April 27, 2006 by UTRGV Student Media

Summer issues: June 15, 29 and July 13, 27 THE

PAN

AMERICAN

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

April 27, 2006

elay for life:

Racing for a cure

U.S. official speaks on progress By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American

American Cancer Society UNITED - Relay for Life team leaders met at Stone Ridge Plaza in McAllen on April 13 and spelled out “hope,” which symbolizes the message behind the event. Teams will participate this weekend at McAllen Memorial Stadium from 6 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

By JAVIER CAVAZOS The Pan American It was over. Ana Gandara, then 33, had gone through six months of chemotherapy and two months of radiation to get to this point. She was cancer-free. Sadly, it would only last for seven years.

When she was 40, she hurt her shoulder and technicians taking X-rays found spots in her lungs. The cancer was not only back, but it had metastasized, or spread, to her lungs. In January, the married teacher and mother of three lost her battle with cancer. Friday the annual Relay For Life will be held in memory of Gandara, who

was also a volunteer for the group. The event begins at 6 p.m. Friday evening and ends Saturday at 7 a.m. “Relay For Life represents the hope those lost to cancer won’t be forgotten, and that those still battling the disease will always have support,” said Anabel Arellano, director of Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society

office in McAllen. The level of support cancer survivors need is all too evident in a letter written by Gandara in which she described what life with cancer is like and how she had to adjust her life and still fight the disease. “At work it was so hard to hold on

See RELAY page 11

It’s not very often you see the Secret Service walking around The University of Texas-Pan American. However, with a visit from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez last Friday, it was expected. Something that was unexpected, though, turned out to be a little bit of an issue for the busy government official: the weather. Due to storms in North Texas, he had to curtail his breakfast visit with a group of city and business leaders from around the Valley to catch an earlier flight so he would not be delayed on his way back to Washington. But Gutierrez made the most of his 15 minutes on stage. He talked about his excitement for future economy-boosting development projects planned for the Valley in the coming years, including the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge and the Mercedes outlet mall. “I know you have the determination. I did want to come down and see the vision,” he said.

See SECRETARY page 11

New Spanish publications debut By CAROLINA SANCHEZ The Pan American Two Spanish voices have found their way to The University of TexasPan American: Voces and Cuicatl. The two new Spanish publications came out this month and are aimed at giving the opportunity of expression to all the

students and faculty at UTPA. REBEL WITH A CAUSE According to Marco Cordoba, director of Voces, the Spanish newspaper is the Hispanic voice of UTPA. The newspaper will touch a variety of topics from political analysis, biographies, literature, linguistics and

READ ALL ABOUT IT Sofia Knight, a freshman business marketing major, picks up a copy of the new Spanish– language newspaper, Voces.

interviews to campus news, sports, polls and night life. But getting their first issue printed was not an easy task. According to Cordoba, the difficulties came because they could not count on the university for support – financial or moral. As a result, the paper often found itself

See SPANISH page 11 Joey Cortez/The Pan American

Panorama looking for another successful year By CAROLINA SANCHEZ The Pan American There is only one magazine where you can find a story about a student who works as a stripper, a Minuteman march in Falfurrias, and a self-mutilating chimp named Sancho Panorama: this year’s issue of The University of Texas-Pan

American’s Panorama. Donna Pazdera, Panorama faculty adviser, said she and a great team of graphic designers, reporters, photographers, and volunteers are very happy with the results of this issue of the annual magazine. “The content and design are excellent. We have a unified color and

typographic theme and the stories and photos are quirky and interesting,” Pazdera said. But it has not been an easy road to the end for the staff. “Even though we started with an enthusiastic group of people last August, sadly, a number of them stopped doing what they were supposed to be

doing or never did anything at all,” Pazdera said. “We had a key staff member resign two days before we finished putting the magazine together, which was stressful.” But the communication lecturer said there are usually hang-ups in any

See PANORAMA page 11

OPINIONS

PAGE 2

April 27 2006

UNPROTECTED TEXT THE

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

Tears for (trumped up) fears By DAVID RODRIGUEZ The Pan American

(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 55th Year – No. 28

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.

W h a t with the gasoline price issue and immigration protests by Hispanic students, it seems to me lately that, for many people, being politically aware is only predicated on being outraged or worried about stuff. It is way too easy to simply join a bandwagon and vilify a person or a corporation than to truly learn about the way the world works, I guess. Or maybe it’s just way more fun to hate someone or something or to wallow in worry about vague threats to society. I’m not really sure what the impetus for this whole social movement of knee-jerk fear and hatred is, but it’s starting to get hard to swallow. So in this, my last column, I implore you relatively smart students out there to join me in refusing to worry or get outraged about some of the more artificially inflated issues floating around. In no particular order here are a few things I am not worried or outraged about and a few things I am: Bird flu I hear it may be a pandemic. I hear it makes Mad Cow Disease look like the sniffles. Yet for some reason I’m not losing sleep over it. I’ve yet to see one bird looking under the weather around me. In fact, most of the birds I see look to be in pretty good shape.

Bird poop Now this scares me to death. Just look at my car. Iran This doesn’t scare me. I know Ahmadinejad is supposed to be completely loony. I know that he really, really wants nukes. But I can’t fathom anybody actually getting to power, even in Iran, who is so completely crazy that he would risk the whole mutual assured destruction scenario. It seems to me anybody that nuts would have done something supremely stupid or insane that would have prevented him from gaining power in the first place. Let’s not kid ourselves; it’s the power that’s the thing here. He throws missiles at us, we throw missiles at him. He won’t have anyone left to torture. And no dictator wants that. Running Freaks me out man. I thought about it the other day when it started to rain but then I just decided, “Screw it, I’ll just get wet.” Gas prices Yeah, they’re high. Yes, it’s mind boggling to watch the cost vs. gallons dial spin in such an inverse ratio as previously experienced. But I can’t get outraged by it. A little perspective is needed. It wasn’t too long ago that Americans couldn’t get gas at all, at any price. It will come down and it will go up and so on and so forth. Railing against Exxon won’t do any good. Gasoline is a commodities market. No one company, or even all of them together, have much to do with the price. But if outrage is your thing, how ‘bout a little fury directed at taxes levied on gas. These taxes generated

more revenue for the federal government than Exxon was able to boast about. Or you could make some noise about environmentalist policies that have handcuffed domestic companies for years. Can anybody say Anwar? Global warming I am so unconcerned about global warming I can’t even really put together a joke about it. I’m that nonplussed. Global cooling I’m breaking into cold sweats about this one. Mostly out of confusion. I’m not sure what the difference is between this and global warming, except that when we’ve had an unseasonably cold winter we should worry about it. Actually, I’m not really worried about global cooling. In fact, I’ve been waiting for it for quite some time. I have a great winter wardrobe. Movies about the previous two These actually strike fear in my heart. “The Day After Tomorrow” was so ridiculously stupid I almost didn’t finish my popcorn and Jordan Almonds and pickle and nachos. I should have just saved the 7 dollars I spent on a ticket and bought 2 gallons of gas. Duke lacrosse players I know there is probably nothing on this earth more hate-able than Duke lacrosse players. They’re rich, white, and they play lacrosse. Nothing could sound more obnoxious. But they don’t scare me. I’ll tell you what does scare me though, the differing ways media covers rape allegations based on race. Just take a moment to compare the Duke lacrosse incident with the Kobe

Bryant incident. Who’s getting dragged through the mud? And why? Speaking of race, how ‘bout Cynthia McKinney, the slaphappy senator who popped a security guard for daring to hold her up at a checkpoint? She’s basically a black Zsa Zsa Gabor. I’d be more scared of her than any kid from Duke. She works in Congress, for God’s sake. President George Bush I had to get to this at some point and time and since this is my signoff it might as well be now. Bush doesn’t scare me. Kids running around with black T-shirts proclaiming Bush is a Nazi or a Fascist scare me. Isn’t this whole thing kinda McCarthy-esque? My only solace is that criticism of Bush has become more of a fashion statement than a sober look at policymaking. Kids in black shirts don’t vote. They protest, they say terrible things about anyone who doesn’t agree with them, they like U2, but they don’t vote. That’s been my observation. Bush shouldn’t scare you guys either. If you want to know a little secret I’ll tell you. Bush isn’t going to run again. In fact, legally he can’t. So what should really scare you is how much attention and energy your party leaders are putting into Bush when they should really be paying attention to the Republicans’ super-duper secret candidate which I know about because I get Young Republican’s mail complete with elephant-shaped decoder ring. Our next candidate is….a robot made by Haliburton. (Insert insidious Republican laugh here.) This is your last chance to send all hate mail to davideric@gmail.com. Thank you and good night.

