Extreme Drought Hits Texas pages 4-5
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Volume 69, No. 28
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By Susan Gonzalez The Pan American Terry Sallas Merritt was a 27-year-old student at the University of Florida when she had an abortion - a decision that still impacts her today. As a pro-choice advocate, Merritt is against Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 2, Texas legislation that will place restrictions on abortion practices in Texas. HB 2 passed in the Texas House July 10 and can move to the Texas Senate as early as July 13. “People don’t get pregnant to have an abortion,” said Merritt, who works in public affairs with Whole Woman’s Health, a chain of private gynecology and abortion centers with locations in Texas, Minnesota and Maryland. “Pregnancy shines a bright light on your life so you start looking at everything and trying to decide ‘Who am I? What am I going to be? What can I provide?’” HISTORY OF THE BILL If passed during the special session, SB 1 and HB 2 will not
allow abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, will require abortion clinics to meet the same standards as outpatient surgical centers - also known as ambulatory surgical centers - and will require any doctor performing abortions to have hospital privileges no further than 30 miles from the abortion clinic. Originally Senate Bill 5 during the regular Texas legislative session that ended June 25, SB 1, and its companion bill, HB 2, are revivals of this legislation. A last-ditch effort was made to approve SB 5 the last night of the regular session, with a vote of 19-10 in favor of the legislation, but the vote occurred after midnight. According to the state constitution, the session ended and the bill could not be signed, enrolled or sent to the governor. But less than 24 hours after the nearly 13-hour filibuster given by Sen. Wendy Davis, DFort Worth, that prevented SB 5 from passing in the Texas Senate, Gov. Rick Perry called for a second special legislative session to begin July 1 at 2 p.m.
While the Texas Legislature only meets once every two years, the governor is allowed to call as many special 30-day sessions as he thinks are necessary to deal with specific bills he wants the legislature to discuss. A special session, unlike the regular one, only requires a majority rather than a two-thirds vote, to pass a bill. 20 WEEKS An abortion that occurs after 20 weeks is often referred to as a “late-term abortion” since it takes place during or after the second trimester. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act June 18 with a vote of 228-196. It would ban nearly all abortions 20 weeks after fertilization. The justification for this measure is that fetuses can feel pain at this point in the pregnancy. “At 20 weeks maybe sooner, the baby feels pain,” said physician and
Rep. John Fleming, R-La., in an NPR article. “This bill is not just about abortion; it’s about pain, it’s about torture to that young life.” However, scientific studies on how much pain a fetus can feel vary in conclusions. Kanwaljeet “Sunny” Anand, professor of pediatrics, anesthesiology and neurobiology at the University of Tennessee, confirmed this insight in a 2008 article in The New York Times. Other studies,
such as one published in the British Medical Journal, deny it. But scientific conclusions aside, Kathryn Hearn, community services director for the Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County, said this regulation poses a medical risk. “There’s fewer than 1 percent of abortions done in Texas after 20 weeks,” Hearn said. “Very often those pregnancies were happy pregnancies. Those women were happy to be pregnant, they wanted to give birth and have a child, but those pregnancies somewhere along the line went terribly, terribly wrong. So, those abortions after 20 weeks are those that women have to save their life, to protect their fertility, to protect their health.” For example, if a woman chooses to carry a troubled
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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opinion
July 11, 2013
The Pan American
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Arts and Life Editor According to UTPA’s Center for Online Learning, the University offered 44 online and hybrid courses to students for the spring 2013 semester. Hybrid, like a Prius? More unpleaseant, like a Lycan. Unbeknownst to students and advisers, the University has been taking some courses, such as math 1334, and turning them into online/hybrid classes, or as Dr. Andras Balogh referred to them, “computerized.” What’s so bad about that? Maybe that the courses were displayed as “lecture” when students registered. Oh, who are we kidding? Computerized is another term for online classes with online
work that students had to go into a classroom to complete. Balogh, the chair of the math department, said the classes were not listed as “online” because computerized classes have a teacher lecturing. But not all courses had a professor present to teach. Math 1334, or intermediate algebra, is a remedial class. One might think that students who need assistance in math would choose to take a lecture class so they may receive help when they hit a bump in the road, as opposed to an online class. Well, some did, or so they thought. In spring 2013, 514 students took said course and some discovered on the first day of class that their teacher was a computer. Surprise! On ASSIST, the website where students can register for classes, each course has its designated number. Some classes normally have a letter in addition to that number as an indication that it will be online. Some, not all. The online intermediate algebra course consisted of 12 modules which students had to complete by the end of the semester. For
each module, students would read through a “lesson” before doing exercises on the topic and finally take an exam to ace the module and move on to the next one. Sounds like a splendid plan. Actually, why not just force students to buy a textbook and do the work from there? It’s essentially the same thing, isn’t it? Balogh said that “several” computerized systems were being tested on students because the topics taught in remedial math courses should have been seen in high school. So, if regular lecture didn’t get through to students, perhaps a new method would. Of the 514 students who took math 1334, 256 or 49.8 percent, failed or dropped it. A hair away from half of the students who took the class did not, or could not, complete it for one reason or another, regardless of the classes being online. These numbers were explained by Balogh, who stated many students taking these remedial classes don’t care much about them because they’re “deficient” at the subject, or be-
cause math isn’t a part of these students’ majors. It is unclear how many of those students were taking the unexpected classes because they were not on the list of online/hybrid classes for spring 2013. There were some intermediate algebra courses where the whole course was online work. Um, what? Also, why did so many students fail to reach their requirements for the course? Perhaps the lack of a teacher. Everyone learns differently and one way is hands-on. Being taught by a machine is not as stimulating as being taught by a human being, and some people need another person to clarify things. In March 2011, the Pew Research Center surveyed individuals younger than 30 years old and found that only 28 percent believe an online course is equal in value to a live class. This is coming from a generation known for walking around with iPhones glued to their palms. On the other hand, 51 percent of college presidents surveyed in the same study said that online classes do offer equal educational
value. What insanity would drive the presidents of universities and the people who attend them to have such differing opinions? Although some online classes at UTPA may have provided teaching assistants in the computer lab, they couldn’t sit with one specific student, day in and day out because they didn’t comprehend what their mechanical professor was explaining. A computer doesn’t elaborate the same way a person does. According to Alicia Espinoza, one of five advisers for the College of Arts and Humanities, the classes were created following in the other 89 percent of public universities’ footsteps, testing how students would fare in online situations. At UTPA, remedial or not, each course costs around $700. Congratulations, students! Some of you paid $700 not only to be duped by the school, but to unknowingly be part of an experiment too! Students, thank you for your participation. Surely, the University is looking forward to next semester.
