April 20, 2006 by UTRGV Student Media

UTPA Athletics busy signing prospects THE

PAN

see Page 14

AMERICAN

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

Leadership Week honors involvement

April 20, 2006

Weddington states her c ase By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American

By ANA LEY The Pan American For the second year, The University of TexasPan American is hosting Student Leadership Week, a nationwide event that runs April 17-22 dedicated to recognizing student leaders on schools and universities. So far, activities have included a speech by Sarah Weddington Tuesday, an outdoor movie screening, and an information session. The Student Leadership Academy (SLA), a branch of the Student Leadership Program (SLP) was created by the dean of students in fall 2004. The group has sponsored most of the activities to showcase student leadership. Amy Martin, SLA coordinator, believes this will be a chance for students at UTPA to network and encourage each other to enhance their personal skills and leader qualities. “We try to get them to develop their leadership abilities during this week,” she said. “The event isn’t directly hosted by SLA, but we’ll will be there and we hope we can bring a little bit of the organization’s ambience to the campus.” Maria Martinez, a junior communication disorders major and graduate of SLA, believes this is a good way to get word out about leadership opportunities. “We hope it’ll really motivate them and get

See LEADERSHIP page 11

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American FROZEN IN TIME - Sarah Weddington shows the Tuesday night crowd an issue of Time that she contributed to for their “80 days that changed the world” special.

As Sarah Weddington stood at the marble steps of the Supreme Court on that December morning in 1971, she was intimidated. At just 26 years old, the Roe v. Wade case, which resulted in the legalization of abortion, was her first contested case ever. On Tuesday night, just over 34 years after she argued before the Supreme Court, Weddington had another first: her initial visit to The University of Texas-Pan American. As the final speaker in the 2005-2006 Distinguished Speaker Series, Weddington came to campus to speak to about 150 students, faculty, and community members on leadership, something she is very familiar with. Over the years, Weddington has taken on a variety of leadership roles, from assistant to former President Jimmy Carter during his term in office to professor at The University of Texas-Austin where she teaches two classes, “Gender-Based Discrimination,” and “Leadership in America.” Weddington said before her speech, titled “Memoirs of a Leader,” that she hoped students would walk away encouraged to take a leadership role. “You have a very dynamic area here in the Valley, which is rapidly growing and changing,” she said. “When you have that situation you are going to need a lot of local people involved in leadership.”

See WEDDINGTON page 11

TABC’s SIP program under investigation, suspended By JAVIER CAVAZOS The Pan American A new program initiated by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) aimed at curbing the number of alcohol-related fatalities was suspended last week after public outcry over some of the practices of the commission. The commission started the Sales to Intoxicated Persons (SIP) program in 2001 to help stop drunken drivers before they get a chance to get in a car.

While many saw the program as a tool for prevention, some in the Texas Legislature wanted a review of the program’s practices because of fears concerning abuses of power. A recent bust in Irving, near Dallas, resulted in 19 citations being issued and some complaints over how TABC handled the situation. Some of those cited said they had no plans to drink and drive, and some were only drinking in a hotel bar and had rooms to go to at the end of the night.

UTPA makes choice in

SGA executive ticket runoff elections See page 4

“Are we going too far, or do we need to go further?” state Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, DMission, said in regard to the new program. Flores, who is chairman of House Licensing and Administrative Procedures, felt it necessary to review the program’s progress and was the first one to know of TABC’s decision to suspend the SIP program after an internal investigation. Undercover TABC officers had started patrolling bars and clubs in search of people who were obviously drunk and were still being served,

Bone Thugs & Harmony Video Shoot and Celebrity Guest

“Halle Berry” at Club Farenhite

10:00 p.m. on Saturday night The event is part of Club Farenhite’s

“Saturday Celebrity Night” Everyone is encouraged to attend and be part of the one thousand extras needed in the shoot. Proceeds from the $20 cover charge will benefit the McAllen Boys and Girls Club. For more information contact (956) 668-9888 or cbabula1233@yahoo.com or visit www.clubfarenhite.com.

or those who were so drunk they posed a threat to themselves and others. “We’re not just looking for people who are drinking and enjoying themselves. We’re after those who are completely inebriated and may harm themselves or others,” Lt. Art Munsell, director of the SIP program for the McAllen branch of TABC, said. “These are patrons that are falling down drunk or passed out at the bar.” According to Munsell, TABC targeted places

See TABC page 11 U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez to visit

UTPA on

Friday from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. to speak on economic development and commercial growth in the Rio Grande Valley

Event to take place in the IT building’s International Room

PAGE 2

April 20 2006

OPINIONS UNPROTECTED TEXT

THE

PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539

A catastrophic forgone conclusion Humanity: Making history by repeating history

(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 55th Year – No. 27

Editor Claudette Gonzalez claudetteelena @gmail.com News Editor Sandra Gonzalez sandra_panamerican @yahoo.com A & E Editor Meredith LaGrone meredith_lagrone @hotmail.com Sports Editor 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 Advertising Mgr. Rafael Villarreal spubs@panam.edu Reporters Frank Calvillo Adriana Garza Jorge Hinojosa Luke Koong Ana Ley Maria Mazariegos Claralexis Rios David Rodriguez

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.

Angela Salazar Carolina Sanchez Trey Serna Photographer Joey Cortez Translator Mercedes Cantu Adviser Dr. Greg Selber Secretary Anita Casares Delivery William Watts 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.

By DAVID RODRIGUEZ The Pan American Thousands have gathered in Hamburg, Germany to get the first glimpsenchausen of the world’s biggest cruise ship, the Freedom of the Seas, according to a report filed by the BBC Monday. The Freedom, built by the industrious people of Finland, is the flagship of Royal Caribbean International. This buoyant behemoth will be commissioned to carry up to 4,375 drunk, rich people at a time. It is 160,000 tons, 1,112 feet long and 184 feet wide. The “Freedom” has all the usual accoutrements of a world-class cruise liner as well as a few unique amenities such as a skating rink, a rock-climbing wall, a waterpark and the world’s first onboard surfing pool. Not to mention more bars than New Orleans. It needs only a final check and polish at Germany’s Blohm and Voss shipyard before a broken bottle signals the beginning of its maiden voyage scheduled for Tuesday. I must say I’ve never been on a

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: I would like to clarify a comment that was made in “A different kind of yearbook at UTPA,” about the Panorama magazine. The story stated that the Panorama is produced by communication students, and while the magazine is housed in the department of communication and advised by communication professors, it is produced by students from all over the university. For example, this year the photo editor is from criminal justice, several of the writers are from English, an illustrator from computer science, and a photographer from art. We are currently building our 2006/2007 staff and encourage students from all over the university to come work with us (both paid and volunteer positions are available). The current edition of the Panorama will be available April 29th. Thank you, Kimberly Selber Asst. prof., dept. of communication

cruise. In fact, the closest I’ve ever been to anything even remotely resembling a cruise was when I ordered the neverending crab legs at Red Lobster. All that having been said, I think one thing is painfully clear. This thing is gonna sink. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my entire life. The only thing I’m not sure about is whether Antonio Sabato Jr. or Casper Van Dien will star in the madefor-TV movie about the catastrophe. This isn’t some knee-jerk reaction by a guy who’s just jealous because he’s never had the unique pleasure of getting his “sea legs.” This is a prediction from a man who knows his history. Well, not his history, history in general. You get the idea. Every time some huge heralded technologically cutting-edge conveyance is unwrapped, something utterly atrocious happens. First, of course, I’ll reference the Titanic. The similarities here are so obvious I feel like a hack even mentioning it, but nevertheless. Huge ship? Check. New innovations? Check. Unbridled and unfettered faith in technology even in the face of unheard of physical demands? Check. C’mon, this is too easy. Next up is the Hindenburg. Billed as a flying hotel and believed to be faster than any ship, the Hindenburg had the

Third Reich so worked up that hundreds of Nazis threw out their elbows because they couldn’t heil each other fast enough. Unfortunately, to say the least, the fabric of the Hindenburg’s outer skin and a new revolutionary protective coating created a spark of static electricity that immolated the damned dirigible. This phenomenon isn’t even limited to boats and planes. We could go further back. That’s right, we could go Biblical. Ever heard of the Tower of Babel? The word Babylon is the Greek form of the native Akkadian Bab-ilu which meant “Gate of the god.” This was essentially what the Tower of Babel was supposed to be: a never-beforeattempted and never to be equaled architectural testament to the mind and will of man. As the story goes, God didn’t take too kindly to this arrogant affront and put a stop to the building by mixing up the languages of the people. How about mass-media in the 21st Century? Take “The Matrix” trilogy for example. Nerds, nihilists and “Bill and Ted” fans gathered en masse awaiting the second “Matrix” movie. It was talked about incessantly. If only we knew then what we know now, that it stunk. The idea of learning from the past or being doomed to repeat it is one of the most clichéd and oft trotted out pieces of

pop-philosophy known to man. But in this case it’s completely relevant. The Matrix stunk, the tower is gone, the Hindenburg hindenburned, the Titanic sank, and mark my words: the Freedom is a goner. But, now stay with me on this, I don’t think this might necessarily be a bad thing in the long run. Sure a lot of people in snappy uniforms are going to drown and death is always sad. However, look at what’s happened in the wake of all the other disasters. Without the Tower of Babel we wouldn’t have different languages. Without different languages we wouldn’t have foreign films. Without those how would we ever be able to spot pretentious jerks at Hollywood Video? If the Hindenburg hadn’t burned then Zeppelins would probably not be in our consciousness years later thus perhaps depriving the world of Led Zeppelin. And a world without Led Zeppelin…oh the humanity! The Titanic taught us that even though we know how a movie is going to end it can still be good if it has Billy Zane. So I say Bon Voyage, Freedom. I’m sorry about what’s going to happen to you but I look forward to the upside. Maybe Christo will raise it and wrap it in bubble wrap or something.

Based On A True Story: Roommates

by Laura C. Gomez

NEWS

SGA winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Driving danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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

Survey says UTPA up to snuff in academics By JAVIER CAVAZOS The Pan American Student surveys are often conducted around campus by various offices and departments to evaluate attitudes toward university policies, faculty performance, and other aspects of campus life. Every two years, UTPA and the dean of students conduct a Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) to gauge how happy students are with services provided by the university and how important services are in a student’s academic career. The SSI is administered in the spring semester to randomly selected classes that are willing to participate. It meas-

Campus e-mail finds better way to spread news By HECTOR CANO The Pan American After several years with the same email system, The University of TexasPan American has teamed up with Hotmail to implement a new one. The students were informed of the change this past December and the new accounts have been available since January. However, this coming December, the Academic Computing Department will be sending out notices to those who still have the o l d accounts informing them that they must switch to the new accounts as the old ones will no longer function According to Anne Toal, director of academic computing, the new Hotmail system is not only more accessible and reliable - with enough capacity to handle the tasks that the average user wants to accomplish but it will also come at no cost. “The university no longer has to pay for an inferior service that was expensive to maintain,” Toal said. “The service is free both to the students and to UTPA.” Students’ Hotmail accounts will provide them reliable e-mail service over the

See E-MAIL page 12

ures the importance and the satisfaction students feel toward university services. “There’s two ways to look at the SSI results,” said Jerry Price, dean of students. “You can look at them as raw numbers of how satisfied students are and how important the services are to them, and you can view them as a way to see how we measure up to other schools in the nation,” The university uses a national testing company to gather data and compare it to other universities around the nation who used the same survey. This allows for a better grasp on how UTPA ranks among other 4-year universities and how satisfied the student body is as a whole.

