September 12, 2013

Color Me Loco Running to raise money

Pages 6-7

Volume 70, No. 3

September 12, 2013

ONLINE CONTENT

panamericanonline.com

Sports Brief

Protests persist - what it means for Americans

New coach joins track and field

Weekly updates on current events

Police Academy

Program held for aspiring officers

Coach Carson

Andrew Carson joins baseball

YouTube

5K run held to raise money for charities

STORY ON PAGE 3

2

opinion

September 12, 2013

#UTPA

Tweet at and follow us @ThePanAmerican

I was late to work cause I couldn’t find a parking spot in the cluster-fuck of parking lots @UTPA -@victoria_ann21 The rain here at utpa every week is getting to me! @ UTPA -@MokaMontgomery Free food is the best! #UTPA -@Lacho13 So, it’s #FoundersDay, where are the Vampires, Werewolves, and Witches? #utpa #vampirediariesproblems -@xoxomandielee

Letters to the Editor The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks.

Please send all letters to:

thepanamerican @gmail.com

Vol. 70, No. 3

The Pan American

thepanamerican@gmail.com 1201 West University, ARHU 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 665-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 Editors-in-Chief:

Worry over war

Follow us on:

To strike or not to strike; that is the question for military action.

It is not so simple to say we are flexing our muscles as a superpower against Syria for any one simple reason. Whether it be for humanitarian reasons or attacking because Assad used a weapon of mass destruction.

Though I have no military or government background, my understanding is that chemical warfare is different from conventional warfare. When Assad turned to large-scale chemical warfare against his own people, he crossed into forbidden territory.

not mean we should care less about what is going on there.

As we consider using force against Syria for its use of chemical weapons against civilians, the president has turned to Congress to authorize limited air strikes.

Our representatives in Congress Kristela Garza are weighing the biggest decision on the most controversial forCo-Sports Editor eign policy vote since the 2002 authorization for war in Iraq.

We are a post-Iraq War public At the congressional hearing with the government under fire Sept.

3, Secretary of State John and President Barack Obama Kerry spoke to Congress on why rallying the troops to fight anwe should intervene in Syria and other war. We have the right to the man made a pretty good point. be fearful.

“The norms and laws The sarin gas attack of the civilized world carried out Aug. 21 We as a sovereign power are what this vote is,” triggered this response have the duty to uphold he said. “For if we don’t from our CommandAssad today, we er-in-Chief. The atcertain morals and laws when it answer will erode the standard tack in Syria killed comes to the idea of warfare. that has protected our an estimated 500 to troops for a century.”

1,300 people.

For those who are Can we, as a nafeeling the unease of tion, turn a blind eye?

The truth is, the use of chemi- dealing with another civil war, After the attack took place, cal weapons is considered a “red we now have a solution that the president claimed that line” by our government. does not require the U.S. getting Bashar al-Assad crossed a red Whether Obama had declared involved militarily. Russia has line. A line that, once crossed, the use of a chemical weapon a stepped in and provided a civil will require significant military “red line” or not, Assad’s actions and non-violent resolution.

Russia has proposed that if would still, in the eyes of the fedforce on behalf of the U.S. Because of this, the federal eral government, require us to Syria allows for its entire chemigovernment has faced back- intervene because of the danger cal weapons arsenal to be delash from the public, and even posed by allowing a country like commissioned, essentially defrom a majority of our leaders, Syria to openly use a weapon of stroyed, then everyone would remain hands-off. that believe we should keep our mass distruction.

If Syria does not agree with This is not the first time the hands off. While our reluctance to move toward another war is U.S. has felt the need to inter- the Russian solution, then the understandable, people need to vene in other countries, but this U.S. will step in militarily with know why one of the most pow- situation is unique. While Syria the support of Congress. Seems erful men in the world is calling is 6,754 miles away, this does simple enough and on Sept. 10

#1

Syria’s foreign minister, Walid alMoualem responded with a big fat yes.

“In order to uproot U.S. aggression” was the response from the Syrian government, they will agree to what is known as the Russian initiative. All in all, this solution could be just that: a harmless way of ending something before it begins, or Assad could just be biding his time.

We as a sovereign power have the duty to uphold certain morals and laws when it comes to the idea of warfare. While some might think we are overstepping our boundaries, the truth is taking care of these issues and keeping a status quo are the responsibilities that come with being a world power.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I believe there is no clear culprit when it comes to what the media decides to distribute and what the mass public should honestly be interested in. It seems asinine to believe that many people care about the birth of a Royal baby are how the Kardashians have gone whatever outrages route or another. The fact is they do. It’s not the media’s fault that people are as stupid as they have become today.

Their responsibility is to provide news worthy information in which the public is currently seeking in order to keep their roofs over their heads. With all the mind numbing television accessible at the fingertips of

most US citizens coupled by no immediate danger of home soil warfare, what reason do people have to care about what is going on outside of HBO Go and Netflix. It has always been a push to get more people to vote, but it concerns me when so many uninformed voters find themselves at the voting booths. It is my opinion that many are there to vote for persons who they have never read one single aspect of his/her platform or ideals. Instead, as long as George Clooney or Kanye have affirmed there choices, the masses are ready to follow.

-Garrick

Norma Gonzalez Lea Victoria Juarez

News Editor:

Susan Gonzalez

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

COMIC

Co-Sports Editors: Marco Torres Kristela Garza

Arts & Life Editor: May Ortega

Photography Editor: Adrian Castillo

Design Editor:

Francisco Rodriguez

Multimedia Editor: Michael Agular

Social Media Editor: Ismael Melendez

Adviser:

Dr. Greg Selber

Administrative Associate: Anita Reyes

Advertising Manager: Elva Ramirez

Webmaster:

Josue Guzman

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.

Michelle Garcia/The Pan American Janelle Martinez (left) and Alyssa Rodriguez set up for the Pan American Panhellenic Council formal recruitment. The event took place Wednesday at 6 p.m in the UTPA Ballroom.

