September 21, 2006 by UTRGV Student Media

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

September 21, 2006

Restaurant fund-raising for St. Jude’s

SGA gives yearly update

By LEZETTE VILLARREAL The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American PROGRESS - Argelia Barrera, Student Government Association president, highlighted the organization’s successes to a crowd of about 150 on Wednesday evening at the 2nd Annual State of the Student Body Address held in the Student Union Theater.

When was the last time you helped save a life by eating a cheeseburger? If it’s been a while, you have a chance to do so on Sept. 25 at Chili’s Bar and Grill. On that day, every Chili’s restaurant across the country will donate all profits from alcoholic beverage and food purchases to St. Jude’s Research Hospital. “The goal for Chili’s Bar & Grill is to raise more than $50 million in the next 10 years,” said Chad Newman, manager of Chili’s in Edinburg. “Chili’s Bar and Grill has high hopes to exceed that amount.” In 2005, over 900 U.S. Chili’s were encouraged to participate in the donation program, and the program raised over $3 million for the children’s hospital. Over 20 percent of Texas children are uninsured, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. However, at St. Jude’s Research Hospital, every family is welcomed with open arms, regardless of their ability to pay. However, the donations don’t stop on Sept. 25. Chili’s has several other

See CHILDREN page 11

Survey: Hidalgo County ranks No. 1 on list of poorest in U.S. By JAVIER CAVAZOS The Pan American Jamie Guerra never had it easy growing up. “There were times I can remember not having electricity or hot water,” said Guerra, a senior public relations major. “It was tough as a kid having to worry about something like that.” Guerra, like many other Valley residents, has experienced life in poverty and desperation. “I grew up always being poor,” said Guerra. “There were days when my dad

couldn’t even give me a dollar for lunch at school.” According to recent U.S. census data, Hidalgo County continues to lead the nation as the poorest county with a population above 250,000. For some Valley residents, basic amenities like utilities, air conditioning and heat cannot always be afforded. “Poverty has to be ended if the area is to see continued growth,” said state representative Aaron Pena, who represents the Edinburg area. “We have seen the region grow in size and

economic strength, but we have to make an effort to stop the cycle of poverty. Everyone has to deal with the effects of poverty, from prices for goods to government funding for schools, hospitals and other projects.” Pena added that the only way to end the cycle of poverty is by showing children the importance of education. “A degree gives you more earning potential, and by strengthening our workforce we can help fight lower salaries,” he said. “Programs that place

See HIDALGO page 11

News

A&E

Sports

Locals organize event for International Day of Peace

UTPA professors show off their special skills

Women’s soccer kicks into high gear

See page 5

See page 8, 9

See page 13

PAGE 2

September 21, 2006 THE

PAN AMERICAN

Web Site Review

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 56th Year – No. 5

This one was sent in by a reader:

Laura C. Gomez lm.gomez@yahoo.com

Reporters and Photographers Brian Carr Mary Nichols Javier Cavazos Carolina Sanchez Sam Iglesias Angela Salazar Luke Koong Trey Serna Maria Mazariegos Krystina Mancias Ana Ley Adviser Dr. Greg Selber Secretary Anita Casares Ad Manager Carolina Sanchez

Asst. Ad Manager Lillian Villarreal

Advertising information spubs@panam.edu Delivery Thursday at Noon

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, classification/title and phone number.

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.

I love forums. With over 15 registered forum names, I like to consider myself the Yoda of forum life. So when BroncTalk landed in my inbox, I was more than happy to try it out. Still in its early days, Bronctalk has as much potential for growth as Carnie Wilson’s waistline. While the few registered students don’t have much to talk about yet, the number of people who register from this moment on will be the true test as to whether or not this site will survive or rest in peace. Just in case, we’ll save you a plot right next to the ill-fated panamunderground.com.

Web site Overview:

Photo Editor Onydia Garza north14star @aol.com

Designers Roy Bazan crazy_restless @yahoo.com

It has such great possibilities but, it needs time to grow and more people to enter conversation.

www.BroncTalk.com

A&E Editor Frank Calvillo hennero@msn.com

Design Editor Erika Lopez lopez475@ yahoo.com

Sports Editor Roderick Dorsey roderickdorsey @sbcglobal.net

By: Sandra Gonzalez

I admit it. I have my favorites. Once I log on, it’s the same five Web sites first. But what to do when it’s all over? When I’ve finished worshiping at The First Church of Wentworth Miller, I’m at a loss. Well, if you catch yourself in a similar predicament, that’s where I come in. It’s time for me to pick apart another site to tell you if it’s worth a crap or not.

Editor Claudette Gonzalez ThePanAmerican@gmail.com News Editor Sandra Gonzalez sandra_panamerican @yahoo.com

READER FORUM For you visual learners, you’re out of luck. This one is as visually exciting as watching rooms full of empty chairs on C-SPAN. There are no pictures or graphics. While forums don’t traditionally have pictures or much graphic stuff on the home pages, I don’t even see a nice thread of picture spam where I can make fun of people’s self-portraits. Also, for a Web site named “BroncTalk” I don’t see one damn Bronc. False advertising? I think so. Maybe a nice blend would do nicely at the top.

Graphics/Photos

Side Note: BroncTalk was brave enough to face the guillotine. Can your favorite Web site survive my wrath? If you run a web site of your own or go somewhere for fun, send it to Sandra_Panamerican@yahoo.com. Don’t be greedy; share the web love. No porn.

UTPA Writer’s Guild: By: Jesus Ambriz Freshman Spanish and English double major [The man sits comfortably at his executive chair. A cigarette is hanging from his lips; smoke rises through the air, as if it were a phantom. The computer screen appears to shallow the smoke, becoming one with the environment. The man touches his forehead, he is sobbing, lost in his consciousness. At the reach oh his right hand stands a photograph of his beloved, not so long ago. She is smiling to the world, greeting all the people who actually enter to the room. Tears start streaming from his dull eyes. It is time to remember everything; it is time to write all down...] I still remember those black days, no one seemed to help me, or

Hrs. of Entertainment Expect 30 minutes if you read slow…like me

For something that the university has no control over, BroncTalk sure does have a lack of real dirt. Where’s the anonymous gossip area? Who doesn’t wash their hands after leaving the restroom (By the way, for anyone interested in this I have a running list.) Where is the stuff that gets whispered about in separate colleges? That’s what the school needs to be reading so we can stop whispering and start having conversations. The only excuse for such a dwindling hot topics area is if the person who calls themselves “moderator” is a secret mole for the Office of the President or SGA…*narrows eyes and puts on fake handlebar mustache* In addition, the Web site has less estrogen than a LAN party. I am without a companion. One of the few double X chromosomes I saw had the username “Bucktoothgirl.” Yeah, much as I would love to make friends with her, I think my laundry just beeped. Uhmm…*beep*

Content:

Darkness, be gone

maybe didn’t want to, My days were boring, nothing interesting happened. I longed for my heart to heal, so I could start again; if life existed, after all. I cried for my sins, I begged God to please stop the insanity; is this life? I wandered alone through those hallways, seeking for redemption, a new meaning, My thoughts were focused on searching for someone who could possibly help; This is madness, I repeated myself, you won’t find anything here. But there’s must be a way, for forgiveness is always present on man’s hearts, Without explanation or requirements, I longed for a blinding light.

Darkness enclosed me, there’s no turning back from your past, return to the shadows. Hollow, the most important word, and the one you’ll always remember; Solitude, it is the perfect stage for your reasoning, so you could start again without harm; Black, is the color of your heart, as well as the actions you’ve performed against mankind; Gray, the brightest color your eyes will see, for the others are the colors of truth and justice; Emptiness, your most precious feeling, when you look through your room’s windowpane; Harm, your gift, your best friend, the one that’ll never fail you when you’re collapsing;

Evil... what your soul is meant to cause... Get away, please, I beg you... I cannot stand this anymore, there has to be another way... Another love... another opportunity to reborn, to find peace within my body, within my soul... You speak of danger, you speak of harm... you speak of me... I want to shut these images from my head; I'm lingering in the light of heaven... I see your face, strange one, though I don't know you... I need... you... I...

