January 25, 2007

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

January 25, 2007

UTPA, TSTC partner to boost number of transfers

By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Blandina Cardenas, president of The University of Texas-Pan American, is trying to make it a little easier for students from Texas State Technical College to obtain a four-year degree.

At a ceremony Jan. 18, Cardenas and J. Gilbert Leal, president of TSTC, signed three agreements that aim to increase the number of hours students from the technical college are able to apply toward a four-year degree, and facilitate the transfer process.

“By signing this agreement, we are recognizing that our students are very capable of handling the curriculum at the

university level and they no longer have to start at the beginning,” Leal said, referring specifically to the General Articulations Agreement.

Cardenas said the Dual Enrollment Agreement will provide advisement opportunities to TSTC students upon declaration of intent to transfer. At the advisement, transfer students will be given a degree plan and receive help throughout the entire transfer process.

In fall 2006, out of 446 students who terminated studies at TSTC, only 55 transferred to UTPA, according to Cardenas. She hopes these agreements will result in an increase in the number of students who choose to continue their education.

“A year from now we want to double that number, and two years from now we want to double the number from the year before,” she said.

An agreement was also made between TSTC and the UTPA College of Science and Engineering under which students who have completed an Associate of Applied Science degree program can continue on to pursue a four-year degree in engineering at UTPA. “We have looked at those more technical courses that students take at TSTC to see which of those could transfer,” Cardenas said. “They don’t all transfer, but by working together we want to maximize the transferability of

See AGREEMENT page 11

Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American COMING TOGETHER - President Blandina Cardenas shakes the hand of TSTC President J. Gilbert Leal at a ceremony partnering the two universities.

UTPA to pare down 48-hour core

By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American Having to wait in line at the post office is no big surprise. But at the Edinburg Post Office on Jackson Street, droves of people have been lining up, not to mail packages, but to get a passport in order to keep up with new travel requirements.

The first phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative officially went into effect Monday. What does this mean for the average Rio Grande Valley citizen? For those who cross the border and return by land, not much for now. However, anyone planning to travel outside the country and return by air must now present a valid passport, which costs $97 for anyone 16 and older, and $82 for those under 16.

According to Felix Garza, a supervisory customs officer in McAllen, the WHTI affects everyone traveling into the United States by air from Canada, Mexico, Central and

South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

For U.S. citizens, a U.S. passport is all that’s needed to reenter the country. Legal U.S. residents can present their resident alien card or “green card” instead. Citizens of any other country will be required to present a U.S. visa in addition to a valid passport issued by their home country.

“If you’re a Mexican citizen and live and work in Mexico, the only way you can make entry to the U.S. is by having a valid U.S. visa and a Mexican passport,” Garza said.

First announced in 2005, the new rules are a cooperative effort between the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. The WHTI, a two-phase plan, is meant to improve national security as mandated by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The second phase, scheduled to go into effect in January 2008, will require passports from anyone

See PASSPORTS page 11

By SIDNEY MEADOWS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American will soon be reviewing the core curriculum, possibly lowering required hours from 48 to 42 in order to abide by two mandates created by the State of Texas.

One mandate says that the total hours needed to complete a degree should be lowered to anywhere from 120 to 124 hours. The other states that the core curriculum should be at 42 hours, unless probable cause is shown to warrant up to 48 hours, which is the current number of hours in the core.

The object of the proposed cut is to enable students to get into their major courses more quickly, which could help students graduate sooner.

Under the current core curriculum plan, students are required to complete

See COURSES page 11

News

A&E

Sports

Engineering students face unique challenges at national competition

Musical organizations come together for yearly classical extravaganza

Junior guard Brian Burrell leads Bronc hoops in scoring

See Page 3

See Page 7

See Page 16

PAGE 2

R EADER FORUM

Januar y 25, 2007 THE

PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican 56th Year – No. 16

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Editor Claudette Gonzalez ThePanAmerican@gmail.com News Editor

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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.

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Road work ahead

Rock on

- Get the latest on plans for road construction on University Drive

- Learn more about the emerging heavy metal scene in the RGV

N EWS

News in brief: The International Women’s Board will be hosting Shary-Shivers Mansion Tours on Jan. 27 and 28 to benefit the UTPA Foundation. For more information call Christie Cantu at 381-3665.

Student Union loses longtime director Smith

By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American As students returned from winter break, a familiar face at the Student Union was nowhere to be seen.

Samuel Smith, director of the union for six years, has made an exit from The University of Texas-Pan American, opting to take a job at Stephen F. Austin

State University in Nacogdoches.

While Smith’s departure was sudden, Melissa Benavides, assistant director at the union, said the staff is trying to keep running business as usual.

“It’s going. We miss him. But we have work to do so we have to continue,” she said. “We all feel the pressure.”

Marina Contreras, a senior English major and Student Union employee, said

while the office has been hectic, the staff is acting to support each other.

“The volume of work has increased quite a bit,” Contreras said.

“Thankfully Melissa has some of us to help…take over some of her responSMITH

sibilities so she can do some of the things Sam did.”

However, Smith, who will help open a new student center at SFA which he will head - said he is confident of his former staff’s ability to carry on without him.

“I have all the faith and confidence that they will continue to offer great service. I still correspond with them,” he said.

Student takes top honors at challenge

By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American Using crude materials such as cheap lumber, screws, bolts, four tires and a mere $20 in spending money for personalized touches, Luis Madrigal and a group of nine engineering students from universities across the country worked to build the best soap-box car at the Extreme Engineering Challenge in Denver Jan. 11.

The event, hosted by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers as part of the 2007 National Technical and Career Conference, tested participants’ creativity, ingenuity and stamina. They had to design their cars from scratch in just 24 hours.

“It was intense the whole time,” said Madrigal, a senior mechanical engineering major at The University of Texas-Pan American.

So intense, in fact, that three of his teammates dropped out before finishing the project.

The day started early for the competitors as most, including the Pharr native Madrigal, traveled from their hometowns to Denver. After interviewing briefly with team leaders from top companies such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Intel and Ford, the students settled in to wait for the announcement of who was selected to participate.

At the end of the day, Madrigal was selected to be on a team headed up by representatives from Ford and Intel.

However, he and his teammates still had no idea what project lay ahead; they only received a few clues.

“They gave us a box of Legos and told us to build a Lego car. We were kind of lost at that point,” the 26-year-old said. “They gave us little pieces of information about what we were supposed to do, and as time progressed they gave us more information. By six to eight o’clock in the morning, we had a pretty good idea that we were trying to build some kind of a soap box car.”

For Madrigal, the logistics of building a car really piqued his interest.

“It was interesting because as an engineer, you had to find a way for it to steer, for it to brake and not to lose any force,” Madrigal said. “Everybody’s starting up on a hill, or ramp, so we all started off with the same amount of energy but it’s a matter of how you can steer around obstacles, how far you go.”

Madrigal’s team spent their $20 stipend on a headlight and a battery for power, some foam to make the ride more comfortable, and some chicken wire and duct tape to dress up the front of the car.

While Madrigal felt his team was among the strongest there, they got off to a slow start before finally pulling ahead.

See ENGINEERING page 12

“When you do this you don’t feel like you ever leave. You keep your connection.”

Smith said in his time at UTPA, he and the staff worked hard to make lasting improvements. Those changes, according to him, are evident in numbers.

When he first took over leadership, Smith said it was open for 40 hours a week and now it operates for 76 hours

See UNION page 12

Internships heralded as beneficial to students

By KRISTEN VILLEGAS The Pan American

Stacy Meier/ National Technical and Career Conference SUCCESS - Luis Madrigal celebrates a job well done as he crosses the finish line. Madrigal won top honors for the design of a soap box car at NTCC.

Pricilla Gonzalez, like many of her counterparts at The University of TexasPan American, attended school while working last semester. However, the junior criminal justice major had a chance to gain experience and knowledge in her field of study by working alongside Congressman Ruben Hinojosa.

Gonzalez, who spent a total of over 140 hours in her internship, said she learned a lot while working at the office.

“I realized it would enhance my people skills and get to know the concerns of the people of the Rio Grande Valley,” Gonzalez said.

As the spring semester begins, Araceli Perez, internship coordinator for The Office of Career Services, said that now is the best time to explore and apply for positions for the summer, as most decisions are made during this time.

Perez said internships can be invaluable to students. That is why she

See INTERNSHIPS page 12

UTPA students skeptical about learning happiness in classroom

By BRENDA RODRIGUEZ The Pan American Can happiness be taught? George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., believes it can.

After learning they were ranked as one of the top 15 unhappiest campuses by the Princeton Review, the university

set up a class called the Science of WellBeing, which aims to leave students feeling happier.

Throughout the course, students were instructed to perform acts of selfless kindness, meditate, record their thoughts and experiences, and share them with the class. The class is taught with a relatively new approach called

positive psychology.

Marcela Villarreal, a junior psychology and communication major at The University of Texas-Pan American, said that she’s unsure whether a course like the Science of Well-Being would prove effective.