Itzel A. Lopez/The Pan American

4 3

3102 ,September 5 rebmetpe12, 2013 January 31,S2013

Recent history

Protests persist - what it means for Americans 1922

Fuad I becomes King of Egypt and Egypt gains pxe setadilosno c taht tcejorp e independence vita etaudargrednu eht tuohguorht vonni ni krow ot ecnahc a em gnivig elihw gn ecneirepxe fo st ,tes lliks dna sisnoc ssecorp e inrael Th .mul stneduts rebm pihsnretni dna ”.hcraeser egde r e t n un ehbet econcerned h e craeser etaudarg Ctook gnbasically e h Muslim Brotherhood founded by Hassan ittuc at theeta fo“We t f saercni otbecause o g n i “The military over power from when Egypt was By Susan Gonzalez n epo s’ytisrevinU rednu tnemegagne tne tnaw eIW“ udarg ot gshould e n h , iog dseen 2 duts gnisaercni t 1 e 0 c 2 n na ssome i n S i al-Banna n e e o r i think we’ve anti-American g t a e c d (King Farouk I of Egypt), but it wasn’t forefront of Arab nationalism.” u American M f , d s o E o iThe E l b a snoiPan M T olalliV anitsirhC og S gnitteg ETS ni ecnellec tpo lareves sa ,stcejorp evfi de diathat xE fsignificant s ”,M o sentiment, but could grow One of the most issues E t c T like now,” said Alianak, who u S r t n nignar ,senilpic h tnarg wen eTh violent, s o azraG adnileM n i s o l s a m c e s a W a r h g e “ ht erehw ,noitc tnemtraped eht .scitamehtaifmwendon’t manage our orp sidsouthern yB METS tip the urtof i rosseforp etaic the U.S. relation with Egypt ehtofgnthe sn8I to de28. in tEgypt from the age METS etconsiderably, irehlived tut Situated saB egfacing t cimedacon naciremA naP e n e o a l s l u s a a n d h a e a C m r h g t g p r iw stneduEgypt n e o d i l d e n Th u v u e l c d r South Sinai Governorate, is contributions to the country carefully n u f o s i o r right now is whether or not to cont o t n s n s e s g a e htgnerts ot tnaw nidivorp“They just rgEgypt, forof a de Iraq, Jordan and Syria attack the new p ythe and got rid slairetam lanoit esruoc nrael stn tl af sedivorp mudid lucaircoup ac- uadpicturesque dutsmonths yb raey cimeda drawa saw ytisrevinU eTh retnMiddle ruc hguorht y uctinue e wen gniscity over the enext eC Eastern eht evatoh years.” giving the ahcrupking and dna ,alucirruc ca of Israel -isonalaSharm g put him on aa boat, they didn’t state noitcuel-Sheikh o g p a ( d e e h p r t t s g j y o n n o r i i j p h n s t c e e n a Th .IBC no des edviews .yluJ etal ni noi 4102-3102 eht rof 000,726$ t eht nannually uts gnthat a yU.S rolling ocean Whilednthe levitgovernment tion $1.23 ebillion in military i ireffsenior ceffe erom has o ot noitkill him a b t acud M awith or his family.

But this military rgorp eht htiw E l a T i r S e t c o a imedaca nehtgn tCurrently, m cfiiceps ethere dev Diab enjoyed major Kaled imposed some penalties fo noitnetni eh E fo tnemtrapeD .S.U eht dam are three,rcourses epeople.” rts ot redro niaid. ”.gnion nraEgypt, a chemistry osseforp etaicos t htiw dengised e hcus ,tnempole lovni ytlucaf ehttoday is killing l their own f o ) s d e e v t i a t e r s c m e sa na gnthe argorp rew saw dnuf eTh Aug. 16- 21 whilevon vacation. Less such as delaying F-16 cimedaca rieht of action the U.S. stccan e take:-TU rof ieb shipment o t n o g ehtruf rof tnem ed rof ytinutroppo Nearly i t n i 60 years later, unrest struck irehtruf ni stne d d a r o n t I c erid gnjets esaercni dna -igne ,ygolonhcCommittee than two weeks plater, fighter country, idnbound iuqeaybomb dut Officers’ Movement • to call what is happening in uof ehfor of the Free rotarohit t othe s baal wen Egypt once l a e s t i again.

Catalysts of the , s e o cneics fo saera e s gnitsissa rebmun eht Cairo police station, roughly 300 Weiss said this is not enough. bolalliV Egypt a coup, a sudden and ht ni sreerac . a formed l u c i r ruc IBC 2011 Egyptian Revolution against retnehe u miles rof elaway C s’AP .scitamehtam d bawefrom stneduts fo ner swhere had been “That’s a slap on the wrist,” illegal seizure of power from a i drawDiab eht dezingocer n a I S H e Hosni Mubarak had existed since e Th c y n bstaying, l e l amrof ssergnoC a gnireen 000,01or lecxE fo METS gnikees 6$roughly detamithe government entity, and cut off aid said. “The only way to send almesr e , 5 d tse distance 991 nI n u na htiwfrom m a r g orP snoi sraey 1952: complaints ME TS ni Edinburg to Austin. cares nI .seergedfrom Egyptian • to identify it as a coup, but issue sage that the U.S. consistently eb oT .tcA noit tutitsnI gnivreS-cinapsiH . r a citizens concerning corruption, e e h y S h . c n a sa Since a a o e cuinitiated itacudE dE rehgiby gnikrthe ,3102 gnirps about human rights and democratic ow removal a national security waiver to H the Free Officers’ Movement won si oofhdeposed -nu ll a fo tnecr Coup w ,razalaS under-development, unemployment ep 52 ,ISH V e eht fo V eltiT sawthe dias ,seniMohamed ehsentire dias President Egypt’s government, is to withdraw a continue aid d lriA nacireMorsi, a l h t iT a dered y A t i P s r T e U v i n mA a repolev and unfair distribution of wealth all u ro egelloc eht eticxuntil hfirst craedemocratically-elected e yrev ta stneduts etau isnoc ser eht fo trap a tpresident, 722,1 fo latot • or not call it a coup and continue aid package, to pull that dback A P T U . dargred e m n contributed to this uprising. e i e t b l l evah ot uf dellorne dn a ht evofiedemocwJuly rotn3eby cer ot -ed s’rolehcab giving the Middle Eastern nation Egypt returns to some eform m the MEmilitary, cinapsiH eb tsu TS sih oant lestimated 304,2 dna etau In June 2012, protests forced the u f m becomes k n a h t d d s a n i rgrleader ot eunpeople a tnarg 1,000 killed in racy and civilian rule.” ednu 1Muhammad the aid ,setaudarg eerg itnoc have 36,61 fo stsiNajib fo era mohw fo Coup ll’eh been snossel elbaulav resignation of Mubarak, who ruled ra snoc e t u n n e i c t r n z Egypt, according to a September e o p a c “Egypt is the second highest 7 l l . a l 8 i president as Egypt is declared a republic w 8 ,stneduts etau S odnesoR efor ht 30 .reerac lanoissef ni years.

542 darg orp sih Egypt drah gnikrow Street Journal.