The most recent results available are from the last survey, conducted in 2004, when approximately 1,100 students responded to the questionnaire. The university just administered the latest SSI survey a few weeks ago. Along with the list of standard questions on the national survey, the university also included an extra sheet of queries for services and issues specific to UTPA. “One area I was concerned about was that the fairness of faculty was ranked low in regard to importance and satisfaction,” Price said. The SSI is just one of many tools the school uses to help make decisions about services provided and improvements

On the Student Satisfaction Inventory, respondents were asked to rank the importance of and their satisfaction with 73 statements about the campus. These are the Top 5: Rank of importance (1 being the most important)

Satisfaction rank (1 being the best)

1 The amount of student parking space on

campus is adequate 2 The content of the courses within my major was valuable 2 3 I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts 44 4 My academic adviser is knowledgeable

about requirements in my major 5 The instruction in my major field is excellent

See SURVEY page 12

Foundation to hold annual fundraiser By LUKE KOONG The Pan American Golf fans longing to get on the course don’t have to look any further. Tomorrow, The University of Texas-Pan American Alumni Association, in conjunction with Bronc Athletics, will host the 17th annual Pan Am Classic tournament. The minimum entrance fee to play is $1,500 for two players. While that fee may seem exorbitant, the proceeds go to a good cause, according to Mark Lacy, systems analyst and special events coordinator. “Providing the needed scholarship money for [students] is one of the most important aspects of the tournament,” Lacy said.

Players will tee off at 1 p.m. on the greens of Tierra Santa Golf Club in Weslaco. In addition to helping with scholarships, monies raised will be used to support various UTPA athletic teams and their student-athletes. One of the scholarships the tournament will fund is the Sam Williams Endowment, which goes toward basketball and honors Williams, who coached the Broncs for 15 years and won the school’s only national title, an NAIA championship in 1963. As part of the tournament, one lucky raffle winner will drive home a brand new 2006 Jeep Liberty, donated by Van Burkleo Motors of McAllen. And should any player make a hole-in-one, Van Burkleo Mid-Valley Ford donates a Ford

Q “For some of these

kids, it’ll probably be their first time on a golf course, so we’re really excited to expose them to golf.”

- Rene Cantu, Assistant athletic director for development F-150 pickup as the prize. The Classic features several bigname sponsors such as the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, Van Burkleo Motors, Valley Coca-Cola Bottling Co., South Texas Health System, KB Homes, Gateway Printing and Office Supply, COSTEP, and

KRGV-TV NewsChannel 5. Lacy said the foundation hopes to raise close to $100,000 this year and is very excited about the event. “It has been 17 years and we keep on doing it. It gets a lot of people involved and we have a good time,” Lacy said. “We enjoy doing it.” PREPARING STUDENTS Before the event, the UTPA golf team and the rest of the Athletic Department will welcome 125 students from Weslaco and the surrounding area in the UTPA GEAR UP Leadership Golf Clinic. UTPA student-athletes and coaching staff will take part in the event, which will provide GEAR UP students with instruction in leadership, time

See GOLF page 12

Valley heroes remembered with scholarship To be an eligible applicant for the Valley Heroes Scholarship the following requirements must be met: • Be an undergraduate student • Have a GPA of 3.0 or more (if returning or transfer student) • Be enrolled at least half time (6 hours) • Honorably served a minimum of 6 months of active duty (students are required to submit a copy of form DD214) • If entering freshman, must have a score of 20 or more on ACT or 930 on SAT

By MARIA ALEJANDRA MAZARIEGOS The Pan American While curing the wounds of war and taking care of the medical needs of her fellow Air Force members as a medic, Valerie Cherolin Simones, a senior physician’s assistant major, knew it was what she wanted to do in life: help the medical needs of those around her. So after returning home from a four year-plus tour of duty in the fall of 2002, she enrolled in The University of Texas-Pan American. While the U.S. Government typically covers veterans’ tuition and fees,

Simones was also a recipient of the Valley Heroes Scholarship, created in April 2005 to help pay for additional expenses such as books. “I used some of the money to pay for a prep course for my national certification exam in New Jersey. Without that money I would not have been able to attend,” she said. The preparation course in New Jersey is to train Simoes for her Physician’s Assistant National Certification Exam, a national test that every aspiring physician’s assistant must pass in order to be licensed. The course will aid in her success and cost $750,

which the Valley Heroes Scholarship helped pay for. A relatively new addition to the list of scholarships available at UTPA, this one was created by President Blandina Cardenas to honor the 16 Valley servicemen who have lost their lives while serving the country in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “I wanted to do something to honor the lives of these young men and women, many of whom did not have a chance to yet go to college,” Cardenas

See SCHOLARSHIP page 12

NEWS

April 20, 2006

Page 4

New SGA president committed to service By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Argelia Barrera remembers going door to door on the streets of Mexico as a young girl, helping campaign for her uncle who was running for office. So when it came time for the junior biology major to do some campaigning of her own, she knew what she was getting into. While the new Student Government Association (SGA) president paid her canvassing dues before the election, she has also done her fair share of grunt work for the organization she now represents. As a freshman, Barerra’s first experience with SGA happened by a twist of fate. “One of my friends used to work for SGA so the first time I went to go visit her, SGA was working on some project,” she said. “I really don’t remember which, and one of the senators at the time asked me if I wanted to be a senator.” Showing great interest, Barrera began the process of becoming a senator representative since all the senator positions were taken. “I really began at the bottom and worked my way up,” she said. In the years following, Barrera served as a senator-at-large and senator for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “From then on, I really, really loved it,” she said. FINAL RUNG But that dedication was put to the test when

BARRERA Barrera decided to run for president. Due to hectic schedules, she and new SGA vice-president Bonnie Bustos, a senior biology major, often had to go around campus to put up posters at 11 p.m. or midnight. All with a great risk involved. If she had lost the election, Barrera took the chance of having no position in SGA at all. “I knew I was taking that risk,” she said. “It was just going to be a very big part of me gone. Though she won the election, Barrera says she will miss being a senator, as they are an important part of SGA. But she says she put her sights on the presidency early on in her career.

“I think that when I started getting involved, I realized what SGA really does. I saw that the power of the president is very important when dealing with administrators if you aren’t using your power correctly,” she said. “That’s when I realized ‘I want to do this.’ This is something I’ve wanted to do for three years.” Barrera has held a variety of leadership positions. As a varsity cheerleader at Brownsville Porter High School, she served as co-captain, and as president of the school’s mock trial group. At UTPA, she served as president of the Pre-law Society and remains active in the organization. Still, like any other student, Barrera has some doubts about her future. “I thought I [wanted to be a lawyer], but now that I’ve become involved in student government and student life activities I’m thinking about higher education,” she said. Planning on pursuing her master’s, Barrera says she will not run for SGA office next year. However, she says that SGA is looking forward to getting of to a running start and accomplishing as much as it can. “I’m looking forward to continuing to doing this,” she said. One of SGA’s first events under the new administration will be the United Serve Project, which is set to take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with volunteers meeting in the Student Union. A collaborative effort between SGA, the

Student Leadership Academy and Student Life and Transition Services, the event will involve volunteers being taken to the Mujeras Unidas facility to help make an outdoor activities site. For more information contact Amy Martin at 381-2260.

Spotlight on Bonnie Bustos, new SGA vice president and senior biology major “Everyone has asked me ‘why did you run?’ and all I say is: I love UTPA.”

BUSTOS UTPA activities: • RA for three and a half years • Leadership Academy • Recent member of UPB • Residents Housing Association General: • Intern with Planned Parenthood • Graduate of Cigarroa High School in Laredo • Leadership roles in high school Student Council, National Honor Society

Bronc Battalion arms cadets with skills for future By ADRIANA GARZA The Pan American Sgt. Michael Flores, a junior mechanical engineering major, has been in The University of TexasPan American Bronc Battalion (ROTC) for one semester and was in the Army for a year and a half. He believes that in a short time, he has learned skills that will help him succeed in the future. “You learn everything from land navigation to marksmanship training, everything from bivouacking, which is camping out; all that good stuff,” Flores said. “The main thing is how to be a leader…it all goes around in a circle.” While at UTPA, Flores is using the Bronc Battalion to prepare for the Officer’s Training Corps Program, and the program has traditionally served that purpose and others across the nation, including sending members on to careers in the military. But other students and campuses are not so enthusiastic about the ROTC. Some schools who did not want army recruiters on their campuses recently took their case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 2003, The Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR), a group of law schools, began the process of challenging a 10year-old law that stated that federal funding could be pulled if they refused to let Army recruiters on their campuses. The crux of the matter was the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding homosexuals. However, on March 6 a unanimous Supreme Court ruling stated that college campuses have no right to ban military recruiters of any kind. The court said they should treat them the same as the

other job recruiters that are always on campus. If they choose to bar them from the university, they risk losing federal funds. U.S. citizens are sometimes skeptical of what the military does and what it stands for. Flores says skeptics sometimes don’t believe that it is as great as the government makes it out to be. “I guess they just have a lack of knowledge,” Flores said. “Maybe they’ve heard from someone who’s heard from someone that something bad has happened and it turned into a story that’s not true. I think if they had first-hand experience these con-

ceptions would quickly evaporate.” Lt. Col. Melvin Fechner, military science department head, says that the Valley shows its support for the military and what they’re trying to do right now. He says he has never come across a negative situation or outlook on the military. “No one has ever treated me in a derogatory way on campus or off because I represent ROTC or am in the military,” Fechner said. “Quite the contrary, people stop me on campus and in the community to say ‘thank you’ when they see me in uniform. This is a patriotic area.”

Joey Cortez/The Pan American TRAINING - Cadets of UTPA’s Bronc Battalion are prepared with skills they can use in life and a possible career in the armed forces, undergoing various classes and training regimens throughout their time in the program. The Army has faced scrutiny recently for its recruitment practices.

