Panorama 2015 by Panorama Magazine

panorama isAdviser: Donna Pazdera

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Karen Villarreal, Stephanie Melchor

Section Editors: Cameron Moreno, Brittany Villarreal Photography Editor: Adrian Castillo Lara Design Editor: Matthew Sustaita Social Media Editor: Kevin Martinez Ad Manager: Johnathan Ramos WRITERS: Karina Araujo, Katelyn Flores , Gabriel Galvan, Justin Gonzalez, Ameera Khan, Kevin Martinez, Cameron Moreno, Samyra Perez, Alice Rangel, Ramiro Rios, Johnathan Lee Salinas, Karina Segovia, Karen Villarreal, Brittany Villarreal, Daniel Ymbong, Carl Zayas PHOTOGRAPHERS: Adrian Castillo Lara, Katelyn Flores, Kevin Martinez, Alicia Rangel, Alfonso Quevedo DESIGNERS: Adrian Castillo Lara, Joanna Y. Cortez, Ana Duncan, Tom Garcia, Meagan Gonzalez, Matthew Sustaita, Karen Villarreal Special Thanks: Anita Reyes , Karen Espronceda, Ana Cecilia Guerra, Catarina Gutierrez, Janice Jasso, Victoria Matos, Beatriz Montejano, May Ortega, Julian Ramirez, Annissa Salinas, Franchesca Verdeflor, Angeli Ymbong, Antiguaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Banquet Hall/Distant Lands Boutique: Cristina and Natalia Ramirez

Letter from editors

Panorama 2015 encapsulates the last year that the University of Texas-Pan American existed as an entity, and the last issue of the student magazine that will go by the name of Panorama. The news of our school’s merge with UT Brownsville was a surprise when it was announced two years ago, but now that it’s actually upon us, we’re finding that change is hard. Though we worked hard over the years to establish an identity for the magazine, we’ve accepted that a new one will have to be forged. Many of the stories in this year’s issue deal with identity. Though learning how you identify with the world is part of growing up, so is change. Everything changes; that’s what makes life interesting. Our cover art bades UTPA farewell, and the other common theme in this issue is change. But is all change for the better? We’ll find out in the years to come. As for Panorama, your student publication will continue to grow, no matter what we’re called. They can change the names of our institutions every week and we’ll still do what we need to do. Our readers, similarly, are going to continue to grow to their own potential regardless of what’s printed on their diplomas. Most of us are graduating soon. We’ll be leaving the comfort of the Bronc Trail and making our way into the cold, cruel world. But Panorama serves a purpose: it showcases the fascinating and important aspects in our area, shows that it’s not all cold and cruel out there. There are interesting people and things going on all around us, conspiring to make you have a human experience. We hope you enjoy reading the final issue of Panorama Magazine. Stay posted as to what UTRGV student publications will be called in the fall! Sincerely, Karen Villarreal & Stephanie Melchor

DISCLAIMER: The views presented in Panorama Magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Texas-Pan American or its employees.

STUDENT LIFE POLITICS ART MUSIC FASHION 3

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MERGER EMERGING

MEETING THE MAGICIAN

29 DIY: HERB GARDEN

CAMPUS STORY

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38 MADE FOR MMA

LETS BE HONEST ABOUT LYING

CONFUSION ON BOTH SIDES

61 ASSIMILATED BUT ALIENATED

AMERICA INTERVENES

63 BEYOND LATINO

SQUANDERED AMERICANS

THE UNIVERSE OF RONI CORTEZ

77 THE ART OF AMBER ZUNIGA

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NOT HAVING ANY STUDENTS RAISING STUDENTS LIFE ON THE FIELD

BURNT: FINAL BFA EXHIBIT

117 COUNTERCULTURE REVOLUTION 123 FASHION POP QUIZ

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Photography by Alfonso Quevedo

LIFE

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Emerging Change

the changing face of utpa 7

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UTPA and UTB form a new identity By Cameron Moreno Students at the University of TexasPan American rarely protest, but in 2014 when the merger with fellow University of Texas System school, the University of Texas at Brownsville was announced, a roar of dissent sounded that put the region in the eye of the national public. Though not necessarily angry about the merger itself, the student body was not keen on letting go of their UTPA identity and mobilized against the new university’s proposed name, colors, and mascot in the form of petitions, a physical protest, and a chorus of complaints any time the topic was brought up. Many residents of the Rio Grande Valley, but particularly UTPA students, believed the plans had been made and put in motion too quickly- without taking their opinions into consideration when deciding what “America’s Next Great Major University,” as it’s being touted by the UT System, represented. But months have passed since the initial announcement of the merger and the mascot. After the initial excitement and tireless arguments against the decision, students have continued on with their days. If we are to walk into the UTPA Bookstore, we will notice the University of TexasRio Grande Valley t-shirts and soon-to-be merchandise hanging from mannequins while UTPA shirts are marked down, hanging from the discount racks. It’s hard to remember that not even a year ago, we were fighting to preserve a relic instead of embrace a change.

Graphic by Matthew Sustaita plan negatively. 21-year-old rehabilitative services major Karina Castro expressed her point of view. “We’re still going to school, we’re still getting our education, there are just going to be more people here than there were before,” said Castro. “That is really the only thing I don’t appreciate.” But there was one issue that had students really riled up, and it wasn’t the rising tuition or any of the inconveniences of the transition: it was the name that would be printed on their diplomas. Current students were sent surveys to their emails that allowed them the chance to give feedback and help the board choose a name for the new university, which was later opened up to community voting. Olson took the survey hoping his choice would win. “When the survey came out, I chose UT-South. Only reason is because I felt that it was the lesser of all evils,” he

shadow of the newest concern: What do you mean we aren’t Broncs anymore? To many proud students who bleed green and orange, Bucky isn’t just a dancing man in a horse suit. He is what makes UTPA, well, UTPA. Just like choosing a new name, the UT System decided to invite the students of both universities to take a survey, in hopes that they would receive some feedback as to which direction they should take when choosing a new mascot. The survey, released in August 2014, asked students which mascot they would prefer as the new face of UTRGV. Among the options were an Aztec, barracuda, bear, shark, bull snake, fox, mockingbird, red wolf, tortoise and a phoenix. On Nov. 5, 2014, students waited eagerly as Dr. Guy Bailey, the newly elected president of UTRGV, sat with colleagues to discuss the new mascot. At

It’s hard to remember that

not even a year ago, we were fighting to preserve a relic instead of embrace a change.

This happened, remember?

In December 2012, after the split of UTB and TSC (Texas Southmost College), The UT System Board of Regents approved a plan to build a medical school in the very tip of Texas, our home, the Rio Grande Valley. To make this vision a reality, it was announced that UTPA and UTB would merge to be one university with the installation of a state of the art medical school. This plan became known as “Project South Texas.” From the get-go, students were not shy when voicing their opinions about how the merger may not be in the best interest of their schools. “With the merging of the two schools, it automatically becomes more illustrious and prestigious,” said Troy Olson, a 20 year-old chemistry major. While that seems like a good thing, prestige doesn’t come cheap. “Across the nation, tuition rises every semester. It’s not a big surprise.” Not all students took the

said. The list of names included options like the University of Texas-South and the University of Texas–International. Olson continued, “Some of the names were really out there. ‘University for the Americas’ was my least favorite; It sounded like we weren’t even in America.” Many students took to Twitter and Facebook to share their thoughts and feelings about the new name and #ProjectSouthTX became the main link for students to see how their peers were reacting. After much deliberation, discussion and a little animosity, the chosen name of the new university was announced: the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

“I Didn’t Even Vote For That!”

The bigger picture issues, like tuition and population were soon living in the

1:53 p.m., the announcement was made. Bailey and five other associates tweeted a photo of themselves making the letter “V” with index and middle fingers, along with a caption that read, “It’s V for Vaquero! #UTRegentsMeet.” The tweet caused outrage amongst Broncs and Ocelots (UTB’s mascot) to say the least. Within a mere two hours of the announcement, #UTRGV began trending nationwide. People not only from the RGV, but all over Texas, began to chime in on their dislike regarding the new name, deeming it as sexist and derogatory. A countless wave of memes mocking the board’s decision took social media by storm, petitions were made and protests were held. People were not happy with the new mascot, and were even more irked that “Vaquero”was not even an option on the most recent survey they took.

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“Whereas the robust typography appears dense and unyielding, the Vaquero and his steed embody unbridled energy and determination, charging ahead to tackle any obstacles in their way. A close look reveals the outline of the state of Texas hidden within the legs of the horse. The official colors will be a bright orange accompanied by green and navy blue, in recognition of the former UTPA and UTB colors, respectively.” Source: www.utrgv.edu

So where on earth did they get the idea of a Vaquero? What students forgot was that on Oct.1, just one month before the decision was made, they were asked to participate in a survey which narrowed down their options to three choices- the phoenix, the vaquero and the option of neither. Things still did not add up. The option of Vaquero ranked No. 3, racking up a mere 14 percent of the votes. Phoenix received second place with 21 percent, and coming in first, with 45 percent was the option “None of the above.” Students felt cheated, for their opinion actually did not matter. Supporters in the community sought out a person they felt they could count on: Texas State Rep. Terry Canales. As countless emails and phone calls flooded Canales’ office, he and his team wanted to be the voice of the people. Canales and his team drafted a letter to the UT System Board of Regents. “I didn’t like the process by which it was handled,” Canales said. “When UT-Brownsville chose their mascot, the Ocelot, it was done so by the student body. Here, they asked for student input and the Vaquero received, from what I have read, 14 percent from the spectrum of choices.” Students grew impatient with the lack of answers they were getting from the board

in regards to the concerns of the new mascot. Exercising their First Amendment right, UTPA students embarked on a school-wide protest. Hundreds of protesters marched across campus asking for the reversal of the decision to change the mascot. Some protests went as far as to ask for Bailey’s resignation. Canales said that notion was a little too harsh. “I really like Dr. Guy Bailey and I really like Dr. Francisco Fernandez and I think they are doing a great job; I think the approach from the administrative side was wrong and that’s what caused the uprising,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that the student input wasn’t fully taken into account and I don’t think the manner in which the decision was made (in less than 24 hours), was done properly. People are emotional and are calling for extreme measures.” A few protests later, Bailey released a letter. In it, he stated that, “choosing an athletic nickname to recommend to the Board of Regents was something [he] took very seriously.” Bailey said that he likes “Vaqueros” as an athletic nickname “because it embodies toughness, tenacity, intelligence and perseverance.” But students still begged to differ. “The Vaquero is a somewhat sexist mascot,” Castro said. “It has no female ties to it and it can be seen as discriminatory. I personally don’t like it.” Despite the backlash,

officials have carried on with the decision of the new mascot and created a new logo.

What Now?

The final class to graduate as UTPA Broncs will be in August, and as one of the first graduating UTRGV Vaqueros, Castro believes that the best thing to do is become accepting of the decision. “I honestly feel that a name and a mascot don’t necessarily define us. This whole changing of our school colors and what not, yes it was a nuisance, but it’s our studies that are the most important priority at this point in our lives. Sure, a Vaquero isn’t an appealing name, but then again, what mascot is?” Troy Olson agrees. “I know people who are still upset over this whole debacle. But what can you do? I don’t think that it’s as big of a deal as people make it out to seem. A school isn’t defined by its name, but by the prestige that the name carries with it. This school is going to be flooded with students whose emphasis is in pre-medical studies because of the new medical school. I don’t really think they care so much about the name.” Though the mascot may not have been the ideal choice, or we may not have liked the way the announcement was made, we have to look at the bigger picture, which happens to be a beautiful one: the Rio Grande Valley and the university community growing with it.

A school isn’t defined by its name, but by the prestige that the name carries with it. 9

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DESIGNERS

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W HIR E’RE ING WRITERS

SOCIAL MEDIA

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APPly @ ARHu 170

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MEETING THE MAGICIAN By Karen Villarreal and Justin Gonzalez Photography by Kevin Martinez

“I have a very romantic view of what magic is,” Fabian Moreno, 22, says as he shuffles a deck of cards. “I have never once thought of myself as having fallen in love with magic- I am constantly falling in love with magic. You grow up and read all these books and see in films that at one point, magic was cool.” Moreno, a mass communication major at University of Texas-Pan American, has a subtle appearance for a magician: there is no shiny cloak, white gloves or a twirling wand. And he has a big secret: he’s actually allergic to both doves and rabbits. “But that’s a bunny, so we’re OK,” he said, referring to the one we brought in to the Panorama office for his photo shoot. “It is kind of ironic, considering I’m a magician.” Nevertheless, wherever you find him, he is graciously willing to share a moment of light-hearted trickery, and in the office for this interview was no different. The cards now fully shuffled, he asked a Panorama staff member to pick a card, any card. Moreno recalls loving magic since he was three years old, from the first trick his father showed him growing up in McAllen, Texas. “He showed me a small red handkerchief, tucked it into his closed fists, had me blow on it and when he opened his hands- it was gone. I was completely blown away.” His interest grew and he started learning tricks himself. “I was a bad kid magician, he chuckled. “I mean, we’re all learning, but... It wasn’t uncommon of me to go over to neighbors’

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houses and like, do tricks for them and ask for candy. And like I said, they were really bad. I made a cane, like a walking stick, dance, things like that. This was me at six years old.” Today, magic has grown to be a more prominent part of Moreno’s life and sense of expression, and his tricks have gotten better. Kevin Martinez, Panorama’s social media editor, picked a 10 of hearts, and not showing it to Moreno, returned it to the deck. Then Moreno turned the tables on us by telling Kevin that he would be doing the trick. “Tell me to shuffle and pick a card,” he told Kevin. Moreno specializes in close-up magic, which is essentially magic done right in front of people. He said that working with your hands, a deck of cards, and random every-day things allows the audience to interact with him on a close up level, as opposed to someone sitting in an audience watching an illusionist. Continuing his trick, he showed us his seven of spades, returned it to the deck, and told Kevin to shuffle one more time. Moreno said, “They can’t have that same level of interaction. Which is why people like David Blaine and David Copperfield have kind of broken the mold. Blaine getting reactions on the streets and whatnot, and Copperfield, who didn’t just say, ‘Look at me and here’s a box- watch me disappear.’ He added a story and music, and we all know that if you listen to the right music it’s like ‘Oh,’” he gasped, clutching his heart. “It takes

us back. Combine it with a story and you have a pretty interesting showpiece.” However, he said that when done right, magic is about connection. “OK Kevin, now count out 10 cards face down in one pile, and seven cards face down in this pile.” He did so, and the rest of us held our breath in anticipation- would it fail? “I can show you the best piece of magic I know, but if I don’t give you anything to hold on to emotionally, then it’s just a trick,” he said, flipping over the top cards of the piles to reveal a 10 of hearts and seven of spadesboth cards they had previously chosen. We all lost our cool in our own ways, yelling and cheering that it had worked. “What really gives you the magic is that connection and making it resonate with someone.” As for his own performances, music doesn’t play an integral role. “Most of my work comes from private performance, whether corporate events or just private individuals, like a lot of doctors in their offices or homes, like 85 percent of the time, and I don’t have any music playing at all. It’s just me and them; however if I’m doing like a college or high school show, there’s a playlist before I come on, and that’s just music that I like. It’s like when you go to the gym and you have the perfect playlist. It’s kind of like that, you want people to get revved up. I made one last night that incorporates Taylor Swift, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Rihanna. And I always close, since last year, with Lorde’s ‘Team.’”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Magic is something that a lot of people have taken for granted, mostly because they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t given it the attention it deserves to be done well.â&#x20AC;? Bronc Life 12

“I can show you the best piece of magic I know, but if I don’t give you anything to hold on to emotionally, then it’s just a trick.”

Moreno shared that unlike music, audience participation is vital to the success of a performance. Although the “special assistants” he invites up to the stage from the audience are of course random, lest he be accused of planting them there, he does have a trick up his sleeve to get a good reaction out of them. “I’m pretty good about reading people, so throughout the show I’m always gauging the audience, kind of seeing where their meter is at- their fun meter,” Moreno said. “I usually try to pick someone who looks like they’re having a lot of fun. You want someone who’s going to be pretty receptive. But I also don’t want someone who’s too over the top. That’s just asking for trouble. Why pick a drunk- which I have done in the past and I regret it completely- when they’re just going to be out of control?” he elaborated, “You don’t want that. Ideally you want someone who’s having just enough fun that they’re going to react and the audience is going to react to their reaction.” As most people hoping to get better in a particular field, Moreno has heroes from whom he tries to learn. He regularly attends magic shows to learn from those he admires. “I just got back from LA.,” Moreno said. “I was in the Magic Castle, which is like the mecca of the magic community. Anyone who has ever made a name for themselves has performed at the Magic Castle. People I’ve looked up to all my life have performed there.” While his idols were “killing it onstage” as he anticipated, which saved the experience for him as an audience member, he said it was slightly disappointing to see that not all of the performing magicians were as great as he thought they should be to be performing there. “That kind of broke my heart a little bit. There are a lot of magicians that go around and over-promote themselves and its usually that their promotion usually outshines their abilities.” Moreno is a different sort of magician. He humbly asked not to be presented as some sort of card expert or the best magician around. “If you read anything about me, you won’t find anything like that. I always tell people, ‘Don’t say that, please.’ I have a lot of friends that I really admire and adore as magicians and as people, and if they were to read

anything like that they might think, ‘Woah! This kid has kind of the wrong mindset.’ The last thing I want to do is go into an event thinking I’m the best person in the room and have to come to the realization that I’m not. Which I don’t have to worry about because I keep my ego in check; I have my family and girlfriend to keep me in check. But a lot of magicians do not feel that way.” He sees himself simply as a student, and a practitioner of magic. “Magic is something that a lot of people have taken for granted, mostly because they haven’t given it the attention it deserves to be done well. I think people tend to settle at points. I don’t like to do that, I like to practice as much as I can and ask as many people as I can for help and opinions. I’m not afraid to ask for help. But I would consider myself an entertainer as well. Because you can’t have anything without having some sort of entertainment value there. You have to make it interesting for people.” When asked where he sees his relationship with magic to be in 10 years, he answered, “Whoa! 10 years! I would love to be doing magic in Las Vegas or in Hollywood. As long as I’m bringing joy to people with what I do, I’ll be happy.” However, he has other professional goals he hopes to pursue: Moreno wants to be an attorney. “It’s great and I love it to death; it’s given me a great paycheck the last 10 years, it’s taken me around the country, but at the end of the day I don’t want to be the magician who has to be traveling 30 to 40 weeks out of the year, trying to support a family. I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life, professionally. In high school I was always good at mock trial and I love the idea of law, so I’m studying for my LSAT right now and I’m taking it in June.” For now, Moreno feels fulfilled doing what he does, providing experiences for audiences. “I want them to have fun. You want to be able to give someone an experience they’re going to remember, and not just a momentary freak-out. I’d rather just have someone sit there, internalize it, and the moment they realize that what happened, couldn’t have happened- that’s what I like.”

What really gives you the magic is that connection and making it resonate with someone. 13

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Campus story A photo essay by Photojournalism 4326-01

Photo-journalism students were assigned a specific building or area on campus and told to capture what happens in that area. As a campus midtransition, construction and new buildings are part of our story, as are staples of UTPA life like student quad-activites. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your campus story?

Danielle Birnell - UTPA students decorated a float to commemorate the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 homecoming. This will be the last homecoming for the Broncs before the Vaqueros take over in the fall. Javier Guerrero - Education Building

Jennifer Gutierrez - The University Center Statue stands over a granite rock that is engraved with a map of the Gulf of Mexico & the Nueces River.

Bonnie Tisdale - Library Media Theatre 15 Bronc life

(Left) Bonnie Tisdale, (Right) Michelle de los Santos: Bumper soccer on campus. These guys were rolling all over the place.

Juan Pablo Hernandez Engineering Building

Anica Leal -

Engineering Building

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Aissa Chavez - Reflecting Pond Ruben Canales, Jr. - Chapel

(Above) Esteban Olvera - Education Building

Adrian Castillo - Albert Jeffers Theatre backstage workshop

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(Below) Jennifer Gutierrez - Quad

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the often misunderstood

meat-less life

By Katelyn Flores Graphics by Tom Garcia In 2009, only 1 percent of the U.S. population reported to be vegan or vegetarian in their dietary habits, which has since grown to 5 percent, according to the Raw Food World News. One percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but when talking about the U.S. population, that is 16 million people! Though the group is growing in numbers, and they are finding it easier to graze, you still have 302.9 million people in the United States that do not understand the diets of their meat-avoiding cohabitants and many cities have not yet catered to their needs. UTPA students find that their choices are limited on campus and in the area to say the least, and stigmas surrounding their lifestyle still abound in the Rio Grande Valley despite the evidence supporting the validity of their choices.

“One thing I hear a lot is that vegetarians think they are not causing harm, but plants are living things too so really they are just hurting the environment even more,” said UTPA electrical engineering major Amanda Navarro. “I think people just don’t understand it fully so they just try and make fun of it as much as possible. But I think if they understood it, they would see we are helping a little

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bit by not eating meat.” Yes, plants don’t have a say so on whether or not they get eaten. But plants can always be replanted, while there is a possibility of an animal going extinct, and the certainty that an animal died for your consumption. However, says Navarro, “Vegetarianism isn’t all about being environmental and what not. Don’t knock it until you try it. Vegetarians aren’t all hippies. I mean there is that kind of stigma where it’s just like ‘oh you must be a tree hugger. You love animals so obviously, ‘’ said Amanda Navarro. “It’s not all about just protesting the meat industry or anything like that. It’s kind of bringing a little selflessness into it. It will make me feel better. Try it out. People try it out all the time and eventually you will find if it’s for you or not. You could just cut out things slowly and then just altogether if you want to.” “There is such a bad representation in the media of what vegans and vegetarians are that there has to be a change, said UTPA English major Jacqueline Hoshing. She has been a vegan since 2011. “But it’s like everything. There is a lot of celebrities banking in on the fad of veganism instead of realizing that this is a lifestyle that many people have chosen to do. It’s kind of like how people respect other people’s religion; you should respect other people’s dietary things. Because diet and food is a thing that connects you to other people. I begrudgingly respect the fact that you eat meat but I’m not going to be throwing blood on you. Let me eat whatever I want to eat and (sure I’ll give you the stink eye in my head) but I will let you eat whatever you want to eat.” “Suddenly people become nutritionists once they know I’m vegan,” said Ho-shing. “People are always like, ‘Where do you get your protein?’ Or,

‘Why aren’t you dying?’ I don’t pay attention to how much protein I eat. That’s ridiculous. Do normal people pay attention?” The constant terror of soy overdose is always looming over vegans or vegetarians because it is constantly told to them. ‘Oh you can eat it just don’t overdo it okay?’ or ‘Haven’t you had like 3 vegan patties today? That’s too much soy.’ Soy is everywhere. Hopefully, you don’t have a terrifying fear of soy that causes you to lose sleep at night. “That’s like a myth that overdoing soy is bad. There’s genetically modified foods in everything you eat,” said Jacqueline Ho-Shing. “So, if you just look at what you’re eating in general, you’re going to realize there’s soy in everything. Cows eat soy so you’re eating a lot of soy by eating cows.” Along with soy, protein is often the first concern most people have as soon they hear “meat-free diet.” “People say that all the time,” said Navarro. She has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 2 years and has tried many different ways to get her protein intake. “There is a bunch of ways you could get protein. Before, I used to take supplements because I wasn’t really eating right,” said Navarro. “But now I know you could get protein from like, beans of course, and peanuts and all that stuff. You just got to know where to look. There is alternatives for everything, almost.”

