April 24, 2008 by UTRGV Student Media

Thursday April 24, 2008

59th Year No. 28

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

CAMPUS LIFE

Prevalence of student stress often self-inflicted, counselors say By J.R. ORTEGA The Pan American

THIS WEEK

Countless studies have been conducted over the years about how stressed college and university students are, and it seems every one has the same general finding: most college students are anxious. But what these studies fail to examine is the source of the problem. How is it that past generations have graduated from college with little to no dramatics? Maria Cristina Quilantán, a licensed professional counselor at the Counseling Center of South Texas, said a large part of the stress and strife students today experience is, in fact, self-inflicted. The real tension students face is trying to find a balance between the social and academic life, not exclusively one or the other, she suggested. “It’s harder for students to have control over relationships than it is to have over academics.” Quilantán added students who face stress solely because of academics need to re-evaluate priorities. Most of the time it is poor time management and study habits that cause them to feel pressure and the counselor said such anxiety is more controllable. “Some students don’t have the time management and don’t understand proper studying skills,” she said. Juggling four sculptures, two paintings and numerous other projects due by the end of the week, Arturo Hernandez, senior studio art major, will spend much of the end of his semester in the art studio with little sleep and all work.

Hernandez, a native of Hidalgo, said he understands why so many people stress out toward the end of the semester, but feels he and many other students bring it upon themselves. “I’m one of those people that doesn’t stress until the end of the semester,” he said. “That’s because I wait until the very end.” According to Hernandez, being an art major makes deadlines much more flexible. He added that he has always relaxed all semester and then spends the last weeks finishing a full semester’s worth of work. Despite Hernandez’s procrastination, he said he still receives A’s and B’s in classes and says he works better under duress, which is why he continues the habit. Hernandez believes students fall into two categories, those who have a reason to be stressed, and those who don’t. “There are those who have time and just wait until the last minute to do every assignment,” he said. “Then there are those who don’t have the time and don’t procrastinate but are still under a lot of stress.” Although Hernandez did not have to take the UNIV college-skills course, he said professors in that course help better prepare students. But he admits it is a two-way process. “I think the university can show students how to study better and better manage their time, but it is up the student to actually use what they’ve been taught,” he claimed.

See STRESS page 11

NATIONAL

NEWS Renovations spur mixed reactions See Page 3

A&E Earth Day festival spreads awareness See Page 8 & 9

SPORTS Athletes look back on the past year See Page 16

Group prepares for Day of Silence By ABBY MUNIZ The Pan American In silent protest, Polo Gutierrez plans to not speak the entire day Friday. Along with over 500,000 other students across the United States, he will participate in this year’s Day of Silence. In years past, hundreds of thousands of students at nearly 4,000 K-12 schools, colleges and universities have participated in the event.

“It’s to bring awareness to that... the harassment, it does have a side effect whether or not people see it.” -Polo Gutierrez President Gamma Lambda Beta For Polo Gutierrez, president of The University of Texas-Pan American’s Gamma Lambda Beta, the day will repli-

cate the silence most lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students have to face everyday. “It’s to bring awareness to that… the harassment, it does have a side effect whether or not people see it,” said Gutierrez, a junior English major. “It forces people to be silent about who they are.” Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, began in 1996 at The University of Virginia in response to a

class assignment on non-violent protests. The now national event is student-led, with participants taking a vow of silence to bring attention to alleged bullying and harassment experienced by the LGBT community on a daily basis. Friday will mark Gutierrez’s second year of participation. For him, it has been difficult to suppress speech for a whole day, but the message he is trying to communicate is far more important

See SILENCE page 11

O PINION

Page 2

April 24, 2008

THE PAN AMERICAN

LETTER

SOCIAL COMMENTARY wanted something lasting. What was something I won’t regret later? I finally settled on something clear and to the point. Something I mean wholeheartedly, and while I can only direct it to a few specifics (like that guy Gabriel who e-mailed me a month ago, or the guy who sits in his cave reading these because he has to), it was the only thing I could think of to fit the occasion perfectly: Thanks for reading.

A final farewell BY: SANDRA GONZALEZ

have to make this one special. You see, this issue is the last one I will oversee as Editor-in-chief, so this is my final opportunity I will have – at least for a while -- to have a relatively large audience listen as I make fun of people, things and life in general. While trying to figure out what I should write about, I found myself prioritizing. I had to find my number one annoyance. The thing I just can’t live without berating. Since Earth Day just passed, I considered writing about all the non-Earth friendly things I do on a daily basis in the hopes of angering the tree people. But then I had this vision of a mob of save-the-Earth/save-your-soul types chasing me with their Birkenstocks in hand chanting “Kill a tree, be under one.” So I nixed that. While driving, a woman cut me off

and I thought about writing something about how her chins were different colors because her too pale makeup cut off before it could cover the second jowl. But she was so much bigger than I am, I decided not to put myself in the position where I may be the target of her vendetta. A rant might be nice, I thought. Especially considering how much I hate cops right now and how I don’t like it when they do that creepy U-turn thing that makes it seem like they’re about to bust you. Jerks. Oh! I had a great idea (at least I thought so at the time). I can write about my biggest peeves as a student reporter. It’s not a story every time some person in some department takes a dump. It’s not a story when it happened three weeks ago and you want me to run a photo. And don’t ask me to send you the story when it’s done! Journalists don’t do it! You can’t make me do it! I won’t do it! *pulls hair out and runs out of

newsroom screaming* When I regained my sanity, I even considered airing my dirty laundry. Did you know I once posed in my underwear for this newspaper? (Bet you didn’t. And you’ll never find the issue either). Then I remembered I still have a year of school left and I would hate to face everyone after doing that. I briefly considered filling up this space with photos of me in a bikini (like so many have requested), but if I was going to do that I might as well have gone for the confession thing. At least that one doesn’t have a face (or any other parts for that matter) attached to it. Ok, I’ll compromise... I finally asked myself: In 10 Any last words? Like my hot years, what will I still be glad I bikini picture? Get everything in said? These days my opinions last now; it’s your last chance. After about as long as the average orgasm, which (if everyone is this, it’s called harassment, bub: being honest) isn’t that long. So I thesandrafanclub@gmail.com

AS I SEE IT

Spurs back on familiar track in playoffs BY: RAMIRO PAEZ

s I saw Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili hug each other, in person, at the end of Game 1 of the San AntonioPhoenix series, all I could say was, “Wow!” And if there was ever any indication of how the game was going to develop, I would have been prepared mentally when I decided to purchase my ticket. Everyone in the arena AT&T Center certainly got their money’s worth and the first-round playoff matchup was without a doubt one of the best games that I’ve ever seen in my life. And that is because I have seen my share of thrillers. All those people who said this series was going to be the most compelling were

APRIL 24, 2008 THE

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

right. The game really did have the feeling of a finals matchup, just like “The Big Fundamental” Duncan said in his postgame interview. But after the game, I noticed a familiar theme: continued lack of respect the Spurs receives from analysts. Every year, that is all I hear and it’s the same this year. The acquisitions of Shaq by the Suns, Pau Gasol by the Lakers and Jason Kidd by the Mavericks highlighted the second half of the season, with the low-profile Spurs lying in the gutters where they always find themselves around that time. I don’t know if it’s because analysts really think the Spurs can’t hang with other high-flying teams or simply because they just don’t want them to win another championship.

