November 1, 2007 by UTRGV Student Media

Thursday Nov. 1, 2007

58th Year No. 10

STATE

NATION

New identification system on horizon REAL ID will soon replace states’ licenses, cards By LUPE A. FLORES The Pan American

THIS WEEK

Americans can soon expect to find themselves applying for a new form of identification, due to the REAL ID Act of 2005, which was signed into law in May 2005 by President Bush. REAL ID, which was attached to the military spending bill, “Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief 2005,” was created to halt terrorist activity by establishing national standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and non-driver’s identification cards. But while the act has been covered by media frequently, many students at The University of Texas-Pan American are unaware of what is required from them. After being told about the act, Albert Salazar, a junior mechanical engineering major, said he does not approve of any form of identification that will contain sensitive information about Americans. “I am not for something that might have a tracking device for the sake of a cheap attempt for national security,” he said. Aside from displaying personal information originally on licenses and identification cards, this new ID will require additional information and will display a cardholder’s social security number and birth certificate information.

Jessica Lavariega-Monforti, a political science professor at UTPA, thinks the REAL ID Act among other legislative modifications is not an effective way to eradicate identity theft and fraudulent identification. “According to the law, the ID must include features to thwart counterfeiting and identity theft,” Lavariega-Monforti said. “Unfortunately, while including such features may sound appealing, on the whole, these IDs may make our identities less safe.” Monforti referred to a portion of the bill that requires ID cards to include machine-readable technology, which may open the doors for possible add-ons such as fingerprint or retina scans. “Therefore, if someone gets a hold of your ID, they have stolen your identity as well as f i n g e r prints,” LavariegaMonforti said. Since all 50 states will share the same database of information, she added, the federal government will have access as well. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), addressed this concern in an H.R. 418 opposition statement before the House of Representatives in 2005, explaining how the REAL ID act would do little in protecting Americans from identity

Texans to vote on Proposition 15 soon By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Nov. 6 will present Texas residents with an opportunity to weigh in on a proposition that state legislators and local politicians are calling one of the most important measures to ever be placed on the ballot. At a Wednesday press conference in McAllen, former Texas Comptroller John Sharp said Proposition 15, which would allocate $3 billion over the next 10 years to establish a cancer research center in Texas, is an important investment into Texas’ future. “We Texans spend $30 billion a year fighting cancer. You, your families, the hospitals, and legislatures through Medicaid spend it,” said Sharp, cofounder of Texans to Cure Cancer. “We’re asking Texas to spend one percent of that over the next 10 years to try and find a cure.” Some argue, however, that the measure would allocate government funds and put Texas into unnecessary debt. But Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas, who lost his father in February to pancreatic cancer, said other than education, there is no better way to use money. “There has been government

See ID page 11

See PROPOSITION page 11

PRESIDENT

NEWS Passport rules may catch students off guard See Page 3

A&E Couple brings ghoulish event to Harlingen See Page 8 and 9

SPORTS Donna motorcross track opens for business See Page 16

Cardenas returns to campus following heart surgery President should resume full duties in coming week By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American While the banners and signs at the Wellness and Recreation Sports Complex celebrated the center’s official dedication Tuesday morning, the biggest ovation came as President Blandina Cardenas walked through the sliding doors for her

first public appearance since undergoing heart surgery in mid-September. “I’m here this morning with a very grateful — if somewhat patched up — heart, and thankful to be here in more ways than one,” the fourth-year University of Texas-Pan American president said. Monday marked Cardenas’ first day back in the office — albeit not officially — since having a heart bypass Sept. 11. She plans to have Academic Affairs Provost Paul Sale continue as acting chief operations officer for the

remainder of the week. At the start of the semester, the news of Cardenas’ departure came as a shock to the UTPA community; no formal notice about her surgery was given prior to a campus-wide memo distributed following the operation. Cardenas said at the dedication that her health had not been up to par for a while, but she had little notice before the surgery. BRAVE FACE She just couldn’t shake the flu. It was Sept. 4 and an important day — fall

Convocation. She had picked up the flu at summer graduation like she always does; a common price for the hand-shaking and hob-knobbing. But even after frequent self-pep talks where she told her self to suck it up, she was still sick. “Finally, a friend of mine said ‘if you don’t go do the doctor, I’m going to take you to see the doctor,’” Cardenas remembered. “So I did convocation and went to the doctor and said ‘I think I have an infection.’”

See CARDENAS page 11

Page 2

O PINION

November 1, 2007

THE PAN AMERICAN

LESSONS FROM LEY

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Top 5 unsexy men alive BY: SANDRA GONZALEZ

eminists were shocked and angered (of course, what’s new?) this week when Maxim magazine announced its picks for The 5 Most Unsexy Women Alive. The list named “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker at No. 1, claiming she was “least sexy woman in a group of very unsexy women.” Alcoholic, skeletor songstress Amy Winehouse landed the No. 2 spot, after being described ever-so accurately as having “translucent skin” and a “rat’s-nest mane.” “Grey’s Anatomy” surgeon Sandra Oh landed at No. 3 thanks to her “cold bedside manner and boyish figure.” Madonna took the No. 4 spot and Britney Spears and her “23 pounds of Funyn pudge” rounded out (pun intended) the list at No. 5. It didn’t take long for feminist representatives to get on CNN and Fox News and spread the word of their disdain for the list, calling it offensive and claiming the ranking hated women of power and talent. Frankly, I saw no problem with the magazine’s picks. All it shows is that men like girls with pretty, young-looking faces and average weight. And since when is that news? Expectations haven’t changed much in recent years. Be young-looking, but not too young because then it’ll make the man look like a molester. Be skinny, but not too skinny because then you’ll have the body of a pre-pubescent boy. OH! But don’t be chubby, because that’s disgusting. The only answer I can give to the

NOVEMBER 1, 2007 THE

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

list other than “point being?” is my own list. So I present you with The 5 Most Unsexy Men Alive. Kicking off my list at No. 5 is Toby McGuire, who played a jockey in 2003’s “Seabiscuit.” Enough said. Short man + girly voice + straddles ponies all day = Huge turnoff. No. 4 is a double whammy with rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, because there is not anything distinct enough about these two to warrant me wasting two spots. Their grimy, unbathed exteriors are enough to have me running, for the sake of my nose. But add to that the fact that they’re about as short on talent as I am on patience and we have ourselves two bona fied unsexies. The No. 3 spot goes to Barry Manilow. His face is tighter than the bed sheets at a hospice, and I think his makeup shade is too dark for his actual skin. Spencer Pratt of “The Hills” is honored at No. 2 because he just plain scares me. In five years, we will either see his bugged eyes peering from behind prison bars, charged with the murder of current love and robo-celeb Heidi Montag, or broke and managing a boy band with accused perv Lou Pearlman. The coveted No. 1 spot goes to a man —erm, term used loosely — whose plucked brows, stretched face and ‘roid pecks leave him wearing the most utterly confusing permanent Halloween costume. Carrot Top, I honor your red afro, but chill the hell out. Feelings shmeelings, get a mirror or get a paper bag.