Flores added that his commitment to the military - now that we’re at war - has still not changed. He joined in a time of war and plans to serve his country. He added that he is not worried about current issues facing the military right now, such as supposed low pay. “I mean, a lot of us, especially here in ROTC, are getting paid just to come to school, so that’s never been an issue,” Flores said. “In fact, it’s one of our main incentives, which is the money.” Flores also said that while lack of proper body armor for the soldiers in Iraq has been an issue, he feels that the Army is doing all it can. “I’ve got some buddies [over there] but I’ve heard now that the Army’s unifying the body armor for everyone,” he said. “They want everyone to have the same maximum amount of protection.” Fechner said while the armor helps protect soldiers overseas, the Battalion does its part in helping to boost soldiers’ morale. “About once a semester we send care packages to deployed soldiers and former UTPA cadets who are now lieutenants in Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. While former UTPA cadets are away at war, Fechner said whether the seniors graduating from the Battalion go into the military or not, he hopes that they take the values of the Constitution and the Army with them. “[I hope] that they learn about themselves and others since the military is such a diverse organization,” Fechner said. “That they gain many friendships in the military and with the civilians they will meet as they serve our great country and that they will leave the military more confident than they came and with great dreams.”

April 20, 2006

NEWS

Page 5

Drowsy driving a major road threat Danger on par with risks associated with drunken driving By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American He could feel himself ready to doze off, but Gilbert Palacios Jr., a senior criminal justice major, knew he had to stay awake to make it all the way to his parents’ Laredo home. A bouncer at a McAllen club, Palacios had left work at 3 a.m., hitting the road without resting before beginning the three-hour drive. With only four hours of sleep in a day and a half, Palacios is just one of an estimated 37 percent of American drivers who get behind the wheel without proper rest. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) says most adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep daily to maintain the alertness necessary to drive. Sleepiness causes impaired performance in areas such as reaction times, vigilance, attention and information processing, putting “drowsy driving” on par with drunken driving. In fact, according to the NSF, being awake for 18 hours is equal to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, which is legally drunk. “I think it’s probably as serious as drunk driving. It affects people just as much,” Steve Ricci, Texas Highway Patrol trooper, said. Many accidents in which the driver has fallen asleep at the wheel are one-car crashes where the driver veers of the road and only hurts himself. However, according

to Ricci, there is always the possibility of involving unsuspecting motorists. “Could be one vehicle or two,” Ricci, a Mission resident, said. “You could fall asleep and cross the center line, and then if someone else is coming from the opposite direction, the two vehicles could collide.” A report sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that driving alone late at night or very early in the morning on high-speed, rural roads without enough rest is a recipe for disaster. Another time slot in which drivers may be prone to falling asleep is the afternoon siesta hour. This is the case for University of Texas-Pan American graduate Frank Rodriguez, an Edinburg school teacher. “Mid-afternoon is the time I fall asleep. It’s really hot and if I hit the road after work around that time, I get sleepy,” Rodriguez, who received a bachelor’s degree in 2003, said. While dozing off at the wheel can happen to anybody, the NCSDR/NHTSA report indicated that people ages 16-29, shift workers who work at night, and people with certain sleep disorders are most at risk. “The younger ones are more likely to drive sleepily because they push themselves more. They’re also less likely to get the amount of sleep that they need,” explained Ricci. The statistics are staggering. According to the 2003 act passed by Congress titled “Maggie’s Law: National Drowsy Driving Act,” a 1995

High-risk drivers

Although no driver is immune to the risks associated with driving while lacking sleep, the following three population groups are at highest risk. This is based on evidence from crash reports and self reports of sleep behavior and driving performance. • Young people (ages 16 to 29), especially males. • Shift workers whose sleep is disrupted by working at night or working long or irregular hours. • People with untreated sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and narcolepsy. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration federal study estimated that 100,000 car crashes per year are caused by driver drowsiness or fatigue. Even more alarming is that, according to the same study, every year 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries are the direct result of a driver falling asleep at the wheel. In order to prevent such calamities, Ricci recommends combating sleepiness using tactics such as drinking caffeinated beverages, scanning the roadway instead of staring straight ahead, and taking breaks from driving. “As soon as you notice that you’ve been driving and you’re nodding off, even just for a

second, that’s the time to stop. Don’t push any more than that,” Ricci said. Palacios used a few other tricks to stay awake. “That night, I drank a Red Bull and if I was falling asleep, I’d call somebody and turn on the radio. I make sure I take the busiest routes so it’s not so boring,” Palacios said. Fatigue is not only an issue in car driving. Fatigue among civilian and military pilots is involved in up to eight percent of aviation accidents. Just as with truck driving, limits on flight hours and minimum rest requirements have been instituted in order to cut down on sleep-related accidents.

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American

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EN ESPAÑOL

April 20, 2006

Batallón Bronc prepara miembros para liderazco Por ADRIANA GARZA Traducido por MERCEDES CANTU The Pan American Sgto. Michael Flores, estudiante de ingeniería mecánica, ha estado en el Batallón Bronc de la Universidad de Texas-Pan Americana (ROTC) por un semestre y estuvo en el ejército por un año y medio. El cree que en poco tiempo, ha desarrollado habilidades que le ayudaran a tener éxito en el futuro. “Uno aprende todo desde navegación hasta entrenamiento, todo de “bivouacking,” que es campamento al aire libre; todo las esas cosas buenas,” dijo Flores. “Lo principal es como llegar a ser líder… todo va como cadena; como un circulo.” Mientras su estancia en UTPA, Flores utiliza el Batallón Bronc para su preparación para el Programa Coros de Entrenamiento Oficial, pero otros estudiantes y campus no están muy entusiasmados del ROTC. Recientemente algunas escuelas que no quería a los reclutas del ejército en sus campus, han llevado el caso hasta la Suprema Corte de Justicia. En el año del 2003, El Foro para los Derechos Académicos y Constitucionales (FAIR); un grupo de escuelas de derecho, iniciaron el proceso de desafiar una ley de 10 años que declara que los fondos federales pueden ser retirados d e

las escuelas si estas no permiten a los reclutas en sus campus. Comoquiera, en Marzo 6 una decisión anónima de la Corte Suprema declaro que los campus no tienen derecho alguno de prohibir a los militares reclutas. La Corte dijo que ellos deben de ser tratados por igual dentro del campus. Si toman la decisión de prohibirles la entrada, la escuela arriesgara el perder los fondos federales que se les proporciona. Algunas veces los ciudadanos Americanos son escépticos de lo que el ejercito hace y sus ideales. Flores dice que algunas veces ellos no creen que sean tan grandes como el gobierno quieren que sean. “Yo creo que ellos carecen de conocimiento,” expreso Flores. “Tal vez escucharon de alguien quien escuho de alguien mas que algo malo ha ocurrido y se ha convertido en una historia que no es verdadera. Creo que si ellos tuvieran alguna experiencia estas ideas se evaporarían.” Teniente Col. Melvin Fechner, cabeza del departamento de ciencia militar, dice que el Valle demuestra su soporte al ejército y lo que están tratando de

hacer ahora. Dice que nunca ha estado en una situación negativa hacia el ejército. “Jamás he sido tratado de una manera despectiva adentro o fuera del campus, esto es por que represento a ROTC y por que soy un militar,” dijo Fechner. “Al contrario, las personas me paran en el campus y en la comunidad para agradecerme al verme en uniforme. Esta es un área patriótica.” Flores sumo que su compromiso con el ejército, ahora que estamos en guerra, no ha cambiado. El se unió en tiempos de guerra y planea servir a su país. Dijo que aparte no esta preocupado de problemas comunes que enfrenta el ejército en estos momentos; tales como el bajo sueldo. “Quiero decir, que muchos de nosotros, especialmente aquí en ROTC, estamos siendo pagados solo para venir a la escuela, así que esto jamás ha sido un problema,” dijo Flores. “De hecho, el dinero ha sido una de nuestras mayores iniciativas.” Flores agrego que mientras la falta del apropiado armamento es un problema, siente que el ejercito esta haciendo todo lo que pueden por resolverlo.

“Yo tengo algunos amigos (allá) y he escuhado que ahora el ejercito esta unificando el armamento para todos,” el dijo. “Quieren que todos tengan el máximo aumento de protección.” Fechner dijo que mientras el armamento ayuda a proteger a los soldados en el extranjero, el Batallón hace su parte para ayudar estimular la moral de los soldados. “Una vez al semestre mandamos paquetes de asistencia a soldados y anteriores cadetes de UTPA que ahora son tenientes en Afganistán e Irak, dijo Fechner. Mientras anteriores cadetes de UTPA están lejos en la guerra, Fechner dijo que aunque los que se gradúen del Batallón vayan al ejército o no, espera de que ellos se lleven los valores de la constitución y del ejército con ellos. “Tengo la esperanza de que aprendan por de ellos mismos y por otros desde que el ejercito es tan diverso,” dijo Fechner. “De que ellos ganen tantos amigos en el ejercito y con los ciudadanos que conocerán cuando sirvan a nuestro gran país, y de que dejar el ejercito con mas confianza que con la que llegaron.”

Joey Cortez/The Pan American ARMADO - La Sargento Candace Miles inspecciona una arma de fuego como parte del entrenamiento del Batallón Bronc.

A&E

Isabel Allende. . . . . . . . . 8 & 9 ‘Ice Age 2’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Disney on Ice. . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Trumpet legend to visit Valley

Arturo Sandoval will headline first ‘Oysters and Jazz Fest’ ing on the patio. Several area groups have worked together to bring the festival and Sandoval to McAllen. “We knew Brownsville and Corpus had South Texas Jazz Festivals,” said David Trevino, of David Trevino Productions in McAllen, which is organizing the event. “McAllen has several successful festivals, such as the crawfish boil they do every year. We just wanted to do something maybe like St. Mary’s in San Antonio does with their oyster fest. I also had a friend who is a trumpet player, and he suggested trying to get Sandoval to come down and perform.” Since this is the first “Oysters and Jazz Fest,” Trevino hopes it will go over well with McAllen residents. “Right now, we’re having it at the civic center, which is kind of small,” he said. “Next year, though, they’re opening the new one, which will be much bigger. We hope the local people take to this, so we can expand it to a two- or three-day event next year.” The event is not only for entertainment, though. Sponsored in part by Hosanna Health Care, the jazz fest will raise funds for non-profit organizations, primarily El Centro Cultural Mexico. Alida Hernandez, events chair for El Centro Cultural Mexico, said she has been involved with fundraisers for the organization for 11 years and saw the need to collect money for the program and to provide entertainment in the Valley.

