June 3, 2010

The Gulf Coast oil spill has offi cially been recorded as the largest in U.S. with President Obama visiting the beaches of Louisiana on Friday to address the situation.

The visit followed harsh criticism placed on the government response to the disaster, which has

seen oil and gas spewing into the ocean since a BP rig exploded

April 20. According to

F r a n k

D i r r i g l , p r o f e s s o r

of biology and environmental sciences at The

University of Texas-Pan American, the most important issue is containing the spill as effectively as possible

in the shortest amount of time. “Unfortunately, this has not

happened. Fish and wildlife have already been found dead in open water and shorelines, and this is just the beginning, the long-term impacts from oil spills on plants, animals, and habitat,” said Dirrigl, who earned a Ph.D. from The University of Connecticut in anthropology.

The disaster can have negative consequences on ecology, affecting birds and fi sh along with invertebrates such as zooplankton, snails, starfi sh, and shrimp.

“It is the small aquatic life that supports the larger wildlife

in an aquatic system,” Dirrigi said. “The devastation to what ecologists consider ‘primary producers’ of food chains is unseen by the public.”

In agreement, professor of biology Donald Hockaday

said, “Louisiana marshes are crucially important nursery areas

for marine species.”U.S. Fish and Wildlife released

a report, Effect of Oil on Wildlife and Habbitat, detailing specifi c effects oil spills have on fi sh such as reduced growth, change in heart, and reproductive impairment.

Another concern is potential economic effects the spill could cause.

“Everyone loses, families lose loved ones, wildlife and habitat are affected, recreational areas are

faced with years of cleanup, and peoples’ livelihood that depend on fishing, shrimping, crabbing, and clamming,” Dirrigl said. “The potential economic impact of the loss of vacation travelers may also be felt by local business and restaurants.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, continues to extend the area closed to fi shing, resulting in 25 percent closure of the Gulf Coast that supplies more than 40 percent of U.S. seafood with sales exceeding 2.4 billion.

NOAA project oil will reach the shores of Mississippi and Alabama by June 3 due to southwestern winds.

However, oil may be capable of reach South Padre Island as debris washed ashore after hurricane Katrina in 2005, warned Dirrigl.

In an effort to stop further damage this week, BP was trying a new method, “top kill”, which required pumping mud into the piping to seal the leak permanently. However, the technique was not successful.

While Obama has pushed through a six-month freeze on oil drilling projects to avoid a similar catastrophe, Dirrigl said the most important change is having an established response team in place made up of coordinated government federal and state agencies, private industry, and volunteers.

THE PAN AMERICANVolume 66, No. 28 June 3, 2010

Largest oil spill may bring local impact By Erin MenendezThe Pan American

The University of Texas-Pan American is on the grow as the search to fi ll in two dean positions for the recent split of the colleges of science and engineering continues.

Since early May, a total of six candidates have visited the university to show interest in administrative positions for the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Science and Mathematics. The college split will become effective beginning with the fall 2010 semester.

Search committees – composed of faculty, staff and students – were formed under the direction of UTPA President Robert Nelsen along with the executive search fi rm of Witt/Kieffer. The fi rm worked on advertising the positions nationally, identifying those qualifi ed for the jobs, and fi nally arranging interviews with top candidates.

Three hopefuls for each dean position were selected for on-campus interviews and thereupon faculty, staff and students were invited to attend town hall forums to meet and greet with each candidate. Campus visits for the candidates were held May 13-20.

The candidates for the College of Engineering and Computer Science include Miguel Gonzalez, Glen Prater and David Allen. Applicants for the College of Science and Mathematics include Jonathan Campbell, Randy Brutkiweicz and John Trant.

Gonzalez attained his doctorate in industrial engineering in 1995 while Prater received his in mechanical engineering in 1987. Allen graduated in 1980 with a doctorate in aerospace engineering. All have been heavily involved in administrative work.

Campbell earned his Ph.D. in systematics and ecology in 1982

after also studying biology and anthropology. Brutkiewicz attained his terminal degree in cellular and viral immunology from Michigan State University while also studying microbiology, public health and virology. Trant received his doctorate in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin and also studied biology.

“Each candidate that visited our campus was ranked of high caliber. We were fortunate enough to have them visit our campus,” said Javier Kypuros, associate professor of mechanical engineering and head of the search committee for

the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Ana Maria Rodriguez, interim provost/vice president for academic affairs, noted there has been interest and enthusiasm for the dean search, and outlined the importance of the decisions to be made.

