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SSeeee PPaaggee 77SSeeeePPaaggee33 Various new measures to help ease students’ financial burden Find out what band came out first at 2007’s Battle of the Bands By VERONICA GONZALEZ The Pan American By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American By LUKE KOONG The Pan American See PERCENT page 11 See RATHER page 11 See SACS page 11 Sidney Meadows/The Pan American SSeeee PPaaggee 1155
Citation preview
In 1997, the Texas Legislature
decided all graduating high school stu-
dents in the top ten percent of their
class would be granted automatic
admission into any Texas public univer-
sity. The ruling was designed to
improve and maintain campus diversity.
Now, nearly 10 years later, some law-
makers say the rule is vulnerable to
being changed.
The Texas Legislature meets every
other year beginning on the second
Tuesday in January to address govern-
mental issues and decide on pressing
senate bills. This session, Dennis
McMillan, The University of Texas-Pan
American’s associate vice president for
enrollment and student services, said
there are multiple bills out there trying to
reduce the top ten percent law.
“Reducing the top ten percent law
to five percent is only one way of law-
makers dealing with the issue,”
McMillan said. “There are other bills
that suggest only allowing a certain per-
centage of the incoming freshman class
to be admitted based on the top percent
rule.”
PAN AMERICAN
SSeeee PPaaggee 1155
Thai golfer HighWongchindawest bringsstrong work ethic
Sports
THE
T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 0 7
Various new measuresto help ease students’financial burden
Find out what bandcame out first at 2007’sBattle of the Bands
SSeeee PPaaggee 77SSeeee PPaaggee 33
A&ENews
UTPA prepares for visit from SACS committee
By VERONICA GONZALEZThe Pan American
Texas top tenpercent ruleunder review
Sidney Meadows/The Pan American
As the time for re-accreditation
from the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools approaches, insti-
tutions tend to get nervous. However,
such is not the case at The University of
Texas-Pan American.
A team of eight peer reviewers and
Linwood Rose, president of James
Madison University in Harrisonburg,
Va., will visit UTPA April 16-19 to
determine whether the university will be
allowed to keep its accreditation, a dis-
tinction that ensures the university’s fed-
eral funding among other things.
“We will achieve it,” said William
Turk, SACS coordinator and liaison. He
is also co-chair for the leadership com-
mittee, one of three involved in the
accreditation process at the university,
alongside President Blandina Cardenas.
The process, which takes place
every 10 years, is a daunting one,
according to Turk, who compared wait-
ing for the review team and accreditation
to writing a term paper.
“We’re positive we’re doing a good
job but we haven’t received a final grade
yet,” he said.
When the SACS visitation team
arrives on campus, it will be discussing
the Quality Enhancement Plan and tak-
ing a detailed look at campus facilities.
Turk said that understanding the
magnitude of being accredited has always
been important. The alternative to win-
ning is not good.
“If we’re not accredited, your
degree means nothing and we get no fed-
eral aid,” Turk said. “Basically, we’re
out of business.”
He added that accreditation is very
important to students as well.
“It tells anybody that looks at your
degree that it’s meaningful and wasn’t
bought over the Internet,” Turk said. “If
that program is not accredited by some
institution that says this is a worthwhile
academic piece of paper, it’s meaning-
less. You spent a whole bunch of money
on nothing.”
Receiving accreditation also
By LUKE KOONG
The Pan American
See SACS page 11
See PERCENT page 11
Rather familiar face:
A familiar voice could be heardthroughout the Fine Arts AuditoriumTuesday night. However, DanRather’s faultless diction and broad-cast-ready tone were not comingthrough the speakers of a televisionbecause on this particular evening, hewas reporting live.
Rather made the journey to TheUniversity of Texas-Pan Americanfrom Afghanistan, where he had beenfilming a report just 48 hours beforefor his HDNet show “Dan RatherReporting.” While it was not his firsttrip to the Valley, this time the formerlongtime CBS Evening News anchorwas visiting the universityas part of the
Distinguished Speakers Series.While an audience of over 700 is
a smaller one than the Texas-bornRather is used to, he nonetheless tookadvantage of the opportunity to speakabout the world and journalism as itis now and will become.
HERE, NOWExpectedly, the CBS veteran
made it a point to talk at length aboutthe status of the vocation he called hislife’s work. He stressed that in thepresent day, reporters are constantlyfaced with the dilemma of decidingwhat is news.
“A good definition of news: newsis something you, the public needs,
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
See RATHER page 11
Former news anchor speaks to students
1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican
56th Year – No. 19
The Pan American gladly accepts letters fromstudents, staff and faculty regarding newspapercontent or current issues. The Pan Americanreserves the right to edit submissions forgrammar and length. Please limit submissionlength to 300 words. The Pan American cannotpublish anonymous letters, or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitous personalattacks. Letters are printed at the discretion ofthe editor and must include the writer’s name,classification/title and phone number.
F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 0 7
PAGE 2
News EditorSandra Gonzalez
sandra_panamerican@
yahoo.com
A&E EditorFrank Calvillo
Sports EditorLuke Koonglkoong2004
@yahoo.com
IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
THE PAN AMERICAN
THE
PAN AMERICAN
The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of thewriters and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the university.
Available Feb. 22Colorful characters- Find out why a comic book followingtranslates into box-office gold formovies
READERFORUM
Designers
SecretaryAnita Casares
Gregorio Garzathe_nataku@ yahoo.com
Rick [email protected]
Leslie Estrada
Onydia Garza
Patrick Kennedy
Kristyna Mancias
Jeanette Perez
Rafael Roux
Angela Salazar
Erick Quintero
Reporters and Photographers
Advertising [email protected]
DeliveryThursday at Noon
AdviserDr. Greg Selber
Ad ManagerLillian Villarreal
Asst. Ad ManagerSamantha Quintana
Photo EditorSidney Meadowsoutintherain@
aol.com
Design EditorRoy Bazan
EditorClaudette Gonzalez
Injection issue- Find out more about Gov. Perry’sdecision regarding an HPV-preventingvaccine
Letters to the editor
To the editor:
I would like to take this opportu-
nity to thank the Intelligence
Community Center for Academic
Excellence for hosting a seminar with
Mr. Benjamin Romero of Lockheed-
Martin Jan. 20.
Mr. Romero shared the story of
his own pathway from being the old-
est of 9 children growing up in rural
New Mexico with little financial
resources to attending college and
later achieving a 28-year career as a
high ranking officer in the Air Force,
and now in industry.
His story was inspirational to many of the students in attendance.
Mr. Romero shared his experiences
and views of working in intelligence
gathering.
When asked some challenging
(and in my opinion, valid) questions
about past activities of the CIA, such
as illegal intrusions into other coun-
tries, he responded with grace, point-
ing out that he had never worked for
the CIA nor agreed with all govern-
ment decisions such as the wars in
Vietnam and Iraq.
I salute the Center for Academic
Excellence for providing an opportu-
nity to UTPA students to learn about a
career path that has appeal to some
but certainly not all.
I feel that as an institution of
higher education, presenting options
and possibilities to our students,
who then decide for themselves if
they are a “fit,” is the right way to
go.
I look forward to attending
more of the seminars hosted by the
Center.
Sincerely,
Bruce Reed
Interim Dean
College of Health Sciences &
Human Services
To the editor:
In the article, “SGA president
faces group of upset senators” (Feb.
1), it was disappointing to read that
Student Government Association
President Argelia Barerra’s negli-
gence is being dismissed with divert-
ing phrases such as, “The student
government should be focusing on the
business of the university…” and
“…overcoming miscommunica-
tions.” Are the miscommunications
about meeting times?
When elected student represen-
tatives use an established democratic
process in light of legitimate griev-
ances without personal vendettas,
their efforts should be applauded.
This is where we as students can
learn first-hand what that nifty little
phrase “checks and balances” is all
about.
It is unacceptable that the
College of Arts and Humanities has
no representatives and that atten-
dance to mandatory meetings is not
taken seriously. Because there can be
no accountability or accessibility if
there are excessive absences, is it
comical to state that the students are
being represented to the fullest
capacity.
Many of our student leaders
have the potential to have polished
political careers in our communities
and if social participation is not
understood now, then how can we
trust them later?
This is the most elemental
premise in understanding democra-
cy. Even at the university level, hold-
ing an office is not merely about cer-
emonial debuts and mixers, but hard
work.
Again, hats off to our vigilant
representatives – you make us proud!
Samantha Garcia
senior biology major
To the editor:
Sorry, this isn't the nude photos
of the actor you love. But you can still
read this opinion of one insignificant
reader of this newspaper.
This is in reference to the arti-
cle dated Feb. 8 “Student govern-
ment continues debate over leader’s
faults.”
I was in Army JROTC in high
school. In my senior year, I was
second in command of the staff
(which is the equivalent of the SGA
senate).
Whenever our leader didn't show
up, we knew that if she had a chance
to go to the meetings, she would.
This thing about the senators
being mad at the president is childish.
When my leader didn't show, I, AS A
LEADER, took charge do the work
and show it to my leader afterwards
when I saw her.
Why anyone would waste time
talking about impeaching a leader,
unless for a serious offense (i.e.:
drugs, suspension, etc.), is beyond my
thinking.
These three senators have an
agenda, too much time on their hands
and need get over whatever personal
grudge they have with her.
I, as a freshman, am not familiar
with the SGA. But even I know that
the SGA president has to worry about
senior classes, personal life (like fam-
ily and friends) and the responsibility
of SGA. Obviously, she has lot on her
plate aside from the student govern-
ment.
The students elected an SGA
president because she was someone
with a lot extraciurricular activites,
and not someone who has a lot free
time to do things like a write a long
letter (my brain hurts) to a student
newspaper.
Hope you enjoyed.
Sexy forever,
Andrew Dominguez
freshman biology major
“Even at the unviversitylevel, holding an office is notmerely about ceremonialdebuts and mixers, but hard
work.”
- Samantha Garciasenior biology major
“Why anyone wouldwaste time talking aboutimpeaching a leader, unlessfor a serios offense (i.e.:drugs, suspension, etc.) is
beyond my thinking.”
- Andrew Dominguezfreshman biology major
“I salute the Center forAcademic Excellence forproviding an opportunity toUTPA students to learnabout a career path that hasappeal to some, but certain-
ly not all.”
- Bruce ReedInterim Dean
College of Health Sciences &Human Services
Savannah Martinez
Interest rates – two words most stu-
dents dislike more than the loans they
are attached to. However, this may not
be the case for long because of state
House Resolution 5 passed Jan. 17.
According to Valley Congressman
Ruben Hinojosa, the bill aims to cut loan
interest rates in half over the next five
years.
“This is the first step in dealing
with access and affordability of higher
education,” said Hinojosa.
The reduction will begin July 1,
2007 and continue to decrease annually
until 2011. It will affect new, subsidized
loans that are taken out after the start
date.
“The problem is interest rates
adding thousands of dollars to the debt
[students] already owe,” said Hinojosa.