Do you like one of these men? Unlikely. But if you do, tell me why you’re a big freak: theSandrafanclub@gmail.com

Editor-in-Chief Sandra Gonzalez................................................. sandra_panamerican@yahoo.com News Editor Ana Ley....................analey23@yahoo.com A&E Editor Jeanette Perez.........fae_myst@yahoo.com Sports Editor Erick Quintero................................................. erickquintero4@hotmail.com

Do not go vote BY: ANA LEY

efore we know it, the 2008 presidential election is going to be upon us, and I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage people not to vote that is, if they are uneducated about the candidates and are unwilling to learn more about them. Ideally, I’d like to use my mindblowing persuasion to convince everyone to pick up a newspaper and read about contemporary issues different contenders are tackling, but reality dictates that a very large percentage of young Americans probably won’t. Google Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton or even John McCain. Scroll down a bit and I promise you’ll find a MySpace account dedicated to or run by them. Are these the fruits of the Internet generation’s political interests? Can blogs and MySpace accounts educate young people enough to help them ascertain the values and abilities of presidential hopefuls? The short answer is no. But the Internet, along with skewed perceptions about the importance of voting (I often blame campaigns like Rock the Vote, which reduce elections to little more than

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the editor: This is in response to a letter printed in the Oct. 25 edition of The Pan American. First let me thank Ms. Rodriguez for committing her life to a job most people would never dream of doing… the compliments stop there. How dare you not care if Hector can’t get a job in the U.S! Not only is this his problem, but ours as well. He is receiving a good education at The University of Texas-Pan American, shouldn’t he be allowed (some would even say required) to help promote our community? Designers Rick Gamez

popularity contests), are allowing people to think that the right to vote somehow should grant them as equal a stake in government activities as someone who actually takes the time to learn the issues. While this is technically true, it shouldn’t be. I recently had a mini-debate with someone via MySpace about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Columbia University. The arguments posed before me, I noticed, were mostly regurgitated sound bytes easily traced back to “The Daily Show.” Satirical news shows are the sole source of information for many college students, and this is very scary. A lot of students miss the point of infotainment shows, which are meant to be enjoyed as complements to regular news programs. They are not meant to replace them. For those who are as worried about this phenomenon as I am, there’s still time. We’re still a year from voting time, but it’s up to us to prepare for it, just as we would for a big exam.

Think everyone should vote? Tell me about it: analey23@yahoo.com It is true entering the U.S. without proper documentation is illegal, but it is NOT BURGALRY, it is NOT like using ILLICIT DRUGS, and most definitely it is NOT MURDER. Despite what some people want society to believe not all immigrants come to America to exploit it. There are many people who come here legally, but what of those who wait for 10-12 years for visas. If someone told you to wait a decade to achieve your life’s goal how would you feel? Remember desperation feels the same whether a person is documented or not. Maybe there are other ways to Secretary Anita Casares..........areyes18@utpa.edu

Greg Garza

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

Reporters and Photographers

Assitant Advertising Manager Jacqueline Iglesias................................... jiglesiasz@broncs.utpa.edu

Brian Carr Leslie Estrada Onydia Garza Ramiro Paez

Photography Editor Veronica Gonzalez........................................... vdgonzalezz@gmail.com

Lezette Villarreal

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

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

*** 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.

Savethesedates November

8 8

Integrated Global Knowledge and Understanding (IGNU) Collaboration will be hosting a book signing with political science professor Sonia Alianak. The event will take place in Room 310 in the library at noon.

12-16 12-16

The Office of International Programs will be hosting International Week 2007. For more information or a complete schedule of events contact the office at (956) 381-3572, or visit http://www.utpa.edu/dept/int ernationalprograms achieve compromise, but certain things have to be understood first, and what everyone seems to forget Ms. Rodriguez, is “these people” are just that… PEOPLE. If you volunteered 24 years to serve our country, our state, our community and our home then please understand citizens or non-citizens, legal or undocumented all have the same fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Respectfully, Serena Mari Gonzalez Senior College of Arts and Humanities

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less 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. The Pan American cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to thepanamerican@gmail.com. Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.

November 1, 2007

N EWS

Page 3

THE PAN AMERICAN

PARKING

BORDER

By ANA VILLAURRUTIA The Pan American

Expansion of shuttles eases woes

By ABIGAIL MUNIZ The Pan American The University of Texas PanAmerican may follow suit after one of its sister schools, the University of Texas -San Antonio, in finding a solution to parking woes on campus. A recent proposal to ease campus parking at UTSA has prompted the school to approve a student fee of $40 a year to help fund the university’s shuttle service. The proposal, called Jump on Board, was voted on by students Oct. 9 and 10. It will go into effect fall ‘08 once it is approved by the UT Board of Regents. Bruna Estrada, a senator for the Student Government Association at UTPA, said SGA’s Parking Subcommittee is planning to conduct a professional survey in order to answer if students are willing to pay an increase in fees to ease campus parking.

See PARKING page 12

How to get a passport To obtain a passport for the first time, you will need two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver's license. Acceptance facilities include many federal, state and probate courts, post offices, some public libraries and a number of county and municipal offices.

magine paying Mexico a visit and being unable to come back - despite U.S. citizenship. For many citizens of the Rio Grande Valley, this may become reality Jan. 31 when a new and strict border law will deny any citizen entry into the country without a passport. Tila Bermea, a dance major at University of Texas-Pan American, said she is frustrated and upset because she has been waiting a month for her passport to be processed. Without it, she said, she will not be allowed to see her sick uncle who lives in Reynosa. “I want to visit my uncle who is terminally ill and might die within the year,” she said. “How else can I get to him without a passport?” According to the Edinburg City Hall, it takes four to eight weeks to process a passport and two to three weeks if you pay an additional $60 fee. All that is needed is two photos, an original birth certificate and a driver’s license. “My brother got his in 2003 and it only took him two weeks,” she said. “The process [for mine] is frustrating.” Officials say the country has been experiencing a backlog of passports for the past several months, causing major delays for some.

Myra Ayala-Garza, secretary for the City of Edinburg, believes the backlog of passports was due to an influx of demand in passports as the deadline drew near. According to the U.S. Department of State, the country has processed over 16 million passports in fiscal year 2007, which begins Oct. 1, 2006 to Sept. 30, 2007. Last year, the United States only processed 12.1 million passports. The requirement for air travelers is already in effect, but the Jan. 31 deadline will require all Americans to get passports in order to cross the border and back by land. The passport requirement will affect any citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean islands. Michelle Garza, a dance major at UTPA who has not gotten her passport, said she and many other residents of the Valley visit Mexico to go shopping, dining and to visit the doctor. Though she will have to hurry to get her passport before the January deadline, she believes the new law is reasonable. “I think it’s a hassle,” she said. “But we have to have a passport to get into any other country. Why not Mexico?” ENOUGH HEADS-UP According to Felix Garza, spokesperson for the Customs Border

See PASSPORTS page 12

SEEN AND CAPTURED

TREND

Txt spk bcoms nu lingo Students ‘make a Experts question effect on next difference’ generation By J.R. ORTEGA The Pan American As the world scrambles to keep up with the fast-paced Internet generation, shorthand writing once used for online chatting and text messaging has prompted some linguistic experts to question whether its use will significantly affect the English language. So-called “text speak” has trickled into the everyday language of many youngsters and has even made its way into mainstream media. A prime example can be found in a recent Cingular television commercial in which a pre-teen replies to her mother’s inquiry as to whom she has been texting by saying: “IDK [I don’t know] my BFF [Best friend forever] Jill.”

Text speak has filtered to every day, face-to-face conversation for some. University of Texas-Pan American student Elizabeth Blanco, 24, said she “is guilty” of using text language in conversations and has even used text message shorthand on exams. “I do that on my tests and essays, and if I catch myself I’ll go back and erase it,” the rehabilitation services graduate student from Edinburg said. “Usually when I get the test back they don’t take off any points.” She said half the time she does not realize she is speaking or writing that way, but knows some of her professors understand the lingo. Irmo Marini, one of Blanco’s professors, said while Blanco’s generation can more easily differentiate between proper English and text speak, the younger generations are the ones experts need to worry about because they have been exposed to text speak since early childhood. “The earlier kids are going to learn

See TEXT page 12

By LEZETTE VILLARREAL The Pan American The Student Leadership Academy from The Univeristy of Texas-Pan American and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg joined together to provide food and entertainment for elementary students. The event, held at the Edinburg Skate Park, was a day where third- to fifth-grade students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Edinburg got to enjoy a fun afternoon while learning about the benefits of higher education. The festival, which saw the volunteer efforts of nearly 300 people, marked National Make a Difference Day in which thousands of people world-wide volunteer their time to positively impact other’s lives.

Benjamin Briones/The Pan American CARING AND SHARING - Bonnie Bustos, a graduate student and member of Delta Xi Nu sorority, takes time to hug a few children during the event.

