also limited to certain professions and jobs, and were confined to the lowest positions and received lower wages for doing the same amount of work as an Anglo, according to LULAC. Much like the African-Americans of the time, Hispanics were also forced into segregated schools and weren’t allowed to use “whites only” facilities.

Acts of lynching also occurred. Most people don’t know that Hispanics were more commonly lynched between 1865 and 1929 than blacks. Amid all the prejudice and violence occurring toward Hispanics, LULAC came into being.

In 1929, several different state organizations merged in Corpus to address social, political, and economic issues they were being faced with. Seventy-five years and 150,000 members later, the organization is still fighting for the same reforms today, primarily the encouragement of education, civil rights and justice, and political access. LULAC has also been praised for being successful at filing discrimination cases, desegregating hundreds of public places, and providing an annual $1.5 million in scholarship money for Hispanics. LULAC has an official presence in 38 states.

Looking back, Dr. Rodolfo Rocha, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said LULAC has opened many See LULAC page 12

Environmental group reeling with new controversy

By VANESSA L. LUCIO The Pan American

For some time now, in a two-party country like America, environmental groups have been vying for political power, to further their agenda of simply wanting the best for the globe.

In the past, those associated with the “Tree Hugger” movement were usually left with carrying banners and signs protesting the rest of the world of Republicans and Democrats with their red and blue seas of supporters.

Despite the antagonism with dominant parties, the various environmental groups have always tried to maintain the elusive inner solidarity that usually evades the mainstream parties.

However, history may be changing, as the Sierra Club, the most powerful and respected environmental organization in the United States, faces what is being described as the greatest crisis in its 112-year history.

Between March 1 and April 15, members will cast mail-in ballots to fill five seats on the club’s 15member governing board.

Supporters of anti-immigration and anti-population growth stances are running for election and hoping to establish a majority on the board, partly in order to formulate an anti-immigration policy.

Kerry Glover, Sierra Club public relations officer in Washington D.C., stated that the reputation of the

organization is on the line.

“Every six years we have this same issue about population brought to our attention,” Glover said.

The Sierra Club is “The Sierra about environmental Club is about environmental concern and human concern and well being, it has human well being, it has nothing to do with a nothing to do specific race or with a specific race or ethnicity. ethnicity.”

- Kerry Glover, Sierra Club PR Officer There are claims that antiimmigration groups are planning to take over the Sierra Club, in an effort with Groundswell Sierra. This is a movement that was formed after club leaders discovered Paul Watson, founder of Greenpeace and Sea Shepard Conservation Society, spoke openly about a takeover attempt during a speech at a conference on animal rights.

When asked to explain Groundswell Sierra, Ken Kramer, director for the Sierra Club Texas Chapter stated: “We at the Sierra Texas Chapter cannot comment on the media frenzy surrounding the casting

“

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March 4, 2004

of our five-seat vacancy ballot on the 15-member governing board.”

Founded by Scottish immigrant John Muir in 1892, the San Francisco-based Sierra Club traditionally has advocated for clean air and water and protection of wetlands and wildlife.

Sierra Club leaders from previous years say that the anti-immigrant faction has teamed with animal-rights activists to try and take over the organization and its $100 million annual budget.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala.-based civil liberties group, has reported that extremist racist and anti-immigration groups are encouraging their members to pay $25 to join the Sierra Club and vote in the election.

One side believes that environmental problems cannot be solved until ways are found to reduce population numbers, and is opposed to increasing the numbers from immigration or from rising birthrates.

The other side opposes dealing with population issues, saying that population is not a problem, and that Mother Nature will take care of things.

This debate became a major issue in 1998, when members voted by a 60-40 margin to remain neutral on immigration. But things could be changing, as the latest controversy suggests a coup could be in the making. How this controversy affects the long-time goal of a united front against mainstream policy in terms of the environment remains to be seen in the coming months.

March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 4

Increased enrollment studied by McMillan

By ANGELA I. CANALES The Pan American In what has become a familiar story, enrollment is increasing again at The University of Texas-Pan American.

In the fall of 2003, the enrollment was up to 15, 889; however, the spring number shows that the enrollment is 15,152. Is this a decline? The answer is no, the number was actually an increase for university enrollment when compared to the spring of 2003.

“In the spring we had about a 7-percent increase from last spring,” said Dennis McMillan, associate vice president for Enrollment and Student Services. “We always compare with the same semester of the year prior.”

The cause for decline from fall to spring is usually the result of enrolled students realizing that the university life is not the path they need to follow.

“Typically most universities have a slight decline from the fall semesters to the spring semesters,” McMillan said. “While we were very close to 16,000 in the fall, our spring number 15,152 is a normal enrollment pattern. Some students that are here in the fall decide that college is not for them.”

Every day the university goes through enrollment changes due to the decision of students to abandon their education for whatever reason. This will always be a reason for change at the university.

“Obviously it changes every day with students dropping out,” said McMillan. “The state mandates that all the official enrollments be submitted by the twelfth class day so that’s our benchmark at the beginning of each semester.”

Despite the coming and going effect, the university does not want to turn students away. UTPA also wants to make sure that when students enroll, they eventually finish their education.

“One of the things that contribute to our growth is our ability to retain students,” said McMillan. “We have taken a number of measures to try and retain more students and keep them from dropping out after one semester or one year. We’ve had some good success with that and it is contributed to our growth as well.”

Enrollment increases are beneficial to public education system in the main. Because public school systems are funded by the state, the increase in enrollment allows the state to give more monies to the university.

“Primarily, a significant portion of our operational funding

comes from the state. It is important that we continue to grow parking problem that would be created with rapid growth.” otherwise the amount of funding that we receive from the state He said that along with overcrowding on campus, more would remain level and that would not allow for expansion of students also means difficulty for the city. programs,” said McMillan. “Growth is critical in order for us “Another issue that we will face that is under discussion to offer more to the students.” with the city of Edinburg is traffic flow; the traffic congestion Increases in enrollment can be attributed to many factors, comes along with the rapid growth of our student population it one being the consistent population growth in the Valley, makes it very difficult to move about the city.” which has over 1 million people now. The university allows Controlling unlimited growth may be what the UTPA for students around the area to administration targeted when it decided commute and attain a degree from an UTPA Headcount Enrollment to change the current admission accredited university. standards, making it a bit more difficult “The population of the Valley is for future students. The admission Semester Fall Spring growing very rapidly. We are standards will progressively change to conveniently located for a lot of people allow the university to be more ‘98 - ‘99 12,373 11,739 that don’t want to travel to other parts selective and control the problem of ‘99 - ‘00 12,571 11,964 of the state” said McMillan. unlimited growth.

Another factor appealing to students There are three factors that will come ‘00 - ‘01 12,761 12,210 is value. UTPA is still the cheapest into play for future admission to UTPA. ‘01 - ‘02 13,640 12,880 alternative in the entire UT System. The There will be a higher composite ACT administration tries to ensure that this score required, an earlier deadline for ‘02 - ‘03 14,392 14,171 will not change and by doing so they admission, and a minimum GPA ‘03 - ‘04 15,914 15,152 attract potential students to the requirement for transfer students. university.

“We have a plan to change our Source: UTPA Enrollment and Student Services “We will make a very conservative admission standards. We have effort to keep our tuition fees affordable so that students can established a time table to phase in those admission standards come here, get a quality education, and be able to afford that,” in such a way that we don’t dramatically curtail our growth,” said McMillan. “There is a big issue among universities said McMillan. “In other words we will begin raising our ACT nowadays whether or not tuition and fees will rise so rapidly score requirements and we will raise it one point every two and so high that it will cut off the access to middle-income or years until we have raised it to a minimum composite score of lower-income students who don’t have a lot of money to pay 18 on the ACT and that will be in 2011. We will also require a back educational loans. minimum GPA of 2.0 for transfer students and that will be “We have dedicated a lot of time and energy to try and keep effective Jan. 2005.” our tuition and fees lower. We have the lowest tuition and fee The third factor for stricter admission standards is the earlier charges of any of the UT-system schools,” he said. deadline standard. The hope is to train students to be more Although unlimited might growth seem appealing for the diligent with their planning. university, there are some drawbacks to it. Unchecked growth “We also are establishing earlier admission deadlines. We would create problems for the university that may work to the have a lot of students that come to us until the last minute and detriment of current or prospective students. many of those students are the ones that are least prepared and “Unlimited growth would be problematic, yes. It is difficult least successful at the university,” said McMillan. “The earlier to hire enough faculty to offer enough sections and enough deadline will allow for students to better plan their education seats to keep up with the rapid growth and then you compound and career.” that with other problems with the campus,” said McMillan.

New modifications to admission will be the greatest impact “You would have to continue to increase the amount of on enrollment. The next step is to see how the new standards classrooms. The one students will identify with the most is and other factors will affect the university.

Women’s conference plans balancing act

By VANESSA R. CASTILLO The Pan American

There will be several keynote speakers. One is U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, who helped MANA start its first chapter in 1974. Dr. Paul Villas, who will share an inspirational one-person presentation called “Delivering with Ganas (enthusiasm), ” a speech based on the teaching

journalist Macarena Hernandez, who disclosed plagiarism at the New York Times and taught last semester at UTPA will speak, as will Alma Morales-Riojas, MANA national president and CEO. Current 398th District Court Judge Today’s student is usually an expert in multitasking, and Aida Salinas Flores, in the midst of a re-election this skill comes in handy in an increasingly complex campaign, will address the audience. world. Families, academics, work and personal affairs Workshops will address maintaining a happy and account for only a few things students juggle and healthy lifestyle, and also inform women who find Empowering Today’s Woman: struggle with on a daily basis. themselves doing it all about methods that will help Today’s female, often blessed and cursed with the Balancing Self, Family and Work them manage health and wellness, financial dual role of mother and professional, is also a Saturday, March 6, 2004 responsibilities, civic leadership, community multitasking pro. involvement, and education.

Student Untion Theatre On Saturday, March 6, the Hidalgo County chapter Many exhibitors will also partake in the conference, 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. of MANA a National Latina Organization, and The to inform women about available employment University of Texas-Pan American College of ❧ Keynote speakers: Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, opportunities their businesses have to offer. Some Education, in conjunction with Congressman Ruben Alma Morales Riojas, National MANA President. exhibitors include The U.S. Border Patrol, which Hinojosa, will host the 2nd annual Empowering would like to recruit more women, and the UTPA ❧ Special appearances by Suzie Pena, Miss Texas Teen Today’s Women Conference that will help women Campus Police, who will inform attendants about Latina Belleza 2004, and Veronica Loredo, Miss Latina manage such issues. violence toward women and rape prevention. MANA Belleza 2004.

Glendelia M. Zavala is the local board president, and hopes to provide positive information and offer a as conference coordinator she would like the ❧ A special one-man stage performance, “Delivering with support system to women who are interested in conference to help all women. But she notes that the advancement.

Ganas,” based on the teachings philosophy of Jaime organization was first started to assist Latina women.

“We need to reach our girls,” said Zavala, who is Escalante, will be performed by Dr. Paul Villas of Triange “The mission of MANA is to empower Latinas concerned about the obstacles women face today.

Communications. through leadership development, community service “Latinas have the highest pregnancy and drop-out rate and advocacy,” she said. But she also mentioned that For more information, contact Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala at in the country,” she added. the conference is for everyone, including women of all (956) 292-7423 or e-nail: manadehidalgo@aol.com Doris Mendiola, a College of Education doctoral ethnicities, and even men who “support the idea of Conference and Exhibitor Registration forms can be student, will be attending the conference. empowering women.”

“In today’s society, it is vital to be informed about downloaded from : www. hermana.org/chapters/hidalgo Saturday’s event will focus on balancing self, family health issues and the importance of education. It is and work and will be held at the UTPA Student Union through education that we are able to move forward,” Theatre. Registration, which includes a continental philosophy of Jaime Escalante, a teacher who educated she said. Mendiola also stated: “Many times women are breakfast, will begin at 8 a.m. There will also be free students from a Hispanic community overrun by gangs, not able to take advantage of opportunities available to glucose, diabetes, cholesterol, vision and hearing drugs, violence and poverty in East Los Angeles. Plus, See EMPOWERMENT page 11 screenings.

SPORTS CLIPBOARD

March 4, 2004

Rangers, Astros begin Spring Training season The Texas Rangers, minus one superstar (Alex Rodríguez), will open up their 2004 Spring Training exhibition baseball season today when they take on the Kansas City Royals at Surprise, Fla. at 2:05 p.m.

The Rangers finished in last place the previous season with a 71-91 record in the American League West while the Royals took third place in the AL Central at 83-79.

On Friday, the Houston Astros will begin their exhibition season against the Cleveland Indians at the Tribe's training facility in Winter Haven, Fla. at 12:05 p.m.

Last season, the Astros missed the playoffs by one game after finishing in second place in the National League Central Division with an 87-75 record. The Chicago Cubs won the division.

The Astros strengthened their pitching rotation during the off-season by signing Texas natives and former New York Yankees Andy Petitte and Roger Clemens.

Houston will take on a rebuilding Cleveland club that finished the 2003 season in fourth place in the five-team AL Central Division with a 68-94 record.

Broncs hoops end season at .500 Arkansas State ended Texas-Pan American’s nine-game winning streak Monday by defeating the Broncs 83-70 in Jonesboro.

With the loss, UTPA finished the season with a 14-14 record. The Broncs started the year with at 5-13, but rescued their season with a strong 9-1 finish.

Meanwhile, the Indians improved to 17-10 with the victory over Pan Am. Andrius Sakalys led the Broncs with 12 points, Eric Montalvo contributed 11, Allen Holcomb and Sergio Sánchez each added 10 a piece.

Sánchez, a junior transfer, led the UTPA in scoring this season with a 12.9 average.

NFL makes big money moves The Philadelphia Eagles signed three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jevon Kearse to a $66 million, eight-year contract Wednesday.

The Eagles’ need for a pass rusher prompted the move to sign Kearse, who spent five seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Last season, he notched 9.5 sacks.

In Denver, cornerback Champ Bailey will become the highest paid player at his position in NFL history.

The Broncos and Bailey agreed to a $63 million deal. The contract includes an $18 million signing bonus.

In Houston, defensive lineman Gary Walker had his contract reworked in order to put the Texans under the salary cap.

Originally, Walker’s contract would have counted $12.6 million against the cap. No contract terms were available.

Page 13

Sports

FOR THE RECORD Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

MEN’S INDEPENDENTS STANDINGS

WOMEN’S INDEPENDENTS STANDINGS

TEAMS Texas A&M-CC UTPA Savannah State IPFW Date Nov. 4 Nov. 8 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Dec. 1 Dec. 4 Dec. 6 Dec. 12 Dec. 14 Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Dec. 22 Dec. 29 Dec. 31 Jan. 6 Jan. 8 Jan. 14 Jan. 19 Jan. 21 Jan. 28 Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 16 Feb. 19 Feb. 28 March 1

W 15 14 4 3

L 11 14 24 25

Pct.. .577 .500 .143 .107

Broncs vs.

Results Monterrey Tech W112-46 Houston Quest W 111-59 Southern Methodist L 59-69 Texas A&M-Int’l W 90-50 Texas-Arlington L 75-81 SWA of God W 90-60 UMKC L 80-104 Texas-San Antonio W 86-83 Mississippi Valley St. L 67-85 Sam Houston State L 66-92 North Texas L 81-87 Rice L 58-69 Oklahoma State L 61-96 Oklahoma L 57-72 McMurry W 90-58 Baylor W 55-54 North Texas L 53-71 Wright State L 60-82 Missouri-K.C. L 69-77 Texas-Arlington L 54-73 IPFW W 81-60 Alcorn State W 74-52 Lamar W 90-78 IPFW W 57-55 Arkansas State W 70-67 TAMUCC W 90-72 Air Force W 37-35 Central Baptist W 111-62 TAMUCC W 74-69 Arkansas State L 70-83

TEAMS Texas A&M-CC UTPA IPFW Savannah State Date Nov. 7 Nov. 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Dec. 5 Dec. 6 Dec. 14 Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 21 Dec. 28 Dec. 31 Jan. 2 Jan. 7 Jan. 9 Jan. 11 Jan. 13 Jan. 22 Jan. 24 Jan. 27 Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 19 Feb. 24 Feb. 28 March 3

W 19 13 8 6

L 9 14 20 20

Pct.. .679 .481 .286 .231

Lady Broncs vs Results Houston W 91-77 Air Force.

W 68-67 Boise State/Dayton W 63-57 TAMUI W 84-55 St. Edward’s W 79-42 St. Louis L 45-77 Kansas State/Sac. W 60-50 Oral Roberts L 57-67 Texas L 25-90 Marshall L 59-74 Central Michigan L 40-56 Tulsa L 41-71 Prairie View A&M W 64-52 UT-Arlington L 46-85 Sacramento State W 49-47 San Diego State L 38-59 Louisiana-Lafayette L 54-62 SE Louisiana L 58-60 SW Missouri State L 34-69 TAMUCC L 43-73 Incarnate Word W 63-46 IPFW W 75-72 Northern Colorado L 56-57 Prairie View A&M W 70-63 Louisiana-Lafayette W 56-38 IPFW W 80-55 TAMUCC L 36-62 SE Louisiana W 54-53 Northern Arizona 8

Broncs Baseball Men’s Tennis Date Jan. 19 Jan. 19 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 7 Feb. 14 Feb. 21

Opponent Time/Results Trinity W 4-3 Texas A&M L 1-6 Eastern Kentucky W 6-1 Dayton W 5-2 Xavier W 6-1 Saint Louis W 4-3 TAMUCC L 2-5

Feb. 26 March 11 March 13

Laredo College (Exh.) L 3-4 Abilene Christian 5:30 Texas Southern 10 a.m.

March 26 April 3

UTSA DePaul

2 1

April 4

Texas-Arlington

10 a.m.