According to Fastweb.com, which
posted a sample loan scenario to better
explain the process, someone paying off
a $10,000 loan will, over 10 years, pay
$4,718.49 in interest. This is the type of
situation Hinojosa and the members of
the 110th Congress are trying to elimi-
nate.
In Texas, 64 percent of undergrad-
uate students take out loans - 89.9 per-
cent of which are federal, such as
Stafford loans - according to the
At around 8 a.m. Samantha Koch
will be getting ready to head off to
school. After a day of classes and having
to go to work in between each class at
The University of Texas-Pan American
Admissions and New Student Services
office where she is an orientation leader,
all she wants to do is go home and relax.
However, instead she worries about
making it to her second job at Joe’s Crab
Shack on time, where she earns $3.20 an
hour plus tip share as a hostess.
“At first it was a little difficult
being able to manage everything,” said
Koch, a freshman at UTPA. “But after a
little work at it, I am able to deal with
classes, study time and two jobs allow-
ing downtime for myself not to mention
time for home and projects.”
However, changes might be made
to benefit an estimated 5.6 million work-
ers in the United States just like Koch, as
the U.S. Senate has passed a bill to
increase the minimum wage 40 percent
to $7.25 over a two-year period.
Like many minimum-wage work-
ers Koch, a journalism major, depends
on minimum wage paying jobs in order
to pay bills and get by.
“I wake up, go to class, go to my
orientations until we are done, go to
Joe’s change there and don’t get home
until around 11 p.m.,” said Koch.
However, not everyone is happy
with the idea of the increase. Small-busi-
ness owners have traditionally worried
that raising the wage will force them to
cut employees and/or benefits. But the
Senate bill would institute tax credits
from the government to compensate for
wage increases. The planned tax advan-
tages are worth $8.3 billion over a 10-
year period.
The wage increase, the first in a
decade, would boost the average annual
salary for a minimum-wage worker to
$15,000 from $11,000. The tax break
appears to even things out in terms of the
employer. But there are other complica-
tions and possible unintended conse-
quences.
Jose Pagan, a professor of econom-
ics, said while many workers would ben-
efit from the increase, others could be
pushed into unemployment as a result.
“Increasing the minimum wage
will force employers to think twice
about hiring new workers,” he said.
“Employers will also be less likely to
The controversial film “Hand ofGod,” which addresses sexualabuse by Catholic priests, willbe shown at Cine El Rey Feb.18 at 4:30 p.m.
News in brief:
See MINIMUM page 12
Troxel Hall to be home to student organizations in fall
See LOAN page 12
Minimum wage to increaseBy KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American
The word is out: beginning fall
2007, tenants of Troxel Hall dormitory
will have something in common besides
living under the same roof.
When the new semester begins, so
will “organization housing,” a proposal
that offers students at The University of
Texas-Pan American a chance to live
with others from their same campus
club, fraternity,
sorority, religious
group or any
other university
organization.
“No other
college has done
this. Theme and
Greek housing has been done, but not
organization housing,” said Chad
Martin, director of residence life at The
University of Texas-Pan American. “Our
main focus is to create a better campus
environment.”
Troxel Hall, which is located on
Sugar Road and was built over 30 years
ago, has four towers and three floors,
making a total of 12 spaces. Also known
as “pods,” each space could accommo-
date 11 to 14 students, and groups apply-
ing for organization housing will get to
live in the pod of their choice, depending
on availability.
“I think it’ll be a great opportunity
for students and organizations to come
together and get to know each other,”
said Tania Chavez, a Student
Government Association member and
senior finance major. “I’ve been living
on campus for almost three years and it
was hard to get to know people when I
first moved in.”
The cost of living in Troxel Hall
will remain the same, with double occu-
pancy rooms priced at $1,500 per person
and singles at $2,100 per year.
“It’s going to be run 100 percent
By ANNA FLORESThe Pan American
See HOUSING page 12
Possibleschedulingchanges inthe works
The Task Force on Academic
Scheduling has revised the present aca-
demic schedule of Monday-Wednesday-
Friday and Tuesday-Thursday classes in
hopes of benefiting faculty and students
at The University of Texas-Pan
American.
Instead of a MWF and TR sched-
ule, the team is proposing a MW, TR,
and Friday schedule, with the possibil-
ity of Saturday classes. Classes on MW
and TR will be an hour and 15 minutes
with a 90-minute activity period.
Friday classes will run two hours and
30 minutes with an activity period of
1:15.
Dennis McMillan, associate vice
president for enrollment and student
services, served on the task force and
said the new schedule could have great
benefits.
“It will impact the ability of us
being able to offer classes at the times
that the students want them the most.
It’ll stretch the schedules into the late
afternoon,” he said.
The task force was formed a little
over a year ago when UTPA President
Blandina Cardenas asked for proposals
for a new schedule. In order to come up
with the new schedule, the group con-
sulted with faculty, administrators and
staff involved in the scheduling develop-
ment process to come up with a new
plan.
In addition to the new structure,
another proposed change would allow a
By BRENDA RODRIGUEZThe Pan American
See SCHEDULE page 12 BARE MINIMUM - Vanessa Jasso, an architecture major, makes a sandwich at Subway where she earns minim wage.
Rafael Roux/The Pan American
NEWS
Loan rates to see declineBy SARAH JESKEThe Pan American
MARTIN
Legislation to give students financial relief
Page 4 NEWS February 15, 2007
Evening Tutoring at Unity Hall!
The Learning Assistance CenterWill start evening tutoring services
In Mathematics and WritingAt Unity Hall 1/29/07 Monday-Thursday
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Internet Tutoring is now availableCall 381-2585 for details
Successful Semesters Begin Here!
For information call the Learning Assistance Center (LAC)Location: LAC building except for Writing (Library Suite 101)
381-2585 or go by LEAC 100.
According to statistics from a
recent study by The Center for
Information and Research on Civic
Learning and Engagement, voter
turnouts from 2004 showed only 51 per-
cent of women ages 18-24 and 68 per-
cent of women ages 25 and above voted.
Disappointed with voter turnouts,
local Democratic women from Hidalgo
County have come together to form a
chapter of Texas Democratic Women.
Dori Contreras Garza, judge in the
13th Court of Appeals, said female par-
ticipation in the political process is a big
concern.
“The purpose of the organization is
to promote increased political activity
and influence of Democratic women in
Texas politics,” said Contreras Garza.
She also assisted in the formation
of the Coastal Bend Chapter of TDW,
which was organized by northern Texas
counties in 1987. While TDW is made
up of women of various professions and
backgrounds, this is not only a women’s
organization; men may join as well.
“The focus is women. We want to
participate not compete against men,”
said Dolly Elizondo, the first president
elect of the local TDW.
Some activities TDW will be tak-
ing part in will be voter registration, sup-
porting local activities of the Democratic
parties, discussing community issues,
and educating the public on how to
become involved in the political process.
“As a group we can all make a dif-
ference and help promote our party and
help improve the voter turnout,” said
Contreras Garza. “We would also like to
encourage women to run for office and
get involved politically.”
In addition, TDW highly encour-
ages students, who are often apathetic
about politics, to join. TDW hopes to get
involved with student Democrat organi-
zations to help get the vote out.
“It is important to network and start
networking at a young age,” said
Contreras Garza. “Students have only to
gain from the experience of getting
involved in this organization, not only to
become more informed but to meet peo-
ple than can help you along the way.”
Marisela Deleon, president of the
Young Democrat Society at UTPA,
encouraged her members to participate,
attend meetings and become involved
with TDW. She said working with the
organization would not only increase
support for the Democratic Party but
also provide equal opportunities for
everyone.
“This is a fantastic way for women
to get involved and take leadership roles
in the future,” said Deleon, a senior
finance major. “It’s also a good way for
women to participate, as opposed to men
being the leaders.”
As part of an organization that pro-
motes voting and involvement for
women, TDW members hope to make a
difference in the community by combin-
ing the two and getting people aware of
the fact that voting can make a difference.
One of their main goals is to educate
young women on how to get involved.
“I would like to have a hand in
motivating young students to vote,”
Elizondo said.
As president of TDW, she wants to
keep up with laws being passed that
affect female Democrats and said she
has always been interested in getting the
vote out; that’s why she joined the
organization.
“I now belong to an organization
that promotes voting,” Elizondo said.
TDW will have its next meeting
some time in March at The University of
Texas Pan-American, to raise awareness
among students. For more information
e-mail Contreras Garza at
By KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American
February 15, 2007 NEWS Page 5
Group hopes to increase female political activity
“This is a fantastic way forwomen to get involved andtake leadership roles in the
future.”
- Marisela Deleonpresident
Young Democrats Society
VOTER - Dolly Elizondo, president of the local Texas Democratic Women chap-ter, hopes the new organization will increase female political involvement.
Sidney Meadows/The Pan American
“Taza de interés” son probable-
mente las tres palabras que la mayoría de
los estudiantes detestan, incluso mas que
los prestamos a los que están sujetos. Sin
embargo es posible que esta situación
cambie, gracias a las resoluciones
aprobadas por el congreso el 17 de
Enero.
De acuerdo al congresista Rubén
Hinojosa, la ultima ley aprobada clama
el reducir la taza de interés a la mitad en
los próximos 5 años. “Este es nuestro
primer paso para lograr que la educación
superior sea accesible”.
La reducción comenzara el primero
de julio de 2007 y continuara en decre-
mento hasta el 2011. Este decremento
también afectara a los prestamos que
hallan sido adquiridos antes de que entre
en efecto esta ley.
El sitio “Fastweb.com” ha creado
un escenario virtual que explica el fun-
cionamiento de los intereses con las
tazas de ahora. Alguien que solicita un
préstamo de $10,000 dólares con 10
años a pagar, tendrá un interés total de
$4,718.49 dólares. Este tipo de situa-
ciones son las que el congresista
Hinojosa intenta eliminar.
Según el Centro Nacional de
Estadísticas para la Educación, en Texas
un 64% de los estudiantes universitarios
solicitan prestamos bancarios, 89% se
solicitan al gobierno federal, un ejemplo
de estos prestamos es “Stafford Loans”.
Laura Salas, estudiante de postgra-
do en la facultad de negocios de la
Universidad de Texas-Pan American,
recibió un préstamo para pagar su edu-
cación mientras asistía a la Universidad
Our Lady of the Lake.
“Yo no medite lo suficiente acerca
de los costos, cuando los requerí en la
universidad, sin embargo no fue así
cuando los busque para mi postgrado”.
Cuando Salas se graduó de la
OLLU ella habia accumulado cerca de
$40,000 dólares en prestamos.
“Se que seré capaz de pagar mi
deuda, pero esto me tomara de 10 a 15
años”, dice Salas.
Hinojosa, ex alumno de UTPA, dice
que el no tuvo que tomar un préstamo
para poder completar su educación supe-
rior, pero reconoce que esto ha cambiado.
