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Census finds married women no longer the majority SSeeee PPaaggee 77SSeeeePPaaggee33 Gray leads Lady Broncs as they face IPFW tonight in Indiana Spirit of Irish ballet comes to life at McAllen Civic Center By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZ The Pan American By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American CONCERNS - Senator at large Tony Villarreal voices his concerns about SGA President Argelia Barerra’s recent absences at a meeting Tuesday evening. By LUKE KOONG The Pan American
Citation preview
On their way in to campus,
University of Texas-Pan American stu-
dents have no doubt noticed a new wave
of construction in the area. Along
University Drive between Jackson Road
and Ware Road, the Texas Department
of Transportation has begun the long
process of widening the road.
“The purpose of the project is to
improve the overall facility, to add
capacity,” Pete Alvarez, assistant area
engineer, said. “We’re going to have
three lanes in each direction and a con-
tinuous median in the middle.”
The project, a continuation of the
work that was already done between the
Edinburg Courthouse and UTPA, will
cost an estimated $13.5 million, but will
yield increased safety in the area.
“There were a lot of accidents over
PAN AMERICAN
SSeeee PPaaggee 1166
Gray leads Lady Broncsas they face IPFWtonight in Indiana
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 , 2 0 0 7
Census finds marriedwomen no longer themajority
Spirit of Irish balletcomes to life at McAllenCivic Center
SSeeee PPaaggee 77SSeeee PPaaggee 33
A&ENews
SGA president faces group of upset senators
By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American
UniversityDrive underconstruction
Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American
CONCERNS - Senator at large Tony Villarreal voices his concerns about SGAPresident Argelia Barerra’s recent absences at a meeting Tuesday evening.
Student Government Association
president Argelia Barrera faced a group
of distraught senators Tuesday evening
after concerns were voiced about the stu-
dent leader’s alleged lack of attendance
at the organization’s meetings.
Led by Senator at large Tony
Villarreal, a junior biology major, a
group of three senators recommended
removing Barrera at a meeting held in
the Library Media Theater. Specifically,
the senators charged that excessive
absences, alleged failure to issue presi-
dent’s reports, and not appointing
replacement senators to vacant positions
in what they referred to as a timely man-
ner warranted her removal from office.
However, after being notified of
the intended removal at 10 p.m. the night
before, Barrera, who has served as pres-
ident since April 2006, came to the meet-
ing prepared to make up for her short-
comings.
“My point is that yes, I am the stu-
dent body president. And yes, I am sup-
posed to be leading you guys. And yes, I
did fail you,” said the senior political
science major. “But I don’t think I failed
in representing the students. That I’ve
never done. There is not a day that I
haven’t represented UTPA students to
my fullest capacity.”
The senators had intended to
impeach Barrera at the meeting.
However, the SGA constitution and
bylaws state that before any officer is
removed, the issue must be presented to
the Student Supreme Court, which is
made up for three students - whom
Barrera appointed early in her term - and
two faculty members.
According to Jerry Price, dean of
students and SGA adviser, the constitu-
tion and bylaws refer to the process for
removal from office and impeachment,
but they do not distinguish the difference
between the two.
With allegations and defenses in
the air, Price added that the most impor-
tant thing at this point in time is over-
coming the miscommunication.
“Spending a lot of time on this
issue is not the most effective use of
By SANDRA GONZALEZ
The Pan American
See SGA page 12
See CONSTRUCTION page 12Tabitha Arce/The Pan American
County surveys plight of homeless Locals seek shelter from grittiness of streets
Volunteers from around the com-
munity came together last week to
address the pressing issue of chronic
homelessness.
Under the guidance of Bruce
Friedman, a professor in the social work
department, volunteers marched around
the 78501 zip code counting and inter-
viewing homeless individuals from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 25.
Vicky Lopez, a supervisor at
Convergys clothing store, arrived for
the last shift of the day. It was her fourth
year helping out, but the intensity of the
situation hits her anew each time.
“Something as simple as shower-
ing, for us it might be something we do
at 6 a.m. These people that we see don’t
have a place to shower,” she said. “They
don’t know where they’re going to get
their next meal.”
Her co-worker Ana Perez felt a
similar mix of emotions.
“Because I don’t see that very
much, it’s very hard to see people that
are struggling,” said Perez, who works
in the human resource department at
Convergys. “It’s sad. You definitely
value what you have more.”
While this year marked the first
time Perez took part in the study, this is
the fifth year the survey has been done.
The U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development requires that coun-
ties conduct the study in order to receive
Continuum of Care money to fund the
creation of transitional homes and sup-
port services.
By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
See HOMELESS page 11
1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican
56th Year – No. 16
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 , 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. 8Feminist theater- Local organization brings hit play to theValley
READERFORUM
Designers
SecretaryAnita Casares
Gregorio Garzathe_nataku@ yahoo.com
Rick [email protected]
Edward Elguezabal
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
Homecoming hopes- Learn what nominees for queenwill do to win the crown
Shhh. Gather ‘round. I have a secret: it’s time for another Web site
review! Ok, that was a lame secret, but I figured beginning with a secret was
fitting for this week’s Web site. And considering the fact that I didn’t have a
real secret to share (at least one that was clean enough for printing), I had to
improvise. Since the secret is as out as Lance Bass, let’s get this review on
the road.
Half-hour per week. While they update
with secrets every Sunday, no access to
past weeks makes the site a quick read.
Frank Warren, Web dude extraordinaire
behind PostSecret.com, has given all grown-
ups a chance to relive their schoolyard days with this popular site, which cur-
rently has over 60 million views (just a few less than the number of people
who have seen Paris Hilton’s crotch).
Warren has said that he created the site as a nonjudgmental place where
posters can “remove their social masks,” be who they are, and reveal the
secrets that eat away at them day in and out. Posters seem to be doing just
that, submitting hundreds of anonymous secrets via the site and snail mail
every day. Short confessions about everything from raunchy sexual
escapades (Visit the site and try to guess which is mine. Guess right and get
a cookie) to suicidal thoughts (*rolls eyes*) can be read at the site.
In addition, PostSecret’s best work has resulted in a number of books
such as “PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary,” released in
2005, and “The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book,” which
arrived Jan. 9.
Web site overview:
Leading this week’s update was a photograph of what
appears to be Hannibal Lector’s brunch. Accompanying this
bloody view of guts was a caption that read: “I just had lap band
surgery…when people ask how I’m losing the weight, I tell them, ‘will power
and self control.’” Confessions like this one are what PostSecret visitors can
expect. Personally, they make me paranoid because I don’t like being lied to,
and end up walking around wondering which other former plumpy has a
twisty tie on their insides. After reading a couple of confessions on the site, I
notice my eyes involuntarily becoming narrower in suspicion.
While I’m usually the first one to scoff at the thought of receiving inad-
vertent therapy from others’ experiences, PostSecret turned out to be a pleas-
ant surprise. It’s almost as though the suffering a person has gone through as
a result of keeping a certain secret for so long has made it more meaningful
to the reader. Like when someone sells you their soul, it’s just more gratify-
ing when it’s a tormented one. I’m sure you can relate.
My only gripe with the site is the melodramatic, self-loathing confes-
sions made by people who wear too much eyeliner (boys and girls) and don’t
wash their hair. Most of their problems aren’t anything a slap in the face and
little shampoo won’t fix. And don’t even get me started on the eating disorder
confessions by people who are clearly still fat. People need to stop making up
problems for themselves. I came to PostSecret for amusement and there is
nothing entertaining about angsty teens because it’s been done; I’m tired of it
and they should be too.
