February 11, 2010 by UTRGV Student Media

Volume 66, No. 17

THE PAN AMERICAN

February 11, 2010

Science, Engineering split moves forward By Roxann Garcia The Pan American With over 153 faculty members and additional programs continuously being added, the College of Science and Engineering will split into the College of Science and Math and the College of Engineering and Computer Science this fall. The dean of the former College of Science and Engineering, Edwin LeMaster, condones the decision

that was made in 2007, due to the increasing number of students majoring in science and engineering. “We have an estimated 3,500 students majoring in these areas,” the dean said. “Undergraduate programs for the university are growing at 7,000 semester credit hours while the college is increasing by 4,000 semester credit hours.” The veteran administrator has one assistant dean who concentrates on the science department while an associate

dean focuses on the engineering area; in this sense, the college has been acting like two for some time. In order to split, however, the college ﬁrst needed permission from university administration followed by the Board of Regents and ultimately the Texas Higher Education Board, continued LeMaster, who received his doctorate from the University of Texas-Austin in physics. Javier Kypuros, associate professor for mechanical engineering, will

head the taskforce created in order to strategize money cost for the split, which was finally approved last year. “The cost over a 5-year period is estimated at $250,000 a year,” Kypuros said. “Additional costs include the salaries of newly appointed deans, secretaries and financial officers.” Those terms are still in the works as the university continues to search through applications. Along with the birth of the separate

SEE SPLIT || PAGE 6

“It

might cost us a pretty

penny, but we generate more than $300 million a

year in research funding as

university,

comes

from

institutions.”

these

half

two

Edwin LeMaster Dean of College of Science and Engineering

Homecoming sends students celebrating By Pamela Morales The Pan American

Daniel Flores /THE PAN AMERICAN

HOT POTATO - The potato sack race has different organizations go head to head Tuesday during Bronc Olympics as part of Homecoming Week.

Much like the events held every school year on campus such as HESTEC, this one takes place all week long. Homecoming at UTPA, however, is different than the accustomed version at other schools with football teams because it is celebrated during the basketball season. It’s a tradition that has been celebrated at UTPA for almost 70 years and many organizations plan their activities for Homecoming Week throughout the fall semester. The latest incarnation of the weeklong event started Feb. 8 and will end Feb. 13, with women and men’s basketball games being the focal point. This year’s theme is Greek Odyssey, so competitions such as Broncs Olympics will have obstacles

and the Homecoming Coronation will be “A Night on Mount Olympus.” The costs, of course, are taken from Student Services Fee within the student tuition, and are evenly distributed among UPB organizations and departments. Although the money is used to buy decorations and supplies, some is also given in check prizes of up to $750 for group winners of Yard Art, Holler for a Dollar and Bronc Olympics. The Talent Show also has check prizes for either group or individual winners. UPB, the Student Union, and The Ofﬁce of Student Development are all part of the organizational process for homecoming week, according to Rebecca Gadson, director of the OSD. UPB is usually very active in the quest to drum up school spirit.

SEE HOMECOMING || PAGE 8-9

Rockwall report releases details on September fall incident By Brian Silva The Pan American Light has been shed on an incident last semester when a student fell 33 feet while climbing the rockwall at the Wellness and Recreational Center. Through a Freedom of Information Request, The Pan American recently received the police report on the incident, which happened Sept. 29. The report contains witness statements from three WRSC workers, and

Page 2 - Big business might Commentary: Health Reform have packed their bags, but desperately needed they never left

pointed toward the rope knot as the reason the mishap occurred. Rolando Benavidez, then 21, was near the top of the wall when he fell, and was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to McAllen Medical Center, according to the report. Eduardo Regalado, Benavidez’s belayer, or climb assistant, said in the police report that he used the “ﬁgure eight” knot method to tie Benavidez’ rope to his harness. “When he reached the top I

Page 3 - JobsCouncil after Sustainability aims for graduation becoming scarce a ‘greener’ campus

instructed him to let go and braced myself, he let go and came straight down,” Regalado said in the report. “I looked down at my hand to see if I had let go, and it was still in my hand.” Linda Lamar De la Garza, another rockwall worker, said she was helping a customer when she heard a scream from behind her. “I turned around and the climber had hit the ground… I heard a loud crack,” she recalled. “The climber was then gasping for air because the air

A Page 11Exlusive - Holiday Q gift&guide with OK Go

was knocked out of him.” She said she then told her manager to call 911 and then called her boss, Carlos Caceres, and went back over to the scene. “I checked to determine what happened,” De la Garza said. “The rope was intact. The anchor was ﬁne.” She said the “ﬁgure eight,” the knot climbers are tied in by, “seemed to be at the start of the knot.” “It was either not tied properly or

“When

reached

top I instructed him to let go and braced myself, he

let go and came straight down. ”

Eduardo Regalado Climbing assistant

SEE ROCKWALL || PAGE 6

Broncs Page Lady 14 - Q&A with push volleyball playerforward Rebecca with Toddywin

the

Folklorico Video ALEGRIA

February 11, 2010

Vol 66, No. 17

Illustrated Commentary

February 11 , 2010

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Brian Silva / brian.silva2@gmail.com ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

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Kristen Cabrera / kristenmichellecabrera@yahoo.com ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

Andrielle Figueroa / j27ig@yahoo.com SPORTS EDITOR

Sara Hernandez/ sarahdzm@hotmail.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

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ADVERTISING MANAGER

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**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.

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.

Anthony Salinas / The Pan American

Commentary

Health reform needed for quality of life Brian Silva Editor in Chief

A recent health problem led me into the embattled field of medical care and started me thinking. There’s a real and extensive problem with health care, and to fix it isn’t exactly a political tactic. In the State of the Union address, President Barack Obama gave his agenda and we appear on the verge of major revamping that will lead to a better quality of life for all. This extraordinary moment cannot cease at the hands of political posturing and tactical bickering by a few self-centered U.S. Senators. The eye-opening moment came when I sat in the doctor’s office and realized, because of signage on the walls, that health care is not available to all. I must note that my journey actually began at UTPA’s Student Health Services. However, as the waiting room was filled with walk-in patients, I was not guaranteed I would even be seen.