Yet, the “old, boring” Spurs continue to dominate as they claim four of the last nine NBA championships. But it seems like not even four recent titles can get them respect. The only person who has not given San Antonio a hard time for the past couple of years is Charles Barkley, but even the former NBA great turned on the defending champions in last year’s Western Conference Finals. In addition, the Spurs organization and their fans couldn’t even enjoy the trophy last season because of the “dynasty” debate by analysts. Back and forth, back and forth they went. As an NBA fan, it was sad to see because if it was any other team, a victory parade probably would have

been shown on national television. So will anyone ever give the Spurs the respect they deserve? The answer this year is probably no since the Lakers are back in the national spotlight. People are so quick to judge the Spurs when they lose a game but their opinions quickly change when they win a game they’re not predicted to win. But if San Antonio can overcome the Goliaths of the NBA, mainly Los Angeles and Boston, it will be interesting to hear the reaction and I won’t be surprised if respect is not forthcoming.

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

Assistant News Editors Abigail Muniz..............abby.muniz@yahoo.com J.R. Ortega.....................ortega.e.jr@gmail.com

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

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

Designers Rick Gamez Juan Torres

Sports Co-Editors Gregorio Garza........the_nataku@yahoo.com Ramiro Paez...................ramiropaez@aol.com Photography Editor Roxy Solis..................roxysolis34@yahoo.com

Reporters and Photographers Alvaro Balderas Ana Villaurrutia Bobby Cervantes Russen Vela Leslie Estrada Onydia Garza Laura Garcia

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

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

How do you think people view the Spurs ? ramiropaez@aol.com.

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.

To the editor: I would like to thank The Pan American and Ana Villaurrutia in particular for last week’s excellent article (“Math alternative anticipated”) concerning the Philosophy program’s new course offering, PHIL 1321: Introduction to Formal Logic. I would like to offer a few clarifications. Last year the Philosophy program substantially revised its curriculum, including changes to our course offerings in logic. The curriculum of PHIL 1320 (Introduction to Logic) was split into two new courses, PHIL 1321: Introduction to Formal Logic and PHIL 1305: Critical Thinking. We will no longer be offering PHIL 1320. PHIL 1305 is cross-listed with PHIL 1320 and satisfies the 041 Humanities undergraduate core curriculum requirement. PHIL 1321 is an entirely new course that was added as an option in the 020 Mathematics undergraduate core curriculum requirements for a select number of degree programs at UTPA. The course is designed to assist non-science, non-engineering, non-math majors at UTPA achieve the THECB Exemplary Objectives for mathematics. PHIL 1321 will satisfy a student’s math requirement only if their individual degree plan does not require a different specific math course. Students should check with their advisor if they are unsure about their specific degree requirements. The curriculum of PHIL 1321 includes an introduction to some of the formal techniques available for evaluating the correctness or incorrectness of arguments. Formal techniques likely to be discussed include: symbolization in propositional logic, parsing trees, truth tables, natural deduction in propositional logic, Venn diagrams, and the probability calculus. Students with majors in the College of Arts and Humanities are most likely to benefit from fulfilling their math requirement with this course. Gregory D. Gilson Philosophy program oordinator

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.

April 24, 2008

N EWS

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THE PAN AMERICAN

CONSTRUCTION

Renovations affecting parking Parking lot A closed, expected to re-open in July By ANA VILLAURRUTIA The Pan American The old computer center on the south side of the Student Union has stood for nearly 30 years, serving The

University of Texas-Pan American in several ways. Most recently the onewing structure housed the Financial Aid Office while the Student Services Building was being renovated, but it will now receive a face-lift of its own. With the closure of parking lot A, adjacent to the old computer center, parking may be a bother. Mary Paloma, a 21-year-old psychology major, said although the parking situation does not affect her she

understands its setbacks. “Especially if you’re a visitor you have to park all the way over in the fine arts auditorium,” said the McAllen native. “Its a problem especially around this time with people needing to register.” However Leota Hull, associate vice president for the Information Technology Data Center, said the space taken up by construction crews during renovation will end up benefiting the future of the university.

Hull said the old computer center will house campus registration data for BANNER for the university. The renovations will improve the condition of the center’s specialized machine rooms. “We will be more than doubling the machines in there to hold more data capacity for the next five to six years,” said Hull. Hull added the building’s air conditioning and electrical systems have become too strained to sustain the num-

SEEN AND CAPTURED

ber of computing machines they want in the center. “We had lots of electrical problems,” she said. “We had to stop moving machines in there because there wasn’t enough capacity. If the AC was down, we had to shut down the computers.” Physical Plant began working on the old computer center weeks ago. John Patton, assistant director of facilities, maintenance and operations, said its

See CONSTRUCTION page 12

EDUCATION

Graduate degrees more common By BOBBY CERVANTES The Pan American

make migrant life easier and more transitional. The main goal of the summer program is to have the students “experience the university lifestyle, so they can know it is attainable,” she said. “We want to get them that experience so when they

Long gone is the time where a high school diploma guarantees one a solid wage-earning job. Today, many educators and employers are now predicting the same fate of obsolescence for bachelor’s degrees, as graduate and professional degrees become more necessary for the evolving workforce. On March 6, The University of Texas-Pan American hosted a graduate fair attended by an estimated 250 people, including professors and graduate students trying to persuade passersby to consider the benefits of a graduate degree. According to UTPA’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the university granted 608 master’s and 10 doctoral degrees in 2007. “Our attendees were diverse – ranging from current UTPA students to professionals interested in returning to school,” said Cynthia Brown, interim vice-provost for graduate studies and academic centers. “This particular graduate fair targeted individuals in the community with a bachelor’s degree who might be interested in returning to school for a master’s or doctoral degree.” One such job market seeking graduates with a higher education mark than bachelor’s is the medical field.

