July 11, 2007 by UTRGV Student Media

57th Year No. 31

Wednesday July 11, 2007

Q CAMPUS

Rehab department ranked best for Hispanics

Nat’l magazine recognizes UTPA’s efforts By ANA LEY The Pan American

THIS WEEK

A recent issue of Hispanic Outlook for Higher Education ranked The University of Texas-Pan American No. 1 in awarding Hispanic students rehabilitation degrees. The report, released June 4 in the publication’s Health Professions issue, also recognized the school’s nursing program as the 13th best in the nation for Hispanic students. The institutions in the “Top 25 Rehabilitation/Therapeutic Schools Graduating Hispanics” and “Top 25 Nursing Schools Graduating Hispanics” reports were selected according to statistics released by the Department of Education and the Census Bureau, said Suzanne Lopez-Isa, managing editor for Hispanic Outlook. “There is an up-and-coming trend in health professional careers,” she said. “People now can overcome medical disabilities; therefore rehabilitation has become an important part of the health care industry due to the increased longevity of people.” Lopez-Isa said the list was based on the percentage of Hispanic students graduating from accredited schools, regardless of whether they are so-called Hispanic-serving institutions. To receive such a distinction Hispanic-serving institution - at least 25 percent of undergraduate full-time-

NEWS

equivalent students must be Hispanic. In addition, no less than 50 percent of students must be low-income individuals and first-generation college students. “The fact that [UTPA] is a Hispanic-serving institution is matter of fact,” she said. “Our ranking involved all schools.” Bruce Reed, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services and former chair of the rehabilitation department, said receiving recognition from the publication was very significant for UTPA because the Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the United States. Moreover, the predominantly bilingual students the university produces are in high demand, he added. “Certainly, we would hope that students who are Hispanic or interested in being educated in a bilingual environment will look at these ratings and consider UTPA,” he said. “We recruit almost all of our students locally, and we would like to recruit on the national level.” The university with the top-ranking nursing department was Miami Dade College. Carolina Huerta, chair of UTPA’s nursing department, said the nursing department can improve its ranking by enlarging its pool of graduates who pass state boards. “The nation is facing a tremendous shortage of nurses, as well as a shortage of Hispanic nurses. We produce nurses, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, who provide quality care to people in need,” said Huerta. Huerta said she thinks the nursing department was recognized because for over 40 years, “we have been producing registered nurses who provide quality, competent care to the local community,

Q JOB SEARCH

Search for new library director coming to close By MICHAEL GARCIA The Pan American The search for a new library director for The University of Texas-Pan American is coming to a close following two final interviews conducted by university officials June 28 and 29. Two final applicants were interviewed extensively by Paul Sale, provost and vice president for academic affairs, as well as the library director search committee at the end of June. A decision is expected later this week.

Hispanic Outlook NUMBER ONE - Hispanic Outlook recognized UTPA’s rehab department in its June 4 Health Professions issue.

state and nation.” Last year the magazine ranked UTPA second in awarding degrees in social services to Hispanics, as well as second in awarding degrees in health services and eighth in nursing. This year, Hispanic Outlook also recognized the university in 2006 for

awarding 1,889 bachelor’s degrees to students, making it second in its list of top 100 schools to serve graduating Hispanics. UTPA ranked fifth in the list of top 100 schools to award master’s degrees to Hispanics, but did not rank in the top 100 that award doctoral degrees.

MEET THE FINALISTS Farzaneh Razzaghi, one of the finalists, has been interim library director since June 2006. She has a doctoral degree in library information studies from Texas Woman’s University and has been working at UTPA since 1990, where she has held job titles such as associate library director for research services. “If I do happen to get the job, I do feel that my experience at UTPA would be to an advantage,” Razzaghi said. “I’ve interacted with many students throughout the years and have had positive response throughout.” Dennis Tucker, the other finalist, has his share of resume accomplishments as well. In fact, if chosen to fill the position, UTPA will be the third university Tucker has held the position at. He was library director at Bethel (Ind.) College and at Northwestern State University in Louisiana.

See LIBRARY page 4

Q STUDENT FINANCES

Census Bureau conducts research at UTPA See Page 3

Bribe criticisms escalate for financial aid officials, lenders By MANUEL TISCARENO The Pan American

A&E TV show writer puts out new book See Page 6

SPORTS Valley hoops teams set up for fall start See Page 7

Financial aid officers and lending organizations have faced increased scrutiny in recent months, stemming from revelations that some university personnel may be purposely endorsing some entities for personal gain. Colleges across the country have been criticized for having “preferred lender” lists, which include lenders that offer perks—like cash and trips—for university officials to steer students toward them.