By MEREDITH LAGRONE The Pan American McAllen is starting a new tradition this year with its first ever “Oysters and Jazz Fest,” at the McAllen Civic Center. Headlining the event this year will be world-renowned trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, who has made a name for himself over the past half century by playing multiple genres of music and doing so with flair unlike any other. Born on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, Sandoval was granted political asylum in 1990 and U.S. citizenship in 1999. He now lives with his family in Miami and continues to play the music that made him famous. He studied under Dizzy Gillespie, who was the first to bring Latin influences into American Jazz, and won four Grammy awards, six Billboard awards and even an Emmy. The jazz legend will not only be performing at the event but also giving a short clinic to those who reserve seats on time. The clinic, which runs from 45 p.m., kicks off the series of events, and immediately afterward, local jazz bands will take the stage at McAllen Civic Center for a three-hour concert. During the concert, raw and smoked oysters will be served. At 8 p.m. Rene Sandoval and his South Texas Jazz Quartet will play as opening act for Arturo Sandoval. Following the concert, Espana Restaurant will host a party with the Joe Chapa Group perform-

SANDOVAL

“We knew this kind of thing was needed in the Valley; this area desperately needed some culture,” she said. “We decided to try to raise funds for the organization because we do so much work in the community with the schools. Entertainment is the thing of the future for the Valley, and long before there was Dodge Arena, we were trying to bring concerts here.” Tickets to the event are $30 and can be reserved by calling 688-3400 or stopping by the McAllen Civic Center box office. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.gettix.net. For more information on Sandoval, visit his Web site at www.arturosandoval.com.

Austin bands bring new event to historic Cine El Rey By TREY SERNA The Pan American A refreshing style of music and performance is slated to invade McAllen on April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cine El Rey, located at 311 S.17th St. Del Castillo is a band from Austin that has made a name for itself in the Austin music scene. The band was formed in Fall 2002 by two brothers, Rick (guitar, vocals) and Mark del Castillo (guitar, vocals), who were born in Brownsville. The brothers were later joined by Alex Ruiz (vocals), Albert Besteiro (bass), Mike Zeoli (drums) and Rick Holeman (percussion, vocals). The band has put together their talents to create a distinctive Latin rock sound unlike anything else. With the release of their 2001 debut “Brothers of the Castle,” the band created a strong buzz around Texas. Their unique sound and style met great reviews from critics and fans. The good press continued with their follow up, “Vida.” A review from the Austinreview.com said, “unlike many bands who fall flat with the release of their second CD, Del Castillo has managed to pool the talent of the band and produce a collection of songs that leaves the listen-

er in awe.” Del Castillo’s reign stretches far beyond the city limits of Austin. Steven Hill, 18, was introduced to the group through his mother and has had a liking for them since. “My mom went to school with the Del Castillo brothers, so she would always go to their stuff in Brownsville and one day she took me,” the Brownsville resident said. “I was hooked from that point on.” Unlike much of the commercial bands, who play catchy, radio-friendly songs or pure grunge, Del Castillo proves their talent and uniqueness to their audience. “Their skills on guitar are amazing,” Hill said. “Being able to play so fast and harmonizing it; it’s just awesome watching them play.” Fans spread the word quickly when it comes to Del Castillo. They’re highly impressed with the band’s live performances. “I’ve seen them [live] twice, and they were amazing,” said Jessica Martinez, a freshman at San Jacinto College in Houston. “I took some friends the second time and they were all blown away.”

According to the band’s official Web site, they have won numerous awards and honors. The band has been highly successful at the Austin Music Awards at South By Southwest, garnering one award at each of the 2002, 2004, 2005 events and a band high of seven in the 2003 contest. They took Austin Band Of The Year, Best Album Of The Year for “Vida” and Austin Single Of The Year, just to name a few. They also had the honor of performing in

Chicago at the “Kill Bill. Volume 2.” premiere. Joining Del Castillo on stage will be Vallejo, an Austin band with modern rock grooves, soulful lyrics and a touch of Latin. Much like Del Castillo, Vallejo has gained a tremendous following in Austin. For more information on the bands, please visit www.delcastillomusic.com and www.vallejomusic.com.

A WINNING TEAM - Del Castillo, an Austin band, accepts an award at Austin’s South by Southwest.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Story By: Frank Calvillo • Designed By: Roy Bazan

April 20, 2006

April 20, 2006 She is one of the world’s top female Latin American novelists. The works she has written have been considered bestsellers in America, Europe, Latin America and Australia. Her novels have garnered some of the industry’s most coveted awards from such organizations as The Los Angeles Times, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Association and The Library Journal. With more than a dozen books in publication that have sold 35 million copies and have been translated into nearly 30 languages, and a writing style that has been described as a combination of politics, romance and magical realism, Isabel Allende has given the Latin American woman a voice in the world of literature. On Monday, Allende will visit The University of Texas-Pan American to give a lecture as part of UTPA’s Outstanding Leadership Series. The event will include a lecture from Allende along with a student luncheon that will take place between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Tickets were distributed yesterday in the student union on a first come first serve basis. One hundred students are being granted the opportunity to hear the famous author speak. However, despite her massive success, Allende’s life has not been without suffering. In a life full of riches, Allende had to endure such hardships as exile from her homeland in 1973 and the death of her daughter in 1994. Allende used these life-altering experiences to her advantage and channeled the emotions into her writing. Such events inspired her to write her debut novel “The House of the Spirits,” a tale about a family living in South America at the turn of the century during the time of communism and socialism, and “Paula,” a memoir written shortly after her daughter’s death. Born on August 2, 1942 in Lima, Peru, Allende grew up the daughter of Chilean parents, a nationality she wears proudly and displays in her work. Her father, Tomas Allende, was a diplomat, and her uncle was Salvador Allende, former president of Chile. Her writing career began in 1964 as a journalist for “Paula,” a Chilean women’s magazine. Her career continued to flourish when she wrote for a children’s magazine called “Mampato.” In the mid-‘70s Allende made the switch from magazines to newspapers when she was hired as a writer for El Nacional, a prominent newspaper in Venezuela. Allende began writing her first novel in 1981. According to the author, the novel was a result of the exile brought upon by the military coup in Chile. “I suppose that I was trying to recover the world I had lost,” she said in an e-mail interview. The novel was critically acclaimed, and Allende was herald-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ed for her portrayal of life in South America. But despite the novel’s success, Allende was saddened to find that she was one of a rare breed: female Latin American female novelists. “When I started writing at the beginning of the ‘80s there were no female names in the so-called boom of Latin American literature, although women had been writing in my continent since the 16th century,” she said. “There seemed to be conspiracy of silence regarding women’s writing.” One novel followed after another. Allende never strayed from tackling important and relevant issues in her writing. Whether it was military dictatorship in “Of Love and Shadows,” social class discrimination in “Eva Luna,” or immigration in “The Infinite Plan,” Allende succeeded in bringing heated topics of debate to the forefront of Latin American literature. Allende herself admits that her novels contain multitudes of themes and messages. “There are themes that one can find in almost all my books: love, death, strong women, social and political issues, restorative justice, nature, history, a sense of place and often violence,” she said Allende has also written a series of coming-of-age adventure novels for young adults, including “City of the Beasts,” “Kingdom of the Golden Dragon,” and “Forest of the Pygmies,” all of which feature the teenage character Alexander Cold and his experiences in the Amazon jungle. But it is her representation of Latin American women that has made her a noteworthy figure in women’s literature. Her heroines in such novels as “Daughter of Fortune” (an Oprah Book Club selection), “Portrait of Sephia” and “Aphrodite” were all indicative of the different views of women that exist in Latin America. However, Allende maintains a sense of humility when discussing the traits of the women she creates. “I portray women as I see them. I have worked with and for women all my life, and I believe I know them well. I don’t invent ideal models for female readers to emulate,” she said. Indeed many would agree with Allende when it comes to her knowledge of the Latin American woman. Caroline Miles, an English professor at UTPA, believes that Allende’s time in the many parts of Latin America has helped shape the idea of the Latin American woman. “What is interesting about her is that she’s moved around Latin America so much that it’s given her different views of women,” said Miles. Miles, who teaches a Women’s Literature course, credits

Page 9 Allende for being part of the Latin American feminist literary awakening. “Latin American female writers such as her always have lots to offer. She has shown that issues such as female subordination are still heavy in Latin America,” she said. It is perhaps her non-fiction memoirs that Allende considers her most personal works. “Paula,” which Allende wrote in memory of her daughter, is among the author’s favorites. “It helped me overcome the terrible loss of my daughter and find meaning to my sorrow,” she explained. “It was an exercise in memory. I could sort out the confusion of what had happened and transform my emptiness into strength.” While the inspiration behind the work may be one of sadness, Allende proclaims “Paula” to be joyous. “Writing was my way of grieving, yet the book is not sad; it is a celebration of love, life and family. To this day, so many years later, I still get letters from people who felt touched by that story,” she said. Today Allende has acquired a reputation as one of the leading Latin American female novelists, and her list of accolades and awards continues to grow. She has been awarded nearly a dozen honorary degrees from such prestigious universities as New York University and Columbia University and has received other honors such as honorary citizen of Austin,and member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her novels have been transformed into plays, musicals, operas and films. Both “The House of the Spirits” and “Of Love and Shadows” were made into award-winning films and featured such stars as Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder and Antonio Banderas. Allende herself was delighted that Hollywood acknowledged her work. “When I saw my first novel on the big screen I felt honored that all that effort and money had been spent on my story,” she said. Students, such as UTPA senior Angelica Cerda, are thrilled at the opportunity of having an author of Allende’s stature visit the university. “Her visit is important to our university because of our multicultural diversity and the presence of our Hispanic culture at UTPA,” said the English major. With many stories and characters still to write about, there is no doubt that Allende’s influence has, and will continue to, change the world of women’s literature. For more information on Allende and her works, visit http://www.isabelallende.com.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Story By: Frank Calvillo • Designed By: Roy Bazan

April 20, 2006

Page 10

A & E

April 20, 2006

Disney On Ice comes to Dodge Arena Incredibles save the day in costumed ice show

By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American Disney on Ice will transform Hidalgo’s Dodge Arena into an incredible adventure April 26 – May 1 when Pixar’s “The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure” arrives in the Valley to present its show. Produced by Feld Entertainment, this story reveals what happens when the Parrs try to have a normal vacation at the Magic Kingdom Park and are forced to turn into The Incredibles to save Mickey and Minnie. The ice show does not maintain the plot of the movie. While “The Incredibles…” has the core characters from the movie, the plot is different. In the movie, the family is forced to use their super powers to save the city from villain Syndrome; however, on ice, the Parrs must rescue Mickey and Minnie from Syndrome’s evil grasp. The purpose of the event is to bring a bit of Disney to the locals instead of trying to get them to come to Disney, according to Lee Roy Wolford, staff coordinator for the ice show. Attendees get to experience many of the rides the theme park offers without having to leave the Valley. “The Incredibles go through the Magic Kingdom and through all the rides they really

have at the park,” said Wolford. “Families will see the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise, so people get to experience the park in their hometown.” Unlike the movie, the ice show encourages audience participation. Each ticket holder will be provided with an “Incredi-band,” a special light-up cuff, so everyone can help fight the bad guys. “I’ve heard it is a fantastic show, and I can’t wait to experience it,” said Fidel Villaseñor, a sophomore marketing major at The University of Texas-Pan American. He is going to the show with his family. “My little sister is very excited about the show, and it will be a great opportunity to spend some quality time with my family.” Not only is the ice show garnering a childoriented audience, but it is also attracting the Valley’s Spanish speakers. “We do have a Spanish-language showing for this particular event,” said Yajaira Flores, director of marketing and sales for Dodge Arena. “We would like to have a Spanish showing for all of our events, but unfortunately we can’t. There is a large Spanish-speaking population here, and we try to accommodate them when we can.” She added that some of the showings are already sold out.