See PROGRAM page 12

See DEGREES page 12

Ben Briones /The Pan American NO STRINGS ATTACHED - Illusionist Craig Karges, an award-winning entertainer, speaker and author, levitates a table Friday afternoon in the Student Union Theatre.

STUDENT LIFE

Program to ease migrant transition By BOBBY CERVANTES The Pan American For the first time this summer, The University of Texas-Pan American will be hosting a migrant program for high school students to broaden their future prospects by emphasizing college after high school.

The first Migrant University Summer Experience (MUSE) offers students the chance for instruction that could lead to high school credit accrual, experience living in dormitories and exploration of internships and possible career options. Migrant students from Region One Education Service Center, which

includes seven Texas counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, will be on campus June 8 – July 23. There is currently 37 school districts under the ROESC and a hundred “rising” juniors and seniors are expected to attend. Noemi Ochoa, Region One migrant education director, said their goal is to

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April 24, 2008 NEWS

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

April 24, 2008

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THE PAN AMERICAN

I LITERATURE

I STAGE AND SCREEN

Author recounts experiences on Rio Grande Incubator offers acting courses to community

By ANDRIELLE FIGUEROA The Pan American

The Dustin M. Sekula Memorial Library has been hosting several events throughout the week in celebration of National Library Week. On April 19, one of the bigger ones was a luncheon with author Keith Bowden, writer of The Tecate Journals: Seventy Days on the Rio Grande. Margot Durbin, assistant director, explained that Bowden’s appearance was the start of getting people involved in literature concerning local culture. “We want to get regional authors to come in and talk about the books they have written,” Durbin said. “We believe that people here would be interested in books that are written about the area.” Getting to school was always a bit of a struggle for a young Bowden, who dropped out at age 16 and took his first hitchhiking trip from his home in Delaware to California. “One out of 10 people would usually tell me they wished they would have dropped out of high school just like I did,” said the 51-year-old author. After this trip, his father – who was still trying to push education for Bowden — made a deal with him. If he would go back to school and get a job, he would be able to travel when school was over. Bowden agreed.

On the first break in school, Bowden decided to go to Monterey, Mexico, in March 1974. Once he got there and realized the only Spanish words he knew were taco and enchiladas, he knew then to be without knowledge was to be up a creek without a paddle. Bowden, now a professor at Laredo Community College, went on to Acadia University in Canada where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. In December 2004, Bowden took a leave of absence to take the trip from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico, 1,260 miles along of Rio Grande. “I was eager, I did not believe the horror stories that people talk about,” Bowden said about his initial reaction to the journey. Despite the stories of wild animals, drug dealers, and the dangerous river itself, Bowden knew he wanted to take this adventure. On the trek there were a number of things he had to take to stay alive: water, food, clothes, and tools. “My lucky turtle. A little onyx, I think its turquoise,” said Bowden with laughter. “My friend gave it to me and assured me it was lucky. I didn’t believe it until I lost it on one of my trips and things went really bad.” The Tecate Journals is a complete recounting of this trip and everything

By LAURA GARCIA The Pan American

barnesandnoble.com LIFEʼS JOURNEY - Author Keith Bowden shares his 70-day experience along the Rio Grande in his book, The Tecate Journals.

Bowden encountered, from run-ins with drug smugglers, to near-death experiences with animals. Roland Hernandez computer information systems major, who lives in San Juan, believes his experiences with nature would not push him to take such an

Ben Briones/The Pan American SHARED ADVENTURES - Keith Bowden recalls his 1,260-mile trek from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico in his book, The Tecate Journals. Bowden appeared Saturday at the Dustin Sekula Memorial Library for National Library Week.

adventure. He stated, “Even though I grew up on a ranch, dealing with drug smugglers are a different type of animal.” The river is said to be very dangerous, but locals have only seen the gentle side. What residents area sees is only a small portion of what it looks like in other parts of Texas. Durbin agreed with this idea, saying, “All I have done is drive over the river, and just look down at it.” In attendance at the event was Edinburg lawyer Mark Pena, who said he could not put the book down. “This book has opened my eyes to the wonderful beauty of the Rio Grande. I’m not the biggest reader, but I was so entertained,” said Pena. “I recommend this book to people who live by the border because we are definitely going to be affected by the wall if it is put up.” Hernandez believed otherwise. “I understand the fight and the significance of obtaining the river but to me its just a crossing and I think we should forget about borders and worry more about society.” Durbin said the Valley can be expecting more events like these. “It’s just another dimension of reading a book, by meeting the author and finding out the process of writing a book it is just sort of an added benefit to the whole experience,” she said.

The Rio Grande Valley isn’t really known for much more than its proximity to the border and scorching year-‘round weather, but in the near future it may be budding with actors. Not Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston, but amateurs who are learning the craft in hopes of working with stars of that status. Pedro Garcia 46, a local acting coach, is offering his knowledge in the field of theatre arts to help students break into the industry. As a standing member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1994, he has been involved in nearly 100 theatre and film productions. More than just an actor, he’s tried his hand at every aspect of a production, including director, writer, producer and casting director. Through the years he’s gained enough experience to pass on to a new generation in hopes of a brighter future for the Valley. “The acting community is growing, it still needs more time to blossom but it’s happening in energetic spurts,” said Garcia, a McAllen resident. The most important thing a student will learn in his classes is believable acting, or The Method, a term coined by Constantin Stanislavski during the late 1800s in Moscow. This type of acting challenged actors to forget the spectacle or over-dramatization and let the real shine through. In his classes, Garcia also teaches voice and movement, concentration, improvisation, scene study, character development, script understanding, auditioning skills and how to write a resume. The acting classes are offered Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 5:30 at the McAllen Creative Incubator. One theatre major feels any aspiring actor would benefit from the type of training being offered. “As an actor, I think it’s important to improve as much as possible your craft,” said Edgar Ituarte, 23, of McAllen. “If there’s another source available to help, by all means people should take advantage and see the other sides to the acting world.”