“The more feedback we have from those who will be primarily impacted, the better the decision making will be,” she said.

The decisions will be announced before the fall, and the new leaders will then continue to administer the college split.

Two new college deans should be in place soon By Roxann GarciaThe Pan American

ifi twasmyhome.com

WHAT IF? - Ifthiswasmyhome.com allows users to type in a location and compare the size of the oil spill to that area. This shows what part of the Valley would be covered in oil if the spill occurred in McAllen.

UTPA TOONS: Cartoonist Elias Moran illustrates daily student life.

Center for Online Learning Teaching and Technology recives $150,000 grant.

Local entrepreneur Cynthia Valdez creates online vintage store called Tulle Room.

en español:Lo que se espera para el mundial que se llevara a cabo este año

How AP test affect the high school psyche.

Illustrated Commentary

June 3, 2010 2

Elias Moran/The Pan American

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to [email protected].

Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.

The Pan American is the offi cial student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily refl ect those of the paper or university.

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The University of Texas-Pan American means business when it comes to the search for two of its top administrative positions, and last week, it announced that an executive search fi rm had been hired to aid in the process of recruiting and selecting the new leadership.

Former Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Paul Sale resigned April 1 after serving four years as the liaison between the president and both the academic and administrative community. Less than a week later, Vice President for Business Affairs James Langabeer, who has been with the university 22 years, announced his resignation, effective Aug. 31.

Since then, the university has hired Witt/Kieffer, a top 10 nationwide executive search fi rm, to aid in both searches. According to a memo sent last week by University President Robert Nelsen to faculty and staff, Alice Miller, a consultant at Witt/Kieffer, will be working with the campus search committee to fi ll the vacancies, and a timeline has been developed.

Nelsen hopes to make a fi nal decision by July 5 for Langabeer’s position, which oversees a number of campus entities, including: the Budget Offi ce, Payroll, Grants and Contracts, Accounting,

Sustainability, Institutional Compliance, Environmental Health and Safety, Human Resources, Physical Plant, and the Police Department. Recruitment for this position began March 15, and candidates will be presented by June 16, followed by campus interviews beginning June 28.

The timeline for the provost’s search, however, is longer. Recruitment was set to begin May 10, and candidate presentations should be completed by July 26. Campus interviews are scheduled to begin early in September, and Nelsen hopes to make a fi nal decision by the middle of that month.

“The provost is right underneath the president,” Interim Provost Ana Maria Rodriguez said about Sale’s position. ”In the absence of the president, the provost becomes the responsible party for the university.”

Rodriguez, who has now served twice as interim provost for the university, says that because the title is provost and vice president for academic affairs, he or she will work in two capacities.

“The provost is the liaison between the president and the vice presidents,” she explained. “And as vice president for academic affairs, he/she oversees all academic decisions, which include people like deans and chairs and ultimately, faculty and staff.”

Although filling both positions is crucial for the university, a pending

faculty workload issue that may be resolved by December has pushed the search for a new provost to center stage. And although Rodriguez says she could ultimately make the significant, pending decisions - such as a possible change in the teaching load - with the president’s backing, she admits that it would not be in the university’s best interest for her to take such action.

This issue, which has caused some stress for faculty because it may affect their workload and ultimately fi gure in tenure and promotion, has fl ared a debate on what the new provost should be like. And although faculty members do not agree on all of the qualities a provost should posses, they seem to agree that greater interaction between the offi ce and faculty is a must.

“I think that it would be great to have a provost who wanted to encourage more faculty research and who came from a faculty perspective and understood issues and obstacles that we face,” said Adriel Trott, assistant professor of history and philosophy. “I think Dr. Sale did a good job of those things. I think that he wanted to raise the standards of the university, and I thought that was very commendable. “

However, a health science associate professor who wished to remain

anonymous, says she wants something else.“I think I would like to see

someone who would put more emphasis on teaching and not so much on research or grant writing,” she said. “Someone who is more involved.”

One professor admitted he had never met the former provost, and didn’t think he would ever meet the new one.

“There’s too much administration,” said microbiology professor Dr. Luis Materon. “I wish he or she would come talk to us.”

He wants the leader to mix with the soldiers. When asked if Sale had interacted enough with faculty Materon answered, “Well no, it’s been like a tradition here; an administration tradition.”

He also said that as part of the college that produces the most publications, he would not like to see an educator, philosopher, historian, or lawyer take the position, but a researcher.

A comment by another professor who wished to remain anonymous agreed with this.