Essentially, I was rejected by my school because of an apparent lack of staff (one person on duty). In my moment of need, Student Health Services was not there for me. In fact, there is a speciﬁc tuition fee paid every semester to fund services they provide. As is the case whenever a business breaks contract, I better get my damn money back. The campus community should be grateful for the services provided, especially considering that the Valley is one of the leastinsured places in the country. However, a shortage in stafﬁng should be seen by administrators as a problem. Again, we pay for these essential services, but if services aren’t consistently provided, there is something amiss. What about those who aren’t students? Or those without health insurance? I thank God I have good health insurance provided by my parents, because if not I’d be out of luck and good health. Those who do have good insurance (often the government-employee

variety like mine) need to find it within themselves to have some concern for those who do not. This heavily impoverished region has been pointed out many times, and even by the president himself, for its health care deficiencies. There are odd skews in the different pools of money spent on medical care in the Rio Grande Valley. The legislation before Congress will reconstruct the industry in such a way that it becomes much more efficient and productive toward its intended purpose: providing medical care. Still, there are significant issues that lay deeply embedded in the bill. For instance, full federal coverage of Medicare in Nebraska? That is simply a ridiculous use of political incentive to swing a vote, and was tastefully done the oldfashioned Washington way: a $1 billion taxpayer-funded carrot. Correct, the bill is not perfect. But, is any bill? It’s highly doubtful there will ever be one that is without flaw, and this bill will likely not come close.

We still need it and its reforms desperately because America cannot wait. America will not get better simply off hope, but needs real cooperation from all parties to push a bill through Congress and onto the president’s desk. The fundamental changes in the health bill will provide for reforms that lead to improved medical services here in the Valley. It will also allow for better health insurance coverage for our populous, which in turn will lead to quality of health for the community. When those crazy ultraconservatives blast out vile, inaccurate nonsense, ﬁre right back and remind them of the lives that are saved through healthcare insurance. This is not about some irrelevant and skewed political philosophy involving the constitution, it is about saving people’s lives, and nothing less. Help save someone’s life and urge your representative to give a ‘yes’ vote.

3 Sustainability Council works toward green campus February 11, 2010

By Alejandra Martinez The Pan American It seems like going green has been the trend for several years now, and with the extreme climate changes and natural disasters hitting the planet it has become very important to take better care of our natural resources. Everyone is doing a little something to contribute to the cause, and with the help of the Sustainability Council the University of Texas-Pan American is on its way to becoming a more energy efﬁcient and greener campus. The mission of the Sustainability

Council is to create a 10-year Sustainability Campus Action Plan based on three principles: leadership, education, and operations. The three committees that fall under leadership are research, marketing and development, and community engagement. The area of education is based on teaching/curriculum, cocurricular education, and health and wellness. What refers to as operations is concerned with things like energy conservation, facilities, transportation, to name a few. “With leadership we will be able to show and change the

impact on the environment,” said Marianella Franklin, director for Sustainability Programs at UTPA. “It is through education that we will change our social behavior, and it is in our operations of this campus that we are making an economic impact.” The Sustainability Campus Action Plan’s aim is to create programs in all those areas. However, the main focus at the moment is the curriculum/teaching area due to the fact that there isn’t enough funding to implement any of the programs concerning the

operations area, says Franklin. “We are trying to focus in coming up with co-curricular education that will help our students reach out and work with the community,” Franklin said. “By doing so, all the young adults will be sustainability literate and will have the opportunity to apply it to their professions, not just at home or in the classroom.” Last Monday morning Franklin gave a presentation to the deans of the different colleges with the aim of targeting all the various courses that have sustainability content. The goal is come up with a new

course catalog that will make it easier for students to identify these courses. Franklin is in talks with UTPA President Robert Nelsen and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Paul Sale to propose a new graduate program in the College of Education that will have a concentration on sustainability. In case that it gets approved, the program would be launched this upcoming fall and will be of an interdisciplinary nature.

SEE COUNCIL || PAGE 7

Baja racing team ready for April competition By Sonia Leija The Pan American

Alma Hernandez /THE PAN AMERICAN

START YOUR ENGINES - Adrian Delgado, a mechanical engineering junior, works on the mini baja race car in preparation for competition in April.

With just a few months left for the Baja SAE Competition in April, the UPTA Baja Racing Team doesn’t waste time. The Society of Automotive Engineers at UTPA has worked on perfecting its car since May 2009. Although it still has some minor repair needs, the Mini Baja car should be ready just in time for competition in April. The Mini Baja cars that the SAE students build are similar to a dune buggy, constructed to sustain several obstacles. It is gasoline-powered, equipped with a Briggs and Stratton engine, and goes about 30 to 40 mph. “The design process usually takes

longer than the actual building,” said Humberto Rodriguez, team captain. “We have to make sure that everything we calculate can and will work.” Rodriguez, 21, looks forward to the competition, which will be at Clemson University in Greenville, S.C., April 8-11. UTPA will be one of about 100 schools represented from four different countries. Three regional competitions will be held this year in North America, in Washington, Rochester and South Carolina. The competition will be split into three different categories: water, offroad, and rock-crawling. The Baja car will enter the off-road category.

SEE BAJA || PAGE 7

New BSM building to continue traditions By Minerva Morato The Pan American What was once a deserted, empty lot on the corner of Sugar Road and Schunior Street is now the site of a new building full of promise, established by an organization dedicated to worship, friendship, and service. For the Baptist Student Ministry, the organization’s new edifice across from the Wellness and Recreational Center offers students at the university a more accessible and central location, said Robert Rueda, BSM director. He and his wife, Sharon Rueda, have led the group since 2006 after graduating from Truett Seminary at Baylor University. “We started (last year) not knowing we were going to be here today,” Robert Rueda said. “We want for students to know that our build-

ing represents our commitment to serve the UTPA community.” Part of a larger national organization and in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the BSM is funded by churches statewide. Money for the new building came from the convention held last year, as well as the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association, individual donations, and the sale of the former BSM site on University Drive. Although the new building has been in use since the start of the spring semester, the BSM will hold a grand opening celebration Feb.19 at 7 p.m., an event members anticipate will be attended by UTPA faculty and staff, past and current BSM members, and church leaders from across the state.

SEE BSM || PAGE 7

Alma Hernandez /THE PAN AMERICAN

PICKIN’ - Tomas Centrella lets Karen Velazquez play his guitar Wednesday at the Baptist Student Ministry. The BSM moved from its former location on University Drive to the corner of Sugar and Schunior.