“Tengo que admitirlo, yo no tuve
que pedir prestamos para pagar mis estu-
dios universitarios, pero era mucho mas
barato cuando yo estudiaba. En ese
entonces $3,000 podían mantenerte por
un año, ahora es casi cuatro veces eso”.
Hinojosa reconoce las necesidades
de los estudiantes para poder costear su
carrera universitaria y asegura que esta
medida es un gran paso para lograr que
los estudiantes terminen sus carreras,
tanto en el ámbito académico como en el
financiero.
William Morley quien es director
de Servicios Financieros, quiere asegu-
rarse que todos los estudiantes y futuros
estudiantes comprendan este cambio en
las regulación. En un esfuerzo para
lograr esto y con motivo del mes de la
ayuda financiera (febrero), asistirá a
escuelas publicas a lo largo del Valle
para informar a todos los estudiantes. El
equipo de Servicios Financieros planea
también visitar escuelas de educación
elemental y media superior explicando
la importancia de una educación univer-
sitaria.
“Nuestro propósito es educar sobre
el mundo de los prestamos para la edu-
cación. Queremos enfatizar que el cole-
gio sí es una posibilidad sin importar
cual es el ingreso familiar”, dice Morley
Además, Hinojosa dice que una de
sus prioridad es asegurar que nadie se
quede fuera del presupuesto cuando este
sea finalizado.
Mientras otras alternativas para
pagar la educación superior son preferi-
das, Hinojosa dice que si los prestamos
son la única opción, las personas deben
utilizarlos sin remordimientos por
intereses.
“Quizás tomen años para pagarlos,
pero los beneficios de una educación
universitaria los valen”, dice Hinojosa.
“Este es nuestro primerpaso para lograr que la edu-cación superior sea accesi-
ble”.
- Rubén HinojosaCongresista
Legislatura de Texas
Legislatura intenta bajar intereses en prestamosPor SARAH JESKETraducido Por JAIME NAVARROThe Pan American
EN ESPAÑOLEl filme controversial “Hand of God,”que habla sobre el abuso sexualcometido por sacerdotes Católicos,será mostrado en Cine El Rey el día18de Febrero a las 4:30 p.m.
Noticias en breve:
“Queremos enfatizar que elcolegio sí es una posibilidadsin importar cual es el ingreso
familiar”.
- William MorleyDirector, Servicios Financieros
Usually Monday is one of those
days you wish would never come. It gives
a sense of dread because you know it
means going back to school or work, or
sometimes both. Last Monday was differ-
ent.
The University Program Board has
hosted a variety of campus activities for
students at The University of Texas-Pan
American, but what happened Feb. 5
stood out from the rest.
For the second year in a row, UPB
held its long-awaited Battle of the Bands.
With a lineup of local talents and a special
guest performance by the Detroit-based
band PBM, the night was more than
promising. The reward: the local team
coming in first place would be given its
own UTPA-sponsored show April 3.
According to UPB advisor Maricela
Gonzalez, the show represented more
than just entertainment value.
“It’s proven that students who inter-
act in their community have better grades
so I think it’s really important for them to
get involved,” she said.
The event kicked off at 6 p.m. in the
Student Union Theater, with the bands
ready to hit the stage.
Opening up the night were the out-
of-towners PBM, who appeared on
NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” show. The
punk rock/ska quintet wasted no time
busting out tunes with its unique style.
In addition to songs like “Super
Hero” and “Retail King,” the five guys
surprised the audience and belted out their
own versions of popular television show
songs, including “The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air” and an all-time kid favorite,
“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,”
before ending their set with another sur-
prising song written out of popular
Nintendo codes.
After 45 minutes of ska-rock
inspired tunes, it was time for the locals.
First up was the Weslaco alternative
Christian rock band Last Place. Playing
only two songs for a set, the four guys
walked off with a round of applause.
Five minutes later, the ska-reggae-
punk Vital Brass Tones from Edinburg
mixed it up with some audience participa-
tion to their highly up-tempo songs.
Edinburg’s own goth-inspired
Driving the Nails hit the stage with their
black clothing, headbanging and long
hair. Loud blasting drums, synched gui-
tars and the soft melodies of the keys
fused together created the perfect ambi-
ence for a rock show.
Mellowing things out a bit were the
Decadent Suits with their indie/blues-
inspired songs, dressy apparel and their
crowd-pleasing “Shake, Shake.”
Following that act were the alternative
rock and punk sounds of the female-front-
ed Violet Avenue, hailing from McAllen,
of course, with their happy beats “Haven”
and “Slow” and the like.
Last but not least, representing the
Valley rock scene was yet another
Edinburg band, Stillborne. With the singer
revving up the crowd and inspiring their
supporters to take a stand in the front, this
local band rocked the night away.
At the end of the night, Driving the
Nails came in third, Vital Brass Tones
took second, and Decadent Suits nabbed
top honors.
Driving the Nails guitarist, Frank
Salinas, a graphic design major, stressed
the importance of the night’s event.
“A lot people don’t realize that we
have so many talented acts in the Valley,”
said the 21-year-old Edinburg native. “It’s
very important and it’s time that the
Valley realized what they’re missing.”
With more than 250 people in atten-
dance, the night was definitely a success.
“I would definitely come back to
future battles,” smiled 19-year-old fresh-
man computer information systems major
Jonathan Ovalle.
After some delays and postpone-
ments, everything is finally ready to start
shooting this summer for Mexica Films’
latest production, the independent
Mexican film, “El Gato Chido” (The Cool
Cat).
The film by Arni Rodriguez, a
University of Texas-Pan American gradu-
ate student, is a teen comedy about a girl
who gets dumped by her boyfriend and
then finds true love. The story revolves
around Valentine’s Day and shows how
everyone looks to find their perfect match.
“In the film, everybody is looking
for their gato chido,” said executive pro-
ducer Rodriguez. “The phrase is used as a
metaphor. It is the protagonist’s way of
saying that she is looking for her Prince
Charming.”
This promising film contains a num-
ber of Mexican actors including Sherlyn,
who will be the protagonist. Other actors
include Omar Chaparro, a comedian,
model and actress Roxana Martinez and
journalist Pepillo Orijel.
Award-winning Mexican actress
Sylvia Pinal is also in negations to star in
the film.
“I’m flying to Mexico City next
week to meet Sylvia Pinal,” Rodriguez
said. “I am very nervous since she has not
come out in films for a while. I really hope
she accepts the proposal I have for her. I
would love for Mrs. Pinal to be in my
film.”
Local talent will be showcased in
this movie, which will give them as much
exposure as possible.
“We have local talent like actress
Alejandra Barrera and myself,” said
Brenda Bautista, assistant producer. “We
have a lot of fresh faces who are very tal-
ented and are willing to really focus their
attention on the project.”
The movie, which should wrap film-
ing by the end of the summer, will be
released throughout Mexico and the
United States within the next year.
“We have two distributors interested
in the movie,” said Rodriguez. “Videocine
and Warner Brothers Mexico are anxious
to distribute the film; I guess it’s whoever
makes the best offer gets it.”
Rodriguez stated that he wants to
portray Hispanics in a positive light, and
highlight the strength of the Latino com-
munity.
“I want to show the world that we
can do things,” Rodriguez said. “I want to
show them that we are beautiful and tal-
ented.”
Salvador Gutierrez, a junior televi-
sion/film major at The University of
Texas-Pan American, thinks that what is
being done by Mexica Films is very
important and gives other students hope to
realize their dreams.
“Knowing that a graduate student is
already making one of his dreams come
true really encourages me to keep on
doing the best on everything that I do,”
Gutierrez said. “It is really an inspiration;
it shows us that our dreams can also come
true if we work hard enough to achieve
them.”
Rodriguez said that the best advice
he can give to students is to do what they
want.
“Everybody has dreams. If you wish
for something to happen, do it. It will be
hard and require time but you can do it,”
he said. “People say they want to do
things but never get them done. If you
want to achieve something you have to
work hard to get it.”
&RTSNTERTAINMENT
Editor’s Pick:
Mexican film company to produce debut featureBy LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American
Battle of the Bands rocks on through second year
Must-Read BookBest-selling author BrianSelznick’s new novel, “TheInvention of Hugo Cabret,”tells the magical story of anorphan in ParisE A
For more information about“El Gato Chido” and other produc-tions visit www.mexenter.com.
By JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American
Joey Cortez/The Pan AmericanBAND WARS - One of the highlights of last week’s Homecoming festivities was the Battle of the Bands held Feb. 5 in theStudent Union. Edinburg ska-reggae-punk group Vital Brass Tones (above) mixed up the evening’s selections.
February 15, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT February 15, 2007
veryone knows the story of Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter whose secret life was beingthe one and only Superman. In a way, beingSuperman was Kent’s hobby or hidden talent in
his life. Half the time he would be at his job writing andreporting the news, but a secret life allowed him to bringout a different side of himself.
The University of Texas-Pan American is filled withClark Kents by day and Supermen by night. Maybe savingthe planet isn’t on everyone’s list of talents or hobbies, butsome are just as fun and interesting.
THE WEDDING SINGERSusana Chapa began her career with UTPA in 1998 as
an “English as a second language” instructor for the EnglishLanguage Institute. She is now assistant director for CareerPlacement Services.
“My present position has many responsibilities andlends to the overall operation of the department,” saidChapa. “Consistently working with students, faculty,administration and employers is my commitment to provid-ing high quality services for our students to develop,explore and establish their mission while a university stu-dent and upon graduation.”
During the week, Chapa and the rest of the staff at CPShelp students find jobs and internships that will benefitthem in the future. However, an interest from her youth stillkeeps her busy on the side.
“My interest with music and actually singing beganwhen I was a junior high student,” Chapa said. “I was aband member and a fellow band member shared that hewould play and sing at weddings.”
Because of her own passion for singing, she asked herfriend to let her know if he ever needed a singing partner.After being invited to one of her friend’s rehearsals, shebegan singing with the band as a part-time job throughouther junior high and high school years.
During her years in high school, Chapa decided to finetune her voice by joining choir, musical productions andtalent shows.
“I would enter as a soloist until a few of my classmatesand I formed a trio and we began to sing at local talentshows,” she said. “One year I decided to enter the talentshow at the Mercedes Live Stock Show back in the ‘70s
when they had that event and I actually won.”Trying to figure out a way to prove herself to the music
community was difficult at first, but after a certain perform-ance, she finally let it become her part-time job as an adult.
“I proved myself through when I sang at my chief’s - Iwas then employed as an Adult Probation Officer - daugh-ter’s wedding and from then on it became a part-time jobfor me,” she said.
Now 30 years later, Chapa continues to perform andmaintain her passion for singing and music. Her mostrecent performance was at a wedding in St. Joseph’sDowntown Cathedral in San Antonio. Chapa considered itan honor to sing at such a spiritual and historic cathedral.
Chapa says her favorite moment is in 1977 when shesang on KGBT radio, and calls that “being at the right placeat the right time.”