“The university has never had a provost with an extensive background in research,” he said. “And I think that’s what the university needs.”

Faculty members have an opportunity to express these concerns through an e-mail survey sent out by the Faculty Senate.

THE PAN AMERICANProcess continues for twin VP searches; Provost position should be fi lled by fall

Vol. 66, No. 28

By Pamela GarzaThe Pan American

News June 3, 2010Page 3

It isn’t typical for Carlyssa Villarreal to boast about her accomplishments, but those around her know she’s earned every right to do so. Villarreal earned the Valedictorian spot for La Joya High School this spring and is the first student in La Joya ISD history to become a Gates Millennium Scholar.

The scholarship award nets 10 years of funding, which will allow Villarreal to earn her undergraduate, graduate and doctorates degree in neuroscience and Spanish. Villarreal’s award money will be equal to about $1 million – a substantial, but necessary amount to cover the tuition rates at Rice University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the schools she plans to attend.

Villarreal always knew she was going to be attending Rice University from the very get-go, as it would allow her to remain close to her family and friends. She didn’t apply anywhere else, but a superb score on the ACT of 33 out of 36 caused Rice to quickly accepted Villarreal in early November, offering an all-expense-paid scholarship for undergraduate degree.

Villarreal got serious right from the start when she began high school.

“Since coming to La Joya High, she knew what is needed to take” said Counselor Lorelie Alvarez. “I was amazed by her when she told me exactly which classes she wanted for the next three years”.

The yearly tuition rate at Rice is about $40,000. Multiplied by four years and with inflation expected to occur, the amount is

astounding, but Villarreal said, this award definitely lifts any financial burden. She also commented on the ground-breaking nature of the honor from the Gates Foundation, the world’s biggest philanthropic organization with an endowment of $35 billion

“I was not aware I was the first LJHS student

By Francisco J. Perez The Pan American Intern

La Joya student first Gates winner

Francisco J. Perez / The Pan american

STANDOUT STUDeNT- La Joya High School Valedictorian Carlyssa Villarreal.

to earn this scholarship,” she said. “Honestly, I’m just extremely relieved to know my college education is basically financed.”

This year about 1,000 students throughout 45 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories were awarded the scholarship. It can be used to pursue a degree in any undergraduate major.

She will soon leave the Rio Grande Valley to attend Rice, and Villarreal is in the midst of her graduation celebration and feeling “very grateful for all the financial aid and scholarship” she has received. But she also carries a heavy heart as her

time at La Joya High is coming to an end.While attending LJHS, she was involved in

National Honor Society, Senior Class, Spanish Club, UIL, Computer Science Club, and Robotics

Villarreal will be graduating Friday at La Joya ISD Stadium in front of over 1,000 parents, teachers and district staff. Then, the future begins.

“Eventually I would like to become a neurosurgeon and possibly come back to the Valley to practice,” she said.

Villarreal is the daughter of Oscar and Martha Villarreal of Sullivan City. She will travel to Washington D.C. in June to be recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN June 3, 2010 June 3, 2010 Page 5Page 4

championship action

1) The UTPA Broncs headed by Coach Manny Mantrana won their fi rst game 6-4 after recovering from a 4-2 defi cit in the ninth inning to take the match to extra periods.

2) Effrey Valdez from New York Institute of Technology strides to complete a run Friday night at NYIT’s victory 11-1 against Northern Colorado. Valdez led his team with three hits in four at bats.

3) Freshman Luis Flores was the starting pitcher for UTPA in their loss 10-0 against Northern Colorado Thursday. Although the Zapata native took the loss that day, he fi nished the season with a 4-2 season.

4) Northern Colorado’s Mike Raudenbush was one of the most valuable players for the Bears; he scored one of the three runs in the championship game and made the All-Tournament team.

5) Joe Sawicki, also from Northern Colorado, was the GWC pitcher of the year. He had a 9-2 record and a 3.06 ERA.

6) William HIll from Chicago State slides to fi rst base in the Cougars’ open-ing game Wednesday. Even though Hill scored, CSU lost 11-6 that day.

7) The Utah Valley team celebrates as Chris Benson completes the run that would give the Wolverines the conference championship. The run was made possible by Kevin Arendse’s hit that allowed Benson to score and made the score 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Utah Valley fi nished the season with a 14-game winning streak to total a 42-17 record.