FUN ON ICE - Disney on Ice’s ‘The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure,’ comes to Dodge Arena starting April 26.

“This is the third year for Disney on Ice,” Flores said. “It’s been an extremely successful show. We have 14 showings, and four school shows, where the schools bus the kids over for the shows, which are already sold out.” “The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure” is filled with adventure and appeals

to people of all ages; both children and adults are in for a fun-filled show. Tickets range from $15-$35 and can be bought by phone or through the arena’s Web site. For more information on this and other events, visit Dodge Arena’s site at www.dodgearena.com or call 956-843-6688.

Film not just for kids, young at heart

Kiddie-marketed movie contains themes for adults, too By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American What do you get when mixing a sloth, mammoth, tiger and melting ice? “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.” The weirdest herd ever is back with new friends and a whole new adventure. This time Diego, Manny and Sid are in a race against time because their lush land is about to become nothing more than a water world. The same voices are back, as well, including John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Ray Romano. However, now new characters have been introduced including Queen Latifah as Ellie, a confused but loveable mammoth, and her two brothers Eddie and Crash, voiced by Josh Peck and Sean William Scott. And of course, who could forget Scrat, the funny and relentless squirrel still trying to get his beloved acorn? Still on the hunt for the single acorn, he breaks the tension through the movie with bouts of comic relief. According to rottentomatoes.com, most of the movie is stolen by this buck-toothed guy, who unwittingly sets up the problems in the first movie and solves them in the second. “Better than the original! Scrat the saber-

Reporter’s Rating: ★★★★✩

toothed squirrel once again steals the film...love that squirrel!” said John Venable of SUPERCALA.com So the story must continue with the herd and their lives after the rescue of the human baby in the first movie. Of course Sid is still the dreamer, who wants to be taken seriously by the rest of the herd. But try as he might, he always seems to mess something up. Diego, of course, is the levelheaded tough guy who has to confront a big fear of his in order to help save the day. And then there’s Manny, the sarcastic mammoth with the heart of gold, who is afraid he has become the last of his kind.

The newly added Ellie, voiced by Queen Latifah, brings a breath of fresh air to the story, with some unexpected twists. And so Manny tries to gain a mate, but in the process finds it difficult to sway her from her old ways. “I liked it better than the first one,” said Jessica Vela, a sophomore communications major at The University of Texas-Pan American. “Ellie brings more life to the herd and the movie all together. There is more laughing and conflict because of her.” Although the amount of humor has not changed much, there are themes in the new film that could be considered strictly for adults. At one point Manny suggests that it is up to him and Ellie to save their species by mating. Children in the audience might not understand what is going on, unless they are up to speed on these issues, as most of the younger generation tends to be. Still, for those who just want a good laugh, much of the comedy is provided by the two newest characters on screen, Eddie and Crash, Ellie’s not-exactly brothers. Their playful demeanor and chemistry can remind anyone of their own overprotective and mischievous siblings. The movie also focuses on some ecological issues the world is facing right now, with global warming and the threat of extinction of certain animal species. It is funny how such reflections

SCRAT

on society are found in the movie. Even there, savvy younger generations are outwitting their predecessors. Manny at one point tells a story similar to “Little Red Riding Hood,” and the kids start asking questions, overanalyzing the story and thinking about the ending, noting how unfulfilling it was as a story and how unrealistic the characters were. The only thing that might leave someone guessing about the sequel is why they did not tie in the baby and tribe from the first movie. So does Manny save his species? Will Sid gain respect? Does Scrat ever get his acorn? If you want to know, then you better go watch.

NEWS

April 20, 2006

Page 11

LEADERSHIP continued from page 1 them to come out of their shell and get involved on campus,” she said. Jerry Price, dean of students, believes leadership programs such as SLA are good for students who want to be involved in school activities but aren’t necessarily looking for a longterm position they need to be selected or voted into.

“We began SLA a couple of years ago because we wanted to give students a chance to pursue individual goals without having to worry about being totally committed to the position they serve,” he said. “SLA members can go at their own pace, so they can go as far as graduating from the academy, or they can just attend a few of the workshops.”

WEDDINGTON continued from page 1 The daughter of a Methodist preacher and a high school coach, Weddington said opportunities never came easily to her education-wise, especially when it came to going to law school. While at McMurry College in Abilene, she had some obstacles. “I told him that I wanted to go to law school and he said, ‘Well you can’t.’ I asked him, ‘Why not? I have very good grades,’” she said. “He replied that no woman from the college had ever gone to law school and it was at that moment I decided I would go.” Despite discouragement from some advisers, Weddington said it was then that she learned valuable lessons. “I think every person should say to themselves ,‘What can I do today that will give me more options tomorrow?’ And I think that education gives you more options,” she said. Among those options, she said, are leadership roles. She stressed the fact that being a leader does not mean being perfect, and said she learned this one afternoon on the ski slopes after a beginner’s lesson. As she made her way down the beginner slopes, she feared falling so much that she made her way down with the greatest of care and the slowest pace. Upon reaching the bottom, Weddington proudly told her instructor that she had not fallen once. His reaction, though not what she expected, taught her a valuable lesson. “He said to me ‘You’ll never be any good. Because the only people who are ever good are the ones who go a little faster than they know how to control but if they fall down, know how to get up,’” she recalled. Personally, Weddington knows a lot about getting up when the odds are long. In 2001, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. But through the dismay, she found a way to change the negativity of the situation into something positive by writing a series of articles for a local newspaper encouraging people to speak about the issue and to be aware. Today, Weddington continues to spread her message of awareness, infusing her talks with a touch of humor. “When I first found the cancer I called it Darth Vader because it was mysterious and covered. You

couldn’t tell what it really looked like. Now, I call it Osama Bin Laden because I don’t know if it’s truly dead or just hiding,” she said. Humor was a big part of Weddington’s speech Tuesday. According to her, it’s all part of her delivery strategy. “I think what I was really trying to do was find an interesting way to tell stories,” she said. “One of the things I try and do is when things happen in life, you try and think ‘How can I tell this to someone else in an interesting way?’” One thing that has no specific story to go along with it, according to Weddington, is her definition of leadership: “the willingness and the ability to leave your thumbprint.” Without a doubt, Weddington has left her thumbprint on history, as her Roe work made it into the Time magazine special section “80 days that changed America,” released for the magazine’s 80th anniversary issue. However, it bothered her that there was a lack of women on the prestigious list. “Of the 80, 10 were women,” she said. “My hope is that the next time there’s 100 days that changed the world or 120, that there will be a lot more women included on the list.” She added that it is important to note, that leaders come from all genders, races, and walks of life. “You don’t have to be a model to be a leader. The best leader is the kind that can bring many types of people together,” she said. While the next Distinguished Speaker has yet to be determined, Samuel Smith, director of the Student Union and chair of the Distinguished Speakers Committee, says they are in the “preliminary stages” of picking the next batch of speakers. Just like the future speakers are unknown, so is the fate of Roe v. Wade. South Dakota recently passed a statute that makes abortion illegal. The people who have passed it are now trying to overturn Roe v. Wade. “There are a lot of people who are opposed to abortion but also a lot of people who don’t think it is for the government to decide,” Weddington said. “I think the next year is going to be very critical in terms of who is on the board when that case gets to the court.”

For more information or special accommodations please contact the Dead of Students Office at 381-2262

Leo Barrera, a sophomore political science major who will graduate from the academy in May, says he likes going to the guest speaker series and also listening to leaders in the community. “By going, I understood what a big role leadership plays,” he said. He hopes students that attended the

distinguished speaker session this week will also gain some leadership insight. A key event this week will be the Salute to Leaders awards ceremony, which will take place today at noon in the Ballroom. Five students were chosen out of 31 nominations by a committee, and will be given awards for outstanding leadership.

TABC continued from page 1 that have a history of drinking-related incidents on file with the local police. “The bars that we go to tend to be places that make many calls to local police because of fights or a belligerent patron” said Munsell. While the TABC officers would cite a patron for public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, they also ticketed employees who have continued to serve the patron even after it was evident they were drunk. “Serving someone a drink after it’s obvious they’re too drunk is illegal and punishable by a fine,” said Munsell. “When we go to a bar, we’ll watch someone and if they are really in bad shape and still getting served than both the patron and employee are at fault.” Vanessa Weaver, a freshman communications disorders major at The University of Texas-Pan American and bartender at Chili’s, said she had no problem with the program if its power was not abused. “It’s fine if they want to ticket people for getting too drunk, and as long as they don’t just give anyone who drinks a citation I don’t see it as a problem,” Weaver said. Adriana Szumilewicz, a senior English major, agreed.

“I think it’s a good thing they stop people from driving drunk, but it is a little disconcerting that if you trip on your way to the bathroom you may get in trouble or questioned,” Szumilewicz said. However, in defense of the SIP program, Munsell said that citing drunks in a bar keeps them from getting arrested for more serious offenses. “The goal of the busts is to stop people from getting into a car and committing a worse crime,” said Munsell. “Many times we let the owners know ahead of time that we’ll be going in and they are almost always cooperative.” Some cities do require that a person be held from four to 12 hours in jail to sober up and will also impose fines as part of the punishment, TABC performs sobriety tests and breath analysis to gauge the level of drunkenness. In general, Munsell said the offenders have around twice the legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent. The results of the new initiative have already become apparent to some, despite the suspension. “In Austin for example we’ve seen a drop in the number of public intoxication citations issued from last year to this year,” said Munsell. “Last year (2004) TABC issued about 50 to 60 citations on Sixth Street alone, but this year the numbers were about a third of that.”

NEWS

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SURVEY continued from page 3

E-MAIL continued from page 3 Internet at broncs.utpa.edu. Additionally, they offer new services that were not available on the old system. According to Toal, the new system will give students a much better experience than they had before. For starters, the student Hotmail accounts a have 250MB inbox, which is 10 times as big as what UTPA currently provides. Hotmail also has a better interface. “We worked with Microsoft to make UTPA one of the first five universities to be in the university Hotmail program,” Toal said. “We worked with MSN before the program was announced publicly and provided input and testing that helped them improve the service.” Teachers, students and staff are looking forward to working with this e-mail system. “I like it a lot. Hotmail is a terrific e-mail system. They've added lots of new features to it over the years, and there are more improvements coming,” said Marilu Salazar director of International Programs. Some of the new features mentioned by

Salazar are blogging, calendars, MSN Messenger and an address book; all will help students organize their schedules. The switch to Hotmail isn’t the only e-mail overhaul the university has done in the past few months. Recently, they eliminated some individual e-mails sent to students from campus offices, opting instead to feature most campus announcements in a single weekly message called the Bronc Notes Weekly Digest. There a lot of new things on the horizon; however, some students are skeptical about the changes to e-mail. “I am looking forward to using the new Hotmail account, but it has some things that are confusing that I do not understand,” said Leo Salazar, a junior CIS major. To help alleviate any confusion about the new system, there will be training sessions available. For more information on how to register for training contact Anne Toal at (956) 381-3300 or email harwell@panam.edu.

