February 8, 2007 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

February 8, 2007

Provost’s town hall meetings focus on future By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American In early January, Paul Sale, provost/vice president for academic affairs, sent out an e-mail alerting faculty and staff to a series of town hall meetings that would be taking place in the coming months. The goal of these meetings was to define the future of The University of Texas-Pan American.

During the forums, attendees were asked to answer three broad questions that Sale said would help him develop an Academic Blueprint for the coming years: What does a learner-centered research institution look like and what characteristics would it have; which of those characteristics does the university have to work on in order to transform into one of the premier institutions in the state; and what should UTPA’s next

steps be? In an interview with The Pan American, Sale speaks about the forums and the future. The Pan American: While addressing the attendees at the town hall meetings, you mentioned the importance of finding a balance between being learner-centered and research oriented. How do you plan to find that? Paul Sale: I’m going to listen to

the ideas that come out from these meetings because the faculty and the staff here are very smart. They are going to help me figure out how to do that. In fact, that is one of the main reasons for these meetings. I think there are many avenues we could trudge down to develop a learner-centered university, but it will really be the faculty and staff that help make the learner-centered research institution. So it’s very important I get

Student government continues debate over leader’s faults By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American VILLARREAL

Argelia Barrerra, president of the Student Government Association, didn’t quite understand what the three senators on the phone were saying. In just a few minutes, she had gone from doing her homework to learning that she would be recommended for removal from office the next day at the organization’s weekly meeting. “I was very surprised. I really didn’t see it coming,” she said. However, Barrera said she was amazed to find that others in the organization were not so blindsided by the news of her recommended removal. “I expected everyone to be shocked about this, but they knew what was going on. They (the three senators making the main complaint) had called people throughout the night going through their proposal,” she said. Included in the proposal was a list of complaints and violations by the senior political science major that the three senators felt necessity her impeachment. Tony Villarreal, a junior biology major and one of the senators who initiated the proposal, said Barrera’s excessive unexcused absences from meetings,

failure to appoint new members to vacant positions in the senate, and failure to issue president’s reports are the main issues that raised concerns. Villarreal, Michael Martinez, a junior criminal justice major and senator for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Tony Matamoros, a junior political science major and SGA sergeant at arms, were the main drafters of the proposal for removal. “Constitutionally, she’s supposed to deliver a report in front of us, show up at every meeting and if she’s absent three times in one semester or four throughout her term, she’s allowed to be removed,” Villarreal said.

their ideas before imposing my own. PA: So you do have your ideas, but you don’t want to put them out there before hearing other people’s thoughts. Sale: I’ve been informed since I’ve been here about this learner-centered research institution and I’ve learned more about it. I have some ideas. I haven’t come to conclusions yet, would be the best way to state it. I

See PROVOST page 12

STC, TAMU sign transfer agreement By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American Beginning this semester, South Texas College students will have a smoother ride when transferring to Texas A&M University-College Station. An agreement signed by the two institutions has given STC students with 24 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA guaranteed admission into certain TAMU programs. “We’re hoping that this will make the transition a little bit easier for the students transferring from STC,” said Margaret Hernandez, senior associate director for admissions at TAMU. The agreement allows students from STC who are interested in certain programs under any of the five participating academic colleges at TAMU to transfer without going through the normal, competitive transfer application process. The five participating colleges at TAMU are the colleges of agriculture and life sciences, education and human development, engineering, geosciences, and science. In order to qualify, students must complete 24 credit hours from a list of courses that have equivalents in the TAMU programs. John Edwards, vice president for

HE SAID, SHE SAID While many of the details about complaints remain indefinite, both Barrera and Villarreal said wrongdoings have occurred in terms of attendance. Villarreal claims Barrera has missed a total of six meetings since Oct. 31, a number she debunks, claiming her absences do not exceed four. Even so, the president added that most of her absences came as a result of engaging in SGA matters off campus. “I think my biggest mistake in this BARRERA

See SGA page 11

See TRANSFER page 12

News

A&E

Sports

Lastest trend in plastic surgery relieves foot pain, causes controversy

Valentine’s made easy with handy guide to a perfect day

Jumper Will Littleton breaks school mark at Houston Invitational

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See Insert

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R EADER FORUM

Februar y 8, 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. 18

By: Juan Garza

Editor Claudette Gonzalez ThePanAmerican@gmail.com News Editor

A&E Editor

Sports Editor

Sandra Gonzalez

Frank Calvillo

Luke Koong

sandra_ panamerican@ yahoo.com

hennero@ msn.com

lkoong2004 @yahoo.com Design Editor

Photo Editor Sidney Meadows

Roy Bazan

outintherain@ aol.com

crazy_restless@ yahoo.com

Designers Gregorio Garza

Rick Gamez

the_nataku@ yahoo.com

rikgamez@ gmail.com

Reporters and Photographers Leslie Estrada Jeanette Perez Onydia Garza

Rafael Roux

Patrick Kennedy

Angela Salazar

Kristyna Mancias

Erick Quintero

Adviser Dr. Greg Selber Secretary Anita Casares Ad Manager Lillian Villarreal

Asst. Ad Manager Samantha Quintana

Advertising information spubs@panam.edu

Valentine’s Dedication

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.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF

THE PAN AMERICAN

Available Feb. 15

Reporting live

Musical war

- Legendary CBS anchor Dan Rather visits UTPA

- Find out which groups rocked on at this year’s battle of the bands

N EWS

News in brief: Dan Rather will speak in the Student Union Theater Feb. 13. Doors open at 7 p.m. to students and 7:20 p.m. to the public. The event is free of charge.

UT-Austin official speaks on Hispanic Leadership

By LUKE KOONG The Pan American Juan Gonzalez, vice president of student affairs at The University of Texas-Austin, compared himself to an old dog when he spoke at The University of Texas-Pan American last week. A native of Amarillo, Gonzalez was invited to speak to high school and college students by the Hispanic Business

Student Association. He started out the presentation, titled, “How to Become a Hispanic Leader,” with an old anecdote. In it, a wily old dog deceived a leopard twice and escaped certain death by using his knowledge and experience. Gonzalez has been working with students throughout his professional career. From 1990-1994, he served as vice president for student services at California State University-San

Bernardino. He then went on to California PolySan Luis Obispo, where he served until 2000. Gonzalez also served as vice president for stuGONZALEZ dent affairs at Georgetown University and Arizona State University between 2000-2005.

“My passion and joy is working with youth. I want to make sure that the college experience is everything it can be and should be,” Gonzalez said. He said gaining knowledge about the real world should not be limited to textbooks and lectures. “I know there’s an enormous amount of learning taking place on campus,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just in the classroom and in the laboratory.”

He knows the importance of guiding today’s youth. In college, he said his sixthgrade reading level would have held him back if not for assistance and encouragement from his peers and the university. “My job is about helping you understand that becoming educated is about trying to move forward with the purpose of helping others,” he said. Gonzalez thinks that people focus

See LEADERSHIP page 12

Homecoming hopefuls talk strategy Security policy modified By BRENDA RODRIGUEZ The Pan American Laura Chipres will be the first to admit that her move to the Rio Grande Valley from her home in Michigan was an unexpected one. “I wasn’t asked if I wanted to come here,” Chipres, a management major, said of her mother’s decision to relocate, which resulted in her enrollment at The University of Texas-Pan American. “But once I got here I saw that it was pretty cool.” Now, the self-described former “shy and quiet” girl is taking a big step

into school involvement by running for Homecoming Queen. With a new queen scheduled to be crowned on Friday, the pressure is on for Chipres, a junior who is originally from Zamora, Mexico, and her two competitors. This year will be the first time Chipres, a member of Kappa Delta Chi, has competed for the crown. However, for the current president of the Greek Council, hopes for winning the title run far beyond a shiny piece of headgear. “It’s a big deal because in the past my sorority sisters have gotten the crown so I think it will be good to bring

it back again and put it as tradition,” said Chipres. “I also want to be involved in school and represent my organization as well as the student body.” COMPETITION RINGS IN For fellow nominee Erika Gonzalez, a senior, before she can represent the student body, she felt it was important that they know about her. To make certain that happened, she used every available avenue to get her name out to the public. The journalism major from Laredo and her friends started off by sending

See HOMECOMING page 12

to better protect info

By VERONICA GONZALEZ The Pan American New security precautions are being taken within The University of Texas System due to a series of major security breaches that have occurred at The University of Texas-Austin. The decision to increase security comes as a result of an April incident at UT-Austin in which an unknown person acquired access to the computers within the McCombs School of Business, and gained entry to over 190,000 data files. Information accessed included social security numbers, as well as other biographical data belonging to not only current and prospective students, but alumni, faculty, and staff. The breach of security has prompted the UT system to undergo policy changes, in order to prevent such a situ-

ation from happening again. Mauro Scardigeno, chief information security officer at The University of Texas-Pan American, and Beverly Jones, assistant chief information officer, want to make sure students and faculty understand the importance of keeping their personal information safe. “The emphasis we’re trying to portray as Information Technology Security is that it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep data safe,” Scardigeno said. The security policies are known as Business Procedure Memorandums. The original three memorandums, BPM 53, BPM 66, and BPM 75, are currently undergoing revision and will be combined into the new BPM 53. “One thing about the BPMs is that they are always evolving,” Scardigeno said. “They’re living documents.”