“I think people you really don’t know shouldn’t tell you how to feel, or

ask you to do something. You should (do something) because you and only you feel like helping no matter why, or who,” said Villarreal, of Monterrey, Mexico.

According to the Princeton Review, unhappiness on campus may result from stressors such as marriage, outside jobs and long commutes, all of

which are present in the lives of UTPA students.

Jessica Chihuahua, senior psychology and business management major, said a class similar to the Science of Well-Being wouldn’t necessarily be taken seriously at UTPA. “As a psychology major, I might be

See HAPPINESS page 12

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NEWS

January 25, 2007

NEWS

January 25, 2007

Page 5

Prof. returns from faculty exchange in Vietnam

By LUKE KOONG The Pan American Peter Kranz was one of the several million Americans who were not at home for Christmas and the advent of the New Year.

However, unlike other Americans who were traveling domestically, he was halfway around the globe.

The professor of educational psychology was participating in a monthlong faculty exchange program sponsored by the Office of International Programs and the University of Da Nang in Vietnam starting Dec. 11. During that time, he taught psychology and English to faculty and students.

For Kranz, living in Da Nang, population 752, was a new experience.

“It was more than me just being a teacher. I was also a learner,” he said.

He taught the faculty theories in psychology and helped international business students practice their English.

The professor worked six days out of the week with Sundays off.

On one of those off days, Kranz had a chance to visit a Buddhist temple located in the jungle-lush hills around the city. Accompanying him were some of the faculty at the university.

“Those moments were very precious because it was out of the academic venue and people were able to extend and chat,” he said.

Kranz’s experience overseas is not his first. Two summers ago, he taught in Wuhan, China, and in 2003 he went to Costa Rica. He said being a distinct

minority was an enriching experience.

Upon arriving at the Vietnamese university, he did not know what classes he would be teaching; he had to learn how to be flexible in what he did and how he taught.

“I had to learn a variety of things off of the top of my head. I didn’t know how much I was going to teach and when I was going to teach,” he said.

Kranz said he did not mind, though.

“The un-knowing, too, was part of the experience, rather than having everything set and knowing exactly what you were going to do,” he said.

The language barrier also gave Kranz a chance to alter his teaching methods.

“I also had to learn patience and flexibility with certain classes in using an interpreter,” he said. “I had to speak slower, make my statements concise and clear and take time to answer questions and clarify issues.”

Kranz said the mentality toward education was different in Da Nang.

Most of the students are first-generation and take their time at the university very seriously.

“Students didn’t mention whether it was the football playoffs or who was going to win the Golden Globes,” Kranz said. “It makes you realize that what goes on in the world from other people’s standpoints - as far as what’s important may not be as important here.”

When he was not teaching, Kranz would visit local attractions with his Vietnamese hosts. The large expanses of

rice fields and farmers plowing were different compared to the increasing urbanization and traffic of the Valley.

However, the communication barrier made interacting with others difficult at times.

“Very few people spoke English,” Kranz said. “I was the only American I saw on campus, and in fact, in the city of Da Nang, I rarely came across another American.”

On occasion, he would run across a European, but otherwise he was in a sea of Asians.

His presence in the city was almost equivalent to that of a movie star at times. People would even look intently at him while driving their motorcycles. Kranz and his hosts found ways to make their intentions known using gestures.

“Look at the road,” Kranz said he would motion to them.

Part of the fascination might have come solely from being a foreigner, but his height of 5-foot-11 made him a giant among a much smaller population.

Kranz said his experience in Vietnam was very memorable and he regrets not having the opportunity to see more of the country. This summer he will be heading to India to teach during the break.

He hopes he will get the opportunity to stay and visit his next destination longer.

“It would be a terrific experience to spend a semester or a year,” he said.

“Then I could do more travel around the country and not feel as rushed.”

Peter Kranz EXCHANGE - Peter Kranz meets a Buddhist monk during one of his visits around Da Nang, Vietnam while taking part in a faculty exhange program overseas.

MOVING ON UP - Lt. Col. Andre Dean speaks to a crowd at the Cadet Awards Ceremony Jan. 18. At the ceremony, Dean received a metal to commemorate a promotion to his current rank from his former title of Major. At the event, which took place in the Student Union Theater, the ROTC program also accepted an anonymous donation of approximately $200,000.

Dean said he was surprised and honored that someone would give such an outstanding amount of money and encouraged all who can to do the same. “All community members who are concerned with the of the future of the university should donate, and should donate to the future of the students who are working so hard to get an education. These financial pieces are a huge part of the success of the university and the Rio Grande Valley."

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American

EN ESPAÑOL

Noticias en breve: Dile a tus queridos cuanto los quieres! Escribeles un mensaje en nuestra edicion especial del dia de San Valentin por solo $5. Llame al (956)3812541 o visite COAS 170 para mas informacion.

Experiencia y oportunidad para el futuro Por KRISTEN VILLEGAS Traducido Por MERCEDES CANTU The Pan American Pricilla Gonzalez, como muchos de sus compañeros en la Universidad de Texas Pan American, trabajo durante su último semestre. La estudiante de criminología tuvo la oportunidad de adquirir experiencia y conocimiento en su campo de estudios al trabajar junto al congresista Ruben Hinojosa.

Gonzalez, quien trabajo un total de 140 horas en el internado, reconoció haber aprendido mucho mientras trabajaba con el congresista.

“Me di cuenta que me ayudo a mejorar mi relación con las personas y a con conocer las necesidades y preocupaciones de los ciudadanos del Río Grande Valley.” dijo Gonzalez.

Al iniciar el semestre de primavera, Araceli Perez, Coordinadora de Practicas Profesionales en la oficina de Career Services, reconoce que ahora es el

momento de explorar y aplicar para posiciones durante el verano, puesto que la mayoría de las decisiones se toman durante este tiempo.

Perez dijo que las practicas profesionales pueden ser invaluables para los estudiantes. Por esto ella anima a los estudiantes a buscar y considerar algo que les ayude a ganar tanto experiencia, como conocimiento en su área de estudio.

“El programa de internado es un paso sumamente importante para el desarrollo académico del estudiante durante su estancia en la universidad,” dijo Araceli Perez.

La coordinadora cree que las practicas profesionales les dan a los estudiantes la oportunidad de obtener experiencias del mundo real, y al mismo tiempo un mejor entendimiento de su carrera profesional.

Los estudiantes pueden aplicar sus conocimientos y habilidades que han aprendido en clase y ser capaces de competir con profesionales.

“Las practicas profesionales no son

en realidad un trabajo, es mas una experiencia de aprendizaje.” dijo Perez.

Durante el tiempo que fue interna, Gonzalez pasó un tiempo considerable con Hinojosa, atendiendo eventos a los que fue invitada.

“Tuve la oportunidad de observar comportamientos, tomar notas y dar ruedas de prensa para los reporteros.” dijo Gonzalez Otro de los deberes de Gonzalez fue el apoyar a Hionojosa con algunos casos legales. Además, Gonzalez reconoció que una de las cosas mas importantes que aprendió fue la situación esta comunidad.

“También aprendí sobre las necesidades reales que tienen las personas de la comunidad, a la cual representa el Congresista Hinojosa,” respondió Gonzalez.

Después de pasar mucho tiempo trabajando en un ambiente político, Gonzalez dijo estar interesada en seguir los pasos políticos y enfocarse más en los asuntos de la comunidad.

“El Congresista Hinojosa tiene tanta pasión por su trabajo, que me fomento a animar a nuestra juventud para que esta tenga una educación,” aseguro la Practicante.

Esto aumento el entendimiento del mundo real ya que la política puede ayudar a Gonzalez a decidir el seguir detrás

Q “El programa de internado es un paso sumamente importante para el desarollo academico del estudiante durante su estancia en la universidad.”

- Araceli Perez, Coordinadora de practicas profesionales

de una carrera política, de acuerdo a Perez. Una de las mayores ventajas de hacer el practicas profesionales es que los empleadores pueden decidir quedarse con los estudiantes después de que haber terminando sus estudios. Además de que el

estudiante puede obtener una mejor oferta de trabajo gracias a su experiencia.

Un buen momento para considerar el hacer un internado seria al final del segundo año de carrera, dijo Perez. Otros mentores sugieren tener múltiples internados durante el curso de la carrera.

“Las practicas profesionales abren muchas puertas que te permiten relacionarte con personas que no lo harías durante tu vida diaria,” agrego.

Los estudiantes interesados deben acudir a la oficina de Career Services localizado en el edificio de Student Services en la oficina 2.101 o llamar al 381-2243 para hacer cita con Perez o algún consejero.

Bronc Career Connection es un sitio web ofrecido por Career Placement Services donde los estudiantes pueden registrarse y buscar internados así como ofertas de trabajo. Los estudiantes pueden tener acceso a al sitio web al visitar http://ea.panam.edu/careerplacement.

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Let that special someone know how you feel.