FUTURE Tarticle S eht(bydeThe recipient of American aid, and the , s a e r wolWall a . n M i giro cinapsiH la sah tnarg eTh ETregime “Mubarak’s was corrupt, ).XT-D( asojo S etauofda rgaid,MisEmilitary,” Morsi an“ Egypt and Jordan m areaethe t reonly c otEgypt’s overall majority the h httwo TS seitinumilitary iw cndidn’t eics hkill troppogave taerg a si APTU niH nébuR namssergnoC but ehe tiwa lot of people,” e u q i n u e v g i n d g ultimatum: meet the demands of the Arab countries that have made peace i i v o a o he said.

“Given the fact that the s t rpmi ni c lliw tI“ .dias r dnaand draSyria the United Arab wa ehjoin eht ot stneduts Egypt t decto said. “The current az al atake .setau nuform S ”,saction. onna darg tprotests tneduts Alianak -aU.S. som eht gniEgyptian people or they would with Israel, and if the cudecuts stRepublic cartta tahin military has cracked down MEoff etajust TS v u t a d the first step of their aim for h I a S h r H g t a r are an unusual situation.

The e m a ” d f . n y o d a u n e w a l r pmaxe of tsovorp eciv evitisoinp Egypt oiR ehtfor Currently, clashes occurring a ni rof lasop viciously against the Muslim Brother- aid, it could put prospects nipeace noit ni stneduts ruo country isovery I’m ,elyorC nitsirK Arab unity .margorp METS rp a polarized dettimbuand . are between the military regime and in the Middle East in jeopardy, Weiss y g ellaV ednarG n s maet reh dnhood, if we’re seen as complicit na esinu that, margorp eht ni n a hsilbabout sreerac rof meh itacude yb taht eveileb od I“ worried to the a ,noitacude atse owhat t troffwill tnthe erru1979 e nhappen opponents of Morsi and supporters of said. As partylof t gniraperp dna a n ga raey einnnot doing enough to hold c stnEgypt-Israel -lwthe edutS onkEgypg n i y l saxeT htuoS pe p o country if civil war happens.iIohope p t a n d n a na ,meht gniyd rg eht accountable iTreaty, ygetarthe ts yU.S. the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi. ed defeats the forces ranilguaranteed tian government dna ygand aerSix-Day picsidretni Israel era ew ,War, oloinot b sa hPeace s d there will be a democratic solution to lefiinMwhich ceconomic u s i t , e s t p ETS eht ni c m e j o b c u s e and military aid to Egypt. h M t imposing penalties on them, for what E n T i r e S o r u f m t e u o r f a rf egde of Egypt, Syria perp dna tes llik thgirb Jordan this problem, but they are so polara rof ,yrand asojoniH dias ” tnuoc ruo s a hsilbof Discontinuation I think many would ycall atsthis PAST tinhuman ,tekram labolg e otmonetary utropprights ,arbegla o eht nevig era ized, it doesn’t seem to be...possible l a c i g o l o n h y c e support could be seen as an incentive e Th .loohcs etau t evit abuses, then we could be Protesters against Morsi claimed otseen dnaasspbeing .62 yluJ esaeler darg ohskrow eEgypt right now.” detinU eht ni , vitcarto sserp a ni etnbreak tied to those human rights i ni ethe egatnavdA ME taptreaty. the Western-educated Islamist aligned etatabuses.” i c s-fo-tuo ni sfor i t r a p o t T ot gnigo reep htiwis kintimately seerged s’rolehc Egypt andS Syria drotoccwar our However, if the U.S.gngovernA with Israel to rowten dtied with the Muslim Brotherhood, an imocpu eht fo t “Egypt na lewith ab fo driht-eno PRESENT va“The rt s i reclaim the land they lost e l y h l e relationship to Israel,” he said. n t t e o , ment discontinues aid, it could face t l p n , s m o e i tatSin 1967 o d c d a A r n effo ot sah mar .secnerefnoc I .sdlefi METS Islamist religious, political and social According to a Pew Research goObama n rp MEadministration i e e h is greatly r t a s $2 billion to $3 billion in costs, d k e n T n a S iatbo r muroF cimon eht secnerefnoc snoitacilppa eh movement. In addition, opponents oc Center poll, 61 percent of Amerit htiw gnthat concerned according to a September 331 fo tuo 84 r E dlroW suoigitserP ola if we were to withdraw no deReuters tacol era senthat to Morsi claimed he failed to deliver cans said the conflicts occurring in e b m u n sa setatS detin ilda$2 article. The U.S. and Egypt have a ed billion dna in aid, Egypt would htam fo ytilauCamp Accords forUpeace with Israel are .etisbew METlose q ni sDavid on citizens’ expectations for freedom Egypt are somewhat important or eirtnuoc depole the incentive to remain in the special financial arrangement, known S s’A P T U ved signed e k i l s m a r and social justice, according to an . n g o o r i t p acude ecneics d not important, while 36 percent said as cash flow financing, in which hcrpeace aeseRtreaty.” “ na n o i t c n n u a j t n n o eduts a evig In addition to these global effects, c ni ,A August article on the CNN website. it is very important. With conflicts the loan is backed by a company’s ETS( -iH namssergno PTU ,2002 nI -nu ecneirepxe the)M C But protests are not unfamiliar to future of individual Egyptian f expected cash flows, similar to a creditelbarapmocni occurring on a completely different cinapsiH tsrfi e o ecffiO eht htiw odn oR dias ” ht dezitreaty at stake. According to Egyptian residents, according to Diab, continent, it may be hard for U.S. card. This allows Egyptesand Israel ,re citizens peace Egypt and Israel is nagro between yna eiskialso ,a l -lonhceT dThe a htiw detaudar htoBaseera: na ecneicS ,gni sojon Egyptian Center for Public to make arms purchases from the g ohw ,razalaThe a native of Lebanon, which is roughly citizens to grasp the significance of signed r e e n S i gnE retupmover lliw hcihw ,CE oc nitime. eergIfed s’rOpinion U.S. and pay for things 600 miles northeast of Egypt. olehcabResearch, an independent and the situation, but it is an important detroppus sah , TSEH .keew ygo tI“ .310items, 2 g nonpartisan private entity that conducts n i r Egypt were to purchase such as 2 p 1 s ni ecneics 7 .tcO ecalp ek “I have family all over that area,” matter nonetheless, according to Matt sah dna slevel ll at ti esuthis aceb“credit deticcard” a ta nal-Sadat xe em public oitacudeisMassassinated said Diab, who came to the U.S. a few Weiss, a professor in the Global Secu- tanks and jets, -using tog opinion research, currently 73 Anwar

by Jihad ETS t a c o i n v u d t a rosend r o ppothem f percent of Egyptians feel unsafe. l e d e and the U.S. did not and h o m t e m l a noitHosni evag an a em years ago to study medicine. “I have rity Studies program at UTPA. Mubarak oceb is the new htuoS gnoma smembers. m dnthese apxeitems, The short-term outcome for Egypt nothing is doneywith the noitapucco ME ot yt a cousin in Egypt right now. Since I T yltnanimoderp president “It’s significant because Egypt is, gdelwsue could be grim, Weiss said. onthe manufacturers ecould k U.S. era ohw stnedu S gni lived there most of my life, people see for all intensive purposes, a trendsetter ts saxeT i d ed etisbew a ot “I can’t help but harbor a very pes“I think all of us as taxpayers and gnidrocca ,cina (the protests) as a horrible thing, but... in the Arab world,” Weiss said. “It’s psiHof an assassination target simistic outlook about the short-term, U.S. citizens need to be concerned .tneMubarak ve launnaisethe ht ot detac there’s always been trouble there.” the Arab country with the largest attempt about where our money is going and about where that country is heading,”