The UT System banned such lists in early April to avoid related scrutiny, according to Elaine Rivera, executive director for student financial services at The University of Texas-Pan American. Rivera said she is not surprised at the criticism both lenders and financial aid offices have received. “I think because the nature of the business, you are going to get some problems,” she explained. “There have been some abuses, but I think that generally universities strive to find the best loans for

their students.” She said the student financial services office discourages students from getting loans, instead aiming to help students find money through alternative or private means. Still, some bank administrators encourage students to know the parameters of a loan and to not be afraid of it as a last resort. “If you have the desire to be educated and to go to college, don’t let the limitations of not having a fund hold you back,” said Edna de Saro, vice president and marketing director of Lone Star National Bank. “Be

aggressive; know exactly what you are getting yourself into.” De Saro said she was surprised after she found out preferred lender lists were recently banned. “I don’t know why a university would want to do business with banks when they are bribing them,” she said. “Building that type of public relations is really embarrassing.” She also warned that the behavior of the student loan market could have adverse

See LOAN page 4

LESSONS FROM LEY

O PINION ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS

Sensitive to sensationalism

Reporter’s Notebook

BY: LUKE KOONG BY: ANA LEY

few weeks ago, I participated in a week-long student project hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in San Jose, Calif. There, a very big crowd of hot-shot journalists from all over the country gathered to teach us less-experienced students the ropes. We students basically scurried around the city scrawling news about the town as the professional reporters held our hands along the way. During my stay in California’s Bay Area, I was given a last-minute assignment to cover a seemingly mundane event that ended up stirring a lot of buzz in the journalism community. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told an auditorium packed with Hispanic media that immigrants who need to learn English should “turn off the Spanish television set.” After the room filled with a huffy vibe from Spanish-language media, one reporter retorted that immigrants “are too busy working” to learn English, which I thought was utterly cheap and irrelevant. At any rate, the audience cheered and the Governator ended up looking like a bumbling ass in front of everyone. For most of the week I was there, his remark was frequently brought up in casual conversations by my fellow Hispanics and referred to as bigoted and ignorant. I shouldn’t even have to explain why Schwarzenegger had a point. Many of us at The University of Texas-Pan American either are immigrants who learned English as a second language or have immigrant parents who learned it that way. Those who immigrated to the United States and were serious about starting a better life in a new country realized that they had to break out of their comfort zones and submerge themselves in a new language and, yes I said it, get acclimated to a new culture. Those

JULY 11, 2007 THE

PAN AMERICAN 1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican

who were lazy, stubborn and scared of change are the reason America complains about immigrants so much. I was once an English tutor at the campus Writing Center, and I’d often get a Spanish-speaking student who essentially wanted me to translate his or her essay for him. This is not to say that English-speaking students were any better - many of them would try to get me to write the entire thing for them - but in my time there, I realized that a lot of people in the Valley are entirely dependent on Spanish. It bugs the heck out of me that so many Spanish-speaking immigrants are complacent knowing that they can get around without learning a new language because lots of people around them are complacent, too. My own family is guilty of this. I remember when I was a kid my mom would get indignant if a cashier or waiter didn’t speak Spanish, as if it were their duty to the client. And whenever I wanted to remind her that English was the national tongue, I ended up feeling like an arrogant brat. I realize that unlike her, I was fortunate to have been exposed to English since I was young and it was probably out of convenience that I easily understood the importance of breaking away from the comfort of Spanish. But I don’t want to make any excuses for my mother. I have much more respect for her than that, and I think more immigrants need to do the same for one another. It’s too easy to pity someone for feeling vulnerable in a new country. It’s too easy to give them a

Spanish-language handout. People should give Schwarzenegger more credit. Sure, he could’ve phrased it more delicately than he did, but if he had, who would have listened? He didn’t say we should stop airing Spanish-language television altogether. He simply stated that if you’re trying to learn English, stop being dependent on Spanish. It’s frustrating to me that Hispanics are so easily offended, that they can’t see the pragmatism in that. While I agree that Spanish-language media is of great cultural value to Hispanics - and non-Hispanics, for that matter - immigrants should turn off the Spanish television set…so they can get used to the English one first.

“It bugs the heck out of me that so many Spanishspeaking immigrants are complacent knowing that they can get around without learning a new language because lots of people around them are complacent, too.”

If you’d like to check out the story from whence this commentary came along with footage of Gov. Schwarzenegger addressing NAHJ, visit joomla.latinoreporterdigital.org.

Please forward all indignant cries against American assimilation to analey23@yahoo.com.

hen it comes to reading sensational news, I like to consult the plethora of tabloids located on the racks in the checkout line at HEB. Okay, not really, but the headlines that they have are quite interesting. I especially like it when they have pictures of alien babies. In some corner of my mind, I know those are real photos - some people just have ugly babies. That’s why when I was handed an article two weeks ago by Melissa Ludwig about UTPA President Blandina Cardenas, I was shocked - if only for a moment. The San Antonio-Express News ran an article with the headline “Suspicions continue dogging the president of UT-Pan Am.” First inclination. What suspicions? Is she plotting a coup of the government? Was she the one who made up Santa Claus? I continued into the first paragraph and read, “improperly using university resources for home improvements.” Whoa! Then, jump ahead to the third paragraph from end. “…Didn’t follow procedure when using university landscaping services, vehicle, credit cards, and cell phone, and when submitting receipts for drinks and meals while traveling.” That’s it? You made all this hubbub about incorrect procedures? Suffice to say I was disappointed, but not because of a lack of drama. The newspaper had (forgive my use of a cliché, but I can’t think of anything better at present) made a mountain from a mole hill. Jumping on the sensationalist bandwagon, The Monitor decided to run a story by Daniel Perry covering the same thing. Online, they provided