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Local concert seeks to satisfy different tastes

By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American The Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorale work year ‘round, performing throughout the Valley. Routine concerts are scheduled for almost every month, but every now and then conductor Peter Dabrowski likes to break out of the mundane. That’s what the Pops Symphonic Extravaganza is all about.

The VSOC, along with the South Texas Youth Symphony, under the direction of University of Texas-Pan American music professor Dabrowski, will be performing the third annual Pops Symphonic Extravaganza at the McAllen Civic Center at 4 p.m. on Jan. 26.

The event caters to the young and young at heart, even accommodating early bedtimes with a 4 p.m. downbeat rather than the customary 8 p.m. start time. According to Dabrowski, it is an event like no other.

“It’s basically a concert designed to entertain people at the end of the week,” he said. “It’s program-oriented toward entertainment and meant to create an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment.”

Monica Folk/Valley Symphony Orchestra TIMELESS WORKS - The Valley Symphony Orchestra and The Deborah Case Dance Academy rehearse for the third annual Pops Symphonic Extravaganza, which will feature a variety of treasured classics by well-known composers on Jan. 26.

Underwritten by the City of McAllen, the 90-minute event will feature popular classical favorites performed by both orchestras and will be accompanied by ballet dancers from the Deborah Case Dance Academy/Rio Grande Valley Ballet. The dancers will be featured in three movements from “The Nutcracker,” a play they have long been involved with.

For both Case and Dabrowski,

such collaboration was a win-win situation.

“I believe live music enriches the lives of the dancers. Live music requires them to listen more carefully to tempo changes versus set tempos from recorded music,” said artistic director and dance instructor Case. “In return, we provide a beautiful visual for the music.”

The VSO will kick off the after-

noon with pieces by Morton Gould, American composer Leroy Anderson, Edvard Grieg, Stravinksy and Tchaikovsky. John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” will close the first part of the event.

The STYS, consisting of young performers from the Valley and northern Mexico, will continue the second part of the extravaganza performing selections

by Brahms, Franz Liszt, Elmer

Bernstein, and Tchaikovsky.

While planning the event, Dabrowsky chose music in part based on how much fun it would be for performers and listeners alike.

“My philosophy is that when musicians are playing something they like, that energy produces much better performances, so the challenge is to find pieces which are fun for everyone,” Dabrowski said.

But even though it will be a fun concert, Dabrowski stressed that the educational value will be there too.

“I think that students are being robbed of this,” he said. “Watching a concert on TV cannot be compared with a live performance with over 200 musicians.”

Monica Folk, the VSOC administrator, explained that students will also enjoy seeing their classmates on stage.

“I think that the fact that we have students from UTPA in both orchestras is a great invitation to students from campus to come and enjoy the concert,” she said. “Everyone will find something they love.”

For more informaton, please visit For the more VSO’sinformation official Webabout site at the http://www.valleyorchestra.org.

Pops Symphonic Extravaganza, pl

Famed adventure tale echoes South Texas history

By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American As a child the world is mostly make-believe. Something as simple as a cardboard box can become a rocket ship that will take one on a trip to the moon.

The story of Don Quixote de la Mancha explores just this idea, but in the end it is the faux reality that Quixote has built in his mind that drives him to madness and makes his fiction a reality.

Written by Miguel de Cervantes, the novel explores the adventures of Alonso Quixano a landowner who has read so much more than his fair share of chivalry writing and is convinced he is a knight named Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Along with his sidekick Sancho Panza, they seek out to rescue his fantasy fair maiden, Dulcenea Del Toboso.

“Don Quixote de la Mancha is the best novel written in any language,” said Lino Garcia, a Spanish professor at The University of Texas-Pan American. “It

has universal appeal and relates to the accomplishments of Tejanos.”

A native of Brownsville, Garcia has been a professor for 40 years and recently gave a lecture at the Museum of South Texas History about the novel and how it relates to the Rio Grande Valley. The lecture, called “Los Tejanos y Don Quixote de la Mancha,” was given entirely in Spanish.

“I did it in Spanish because much of my research is in Spanish,” said Garcia, “and because Tejas or Texas was once a Spanish-speaking part of New Spain from 1519 to 1821.”

He believes that Tejanos, mainly those who settled South Texas in the 1700s, had read the novel.

“This novel with its thirst for truth, sense of justice and a love of adventure provided for them an inspiration to seek fortune in a brave new land – South Texas,” he said.

Since a good percentage of the population of the RGV speaks Spanish it

only seems fitting to have conducted this lecture and topic in that manner. And, the public response was positive. The audience was filled not only with natives of the Valley, but also Winter Texans getting in some Texas history before the time comes to head back home.

There were also former students of Garcia’s in the audience who came to hear the lecture and pass on what they were learning.

“I’m a Spanish teacher,” said Enith Villalobos, a former student. “I like getting my students involved in events like this one.”

Villalobos went on to say that getting her students involved with stories and the subject of Spanish itself is hard, especially with high school students. A teacher of bilingual studies at McAllen Memorial High School, she hopes to touch upon subjects like the Don Quixote novel in her upcoming classes.

Garcia became interested in the novel as a freshman in college. The story

http://www.faylicity.com LITERATURE AND SOCIETY - The classic novel “Don Quixote de la Mancha”

by Miguel de Cervantes resonates greatly with residents of South Texas.

opened his eyes to the injustices around him, and fostered the desire to correct them.

The novel has all the key components of a great story: adventure, love, fantasy, friendship. Don Quixote de la Mancha borders the thin line between reality and fantasy and explores what

happens when one overcomes the other.

“All of us are in essence a Don Quixote. It is not always the victory that is important,” said Garcia, “but that we follow the quest, and that we stay in the fight. Something within the everyday conflicts will be positive and of use to society.”

Page 8

T

he setting is familiar. A dark and lonely street in the seedy side of town, and it looks as if danger lies ahead. The people are also the same. The shady characters lurking around in the alleyways and the enticing, yet suspicious, dames of the night. The protagonist also hasn’t changed. He’s still the same hard-nosed, no nonsense and cynical sleuth who lives in this kind of world. He’s unshakable and knows what’s coming to him. The only difference is that this time, he’s barely old enough to drink.

The characteristics above are all features that have come to represent film noir, a specific genre popular in Hollywood in the 1940s and ‘50s. Film noir told stories of detective work, crime and violence, usually involving an assortment of characters with

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

loose morals and skeletons in their closets.

In short, film noir was considered to be a portrait of the downside of society. It was a look at the darker side of life and the degenerates who lived it.

In the 21st century, it would appear that film noir is making a comeback through feature films and television shows aimed squarely at teens and young adults. Within the last two and a half years, movies such as “Brick” and “Sin City” and the T.V. series “Veronica Mars,” have debuted, featuring teenage characters who find themselves in settings and situations eerily similar to those of the film noir era. And furthermore, they have all been hits.

The first sign of the genre’s re-emergence came in the mystery-drama “Veronica Mars.” The show told the story

of 16-year-old Veronica, a high school student and amateur detective who, though ostracized by her peers, still found herself with a new mystery to solve on or around campus each week. No matter what case she was currently working on, it did not deter her from her ultimate goal, uncovering the killer of her best friend, Lilly.

Viewers embraced the main character and her “seen it all” attitude, all of which came from the mind of writer Rob Thomas, a self-proclaimed fan of film noir who firmly believes the genre’s themes can make for entertaining television.

“Using noir ideas in a high school setting does lend itself to juicy storylines,” said Thomas in a 2006 interview. “An adult noir storyline might be: a husband murders his wife for the insurance money. Our high

January 25, 2007

school noir storylines would be: “My boyfriend took dirty pictures of me. Help me get them back.”

The show quickly developed a following and by the end of its first season in the spring of 2005, had become one of the most popular and critically praised new programs of the 2004-2005 television season.

That same year, a small independent production called “Brick” began generating a significant amount of buzz throughout the film world.

Set at a high school in a nondescript city, “Brick” told the story of Brandon, a high school outcast who turns detective when he sets out to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Unlike “Veronica Mars,” though, “Brick” showed little acknowledgement to

January 25, 2007

its high school setting. Instead, the film painted its characters as adults through the use of crass violence, fierce dialogue and mature storylines, all of which made audience members turn to their neighbors to ask: “These are high school kids?”

According to writer/director Rian Johnson, however, that was exactly the reaction he was going for.

“We set ‘Brick’ in a high school to get away from the images of men in hats and what we typically think of as detectives,” he said.

Like Thomas, Johnson is a lover of the classic film genre, but sought to find a different way of presenting his film.

“I love film noir, but the thought of imitating it wasn’t appealing,” he said in a 2005 interview. “We (the filmmakers) wrestled

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

with the question of how you do the genre today and this was the approach we hit on.”

The novel approach worked and soon, the modestly-budgeted “Brick” was raking in millions at the box office while garnering notable reviews from critics.

It wasn’t long before other similarly themed projects with young casts began to surface, such as the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” starring Nick Stahl, Elijah Wood and Alexis Bledel, plus “The Black Dahlia,” starring Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johannson.

COMPELLING ELEMENTS It is still unclear why these tributes to film noir are successful. However, to pinpoint an answer, it might help to revisit the public’s initial fascination with this type of

storytelling.

