November 8, 2011 by UTRGV Student Media

Thursday Nov. 8, 2007

58th Year No. 11

TECHNOLOGY

CAMPUS

A technological obsession?

New journal showcasing students in the works

Internet generation could be gadgetdependent By J.R. ORTEGA The Pan American Without much avail, she went from one convenient store to the next in hopes of finding a pay phone but had no luck. Panicked, she felt anxious and scared. She did not know what to do next. With no way to get in contact with her husband, she felt helpless and lost. She had lost her cell phone. This is one reality Elizabeth Rodriguez, a 27-year-old project accountant for the department of rehabilitation at The University of Texas-Pan American, said she never wants to face again. “I felt so disconnected from the world,” she said. “It was at that point in time that I realized how dependent I was on my cell phone, it makes me wonder how we use to do it when we didn’t have this technology.”

THIS WEEK

OVER CONNECTED According to The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, there were 219 million U.S. cell phone subscribers in mid-2006 and Rodriguez is part of that growing number learning to get by in a digital world. Between technology like cell phones, Ipods and the Internet these tools are becoming as natural as some-

one’s morning cup of coffee. And students, staff and faculty at UTPA are no exceptions. Walk up and down any hallway at UTPA and the technological obsession is obvious: people on cell phones, laptops or with their MP3 players practically attached to their ears. Erica Flores, a 21-year-old sophomore English major from Edinburg, said if it wasn’t for technology like the Internet, she would have trouble keeping in contact through blogs and online journals with some of her friends. “I think it’s different for different people because for some people that’s what they’ve become use to,” she said. “They feel that they can share their problems with the world, maybe they get some feedback.” She added that she keeps utilizes online tools to help stay somewhat private and releases little about herself to the general public other then her friends. But Ezequiel Barrera, a 27-yearold sophomore sociology, said he thinks differently about technology.

By ANA VILLAURRUTIA The Pan American Research journals are typically produced exclusively by medical and law schools, plus other academic entities peopled by professors and graduate students. But not anymore. Mark Noe, an English professor at The University of Texas-Pan American, said the creation of a revolutionary new student publication called “Border Line” will surely take the university to a new level. “Nobody out there is doing a student journal that treats student works as academic articles,” said Noe, editor of the publication, which will have studentproduced articles on the border community and its issues. The journal is the fruition of a long-time project by Stephen Oliver, a history and philosophy professor at UTPA, who was among one of the initial founders of the idea. It has taken several iterations over a period of years to bring the project close to completion. Oliver said he came up with the name for Border Line from a local television program of the same name. “The show would get people in the Valley interested in issues and to learn

See CONNECTED page 11

See BORDER LINE page 11

CURRICULUM

NEWS Book examines leaders of Middle East See Page 3

A&E Local promoters give voice to RGV talent See Page 8 and 9

SPORTS Lady’s golf tournament finish is highest ever See Page 13

Proposed core curriculum fails to pass faculty vote Revisions stalled until new plans constructed By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Plans to revise and lower the number of required core curriculum hours at The University of Texas-Pan American were stalled Monday, following a faculty vote against the proposal. A total of 174 voting-eligible facul-

ty members were in favor of the proposed core and 227 against. Only fulltime faculty members, of whom there are an estimated 700 on campus, were able to vote. As a result of the vote, the current core will remain in place and the University Core Curriculum Committee will determine if it will revisit a review of the core in the coming weeks. The committee had the recently rejected proposal in development for nearly three years. “Any major, substantive curriculum change has to be driven first by the

faculty and then has to be ratified by the faculty. That’s in the HOP,” said Danika Brown, Faculty Senate co-chair. In the proposal, the departments of modern languages, computer literacy and kinesiology were among areas dropped from the basic classes all students must take. The goal was to whittle the core down from 48 to 42 hours, which a number of schools around the country have done recently in an effort to help students stay on a four-year graduation plan.

See CORE page 11

O PINION

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November 8, 2007

THE PAN AMERICAN

PONDERINGS

Writers hold up TV’s fall season BY: JEANETTE PEREZ

t was quite an unpleasant, agitating beginning of the week for me as I was checking the latest news online Monday night. After a few gasps and angry shakes with my fists at what horrendous news lay before me on the monitor, I realized that my relationship with the television set this fall won’t be the same for a long time. Recently, the entertainment industry felt a huge blow as the Writers Guild of America, at a very important time of the fall season, decided it was their right to go on strike. The group, with 12,000 members, is demanding to get paid a portion of

money made off Internet downloads, advertisements and online sales. So what does it all mean? Well, latenight programs, like “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” will be the first to feel the devastation. The nightmare has already begun as re-runs have come into effect. Oh, the horror. The horror! Over the months, if the strike continues, that which I hold dear could severely be damaged. TV sitcoms and dramas are next on their hit list. My cherished Monday nights with “Heroes” will come to an end once all the available new scripts run out.

However, all is not lost. Unscripted daytime series like “Live with Regis and Kelly,” reality shows, and of course, those shows who are smart enough to employ non-union workers will not suffer from the strike. Usually, with my liberal state-ofmind I would support an effort like this, but seeing as how this strike affects how I spend my off-time, well, I’m just so damn upset. As a writer, I would kill to get a paycheck as big as theirs, but do you see me complaining? What happened to the joy of writing simply for the sake of sharing your work with others? Today’s writers have their heads so far up their butts that they’ve lost the

don’t understand everyone’s obsession with organic and wholesome foods. I know they’re supposed to be good for my body, but no amount of research anyone has ever conducted has convinced me enough so that I can willingly shell out an extra buck for a box of home-grown, cranberry spinach cereal. For one, my measly paycheck isn’t enough to support any healthy, organic habits — organic foods cost about 20 percent more than regular ones. Even if I were paid more, I don’t think I have the ability to be healthy because I’m not capable of frequently consuming nastyass foods. Sadly, I was born with the impediment of owning taste buds. I live by campus, so I shop at the local Wal-Mart pretty often. I’ve noticed lately that lots of organic-themed foods

because I am what I eat or…something. And my body is a temple. I get it. There have been numerous research projects indicating that organic foods are not really that much healthier for you. Really, one of the few advantages of going natural is that these products have fewer pesticides, food colorings and preservatives. I’d rather have an insignificant amount of pesticide in my food than bugs crawling all over it. And I’d rather my food have preservatives than it rotting two days after I buy it. Also, is food coloring really that dangerous? All foods have their pros and their cons. The E. coli outbreak earlier this year was from an organic farm. Call me gullible, but I have pretty solid confidence that government regulations are good enough to keep most consumers such as myself from dying of food-coloring overdose.

NOVEMBER 8, 2007

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

Designers

THE

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

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

Rick Gamez Greg Garza Reporters and Photographers

A&E Editor Jeanette Perez.........fae_myst@yahoo.com

Brian Carr

Sports Editor Erick Quintero................................................. erickquintero4@hotmail.com

Onydia Garza

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

Lezette Villarreal

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

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

Leslie Estrada Ramiro Paez

Laura Garcia

14 14

UTPA Theatre presents “Blithe Spirit,” by Noel Coward in the Jeffers Theater at 8 p.m. Box office opens one hour before show. For more information or to make reservations, call (956) 381-3581

Do you share the rage I feel

Newsinbrief

or do you think these writers deserve the break they want? fae_myst@yahoo.com

Organic obsession overrated are filling the aisles. It’s nice to see more variety, but some of that stuff is too disgusting to consider edible. I gave those new fruit-based chips a try the other day, mostly because I’m a consumer whore and I love buying things I don’t really need, but partly because I wanted to see what all the organic hype was about. Much to my surprise, they tasted like ass, a mixture between dish detergent and old fruit with a turpentine aftertaste. It’s blatantly obvious that these lame new product lines are a way for big food corporations to cater to a small group of whiny, radical hippies trying to force the rest of the world into pretending to be healthy. Everyone from my dance professor to Wal-Mart’s CEO says I should try eating organic foods because I should care about my personal well-being, or

November

meaning of what it is to be a writer. They put the title to shame. When a girl can’t sit back and enjoy her weekly dose of Peter Petrelli, Mohinder Suresh and Claire Benett saving the world with their extraordinary powers, the entertainment industry has truly become a disappointment. Thanks to the Writers Guild of America, this is something new to add to my list of frivolous news.

