April 14, 2011 by UTRGV Student Media

Volume 67, No. 24

WWW.PANAMERICANONLINE.COM

April 14, 2011

Q&A Danny Cardenas, 28, Senior Graphic Design “I would like some kind of bar where you can pick and choose things. Something like the sandwich bar that we have, but something more hands-on. Perhaps, a soup buffet.”

Marcela Borrego, 19, Freshman Undecided

Tammy Ayala / THE PAN AMERICAN

MUNCHIN’ - Rene Guzman enjoys a turkey bacon wrap for lunch from one of the Sodexo eateries in the Student Union.

“Salads and vegetable soups, fruit cups that are actually made at that moment and not stored away.”

Bye, bye Sodexo Campus dining services soon to change

By Alejandra Martinez The Pan American

Starting this summer, The University of Texas-Pan American will get a new dinning service, putting an end to the 10-year-old partnership with Sodexo, food provider since July 2001. The crux of the matter is that the contract’s term has exhausted and there are no more renewal options available. A bid was posted March 25 calling out to all interested food service providers, said Norma Dryer, director of materials management, whose division is in charge of helping other departments with procurement of goods or services. This first step consists of the University posting a Request for Proposal (RFP) on its website to all interested bidders. The offer is also posted on the Electronic Business Daily, the state’s website for procurement opportunities, Dryer noted.

“The RFP includes the University’s minimum requirements to hire a contractor to provide the services,” she explained. “The document includes all state, UT System and UTPA terms and conditions, and a description of the scope of the project.” According to the RFP’s minimum requirements each proposer must have at least five years in the business of providing university beverage services, and a minimum of three current accounts with public universities that have a student population comparable in size and enrollment to UTPA. After the document is posted, a University committee reviews proposals from interested bidders in order to select the most qualified according to the RFP’s guidelines. “If unable to reach an agreement with the first vendor,” Dryer said, “we end negotiations formally and proceed to the next vendor in the

order of selection ranking until a contract is reached.” The deadline for bidders to submit their responses is April 28 at 11 a.m., however, replies will not be opened and names won’t be read aloud until that day, Dryer said. Sodexo’s contract with UTPA will officially expire July 15. The current contractor and general manager for food services declined to comment on this story. It is not known at this point how the transition will affect UTPA employees with the outgoing firm. According to documents related to the change, the proposal for local staffing “should include consideration of retention for existing Sodexo food service employees with positions, salary and benefits comparable to the positions, staff and salary benefits available to such employees at the university.” The University has had a good working relationship with Sodexo, said Leticia Benavides, director of auxiliary

services, the department that serves as contract liaison. “The food service program has grown significantly over the past 10 years and we look forward to taking it to the next level.” Areas affected by the change will be the cafeteria, the food court, coffee cart and convenience store located on the first floor of the Student Union, the Café a la Carte kiosks situated in the library lobby, the NRG Zone kiosk on the first floor of the Wellness and Recreation Center, and the coffee lab on the first floor of the science building. Also included are catering services for University’s special events. Once the offer for a new vendor is extended, the bidders who respond to it will go through a confidential evaluation process, Dryer explained. Once a contract is awarded, the identity of the bidders will become public. The university hopes to award a contract for a minimum of 10 years to the new vendor July 16.

R.J. Gutierrez, 26, Junior Mechanical Engineering “McDonald’s, because they have the dollar menu, and since gas is very expensive right now, it’d be nice to save money.”

Victor Longoria, 22, Sophomore Music “I would like some stir fry, with meat, vegetables and sauces, maybe some pasta. It’s just variety, you get tired of the same Subways and fruit cups.”

April 14, 2011

Commentary

Vol. 67, No. 24

Why are bees dropping like ﬂies?