April 7 April 8 April 9 April 16 April 30 May 1 May 2

Texas Southern 2 Lamar 3 Southeastern Louisiana Noon TAMUCC 1 SLC Championships SLC Championships SLC Championships

Men’s Track & Field Indoor Season Date

Opponent

Feb. 7 Feb. 14

Houston Invitational 12 of 22 Houston/RunSport No team

Time/Results

score

Men’s Golf Date Feb. 9-10 March 14-15 March 29-30 April 5-6

Tournament Result Rice Intercollegiate 14 of 14 Bearkat Invitational Trojan Cup

Hal Sutton Intercollegiate April 23-24Andrea Brotto Cavalier Classic May 7-9 National Minority Golf Championships

Date Nov. 1 Jan. 31 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 6 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 8 Feb. 15 Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Feb. 28 Feb. 29 March 6 March 7 March 9 March 12 March 13 March 14 March 16 March 17 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 23 March 24 March 26 March 27 March 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 7 Apr. 9 Apr. 13 Apr. 14 Apr. 16 Apr. 17 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 24 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 11 May 12 May 14 May 15 May 16

Opponent Green and White

Score GREEN, 2-1

Texas State-San Marcos L 7-8 Texas State-San Marcos L 2-6

Texas Kingsville W 6-3, 3-2 Lamar vs. Kansas 3-2 Sam Houston State L 2-7 Kansas W 8-6 Lamar vs. Sam Houston 7-4 Sam Houston vs. Kansas 8-8

Lamar Lamar (2) Lamar

W 2-1 L 1-16, W 8-6 L 4-6 Texas A&M-Kingsville W 15-5 Sam Houston State L 6-10 Sam Houston State L 5-10 Sam Houston State L 4-6 Washington State W 3-2 Washington State L 3-15 Washington State L 6-15 Arkansas 7 Arkansas 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2) 1 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 1 Texas-Arlington 7 Texas-Arlington 2 Oral Roberts 7 Oral Roberts 7 Oral Roberts 1 Texas-San Antonio 2 Texas-San Antonio 2 Dallas Baptist (2) 4 Dallas Baptist 1 Texas 6:30 Texas State-San Marcos 6:30 Texas State-San Marcos 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi(2) 1 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 2 Arizona 9 Arizona 9 Arizona 3 Dallas Baptist (2) 4 Dallas Baptist 1 Southeastern Louisiana 7 Southeastern Louisiana 7 Southeastern Louisiana 1 Arkansas 7:05 Arkansas 7:05 Oklahoma 7:05 Oklahoma 7:05 Oklahoma 1

Local / Regional Coverage Mexican Soccer League 2004 Team Chiapas U.N.A.M. Guadalajara Toluca América Necaxa Club San Luis Irapuato Monterrey Tigres U.A.G. Querétaro Atlas Pachuca Puebla Atlante Santos Veracruz Cruz Azul Morelia

W-D-L 7-0-1 5-2-1 5-1-2 4-2-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 2-4-2 3-1-4 3-1-4 2-4-2 2-3-3 2-3-3 2-2-4 2-2-4 2-1-4 1-4-3 1-2-4 1-2-5

GF:GA PTS 17:8 21 16:7 17 9:6 16 10:7 14 13:12 12 10:9 12 9:8 12 12:12 12 11:9 10 18:18 10 14:15 10 10:11 10 10:13 9 8:13 9 8:10 8 12:15 8 10:11 7 12:15 7 7:12 5 7:12 5

Group I 14 - Toluca 10 - Monterrey 9 - Pachuca 9 - Atlas 8 - Puebla

Group II 17 - U.N.A.M. 12 - América 10 - Querétaro 10 - U.A.G. 7 - Santos

Group III 21 - Chiapas 12 - San Luis 10 - Tigres 5 - Cruz Azul 5 - Morelia

Group IV 16 -Guadalajara 12 - Necaxa 12 - Irapuato 8 - Atlante 7 - Veracruz

Week 7 results Feb. 21-22: Toluca 1, Irapuato 1; Chiapas 2, Cruz Azul 1; Santos 2, U.A.G. 1; Pachuca 0, U.N.A.M. 3; Querétaro 1, Necaxa 1; Atlante 3, Veracruz 3; San Luis 1, Monterrey 1; Morelia 1, Puebla 0; Tigres 4, Guadalajara 0; Atlas 3, América 1.

Week 8 schedule Feb. 25-26: Veracruz 1, Chiapas 3; Monterrey 2, Santos 1; Cruz Azul 1, Pachuca 2; Guadalajara 0, Toluca 0; Necaxa 2, Tigres 1; U.N.A.M. 2, Morelia 1; América 2, San Luis 0; Irapuato 2, Atlas 1; Puebla 1, Querétaro 0; U.A.G. 3, Atlante 0.

Week 9 schedule March 6-7: Chiapas vs. U.A.G.; Toluca vs. Necaxa; Tigres vs.

Puebla; Morelia vs. Cruz Azul; San Luis vs. Atlas; Guadalajara vs. Irapuato; Pachuca vs. Veracruz; Atlante vs.

Monterrey; Querétaro vs. U.N.A.M.; Santos vs. América.

NBA Friday, March 5 Dallas at San Antonio, 7 Houston at Minnesota, 7 Saturday, March 6 San Antonio at Phoenix, 8 Sunday, March 7 Dallas at Houston, Noon Monday, March 8 Phoenix at Dallas, 7:30 Tuesday, March 9 San Antonio at Memphis, 7 L.A. Clippers at Houston, 7:30 Wednesday, March 10 L.A. Clippers at San Antonio, 7:30

CHL Thursday, March 4 Killer Bees at Odessa, 7 Friday, March 5 Killer Bees at Lubbock, 7:05 Saturday, March 6 Killer Bees at Corpus Christi, 7:05 Tuesday, March 9 Lubbock at Killer Bees, 7:30 UTPA HOME GAMES IN BOLD All games p.m. unless noted.

LULAC

Page 12

THE PAN AMERICAN

JANITORS

continued from page 3

doors of opportunities for Hispanics.

“LULAC has been a Hispanic organization that has been instrumental since the 1920s to the concerns of Mexican-Americans,” Rocha said.

“LULAC wants to open educational opportunities for Mexican-Americans, and still continues to be at the forefront today. Those 75 years of existence has allowed Hispanics better access to education.”

One nuanced political issue LULAC deals with is naming power. In terms of association with a particular name, some Hispanics don’t like to be called “Hispanic,” preferring the term “Latino.”

Others call themselves “Chicano.” Is there a difference? Rocha, for one, feels “Latino” and “Hispanic” are generic terms.

“Latino is the generic term for the twenty-something Spanish-speaking countries. A Latino can be somebody from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, or Mexico. It is very broad,” Rocha stressed.

“Hispanic is also generic, one given to us as a government-issue term.”

Instead, Rocha prefers to be called a “Chicano.”

“A Chicano is used to identity a Mexican-American. A term we give ourselves because we define our own reality. No Chicano comes to represent ‘our identity.’ It reflects the respect we have for our indigenous culture, our mother country of Mexico, and respect we have for our president of the United States,” said Rocha.

Fernandez, on the other hand, sees himself not as a “Chicano” but simply as “Hispanic.”

“I’m originally from New Mexico and view myself as a Hispanic. The term Hispanic is relating back to Spain. It leaves out the native aspect though.

Latino is probably more widely used,” commented Fernandez.

Author and poet Sandra Cisneros describes herself using four different terms: Latina, Chicana, Tejana, and Mexican-American. However, Cisneros finds the term “Hispanic” to be incredibly offensive.

“The term Hispanic makes my skin crawl,” said Cisneros in a recent interview with Hispanic Magazine. “It's a very colonistic term, a disrespectful term, a term imposed on us without asking what we wanted to call ourselves.”

Still, her view is not the pervasive one.

In a recent study by Hispanic Trends, Inc. 1,200 Mexican-Americans were asked whether they preferred to be called a “Latino” or Hispanic.” The study found that of the 1,200, 65 percent preferred to be called “Hispanic,” and 30 percent voted for “Latino.” Those referring to themselves as “Hispanic” tended to be young and conservative, while those seeing themselves as “Latinos” were found to be older, more liberal, and sometimes radical.

The sample also showed that regionally, 67 percent of MexicanAmericans from Texas preferred “Hispanic,” as did 52 percent of MexicanAmericans in California and New York.

find someone I can borrow a car from so she won’t have to come for me.”

Rodriguez doesn’t plan to be a janitor for the rest of his life. This summer, he is planning to start studying to become an electrician.

“It is only a year and a half,” added Rodriguez. “I’m hoping that if I do good, I can get a job here at Pan Am as an electrician.”

JOB COMPLICATIONS At a university, as anywhere else, things tend to get lost. Some professors tend to be picky with not wanting janitors to clean their rooms in fear that something will be stolen. They also ask the cleaners to watch out for thieves.

“Some don’t like us to go in there and clean.

There are always things being stolen, especially in the Engineering and Science Building,” said Rodriguez. “One time a computer was taken, another time a DVD player. Professors come to us, and ask us to be on the look-out.”

But as hard as it is to work odd hours, often alone, janitors on campus are able to find ways to enjoy themselves while on their shift. Saenz enjoys working when big events occur, and Rodriguez says particular rooms he cleans are quite interesting, and scary at the same time.

“It’s interesting to be cleaning in places in buildings where dead bodies are taken to be studied,” added Rodriguez. “Sometimes when I go in there to clean, nerves from dead bodies jump! It’s pretty scary to work in there.”

However, Rodriguez says the most thrilling part of his job is when payday comes around.

“We get paid pretty good,” said Rodriguez with a big smile on his face.

Both Saenz and Rodriguez would agree that the worst part of their job is cleaning the bathrooms.

“A lot of people don’t flush it like they’re supposed to. They just leave ‘everything there,’ and don’t flush it, so we get to see all that,” said Saenz.

Rodriguez added that though students are not very clean, the janitors still have to clean, no matter how disgusting it can be.

“In the guys’ bathroom, sometimes they over-exaggerate when they go in there. Some seem to have ‘no aim’ whatsoever. Some guys tend to [urinate] all over the place, even on the toilet paper. In the girls’, they tend to leave their old tampons just there on the floor for us to pick up. It’s gross, especially for us guy janitors, when they could just roll it up and throw it away themselves instead,” said Rodriguez with a funny look on his face.

Janitors also face dangers on the job. Certain chemicals they use are potent and they have to use them carefully.

“It’s not till when we’re older that we realize our noses or lungs are all messed up because of the chemicals,” said Rodriguez.

The shampoo/strip machine is also dangerous. It’s used to shampoo the floor, and

TEACHER

Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American

CLARIFICATION— Dr. Teresa Sullivan spoke Tuesday on campus about the ongoing search to replace Dr. Miguel Nevarez. The executive vice chancellor of the UT System said that the field would soon be narrowed to 20 from 86 candidates.

continued from page 1 also to strip tile off the floor. It has a clutch on the bottom, where a round rag is placed under it that can be wetted and filled with soap.

Sometimes the clutch is messed up after being old, and it throws the bonnet. Then, the machine jumps around the room uncontrollably. If the machine goes wild, it can terrorize the room, and the user.

“This thing is so strong that it can break the wall and even break a computer. If a wall breaks, it’s fine. But if you terrorize a room, such as an office then we can get fired,” said Rodriguez. “But, that’s when other come in to check the machine, and if they find that the clutch is messed up and find out that we told our supervisor that we needed new equipment, then the supervisor gets written up for not ordering new supplies.”

It is also more difficult for UTPA janitors to get hired lately. Many, if not most janitors here are only Spanish-speaking, and they don’t know how to read English. This year, the university has gotten stricter by trying to hire people who know how to read English.

One of the other complications on the job involves longstanding myths and legends. One is centered in the library, where legend has it that a student died in there when the whole floor got burned in a fire.

“You’ll be sitting down, and you’ll hear somebody whispering. Some see a shadow just zoom by, other times you can just get chills from his presence,” Rodriguez said. “Nobody’s actually seen him. Books also fall of the shelves and there’s nobody there when it happens.”

Another myth is from the Annex, when a lady died there sometime ago. Several janitors have confessed in belief the place is haunted.

“This has actually happened to me once,” claimed Rodriguez. “While I was walking into the building to clean, the building was dark and I saw this lady with a pale face and long dark hair sitting there. I freaked out. So I quickly turned on the light and she was gone!”

Rodriguez said he thought his supervisor was around because he heard some keys.

“I called out his name, and no one responded. I then picked up some staples from the carpet, looked around, and there was nobody there. There was nobody. I heard somebody walking through the hallway,” commented Rodriguez.

Through it all, as the university continues to grow, and so will the job of the janitors.

There are currently nearly 50 of them, and most work at night. But in the meantime, with all the hard work they put into keeping the university beautiful, they added they would like the students to throw away their trash and not be so dependent upon janitors to clean up after them.

“Try to help us because there’s a lot of trash cans all over the buildings. It would help us a lot,” said Saenz.

continued from page 6

government was adamant about, requiring all teachers to be highly qualified, and giving options to teachers so they could meet the qualifications,” Baker said.

He mentioned that Kansas was the first state to adopt a House Option and develop a checklist.

“It was a very simple checklist, you went through and checked off the numbers of experience you had, courses you had, certifications you had, your degrees, any masters course work, and you added them up and the number had to equal to 60,” Baker explained.

“Texas developed its own option, and teachers must teach the number of 24 points in order to qualify as a teacher under this House Option,” he noted.

Teachers that taught subjects that aren’t core subjects such as vocational classes are not required to meet the standards of a highly qualified teacher, he said.

A UTPA education major from Alamo said she came to the presentation to gain more knowledge on the NCLB Act. The junior, who wished to not be named, said she didn’t understand the program and hadn’t made up her mind on whether she thinks it’s effective.

March 4, 2004

Page 5

THE PAN AMERICAN

Opportunities abound at latest Career Day

By MARIA A. MAZARIEGOS The Pan American

Company, Wells Fargo Financial, Dallas Police Department, Valley Coca-Cola Bottling Company, among others.

Harlingen CISD took Career Day as an

For an area that perennially has some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, the 31st annual Career Day at UTPA March 2 was an important event. Held at the Field House, the Career Day allowed students and Valley residents the chance to talk with many nationwide companies about jobs.

Enedelia Kidd, director of Career Placement Services, said: “This is designed to provide opportunities to visit with employers as well as to find out of career possibilities and internships.”

While many of the Career Day attendees were dressed in regular attire, there were more than a few dressed to impress. From women in tailored A-line skirts to men in ties, the students who dressed the part hoped to impress representatives Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American from the 70 national companies at JOB MARKET— For 31 years the university has offered a yearly job fair for stuthe event. The businesses were dents of all majors. Tuesday’s event in the Field House was attended by several separated into four main categories: major national employers, plus hundreds of students. corporation/health industry, federal and state agencies, school districts, and UTPA opportunity to promote its upcoming Teacher Job programs. Companies included Ford Motor Fair and search for certified teachers seeking

employment at all levels for the fall school year.

Other school districts making an appearance were Donna, La Joya, Hidalgo, Roma, Zapata, plus Klein and Galena Park from the Houston area.

Mervyn’s Store Team Leader Jorge Ricco said on Career Day that it is “a quick snapshot of people we are looking for.” Mervyn’s is seeking to fill executive positions fast; thus interviews were to be scheduled the following day.

Shaw, a carpet and ceramic floor production company, was present as well, to let students know about its 30,000 employees and $5 billion net worth. Jim Gordon, Shaw representative, said: “We offer a ten-week structured training program and competitive salaries.”

The UTPA representatives notes that such career days are vital to students seeking to get out into the workforce quickly and with ultimate success.

“Students need to start educating themselves on what is available, that way they can become more focused, know what is required of them, and become motivated to achieve.” said Kidd.

Many undergraduate students attended Career Day for the first time and seemed overwhelmed by all the companies and opportunities available for them in the future.

Amanda Martinez, UTPA freshman said, “I was on a break between classes and decided to check out what Career Day was. It is very neat to be able to ask companies questions and have so many professional people around to help inform others.”

HR survey seeks feedback for better service

By CLAUDIA FARIAS The Pan American

Approximately 60 permanent faculty positions were established at the university last fall and 60 more will be created this fall. The number of staff employees is also expected to increase.

Permanent employee recruitment, one of the services provided by the university’s Office of Human Resources, has kept UTPA faculty and staff positions on the rise, despite state budget cuts.

“We were very lucky here,” said Mike Zarate, assistant director for the Office. “We didn’t have to lay anyone off. We’re still growing and I think that says a lot about our university.”

The Office of Human Resources staff publicizes university job openings by advertising in newspapers and online. The staff also receives all inquiries about employment ads and is responsible for dismissing applicants who do not meet the specified job qualifications.

“We’re the funnel of the university,” said Zarate, who has been working at the Office for the past 10 years. The subsequent hiring process is then taken over by the particular department where the job opening is.

“We’ve always gotten a lot of applicants for our positions,” Zarate said. “People want to work for the university.”

After an applicant is hired, the new employee is directed to the Office of Human Resources, staffed by 14 permanent employees and six work-study employees, to get his or her paperwork processed.

“The main thing we’re in charge of is setting up new employees,” Zarate said. Staff at the Office process new employee paperwork to ensure the newcomer is on the university payroll and that all

essential contracts and policies are signed. give about two sessions a month.”

Once an employee is hired, the newcomer is And with over 3,000 University employees, the required to attend an orientation session divided into staff at the Office constantly receives inquiries two parts. Half the session is devoted to explaining regarding university policies. benefits “We hear complaints all the time,” Zarate provided to said. “Really, we’re not the people to bring the n e w complaint to, but we’ll tell [employees] where employees, to go. We’re just here to explain the policy,” such as Zarate said. h e a l t h The most frequent complaint Zarate hears is We were very lucky insurance, from heads of departments trying to recruit here. We didn’t have to p a i d faculty. vacation, “Managers come here all the time and say, ‘I lay anyone off. We’re sick leave, can’t get the person I want because we’re not still growing and I think longevity offering enough,’” Zarate said. He then that says a lot about pay, which conducts research and surveys the university’s g i v e s competition on a continual basis to make sure our university employees UTPA is offering competitive salaries. an extra Staff members at the Office are also interested - Mike Zarate, $20 a in assessing the efficiency of their organization.

