February 7, 2008 by UTRGV Student Media

Thursday Feb. 7, 2008

59th Year No. 18

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

NATION

Students take quiz on candidates views, their own with mixed results

VOTERS - (Clockwise from top left) Students Michael Brousard, Cassie Solis, George Lima, Melinda Gutierrez, Jennifer Pena, Jamie Ramirez and Orlando Campa (not pictured) took a quiz to determine if their views were similar to those of their top presidential candidate. Nick Dodd/The Pan American

By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American

THIS WEEK

The decision seems to increase in importance and difficulty with each passing day, but eventually, every voter will have to choose who they want as the new president. Super Tuesday was essentially no help in making that decision. Delegate allotments remain close, at least on the Democratic side, as Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 845 delegates and Sen. Barack Obama retains 765. On the Republican ground, the race

is less competitive. Sen. John McCain has 613 delegates, while former governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee hold 269 and 190, respectively. When the average voter tries to sort out their choice, it can be daunting; polls indicate that the number of undecided voters has reached a record level. However, a bevy of quizzes on the Internet, from sources such as the Washington Post and CNN, claim they can help a person find the candidate who best reflects their views. So, The Pan American tested the effectiveness of one reputable quiz on

seven students, chosen at random, who had already made their selection for president. The quiz asks questions about major issues like abortion, Iraq, the economy, and immigration, and at the end spits out the name of the candidate the survey respondent should vote for. But if the results are any indication, those who have their mind made up may be just as confused as those who admit to being undecided. ON THE ISSUES Of the seven students surveyed, three found that their prior views did not

align with their first choice candidate from the survey. Three others discovered their views were matched up evenly between two candidates, and only one found that his views were on par with his original pre-survey candidate. Cassie Solis, a freshman nursing major, originally supported Democratic candidate Clinton. The quiz, however, found her views best corresponded with Republican Mike Huckabee, a stark contrast. The news came as a surprise to Solis. “When I did hear them speak — I heard them speak a couple of times — I didn’t see myself agreeing with him,” she

said. “I agreed with a few things, but I wasn’t supporting him like I was Hillary.” Solis, who said she is not committed to either party, said the quiz made her want to look into Huckabee a little more than before. “After I saw that, I definitely wanted to [research him more],” she admitted. In fact, Solis’ view on her most important issue, which she declared to be the Iraq War in a brief survey given to her before the quiz, didn’t align with Clinton’s at all. At first, she said her support of

See CANDIDATES page 11

CAMPUS

NEWS Students commemorate Ash Wednesday See Page 3

A&E Migrant struggles inspire RGV filmmakers See Page 8 & 9

SPORTS Chapter comes to close for Ryan Buck See Page 16

University hosts Regents meeting Board to evaluate proposed new doctoral programs By J.R. ORTEGA The Pan American For the first time in seven years, members of the University of Texas System Board of Regents are on campus at The University of Texas-Pan American.

The board’s original visit date was August 2007 but the trip was postponed because of the threat Hurricane Dean posted to the Texas coast. The group consists of nine members that are appointed by the governor and accepted by the Texas senate to be the governing body of the nine-branch UT System. During the visit, which ends today, they will attend committee and general board meetings regarding various changes the campus has undergone, such as the growth in population, new facili-

ties and growing staff. One of the more significant issues that may soon affect some students is UTPA’s request for approval from the board on plans to expand degree-planning authority. Currently, the university has three doctoral programs - international business, education and a cooperative pharmacy program with UT Austin - but hopes the board will approve ones in applied and computational mathematics, plus engineering science. Carol Rausch, assistant to

“The best students are always tempted to go out and get the big bucks.” -Edwin Lemaster dean of College of Science and Engineering President Blandina Cardenas, said that the board will consider approval for

See REGENTS page 11

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O PINION

February 7, 2008

THE PAN AMERICAN

A GREGISH MIND

Savethesedates

Fellow Gamers: get out and move BY: GREGORIO GARZA

or awhile now, I have seen shirts with the logo “Major League Gaming” plastered on the front. Seeing this, I thought it was merely making fun of the other professional sports. Yet as I have found out, it is not so. The Major League of Gaming does actually exist and ESPN actually follows its stories. Now, I have been playing games for a long time. I can even remember getting my first Nintendo, the old-school one, on Christmas Day, and even remember what the tag said on it. Yet, I must have missed the point when gaming went past the point of mere fun to being a sport, something for ESPN to cover. And let’s face it, ESPN is the goto network for all things sports.

The problem with video games being considered a sport is that for the most part there is no real physical activity involved. Sure, there is the Wii, where some people get really into the game where they throw their arm around like a limp noodle, and let’s not forget the sensation that was Dance Dance Revolution, or so-called DDR. With DDR, you would see people go to arcades with a duffle bag full of towels and water bottles, as if they were going to spend the day at the gym. Yet, here they walk; right into the arcade and start cutting loose on the dance floor of this little arcade system. Examples like these are the exception. OK, DDR is supposed to make you dance and move, but as for the Wii, it can be played with simple

movements of the wrist. If you get all into it and immerse yourself into the game, good for you. But it’s more of a workout of the imagination than the physical self. Games like these aren’t meant to be used as a substitute for physical activity, and if you feel like you get a workout just by flailing your arms around, I think its time to put down the cheeseburger and actually go outside and see the light of day. What’s even worse about the sport of gaming is the gaming of sports. Sports games have been around for a long time, and with the new technologies, they are only getting better. I see something wrong with the over-dramatization, though. Sure, they are fun to play every now and then, doing a little one-on-one with some friends, but now there are

tournaments, and championships for how well you can electronically throw the perfect touchdown. What ever happened to the days where people actually played the real sport for fun and not just on television? Sometimes, a game is just a game, nothing more. Not a sport, or a way to teach little kids to kill, just a game for people of a mature mind. If you want to play a sport, put down that controller and pick up that pigskin and throw a few with some friends. You will get more out of it than just pushing buttons.

Think gamers have more game than I give them credit for? Tell me: the_nataku@yahoo.com

PONDERINGS

Britney knows how to ‘drive you crazy’ BY: JEANETTE PEREZ

ttempting to fulfill my need for that sweet, sweet gossip in Hollywood world, I tune into my favorite celebrity-gossip show, TMZ on the CW whenever I have the time to spare. While I love to waste my time on mindless celebrity news like where TomKat is heading to every day or how pissed or bored Lindsay Lohan is as she’s being followed by the annoying paparazzi, there’s always one celebrity that makes news almost by the second— Ms. “Oops I did it Again,” Britney Spears. Lately all that’s been plaguing my need and want for gossip is Spears and the never-ending drama theater that’s been put on by her ongoing circus act. The woman is clearly, CLEARLY, not in a stable mental condition and the media,

FEBRUARY 7, 2008 THE

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

as well as anybody around her, love to exploit this mess of a songstress. From the moment Spears married K-Fed to the two pregnancies and then through divorce filings, Spears has become Hollywood’s infamous icon for disaster. While she was praised before for her transformation from cute, girly pop icon to sexy, scandalous mature woman, all current news - make that news about her for the past year - has been about how much the woman has gone downhill and back to her trailer trash roots. Just last week Spears had another episode where she had to be forcefully admitted into the UCLA Medical Institution after being unable to handle the stress of the custody battle between she, her parents and former husband, Federline. More unflattering, humiliating

images of Spears bawling her eyes out and looking like a mad, desperate woman who has lost everything she holds dear reached the airwaves and the Internet in a matter of minutes. As if her breakdown weren’t psychotic enough, her involvement with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib has made her appear even more of a wreck. Ghalib’s interview for Entertainment Tonight only further proved the media’s obsession with making money off Spears with disregard for her mental state. The mysterious appearance of so-called ‘friend’ Sam Lufti has been puzzling the media and causing quite the stir among Spears newswatchers. It’s been ‘Britney this, Britney that’ for so long that I think I’m having to reconsider one of my favorite pastimes. *Gasp* My cravings for gossip have been curbed thanks to the lovely Spears

and her fiasco. I guess a gossip-diet will have to do for Lent.