MARSHALLING ARTSSome talents require a more physical impact on the
body. Martial arts are becoming one of the most popularsports around. To become a master takes a lot of disciplineand study.
Cory Wimberly, an assistant professor who teachessocial political philosophy and feminism classes, is a Senseiin Ju Jitsu.
“Jujitsu is what I do now,” Wimberly said. “I startedwhen I was younger with Tae Kwon Do. I began to doJujitsu in 1994.”
There are some differences between Jujitsu and TaeKwon Do and other martial arts.
“Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kung Fu are the most pop-ular,” he said. “They focus mainly on striking, punching.Tae Kwon Do focuses 70 percent on kicking. Jujitsu, there’sdifferent kinds, but the one I tend to do most often focusespretty equally on striking, throws and takedowns.”
This type of Jujitsu also centers on self-defense andwhat to do if someone fights you to the ground. SinceWimberly also teaches feminism courses, he can use hisknowledge of martial arts.
“I’ve taught women’s self defense as an option for myfeminism courses,” Wimberly said. “That has worked real-ly well especially when you get students out of class, theybond together and the discussion in the class is muchimproved.”
Most people idolize or want to become like those theysee on television or in the movies. This is how it all startedfor Wimberly.
“I was like 11 or 12. It was like a childhood fantasykind of thing. I wanted to be like the guys in the movies, bea ninja and an expert and learn all the secrets of martialarts,” he said.
Although Wimberly says many people get into martialarts for fun reasons, their reasons for sticking with it aremore important. One of his biggest influences in the sporthas been Frank Shamrock, a fighter for the UltimateFighting Championship.
Wimberly is a new member of the faculty at UTPA. Hemoved here from Southern California and began teachinghere in August 2006. Because of the similarities he seesbetween the two places, he is starting to feel right at homein the Valley.
THE BREWERChristopher Little has a unique hobby that began back
in his graduate school days. “Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘Beer is living proof
that God loves us and wants us to be happy!’” Little said.His interest expanded and soon he became fascinated,
wanting to taste every beer possible - sort of like a “collec-tion,” as he puts it. Not only is he enthralled by the taste, butalso the history behind beer.
“I have probably tried 150 different beers from aroundthe world and from various microbreweries and large brew-eries,” he said “Additionally, I have an interest in the histo-ry of brewing and in the yeast organisms themselves.”
It was this interest that led him to brew his own beer;doing so remains one of his favorite things to do with hisfather. He brews three batches per semester. Since he teach-es plant pathology and mycology, brewing is right up hisalley.
“My students know I do this,” Little said. “Since thisprocess utilizes yeast, I have suggested that it might be afun activity for the mycology (fungal biology) students.”
Although this suggestion has yet to be carried out, itwould make for an interesting class. And just as an FYI;none of his homemade beverage has ever been sold.
So for all the Clark Kents out there, it is alright to allow theSuperman in you out to share talents and hobbies with others.
E
February 15, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT February 15, 2007
veryone knows the story of Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter whose secret life was beingthe one and only Superman. In a way, beingSuperman was Kent’s hobby or hidden talent in
his life. Half the time he would be at his job writing andreporting the news, but a secret life allowed him to bringout a different side of himself.
The University of Texas-Pan American is filled withClark Kents by day and Supermen by night. Maybe savingthe planet isn’t on everyone’s list of talents or hobbies, butsome are just as fun and interesting.
THE WEDDING SINGERSusana Chapa began her career with UTPA in 1998 as
an “English as a second language” instructor for the EnglishLanguage Institute. She is now assistant director for CareerPlacement Services.
“My present position has many responsibilities andlends to the overall operation of the department,” saidChapa. “Consistently working with students, faculty,administration and employers is my commitment to provid-ing high quality services for our students to develop,explore and establish their mission while a university stu-dent and upon graduation.”
During the week, Chapa and the rest of the staff at CPShelp students find jobs and internships that will benefitthem in the future. However, an interest from her youth stillkeeps her busy on the side.
“My interest with music and actually singing beganwhen I was a junior high student,” Chapa said. “I was aband member and a fellow band member shared that hewould play and sing at weddings.”
Because of her own passion for singing, she asked herfriend to let her know if he ever needed a singing partner.After being invited to one of her friend’s rehearsals, shebegan singing with the band as a part-time job throughouther junior high and high school years.
During her years in high school, Chapa decided to finetune her voice by joining choir, musical productions andtalent shows.
“I would enter as a soloist until a few of my classmatesand I formed a trio and we began to sing at local talentshows,” she said. “One year I decided to enter the talentshow at the Mercedes Live Stock Show back in the ‘70s
when they had that event and I actually won.”Trying to figure out a way to prove herself to the music
community was difficult at first, but after a certain perform-ance, she finally let it become her part-time job as an adult.
“I proved myself through when I sang at my chief’s - Iwas then employed as an Adult Probation Officer - daugh-ter’s wedding and from then on it became a part-time jobfor me,” she said.
Now 30 years later, Chapa continues to perform andmaintain her passion for singing and music. Her mostrecent performance was at a wedding in St. Joseph’sDowntown Cathedral in San Antonio. Chapa considered itan honor to sing at such a spiritual and historic cathedral.
Chapa says her favorite moment is in 1977 when shesang on KGBT radio, and calls that “being at the right placeat the right time.”
MARSHALLING ARTSSome talents require a more physical impact on the
body. Martial arts are becoming one of the most popularsports around. To become a master takes a lot of disciplineand study.
Cory Wimberly, an assistant professor who teachessocial political philosophy and feminism classes, is a Senseiin Ju Jitsu.
“Jujitsu is what I do now,” Wimberly said. “I startedwhen I was younger with Tae Kwon Do. I began to doJujitsu in 1994.”
There are some differences between Jujitsu and TaeKwon Do and other martial arts.
“Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kung Fu are the most pop-ular,” he said. “They focus mainly on striking, punching.Tae Kwon Do focuses 70 percent on kicking. Jujitsu, there’sdifferent kinds, but the one I tend to do most often focusespretty equally on striking, throws and takedowns.”
This type of Jujitsu also centers on self-defense andwhat to do if someone fights you to the ground. SinceWimberly also teaches feminism courses, he can use hisknowledge of martial arts.
“I’ve taught women’s self defense as an option for myfeminism courses,” Wimberly said. “That has worked real-ly well especially when you get students out of class, theybond together and the discussion in the class is muchimproved.”
Most people idolize or want to become like those theysee on television or in the movies. This is how it all startedfor Wimberly.
“I was like 11 or 12. It was like a childhood fantasykind of thing. I wanted to be like the guys in the movies, bea ninja and an expert and learn all the secrets of martialarts,” he said.
Although Wimberly says many people get into martialarts for fun reasons, their reasons for sticking with it aremore important. One of his biggest influences in the sporthas been Frank Shamrock, a fighter for the UltimateFighting Championship.
Wimberly is a new member of the faculty at UTPA. Hemoved here from Southern California and began teachinghere in August 2006. Because of the similarities he seesbetween the two places, he is starting to feel right at homein the Valley.
THE BREWERChristopher Little has a unique hobby that began back
in his graduate school days. “Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘Beer is living proof
that God loves us and wants us to be happy!’” Little said.His interest expanded and soon he became fascinated,
wanting to taste every beer possible - sort of like a “collec-tion,” as he puts it. Not only is he enthralled by the taste, butalso the history behind beer.
“I have probably tried 150 different beers from aroundthe world and from various microbreweries and large brew-eries,” he said “Additionally, I have an interest in the histo-ry of brewing and in the yeast organisms themselves.”
It was this interest that led him to brew his own beer;doing so remains one of his favorite things to do with hisfather. He brews three batches per semester. Since he teach-es plant pathology and mycology, brewing is right up hisalley.
“My students know I do this,” Little said. “Since thisprocess utilizes yeast, I have suggested that it might be afun activity for the mycology (fungal biology) students.”
Although this suggestion has yet to be carried out, itwould make for an interesting class. And just as an FYI;none of his homemade beverage has ever been sold.
So for all the Clark Kents out there, it is alright to allow theSuperman in you out to share talents and hobbies with others.
E
Page 10 A & E February 15, 2007
You know the setting. Avant-garde
music coming from the speakers, deco-
rative pieces of art hanging from the
brightly-colored walls and plush, red
velvet chairs for you to sit in. No it isn’t
an upscale restaurant in New York
City’s Soho district. It’s a McAllen
restaurant called Masterpiece Café.
Masterpiece Café is one of those
restaurants that strives to be different
from the average eatery through its
unique surroundings.
Although primarily a lunch café,
open only between the hours of 11 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, Masterpiece Café’s menu
reads like one from an elegant four-star
restaurant.
Choices at the place - located in
the Uptown Plaza on North 10th -
include quiche, sandwiches served on
Greek bread, deserts such as tuxedo-
truffle mousse and an assortment of
beverages from fine wines to espressos
and milkshakes.
But beyond the conventions of any
other restaurant, the element that makes
Masterpiece Café a one-of-a-kind origi-
nal is the art on its walls.
Upon entering the restaurant, the
first thing to be noticed is the eye-
catching pieces of art on display
throughout. Made of steel, tile and wire,
the pieces reflect the contemporary feel
of today’s art world and serve to
enhance the experience of the café’s
patrons.
Masterpiece Café is actually the
little sister of Artline America, an art
shop that opened in 1991 specializing in
custom framing; it is located in the same
building.
According to owner Roy
Robinson, it was his appreciation for art
that led to the creation of Masterpiece
Café in 2000.
“We thought that the two of them
would go hand in hand,” he said. “We
wanted people to have a chance to
enjoy good art while having some
lunch.”
Robinson says that if a person likes
a piece of art that much, they are wel-
come to leave with it for the right price.
“All the pieces in the café are for
sale,” Robinson said, “although the
prices do tend to vary.”
Just as the price of the artwork
varies, so does the clientele who comes
in to look at it.
“We have different types, from
young folks that enjoy art to Winter
Texans. Most are professionals that just
want a fast bite to eat in a relaxed
atmosphere,” Robinson said.
“I see something different every
time I come here,” said Rhonda Flores,
a McAllen resident.
Flores, who often frequents
Masterpiece Café, feels it is ideal for
lunchtime cravings.
“I always get the chicken salad for
me and my boss,” she said. “It’s her
favorite.”
Sarah Rios, another McAllen resi-
dent, feels that the quiet atmosphere is
what has her coming back for more.
“So many places are really busy
and loud during lunch time and this one
isn’t,” she said. “You can just relax and
enjoy your lunch peacefully.”
It is this collective atmosphere that
Robinson believes contributes to the
café’s success.
“The majority of our customers are
repeat customers who end up coming
back to us multiple times, not only for
the food, which is healthy and also made
from scratch, but also to look at the art,”
he said.
By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American
Films thatOscar forgot
Café shows patronsart of having lunch
Elizabeth Kennedy/The Pan AmericanSHOP WHILE YOU EAT - Pricetags hang from the paintings featured throughout Masterpiece Café, a McAllen eaterywhere dining and art go hand in hand.