Design Editor Roy Bazan......................RBazanzz@yahoo.com

Adviser Dr. Greg Selber..........selberg@panam.edu

Managing Editor Luke Koong...............lkoong2004@yahoo.com

Designers Rick Gamez Greg Garza

Secretary Anita Casares..........areyes18@panam.edu

News Editor Ana Ley....................analey23@yahoo.com

Reporters and Photographers Jennifer Durheim

Ramiro Paez

Advertising Manager Samantha Quintana.......spubs@panam.edu

A&E Editor Frank Calvillo..............hennero@msn.com

Leslie Estrada

Jeanette Perez

Daniel Flores

Brenda Rodriguez

Michael Garcia

Rafael Roux

Moses Garcia

Angela Salazar

Onydia Garza

Manuel Tiscareno

Veronica Gonzalez

Kristen Villegas

Editor-in-Chief Sandra Gonzalez................................................. sandra_panamerican@yahoo.com

Sports Editor Erick Quintero................................................. erickquintero4@hotmail.com Photography Editor Sidney Meadows................................................. ssmeadows@broncs.utpa.edu

Patrick Kennedy

*** Delivery Thursday at noon

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 paper or university.

Please send all comments, questions or pictures of naked aliens to lkoong2004@yahoo.com.

scanned copies of two audits that the university released. If she’s guilty of anything, it’s allegedly losing nine meal receipts totaling $316.86 and using the wrong credit card for purchases (she has two from the university. I’m pretty bad at tossing out receipts and I tend to use the wrong cred-

“We are a sensationalist society and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.”

it card for purchases as well. (Okay, I kind of always use my dad’s card instead of mine… *Innocent look*) The president has already reimbursed the university for all the expenses and followed all of the recommendations from the auditor. The UT System is conducting an independent audit, but I doubt highly that they’ll find anything else. I must say I’m disappointed in the two reporters for not looking into this story appropriately. The sensational headlines were misleading, to say the least. Although, in a way, I can’t really blame them. Boring tabloid stories don’t sell well at HEB.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Pan American gladly accepts letters from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. 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, phone number, classification/title and major if applicable. Please send all story ideas to the corresponding section editor or to thepanamerican@gmail.com at least two weeks prior to event.

CAMPUS

N EWS

UTPA graduate giving back to university s athletic department By ROBERT CERVANTES The Pan American Job interviews, graduation preparations and thoughts about graduate school often mean a whirlwind of stress for college seniors. However, it is also a time for students to reflect on their academic experience and measure their accomplishments. For Natalie Haime, a recent University of Texas-Pan American graduate, these accomplishments have been numerous. “The best way I can describe my college career is that it was overwhelming,” she said. “Going from meeting to class to meeting was very hectic, but I feel as though I really took advantage of what was offered to me and gained a lot from that.” A Canadian, Haime came to UTPA through a golf scholarship that allowed her to pursue her degree in communication. However, she did not limit her involvement to the golf team. She was chief of communications for the Student Government Association, acting as a liaison between the student body and its representative assembly. In addition, she was a member of the marketing committee, where she contributed to marketing campaigns to boost UTPA’s image. Now, Haime is serving as the director for the marketing promotions office at the university’s athletic department. Haime is the fourth person to serve as director in three years. The last market-

ing promotions director, Misty Norris, held the title for only two months. “I think they were looking for someone who would be more committed to working for the university,” she said. “I have wanted to be the director since before I graduated, and right now there’s no reason I would want to leave. This job is perfect for me.” Haime was once the official Bucky the Bronc mascot and wore the character’s costume at university sporting events. Though the suit was hot and uncomfortable, Haime said it was worth the satisfaction she got from making attendees laugh, adding that at times, she even caught herself smiling behind the mask during dance routines. “Being Bucky the Bronc was an amazing experience for me because it allowed me to kind of shed my inhibitions and cut loose,” she said. “I’m naturally a kind of goofy, silly person and when I was inside the costume, dancing around and having a good time, I felt like part of my personality shone through.” Hopeful about UTPA’s future, Haime stressed the importance of school spirit. “I hope that by working for the athletics department I can help inspire a sense of school spirit in students at UTPA,” she said. “I want students to get excited when they see their school’s team win, and I want them to get upset when they don’t. I want UTPA students to eventually become a big family on campus.”

Stella Benevides/The Pan American CORNER OFFICE - Recent UTPA graduate Natalie Haime sits behind her new desk at the school’s deparment of marketing and promotions office with Bronc Athletics.