In case you are still confused about what kind of messages are posted on
PostSecret, here are a few of the standout statements from this week’s confes-
sions (of course with comments from yours truly): “The sex could have been
better” (Can’t it always?); “It’s so much easier to love myself now that I’ve
told you how much I hate you” (Considering how often I tell people I hate
them, that offers a viable explanation for my enormous ego); “I pick notes up
off the ground and read them” (When I find gum in the notes I pick up, I con-
sider it punishment for being a snoop)
Content:
Images always accompany the confessions, with
all art being chosen by the poster. For example, a
picture of a Christmas light-covered house (We’re talking of Griswold propor-
tions), accompanies a text stating: “Now I’m doing it just to piss you off.
Sincerely, your passive-aggressive neighbor.” I didn’t see one graphic element
that was not perfect for the message. This is an essential part of the site
because it brings the messages to life. Well done.
Graphics/Photos:
Since my real secrets are dirtier than a toilet seat at a by-the-
hour motel, maybe you can share yours. That’s right, if you
got a secret, send it to me ala PostSecret and you could see it here next week.
Don’t worry, I don’t care enough to try and find out who you are. And if you
have a secret Web site you’ve been visiting and not sharing with me, send a
link to [email protected]. As always, nude photographs of
Wentworth Miller are welcome. Nude photos of yourself are not. Have a day.
Not a good one. Not a bad one. Just have one.
Sidenote:
RATING
Web site Review
By: Sandra Gonzale
z
Up for review: www.postsecret.com
Hours of entertainment:
Correction: In last week’s issue of The Pan American, there was a typo in “Prof. returns from faculty exhange in Vietnam.” Thepopulation of Da Nang should have read 752,000.
State rep. Aaron Pena recalls his
days at The University of Texas-Pan
American fondly. Pena will share his
experiences from those days, which he
says played a large part in his current
success, when he speaks at the Student
Leadership Conference Feb. 3.
“This is a critical moment in peo-
ple’s lives when deciding which way to
go. This conference can ignite leadership
in people,” Pena said. “There is nothing
more important than grabbing hold of
young minds and making a difference in
our community.”
Currently in its sixth year, the con-
ference was organized by the Student
Leadership Program and the Leadership
Academy of UTPA with the goal of com-
municating with incoming high school
seniors, according to Amy Martin, coor-
dinator of SLP.
“This is an excellent opportunity
for students to gain leadership skills...,”
Martin said.
There will be a Texas Hold ‘emPoker Tournament Feb. 7 at3:30 p.m. in the Student Unioncommons.
News in brief:
U.S. Department of State scouts UTPA for prospective employeesSee LEADERS page 12
Census data finds fewer women married than ever before
The U.S. Department of State is
working to increase diversity among its
employees, specifically the Foreign
Service. To that end, the department
recently sent a career diplomat to The
University of Texas-Pan American in
hopes of tapping into the university’s
unique population.
“In my area of responsibility,
UTPA is one of the schools whose stu-
dents have the ability to be successful in
our selection process and whose back-
grounds will help us achieve our diversi-
ty goals,” said Luis J. Nigro Jr., a career
diplomat and senior member of the U.S.
Foreign Service.
Nigro came to UTPA Jan. 29 and
spoke to a small group of students in the
Palmetto Room in
the Student Union
about the many
career options in the
Foreign Service.
“What we offer
is something unique
in the federal government,” he said to a
group of about 10 students. “It offers
you an opportunity to pursue a career in
public service that ensures that you will
live and work overseas in often chal-
lenging circumstances to advance U.S.
national interests.”
According to Nigro, who is cur-
rently a Diplomat in Residence at the
University of Houston, the job is chal-
lenging, and important. While in anoth-
er country, a Foreign Service employee
will work with several big-name organi-
zations, such as the United Nations, to
engage in dialogue with representatives
from that foreign country among several
other duties.
See JOBS page 12
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
Big-namelocals tospeak at
conferenceBy KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American
NIGRO
As a 39-year-old unmarried
female, Danika Brown doesn’t spend her
single nights sitting at home knitting.
“I go out quite a bit,” Brown, an
English professor at The University of
Texas-Pan American. “A typical
Saturday night would be out to a neigh-
borhood establishment. I like to shoot
pool, go out and talk with friends.”
According to 2005 census data ana-
lyzed by the New York Times, 51 per-
cent of women in the United States are
living without a husband, just like
Brown.
While Brown has lived with her
partner Rick Lahr for the past four and
half years, she said they have no inten-
tions concerning marriage.
“He’s a good catch, but I don’t
need to marry him,” said Brown. “He
said the exact same thing.”
This marks the first time that mar-
ried women have been the minority in
the United States, according to census
data. The number is up two percent from
2000, the year of the previous census.
Brown said she can see why the
number of women living without spous-
es is growing.
“More women are in the workforce
so they’re more self-sufficient,” she
said. “And women [know they] have a
harder time in the work force if they try
to juggle family.”
Alexandra Cavazos, a freshman
education major from Weslaco, agrees
with Brown that women have a more
difficult time obtaining careers than
men, especially if a child is present.
However, she adds that not having a hus-
band doesn’t exclude the option of hav-
ing children anymore.
“The ideal household of having a
mother, a father and a child is disappear-
ing little by little every day,” said
Cavazos. “Nowadays it’s common to see
a single mother supporting herself and
her child.”
Cavazos said she thinks society
plays a role in this new trend among
women.
“A lot of men feel that having a
By BRENDA RODRIGUEZThe Pan American
See MARRIAGE page 12
Society hopes to encourage agricultural science
Horticulture is not the most com-
monly circulated word among science
majors at The University of Texas-Pan
American, but The Rio Grande Valley
Horticulture Society wants to change that.
In the first step toward spreading
word about agriculture science, the
Weslaco-based society held their 61st
Annual meeting Jan. 30 in the
Engineering Building auditorium.
Kenneth R. Summy, an associate
professor in the department of biology,
said the meeting was held at UTPA, as
opposed to its usual venue at Texas
A&M’s agricultural research facility in
Weslaco for several reasons.
“One of our main goals in holding
the meeting was to provide the students,
both graduate and undergraduate, an
opportunity to learn how to present a sci-
entific paper, how to speak, and how to
make professional contacts,” Summy
said.
Daniel De Leon, a senior pre-med
biology major, found out at the meeting
just how beneficial such events can be
after Eliezer Louzada, an associate pro-
fessor of plant molecular biology at
Texas A&M-Kingsville, announced to
the crowd of about 30 an opportunity for
students to work in his lab.
Agriculture science was never
something De Leon, who later inquired
about the job, had considered before.
However, he said any knowledge related
to science could help him become a bet-
ter doctor.
“Any field you go into, you have to
know about everything,” he said. “Many
of these issues can affect people and their
health later on. Some of these issues can
potentially be life threatening for people.”
Louzada said many people would
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
See HORTICULTURE page 12
OPPORTUNITY - Eliezer Louzada (left), an associate professor at Texas A&M-Kingsville, speaks with Daniel De Leon(center), a senior pre-med biology major, and Eduardo Hernandez, a senior biology major, about job openings in his lab.