Veronica Hayes, Chief Clinical Dietitian at the Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen, also comments on the protein dilemma. “Most protein sources that a vegan or vegetarian can find is in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds, nuts, texturized vegetable protein, and meat analogs like tofu and tempeh.”

Vegans here, Vegetarians there

Observant readers should note that Ho-shing is vegan and Navarro is lactoovo vegetarian. What does that mean? If you were to go on to Wikipedia right now under vegetarian, you would see all of the different variations of vegetarianism. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics does not recognize every variation, but certainly vegan and vegetarian, and many

of its subsets, are recognized as healthy diets. If you still got some protein concerns after a dietician’s statement on the issue, you must have some serious beef with vegans and vegetarians. Still, the vegan diet can be shocking to some due to the limitations. “The vegan diet is avoidance of anything that comes from animal origin- including honey, because it is made by bees,” said Hayes. “The vegan does not consume meat, poultry, fish, or products made from meat, poultry, or seafood (such as gelatin, broths, gravy, and lard). No eggs or products containing eggs. No milk or dairy- No cheese, no yogurt, no ice cream, or anything that contains milk such as whey or casein.” Vegans also do not wear anything made with animal products, like wool or leather. If you were looking to cut down on your consumption of animals but aren’t quite ready to put away your leather jacket, perhaps vegetarianism or one of its subsets could be more feasible. “Well vegetarian normally is avoidance of all meats,” said Hayes. “According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the ones that are recognized under their academy is the lacto-ovo vegetarians and those do not eat meat, poultry, seafood, or products made from meat, poultry, or seafood.” These types of vegetarians still eat eggs and dairy products, but nothing that has animal parts mixed into the food itself. Then there’s the lacto vegetarian, who does not eat any of the previous foods, but also, does not consume eggs or products containing eggs. “Such as in baked goods like pancakes, cookies and things like that,” said Hayes. These types of vegetarians still eat dairy products. “The most often [type of patient] that we get is the lacto-ovo vegetarians,” said Hayes. “Once in a while they say, ‘Well I want to eat fish too,” and that’s fine. It’s their choice. But that’s more of a semivegetarian or a Pescetarian. It means that they will eat some type of fish once in a while so they’re not 100 percent.

Stigmas in the Lettuce

People who are really into weightloss will try different methods to see which will give them the most results. One of the methods is taking on a vegan or vegetarian diet. No one is saying weight loss is a bad thing, but non-vegan/ vegetarians tend to paint a bad picture for vegans or vegetarians who aren’t the fittest and get questioned constantly about their weight. “Well I’m not the most in-shape vegan so I think they’re like, ‘Well why aren’t you super skinny?’” said Ho-shing. “[It’s] because I eat a lot of carbs. And, you know, I don’t work out. [People] have this image of what a vegan is supposed to be like and then they look at me or other people and they’re like ‘Oh, what? That’s not exactly what I thought a vegan was supposed to [look] like.’’’ Navarro chimed in on the veganfor-weight-loss aspect. “I actually know someone who does it for three months just to get that extreme weight loss and then goes back to eating meat. I always question why. I mean, it’s cool that you do it, but might as well just stay off meat if it’s treating you well. Just stop doing itbut to each their own.” Most of the time, people tend to associate all vegans and vegetarians with PETA. This, along with idealistic body image, is also a stigma. “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” is an organization which is very involved with animal rights. Sounds promising, but this too doesn’t put vegans or vegetarians in the best light. “You know PETA is one of those organizations that is like a good “gateway drug” into veganism or vegetarianism, but don’t stay there too long,” said Hoshing. “They do a lot of sexist campaigns to get people into becoming vegan, like with the supermodels who are naked for people to stop wearing fur.” Ho-shing continued. “When [PETA was] in Detroit, they were going to pay families’ water bills to become vegan. That’s not exactly the best representation. When people think of veganism, they think of PETA, but I consider PETA the extremist of veganism.” What outsiders tend to mistake is that every vegan or vegetarian supports PETA. But just like not every person in Dallas, Texas is a Dallas Cowboys fan, that stigma is not true. It’s not a requirement to be involved with PETA, it’s just a matter of your personal opinion.

blunt

“The main thing is to vary your diet because there are a lot of foods out there that are vegetarian or vegan and they may not necessarily be the healthier choices, so try and consume more natural foods like vegetables, fruits, grains and beans. As opposed to potatoes or treats like vegetarian cookies, candies, and ice cream. That’s not varied,” said Hayes. “And it’s the same with people who aren’t vegetarian or vegan- they have to vary their diet too; they can’t just live on eggs, meats and potatoes.” For those of you who are interested in transitioning to veganism or vegetarianism, take Hayes’ advice: “You have to do your research because it’s not an easy diet. If you do it a little slower, it might work out better. First eliminate red meats, or maybe red meats and chicken. And then you can eliminate the fish, then go into the milks and dairy and then the eggs,” said Hayes. “Just take it step-by-step. Then if you eventually want to take it all the way into being a vegan you can. If you want to stay vegetarian, if that works for you, it’s more likely that you’ll be able to get a lot of the nutrients just doing that. It just depends on how far you want to go, but I would recommend to do it a little step at a time and do your research first.” Stigmas are still going to be part of life for vegans or vegetarians, but maybe one should stop to think about how ignorant some questions and assumptions really are. Vegans or vegetarians are not a different species or dropping dead by the diet they are on. They are completely normal people who prefer leaves to meat.

Alright, time to be

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let’s get honest about lying By Samyra Perez & Karen Villarreal Photography by Kevin Martinez What’s your number? Once a cheesy pickup line, now it’s a question brought up at bachelorette parties, during drunken party games, and least-often, in long-term relationships. Sure, it’s a personal question, the possible consequences of which make some people uneasy when their partner finally brings it up. The expectation of virginity is long past us, yet a stigma remains of those with too much experience. This makes it difficult for some UTPA students to admit, both to their partners and to themselves, how many people they have been intimate with. In some cases, lying about the number is seen as less shameful than owning up to the truth, but a lack of honesty could undermine serious relationships. When attempting to develop a relationship there is a system many people follow, beginning with texting, (because phone calls are relics lost to time like love letters) eventually advancing to in-person dates, with all of its butterflies, selfies, and boastful tagging on social media. Then things get real when you have to decide whether or not you’re going to fuck them. Differing views on sexual relationships abound, but by far the prevailing attitude holds a double standard for women who have had their fair share of partners as tainted or promiscuous,

next to the idea of the “experienced” male. While a woman’s number should be as close to zero as possible, a male’s number is excused, even celebrated rather than frowned upon, as it goes up. However, even for men there is the negative idea of a “manwhore,” one whom women avoid because of their one-track mind. Thus both men and women lie about their sex life due to the fear of it affecting their image, which has led many to never bring up the subject at all when in a relationship. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them” is the rule of the day.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them”

is the rule of the day

Whether or not there is intimacy on the first date or prolonged for the third or fourth, curiosity is human nature and at some point you start to wonder where you stand in this person’s track record. We all want to know who they dated previously, what they want in a relationship, why those failed, and what they expect from their significant other. While those are conversations that can be brought up pretty naturally, we also want to know the gritty details- just how many people have you slept with? What’s the naughtiest place you ever did it? It’s awkward, but luridly fascinating. To satiate that curiosity in a non-snooping manner, college students years ago invented games like “21 Questions” or “Never Have I Ever.” Socially intense games mixed with a sizeable cup of alcohol zoom by the small talk of favorite colors or music into those of a deeply personal and often sexual nature. There is no “pass” in “21 Questions.”

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Why do we play? It’s that curiosity. Some individuals fear that they will not meet certain standards, that they’re not having a normal experience. We want to compare ourselves to our peers, because in our society, sex is everywhere: openly expressed in art, films, and music, yet it’s still taboo to have a frank discussion about sex. We don’t know how many is “enough,” so we feel the need to fabricate a more “appropriate” number. Even

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We don’t know how many is “enough,” so we feel the need to fabricate a more “appropriate” number.

in an informal, anonymous survey of 110 UTPA students, the trend in data was that students lied at the beginning and became more honest as the survey progressed. This could be the case with people too, that a lower number will be given in a budding relationships-a number which will later be admitted as inaccurate when trust builds. 69 percent of surveyors admitted to never lying about their number, yet when asked if the number they would share with others

was higher or lower than the actual honest number, 77 percent admitted to giving a lower count of people they have been intimate with. Their reasons for lowering the number ranged from fear of judgment by society and embarrassment, to fear of being seen as “damaged goods” or “inadequate.” One 20-year-old female student admitted to lying about the number of men she slept with. For privacy, we’re referring to her as Jane. She has been using “five” as her response to curious partners. Jane’s actual number is 15, but she feels that might intimidate guys who would take interest in her. She usually gets told, “But you look so innocent,” by friends she has shared her sexual experiences with. After she passed nine, she refrained from bringing up the subject when getting into relationships, since many of her male friends have only derogatory words to refer to women with a large sexual repertoire. “I can make a list of the words used for sexually experienced women that I have heard first hand and I can only think of two for men and even those two words are not demeaning at all.” Even though she was raised in a very open home she still found the need to lie. “I think I lie because I grew up around males and they seem very judgmental when they hear a number past five.” Jane went on to explain how she was raised in a very untraditional family where sex was talked about freely, and she was never made to feel ashamed. When the survey asked why individuals felt the need to lie about the number of people they had been intimate with, a lot of responses in the survey included being from a traditional family, which shaped their attitudes towards what is normal regarding sex. In Jane’s eyes, sex is not something to be ashamed of because it is an intimate act between two people, regardless of whether they plan on getting married, dating, or simply hooking up. Still, she knows it’s not common for women to be as open about the topic as she, especially when it comes to talking about the dreaded number. “I remember being in high school and hearing my friends talk about their first time,” she said. “It was a big deal and from then on I have heard so many females talk about their sex life, but we never asked each other how many guys they’ve been with.” Jake, a UTPA senior, gave his opinion as to what there should be in a successful relationship. The importance of sex is high to this individual.“Holding back isn’t really wanted,” he said. Jake also admitted to lying to his past partners about the number of women he had been intimate with, but still expected truthfulness from them when he needed an answer. He claims his main reason was for healtth concerns. He admits to being a hypocrite, however, because he prefers someone who has had few intimate relationships, but this reason concerns his

so they say, “When you hear a person’s number, add two.”

ego rather than his health. When intimacy is involved he wants to feel confident, and knowing his partner is very experienced would intimidate him and affect his “performance.” Being with a woman who has had various sexual relationships would make him feel “like a number on a raffle ticket.” This is why he refrains from asking the number of sexual relationships his possible partner has had in the past because if and when the number comes up in the future, their relationship will have grown and the numbers won’t have as much importance. As for himself, Jake says he is very aware that having a high number will taint his chances with someone, so he chooses to “destretch” the truth to a number ranging from 10-12. Although sex can make or break a relationship, Jake said ultimately sex is not a foundation for a relationship because personality had to be present, along with good chemistry. Having found a good relationship such as this, some individuals may find lying is easier than telling the truth because of the

amount of weight it can hold in a relationship, whether it is exclusive, official, or still in the trial phase. And so“they” say, “When you hear a person’s number, add two.” Still, it doesn’t seem to actually be a deal-breaker. When surveyees were asked whether they were less likely to pursue an individual who has been with multiple partners the percentage received was 50/50. Various student surveyees reported that the number of partners someone had in the past would not affect their intentions for a serious relationship with the individual. See, honesty is also a foundation for a relationship, Jake. If we’re trying to invite someone else into our lives, and hope to accept them and be accepted by them, we have to first accept our own lives for what they are, a series of experiences. All 15 of them included.

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not

getting any

there are unicorns among us By Karen Villarreal They stay off tindr and grindr. They are believed to not exist, and despite the prevailing notion that literally everyone around us is doing it, it is possible to find them on a college campus. Though you won’t know by looking at a person, it’s possible you’ve been talking to a virgin. Often flippantly lost in high school, virginity is a state of being that shouldn’t affect a person’s life or define their personality any more than being sexually active does. But in a culture as sexcrazed and liberal as ours, adherence to abstinence is a feat of willpower bordering on pure magicor something must surely be wrong with you. With the stereotyping and portrayal of virgins as they are, it’s no wonder virgins don’t wear their inexperience on their sleeves. By the exact age of 20 years, 77 percent of individuals have had sex, and the remaining 23 percent are left holding their V-cards in their very non-magical, human hands. They could probably be having sex if they wanted to-- there are apps designed specifically to facilitate anonymous hook-ups. But the one-night stand takes a certain mix of vulnerability, courage, and horniness that

some people can’t handle or even start to develop an interest in. According to a few individuals in the minority of UTPA students for whom a sexual relationship is out of the question, finding relationships that are fulfilling for both parties can be a challenge. So they haven’t done it yet, or maybe they just want to get to know you first; whatever is or isn’t going on in their pants, they’re still people. Although their relationships might have different needs than those held by the majority, some UTPA students believe sexless relationships are not impossible. They spoke with us about the relationships they have (or hope to someday have) that are built on more than sexual conquest in an effort to remove the stigma of abstinence, the cause of some difficulty in their lives. It’s hard for Mandy*, an education major at UTPA, not to feel discouraged when she can’t get a date just because she won’t go past a certain “base.” She has decided to wait not necessarily for marriage, but for something “real.” A series of bad relationships really cemented her decision, from the first one saying he was OK with waiting (while sleeping with another girl behind her back), to the latest one trying to deflower her on a bet. “His friends bet him money he couldn’t get me to sleep with him,” she shared. “But that didn’t work out and he finally told me about it. He said that he gave up, that they could keep the money, that it wasn’t worth it. He basically told

Graphics by Matthew Sustaita me that he never felt anything. And since then I stopped dating.” Now Mandy hopes to meet someone who will be respectful of her wishes. “I don’t want to be rushed, and I want to know that it’s right. I don’t want it to be a mistake. It has to be not exactly perfect, but it has to be worth it,” she said. “I have to know I love the person; I guess you just know. I know it’s not like fairy tales, but I hope it won’t be a bad time.” The choices made by young people regarding their sexual activity changes over time, and Mandy’s reasons are similar to those reported by sexually inexperienced teens in 2006–2010. The most common reason was that it was “against religion or morals” (38 percent among females and 31 percent among males), while the second and third most common reasons for females were “don’t want to get pregnant” and “haven’t found the right person yet.” This is a change from years before, when the number one reason was fear of pregnancy, followed by disease. Though she was raised with a religious background, Mandy says her reasons would fall under the “moral” category, but really have more to do with her own insecurities. “I guess when I was younger, I was way chunkier. As I grew older I started realizing everyone was losing their virginity,” she said, “I thought, how can you be so comfortable with another person?” This level of comfort grows over time, and Mandy shared that she needs more than a

I just want to find the right guy, a potential guy I think I might marry. Not a guy who would just use me for pleasure.

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By the exact age of 20 years, 77 percent of individuals have had sex, and the remaining 23 percent are left holding their V-cards in their very non-magical, human hands.

hook-up before she’ll be ready.“I really just want to hold back,” she continued. “If the person really cares about you, they’ll stay with you. They’ll wait, they’ll be willing to, that’s how you know they really love you for who you are. Not just want to get in your pants.” Dr. Russell Eisenman, an associate professor of clinical and evolutionary psychology at UTPA, says it used to be the common thing to wait until marriage. “Years and years ago, people were often disrespected for having sex before marriage,” he said, but that it seems to have switched with time and cultural tides. “Today you’re disrespected if you aren’t having sex. But people should be respected regardless of the choice they make.” “Humans are quite variable,” continued Eisenman, “Two people might be next to each other and be incredibly different in some ways and similar in others, but people’s choices should be respected, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody. People can have all kinds of experiences, not maybe what you would expect.” As social beings, we build relationships for many reasons, some biological: sex is a very strong drive. Eisenman explains, “Sex is not crucial, though it often helps a lot. It’s physiologically rewarding; from sex, people in relationships will release a chemical called oxytocin, which makes people feel closer together.” Still, sex is not the only driving force in the formation of relationships, nor the only aspect of life that brings people together. There are many different kinds of relationships, and even romantic relationships might be possible if both parties are interested in pursuing that. “Maybe even if people thought “X” should be present and isn’t, they could still have a good thing even without X, and might be surprised to learn they don’t even need it to be satisfied and fulfilled in a relationship,” Eisenman hypothesized. Similarly to Mandy, Sarah, a 20-yearold political science major, is looking for the

right person to give it up to. “I’m a virgin, but I don’t tell anyone. That’s embarrassing,” she says, blushing. “All my friends have fallen in love, but I haven’t. Since I was in middle school, I wanted to marry young, like by 19, be a young mom and all this stuff. But the date keeps getting delayed because I’m already 20 and don’t even have a boyfriend, so will I be able to have the family in just a few years? Anything can happen but I don’t know. I don’t think so.” So now her priority is school, but because all her friends have boyfriends, she says it can be very annoying and

“I told him that I just want to be able to look back at it and be happy with my decision. And he was ok with it. He said in response, ‘Sex doesn’t define a relationship, people define the relationship.’

she often feels weird for being single. But she hasn’t found a guy she trusts. “I just want to find the right guy, a potential guy I think I might marry. Not a guy who would just use me for pleasure.” She shared that the biggest reason she hasn’t gone all the way before is also that she’s self-conscious about her body. She works out a lot and thinks sex is very personal. “They get to see your whole body, and I’m not a perfectionist, but I want my body to look good,” Sarah explained. “I don’t care what he looks like honestly, but that’s why I haven’t had sex yet. You have to shave and do all this stuff, it’s so weird and awkward.” Still, she hopes to get comfortable enough with herself to lose it before she’s “like 30,” because she sees around her that even people her age already all have serious relationships, sometimes even already married with kids. Still, she’s not convinced sex is as big a deal as everyone else makes it out to be. “What’s so fun about it?” she asked. “Maybe just because I haven’t done it I don’t see what’s so attractive about it, but I don’t see it.” Making sex especially unattractive to Sarah is the stigma in Hispanic culture. Machismo, defined as “strong or aggressive masculine pride,” hasn’t stopped at the border or even in the minds of college students. Traditional households might have normalized misogyny by encouraging daughters to remain “pure for their husbands” while maintaining no such standard for their sons. Sarah observes that guys can do whatever they want, “with like five chicks and it’s not a problem at all but if a girl did it with like three men?” She flushed, but this time it was anger. “Oh you puta tangafloja. In mexican culture, you’re a bruja and nobody will want to marry you- they’ll want to have sex with you but no way, not marry you. And guys? The more mujeriego, there go all the girls after him; and the good ones too! Little mensitas, thinking they can change him and love him. It’s totally crazy and not fair. It depends on the cultures but it’s not fair; a

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Even though I did go through some tough times thinking things like,

“Oh, no-one loves me,” wanting someone to love me and stuff like that,

I didn’t let anyone, you know, penetrate me. girl should be able to do the same things as guys.” Until that day comes, Sarah is going to wait for a guy that will respect her. When it does come, she says she’s not worried about whatever she’s “inexperienced” about. “If I don’t know how to do something,” she said, “He’ll teach me. I’m going to laugh about it later. It won’t be a big deal if it’s with the right person.” Male virgins who are trying to remain so until they find the right person are out there too, and are similarly struggling to find a decent relationship. Mandy shared the experience of a virgin male friend of hers, who complains often to her that girls can’t put the sexual aspect aside. “He says all the girls he meets are only interested in sex and have told him he’s inexperienced and won’t know how to do everything right, and he’s like, ‘It’s pointless because they just want to get laid and leave.’” It might be easy to feel like some sort of horn-dog when considering if you could be happy in a sex-less relationship. Should we love our partners so much that we don’t need to make love to them? According to Eisenman, sex is a normal drive, and in relationships, there really are needs that need to be met in order for people to be satisfied. But the needs are extremely different among people. “Some people’s need is perhaps for sex,” he outlines, “and if this person isn’t going to fulfill it, it’s like anything else. Say there’s three important things to you, and someone can only fulfill one or none of those needs, then I don’t see anything wrong with a person choosing to move on and try to find someone who can better satisfy their needs.” But when you find a person who shares your needs, or is willing to put aside their need for sex and give the relationship a chance, it’s more than worth it, according to Alex, an art major pursuing a BFA in graphic design who is happy to have