See SECURITY page 12

Number of domestic abuse cases decreases By SARAH JESKE The Pan American

Rafael Roux/ The Pan American CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Laura Chipres (center), a junior management major, and Rui-Long Monico (left), a junior graphic design major, speak with Tony Rojas, a biology major, about their plans if elected Homecoming Queen and King, respectively. The winners will be announced Friday in the Ballroom at 8 p.m.

Domestic abuse is down 50 percent, according to a government study done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. From 1993 to 2004 the average number of reported incidents per 1,000 people, dropped from 5.8 to 2.6. This is good news to people who live or work in areas afflicted by domestic abuse. “Generally it seems to be a really positive trend,” said Joel Morales, a senior chemistry major from The University of Texas-Pan American. Although reasons are unspecified in the study, Vanessa Espinosa, a representative of Mujeres Unidas, attributes

the dramatic drop in cases to a combination of preventative and therapeutic programs working together to aid victims. Mujeres Unidas, an organization devoted to helping victims of domestic abuse and informing the public about this crime, offers a variety of services to aid victims. Espinosa also attributes the decrease to education. “People are more aware of the services available to victims and are learning there are severe consequences to this,” Espinosa said. “It is a crime after all. Because of youth and community education classes, people are learning about the consequences of abuse.” Morales, who volunteered with

See ABUSE page 12

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NEWS

February 8, 2007

Think you have what it takes to join an honor society?

National Honor Society for First-Year Students Requirements: -Must be a freshman (not including hours earned during high school) -First official full-time semester was Fall 2006 -Must have achieved a GPA of at least 3.5 or better for Fall 2006 -Must be enrolled as a full-time student -Must have earned between 12-29 college credit hours If you are interested please join us at our informational meeting on

February 8, 2007 Xochitl Room (next to Ballroom) 12:00-1:00 p.m. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on your opportunity to join the only National Freshman Honor Society on campus! Pizza and drinks will be provided. For special accommodations please contact Alpha Lambda Delta at 956-381-2659.

NEWS

February 8, 2007

Page 5

‘Foot facelift’ surgery draws medical criticism By ANNA FLORES The Pan American It’s hard to believe that there was a time when breast implants and nose jobs were taboo procedures. However, as these and several other common plastic surgeries become more accepted in the mainstream, a new wave of uncommon operations is causing controversy. An operation commonly known as the ‘foot facelift’ is now available for those who are unhappy with the appearance of their feet or simply tired of the pain that often comes with wearing high heels. During this surgical procedure, toes are shortened and fat is added to the balls of the foot for extra “padding,” or removed for a narrower look. As with other body surgeries, there are critics and adherents. “It is superficial and a waste of money,” said podiatrist Raul Maldonado from Harlingen Foot and Ankle Center. “I do not recommend any type of foot surgery if it isn’t due to constant pain or deformity.” In New York and California, “toe tucks” are beginning to gain popularity and more women want to bring out their very best even when it comes to feet. The American Orthopedic Foot and

Ankle Society found that more than half of podiatric surgeons’ patients are interested in this type of cosmetic surgery. “I didn’t know about this type of surgery, but I'm not surprised,” said Ileana Torres, a psychology major at The University of Texas-Pan American. “If I didn’t like my feet, I would do it.”

“It is superficial and a

waste of money.” - Raul Maldonado podiatrist The AOFAS is against any type of cosmetic operation on the foot, stating that there could be painful consequences such as nerve injury, corns and infection. Maldonado agrees with the organization, assuring that “there are always risks with any type of surgery.” Barry Franklin, owner of Foot Solutions in McAllen, said there are other ways to achieve comfort that do not require going under the knife. “If high heels are what are causing a woman to have foot pain, I can offer inserts that will help alleviate it,” he said. “[But] women shouldn’t wear more than two-and-a-half-inch heels.” A recent survey carried out by the

American Podiatric Medical Association showed that 74 percent of American women wore high heels at least two days a week and 41 percent on a daily basis. It also showed that two out of five women who wear at least three-inch heels during up to eight hours a day do so even if they have pain. “High heels are not meant for longterm wear. They should only be worn for four hours at the most,” said Franklin. The AOFAS is worried about what they call “an alarming trend,” and members want women to understand what they are getting into before opting on going into surgery. Both Maldonado and Franklin are against the surgery, expressing that only in serious, necessary cases should those body parts be artificially improved. “Some people come to me, wanting their feet to look

perfect. I don’t feel comfortable performing that type of surgery. I think it’s unethical,” s a i d Maldonado.

EN ESPAÑOL

Noticias en breve: Dan Rather hablará en el Student Union Theater el lunes. Las puertas se abriran a estudiantes a las 7 p.m. y al publico a las 7:20 p.m. La entrada es gratis.

Educación ayuda disminuir violencia intrafamiliar Por SARAH JESKE Traducido Por JAIME NAVARRO The Pan American De acuerdo al estudio realizado por el “Buró de Estadísticas Jurídicas” (Bureau of Justice Statistics) el abuso domestico ha disminuido en un 50%. De 1993 a 2004 el promedio de incidentes reportados por cada 1000 personas callo, de 5.8 a 2.8. Estas son buenas noticias para las personas que residen o laboran en áreas con dicho problema. “Parece ser una buena tendencia” dice Joel Morales, estudiante de ultimo grado de la carrera de química en la Universidad de Texas-Pan American. Aunque no se especifican las razones en el estudio, Vanesa Espinosa, una representante de Mujeres Unidas ,atribuye la drástica disminución en el numero de casos a una combinación de programas preventivos y terapéuticos. Mujeres Unidas es una organización

dirigida tanto a ayudar a victimas de violencia intrafamiliar como a informar al publico acerca de este crimen. Esta organización ofrece diversos servicios para aquellos que sufren de este delito. Además Espinosa también atribuye la disminución de delitos intrafamiliares a la educación. “Las personas están mas infor-

“Las personas están mas informadas de los servicios disponibles para las victimas y ahora comprenden que los castigos para este tipo de actos son severos. Gracias a la educacion...las personas empiezan a entender que esto es un crimen.” - Vanesa Espinosa representante de Mujeras Unidas

madas de los servicios disponibles para las victimas y ahora comprenden que los castigos para este tipo de actos son severos”, dice Espinosa. “Gracias a la educación que les dan en las escuelas las personas empiezan a entender que esto es un crimen”. Morales, quien es voluntaria para ayudar a victimas por medio del Ministerio de Estudiantes Bautistas (Baptist Student Ministry), tuvo la experiencia de asistir al curso “Citizen Police Academy” el cual fue patrocinado por la Policía de McAllen. En este curso ella aprendió que la policía explica a las victimas sus opciones, si ningún cargo es presentado. “Ahora es mas sencillo para las personas salir de estos problemas, y es muy bueno que la policía ayude a informarlo”, dice Morales residente de McAllen. Aunque muchas personas piensan que los resultados del buró muestran señales de un cambio positivo y una

mayor eficiencia en los programas de asistencia, otras personas son escépticas hacia los resultados. “Yo no creo que el numero de incidentes haya realmente bajado a tal grado, solo es revisar el método con el que realizaron la investigación”, dice Rosalva Resendiz, profesora de criminología. “Una debilidad de estos estudios recae en el hecho que no todos los abusos son reportados”. “Entre muchas posibles razones por las que las victimas no denuncian el delito se encuentran miedo, vergüenza y en el caso de inmigrantes ilegales deportación”, reconoce Resendiz. “Muchas mujeres sobretodo en otras culturas son enseñadas a guardar silencio, ¿Como les podemos enseñar a hacer lo contrario?” Aunque Resendiz asegura que el estudio no es del todo cierto, admite que han habido cambios positivos en la reducción del numero de abusos El Acta Contra la Violencia Hacia

la Mujer, VAWA por sus siglas en ingles “Violence Against Women Act” de 1994 es el reconocimiento del gobierno federal de los problemas causados por la violencia intrafamiliar y el abuso sexual. VAWA también contiene recursos para la recuperación de victimas y la prevención de estos actos. La aprobación y reautorización del VAWA ayuda a asociaciones como Mujeres Unidas. Si están de acuerdo con los resultados del Buró de Estadísticas Jurídicas o no, una cosa es segura y es que educando al publico se ha hecho un cambio. “Se dice que esta generación es mas propensa a mantenerse dentro de su estatus quo, pero yo pienso que no”, dice Resendiz y Espinosa concuerda, reconociendo que mas educación no puede ser mala. “Entre mas conozca la comunidad y en especial la juventud acerca de la violencia intrafamiliar y como prevenirlo, mas veremos el decremento en las estadísticas”.

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

Editor’s Pick: Must-see movie “Hannnibal Rising,” the latest intallment in the Hannibal Lecter series, will be released Friday.

