March 17, 2005 by UTRGV Student Media

Young to speak of RGV’s historical value

see Page 3

THE

PAN AMERICAN 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

March 17, 2005

Students, faculty work together for common research goal

The UTPA men's and women's track teams host the annual Angela Proctor Invitational, their only meet of the season, Saturday on the track. Track and field is on fire as of late, elevating two athletes to All-American status in meets over the Break.The Broncs sent three athletes to the NCAA Division I Regional after Proctor last year. With their recent success, the team looks primed to set even more. See Page 16

University community debates Social Security By DAVID RODRIGUEZ The Pan American A town hall meeting hosted by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, was held at the Student Union Theater on Monday to discuss the Bush administration’s proposal to privatize Social Security. The meeting featured a panel consisting of Hinojosa, Dr. Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Associate State Director Oscar Luna, and UTPA associate professor of finance Cynthia Brown. Each panelist gave a five-

minute speech assessing and critiquing the administration’s plan to overhaul Social Security, which was enacted in 1935. Rep. Hinojosa was the leadoff hitter and he wasted no time in giving his opinion of privatization. “We cannot take a chance on a risky, untested, privatization scheme,” Hinojosa said. “There is enough money to take us 40-50 years down the road so there is enough time to look at different options. We know quick fixes do not work.” Luna, who was employed by

See SOCIAL page 11

Joel De La Rosa/The Pan American

SPEAKING LOUD- Dr. Cynthia Brown, associate professor of finance at The University of Texas-Pan American, discusses the local impact of the Social Security debate. GREEN DAY- The University of TexasPan American celebrated St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday with various organizations fund-raising throughout campus.

Nature's beauty springs up from the earth during this time of the year, and The University of Texas-Pan American Dance Ensemble celebrates this idea in their spring concert, which features a piece called "Earth." They will perform March 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the UTPA Fine Arts Auditorium. Campus professors and guest artists choreographed the works in this show. See Page 7 Joel De La Rosa/The Pan American

By DAVID RODRIGUEZ The Pan American Thanks to the Undergraduate Research Initiative, a few ambitious students at The University of Texas-Pan American now have the opportunity to work hand in hand with professors conducting research, a move which might help put UTPA on the research map. Seventeen students are conducting research in varied topics, such as organizational humor and oxygen consumption in sand crabs, and reaping the benefits of one-on-one work and cooperation with their professors. Each receive a $1,000 award for their research activities. The faculty mentors also receive a $500 award. The URI program is funded by the university through the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research. The students and their faculty mentors were selected in December to take part in the program, after submitting a lengthy application packet. The packet consists of a research proposal describing the research purpose, an itemized budget that explains the basis for estimating the budgeted amount, and a recommendation letter by the proposed supervisor of the research. Wendy Lawrence-Fowler, associate vice president for research, and URI administrator, believes a critical component of this program is that it focuses on undergraduate students and gives them a peek at what a future in research would be like. “I think this program gives the students an idea if they like doing research in an area. It also gives them an opportunity, in some cases, to find out a little bit more about a discipline,” Lawrence-Fowler said.

See URI page 11

PAGE 2

March 17 2 0 0 5

OPINION

letters

editorials

cartoons

THE

PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 53rd Year – No. 22

http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican Editor Clarissa Martinez clarissa_utpa@ hotmail.com

News Editor Emma Clark clarkemmaj@yahoo.com

A & E Editor Omaira Galarza omairang@yahoo.com

Sports Editor Joey Gomez jgomez23@panam.edu

Graphics Editors Dägoberto Pérez bachur@mail.com

Ginmarie Mabry ohnesie@yahoo.com

Photography Editor Franco Caballero photomosaix@aol.com

Graphic/Web Design Eduardo Martinez emartinez23@panam.edu

Raul Cervantes racervantes1@ panam.edu

Delisa Guadarrama delisaguad@aol.com

Reporters Jacob Alegria Lylony Cazares Selene Garza Claudette Gonzalez Daryl Gonzales Joey Hinojosa

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.

David Rodriguez Photographers Joel de la Rosa Marcos Cervantes Copy Editor Jason Chapa Secretary Diana Corpus Garza CAS 170 381-2541 Adviser Dr. Greg Selber CAS 154 292-7201 selberg@panam.edu Delivery Anthony Pinal Thursday noon

Readers with disabilities may request an alternative format of this publication at The Pan American business office. For special assistance to attend any event listed in this publication, contact the coordinator of the event at least one week prior to the advertised date.

Shedding light on media integrity If knowledge is power, then how is it possible that the United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world? A harsh observation, true, but one thing that the American Clarissa Martinez public is not known for is the ability to obtain all sorts of public knowledge on a whim. This is not something that can be solved by pointing fingers. However, a group of journalists are trying to change this, one week at a time. The first national Sunshine Week is in gear. The focus: Freedom of Information. According to sunshineweek.org, Sunshine Week was first deliberated at an American Society of Newspaper Editors meeting. Since the organization witnessed success of Sunshine Sunday events, the editors’ group knew it had the potential to evolve into something larger. Peter Bhatia, executive editor for The Oregonian in Portland, explained the significance of Sunshine Week. “The open hostility to FOI (Freedom of Information) flows from Washington and the Department of Justice,” Bhatia said. “The actions in our nation’s capital are mimicked more and more on a state and local level. It is our fundamental responsibility as journalists to be agents for the public on these matters and to fight every day to keep access open and information flowing. It has never been more necessary than it is today.” Media all across the nation are taking part in the initiative. The Associated

Press has launched FOI Web sites dedicated to showing readers how to find public information, while opinion writers for USA Today have been arguing over government information. A USA Today editorial wrote about the need for less government secrecy. “Some information that previously was open no doubt needs to be classified now,” the editorial stated. “Terrorism alters perspectives. But the terrorist threat also has provided cover for bureaucrats who instinctively opt for secrecy and public officials who would prefer to keep the public in the dark to avoid accountability.” The opposing view said it is important to balance openness with the legitimate need for some secrecy. “What’s required is calibrated transparency, a measured, flexible transparency suited to the needs of oversight without frustrating legitimate limits,” the op-ed noted. Despite the side the public takes, what matters is that the debate about government responsibilities and actions is explored. Despite the beliefs of “red” and “blue” states, one thing everyone can agree on is the lack of knowledge on an individual’s part. Government has a history of feeding information to people through different forms of media. Propaganda is often mistaken for news, but it should be in the hands of the residents to explore where their news is coming from. From a columnist being paid to promote No Child Left Behind to embedded journalists in Iraq having limited access with orchestrated military press conferences, the gatekeeping function should be examined by the public. People should be willing to ask themselves, “Is this information I’m receiving true?”

They also need to understand their right to find the answer to that question, and to know how to do so. Responsibility also lies in the field of mass communication. As for journalists, working in the field is a bit alarming. Not only is it dangerous to travel abroad as part of the war effort, but also there is a fight for access to more information. Due to a little thing called the Internet, anyone can become a pseudo-journalist. And who are the new kids on the block? Bloggers. It isn’t difficult to create a Web site these days. Bloggers are growing so quickly it’s hard to keep up. There are blogs for those who are interested in conservative news, blogs for liberals and even blogs for those who just don’t care. Nevertheless, what is the result of having this vast amount of information? Where does the gatekeeping lie? Bloggers should be held to the same standards as journalists, if they choose to take part in the informing function. The outcome is nearly the same. Bloggers use words to inform those who read them, but unlike news publications, do not have a set standard of guidelines and procedures. Sure, there is the right to expression and the freedom of speech, but if there is a person who is willing to create a Web site devoted to their personal passion, shouldn’t they have resources and facts to back up their opinions? That is the ethical thing to do. And this is what is great about the freedom citizens of the United States have. They have the freedom to believe what they want to, say what they want to, and write what they will. Now, it is time for everyone to step up, and use the access to the information, and be accountable as gatekeepers.

Schedules are now available for Summer 2005 classes, including miniterm class offerings. See page 6 for all the information students might find useful over the next coming months. Remember, mandatory advisement begins March 21 and runs through April 22.

NEWS

Wiggins feature . . . . . . . . 4 Eye for iPods . . . . . . . . 5 Wellness update . . . . . . . . 6

Oregon historian visits campus to lecture on RGV roots By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American Living in the Rio Grande Valley can seem, to the untrained eye, quite a culture shock, with the Hispanic population totaling more than 90 percent. Even though the history of the area is deeply rooted in the lives of many young Hispanics, there are some events that can be overlooked. The history department, together with the History Club is trying to change that. Elliott Young, a history professor at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon will be speaking March 18, on his latest book, “Catarino Garza’s Revolution on the TexasMexico Border.” This historical event took place in the late 1800s and, according to Young, should be included as a huge part of South Texas history.

“CATARINO GARZA’S REVOLUTION ON THE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER.”