1928 1948

ekil smargorp hcra tneduts a evig eseR )M ecneirepxe elb ETS( arapmocni na .rehto yna ekil nu

1949 1952 1953 1958 1967 1973 1978 1979 1981

The last major Egyptian revolution took place in 1952 when Sonia Alianak, a UTPA associate professor of political science, was living there.

population, it’s traditionally been considered the political epicenter of the Arab world ever since the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1950s,

the type of influence that money is essentially buying in Egypt,” said Sandra Hansmann, the director of the Global Security Studies program.

he said. “It does not look promising.”

1995 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama makes key speech in Cairo calling for a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim world

2011

President Mubarak steps down and hands power to the army council

2011

Egyptians approve constitutional reforms aimed at paving the way for new elections

2012

Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi narrowly wins presidential election

2013

The military removes President Morsi amid mass demonstrations calling on him to quit Source: BBC News

4

September 12, 2013

METRO CONNECTS THE VALLEY New bus routes being introduced

By Xander Graff-Spektor The Pan American Metro Connect service opens Sept. 13 with four buses funded by a federal grant budgeted to run for one year.

It will implement a new express intercity bus system to connect parts of the Rio Grande Valley.

According to congressmen Rubén Hinojosa (D-Mercedes), Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) and Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo), the new system is intended to provide transportation for professionals and students.

This will improve the Valley’s quality of life and is a step forward in regionalizing the area, they added.

NEW SYSTEM Under the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5311 Non-urbanized Area Formula Grant Program, Brownsville received $1.4 million May 13 to connect and expand transportation between Brownsville and the cities of McAllen and South Padre Island. It will also work in cooperation with the Valley Transit Company in Harlingen.

“The purpose of the grant is to increase connectivity to the Valley,” said Mario Delgado, the assistant transit director of Metro McAllen. “We plan to make it efficient for students

Tanya Vela/The Pan American

and citizens in the Valley to move around, so we are still working on the best routes.”

Each bus will seat 31 passengers, including additional space for 15 standing, and will offer space for two wheelchairs and a bike rack.

The price to ride will be 50 cents for students and passengers 60-years-old or older, and $1 for everyone else.

For Edinburg native Robert Mendoza, a 24-year-old graphic design major at the University, it will be a new way of getting to his job at Classy Baby Inc., located on 1418 Beech Ave. in McAllen. He said it will be more convenient than taking Valley Metro.

“I don’t think students really know as much about the Valley Metro,” Mendoza said. “It is so convenient, and has made life a whole lot easier since I don’t own a car. I wish the schedule extended past 7 p.m. though.”

The new lines will run all week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and their routes will include: the red line to connect McAllen to Brownsville, the blue line to connect Brownsville to SPI, and the green line to connect McAllen to UTPA. The greenline route will provide three fewer stops than Valley Metro’s Route 10, which has six.

“When I’m taking the bus somewhere and plan to return

by a certain time, time is always a factor,” Mendoza said.

“If I can reduce that time, I’d be all for it.”

The new Metro McAllen bus routes were unveiled Aug. 21 at the La Plaza bus terminal in Brownsville with politician Vela present.

“It will get people (to their destination) faster,” said Sandra Gama, Metro McAllen’s business manager. “This will be a huge impact for students and people to get across the Valley.”

CLIMATE AND CHANGE According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration, carbon dioxide makes up 95 percent of all transportation-related greenhouse gases. Though the Metro Connect buses will run on diesel fuel, the impact of this bus system can help reduce the average carbon dioxide a person uses from .96 pounds per mile to .32 pounds per mile, a 67 percent decrease.

“Hopefully more students will be using public transportation,” said Monica Raygada, program coordinator at the Office of Sustainability. “It also allows us to utilize our time to read, study. I cannot see how this cannot benefit the individual and the city.”

By looking at the Transit

Saving Calculator provided

by Metro McAllen, a person like Mendoza can save around $6,000 a year if he takes the green line (20 miles) to and from work, if the cost of gas stays at an average of $3.25.

Things to also consider when using a car versus a bus are additional expenses the car incurs, such as insurance, car cost, maintenance, repair and parking fees.

“Saving any amount of money is always welcome,” Mendoza said. “I think it’s great and gives me funds for everything else in my life.”

While saving money, Mendoza also saves the amount of carbon dioxide released into Earth’s atmosphere by riding the bus.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average yearly amount of carbon dioxide produced by a passenger car is 5.1 metric tons (11,243 pounds) if it travels 12,000 miles a year at 21 miles per gallon. Transportation in the United States accounts for 31 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

According to Raygada’s calculations, if Mendoza took the bus five days out of the week for nine months to McAllen Central Station from UTPA and back, his carbon footprint will only be .16 metric tons (352

pounds). If Mendoza drove a used 1997 Ford getting 20 miles to the gallon, his carbon footprint would be .47 metric tons (1,036 pounds), Rayagada said. This is a 66 percent decrease.

Because the average in the Valley is one person per vehicle and 70 percent of the population uses cars, Raygada also concludes that riding the bus can remove 32 cars from traffic if passengers owned one car each.

“Well that is definitely a great thing. Not something I was completely aware of,” Mendoza said. “Knowing this now just helps me value the bus system a lot more.”

GOING ELECTRIC Through another grant by the Federal Transit Administration, Metro McAllen expects to switch from diesel-fueled buses to electric. The $1.9 million grant signed in November 2011 will introduce wireless inductive charging technology, better known as the online electric vehicle, to the public transportation bus system.

As part of the deal, McAllen was to work with Online Electric Vehicle Technologies Inc. from Boston. But in October 2012 the startup company revealed it could not invest $277,000 in a performance

bond nor invest $278,000 in a third-party trust, as requested by the City of McAllen to uphold operating costs.