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

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

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

Assistant News Editor Abigail Muniz..............abby.muniz@yahoo.com

Secretary Anita Casares..........areyes18@utpa.edu

Designers Rick Gamez Juan Torres

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

News Editor Veronica Gonzalez...................................... vdgonzalezz@gmail.com A&E Editor Jeanette Perez.........fae_myst@yahoo.com Sports Co-Editors Greg Garza...............the_nataku@yahoo.com Ramiro Paez...................ramiropaez@aol.com Photography Editor Nicholas Dodd.................................................. fathernicolow@gmail.com

Reporters and Photographers Bobby Cervantes Leslie Estrada Onydia Garza Laura Garcia J.R. Ortega Russen Vela

February

Kite Flying Day, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Student Union East Patio/Quad

Center Stage Karaoke and Movie at the Border Theater in Mission, $10 admission

Ballet Folklorico ALEGRIA performs at 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium.

Newsinbrief CAJUNFEST

weblogs.sun-sentinel.com

Has Britney reached your

last nerve? Let me know: fae_myst@yahoo.com

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.

Edinburg’s Rotary Club will host its sixth annual Cajunfest on Feb. 9 at the Echo Hotel and Conference Center in Edinburg. Proceeds from the event will help fund various humanitarian projects that the Rotary Clubs of the Valley support. Such projects include feeding the hungry Valley-wide and vaccinating children against polio worldwide. The gala will feature an all-youcan-eat dinner comprised of Cajun cuisine, dancing and fund-raising auctions. The RiverRock band will provide the entertainment for the night. Tickets for the event are $100 per person. For more registration information about the event, visit edinburgcajunfest.org.

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.

February 7, 2008

Page 4 NEWS

SEEN AND CAPTURED

Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American COMPETITION - (Top) On Saturday about 7,000 runners/walkers stopped traffic at the intersection of Freddy Gonzalez and Closner as they competed in Edinburg始s 26th annual All-America City 10k run/walk. (Right) A group of Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets run down Freddy Gonzalez Drive representing their school in Saturday始s 10k run/walk. The event is held once a year and is open to all Valley residents and numerous Valley schools and organizations. This year始s female record was broken by Genoveva Jelagat Kiggen who finished the run in just over 33 minutes winning her $2,500.

J.R. Ortega/The Pan American

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February 7, 2008 NEWS

February 7, 2008

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

February 7, 2008

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THE PAN AMERICAN

I MUSIC SCENE

I LITERATURE & PHOTOS

Afterhours series provides musical outlet English professor examines borders, culture

By RUSSEN VELA The Pan American

The cool wind and the sounds of cars rushing by played out like an electronic dream. As one passed by the Archer Park Grandstand in McAllen, decorated with various colors of Chinese lanterns, the mood in the air at the Music Afterhours concert was almost reminiscent of a Wong Kar Wai movie, where anything is possible. Wong Kar Wai, China’s Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubric, brings music, passion, and visual style to his films. His films transport the audience into an electro pop world filled with tears, bright lights, and astounding music. Annabell Cortina, the director of special events and media for the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, was quite ecstatic about hosting the monthly series. “This is the first year for Music Afterhours,” said Cortina. “It began in October 2007, and we will take a break during the summer heat and will resume in the fall.” Cortina, a Harlingen native, said the whole idea behind the concert series developed as a result of the area’s growing creative arts community. “Due to the increasing interest and talent of the arts, the City of McAllen

proposed an idea to the Chamber to host a music series in order to support the Art Walk as well as draw crowds to the new Convention Center area,” explained Cortina. The sponsors of Art Walk, which takes place on the first Friday of every month, asked the Chamber to host the concert at Archer Park so people can either begin or end their Art Walk with the music. At Music Afterhours, which happens the third Friday of each month, Valley bands as well as new bands have a chance to showcase their talent. That show is held at the new McAllen Convention Center outdoor Bandstand. Because that area is fairly new, the Chamber held concerts there in order to help draw the crowds and promote the new businesses and restaurants. The city also provided the Chamber a budget in order to help fund the project. Archer Park is where the first concert of the series began. The other concerts, which happen on the third Friday of each month, will continue at the new McAllen Convention Center. The concerts are intended to introduce the community to talent found in the Rio Grande Valley, and to give local bands exposure and support. Pat L. Garcia, a McAllen resident

who attended the concert, was moved to tears during Veneer’s ambient acoustic music, which consists of an electric guitar being strummed by a violin bow which features both electronic and classical music sounds. “I liked the way he played the electric guitar with a violin bow,” said Garcia. “It gave me tingles.” After her first visit to the event, Garcia said she was very pleased with its performers. “Once people start to get here, the vibe will be awesome, I am enjoying myself so much,” she exclaimed. MAIN PURPOSE It is important to have events like this in the Valley, according to Cortina, because it provides more social options for the community and, most importantly, supports home-grown talent. “Our city and area is growing so quickly and our artists need the support of the community to survive and our community needs art to survive as well,” she said. “Art and culture are what draw people from around the country to an area or city. McAllen is a city filled with art and culture and we want to show it off.” The concert series promotes interest in all ages and provides different

Armo Herbertz ROCK AND BLUES - The Ram Danesse Trio of Weslaco was one of three bands who performed at the Music Afterhours Concert series at Archer Park in McAllen Feb. 1.

By ANDRIELLE FIGUEROA The Pan American

Nydia Gutierrez AMBIENCE - Art Hurtadoʼs solo project, Veneer, got the attention of the crowd with his unique take on the electric guitar and violin bow.

types of music for varying tastes. “We host a variety of bands ranging from blues, jazz, ambient rock, acoustical acts, indie rock, and Latin rock. We will even have some opera a couple of times in the spring,” Cortina said. “The number of people varies because of the different styles of music at each show, but we usually average about 150 to 200 people.” Jessica Stich, a senior at Memorial High School in McAllen, attended the event with a group of friends and was pleased with the outcome. “I really liked the ambient acoustic music from Veneer, it just sounded like I was in another world, like a Sofia Coppola world,” she commented. Beginning in the 1980s, ambient music - electric music which combines classical and electro pop into the scoring of the music, envelops the listener without drawing significant attention to itself - influenced pop bands such as New Order, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds and U2. Stich noted that “ambient music is so relaxing, and takes you on an emotional journey.” Music, said Cortina, is very important to the community. It brings all social circles and generations together and provides an outlet to young musicians. “The music scene is definitely growing and we are excited to be a part of it,” said Cortina. The McAllen Chamber is involved in several of the avenues that provide music to the community. Besides Music Afterhours, South of the City Limits takes place at Cine El Rey, concerts are usually held at the McAllen Chamber Creative Incubator, and the McAllen Art & Film Festival will be held in October.