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: Activities were recently organized on campus to coincide with the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The student association SIEGE, along with faculty and staff, worked tirelessly to organize meaningful events in support of this cause, and we wholeheartedly applaud their efforts. Everyone knows that violence is wrong, but still it occurs every day. That is why we were disheartened to read the opinion by David Rodriguez in the Pan

American student paper (04/06) that questioned the logic in the activities, especially the Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project is an international project that began in 1990 and consists of a collection of T-shirts decorated with messages by survivors of violence, their friends and family. These are powerful and extremely personal messages written by those whose lives have been affected – unnecessarily and cruelly – by violence. There is no profanity, no full names of perpetrators, and no names of the survivors, just honest

thoughts and emotions expressed on simple white T-shirts. We can only imagine how powerful the experience of writing down these public testimonials can be. Imagine writing the words “I was raped” and having to see those words in one’s own handwriting staring back at you. Imagine doing so knowing your intention is to share those words with others, hopefully to touch the lives of others. Sexual crimes are violent crimes that often carry a stigma of shame and silence. Activities such as the Clothesline Project and Take Back

the Night remind everyone that no one has to suffer silently, that the crime is not the victims’ fault, and we all have the ability to do something to end the violence. Instead of joking about and questioning why we are doing these activities, our student paper should question why aren’t we doing more. Veronica Cano Kim Nguyen-Finn Mirta F. Rodriguez UTPA Counseling Center Therapists (956) 381-2574

NEWS

Energy drink craze . . . . . . . . . . 5 En Español . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

MBAs growing in popularity, demand By LUKE KOONG The Pan American Sema Oner, a business administration master’s student and research assistant, came to The University of TexasPan American from Turkey to obtain her degree. In Turkey, Masters in Business Administration (MBAs) are a hot commodity, regardless of the institution they’re obtained from. “The company where I want to work said if I wanted to work there, I had to get a master’s degree,” Oner said. Upon completion of her MBA degree next year, Oner will work at VESTEL, an electronics equipment company back

in Turkey. Turkey isn’t the only place MBAs are growing in popularity. In the United States, the average student graduating in 2006 with such a degree will make close $80,000, up nearly $2,000 from last year. In addition, many employers add in extra bonuses and compensation to attract prospective candidates. MBAs have been popular for years now, and all signs indicate that trend will continue. One indicator is the increasing ease with which graduates find jobs. “The job market is very good, so it’s relatively easy for good students to find jobs,” said Jerry Prock, director of MBA programs at UTPA. “Those with consid-

erable ability have a better chance of getting a good job.” Prock said the university aids its MBA students in attaining high quality in a number of ways, including requiring that faculty meet certain criteria in order to teach MBA courses. Second, the College of Business Administration is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) at the baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. levels. That means students can promote the fact that they are at a recognized institution. The MBA is a broad-based degree, which teaches management decisions

The Wharton School Class of 2005 Full-Time Compensation Summary Compensation Item

# Reporting

Annual Base Salary

608

100%

30,000-330,000

100,000

Sign-On Bonus

436

71.7%

3,000-140,000

20,000

Guaranteed Year-End Bonus

198

32.6%

3,000-200,000

25,500

Relocation Expenses

363

59.7%

750-50,000

10,000

Tuition Reimbursement

7.1%

2,000-100,000

40,000

Other Compensation

15.6%

1,200-100,000

14,000

Total Compensation*

608

100%

40,000-465,000

135,000

The Wharton School was the first collegiate business school, founded in 1881. It is under the University of Pennsylvania and is known as one of the best business schools in the nation and has one of the leading MBA programs as well.

and the theories behind those decisions. In addition, students learn concepts in marketing, finance, and accounting. However, a good portion of individuals

Well-known author enlightens audience By ANA LEY The Pan American

University Relations PEN AND PAPER - Isabel Allende signs an autograph for Bret L. Mann, director of CoServe. She was the second speaker in the Outstanding Leadership Series.

Toni Zarattini, a 31-year-old fitness trainer from Mission, was kidnapped in Mexico City for 105 days. He made it through the ordeal with a novel by Isabel Allende. When the Chilean novelist visited The University of Texas-Pan American Monday, he decided to show his appreciation. “I will never forget you for that because your writing taught me so much about human endurance and got me through that difficult time in my life,” he said to Allende. Over 700 persons filled the UTPA Field House from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for a luncheon featuring Allende. As part of the university’s fifth annual Outstanding Leadership Series, the

Health center opens for research By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Neither sweltering heat nor strong winds were enough to put a damper on the celebration for the opening of a new biomedical research facility at The University of Texas-Pan American. The Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) officially opened its doors at a ceremony on Tuesday with more than 600 state, regional, University of Texas System and community leaders in attendance. It will be the third facility in the regional network, along with the Public Health Division in Brownsville and the Medical Education Division in Harlingen.

Speakers spoke about the many amenities and activities that the $20 million facility will house. “Within the walls of this facility we will conduct ground-breaking research that focuses on diseases that proportionally affect this region of the state,” said Francisco Cigarroa, president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Among the diseases that will be studied in 12 state-of-the-art laboratories are cancer, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and dengue fever. However, Cigarroa noted the educational benefits along with the medical advancements and benefits that will arise from the opening of the facility,

“Because of the RAHC, young people will witness ground-breaking research right down the street from where they live and go to school. It’s going to have a tremendous ripple affect,” he said. “Young students in middle school and high school will see scientists and PhDs and look to them as mentors.” PARTNERSHIPS With the opening of the RAHC came a new partnership between four UT System universities: UTPA, the University of Texas-Brownsville, the

See RAHC page 12

Compensation Range Compensation Median

luncheon included a discussion on Allende’s novel “Paula,” by Steven Schneider, chair of the English department, and professor Rene Saldana, a lecture by Allende, a question-answer session, and time for autographs. Nearly 50 individuals lined up to ask Allende questions on diverse topics. Marlena Figueroa, a junior biology student from The University of TexasBrownsville, asked Allende whether she believed a good writer was born or made. “A person can play an instrument, but this does not mean he or she can make music,” Allende said. “Much in the same way, a writer does not need to simply know how to write; there is something born inside a writer that

See ALLENDE page 12

getting an MBA are not fresh college graduates. In fact, many already have jobs, according to Prock.

See MBA page 12

PA program heads to nationals By SIDNEY MEADOWS The Pan American The students of The University of Texas-Pan American physician’s assistant program have defined themselves as the best at the state’s Medical Challenge Bowl, beating out a half dozen statewide teams. Mia De La Garza, a second-year PA student, and second-year students Alex Andrade, Dolores Solis and Melinda Medina will represent the state and UTPA in the National Medical Challenge Bowl on May 28 in San Francisco.

See NATIONALS page 12

News Briefs Today marks the beginning of the 17th annual International Symposium on Spanish sponsored by the Modern Languages Department. The event, taking place through Saturday, will feature 85 speakers from the United States and Mexico who will present on this year’s topic, “Women Writers of the Border and of Latin America.” For more information call: (956) 381-3441 Raymond Landry, former UTPA associate professor of accounting, pleaded guilty on

Wednesday to charges of online solicitation. Landry was arrested by the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit in LANDRY October while waiting at a bus station for what he believed was a 13-year-old girl he met in a chat room. While a sentence has not yet been determined, Landry could face up to 20 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Page 4

NEWS

1 5 1 6 W. U n i v e r s i t y D r . 9 5 6 - 3 8 0 - 0 3 4 5 w w w. s o u t h t e x a s b o o k . c o m FREE HOTDOGS AND SODA IN STORE

April 27, 2006

NEWS

Page 5

Quick fix in a can: energy drinks hit mainstream By MARIA ALEJANDRA MAZARIEGOS The Pan American When Crystal Ruiz, a freshman undecided major, had to make a 12-hour drive to Dallas on four hours of sleep, she knew she would not be able to make it without a little help from her friend, a Rockstar energy drink. “My boyfriend drinks it a lot and told me to drink it because I would stay awake,” she said. “I drank only half and it kept me awake the whole trip. It was like two sodas [worth of caffeine].” While Ruiz said she only drank Rockstar that one time, many others are starting to consume such energy drinks on a daily basis. At first, the energy drinks were only found at specialty health food stores and gyms, but they can now be found everywhere, from the local gas station and grocery store to popular bars and even vending machines at The University of Texas-Pan American. However, with their growing popularity, some medical officials are worrying that

consumers may be ignoring other bodily needs and replacing them with energy drinks. Dr. Heriberto Alaniz, emergency medical physician and director of Rio Grande Valley Emergency Physicians in McAllen, said that energy-drink consumers need to add plenty of water, as the high levels of caffeine, a diuretic, in them may cause dehydration. “Individual responses to caffeine vary, and these drinks should be treated carefully because of how powerful they are,” Alaniz said. “Energy drinks' stimulating properties can boost the heart rate and blood pressure, dehydrate the body, and, like other stimulants, prevent sleep.” Those who take energy drinks constantly to be awake will eventually become resistant to caffeine and other stimulants. “Sleep is important, very important,” said Alaniz, “However on the occasion that you need to stay up late, an energy drink can help.” He also warned that energy beverages should not be used while exercising, as the combination of lost fluids from sweating and the diuretic quality of these drinks could quickly lead to dehydration. While energy drinks have various combinations of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other substances, some also contain herbs like royal jelly and ginseng, which are believed to combat stress and fatigue, thus boosting energy levels. Alaniz added that often, the drinks contain things found in our bodies already. “Caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone all exist naturally in foods or in our bodies, but are present in much larger doses in energy drinks,”