Inaugural GWC Championship takes place at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium May 26-29. 1

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Daniel Flores/The Pan AmericanDaniel Flores/The Pan American

Alma E. Hernandez/The Pan American



Daniel Flores/The Pan American Alma E. Hernandez/The Pan American

For overviews of all games and featured videos of the GWC Championship go to www.panamericanonline.com

THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN June 3, 2010 June 3, 2010 Page 5Page 4

championship action

1) The UTPA Broncs headed by Coach Manny Mantrana won their fi rst game 6-4 after recovering from a 4-2 defi cit in the ninth inning to take the match to extra periods.

2) Effrey Valdez from New York Institute of Technology strides to complete a run Friday night at NYIT’s victory 11-1 against Northern Colorado. Valdez led his team with three hits in four at bats.

3) Freshman Luis Flores was the starting pitcher for UTPA in their loss 10-0 against Northern Colorado Thursday. Although the Zapata native took the loss that day, he fi nished the season with a 4-2 season.

4) Northern Colorado’s Mike Raudenbush was one of the most valuable players for the Bears; he scored one of the three runs in the championship game and made the All-Tournament team.

5) Joe Sawicki, also from Northern Colorado, was the GWC pitcher of the year. He had a 9-2 record and a 3.06 ERA.

6) William HIll from Chicago State slides to fi rst base in the Cougars’ open-ing game Wednesday. Even though Hill scored, CSU lost 11-6 that day.

7) The Utah Valley team celebrates as Chris Benson completes the run that would give the Wolverines the conference championship. The run was made possible by Kevin Arendse’s hit that allowed Benson to score and made the score 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Utah Valley fi nished the season with a 14-game winning streak to total a 42-17 record.

Inaugural GWC Championship takes place at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium May 26-29. 1

2

3

4

5

6 7

Daniel Flores/The Pan AmericanDaniel Flores/The Pan American




Daniel Flores/The Pan American Alma E. Hernandez/The Pan American

For overviews of all games and featured videos of the GWC Championship go to www.panamericanonline.com

Advertisements Page 6June 3, 2010

June 3, 2010 7

Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher team up as a wedded couple that goes into hiding when they discover a multi-million dollar hit is placed on his head. “Killers” hits theaters Friday, June 4.

The Tulsa, Okla., brothers known as Hanson are back with their ninth release, “Shout It Out.” It is the third on their independent label 3CG Records. Look for it on Tuesday, June 8.

A three-story building and a house in Guatemala City vanished into the depths of a 200-foot deep, 60-foot wide sinkhole after Tropical Storm Agatha drenched the Central American town.

The Season Three premiere of vampire drama “True Blood” will give light to the whereabouts of Sookie’s main vamp, Bill, after he was kidnapped in the season fi nale. Catch it on HBO Sunday, June 13, at 8 p.m.

More McAllen lovin’ for Miniature Tigers

Indie pop rock band Miniature Tigers from Brooklyn will make their third appearance in the Rio Grande Valley this Sunday, June 6 at Cine El Rey at 7:30 p.m.

Rewind to early 2009 when lead singer and guitarist Charlie Brand and his friends were coming to the end of their fi rst major tour with pianist Ben Folds. In mid-March, they decided to conquer the South fi rst by playing at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin.

Near the end of this tumultuous journey, there remained one stop, and no one, including the 25-year-old Brand, knew how it was going to turn out.

“We had no idea what to expect,” said 25-year-old about the planned concert in McAllen. Little did they know that in the future they would return to the Valley three times in only one year.

When one thinks of the Valley, they don’t automatically think music, much less of underground indie pop rock. After all, the Valley is an area rich in traditional and cultural music. This isn’t exactly free-spirited Austin where the minds of artists and musicians alike can grow to become national icons, though

this area does have a few exceptions, such as actor Valente Rodriguez who appears in the hit television sitcom, “The George Lopez Show.”

Patrick Garcia of Goodbar Productions, who has booked bands like Miniature Tigers and other indie artists such as Cursive and New Found Glory since 2006, explained that the music culture of the Valley is still dominated by mainstream bands appearing on places such as the Disney Channel whose music is repeatedly played on local pop and reggaeton stations.

For the Tigers show, there was a big fear that nobody would show and that the whole thing was going to turn out to be a really bad idea.

“The scene’s interest remains captivated by the hair-straightener pop sound of 2002 still so we were terrifi ed that nobody would show,” Garcia said.

As it turns out, it was the total opposite. “The folks that showed up were so respectful and into the music that it made it one of the most fun shows we’d ever played,” Brand said.

“In some places like Los Angeles, people just fold their arms and don’t seem to care about music,” Brand said. “McAllen is the polar opposite. People care passionately

about the music and we feel that and feed off that for our performance.”