Sandra Gonzalez/ The Pan American
NEWS
Page 4 NEWS February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007 NEWS Page 5
Como mujer soltera de 39 años,
Danika Brown no pasa sus noches soli-
tarias sentada en el sofá de su casa,
mientras teje.
“Yo salgo bastante”, dice Brown
una maestra de ingles de la Universidad
de Texas Pan American. “Un típico sába-
do por la noche consiste en salir a algún
local de la zona. Me gusta jugar billar o
salir a charlar con amigos”.
De acuerdo a la información anal-
izada por el New York Times en el censo
del 2005, el 51% de las mujeres en
Estados Unidos viven sin esposo, justo
como Brown.
Aunque Brown ha vivido con su
compañero Rick Lahr por mas de cuatro
anos y medio, asegura no tener inten-
ciones de contraer matrimonio.
“El es un buen partido, pero no
necesito casarme con el”, dice Brown.
“El contesta lo mismo”.
De acuerdo a la información del
censo de 2005, es la primera ves que las
mujeres casadas son una minoria en los
Estados Unidos. Este numero ascendió
en un 2% en comparación del censo
anterior (2000).
Brown dice que ella comprende el
por que el numero de mujeres sin esposo
esta aumentando.
“Más mujeres se incorporan a la
fuerza laboral permitiéndoles ser auto
suficientes”, dice ella. “ Y las mujeres
saben lo difícil que es tener que bal-
ancear la familia con el trabajo”.
Alejandra Cavazos, quien cursa el
primer año del la carrera de Educación,
residente de Weslaco, coincide con
Brown en que a las mujeres se les difi-
culta obtener empleo en contraste con
los hombres, especialmente si tienen
hijos.
Cavazos asegura que la sociedad
juega un rol muy importante en estas
nuevas tendencias entre las mujeres.
“Muchos hombres sienten que el
tener un hijo puede frenar su educación
pues se ven en la necesidad de encontrar
un trabajo”, dice Cavazos. “O ellos
quieren seguir solteros y pasar un buen
rato de cita en cita”.
Mas aun, la proporción de mujeres
Afro Americanas casadas (30%)
mantiene uno de los lugares mas bajos
contrastando con las mujeres Asiáticas
(60%) quienes están al frente de la
estadística seguidas por las mujeres
blancas no Hispanas (55%) y detrás la
comunidad Hispana (49%).
Jennifer Mata, instructora del curso
“Women´s Studies Research”
(Investigación de los Estudios de la
Mujer), comenta que series televisivas
como “The Bachelor” y “Sex and the
City” pueden ser una razón por la cual
las mujeres optan por la soltería.
“La cultura popular influye en la
interacción entre hombres y mujeres. Se
han realizado estudios que demuestran
la magnitud de los efectos de la tele-
visión en el publico” dice Mata.
“Entonces cuando hombres y mujeres
ven este tipo de conductas en los pro-
gramas de televisión, las adoptan como
propias”.
Mata agrego que las mujeres están
desarrollando espíritus mas independi-
entes encontrando satisfacción en ellas
mismas.
Además sugirió “Estoy segura que
este fenómeno tiene que ver en parte con
el hecho que las mujeres están tomán-
dose su tiempo, enfocándose en sus car-
reras o simplemente intentando mejorar
su vida, sin tener que esperar a un hom-
bre que lo haga por ellas”
Mata habla por experiencia cuan-
do cuenta que tan presionante puede
ser la sociedad para que una mujer se
case. Ella recuerda que mientras estu-
diaba el pos grado su familia constan-
temente le preguntaba cuando pensaba
arraigarse.
“No tengo tiempo pues prefiero
dedicármelo”, Mata recuerda haber con-
testado.
Ahora recién casada, dice entender
el significado de que las mujeres vivan
sin marido.
“Espero que este movimiento sea el
cambio hacia un mundo mejor donde
hombres y mujeres tendrán las mismas
oportunidades”, dice Mata. “Es una las-
tima que las mujeres no puedan alcanzar
las salarios que los hombres gozan”.
Censo: aumenta el numero de mujeres solteras Por BRENDA RODRIGUEZTraducido Por JAIME NAVARROThe Pan American
EN ESPAÑOLDile a tus queridos cuanto los quieres! Escribelesun mensaje en nuestra edicion especial del dia deSan Valentin por solo $5. Llame al (956)381-2541 o visite Payments and Collections para masinformacion.
Noticias en breve:
“Estoy segura que estefenómeno tiene que ver enparte con el hecho que lasmujeres están tomándose sutiempo, enfocándose en suscarreras o simplemente inten-tando mejorar su vida, sintener que esperar a un hmbreque lo haga por ellas.”
- Jennifer Mata,Instructora de historia y filosofía
In yet another step on the road to
transformation, The University of
Texas-Pan American’s English depart-
ment announced the addition of a new
graduate program last week.
The new program will join the
other tracks offered by the department
which currently include a master’s of
arts in literature, English as a second
language, and rhetoric and composition.
Although the master’s of fine arts
in creative writing will begin this fall,
the process in getting this program
established has been a long one.
“The program has been under
development for several years,” said
Steven Schneider, department chair.
“There were two stages of review by
The University of Texas System and by
the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board. We received final
approval in December 2006 and are now
gearing up to launch the program and
accepting applications for admission.”
The program will help students
who wish to further their writing skills
through a variety of courses including
writing workshops, literature seminars,
composition studies and a variety of
electives.
Jean Braithwaite, a creative writing
professor, believes the curriculum will
be beneficial to students.
“In this particular program, stu-
dents will actually have the chance to
design their own classes according to
what they discuss with their adviser,”
she said.
According to Braithwaite, many of
the classes, such as one dealing with lit-
erary translation, are well-suited to this
area.
“Since we live in a border region
with lots of interest in classes dealing in
these types of subjects, it fits well,” she
said.
Despite the years in development,
demand from students was always
apparent.
“We have had a high level of inter-
est, both from undergraduate and gradu-
ate students at UTPA,” said Schneider.
“We also conducted a student survey
and found there was a high level of
demand for this program in creative
writing.”
On Jan. 24, an information session
was held at UTPA’s Student Union
Theater, where the program was official-
ly announced and students wishing to
pursue it were allowed to ask questions.
Chris Ardis, a recent graduate from
UTPA’s English department, is glad to
finally see this program come to life.
“The addition of this program cre-
ates one more opportunity for people
who love the study of English,” said
Ardis, who writes for The Monitor in
McAllen. “Those of us who create sto-
ries in our minds all the time and want to
learn how to creatively put those stories
down on paper now have an avenue of
higher learning to pursue at UTPA.”
Ardis, who works as an elementary
teacher by day, knows exactly what she
wants to take away from the program.
“For me, one of my weaknesses is
describing people and scenes, so I would
expect to learn how to use words to
allow the reader to clearly envision the
person or the place about which I am
writing,” she said.
Beesides student interst, Schneider
believes that the latest addition to the list
of English degrees will enhance the
department’s reputation.
“This new program will raise the
academic profile of the department of
English at UTPA,” Schneider said. “It is
an advanced degree in the field of cre-
ative writing so graduates will be eligi-
ble to teach in community colleges and
universities.”
The new MFA in creative writingwill begin fall of 2007. For more infor-mation, please visit the department’sWeb site at www.utpa.edu/dept/eng-lish/graduate.html.