Speaker: Dr. Elliot Young Friday, March 18, 2005 Student Union Auditorium at 1 p.m. Sponsored by The History Club Department of History and Philosophy

“Understanding the historical roots of this region can help us to understand the global world as we live in today,” said Young. The story is of a Mexican journalist and political activist by the

name of Catarino Garza, who helped lead a group of Mexican rebels out of South Texas and across the Rio Grande after a revolution began against the Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz. After years

of fighting, Garza went into exile and was killed in Panama in 1895. Almost 100 years later, during his second year of graduate school, Young stumbled across the story of Catarino Garza. Twelve years in the making, and after extensive research across the nation, 407 pages is the result. Young believes the history of South Texas is vital because the Mexican-American war began here in 1846. In his book he focuses mainly on the Texas-Mexico border because Brownsville and Laredo were primary crossing points in the 19th century. Regardless of the current wave of killings and crime along border cities, the border remains significant in history, said Young. “The border is a crucial part of not only the U.S. and Mexico, but of a new transnational reality across the globe,” he said.

“The issue of smuggling and drug trafficking also goes back to the 19th century. The difference is that now the border is much more heavily militarized.” With Mexico and the border less than ten miles away from Edinburg, visiting the country is easy for Americans and Mexicans alike. To some extent however, Young said the importance of the border is forgotten. Young also believes that Mexico is important to the U.S. economic market as well as its cultural ties. With so many Mexican citizens living in the Rio Grande Valley, the contribution to the economy becomes even larger. Angela Vergara, assistant professor of history, and the History Club are responsible for bringing Young to speak at UTPA. “The history department decid-

See HISTORIAN page 12

One more step: Faculty research system demonstration By EMMA CLARK The Pan American In keeping with the new mission of The University of Texas-Pan American, which promises to take the institution to a more research-oriented level, the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (OSRP) is making sure faculty and staff won’t be left behind. The OSRP will be hosting a demonstration on the Committee of Science (COS) system the office recently purchased. Esther Dominguez of the OSRP, explained that this system will allow faculty and staff to search for grants and funding which will finance their research. The OSRP felt there was simply a need on campus for such a system. “The resource was out there. It serves a purpose,” Dominguez said. “It’s important that we make facul-

THE BASICS OF SEARCHING FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES March 22, 2005 University Library, Classroom 2 Noon - 1 p.m. Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American

TELECAST— Faculty and staff were invited to join in a televised news conference Tuesday at the IT2 building where experts discussed various political topics from around the nation.

Contact Esther Dominguez at 956-384-5004 for more information Presented by The Office of Research & Sponsored Projects

ty and staff aware of those resources.” Dr. Dora Saavedra, a member of the University Task Force on Workload, said that she is pleased to be attending. “Obviously I won’t know until I go through it [the workshop],” Saavedra explained on what she expects the demonstration to offer. “But as the university moves forward, we are going to have to rely on outside funding.” The OSRP has always been efficient in making workshops available to the faculty and staff at UTPA, said Saavedra. “As we move towards that goal, they are increasing their efforts in making these types of things available to us,” she said, as a member of the communication department faculty and as part of the honors program on campus. UTPA as a research institute still poses a question in the minds of many faculty and staff members, following a proposal by the University Task Force on Workload to reduce the faculty workload by one teaching hour at the end of 2004. This would leave more time available for research, but could possibly mean much more for students including yet another rise in tuition costs. Dominguez said that space at the research demonstration is limited, and that those interested should contact her at medominguez@panam.edu to ensure a place.

NEWS

March 17, 2005

Page 4

UTPA Staff Profile: Dr. Gary Wiggins New chief information officer: Promising a tech-savvy campus By NAYELLY BARRIOS The Pan American With student enrollment at The University of Texas Pan-American up six percent this semester, there is a growing need for new technological advances both in and out of the classroom. UTPA recently hired Dr. Gary Wiggins to serve as chief information officer; his main duties and goals include keeping the university up to date technologically. Wiggins has an extensive background in the position, which he assumed Jan. 1. Before coming to UTPA, Wiggins was at Oklahoma State University as vice president for information technology and chief information officer. Prior to that, he served as chief information officer at Texas Tech University for 14 years. Texas Tech is where he received his undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees One of Wiggins’ major goals is to make the university more efficient for students, faculty and staff. “President Cardenas wants us to use technology to support teaching, learning and research, that’s her primary interest for technology,” Wiggins said. “She wants our students to be immersed in technology, because after all, like it or not, no matter what your major is, you’re going to be immersed in technology for the next 50 years of your working life,” Making sure that the university has the technology to support the university’s plan to become more research oriented is also high in his

list of priorities. Among other things, Wiggins wants to use technology and the Internet to reach out to prospective students. “We want to outreach to student recruiting,” said Wiggins. “There are people all over the Valley and all over South Texas and even beyond who we may want to make to make sure they learn Pan Am’s story and consider coming to Pan Am.” Wiggins also said that they want to deliver more services over the Internet to students, faculty and employees, and mentioned that Oracle and the Banner projects are of great importance to those services. Oracle will replace the administrative system currently in place that deals with university payroll and human resources, for example. Banner is the replacement for the system that deals with all student related information, such as ASSIST. “Those are both big, complex, long running projects, and one of the things we are trying to do is get a good handle on both of those and move them forward,” he commented. A project that will definitely be of great use to students is a campuswide wireless network and classrooms equipped for presentations. “Other things that are going on in technology are equipping 30 more classrooms with various technology for presentations and that sort of things, projectors, podiums,

Joey CortezThe Pan American AT HOME- As a new chief information officer, Dr. Gary Wiggins plans to raise the bar for The University of Texas-Pan American with a high-tech campus.

that sort of thing,” Wiggins said. “We’re getting a campus wireless network so that all over the campus students or others with wireless cards or devices will be able to access networks.” Freshman Mario Barba, a premedical chemistry major, said that wireless Internet access campuswide will be rough at the beginning, but should smooth out for the benefit of the students. “Before it can be easy they need to get things ready for the students and that might be a bit of a hassle, like getting the right cards to make sure they are compatible,” Barba said. “Students will like it because they won’t have to go to the library

to get online. It will be more convenient.” Computer Science Professor Andres Figueroa thinks wireless Internet access will be a great advantage to students, especially since many professors give out assignments via the Internet. “This is definitely a good project because students can have access to the Internet,” said Figueroa. “Especially for computer science, we put homework assignments and lab material online and they’ll have it available everywhere. But they have to be careful, it has to be secure.” Wiggins is also looking forward to working with an organization UTPA has recently joined: the

Lone Star Education and Research Network (LEARN). “That’s the statewide research network that’s just forming. So we’ll be particularly hoping to participate in that,” Wiggins said. As to the environment here at UTPA and how Wiggins seems to like it, there are absolutely no problems. “I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “One of the really good things about Pan Am, everybody really wants to be successful and do the right thing for the students. “People are real committed. They really care about whether things work or not. The people who work here are pretty serious and that’s nice."

Visit THE

PAN AMERICAN Wedsite www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican

NEWS

March 17, 2005

Page 5

iSeller: Bringing digital music to the masses By ENRIQUE REYNOSO The Pan American With the recent rise in demand of music players these days one word keeps popping up. iPod. The Apple iPod, intro-

NOT JUST A TREND— After selling more than 10 million units, Apple’s iPod has remained the most popular digital music player, keeping 92.1 percent of the market share.

duced in 2001, is fast becoming a fixture with people who demand a reliable, easy to use, portable music player. The iPod Shuffle, the Mini, 20- and 40- gigabyte iPods and now the premium, iPod photo, are all popular products. Prices range dramatically from $99 to $449, yet the demand for the iPod seems to grow faster than the supply. So successful is the iPod that, according to Forbes magazine, Apple has sold over 10 million units since 2001. According to The NPD Group, a consumer research company, the device accounts for an astounding 92.1 percent of all harddrive based music players. Local electronics stores are feeling the popularity surge of the iPod. Jerry Reyes, a sales representative with

CompUSA in McAllen, said that there is a huge demand for the iPod. “I’m constantly seeing at least 30 or 40 people a day asking for iPods,” he said, adding that the device has brought about

greater interest in other Apple products and accessories. “[They buy] G4 PowerBooks, G5 computers and displays,” he said. The effects can even be seen around The University of Texas-Pan American campus. With the telltale white cord hanging from a pocket, more students are bringing their iPods with them to school. Melissa Cardenas, a sophomore political science major, recalls being one of the first people on campus with an iPod. “I remember people would stop me and ask what I was carrying,” she said. “I literally would have to explain to them, step by step, what an iPod was and what it did.” She said its features are what brought her to purchase her 40-gig iPod. “I used to go to the Apple Web site and research the iPod. I love the fact that it has such a large storage capacity,” she related. “It’s basically a portable hard drive that I can use to store files, not just music.” For Frank Calvillo, a junior English and journalism major, his introduction to the iPod came about through a class assignment a few years ago. “I had to do a project for an English class where we had to find a new gadget that everyone was into,” he said. “I did a search and it was one of the first things that popped up.” Calvillo also agrees that the iPod’s fea-

See IPODS page 12

CALENDAR March 17 7-9 p.m. UTPA Ballroom The Department of Modern Languages and Literature will host a Faculty Lecture Series to discuss “Mapping Identities: (Re)defining Space and the Construction of National Identity in Cuba” March 19 2-5 p.m. The Quad University Program Board Festivals committee present the annual Parent/Child Day Picnic. March 22 Noon SBSC 119 Dr. Darrin Rogers ”Treatment and Punishment Attitudes Towards Offenders” March 24 Noon SBSC 119 “Neuropsychological Assessment of Hispanic Americans”