International artist makes Valley debut

By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American When you think of Friday nights, wine, cheese and art aren’t necessarily what come to mind. But that’s exactly how Laura Gomez pictured hers. Gomez, a painter, was all smiles at the reception for her “1999 Retrospective” exhibit at the McA2 Creative Incubator gallery in McAllen. With an exhibit opening that same day, it was an opportunity to show off her artwork to the Valley for the first time. It was also her birthday. The MCI, which opened its doors in July 2005, proudly played home to the emerging artist and her artwork Feb. 2. The building was buzzing with excitement and Valley residents eager to share Gomez debut. Gomez, a Monterrey native, has been part of the MCI since last May but has only recently decided to share her artwork with the public. And although she is new to the Valley, having only lived in McAllen for two and a half years, she is no stranger to the art world. Nor is it something she recently took interest in. “I started when I was 9 years old. I’ve always had a passion for it. I do have a career and a life outside of that,

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American ART THROUGH THE YEARS - Laura Gomez’ new show titled “1999 Retrospective,” is a visual chronicle of the last seven years of the artist’s life.

but I’ve always had art on the side,” said the public accountant and mother of two. “It’s a talent I have. It’s what I love.” Indeed, she does. Gomez, who has been interested in the art of self-expression since she was a child, studied at the Universidad de Monterrey receiving a B.A., and at the Instituto Cultural Para Adultos, where she then proceeded to teach from 1994-2000. But her love for self-expression never meant so much until 1999. “1999 Retrospective,” which spans the years 1999-2006, is meant to tell a

story more profound than words can express. It is meant to tell the story of a change and transformation in Gomez’ life as an artist. “My art represents moments in my life when you go through experiences. Certain events that happened to me that just entirely took over,” said Gomez. “And if you were to observe the paintings by date, you would see that during 2002-2003 I did nothing. I was very depressed.” That moment in life wasn’t the only thing that helped her become the artist she is today. Being a mother and a

teacher has also changed her perspective in life. “Once you’re a teacher and a mother, you experience things through other people’s point of view,” said the Monterrey native. “You really get to understand that you really don’t have the absolute truth.” The MCI is just the place for selfgrowth, admits Irma Burr, creative journal expressive artist and a fellow MCI tenants. “It helps emerging artists open themselves to the public. We have a lot of support from the chamber and that

makes us stronger and just have the empowerment to show our art to the public,” said Burr. “That’s why it’s called the incubator. They nurture us and let us grow.” And one can’t grow without the proper setting. “The incubator is a place that’s not quite a museum or an art gallery,” said MCI cultural arts coordinator Rita Perera. “It’s a large pad for artists that provides them the necessary support and a place for creativity.” While she is excited to share that creativity with the public, Gomez does admit that self-expression doesn’t always mean being entirely explicit. “There are hidden messages in my art. You know how you keep secrets in a box? My work is like that. I write messages that only I can understand,” admitted the painter. Although she still holds secrets, Gomez isn’t shy about her passion. “Art has always been and will continue being a way for me to escape from problems, the mundane, the routine,” she said. Gomez’s exhibit is available for viewing from Feb. 2-23. For more information about her exhibit, visit www.mcallen.org/mca2 or contact Perera at (956) 687-2787.

Singer, telecom company donate to UTPA music dept. By FRANK CALVILLO The Pan American Development for a new Mexican and Tejano music organization on campus came closer to becoming a reality last Wednesday as Jesse Turner, the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated singing group Siggno, made an appearance at The University of Texas-Pan American’s Student Union. Turner’s hour-long performance was a labor of love for the singer, who feels that giving back to his community is important. “It means everything to me [to perform at UTPA],” Turner said. “When I was around there was no one trying to help or inspire me in that way.” Turner grew up in South Texas and became interested in music shortly after the death of his father at age nine. It wasn’t long before the youngster was performing every chance he got. In the late ‘90s, Turner joined the now-popular

musical group Siggno, and along with his fellow bandmates, created a sound that can best be described as a mix between Norteno and conjunto. They have just released their second studio album, “Por Amor.” However, Turner’s visit to UTPA wasn’t strictly for entertainment purposes. The singer, together with Alltel, a popular telecommunications retailer, was also on hand to make some very beneficial donations to the university’s music department. Turner donated a Mexican guitar known as a bajo sexto to the department; according to the singer, it’s not an easy item to get ahold of. “It’s harder to get one than it is a regular guitar,” Turner said. “This instrument is something that we use in the type of music that we do.” In addition to the special instrument, local franchises of Alltel made a generous donation to the department in

the amount of $10,000. Both the bajo sexto and the money are part of the early steps in securing the beginning of a much-desired conjunto organization at UTPA. For Peter Harris, district manager of Alltel, making the donation was an easy decision. “There wasn’t a lot of consideration that went into it because it seemed like such a natural choice to us,” said Harris. “We really wanted to represent the university and the Upper Valley and we wanted to do it through music.” Harris added that Alltel encourages the music department to use the donation as it sees fit. “We want them to do whatever they want to with it,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll use it to build a Tejano program or create scholarships.” According to Francisco Loera, a lecturer at UTPA, both donations are greatly appreciated and will go to good use.

“It’s enough to get us started,” he said. “We plan to use half the money to create scholarships for students and the other half to start a conjunto group. Hopefully this summer we can work on it more.” Alltel’s donation coincides with a concert being held by the company at the Tejano Saloon in McAllen on Valentine’s Day at 7 p.m. The concert, which is free to the public, will feature performances from Turner and his band. Tickets to the concert can be picked up, free of charge, at any Alltel location Valley-wide. Additionally, several lucky attendees will have the chance to receive VIP treatment during the concerts as well as a chance to meet the performers. While these are the first in what will hopefully be many future ones, Turner believes all donations to be worthwhile. “People like me and Alltel are here to help the community,” he said. “We are

TURNER just the instruments. It’s the students who hold the key to the future.” For more information on Jesse Turner or Siggno, please visit the group’s Web site at www.losalegres.com/siggno. For more information on Alltel’s Valentine’s Day concert, please visit any store location Valley-wide.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

February 8, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9

“The Vagina Monologues,” the thought-provoking production that first hit New York City’s Broadway in 1998, is coming to the Valley’s Cine El Rey as part of the nationwide V-Day movement.

Story By: Leslie Estrada

The “V” in V-Day stands for Valentine, Vagina and Victory, linking love and respect for women to a movement to end violence against women and girls. The famous play by Eve Ensler is the cornerstone of V-Day, with proceeds from these performances going to programs that assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. “The Vagina Monologues” is a play made up of different monologues read by a varying number of women. A recurring theme throughout the play is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality. Some of these monologues include “I Was Twelve,” describing a young girl’s first menstrual period, “My Vagina Was My Village,” a monologue that compiles testimonies of Bosnian women subjected to rape camps, and “I Was There In The Room,” a monologue in which Eve Ensler describes the birth of her granddaughter. Even though the same play was presented last year, Veronica Garza, local VDay organizer, said that this year will be very different. “Last year the play was presented with a different cast. I got to see it and it was mostly read,” she said. “This year we are doing it very differently, I wanted to bring it as an actual show and have the girls act it out.” Garza said that while most of the actresses are novices, they have been putting a lot of dedication into their performances. There are 17 women that will be taking part in the play, ranging from college students to social workers. Genna Sexton, who will be performing, said that being able to be part of this play is a great opportunity,

especially since the topic is often considered taboo. “The play is an eye-opener,” said Sexton. “It lets women know that they are not alone. It also brings insight to men. They actually get to experience what women talk about behind closed doors.” Even though the play has become famous worldwide, it has not been exempt from criticism from people that refer to it as having a negative and restrictive view of sexuality and an antimale bias. “People take the time to criticize something that they don’t even know about. They are very close-minded,” Garza said. “Every time there is something controversial people just want to criticize it before even finding more about it.” Garza has already faced resistance from people and organizations that do not want this play to be presented to the public. “I’ve had churches call me saying that they do not approve,” she said. “I’ll actually ask them if they have seen it. They automatically judge before knowing what is going on.” According to Garza, the controversial nature of the play’s title is great for publicity. “The fact that the word vagina is in the actual title raises a lot of controversy,” Garza said. “The more controversial, the more it will get out there and the more curious people will be. They’ll want to find out what’s going on and that is good for us.” In fact, because the controversy rakes in more viewers, it

helps to generate more funds for the cause. This year, 90 percent of the proceeds from the McAllen performance will go to Mujeres Unidas, a non-profit organization that provides services to victims that have been sexually assaulted or battered. “This organization is pretty much the only battered-women shelter locally,” Garza said. “They are also the only ones trying to raise awareness on violence against women. We want to do everything we can to help them.” C e c i l i a Mendoza, center manager f o r Mujeres Unidas, said the help is much appreciated. “The financial benefit that our organization will be getting from these presentations is great,” said Cecilia Mendoza, center manager. “We depend a lot on funding from the community and donations that are granted to us.” Aside from the play, Garza has put on a series of other events that will help raise more funding for Mujeres Unidas including a silent auction and a concert featuring local bands. “I just got a Texas congressional chair that Senator Hinojosa donated to us for the auction,” Garza said. “People can actually come and bid, take goodie bags and have something good to talk about.” According to Sexton, the play, aside from being fun, funny and fresh, has a positive impact on people since it has such a powerful message. She said that

people will actually leave with a clearer understanding of what some women go through. “It is not a bad play. All the monologues have something to say and think about,” Sexton said. “I think that the performance itself will actually send the message to people and be able to come across not as the horrific thing they are expecting, but as a way to understand women and the circumstances they’ve been through.” Diego Suarez del Real, a junior majoring in electrical engineering at The University of Texas-Pan American, agrees with Sexton’s point of view. “I had the opportunity to watch the play last year with my mother and sister,” Suarez del Real said. “It gives women an opportunity to express things that they really want to talk about but have never been able to.” He also said that the play has a very strong effect on the public since it opens people’s eyes to see what is going on around the world. “It lets people know that women are not property and they deserve respect,” Suarez del Real said. “Women have minds of their own and have things to say. It’s about time for them to be heard.” “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed March 2 at 7 p.m. and on March 3 with two performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. For tickets or other information contact Veronica Garza at (956) 292-0460.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

February 8, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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“The Vagina Monologues,” the thought-provoking production that first hit New York City’s Broadway in 1998, is coming to the Valley’s Cine El Rey as part of the nationwide V-Day movement.