Alma Hernadez Photo Editor I watched “Real Time with Bill Maher” a few weeks ago and discovered that bees are vanishing at an alarming rate from a condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder. As a journalism major, I like to think I keep up with the news (at least more than the average student), so I was embarrassed and a bit shocked to be hearing this information for the first time. The actress Ellen Page was a guest on the show to talk about a documentary, titled “Vanishing of the Bees,” which she narrates. It’s currently screening across the country with the closest one to the Valley in San Antonio. So, let’s talk about the vanishing of the bees. The collapse of honeybee colonies is now a global phenomenon according

to a report published in March of this year by scientists working for the United Nations. It is estimated that in the United States the number of honeybee colonies has been cut in half in the last 40 years. They are at their lowest numbers since 1950. The sharp decline started in 2006 with 31 percent of colonies collapsing. Then 2007 saw a collapse increase to 32 percent, another increase in losses at 36 percent in 2008 and nearly 29 percent in 2009 according to scientists who surveyed commercial beekeepers and brokers. Maybe you’re wondering why you should care or how this will personally affect you. More than 100 agricultural crops in the United States are pollinated by bees, including 90 percent of the world’s commercial plants, from fruits and vegetables to coffee and cotton. About onethird of the human diet comes from flowering crops, and honeybees are responsible for pollinating about 80 percent of these. According to Dennis Van Engelsdorp of Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, “One in every three bites of food you eat comes from a plant, or depends on a plant, that was pollinated by an insect, most likely a bee.”

Honey bees in the United States produce about $150 million in honey every year and more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees. Now that we know what why bees are so important, we must look at the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder. The problem is we don’t know exactly why the bees are dying. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council there are a number of factors at work. Pesticides - Many pesticides banned in other countries because they harm bees are still available in the United States. Last December an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) internal memo was leaked which confirms that the very agency charged with protecting the environment is ignoring the warnings of its own scientists about clothianidin, a pesticide made by Bayer. The very first paragraph on Page 2 of the 70-page memo states, “Clothianidin’s major risk concern is to non-target insects (that is, honey bees). Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis. Although EFED does not conduct RQ-based risk assessments on non-target insects, information

from standard tests and field studies, as well as incident reports involving other neonicotinoids insecticides (e.g., imidacloprid) suggest the potential for long-term toxic risk to honey bees and other beneficial insects.” Global warming - This has caused flowers to bloom earlier or later than usual. When bees come out of hibernation they discover the flowers that provide their food have already bloomed. Parasites - Such as mite infestations. These tiny bugs feast on live bee larvae or infest the trachea of adults bringing death to colonies that are not treated. Habitat loss - This is brought about by development, or farmers growing crops without leaving habitat for wildlife. This issue may seem huge, out of the hands of you and I. It is a big issue, our food supply hinges on bees pollinating crops. Luckily there are things the average person can do to make a difference. Talking will bring more awareness about the situation. Writing your senators and representatives in Congress on the state and federal levels, asking them to support funding for honeybee research. Asking the EPA to ban Bayer’s clothianidin. Buying pesticidefree foods.

THE PAN AMERICAN 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 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 SENIOR DESIGNER: Jennifer Tate jen489@gmail.com DESIGNER: Alexis Carranza alexis091@aol.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.

April 14, 2011

Proposed changes invigorates MCAT Longer test does away with writing section, adds more sciences plus critical thinking section

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squeeze in additional science courses to their already busy schedules in order to prepare for a revised Medical College Admissions Test. The MCAT is similar to the SAT in that it is a standardized, multiple-choice test in physical science, verbal reasoning, writing, and gy biological science. Preciolo o S + med students must sit for their MCAT to get into medical school h as most require ealt the scores. H on hy T h e lati p o u s p o ilo Association +P + Ph of American + Ethic s Medical + Cross -cultura Colleges l Studie s (AAMC),

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By Karen Antonacci The Pan American

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h W Sa rit Be e l a mpl m in i a S c pl g o ing e + SNo Writ Verba Reasolning Verbal + Critical Thinking MCAT Reasoning Biolog gy y w h i c h o l C o he + Bioche +Cellular/Mole represents all Bi cular mis m accredited U.S. medical Biolog try y is schools, recently released tr preliminary recommendations y for a new version of the MCAT slated for 2015. “These are the biggest proposed changes to the MCAT in 25 years, they

are significant changes,” said Hassan Ahmad, who teaches biochemistry for an MCAT prep course and serves as the pre-med adviser for chemistry at the University. “Somewhere, I read, that this will even impact the high school curriculum. They will probably have to take calculus back at the high school level, rather than college level.”