March 17, 2005

THE PAN AMERICAN

UTPA wellness state priority By LYLONY CAZARES The Pan American With the passing of the wellness-recreational bill on Monday through a Senate subcommittee, the legislative approval needed for center is only weeks away. Senate Bill 527 would approve the estimated $20 million budget to begin construction of the 100,000-squarefoot wellness-recreational center and the $75 fee per semester for students. Once approved construction will being in 2005 and the facility will we open for student use in fall of 2007. “There is a companion bill that still has to go through the House and the Senate,” Dean of Students Jerry Price said. “It also needs to go through a subcommittee on the house side and once its there it will go to a full vote in the house. Just like the senate bill that has passed needs to go through a full vote in the Senate, and once it passes both places we have secured out legislative approval.” The bill was approved by the Senate subcommittee on Higher Education with a 5-0 vote and will now be sent to a Senate Committee on Education, then to the full Senate. Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen authored Senate Bill 527, and said in a recent article in The Monitor, “Physical activity is also an important part of academic success, part of education is not just sitting on your behind studying, it also helps to exercise.” On April 2004 a total of 1,411 students approved the fee for the Wellness-Recreational Center. The Wellness-Recreation Center will allow students to have access to workout facilities and recreational uses without having to share with athletes or classes. The center will include a weight room four times larger then the current available university weight room, cardio

room, climbing wall, gymnasium with multipurpose courts, racquetball courts, two dance studios, student lounge and outdoor recreational swimming pool. The latest layout of the facility will be available on March 24, Price said. Price explained how several challenges arose with the planning of the center due to the budget increases and decreases, along with different layout options of the facility. “The architects have done a great job of providing different options for us to consider,” Price said. “We also had a difficult time deciding on where the main entrance should be and so we have gone through lots of different designs.” The center will be located on the southwest corner of Sugar and Schunior roads and will be located in place of or near the current recreational fields.

Page 6 MINITERM & SUMMER SCHEDULE/MANDATORY ADVISEMENT MARCH 21- APRIL 22

Miniterm

New to Miniterm

Registration March 28 – May 16 Classes begin May 16

*HIST. 3350.1MT American Military Expert *MUS. 2301.1MT Music Literature I

Summer I

Check out

Registration March 28 – May 16 Classes begin June 1

*ENG. 6390.02 South Texas Writers *PHIIL 2390 Professional Ethics *SPAN 4329.01 Mexico’s Contemporary Literature *CRIJ 2328.01 Police Systems Practices

Summer II

Check out

Registration March 28 – July 5 Classes begin July 1

*EDUL 6338.01 School Principalship

www.utsa.edu

STATE WELLNESS— The University of Texas-San Antonio completed the Wellness/Recreation Center on the San Antonio campus in 2002. The project cost approximately $19 million.

For more information visit:

http://assist.panam.edu

A&E

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dancing on

‘Earth’

Bollywood . . . . . . . . . . . .8 & 9 Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Music Television . . . . . . . . . . 10 ELEGANCE - Janet Bernal, senior dance major, is in three of the six pieces in the Spring Dance Concert by the UTPA Dance Ensemble: “Son of Solea Por Bulerias,” choregraphed by Fred Darsow; “Intertwined,” choreographed by Dana Shackelford; “Earth,” choreographed by Wade Madsen. Photo by: Joel de la Rosa

Story by Selene Garza

he soft blue and purple hues against the backdrop emphasize the beauty of the dancers’ coordinated movement. They move about on stage in billowy dresses that flow just as gracefully as they do to the live cello music. Debra De La Rosa, senior dance major, moves around the stage with eclectic movement, accenting the sound of the music as she, and several other dancers express themselves on stage. The University of Texas-Pan American Dance Ensemble will be presenting its Spring Dance Concert March 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee Sunday starting at 2 p.m. in the UTPA Fine Arts Auditorium. For De La Rosa, who will perform with 28 other students, this is her fourth concert with the Dance Ensemble Company. She has been dancing for nine years, four with the company. De La Rosa will perform in three of the six Spring Dance Concert pieces. One of her favorites in the show is “Earth,” which was put together by guest choreographer Wade Madsen of Seattle. “This dance is in response to my own experience growing up in New Mexico, and the culture there,” Madsen said in a press release to UTPA. He also said that the landscape of New Mexico, such as the mountains, valleys and plains, are expressed in “Earth” through an abstract form. This form works beautifully as the

dancers fall suddenly onto the ground, stand still and move about slowly, sometimes without music. After a period of slow movement they dramatically break into dance as the tones of the light change, portraying the life placed back into the still dancers. De La Rosa enjoys this piece because of the origins of the dance. “Its foundation is modern dance,” De La Rosa said. “And it’s got a lot of variety, such as flamenco, hip-hop, postmodern and ballet.” She also said that each piece in the concert shows a variety of things modern dance can be, which is more than just an

“It is important to experience different forms of art, and ways of looking at life.” -Melinda Blomquist UTPA dance professor/ director

abstract form. Erika K. Silva, senior dance major, agrees with De La Rosa that modern dance allows the dancers to express themselves in various manners. For Silva, the best part of dancing with the company is when guest choreographers work with the students, contributing new movements and ideas. With these individuals visiting, something artistically new and different is brought to the Rio Grande Valley. UTPA dance instructor and director Melinda Blomquist

encourages everyone to come to the concert. “Dance as an art form is a means of expression,” Blomquist said. “Anyone can come and enjoy the concert, and something in the works presented.” Dance professors Fred Darsow and Dana Shackelford are also directing. Blomquist choreographed one of the six pieces for the concert, in which senior music major, Lorena Lopez, will collaborate with the dancers as part of her senior concert. Lopez will play the cello and perform “Suite No. 1 in G Major: Sarabande,” “Minuet I” and “Minuet II.” The sound of the live cello adds an extra touch of energy to the piece. “It is important to experience different forms of art, and ways of looking at life,” Blomquist said. The concert offers several different art forms as well, a variety of everything from ballet to improvisation. The concert is intended for everyone, no matter what genre one might prefer. It allows the audience to experience nearly all dance foundations, and the dancers are intent on doing their best to present a beautiful concert. “There are many different approaches to movement, and ideas in this concert,” Blomquist said. “There is something different for everyone.”

March 17, 2005

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8

Omaira Galarza

Story by

Bollywood undressed

Picture the ultimate love story. Let it be newly invented or take form as the memorable characters Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare’s timeless play or Big and Carrie from “Sex and the City.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

March 17, 2005

OY MEETS GIRL

They fall in love and passion is emitted from every facial expression and words uttered by the pair. Family and friends disapprove, the relationship goes awry, but they finally decide that the heart’s desire cannot be denied. They magnetically move in for that monumental kiss. As their lips are about to join, a moment when cupid would be unable to refrain from grinning, everything turns dark. The world has fallen into an eternal midnight and no light can ever make the moment visible. To a true romantic, this would be more tragic than the denouement of “Romeo and Juliet,” but in Bollywood, it’s the norm. In the United States sex sells, and moviegoers would grumble if Hollywood said goodbye to bedroom scenes. Yet, South Asian (primarily Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) cinema has crossed over successful with films like “Bend it Like Beckham” by Gurinder Chadha (“What’s Cooking”) in 2002. “[Bollywood] movies are very sexual and sensual, but without nudity, without sex,” said George McLemore, associate professor of communication at The University of Texas-Pan American. McLemore, who has traveled to India twice on a Fulbright award, explained that in Bollywood cinema there is tremendous suggested sexual interaction between males and females, but in traditional films it is never shown: actors never actually kiss. No, they have not perfected the art of teasing. Instead, Bollywood filmmakers have remained true to cultural traditions with minimal violence and almost nonexistent sexual contact. Seems like Bollywood doesn’t stand a chance in a battle for screen time with Hollywood blockbusters. But according to Screen Digest, Asian groups make twice as many films as Hollywood. According to McLemore, there are other elements that make these films appealing to Westerners, such as happy endings, love stories that formulate around family issues, dancing, music and an innocence that is absent in many Western movies. This is probably why “Bend it like Beckham” spent four weeks in the Top 10 at the box office. Chadha’s latest film “Bride and Prejudice,” which is a Bollywoodized version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” ranked 20th at the box office in its first week, and it has only been released at 32 theaters versus the topranking movie “Hitch” that was running at 3,575 theaters. “Bride and Prejudice” star Aishwarya Rai’s beauty could be the reason the film has received a good turnout, since she was crowned Miss World in 1994. The Bollywood queen will star next to

(Above from left) - “Bride and Prejudice” is predicted to be the first successful Bollywood to Hollywood crossover film. The hit Bollywood film “Bombay Dreams” was adapted for the Broadway stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Left) - “Bend it Like Beckham,” which had strong South Asian film themes, was a success in American cinema. (Below) - The notorious musical motion picture “Moulin Rouge” had a large-scale Indian style dance scene.