To read the rest of the poem and the four remaining parts, e-mail: the.vampire.ambriz@hotmail.com

Correction: In last week’s The Pan American, figures in the “Enrollment, retention trends” graphic were representative of Fall 2000Fall 2001 and Fall 2005-Fall 2006, not Fall 2005 and Fall 2006.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF

THE PAN AMERICAN

Available Sept. 28

HESTEC Week

United Through Art

- See the best of HESTEC week and what surprises it still has in store

- Find out how one organization will turn an ordinary street into movie theater

NEWS

News in brief: Beginning Sept. 29, the Visitor's Center will be presenting “A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie,” an exhibit that recalls the historical and emotional realities of the early 16th-century trans-Atlantic slave trade. For more information call 292-7336.

Suicidal students spark dorm-life debate

By ANA LEY The Pan American In recent years, American colleges have been facing a judicial dilemma over what action to take to handle potentially suicidal students. The two main options – leaving students to seek mental guidance on their own or forcing it upon them – may leave schools in not only a moral, but a legal bind. Court rulings have refuted the prevailing belief that adult students are responsible for their own behavior and that colleges are not liable in cases of suicide. Legal cases involving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ferrum College in Virginia ruled colleges partially responsible for suicidal behavior because prior signs were ruled to be evident, leaving schools to modify their policies.

Some universities have gone so far as to force troubled students to move home after showing signs of depression. But such policies, restricting potentially suicidal students from living on campus, have stirred up debate and legal action. At Hunter College in New York, a student was evicted after a failed suicide attempt, according to an article released Sept. 1 by the Associated Press. She claimed in the 2004 lawsuit against the university that her expulsion from the dorms discriminated against the disabled. REASONS FOR POLICIES Meredith Halpern, a spokeswoman for the college, said automatic expulsions are aimed at protecting student privacy and to give them a break from the stresses of university life.

See SUICIDE page 12

Suicide rates of college students Age

Women

17-19

= 1.2

Suicides

Men

out of every 100,000 students

3.4

= 5.7

20-24

= 4.5

*All Students

= 4.5

*Includes students ranging in age from 17 to 49.

7.1

= 9.0

= 10

7.5

= 1 student per 100,000

Students to present new research at HESTEC By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American CURE? - Hector Aguilar researches anti-cancer treatments.

For one University of Texas-Pan American student and his laboratory advisor, trying to find a cure for cancer is all in a day’s work. Hector Aguilar, a senior biology major from Corpus Christi, is working with chemistry professor Bimal Banik on cutting-edge scientific research and loves every minute of it. “You can ask anyone in the lab. I love being in the lab more than anywhere else,” Aguilar said. “I love my research, especially knowing that the area we’re studying is a new one and we’re working

with one of the best investigators in the area – Dr. Banik.” Foremost among the five research projects Aguilar is involved in is the synthesis of anti-cancer beta lactums. Beta lactums are a very common class of antimicrobial agents which includes the antibiotic Penicillin. While traditionally used to fight infections, new research is showing that they may also be effective in fighting cancer. “We found from our studies that these beta lactums can work in cancer treatment,” Banik said. “Some may even work to prevent cancer, as well as in treatment.” For over a year, Aguilar has been

working with known anti-cancer beta lactums, using microwaves to modify their stereochemistry in order to see how their biological activity is affected by the changes. According to Aguilar, this research has the potential to greatly impact the health care community if the new beta lactums are shown to be more effective in treating cancer, especially new cancer strains. Also working in the same lab is Isabella Garcia, a senior biology and psychology double major from Edinburg. Although sharing lab space with Aguilar, Garcia is working on another project entirely.

Garcia is working to find ways of synthesizing new and old drugs, including aspirin, in a more environmentally friendly manner. Traditionally, drugs made out of organic compounds such as aspirin are synthesized using organic solvents and harsh catalysts such as a strong acid or strong base. Instead, Garcia is using aqueous solvents, which are composed mainly of water, and bismuth nitrate as the catalyst. The advantages of this are that both water and bismuth nitrate are environmentally friendly and relatively inexpensive. According to Garcia, the results

See HESTEC page 12

Women’s board holds annual gathering at president’s house By LUKE KOONG The Pan American University of Texas-Pan American President Blandina Cardenas played host Sept. 14 to The International Women’s Board (IWB) as the organization kicked off the year with its annual membership merienda. It marked the second time in a row the IWB has held the gathering at Cardenas’ home. “Having this event at Dr. Cardenas’ home allows her to develop friendships and relationships, but also cultivate future donor-relationships for scholarships,” said Christie Cantu, development

officer for alumni relations. Cardenas thanked the IWB for its continued support of UTPA students. “The thing that you do, nobody else can do it. No e-mail can do it. No ad can do it. You have become the carriers of the UTPA story,” Cardenas said to the crowd. The Board has been in existence since 1987 and is under the auspices of the UTPA Foundation. Members raise scholarship monies for students wanting to travel abroad to study. “One of the things that we believe a great deal in is the importance of international and cultural understanding so that

we can learn and appreciate other cultures to better know who we are,” said member Fran Alger. Josie Cappadona, president of the IWB, also said it is important for students to experience the rest of the world. “There’s more than just our world here. Many students don’t have the opportunity to travel further than the Valley and we thought that it was important,” Cappadona said. Past recipients have traveled as far as China and England and as close as Mexico and South America. Scholarship amounts have ranged from $500-$1,500.

See WOMEN page 12

Onydia Garza/The Pan American SOCIAL - IWB board members, (from left to right) Minnie Lanham, Penny Pettitt and Miros Jensen attended a gathering at President Cardenas’ house on Sept. 14.

Page 4

NEWS

September 21, 2006

NEWS

September 21, 2006

Page 5

Valley joins Peace Day celebrations By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Mark Pena remembers his friends telling him about their experiences while working with Cesar Chavez to gain farm worker rights. Through these stories of the 1960s, he learned that one person standing up for a cause can be the start of a large movement. “I know people who worked with him and went through the struggles with him, and they have told me how it had an impact on them as a young person to witness the things that transpired,” Pena said.

Now, the Edinburg attorney is helping spread the word of another movement: international peace. The first step in this movement takes place today at 7 p.m. The local mosque will open its doors to locals so they can observe their evening prayer service, Maghrib, learn more about Islam and discuss the Middle Eastern conflict with members of the local Muslim community. Pena and his group, Holy Spirit Peace and Justice/Pax Christi, decided to have the event fall on International Day of Peace because they felt it was important to promote understanding about Islam, especially considering the current conflict. “We thought it’d be a wonderful opportunity for our organization to sponsor an event that would promote peace in the world, especially in the Middle East,” he said. “The idea behind it is to inform the public on Islam and Muslims and politics from their perspective.” Mohammed Farooqui, a University of Texas-Pan American biology professor and practicing Muslim, will present a Powerpoint presentation he calls “Islam 101,” which will cover the basics of Islam – what it teaches, basic beliefs, book of Islam,

book of Mohammed, and the different prophets. Farooqui said he looks forward to spreading knowledge about his religion to the community. “Since I came to this country 30 or 35 years ago, I have seen that there are people who don’t know anything about Islam. They do not know what it stands for or the meaning of it,” he said. “This presentation will help people understand it and also [promote] a friendship among all interfaith people so we can all, together, work for peace.” Pena said that, to his knowledge, the event is the only one taking place in the Valley in observance of International Day of Peace. In his opinion, it is important for people to realize the significance on a local level. “I think it’s important that people not only be aware of the day itself, but that they come out on this day and build a bridge with the Muslim community here in the Valley,” he said. “I think it will go a long way in promoting peace in the world. We have to start somewhere, and what better place to start than in our own community.” Pena added that although he helped coordinate the event, even he still has much to learn. “I’m the first to admit it: I am ignorant of the

Middle East and of Islam. But I am hopeful that with a better understanding of people, their culture and their perspective regarding problems on their side of the world that we can reach peace,” he said. “It may not be in my lifetime, but that’s OK. I believe if we’re making an effort today, hopefully, in the lifetime of my children, we can achieve peace.” The two-hour event will take place at the Edinburg Mosque located at 1910 El Sham, one block north of Dove on Jackson. It is open to all; however, out of respect for Muslim tradition, women are asked to wear head scarves and long dresses and men slacks and sleeved shirts. While the idea for the event first came to Pena a year ago, he said intense planning for it began roughly two months ago. However, they had not initially planned on it taking place on Peace Day. It was, simply, fate. “My wife, Michelle, was just surfing the Internet and found out about International Peace Day. It’s amazing to me that it all seemed

to come together,” Pena said. Whether it was a product of fate or lucky planning, Pena said, he is sure the affair is a step in the right direction. “I think little things like this, events on a local level, people become inspired by those things,” he said. “They can touch us in a very special way.”

