January 26, 2006 by UTRGV Student Media

The Student Newspaper

January 26, 2006

Broncs in hoops conference By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American GET IN THERE - Broncs junior transfer Colin Lien is contested as he goes to the hoop in the second half of the Tuesday night game against SMU.

Conference affiliation is a reality. The University of Texas-Pan American athletic department announced last week that the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be competing in the newly formed United Basketball Conference. “Even though it isn’t a full blown conference just yet, it’s a real good step in the right direction,” Robert Davenport, Bronc head coach said. Even though it isn’t the Southland Conference - which UTPA had been trying to receive admission into before being denied last year - joining the UBC can only lead to benefis. UTPA Athletic Director Scott Street sat down with The Pan American and discussed the basics on what this all means for our basketball teams. “The first thing is,” Street said, “it gives us a guaranteed 10 Division I games in late Jan. and Feb. when it becomes rather difficult for us to schedule games due to the fact that most of the other schools are competing in conference play at that

time.” Street also added that it also allows the programs to have weekly and yearly accolades that can be presented to the athletes. “This kind of took out the trouble of finding games for the last six weeks of the season...,” Davenport said. “It’s my seventh year at UTPA and it helps us to be playing for an at-large bid.” In other words, it’s quite similar to the current situation that volleyball is in, where the Independent coaches choose the standout players on weekly and yearly performances. “We now have a chance to band together with our allies, and start to form something that might turn out to be a permanent relationship,” Street commented. So how long has the athletic department been searching for possibilities after the Southland bid fell through? Almost a year. “We’ve been working on this since March of last year, so it’s something that isn’t new,” Street said. “We’ve

See BASKETBALL page 14

Student assaulted on campus Monday By NAYELLY BARRIOS The Pan American A complaint was filed with the University Police Department Monday after an individual allegedly assaulted a University of Texas-Pan American student at the Fine Arts Complex. The assault happened in the first

floor men’s restroom and the suspect is still at large. Allegedly, the suspect walked in to the men’s room and after conversing with the student, grabbed the student’s genital area and left. According to an e-mail alert sent to students Tuesday evening, the suspect is a white male in his 60s, with blue eyes,

white hair, and is approximately six feet tall. “We’re hoping that by giving the information out early, if the individual is seen again, it will generate some calls,” Asst. Chief James Loya said. “We’ve had some calls as it is now, but the information we’ve gotten is not the

same individual.” The report was filed at 5:30 p.m, approximately 30 minutes after the assault. It is not known if the suspect came from off campus or had some business on campus. In compliance with the Jeanne Clery

See ASSAULTED page 11

UTPA hosts minority conference By STEPHENIE ESTRADA The Pan American A common misconception by residents in the Rio Grande Valley is that to find opportunity to network with various federal agencies, corporations and small businesses, one must travel to San Antonio, Dallas, or Austin. However on Feb. 2 those opportunities are being brought to town. The University of Texas-Pan American will host the third annual Minority Serving Institutions Research Partnerships Conference (MSIRP), marking the first year UTPA will have the honor of holding the conference in South Texas. Organizers anticipate attendance of about 2,000-3,000 student leaders at the business and career expo, which will take place all day Feb. 3, and half a day Feb. 4. Jacquelyn Michel, director of Innovation Intellectual Public Relations, says this honor is a step in the right direction for the university and community. “It is important because in the future, research is going to require partnerships,” Michel said. “It enables us to explore possible relationships and determine which organization we would best fit with. As we become a research intensive institution, we need to find more funding for research.” The conference typically targets

See CONFERENCE page 11

Agreement solidifies international alliance By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Hand in hand, University of TexasPan American President Blandina Cardenas and Universidad Valle del Bravo (UVB) Executive President Berta Gastelum raised their arms in triumph as they marked the official beginning of a 10-year agreement of cooperation between the two

universities Tuesday at the Visitors Center. The purpose of the agreement between UTPA and UVB is to promote an exchange of faculty and students between the two universities. According to Cardenas, this is an essential part of UTPA’s growth. “It’s another important day in our continuing effort to live up to our

name,” Cardenas said. “Creating these accords with Mexican and other universities is part of our strategic plan to internationalize the university.” Mary Lou Salazar, director of international programs, plays a big part in UTPA’s internationalization.

See ALLIANCE page 11

Joey Cortez/The Pan American

NEW BEGINNINGS Blandina Cardenas (left) and UVB Executive President Berta Gastelum sign the official agreement between the two universities Tuesday at a ceremony in the Visitors Center.

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January 26 2006 THE

PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 55th Year – No. 16

Editor Claudette Gonzalez claudetteelena @gmail.com News Editor Sandra Gonzalez sandra_panamerican @yahoo.com A & E Editor Meredith LaGrone meredith_lagrone @hotmail.com Sports Editors Daryl Gonzales daryl_gonzales2002@yahoo.com Graphics Editor LyLony Cazares lylony@gmail.com Photography Editor Joel de la Rosa delarosa.joel@gmail.com Designers Brian Carr carr.ba@gmail.com Erika Lopez lopez475@yahoo.com Laura C. Gomez lm.gomez@yahoo.com Web Master Ed Martinez ed@inspiredmediaworks.com

Reporters Frank Calvillo Adriana Garza Jorge Hinojosa Luke Koong Ana Ley Hilda Loria Maria Mazariegos Claralexis Rios

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 Angela Salazar Trey Serna Photographer Joey Cortez Translator Mercedes Cantu Adviser Dr. Greg Selber Delivery Anthony Pinal Thursday at 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. Articles are written and published at the discretion of The Pan American newspaper. Should readers wish to submit story ideas to the editor, please allow two weeks for processing.

OPINIONS UNPROTECTED TEXT

You Say You Want a Revolution… By DAVID RODRIGUEZ The Pan American In two very short years we’re going to have to exercise our constitutionally guaranteed right to not vote. And who’d blame us. Politics has become such a disgusting thing. Between taking money and paid vacations from lobbyists to making judicial nominee’s wives cry, politicians on both sides of the aisle engender absolutely no loyalty from the American public. So what are we left to do? Misinformation and stereotypes about Republicans and Democrats are so ingrained in us that it is, for the most part, impossible to find common ground. We can’t change either party. Go Green you say? You and I both know the Green party is only for wishy-washy fence-sitters and stoners who never bother to read the entire pamphlet. What we need to do is find a fourth party. One that truly holds dear the issues we really care about. One with an enigmatic leader (no, Howard Dean is not enigmatic, he’s psychotic) who will breathe new life into the political landscape with a revolutionary approach to dealing with today’s problems.

I have found such a party with such a man. Although he’s not just a man, he’s a vampire…and a Satanist. Jonathan “The Impaler” Sharkey has announced his plans to run for governor of the state of Minnesota on the ticket of the Vampyres, Witches and Pagans Party. He is also considering a run for president and has formed a PAC called “The Impaler for President Committee – 2008.” Sharkey is a self-described Satanic Dark Priest, Sanguinarian Vampyre and a Hecate Witch. His magical path name is Lord Ares. He owns two covens, Kat’s UnderWorld Coven and J & J’s UnderWorld Coven of Minnesota. He also pastors a Luciferian church called The Church of the Followers of Lucifer. Although Sharkey is a Satanist, he says he does not hate Christians or Jesus, just God the Father. But don’t let that typical move to the center sway you. Sharkey will be committed to the issues. According to the Impaler, politics is a cutthroat business and in a statement to the Minneapolis Star Tribune he revealed he is the perfect man for the job. “I sink my fangs into the neck of my donor…and drink their blood,” he said. Before you get all freaked out about a governor sucking his constituents dry you should know that his donor is his wife, Julie. Now if that isn’t family values I don’t know what is.

BAD CHARITY- A comic by Joseph Lavin

The Impaler is not only true to his word, but his name as well. His Web site, jonathonforgovernor.us, makes it obvious this is one man who will definitely be tough on crime. “Any terrorist who is caught in Minnesota while I am governor will find out what the true meaning of my nickname means, right in front of our state capital. Then Feds can take the terrorist’s body from the impaling stake. If the U.S. Department of Justice wants to charge me with brutally murdering a terrorist, they may do so. I do not see an American jury convicting me.” Not only terrorists will bear the brunt of the Impaler’s Draconian punishments. According to his site, drugs and drug dealers will not be tolerated by his administration. “During my time as governor, drug dealers and users will live in fear. I will introduce extremely harsh punishment for those who use illegal drugs and I will fight to make dealers serve life in prison, or better yet, impalement.” He really likes impalement. If you’d like more information about Jonathan “The Impaler” Sharkey and how you can help support his run for president in 2008 please visit his Web site or his coven’s site, katsunderworldcoven.org. You can learn more about Jonathan’s views, vision, and goals. It’s also a great place to get a cloak. They come in Wizard and Black Widow.

NEWS

Scientist falsifies data. . . . . . . . 4

Diabetes/TB connection. . . . . . . 5

En Español. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Homecoming ‘O6 Preview HOMECOMING EVENTS Jan. 30 - Feb. 4 UTPA Exhibit @ Student Union Commons Yard Art @ Quad

January 31 Meet UTPA Baseball Team @ Quad (noon - 1 p.m.) Rock the Quad @ Quad (7 - 8 p.m.)

February 1 Comedy Night @ Student Union Theatre (7 - 8 p.m.)

February 2 Holler for a Dollar Contest @ Quad (noon - 1 p.m.) Tailgate/Pep Rally @ Quad (noon - 1 p.m.)

February 3 Homecoming 2006 Dance @ Fine Arts Courtyard (8 p.m. - midnight) Courtesy of www.panam.edu

By MARIA ALEJANDRA MAZARIEGOS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American is getting ready to kick off Homecoming 2006 on Jan. 30 with several traditional university spirit-filled events running through Feb. 4. This weeklong celebration is open to all campus students as well as the local public and is sponsored by the University Program Board, the Office of Student Development, the Student Union, and Athletics. To start off the week, there will be yard art displayed at the Quad. The artwork is being done by student organizations wishing to participate in the decoration of billboards. These spirit-themed pieces will remain up at the Quad for all to enjoy throughout the week. UTPA has come a long way since its beginning in 1927. Over the years, it has been a college, changed its name several times and added several buildings. To show this off, there will be a walk through history in the Student Union with the display of past yearbooks, athletes’ photos and pictures of Broncs and Lady Broncs back in the day.