Office of Human Resources month for A survey was e-mailed to staff and faculty every three members in mid-February to gauge an years of assessment of services provided. Results of the service. There is also free admission for the survey are pending. employee and immediate family to university“We’re always striving to improve our services,” sponsored sporting events, an annual health fair, an Zarate said. “We react to the results and we want to annual investment fair, access to self-improvement correct our weaknesses.” materials and conferences; and free processing of Bilingual elementary education sophomore Pedro necessary immigration documents for foreign P. Delgado Jr. has been working as a student employees. assistant at the University Library since September The other half of the orientation session, hosted by 2003. Delgado, a work-study employee, is satisfied Training Coordinator Alicia G. Morley, is geared to with the productivity of the Office staff. inform new employees about the university’s “It just took one day to get all my paperwork Compliance Policy and other general information. processed,” Delgado said. “They give you a quick “We’re here to provide services to the University description of what you’re applying for. If they can’t community,” said Morley, who has been working at assist you, they’ll give you the phone number of the the Office for the past three years. “On average, we department that can.”

“

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March 4, 2004

March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 6

March 4, 2004

Teachers’ meeting tries to clarify national education act

Enhance survey run ELEVATOR

By EDWINA P. GARZA The Pan American

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American

When Brian Baker spoke to a crowd of educators Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Media Theater here at UTPA, he had one thing on his mind: gaining and maintaining highly qualified teachers.

Baker, a director of educational issues for the Texas Federation of Teachers, discussed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title I regulations under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The ESEA was passed into law in 1965 to improve the education of disadvantaged students.

“Its purpose is to give every disadvantaged student in the country an opportunity to learn just like every other student,” Baker said.

Baker mentioned that when the law was originally passed, there was a great deal of poverty in the country, and the goal behind ESEA was to look at the achievement gap. The major component of ESEA has now become known as Title I. “The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments,” said Baker.

The recent NCLB act contains principles and strategies proposed by President Bush and has four major goals, including increased accountability, more choices for parents and students, greater flexibility for states, districts, and schools, and putting reading first.

With increased accountability, states will be required to implement accountability systems based on challenging state standards in mathematics and reading. The more choices section allows parents and students attending Title I schools failing to meet state standards the opportunity to seek an education at a neighboring school. With greater flexibility for states, districts, and schools, the use of federal education funds will be allowed in exchange for satisfactory results. Along with the NCLB Act, Bush made a commitment to ensuring that every child could read by the end of the third grade.

was to ensure that the teachers who were hired to teach core subjects were “highly qualified.” Each state, Baker mentioned, was to plan how it will have all of its teachers who teach core subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year.

Baker described to the audience what a “highly qualified” educator is.

“Any public elementary school or secondary school teacher who teaches core academic subjects must have obtained the full state certification as teachers including alternative certification or passed the state teacher licensing exam; hold a license to teach in a state; and not had a certification or licensure requirement waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis,” he said.

Aside from holding at least a bachelor’s degree, an elementary school teacher who is new to the profession must demonstrate subject knowledge and teaching skills in math, reading, and writing by passing a test.

New teachers in middle and high schools have completed an academic major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major, pass a test on the subject they teach, or complete an advanced certification or credentialing, Baker said.

Those teachers that are not new to the Franco Caballero/The Pan American profession, Baker said, can meet the same MAKING SENSE— Brian Baker of the Texas Federation of Teachers spoke on requirements that a new teacher does or must campus last week to an audience of educators seeking information on various demonstrate competence in all the academic federal and state laws passed recently. subjects in which the teacher teaches based on a standard of evaluation that is set by the higher, or passed a state or local assessment designated to state.

This House Option, Baker stated, was just passed by the state demonstrate knowledge of, and the ability to assist with in October of last year. instruction in reading, writing, or math.

“The House Option is something that the federal “The currently employed paraprofessionals have until January 2006 to meet the new qualifications,” Baker said.

See TEACHER page 12 In the beginning of the 2002-03 school year, every district The highly qualified teacher qualifications that were discussed in the presentation dealt with paraprofessionals, elementary, secondary, and special education teachers.

Aside from having a high school diploma or equivalent, Baker said a newly hired paraprofessional, as of Jan. 8, 2001, must have completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education, have obtained an associate’s degree or

MBOC gets windfall Bookstore innovates

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American

The yearly fix arrived right on time, and so the benefits will be forthcoming.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce presented $200,000 at a press conference Feb. 2 for the South Texas Minority Business Opportunity Committee (MBOC) at the University of Texas-Pan American.

The funding received from MBDA is the same amount as received last year.

Since the establishment of MBOC in August 1996, it has been funded by MBDA. The funding complements support given by the university and is used by MBOC to provide assistance to minority businesses, including startups and expansions. MBOC sets up conferences to assist businesses in developing business opportunities as well as workshops in recordkeeping and business training.

“Because of the manner in which we are funded, we are able to turn around and offer our services at no cost,” said Johnny Cisneros, MBOC director.

Cisneros, who said that MBOC is the only entity of its type in the state, added that fortunately the state of the economy would not have an effect on future government funding for MBOC. “The administration has a desire to continue with the program because of

the assistance it provides,” he noted.

MBOC assists minority businesses by gathering information to help develop and implement business strategies. The group also works with minority-owned businesses to make more efficient use of federal, state, and local resources.

This is a particularly relevant service, considering the swirling controversy this week about the Valley’s supposed inefficiency in using over $1 billion of health funding. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and efficient use of it is a must in today’s economy.

Additionally, MBOC serves as a community advocate for minority businesses to play a greater role in their community by identifying and overcoming obstacles in local markets.

Recently, the organization has arranged international trade missions into Mexico, in one instance taking a Houston company across the border to expand its business opportunities. The missions usually involve meeting with Mexican companies and finding new distributors for a company’s products.

MBOC also coordinates the Market Opportunities and Networking for Entrepreneurial Youth (MONEY) Conference. High school juniors and seniors from Cameron to Starr County are invited to the event, which allows entrepreneurial youths the opportunity to learn from selected speakers and to work together on their own business.

The next MONEY Conference takes place in November.

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American Sometimes keeping up with technological innovation is difficult, but some groups manage it just fine. For instance, the University Bookstore introduced its On-line Textbook Adoption Program to faculty Feb. 19 at the UTPA Student Union Theater Lobby.

The online version will complement the University Bookstore and will eventually provide students with the option of reserving books in advance. Robert Cantu, bookstore general manager, sees the online option becoming popular with faculty and students.

“It gives faculty members an additional avenue to submit their textbook requirements to the bookstore,” Cantu said. “What used to take a few days for an order to go through is now much quicker.

A lot of other schools have done it, I think it’s a standard now.”

Early test runs of the online project have proved successful; feedback noted it was straightforward and simple to use.

“Having taught a few new courses, it is difficult to quickly find all the right books,” said Grant Benham, a UTPA psychology professor. He added the new book adoption program would hopefully do a thorough job of searching, in a short period of time.

Other faculty members have weighed in with positive remarks.

“This is the first semester in memory

I’ve had all my books in on time,” said Nigel Cohen, a criminal justice professor.

“Before, you had to print out each form, now it makes it easier if you’re using the same book every semester.”

Faculty previously needed to turn in their text requirements months in advance because of the time it took for orders to be processes and shipped. Now the process has been streamlined and made more efficient with the elimination of messy and monotonous paperwork. By entering information directly into the system, faculty members now have an easier, less time-consuming process for ordering textbooks.

“I think it’s going to be awesome,” said Sylvia Ybarra, secretary from the Nursing Department. “We are in the Dark Ages when it comes to getting books for students.”

Beginning with Summer I, students will be able to reserve books online at http://bookstore.panam.edu. After making their selection, students can reserve their books without credit card information.

The University Bookstore will then send an e-mail confirmation and hold onto the books until the student comes to pick them up and pay.

Students can go online and see the book’s title, edition, price, and condition (old or new). The bookstore will also be changing prices to stay more competitive.

If the student doesn’t have the name of the book, they will be able to enter the course number and section to bring up the titles needed for the class.

What does the average person think of people with disabilities? Do they think of them at all? The university wants answers to those questions.

The Department of Rehabilitation is performing a survey of UTPA faculty as part of Project Enhance, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education.

The survey is part of a pilot program that will gauge faculty awareness and attitudes concerning students with disabilities.

Results from the survey will be used to find areas where the Department of Rehabilitation can improve training on campus where the need exists.

“It’s a 3-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education,” said Project Director Bruce Reed, professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation. “There’s $1 million committed to improving services on campus for students with disabilities.”

Project Enhance will primarily help Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in Texas, New Mexico, California, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

“We sometimes go on the road to meet with faculty and provide training,” said Reed, who added that the survey will be used nationally on campuses that have requested assistance on working to improve their commitment to students with disabilities.

The survey questions were developed by

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THE PAN AMERICAN

Reed and then put online by Dr. S.J. Sethi, assistant director of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Project Enhance Assistive Technology (AT) Lab in the Rehab Annex gives people with disabilities access to technology that can help them become more successful students. The lab is also available for employers who work with individuals with disabilities, enabling them to examine and tryout the equipment.

“Project Enhance was made to help students with disabilities gain equal access to education,” said Training Coordinator Yvette Flores.

Flores said they started in September contacting other universities in the early stages of Project Enhance.

“We sent out to over 300 HSIs to work with universities that replied to our requests,” said Flores.

She noted that they traveled to Puerto Rico for a week because the services available for students with disabilities there were lacking. They helped develop a disability support office that would be in a better position to provide assistance to students with disabilities.

Flores said that in addition to going on the road, they have also hosted training sessions on campus and brought in representatives from other universities.

Individual meetings are set up to support their disability services.

She explained that attitude can be one of the biggest barriers for students with disabilities. If a person doesn’t know someone with a disability, they are likely to have misconceptions that can be harmful.

continued from page 2

Building B. “We see ourselves as the chief advocate for the students,” Price said. [The Dean of Students’] Office may not be the office where students file their complaints, but we’ll refer them to the appropriate office.”

Students with disabilities can file their grievances at the president’s office with Esmeralda Guerra, the University’s Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer/Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.

“When I did learn of a student with a disability, we relocated the student in two hours,” Guerra said. “I think we have done what we can in every respect.”

No complaints have been filed since the relocation. But despite the success of the accommodations, university officials recognize that relocating classes is not a longterm solution.

“I’ve been checking on this almost daily,” said Marvin Boland, director for Facilities Planning and Construction. “We want to get the elevator in operation as quickly as anyone.”

However, several bureaucratic snags

EMPOWERMENT them. This conference will bring about awareness, understanding and may help women break [stereotypical] barriers.”

For more information about conference registration, MANA membership, the Hermanitas organization, a satellite of MANA, or Latina empowerment, contact Leticia Flores, conference committee chairperson, at

prevented the elevator’s prompt repair. On Dec. 8, the university reviewed bids from companies statewide that advertise repair services. The following day, employees of ThyssenKrupp, a national company with branch offices in Dallas, visited UTPA and inspected the elevator. The elevator’s malfunction was assessed to be the broken jack one day later, on Dec. 10.

“I’m sure we lost a week or two during the holidays,” Boland said.

The university’s bid was approved Jan. 20 and funding was set up the following day. On Feb. 2 the installing company received the purchase order for the jack and began manufacturing it. Because its original manufacturer no longer makes the jack, the necessary part must be custom made, a process that takes about six to eight weeks.

Once completed, installation will take seven to 10 days, Boland said, because the building is over 30 years old and certain precautions must be taken.

“This one didn’t slip,” Boland said. “It just takes a long time. What we’re trying to do is keep everyone informed. Obviously, we don’t discriminate against anyone. We listen to everybody.”

continued from page 4 584-7899 or contact Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala, at 565-0791 or email MANAdeHidalgo@aol.com.

Hermana means sister in Spanish. The MANA organization derives its name from this word. Through a network of sisters and similar relationships MANA hopes to reach, help and empower Latina women across the nation.

March 4, 2004

MUSIC

Arts & Entertainment

Page 10

continued from page 7

song if they want to take it off their computer and transfer it to a portable music player.

Still, there are those file-sharing services that continue to provide free downloading for those who don’t want to pay for a program that makes the user pay a fee for music. Kazaa, Morpheus, and iMesh are just a few of the services that illegally distribute files online. The RIAA finds the people that use these services by linking their name to their IP addresses.

However, according to market analyst Mike McGuire, there might be a time when the RIAA will not be able to link people to their ISP account.

"As fast as the RIAA can come up with a way to stop file-sharing, people will always find a way around it," said McGuire in an interview he gave PC Magazine.

Elan Oren, CEO of iMesh, believes that the individual or the file-sharing vendor will be able to hide their identity.

"Companies will make it so that reaching the end user will be almost impossible," said Oren.

While the music industry will continue their fight

HAVANA

against illegal music downloading, it seems practically impossible to stop the file sharing altogether, and the reason for this lies somewhere in the purpose of the user's downloading the files in the first place.

Contreras, the student who has admitted to downloading music, contends that file sharing is not a bad thing.

"I think here in the U.S. people download one song out of each CD, then combine them and make their own," said Contreras. "I don't think they're doing it to make a profit, hence why people think it is bad."

Jennifer Fogle, a UTPA student majoring in Education, has a different theory for the steady flow of file sharing on the Internet, and why it is in no danger of declining.

“I don't think downloading will disappear as long as we have CD burners,” said Fogle. "If we didn't have them, there would be no way to download them."

So while there is no end solution in sight for this dilemma, it will continue to be a debatable issue as long as the record industry continues to lose money and file sharers continue to download music for free.

continued from page 7

his family would really benefit from the prize.

The problem that arises when they become dance partners is that their styles of dancing are very different.

They come from two different worlds and their dancing is a clear reflection of that. Miller’s parents were champion ballroom dancers so she is very well trained in the art of ballroom dancing and any type of dancing that requires a lot of mental structure. Javier on the other hand dances freely. His dancing has no structure, he just goes with the flow and moves freely in a very sensual way that Miller is not used to performing.

Just like the original the friendship between the two main characters grows into something else as they are forced to learn to become one. She has to conquer her fears of dancing in a new and sensual way. Miller must find a way to sneak off with Suarez to La Rosa Negra where night after night they must practice their dance

moves until they become certain that they are truly a single unit on the dance floor.

To many this movie might be just another dance movie, but its not. It has drama and romance and for at least an hour and 26 minutes it is entertaining and it will help get your minds off problems. The actors do a wonderful job in portraying individuals whose only passion is to dance with one another.

If dancing is not of interest to the viewer, then at least watch the movie so that you can get a different perspective than the one that many might have after seeing Diego Luna in “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” and appreciate his range as an actor. For those who just want to spend a good time at the theater, this movie will serve its purpose. After seeing the movie chances are that even people who are cursed with two left feet will be left with the urge to dance.

A&E

■ ■ ■ ARTS & E NTE RTAINME NT

3.8.4

Spring Break Begins::

■ Havana Nights Review . . . . . . . . . 7 ■ Online Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ■ Spring Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

Lawsuits change structure of file-sharing sites MUSIC

By CHRISTINA HARRIS The Pan American

With the recent lawsuits against online music swappers from the Record Industry Association of America, the illegal downloading of music should be well on its way to a decline. However, Internet users are still downloading free music and it doesn't look like there is an end in sight.

According to research firm Comscore Networks, the number of people nationwide downloading music has dropped by half, meaning 17 million fewer people are filesharing. While the lawsuits may have frightened many Internet users, more than 150

million songs are still being downloaded for free each month.

Carlos Contreras, 23, an advertising/public relation major, hasn't been fazed by the recent threat to those illegally downloading music.

"Even with this suing thing going on with record companies, I think people will keep doing it," said Contreras.

"They have the mentality of 'it's not [going to] happen to me' so people are going to continue downloading music. Who doesn’t enjoy free things?"

The 1,445 people who were charged with copyright infringement are required to pay the price of a few thousand dollars to compensate for the free music they obtained illegally. For those who fear the possibility lawsuits against them, there are alternative online music

services available that follow the legal criteria.

The most popular new service is Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store and iPod digital player. The music player's sleek design, user-friendliness, and lack of restrictions on downloaded music contribute to the success of iTunes. Internet users pay 99 cents per song or $9.99 to download the entire CD. What differentiates this from other players is that the songs can be transferred to the portable device and listened to in the same manner as any other CD player, without the hassle of changing discs.

An alternative to iTunes is eMusic, it

not as popular but still available. Users have a limitation of 40 songs for $9.99 a month or 65 songs for $14.99 a month. Its chief competition is Rhapsody, with its impressive audio quality and extensive song collection. The advantage with Rhapsody is its $9.95 All Access plan, which gives the user unlimited access.

These sites pose a threat to iTunes, but their main competition is the newly legal Napster 2.0. Users pay $9.99 a month, which includes being able to listen to other members' play lists, a personal mailbox, and the ability to download an unlimited number of songs.

However, the subscriber still has to buy the See MUSIC page 10

*

Napster, Apple, and eMusic are trademarked

‘Havana Nights’ just as sizzling as original

MOVIE REVIEW

By DULCE GONZALEZ The Pan American

Moviegoers need to prepare for hip shaking and moving their bodies to the beat. “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” brings to the screen the contagious musical beats of Cuba along with a desire to let go and be free.

Though many might expect the storyline of this movie to be a mirror image of the original “Dirty Dancing,” it’s not. To some extent the remake does follow the central plot of the original movie, yet new conflicts and layers are added to this plot, which demonstrates how events surrounding Cuba unfold before all those who live in Havana.

In Nov. 1958, 18-year-old Katey Miller was forced to leave the United States with her family and move to Havana where her dad was going

to take an executive job in a major company.

She was forced to leave her friends and high school and all that she felt deprived of everything except her dream of attending college. Unfortunately for Miller and her family, Cuba was in the middle of a revolution.

Upon arrival in their new home, the prestigious Oceana Hotel, Miller meets her new American classmates. She will soon realize that she has nothing in common with her "new friends." They truly believe that they are superior to all those who surround them because they are upper class American kids. Even though Miller is expected to be like them she finds that she can't be as selfish and selfcentered as they are. On the other hand, Miller finds herself drawn to Javier Suarez the poolside waiter that works at the hotel where she lives.

Miller has a run in with her love interest when she gets lost while wandering the streets, which are still unfamiliar to her.