Caffeine Statistics Ounces Caffeine (mg) Drink Name 12 Coca-Cola Blak 68 12 Coca-Cola Classic 34 8 Coffee (brewed) 107.5 2 Espresso 100 16 Full Throttle 141 16 Monster 140 8.3 Red Bull 80 16 Rockstar 150 8 Tea (brewed) 60 8.4 Whoop Ass 50

mg/oz 5.67 2.83 13.44 50.0 8.81 8.75 9.64 9.38 7.5 5.95 Source: www.energyfiend.com

said Alaniz. But Alaniz cautioned users, saying sugar in the drinks sometimes only masks other issues. “The range of sugars present in products such as Red Bull can help raise energy levels, particularly if you aren’t eating regular nutritious meals or snacks,” said Alaniz. “These drinks only provide a short-term fix.” Despite the dangers, the popularity of energy drinks continues to grow, and companies are fast to catch on to the trend. The main appeal of drinks like Red Bull, Venom, Adrenaline Rush, 180 and Whoopass, is mostly large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like guarana and ginseng. “I like energy drinks, especially Red Bull,” Alfredo Flores, a sophomore business major, said. “It’s good to know that a little container of fluid

can give me the boost I need and it is in my hands to give myself that added energy and rush.” Even the Coca Cola Company has jumped on the bandwagon, with the introduction of Coke Blak, a mix of Coca Cola and coffee that contains twice the caffeine of regular Coke. However, despite the trend, some students are not catching on to the craze. “I think energy drinks, they are too hyped up,” Diana Salinas, a junior business major, said. “Honestly they don’t do much for me, I’d rather have a nice coffee frappuccino - tastes better.” Whether one prefers a can of Red Bull or a Starbucks mocha, Alaniz said the key to drinking stimulants is moderation. “Too much of anything is not good for anyone,” he said.

Page 6

EN ESPAÑOL

April 27, 2006

Otro año de éxito para Panorama Tema de la revista estudiantil es ‘crecimiento’ Por CAROLINA SANCHEZ Traducido por MERCEDES CANTU The Pan American Solo hay una sola revista donde uno puede encontrar historias acerca de estudiantes que trabajan como bailarina de cabaret, una marcha de “minuteman” en Falfurrias y un chango masoquista llamado Sancho Panorama: la edición del ano de The University of Texas Panorama. Donna Pazdera, consejera de facultad Panorama, expreso que junto con un gran equipo de diseñadores gráficos, reporteros, fotógrafos, y voluntarios sienten muy orgullosos de los resultados de de la revista anual. “El contenido al igual que el diseño son excelentes. Tenemos un color uniforme y un tema tipográfico y las historias y fotos son muy interesantes,” dijo Pazdera. Pero para el staff no ha sido un camino fácil para llegar al final. “Aunque empezamos con un equipo muy entusiasta en Agosto del año pasado, tristemente un gran numero dejaron de hacer lo de debían de hacer o nunca hicieron nada en absoluto,” dijo Pazdera. “Tuvimos un miembro del staff quien era muy importante para el proyecto que renuncio dos días

antes de que termináramos la revista, esto fue muy estresante.” Pero el profesor de comunicaciones dijo que usualmente hay muchas faltas en todo tipo de producciones. “Siempre habrán este tipo de problemas sin importar que. Simplemente no lo prevenimos el que vaya a venir,” ella dijo. “Positivos, nos juntamos y le dimos para adelante, ha sido una experiencia maravillosa.” Pazdera dijo que después de algunas discrepancias y problemas técnicos, el equipo del Panorama exitosamente termino la revista con un fin de perseverancia. Algunos de los que se quedaron hasta el final fue Freddy Gómez, editor de diseño grafico. Dijo que el staff dedico largas horas en el producto, especialmente hacia el final. Tanto que el staff muchas veces se desvelaba y lo recompensaban de una manera creativa. “Era tarde en la noche y me encontré con Franco (Caballero, miembro del staff) retirándose de su escritorio. Creí que solamente íbamos a tomarnos un receso para ir al bañó o algo por el estilo,” dijo el estudiante de relaciones publicas y publicidad. Pero después de que paso media hora, el se

“El contenido al igual que el diseño son excelentes. Tenemos un color uniforme y un tema tipográfico y las historias y fotos son muy interesantes.” Q

-Donna Pazdera empezó a preguntar sobre su amigo. “Supuse que realmente tubo que hacerse cargo de algún negocio, si sabes a lo que me refiero. Así que me levante para ir a buscarlo,” menciono. “Todo este tiempo se la paso dormido en medio del pasillo justo en frente de la oficina de Panorama.” Pazdera expreso lo orgullosa que estaba de aquellos que aguantaron y llegaron hasta el final. “Cuando trabajas en un proyecto tan grande y largo, es difícil mantener el ritmo,” expreso. “Pero lo logramos.” El tema de la revista de este año es “Growth,” que hace referencia a todos los cambios que enfrenta UTPA. De acuerdo con Gómez, considerando la construcción del centro de bienestar, los dormitorios, etc., el tema es del momento perfecto.

“Estamos en el momento que vemos un boom y una expansión universitaria. Creo que esto es increíble,” dijo. “Aunque la revista no es solo del desarrollo de la Universidad; también es de las personas creciendo espiritualmente y mentalmente.” Pazdera, siendo consejera de la facultad por primera vez, dijo que ella experimento un crecimiento en si misma durante el proyecto. “Es la primera vez que trabajo en un proyecto tan grande. Todos entramos a una experiencia de trabajo,” dijo. “Definitivamente tendremos las cosas con mejor control el próximo año.” Este año Panorama tundra mucho que dar, después de que la edición del 2005 fe ganadora de 14 premios dentro de “Texas Intercollegiate Press Asociation” de San Antonio en Abril 6-8. Aparte ganando 2 premios de excelencia de la competencia anual de la UDCA. Comoquiera, Pazdera dijo que este año la revista será igual o mejor. “Estoy segura de que la edición de este año ganara varios premios,” dijo Pazdera, sumando que las criticas han sido buenas. “Las personas que han sido pruebas dicen que esta es una revista que quieren leer,” dijo Pazdera, “Y esto es muy positivo.” El staff espera que la revista sea distribuida en el campus este viernes, Abril 28.

A & E Sin City at Jeffers Theatre

Panic! At the Disco . . . . . 8 & 9 ‘Inside Man’ . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9 ‘Unwritten’. . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

‘Last Virgin from Las Vegas’ to be performed by UTPA drama students ated Stanley’s opinion of the sexual content in the play. “It’s really not as dirty as it sounds, but it is very hilarious. It’s just fun because there is never a dull

By FRANK CALVILLO The Pan American Since many are apt to think of the theater as a venue for great dramatic characters such as Blanche Dubois from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” or Willie Loman from “Death of a Salesman,” it is easy to forget that the stage can be a great showcase for many comedic acts as well. Jack Stanley, a professor in the Communication department of The University of Texas-Pan American, has brought the whimsical sense of theatrical hilarity to the Jeffers Theater with his production of “The Last Virgin of Las Vegas,” a play that defines the comedy genre along with the slapstickness of a good old-fashioned farce. “The Last Virgin in Las Vegas” opens at the Jeffers Theater on April 27 at 8 p.m. and runs until April 30, with a showing at 2 p.m. It will be the last performance of the season for UTPA. As the play opens and the audience is introduced to the set, a song begins to play in the background with lyrics such as “I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates, you’ve got a brand new key, let’s get together and see what we can do.” The song, of course, refers to sex, a theme that recurs throughout the course of the play

as many sexual innuendos show up throughout the course of the two acts. Although such acts are alluded to, the play is tame and nothing truly explicit is shown on stage, according to Stanley. “Nothing is really said. Things are implied, but as an audience, they get the idea,” he said. Cast member Nikki San Miguel, a junior theatre performance major, reiter-

moment in the play,” she said. Since the play is indeed a farce, the elements of sex, misunderstanding, miscommunication and mistaken identities are all prominently featured. The p l a y, originally titled “Getting Gertie’s Garter,” was written in 1921 by Avery Hopwood, who at the time was one of the most revered playwrights around. After Hopwood’s death in 1928, his entire estate, which included all his works, was left to the University of Michigan.

Eventually, an award was named after Avery and distributed to student playwrights with similar talents. One of the recipients was Stanley, who took home the award twice during his time at The University of Michingan. It was there that he was first introduced to Hopwood and his work. Despite winning the award, Stanley admits that he hadn’t a clue as to who Hopwood was. “I didn’t know who he was; hardly anybody did. In fact, his plays aren’t even around anywhere, except in research libraries, which is where I found this one,” he said. Once Stanley decided to bring the play to UTPA, updating the play was his first task. “It was a bit dated, so I brought it up to contemporary times,” he said. “It was fun to do, and it actually serves the play well because originally it was just for fun. Now it actually has a point.” Many aspects of contemporary life are easy to recognize in the play, such as the mentions of e-mail and Viagra. The original storyline, which deals with the ups and downs of married life in a comical way, remains untouched. “The play’s message is ‘We all make mistakes, and if you get married,

get used to making lots of them,’” said Stanley. For Stanley and his crew, bringing the play to life was a long and work-filled task, which included the construction of bookcases that also act as passageways, walls that have the ability to revolve, monitors placed backstage for actors to know when their cue is nearing and a variety of sound effects. “Most people think it takes a couple of weeks to put together a play, but this took us months to get done. The sound effect for rain took a day and a half to get just right,” he said. According to cast member Jason Villareal, a freshman theatre performance major, there was much work to be done on the actor’s part as well. “There’s a lot more blocking and exaggeration on our part because the play really is like a modern game of tag,” he said. As the play’s opening date draws near, Stanley says that after all the preparation, he hopes the audience finds enjoyment through the hard work. “We want them to have a good time and leave the play saying, ‘Damn, that was fun,’” he said. For more information contact the box office at (956) 381-3581.