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July 11, January 31, 2013 2013
continued from Page 1 pregnancy to term and does not expel the fetus, she could suffer from hemorrhaging or infection, Hearn said. “Very often if a pregnancy goes wrong, and if the pregnancy ends and the woman does not expel the fetus, it could lead to all kinds of health complications for her,” she said. NEW RESTRICTIONS In Texas, there are currently 36 licensed abortion facilities and 421 licensed ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), according to the Texas Tribune. Five clinics, in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and two in Houston, are the only ASCs that offer abortion care facilities. Abortion clinics would have to comply with ASC regulations in order to remain open if SB 1 and HB 2 pass. For example, many facilities would need to meet certain size requirements for operating rooms, hallways, ventilation systems and janitors’ closets. These facilities will have until Sept. 1, 2014 to make the required changes if the bill
is passed, but Hearn said these clinics do not have the funds to do so. “The cost of that kind of surgery center is three to four times the cost of a regular health care clinic,” she said. “It would be very expensive to do that.” SAFETY FIRST Robert Rueda, director of the Baptist Student Ministry at UTPA, said he thinks the bill will ensure a safe environment for women. “One of the aims of the bill is to provide a safe environment where procedures (happen)...it should be done in a safe way,” he said. “I think that anything that will help keep women safe and that will help protect human life is important ... and if this law will do that, then I think it’s good.” But, said Merritt, there is no threat to women’s health with the current state of abortion clinics. “There is no health crisis,” Merritt said. “There hasn’t been any escalation, any trouble, any
kind of infections or anything; this is a politically motivated legislation that does nothing except say to women, ‘No, you can have no abortion, you can have no choice.’” In addition, if these clinics close, Hearn said she is concerned about what measures women will take to abort a pregnancy. In 2011, 2,634 women living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley obtained an abortion, according to the Texas Policy Evaluation Project. Under SB 1 and HB 2, women would have to make at least two visits to San Antonio, adding up to about 16 hours of travel, which Hearn said most women cannot afford, due to travel costs and finding childcare. As a result, women may go into Mexico to get abortion care because it is cheaper and closer than going to the nearest ASC, Hearn said. “We will see more women trying to self-induce (abortion), we will see more women take medication that may or may not be safe,” she warned.
“Right now women go to Mexico because the cost is far less. There’s pills women can get at the pharmacy that can, in some cases, start and complete an abortion.” For example, Misoprostol, which requires a prescription in the United States, can be obtained without one in Mexico, according to The New York Times. This drug can be used to abort a pregnancy, but without proper medical attention and guidance, could lead to severe health complications. “The problem with getting pills over the counter for something like (abortion) is that women aren’t getting proper medical attention,” Hearn said. “They’re not being told how many pills to take and there’s no one monitoring their situation. We have seen patients here come in after they’ve taken too many pills. Many times, women can hemorrhage.” In addition, since doctors who perform abortions would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital no
further than 30 miles from the abortion center, Hearn said she fears hospitals won’t comply. “Hospitals will most likely not grant privileges just to comply with this law,” she said. “There’s nothing in it for the hospital; it adds to their risk and it adds nothing to their overall practice.” WHAT’S NEXT Currently, HB 2 is awaiting a final vote that could take place in the Texas Senate as early as Friday. Angela Marie Vallejo said she is in favor of the bill. “Constitutionally, I believe a fetus should have rights as well. Life begins at conception,” said Vallejo, a junior double majoring in philosophy and history. “I think there are better alternatives, such as contraception. I think Plan B is a very good alternative, for example. It’s not abortion, it’s not murder.” However, some students, such as Michael Rangel, do not want the legislation to pass. Rangel, a senior social studies composite major, was pro-
3
life until he was 13 years old. Around that time, his cousin, who had just graduated from high school, got an abortion, and he said he saw the effects a decision like that can have. “Before then, I was very pro-life. I even helped collect for a pro-life fund at my local church,” he recalled. “But after seeing what she went through, I understood the problem a lot more...this is something that horribly affected her. I’ve realized this is a very important issue. We should make it easier for (women) to have safe and legal access (to abortion care) in the United States.”
DOUBLING UP Loan interest rates increase, UTPA students can fare better than most
WRSC By Susan Gonzalez The Pan American The Smarter Solutions for Students Act, a Senate bill that would lower the interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans for another year failed to clear the U.S. Senate July 10, according to The Washington Post. The bill would also have give lawmakers more time implement a long-term strategy concerning all interest rates on student loans.
Student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt in the nation, and the situation escalated with the increase in interest rates, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, on subsidized Stafford loans July 1. Loans issued before this date will stay at a 3.4 percent interest rate, which is set for the life of the loan. Any loans taken out after that will be subject to the higher rate. For example, a student with a
$10,000 subsidized Stafford loan will accumulate $.93 in interest each day at the lower rate; at the higher rate, that will jump to $1.86 per day. Angelica Buitron, a junior mass communication major, is one student who will feel the effects of this increase if nothing is done to lower the interest rate. She estimates she will owe $15,000 to $18,000 in student loans when she graduates.