Every February for the past 79
years, Hollywood has chosen to honor the
year’s best in films with the Academy
Awards. The much-anticipated ceremony
praises those who took part in creating the
most memorable and noteworthy motion
pictures throughout the past year.
Outstanding films such as “The
Departed,” “Babel” and “Little Miss
Sunshine” scored with critics and movie-
goers and were deservedly recognized
with nominations for this year’s Oscars.
However while nearly all of the films
nominated for this year’s statuettes were
Oscar-worthy (albeit on different levels),
it’s difficult to ignore the absence of some
of the year’s cinematic gems.
“RUNNING WITH SCISSORS”It’s hard to imagine why, with so
many of the elements Academy voters
love, this true-life story was passed over
for any nominations. Based on the best-
selling memoir by Augusten Burroughs,
the dark, comedic film tells the story of a
16-year-old boy who is given up for
adoption by his erratic mother, to her
eccentric psychiatrist and his offbeat fam-
ily. Aside from a strong cast of actors that
includes Alec Baldwin, Annette Benning
and Gwyneth Paltrow, the film contains a
type of humor unseen in many of today’s
comedies. Take for example the scene in
which combating spouses Baldwin and
Benning are at a restaurant where
Baldwin proclaims: “I haven’t had a drink
in four years,” to which his estranged
wife says to a nearby waitress: “Excuse
me, could you get him a medal?” How a
film like this was ever overlooked will
forever remain a mystery.
“INFAMOUS”Many say that nothing original
comes out of Hollywood anymore.
However the rule should not apply to
“Infamous,” the re-telling of the making
of Truman Capote’s non-fiction classic
“In Cold Blood.” Released a year after
2005’s similarly-themed, Oscar-winning
“Capote,” “Infamous” was instantly dis-
missed as a mere copy of the previous
film and received no accolades or
acknowledgment. Had academy voters
given the film a chance, surely they
would have noted the energetic perform-
ances (particularly from an outstanding
Sandra Bullock), the sharp dialogue and,
more importantly, the contrast between
the author’s plush New York world and
the solemn Midwestern farmland he vis-
its. Where “Capote” went out of its way
to be overly dark, “Infamous” focused on
the humanity of the story while at the
same time managing to remain com-
pelling throughout.
“A GOOD YEAR”Perhaps one of the most overlooked
films of 2006, “A Good Year” is the film
adaptation of the best-selling novel of the
same name by Peter Mayle. The film tells
the story of a successful businessman
who inherits a vineyard in France after his
uncle dies. Upon returning to his late
uncle’s large estate, he recounts his days
as a young boy there and in-turn begins to
re-evaluate his life. With performances
from Russell Crowe, Albert Finney and
Freddie Highmore, the most obvious
question here is why weren’t any acting
nominations bestowed
among these
three talented
and versatile
a c t o r s ?
F u r t h e r -
more, the
film’s coun-
tryside set-
ting in the
south of
France is so
vivid and live-
ly that it almost
becomes a char-
acter itself, not
to mention a
would-be shoe-
in for best cin-
ematog-
raphy.
In the
p a s t ,
films
like
“A Good Year” have
often been embraced by the Academy. Its
absence is yet another sign that today’s
voters prefer smaller-scaled films dealing
with social issues.
It is unclear how a film is chosen to
receive the highest honor in Tinsel
Town. Some believe it is through endless
campaigning, while others insist it is
pure taste that can lead to taking home a
“golden guy.” However defining a good
movie has nothing to do with how many
nominations it receives for any award.
While some of the year’s best films will
be honored at the ceremony on Feb. 25,
the real winners will be the movie audi-
ences who find pleasure and joy in a film
simply because they thought it was
good.
By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American
February 15, 2007 NEWS Page 11
SACS continued from page 1
RATHER continued from page 1 PERCENT continued from page 1
proves that the institution has continued
to improve.
During the off-campus review,
UTPA met 66 out of 76 criteria set forth
for accreditation. Of the 10 criteria not
met, three dealt with the university’s
financial report. Another two dealt with
the Starr County campus.
Additional documentation was
requested for institutional outcome
assessment, how technology enhanced
student learning, how the institution
measured students’ progress in the core
curriculum, information about independ-
ent graduate learning and supplemental
data for 50 faculty members teaching
classes for credit.
A QUALITY PLANKaren Watt, professor in educa-
tional leadership, has been serving as
project director for the QEP, a document
outlining how the university plans to
improve student learning. In particular,
it targets three freshman-level math
courses that have been found to have
high failure rates.
Both Turk and Watt said it was
important students were familiar with
the QEP because it is the main issue the
accreditation team will be looking at
during their visit.
“The QEP is something that we
need to make sure that students are affect-
ed by because everyone has to take those
gatekeeper (core) courses,” Watt said.
The process to create the QEP orig-
inally began in fall ‘05, with preliminary
studies and surveys of university needs.
Project members were asked to
identify an area affecting the quality of
learning that could show improvement
within five to 10 years. The project team
looked at the top 10 courses with high
failure rates.
“Since the three math courses were
at the top, we thought we needed to really
look into this and see how we can make
teaching and learning better,” Watt said.
Especially alarming was the num-
ber of first-generation Hispanic students
failing core math courses. Failure rates
as high as 78 percent were noted for
first-generation students. Overall, the
rates were as high as 62 percent for those
freshman-level courses.
The student learning objectives, part
of the QEP, are those statements com-
monly found on syllabi that say what a
student should get out of a certain course.
The QEP doesn’t focus on the con-
tent of the math courses; it shows the
process whereby the university will
implement initiatives to improve student
learning.
Watt has been the leader of an
interdisciplinary team with a representa-
tive from each college selected to give
their input for the QEP.
“The largest challenge has been
coordinating all of the ideas and all of
the input from everyone to create the
document (the QEP), get it ready and
send to the SACS external review team,”
she said.
PILOT PLANNINGChad Richardson, a sociology pro-
fessor, has been helping to write up the
pilot project dealing with the gatekeeper
math courses, as part of the SACS
accreditation process. In particular,
Richardson has used his specialty in
sociology to help identify the needs of
first-generation Hispanic students and a
description of the local community.
“It was intended mainly for first-
generation students because we found
that their passing rates in those college
math courses were much lower than the
rest of the student population,”
Richardson said. “A lot of them who
don’t pass drop out of the university. It’s
retaining students by helping them get
past the math courses.”
Starting in the fall, only eight sec-
tions of the first math course will be
offered. Beginning in 2008, all three
math courses will be offered and the
project will be in full swing.
Richardson said one of the most sig-
nificant changes would be to divide the
courses into modules so that students who
failed a math course would only need to
retake the modules he or she did not pass,
rather than retaking the entire class.
Other interventions include four
hours of classroom instruction, three
hours of interaction with the professor
and use of co-operative teaching.
WAITING GAMEThe final version of the QEP will
be sent to print within the next few days.
Between now and April, the campus
SACS committees will be spreading the
word about the QEP to the rest of the
university.
“All of us are hoping that the initia-
tives we put in place will actually
improve student performance,” Watt
said. “We’ve been talking about it for a
couple of years. Now seeing the plan in
place will be interesting.”
UTPA should receive feedback
about the status of receiving accredita-
tion but will not have an official
response until December.
Individuals interested in learning
more can visit http://sacs.utpa.edu/QEP.
Among the problems bringing this
issue to the foreground is the fact that
because of the rule, Texas flagship
schools such as Texas A&M University
and The University of Texas-Austin have
a progressively smaller percentage of
slots available for students who were not
in the top ten percent of a Texas high
school class.
In the last four years, top 10 per-
cent admittances to UT have gone from
30 percent of the incoming class to 70
percent. These statistics have some wor-
ried that should the trend continue, there
would be a time when the entire incom-
ing class would be composed of these
students.
Under the current law, those
within the top ten percent are admitted
by high school grade-point average,
despite SAT/ACT scores. This means
that grades are the determining factor,
though it has long been suggested that
the top 10 percent at an academically
excellent school is a bit different than
the top 10 percent at other schools
with lower performance.
As for The University of Texas-Pan
American, McMillan said the number of
students admitted based on the top ten
percent law has never been a problem.
Last semester, 508 out of the 2,845
entering freshman were in the top ten
percent of their high school class.
“I’m not overly concerned from
UTPA’s standpoint,” McMillan said. “I
wish we did have the problem of the top
ten percent taking our slots.”
However, McMillan said should
legislation pass that eliminates the law,
UTPA could see advantages, particularly
regarding the traditional “brain drain” of
top area kids heading upstate.
“We might reap the benefit of stu-
dents that could have gone on to other
public institutions, but because they did-
n’t get in, they may decide to stay here,”
he said. “It could result in UTPA getting
top-notch students we may have never
gotten before, like those in the seventh or
eight percentile.”
Yet, some high school students cur-
rently in the top ten percent of their class
fail to see the possible benefits.
“I think it’s not fair. Those graduat-
ing from one high school may have it
easier to be in the top ten percent of the
class than the other, depending on class
size and the academic strength of the
school,” said Laura Gonzalez, a senior in
the top ten percent at Valley Christian
High School in Brownsville.
McMillan added that UTPA wants
to focus on continuing to meet the grow-
ing demand for better higher education
with more opportunities for incoming
students.
“When legislature mandates a rul-
ing, we have to react to it. Multiple bills
passed based on class rank will probably
change our admissions policy,” he said.
“Right now a committee is reviewing it.
We want to focus on raising the bar, by
continuing to raise our ACT score
requirements.”
State Rep. Aaron Pena said the cur-
rent law has served its purpose and any
decision to overturn it should be
approached with careful consideration
and be well thought out.
“I think the plan has done a pret-
ty good job of addressing some his-
toric under representation of minority
students in higher education without
resorting to the use of quotas,” Pena
said.
Joey Cortez/The Pan AmericanMOB SCENE - UTPA police hold back audience members who swarmed Dan Rather’s car after his speech Tuesday.
something that is important for the pub-
lic to need…in which, someone, some-
where, often in a power position, doesn’t
want you to know,” he said.
Rather added that the importance
of reporting real news is immeasurable,
and no one understands that better than
those who are trying to keep it away
from the public.
“Unfortunately, the small minority
of people who have something to lose
often understand this better than the great
majority of people who stand to gain from
the truth being told,” he said. “That’s why
they have and will continue to go to great
lengths to manipulate the news.”
During the 2004 presidential cam-
paign, Rather’s own ability to report the
news was put into question after his pro-
gram ran a false report about President
George Bush’s military record. He said
when a reporter comes under fire for how
they report, there is one thing they can do.
“If you’re going to be a reporter of
integrity and independence, I think the
only attitude you can take is to ‘keep on
keeping on,’ while always keeping in
mind no one does it perfectly,” he said.
“And, certainly, I have not.”
However, he said reporting, though
flawed, is necessary.