November 1, 2007

Page 4 NEWS

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Page 6 NEWS

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

November 1, 2007

Page 7

THE PAN AMERICAN

I LIFE AND CULTURE

Valley celebrates Dia de los Muertos traditions By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American For every cup of sugar, mix in one teaspoon of meringue powder and sprinkle one teaspoon of water on top. Work the water into the sugar with your fingers until the mixture feels like cool beach sand, and then the sugar is ready to start making sugar skulls. Sugar skulls were just some of the delights to look forward to during last week’s celebrations. Dia De Muertos: Recuerdos y Ofrendas was a morbid, yet full-of life event that took place in the Harlingen Arts and Heritage museum, where people had the opportunity to attend several workshops, including a sugar skull making one. “We wanted to do something for the whole family,” said Patricia

Morales, director at the museum. “We thought it would be a hands-on experience where children and adults could learn about our neighboring country’s culture.” Morales said that the main attraction at this event was the sugar skull making classes. “A Dia de Muertos without sugar skulls is like a birthday without presents,” she said. “We thought it would be neat to have this workshop where people could not only learn to make them, but also learn how to decorate the sugar skulls.” Marielle Covarrubias, was one of the many to enjoy the workshop. “We learned how to make the mixture and how to mold them,” said Covarrubias, an 8th grade student who attended the workshop. “It was cool to decorate them and learn all this. Next year, I will have my sugar skulls ready.” People laugh in its face as they celebrate Dia de Muertos (The day of the Death), a Mexican celebration that honors those who have passed away. On this day in Mexico, streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations, flowers, candy calaveras (skulls) and parades. Children carrying zempasuchil (a special type of marigold) enjoy the processions to the cemetery as music is played and dances are made to honor the spirits. Every year on Nov. 1 (All Saints Day) and 2 (All Souls Day) this unique celebration takes

All photos by Nick Dodd/The Pan American

place in different areas of Mexico. While it may be strange for most of us to accept the fact that death and festivities can go hand-in-hand, for most Mexicans, the two are enigmatically attached. This all emanates from the ancient indigenous people who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to eat, drink and visit with their relatives, just like they did when they were alive. “This rare celebration has gained popularity in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Veronica Juarez, a Port Isabel native. “People have learned to accept it and communities gather together to celebrate it.” Los Colores Del Muerto 5th Annual Day of the Dead celebration, which is one of the first and largest celebrations in the RGV, took place on Oct. 27. The festival consisted of several historical presentations such as an art show, altar displays, calavera poem writing workshops, altar-making workshops, tours of the historic Port Isabel cemetery, music, theater, dancers and food. “My family loves to come to this celebration,” she said. “They really seem to enjoy it and I like the fact that they are learning things that younger generations seem to take for granted.” As younger people seem to be forgetting about traditional things, events like these teach them about the importance of culture. “We live in an area that is predominated by Hispanics and most of us have family somewhere in Mexico,” said Juarez. “We can’t forget about our traditions and we can’t let our children forget about them either.” Something that gave this event a v e r y

conventional touch was the traditional pan de muerto, a very accustomed type of bread from Mexico. It is only baked during the Day of the Dead season, usually from August through November. It is a soft bread covered with sugar, usually decorated with pieces of bread symbolizing bones and skulls and comes in a variety of shapes including humanoid figures known as animas (souls). “I am really glad that people are doing these types of festivities to save our beautiful traditions,” said Jose Martinez, a visitor from Matamoros Mexico. “It is a great opportunity for the younger kids to be exposed to this and pass on our folklore so that it won’t be forgotten.”

Local art exhibits pay tribute to deceased By LAURA GARCIA The Pan American Many Hispanics from the Rio Grande Valley are not familiar with Dia De Los Muertos, even though it has had a place in Hispanic culture for many years. Although some may have heard stories from grandparents, it isn’t something in which many are actively involved with. Some may be afraid of the aspect altogether but understand that is it prevalent in the Mexican society. In honor of this holiday The Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg has an exhibit with a wide range of altars, activities, music and food, to help educate the community about what this ancient Mexican holiday is all about. “It’s just a way to honor your loved ones, not so much celebrating the fact that they are dead but of the kind of life they lived. I don’t believe the altars harm anyone and it is a personal

choice whether you want to celebrate the holiday or not,” said 21-year-old Edna L. Garza, an Interdisciplinary studies major from Mission. The exhibit contains 12 ofrendas (altars), both traditional and contemporary, and a special art installation tribute to inspirational women. A traditional altar boasts an arch, three levels and greenery, along with zempasuchil (a marigold which symbolizes death) either intertwined or spread out on the table. Every traditional altar must have a white tablecloth, candles, and a glass of water because legend says the deceased arrive very thirsty from their journey. A contemporary altar has a more fun, laid back feel, with sugar skulls symbolizing the sweetness of death, and papel picado (punched out tissue paper), and usually commemorate a particular theme or celebrity. Both however, will have a photo of the deceased and mementos. The exhibit, which runs from Oct. 27 through Nov. 11, has received posi-

See ALTARS page 10

November 1, 2007

Page 8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

s the sun began setting on the city of Harlingen, the undead made their way through the empty streets. But unlike the normal ghouls and ghosts that roam the night during the Halloween season, these creatures hungered for something more. Reminiscent of a George A. Romero flick, a horde of zombies plagued the corner of 4th and Jackson Street, zombie-shuffling through the downtown area Saturday evening with a hearse leading the way. The ‘dead’ walked the earth for the first Rio Grande Valley Zombie Walk. A zombie walk, an unfamiliar term in most parts of the country, is an organized public gathering of people dressed up in costumes who make their way through the city streets in a somewhat orderly fashion, usually toward a designated public place. The walks are a typically underground activity, promoted primarily through word of mouth and online message boards. Participants remain in character as zombies and communicate with grunting, groaning and slurred moaning. For avid horror fans and Living Dead Nightmare Productions/Rotting Flesh Factory haunted house founders Alyssa and John Cook , a love for the genre always keeps them looking for the latest in horror entertainment. After months of research and consideration, the couple decided it was time the Valley experienced a zombie walk of their own. “Zombie walks are around the world. They’re everywhere,” said Alyssa Cook, originally from San Antonio and sporting a ‘dead’ surgeon look. “I saw bigger cities doing them and as a zombie lover I thought, ‘Wow, what a great thing to bring down because the Valley doesn’t have stuff like this.’” Mercedes resident, Isidro “Sid” Salazar saw it as the perfect opportunity to let the zombie within come alive for a good cause. “I’m a huge horror fan and ‘Resident Evil’ is my favorite movie,” said the 24-year-old. “[I love] the large numbers of zombies. This is fun and it’s for a good thing. It’s for everybody.” One doesn’t have to be a zombie lover to enjoy a zombie walk. “It’s a family event. People even bring their pets and children to do the zombie shuffle,” said John Cook, originally from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “All they need to do is paint their face white and blacken their eyes, and they become zombies.” Zombie walks, said Alyssa Cook, are more than just fun and surprisingly a unique way of giving back to the community.

BRAINS - Vanessa Vargas, Isidro Salazar and Gabriel Ambriz participate in the zombie walk through downtown Harlingen.