Fast-forward to today and the Arizona natives are set to return for their third performance this Sunday, June 6. They have gained more popularity and momentum than ever before.

Their video for “Cannibal Queen” off their 2008 album “Tell It to the Volcano” was featured on mtvU. Riding on the success of their fi rst set of albums, the band will put out their latest and most emotionally charged release, “FORTRESS,” on July 27. Fans can anticipate this album to be very different from the rest of Miniature Tigers’ discography.

Brand explains that, from the very fi rst track, people will notice the radical departure from their past work.

“I hate when bands put out two albums that sound exactly alike,” he said. “I love sitting down with a new album and being surprised by the sound. I think we get off on throwing people off.”

Expect this album to be fi lled with emotion and refl ect. Brand said each song was made with its own unique vibe. The lyrics come from a very truthful and vulnerable state of mind, which is also the reason behind the name “FORTRESS.” He said it symbolizes

“isolation and emotional walls people put around themselves.”

Miniature Tigers’ just-released video for their fi rst single, “Gold Skull,” is available on Stereogum.com. One Twitter user tweeted to Brand that the video made him (the user) feel like he was “on a sexual acid trip.”

By Mike Grajedathe pan american

Theater battles germs in fi rst Spanish children’s play

Emilio Carballido, a Mexican writer and dramaturge, earned particular renown as a playwright. During his lifetime he wrote over 50 different plays on diverse topics. Carballido died in 2008 in Xalapa, Veracruz, but one of his scripts was released in 2007. Perhaps he never thought that today, the play would reach other countries in performance.

On Wednesday, May 26, a performance took place at the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library that brought to life Carballido’s script for “La Lente Maravillosa,” a work made to improve hygiene habits among children.

Students from The University of Texas-Pan American, under direction of theater professor Eric Wiley, and sponsored by the UTPA Undergraduate Research Initiative and the Department of Communication, were in charge of performing this drama; the play was the fi rst at the university done completely in Spanish.

In the play, a group of kids fi ghts against diseases stemming from their bad hygiene habits. They grow to the kids’ sizes with the help of the “marvelous lens,” a magical instrument. It proves bacteria are more dangerous than they appear and should be taken seriously.

The fi ght between the kids and the bacteria takes place at a park where kids are exposed to more diseases and bacteria. To win, they must use a toothbrush and soap to fi ght back against bacteria that kidnapped their friends.

The idea came to Carballido when he was asked by the secretary of public education in Mexico to make a play about hygiene care for kids in primary schools. That was the spark that ignited a whole set of plays dedicated to good care, hygiene, and cleanliness habits.

At UTPA, Wiley offered to direct the play in a language unknown to him. With this, the bilingual odyssey started.

At fi rst, the director had all the acting done twice. He could not understand the performance in Spanish so he had the actors performing in both Spanish and English so he was able comprehend the story.

But communication was just one of the problems they faced. Double rehearsals meant twice the effort from the actors. Soon the director asked the stage manager, Silvia Serrano, a theater student at UTPA, to translate everything for him.

In the end, the elementary-aged crowd in the library responded to the performance with a standing ovation. A question-and-answer session helped clarify the context of the play.

The actors ensured the difference in languages did not impede their goal.

“The director gave us all his trust and facility to experiment between us, said Roberto Collado, one of the lead actors. “So we could evaluate ourselves during the performances so that, in a collective effort, we could see what was missing in the play, and, as a team, work on the fl aws of the play,”

Things couldn’t have gone better, as a project that started as an idea from Spanish-speaking students turned into a world of opportunities.

“Many Mexican students struggle to get a main role in the plays because of their strong accents when they speak

English,” Wiley said. “Making plays in their tongue, it’s just a way to help them show their talents.”

The play will be performed again at the McAllen Main Library on Tuesday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 9 at the Lark Branch of the McAllen Public Library at 6:30 p.m., and one last show Friday, June 11 at 7 p.m. at South Texas College’s Pecan Campus in the Cooper Center for Communication Arts.

The project’s target is to have more work done in Spanish at the university. The effort presents a new perspective and a new form of entertainment for predominantly Spanish speakers living in the Valley.

By Carlos Arteaga the pan american

THESPIANS- Luis Moreno (left) and Adilene Olivera perform “La Lente Maravillosa” in a crowded room at Singletary Elementary in Donna.

University Theatre

THE PAN AMERICAN June 3, 2010Page 8

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June 3, 2010