Healthy alternative in McAllen restaurant lineup By TREY SERNA The Pan American Drive down University Drive and it’s easy to see fast food restaurants lined u p along t h e b u s y street. Fast food is convenient because it’s quick, affordable and tastes great. Even though most people know it’s not the healthiest food to consume, temptation often gets the best of them. A healthier alternative has moved into the McAllen area and is unlike any other fast food restaurant. Delisalads, located at 6100 N. 10th St. Suite D., has been open for about three months and offers great-tasting food without all the health risks of fast food. Entering Delisalads brings the feeling of being in a small food store or cafe

Reporter’s Rating:

★★★★✩

shop in Mexico. The walls are painted bright yellow and green, and there are plant and fruit decorations everywhere. The environment is well lighted and pleasantly clean. They offer a variety of salads from chicken and tuna to potato or carrot. Dry salads are also available. There are a good number of items to choose from, and they aren’t only limited to salads; one can get soups, sandwiches, wraps and pitas. And for those with a sweet tooth, there are have cookies, smoothies, shakes and yogurt, which can all be served a variety of ways. Customers simply choose their meal and watch as it is served. For those who order sandwiches or other meals that involve a little cooking, the cook in the back quickly stirs it up, and it’s out within minutes. The plates are presented nicely. For those curious about how a cer-

tain salad tastes, small samples are given upon request. The food is nicely priced, though, so trying to get free samples as a small snack is not necessary, for all the moochers out there. There are several combos that can be taken advantage of. For instance, the Chicken Caesar salad costs only $5.50, and adding a drink costs 50 cents more. For dessert, there was the yogurt with honey and granola. A full 16-ounce container costs a mere $4.75. The most expensive thing on the menu is the chicken salad combo, which comes with two chicken salads of choice and a drink, for $8. A sanitary benefit: Styrofoam cups and bowls are used, along with plastic forks and spoons. The only thing that requires washing is the plate your main meal comes on. While the establishment is enjoy-

able and the food is great, there are a few things that could use some improvement. Within a span of 30 to 40 minutes, a little over 50 people went into the business and ordered food. The establishment is too small to fit so many people and there wasn’t enough staff to accommodate everyone. Tables were quickly filled, leaving some without seats. The restaurant got so packed at one point, when people were leaving, others were quickly getting the seats and sitting at tables that had yet to be cleaned. However, they couldn’t be cleaned because the staff was too busy behind the counter. Others just took their food to go. There’s also an annoying chime that goes off every time a person walks in or out of the business. It’s not just a one-beat chime. It rings on for quite some time and never seems to shut off, since people are walking in and out so often. But for anyone looking to eat

Joel De La Rosa/ The Pan American HEALTHY CUISINE- Delisalads presents Valley residents with more choices when it comes to eating out.

healthier or find something a little different, Delisalads is the place to go. You’ll leave satisfied; without feeling overly full. Overall, the experience and food are enjoyable, and it’d be nice to see more places like this opening up in the Valley.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April 27, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Bedingfield rewrites music rules By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American

This year has brought a lot of top music to Reporter’s Rating: the mainstream ★★★★✩ forefront. With great albums from artists like Pink, whose new single “Stupid Girls” has people realizing the fact that America has been hypnotized by celebrities for all the wrong reasons, the music scene is undergoing a real shift. Natasha Bedingfield is slowly, but surely causing the usual fake-blonde, vapid lyrics of pop-tart music make way for artists who know how to actually write songs. Her album “Unwritten” has

dropped two singles including the title track and “These Words.” It’s not that her music isn’t pop, because it is, but the important fact is that all the songs were written by her, and she uses blends of hip-hop, R&B, pop and soul to bring a unique sound. With a powerful range and a voice that can be compared to Pink and Dido, it will only be a matter of time before Bedingfield becomes a household name.

New band spreads the ‘fever’ with debut album By TREY SERNA The Pan American

For a debut group taking lots of musical risks, Panic! Reporter’s Rating: At The ★★★★✩ D i s c o seems to have gotten the formula just right. Hailing from Las Vegas, the band appeared on the music scene in late 2005 with their album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” The band is often compared to Fall Out Boy, which is not surprising due to the fact that the latter’s Pete Wentz signed Panic! At The Disco to his label. Vocally, there are striking resemblances, but after listening to the whole album, I would say that there are few other similarities. The album doesn’t follow the traditional pop/punk method most emo bands favor. It’s based more on an ‘80s pop/rock dance beat. The album’s first single, “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies,” is an extremely infectious, upbeat song

with an unbelievably catchy chorus. An article on Spin.com says theband split the album in two pieces. The first contains a lot of drum machines and synthesizers, and the other half differs somewhat with Vaudevillian piano, strings and accordion. It’s hard to distinguish the split because the songs blend together so well. The most notable sign of the split is a track appropriately titled “Intermission,” which starts off with an intense techno beat and ends with oldschool piano sound and other special effects. The album is wonderfully written, and though the singer curses like a sailor throughout, it’s done well and adds more emotion to the songs. The band just released a new music video for the song, “But It’s Better If You Do,” and is touring all over the country this summer. For more information on Panic! At The Disco, visit www.myspace.com/panicatthedisco or www.panicatthedisco.com

‘S’ is for sales and suspense By MEREDITH LAGRONE The Pan American

“S is for Silence” has held fast the last six months as Reporter’s Rating: one of the ★★★★★ top mystery novels recently released. With an intricate storyline and interesting characters, it’s not hard to see how this book held a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for several weeks. Even with other big time mystery authors such as Carolyn Hart and Tami Hoag, “Silence,” has still been one of the better releases to come out of the genre recently. “S” is Sue Grafton’s 19th novel to feature Kinsey Millhone, a California cop turned private investigator. While the story began almost 25 years ago, in the latest chapter, Millhone is still in

1987, a mere five years after the release of Grafton’s first novel featuring her. The story is fragmented, taking place in 1954 and 1987. Millhone is asked by a friend of a friend to help discover what happened to her mother 34 years ago when she disappeared on July 4. Spending some time in a neighboring town, Millhone is not eager to attempt to solve a mystery that is 34 years cold; however, in her typical style, she manages to uncover facts hidden to others and solve the mystery. In addition to the clever plot and well developed supporting characters, Millhone is still as wonderful as she has been in the past 18 novels. He no nonsense attitude and loneliness help the reader get inside her mind, and her life makes anyone want to run away to California and live a life of relative solitude, all the while solving previously

unsolvable conundrums. Her life is refreshingly simple and normal, aside from the death defying endings of most of her stories, and that reality combined with the excitement of the climax of each story, makes each of Grafton’s novels an all too quick and enjoyable read. “S” is no exception, being one of the most wellthought out she’s delivered yet.

GRAFTON

Top stars headline action flick By FRANK CALVILLO The Pan American

The action thriller “Inside Man,” released Reporter’s Rating: last month, is exactly ★★★★★ that: a suspense-filled action ride about an elaborate bank robbery. The film has everything an audience member can expect from a Hollywood production including big stars, a well-respected and seasoned director, and a plot that throws the viewer for a loop. The story opens with narration from a criminal named Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) who proceeds to tell his tale of how he “exectued the perfect bank robbery.” The audience then sees Russell and his fellow bank robbers in action as they enter the bank and take the customers and employees hostage.

It isn’t long before a hostage negotiator named Keith Frazer (Denzel Washington) is brought in to handle the situation. However, certain facts in the case appear questonable and mysterious, and with the appearence of a highclass power broker (Jodie Foster), Frazer begins to think that this is no ordinary bank robbery. The pace of the story and the flow of the plot are near perfect and don’t miss a step. The characters, from minor to major, are well-developed and given distinct personalities. Occasionally, red herrings are thrown in to throw the audience off track, adding to the excitement of the finale. Although this is a more commercial venture for director Spike Lee, many issues the diector usually tackles, such as racial prejudices, can be found here as well.

Aside from the plot, the cast is the film’s biggest asset. Washington never disappoints as the frustrated police detective, while Owen conveys a sutlety and calmness that add to the sinister nature of his character. Foster steals every scene she is in, playing a role that finally takes advatage of her underused femininity. With so many blatantly commercialized and underdeveloped films dominating the box office, it is refreshing to see a film such as “Inside Man,” which proves that Hollywood, at times, can still get it right.