“The original appeal was film noir’s gritty subject matter as an alternative to the happy-go-lucky studio musicals that reigned supreme in that era,” said Ed Cameron, an English professor at The University of Texas-Pan American.

Cameron, who teaches a class called “Intro to Film Studies,” believes one of the genre’s main goals was to point out that life was not always pretty.

“Universally, the appeal of film noir might revolve around this genre’s reluctance to shy away from the seamy side of life,” Cameron said.

Likewise Debbie Laurel, a senior anthropology student at UTPA, feels that movies from the time period are more realistic in their portrayal of human life than

Page 9

many of the computer-generated ones shown in modern theaters.

“For me they’re more organic and authentic than some of the other stuff you see in any of the movies you see today. Plus the acting is better and more real,” she said.

In a time filled with uncertainty and chaos, films and storylines such as these seek to serve as an unlikely learning tool, educating young people about what the outside world can be like, while at the same time fulfilling their entertainment needs.

With “Veronica Mars” well into its third season and two planned sequels for “Sin City” on the horizon (the first is due out in late 2007), it appears as if the future for some of Hollywood’s young film and T.V. characters looks as dark and shady as ever.

Page 8

T

he setting is familiar. A dark and lonely street in the seedy side of town, and it looks as if danger lies ahead. The people are also the same. The shady characters lurking around in the alleyways and the enticing, yet suspicious, dames of the night. The protagonist also hasn’t changed. He’s still the same hard-nosed, no nonsense and cynical sleuth who lives in this kind of world. He’s unshakable and knows what’s coming to him. The only difference is that this time, he’s barely old enough to drink.

The characteristics above are all features that have come to represent film noir, a specific genre popular in Hollywood in the 1940s and ‘50s. Film noir told stories of detective work, crime and violence, usually involving an assortment of characters with

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

loose morals and skeletons in their closets.

In short, film noir was considered to be a portrait of the downside of society. It was a look at the darker side of life and the degenerates who lived it.

In the 21st century, it would appear that film noir is making a comeback through feature films and television shows aimed squarely at teens and young adults. Within the last two and a half years, movies such as “Brick” and “Sin City” and the T.V. series “Veronica Mars,” have debuted, featuring teenage characters who find themselves in settings and situations eerily similar to those of the film noir era. And furthermore, they have all been hits.

The first sign of the genre’s re-emergence came in the mystery-drama “Veronica Mars.” The show told the story

of 16-year-old Veronica, a high school student and amateur detective who, though ostracized by her peers, still found herself with a new mystery to solve on or around campus each week. No matter what case she was currently working on, it did not deter her from her ultimate goal, uncovering the killer of her best friend, Lilly.

Viewers embraced the main character and her “seen it all” attitude, all of which came from the mind of writer Rob Thomas, a self-proclaimed fan of film noir who firmly believes the genre’s themes can make for entertaining television.

“Using noir ideas in a high school setting does lend itself to juicy storylines,” said Thomas in a 2006 interview. “An adult noir storyline might be: a husband murders his wife for the insurance money. Our high

January 25, 2007

school noir storylines would be: “My boyfriend took dirty pictures of me. Help me get them back.”

The show quickly developed a following and by the end of its first season in the spring of 2005, had become one of the most popular and critically praised new programs of the 2004-2005 television season.

That same year, a small independent production called “Brick” began generating a significant amount of buzz throughout the film world.

Set at a high school in a nondescript city, “Brick” told the story of Brandon, a high school outcast who turns detective when he sets out to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Unlike “Veronica Mars,” though, “Brick” showed little acknowledgement to

January 25, 2007

its high school setting. Instead, the film painted its characters as adults through the use of crass violence, fierce dialogue and mature storylines, all of which made audience members turn to their neighbors to ask: “These are high school kids?”

According to writer/director Rian Johnson, however, that was exactly the reaction he was going for.

“We set ‘Brick’ in a high school to get away from the images of men in hats and what we typically think of as detectives,” he said.

Like Thomas, Johnson is a lover of the classic film genre, but sought to find a different way of presenting his film.

“I love film noir, but the thought of imitating it wasn’t appealing,” he said in a 2005 interview. “We (the filmmakers) wrestled

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

with the question of how you do the genre today and this was the approach we hit on.”

The novel approach worked and soon, the modestly-budgeted “Brick” was raking in millions at the box office while garnering notable reviews from critics.

It wasn’t long before other similarly themed projects with young casts began to surface, such as the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” starring Nick Stahl, Elijah Wood and Alexis Bledel, plus “The Black Dahlia,” starring Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johannson.

COMPELLING ELEMENTS It is still unclear why these tributes to film noir are successful. However, to pinpoint an answer, it might help to revisit the public’s initial fascination with this type of

storytelling.

“The original appeal was film noir’s gritty subject matter as an alternative to the happy-go-lucky studio musicals that reigned supreme in that era,” said Ed Cameron, an English professor at The University of Texas-Pan American.

Cameron, who teaches a class called “Intro to Film Studies,” believes one of the genre’s main goals was to point out that life was not always pretty.

“Universally, the appeal of film noir might revolve around this genre’s reluctance to shy away from the seamy side of life,” Cameron said.

Likewise Debbie Laurel, a senior anthropology student at UTPA, feels that movies from the time period are more realistic in their portrayal of human life than

Page 9

many of the computer-generated ones shown in modern theaters.

“For me they’re more organic and authentic than some of the other stuff you see in any of the movies you see today. Plus the acting is better and more real,” she said.

In a time filled with uncertainty and chaos, films and storylines such as these seek to serve as an unlikely learning tool, educating young people about what the outside world can be like, while at the same time fulfilling their entertainment needs.

With “Veronica Mars” well into its third season and two planned sequels for “Sin City” on the horizon (the first is due out in late 2007), it appears as if the future for some of Hollywood’s young film and T.V. characters looks as dark and shady as ever.

A&E

Page 10

January 25, 2007

Shins’ newest effort musically impressive, lyrically baffling

By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American

Joey Cortez/The Pan American N’AWLINS STYLE - (left to right) Sean Donnelly, Brad Keller and Chuck Donnell converse over a drink at Thirsty Monkey, a McAllen restaurant and bar with an authentic Louisiana flair.

Thirsty Monkey brings New Orleans style to RGV

By LESLIE ESTRADA

The Pan American Franchise restaurants can be found all over the Rio Grande Valley.

However, there are other restaurants that offer a more unique scene for locals.

Thirsty Monkey New Orleans Bar and Grill offers customers an original, Cajunstyle cuisine with a jazzy touch.

The restaurant is located at 119 W. Nolana in McAllen, and even though its unusual name might make some people wonder, there is not much behind it.

“I wish I had a great story to tell you,” owner Liza Guzman said. “But I just made up the name.”

The décor of the place is nice and classy, giving an uptown yet casual effect. The interior features bright red walls, paintings, and a mural of New Orleans, and the lights stay dim throughout the day and night. The place

is spacious enough to comfortably accommodate customers. Jazz music plays softly in the background, creating a relaxing ambiance.

Aside from other options, the menu features daily specials for people to enjoy. Monday is red beans and rice, Tuesday is seafood gumbo, Wednesday is crawfish etouffee, Thursday is jambalaya, and Friday is fried catfish.

A full bar is available and Guzman added that the restaurant offers happy hour Monday-Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Valley resident Diego Garza enjoys the food and is already a regular.

“The food is great. I’ve tried many things on the menu, but my favorite is the gumbo,” Garza said. “It is actually home-made and this restaurant is the only one that serves it.”

He also added that he enjoys the soft, relaxing music playing in the background.

“I really enjoy the fact that you can actually carry on a conversation,” Garza

said. “There are some places where the music is so loud you have to yell in order to be heard. You can actually have a good time here with your family and friends.”

Even though Thirsty Monkey is mostly a family-oriented place, it does turn into a night club on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We’ve got live music on Fridays,” said Guzman. “The band starts off at 10 p.m. with jazz and blues and they’ll switch over to alternative and rock music.”

She emphasized that the bar is only for people 21 and over, and no minors are allowed in since they actually card at the door.

Thirsty Monkey has been open for more than a year now and has not changed the theme that has differentiated it from other places; it has stayed loyal to its unique cuisine and great service. So it seems that New Orleans has come down to the Valley to stay.

Indie-rock band The Shins, once a hobbling toddler of music, has stood upright and proved itself mature with its latest effort “Wincing the Night Away.”

Released Jan. 23, the album is a welcome awakening from the Albuquerque, N.M., natives’ first two efforts, “Oh, Inverted World” and “Chutes Too Narrow,” which were as a whole only slightly more thrilling than a Celine Dion cover of Korn’s “Freak on a Leash.”

Unlike the first two albums, “Wincing the Night Away” has its bearings. The Beatles influence is clearly defined, but not overwhelming enough to call it a sub-par modern adaptation.

Every melody is perfectly paired with a keyboard tune or modest guitar solo.

