March 10, 2011

Volume 67, No. 21

WWW.PANAMERICANONLINE.COM

March 10, 2011

Corte, Galindo win SGA campaign

By Pamela Morales The Pan American

‘Dream Job’

Alma E. Hernandez / THE PAN AMERICAN

Director of GEAR UP named acting VP for student affairs

By Kristen Cabrera The Pan American Martha Cantu, new acting vice president for student affairs, said she always knew she would attend UTPA ever since she was a little girl.

“We would pass by here (campus),” she said, “because we would go to my mother’s ranch and my father would always say, ‘Aqui vas a ir a colegio.’ Always ‘Aqui es donde vas a ir a colegio,’ so it’s kind of ingrained that this is where I’m going to go. I’m going to be a Bronc.”

Cantu is a product of UTPA and the Valley. A McAllen native, she says she never felt the urge to leave and as a result garnered three degrees from the University, a bachelors

in speech and hearing, a master’s in education, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Before she came back to her alma mater, Cantu worked in public education for 21 years.

The impetus for her return was a program that focused on helping students understand and prepare for

“I

came into this fully

understanding

that

itʼs

going to be a difficult year

but also excited at the possibilities

of

with students. ”

CHECK THE WEB Bronc baseball || UTPA plays a doubleheader against TAMU-CC

working

Martha Cantu

Acting VP for student affairs

post-secondary education.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Un d e r g r a d u a t e Programs, or GEAR UP, installed Cantu as director in 2005.

“I care a lot about those kids,” Cantu said. “We started when they were in seventh grade and now they’re graduating and I want them

to go to college and I want them to be successful.”

Her work for GEAR UP brought Cantu’s name to President Robert Nelsen’s mind when the candidate search for a VP to replace John Edwards, who retired last year.

“When the candidates came,” Nelsen said, “they met with the students in many different forms more than normal. But there was not one candidate that everybody was supporting.

‘Everyone,’ meaning people from the faculty, people from the staff, people from the students that participated in the candidate’s open forums.”

Nelsen said that after reading

SEE VP || PAGE 4

Listen up Two festivals, two days || Spring Break proves fruitful for valley music lovers.

PAGE 6

The votes are in with Stephanie Corte and George Galindo as the newest Student Government Association President and Vice-President for 2011-2012.

Corte, president-elect of SGA, says she and Galindo are blessed to have been elected.

“I knew gaining a position like this in SGA,” explains Corte, a junior in journalism, “was going to open up doors for me to make actual changes. I want to see things happen that would benefit students in the long run.”

Galindo, vice-president elect, says the new term will begin on April 15 and start working with on-going issues such as the student referendum and making more awareness on the impeding budget cuts that could affect 2,000 Texas Grants recipients at UTPA. “The cost of education is going to be re-evaluated this upcoming year,” said Galindo, a senior in Secondary Education English. “And for us that’s a big thing because being able to know how much school is and being able to have the funds to pay for that is going to be an essence the foundation for your education. If

SEE SGA || PAGE 4

Stephanie Corte SGA President Elect

Better than the real thing Virtual learning proves to be Second Life ONLINE

2

March 10, 2011

Editorial

Vol. 67, No. 21

THE PAN AMERICAN

BroncAlert:

Students should update contact information With e-mails like “broncnotes” being sent to students, faculty and staff across campus daily, constant updates from the President’s Office, University Advancement and practically every other department that affects The University of Texas Pan-American, it’s no wonder a “Bronc Fatigue” has kept many from signing up for something else, like BroncAlert for instance.

Still, the vitality of an emergency alert system cannot be stressed enough.

In its third year, BroncAlert has provided a means for notifying the university community of emergencies that threaten campus.

Currently the system automatically subscribes enrolled students into BroncAlert, which sends out text messages, voicemails and e-mails with updated information.

However, because text-messaging is the primary means of spreading warnings, there has been a recent shove to encourage students, faculty and staff to update their cell phone information via ASSIST accounts especially because there is a possibility that BroncAlert will no longer send

out voicemail notifications.

The greatest way to prevent loss of life and/or property in the case of an emergency is to be in the know.

Last September when the shooting scare at The University of Texas at Austin happened, their own alert system, similar to ours, warned students, faculty and staff via text messages, e-mails and loudspeakers to stay in place or off campus in case a second shooter was found. Had the worst-case scenario occurred that day and a second shooter materialized, the UT community would have seen devastation without the alert system, especially the text-message warnings that went out immediately.

In February, BroncAlert sent a total of 19,276 notifications to students, faculty and staff that the campus would be closed due to severe weather conditions, however with a total UTPA population of 22,000 only about 7,000 are being reached immediately through text message.

By registering your information for BroncAlert, you’ll be notified right away in the case of an emergency. It could prevent you from being put in undue danger,

and in other cases, might help you avoid wasting time driving to school to find out it’s been closed for the day. Besides, the worst thing you’ll get through a

BroncAlert is the news that school will be cancelled for a day; and if it happens during the right part of the year, that could be a Beach Day in my.