Metro McAllen and OLEV Technologies Inc. planned to unveil the new buses earlier this year, and even though the deal fell through, McAllen wishes to continue the project and is currently taking proposals from other companies. The deal would include the retrofitting of two buses on Route 4, which runs near La Plaza Mall and in southeast McAllen.

The technology is new to the public and recently made its debut in Gumi, South Korea where it was developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Buses would run totally on electric power and be charged wirelessly with the use of electromagnetic fields at bus stops and terminals.

“Sustainability is the ability to guarantee that future generations will have the same quality of life and the amount of resources we have today,” Raygada said. “The bottom line of sustainability is balancing the environmental, economical and social aspects which will make humanity able to live in the long term.”

September 12, 2013

THE PAN AMERICAN

Page 5

9/11 Memorial

By Adrian Castillo The Pan American

Wednesday morning the Veterans Services Center and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) held a memorial in honor of the more than 3,000 people that died 12 years ago. On Sept. 11, 2001 two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and a two more plummeted into the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The UTPA memorial began with cadets unfolding and raising the U.S. and Texas flags, saluting the red, white and blue as they sang the national anthem. President Robert Nelsen spoke in remembrance before the ceremonial cannon fire that signaled the start of a 1.5-mile run.

The event was held on the north side of the Student Services Building from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. near the flag pole.

Page 6

THE PAN AMERICAN

Story by Marco Torres Photos by Arturo Villalobos

September 12, 2013

A sea of people wearing brand new, white T-shirts traveled a quarter-mile from the start and made the first turn onto West Center Avenue in Pharr. They were greeted with a spray of water to jump start the loco of the Color Me Loco 5K run Saturday morning. In the name of charity and family fun, runners endured powder paint and painted water being thrown on their bodies as they ran by.

“At first we were worried about the rain, but once we woke up and saw what the weather was like, we knew the event was going to happen and got started with setting up,” said Pam Magalhaes, a Color Me Loco representative.

THE PAN AMERICAN

September 12, 2013

Color Me Loco is a branch of the Jailbreak Race Events, which originated north of Fort Worth.

Color Me Loco and the Jailbreak Races offer services to raise money for different charities.

Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, the Cancer Center at Renaissance, Jailbreak Race Events and the City of Pharr hosted the Color Me Loco 5K adventure for both runners and walkers alike. According to Magalhaes, about 2,100 people registered before Saturday and approximately another 200 did so the morning of the event.

Magalhaes stated that people came from all over Texas to be a part of this experience. Valley folks from Harlingen, McAllen

and La Joya were joined by visitors from Houston and San Antonio.

The event raised about $76,000 for three local charities: the Cancer Foundation at Renaissance Hospital, the Police Athletically and Team in Training, a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society charity that specializes in sports training programs.

As participants traveled the path they braced themselves for different variations of the “Splash Zone.” The first one was where a volunteer filled a 10x10x3 plastic tube with water that then was pumped to spray runners as they ran onto Center.

Other zones consisted of mul-

tiple volunteers throwing paint powder and spraying colored water as runners and walkers passed through certain areas, leaving them colorfully drenched.

“The color water came in handy because it really cooled us off as we ran through,” said Jayme Sanchez, a participant from Harlingen. “It definitely was an unexpected, but a very pleasant surprise, especially in this humid weather.”

Participants started off in a white Color Me Loco T-shirt and ended the run with a T-shirt covered in a collage of greens, purples, pinks and blues.

Due to the large amount of participants, waves were based on date of registration. The

event had three waves of participants with the first starting at 9 a.m. with 20-minute increments between the second and third waves.

As people crossed the finish line, covered with an abundance of color, it was one that some did not want to see.

“It was my first 5K run ever and it was a lot of fun,” said Sanchez’s 9-year-old daughter, Sophia. “My favorite part was the color powder, but water color splash was better.”

After runners crossed the finish line, they had the opportunity to rehydrate with free water, ice cream, post-workout drinks provided by Complete Nutrition and even Mike’s

Page 7

Hard Lemonade for those 21 and older.

After most participants finished, representatives from radio station Hot Kiss 106.3 FM announced they were going to gather as many people as possible to establish a symbol to the completion of the race.

They accomplished this by having the people grab a handful of powder and gather into a giant circle and had them throw the powder up in the air.

“The day was a complete success, any time we can get this many people out here and have all this participation from all over it’s a great thing,” Magalhaes said. “Most importantly we were able to raise this mon-

ey and inform people about our cause and what we do. A plus was having kids running around, having fun with their parents.”

The next stop for Color Me Loco is in March, when members will travel north of Fort Worth for the DFW 5K run.

Followed by a run a week later in Odessa. Afterwords, San Angelo in April. Finally, the runs will reach San Antonio and El Paso, however those dates are yet to be determined.

“I am not sure when we will be back (to the RGV), but we would love to come back to the Rio Grande Valley and do this again,” Magalhaes said.

Page 6

THE PAN AMERICAN

Story by Marco Torres Photos by Arturo Villalobos

September 12, 2013

A sea of people wearing brand new, white T-shirts traveled a quarter-mile from the start and made the first turn onto West Center Avenue in Pharr. They were greeted with a spray of water to jump start the loco of the Color Me Loco 5K run Saturday morning. In the name of charity and family fun, runners endured powder paint and painted water being thrown on their bodies as they ran by.

“At first we were worried about the rain, but once we woke up and saw what the weather was like, we knew the event was going to happen and got started with setting up,” said Pam Magalhaes, a Color Me Loco representative.

THE PAN AMERICAN

September 12, 2013

Color Me Loco is a branch of the Jailbreak Race Events, which originated north of Fort Worth.

Color Me Loco and the Jailbreak Races offer services to raise money for different charities.

Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, the Cancer Center at Renaissance, Jailbreak Race Events and the City of Pharr hosted the Color Me Loco 5K adventure for both runners and walkers alike. According to Magalhaes, about 2,100 people registered before Saturday and approximately another 200 did so the morning of the event.

Magalhaes stated that people came from all over Texas to be a part of this experience. Valley folks from Harlingen, McAllen

and La Joya were joined by visitors from Houston and San Antonio.

The event raised about $76,000 for three local charities: the Cancer Foundation at Renaissance Hospital, the Police Athletically and Team in Training, a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society charity that specializes in sports training programs.

As participants traveled the path they braced themselves for different variations of the “Splash Zone.” The first one was where a volunteer filled a 10x10x3 plastic tube with water that then was pumped to spray runners as they ran onto Center.

Other zones consisted of mul-

tiple volunteers throwing paint powder and spraying colored water as runners and walkers passed through certain areas, leaving them colorfully drenched.

“The color water came in handy because it really cooled us off as we ran through,” said Jayme Sanchez, a participant from Harlingen. “It definitely was an unexpected, but a very pleasant surprise, especially in this humid weather.”