Every song is perfectly and purposefully produced, resulting in thoughtful-sounding music.

In their first record, The Shins too often pulled a Vanilla Ice by stealing tunes, adding a funky beat and calling it a new sound. And while it may have taken people a while to figure out the Queen connection, modern-day music listeners are harder to fool. After the first record, I would have predicted the demise of the Shins, since every song sounded like another, better version of ones I’d heard before. The second effort, while more creative than the first, was unstable. Like a too small pair of pantyhose, the sound didn’t quite fit. It was left to fester uncomfortably.

Thankfully for them, music listeners like festering and took to their sound.

Good news for them is that the hint of good sound and potential that was sprinkled ever so lightly in “Chutes Too Narrow” has come to the forefront in “Wincing the Night Away.”

Before anyone starts opening up those doors to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, however, it is important to point out that while the Beatles sound is a key part of The Shins, lyrical genius is far from present.

Blame the school system, marijuana or anything else; the fact is that lyrically, The Shins fall into an unclassifiable category. No, they are not too brilliant for words. In fact, they are too strange. One such example of head scratching lyrics comes from track 6, “Red Rabbit”: “Well, I know there’s an eventual/Release from every scale of crime/But the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor/We’ve pissed on far too many good intentions held by clever sprites/And they’re all standing up for their rights.”

Band head honcho and the pen responsible for The Shins lyrical content is James Mercer. He told one magazine that he was cryptic with his words because he’s insecure. Unfortunately, listeners are paying for his insecurities both figuratively and literally. To pay for music is to pay for the sound, the words, the tune, the melody, etc.

Mercer’s shortcomings as a writer ultimately cost the band and the fans a lot more than dollars and cents. It will eventually cost them a chance at greatness, of which they do have the potential to achieve.

http://www.stuff.co.nz TURN A SQUARE - The Shins eagerly anticipated third studio release proves to be neither a triumph nor an embarassment.

NEWS

January 25, 2007

PASSPORTS continued from page 1

AGREEMENT continued from page 1 courses from TSTC.” Leal, who has held his position for seven years, said that a partnership between TSTC and UTPA has been a long time coming.

“Those of us in technical education have fought a long battle and several years to be recognized as part of the higher education community,” he said.

entering the country by land or sea.

The initiative is expected to make it easier for customs agents to identify travelers quickly and accurately.

However, many in the RGV don’t have passports and find the cost of getting a passport prohibitive. For those, help may be on the way. A passport card, or PASS card, is in the works. According to Garza, it may represent up to a 50 percent savings on the cost of getting a passport. In addition, it will be more convenient to carry around.

“It’s a form of an ID card the size of a regular credit card, which will be an alternative to the passport as we know it, which is a book with several pages. It’s not the right size to carry,” Garza said.

But he stressed, “The passport card is still in the making. It’s still not a done deal. Once approved, if it does get approved, then it will become an option to the passport.”

However, others, such as Arizona native Taylor Schneider, say getting a passport is “not really a big deal.”

Schneider, a freshman on the Lady Bronc basketball squad, applied for her passport Tuesday in preparation for a trip to Port Penasco, Mexico.

For U.S. citizens caught on the other side of the border without a pass-

Q

“By signing this agreement, we are recognizing that our students are very capable of handling the curriculum at the university level and no longer have to start at the beginning.”

- J. Gilbert Leal, president of TSTC More than anything, however, he said this agreement is for the students’ future.

“In order to get into the management and supervisory positions, it’s necessary for them to continue their education and these agreements today will make it a lot easier,” he said.

Cardenas added that once a degree is obtained, a variety of situations in student lives are improved.

“Our students triple the earning power of their families upon getting their degree,” she said. “Also, one of the realities we know is that if you get one person in a family to get a degree the rest will follow suit. We see families being transformed.”

In addition, Cardenas said the community will benefit from having more educated people in the work force.

“It is an important day for the development of this region of the state,” she said.

John Edwards, vice president of enrollment and students services, said

Page 11

port, it won’t be the end of the world, but it will be a hassle to get back in.

“American citizens who enter or arrive at a U.S. port of entry, who do not possess the American passport, cannot be denied entry back into their country, but they will experience delays,” Garza said.

During the delays, agents will verify identities and perhaps take finger prints, Garza said.

“It all depends on how fast we can get that data and run it through the system,” he said.

In order to avoid long delays in customs, Garza strongly recommends that anyone traveling outside the country obtain a passport before leaving.

While Garza could not comment on the specific staffing arrangements at local airports, he emphasized that Customs and Border Protection agents are ready to handle new procedures.

“We are there, we are available and we are prepared to do the things that we have to do, to arrive international travelers, to screen them, to process them and to release them,” Garza said.

For information on getting a passport, visit www.travel.state.gov or visit the Edinburg Post Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHTII TIMELINE Dec. 17, 2004 - Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, a.k.a. the 9/11 Intelligence Bill, signed into law Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American LOOKING TO THE FUTURE - J. Gilbert Leal, president of TSTC, speaks to a crowd of administrators and faculty Jan. 18 when he and President Blandina Cardenas formally announced agreements between the two institutions that aim to increase the number of students who continue their education after TSTC.

the agreements are all about sending a message.

“We’re here to help South Texas students understand that our two institutions are going to work together so that they can begin their studies in

Harlingen and finish them here at UTPA,” he said.

For more information on transferring and admissions, call Admissions and New Student Services at (956) 3818872.

April 5, 2005 - DOS and DHS first announce Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative August 2005 - Notice of proposed rulemaking Nov. 27, 2006 - Official announcement of phase 1 date and requirements Jan. 23, 2007 - Citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda required to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere Jan. 2008 - Persons entering by land or sea will be required to present a valid passport

COURSES continued from page 1 at least one semester of various classes including math, foreign language, social science, and a lab science. The core is designed to give students a sampling of most disciplines and the possibility of a reduction has many wondering what requirements would get cut.

“The combination of the two laws is something that people have to worry about,” said Pearl Brazier, a UTPA associate professor of computer science.

“The problem I see at this point, as part of the computer science department, is that most of the core is necessary for our [department’s graduation] plan.”

Brazier also said a cut in core hours could mean a cut in quality.

“With the hours for a degree set

back, we might not be giving them everything we should,” she said.

However, Angela Davila, a sophomore business management major, feels slightly optimistic about the cut in hours.

“Less time to get a degree sounds good,” she said. “I like being a student and all, but I’m looking forward to getting out there and finding a real job, one that’s not in fast food.”

UTPA has formed a formal committee to review the core curriculum.

The committee will form a recommendation that will be passed down to a faculty committee, then the overall faculty.

Final approval will come through the UT System, according to Ana Maria Rodriguez, the administrative liaison for

the committee, and senior vice provost.

“We have to first deal with the question of what is the core curriculum,” said Rodriguez. “The core curriculum is the foundation of degree plans and we feel it is important for our students to be well rounded.”

The committee is meeting two or three times a month and attendance is open to the public. If the attending public feel that they have a contribution to make, arrangements must be made beforehand to address the committee.

The latest meeting was Jan. 19.

UTPA evaluates its core every five years, so Brazier has participated in shaping it into what it is now. Thus, she takes special interest in the outcome and

has been following its progress.

“With the shortened core, some of the courses should be exchangeable depending on a student’s major,” said Brazier. “Like a computer science major wouldn’t need a biology class, but an electrical engineering class instead.”

Marie Mora, chairman of the core curriculum committee, added that the law states that students will be penalized for taking too many hours over the recommended 120. Since the consequences could be dire, she said it is important for students to keep track of their hours.

“If a student drops a class because they fear a bad grade, and then retakes

the course, they may be penalized for the additional hours added,” said Mora, a professor of economics, finance and general business. “Even with this short amount of hours taken out we should see a substantial jump in students graduating in four years, provided they are responsible with dropping their classes.”

For now, Mora said they are preparing as much as they can for the implementation of the laws, which currently have no set date.

“If everything goes smoothly, and if we’re a little lucky, the changes to the core curriculum should be instated around September of 2007, but that’s only if it makes it through all the stages of critique,” she said.

NEWS

Page 12

ENGINEERING continued from page 3

INTERNSHIPS continued from page 3 encourages students to look into and consider something that will help gain both experience and knowledge in a specific field of study.

“The internship program is an extremely important step during a student’s academic development during college,” Perez said.

The coordinator believes internships give students the opportunity to obtain real-world experiences, along with a better understanding of what their career will be like. Students can put to use skills and knowledge they have learned in the classroom and be able to challenge themselves in the outside world with real professionals.

“Internships are not really a job.

They are a mentorship,” Perez said.

During her internship, Gonzalez spent considerable time with Hinojosa, attending events he was invited to.

“I had the chance to attend while at the same time observing behaviors, focusing on taking notes, and handing out press kits to reporters,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez’s other duties included assisting Hinojosa with certain legal cases and helping the grant coordinator find appealing grants. In addition, Gonzalez said one of the most important things she learned was about the plight of the community.