Ireland was represented Saturday
at the McAllen Civic Center as the
Dancentre of Edinburg presented its
annual winter show “A Touch of Irish
and Other Works.”
The show presented two acts with
an intermission. It was roughly two
hours long and the public really seemed
to enjoy the performances put on by the
dancers.
Both acts consisted mainly of bal-
let and modern dance, which is what the
school specializes in, and since the win-
ter show started, Irish pieces have been
performed.
“Last year was the first year that
we had our winter show,” said Yvonne
Guajardo, owner and director of the
dance theatre. “We performed three Irish
pieces and everyone really loved it.”
Yvette Iannelli, who shares owner-
ship of Dancentre with Guajardo and is
also a director, added that since the Irish
pieces had a positive outcome in the
past, they decided to include them again
this year.
“People asked us if we were going
to do Irish again,” said Iannelli. “Since it
had a great response we decided to per-
form it once more, but this time adding
more pieces to the program.”
The dancers, who are all students
at Dancentre of Edinburg, performed
pieces like “Birthday Variations,” “The
River,” “Morning Glory,” and “Stolen
Kiss,” among others.
Some of the dances were set by the
owners’ friends and former students.
“Willy Shives, who is a friend of
ours, set one of the pieces for our stu-
dents,” said Guajardo. “Lauren
McDonald, an ex-student, set many of
the modern pieces.”
She stated that students were
always very dedicated and passionate
about learning their dances.
“We have to have everything set
during the summer,” Guajardo said.
“Once school starts it is very difficult
since students have classes and other
activities.”
The hard work and dedication
seemed to have paid off when the public
stood up to applaud all the performanc-
es, especially one from Natasha Mitra,
who performed a solo.
“We showcased our soloist,” said
Iannelli. “Natasha won first place in a
competition that was held at South Padre
Island last week. We are very proud of
her and her dedication.”
Rio Grande Valley resident Alicia
Damian enjoyed the show and left satis-
fied with the performances.
“It was a fun and entertaining way
to spend my afternoon,” said Damian.
“Everything was very enjoyable and
very well put together.”
Damian added that she was sur-
prised to see very young dancers per-
forming advanced pieces.
“I was really amazed to see such
young dancers perform so beautifully,”
Damian said. “I liked it so much that I
am thinking of coming to the other
show.”
Guajardo added that the Dancentre
of Edinburg will be having more per-
formances in 2007.
“We are preparing a lot of surpris-
es and we would like to invite people to
come watch us. It is an enjoyable expe-
rience and people can actually learn
some culture.”
&RTSNTERTAINMENT
News Brief:
Flavor of classic Ireland comes to South TexasBy LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American
English department welcomes new program
Let that special someoneknow how you feel. Buy adedication in our Valentine’sDay insert! Call 381-2541 orvisit Payments andCollections for more info.E A
LUCK OF THE IRISH - Dancers from the Dancentre of Edinburg performed Irish-themed works Saturday at the McAllen Civic Center.
Yvonne Guajardo/Dancentre of Edinburg
For information about theEdinburg group, call (956) 330-9439 or e-mail [email protected].
By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American
February 1, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT February 1, 2007
t’s 9 o’clock on a Thursday night. Flashing lights surround a
stage. Heavy metal music blaring so loud ear drums could
burst. This isn’t a music video you’re watching. For brothers
Marc and Joey Velazquez, it’s just another Thursday night at
Graham Central Station in Pharr.
Everyweek the
Weslaco nativeshead down to GCS
to take part in some-thing they recently found
themselves to enjoy – beingmusic promoters.
GCS has occasionallyplayed host to several concerts, but
never like this. It’s no longer justTexas Hold’em night on Thursdays; a
music scene is now emerging from theshadows.
Last November these two local band-mates dove deeper into the music world, not
just as musicians for their metal band InAsunder, but as something more – the peoplebehind the scenes. Marc Velasquez, who had pre-viously worked at GCS, was offered the opportu-nity to hold metal shows at the local club.Having been unsuccessful in the past, he was abit wary about taking it up again.
“It was something I thought I would neverdo again, but I decided to go forth with it. Butthis time, with the help of my brother, Joey,” saidthe 31-year-old guitarist.
It was then that In Pieces Productions wasborn.
ORIGINS EXPLAINEDDerived from their band name - which gen-
erally translates to “being in pieces,” - IPP ismaking its mark in the Rio Grande Valley’smusic scene. It brings something the Valley has-n’t typically seen before. According to 23-year-old Joey, it’s something different and the first ofits kind in the area. And although their focus ismetal, the two brothers have found respect forother styles.
“This is something that we started toget the bands out there, especially the newcom-ers, and break those barriers between the genres.It’s made to bring a variety of different kinds of
bands, not just one style,” said Joey Velasquez.“For example, one night we’ll have a rock show,then a metal show and a hardcore show. Orsometimes we’ll just mix it all in. We like to bediverse.”
From the alternative tunes of MethmareMotorcade to the hardcore beats of Walk theGraves or the heavy sounds of In Asunder, it isobvious IPP has no boundaries on who can gracethe stage. The more variety, the better the show.
University of Texas-Brownsville computerscience major and Embracing Doom guitaristMark Gatica finds that very fact interesting.
“I like how it’s universal,” said the 22-year-old Brownsville native. “Death metal bandafter death metal band will sound boring. Mix itup with some hardcore and thrash and that’s ashow. Mixing it up is what makes the night unex-pected.”
Local musician Bobby Brown looks at itfrom the same perspective.
“They are also in bands, and know thestruggle that comes with being a musician. Theydon’t limit other bands because they sound “dif-ferent” from everything else on the bill thatnight,” said the 21-year-old from Mission. “Youshould never limit yourself to any one type ofmusic. Once you narrow your mind to a certaintype you start to limit yourself to everything else.You never know when someone in the crowdwho’s never listened to a certain type of musicmight hear something that could change theirlife.”
CHANCE TO SHINEOpportunity is another defining element
IPP brings to the scene. “They offer a lot of bands a slot on their
show,” Gatica said. “The other day I saw a bul-letin for this. I’ve never seen any other venue orproduction company offer this kind of play time.It’s a great way for a band to start.”
Gatica, who has played at the venue twicealready, is more than just an avid metal man. Hehas his own role in IPP. As the creator of his owndesign company, Xeper Designs, he has offeredhis services to the two brothers by creating a
Web site and a banner for online promotion. Forhim, it’s all about the music.
“I would like to be involved in this musicindustry any way I can, and this production com-pany is what brings out the best in it,” he said.“In return, they’ve opened up a new venue formy band to play at. And with it being a constantvenue, it’s great to know I will be back soon toplay there.”
Gatica isn’t the only musician lending ahelping hand to the music duo. Serge Carrasco ofSouth Texas Metal Productions in Harlingen andMike Mena of Dead, But Walking Productionsfrom McAllen take turns running sound for eachshow. Having played for both promoters, theVelazquez brothers had no trouble seeking theirservices.
“I’ve known Marc and Joey for quite sometime now and have always gotten along verywell with them. So I guess friendship has a bigpart to do with it. They have a good thing goingand are doing an awesome job with their shows,”said the 35-year-old singer/guitarist of thrashband Belligerency. “It’s an excellent place to doshows and Joey is booking different bands everyweek, so that’s a major plus.”