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February 11, 2010

NEWS

SPLIT

ROCKWALL

continued from Page 1 colleges comes the addition of two new deans, as LeMaster will be retiring once the transition is made. “I plan to graduate this coming summer,” LeMaster joked. “I would like to work with both but there is just not enough of me to go around.” A committee has already begun the search for the new deans. In addition, it is in charge of finding a secretary and financial officer to oversee the separate budgets. There is also, added LeMaster, a possibility the committee might hire a private firm to facilitate the dean search. Right now, committees for both searches are looking at current faculty but also inquiring at other universities for candidates. The desire is to attain an excellent educator with some sense of the obstacles science and engineering constituents face. University faculty, says LeMaster, are interested in someone who understands the difficulty of research. “It might cost us a pretty penny, but we generate more than $300 million a year in research funding as a university, half comes from these two institutions,” continued the dean. For now the college will have to settle with only the title “split.” Renovations for separate buildings will not happen for another four to five years, noted LeMaster.

Movement has begun, however, with three laboratories and seven offices for civil engineering spilling over into the Academic Services building as early as next month. LeMaster, in his 40th year at UTPA, has worked on both sides of the street, serving for 10 years as chair of the physics department then shortly after becoming the first chair of the engineering program. “I’m just overwhelmed with how fast both programs are growing,” he said. “Therefore, I feel it’s a great move forward.” The college was first created in 1995 when the science department split from the College of Arts and Sciences. Then, noted LeMaster, although the engineering program started off small, it advanced and acquired accreditation rather quickly. Newly implemented programs can be found both in the science and engineering departments. As recent as fall of 2009 the college created bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and environmental science. Also, being offered are master’s degrees in chemistry and engineering management. “This just goes to show that both ends are on the grow,” LeMaster concluded.

Growing Interest

Science & engineering

•153 faculty members •4,000 semester credit hours •3,500 students enrolled •$150 million a year in research funding

continued from Page 1 was not tied at all,” she’d said in the report. When securing the rope and knot, Relagado said he noticed Benavidez’ harness was too low, so he loosened it to raise it above the waist and ﬁnished tightening it. The responding UTPA police ofﬁcer said upon arrival that he saw Benavides “wearing a harness with no ropes attached on it.” Travis Hughes, then interim

director of the WRSC, said in October that the mishap was not the result of negligence and that the worker was in control of the rope at all times. However, Benavides said back then he believed the only explanation is negligence. It was also reported in October that there would be an internal investigation. However, the status of such a probe is unknown at this point.

DATES TO KNOW Saturday, Feb. 13 The Department of History and Philosophy will host History Day for RGV students. Wednesday, Feb. 17 Last day to change course to non-credit Thursday-Friday, Feb. 18-19 Fourth annual Teaching and Learning Conference, by the College of Social and Behavioral Monday, Feb. 22 Deadline to ﬁle Application for Degree form with the Ofﬁce of the Registrar

Check out the online version of the newspaper at www.panamericanonline.com

February 11, 2010

NEWS

COUNCIL

BAJA

continued from Page 3 “That is a really big goal of ours because that’s where everything is headed,” said Franklin of creating more sustainable aware programs. Another thing the council is looking to promote are alternative means of transportation to lessen the gas emissions caused by motor vehicles, and at the same time create a healthier environment for campus community. The council is discussing the possibility of acquiring 100 percent electric

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continued from Page 3 motorcycles and vehicles for the police department and the maintenance people, also encourage students, faculty and staff to park farther away from campus and use the shuttle buses or walk. “This are all areas where we want to start looking at what it would take for the university to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles,” Franklin said. One more major concern is energy conservation and costs, according to Franklin the university

BSM

continued from Page 3 “It’s going to be a dedication,” Rueda said. “We will make a public statement that this building is here to serve God and to serve students. Of course, everyone is welcome to join us that day.” Nevertheless, the new digs are only a new chapter in the organization’s long history, he added. The BSM began at Pan American College in 1955, when, without a building, members would unite at apartments, dorms and other offcampus locations. In 1966, however, the BSM opened its doors at their University Drive location. More than 44 years later, though, expanding membership began exceeding the building’s capacity, and heavy traffic started making it difficult for students to get to the site. “It was obvious when Sharon and I came down that we needed more space,” Rueda said. “We started looking in March, and here we are.” IMMEDIATE DIVIDENDS Karen Velasquez, a 29-year-old Edinburg resident, is a volunteer staff member and missionary for the BSM. Since the new building opened, she said, more students have stopped by and gained an interest in joining the group. “It’s a great blessing to have the building on this side of campus,” Velasquez said, in Spanish. “The other building was small, and a lot of students didn’t like crossing the street. Now with this building, they keep coming back. All of a sudden, there are new faces.” Usually open late into the evening, the BSM is a place to study, make friends, or sim-

spends more than $5 million a year in electricity costs. The goal is to reduce those expenses as much as possible. That’s why educating and creating awareness among the departments is so important, she says. “The bottom line is to protect what we currently have and make sure that we provide something for our youth in the near future and something that is healthy and sustaining,” Franklin stated.

ply hang out, said Zaira Heredia, a 20-year-old communication major and BSM student leader. With long school days and a tiring drive home to Hidalgo, Heredia finds tranquility at the BSM between classes. “The BSM is a great place to meet people,” said Heredia, one of 41 student leaders, who are responsible for organizing activities “It seems to be a bigger part of campus than before. Usually after worship, we stay, hang out, and have snacks. We welcome everyone.” Though the BSM is a Christian organization, Heredia said, people from any (or no) faith are welcome to the ministry for students and by students. “It is not about singing, praying or acting like you’re good,” Heredia said. “It’s about being a friend and serving the world and representing God’s love. But we don’t try to force God onto people. It is an invitation, and the person decides.” According to the director, the focus is to involve students in all activities, including worship, Bible study, and community service. Since its inception in the 1950s, the BSM has held a “free lunch” for UTPA students every Thursday at noon, and approximately 150 students now join in the weekly tradition. “Many students want to know why we give a free lunch or what the catch is,” Rueda said. “But there really is no catch.” More recently, the group has added a “free breakfast” at Unity Hall on Wednesday mornings, said the BSM missionary. As is the case with lunch, students appear confused but overall, grateful. “They get surprised and wonder why we give them a free breakfast,” Velasquez said. “They think it’s not real, but it is. We don’t want them to go to class with an empty stomach, that’s all. It’s our way of showing them love.”