Story By: Leslie Estrada

A&E

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February 8, 2007

R.B.D.’s English L.P. lost in translation By LUKE KOONG The Pan American

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American EUROPEAN FLAIR - BistroM features an assortment of delicacies inspired by cuisine from across the pond.

BistroM brings touch of European cuisine to Valley By ANGELA SALAZAR

The Pan American In the college life, the usual eating pattern consists of Ramen noodles and dollar menus. Of course this does leave something missing for the imagination and the palate. There are new restaurants popping up around the Valley which are bringing new flavors into the traditionally Mexican-fed limelight of South Texas. BistroM, located on North 10th Street in McAllen is one of those restaurants. BistroM primarily deals with European cuisine. It opened in March 2003 and the technique is mostly French. However, executive chef and owner Marcel Fortuin adds his own touch to the food. “One of his signature dishes is osso buco, which is a veal shank,” said Tiffany Anders, sous chef at BistroM. “It’s very slowly cooked along with risotto and asparagus.” According to the restaurant’s Web site, Fortuin has over 30 years of culinary experience. Born in the Netherlands, he spent eight years in culinary art schools, earning three degrees. He is experienced in cuisines such as French, Belgian, German and Japanese, just to name a few. Walking in to the restaurant, one is greeted by the sous chef or a server. The

restaurant is lit with soft lighting and candlelight. It is a small place, with no more than 15 tables, seating four or five people at a time. Although the restaurant draws a crowd mainly of professionals, a younger crowd is moving in. Before the menu is even brought out, a server comes with what is called an Amuse. Formerly called an Amuse Bouche, this is a small bite of food before the meal begins; directly translated, the phrase means, “to amuse the mouth.” This tickles the appetite of the guest, leaving them wanting more and getting them ready for the main course. There are many things to choose from including appetizers, soups, salads, main courses and deserts. One of the more interesting appetizers is the ravioli stuffed with escargot (yes, snails!). A meal at BistroM is not complete without a desert. A beautiful desert is apple pie, freshly baked seasoned apple covered in crosshatched puffed pastry served with homemade vanilla ice cream. A couple who was visiting the restaurant for the first time called the desert the best part of the meal. Taking in the atmosphere is half the fun. There have also been many romantic occurrences here. “They (boyfriends) bring me a ring early in the day,” said Anders, “I’ll put the ring in a sugar dome and open it in front of the woman.”

As the story of couples is told they seem to play out like scenes from romantic comedies such as “Simply Irresistible,” with scenes of food and love. The quiet ambiance is magnified by a pianist by the name of Kharyn Leigh who plays at the bistro every night. For those who are in a romantic mood for Valentine’s Day, BistroM is offering a tasty dinner option. This dinner is by reservation, and spaces are filling up fast. “Valentine’s here is nuts,” said Anderson “We’re already starting to get calls.” The restaurant gets so hectic that during the actual night of Valentine’s they sometimes turn off the phones completely because of all the lastminute requests for reservations. On the menu for the night is a sixcourse meal. Seating for the first shift of guest starts from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the second is 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. However, the price may be steep for the average college student at $135 per person. The food is truly something unique to the Valley. This cuisine, though, for the college crowd is best suited for those celebrating a very special occasion. It is not your everyday eatery. Regular prices range from $9 to $42. To see the BistroM menu or make reservations check out www.BistroM.net.

“Rebels” by R.B.D. was originally released Dec. 19, 2006, but it has taken me a month and a half to translate the whole album and write a review on it. Okay, I jest. This album is in English (except for the last song) and has touches of Spanish intertwined for spice. A good number of the songs are translated adaptations from their earlier albums, so fans of the group will notice some similar sounds. The lyrics on the other hand… I have not heard any of their other songs before, but I can tell you whoever translated those songs did their job. Unfortunately, they did it literally. One that really bugs me is in “My Philosophy.” “Always lookin’ for a minimal sign.” How about “the smallest sign?” Same number of syllables and it sounds much better. Or what about “I can’t stand sometimes the morning light” from “Save Me.” These small flaws make me wonder how English lyrics sound when translated into other languages. For fans of nasal music artists, “Connected” features the singing of Dulce Maria. I hope it’s just singing in English that makes her sound so bad. I have to rate the song at least one star less because of that. She also leads off in “This Is Love,” but thankfully gets pulled after the first stanza. I think the only saving grace for her is her decent looks. But again, I haven’t heard her sing

in Spanish so I won’t write her off completely. Two inclusions on “Rebels” make me question whether I received full value for the $9.99 I spent on the album. This album was released before Christmas, but remixing and slightly rewording “Tu Amor,” which is one of the good songs on the album, was a lazy thing to do. Don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t sound bad. The move brings back memories of Billy Mack in Love. Actually though, the only way he made his song No. 1 was singing naked, a sight we don’t want to see from R.B.D., unless it’s only the female band members. “Celestial” is just a sampler from their Spanish album of the same name. Two minutes of wasted disc space. You do get to hear 30 seconds of “My Philosophy” in Spanish though, and it seems better than the English version. “Rebels” does have several redeeming qualities. The aforementioned “Tu Amor” and “I Wanna Be the Rain” are two beautifully composed ballads that caught my attention on the initial listen. Additionally, two reggaetonish songs, “Wanna Play” and “Cariño Mio,” made me want to bring out my inner dancer. Salsa-sounding “Era la Música” did the same, but I didn’t think it wise to dance while driving. Oddly enough, I liked “Money Money,” sung entirely in Spanish, a lot too. I still don’t know what they’re saying in the song though. If you don’t mind Spanish accents and a new taste to your music collection, try “Rebels” out. Just make sure you don’t pay more than $10.

http://www.amazon.com ERA LA MUSICA - Televisa’s show “Rebelde” created Mexican pop group R.B.D. They released their first English album, “Rebels,” last December.

NEWS

February 8, 2007

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PROVOST continued from page 1 will come to some conclusions after receiving all of this information and I will test those with our faculty and staff to make sure they are consonant with what I heard. PA: Why do you feel these types of forums are important to UTPA’s future? Sale: The university is at a pivotal crossroads. We’re growing. We’re increasing our research dollars. The stature of faculty continues to grow and we have decisions to make because we can’t be everything to everybody. We’re going to have to choose what our institution looks like in 2012 or 2020. PA: So we’re not talking about the future five or 10 years from now? We’re talking about way beyond that. Sale: We’re talking way beyond that. We’re putting structures into place this semester and will be putting them into place based on this feedback that will have an impact on the university for years to come. PA: So you came to the university at a very important time. Sale: I came in at a great time and I came under a fabulous leader, Dr.

[Blandina] Cardenas. PA: I know you mentioned you had 50 attendees at today’s town hall meeting and about 40 attendees yesterday. Do you expect to have turnouts like that for the rest of them? Sale: No. We were targeting about 120 or 150 total. Faculty members by nature are very busy, so there are going to be multiple ways to participate. So if we end up with 120 to 150, I will be satisfied. If we ended up with 433 or so, which is the number of full-time faculty, I would be delighted. PA: One of the goals you mentioned was to become a learner-centered research university. How do you plan to get the actual learners, the students, involved? Sale: One of the things that will be happening after these town hall meetings is I will be meeting representatives with the Student Government Association. I may even have an open forum for students. And I will also be working with some external constituents. PA: Such as?

Sale: Such as some of the business leaders in the community to see what their view of what a learner-centered research institution should look like. PA: In your short time at UTPA, have these forums helped you get to know people in the university a little bit better? Sale: I’ve had two opportunities to get to know the people at UTPA. One is these forums where I get to hear various perspectives. Clearly, when the town halls are a bit smaller, I can hear better, like last week. But I’ve also had the opportunity to review from 170 to 180 faculty dossiers since I’ve been here for those who are going up for either tenure or promotion, or receiving annual reviews. What I’ve found is that we have a tremendously talented and energetic faculty here at UTPA. And many of them are ready and embracing what I call learner-centeredness. Our role in the Provost’s Office will be to learn how to extend that and help support it. PA: Do you have a target date for when you want to have your academic blueprint complete and ready to present

Sale: Sure. And of course we’ll have interactions with other divisions and the president to make sure the blueprint is supported by all levels and divisions.

Remaining forum dates All of the following take place in the Ballroom Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb.