Even the best could be better WAC Task Force places strong emphasis on importance of self-improvement By ANA LEY The Pan American A belief strongly held in academia is that no matter how good the writer, there’s always room for improvement. If you ask Judy Davidson, director for Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) and the University Writing Center, veterans in the field are anything but an

exception. Davidson, along with a committee of six professors at the University of Texas-Pan American, comprise the WAC Task Force. The organization was formed to “raise awareness of the importance of writing effectively, and acknowledge that it is just as important for professors as it is for students to

Joel De La Rosa/The Pan American KEY PLAYER - Judy Davidson, director of WAC, meets with Karen Watt, chair of the Quality Enhancement Plan, in the library. Davidson played a part in the formation of the group which stresses the importance of enhancing writing skills.

better themselves as writers,” Davidson explained. “Sometimes a professor will have a book he’s trying to get published, but wants general feedback on it,” she continued. “They can submit their work to the committee, and during our meetings we give feedback on what we think needs work or what could be changed.” She feels that receiving feedback on their work from people with diverse scholastic backgrounds is a great benefit to professors, and ultimately their success spills over to students, because it shows that their professors are trying to better themselves as writers. By increasing involvement from faculty members, the program hopes to increase expertise and foster a general attentiveness to students from various disciplines. In an effort to keep instructors abreast of new teaching methods to use in class, the committee holds three

See WRITING page 12

Mail-in ballots return low numbers

“This is so others can see how we have changed,” said Irasema Silva, UPB Blenders Committee Chair and sophomore criminal justice major. Then shifting things to the current stars of UTPA, Homecoming will have a “Meet Your Baseball Broncs” event where students can meet and greet the players and coaches of the team whose season starts next week. There will be free refreshments in the spirit of baseball, such as sunflower seeds and popcorn. For those who like to cheer and holler, the “Holler for a Dollar” contest fits them well. This is a contest between student organizations; each organization is to make up a chant or cheer that includes “UTPA” three times to show Bronc spirit. The best holler receives a cash prize. However, Homecoming won’t be all traditional events. This year punk rock band Popular Genius will display their musical talent at the Quad and there will be complementary refreshments. This came as a surprise to some. “I love punk rock and never thought Homecoming would include it,” said Madalyn Ochoa, a sophomore pre-pharma-

This year, a new precedent was set when the Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE), the organization responsible for setting up federal elections in Mexico, allowed Mexican residents living in foreign countries to cast their votes from abroad. But things don’t always work out as planned. While nearly 4 million residents were eligible for the voting process in the U.S. alone, only a total of 30,000 applications were received during the second week of January. This is not even close to half the people living outside of the country. According to a Univision report, because of the poor response, this campaign ended up being too expensive for the lackluster results received. For example, they calculated that it would be cheaper to buy to every applicant a first-class flight to Mexico, put them in a five-star hotel, buy them meals and take them in a limousine with a driver

See HOMECOMING page 12

See VOTING page 12

By CAROLINA SANCHEZ The Pan American

Average Valley wages on the rise By ADRIANA GARZA The Pan American Andy Soto, a junior business management major at the University of TexasPan American, has been working as a department supervisor at Mervyn's. While she doesn't exactly see it as a permanent job, she does earn $11.10 an hour. With the minimum wage at $5.15 an hour, Soto says that, overall, no one could make it solely on that amount. "I think we should be getting paid more, everything is going up except our wages," Soto said. "It's going to go up. It

has to. If not, we'll starve. We wouldn’t be able to buy anything." The good news is, wages in the Rio Grande Valley have been significantly increasing in the past five to 10 years. The bad news? The area still has the lowest pay nationwide. But locally the wages are increasing dramatically. Hidalgo County, for instance, is growing at an incredible pace, and the average weekly wage is not far behind. “First of all, it’s encouraging that the wages in the Valley are increasing and I’ve done some research on this and

See WAGES page 12

Bureau of Labor Statistics wage increase, 2nd quarter 2005 Webb County

$543 each wk. 11.3% inc.

Cameron County Hidalgo County

$463 each wk. 2.4% inc.

$475 each wk. 3.3% inc. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Page 4

NEWS

January 26, 2006

Scientific world reeling as false cloning data revealed By LUKE KOONG The Pan American Dr. Hwang Woo-suk’s breakthrough research on embryonic stem cells raised hopes for millions of individuals in need of organs or looking for cures to fatal diseases. Those hopes came crashing down when a revelation of falsified data and unethical practices came to light. Woo-suk published his data in Science, one of the world’s leading scientific publications. In it, he said he and his team had cloned a human embryo and extracted stem cells from it. However, a panel at Seoul National University found those claims to be false. An international uproar ensued. Scott Gunn, a biology professor at the University of Texas-Pan American, showed disappointment not only in the revelation but also with the lack of ethics shown by Woo-suk. “Unfortunately, I’ve been at this long enough to realize there’s a lot of pressures put on scientists and this pops up every so often in science,” Gunn stated. “Unfortunately, this was published in Science, instead of in a smaller journal, so it received a lot more popular press. Thus, when it came up as being falsified, it hit science pretty hard.” Before the claims of falsified data came out, Woo-suk was already receiving heat for the way he obtained the egg specimens used in his experiment. As a result, Zen Faulkes, a professor of biology, was not surprised at the second revelation of scientific misconduct from Woo-suk’s lab.

“Before the charges of fraud arose, I'd heard that Dr. Hwang's [female] staff revealed that some of them contributed cells used for experiments, which they claimed they hadn't done. So I wasn't surprised, because things were already starting to unravel,” Faulkes said. Woo-suk's case is not the first of its kind. In fact, last Monday, The Scientist reported fraudulent research data published in The Lancet. Jon Sudbo fabricated 900 individuals for his report about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and its effect on oral cancer. In his defense, Woo-suk has claimed that he is the target of a conspiracy. He stated that the stem cells he used were switched without his consent and knowledge. Faulkes believes the underlying story goes far deeper than just Woo-suk's claim. "It's clear that many people were involved, not just him. Laying out who is responsible is going to be very complex," he said. Gunn on the other hand does not think Woosuk's claims hold up. "It’s really hard for me to rationalize how anyone associated with him would want to discredit his work, because their names are on the work also," Gunn said. "Human beings are going to try at every turn to save face and take the blame away from themselves as much as possible." PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES Journals such as Science and Nature normally have many procedures to ensure the quality of each submission. One such procedure, known as the peer review, is a process in which reviewers

P-SJ-A to hold RGVSA conference By JEREMIAH GONZALEZ The Pan American Even teachers are never done learning. At least, that’s the message being sent out by the Rio Grande Valley Science Association (RGVSA), which will hold its 18th annual conference Feb. 3 and 4 at PSJ-A High School. The conference will consist of several interactive workshops and exhibits geared toward local educators. “All elementary and secondary level science teachers are encouraged to attend,” Ethel Garcia, public relations representative of the RGVSA, said. Garcia added that continuing education credits will be awarded to teachers who attend. Day one of the conference, Feb. 3, is free to the public and will include an address by keynote speaker Mary H. Manhein, director of the Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory. RGVSA Vice-President Mike Baldwin says he is very excited to bring Manhein, an instructor of anthropology at Louisiana State University, to the Valley. “It’s a wonderful service to the local teachers,” Baldwin said, “We bring in world-class speakers in the cutting edge of science. We expect our keynote speaker to attract some more attendance.” The attendance is expected to reach 500, which

would be more than were at past conferences, which have included such big-name speakers as Joseph McCormick from the Centers for Disease Control. “Dr. McCormick is one of the top paleontologists in the world,” Baldwin said. “He talked about his experience investigating ebola and other diseases in Africa.” Day two, Feb. 4, will consist of four workshop sessions, a Texas Education Agency (TEA) update, and exhibits along with breakfast and lunch. Registration is from seven to eight that morning and then the conference begins. According to RGVSA President Karen McNallen, this year’s conference will have even more for high school teachers. “We have a lot of different science companies coming to do workshops,” McNallen said. “It will be really beneficial to all.” McNallen says the goal of the RGVSA is to enrich and support elementary and secondary school science education in the lower Rio Grande Valley. She feels that the conference is one of the ways the RGVSA can achieve that goal. “A lot of new teachers are coming into our field,” she said. “This is a way to help them find ways to further enhance their teaching skill.” The deadline for early registration is Jan. 30. More information on the conference and the RGVSA can be found at www.rgvsa.org.

are sent a publication for review. Those individuals then submit feedback on the article and recommend it for acceptance or rejection. Even with measures in place, however, mistakes can happen. According to Luis Materon, a biology professor who took interest in the case, sometimes errors are due to the new subject matter involved and the failure of the reviewers to understand it. "I am not surprised because the peer reviewers of Science may have known less or did not fully understand the science presented by Dr. Hwang Woo-suk in this novel line of work," Materon stated. "You do not expect reviewers to know new research approaches, particularly in this field." Materon also believes the reputation of Woosuk, a world leader in stem-cell research, may have provided reviewers a false sense of confidence that lulled them into believing that all of his data were accurate. "It is also a mater of scholarly trust based on the material presented. What surprises me is how the reviewers did not notice that the DNA profiles of the cloned cells were the same or almost similar," Materon added. "Similarly, photos that appeared in the two publications of Science were of the same cell line but taken from different angles." In most cases, peer review will weed out problems in journal submissions. This is due to the process known as self-correcting, as described by Gunn. "The reason we have peer review is that it is self-correcting. If you put something out there

that isn’t supported by the data, or that doesn’t make logical sense, people in the peer review are going to catch that,” he said. “In some ways I view this as a success for science because we did self-correct and realize it was wrong." Peer review is still only a tool in combating fraud. As much as it can help deter unacceptable material, Faulkes believes the best way to verify data is to have it undergo scrutiny from many different sources. "Peer review isn't intended to detect fraud, though it probably does prevent fraudulent papers from being published," Faulkes said. “In a way, the best way to detect a fraud is to put the work into the public domain. More people will see it and try to replicate it, which is one of the most important tools scientific researchers have." Even though still facing allegations and investigation, CLONAID, an American biotechnology firm, has already offered Woo-suk a position in the company. However, Faulkes and his colleagues believe Woo-suk will still struggle to reclaim the reputation that he lost. Gunn feels scientists will be able to put aside the incident and get back to focusing on their intrinsic motivation for researching. "In my opinion, most of the top quality scientists are entirely internally motivated. They’re not worrying about the praise,” said Gunn. “Yeah, they want to make a reasonable salary. Yeah, they want to hear, ‘You’ve done good.’ But at the same time, that’s not the real key. The real key is the science. The new knowledge."

NEWS

January 26, 2006

Page 5

Scientists research link between TB, diabetes Public health officials and researchers join forces By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American With the prevalence of diabetes so frequent in the local population, Valley residents may think they’ve heard it all about complications associated with the illness: heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and kidney damage, just to name a few. Now, McAllen scientist Blanca Restrepo is adding to that list. Restrepo and a team of researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) School of Public Health’s regional campus in Brownsville are investigating the reasons behind the disproportionate number of diabetics who contract tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that can be fatal if not treated properly. “What we’re doing is putting most of our emphasis on the association between tuberculosis and diabetes,” Restrepo said. “We’ve found that there’s so much diabetes here and the patients with diabetes present all the characteristics of more serious tuberculosis.” Restrepo explained that curing a patient with tuberculosis is a long and arduous process. “The treatment is tough. You take several medications. They make you feel nauseous,” she said. “The treatment is sometimes worse than the disease, and people will want to quit.” According to Restrepo, in some patients who undergo treatment with antibiotics, not all of the bacteria are killed, but rather they lie dormant for a while before relapsing, with devastating consequences. “The problem is that if you have a relapse and the bacteria have been exposed to antibiotics, you have selected bacteria that are resistant to that antibiotic so it becomes a drug-resistant relapse,” she explained. Drug-resistant strains are much more difficult to get rid of because they don’t respond to the normal

treatments, and diabetics are much more likely to develop drug-resistant tuberculosis. “People with diabetes are actually quite disciplined in taking their medication,” Restrepo said. “Despite that, they have a trend of failing the treatment and relapsing again.” In order to better understand the correlation between diabetes and tuberculosis, the team of researchers joined forces with public health officials in the border region. “What we did is that we created a consortium, or a group, of people from both sides of the border interested in studying tuberculosis,” Restrepo said. “We started contacting all the key people here in South Texas and in northeastern Mexico.” The group, named the Nuevo Santander Tuberculosis Trackers, consists of Restrepo and her team of researchers and public health officials including the directors of the health departments from Cameron and Hidalgo counties. Two key researchers are Dr. Joseph McCormick, a retired pediatrician, professor and dean of the Brownsville regional campus, and his wife Susan Fisher, professor of epidemiology, also at the Brownsville campus “Most of the people in our consortium are not researchers. They’re public health workers,” Restrepo said. “Since tuberculosis is a reportable disease, every patient, even if they go to a private physician, will be reported and at some point followed and tracked by the health departments.” Among the public health officials involved is Eduardo Olivarez, chief administrative officer for the Hidalgo County Health Department. Through him, Restrepo is given access to patients and records from the pulmonary clinic run by the county. “We have a pulmonary clinic that specializes in the treatment of tuberculosis,” Olivarez said. “Our staff

follow the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines in treating tuberculosis and then we provide her with access to the patients, the data and the facilities.” Both the public health departments and the research team benefit from the teamwork. “Patients go in and they fill out a questionnaire and they’ve got all this data from thousands of patients, but they don’t have the time to analyze it and they don’t have the tools,” Restrepo said. “We tell them, ‘Look, let us do further analysis of your database and we’ll share the results and we won’t share the results outside our group unless we let each other know.’” Olivarez, a 1985 University of Texas-Pan American graduate who majored in psychology, explained that Restrepo has been instrumental in tracking the different types of tuberculosis found in the region. “Dr. R. has been working with helping identify and track tuberculosis in South Texas and in Mexico,” Olivarez, a Mission native, said. “What she does is she geo-maps as many cases as possible and tests the genome of the patients to track the different strains of tuberculosis and where it originated in Mexico or South Texas.” Olivarez said he greatly admires the work being done by Restrepo and the other researchers. “She’s a fine lady, a wonderful researcher,” Olivarez said. “It’s really fascinating research and she’s a real asset to the community.” With the combined data from the health departments on both sides of the border, the researchers have records from more than 5,000 patients. It is unusual, however, that researchers in the two countries would cooperate so freely. “Whae did with our consortium is to create this environment of trust,” Restrepo said. “It’s a very positive thing for public health.”