The teams are given guidelines in order to be eligible for competition, like durability of the exhaust pipe. The car the UTPA team is building is made of Chrome-Moly steel, typically easier to handle and weld and is stronger than standard steel. “The frame of the car is simpler than last year’s,” Samuel Mansewitsch said. “We didn’t need this part or this part so we took it out.” Mansewitsch, 22, is one of the 15 people on the team. Arturo Fuentes, a professor of mechanical engineering, advises the racing team. Edwin LeMaster, the dean of the College of Science and Engineering; Robert Freeman, also a mechanical engineering professor, and associate dean Miguel Gonzalez are also advisers for the team. Rene Maldonado and Hector Arteaga are the lab technicians that help students with technical questions. De Leon Auto Accessories, on South 23rd Street in McAllen, is one of the major sponsors of the Baja Racing Team. “They help us out with any questions that we have,” Mansewitsch said. “We’ll ask, ‘Will this work?’ and they’ll tell us that we

could try it out, but maybe figure out some other formulas first and then it’ll work.” However, De Leon’s cannot give exact answers on how to fix a certain problem, Rodriguez said; it’s against the rules since they also compete in a racing competition. Other sponsors include Truck Toys and Good Wrench. And in the high bay, where the building process takes place, a small box is placed on the corner that reads “SAE Baja Donations.” “It provides students with handson experiences,” Rodriguez said on the benefits of the Baja competition. “The theories we learn about in class are unfolding before our eyes.” Besides the obvious “this looks good on my resume,” Rodriguez said that one of the best things about being a part of the team is getting involved with other people that he didn’t know. Most importantly, he noted that they members are having fun while learning their future careers. For more information on the Mini Baja cars contact Humberto Rodriguez at 956-605-3292 or humbertorodriguez564@hotmail. com.

THE PAN AMERICAN

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February 11, 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

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Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Members of SHRM, Society of Human Resources Management, compete in tug of war at the Bronc Olympics.

Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Dana Castillo, junior, works on her organization’s mural as part of the Art Yard competition on the quad.

Alma Hernandez/The Pan American

Joaquin Vaca representing FIRBA pulls away from Joel Pena representing Kappa Sigma during the tricycle race at Bronc Olympics.

Continued from page 1 “We really just would like more students to be involved,” said Jay Pedregosa, chair for the organization’s Bronc Life Committee. “So they can keep up the tradition and be active here at UTPA.” That’s the whole point of homecoming, added Gadson, “to engage with other students, fond memories, and bring alumni to celebrate their homecoming at UTPA.” Then of course, there’s Homecoming king and queen, though the status they earn as winners on

campus may not be as strong as it is at other schools. “We have homecoming? How do we know who the nominees are?” responded Zipporah Sustaita, a sophomore biology major, when asked if she was attending the Homecoming Coronation, which will be held this Friday in the Student Union Commons at 8 p.m. Those vying for the titles must be active students for the year and apply with a written essay about why he or she should be king or

queen. Applications are reviewed by faculty and staff and when nominees are chosen a week before the coronation, students can vote online at http://oire.utpa.edu/ candidates2010.pdf. Voting began Monday and will end Thursday at 1 p.m. “The ballots are a picture with a small bio of students,” said Carina Alcantara, student coordinator at OSD. “The ballots are sent to students’ preferred e-mail but only if their e-mail is updated.”

Students wishing to vote are reminded to check their primary e-mail address on Assist and make sure the ballot is sent to the preferred e-mail. Some people, like sophomore Larry Gaytan, say that they won’t be into it this year because UTPA has no football team. But others want to have an excuse to dress up, such as Laura Loza, a prepharmacy major. If they choose to take part or not to, the Week will unfold on campus either way.

Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Itzel Cruz sits on the quad, working on her sorority’s Homecoming painting for the Yard Art competition.

Alma Hernandez/The Pan American

Daniel Flores/The Pan American Mario Lara participates in the hula

Jonathan Davila prepares to launch a ball during a game of dodge ball during Bronc Olympics.

hoop competition representing Kappa Sigma at Bronc Olympics.

THE PAN AMERICAN

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February 11, 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

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Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Members of SHRM, Society of Human Resources Management, compete in tug of war at the Bronc Olympics.

Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Dana Castillo, junior, works on her organization’s mural as part of the Art Yard competition on the quad.

Alma Hernandez/The Pan American

Joaquin Vaca representing FIRBA pulls away from Joel Pena representing Kappa Sigma during the tricycle race at Bronc Olympics.

Daniel Flores/The Pan American

Itzel Cruz sits on the quad, working on her sorority’s Homecoming painting for the Yard Art competition.

Alma Hernandez/The Pan American

Daniel Flores/The Pan American Mario Lara participates in the hula

Jonathan Davila prepares to launch a ball during a game of dodge ball during Bronc Olympics.

hoop competition representing Kappa Sigma at Bronc Olympics.

February 11, 2010

OK GO speaks about ‘Colours,’ label controversy

A: We just got back from touring in Europe. We are now working on a video for our song “This too shall pass,” and we’re working with a group of scientists who work for NASA. They are a bunch of creative-minded people that like to build crazy shit.

all the different sides of the story. Now that records aren’t really selling, labels are looking at videos to make some money. They used to look at videos as just commercials and advertisement, but now they are trying to monetize them because they can’t monetize the album anymore [due to pirating]. All the labels have struck deals with YouTube; every time a video gets a hit on there the label will get a small percentage of that. The software that YouTube has made doesn’t take into account embeddable plays. Therefore, the label wants to shut off the embedability of the videos because they’re not making any money. It’s a pretty frustrating situation because at the end of the day we’re mostly concerned about our fans and the ability for them to see our stuff, but I understand why YouTube and the labels do what they do. Hopefully some sort of deal will be struck where they will be able to monetize the embedded plays.

Q: You guys are doing something cool with the new album; you’re making a video for every track on the record. Is that correct?

Q: Stuff like this is why a lot of people have a negative view of record labels. At what point do you say enough is enough?

A: That’s the goal. We’re trying to make a video for every song. We won’t do it at an expensive quality, but we’re about halfway there at this point. I think we have about six videos in production. The video we’re working on at the moment will be the third video we have completed for this record and we have a couple more that will be done in the next few weeks. We are mostly concerned with coming up with a batch of good ideas that we can try to execute.