Top Ten Bollywood Films of 2004 Rank 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Title "Yuvi" "Hum Tum" "Veer Zaara" "Raincoat" "Phir Milenge" "Khakee" "Ek Hasina Thi" "Swades" "Maqbool" "Main Hoo Na"

Director Mani Ratnam Kunal Kohli Yash Chopra Rituparno Ghosh Revathy Raj Kumar Santoshi Sriram Raghavan Ashutosh Gowariker Vishal Bhardwaj Anu Malik

Page 9 Hollywood queen Meryl Streep in the film “Chaos.” Rai has been questioned about her willingness to loosen her movie morals as an actress in order to transition from B-town to Htown. In an interview with The New York Daily News she said that she is not willing to show skin, but she is prepared to do kissing scenes. “To a large degree [the success of a crossover] will depend upon how much adjustment is made in the movies,” McLemore said. He also explained that a successful crossover will require more than implied sex. Not necessarily R-rated, but at least PG-13. The Bollywood Factor That does not mean that Hollywood’s Rrated movies can’t dabble in the Bollywood flavor. Indian cinema created its name by combining the B from Bombay—where most movies are made—with Hollywood, which is the movie capital of the world. So, Americans have followed suit by adding a taste of Bollywood to their movies, but with an extra dash of curry that heats things up enough to earn more restrictive ratings. The United States had its most notorious introduction to Bollywood with Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom of the Opera”) and his stage production of Shekhar Kapur’s “Bombay Dreams,” which had an eight-month run on Broadway in 2004. According to a correspondent on a recent edition of ABC’s Nightline, this marked the true arrival of Bollywood in America. Before that full-length saturation of Indian entertainment, it was sprinkled into Hollywood films. In 2001, “Moulin Rouge” made great strides in bringing back the popularity of musical films in the United States, but seems to be a little more Bollywood and a little less “The Sound of Music.” It used songs such as “Hindi Sad Diamonds” that have obvious Indian influences; this one was altered with a techno beat. The lure of these entrancing group dance scenes has not died down. Recently, the influence can be seen in 2004’s “Vanity Fair,” where Reese Witherspoon led a pack of dancers in a provocative number for the king. However, a true crossover of these films can be seen as more than just an infusion of Indian culture in America. In essence, there are influences of an even larger scale of cultures and ideas. Bollywood-style dance alone infuses styles from across the globe such as salsa, hip-hop, jazz, ballet and of course Indian classical, folk and contemporary forms. What soccer is to sports, Bollywood is to entertainment, according to the Nightline episode. In America, its popularity is not as widespread as the iPod, but worldwide it’s huge. Combine that appeal with the esteem of Hollywood, and Bollywood can only grow.

March 17, 2005

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8

Omaira Galarza

Story by

Bollywood undressed

Picture the ultimate love story. Let it be newly invented or take form as the memorable characters Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare’s timeless play or Big and Carrie from “Sex and the City.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

March 17, 2005

OY MEETS GIRL

Top Ten Bollywood Films of 2004 Rank 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Title "Yuvi" "Hum Tum" "Veer Zaara" "Raincoat" "Phir Milenge" "Khakee" "Ek Hasina Thi" "Swades" "Maqbool" "Main Hoo Na"

Director Mani Ratnam Kunal Kohli Yash Chopra Rituparno Ghosh Revathy Raj Kumar Santoshi Sriram Raghavan Ashutosh Gowariker Vishal Bhardwaj Anu Malik

March 17, 2005

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 10

Video games: A group effort By LYLONY CAZARES The Pan American This is the second in a four-part gaming series. In the last couple years, people have started to notice that games are not only for young kids, but have become for many, an essential part of entertainment. Video games have surpassed television and the sales of CDs, according to the Entertainment Software Association. In 2004 video games, PC games and handheld games raked in $7.3 billion, causing many to take notice of the growing industry, even newspapers. Print media columnists explain the ever-evolving world of gamers and their communities to readers. Emerging from the variety of games available is the interaction between gamer enthusiasts, as gamers are coming together to share a common interest and form communities through forums, Web sites, Local Area Network (LAN) parties and message boards. “A gaming community is basically a group of people who share a love of a certain game,” said Mark Lagunez, senior computer science major at The University of Texas-Pan American. “Community implies a kind of familial bond, but today the gaming community is more of a demographic/market that businesses try to sell to. Like being part of the gay community or the teaching community, just because you're part of this group doesn't automatically reveal everything about what you really are, besides a gamer.” Gaming communities have

evolved from LAN parties to online games with guilds and clans—groups of players who always fight side-byside. The introduction of multiplayer, first person shooter games (FPS) such as “Quake,” “Rainbow Six” and “Unreal Tournament,” along with realtime strategy games such as Blizzard’s series of “StarCraft” and “WarCraft” helped bring gamers together in a virtual environment to play with or against people in various locations. “Mostly all online games have communities,” said Rudy Gomez, a UTPA junior majoring in computer science. “Although there are games that are not online but still have online communities which allow players to share ideas and strategies. Also games that are multiplayer, online or off, usually have local communities that get together to socialize or just have fun playing the game.” Gomez described how he would invite 10 to 16 of his friends to play “Halo,” an FPS for the XBox, at his apartment on the weekend. “We would have LAN parties or playing on XBC (XBox connect), which is an Internet network tunnel that simulates a local LAN,” Gomez said. “We formed our own clan and would play at different tournaments across the Valley.” However, with the sequel to “Halo,” Gomez and his clan, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Constructs, now meet on XBox Live. “With ‘Halo 2’ you get to play alongside your friends and level up together as a team,” Gomez said. “I love online play. I get to play against the best players in the world and see how I match up with them.” Gomez was one of the top 10 “Halo 2” players on XBox Live for the months of January and February, while his clan is still climbing to the top of the leader boards. “My clan is just like any other community,” Gomez said. “It gives people a chance to spend time with their friends and have fun playing games at the same time. Our goal is to be known as one of the best clans in the world.” “World of WarCraft” (WoW) is also an extremely popular massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in which the essence of gaming communities thrives through guilds. “In a clan/guild people can band together to help each other out and, most importantly, make friends,” Lagunez said. “That's where you see a real sense of 'community' develop. It's like an extended network of friends, and for some people it's a second family.” According to WoW’s game developer, Blizzard, more than two million players worldwide have subscribed to the game since its November release; a number that still falls short of

the millions of people who play other MMORPGs like Lineage 2 or EverQuest. “WoW lets people connect from almost all over the world to quest and fight with and against each other,” Lagunez said. “A common misconception is that people who play these games have no life, which is completely untrue. We have jobs, girl/boyfriends, and, of course, school. We still hang out, play basketball, tennis, pool, et cetera. For millions out there like us, gaming is just a part of everyday life, not all of it.” Like Gomez, Lagunez started his guild, Delu Naith, which is Sindarin (Elvish) for “The Deadly Spear” because many of his friends played WoW and wanted to play together. Seven of the Delu Naith guild members are from UTPA while the other 40 come from different parts of the world such as Australia and Canada. “The ultimate goal of our guild is to have as much fun as possible in the game in whatever way we see fit,” Lagunez said. “If someone wants to have the best gear, kill enemy players

or just explore the virtual realm, we work together as friends to make that happen.” Online games have a large and enthusiastic following and have helped form new societies within a virtual world. However, there are some who choose not to be part of a gaming community for one reason or another. Ricky Trevino, from Weslaco, pays the $50 to play on XBox Live for a year with his friends, but does not play WoW because of its monthly fees. “A lot of online games have

monthly charges,” Trevino said. “I don’t mind paying to play on XBox Live because I can also play all the other Live games such as ‘Mech Assult’ and ‘Madden.’ But I won’t play WoW because of the $14.99 monthly fee, just to play one game; I also think my computer wouldn’t be able to support the game.” The gaming industry has opened new realms of possibilities for gamers by creating new societies in the virtual world, and its profits have shown the real world a new source of entertainment that’s not just for kids anymore.