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

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Kristen Cabrera kmcabrera22@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR: Roxann Garcia roxx.gar11@gmail.com

Updating your information Staff & Faculty

Students

ONLINE/SPANISH EDITOR: Denisse Salinas dns_145@hotmail.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: Benny Salinas 9_benny_9@live.com SPORTS EDITOR: Sara Hernandez shernandez261@gmail.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Alma E. Hernandez alma.e.hdz@gmail.com

Your cell phone must be added as a Mobile Phone to get notifications

SENIOR DESIGNER: Jennifer Tate jen489@gmail.com DESIGNERS: Alexis Carranza alexis091@aol.com Erick Gonzalez erick.drg@gmail.com ADVISER: Dr. Greg Selber selberg@utpa.edu ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE: Anita Reyes areyes18@utpa.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mariel Cantu spubs@utpa.edu WEBMASTERS: Jose Villarreal josemvillarrealcs@gmail.com Selvino Padilla selvinop3@gmail.com

Delivery:

Thursday at noon Letters to the Editor

Anthony Salinas/THE PAN AMERICAN

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We 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.

March 10, 2011

3

Physical Science Bachelors a reality

By Belinda Munoz The Pan American

Physics, geology department receive new leader

After three years of proposals for a new major within the Department of Physics and Geology by multiple UTPA department collaborators, the dream is now a reality. University students can expect a new B.S. in physical science, starting fall 2011.

The idea for a new program began in 2008 and was the result of a proposal constructed by various entities at UTPA, including the departments of curriculum instruction, education, science and math, and physics and geology. The proposal was subsequently approved by UTPA’s University Curriculum Committee, the Teacher Education Committee, the Provost’s Office, the President’s Office, and the University System. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) finally approved it on Jan. 27, 2011.

Edgar Corpuz, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Geology since 2006, explains that this innovative program will allow UTPA students to gain their teaching certification, with an indepth knowledge of physics and chemistry.

“The primary motivation in developing this program is that we saw the need for well qualified physics and chemistry teachers in the school

districts. So we tried to develop our collaborative funding will support program that could address that need,” and enhance the implementation of the BS in Physical Corpuz said.

Science program.

“Students are going However, UTPA to be taking, I believe 24 credit “The primary motivation will also continue to seek external hours of physics in developing this program funding to and I believe 32 support it hours of chemistry. is that we saw the need for The National There are no free Science Foundation electives in this well qualified physics and under the Robert program so it is chemistry teachers in the Noyce Scholarship very rigorous.” program awarded While the school districts. So we tried UTPA a grant of program will $1,192,368.00 be demanding, to develop our program to support the students are likely that could address that project titled to be rewarded for Preparing STEM their dedication, need.”

Majors to Become as state and Highly-Qualified local officials Chemistry and are beginning to Physics High School develop measures to increase Edgar Corpuz Teachers, Corpuz explained. compensation for Assistant Professor The Robert science teachers.

Noyce scholarship For example, a project provides science teacher can potentially earn at least $10,000 above scholarships up to the cost of the regular pay scale and possibly more attendance to STEM majors to pursue the newly approved B.S. in Physical through performance incentives.

According to Corpuz, Science program with grades 8-to-12

physical science teaching certification.

The award is effective Sept. 1, 2010 and expires Aug. 31, 2015.

According to Corpuz, a student’s Cost of Attendance varies depending on their enrollment, resident status, and whether they are living at home or on/off campus. For example, the undergraduate COA for 2010-2011 (for the regular academic year and with 12 hours per semester) for resident students living at home is $14,078 while resident students living oncampus is $15,420.

Those pursuing the physical science degree can expect to work in student/ faculty labs that will better prepare students with hands-on experience in the fields of chemistry and physics.

“We have a junior lab that is incorporated here, so they do get a chance to do research with other physics faculty,” Corpuz said. “That is also true with the chemistry. So they have several courses there where they can do research with the chemistry faculty members.”

While the aim for the physical science program is to produce highly qualified chemistry and physics teachers, it is also conducive for those who wish to gain graduate degrees in chemistry or physics, as a separate study.

“If students want to pursue maybe, purely physics later, they can. If later, they feel they really want to major in chemistry, that’s another option for them,” Corpuz said. “If they really need to go to physics or chemistry to pursue graduate studies, they might need to get some more courses, but not many.”

To spread awareness about the new degree, the Department of Physics and Geology expects to unleash an aggressive campaign that includes the use of multi-media advertisements, as well as, visits to local high schools including Edinburg CISD, McAllen ISD, etc.

“We have some flyers that we will be giving out later and we will be putting out some posters,” Corpuz explained. “We also will be talking to our university marketing office to help us promote this program. We are also looking to use our cable network to advertise this program. With the school districts, we plan to visit them in order to make the students aware of this new degree program.”

For more information on the program and eligibility requirements and expectations, visit www.utpa.edu. The application deadline is July 15, 2011.

STIR: Initating Innovation, Invention

By Karen Antonacci The Pan American Edwin LeMaster, former dean of the College of Science and Engineering, passed around a chunk of compressed wheat to students gathered in a lecture hall.

The presentation Tuesday was fostered by the University’s fledgling club, Student Think-tank for Innovation and Research, which aims to help students develop ideas for inventions.

“We wanted an opportunity for people to create products and bring their ideas to a product,” said junior Danny Balandrano, president of STIR. “I don’t think you’ve ever heard that Pan Am is doing something like this. We hope to get some recognition for some new things coming out.”