NOT JUST MEDICAL SCIENCES The AAMC’s proposed changes include added sections on social and behavioral sciences, such as psychology and sociology, and an expanded verbal reasoning section to incorporate ethics, philosophy, cross-cultural studies, and population health. “As far as behavioral sciences, we know that they want the student to learn more of the humanistic part like bioethics. There is apparently a disconnect in how we prepare students. They completely learn science [well], but they don’t know how to interact with their fellow human being,” said Ahmad, who is former Department of Chemistry chair. “One of our students, she decided to study psychiatry for one

reason; because she doesn’t want to touch the other human.” The proposed changes to the MCAT, if they come to pass, would require slight revisions to MCAT prep courses and a more coordinated effort between the science and social/ behavioral science departments. “I think science people and social behavioral science people have to sit down and talk to each other, which has not happened before now,” said Narayan G. Bhat, professor of biochemisty and Department of Chemistry chair. “With this, the pre-med students will come in close contact with the social behavioral sciences because they have an interest there; they need to do well in sociology and psychology.” ADD 90 MINUTES The AAMC also proposed the elimination of the writing section of the MCAT since studies show that it is not very useful in evaluating applicants. With the addition and expansion of several sections, however, students taking the proposed version in 2015 are in for a 7-hour test instead of one lasting five and one-half hours.

SEE MCAT || PAGE 4

Campus police seek volunteers, students for hire

By Nicole January The Pan American

The University Police Department is currently recruiting volunteers and looking to hire students for the Citizen’s Police Academy and Community Service Officers to serve the community within the next two weeks. According to Melissa Sandoval, parking manager for the department, CPA offers volunteer positions and CSO paid student positions to assist the campus in many ways. Every spring and fall semester the Academy holds 10 sessions for students, faculty and staff interested in being active citizens who want to increase public safety and quality of life for the campus community. CPA participants receive presentations on police training, criminal investigations, firearms safety, alcohol and drugs, and other topics through lectures, demonstrations and hands-on experience. There are no fees to participate in the program and anyone can enroll for the next sessions in the fall semester by emailing a registration form to the department’s training officer; the form can be found on

the department’s website at www.utpa.edu/ police. For those interested in the law enforcement field, or willing to be more involved in campus safety and parking regulations, there are Community Service Officers positions to be filled. “CSO’s are paid student patrol employees of the Student Police Program for the University police department,” Sandoval said. “We currently have four openings for the CSO positions and we are still receiving applications.” The department’s target date for hiring is no later than mid April, she said. The requirements for those who apply are to be an enrolled student, have some experience in customer service, and to be familiar with the layout of the campus. The hourly rate is minimum wage and they are required to work 16 hours a week. Full-time UTPA sophomore and CSO Carlos Romero, 20, explained the fulfillment he gets from the job. “It’s the feeling of knowing that you’re doing something right, something to help the school out,” he said. “When I’m out there, I have a lot of professors come up to me and tell me, ‘I’m glad you’re out here

SEE POLICE || PAGE 4

Roxann Garcia/THE PAN AMERICAN

BUSTED! - Criminal justice major, Carlos Romero, sets down a parking ticket on a violator’s vehicle. “It’s common procedure to give a ﬁrst offender a warning but when it’s someone’s 3rd or 4th violation, c’mon now, “ he said.