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Page 4
THE PAN AMERICAN
July 11, 2013
July 11, 2013
Page 5
Agricultural Losses 2011
Everything is hotter (and drier) in Texas
Governor extends drought emergency, UTPA continues water conservation efforts By Karen Perez The Pan American Ally Morrow Malone, a graduate student at UTPA, said her father puts a lot of hard work into his 1,500-acre farm in San Benito, despite the prolonged drought conditions. “Are we going to get enough water?” is a question her 54-year-old father, Sam Morrow, a second-generation farmer, asks frequently. But it doesn’t stop him from growing cotton, sugar cane and grain, something he has done for most of his life. According to Malone, the drought has put a stress on her father, but he has handled the situation well. “You never know if it’s going to rain; it’s difficult. (The drought) gets worse; every year gets hotter,” the 28 year old said. “It always (has) a negative effect on the farming because there’s never any reassurance that the crops will be able to thrive (without rain).” According to a July 2 U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 99 percent of Texas is experiencing some level of drought, with 12 percent being at the exceptional drought, the driest category. Just a year ago the drought in Texas stood at 81 percent. From January 2011 to January 2013, total rainfall across the Lower Rio Grande Valley was about 28 inches. This is less than the 32 inches of rainfall that the region had during the peak of the 1950s drought, according to a report by the National Weather Service. Malone said her father
doesn’t let the water run; he constantly monitors his water usage and follows a set irrigation schedule. “That’s definitely a (water) conservation method because there are farmers all over the area and they all need water,” she said. “It’s not just the dry weather. It’s also the water that they can use to irrigate and the amount of water we get from Mexico has a huge effect on the drought as well.” Malone said there are times when farmers are “dying for rain,” but there is also such a thing as “too much rain.” “I just hope, regardless of what happens with the drought, that he is still able to produce an awesome crop,” she said. “I know that’s rewarding for him -- he works so hard and deserves it. Without farmers we wouldn’t have all this agriculture to survive on.” TAKING ACTION With record-high temperatures and significantly low rainfall throughout Texas, Gov. Rick Perry renewed the Emergency Disaster Proclamation June 14. The proclamation, first issued July 5, 2011, extends the drought emergency in which the governor calls for all necessary measures, both public and private, to be implemented to resolve the threat to water supplies and delivery systems. Perry also signed House Bill 4 May 28; it will provide $2 billion in funding to secure water-supply projects, such as
reservoirs, wells and conservation efforts over the next 50 years. HB 4, authored by State reps. Allan Ritter, Four Price, Eric Johnson, Doug Miller and Eddie Lucio III, directs local, regional and state officials to prioritize projects that efficiently use available resources and promote the conservation and innovative reuse of water, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor May 28.
Perry said in a statement May 28. DROUGHT IN THE RGV With temperatures breaking the triple digits, drought conditions continue to swarm across the Rio Grande Valley. A 2013 report by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Weslaco estimates that the lack of irrigation water caused by drought has cost $229.2 million crop revenue loss. That can contribute to the potential loss of
2001
The Rio Grande stops flowing into the Gulf of Mexico* “Water is an essential part of everyone’s life, and ensuring adequate supplies means continued job creation, stronger communities and healthier families for decades to come,”
4,840 jobs that depend on the production and sales of agricultural crops and an economic loss of $394.9 million for South Texas. Water suppliers across the RGV are running out of
water as the fight over the Rio Grande River continues between the United States and Mexico. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is required to release an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States. According to an April 16 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality press release, Mexico has withheld more than 430,000 acre-feet of water owed to the United States to date. Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and TCEQ Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein have called upon the International Boundary and Water Commission and the U.S. State Department to enforce Rio Grande water delivery to the United States from Mexico. Gov. Perry also sent out a letter April 9 asking for support from President Barack Obama to ensure “the government of Mexico lives up to the terms of the 1944 Water Treaty.” According to Gov. Perry’s letter, the entire annual municipal water supply for the 1.5 million residents of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas is 275,000 acre-feet. He said irrigation districts that distribute water from the Rio Grande to municipalities in the lower Valley are sending notices to cities that they may soon run out of irrigation water used to deliver municipal water to more than 800,000 residents. Hidalgo County Water District Number Nine in Mercedes is one of several water suppliers in the Valley that will
likely stop taking new orders for water deliveries unless there are new substantial inflows of water from Mexico, or substantial rain. In spite of recent scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Rio Grande Valley, little change is expected for the drought. Weather experts claim a tropical cyclone or a series of tropical waves can only bring short-term relief to the ongoing drought, as reported by the NWS June 17. The 2013 hurricane season kicked off June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Melissa Blair, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services in Corpus Christi, said via email July 9 that water will be a continuous battle as the population continues to grow across Texas and the country. Blair said the NRCS is helping landowners and land managers with technical and financial assistance by installing more efficient irrigation systems. Landowners and land managers are encouraged to visit their local NRCS district to develop a conservation plan. “The plan is based on the rancher or farmers’ operation and land management goals,” she said. “(It’s) an effective strategy for helping mitigate the effects of Texas’ current and future drought conditions.” The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco was awarded $233,000 as part of a national $5.3 million
$7.62 Billion
Cattle Sector Losses 2011
2011
$3.23 Billion
In August, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service estimates agricultural losses caused by drought to be a record $5.2 billion*
Cotton Production Losses 2011
$2.20 Billion +StateImpact Texas
*The Texas Water Resources Institute
Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA-NRCS. According to an April 19 article by AgriLife Today, the money will help develop guidelines for managing irrigation under drought conditions and will also help develop computer programs that will link weather stations with irrigation scheduling in South Texas. George Bennack, project director for UTPA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, said the rationing of irrigation water is hurting the Valley’s sugar cane, citrus and vegetable productions. “Local drought conditions have made it tough on dry-land farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley,” Bennack said. “For farmers of irrigated land, local drought conditions have placed more demand on irrigation water, which is in short supply due to regional drought conditions and the low levels of Falcon and Amistad reservoirs.” WATER AND UTPA Monica Raygada, program coordinator for the Office for Sustainability, said drought conditions in the Valley are likely to
become more dramatic. “I don’t want to be the voice of doom but it is a reality,” Raygada said. “The climate has changed and we need to prepare for that. We can always run out of water because from all the water that’s available in the world, there is only 0.08 percent available for human consumption; that is very little water for 7 billion people.” The Office for Sustainability oversees conservation efforts at UTPA in which its projects - once approved by the Vice President of Business Affairs - can be implemented by Facilities Management. One of the proposals on the table is installing low-flow showerheads and low-flow toilets on campus, which meet the efficiency standards through the WaterSense program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to Marianella Franklin, director for the Office for Sustainability, replacing the 345 showerheads with low-flow ones can help save over one million gallons of water a year with a little over $5,000 worth in savings for UTPA. In the past semester, two sustainable grounds equipment
were purchased; the hydromulcher, a machine that allows a selection of drought-resistant grass seeds to be sprayed out and the wood chipper, which cuts down tree branches into mulch that helps conserve
A ‘bioswale’ project is currently being tested under the joint collaboration between University officials and the City of
2005
The Texas Cooperative Extension estimates statewide drought losses at $4.1 billion, with $1.9 billion in North Texas alone* water when applied to the surface of soil.
Edinburg in the parking
lot construction on campus. A bioswale is a stormwater drainage system done in an urban area which helps reduce stormwater contamination due to its filtering. On campus, Director of Facilities Management Oscar Villarreal said, his department has been frugal and observant over the University’s water usage, looking for alternative methods for designing and supporting the landscape. Facilities Management employees have implemented several landscaping techniques to aid with water conservation, including changing the types of grass and plant materials appropriately for climate growing zones and adjusting and reducing watering schedules. They also use a lawn aerator, a garden tool used to reduce soil compaction, which disturbs rainwater irrigation. “Water consumption (at UTPA) varies from year to year due to climate conditions in the RGV,” Villarreal said. “Although the summer heat for late June and July has been slightly above average, we have been able to somewhat control
our irrigation consumption for the campus.” To alleviate the Valley’s current water shortage, Villarreal said the Rio Grande will require a consistent and major deposit of water into Texas reservoirs. Raygada said the United States and Mexico should renegotiate the treaty. “There are dams in both Mexican side and U.S. side; each country has the right to the usage of water that goes into the dams,” Raygada said. “But the Mexican dams are dry; its not that they don’t want to share water.” At home, Raygada suggests people take shorter showers, close faucets when brushing teeth and washing dishes, use full loads of laundry and dishes, only water plants twice a week and create xerogardening, a gardening method used to eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation. “We, as users of water, need to be more conscious and demand less water - that’s the only solution I see,” Raygada said. “We all need to learn how to live with less.”
Page 4
THE PAN AMERICAN
July 11, 2013
July 11, 2013
Page 5
Agricultural Losses 2011
Everything is hotter (and drier) in Texas
Governor extends drought emergency, UTPA continues water conservation efforts By Karen Perez The Pan American Ally Morrow Malone, a graduate student at UTPA, said her father puts a lot of hard work into his 1,500-acre farm in San Benito, despite the prolonged drought conditions. “Are we going to get enough water?” is a question her 54-year-old father, Sam Morrow, a second-generation farmer, asks frequently. But it doesn’t stop him from growing cotton, sugar cane and grain, something he has done for most of his life. According to Malone, the drought has put a stress on her father, but he has handled the situation well. “You never know if it’s going to rain; it’s difficult. (The drought) gets worse; every year gets hotter,” the 28 year old said. “It always (has) a negative effect on the farming because there’s never any reassurance that the crops will be able to thrive (without rain).” According to a July 2 U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 99 percent of Texas is experiencing some level of drought, with 12 percent being at the exceptional drought, the driest category. Just a year ago the drought in Texas stood at 81 percent. From January 2011 to January 2013, total rainfall across the Lower Rio Grande Valley was about 28 inches. This is less than the 32 inches of rainfall that the region had during the peak of the 1950s drought, according to a report by the National Weather Service. Malone said her father
doesn’t let the water run; he constantly monitors his water usage and follows a set irrigation schedule. “That’s definitely a (water) conservation method because there are farmers all over the area and they all need water,” she said. “It’s not just the dry weather. It’s also the water that they can use to irrigate and the amount of water we get from Mexico has a huge effect on the drought as well.” Malone said there are times when farmers are “dying for rain,” but there is also such a thing as “too much rain.” “I just hope, regardless of what happens with the drought, that he is still able to produce an awesome crop,” she said. “I know that’s rewarding for him -- he works so hard and deserves it. Without farmers we wouldn’t have all this agriculture to survive on.” TAKING ACTION With record-high temperatures and significantly low rainfall throughout Texas, Gov. Rick Perry renewed the Emergency Disaster Proclamation June 14. The proclamation, first issued July 5, 2011, extends the drought emergency in which the governor calls for all necessary measures, both public and private, to be implemented to resolve the threat to water supplies and delivery systems. Perry also signed House Bill 4 May 28; it will provide $2 billion in funding to secure water-supply projects, such as
reservoirs, wells and conservation efforts over the next 50 years. HB 4, authored by State reps. Allan Ritter, Four Price, Eric Johnson, Doug Miller and Eddie Lucio III, directs local, regional and state officials to prioritize projects that efficiently use available resources and promote the conservation and innovative reuse of water, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor May 28.