Participants started off in a white Color Me Loco T-shirt and ended the run with a T-shirt covered in a collage of greens, purples, pinks and blues.

Due to the large amount of participants, waves were based on date of registration. The

event had three waves of participants with the first starting at 9 a.m. with 20-minute increments between the second and third waves.

As people crossed the finish line, covered with an abundance of color, it was one that some did not want to see.

“It was my first 5K run ever and it was a lot of fun,” said Sanchez’s 9-year-old daughter, Sophia. “My favorite part was the color powder, but water color splash was better.”

After runners crossed the finish line, they had the opportunity to rehydrate with free water, ice cream, post-workout drinks provided by Complete Nutrition and even Mike’s

Page 7

Hard Lemonade for those 21 and older.

After most participants finished, representatives from radio station Hot Kiss 106.3 FM announced they were going to gather as many people as possible to establish a symbol to the completion of the race.

They accomplished this by having the people grab a handful of powder and gather into a giant circle and had them throw the powder up in the air.

“The day was a complete success, any time we can get this many people out here and have all this participation from all over it’s a great thing,” Magalhaes said. “Most importantly we were able to raise this mon-

ey and inform people about our cause and what we do. A plus was having kids running around, having fun with their parents.”

The next stop for Color Me Loco is in March, when members will travel north of Fort Worth for the DFW 5K run.

Followed by a run a week later in Odessa. Afterwords, San Angelo in April. Finally, the runs will reach San Antonio and El Paso, however those dates are yet to be determined.

“I am not sure when we will be back (to the RGV), but we would love to come back to the Rio Grande Valley and do this again,” Magalhaes said.

Page 8

ADVERTISEMENT

ARMY RESERVE

EARNING A DEGREE IS STRONG. EARNING IT WITHOUT INTERRUPTION IS ARMY STRONG. As a Soldier in the Army Reserve, the Army Education Career Stabilization Program (ECS) will allow you to serve your country and earn your degree at the same time. Not only will the Army help pay for your education, offering nearly $25,000 with the GI Bill and up to $4,500 per year in tuition assistance, but you will also develop the confidence, character, and strength to secure your future.

For more information, visit goarmy.com/reserve or call 1-800-USA-ARMY.

For more information about ROTC at University of Texas Pan American contact Abel Gonzalez at gonzaleza@utpa.edu or 956-665-3601.

©2009. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

September 12, 2013

September 12,2013 2013 January 31,

By Marco Torres The Pan American Tom Brady, Dez Bryant and Jamaal Charles, are some of the professional football stars filling up draft boards of fantasy football leagues. With the league championship a mere 15 weeks away, fantasy football members are feeling that the league championship and end of season rewards are theirs to win or lose.

Fantasy owners who had Denver Broncos Peyton Manning as their quarterback were very pleased with his performance on opening night, but their opponents, not so much. On opening night of the NFL season, Manning threw 462 yards and became one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for seven touchdowns against a Baltimore Ravens defense.

Fantasy football is played by using the results of real NFL players to account for imaginary teams, who compare real-time results to see who has the best team of NFL stars.

“It is nerve-wrecking because at any given week, your player can give you zero points, but at the same time, that same player can give you 40 points another week,” said Jaime Curts, a kinesiology major and a former

9

Francisco Rodriguez/The Pan American commissioner of a local league.

According to a recent Harris Poll, 34 percent of adults who follow at least one sport said that professional football is their favorite, while 16 percent chose baseball. The National Broadcasting Network broadcast the opening game of the season, Denver-Baltimore Ravens, and the game killed with 25.13 million viewers.

It is difficult to predict which set of players will play better, no matter how much research a fantasy player has done. Although league and non-league members may have a good idea of what will happen with certain players verses a defense or a defense verses a certain offense, no one can be absolutely certain that a player will be consistent for the entire year.

“I am pumped that Manning gave me like 60 points and basically guaranteed me victory this week,” said student Phillip De La Rosa, a member of the league with Curts. “I was checking my phone after every touchdown just so I could brag in front of my friend, Joey Zamora, that I was playing against that week.”

Opening week for the NFL is

Norma Gonzalez/The Pan American

always filled with excitement, but for fantasy football players the excitement is tinged with anxiety.

Weeks prior to opening night, aficionados were researching various players and their positions, along with identifying by weeks and statistical ratings for the purpose of finalizing their ultimate fantasy football team.

Fantasy football gives the average fan a chance to feel like an NFL general manager and head coach and be more involved in the game they love to watch.

“I’ve always been a football fan, so when I heard I could manage, my team to try and win money, I was all for it,” said Juan Morales.

The first few weeks of the season are when offensive players, such as quarterbacks and receivers, are more productive. After that initial time, the defense catches up to the offense and offensive productivity goes down.

The early weeks in the NFL are the most important ones for fantasy football owners, it is when they find out the roles of players and how they will be utilized by the particular coaching system.

Although it might be tempting to drop a rookie running back for

lack of productivity, the owners have to realize that this is the time when a rookie is still learning the offense scheme and blitz pickups.

Now that week one is in the books and offenses and defenses have battled it out, fantasy football players have now gotten a look into the players drafted and started work on decision-making: keeping, trading or dropping. Trades are a regular occurrence.

“Matchups are the most important factor when I’m setting up my weekly roster. If I feel that I will have a better chance to score points with a player on my bench then I’ll sub them in,” Morales stated. “Of course, every team has studs that should never be benched. It’s about points and matchups.”

The popularity of fantasy football in recent years led ESPN to create a show based on fantasy football with experts giving their opinion on who will do well and how many points a player will project to score at the skills position. These experts are regarded as a valuable source of the game and player statistics, which give members of every league a chance to make bet-

ter informed decisions on which players to draft and which players to start, on any given week.

With 16 weeks in the NFL league, members battle other members’ teams within the league weekly. The goal of the game is to outscore your opponent and win the championship at the end of the season.

The first 12 weeks of the NFL season are usually when members face each other, sometimes twice within the time period.

“Every week you get bragging rights over whoever you beat, and if you win the whole thing, well, then you get bragging rights for the year,” Curts said.

The final weeks bring the playoffs. The top teams in the league will battle one another in a tournament.

Week 13 of the NFL is also when the two bottom seeds of the league tournament battle to stay alive and have the opportunity to face the first seed of the league; the third and fourth seeds battle for the chance to face the second seed.

Week 14 is the week when the league members find out who will play for the champion-

Broncs win in a comeback

The Broncs battled the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals (3-3) Tuesday Sept.10 in front of 677 fans for the first home game of the season.