Who is Blanca Restrepo? Restrepo, a native of Medellin, Colombia, received her Ph.D from the UTHSC in San Antonio. “I did a Ph.D in my specialty, microbial pathogenesis, which tries to understand, if we’re surrounded with millions of bugs, why do we get sick with only some bugs?” explained Restrepo. “I study the host-pathogen relationship and what leads to disease and what doesn’t.” While in grad school, Restrepo did some research on the side. “I did research in my extra time and I fell in love with research,” she said. Now she takes her scientific background and applies it in the public health arena. “There’s all this basic science being discovered but it’s not being translated to the public health, to the population. How much is the population benefiting from that new science?” Restrepo asked. “But the type of research we’re doing now is very close to having some type of application in the field.” Despite her busy researcher’s schedule, the mother of three boys finds time for herself and her family. “I love to play tennis,” Restrepo said. “I play tennis a little bit with my sons but I also play in a league so I have tennis matches almost every Monday evening.” Restrepo also finds time to spend with her husband, a local gastroenterologist.

Weighty issue: Americans OK with being overweight? By HILDA LORIA The Pan American Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or is it? A recent study suggests that Americans are becoming more accepting of people who are overweight, citing a 31 percent decrease in the percentage of Americans who said they think overweight people are less attractive. Close to home, however, the claim has received mixed responses. “I think the attitude changed a little bit,” said Alexander Edionwe, a University of Texas-Pan American associate professor of dietetics. “People don’t want to be overweight and they’ve also become more sympathetic than years ago. It’s a change in behavior from hearing the message to eat a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle.” Working in an area where many people tend to be overweight, Edionwe said that he believes this is a healthy attitude to develop. “Instead of condemning (people who

are overweight), we have to help them,” Edionwe explained. “(The attitude) should be accepting but helpful rather than to criminalize them for something they may have no control over.” On another front, the university’s health educator for Student Health Services, Eddie Quintanilla, disagrees with the study’s claim. “I think we’re still far from being an accepting population,” Quintanilla said. “The media promotes the image that women have to be a size one to be pretty and for men to be well-cut to be attractive.” Quintanilla said that a few university students come to the Health Services Center thinking they have a problem with being overweight. Most students come in wanting information on proper nutrition and exercise. “When I promote the physical aspect of wellness, I don’t promote an image,” he said. “Everyone has a unique body structure that they can work with. It’s more important to me that they have

endurance than the image of thin being beautiful.” Edionwe promotes the same message, explaining that weight depends on many factors, including height, bone structure, and genetics. Some individuals are overweight because of muscle mass and are not necessarily fat. The American Obesity Association reports that 64.5 percent of American adults are overweight. Being overweight is defined as having a body mass index of 25 or more. This BMI index is determined by a mathematical formula that assesses a person’s weight and height. The prevalence of obesity is highest in African-American and Hispanic populations, which is a concern for Edionwe. “It’s a very big problem to the point that obesity has become a precursor to other types of diseases, which is why many people in the Valley have diabetes,” he said. In addition to diabetes, obesity may lead to high blood pressure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and other heart diseases.

Priscilla Saenz, a sophomore dietetics major, worries that obesity has become this generation’s problem and blames the ease of access to fast food restaurants rich in high-calorie foods for the rising numbers of overweight people. “Count the minutes it takes you to get into your car, drive to the nearest drive-thru and order a greasy meal, and compare that to how long it will take to prepare a much healthier and well-proportioned meal at home,” Saenz said. “Obesity has grown into a major problem that carries with it serious health problems as well as hereditary and emotional issues.” How did it come to this? “We are less active and we eat more. That’s simply it,” Edionwe explained. “To have the ability to conserve energy from food rather than expending it is so easy for people to do now. If it’s possible, people would drive to their refrigerators.” VARIED OUTLOOKS Despite the numbers, Saenz said she thinks it’s great that Americans have

become more accepting. “There is no reason to exclude or ridicule any person who is overweight,” she said. “There are a sporadic few, however, that need the help of friends and family to overcome their self-esteem issues on their weight.” Daniel Flores, a junior psychology major, offered a different view. “Beauty is what mainstream culture has allowed it to be,” he said. “The instilled belief is that people who are overweight are less attractive.” Flores said he wasn’t sure how to interpret the results of this study. “We’ve reached a critical point. In an age of political correctness, where one would probably receive flack about calling someone fat as opposed to obese, we are expected to accept those different than us,” he explained. “But in the case of people who are overweight, it could be more harmful than helpful. To pretend like nothing is wrong when there obviously is, isn’t in the best interest of anyone.”

En Español

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January 26, 2006

Asuntos de Obesidad: ¿Los americanos están de acuerdo con su obesidad? POR HILDA LORIA TRADUCIDO POR MERCEDES CANTU The Pan American Un estudio reciente afirma que los Americanos están aceptando cada vez mas a las personas con problemas de sobrepeso, citando una disminución de un 31 porciento de de los americanos que pensaban que las personas con sobrepeso eran menos atractivas. Cerca de casa, comoquiera, esto ha recibido diferentes opiniones. “Creo que la actitud ha cambiado un poco,” dijo Alexander Edionwe, profesor de nutrición de UTPA. “Las personas no quieren ser obesas y también son mas compasivas que años atrás. Es un cambio que ha sido favorecido gracias a los mensajes de tener dietas balanceadas y tener un estilo de vida activo.” Trabajando en un área donde mucha gente tiende a tener el problema de sobrepeso, Edionwe expreso que esta actitud de cambio es muy saludable. “En vez de criticar (a las personas obesas), tenemos que ayudarlas,” explico Edionwe. “La actitud debe ser positiva pero al mismo tiempo de ayuda, en vez de criticarlos por algo sobre el cual ellos no tienen ningún control” Por otro lado, Eddie Quintanilla, educador de salud para el Servicio de Salud para estudiantes de la universidad, esta en total desacuerdo con lo que los estudios revelan. “Opino que nosotros estamos lejos de ser una sociedad que acepte este problema,” dijo Quintanilla. “Los medios de comunicación promueven la imagen de una mujer que debe ser talla 1, para ser bella y que los hombres tengan una figura atlética para ser atractivos.” Quintanilla dijo que algunos de los estudiantes universitarios vienen al Centro de Servicio de Salud pensando que tienen un

problema de sobrepeso. Muchos de los estudiantes entran queriendo salir con información sobre una dieta balanceada y ejercicio. “Cuando yo promuevo el aspecto físico de bienestar, yo no promuevo una imagen,” dijo. “Todos tenemos un cuerpo de estructura única con el cual pueden trabajar, es mas importante para mi el que las personas tengan una buena salud para vivir que el solo preocuparse por ser delgados para ser atractivos.” Edionwe promueve el mismo mensaje, explicando que el peso depende de muchos factores, incluyendo altura, estructura de los huesos y la genética. Algunos individuos tienen sobrepeso por sus músculos, no necesariamente por grasas. La Asociación Americana de Obesidad reporta que el 64.5 porciento de los Americanos adultos tienen problemas de sobrepeso. Tener sobrepeso es definido como tener un índice de masa de cuerpo de un 25 o más. Este índice es determinado por una formula matemática que valora la altura y el peso de una persona. La prevalecía de la obesidad es mucho mas en los Africo-Americanos así como también en los Hispanos, lo cual preocupa a Edionwe. “Es un problema muy grande que llega al punto en donde la obesidad se ha convertido en causa de muchos otros tipos de enfermedades, lo cual es consecuencia de que tanta gente en el Valle tenga diabetes,” señalo. Aparte de diabetes, la obesidad puede causar problemas de alta presión, hipertensión y enfermedades del corazón. Priscilla Saenz, estudiante de segundo año en nutrición, se preocupa por lo que el problema de obesidad se ha convertido en un problema de esta generación, y culpa a la comida rápida; alta en calorías, por el creciente porcentaje de personas con problemas de sobrepeso. “Cuenta los minutos que te toma llegar a tu auto, llegar al autoservicio mas cercano y ordenar una comida alta en calorías, y

compara esto con cuanto tiempo toma por preparar una comida mucho mas saludable y balanceada en tu casa,” dijo Saenz. “La obesidad esta siendo un problema mayor que carga con serias enfermedades así como también problemas emocionales.” ¿Cómo llegamos a este problema? “Somos menos activos y comemos mas. Esto es sencillamente todo,” explico Edionwe. “Para tener la habilidad de conservar la energía que la comida nos proporciona, en vez de desperdiciarla es mucho mas fácil el día de hoy. Si fuera posible, las personas manejarían hasta sus refrigeradores.” PERSPECTIVAS VARIADAS A pesar de los números, Saenz dijo que le parece estupenda la idea de que los americanos se han vuelto a aceptar. “No hay razón alguna para excluir o hacer burla de ninguna persona que sea obesa,” ella dijo. “Hay algunos esporádicos, comoquiera, que necesitan la ayuda de familiares o de amigos para poder levantar su autoestima, y sus problemas con el sobrepeso.” Daniel Flores, estudiante de psicología, ofreció un punto de vista diferente. “La belleza es lo que la cultura ha dejado que sea,” expreso. “La creencia de que entre mas obeso uno sea, menos atractivo.” Flores dijo que no estaba seguro de cómo interpretar los resultados de sus estudios. “Hemos alcanzado un punto critico. En una época de respeto, una sociedad que quiere aceptar a quienes son diferentes de nosotros; donde no se acepta el que a alguien obeso sea llamado así o gordo,” explico. “Pero en el caso de un apersona de sobrepeso, podría en vez de brindarle ayuda, ser mas dañino. Pretender que nada esta mal, cuando es obvio el problema, no es de interés alguno para muchos.”