Peace Day Fact: In Nov. 1981, the General Assembly of the United Nations established International Peace Day. It was declared that the third Tuesday of September every year would be a day of ceasefire and non-violence. In 2001, a campaign by the Peace One Day organization prompted the UN to pass another resolution declaring Sept. 21 of each year the offical International Day of Peace. However, observance of International Day of Peace has not yet become widespread.

Jennifer Terrazas/The Pan American

EN ESPAÑOL

Noticias en breve: Empezando Sep. 29, el Centro de Visitas presentara “A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie,” una exhibición que conmemorara las realidades históricas y emocionales del comercio tras-Atlántico de esclavos en principios del siglo 16. Para más información llamar al 2927336.

Universidades criticadas por pólizas sobre suicidios Por ANA LEY Traducido Por MERCEDES CANTU The Pan American En años recientes, universidades Americanas han tenido que enfrentar un dilema judicial sobre que acción tomar para manejar el suicidio de estudiantes. Las dos opciones – dejar que los mismos estudiantes busquen ayuda y guías mentales por su parte, o forzárlos a buscar ayuda – dejan a las escuelas en problemas morales y legales. Reglamentos de la Corte han negado la creencia de que estudiantes adultos sean responsables por su comportamiento y que las universidades no sean responsables por los casos de suicidio. Casos legales que involucran al Instituto de Tecnología de Massachussets y la Universidad de Ferrum en Virginia dictaron a las universidades ser parcialmente responsables por los comportamientos de suicidio, si acaso evidentes, dejando que las escuelas modifiquen sus

pólizas. Algunas universidades han ido tan lejos que han llegado a forzar a estudiantes con problemas a regresar a sus casas cuando demuestren signos de depresión. Dichas pólizas restringen a estudiantes suicidas de dejar el campus, tener debates y acciones legales. En Hunter College de Nueva York, un estudiante fue expulsado después de un intento fallado de suicidio, de acuerdo a un artículo publicado en Sep. 1 por la prensa. Ella reclamo en el 2004 en un juicio en contra de la universidad por haberla expulsado de los dormitorios, llamando la accion discriminánte en contra de los discapacitados. Meredith Halpern, vocera de la universidad, dijo que el objetivo de la expulsión automática es el proteger la privacidad de los estudiantes y dejarles descansar del estrés de la vida universitaria. Aun así, algunos críticos piensan que el dejar que los estudiantes se retiren de la

universidad es un atento a evadir responsabilidades legales en caso de se cometa algún suicidio. Patricia Koo, asistente medico en Universidad de Texas-Pan American, cree que expulsar estudiantes los desalentara de buscar ayuda si se encuentran en una depresión. “Creo que es una mala idea que las universidades hagan esto a los estudiantes que sufren de depresión y me da gusto que los estudiantes las demanden por ello,” dijo Koo con respecto a la póliza de expulsión. Koo piensa que la universidad debe trabajar para tener un soporte consistente de consejeros y ayuda en la comunidad para combatir la depresión y suicidios, que después de accidentes son la segunda causa de muerte en las universidades. “Student Health Services tiene relación con el departamento de Counseling Services,” comento Koo. “Creo que si continuamos esto y mantenemos una relación con los estudiantes

de la universidad no tendremos mas casos de suicidio.” Koo alienta a profesores, al personal y a estudiantes a “hacer preguntas cuando detecten a estudiantes con problemas. Muchas de las veces las personas tienen miedo a hacer preguntas, pero en estos casos es necesario.” En el 2004, de acuerdo a la Asociación Nacional de Salud Mental, el 77 por ciento de los estudiantes de tercer grado de Universidad se sienten con frecuencia o ocasionalmente deprimidos, un 16 por ciento incrementa de cuando estaban en primer año. A parte, el NMHA declaro que el margen de suicidios entre hombres entre los 15 y 24 años de edad se ha cuadruplicado en los últimos 60 años, y el margen se ha doblado para las mujeres. Chad Martín, director de la vida de residencia en la universidad, dijo que mientras “no hay nada que dicte lo que la universidad pueda hacer si algún problema así llegase a ocurrir, la universidad de encarga

de estos problemas de caso por caso.” Hipotéticamente, Martín dijo que el personal de vida en la residencia le informara al centro de psicología y lo dejara de acuerdo a los estudiantes a buscar su propio tratamiento. Dice que comoquiera, es razonable que otras escuelas tengan sus propias pólizas si es que una crisis llega a emerger. “Yo entiendo por que otras escuelas hacen esto. Ellos solo quieren proteger a los demás residentes,” el dijo. “Claro que queremos aumentar la vida de estudiantes, pero el dejar que un estudiante con problemas viva con otros puede llegar a herirlo a el mismo o algún otro estudiante. La universidad debe de prevenir que algo así llegue a suceder.” Aun así, Martin dijo que las universidades no deben de basar sus acciones en un solo principio. “Una evaluación profesional es necesaria para determinar la solución a cada caso,” el dijo.

RTS A EN T& E RTA I N M E N T

Editor’s Pick: Must-buy CD The Killers “Sam’s Town” featuring the hit single “When You Were Young”

New club encourages unity through art

By TREY SERNA The Pan American Art is all around us on campus, from the posters passed in the hallways to buildings we walk in and out of. And now The University of Texas-Pan American has become home to an organization for art lovers of all kinds. Artists Unanimous is a student organization whose purpose is to strengthen the bond between students at UTPA and the world of art. The organization provides an opportunity for students to exhibit their work on campus and throughout the community. In existence since late June, Artists Unanimous is the brainchild of UTPA art major Christopher Ramirez. His passion for art inspired him to create a group that would bring people together through creative works. “We want the artists to be united, hence the name. We’re all supposed to be in favor of each other or whatever it is we’re trying to accomplish,” said Ramirez. The organization will be making its presence more known around campus as Dia de los Muertos and Halloween

Artists Unanimous ART AND HUMANITY- Artist Unanimous members (from left to right) Kris Ohlinger, Regina Armas and Christopher Ramirez model bowls out of clay for the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank’s Empty Bowls fundraiser Saturday.

creep around. Members hope to help give more of an artistic feel to the spooky season.

“We’re probably going to collaborate as a group and stick things around campus, in front of buildings and on

sidewalks,” said Ramirez. The club encourages openness and creativity, giving members the opportunity to design whatever comes to mind. “I love obscure abstractions that can be done because it just shows your expression,” said Ramirez. “It shows your vitality, your life, your energy. That’s one of these things I try to encourage to these members. We can do whatever we want. We’re artists.” Artists Unanimous helps members stay up to date about contests that they can enter to showcase work “We try and keep them posted as far as what contests, scholarships and grants are available,” said Ramirez. “We encourage all our members to do all of these things and to go explore whatever it is they feel they’re good at or not good at.” One such contest is the HESTEC Outdoor Sculpture Art Competition, info for which was recently posted on Artists Unanimous’ Web site. The competition is open to all UTPA students: each must make a 3-D sculpture in a material of their choice portraying what HESTEC represents.