Perry said in a statement May 28. DROUGHT IN THE RGV With temperatures breaking the triple digits, drought conditions continue to swarm across the Rio Grande Valley. A 2013 report by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Weslaco estimates that the lack of irrigation water caused by drought has cost $229.2 million crop revenue loss. That can contribute to the potential loss of
2001
The Rio Grande stops flowing into the Gulf of Mexico* “Water is an essential part of everyone’s life, and ensuring adequate supplies means continued job creation, stronger communities and healthier families for decades to come,”
4,840 jobs that depend on the production and sales of agricultural crops and an economic loss of $394.9 million for South Texas. Water suppliers across the RGV are running out of
water as the fight over the Rio Grande River continues between the United States and Mexico. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is required to release an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States. According to an April 16 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality press release, Mexico has withheld more than 430,000 acre-feet of water owed to the United States to date. Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and TCEQ Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein have called upon the International Boundary and Water Commission and the U.S. State Department to enforce Rio Grande water delivery to the United States from Mexico. Gov. Perry also sent out a letter April 9 asking for support from President Barack Obama to ensure “the government of Mexico lives up to the terms of the 1944 Water Treaty.” According to Gov. Perry’s letter, the entire annual municipal water supply for the 1.5 million residents of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas is 275,000 acre-feet. He said irrigation districts that distribute water from the Rio Grande to municipalities in the lower Valley are sending notices to cities that they may soon run out of irrigation water used to deliver municipal water to more than 800,000 residents. Hidalgo County Water District Number Nine in Mercedes is one of several water suppliers in the Valley that will
likely stop taking new orders for water deliveries unless there are new substantial inflows of water from Mexico, or substantial rain. In spite of recent scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Rio Grande Valley, little change is expected for the drought. Weather experts claim a tropical cyclone or a series of tropical waves can only bring short-term relief to the ongoing drought, as reported by the NWS June 17. The 2013 hurricane season kicked off June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Melissa Blair, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services in Corpus Christi, said via email July 9 that water will be a continuous battle as the population continues to grow across Texas and the country. Blair said the NRCS is helping landowners and land managers with technical and financial assistance by installing more efficient irrigation systems. Landowners and land managers are encouraged to visit their local NRCS district to develop a conservation plan. “The plan is based on the rancher or farmers’ operation and land management goals,” she said. “(It’s) an effective strategy for helping mitigate the effects of Texas’ current and future drought conditions.” The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco was awarded $233,000 as part of a national $5.3 million
$7.62 Billion
Cattle Sector Losses 2011
2011
$3.23 Billion
In August, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service estimates agricultural losses caused by drought to be a record $5.2 billion*
Cotton Production Losses 2011
$2.20 Billion +StateImpact Texas
*The Texas Water Resources Institute
Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA-NRCS. According to an April 19 article by AgriLife Today, the money will help develop guidelines for managing irrigation under drought conditions and will also help develop computer programs that will link weather stations with irrigation scheduling in South Texas. George Bennack, project director for UTPA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, said the rationing of irrigation water is hurting the Valley’s sugar cane, citrus and vegetable productions. “Local drought conditions have made it tough on dry-land farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley,” Bennack said. “For farmers of irrigated land, local drought conditions have placed more demand on irrigation water, which is in short supply due to regional drought conditions and the low levels of Falcon and Amistad reservoirs.” WATER AND UTPA Monica Raygada, program coordinator for the Office for Sustainability, said drought conditions in the Valley are likely to
become more dramatic. “I don’t want to be the voice of doom but it is a reality,” Raygada said. “The climate has changed and we need to prepare for that. We can always run out of water because from all the water that’s available in the world, there is only 0.08 percent available for human consumption; that is very little water for 7 billion people.” The Office for Sustainability oversees conservation efforts at UTPA in which its projects - once approved by the Vice President of Business Affairs - can be implemented by Facilities Management. One of the proposals on the table is installing low-flow showerheads and low-flow toilets on campus, which meet the efficiency standards through the WaterSense program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to Marianella Franklin, director for the Office for Sustainability, replacing the 345 showerheads with low-flow ones can help save over one million gallons of water a year with a little over $5,000 worth in savings for UTPA. In the past semester, two sustainable grounds equipment
were purchased; the hydromulcher, a machine that allows a selection of drought-resistant grass seeds to be sprayed out and the wood chipper, which cuts down tree branches into mulch that helps conserve
A ‘bioswale’ project is currently being tested under the joint collaboration between University officials and the City of
2005
The Texas Cooperative Extension estimates statewide drought losses at $4.1 billion, with $1.9 billion in North Texas alone* water when applied to the surface of soil.
Edinburg in the parking
lot construction on campus. A bioswale is a stormwater drainage system done in an urban area which helps reduce stormwater contamination due to its filtering. On campus, Director of Facilities Management Oscar Villarreal said, his department has been frugal and observant over the University’s water usage, looking for alternative methods for designing and supporting the landscape. Facilities Management employees have implemented several landscaping techniques to aid with water conservation, including changing the types of grass and plant materials appropriately for climate growing zones and adjusting and reducing watering schedules. They also use a lawn aerator, a garden tool used to reduce soil compaction, which disturbs rainwater irrigation. “Water consumption (at UTPA) varies from year to year due to climate conditions in the RGV,” Villarreal said. “Although the summer heat for late June and July has been slightly above average, we have been able to somewhat control
our irrigation consumption for the campus.” To alleviate the Valley’s current water shortage, Villarreal said the Rio Grande will require a consistent and major deposit of water into Texas reservoirs. Raygada said the United States and Mexico should renegotiate the treaty. “There are dams in both Mexican side and U.S. side; each country has the right to the usage of water that goes into the dams,” Raygada said. “But the Mexican dams are dry; its not that they don’t want to share water.” At home, Raygada suggests people take shorter showers, close faucets when brushing teeth and washing dishes, use full loads of laundry and dishes, only water plants twice a week and create xerogardening, a gardening method used to eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation. “We, as users of water, need to be more conscious and demand less water - that’s the only solution I see,” Raygada said. “We all need to learn how to live with less.”