LeMaster, who helped Balandrano create the club, went on to explain at the meeting that the idea of using compressed wheat wrapped in heavy paper as a building material was developed in England and attempted in Texas. But a lack of engineers on the project ultimately killed it.

Robert Jones, professor of mechanical engineering and STIR’s faculty adviser, used this example to remind the students that they must

understand the underlying scientific principles involved in their inventions if the ideas are to be successful.

“We want to expose people to stuff,” Jones said. “Crazy ideas, good ideas and bad ideas that didn’t work out so you learn things; ‘Do I need to be worried about similar problems with my project?’”

For Balandrano, who presented the idea of a tutoring networking site at the first meeting, the club is a jumping off point for the business he hopes to create later “My dream is to have a business, basically an invention factory, where people can come in with their ideas and invent something because we have the resources to help them create it,” Balandrano said. “We’ll have the engineers there; we’ll have science people working for anybody that has an idea. I had this idea and I think it’s a great experience for me to practice on before I get to the real world.”

Jones believes that the club is filling a crucial need, providing students with an outlet for invention.

“The students coming to study engineering, some wanted just a stable job and an interesting environment, and others really have a passion and we haven’t had a place for that group of students in the past,” Jones said. “They’d

find outlets in student competition, those were kids that would really excel in senior design, or they might go work in research for a professor, but they haven’t really had a place to just take their passion, beginning as freshmen if they wanted, and pursue ideas that they have in areas that excite them. This is filling a gap.”

The club also creates an environment where innovative problem-solving is valued.

“If you go to CalTech or MIT, there is a culture of invention and solving problems for their own sake, or just because we have ideas and like to solve problems, and that hasn’t gelled yet at Pan Am,” Jones said. “It needs to if we’re going to continue rising on the curve to a great reputation, that should be part of the culture.

“So STIR is important for that so engineers don’t see themselves as just human processors in an organization that solves large problems but they begin to see themselves as inventors and problem solvers in their own right.“ STIR’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 22. It is available to all majors. For more information, contact President Danny Balandrano at 624-2913.

Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

THINKING DIFFERENTLY- During a STIR (student think-tank for innovation and research) meeting Ramon Ocañas examines a piece of wheat straw, a new building material. STIR is a new club which creates an environment where students can preprepresepresent innovative ideas.

Page 4

March 10, 2011

NEWS

Department chairs mull cutbacks

Operating, travel expenses among considered for downsizing

By Roxann Garcia The Pan American

Luxury items don’t seem to be in the future for students and faculty members at The University of Texas-Pan American, though departments across campus are looking to ease the depth of budget cuts for each college.

“Any time there is a budget shortfall, we need to revaluate how we can serve the student body first,” said Kai Koong, department chair and professor of computer information systems and qualitative methods in the College of Business Administration. “The best solution comes from the faculty, the family in the department.”

Departments across campus are busy meeting with one another while trading ideas on what each can do to negotiate the burden of the current budget shortfall.

The 82nd State Legislature is currently under way as policymakers determine how to address the close to $27 billion state budget shortfall. With higher education cuts on everyone’s mind the University is one of many determined to meet the issue head on.

In a budget update released March 4, President Robert S. Nelsen noted to students, “The good news, if you can call it that, is that the various exercises that we have performed on campus as we have tried to identify potential reductions are in line with the current House Bill 1 numbers.”

The House bill calls for a reduction of 22 percent or $13 million per year

for FY 2012-2013 while the competing Senate bill remains at 18 percent or $11 million per year.

“There’s no way around it,” said Hector Diaz, department chair and professor of social work in the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.

“All departments have to learn to operate with fewer resources and become more efficient with fewer bodies to help.”

Diaz and Koong are only two of the 28 department chairs brainstorming for an upcoming whirlwind of reductions.

“First we identify the problem and then we meet the problem face on together,” Koong said.

Among the ideas mulled over are cutbacks in travel and operating expenses, though the former has already been sliced due to last year’s initial round of belt-tightening.

“In terms of day-to-day expenses we will hopefully act ‘greener’ and learn to love it,” said Linda Matthews, department chair of management in the College of Business Administration, via e-mail.

In the College of Education, Stephanie Brickman, department chair of educational psychology, also voted to go ‘green,’ adding that the department has, “done very well” with the change.

Professor Albert Davila, chair of economics and finance in COBA, also noted that the switch is doable, citing the possible use of latest technologies.

Travel expenses don’t seem to be out of the spotlight either. The COBA is expected to feel this cut, Davila mentioned.

“These are very important to our

faculty because when we travel we can update ourselves on our profession, present papers, discuss and network with other universities,” he said.

An increase in class sizes is another possible outlook for some departments.

This may, however, conflict with preferred class times for students, Davila noted.

“Class times may not be among the time schedules students want or maybe not the same number of elective courses but…the top priority is to serve students,” he continued.

Another proposal is that each tenured faculty member will carry an extra class beginning with the department chair.

“When the department chair does the same, one cannot help but follow,” Koong said.

Department chairs may also have to make the decision to leave positions unfulfilled or let go of adjunct faculty members.