14 19 21 23

at at at at

3 p.m. 3 p.m. 10 a.m. 10 a.m

To register visit www.training.utpa.edu/registration/

Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American

TRANSFER continued from page 1

SGA continued from page 1 situation was not calling Tony [Matamoros] and telling him I couldn’t make it,” she said. Villarreal said he thinks it would be great if Barrera was engaging in SGA matters, but believes the organization should have been the first to know. “We’re all people and we all have feelings, but no one is above our constitution. She never gave anyone any excuses for her absences,” he said. “My issue is that as a leader, you should be out there letting them know what you are up to.” His assertion is one Barrera said she agrees with, adding that in terms of keeping the organization up to date, she could have done better. “I was going 100 miles per hour and forgot to turn around and make sure they were still there running behind me,” she said. “I forgot to turn around and pick up the ones who had fallen and make sure no one needed water.” While the two agree that communication could have been improved, they find less of a consensus when it comes to Barrera’s claims that she has issued a president’s report every week regardless of her attendance at meetings. “Out of all the times she was not there, she only e-mailed a report twice,” Villarreal said. In addition, Villarreal and the two other senators claim Barrera has failed to fill vacancies in the senate; some have been present since summer, an issue Barrera said she has addressed. However, she added that lack of qualified applicants has slowed the process.

to everyone? Sale: I would hope it would be no later than the end of this semester. PA: So you hope to have it in effect by fall 2007?

Moreover, Barrera added that if the senate were concerned with filling vacant positions, the SGA constitution affords members a chance to go around her authority and do so. “If we had taken that step it would have shown more of a failure in the office of the president,” Villarreal said. “This part about filling the position was only made known to us at the time we were researching this (the process of removing a president).” COMMUNICATION IS KEY Despite the ongoing dialogue between Barrera and the three senators, Barrera said she remains personally hurt by the course of action taken by those filing the grievance. “The three people who initiated this whole thing weren’t going to tell me about this whole thing until the meeting,” she said It was only upon other senators’ suggestions that the group of three called her the evening before, according to Barrera. “I hate to say this, but this is not a senators against president thing. This is a personal thing, which is hard for me to understand,” she said. “I’m sure they have the SGA’s best interest in mind, like I do, but if that was really it, they would not have gone about this in this way.” Villarreal admits that the proceedings were not handled in the best manner. “When it comes to this situation, it would be fair to say we should have given her a warning. That’s something that I will admit,” he said. “We got caught up in the

direction we were heading and because of that it happened the way it did. But I will be the first to admit that we should have tried to speak to her.” He added that, the proceedings are not an individual assault. “This isn’t anything personal,” he said. “We don’t want it to seem like it’s some sort of personal attack.” Barrera has met with Martinez and plans to talk to Villarreal in the coming week. “[Through dialogue], should we find there is no way for us to go forward together, we will go along with the removal because these are legitimate reasons,” Villarreal said. “If we do go forward, we will be happy that we have made the statement that we are unhappy with this and we are doing our best to try and change it.” And though Barrera’s term ends in April, Villarreal said this was an important statement that had to be made. “I think at the very least we have showed our dissatisfaction and that’s a great first step,” he said. Barrera also said keeping those they are serving in mind is the most important thing SGA can do at this point. “I’m not ashamed to say SGA is going through a rough time,” she said. “But we are overcoming this.” Recently, Barrera and members of SGA gathered together to paint their homecoming board and are currently focusing their efforts on representing student’s views at the upcoming state legislative session, among several other projects.

enrollment at The University of TexasPan American, said the development of the Texas Common Course Numbering System was a key step in paving the way for this type of agreement. “That’s most important for students and helps to save them time and avoid duplication of courses,” Edwards said. Edwards believes that collaboration between universities is a good thing. “We are always glad when agreements can be reached between institutions which help ease the transition difficulties for students,” Edwards said. According to Rick Margo, senior admissions counselor for TAMU’s regional Prospective Student Center in McAllen, most students currently entering TAMU are freshmen coming straight from high school. This is something the university hopes to change to some extent. “The push at A&M for the next five years is to recruit more transfer students, and STC down here has a gold mine of top students from the Valley who stay here,” Margo said. Margo believes the agreement will help increase the currently low number of students from STC who transfer to TAMU, adding that about 5,000 applications are received for the program every year. For STC, this is by no means the first agreement of this type. The college currently has articulation agreements with Universidad de Guanajuato, Universidad de Guadalajara, and The University of Texas-Pan American. According to Mejia, the agreements between UTPA and STC are very strong. In

fact, although he believes the TAMU agreement to be very attractive, he said that more students will still transfer to UTPA. “The majority of our students will be going to UTPA for various reasons – geographic and also that we really have a very good working relationship with the university,” Mejia said. According to Margo, this is also partly due to the fact that many Valley students are apprehensive about leaving home. “A lot of students don’t want to leave, or think that they can’t afford it or that they can’t make it, but on the contrary, they can afford it. A&M is very generous as far as scholarships,” Margo said. But although he encourages students to consider leaving the Valley to pursue higher education, Margo hopes that many will return and give back to the community. “Obviously, a lot don’t come back but we have seen a trend in the last several years where students are coming back right after undergrad, 21- and 22-year olds coming back and trying to establish roots down here,” Margo said. While the agreement has currently only been extended to 10 Texas community colleges, including STC, there is the possibility of expanding the program to include other colleges in the future. And, the agreement is only valid for TAMU-College Station and its branch in Galveston, where the marine sciences are taught. Although there has been much speculation about the possibility of an A&M campus in McAllen, both Hernandez and Mejia deny that this agreement is a first step in that direction.

NEWS

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SECURITY continued from page 3 Before the combination of the three policies, the original BPM 53 addressed the requirements and guidelines for using the UT network system resources. BPM 66 addressed the requirements and guidelines for the protection of the confidentiality of social security numbers. BPM 75 protected sensitive digital research data. “The new BPM 53 is an attempt to combine all three policies with an emphasis on social security number protection,” Jones said. BPM 53 will be a base for UTPA’s system policies, according to Scardigeno. As a part of the policy revisions, UTPA faculty and staff are required to report all sensitive data stored in all devices connected to the network. Sensitive data includes social security numbers, credit card numbers, passport information, driver’s license numbers, PINs and passwords. “If we don’t know about it, we can’t do anything to protect it,” Scardigeno said. A survey has been sent out to all faculty and staff to help determine the

information being stored on the system. “It’s a way of finding data and getting rid of data that we don’t need [to have on the server],” Scardigeno said. After the survey is completed, training will be conducted for all faculty and staff on handling the new policies. “As for the students, they would be just as affected because the UTPA network holds their information as well,” Scardigeno said. “They should be aware that if they are using data in any way, they must be careful. Under the new BPM, we will not force any student to give their social security number unless required by law. Use your student ID instead.” Brian Martinez, a sophomore computer science major at UTPA, agrees that improvements made to BPM 53 were necessary. “The new strict policy on the use of social security numbers will prove to be beneficial not only to the faculty and staff, but to the student body as well,” he said. The new BPM 53 should be fully implemented by March.

HOMECOMING continued from page 3 comments, messages and posting bulletins on MySpace. In addition, her sisters at Delta Xi Nu Multicultural Sorority have walked around campus with billboard signs that read “Vote Erika for homecoming,” and attended UTPA basketball games with signs supporting their friend. Gonzalez, who is vice president of her sorority, says hand-making posters until 4 a.m. has helped keep her advertising budget to a minimum. “I’m not real fancy. I don’t have a lot of things in color; I have four big posters in black in white and some small ones in color. So this is like homecoming on a budget,” said Gonzalez. For Gonzalez’ roommate and fellow Homecoming Queen nominee, Bonnie Bustos, a graduate student pursuing a master’s in English as a second language, marketing has taken a back seat to paying her tuition and bills. “I’m not doing the traditional campaigning, but my boyfriend (Cruz Rios, a junior public relations/marketing major) and I are running as a couple,” she said. “That’s how we’re marketing our-

ABUSE continued from page 3 victims of domestic violence through the Baptist Student Ministry, had an opportunity to experience domestic violence education when he participated in a Citizen Police Academy sponsored by the McAllen Police Department. By participating in this class he learned that police help out by explaining to the victim his or her options, if no charges are pressed. “It is easier for people to get out of those situations than it used to be and it is great that the police department is helping spread the word,” said Morales, a McAllen resident. While many people will take the Bureau’s findings as a sign of positive change and efficiency of assistance programs, others are skeptical of the results. “I do not believe the number of

incidents has truly dropped that much. Just look at their research methods,” said Rosalva Resendiz, a criminal justice professor. “One of the weaknesses of those databases is that they only have the decline of reported cases.” Among many reasons why women do not report abuse are fear, embarrassment and, in the case of immigrants, deportation, according to Resendiz. “Some women, especially in other cultures, were taught to be silent,” she said. Although she says the research is flawed, Resendiz admits there have been positive steps in reducing the number of victims of abuse. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is the federal government’s acknowledgement of the injury caused by domestic and sexual abuse. VAWA,

February 8, 2007

selves.” Despite being roommates and sorority sisters, Bustos said there is little competitiveness between the two while at their apartment. “We’re very supportive of each other and we really don’t talk about it around the apartment,” she said. “It’s just fun to be doing this together. It was really a coincidence.”