LESSONS FROM LEY

BY: ANA LEY

Savethesedates

INTERNATIONAL WEEK Next week, The University of Texas-Pan American kicks off its annual International Week in hopes of exploring international education through a blend of academic and cultural initiatives. Sponsored by the Office of International Programs, this year’s agenda features various events to promote education about what many people believe to be a worldwide crisis in global environmental conditions. Planning for International Week involved the Faculty Advisory Committee – a group of appointed UTPA faculty from various departments and colleges charged with helping the university organize international events – and the Office of International Programs.

REEL2RED I’d rather not live in constant fear of my food — accepting that there are lessthan-appetizing chemicals in it — than eat organic, twine-flavored chow the rest of my days.

Should I buy into the organic fad? Tell me why: analey23@yahoo.com Secretary Anita Casares..........areyes18@utpa.edu Advertising Manager Samantha Quintana.....spubs@utpa.edu Assitant Advertising Manager Jacqueline Iglesias................................... jiglesiasz@broncs.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.

On Oct. 27, The University of Texas-Pan American’s student-run broadcast team, Reel-to-Red took home a win at the 5th annual Lone Star Emmy Awards. The group, nominated in the NonNews category, won for their recent film production, “Dead Letter,” a film about teenage pregnancy, jealousy, drugs and violence. They were also nominated in the Student News category.

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 8, 2007

N EWS

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THE PAN AMERICAN

EDUCATION

WORLD VIEW

Culture Professor’s book examines Middle East integral part of ESL learning By LEZETTE VILLARREAL The Pan American

With a barrage of information and news thrown out daily to the public about the Middle East, it is sometimes hard to remember that there is a history to the various conflicts, guiding the key players we see on often one-dimensional news reports. University of Texas-Pan American political science professor Sonia Alianak knows this history and shares her knowledge in a new book, “Middle Eastern Leaders and Islam: A Precarious Equilibrium.” In her book, Alianak, a well-known authority on the Middle East, examines the apparent absolute power in the region, detailing the political lives of various heads of states. She delves into reasons for their nearly unchallenged authority over societies from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.

By ABIGAIL MUNIZ The Pan American Being a student who learned English as a second language has taught Alyssa Cavazos a lot about the language itself and has helped her connect with her pupils as a student teacher at a local high school. While the experience was initially a challenge, Cavazos admits it has given her insight on integrating cultural and personal connections into classroom literacy experiences, especially with a group of students she was able to work with at the high school who were English learners. “You give them a book like ‘Crazy Loco’ by David Rice, and they see their experiences reflected in the work,” Cavazos, from McAllen, said. “They would get the culture from the [Rio Grande] Valley. “ Cavazos, who will speak at the National Council of Teachers of English

Middle East is full of unstable leaders, which is based on the revolutionary eras of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Surely it is no accident that the period of stable leadership that followed across the region coincides with the resurgence of Islam and the leaders’ mastery of the art of survival by promoting their own versions of Islam.” -- Page 210, “Middle Eastern Leaders and Islam

LIFE STYLE

ECONOMICS

‘SEXcess’ a success By LUPE FLORES The Pan American Sororities and fraternities have often been portrayed as organizations that often host parties ridden with unprotected sex, especially in popular films such as “Sorority Boys” and “Old School.” But members of two student organizations at The University of Texas-Pan American are trying to change that view and portray one of responsiblity. In an effort to spread information about the benefits of smart, safe sex, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Omega

See BOOK page 12

his overall pattern of longevity of rule Excerpt: “T runs counter to the lay view that the

See ESL page 12

Greek life hosts talk on STDs, safe-sex practices

According to Alianak, one main reason for their control probably can be attributed to their manipulation of the Islamic religion to dominate the people of the region. Iran is a good example of a country largely run by religious leaders, but there are many others. “Some Middle Eastern leaders have survived a very long time in power, while the literature presented them as being circular, and using Islam to get remain in power,” said the political science professor. “They are very clever. That's why they've survived that long.” Alianak, who will hold a book signing Thursday at noon in the library, said popular literature often depicts Middle Eastern countries as power hungry and leaders as authoritarians, but that it never compares the relationship between the two. “We are involved in a battle with extremists of Islam, so it's important for

Delta Phi International Fraternity teamed up with Planned Parenthood and UTPA’s Student Health Services to deliver their message and answer students’ questions. “We noticed that there were attempts to do this before by other organizations, but we wanted to do something bigger with Planned Parenthood, and hopefully get as many students out here and their questions answered,” said Tanya Marie Garza, president of the sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma. SEXcess, a twist on the word “success,” is the title of an event held by the organizations at the campus chapel last week. The discussion drew questions ranging in subject from the symptoms of STDs, to unintended pregnancies, to the benefits of abstinence.

See SEXCESS page 12

Discussions tackle Chinese economy By LUPE FLORES The Pan American It is a question that plagues even the most experienced of modern economists. And now, in a series of presentations, The University of Texas-Pan American is extending the dialogue on the matter: is the steadfast rise of China’s economy in the 21st century a threat or boon to the rest of the world? Monday marked the second of four culture sessions sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at The University of TexasPan American and Chiquan Guo, the consulate general in Houston for the People’s Republic of China. Guo told attendees of the session that it is beneficial to learn Chinese now that that nation’s economy is rising, because globalization is making different

economies more dependant on one another. “The U.S. market is getting very competitive, it’s getting very saturated in

some ways where there is not much work opportunity left with just degrees,” he said. “There is more opportunity

See CHINESE page 12

Benjamin Briones/The Pan American ECONOMICALLY AWARE - Chiquan Guo, consulate general for the Peopleʼs Republic of China, encouraged students to familiarize themselves with Chinese culture now that the nationʼs economy is on the rise.

November 8, 2007

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November 8, 2007 NEWS

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

November 8, 2007

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THE PAN AMERICAN

I SEEN AND CAPTURED

Music fest rocks SPI for cause

Onydia Garza/The Pan American A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY - Robert Earl Keen performs at the 2007 South Padre Island Music Festival Nov. 3. Keen was one of more than 50 musicians to take the stage at the event he headlined.