Borderline: Drawing Border Lives is a collection of 25 portraits and poems that depict life along the U.S. and Mexico border. Stephen Schneider, a UTPA English professor, along with his wife Reefka, began this project a few years ago, not knowing the impact it would have not only in the Valley but across the country. “The project evolved over a number of years and began with my wife’s drawing of a street vendor in Nuevo Progreso,” Schneider recalled. The project has come a long way from the first portrait. Not only is there poetry written for each painting, but it is translated into Spanish. The couple has also developed workshops to assist teachers in using the artwork to expand student knowledge about through the combination of the two forms. Schneider says the pieces were created in hopes of fostering cross-cultural understanding of people that live on both sides of the Rio Grande. Each portraitand-poem duo displays people of Mexico and their lives, focusing on things that should resonate with many Valley residents. The couple was featured in the UTPA “Outstanding Leadership Dinner” in 2006 alongside Chilean author, Isabel Allende. The feedback they received after the dinner led Schneider to believe that locals relate to the work because of the familiarity of its themes. He also says the people in the artwork are universal archetypes; he hopes that the public can relate to their experiences. In April, the public will be able to see the exhibit at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio as a part of Fiesta San Antonio. The piece Mass of the Disappeared from the exhibit is already published in a book, Writing Toward Hope, edited by Agosin Marjorie. Soon three other pieces, Garlic Man, Six Year Old Street Vendor, and Beggar and Child will be published

See BORDER page 10

February 7, 2008

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February 7, 2008

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rio Grande film captures struggles of Latinos and interracial issues By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American

t’s long been a clichéd phrase or state of mind to seek revenge when something doesn’t go your way. In most cases, especially the films of today, characters capture the simplicity of indulging in anger and seeking revenge rather than taking a moment to stop, think, and let go. But in his first feature film, Harvest of Redemption, Rio Grande Valley-born filmmaker Javier Chapa examines relationships and struggles between cultures, and what it really means to look past resentment and learn to forgive. The movie, based on a true story in South Texas, portrays the life of migrant farm workers in three different eras: 1920, 1940 and 1985, telling a vivid story through an unlikely source — an insurance adjuster. “Eddie Howell originated the story. His son, Eddie Howell Jr., went to my parents’ home in Mission to provide them with an insurance quote and some time in the conversation - he knew that I was a producer told his father’s story and asked [my parents] if I would be interested,” said Laura Perez, co-producer and long time friend of Chapa’s. “He told me this story that happened to his family and I was really touched by it. I immediately knew that after hearing it, it was something that needed to be made into a film.” While the story was there, the foundation for a film was missing. “We kept in contact but at the time I wasn’t sure how to go about it because he didn’t have a script. He had written notes and a story format of a story board,” explained Perez, a lawyer and producer. “I contacted Javier and said, ‘Well, I have this story, but there’s no script, no money.’ He flew out from L.A., we got together and decided, ‘Let’s do this.’” Although Perez and Chapa had come to an

agreement of giving life to the story through film production, Los Angeles would not be the place to supply them with what they needed. “We needed a really strong support group so we went to Rio Grande City where the mayor was gracious enough to basically open his town to us,” said Chapa, originally from San Manuel, north of Edinburg. “I try to do as many movies as I can in Texas because of the support structure. It’s more about the money in L.A., but down there people are more open to helping and getting involved to get you what you need. The Valley embraced our film and embraced us.” Perez, originally from Mission, also found herself missing the Valley’s familiarity. “After working in L.A., I’d have to say there’s a totally different vibe in Texas. It’s definitely a community, there’s like a family ambience,” she said. THE MOVIE DEVELOPS The Valley’s embrace of Chapa’s and Perez’s film allowed for the movie’s centralized theme to accurately portray the original story’s theme, the ability to forgive despite the obstacles. “The movie is really about forgiveness, but it’s a story of a decision that a young Latino man makes to go back and avenge his father’s death and how that decision pretty much affects the rest of his life,” said Chapa, who studied law at Saint Mary’s in San Antonio. Forgiveness, said Chapa and Perez, is something everyone talks about. “[There’s] a lot of people who preach about forgiveness but don’t really know how to forgive themselves. Forgiveness is something involved in everything we do,” said Perez, who owns a production company in Los Angeles. “We’re all battling the same demons. We’re all human and forgiveness is a thing that’s universal, no matter where we come from.”

While the film portrays Latinos, its producers have made it clear that the message should be universally applied. “Yes, it’s about the struggle of migrant farm workers and Latinos, but it’s also interracial dealing with inner struggles. It’s a very important part of our culture. I wanted to show people the other difficulties Latinos have faced through out history,” said Chapa, whose first film was a short story, Happy Hour. “It’s about people and the human condition,” said Chapa. “The moment-to-moment realities.” Perez finds that people from diverse backgrounds can all take something from the movie. “Our universe is so cross-cultural and a lot of people think this is a Latino film but it’s not,” said Perez. “I’ve had so many friends from different ethnicities watch this film and relate to it.” Chapa also sees the product as a vehicle to show love for the community he has left behind, as well as a way to open minds of those outside the Valley. “That’s my culture, it’s my people. The Latino market is underrepresented in Hollywood,” said Chapa. “To go back into Texas where I grew up and tell a beautiful story there is a great experience. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to tell this story on screen.” Not only do Perez and Chapa hope to spread the message of redemption instead of resentment, the film is their way of giving back. They said that $3 from each DVD sold will be given to a charity like The Migrant Farmworkers Ministry or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. “This isn’t about getting famous, it’s about selling the movie so that we can get enough money to give back to the community,” said Perez. “It’s really about helping each other.” For more information on the film or to purchase the DVD, visit www.harvestofredemption.com.

February 7, 2008

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February 7, 2008

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rio Grande film captures struggles of Latinos and interracial issues By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American

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February 7, 2008 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

I MOVIE REVIEW

I TV CORNER

There Will be Blood digs up greed, power By RUSSEN VELA The Pan American If there was ever a director who could shock the hell out of someone, it is Paul Thomas Anderson. The poetic wizard behind such epics such as the 1997 Oscar-nominated Boogie Nights, and the crazy ‘what the bleep was that all about?’ Magnolia starring Tom Cruise. Fans and audiences can be assured that Anderson’s newest and most provocative film There Will Be Blood, will be remembered for its dynamic performances from Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis (Gangs of New York) and Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine) and the brilliant beyond-this-world script loosely adapted from the 1927 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair. The film examines the life of Daniel Plainview (Lewis), a fictional oil pioneer who transforms himself from a lowly silver miner to a powerful and influential early 20th-century tycoon, letting nothing, and no one, get in his way in the process. The film has won almost every Best Actor award both in critics’ prizes and most recently at the SAG awards and Golden Globes. It also co-leads with No Country for Old Men and Atonement as one of the most fre-

quently nominated films for the 80th Academy Awards Feb. 24. There Will Be Blood combines the wide open spaces of an early American epic with the limited narrative scope of a character study. The result is unexpectedly claustrophobic and extraordinarily captivating. Plainview is on screen for every minute of the film and there is never a character introduced who isn’t there specifically to play off him. Anderson was smart in casting Lewis as the oil tycoon. Plainview is a multi-layered man that defies audience identification, and that is a good thing, because it means Anderson did his job correctly. The character isn’t supposed to be liked. The outrageous things that he does - for instance adopting a deceased friend’s young son and using him as a marketing tool to show his fellow neighbors he is a family man just like them - will make the audience want to scream and literally throw popcorn at the screen. Anderson is at the top of his game. With unique camera angles, and simple but hard-hitting art direction by Jack Fisk (husband of Oscar winner Sissy Spacek), Anderson would have made the late Stanley Kubrick proud of this film. One suggests that maybe he took some