6
arts & life
July 11, 2013
Time on Sho wtime Pro boxer promotes scholarship for deceased UTPA alumnus By May Ortega The Pan American The Pan American’s Co-Editorin-Chief Lea Victoria Juarez is the sister of the late Aaron Juarez. She did not take part in the writing of this article. After one punch took Aaron Juarez’s life early June 1, undefeated boxer Omar Figueroa Jr. hopes his punches will bring awareness to a scholarship in memory of the former physician assistant and UTPA alumnus. The Weslaco native will have his upcoming match aired on Showtime Sports, July 27. He and others around the Valley have responded to the tragedy involving one of their own. At 2:25 a.m., 25-year-old Aaron Juarez opened his car door in a Whataburger parking lot in Corpus Christi and bumped the white SUV next to him, where three people and 31-year-old David Alvarez sat, according to Corpus Christi news source Krtistv. When Juarez attempted to apologize, according to witnesses, Alvarez charged at him and knocked him out with a single blow to the face. Juarez fell backward and injured his head on concrete while his assailant fled the scene in the dinged SUV. The unconscious Juarez was transferred to a Corpus Christi hospital, but died from his injuries not long after the assault. The Juarez family received news of the incident after Aaron Juarez had been transported and immediately took off from their home in La Feria. Once at the hospital, Fabian and Nora Juarez, the victim’s parents, along with their daughter Lea Juarez, were told of Aaron Juarez’s passing. “My mom and dad said he was gone and I couldn’t…I couldn’t believe it,” 20-year-old Lea Juarez said. “I very vividly remember walking around, just saying ‘No’ over and over again. Even when I saw him on the bed, part of me was hoping he would just start breathing again or open his eyes.” Though the family, La Feria and Corpus communities are devastated by the loss, it gave family friends an idea. SCHOLARSHIP FUND Two nights after the UTPA graduate’s passing, Joe Cerda and Humberto Gonzalez introduced the scholarship idea to the grieving family.
“I thought it was a great idea,” Lea Juarez said. “It’s very fitting because Aaron did a lot for the community. He did a lot in his life, so I feel there’s no better way to preserve his memory.” Aaron Juarez, who graduated from UTPA in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s in 2011, lived in Corpus Christi for over a year while working two jobs, as a PA at the Kingsville Medical Center and the Christus Spohn Urgent Care clinic in Portland. After the family heard what Cerda and Gonzalez had to say about the scholarship, they considered the idea and agreed to the creation of the Aaron Vincent Juarez Scholarship. Initially, they were reluctant because they were busy with other things pertaining to their son, but Cerda tried to ease their minds about the plan. “He’s doing a lot of the leg work with the scholarship,” Fabian Juarez said. “He said he wanted to take part in it because, to quote him, he said nobody would be as passionate about it as he would be.” Two days before the burial, Cerda created a Facebook page for the Aaron Vincent Juarez Scholarship Fund, which gathered over 1,300 ‘likes’ as well as $3,000 within its first month.
“We actually have some business owners that are friends of the family and are going to contribute every year,” Nora Juarez said. “As long as they have their business running, they’re going to give to the scholarship.” Gaining more ‘likes’ and increasing the awareness of the fund could result in more donations. Shortly after its creation, people began to share the scholarship page with other users. Alfonso Hernandez, a high school friend of Aaron Juarez, was one man who wanted to make sure the page was seen by many. Hernandez contacted the 23-year-old boxer via Facebook asking if he could share the page with his thousands of friends and followers on the site. “I went to go watch him at his last fight in the Alamo Dome and he wore a shirt in honor of the Boston Marathon bombing,” the 27-year-old said. “Since he wore that to represent Boston, I figured Aaron’s scholarship fund was getting started and Omar’s fight was going to be televised on Showtime...and he’s from the Valley, so why not ask.” Figueroa Jr. has been boxing for 17 years and has a record of 21-0, with 17 knockouts.
It’s ver y fit t i n g b e c a u s e A ar on did a l o t f o r t h e com m unity. He d i d a l o t in his life, so I f e e l t h e r e ’s no better way to p r e s e r v e h i s m em or y. - Lea Juarez
Sister of victim
“I never would’ve thought the scholarship would’ve gone so far in such a short amount of time,” said Lea Juarez, a mass communication major. “I think it’s just another way of showing the lives my brother touched, even in death. He might not be here with us anymore, but he’s still living on.” The day Aaron Juarez was laid to rest at Heavenly Grace Memorial Park in La Feria, his attacker was found and arrested by Corpus Christi police. Alvarez had his bond set at $200,000. ON TO SHOWTIME After the scholarship page was created, friends, family and members of the community began to make contributions to the fund.