Page 4

April 14, 2011

NEWS

Local master contends for 2012 Olympics Pre-med lab attendant will travel to Korea for WTF international championship By Belinda Munoz The Pan American

state, international and also the Taekwondo World Championship.” Now back in the Valley, Perez explains that his victory in the International While most students relaxed Taekwondo Championships in Russia this Spring Break, Michael Perez, was far from easy. a pre-med major and computer “I won a gold medal. It was really support services lab attendant at the dramatic because I was losing in the University for the last 18 months, third round by two points and I tied spent his time in Moscow, Russia the match,” Perez recalled. “Then we fighting against intense competitors went to - we call it ‘dead point’ - which in the World Taekwondo Federation means whoever hits the first point (WTF) Taekwondo International that’s the one who wins. So I won by Championships. He hopes to advance one point in Russia.” to the next phase of tryouts for the According to Perez, this 2012 Olympics. competition validates a fighter’s Perez, who has been training in performance by their demonstration Taekwondo since he was four and of Korean fighting techniques/ competing since age 10, is now a six- forms called Poomsae. In Poomsae, degree black belt and ‘master’ who a competitor can receive points by participated in the 2008 striking the opponent Olympics. “ He is an athlete who in different areas of “In 2008, I went to the body such as the the Olympics in Beijing, does not stop until he abdomen (one point) China,” the senior said. accomplishes his goal. or the head (two). “Unfortunately I couldn’t A l r e a d y get a medal, but this year I really do not think any established as a that is my goal, not just challenege has gone Moscow gold to get to the Olympics, Perez is too far. He challeneges medalist, but to get a medal.” now concentrating on After winning 15 himself and conquers all the group of events international events, comprising the WTF Perez qualified for the of them.” World Taekwondo 2008 Olympics, where Championships, to th he placed 10 in the be in held this May Grandmaster Lee Taekwondo division. in Gyeongiu, Korea. Former TaeKwondo trainer This year, he expects that Should Perez capture the process of qualifying this tournament he will for the 2012 event in London will take then be required to also gain victories equal dedication and skill. in the following events: the WTF “To go to the Olympics you have to qualify in a tournament,” World Qualification Tournament in the California native explained. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 6; WTF World “You have to win national, Taekwondo Poomsae Championships

Alma E. Hernandez/THE PAN AMERICAN

MAESTRO - Micheal Perez, an Academic Services lab attendant is a 2012 Olympic hopeful in Taekwondo. in Vladivostok, Russia, July 16; the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October; WTF Pan American Qualification Tournament for London 2012 Olympic Games in Queretaro, Mexico in November; and the Taekwondo Test Event for London 2012 the UK in December. “There are three tournaments right now, which are the World Taekwondo Championships that is in May. June, that will be in Russia and there will be one in Mexico,” he said. “By winning those tournaments most likely, I can probably, 80 percent/70 percent get a spot (to qualify for the 2012 Olympics). “There are thousands of athletes going for the same goal. It’s pretty tough.” Grandmaster H.K. Lee, Perez’s former trainer, has been a teacher of Hap Ki Do and TaeKwondo for over 20 years at centers like the Kukkiwon-

POLICE

other winners in the hopes of gaining a spot on the USA National Olympic Team. “We have to compete a lot around the world and you have to be in the top five,” Perez said. “Then you have to be in the tryouts for the national team and from there they will choose the athletes who will be going on to the Olympics.” As Perez continues to train for 10 hours a day and to compete for a spot in the 2012 Olympics, Grand Master Lee administers some sage advice for the upcoming competitions. “Master Michael, expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in eye and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me,’” he said. “My best of luck to you, Master Michael.”