reference or some ideas from Kubrick’s films and applied them to his own. Take for example the first 15 minutes of nothing but Greenwood’s electrifying and haunting score and the movements of the hands digging for oil. Any fan of Kubrick could compare Blood to Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon or 2001: A Space Odyssey. To say that Lewis gives the performance of the year is virtually an understatement. No actor comes close to the depths he lends to virtually any role, but here he reveals Plainview’s scarred soul in the smallest of actions and with

devastating impact. It’s no mistake that the title sounds like a warning, a twisted promise of devastation. Films this mean and tough don’t come along very often, and There Will Be Blood runs against the grain of mainstream films, so that unsuspecting audiences will surely recoil in disgust at its bleakness, intensity and bloodshed. But this gut-wrenching film is also a wake-up call with the potential to get under the viewers’ skin. At a time when most movies are easy to shake off because of their lack of connection with the audience, here’s one you won’t be able to shake off any time soon.

paramountvantage.com BLOODY RICH - Daniel Day Lewis becomes a powerful man after he hits it big in the oil industry in Paul Andersonʼs adaptation of Upton Sinclairʼs novel Oil!

I SEEN AND CAPTURED

Art Walk offers unique, creative works

Nick Dodd/The Pan American HAND-CRAFTED - Sculptures of ceramic, stone and metal were among the various items on display and sale at the 4th annual McAllen Art Walk on Feb. 1.

What You’re

Not

Watching “Lost” By JEANETTE PEREZ The Pan American

fter a break that seemed to go on forever, J.J. Abrams’ hit series Lost has made its way back to ABC’s lineup for another intense season. With last season’s final episode bringing forth more questions than answers, Lost continues on its journey to shock and stump its viewers. The show continues where it left off, with flashes of the future. Jack (Matthew Fox) still believes the people communicating with them through radio are coming to save them; Locke (Terry O’Quinn) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) believe these so-called rescuers are coming for something else. Lost examines the unknown mysteries hidden on the island, plus what lies within each character and their fate. Get lost with the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 as they search for a way off the island during its new date and time, Thursdays at 7 p.m. on ABC.

BORDER continued from page 7 in the Afro-Hispanic Review, a journal out of Vanderbilt University. Presently some pieces of the exhibit can be found in the UTPA library. Ernesto Solis, an education major, admired Mass of the Disappeared. “The piece is refreshing. Usually we dismiss what makes us feel uncomfortable [at the border] and do not realize there are stories behind it,” said Solis. Some students find that the exhibit is educational for those who are not from the Valley. “From an outsider’s point of view, someone who has never seen such displays, can vividly picture these people who work alongside the border,” said Jennifer Terrazas, a graphic design major. Borderlines : Drawing Border Lives is not the only project that Schneider has beenrecognized for. In November his poem, Chanukah Lights Tonight was published in many newspapers as well as in poet Ted Kooser’s column, American Life in Poetry. “It was a lot of fun for me to receive messages from people around the country who had seen the poem in newspapers in Atlanta, Seattle and in the Midwest,” said Schneider of his published work. Schneider will have his latest collection of poems, titled Unexpected Guess, published this year.

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February 7, 2008 NEWS

CANDIDATES continued from page 1 Clinton went beyond issues. “It like we’re getting her mind along with her husband’s mind because he’s already been in office and he was a good president,” she said. TIED GAME Jennifer Pena, a junior education major, and Jamie Ramirez, a junior psychology major, came in to the quiz asking the question the rest of the country is: Clinton or Obama? Unfortunately, the quiz did little to help. Results from both of the girls’ answers showed that their views gibed equally well with both candidates, according to point totals. However, Ramirez, who admits that she’s slightly leaning toward Clinton these days, found that both candidates had differing opinions than her on her number one issue: education. Pena said she believes the country is split because they’re not sure which candidate best represents change, externally speaking. “I think they’re going to change in the fact that it’s either the first black or the first woman president,” she said. THE CHARACTER FACTOR Of course, the quiz simply speaks for views on the issues. It does not account for a person’s perception of can-

didates’ character. Beyond immigration and education, many people focus on looks, personality, or a single issue that trumps the stand of a candidate on the rest of the minor ones. Pena said she is worried that character has become too important of a factor. “I’m focusing on the issues, but I think America is focusing on who they are a little more than the issues,” she said. In addition, she feels that voting for Clinton because her husband was once president is a wrong move. “I don’t think they be look at the fact that [the family] has experience,” she said. “They should be looking at the issues.” Ramirez agreed with that point, interjecting her opinion that the country initially elected George W. Bush partly because his father had been president. “They elected him because his dad had experience. I mean, it’s good to have experience but…” she said, shrugging. Freshman biology major George Lima, whose results were not on par with his original candidate, said character perceptions aside, students especially need to do more homework before going to vote. “There are so many resources for them to be informed, but they are not informed as they should be because they don’t look into it more,” he said. “They just know what they hear and find out about.”

StudentPanel Favorite candidate: Hillary Clinton

Favorite candidate: Hillary Clinton

Favorite candidate: Barack Obama

Candidate with similar views: Mike Huckabee

Candidate with similar views: **TIE** Hillary Clinton Barack Obama

Candidate with similar views: Hillary Clinton

Jamie Ramirez junior psychology

Cassie Solis freshman nursing

Jennifer Pena junior education

The following students took a quiz to determine which presidential candidate their views best corresponded with. These are the results:

Melinda Gutierrez sophomore psychology

Favorite candidate: Barack Obama

Favorite candidate: Hillary Clinton

Favorite candidate: John McCain

Candidate with similar views: **TIE** Hillary Clinton Barack Obama

Candidate with similar views: Mike Gravel

Candidate with similar views: Mitt Romney

Favorite candidate: Hillary Clinton Candidate with similar views: Hillary Clinton

Michael Brousard sophomore computer science

George Lima freshman biology

The quiz, which is based on an original survey from Minnesota Public Radio, is one of the least lengthy and complicated out there. Take it for yourself at: http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460

Orlando Campa senior art

REGENTS continued from page 1 planning the new programs. If the news is good, the university must then gain approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in planning for the programs; a two-step procedure that Rausch said is a “big process” and takes several years. The approval for the degree planning authority will be up to the academic affairs committee headed by

Executive Vice Chancellor David Prior. The committee is just one committee on the Board that includes committees concerning facilities planning and construction, health affairs committee, finance and planning committee and the audit, compliance and management review. Prior to presenting and defending the proposal for planning authority, Edwin Lemaster, dean of the College of

Nick Dodd/The Pan American

DINNER SPEECH - H. Scott Caven Jr., chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, addresses guests at a dinner in the Wellness and Recreational Center, following committee meetings.

WINE AND DINE - Mark G. Yudof, chancellor of The University of Texas System, dines with UTPA President Blandina Cardenas after a series of meetings Wednesday.