The game was a war, as UTPA took the first set, but lost back-to-back sets, forcing the Broncs to win the fourth and fifth sets in order to claim victory.

They were able to do it, beating the Cardinals 3-2 and raised their overall record to 6-3, as Maria Klieforth, co-captain and middle blocker, led with 16 kills.

“A win is a win,” Coach Brian Yale said. “Especially at home and especially when you don’t play your best...and we didn’t play our best by far.”

In the first set, the Broncs started strongly and began to pull away from the Cardinals until a 4-0 UIW run. From that point it was a battle, with eight lead changes until the Cardinals won the first set 25-23.

In set two, the Broncs jumped to an early 5-3 lead, but were not able to sustain the energy as UIW finished with at 12-3 run.

The Cardinals took the second and third sets 25-13 and 25-18.

“We got a little tentative for a while and nervous, but from there we had to survive and we did,” Yale said. “I told the team to go out and perform the basics. We don’t have to do anything spectacular, we just had to put the ball in court. We were making too many errors and kept killing our own momentum.”

With the game coming to an end, the Broncs had to answer after losing twice in a row.

As the battle heated and came

ship game of their own respective leagues. Week 15 is when the championship game will be played and the battle for third place will also take place. This is also the time when members find out who wins the cash rewards.

Playoff time during fantasy football is intense for this is when the production of a player or team can vary. It marks a difficult time for owners. If NFL teams are doing well toward the end of the season, coaches will tend to rest certain players for half a game or a full game in order for them to be fully healthy for the NFL playoffs. Playoff time makes every decision important and more intense.

“The fact that coaches usually rest their starters at the end makes the decisions even more difficult,” Morales said. “A lot of the time the coaches make these calls right before the game begins and by that time it’s too late to take the players out of fantasy football.”

By Marco Torres The Pan American close, the Cardinals came within two points of a tie before Nycole Masaki, another co-captain and UTPA setter, delivered a huge spike to get the Broncs game point.

“Being over .500, that is a first, but 6-3 is great and we have a chance with four more matches and if we play well, hopefully we come back home 10-3,” said Yale, whose team will host Huston-Tillotson at 3 p.m.

Sept. 21. “Right now, it is about making ourselves better and worrying about our side of the court, and if we can do that, we will be in good position to win.”

10

arts & life

September 12, 2013

By May Ortega and Alessandria Elyss Fernandez The Pan American

Joe Eguia, a business administration student at UTPA, sat down with American singersongwriter Taylor Swift and Colombian musician Juanes Vasquez, discussing the music industry and testing their equipment before two separate performances in October and March 2011.

Eguia is the sole member of Grammy U’s UTPA chapter, an organization that comes with several perks, including the chance to meet professional artists.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences was established in 1957, and created the Grammy Awards two years later. The Recording Academy decided to branch out to college students in 2007 and Grammy U was born.

The organization has 330 student members across the U.S. and several chapters among other universities in Texas, such as Texas State in San Marcos and the University of Texas at Austin.

“My job is to basically be an onsite representative for UTPA, initiating awareness in the community and to jumpstart this wonderful opportunity for the Valley,” the 22-year-old said.

“It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had in addition to networking with professional engineers and artist managers.”

According to Grammy U’s website, the organization was

founded to help college students looking to pursue careers in the music industry. In addition to giving members such as Eguia the opportunity to work with professionals in the business, it offers benefits through networking and educational programs.

Members are also given a chance to attend the Grammy Awards and other music-based events.

“We participate in Austin City Limits as well as the South

by Southwest Festival, so we really go hand-in-hand with those productions,” Eguia said. “This permits Grammy U to offer volunteer services, which is perfect for students, considering it allows for networking.”

The Edinburg native, who joined Grammy U in May 2010, stumbled across the or-

Juanes was about having passion,” he said. “Passion is your way to success. Without it, you won’t be motivated to go far and ultimately reach success.”

Eguia, who is currently going for a master’s degree in business administration, said he was grateful to have had Swift speak to him before her performance at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin two years ago.

When Eguia spent time with Swift in her Tea Party Room backstage, he was excited to have the pop star give him advice based on her own experiences.

“With (Swift), I learned that it’s just trying to keep learning more about the industry.

There’s always something new to learn,” he said. “You should

...It was an honor to have an artist of (Swift’s) caliber take the time to actually sit down with me and talk about the music industry. - Joe Eguia Grammy U member

ganization while researching the Recording Academy. He said he gained a new understanding from the perspectives of both Swift and Juanes, so he could fulfill his dream as a musician and businessman.

“The biggest takeaway with

be doing something that you love to do because that will bring happiness to your life.”

Eguia, who is currently going for a Masters degree in business administration, said he was grateful to have had Swift speak to him before her performance

at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin two years ago.

“Of course, it was an honor to have an artist of her caliber take the time to actually sit down with me and talk about the music industry. I had fun with it too. Those are the things you can’t forget. You always remember times like that.”

MEMBERSHIP This fall Grammy U will affiliate its program with UTPA to familiarize students of any major about the music industry. Students are encouraged to contact Eguia for registration; recruited members will be charged a fee of $25 for the entire year or $50 for four years of participation.

“Grammy U offers many opportunities to students that are passionate about working in the entertainment business,” Eguia said. ”This organization encompasses a variety of careers, so I feel it would be a great and ideal program for them to join.”

Eguia said that many benefits come with joining and there are no deadlines when it comes to applying.

“If someone wanted to join Grammy U today, right now, they can. If somebody wanted to join next week or next month, they can,” Eguia said. “And when you become a member, you get a profile on the Grammy website, where there’s thousands and thousands of industry professionals. So, you can meet a lot of

like-minded people. It’s great for those who want to work in the entertainment industry.”

In addition to membership fees, the organization will begin fundraising at the University when its chapter gains enough members by inviting professionals in the music industry to speak to students as a part of Grammy U’s Speaker Series.

The Series was created to give students an idea of what things are like in the music industry and to provide a feeling of inclusivity to members seeking a career in the “biz.”

One past guest of the Series was Grammy-nominated Music Producer Tim Palmer, who visited UT-Austin in March 2012 to give students insight into his line of work. The London native has gained recognition for his work with artists, such as David Bowie, U2 and Ozzy Osbourne.

Once UTPA’s chapter gains at least 50 members, Grammy U

will bring down professionals to speak. According to Eguia, nonmembers have a way to be a part of the Series as well.

“Students can pay to attend when a guest speaker comes down, but I think it’s better to just become a member,” he suggested. “Through this organization, I started gaining more contacts in the music industry, and I still am.”

Eguia believes that joining Grammy U will benefit its members with knowledge directly from experienced individuals, as well as boost creativity. Looking back at what the organization has given him, he believes he made the right choice in joining.