His next fight is set for July 27 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio against Japan’s Nihito Arakawa on Showtime. If the Weslaco native wins the upcoming match, the World Boxing Council will name him world champion of the lightweight division. After Hernandez explained the situation to the athlete, Figueroa took an interest in the scholarship, its cause and decided to promote it by wearing a pin that bore Aaron Juarez’s name and photo on it, as well as the fund’s logo on his T-shirt. “I’m always one to do what I can to help in whatever way I can,” the fighter said. “I figured it’s for a good cause. (The Juarez family) is already going through a lot. I don’t want to put more
Courtesy Photo
Aaron Juarez, a 25-year-old La Feria native, died June 1. A scholarship was created in his honor, set to be promoted by boxer Omar Figueroa Jr. at his match on Showtime Sports July 27. on their plate, so I agreed. I mean I wear sponsors on my shorts, so I don’t see why I can’t help them out and wear their stuff too.” The boxer’s father said he sympathized with Fabian Juarez and wanted to support the family as best as he could along with his son. “I imagine what he’s going thought. I imagine his son, who’s not with him anymore, was a good kid. I put myself in Fabian’s shoes and it does make me sad,” Figueroa Sr. said. “But my son wants to help, so as long as he wants to do something good for the community, I’m with him.” The Juarez family, including Nora Juarez’s sister, Belinda Garza, will be traveling to San Antonio to support the young fighter during his match. CRITERIA After Lydia Aleman, a relative of Cerda’s, heard about the scholarship, she decided to offer her coordinating assistance. She works at UTPA as an associate vice president for University Advancement. With Aleman’s help, the University will handle who receives the award - which will be $500 its first year - by looking for students from La Feria who are in the PA program. If there aren’t students who are natives, then another student from the Valley will be chosen. “We want someone else as a PA to have the opportunity that he had. Aaron was very passionate about what he did as a PA. He wanted to
help people,” Lea Juarez said. “Maybe there’s another Aaron out there. Every family has an Aaron and we want to support that person because they deserve it, and in helping them, it’ll help other people in the future.” The PA program begins in the fall, according to its website, so the award is to be issued in September. Fabian Juarez also said that for the first few recipients, family and friends will raise funds for the scholarship and eventually it may become an endowment. For an endowment, a certain amount of money is set in the fund and will continue to grow without that amount being spent, assuring its existence in the future. The family must also create a set of guidelines for the endowment, such as how much of the interest could be used yearly or how much of the original funds can be tapped in a special situation. Since the family is receiving assistance from UTPA, an endowment for the scholarship can be created. There has been a goal of $10,000 set, but Fabian Juarez said the family will continue to raise funds every year. There are also plans in the works for a fundraiser set for next June, involving a barbeque and a basketball game for friends, family and the public. The recipient of the award will also be invited so they may say a few words. REMEMBERING AARON Many people have come together to support the
Juarez family in their time of difficulty, which the members are grateful for. “Every condolence and every single ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ means something to us,” Lea Juarez said. “It doesn’t help bring my brother back, but to know he was loved by so many means the world to me - to all my family.” Fabian and Nora Juarez agree that things have been overwhelming for them in the past weeks with the scholarship. “We get caught up in the moment of doing something really great,” Nora Juarez said. “But then we stop and think at the end of the day, when everyone is gone, the reason we’re doing it...” The two hold one another’s hands as they pause in memory of their son, then Fabian Juarez carried on his wife’s thought. “...It has been overwhelming, and at times it reminds me that we’re doing this because I don’t have my son anymore, and it’s hard for me,” he said. Hernandez, who had known Aaron Juarez since middle school and played basketball and baseball with him in high school, believes the scholarship serves a great purpose. “Since this tragedy happened, Aaron hasn’t been able to keep helping people,” he said. “But through this scholarship fund, it can help out somebody that Aaron would’ve helped. It’ll keep his name alive. It will be a revival for Aaron.”
July31, 11,2013 2013 January
7
Former utpa pitcher joins pro ball club By Jaime Leal and Kristela Garza The Pan American It was a Monday afternoon when Guadalupe “Wally” Barrera walked up to the Edinburg Baseball Stadium bullpen. With the 97-degree Valley heat against him and a baseball in hand, Barrera began to showcase his pitching in front of the Edinburg Roadrunner Manager Ozzie Canseco. After 30 minutes of continuous pitching, Barrera sat down, drenched in sweat and exhausted, while Canseco disappeared into a room. Not knowing how to feel, the former Bronc waited patiently until he was called. Barrera was asked to sign with the professional team. “I was a bit confused,” Barrera said, remembering the moment. “I wasn’t sure if this was something I wanted to jump into.” The Palmview native, who joined the University’s baseball team as a freshman fall 2010, always dreamt of playing for a Major League Baseball team. After graduating from UTPA with a career total of 10 saves and the fourth highest mark in program history, Barrera spent his time looking into teams
with an opening for pitchers. Barrera said he knew his chances playing for the MLB were slim since most high school or college players seldom make it. “Learning how to pitch is hard, and as you go up, it gets harder to face hitters,” Barrera said. “You have to be smart. You have to know the hitters and you have to know what you can get away with. It takes time.” Though he knew his dream wasn’t impossible, Barrera kept his options open to independent leagues; professional baseball organizations that do not work or partner with the MLB or the minor leagues. The Edinburg team has been independent since 2001 and plays a schedule of 85 games each summer in what is called United League Baseball. A few days of searching were interrupted when UTPA baseball Head Coach Manuel Mantrana called Barrera. “I got a call from Coach Mantrana. He told me the Roadrunner’s manager was looking for a pitcher and that he had recommended me,” Barrera said. “I called and arranged a meeting for June 17.” Mantrana’s recommendation allowed Barrera to put his talent