“We’re trying to get out there and show how much support we have for our students...” - Erika Gonzalez Homecoming Queen nominee According to Gonzalez, another thing the two nominees have in common is the pride they have for UTPA. “I’m very proud to be here in this campus. Why be here if you can’t support it to its fullest?” said Gonzalez. “I came here because I wanted to. I really love Pan Am.”

Unfortunately, Gonzalez said many don’t share her enthusiasm for Homecoming and seem to have overlooked the flyers and e-mails alerting them to the celebration, adding there are more pressing issues than simply queen elections. “We’re trying to get out there and show how much support we have for our students, for our campus and for our athletic department so we can one day get to that level where we’re competing with the larger universities and be really proud of where we belong,” she said. “These are small steps to getting there.” Gonzalez advises students to exercise their right to vote and do so votes via students’ preferred e-mail addresses. “I say get online. It doesn’t matter who you vote for,” she said. “Although, I would love for you to vote for me.” The winner for Homecoming queen will be announced Friday in the Ballroom at 8 p.m. Homecoming celebrations will be taking place through Saturday. For a full list of events, visit www.utpa.edu/calendar/index.cfm.

LEADERSHIP continued from page 3 which was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005, also allocates resources for victim relief and prevention. The passing and reauthorization of VAWA helped organizations like Mujeres Unidas, keep their doors open to service the people of this community. Whether they agree with the results of the Bureau of Justice Statistics latest report or not, one thing that is clear is that educating the public has made an impact. “It is said that this generation is more likely to settle with the status quo, but I do not believe that,” said Resendiz. Espinosa agreed, saying more education can never be a bad thing. “The more the community, especially the youth, know about abuse and how to prevent it, the more we will see it decline,” she said.

too much on the academic side of education and not on the underlying value it represents. “We know how to educate youth. But if we as educators are doing a good job, we ought to be able to look upon you seeing as how you will be the next leadership in our community,” Gonzalez said. He told students in the auditorium that the importance of becoming a leader is immeasurable. The guidelines he used came from Don Miguel Ruiz, who wrote the book “The Four Agreements.” The first rule is to know that one should be impeccable with words. Second, do not take anything personally. “Understand that people come from their own dream world,” Gonzalez said. Third, don’t make assumptions. “This alone can change your life if

you have the ability to communicate and ask the right question,” he said. Finally, always do your best. “Say to yourself I have to do the best to be the person I want to be,” said the speaker. The vice president stressed the importance of realizing everyone is interconnected. Political events, natural disasters and worldwide epidemics like HIV/AIDS affect all of us. “You have the potential to build bridges and make a difference. You will connect dots where dots were not even dreamt of,” Gonzalez said. He expects to see members of the audience rise to prominence in the future. ”You have a very special place here in the Valley. Your shoulders of leadership will be highly required in the next few decades,” he said.

Fast Eddie’s Billiards Is now hiring for Waitstaff, bartender, and hostess at the McAllen and Edinburg Location 400 Nolana St. G, McAllen 815 N. Closner, Edinburg

SPORTS

February 8, 2007

Page 13 Men’s Basketball

ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS

Feb. 3

I’d pay money to watch these games... The annual NFL Pro-Bowl, featuring some of the best players from the NFC and AFC takes place this Saturday. Two football masterminds will clash in the form of Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, By LUKE KOONG and Sean Payton, coach The Pan American for the New Orleans Saints. With all of those superstars and the coaches’ football prowess, how can you not be excited about the game? These other matchups tickle my spleen. Manchester United vs. Manchester City – The Red Devils from Old Trafford against the Blues from the City of Manchester Stadium. United has been at the top of the Premiership almost every year since 1992. The team once featured players like Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Now, fans can watch as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha tear up the pitch. But I like City. Those powder blue kits are sweet. Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss

Rebels – My hometown team against the other Mississippi team. In football they face off in the Egg Bowl. My Bulldogs have only won nine of the last 21 rivalry games, but that means absolutely nothing. The only good that came out of Ole Miss is Deuce McAllister, who now plays for the Saints. We produced Erick Dampier, center for the Dallas Mavericks and Hall of Famer Bailey Howell along with NFL players Jerious Norwood, Eric Moulds, Fred Smoot and Justin Griffith. Hot Female Athletes vs. Anybody – They’re hot. Nothing else matters. Sports should have more Jennie Finches (softball), Lokelani McMichaels (triathlon), Tanith Belbins (ice dancing) and Logan Toms (volleyball). U.S. Bobsledding vs. the World – For the longest time, I have always wanted to be part of a bobsled team. It was invented by those crazy English back in the 1860s and has evolved into an Olympic sport. Perhaps it was after watching “Cool Runnings,” and the Jamaicans. Or maybe it’s the fact that you get to shoot down a track sitting inside a bullet-shaped vehicle at 81 mph. Please send all comments, questions and requests to create a bobsled team to lkoong2004@yahoo.com.

NJIT at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg) Texas-Pan American 72, NJITM 60 NJIT (3-18) Stonkus 1-5 1-2 3, Barker 2-7 3-4 8, Engel 3-8 0-0 7, Peters 4-6 0-0 10, Milosevic 4-8 0-1 8, Magnus 0-0 00 0, Manning 4-6 1-2 13, Stone 0-0 0-0 0, Lewis 0-1 0-0 0, Milbourne 4-6 3-5 11. Totals 22-47 8-14 60. Texas-Pan American (12-10) Stoll 1-4 10-11 13, Burrell 7-9 5-6 25, Shankle 0-1 0-0 0, Lien 2-6 2-6 6, Allgood 3-5 4-4 11, Puente 0-0 0-0 0, Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Chatman 1-4 0-0 3, Robinson 0-1 0-0 0, Trader 5-10 4-4 14, Buck 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-40 25-31 72. Halftime-Texas-Pan American 35-23. 3-Point Goals-NJITM 3-10 (Barker 1-3, Engel 0-4, Peters 1-1, Manning 1-1, Lewis 0-1) Texas-Pan American 3-9 (Stoll 0-1, Burrell 2-4, Allgood 1-1, Chatman 0-2, Robinson 0-1). Rebounds NJITM 10 (Stonkus 2, Barker 2, Engel 1, Peters 1, Milosevic 1, Manning 1, Milbourne 1) Texas-Pan American 21 (Stoll 1, Burrell 4, Shankle 1, Lien 5, Allgood 3, Edwards 1, Chatman 1, Trader 1). Assists- NJITM 5 (Stonkus 1, Barker 2, Engel 2) Texas-Pan American (Stoll 3, Lien 1, Allgood 1, Puente 2, Chatman 2). Total FoulsNJITM 11, Texas-Pan American 7. A-1,100.

Women’s Basketball Feb. 3 Texas-Pan American at NJIT (Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark, N.J.) Texas-Pan American 70, NJIT 57 Texas-Pan American (10-14) Gray 0-4 2-2 2, Daniel 4-9 7-13 15, Vaughn 7-17 3-5 19, Winfrey3-5 3-3 10, Grigsby 3-8 2-2 9, Jones 1-3 35 5, Kostacky 0-1 0-0 0, Garrett 0-0 1-4 1, Jean 4-9 1-2 9, Ramirez 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-56 22-36 70. NJIT (3-18) O’dwyer 3-4 2-2 8, Piekielski 4-11 4-5 15, Crowe 2-11 2-2 7, Dickinson 1-7 3-4 6, Baumlin 2-4 2-4 6, Oyelola 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Vogel 1-10 2-2 5, Hendricks 3-4 0-0 7, Wighton 1-2 0-0 2, Oyelola 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 17-54 16-21 57. Halftime-Texas-Pan American 34-27. 3-Point Goals-Texas-Pan American 3-9 (Gray 0-1, Vaughn 2-5, Winfrey1-2, Grigsby 0-1) NJIT 3-10 (Piekielski 1-3, Crowe 1-1, Dickinson 1-2, Vogel 0-3, Hendricks 0-1). Rebounds Texas-Pan American 25 (Daniel 8, Winfrey 1, Grigsby 2, Jones 2, Kostacky 1, Garrett 1, Jean 7, Ramirez1) NJIT 16 (Piekielski 3, Crowe 2, Dickinson 1, Baumlin 4, Vogel 2, Wighton 1). Assists-Texas-Pan American 7 (Gray 1, Daniel 4, Winfrey 1, Grigsby 1) NJIT 7 (O’dwyer 1, Piekielski 1, Crowe 1, Vogel 2, Hendricks 1, Oyelola 1). Total Fouls-Texas-Pan American 8, NJIT 9. A-179.