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found someone like this. Steve, 21, has been in a non-sexual, but intimate relationship with his boyfriend, Tom for about three years. “We make out and like, touch like a normal couple, but have never had physical sex before.” Part of Steve’s decision comes from a religious place; having attended bible study classes instilled a need to save his body for marriage. But as a homosexual in Texas, he doesn’t think waiting until marriage is a possibility. “That’s never going to happen,” he said. “I guess I decided just to save it until I meet ‘the one.’” For a while, it didn’t seem like he would ever meet someone like that. Steve recalls having a hard time trusting guys. All they seemed to be interested in was sex. “I used to go online and chat with people and right away they would be like, ‘Where do you want to meet up?’ I guess they found it attractive that I was a virgin because I guess they wanted to be my first. Their rush was checking it off their list or something.” But tired of being seen as a prey or a challenge, Steve said he resolved not to let them get in his pants. “I respected myself more. Even though I did go through some tough times thinking things like, ‘Oh, no-one loves me,’ wanting someone to love me and stuff like that, I didn’t let anyone you know, penetrate me.” But he says it was hard to retain interest once they figured out he wasn’t planning on putting out. They wouldn’t want to talk to him anymore and he recalls feeling insecure about himself because of it. “I don’t know if it was that I wasn’t what they were looking for or what. Before I thought I was so ugly; I hated my body.” But then he met Tom. Though he isn’t certain (who ever is?) that he’s found true

love, Steve says he knew Tom was different because “he wasn’t lusting or anything.” Aware that sex matters to other people, Steve said they talked about it on their first date. “While we were eating, I told him I am a virgin and I wanted to wait until it felt right,” he said, recalling that conversation. “I told him that I just want to be able to look back at it and be happy with my decision. And he was ok with it. Tom said in response, ‘Sex doesn’t define a relationship, people define the relationship.’” His degree of experience didn’t matter to Tom, who was more interested in getting to know his personality. Steve said this makes him feel comfortable, that he feels a sense of security being accepted for his choices, and as a person. “Because he’s experienced already, and since he’s my first real boyfriend, he made sure I know it’s whatever I’m comfortable with and he’s ok with waiting as long as I need. It makes me feel like I can trust him.” And as in any relationship, the small things are important. “He tells me I’m beautiful,” Steve said, and then apologized “for being mushy.” Smiling, he continued, “But now I’m more ok with my body and not as worried about having to lose weight or look a certain way. I don’t feel like I have to so somebody else can like me for it.” Steve said there is one other factor

keeping him from going all the way, and it almost caused him to throw the relationship away. He felt really guarded at first, based on those previous experiences. “I had said I love you already but I thought I didn’t really mean it, I mean I wasn’t ready to do it yet, so how could I say I loved him? I told him about it and he said we could go back to being just friends if that’s what I wanted; he just didn’t want to lose me as a person in his life.” Steve said that’s when he realized he was making a mistake and that it was time for him to let his guard down a little for this person who deserved it. “With time, my guard has dropped completely. I believe probably when we’re living together I would be more comfortable with it,” he said about the possibility of his first time coming up in the future. “I don’t want to have to worry about my parents walking in or anything. The lack of privacy does affect us because we’re more intimate when they’re not home so we have to find time when they’re at work or whatever.” But for Steve, the secrecy is for reasons more serious than trying to avoid the potential embarrassment of getting caught getting in the act by a parent. “I haven’t come out to them yet, but I think they already know it and are just waiting for me to say it, but I’m not ready. I always hear the stories of ‘’I told my parents and they kicked me out of the house and I had to take my stuff in garbage bags.’ I’m worried about that so… I’m going to wait. And once I have my own place and can rely on myself for everything else, I’ll feel comfortable with telling them.” For others, avoiding sex and it’s consequences aren’t the main concern. The difficulty in their life is that they want to lose it- and they claim the challenge is real. “I know there are some guys who want to

lose their virginity with a special person and kind of expect that special person to be a virgin as well, but I think those times are disappearing,” says David, a UTPA biology major, and he is half right. According to Guttmacher Institute fact sheet, by their 19th birthday, seven in 10 teens have had intercourse. Currently 19 years old, he’s concerned about his own continuing virginity. “When I was younger, like three years ago, it would bother me if the girl I was with wasn’t a virgin and I was, but now I’m just desperate; I don’t care anymore.” Male virgins sometimes struggle with their masculinity; with our current sexually charged society, they could get the idea that they are the only one left. David explained the stigma as he sees it. “There’s an expectation that virgin males can’t please women and experienced ones can. But any man can do stuff.” He says it’s depressing to not have gotten the chance to see for himself, having never even kissed anyone. Even though he knows there are other guys like him, it doesn’t make him feel better about their situation. “I’m not very good looking,” he self-depreciated. “For one reason or another when I try talking to girls it doesn’t go well.” He sometimes tries apps like yik-yak or online methods to try to get a date and he hopes, finally lose it.

One night he turned to Craigslist. “She asked me for $70. To do it... But I didn’t have too much money because I wasted it on a 3DS.” Though David finds his virginity to be a problem for himself, Eisenman says he and others in his situation shouldn’t worry. “Unfortunately,” Eisenman suggests, “People who are virgins put themselves down too much at times because society puts too much emphasis on sex today. They should not put themselves down, they need not. Will they be frustrated? Yes, because wanting something and not getting it is frustrating, but that’s true of anything. If you wanted to have someone to talk about psychology with and couldn’t find anybody, you would certainly feel disappointed. But you probably wouldn’t feel bad about yourself for that...It doesn’t make you less of a person.” Similarly, those who aim to retain their virginity shouldn’t feel bad about wanting a relationship that doesn’t involve sex, or pressured into doing anything they aren’t comfortable with. Eisenman felt the need to repeat,

She asked me for $70... To do it... But I didn’t have too much money

because I wasted it on a nintendo 3DS.”

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DIY: Balcony Herb Garden Recycle jars, grow plants If you’re living on your own for the first time, chances are you’re eating spaghetti or some other pasta, often. It’s cheap, easy, and healthier than ramen. And if you’re a normal person, you’re most likely just tossing out those empty sauce jars once you’re done cooking. Or you may just have a cabinet full of empty jars, waiting to be turned into that project you pinned to your craft board on Pinterest months ago. We know, you were hoping to “up-cycle,” or repurpose these previously considered junk items in a practical, decorative manner, but rarely does anything come out the way it’s supposed to. As a college student, our best bet at a successful DIY project should probably revolve around our tight budget, busy schedule, and relatively limited life skills. With that being said, let’s start gardening.. Don’t worry, this isn’t a regular garden where you’ll have to bust your chops in the excruciating valley heat. This is garden that you’ll make out of those empty sauce jars and that you’ll keep at your window-sill or balcony, no yard work required. Building your own herb garden is inexpensive, low maintenance, and easy.

So, why gardening?

You’ll get some pretty sweet benefits from growing your own herbs. From a conveniencey and culinary standpoint, you’ll save yourself a last minute trip to the grocery store when you’ve just decided that Basil is just what you need to make your dish complete. And needless to say, fresh herbs are the best kind of herbs, making your dinner that much more enjoyable. Gardening has also been proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation. WIth our attention being paid to a small screen most times and with the pressure of school, work and other responsibilities, this could be just what you need to channel some good energy. Like any living thing, a herb garden will require a little water, a little light, and a tiny bit of attention.

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Here's what you’ll need:

Empty Jar (any size will do) Aquarium gravel (or any other small pebbles) Potting Soil Seeds Or a fully-grown plant from a nursery to transplant

How-to

Start with a clean, dry jar. Fill about one-third of the jar with pebbles. Next, pour in the soil, until you reach nearly the top of the jar. You’ll want to have at least two inches of room at the top of the jar. Drop in your seeds, cover with a light dusting of soil, water, and voila! You will have your very own herb garden as soon as they sprout. You’ll want to check on your garden every three days or so and water as needed- if you notice the soil is a little more dry, feed it! You’ll expect to see some of your herbs, like basil to start sprouting in as fast as four days, other herbs however, can take up to 10 days- just be patient. If you know yourself and know you absolutely won’t be able to wait that long, you can buy many different live herbs in the gardening section which are intended to be transplated into the ground. But living in an apartment, with no ground to call your own, you can transplant half of the plant into a new glass home and grow it on your balcony. Be careful of the plant’s roots when you pull it gently from the pot it came in and move it into your prepared dirt jar. Cover the roots with more soil, water it, and voila! You have an herb garden.

Start with filling about one-third of the jar with pebbles.

BASIL

Basil tastes its best when it’s fresh. Add to your dishes near the end of the cooking process to avoid losing flavor - heat will lose the taste. It’s the main ingredient in pesto. But indoors, growing basil also keeps pests like flies and gnats away.

CILANTRO

Cilantro is one of the easiest plants to grow from seeds, and the entire plant is edible. We’re all familiar with the leaves in pico de gallo, but the brown seeds are a spice -coriander- and the roots can be tossed in soups and stir-fry. Even the flower heads can be eaten in salads.

OATGRASS

Maybe you’ve heard of wheatgrass shakes- oatgrass is nutrionally equivalent, but easy to grow at home! You will have to pulverize it with a power-blender to obtain the nutrients; your body won’t be able to absorb them otherwise. If you don’t want to eat it, it’s still a cute decorative plant, and serves another function for cat owners: Oatgrass is often sold as “cat grass,” an edible treat for indoor cats. Growing oatgrass is easy if you sow the seeds and water them, but before putting into the sun, let the seeds sit in a cool, dark place for a few days until they start to sprout. Then move into the sun until it’s a few inches tall before allowing kitty to nibble on it.

Good to know

-Pebbles at the bottom are essential. Sure they look cute but they serve a functional purpose. The pebbles allow the water to drain down and collect at the bottom of the jar instead of over-saturating the soil.

Pour in your soil until two inches from the top. Drop in your seeds, and cover with a dusting of soil.

-If you have a fishtank that has these pebbles in it, you can use some from there.These will have absorbed some of the aquatic “environment”- yes, the fish wastes, will provide nutrients for your plants. -Excess water, having no hole to drain through at the bottom of the jar, will collect and mold your plant if you don’t drain it. Don’t over-water to avoid the problem, but if you end up with too much water down there, you can simply tilt the jar (while holding down the plant so it doesn’t fall out) and pour out the excess. -The glass of the jar can cook the plant’s roots if left in direct sunlight for too long. That’s why this project is intended to sit on a window-sill, or balcony: a place where they’ll get enough sun but too much. -Once the plants roots reach the bottom of the jar, you will need to be move it to a larger container. If transplanting a grown plant, leave more room in the jar before carefully playing the roots and then filling the rest of the space with soil.

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students raising students

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4.8 million college students are parents By Karina Segovia

Photography by Adrian Castillo Everybody has a different perspective on how to have a successful future. For many, the ideal start is to attend and graduate from an accredited college or university. You’ve just been through at least 13 years of school at this point, what is four more years? Piece of cake. Sounds like an easy enough plan, and according to the 2011 U.S Census Bureau, 24 million people decided to go this route, so it’s no doubt you can too. Not so fast. We have to pay how much to be a student?! We don’t get breakfast, lunch, and our books just given to us? Being a college student can get expensive but there is stuff like financial aid or student loans to help students out. Without the financial concern looming, some of us wake up with our biggest concerns being that one of our newly manicured nails chipped while we were sleeping or trying to figure out if it’s going to be waffles or eggs for breakfast. But it’s not until we realize that one day the student period of our lives will end and start dissecting the lingering question of what we will do with our lives, that we start realizing our current dilemmas and woes are actually kind of petty. Each student has different responsibilities outside of college, and balancing school and a social life could get tough if you have a part time job on top of your 12 hours of school. Time really becomes of the essence when life doesn’t work out exactly as planned and one of those responsibilities happens to call you mom or dad. According to luminafoundation.org, it was reported that in 2014, 4.8 million college students are parents. About 49% were single parents, 32% were Hispanic women and 18% were Hispanic men. UTPA has students of all ages enrolled, and 1 to 3 students in each classroom are parents or have responsibilities like a parent. Drucilla Vela, 22, is a senior majoring in criminal justice who will be walking across the graduation stage in May. She is also a single mother to a four-year-old boy. “I’ve been going to school nonstop since I graduated from high school,” Vela said. She became pregnant the summer after high school and by the beginning of the fall she was enrolled at South Texas College. Once Vela’s child was born, she wasted no time. She took only three weeks off and got back into the swing of school, got her associates

degree and transferred to UTPA. Her ultimate goal once she receives her bachelor’s degree is to work for the United States Border Patrol Customs sometime in the future. While it was sometimes difficult to manage both school and motherhood, she had the support of her mother. She lends Vela a hand when she is running late from school by picking up her son from daycare, which is close to her home. While some student parents like Vela had the capability to continue their education continuously after high school, not everyone’s situation allows them to do the same. UTPA student Salvador Maciel is a full-time student, employee, and dad. He and his wife both became parents at a young age and though

Once Vela’s child was born, she

wasted no time. She took only three weeks off and got back into the swing of school.

they tried to balance it with college like Vela did, it didn’t work out. The couple decided that taking turns going to school was their best option. Maciel worked full-time while his wife attended nursing school, all the way up to her graduation. When it was Maciel’s turn, his transition was not so smooth. He enrolled at UTPA to find out that most of his hours were no longer valid due to the length he had spent away from school- Matthew Maciel, Salvador’s son, ended up attended UTPA at the same time as his pop. Maciel had to start over, but he did not let this discourage him. Since providing for his family was still top priority, Maciel started out slowly by taking one or two classes a semester while he continued to work 40 hours a week as a real estate agent. This semester, his schedule is jam-packed with 21 hours of school on top of

his full-time job, but giving up is no option and he is determined as ever to graduate this summer with his degree in accounting. UTPA art major Ashley Guerrero is in the same situation as Matthew. She remembers her parents attending college when she was younger, but their full time jobs wouldn’t compromise with their school schedule, so they would sometimes take a couple of semesters off in order to keep working, or take night classes. Bonding time wasn’t really in the picture, but she doesn’t hold any grudges against her parents. She understands that they were trying their best to provide for her and her siblings and she’s grateful for it. A few days after Ashley graduated high school, her father graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelors degree in criminal justice. And after 22 years in and out of school, her mother, Elizabeth Martinez, will finally get to walk the graduation stage this upcoming May, receiving a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Houston. She hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting or social media related field. Though the Salvador and Martinez families’ children were already old enough to attend a university while the parents pursued degrees of their own, some student parents have very young children who require afterschool supervision while they go to class. Many universities, including UTPA, provide a daycare service in their efforts to work diligently with student parents, helping them out where they can- often providing jobs that work with student’s schedules. UTPA’s Child Development Center is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., so parents have the ability to attend classes, have a study session if they’d like, and know that their child is safe and close by. Children of students make up 60 percent of the Child Development Center’s charges while the rest are children of faculty. Having children at a young age and remaining determined to get an education is challenging, but there will always be a way to get it done. There are options for student parents, and anyone, really, to continue their education as long as the drive is there. Vela said having her son at a young age while she pursued her degree has been a very rewarding experience. “If I could go back in time I would do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

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Photography by Kevin Martinez

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#24 Shaq Hines Photography by : Kevin Martinez

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our name is changing ¯\_(-_-)_/¯ f*ck At the time of printing, we knew Panorama was going to be re-named along with all UTPA media due to the merger with UTB. The magazine will continue to exist but we don’t know our new name as of April 18. So look out for a magazine next year....

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made for mma By Photography by

By Karina Araujo Photography by Adrian Castillo In minutes, Fabian Saldivar, 29, will face his opponent, the one he’s been training for months to challenge for the featherweight championship belt in the South Texas Fighting Championship Mixed Martial Arts Cage Fights: three time defending champion Javier Obregon, 27. Saldivar has never seen an Obregon fight. He doesn’t watch his opponents’ fights because part of his plan is to not have a plan. Rather than entering the cage expecting something, he goes in expecting anything and then reacts and adjusts.

The Calm He sits in silence, completely composed and serene. The kind of serenity in his eyes, most people only attain through some sort of religious experience, but there he sits, completely at peace, focused and tactful. He reads

Sun Tzu quotes from the notes app in his iPhone, as his hands are wrapped into new, black gloves. And he wears a bright yellow t-shirt, the shade of Bruce Lee’s famous yellow jumpsuit in 1973’s martial arts film, “Game of Death,” with big, black, bold letters across his chest that boast, “THE CHAMP IS HERE.” He puts on his modest white headphones as he gets ready to walk out to the cage and while the crowd hears

Drake’s “Trophies” playing, he is listening to a remix of inspirational speeches. First up is Rocky, “This kid’s gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid’s gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.” It’s almost time to get out there when Ali reminds him why he’s there in the first place, “All you chumps are gonna bow when I whoop him; I know you got him picked. I know you got him. But I’m gonna show you how great I am!”

Saldivar has his back and sinks his arms into Obregon’s neck, compressing his jugular vein and impeding blood return from the brain to the heart. Bronc Life 38

It is apparent that the champ is in his zone. His movements flow, his punches connect and he fights with swagger around the cage. Saldivar walks out serious and resolute. Not looking up once; still calm still collected. There’s a significant crowd of Bruce Lee yellow shirts here tonight, Saldivar’s tiny hometown of Santa Rosa, Texas has come out to support him at the McAllen Convention Center. Obregon, his opponent, fights out of Dallas, Texas. Saldivar is here to bring the championship belt to the Rio Grande Valley-no pressure. He enters the cage and awaits his opponent knees bent, right knuckles on the royal blue canvas. Obregon walks out to Moby’s eerie song, “Flower.” He looks forward, showing his teeth to intimidate, but there’s a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, and a lack of harmony in his stride. Before entering the cage, Saldivar turns to his childhood best friend, Gerardo Zuniga, 29, who has flown in from California to

witness this fight and says, “I got this.” To which Zuniga responds: “I love you, hurry up.” The contenders don’t touch gloves before the fight. The first round begins with Saldivar landing two consecutive kicks. He keeps his hands down, they only go up to mirror, or punch, or fix his hair. When fixing his hair, you can’t quite tell whether he does it to mock Obregon or because, he simply needs to fix his hair while the champion is trying to knock him out unconscious inside a cage. The second round is critical for both fighters. Mid-round while attempting to disengage from against the cage, everything changes. Saldivar’s vision becomes a wheeling, faint blur of lights and shadows delivered by a staggering blow from Obregon’s solid spinning elbow. The vertigo of a near knock out dazes Saldivar but only

for a second as he rapidly regains control in spite of Obregon’s thrashing punches. “Saldivar is STILL going at it, what a machine!!” marvels the commentator. Still calm and collected, he finishes the round on top. Saldivar is anxious to get back to battle. The third round is five minutes of intense scrambles and grappling. Saldivar has begun to weaken Obregon who is visibly tired from the power packed punches he’s been throwing in the first three rounds. Four rounds later, Obregon is on his stomach. Saldivar has his back and sinks his arms into Obregon’s neck, compressing his jugular vein and impeding blood return from the brain to the heart. This is called a rear naked choke hold and with 1:13 expired on the clock, Obregon taps out. Saldivar becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and the champ is here.

Saldivar’s ‘cutman,’ or his person in the corner of the ring, applies Vaseline to his eyelids before a match to allow the punches to ‘roll off’ and avoid cuts, which makes for longer fights.

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The Champ

It’s a sunny Sept. 10, five days after Saldivar’s fight and we have agreed to meet each other at a Buffalo Wings and Rings in Weslaco, Texas to discuss the fight and have a celebratory day drink. I arrive first and as I’m self-consciously waiting alone in a booth. Saldivar arrives and after a few light conversations filled with humor, his seriousness returns as he talks about his fight, mentioning this has been one of his worst performances. To the point of which he wants a rematch because people keep talking about how he got rocked. “I know I won, but I can win better.” It becomes easily apparent that an extreme fixation with competition consumes him. “I feel like fighters say they were born to fight, grew up fighting, fighting is their way of life. That’s not me. I was born to compete. I grew up competing and for me competing is a way of life. When I’m not competing with someone inside the cage, I’m competing with myself to be better than I was the day before.” After lunch, Saldivar asks me to join him in meeting with one of his sponsors and running a couple of errands. One of our stops is at Toys R Us; the champ is also a family man. He has three children, Emma, Adam and Noah. Emma and Adam are 6- year-old twins, Noah, whose birthday is coming up, is 8. His funny, joking demeanor turns sincere and caring as he mentions that his first born is autistic. “He’s crazy smart, and a high functioning autistic, but it’s something that’s there. He really loves this sort of stuff.” He smiles as he picks out a box of LEGO’s. Saldivar says he would never take his children to his fights, they and Lady Di (his mother, Diana, who gets upset when people ask for tickets to her son’s fight after church), have never seen him fight. He prefers it that way.

The Challenge

It’s Nov. 7, and there’s a new challenger at the McAllen Convention Center. His name is Eduardo Bustillos, a 27 year old fighter out of Saltillo in the state of Coahuila, Mexico. With long, shaggy, brown hair, he calls himself the “Komodo Kid.” He is fighting against Fabiano Rodrigues, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt from Manaus, Brazil. Bustillos begins his fight aggressively and is relentless in his attack. He moves at an accelerated percussive rhythm to which Rodrigues is having trouble adapting to. After only 2:38 expired in the first round, Bustillos maintains his perfect fighting record after a brutal TKO to Rodrigues. Bustillos is now 4-0, a clean record. As he says his thanks, he challenges the featherweight champion. “I really respect him, I just want to fight against the best, and he’s the best right now,” Bustillo’s stutters with a hint of uncertainty. Bustillos has no losses. He has 11 years of experience in kickboxing; in comparison to Saldivar’s 2 ½ of mixed martial arts training.

Saldivar is STILL going at it!

what a machine!

marvels the commentator.

I’m sitting next to Saldivar, who smiles a sly, scheming smile as he watches his next opponent. Saldivar’s record is 5-1-0. He lost his pro debut. “I went in there mad; I thought I had to get myself angry. I was throwing hard punches, it wasn’t me. I learned that what works for me is to find that calm place in myself, and stay there.” In the coming months, Saldivar and Bustillos will begin their fight camps in preparation for their face off in February.