on show for the local pro team, and he made his debut June 18. Mantrana said he believes Barrera is effective as a pitcher because of the slider, a pitch that is shorter than a curveball and allows Barrera to command the bottom of the strike zone. According to Mantrana, that is what makes him successful, along with versatility. “Wally can pitch in various roles and that makes him valuable,” Mantrana said. “He can start a game, pitch in long relief or fill the setup or closer role.” After the tryout, Barrera was unsure of what path to take. He said, he still wanted to hold out for the chance to play in the majors. He decided to approach Assistant Coach Noberto Lopez and Mantrana. “I didn’t know what to do,” Barrera said. “I went to ask their (Lopez and Mantrana) opinion and Lopez told me to expose myself and continue to keep searching and trying out. Mantrana, though, told me to just go with it.” Barrera was not drafted by the pros in the spring and was looking for a tryout with a major league organization. But Mantrana encouraged Barrera to go ahead and take the pitcher
position with the Roadrunners, explaining that doing so could lead to other opportunities. “As long as you are playing baseball you have a chance of making it to the big leagues,” Mantrana said. “It is very difficult, and it takes a little bit of luck and staying healthy, but as long as you are playing you have a chance.” With Mantrana’s advice in mind, Barrera joined the Roadrunners, he is the latest of many former UTPA players to play professionally. Former teammate and right-handed pitcher Dusten Knight was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in June, Angel Ibanez was drafted last year by the Houston Astros Organization and Mike Zouzalik was signed by the Texas Rangers Organization June 2012. The Roadrunners have had their share of University grads, including catcher Ossie Flores and pitcher Tim Haines in recent years. According to Barrera, he is ecstatic to be playing for the independent team, though he knows there may be something more out there. So far, he has compiled a 6.53 ERA in 21 innings of work for the Roadrunners and picked up the win June 24 against Fort Worth in front of the home crowd. His dream to make it to
Norma Gonzalez/The Pan American Guadalupe Barrera pitches during Bronc baseball’s annual Scout Day in fall 2012. Barrera will be pitching for the Roadrunners July 11 at 8:05 p.m. in Edinburg. the major leagues still remains. “All I can do is thank the Lord for my blessings,” Barrera said. “With the support of the
people here in the Valley and the coaches, I know I can make it to the big leagues.”
DIFFERENT COACHES, DIFFERENT METHODS By Daniella Diaz and Jaime Leal The Pan American When it comes to choosing his next player to add to the team, volleyball Head Coach Brian Yale has developed his own strategy to make his team the best it can be. Though he follows the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s guidelines, Yale works with volleyball coaches around the United States and asks them to refer some players to him. For example, several players on his team, including setter Nycole Masaki and recent graduate Juri Franzen, transferred from Laredo Community College after playing there for two years. “Recruiting is a year-round process that takes a great deal of time and effort,” Yale said. “It’s like being on call 24/7, emails, phone calls, recruiting videos and websites are all avenues used while we’re in the office or at home.” According to Yale, actual recruitment can happen in many ways. Yale attempts to
evaluate every athlete that contacts him with an interest, but is also actively pursuing others for a variety of reasons. Former men’s tennis Head Coach Paul Goode, whose replacement has not been announced yet, would start recruiting by looking overseas for men’s tennis players. Other countries had better players than the United States, according to Goode. “Tennis is an international sport, meaning it’s more popular in other countries than in the United States,” Goode said. “That fact alone is why I look for players overseas first.” According to Goode, the best tennis is played in Europe. However, he also believed Spain maintained the top players. The best 20 players are in Spain and in the United States there are only six of that caliber, Goode said. However, Yale’s opinion on international players differs from Goode’s. The volleyball team has usually recruited United States talent while the tennis teams are predominantly made up of those from overseas.
“We do very little international recruiting - my preference,” Yale said. “It is always an option prevalent in NCAA volleyball.” Each coach in the UTPA Athletics Department has
student they are not given the funds to visit them, so instead they Skype and call them on the phone to discuss playing for UTPA. “Off-campus recruiting is a 10-month window,” Yale stated. “There are two month-long
athletes are on a partial scholarship that covers some expenses, such as board and supplies, and 30 receive no aid from the department. “As a fully funded Division One program, we are not allowed to break up scholarships,” Yale said. “Only 12 players can receive athletics aid each year. Initial scholarship decisions are at the discretion of the head coach and are, most often, based on positional need.” Normally a student who is a walk-on athlete, one who talked to the coach and tried out to earn a spot in a particular sport, does not have any financial aid from the Francisco Rodriguez/The Pan American Athletics Department. According to Jonah their own method of selecting segments where the NCAA says Goldberg, assistant athletic students to recruit to their team. we can’t evaluate off campus. director for communications, As a general rule, coaches can When we are off campus it may coaches decide how to give only communicate with high be anywhere in the country.” scholarships depending on a school seniors when recruiting basis set by NCAA rules. straight out of high school, SCHOLARSHIPS “For student-athletes but are allowed to send emails Currently, out of 163 active competing in head-count sports to high school juniors to start student athletes, 57 are on a - men’s and women’s basketball, getting them interested in full scholarship that covers all women’s volleyball and women’s college athletics. Also, when University expenses. tennis - the NCAA requires any recruiting an international Eighty-one of the studentstudent-athlete on an athletic
scholarship to receive a full scholarship,” Goldberg said in an email. “However, that doesn’t mean they’re all on scholarships. Some are walk-ons.” Last year, there were 143 student-athletes on some type of athletic aid, sharing 90.25 percent of scholarships, an average of 63.11 percent of a scholarship per athlete student, Goldberg said. Of them, 91 were receiving some type of athletic aid but not a full scholarship. Besides the head-count sports, there are the so-called “equivalency sports,” such as baseball, men’s tennis, men’s golf, men’s and women’s track and field and cross country. Here, athletes can receive as little as 0.03 percent of a scholarship or as much as 100 percent. “So in the equivalency sports, the coaches have to make decisions based on what they have available and how many student-athletes they want to sign,” Goldberg said. “There is no specific way they do it. It’s difficult for any coach to do and the amount of flexibility they have varies by year.”
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70th August 27th from Noon to 1:30 Chapel Lawn Free Food and Gifts