While the organization is still in its infancy, members are positive and excited about future events in store. The group has been fortunate enough to have a substantial number of people show up to meetings and show great interest in upcoming projects. “I think this club has potential and will work out. We have quite a number of things planned,” said Monique Michelle Gonzalez, a member of Artists Unanimous. For those who may enjoy art but feel they exude no real talent, the organization encourages anyone, no matter what their major, to join. The organization strongly encourages anyone to join and Ramirez emphasizes that great artistic ability is not required. “We are a group of freedom of ideas, free expression and it tags along with your artistic abilities,” said Ramirez. “It doesn’t really matter what pace you’re at, just as long as your heart is in it.” The group will have its first opportunity to exhibit members’ work on Oct. 6 at the McAllen Artwalk. For more information,visit http://artistsunanimous.blogspot.com/

Acclaimed Russian pianist visits UTPA By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American Monday’s rainy afternoon was transformed into a pleasant experience when Sergei Musaelyan performed at The University of Texas-Pan American’s Fine Arts Auditorium. The Russian pianist performed “Ballad No. 1, Waltz Caprice,” and Chopin’s “D flat major,” delighting the audience that attended the recital. A brilliant exponent of the Russian school of pianists, Musaelyan, who returned to Russia Wednesday, has been playing and practicing from an early age. “I started playing at age three,” said the pianist. “I practice every day, because it takes a lot of practice to be able to give the best of myself to the audience when I perform.” Musaelyan also said that, although he was delighted to perform in the Valley, where he plays is not relevant to him. The two most important things for him are the piano and the audience for

whom he performs. Peter Dabrowski, chair of the music department, has had the opportunity to play with Mysaelyan in many occasions around the world. “We met about six years ago,” said Dabrowski. “Being able to have him perform here and introduce him to American audiences was my dream come true.” According to Dabrowski, this mini-recital was the third appearance that Musaelyan has made in the Valley. He has also performed with the Valley Symphony Orchestra in McAllen and Brownsville. “Both concerts featured his solo performance,” Dabrowski said. “Half of the concert was dedicated to his piano solo and the other half to playing with other musicians from the orchestra.” In the past Musaelyan performed a trio with Andrea Dawson, a professor in UTPA’s music department, and with Benjamin Ponder, a cellist of the Valley Symphony Orchestra. Dabrowski stressed that events

such as these are important. “I think that students don’t have many opportunities to witness such a great performer for free,” he said. “It is not an everyday event to listen to him.” Dabrowski is not the only one who thinks so. Students like Jorge Rincon, a junior at UTPA, agree with him. “It was such a great experience watching him play,” said the advertising/public relations major. “I really liked how he was able to transmit so much emotion to the audience through his music even though he could not communicate with us verbally.” The recital also gave the audience the opportunity to ask many questions and interact with the pianist to get to know him a little better. “Being able to ask him things about his life and his career was great,” said Lucia Alvarez, a junior education major. “Usually you don’t have the opportunity to talk to the performers. It was really nice to do this. It gave it a more casual atmosphere.”

Valley Symphony Orchestra SOUNDS OF RUSSIA - UTPA President Blandina Cardenas thanked Sergei Musaelyan after he performed for university students Monday.

According to Dabrowski there will be more events similar to this one in the future and extended an invitation to all students on behalf of the music department.

“I would like to expose students to live classical music,” he said. “It is a very unique opportunity for them and I hope this can inspire them to achieve their goals in life.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8

By: Angela Salazar

September 21, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9

The

Professors

Secret World of

Remember the feeling you had in elementary school the first time you saw a teacher outside of the school environment? Running into them at the supermarket, while they were shopping wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals? The shock, awe and horror of running into them in a public place knowing that if your parents spotted them you would inevitably have to be polite and say hi, which would lead to a discussion of grades? Growing older means becoming mature and realizing they have lives outside school. Elementary is in the past and now as mature, young adults we have come to realize that our teachers, known to us as professors, have lives that reach far beyond the corridors of The University of Texas-Pan American. Some dance to honor family and tradition. Others have a passion for music that just can’t be stifled. Yet others enjoy art, fantasy and games. Often, the artistic hobbies seemingly have nothing to do with the professor’s field of study. Here we highlight four UTPA professors with decidedly unique talents.

BIOLOGY AND DANCE Kathryn Dodd, a lecturer in the biology department, has been teaching at UTPA since 1999 after graduating from The University of Oklahoma. While growing up in Oklahoma, she found she was of Native American descent. Part Cherokee, she grew up listening to her mother’s stories about the Cherokee culture, but not growing up within that culture left some questions. “We grew up just like everybody else and I always felt like there was something missing. I always felt something was incomplete, but I never knew what it was,” Dodd said. “I grew up knowing the history of our family and our people, but never being connected to it. That was difficult.” Her mother sparked her interest in the Native American culture but it was

not until Dodd moved to the Rio Grande Valley that she was able to transform her knowledge and curiosity about it into an artistic hobby. In moving to the Valley, she eventually met the head of the South Texas Indian Dancers, Robert Soto. His group performs traditional Native American dances for audiences all over the world. Dodd joined the group in 2001 and continues to dance with them to this day. “I’ve been to Peru and twice to Switzerland, Canada and all over the United States,” Dodd said. “With the presentations that we do and the pow-wows, we dance a lot.” Being able to finally connect with her roots allows Dodd a feeling of completion and joy every time she dances. Coming “full circle in life” is something she cherishes and likes to share with the audience as she dances and performs. Pow-wows, where members of different dance groups and tribes get together, are held all over the nation; there will be one in McAllen this October. Here they experience and share a culture that seems to be hidden, or even lost, to the mainstream world. “What we’ve come to realize through this is that around the world a lot of countries have studied Native American history,” Dodd said. “They studied the history of this country, you know, of the civilization of this country and what happened to Native Americans through what we call civilization.” Each dancer, including Dodd, creates his or her own costumes for powwows and shows to preserve the traditions of past generations including handsewing and hand-beading costumes. This process can take days, weeks or even months to complete. BUSINESS AND MUSIC While Dodd’s hidden talent is dance, other professors use music as their creative outlet. Current business professor and former department chair Michael

Minor has had a lifelong love of music. Minor, a member of the Edinburg Rotary Club and UTPA faculty since 1990, was looking for a hobby and he came upon the River Rock Band, whose musicians were also Rotary Club members. After listening to them play, he decided he wanted to join. After speaking with the band and finding out they needed a bass player, he happily accepted the job. There was only one small problem: he didn’t know how to play the bass. One day before one class at UTPA he asked a student if he knew where to get a bass. The student, a former professional musician, told Minor he would lend him his bass guitar to play. “Then I went down to Melhart’s in McAllen and basically said, ‘Here’s a credit card. I want to buy a bass amp and I don’t know what would be a good one,’” Minor said. After only one practice it was show time. Minor said that during his first performance he didn’t know most of the songs, but that his amp wasn’t loud enough for anyone in the audience to hear him anyway. Although he no longer plays bass for the band, he has found two new interesting instruments that bring a unique sound to the country/rock band. “What I do mostly in River Rock now is play harmonica and mandolin,” he explained. The mandolin is an eight-string instrument shaped somewhat like a guitar. Its strings are usually tuned to the notes G, D, A and E, like a violin. “[Mandolin] is played sort of like a guitar,” said Minor. “A lot of European music, but also country music, uses it. It has a very high voice as compared to a guitar.” One of the most distinctive instruments he plays in the band is the harmonica. It is one not heard every day, but the sound adds more life and fun to music. He jokes that his bass playing did not get him the compliments he has received for play-

ing harmonica. Minor is blending his two worlds of music and business by teaching a new class next fall – a survey of the music business, which will help both music and business students learn a new aspect of their crafts.