A: I don’t know yet, it’s really hard for me to answer that question. I think it’s something you’ll know when you get there. In our 10-year relationship with our label we have fought many battles and at times patted each other for a job well done. We’ve had a very up and down, rollercoaster ride with our label and it’s pretty common. It’s the age-old tale of the band being the good guys and the label being the bad guy, but when you say enough is enough, it’s very hard to say. I can imagine if it feels like they have their hands in absolutely everything we do, then I can imagine a breaking point…but we haven’t reached a breaking point with our label and I like to think that we get into a lot of healthy debates and arguments with them and I also recognize that they loaned us the money to make the record that we are currently talking about. It’s not a black and white situation.

By Isaac Garcia izek_el@yahoo.com

Everyone has seen OK GO’s Treadmill video and many students saw them headline with Dashboard Confessional last spring on campus. Recently, they appeared in the bromance ﬁlm “I Love You Man,” and have toured the states and Europe extensively. Just days after their European tour, The Pan American caught up with bassist Tim Nordwind to discuss their new record, “Of The Blue Colour in The Sky,” videos, label controversy, and charity. Sarah Palin’s cheat sheet or appendage was ransacked by the media this week. What is next, writing down war strategies on her arm? No thanks.

The Taylors! If they’re not your cup of tea, there are about 30 other cast members you can sift through. It may be 120 minutes of terror, but at least you suffered with the one you love.

Q: What’s OK GO up to these days?

Q: Since “Here it goes again,” OK GO has revolutionized the making of videos. How important is it for the band to keep making videos that accompany the music?

Yes, Wu Tang is back on Feb. 16 with their new compilation on Gold Dust Records. DJ Mathematics produced the album and has been working with the group since 1996.

A: Making videos is just as much a part of the band as making music and I think that making videos is pretty much a hands-on thing for our band. We’re often involved very heavily in the making of the video. We see it as an art form and something that we enjoy doing and hopefully people will like the stuff we make.

Q: Has there been any talks about releasing a DVD of all the videos that you’ve made?

A: Yes, I think that by the end of the year we’ll have enough material to release a DVD at the end of the year. We’re fans of making things and being as productive as possible in terms of creative projects. A DVD collection is a big interest for us. Q: How was working with Dave Fridmann? Who’s worked with MGMT and The Flaming Lips? A: Dave is one of those producers that really knows how to get anything you want, but the one thing he can do that no one else can is that he has created this super psychedelic world that he and only he holds the key to. What’s great is that he lets all these bands into his crazy-sonic universe and they all come up with something different. It was really fun to go there and experiment. We’re really happy with the outcome. Q: “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” has a very distinct sound and vibe. It sounds a bit interstellar. Is that something that you were trying to do while recording the record? A: Yeah, his [Dave Fridmann’s] universe exists in 3012; he doesn’t work in any particular genre at all. But we got what we got and I like the fact that you can’t really put your ﬁnger on the era, but when you listen to the record as a whole it has its distinct sound. Q: How important is it for the band to keep evolving? There are some bands that sound different on each record and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. When did OK GO decide to change up their sound? A: It is very important for us to keep evolving and doing something new. It shouldn’t feel like we’re doing covers of our own stuff. The ﬁrst three to six months of recording

the new record were very frustrating because we were wringing pretty much in vain of the last record and it just wasn’t doing anything for us. Plugging in our guitars and playing them as loud as we can until a song comes out just wasn’t cutting it anymore. That’s why we made a much groovier record this time around. It wasn’t a fully conscious decision to move forward and evolve, but there is an unspoken feeling of not wanting to do the same thing twice. Q: You guys tour a lot. How important is if for the band to do that? A: Touring is important, but it’s difﬁcult. You’re away from family and loved ones. There is an element of touring that’s a pain in the ass and not very fun, but it’s very worth it to play for an hour and make a special connection with fans, it’s all worth it. Q: On your Web site you guys have a link for donations for the people of Haiti. Is there anything else that the band does that helps people closer to home? A: We have been trying to put in place something that we call the Burrito Project. It’s something that we’ve only done several times, but what we do is prearrange with fans to make somewhere around 15 to 30 burritos and then we meet up with fans and hand them out to the homeless and people that are hungry. The few times that we’ve done it, it’s worked very well. We just need to organize it for every town and there is a lot of legal situations and red political tape to get around, but it’s very gratifying to do. Q: What’s next for OK GO? A: Making a lot more videos and touring, and the rest we have to make up as we go. We’re sort of inspired by the things we see and people we meet on the road. A lot of the times it’s hard to know what’s going to be next, but hopefully we’ll be going down to a town near you.

Q: There has been quite a bit of controversy over your label’s decision to disable embedding of your videos. OK GO released a statement detailing the decision, but how have the fans reacted?

“It puts the lotion on its skin”…all 75 bottles of it? A 30-year-old Massachusetts man was apprehended for trying to walk out of Bath and Body Works with $787.50 of lotion shoved in his pants.

A: That letter was written a few weeks ago and it’s made its way around the blogosphere and it certainly drummed up a lot of talk about the subject. Damien [Kulash, lead singer] wrote it because a lot of fans were writing in and complaining that they couldn’t embed the video and when we looked into it further we found out that it was a pretty complicated situation and as a result, fans can’t share the video as easily as before. [The letter] was an explanation and an understanding of

OK DON’T GO - “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” is the OK GO’s third album and features brave attempts at hope in the face of hopeless situations. The record has been in stores since January.

Page 12

February 11, 2010

ARTS & LIFE

Women take over universities, gender gap gets bigger represented. Places like Harvard and Yale have so many applicants and high achievers that they may have to The ratio of women to men in the turn down some qualiﬁed females in nation’s universities has changed order to maintain proportioned student dramatically over the past few bodies. Call it afﬁrmative action for males, in a sense. years, but there Despite that, is no clear answer many collegeas to why. age women frame Studies show have more the situation in that it may have “ {Women} terms of women’s something to do aspirations then men achievement, with the fact that stressing burdens more men are as a whole, to do better overcome and dropping out of themselves. Menʼs battles won. college every year. for At The Women seem to standards are lower from University be furthering their of Texas-Pan education to a a majority standpoint, A m e r i c a n , point where they Elizabeth Otero, a are surpassing and pretty soon the best junior advertising/ men after years of doctors in the world are PR major who real or perceived is graduating in d i s c r i m i n a t i o n going to be women. They December, has an against them. outlook that favors But the fact can be anything. ” the empowerment that 58 percent of of women in the college students university system. nationwide are Jorge Saenz “Women have female also UTPA senior successfully has to do with broken the social demographics norms. We are statistics and now more careerlocation. At many universities and colleges minded than we were forty years ago,” around the country, it may be easier she said. “We’re go-getters, and we for boys to get accepted than girls don’t want to rely on men anymore. because they are considered under- Women are made to be independent,