“I also learned about some of the real needs of the people in the community that Congressman Hinojosa represented,” Gonzalez said.

After spending so much time working in a political setting, Gonzalez said she is now interested in following political races and focusing more on community concerns.

“Congressman Hinojosa was so passionate about his work, he encouraged me to especially encourage our youth about pursuing education,” she noted.

This increased understanding of the real world and politics could give Gonzalez a leg up should she choose to pursue a politically oriented career, according to Perez. In addition, one of the biggest advantages of doing intern-

ships is that some jobs may choose to keep students after graduation. In addition, the student may have a better job offer because of the experience.

A good time to consider looking into an internship would be at the end of sophomore year, Perez said. Other mentors suggest having multiple internships over the course of a college career.

“Internships open up a lot more doors and let you connect with people you were not going to connect with in everyday life,” she added.

Interested students should stop by the Career Services Office located at Student Services Building in room 2.101 or call 381-2243 to set up an appointment with Perez or with an adviser.

In addition, The Bronc Career Connection is a Web site offered by Career Placement Services where students can register and post resumes online. The site allows students to search for internships as well as job openings.

Students can access the Web site by visiting http://ea.panam.edu/careerplacement.

HAPPINESS continued from page 3 interested in taking a class that teaches acts of kindness, however I believe it would be a very controversial class,” Chihuahua, a Weslaco resident, said.

“Where do we draw the line? What is kind to one person and what is kind to another individual?”

However, Chihuahua, who has participated in missionary work at her church, said she has seen the positive effects of volunteering.

“It is amazing how much a simple smile or thank-you comes to mean, coming from a total stranger with whom you only spend maybe a few minutes, or did a small nice act for,” she said.

Although Chihuahua is supportive of volunteering and performing acts of kindness to strangers, she doesn’t think a class like this would work at UTPA. “The last thing that many students

want to do is have to take and pay for a class that won’t really serve us much for our careers,” she said. “We might see it as a waste of time and waste of money.”

Russell Eisenman, a UTPA associate professor of psychology, also questions a course that would teach students to be happy.

“I’m skeptical that this really leads to well-being,” he began. “What I would like to see first is a study that shows the people who do this have more wellbeing.”

However, Eisenman said he is glad that the Science of Well-Being is taught with positive psychology views.

“Psychology has been toward the negative, based on the work of Freud and other people,” he explained. “The emphasis has been on what’s wrong with people. Positive psychology is some-

January 25, 2007

thing that is very good and that the field needs to focus more on.”

Eisenman also pointed out that he would consider teaching a class like the Science of Well-Being. However, he said he’d teach it to give students a broader view of psychology based on research rather than just an idea.

Eisenman does feel that a course like this could work at UTPA but probably wouldn’t be revolutionary. But he believes happiness is important in one’s life and advises students to take that approach.

“You’re alive now. People sometimes think, ‘Some day I’ll be successful and have a nice job and then I’ll be happy,’ but your life is happening right now,” Eisenman said. “So it makes sense to try to be happy right now even though there may be a lot of stress and strains.”

“At the beginning, it was horrible because there were a lot of minds, and a lot of these people are extremely intelligent so they’re used to running their own group,” Madrigal said. “But we were able to get the group together for a common goal, which was to win.”

Competitions included seeing which car could go the farthest, which could maneuver best around obstacles placed in the course, and which could brake soonest. The slow start took a toll on their competitive record, however.

“They break up the 24 hours into five segments and they give you a challenge within each of those segments,” Madrigal said. “We were actually in the bottom three for a good number of the challenges, but as we started to get together and people started to find their niche, we started to pull forward and we did end up with the best automobile at the ‘Olympics,’ where they had different competitions.”

At the end of the 24-hour competition, each team selected two representatives to give a presentation highlighting the strong points of their car, with the goal of “selling” it to an imaginary race car driver.

However, while the race car driver may have been imaginary, the critics weren’t.

“That’s when we were really able to outshine the rest of the teams,” said Madrigal, who was one of the two designated to present his team’s work.

Madrigal’s performance throughout the competition and in the presentation garnered much attention, as the judges named him the Top Extreme Engineer, an honor accompanied by a $2,000 scholarship.

However, Madrigal had other goals in mind. Foremost on his to-do list was securing an internship with one of the top companies at the convention.

“My main goal as a student was to get an internship. I was looking at either Lockheed Martin or General Electric Energy,” Madrigal said.

After pausing for a solid eight hours of sleep, Madrigal attended a workshop conducted by GE representatives, who offered Madrigal a summer internship in South Carolina.

For Madrigal, the internship is an opportunity to get his foot in the door and possibly get a job offer for after he graduates in December 2008.

UNION continued from page 3 per week. In addition, prior to his arrival, no food service was offered to the students at the union; now it serves 150,000 meals a year.

“Before I was there the student center was projected not to be a success,¨Smith said. ¨But, we operated in the black every year. We put cash in the bank.”

That money, according to Smith, will come in handy to fund the future of the Student Union.

“I think there’s a great starting fund for a new facility,” he said. “My guess is that within the next year, students will vote to expand the student center.”

However decisions regarding the future of the union will rest in the hands

of the new director. Benavides said she has high hopes for Smith’s replacement, currently being searched for by the Dean of Students.

“We want someone who cares and has experience in running a facility like this. We want someone who has ideas and will implement them,” she said. “But also we want someone who understands that it is a students’ building and that students get priority.”

Smith agreed saying he hopes the union finds a high-quality leader.

“University students, especially UTPA students, deserve the very best that can be found,” he said.

Benavides said they hope to have a replacement by the end of the spring.

SPORTS

January 25, 2007

Page 13

ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS

Women’s Basketball

Join the movement: boycott the Super Bowl On Feb. 4, the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears will take each other on in Super Bowl XLI. To that I say, pfft. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t be part of

By LUKE KOONG the millions tuning in The Pan American that Sunday.

1. I’ll be thoroughly wasted after a long night of celebrating the Broncs’ latest home victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The game will not even be close as the Green and Orange roll over the Highlanders with a contest filled with spectacular offense and lockdown defense. Colin Lien will have 10 monster blocks and Burrell will light them up behind the arc with pinpoint accuracy. And let’s not forget the back-breaking dunks that help the Broncs reach the century mark. Heck, we’ll do so good they’ll let me play a few minutes.

2. Why tailgate when you can go attend the birthday parties of Oscar de la Hoya (34), one of the world’s greatest boxers, Carly Patterson (19), winner of the 2004 gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition and Natalie Imbruglia (32), Australian singer known for her song ‘Torn.’ And we can’t forget

to celebrate the creation of Serbia and Montenegro four years ago, along with Sri Lanka’s Independence Day! 3. We all know that there’s a better show to watch at 5:25 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday.

That’s right, I’ll be tuned into Animal Planet watching Puppy Bowl III! The canines are so fierce, they make Brian Urlacher and that No. 1 defense of the Bears want to wet themselves.

That Indy offense could probably learn a thing or two from those dogs as well. They catch better than Marvin Harrison could ever dream of in a million years.

4. My shrink said I should get out more often and try new things, so after showing my face at the Golden Boy’s shindig, I’ll head on over to Oklahoma City Okla., to attend the Heartland Golf & Travel Expo. Ralph, my imaginary Winter Texan friend, said the event is a blast and that you can win limited edition baitand-tackle boxes.

5. The last and most important reason why we should boycott this year’s Super Bowl: my New Orleans Saints aren’t playing in it.

P.S. De la Hoya requested I bring a date to the party. If there are any ladies interested, hit me up.

Please send all questions, comments and marriage proposals to lkoong2004@yahoo.com.

Bronc men’s basketball heads to the Dakotas Team expecting a hard battle against N.D. State UTPA is scheduled to start United Basketball League play when they head for the Dakotas to face an experienced North Dakota State team (11-6) on Jan. 25 and South Dakota State (4-14) on Jan. 27.

According to head coach Tom Schuberth, stealing some road wins would place UTPA in a solid position to win the UBL. “We’ve got an opportunity that we haven’t had in a long time and that is to play for a conference championship,” Schuberth said. “It starts on the road and if you can win your road games and defend your court then you have a chance to win your conference.”

UTPA is currently undefeated at home despite the lack of much student attendance; the Broncs are 8-0 at the Field House, rallying behind their home fans, mainly Winter Texans and the ever-supportive Bronc Basketball Band.

No doubt the win would be a huge lift for the Broncs. N.D. State, although young, is very solid, with four sophomores scoring in double figures.

“They are a great basketball team, probably the best independent team out there right now,” said the first-year Bronc coach. “They have all their starters back from last year. They are the same team that went on the road last year and beat Wisconsin and they beat Marquette on the road this year.”

The men have focused on defense over the last eight days in preparation for league play.

Schuberth said 6-foot-11 center Colin Lien is poised for a big game and is expected to cause many match-up problems for State.

The Green and Orange will be without the services of solid backup senior point guard Larry Shephard who injured his hand in practice, but will look to junior point guard Danny Puente, from McAllen, to step up and answer the call.