For more info visit www.InsideMan.net

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April 27, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9

Bedingfield rewrites music rules By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American

New band spreads the ‘fever’ with debut album By TREY SERNA The Pan American

‘S’ is for sales and suspense By MEREDITH LAGRONE The Pan American

GRAFTON

Top stars headline action flick By FRANK CALVILLO The Pan American

For more info visit www.InsideMan.net

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A & E

April 27, 2006

NEWS

April 27, 2006

RELAY continued from page 1

SPANISH continued from page 1 lacking much needed funds. But Voces staff was determined to put out the newspaper. “We had to look for the money, because we did not count with the economic support from the University. We started selling Advertising, and the rest we had to use money from our pockets,” said Cordoba Financial troubles were not the only hardships that the staff of Voces experienced during production. They also had problems with the use of the programs necessary to design a newspaper. They sometimes spent entire days figuring out how to work with them. “We had to learn from ourselves. The rest of the staff and I were working together. It was an auto-didactic process,” Cordoba said. “It has been hard for us, because we are students too, with parttime jobs and it has been hard to manage the time.” After four years of trying, Voces finally printed its first issue on April. So far, Cordoba said he is pleased with the response. “I have received a lot of positive comments about this issue,” he said. “I feel very proud of representing a part of the student community.” Voces is a monthly newspaper, but because of the break, it will come out every two months, until the next semester

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION While UTPA already has one resident poetry and literary work publication, Gallery, Spanish language poetry has thus far gone unrepresented. That is, until Cuicatl. Thanks to the Department of Modern Language and Literature, everyone who writes Spanish poetry can have it published. Jacobo Tafoya, Cuicatl magazine president, said the idea came after he heard that many students enjoyed writing Spanish poetry, but had no valid venue for getting it to readers. Tafoya said their success comes in large from the dedicated staff and contributors. He added that they are committed to producing a good product because the better the product, the better they are able to accomplish their ultimate goal: to create more poets and foment the Spanish reading at UTPA. “We want to give our students the possibility to practice their Spanish in a more professional level,” Tafoya said. This magazine, in contrast to Voces, does not need economic support because they use the faculty facilities to print it and use money from their own pockets. Cuicatl is free and distributed every two weeks, in the Communications Building and in the lobby of the Library.

SECRETARY continued from page 1 Gutierrez added that the entire community, including UTPA, is at a great point on its pathway toward economic and regional advancement. “It may seem today that you have a long way to go but what you have that other communities would dream to have is a vision. You have leadership to reach that vision,” he said. Because of that vision, Gutierrez said he has no doubt the Valley will achieve its goals. “When you do that, you will be great role models and a great success story, not only for Texas, but for the whole country,” he said. According to Hinojosa, the university is well on its way to providing that better-prepared work force. “The engineering program here at UTPA has been enhanced,” he said. “It’s amazing what we are going to see here in the next few years.” According to Miguel Gonzalez, associate dean of the College of Engineering, the program has many plans, including finding technologies that shorten the cycle between idea and production. “The shorter time a product stays at the factory, the less cost it is going to have,” he said. “You want to design products that are more customizable.” He added that when students learn ways to

to my wig on a windy day when we had fire drills,” wrote Gandara. She also recalled having to keep barium in an ice chest in her classroom so she would be ready for CAT scans after work, and the many times she had to pull over to vomit on the way home after picking her children up from school because of the side effects of her treatment. But Gandara saw Relay For Life as an opportunity for her to do her part and help others who were going through the same thing. The past three years, Gandara and her family raised money and walked in the relay. “We were all very moved by her, I still get choked up thinking about her because she was such an extraordinary woman and volunteer,” said Arellano. She said Gandara’s strength is the best representation of what Relay for Life is about. The annual event requires teams of eight to 20 people who raise at least $100 for the American Cancer Society, with the money used to fund cancer research and patient services. One of those services is the Look Good, Feel Better Program, which partners certified cosmetologists with chemotherapy patients so they can learn how to disguise the physical signs of treatment. They teach participants how to apply makeup and give out wigs along with advice on how to shape and comb them. They also provide special bras and prostheses for women who have had mastectomies. Arellano also mentioned the Road to Recovery Program, in which volunteers give patients rides to treatment and doctors’ appointments in their spare time. “Our teams and sponsors have done an amazing job raising money for research and these services which help patients feel that together they can face the challenges ahead,” she said.

LOCAL AID Among those teams are several from UTPA according to Arellano. “Some of the teams have worked really hard to raise money and are some of our biggest contributors this year,” she said. The Delta Zeta sorority will be one of the teams from UTPA participating in this year’s event. Their team, the Turtles, raised over $1,100. “It was up to each participant to collect money,” said Sofi Torres, a public relations major and guard for Delta Zeta. “We decided to do Relay For Life because some of the girls’ mothers had cancer and survived, or are still fighting the disease.” This is their first year to participate and the Turtles will be competing in the boxcar race and camping out at McAllen’s Memorial Stadium. “We have a boxcar in the shape of a turtle and the members who aren’t on the relay team will be there to cheer us on,” Torres said. Besides a boxcar race Friday night there will be parade of teams, survivor walk and the lighting of Luminaria bags, which recognize survivors and victims of cancer. “It’s such a moving moment looking out on the field and seeing all the Luminaria bags lit [last year]. We also take time to honor caregivers because they are so important to the healing process,” Arellano said. Tents will be set up for caregivers and survivors so that they will have a place to celebrate together Arellano said. This year’s event has 120 teams scheduled to participate and numerous corporate sponsors. Last year around 3,000 individuals participated in Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society was able to raise $189,000. “It’s a fun-filled overnight celebration. Like camping, but in the city and the whole family will have a great time.” Arellano said.

University Relations INTRODUCTIONS - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez poses with UTPA President Blandina Cardenas on Friday.

help companies, it makes them more competitive. “What I’d like to do in the end is have the students start their own companies and create their own jobs,” he said. “And obviously they will be able to compete more when they go out to find jobs.”

PANORAMA continued from page 1 kind of production. “There will always be these types of problems no matter what. I just didn't foresee some of this coming,” she said. “Happily, we pulled ourselves together and pushed when we needed to.” Pazdera said that after some discrepancies and technical problems, the Panorama team successfully pulled out the magazine because it persevered to the end. One of those who stuck it to the end was Freddie Gomez, graphic design editor. He said that the staff put in some long, hard hours on the product, especially toward the end. So much so, that the staff often found themselves lacking sleep and making up for it in creative ways. “It was way late in the night and I noticed Franco [Caballero, staff member] leave his desk. I just thought that he went to go take a bathroom

Page 11

break or something,” the junior public relations and advertising major said. But after a half hour passed, he began to wonder about his friend. “I figured he really had to go take care of some business, if you know what I mean. So, I got up to check up on him or find him,” he said. “All this time he was sleeping in the middle of the hall right in front of the Panorama office.” On the whole, Pazdera said she is proud of the one’s who stuck it out. “When you work on such a long-range project, it's hard to keep the momentum going,” she said. “But we did.” This year’s magazine theme is “growth,” which makes reference to all the changes that UTPA faces. The staff expects to distribute the magazine on campus Friday.

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Gather ’Round The Good Stuff

NEWS

Page 12

ALLENDE continued from page 3

RAHC continued from page 3 University of Texas-San Antonio, and the University of Texas-Houston. The Borderplex Health Council will be charged with addressing health issues along the border including diabetes and a nursing shortage. “The most recent statistics indicate that by the year 2020 the shortage of nurses nation-wide will be well over one million,” said Juliet V. Garcia, president of UTB. Garcia added that in Texas alone, there is currently a shortage of 27,000 nurses, 200 in Brownsville. “With the Valley expected to be one of the fastest growing regions in the state, over the next three decades, this nursing shortage will be exacerbated,” she said. According to Garcia, the research will be conducted at the RAHC and is expected to make great advances in these two critical health issues. HELPING THE UNDERSERVED The RAHC brings more than just a research headquarters to UTPA. Along with the official dedication of the building came the announcement that the cooperative program between The University of Texas-Austin’s College of Pharmacy and UTPA will also be housed there. In the UTPA Pharmacy Scholars Program, accepted students will begin their path to a degree in

April 27, 2006

pharmacy at UTPA for a two-year period. After completion, students will then make their way to UT-Austin to finish the degree. According to UTPA President Blandina Cardenas, the goal of the program is to get students from South Texas to return to the Valley after obtaining their degree in pharmacy, “These programs are important because we are hugely underserved in all these areas,” she said. The Valley is so underserved, in fact, that according to Cardenas, there is an estimated one pharmacist for every 1,770 people in the area, compared to the state ratio of 1-to-55. While this program will now be housed inside the RAHC, it is already off to a good start. Last year, the first two students graduated, and three more will finish in May. According to Cardenas, all the students have already returned to the Valley to work or plan on doing so in the future. While the students’ future is already known, Leonel Vela, regional dean of the RAHC, said he gladly anticipates the future of the center and the region. “I told a colleague that this center would help usher a new era of hope for the Valley because our historically passive role in research is going to become a thing of the past,” Vela said. “The RGV will no longer be a bystander in the development of medical knowledge.”

makes him or her unique from the rest. A good writer has a certain gift that not everyone does.” When asked by Nelda Gutierrez, a UTPA senior political science major, about the naming of Michelle Bachelet as Chile’s first female president, Allende said she hoped Bachelet would be a good role model in such a prestigious office. “I hope she doesn’t screw it up for women around the globe…I really hope she sets the stage for women everywhere,” she said. Allende also responded to the recent immigration situation in the United States, saying she supported the individuals demonstrating their opinions about the proposed reforms. “I think America has ignored the immigration issue long enough. People are out on the streets protesting this debate, and I think that’s a sign that it needs to be addressed,” she said. “It just goes to show that when you really believe in something, you should get out there and let your thoughts be heard.” For UTPA, to have Allende visit is a rare treat. She normally attends public events six to eight times a year, but decided to speak at the university because the Hispanic majority caught her eye. “Even though I was expecting to see and hear from many Hispanics down here, it really surprised me anyway. I could be in Guadalajara right now for all I know,” she joked. “I also decided to come because I know many previous speakers here have been white, rich and Republican. I figured I’d add a little spice to the mix.” Sylvia Aldape, associate executive director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, coordinated the event. She said that while the luncheon was intended for UTPA students, many spots were eventually given to high

Q “I will never forget you for that because your writing taught me so much about human endurance and got me through that difficult time in my life.”