“We cut a secretarial position earlier this academic year and it has been difficult to do business as a nursing department with only one secretary dedicated to both bachelor and master of science in nursing programs,” reported Carolina Huerta, department chair of nursing in HSHW. Currently the department has 300 applicants, 240 actual BSN and 90 MSN students with close to 200 pre-nursing students taking nursing courses.

Though the months ahead will bring difficult decisions, not all is lost for the individual departments on campus. In the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Mechanical Engineering Department recently received a large

STEM education grant from the U.S. The State Legislature is not expected Department of Defense which to agree on a final decision until the will be used to expand session officially adjourns in programs of challenge based instruction, chair Robert Freeman said.

The majority of the departments are looking into other routes of generating revenue themselves in hopes to offset the budget shortfall. Some are working with the • opera Office of Continuing ting ex penses Education to • trave investigate beneficial l fund workshops for s • w o rk students and faculty s tu d ies alike.

“For example, • offic e, teac if a department hing, invests four hours gradua t e on a topic in assis ta nts •work demand or one w / o f that pertains to fice their expertise such as ‘substance abuse,’ 70 percent of that money will go back to the department,” said social work’s Diaz.

Other departments are focused June. on writing grant proposals to generate “The worst thing any department external funding. can do is to is cry about the situation or “No doubt there is a positive mindset victimize themselves,” Diaz added. “We needed here,” Matthews said. “This is a need to be creative and find new ways of great time for entrepreneurial thinking.” getting through this time. “

Bu dget re du i deas ction

SGA

Pamela Morales/THE PAN AMERICAN WINNERS- SGA President elect, Stephanie Corte and Vice President elect George Galindo celebrate their victory Wednesday.

continued from Page 1 you can’t pay for school then you can’t come to school and everything else falls behind like all the programs that are being implemented.”

Another goal they wish to implement and accomplish is getting more involved with students, not just attending town hall meetings.

“We want to be out there,” says Corte. “We don’t want to be stuck in our offices; we don’t want to be in the back of the UC, where a lot of students don’t even know where our office is. We really want to be

out there. They shouldn’t be coming to us, we should be going to them because we’re acting as their voice and we’re serving them. Not the other way around.”

Galindo adds that the communication should be ensured between the students to senators to faculty.

“In essence, we are the voice for the students,” says Galindo. “So, we want to make sure we are advocating for their concerns, for needs in a beneficial matter that will help everyone.”

VP

continued from Page 1 all the feedback, plus meeting with students, various members of the search committee and members of the Presidential cabinet, the consensus was that stability was needed in the department. The plan was to establish that and in a year’s time start the search again.

The temporary position of acting VP was created in anticipation of looming budget

cuts in the next year. So rather than have a key position in the University essentially open, Nelsen and the cabinet though it best to appoint someone who can handle the upcoming budget crisis and have students as their main focus, as the ‘Student Affairs’ part of the title indicates.

Nelsen thought Cantu could bring this to the University.

“We were really looking for somebody who could replace Dr. Edwards,” he said. “And be a real focal point for student affairs. We needed someone who could be very involved with students and the faculty and the staff. It’s a very important position and you need a strong support structure and strong support from everyone.”

Cantu said Nelsen gave her a

heads-up of what to expect in her new post.

“Of course he explained to me that it was going to be a very difficult year,” she said. “Because of the budget cuts and all that’s happening in Austin, and so I came into this fully understanding that it’s going to be a difficult year but also excited at the possibilities of working with students. And that’s always where I

feel most comfortable.”

She will continue to oversee her GEAR UP duties while transitioning into her new role, which will officially start March 21.

“I’ve had a dream job,” she said.

“Working with GEAR UP has been a dream job because you get to make such a difference in the lives of people.

I’m ready to do it with our students here in the University.”

March 10, 2011

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Page 5

Page 6

THE PAN AMERICAN

By Benny Salinas The Pan American Now in its third year, the Never Say Never Music Festival has become a sort of staple in an RGV spring break. Spread out over two days, March 15 and 16, the festival has grown exponentially since its 2009 introduction. This year’s headliners include LMFAO, Neon Trees, All Time Low and Travie McCoy. Despite the pop sensibilities of these headliners, the event is still rooted in hardcore and heavy music.

In keeping with these roots, the festival is bringing down a fair share of heavy music including Chiodos, Of Mice and Men, Asking Alexandria and Dance Gavin Dance.

Among the acts set to perform on day two of

March 10, 2011

the festival is The Ready Set, stage name for Jordan Mark Witzigreuter. The artist is best known for his single “Love Like Woe” released last March.

“I’ve played down here a few times and I really like it,” Witzigreuter said.

“The energy is really good every time I play. This is definitely one of the tour highlights.”

Though festivals are often wrought with technical difficulties and are at the mercy of the weather that day, Witzigreuter says he prefers playing festivals over concerts.

“There’s just a lot more that a festival can offer over concerts,” the 21-year-old said. “You’re playing for a different sort of crowd who might have not heard your music otherwise and there’s a lot more fan interaction.”

The variety of crowds at festivals is something that is favorable to an artist like Witzigreuter.

“I don’t really care who listens to my music,” Witzigreuter said in reference to his mostly female fan base. “I’m grateful for whoever can take something from it.”