Veronica Gonzalez / The Pan American

Page 9

November 1, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“I was going to collect money from different business and donate it to a local children’s home, but nobody knew what a zombie walk was so I just made it a food drive instead. It’s going to the Food Bank and they’re going to distribute it,” she said, adding that she is fond of zombies for their guts, bloodied corpses and eating mannerisms. “Why do a walk if it’s not going to benefit anybody? I mean, I can go walk at the track by myself and it’s not going to do anybody any good.” It’s not uncommon for a zombie walk to contribute to charity. In fact, it’s done quite often. Organizations like Zombie Squad, a community service and disaster preparedness organization in St. Louis, Mo., have used such events to raise awareness for community service events like food and blood drives. A zombie group in Sioux Falls, S.D., walks for the March of Dimes. Another in Pittsburgh, Alyssa Cook said, did a food drive at the mall where “Dawn of the Dead” was filmed. Locally, five months of planning brought the Cooks’ dream to life. “She [Alyssa] started through MySpace and went around different cities studying costumes, organizations involved, every single aspect of it,” said John Cook, a horror fan since the age of 2.Although both were thrilled at the idea of introducing a zombie walk to the Valley, Alyssa Cook was a bit hesitant at first. “I started thinking about it in June and had mentioned it to my husband, but then I kind of backed off because I wasn’t sure how to go about it,” said Alyssa Cook, who also does horror photography as a hobby. “Then I was like, ‘I’m just gonna go for it.’” While the concept of zombies, defined by Romero’s horror films, is not new, zombie walks have only recently begun gaining popularity. The first one was in Sacramento, Calif., in the summer of 2001 and was called “The Zombie Parade,” with a few dozen people gathering. Since then it has been held annually. British Columbia is another hot spot for the walks. “This is something new and interesting. We saw it done in other places so we figured we’d bring it here,” said John Cook. He said that Halloween had been at a standstill for quite some time and the recent increase in interest for the holiday was a major factor in their plans. “Halloween is really coming back in since the whole scare of the razor blades in the apples and the poison candy. People are starting to really enjoy it now, getting scared and scaring other people,” said Alyssa Cook. “They’re starting to realize that’s it’s not a Satanist hol-

iday, which it has been perceived as being for a long time. It’s good to get scared at least once a year.” While the first local walk had a posse of less than 20 zombies, the Cooks look forward to seeing the event grow into something the Valley can embrace as a continuing Halloween tradition. “I would really like to do another one in August to collect school supplies and more canned goods that way we can get things rolling,” said Alyssa Cook. “I’m thinking of two a year instead of one. That way it’s fun and beneficial for everybody. Hopefully next year people will get a feel of what it is and join us in the walk of the undead.”

FRESH FLESH - Participants of all ages were encouraged to attend the zombie walk, among the youngest was 9-year-old Robert Pash (above).

November 1, 2007

Page 8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BRAINS - Vanessa Vargas, Isidro Salazar and Gabriel Ambriz participate in the zombie walk through downtown Harlingen.

Veronica Gonzalez / The Pan American

Page 9

November 1, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRESH FLESH - Participants of all ages were encouraged to attend the zombie walk, among the youngest was 9-year-old Robert Pash (above).

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November 1, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

I MOVIE REVIEW

‘Across the Universe’ enchants with Beatles’ music By RUSSEN VELA The Pan American Julie Taymor, the artistic director of films like “Titus” and “Frida,” has worked her visionary magic again with “Across the Universe.” The musical uses Beatles songs to catalogue the effectiveness of the time period (the setting is early 1960s) and the place. Taymor’s use of the Beatles music in the film helps convey the characters’ emotions of love, sorrow, and rage. The film stars British newcomer Jim Sturgess as Jude, a Liverpool artist who comes to the United States in search of his lost American father, a World War II veteran. Along the way he meets an explosive group of students with names from Beatles lyrics, people who come to accept him as one of their own. Among the group is shy and beautiful Lucy, played to perfection by Evan Rachel Wood (“Thirteen, “The Upside of Anger”). The two immediately feel an attraction to each other, but find it hard to accept the world they live in, which is plagued by war and revolution. Taymor, who won several critics awards for her first two films, and a Tony for direction of “The Lion King” proves to the audience that her unusual

direction at filmmaking is a revelation. Like “Moulin Rouge,” the songs Taymor chose from the many Beatles albums have a major part in telling the story. Wood’s performance is another huge factor that speaks to the possible success of this film. She has a serene almost angelic voice when she breaks into song, and one can’t help but get choked up when she stares into the audience and laments the loss of innocence with “Blackbird” playing. Sturgess is all rock and roll when he parades around trying to woo Lucy, but when he finally has her, his tone of voice turns nurturing and calm, especially with “Strawberry Fields Forever.” While the music infects and intoxicates the audience with its romantic or violent moods, the technical aspect of the film is beyond exhilarating. The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel, who worked on “The Cats Meow” and “Infamous,” captures the essence of the ‘60s with his bright use of color, and grainy almost camouflage green of the Vietnam War. The production designer Mark Friedberg, from “Far From Heaven” and “Sex and the City,” did an extraordinary job in not only making the ‘60s hip again, but in making them more modern

and resonant for people today. Taymor takes this combination and makes it fun, instead of corny and predictable. It is visually stunning and the audience will be glad that the production stayed clear of the obnoxious MTVvideo nightmare it could have become. Taymor has made an exceptional movie full of things that have been done a million times before and yet makes it as fresh and exciting as if it were being done for the first time. Audiences will laugh, cry, and

come out of the theater happy. Some may even break into song during the movie, but that will mostly be the fans of the music. Watch out for cameos by Salma Hayek as a sexy hospital nurse, and U2’s Bono as an eccentric encounter of the cast. This musical is unconventional (again like “Moulin Rouge”) and is definitely not “Hairspray.” But whether you are a Beatles fan or not, “Across the Universe” is a film that will put a smile on your face and melt your heart.

Sonypictures.com RETRO ROMANCE - Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) fall in love during a time of war and revolution. The Beatles music plays out their story.

I TV CORNER

What You’re

Not

Watching “Bionic Woman” By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American

magine being involved in a neardeath accident after which the only way to survive is by undergoing a technologically advanced operation that will change your life forever. For bartender Jamie Sommers (Michelle Ryan), becoming bionic is only the beginning of what lies ahead. “Bionic Woman” is a modern reimagining of the original television series “The Bionic Woman” from the 1970s. The series follows Sommers as she becomes acquainted with her newfound powers, raises a rebellious younger sister and works with the organization which performed the surgery. With the first bionic woman, Sarah Corvus (Katee Sackhoff), as her nemesis and truths to be unfolded, Sommers continues her new life. Watch Jamie embrace her bionic identity Wednesdays on NBC at 8 p.m.

I MUSIC REVIEWS

Band of Horses, Sunset Rubdown’s latest succeed ALTARS continued from page 7

By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

and of Horses is the neo-classic rock experience you’ve been waiting all your life for. Their first album “Everything All the Time,” was the American answer to the Montreal-dominated indie music regimen. Horses stampedes with an artistic-rock gumption, but they are removed from the predominantly urban aesthetic being perpetuated in young rock music of the now. Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, S.C., the Ben Bridwell-led band resonates with a clearly Southern charm throughout the core of their pseudo-folk posture. Their latest offering, “Cease to Begin,” throws blue jean reluctance around firmwristed rock swagger. By hoisting countrified familiarity over an attitudinal pulse only commonplace in rebel-rousing raucous rock, Band of Horses births an unruly Appalachian love child not known since the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd hit the charts. In stark contrast to many of their contemporaries, Band of Horses has decided to simplify. While bands like Broken Social Scene boast a startling 16-member roster, Horses travels in a pack of only three. The result is a

stripped-down, masculine delivery that is simultaneously ponderous and humble. Take for instance “Detlef Schrempf.” The song is named after a German-born, three-time NBA All Star from the 1980s. It’s a slow-churning ballad that haunts and wails, the kind of song stoned college students spend hours trying to decipher. Fans of the first album will undoubtedly notice a far more positive outlook. Whereas Bridwell screamed, “For every occasion I’ll be ready for the funeral” on the first outing, he has modified. Now he muses “The world is such a beautiful place.” It’s amazing how success changes perspective.

Band of Horses

Amazon.com

t’s a little surprising that the MacArthur Foundation didn’t give Spencer Krug a genius grant this year. Krug is the front man and chief songwriter for Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, as well as the co-chief for super group Swan Lake and part-time keyboardist for the highly influential Frog Eyes. He’s one busy Canuck. But while Wolf Parade did receive a mild amount of success after being discovered by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, it is uncertain if Krug will ever get his just due. That is because his style is wildly irreverent, graphically experimental, and wholeheartedly artistic. Sunset Rubdown’s “Random Spirit Lover” makes no exception. Take for instance “The Mending of the Gown,” which spastically waddles over rapid-fire piano chords while a crumbling guitar slithers through seemingly impromptu riffs. It’s brilliant, albeit catastrophic. “This one’s for many,” Krug hollers before immediately disagreeing with himself. “This one’s for some.” Or perhaps “The Taming of the Ones that came,” where Krug leads his Montreal outfit through a synthesizer anthem that wallows like a sea shanty. “I say cool but that’s too many violins,” Krug grovels, as a reverb-

drenched guitar spits and gargles over absent figurine-like drums. In truth Sunset Rubdown is an acquired taste. Wolf Parade has been Krug’s most commercially successful band, and even they received little media praise. But in terms of sheer genius, Krug cannot be denied. “Random Spirit Lover” is the indie band’s third full-length release in three years, following “Snake’s Got A Leg” in 2005 and the 2006 release “Shut Up I Am Dreaming.” Officially released Oct. 9 through Jagjaguwar, the band’s album debuted at number five on the BillBoard charts two weeks ago and has since fallen to number 25.