After casually bumping into him, the mysterious Suarez comes to her rescue and helps her get home. Once again she finds herself in trouble as one of her classmates tries to take advantage of her while they are out, and is saved by Suarez.

That night they realize that there is potential for them to start a friendship, yet when something good happens something bad happens in return. In keeping with the basic conflict from the original “Dirty

Dancing,” Miller’s sister sees her with "the pool boy" and reports him to the hotel's management. His friendship with Miller ultimately costs him his job.

It then became Miller’s turn to try to save Javier as he had done for her on more than one occasion.

She finds out about a dance contest at a prestigious country club— The Palace. The grand prize would be $5,000 and a trip to America. Miller took note that Javier and

Courtesy of Artisan

See HAVANA page 10

AROUND TOWN Festival March 4-7 Place: Dodge Arena Event: Borderfest 2004 is around the corner. Enjoy at least 100 bands on 15 festival stages.

Price: Ticket prices range from $4 to $36, and are available at Circle K stores.

Phone: (956) 843-2302

Concert March 12 at 9 p.m.

Place: La Villa Real Event: Randy Travis returns to the special events center after 12 years. McAllen will be his first stop in Texas this touring season.

Price: Tickets range from $30 to $56.

Phone: (956) 687-7121

Art March 13 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Place: Art Awakenings in McAllen Event: “Spring Reflections” Art Exhibit.

Featuring artists will be Lilia De Anda, Anna Chavarria, Manuel Miranda, Pablo Pena, and Monica Ramirez.

Rrice: No admission fee.

Phone: (956) 668-1366

Comedy March 23 Place: UTPA Student Union Media Theater Event: Comedian Lowell Sanders who is currently on tour with George Lopez is coming to the university.

Price: No admission fee.

Phone: (956) 316-7991

March 4, 2004

What will you be doing this Spring Break?

“I just started Graduate School and I will be working on a research proposal.”

-Miki McCarthy Graduate Student Communication

Spr!ng Break >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2004 Arts & Entertainment

“Since I am broke, I really dont have any plans. Maybe I’ll visit my family in Austin.

-Marcella Solano Sophomore Intl. Business “I’m going on a raod trip to Los Vegas with my friends.”

-Mario Hernandez Junior Business/Finance “Homework, homework and more homework. I have tons of work to do for my economics course.”

-Rocio Treviño Senior Marketing

real opinions

It snuck up on us. Like a surprise birthday party or a $20 bill hidden at the bottom of your favorite blue jeans-- its ours, we deserve it and we were bound to have it. Say it with me everyone: "Spring break is here!”

Page 8

It snuck up on us. Like a surprise birthday party or a $20 bill hidden at the bottom of your favorite blue jeans-- its ours, we deserve it and it we were bound to have it. Say it with me everyone: "Spring break is here!"

Crystalee Rodriguez, a sophomore biology major refers to it as seven full quiz-free, testfree, professor-free, assignment-free, chapterfree, stress-free days that begin way after the morning period and end way after the evening period.

Yes, its here, but is the frenzy too much? Can a week of rest and relaxation actually be a week of MTV-esque, crazy beach parties that will only tire you out when you get back to school the next Monday or have you bikini-top high in DWI tickets?

Beach, boobs and beer can be expected for this weeklong party at South Padre Island (SPI). UTPA will break on March 8-12 and SPI attracts more than 100,000 spring breakers annually according to http://gotexas.about.com, an online resource journal. According to SPI police department, it’s a week of fun and excitement, but there is a chance of danger if you don’t drink responsibly.

For those seeking something a little bit safer and a more relaxing time, activities will be offered to distract spring breakers from all the dangers of alcohol and promiscuity. "There are fishing charters, all sorts of water sports related activates, and the coastal studies lab, if they have an interest in marine activity, "Roxanne Harris, President of the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce said. What a visitor

March 4, 2004

wants to do here is their personal choice. It truly depends on their interest."

In addition to these activities, dolphin watching and horseback riding are available for college students who want a break from the spring break party frenzy.

"Things like that keep people out of trouble and doing something stupid, crazy and being promiscuous," Cristy Flores, early childhood development major said. "It keeps them out of getting DWI's and out of jail."

Promiscuity is something of the ordinary at the island every spring break. College girls flash their breasts at video cameras while passing cars and college men give them beads for doing so.

Last year, Claudia Bernal, senior biology major, unintentionally caught a glimpse of a couple having public sex on the bed of a truck down the Island's main street.

"I think its gross, public sex at the island especially during Spring Break is like getting a prostitute for free," psychology major Sandra Mora said. "You're almost guaranteed sex when you go to the island during spring break.

It can’t be safe."

South Padre Island isn’t just a beach with easy access to beer; there is more it can offer to a spring vacationer looking for something a bit less crazy. Harris stresses that vacationers will do what they want to do during their vacation, and it’s just important to be safe.

So whatever your preference, its important to be aware of the dangers surrounding March’s early Christmas gift to college students. Enjoy it! It’s a good time to celebrate your success with midterms-- or forget how bad you did.

Arts & Entertainment

Page 9

by Aaron Lozano

South "Party" Island Spring Break Activities

Booze Cruise The cruise includes a 2hr boat ride, music and FREE beverages.

Available Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Sprite Remix Beach Stage & Tour Activities will run from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, beginning on March 10 and running through the 24 at the Radisson Resort Hotel.

Tequila Frogs Maxim Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Party on the Lagoon Daytime Party, Miss Tequila Frogs Wet-T Finals, and more.

Louie's Backyard Featuring Nick Cannon from the movie Drumline and Crystal Method from L.A. Louie's has been featured on MTV, 60 Minutes, the Travel Channel, and E! TV.

Gladys Porter Zoo One of the top 10 zoos in the nation.

Kiteboarding The Laguna Madre's waist-deep water and consistent winds offer beginner-to-expert riders near perfect flat-water conditions to hone their skills.

Schlitterbahn Club Rio March 16 - Ludacris on the Chicken and Beer Tour, must be 18 or over. $25 advance ticket purchase, $30 day of concert. www.ticketweb.com or call (956)772-7873 beginning March 4 - Artist Trina to perform Battle of the DJs.

Mexico Day Trip Spice up your trip to South Padre Island with a zesty shake of Mexican flavor and experience a Two-Nation Vacation.

Windsurfing The sailing season in South Padre runs from September through May.

Whaling Wall Internationally known environmental artist Wyland picked South Padre Island to paint Whaling Wall #53, his only wall in Texas.

Wyland is planning to paint 100 walls during his career to educate people on the importance of marine conservation.

Events and listings were found on http://springbreak.sopa dre.com

March 4, 2004

What will you be doing this Spring Break?

“I just started Graduate School and I will be working on a research proposal.”

-Miki McCarthy Graduate Student Communication

Spr!ng Break >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2004 Arts & Entertainment

“Since I am broke, I really dont have any plans. Maybe I’ll visit my family in Austin.

-Marcella Solano Sophomore Intl. Business “I’m going on a raod trip to Los Vegas with my friends.”

-Mario Hernandez Junior Business/Finance “Homework, homework and more homework. I have tons of work to do for my economics course.”

-Rocio Treviño Senior Marketing

real opinions

It snuck up on us. Like a surprise birthday party or a $20 bill hidden at the bottom of your favorite blue jeans-- its ours, we deserve it and we were bound to have it. Say it with me everyone: "Spring break is here!”

Page 8

It snuck up on us. Like a surprise birthday party or a $20 bill hidden at the bottom of your favorite blue jeans-- its ours, we deserve it and it we were bound to have it. Say it with me everyone: "Spring break is here!"

Crystalee Rodriguez, a sophomore biology major refers to it as seven full quiz-free, testfree, professor-free, assignment-free, chapterfree, stress-free days that begin way after the morning period and end way after the evening period.

Yes, its here, but is the frenzy too much? Can a week of rest and relaxation actually be a week of MTV-esque, crazy beach parties that will only tire you out when you get back to school the next Monday or have you bikini-top high in DWI tickets?

Beach, boobs and beer can be expected for this weeklong party at South Padre Island (SPI). UTPA will break on March 8-12 and SPI attracts more than 100,000 spring breakers annually according to http://gotexas.about.com, an online resource journal. According to SPI police department, it’s a week of fun and excitement, but there is a chance of danger if you don’t drink responsibly.

For those seeking something a little bit safer and a more relaxing time, activities will be offered to distract spring breakers from all the dangers of alcohol and promiscuity. "There are fishing charters, all sorts of water sports related activates, and the coastal studies lab, if they have an interest in marine activity, "Roxanne Harris, President of the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce said. What a visitor

March 4, 2004

wants to do here is their personal choice. It truly depends on their interest."

In addition to these activities, dolphin watching and horseback riding are available for college students who want a break from the spring break party frenzy.

"Things like that keep people out of trouble and doing something stupid, crazy and being promiscuous," Cristy Flores, early childhood development major said. "It keeps them out of getting DWI's and out of jail."

Promiscuity is something of the ordinary at the island every spring break. College girls flash their breasts at video cameras while passing cars and college men give them beads for doing so.

Last year, Claudia Bernal, senior biology major, unintentionally caught a glimpse of a couple having public sex on the bed of a truck down the Island's main street.

"I think its gross, public sex at the island especially during Spring Break is like getting a prostitute for free," psychology major Sandra Mora said. "You're almost guaranteed sex when you go to the island during spring break.

It can’t be safe."

South Padre Island isn’t just a beach with easy access to beer; there is more it can offer to a spring vacationer looking for something a bit less crazy. Harris stresses that vacationers will do what they want to do during their vacation, and it’s just important to be safe.

So whatever your preference, its important to be aware of the dangers surrounding March’s early Christmas gift to college students. Enjoy it! It’s a good time to celebrate your success with midterms-- or forget how bad you did.

Arts & Entertainment

Page 9

by Aaron Lozano

South "Party" Island Spring Break Activities

Booze Cruise The cruise includes a 2hr boat ride, music and FREE beverages.

Available Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Sprite Remix Beach Stage & Tour Activities will run from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, beginning on March 10 and running through the 24 at the Radisson Resort Hotel.

Tequila Frogs Maxim Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Party on the Lagoon Daytime Party, Miss Tequila Frogs Wet-T Finals, and more.

Louie's Backyard Featuring Nick Cannon from the movie Drumline and Crystal Method from L.A. Louie's has been featured on MTV, 60 Minutes, the Travel Channel, and E! TV.

Gladys Porter Zoo One of the top 10 zoos in the nation.

Kiteboarding The Laguna Madre's waist-deep water and consistent winds offer beginner-to-expert riders near perfect flat-water conditions to hone their skills.

Schlitterbahn Club Rio March 16 - Ludacris on the Chicken and Beer Tour, must be 18 or over. $25 advance ticket purchase, $30 day of concert. www.ticketweb.com or call (956)772-7873 beginning March 4 - Artist Trina to perform Battle of the DJs.

Mexico Day Trip Spice up your trip to South Padre Island with a zesty shake of Mexican flavor and experience a Two-Nation Vacation.

Windsurfing The sailing season in South Padre runs from September through May.

Whaling Wall Internationally known environmental artist Wyland picked South Padre Island to paint Whaling Wall #53, his only wall in Texas.

Wyland is planning to paint 100 walls during his career to educate people on the importance of marine conservation.

Events and listings were found on http://springbreak.sopa dre.com

March 4, 2004

MUSIC

Arts & Entertainment

Page 10

continued from page 7

song if they want to take it off their computer and transfer it to a portable music player.

Still, there are those file-sharing services that continue to provide free downloading for those who don’t want to pay for a program that makes the user pay a fee for music. Kazaa, Morpheus, and iMesh are just a few of the services that illegally distribute files online. The RIAA finds the people that use these services by linking their name to their IP addresses.

However, according to market analyst Mike McGuire, there might be a time when the RIAA will not be able to link people to their ISP account.

"As fast as the RIAA can come up with a way to stop file-sharing, people will always find a way around it," said McGuire in an interview he gave PC Magazine.

Elan Oren, CEO of iMesh, believes that the individual or the file-sharing vendor will be able to hide their identity.

"Companies will make it so that reaching the end user will be almost impossible," said Oren.

While the music industry will continue their fight

HAVANA

against illegal music downloading, it seems practically impossible to stop the file sharing altogether, and the reason for this lies somewhere in the purpose of the user's downloading the files in the first place.

Contreras, the student who has admitted to downloading music, contends that file sharing is not a bad thing.

"I think here in the U.S. people download one song out of each CD, then combine them and make their own," said Contreras. "I don't think they're doing it to make a profit, hence why people think it is bad."

Jennifer Fogle, a UTPA student majoring in Education, has a different theory for the steady flow of file sharing on the Internet, and why it is in no danger of declining.

“I don't think downloading will disappear as long as we have CD burners,” said Fogle. "If we didn't have them, there would be no way to download them."

So while there is no end solution in sight for this dilemma, it will continue to be a debatable issue as long as the record industry continues to lose money and file sharers continue to download music for free.

continued from page 7

his family would really benefit from the prize.

The problem that arises when they become dance partners is that their styles of dancing are very different.

They come from two different worlds and their dancing is a clear reflection of that. Miller’s parents were champion ballroom dancers so she is very well trained in the art of ballroom dancing and any type of dancing that requires a lot of mental structure. Javier on the other hand dances freely. His dancing has no structure, he just goes with the flow and moves freely in a very sensual way that Miller is not used to performing.

Just like the original the friendship between the two main characters grows into something else as they are forced to learn to become one. She has to conquer her fears of dancing in a new and sensual way. Miller must find a way to sneak off with Suarez to La Rosa Negra where night after night they must practice their dance

moves until they become certain that they are truly a single unit on the dance floor.

To many this movie might be just another dance movie, but its not. It has drama and romance and for at least an hour and 26 minutes it is entertaining and it will help get your minds off problems. The actors do a wonderful job in portraying individuals whose only passion is to dance with one another.

If dancing is not of interest to the viewer, then at least watch the movie so that you can get a different perspective than the one that many might have after seeing Diego Luna in “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” and appreciate his range as an actor. For those who just want to spend a good time at the theater, this movie will serve its purpose. After seeing the movie chances are that even people who are cursed with two left feet will be left with the urge to dance.

A&E

■ ■ ■ ARTS & E NTE RTAINME NT

3.8.4

Spring Break Begins::

■ Havana Nights Review . . . . . . . . . 7 ■ Online Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ■ Spring Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

Lawsuits change structure of file-sharing sites MUSIC

By CHRISTINA HARRIS The Pan American

With the recent lawsuits against online music swappers from the Record Industry Association of America, the illegal downloading of music should be well on its way to a decline. However, Internet users are still downloading free music and it doesn't look like there is an end in sight.

According to research firm Comscore Networks, the number of people nationwide downloading music has dropped by half, meaning 17 million fewer people are filesharing. While the lawsuits may have frightened many Internet users, more than 150

million songs are still being downloaded for free each month.

Carlos Contreras, 23, an advertising/public relation major, hasn't been fazed by the recent threat to those illegally downloading music.

"Even with this suing thing going on with record companies, I think people will keep doing it," said Contreras.

"They have the mentality of 'it's not [going to] happen to me' so people are going to continue downloading music. Who doesn’t enjoy free things?"

The 1,445 people who were charged with copyright infringement are required to pay the price of a few thousand dollars to compensate for the free music they obtained illegally. For those who fear the possibility lawsuits against them, there are alternative online music

services available that follow the legal criteria.

The most popular new service is Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store and iPod digital player. The music player's sleek design, user-friendliness, and lack of restrictions on downloaded music contribute to the success of iTunes. Internet users pay 99 cents per song or $9.99 to download the entire CD. What differentiates this from other players is that the songs can be transferred to the portable device and listened to in the same manner as any other CD player, without the hassle of changing discs.

An alternative to iTunes is eMusic, it

not as popular but still available. Users have a limitation of 40 songs for $9.99 a month or 65 songs for $14.99 a month. Its chief competition is Rhapsody, with its impressive audio quality and extensive song collection. The advantage with Rhapsody is its $9.95 All Access plan, which gives the user unlimited access.

These sites pose a threat to iTunes, but their main competition is the newly legal Napster 2.0. Users pay $9.99 a month, which includes being able to listen to other members' play lists, a personal mailbox, and the ability to download an unlimited number of songs.

However, the subscriber still has to buy the See MUSIC page 10

*

Napster, Apple, and eMusic are trademarked

‘Havana Nights’ just as sizzling as original

MOVIE REVIEW

By DULCE GONZALEZ The Pan American

Moviegoers need to prepare for hip shaking and moving their bodies to the beat. “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” brings to the screen the contagious musical beats of Cuba along with a desire to let go and be free.

Though many might expect the storyline of this movie to be a mirror image of the original “Dirty Dancing,” it’s not. To some extent the remake does follow the central plot of the original movie, yet new conflicts and layers are added to this plot, which demonstrates how events surrounding Cuba unfold before all those who live in Havana.

In Nov. 1958, 18-year-old Katey Miller was forced to leave the United States with her family and move to Havana where her dad was going

to take an executive job in a major company.

She was forced to leave her friends and high school and all that she felt deprived of everything except her dream of attending college. Unfortunately for Miller and her family, Cuba was in the middle of a revolution.

Upon arrival in their new home, the prestigious Oceana Hotel, Miller meets her new American classmates. She will soon realize that she has nothing in common with her "new friends." They truly believe that they are superior to all those who surround them because they are upper class American kids. Even though Miller is expected to be like them she finds that she can't be as selfish and selfcentered as they are. On the other hand, Miller finds herself drawn to Javier Suarez the poolside waiter that works at the hotel where she lives.

Miller has a run in with her love interest when she gets lost while wandering the streets, which are still unfamiliar to her.

After casually bumping into him, the mysterious Suarez comes to her rescue and helps her get home. Once again she finds herself in trouble as one of her classmates tries to take advantage of her while they are out, and is saved by Suarez.

That night they realize that there is potential for them to start a friendship, yet when something good happens something bad happens in return. In keeping with the basic conflict from the original “Dirty

Dancing,” Miller’s sister sees her with "the pool boy" and reports him to the hotel's management. His friendship with Miller ultimately costs him his job.

It then became Miller’s turn to try to save Javier as he had done for her on more than one occasion.