See ACTING page 10

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Organization celebrates, promotes environmental awareness By RUSSEN VELA The Pan American

arth Day is so big now that there are two different celebrations annually, during spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern. These days are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. The United Nations celebrates an Earth Day each year on the March equinox. The United Nations celebrates an Earth Day each year on the March equinox, a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. A second Earth Day, which was founded by U.S. politician Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in the late 1960s, is celebrated in many countries each year on April 22. Los Angeles is most notably the largest and most frequently attended festival in the country. Famous environmental activists like actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Natalie Portman, plus politician Al Gore, and director Steven Spielberg have popularized the festival in recent years. With support of the Environmental Awareness Club of UTPA, people locally do their part to celebrate. Claudia Tamez, a senior biology major in the N.S.F.R.E.U. (National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program was the campus festival coordinator for 2008. “For us (The Environmental Awareness Club) it is about celebrating our Earth and promoting more sustainable lifestyles and raising awareness about various environmental issues,” Tamez said. “It’s about persuading the public to become active and work towards reaching green goals that can benefit us as a community and as residents of Earth.” Tamez club also explained how Earth Day is important everywhere, stating that everyone can do their part by celebrating at home.

“It’s important that we make an impression in the Valley so our community can be educated and aware,” said Tamez. “We need to set an example for the young children that will follow. We want them to keep the Earth Day tradition in the Valley alive.” Some of the activities this week brought both students and faculty members from UTPA great amusement in celebrating Earth for free. A rock climbing wall, outdoor volleyball, and yoga sessions were sponsored by the Wellness and Recreation Center. Sophomore communication disorders major Jennifer Valdez was excited to hear about the free yoga activity. “It’s a great way to stay in shape, or so I heard,” the McAllen native said. “I have never tried it, but now I want to, plus it’s free and it is a part of Earth Day.” Free prizes and free fresh fruit were available at the center table surrounding the festival which read with a huge sign “Free Watermelons.” Tamez also expressed that several informative speeches by invited speakers discussed local issues, including the proposed border wall and the use of alternative energies. Live entertainment such as local bands played at a garage sale tent. Faces were painted with interesting and exotic designs, but quickly melted due to the April heat. Student organizations also had vast numbers of tables set up to distribute info about the origins of Earth Day along with some freebies such as Tshirts, flyers, and packets about the planet. Tamez was glad to mention that she was happy that the university was more involved this year. She stated that one day she

hopes the event becomes a week-long festival, something similar to International Week. The Awareness club needed help from volunteers to help at the event. Tamez stated she only asked for e-mail and telephone numbers and not a long list of resumes or any other submissions in order to participate. Freshman biology major Karina Lopez attended the event but also wanted to help out. “I had no idea where to contact anybody,” the Edinburg native said. “I would try to find flyers for the event but I was always forgetting, and whenever I would ask where I could volunteer to help, I wouldn’t know where to sign up.” Lopez plans on volunteering next year. “I had so much fun today, I will make it a promise to help out next year,” she said proudly. Everyone was welcome to attend the festival. “This is Earth Day so all of Earth’s people are welcome,” said Tamez. “Bringing the community together for such a positive fun event like this is really awesome and inspiring.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 9 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Organization celebrates, promotes environmental awareness By RUSSEN VELA The Pan American

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April 24, 2008 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

I DOCUMENTARY

Film captures migrant experiences By NAYELLY BARRIOS The Pan American The XIX Annual Symposium on Modern Languages will showcase a series of speakers, art, drama and film presentations from April 30 through May 2 at the UTPA campus. One of the films that will be shown is Cosecha Voices: From the Fields of Toil to Las Labores de Educacion, which is based on the Cosecha Voices Project. The project arose from a Spanish creative writing course last semester where student writing focused on putting down personal experiences on paper. “The focus of the class was the migrant experience and writing about it,” said Stephanie Martinez-Alvarez, professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature. “The most important part of that was for the students to come to terms with their own migrant experience and understand it.” Cosecha Voices graduate anthropology student Sylvia Solis and UTPA alumnus Jay Garcia are the producers of this documentary. “Through this documentary our hope is to be able to show how migrant

students are an integral part of higher education. Through the stories of their experience as being a migrant working, from a young age, to being academically successful and achieving entrance into the university setting,” Garcia said. “By showing their success both personal and educational, is showing what the true meaning of the American Dream is all about. These students work hard both in the fields, but especially in their education.” Cosecha Voices: From the Fields of Toil to Las Labores de Educacion will show May 2 at the Student Union Theatre at 8 a.m. “This documentary is a hope for all of us who have been involved in it to be a catalyst to make the voces of all migrant students past, present and future come to the forefront of the educational debate,” continued Garcia. Solis has been primarily in charge of filming and is one of the students involved in the project. “It is inspiring to see passionate educators come together and work,” said Solis. “Ochoa was very inspiring because she incorporated theatrical elements into the workshop and this real-

ly helped the students learn to start using their voice in education. Tato Laviera, by being genuine and inspiring when working with the students and drawing out of them their experiences, and Martinez-Alvarez by her continued effort in creating refreshing spaces for students to learn in.” The majority of the students involved in the Cosecha Voices project are in the Campus Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) or are alumni of this program. “In the class itself, the students created a couple of dramatic pieces that they acted out during class. Some students did short stories or poems, but the main focus of the class is what in Spanish we call, el testimonio,” said Martinez-Alvarez. “It’s an autobiography of type but at the same time, it has a political connection. They call it testimonial literature in English. The main focus of this class is for students to create their testimonio.” The class, which took place once a week, also consisted of a workshop conducted by Nuyorican American Book Award-winning poet Tato Laviera. One of the requirements of the class was a

public presentation of students’ testimonio, which they did in December at the Student Union in front of an audience consisting of friends, family and others interested in the project. During March’s Festival of International Books and Art (FESTIBA) Laviera, Alvarez and the students who took place in the Spanish creative writing class conducted the Cosecha Voices Writing Workshop for 80 middle-school migrant students from nine Valley schools. Laviera directed the workshop and the students who had taken the class helped guide and teach the migrant students. “It was very empowering for all of the students. The first thing I asked them when they got there was, ‘How many of you have ever written about being a migrant?’ and nobody raised their hands,” said Martinez-Alvarez. “That was very shocking, especially given the nature of our region, which has one of the largest migrant populations in the whole country.” For more information visit the Modern Languages and Literature department Web site.