I “There are about 350 students in our master’s program and many are qualified to go for a doctorate.” -Edwin Lemaster dean of College of Science and Engineering Science and Engineering, said that he thinks the Board will understand and agree with the major points he will be addressing to try and justify the need for new programs. Some of those points include the $2.5 million that went toward funding research projects in the college in 20062007, the experience, time and effort the faculty has put into these projects, and the need for South Texas to offer more doctoral programs. “There are about 350 students in our master’s program and many are qualified to go for a doctorate,” he said. According to Lemaster, 1 percent of the Hispanic workforce in the engineering and science field has a Ph.D and he would really like to raise that number. “The best students are always tempted to go out and get the big bucks,” he said. “But there are those going more into the academics and are willing to teach.”

February 7, 2008

Page 12 NEWS

SUMMIT continued from page 3 sessions will inform the students on how to reduce the carbon footprint on their campuses, one of EAC’s goals. A carbon footprint is amount of carbon dioxide is realized into the atmosphere by actions an individual over a period of one year through energy use. The success of a student-organized environmental conference in Washington, D.C. last year, attended by 6,000 young people, let inspired event organizers know that America’s youth cares about climate change. De la Garza is one of them. However Benjamin Watt a 20-yearold English major said he thinks other-

wise when it comes to global warming and energy saving. “I think global warming doesn’t really exist, it is more or less to support someone’s view or cause,” he said. “In the ‘80’s they were predictions.” Watt said he remembers reading a story in The Monitor talking about global warming and predictions but he did not buy any of it. “They use those terms to have people give money, they try to make a bigger problem then it [global warming] really is,” he added. Besides EAC, De la Garza is involved with the Edinburg city environ-

mental advisory board, which is trying to get the mayor and City Council to get Edinburg involved in the Cool Cities campaign for a greener city. The Cool Cities Campaign has cities’ mayors sign Climate Protection Agreements committing their city to implementing beneficial environmentally conscious practices. Currently, 950 Cool Cities have agreed to go green by using compact florescent bulbs in government owned buildings, receiving electricity through renewable energy and possibly investing in solar panels. “Since I was a little girl I remember getting mad at my mom for throwing trash

outside,” said the 18-year-old. “Then in high school I found out I was not the only wacko trying to save the world and that motivated me even more.” She said when she was 14 she saw a documentary about global warming and the consequences the world could face if it went on without prevention. It triggered her into wanting to make a difference. “I watched on the Discovery Channel a documentary about global warming, the consequences and how if continued, we wouldn't have anywhere else to go to,” she said. “Since then I've just gotten more and more passionate and committed, I've decided to do some-

ASH continued from page 3

RETIRED continued from page 3

icance to us [Catholics] but I would listen to them and try to understand why they feel the way they do, I’d handle it differently depending on the situation,” he said. Although Gomez has only been at UTPA one semester, he said one longterm goal he has is not necessarily to increase the number of attendees at Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday masses, but to augment faith in general. The Newman Center located west of Sugar Road on Kuhn Street is where

school on the GI bill.” After three years of serving in the navy he attended the University of New Mexico and received a degree in business administration and a masters in public administration. He met his wife Jill at 22 and is still married to her after 40 years; they have three children. “She’s smarter than I am, she’s always made better grades than me,” Chrissinger said. “My greatest achievement is probably having her put up with me.” After finishing his education, Chrissenger worked as a tax auditor with the New Mexico Bureau of Revenue but this job required considerable travel, so he made the decision to take a position with the University of California Los Alamos National Laboratory and became manager of audits there. “The wife and I started having kids so the job in Los Alamos was well suited to my background and skills and there was no travel involved,” said Chrissinger. He stayed in Los Alamos until 1995, when he made another big move at 50, this time to Edinburg.

not only members of UTPA’s YACM go to have Bible study and mingle, but where anyone is welcome who feels they needs guidance or just a place to relax. Gomez preaches at 8 a.m. at the University Chapel on Tuesday and Thursday and Sunday. “I enjoy what I do here on campus,” he said. “If I can, I help students whether it is spiritual or academic; this makes them feel at home, when they can talk to their priest about faith and academics.”

Nick Dodd/The Pan American FAITH - Father Jorge Gomez, the UTPA chaplian, marks a studentʼs forehead during Ash Wednesdayʼs mass held at the Student Union Theatre.

thing about it.” Organizers of the conference publicized the event by contacting major media sources in Texas, including college campuses. According to Dayananda, they have faced little to no opposition. He claims that people from all lifestyles have “grasped the magnitude of the problem” and the solutions at hand. He wants the summit to compel young people to lead the way. There is already discussion about next year’s conference. A final decision has yet to be made, but Texas A&M University has expressed interest in being the next host.

LIFE AS A BRONC “I was looking for a new job, a change and applied at UTPA and out of all the places I interviewed, I liked it the

best,” said Chrissinger, adding that he fell in love with the look of the campus. As the university director of internal audits he was responsible for reviewing the financial efficiency of the university. “One thing you don’t want to see is bad headlines, we have a certain reputation we need to uphold,” said Chrissinger. “A poor headline would be ‘UTPA loses $1 million in property and equipment.’” Walking around Chrissinger’s retirement party at the visitor’s center, it was plain that he will be missed. His co-workers praised him as a knowledgeable man. “I’ve known him for seven years, and his knowledge and expertise is what well miss,” said Isabel Benavides, internal auditor. “He was really patient and the first to push his staff to get certified. Because of that, we are now completely certified.” Benavides said the staff did not have certified internal auditors and certified public accountants before Chrissinger became director of internal audits. During his tenure at UTPA, Chrissinger has been a mentor to most of his staff as well as the audit staff at The University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. Eloy Alaniz the assistant director of internal audits, who officially became the new director Feb. 1., remembers

seven years of working under a “consummate professional.” “His attention to detail was amazing, he’s taught me things you can’t learn without experience,” said Alaniz, who will now act as the new director of internal audits beginning… UTPA architect director and golf buddy Marvin Boland had more to say about his golf games with Chrissinger than his professional work. In fact, he jokingly said “the reason he can retire is because of his frugality, he would never spend money on new tees, and he would find old ones and glue them together.” When asked why he was retiring, Chrissinger simply said, “Because I can.” He and his wife plan on moving back to the familiar desert plateaus of New Mexico, where their eldest daughter and grandson live today. For Chrissinger, his job as a seasoned auditor isn’t finished. He plans to stay active as a team leader in a quality assurance review this summer at The University of Texas-El Paso. He will also work with Texas A&M and Florida State University, and plans on teaching seminars and workshops on financial accounting and internal auditing for the Institute of Internal Auditors as well. “I can only play golf so many times a week,” he noted.

Another facet of the program utilizes senior students as mentors for new ones. “We’re going to look to establish a mentor to emotionally talk to them and help them establish rapport. The senior student will tutor and help them. It will offer support to [new students] by example,” Diaz said. Junior Nallely Lozano, a first-year nursing student, thinks that a mentoring program would be great. “Just to know that [the senior mentor] went through what I’m going through and that it’s attainable, it will be helpful,” Lozano, a Pharr native, said.

“It would help us get through those tough spots in the program like when we really get into our clinical [rotations].” The clinical rotations let nursing students care for and assess real patients, under the supervision of an instructor at a hospital. Lozano has already encountered a fast-paced environment as a first year nursing student. “You come into the first semester thinking it’s going to be slow. But in these past three weeks, I’ve already received a lot of information,” she said. “I liked the fact that in our orientation, the seniors

were there and they gave us advice and allowed us to ask them questions.” But Diaz assures that the programs’ basic goals all aim at increasing retention. “We’re going to help them get through that initial hump. But every hump, every semester, we’re going to be there for [the students],” Diaz said. Lozano hopes the new program will help her succeed. “This will be helpful to get past the pressure you get of wanting to be a good nurse after graduation, and get to that hands-on part of the experience,” she said.