The Cage

It is Feb. 27 and the STFC 33 main event of the night, Bustillos vs. Saldivar, will appear in front of a sold out crowd. Santa Rosa is here. Saltillo is here. Bustillos enters the cage armed and ready; this is his opportunity to take the title to Mexico and prove why he is undefeated. Saldivar enters the cage with a cold, a swollen left foot and an aching elbow he injured at his last hard training one week before the fight. A right hook kick to the face from Saldivar wobbles Bustillos as soon as the round begins. This sets the tone for the match. It is apparent that the champ is in his zone. His movements flow, his punches connect and he fights with swagger around the cage. Bustillos is still attacking with unrelenting will, catching Saldivar with a swarm of brutal punches on the ground. The champ recovers stands and continues the battle; hands still down. The first round is over, Saldivar’s

coaches Eli Rodriguez and Chris Cortez warn him: “You’re winning, but put your hands up!!” He stands up eager to return to war, but Bustillos is being examined by the medic after a gash on his cheekbone and a blow to the nose refuse to stop bleeding. He is cleared and the second round begins. Saldivar continues the battle with his signature style that sets his coaches and the crowd on the edge of their seats. “PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” can be heard amongst the cheering. With 2:00 expired in the second round, Saldivar manhandles Bustillos into a triangle chokehold. He forces the undefeated Komodo Kid to tap out into submission. Eduardo Bustillos is now 4-1. He remains on the ground as the medic and his coaches rush in. With Bustillos’ blood on his chest and gloves, Saldivar is declared the winner and still reigning featherweight champion. He is carried out of the cage by his coaches as he immediately feels the rush of cold symptoms he had ordered his body to forget about. The day after the fight, Saldivar is back at Cinco Elite for a Jiu Jitsu seminar, victory is fleeting for the members of Cinco Elite who are constantly working on what can be done better, even after a win. For Saldivar, the goal is to enter the UFC and display his skills on the highest possible platform. The only option is to keep winning. “They keep telling me to put my hands up, but everyone fights with their guard up. That’s not my style. And sometimes winning isn’t enough. You also have to win with style.”

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Enter: #10, Hanna Spets and #6, Frida Farstad-Eriksson 41

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* Spets is photographed here in a #22 jersey instead of her regular #10 due to an injury- she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to sign on for her number again, so she was given #22 for the fall.

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life on the field By Ameera Khan Photography by Adrian Castillo

The routine of some UTPA students begins with a 5:40 a.m. alarm- no snooze button for them. Can’t be late to the 6 a.m., hour-long weight training session that starts the day. Then a short nap. Soccer practice. Shower. Eat. School. Sleep. Repeat. That’s five times a week every week for almost 150 days, the limit placed by the NCAA Division I Rules and Regulations. It’s a given that many students thrive on being able to play for a team--after all, intramural sports and official collegiate level organizations like the NCAA exist to serve all students. But apparently, student athletes not only thrive; they develop super-human time-management abilities that allow them to maintain that schedule and still have a normal college experience- if you can call waking up at the crack of dawn a normal college experience. Even in a university where college sports aren’t the main obsession of the student body, and despite the fact that most athletes stop playing sports high school, college athletes aren’t completely unheard of. For them, the experience worth having is on the field. It’s been proven time and time again that although first year programs have to play at their absolute best so that they can start off strong, they don’t have much success in terms of winning streaks or support. So even before the UTPA Women’s Soccer team laced up for their first game, they weren’t expecting the greatest season. But they played with such ease and style that these game-changer actually defied the first-year-program-curse and had an astounding season. Not only did they surpass the average amount of

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wins (five) for a first year program in Texas, but according to their NCAA standings, they also finished the regular fall ‘14 season with a .500 record and qualified for the WAC Championship playoffs after just one season of playing. It’s easy to tell that this team is nothing short of an amalgam of talent. The roster is filled with players from all over Texas and the United States, Canada, and even as far as Sweden. If you’ve ever been to a women’s soccer game, you can easily spot out the Swedes even from a distance by their height, blonde hair and light skin. But if you get close to the action, you’ll see what really distinguishes them: technical footwork and their ease of playing. They’ve traveled over 5,520 miles just for their love of the game. Enter: #10, Hanna Spets and #6, Frida Farstad-Eriksson. Defender Frida Farstad - Eriksson, an 18 year-old Psychology major hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, is known as the most energetic and focused player on the team. She first started playing at the age of six with a few of her guy friends back home. She realized that playing soccer with a girl’s team was what she wanted to do. Before signing on to play for the Broncs, she played for FC Djursholm, a well-known Division I team back in Sweden, where she led the team to the Gothia Cup U-19 Championship. Although she had a few offers from other, more established programs all around the country, she felt that choosing UTPA offered the greater benefits. “The first year program thing was what really drew me here because

it sounded exciting, you know,” said Farstad-Eriksson. “New feel, new conflicts, new everything.” Freshman management major Hanna Spets, who co-captained the team during the season and plays as a midfielder, said her soccer career also began when she was a kid when her father decided to start a little team for fun. “People realized that I always wanted to win and was really competitive. I always wanted to improve my skill,” she said. “Since the moment I started, I’ve never wanted to stop.” But she says she ended up at UTPA by coincidence. “Back home in Sweden, I was playing with my team, QBIK, the second-highest ranked team in Sweden. We went to the game and I sat on the bench for the first time. I was frustrated because I wanted to play, obviously. And then, I got subbed-in during the last twenty minutes, and I played as hard as I could because I wanted to prove to my coach and former team that I was good enough to be on the starting lineup. Afterwards, I found out that a college coach was there on vacation, watching the game. He contacted my club and said he was interested in me playing for his first year team.” After exchanging emails, a meeting was arranged in December 2013, at which Spets was convinced that America was the path for her. “This is it. I’m going,” she remembers saying. “I was injured at the time but I told myself that I would work every single minute to get better for college. I didn’t plan to come here before getting the offer. Even though I heard players on my team and friends of mine that would go and play college ball, this great opportunity came and popped out of nowhere.” Spets says that when she officially got an offer to play for UTPA, she told her parents and thankfully, they were very supportive of her decision. “I’ve always wanted to have success in soccer and have a career in soccer, so they were really supportive of me going here. They’re really happy for me [and the fact that] I am reaching my goals, the ones I’ve been dreaming about since I was 6 years old.”

Adjusting to the 956

It’s obvious, to say the least, that Sweden and the Rio Grande Valley are in stark contrast to each other. Trying anything completely different from what you’re accustomed to is open-minded. But embracing a completely new culture is nothing shy of courageous. Spets, known as the diplomat of the team, was awarded the WAC Offensive Player of the Week award in the fall. She had never been to the United States until just a few months ago, but says she had a rather easy transition to the Valley life. “I didn’t have any expectations, but when I first got here, I realized how I’m one of the only blonde people around here. It’s a little like a Mexican bubble, with people talking Spanish and everything. It’s not at all a bad thing.” The temperature change, on the other hand, took some getting used to but Farstad-Eriksson acclimated like a true local. “In the beginning when we came here in early August, it was a real shock because it’s so hot here! In Sweden, people go around in shorts when it’s 68 degrees and now I’m wrapped up in a sweater when it’s that ‘cold,’” joked Farstad-Eriksson. Being in completely different time zones doesn’t help when trying to remain in touch with family back home. Spets said that although she tries to communicate during the week via Skype and phone calls, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find the time to do so. But the way she sees it, she didn’t come all the way over here to spend her time on the phone. “Even though I have family back home, I live here and they live there. It’s important to live in the present and be where you are, and I think I’m doing that pretty well; I’m not homesick so I feel pretty good.” Even though home and blood family is thousands of miles away, Spets has found that friends and teammates have become a supportive force that really helped them feel at home.“When I’m here in America I have my family here. The team is my family. If I call home with a problem, my family back home won’t know what to do, but my teammates here can give me advice and help me out. It’s important for me to live here and be where I am and take care of things while I’m here.” From going on team outings to bowling nights, visiting the Festival of Lights in Hidalgo, to huge group dinners, the girls are constantly surrounded by their teammates. “All of us are freshman and live in the same dorms, on the same floor. We live like door to door to each other

so we see each other all the time,” said Farstad-Eriksson. While she admitted that it can be annoying at times (who hasn’t said that of living in the dorms?), it’s been good for the most part and she’s taking the whole experience as it comes. “We’ve made it this far,” laughed the defender. “If I’m closed off, I’m just going to be miserable. If I don’t embrace it, what’s the point of coming over here?”

Balancing Academics and Athletics

In addition to being an athlete, one of the major criteria to being a student athlete is to be a full time student in college, taking a minimum of 12 hours per semester, and with Spets and Farstad- Eriksson, it’s no different. Considering how inflexible game schedules are, as well as how many hours are being dedicated solely for sports, being a student athlete can be tough, and it’s easy to tell who is serious about the game and who only consider sports as a leisure activity. “It’s really hard sometimes, said Farstad-Eriksson with a serious tone, “but you have to be really strict with your planning and have time set up for when you study and do other things because for example, in the fall, we would travel a lot for the season, but we also have resources to things like study hall and the P.O.W.E.R. Center to study. We have a lot of support from tutors and student athlete advisors are great. They make it easy for us if we put in the effort.” With the tight schedules and days off for traveling and playing, having a good relationship with the professors and faculty on campus is essential. One of the most important things to realize is that education, more than anything, comes first. But for Spets, whose main reason for coming to the United States was to play soccer, being able to get a bachelor’s degree while playing is just an added bonus. “I’ve always wanted to come here. It seems really cool to represent my school, travel and play soccer for the school. It’s always been in my dreams, basically, but I never decided this is what I was for sure going to do. I was still in a contract and everything, but when this opportunity just popped out, there’s no way I could turn it down,” said Spets.

Looking Past the Goal Post

For most of us, being able to travel outside the Valley in search of seeing the world is exactly what we need, but for a couple of outsiders who have traveled thousands of miles just to play ball and get an education, it’s the exact opposite. “Now that I’m here, I don’t want to go back [to Sweden],” said Farstad - Erikkson. “I really like it here. Just from the first semester, I feel like I’ve grown a couple of inches in my mind. I feel like I’ve matured, so it’s a great journey. I love it here, really, and I’ve always dreamed of going to America and playing soccer. I don’t want to give up on my dream and go home.” Spets echoed the same sentiments, saying that it’s important to build a strong foundation here for the future of women’s in the Valley. Although it’s only been one year of women’s soccer at UTPA, the girls know that their legacy is one that’s bound for greatness. When asked about the transition to UTRGV, and the future of women’s soccer, they both had the same feeling. “Even though I’m honestly pretty heartbroken because I love Bucky, I feel like it’s going to be good and cool because a lot of new stuff is happening and it seems exciting.” Being the co-captain that she is, Spets spoke hopeful words for the future of the Valley’s love for soccer. “What we accomplished for a first year is fantastic. We set a really good base for the future and I’m hoping that because of it, [the love for soccer] will spread more and more. I hope a lot of people will really open their eyes in the community and say “Oh my God, women’s soccer is a really cool sport” and grow to respect it even more. They should like it and enjoy is as much as others.” “After all,” said Farstad-Erikkson, “we play for you!”

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confusion on both sides By Carl Zayas As incongruous as it may seem, it took this year’s Oscars to neatly sum up the political divide in this country. Two particular movies divided the nation, and I had never been more excited to hear an Oscar result. Liberals were championing “Selma,” contending that the movie was historically significant and relevant (given the chaos that ensued over the summer with black men being killed by police officers) but that it would be ignored because of the bias Hollywood shows toward people of color. Conservatives, meanwhile, held that “American Sniper” was a film all real Americans should see. They claimed it was a love letter to all veterans, but that it would be ignored because Hollywood was biased against veterans and conservatives. I was so excited to read that “Birdman” won, not because I thought it was the superior film, but because I couldn’t wait to see the fallout the next day, and I was not disappointed! Snubs! Snubs all around! Both camps felt their movie of choice had been cheated; The liberal reaction to Selma receiving only two nominations (neither of which were won) was reflected in the conservative outrage that American Sniper won only one award out of the six it was nominated for. The fact that both films failed to win best picture doesn’t prove that Hollywood is biased against one more than the other or at all, but the audience’s reaction is a prime example of Americans’ cultural-political confusion.

You cannot simply have questions anymore, or lean in the middle of an issue, you are either for it or against it. I have been observing the Liberal vs Conservative debate for quite some time now, and instead of fighting for one side, I have chosen to kick up my feet with a bag of Cheetos and enjoy the show. Since my 20’s (circa 2002 to 2012), I have noticed a trend in political discussion, such that both sides seem to run parallel. You cannot simply have questions anymore, or lean in the middle of an issue, you are either for it or against it. I believe this polarization is a detriment to our political atmosphere. With only 36.4 percent of the voting-eligible population casting a vote in the 2014 General election midterms (the lowest voter turnout since World War II, according to early projections by the United States Election Project), it’s clear that America, as a country, doesn’t have a lot of

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faith in its ability to influence the government, or perhaps doesn’t know enough about the issues, or maybe doesn’t care. But some people do care, and do so extremely. Thus we have the liberal and conservative camps, and the other 60 percent of the country that needs to start paying attention to what they’re arguing about. After 9/11, there was a rise in conservative causes. American civil liberties were gambled in the name of defending our country, with Bush’s controversial USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 becoming law, a backronym that stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” If you objected to the potential for civil rights violations, it was un-American, after all

“What do you have to hide?” Thus,“Liberal” became a bad word. Liberals, feeling that they were being treated unfairly, unjustly targeted and persecuted because their views did not reflect society’s, found hope in 2008 when Barack Obama was voted into office. The conservative reign of terror was over! Social issues, like abortion and gay marriage, now split the country in half. “Conservative” became the new insult, and it was the Conservative camp’s turn to feel that they are being treated unfairly and unjustly persecuted because their personal views do not reflect society’s. The Liberal reign of terror is now upon us! Is there a difference? First things first, it is not recommended you Google these terms as your sole source. You may get a few dictionary terms, but you

”Conservative”

believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society. most assuredly will find articles from the other side bashing the term in which you were checking. Comparison websites are almost always biased. The Merriam-Webster definitions of each are as follows: ”Conservative” – believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society. “Liberal” – believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change. If only it were actually so simple, we would have no controversy. But if we go to the website Conservapedia. com and look up their definition of a Liberal, we find “Someone who supports liberalism,” and to paraphrase, who supports Obamacare, censorship, and denial of Christ. A Liberal’s definition of a conservative is one who “Opposes a great deal of change, stands up for traditional principles and fears everything that’s new or different.” That wording certainly escalates emotions, and things can get nasty fast. I personally go to the liberal website Americans Against The Tea Party as well as the conservative website Independent Journal Review to comment and converse with people. I do not go these sites to troll. I feel I am informed on the issues, yet I am open to new ideas and am not afraid to be wrong. This is why I frequent both sites for social views, because if you don’t know both sides you’re not making a truly informed decision. For instance, the controversy in the summer of ‘14 over Mike Brown and Eric Garner took over the majority of these sites. AATP took the stand of racial profiling and police brutality gone too far. IJR took the stand that belligerent citizens attacking an authority figure will pay the consequences. These are two logical sides of an important issue, worthy of debate and discussion, which could result in changes to laws and affect the lives of all Americans. This heated topic got even hotter as Liberals and Conservatives started throwing each other under the bus. The commentators on AATP, tired of the conservative authority figures

always tossing their weight around, were advocating for the police officers involved to stand trial, and because of this, an uprising was imminent! IJR commentators were tired of liberal bullies trying to do whatever they want, destroying the reputations of the police officers, and because of this, an uprising was imminent. I’m sure by now both liberal and conservative readers are having thoughts of the other side that makes their blood boil, or vomit with rage! Please allow me to pull you back for a minute, and ask you, why do you hate the other side? I can present any number of issues that Liberals and Conservatives fight over, and every time you get completely opposite views. There is one constant, and it’s the worst part: Neither side is willing to listen to the other. Are you sure you know what the other side is fighting for, or that there is even a fight to be had? For example, after a tragic event or natural disaster, political leanings tend not to matter when volunteer work is called for. We all seem to be good hearted and are not actively looking for doom to befall the other side (I hope). Still, statistics are thrown out as to which political camp is more charitable, conservatives or liberals. Similarly, something I constantly see in the news and going viral are tragic stories, completely devoid of political leanings, used as a springboard for political discussions in the comments section. For instance, any story that involves a military member surprising a love one coming home after a long deployment, or someone overcoming an incredible odd. These stories are meant to show the strength of the human spirit and bring us all together as people. Yet there is always one oftenanonymous person who throws out the first insult, turning something cute into a heated political debate. Our constant need to be entertained and the immortalizing effects of socialmedia feed the political fire. Politicians say dumb things, both right-and-left-wingers say dumb things. There used to be a time

when we laughed and moved on, but now, every slip-up is recorded to be presented as damning evidence of the entire party’s failings. Is it helpful to know every dumb thing Michelle Bachmann and Joe Biden ever said, or even relevant to our decisions about their leadership? No, it seems to be we fight and try to embarrass each other just because we like it. We live in a world where terrible shows get ratings because we watch them just to write snarky comments about the terrible show, where we share things on twitter and Facebook in the flash of an eye, rarely taking the few minutes needed to fact-check. It’s the same nonsense world that won’t listen to both sides before choosing. We work off of emotion these days, not logic, so we get worked up about any and every issue. Everyone tends to look at the Republicans as the conservatives, and the Democrats as the liberals. You choose an adjective for yourself, and without being 100 percent certain you agree, go along with what that group wants and in doing so, propagate the two-party system. Both sides are comfortable fighting against just themselves. They know their audience and where they stand on all issues, so it’s not a risk for either group to take extreme positions, polarizing the country. It looks like times are constantly changing, redirecting the political current every election cycle. This is what makes politics exciting in America, but also makes political debate taboo. When you can’t talk about important things at the dinner table for fear of insulting someone, the ignorance of the general population will only perpetuate until only the extremists are voting the most extreme into office. We need to talk about things, so we can figure out what’s best for us all as Americans, not for one group or another. I myself have issues near to my heart I will go to bat for, but to me it is not worth running down another human being just to be “right.”

“Liberal”

believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change.

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TURKEY

SYRIA LEBANON

IRAN

ISRAEL

WEST BANK

IRAQ

ISLAMIC STATE PRO-ASSAD FORCES OTHER REBELS CONTESTED KURDISH-CONTROL IRAQI SECURITY FORCES (ISF)

KUWAIT

SAUDI ARABIA

“Reuters produced this detailed map showing populated areas where a government or non-state armed group is dominant or control is contested. Maps shown on TV and elsewhere are often misleading because they usually depict vast areas of uninhabited desert being under ISIS control when in fact these are areas essentially outside any human control. These kinds of maps can do no more than attempt to represent a moment in time (Sept. 5 for Syria and Aug. 20 for Iraq) in an environment where the lines of control are continuously shifting. By early 2015, the military campaign against ISIS had resulted in the group suffering small territorial losses in Iraq while making gains in Syria.”

america intervenes Since the first airstrikes in August, President Obama has authorized

more than 150

airstrikes

in Iraq and Syria. 51

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Over the summer, people from every continent witnessed the rise of a seemingly new militant Muslim group in the Middle East with the memorable designation of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). However, there isn’t much that is new about this group given that its allegiances and the areas it has held stem as far back as 1999, which also lend credit to the various name changes we’ve more-or-less become accustomed to (ISIS, ISIL, IS). Depending on the areas held by ISIS at different points in time, like Iraq and Syria (particularly al-Sham) their monikers have varied, beginning with Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (JTJ) which more-or-less translates to “oneness and jihad,” though the group announced in September that they would simply be known as IS – for Islamic State, which led to speculation about ambitions held by the militants limited to no particular region. Eventually declaring allegiance

Source: http://warincontext.org/

By Johnathan Salinas to Al-Qaeda Central and therefore becoming a long-time associate, branch, and affiliate of AQC in Iraq – most of us did not hear about the Islamic State – as we now know it – until the widely-circulated, videotaped beheading of American journalist James Foley made national and international headlines in August. Until the Foley video, Americans had rather become used to being addressed by Al-Qaeda leadership usually demanding the immediate retreat of U.S. armed forces from various parts of the Middle East; a video-taped beheading with a message for the United States was unheard of. Consequently, questions began to surface. Many asked, who are they and what do they want? Others inquired as to what was the relationship between the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Are they enemies? And of course, some wondered whether or not the U.S. and British intervention of 2003

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Source: http://forusa.org/

an unsettling impression has begun to congeal

- one of unhealthy cynicismthat believes that

nothing

that the U.S. may do overseas, especially in the Middle East,

can ever be of any good.

had anything to do with the rise of these militants. Reactions to the Foley beheading did not only give rise to urgent questions, but also to a seemingly more urgent response directed at how the U.S. should proceed, or rather, how not to proceed. The video in question, as unusual as it was, did not only contain a decapitation of a journalist, it also contained a further threat toward another journalist being held by the name of Steve Sotloff who, at the time, faced a similar threat, though the threat would ultimately come through. And in an instant, the reminiscence of spring 2003 kicked in and demands that the U.S. not “overreact,” to recent events and drag