MCAT

continued from Page 1 doing your job.’” Currently the department has 10 CSOs trained to conduct foot patrol escorts, work at an information booth, enforce parking violations, and assist when needed. Sandoval also explained that in the future CSOs will have the capability of issuing temporary one-day visitor parking permits. “We mainly enforce parking rules and regulations, that’s what we try to concentrate on,” Romero said. “But we also do other things, like perform jump-starts if someone’s vehicle breaks down.” The criminal justice major from Mission explained his busy schedule

World TaeKwonDo Headquarters in Seoul, Korea and USA. He says Perez is a very enthusiastic young man with an extremely positive mind, a real champion who will never give up. “He is always improving,” Lee said. “Master Michael is always doing the best even when he cannot keep going. He is an athlete who does not stop until he accomplishes his goal. I really do not think any challenge has gone too far. He challenges himself all the time and conquers all of them. He is never afraid to fail or waste energy trying to cover up failure. He always learns from his mistakes to keep going to the next challenge. One time told me ‘If I don’t fall, I am not growing.’” After winning the WTF events, competitors like Perez must then commence with competition against

continued from Page 1 and the tasks of a daily routine in which he rotates indoor and outdoor work during afternoons and evenings. “I work four days out of the week,” he informed. “Two days I’m out patrolling the parking lots and the other two days I’m working the information booth where visitors come by that need visitor’s permits or I direct people. It’s part time and my only job since I’m going to school full time.” Romero, who aspires to work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, had experience working at the Mission Police Department and then heard about the open CSO position.

For those that are looking to go into law enforcement, he recommended the position as a good place to start. “If it’s someone that is going to go into law enforcement or is interested in learning about it, I would encourage them because you learn good communication skills and get to work side by side with the police officers at times and learn from them,” he said. According to Sandoval, these individuals are put in this important role to assist, serve and improve parking compliance. “They are the eyes and ears of our department,” she concluded.

Bhat, who also serves as organic chemistry instructor for the MCAT prep program, said that students going into the medical field should not balk at a 7-hour test. “This is what I tell my students; If you want to be a doctor, you better have patience,” he explained. “If a student doesn’t have patience, I don’t think the student will become a doctor. ‘No pain, no gain’ is my principal and if they have not answered the test in seven hours, they are not fit to be doctors.” This is not the only 7-hour test medical students face, Ahmad agreed, adding that once they

are in medical school, they must take three more exams varying in duration between seven and eight hours. Both Bhat and Ahmad said that proposed changes might have a profound effect on the MCAT preparation for pre-med students. “I think, maybe, if these changes are real, we have to sit as a department, the faculty,” Bhat said. “We may have to have separate courses for pre-med students. Right now we have everybody in a class: chem majors, chem minors, pre-med, pre-pharmacy. But if these changes are true, we may have to design a course for only pre-med students.”

April 14, 2011

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Page 9

14 de abril del 2011

Pajareando en Edinburg Humedales Escénicos de la ciudad de Edinburg, ofrece variadas atracciones que los acercarán a la naturaleza en el mismo corazón del condado. Una de las actividades más Los sábados son los días que normalmente la gente utiliza para interesantes tomó lugar el sábado 9 descansar, relajarse o salir a divertirse de este mes en la sala de conferencias con la familia y amigos. Para aquellas de la recepción a la cual asistieron 20 personas personas que gustan de salir a apreciar las aproximadamente actividades al aire libre y la vida natural entre entusiastas, padres e hijos. La el Centro de Observación de Aves y actividad propuesta ésta vez por el popularmente conocido “Birding •Pájaros es un grupo de aves Center” fue una clase muy modernos que tiene l l a m a d a 50 millones de años de su Pájaros en origen. español 101, la cual pretendía educar a los •Tienen como características asistentes propias la estructura de la piel y sobre las clases de pájaros la del paladar. que habitan el Valle de • Tienen una Texas , las

Datos sobre los pájaros

Por Sergio Giron The Pan American

alimentación muy variada y pueden comer insectos, arácnidos, entre otros invertebrados, además de semillas, frutos y hojas.