RESEARCH

U.S. Census Bureau conducts research with UTPA assistance By BRENDA RODRIGUEZ The Pan American With less than three years until 2010 Census is released, the U.S. Census Bureau has teamed up with The University of Texas-Pan American to conduct a new survey which will help identify demographics of Mexican nationals living in the United States. Sai Mullapudi, a business economics research associate at UTPA’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, was in charge of gathering volunteers for the survey from June 25-29. Mullapudi and other employees at the Center were asked to help because the office is an affiliate of the

U.S. Census Bureau. Flyers posted by Mullapudi around campus asked Spanish-speaking, Hispanic adults to participate and receive $40 for one hour of their time. While he is not sure what the U.S. Census Bureau is researching due to security reasons, Mullapudi said the Bureau was only looking for Spanishspeaking individuals because most of them are Mexican nationals and sometimes they’re left out or double-counted in census surveys. “We were looking for Spanishspeaking people because for some who know English, [the questions] may be too easy for them,” he said. “The Spanish-speaking may know how to answer them a different way.” Patricia Goerman, a Census

Bureau employee who worked with the university on the project, was also unable to disclose information late Tuesday afternoon, for security purposes. Isaac Longoria, a GIS specialist, helped Mullapudi gather people to fill out the survey. “We had about 40 people call us but we only picked 18 people to actually do the survey,” Longoria said. Longoria said participants had to meet certain criteria to be considered for the survey. He said they looked into people who have recently moved out or into a house and people who live with other people who have recently moved in or out. Every 10 years the U.S. Census counts the number of people living in

America and Puerto Rico. The measure is important because it affects federal funding, representation in both Congress and state/local government. In the past, each American household received a short-form questionnaire, while one household in six received a long form. Late last year, the U.S. Census Bureau released plans to Congress seeking to do the 2010 Census by short form only. This means the form will only contain a count for all residents living in the United States and their name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure. Estimated to take less than 10 minutes to complete, it would be one of the shortest and easiest to complete since the nation’s first official process in 1790.

The nationwide implementation of the American Community Survey in 2005 replaced the need for a longform questionnaire in 2010. The ACS is a yearly survey that estimates the need for a decennial long-form questionnaire, while providing key socioeconomic and housing data about the nation’s rapidly changing population every year rather than once a decade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006, the number of minorities in America reached 100.7 million. Hispanics, who have been the largest minority group since 2001, remain the largest with 44.3 million people or 14.8 percent of the population as of July 1, 2006. From 2005 to 2006 the Hispanic population has increased 3.4 percent.

NEWS

Page 4

LIBRARY continued from page 1 “My experience would do the UTPA system a great advantage, I’ve had the responsibility twice before so the experience is there and I’ve had wonderful relationships with every school I’ve been employed in,” Tucker said. He said UTPA’s future encouraged him to apply for the job. “Personally I felt I needed a change, area-wise, and UTPA is such a wonderful university that is ever expanding, in an area that is growing year after year,” he said. Tucker has also held other positions in the field such as director of learning resources director for Project Hi-Net. There, he co-wrote, oversaw and implemented a four-year agreement from the Indianapolis Foundation to the 31 high school library media centers in Marion County.

The position of library director has been vacant for roughly a year, after Lawrence Caylor, the previous one, retired. Sale said that he cannot disclose any information about who the university will choose, but that candidate resumes will ultimately speak for themselves when the committee reaches its decision later this week. “The library is the heart of the school and both candidates are more than qualified to understand the task. Either which way it goes, our school is going to be lucky to have a library director that understand the needs and the means of our future generations,” Sale said. “Honestly it’s a shame that we can only pick one instead of both, but either way UTPA is going to be in better advantage either way it goes.”

LOAN continued from page 1 effects for everyone involved. “It only takes one bank to make the bribe and one university to accept for everybody to start thinking that its acceptable behavior in the market,” she said. “We don’t [offer loans] to be making money off the students. That’s not the nature of our business.” Despite the recent controversy, some

UTPA students are impervious to accusations made against lenders and financial aid officials. “It was my choice to get a loan and I’m satisfied with the way business is being conducted,” said Raul Garcia, a rehabilitation major from Edinburg. “As long as my APR is good, it doesn’t really matter what lenders are doing right now.”

July 11, 2007

ARTS&EN T E RTA I N M E N T Q TRAVEL SCENE

Students relate experiences of studying abroad By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American

Mireya Romero A DIFFERENT WORLD - UTPA students Mireya Romero, Alexandra Alvarez and Gabriela Barrera pose in front of Spain’s flag during their visit to Salamanca.

As most of us return to a new summer session with not-so-exciting news to tell, there are other students who are back from the Study Abroad program full of great anecdotes to share. The Office of International Programs puts on several programs together every summer, so that students who are interested can get a taste of other cultures by traveling abroad, according to Nora YadoHernandez, a program advisor in the OIP. Students like Mireya Romero, a sophomore biology major at The University of Texas-Pan American, took advantage of this option and traveled to Salamanca, Spain. “I chose Spain over the other programs because I really wanted to get a taste of the Spanish culture,” Romero said. “Although, I had been to Europe before I did not get the chance to go to Spain.” According to OIP, Salamanca is by far the most popular destination. There are usually up to almost 85 students traveling to that city in just one summer session. “I think that this program is so popular because there are many colleges that offer courses in Salamanca,” Romero said.