Sunset Rubdown

Amazon.com

tive reactions from the Valley audience. With the help of the museum the tradition continues and serves as a way for people to learn about their culture. “Most people who create altars base their works on what people relate to, most people have heard about the tradition but never really understand it until they see the exhibit,” said Melissa Tijerina, special events and programs officer for the museum. For Tijerina, ongoing study about the tradition allows her to continuously learn new information. “I have studied the subject and taken information from what my parents have taught me, but I am still learning things about the day about the different customs and traditions,” she said. The University Library also has an exhibit that will run until Nov. 5. “Audience response is varied, although always positive. Some people want to learn more, this may be the first time they have heard of, or seen a Day of the Dead altar,” said Janette Garcia, head of Special Collections and Archives. “Other people relate their own experiences, altars which they have created, or their family celebrations.” For more information about the Museum of South Texas History display, please contact Melissa Tijerina at (956) 383-6911.

Page 11

November 1, 2007 NEWS

ID continued from page 1 theft, and how it will make us “much less free.” “This bill purports to make us safer from terrorists who may sneak into the United States, and from other illegal immigrants,” Paul said in his statement. “While I agree that these issues are of vital importance, this bill will do very little to make us more secure. In reality,

this bill is a Trojan horse. It pretends to offer desperately needed border control in order to stampede Americans into sacrificing what is uniquely American: our constitutionally protected liberty.” Jessica Lavariega-Monforti, a political science professor, says that it is important to comply with REAL ID, whether we agree with it or not.

“The REAL ID Act’s identity cards will be required if one wants to drive, visit a federal government building, collect social security, access a federal government service or use the services of a private entity (such as a bank, or an airline) that is required under federal law to verify customers identity,” she said. “Therefore, it will be nearly impossible

to live without.” Like the majority of other states who will not implement the REAL ID Act this year, Texas has not yet set a date for when it will start issuing REAL ID-compliant identification cards. Texas lawmakers are hesitant about mandating the form of identification because of the hundreds of millions of dollars it will take to

PROPOSITION continued from page 1

CARDENAS continued from page 1

money used to build a wall and a fence, why not use it to do cancer research?” he said. “There are various reasons people may use [to justify voting against Proposition 15], but it’s one of the most viable projects we have to vote on.”

It was not an infection. An EKG and other tests confirmed that Cardenas needed surgery. While always maintaining a “whatever comes attitude,” Cardenas said she remained calm. “I wasn’t worried or frightened,” she said. “I just did what the doctors told me to do.”

LONG TIME COMING The idea for the center was posed by Dr. John Mendelson, head of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in 1997 when Sharp made a bid for lieutenant governor. However, following his defeat in the race, to current governor Rick Perry, Sharp said he “wasn’t in a position to promote it.” That has changed. As he became a familiar figure in the cancer research community, Sharp was reinvigorated to pursue the issue after California became a prominent entity in stem cell research. “When they created that (the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a leader in stem cell research), all these people who did research on that particular medical issue move to California,” he said. “And we thought: ‘why can’t we do this with cancer, because cancer is a much bigger problem.’” Sharp said he hopes that having the No. 1 cancer research center in the nation, as is projected if prop 15 passes, would have a similar effect on Texas. “It gives that doctor at John’s Hopkins, who may be a Nobel Prize winner, a reason to come to Texas, because he can’t stay at John’s Hopkins and do this research,” he said. “To get this money, you have to be here.”

IF PASSED Sharp estimated that if approved, the center would make board appointments in the first quarter of 2008 and spend the better part of that year making preliminary plans. As for the funds, he said research precedent would be given to cancers that are close to being cured, such as cervical and prostate varieties. “Many researchers think they are very, very close,” he said, adding that the selection of research would be done by experts, not lawmakers. About 10 percent of the money would also be used on spreading awareness of prevention and lifestyle choices, because “more and more research being done about how preventable some cancers are if you simply change your lifestyle,” according to Sharp. Between 50 and 75 percent of all cancers are preventable through diet, according to The National Cancer Institute. As Nov. 6 rolls around, Sharp said students should “take ten minutes out of their day to go vote on this.” “I know it’s difficult to think of cancer when you are 20 or 25 years old, but unless we make some progress in this, a large population of the student body is going to get it and their kids are going to get it,” he said. “It’s one of the most important things they can do for their families. We’re not just voting for public officials, we’re voting for life.”

Nick Dodd/The Pan American VOTING YES - Former Texas Comptroller John Sharp was one of several people, including several local legislatures, on hand to support Proposition 15 Wednesday at a press conference. The measure would fund cancer research.

ROAD TO RECOVERY Recovery has been, surprisingly, good. Much of the after effects — with the exception of her surgical scar — have subsided. Of course, Cardenas said, there were bumps along the way. She still feels fatigued in the afternoon hours. But other than that there’s been nothing she couldn’t handle. “Obviously, at first you are in quite a bit a pain, and taking a lot of pain medication knocks you out,” she said. “So I did quite a bit of sleeping; which was strange because I’d never really been a sleeper. I don’t really think I took naps as a child, but now I love taking naps.” Turner Classic Movies and the History Channel kept her in good company, but she admits with a laugh that she “was a slob.” Back and ready for action, Cardenas said she initially aimed to return last week, but didn’t want to come back “if I couldn’t have a smile on my face.” But according to UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David B. Prior, Cardenas should resist the urge to jump back into full duty. “What we have to do now is make sure she doesn’t come in every day, all day until she’s properly recovered,” he told the crowd at the Wellness Center event. SPREADING WELLNESS Cardenas is ready to return to her post with the same vigor and enthusiasm she had before leaving, but said one thing that will not be the same: her diet. “I don’t eat a lot of tortillas, but I do love cheese. I haven’t had one slice of cheese since,” she said. “But I love to cook, so I’m looking forward to doing some adaptations of recipes.” To help alleviate the loss of some of her favorites, Cardenas said she has found healthier, alternative options. “Actually, I found some veggie cheese, some soy cheese, and it’s pretty

enforce. They are also worried that they will put the state’s 20 million residents through a big hassle as old licenses and identification cards are phased out. The primary date to implement the act was May 2008, but Congress and the DHS have allowed states to file a request for extension by Feb. 1, 2008. Extensions are available until the last day of 2009.

Nick Dodd/The Pan American WARM WELCOME - State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (left) embraces President Blandina Cardenas at the dedication of the Wellness and Recreation Sports Complex Tuesday.

good,” she said. “You can make migas with veggie cheese. It melts well. That’s what I had this morning.” It was one conversation with her son, however, that has led Cardenas to take on a new task: educating others about the importance of fitness. “Most of the time I was just as brave as can be, but I had a moment in which I was driving back from the doctor’s office with my son and I got a little teary and he said, ‘It’s ok, mom. You can cry. You can cry,’” she recounted to the reception crowd. “And so then we talked a little and he said, ‘You know, mom, some of my friend’s parents are going through the same kind of illness right now. But the difference between you and them is that you have so much to live for...You’ve got this beautiful, beautiful school. And I think it’s time you think of leading by example.’” That’s when “everything changed,” according to Cardenas.