The Pan American

Fri. Jan. 19 Texas-Pan American at Oral Roberts (Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla.)

Oral Roberts 68, Texas-Pan American 47 Oral Roberts (11-7) Seay 2-2 3-4 7, Turek 8-16 8-13 24, Camargo 3-6 0-1 6, Watman 5-10 0-0 14, Langford 0-5 0-0 0, Martins 1-2 0-0 3, Kindell 1-2 0-0 3, Voelker 2-3 3-4 7, Davidson 0-3 0-0 0, Fithian 0-0 0-0 0, Volpato 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 24-52 1422 68.

Texas-Pan American (8-12) Daniel 2-4 0-0 4, Grigsby 0-0 2-2 2, Gray 3-16 0-0 9, Vaughn 2-5 0-0 5, Ramirez 3-4 0-0 6, Wilson 1-1 1-1 3, Jones 4-10 0-0 8, Freeman 2-3 0-0 6, Kostacky 1-1 0-0 2, Winfrey 0-1 0-0 0, Garrett 0-0 0-0 0, Jean 1-5 0-0 2, Schneider 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 3-3 47.

Halftime-Oral Roberts 33-15. 3-Point Goals-Texas-Pan American 6-19 (Gray 3-11, Vaughn 1-3, Jones 0-1, Freeman 2-3, Winfrey 0-1) Oral Roberts 6-18 (Watman 4-8, Langford 0-4, Martins 1-1, Kindell 1-2, Davidson 0-3).

Rebounds-Texas-Pan American 23 (Daniel 8), Oral Roberts 42 (Turek 8). Assists-Texas-Pan American 11 (Ramirez 4), Oral Roberts 18 (Camargo 5). Total Fouls-Texas-Pan American 18, Oral Roberts 10. A-1,137.

Women’s Category Leaders Up to Jan. 22 - 20 games played

Upcoming Schedule Jan. 25 Jan. 27 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 10 Feb. 15 Feb. 17 Feb. 24 Feb. 27 March 3

* North Dakota State * South Dakota State @ * IPFW @ * NJIT @ * Utah Valley State @ * South Dakota State @ * North Dakota State * Northwestern University Monterrey Tech (Exhibition) * New Jersey Institute

FG % 3-PT % FT % Points Reb. Assists Steals Blocks Fouls TO

Robin Garrett Danielle Kostacky Tiona Wilson LeKeisha Gray MaHogany Daniel LeKeisha Gray LeKeisha Gray MaHogany Daniel MaHogany Daniel LeKeisha Gray

.576 (34-59) 1.000 (1-1) .889 (8-9) 207 (10.4 ppg) 125 (6.3 rpg) 38 (2.3 apg) 38 (1.9 spg) 30 (1.5 bpg) 68 (3.4 fpg) 71 (3.6 tpg)

Bold denotes home games * denotes UBL games

Baseball Upcoming Schedule UTPA Classic Feb. 3 Feb. 4

Citrus Tournament Feb. 9 Feb. 10 Feb. 11

Opponent Texas State Oklahoma Oklahoma Texas State

Time 2 p.m.

7 p.m.

Noon 5 p.m.

Location Edinburg Edinburg Edinburg Edinburg

Illinois-Chicago Cal State-Northridge McNeese State

3 p.m.

7 p.m.

5 p.m.

Edinburg Baseball Stadium Edinburg Baseball Stadium Edinburg Baseball Stadium

Baseball Stadium Baseball Stadium Baseball Stadium Baseball Stadium

SPORTS

Page 14

January 25, 2007

Lady Broncs look to rebound on home court

By KRISTYNA MANCIAS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs continue to struggle on the road as they suffered a setback last weekend at Oral Roberts University 68-47, falling to 8-12 on the season.

In the opening minutes of the first half the Lady Broncs were unable to get anything going as the Golden Eagles jumped to an early 18-2 lead with 12:04 left in the first half. UTPA shot 35.3 percent on 6-of-17 shooting and would enter intermission down 33-15.

“Our defense wasn’t quite at the

level that it had been the past two games,” said head coach DeAnn Craft. “I still think we played relatively well but again it goes back to if your shots aren’t falling then your defense has to play at a greater level and it wasn’t our night. We just didn’t play a solid first half and we dug too deep of a hole in the first half.”

The Golden Eagles offensive threat of the night belonged to Elisha Turek, who scored 20 of her teams 35 points in the second half. Turek finished with a game-high 24 points.

UTPA would come to within 10 points after a three-point basket by newcomer Tiona Wilson with 11:52 remain-

ing in the second half but ORU’s sharp shooter Turek would seal the deal for the Golden Eagles scoring seven points, increasing the lead.

LeKeisha Gray finished with nine points on 3-of-16 shooting, while adding four rebounds in 37 minutes on the court. UTPA failed to have a single player score in double digits.

The Lady Broncs will be back in action Thursday at the Field House, where they will host their second United Basketball League game, against North Dakota State University at 7 p.m.

UTPA will have its work cut out

against NDSU, ranked 160th in the United States. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The Bison are 10-5 against teams from the Lone Star state including a 59-54 win over the University of TexasArlington at the Montana State Tourney in November. “[NDSU] beat Minnesota, a Big 10 team by 15, and just lost to Arkansas State by three, who is leading in the Sun Belt Conference. NDSU is highly talented, much taller than we are but we think we’re quicker,” Craft commented. “It’s going to be a battle of tempo. Is North Dakota going to slow the game down

with their height? Are we able to speed the game up with our quickness?”

Saturday’s game will be equally competitive, as the Green and Orange will play host to the 42nd-ranked women’s team, the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State University, currently 15-5.

“There is not a better basketball team that will be in our gym than who will be here on Saturday night,” admitted Craft. “I can’t say enough about South Dakota. They are lethal, quick, athletic and explosive. They can shoot the three like no other team. It’s the best team we’re probably going to face this season.”

HOME SWEET HOME - (left) Freshman guard Rose Esther Jean (25) prepares to drive past a defender during the Jan. 13 game against New Jersey Institute of Technology. (right) LeKeisha Gray, MaHogany Daniel, Robbin Garrett (left to right) swarm to the ball during the sme game. The Lady Broncs won the game 55-44 while playing in front of familiar faces. The lady hoopsters play North Dakota State University in the Field House tonight at 7 p.m. UTPA currently has six home wins this season.

SPORTS

January 25, 2007

Page 15

Green and Orange ready to hit track at full speed Men’s Track and Field Schedule Feb. 3 Houston Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston ALL DAY Feb. 9 UH/RunSport All-Comers Meet Host - University of Houston Houston ALL DAY Feb. 23 USA Indoor Championships Boston, MA ALL DAY Feb. 24 USA Indoor Championships Boston, MA ALL DAY Mar. 3 Border Olympics Laredo ALL DAY Mar. 9 NCAA Indoor National Championships Host - University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR ALL DAY Mar. 10 Bobcat Open Host - Texas State San Marcos ALL DAY NCAA Indoor National Championships Host - University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR ALL DAY Mar. 16 Tom Tellez Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston ALL DAY Mar. 17 Tom Tellez Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston ALL DAY Mar. 24 Texas Invitational Host - University of Texas Austin ALL DAY

By PATRICK KENNEDY The Pan American Speed, strength, and endurance are on the minds of every single member of the young, but talented men and women’s track and field team for The University of Texas-Pan American.

While most of us huddle around warm cups of hot cocoa in the Student Union, the men and women, and their coaches, of the track and field teams are out there braving the weather, working to be the best, with the goal of reaching the NCAA National Championships in June.

At the core of this hardworking group of distance runners, sprinters, jumpers, and throwers is the coaching staff, headed by 17-year coaching veteran Ricky Vaughn, who has produced many NCAA and various conference champions, as well as an Olympic competitor. Vaughn, who is now in his sixth year as head coach for the Broncs, feels that this year’s team is comprised of, “some really talented kids.”

Assisting Vaughn are two new coaches to the university who add a lot of muscle to the program. Hired back in October was assistant coach Dennis Darling, an NCAA National Champion and three-time Olympic competitor for the Bahamian relay squad. Besides his

many accolades, Vaughn believes that Darling will bring, “an enormous amount of experience,” to the team.

Another assistant coach brought on board last week was former Bronc track and fielder Hugo Cervantes, a Valley native.

“Cervantes is a hard worker. We’ll see the program grow under him,” Vaughn said.

A UTPA graduate with a degree in kinesiology, Cervantes participated on the Bronc cross country and track and field teams, even competing in the NCAA Division I South Central Regional Cross Country Championships in 2003. He holds a university record for the steeplechase.

Also assisting the coaching staff is second-year student assistant coach Rowena Hamlet. Hamlet, a biology graduate student, was a Lady Bronc seven-time champion who holds university records in the indoor 400-meter dash, outdoor 100-meter hurdles, 200meter dash and 400 meter dash.

The majority of the men and women team members have little collegiate experience, but come with a vigor for success. Vaughn and his coaching staff are working hard to prepare the teams for their competitions.