“My friends and I decided to take the political science courses, but there are several classes to choose from.” Romero stated that she really liked the fact that there were a lot of international students studying in Salamanca, which enabled her to meet people from around the world. “Most of the students there were from other parts of the world,” Romero said. “There were more international students than Spanish, and I got to meet people from places that I never imagined. It was a great experience.” Sophomore biology major Alexandra Alvarez also went to Salamanca and enjoyed it just as much. “I loved the city and its surroundings,” Alvarez said. “At first, when we got there the city looked very dull, but as we drove around the scenery started to change, especially at night when the Plaza Mayor (central plaza) turned on its lights and lit everything around it. It really was a beautiful sight.” Summer school in Salamanca is slightly different from the summer sessions that are offered at UTPA. Students are only required to go to school Monday through Thursday so that they will get a three-day weekend to travel around and

get to know other places. Yado-Hernandez said many people take advantage of the study abroad programs because they like the fact that the semesters are shorter and more fun. “I enjoyed the shorter classes, and I really loved that we only went to classes four days a week,” Romero said. “Doing this gave me the opportunity to travel around Spain which is, apart from studying, the point of these programs.” Aside from traveling, Romero said she enjoyed the lifestyle of the Salamanca people. “Staying with a family gave me the opportunity to get to know the culture more in depth,” Romero said. “Another thing that I liked was the livelihood of the city. Everybody gathers at the Plaza Mayor to have a great time, and although it is a small city, it is full of excitement and fun. Romero and Alvarez encourage students to take part in these activities. Both said that it is a great experience that they will never forget. “Students who are able to take part in this should definitely do it,” Alvarez said. “They will get the opportunity to experience other cultures first-hand, and the whole experience of traveling abroad by ourselves is very exciting.”

Q LOCAL SCENE

Second annual summer cook-off draws large crowd

By ANGELA SALAZAR The Pan American

The Beach Boys may have the sounds, but it’s the city of Edinburg that had the smells of summer. This past weekend the city held its second annual Texas Cook’Em High Steaks at Municipal Park. Intense aromas of barbecue sauce and competition filled the air when 75 teams from around the state got together for some friendly cooking, but surprisingly no recipes were shared. Each team was allowed to compete in four different categories; chicken, pork ribs, steak and brisket. Some teams submitted entries for all categories. After a kick-off on Friday, the competition truly began in the early morning hours Saturday. Cooks armed with their own blend of spices and marinades began early to make sure that their entries were done to perfection before the 3 p.m. deadline. Joe Gilbert Perez, known as Gil from Gil’s Barbeque, has been in the business of feeding barbecue lovers for more than 10 years.

“This is the first time I’m competing, ever,” said the Edinburg native. “I think we did pretty good and I’m happy with everything.” Even though he has been serving his food to customers for years, it never dawned on him to try his hand at a cookoff until now and he says it will not be his last time. Out of all the entries Perez submitted, he felt one outshined all the others. “Pork spare ribs,” he said with confidence. “It’s my sauce. We just invented a sauce this past week that we redid and we are very happy with it.” One of the largest groups was Los Pistoleros, a group of Border Patrol agents. Veterans to cook-off competitions, they decided to try their hand at it again, not for the trophies, but for the fun. “This gave a chance for all the border patrol agents to get their families together,” said Ruben Duran, a member of Los Pistoleros. The group of 20 agents along with their friends and families had a chance to come together for a weekend, which is rare for those who are in their particular

line of work. Their secret for good barbeque is simple - “Good friends, good drinks and good sportsmanship.” Friends and families of the teams also found the event entertaining and offered chance to spend time sharing laughs and food. Although a bulk of the event was for the competition, there were those who were there merely to announce themselves to the community. The Edinburg Crime Stoppers had a booth selling tacos to help get their name out into the community. “This is not a fundraiser,” said Balde Gomez, a member of Crime Stoppers. “Any money we make goes to the ‘rewards program.’” The rewards program works with a phone number that citizens can call to help the police with leads or clues in local crimes and possibly gain a reward. The biggest prize of the night, however, went to a team from Conroe. Don Canterbury and his team We Be Smoking took the grand champion prize. Although, his team may have been in the winners circle, he sees it as a hobby and chance to be

with family. “We go to have fun. We figure that if we go to the point where we don’t have any fun, they we just stop,” said Canterbury, “We make it a family thing and just have fun with it.” This barbeque expert has seen his fair share of competition. Jan Canterbury, his wife, and her team We Be Cooking Too, has been neck and neck with her husband’s team for about six years. “We don’t swap recipes. We don’t copy cat each other and we both have two different recipies for everything we do,”

said Mr. Canterbury jokingly. “Judges may like one over the other. Instead of giving us just four chances it gives us eight.” It was just last year at the Edinburg Cook’em that We Be Cooking Too took home the grand championship. After all was said and done, the night ended with a concert performed by Texas Heat. The band played to the enjoyment of the tired chefs and ended the night on a good note. For more information on other summer events sponsored by the City of Edinburg, check out www.edinburg.com.

Daniel Flores/The Pan American FINGER-LICKIN’ GOOD TIME - Many local residents showed up for the annual Texas Cook ’Em High Steaks event at Edinburg Municipal Park on June 29-30.