I STUDENT LIFE

I POETRY SCENE

Students finalists in Red Bull art competition By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American In their jewelry and metal-working class, Jose Castillo and Erica Thomson are used to soldering and welding their work, so working with scissors, glue and wire was a rare occasion. Recently, The University of TexasPan American student artists found success in an atypical art contest that puts an unconventional twist on the art discipline they’re so used to: Red Bull’s ‘The Art of Can.’ Studio art majors Castillo, Carla San-Martin Escobedo and Thomson, under the guidance of UTPA metalworking professor Melissa Lovingood, submitted original works to the competition during the spring semester and have been selected to be among 39

Over the period of 72 hours, more than 50 musicians from three different continents congregated for the 2007 South Padre International Music Festival, held Nov. 2-4. Two main stages and 10 showcase venues hosted acts like the Jaguares, and Robert Earl Keen. Main acts performed at the “Dunes Stage” at Schlitterbahn Water Park or the“Bay Stage” at Louie’s Backyard. Thousands of music lovers attended the weekend event, which cost an estimated $150,000. Proceeds went to Sea Turtle Inc. and the Coastal Conservation Association.

finalist entries for the nationwide challenge. The Red Bull energy drink, familiar for its commercial success and popular mantra of “giving you wings,” started its ‘The Art of Can’ contest in 2005. Since then, participants of all ages and from many occupations have constructed sculptures inspired by or crafted out of Red Bull aluminum cans. This year, finalist work will be on display starting Nov. 9 in Chicago. According to Nyla Hassell, spokesperson for Red Bull, the competition was the company’s way of letting an artist’s creative juices flow through an unexpected medium. “The contest is a celebration of creativity. Red Bull is known to vitalize the body, but it also vitalizes the mind, fueling all types of creative people and projects,” said Hassell. “‘Art of Can’ provides a platform for emerging artists to express themselves, get notoriety by sharing their talent in a creative public showcase, and have a good time.” The UTPA students were initially unfamiliar

Students take lead after poetry cafe closes doors By LAURA GARCIA The Pan American

with the contest; they became aware of it from Lovingood who had entered it the previous year. “She’s the reason why we made it into the contest. We all made our projects and she was pretty adamant about submitting our work,” said 22-year-old Thomson. “If it weren’t for her, none of us would have had the confidence for this type of experience.” The strange way of using a can for a purpose other than its intended use really struck a motivational chord in Thomson. “I thought the contest was a really

See CONTEST page 10

When the doors of the Nueva Onda Poet’s café in Edinburg were shut, its patrons felt homeless. But Sigma Tau Delta made the most of the disappointing news by hosting its first Poetry Bash Friday at the Albert Jeffers Theatre. Guillermo Corona, president of Sigma Tau Delta -- which is also called the International English Society -- decided it was time to host an event like this. “There aren’t many venues these days where we can get on stage to express ourselves anymore. There are a few cafés here and there but nothing really with heart,” said Corona. Corona, along with members of the English Majors Organization and various other campus organizers had been preparing for the event for several months. From Google to Myspace, flyers were posted to help promote the event. Rolando Serna, vice-president of Sigma Tau Delta said it was a great way for all artists to network and reunite with their Nueva Onda Café family. “I am excited to see some old friends from the poetry scene in the Valley,” said Serna. Performers included Richard

Sanchez, a registered nurse (R.N.) at Economedes High School in Edinburg, who read three short stories, one of which focused on language translations. In one story he spoke of taking his family to a pizza place and the waitress offering him a calzone, an Italian pizza turnover, but the word strongly resembles another which Hispanics use for an undergarment. Another performer was Frank Gonzalez, a 22-year-old English major from Sullivan City, who played guitar and sang. He was accompanied on guitar by 20-year-old Richard Idrogo of McAllen, who majors in zoology at South Texas College. Both belted the lyrics to two love songs, romantic and sappy enough to make any girl go weak in the knees. Gonzalez who has been playing guitar for two years hopes to see the art and music scene blossom. “I think that it is a culture that can certainly grow and I am confident that poetry, art and music will begin to play a bigger role in our society, at least I hope so,” said Gonzalez. Anne Estevis, a retiree from the College of Education, also took the

See BASH page 10

November 8, 2007

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November 8, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

McAllen production company opens doors for aspiring talent W

ith the recent barrage of concerts and highend performances in the Rio Grande Valley, it is evident that as the Valley grows, so does its entertainment industry. While most local venues seek to promote already famous acts that cater to the popular public, there’s one McAllen production company in search of something with more edge. Leyenda Productions has made a name for itself by promoting all kinds of local, original talent, without limitations; the group has patronized music, acting, prose, poetry, theatre, and film. Unlike most such companies, it offers a family environment because, after all, it was made by family. The intricate birth-child of Rebecca “Z” Zamudio and her son Brandon Garcia, 25, Leyenda Productions has been paving the way for local, undiscovered talent since the fall of 2005. The Valley-based company provides a multitude of venues for people not only to display their talent but enrich it, said Zamudio, originally from Sweetwater in West Texas. The company produces theatre, student-run theatre, music videos, short stories, and has recently taken on marketable music, music that can be aired on the radio, with an upcoming musical debut at Cine El Rey Nov. 12 with the aspiring hip-hop group, Go Lightly Project. “What’s unique about us is that we are producing our own stuff and working our own path,” said Garcia, a radio-TV-film graduate of The University of Texas-Austin. “It’s all original material. We do lots of different things without really any help.” While most young people would stress out at the thought of working alongside their mother, Garcia sees the positive aspects, saying that while there have been expected rough patches, “there’s no one else I’d rather work with.” Irish Bautista, vocalist for Leyenda’s screenplays and musical acts, sees the advantage in Garcia’s and Zamudio’s close bond. “They both share a passion for it. They know each other so well that they’re able to work together,” said the 19-year-old biology major. “The fact that they’re mother and son makes it more interesting. It provides the closeness of a family.” Had it not been for an unfortunate occurrence in Zamudio’s life, the partnership would not exist. “How we got started I’d say, was almost accidentally. I was a teacher at a private school in McAllen and I wrote the prose and plays which were used for presentation,” said the co-founder of Leyenda. “At one point, the administration changed and they

wouldn’t let me write the same way because they said it was too ‘out there.’ Too authentic, too real. They didn’t like it, so I quit.” With hopes of creating a solid platform for other aspiring artists, Zamudio embarked on realizing her dream of theatre; it wasn’t possible without the help of her son, who while he enjoys his job, was a bit hesitant at first. “The reason I got into this was that my mom worked as a teacher and at one point she wanted me to write a play for her. Before that, it was just kind of an interest I wanted to pursue,” said Garcia, producer/songwriter/performer for Leyenda. “It was more like ‘here’s a dream, I’m going to follow it.’ It kind of just happened on its own. It’s really more my mom who’s been more ambitious as far as projects. I’m just kind of the one getting it organized, getting it off the ground.” Over time, Garcia adjusted. “I really like the opportunity to write. I like performing and making music,” said Garcia, who’s performing alongside Go Lightly. “I never sang in public before but now I’ve gotten to do a lot of it. It’s a neat opportunity.” As with any endeavor, getting started wasn’t an easy task. “We had no idea what we were doing,” said Garcia, who works as an editor for The Monitor. “I’d compare it to growing up in the wild with no parents or guidance and trying to figure out how to survive.” Two years later, the company, once solely theatre-based, has grown into something more. Choreographer and dancer Michael Rodriguez, who’s been part of Leyenda’s musical productions for almost three years, has seen the company develop in many ways. “It’s grown in many aspects, especially in the fact that we’re no longer afraid to collaborate. We do a lot more concerts now. It’s all about throwing out ideas and cooperating with each other,” said Rodriguez, of Edinburg. “It’s more of an artistic gathering now. We all have new ideas and take a unique approach. Slowly, we’re getting out there. It’s not as independent as it used to be.” According to Rodriguez, there is one particular thing Leyenda has that most other production companies lack: risk. “We have the will power. Other production companies are afraid to really let go, afraid that they’re going to lose money,” said Rodriguez, freshman communication major. “We’re just hoping to make a name for ourselves before we make a profit. We all

understand that and that’s what makes it so wonderful. We’re not afraid to take that step.” Taking risks and opening doors helped Zamudio and Garcia in their efforts to bring the Valley a production company with much to offer. Zamudio too, has grown right alongside the company. “I’ve grown as a creator of music, writing and bringing people together,” said Zamudio. “It’s a variety of things that have come together to give me the experience I need to write and bring people together. It’s been an evolutionary process.” Zamudio, who once worked for a congressman in Washington, D.C., and once taught at a private school, has come a long way from being a school teacher with a dream. “Rebecca had a vision and now she’s seeing it,” said McAllen resident Bautista. For Zamudio, the experience and recent success are only the beginning of greater things to come. “Seeing what we’ve done, what we can do and what we can provide enlivens me. It [the experience] makes me younger, makes me strive,” said Zamudio. “Whereas some people at a point in their life kick back, I’m just kicking in.” Leyenda’s latest endeavor will be their collaboration with Go Lightly and other fresh, aspiring musicians at Cine El Rey for original Monday night music. The company is also in the midst of finishing production on “The Legend of the Mourning Dove” play and expects to have a film festival in the Spring of 2008. For more information on the company’s latest events, visit their Web site at: www.myspace.com/leyendamcallen.