GRANT continued from page 3 report, the Health Resources and Service Administration projected that nursing schools must increase the number of graduates by 90 percent in order to adequately address the nursing shortage. HRSA also predicted that by the year 2020 over one million Registered Nurses will be needed in the United States healthcare system to meet the demand. Among the goals the program was created to target: an increase in enrollment beyond the cap already set, Diaz said. The project has already allowed the nursing program to increase admissions by 10 percent.

Diaz said the nursing department hopes to increase retenion and graduation rates by 20 percent each year. This year’s new nursing students began their semester with an assessment through Assessment Technology Institute. That entity gives an online remediation tool that assesses their capabilities by offering students a practice exam to evaluate where they stand in different areas such as writing, reading and science. This allows the department to step in and offer additional help with tutoring and individualized attention to students who might need it.

Page 13

February 7, 2008 SPORTS

GOLF

Golf teams open up 2008 with tournament crowns By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American When the University of Texas-Pan American men’s and women’s golf teams opened up their seasons in September, they didn’t get off to the start they’d wanted. The men placed sixth, fifth and eighth respectively in their first three tournaments, while the women finished 10th, 10th, seventh and fifth, respectively. But with more than three months off to prepare for the second half of the season, the extra time paid dividends for both squads as they captured the Jack Brown Memorial Tournament championship Tuesday in Laredo. Under the command of first-year head coach Ofelia Lopez, the Lady Broncs separated themselves from the rest of the field, tallying a team score of 627 with five players finishing in the top five. St. Mary’s University finished second with a score of 690. “On the girls side, we’re never satisfied,” Lopez said. “This is a win we take, and I’m very proud of them. They worked really hard for it. Mentally it was good. Even when you’re winners, you can still find out something to pick out.”

“On the men’s side they just played awesome. I’m so proud of them. Tim (assistant) worked with them the whole tournament, did well and coached well. They were relaxed out there for the first time; those guys had five smiles the whole time. Even with them never being satisfied, they know they could have still played better.” Junior Mariale Camey led the women with a two-round score of 153 (74-79), recording her first tournament title. First-year Lady Bronc Haley Hocott climbed from fourth to tie for second with a 36-hole score of 154 (8074), while Canada native Bronwyn Sandberg finished fourth (159). “I think all of my teammates feel really satisfied with the results,” Camey said. “We’ve been practicing really hard and were prepared to win the tournament. For our first (spring) tournament, it was a good performance.” On the men’s side, the Broncs posted a team score of 876 with Texas A&MCommerce placing second at 885. Hebron High School alum Shane Pearce led the men with a three-round score of 216 (76-65-75), resulting in a second-place finish and tying the alltime record for a single round. Luis Arechiga also shot a 65 back in 1997.

SHORT

“It feels great to be there now,” Pearce said. “It was something special that just happened. Pieces came together at the right time. It was just one of those magical things that seem to happen out there where that was my lowest round. I’m still kind of in shock that I shot that well and glad to get that confidence to know that I can go that low.” Oregon native Armen Kirakossian finished third (219), while senior Jeff Hensley rounded out the top-10 tying at seventh with a 54-hole score of 223 (7969-75). One has to look back to 2005 and 2007 for the squad’s last tournament titles. In May, previous men’s coach Andrew Tredway led the Broncs to their second consecutive PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship and former women’s standout Stephanie Maynard helped her team capture a third straight National Minority College Golf Championship in May 2005. The women will resume play Feb. 25 as they travel to the Coastal Bend to compete in the two-day Islander Spring Classic hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The men will head to Beaumont, Calif., Mar. 3 for the two-day Braveheart Classic hosted by the University of California-Riverside.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American MAKING HISTORY - Junior Shane Pearce practices his shots Wednesday morning at Los Lagos Golf Club in Edinburg. Pearce entered the single-shot record books for his second round score of 65, tying him for first all-time.

SEEN AND CAPTURED

Track team a success By SAVANNAH MARTINEZ The Pan American There was a different attitude in the University of Texas Pan-American track and field team for their return to the Gulf Coast this weekend. After a respectable performance at the Leonard Hilton Memorial on Jan. 18, UTPA ended the two-day Houston Invitational by breaking a number of school records. “We looked better and were more competitive at the Houston Invitational,” first-year coach Dennis Darling said. “It was a surprise. We went out there and broke a lot of school records… There were a lot of personal bests at this meet.” On the women’s side, Houston

native Vanessa Brown broke her 2006 record time in the 400-meter dash, posting a time of 56.36. Senior Sabrina Montalvo set a school record with a time of 9.33 in the 60-meter hurdles, while cross-country standout Carolina Izaguirre placed first in the 5,000-meter race in 18:27.52. In the men’s distance medaling relay, the quartet of La Joya native Luis Nava, freshman Roly Vela, Edinburg local Wally Gonzalez and senior J.J. Hernandez lowered the previous Bronc record of 10:22 to 10:16.38 The teams will resume action this weekend as they travel to Houston for their third consecutive trip. “I think that we are going to do pretty well again,” Darling said. “They know what they have to do.”

Onydia Garza/The Pan American HOMECOMING COURT - (From left to right) Yuri Bazan (Duchess), Victor Ituarte (Duke), Ashley Munoz (Princess), Peter Ehimika (Prince), Adriana Salinas (Queen), Houston Gomez (King) were announced as UTPAʼs 2008 Homecoming Court at halftime of Saturdayʼs menʼs and womenʼs basketball games.

February 7, 2008

Page 14 SPORTS

UPCOMING GAMES

STATS (AS OF FEB. 7) ## Player 03 Wilson, Tiona.......... 05 Sessions, Janita..... 10 Gray, LeKeisha....... 13 Walker, Jessica....... 14 Cottrell, Michelle..... 15 Vaughn, Tamara..... 21 Kostacky, Danielle.. 23 Winfrey, Teshay...... 24 Garrett, Robin......... 25 Jean, Rose Esther.. 30 Woodard, La'Shae.. 31 Schneider, Taylor.... 32 Erlingsdottir, Mari.... 33 Ramirez, Cinthia..... 52 Grigsby, Aleeya....... TEAM...................... Total........................