A & E

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July 11, 2007

Q FEATURE STORY

NICK SANTORA: Slips, falls into Hollywood

By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Between book signings at Borders for his recently released novel, “Slip and Fall,” and writing for the hit Fox TV show “Prison Break,” Nick Santora often finds himself going days at a time without sleep. Not that he minds; he is living his dream, after all. However, much like any good television show plot, his route to happiness was anything but streamline. In an exclusive interview with The Pan American, Santora - who much to his chagrin practiced law for several years before becoming a script writer - speaks about past academic and employment confusions that paved the route to his eventual success. When you first started college, what made you take the law route? Actually, in college I didn’t study law. I didn’t start studying law until after I graduated. In college, I changed majors a bunch of times: economics, drama, political science, and I actually have a minor in African-American studies. I just didn’t think that creative writing was a way to make a living. I didn’t know that you could. And when I graduated from college, I went to law school because I, honestly, had nothing else to do Did the fact that your parents paid for school influence your decision to pursue the “serious career”? Absolutely. My parents never pressured me. I realized much later in life that my parents just wanted me to be happy. However, after being the first male Santora to get to go to college and having that incredible gift of education given to you, you feel like you want to do something with it.

During those years in law school, did you notice you didn’t like the profession? Yes. My second day I called my parents and told I didn’t want to be in law school, this was not for me. My dad and I talked on the phone and he said: ‘Listen, get the education. You don’t have to be a lawyer for the rest of your life. But you worked so hard to get into law school and when you start something, you have to see it through.’ I wound up practicing for six years. It was a mistake in that it wasn’t what I was meant to do. At the same time I think it was a character-building experience. What was that moment like when you decided to make the switch to script writing? I was terrified and at the same time relieved. Once I knew I was done and had my last day of work as a lawyer, I knew that I didn’t have a job to go to every day. But at the same time, I knew I’d never go back to practicing law. I would have done anything else. I would have been a cowboy before I’d be a full-time lawyer again. Being a lawyer wasn’t for me. There’s nothing wrong with the profession. It’s an important and honorable profession. So, it was a combination of exhilaration and nausea. How did your loved ones react? They were concerned and worried. But at that point, all I’d done was leave a job that didn’t make me happy. It had nothing in terms of enjoyment for me. I had nothing to look forward to. But at the same time they were supportive. And I know you also mentioned your wife was a big supporter. Do you think that kind of unconditional support is needed to make a major career transition? I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for Janine.

If she hadn’t said ‘OK, let’s do this,’ I never would have left New York. Do you think that these years of practicing law ended up benefiting you now in any way? I definitely think it helped. Being an attorney requires discipline. It requires you to work incredibly long hours and it requires that you sit down and write memos for five, six, seven hours on end. In my industry I have a reputation of being a fast writer. The work product I produce is quality; nothing suffers from me being fast. But the reason I think my work is fast is because I write in longer stretches. I can write for 12, 13 hours straight if I have to. When we first met at your book signing in Virginia, you said that age 7 you used to go to libraries and run your fingers over the titles in admiration of the authors. What, if any, book inspired you? I remember thinking that books were just really cool. I remember as a little boy I loved “The Giving Tree,” which is a famous children’s book. My mother used to read it to me all the time. I remember that book stirring emotion in me. I realized then that a story could get a visceral response from people. Also, the book was written for someone named Nicholas, so I thought the book was written for me. I was so clueless. Then, when I got older, I thought, and I still think, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is probably the perfect novel. The book is just amazing. It’s a beautiful story. It’s got everything. It’s a thriller, a drama, a tale about society, and a love story in the sense of a father’s love for his children. Do you try and bring that multi-dimensional purpose to the things you write, whether

it be novels or television? I try and tell stories that entertain, obviously. But I don’t like to have one-dimensional characters. That’s why people are responding well to “Slip and Fall,” my first novel, because the hero of the story is very flawed. He’s flawed on a lot of levels. He ends up lying to his wife, he commits multiple fallacies. People get emotionally and physically hurt because of his decisions. That’s not your typical hero. When you first made the career change, what was your definition of success? Has that changed? I just wanted to tell stories and take care of my family doing it; to me that was success. Doing that would make me happy as opposed to miserable like I was for so many years. That definition hasn’t changed. That’s my definition of success right now. Being happy, doing what you love and taking care of your family. And that’s where we are right now, so I’m pretty freaking thrilled. If you were to give advice to a student who is pursuing the “smart” or “safe” career and not what they love, what would it be? I’d tell them that pursuing what they love would be the smart career. The safest thing you can pursue is what you love. If you’re passionate about something, you’ll put much more effort into it than if you’re not passionate about it. Just follow your passion and you’ll be successful because you’ll be doing what makes you happy and if you’re happy, by definition, you are successful. I guess that’s what I would tell a student. But then again, what the hell do I know.

For more information on “Slip and Fall” visit Bordersstores.com.

TAKING A BREAK FROM PRISON - Nick Santora’s new novel “Slip & Fall” is about the downside of reality and what

happens when we try to escape it.