She finds out about a dance contest at a prestigious country club— The Palace. The grand prize would be $5,000 and a trip to America. Miller took note that Javier and

Courtesy of Artisan

See HAVANA page 10

AROUND TOWN Festival March 4-7 Place: Dodge Arena Event: Borderfest 2004 is around the corner. Enjoy at least 100 bands on 15 festival stages.

Price: Ticket prices range from $4 to $36, and are available at Circle K stores.

Phone: (956) 843-2302

Concert March 12 at 9 p.m.

Place: La Villa Real Event: Randy Travis returns to the special events center after 12 years. McAllen will be his first stop in Texas this touring season.

Price: Tickets range from $30 to $56.

Phone: (956) 687-7121

Art March 13 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Place: Art Awakenings in McAllen Event: “Spring Reflections” Art Exhibit.

Featuring artists will be Lilia De Anda, Anna Chavarria, Manuel Miranda, Pablo Pena, and Monica Ramirez.

Rrice: No admission fee.

Phone: (956) 668-1366

Comedy March 23 Place: UTPA Student Union Media Theater Event: Comedian Lowell Sanders who is currently on tour with George Lopez is coming to the university.

Price: No admission fee.

Phone: (956) 316-7991

March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 6

March 4, 2004

Teachers’ meeting tries to clarify national education act

Enhance survey run ELEVATOR

By EDWINA P. GARZA The Pan American

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American

When Brian Baker spoke to a crowd of educators Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Media Theater here at UTPA, he had one thing on his mind: gaining and maintaining highly qualified teachers.

Baker, a director of educational issues for the Texas Federation of Teachers, discussed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title I regulations under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The ESEA was passed into law in 1965 to improve the education of disadvantaged students.

“Its purpose is to give every disadvantaged student in the country an opportunity to learn just like every other student,” Baker said.

Baker mentioned that when the law was originally passed, there was a great deal of poverty in the country, and the goal behind ESEA was to look at the achievement gap. The major component of ESEA has now become known as Title I. “The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments,” said Baker.

The recent NCLB act contains principles and strategies proposed by President Bush and has four major goals, including increased accountability, more choices for parents and students, greater flexibility for states, districts, and schools, and putting reading first.

With increased accountability, states will be required to implement accountability systems based on challenging state standards in mathematics and reading. The more choices section allows parents and students attending Title I schools failing to meet state standards the opportunity to seek an education at a neighboring school. With greater flexibility for states, districts, and schools, the use of federal education funds will be allowed in exchange for satisfactory results. Along with the NCLB Act, Bush made a commitment to ensuring that every child could read by the end of the third grade.

was to ensure that the teachers who were hired to teach core subjects were “highly qualified.” Each state, Baker mentioned, was to plan how it will have all of its teachers who teach core subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year.

Baker described to the audience what a “highly qualified” educator is.

“Any public elementary school or secondary school teacher who teaches core academic subjects must have obtained the full state certification as teachers including alternative certification or passed the state teacher licensing exam; hold a license to teach in a state; and not had a certification or licensure requirement waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis,” he said.

Aside from holding at least a bachelor’s degree, an elementary school teacher who is new to the profession must demonstrate subject knowledge and teaching skills in math, reading, and writing by passing a test.

New teachers in middle and high schools have completed an academic major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major, pass a test on the subject they teach, or complete an advanced certification or credentialing, Baker said.

Those teachers that are not new to the Franco Caballero/The Pan American profession, Baker said, can meet the same MAKING SENSE— Brian Baker of the Texas Federation of Teachers spoke on requirements that a new teacher does or must campus last week to an audience of educators seeking information on various demonstrate competence in all the academic federal and state laws passed recently. subjects in which the teacher teaches based on a standard of evaluation that is set by the higher, or passed a state or local assessment designated to state.

This House Option, Baker stated, was just passed by the state demonstrate knowledge of, and the ability to assist with in October of last year. instruction in reading, writing, or math.

“The House Option is something that the federal “The currently employed paraprofessionals have until January 2006 to meet the new qualifications,” Baker said.

See TEACHER page 12 In the beginning of the 2002-03 school year, every district The highly qualified teacher qualifications that were discussed in the presentation dealt with paraprofessionals, elementary, secondary, and special education teachers.

Aside from having a high school diploma or equivalent, Baker said a newly hired paraprofessional, as of Jan. 8, 2001, must have completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education, have obtained an associate’s degree or

MBOC gets windfall Bookstore innovates

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American

The yearly fix arrived right on time, and so the benefits will be forthcoming.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce presented $200,000 at a press conference Feb. 2 for the South Texas Minority Business Opportunity Committee (MBOC) at the University of Texas-Pan American.

The funding received from MBDA is the same amount as received last year.

Since the establishment of MBOC in August 1996, it has been funded by MBDA. The funding complements support given by the university and is used by MBOC to provide assistance to minority businesses, including startups and expansions. MBOC sets up conferences to assist businesses in developing business opportunities as well as workshops in recordkeeping and business training.

“Because of the manner in which we are funded, we are able to turn around and offer our services at no cost,” said Johnny Cisneros, MBOC director.

Cisneros, who said that MBOC is the only entity of its type in the state, added that fortunately the state of the economy would not have an effect on future government funding for MBOC. “The administration has a desire to continue with the program because of

the assistance it provides,” he noted.

MBOC assists minority businesses by gathering information to help develop and implement business strategies. The group also works with minority-owned businesses to make more efficient use of federal, state, and local resources.

This is a particularly relevant service, considering the swirling controversy this week about the Valley’s supposed inefficiency in using over $1 billion of health funding. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and efficient use of it is a must in today’s economy.

Additionally, MBOC serves as a community advocate for minority businesses to play a greater role in their community by identifying and overcoming obstacles in local markets.

Recently, the organization has arranged international trade missions into Mexico, in one instance taking a Houston company across the border to expand its business opportunities. The missions usually involve meeting with Mexican companies and finding new distributors for a company’s products.

MBOC also coordinates the Market Opportunities and Networking for Entrepreneurial Youth (MONEY) Conference. High school juniors and seniors from Cameron to Starr County are invited to the event, which allows entrepreneurial youths the opportunity to learn from selected speakers and to work together on their own business.

The next MONEY Conference takes place in November.

By ARTHUR HAGEY The Pan American Sometimes keeping up with technological innovation is difficult, but some groups manage it just fine. For instance, the University Bookstore introduced its On-line Textbook Adoption Program to faculty Feb. 19 at the UTPA Student Union Theater Lobby.

The online version will complement the University Bookstore and will eventually provide students with the option of reserving books in advance. Robert Cantu, bookstore general manager, sees the online option becoming popular with faculty and students.

“It gives faculty members an additional avenue to submit their textbook requirements to the bookstore,” Cantu said. “What used to take a few days for an order to go through is now much quicker.

A lot of other schools have done it, I think it’s a standard now.”

Early test runs of the online project have proved successful; feedback noted it was straightforward and simple to use.

“Having taught a few new courses, it is difficult to quickly find all the right books,” said Grant Benham, a UTPA psychology professor. He added the new book adoption program would hopefully do a thorough job of searching, in a short period of time.

Other faculty members have weighed in with positive remarks.

“This is the first semester in memory

I’ve had all my books in on time,” said Nigel Cohen, a criminal justice professor.

“Before, you had to print out each form, now it makes it easier if you’re using the same book every semester.”

Faculty previously needed to turn in their text requirements months in advance because of the time it took for orders to be processes and shipped. Now the process has been streamlined and made more efficient with the elimination of messy and monotonous paperwork. By entering information directly into the system, faculty members now have an easier, less time-consuming process for ordering textbooks.

“I think it’s going to be awesome,” said Sylvia Ybarra, secretary from the Nursing Department. “We are in the Dark Ages when it comes to getting books for students.”

Beginning with Summer I, students will be able to reserve books online at http://bookstore.panam.edu. After making their selection, students can reserve their books without credit card information.

The University Bookstore will then send an e-mail confirmation and hold onto the books until the student comes to pick them up and pay.

Students can go online and see the book’s title, edition, price, and condition (old or new). The bookstore will also be changing prices to stay more competitive.

If the student doesn’t have the name of the book, they will be able to enter the course number and section to bring up the titles needed for the class.

What does the average person think of people with disabilities? Do they think of them at all? The university wants answers to those questions.

The Department of Rehabilitation is performing a survey of UTPA faculty as part of Project Enhance, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education.

The survey is part of a pilot program that will gauge faculty awareness and attitudes concerning students with disabilities.

Results from the survey will be used to find areas where the Department of Rehabilitation can improve training on campus where the need exists.

“It’s a 3-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education,” said Project Director Bruce Reed, professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation. “There’s $1 million committed to improving services on campus for students with disabilities.”

Project Enhance will primarily help Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in Texas, New Mexico, California, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

“We sometimes go on the road to meet with faculty and provide training,” said Reed, who added that the survey will be used nationally on campuses that have requested assistance on working to improve their commitment to students with disabilities.

The survey questions were developed by

Page 11

THE PAN AMERICAN

Reed and then put online by Dr. S.J. Sethi, assistant director of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Project Enhance Assistive Technology (AT) Lab in the Rehab Annex gives people with disabilities access to technology that can help them become more successful students. The lab is also available for employers who work with individuals with disabilities, enabling them to examine and tryout the equipment.

“Project Enhance was made to help students with disabilities gain equal access to education,” said Training Coordinator Yvette Flores.

Flores said they started in September contacting other universities in the early stages of Project Enhance.

“We sent out to over 300 HSIs to work with universities that replied to our requests,” said Flores.

She noted that they traveled to Puerto Rico for a week because the services available for students with disabilities there were lacking. They helped develop a disability support office that would be in a better position to provide assistance to students with disabilities.

Flores said that in addition to going on the road, they have also hosted training sessions on campus and brought in representatives from other universities.

Individual meetings are set up to support their disability services.

She explained that attitude can be one of the biggest barriers for students with disabilities. If a person doesn’t know someone with a disability, they are likely to have misconceptions that can be harmful.

continued from page 2

Building B. “We see ourselves as the chief advocate for the students,” Price said. [The Dean of Students’] Office may not be the office where students file their complaints, but we’ll refer them to the appropriate office.”

Students with disabilities can file their grievances at the president’s office with Esmeralda Guerra, the University’s Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer/Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.

“When I did learn of a student with a disability, we relocated the student in two hours,” Guerra said. “I think we have done what we can in every respect.”

No complaints have been filed since the relocation. But despite the success of the accommodations, university officials recognize that relocating classes is not a longterm solution.

“I’ve been checking on this almost daily,” said Marvin Boland, director for Facilities Planning and Construction. “We want to get the elevator in operation as quickly as anyone.”

However, several bureaucratic snags

EMPOWERMENT them. This conference will bring about awareness, understanding and may help women break [stereotypical] barriers.”

For more information about conference registration, MANA membership, the Hermanitas organization, a satellite of MANA, or Latina empowerment, contact Leticia Flores, conference committee chairperson, at

prevented the elevator’s prompt repair. On Dec. 8, the university reviewed bids from companies statewide that advertise repair services. The following day, employees of ThyssenKrupp, a national company with branch offices in Dallas, visited UTPA and inspected the elevator. The elevator’s malfunction was assessed to be the broken jack one day later, on Dec. 10.

“I’m sure we lost a week or two during the holidays,” Boland said.

The university’s bid was approved Jan. 20 and funding was set up the following day. On Feb. 2 the installing company received the purchase order for the jack and began manufacturing it. Because its original manufacturer no longer makes the jack, the necessary part must be custom made, a process that takes about six to eight weeks.

Once completed, installation will take seven to 10 days, Boland said, because the building is over 30 years old and certain precautions must be taken.

“This one didn’t slip,” Boland said. “It just takes a long time. What we’re trying to do is keep everyone informed. Obviously, we don’t discriminate against anyone. We listen to everybody.”

continued from page 4 584-7899 or contact Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala, at 565-0791 or email MANAdeHidalgo@aol.com.

Hermana means sister in Spanish. The MANA organization derives its name from this word. Through a network of sisters and similar relationships MANA hopes to reach, help and empower Latina women across the nation.

LULAC

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THE PAN AMERICAN

JANITORS

continued from page 3

doors of opportunities for Hispanics.

“LULAC has been a Hispanic organization that has been instrumental since the 1920s to the concerns of Mexican-Americans,” Rocha said.

“LULAC wants to open educational opportunities for Mexican-Americans, and still continues to be at the forefront today. Those 75 years of existence has allowed Hispanics better access to education.”

One nuanced political issue LULAC deals with is naming power. In terms of association with a particular name, some Hispanics don’t like to be called “Hispanic,” preferring the term “Latino.”

Others call themselves “Chicano.” Is there a difference? Rocha, for one, feels “Latino” and “Hispanic” are generic terms.

“Latino is the generic term for the twenty-something Spanish-speaking countries. A Latino can be somebody from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, or Mexico. It is very broad,” Rocha stressed.

“Hispanic is also generic, one given to us as a government-issue term.”

Instead, Rocha prefers to be called a “Chicano.”

“A Chicano is used to identity a Mexican-American. A term we give ourselves because we define our own reality. No Chicano comes to represent ‘our identity.’ It reflects the respect we have for our indigenous culture, our mother country of Mexico, and respect we have for our president of the United States,” said Rocha.

Fernandez, on the other hand, sees himself not as a “Chicano” but simply as “Hispanic.”

“I’m originally from New Mexico and view myself as a Hispanic. The term Hispanic is relating back to Spain. It leaves out the native aspect though.

Latino is probably more widely used,” commented Fernandez.

Author and poet Sandra Cisneros describes herself using four different terms: Latina, Chicana, Tejana, and Mexican-American. However, Cisneros finds the term “Hispanic” to be incredibly offensive.

“The term Hispanic makes my skin crawl,” said Cisneros in a recent interview with Hispanic Magazine. “It's a very colonistic term, a disrespectful term, a term imposed on us without asking what we wanted to call ourselves.”

Still, her view is not the pervasive one.

In a recent study by Hispanic Trends, Inc. 1,200 Mexican-Americans were asked whether they preferred to be called a “Latino” or Hispanic.” The study found that of the 1,200, 65 percent preferred to be called “Hispanic,” and 30 percent voted for “Latino.” Those referring to themselves as “Hispanic” tended to be young and conservative, while those seeing themselves as “Latinos” were found to be older, more liberal, and sometimes radical.

The sample also showed that regionally, 67 percent of MexicanAmericans from Texas preferred “Hispanic,” as did 52 percent of MexicanAmericans in California and New York.

find someone I can borrow a car from so she won’t have to come for me.”

Rodriguez doesn’t plan to be a janitor for the rest of his life. This summer, he is planning to start studying to become an electrician.

“It is only a year and a half,” added Rodriguez. “I’m hoping that if I do good, I can get a job here at Pan Am as an electrician.”

JOB COMPLICATIONS At a university, as anywhere else, things tend to get lost. Some professors tend to be picky with not wanting janitors to clean their rooms in fear that something will be stolen. They also ask the cleaners to watch out for thieves.

“Some don’t like us to go in there and clean.

There are always things being stolen, especially in the Engineering and Science Building,” said Rodriguez. “One time a computer was taken, another time a DVD player. Professors come to us, and ask us to be on the look-out.”

But as hard as it is to work odd hours, often alone, janitors on campus are able to find ways to enjoy themselves while on their shift. Saenz enjoys working when big events occur, and Rodriguez says particular rooms he cleans are quite interesting, and scary at the same time.

“It’s interesting to be cleaning in places in buildings where dead bodies are taken to be studied,” added Rodriguez. “Sometimes when I go in there to clean, nerves from dead bodies jump! It’s pretty scary to work in there.”

However, Rodriguez says the most thrilling part of his job is when payday comes around.

“We get paid pretty good,” said Rodriguez with a big smile on his face.

Both Saenz and Rodriguez would agree that the worst part of their job is cleaning the bathrooms.

“A lot of people don’t flush it like they’re supposed to. They just leave ‘everything there,’ and don’t flush it, so we get to see all that,” said Saenz.

Rodriguez added that though students are not very clean, the janitors still have to clean, no matter how disgusting it can be.

“In the guys’ bathroom, sometimes they over-exaggerate when they go in there. Some seem to have ‘no aim’ whatsoever. Some guys tend to [urinate] all over the place, even on the toilet paper. In the girls’, they tend to leave their old tampons just there on the floor for us to pick up. It’s gross, especially for us guy janitors, when they could just roll it up and throw it away themselves instead,” said Rodriguez with a funny look on his face.

Janitors also face dangers on the job. Certain chemicals they use are potent and they have to use them carefully.

“It’s not till when we’re older that we realize our noses or lungs are all messed up because of the chemicals,” said Rodriguez.

The shampoo/strip machine is also dangerous. It’s used to shampoo the floor, and

TEACHER

Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American

CLARIFICATION— Dr. Teresa Sullivan spoke Tuesday on campus about the ongoing search to replace Dr. Miguel Nevarez. The executive vice chancellor of the UT System said that the field would soon be narrowed to 20 from 86 candidates.

continued from page 1 also to strip tile off the floor. It has a clutch on the bottom, where a round rag is placed under it that can be wetted and filled with soap.

Sometimes the clutch is messed up after being old, and it throws the bonnet. Then, the machine jumps around the room uncontrollably. If the machine goes wild, it can terrorize the room, and the user.

“This thing is so strong that it can break the wall and even break a computer. If a wall breaks, it’s fine. But if you terrorize a room, such as an office then we can get fired,” said Rodriguez. “But, that’s when other come in to check the machine, and if they find that the clutch is messed up and find out that we told our supervisor that we needed new equipment, then the supervisor gets written up for not ordering new supplies.”

It is also more difficult for UTPA janitors to get hired lately. Many, if not most janitors here are only Spanish-speaking, and they don’t know how to read English. This year, the university has gotten stricter by trying to hire people who know how to read English.

One of the other complications on the job involves longstanding myths and legends. One is centered in the library, where legend has it that a student died in there when the whole floor got burned in a fire.

“You’ll be sitting down, and you’ll hear somebody whispering. Some see a shadow just zoom by, other times you can just get chills from his presence,” Rodriguez said. “Nobody’s actually seen him. Books also fall of the shelves and there’s nobody there when it happens.”