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Americans into another conflict in the Middle East surely emerged. Op-Eds published by mainstream news outlets like Slate, CNN, MSNBC, apprised the Obama administration to not “drag” the U.S. into another “pointless” war. Indeed, one of the most memorable moments during the time of preempted anti-war sentiments came when CNN anchor Erin Burnett went head-to-head with former Ambassador Paul Bremer, the U.S. envoy appointed by President Bush to oversee the transition of Iraq, in which Burnett, after allowing Bremer to outline his suggestions that included terrestrial and celestial military action, had the following to say by way of response: “A lot of people are watching you right

now and they’re hearing you give your ideas on what to do and they’re saying, ‘but aren’t you the guy who got us in this mess? You’re the guy who ran Iraq for President George W. Bush.” Indeed, Burnett adumbrated a point to Bremer that many Americans feel and that surely many Americans were indeed pondering. One of those Americans is The University of Texas Pan American’s Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Sam Freeman. I spoke with Dr. Freeman in January to see what he had to say regarding possible military intervention in response to ISIS, and after a long chat about previous foreign affairs the U.S. has been a part of, particularly Vietnam, Dresden, Nagasaki, all the way to today’s Iraq, Freeman had the

following to say: “When ISIS cut off the head of that American Journalist [James Foley,] they cut his head off with the full expectation that Obama, in his imperialist stupidity, would retaliate, not diplomatically, not economically, but militarily. And that is exactly what they wanted. If you’re my enemy and we’re in a conflict, the last thing I want to do is what you want me to do because we’re in a conflict. If I do what you want me to do, then you’re luring me into a trap, you’re setting me up.” The retaliation Freeman was referring to is slightly unclear, given that President Obama had ordered his first airstrike in Iraq as early as Aug. 8, while also dropping humanitarian aid to the Yazidis (a religious minority who mostly reside in the northern provinces of Iraq) after being exiled to exposure in the unforgiving heights of Mount Sinjar. Since the first airstrikes in August, President Obama has authorized more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, though mostly Iraq. In any case, Obama reemphasized his determination to be “vigilant and relentless” immediately following the execution of Foley. Despite reenergized airstrikes as a potential retaliation, Freeman went on to suggest an alternative route to combating the Islamic State: “These people [ISIS] are going to have to be allowed to destroy themselves. And they will if you just give them the opportunity. The first thing you do is you don’t give them what they want, you don’t respond militarily. The second thing you do is you move to isolate them. You find out where the money flows are coming from…” It is not entirely known how The Islamic State receives all of its funding, though its income is diversified through ransoms, the overtaking of banks in the northern cities of Iraq, and there is some speculation regarding funding from Saudi Arabia, though the latter is inconclusive. Nonetheless, Freeman goes on to add that further steps would include influencing Turkey to secure its borders to prevent the flow of recruits into Syria, and lastly, to force the Iraqi government to resolve its sectarian grievances, including the Kurdish people. Ryan Padgett Wolfe, senior and history major/pre-law student at UTPA may agree more with Former Ambassador Bremer, however: “I believe that first we need to secure the Syria-Iraq border and cut off any arms that may be funneling from Syria and Iran into Iraq and work from the outside-in. Once we’ve negotiated cease fires and – ‘cause we can decimate any military opposition in the country, which is why they usually attack us with IEDs or ambushes and kill zones because they cannot stand up to our military – but if we can get a United Nations force in there, we can occupy the country and leave it to where we can have the Kurdish forces, the Sunnis and the Shi’ites negotiate a provisional government or a three-state solution, and once those have been reached, we can then leave a Status of Forces

Agreement to ensure – at least provisionally – for 5-10 years to see how the new government maintains. Though both sides of the argument contain an element of border security, sectarian resolution, and the removal of The Islamic State (either through their isolation or military defeat) the origin of The Islamic State diverge. According to Freeman, through a combination of the U.S. intervention of 2003, and the continual fight in Iraq against insurgencies, the rise of The Islamic State, which has gotten a lot of support from Sunnis in the region, is the aggravated result of U.S. foreign policy in the area: “ISIS was formed out of desperation,” said Freeman. “With – ironically – the help of the U.S.” Wolfe, on the other hand, would agree that the U.S. contributed to the rise of the extremist group, though for a different reason. Wolfe maintains that retreat from Iraq in the year 2011 was the fatal mistake that allowed for The Islamic State to gain the power it has. But the question lies as to why The Islamic State divided from Al-Qaeda. Idealistically, both groups have the same vision: to establish a form of government called a Caliphate. Among Muslim scholarship, there are several ways of defining how a Caliphate would look like, but simply, if ever a universal definition, it would be an Islamic government led by a Caliph (the highest religious authority under the Caliphate). Though the ends are the same, the means are quite different. ISIS, at the time, being the AQC affiliate in Iraq, had a division within its leadership at around 2013. A man by the name of Abu Balkar Al-Baghdadi assumed leadership of ISI (Islamic State of Iraq) in 2010. And like every revolutionary, he sought to expand his influence and did so by assuming leadership of the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate. Baghdadi received swift orders from Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden’s successor, but replied with a command for Zawahiri to pledge allegiance to him, lest he be against God’s ways – excommunication, in other words. The division occurred and the rest was history. The Islamic State has gone on attempting to establish their version of a Caliphate with some regions of Syria and northern cities of Iraq, steadily making their way toward Baghdad, Iraq’s capitol city. What is interesting to notice, however, is the understated fact that the Iraqi army is defending its country from religious fundamentalists. The reason this is interesting to point out is because of an unsettling impression has begun to congeal. This impression is one of unhealthy cynicism, a kind of cynicism that believes that nothing that the U.S. may do overseas, especially in the Middle East, can ever be of any good. After Burnett expressed her concern to Bremer, she played a clip from the day he announced in Iraq that Saddam Hussein had been captured. In this clip, Bremer outlines how

the various peoples in Iraq can work together for a democratic and prosperous country. Upon ending, Burnet doesn’t skip a beat in saying that none of that came to pass, to which Bremer replied, “No, actually, Erin, you’re wrong. Every single bit of that came to pass. They have the Arab world’s most progressive constitution, they’ve conducted six elections since I made that speech, all whom were elected democratically. [Interruptions…] Just a minute. Their per-capita income today is six times what it was when I made that speech, the Iraqi Army defeated Al-Qaeda. All of those things came true.” It is more or less stated as common wisdom that the intervention in Iraq was a failure and a crime. If the intervention was such a criminal failure, then the logical consequence of not having removed Hussein from power has to be accepted, which hitherto would mean that a psychopathic dictator who never came into compliance with U.N. resolutions would still be the owner of Iraq, whereby its citizens would have continued living under fear of having to attend and applaud an execution of one of their family members for upsetting the leader somehow; the Iraqi people and parliament would have never debated and discussed a constitution on several broadcasting stations and newspapers, whereas it was death to see or possess, respectively, any of those things; the Kurdish people who have opened vacation resorts and a University where they teach Western Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and John Adams and other liberal arts, may never have been built. In other words, whenever it is sneeringly said that the removal of Saddam Hussein was such a stain on American history, it is not an insult to those of us who support an independent and free Iraq (though it is), but rather it is an insult to the independent and free Iraqis who proudly take up arms to defend their country from religious fascism. The United States decided to reverse course on a foreign policy that pandered to foreign despots like Hussein in 2003, it is only a matter of realizing it. Also, it is false to say that it is our fault that these terrorists hate us. These terrorists are not just killing Americans, they are killing other Muslims for wanting to live under a tolerant, democratic system that allows them to practice their faith and live their life in any way they would wish. They are not a result of desperation and unemployment, they are the cause of desperation and unemployment. Standing with Iraq would not be sticking our noses in other people’s business. The Kurdish and Iraqi security forces have called upon the U.S. to assist in this fight to uphold the values of western civilization. The evil hour may no longer be postponed, and the time to take a stand of solidarity with Iraq, or not, has arrived.

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squandered the economic consequences of illegal immigration are quantifiably vast.

Can our economy sustain it? By Gabriel Galvan Graphics by Kevin Martinez America is more than just a geographic marker, and the label of being American reaches beyond simply being born in a specific area. There are roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants living amongst the denizens of America, and their lives influence our country’s economy and culture regardless of their documentation status.

While American culture values freedom and justice, and liberty for all, along with hard work and self-reliance, there is an apparent divide between what America claims to stand for and the legal machinations of the U.S. government, which refuses to recognize these millions of inhabitants as its own. It has been claimed by some media outlets that immigrants’ influence is detrimental to American culture and economy. While cultural attitudes are matter of opinion, the economic consequences of illegal immigration are quantifiably vast. Can our economy sustain it? Before blaming this large population of undocumented people for the downfall of America’s economy, nuances need to be examined. According to Gallup, the USA is the most desired country to move to internationally. Roughly 165 million people would relocate to America if they could. Of the 19 percent of the adult population of Mexico who would resettle, about half would resettle in America if it were possible. Although the reasons for their relocation are generally economic (America is rife with career opportunities), some immigrants come here seeking asylum and the safer American infrastructure in which to raise their children. Gang and drug related violence is certainly a contributing factor in the spike in illegal immigrants. According to the

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Human Rights Watch Organization, 60,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug and gang related violence in Mexico from 2006-2012. Similarly, according to a study done by the UN Refugee agency, 58 percent of the recent Central American immigrants came here “fearing conditions back home.” In addition to the social causes for the exodus of individuals from their home countries, the demand for cheap labor in the U.S. combined with the rapidly devaluing Mexican peso has created an economic scenario which drives some of the mexican labor force to migrate to America for work. However, the workers coming to America are doing physical labor: factory-farm producepickers, construction workers, people who spend hours skinning and gutting catfish… These are the kind of abysmally paying jobs that seem to disproportionately fall in the hands of immigrants (documented and undocumented).* American natives don’t find these jobs appealing; according to an analysis of the census by the Center for Immigration Studies, out of the 472 civilian jobs, only 6 are majority immigrant. However, it may not be prudent to completely accept the census as fact since companies may be hesitant to disclose to a government agency and other organizations how many undocumented workers they hire. Possibly due to the lack of accurate information regarding immigration, the jobs immigrants take is still a point of contention; some claim immigrants sequesters jobs that Americans would do were they not being taken away. But it doesn’t seem, according to a various stories, that Americans are willing to do these jobseven at increased wages. In Georgia, lawmakers and police began to crack down on undocumented immigrants working the peach plantations. Because of this, the undocumented migrant labor force was removed but the agricultural community in Georgia needed workers. So the Georgian plantations began to rehire the Georgian

populace. Given the fact that there were 11,000 vacant agricultural jobs, and an unemployment rate of 10.1 percent at the time of this story, it should have been easy for the growers to find eligible employees. Oddly it wasn’t, and many of the people who did take the jobs complained that it was too difficult. Thinking the problem would be resolved by increasing the wage of plantation workers and other menial workers, the growers in Lake County were willing to pay up to $150 a day (almost 15 dollars an hour) for American labor, but there was no one willing to work. It would appear that in teams of the job market, undocumented immigrants work extra hard for less pay, and the U.S. reaps the benefits of immigrtant labor in the form of unclaimed taxes and cheap products. Yet a common narrative is that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes, but exploit the system by using tax-funded resources such as welfare and public utilities like roads and schools. “Undocumented immigrants (get to take advantage of) living in a prosperous economy, a country with national defense, an adequate police force and other public services,” conceded James Gleason, political science lecturer at UTPA, yet “Undocumented children are allowed in Texas schools. It’s one of the interesting paradoxes of the republican party. It’s by design. The economic powers like undocumented workers. Not only is the cheap labour exploitative but it also devalues the value of legal American labour.” Aside from taking unreported pay, undocumented citizens affect the economy through taxes; Gleason says there is considerable debate over whether or not illegal immigration is beneficial for the united states or whether it costs the government money. “I think the majority of that research suggests that illegal immigration is an economic plus to the United States- that it actually provides more money and resources that the government spends.” For contrary to

americans

What obligations

does a civil society have to its

undocumented inhabitants? popular belief, undocumented immigrants do pay taxes. However, they do not pay federal taxes. “The first thing you have to know is that Texas has a regressive tax system,” said Gleason. A regressive tax system require those with lower incomes to pay a higher percentage of their income on such taxes. “That doesn’t mean [immigrants] do not pay taxes,” he said. “In fact many Americans, and if you listen to popular political rhetoric, most Americans do not end up paying income tax. They will however pay payroll taxes which represents 7.65 % of their income.” But most of the contribution from undocumented immigrants is the taxes from the selling and buying of goods and services. They also contribute to the tax base less directly. “For example, if they live in the United States and they rent property, the money they pay goes back to the government in the form of property tax.” Though undocumented immigrants pay taxes, in many ways, pay less than taxes than they could, and by virtue of being here in this country illegally, do not receive as many benefits then they could. Undocumented immigrants are not able to get medicare or any other program you have to pay into to receive, like Social

60,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

when it comes to United States immigration policy, America frequently fails to maintain international humanitarian standards as sanctioned by the United Nations. Security. This is not to say they do not get any welfare. In fact, according to the CIS, “57 percent of households headed by an immigrant (documented and undocumented) with children (under 18) used at least one welfare program.” Determining the net burden of immigrants on our system is difficult because although the CBO reports undocumented immigrants pay about 6.4 percent of their income on taxes* (or 10.6 billion collectively), the question of how much each family gets in welfare is a lot less than their legal counterparts. 39 percent of natives or families who were born here used at least one welfare program.* Even if there were no immigration to the U.S., our high food-assistance rates and

low tax rates are a problem for our economy. All of these factors indicate that immigration must be considered from a more nuanced perspective when legislation is passed. USA’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 increased border security, but also put additional burdens on undocumented individuals, such as the many Mexican seasonal farm workers who would usually travel back and forth over the border for work. Effectively trapped, they have had to either move their families to America or stay in Mexico*. Similarly, some argue that the North American Free Trade Agreement put Mexican farms out of business after making

58% of recent central american immigrants came here “fearing conditions back home”

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them compete with heavily subsidized American agricultural companies,* making mexican farms lose money and driving some of the mexican labor force north to America. Immigration law does not have just an economic consequences, it has ethical implications as well. What obligations does a civil society have to its undocumented inhabitants? According to the human rights watch organization,* when it comes to United States immigration policy, America frequently fails to maintain international humanitarian standards as sanctioned by the United Nations. The United States does have an obligation to secure immigrants

from separation of family unity or indiscriminate or draconian detention. This point is inarguable. According to AmericanProgress.org,* 16.6 million people are in mixed status families, or one where at least one member is an undocumented immigrant. Obama has attempted to put initiatives in motion to bring America up to standards. Three points of the DACA program, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, was explicitly proposed towards maintaining family cohesion. It was expanded to include young people who came to this country before turning 16

years old and extended the period of DACA and work authorization from two years to three years. Parents of U.S. citizens were similarly allowed to request deferred action and employment authorization for three years, provided they pass background checks. The third expanded the use of waivers of unlawful presence to include spouses and children of lawful permanent residents. These new sanctions from the white house will not offer paths for citizenship for the undocumented immigrants; however it will end the deportation and separation of families, actions that are looked down upon in the international community. ***At the time this atricle was written, the Texas

As a group assimilates they tend to be

more economically successful, more educated.

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This kind of phenomena are directly linked to increased levels of socio-economic performance and decreased levels of crime. DREAM Act was up for consideration to be repealed. The views expressed in this story reflect the views before this period. A common criticism of the president’s executive orders is that it gives amnesty to those who broke the law. “If the use of the word amnesty is meant to suggest that the president is granting citizenship, then this word is clearly hyperbolic. As the administrator and chief, the president could order the bureaucracy to enforce (or not enforce) any of its laws. Obama’s measures are the most operative action on immigration since the Illegal Immigration Act of 1996 and the Enhanced Border Security of 2002. His executive actions targeting companies who exploit these immigrants by paying them unfair wages and instead provides immigrants with opportunities to work legally have changed the lives of immigrant families, none more so than the immigration reform measures that allow young people to continue to educate themselves. Many children who were brought here without proper documentation are now DREAMers, their lack of legal status no longer pitting their dreams of education against their fear of deportation. It is education that will allow these families to assimilate, and as families spend more time in the country, generations will achieve levels of success not available to

the first. “The data is consistent through the history of the united states that the children of immigrants are more successful in the context of how we define successful specifically socio-economic success,” said Gleason. “Current immigrants are certainly no different.” He elaborated, “Generally speaking, as a group assimilates they tend to be more economically successful, more educated. This kind of phenomena are directly linked to increased levels of socioeconomic performance and decreased levels of crime. In the United States today as you get to the 3rd or 4th generation, there is really not a discernible difference than if you look at folks who or 6th or 7th generational.” Imagine three concentric circles. The innermost circle are first generation undocumented immigrants and their families. Many of them have little or no education, 3 to 5 children, and many of these first generation families will need food assistance. Then you have the middle circle, the second-generation immigrants, or the sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants- the DREAMers often fall into this category. Once the children of undocumented immigrants are assimilated into the American culture, they tend to do much better than their parents. “Often the first in their families to attend college, roughly 65,000 immigrants graduate high school every year and 50,000 of them move on to college. According

to the immigration policy center, many more of them would go to college if they could but are restricted financially or legally.*Compare this to the rate at which American high school graduates move on to college, which is 65.9 percent, and it’s clear that young immigrants are aware of the importance of education in changing their place in life. By the third concentric circle, one begins to see real “progress,” as 3rd and 4th generation immigrants become nearly indistinguishable from other Americans. “ But by the 3rd and 4th generation, immigrants might feel so assimilated to American culture that they will no longer identify with those who are currently seeking to do as their own family did generations ago, and instead identify with those who would have kept their ancestors out. This in-group/out-group tendency contradicts a core underlying American principle, that all are welcome to the land of the free. I myself am a 4th generation Mexican immigrant, among other things. I don’t identify with Mexico nor do I know Spanish. I am indistinguishable from any other American. Although it’s true that my grandmother had to rely on food services, all of her children grew up to be incredibly successful. It may seem like a cliché, but America truly is a land built on immigration. Gleason said, “One of the things that I always bring up with my students is how immigration today isn’t decidedly different than immigration in the late 19th century.” There are many American families just like mine, who first arrived in America to find a difficult situation awaiting them. But by believing in the American dream when America had given up on it, these immigrant familieswho at first may have been a burden to the economy- are now flourishing and assisting American society.

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Baldomero DeLeon, harvests onions at a local farm in Rio Grande City, TX. He has been farming for all of his adult life in and out of state. Upon conversing with him he told me that "this will be his last year working these farms, to care for sick wife who is battling cancer."

Photography by Omar Garcia Jr.

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assimilated but alienated By Karina Araujo

Graphic by Joanna Y. Cortez

Julian Velasquez, 19, was born in the touristy coastal state of Veracruz, Mexico. It is rich in Mexican and pre-Columbian indigenous culture; most cities in Veracruz are named after past civilizations of Olmecs and Huastecs. Veracruz is by all means one of the most beautiful states in Mexico. However, Velasquez would never know. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember anything about his home country. At the age of 4 or 5, by his own recollection, his young single mother made a decision that would change the course of her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life forever. The plan was to give her children the opportunity and environment in which to become educated and successful.

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In the U.S., Velasquez would have his first day of kinder. He learned how to read, write and speak a different language from his mother - English. He learned about the pilgrims and Indians, the 4th of July, and George Washington. Here he made his first friends, got his first girlfriend, went to football games, prom. Velasquez lived out every possible rite of passage that makes you an American kid. But when Velasquez graduated high school, he had a different set of concerns from the typical teenage fear of the future. Aside from the price of attending college, he couldn’t bring himself to walk into the the Financial Aid Office of UTPA to see what his options were- and no, not because seemingly every financial aid worker ever in the history of universities is a heartless robot- Velasquez was afraid to walk in to the Financial Aid Office because he is an illegal immigrant.

to become migrant workers. And when it came time to pick a college, he would have to stay in the Valley; they would have to figure out a way to pay for his tuition. This was when Velasquez realized the unspoken “punchline”: he should be trying to marry a U.S. citizen in order to become a legal citizen himself. Velasquez is now a freshman at UTPA and studies theatre. His goal is to become a filmmaker, like Scorsese. He remembers the day he got his nerve together and walked into the Financial Aid office to see what they would tell him. He hesitantly explained his situation and was told that in the state of Texas he is allowed to apply for financial aid and Texas Grants without providing proof of citizenship, but providing proof that he has been a resident of this state for at least 3 years. This would allow him to pay regular in-state tuition. Luckily for him, Texas is one of 13 states that allows

“I don’t know what I am” In 2001, when Velasquez, his young mom, and older sister arrived to the United States illegally, the Rio Grande Valley became home. However, in those 14 years Velasquez has not yet felt at home enough to call himself an American. It’s like he has a subtle worry or concern that he might be offending any “real” American by calling himself that. Like he is a foreigner born in a different country, taking ownership of a title that doesn’t belong to him. It’s troublesome for Velasquez to understand his roots. He doesn’t know what he is. When trying to explain his status in this country, he speaks with an undertone of frustration and quickly loses his patience with himself. “I don’t know what I am; I’m just a problem child.” How can he be a citizen of a country he doesn’t remember and an alien in the country he’s known his whole life? Growing up, he recalls his mother would sometimes joke with him, saying, “Mijo, you are going to marry a gringa!” It was one of those family jokes that you get teased about growing up. But until the age of 16, he never got the joke. That was when his mother explained that they were undocumented and were living here illegally, so there were certain things he couldn’t do- unlike his friends, he couldn’t get a regular job at the mall or the movies. Unable to obtain that kind of job, she figured out a way for him and his sisters

for undocumented students to pay in state tuitions. In fact only 13 states in the U.S. allow students to pay the discounted instate tuition regardless of their legal status, so long as they graduated high school instate and have been residents for at least 3-4 years. The difference between in and out of state tuitions is roughly about $20,000. With even more good news, Velasquez discovered he was eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA), a legislation that allowed for temporary deferred action on deportations for undocumented immigrants who were brought here before the age of 15 and before June 2012. However, while the biggest challenge they face while in

school is financing their education, these “problem children” sometimes manage to graduate universities but fail to find jobs because they lack the legal status or documentation to retain jobs in their field. Velasquez was thrilled to be granted a work permit under DACA while attending UTPA. Last semester, Velasquez earned another American rite of passage and started his first job at Delia’s, a Mexican restaurant. “I started as a busboy, but they saw that I am a hard worker so I am cashier now,” he said. However, Velasquez is not sure what will happen when the 2 years on his DACA plan run out. Velasquez is not alone; there is an entire generation of young Americans, including some young Valley-ites, who find themselves in the same situation. Approximately 65,000 undocumented “problem children,” who have lived in the United States with similar situations for five or more years, graduate high school each year, according to Educators for Fair Consideration. They crave to call this country home, but home is technically a country they have never been to. “I prefer to speak English over any language,” Velasquez said. “ My nationality is Mexican, my traditions are Mexican, and my culture is Mexican. The most American about me is my language. Spanish, I speak in private. But English allows me to speak out-- To have a voice.” Velasquez is not sure if he will be allowed to work and be a contributing member to society when he acquires his degree. He doesn’t know if when he finishes school he will be required to return to the country he was born in but is a stranger to. All he can do while he waits to see what happens, is use his voice, to protest and speak out where possible, in hope of some kind of immigration reform that will allow for students in his situation to feel 100 percent American.