Min--Avg

|----TOTAL----| |-----3-PTS-----| FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct

|----REBOUNDS----| Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A

TO Blk Stl Pts Avg

23-19 17-0 23-23 17-5 12-0 22-10 20-0 19-8 22-19 22-8 13-1 13-1 11-7 20-3 23-11

580 83 810 185 58 410 203 301 357 408 88 125 192 298 552

57-125 6-18 125-302 14-44 5-13 53-133 9-20 34-91 41-90 47-99 8-22 8-16 19-62 11-33 47-112

12 45 5 6 19 76 10 16 3 4 10 36 4 19 23 37 22 42 22 47 9 18 7 4 4 17 4 22 38 67 52 59

58 3 31 12 0 5 76 1 44 12 1 4 8 0 4 26 5 12 10 4 1 37 4 14 38 3 8 25 14 27 8 2 3 11 1 4 20 2 0 17 0 5 57 4 12 21

4650

GP-GS

25.2 4.9 35.2 10.9 4.8 18.6 10.2 15.8 16.2 18.5 6.8 9.6 17.5 14.9 24.0

.456 .333 .414 .318 .385 .398 .450 .374 .456 .475 .364 .500 .306 .333 .420

484-1180 .410

40-85 0-0 60-166 6-19 1-7 21-59 2-7 13-45 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-12 5-15 6-20

.471 .000 .361 .316 .143 .356 .286 .289 .000 .000 .000 .500 .000 .333 .300

17-23 .739 2-5 .400 51-72 .708 9-12 .750 2-2 1.000 13-16 .813 9-10 .900 19-25 .760 31-54 .574 18-42 .429 3-6 .500 0-0 .000 20-25 .800 1-3 .333 26-51 .510

|----TOTAL----| |-----3-PTS-----| GP-GS

Min--Avg

FG-FGA Pct

3FG-FGA Pct

32 Trader, Zach............. 04 Stoll, Paul................. 05 Burrell, Brian............ 02 Hawkins, Nathan...... 10 Jones, Emmanuel.... 15 Shankle, Dexter........ 12 Weiermiller, Nick...... 01 Puente, Danny......... 11 Franklin, Damon....... 33 Buck, Ryan............... 24 Smith, Ben............... 20 SILVA, Steven.......... 40 Trader, Jacob...........

27-27 27-27 27-27 27-27 18-0 25-25 26-0 27-2 11-0 14-0 18-0 3-0 11-0

920 898 898 707 334 685 361 293 54 144 90 5 36

148-295 94-197 137-353 109-201 57-109 56-117 21-50 20-57 10-17 10-16 4-30 1-3 4-8

0-6 74-159 67-192 0-0 0-2 36-77 11-28 18-49 0-2 0-1 4-23 0-1 0-0

.502 .477 .388 .542 .523 .479 .420 .351 .588 .625 .133 .333 .500

TEAM....................... Total...........................

5425

2.5 0.6 4.1 1.5 0.6 2.1 1.2 3.2 2.9 3.1 2.1 0.8 1.9 1.3 4.6 4.8

48 3 35 7 2 28 19 27 50 47 4 11 18 14 48 0

3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

55 5 78 7 8 36 7 20 10 26 3 10 9 24 23

171 7.4 14 0.8 361 15.7 43 2.5 13 1.1 140 6.4 29 1.5 100 5.3 113 5.1 112 5.1 19 1.5 17 1.3 58 5.3 28 1.4 126 5.5

155-437 .355 221-346 .639 244 515 759 33.0 361 6 321 436 44 174 1344 58.4

## Player

34.1 33.3 33.3 26.2 18.6 27.4 13.9 10.9 4.9 10.3 5.0 1.7 3.3

57 11 95 26 7 46 23 60 64 69 27 11 21 26 105 111

671-1453 .462 210-540

|----REBOUNDS----| FT-FTA Pct

.000 83-107 .776 .465 112-134 .836 .349 27-35 .771 .000 89-150 .593 .000 40-60 .667 .468 18-31 .581 .393 15-15 1.000 .367 8-9 .889 .000 3-6 .500 .000 8-15 .533 .174 8-10 .800 .000 1-2 .500 .000 0-2 .000

Off Def Tot

Avg PF FO A

TO Blk Stl Pts Avg

50 6 33 48 27 5 4 4 2 8 2 1 1

113 163 68 74 108 141 67 115 47 74 53 58 25 29 8 12 12 14 14 22 10 12 0 1 2 3

6.0 70 2 2.7 71 3 5.2 70 2 4.3 72 2 4.1 43 0 2.3 59 1 1.1 25 1 0.4 19 0 1.3 4 0 1.6 25 0 0.7 11 0 0.3 1 0 0.3 8 0

62 1 91 4 66 2 29 2 19 13 21 3 24 0 19 2 7 0 8 0 5 1 0 0 3 0

3.4

65 193 41 11 13 44 30 37 2 9 9 1 0

14 67 36 2 10 8 9 7 1 1 1 0 1

379 14.0 374 13.9 368 13.6 307 11.4 154 8.6 166 6.6 68 2.6 66 2.4 23 2.1 28 2.0 20 1.1 3 1.0 8 0.7

.389 412-576 .715 239 567 806 29.9 479 12 455 358 28 157 1964 72.7

February 7, 2008

Page 15 SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Broncs prevail in thrillers, snap six-game skid By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American It was a month that the University of Texas-Pan American women’s basketball team doesn’t want to relive. After their 66-62 victory over St. Louis University on Dec. 29, the Lady Broncs entered the New Year with an 86 record, but unfortunately the month of January wasn’t a pleasant one. UTPA ended January 0-7, including three consecutive road losses before coming home for back-to-back games to begin the new month. All the women hoped for was that Dorothy’s well-known line in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home,” proved to be true. It did. The Green and Orange couldn’t have asked for a better way to get off their slide as they posted a 62-55 overtime win over Chicago State University on Saturday, preceded by a 79-74 victory against Longwood University the night before. CHICAGO STATE After the Cougars wrapped up their dramatic win over the men in the opening game of Saturday’s homecoming doubleheader, the women sought revenge on the Lady Cougars for a 15point road loss to State Jan. 15. Things looked shaky at the 15:50 mark in the second half for the Lady

Broncs as leading-scorer LeKeisha Gray went down with an apparent ankle injury, but the senior guard returned two minutes later and helped her team overcome a seven-point deficit. “We just fought,” women’s coach DeAnn Craft said. “There was a neverquit attitude in our kids. When we got into overtime, I pulled Keisha to the side and I said, ‘you know overtime is your time.’ and again she did what she did best and that’s lead the team.” With 50 seconds remaining in regulation, junior guard Teshay Winfrey gave UTPA a 51-49 lead, but State’s Jasmin Dixon tied the game with two free throws. Dixon had one last chance for a game-winning basket, but the shot rimmed out. Once the game was forced into overtime, Gray took over. The Green and Orange scored the first five points in the extra session and never looked back, with Gray getting seven of the team’s 11 points in the period. Despite shooting 33.3 percent from the field for the game, the Lady Broncs made defense the key factor in the victory, forcing 36 turnovers and snaring 14 steals. “That (defense) was amazing,” Craft said. “A lot of those were very earned. I think we broke on the ball at the right time, we hurried them up down low and they got a few travels. The will to win was there all night long. I could

see it in our eyes.” Gray was one of two Lady Broncs scoring double figures, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. Center Robin Garrett added 11 points. LONGWOOD If there was one theme for Friday’s contest against the Lady Lancers, spurts would say it all. Both teams went on extensive runs up until the 9-minute mark of the second half, but UTPA scored 17 of the last 33 points to outlast Longwood and break their seven-game losing streak. “It was a great mindset,” Gray said. “We came out and we wanted this game; we weren’t walking off the floor without a win. We had been prepping for it and we just laid it out there on the floor.” UTPA held their largest lead of the game at 52-39 with 16:46 remaining in the game, capping off a 32-10 run that carried over from the first half. The Lady Lancers responded with a 19-10 run to pull within 62-58, but it wasn’t enough as the squads traded points the rest of the way. The Green and Orange shot 50 percent for the game on 25-of-50 shooting. Gray and Garrett once again led the women in double figures with Gray netting a season-high 28 points. “We needed it,” Gray said. “We’ve been struggling and we got us one.”