Following NSN, The Ready Set will continue on his Glamour Kills tour with AllStar Weekend, and The Downtown Fiction until April.

The sheer enthusiasm towards NSN has turned it into the premier music event of the year for young music lovers in the RGV. With its genre melding ranging from dance and electronica to pop and hip-hop, all the while keeping its foundation in hardcore, NSN has ensured a long line of festivals and will for years to come.

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 10, 2011

By Benny Salinas and Lupe A. Flores The Pan American Over two dozen local and nationally touring bands will perform for Valley music-goers Tuesday, March 15 in Pharr as part of the MPM Festival, or Moderately Priced Music Festival.

The festival’s title gently pokes fun at the much larger festival happening 20 minutes away in Mission.

The festival is a celebration of local music. On the event’s Facebook page, Sam Goodbar, MPM’s curator, writes proudly, “This is actually a sneaky way to get you all to see these awesome local acts, because to me all acts are local: from Toro y Moi to Colour Revolt, to White Zebra to Nite Jewel. They’re all local heroes from their own towns and cities, so pay respect to our local heroes.”

The daylong MPM Festival differentiates itself from normal multistage festivals by being designed so each band has a consecutive slot. This is done to fix a very typical and frustrating festival problem.

“I didn’t want to get too many acts because I didn’t want to make people choose which acts to listen to,” Goodbar said.

The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. and continue until the last band performs, roughly around 1 a.m.

“I chose all these acts because I liked their music and wanted to see them live,” Goodbar said. “I set out with a couple names I wanted to bring down and it worked out and snowballed after that.”

Despite good intentions, the festival was not without problems. MPM’s original venue, Ambiente in downtown McAllen, was closed and the festival was homeless for a period of time.

“I had to move the event to Jagz in Pharr,” Goodbar said. “So it became a slightly bigger venture than I planned.”

When it comes to music promotion and local shows, Goodbar is a veteran and claims he just wants to keep the scene alive.

“I’m not trying to make this the next SXSW or Coachella,” Goodbar said.

“I’m just trying bring more attention to our local acts and pick out a handful of really g o o d acts I want to see, no matter h o w ‘big’ or ‘small’ they are.”

Page 7

Page 6

THE PAN AMERICAN

By Benny Salinas The Pan American Now in its third year, the Never Say Never Music Festival has become a sort of staple in an RGV spring break. Spread out over two days, March 15 and 16, the festival has grown exponentially since its 2009 introduction. This year’s headliners include LMFAO, Neon Trees, All Time Low and Travie McCoy. Despite the pop sensibilities of these headliners, the event is still rooted in hardcore and heavy music.

In keeping with these roots, the festival is bringing down a fair share of heavy music including Chiodos, Of Mice and Men, Asking Alexandria and Dance Gavin Dance.

Among the acts set to perform on day two of

March 10, 2011

the festival is The Ready Set, stage name for Jordan Mark Witzigreuter. The artist is best known for his single “Love Like Woe” released last March.

“I’ve played down here a few times and I really like it,” Witzigreuter said.

“The energy is really good every time I play. This is definitely one of the tour highlights.”

Though festivals are often wrought with technical difficulties and are at the mercy of the weather that day, Witzigreuter says he prefers playing festivals over concerts.

“There’s just a lot more that a festival can offer over concerts,” the 21-year-old said. “You’re playing for a different sort of crowd who might have not heard your music otherwise and there’s a lot more fan interaction.”

The variety of crowds at festivals is something that is favorable to an artist like Witzigreuter.

“I don’t really care who listens to my music,” Witzigreuter said in reference to his mostly female fan base. “I’m grateful for whoever can take something from it.”

Following NSN, The Ready Set will continue on his Glamour Kills tour with AllStar Weekend, and The Downtown Fiction until April.

The sheer enthusiasm towards NSN has turned it into the premier music event of the year for young music lovers in the RGV. With its genre melding ranging from dance and electronica to pop and hip-hop, all the while keeping its foundation in hardcore, NSN has ensured a long line of festivals and will for years to come.

THE PAN AMERICAN

March 10, 2011

By Benny Salinas and Lupe A. Flores The Pan American Over two dozen local and nationally touring bands will perform for Valley music-goers Tuesday, March 15 in Pharr as part of the MPM Festival, or Moderately Priced Music Festival.

The festival’s title gently pokes fun at the much larger festival happening 20 minutes away in Mission.

The festival is a celebration of local music. On the event’s Facebook page, Sam Goodbar, MPM’s curator, writes proudly, “This is actually a sneaky way to get you all to see these awesome local acts, because to me all acts are local: from Toro y Moi to Colour Revolt, to White Zebra to Nite Jewel. They’re all local heroes from their own towns and cities, so pay respect to our local heroes.”

The daylong MPM Festival differentiates itself from normal multistage festivals by being designed so each band has a consecutive slot. This is done to fix a very typical and frustrating festival problem.

“I didn’t want to get too many acts because I didn’t want to make people choose which acts to listen to,” Goodbar said.

The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. and continue until the last band performs, roughly around 1 a.m.

“I chose all these acts because I liked their music and wanted to see them live,” Goodbar said. “I set out with a couple names I wanted to bring down and it worked out and snowballed after that.”