The most American thing about me is my language. Spanish, I speak in private. But English allows me to speak out--

To have a voice. politics

beyond “latino” cultural identity explored By Ramiro Rios Photograph by Kevin Martinez The first time I heard the word Tejano was during the golden age of Tejano music, in the mid 1990s. Emilio Navaira, La Mafia and Mazz where all over the Tex-Mex airwaves. Headlining the entire movement was Selena, of course. The Queen of Tejano music was representative of what it meant to be a MexicanAmerican living in Texas at that time. She spoke broken Spanish, but still ate frijoles and could dance like it was no one’s business. It wasn’t until later, after watching the movies “American Me” and “Blood In, Blood Out” that I was exposed to the term Chicano. The difference between the two isn’t obvious or something most people, even Mexican-Americans, are aware of. Is it geographically determined, or perhaps by degree of political activism? The Associated Press Stylebook, considered the journalist’s Bible, favors “Hispanic” for those whose ethnic origin is in a Spanish-speaking country. Under the “Chicano” entry, the editors say they prefer “Latino.” There is no entry for “Tejano.” In the Spanish language, the term Tejano is simply used to identify an individual from Texas, regardless of race or ethnic background. Due to the political chaos that took place between Mexico, the U.S., and the Republic of Texas, Tejano came to describe the much smaller subset of Hispanics who wish to celebrate their lineage from pioneer colonists of the Spanish colonial period. Similarly, Chicano deals with lineage, but this cultural identity wishes to reject the Spanish Euro-centric identity and embrace the indigenous. This is why these terms are not interchangeable, and possibly even inflammatory when inappropriately applied. Not only do they deal with cultural identity, which shouldn’t be assumed; they’re almost complete opposites.

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It’s hard to not want to

identify as Chicana

when you learn about the history of our raza.

CHICANO

TEJANO

The word Chicano emerged during the Mexican American rights movement in the 1960s, yet there was some dispute as to where the word came from. One version was that it was a slang term or short form of the word “Mejicano” that was used in the Southwest in the early 20th Century. Another is during the colonial period, there was people from Central Mexico who spoke Nahuatl, which is the Aztec language or Mejica, and they were know as Mejicanos. Yet the term spread in the 1960s when the mainstream civil rights organizations of Mexican-Americans such as League of United Latin American Citizens and similar groups promoted a more Spanish identity for Mexican-Americans. Labeling oneself Chicano was a way to assert a more indigenous identity at a time when younger people and activists rejected the older Spanish-centric identity- a historically oppressive force to indigenous peoples, especially in California. Gladys Ornelas, an English and Mexican-American studies major at UTPA, identifies with the term Chicana as a way of acknowledging her indigenous roots. “It’s hard to not want to identify as Chicana when you learn about the history of our raza,” the 21-year-old said. “Yet it’s strange how people in California are more inclined to identify with it over there. Here in Texas it’s a different story.”

On the other end of the spectrum is UTPA student Rebecca Frias, who considers herself a full fledged Tejana. It’s the music, the food and sense of culture that has drawn her and her family to identify with what's unique about being Mexican-American and a Texan at the same time. “I identify myself as a Tejana because I was born and raised in Texas,” the 22-year-old said. “My grandparents migrated here and my parents have lived here for many years, I would also consider them Tejanos.” Yet, many people of the Valley are binational and are very much in touch with family and friends from across the border. Historically many people in this area spent a good time going back and forth between Mexico and Texas. According to Jaime Starling, professor of Mexican-American Studies and Borderlands History at UTPA, Tejano is an old label. Starling believes that the term is a popular reminder of many people who were Mexican Texans and lived in the region when they sided with Texas during the Texas Revolution. “Many Tejanos fought in the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto,” Starling said. “Tejano heros like Juan Seguin were involved and it says, ‘This is a community that has sided with and have always been loyal to Texas.’”

This is a community that has sided with - and always been loyal to -

Texas

After the Texas Revolution, things get a little murky for Tejanos as many who joined the Union still ended up losing their land. Alliances aside, they were still a very much disenfranchised minority group regardless of what they called themselves. Today, the Hispanic minority in Texas is growing. The U.S Census Bureau website states that Hispanics or Latinos currently make up 38.4 percent of Texas’s population, a significant increase from the 31.9 percent of 2000. With such numbers, Starling is already predicting huge changes for the Lone Star state. “I think it’s only a matter of time before we see Texas undergo some really big shifts,” the El Paso native said. “We are very close to a point where Mexican-Americans will be the single largest group in Texas.” The Census confirms that Hispanics/Latinos are the second-largest group after “white alone/non-Hispanic” by only a few points; the non-Hispanic “majority” is currently 44 percent of the state’s population. Like the Latino population, Starling believes interest in Mexican-American history is growing. In the 1970s, La Raza Unida was a Chicano political party that ran candidates for office in Crystal City, Texas. Spurred by success, La Raza Unida’s biggest contribution to the Chicano movement was that it forced the Democratic Party to recognize their very strong voting block. Although that sense of grassroots activism has since faded, Starling believes the Hispanic vote in Texas will transform Texas into a Tejano state. “The state has already adopted the inclusion of Mexican-American studies in high schools, such as Mission. I think we’re gonna see more of that in the future.” Although the Latino population is growing, Starling believes the difference in voting habits between Mexican-American Tejanos and Chicanos is as evident as green and red salsa. “Tejano is more of a conservative label, and the vote is obviously more conservative with issues such as abortion,” Starling said. “In California the Chicano vote is more strongly Democratic and liberal.” This divide in voting habits could make it hard to elect a candidate that benefits all Latinos. There is something we can all agree on, race aside: Like the Hispanic music, food, dances and literature that have become synonymous with Texas, Tejano and Chicano are two subsets of our culture that are here to stay. Analyzing these labels may give us some insight into the struggles of our ancestors and a deeper self-awareness when we discover what we identify with. We could be missing out on a powerful part of our culture by not looking into its past.

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art panorama

Artwork by Larissa Almanza

panorama

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“Home” 11”x17”

the universe of By Karen Villarreal

“The Void” 17”x11”

Roni Cortez

Nature is present in the artwork of Roni Cortez, despite it being set in the sterility of space. But by far, the most powerful element in her artwork is the overpowering emptiness of space and stars. “I have always been drawn to the idea of the vastness that is the universe and how the feeling of being in space must feel like,” Cortez, a 22-year old fine arts major at UTPA, says in her artist statement, a prepared paragraph explaining an artwork. “The growth of vines and organic plants among the stars is symbolic of the complexity of life. In the “empty” spacey swamp of unknown particles that was the birth of our universe, life was able to appear.” She takes a second to kick her dog, Pepper, out of the room before elaborating. “Among the first ever stardust, atoms left over from what has been called the ‘God Particle’ were key to

It has to be pitch black, black like you can’t see past it, like you know, darkness. You can’t see what’s right in front of you because it’s so black. All the lights are off; it’s outer space.

creating the galaxy we call home,” Cortez continued to read from her artist statement. “And despite our rapidly advancing scientific discoveries, we don’t know everything about our world.” The universe holds mysteries, and the artistic process is one as well. “I don’t know what to show,” she said, putting the artist statement down for a minute to select the artwork for this article. “I have so much sh*t. There’s so much art, ugh.” She is prolific, to say the least. A four-inch binder of her paper artwork is bursting with 40 plastic sleeves of prints, and paintings she’s done over the last few years are crammed into any available space in her apartment. She thought she had enough work for portfolio, the second-to last class before BFA (the final exhibit required for students pursuing a bachelor’s of fine arts). “My classmate was saying, ‘Yeah, with your class work it’ll be enough,’ But I really don’t like my classwork... She said my still-lifes were good. She was saying that she likes my work, but I was there like grunting at her.” Cortez demonstrates a ‘Mwahmp,’ the sound of disapproval, as she described it. “I downplay my work.” But she is happy with it, as is evident from the area around her desk, which is taped and tacked with her sketches and prints, along with photos and other artwork she admires. It looks like Cortez likes to draw a lot of female figures. Some we grew up watching on cartoons, like Lisa Simpson or Peggy Hill. Cortez thinks we can all relate to them, and says she drew Lisa “because she’s her own person, and creative. I drew Hillary Clinton

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“Distress” 11”x17”

“The Secret I & II” 17”x11”

“Time Sits Still” 17”x11”

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“Through her I identify with the female being, the giver of life. I thought, ‘Why is god always depicted as a man when women are who give birth like the universe did with those very first atoms?’” because she’s a powerful person; Peggy Hill because she just speaks her mind and doesn’t give a f*ck.” In the black and white artwork, she explained that a female figure with hairy legs represents the universe. “Through her I identify with the female being, the giver of life. I thought, ‘Why is god always depicted as a man when women are who give birth like the universe did with those very first atoms?’” Just by their presence, the hairy legs of her artwork’s are making a comment of feminism that Cortez very much intended. Society is always telling women what to do to their bodies, even in such a way that it becomes ingrained in their own minds. A lot of women shave their legs just because it’s “normal,” and not because they enjoy going through that ritual every couple of days. Cortez says she knows a lot of people don’t agree, even her own mother. “She asks me, ‘Why do you have to draw hairy legs on her?’ But that’s how it has to be. We have hairy legs so why do we have to cover them up?” Her artwork reflects her concern with social, cultural, and political issues. Some drawings are of girls that are based on no real person, who have speech bubbles or thought balloons saying something that she hopes will get the viewer’s attention, and “Get them to think,” she said. “If it’s political I prefer that the thought be something against fracking and the destruction of the environment and pro-women’s rights and civil liberties.” Perhaps by confronting the opposing viewpoint and forced to consider it seriously, we can learn to live

HIllary & Peggy: Mixed media- marker, pen, watercolor. 9”x12” together on this planet. After all, we’re all just particles moving through space, like the countless stars which fill the the otherwise pitch-black in Cortez’s space artwork with light. “No one group of particles should have power over others in a negative way like we’re experiencing, and as our planet is suffering at our hands,” she wrote about her work. Cortez chose to use black and white to emphasize the root of disagreement, where everything is black or white and people rarely consider a middle ground. Like many of people’s misconceptions about each other, dark matter appears pitch black from earth but is actually invisible. In her artwork, Cortez has left some areas white, like the organic plants, because they are made of particles of the same matter. “One that makes up everything we see in our reality, from a rock to myself to a star,” she said. “Naturally we all look different but we’re made of the same stuff.” That’s a basic fact anyone who’s taken chemistry will remember; we are all made of Carbon. But it’s a philosophical starting point. She continued, “This goes back to taking a very large step back from what you’re doing in reality and going alllll the way back into the stars. There you can realize that what you’re doing isn’t very important to everything else. Just compare it to the universe. You could be making a lot of better choices if you looked at it from a different perspective.” Cortez said she feels lucky the materials she likes to use aren’t hard to get, once she figured out what she needed. A lot of markers weren’t giving her the dark black she felt she needed to portray the vastness and emptiness of space. “I started using Sharpies because Microns were working OK but are too expensive and I was going through them too fast. The other markers were like, charcoal, not pure black. It has to be pitch black, black like you can’t see past it, like you know, darkness. You can’t see what’s right in front of you because it’s so black. All the lights are off; it’s outer space.” She found that mixed media paper was able to take all that ink and not

ART

bleed through, an early difficulty. But the biggest hurdle Cortez has to jump is finding enough time to dedicate to her personal artwork aside from her schoolwork. It takes her a few days to finish a large piece, if she has time to focus on it. If not it takes a week or longer. As a full time student as well as a part time employee at the UTPA Student Union’s game room, it is harder than one would think for her to find time to draw. “I am tired from school and work and then it’s hard to even want to do anything sometimes,” she said, and surely we can all relate. But art is her second job, as she sells her artwork at both Edinburg and McAllen’s art walks, so she can’t slack. One of her earlier pieces, Cortez said, “Was a girl saying the quote, ‘I don’t do drugs, I am drugs,’ by Salvador Dali. So of course because it was Dali, her face is melting, and that started a series. I have a lot of them melting.” The drawings reflect the balance we have to subject ourselves to: stress that you’re not doing enough, and tired because you’re already doing too much. Talking about her friends and classmates, Cortez said, “I know a lot of us are always tired. Us millennials are always stressed out all the time. I mean, everyone else feels stressed out, but I think we have a different kind of stress where we’re just always tired, it’s just always dripping off of you, never going away. We’re going to be tired for life.” While it’s sobering, that’s why they call it art work. But Cortez says she said she enjoys the work. and finds it extremely satisfying. She shared that of course selling a piece strokes not only the ego, but the purse. And recently, she was excited to be chosen as a featured artist at GalaxZ Fair IV. She was set up at Cine el Rey for both days of the music festival. “I sold all my goodies, like stickers and pins and prints, which was great because I made a good amount of money. I don’t take originals to shows because drunk kids don’t want to buy originals, and they do sometimes spill things. But I made small prints and those, and all the other small things, sold like cupcakes.” She revealed that she has a spooky motivator to keep her drawing, too. “Not all the time all crazy,” she said, “but just sometimes, when I’m drawing, I get this feeling... So I thought I would draw this feeling as a figure. He doesn’t have a face, and I felt like it just made it more interesting to create a character from a feeling. ”She explained, “So in the drawing, it’s a girl at a desk and the lamp is the only light you can see. All the walls around her are dark. She’s drawing and there’s this figure behind her, a black figure.” Seeing my shock, (as her extremely superstitious roommate, I don’t want to live with no shadowy figures) she had to quickly continue, “It doesn’t look mean, but he’s just floating there behind her. You see a thought bubble and it just says “That’s cool.” What the hell, Roni?! I once felt like there was a ghostly presence in our apartment, but I sprinkled holy water, convinced myself I was just lonely, and got a cat. But no, Cortez continued to frighten the jeebus out of me by saying she often feels like she’s being watched at night, even though she’s all alone. Yes, haunted apartment. That is cool. My sarcasm aside, she said she chose for him to say that because she wanted him to be positive

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“The Stars in Her Mouth” 17”x11”

I know a lot of us are always tired. Us millennials are always stressed out all the time. I mean, everyone else feels stressed out, but I think we have a different kind of stress where we’re just always tired, it’s just always dripping off of you, never going away. We’re going to be tired for life.”

“Infinite Dimensions and Infinite Questions” 17”x11” “That’s Cool” 5 1/2”x8 1/2”

Not all the time all crazy, but just sometimes, when I’m drawing, I get this feeling... So I thought I would draw this feeling as a figure. He doesn’t have a face, and I felt like it just made it more interesting to create a character from a feeling. presence, motivating her to draw. Thinking I would give positive thinking a try, I interrupted the interview to buy a freshly-made pin of this figure. Cortez continued to drive her train of thought into the paranormal. “The universe is always expanding and giving life to infinite humans- and other aliens.” Even though it was hard to determine with what degree of seriousness she is considering sci-fi topics, she is always very serious about the emotional implications of her subjects. The figure in Cortez’s black and white work interacts with the stars and planets in an unrealistic way. “I enjoy creating the emotions of the love and loneliness that comes from this young girl, who can do anything, because she created everything. I wish we would think about her more. My hairy-legged figure is aware our planet is in trouble, as is modern science, but we as a society are slow to involve ourselves in saving it.”

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By Karen Villarreal Photography by Kevin Martinez

zenett burn-all

enett Bernal, 23, loves nothing more than playing with fire. Her arms spin the flames over her head and in circles while the rest of her 5-foot-tall body sways and gyrates; she’s a student by day, go-go dancer by night. But lately she’s been doing more than dancing. A UTPA senior pursuing a degree in graphic design, she puts the laptop away when school’s out and brings out her toy box: LED hula hoops, grip tape, and lighter fluid. She becomes Zenett BurnAll, performer. “I never thought I would be able to do something like this,” she said over the low roar of a spinning flaming fan. She is composed and calm despite the eight pillars of fire whizzing by, only inches from her hands. “After the first time I loved it, and thought ‘I’m going to keep pushing my body until I do everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m going to do every type of flow art.’” Flow art is a different type of performance art. “Skill toys” such as hoops or juggling balls are those which require a level of dexterity to use; through interactions with these toys, dynamic, flowing, and sequential movements can be explored, leading to a mind/body state that is referred to as “flow.” The primary goal, more than entertainment, is to achieve this meditative mental state. Bernal practices hooping, fire dancing, and two other aerial flow arts, but it’s hooping that really takes her to that mental place. “Hooping really mellows me out,” Bernal says. “It’s like meditation for me. I could be

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having a hard day, I come home and to relax, put music on and start hooping. It’s real therapeutic.” That’s not to say flow arts aren’t also extremely entertaining. Anyone who’s ever had the chance to see a Cirque du Soleil show likely held their breath at the risk-taking grace of an aerial hooper or aerial silk dancer. Due to the height, those are some of the more dangerous flow arts, right up there with anything involving flames like Bernal’s fire fans. For the unaware, aerial silk dancers perform in the air suspended by their own muscle-power, dancing and flying while they cling to these long pieces of fabric that go from ceiling to floor. Bernal is in the process of learning aerial hoop, and aerial silks too, and she shared that it’s even harder than it looks. “You think you would like to look like that when you see people do it,” Bernal laughed when the idea of gracefulness in the air was brought up. “You think ‘Oh, I’m going to look so awesome,’ but silks are so hard. It’s a lot of upper body strength. No

matter what position you’re in, there’s some part of your body that’s in pain. You have to keep moving constantly or you’ll cut off blood circulation. There’s no spot where you can rest up there, absolutely no spot.” Despite the pain and risks, she loves everything she’s been doing with flow art. “I love all the bruises, the cuts, sweat, blood and tears,” she said. Even the apparently simple hoop can hurt if not handled properly. “You wouldn’t think that little plastic hoop hurts, but it does,” she said. “Especially when you’re first starting out. I had bruises all over my arms and legs. I got a busted lip before. The plastic swinging so fast with all that momentum, smacking you in the face, it can be a dangerous sport. Your body needs to get used to it.” Bernal says she’s taken that time to adjust; as a self-described klutz, she was stepping far out of her comfort zone to practice flow arts. “I had no balance or hand-eye coordination, but this has helped me a lot. I’ve been hooping since 2013, so for two years

We were all excited,

and then the thing flew off, on fire. It was OK because we had the hose right there. but imagine if it had been at a performance?

and some months, and fire fans for only one year. So far I haven’t burnt anything,” she jokes. To build strength for the aerial work, Bernal says she trains a little bit, mostly arm workouts like push-up and handstands. She was advised not to gain any muscle because the additional weight will make it harder for her to hold herself up. “I should focus on just being able to support my own weight, instead of building more muscle. So that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been getting stronger and actually lost so much weight.” Aside from the physical aspect, she says hooping and fire-fanning has changed her personality a lot too. “I was really shy. I liked to dance before this, but never on stage or anything. I had stage fright. Thinking back to how I was two years ago, I was such a different person. So conservative; I wouldn’t dress like this,” she says, indicating the corset, short shorts and thigh-high stockings similar to what she typically wears to perform. While she says aerial acrobatics gave her confidence, she didn’t just wake up one day and decide she belonged in the air. “It all started with hooping. I don’t want to say how I got into it,” Bernal said, laughing, but soon obliged. “Do you remember that old, shared-on Myspace video, that ‘Oh my God, Shoes,’ video? Do you remember at the end when it gets weird there’s that fire-hoop dancer?” Her face lights up remembering it. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, hoops! That’s so cool!’ I always wanted to try it but never had a chance to. Then I stumbled upon it on YouTube, girls just doing it, and I thought, ‘I can totally do this!’” Teaching herself through YouTube to dance with fans and perform tricks with hoops, eventually she started posting videos of her practices on Instagram and Facebook. She got positive feedback in the form of likes and shares, and people telling her she ought to perform. “I started getting requests to perform with DJ’s and I thought, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’ The first time I was super nervous but then I fell in love with it. It was for this company called Lucid Dreamer and it was just to go-go, fan-dance (but with regular fans) and hoop-dance. They told me I was going to be opening, and I was like ‘But it’s my first time, why don’t you guys go first?’” But she ended up first on

I just want to be doing this all the time. I want to join the circus or something.

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You wouldn’t think that little plastic hoop hurts, but it does. I got a busted lip before. The plastic swinging so fast with all that momentum, smacking you in the face, it can be a dangerous sport. stage with her hoops, choosing to do that over fan-dancing for her first performance because she felt more comfortable with it. “All nervous, I dropped the hoop,” she recalled. “But they had told me whenever you drop a hoop to just keep going and don’t make it obvious; just let it drop and keep dancing, and dance your way over to it and pick it up like you meant to drop it,” she said, demonstrating the slinky walk that distracts from the fallen hoop. Bernal says she started getting many opportunities after that first show, but she was doing it for free. “It was getting to the point where I felt taken advantage of- giving all my best, while the promoters are making a bunch of money and

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not sharing. I decided not to do it for free anymore and started asking if they could hire me. So now I get paid.” After Lucid Dreamer, she worked for Unstoppable Entertainment before finding Crazy People Performance, which she now works for as well as doing her own independent events. She found Crazy People Performance on Facebook. “I saw them and thought, ‘I want to be a part of this, this is what I want to be doing.’ So I messaged them and they said they’re always looking for new people. It’s an awesome company. They do a lot of theatrical performances and real awesome circus stuff.” It was here that she was first introduced to fire-fans as well as aerial silks. She thanks Crazy People for that. “I wouldn’t have ever tried it if

it wasn’t for them, I think.” Bernal shared that she found a teacher in a girl from Crazy People, who told her she’d never met anyone else here in the Valley who was so into flow arts. “She’s been teaching me and says I catch on pretty quick, but she lives in Brownsville so I hardly ever get to practice. That’s why I want to make my own stuff so I can practice at home. I just want to be doing this all the time. I want to join the circus or something,” she said. “Cirque du Soleil would be awesome. That would be my dream to perform for something so big, but I gotta work my way up there,” she said. “That’s why I’m getting all my new toys and everything ready.” She walks us through her “toys,” giving

us a glimpse of her history with the hobby: From the first plain Wal-mart plastic hoops she started with (she’s grip-taped them to her preference, which makes them look fancier than they are, but also more functional) to an LED “smart-hoop” recently gifted to her at Christmas by her mom when she realized how passionate Bernal was about hooping. “It’s my pride and joy. It was pretty expensive but it’s so cool,” she said, and a demonstration confirmed: It changes colors and displays a variety of patterns, which look like a living psychedelic kaleidoscope. In the dark and set to electronic music, these visuals could replace lasers in a DJ’s stage show. Her newfound interest in fire is introduced by her latest piece of equipment as her fire fans: two menacing silver instruments she and her dad made together. “We found this copper-wire, bendy tubing, and I thought it would be perfect to make the fans out of,” she explained. “I just bent them into the shape I wanted and my dad did these little clips here to hold it together. The torches are made of 100 percent cotton T-shirts. They’re good for a few burns, like five, and then I have to replace them before they get all black and wither away. But these are homemade wicks, which is why they don’t last long. Kevlar wicks last a long time.” She recalls the first test run with the fire. “‘It’s

awesome!’ We were all excited, and then the thing flew off, on fire. It was OK because we had the hose right there but image if it had been at a performance? So yeah, we try them before I go onstage.” Bernal’s’ fire fans have a ring on the bottom so she can spin them as she is used to doing with hoops, a design that isn’t very common. “People were telling me when I posted them, that I could make a lot of money, that a lot of people would want to buy those. But I want to perfect it first, make it out of better materials and do more research into the engineering.” Bernal says it feels great to be recognized as a rising talent, and feels better to be getting paid to do something she loves. But the most valuable part was finding that love in the first place. “Have you taken Pace?” She dropped her voice, imitating a well-known UTPA graphic design professor. “You need to find your passion,” she repeated, the lecture familiar to any student who passed through his class. “It’s ok if you haven’t found it, you’ll find it eventually. But you have to find it.” Bernal thought for a while she never would. “I thought, ‘Have I found it and I’m just not

paying attention to it?’ But now I know this is it. It was hooping that started it off, and it surprised me what I’m capable of,” she said. “I always tell people who are going to start not to be scared because nobody’s going to boo you off the stage. When people realize there’s someone on stage, they get all hyped up; you jump up and down and hype them up more. There’s nothing to be nervous about. People will love you even if you suck. That makes me feel better when I’m on stage. But you have to get on the stage. Hooping gave me that confidence and changed my life. I want to do this until I can’t no more. Even if I’m old and not performing I still want to do it at home as a hobby. If I have kids, I’ll teach them too.” *To hire Bernal for an event or anything, contact her at zenperformance@hotmail.com

I want to do this until I can’t no more.