-Toni Zarattini to Allende

schools and individuals on a waiting list. Members of more than 30 high schools who requested tickets were in attendance. Jesus Panola, a remedial English instructor at Donna High School, believes it was a good opportunity to give students a firsthand view of what literature is all about. “When some teachers and I heard about this event happening here, we decided to speak with the university, to get them to let us bring our kids out here,” he said. “It’s very rare that our students can see a novelist of her caliber deliver a speech to them.” After the event, a special reception was held at the UTPA Field House, followed by a presentation at 8 p.m. open only to UTPA Foundation donors. The annual Outstanding Leadership Series provides an opportunity to listen to and meet some of the world’s most influential statesmen, leaders and artists, while raising money for UTPA scholarships. It is hosted by the UTPA Foundation, a nonprofit, independent organization chartered in 1982 to raise, manage and invest funds for the school.

MBA continued from page 3 Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American PARTNERSHIP - (left to right) Francisco Cigarroa, president of the UTHSC at San Antonio, Blandina Cardenas, president of UTPA, and Juliet Garcia, president of UTB, sign an agreement of cooperation that forms the Borderplex Health Coucil.

NATIONALS continued from page 3 Medina, secretary of the program, said the team was very excited about the win. “Winning the Texas Bowl really gave us confidence,” she said. “You’re sitting there answering questions…before the other team and you really feel that you know this stuff.” This is the first trip to nationals for UTPA, after the team ended the seven-year winning streak by Southwestern University. The win did not come without effort from students. In fact, all preparations for the competition are left to the students to do on their own time. For nationals, studying will get even more intense according to Medina. As a strategy, those competing will be separating the many subjects between themselves so each can specialize in chosen areas such as cardiology, pulmanology, nephrology and hematology. Frank Ambriz, who has been the program director of the physician’s assistant program since it first came to UTPA in 1999, says he notices the great efforts. He added that he is

confident in his student’s abilities, especially after the Medical Challenge Bowl. “These guys were on a roll. It’s like being 10 points up in basketball and everything you throw up there is going in,” he said. According to Ambriz, this is a major step up from their humble beginnings in the program. “In the first year of the program, we tried to show them the basics and instill a thirst to continue. Our aim is to give them the tools to succeed, and the main tool is to be a critical thinker,” he said. The National Medical Bowl will be a six-day event with the main competition taking place on May 28. If the UTPA group wins, their result will be published in the American Academy of Physicians Assistants Newsletter. However, Andrade said the program has its eyes on a different prize. “The real prize in this will be the honor of winning, and the confidence that we understand what we’ve worked so hard at,” he said.

“For many industries, it’s one of the requirements for advancement beyond a certain level,” he said, adding that with this advancement comes an increase in salary. “Promotions are tied to having some kind of raise. You have a better chance of a promotion with a master’s degree,” he said. “That also means you have a better chance at a higher salary.” But it is not only those in related industries looking to obtain MBAs. Oner and Duygu Candarli, a fellow student from Turkey, have taken note of

nurses who are also going for MBAs. “At first I saw them, and I was surprised. Why does a nurse want an MBA?” Oner said. “I talked to them and they said it’s because of the salary. After you get your MBA, you get almost twice as much.” Candarli is already in her final semester and has a job lined up at Safe Food Corporation in New Jersey. Just like the nurses, Candarli hopes pursuing her MBA will make her more marketable. “It’s a very good opportunity for me to get a better job,” she said.

SPORTS

April 27, 2006

Page 13

ATHLETICS continued from page 15 Though there are some bright spots in the team’s youth, everyone knows that experience is the most valuable trait, and Andrew Bost, Rosendo Cantu, Danny Farias and Enrique Montemayor place another year under their belts as they enter their sophomore season. Notably, Gary Bianco should be back competing with the team after sitting out the year. Hubbard and Gill have been hard at work recruiting and already added Tim Landvattar and Brett Bernstein to the roster. The women’s team will see the return of Silke Buksik, Nicole Garcia, Sheila Mabulac and Jessica Nanez. Added to the lineup for next season are Stephanie Willerding and Sarah Burton, both from Canada. GOLF In recent years, the women’s golf team has been flying high off the clubs of what is now a highly accomplished senior class. Next year may be a reloading one for the squad. The team’s best finish came on May 3-4 at the Texas State Bobcat Invitational, as it placed fourth. Seniors Daniela Cortez and Stefanie Maynard averaged 78.4 and 79.1 strokes a round during the spring competitions, respectively, while Nikki Boychuk averaged 80.4. Maynard and Boychuk are tied at 71 for the lowest strokes per round in program history. Nancy Verastegui holds the record at 70 strokes, set in 1995.

The good thing is that the Lady Broncs will returning the other five players on the roster. The men’s team has done nothing but improve since the arrival of Andrew Tredway to the helm. Tredway saw his squad finish the last three spring tournaments in the top 10, and manage that feat five times since the fall semester. Showing his senior leadership during the spring semester was Craig Berger, who was averaging a team low 73 strokes a round. The team will return all but Berger, so the Broncs should stay loaded and ready with some new faces to add to the mix as well. VOLLEYBALL The program saw some tough trials last fall, finishing 10-19 with three seniors on the squad. The Lady Broncs will be returning mainstays Heather Bravo, Crissie Carrigan and Karen Lyons. Bravo was second on the team with 325 kills behind freshman sensation Kellie Phillips, who had 353. Providing the assists on those kills were freshman Chelsea Blakely and Lyons. Blakely led the team with 847 assists while Lyons followed up with 447. On defense, Carrigan contributed 530 digs as she took over the role of libero. Coach Dave Thorn has added new blood in Mallorie Wilson, Monique Schaal and Noelle Mayor to next season’s roster.

FOR THE RECORD UTPA SPORTS

Peoples. SF - Russell. SB - Russell; Fuller.

Baseball

W - Shinaberry (1-0); L - Mason (6-4); S - Wood (5).

Tuesday, Apr. 25 TEXAS 8, UTPA 6

Top 5 pitching earned run averages

UTPA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

UTPA Texas

0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 X

R H

-6 9 1 - 8 12 1

BATTING

Alamia Gilmer Flores Smith Bartosh Brooks Garcia Honeycutt Powers Lozano Talley Buhagair Totals

RBI

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

0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 6

1 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 9

0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 6

1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 9

1. Tim Haines 2. Ricky Ibarz 3. Kelly Casares 4. Ray Silva 5. Chad Linder

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

1.0 3.1 1.2 1.0 0.0 1.0

8 3 3 2 1 0

7 1 3 2 1 0

1 0 0 2 0 0

1 2 1 0 1 2

10 12 6 6 7 2

E - Smith; Wheeless. DP - Broncs 2. LOB - Broncs 4; Longhorns 5. 2B - Flores; Brooks; Buhagiar; Kainer; Wheeless; Suttle; Clark. 3B - Honeycutt. HR - Garcia; Stubbs. SH - Gilmer; Buhagier;

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

IP 29.2 69.1 29.1 25.1 42.2

SO 45 90 30 24 34

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

Home games in bold.

Golf

Apr. 29-30

Men’s Upcoming schedule Independent Champs.

Apr. 29-30 May 5-7

Women’s Upcoming schedule Indie Women’s Champs. National Minority Champs.

PITCHING

Mason Linder Guerra Morales Casares Haines

AVG 2.12 4.15 5.22 5.68 5.70

Track Apr. 28

Upcoming schedule Drake Relays

Tennis teams reload for future FACE CHALLENGES.