“This country’s founders put free-
dom of the press in the First Amendment
of the Bill of Rights not because they
loved reporters,” he said. “They put free-
dom of the press right after freedom of
religion because they understood that
without it, the democratic experience...
didn’t have a chance.”
YEAR TO WATCHIn his nearly 24 years at CBS News,
Rather reported on several wars, both
political and literal. During his recent
visit to Afghanistan, Rather said he came
across what he calls “a forgotten war.”
“Afghanistan is not Iraq. It has a
different history, a different culture and
different people,” he explained.
Rather added that this year will be
defining for the United States.
“If I’m correct in my judgment, and
I may not be since I’m often wrong,
2007 will be a particularly bloody and
expensive year in Afghanistan,” he said.
“However, I believe there is always
cause for optimism… especially in this
country, the history of which is filled
with examples of adversity and obstacles
overcome.”
Rather added that the future of the
country will depend on not just the
upcoming presidential election, but what
Americans choose to hear during it.
“So as these great issues of
America and the world are debated, I ask
you to remember to consider your news
sources while asking yourself who
stands to gain from any particular view
point and why,” he said. “Don’t become,
as many of us journalists have, too afraid
to ask the tough questions.”
The final speaker of the series,
Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons
inspector, is scheduled for April 5.
Page 12 NEWS February 15, 2007
offer on-the-job training to workers so
the increase could have a negative
impact.”
Koch’s only worry is that if mini-
mum wage were to go up she thinks that
companies would find a way to raise
prices in their products and that the
economy would experience a downfall.
James Eugene Garverick, a UTPA
professor of accounting, agreed, saying
he thinks most people already make over
minimum wage due to supply and
demand in the marketplace, adding that
he believes the only effect this bill would
have would be “inflationary.”
“I think the biggest ramifications
will be to make politicians look good,
more than economic ramifications,” said
Garverick.
However, John Bokina, a professor
in the political science department, says
that based on past minimum wage increas-
es, the effect on inflation will be minimal.
“Would it possibly have an increase
in the cost of goods and services? Yeah,
a little, but nothing dramatic,” Bokina
said. “It’s compensated by the fact that
people will have enhanced buying power
and they can purchase more goods and
services.”
Bokina believes there will be bene-
fits to both workers and businesses, saying
that when workers have more buying
power, the buy more from the businesses.
In addition, Garverick said he does-
n’t think the increase in minimum wage
will be a total benefit to society, saying it
might have an adverse effect on health
care and company benefits.
However, Pagan said whatever the
effect; it should be felt full-force locally.
“The Valley has one of the lowest
average wage rates in the country so, if
there is going to be an impact, we should
feel it here more than almost anywhere
else in the United States,” Pagan said.
Department of Education’s National
Center for Education Statistics.
Laura Salas, a graduate student in
the business program at The University
of Texas-Pan American, took out loans
to pay for her bachelor’s degree at Our
Lady of the Lake University in San
Antonio.
“I didn’t think about the cost as
much as I should have,” Salas said, “but
it definitely made a difference when I
was looking into graduate school.”
Salas graduated from OLLU with a
degree in social work and about $40,000
in student loans.
“I know I will be able to pay off my
debt, but it is still going to take 10 to 15
years before I am done,” she said.
Hinojosa, a graduate of UTPA, said
while he never had to take loans to achieve
his business degree, things have changed.
“I will admit, I did not have to take
out any loans to pay for college, but it
was much cheaper when I was in
school,” said Hinojosa. “[Back then]
$3,000 could get you through the year.
Now it is four times that.”
Hinojosa recognizes the need for
more help in affordability and said the
new measure is a big step in helping stu-
dents solve the “affordability puzzle,”
which includes academic preparation
and financial aid options.
William Morley, assistant director
of student financial services, wants to
make certain all current and prospective
students become aware of the changes.
In an effort to do so, he will be sharing
the information with students in public
schools across the Valley throughout the
month of February, which is Financial
Aid Awareness Month.
During the month, staff members
from Student Financial Services plan to
visit elementary, middle and high
schools explaining the importance of
higher education.
“Our purpose is to help get the
world out about financial aid,” Morley
said. “We want to emphasize that college
is a possibility, no matter what your fam-
ily’s income status.”
In addition, Hinojosa said one of
his main priorities is making sure educa-
tion is not left behind when the national
budget is finalized.
While alternative funding options
are always preferred, Hinojosa said if
loans are the only option to pay for edu-
cation, they should be taken advantage of.
“It may take years [to pay them
off], but the benefits are worth the wait,”
he said.
LOAN continued from page 3
MINIMUM continued from page 3
HOUSING continued from page 3
different from anything else on campus,”
Martin said. “It will be a self-governed
residence hall.”
Troxel Hall residents will be able to
have their pods painted in the color of
their choice and have the option of
replacing existing furniture with their
personal selections, both features not
offered at other residence halls.
“It sounds like a cool idea, but there
would have to be certain rules so that there
wouldn’t be any type of chaos even though
it’s going to be self-governed,” said Hector
De Leon, a junior biology major.
Martin assured that each pod will
be able to apply their own rules within
the dorm community, though state and
federal regulations would still have to be
met. Each organization will also have
their own office and rooms will be avail-
able on each floor where groups can
invite speakers or hold meetings.
Another appealing features accord-
ing to Martin are 24-hour visitation and
the option of residence during holidays.
“For anyone that is planning to live
on campus, this is the perfect opportuni-
ty to be more engaged with university
life,” Chavez said. “I totally encourage
students to apply for organization hous-
ing. If it would’ve been available when I
first came to Pan Am, I definitely
would’ve been part of it.”
Students interested in being part of
this new project can apply starting March
1 at the Residence Life office, located in
UC 315.
“With organization housing we
hope to see positive changes in regards to
life on campus, and possibly create a bet-
ter college experience for UTPA stu-
dents,” said Martin.
Fast Eddie’s BilliardsIs now hiring for
Waitstaff, bartender,and hostess at the
McAllen and EdinburgLocation
400 Nolana St. G, McAllen815 N. Closner, Edinburg
15-minute break in between classes and
an activity period every day.
Yazmin Gonzalez, a junior English
major from McAllen, said she would
welcome the changes.
“I love the idea of not having to
come to school the whole week,”
Gonzalez said. “And I like the 15-minute
break because it gives me extra minutes
to smoke a cigarette.”
John Emery, dean of the College of
Business Administration and chair of the
task force, said many professors feel this
schedule is the route to take.
“Most instructors, not all, feel that
a 75-minute class format is more effi-
cient. You only have to take roll and get
everyone settled in and once you get into
the material, it works a lot better,” he
said. “There are some exceptions.
Professors that teach mathematics feel
that shorter classes but more frequent
classes work a little better.”
In addition, Emery said the new
schedule could help alleviate parking
headaches around campus for the univer-
sity’s 16,253 students as some students
would prefer a MW schedule, while oth-
ers would want a TR.
Emery added that at certain times,
the university only uses a little over 50
percent of its available classroom space.
Better spacing out of classes time-wise
would make use more efficient.
“When we ask the Legislature to
support us for a new facility they’re
going to say, ‘Well, how much are you
using?’ so the more you use them the
stronger your case is to get a new
building and things like that,” said
Emery.
However, the new schedule would
not be without its drawbacks. According
to McMillan, students who prefer to sign
up for early morning classes to end their
day early may find themselves in a bind,
as this new system has more afternoon
than morning classes.
“We know that it’s not always
possible for students to get all their
classes between eight and noon
Monday through Friday,” he said.
“There’s going to be times where after-
noon classes are going to be required,
but we can do some things to try to help
in that regard.”
McMillan added that the new
schedule could hurt student involve-
ment, one of the university’s biggest
goals.
“Concerns that we have would be for
instance the students in the residence halls.
If they were through with their classes on
Thursday the residence hall would just be
vacant on the weekends,” said McMillan.
“We’re trying to encourage student
engagement and student activities within
the residence halls but if all the students
leave every weekend that would work
against us in trying to encourage that sort
of student engagement.”
The Student Government
Association is in charge of communicat-
ing the students’ feelings on the propos-
al. E-mail reader opinions to members at
The academic deans are already
surveying their people and weighing
options; they will report back to the
Provost/Vice President for Academic
Affairs Paul Sale.
If the schedule is approved,
changes may take place as early as fall
2008.
SCHEDULE continued from page 3
“Increasing the minimumwage will force employers tothink twice about hiring newworkers.”
- Jose Paganprofessor of economics
On Friday, 23 members of the men and women’s track teams posted
personal records at the University of Houston/RunSport All-Comers Track
Meet.
Liliana Cavazos took first place with a leap of 39-3 1/4 in the triple jump,
also earning third place in the school record books. Carolina Izaguirre took
first in the 3,000 meters, finishing with a time of 10:45.64. Omar Doria, of
Edinburg North, was first in the mile with a time of 4:24.87.
Claudia Lopez hit a 37-11 and tied for second in the triple jump. Edinburg
native Rose Escovedo finished fourth in the 3,000-meter. Sara Rodriguez of
Pharr finished two spots behind her. Vanessa Brown took home second and
third in the 200- and 400-meter races, respectively.
Ashlon Martin was fifth and seventh in the 400-meter and 200-meter,
respectively. Amanda Ferris took third place accolades in the weight throw,
while the distance medley team of Sonya Rivera, Shardae Bey and Lizet
Garcia notched a third-place finish.
Gilroy Martinez finished third in the one-mile race, senior Will Littleton
was second in the high jump and Sal Gonzalez was third in the pole vault.
Scott Miller was sixth in the weight throw, Luis Nava was third in the
3,000-meter race and Angel Ramirez finished ninth in the same event.
Wally Gonzalez finished fourth in the 800-meter run. He was also part of the
distance medley team with Doria and Ruben Cantu, helping it take second
place.
The outdoor season begins March 3 in Laredo.
The Pan American
I was
unable to go
to the basket-
ball game this
weekend, and
much to my
dismay, our
boys in green
and orange
were edged
out 81-76.
The loss
ended their 10-game dominance of home
court. Now, had this game been played on
my game console, the outcome most cer-
tainly would have been different.
Anyone familiar with the College
Hoops franchise for the Sony PlayStation
2 will know that in the game options,
there are sliders that help determine the
difficulty level of the game. Now, most
days, I’ll leave the settings as they are and
lose graciously. But there are just some
games that you can’t lose. Especially if
you’re trying to win a bid for the Big
Dance in March.
So, let’s say I’m losing by, oh, I don’t
know, 19 points with 5:23 left to go.
See that slider that controls 3-point
accuracy? Normally it sits at the mid-point
of the bar.
Not when I’m down by that much
with so little time to go. 3-point accuracy
bar, meet 100 percent!
Now, watch as Colin Lien hits a tri-
fecta from way behind the arc. Watch Brian
Burrell knock down threes while fading
away from two defenders.
Watch as that 19-point deficit fades
away and becomes a 30-point blowout.