The feeling is mutual.“Working with Serge and Mike has been a
great experience. They have helped us out a lotwhen it comes to making last minute decisions,”Marc Velasquez said.
The venue, as well as the promoters, offersa sense of comfort and friendship that a bandcan’t really find anywhere else. Fellow musicianand University of Texas-Pan American Englishmajor John-O Matamoros can account for that.
“Whenever my band, Walk the Graves,plays there we have a good time. It’s really just ahang-out kind of vibe, and being surrounded byfriends is sick,” said the 23-year-old drummerfrom Weslaco. “It’s really laid back. Our friendsgo whenever they can, and the rest of them are inbands playing anyways. The fact that these guysare our home boys makes it different. You’re notplaying for dudes that tell you when to go on,how long you play, and never talk to you again.So it’s a lot of fun.”
No IPP show is complete without its dose ofaudience participation. For Gatica, that’s defi-nitely something to look forward to.
“The way the crowd is actually involved inthe show is something new down here in theValley,” he explained. “They greet you at thedoor and get the crowd involved throughout theshow with contests, and it’s cool because theprizes are awesome.”
Audience participation is crucial to IPP’sgoal of promoting.
“We don’t want to strictly have a show withjust the bands doing everything,” commentedJoey Velasquez. “We want to be able to interactwith the fans and make them feel welcome,because really we’re all there to hear music andsupport the scene. The fans are the ones thatmake us want to keep going and bring in morebands.”
“It’s really giving the people what theywant,” continued his brother.
Constant online promotion - done mostlythrough MySpace.com - and running the showcan sometimes become overwhelming, but evenwhen it seems difficult these brothers won’t giveup easily.
“It’s a lot of hard work to be a promoter andmusician at the same time but it’s well worth it inthe end because more doors are open whenyou’re doing things like that,” Joey Velasquezsaid.
Opening doors is a big thing in this musicscene.
“They’re giving bands a place to cut theirteeth, so to speak, and they’re giving them expo-sure too,” Matamoros said. “We’ve played withbands from other cities that we never got tobefore. Besides, they’re doing what they wantand it’s turning out good.”
So why is IPP so memorable?“All the bands and fan base there make it
feel awesome,” Gatica said. “You walk in thereand you know tonight is gonna be awesome.”
For more information about the IPPshows/booking, visitwww.myspace.com/inasunder
Story By: Jeanette Perez
Designed By: Roy Bazan
February 1, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT February 1, 2007
t’s 9 o’clock on a Thursday night. Flashing lights surround a
stage. Heavy metal music blaring so loud ear drums could
burst. This isn’t a music video you’re watching. For brothers
Marc and Joey Velazquez, it’s just another Thursday night at
Graham Central Station in Pharr.
Everyweek the
Weslaco nativeshead down to GCS
to take part in some-thing they recently found
themselves to enjoy – beingmusic promoters.
GCS has occasionallyplayed host to several concerts, but
never like this. It’s no longer justTexas Hold’em night on Thursdays; a
music scene is now emerging from theshadows.
Last November these two local band-mates dove deeper into the music world, not
just as musicians for their metal band InAsunder, but as something more – the peoplebehind the scenes. Marc Velasquez, who had pre-viously worked at GCS, was offered the opportu-nity to hold metal shows at the local club.Having been unsuccessful in the past, he was abit wary about taking it up again.
“It was something I thought I would neverdo again, but I decided to go forth with it. Butthis time, with the help of my brother, Joey,” saidthe 31-year-old guitarist.
It was then that In Pieces Productions wasborn.
ORIGINS EXPLAINEDDerived from their band name - which gen-
erally translates to “being in pieces,” - IPP ismaking its mark in the Rio Grande Valley’smusic scene. It brings something the Valley has-n’t typically seen before. According to 23-year-old Joey, it’s something different and the first ofits kind in the area. And although their focus ismetal, the two brothers have found respect forother styles.
“This is something that we started toget the bands out there, especially the newcom-ers, and break those barriers between the genres.It’s made to bring a variety of different kinds of
bands, not just one style,” said Joey Velasquez.“For example, one night we’ll have a rock show,then a metal show and a hardcore show. Orsometimes we’ll just mix it all in. We like to bediverse.”
From the alternative tunes of MethmareMotorcade to the hardcore beats of Walk theGraves or the heavy sounds of In Asunder, it isobvious IPP has no boundaries on who can gracethe stage. The more variety, the better the show.
University of Texas-Brownsville computerscience major and Embracing Doom guitaristMark Gatica finds that very fact interesting.
“I like how it’s universal,” said the 22-year-old Brownsville native. “Death metal bandafter death metal band will sound boring. Mix itup with some hardcore and thrash and that’s ashow. Mixing it up is what makes the night unex-pected.”
Local musician Bobby Brown looks at itfrom the same perspective.
“They are also in bands, and know thestruggle that comes with being a musician. Theydon’t limit other bands because they sound “dif-ferent” from everything else on the bill thatnight,” said the 21-year-old from Mission. “Youshould never limit yourself to any one type ofmusic. Once you narrow your mind to a certaintype you start to limit yourself to everything else.You never know when someone in the crowdwho’s never listened to a certain type of musicmight hear something that could change theirlife.”
CHANCE TO SHINEOpportunity is another defining element
IPP brings to the scene. “They offer a lot of bands a slot on their
show,” Gatica said. “The other day I saw a bul-letin for this. I’ve never seen any other venue orproduction company offer this kind of play time.It’s a great way for a band to start.”
Gatica, who has played at the venue twicealready, is more than just an avid metal man. Hehas his own role in IPP. As the creator of his owndesign company, Xeper Designs, he has offeredhis services to the two brothers by creating a
Web site and a banner for online promotion. Forhim, it’s all about the music.
“I would like to be involved in this musicindustry any way I can, and this production com-pany is what brings out the best in it,” he said.“In return, they’ve opened up a new venue formy band to play at. And with it being a constantvenue, it’s great to know I will be back soon toplay there.”
Gatica isn’t the only musician lending ahelping hand to the music duo. Serge Carrasco ofSouth Texas Metal Productions in Harlingen andMike Mena of Dead, But Walking Productionsfrom McAllen take turns running sound for eachshow. Having played for both promoters, theVelazquez brothers had no trouble seeking theirservices.
“I’ve known Marc and Joey for quite sometime now and have always gotten along verywell with them. So I guess friendship has a bigpart to do with it. They have a good thing goingand are doing an awesome job with their shows,”said the 35-year-old singer/guitarist of thrashband Belligerency. “It’s an excellent place to doshows and Joey is booking different bands everyweek, so that’s a major plus.”
The feeling is mutual.“Working with Serge and Mike has been a
great experience. They have helped us out a lotwhen it comes to making last minute decisions,”Marc Velasquez said.
The venue, as well as the promoters, offersa sense of comfort and friendship that a bandcan’t really find anywhere else. Fellow musicianand University of Texas-Pan American Englishmajor John-O Matamoros can account for that.
“Whenever my band, Walk the Graves,plays there we have a good time. It’s really just ahang-out kind of vibe, and being surrounded byfriends is sick,” said the 23-year-old drummerfrom Weslaco. “It’s really laid back. Our friendsgo whenever they can, and the rest of them are inbands playing anyways. The fact that these guysare our home boys makes it different. You’re notplaying for dudes that tell you when to go on,how long you play, and never talk to you again.So it’s a lot of fun.”