By FERNANDO MARTINEZ PECHS

The Pan American

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The University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s tennis teams concluded their participation in the 2005-2006 season last week, and coach Robert Hubbard is pleased with the squad’s progress and determination to contend. “The girls played well this season, and recorded five more wins than last year. I am extremely content with the performance of my players,” he said. “Jessica Nanez [of Hidalgo HS] is my most improved player, and I am joyful to have her back next year. We are looking forward to next year.” Hubbard’s goal for 2006-07 is to have the teams nationally ranked, and to build a strong and competitive squad. He and assistant coach Chris Gill have begun recruiting players toward that end. Tim Landvatter from Germany is the first recruit. He comes to UTPA after playing with the club tennis team TC Waiblingen, where he was a threetime junior regional champion. “I am really excited about Tim joining our team next year. With no doubt he will be an impact player in our squad,” Hubbard

commented. Hubbard is preparing to recruit at least five other players for each squad. At the moment, he is in the negotiation process to sign other top-class athletes from Canada, Russia, Australia,

Sloan, Rehman Esmail, Oliver Steil and Nik Porter will graduate in May and move on, while freshman Marine DeBourqueney, who made the All-Independent team, returns to France after a one-year stay in the States. Coaching these

Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American

Belgium and Panama. “We need players with international experience to perform better. We are in the course of recruiting two other Texas native players that will give the team the right grouping,” Hubbard said. For the 2005-2006 season, the Lady Broncs finished with a record of 48-77 in singles matches, while notching a 24-32 mark in doubles action. The men’s side recorded a 22-53 record in singles, and 12-26 in duo matches. Next year, Hubbard will have to replace five key players. Elysia

THE WAITING GAME - Silke Buksik stands ready while doubles teammate Nicole Garcia gets ready to serve.

players has been an exceptional experience, Hubbard commented. “The seniors had four coaches in four years, but adapted very well to me,” he said. “They took the lead, and are strongly involved. They showed me a lot of character, played with heart and enjoyed it. I wish I had them for two more years.” Most of Hubbard’s pupils will participate in club tennis tournaments this summer. The players will profit from this constant competition, since there will not be an offseason training schedule.

SPORTS

Page 14

April 27, 2006

UTPA golf looks for good Independent showing

By DEVIN REED The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s golf teams will look to make history in the National Independent Golf Championship beginning tomorrow at the University of Northern Colorado in Windsor, Colo.

Heading into this battle, UTPA’s work will be cut out. Fifteen teams will be in attendance with the same goals and aspirations as the Broncs and Lady Broncs, which will be to capture the 2006 Division I Independent Championship. The first-ever Division I title tournament will be at the Pelican Lakes Golf and Country

Joel de la Rosa / The Pan American WAIT AND SEE - Junior Colin Norris watches a drive patiently at practice last week.

Club, starting Friday and concluding Sunday. Coach Andrew Tredway feels that the Broncs’ chances of walking away with the title are very strong. “I think we have a real good chance of winning. We’ve really been utilizing the time we had off, and the guys are practicing really hard,” Tredway said. “Now, it’s just a matter of going out and performing well. I think we are totally ready.” The Broncs have put together a fairly good resume leading up to this point. During this spring season, they have posted two top-five finishes as well as a seventh-place finish in the Oregon Duck Invitational. Senior Craig Berger led the Broncs at the Oregon event with a tournament score of 220 (71-72-77), which tied him for 22nd place. At the conclusion of three rounds, Kyle Tudi and Shane Pearce landed in a tie for 31st place with identical scores of 224. “Craig has been playing well all spring, and I’m expecting him to continue performing well for the remainder of the season,” Tredway said. “Kyle is also playing very well right now. The entire team is playing well, and this tournament could not have come at a better time.” With the Oregon Duck Invitational ending over a month ago, the Broncs focus has been on improving some minor glitches, to improve their chances of capturing the Independent title. “We have been working on those areas that caused us to struggle this spring, mainly the

short game,” stated Tredway. “We just give up way to many shots from 30 yards and in, so over the weeks, we have gotten better and continue to get better. If we can remain focused on that specific area, we will be fine,” The teams in the running for the men’s title are Francis Marion, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State, and Weber State. The Lady Broncs are no strangers to success, and they have an opportunity to put a stamp on their season in Colorado. After a strong finish at the CenturyTel/Bobcat Classic where the squad pulled out a fifth-place finish, the expectations are high. The top performer for the Lady Broncs at the CenturyTel/Bobcat Classic was Stefanie Maynard, who was tied for the lead until the final day of action when she shot an 84 that led her to fifth place. The reigning UTPA Female Student-Athlete of the Year should be a frontrunner for the Independent championship. Daniela Cortes landed behind Maynard in the sixth spot, with a tournament score of 232 (80-76-76). She shot the team’s lowest final round of 76 on the final day of action. In order to come away with their first-ever Independent Championship, the Lady Broncs will have to go through some familiar but strong opponents in North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UC-Davis and Utah Valley State.

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April 27, 2006

SPORTS

Page 15

RGV Dorados hope to improve record, attendance By RACHEL REIDA The Pan American The Rio Grande Valley Dorados, the AFL2 indoor football franchise that came to the Valley three years ago, recently kicked off its latest season with a bang. The first Dorados’ game was at Central Valley, where the locals came away with a terrible loss, 65-34. They came back fighting, with a convincing win at home against the Tulsa Talons the week, winning 75-40, and have won the last three to stand at 3-1 heading into their next game, Saturday, May 6 at the Dodge Arena at 7:30 p.m. against Bossier-Shreveport. Winning right now, although, doesn’t seem to be the problem for the team, getting fans into the Dodge Arena seats has been tougher. Last year’s attendance at the home opener was 5,300; this year it was down to 4,870. With the Dorados starting their third season, the team, as well as the staff, want to get more faces in the crowd at home games. With the help of Jacquie Kurth, the director of public relations, and the rest of the ticket sales staff, they feel that they can do just that.

The players have gone out into the community and shown there faces, and have gotten their names out there by doing such things as visiting schools, businesses, and even attended certain events in order to help get people to their games. “So far this year they have visited schools to attend pep rallies to encourage kids to study hard and prepare themselves for the TAKS tests,” commented Kurth. “They have also attended a h e a l t h y living fair where the players talked about the importance of staying active, getting involved

in extracurricular activities, and living a healthy lifestyle. They have also gone to numerous schools around the RGV and read to children.” The Dorados have just started their season but have already done some important things in the community to familiarize themselves with the fans and vice versa. “I think that having the players out in the community does help boost tickets sales,” said Kurth. “Maybe not in a huge amount, but it is always important to keep the players on people’s minds.” One other thing that they have been doing to promote at t h e games is having a tailgate party, and a cook-off before each

game in the Dodge Arena parking lot. “The players that are injured have been involved with the judging of the cook-off,” said Kurth. “That seems to be a good way to get them out in the community, talk to people and hang out with them so that the fans get to know the players.” The Dorados, are looking to raise attendance, which doesn’t seem to be easy with the limited amount of options and time that they have. “The season for hockey is longer,” commented Kurth, “which enables us to get in a lot more promotions as far as appearances go. The hockey games also have a lot more in-stand promotions. The football promotions have to be more football-oriented to keep people interested, and there just aren’t that many out there. With the football season being so short, and the time period that it takes place, it makes it a lot harder to get in promotions time.” With the season already under way, Kurth and the rest of the Dorados staff are doing all that they can to promote and get fans into the stands. Though the figures are lagging a bit, the staff seems to be happy with what Kurth has done for the hockey and football teams.

UTPA athletic programs under the scope By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American athletic programs have grown by leaps and bounds over the 2005-06 academic calendar. The many new additions have made the programs better. Last week the university selected Tom Schuberth, former associate coach at Central Florida, to replace Robert Davenport as men’s basketball coach. During the season, the Broncs encountered hardship as they finished the season 7-24, after losing losing seven seniors from the previous season. The team was a dismal 1-15 on the road this year. On a positive note, the Broncs will be returning all but one player, the opposite of this season, during which team synergy that seemed out of place because of inexperience and unfamiliarity. Next year the top returnees will be big men Kano Edwards and Colin Lien, plus point guard Larry Sheppard. Edwards and Lien controlled most of the action inside the paint, combining for 311 rebounds. They were among the top scorers as well, along with junior-to-be. With he and Sheppard, the backcourt seems to be set. LADY BRONC HOOPS Their gender counterparts struggled unexpectedly this season, sealing the season with a dreary 7-21 overall record. The team returned all by a few players from the record-breaking 14-win season of 2004-2005, but faltered badly from the start. The schedule wasn’t an easy one, as the team faced national powers Auburn, Kansas State and Arkansas, losing to each by over 20 points. The Lady Broncs will lose four pivotal players in Devin Reed, Dominique Montague, Stacey Gooden and Joanna Fuentes. Off-season signings have begun

to fill the gaps. The squad competed this season with a heavy number of underclassmen who showed some good stuff along the way. Robin Garrett demonstrated strong skills in the paint, averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds, while Teshay Winfrey finished her inaugural season with the Lady Broncs third on the squad in points per game with 7.1 and contributing 23 steals. She was named to the Independent team. BASEBALL On the diamond, this season’s Bronc baseball team has turned things around. The team is currently 20-24 with nine games left on the schedule, with five wins more than last year’s group had. Leading the way like the rock that he has become known for in the batters box since his freshman season is Louie Alamia. The senior is currently on a 20-game hit streak; just two more and he will tie the record he reached in 2003. The remarkable thing about this squad is that the meat of this team will be returning for at least one more run. This season there are five seniors, 17 juniors, seven sophomores and two freshmen. TRACK AND FIELD The program seems to collected more top-notch athletes on the men’s and women’s squads each year. Will Littleton made his Bronc debut, accomplishing a bid to the NCAA Division I indoor championship, where he leaped to a height of 7-2 1/2 on his fourth jump in the high jump competition. He placed eighth and garnered All-American honors. Keeping up with his usual success was Westly Keating, who is ranked second in the nation in the 10,000 meters and first among all NCAA Division I Midwest Regional competitors according to the