ACTING continued from page 7 Aside from getting the part, Garcia feels it is imperative for actors to have a strong work ethic. It is essential students understand punctuality and attend every rehearsal, in order to prepare themselves for the type of discipline that is expected of them. “Be not only a good actor, but a reliable one as well,” Garcia warned. “Believe me, the latter will get you lots of respect in the business.” Garcia, who attended UTPA, was directed by Marian Monta, a former theatre arts director for over 30 years, has learned most of his techniques through hands-on experiences. He also studied at the University of New Mexico where he did a lot of community theatre work. Garcia grew up in Hidalgo and attended Hidalgo High School. Some of his most recent work includes a film that was shot in the Valley called Los Scavengers, which was written by David Garcia and David Rice. He played a piano teacher and was able to work alongside some of his students. “I would love to see and read more stories set in the Valley. There are a lot of talented people out there and we have some beautiful sites down here too,” added Garcia.

I THEATRE

Classic children’s tale reimagined, revamped in 3D By LESLIE ESTRADA The Pan American Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantastic realm populated by peculiar and anthropomorphized creatures. A childhood classic for most, Alice in Wonderland was presented to the Rio Grande Valley public last weekend at South Texas Community College, with a new twist to a notably offbeat story in the first place; it was done in 3-D, the first local production of its kind. “There are many special effects being used to create this mind-bending 3D effect,” said Christopher Carmona,

director of the play. “We used special paints, special lighting and special glasses that will help project this story in dimensions beyond any sight and sound you know about.” The story, a work by Lewis Carroll, is considered a classic example of the genre and of English literature in general; it was adapted by Carmona and unveiled April 17-19. “The tale is filled with allusions and lessons that British children were supposed to memorize,” he said. “The main essence of the play is there, with just some adaptations here and there.” According to Salvador Gutierrez, who graduated from The University of

Texas-Pan American with a theatre/TV production degree, this play will open doors for theatre in South Texas. “I’m glad that they are doing something like this,” Gutierrez said. “Most people in the Valley have never seen something like this play. I am sure that they will start to gain more interest, especially children.” Gutierrez, originally from Mexico City, said that the theatre scene is given a lot of importance in the capitol city. “Growing up in Mexico City, there were always many things available for me, and one of those was plays,” he said. “Theatre is a wonderful form of art. Children and adults have a very good

time, it is a nice way to spend some family time together.” Lorena Covarrubias went to the play and was happy to see that a different form of entertainment was being offered. “The play was wonderful, I really liked the 3-D effect that was created,” said the eighth-grader from Cathay Middle School in McAllen. “My mom always tells me that she used to take my sisters to the theatre when they lived in Mexico, I’m glad I had an opportunity to experience it as well.” Andres Flores, a sophomore majoring in international business at UTPA, also assited with one of the shows. “I came with my girlfriend and her

little sister,” he said. “I really enjoyed the play, I am not very fond of going to the theatre but I might just start to change my mind.” Carmona said that there are more such projects on the works. “We have plans to do other projects,” he said. “There will be more very interesting things coming, but for now I’ll leave it to people’s imaginations.” The director also encouraged people to continue patronizing RGV events and artists. “There is a lot of talent down here. We should all support our wonderful actors,” he said. “It is also a great way to have fun and do something different.”

April 24, 2008

Page 11 NEWS

STRESS continued from page 1

SILENCE continued from page 1

Lizette Gonzalez, a 26-year-old sophomore English major, has a much different case than Hernandez. She said it’s difficult keeping up with her study habits since she has two sons under the age of five. “I have bad study habits because I come home at 7 p.m. and have to make sure the kids have eaten and have done their homework,” the Elsa native said. “I usually don’t start my studying until 10 p.m.” Gonzalez said she still does well in her classes but added that her case is not about procrastination, but rather not having enough time in the day. “I do as much as I can, but it’s hard to lock yourself in a room to study when you hear your kids in the next room fighting,” she said. Quilantán said the college students she does see tend to have depression because of finances or are wrapping their academic life around the social life instead of vice versa. She also teaches leadership courses at the graduate level at UTPA, added the university has the resources needed to help students take control of their college experience. “Students that need to seek counseling at the university,” she said. “They’re not away those resources are available to them.” Both Quilantán and Christopher Albert, clinical psychologist and supervisor at Counseling and Psychological Services, mentioned that either students are not aware of counseling services or they are afraid that counseling will make them seem unstable, which they ensured it doesn’t. Albert added the majority of students seen at the counseling center suffer from depression, anxiety and stress from being a college student in general. Some issues the center at the university deals

than the struggle to clam up, he said. “For a person [harassment] can take a lot out of them. The repercussions it has, sometimes can be horrid, so it’s just to bring awareness to that,” Gutierrez explained. Throughout the day, an estimated 20 participants at UTPA will keep silent and when peers around them ask why they are not talking, they plan to hand out “speaking cards” which will communicate their purpose. For Magdiel Alfonzo, a junior nursing major, the day will be a private time more than anything else. “It’s more personal because I’m not out, out like to my family” Alfonzo said. Alfonzo also feels the day will help the UTPA community become aware of the LGBT situation as the day progresses. “It will help resonate (the message) amongst the school because people will be like, ‘why aren’t these people talking?’” said Alfonzo, a native of Mercedes. “They are going to want to know what we represent.” This year’s Day of Silence will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15year-old student from California who was shot and killed by a fellow classmate because of King’s sexual identity. Although Gutierrez said friends and family are anticipated to participate along with members of Gamma Lambda Beta, there are differing views on the day’s significance in other places across the nation. A group of parents in Seattle were opposed to the idea of Mount Si High School participating in the event because they were concerned about teachers expressing personal views on a controversial subject. Over 80 people attended a school board meeting in March held to voice concerns over the national event, which is still set to take place on Friday. On campus Friday, GLB will also host a vigil in honor of King outside the Chapel of the Lord’s Prayer at 7 p.m. They anticipate a larger participation than last year’s small gathering.

with are college transition, finances, and social issues, but rarely academics exclusively. Quilantán suggests that students read Stephen Covey’s First Things First, a book aimed at educating people in meeting deadlines and becoming more efficient.