Onydia Garza/The Pan American TAKING OVER - Senior guard LeKeisha Gray looks to lay it up in Saturdayʼs 62-55 overtime victory against Chicago State. Gray, scoring a game high in each of the two home victories this weekend, was selected Co-Independent Player of the Week.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

UTPA edged by UT-Arlington, suffers third consecutive loss Broncs losing momentum, fall to 14-13 overall By ALVARO BALDERAS The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American STRUGGLING ENDING - Senior forward Zach Trader looks to ward off a Cougar defender in Saturdayʼs loss at the Field House.

During the month of January, the University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team was one of the hottest squads in the country, posting seven straight victories and well in front in the Independent standings. But on Jan. 31, their streak came to an end in Evanston, Ill., as the Northwestern Wildcats rallied to defeat UTPA 68-59. The Broncs hoped traveling back to the Rio Grande Valley for a homecoming date against Chicago State University would be the game to turn things around in hopes of obtaining their 20-win goal, but so far it has been the opposite. On Tuesday night, the Green and Orange suffered their third consecutive defeat, at the hands of the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks, losing 7168 and sending the season into a tailspin.

ARLINGTON Through most of the game the Broncs kept the deficit under double digits, giving themselves a chance to win in the end. With less than three minutes to go, senior guard Brian Burrell hit a jumper giving the team a 66-64 lead, but that proved to be insufficient coming down the stretch due to unlucky breaks and UTA hustle plays. “Anyone could’ve won this game,” Bronc coach Tom Schuberth said. “It seemed that whoever got the ball last was going to win it.” Senior forward Zach Trader scored a team-high 21 points, while Burrell added 12 points with eight rebounds. Michigan native Paul Stoll was kept at bay, shooting 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and finishing with 12 points, three assists and six turnovers. The inside presence of Arlington’s Larry Posey and power forward Vareen Anthony seemed to be too much for the Broncs’ front court as the big men scored a combined 28 points. “We know we’re not a strong team down low but I think we were pretty feisty with their bigs,” Schuberth said.

CHICAGO STATE Having beaten Chicago State on the road five days before Saturday’s match-up, everything seemed to be pointing toward a Bronc victory. What resulted was a disappointing 91-82 loss for the Green and Orange. Mainly the loss came due to blazing 70 percent field-goal shooting for the Cougars and a spectacular 39-point performance by guard David Holston, who with 1:19 remaining in the game, sank the clinching 3-pointer along with a foul. Stoll (26 points) and Burrell (17 points) had solid outings for UTPA, combining for 43 of the Broncs’ 82 points. “I can’t get mad knowing we gave ourselves a chance to win,” Schuberth said. “We did some good things on the offensive end but they just made shots. We couldn’t catch a break with Holston making some difficult threes in the end.” The Broncs certainly seemed to live and die by the long shot as they men went 13 of 27 from beyond the line while Chicago State went 7 for 16. Instead, the Cougars took advantage of points in the paint outscoring UTPA 44-20.

Page 16

S P O RT S

February 7, 2008

THE PAN AMERICAN

FEATURE

StatsAtAGlance

5 5

By LAURA GARCIA The Pan American When University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball player Ryan Buck was voted “Most likely to succeed on Survivor” by his teammates, it left the Harlingen native puzzled. “Honestly, I have no idea why,” Buck said. “There is no way I could ever live like that, but at least they didn’t choose me as most likely to be on American Idol.” Maybe it’s the entirety of a 6-foot6, 210-pound guy that could make him a Survivor or the fact that tearing up his ankle in a preseason exhibition game made him more determined to return to his team. But once his starting position no longer awaited him upon return, he never once complained and moved forward with the Broncs to attain their 20plus goal. The Harlingen South High School alum graduated from UTPA with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in English last year, but had a year of hoops eligibility left. While a diploma might be the final step for most, he chose to play for one more year and attend graduate school in pursuit of an MBA. A nine-hour courseload along with practices and games every week could surely send anyone over the edge, but Buck has never let

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

the barriers stress him out. “School and basketball, as with any sport, can be handled pretty easily as long as you have good time management skills and you keep yourself focused,” the 23-year-old said. “Going to class and keeping in close contact with your teachers goes a long way.” Though he has become an integral part of the squad, after playing in only two games during his freshman year, the thought of picking up and leaving crossed Buck’s mind. But the former high school MVP chose to stick it out because he felt like he belonged and was up for the challenge. Apparently it was a good choice since Broncs head coach Tom Schuberth credits him as having been a vital part of the team’s success. “Ryan is determined and self-motivated and I’m glad to have him on the team,” Schuberth said. “He has a great attitude and never hesitates to help his teammates; he will do whatever it takes to be successful.” Buck has averaged 10.3 minutes in 14 games this year, and led the team in rebounds against Alcorn State and Tulsa. After appearing in just 18 games the first three seasons after redshirting in 2003-04, he has persevered and become a solid role player off the bench, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor.

The closeness between he and his family, as well as the original coaching staff was another factor in his decision to stay for one more season after graduating. His love for basketball has brought him a long way, but as the season nears its finale, it won’t be the end for Buck, whose parents attend every home game. “Basketball will definitely always be a huge part of my life,” the Bronc forward said. “The sport has helped me grow, not only as an athlete but into a better person.” Schuberth strongly believes that Buck’s future is in coaching. “He has the intelligence and motivation and notices details on tape [game film], that no one else would,” the secondyear coach said. “I know Ryan will be successful in whatever he chooses to do.” With only four games left in his collegiate career, Buck has pondered many possible routes for his future. The first is to get his Ph.D. in sports administration and gain the title of a general manager or sports agent for a professional sports team, or become the athletic director for a bigname university. His second option is to pursue law school, while the last alternative is to become part of the restaurant manage-

ment scene since he has been learning the ropes of a popular chain, Chili’s, where he works in the off-season. The end of the month marks the close of the basketball season as the team will travel to Georgia to take on Savannah State University. Buck’s last home game will come on Tuesday as the Broncs host Cal-State Bakersfield. He leaves the game with good friends, lessons learned and dreams pursued. “I feel like I’ve seen it all and been through it all in my five years and nothing will ever take away my love for the game,” Buck said.

Number of opponents the men’s and women’s tennis teams defeated this weeeknd

16 16

Number of games women’s basketball player LeKeisha Gray has been the leading scorer

97.5 97.5

Million of viewers that watched Super Bowl XLII.

ShortSports TENNIS It was a busy three-day weekend for the University of Texas PanAmerican’s men and women’s tennis teams. The women opened up play Friday in Nacogdoches posting a 6-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin. Competition started with doubles play as Giana Oliveira and Julia Cirne-Lima captured an 8-1 victory, while Silke Buksik and Megan Bedeau obtained an 8-6 win. In singles action, the Lady Broncs (4-1) took five of six matches. After a successful outing Friday, the women and men recorded 7-0 shutouts Saturday against Centenary College. Sophomore Brett Bernstein and India native Ashwin Vijayaragan, along with freshman Andrew Irving and senior Ivan Avila, had identical winning scores of 8-1 against their opponents. The Lady Broncs also put together a series of impressive victories against Louisiana Tech the same day. The Broncs (3-2) capped off the successful road trip Sunday where they dominated Prairie View A&M 60 in singles competition. The women will resume road play Friday against Central Arkansas, while the men will travel to Little Rock, Ark., Saturday to face Tennessee Tech University.