USTFCCCA rankings. Keating posted the second fastest time in the country this season in the 10,000 meters with a time of 28:24.00 en route to finishing second overall at the Stanford Invitational. He runs at nationals in June, and the squad has been steadily recruiting for next season, when Keating leaves after a stellar career. On the women’s side, freshman Wendy Wells emulated Littleton, wasting no time in making her presence known. She is the only member of the Lady Broncs' track and field program to be nationally ranked, as she is listed 15th overall in the Midwest Region and 55th in the country in the javelin. Wells recorded a program-record throw of 146-6 at the Texas Invitational en route to earning third-place honors. She has placed in the top three in a trio of meets this season, including winning her first collegiate title, at the Border Olympics in March. CROSS COUNTRY The unit continued its success this season, especially on the men’s side as two qualified for the national competition: All-American Keating took home fifth place with a time of 29:38. In order to qualify for the national championship race, he competed in the South Central Regional Championships in Waco. There, Keating became the first UTPA runner ever to win a regional championship, setting a new course record and finishing a full minute ahead of the second-place finisher Josphat Boit of Arkansas, the 2004 national champion. Also filling his own trophy case was Hector Gandara. He joined Keating at the national meet with a 14th overall finish and a time of 31:42.00. It was the first time in program history that the Broncs sent a pair of runners to the championships. The Bronc squad will need to pick up a lot of

slack after losing these two, but J. J. Hernandez and Angel Ramirez will be returning. The duo finished 57th and 59th at the regional meet, respectively. Recruiting has been solid so far as the staff has found some upper-tier prep athletes to come to campus. There is no reason why the programs should have concerns about the future, despite the loss of some excellent veterans. The Keatings of the school have contributed to program success and that translates into better recruiting. The young women’s team has rebounded since losing many top runners after the 2004 season. Leading the charge was junior Karla Hernandez who placed 51st place at the regional meet with a time of 23:43.90. Finishing six spots behind her was teammate Ashley Perez with a time of 23:54.00. Sara Rodriguez, Rose Escovedo and Lorraine Garcia placed 68th, 77th and 89th at that same meet. TENNIS The programs got a big steadying influence when former Bronc star Robery Hubbard returned to his alma mater to coach, and was joined by assistant Chris Gill. There have now been four coaches in four years, but this group looks like it might be around awhile. The Lady Broncs finished with a record of 48-77 in singles matches, while notching a 24-32 mark in doubles action, in a much better showing than last year. The men’s side recorded a 22-53 record in singles, and 12-26 in duo matches. The women’s squad will see the loss of four-year letterman Elysia Sloan and freshman Marine DeBourqueney, who made the All-Independent team but will return to France after a one-year stay. The men lose Oliver Steil, Nik Porter and Rehman Esmail all to eligibility.

See ATHLETICS page 13

SPORTS

Tennis...............................13 Golf..................................14 Dorados...........................15

Roadrunner replacements ready for opening

By DARYL GONZALES The Pan American It’s that time of year again when the climate gets just about right for enjoying some fun in the sun and some good old baseball. That’s right. America’s pastime is back, although without the familiar faces of the Edinburg Roadrunners entertaining spectators. However, the Edinburg Coyotes have filled that void. A familiar face leads this new organization though, Vince Moore. Moore, the former field manager for the Roadrunners and professional player before that, has taken the helm in the Coyotes dugout for the 2006 season. The squad will be competing in United League Baseball (ULB), an independent league that will feature six professional baseball teams located in Texas and Louisiana. They have to get past a lawsuit filed by the Roadrunners, but at this point it looks like they will be able to take the field when the season is set to start in mid-May. The Coyotes will compete in a league that has familiar organizations from the past. The Amarillo Armadillos, Laredo Broncos, Alexandria Aces, San Angelo Colts, Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings and the Edinburg Coyotes are the six squads from the two states. Most were represented in the old Texas-

Louisiana League that began a decade-long run in 1994. Still, the comfort of competing with those organizations from the past doesn’t have Moore too relaxed. “Even though the team names are familiar it doesn’t give us an upper hand at all. All these organizations have new coaches and players just like us,” Moore said. The ULB will play its inaugural 90-game season this summer between May and August, immediately followed by a post season. The league’s all-star break will center in the AllAmerican City, Edinburg on July 11-13. It will be similar to that of the Major League style, an All-Star game comprised of players selected from the teams; a home run derby and other activities for the public. The Coyotes' home opener is May 23 at Edinburg Baseball Stadium as they face Laredo. Spring training starts May 8 for the 22 guys that Moore has assembled for this season’s Coyotes squad. “I’m pretty much set when it comes to the roster,” commented Moore. Several Roadrunners will be on the new team. Julio Ruiz and Eric Gonzalez will be rejoining Moore for at least another season. Ruiz, a Brownsville native, is returning from dominant performance last season for the Runners, while La Feria native Gonzalez adds his veteran skills to the lineup. Moore said that

United League Baseball Amarillo Dillas

Laredo Broncos

Alexandria Aces

Edinburg Coyotes

San Angelo Colts

RGV WhiteWings

A NEW BEGINNING - The United League Baseball takes over where the Central Baseball League left off, hoping to build on the existing fan bases of the Edinburg Roadrunners and Whitewings of the past.

Ruiz and Gonzalez were the first two players signed once he got the nod as manager. “Aside from their skills on the field, they (Ruiz and Gonzalez) know how things are done around here. They know what it takes to win,” Moore added.

The team will be holding a local tryout on May 5 and 6 for all athletes to come show their stuff with the possibility of earning a spot on the team roster. “I just want [local athletes] to come out and show me what they have,” Moore added.

Track teams finish strong at Texas Twilight Invitational By KRISTYNA MANCIAS The Pan American

Onydia Garza / The Pan American READY, AIM... - Freshman Marissa Mendoza launches the javelin at practice this week.

Last weekend The University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s track teams competed at the Texas Twilight event hosted by The University of Texas. The program recorded 11 top-five finishes on Saturday at Mike A. Meyers Stadium. On the men’s side, senior Matt Clinton of Raymondville posted a mark of 166-11 earning him fourth-place honors in the hammer throw. In the 1,500-meter race, David Trevino and J.J. Hernandez earned sixth and eighth place. In the women’s competition, once again freshman Wendy Wells had an outstanding performance, finishing first in the javelin with a distance 140-8 for her second title of the season. Wells has already proven to be a huge contributor to the squad and coach Ricky Vaughn sees more to come from the true freshman. “Wendy has been a big impact, she’s already qualified for regionals, and hopefully we’ll be able to have a great meet to make it to nationals. If not she had a great season for someone who’s never done this event,” said Vaughn. “Having the success she’s had this season she’ll certainly be someone to watch the next couple of years.

Records are meant to be broken and that was the case in the 400-meter dash, when Vanessa Brown recorded a time of 56.42, shattering LaShaunne Cortez’s old mark of 56.80 set in 1989. Freshman Kate Shannon did some record chasing of her own when she cleared a height of 10-6 in the pole vault, which tied the school record. In the 100-meter dash, with a time of 12.01, Deon Marquis earned fourth place, the second-fastest time in program history. In the throwing events Amanda Ferris earned second place in the hammer throw with a toss of 155-1 and received third place in the shot put with a mark of 41-7.75. Freshman Michelle Elizondo had a strong outing as she received third-place honors in the hammer throw with a mark of 144-2 and placed fourth in the shot put with a distance of 41-4 1. In the women’s triple jump, Claudia Lopez recorded the third-best jump in program history with a personal best of 39.2 1/4, which earned her thirdplace honors. Overall the men and women had great performances but Vaughn still feels that there is room for improvemement. “We did good in some areas,” he said. “We were a little flat coming off a long trip in San Angelo but so many kids had PRs, I think physically and

mentally they were a little flat. We had so many great performances.” The men and women will be back on the track May 5 at the University of Houston for their final regular season meet. With one week of rest, the Broncs will recuperate and prepare to qualify for regionals. So far Wells is the only female to qualify and Westly Keating automatically qualified in the 10,000. “I think we will do okay. We have this week off and we’re not traveling anywhere, so that should get them caught up on some rest,” said Vaughn. “I think they’ll do fine.” On a side note, Vaughn announced the signing of three Rio Grande Valley high school standouts that will join the 2006-07 academic year. Distance runners Gilroy Martinez of McAllen and Osvaldo Gonzalez of Edinburg North had stellar high school careers; their addition will be pivotal due to the loss of seniors Keating and Hector Gandara. On the women’s side the signing of Weslaco High product Krista Hlozek was announced on Friday. Hlozek recorded a personal-best of 10-6 in the pole vault, and has qualified for the regional high school championships this weekend in San Antonio. Hlozek will join Lady Bronc pole-vaulters Shannon and Sabrina Montalvo in the 2006-07 season.