“I’ve been talking to Dr. Edwards about reaching out to the community... and giving people the opportunity to make better choices, because we all have a lot to live for,” she said. OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT Upon news of her surgery, “hundreds and hundreds” of prayers and wishes poured in from across the country, Cardenas said. “I felt very appreciated, supported and blessed,” she commented. “I had a birthday last week and they asked me to make a wish, but I couldn’t wish for anything. If I had wished for anything more I’d just be really greedy.” Much support also came in from the UTPA administrative team, according to Cardenas. She said she was “not worried a bit” about leaving the university in members’ capable hands. “We have developed a great team and I had every confidence that they could do it.”

November 1, 2007

Page 12 NEWS

PARKING continued from page 3 She explained that the purpose of the committee is to conduct research regarding student opinion on parking fees and other alternatives approaching the parking issue. “We want to gather empirical evidence and establish credible conclusions in order to present a complete proposal to the Parking Campus Life Committee, which is the ultimate authority in this matter,” she said. Estrada said that, like UTSA, UTPA would allocate more funding for shuttles if the proposal is passed. One of the conditions for this would be that the

shuttle service be extended in radius about two miles - to serve students who live in nearby communities. “This will reduce the number of needed parking spaces because it means less students will drive to school,” she said. “This is how some universities, like UT-Austin, manage to alleviate congested traffic and parking.” The proposal must also be approved by the Cost of Education Committee and the UT Board of Regents before it can make its way on to UTPA’s list of student fees. Students currently pay $3.18 per

PASSPORTS semester to keep the shuttle system running. Jerry Price, dean of students, said that every school has struggles with parking and there is a need to find a solution. “I’m of the belief that we are going to continue to work on shuttling services,” he said. Price also mentioned that the school recently bought a large piece of property on north Jackson Street. “That could potentially be a very large parking lot,” Price said. “I’m really optimistic about the Jackson property

and I think it’ll be a real boost for [a solution to] the parking situation.” Michael Martinez, a senior criminal justice major from San Benito, said that although lots of students believe a parking garage with multiple levels is the answer to UTPA’s parking woes, he thinks this would be too expensive a project for the school to take on. “A lot of students believe that a parking garage will resolve a lot of problems but they have to know that their tuition will greatly increase,” Martinez said. “I hope they consider that fact.”

emerge and added that depending on the social environment and situation, one will be able to change their style of speaking accordingly. Deborah Cole, an assistant professor of English at UTPA, concentrates on linguistics and said it’s too early to detect if English will be positively or negatively affected by the emergence of Internet-style shorthand, but believes new language forms reflect a “highly literate society.” “Since language change is constant and inevitable, linguists don’t say that particular changes are positive or negative,” she said. “The only really negative

change is when we see a language disappearing for lack of speakers, and English is showing no sign of this possibility.” Cole is currently teaching and researching in Indonesia, where she said people do a lot more texting than talking. “I often sit enthralled, watching teenagers speed text two-thumbed on their phones while carrying on a conversation with people near them,” she said. She added that any given English speaker would not one day forget the language and limit themselves to text speak, because to understand the lingo one has to know the origin of the proper form.

TEXT continued from page 3 proper English in school but they’re also going to be learning this other [form of speech],” said Marino, coordinator for the graduate studies program at UTPA’s rehabilitation department. “It’ll be like learning a different language, some will be able to master it and a lot of the not so bright ones are going to be like some of the black kids and Ebonics.” Ebonics, a nonstandard variety of English spoken mainly by African Americans, was the center of linguistic controversy in the 1990s because many feared that overexposure to the vernacular would not properly educate young black children.

But while Ebonics was greatly criticized at the time of its highest popularity, some experts today say that text speak could actually be a good sign of the times. A LINGUISTIC APPROACH Yong Lang, a linguistics professor at UTPA, said all forms of language, formal and informal, are “amazing” because they are based on human creativity. “Language is used for efficiency,” he said. “There are no perfect answers with language; it is just changed over time.” Lang said the advancement in technology has allowed for new genres to

continued from page 3 Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley, Americans have had enough time and warning to get their passports. “We have done quite a bit of publicity and we have had passport fairs in the Valley several times,” he said. “[The Customs office] has publicized the requirements for two years, and now people still have not gotten their passports.” He said he was unsure whether traffic would slow down on the bridge as some fear in the wake of the new law, but asserted that passport validation was necessary. “Right after the terrorist attacks on September 11, a lot of government agencies needed to keep security on who’s entering the country and exiting it,” he said. The deadline for air travelers visiting Mexico and Canada was originally set for June, but after much lobbying, it was pushed back to October to accommodate summer travelers. The deadline was moved to January 2008 to allow the State Department to catch up with the massive surge of applications that resulted from the new rule. Still, with the winter season starting up, some travelers are still scrambling to get their passports.

Page 13

November 1, 2007 SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

Lady Broncs notch 10th win, slam Chicago State Game marks season’s third home victory By ALEX DEL BARRIO The Pan American One week after an uninspired straight-sets home loss against Utah Valley State, the University of Texas-Pan American volleyball team did a complete 180 with a similarly dominant victory of their own over Chicago State University Saturday afternoon at the Field House. UTPA (10-16) dominated the Cougars from the get-go, sizzling to a 30-21 first game victory. They fared even better in the second, winning by a 30-16 margin. UTPA coach Angela Hubbard was pleased with the quick start. “We talked a lot this week about our intensity and how important it was to start fast,” Hubbard said. “We got off to a nice, quick start and that set the tone for the rest of the game.” The third game began with Chicago State on fire. During one stretch midway

through the game before a UTPA timeout, the Cougars maintained a six-point lead on the Lady Broncs. Magic happened after the break, though, with the Lady Broncs leading a furious rally that led to the Cougars’ 30-26 defeat. “They came out to play to start the third match and we kind of cooled off,” Hubbard said of the team’s third home victory this season. “We called the timeout to re-focus and I told the girls that it’s not over yet, we got to keep playing.” Freshman hitter Marci Logan tallied a career high 17 kills with a .400 hitting percentage and three assisted blocks in the Lady Bronc victory. Junior setter Chelsea Blakely narrowly missed her eighth double-double of the season, chipping in with 31 assists and eight digs. Blakely was complementary on the effort of her teammates and most specifically the young hitter Logan. “I thought Marci was great today. I also thought (Rebecca) Toddy did a wonderful job,” Blakely said. “We are really starting to correct those old habits that came out last week and played really strong Division I volleyball.” Prior to the win, Hubbard, upset over the UVSC outing, had an intense

and emotional meeting with her assistants and players that lasted nearly an hour. The meeting, according to the players, was the longest of the season and had a lot of positive value for the remainder of the season. “There was no reason for us to play like we did last week,” Blakely said. “We’ve had meetings before, but this was definitely the longest one of the year. We had an intense week of practice and the meeting helped us re-focus so we can finish the season on a positive note” Today, the Lady Broncs welcome the Lady Scorpions of UT-Brownsville into the Field House for a 7 p.m. matchup, the first between the two schools in any sport since 1951 when UTPA was Edinburg Junior College and UTB/TSC was known as Texas Southmost College. The rivalry ended when EJC became the four-year school known as Pan American College. NOTES: UTPA President Dr. Blandina Cardenas and UTB/TSC President Dr. Juliet Garcia have made a friendly wager on the historic volleyball game. The loser will wear the collegiate apparel of the other university during a workday.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American MEET YOU AT THE TOP - Junior Deanna Schneyer (center) attacks two Chicago State defenders Saturday. Schneyer had five kills and four blocks.