“What I’ve experienced, that’s something money can’t buy,” he noted. “It’s great to serve the Recording Academy.

That little investment I made in the beginning definitely paid off and it still is.”

EVENTS CALENDAR Sept. 12

Sept. 13

Zombie Survival Program

Oceans of Plastic

Learn which wild plants will provide food, medicine, relief and more when on the run or hiding out in the woods. Participants will be armed with useful information about the various medicinal and culinary uses of plants.

Thousands of pieces of discarded plastic that ended up in the ocean and eventually washed ashore were retrieved by artist Shelia Rogers, cleaned, sorted by color and used to create art.

Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Place: Edinburg World Birding Center

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Place: Historic Brownsville Museum

Sept. 14

Sept. 15

Sept. 18

Sept. 21

Night at the Museum National Hispanic Under the Big Top 2013 Heritage Month Kick-Off

Nepantla: Art from the Bird and Butterfly Crossroads Four Corners of the Valley

The Children’s Museum of

Ceremony with live music

Nationally recognized Rio

literature and art by His-

leste de Luna will exhibit

Brownsville celebrates its sixth annual Night at the

Museum event. Food and auction to support CMB.

Time: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Place: Children’s Museum of Brownsville

as well as locally produced panic writers and artists.

Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Place: Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center

Grande Valley artist Ceand lecture during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Place: STC Mid-Valley Campus, Weslaco

Presentation by Michael Delesantro and Renee Rubin on what makes the RGV a wonderful birding and butterfly watching crossroads.

Time: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Place: Valley Nature Center, Weslaco

arts & life

September 12, 2013

11

By Jose S. De Leon III The Pan American

For Didi Cantu, coffee runs in her veins and Starbucks provides her fix.

A new Starbucks opened at 2720 W. University Sept. 3, becoming the 16th location in the Rio Grande Valley. Cantu convinced her cousin, Geena Zamora, and her mother, Carmela Zamora, to check out the new location next to the IHOP Restaurant.

While relishing a Mocha Cookie Crumble frappucino, the 16-year-old Edinburg native took in the new coffee house.

“I just love coming to Starbucks,” the Robert Vela High School student said. “I usually go there maybe 10 times a month. It’s such a great hangout spot and I’m a fan of all they have to offer.

I’m glad they opened a location closer to where I live.”

This set off a conversation where the trio discussed which was better: small, local coffee houses such as Coffee Zone, or large-chain coffee houses, such as Starbucks.

Her cousin wasn’t as enthusiastic about the big-chain coffee house. She blames it on her love for Coffee Zone, located on 1108 S. McColl Road.

“I used to go to Starbucks, but it can’t compare to Coffee Zone,” the 17-year-old said. “I love how it’s a coffee house that has a great variety of items on its menu and

it’s also kind of like a restaurant.

It feels so chill.”

Carmela, a UTPA alumna, said she usually has problems when it comes to ordering. She admitted that she preferred smaller coffee houses because of the helpful staff.

“At Starbucks it feels like you’re being pressured to pick your order or at least know beforehand what you want,” the 49-year-old said. “In other places, they actually have patience and help you order.”

DIFFERENT TASTES According to a January 2013 National Public Radio article, 39 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds reported drinking coffee within a two-week period.

According to the Starbucks website, Starbucks was founded in 1971 in Seattle, Wash. The franchise has 18,000 stores worldwide and 11,000 in the U.S. Of those, 835 are in Texas.

The Starbucks Investor Relations website says the company made $13.3 billion in 2012.

Moonbeans, located on N. 10th Street and founded in 1999, features decorated furniture, local art and organic coffee. Its other location at 1804 W. Trenton offers a drive-thru.

Gladys Michieka,

a 24-year-old Dallas native, is an avid coffee fan. She started drinking it during finals week when she was a freshman at The Univer-

doesn’t mind me staying here for hours studying and the coffee tastes better here.”

Annaleah Robles was

I feel that the quality will always be better at a smaller coffee shop. I can’t get an attachment to Starbucks like one I have with Moonbeans.

- Joaquin Cantu Biology major

sity of Texas at Austin. She often equates the drink with studying, which she usually does at a coffee house, preferably at the second Moonbeans location in Edinburg.

“I always feel so comfortable here,” said the second-year physician’s assistant at UTPA. “I find Moonbeans homey compared to Starbucks, which feels so businesslike. The staff

attracted to Moonbeans after noticing a friendly atmosphere there, which served as her motivation to apply as a barista; she started working at the Edinburg location last week.

“I remember going in there and always seeing how several employees knew customers by name,” the 18-year-old freshman said. “I’ve never seen that in a

Starbucks before.”

The Edinburg native admits to drinking coffee at least twice a day. Robles discussed how the friendly atmosphere she noticed is reflected in what her manager tells her employees.

“The shift leader tells us, ‘Make people happy. Give customers what they want,’” she said. “I’m not trying to bring Starbucks down, but it always feels so hectic and crowded while other places are small and relaxed. You even see local bands playing there sometimes.”

Joaquin Cantu, an Edinburg native, knows that he prefers local coffee and was excited when Moonbeans opened a second location in November 2012.

“It’s a business you actually want to see expand instead of pop up everywhere,” the biology major said. “I feel that the quality will always be better at a smaller coffee shop. I can’t get an attachment to Starbucks like one I have with Moonbeans.”

BEYOND COFFEE For several people, coffee houses allow for a productive work environment. David Elijah, a native of India, often frequents them and s e e s the

places as offices of a sort.

“Renting for a regular office space costs a couple hundred dollars,” the 42-year-old said.

“Meanwhile, working at a coffee house provides coffee, food, a great location and free Wi-Fi, all for a couple of bucks.”

Aryana Ivara, who was at the same Starbucks as the Zamora trio, admits to drinking coffee at least three times a week. For her, a place to study is just as important as a good cup of java.

“The main reason why I go to Starbucks is because of the electrical outlets they have,” the pre-med biology major explained. “Moonbeans and the other coffee houses I’ve been to never have enough outlets; there’s always enough at Starbucks, though. A college student cannot survive without an outlet for her laptop.”

Joshua Herrera, a criminal justice major, doesn’t see much of a difference between the various coffee houses competing for customers in the area.

“The name really doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said as he slurped his Tuxedo Blast from UTPA’s Jazzman’s Cafe.

“For me, it’s all about whatever’s cheaper and more convenient to get, so I’m not looking for atmosphere or whatever a coffee house offers to make it look cool. I just want coffee.”

Francisco Rodriguez/The Pan American

September 12, 2013

ADVERTISEMENT

Page 12

Promotions, Happy Hours, Special Offers & More!

9/19/13

9/19/13