Another myth is from the Annex, when a lady died there sometime ago. Several janitors have confessed in belief the place is haunted.

“This has actually happened to me once,” claimed Rodriguez. “While I was walking into the building to clean, the building was dark and I saw this lady with a pale face and long dark hair sitting there. I freaked out. So I quickly turned on the light and she was gone!”

Rodriguez said he thought his supervisor was around because he heard some keys.

“I called out his name, and no one responded. I then picked up some staples from the carpet, looked around, and there was nobody there. There was nobody. I heard somebody walking through the hallway,” commented Rodriguez.

Through it all, as the university continues to grow, and so will the job of the janitors.

There are currently nearly 50 of them, and most work at night. But in the meantime, with all the hard work they put into keeping the university beautiful, they added they would like the students to throw away their trash and not be so dependent upon janitors to clean up after them.

“Try to help us because there’s a lot of trash cans all over the buildings. It would help us a lot,” said Saenz.

continued from page 6

government was adamant about, requiring all teachers to be highly qualified, and giving options to teachers so they could meet the qualifications,” Baker said.

He mentioned that Kansas was the first state to adopt a House Option and develop a checklist.

“It was a very simple checklist, you went through and checked off the numbers of experience you had, courses you had, certifications you had, your degrees, any masters course work, and you added them up and the number had to equal to 60,” Baker explained.

“Texas developed its own option, and teachers must teach the number of 24 points in order to qualify as a teacher under this House Option,” he noted.

Teachers that taught subjects that aren’t core subjects such as vocational classes are not required to meet the standards of a highly qualified teacher, he said.

A UTPA education major from Alamo said she came to the presentation to gain more knowledge on the NCLB Act. The junior, who wished to not be named, said she didn’t understand the program and hadn’t made up her mind on whether she thinks it’s effective.

March 4, 2004

Page 5

THE PAN AMERICAN

Opportunities abound at latest Career Day

By MARIA A. MAZARIEGOS The Pan American

Company, Wells Fargo Financial, Dallas Police Department, Valley Coca-Cola Bottling Company, among others.

Harlingen CISD took Career Day as an

For an area that perennially has some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, the 31st annual Career Day at UTPA March 2 was an important event. Held at the Field House, the Career Day allowed students and Valley residents the chance to talk with many nationwide companies about jobs.

Enedelia Kidd, director of Career Placement Services, said: “This is designed to provide opportunities to visit with employers as well as to find out of career possibilities and internships.”

While many of the Career Day attendees were dressed in regular attire, there were more than a few dressed to impress. From women in tailored A-line skirts to men in ties, the students who dressed the part hoped to impress representatives Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American from the 70 national companies at JOB MARKET— For 31 years the university has offered a yearly job fair for stuthe event. The businesses were dents of all majors. Tuesday’s event in the Field House was attended by several separated into four main categories: major national employers, plus hundreds of students. corporation/health industry, federal and state agencies, school districts, and UTPA opportunity to promote its upcoming Teacher Job programs. Companies included Ford Motor Fair and search for certified teachers seeking

employment at all levels for the fall school year.

Other school districts making an appearance were Donna, La Joya, Hidalgo, Roma, Zapata, plus Klein and Galena Park from the Houston area.

Mervyn’s Store Team Leader Jorge Ricco said on Career Day that it is “a quick snapshot of people we are looking for.” Mervyn’s is seeking to fill executive positions fast; thus interviews were to be scheduled the following day.

Shaw, a carpet and ceramic floor production company, was present as well, to let students know about its 30,000 employees and $5 billion net worth. Jim Gordon, Shaw representative, said: “We offer a ten-week structured training program and competitive salaries.”

The UTPA representatives notes that such career days are vital to students seeking to get out into the workforce quickly and with ultimate success.

“Students need to start educating themselves on what is available, that way they can become more focused, know what is required of them, and become motivated to achieve.” said Kidd.

Many undergraduate students attended Career Day for the first time and seemed overwhelmed by all the companies and opportunities available for them in the future.

Amanda Martinez, UTPA freshman said, “I was on a break between classes and decided to check out what Career Day was. It is very neat to be able to ask companies questions and have so many professional people around to help inform others.”

HR survey seeks feedback for better service

By CLAUDIA FARIAS The Pan American

Approximately 60 permanent faculty positions were established at the university last fall and 60 more will be created this fall. The number of staff employees is also expected to increase.

Permanent employee recruitment, one of the services provided by the university’s Office of Human Resources, has kept UTPA faculty and staff positions on the rise, despite state budget cuts.

“We were very lucky here,” said Mike Zarate, assistant director for the Office. “We didn’t have to lay anyone off. We’re still growing and I think that says a lot about our university.”

The Office of Human Resources staff publicizes university job openings by advertising in newspapers and online. The staff also receives all inquiries about employment ads and is responsible for dismissing applicants who do not meet the specified job qualifications.

“We’re the funnel of the university,” said Zarate, who has been working at the Office for the past 10 years. The subsequent hiring process is then taken over by the particular department where the job opening is.

“We’ve always gotten a lot of applicants for our positions,” Zarate said. “People want to work for the university.”

After an applicant is hired, the new employee is directed to the Office of Human Resources, staffed by 14 permanent employees and six work-study employees, to get his or her paperwork processed.

“The main thing we’re in charge of is setting up new employees,” Zarate said. Staff at the Office process new employee paperwork to ensure the newcomer is on the university payroll and that all

essential contracts and policies are signed. give about two sessions a month.”

Once an employee is hired, the newcomer is And with over 3,000 University employees, the required to attend an orientation session divided into staff at the Office constantly receives inquiries two parts. Half the session is devoted to explaining regarding university policies. benefits “We hear complaints all the time,” Zarate provided to said. “Really, we’re not the people to bring the n e w complaint to, but we’ll tell [employees] where employees, to go. We’re just here to explain the policy,” such as Zarate said. h e a l t h The most frequent complaint Zarate hears is We were very lucky insurance, from heads of departments trying to recruit here. We didn’t have to p a i d faculty. vacation, “Managers come here all the time and say, ‘I lay anyone off. We’re sick leave, can’t get the person I want because we’re not still growing and I think longevity offering enough,’” Zarate said. He then that says a lot about pay, which conducts research and surveys the university’s g i v e s competition on a continual basis to make sure our university employees UTPA is offering competitive salaries. an extra Staff members at the Office are also interested - Mike Zarate, $20 a in assessing the efficiency of their organization.

Office of Human Resources month for A survey was e-mailed to staff and faculty every three members in mid-February to gauge an years of assessment of services provided. Results of the service. There is also free admission for the survey are pending. employee and immediate family to university“We’re always striving to improve our services,” sponsored sporting events, an annual health fair, an Zarate said. “We react to the results and we want to annual investment fair, access to self-improvement correct our weaknesses.” materials and conferences; and free processing of Bilingual elementary education sophomore Pedro necessary immigration documents for foreign P. Delgado Jr. has been working as a student employees. assistant at the University Library since September The other half of the orientation session, hosted by 2003. Delgado, a work-study employee, is satisfied Training Coordinator Alicia G. Morley, is geared to with the productivity of the Office staff. inform new employees about the university’s “It just took one day to get all my paperwork Compliance Policy and other general information. processed,” Delgado said. “They give you a quick “We’re here to provide services to the University description of what you’re applying for. If they can’t community,” said Morley, who has been working at assist you, they’ll give you the phone number of the the Office for the past three years. “On average, we department that can.”

“

“

March 4, 2004

March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 4

Increased enrollment studied by McMillan

By ANGELA I. CANALES The Pan American In what has become a familiar story, enrollment is increasing again at The University of Texas-Pan American.

In the fall of 2003, the enrollment was up to 15, 889; however, the spring number shows that the enrollment is 15,152. Is this a decline? The answer is no, the number was actually an increase for university enrollment when compared to the spring of 2003.

“In the spring we had about a 7-percent increase from last spring,” said Dennis McMillan, associate vice president for Enrollment and Student Services. “We always compare with the same semester of the year prior.”

The cause for decline from fall to spring is usually the result of enrolled students realizing that the university life is not the path they need to follow.

“Typically most universities have a slight decline from the fall semesters to the spring semesters,” McMillan said. “While we were very close to 16,000 in the fall, our spring number 15,152 is a normal enrollment pattern. Some students that are here in the fall decide that college is not for them.”

Every day the university goes through enrollment changes due to the decision of students to abandon their education for whatever reason. This will always be a reason for change at the university.

“Obviously it changes every day with students dropping out,” said McMillan. “The state mandates that all the official enrollments be submitted by the twelfth class day so that’s our benchmark at the beginning of each semester.”

Despite the coming and going effect, the university does not want to turn students away. UTPA also wants to make sure that when students enroll, they eventually finish their education.

“One of the things that contribute to our growth is our ability to retain students,” said McMillan. “We have taken a number of measures to try and retain more students and keep them from dropping out after one semester or one year. We’ve had some good success with that and it is contributed to our growth as well.”

Enrollment increases are beneficial to public education system in the main. Because public school systems are funded by the state, the increase in enrollment allows the state to give more monies to the university.

“Primarily, a significant portion of our operational funding

comes from the state. It is important that we continue to grow parking problem that would be created with rapid growth.” otherwise the amount of funding that we receive from the state He said that along with overcrowding on campus, more would remain level and that would not allow for expansion of students also means difficulty for the city. programs,” said McMillan. “Growth is critical in order for us “Another issue that we will face that is under discussion to offer more to the students.” with the city of Edinburg is traffic flow; the traffic congestion Increases in enrollment can be attributed to many factors, comes along with the rapid growth of our student population it one being the consistent population growth in the Valley, makes it very difficult to move about the city.” which has over 1 million people now. The university allows Controlling unlimited growth may be what the UTPA for students around the area to administration targeted when it decided commute and attain a degree from an UTPA Headcount Enrollment to change the current admission accredited university. standards, making it a bit more difficult “The population of the Valley is for future students. The admission Semester Fall Spring growing very rapidly. We are standards will progressively change to conveniently located for a lot of people allow the university to be more ‘98 - ‘99 12,373 11,739 that don’t want to travel to other parts selective and control the problem of ‘99 - ‘00 12,571 11,964 of the state” said McMillan. unlimited growth.

Another factor appealing to students There are three factors that will come ‘00 - ‘01 12,761 12,210 is value. UTPA is still the cheapest into play for future admission to UTPA. ‘01 - ‘02 13,640 12,880 alternative in the entire UT System. The There will be a higher composite ACT administration tries to ensure that this score required, an earlier deadline for ‘02 - ‘03 14,392 14,171 will not change and by doing so they admission, and a minimum GPA ‘03 - ‘04 15,914 15,152 attract potential students to the requirement for transfer students. university.

“We have a plan to change our Source: UTPA Enrollment and Student Services “We will make a very conservative admission standards. We have effort to keep our tuition fees affordable so that students can established a time table to phase in those admission standards come here, get a quality education, and be able to afford that,” in such a way that we don’t dramatically curtail our growth,” said McMillan. “There is a big issue among universities said McMillan. “In other words we will begin raising our ACT nowadays whether or not tuition and fees will rise so rapidly score requirements and we will raise it one point every two and so high that it will cut off the access to middle-income or years until we have raised it to a minimum composite score of lower-income students who don’t have a lot of money to pay 18 on the ACT and that will be in 2011. We will also require a back educational loans. minimum GPA of 2.0 for transfer students and that will be “We have dedicated a lot of time and energy to try and keep effective Jan. 2005.” our tuition and fees lower. We have the lowest tuition and fee The third factor for stricter admission standards is the earlier charges of any of the UT-system schools,” he said. deadline standard. The hope is to train students to be more Although unlimited might growth seem appealing for the diligent with their planning. university, there are some drawbacks to it. Unchecked growth “We also are establishing earlier admission deadlines. We would create problems for the university that may work to the have a lot of students that come to us until the last minute and detriment of current or prospective students. many of those students are the ones that are least prepared and “Unlimited growth would be problematic, yes. It is difficult least successful at the university,” said McMillan. “The earlier to hire enough faculty to offer enough sections and enough deadline will allow for students to better plan their education seats to keep up with the rapid growth and then you compound and career.” that with other problems with the campus,” said McMillan.

New modifications to admission will be the greatest impact “You would have to continue to increase the amount of on enrollment. The next step is to see how the new standards classrooms. The one students will identify with the most is and other factors will affect the university.

Women’s conference plans balancing act

By VANESSA R. CASTILLO The Pan American

There will be several keynote speakers. One is U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, who helped MANA start its first chapter in 1974. Dr. Paul Villas, who will share an inspirational one-person presentation called “Delivering with Ganas (enthusiasm), ” a speech based on the teaching

journalist Macarena Hernandez, who disclosed plagiarism at the New York Times and taught last semester at UTPA will speak, as will Alma Morales-Riojas, MANA national president and CEO. Current 398th District Court Judge Today’s student is usually an expert in multitasking, and Aida Salinas Flores, in the midst of a re-election this skill comes in handy in an increasingly complex campaign, will address the audience. world. Families, academics, work and personal affairs Workshops will address maintaining a happy and account for only a few things students juggle and healthy lifestyle, and also inform women who find Empowering Today’s Woman: struggle with on a daily basis. themselves doing it all about methods that will help Today’s female, often blessed and cursed with the Balancing Self, Family and Work them manage health and wellness, financial dual role of mother and professional, is also a Saturday, March 6, 2004 responsibilities, civic leadership, community multitasking pro. involvement, and education.

Student Untion Theatre On Saturday, March 6, the Hidalgo County chapter Many exhibitors will also partake in the conference, 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. of MANA a National Latina Organization, and The to inform women about available employment University of Texas-Pan American College of ❧ Keynote speakers: Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, opportunities their businesses have to offer. Some Education, in conjunction with Congressman Ruben Alma Morales Riojas, National MANA President. exhibitors include The U.S. Border Patrol, which Hinojosa, will host the 2nd annual Empowering would like to recruit more women, and the UTPA ❧ Special appearances by Suzie Pena, Miss Texas Teen Today’s Women Conference that will help women Campus Police, who will inform attendants about Latina Belleza 2004, and Veronica Loredo, Miss Latina manage such issues. violence toward women and rape prevention. MANA Belleza 2004.

Glendelia M. Zavala is the local board president, and hopes to provide positive information and offer a as conference coordinator she would like the ❧ A special one-man stage performance, “Delivering with support system to women who are interested in conference to help all women. But she notes that the advancement.

Ganas,” based on the teachings philosophy of Jaime organization was first started to assist Latina women.

“We need to reach our girls,” said Zavala, who is Escalante, will be performed by Dr. Paul Villas of Triange “The mission of MANA is to empower Latinas concerned about the obstacles women face today.

Communications. through leadership development, community service “Latinas have the highest pregnancy and drop-out rate and advocacy,” she said. But she also mentioned that For more information, contact Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala at in the country,” she added. the conference is for everyone, including women of all (956) 292-7423 or e-nail: manadehidalgo@aol.com Doris Mendiola, a College of Education doctoral ethnicities, and even men who “support the idea of Conference and Exhibitor Registration forms can be student, will be attending the conference. empowering women.”

“In today’s society, it is vital to be informed about downloaded from : www. hermana.org/chapters/hidalgo Saturday’s event will focus on balancing self, family health issues and the importance of education. It is and work and will be held at the UTPA Student Union through education that we are able to move forward,” Theatre. Registration, which includes a continental philosophy of Jaime Escalante, a teacher who educated she said. Mendiola also stated: “Many times women are breakfast, will begin at 8 a.m. There will also be free students from a Hispanic community overrun by gangs, not able to take advantage of opportunities available to glucose, diabetes, cholesterol, vision and hearing drugs, violence and poverty in East Los Angeles. Plus, See EMPOWERMENT page 11 screenings.

SPORTS CLIPBOARD

March 4, 2004

Rangers, Astros begin Spring Training season The Texas Rangers, minus one superstar (Alex Rodríguez), will open up their 2004 Spring Training exhibition baseball season today when they take on the Kansas City Royals at Surprise, Fla. at 2:05 p.m.

The Rangers finished in last place the previous season with a 71-91 record in the American League West while the Royals took third place in the AL Central at 83-79.

On Friday, the Houston Astros will begin their exhibition season against the Cleveland Indians at the Tribe's training facility in Winter Haven, Fla. at 12:05 p.m.

Last season, the Astros missed the playoffs by one game after finishing in second place in the National League Central Division with an 87-75 record. The Chicago Cubs won the division.

The Astros strengthened their pitching rotation during the off-season by signing Texas natives and former New York Yankees Andy Petitte and Roger Clemens.

Houston will take on a rebuilding Cleveland club that finished the 2003 season in fourth place in the five-team AL Central Division with a 68-94 record.

Broncs hoops end season at .500 Arkansas State ended Texas-Pan American’s nine-game winning streak Monday by defeating the Broncs 83-70 in Jonesboro.

With the loss, UTPA finished the season with a 14-14 record. The Broncs started the year with at 5-13, but rescued their season with a strong 9-1 finish.

Meanwhile, the Indians improved to 17-10 with the victory over Pan Am. Andrius Sakalys led the Broncs with 12 points, Eric Montalvo contributed 11, Allen Holcomb and Sergio Sánchez each added 10 a piece.

Sánchez, a junior transfer, led the UTPA in scoring this season with a 12.9 average.

NFL makes big money moves The Philadelphia Eagles signed three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jevon Kearse to a $66 million, eight-year contract Wednesday.

The Eagles’ need for a pass rusher prompted the move to sign Kearse, who spent five seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Last season, he notched 9.5 sacks.

In Denver, cornerback Champ Bailey will become the highest paid player at his position in NFL history.

The Broncos and Bailey agreed to a $63 million deal. The contract includes an $18 million signing bonus.

In Houston, defensive lineman Gary Walker had his contract reworked in order to put the Texans under the salary cap.

Originally, Walker’s contract would have counted $12.6 million against the cap. No contract terms were available.