All images courtesy of google.com

Reality TV killed the video star By SARAI GARCIA The Pan American The majority of the seniors at The University of Texas-Pan American who turn 22 this semester weren’t even born when MTV hit the airwaves in 1981. Somehow, in nearly 25 years the network originally known for the innovation of music videos has managed to become completely different. Sherry Berryman, supervisor of recreation at the Palm View Community Center, is a member of the 30-something generation that vividly remembers MTV’s debut. She was in junior high. “It was unique, different, we’d ask ourselves, ‘Oh my gosh, what are they doing?’” Berryman said. “I remember watching DEVO in those huge hats. It was all music.” MTV launched the video generation with “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by The Buggles, on Aug. 1, 1981. That song had been a huge hit in England in 1979, and MTV used it to launch the network. However, much has changed in the past 23 years. MTV began primarily as a music video channel that drew attention to music with visuals that were catchy and unique then but began to seem hokey years later. Tune in today, and reality television rules the time slots. Shows like “Newlyweds” and “The Real World” are aired repeatedly, and

videos seem to have been demoted to “after hours.” The media company Viacom that owns MTV also owns MTV2, VH1 and VH1 Classic. Both VH1 and VH1 Classic were created to fill the music video craving MTV had created in its viewers. But they too are now plagued with reality TV. However, MTV2, created in 1996, plans on bringing back the music video. During halftime of the Super Bowl in February, MTV2 unleashed its new beast. The station has created a two-headed dog monster as the new logo of the revamped station. MTV2’s intentions are not to go back to the “primitive MTV,” but rather bring back the music video, without the VJ (Video Jockey). Is it possible? Berryman remembers vividly the personalities of the pioneer VJ’s. “They didn’t know what they were doing, and now it seems like the VJ’s are groomed, so stereotypical,” Berryman said. “They used to put up ads for VJ’s in schools and then people would audition. No one knew what exactly a music video was going to be, not even the artists.” The original early ‘80s music video was not only a new concept for the public, but for bands as well. It was their opportunity to express not only their audio music, but their ideas visually, comple-

menting the music. Younger generations were never exposed to the “old ways” of MTV and know nothing more than reality TV. Edgar Lopez, an eighth-grader from Brown Middle School in McAllen, said, “I started watching MTV when I was 10 in 2000. I guess if they are going to make MTV the way it used to be they will just cheapen the graphics.” Far from cheaper graphics, MTV2 plans on unveiling a new video every Tuesday and running it more than 15 times a day. Their first song to premier was Green Day’s latest single, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Now that music video production is down to an art, which can be seen through cable shows like, “Making the Video,” will Viacom’s attempt to reinvent music television be successful? When music with pictures began in 1981 the artists had no precedent to follow: it was all creativity and originality. Now music videos seem to be flash, camera, and derivative “bling.” “They can’t make it go back, but it would be nice,” Berryman said. Music is still a means of mass expression. The audio and visual combination MTV invented over 20 years ago has the chance to make a comeback. Let’s see what happens.

March 17, 2005

SOCIAL

NEWS

URI

continued from page 1

the Social Security Administration in the Dallas Region for 29 years, questioned what would become of today’s Social Security beneficiaries under the new plan. “If young workers invest their money, they must pay current retirees as well as invest,” Luna said. “The administration has given no specifics so we cannot address the details.” Although each panelist gave statements and answered questions from the audience, the meeting seemed more like a staged event than a dialogue with the people. KRGV-TV televised the meeting live and sandwiched each panelist’s presentation with filmed packages and interviews. Michael Brooks of Action 4 News moderated while Davis Rankin of KURV-710 Talk Radio read audience member questions that had been submitted to Hinojosa’s press secretary. Despite the distractions, many came away from the meeting with a new perspective on Social Security.

UTPA senior Alex Salazar, a finance major, believes we should all keep a closer eye on what the current administration is doing. “What we know about Social Security today is not what the administration is portraying, so it is important for us to do a bit of background work on what the system actually is, what our options are and what is going to be the best solution in the long run,” Salazar said. “It seems now that we do have a bit of time to decide what the future of Social Security is going to be like.” Hinojosa said time is the student’s best tool to use in addressing their own Social Security situation. “Students should set up a separate investment portfolio to supplement your Social Security,” said Hinojosa. “When you are young you have the opportunity to do what I have done, and that is to build a diversified portfolio.”

Page 11 continued from page 1

“Some of these students may not be doing research in their major so they might discover they are not really interested in this or they don’t like the idea of research and would rather have a more applied career, ” she added. Senior finance major Robert Weston, who is helping Dr. Eric Romero of the College of Business collect data through questionnaires, is one student who has gleaned a bit about the future of this area. “I have learned how to convince business owners or managers to let their employees fill out the questionnaire, and it has given me a good feeling what it must be like to be in sales and whether it is for me or not,” said Weston. “I have learned that I prefer to be the person that uses others’ applications instead of developing them.” According to. Romero, his experience with the URI program has been a

positive one that has helped him teach a student research skills through real-world experience. “This program has helped me teach research skills, or at least methodology. Overall, it works pretty well, especially since I choose the student,” Romero said. Lawrence-Fowler agrees that faculty, as well students, benefit from the program. She explained that when a student works closely with a professor it has a huge impact on the learning ability of the student. “It gives the faculty an opportunity to get students involved in their research and potentially make greater strides in their research efforts. There is an intrinsic value added,” she noted. “That is something that a lot of faculty feel good about when they have an opportunity to do that; to really touch a student’s life in a positive way.”

NEWS

March 17, 2005

HISTORIAN

CAMPUS BRIEFS

continued from page 4

NEW ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT CREATED

HISTORY CLUB BOOK SALE March 23-24 9a.m.-3p.m. The Quad Please contact Mark Lopez at (956) 746 - 1357 Malopez6@panam.edu Books can be dropped off at the History Department Office ed to invite Elliott Young to UTPA because he is a young and promising scholar who has published important works about the history of the Rio Grande Valley,” said Vergara Through various fundraisers, the UTPA History Club is making a tradition of bringing guest speakers to campus to discuss the history of the Valley. Young was one of the first speakers, and the club is in the process of inviting Teresa Paloma Acosta to speak next semester. “It’s extremely good that he wrote about South Texas history,” said Mark Lopez, a

Page 12

social studies major and president of the History Club. “It’s important for students to come so they can get a sense of identity. There’s not enough Hispanics getting their PhDs in history.” Even though Young is not a native of Texas his enthusiasm for Mexican-American history does not waiver. Young said the important thing is for the history of the Valley to be shared. He looks forward to exchanging ideas about Garza’s revolution and what life is like on the border today.

A rising enrollment means a jump in university infrastructure. The university recently created a new department — the Office of Undergraduate Admissions — that will deal exclusively with undergraduate admissions. The department, which was once the Office of Admissions and Records, is now split into the Office of Records and Registration and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. In a university press release, Norma Gonzalez, associate director of admissions, said that higher enrollment, along with tougher admission standards, necessitated the development of the office. Admissions office personnel work closely with prospective and applied students, parents, high school counselors, in addition to other colleges and universities to effectively communicate UTPA’s undergraduate admissions policies and procedures, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez, who will head the new department, said she will continue to work closely with the Office of Records and Registration as well as the Office of New Student and Visitor Services. The new undergraduate admissions office is located on the third floor of the Student Services Building, while the records and registration office is temporarily located in the Xotchil Room next to the cafeteria while renovations for its permanent location are underway.

MODERN LANGUAGES SERIES

IPODS

The Department of Modern Languages and Literature will host a Faculty Lecture Series on the topic: "Mapping Identities: (re)defining

continued from page 5

Calvillo also agrees that the iPod’s features set it apart from other music players. “Convenience. It’s a lot easier to carry with you than a CD player, ” he said. Not everyone is ecstatic about the iPod, however. Jacob Mancha, a senior political science major, can’t see what all the hype is about. “I just don’t understand why people will pay so much for what is essentially a glorified Walkman,” he said. When told that the iPod mini went down in price recently to $199, he said, “That’s about $160 more than I would want to spend on a ‘music player.’” True enough, there are some downsides to the iPod. Cardenas says that Apple updates software and hardware so often that older iPods become obsolete. “There seems to be a new one out every other month. I have a third generation iPod

space and the construction of national identity in Cuba," from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tonite in the UTPA Ballroom. Dr. Glenn Martinez will give opening remarks, followed by two panels. One panel will start at 7 p.m., with Elvia Ardalani and Dr. Héctor Romero from the Department of Modern Languages, along with Dr. Jose Llanes of education and Roberto Cortina of UT Brownsville, scheduled to speak. The next session begins at 8:45 p.m., with Dr. Douglas La Prade, Department of English, speaking, and closing remarks by Rodrigo Pereyra of Modern Languages

LEADERSHIP FAIR NEXT WEEK The dean of students and Student Leadership Academy will sponsor a free workshop Tuesday, March 22. The Leadership Opportunities Fair will be in the Student Union Theater from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The fair will allow students to connect with several campus organizations as well as with University departments and offices, to make connections and learn about leadership positions available across campus. Among the student organizations recruiting will be the Student Government Association, University Program Board, Residence Life, Residence Hall Association, Student Ambassadors, University Student Organization Council, Bacchus and Gamma, Judicial Peer Advocates, Campus Life Committee and Student Leadership Academy. For more information or to obtain a complete list of fair participants, call Amy Martin at 956/381-2260 or visit the Dean of Students Office in UC 104.

and battery life is one of the biggest issues I have with my iPod,” Cardenas said. Calvillo says that his dislikes are somewhat minimal. “I guess the fact that I have to use an adaptor to play it in my car would be one [thing],” he said, “But it’s really not that big of a deal.” Despite these concerns, the iPod has been extremely successful, and other digital music players have not fared so well. NPD reports that Creative music players, the closest selling competitor to the iPod, only account for 3.7 percent of the market. Hewlett Packard initially attempted to compete with the iPod by selling its own version, but lackluster sales prompted the company to ditch the effort and jump on the Apple bandwagon. Reyes agrees. “People don’t really buy the other digital music players anymore,” he said.

MP3 COMPARISON: IS IT WORTH IT?

PRODUCT IMAGE

NAME

Apple IPod Mini

Apple IPod

Creative Nomad

Apple IPod Shuffle

Creative MuVo

PRICE

$199.99

$399.99

$189.99

$149.99

BUILT-IN MEMORY

4 GB

40GB

30GB

1GB

512MB

STORAGE CAPACITY

1,000 Songs in 128-Kbps AAC

BATTERY LIFE TYPE OF BATTERIES

Up to 18 hrs.