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A&E

Cine el Rey. . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Sudoku. . . . . . . . . . .10 Dance hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

iPod, uPod, we all Pod for iPod

By TREY SERNA The Pan American It wasn’t too long ago that one would hear a reporter asking a celebrity “What’s in your CD player right now?” Lately, the familiar question that arises in interviews is “What’s on your iPod?” Unless they’ve been living under rocks, many are well aware of the impact the iPod has had on society since the first version was introduced back in late 2001. Around the holidays, it was close to impossible to find an iPod in stock at any store. “Both the Nano and video iPod were so in demand during the month of December that even our warehouse that ships merchandise directly to our customers from our stores were out of stock for several weeks,” said part-time Radio Shack sales associate Ilsa Ochoa. The iPod has lived up to many expectations, except one. The battery life has been an issue with many customers. “One complaint we’ve had in numerous quantities is the issue over the battery life. Apple promised almost 8 hours of battery life, but in reality, you might be lucky, with a full night charge, to get about two hours,” Ochoa said. “Another thing was, in order for it to charge at all, computers had to remain on during the charging process and not shut down.” The iPod, a tool used mostly for entertainment purposes, has also made its way into universities around the nation. According to a Nov. 3 article in The Austin Student, professors are turning class lectures into podcasts, which are free audio shows that students can download to their iPods, mp3 player or computer. “I started having my lectures available for download in fall of 2005,” said University of Texas-Pan American biology professor Zen Faulkes. “The inspiration was podcasting, which really took off last year.” Lectures are simply recorded using a microphone that is hooked up to the class computer. After the lecture is over, the audio file is uploaded onto a Web site from which students can

access and download it. “I only downloaded the lecture once after I was unable to attend one of the classes,” said senior biology major Javier Garza. “The audio was pretty good. You could hear everything clearly.” The question arose of whether students would start missing out on classes more, since they could simply download the lecture. Some students think the answer is no. “I think it’s still important to attend classes since there’s information that may be written by the professor during class which might be missed if the student is solely relying on the audio lectures,” Garza said. Faulkes’ podcasting is still in its early stages, though. “I still have a lot of refinement to do. The audio quality is a bit dodgy because I’m just using a microphone placed on a table. I’d like to get one that I can wear, so the sound won’t get louder or

Joey Cortez/The Pan American IN BETWEEN CLASSES - Joshua Martinez and Tanya Martinez, both sophomore elementary education majors, take a break to listen to “Crazy” by Seal.

softer as I walk around the room,” he said. “I also want to try syncing up an audio file with some sort of graphic, like the slides I use. After all, iPods have video now.” OTHER INNOVATIONS The video iPod is revolutionizing the way people view music videos and TV shows. Customers are now able to download select television shows from NBC Universal, Sci Fi Channel, USA Network, ABC and Disney. However, it raises the question of whether people will actually watch a 30-minute sitcom on such a small screen. “I like to travel a lot so it comes in handy being able to entertain myself by watching music videos or TV shows I’ve downloaded,” senior psychology major Gina Garcia said. “For example, I went to London, and I was able to watch a show on my iPod while on the plane.” Besides consumers, the Levi Jean fashion industry has also responded to the iPod craze by announcing the creation of a pair of iPod friendly jeans. According to MSNBC.com, Levi Strauss announced that the RedWire DLX Jeans will go on sale in the United States in the spring and will contain a built-in joy stick to operate an iPod music player. The jeans will also feature a built-in docking cradle for the device with retractable headphones. It’s expected that the jeans will cost well over $200. If you’re into the latest technology gadgets, then an iPod is for you. Though expensive, some feel it’s an investment well worth the price. It could also serve to eliminate the need to purchase CDs all together. “I’ve downloaded over 1,500 songs and about 10 music videos so far and it’s amazing to know that I’m not even half way near filling up my iPod,” Garcia said. “I’m also saving myself trips to the store because I can buy a whole CD off iTunes for about nine dollars and it excludes the need for me to go out and buy actual CDs. Overall, it was a great investment.”

Local ‘Loft’ brings Soho style to Rio Grande Valley By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American Locals looking to expand their horizons in the arenas of art, fashion, and home décor may have just found what they were searching for. The Loft, located at 501 W. Hwy. 83 in McAllen, could be a needed breath of fresh air. With its unique blend of contemporary furniture, clothing and an art gallery, it stirs the imagination and brings a piece of Soho-style New York living to our backyard. “The idea is just us,” said Janie Reyes, owner of Loft. “We travel a lot and we like the Valley to see something different. It’s educational and inspirational.” This hip and trendy store opened up almost two years ago in April 2004 and is broken up into three pieces. The first part of the store is mainly modern furniture. Almost all pieces that are displayed in the store are for sale, from the vases and other various home decorations to the lighting fixtures. Each piece of furniture that is presented can be customized to customer preference,

whether it is the type of fabric or the color and texture. The prices range from as little as $100 for simple pieces to $8,000 for a custom-made piece of furniture. A small section of the store has a few racks of clothing from American brands and designers such as Junk Food and Betsy Johnson, as well as some European designers. There are clothes for both men and women, ranging from T-shirts to dresses. However, the most interesting part of the store lurks in the back room. Within this posh furniture store is the soul of an artist. Each month a new artist is featured, and the public is invited to view the exhibit free of charge. The pieces on display are also for sale. This month’s featured artist is sculptor Brian Wedgworth, a former University of Texas-Pan American student. His unique blend of abstract art and metal work displays not only his skill but also the soul of the Valley. The artist’s passion for his work is evident after five minutes of conversation about the subjects for his art. “Art made sense in my life,” said Wedgworth,

who attended UTPA from 1993-’97 and majored in art studio. “It’s something I’m supposed to do.” His love of metal work stems back to a childhood spent watching his father build dams and lakes. “I grew up around metal,” he said. “My father was a welder, and he is a heavy earth mover.” The collection on display is a series of circular work, which is a theme that pervades most of the pieces. Wedgworth begins with one geometric shape and plays around with it and other shapes to create interesting patterns. Another recurring theme in the collection is nature. The sun, moon and wind are only some of the influences captured. One piece, titled “Windy Day,” depicts the image of a tree being blown down in the harsh South Texas wind, with the sun high above watching like an ever-glowing eye. As a UTPA student, one of Wedgworth’s major influences was Richard Hyslin, who now heads the art department. “He’s grown quite a bit since he was in school,” said Hyslin about his former student. “He

continues to do well in his career. It’s got its ups and downs, but he is doing very well.” With new work from the Valley and Mexico featured every month, the Loft is opening up possibilities both for artists and for those who seek to find high art and design. Looking to the outside world for inspiration is good, but sometimes we only need to look in our own backyard. “The Loft is a nice, professional-looking space,” commented Hyslin. “I think it’s wonderful they are opening their doors to local artists to share their work.”

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American A LOFTY AIR - The Loft provides a peaceful environment for artists and art lovers alike, from the sales floor to the exhibits in the back.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Cine El Rey In the Rio Grande Valley, as in any other older area, there are many buildings that have a long and culturally relevant history. Not all of them, however, are preserved in the way that one such building in downtown McAllen is. Cine El Rey, McAllen’s oldest operational movie theater, is more than just an entertainment experience; it is a journey into the past. Located at 311 S. 17th St., it is in the heart of one of the oldest parts of the city. Its history is indeed as rich as the culture that is still evident in the building itself. In 1946, there were three theaters in McAllen: The Palace, The Queen and The Azteca. In that year, Texas Consolidated Theaters purchased land on South 17th Street to build a fourth theater. That theater was Cine El Rey, which would be a modernized, state-of-the-art building to service the Spanish-speaking community in McAllen, showing Spanish-language features for all who cared to come. El Rey opened on May 1, 1947. For 41 years, the El Rey operated in some capacity, but by 1988, it was unable to compete with the larger theaters that had come into town. The building sat empty until 1996, when it was used for two years as a religious outreach center. After that closed, it remained empty again until three years later, when Luis Munoz, the theatre director for the University Interscholastic League, drove by. “I was driving down the street and spotted it,” the Roma native said. “I wondered what was in there and what kind of shape it was in. Before I knew it I had the title in my hand.” Munoz renovated the theater, and it reopened in 2002. El Rey still shows Spanish language films, but now it also shows films in French, Italian,

January 26, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9

By: Meredith LaGrone

Japanese and Chinese. It has been operating for almost four years, and has developed a sincere following. “I’ve been at least a dozen times,” said Donna Pazdera, lecturer in the communication department at the University of Texas-Pan American. “I really like it there. I like the ambiance of old theatres and some of the tackiness that comes with the territory, like pre-show ads featuring dancing hot dogs and candy.” Victor Blanco, a junior biology major, appreciates other aspects of the theater. “It’s a historical place, a cultural place,” said Blanco. “When I have the chance, I go with my friends and spend some time because it’s a place where I can enjoy my time and relax and still be a part of the culture and feel like I’m learning about something.” Yet another aspect of the movie house some appreciate is the type of film shown. “They are offering a unique type of film. Art films, I guess you could call them,” said George Gause, UTPA librarian. “These are things you normally wouldn’t get in your standard movie house. It’s an alternative type of entertainment. You can see something totally different. Saturday night we went to see a Bollywood film.” El Rey regularly shows Bollywood films, which are made in India. What are Bollywood films like? “That particular film was an Indian chick flick,” said Gause. “I’ve seen about 30, though. They’re just like American movies; they vary in both quality and subject matter. My wife and I like to go, though, so we can learn more about India. We can’t afford to fly to India, and it only costs seven bucks to get into a Bollywood flick at El

Rey.” Munoz tries to get the most unique and talked about films in his theater. “We’ve been asking for ‘Brokeback Mountain’ for months,” he said. “We see the potential of a great sale. Issue-oriented movies, like ‘Trans America,’ we try to get those. You have to ask for them directly from the studio, though, and we haven’t gotten it yet.” The unique films offered at El Rey seem to draw in everyone. Many people see the theater as not just a place to watch an interesting film but a valuable asset to the community. “The normal commercial venues can only afford to show films that are expected to be very popular,” said Marian Monta, professor in the theater department. “An art house can be a place for people who are serious film buffs to see stuff that is not as commercial in appeal. The Valley is large enough now to support such a place.” Monta said El Rey appeals to her more than a modern theatre. “It has only one film showing at a time – and none of that video game junk that mars most commercial theater for me,” she said. “I want to go to a theater and not a baby- sitting service for kids too young to drive.” In addition to the features everyone seems to love already, Cine El Rey is devising other ways to revamp the theatre. “Aside from the films we’ve been showing, you’re going to start seeing live comedy, smaller bands and acoustical type groups,” Munoz said. “There will be more theater in the sense of monologues, smaller cast shows with minimal sets and local bands are starting to look into getting in there to do things. Of course, we schedule around the

films. There are certain requirements because of the movies.” Also new to the theater, and already in place, is the beer and wine menu. “I was inspired by some of the drafthouse movie theaters,” Munoz, now an Austin resident, said. “Just as much as someone can enjoy a soda with a film or a show, he can enjoy a good beer or some wine.” One of those drafthouse movie theaters, The Alamo Drafthouse, is set to arrive in Edinburg in mid 2007. Munoz doesn’t see the arrival as a threat. “I think it’s a different type of experience,” he said. “Although they do show some independent films, they’re probably more of an issue for the Cinemarks.” Gause agreed. “They tell me, and I guess it’s true, if you have one convenience store on one corner and another on another corner, a grouping of those things don’t necessarily create a competition,” he said. “Having more than one, they will teach each other, and each will get better.” Munoz encouraged students to experience Cine El Rey. “I see faculty from UTPA regularly, but I think it’s also a great place for students,” he said. “Students need to give these movies a chance. They don’t have the publicity of ‘Saw II’ or ‘Hostel,’ although I do love horror films, or the ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.’ You’re going to get a lot more out of a film like ‘Beautiful Country,’ ‘Breakfast on Pluto,’ or ‘The Squid and The Whale.’” Find out more about Cine El Rey by visiting the Web site at www.cineelrey.com.

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American

Coming Attractions

‘CASANOVA’ OPENS FRIDAY, Jan. 27

‘CAPOTE’ Jan. 22-Feb. 3

$2 - FROZEN MARGARITA MADNESS ALL WEEKEND

NOW SHOWING - (top) Cine El Rey located at 311 South 17th St. (middle) Jackie Patel treats her family to Bollywood film, “Shadi”. (bottom) Maria Balderas prepares a bag of popcorn for filmgoer Saturday night.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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January 26, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9