Page 13

Sports

FOR THE RECORD Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

MEN’S INDEPENDENTS STANDINGS

WOMEN’S INDEPENDENTS STANDINGS

TEAMS Texas A&M-CC UTPA Savannah State IPFW Date Nov. 4 Nov. 8 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Dec. 1 Dec. 4 Dec. 6 Dec. 12 Dec. 14 Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Dec. 22 Dec. 29 Dec. 31 Jan. 6 Jan. 8 Jan. 14 Jan. 19 Jan. 21 Jan. 28 Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 16 Feb. 19 Feb. 28 March 1

W 15 14 4 3

L 11 14 24 25

Pct.. .577 .500 .143 .107

Broncs vs.

Results Monterrey Tech W112-46 Houston Quest W 111-59 Southern Methodist L 59-69 Texas A&M-Int’l W 90-50 Texas-Arlington L 75-81 SWA of God W 90-60 UMKC L 80-104 Texas-San Antonio W 86-83 Mississippi Valley St. L 67-85 Sam Houston State L 66-92 North Texas L 81-87 Rice L 58-69 Oklahoma State L 61-96 Oklahoma L 57-72 McMurry W 90-58 Baylor W 55-54 North Texas L 53-71 Wright State L 60-82 Missouri-K.C. L 69-77 Texas-Arlington L 54-73 IPFW W 81-60 Alcorn State W 74-52 Lamar W 90-78 IPFW W 57-55 Arkansas State W 70-67 TAMUCC W 90-72 Air Force W 37-35 Central Baptist W 111-62 TAMUCC W 74-69 Arkansas State L 70-83

TEAMS Texas A&M-CC UTPA IPFW Savannah State Date Nov. 7 Nov. 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Dec. 5 Dec. 6 Dec. 14 Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 21 Dec. 28 Dec. 31 Jan. 2 Jan. 7 Jan. 9 Jan. 11 Jan. 13 Jan. 22 Jan. 24 Jan. 27 Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 19 Feb. 24 Feb. 28 March 3

W 19 13 8 6

L 9 14 20 20

Pct.. .679 .481 .286 .231

Lady Broncs vs Results Houston W 91-77 Air Force.

W 68-67 Boise State/Dayton W 63-57 TAMUI W 84-55 St. Edward’s W 79-42 St. Louis L 45-77 Kansas State/Sac. W 60-50 Oral Roberts L 57-67 Texas L 25-90 Marshall L 59-74 Central Michigan L 40-56 Tulsa L 41-71 Prairie View A&M W 64-52 UT-Arlington L 46-85 Sacramento State W 49-47 San Diego State L 38-59 Louisiana-Lafayette L 54-62 SE Louisiana L 58-60 SW Missouri State L 34-69 TAMUCC L 43-73 Incarnate Word W 63-46 IPFW W 75-72 Northern Colorado L 56-57 Prairie View A&M W 70-63 Louisiana-Lafayette W 56-38 IPFW W 80-55 TAMUCC L 36-62 SE Louisiana W 54-53 Northern Arizona 8

Broncs Baseball Men’s Tennis Date Jan. 19 Jan. 19 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 7 Feb. 14 Feb. 21

Opponent Time/Results Trinity W 4-3 Texas A&M L 1-6 Eastern Kentucky W 6-1 Dayton W 5-2 Xavier W 6-1 Saint Louis W 4-3 TAMUCC L 2-5

Feb. 26 March 11 March 13

Laredo College (Exh.) L 3-4 Abilene Christian 5:30 Texas Southern 10 a.m.

March 26 April 3

UTSA DePaul

2 1

April 4

Texas-Arlington

10 a.m.

April 7 April 8 April 9 April 16 April 30 May 1 May 2

Texas Southern 2 Lamar 3 Southeastern Louisiana Noon TAMUCC 1 SLC Championships SLC Championships SLC Championships

Men’s Track & Field Indoor Season Date

Opponent

Feb. 7 Feb. 14

Houston Invitational 12 of 22 Houston/RunSport No team

Time/Results

score

Men’s Golf Date Feb. 9-10 March 14-15 March 29-30 April 5-6

Tournament Result Rice Intercollegiate 14 of 14 Bearkat Invitational Trojan Cup

Hal Sutton Intercollegiate April 23-24Andrea Brotto Cavalier Classic May 7-9 National Minority Golf Championships

Date Nov. 1 Jan. 31 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 6 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 8 Feb. 15 Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Feb. 28 Feb. 29 March 6 March 7 March 9 March 12 March 13 March 14 March 16 March 17 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 23 March 24 March 26 March 27 March 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 7 Apr. 9 Apr. 13 Apr. 14 Apr. 16 Apr. 17 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 24 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 11 May 12 May 14 May 15 May 16

Opponent Green and White

Score GREEN, 2-1

Texas State-San Marcos L 7-8 Texas State-San Marcos L 2-6

Texas Kingsville W 6-3, 3-2 Lamar vs. Kansas 3-2 Sam Houston State L 2-7 Kansas W 8-6 Lamar vs. Sam Houston 7-4 Sam Houston vs. Kansas 8-8

Lamar Lamar (2) Lamar

W 2-1 L 1-16, W 8-6 L 4-6 Texas A&M-Kingsville W 15-5 Sam Houston State L 6-10 Sam Houston State L 5-10 Sam Houston State L 4-6 Washington State W 3-2 Washington State L 3-15 Washington State L 6-15 Arkansas 7 Arkansas 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2) 1 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 1 Texas-Arlington 7 Texas-Arlington 2 Oral Roberts 7 Oral Roberts 7 Oral Roberts 1 Texas-San Antonio 2 Texas-San Antonio 2 Dallas Baptist (2) 4 Dallas Baptist 1 Texas 6:30 Texas State-San Marcos 6:30 Texas State-San Marcos 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi(2) 1 Texas-San Antonio 7 Texas-San Antonio 2 Arizona 9 Arizona 9 Arizona 3 Dallas Baptist (2) 4 Dallas Baptist 1 Southeastern Louisiana 7 Southeastern Louisiana 7 Southeastern Louisiana 1 Arkansas 7:05 Arkansas 7:05 Oklahoma 7:05 Oklahoma 7:05 Oklahoma 1

Local / Regional Coverage Mexican Soccer League 2004 Team Chiapas U.N.A.M. Guadalajara Toluca América Necaxa Club San Luis Irapuato Monterrey Tigres U.A.G. Querétaro Atlas Pachuca Puebla Atlante Santos Veracruz Cruz Azul Morelia

W-D-L 7-0-1 5-2-1 5-1-2 4-2-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 3-3-2 2-4-2 3-1-4 3-1-4 2-4-2 2-3-3 2-3-3 2-2-4 2-2-4 2-1-4 1-4-3 1-2-4 1-2-5

GF:GA PTS 17:8 21 16:7 17 9:6 16 10:7 14 13:12 12 10:9 12 9:8 12 12:12 12 11:9 10 18:18 10 14:15 10 10:11 10 10:13 9 8:13 9 8:10 8 12:15 8 10:11 7 12:15 7 7:12 5 7:12 5

Group I 14 - Toluca 10 - Monterrey 9 - Pachuca 9 - Atlas 8 - Puebla

Group II 17 - U.N.A.M. 12 - América 10 - Querétaro 10 - U.A.G. 7 - Santos

Group III 21 - Chiapas 12 - San Luis 10 - Tigres 5 - Cruz Azul 5 - Morelia

Group IV 16 -Guadalajara 12 - Necaxa 12 - Irapuato 8 - Atlante 7 - Veracruz

Week 7 results Feb. 21-22: Toluca 1, Irapuato 1; Chiapas 2, Cruz Azul 1; Santos 2, U.A.G. 1; Pachuca 0, U.N.A.M. 3; Querétaro 1, Necaxa 1; Atlante 3, Veracruz 3; San Luis 1, Monterrey 1; Morelia 1, Puebla 0; Tigres 4, Guadalajara 0; Atlas 3, América 1.

Week 8 schedule Feb. 25-26: Veracruz 1, Chiapas 3; Monterrey 2, Santos 1; Cruz Azul 1, Pachuca 2; Guadalajara 0, Toluca 0; Necaxa 2, Tigres 1; U.N.A.M. 2, Morelia 1; América 2, San Luis 0; Irapuato 2, Atlas 1; Puebla 1, Querétaro 0; U.A.G. 3, Atlante 0.

Week 9 schedule March 6-7: Chiapas vs. U.A.G.; Toluca vs. Necaxa; Tigres vs.

Puebla; Morelia vs. Cruz Azul; San Luis vs. Atlas; Guadalajara vs. Irapuato; Pachuca vs. Veracruz; Atlante vs.

Monterrey; Querétaro vs. U.N.A.M.; Santos vs. América.

NBA Friday, March 5 Dallas at San Antonio, 7 Houston at Minnesota, 7 Saturday, March 6 San Antonio at Phoenix, 8 Sunday, March 7 Dallas at Houston, Noon Monday, March 8 Phoenix at Dallas, 7:30 Tuesday, March 9 San Antonio at Memphis, 7 L.A. Clippers at Houston, 7:30 Wednesday, March 10 L.A. Clippers at San Antonio, 7:30

CHL Thursday, March 4 Killer Bees at Odessa, 7 Friday, March 5 Killer Bees at Lubbock, 7:05 Saturday, March 6 Killer Bees at Corpus Christi, 7:05 Tuesday, March 9 Lubbock at Killer Bees, 7:30 UTPA HOME GAMES IN BOLD All games p.m. unless noted.

Sports

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March 4, 2004

THE PAN AMERICAN

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Oldest political group prepares for 75th anniversary events

By JULIAN CAVAZOS The Pan American

working on is immigration.

“Immigration is our top policy. In Bush’s recent announcement, his current temporary work program Two years ago, UTPA celebrated its 75th year gives Hispanics three years of work here. [LULAC] took anniversary. This year, it’s the League of United Latin a position against the president’s immigration reform because we support a concept called Earned American Citizens (LULAC) that has such a chance.

On its actual 75th anniversary date, Feb. 17, the Legalization, where Mexican immigrants working here organization kicked off its celebration in Corpus Christi, would entitle them to gain citizenship,” explained where officials laid a wreath over the gravesite of Fernandez.

LULAC is also trying to increase political access for LULAC’s first president, Ben Garza.

On March 9, the group will sponsor the LULAC Hispanics. Fernandez says that providing more training National Legislative Awards Gala in Washington D.C. for Hispanics in federal jobs would solve the problem of Here, important Hispanic leaders will be recognized for Hispanic under-representation.

“Hispanics have a very low employment rate in the serving the community. f e d e r a l The celebration will continue government.

We into July, when the LULAC The League of United Latin are very underNational Convention and represented Exposition will be held in San American Citizens (LULAC) p r o p o r t i o n a l l y, ” Antonio. At the convention, many c o m m e n t e d events, showcases, and ◆ LULAC formed in response to the disFernandez.

“We workshops are offered to want to increase the Hispanic students. Each year, top crimination 77,000 newly Mexicanamount of Hispanic leaders in business, American citizens faced after a third of Hispanics in government, and the Hispanic Mexico was annexed by the United f e d e r a l community address crowds in government. To get excess of 9,000 spectators.

States. representation is education.” ◆ LULAC has trained and found jobs for ISSUES LULAC receives LULAC is the oldest, largest thousands of Hispanic, built housing for its funds from and most successful Hispanic thousands more, provided $5 million in v a r i o u s organization in the United States. corporations and scholarship aid to Hispanic students.

Currently, membership is a g e n c i e s approximately 150,000 members.

Source: www.lulac.org. nationwide.

It is probably most known for the “Funding comes scholarships it offers annually.

Like any organization, especially one of a particular from membership dues, corporate foundations, ethnicity, LULAC faces many issues and makes policies government agencies. Typically it’s a grant process,” geared toward the betterment of Hispanics in the United said Fernandez. “We also work really closely with the States. Miguel Fernandez, coordinator of program Department of Human Services and the U.S. development for LULAC, says one issue they’re Department of Agriculture.”

RECALLING HISTORY The organization has a very unique history. After the Mexican-American War in 1846-48, the United States inherited one-third of Mexican territory, including nearly 80,000 residents. Mexicans living in the territory were given the option of remaining in what was now United States territory or to go into Mexico. Most of them chose to stay there, where they later raised future generations of families.

Although the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo granted these Hispanics full citizenship, their rights soon began to be denied by many racist white-Anglo Saxons, according to LULAC doctrine. These Anglos deprived Hispanics of their land and political power, and the right to vote.

Mexican-Americans were also limited to certain professions and jobs, and were confined to the lowest positions and received lower wages for doing the same amount of work as an Anglo, according to LULAC. Much like the African-Americans of the time, Hispanics were also forced into segregated schools and weren’t allowed to use “whites only” facilities.

Acts of lynching also occurred. Most people don’t know that Hispanics were more commonly lynched between 1865 and 1929 than blacks. Amid all the prejudice and violence occurring toward Hispanics, LULAC came into being.

In 1929, several different state organizations merged in Corpus to address social, political, and economic issues they were being faced with. Seventy-five years and 150,000 members later, the organization is still fighting for the same reforms today, primarily the encouragement of education, civil rights and justice, and political access. LULAC has also been praised for being successful at filing discrimination cases, desegregating hundreds of public places, and providing an annual $1.5 million in scholarship money for Hispanics. LULAC has an official presence in 38 states.

Looking back, Dr. Rodolfo Rocha, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said LULAC has opened many See LULAC page 12

Environmental group reeling with new controversy

By VANESSA L. LUCIO The Pan American

For some time now, in a two-party country like America, environmental groups have been vying for political power, to further their agenda of simply wanting the best for the globe.

In the past, those associated with the “Tree Hugger” movement were usually left with carrying banners and signs protesting the rest of the world of Republicans and Democrats with their red and blue seas of supporters.

Despite the antagonism with dominant parties, the various environmental groups have always tried to maintain the elusive inner solidarity that usually evades the mainstream parties.

However, history may be changing, as the Sierra Club, the most powerful and respected environmental organization in the United States, faces what is being described as the greatest crisis in its 112-year history.

Between March 1 and April 15, members will cast mail-in ballots to fill five seats on the club’s 15member governing board.

Supporters of anti-immigration and anti-population growth stances are running for election and hoping to establish a majority on the board, partly in order to formulate an anti-immigration policy.

Kerry Glover, Sierra Club public relations officer in Washington D.C., stated that the reputation of the

organization is on the line.

“Every six years we have this same issue about population brought to our attention,” Glover said.

The Sierra Club is “The Sierra about environmental Club is about environmental concern and human concern and well being, it has human well being, it has nothing to do with a nothing to do specific race or with a specific race or ethnicity. ethnicity.”

- Kerry Glover, Sierra Club PR Officer There are claims that antiimmigration groups are planning to take over the Sierra Club, in an effort with Groundswell Sierra. This is a movement that was formed after club leaders discovered Paul Watson, founder of Greenpeace and Sea Shepard Conservation Society, spoke openly about a takeover attempt during a speech at a conference on animal rights.

When asked to explain Groundswell Sierra, Ken Kramer, director for the Sierra Club Texas Chapter stated: “We at the Sierra Texas Chapter cannot comment on the media frenzy surrounding the casting

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March 4, 2004

of our five-seat vacancy ballot on the 15-member governing board.”

Founded by Scottish immigrant John Muir in 1892, the San Francisco-based Sierra Club traditionally has advocated for clean air and water and protection of wetlands and wildlife.

Sierra Club leaders from previous years say that the anti-immigrant faction has teamed with animal-rights activists to try and take over the organization and its $100 million annual budget.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala.-based civil liberties group, has reported that extremist racist and anti-immigration groups are encouraging their members to pay $25 to join the Sierra Club and vote in the election.

One side believes that environmental problems cannot be solved until ways are found to reduce population numbers, and is opposed to increasing the numbers from immigration or from rising birthrates.

The other side opposes dealing with population issues, saying that population is not a problem, and that Mother Nature will take care of things.

This debate became a major issue in 1998, when members voted by a 60-40 margin to remain neutral on immigration. But things could be changing, as the latest controversy suggests a coup could be in the making. How this controversy affects the long-time goal of a united front against mainstream policy in terms of the environment remains to be seen in the coming months.

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March 4

OPINION

March 4, 2004

letters

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editorials

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cartoons

UTPA golfer coordinates Future tour

2004

By MATT HALL The Pan American Christine Treanor, of the women’s golf team, is making moves on the links and in the business world as well.

The junior from Bulverde has landed an important job at the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as the tournament coordinator for the Future’s Golf Tour.

This is the developmental tour for the LPGA, the final step before making the LPGA. One can make a comparison between this tour and the minor leagues in baseball or the NBDL in basketball.

The addition of the tournament marks the latest Valley improvement on the sports scene. The Edinburg baseball Roadrunners came first and the Killer Bees hockey team is now playing at the new Dodge Arena in Hidalgo. An arena football team, the Dorados, will start up soon, as the area continues to mature in terms of attracting legitimate sporting teams and events.

The tournament is over a year away, during the week of April 18-24, 2005 at the Palmview Golf Course, but the legwork is being done now.

Treanor is thrilled to have an opportunity like this and is living a dream.

“It’s been really exciting because this is what I have always wanted to do,” said Treanor. “I get experience at what I want to do while I am still in college and this busi-

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 53rd Year – No. 21

Editor Arianna Vazquez gareyjup@aol.com

News Editor Belinda Reyes mstxbellezalatina2003@ yahoo.com

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Sports Editor Ed Chrnko echrnko@yahoo.com

Graphics Editor Daniel Aguilar kerygma_@hotmail.com

Layout Designers Dägoberto Pérez Ginmarie Mabry Reporters Brian Carr Vanessa Castillo Julian Cavazos Edwina Garza Dulce Gonzalez Matt Hall Christina Harris Aaron Lozano Vanessa Lucio Clarissa Martinez Amy Medellin Photographer Franco Caballero Copy Editor Joe Anna Moreno Student Pub. Secretary Jo Anne Murphy Adviser Dr. Greg Selber

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 university.

Letters policy The Pan American gladly accepts letters from students, staff and faculty regarding newspaper content or current issues.

The Pan American reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. Please limit submission length to 300 words. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters, or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor and must include the writer’s name, class/title and phone number.

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ness is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Treanor found out about this job through her adviser and professor. Her adviser received an e-mail and then passed the message to her.