ENGINEERING AND GLASS Doug Timmer, a manufacturing and engineering professor, has enjoyed using his hands to create spectacular stained glass designs since 1980. A graduate of UTPA in 1986, he had a diversified degree with a major in math and computer science and a minor in music. Since 1999 he has taught manufacturing engineering and applied statistics. “My parents learned and they came and taught me,” said Timmer about his stained glass art. He began making this art in 1980 and has been doing so forr the past 25 years. Not particularly looking for a hobby at the time, Timmer just thought it was a fun and interesting thing his parents had learned and decided to try it out. Today his office is decorated with stained glass, from light catchers in front of his window to figurines of boats and helicopters. “You draw the design, and there are a few design considerations you have to make,” he said, “because you have to be able to cut the glass and you can’t make right-angle cuts.” Using pre-colored glass, Timmer then molds together the designs he’s drawn out. Each piece takes different amounts of time to make. Some take only an hour, while others could take years, depending on the number of pieces. Although it began as a way to decorate churches with colorful pictures of saints, the tradition of stained glass has led to its own fascinating art form, which continues today. HISTORY AND GAMES Some hobbies seem destined to

bring out the kid in people. Games such as the much-loved Dungeons and Dragons have captivated associate history professor Michael Weaver since the 1980s. After graduate school Weaver came straight to UTPA in 1990. A tenured faculty member, he is currently co-director of the Title V project which deals with faculty development and the learning frameworks course. While on a trip in high school, he came across a store that sold figurines to paint and slowly developed that hobby; he now has a collection of thousands. It was this hobby of painting figurines that led him to the game legend of Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D and D. “D and D is what is called a roleplaying game,” said Weaver. “The players have a character or persona - some sort of wizard, rogue or some kind of warrior figure.” There are statistical charts that tell how powerful or smart your character is and the game master creates problems or adventures that occur throughout the game. “Currently in our group it’s my wife…her job is to create the adventures, set up the problems we have to solve. If we get in a fight with a bunch of bandits, it’s her job to run the bandits,” he said. Sometimes Weaver even uses these role-play concepts in the classroom to stimulate students’ imagination and make history not just something that happened, but also to put them in the story. “Sometimes on exams I will give a question where I have the students roleplay a bit,” he said. “I’ll say, ‘okay you’re a spy for Great Britain, you’re fluent in French so you’re in Napoleon’s France in 1814 and your job for the British government is to send back a report on France’s strengths and weaknesses before Britain invades to overthrow Napoleon.’” So be on the look out, you never know if you’re professor has a fun or hidden talent or hobby that might be worked into the lessons of the day.

Michael Minor

Luke Koong/The Pan American TALENT SHOW - Clockwise from top left: Michael Minor, business professor pactices his harmonica while he plays for the River Rock Band. “Dungeons and Dragons” is the role-playing game that has had Michael Weaver, history professor, hooked for years. Doug Timmer, engineering professor, proundly displays his collection of selfmade stianed glass items. Kathryn Dodd, biology professor practices the Native-American dances that are a part of her heritege.

Kathryn Dodd

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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By: Angela Salazar

September 21, 2006

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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The

Professors

Secret World of

Michael Minor

Kathryn Dodd

A&E

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September 21, 2006

Local museum unveils exhibit pieces direct from N.Y.C. Eye-catching pieces reflect religious inspirations By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) will transform its gallery into a cathedral Sept. 8 through May 27, with the arrival of “Icons,” a stained glass exhibit. The exhibit is composed of 13 pieces including 10 from St. Paul Cathedral in New York City, and three from Tiffany Studios. According to Jerry Durham, education coordinator at IMAS, the exhibit is very worthwhile. “The windows from Tiffany Studios are three-dimensional,” said Durham. “They are designed in such a way that when the sun hits them, they reflect certain amounts of petals on the floor or walls.” This collection is a private one, and it was lent to the museum by Dr. Lawrence Gelman, said Bertha Gonzalez, marketing officer. “Dr. Gelman is a collector of stained glass windows, and he lent it to us at no cost so that we could put it up as an exhibit,” Gonzalez said. According to Gonzalez, collecting

this type of art is Gelman’s hobby and together, they decided to show this collection since people in the Valley are not usually exposed to this type of art. “People can find stained glass mainly in churches, but here in the Valley, it is very rare to find it other thatnin the Basilica in San Juan,” Gonzalez said. Even though they are somewhat hard to find, people like Gil Rios, a senior mechanical engineering major, who have had the chance to see this type of art. “I’ve had the opportunity to travel around Mexico, and over there they have a lot of old churches that contain stained glass,” said Rios. “It is like traveling back in time. It is just amazing to be able to stand there and admire the scenery.” The museum is expecting at least 5,000 students and about 1,000 teachers from the different school districts around the Valley. “Apart from students, we mainly expect adults that are into the arts and of course religious believers, since the exhibit is mainly religious art,” Gonzalez said.

Sam Iglesias/ The Pan American HEAVENLY - IMAS’ new exhibit, which depicts spiritual images set against colorful panes on glass, will be on display until May 2007.

“Icons” is one of the biggest exhibits the museum has had in quite a long time, and is something to definitely look forward to.

“I really encourage people to come and see the exhibit,” Gonzalez said. “It is something that nobody will regret, and will definitely enjoy very much.”

For more information regarding this or any other exhibit, call IMAS at (956) 682-1564 or visit them at http://www.imasonline.org.

NEWS

September 21, 2006

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CHILDREN continued from page 1 events planned for the month of September as it is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is the No. 1 cause of death among children. Chili’s will also be hosting the “Create a Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer” program. By purchasing a pepper for $1, a person can color and decorate the company logo and have it hung in that restaurant. So far, Chili’s in Edinburg has done its part to help reach the total goal by being the No. 1 seller of peppers in the Rio Grande Valley and the No. 3 seller in the region. In 2002, the first annual “Create A

Pepper” program began in the Memphis, Tenn.-area restaurants. By 2003, the program had moved to all the establishments in the region and was national by 2004.

“The employees involved and committed children. We are very helping the hospital,” Longoria, a server at

are all very to helping the excited to be said Romeo the Edinburg

restaurant. The senior broadcasting major from McAllen said he believes that the commitment of his fellow co-workers has helped them reach their goals for the

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

worthy cause. At St. Jude’s, research is done on a daily basis to help prevent, treat and cure children diagnosed with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. In addition to increasing the survival rate of children with cancer, the hospital goes beyond traditional care by following patients for many years after they gave been treated for research on long-term care. If patrons can not make it to Chili’s on Sept. 25, restaurant representatives will also be hosting a car wash and garage sale in the parking lot of their Edinburg location on Sept. 23.

Kristin Maldonado, a general biology major, said while poverty is not as obvious in some parts of the Valley it is still a serious problem. “Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it stops existing,” Maldonado said, adding that the average citizen doesn’t always notice the impoverished or signs that poverty in an area. “Many people think that we’ve ended poverty in America, or it doesn’t exist like it does in other countries, but it does,” said Maldonado. “People go

hungry here. They don’t have running water or electricity. We can see it all around the Valley.” The number of people living on or below the threshold of poverty increased from 35.9 million, or 12.5 percent of the U.S. population, in 2003 to 37 million, or 12.7 percent, in 2004. The median annual income for Hidalgo County is $24,501 and in Cameron County is a bit higher at $24,684. Fairfax County, Va., was ranked as having the highest median household income.

FOR THE KIDS - Chili’s Bar and Grill will be selling paper peppers for $1 during September.

HIDALGO continued from page 1 an emphasis on education and on success in college are the best tools we have to fight poverty. Sometimes these programs are the only exposure to academic success and college some kids get.” Guerra said he goes to school now because he does not want to live a life of poverty in the future. “There are plenty of easy ways to make money down here, but I chose to go to school and get my degree,” said Guerra. “I’m still on food stamps and I walk to school. I don’t get support from my parents, but I want to be able to tell

my children that nothing was just given to me, that I earned it.” According to Pena, communities also face crime because of the need to make money. “Our jails and prisons are being overcrowded with the results of lives lived in conditions like these,” he said. Prices in the Valley are below national averages according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This may help many in the region make ends meet and some see this as a type of buffer from extreme poverty.