No IPP show is complete without its dose ofaudience participation. For Gatica, that’s defi-nitely something to look forward to.
“The way the crowd is actually involved inthe show is something new down here in theValley,” he explained. “They greet you at thedoor and get the crowd involved throughout theshow with contests, and it’s cool because theprizes are awesome.”
Audience participation is crucial to IPP’sgoal of promoting.
“We don’t want to strictly have a show withjust the bands doing everything,” commentedJoey Velasquez. “We want to be able to interactwith the fans and make them feel welcome,because really we’re all there to hear music andsupport the scene. The fans are the ones thatmake us want to keep going and bring in morebands.”
“It’s really giving the people what theywant,” continued his brother.
Constant online promotion - done mostlythrough MySpace.com - and running the showcan sometimes become overwhelming, but evenwhen it seems difficult these brothers won’t giveup easily.
“It’s a lot of hard work to be a promoter andmusician at the same time but it’s well worth it inthe end because more doors are open whenyou’re doing things like that,” Joey Velasquezsaid.
Opening doors is a big thing in this musicscene.
“They’re giving bands a place to cut theirteeth, so to speak, and they’re giving them expo-sure too,” Matamoros said. “We’ve played withbands from other cities that we never got tobefore. Besides, they’re doing what they wantand it’s turning out good.”
So why is IPP so memorable?“All the bands and fan base there make it
feel awesome,” Gatica said. “You walk in thereand you know tonight is gonna be awesome.”
For more information about the IPPshows/booking, visitwww.myspace.com/inasunder
Story By: Jeanette Perez
Designed By: Roy Bazan
Page 10 A & E February 1, 2007
January is generally regarded as
the deadest month for Hollywood.
Usually the first month of the year is the
time when all major studios release
films that aren’t fit to compete with
those released in the spring, summer,
fall or the holidays. Instead, these films
are shuffled out in the deadest month of
winter with
minimal pro-
motion, in the
hopes that simple word of mouth will
bring back a healthy return at the box
office. The films in question usually
contain flimsy plots, unmemorable stars
and are usually gone within two weeks
after release.
Although the new action/comedy
“Smokin Aces” was released just last
week, it bears no resemblance to the cri-
teria of other recently released films and
proves to be an exciting ride in yet
another dreary January at the movies.
“Smokin Aces” deals with the
story of famed Vegas magician Buddy
Israel, whose celebrity and mob ties
afford him a lavish lifestyle. However
after a deal goes bad and Buddy decides
to turn state’s evidence by revealing
everything he knows to the FBI, word
gets back to his old buddies at the mob
who decide that it’s time for Buddy to be
taken out. But they’re not the only ones
who want Buddy.
Within the first 15 minutes, the
audience encounters FBI agents, bounty
hunters, a trio of nihilists, a pair of paid
female hit men, a scheming lawyer and
a European assassin, all with intentions
of locating the elusive Buddy, who is
secluded in a luxurious penthouse suite
atop a Las Vegas hotel. By the time the
movie is over, intertwining plots will
have come together, secret identities
will have been revealed and a countless
number of bullets and bodies will have
fallen to the ground.
If there’s one thing that “Smokin
Aces” isn’t short on (besides bullets) it’s
stars. The fast-paced film boasts an
array of well-known faces including
Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta,
Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keyes, Matthew
Fox, Jeremy Piven and Jason Bateman.
Though the performances are good all
around (especially by pros like Garcia
and Liotta), the true standout of the film
is Piven. As the troubled Buddy, Piven
not only brings his own trademark
humor to the table, but also goes further
by giving Buddy depth and a sense of
humanity.
There’s no question that “Smokin
Aces” is a “guy’s movie” all the way.
This became obvious when the only
people in the audience laughing hap-
pened to be males. Perhaps it’s the
movie’s excessive use of violence, most
of which I might add is gratuitous and
was only added to ensure the film’s
two-hour run time, that would prove a
turn-off for the average female movie-
goer.
Furthermore, the directing style of
writer/director Joe Carnahan, the creator
of 2002’s “Narc,” is chock full of bizarre
angles and offbeat lighting. Perhaps
someone forgot to tell him that he was
directing a feature film and not a two-
hour music video.
However, “Smokin Aces” has
enough dark comedy to provide laughs
throughout and its seemingly conven-
tional plot is able to hold you long
enough until its surprising climax.
The film’s soundtrack also proves
to be a highlight, with many fast rock
and electronic sounds echoing the
adrenaline-pumping action on the
screen.
So in a month filled with cheap
horror films (“Blood and Chocolate”),
throw-away romantic comedies (“Catch
and Release”) and spoofs that nobody
asked for (“Epic Movie”), “Smokin
Aces” is a real winner.
By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American
‘Aces’ proves to be wild hand at box office
Universal PicturesLUCK OF THE DRAW - Jeremy Piven stars as Buddy Israel, the notorious show-man and mob contact being hunted by several parties in “Smokin Aces.”
February 1, 2007 NEWS Page 11
From the command center set up
inside the Salvation Army, Friedman
briefed the volunteer workers on what
they were doing and the significance of
the project.
The emergency shelter and soup
kitchen set up inside the building are the
only ones in Hidalgo County.
Occupants are limited to 30-day stays.
After that, they have to wait before
they’re allowed back in.
“The shelter is one piece, but we
have to look at it from a continuum stand-
point of addressing a lot of the underlying
issues and problems that led people to
become homeless,” Friedman said.
He added that street people in the
Valley have an easier time in winter
than in summer.
“People can live outdoors in semi-
comfortable fashion. In the summer
though, they have to deal with the heat
and humidity,” he said. “That’s when
homeless populations really strive to
find housing.”
Many of the homeless individuals
are chronically homeless because of
drinking, drugs or mental illness. In
some cases, concurrent conditions exist
(referred to as co-occuring), in which
the individual suffers from more than
one problem.
Finding homeless individuals is no
easy task. Because of paranoia, many
would run away at the sight of the vol-
unteers approaching.
“One girl thought that by survey-
ing them, they’d be registered and we’d
later track them by satellite,” Perez said.
Last year, there were an estimated
4,555 homeless people in Hidalgo
County, twice the number in Cameron
County. In the entire Valley, there were
as many as 39,000.
However, the Department of
Housing and Urban Development ques-
tioned Friedman’s accuracy and asked
him how he arrived at such a number.
According to the department, a
homeless person is defined as one with-
out a physical address or a roof over
their head. However, while conducting
the survey Friedman used the
McKinney-Vento definition, which
included households that were doubled
or tripled up.
Friedman said change was occur-
ring but more cooperation between enti-
ties was required in order to continue
the progress made.
Without the proper infrastructure
and policies to help them, the number of
homeless individuals will not decrease.
“You can put them in a house and
you can put them in a bed, but what are
the services that exist in order to deal
with preventative measures?” Friedman
asked.
HOMELESS continued from page 1
When fate showed one of its
heads to Alberto Castro, it was the
ugly one.
“The economy is no good and
there are no jobs. Everything is bad
here,” he said, finishing a piece of
bread.
At a little past 6 p.m. at the
Salvation Army, Castro - who has
been homeless for three years - and
other homeless individuals were tak-
ing in the day’s warm meal.
With bags and wrinkles creating
signs of wariness around his face,
Castro, who would not reveal his age,
recalls his early life as a migrant
worker. Growing up in the San Benito
area, he traveled the country from the
warm citrus groves of Florida to the
frigid fields of Michigan. Most would
consider that a difficult life in itself,
but then it became worse.