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the art of amber zuniga If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a flyer or poster for a music festival posted around campus or in coffee shops in the Valley, chances are it features the artwork of 21-year-old UTPA student Amber Zuniga. Zuniga has become the go-to girl for quirky, slightly bizarre cartoons that often perfectly capture the spirit of live music. We sat down with the freelance illustrator to find out more about the caricatures she creates and her artistic process.

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How long have you been doing this style of art?

It took about a year to solidify my style and create these sort of recurring characters that you might be able to notice from time to time. Aesthetically, they’re connected. Put them together, they don’t create much of a story (which is something i’d like to work on in the future). I think about the amount of time i’ve spent doing what I do, and it scares me, but then I think about it a little more and I don’t mind so much. It’s what keeps me awake at dangerous hours of the night and is what I do before I even brush my teeth (sometimes). I literally daydream about art as i’m driving on the highway. I think that if i’m consciously hindering my health for the sake of art, then it’s totally worth doing.

What’s your process like?

Putting my pencil to paper takes a ridiculous amount of time since I don’t draw with a purpose in mind, which is why i’m majoring in Graphic Design so that I can deal with client’s issues and not my own. When I do finally visualize something, it can take anywhere from three hours to days on end to complete. It begins as a penciled outline that I trace over with a brush pen in long and steady strokes, placing weight on areas where I feel will look right. Once i’m happy with that, I scan it and add some color (and other effects if i’m up to it) through a program called Pixelmator. I’d like to use Adobe Illustrator, but the price is high and i’m not too keen on giving up any organs anytime soon.

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What’s it like being internet famous?

I began uploading artwork on Tumblr in 2012 under the alias “ARTFART” and as of today have 12,766 following that same blog. I had no idea I would receive such a positive response; it really came as such a pleasant surprise. I was put in the limelight of a few articles, had a rather popular feature on Buzzfeed, and was offered commission work here and there by respectable organizations (though I never came through with any of it due to procrastination). I had a successful online store at one point; there was one person who bought about six sweaters with my artwork on it. It was wild. The attention was great for about a year until I began to notice that I wasn’t creating art for myself but rather to satisfy

others and stay relevant. It felt like a job. I’d also had artwork stolen by a 15-year old girl in California who sold it for her personal profit (she stole various artist’s work and today runs a legitimate, successful company and has yet to be reprimanded for her wrongdoings), so that took a toll on me. Eventually I took a hiatus due to all the stress and didn’t draw for half a year or more. I had serious thoughts of deleting the blog because it felt like a responsibility I didn’t want, but my best friend convinced me otherwise on numerous occasions. The prospect of abandoning the people (followers) who helped contribute to my success made me feel guilty as well. I just couldn’t do it. Today I mainly use Instagram as an outlet for my artwork because of its efficiency and because I feel like theft is less of a possibility, while on Tumblr i’ll post less than a handful of times a month. Anyhow, I’m really glad I decided to get back into the swing of things because i’ve made wonderful connections with people all over the world, especially here in the Rio Grande Valley where for three years i’ve had the great honor of being a featured visual artist for Galax Z Fair (to which I owe George Dean and Patrick Garcia my never ending gratitude). It’s been three years since I took to the internet, trying to get my work out there, but oddly enough I feel like it’s just the beginning and that something huge is waiting for me on the horizon. I don’t know what it’ll be, but i’m extremely excited.

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What kind of materials do you use?

My go-to essentials are a pencil, (a mechanical 0.7 is otherworldly, lemme tell you), printing paper, and a handful of ink brush pens imported from Japan that I purchase online. Recently my parents decided to amp up this 'unhealthy’ hobby of mine, and bought me a Wacom tablet which has turned digital coloring from being a hassle to loads of fun; and so now, If before I hadn’t even stepped out of my room, now I don’t even get off my bed.

Do you have a favorite piece?

The "Oh, Well" piece is one I'm most proud of at the moment. Partly because it's my cleanest work, but more so because it represents my interests and the person whom I've come to terms with being. Proclaiming the "I'm a loser (or in this case, "Lame 4 Life")" statement isn't for aesthetic or because it's the hip thing to say - I actually am a loser..whatever that means. I spend my breaks between classes alone, I had a job for three years where I never made any solid friendships, I stay in, I get rejected, I'm afraid to be bold, etc. I know most people would simply define this as being reclusive/antisocial, and that's true, but there's such a negative stigma attached to "Loser", and I've always wanted to change the way people see that. It's not a flaw, it's just another birthmark - another characteristic that I can't break free from, as I'm sure many others can't. So instead of feeling put down by this, I've chosen to accept it with a smile, a roll of the eyes, and an "Oh well."

What inspired this one?

I’ve never been lucky in romance, usually ending up on the unrequited side of things. It’s something you get used to, but never gets easier to deal with. I recently sent the most detailed, heart-wrenching spill of confessed emotions via email to this guy I met back in 2011 (at Never Say Never Festival). I haven’t seen the guy in three years and we always fluctuated in terms of communication, but he’s always been in the back of my mind. I can’t shake him off. I don’t know what will become of that. I know to find and to be with your ‘other half’ is not all that there is to life, and that I can be happy on my own - and I have been - but I’ve always had this gut feeling that there’s something missing. It goes deeper than wanting/needing physical and emotional affection. It’s so cliché (and a bit over the top for this silly design), but my soul feels incomplete. I feel that I’ve not yet been the person I’m meant to be and won’t go through that metamorphosis until, I don’t know, until Venus rules in my favor and puts my heart at peace. This surge of emotion I recently went through gutted every negative experience I’d been having and it materialized as this image. You’d think i’d instead come up with something passionate and messy - something raw where the despair is visible, almost tangible. I suppose then you could consider the email as being just that haha. That in itself was also very unexpected.

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BFA 2015

utpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final studio art exhibition Studio art students pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts must prepare and display pieces of themselves for a final exhibit their senior year. This year 17 students participated, but due to limited space we are featuring only seven artists. Their exhibit is on display at the Art Annex starting April 27-May 8. As the final graduating class of UTPA

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Jessica Orta Artist Statement:

Fear is a powerful force emanating from within us; failing to realize these fears can result in losing ourselves to it. My artwork not only captures those moments when we encounter fear, but help the viewers understand this experience. When trying to find the logical explanation of fear, we describe fear as the mental process of imagining circumstances that may not occur. Researching the fears we hold on to has helped me gain a better perspective of the state of mind we go through when confronting our fears. This study has given me the inspiration to create and develop these artworks, and to help understand the pain I associate with contemplating negative, fearful thoughts.

“Vertigo”

“Hungry for Hope”

Lithography

Drypoint Lithography

“Trapped in Misery”

Lithography ART 82

Julie Byrd As Walt Disney said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” My art is my friend. The work I produce is never complete unless it possesses a relatable persona that draws viewers towards it. I have what may be considered a childish sense of humor, but I see that as a positive thing. My work is meant to bring out the inner child tucked away in all of us.

“Whale Fart“

music “Kid Can Do“

Acrylic

“Can-do Kid“

Acrylic

Larissa Almanza

“Love”

Ink on watercolor paper, 18”x24”

My name is Larissa Almanza. I am 22 years old. I am a painter, illustrator and designer. Painting and drawing have always been my focus but three years ago I discovered the theatre. I’ve been working with the UTPA Theatre since my sophomore year where I have volunteered, been employed at, and also designed for Theatre for Young Audiences production of “Mariachi Girl”. Most of my art work is born from an emotion that I want to capture and it also goes back to nature and the relationship it has with humans and animals. Nature in all its forms has always been an inspiration to me, and it is depicted in almost everything I do. Because I try to associate specific emotions in my art, color plays a major role in my artwork. Most recently I have played with the concept of the geometric vs the organic. The contrast between these shapes and figures has been quite intriguing and I plan on exploring that notion even further.

“Sorrow“

Oil, 24”x30”

“Oblivion“

Oil, 18”x24”

“Frustration“

music 84 Oil, 22”x28”

“Vulnerability”

Charcoal, 3.5’ x6

“Freedom”

Charcoal, 4’x6’

Tory Lee For my BFA exhibit I have chosen to represent fragments of my soul by manipulating powerful female figures which in body my most dominate traits. In my short twenty-two year I’ve lived on this earth I have developed my own personal philosophy ,which is, everything I have done up to this point in my life has made me the person I am today. Every experience I have lived through has in one way or the next shaped my personality. There are moments in my past that I have come to except, both the high and low point as lesson that teach me to keep moving forward. The medium which I have chosen to create these characters is charcoal and cante. This medium best communicates the truth to a personal philosophy. Every impression I lay down is the foundation that helps support a broader picture and though these impressions are flexible and can be altered, the first decision and consequence of my actions will always remain. The fragments I intend to personify are Freedom, Vulnerability, Self, and Peace over Anger. These are the most dominant pieces of my character when I reflect upon myself.

“Untitled” Acrylic

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Gabriellé Ramirez

My work is a combination of digital and traditional. I am primarily an illustrator and painter however I also sculpt and animate. My work revolves around elevating “low culture” art. Comic books and graphic novels are “low culture” art because of their accessibility and mass production. In this semester’s Senior BFA Exhibition I will present an enlarged comic book page that displays my technical skill.

“4”

Ink

“We Need to Expand”

Ink

“Magenta”

“AI”

Digital Media

“The First Bouqet”

Mixed Media

Mixed Media music 86

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Entre la Vistaâ&#x20AC;?

Digital Film Stills

Alexis Garza My film, Entre La Vista, highlights the emotional struggle and hopes about the death of a loved one, in this case my own grandfather. This is the first time I challenge myself by doing a film instead of my usual preference, comics. I still utilize my drawing talents in the making of this film, and employ cinematic skills I learned from my research to assemble and present my ideas.

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“Roni’s Gaviotas“

“Encorvarse”

Pastel, 7’x6’’ panels

ceramic spulpture

“Que Melancolía “

Pastel, 3’x7’

Martha Elena Flores My artwork is informed by the discomfort in my bones, fragments of dreams and memories, and the weight of my anxiety. I bounce back and forth between mediums and sometimes bringing them together.

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mus Photograph by Kevin Martinez 89

panorama

sic panorama

I know You’ve

been hurt

by someone else

I can Tell by the way

you carry yourself

Paola Robles

“Under Control” by Ellie Goulding

If you let me, here’s what i ’ll do

I ’ll take Care of you

Leanne Rodriguez

“Take Care” by Drake feat. Rihanna

what are you listening to? Te preparamos un

lugar Para que puedas disfrutar

Se apagan las luces que

están sobre el hombre Solo Tu Mereces brillar

Mariana Saldana

“Cruel World” by Lana Del Rey

Betsy Gonzalez “Just One Yesterday” by Fall Out Boy

No hay nadie más importante que

Jesús

Carlos Ramoz 91

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“Toma Tu Lugar” by Marcos Brunet

Abraham Benavides “Embers” by Hillsong United

get faded turn up Ivan riveron Comedy

with the big boys

live fast die young that’s my choice

get money GET MONEY

Greg garcia

“Want To Want Me” by Jason Derulo

like an invoice

paola salgado “2 On” by Tinashe

Everyting I’ve seen twice now it’s time I realize it’s spinning back around now

on this road

I’m Crawling

jason alce & ray flowers

“Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson

yituo chen “Runnin” by Adam Lambert

saba suleman & neepa patel

“Villian” by Galliyan & “Favorite” by Nicki Minaj

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mayberry Photography by Alicia Rangel Mayberry is a pop/alternative band from Edinburg consisting of Esteban Rodriguez (singer), his brother Hector Rodriguez (guitar), Brayden Dillard (drums), and Andrew Vela (lead guitar). Since its organization in 2012, Mayberry has achieved a level of success the likes of which few other Valley bands can claim. In 2014, Mayberry was chosen to participate on Ryan Seacrest’s online cover competition, and though they didn’t win, they did make it to the top five, receiving over 15,000 views on YouTube. They opened for Plain White T’s in 2013 and are currently writing music with Boys Like Girls. They’re...kind of a big deal. Panorama got to ask them a few questions before a show: Q: How does coming from a small town like Edinburg affect you in trying to make your big break? Do you think you’d have a different impact if you were elsewhere, like LA? Esteban: I think if you’re the best in your area then everyone is going to know who you are. In a small town if you’re doing good, people are able to notice it more. So no, I don’t think so.

Q: A familiar street to Mission natives, the rest of the world might not know the story behind the name. It’s not a secret, is it? Esteban: I was driving in Mission and I saw the street name and at that time I was obsessed with the band Parachute. Mayberry is short and sweet like Parachute so I ended up going with that one. I looked it up and no other bands were using it; that’s pretty much it.

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Esteban Rodriguez

Hector Rodriguez

Q: So you’re writing with Boys like Girls, how did that happen? Esteban: Hector went to the Boys like Girls show when they came to the State Farm Arena like 2 years ago when they played with All American Rejects. Hector wasn’t in the band yet but I gave him the All I Need cd just in case he could give it to them and it actually happened. 2 weeks passed and I got a follow and direct message on Twitter from Morgan Dorr said saying he loved our stuff and wanted to get work then it took a month or a couple weeks and I flew over to Boston.

Q: What’s it like to interact with your 36.3 thousand twitter followers and six-thousand plus facebook fans? Esteban: It’s cool, it’s fun. I make time every day. It’s not a drag or anything, I like refreshing my Twitter and always seeing new stuff. Brayden: There’s always someone to talk to and it’s awesome.

Brayden Dillard

Andrew Vela music

Mayberry practicing for an upcoming show.

Q: Do you work with any locals?

We work with Charlie Vela from Sound of Rain Studio weekly.

How do you balance school, family and being in the band? Esteban: It’s sometimes hard to balance it but we always find time. If we’re not with our family we’re working on music, if we’re not doing music, we’re at work, if we’re not doing work we’re doing homework. It’s fun because if you stay busy time goes by faster. Brayden: Esteban and Hector are brothers so it’s awesome- I can go to one place and they’re always there. I don’t have to hunt them down. (laughs) Hector recently got a job but it’s not an issue. Everyone is passionate about the music and willing to give up their time in order to accomplish the goal that we set forward. We’re all working for it and we all find time. There’s not an excuse. Our families are actually really supportive. Esteban: They tell everybody.

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Q: Any advice to other pop bands in the valley? Esteban: It takes a while to get recognition and you can’t stop when people tell you to stop or that you can’t do whatever you’re trying to do. Brayden: Have confidence in your music. I think people deserve to hear good music. If I had to give any advice I would say set deadlines, deadlines will make or break you. Esteban: And don’t be lazy. Andrew: No matter what genre it may be just keep at it and great things will happen if you put in the hard work. Also try to find members you can see yourself having a long lasting friendship with. If you’re in a band with your best friends you will be able to make music a lot longer. Being in a band with your best friends is a lot more fun!

Q: When and how did you discover your passion for music? What music are you into now? Esteban: Around when I was 8 or 9. I used to do a lot of school plays. I went to a Catholic school when I was younger and I would always try out for the school plays. I got into that, I wanted to do choir but they didn’t let me at my school. They just told me I couldn’t and I was so pissed. Stuff like that just motivates you. I started playing guitar when I was like 12 and that’s around when American Idiot by Greenday came out. I remember I got the guitar, the cd and the booklet to learn to play it. Now I mostly listen to a lot of EDM. Brayden: I’ve been involved with music since a young age. I was in band and choir in middle school. I started playing drums when I joined band in middle school and I was the last drummer to make it into the percussion set. I started playing drum set 8th grade year. I’ve always loved music, just the emotions that one song can give you it’s just like nothing else. Music is hard to explain. I just love being on stage. And as for listening to other music, I try to listen to everything. Andrew: I actually started to play music at the age of 7 when my parents enrolled me in piano classes. But my passion for music really started around the age of 14 when I fell in love with the alternative music scene. It was my dream back then to one day hit the stage and play for tons of people like they did. For this reason I started getting serious about playing and performing. I listen to all kinds of music both current and retro. I don’t even think I can say that I have a specific type when it comes to a genre or time period of music I really enjoy listening to because I find myself listening to everything.

(Top) Esteban and Hector Rodriguez performing at Christmas in the park in Mcallen, Texas 12.6.14 Mayberry Band performs at Festiba in Edinburg, Texas (Bottom)

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South by So What?! Photography by Katelyn Flores South by So What?! is a 3 day music festival that takes place mid-March in Grand Prairie, Texas. Not to be confused with South by South West, South by So What was founded in 2008 to give people a chance to catch some SXSW acts at a much lower price. Attendance has boomed throughout the years. In 2008, 3,000 people attended the festival. In 2014, that number jumped to 17,000 people! SBSW offers a good mix of different genres including Metal, Rock, Pop, Indie Rock, Hip-Hop and Electronic. This year, over 140 bands played on 3 different stages at QuikTrip Park. There were two main stages back to back as well as a smaller stage for local bands. Circa Survive, Atreyu, Suicide Silence, Motionless in White and Hawthorne Heights were just some of the main acts that headlined this year’s festival. Tickets for SBSW can be purchased for each individual day or you can buy a 3-day pass. There is also VIP and Elite VIP passes available for each day as well as a 3-day VIP pass or a 3-day Elite VIP pass.

Patty Walters and Ben Biss of England based band, As It Is, keep the energy going on the Power Kingdom stage. You can catch As It Is, for more of their energetic performances, on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour.

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Ronnie Winter, lead vocalist for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, asks the crowd to help him sing the next song. Winter pulls from album “Don’t You Fake It” choosing the song “False Pretense”.

Closing out the night on the Third String Festivals stage is pop punk band Mayday Parade. Lead vocalist, Derek Sanders, captures the crowd with hit song “Jersey”.

Jesse Lawson, formerly from Sleeping With Sirens, performs on the Third String Festivals stage on day one of SBSW?! Lawson is now making acoustic songs, which are way different than what most, are used to due to his screaming vocals in Sleeping With Sirens.

Kevin Ghost of Ghost Town asks the crowd to clap along to their hit song “Trick or Treat”. Ghost Town arrived just two hours before their set, from Los Angeles, California, just to play for all of their Texas fans.

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Alternative rock band, Night Riots, take to the Third String Festivals stage on the first day of SBSW?! The band performed many new songs off of their 2015 EP “Howl”.

Lead vocalist for Circa Survive, Anthony Green brings the house down with his intense stage presence and relaxing singing voice.

Next page bottom left: Former My Chemical Romance (MCR) guitarist Frank Iero takes center stage as he performs with his new band, frnkiero and the cellabration. Unlike in MCR, Iero also does the lead vocals for the band.

Hawthorne Heights throws it back to 2004 with their performance on the Power Kingdom stage. The band played their first album, The Silence in Black and White, in it’s entirety for people of all ages to enjoy.

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Excited festival goers crowd around the Power Kingdom Stage to watch Red Jumpsuit Apparatus perform. The band played crowd favorites such as, “Face Down” and “Your Guardian Angel”.

Above are pictures of the set up for SBSW. Crews start early the day before the festival to make sure everything runs smoothly for the weekend.

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Making it

Kliemax straddles line between EDM and Metal By Brittany Villarreal The South Texas hardcore scene in 2009 was in its infancy, but an emerging band made it through to the other side, got signed to a major label, and toured the United States. Scarlett O’ Hara, at the time made up of high-schoolers Alek Samodouroff, Logan Burns, Arnie Bernal and Eddie Cano, reigned over the now defunct McAllen VFW, which every weekend housed hundreds of young adults who couldn’t wait to listen to their favorite local bands. However, the Scarlett O’Hara project was put on an indefinite hold until 2015, when three of the four members, now college students, released a new EP called “Explode,” under a new alias: Kliemax. Firsthand you will find that Kliemax takes its music to a new, more party-centric level, yet the familiar sounds of the old times are still there. “It’s definitely more aggressive,” says Burns, guitarist and control producer for Kliemax. “Back when we started Scarlett, the genre of hardcore was still evolving and it was a lot less defined than it is now. There are a bunch of different-sounding bands now with a pretty

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well-established history, and there are some expectations you need to meet if you want to be a hardcore metal band, like if you want to be considered metalcore you will have a really heavy metal aggressive sound but a clean vocalist. We opted to not have a clean vocalist anymore; that’s the real main difference between us and Scarlett O’ Hara; Now we have a heavy vocalist, Chris Flores.” The addition of Flores to the Scarlett lineup was what prompted the name change, a move many would consider risky due to the success Scarlett had achieved. “We had a really good scene for hardcore music down here, I guess from 2007 to 2010, it was really booming down here,” reminisces Burns. “We were one of the big bands down here along with The Requested and Lay In Ruins, which were two other big bands down here. We had a lot of success on Myspace as well. We got signed finally in 2010 by Rise Records. They were pretty big for having The Devil Wears Prada and a couple big hardcore bands at the time.” They did six or seven national tours, where they would be gone for three months and be back for a few

days before leaving again, and as of April 2015, the Scarlett O’ Hara page had 74,390 likes on Facebook. So why give up that name recognition? “We didn’t want to alienate anybody by continuing on without them,” Burns explained about the departure of Scarlett’s vocalist, Cano. The band members have all been friends for a long time and out of respect for their friendship. “We thought it would be simpler to keep on making music with a new name,” said Burns. But a new name coincided with the new direction the group wanted to take with their music. “This is actually by design,” says Burns. “We have two distinct wings of Kliemax, so if someone wanted EDM, like dance music, I could play that because I’m production of controls. But if someone wanted a hardcore show, we have the metal wing of Kliemax. We are kind of just genre-less, whatever you need for the show; we can pretty much do it.” When asked about musical influences, Burns said Atilla, Pantera, and Metallica definitely make the top of the list. “But you should put Atilla like, third, because everybody compares us to Atilla. They’re like, ‘You guys are Atilla-lite.’”