By: Meredith LaGrone

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American

Coming Attractions

‘CASANOVA’ OPENS FRIDAY, Jan. 27

‘CAPOTE’ Jan. 22-Feb. 3

$2 - FROZEN MARGARITA MADNESS ALL WEEKEND

A & E

Page 10

January 26, 2006

Brain-teasing game on the rise in USA It’s a craze taking America by storm in a subtle, yet noticeable way. People are doing it on their way to work and school, during lunchtime, between classes and right before they go to bed. It’s Sudoku (or “single numbers”), the puzzle game that has become the latest puzzle phenomenon. Using numbers and logic, Sudoku consists of an 81-square grid, nine squares by nine squares, which is made up of nine three-bythree square grids. Certain squares already contain numbers that are known to players as “givens” or “clues.” After seeing which givens are provided, it is up to the player to fill in the remaining squares with one number in each square so that each column, row and 3x3 square contains the numbers one through nine exactly once. Sudoku was designed by retired architect and puzzle constructor Howard Garns in 1979. It has been speculated that Garns was partially inspired by Leonhard Euler and his Latin square invention. The new puzzle, which was dubbed “Number Place,” first appeared in Dell Magazine’s “Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games.” The game was first brought over to Japan in 1984 and was renamed by Kaji Maki, the president of Nikoli Publishing as “Suuji wa dokushin ni” which translates as “the numbers must be single.” Two years later, the name was shortened to Sudoku, and two important changes to the game were made. First, the number of givens was reduced to 32, and second, the puzzles had now become symmetrical. The first home computer version of Sudoku appeared under the name of “Digihunt,” which was published by “Loadstar/Softdisk” publishing. Subsequent versions were published in 1995 for Apple and in 1996 for PDAs. The following year, Wayne Gould, a retired judge and puzzle creator from New Zealand came across a partially completed puzzle while on vacation in Japan. Convinced Sudoku had the potential to be a bigger hit than in previous years, he took the complex game to The Times in Britain, which first published the game in the winter of 2004. The games are published through Gould’s official Web site, pappo.com, and have been in print ever since. Since Sudoku’s initial appearance in The Times, its popularity

has only increased. The puzzle is now published in countless magazines and newspapers and other products, such as books and even a board game, have recently popped up. THE GAME’S HOOK So what is the appeal of a game that deals solely with numbers? “It’s very mentally stimulating because it keeps your mind going,” said Nick Rios, University of Texas-Pan American sophomore biology major. Rios admits it was the popularity of Sudoku that first prompted him to give the game a try. “A friend of mine was playing it in our CIS class during a boring lecture, and later on, some people were playing it at my girlfriend’s house,” said Rios. Although playing Sudoku can leave some players rather frustrated, for Rios the difficulty is one of the main appeals of the game. “There’s only one solution for each square. One wrong number and everything gets thrown off. That’s the challenge,” he said. Gould, the founder of pappos.com, says that this challenge leads to devotion from fans.

www.websudoku.com

Answers on Page 12

BY FRANK CALVILLO The Pan American

“People say they are ‘addicted’ or ‘hooked. At the very least, you could say that people find it engrossing or absorbing,” he said in an e-mail interview. For Gould, the immense popularity comes as no surprise. “It's different and unusual. Since the crossword craze of the ‘20s and ‘30s, our papers have been full of word games of one kind or another, so this makes a big change,” he said. “It's so easy to understand what you have to do with the puzzle. You can start playing immediately; you don't need to read a manual first.” Furthermore, Gould makes sure to fully acknowledge the game’s primary universal benefit. “The puzzle is language-independent, so it has been easy for Sudoku to spread around the world,” he explained. Indeed, it appears that players of Sudoku have proven to be quite diverse. According to Gould, Sudoku solvers come in all shapes and sizes. “Any age, either gender, any education level. I get reports of kids as young as six playing it, but that is with encouragement and help from their parents,” he said. “You don't have to be a ‘puzzlefan,’ it seems.” Despite Sudoku’s current wave of success, the question is up in the air as to how long the game’s reign will last. “Honestly I don't see it maintaining its current popularity for long. I can see it lasting on in the same vein as crossword puzzles entertaining to the people who want them, but not so abundant that everyone else can't help but stumbling in to them,” said senior computer science major Lucian Silcox. Rios, however, believes the game does have the ability to last beyond its “sell by” date, but not without various modifications. “I think it could last, but the only trouble would be running out of possible combinations,” he said. “They’d have to come up with more sequences, which would make it more difficult and possibly more fun,” he said. On July 1, 2005, Sudoku reached what some may call the peak of its popularity when “Sudoku Live,” the first game show based on the puzzle, aired in England. Pairing ordinary people with celebrity contestants, the various teams work together in order to solve puzzles in a set amount of time. If the game’s popularity continues, the world may very well be looking at the Rubik’s Cube of the 21st century.

New dance hall revives old conjunto style for next generation By CLARALEXIS RIOS The Pan American Two years ago, conjunto artist and former radio show host Pepe Maldonado took action and decided to open up his own property every Sunday for a conjunto show and dance. He did this after realizing that this type of music has been disappearing from radio and local dance halls over the years. “The last thing I wanted to do was to organize dances,” he said. “But I knew if I didn’t do them, the doors would close on us completely. There wasn’t anywhere for us to play anymore.” Today, people come from all over the Rio Grande Valley go to Fort Apache Saloon for a good time, listening to live music from several conjunto legends and up-and-coming bands. Some of the artists that have taken the stage are Ricky Naranjo, Ruben Vela, Jesse Serrata, Mingo Saldivar, Flaco Jimenez, Gilberto Perez and Esteban Jordan. Maldonado holds these tardeadas (afternoon/early evening dances) from 6

p.m. to 10 p.m. at the saloon at La Lomita Park in Edinburg. The Tardeada is a tradition that began in the 1950s. The dances were held in the afternoon or early evening because many teenagers were not allowed to stay out late. The time was also convenient for workers who wanted to have fun and also get a good night’s sleep. For today’s version, the cover charge is $10, and the events are BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer). The saloon is located just south of State Highway 107 on La Lomita Road. Maldonado explained how he came up with the name of his place. “Since this saloon had ranch-style scenery on the inside, I named it after a John Wayne movie I used to watch when I was a kid,” he said. As well as reviving a historically significant dance form, the saloon has hosted several famous performers. Tony De la Rosa’s health was deteriorating, but the conjunto legend continued to play at dance halls in Texas and across the country when his health

permitted. The Fort Apache Saloon was one of the dance halls that he had an opportunity to play at before he died in June 2004 at the age of 72. De la Rosa is credited as the first conjunto artist to use amplified instruments and drums in the 1950s and ‘60s, adding a modern twist to traditional polkas. He also popularized the two-row button accordion and introduced the tacuachito, a dance that is still popular today, in the 1950s. Another conjunto legend that performs at this saloon is Gilberto Perez, an

Joel de la Rosa/ The Pan American FOOTLOOSE - Fort Apache Saloon is a great place to go and dance for all ages.

artist who always tries to keep with the times and different music styles that have invaded the Rio Grande Valley. While he tries to incorporate saxophones, electric guitars, an organ and a synthesizer into his music, he has never given up the basic conjunto sound of the accordion, the bajo sexto, the electric bass and the drumbeat that is his trademark today. This unique style that he melds in his music has earned him his nomination for a Tejano award in Las Vegas. THE PROMOTION PROCESS Maldonado explained how he helps promote the music that he loves. “I am there to help new and upcoming artists because they usually don’t have a chance to advertise themselves,” he said. “We want to stick to our music.” Maldonado’s tardeadas have become more popular mostly by word of mouth. “The true Tejano fans love it,” he said. “Most Sundays, the dance floor is full of people dancing to polkas,

redobas, guapangos, and el chotiz.” University of Texas-Pan American freshman anthropology major Alejandra Tijerina explained that tardeadas are helping to revive conjunto music. “I believe that they are helping to promote this genre of music because the saloon is inviting not just conjunto legends but new artists and bands that combine different styles of music that sound different from our parents’ music,” she said. “This helps to get younger people interested in conjunto music.” Maldonado used to promote conjunto on his radio show on KIRT-AM 1580 every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. He does not do that anymore because it went to a Christian format after a station sale, but he hopes to launch a new station in about a month that will play 100 percent Tejano music. He described how he feels when people come to the Fort Apache Saloon. “It makes me feel great,” Maldonado said. “I don’t have an alcohol license, and I am doing this not because of the business, but for people who want to have a good time.”

NEWS

January 26, 2006

ASSAULTED

continued from page 1

Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, an alert was sent out to the university community in a timely manner. “’Timely manner’ is not really clearly defined but we do try to get it out as soon as the information is made available to us,” said Loya. “The information that we do gather we try to put it out as soon as we can.” He added that getting information to the campus community quickly will give people the chance to be on the lookout. “Since this individual has not been apprehended and he’s still at large, then technically

CONFERENCE

there is a chance that he might do this again in the same area or in another area of campus. So that is why we do put out the timely warnings,” Loya said. Students are encouraged to walk with a friend and be alert about their surroundings. “He can approach anybody anywhere on campus; it doesn’t have to be in the bathroom,” Loya warned. “So we encourage all students to be aware of their surroundings. If they see anything suspicious, contact the police.” If apprehended, the suspect will be charged with assault by contact.

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Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), but this year it has put its sights on tribal colleges and universities as well, a move that Michel feels is long overdue. “It’s minorities being able to come together to try and increase their ability to leverage what they have both through partnerships with other minority institutions and also partnerships with corporations and majority institutions,” she said. According to Wendy Lawrence-Fowler, associate vice president of Academic Affairs, the conference gives not only students but also faculty the chance to meet with industry experts, speak to agencies of academia and showcase various organization capabilities, all in front of a nationwide range of participants. “This conference provides a venue for faculty to interact with representatives from federal agencies and corporations who invest large dollars in research and development,” Lawrence-Fowler said. “Those conversations could lead to partnerships and increased funding and resources for the university to build both infrastructure and expand our research agenda.”

This year, those partnerships could be formed with some big-name companies, such as Gateway, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Motorola and Intel. According to Lawrence-Fowler, the money these agencies provide will enable the university to hire additional researchers and acquire equipment it normally would not be able to afford. Michel feels that attracting more faculty members with larger research agendas will be worth the effort. “The students have more opportunities to interact with people doing research, so the quality of education improves and the quality of research improves,” she said. The conference organizers have invited all 17,000 UTPA students as well as 34,000 students from higher education institutions in South Texas and other minority serving institutions. To find out more information about the MSIRP Conference visit the Web site http://citec.panam.edu/msirc/, e-mail msircc@cs.panam.edu, or contact the office directly at (956) 292-7343.

Story Ideas Welcome

Please submit suggestions to Claudette Gonzalez at ThePanAmerican@gmail.com

ALLIANCE

Page 11 continued from page 1

She says that being about 30 minutes from UVB, located in Reynosa, makes it imperative that UTPA students become familiar with the school. “It’s very good to understand our neighbors,” Salazar said. “In Mexico…there are cultural differences. I think we learn from other cultures and they learn from us.” Lorena Quezada, a professor of English at UVB, agrees adding that this agreement will act as great motivation for students to learn more. “I think it’s going to affect it in a great manner,” said Quezada. “With all of the things you offer at this university, students are going to force themselves to be better English speakers.” John Cross, an assistant professor of sociology, knows all about international learning. He was the one who first approached Salazar with the idea for the official agreement in October 2005. What he got in return came as a pleasant surprise. “I anticipated all kinds of problems. But they were very fast and very helpful in getting everything we needed,” Cross said. Cardenas feels that the agreement was a long time coming and had “no idea” why it took so long to make it, but she touted the long-term benefits which will result. “It becomes even more important that we have strong, deep ties with institutions in

Mexico,” Cardenas said in her speech at the official signing. “…and that they not only be partnerships in the sense that we become friends, but that they become intellectual partnerships, where the intellectual conflicts of both nations are brought together.” Gastelum agrees and is excited about the possibilities. “We can make a lot of research together about the common problems of the Valley,” she said. “I would be very happy to approach the problem of immigration. [We want to research] what can we do, as Mexico, to help the United States. We want to work together to help the people have a better life and not want to come to the U.S.” While these research plans may take years to develop, that does not bother Cardenas. “This official signing ceremony will send out a partnership that will last a decade, and we hope, a friendship that will last a lifetime,” she said. Salazar of the international office looks forward to forming more connections with other universities in the future. “It’s a goal of our office to expand our program to have more benefits for our students to have more international experience,” she said. “We have that dream that we can expand more to other countries.”