Roy Bazan/The Pan American COLLABORATION - Leyenda Productions and the Weslacobased Hip-Hop group, Go Lightly, take a photo op on the set of the groupʼs video shoot for “Sweat it Out.”

November 8, 2007

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November 8, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

McAllen production company opens doors for aspiring talent W

Roy Bazan/The Pan American COLLABORATION - Leyenda Productions and the Weslacobased Hip-Hop group, Go Lightly, take a photo op on the set of the groupʼs video shoot for “Sweat it Out.”

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November 8, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

I MUSIC REVIEWS

I BOOK REVIEW

Spears makes return Chilean Allende delivers By BRIAN CARR The Pan American

“I

t’s Britney, Bitch.” Her words, not mine. It’s the first line of “Gimme More,” a grinding dance-floor anthem that opens with Spears speaking as if on a post-screened, voicemail-answered telephone call. Rolling Stone’s Melissa Maerz pointed out astutely that this album probably won’t be the best thing for the rapidly aging pop diva’s custody battle. Your honor, we would like to introduce exhibit B: Spears’s opening rant on “Piece of Me.” “I’m Miss American Dream since I was 17 / Don’t matter if I step on the scene / Or sneak away to the Philippines / They still gonna put pictures of my derrière in the magazine / You want a piece of me?” Ah, the American Dream. To achieve the pinnacle of success while in our latter teens, then publicly selfdestruct and wither in alienation. Bald headed. Childless. Alone. Without underwear. But for all the Britney bashing that will inevitably ensue, post “Blackout,” it is indisputable that the post-prime Mouseketeer has produced

a solid piece of pop music. Clearly the beats are Timbalandand Timberlake-inspired, but the drugged-out Spears has managed to perform through her diminishing public appeal. You can almost taste the morningafter vomit belting from the vocal booth, so there’s a certain credible edge attached to this Britney outing. Blame Aristotle’s “Poetics” for outlining the tragedy if it makes you feel better, but the truth is people like seeing other people fail. Unfortunately, Spears’s latest album will probably do anything but. Luckily, we have her private life to fall back on.

Britney Spears

Amazon.com

again with latest effort By YNGRID F. MORALES The Pan American Isabel Allende, a Chilean writer, has left her signature in Latin America and the rest of the world for her contributions to Spanish literature and the genre of magic realism, which combines magical, fantasy elements into a realistic environment. In her new book, “The Sum of the Days,” Allende tells the story of her life and the struggles her family had after the death of Paula, her older daughter. Written in the form of a letter to Paula, the novel is a continuous conversation between Isabel and the spirit of her daughter years after her death. Allende uses a writing style that started in her first autobiography, which usually occurs when she talks about her personal life, referring to family, what’s new and what has changed. The book is the follow-up to her first autobiography “Paula,” the summary of Allende’s early life to the moment her daughter got sick. The book follows a different pattern than

her other works, which are known for unique female characters with extraordinary abilities and characteristics. The author’s latest work has become one of the best-selling books in Spain and has made a lasting impression on readers, who have described it as a fascinating book that lets them better understand the writer and her emotions through a surreal setting. In this continuous communication with Paula, Allende seeks advice, support and protection in the ethereal presence of her daughter, letting the reader see how strong the love of a mother is. The story is filled with emotion, humor and extraordinary characters, who one by one formed part of Allende’s “tribe” as a result of the ironies of life. Allende became a recognized author with her book, “The House of the Spirits,” which started out as a letter to her grandfather and became a great Spanish literary success. With this new book, the reader finds that inspiration for the author comes from her everyday life, the members of her family, and the experi-

Amado Balderas, owner of the Nueva Onda Café closed the doors in late 2007 due to financial problems. The café became and idea when Balderas felt they all needed a place to sit and discuss their poetry, and eat great food while doing it. Its demise seemed to be the result of not catering to the popular public.

lebrija.com

CAN

BASH continued from page 7 stage and felt the event was a way to help those performing. “I hope the participants enjoy and appreciate having a venue for their creative work. This is an opportunity to share with others and receive feedback,” said Estevis, who’s been writing fiction and verse for 50 years.

ences of her voyages. A gathering of moments that turn into magic and a touch of Allende’s imagination transform the memories in this book into a novel of life and family and a woman who despite her struggles manages to find a message of hope and love. The English translation of Allende’s “The Sum of Our Days” will be released in Spring 2008.

While other places which promote poetry usually include a bar. Corona says “beer and poetry don’t mix well, especially if the people in the audience are there for the beer and not for the poetry.” Jose Skinner an English professor at The University of Texas-Pan American will also miss the café.

“The Nueva Onda had a very positive impact on the writing scene. Published writers as well as beginners were invited to read. The shows usually included live music as well,” he said.

I “There aren’t many venues these days where we can get on stage to express ourselves anymore. There are a few cafés here and there but nothing really with heart.” - Guillermo Corona President Sigma Tau Delta

Benjamin Briones/The Pan American EXPRESSION - UTPA English major Frank Gonzalez and Richard Idrogo, a zoology major at South Texas College, were among the performers at Sigma Tau Deltaʼs first Poetry Bash.

Still, spirits are high. Places like Moonbeans in McAllen, Philosophy Daves in Harlingen and the Brownsville Museum still cater to the aspiring poets. Skinner believes a new venue should closely mimic the Nueva Onda Café but not location wise. He feels downtown Edinburg, “which is badly in need of a cultural spot” would be more adequate for a poetry revival. Corona and everyone involved in the effort, from artists to supporters continuously strive to help the scene prosper and make the Valley aware of a cultivating culture.

continued from page 7 great, fun way to recycle and make artwork with the cans. It’s a clever idea,” she said. Contributing to Thomson’s motivation was the fact that she and her family had previously gone through a change in location. “We were going to be moving. I’m originally from Chicago and the whole reason we moved down here is because of South Padre Island,” said Thomson, whose sculpture “Rock Lobster,” reflected her transition into a different culture and environment. “My dad loves the beach. My artwork has always had a nature aspect, like sea life.” Castillo’s piece was part of a series he had been working on, something a bit more relevant to the whole Red Bull concept. His work composed of more than 50 beverage cans, LCD lights, and wire is titled the “Winged Androgynoid” which is four feet tall and four feet wide. It is of a man about to fly off of a hot volcano after taking a drink of Red Bull and ‘growing wings.’ The students work of art will be displayed at the East River Art Center in Chicago, where they will compete for the grand prize: an expenses-paid trip to the world’s leading museum of modern art, Art Basel in Switzerland.