GOLF continued from page 3 management and the importance of community involvement. Rene Cantu, assistant athletic director for development, hopes the event will be highly beneficial for the middle school students. “They’ll have time with actual students, who apart from school courses, have hours of practice,” he said. “They have to juggle their studies and practice and workout and we think they’ll be a positive role model for the youth.” Cantu added that the event should be “really exciting. The clinic is going to expose them to something new that will hopefully inspire them to channel their energies.” Lacy is happy about the level of community sup-

port and opportunities the event will bring to GEAR UP students. “It’s really great when we get the sponsors from the community and community leaders out there and see all the kids experiencing something new,” he said. This year will mark the first clinic and Cantu hopes the students will enjoy the event and take it as encouragement in the right direction. “For some of these kids, it’ll probably be their first time on a golf course, so we’re really excited to expose them to golf and teach them positive issues,” he said. Those interested in taking part in the Pan Am Classic can call the Alumni Office at 381-2500.

SCHOLARSHIP continued from page 3 said. “It is my hope that the scholarships will serve to memorialize their sacrifice and inspire deserving veterans to pursue an education.” Brenda Garcia, UTPA scholarship coordinator, elaborated on the meaning of the award. “This scholarship is very important because it honors our fallen Valley heroes as well as provides an opportunity to assist students in improving their future through higher education,” she said. There have been 70 applicants this year and applications are still being accepted. “There was an overwhelming response to the scholarship last year,” said Lynda Lopez, public affairs specialist in the President’s Office and member of the Valley Heroes Scholarship Committee. There were over 100 applicants for the first year the scholarship was available. Garcia added that the purpose of the award is to ensure that as long as UTPA stands, there will be at least 10 students who will carry with them the memory of the fallen Valley heroes. The 10 students awarded the scholarship will receive $500 a semester to assist with education-related expenses. “I think the scholarship is great,” said Simones. “There is not enough representation for veterans

April 20, 2006

and this is a nice way of showing appreciation and representation.” This scholarship is not automatically renewed; therefore students are encouraged to reapply each year. Applications are available through the Student Financial Services Office, Student Services Building Room 1.136 and online at www.utpa.edu/valleyheroes. The deadline for the 2006/2007 award is May 1. For more information on this scholarship contact Brenda Garcia at (956) 381-2935.

Q “I wanted to do something to honor the lives of these young men and women, many of whom did not have a chance to yet go to college. It is my hope that the scholarships will serve to memorialize their sacrifice. ” - President Blandina Cardenas

that can be made. As usual, students complained about parking, or the lack thereof. “Some days are better than others, but many times parking can be a real hassle here at school,” Ricardo Rios Jr., a sophomore business major, said. Certain areas, such as food service, parking and financial aid, are consistently ranked low by respondents, added Price. “Parking of course is an area that many students are unhappy with and through this survey and others we can better establish a plan to deal with parking in the long term,” said Price. Price reiterated that they are working on making improvements to the areas rated poorly. “In regard to parking, for example, we have just gotten permission to buy two new shuttles and pos-

sibly increase either the shuttle routes or the frequency that the shuttles run,” said Price. Many students also find difficulty using other services or navigating through the bureaucracy on campus. “I don’t have a problem with parking, but financial aid can be really annoying to deal with sometimes,” said Emmanuel Alvarez, a junior engineering student. Data from the surveys has been effective in the past in helping the university identify problem areas and make adjustments. The SSI conducted prior to 2004’s was administered in 2001 and both helped administrators realize that extending computer lab hours as well as hours at the University Center and the Student Union were good ideas.

EROS’ Official Presentation EROS invites artists to be a part of its official launch where they will be able to showcase their art and reach buyers. Artists are welcome to showcase their: Sculptures, Drawings, Paintings, Poetry, Photography etc.

Launching: May 6, 2006 at Club Farenheit Doors Open at 9:00 p.m. To register your art or for more information on the event contact: (956) 206-6911 or (956) 655-8370. EROS: Promoting Music, Art & Culture

April 20, 2006

SPORTS CLIPBOARD Brooks' ninth inning blast helps Broncs win 8-7 Broncs split series with Stephen F. Austin The UTPA baseball team pulled out a come-from-behind victory on Wednesday over the Stephen F. Austin State Lumberjacks, 8-7, thanks to a two-run home run from Patrick Brooks in the ninth inning. The Broncs took the lead quickly, scoring a run in the first inning when Zach Smith drove a single up the middle to score T.J. Gilmer from second base. UTPA then extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning after Louie Alamia and Gilmer both singled to lead off the inning. After allowing a run in the fourth, the Broncs added to their lead with Brooks hitting an RBI double down the left field line, Abraham Garcia hitting a sacrifice fly to center field and Brady Honeycutt pulling an RBI double down the left field line for a 6-1 lead. The Lumberjacks added a pair of runs off reliever Kelly Casares before putting up a four-run seventh inning on five hits to take a 7-6 lead. Trailing by one in the top of the ninth, Osiel Flores led off with an infield single and then moved over to second on an Otis Powers sacrifice bunt. Brooks then drove a one-out home run over the left field wall to give the Broncs the 87 lead. Tim Haines pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. With a single through the right side in the third inning, Alamia recorded a hit in the 19th straight game to pull within three of the longest consecutive-game hitting streak in program history. The senior was 1 for 4 at the plate and scored one run. Brooks enjoyed a 3 for 5 day at the plate, driving in three runs and scoring two. Smith, Gilmer, Flores and Garcia all collected two hits in the game, accounting for five runs scored and four runs batted in. The Broncs improve to 20-23 with the win while the Lumberjacks fall to 8-33. UTPA next plays against the fifth-ranked University of Texas Longhorns in Austin on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.

Lady Broncs take four titles at ASU/David Noble Relays

SPORTS

Page 13

FOR THE RECORD UTPA SPORTS

BATTING

Baseball Wednesday, Apr. 19 UTPA 8, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN ST. 7 UTPA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E

UTPA 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 - 8 13 1 SFA 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 0 0 X - 7 11 1 BATTING

Alamia 4 Gilmer 5 Flores 5 Smith 3 Brooks 5 Garcia 2 Honeycutt 4 Lozano 5 Autrey 2 Buhagair 1 Totals 36

1 2 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 8

1 2 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 13

RBI

0 0 0 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 8

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 4

PITCHING

Ibarz Casares Mason Morales Haines

3.2 1.1 1.0 0.2 2.1

2 1 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 1

5 2 0 2 0

2 1 1 0 1

17 9 6 6 7

E - Autrey; Sinclair. LOB - UTPA 9; SFA 11. 2B - Brooks; Garcia; Honeycutt; Schrom. 3B - Hill. HR - Brooks. W - Haines (4-3); L - Miller (0-2); S None. Tuesday, Apr. 18 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN ST. 5, UTPA 3

R H E

UTPA Sports Information

5 5 4 2 1 2 3 4 2 1 2 4 35

0 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 12

RBI

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 8

PITCHING

Linder Guerra Morales

4.1 7 2.2 5 1.0 0

4 1 0

2 0 0

2 3 3

16 11 3

DP - UTPA 2; SFA 2. LOB - UTPA 10; SGA 6. 2B - Gilmer; Croft. HBP - Flores; Sinclair. SH - Lozano; Britto. SF Brooks. SB - Alamia; Sadler. W - Lehman (5-1); L - Linder (1-3); S Miller (1). Top 10 Bronc batting percentages AVG 1. Louie Alamia .373 2. Abraham Garcia .333 3. Osiel Flores .299 4. Leighton Autrey .294 5. Patrick Brooks 284 6. T.J. Gilmer .277 7. Lyndon Bartosh .258 8. Zach Smith .250 9. Dan Calabro .250 9. Jason Buhagiar .241

R 28 16 32 17 26 22 0 11 2 21

H RBI 62 22 30 20 47 25 30 18 46 33 38 11 8 8 17 15 7 1 27 16

Top 10 pitching earned run averages

UTPA 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 3 12 0 SFA 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 X - 5 12 0 1. Tim Haines

Teams record 14 personal records at the meet The UTPA women's track and field program collected four individual titles, two school records and 10 top-five finishes at the ASU/David Noble Relays hosted by Angelo State University on April 16 in San Angelo. Deon Marquis was a two-time winner in both the 100-meter and 200meter dash, recording times of 11.84 and 24.46, respectively. Marquis broke a pair of school records in the process, including a time of 11.81 in the 100-meter dash during the preliminary round. Ashlon Martin collected her first collegiate individual title in the 400meter dash with a personal-best time of 57.04 while Wendy Wells notched her second title of the season with a throw of 138-0 in the javelin. Shardae Bey took runner-up honors in the 800-meter race with a personal-best time of 2:16.34 while Amanda Ferris also finished second overall with a distance of 148-10 in the hammer throw. In the 5,000 meters, Sara Rodriguez recorded a third-place finish with a personal-best time of 18:42.30 while Ashley Perez crossed the end line in fifth place with a personal-best time of 18:44.29. The Lady Broncs also had a pair of jumpers finish in the top-five in the triple jump as Liliana Cavazos landed a personal-best distance of 39-3.75, which earned her third-place honors, while Claudia Lopez marked a personal-best distance of 38-2.25 for fifth-place laurels. UTPA senior Matt Clinton finished third overall in the hammer throw with a distance of 164-5 to lead the Broncs. "This was an outstanding meet for us," said head coach Ricky Vaughn. "Deon had a huge meet, breaking two school records, and she is very close to qualifying for regionals. Liliana and Claudia each did a tremendous job, and Liliana is also very close to qualifying for regionals by a foot. You really couldn't ask for a better meet from our team, and we had 14 athletes set personal-best so overall, it was a great outing for us." The Broncs and Lady Broncs will be back in action on Saturday at the Longhorn Invitational hosted by The University of Texas in Austin.