actividades del “pajareo” y el avistamiento de aves, además de los recursos con los que cuenta la comunidad del sur del valle de Texas para realizar estas actividades. Entre las dos decenas de participantes que acudieron, la mitad eran niños y niñas de entre 7 y 12 años de edad que junto con sus papás aprendieron sobre las aves que emigran a visitarnos en los meses de marzo-abril y octubre-noviembre. Belinda Aguilar, una ama de casa que llevó a sus dos hijos de nueve y siete años comentó sobre lo aprendido durante el curso express de hora y media. “Me atrajo la idea de enseñarle a mis chamacos sobre la naturaleza y como debemos de preservarla, espero que salgan de aquí con un mayor respeto y conciencia”. El retoño mas grande de Aguilar no pudo esconder la alegría que le producía interactuar con los diversos tipos de nidos que el ornitólogo, proveniente del “Estero llano grande state park”, llevó para incrementar la experiencia de aprendizaje. Después de convencerlo para que compartiera su punto de vista, el pequeño de 9 años cometo que le gustó mucho cuando saco los pájaros disecados y cuando les dieron binoculares. No solo padres e hijos fueron participes de éste singular curso sabatino, sino también jóvenes estudiantes que gustan de los animales y las actividades al aire

libre, tal es el caso de Raziel Flores, estudiante de terapia física que decidió acompañarse de su sobrino Iván para aprender sobre sus criaturas favoritas. “Siempre me han gustado las aves y desgraciadamente nunca pude tomar una clase sobre ellas en la escuela, pero me da gusto que el Birding Center ofrezca estos cursos para que los principiantes aprendamos lo básico sobre el pajareo”, comentó Flores. “Por ejemplo ahora ya conozco varios de los pájaros que viven en mi jardín y el siguiente paso será ir a los parques a buscar mas”. Flores también quiso en compartir esta experiencia con su sobrino, con el fin de dejar una enseñanza para las próximas generaciones. Durante este verano el Centro de Observación de Aves y Humedales Escénicos de la ciudad de Edinburg localizado entre las calles Sprage y Raúl Longoria, ofrecerá más actividades educacionales para chicos y grandes que comprenderán cursos sobre avistamientos de libélulas y mariposas, clases sobre acampamiento, entre otras. No hay que olvidar que la naturaleza nos ofrece las experiencias más sanas y plenas de las que podemos disfrutar durante nuestras vidas y justo en el corazón de la ciudad hay un lugar que resume este espíritu y nos invita a ser parte otra vez de la tierra en la que vivimos.

Prestigiosa autora chicana visita UTPA Tiffany Ann Lopez da lectura en honor a la semana nacional de la biblioteca. Por Zaira Heredia The Pan American Éste martes 12 de abril a las 13:00 horas, la biblioteca tuvo el honor de recibir a Tiffany Ana López autora de la antología “Growing up Chicana/o”, y editora de “The Journal of Chicana and Latina Studies,” publicado por mujeres activas en letras y cambio social, en honor a la “Semana Nacional de la Biblioteca.” Durante la semana, la biblioteca ha sido anfitriona de varios autores con el propósito de que los estudiantes vean las oportunidades que las bibliotecas ofrecen. “Las bibliotecas siempre están ayudando a otras personas y están cantando ‘alabanzas’ de todos, entonces ésta semana es para dirigir la atención hacia nosotros”, dijo Virginia H. Gause, bibliotecaria de medios y mercadotecnia.

López es profesora de literatura y torias que yo encuentro poderosas, y las teatro en la Universidad de California he coleccionado para compartirlas con otros,” dijo López. Riverside. Ella llevó López comenzó acabo una lectura de “ Las bibliotecas leyendo la historia su antología “Grow“Eleven” ing Up Chicana/o” siempre están ayudando llamada escrita por Salinas publicada en 1993 a otras personas y están Cisneros, después este martes 12. Éstas series de historias cantando ʻalabanzasʼ continuó con “The Scholarship Jacket” fueron escritas por de todos, entonces de Marta Salinas y varios autores en la terminó con la lectucomunidad chicana ésta semana es para ra y análisis literario como Sandra Cisnedirigir la atención hacia de “Abuela” de Rosa ros quien estuvo en Elena Yzquierdo. nuestra universidad nosotros ” . López había atendien el 2008, Gary do a talleres de CisSoto quien estuvo en neros en el pasado STC en el 2010, RuVirginia Gause y fue en la primera dolfo Anaya, Denise Bibliotecaria de medios que pensó para inChávez entre otros cluir en su libro. más. “En este libro he “Cuando Sandra Cisneros me dijo puesto mi visión como lectora en las his-