Despite good intentions, the festival was not without problems. MPM’s original venue, Ambiente in downtown McAllen, was closed and the festival was homeless for a period of time.

“I had to move the event to Jagz in Pharr,” Goodbar said. “So it became a slightly bigger venture than I planned.”

When it comes to music promotion and local shows, Goodbar is a veteran and claims he just wants to keep the scene alive.

“I’m not trying to make this the next SXSW or Coachella,” Goodbar said.

“I’m just trying bring more attention to our local acts and pick out a handful of really g o o d acts I want to see, no matter h o w ‘big’ or ‘small’ they are.”

Page 7

8

March 10, 2011

By Benny Salinas The Pan American

CBS has decided to continue one of its longest running shows for another two seasons. “Survivor” has run for 22 seasons since its 2000 debut and will continue to season 24. Host and executive producer Jeff Probst has also signed on for two more seasons.

What big shoes Amanda Seyfried has to fill! The 25-year-old actress will take on the role of a classic fairy tale character in “Red Riding Hood.”

The film adds a dark twist to the tale and will be released this Friday.

As the last of the crowds left the Albert Jeffers Theater Tuesday afternoon, the sense of jubilation, nostalgia and ultimately relief overcame the studio theater where the cast and crew met for lunch. “Man of La Mancha” had just finished the last of a set of five shows which began March 2, in turn ending the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Jeffers Theater.

“It was a hit,” Brian Warren concluded from his seat in the studio theater. “Every night was good and the audience was responsive.”

Warren, a theater professor at UTPA, holds a special connection to the show.

Twenty-five years ago he took on the role of Padre in the first play to come out of the new theater, the retelling of the tale of Don Quixote, “Man of la Mancha.”

Directed by Kent Smither, “Man of La Mancha” finds Cervantes in prison, putting on a play where he acts as Don Quixote, a chivalrous knight. Warren took on the role of Cervantes/Don Quixote

MAS club plans rally for solidarity

By Lupe A. Flores The Pan American

Travis Barker may be one of the busiest drummers on the planet.

Along with new albums with Blink-182 and The Replacements, Barker has announced a new record to be released on Tuesday entitled “Give the Drummer Some.”

They say couples who are together long enough will begin to look like each other. An upcoming website, findyourfacemate.com, hopes to speed that process along. The dating site aims to match people with others who look like them.

this time around, providing another link to the 25-year-old performance.

“I read the book a long time ago and it instantly attracted me,” Warren said.

“The message of imagination was really interesting to me.”

Imagination ran the gambit in “Man of La Mancha.”

“Kent’s approach to this play was a lot different than the approach taken by the first director of this play,” Warren explained. “He wanted the audience to use their imagination just as Don Quixote did.”

Unlike the work’s first run at UTPA, this adaptation did not create sets or costumes for the play within the play.

The audience remained in prison with Cervantes and his prison mates.

“I like children’s theater and playing theater games,” Smither said. “The audience becomes part of the play.”

As the studio theater emptied out, what remained was the hope for continued excellence. Following “Man of la Mancha” the theater will put on “The Nerd” premiering on April 27 and running to May 1.

The next few weeks will be important for the Mexican American Studies program and club. Members of the organization and students listed under the degree curriculum are planning a walkout in response to local and national events and the possible elimination of such ethnic groups.

But to be successful, the Tejan@ Movement for Education rally slated for March 31 needs student support, something Orquedia Morales said members hope to see more of on campus by that time.

“Right now the main way to get through to them is Facebook and the fliers we’re giving out,” said

Photos by Norma Gonzalez

UTPA’s Symphony Orchestra performs March 4 at the Fine Arts Auditorium with a special number by guest guitarist Dr. Kurt Martinez (far right).

Morales, club coordinating chair and graduate student in her final semester.

“Sometimes it’s happened when they’ll (students] vandalize them and write obscenities, but this is exactly why we should keep the program: people need to get educated on this.”

Locally, the cause is to win the current fight to keep the MAS program available for any student interested in attaining a degree in the subject.

The Texas Higher Education Board recently questioned the adequacy of the program, rendering it a low-performance major due to low graduate turnout. What caused the board to finalize the decision, supporters said, is the redesigning of the program; within the past three years it has added a graduate certificate in MAS.

Militating against these debits is the potential interest in the subject, given the right circumstances.

“We want them to know that we do have some student demand,” Morales said. “However, if we had the institutional support through funding, fees, etc., then we’re sure we would have a greater graduation turnout. But we don’t.”

In light of Arizona House Bill 2281 (2010) that called for the ban on ethnic studies, specifically MexicanAmerican curriculum in public schools, as well as continuing legislation to alter current immigration policy, the MAS Club is hoping to influence change and promote justice.

And the fight for its cause is just beginning.

The number of supporters recently reached 180 on the MAS Facebook

page, and those involved in the protest will walk out of class at 11:00 a.m.

March 31. Later the plan is to meet at the Student Union Quad at 11 p.m. on the birthday of Mexican-American civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez.

Once there, students, faculty and speakers plan to create awareness on the importance of having programs like MAS in secondary and higher-learning institutions.