Baseball Feb. 4 Texas State 12, Texas-Pan American 5 R H E Texas State 401 112 012 12 13 1 Texas-Pan American 001 200 002 5 8 4 Lynch, Baca (4), Walter (8), Perry (9) and Cervantez; Cisper, Pena (4), Rodriguez (5), Janecka (6), Shepherd (7) and Whittlesey. W-Lynch, 1-0; L-Cisper (0-1). 2B: TXST - Wood 2, Garza; UTPA-Gonzalez. Texas State 2-1, UTPA 2-2 Univ. of Oklahoma 6, Texas-Pan American 5

Broncs garner top performances across board UTPA has great weekend In men’s basketball, the Green and Orange rolled over New Jersey Institute of Technology 72-60 at the Field House on Saturday. As a result of their accomplishment, junior guard Paul Stoll was named Co-Independent Newcomer of the Week. The selection is his third this season. Junior forward Zach Trader was named to the NCAA Division I Academic AllIndependent Team for his efforts on the court and classroom. Trader currently holds a 3.58 grade-point average as a criminal justice major and has contributed to the squad with 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Golfer Mariale Camey was victorious in the 2007 Central American Championships held in her home country of Guatemala. She was tied with fellow paisana Beatriz de Arenas on the 18th-hole. Camey birdied her shot while her opponent bogeyed, handing Camey her second championship. The Lady Bronc tennis team brought back its second win of the season, upsetting the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-2. Juniors Giana Oliveira and Julia Cirne-Lima won 8-5 against Carmen Abeazueru and Erika Iriarte in their doubles match. The other tennis duo, freshman Megan Bedeau and junior Silke Buksik, defeated Amanda Brahim and Alexandra Valerezo 9-7. Cirne-Lima posted a singles win over Abeazueru (6-2, 6-2), freshman Stephanie Willerding won out against Nina Ciric (6-3, 6-2) and Buksik collected a 6-1, 6-1 win over Valarezo. The lady netters also defeated McMurry University 7-0. Highly-ranked Division II Abilene Christian handed them their only loss though, coming out on top 6-1. The men’s tennis team was unable to snag its first win, falling 7-0 against the Texas A&M Aggies.

R H E Univ. of Oklahoma 013 000 011 6 9 5 Texas-Pan American 002 002 010 5 5 2 Hughes, Conaway (7), Richards (9) and Williams; Johnson, Guajardo (4), Davila (8) and Flores. W-Richards (1-0); L-Davila (0-1). 2B: OU – Freeman, Newman, Williams (2). HR: OU – Baker. Univ. of Oklahoma 1-2, UTPA 2-1

Feb. 3 Texas-Pan American 2, Univ. of Oklahoma 0 R H E Univ. of Oklahoma 000 000 000 0 4 1 Texas-Pan American 000 200 00X 2 5 0 Rollins, Porlier (5) and Williams; Linder, Davilla (8) and Flores. W-Linder (1-0); L-Rollins; S-Davilla (1). 2B: OU – Williams; UTPA – Brooks, Autrey. Univ. of Oklahoma 0-2, UTPA 2-0 Texas-Pan American 3, Texas State 1 R H E Texas State 000 000 100 1 5 2 Texas-Pan American 100 002 00X 3 3 0 Gembler, Oakes (6), Siers (8) and Theriot; Wymer, Silva (9) and Flores. W-Wymer (1-0); L-Oakes (0-1); SSilva (1). 2B: TXST – Garza. Texas State 0-1, Texas-Pan American 1-0

Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb. 19 Feb. 20 March 5 March 6

Men’s Golf

Women’s Golf

Upcoming Schedule

Rice Inter. Host-Rice University Rice Inter. Host-Rice University UTSA Roadrunner Inter. Host-Texas-San Antonio UTSA Roadrunner Inter. Host-Texas-San Antonio Braveheart Classic Host-UC-Riverside Braveheart Classic Host-UC-Riverside

Houston

Feb. 26

Houston

Feb. 27

San Antonio

March 16

San Antonio

March 17

Beaumont, Calif.

March 18

Beaumont, Calif.

March 26 March 27

The Pan American

Islander Spring Classic Corpus Christi Host-Texas A&M-CC Islander Spring Classic Corpus Christi Host-Texas A&M-CC Shamrock Inter. Rock Hill, S.C. Host-Winthrop Univ. Shamrock Inter. Rock Hill, S.C. Host-Winthrop Univ. Shamrock Inter. Rock Hill, S.C. Host-Winthrop Univ. UALF/UNT Golf Classic Hot Spring, Ark. Host-Univ. of Ark-Little Rock UALF/UNT Golf Classic Hot Spring, Ark. Host-Univ. of Ark-Little Rock

SPORTS

Page 14

February 8, 2007

Baseball team starts off strong at UTPA Classic By JESSICA BALDERAS The Pan American The University of Texas PanAmerican Bronc baseball team looks forward to the work ahead as they continue with the season. The Broncs started off at the UTPA Classic last week, going 2-2 against the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas State Bobcats. The Broncs started the weekend off with two wins Saturday, beating Texas State and Oklahoma in a doubleheader. Newcomer Josh Wymer pitched eight innings in the first game, allowing only four hits and one run against the Bobcats. Senior reliever Ray Silva entered the game in the ninth inning and allowed only one hit before retiring three batters to close out the game for a 3—1 win. “Saturday we played really well. Pitching was solid and defense was solid,” said the freshman Wymer, from

Onydia Garza/The Pan American KEEP THE RUNNER CLOSE - Rolando Gonzalez (7) dives back to first base to avoid being tagged out in the Feb. 4 game against Texas State.

Fort Worth. “We had no errors and we did what we needed to do. I felt like we competed the entire time.” During the second game Saturday,

senior lefty Chad Linder pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out six batters. Junior Stephen Davila of

Weslaco finished out the game for the Broncs to close a 2-0 victory against a team that nearly made the College World Series in 2006. On Sunday the Broncs played backto-back games again against the Sooners and the Bobcats but came out with a little less than they expected. Infielder Jeremy Johnson started out on the mound versus OU and gave up a three-run homer early, falling behind 4-0. The Broncs came back and got a pair of runs of their own to help bring the score up to 4-2. By the sixth inning the Broncs tied the score up and battled their way through the rest of the game, but Oklahoma would get the winning run in the 9th inning. The Broncs hopes to tie or win faded after a double play eliminated catcher Osiel Flores and pinch hitter Rolando Gonzalez. The final score was 6-5, Sooners. Wymer said the Broncs were

unable to make a few plays, which cost them the game. “The pitching wasn’t as well as it was on Saturday,” he noted. The Broncs ended the tournament with another game against the Bobcats. They used seven pitchers and gave up 12 runs in nine innings of play, losing 12-5. The players look forward to the work ahead and are ready for the Citrus Tourney this weekend. They will have three games, one per day starting Friday at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. “I expect us to do well and playing against the University of Oklahoma and Texas State showed us that we had promise,” said third basemen Patrick Brooks, a senior communication major from Vallejo, Calif. At the Citrus event, five schools plus the Broncs will be competing. Wymer and his teammates are expecting good results this weekend.

UTPA to induct legendary Bronc figures into Hall of Fame By PATRICK KENNEDY The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American will be inducting 19 of its best athletic figures into the newly established Hall of Fame. The feats of UTPA’s great athletes will be honored at the McAllen Country Club at 6 p.m. Friday. The event will feature the presentation of awards to the nominees, as well as a silent auction, where items such as a Bobby Knight autographed basketball and a Mack Brown autograph football will be up for sale. Friday’s gala will mark the fruition of a year and a half’s hard work by dedicated fans and members of the athletic department. “We needed to find a way to honor the people who have brought recognition to UTPA while they were a student-athlete,”

said UTPA athletic director Scott Street. Since the establishment of the university in 1927, sports have played an integral role in life at the university, but not until now has an institution been in place to honor outstanding athletic performance. A wide-reaching selection committee, partially consisting of former lettermen, the president of the Bronc Athletic Club, the president of the Alumni Association, Dale Winter and former athletic director Jim McCone, met to discuss selection criteria and to vote for those who would be elected into the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame. Besides the selection committee, Bronc fans were also given the opportunity to nominate former athletes via online nomination forms on the department Web site. According to Street, “The nomi-

nees were chosen because they brought recognition to the university, were successful in sports, excelled in academics, and because they have proven to be good citizens by giving back to the community.” Four individuals will be inducted Friday night, as well as the entire roster of the 1962-63 NAIA national champs. The first is Al Ogletree, former UTPA Baseball coach from 1968-1997. He holds the UTPA record for wins by a baseball coach with 1,084 wins and also coached the Bronc baseball team to its only College World Series in 1971, where the Broncs finished fourth. Besides being selected as Coach of the Year by Sporting News and the NCAA District VI, Ogletree has also been inducted into numerous Hall of Fame’s throughout the state. UTPA basketball’s all-time leader

in career wins, Sam Williams, is set to be inducted. Williams served as the men’s basketball head coach from 1959-73 and built up 244 wins, resulting in 11 winning seasons and the national NAIA championship in ‘63. When he first took the position of head coach, the basketball team had gone its previous six seasons with a win percentage of 25 percent, winning only 32 games while losing 94. After 10 years of William’s take over, UTPA’s win percentage shot up to 68.7 percent. Former NBA All-Star Luke Jackson returns to the Valley for his induction on Friday night. Jackson is UTPA’s leader in field goals made and free throws made. Jackson also played for the 1963 national championship team, and was then drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1964. Before playing in the NBA All-Star game, Jackson

won a gold medal as part of the Team USA Basketball Team in the 1964 Olympics and later won an NBA title. Tennis great Don Russell (195862) is also going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday night. Russell is a five-time NAIA national champion, with four of those championships in doubles play and one in singles play. Russell also served as head coach for the UTPA tennis team in the mid-1960s, and guided the team to three NAIA national tennis championships. As a coach, Russell finished with a win percentage of .763. Friday night will also make for the reunion of the National Champion 1963 basketball team. “They are flying in from all over the country. They are all excited because it’s a chance for the team to all come together again,” Street said.