que sí, abrió oportunidades para que otros autores quisieran que su trabajo estuviera en este libro,” dijo López. El libro “Growing up Chicana/o” a sido prohibido en el estado de Virginia del oeste por el distrito escolar de secundaria. “Esa prohibición es una medalla que llevo conmigo a todas partes, porque significa que estamos forzando los límites educacionales,” dijo López. La opción de traducir el libro al español es una idea que comenzara a tomar las riendas en el XX aniversario del libro que es en el 2013. López ha sido un ejemplo para los estudiantes hispanoamericanos en nuestra universidad. Su vida nos recuerda lo que López dice “si se puede, no es solo un dicho sino un tipo de mentalidad.”

Conferencia sobre epilepsia en el campus Por Karen Velazquez The Pan American

Seminarios de Investigación de Salud Hispana en conjunto con la Universidad de Texas en Brownsville estarán presentando el próximo 15 de abril en las instalaciones de la Universidad de Texas- Pan Americana, la transmisión en vivo de la conferencia titulada “La función anormal pre sináptica de epilepsia experimental” ofrecida por Emilio R. Garrido-Sanabria, profesor asistente de Neurociencias de la facultad de Exportación de Subvención. Garrido es conocido por diversas aportaciones en el campo de la ciencia, entre las que destacan dos publicaciones de estudios sobre la epilepsia como “Expresión anormal en las zonas de terminación perforante ruta de acceso y las fibras musgosas de las ratas crónicamente epilépticas”, fruto de estudios realizados en colaboración de otros investigadores que explica que la epilepsia se caracteriza por hiperexcitabilidad de las redes del hipocampo, la liberación excesiva de glutamato, y la neurodegeneración progresiva. Otra de las aportaciones de Garrido sobre la epilepsia, es “Redes septo-hipo campal en ratas con epilepsia crónica: los posibles efectos antiepilépticos de la generación del ritmo theta”, la cual ha sido también parte vital en el mundo de la neurociencia. Para aprender más a cerca de la enfermedad que ha sido intrigante para muchos a través de la historia, debes asistir a la platica del multigalardonado Doctor Garrido, quien obtuvó el Premio de Investigación Promoción para desarrollar el proyecto titulado “Determinantes moleculares de canalopatías fibras musgosas presináptica en la epilepsia”, entre muchos otros. Si deseas conocer más sobre esta enfermedad crónica caracterizada por trastornos neurológicos que llevan al cuerpo a sufrir convulsiones de corta duración, debes presentarte éste próximo viernes en las instalaciones del edificio de Servicios Académicos, (ACAS por sus siglas en inglés) en el salón 2. 132 en punto de las 11:00 horas y disfrutar de la enseñanzas del famoso académico. Para acomodaciones especiales comunicarse al 665-5004 al menos con un día de anticipación.

April 14, 2011

Goal back in sight for Broncs

UTPA wins five, wants to make winning a habit

By Dionicio Rodriguez The Pan American When coach Manny Mantrana arrived a little over two years ago one could feel the excitement as he professed certainty about the baseball team’s eventual upward direction under his reign. The first two years failed to meet his prediction, but with their recent sweep of Great West Conference foe Chicago State University over the weekend, victory over Corpus Christi Islanders on Tuesday and the start of a five-game win streak, the Broncs, along with their bold head coach, seem to be taking the strides they planned on at the start. “A four-win weekend is tough,” Bronc outfielder Alex Carnall said. “It’s a good feeling to know that we set that goal for ourselves as a unit prior to the weekend, and by the end of Sunday we were able to say we fulfilled that. Carnall, senior outfielder from Ontario, Canada, is one of six Broncs that have brought in at least 10 RBI so far this season, and he is part of the batting spree that has produced 58 runs in the last five games. With so many letdowns in other Bronc sports these days, the true fan has to wonder if this winning attitude is here to stay, or if it may be a little too good to be true. “We have a senior-led team this year with experience, which I believe is why we are having a lot of success this season,” said Angel Ibanez, sophomore infielder from Mission Sharyland. “It was a great feeling playing the way we played; we knew it was bound to happen with this team. We are fully confident, and the chemistry between us is great.” The Broncs set the tone early versus Chicago State last Friday as they blew by them with a 14-4 victory; the taste of victory would not sour throughout the weekend. They followed that with a pair of victories 5-3 and 11-6 in Saturday’s twinbill, and a 16-15 final in extra innings Sunday to complete the fourgame weekend. Adrian De La Rosa, junior outfielder