“If you really think about it, it’s not only affecting us here who are following a degree plan or certificate. Students transferring from South Texas College who want to pursue this field will have nothing to be offered by this university,” said club treasurer Leslie Ross-Cantu, a senior English major and MAS minor.

“It’s sad to see graduating seniors ask who Cesar Chavez was or what a rally is.”

March 10, 2011

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10 de marzo del 2011

Buscando información Famoso blog toma la tarea de cubrir brechas de información dejadas por los medios de comunicación.

Por Yngrid Fuentes

The Pan American

Mas de 35,000 personas han muerto desde que el presidente de México Felipe Calderón inició su ofensiva contra el crimen organizado hace aproximadamente cuatro años y medio, el equivalente a 7,777 personas muriendo al año, un aproximado de 22 asesinatos al día desde diciembre del 2006.

Sin embargo, la cobertura de los incidentes relacionados con la guerra contra el narcotráfico por parte de los medios de comunicación mexicanos a quedado corta. Según una información difundida por Propublica (organización estadounidense dedicada al periodismo de investigación) los medios de comunicación mexicanos solo han publicado un promedio del 10% de los crímenes relacionados con el narcotráfico.

En base a una investigación periodística, comparando el numero de crímenes cometidos con características similares a los métodos utilizados por los carteles de droga, y el número de notas periodísticas que mencionan dichos crímenes, en los primeros seis

mas silenciosa, con un porcentaje del 0% al 5% de incidentes reportados en relación con la narcoviolencia.

“México es uno de los países más letales en el mundo para periodistas.

En el 2007 fue clasificado en segundo lugar después de Irak como uno de los países más peligrosos para periodistas”. (channel.nationalgeographic.com) EN BUSCA DE INFORMACIÓN Remediando la brecha creada por la autocensura de los medios de comunicación, varios blogs han tomado la iniciativa y se han dado a la tarea de informar a la gente.

El más popular de estos blogs es probablemente el Blog del Narco, el cual ha ganado notoriedad en México por mostrar videos e imágenes de interrogaciones, asesinatos, tiroteos y narcomensajes.

De a cuerdo con un reportaje por CNN, el Blog del Narco hizo posible un arresto por corrupción en una prisión gracias a ciertos videos publicados que sirvieron como evidencia.

“Después de que el video se hizo viral en México, autoridades iniciaron una investigación y arrestaron a cuatro oficiales de prisión. Lo significante de

Mexico #1

Estoy Orgulloso!

Iraq #2

Pakistan #3

2010

México es el país mas peligroso para ejercer el periodismo. meses del 2010 aproximadamente 3,580 asesinatos fueron cometidos, y los medios de comunicación sólo publicaron 462 notas en relación, en otras palabras, solo 13% de los casos fueron publicados. (www.propublica.org) De acuerdo con Propublica, los lugares que se encuentran bajo el control de el cartel del Golfo y los Zetas son los que tienen la prensa

Anónimo/NO THE PAN AMERICAN este caso fue que la evidencia no fue obtenida por la policía u organizaciones noticieras, sino de un blog: el Blog del Narco”, informó el reportaje por CNN. “ El blog ofrece una crónica diaria de la guerra contra el narcotráfico”.

El Blog del Narco, inició en marzo del 2010 con el propósito de informar objetivamente sobre lo que sucede en México. Fue iniciado por dos estudiantes universitarios en las áreas

de informática y periodismo.

“Un factor clave para que naciera el Blog del Narco, ha sido lo que han decidido ocultar diversos medios de comunicación: el terror que se sufre en el país.

“Nosotros damos a conocer los actos violentos que han hecho que la sociedad mexicana viva una realidad que hasta hace poco tiempo se encontraba en las sombras”, los creadores del blog comentan en la página. “Los medios y el gobierno seguirán diciendo que en el país no pasa nada, nosotros continuaremos con nuestra labor”.

“Nuestra principal fuente de información ha sido la gente que colabora con datos y material.

Respetamos totalmente su confidencialidad. No estamos en contra o a favor de alguna organización delictiva, simplemente informamos las cosas sin alteraciones y por supuesto, de una manera transparente sin buscar ofender a alguien”. (www.blogdelnarco.com) Debido al fuerte contenido visual del blog, y las historias que presentan, es difícil para algunas personas verlo como algo completamente positivo, hay quienes piensan que el blog solo contribuye al miedo y el terror que la guerra contra el narcotráfico viene trayendo consigo desde hace mas de un año.

“Hacen una buena labor (el blog). Tiene sus ventajas y desventajas, es bueno porque informa, pero preocupa y asusta más a la gente”. Comentó Carlos Juárez, estudiante de la Universidad de Texas-Pan Americana.

Tanto la presencia de información, como su ausencia en los medios de comunicación y sociales, crean una dicotomía en cuanto a la percepción de lo que esta pasando en México. Por un lado están los que caen en la paranoia creyendo que van a ser atacados al momento de poner un pie afuera, por el otro están los que terminan hablando de asesinatos y torturas como si fuese de lo mas casual y normal.