“Lower prices for goods and services means you can make more of your money go around,” said Joe Aguilar, a senior political science major. “We’re lucky we don’t have poverty coupled with higher prices and we don’t see as pronounced a difference in the gap between rich and poor.” According to the federal Office of Management and Budget, poverty is defined as salaries below $19,307 per year for a family of four in 2004, $15,067 for a family of three, $12,334 for a couple and $9,645 for individuals.

NEWS

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September 21, 2006

SUICIDE continued from page 3 Still, some critics think that forcing students to leave the university is an attempt to avoid legal liability in case someone commits suicide at school. Patricia Koo, a physician’s assistant at The University of Texas-Pan American, believes that evicting students will discourage them from seeking help if they are going through depression. “I think it’s just crazy that universities would do this to students suffering from depression, and I’m actually glad students are suing for it,” she said regarding the eviction policies. Koo believes that the university should work toward having a close-knit, cohesive counseling/guidance community to combat depression and suicide, the second leading cause of death in college

students, next to accidents. “Student Health Services has a very close relationship with the counseling services department,” she said. “I think if we continue this and try to get everyone in close contact with students on campus we’ll screen cases of suicide from ever happening.” Koo encourages professors, staff members and fellow students to “ask questions whenever they detect a troubled student.” BY THE NUMBERS In 2004, according to the National Mental Health Association, 77 percent of college juniors reported feeling depressed either “frequently” or “occasionally,” a 16 percent increase from their freshman

year. In addition, NMHA stated that the suicide rate among males between the ages of 15 and 24 has nearly quadrupled in the past 60 years, and the rate has doubled for females. Chad Martin, director of residence life at UTPA, says that while “there’s nothing that dictates what the university would do should a problem like this arise, the school currently handles problems like these on a case-by-case basis.” Hypothetically, Martin said, the residence life staff would inform the school’s counseling center and leave it up to the student to seek treatment. He says, however, that it is reasonable that other schools are setting their own policies to handle a crisis should it emerge. “I understand why other schools are

(HESTEC) week organizers were looking for when they set up this year’s Science and Engineering Research poster competition. “The theme this year for the science symposium is ‘From the lab to the market,” said HESTEC program coordinator Yvette Padilla. “You’ve got all these inventions. How are you going to get them out there to corporate America?” Aguilar, Garcia and about 75 other

that suspends student if they are deemed an eminent danger to themselves or others, but we have a good relationship with the student health services and campus police departments,” she said. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded UTPA one of 34 college grants to fund “Fear Not,” a suicide prevention program aimed at training students, faculty and staff to question suicidal individuals. Housed under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA donated the grants on Sept. 14 in support of Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 10-16. Blankenship hopes this project will strengthen the university’s prevention centers.

WOMEN continued from page 3

HESTEC continued from page 3 have been good so far, and will be farreaching, affecting anyone who pops an aspirin when they get a headache. “Aspirin is consumed by millions of people on a daily basis, so if we can make it cheaper and more environmentally friendly, that’s always good,” Garcia said. In fact, the research results should be easy to market to drug companies. This is exactly what Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology

doing this. They only want to protect other residents,” he said. Still, Martin said universities should perform a professional evaluation to determine a solution for every case. On campus, he says staff members are often encouraged to look for symptoms of depression, and although workers are not certified for counseling, part of their training includes attending a threehour session before every semester to learn to detect troubled dorm students. Lisa Blankenship, director of the university’s counseling and advisement center, believes that evicting suicidal students from dorms may come off as a punitive act, something she says UTPA would never endorse. “We do follow a certain protocol

students, 12 of whom are also researching under Banik’s supervision, have submitted posters for the competition. The posters will be judged by committees from each of the departments based on both scientific content and poster design. The winning poster from each of the eight science and engineering departments will receive laptop computers. The eight winners will present their research at Monday’s science symposium in the engineering building at 2:15 p.m.

The merienda is one of many activities the IWB holds. Next month, they will have a reception in honor of Felo and Maxine Guerra. Felo Guerra is a member of the UTPA Foundation Board and local rancher, while his wife Maxine once served as IWB president. Every year, the group honors outstanding citizens in the community. Cappadona said UTPA’s generosity has been instrumental in allowing the IWB to promote their mission. “[Our relationship with the univer-

sity] is very valuable to us. UTPA has made it easy for us to raise money,” she said. “Without that capacity, we would not be as successful. We would have to think of other ways and spend more money to raise money.” Many of the members are alumni of UTPA, current faculty or staff. Additionally, several members are wives of UTPA administrators, like Kim Sale, wife of Paul Sale, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

SPORTS

September 21, 2006

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Environment hampers Lady Broncs’ second tournament By RODERICK DORSEY The Pan American

UTPA Sports Information SANDTRAP - Bronwyn Sandberg, a sophomore accounting major from Canada, and her fellow teammates suffered some setbacks during the second tournament of the season, finishing 11th out of 14 schools.

The University of Texas-Pan American women’s golf team finished its second tournament of the season on Tuesday in 11th place, scoring 344, 336 and 342 at The Cold Stone/Chip-N-Club Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska. Head coach Barb Odale felt that her team came up short this time, lacking the competitiveness she normally expects. “Our performance was poor. The team showed that we need a lot of work to compete at the next level.” Freshman golfer My Bark from Sweden was the Lady Broncs’ top performer, shooting a total score of 251 in three rounds of action (84-83-84), earning a tie for 42nd overall. “My Bark finished the highest, although that was not very high,” Odale

SPORTS CLIPBOARD

UTPA men’s basketball releases 2006-07 schedule The Broncs will play 13 home games this season The new era of UTPA men’s basketball officially began when Tom Schuberth was announced as the school’s 13th head coach in program history back in April. The Bronc faithful will have an opportunity to catch plenty of contests at the UTPA Field House as the program will play 13 home games in Schuberth’s first season as head coach. They will play six games in November and four of those will be at home, including the season opener against Incarnate Word, a Division II program from San Antonio. Following that game, the Broncs will travel to San Antonio for a game at the Alamodome against The University of Texas at San Antonio, an opponent from the Southland Conference. After the Broncs meet the Roadrunners in the Alamodome on Nov. 12, UTPA will return to the Valley for back-to-back home games against Huston-Tillotson on Nov. 15 and Texas State University Nov. 18. In addition to Texas State, the Broncs will also have back-to-back Southland Conference games against The University of Texas-Arlington on the road (Nov. 21) and at home (Nov. 27). The Broncs will kick off the second month of the season at the Hawkeye Classic Tournament hosted by the University of Iowa Dec. 1-2. UTPA will square off against the Hawkeyes in the opening game of the tournament and will play either LaSalle or Coppin State in the second game. UTPA will travel to Colorado for a game against the Air Force Academy, a Mountain West Conference opponent, on Dec. 6 followed by a return game at Texas State Dec. 9. The Broncs will wrap-up the Southland Conference portion of their schedule at the Field House Dec. 18-20 against Stephen F. Austin and UTSA prior to the Christmas holiday. Schuberth will return with his new club to his old stomping grounds at the University of Central Florida for the UCF Holiday Classic where the Broncs will open the tournament against James Madison University Dec. 29. On the second day, UTPA will meet either host program Central Florida or New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Broncs will kick off the New Year with a pair of games against Conference USA opponents (SMU on Jan. 4, The University of Tulsa Jan. 6). UTPA will return to the Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 9 for a match-up against The University of Texas-Permian Basin followed by a visit by Texas A&M-International Jan. 15. In the last stretch of the season, the Broncs will play 10 of their final 11 games against opponents from its own United Basketball Conference, including North Dakota State, South Dakota State, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Utah Valley State, and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. UTPA Sports Information