AL OGLETREE

SAM WILLIAMS

LUKE JACKSON

1963 NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL TEAM

DON RUSSELL

SPORTS

February 8, 2007

Page 15

Men look to defend perfect home record By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American With more than half of the season under their belt, The University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team finds itself at 2-2 in United Basketball League play. With seven games left on deck, including three at home, the plot thickens for the seniors on the squad. Their playing days on Sam Williams Court are coming to an end and Bronc pivot man Colin Lien wants to finish strong. “We’ve got four left at home and we just want to play hard and win all of them and just try to have the first undefeated season here in about 29 years,”

said the 6-11 senior. “That would be pretty cool and it’s good for the community, the school, us, coach and everybody.” The Iowa native keyed UTPA’s 77-61 home victory over Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne last week, leading all scorers with 24 points on a 9-of-11 shooting performance, and pulled down six boards. The Broncs are now 10-0 at home. Finishing undefeated at home seems reasonable as the players move, cut, attack and look relaxed as they play an electric up-and-down brand of ball. Their success has been fueled by 3-point shooting (over seven threes a game) and banging low-block activity in front of the Bronc faithful.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American BACK TO BACK - Danny Puente (1) and Alex Robinson (right) cheer on Ben Smith (24) as he takes a jumper against IPFW on Feb. 1.

Inching closer to their goal of remaining perfect in the Valley, the Green and Orange proved to be too much for New Jersey Institute of Technology as they handed the Highlanders a 72-60 setback Saturday afternoon. The Broncs, now 12-10 on the year, were led by junior shooting guard Brian Burrell’s 25 points on nearperfect shooting; he was 7 of 9 from the field including 6 of 8 from downtown, and made 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Burrell also kept active on the glass, something unusual for a shooting guard, as he snatched seven boards and recorded three steals on defense. The Broncs will have had six days of preparation for their next home outing against Utah Valley State Saturday afternoon. The game will prove challenging for the Broncs as there are no more “easy” games left on the schedule. North Dakota State and South Dakota State round up the remainder of home games. Both Dakotas were able to blunt the Bronc attack earlier this year, which led to embarrassing defeats for the Green and Orange. Utah Valley State (15-7) is currently ranked second in winning percentage among Division I Independents and is led by Ryan Toolson and forward David Heck. The Wolverines are small inside however, featuring only two players who are 6-foot-8-inch, neither an offensive threat. Lien should have a field day in the

paint. If he can get the first couple of buckets to drop, it could lead to another monster outing such as the one against IPFW where the senior leader could not be contained. He will need help from the rest of his frontcourt mates as he did on Thursday night, most notably junior forwards Julius Allgood and Zach Trader. Should both play as aggressive as they have in the last few outings – they have notched 10.5 ppg and 12 ppg, respectively - the Broncs could hand State its eighth loss of the season. Allgood’s offensive emergence is a pleasant surprise as he looks more in tune with the offensive flow. More importantly he has made two threepointers in the last two games, giving the Broncs the ability to open up the paint for Lien. Junior point man Paul Stoll has been flawless quarterbacking UTPA’s offense. In the last two games he has been rather generous, spreading the wealth by averaging an impressive 7.5to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio while scoring 10.5 ppg. Offensive production has been good, but their communication skills will be tested on defense against UVS Saturday. If they pass the test, the Broncs will have momentum on their side going in to their rematch against South Dakota State. Tip-off against UVSis scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the UTPA Field House.

Lady Broncs set for road trip in North, South Dakota By KRISTYNA MANCIAS The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs started off rockily on their five-game road-trip but improved their record to 10-14 with a win Saturday against New Jersey Institute of Technology 70-57. The Green and Orange looked forward to Saturday’s rematch against NJIT after having earned a win against the Highlanders at home Jan. 13, 55-44, picking up their first league victory in the process. On Feb. 3, the Highlanders came out fired up as they scored the first 10 points of the game to take a 10-0 lead. But UTPA senior MaHogany Daniel had other intentions for NJIT. UTPA went on a 9-0 run to close out the half and took a 34-27 lead into intermission, which was capped off by a lay-in by Teshay Winfrey with 46 seconds remaining in the half.

Player of the Game honors went to Daniel who posted one of her best allaround games during her career as she posted a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, seven blocked shots, six assists and five steals in 40 minutes of action. “MaHogany is playing like it’s her last season and we’re happy she’s playing like that,” said freshman Aleeya Grigsby. “She’s good.” Two days earlier, on Feb. 1, UTPA suffered a setback against United League Basketball opponent IndianaPurdue-Fort Wayne at the Gates Sports Center 58-41. The Lady Broncs were unable to get anything going in the second half, as IPFW came out of intermission on a 194 run capped by Johnna Lewis-Carlisle. “We struggled the first game against IPFW, but we had a good talk in intermission and we came back and brought it back in the second game,” said forward Danielle Kostacky. Junior guard Tamara Vaughn

scored a game-high 14 points but was held scoreless in the second half of play. Vaughn was 5 for 10 shooting, including 4 of 8 from behind the arc. UTPA, now 10-14 will look to improve on Saturday against Utah Valley State as they continue their fivegame road trip. The Lady Broncs are led by junior LeKeisha Gray and Daniel. Gray leads the team in steals with 45 and ranks eighth among Division 1 Independents. She also leads the team in scoring average. Daniel is ranked third in block shots and is 14 away from tying the school record held by Michelle Hinton. This will be the first meeting between the teams this season. Utah Valley State recently fell to 1-3 against D-1 Independents with six games remaining on the season. The Wolverines are led by sophomore Robyn Fairbanks, who leads in field goals percentage, field goal attempts and field goals made.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American KEPT IN - MaHogany Daniel keeps her feet inbounds as she tries to save the ball during the Jan. 25 NDSU game.

SPORTS By LUKE KOONG & SAVANNAH MARTINEZ The Pan American

ue to push his athletes to achieve their bests. “Each week we just want to try to perform and improve on their performance,” Vaughn said. “With our sport it is so much different than others because there is not a score. It is an exact time or distance and so each week we just want to make an improvement on that.” Much of the work being done right now is in preparation for the outdoor s e a s o n . Vaughn is happy to see his crew has continued to improve, but expects them to perform or exceed the same level in

NFC

Littleton breaks university high-jump record

Onydia Garza/The Pan American HIGH FLYER - Will Littleton qualified for the USA Indoor National Championships to be held on Feb. 23-24 in Boston, Mass.

“Hopefully we will break the record again this week and each week from here on out,” he said. “That is what we are shooting for. I just want to jump high enough to win. I want to win every track meet and to do whatever it takes to win.” He expects the results to keep improving as the season progresses. “This team works harder than any team I have ever been around and by the end of the year it is going to show,” Littleton said.

the upcoming meets. “Ideally that is what you want to do as an athlete,” Vaughn said. Littleton is eager for the competition on Friday. Both teams will travel back to Houston for the UH/RunSport All-Corners Meet, hosted by the Cougars of the University of Houston.

n ca eri Am an eP /Th rza Ga ia yd On

With a leap and a bound, Will Littleton jumped into the record books of The University of Texas-Pan American. The senior general studies major took second overall at the Houston Invitational last Saturday and made history when he hit 7-feet, 3 inches in the high jump. Littleton’s feat broke his own record of 7-2 1/2 set last year. “I was prepared to break the record,” Littleton said. “We knew we were close and we kept working through and we hit a big one last week.” Littleton, son of McAllen Memorial football coach Bill Littleton, went up against Marcus Harris, one of the top jumpers in the nation in a head to head battle for first, but came up a little short. Still, Littleton was elated to know he set a new mark. “That put icing on the cake for the day,” he said. The Bronc jumper qualified for the USA Indoor National Championships and reached the provisional mark for the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships. The indoor season concludes this month with the

outdoor season staring March 3 at the Border Olympics in Laredo. “We knew Will was ready to jump big and we think he is going to jump even higher,” said track and field head coach Ricky Vaughn. The rest of the Bronc squad did equally well. Junior thrower Amanda Ferris finished fifth overall in the weight throw and also logged the second best throw in UTPA history with a result of 55-2 3/4. Former P-SJ-A Memorial Wolverine Claudia Lopez took ninth place accolades when she hit a 37-9 in the triple jump. That result was also a personal best and enough to become the fourth best effort in school history. Carolina Izaguirre from Brownsville recorded a personal best 18:35.38 in the 5,000 meters and took fourth, while teammate Sara Rodriguez came in right behind her with 19:11.58, also a personal record. La Hoya native Luis Nava logged 4:23.65 and ninth place in the one-mile run with Omar Doria finishing three spots behind him. Edinburg North alumni Wally Gonzalez posted a personal best with 1:58.78 in the 800-meter race and brought home 12th overall. Vaughn was very pleased with the outcome but stressed he wants to contin-

AFC

Editor’s Pick: Game to Watch NFL Pro Bowl When: Feb. 10 Time: 5 p.m. Where: Aloha Stadium