Take that, Texas A&M! Bow down to
my might, Florida.
You readers might say I have no
honor. But at least the Broncs are still
undefeated in my book.
Yet, when all is said and done and
UTPA has won five straight national titles,
reality sets back in. No matter how much I
humiliate powerhouse teams in the game,
the truth remains that we lost our first home
game. Of course, the season is far from
over.
The team will be finishing the season
on the road. If the prior results of the sea-
son are any indication, the teams we are
going to face will be easily handled with no
problems.
So here Utah Valley State, we give
you this one win on our court. Because
we’re coming to dominate on yours.
Please send all comments, questions
and cheat codes to [email protected].
February 15, 2007 SPORTS Page 13
ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS
I’m a dirty cheater
By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
Track and field teams continue to improveBroncs preparing for outdoor season
BaseballFeb. 11
McNeese at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Texas-Pan American 9, McNeese 7
R H ETexas-Pan American 101 160 00X 9 9 2McNeese 102 300 001 7 11 4
Conrad, Ropp (4), Frantz (7), Smith (9) and Hulett; Cisper, Smolen (3), Silva (7), Davilla (9) and Flores. W-Smolen (1-0); L-Conrad(0-1); S-Davila (2). 2B: McNeese-Becker; Texas-Pan American-Gonzalez, Flores, Brooks, Bourn. HR-Kingrey.
Texas-Pan American 4-3, McNeese 0-3
Feb. 10
Cal State Northridge at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Cal State Northridge 5, Texas-Pan American 3
R H ECal State Northridge 030 000 011 5 11 3Texas-Pan American 001 200 000 3 7 1
Jolicoeur, Haderlein (9) and Parham; Linder, Guajardo (5), Mancini (8), Davila (8) and Flores. W-Jolicoeur (2-0); L-Davila (0-1); S-Haderlein (1). 2B: Cal State Northridge-Traynum, Kasarjian, Parham; Texas-Pan American-Brooks. 3B: Cal State Northridge-Reed.
Cal State Northridge 6-2, Texas-Pan American 3-3
Feb. 9
Illinois-Chicago at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Texas-Pan American 2, Illinois-Chicago 1
R H ETexas-Pan American 000 001 001 2 8 0Illinois-Chicago 000 000 001 1 6 0
Peterson, Davis (8) and Whinery; Wymer, Silva (9), Davila (9) and Flores. W-Wymer (2-0); L-Peterson (0-1); S-Davila (2). 2B: Illinois-Chicago-Flores. 3B: Illinois-Chicago-Gempp Jr.
Texas-Pan American 3-2, Illinois-Chicago 0-1
Men’s BasketballFeb. 10
Utah Valley State at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Utah Valley State 81, Texas-Pan American 76
Utah Valley State (17-7)Peterson 1-2 1-2 3, Bailey 3-5 5-7 12, Heck 7-11 4-6 23, Brady 1-3 1-2 3, Brown 2-3 1-2 5, Olsen 0-1 0-0 0, Toolson 6-11 3-3 17, Troyer
3-6 0-2 6, Walker 5-7 2-4 12, Ravenberg 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 28-49 17-29 81.
Texas-Pan American (12-11)Stoll 7-10 4-7 23, Burrell 6-11 2-2 17, Shankle 2-3 1-2 6, Trader 2-4 4-5 8, Allgood 3-5 0-0 0, Puente 0-0 0-0 0, Edwards 0-0 0-2 0,
Chatman 0-2 0-0 0, Robinson 0-0 0-0 0, Lien 4-5 7-10 16. Totals 24-40 19-29 76.
Halftime-Utah Valley State 34-32. 3-Point Goals- Utah Valley State 8-20 (Peterson 0-1, Bailey 1-3, Heck 5-7, Olsen 0-1, Toolson 2-5,Troyer 0-3) Texas-Pan American 9-20 (Stoll 4-7, Burrell 3-8, Shankle 1-2, Chatman 0-2, Lien 1-1). Fouled Out-Olsen. Rebounds-Utah ValleyState 26 (Heck 7) Texas-Pan American 24 (Burrell 9). Assists-Utah Valley State 12 (Olsen 3) Texas-Pan American 12 (Stoll 3). Total Fouls-Utah Valley State 25, Texas-Pan American 23. A-1,450.
Women’s BasketballFeb. 10
Texas-Pan American at Utah Valley State (Shurian Family AC in Orem, Utah)Utah Valley State 75, Texas-Pan American 54
Texas-Pan American (10-15)Gray 3-8 2-2 8, Daniel 1-4 3-7 5, Vaughn 1-4 0-0 2, Garrett 0-2 1-2 1, Grigsby 3-13 2-5 8, Wilson 4-4 0-0 11, Jones 1-5 0-0 2, Freeman
1-1 0-0 3, Kostacky 0-1 0-0 0, Winfrey 0-4 0-0 0, Jean 4-8 2-2 10, Schneider 0-0 2-2 2, Ramirez 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-55 12-20 54.
Utah Valley State (12-11)Marvin 6-15 8-11 24, Fairbanks 9-16 8-9 27, Grimm 3-9 2-2 8, Peterson 0-7 0-0 0, Beaman 1-2 0-0 2, McMurray 3-5 1-1 9, Ahlstrom
0-1 0-0 0, Smith 1-2 1-2 3, Nakayama 0-3 0-0 0, Schott 0-0 0-0 0, Cornejo 1-2 0-0 2, Reynolds 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 20-25 75.
Halftime-Utah Valley State 38-30. 3-Point Goals-Texas-Pan American 4-11 (Gray 0-1, Vaughn 0-1, Grigsby 0-2, Wilson 3-3, Freeman1-1, Winfrey 0-2, Jean 0-1) Utah Valley State 7-20 (Marvin 4-7, Fairbanks 1-3, Peterson 0-5, McMurray 2-3, Nakayama 0-2). Rebounds-Texas-Pan American 38 (Daniel, Grigsby 6) Utah Valley State 41 (McMurray 8). Assists-Texas-Pan American 10 (Gray, Grigsby, Jones,Winfrey 2) Utah Valley State 19 (Marvin 5). Total Fouls-Texas-Pan American 16, Utah Valley State 19. A-301.
Men’s TennisFeb. 10
Texas-Pan American 5Hardin-Simmons 2
SinglesIvan Avila, UTPA, def. Ryan Waters, Simmons, 7-5, 7-6Gary Bianco, UTPA, def. Wade Morgan, Simmons, 6-2, 6-0David Lopez-Heredia, UTPA, def. Justin Lockbay, Simmons, 7-5,7-6Shashank Vij, UTPA, def. Samuel Miers, Simmons, 6-3, 6-0
DoublesIvan Avila and Nirvick Mohinta, UTPA, def. Doug Eckstein andWade Morgan, Simmons, 8-1Shashank Vij and Gary Bianco, UTPA, def. Samuel Miers andWes Kidd, Simmons, 8-6
Texas-Pan American 5Abilene Christian 1
Lamar 4Texas-Pan American 0
Women’s TennisFeb. 10
Texas State 4Texas-Pan American 3
SinglesJulia Cirne-Lima, UTPA, def. Andrea Giraldo, State, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0Megan Bedeau, UTPA, def. Sumarie Muller, State, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4Silke Buksik, UTPA, def. Ali Gulida, Texas State, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3Ashley Ellis, State, def. Giana Oliveira, UTPA, 6-1, 6-1Lainy Chafitz, State, def. Stephanie Willerding, UTPA, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2Mackenzie Farmer, State, def. Nicole Garcia, UTPA, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
DoublesMegan Bedeau and Silke Buksik, UTPA, def. Ashley Ellis andMackenzie Farmer, State, 8-6Lainy Chafitz and Andrea Giraldo,State, def. Giana Oliveira andJulia Cirne-Lima, UTPA, 8-4Sumarie Muller and Ali Gulida, State, def. Stephanie Willerdingand Nicole Garcia, UTPA, 8-5
February 15, 2007 SPORTS Page 15
The University of Texas-Pan
American produced more than two
wins in three days during the weekend
in the Citrus Tournament held at
Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Four
Broncs earned spots on the All-
Tournament team.
Catcher Osiel Flores made the
team with a .385 batting average,
compiling five hits in 13 at-bats. The
senior produced a double against
McNeese State, which brought in two
teammates and a 9-7 victory.
Abraham Garcia had five hits
during the tournament, producing a
.556 batting average. The sophomore
scored a run against McNeese State
and produced four hits in six trips to
the plate in the games against Illinois-
Chicago and Cal State Northridge.
Junior outfielder Roly Gonzalez
scored five runs for the Broncs. In the
game against McNeese State, he scored
three times and had three RBIs.
Bronc hurler Josh Wymer was
also honored. The freshman accumulat-
ed eight innings without a run and
notched a win for his efforts. He
allowed a .167 batting average in help-
ing the Broncs attain a 2-1 record. In
addition, Wymer was also selected as
the Division I Independent Pitcher of
the Week.
On a down note, the Broncs got
flattened, 19-0, Tuesday to even their
record at 4-4 heading into a three-
games series at Texas A&M this week.
By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
Baseball players earn honors for performance
The climb toward success for The
University of Texas-Pan American men
and women’s tennis teams has been a
rocky one, but one they hope will ulti-
mately succeed.
Since the time he decided to take the
reigns of the UTPA tennis program, head
coach Ron Hubbard’s dream was to take
the program back to its glory days of the
1960s and ‘70s. To accomplish his goals,
he planned to beef up recruiting efforts,
and step up the level of competition. Both
teams have opened up against some very
strong opponents this season, leading to
close losses and hard-fought victories.
“The teams are evolving. They’ve
started with highly ranked teams, and it
has certainly helped us some,” said
Hubbard, once a Bronc standout in the
sport, back in the ‘70s.
After starting the spring season
with losses to 19th-ranked Texas A&M,
57th-ranked Oklahoma and 46th-ranked
TCU, the men’s team took down Hardin-
Simmons and Abilene Christian
University in a 2-1 win last week.
After beating opponents McMurry
University in a 7-0 blowout and Texas
A&M Corpus Christi 4-2, the Lady Bronc
tennis team suffered a heartbreaking 4-3
loss to Texas State University and a 6-1
loss to UTSA last week in San Marcos.
Combined, both the men and
women’s teams are playing eight nation-
ally ranked FILA teams this season. The
men have already played three of them
and still have to take on 39th-ranked
SMU and 53rd-ranked Texas A&M-
Corpus Christi.
On the other side of the net, the
women have played against 29th-ranked
Texas A&M and will play 40th ranked
SMU and 69th-ranked Rice.
The lessons learned over the past
few weeks will be taken to heart as the
men’s team enters into Southland
Conference play this weekend, and as the
women continue to work toward a new
standard of excellence for the program.
On Saturday, the men travel to
Corpus Christi to take on the Islanders, a
school which Hubbard has dubbed a
“cohort school.”
“We see the schools in the
Southland Conference as our cohorts, and
we gauge ourselves by them,” he said.