While working in Florida in
March 1998, Castro was held up by
another man. The robbery did not last
long, but the pain and dire conse-
quences he received from the gun shot
to his back did. In fate’s typical cruel
mockery, he lived but was left partial-
ly disabled.
OOnnee mmaann’’ss hhaarrdd ssttoorryy ttoolldd “You can put themin a house and youcan put them in abed but what are theservices that exist inorder to deal withpreventative meas-ures?”
-Bruce FriedmanSocial work professor
Still able to control most of his body,
Castro knows it could have been worst,
but when walking became an arduous
task, his work became scarce. After his
recovery, he returned to the Valley. A
friend loaned him a trailer and Castro
looked for work.
He was offered a job on one occa-
sion outside of Brownsville. However,
Castro said his employer worked him late
into the night and did not pay him. He was
left empty-handed and exhausted.
“Some people are like that,” Castro
said stoically.
However there are people, like those
at the Salvation Army, who want to help
people in similar situations as Castro.
Though he has been there more than 30
days, the usual limit, the emergency
homeless shelter has allowed him to stay
longer because he helps clean up once it
closes.
It beats staying in a cold trailer in
San Benito without food, he said.
“These people (the Salvation Army)
help you, but you also have to do some-
thing yourself,” Castro said. He plans to
do just that.
“Maybe when the weather is better,
then I’ll go back and try to work,” he said.
Page 12 NEWS February 1, 2007
The conference will give students
the opportunity to hear from Pena, as
well as Action 4 News anchor Marcy
Martinez, and motivational speaker Aric
Bostick. Speakers will share their experi-
ences and leadership techniques.
Marisela Deleon, a Leadership
Academy member, said that in being apart
of the academy, she has participated with
local leaders in discussions that are held in
a leadership focus group on campus.
“As an advanced academy member,
I have benefited so much from the events
I have attended, especially from the lead-
ership conferences,” Deleon said.
Pena, who will speak about the
importance of risk-taking, communica-
tion and tenacity, said he feels that by
appearing at the conference, he is help-
ing the community by developing its
future leaders.
The Student Leadership
Conference is open to all UTPA students.
To register call The Dean of Students’
Office at 381-2260 or visit UC 104.
be surprised to learn that agriculture sci-
ence is a diverse field.
“In the past, people have had a per-
ception about agricultural science that it
is just farming when indeed it is not,” he
said. “Agriculture today is a very high-
tech science. They shouldn’t have this
perception.”
In addition, Louzada said the profes-
sional society decided to hold the confer-
ence at UTPA as a chance for two univer-
sities to partner up and teach each other.
“This is a very agricultural area.
A&M is a more research-oriented insti-
tution and UTPA is going through this
avenue,” he said. “I think this is a good
opportunity to get people here to pay
attention to agricultural science.”
Bhimanagouda Patil is the 2006
president of the Horticultural Society
and director of the Vegetable and Fruit
Improvement Center in Weslaco.
“We used to have it in Weslaco, but
now there are a lot of things in agricul-
ture where there is a human health
value,” said Patil, an associate professor
of horticulture at Texas-A&M in College
Station. “So we thought it was good to
expose this to this part of Valley so they
can take this society to a higher level in
the future.”
Ensuring a healthy and safe agri-
cultural future is what Louzada said the
society is focusing on at this point, as
there are always risks that could affect
large populations.
“People come from everywhere to
this place. When they come, they some-
times bring their plants. However, with
those plants they have the potential to
bring pests and diseases that can devas-
tate the industry,” he said, referring to a
possible risk the society is addressing.
While that may seem like a slim
chance of harm, he countered saying it
was “better to prevent than have to deal
with the issue later.”
Prevention aside, Patil said the
society is also working on partnerships
between UTPA, TAMU, TAMUK, The
University of Texas-Brownsville and
South Texas College.
“There is some partnership going
on among faculty, but there is no part-
nership among institutions, so I want to
showcase how they can do that,” he said.
“We plan to address how the four institu-
tions can help to partner and build part-
nerships to improve higher education in
the Valley.”
“[Those who choose a career in the
Foreign Service] would be advocating
U.S. government policies and positions
on a whole range of international issues,”
he said. “And, they would be resolving
differences and solving problems on
issues of mutual interest.”
However, Nigro stressed that the
program is not exclusively for those in
the political science field, saying the
Foreign Service is branched into five
career paths: political science, econom-
ics, public affairs, management, and
counseling.
Nigro said the job demands flexibil-
ity as the organization requires its
employees change location every two or
three years. However, despite the chal-
lenges associated with the job, it also has
several benefits.
“It involves learning and under-
standing a multiplicity of cultures in a
way that tourists will never do, because
we live and work with our family in their
society,” he said.
Nigro said all interested parties
should visit www.careers.state.gov to
learn more about the Foreign Service. He
also invited people to e-mail him at
[email protected] if they had any specific
questions regarding the program.
In addition, while the selection
process is in the middle stages of being
changed, Nigro said he will keep inter-
ested parties in the know about the pro-
posed new testing system, which should
be in place by the summer.
Until then, Nigro, who has served
since 1980, said his main focus is gener-
ating interest in the organization he has
come to have great confidence in.
“I believe that a Foreign Service
career has given me an extraordinary
opportunity to use the academic, profes-
sional and practical skills that I devel-
oped in school and out,” he said. “The
times I felt that my service was most
worthwhile were in crisis situations like
Haiti and in developing countries in gen-
eral, where the actions of the U.S. gov-
ernment made a difference in the daily
lives of the people of those countries.”
JOBS continued from page 3
HORTICULTURE continued from page 3
LEADERScontinued from page 3
time. The student government body
should be focusing on the business of the
university and there should be little
diverting from that,” he said. “In this
case, we don’t want to spend too much
time on it, but we would like to get it
resolved and move forward.”
Price added that as student leaders,
the SGA can learn from the events and
use those lessons in their future lives and
careers.
“Many other students on campus
will never experience a situation like
they are. But while it’s stressful, it’s a
learning experience,” he said. “If they
were 40-year-olds, they’d still learn a lot
from it.”
Villarreal said he was approached
following the meeting and all involved
parties are planning on discussing the
matter at length in days to come.
“This is not something I seek
(Barrera’s removal from office). I’m not
after personal removal. I just want
what’s best for the organization,” he
said. “And what’s best at this point is
communication between all of us. If
she’s willing to work with us now that
she realizes [there’s a problem], I hope
we can work together from here on, and
I hope there is no animosity that enables
us to get work done.”
Price agreed, saying that some-
times meeting in a more comfortable
environment is the best path on the way
to a solution.
“One of the things we have learned
is that situations like this are best
resolved informally through communi-
cation,” he noted. “That’s even how we
deal with student discipline issues here
in our office. If the informal resolutions
don’t work out, that’s when you go to the
formal processes.”
SGA continued from page 1
the years in front of Pan Am and in front
of Wal-mart because there were just too
many people wanting to do too many dif-
ferent things,” Alvarez said. “In order to
help improve the overall mobility and
safety in that area, we went ahead and
added that raised median.”
Now, they will add a similar medi-
an further west on University Drive. This
proposal has received a mixed response
from locals who have already gone
through the addition of the median in the
other section of road.