PopQuiz 1. What should you bring with you to every exam? a. Pencil b. Pen c. Blue book d. All of the above 2. Which of these is something you should NOT do the night before a test? a. Eat “brain foods” b. Exercise c. Stay up all night studying d. All of the above 3. What should you avoid before a test? a. Drinking alcohol b. Cramming 30 minutes before c. Oversleeping d. All of the above

This year’s 12th annual Day of Silence wil be in honor of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old California student, killed in February

The Day of Silence’s purpose is to bring attention to antiLGBT namecalling, bullying and harassment, plus effective responses 4 out of 5 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school - dayofsilence.org

April 24 - Get your Day of Silence materials noon to 1 p.m. at the Student Union commons area

April 24, 2008

Page 12 NEWS

PROGRAM continued from page 3

DEGREES continued from page 3 An increase of 3,000 medical students is needed by the year 2015 just to meet rising demand, according to the research conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges. With such dire predictions about future job market shortages, the studies make one conclusion clear: In job markets where a bachelor’s degree is becoming ever more common and where shortages exist because of the lack of qualified applicants, companies will not only begin to demand more workers, but to want those with more impressive educational accomplishments. Carlos Sepulveda, a student pursuing his master’s in history at UTPA,

believes that it is important to go on to graduate school because it sets an individual apart in the job market. He continued with his education with hopes of going to law school and one day also obtaining a doctorate degree. “I just wanted more, I wasn’t satisfied with just a bachelor’s degree,” Sepulveda said. “I guess with the competition in jobs these days, the more education you have the better,” Sepulveda said. He also believes it is important for Hispanics to continue to pursue an education beyond a bachelor’s degree. “It’s better for us to have graduate degrees as Hispanics, to be more competitive,” he said. “As it is, we still have

it rough, we still have disadvantages as a minority group.” According to Brown, the increase in demand – which is also happening in other niches of the workforce beside the medical field – can be attributed to the rise in need for employees with a master’s degree as well as a change in the environment of the workforce. “As the work environment becomes more complex, graduate education is increasingly needed to respond to this,” she said. Emphasized is the need for medical and education professionals. Brown adds, “It is increased skill levels that jobs require that is driving the increase in graduate education.”

CONSTRUCTION continued from page 3 focus for now is updating the ragged electrical and cooling system. “The building had simply become obsolete and we had to start construction,” he explained. Patton and his crew will be improving the transformers and thus the capacity in the building. He added working on renovations requires a lot of space for engineering equipment and the crew’s vehicles, leading to closure of the parking lot. “Because we have to bring in equipment, such as cement trucks, we

decided to meet with the police department and after discussing whether to close one lane, we decided to close the entire lot,” said Patton. Meanwhile, Melissa Sandoval, campus parking manager, suggests that visitors park at lot A-6 across from the Fine Arts Auditorium or consult the information booth at the entrance to the university for more options. “We will be opening and closing the lot every now and then, we plan to post times of parking on the entrance,”

Patton said. Hull is happy that the building will finally get its improvements, but added she understands UTPA had many other buildings in the need of construction. According to the Physical Plant, other projects currently in the design phase are a new fine arts center and a satellite campus for UTPA’s Starr County campus. The permanent re-opening of lot A and the completion of the old computer center is scheduled by July 1.

graduate, [the independent lifestyle at the university level] is something they can transition into smoothly.” One school district that will be attending this program is Mission CISD, which plans to bring about 30 juniors and seniors to the UTPA. “This is the first one of its kind here at UTPA,” Omar Chavez, migrant and parental coordinator for Mission CISD. “It has never been done to my knowledge in the Valley.” Chavez said Saint Edward’s University in Austin hosted a similar program for the past 35 years, but decided to discontinue the effort this summer – prompting Chavez and other migrant coordinators to contact UTPA in hopes that they would initiate a similar program. “[St. Edward’s] had a summer residential program” for migrant students, he said. “They closed the doors this summer, and that is when we called the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at UTPA. Right now, all directors are getting students approved.” Chavez admits migrant students usually find themselves caught between their two main priorities – school and contract work. This along with the social stigma that migrant students carry as the lower economic class can all but hold a migrant student back from their academic efforts. Research shared through and other

migrant directors, Chavez said, have shown that students’ academic performance is hurt by traveling for work in some cases. However, he stresses this is not the case with a large group of students, who have no difficulty catching up with classes due to their performance ability. “[Academically advanced students] will not have difficulty catching up in the curriculum, but when you have a kid who struggles, not just with how late in the year they arrive, but also with their academic levels,” he said. Classes like speech and health at Mission CISD, Chavez said, are usually filled up quickly, forcing the migrant students who arrive late in the year to wait until the next academic semester – causing some students’ graduation to be delayed on average of 1-2 years. “When they do come from up north, those kids are exposed to two types of curricula,” he said. “They may not have same requirements or objectives that we have here. When they come down, they may be at a loss.” Despite the educational loss, Chavez remains optimistic the program will prove encouraging and hopes that it will develop further in years to come. “We’re just trying to be creative,” he said. “Hopefully in subsequent years, we can extend this to other grade levels, maybe even to junior high.”

Page 13

April 24, 2008 SPORTS

PRO FOOTBALL

Dorados seek redemption from ‘07 ending By ALVARO BALDERAS The Pan American The Rio Grande Valley Dorados have begun their quest for the Arena Football 2 Cup but have not started in the fashion they hoped. Three games into the 2008 campaign, the Dorados have a 1-2 record, causing confusion already for fans since the team has already lost twice as many games as it did the entire last season. Last year’s premature departure from the playoffs still leaves a sour taste for the defending National Conference champions. The Dorados rolled through their competition in 2007 en route to a 15-1 record and No. 1 seed but a loss in the conference semifinal on a controversial call against division rival BossierSheveport left fans stunned. After the Battle Wings scored a touchdown to take a 50-45 lead, the Dorados had one last chance for a remarkable comeback with only seconds remaining. And they got it. RGV’s Chris Canty intercepted Sheveport’s quarterback Quincy Carter and pitched it to teammate Travis McAlpine, who sprinted down the left sideline for the score. Though, an official ruled Canty’s knee

was down before the pitch but the monitors later reviewed it wasn’t. RGV, with a new season under way, is looking to erase the memory of a play that knocked them out. And as far as expectations, the question for the coaching staff and the fans is not whether they will make the playoffs, but how far they can advance in them. “I don’t think last year’s defeat in the playoffs is in the players’ minds,” said third-year head coach Marty Hammond. “It is history that is not going to do anything for us now. We’re just going to move forward because it’s not the exact same team from last year. Our goal this year is first to win the division and then take it one step at a time after that.” The blue and gold will go to battle this season with a couple of key acquisition as well as key returning players from a year ago that helped attain the league best record. Veteran Travis Cole, who replaces Josh Kellet at quarterback, has the starting nod after his four years of backup experience with Arena Football League teams such as the Arizona Rattlers and Utah Blaze. Newcomer Anthony Chambers from Purdue will try to make an impact at wide receiver, along with 11 other rook-

ies. McAllen native Garret Mason, along with first-team all-league selections Keenan Washington and Quinton Staton, will be back to anchor the No. 1 ranked defense from a year, a unit that set the AF2 record for sacks in a season with 66. “Our new quarterback (Cole) needs to step up and make some big plays for us this year, which I think he will,” said Hammond. “As far as our receivers go, (Eddie) Jackson is a new big guy that will help us make plays. I’m looking to use Jermaine Carpenter, who was here last year, more as a focal point in my offense more this year.” The 2008 schedule will present the Dorados stiff tests night in, night out. RGV will face National Conference titans Tulsa Talons and Sheveport twice this season. And in the heart of the schedule, they will clash for three consecutive games against teams that made the playoffs last year (Tulsa, Central Valley and Oklahoma). The Dorados will look to rebound from the tough three-game opening road trip Saturday as they play their first home game against Shreveport at 7:30 p.m. at Dodge Arena. Even with the 1-2 record, Hammond knows there is still a long season ahead for his ballclub to regroup.