240 Songs in 10,000 Songs in 500 hrs. (MP3) / 128-Kbps AAC 1,000 hrs. (WMA) 128-Kbps AAC Up to 12 hrs.

Up to 14 hrs.

Up to 12 hrs.

Built-in lithium ion Built-in lithium ion Re-chargeable Integrated USB battery battery lithium ion battery battery

4 hours of MP3 / 8 hours of WMA 1 lithium ion battery

Source: Circuitcity.com

Franco Caballero/The Pan American

IN HIGH DEMAND— Gas prices jumped this week througout the Rio Grande Valley, ranging anywhere from $1.96 - $2.05 per gallon.

March 17, 2005

SPORTS CLIPBOARD

SPORTS

Page 13

FOR THE RECORD UTPA SPORTS

6.Cincinnati Univ. 329 324 326 979 +115

UTPA

7.Eastern KY.

Win - Ogilvie (1-1). Loss - Gordon (0-1)

Track & Field

8. Marshall Univ. 330 331 341 1002 +13

NCAA DIVISION I INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WEIGHT THROW: 1, Spyridon Jullian, Virginia

Ybarra and Moses recognized on the national spectrum After the first day of competition at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, The University of Texas-Pan American named its first national competitor. Then, at the end of the second, it added another. Isaac Ybarra was the program’s first All-American, as he placed seventh in the weight throw at the indoor event with a heave of 692.25. Ybarra, who owns all top five marks on the UTPA record books for the weight throw, also has 13 individual crowns, seven of them indoor titles. On the next day, UTPA welcomed its second All-American in program history when Amy Moses placed sixth, firing off a career best of 69-6 in the weight throw. She also became the first female to score a point at the indoor national competition. Ybarra and Moses have been in the spotlight all season as they consistently dominate wherever they compete. The senior duo has a place in the top ten at every meet this season.

Tech, 76-00.75. 2, Cory Martin, Auburn, 72-08.50. 3, Garland Porter, Tennessee, 72-05.75. 4, Candon Powell, Arkansas State,

72-03.75.

Karim

Chester,

Kansas State, 69-06.00. 7, Issac Ybarra, Texas-Pan American, 69-02.50. 8, Nick Owens, North Carolina, 68-05.75. 9, Sheldon Battle, Kansas, 68-01.50. 10, Robb Pfrank, Western Illinois, 67-07.50. 11, Adam Trainor, Colorado, 65-03.25. 12,

74-03.75. 3, Jenny Dahlgren, Georgia, 7009.25. 4, Jennifer Leatherman, Penn

World’s best set to compete in McAllen

69-06.00. 7, Laura Gerraughty, North

69-08.00. 6, Amy Moses, Texas-Pan Am, Carolina, 69-00.75. 8, Rachel Longfors,

NFL game to be played in Mexico City The NBA made it possible for Chinese fans to see their hero, Yao Ming, in person when China hosted the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings in a regular season game last season. Now it seems the NFL is joining the trend by playing in an international regular season game south of the border. The Arizona Cardinals will play a regular season game in Mexico City against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 2 at the Azteca Stadium. The Cardinals will be giving up one of their home games in Tempe to play in Mexico on the condition of promised monies allotted for the forfeit of the early-season game. Mexico City has hosted NFL preseason games in the past, and the Dallas Cowboys have played there more than once. Some of the most recent NFL games played at Azteca Stadium have drawn crowds of more than 88,000. In comparison, the Cardinals normally draw an average of 37,000, lowest home game attendance in the NFL. The 2005-06 season will be the team’s last at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. The Cardinals will be moving to a new $450 million home after the 2006 season.

Rodriguez, M. SH - Roth; Hinrishs;

4-16-05 Boilermaker Invitational

Rodriguez, R. SF - Shockey. SB -

4-17-05 Boilermaker invitational

Flowers; Jones. CS - Alamia.

4-22-05 Andrea Brotto Cavalier Classic

Attendance: 268

Florida, 68-08.00. 9, Brandy Blackwood, Arkansas,

68-06.50.

10,

Amarachi

Ukabam, Southern Illinois, 66-10.00. MARCH/APRIL SCHEDULE MEN 3-19-05 Angela Proctor Invitational 3-24-05 Stanford Invitational 3-25-05 Texas Invitational 3-26-05 Texas Invitational 4-01-05 Rice Bayou Classic 4-02-05 Rice Bayou Classic 4-07-05 Texas Relays 4-08-05 Texas Relays 4-09-05 Texas Relays 4-14-05 ASU David Noble Invitational 4-15-05 ASU David Noble Invitational 4-16-05 Spira Invitational 4-30-05 Rice/Runsport Twilight WOMEN 3-19-05 Angela Proctor Invitational 3-24-05 Stanford Invitational 3-25-05 Texas Invitational 3-26-05 Texas Invitational

123456789 WOMEN

4-07-05 Texas Relays 4-08-05 Texas Relays 4-09-05 Texas Relays 4-14-05 ASU David Noble Invitational 4-15-05 ASU David Noble Invitational 4-16-05 Spira Invitational 4-30-05 Rice/Runsport Twilight

Golf ST. CROIX COLL. CLASSIC WOMEN 1. Notre Dame

307 309 303 919 +55

2. Xavier Univ.

312 319 323 954 +90

T3. UTPA

325 318 313 956 +92

T3. Wofford

327 321 308 956 +92

5. Barry Univ.

321 330 327 978 +114

R H E

Creighton 4 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 - 11 10 1

3-24-05 Baylor-Tapatio Spring Shootout

UTPA

3-25-05 Baylor-Tapatio Spring Shootout

Win - Daneff (2-1). Loss - Gomez (1-1)

3-26-05 Baylor-Tapatio Spring Shootout

Save - None

4-04-05 Bobcat Invitational

E - Roth; Flowers; Gutierrez. DP - CU 5;

4-05-05 Bobcat Invitational

UTPA 2. LOB - CU 7; UTPA 3. 2B - Roth

000000000- 0 3 2

2; Lapito; Gordon. 3b - Hinrichs. HBP -

Tennis

Shockey; Daeges, Zach. SF Daeges,Zach; Odenreider. SB - Shockey.

MEN

CS - Lapito. Attendance: 350

SINGLES:

GAME 1

Salvo (UTPA) def. Larzac (SLU) 7-6, 6-3.

123456789 RHE

Porter (UTPA) def. Welnetz (SLU) 6-0, 6-

Creighton 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 11 3

UTPA

Steil (UTPA) def. Wilson (SLU) 6-1, 6-3.

Win - Guerra (3-0). Loss - Bilek (1-1)

Esmail (UTPA) def. Feder (SLU) 6-4, 6-2.

Save - Haines (5)

Cantu (UTPA) def. Rineberg (SLU) 6-3,

E - Dutton; Lapito 2; Flowers 2. DP - CU

6-4.

2; UTPA 2. LOB - CU 9; UTPA 7. 2B -

Pacheco (UTPA) def. Balcer (SLU) 6-3,

Shockey; Gordon; Eichel 2. 3B - Daeges,

3-6, 10-5.

Zach. HR - Alamia. HBP - Daeges.Matt.

DOUBLES:

Attendance: 350

1 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 x - 7 11 2

Salvo/Esmail (UTPA) def. Larza/Welnel (SLU) 8-6.

2005 SCHEDULE

Wilson/Feder (SLU) def. Cantu/Porter

3-18-05 Oral Roberts

(UTPA) 9-3.

3-19-05 Oral Roberts

Pacheco/Steil (UTPA) def.

3-20-05 Oral Roberts

Rineberg/Balcer (SLU) 8-3.

3-22-05 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-29-05 Texas-San Antonio

MARCH/APRIL SCHEDULE

3-30-05 Texas-San Antonio

MEN

4-01-05 Coastal Carolina

3-19-05 Columbia

4-02-05 Coastal Carolina

3-20-05 Texas-Arlington

4-03-05 Coastal Carolina

3-22-05 Laredo Community College

4-05-05 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

4-02-05 Southeastern Louisiana

4-08-05 Louisiana-Lafayette

4-03-05 Lamar

4-09-05 Louisiana-Lafayette

4-08-05 Grambling State

4-10-05 Louisiana-Lafayette

4-08-05 Prairie View A&M

4-15-05 Dallas Baptist (DH)

4-09-05 Texas Southern

4-16-05 Dallas Baptist

4-16-05 Trinity (TX)

4-19-05 Texas-San Antonio

4-22-05 Southland Conference Tourn.

4-20-05 Texas-San Antonio

4-23-05 Southland Conference Tourn.

4-22-05 Western Kentucky

4-24-05 Southland Conference Tourn.

4-23-05 Western Kentucky 4-26-05 Dallas Baptist

4-01-05 Rice Bayou Classic 4-02-05 Rice Bayou Classic

GAME 2

4-23-05 Andrea Brotto Cavalier Classic

WOMEN 79-03.75. 2, Loree Smith, Colorado State,

Zach 2; Hinrichs; Flowers; Gordon; Eichel. 3B - Norquist. HBP - Daeges, Matt 2;

ST. LOUIS UNIV.