“We are concentrating on their fitness levels, and getting them ready to compete to the best of their ability,”

Vaughn said.

Vaughn expects the team to grow with every practice and competition.

To guide their fellow athletes in the growth of the young team are a group of dedicated team leaders.

For the men’s team, these leaders are All-American Will Littleton, a senior kinesiology major from Cuero, Luis Nava, a junior nursing major from La Joya, and Sal Gonzalez, a junior physical therapy major from Los Fresnos.

Leading the women’s team are sophomore Wendy Wells, a kinesiology major from Weslaco, Vanessa Brown, a sophomore pre-med biology major from Houston, Amanda Ferris, a junior kinesiology major from San Antonio, and junior Liliana Cavazos, a kinesiology major from Weslaco.

The track and field teams already made their 2007 debut in the Leonard Hilton Memorial Competition at the University of Houston last week, where they garnered three top-ten performances. Coming in second place in the high jump was Littleton. Ferris came in third in the weight toss, and Kate Shannon, a sophomore kinesiology major from Houston, was seventh in the pole vault, with a jump that tied a university record set in 2002.

Their next competition is Feb. 3, at the Houston Invitational, to be held at the University of Houston.

Women’s Track and Field Schedule Feb. 3 Houston Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston All Day Feb. 9 UH/RunSport All-Comers Meet Host - University of Houston Houston All Day Feb. 23 USA Indoor Championships Boston, MA All Day Feb. 24 USA Indoor Championships Boston, MA All Day Mar. 3 Border Olympics Laredo All Day Mar. 9 NCAA Indoor National Championships Host - University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR All Day Mar. 10 Bobcat Open Host - Texas State San Marcos All Day NCAA Indoor National Championships Host - University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR All Day Mar. 16 Tom Tellez Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston All Day Mar. 17 Tom Tellez Invitational Host - University of Houston Houston All Day Mar. 24 Texas Invitational Host - University of Texas Austin All Day

Tennis teams start slowly out of gate, look forward to rest of season

By SAVANNAH MARTINEZ The Pan American The beginning of Spring 2007 marked a new start for students and athletes alike. The spring season for tennis got going last week, with the women starting the action Saturday and the men opening play Tuesday.

The Lady Broncs were unable to muster a win when they visited no. 28 Texas A&M last week. All three doubles teams were defeated 8-1, while singles action proved equally as difficult.

Freshmen Megan Bedeau and Stephanie Willerding were the first to compete when they went up against Anna Blagodarova and Michelle Sammons, falling (8-1). Juniors Giana Oliveira and Julia Cirne-Lima also fell by the same score to Tiffany Clifford and Sarah Foster. Silke Buksik and Nicole Garcia, both juniors, were unable to bring about a different result as they were defeated (81) by Marisa Druss and Elze Potgieter.

Oliveira was defeated by Blagodarova in their singles match-up in two straight sets. Garcia was defeated (60, 6-0) by Nicki Mechem. Bedeau,

Willerding and freshman Sarah Burton also fell to their respective opponents.

Cirne-Lima faced 50th ranked Potgieter and lost (6-1, 6-2).

A similar fate awaited the men as they met the University of Oklahoma on Tuesday. Junior Gary Bianco was defeated by Andrej Daescu (6-3, 6-3) and David Lopez fell to Marek Velicka (6-0, 6-1).

New Broncs Nirvick Mohinta and Shashank Vij were also swept in their matches. Freshmen Brett Bernstein lost to Sergey Avdeyev (6-0, 6-4) and teammate sophomore Rosendo Cantu was defeated

by Federico Chavarria (6-0, 6-0).

The teams have been preparing since Jan. 10 for a fresh start to the spring campaign. Although both squads came up short in their season openers, both squads will have ample opportunities to showcase the fruits of their labor.

Robert Hubbard, head coach for both the men and women, has been training his athletes and getting them more conditioned by drilling them in the morning and playing practice sets in singles and doubles in the afternoon.

The increased practice is to help develop everyone’s niche.

“Every player on the team is very different in style. Some are counter punchers from the baseline, some have big forehands and some rely on consistency and quickness,” Hubbard said. “I work with each of them on their strengths and try to develop that and potentially add another dimension to their game that I might see available.”

He would like to unleash those new strengths when they face ranked opponents this year.

One of the universities that Hubbard looks forward to playing against most this season is Texas A&M, which is ranked in the top 25 in the country and was recently added to the Lady Bronc schedule.

“It’s difficult to get on the highly ranked teams’ schedules,” Hubbard said before the match. “We plan on using this opportunity as a springboard, go up there and compete as hard as we can and see what happens.”

This weekend the women will travel to El Paso to play three teams over a three-day span. Facing them tomorrow will be host Texas-El Paso, followed by North Florida Saturday and Lamar Sunday. The men will return to the courts

in February.

Hubbard is looking forward to the men’s tennis team’s ability to compete and win the Southland Conference tournament.

“Any team that can win their conference goes on to the NCAA championships, so I am certainly eager to play all our conference matches,” Hubbard said.

Ultimately, he’s thrilled for the opportunity to showcase his athletes against quality squads from around the nation.

“I am eager for both men’s and women’s tennis teams because we have anywhere from five to nine nationally ranked teams on each of their schedules,” he explained.

“This is our opportunity to move back up the food chain and get a little more credibility to the program.”

This season the tennis teams will be competing against other universities such as Southern Mehtodist University, University of Texas-San Antonio, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Connecticut, Rice and Southeastern Louisiana.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American START UP - Oliver Steil helps the men’s tennis team in his first season as the new graduate assistant coach.

SPORTS

Editor’s Pick: Game to Watch When: Jan. 26 Time: 7:00 p.m.

Where: AT&T Center Memphis

San Antonio

Burrell helping UTPA make run for UBL title

By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American Off the court you can say he’s laid back, spontaneous, cool and easy to get along with. Or he can tell you himself.

“There’s no telling what I might do,” said Brian Burrell, leading scorer for The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs.

On the court, the 6-foot-3 junior shooting guard lets his game do all the talking.

Needless to say the stat line has a lot to say; 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Those numbers have made him the team’s go-to guy.

It’s tough going for the opposing guards who are faced with the tedious task of chasing down Burrell t h r o u g h screens, only to be turned away by one of his trademark three-

point shots.

Not since Sergio Sanchez has UTPA had a more explosive scorer.

Sanchez led the Green and Orange with 15.5 ppg during the 2004-2005 campaign.

Burrell’s on-court goals are lofty to say the least, but well within reach.

Winning the United Basketball League title is priority number one.

“Winning our conference, hopefully going to the next level and getting my degree. Just becoming the best player I can be,” Burrell said.

Winning the 10-game nonsanctioned UBL title would be a tremendous boost for the Broncs and would certainly increase their chances of being invited into a Division I conference.

The goal seems to be within UTPA’s grasp, as only two other Independents own winning records. Utah Valley Sate (12-6) currently holds the top spot and Jan. 25 opponent NDSU is second with 11 wins.

Burrell shares similar goals to those of many UTPA students, financial stability being the main one. He also said an education is key. He doesn’t have to look far from home to know the importance of a college degree; both of Burrell’s parents are teachers, his father a middle

school history teacher and his mother a fifth-grade English teacher.

“Academics are very important. I just want to leave from UTPA with my degree. That way I can support and start my own family,” Burrell said. “To be successful in life you know. Just to be financially stable, man. I want to be where I don’t have to keep asking my parents for money, where I can be independent and I won’t have to depend on anybody to loan me theirs.”

According to Burrell, his father signed him up for Little Dribblers, a little league for hoopsters, when he was 8 years old.

The high-octane guard recalled his early start in hoops, when he fell victim to a coach who favored his own son when it came to playing time.

“It was kind of funny because I don’t think he really liked me and his son was one of the main players,” the highscoring guard recalled. “His son ended up getting hurt. He looked at the bench and he didn’t know who to put in, so he just put me in and ever since then I’ve been doing real good.”

At Nacogdoches High School, Burrell was also a standout track athlete.

Watch any of the Bronc games and that

becomes clear – when attacking the hoop he is usually a step ahead of the action.

Burrell credits his involvement on the track for his quickness and his three years at Paris Junior College for improving aggressiveness. Burrell redshirted his freshmen year, helped his team to a National Junior College title the next season, and helped PJC clinch the conference title his final season.

Although he leads the team in scoring, Burrell is surprisingly unselfish, through he was asked during his high school career and at Paris Junior College to shoot more. He would rather get everyone involved for the sake of team chemistry, though.

“In high school they wanted me to be more selfish. That’s kind of hard because that’s not in my blood. I averaged 20-something points but honestly I don’t know how, because I wasn’t even trying to score,” he said. “I would make sure everyone would touch the ball or get their points. That’s just the type of player I am.”

After the Dakota trip, Burrell and company will resume Feb 1. against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne at Sam Williams Court at the Field House, with tip-off time set for 7 p.m.

STAMPEDE - Brian Burrell is one of the Broncs’ cogs on offense and defense. He currently leads the team in points.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American