NEWS

Page 12

WAGES

continued from page 3

they’re increasing faster than the rest of the country,” said Gilberto de los Santos, a UTPA management, marketing, and international business professor. “The Valley’s wages have fallen behind and we’re kind of listed as one of the lowest in the country, but lately they have been on the rise and so it’s an encouraging trend.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that in the second quarter of last year, the wages in Webb, Cameron, and Hidalgo counties increased. REASONS FOR THE SURGE Deficits in education, language, and grammar skills are major factors as to why the Valley still ranks low in earned wages, comparatively. Still, the increasing enrollment at area universities and colleges is proof that the demand for educated workers is high. “I think the fact that we have a rapidly growing university here and rapidly growing college – STC – in McAllen, there are all kinds of educational opportunities now for people,” Lee Hamilton, a professor of English, said. “In the long run, that will change the Valley a little and make it a better place to live and wages will go up, no doubt.” Hamilton said that it’s important to know how to write clearly because that’s the first thing business employers are going to look at. “Businesses look at the writing skills,” said Hamilton. “They don’t want people representing them who can’t express themselves clearly and coherently.” Another reason why the Valley’s wages are among the lowest is the competitive labor market. There is always going to be competition no matter what job position or how much credibility you have. According to De los Santos, it’s a game of survival of the fittest. “I teach and our university has very competitive

VOTING

wages and the requirements for being a professor are on the rise,” he said. “I know that if I’m not at the top of my position, somebody else can come in with better qualifications and they’re going to replace me. Even though I have tenure, we still don’t have the position ensured.” It might seem that the unemployment rate is decreasing, but it depends on what standard of assessment is being used. Alberto Davila, chair of economics and finance, stated that there are different things that may cause miscalculations. He said it probably isn’t counting the people who aren’t even looking for a job or people dropping out of the work force. “Obviously, if the unemployment rate is going down for reasons like there is an increase in the number of jobs available for a person, that’s good,” Davila said. “That type of unemployment decline is a good thing. So what I would say is one has to look behind the numbers to see why the unemployment rate is going down.” Experts say that the future of Valley wages looks good. There are job openings every day and new positions are being created. Davila said that the increase in the level of education of the Valley’s population will cause the wages to continue to increase. Del los Santos has his own theories. “The reason I think that it’s going to get better is because the Valley is growing and as it’s growing, we’re becoming a metropolitan area,” he said. “With growth comes new opportunities, more jobs are created, more opportunities are created and the employers would have to compete for the available labor force that we have, so they have to start paying. They want a more qualified person; they’re going to have to pay more. It’s the law of supply and demand.”

continued from page 3

to vote July 2. Applications were mailed from Oct. 1 to Jan. 15 to the IFE in México City. While some people believe the process is an excellent beginning for a new democracy, people from both countries agree there has been a weak response. Veronica Sanchez, editor for El Manana, says many Mexicans living abroad missed out on a good opportunity. “Opportunities that Mexicans receive living abroad are not the same as they were living in their own country,” Sanchez said. “Now, this gave them the chance to feel part of their nation.” People interested in voting were required to send the application to the IFE with a copy of their registration card, a photo and proof of residence in a foreign country. Applications were posted on the Internet to be downloaded, and the Mexican Consulate, La Michoacana restaurant and El Rumbo newspaper also distributed them. Jose Luis Sierra, editor of El Rumbo Valle de Tejas, says that though the process may be a little difficult at first, residents in other countries should not forget about Mexico. “Even those that do not plan to go back to México should still care about the Mexican government, because the majority still have families there. This is one way to take care of them,” Sierra said. Sierra said that though the Rio Grande Valley did not have a positive response in the number of applications received in comparison with other

Texas areas, there are logical reasons why. “The reason is the accessibility that Mexican citizens have to cross the border, and go to Reynosa, Matamoros or any other city on the border… to vote for senators and representatives,” he said. According to Patricio Ballardos, coordinator of the vote of Mexicans in the United States, Texas ranked second sending approximately 1,743 applications, while California sent 3,928. There are several reasons why people did not send an application, including lack of knowledge of the opportunity. Dora Avendano, a Mexican citizen living in Pharr, was going to vote, but missed her chance. “I wanted to participate, but by the time that I found out about this opportunity, it was too late,” Avendano said. Since then, however, she has had time to consider it and thinks that it would have been too much hassle for no real result. "[Now] I am not interested. It's not worth it, not even the time that you are going to lose doing this process,” Avendano said. Despite the comments from some critics, Vice Consul Sandra Mendoza remains optimistic. “We received 159 applications on Saturday, maybe we got more on Sunday, but I think that we did a great job, because sometimes not even the people living in Mexico go to vote,” Mendoza said. “So, the response that we got here is good, considering that this is the first time in the history that the IFE does this.”

January 26, 2006

WRITING

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major activity sessions. These include workshops on educating students about writing, small faculty reading and discussion groups for their own personal work, and interdisciplinary faculty writing group sessions. “This is mostly so that we can bounce teaching ideas off each other to use in the classroom, but it is not limited to that,” Davidson said. On the agenda are topics such as incorporating writing into courses, responding to student papers, creating strategies to evaluate writing assignments, dealing with plagiarism, designing writing assignments in particular disciplines, designing essay questions, and discussing each other’s works in progress. Davidson believes the benefits received from attending the sessions are in turn passed on to the students. “For example, sometimes a professor may not be sure as to how to get students to understand the issue of plagiarism,” she explained. “Here, we try showing them different activities and methods to make it easy to teach something that could be difficult for them to explain.” The six members on the committee were appointed in Dec. 2001 by Rodolfo Arevalo, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at UTPA. Arevalo created the local project to answer growing demand for better student writers. “This idea had been in the back of my mind for a long time before I actually did it. [Davidson and I] wanted to start up a program to get faculty engaged in improving writing in courses other than English,” said Arevalo, recently tabbed the president of Eastern Washington University, a job to which he leaves April 1. “We were looking at

HOMECOMING

programs from other institutions to pick up some ideas, so we came up with the idea for the task force.” Arevalo added that letting professors have discussions with each other would help when it came to including writing in their agendas for the first time, because a lot of them didn’t know how to do that. “There was a concern that writing would take longer to evaluate. So we wanted to teach them methods of facilitating that, like shortcuts and approaches,” he said. Following steps and parameters in grading written assignments, will make things easier for any professors that find the procedure too overwhelming, he believes. “We think that through reading and evaluating, even in a discipline like science, for example, they are able to gain more knowledge by using critical thinking, and going over the material more thoroughly,” said Arevalo. By engaging the material with literature, the provost hopes the students will get more out of their assignments. “I think the best thing we’ve gained out of it is more cooperation between professors,” he said. “They’re able to share writing material, and pick things up off each other.” Arevalo says that creating the task force was just the beginning. In the future, he hopes special sessions will be held that professors from outside the university can attend. “Hopefully something like that can happen soon, at least on a yearly basis,” said Arevalo. “All of these things help the university grow and become more involved in the academic world.”

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cy major. “It’s neat that this event is including this type of music. It’s like there is something for everyone during Homecoming and that makes me want to check it out.” Homecoming 2006 is an event for all UTPA students and faculty, but also for those in the local community who once were part of UTPA and wish to continue expressing their Bronc pride. “Homecoming is always fun,” said Erik Leal, a recent UTPA graduate from Mission. “It’s a nice way to hang out with buddies and show some school pride while enjoying entertaining events.” The traditional burning of the UTPA letters is scheduled for Feb. 2, immediately following the men’s basketball game against Texas A&MInternational. An addition to this year’s homecoming, and the expected highlight of the event, is the homecoming dance. The formal is themed “A Touch of Class” and

Sudoku

is going to feature a red carpet entrance and catered finger foods in the Fine Arts Courtyard . “We are really pushing it,” said Silva. “We wanted to do something different.” The dress code is strictly semi-formal black and white, and it is at this event that the 2006 Homecoming King and Queen will be announced. “It’s kind of like a prom,” said Silva. “There is even going to be a photographer.” These are just a few of the events that will take place at this year’s Homecoming. Others include an appearance by comedian Buzz Sutherland, an office decorating competition, a tailgate party, pep rallies and much more. All Homecoming events are free of charge with the exception of basketball games. Deadline to register for events was Jan. 25. For more information on events or to register a student organization for competitions/events, contact the UPB at (956) 316-7991.

Solution

Courtesy of

www.websudoku.com

January 26, 2006

SPORTS CLIPBOARD Play Ball? New Edinburg team holds start-up press conference Some team will be playing baseball this spring in Edinburg. In baseball trade parlance, it is a team to be named later. At a press conference Wednesday, the principals at the head of United Baseball League announced R. Michael Beasley as general manager of the six-team league’s Edinburg franchise. After a big court decision went against the city’s former team, the Roadrunners of the Central League, the newer group lost no time in getting cracking in their stead. There is a 90-game schedule with Edinburg of UBL included, and there is a manager in Vince Moore, formerly the Roadrunners manager after a successful career as an outfielder for the club. But there are no players for the unnamed team. Still, Beasley, who has 15 years of experience running minor league baseball teams in one capacity or another, is on the scene and has already started the building process. After five fine years including two titles, the Roadrunners appear to be in trouble. Their lawsuit against the city that evicted them from Edinburg Baseball Stadium – and as it turns out, possibly from existence – failed, and though an appeal will surely follow, the newcomer no-names are heading forward fully planning on being the city’s new team. At the press conference officials handed out a press kit with ad rates, promotion details, biographical information on Beasley, and a pamphlet introducing the nascent UBL. If the decision stands and the new team starts play as planned in May, one thing is for sure. The inter-Valley rivalry that the Roadrunners enjoyed with the RGV White Wings of Harlingen will be renewed, albeit with new antagonists. The new league has a team in Harlingen, along with units in Laredo, Alexandria, La., San Angelo and Amarillo, all of whom were once extant in the Central League. May 16-18 will mark, if all goes as planned, the inaugural series as the nonames take on RGV in Harlingen for three games. It has been a long and arduous offseason with litigation taking most of the headlines. It is probably the case that baseball fans in the Upper Valley, though they will pine for the Roadrunners for a time, will come out to support the new team. But time will tell if they do actually get the chance to make that choice.

SPORTS

Page 13

FOR THE RECORD UTPA SPORTS

Pearson 1). Steals: 8 (Hopkins 2, Morris 1, Pearson 1, Willingham 1, Ofoegbu 1, Killen 1, Rackauskas 1). Personal Fouls: 22 (Morris 4, Fall 4, Ofoegbu 3, Rackauskas 3, Willingham 2, Killen 2, Roberts 2, Epps 1, Hopkins 1).

Basketball Men’s Tuesday, Jan. 24 SMU 84, UTPA 54

FG FT Reb M-A M-A O-D-T

Gaither 3-5 4-6 1-1-2 Sheppard 6-17 5-7 1-1-2 Robinson 2-5 0-0 1-3-4 Edwards 1-8 0-1 1-1-2 Lien 0-2 1-2 0-4-4 Puente 3-8 2-2 0-0-0 Trader 1-9 5-6 2-2-4 Buck 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 Totals 16-54 17-24 7-13-20

A Pts

2 10 4 18 1 5 1 2 1 1 0 11 0 7 0 0 9 54

Percentages: FG .296 FT, .708, 3-Point 5-12, .417. Blocked shots: 0. Turnovers: 12 (Edwards 4, Robinson 3, Lien 2, Trader 2, Puente 1). Steals: 11 (Sheppard 6, Gaither 2, Trader 2, Edwards 1). Personal Fouls: 17 (Lien 5, Edwards 4, Sheppard 3, Robinson 3, Puente 1, Trader 1). SMU FG FT Reb M-A M-A O-D-T

Morris 4-5 0-1 0-5-5 1 Pearson 5-8 2-3 0-14-14 0 Willingham 6-7 0-0 0-5-5 3 Hopkins 3-8 4-4 0-2-2 5 Fall 2-2 3-4 2-1-3 2 Ofoegbu 0-0 0-0 3-1-4 3 Killen 1-2 2-2 0-0-0 3 Roberts 4-7 5-5 1-5-6 5 Hopkins 1-1 2-2 0-1-1 0 Rackauska 4-5 1-2 0-1-1 1 Epps 0-2 0-0 0-1-1 0 Totals 30-47 19-23 10-18-28 23

Pts

8 12 14 11 7 0 4 14 5 9 0 84

Percentages: FG .638 FT, .826, 3-Point 5-15, .333. Blocked shots: 4 (Fall 2, Ofoegbu 1, Roberts 1). Turnovers: 21 (Willingham 4, Morris 3, Roberts 3, Hopkins 2, Fall 2, Ofoegbu 2, Rackauskas 2, Epps 1, Hopkins 1,

Men’s remaining schedule Jan. 28 Utah Valley State Jan. 30 Northern Colorado Feb. 02 Texas A&M-International Feb. 04 St. Edwards Feb. 09 Utah Valley State Feb. 11 South Dakota State Feb. 15 North Texas Feb. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Feb. 25 South Dakota State Feb. 27 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Mar. 03 IPFW Home games in bold.