MEN’S SOCCER CLUB

Club team reaches semifinals, loses 2-1 to Texas Tech By GABRIEL SALDANA The Pan American On the field at the Southeast Division region IV competition in San Antonio, the Bronc Soccer Club notched wins in two of the three games played. Those watching the games, however, were none the wiser that the Green and Orange almost didn’t make it on the field. Just before takeoff Thursday, members of the team were taken aback by news that funds for the San Antonio trip were insufficient and that their visit to the three-day event would be canceled. According to James Watson, director of Wellness and Recreational Sports, $23,000 in club funding was cut by the Student Advisory Committee

due to the opening of the new Wellness and Recreational Sports Center earlier this year. “Unfortunately, due to our slim budget, we can’t afford to support the sports clubs in the way that they’re used to,” Watson said. “Now that that money is no longer there, we have to extend our resources among the entire student population to provide [the Wellness and Recreational Sports] facility.” Watson said $7,000 was appropriated for the men’s and women’s soccer clubs, but that during the course of the season all but $1,222 had been utilized in competition, equipment and travel. Other areas required the rest of the funds. “We can’t disproportionably fund the [soccer] program; Pan Am is 17,000 students strong,” said Watson. “It’s unfair to take all the money and support

very few people who happen to be highly skilled at soccer.” Club adviser and head coach Marcelo Schmidt made contact with several officials about the matter, including Dean of Students Jerry Price, before finally receiving a green light to go ahead as planned. “I told them I was going to contact whoever needed to be contacted to get these kids out there,” said Schmidt. “We had worked so hard up until this point and I felt it was important to get adequately rewarded for that effort.” According to Watson, funds for the regional soccer tournament were eventually taken from the operating budget of the Wellness and Recreational Sports center, but he stressed that the clubs will be required to submit and adhere to a strict budget in the future.

ON TO THE ACTION Despite the trouble getting on the field, the tournament was a success as the men reached the semifinals for a third straight year. In game one of pool play, the Green and Orange team utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation to collect a 1-0 decision against the University of Texas-Austin. Scoring the deciding point in the match was standout Juan Reynoso. Game two against Louisiana Tech yielded a 2-1 victory for the club team with Reynoso leading the pack again to net both points. “Our play was excellent and our spirit overshadowed everyone else’s at the tournament,” said club president Victor Gutierrez “We came together and beat the number one team in Texas, UT-Austin, and we dominated

Louisiana Tech.” In their final game, Texas Tech broke the Bronc defense to notch a 2-1 win and eliminated the Broncs from tournament play, erasing any possibilities of reaching the national tournament. Artemio Arriaga netted a penalty kick to bring the score within one point to close out a winning 10-3 season. In their inaugural season two years ago, the club lost 3-0 to Texas Tech in the semifinals and were eliminated last year a step away from qualifying to nationals in the regional semis to LouisianaLafayette 2-1 in a penalty shootout. “We went up against some of the strongest competition we could expect and it turned out to be very competitive,” Schmidt said. “There is no question about the capacity of these kids to make it to nationals.”

November 1, 2007

Page 14 SPORTS

CROSS COUNTRY

Programs take second overall at Championships Nava takes first, team prepares for regionals By GABRIEL SALDANA The Pan American It was a prosperous run at home for the Bronc and Lady Bronc cross country squads as they notched a pair of second-place finishes at the Independent Cross Country Championships Saturday. The University of Texas-Pan American hosted the one-day event at the Monte Cristo Golf Course and was matched against four other universities in 8K and 6K action on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively. Setting the bar for the men was junior standout and La Joya native Luis Nava, who recorded a first-place showing with a time of 24:19.69; a clean 26 seconds ahead of second place. Nava’s win puts him in third place for the 8,000-meter all-time record at UTPA. “I feel very excited,” said Nava. “I did way better than expected. I was planning on a 24:30, but I got a 24:19. This is the first race I win this year and my

family was there to see it.” Beginning the race neck and neck with Nava and crossing the finish line in the third spot was PSJA North grad J.J Hernandez with a personal record of 24:54.60. Hernandez joined Nava in the record books with the 10th best 8,000 time ever. “I ran well today,” Hernandez said. “Me and Nava really got out there and set the pace and the team wasn’t too far behind, which is good. This is a good stepping stone for regionals, when it really counts.” Rounding out the top 10 for the men was McAllen Nikki Rowe alum Gilroy Martinez in the 10th position with a time of 25:55.07. Crossing the end line inside of the top 15 was Angel Ramirez in 12th place, and Osvaldo Gonzalez in 13th place, with times of 26:00.69 and 26:01.76, respectively. The women’s program put five runners over the finish within the top 15 spots last weekend. Brownsville Hanna ex Carolina Izaguirre set the tempo for the Green and Orange, garnering third place with a time of 22:02.32. “It was a good race but I was hoping to catch up to the other girls more,” Izaguirre said. Finishing the race in 7th place

was freshman Diana Galloso, an Edinburg High School alum, with a time of 23:04.60. Just behind her in eighth was junior Pharr native Sara Rodriguez, in 23:09.27. Houston’s Elsik grad Shardae Bey recorded an 11th place showing with a time of 23:39.05 with Edinburg North’s Rose Escovedo trailing to round out the top 15 at 24:27.72. Utah Valley State claimed the Independent tournament on both sides and recorded first and second place individual showings in men’s and women’s competition. But the hosts did well, according to their leader. “The men did a really good job,” head coach Dennis Darling said. “We knew Utah Valley was going to come in and be tough but [for us] to go out there and be competitive is all I could ask for.” The men and women will head for Fayetteville, Ark., Nov. 11 for the NCAA South Central Regional Championships hosted by Arkansas State University. “We’re really focusing right now on going and competing well at regionals,” said Darling. “Nava has a really good chance of qualifying for nationals. Getting him qualified would be a huge success.”

Onydia Garza/The Pan American CHAMPIONʼS RUN - Sophomore Carolina Izaguirre (right) runs head to head with Utah Valley Stateʼs Ayisha Mitchell. Izaguirreʼs 22:02.39 time was good for third place, Mitchell claimed first with a 21:07.97 mark.

SEEN AND CAPTURED

UTPA set for Karate Championships Saturday By DANNY GARZA The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American WAX ON, WAX OFF - Linda Bustamante, junior pre-med/biology major, will compete in the form challenge during the 10th Annual Karate Championships Saturday.

The 10th annual Karate Championship is around the corner and the anticipation has martial art enthusiasts counting the days for the first punch of the competition. The event at The University of Texas-Pan American includes not only black belt fighting but also a variety of martial art categories for spectators to enjoy. The Nov. 3 event features black belt competition, weapon performance, tai chi, judo, aikido, and wood breaking. The man who is in charge of putting the event together is Master Bob Davis. Davis, a former instructor for The University of Texas-Pan American, has hosted the event since it began in 1997. Davis, a 37-year karate veteran, said he would like for people to come out and enjoy themselves in this event. “We invite everyone to try and come out to the competition,” Davis said. “It’s a fun event and everyone has a great time during this event.”

The competition has grown during the years since it began. Davis said that there are many competitors throughout the state who come to compete. Although no official enrollment figures are available, Davis said UTPA students have competed in previous tournaments. “We’re expecting around 200 competitors,” Davis said. “Including the spectators, there will be a lot of people out there and everyone has a great time at the event.” There will be first and second place trophies for each competition. The men’s black belt fighting champion will be awarded $100 and the women’s champion will be awarded $50. With 119 divisions, it’s considered one of the biggest karate tournaments in South Texas. Entrance fee will be $5 for the general public and $4 for UTPA students. The competition will be on Nov. 3 at noon at the Health and Physical Building II in room 118. For more information contact Bob Davis at (956) 686-8630.

November 1, 2007

Page 15 SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Year two: Schuberth, UTPA returns four starters Men open season with St. Edward’s at Field House By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American SLAM DUNK CHAMP - All-Independent senior shooting guard Brian Burrell led UTPA in scoring with 15.6 ppg, pivotal in last yearʼs turnaround.