“Siempre he pensado que es exageración, si no haces nada malo no tienes nada que temer. Sí pasan cosas, pero uno no va por ahí buscando problemas, cuando te, toca te toca. No salir porque uno piense que algo malo va a pasar está mal, esas ideas están mal”. Comentó Hugo Montiel, estudiante de UTPA. A final de cuentas, el valor del Blog del Narco cae en las manos de la gente a la que está dirigido: los ciudadanos que tienen el derecho a saber que es lo que pasa alrededor de ellos. La información esta ahí para quien decida buscarla, cae en el juicio del público qué hacer con ella y como interpretarla.

Edinburg sobre ruedas La Cámara de Comercio celebra el recorrido familiar de 5 millas “Edinburg sobre Ruedas” promoviendo el cuidado de la salud y la cultura del ciclismo.

Mayra Godínez/THE PAN AMERICAN

APOYANDO LA CAUSA – Janet Gish participó en la carrera que se llevó a cabo el sábado 5 de marzo en la ciudad de Edinburg.

Mayra Godínez/THE PAN AMERICAN

SIN IMPORTAR LA EDAD – (Izq. a der.) Anna Peña, Julietta Peña y Esteban Peña participaron como familia para ayudar a promover la salud y las actividades físicas.

Para leer la historia completa visita PANAMERICANONLINE.COM

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March 10, 2011

No time for timeouts Victory for Broncs against Coyotes, break loss skid.

By Dionicio Rodriguez The Pan American The scoreboard said 12 seconds remaining in regulation last Thursday at the Fieldhouse, the visiting South Dakota Coyotes hit a 3-point shot to go up one and it was looking like the Broncs were seconds away from suffering another tough loss at the hands of a visiting opponent. But then, it happened.

Guard Brandon Provost drove the length of the court, after Head Coach Ryan Marks elected not to call a timeout.

The sophomore wiggled his way through defenders into the paint and sunk a fullextension lay-up, giving the Broncs their first back-to back-wins of the season.

“As soon as I saw coach not ask for a timeout, I hit the gas toward the basket,” Provost said about the gamewinning play. “I was originally trying to suck in the defense and have one of my big men down low get open for an easy basket, but the defense didn’t give me that so I had to change my mind midair.”

A frantic Field House crowd cheered in excitement as they finally saw their home team on the winning end of a tough battle it usually takes the short end of. The few seconds that remained on the clock allowed for a prayer shot

by a Coyote guard from behind half- you don’t call a timeout. That’s what court only to sail through the air and Coach Marks said,” explained Aaron miss. The final score was 75-74, mak- Urbanus, sophomore guard. “Guess ing the Broncs 2-10 in the Great West that’s why he is the coach and we’re the Conference, 6-24 overall. South Dakota players, because it worked out perfectly.

I think it took the other team by surdropped to 7-5, 16-14.

“With the type of things that have prise that we didn’t take a timeout.”

The victory, and the way in which it happened to us this year, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the ball hit the floor, was achieved, is a high point in a season bounced and went straight in the goal,” where the Broncs have experienced much Matt Mierzycki, senior forward, joked turbulence. The young team has been bit about the enemy’s last heave. “We’ve by inexperience in close games resulting played so hard this year, and we have bat- in more negatives than positives. New tled till the end in all of our games. It feels Jersey Institute of Technology, South Dakota and Utah Valgood to come out of ley University have a close one like this.” all been tough losses Before the lastfor the Broncs. second win, the “ As soon as I saw coach The total difmost recent heartnot ask for a timeout, ference in points break had come at between these the hands of the I hit the gas toward the three games is nine.

New Jersey Institute basket.”

Showing just how of Technology. The close some of these Broncs failed to box games have been out on the weak side and how different only to have a Highthings could be had lander soar for the the ball bounce the rebound and put in Brandon Provost Broncs’ way. the game-winning Guard As they head basket as time exinto the Great West pired in overtime Tournament startfor a 65-63 final ing Friday in Orem, Utah they will faceFebruary 20.

The South Dakota game was in off against familiar opponent University doubt all the way as the lead changed of North Dakota with tip-off set for 5 hands 10 times, twice in the final min- p.m. The men need to summon upon ute. But Broncs grabbed the final, most all those experiences endured through important, lead change with the Pro- the season, putting them to work against some units that got the upper vost lay-up.

“When your team is playing well, hand against them earlier this season.

Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

STEP UP - Brandon Provost made the winning basket for the Broncs Thursday night. The sophomore is the second highest scorer this season with an average of 12.7 points per game.

FALLING SHORT Sophomore Angel Ibanez attempts a sacrifice bunt in the first game Tuesday against TAMU-CC. He played high school ball for Sharyland.

Bronc basketball at GWC Championship WOMEN UTPA 65, Utah Valley 81 Wednesday, March 9 MEN UTPA vs. North Dakota Thursday, March 10 @ 5 p.m.

For live stats and video of the championship go to: For full coverage

www.utpabroncs.com

of the Broncs’ doubleheader

or

against the Islanders, go to:

www.wolverinegreen.com

PA N A M E R I C A N O N L I N E . C O M

GWC Awards Bianca Torre First-team All-Conference Ce’Monay Newell All-Newcomer Team Brandon Provost Second-team All-Conference Norma Gonzalez/THE PAN AMERICAN

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THE PAN AMERICAN

March 10, 2011