1, Candice Scott, Florida,

UTPA 7. 2b - Dutton; Norquist; Daeges,

4-12-05 Cowboy Classic

05.25. THROW:

Save - Bird (1)

4-11-05 Cowboy Classic

Jason Carruthers, Indiana State, 62-

State, 69-09.75. 5, Kimberli Barrett, Miami,

Cardinals set to play game in Mexico

MEN

Bryan Duby, Ohio State, 64-07.00. 13,

FUTURES golf tour visits Valley The FUTURES Golf Tour will stop in McAllen on April 22-24. The golf tournament will take place at the Palm View Municipal Golf Course and is a first for the city. FUTURES, the largest international developmental tour in the world, is the official developmental tour for the Ladies Pro Golf Association. The tour has grown in its 25-year history, with over 300 golfers from 27 different countries, compared to the 150 North American players in the old days. The tour travels around the United States with some of the best women’s players in the world. This year they will have 18 tournaments in 13 states, with the third stop of the FUTURES 2005 schedule being local. At the end of the tour, the top six money list leaders get an automatic invite for the 2006 LPGA Tour. Many of the FUTURES Tour alumnae have gone to win LPGA titles, including 30 major championships. The event will feature 144 professional women golfers, who will play 54 holes. All the proceeds from this tour will go to the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Among other things open to the public, this year’s event will have a fashion show, a four-hole shootout and a junior clinic. For more information about this even, contact the Palm View Municipal Golf Course at (956) 688-3444 or the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at (956) 928-0060.

MARCH/APRIL SCHEDULE

Nothern Arizona, 69-11.00. 6, Coby Cost,

WEIGHT

3 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 7 13 0

E - Wellwood 2. DP - CU 2. LOB - CU 5;

MEN

Senior duo named All-American

333 330 321 984 +120

WOMEN

4-27-05 Dallas Baptist

3-22-05 Laredo Community College

4-28-05 Dallas Baptist

4-02-05 Southeastern Louisiana

5-03-05 Texas

4-02-05 Lamar

5-13-05 New Orleans

4-08-05 Grambling State

5-14-05 New Orleans

4-08-05 Prairie View A&M

5-15-05 New Orleans

4-09-05 Texas Southern

5-17-05 Arkansas

4-16-05 Trinity (TX)

5-18-05 Arkansas

4-22-05 Independent National Tourn. 4-23-05 Independent National Tourn. 4-24-05 Independent National Tourn.

Baseball FEB. 25-27 CREIGHTON SERIES GAME 3

Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 2005 REMAINING SCHEDULE 3-17-05 @Corpus Christi 3-18-05 Austin Ice Bats 3-19-05 San Angelo Saints

123456789 R H E Creighton1 0 0 1 0 0 7 2 0 - 11 9 2

Note: Home games in Bold.

March 17, 2005

SPORTS

Page 14

The quest for collegiate hoops dominance begins By JACOB ALEGRIA The Pan American The NCAA basketball tournaments are set to begin today, with opening round matchups featuring some of the country’s best collegiate players. March Madness, as it is often referred to, is expected to be one of the best. Although many college students are already wreaking havoc on South Padre Island others are set to create their own memories on the court. In the words of ESPN announcer Dick Vitale “super, scintillating, sensational” can sometimes describe the tournament games. There have been many exciting endings in previous games such as Christian Laettner’s lastminute jumper off a court-length pass in a region final in 1990. This is the time when not only memories are created but legends are born. Some of the NBA’s greatest players have there own moments of glory during March Madness including guys like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler and David Robinson. Jordan won the title as a freshman in 1982 when his 15-footer in the final minute handed the North Carolina Tar Heels the win over Georgetown in New Orleans. And since the Big Dance unfolds during college spring break, tradition has developed that students party down and watch the tournament games in style. THE SKINNY This year’s tournament figures to be one of the most unpredictable in recent history. The elite teams this are Illinois, North Carolina and Duke, although only Illinois was consistent all year, losing just once. Duke and North Carolina are two of the more storied programs in college basketball. They enter the tournament as favorites and this is nothing new for coaches Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski. For Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils

the season has been one of great accomplishments. Many college basketball analysts are calling this season the finest coaching performance of Coach K’s career, because they do not have the deepest team around and they usually lose stars to early entry into the NBA. The Blue Devils are coming off a win against Georgia Tech to earn the ACC Conference Tournament title and will be one of the four No. 1 seeds. But for the Blue Devils want to make some noise they will need someone else other than J.J. Reddick to hit big shots in the clutch: there is no “I” in team. On the other hand North Carolina and Coach Roy Williams are going into the tournament on a sour note after suffering an upset loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tourney. The Tar Heels however managed to get a No. 1 seed in the tournament because they have been near the top of the nation all year. Sean May has delivered for the Tar Heels with some stellar post play to wrap up the season. May recorded six straight double-doubles, as the Heels were one of the highest scoring teams in the USA and also shot 50 percent from the floor as a team. Guard play will need to be more consistent in order for the Tar Heels to make a run. Illinois has been this year’s surprise team, winning 29 straight games before losing the season finale to Ohio State. The Fighting Illini were given the No. 1 overall seed after finishing the regular season and will need to continue their dominance now that they are not an unknown sleeper. The Illini have an athletic, confident team that plays great defense and can hit the three. The last team earning a No. 1 seed in the tournament is the Washington Huskies, but they figure to be a long shot of the four top seeds, to win the national championship. But with only five losses the Huskies could turn some heads in this year’s tournament, especially with outstanding 5-foot-8 Nate Robinson running the show. So the tourney is set to begin and that means hundreds

of thousands of people have already filled out their tourney brackets and paid their money for the Fan’s version of the Big Dance. Trying to predict who will win it all has become a favorite pastime along with watching games, getting people interested who didn’t necessarily pay attention to college basketball in the past. Valley hoops fans do not have a team in the race, as the UTPA team finished 12-16 and out of the running. But the state of Texas has several options, including the University of Texas-Austin, Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech, and the National Invitational Tourney group of Houston, Rice, Texas A&M. Bronc fans can also root for or against Oklahoma, which defeated UTPA earlier in the season. The 8-seed Longhorns are at the Chicago Regional, taking on No. 9 Nevada today. They join 2-seed Oklahoma State and no. 1 Illinois at that Midwest site. Texas Tech, No. 6, is at the Albuquerque Regional against 11th-seeded UCLA. Austin is home to one of the four regionals starting today, as Oklahoma, a third seed, takes on 14th-seeded Niagara, in the Dance for the first time since the Calvin Murphy era back in the early 1970s. Also at the Erwin Center, UTEP, at No. 11, gets a tough first-rounder against Utah today. Duke is the one seed in Austin while Kentucky, always a threat to win it all, is two with OU third. The women’s NCAAs have become increasingly popular, and there are several teams from Texas in this year’s mix. Rice, Texas, Houston, TCU and Texas Tech have horses in the race. The UTPA women’s team is hoping to get there someday, after winning more games than any team in school history this season. The women’s title game is April 5 in Indianapolis, while the men finish April 4 in St. Louis. From opening tip to closing buzzer, millions of fans – including college kids on their Spring Break – will be watching as the college basketball season comes to a head.

SPORTS

March 17, 2005

Page 15

Valley racewalkers set for Big Apple meet By DELISA GUADARRAMA The Pan American In South Texas, football is everything. But to some local youths another sport is drawing attention from all over the nation. Racewalking has long been considered to be the “funny-looking” sport in the Olympics that no one really watches or knows about. Nine years ago, A.C. Jaime, former major of Pharr, began coaching racewalking with his grandson in hopes that he would pick up the sport. Little did he know that a year later two others would join him in qualifying for the AAU Junior Olympics in Charlotte, N.C., and later start the South Texas Walking Club. Since then, Jaime has given workshops to 5,000 kids a year and has about 100 kids participate competitively during the summer. In Texas, the best competition comes from a group in Houston but not many can compete with the talented group from Pharr. The group now boasts eight national champions and two national record holders, Claudia Ortiz from Mission and Robert Vergara from Edinburg. Jaime visits about 15-20 elementary schools a year talking to third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders to give them an idea of what racewalking is about. After this age there is a tendency for kids to start haggling because of the mechanics of the sport. “It hurts our chances of picking up more children for racewalking,” Jaime said about why the Valley has yet to integrate racewalking into schools. “Maine and New York already have racewalking in their schools, and New Jersey has already been approved and will begin teaching racewalking next year.” Although Pharr has begun to have some competition between schools, Jaime said it isn’t enough. He said it can be discouraging to kids if they don’t see participation around them. Persistence has been the real key factor in the success of the program drawing attention from Olympic coaches and athletes in the sport. Tim Seaman, a 2000 and 2004 Olympian, has been especially influential in coaching the group by making several trips a year to hold clinics. “Our kids compete at a national level and do extremely well,” Jaime said. “Everyone wants to know how we train and what we do, it’s a great thing to have