Roxy Solis/The Pan American LOOKING TO SCORE - First-year quarterback Travis Cole hopes to lead the Dorados back into the postseason and improve his chances for the AFL next year.

PRO BASEBALL

Coyotes look to rebound from disappointing campaign By DANNY GARZA The Pan American The third United League Baseball season is around the corner and the Edinburg Coyotes are looking forward to redeeming themselves after a disappointing 2007 season. The Coyotes finished the 2007 campaign with a 43-52 record which was good enough for fifth place in a sixteam league. The team was also plagued with negative weather conditions as a total of nine games canceled. But despite the hardships the Coyotes endured last season, field manager Vince Moore seems optimistic about how his team is shaping up for the upcoming season. He’s looking to repeat the success the team had

in ‘06 when it played for the inaugural ULB championship. “It’s a little early but right now but everything is looking good so far,” said Moore, a long-time player for the Edinburg Roadrunners, the franchise that preceded the Coyotes in town. “Last year we had our ups and downs but that’s the past and we’ve moved on. We’re focused on the season coming up.” Moore has been piecing together the team since last season ended and will be bringing back a few familiar faces to the line-up. One of the most recognizable ones will be second baseman Eric Gonzalez, the La Feria native who will be returning for his third season with the team. Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience to the team that will help groom some of

the younger players; he is considered the backbone of the team with his proven leadership on and off the field. “Eric is an essential part of this team,” Moore said. “His background and playoff experience alone gives him a great quality that some of these younger players can feed off. Having him back will be great for the team as well as the community.” A player who will be in the pitching rotation is UTPA alumni Aaron

Guerra, aka “The Mad Scientist.” Guerra had a standout year in 2007 as he made an impression throughout the league by striking out 95 batters and posting a 9-3 record. Guerra finished the year tied for third in the league in wins and was seventh in ERA (3.68). Moore is also looking to bring some fresh talent as the team picked up two players from a ULB Tryout Camp which was held Sunday. Catcher Alex Enterikin of Atlanta and third baseman

Brian Beniquez have been extended an invitation to spring training in early May. Local tryouts for the Coyotes will be held Saturday at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. “We’ve got a good group of talent coming in this year that will create some excitement for the Edinburg fans,” said assistant general manager Omar Ortiz, also a former Bronc hurler and former Coyote reliever. “The ULB tryout was one of the best tryout camps I have ever been to. As far as talent is concerned, we must have had a hundred guys out there that could have played for the league.” The Edinburg Coyotes will kick off the season with an early start May 13 at 10:30 a.m. The Coyotes’ first evening opener will be May 15 at 7:05 p.m.

April 24, 2008

Page 14 SPORTS

April 24, 2008

Page 15 SPORTS

UNIVERSITY SPORTS

Programs thrive in ‘07-‘08 as seniors exit By RAMIRO PAEZ The Pan American When University of Texas-Pan American women’s volleyball coach Angela Hubbard was hired last March, the former Nicholls State University assistant came to the Rio Grande Valley to help the program recover from a dismal 6-25 campaign in 2006. Hubbard was quickly welcomed to her newly acquired position as the Lady Broncs were routed by North Dakota State 3-0 in the opening game of 2007. And though some people might have believed the first-year head coach would struggle with her team’s adversity, Hubbard silenced doubters. The Lady Broncs ended the year with a losing record but the University of West Georgia alum helped lift the program to a dramatic nine-game improvement en route to a 15-18 record, setting the tone for a solid year for UTPA athletics. The women entered the 2007 campaign with the odds stacked against them. When their schedule was released in June, the Lady Broncs knew they would have to get used to traveling thousands of miles above ground as 26 of 30 regular-season matches were away from the Field House. But behind nine starters returning from 2006, the women made Hubbard’s job a little easier as junior outside hitter Kellie Phillips sparked the momentum. The Arizona native recorded 723 kills in her first two years with UTPA and climbed to No. 4 in the record books for the most individual career kills in women’s volleyball history. On Oct. 13, Phillips recorded her 1,000th career kill against Birmingham-Southern and improved that total to 1,128 by the end of the season.

CROSS COUNTRY After the departure of UTPA AllAmerican Westly Keating in 2005, the men’s cross-country team was left scrambling for a go-to runner in 2006. Junior Luis Nava of La Joya, coming off a successful freshman year, proved to be the runner to fill Keating’s shoes. And two years later, Nava has exceeded expectations. The men’s and women’s cross country teams kicked off their seasons the last day of August in Corpus Christi, where they got off to a good start and claimed five top-10 finishes at the Islander Relays. Nava garnered a fourthplace finish en route to four top-10 finishes throughout the season. He placed first at the Independent Cross Country Championships Oct. 27 where his time of 24:19.69 boosted him to third all-time in the 8,000 meters behind Keating, who claims the top two spots. BASKETBALL In basketball, people didn’t know what to expect after coach Tom Schuberth stunned UTPA by helping the Broncs overcome a 7-24 record in 2005. Schuberth amazed people for his sevengame improvement in 2006 but what the second-year coach would follow with made all the difference. With the additions of a pep band and the Hoop Heads, the 2007 season kicked off with a bang after the Broncs claimed consecutive double-digit victories, eventually leading to the Independent title and an 18-13 mark. ESPN.com featured UTPA in its Independent preview and the Broncs responded by posting their best season since the 2001-2002 campaign, when former head coach Bob Hoffman led them to a 20-10 record. Behind the success of the Green and Orange was senior guard Paul Stoll. Stoll, with his aggressive Chris Paul-