Reynaldo Leal/The Pan American

feet on the ground - Although senior outfielder Alex Carnall (pictured) said the team was satisfied after the weekend’s success, coach Manny Mantrana added that the players need to keep working hard to continue winning. from El Paso, hit his first home run this season in the initial matchup, which helped eventually end the game on a 10-run mercy rule after seven innings. The Broncs continued their impressive play with a dominant attitude on the diamond, an attitude they’ve acquired thanks to Mantrana. “Winning is a habit, but unfortunately so is losing. In most places, if not all, it takes four or five years to really see some change in a program. We’ve been able to see change from the first year up until this point we are in now,” Mantrana said. “There are three things we stress to the players: Do things the right way. Whether that is in the classroom, on the field or off, we have to show character. Winning teams do things the right way.

Men’s tennis edged out by UT-Arlington, A&M Check out the story of this event at

PanAmericanOnline.com

“The second thing stressed is desire. The desire to be a better baseball player, but most importantly the desire to be the best person they can be. The third thing is obviously commitment. Commitment to the baseball program and to your education.” These three pillars are the foundation that Mantrana is building his program with, and the players are buying into his ideas. The proof is in the pudding as the ridiculously old cliché goes, and the pudding is looking pretty good right about now. “This is the first group that he’s had at UTPA that’s been purely the recruiting work of this staff and it shows in the chemistry,” Carnall said. “He has done a good job of picking guys with person-

alities that blend well, and I think that is one of the biggest differences with coach. The attitude is helping us win but at the same time, it’s becoming an increasingly consistent feeling with us.” The biggest difference of all is that team is producing wins. The Broncs were 22-32, 9-18 Great West Conference last season, and two years ago they finished their season at 14-41. They are 14-10, 4-0 GWC right now heading into another four-game weekend against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. They have been convincing wins that show poise and a competitive advantage over the other teams. The team ERA is 4.25, way better than the bloated marks of the past. Even so, Mantrana knows that this is only the start, and that many more steps

are needed to fulfill the bold statements he made a little over two years ago. “We’ve done nothing. Everyone goes into the beginning of the season saying ‘we want win,’ but talking the talk and walking the walk are two completely different things,” he noted. “We have to continue working extremely hard and motivating each other to reach our goals as a team. Baseball season is very long, and to be a championship team we have to keep focus in order to continue this success.” The Broncs host NJIT for another Great West Conference four-game weekend at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Friday’s match-up is set for 6 p.m., while Saturday’s twinbill gets started at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s final game is scheduled to start at noon.

UTPA home events FRIDAY 4/15

Baseball vs NJIT Edinburg Baseball Stadium

6 pm

SATURDAY 4/16

Men’s tennis vs UTSA UTPA’s Orville Cox Tennis Center 10 am Baseball vs. NJIT Edinburg Baseball Stadium 1 pm Women’s tennis vs. St. Mary’s UTPA’s Orville Cox Tennis Center 3 pm

SUNDAY 4/17

Men’s tennis vs. St. Mary’s UTPA’s Orville Cox Tennis Center 10 am Baseball vs. NJIT Edinburg Baseball Stadium 12 pm

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the pan american

April 14, 2011