2. Ricky Ibarz 4.15 3. Dane Mason 5.02 4. Kelly Casares 5.22 5. Ray Silva 5.68 6. Chad Linde 6.18 7. Ryne Foster 6.91 8. Aaron Guerra 7.95 9. Roni Morales 8.44 10. Alex Guajardo 9.53

Apr. 25 Apr. 28 Apr. 29 Apr. 30 May. 2 May. 3 May. 12 May. 13 May. 16

3-5 6-3 0-1 2-1 1-3 0-1 2-4 2-1 0-1

69.1 71.2 29.1 25.1 39.1 27.1 54.1 16.0 5.2

90 54 30 24 32 15 43 19 5

Upcoming schedule University of Texas Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina Texas Southern Texas Southern TCU TCU UT-San Antonio

Home games in bold. (DH) denotes double-header

Golf Men’s Upcoming schedule Apr. 29-30 Independent Champs. Women’s Upcoming schedule Apr. 29-30 Indie Women’s Champs. May 5-7 National Minority Champs.

Tennis Men’s Upcoming schedule Apr. 28-30 Southland Conf. Tournament Women’s Upcoming schedule Apr. 21 Indy Women’s Tennis Tour.

Minimum 25 at bats.

UTPA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Alamia Gilmer Brooks Smith Whittlesey Bartosh Flores Garcia Honeycutt Powers Lozano Buhagier Totals

AVG W-L IP SO 2.20 4-3 28.2 45

Track Upcoming schedule Apr. 22 Longhorn Invitational Apr. 28 Drake Relays

Bronc baseball heads to Austin on a win By JORGE HINOJOSA

The Pan American In the last series played in Edinburg, The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team swept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in two games, winning the first by a slim 11-10 and then shutting out the Islanders 6-0 in the second. The series began on April 13 and ended one day after. The Broncs will be on the road for the rest of the season until their last game, May 16 against UT-San Antonio. The last time they met was April 4 when UTSA won 10-9. However, in the following games the Broncs showed somewhat of a hot streak, winning four out of the next five. The Broncs took two of three from the Birmingham-Southern College Panthers and it was in this series that the Broncs passed last season’s win total of 15. On Tuesday the Broncs played against the Stephen F. Austin State Lumberjacks losing the game 5-3. Pitcher Chad Linder got the loss and his record plunged to 1-3. Louie Alamia is still on his hitting streak, having hit in 18 straight. The senior was three for five in the game, improving his bat-

ting average to a stellar .377, which leads the team. Alamia also leads in both slugging percentage with .494, and on base percentage with .461, and has 61 hits. Patrick Brooks leads the Broncs in home runs with five and RBI with 30, and has a .433 slugging percentage. Together the Broncs have accumulated a .270 batting average while their opponent’s batting average is a better .297. The Broncs have slammed 14 homers with 384 hits while allowing 27 round-trippers and 443 hits. In 26.1 innings pitched, Tim Haines has the lowest ERA for the Broncs at 2.39 with 44 strikeouts and a 3-3 overall record. Venezuelan Ricky Ibarz has a 4.25 ERA and a record of 3-5 in 65.2 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts. Gaining redemption in what has been at times a rough UTPA career, Dane Mason was named Independent co-pitcher of the week. His performance against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi did not go unnoticed, after he threw a complete game shutout at Corpus, allowing seven hits and walking none. The right-hander struck out 11 batters

and improved his record to 6-3 on the season with an ERA of 4.71. The award is voted on by Sports Information Directors at NCAA Division I Independent institutions. The Broncs will face fifth-ranked Texas in Austin April 25. The Longhorns are beatable this season, with a 27-12 record after Tuesday’s 14-10 loss to UT-San Antonio. The Horns play against No. 4 Nebraska in a three-game series starting April 21 before they meet the Broncs, a team they beat earlier in the year. The Longhorn batting average is .290 with a handful of players batting well above the .300 mark, including Carson Kainer at .377 and Drew Stubbs at .333. The Longhorns pitching staff has an ERAof 3.71, much lower than UTPA’s 5.81. The Broncs will look out for Austin Wood who has a 1.05 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched. The Broncs will have to be prepared and on top of their game if they want to be successful against the prestigious Longhorn baseball club. After Austin the Broncs will head to South Carolina for a three-game series starting April 28 against Coastal Carolina.

Page 14

SPORTS

April 20, 2006

UTPA athletics signs new crop of hopefuls

By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American The Bronc sports teams are starting to replenish their ranks as the spring wears on. It was announced on Monday that golfer Armen Kirakossian had signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Broncs for the 2006-07 season. Kirakossian comes to The University of TexasPan American from Wilson High School in Portland, Ore., and was considered to be one of the top players in the state during the 2005 season. During that same season, he finished tied for 11th overall at the Oregon Boys’ Golf 4A State Championships. The Oregon native participated in the 36th Annual Eddie Hogan Cup Team Matches, where he competed for Team Oregon. The squad produced a top-10 finish in an event that throws the best junior golfers from the western United States and Canada against each other in a team format, where the three lowest scores each day determine the team’s total. Kirakossian becomes the first player to sign a National Letter of Intent under the reign of first-year head coach Andrew Tredway. LADY BRONC HOOPS Notching their second signee this week, UTPA and coach DeAnn Craft announced on Monday the signing of a National Letter of Intent by Lekeisha Gray. Gray is a transfer from Butler County Community College where she averaged 12.6 points, 4.3 boards, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game during her second season with the Grizzlies. The point guard stepped on the hardwood in 28 games this past

season, leading her team in assists (108) and steals (52). Gray recorded a pair of double-double performances during her sophomore season. The first came against Pratt Community College as she scored 17 and finished the game with 10 assists. Then she notched a 12-point, 10-assist performance against Dodge City Community College. “I think that she is going to really solidify a position that was real inconsistent for us this past season,” Craft said. “She has the marks to become a really good leader.” During that season, she recorded 19 doubledigit scoring performances and 11 games with five or more assists. Fray and Vaughn first of the two talents was added last week in Blinn College transfer Tamara Vaughn, who averaged 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from behind the three-point arc. In conference play, she scored 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 37.3 percent on three-point field goal attempts during her sophomore campaign. “Her presence from outside the perimeter will make our inside game even stronger,” Craft added. They will be joining a Lady Bronc team that returns 11 players from last season. TENNIS UTPA’s men’s and women’s tennis head coach Robert Hubbard announced at the beginning at the week of the signing of a National Letter of Intent by Tim Landvatter. He will join the squad for the 200607 academic year.

Landvatter comes to the Rio Grande Valley after playing club tennis for TC Waiblingen in Germany. He was a three-time junior regional champion, and won the men’s regional championships in 2005. Landvatter is currently ranked in the top 350 in the Men’s Open Division in Germany. Along with his singles accolades, he had an exceptional performance at the German Championships in 2005, placing third in men’s doubles. TRACK AND FIELD Adding some new talents to an ever-improving track and field program, Rick Vaughn announced Friday that three stellar talents from the Valley have signed National Letters of Intent and will be joining the program for the 2006-07 academic year. Two of the three new signees will be competing on the men’s side, RGV talents Gilroy Martinez and Osvaldo “Wally” Gonzalez will be competing in the distance events for the Broncs. The added depth to the distance program comes at a good time, as the squad loses steady Hector Gandara and the program’s most garnered runner Westly Keating. Edinburg North product Gonzalez has a personal-best of 4:21 in the one-mile race and a time of 1:54 in the 800 meters. He is running in the Class 5A regional tournament next week alongside fellow Cougar Omar Doria, who will also attend UTPA in the fall. “Wally [Osvaldo] and Gilbert [Gilroy] are two strong distance runners coming out of high school that are really going to add some depth to our distance program,” Vaughn said. The Lady Broncs will be joined by Weslaco’s

Krista Hlzek, whose personal-best in the pole vault is 10-6. Hlzek has qualified for the regional meet in her final prep campaign. “Krista is a very consistent pole vaulter. I think that she is an extremely talented young lady,” concluded Vaughn. VOLLEYBALL UTPA volleyball head coach Dave Thorn announced on Wednesday that Monique Schaal signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Lady Broncs. Schaal, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, helped College of Southern Idaho nab the 2005 NJCAA National Title over Miami-Dade Community College. In 33 matches last season, she averaged 1.67 kills per game, while finishing with a .197 hitting percentage for a 50-2 team. The newly signed Lady Bronc also finished with 24 blocks on the season. “Monique is a great athlete and she comes from a winning program,” Thorn commented. “Her winning experience can only help us for next season.” The newly signed Lady Bronc comes from a CSI women's volleyball program that has won eight of the last 13 NJCAA National Championships, the most ever by a junior college program. The program has produced 26 All-Americans, eight NJCAA National Tournament MVPs, seven AVCA National Players of the Year and three players named to the NJCAA All-Century Team including Lady Bronc associate head coach Fabiana de Abreu. “I think that she can really help us out in the middle blocker position as we lost two great four-year letterman middle blockers in Danielle Holthe and Stephanie Redd,” Thorn added.

SPORTS

April 20, 2006

Page 15

Women’s tennis wraps up regular season By KRISTYNA MANCIAS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American women’s tennis team (now 7-11) suffered a setback on Saturday in Huntsville to Sam

Houston State (10-8) in its final match of the regular season. The weekend proved to be one of difficulty for the Lady Broncs, as most fell in two sets in singles competition. Despite a defeat, UTPA senior Elysia Sloan

Joel de la Rosa / The Pan American PICK IT UP - Sophomore Silke Buksik attacks from the baseline during practice.

fought a hard flight against Sam Houston’s Christina Flores, losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-6. “Elysia this past weekend had two match points that she lost and I’m sure she’s just kicking herself about it, but that’s tennis,” said coach Robert Hubbard. Marine de Bourqueney was defeated in two sets, 6-1, 6-3 by Irina Sotnikova. The Lady Broncs continued to be unlucky in singles, as Sheila Mabulac, Nicole Garcia and Jessica Nanez suffered defeats in two sets to Brooke Mills, Lauren Janak and Benthany Yurkiw, respectively. Silke Buksik dropped her match to Lata Assudani, 6-3, 6-2. “Even though we lost, the level of play has increased. Everyone is playing better,” said De Bourqueney. In the doubles competition UTPA fell in all flights. Sloan and de Bourqueney teamed up and faced off against SHS’s Flores and Emma McDougall and fell 8-2. Buksik and Garcia were blanked by the Lady Bearcat duo of Mills and Peta Taylor, 8-0. Mabulac and Nanez also dropped their flight, 8-3 to SHS’S Janak and Yurliw. The Lady Broncs finished the regular season with seven wins, compared to last year’s two, and Hubbard has nothing but praise for his squad. “We’ve made great strides this year. A year ago the team only had two wins,” he said.

“We’ve done some good things but all this comes from their heart and hard work. The Lady Broncs will now turn their attention to this weekend as they travel to Indiana to compete in the National Independent Tournament. There they’ll match up against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, Northern Colorado and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. On April 1, UTPA hosted the neighboring Lady Islanders, but suffered hard-fought losses. This weekend should be one of rivalry as the team sets its hopes on defeating TAMUCC. “We have to beat Corpus Christi because we almost beat them two weeks ago here at home,” said De Bourqueney. “We made a bet that we would beat them this time.” In other women’s news, Hubbard announced on Thursday the signing of Sarah Burton, one of the top junior players in Ontario, Canada. On the men’s side, the signing of Tim Landvatter was announced on Monday. Landvatter’s addition next year will be deeply needed as the men will lose three seniors. With both the men and women coming up short with losing records, nothing can take away from how far they’ve come this season. “I’m absolutely pleased. Since the first day of practice they’ve improved so much,” Hubbard said. “They all have worked really hard and improved their game and that’s all I can ask.”