people like Tim show such devotion to the sport and especially to our kids.” Although the kids travel all over the United States to various n a t i o n a l championships and qualifying races, there is no outside funding save for donations from businesses and raffles and barbeques the club holds. Jamie has asked for assistance from several cities through their e c o n o m i c development programs but Delisa Guadarrama / The Pan American since the kids are not from any one city, officials have WALKING TALL - (From left) Ricardo Vergara, Neto Vergara, Ruby Perez, Chris Diaz and Roberto not been open to Vergara at a practice on Sunday afternoon training for the upcoming Indoor Nationals in New York. giving out money. Enthusiasts in the Valley seek to promote the sport. The next major record by one second but was also the youngest to races are in New York and Maryland for the National compete, being an eighth-grader racing in a high school Scholastic Indoor Track & Field Championships and the meet. Nike Indoor Championships, respectively. Jaime is “Chris and Robert will do extremely well fighting for hopeful that six kids will go from the high school group, the top spot,” Jaime said. “ I’m looking forward to a great four have already qualified. Chris Diaz, Adrian Jaime and race and a new record.” twins Robert and Ricardo Vergara are all previous AAU Adrian Jaime and Diaz are seniors and have been National Champions. offered scholarships to walk in Wisconsin and New Jersey These indoor races determine standing for the top at some of the top racewalking schools in the nation. racewalkers in the nation. The STWC has the chance to With such promise from these Valley youngsters, represent five of six spots with a strong showing. Last racewalking should be a sport to watch. After all these year, Robert Vergara missed setting the national indoor Valley kids very might well be at the 2008 Beijing

Broncs face Oral Roberts By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American Bronc baseball team has been slowly changing its ways having won four of their last seven games. Now that the Broncs are playing more consistently, they have to keep it going against Oral Roberts this weekend. Bronc fortunes turned around during spring break after three wins and the title at the Ogletree Classic. The team won nailbiters against UT-San Antonio and Birmingham Southern, and blew past Sam Houston State. Their only loss of the tournament came against Illinois, 3-0. Next, in the Creighton series, they won the first game but dropped the last two; the final game was a close one, the first errorless outing for the Broncs this season, and Coach Willie Gawlik noted that the team is improving in this area. “That is a big plus for our team, we’re excited about that,” he said about the flawless game

against Creighton. “We’re trying to improve our defense, and all phases of our game.” Despite the great fielding, UTPA still lost 11-7. But the Broncs bats showed sparks of life throughout the game. Zach Gordon, Matt Eichel, Jacob Jones and Louie Alamia kept the Broncs in it, combining for 10 of the Broncs’ 13 hits. “They’ve had a good week, and that’s great to see,” Gawlik said. “They’re capable of doing that, and hopefully they can do it on a consistent basis.” On Tuesday, the Bronc game against Texas A&M-Kingsville was canceled due to bad weather. This weekend, the Broncs will be traveling to Oklahoma to take on a tough Oral Roberts squad in a three-game series. They will have Aaron Guerra, an Edinburg native, on the mound starting one of the three games against ORU. Last season, the Broncs hosted the Golden Eagles, taking game three, but dropped the first two, 1-0, and 12-10. The Golden

Eagles finished last season with over 50 victories, making them an NCAA Regional contender. The Golden Eagles are expected have another good run this season, as they are currently 9-6 on the season, four of those victories at home.The series between the two schools is deadlocked at four games apiece. Guerra has been the Broncs’ top pitcher this season, sporting a 3-0 record.This type of performance will be needed as the Broncs take on the Golden Eagles who come off a recent whipping of top ranked Baylor. In Guerra’s last visit to the mound, he put out a strong eightinning performance against Creighton in game one, only allowing four runs. He struck out six batters on the night, leading his team to a 7-4 victory. “He pitched eight strong innings, and that is the type of pitching that we need for us to be successful,” Gawlik said. “He has been pitching very consistent, and he is doing a great job right now.”

Marcos Cervantes/ The Pan American

COMING HOME - Bronc outfielder Louie Alamia slides into home plate in a series at home in February. UTPA seems to have turned it around recently as the team heads out to Tulsa for a series this weekend against Oral Roberts.

SPORTS

Sports Clipboard . . . . . . . . 13 NCAA Tourney . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Racewalking . . . . . . . . .15

The Bees set to conclude one rocky season By JOEY HINOJOSA The Pan American The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees will be wrapping up their season this weekend with the three remaining games on their schedule. RGV (17-37-3) has had a rough season, enduring winless streaks of 10 games in November and 11 in JanuaryFebruary. Last weekend the team played two home games at the Dodge Arena. On Friday the Bees were able to shut out the Austin IceBats, 4-0, but lost the next evening to the Corpus Christi Rayz, 6-3. RGV will be looking to win its final road game tonight in Corpus Christi, and their final two home games on Friday and Saturday. Killer Bees Head Coach Tracy Egeland feels that there was a lot of effort put forth by RGV in their previous two home games. “We played well. I can’t fault the effort of the guys,” said Egeland. “For the most part they’ve acted like pros since being eliminated and I expect nothing less out of them in these next three games.” It has been a frustrating season for a team that had 10 guys returning from last year’s playoff team that won 32 regular season games. Egeland admits that the results from this year’s squad were not what he had in mind. “I’m very disappointed. Obviously the plan was not to be done this weekend and we are. Now we have to re-evaluate our situation,” said the Lethbridge, Alberta native.

“The effort is not faulted. We’ve had bad games, and for the most part our effort has been there. It is just very disappointing the way we’ve lost games.” Despite the losing record Egeland believes there were some positives that came out of this year.

“I think that our young guys have come a long way. I really like the way that (Daymen) Bencharski, (Justin) Dziama, (Matic) Kralj, and (Calle) Aslund (are coming along). I think that they’ve taken steps in the right direction in their careers,” said Egeland. “Some of our older guys, Ryan

Joey Hinojosa/The Pan American

WARM UP - Killer Bee goaltender Jeff Levy warms up before Friday's game at the Dodge Arena. Levy stopped all 25 of the Austin IceBats' shots last Friday helping RGV claim a 4-0 victory. It is the tenth shutout in Levy's career.

Shmyr, Darcy Smith, Sean Gillam have shown some leadership. It has been a rough year on them, but they stuck with it and they’ve given it their all, day in and day out.” Egeland definitely wants to finish the season strong, and wants the fans to know that the team is still playing hard. “Our goal is to win every game, and finish hard here,” said Egeland. “Especially the last two games we want to finish well in front of our home crowd, and give them something positive to take into the summer, and a reason for them to spend their hard earned money to buy season tickets and come back in the fall.” The players, like Egeland, are hoping to finish the 2004-2005 season strong. Killer Bees forward Joe Guenther is focused on finishing well in the final three games. “We’re looking at it like we are in the playoffs,” said Guenther. “We want to finish the season hard. We want to play for our pride, so that’s what we are looking to do here.” RGV blueliner Darcy Smith also feels that the team is playing with a sense of urgency as they head into the final weekend of the season. “I think we are doing well. Our work ethic is more consistent now. We are playing more consistently,” said the Killer Bees defenseman. “We’re playing for pride. Come down to the wire, I am pretty sure there is going to be three teams playing for pride, and playing for jobs next year. I guess we will see what happens.”

Daylong UTPA meet Saturday By JOEY GOMEZ The Pan American The UTPA track team finally comes home. Despite the fact that the homecoming will be short-lived, this year’s Angela Proctor Invitational finds UTPA squaring off against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State in a full day of multi-event competition Saturday. The annual outdoor competition is the home competition of the year, and the second outdoor meet of the season. The Proctor invite follows a two-day heptathlon event at Angelo State that ends today. “I think we do really well at home,” said track coach Ricky Vaughn. “No travel, players sleep in their own beds and they compete in front of their friends and peers.” The Broncs enter the meet riding on the recent successes of senior AllAmerican throwers Isaac Ybarra and

Amy Moses, who placed seventh and sixth, respectively, at the Indoor Nationals last weekend. Vaughn said there is an element of excitement on the team after Ybarra and Moses’ performance, along with the team’s success at the Border Olympics in Laredo earlier this month. Despite wretched weather the Lady Broncs’ Adriana Herbert and Deon Marquis finished with a time of 12.83, good for the one and two spots in the 100-meter race. Herbert would also finish second in the 200-meters with a 26.72 run. In Laredo, senior distance runner Westly Keating placed first in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 3:51.61. Vaughn said that the team’s distance race is one of the Broncs’ strongest events along with throwers Ybarra and J.C. Crosby. “We’re really coming along in sprints and hurdles,” Vaughn added.

For this weekend’s competition, Vaughn said that both visiting schools have good teams but singled out Angelo State for having a “wellbalanced team,” that is successful in many events. At last year’s Angela Proctor invite, three UTPA athletes qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships. Rashaad Ben tied his previously set school record of 14.17 in the 100meter hurdles, Ybarra recorded a phenomenal 193-9 in the hammer throw, and Moses threw the hammer 184-6, breaking her previously set record by 15 feet. Last year the men’s team placed first in six events, placed five players in the history books, broke a school record and tied another. The women’s team placed first in four events, added seven players to the UTPA Athletic Department school’s top 10, and set two school WHOOSH - Record-breaking weight thrower Amy Moses records. gets set to let one fly in a recent workout.