Women’s Saturday, Jan. 21 TEXAS A&M-CC 56, UTPA 41

Cooper Duncan van Dorn Shaw Andrews Fowler Pena Beagle Totals

4-10 0-0 0-4-4 1 8 3-8 2-2 1-1-2 1 9 5-12 5-9 7-4-11 2 17 3-10 0-0 3-6-9 4 6 5-11 2-2 3-4-7 4 12 1-4 0-0 0-1-1 0 2 0-0 0-0 0-1-1 0 0 1-2 0-1 1-3-4 1 2 22-57 9-14 17-24-41 13 56

Percentages: FG .386 FT, .643, 3-Point 3-10, .300. Blocked shots: 3 (Andrews 3). Turnovers: 18 (Andrews 6, Cooper 5, Duncan 3, Shaw 2, Van Dorn 1, Beagle 1). Steals: 10 (Duncan 3, Andrews 3, Cooper 2, Van Dorn 1, Shaw 1). Personal Fouls: 10 (Van Dorn 4, Andrews 3, Shaw 2, Duncan 1). TAMUCC...................33 23 - 56 UTPA.........................18 23 - 41

UTPA FG FT Reb M-A M-A O-D-T A Pts

Reed 4-8 1-1 0-1-1 2 Daniel 3-3 0-0 0-2-2 2 Pierce 1-8 0-0 2-2-4 0 Garrett 5-13 3-4 5-4-9 0 Ramirez 1-1 0-0 1-1-2 3 Jones 0-6 0-2 1-4-5 2 Wilson 1-1 0-0 0-1-1 0 Montague 0-0 0-0 0-1-1 1 Kostacky 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 0 Winfrey 0-6 0-0 1-1-2 0 Knerr 1-3 0-0 1-2-3 1 Fuentes 2-5 0-0 0-1-1 1 Coulson 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 1 Gooden 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 0 Totals 18-54 4-7 14-21-35 13

TAMUCC FG FT Reb M-A M-A O-D-T A Pts

SMU.......................44 40 - 84 UTPA......................25 29 - 54

UTPA

2, Reed 1, Daniel 1, Ramirez 1, Jones 1). Personal Fouls: 13 (Garrett 3, Daniel 2, Jones 2, Knerr 2, Reed 1, Pierce 1, Ramirez 1, Gooden 1).

9 6 2 13 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 41

Percentages: FG .333 FT, .571, 3-Point 1-5, .200. Blocked shots: 1 (Garrett 1). Turnovers: 22 (Daniel 4, Winfrey 3, Gooden 2, Reed 2, Ramirez 2, Jones 2, Wilson 2, Pierce 1, Garrett 1, Montague 1, Knerr 1). Steals: 8 (Winfrey 2, Wilson

Women’s remaining schedule Jan. 31 Wichita State University Feb. 04 IPFW Feb. 06 Northern Colorado Feb. 11 South Dakota State Feb. 15 Huston-Tillotson Feb. 18 IPFW Feb. 23 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Feb. 27 Oregon State Mar. 04 Utah Valley State Home games in bold.

Golf Men’s upcoming schedule Feb. 05 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Feb. 10 Abilene Christian Women’s upcoming schedule Feb. 20-21 Islander Spring Classic Mar. 20-21 UTSA Rowdy Round-up Home games in bold.

Stats do not lie this time Lady Broncs struggling The Lady Bronc basketball team has nine games left to right the ship after an unexpected 4-15 beginning. They are off until a Jan. 31 road game at Wichita State, after a 15-point loss at home against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday. The problems the team has had can be traced with a look at the statistical picture. UTPA shoots just 36 percent from the floor so far and have clanked along at a 59 percent free-throw clip. A team that has lost six of its last seven games outrebounds the opponent slightly but has committed 85 more turnovers and 83 more fouls. Dominique Montague, the three-point specialist leads the Lady Broncs at 8.2 points per game, along with promising newcomer Teshay Winfrey, at 8.2 also. Spirited senior Devin Reed has been perhaps the team’s most consistent performer, with 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while MaHogany Daniel has posted solid numbers, averaging 6.7 points, a team-best 6.0 rebounds and the team bests in steals and blocks. The most active Lady Bronc also leads the team with 69 turnovers. The sophomore year of Tynesha Pierce, who made the Independent all-rookie team last year, has been up and down. Newcomer Robin Garrett inside has averaged 5.8 points but has also committed 69 fouls. In all, the Lady Broncs won 14 games a year ago, but the numbers reflect why the team has struggled this time around. The team returns to Edinburg for a key four-game homestand starting Feb. 4 .

Daryl Gonzales/The Pan American FIRST PITCH - From left: The new professional baseball team’s field manager Vince Moore, Chief Operating Officer of the United Baseball League Byron Pierce and team general manager R. Michael Beasley gathered at the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon to officially announce the new team’s top personnel.

SPORTS

Page 14

GOLF

January 26, 2006

continued from page 16

There are high expectations for the Broncs as they enter their spring season. The focus is more long-term as far as improvements, and not so much on the results of the season. There have been team improvements as well as individual improvements, which is exciting and promising for Tredway. "I feel like if we do all the little things, then we can see a lot of growth," he proclaimed. "The two freshman have really matured a lot since we started school. Their eyes have been opened to the difficulties of college golf and how much tougher it is." Tredway’s expectations might be high, but if they are achieved, this season of Bronc golf could end on a good note. "I believe in the next few years the UTPA golf team will be known on a national level," he said, "I'm looking for everyone to step it up. We need five guys working as hard as they can if we are going to have some success this spring and without that commitment from them, it is going to be tough." Women’s Golf Along with the Broncs, Lady Broncs golf team also begin the spring season Feb. 20, with the

Islander Spring Classic hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Lady Broncs also experienced highs and lows in the fall. One of the downs was that not all marks were met and not all expectations were satisfied. Some of the more promising experiences came from seniors Stefanie Maynard and Daniela Cortes. "Stefanie ended the fall season with the best stroke mark of 76.0 which is the lowest she's ever had," pronounced Odale, "while Daniela tied the school record with a 70 mark. I was excited and pleased with both of those accomplishments. We also know that Stefani has more room for improvement, which is promising for the spring season." As far as taking on the spring season, the Lady Broncs know they have a lot of work to do and with the help of the three seniors, and believe a lot can be accomplished. "As far as leaders, Daniela was elected captain, but all three of the seniors have different styles of leadership," said Odale. "Stefanie is a talker and practices a lot, Daniela does her own thing in practice, but talks a little when it is needed, while Nikki Boychuk is good in many areas

BASKETBALL continued from page 1

that isn’t new,” Street said. “We’ve been working extra hard behind the scenes to get an agreement from the six schools”. The new conference will have UTPA’s basketball teams facing up against familiar squads such as Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, North Dakota State and Utah Valley State, and the Broncs hold a slight edge with a 5-3 record in program history against these institutions. The Lady Broncs hold a 5-3 career record against IPFW and Utah Valley State. “The chance to play North and South Dakota State at home will give us some RPI power points since both squads are two the finest institutions when they competed at the Division II level and won national championships. Now that they are Division I, it will help our chances of becoming better,” Craft said. Other teams in the new conference will be New Jersey Institute of Technology and South Dakota State. “I still see Corpus as one of our rivals since we continue to play them each year, but I think other schools within this conference will naturally develop as rivalry. I just don’t know which ones at this moment,” Street commented. Corpus accepted a bid into the Southland last year. This new set-up will be implemented in time to be in effect for the 2006-07 season. “It’s a good move for us, I’m really happy to be part of it,” Street concluded.

as well." Odale is well aware that she is losing three valuable assets in seniors Maynard, Cortes, and Boychuk but finds that the mix of freshman and seniors is promising for the future. "Those girls have always been one, two, three and I have been watching and coaching them from freshman to seniors," remarked Odale. "They are the type of girls that have set the mark for UTPA golf! They must be replaced, which will be hard, but to me they are never irreplacable. It would be hard to find three other players in UTPA golf history that have done better than they have!" With the spring season coming up some new goals have been set, and expectations are high, but Odale believes can be reached. "Some of the expectations and goals for this semester are to break the 295 mark," proclaimed Odale, "which is something that I think we could do. As a team we are also looking to win one more tournament. This is a different season and a different team than those of the past. We have three seniors with three freshman behind them theres really not a middle gap. I would like this to be the best season.”

LADY BRONC

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team is very good in their own way, you know. Everyone brings something to the table.” According to Winfrey, the team dynamic was exactly what brought her to UTPA. “At other schools that I visited you could tell that there wasn’t team chemistry there. That’s why I didn’t choose those schools,” Winfrey said. “I felt that, when I first got here on the visit, I felt comfortable. Everyone’s so nice, easy to talk to.” Winfrey has fit in well off the court as well and enjoys the opportunity to expand her social circle within the university. “You get to meet new people, you know, people that you’ve never seen before,” Winfrey said. “It’s cool, you get to hang out with them. You go places. I like it here.” “When I first got to the dorms, I went knocking on everyone’s doors, me and some other girls,” Winfrey said. “Robin, my roommate now, we get along so well. You know, we just act goofy.” In addition to her teammates and friends, Winfrey feels a close bond to the basketball coaches. “I love the coaches. You can talk to them about anything. Anything,” she said. “Basketball, school, personal, it doesn’t matter. They’ll be there for you.” Winfrey recently suffered a stress fracture in her leg, which is keeping her from practicing with the team. The Lady Broncs

play next at Wichita State Jan. 31. “I went to the doctor and he said that I could play but I couldn’t practice because he didn’t want me putting that much pressure on the leg,” Winfrey said. “It’s really hard, though, because I’m ready and wanting to go learn more things and just by sitting on the sidelines you can’t learn anything. I can’t just sit there. I want to be out on the court.” A conversation with Winfrey quickly reveals her love of the game. “Basketball. I love the hype of the game,” she said. “In basketball, you can steal the ball and the people in the crowd go wild. You can do a crazy pass and everyone likes it. You can block a shot, or make a three while people’s hands are in your face, and it’s just exciting. It’s a real high for me.” Winfrey got her start when she was 11 years old and had the opportunity to try out for a local team. “I didn’t know anything about basketball but I was a tomboy and I had seen it on TV and said ‘Cool, I want to play that,’” Winfrey remembers. “One girl was like, ‘What are you doing on the court? You don’t need to be on the court.’ And from then on, I practiced, I practiced, I practiced, and I tried to get better.” The basketball players she saw on TV, both male and female, influenced her style of playing. “I like Cheryl Swoops. I like the way she

plays. She had the moves,” Winfrey said of the Texas Tech ex who became one of the best players in the Women’s NBA for several years. “Oh, but I love [Michael] Jordan. Jordan just had everything. I always wanted to be like him. That’s where I try to get some of my moves from, watching Jordan and all of them.” Growing up in Houston, she also picked up some of her moves playing ball with the guys. “My brother, he’s a couple years younger than me, he was always like, ‘Come on, Teshay, take me to the park, take me to the park,’ and there were no girls so I had to play with the guys,” Winfrey said. Now, playing ball with the girls, she and the team are looking forward to improving for next season. “It’s the simple mistakes that we make that make the teams we play against look better than us,” Winfrey said. The Lady Broncs won 14 games last season and appeared ready to better that mark this time. But injuries at the point guard position and other woes have forced the team into a nosedive that continued with a home loss to Texas A&M-Corpus last weekend. They have nine games left, including four at home starting in early February. Winfrey hopes to heal and improve her game as the program looks forward to joining United League Basketball in 2006-07.