Bronc soccer club making off-season moves Men in action tonight against University of Texas-Brownsville

By FERNANDO MARTINEZ PECHS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American Bronc soccer club is preparing hard to confront the upcoming fall season. The club, under guidance of new head coach Carlos Trevino, hopes to perform better as a team and to finish first in the Lone Star South Conference. Trevino is very enthusiastic about the team’s performance from last year in its first season, and expects to go further in the state tournament. He has a squad filled with most of last year’s players; only three players are new. Trevino commented on the team’s key players that will make a difference in the season. “Polo Tapia and Artemio Arriaga are the foundation of our defense. They are quick central defenders that play easy,” he said. “Pablo Aguilar and Roel Trevino play up front in the attack, and are lethal. Pablo was our top scorer last year.” Trevino’s main expectation for the new season is to improve the team’s tactics. He is planning to play with a 4-4-2 formation, where everyone takes a part to assist the team when defending and attacking. “We need to improve our technique in order to confront our adversaries’ corporal shape. In Dallas, San Antonio and Austin players are bigger than us, so improving our technique can help us challenge that,” Trevino said.

The Bronc soccer club is in the middle of the preseason, and recently matched up against The University of Texas-Brownsville. The first match was played April 13 in Brownsville, and concluded with a 2-2 draw. Aguilar and Tony Garza were the scorers for the Broncs, who will host UTB in the last series match tonight at 8 p.m. at the UTPA Rec-sports field. Trevino’s expected formation for tonight’s encounter will have Alberto Perez as goalkeeper. Arriaga, Rodrigo Castillo, Tapia and Omar Guerrero will be the defenders. Hugo Zuniga, Victor Gutierrez, Roel Trevino and Garza are in midfield. The strikers will be Aguilar and Pedro Espinoza. After many years without a soccer team, the soccer club’s first season in the fall of 2005 yielded outstanding results. The club had a record of four wins and two defeats, with a goal difference of plus-6. They finished in second place in the Lone Star South Conference, and advanced to the state tournament. At the Lubbock State Championship, the Broncs defeated The University of Texas-Austin 1-0, but then lost two straight matches, to Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The Broncs finished seventh out of the 12 squads at the state meeting. Interested new players are expected to attend tryouts and practices for both men’s and women’s soccer club squads. Men’s training is on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the evening at the Intramural Rec-sports field. For more information on the men’s squad please contact

Polo Tapia at (956) 222-0504. While the men’s team practices in preparations for playing about 10 games in the fall, the women’s squad is taking a bit of a different route than their male counterparts. After a moderately successful inaugural campaign, the women’s squad is not currently practicing together like the men’s team. Though, some of the women on the team are staying in shape in preparation for the fall by playing in

leagues around the area, others stay focused on the primary factor, which is school. The women’s team is currently interested in adding more players to its roster, and is planning to hold try outs for women that are interested. “We will probably hold try outs some time before the fall semester begins, so we can get anyone interested before school starts,” Loida Tamayo commented.

Bronc soccer club line-up Hugo Zuniga Artemio Arriaga Rodrigo Castillo

Pablo Aguilar

Victor Gutierrez Alberto Perez Roel Trevino Polo Tapia Pedro Espinoza Omar Guerrero Tony Garcia Starting lineup for April 20 friendly against The University of Texas-Brownsville.

SPORTS

Clipboard..........................13 Bronc Signings.................14 Soccer..............................15

Lady Bronc throwers building bright future

By RACHEL REIDA The Pan American With only three guaranteed track meets left on the schedule, The University of Texas-Pan American women throwers have a lot of work ahead of them. But they’ve had a fine season so far. Although there are only three women throwers on the competing roster as of now, the UTPA track and field team has continued its tradition of excellence set by All-Americans Isaac Ybarra and Amy Moses the past few years. Currently on the roster for the Lady Bronc hurlers are sophomore Amanda Ferris, and freshmen Wendy Wells and Michelle Elizondo. They may not have much experience at the collegiate level, but they’ve battled to prove themselves. During the outdoor season, the throwers have competed in Austin, Houston, California, Nacogdoches, and will finish the year at Austin, Des Moines, Iowa, and Houston before the regional championships in Austin May 26-27, if they qualify. This year Ferris, from San Antonio, has captured two individual championships in the hammer, as well as placing in the top five in four meets in the shot put. She came to UTPA strictly as a shot-putter, and like many before, has learned and somewhat mastered the hammer throw. “I’m not as strong as some of the others that I compete against in the shot put,” commented Ferris when asked why her main concentration now is on the hammer. “Although I do have the ambition and the speed needed, I just seem to be excelling in the hammer right now. I’ve already had great PRs (personal records) in both the shot put and the hammer and I am very close to making it to the regional meet in both. “I feel that I have accomplished more in the hammer this year by finally figuring out the technique. Technique is very important in the hammer and it has obviously shown in my performances this year with an 18-foot PR.”

Ferris, who has thrown 45 feet, 1 1/2 inches in the shot and 172 feet in the hammer, has already accomplished a lot this year, and competed in the prestigious Texas Relays earlier this month. The future looks bright for her at UTPA. “I’m so close to making it to regionals in the hammer it is unreal,” said Ferris. “If I can just connect some missing pieces of the puzzle I should make it without a doubt. I am only five feet off which isn’t a lot, but I am just not there yet psychologically.” Fellow hammer and shot put thrower Elizondo has a whole different outlook on the sport of collegiate track and field. With this being her first year at the collegiate level, Elizondo has been through a lot of transitions, having suffered back injuries early in the season. She is still adjusting to life at the Division I level having come from high school. Joel de la Rosa / The Pan American “It has been way different than I had originally TRACK AND FIELD TRIO - (Left to right) Freshmen Michelle Elizondo and Wendy Wells, plus sophthought,” commented Elizondo, who attended Laredo omore Amanda Ferris, hope to anchor the UTPA women’s track and field team this weekend in Austin. Alexander High School. “The difference from high school is so drastic, it took me at least a month to get the Texas Relays, Wells has shown that javelin just the team for other reasons. Through it all, the Lady used to the workouts. I have been introduced to so might be her new favorite event. Broncs have proven to the rest of the field that they many new exercises and have worked muscles that I “Javelin actually came pretty natural to me,” are not giving up, and they are here to compete and didn’t even know I had at this level. I feel, though, that revealed Wells. “Although it has taken some time to win. everyone on the team has welcomed me which makes learn, I have progressed rather quickly. I broke the “It has definitely been hard to see some of the it easier for me to feel comfortable out on the track and school record and qualified for regionals in my first team go by seeing how easy it is to give up,” said at meets.” meet ever to throw the javelin, and I have also finished Ferris when asked about the departure of much of the Since she started, she has been introduced to the in the top three is all of my track meets. I am still veteran contingent from past years. “Not all of them sport of the hammer throw, and has proven that she working on my, form, though so that I can improve left by choice, but it does make a difference in may have a future in the event. and hopefully make it to nationals.” practice. With the group that we had all of us “I think for not ever seeing or throwing a Transitioning has also been a feat for Wells, for motivated one another and now you really have to hammer. I am doing well, said Elizondo. “I have been she too came to UTPA straight from high school, and push yourself and complete the next set of weights, or getting better as the year goes on.” was thrown into the world of Division I athletics. throw a few more throws, only then will you’ll be On a completely different track of throwing for “I was a multiple-sport athlete in high school,” better in the end.” the Lady Broncs is freshman Wells, the lone javelin commented Wells, “and the track season is much Her teammate agrees. competitor this year for UTPA. shorter in high school. One thing I like aout it, though, “I think that it has been different in practice and Coming to Edinburg as a multi-event athlete, is the fact that it has been nice to be able to concentrate in the meets without the other throwers, because your and never having thrown the javelin before, the on one sport all year long, and the athletes are at a teammates aren’t there to help you and make you Weslaco native has proven that she has a future in the much higher level.” work harder anymore,” commented Elizondo event, and may go down as one of the best ever to It has been a year of transition for the Sometimes you just need another person there who wear a Lady Bronc uniform. throwers, as the team has integrated new players to is going through the same things you are to help As one of only four UTPA athletes to compete at replace graduated athletes and some who have left you get through it all.”

Bronc basketball team eagerly heads into Schuberth Era Schuberth brings 24 years of coaching experience to UTPA, which includes 11 NCAA Tournaments, two Sweet 16 appearances and a trip to A new era started Tuesday - the Schuberth Era - both the Elite Eight and Final Four. when The University of Texas-Pan American Director He is known by many collegiate coaches to be of Athletics Scott Street announced the hiring of an incredible recruiter. Schuberth in fact helped put former Central Florida associate head together the top-ranked recruiting class coach Tom Schuberth as the 13th head in the nation during his stay at the men’s basketball coach. University of Memphis. Three of his “We are very excited to have former recruits became NBA players, coach Schuberth join our Bronc three were McDonald’s High School family,” Street said. “We had an All-Americans and two were National outstanding applicant pool for our Junior College Players of the year. He men's basketball head coaching also had a role in getting Anfernee position, but it became obvious during “Penny” Hardaway to play for what the early stages that his experience and was then Memphis State; he became accomplishments made him a strong one of the top collegiate players in the Schuberth candidate.” early ‘90s.

By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American

Before coming to UTPA, Schuberth spent four seasons at the University of Central Florida where the Golden Knights notched an 84-41 record during his tenure on the coaching staff. The team earned a pair of berths to the NCAA Tournament while capturing the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship twice along with one Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. In his four seasons, Schuberth helped the Golden Knights record three consecutive 20-plus winning seasons, including 25 wins during the 200304 season, the second most victories in the program’s history. “He's been a proven winner at every program that he's coached, and we believe that he will do the same here and help us restore the great tradition of UTPA basketball," said Street. During his tenure, Schuberth served as the

recruiting coordinator at UCF, while assisting head coach Kirk Speraw with all aspects of the program, including on-court coaching and game preparation. A native of Chicago, he began his college coaching career as an assistant at the University of North Alabama in 1982 after spending two years touring as a player with the Harlem Globetrotters. Schuberth toured over 25 countries as a member of the California Chiefs, the opposing team for the Globetrotters. “Coach Schuberth’s experience and knowledge of the game I think will be a great asset to our program,” Street added. An official press conference will be held Friday at 11 p.m. at the UTPA University Ballroom, where Schuberth will be introduced to the university community and the rest of the Rio Grande Valley.