said. “My, being from Sweden, had the best chance to be comfortable on the golf course because the grass and temperatures were more like home for her.” Other notables included Rio Grande Valley native Rebecca De Leon, who scored one stroke behind teammate Bark with a final three-round tally of 252 (86-84-82), finishing 45th. Juniors Elizabeth Rodriguez and Jennifer Marks, as well as sophomore Mariale Camey, finished in 60th place, each posting a three-round score of 264. “I thought Rebecca De Leon did OK considering this was her first time to ever compete outside of Texas and the course was radically different. She improved every round showing me that she can adapt,” Odale said. The Lady Broncs found themselves losing focus at times, causing problems handling the cold conditions and difficult course. “We have to improve the intensity

of our concentration from shot to shot, said Odale. “I hope the team learned that on really good golf courses you cannot let up your focus or the course has a way of punishing you.” The University of Nebraska won its home tournament with a three-round total of 929. Campbell University (935), University of Kansas (943), Missouri State University (945) and Kansas State University (947) rounded out the top five teams. The Lady Broncs will head to Myrtle Beach, S.C. next week for the Unlimited Potential/Myrtle Beach Classic hosted by the College of Charleston. The tournament starts on Monday, and Odale is optimistic that the squad will bounce back from its dismal performance in Lincoln. “I think they are pretty self-motivated - or at least I hope they are - to come back from such an embarrassing performance,” she said.

FOR THE RECORD UTPA SPORTS Volleyball Winner in boldface TAMUK vs UTPA (Sept. 18 in Edinburg, TX) GAME SCORES

TEAM RECORDS

Texas A&M-Kingsville Texas-Pan American

20 30

27 30

24 30

3-11 3-10

Portland vs UTPA (Sept. 16 in Reno, NV) GAME SCORES

TEAM RECORDS

Portland Texas-Pan American

30 21

30 20

30 25

6-5 2-10

UTPA vs Nevada (Sept. 15 in Reno, NV) GAME SCORES

TEAM RECORDS

Texas-Pan American Nevada

14 30

21 30

22 30

2-9 5-5

Women’s Golf

Men’s Golf

Cold Stone/Chip-N-Club Invitational Sept. 18-19 in Lincoln, Neb.

Raines Development Intercollegiate Tournament Sept. 18-19 in Florence, S.C.

1. Nebraska 2. Campbell 3. Kansas 4. Missouri State 5. Kansas State 6. Wichita State 7. Northern Iowa 8. Xavier 9. Weber State 10. North Dakota State 11. UTPA 12. UMKC 13. Creighton 14. South Dakota State

(929) (935) (943) (945) (947) (981) (989) (991) (1,008) (1,018) (1,022) (1,022) (1,023) (1,037)

Next tournament: Sept. 25-26 in Mrytle Beach, S.C. Unlimited Potential/Myrtle Beach Classic

Top 15 Results 1. Jacksonville Univ. 2. Troy Univ. 3. Tenn.-Chattanooga 4. Furman Univ. 5. Elon Univ. 6. Old Dominion Univ. 7. Western Carolina Univ. 8. College Of Charleston T-9. Wofford College T-9. South Carolina-Aiken T-9. Charleston Southern T-12. Davidson College T-12. Georgia Coll. & St. U. 14. UTPA 15. Samford Univ.

Next tournament: Oct. 9-10 hosted by Stephen F. Austin Crown Classic in Lufkin, Texas

(874) (875) (878) (881) (882) (883) (885) (890) (891) (891) (891) (892) (892) (894) (896)

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SPORTS

September 21, 2006

SPORTS

September 21, 2006

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Racers finish eighth at Texas A&M Invitational Doria, Hernandez shine as top Bronc runners By RACHEL REIDA The Pan American After a tough meet last weekend in College Station, The University of TexasPan American men’s and women’s cross country teams return home with some promising individual accomplishments and solid team finishes. The teams competed at the Texas A&M Invitational Saturday and ran away with two eighth-place finishes. “I think the Texas A&M Invite was a good step forward,” said head coach Brian Cunningham. “We were not running our entire varsity of either side so to come out of it as close as we did shows that we are making progress.” On the men’s side the top runner for the Broncs was freshman Omar Doria. The Edinburg North graduate finished the 8,000meter race at 17th with a time of 26 minutes, 43 seconds. “Omar did a fantastic job in his 8K debut,” Cunningham said. “He was 17th

overall and competed very well.” Other Bronc finishes of note were Alex Moncivais, junior transfer from Texas A&M-Kingsville, who finished 32nd with a time of 27:21, and in 53rd place, only one minute and 2 seconds behind Moncivais, was freshman Gilroy Martinez. “The men’s team was extremely young,” said Cunningham. “Six of the nine guys that raced had never run an 8K before so this was very much a learning experience for them. I feel they did a solid job overall.” Solid job is putting it mildly, for the transition from high school to collegiate cross country is a drastic one, and with six of the nine runners being freshmen it shows just what kind of talentis on hand this year for the Broncs. “The men’s distance changes so dramatically from high school to college,” explained Cunningham. “They run a 5K in high school and that is an extra 2-3 miles that does take some getting used to. Overall I think that the men did an excellent job of staying focused this weekend and now it is

Texas A&M Invitational Results Women’s Team

Men’s Team Rank

Team

1. Texas A&M 2. Sam Houston State 3. TCU 4. UT-San Antonio 5. Texas State 6. Stephen F. Austin "B" 7. UT-Arlington 8. UT-Pan American 9. Prairie View A&M 10. Trinity University

Total Pts Rank 25 51 92 142 156 178 196 200 227 258

my job to see that they have a lot more energy for the middle of the race and not as much for the kick.” On the women’s side, the Lady Broncs too had a great showing, placing 8th overall as well. Top finisher was Edinburg native and senior runner Karla Hernandez. She finished the race in 35th place with a time of 20:11. Next notable finish was sophomore Sara Rodriguez from Pharr, who

Team

1. Texas A&M 2. SMU 3. Texas 4. UT-Arlington 5. Trinity University 6. Texas State 7. Sam Houston State 8. UT-Pan American 9. Prairie View A&M 10. Texas Lutheran

Total Pts 26 48 113 123 124 141 174 176 292 303

finished 37th; right behind her in 38th was Carolina Izaguirre. “The women did a great job of ‘packing up,’” explained Cunningham, “meaning running nearby each other and using each other to work off of.” This year the women’s team has come back stronger and smarter than previous years and it has shown in practice as well as in competition as proven this past weekend

at Texas A&M. “I’ve been excited by the progress of the entire women’s team this year,” exclaimed Cunningham. “Most of them came back exceptionally fit, when compared to last year and I am hoping that will translate into a much higher position at the NCAA South Central Region meet in November. I am banking on the fact that it will.” To get that point though, Cunnigham and the Lady Broncs know they must work hard, focus and change some things in order to reach that goal. “We have a lot of freshmen that will help out our team this year,” said Rose Escovedo, sophomore Lady Bronc and former Edinburg North runner. “Top five at the regional meet’s where I would like the girls’ team to be. So far it is too soon to tell, but everyone did their homework and everyone is working hard so only time will tell.” Next up for both running squads will be the Cowboy Jamboree Sept. 30, hosted by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