Page 11

November 8, 2007 NEWS

BORDER LINE something,” he said. “That is what this journal wants to do.” He said the word “border” applies to the South Texas area, as the region’s issues will be highlighted in pragmatic, useful articles combining academic style with real-world solutions. “Part of the intent is to get students interested in local issues so they [can] be ready to write,” said Oliver. Oliver said the journal will enable undergraduate students to write research-type articles on current events topics, giving the students experience with academic writing along with a fine resume item. He hopes the journal will push more students into research and critical thinking, and as the university transitions into a research focus, Border Line is designed to help the process along. “When I first got to the university it was providing small local businesses with competent personnel,” Oliver said. “This is nice, but it doesn’t focus on research.” Noe said he feels as though Border Line is a metaphor for a connection between all UTPA disciplines. Casting a wide net will allow UTPA’s journal to avoid the insularity usually associated with most specific publications. “We would like to see articles on biodiversity in the Rio Grande River next to a sociology paper on how it

continued from page 1 would affect the citizens around it,” he said, adding that the journal would balance its output of half undergraduate and half graduate articles. Still, Noe and Oliver know that acquiring funds for the journal is not the only problem they will encounter as they try to make it a success. The two expect some funds in January from the National Endowment for the Humanities fund, but it will not be enough to maintain the publication for long. They want to get seeding money from the NEH and then convince the administration to help finance the project in the years to come. They will also have to get students to submit journal articles. Noe said he has not received a submission yet, but knows UTPA students have research papers to publish. The group is in the process of getting the word out this semester. “I’ve seen wonderful stuff from students but usually the only people that see these papers are their professors,” he said. “We want them to be out there.” Oliver mentioned that the student journal could bring prestige to the university and prepare students for acquiring a master’s degree. “Many have said it’s ahead of it’s, time but once students and administrators realize that it could be a benefit to them, then they will get on board with it,” he noted.

CONNECTED continued from page 1 “I’ve known people who have had cell phones and didn’t really like them,” said the Harlingen native. “Or some that got one solely for work and then used landlines for personal phone calls.” Although he uses the cell phone and Internet to a minimum, he said that cell phones and the Internet are “part of our infrastructure,” and that it’s okay to be somewhat dependent. A LOOSE WIRE Owners and frequent users of technology raises the question whether too

much usage is considered detrimental or addicting. Perhaps this progression in technology is just making life easier. According to Russell Eisenman, associated professor of psychology at UTPA as technology continues to evolve it can pose benefits and problems will both depending on how they apply it to their lifestyle. “Technology both hurts and helps us; it is, in part, up to us to use technology wisely so it does not hurt us,” said Eisenman. “Of course, if we are being spied upon without knowing it, there is

not a lot we can do. Other problems that come with dependence and free-will of the Internet include privacy issues, either personal or through spyware which can track what one views online and uses that to learn more about the user. As they are popularly identified, Generation Y and the Internet generation overlap one another from 1985 to 1995. The huge technological leap the U.S. saw through those years attributed to the name choice and it is these generations that are becoming technologically savvy.

CORE continued from page 1 An electronic vote was originally scheduled to take place at the end of September, but was delayed until late October to allow individual colleges to hold forums for further discussions on the matter. “I think the discussions from the faculty and the closeness of the vote shows there isn’t this overwhelming, 100 percent rejection of the proposal,” Brown said. “It’s clear that the faculty is open to discussion about what we want to do about the core, but they weren’t particularly satisfied with this and were split.” Along with omitted classes, another significant change within the proposed

plan included six hours of so-called flexible components, allowing students the option of choosing two three-hour classes within their own discipline to count toward the core curriculum. Despite the rejection, Brown maintains that revision of the core curriculum is an issue that will not remain dormant for long. “I think it’s certainly not a done deal. I think the curriculum committee will very much be revisiting the issue but they (the faculty) made clear that...another alternative needs to be explored,” she said. Cutting down on core curriculum

hours to allow for more discipline-specific courses is a common way universities in Texas and elsewhere have attempted to comply with more strict parameters set by the Texas Legislature in late 2005. Moreover, as per The Texas Education Coordinating Board, all university bachelor degree plans should not exceed 120 hours by 2008. Exceptions will be made for highly technical disciplines, such as engineering. However, the Faculty Senate maintains that a review of the core curriculum takes place every five years and this review was not prompted by the UTSystem or state legislation.

November 8, 2007

Page 12 NEWS

CHINESE continued from page 3

ESL continued from page 3

[however] for them to grow elsewhere, such as in China, as it’s becoming more important to the U.S.” Before a reform movement in the last two generations, China’s communist economy was relatively closed to outsiders, according to Guo. It was not until changes with the Open Policy of 1979 occurred that citizens were allowed private ownership of land. Once Chinese risk-takers were able to go out and work with what they had by engaging in international trade with other large economies such as the United States, Japan and Germany, he said, China started becoming a recognizable, more wealthy and competitive economy. China presently has the world’s fourth largest economy. Guo and economic experts predict that by late 2007, China will take on Germany as the third largest, and by 2050, it will likely garner the title as the world’s leading one. With this in mind, Guo stressed that “there are a lot of opportunities for Americans to do business in China,” as business continues to grow. He implied that the competition and collaboration between economies would not stop even when – and if –

Annual Convention in New York City on Nov. 18, said it is becoming more apparent than ever that learning a new language is not just about the alphabet or verb usage. “There’s actually connections they can draw, they can learn about other things that [we] do that are more Americanized,” she said. For an immigrant just learning about American culture, things such as football Sundays or the Fourth of July are staples that may need a bit of explanation. English as a Second Language classes offer students knowledge about the English language, but that’s not all. Gloria Marie Garcia, a training specialist at The University of Texas-Pan American’s English Language Institute, said that teaching culture in ESL classes is just as significant. “It’s important for them to learn why [Americans] do certain things or why we have certain celebrations,” she said. Students in her beginner’s level course at the ELI are not only learning about grammar and syntax, but also about cultural phenomena characteristic of Americans. Garcia teaches a citizenship class where “a little bit of history

China surpasses the American economy, since a mutual dependency means that suspension of ties would work to the detriment of the global market. “If you want to become a worldclass corporation, you cannot be totally absent from the U.S.,” Guo said. “By no means could any corporation [no matter what country it was founded in] gain credibility, claiming themselves a worldclass corporation, without the reliance on other large, competitive economies, like the U.S. and China.” The next sessions will take place Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 with the third one serving as an International Week festivity. It will feature a Chinese languagecultural showcase with a competition between UTPA Chinese student groups. The last meeting is titled “Experience China,” and it will offer students information about different sites in China. The first session, which took place Oct. 26, covered the basics of Chinese culture and language. Yong Lang, an English professor at UTPA, explained how motivation is necessary to master the Chinese language, detailing the four types of accents and the significance of every character in Chinese calligraphy.

and culture” are exposed to the students. The class aims to teach students about important American facts that might prepare them if they had to take a real citizenship class after they applied for citizenship. “Whether you’re an immigrant or a citizen you need to know for example, what Martin Luther King Day is and why we celebrate it,” she said. One of Garcia’s classes has students originally from places like Turkey, Korea, San Salvador, Mexico and Japan. “It’s kind of like the saying ‘when in Rome do like the Romans,’” she said. Raymond Guerra, a sociology professor at UTPA, said that studying language means studying culture as well. “If you’re learning a language, it’s imperative to learn about the people whose language you’re learning,” he said. He also explained that jokes are typically culture-specific, and it is important to be accustomed to particular styles of humor if one truly wishes to integrate into a new culture. Guerra remembers doing graduate work in Mexico and watching the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,”

BOOK continued from page 3

SEXCESS continued from page 3

UTPA students and the Valley to be informed about other countries, especially the Middle East,” she said. “We have students and community members who serve and volunteer their services to the military who should know about the Islamic countries they're going to.” According to Alianak, people are very devoted in Middle Eastern countries and these leaders are depicted in the Western press as running closed societies thanks in part to circumscribed theocratic governments. How is it that such leaders have survived, she has asked herself many times. “I found out that leaders use Islam, but their own version, to appeal to the religious people in the country, the majority of whom are Islamic,” said Alianak, an Armanian who was born in