So Treanor did what any aspiring college student did and sent in her resume. Then she got an interview and the rest is water under the bridge.

She started work Jan. 12 and is guaranteed employment through the tournament, but there is a chance she will be on board through 2007.

For now, Treanor knows some pros on the tour and is anticipating seeing them in action.

“I have friends who play on this tour and I hope they will come down here and play.

It would be good to see them and a bonus to see them play,” said Treanor. “It is just good to be a part of golf, not the playing but what goes on.”

The UTPA golfer currently works with local media outlets to promote her tournament. Plus, she is trying to get something going with the local colleges and high schools to promote this tournament, seeking the young crowd’s support.

Treanor is beginning to see how things work in the real world and has experienced positive support from her experiences, and her teammates.

Student-athletes aim high, score big GPAs

By AMY MEDELLÍN The Pan American

NEWS

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LULAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Enrollment. . . . . . . . . 4 Career Day . . . . . . . . 5

Elevator repair proceeding after message

By CLAUDIA L. FARIAS The Pan American

Three months and a covert publicity campaign later, the elevator in Fine Arts Building B is expected to be repaired by early March. The completion of the custom-made part, the jack, is causing the delay.

That the inoperable elevator, out of service since November 2003, was not working was made known to the university community this semester through a flyer posted around campus. The flyer’s creator remains unidentified.

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Sports

Adorned with a picture of a wheelchair, the flyer encourages students to voice their concerns about potential injustices on campus.

“This is Discrimination,” the flyer reads.

“The Elevator In The Arts and Music Building Has Been Out Of Service Since Last Semester. I am In a Wheelchair, Please Help!”

The flyer’s author did not provide personal contact information, but encouraged students to “Speak Up For A Good Cause” by calling Dr. Jerry Price, dean of students.

“I think most people are satisfied,” Price

said, referring to the way the university has handled the situation. “Everyone involved has been very conscientious.

“Posting flyers can get people’s attention, but I don’t think it’s as effective as coming in and talking to us,” Price said.

Currently, there is a new flyer displayed throughout campus, on which the Student Government Association’s letter, addressed to students, explains the delay of the elevator’s repair.

The university has accommodated physically disabled students by moving their classes to the first floor of the Fine Arts See ELEVATOR page 12

There have been countless movies and television shows which have portrayed studentathletes as the typical ignorant jocks who will do just about anything to get out of a test or writing a paper. In reality, or at least at the University of Texas-Pan American Athletic Department, this overplayed scenario does not reflect real life.

As of the fall 2003 semester, the GPA for the athletic department averaged 2.84, which is higher than the UTPA undergraduate average of 2.62.

During last semester, 62 student-athletes, or 39 percent of UTPA’s athletes, accumulated a 3.0 GPA or higher and 13 of them earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. The department is inducting 60 new members into the Bronc Pride 3.0 Club, which is the department’s second largest group ever to be inducted.

The women’s tennis team has received national academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in all three of its previous seasons, and has accumulated the highest team GPA, 3.36, this fall than it has its past three seasons.

Another academic record broken in 2003 was the number of student-athletes who received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, given to student-athletes who excel academically, in memory of tennis legend

Arthur Ashe. Nine won it at all.

Matt Hall, a guard for the men’s basketball team and communications major, who is a member of the Bronc Pride 3.0 Club, has made the National Dean’s List every year in college, has made UTPA’s Who’s Who, and was a UTPA student of the week. He feels that not only is sports helping him physically, but academically as well.

“The discipline that I learn on the court, I turn back around to my studies and I feel that the help from my coaches and professors has really helped me to do well in my classes,” Hall said.

Academically, the department has made an outstanding improvement since 1997 when the athletic department GPA was a 2.1.

Since hiring Athletic Director William J. Wiedner five years ago, UTPA has implemented an academic support system that closely monitors the academic progress of all student athletes, headed by Chris Uchacz, the assistant athletic director of Academic Support and Student Services.

“This program allowed us to be able to see all the ‘red flags’ as they popped up, signaling that a student athlete was struggling academically or not following through on his or her academic commitments,” said Uchacz. “As a result, we are able to take a proactive rather that a reactive role in the academic success of our students.”

“I have a good idea of what aspects make a good tournament since I have played in so many myself. Hopefully people will come out and support it,” said Treanor. “At first it was a little struggle, but so far everyone has been really supportive and understanding of what I am doing.”

Treanor believes that her career as an athlete gives her an edge on the competition in the real world.

“Being a student-athlete I know how to manage my time and juggle my responsibilities,” said Treanor. “Employers don’t look at the fact you played for four years, but that you were able to keep your grades up and play. Employers do look at it and take it into consideration.”

So it’s been a busy period for one UTPA athlete getting a taste of the world to come.

The hardest thing for her to do right now is have free time for herself.

“Trying to juggle everything as far as playing golf, grades and work has been hard,” said Treanor. “It has been demanding.”

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

UTPA junior golfer Christine Treanor has an 87.2 average in two seasons.

Intramurals suffer, lack of time cited

By MATT HALL The Pan American If you build it, then they will come.

Or will they?

The officials with the University of Texas-Pan American Intramurals and Recreation Sports are trying to find ways to increase student participation. With a newly built softball field and two new football fields which can double as soccer fields, one would think that participation would be on the rise. But not so.

Plus, all of these fields have lights too, so what is the problem?

Director of Intramurals Charlie Cáceres believes the interest is there, but finding times to meet everyone’s schedule is the problem.

“We are a commuter school and that is a problem, plus people have night courses and have to work too,” said Cáceres.

“The interest is up, but times are not compatible.”

The department has made a couple of changes to the way they do things and Cáceres believes this has a lot to do with the low turn out rate.

“Honest to goodness I don’t know what the problem is,” said Cáceres. “We are doing a couple things differently this year. The big thing is that at the captains meeting we are closing the rosters and not allowing teams to add people to them so teams can’t make adjustments.”

At the captains meeting the teams get their schedules and when the captains report back to their respective teams they find out people have conflicts and cannot make games at the times they are scheduled.

At one point this year intramural softball had a 100-percent forfeit rate, but now people are attending the games at the

right times.

This presents another problem: having paid officials at the games but no players.

So the department is wasting money because all the games were being forfeited.

The Rec-Sports people are going to try a couple of things different for next year to help draw participants.

First, they are going to charge an entry fee for everyone and return the fee at the end of the league season if the team forfeits fewer than two games. This is going to act like a deposit, to help people show up. If they do not attend, they will lose money.

Secondly, they are going to allow the rosters to be open for the first two games.

This will give teams a chance to see who can play and who cannot. Then they can make changes so they do not lose their deposit.

Cáceres believes this situation is about making adjustments both on the department’s part and on that of the students.

“I know the interest is there, but it is a question of convenience,” said Cáceres.

“We have to understand the times and adjust to that. The afternoon was too early and hot and the evenings are too late.”

Cáceres has an idea of where he wants this department to go, but he needs the students to participate.

“We want a recreational facility so we can provide students a place to relieve stress and train,” said Cáceres. “This facility would have a weight room with longer hours, racquetball courts and everything else. We want it to be almost a 24-hour type of service.”

But for now, Rec-Sports will concentrate on making a peculiar situation work out for the best.

PAGE 16

S PORTS

■ Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

UTPA host Razorbacks in weekend series

By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

Why mess around?

That seems to be the philosophy of Willie Gawlik, UTPA’s baseball head coach, at least when it comes to the team’s 2004 schedule.

In his second year as the head of the Bronc baseball program, Gawlik has amassed a schedule which ranks 27th out of 287 teams in terms of difficulty. The Broncs will go head to head with several big-time programs this season, including this weekend’s series at home against Arkansas.

Why aim for the big dogs?

There are many reasons.

“One, when you play a schedule like that and you win, the NCAA is going to give you a consideration,” Gawlik said.

“Two, it will make you better players, you play better when you play better talent. And it gives you recognition for your school and program.”

By Gawlik’s best approximation it would take 32 wins to earn an NCAA tourney bid. By that standard, the Broncs (7-10) would have to win 25 of their 34 remaining contests to

accomplish the first objective.

Whether they can do that will be determined when those games are played, but the Broncs have already made great strides in fulfilling Gawlik’s other goals.

With a 3-2 win against Washington State Feb. 27, the Broncs showed they can compete with the big schools.

They also picked up wins against both Kansas and Lamar earlier this season, but WSU was ranked just outside the top 25 when they visited the Edinburg Baseball Stadium, so the extra-inning victory was huge.

Although the Broncs took the opener of that series, they slipped in the second and third games of the three-game visit losing 15-3 and 15-6. According to Gawlik, the main problem in those two outings was the pitching.

“The percentages for a walked player scoring is something like 70 percent,” Gawlik said. “We walked 15 players on Sunday and nine of them scored. You can’t walk players and win.”

This weekend the Broncs will host another big-name school when the University of Arkansas Razorbacks visit Edinburg to

compete in a two-game series, with games Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Razorbacks (11-3) have dropped only one road game this year, losing to Texas A&M, ranked 14th at the time.

Gawlik knows that to compete against a team of that caliber there can be no mistakes.

“We’ll have to get all the small things right. And that means getting here on time and playing a full game,” Gawlik said. “We can’t just play five or six innings against a good team and expect to win.”

But according to the UTPA boss, pitching will be the cornerstone of the Broncs’ success or failure.

“Everything starts from the mound,” Gawlik said. “You pitch well and you’re in the ball game.”

In Saturday’s contest, junior Juan Sáenz will take the mound in hopes of keeping the Broncs in the game. In his two appearances this season as a starter, the 6-foot Valley native has picked up as many wins and leads all pitchers with a 2.16 ERA.

■ Intramurals . . . . . . . . . 15 ■ Sports Clipboard . . . . . 13

With the 2003-04 CHL playoffs quickly approaching, the Río Grande Valley Killer Bees look to enter the playoff race seeded fourth in the Southern Conference behind Amarillo, San Angelo and Laredo, respectively.

The Bees, who have not yet clinched a playoff berth, still need to pick up one standing point, or see a regulation loss by the Austin Ice Bats, before a postseason appearance is certain. But after picking up at least one point in their last 10 games it would be highly unlikely that the red-hot Bees would be held pointless in their final seven contests.

For Trey Medlock, president and general manager of the Bees, the postseason bid is a sign of success. “[Getting into the post season] is a very good thing,” Medlock said. “It shows that there has been success on the ice, and it helps your bottom line off the ice when meeting your goals.”

The Dodge Arena, which has hosted 11 sellouts in 31 Killer Bee home games, will likely see consistently larger crowds once the playoffs begin. From an operational

THURSDAY

‘Havana Nights’

SPRING BREAK

March 4, 2004 An Inside Look:

See Page 7 for details

News ............................................2 ■ A & E............................................7 ■ Sports ........................................16 ■

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T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n

The fad is in the word School janitors maintain jobs, juggle future plans

By EDWINA P. GARZA The Pan American

Bees on verge of clinching playoff spot

By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

HEADLINES

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Sophomore Aarón Guerra swings away at a recent game. The Broncs lost two of three games against Washington State University last weekend.

stand point Medlock says the Bees look to expanded the CHL to 19 teams. Both teams draw significant income from entering the should make it to the postseason, as Colorado leads the Northwest Division with playoffs.

“If you have a good playoff run you have 78 points. They will be the second and third a great opportunity to make more money,” teams in the new CHL to enter the Medlock said.

“We could have as many as 10 postseason games, and if you sell all those out you’ve been v e r y successful.”

In the history of the CHL/WPHL, which merged to form the existing CHL in May 2001, there have been 19 franchises that went bellyup.

Photo by Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American This year, the Killer Bees and The Killer Bees will continue their run for a playoff spot when they visit the Colorado Odessa today at 7 p.m. The Bees are 29-20-8 this season and in secEagles joined, ond place in the Southeast Division of the CHL.

postseason in their inaugural year, following the Laredo Bucks’ performance last year.

Steve Cherwonak, who has been the vice president of communication for the CHL since the 2001 merger, is pleased with the two teams’ results.

“A lot of work goes in to planning and preparation,” Cherwonak said. “We choose the right people and we are comfortable they will do a great deal of hard work. I wouldn’t say we feel relief that both teams have made the postseason, because we anticipated success. But it is a good thing.”

With the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs’ 32 regulation loss to the Memphis Riverkings at home on Tuesday night, the Laredo Bucks became the regular-season champions and in doing so will be awarded the Governor’s Cup. If the playoffs began today, the Killer Bees would face their archrival, the Bucks, in a best-of-five playoff round. In their last two meetings, the Bees and Bucks have split, with each picking up a shootout victory in front of a home crowd.

The Bees are 3-8-1 in the season series with the Bucks. The two teams will play once more before the playoffs on Friday, March 12 at Laredo.

When asked about the prevalence of crude humor and attitudes, Medrano said different people find different things funny. If people don’t like the captions on the shirts, she said no one is forcing them to buy them.

Parents and their children have for

McALLEN – “Only in American can the mentally retarded be President.”

“Boy Bands Suck.” These are just some of the one-liners that grace T-shirts across the country. In La Plaza Mall, stores like Hot Topic and Gadzooks are finding that this type of merchandise is popular with young adults, and sometimes, older people.

UTPA student Mari Mendoza, 20, is an employee of Gadzooks.

She said that among the amusing T-shirts the store sells, one that says “It worries me how dumb you are,” is a big seller.

“I think they’re funny,” Mendoza said.

“They aren’t offensive, they’re cute.”

Recently however, much has been made of the trend toward Daniel Aguilar/The Pan American antagonistic and sarcastic messages on BAD TASTE— T-shirts with raunchy or racy messages have shirts, reminiscent of become commonplace in recent times. This rack at La Plaza the bumper sticker Mall in McAllen is a good example of that. craze of the 1970s.

Some people say that years argued about style and what’s the appearance and proliferation of such appropriate for a young person to wear. messages is a continuing sign of the Los Angeles father’s-rights talk show coarsening of the modern culture, while host Glenn Sacks is a protester against others argue that free expression has shirts which include negative messages simply found another vehicle. about males, and he has started to ask Abercrombie and Fitch has had to pull that retail chains stop selling such some of its more offensive products from products. stores, including several with what can One of the most controversial lines is be considered ethnically insensitive. But manufactured by David and Goliath messages still continue to be sold on based in Clearwater, Fla. “Boys Are shirts, hats, and other merchandise.

Smelly - Throw Garbage Cans at them,” Hot Topic is a new addition to the says one shirt, and “The Stupid Factory McAllen mall, and caters to the punk- Where Boys Are Made,” is another, made rock crowd. The store sells chain belts, by chief designer Todd Goldman. leather, faux leather, lots of black, and An Edinburg woman shopping with her has a wall dedicated to around 25 teenaged daughter said she couldn’t different T-shirts with dry humor. imagine buying one of those shirts for her “I wish I could CRTL-ALT-DELETE children. you,” is one example.

“I have never bought one of those, and “People shouldn’t take it so serious,” I don’t intend to,” she said. said Lorie Medrano, 16, of McAllen.

While she doesn’t want to purchase “They’re just T-shirts.” these products for her children because The McAllen Memorial High School she finds them rude, she still enjoys student said the shirts are a new way to reading what they say. flaunt a bit of personality.

“I like to read them,” the school “They’re just really funny, and they counselor admitted. “They’re funny, but add personality - so that’s cool,” they aren’t funny on my kids.”

Medrano said.

By JULIAN CAVAZOS The Pan American

spend as much time with the family as he’d like to because of his work. This is a common problem for those who work the shift; they are shifting into gear when most people are winding down for the day.

“I work all night, and then I have to get up at 6:30 to take them to school. Then they get home at 3:30 or 4, and I see them for a little bit, then I have to come work,” said Rodriguez. “ I only get to see them about 8-10 hours a week, about two hours a day. I have to spend most of my time with them on weekends.”

Instead, while he wishes to be at home but cannot be Rodriguez probably sees the reflection of his loving wife and two children within the shiny tiles he cleans on the second floor.

Not seeing the family enough is one thing.

Not getting enough sleep is another.

“I don’t get too much sleep, especially when I have to go make some errands during the day.

I wake up at 6:30 to wake up and kids and have them get dressed and take them to school,” said Rodriguez. “By the time I get my sleep back, it’s already 9 or 10 and then the phone starts ringing, so I don’t get too much rest.”

The Rodriguez family only has one car, so his wife has to drop him off at 6 p.m. and then wake up to pick him up at 2 a.m., when he is finished for the day.

“It’s difficult, especially if you have kids and

Just like many students sail away in their own fantasies of someday becoming lawyers, doctors, musicians, and astronauts, Sylvia Saenz once dreamt of becoming a teacher aid.

Then, after doing some thinking, she decided that becoming a janitor was a better match for her.

“I had my thirty hours required to be a teacher aid, and I could have gone that way, but I realized that I really enjoyed being a janitor,” said Saenz, as her big hazel eyes and soft smile illuminated the Student Union. “I had previous experience working as a janitor in hotels and motels, so I already knew what to do. I love being a janitor.”

Saenz, wearing a button-down khaki uniform with her last name emblazoned in the upper corner of her shirt, has worked here for a little over a year, on the daytime shift from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Student Union. Every other week, she switches with another janitor from the same building to work from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Since she started at UTPA, she has found it interesting to be working around so many other people.

“It is interesting because I meet a lot of people; it’s never lonely. The most fun part is when events are going on, especially the holidays,” she said. “There are a lot of parties, and the students all gather together and have a good time. Its fun to watch them enjoy themselves.”

Working in the Science building is another janitor, Gabriel Rodriguez Jr. The difference between him and Saenz is that he works the night shift, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. After marrying young and then having a family start to come along, Rodriguez had to find some way to support his family.

“I got married real Franco Caballero/The Pan American young, when I was 16,” he SOLO FLIGHT— Most UTPA custodians work odd hours and said. “After the kids were usually by themselves, and deal with student sanitation apathy. born, I have more responsibilities now. I had only one car,” Rodriguez commented. “If you to think about what I could give to them. When have a wife who works, you have to take them you have kids, you have to work. You have to to work, and then they have to come drop me pay bills.” off and then pick me up. Sometimes I have to The night shift is hard for See JANITORS page 12 Rodriguez, who isn’t able to