S P O R T S

July 11, 2007

Page 7

VALLEY BASKETBALL

Two new pro basketball teams to debut in fall

Valley prepares for new teams’ first seasons By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American Rio Grande Valley hoops fans have will have more than high school and Bronc basketball to look forward to this year as two new professional teams prepare for their November season kickoffs. Thus, the explosion of professional sports in the Valley, which also includes the Dorados in arena football, minor league hockey’s Killer Bees, and two Independent League baseball outfits, continues. SILVERADOS Silverados coach Steve C. Tucker, who was number seven on the Pro Basketball News top 10 list of coaches not in the NBA, said both pro teams will surely deliver for all the hype. His will play in the American Basketball Association, with former

University of Texas-Pan American star Kevin Mitchell on board as a co-owner. “I think it (professional basketball) being part of the Valley life and people, it becomes an important entity,” he said. “We want to make sure that we give an entity to the basketball fans and something they can be proud of this upcoming season and in the years to come.” Tucker has been coaching for 32 years, started his career in the Amateur American Union in Jackson, Miss., and attended college at the same time. In 1980, his career moved to the collegiate level starting with Phillips College, a junior college based in Mississippi. He was an assistant from 1981-1988 at Sam Houston State University and then coached at Hawaii Loa from 1988-1992, where he won three straight conference championships. From 1992 to now, he has coached professionally in the United States and England with five different professional teams. In June, the Silverados signed their first player, 24-year-old rookie Keith Simpson. Simpson, a forward, comes from Texas A&M International University and McLennan Community College. Tucker says that he hopes to put a team on the hardwood that can win basketball games. “We want to put the best team on the court that we can possibly have and I think we just need to be very focused on the basics,” Tucker said. “We want to be competitive right out of the gate and we want to be one of the top teams in the league. We need to do the little things to put ourselves in the position to be suc-

cessful. Success opens up a lot of doors for you in regards to challenging you to win championships.” The ABA Draft will consist of six rounds and take place in September. Tucker said a lot of the signing that will take place will be done by networking and recruiting, which is exactly how he prefers it. You want to put yourself in a situation where years down the line you can be consistent with your success,” Tucker said. “I want to set a foundation where five years from now we are still winning because of the one that was set this upcoming season.” A location for the draft will be announced at a later date. Training camp for the Silverados will begin in late October and play will begin in midNovember at the new McAllen Convention Center. Schedules will be released and announced during September. The franchise will hold its second kids camp July 20-21. VIPERS The RGV Vipers recently announced the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets affiliations, are part of the NBA Development League. Former UTPA leader Bob Hoffman, the Vipers coach, said expectations are high as the team gears up for a late November start at the Dodge Arena. “We are going to try to play like we’ve always played,” Hoffman said. “We are going to try to play up-tempo, try to find ways to score a lot of points and get guys that are really good at attacking the

basket. That puts pressure on the defense at all times.” Pre-draft will take place in Arlington, Texas July 28-29. Athletes chosen by NBA D-League personnel will come to the event to showcase their talent in front of coaches and assistants from every D-League team. Standard contracts will be given to participants who perform well; they will be placed in the November draft after all the NBA teams have made their final rosters. The Vipers garnered much positive attention earlier this year after former Spurs star George “Iceman” Gervin accepted a position as the team’s head of basketball operations. Affiliation with the NBA will probably give them a leg up on the other league. Hoffman said he and the entire Viper personnel are excited about the upcoming season. We want to put a product on the floor that is exciting to watch,” said Hoffman. “We want to have a team that will be involved in the community, stand for the same things that our community does and represent them well.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Fresh faces to join Green and Orange squad Bronc bench bolstered by three additions By GABRIEL SALDANA The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team signed three new players to national letters of intent, following the end of a successful season. Point guard Nicholas Weiermiller, forward Adinson Mosquera and guard Damon Franklin will be joining the team and Coach Tom Schuberth expects the newcomers to have an immediate and positive impact on Broncs’ performance level. “We need some depth and I think they’re experienced enough and mature enough, plus they’re competitive,” said Schuberth, who starts his second season

in Edinburg after a 14-15 debut in 200607. “They want to get in here and play. We are excited about throwing them in the mix.” Lon Morris College’s Mosquera played for the Bearcats men’s basketball team where he contributed to the team’s 19-13 record last year. The 6foot 9-inch forward played a role in LM’s Region XIV championship by averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the championship tournament. “He is really athletic and a great defender. I’m counting on him coming in and really contributing right off the bat,” Schuberth said. “He played on a team that made it to the national tournament in junior college so he’s used to winning big,” Weiermiller, a 1-2 combo guard, joins the team from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which has produced NBA players like Chauncy Billups and Tayshaun Prince. He was named Star-

Gazette All-Twin Tiers Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year at the Elmira Free Academy and had averaged 21.1 points per game during his junior and senior seasons. Franklin joins the Broncs from Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., another area known for producing basketball talent. “Damon is an unbelievable athlete, probably the best we have had here in the last 10 years,” Schuberth said. “He led the city of Flint in scoring the last two seasons as a junior and senior. He is a tremendous young man and a good student.” Though eager to put newly recruited members onto the court, the head coach said that some adjustment time is always necessary for players entering the next level. However, there are no pre-determined starting positions and every player has equal opportunity at the beginning of each season to compete for playing

time and a shot at cracking the lineup, Schuberth added. “It starts over every year. One thing I do try not to stress too much is starting. I want guys to feel like they can get into our rotation,” he said. Still, returnees Paul Stoll and Brian Burrell seem assured of prominent playing time. Stoll led the team in steals and assists while Burrell paced in scoring. Guard Dexter Shankle and forward Zach Trader each saw significant playing time last year, and should be in the mix somewhere as the Broncs look to post a winning season for the first time in six years. The program was 21-9 in 2001-02 and then 14-14 in ‘03-‘04. The team is currently involved in further negotiations to recruit two new inside men who will help ease the recent losses of center Colin Lien, center Kano Edwards and forward Alex Robinson. Forward Julius Allgood may also be lost for the season due to injuries.