SPORTS

January 26, 2006

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UTPA tennis works out kinks for spring Broncs stay home for spring opener

By NATALIE HAIME The Pan American It’s been a long time coming for the men’s and women’s tennis teams here at UTPA, but 2006 is shaping up to be a step forward in the right direction. With new head coach Robert Hubbard, and newly appointed assistant coach Chris Gill, both teams are looking to make great improvements in their individual games, as well as put UTPA tennis on the map. As for the upcoming spring season the Lady Broncs’ tennis match will take place on the home court in Edinburg Jan. 28 against UTEP and Middle Tennessee State, while the men’s team will be hosting a match on Feb. 5 in Edinburg against Texas A&M CorpusChristi. “We have a decent base to work with,” Hubbard said, who has taken a long look back the previous season to see where his netters can improve. The final competition of the fall semester for the Broncs came at the ITA tournament, which was hosted by Texas A&M University. On the men’s side, a bright sight came from senior Oliver Steil, one of the only Broncs to make past a first

round with a victory in singles play. In the final tournament of the semester, the Netherlands native dashed past the first round of 64. He then ran into trouble as he had his hands full against Robert Searle from Rice, falling 6-1, 6-1. Another bright spot was newcomer Andrew Bost, who was placed in the consolation bracket after losing his first match. In consolation play, Bost received a bye through the first and second rounds, then he defeated Patrick Russ from Centenary 1-6, 6-3, 10-7. Bost then dropped his next match 6-2, 6-0 matched up against Texas Tech's Michael Breier. The women's team ended the fall season at UTSA’s Fall Invitational, as they fair pretty well against their competition. In singles play, UTPA took on Incarnate Word, falling four matches to two. Nicole Garcia defeated Andrea Prieto in straight sets 7-6, 6-4 while playing in the fourth flight and Sheila Mabulac won her match in the fifth flight (6-4, 6-0). UTPA finished the tournament with a tie in singles action against St. Edward's. Silke Buksik won her match 6-2, 6-4 as she competed in the second flight. While, Garcia and Mabulac both

ran their singles record for the tournament to 2-0 as Garcia won 6-2, 62 and Mabulac won a hard-earned victory (1-6, 7-6, 7-6). The Lady Broncs began the final day with a significant doubles victory over Laredo Junior College. The duo of Buksik/DeBourqueney dispatched the LJC pairing of Antoniolo/Jackson (8-2) while teammates Mabulac/Sloan took an 8-0 victory in the second flight. Incarnate Word later defeated UTPA in doubles play, three matches to none. “We will work hard this season to produce the best we possibly can,” Hubbard coach commented. The team has had its troubles keeping a coach around in the past. Since the break, UTPA has hired a new assistant coach in Gill to aid newcomer Hubbard with both squads. The optimism of the teams should be high, as both coaches will finally bestow priceless knowledge to the squads. The teams have been working hard in January. Hubbard is looking forward to working with his team over the spring season; he hopes to transform losses into wins. “With some direction and focus, we’re sure to have a successful season,” he concluded.

Joel De la Rosa / The Pan American BIG RETURN - Marine de Bourqueney returns a serve during practice Monday in preparation for the team’s first competition Jan. 28.

Promising performance at Wes Kittley

Joel De la Rosa/The Pan American

By JORGE HINOJOSA The Pan American

Deon Marquis

The 2006 season for the University of Texas-Pan American track team kicked off full speed last weekend in Lubbock at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Lubbock, hosted by Texas Tech University. This meet may begin the journey on the road of success. Head Coach Ricky Vaughn is the boss of the track and field and cross country program and he is back for his fifth season as commander. Vaughn has 16 years of coaching experience under his belt and has developed some of the best athletes in the NCAA. Remember Isaac Ybarra, former UTPA All-American, who set a school record in the 35-pound weight throw with a toss of 69-2.5? Welcome him back to the program as Dec. 21 Ybarra was named assistant coach by Vaughn. Ybarra, a native of Mission, became the first male student-athlete to compete in the national championships in both the indoor and outdoor season. In 2005 in the NCAA Division I Outdoor National Championships, Ybarra finished 18th overall ending his career with 21 individual championships. He also competed at the U.S. Championships and finished a respective

ninth overall out of 26 opponents. Last indoor and outdoor season, alongside of Ybarra was Amy Moses, who also qualified for the national championships. Moses finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor National Championships, becoming the first female indoor All-American in school history. This marked the first time in program history that the Bronc and Lady Bronc track and field programs had two student-athletes earn All-American laurels in the same season. So after a respectable 2005 season the UTPA Broncs track and field team lost a few key athletes, pole vaulter Jeff Martzall, weight thrower J.C Crosby, and the proverbial Ybarra, along with some veteran sprinters. “Isaac is somebody who has worked very hard to get where he is at,” said Vaughn. “The team members know that Ybarra knows what he is talking about, he has been there, he has done it, and he is a very intelligent, level headed guy, and the team members respect that.” In Lubbock the men’s team faired pretty well as the transition from past stars began. Sophomore Sal Gonzales of Los Fresnos earned his first individual championship in the pole vault in

replacing the heralded Martzall. After clearing a height of 15-1 in the pole volt event, Gonzales won the event and nearly placed in the top five in the UTPA record books with his performance. One old name came back to do it again. Senior Westly Keating has great experience as a performer and teammates see him as a leader. Keating captured his 16th career title in the 3,000 meters at the Kittley while Mission’s Hector Gandara, also a seasoned senior, finished runner up with a time of 9:04.04. Freshman Ruben Cantu had a strong run in the 55 meters, posting a time of 6.64, but he was unable to compete in the following heat. In the weight throw Matt Clinton from Raymondville finished sixth overall with a distance of 51-6.5, while in the 1,000- meter race Luis Nava placed eighth. The women also had their fine outings. Deon Marquis hails from Tortola in the Virgin Islands, a sophomore sprinter who took the initiative and broke the UTPA women’s indoor record in the 55 meters with a time of 7.22. In the long jump, Liliana Cavazos performed at a peak level, surpassing the 18-0 mark for the first time in her career an finishing third overall in the long jump with a mark of

18-3.25, the third best mark in program history. Junior Amber Kelly from Houston finished third in the weight throw event with a distance of 50-9.25, one notch ahead of teammate Amanda Ferris who hurled a 46-6. In the shot put, Michelle Elizondo finished fifth with a distance of 41-11.5. Sonya Rivera of Brownsville Hanna Brownsville finished third overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:27.26, with teammate Karla Hernandez of Edinburg one spot behind. For the first week of events the UTPA men’s and women’s track and field team had highs and lows. “Deon Marquis really stepped up in setting the school record in the 55 meters, she had an outstanding meet,” said Vaughn. “Another one that had an outstanding meet was Lily Cavazos, she had a nice improvement in the long jump,. But there was some areas that I was a little disappointed in, I was a little disappointed with some of our throwers, I thought we were better than what we showed.” Their next meet will be the Houston Indoor Classic hosted by The University of Houston, beginning Feb. 4.

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Practice under way By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American

practice. He gave the team some words of advice when heading on to the field: The University of Texas-Pan American “Remember to have fun, but nothing is more baseball team has been practicing for a fun than winning.” season they hope will be very different from Even before last season had even the last. The Broncs had a tough time last commenced, Bronc head coach Willie season on the diamond, compiling a 15-38 Gawlik was already preparing his program record. from the future. Now that time has arrived, At the end of last week, former Bronc and there are 17 new faces on this season’s Jim Hickey visited his old stomping grounds 31-man roster, and the coach expects them as a special guest at a fundraiser to help a to contribute from the start. program that he once starred in. During his “I feel really good about them,” Gawlik long day that started by catching a flight to said of the newcomers and returnees alike. the Valley that left Houston at 6 in the “I know that the players and coaches are morning, Hickey found time to speak to the really excited about workouts and the games guys on the team before hitting the field for coming up.” Venezuela native Ricky Ibarz is one of those newbies. The 6foot-3 lefty grew up in Houston and then helped New Mexico Junior College win the junior college national championship last season, with a 10-1 record and 3.51 earned-run average. In addition, many of the new players on the team come from respected programs. Ray Silva, Patrick Brooks and Jason Buhagiar all played on the Californian JUCO state title team in 2005. “They’re used to winning,” Gawlik said. Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American “Overall, we’re better MAJOR ADVICE - Houston Astros’ assistant pitching coach Jim defensively and we Hickey speaks to Bronc baseball players before practice on Friday. feel the same from our

players on the mound. It’s really something that we need to improve to become successful. “We started out Jan. 9 before classes began with two-a-day workouts where we would practice defense in the mornings and offense in the afternoon,” he continued. “Now we are starting to incorporate intersquads. Since the start of the spring semester, we have moved to just one workout a day. Experience should be a team strength in 2006. “This is the first time since I’ve been here that we have had a large number of upperclassmen, we have usually had the other way around,” said the fourth year Bronc coach. The Broncs this season will also see some familiar faces, such as senior outfielder Louie Alamia, who is a three-year starter and All-American. Fellow Valley native Aaron Guerra will be returning after a strong season last year, after winning five times last season. “We’re hoping for the same from him this season,” Gawlik commented. Last season, 6-5 righty Kellie Casares pitched a solid seven innings against Oral Roberts, only giving up one earned run, and that’s the stuff that Gawlik needs to see from the senior on a consistent basis. “We’ve had a good fall, and at this point we have had a good January, and we need to be at that point because we start off the season with a tournament,” Gawlik continued. This season’s schedule will have the Broncs faced up against the best Division I teams in the nation, like last season’s Division I Baseball National Champion Texas at home Feb. 4 in the UTPA Classic.

Winfrey:

Under the scope By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American Although heralded as one of the top newcomers to grace the hardwood floor in the University of Texas-Pan American’s Field House this year, Teshay Winfrey has a personality that is entirely unpretentious and down to earth. The freshman criminal justice major from Eisenhower High School in Houston is tied for the team in scoring with just over eight points per game, and has impressed so far with sharp moves and good quickness. During a four-game stretch in December she showed why she was one of the prized catches for Coach Deann Craft’s program, leading the team in scoring against top-flight adversaries Kansas State, Houston, North Texas and Texas State, contributing 61 points in all. She has led the team in rebounding twice, shoots a solid 82 percent from the free-throw line, and has done all that damage in just 17 minutes per game. However, she doesn’t agree with those who call her the only one of a touted group of newcomers to live up to the expectations so far. “I don’t think that I’ve been the only one who pulled through. There’s others, like Robin Garrett. You know, she’s been doing really great the past few games,” the 5-foot-8 Winfrey said. “I just focus on myself and what I need to do to bring something to the team.” After the team’s disappointing first half of the season, one would understand frustration on Winfrey’s part, after coming from a successful high school career. Instead, there’s nothing but positive thoughts despite a 4-15 record. “It’s been a little disappointing, but we learn from everything, you know,” explained Winfrey. “Every game, every practice, we’re learning different things that we could and should do.” Winfrey credits her teammates with helping to make her first season a positive experience so far. “I love the team this year. I think that even though it’s not showing on our record, we have great chemistry,” Winfrey said. “I think everyone on the

See LADY BRONC page 14

Golfers tee off for spring By RACHEL REIDA The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American Bronc golf team is set to start up the spring 2006 season on Feb. 20 at the University of Texas San Antonio where it will compete in the Roadrunner Intercollegiate. The Broncs are coming off a fall season where they experienced some ups and downs. "We got out of our fall season what we put into it," said head coach Andrew Tredway, "I felt we played the way we practiced and golf is a tough game. I think the guys are realizing that they need to practice harder than they ever have before."

Treadway is a first-year coach for the Broncs and has grown and experienced just as much as his players have so far this year. "This being my first year as head coach, its interesting to have everyone looking to me for guidance," said Tredway. "I am close enough in age to all of them that I can relate to what they are going through and I think that has been a real asset so far." For the Broncs, each tournament is a way to improve their game individually and also as a team. "I felt that Jeff Hensley and Craig Berger had the best seasons of anyone on our team," said Tredway when asked about team and

individual talent. "Jeff was the hardest worker on the team so I kind of expected him to play like he did. Craig has a ton of natural talent and speed, and if his short game can catch up to everything else he could have a great future in this game." Berger commented on his game and future. "I feel like my career so far has been successful, but I have a lot to work on to take it further and to a better level," he said about his career so far, “I have worked hard and done a lot this year and in the past to be able to take my talent to the next level as well."

See GOLF page 14

Sidney S. Meadows/The Pan American NO SWEAT - Freshman Teshay Winfrey has been one of the brightest spots on a struggling Lady Bronc squad.