“We are trying to inform students about the different things that could happen [if safe sex isn’t practiced]” said Garza, a senior biology/pre-med major . In addition, unintended pregnancies, STDs and things of the sort are sometimes what “hinder students, especially women,” from completing their education, Garza noted. Kathryn Hearn, community services director for Planned Parenthood, defined the event’s thematic word, SEXcess, as something to describe the result of a smart and safe sex life. So as long as students are successful at what they do and come out clean in the long run without unwanted sexual consequences, they have been “SEXcessful,” she said. Eddie Quintanilla, UTPA’s Student

Sudan and raised in Egypt. “They have their own version and they have their own ulama, or religious scholars, that issue religious rulings.” Alianak explained that the ulama, the doctors of Muslim religion and law, are considered as important as members of the U.S. Supreme Court, making binding judgments and rulings on every aspect of life. “They rule whether an action by a ruler is constitutional or not, so they get the support from the ulama to let the people know that this is something according to Islam,” she noted. Alianak will present her book in Room 310 on the 3rd floor of the library. It will be available for checkout and for purchase at the University Bookstore.

Health Services department health education coordinator, said the human papillomavirus is one of the most contracted STDs. But others, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, that are also prevalent because they often go untreated. To curtail the problem there is only one solution, he added. “When you have a college population, who are supposed to be the most educated or who are trying to seek education to better our society, the major line of STD prevention is to be well-educated on the subject,” he said. According to the American Social Health Association, 15 million cases of some form of STD are reported each year. Twenty-five percent of young adults contract STDs annually, and about 90 percent of these persons have HPV and chlamydia diagnoses.

in which a phrase about the consideration of abortion prompted the audience into laughter. He then understood that language invokes varied responses depending on the audience, based on differences. “You have to have the knowledge and belief of [that certain] language,” he said in reference to understanding the humor behind something. Cavazos, a graduate student at UTPA who earned her bachelor’s in English in 2002, is currently a teaching assistant for the English department. She said that introducing stories or texts that interest English-language learners help make their “acculturation” much easier. “It’s important for teachers to introduce them [the culture] because they are forming part of it,” she said. From a teacher’s perspective Cavazos also feels that different goals and expectations shouldn’t be set for these students just because of a linguistic challenge. “People learn differently… I feel myself reflected in [ESL students’] faces and in who they are because I was there,” she said.

Quintanilla said education is not something that can be delayed. “It’s very important that students get educated not only on HPV, but the other STDs out there, ‘cause they are bound to be in a situation where they are vulnerable,” he said. Martha Garcia, a sophomore nursing major, said the message carried by the event and the publicly answered questions “helped her out a lot.” “They informed on a lot of ways to protect ourselves and to check ourselves, which is something every student [who is sexually active] should know,” she said. The university will host a Global HIV Testing Day event on Nov. 28 at the Student Union, where pretests will be available for all those interested.

Page 13

November 8, 2007 SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

UTPA takes down UT-Brownsville in five games Lady Broncs drop to 11-17 at Texas State By ALEX DEL BARRIO The Pan American What was supposed to be a historic inaugural match-up between the University of Texas Pan American (1117) and UT- Brownsville turned out to be the most exciting match on the entire home slate for the Lady Broncs, as they narrowly avoided a Scorpion comeback to win 3-2 Thursday night at the Field House. The Scorpions and Broncs have not met head to head in any sports since 1952, after Edinburg Junior College became Pan American College and was transformed from a two-year junior college to a four-year college. The Scorpions (27-7) came into the night highly touted, 19th in the nation in the NAIA rankings. Despite the fact that UTB was in a lower athletic classification than the Lady Broncs, UTPA Head Coach Angela Hubbard did not look past the visitors. “We don’t take anyone lightly,”

Hubbard said. “We knew they were a good team and that we had to play hard. “It was a little close, they played really well we just played better when we had to.” The teams had an entertaining opening set, UTPA winning 30-27 with a hitting percentage of .262 and 18 kills in 42 attacks. The second game was back and forth as the Scorpions and Lady Broncs traded points even after the 30-point plateau. The Lady Broncs escaped with a 34-32 victory and took a 2 to 0 lead. After the break, the Scorpions came out on fire, winning the next two games. In the third one they pulled away with a 30-18 decision, hitting a .333 hitting percentage while connecting on 16 kills in 33 total attacks. The Scorpion offense was relentless in the fourth game as they notched a 30-27 victory, knotting the score at two apiece and forcing UTPA into a fifth match. “Yeah they came out strong after the break,” Hubbard added. “Good teams make adjustments and that’s what they did to us.” In the fifth and decisive frame, the Lady Broncs snuck past UTB with a 1513 victory. Kellie Phillips recorded her seventh double-double with 23 kills to

go along with 11 digs, while Marci Logan collected a career-high 23 kills and 11 digs. The quarterback of the squad for so long has been junior setter Chelsea Blakely, and she chalked up her ninth double-double with 58 assists and

11 digs in the victory. NOTES: On Tuesday evening the Lady Broncs traveled to San Marcos and fell to Texas State (17-10 record) in three straight games 30-22, 30-22 and 30-13. Phillips and Logan teamed up for a

team-high 10 kills apiece and Blakely added a match-high 27 assists. UTPA travels to Houston to take on two teams they hold early season wins over, Prairie View A&M Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Texas Southern at 2 p.m.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American REKINDLED RIVALRY- The Lady Broncs celebrate a point scored against UT-Brownsville in their first meeting since 1952. UTPA claimed the historic meeting, 30-27, 34-32, 18-30, 27-30 and 15-13.

TENNIS

Friendly competition in Mexico strengthens tennis program Spring season concludes at Monterrey Tech By GABRIEL SALDANA The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s tennis squads headed down south into Monterrey, Mexico Saturday and Sunday to compete in what head coach Robert Hubbard referred to as a “friendly round robin.” The successful two-day event yielded wins in several matches on both the men and women’s sides.

University of New Orleans transfer Nirvick Mohinta notched a pair of straight-sets victories in singles against Monterrey Tech in the exhibition, the team’s final action of 2007. “I beat the number four and five guys in straight sets so those were good wins,” Mohinta said. “Most of the guys we played are top 20 in Mexico so that definitely helps us prepare better for the spring. The conditioning really paid off.” On the women’s side, freshman Ontario, Canada native Stephanie Willerding recorded two singles match wins against the Monterrey squad, while junior Eckerd College transfer Julia CirneLima notched a win against the number one contender from the opposing school. An injured Silke Buksik of

Waiblingen, Germany, along with freshman partner Megan Bedeau captured a doubles match, recovering from a four-point lag to record an 8-4 victory over Monterrey. “We did well,” Buksik said. “My foot was hurt and I couldn’t run well, so singles wasn’t so good, but I played good doubles. It was a friendly kind of match and it was different, but it was a good start for the next season.” A reprise with Monterrey is slated at UTPA for Feb. 17 during the spring season. According to Hubbard, even though the event was listed on the tournament schedule, it will not be used to determine a collective NCAA ranking for the team. The series of matches was

intended as a live-action precursor to the training schedule that will take place during the offseason. “These are individual tournaments so it’s possible for some of the kids to move up in the ranks on an individual basis,” Hubbard said. “In the fall, most of the tournaments don’t count towards an NCAA ranking. The real season for tennis is the spring.” Hubbard stressed that building a relationship with Monterrey Tech was one of the missions the squad hoped to accomplish with the exhibition; the other was squeezing in as much match practice as possible before entering the training season. The Green and Orange squad will be focusing on a strength training regi-

men during the off season which “has been the theme and goal throughout the fall,” said Hubbard. The Bronc teams aim to continue that. Time will have to be split between strength training and practice as NCAA guidelines stipulate that only eight hours per week can be allotted for the team with university staff. “Most of that time will be spent with the trainer to accomplish the strength training,” Hubbard said. “But they are really a diligent bunch so they’ll schedule and run practice themselves.” The Broncs make a return to the court Jan. 1 to kick off the official spring season at home with matches against College of The Southwest, from Hobbs, N.M.