UTPA downs Lady Javelinas, improves to 3-10 By KRISTYNA MANCIAS The Pan American Three sets is all it took for The University of Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs to defeat the Lady Javelinas of Texas A&M-Kingsville Monday night at the Field House. The Lady Broncs, now 3-10 on the season, were coming off a rough weekend at the Nevada Invitational, and the home win snapped a three-game losing streak. From start to finish they were in control. In front of a home crowd, UTPA took the first match (30-20) in an offensive showcase. The team continued to overpower in the second, winning 30-27, and found the sweep with a 30-24 win in the finale. The Lady Broncs came out strong and dominated, and the win could help generate some confidence as they take their efforts on the road this weekend. They will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., to play in their fourth tournament this season. “I think the team really responded well,” said coach Dave Thorn. “We had a tough weekend and they came out and responded like I expected them to. They played with intensity, played within themselves and did what we asked them to do.” Heather Bravo, UTPA standout senior, finished with 12 kills and 14 digs and was honored at the start of the game for becoming the second player in school his-

tory to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. “Heather had a great hitting night, played well defensively and did all the things that we expect from her,” Thorn said. “She’s having a heck of a senior year and I can’t say enough about her.” UTPA’S 6-foot-2 middle blocker Deanna Schneyer made her presence known at the net as she finished with 10 kills, including the final one of the night to end it. Thorn expressed confidence in his team’s ability to overcome the struggles that have confronted it so far. “If we do the things we know we can do and play defense that we’re capable of and control the ball on our side of the net, the wins and losses will take care of themselves,” he said. “Hopefully, that’s what’s going to happen this weekend.” On Friday, UTPA will square off in a double-header against host IndianaPurdue-Fort Wayne at 2:30 p.m. and versus Robert Morris at 5 p.m. The final day of the tournament, the Lady Broncs will battle North Florida at 2:30 p.m. The squad will be back on a Valley court Sept. 29-30 but both games will be played at McAllen Memorial High School, due to HESTEC events scheduled for the Field House. UTPA will match up against North Dakota State on Friday at 7 p.m. and Utah Valley State on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American JUMP FOR JOY - The Lady Broncs celebrated their third win this season against the Texas A&M-Kingsville Lady Javelinas. The netters hope to keep the momentum when they travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., Friday for the IPFW Volleyball Invitational.

SPORTS

Editor’s Pick: Game to Watch When: Monday Time: 7:30 p.m. Where: Louisiana Superdome Atlanta Falcons

Game will be aired on ESPN

New Orleans Saints

Intramural sports hit ground running full speed By MARY NICHOLS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American’s intramural recreational sports are under way with its most popular athletic endeavor, flag football, leading the way. Other sports, like basketball and soccer, are soon to begin as well. Flag football is one of the most popular

sports offered. Art Cabrera, intramural recsports assistant, feels it’s because the teams get to travel to compete. “In football, teams get to travel out of the state for regional and national competitions, and it is something that other sports don’t offer,” he said. Last year’s flag football team was ranked 17th in the nation and traveled to Florida where it ranked 2nd in regionals, but

Onydia Garza/The Pan American PASS COMPLETION - Christian Trevino, a junior kinesology/biology major, dodges a flag pull during intramural flag football.

eventually lost in the quarterfinals at nationals. So Cabrera hopes to improve history and come home with a championship. “We lost by a touchdown last year so I am anxious and I want to go back to nationals,” he said. Cabrera hopes to do that with the 24 men’s teams that have been created this year. According to him, the teams have been divided into two groups: the highly experienced teams and the incoming beginner squads. “This way, everyone stays on the same skill level and games won’t be lopsided,” he explained. In addition to the men’s teams, there are 10 co-ed teams participating in flag football. This, according to Cabrera, is the most the rec-sports group has ever had. The last co-ed team UTPA had ranked 2nd in the nation, but Cabrera says that once everyone in that group graduated, the men’s team began to kick off and gained more popularity. Daniel Flores, a senior biology major from Edinburg, plays for The Stallions. He explained why he feels football is so popular. “It’s a good time, you meet new people, and make new friends,” he said. The football players had their first scrimmage Sept. 14. The official games will begin on Monday nights at 7 pm and continue on through Thursday. In last week’s scrimmage, Kenny Garza, a freshman reha-

bilitative services major from Mercedes, said his team found its competition. “We did lose, but realized that our competition is The Stallions and it is our overall goal to beat them,” he said. One place Garza will probably be able to compete against The Stallions is at the Fourth Annual Valley Bowl that will be hosted by UTPA Nov. 4. The tournament will consist of teams from South Texas College, The University of Texas-Brownsville, UTPA, and Texas State Technical College in Harlingen. Each school will bring two teams and compete in a miniature tournament. According to Cabrera, UTPA has won the Valley Bowl the last three years. Cabrera also hopes to bring about a Greek football league. This would place fraternities against fraternities or sororities against. sororities Cabrera says that some students have shown an interest, but he still doesn’t have enough players. He is willing however, to still take entries for those who are interested. Games would probably start in late October or toward the end of the semester provided enough participants sign up. “It’s a new thing I’m trying, and I hope in time it catches on,” he said. Another sport that will be starting soon is soccer. Cabrera says it is also very popular and expects a high number of entries. Games start Sept. 22. Six-on-six volleyball will begin Sept. 27. Three-on-three basketball

will start Oct. 13. Two sports that weren’t able to kick off this semester were softball and kickball. Kickball never launched because it only had two participants, but Cabrera says he still is willing to take entries. Softball was put on hold because of the construction of the new wellness center, which forced UTPA to cut the softball field by 20 feet. “We had a small field to begin with and now it’s even smaller. So home runs are going to be hit on a constant basis,” said Cabrera. With future additions of outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, and sand volleyball pits near the softball field, Cabrera says they are going to have to install a 20-foot fence to stop balls from going over and hitting other participants playing in other courts during the same time frame. Cabrera feels that softball was a great loss because this sport attracted the greatest number of female participants. “I would like to see more female participation in order to create more female teams. These girls only get to compete in coed competitions, and there are no women versus women,” he said. Intramural sports are still looking for more participants. According to Flores, its fun and everyone should join. “It’s a fun college experience, and I would like more people to join. It would make all the teams better,” he said.

Women’s soccer club draws with former state champs By PATRICK KENNEDY The Pan American The scorching heat of the sun was joined by an even hotter battle on Sunday as The University of Texas-Pan American Lady Bronc Soccer Club faced off at home against the Sam Houston State University Lady Bearkats. The relatively new Bronc team, now in its second year of play, was pitted against the two-time Texas Conference Tournament Champion Lady Bearkats, who were looking to begin their season with an easy win over UTPA. What they got instead was a clash of two evenly matched teams, resulting in a tie, at 0-0. This came after UTPA lost its season opener to Rice a day earlier on the road. “They played strong, and were a good match,” said Lady Bearkat player Latitia Cleveland, a 19-year-old freshman English major from Tyler. Throughout, the Lady Bronc offense continually frustrated the Bearkats, forcing them to play defense on their side of the

field for the majority of the game. “They have the ability to put pressure on defense,” said Lady Bearkat head coach Trey Taylor about the effectiveness of the Lady Broncs in keeping up a good offense. Among the setbacks that the Lady Bearkats experienced was a yellow card warning for playing too aggressively. The Lady Broncs, though, were not without their problems. Oscar Coronado, a senior kinesiology major from Reynosa, Mexico and head coach, said that the team needs to work on concentration, especially in the opening minutes of the game. UTPA didn’t establish momentum until the second half, when they began to move the ball around the field, creating an efficient passing game. Team members cited the heat as a major obstacle to success on the field, but left wing offense player Angela Guzman, a freshman education major from Edinburg, explained that the team also missed opportunities. “We didn’t take advantages of the chances we had to score,” Guzman said. “We need to work on our shooting.”

Although the team would have liked to add a notch to the win column, the tie signifies a high point in the club’s history. In just its second year, the Lady Bronc Soccer Club is already keeping up with former state champions. As Coronado and his girls walked off the field, he grinned. “They gave us a good fight, but I feel confident. The girls are getting the rhythm,” he said. The tie also gave Bearkat coach Taylor a smile. “We drove seven hours to get here, and we’ll have to drive seven hours to get back. We didn’t want to go all that way just to lose. Our defense played tough, and I’m proud of them,” he said. Coronado said that the Bronc girls will work hard for next week’s game against Lamar University, Sunday at 1 p.m. at the intramural field. He plans on changing his attack strategy in order to prepare a “surprise” for the Lamar defense. “They will be in very good shape,” he said of his girls.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American ON THE BALL - Jessica Gomez, a junior kinesiology major from Weslaco, plays hard against the two-time former state champions, Sam Houston State University Lady Bearkats. The women’s team played to a nil-nil draw.