SPORTS

Editor’s Pick: Game to Watch When: Wednesday Time: 7:45 p.m. Where: Venezuela Argentina

Will be aired on Univision, GolTV

Mexico

StatsAtAGlance

76 76

Number of goals scored in Venezuela’s Copa America. By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American The “Golden Boy” - Oscar de la Hoya - was not present on Friday night at the McAllen Civic Center, but a staple of Golden Boy Promotions’ finest upand-coming boxers made their presence felt during Summer Explosion. Local boxing fans were treated to eight savory bouts with the blue corner winning all. While the blue nook boasted former Olympians like Vicente Escobedo, 14-1 (11 KO’s), Abner Mares, 13-0 (8) alongside current United States Boxing Association Champ, Martin Honorio, 24-3-1

(12) and Harlingen native James De La Rosa, 14-0 (10). The red corner featured lesser known but seasoned fighters with sub-par records.Yet something wasn’t right, and it was evident in the first fight. A cruiserweight, four-round bout, was even until Terrence Smith 4-4-1 (3) caught Mexico City’s Carlos “El Chocolate” Duarte off guard and sent him to the mat in the final round. The judges then stunned those early in attendance as all three scored the bout 38-37 in favor of Duarte. “El Chocolate” 7-0 (5 KO’s) kept his undefeated record. Bloodier moments ensued as Carlos “Bam-Bam” Diaz diced Escobedo’s upper left forehead with a couple of head butts. Diaz pushed Escobedo to the limit, but the former Olympian saved his best for the tenth and final round as he landed smart blow after cleaner jab. Escobedo was rewarded with a unanimous decision. Wo r l d - c l a s s pugilist Honorio, 27, ranked sixth by the World Boxing Organization and seventh by the World Boxing Commission, headlined the main

event against Joe Morales 19-12 (4) of San Antonio. Honorio was warned for belowthe-belt activity in the fifth and lost a point in the sixth after another low-blow folded Morales. Morales kept the highly touted Honorio busy with a series of jabs and stealthy defense but Honorio was the aggressor in the tenth, receiving a 95-93, 95-93, 96-92 split decision, much to the dismay of Morales. Honorio said the different styles clashed, and - to his surprise - Morales proved to be a tough challenge. “It was a matter of preparation and concentration. I just tried not to make mistakes. He’s a tough fighter,” Honorio said. “He’s got some losses but they’re against some big names. That makes him different, his experience.” The low blows were as much as part of Morales’ strategy as his aggressiveness. The San Antonio native donned his trunks unusually high, but Honorio assumed full responsibility. “I have to admit, I think there were some hits here and there that were pretty clear, those were counted, others weren’t, but that’s the way boxing goes,” he said. Mares earned a 57-56, 59-54, 5855 unanimous decision over Saul Gutierrez 4-10-1 (1) of Saltillo, Mexico, with pinpoint accuracy and stunning jabs in six rounds of work. Harlingen’s De La Rosa, a clear

crowd favorite, neutralized an aggressive Michael Soberanis (7-14-2) with fancy hip work and slick footwork. Soberanis struck first with a harsh left blow to De La Rosa’s head and followed up with 1-2 combos. De La Rosa countered with multiple hooks, and dazzling foot speed that shook and rattled Soberanis, much to the delight of the crowd. He continued his attack with a buffet of slugs and KO’d the San Antonio native midway through the fourth round. fter a celebratory back flip, “King” James, 19, said he thought he impressed everyone in attendance despite the fact he wasn’t looking for a KO. “I was being careful, I didn’t want to get caught. If it came it came,” he said. The self-proclaimed ‘real-deal’ said he’s the one to watch. “I feel like I’m the best up-andcoming welterweight in the game. I’m ready for anybody,” said the reigning World Boxing Council Youth champ, who predicts many more back flip moments in Valley matches. “You all are going to see a lot more of that,” he promised. NOTES: Edinburg native and UTPA sophomore Yoli Pena had her pro debut postponed when her opponent was injured a few days before the fight.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

Number of home runs needed by Barry Bonds to surpass Hank Aaron’s 755 record.

2-1

Final score in U.S. men’s national team’s victory over Brazil on Friday at FIFA’s U-20 World Cup.

ShortSports COACHING After 17 years in the college ranks and stops at The University of Texas-El Paso and Louisiana State University, The University of Texas-Pan American head men’s and women’s track and field and cross country coach Ricky Vaughn will serve as the new assistant athletic director for support and student services. His new post will see him in charge of academic progress for UTPA’s 170 student-athletes. The former head coach has guided 256 of his student athletes to 3.0 grade point averages. Vaughn could not be reached for comment. On June 28, Barb Odale announced she would resign as head coach of the women’s golf team, citing personal reasons. In a statement released by the University’s Sports Information Department, Odale said family had much to do with her decision. After eight seasons, the women’s coach said traveling and being away from home had begun to take their toll. “Right now my family comes first,” Odale said.