November 8, 2007

Page 14 SPORTS

CROSS COUNTRY

UTPA cross country teams prepare for last stride Nava and mate Hernandez take shot at nationals By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American INDEPENDENTʼS FINEST - Junior Luis Nava trains at the university track in preparation for Saturdayʼs NCAA South Central Regional Championships. He posted a 24:19.69 mark and was crowned Independent champ Oct. 27

It all comes down to this; the NCAA South Central Regional Championships, and both University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s teams enter with plenty of mileage under their belts. After both programs placed second at the National Independent Championships hosted by UTPA Oct. 27, head coach Dennis Darling said the teams enter the most important race of the season having clinched an important milestone. “With the momentum we’ve been running a lot stronger,” Darling said. “Going into regionals you have to be real confident in what you know you’ve done and how you prepare for the race. I think they’ve been preparing and they’re ready to go.” Assistant coach Hugo Cervantes has the team focusing on explosiveness and speed work rather than logging hard miles. This combined with the ‘pack’ approach, where teams run together before

breaking up into individuals, should yield favorable results for UTPA. The men have a stronger team and individually Luis Nava should qualify for nationals, Darling said. Nava claimed a first place-finish at the Independents after clocking in at 24:19.69, best for third all-time at UTPA behind performances by former All-America Westly Keating. J.J. Hernandez, fresh off his recordsetting performance at the Independent Championships, is another Bronc who anchors the Green and Orange. His 24:54.60 time clinched third place Oct. 27 and inked his name at 10th all-time in the school’s record books. “He’s been running pretty well, building his confidence,” Darling said of Hernandez, a San Juan native. “As a team we’re border line to making it to nationals, individual wise it’s going to be Luis and J.J.” Darling said the men will carry over some success from the Independent race into the South Central Regionals. For that race, UTPA returns to Fayetteville, Ark., where the Broncs failed to get any traction and the men and women finished in the middle of the pack, 21st and 23rd collectively, in the Chile Pepper meet Oct. 13. In Fayetteville they will take to the

trail against powerhouses from the Big 12 and the surrounding southern region. Far different competition than say Chicago State or Utah Valley State: there they will face the likes of Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. While the buzz surrounds the men’s squad, the women enter with nothing to lose and are led by sophomore Carolina Izaguirre. Izaguirre came in third at the Independent Championships with a time of 22:02.39. Edinburg native Diana Gallasgo and Sara Rodriguez, who finished seventh and eight respectively behind Izaguirre, are names to keep in mind when it’s all said and done. “Carolina, she’s been running pretty well, so I just have to see what they’re going to do on the women’s side,” said Darling. UTPA leaves Friday for Fayetteville and will be at the starting line at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Cross Country Regional Championship Host: Arkansas State Saturday, Nov. 10 Location: Fayetteville, Ark.

GOLF

Lady Broncs conclude season with top-five finish Women shoot 619 during twoday tournament By GABRIEL SALDANA The Pan American Sharpshooting was the name of the game as the women’s golf program notched a fifth-place standing out of 14 schools at the UAB Fall Beach Blast to close out the 2007 fall season earlier this week. The four-woman squad took a foothold early in the tournament, shooting a collective score of 306 to end the first day, Monday. Leading the Green and Orange in round one was Kingwood High grad Elizabeth Rodriguez, who closed out the front and back nines with dual 37s. She landed tied in the seventh spot, ending the round with a score of 74. Behind Rodriguez in the 19th position was junior Canada native Bronwyn Sandberg, who posted a 76 over the first 18. “This was the toughest course

we’ve played this year,” Sandberg said. “I think we surprised ourselves playing so well in one of the tougher tournaments we’ve played.” University of New Orleans transfer Mariale Camey followed, three strokes behind Sandberg for a firstround tally of 79 in 29th place, while Mission Veterans alum Rebecca Deleon brought up the rear for the Bronc Squad tying at 54th. During the second and determining round at the UAB tourney, the women sealed their first top-five finish, recording a total team tally of 619. Replacing an ill Rebecca De Leon Tuesday was Haley Hocott, a San Antonio MacArthur HS ex. Hocott took the reins for the Broncs, finding the tin cup on the last 36 to record a two-round mark of 149. She posted the lowest one-round score of the event, shooting a 72 on the final 18 to finish in ninth place overall. “I played really solid today but all four of us had to play for the team score,” Hocott said. “It was windy out there, which is what we were used to in the Valley so we knew we had an advantage going into it [and] it worked out well.”

Sandberg walked off the course with a 13th place finish after a two-round tally of 152, while Rodriguez collected scores of 74 and 82 in the final 36 holes to garner a 25th place standing in the Alabama event. Camey ended the tournament in 39th place scoring 76-83 in the first and second rounds of days one and two, respectively, bringing her two-round total to 162. Claiming the UAB Fall Beach Blast was East Carolina with a tournament total of 589. UTSA, LouisianaMonroe, and Samford University rounded out the second through fourth spots posting team tallies of 610, 612 and 616, respectively. “We’ll have a top five finish in the tournament and I’m very proud of them,” said head coach Ofelia Lopez. “They all contributed to the team and stuck in there together. I can’t just say one of them stuck out much more than the others.” The women’s team now looks to the spring season, where it will return to the field Feb. 25 at the Islander Spring Classic in Corpus Christi. The Bronc men next play March 3 in Beaumont, Calif., for the Braveheart Classic.

Ofelia Lopez FULL SWING - Senior captain Elizabeth Rodriguez keeps her eye on the ball. Her 256 tally landed her 25th overall in Gulf Shores, Ala.

November 8, 2007

Page 15 SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Broncs prevail over Hilltoppers in exhibition, 68-63 Burrell, Stoll and Trader combined for 40 points By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American The University of Texas-Pan American basketball team knew that Saturday’s exhibition game against St. Edward’s University was an important stepping stone toward establishing a precedent for the upcoming season. In a game where both teams witnessed foul after foul and turnover after turnover, it was the Broncs who edged the Hilltoppers in a tight 68-63 contest at the UTPA Field House. UTPA will open up the regular season on Saturday against the Falcons from The University of Texas Permian-Basin. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Field House, and they hope that the exhibition teaches some lessons. “Obviously, I’m glad we found a way to win,” Bronc coach Tom Schuberth said. “I want to give St. Edward’s a lot of credit. They traveled all day and made it a one-minute game. Fortunately, we made our free throws and I was proud that we won, but we still have a long way to go before we are a good ball club.” After taking a nine-point lead at halftime, the Green and Orange only

shot 38.1 percent in the second half compared to 47.8 percent in the first. In contrast, the Hilltoppers offense came alive in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field and trailed just 56-53 with 7:19 left in the game. But senior forward Zach Trader came up with key shots down the stretch, scoring eight of the team’s last 14 points to solidify the Bronc win. Guards Brian Burrell and Paul Stoll were the leading scorers, with 14 points apiece. Stoll also recorded eight assists, while Burrell collected five rebounds. “I think we could of done a lot of things better; getting back and playing better defense, but overall we got the win so that’s all that matters,” said the senior Burrell. “We just need to play hard. If we had stopped playing hard, the outcome probably would have came out different. The offense is going to come, but we just got to play better team defense.” Indeed the Bronc defense is what let the Hilltoppers make a run in the second half. The score stayed tight throughout the first half, with the UTPA leading by one at 20-19 midway through the half. From there, the Broncs went on an 18-6 run to take their largest lead of game. The Hilltoppers cut the nine-point halftime deficit to six early in the second half, but back-to-back 3-pointers by senior guard Dexter Shankle and Stoll increased the lead back to double digits.