Just three days remain until the start of the 2007-2008 University of TexasPan American basketball season, when the Broncs will play an exhibition game against St. Edward’s at the UTPA Field House. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The Broncs have every reason to be optimistic this year as second-year head coach Tom Schuberth returns to lead a group that received recognition from the state as the top Division I turnaround team for their seven-game improvement last year. “We’re excited about this season because we’re building on last year,” Schuberth said. “We had 14 wins last year and obviously we’d like to increase that. We’d like to have an undefeated season at home and we got a great nucleus of guys coming back, with the addition of five new players. We feel like we can be very competitive.” During the offseason, the Broncs were featured on ESPN.com, sparking excitement for the upcoming season. In part of the pre-season “Shoot Around”

segment for the Independent conference, ESPN analysts said “UTPA’s experience and coaching continuity could be the ingredients for a winning season.” In 2005, the Green and Orange finished the season at a disappointing 7-24. Schuberth turned it all around in 2006, giving hope to many that had written off the Broncs since the departure of Bob Hoffman. The former coach went on to head coach the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the new expansion team of the National Basketball Association Development League. UTPA will also try to mend the loss of center standout Colin Lien, who was recently signed to the Rio Grande Valley Silverados, another Valley expansion team, playing in the Continental Basketball Association. Lien finished the 2006-2007 campaign averaging a career high 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. But even with the loss of the 7-foot Lien, the Broncs return four starters from last year’s squad, including 6-3 senior Brian Burrell, who averaged 15.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. “We’re excited about it (season),” Burrell said. “We’ve got a couple of new players to our roster and we’re just trying to put wins up there, play hard and try to win every game. We’ve got to play hard every game and not take our opponents lightly.” In the off season, the Green and

Orange added depth to their roster signing two freshman, Nicholas Weiermiller (Elmira, N.Y.) and Damon Franklin (Flint, Mich.), to national letters of intent, as well as three junior college transfers, Adinson Mosquera (Medellin, Colombia), Emmanuel Jones (Washington, D.C.) and Nathan Hawkins (San Antonio), who Schuberth feels will all contribute to the team. “With the addition of those five guys, they’re going to not only help us, but in some ways they may put pressure on our returning starters, where they can win a starting position,” Schuberth said. “As a coach, you feel good about that because you just don’t have one option, but you can have two and in some cases three options in deciding who you’re going to play.” With Midnight Madness kicking off the season three weeks ago, excitement is building for the 2007-2008 campaign, but the Broncs will face a difficult schedule en route toward a productive season. Key games against Alabama and Northwestern mark two of the 20 road tilts on tap for the Broncs. They will be host to 10 opponents, including a second home game following the opener. “I think we got to build on our defense if we’re going to show people that we’re for real and we can beat solid teams,” said Schuberth. “We were a pretty good offensive team, considering everybody was new to one another.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Broncs return, look to improve on 11-18 record By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American For the past two seasons, the Lady Broncs basketball team has endured arduous seasons. The women would like to put those behind them and try to reminisce about their 16-14 record three years ago, for incentive as DeAnn Craft returns for her fifth season as head coach. “We’re extremely excited (about the season),” Craft said. “We have 16 home games and we’re looking forward to having this being a very successful season.” The women will begin play Nov. 15 in Waco against Baylor. Two days later, they will make their home debut at the UTPA Field House against the Rams of Huston-Tillotson University. The biggest buzz this off season was recruiting. The Green and Orange had a quality off season, recruiting five players to letters of national intent. “We’re so solid already as a basketball team,” Craft said. “Ninety-five percent of our offense is back and on top of that, we added an arsenal of players that are better skilled than players that we’ve

had in the past. We just think we’ve got a really good new group that we’ve added, but we’re excited because we don’t have a lot of holes to fill. We just feel like our returnees are so solid.” The five newly signed Lady Broncs were good acquisitions after the departure of MaHogany Daniel, who played in 111 career games for the women, tying her for the most in program history. Still, key players returning are senior guard LeKeisha Gray and sophomore forward Aleeya Grisby. The month of April was big for the women, as they signed three players, including Jessica Walker (Jacksonville, Fla.), Janita Sessions (San Pedro, Calif.) and Icelandic National Team member Maria Ben Erlingsdottir. During the 2006 championships, Erlingsdottir was one of the top players, averaging 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, and was named the Best Young Player in Iceland during the 2004 and 2006 seasons. Calysa Marshall (Florissant, Mo.) and Michelle Cottrell (Montgomery, Ala.) were the final two players signed in May. Marshall averaged 8.4 points, 6.5

rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game during her senior year, receiving All-Suburban North Conference laurels. Cottrell is a transfer from Wallace Community College-Selma and averaged 11.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game during her sophomore year, ranking second among all NJCAA Division I women’s basketball players in assists and steals per game. Also in the summer, former Director of Basketball Operations LaQueisha Dickerson was promoted to assistant coach. She will be overseeing Grisby and other forward and post players. Unlike the men, the women will have more home games than road matchups. Chicago State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi highlight two of the 16 scheduled at the Field House. The women will have 14 road matchups, including key games against powerhouses Baylor and Texas. Craft says rebounds, turnovers and free-throw shooting are three vital areas that the team must execute and improve on from last year in order for the Lady Broncs to manage their schedule and record wins.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American SENIOR LEADER - Senior point guard LaKeisha Gray (right) looks for an open shot during practice. Gray averaged 10.6 ppg last year for the Lady Broncs.

Page 16

S P O RT S

November 1, 2007

THE PAN AMERICAN

MOTOCROSS

StatsAtAGlance

By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American It is arguably one of the very few sports where there is an ‘I’ in team, but in terms of adrenaline bursts, none come closer and that’s exactly why 23year old Harlingen native Tim Bryan loves motocross. “The adrenaline just rushes. In football and stuff like that you have a team behind you where with this, it’s you,” Bryan said. “If you don’t win it’s your own fault; you don’t have anybody to blame.” Until this weekend the Los Fresnos Motocross Park was home to his dirt bike antics, but Sunday afternoon his thoughts drifted from a tight turn to another jump over a 10-foot high ‘over and under’ at the new Miller Lite MX Park in Donna. The 20-foot wide, 70-foot tabletop

steel contraption served as one of the main attractions for the estimated 160 racers who attended the park’s open house. “Usually motocross tracks are just jumps and turns, jumps and turns, hardly any tracks in the United States have an over and under,” said event organizer Marc Fantich. Rick Maldonado, whose company Rio Grande Steel donated the building materials for the “over and under,” which has been submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the biggest in the world, said the two day-event was an appetizer of what is to come. “We’re thinking of bringing some pros but that’s still under wraps,” Maldonado, an avid racer, said. Located off the Hwy 83 Valley View exit, with an estimated 1:20 average lap time, the 25-foot wide, ¾-mile

track rests on a 200,000-square foot field donated by park manager John Billman, Fantich’s long time friend. It was built in two months and is the vision of a six-man committee whose love for the sport goes far beyond their nine-to-five occupations. “I did it with a team of six of my best friends,” said Fantich, also a promoter of other events such as The South Texas Scorcher. “That’s because we have really good sponsors and worked really long hours. You know nobody quits their jobs to open up a motocross park, all the people that are on my team have full-time jobs, but we stayed every night until midnight just working away on it.” The park’s first race is scheduled for Nov. 11 with subsequent races every first and third Sunday of the week. Racers show up at 7:30 a.m., pay a $35 registration fee, practice, and race at 10 a.m.

There is no age limit for racers to compete and although no license is required to ride, Fantich said plenty of protective gear should be worn to avoid serious injury. To keep them competitive races will have several skill-level brackets: beginner, intermediate, expert, executive, master, and even a cash class. Racers stand to make a cool $315 for a first-place finish in the cash class, with a guaranteed $20 prize for each racer. The park will also host practice days, Wednesdays from 5 p.m. until sundown and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on race day when practice precedes scheduled races. Non-members pay $10 to practice. Women spectators are always free, while their male counterparts have to pony up $10. Annual park memberships range from $495 for single riders to $795 for families.

Luis Nava’s finish at the National Independent Championships hosted by UTPA Saturday

Number of games it took the Boston Red Sox to beat the Colorado Rockies, in the 2007 World Series

Number of years in Tony Romo’s contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys, worth $67.5 million

SUNDAY DRIVE - Eric Castro (left), 17, and Tim Bryan, 23, both from Harlingen were two of the estimated 160 riders who tried out the new Miller Lite MX Park over the weekend.

Total number of wins this year for UT-Brownsville volleyball team, UTPA’s opponent today

106

Final score for the Spurs as they beat the Portland Trailblazers 106-96 in the first game of the 2007 season

“TheySaidIt”

“I think we have more

depth than we had last year, which enables us to play more people and keeps our team’s chemistry better.”

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

- Tom Schuberth UTPA menʼs basketball head coach