By Marc Solis marcmdavid@gmail.com

and we study more in general. The fulfillment in life for women has changed because now we have the opportunity to build ourselves any way we want to.” Otero is among many young women who are studying and working hard to better their lives and become successful by doing well in school. These are the kinds of people that are making the gender gap evident in universities today. However, more young men seem to be falling far behind. National statistics forecast a continued decline in the percentage of males on college campuses, across lines of races and income levels and for all fields of study, says policy analyst Thomas Mortenson, publisher of the influential Postsecondary Education Opportunity newsletter in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The Census Bureau estimates that there are more men than women ages 18-24 in the country, but way fewer in college. This is a complete reversal from the late 1960s and well beyond the even divide of the mid1970s, when men dominated the campus numbers. Jorge Saenz, a senior at UTPA, believes there are more women than men in universities because they work hard and deserve it. “It’s different now than before, because women can compete and succeed without help,” he suggested. “They have more aspirations then men

Alma Hernandez / the pan american

SHE WORKS HARD FOR HER DEGREE - Lecturer Donna Pazdera stands in front of a Copy Editing class primarily ﬁlled with women. Statistics state that men are less likely than women to get bachelor’s degrees. as a whole, to do better for themselves. Men’s standards are lower from a majority standpoint, and pretty soon the best doctors in the world are going to be women. They can be anything.”

In the old days, race or class were the political ideas that drove the divide and action on campus but now the gender gap has become a hot topic.

February 11, 2010

City of Edinburg hosts 28th annual 10K 5,000 meters (14:26.05) and 3,000 meters (8:16.82). “My legs just weren’t under me. Saturday, numerous students and It wasn’t a good day,” he said. “I’m alums of The University of Texas- disappointed because I have been Pan American took to the streets for doing well in my past races. The last the 28th-annual Edinburg 10K Run/ time I competed in it I got a better Walk. While some used the com- time so I was hoping to improve on petitive event as an official race, that.” others saw an opCurrent Bronc portunity to prove “I have been athletic all track & field athto themselves that lete Omar Doria running and finish- my life. I run because of was disappointed ing a race isn’t an because Keating impossible feat. the love I have for it.” did not win and 2006 UTPA also expressed his graduate and threeopinion on student time All-American Vanessa Espinoza athletes participatWestly Keating UTPA health education coordinator ing in events outwas one of the Valside school comley’s favorites to come out on top, petitions. but a slow start got him third place “A lot of athletes don’t run in with a time of 29:38, just 41 seconds them because they can’t accept any behind first-place finisher and Ke- money if they win,” said the Edinnyan native Macdonard Ondara. burg North ex who is a UTPA grad The Pharr native was eager to put student in biology. “Personally, I Valley and UTPA running back on don’t have an affinity for those racthe map after 18 years without a lo- es because I find it difficult shifting cal winner at the event, but Keating gears on the course. I’m more of a admits his downfall came after tak- track guy.” ing too long to establish a rhythm. Doria explained that he runs an Keating holds school records in the average of 11 miles a day, so the

By Alvaro Balderas Alvaro_tx@msn.com

10K distance (6.2 miles) is difficult to train for. If it were during fall cross-country season a 10K race would be ideal for training purposes given its shorter distance. The courses, usually pavement, may be uncomfortable for runners who are accustomed to running on grass or a cinder track. But it’s not all about being a topnotch athlete and running in races like the Edinburg 10K. Avid runner and 2009 Pan Am graduate Vanessa Espinoza participated, placing sixth in the female 20-24 age group. Espinoza said running has been a passion of hers and she enjoys the benefits it has had on her health; that motivates her to get other people involved. “I have been athletic all my life. I run because of the love I have for it,” said Espinoza, who works at the UTPA Border Health Office as a health education coordinator. “This was my second 10K and already I’ve improved my time. I trained with the Ranger-Crossfit program in McAllen and it really helped me prepare for the race. I am happy I finished it and I encourage others to try it whenever they have the opportunity.”

Daniel Flores/THE PAN AMERICAN

GOING THE EXTRA MILE - Various members of the UTPA community attended the 28th annual Edinburg 10K Run last Saturday.

Track picks up speed Men’s tennis faces ranked teams,

By Neena Hernandez nhernandez@broncs.utpa.edu

After coming back from their first meet in Houston last week, The University of Texas-Pan American men and women’s indoor track and field teams were ready the UH All-Comers back in Houston Feb. 7. Traditionally, indoor tracks are 200 meters long, leaving a tighter radius on turns and making it harder for runners to go faster. But a tighter radius isn’t what head coach Dave Hartman is stressing this season. “The focus of our indoor season is to try and place as high as we can at the Great West Conference,” he said. “When we start strategizing for the Indoor Conference Championships, we’ll be looking at the Great West seasonal best times and trying to plug people in where they can do their best.” Placing third in the mile run was Omar Doria at 4:18:25, beating Hartman’s prediction of 4:20. Although the time may have been good for the coach, it wasn’t good enough for the athlete. “I was disappointed with the time because I feel like I’m capable of running better; I had the race until the last lap,” Doria said. “I feel confident winning the conference meet running at a 4:09. I could break the school record.” In the 3,000-meter run, Frank Garcia placed 24th with a time of 9:15:04, beat-

ing his time of 9:25:27 in the Houston Indoor Invitational, which took place Jan. 30. In the weight throw, Oscar Barrera, whom Hartman says could be a contender for the conference championship, placed fifth with a throw of 15.38 meters. “I’m happy with my measurement, I improved by three feet,” Barrera said. “We have two weeks ‘til conference so I’m pretty confident.” In the women’s mile, freshman Daphne Payton placed 20th with a time of 5:26:76 while junior Diana Galloso was 28th in 5:38:43. For Hartman, last week’s action allowed the team to get its feet wet and make mistakes, then work out the troubles before championships, and this is especially true for the freshman runners. This indoor season the women’s team has 18 first-year performers testing the waters hoping not to drown in collegiate competition. “The first race was very nerve-wracking but the second one wasn’t that bad,” said Payton, from Giddings in Central Texas. When asked how she feels about running at the collegiate level, Payton said, “It’s tough but I have to keep training. It would be a lot of pressure to lead the team to a championship but the team is very supportive and we can do a lot together.” The next event will be the Great West Indoor Championships on Friday, Feb. 26 in Vermillion, S.D.