The Islanders will prove to be a
staunch opponent for the Broncs, as they
are coming off a 5-2 victory against
TCU, led by 40th-ranked doubles pair
Andrey Kumanstov and Mikhail Pavlov.
The women’s team will also be
traveling to Corpus to take on the Lady
Islanders.
To get ready for the upcoming
matches, Hubbard says that he and his
coaching staff will be working with the
teams in order to, “get everyone a little
more consistent in their playing.”
By PATRICK KENNEDYThe Pan American
Tennis squads face stiff competition in ranked opponents
Page 14 SPORTS February 15, 2007
FILA NCAA Division INational Tennis Rankings
Men
No. 19 Texas A&M Feb.3Result: L, 0-7
No. 39 SMU April 4No. 46 TCU Jan. 24
Result: L, 0-7No. 53 Texas A&M-CC Feb. 17No. 57 Univ. of Okla. Jan. 23
Result: L, 0-6Women
No. 29 Texas A&M Jan. 20Result: L, 0-7
No. 40 SMU April 3No. 69 Rice Mar. 30
BIG WEEKEND - The University of Texas-Pan American collected a 2-1 record in the Citrus Tournament. (Clockwise from left)First baseman Dominic Tognietti (23) makes a play on the ball. Ray Silva (45) hurls a pitch toward his opponent. OutfielderLeighton Autrey returns a pitch. The team gathers to celebrate their 2-1 victory against Illinois-Chicago. Nick Bourn (4) tagsthe bag at first base.
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
February 15, 2007 SPORTS Page 15
A talented young golfer emerged
from Bangkok, Thailand, three years
ago. His name was Pornlapat
Wongchindawest, commonly known as
High among friends and teammates, and
he traveled to the United States after his
sophomore year in high school. Now, the
5-foot-7-inch freshman plays for The
University of Texas-Pan American
men’s golf team.
Wongchindawest, an international
business major, competed as a member
of the Bangkok National Team in 2003
and 2004. He took part in the Thailand
National Team Stage One Qualifier in
2003 and in the Thailand National Team
Championship in 2004.
He said his tenure on both squads
has helped shape his playing style and
philosophy on the game.
“Being on the Bangkok National
Team in 2003 and 2004 was a fine expe-
rience because I was one of the youngest
members ever to be on it,”
Wongchindawest said. “I was playing
with the older, more experienced players
and we won Nationals, which was great
and was quite an experience.”
The pressure of a large-scale com-
petition like the Stage One Qualifier was
an honor as well as nerve-wracking.
However, Wongchindawest pulled
through and shot the lowest round dur-
ing the first day of competition.
“Our team was the number-one
seed,” he recalled. “We won the first
stage qualifier by 22 shots.”
He faced more experienced compe-
tition that day, but it did not faze him.
Some of that he attributes to his team-
mates who took him under their wings.
“There were a lot of really good
teams out there but we won the first
stage by so much we were pretty confi-
dent. The team was obviously older and
experienced and guided me along,”
Wongchindawest said.
In the end, High’s efforts helped his
team earn the title after winning a four-
man playoff.
“It was down to the wire,” he noted.
As a new addition to the Bronc golf
team, Wongchindawest continues to play
with passion, something many of his
teammates enjoy about him.
“I really like High as a friend. He is
an excellent player, always has a smile
on his face and he is a good guy to be
around,” said Jeff Hensley, a junior busi-
ness management major.
With Wongchindawest, the Broncs
now have another asset to employ.
“He has talent and a nice work
ethic. I think he’ll be able to help our
team out,” said sophomore business
marketing major Shane Pierce. “He
brings a lot of effort and hard work to the
team.”
Men’s golf coach Andrew
Tredway agrees with his players and
described Wongchindawest’s work
ethic and personality as having had a
major impact so far.
“High is a great guy and hard
worker. His game and the effort he puts
out on the golf course really transcends
to everything else he does,” Tredway
said. “He tries as hard as he can in every-
thing, whether it is in school or work-
outs. He is always giving it 100 percent,
which is something that the team and I
really appreciate.”
Wongchindawest and the Bronc
golf team will be competing against 12
other teams Saturday at the Rice
Intercollegiate Tournament, kicking off
the spring season. Their last major com-
petition was Nov. 7, 2006 at the Battle
on the Bend in Toledo Bend, La.
Tredway said his troops are ready for
action.
“Everybody is really motivated.
The guys who have been here in the past
are playing against their former coach,
Drew Scott, who is now the coach at
Rice,” Tredway said. “I really do not
have to say anything to them for this
tournament. They are all motivated
enough to go out there and do well.”
By SAVANNAH MARTINEZThe Pan American
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Sidney Meadows/The Pan American
It is a time of judgment for The
University of Texas-Pan American Lady
Broncs as they complete their five-game
road trip with stops at North Dakota and
South Dakota State University today and
Saturday, respectively.
UTPA sits at 10-15 on the season
and is coming off a 75-54 setback against
Utah Valley State University. The loss
put the lady netters at 3-3 in league play.
With the season coming to a close
the Lady Broncs are in contention to
finish in first place if they win these final
games.
“At this point every game is impor-
tant, as far as league goes. We want to
win the rest of our games and end on a
good note,” said lone senior MaHogany
Daniel.
UTPA’s first stop will be in
Billings, S.D., tonight where they will
face the Jackrabbits of South Dakota
State University at 8 p.m. SDSU (18-5)
currently leads in the league standings
and is riding on a seven-game winning
streak. Back on Jan. 27, UTPA suffered a
defeat 64-52 at the hands of SDSU at the
Field House.
“We definitely want to get South
Dakota and beat them on their home court
because they beat us at home,” Daniel said.
On Saturday, the ladies will make
their way to Fargo, N.D., for a rematch
against North Dakota State University at
7 p.m. UTPA picked up a dramatic 59-
57 win with 2.2 seconds left in regula-
tion back on Jan. 25 at the Field House.
NDSU is coming off an 81-49 home
victory against New Jersey Institute of
Technology on Feb. 10. The Bison are
10-10 overall and 3-2 in league play.
The Lady Broncs will be back at
the Field House Feb. 24 to as their final
three games of the season unfold. Two of
the three games will be against United
League Basketball opponents, while the
other is an exhibition game against
Monterrey Tech Feb. 27.
Daniel, one of the program’s best
career rebounders and shot blockers, can
feel her career coming to a close.
“Right now all I want to do is play
hard and step up my game,” Daniel
said. “It’s crunch time and as March 3
nears, it will be my last game of my
four-year career.”
Daniel currently leads the team in
block shots (45) and offensive (62) and
defensive rebounds (100) this season.
Wongchindawest brings new attitude to golf team
Lady Broncs look to end five-game roadtrip with conference winsBy KRISTYNA MANCIASThe Pan American
DRIVE TO SUCCEED - MaHogany Daniel (13) gets past North Dakota State defender Ali Sonstelie (44). The Lady Broncswon a thriller at home against the Bison 59-57 on Jan. 25.
ON THE GREEN - Freshman High Wongchindawest has been a good team play-er and hard worker in his short tenure with the men’s golf team.
It is often said your best defense is
a good offense. When The University of
Texas-Pan American men’s head basket-
ball coach Tom Schuberth arrived on
campus during the summer of 2006 he
was told he was inheriting a bad shoot-
ing team. Bad barely scratched the sur-
face. The Broncs had just compiled a
dismal 7-24 campaign.
What Schuberth did inherit was 6-
foot-11-inch senior pivot man Colin
Lien, the key to this year’s three-point
oriented offense, and some solid ball
handlers. With the addition of junior col-
lege transfers point guard Paul Stoll and
shooting guard Brian Burrell, all the
pieces were in place for his fast paced 3-
out, 2-in high-low motion
offense, which leads all
NCAA Division I in
3 - p o i n t
field goal percent-
age. The Green and Orange as a
team average 37.6 percent from down-
town, good for 174 treys on the year.
In the low block, Lien draws most
of the attention from opposing teams and
with Stoll leading the break, Burrell
does the most damage from outside,
with 61 threes on the season.
Schuberth said he chose this style
because it suits his personnel, and added
his team looks for good shots only,
always wanting to make opponents work.
“I like to play fast. I think kids
like to play fast and fans like to see
you play fast,” Schuberth said.
“That to me is when we are at
our best. We take the opportuni-
ty to run our fast break and if
it’s not there we back it out and
run our offense.”
BRONCS IN ACTIONUtah Valley State wit-
nessed firsthand the Green
and Orange attack, surviving a late sec-
ond half rally to escape with an 81-76
victory. The loss broke UTPA’s unbeaten
home streak. The Broncs are now 12-11
overall.
David Heck scored 23 points, Ryan
Toolson tallied 17 points and Chris
Bailey and Joe Walker chipped in 12
points a piece for the Wolverines.
It was a close game throughout but
UTPA failed to swing momentum their
way in front of the 1,450 in attendance
as Heck and Toolson were clutch in cru-
cial moments. Every time the Green and
Orange mounted a come back, Heck or
Toolson would find the bottom of the net
to maintain UVS’s lead.
Stoll led one final push for the
Green and
Orange with
0:57 left. The
Broncs used a
full court
press and
fouls to try
a n d
pull off the victory. After Matt Peterson
connected on one of two free throws,
Stoll took the ball the length of the court,
driving untouched to the
hoop and pulled UTPA
within seven, 77-
70.
Bailey fol-
lowed with a
pair of free
throws, to put
State back
up by
n i n e ,
b u t
Burrell
answered
with a
nothing-but-
net corner 3-
p o i n t e r
w i t h
2 7 . 1
seconds
left. The
B r o n c s
would then
send Heck
to the line
where
he finally missed both attempts. The
Broncs rebounded and Stoll pushed
again as he drilled his fourth trifecta of
the night to pull UTPA within three
points, 79-76. With 11 seconds
left the Broncs sent Heck to
the line again, where he iced
the game by making two.
B u r r e l l
scored 17 points to
go along with
nine rebounds
as Lien added
another
1 6
points and four rebounds.
The game could have gone either
way, as both squads posted similar per-
centages. UTPA shot 60 percent from the
field and UVS shot 57.1 percent. The
key stat for the game could be the woe-
ful second half effort from the free throw
line. The men shot 50 percent from the
charity stripe, but Schuberth blamed
poor preparation instead.
“We lost in our preparation a week
prior. For a mediocre team, they might
have been good practices. For a team
that wants to be good and talk
about championships, they were
not good,” Schuberth said. “I
hold them to have high expec-
tations if we’re going to turn
this program around.”
The men will take to
the hardwood again on
Thursday against
South Dakota
State, tip off at
7 p.m.
By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American
SPORTSEditor’s Pick: Game to Watch
McGrady
Time: 7 p.m.
Wade
When: Sunday
Where: Las Vegas, Nev.
NBA All-Star Game
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Designed By: Roy Bazan
STOLL LIEN
BURRELL