But the yellow and blue would have none of it, as they went on a 17-6 run to trail by only one. It would be the last time the Hilltoppers were within reach of the Broncs. Trader’s eight points and a steal by Burrell, resulting in a threepoint play, were the nails in the coffin for St. Edward’s. “We bent a lot,” said second-year coach Schuberth. “They made some runs at us, but we were able to hold them off. There were some bright spots. We made the plays when we needed to keep the lead.” Saturday also showcased openers for junior college transfers Emmanuel Jones, Nathan Hawkins and freshman Nick Weiermiller. Hawkins came up big for the Green and Orange as he posted 13 points.

- Broncs’ Next Game -

VS. Texas-Permian Basin Date: Saturday Nov. 10 Location: UTPA Field House, 7 P.M.

Roxy Solis/The Pan American SENIOR LEADER - Forward Zach Trader eyes the tip-off in the opening moments of the exhibition game against St. Edwardʼs. Trader recorded 12 points en route to a 68-63 victory against the Hilltoppers.

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

Basketball fanatics enliven season for Green and Orange By ERICK QUINTERO The Pan American Rewind to last year. Nov. 27 to be exact. With 10 minutes left to play, the University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team is down 57-47 to the University of Texas-Arlington on Sam Williams Court at the Field House. Having suffered an earlier loss to Arlington, the Broncs were trying to avoid a regular season sweep to their Southland Conference foes. The men rallied behind some hot shooting from beyond the arc and Zach Trader’s last-second free throw for a 74-73 comeback win. Sure the men went on a hot shooting streak from beyond the arc, but the game was won, arguably, in large part due to the few fans on hand. Among those few scattered Winter Texans was UTPA junior Gabriel Quintanilla, an Edinburg native and one of the original founders of the Hoop Heads, a campus group whose members eat, sleep and breathe Bronc basketball. The support students are at every home game to razz the visiting team. “We just want to make it as tough

as possible for the other team to feel comfortable in our home court,” said Quintanilla, a communication major from Edinburg. The Hoop Heads print out opposing team rosters to learn personal details and use them in chants against the visitors, with the sole purpose of disrupting their game. What they won’t do is use obscene or vulgar language; the Hoop Heads like to keep it clean. At the time, they only support the men’s basketball team, but as the organization grows, members hope to expand their ventures into other sports. Quintanilla, the marketing coordinator for the group, said he’s been attending UTPA basketball games since he was a youngster. “I was there when Mire Chatman, Brian Merriweather, were there, you know—when the games got good,” Quintanilla said. “They played Air Force there [Field House], they lost to Gonzaga by three. I’ve been around, I’ve seen it and I just want to get it back to what it could be and I think our team does have the potential.” The Hoop Heads, although not an

official club yet, filed the necessary paperwork to be recognized by the university; they were formed last year by Quintanilla and current president Alex Sotelo. “Whether we are official, whether we’re not, we’re still going to do it because we just love basketball. We love supporting the Broncs,” Quintanilla said. Sotelo, according to Quintanilla, played basketball with UTPA basketball player Ben Smith at PSJA North and was

there supporting Smith before joining forces in supporting the Green and Orange alongside Quintanilla. The decision to dress up in their full Hoop Head attire was Chris Martinez’s, Quintanilla’s high school buddy and current UTPA student. They don deflated basketballs on their heads, capes, nets around their necks, and have been known to wear skirts on occasion. If it’s funny or has the

Onydia Garza/The Pan American CRAZY FOR BASKETBALL - Hoop Head members enjoy their unusual tactics as they cheer on the UTPA basketball programs from the stands at Midnight Madness

potential to make anyone laugh, Quintanilla and his rowdy cohorts will wear it, no questions asked. “Whatever I can get my hands on, you know? Anything I can tear up and make it look as ridiculous as possible, I’ll do it,” said Quintanilla. “You know Chris wore a dress to Midnight Madness, I wore an Afro and I could care less.” In their short existence the Heads have gained the support of UTPA President Blandina Cardenas and of course, men’s basketball coach Tom Schuberth. “Boy, I love those guys. I support them number one, because obviously they’re going to help our basketball program be more competitive and it adds atmosphere to the Field House,” said Schuberth, who added that outside of basketball the Hoop Head approach is admirable. “I just like the attitude of those young people,” said Schuberth, who also serves as the club adviser. “They’re enthusiastic, they’re excited about life but they love basketball and they show their spirit by getting together. And that’s what school is really about.”

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S P O RT S

November 8, 2007

THE PAN AMERICAN

BASKETBALL

The University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s basketball programs are on the verge of beginning the 2007-2008 season. Excitement has built around both teams in the off-season, with a returning senior backcourt leading the way for the men and women. Turn to page 15 for more information on the men’s first outing on the court.

Men’s Home Schedule Nov. 10 Texas-Permian Basin 7 p.m. Nov. 13 Texas A&M-International 7 p.m. Nov. 21 Texas State 7 p.m. Dec. 3 Western Illinois 7 p.m. Jan. 8 Texas-San Antonio 7 p.m. Jan. 16 Huston-Tillotson 7 p.m. Jan. 22 Houston Baptist 7 p.m. Feb. 2 Chicago State 6 p.m. Feb. 9 New Jersey Institute of Technology 7 p.m. Feb. 12 Cal State-Bakersfield 7 p.m.

Women’s Home Schedule Nov. 12 Texas A&M-International (Exhibition) 5 p.m. Nov. 17 Huston-Tillotson 7 p.m. Nov. 20 Centenary 7 p.m. Dec. 1 Schreiner 2 p.m. Dec. 3 Tennessee-Martin 5 p.m. Dec. 13 McNeese State 7 p.m. Dec. 28 Lafayette 6 p.m. Dec. 29 St. Louis/Lamar TBA Jan. 1 Oral Roberts 2 p.m. Jan. 9 New Jersey Institute of Technology 7 p.m. Jan. 12 Cal State-Bakersfield 7 p.m. Feb. 1 Longwood 7 p.m. Feb. 2 Chicago State 8 p.m. Feb. 18 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7 p.m. March 1 Houston Baptist (Exhibition) 2 p.m. March 6 TBA TBA March 7 TBA TBA March 8 TBA TBA Photos taken by: Onydia Garza and Roxy Solis/The Pan Ameriacn

StatsAtAGlance

Number of touchdowns Tom Brady threw in the final 9 minutes and 42 seconds against the Indianapolis Colts

Number of years since the Bronc men posted a winning record in basketball

Amount in millions Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s one-year contract is worth, it includes a $2 million weight clause

Number of points the Texas Longhorns scored in the fourth quarter in their 38-35 comeback win over Oklahoma State

ShortSports GOLF The University of Texas-Pan American will host its first-ever Bronc Invitational tomorrow at Los Lagos Golf Club in Edinburg with tee times set for 8 a.m.. “We’re excited to kick this off as the first Bronc Invitational to help boost membership in the Alumni Association and the Bronc Athletic Club, which is the booster supporting club for the 14 Division I athletic programs here at UTPA,” Assistant Athletic Director for Development Rene Cantu said. First-year head women’s golf coach Ofelia Lopez will oversee the tournament, with 40 participants currently entered in the event. All funds raised from the event will profit student scholarships.