prepares for Southland Conference

By Sara Hernandez sarahdzm@hotmail.com

The University of Texas-Pan American men’s tennis team opened Southern Conference play last weekend at San Antonio, where they lost 4-3 against UTSA. In the ﬁrst two spots, Aswin Vijayaragavan and Brett Bernstein took the only two wins of the day against Martin Ayala and Tyler Brown, respectively. Vijayaragavan defeated Ayala in three 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, while Bernstein dominated Brown 6-4, 6-4. Sophomore Beau Bernstein fell 6-2, 6-2 against Rodrigo Morgado in the third spot, senior Nirvick Mohinta lost against Max Stratmann 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 as well as junior Marcus Dornauf who also went into a third set against Daniel Moreiras, but lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Roadrunner Jorge Delgado defeated Andrew Irving 6-1, 6-2. In the doubles, the men ﬁnished 2-1. The duo conformed by India natives Vijayaragavan and Mohinta defeated the Stratmann/Brown pair, and the Dornauf and Irving couple overcame Moreiras and Pedro Zanotelli both 9-8. The Bernstein tandem lost 8-3 against Morgado and Ayala. After beginning the Spring season losing against Number 12 Texas A&M, TCU and SMU, head coach Chris Tay-

lor explained that these kind of matches have a better chance because they’re not help the program gain a status that could going to be this hard. We are just getlead potential recruits to see it as a qual- ting used to the higher level to get some ity team that plays against the best. wins.” Tuesday, the Broncs lost 6-0 against And their goal is still in focus. The Baylor University, which is ranked Broncs are looking to improve their resixth. According to Taylor, Baylor is cord to win the Southland Conference the highest ranked university that the Tournament in April and, if possible, UTPA men’s tennis attaining a national program has faced in “No one likes to lose, on ranking by the end of the season. history. “We need to win Moreover, far paper it doesn’t look good. conference mainly, from demoralizing the players, stay- But we know who we play; and try to get ranked ing one match from which is not easy, but beating a team as we’re not discouraged and I think it is possible,” said Vijayaragavan, competitive as TCU, 2009 southland conranked 38th, gives we are still positive.” ference player of the the team the practice and motivation to year who is ranked strive for the SouthChris Taylor 13th in the region. The men’s tennis land Conference UTPA tennis coach team belongs to the title. “No one likes to lose, on paper it Southland Conference; other schools doesn’t look good,” Taylor said. “But from the region as Texas State, UTSA we know who we play; we’re not dis- and Stephen F. Austin are also part of couraged and we are still positive.” the Southland Conference. The Broncs travel to Las Cruces For players like junior Vijayaragavan, facing highly ranked teams gives N.M. to face Northern Arizona, Western the squad the conﬁdence to confront New Mexico and New Mexico State other teams later in the season. Feb. 25-27, but don’t resume conference “If we play big teams that’s going to play until March 29, when they will face help us play a team like UTSA or UTA Texas A&M Corpus Christi at UTPA’s (Arlington),” he said. “We deﬁnitely Orville Cox Tennis Center.

February 11, 2010

Page 14

SPORTS

Lady Broncs stand fourth in GWC By Sara Hernandez sarahdzm@hotmail.com

Alma Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

RECOGNIZED - Tuesday, Edinburg native Marah Guzman was named Great West Conference Player of the Week. The senior scored 12 points and rebounded seven balls in UTPA’s win 79-66 against Houston Baptist.

After kicking off conference play with four home games the University of Texas-Pan American women’s basketball team hit the road to face Utah Valley and Chicago State, adding one win and a loss. Then they came home to improve their Great West Conference record to a glittering 5-2 with a win over Houston Baptist. The Lady Broncs had defeated Utah Valley 71-62 at Orem Thursday but fell against Chicago State 78-63 Saturday. They next play Saturday at 4:30 against Utah once again. “We played very well, I thought, we had a lot of bench help at Utah Valley,” said first-year head coach Denny Downing. Freshman Bianca Torre, leading the team in scoring and assists, fouled out early against Chicago State and that hurt the effort. “We tried to play without her,” Downing said. “I think there was an adjustment, I think there was also a little bit of a letdown because she wasn’t on the floor, she’s that valuable to what we’ve been doing.” The Lady Broncs returned to the

UTPA Field House to beat Houston Baptist 79-66 with Torre, from Harlingen South, getting 21 points, six in 30 seconds during the second half; her two three-pointers sent the team onto a roll that captured the triumph. Other Lady Broncs contributed to the win. Senior Jean Hester Jean scored 19 points and completed 12 rebounds while classmate Aleeya Grigsby had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Marah Guzman, named GWC Player of the Week Tuesday, attained 12 points and seven rebounds. UTPA completed .54 of the shots attempted and scored 14 of 18 free throws shot. Torre pointed out that as things are going well for the Lady Broncs their focus is on playing as a team and not on individual achievement. “Everybody is going out there and playing hard, we’re not thinking about ourselves, we’re thinking about everyone on the team,” she said. “It’s good that it’s not about somebody, it’s about the whole team.” The winning conference record has built high expectations for the last stretch of the season. Although Downing maintains the position that the squad is taking the season

game by game, he mentioned that the team’s fourth place standing gives them a chance to dream. South Dakota, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Chicago State hold the first three spots in the table as UTPA stands in the middle. “We know we’re still on the hunt half way through,” said Downing earlier this week. “I think they realize they’re still on the hunt and it’s exciting this time a year to still have that mentality that we have a chance to win the conference.” Downing added that in the second half of the conference season, teams facing each other have seen each other before. “This far along in the season you understand what everybody’s strengths and weaknesses are whether it being in your team or the opposing team, you just adjust to that,” he said. As the Lady Broncs wrapped up the win Wednesday and began to prepare for their next game, against Utah Valley Saturday at 4:30 p.m., Jean’s expression as she left the court illustrated the mindset. “It felt good, we’re trying to get conference” she said with a smile of satisfaction. “Five more, five more steps.”