“We got featured in some pretty big dance music blogs, yourEDM. com and AltPress.com, so that gave us a bunch of credibility.” And for their electronic side, he says Skrillex is a big one, as well as Calvin Harris. “I don’t want to have to say Calvin Harris, because everyone says Calvin Harris, but I really like the stuff he puts out,” said Burns. As a band, Kliemax has only been around since January. “But I’ve been working on it for over a year, getting everything done,” said Burns. Though they’ve been asked to play three shows already, they aren’t wanting to play any until they solidify their metal sound. ”We’re not eager to jump the gun and get into shows if we are not prepared for it,” said Burns, who writes the lyrics in addition to controls. “The song we recorded for the EP, Alek (Samodouroff) and I wrote that in October of 2013. It was written long before it came out. We waited until we had everything, the recording and a picture and everything,” he said about releasing the EP. “That helps with our popularity,” he explained. “We’ve had like 7,000 views in like, two months.” This is in keeping with the advice he has for bands trying to make it: “Don’t post that you’re going to release a new song or new things coming soon, until you physically have the product. Today people put out music every day, and you have to have an actual product to be relevant,” said Burns. “I think a lot of new bands, or people trying to be in a band, will make a Facebook or whatever without having stuff actually ready, and they’re putting themselves at a disadvantage because you’re introducing yourself and there’s a chance people will look at your page and you don’t have anything on it. Just wait until you have stuff ready, even though you’re enthusiastic and really anxious.” Being ready in general is important, but Burns says some bands make some rookie mistakes when performing. “I’ve seen people at shows not tune their guitar before they go up. I don’t know what the equivalent of that is, like leaving your house without your shoes? That shouldn’t happen,” he said.

Similarly, releasing a badly recorded song is not much better than not releasing anything. “Spend money on good recording,” advises Burns. “The EDM music I make on my laptop, but we do know how to record ourselves and track and all that. It doesn’t take much to get a good quality recording these days. It’s worth it; nobody wants to hear it if it doesn’t sound good.” For Kliemax, he says they tracked it with well-known metal producer Joey Sturgis. “He’s really well known for his ‘Sturgis sound’ and we wanted to get that so we sent it to him,” said Burns. “We wanted to have that association with him. I try to associate Kliemax with established figures in the industry. Just to give us some more credibility. Our artwork was done by Daniel Wagner, who works for Media Scare Records, doing a lot of work for other bands in the scene we’re in.” It looks like Kliemax knows what it’s doing, applying the experience of Scarlett and making moves to continue pushing their sound and popularity. “We’ve been doing a lot of presswork now,” said Burns. “We got featured in some pretty big dance music blogs, yourEDM.com and AltPress.com, so that gave us a bunch of credibility because they don’t feature you unless they think you’re good enough to be on there, so that reassured us a little bit that we are on the right path as far as our sound.” While they already have stream videos and lyric videos, Burns said they’ve been talking about an actual music video within the next year and a half. For now, they’re going to keep practicing and writing new music when possible. “We’ve been playing long enough (our instruments and with each other) to know how to play a song without having to practice five times a week, so we mostly focus on new stuff. Our time is limited during the week,” said Burns, who is also a part-time real-estate agent and history major. Although Bernal, drums, lives with Burns, he’s gone all the time: in addition to attending STC part time, Bernal is a hot-shot: realizing he liked to drive long stretches while on tour with Scarlett, he found a job delivering cars between cities for dealerships. Samodouroff, guitar player, Burns’ long-time best friend, and fellow UTPA student, has to do a lot of school stuff, being an engineering major. And Chris Flores, vocalist, is a full time student at STC. “So it’s hard, but the time we do spend is writing and practice.”

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NSN over the years Photography by Kevin Martinez Since 2009, Never Say Never Festival has pushed the horses of Las Palmas Race Park in Mission, Texas, to the pastures to make way for three stages, vendors, food and more than a thousand of excited fest-goers. NSN has evolved over the years: from the lineup, to the set up, it all involves precision planning and execution. NSN staff never ceases to amaze- every year, this small but hardy group make the festival live up to it’s name by saying “no” to all odds and persevering to put on the biggest all-ages music festival in the Rio Grande Valley. NSN has seen the likes of many artists of vastly different genres: from mainstream artists like Skrillex, Travie McCoy and Wiz Khalifa, to heavier bands like, Bring Me The Horizon, Chiodos and Asking Alexandria. “I love coming down to the valley for two reasons,” said Craig Owens, front man for Michigan based band Chiodos, as he stared out into a sea of fans from the stage. “First of all, my grandparents live close by in Harlingen and I love hanging out with them. Second, I love seeing every one of you here at NSN every fucking year.” Even six-year veteran and University of Texas-Pan American student Juan Castillo agrees that going to NSN is one of the best events to attend during spring break. “I’ve been going to NSN for six years,” said Castillo. “I wish I could’ve gone to all seven, but six is still pretty cool.” NSN just had the seventh iteration of the festival on March 20 and 21. Despite awful weather delays the second day, the show went on and welcomed more than a thousand metal heads, freaks, and all around music lovers.

(Top) Kicking it back to 2012 during My Children, My Bride’s set. (Middle) Craig Owens on vocals and Thomas Erak on lead guitar during the Chiodos set in 2014.

The music scene is alive and well in Deep South Texas, thanks the efforts of NSN staff that continue to supply the RGV with new music every time spring break comes around.

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Austin Carlile from Of Mice & Men performing Second & Sebring in 2014.

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(Top) letlive. performing during a very humid NSN 2014. (Bottom) Crowd surfer during Fit for a King’s set in NSN 2015, the mouthguard reads “NSN”.

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(Top)Brownsville based band, The XVI performing on a rain ridden stage in NSN 2015. (Bottom) Amped up crowd gets crazy with the Gatorade during Sworn Inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set in NSN 2015.

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French band, We Butter The Bread With Butter told everyone to sit down in the middle of the set, and then jump once the song started.

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4 1. Walda, crowd surfing during NeverShoutNeverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set in 2012. 2. Thy Art is Murder performing in NSN 2014. 3. letlive. vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, in NSN 2014. 4. Boris The Bladeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocalist, Daniel Sharp during NSN 2015.t

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U.K. band Bring Me The Horizon performing during NSN 2014.

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SUIT UP! Create a youthful, nonchalant touch to a classic look by pairing a flannel button down with a smart suit. To elongate your figure, opt for a black skinny tie and select a pair of black dress shoes. Now you’re ready for business meetings, presentations, and semi-formal events.

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UNDERGROUND SONATA Unleash your inner psychedelic side by opting for a leopard coat, the prints harmoniously contrast. Continue the spiffy look with a pair of black skinny jeans and high cut leather boots. For accessories choose a wide brimmed hat. This look is perfect for music festivals, concerts, or a bar get together with friends.

90’S APPEAL The 90’s grunge revival never looked more polished than with a crisp denim button down incorporated into the outfit. Tuck the denim shirt into cuffed jeans, with a pair of suede highcut boots. Wrap the flannel button down around the waist and finish off the look with pair of clubmaster shades. This is perfect for casual hangouts, parties, concerts, music festivals, or even school.

DAPPER SUMMER A perfect look to combat the heat, all the while maintaining the aura of ‘the dapper gentleman’. Tuck the flannel button-down into a pair of tailored shorts, above the knee length to elongate the legs. Roll the sleeves of the flannel and cuff the tailored shorts for breathing space and a relaxed feel. This look can transition from casual meet ups, parties, concerts, festivals, and a retail job.

PUMP UP KICKS This look juxtaposes the grunge and athletic chic perfect for on the go. Opt for a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, rolling up the sleeves of a loose fitting flannel. Lastly grab your favorite pair of tennis sneakers, a neon color for the more daring.

90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROMANCE You can now send your love to the 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with great panache, while using existing pieces in your wardrobe. Choose a pair of light washed skinny jeans and a black crop top. Tie the flannel around your waist and wear a chunky chain collar necklace. Wear a pair of platform Mary Jane stilettos ready to enchant the crowd at semi-formal parties, gallery shows, and dinners.

COOL KID For a laid back, comfortable ensemble, use your flannel as a jacket paired with a black body con dress. For accessories choose a long necklace to elongate your figure and a pair of clunky combat boots for contrast. This look can transition from day to night, school, friend hangouts, and music festivals.

ALT GIRL Feminine, polished, but young and cool, this look works for the corner office to semi-formal gatherings. Tuck the flannel with rolled sleeves and an open collar in a high-waist circle skirt. Grab a small structured handbag, high cut clog booties, and pair of club master shades to finish the look.

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WRITTEN BY: DANIEL YMBONG // ILLUSTRATIONS BY: ANA CECILIA GUERRA

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A l l W eather Leather The 70’s nostalgia was prevalent among the runways, tribute to Joni Mitchell for spring. Pucci showcased a series of tie-dyes, trapeze dresses at Chloé, and fur-patched vests at Gucci perfect for any festival backdrop. Dries Van Noten even staged his own haute hippie on grass-covered runway complete with paisley print sheer blouses.

U ti l itarian P anache What’s the other side to all that peace and love? A strew of utilitarian style that manifested itself from the leather strapped pocketed anoraks at Rodarte, parachute silk coats at Stella McCartney, lace fatigues at Sacai, to straight-up camouflage at Paris newcomer Vetements. VICTORIA BECKHAM

M arve l ous M arsa l a

A L L W E AT H E R L E AT H E R

MOSCHINO

U T I L I TA R I A N PA N A C H E

RO DA N T E

MARVELOUS MANSALA

BU R B E R RY P H O RU M

MARC JACOBS

U T I L I TA R I A N PA N A C H E

MIU MIU

A L L W E AT H E R L E AT H E R

MARVELOUS MANSALA

Named after fortified wined, the grounding red-brown roots which emulate a sophisticated earthiness made way for the runway coloring the clothes in Marsala. A vast majority of designers encased the color of the year from sheer dresses at Burberry, brocaded short suits at Dolce and Gabbana, to trench coats at Dior.

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CANYONITE WOMAN

EMILIO PUCCI

VICTOR+ROLF

GROUNDBREAKING FLORALS

N I R VA N A

HERMES

GROUNDBREAKING FLORALS

H O U S E O F H O LL A N D

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G RO U N D B R E A K I N G F L OW E R S Flowers are synonymous to the spring season and it was evident with the wildflower prints of Phoebe Philo at Céline. Many other designers embraced the bloom boom at Thakoon, Max Mara, and Simone Rocha. The floral prints are bigger, more vibrant, and head-to-toe.

CANYONITE WOMAN The 70’s nostalgia was prevalent among the runways, tribute to Joni Mitchell for spring. Pucci showcased a series of tiedyes, trapeze dresses at Chloé, and furpatched vests at Gucci perfect for any festival backdrop. Dries Van Noten even staged his own haute hippie on grasscovered runway complete with paisley print sheer blouses.

M ichae l K ors

N I R VA N A

DENIM DIVIDER

N I R VA N A The runways showcased a hankering for an escapist antidote. Lovely serene caftan shapes, graceful tunics, and well proportioned skirts in soothing pales neutrals and various shades of white were seen at Christophe Lemaire, Maria Cornejo, and Mary-Kate and Ashely’s The Row.

DENIM DIVIDE Yves Saint Laurent wished he created blue jeans and yet again denim was ubiquitous on the catwalk. Streetwise labels like Kenzo and Marques’ Almieda premiered denim suit ensembles as did high-brow echelon houses like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino in blue jeans!

L AV I N

DENIM DIVIDER

A N T H O N Y V A C C A R E LL O CANYONITE WOMAN

tommy hi l figer

FASHION TRENDS 2015

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rebel

a Cause With out

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Revolution COUNTER CULTURE styling and creative direction By Daniel Ymbong Photography by Adrian Castillo & Alicia Rangel

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The world of fashion has been permeated by the rebellious spirit for decades. Originally, Chanel unapologetically brought feminism into fashion. Saint Laurent slashed the bourgeoisie system, taking cues from bikers to design the bomber jacket in alligator trimmed with mink. This would fundamentally impact the creative strata, where stars like James Dean became synonymous with wearing leather jackets. Marc Jacobs created the “grunge” look popularizing faded muted colors, oversized ill fitted clothing, and flannel. Alexander Wang celebrated the punks, hipsters, and surfers with items like the boyfriend blazer and biker platform boots. This counterculture spirit lives on Heidi Slimane at the helm of Yves Saint Laurent with grandfather cardigans and ripped tights. Rebel is the spirit of fashion, the forerunner of the cutting.

bling ring 1. Angeli Ymbong

Oversized sweater - Ana (JcPenny) Snow leopard body con dress - A’gaci Over-the knee stiletto boots - A’gaci Felt hat - Target Assorted gold chains - Stylist’s own Two tone chubby faux fur coat - A’gaci Silk scarf - Archive Vintage Crocodile embossed leather bag - Michael Kors

2. Janice Jasso Black crop top - Guess Over-the-knee socks - Urban Outfitters Platform strappy stiletto sandals - Steve Madden Pleather side slit pencil skirt - Nasty Girl Oversized fur chubby - Vintage Black statchel with gold zipper hardware - Olivia and Joy 3. Franchesca Verdeflor Virgin Mary T-shirt - Rue 21 Lavender metallic high-waist shorts - American Apparel Gold rhinestone collar necklace - Macy’s Patent mary-jane platform clogs - Forever 21 Chevron mink coat - Etsy Clubaster shades - Rayban Fuax leather satchel - Charles and Keith 4. Karen Espronceda Peter pan collar dress - Hot Topic Platform booties - H&M Ripped tights - model’s own Leopard pony hair satchel - Michael Kors White rabbit power shoulder chubby - Archive Vintage 121

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Party Talk

Angeli Ymbong (Above Right) Oversized sweater - Ana (JcPenny) Snow leopard body con dress - A’gaci Over-the knee stiletto boots - A’gaci Felt hat - Target Assorted gold chains - Stylist’s own Two tone chubby faux fur coat - A’gaci Silk scarf - Archive Vintage Crocodile embossed leather bag - Michael Kors Karen Espronceda (Above Left) Striped chiffon cinched shirt dress - A’gaci Cross whistle necklace - Taguig, Philippines Pink bowler hat - Forever 21 Platform wedges - Charlotte Russe Ripped tights - models own

k c a l b o t k c a b

Catarina Gutierrez Body con t-shirt dress with mesh contrasts - Stylist’s own Black studded clog booties - Charlotte Russe Cross whistle necklace - Taguig, Philippines Pink bowler hat - Forever 21 Platform wedges - Charlotte Russe ripped tights - models own

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Live fast, Die Young,

bad Girls do it well

Catarina Gutierrez Ribbed crop top - American Apparel Croppd ripped boyfriend jeansAcne Kimono cardigan - Forever 21 Gold tooth necklace - New York and Company Quilted chain link pochetteForever 21 Platform Mary Jane stilettoCharlotte Russe Assorted rings - stylist’s own Victoria Matos Chiffon shirt with black collarA’gaci Chiffon kimono blouse/jacketvintage Black skinny jeans - Guess Platform clog booties - Jeffery Campbell Lita Damier Trevi handbag - Louis Vuitton Beatriz Montejano Printed t-shirt - Hot Topic High waisted shorts - thrifted Opaque tights - Target Clog booties - Rue 21 Assorted jewelry - model’s own Saffiano leather handbag - Prada

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Angeli Ymbong (Left) Pleather leaggings - Forever 21 Military vest - thrifted Oxblood platform booties - Tobi Baroque print silk tuban - Archive Vintage Janice Jasso (Bottom) Varisity shirt dress - Rue 21 Over-the-knee socks - Urban Outfitters Polka dot curved mary janes - Target Franchesca Verdeflor (Right) Studded choker - Charolotte Russe, Beaded bustier - Urban Outfiters Pleated tennis skirt - American Apparel Dark washed denim jacket - Vintage

Nasty Girls

Do it Better fashion

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How much of a Fashion Intellectual are You?

She was the muse of Tom Ford for Gucci and the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris for 10 years. Which fashion editor is she? Hint: Her photographs are synonymous with sex, blood, and scissors and started the “porno chic” aesthetic.

a. b. c. d.

Diana Vreeland Carine Roitfeld Anna Wintour Anna Dello Russo

Louis Vuitton, today renowned for its luggage and leather goods, was established in 1854, but it wasn’t until the creative direction of Marc Jacobs did Vuitton expand to ready-to-wear. After Jacob’s departure from Vuitton, which designer took the helm?

a. b. c. d.

Isabel Marant Christopher Bailey Nicolas Ghesquière Olivier Theyskens

Correct answer: B Diana Vreeland was the fashion editor of American Vogue in the 60’s. Anna dello Russo works for Japanese Vogue, while Anna Wintour is the current editor-in-chief for American Vogue.

Correct answer: C. Isabel Marant has her own label that’s popular among models. Christopher Bailey made Burberry what it is today. And Oliver Theyskens has worked for the House of Rocha and Nina Ricci, and now the House of Theory.

There are four capitals that take over “fashion month” twice a year in September and February: New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Besides Tokyo, which is the other Asian fashion capital worth seeing? Hint: Street style and designers from here are known for a love of pastels and minimalism.

a. Shanghai b. Beijing c. Hong Kong d. Seoul Correct answer: D. Shanghai and Beijing are Chinese capitals known for manufacturing. There’s street style here and there, but everyone knows it’s made in China. Hong Kong centralizes in business, so if you go at the airport it’s Burberry trench coats and Vuitton bags everywhere you look.

In 1947, the “new look” was conceived. This daring silhouette of tight waists and full a-line skirts defined the 50’s. This designer praised Chanel for transforming a sailor’s sweater to be stylish. Who is he? Hint: He died by choking on a fish bone.

a. Yves Saint Laurent b. Christian Dior c. Gianni Versace d. Cristóbal Balenciaga . Correct answer: B. If you got this question wrong, you need to brush up on your fashion history- Balenceiga was a Spanish designer known for circular shapes, kimono sleeves, and the empire waist. And these designers unfortunately had memorable deaths: Yves Saint Laurent died of brain tumor and a mentally ill male prostitute shot Gianni Versace.

How many did you get right?

This Asian American designer’s dresses, including one worn by Michelle Obama, are featured in the Smithsonian. Need another hint? He is an alumni of Parson’s School of Design. Who is he?

a. b. c. d.

The 90’s defined the era of the supermodel. The Holy Trinity of supermodels was made up of Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and one more girl. Who is she? Hint: She was quoted for saying, “I don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day.”

Correct answer: B. Did you go for the obvious? All of these labels are design duos. Dolce and Gabbana encapsulates the nouveau riche aesthetic of “body con.” The Proenza Schouler duo graduated from Parson’s and specializes in street wear. And as for The Row- hello, it’s the Olsen Twins! Yes, they have a fashion line. Several, in fact.

It’s a classic piece in every girl’s wardrobe, made famous by Givenchy’s design for Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” What is this fashion item?

Kitten heels cat eye glasses the little black dress a diamond necklace

Correct answer: C. If you got this question wrong, go back to fashion school. It is true that Audrey wears all the above-mentioned items, but Hubert de Givenchy was and is famous for haute couture dresses.

This shoe designer has garnered a counterculture cult, ubiquitous on fashion sites like Tumblr and Lookbook.nu. YouTube bloggers claim that his sky-high platform clogs are the most comfortable booties ever. Who is this shoe designer?

a. Nicolas Kirkwood b. Jeffery Campbell c. Unif d. Christian Louboutin

Linda Evangelista Tyra Banks Gisele Bündchen Sasha Pivovarova

Correct answer: A. If you got this question wrong, you don’t know your supermodels or how to tell time. Tyra Banks was a popular model in the 90’s, in fact she was the archenemy of Naomi Campbell, but she dropped out of the industry. Gisele came in the 2000’s and Sasha Pivovarova was the Prada Girl for 6 seasons since 2005.

0-4: Stay Basic 5: Average Normie

a. Dolce and Gabbana b. Rodarte c. Proenza Schouler d. The Row

a. b. c. d.

Alexander Wang Philip Lim Jason Wu Derek Lam

Correct answer: C. Tricky hint; all of these designers graduated from Parson’s School of Design. And they’re all Asian, too! But Alexander Wang is all about underground counterculture. Philip Lim is all about cool sportswear street style and Derek Lam would be the closest for dressing politicians’ wives, but so far not for Mrs. Obama.

a. b. c. d.

This design duo managed to get a degree in art history and literature. They watched a year’s worth of horror movies for inspiration and designed the costumes for the movie “The Black Swan.” Who are they?

Correct answer: B. If you got this question wrong, stay basic. The Jeffery Campbell Litas are so popular even Lindsey Lohan wears them. Nicolas Kirwood makes avant-garde shoes that make Rachel Zoe go crazy. Unif has crazy platforms too, but they don’t do wooden clogs, while Christian Louboutin designed his famous red soles after watching his assistant paint her finger nails red.

6-8: Stylish Smarty 9: Fashion Intellectual

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