style of play, averaged 14.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game and shot 48.6 percent from the field, including 47.5 percent from behind the arc and 85.1 percent from the charity stripe. The Michigan native was also featured on ESPN.com for his 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists Jan. 22 against Houston Baptist. He recorded a career-high nine steals Jan. 26 against the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a career-high 14 assists Feb. 12 against Cal State Bakersfield, which lifted him to into third place nationally in assists with 224. The year concluded with a win at Savannah State University where the Broncs waved goodbye to six seniors, including Stoll, Brian Burrell, and second-leading scorer Zach Trader. On the women’s side, the season didn’t pan out so well for Coach DeAnn Craft and the Lady Broncs. The women finished with a 11-18 mark but a major slip-up in Game 2 of the National Independent Tournament, after they upset top seed Utah Valley State University, kept UTPA from advancing to the championship match. The Lady Broncs lose four key seniors, including leading-scorer LeKeisha Gray, who ranks among the best players in the program’s history. TENNIS Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year came from the women’s tennis program, which finished with the best season in history. Before the year geared up for the spring season, men’s and women’s tennis coach Rob Hubbard had high expectations for the Lady Broncs since the entire 2006 squad was returning. He was right and after posting a win by default Jan. 19 against the College of The Southwest in their spring opener, the

Lady Broncs rolled to a 17-8 mark. Senior captain Silke Buksik, who played with a tenacious style throughout the year, rewrote the history books after collecting 19 singles wins, tied for her fifth with Ellen Nelissen (1993). In doubles play, Buksik and teammate Megan Bedeau became the new doubles singleseason leaders after gathering 19 victories, surpassing Barbara Barrera and Mary Jane Meyer’s 1990 record of 18. TRACK AND FIELD With only three meets remaining before the NCAA Regional Championships May 30, the men’s and women’s track and field team know their performances must be cohesive if they want any chance to travel to Lincoln, Neb. Junior Vanessa Brown of Houston has had an outstanding outdoor season with five top-three finishes in the 200meter and 400-meter dashes, including two consecutive top finishes at the Border Olympics and Texas State Open in early March. But it was senior Cuero native Will Littleton who continued to be the leading man. Littleton, a two-time All American high-jumper, was the sole Bronc who advanced to the USA Indoor Championships Feb. 23 for his second- and fourth-place finishes at the Bayou Classic and Houston Invitational, respectively. He struggled in Boston, accumulating a ninth-place finish, but at the Arkansas Last Chance Meet, his first-place jump of 7-01.75 propelled him to his third AllAmerican accolade, at the NCAA Indoor Championships. San Juan native J.J. Hernandez is the second Bronc who has qualified for regionals after his second-place time of 9:00.87 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

BASEBALL So far in the 2008 campaign, the baseball team has struggled to a 14-27 record. With only a handful of games left before the National Independent Tournament, the young Broncs look to finish on a strong note as a majority of the roster returns for next season. But not all has been gloomy. On March 16, the Green and Orange posted its biggest win of the season as they battled back from a 7-0 seventh inning deficit to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-8 in one of the most remarkable comebacks in program history. GOLF During the fall season, the men’s and women’s golf teams struggled to find their niche with head coach Ofelia Lopez handling the reigns of both squads. Assistant coach Tim McCabe was hired Jan. 17 to aid Lopez and three weeks later, the Broncs and Lady Broncs captured their first tournament titles at the Jack Brown Memorial Tournament. Junior Shane Pearce finished second overall after posting a three-round score of 216 (76-65-75), where his second round score of 65 ranked him first all-time in the single-round records, tied with Luis Arechiga (1997). The men and women will have one last chance to capture a tournament title at the highly anticipated National Minority Golf Championships in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The teams return to familiar waters in Florida, where the Broncs captured the title in 2002 and 2006, while the Lady Broncs claimed the trophy for three consecutive years (2003, 2004, and 2005). So with only two weeks remaining in the school year, UTPA athletics will use the ’07-08 sports season as incentive for a bright 2008-2009 campaign looming in the horizon.

Wilson

Stoll

Ramirez

Gray

Buksik

Avila

Cantu

Lozano

Johnson

Rodriguez

Hensley

Puente

Buck

Vaughn

Wilson

Martin

Anderson

Gonzalez

Cisper

Gutierrez

Gonzalez

Marks

Tudi

Shankle

Trader

Oliveira

Lima

Gonzalez

Sanchez

Littleton

Cortez

Shepherd

Shives

Uriegas

S P O RT S

Page 16

April 24, 2008

THE PAN AMERICAN

UNIVERSITY SPORTS

StatsAtAGlance

2 2

Number of picks the Dallas Cowboys will have in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft

22 22

Number of innings the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies played April 17

“As a staff we were very

“I’m extremely proud of them

lucky to have someone like Chelsea (Blakely) here. I’ve said it before, she is probably the best setter I have ever coached. She is a great leader; she bought into our system and brought the girls

[women] because they sat down in the beginning of the season and established a goal of attaining at least 15 wins. They worked really hard throughout the long season and sticking together as a team

along with her.”

deserves kudos.”

-Angela Hubbard Volleyball Head Coach

-Rob Hubbard Menʼs and Womenʼs Tennis Head Coach

90 90

Number of points Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for in Saturday’s double overtime thriller

ShortSports SCHEDULES The following is the tenative schedule for the remaining spring season sports after April 24.

“I think our seniors provided

wonderful leadership. The fact that we were the No. 1 Independent with an 18-13 record and only having 10 home games, there were a lot of accomplishments that I think

Baseball April 25 @ Arkansas 7 p.m. April 26 @ Arkansas 4 p.m. April 27 @ Arkansas 1 p.m. April 29 @ Stephen F. Austin 12 p.m. May 2 @ Northern Colorado 2 p.m. May 3 @ Northern Colorado 2 p.m. May 4 @ Northern Colorado 1 p.m. May 10 @ TCU 6:30 p.m. May 11 @ TCU 1 p.m. May 12 @ TCU 6:30 p.m.

exceeded people’s expectations.” -Tom Schuberth Menʼs Basketball Head Coach

National Independent Tournament May 22-25 Edinburg Baseball Stadium Golf National Minority Golf Championship May 9 – 11 Port St. Lucie, FL Men’s Tennis Southland Conference Tournament April 25 – 27 Nacogdoches Track May 2 Houston Invitational

Onydia Garza & Roxy Solis/The Pan American

Houston May 10 McNeese Last Chance Lake Charles, LA May 30 NCAA Regional Championships Lincoln, Neb. June 11 NCAA Outdoor Championships Des Moines, IA June 27 US Olympic Trials Eugene, OR