Men’s basketball returns home after on-the-road setbacks

ing into the second half.” And that’s exactly what they did. Utah was able to score 16 points The Bronc’s basketball team coming out of halftime before the had a competitive but unsuccessful Broncs could make a single basket. weekend as road losses at Utah and Luis Valera stopped that run with a Chicago dropped the overall record two-pointer at the 11:55 mark. Howto 4-22, 3-4 in conference. Against ever, by the time the clock came Utah Valley Feb. 4, after significant down to 4:41 Utah had extended lead changes, the Broncs lost 67- its lead to 10, finishing 14 up. The 53. In Chicago two days later, the Broncs finished the game with a Broncs went down 76-69. 44.9% field goal percentage. “Overall I think the guys “There were a lot of easy played well,” said men’s shots that didn’t go in for basketball coach Ryan us,” Marks said. “We Wednesday’s Marks. “It’s always weren’t playing poorresult hard playing on road, ly, but Utah was just but they did a good playing better.” UTPA - 82 job of it.” The Broncs then Houston Baptist - 84 The game against made the long trek to (OT) Utah was one of opChicago State for Satposites and runs. From urday’s game, leaving an eight-point deficit them weary. The last time early on in the first half, the the two teams faced off was Broncs went on a 7-1 run, coming in Edinburg, resulting in a 21-point within three. After a series of three- win for the Broncs. However, Saturpoint shots by Jared Maree and Nick day’s outcome was quite different. Weiermiller the team was able to “We were pretty tired going into enter halftime with a 10-point lead. Saturday’s game and it showed,” “It was such an odd first half go- Marks admitted. “We started off ing from being down eight to being pretty slow with a pretty low energy ahead by ten,” Marks said. “How- level. But by the end of the first half ever, Utah Valley almost never loses I think we found our stride.” at home so we knew that they were At the end of the first half the going to make some adjustments goBy Benny Salinas Bsalinas@broncs.utpa.edu

Broncs were down 41-24. The stride UTPA found themselves in at the end of the first half wouldn’t lead them to a win, however, as they finished the game down seven, 76-69 “Chicago did change a lot of things since the last time we played them,” Marks said. “When they played in the Valley their leading scorer got into some foul trouble. That didn’t happen this time. They were a lot more aggressive offensively and we were pretty fatigued.” The Broncs get a chance to redeem themselves on Saturday when they play Utah at the Field House at 7 p.m. “It’s always kind of interesting to re-play a team after a short period of timew,” Marks said. “Both teams get to make adjustments. Last time Utah did a lot of things to put the ball in the paint and they made big points that way. We’re going to make to address that next time.” Houston Baptist defeated the Broncs 84-82 in overtime. UTPA will play again at home Wednesday against Houston Baptist. They have six Great West Conference games left, and then the conference tournament which will be at Orem, Utah on March 10.

Judy Chavez/THE PAN AMERICAN

GIVE ME SOME HEIGHT- Ben Smith attempts a dunk at practice. The Broncs are preparing for the stretch run before the GWC Tournament.

February 11, 2010

Victory out of reach for Lady Broncs

By Benny Salinas Bsalinas@broncs.utpa.edu

The home court advantage wasn’t much of one for the women’s tennis team during their first home game of the season against the Texas State Bobcats Saturday. After a strong start during doubles competition, the Lady Broncs lost a series of singles matches, resulting in a 6-1 overall defeat, making their record 0-5. “There were a couple of girls who came out strong and played well and then there were others who just slumped,” graduate assistant Maria Klokotsky said. “Texas State is definitely beatable team and we weren’t able to do that this time.” The team’s sole win during singles competition was senior Nina Ciric’s swift 6-0, 6-2 decision over Mariana Perez. Senior Megan Bedeau put up a considerable fight against Andrea Giraldo, but was unable to pull out a victory in the third set super-tie-breaker. Senior Luisa Cantu also gave the Bobcats some competition during her match, but was unable to bring out a win after a 6-2, 7-6(3) finish. Sarah Burton and Andrea Salvetoa also fell short. In doubles Bedeau and Cantu won their match 8-6 but Ciric and Burton were unable to repeat the win however, losing 8-4. The Lady Broncs are winless this season, with earlier losses to Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston and

Southern Methodist. They next play on the road against The University of Houston Feb. 20 and then it’s off to El Paso for a Feb. 25 try against UTEP. “It’s been discouraging not being able to pull in a win,” said Klokotsky, the only coach present on Saturday’s match. “Everyone comes having worked hard and hoping for a win. It’s hard on the girls and it’s hard on the coaches to not translate all that work into a win.” Adding to their frustrations is an injury to sophomore and Swedish native, Malin Anderson, who has not been able to participate since November due to a torn knee ligament that required surgery. “It’s tough having to sit here and watch your team and not be able to do anything,” Anderson said from the sidelines Saturday. “I haven’t even started running yet.” Anderson’s injury plays a major factor for a team that needs all the help it can get. Last year the Lady Broncs finished 5-14, after a recordsetting season in 2008, when they were 18-6. “It’s a huge deficit to be missing a player, both on the field and psychologically,” Klokotsky said. “We go into a match already down a point and it puts pressure on the girls because now that means they have to win four out of five games to pull out a win.” The Broncs, led by two first-year coaches, Klokotsky and head coach Chris Taylor, are op-

Alma Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

UNSUCCESSFUL RETURN - Senior Luisa Cantu reaches for the ball Saturday. She fell short against Lady Bobcat Melissa Hadad 6-2, 7-6(3). timistic about some aspects of their performance however. “Everything is new right now. We’re changing the culture of this team,” said Klokotsky, a recent graduate from Fresno Pacific Uni-

versity. “We’ve had huge improvement in our doubles, but it’s not overnight. Every match we play is a learning experience, a stepping stone. We are seeing improvements but there’s still a long way to go.”

Thus, the two-week break between now and their next match will be no break at all. “There’s going to be a lot of practice between now and our next match,” she promised.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

All members of the women’s tennis team are from a foreign country? Where are they from? 3 1

1. Megan Bedeau & Sarah Burton---Ontario, Canada

4 5 6

2. Luisa Cantu---Tamaulipas, Mexico 3. Malin Anderson---Sweden 4. Reeta Raty---Finland 5. Andrea Salvetova---Czech Republic 6. Nina Ciric---Serbia

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the pan american

February 11, 2010