“We’ve heard a lot of really good
comments from some of the students
there at Pan Am, who say it’s much safer
to get into the university. Now they know
exactly where they need to go as opposed
to having a free for all,” Alvarez said.
“We have also gotten some bad com-
ments. Some of the businesses say it
affects their business.”
The project will comprise the addi-
tion of one lane in each direction - for a
total of six lanes - and the addition of
landscaping along the center median
“This is to enhance the aesthetics of
the area,” Alvarez said.
For Elvis Cavazos, a senior biology
major, the best part about the construc-
tion is the addition of bike lanes through-
out the length of the project. Cavazos,
who has used the existing bike lanes on
Jackson Road and University Drive, says
he feels more confident riding in areas
with designated bike lanes.
“I feel safer,” Cavazos said. “At
least people know that there might be a
biker. When there’s not a bike lane, it
gets kind of scary because there isn’t
always a shoulder and you have to ride
on the street sometimes.”
While the project will improve
safety and aesthetics in the long run, stu-
dents will currently experience some
inconvenience when driving to class.
“We ask that everybody be patient
with us,” Alvarez said.
But, Alvarez said that students can
avoid problems by following certain
advice.
“Allow extra time to reach your
destination. Giver yourself some extra
minutes to get to class safely,” he said.
Some students have been perplexed
about the removal of one of two left-turn
lanes from University Drive onto Sugar
Road. Alvarez said that originally there
were plans to widen Sugar Road so that
that turning lane would not be forced to
immediately turn right into the parking lot.
“Sugar Road was anticipated to
have been widened by the time we did
the widening of State Highway 107,”
Alvarez said. “The idea was, as two lanes
turned north on Sugar, we would have
two lanes all the way north to the first
stoplight.”
When that didn’t pan out as soon as
hoped, the department decided to remove
one turning lane. However, according to
Alvarez, as traffic warrants it and as
Sugar Road gets expanded, the opportu-
nity would be there to reinstate the sec-
ond turning lane.
In addition to the work currently
being started on University Drive,
TxDOT is completing work on a section
of U.S. 281 between Trenton and
University Drive. In addition to widening
the highway, the project added continu-
ous illumination and enhanced safety
features such as shoulders and new
entrance and exit ramps.
CONSTRUCTION continued from page 1
MARRIAGE continued from page 3
child will weigh them down from contin-
uing their education, getting a good job,”
she said. “Or they want to be a bachelor
and just have fun dating around.”
Moreover, the proportion of black
women who are married, 30 percent,
remains one of the lowest among all
races, according to Census data. Asian
women lead the statistics with 60 percent
married; followed by non-Hispanic
white women at 55 percent and Hispanic
women at 49 percent.
Jennifer Mata, who teaches a course
called Women’s Studies Research, said
television shows such as “Sex and the
City” may be a reason why women in
society remain increasingly single.
“Popular culture has a lot to do with
how men and women interact. I know
there are studies that show how much
television affects the viewing public,”
Mata, a history professor, said. “So if
men and women are watching these
types of shows, they are seeing that and
that is becoming a reality at some point.”
Mata added that women are devel-
oping a more independent spirit, and
thus find satisfaction on their own.
“I’m pretty sure some of it has to do
with the fact that more women are wait-
ing because they are either focusing on a
career or trying to just improve their own
lives for themselves and not wait around
for a male to do that for them,” she sug-
gested.
Mata speaks from experience and
can relate to the pressure from society
for women to get married. She recalls
that while attending graduate school, her
family constantly asked her when she
would settle down.
“I don’t have time. I have to take
care of myself,” Mata recalls telling them.
Now a newlywed, Mata said she
understands the significance of women
living without spouses.
“I hope that it means that we are on
the move to a better world where both
men and women do have equal opportu-
nities,” Mata said. “I mean it’s a shame
that women still aren’t making as much
money as men in the workforce.”
“In this case, we don’twant to spend too much timeon it, but we would like to getit resolved and move for-ward.”
- Jerry Price,Dean of students
This is a request
to any music majors
out there for their
assistance. If you have
been drinking Sprite
lately, you will have
noticed a new promo-
tion asking to help
create LeBron James’
theme song. The win-
ner creates the beat
and gets to listen as
it’s recorded by a celebrity artist. Total estimated
value: $3,000.
Wow. A theme song. That’s absolutely bril-
liant. How exactly is that going to work? Will
someone follow him around with giant speakers
blaring the tune? Or will it be his entrance music
at basketball games?
Well, if he gets a theme song, I think it’s
only fair these athletes get one too.
Carlos Valderrama – Yes, the famous
Colombian with the big orange ‘fro. He captained
the Colombians at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World
Cups. The 45-year-old midfielder is MLS’s all-
time assist leader with 114. The imposing hairdo
that kept his opponents at bay helped him to be
considered Colombia’s best player. Theme song:
“The Hairbrush Song,” by Larry the Cucumber.
Lance Armstong – The seven-time Tour de
France winner and native Texan. He survived can-
cer, dated Sheryl Crow and wasn’t a very good
actor in “Dodgeball.” And what of rumors of run-
ning for Texas governor? One can only wait and
see. Theme: “Bicycle Song” by Queen.
Maria Sharapova – This female is hot. The
leggy blonde from Russia made headlines when
she won Wimbledon in 2004 and beat Serena
Williams in two straight sets. She also won the
last U.S. Open. Watching her in those Canon
commercials makes me almost want to buy a
camera. Almost. Theme: “Yummy,” by Gwen
Stefani.
Takeru Kobayashi – Nicknamed “The
Tsunami,” he’s swept his competition away six
years in a row in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating
Contest. He set a record last time eating 53.75 hot
dogs. Granted, his ability to eat so much is abnor-
mal, because he has gastroptosis, in which the
stomach is able to expand below his rib cage.
Theme: “Eat It,” by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Bode Miller – You have to give props to
someone who can ski down a slope at 60 mph and
be wasted at the same time. Hell, you have to
toast him. After showing the world his dedication
by climbing back up a slope after missing a gate
in the slalom event during the 2002 Winter
Olympics, he got a goose egg for medal count
during the games in Turin. Theme: “Alcohol,” by
Brad Paisley.
Please send all questions, comments and
party invitations to [email protected].
Tennis squads falter away from home, remain winlessFebruary 1, 2007 SPORTS Page 13
Women’s BasketballSat. Jan. 27
South Dakota St. at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)
South Dakota St. (15-5)Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA FT-FTA TP A S B REBVerdegan, A. 1-5 1-5 5-6 8 3 1 1 1Vogel, M. 5-12 4-10 6-6 20 1 4 0 6Muchenhirn, A. 2-5 1-1 4-4 9 2 1 0 9Warkenthien, J. 1-4 1-1 2-3 5 3 2 0 5Grimsrud, C. 5-6 0-0 1-4 11 0 0 1 2Anderson, A. 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 2 0 0 1Cornemann, K. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 2Meier, M. 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 1 2 0 5Kratovil, A. 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 0 2Boever, M. 3-6 0-0 3-4 9 0 0 1 2Nielsen, L. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0Totals 18-44 7-21 21-28 64 14 10 2 39
Texas-Pan American (9-13)Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA FT-FTA TP A S B REBJones, R. 2-4 0-0 0-0 4 3 0 0 0Gray, L. 6-14 3-8 0-0 15 3 4 0 1Daniel, M. 3-8 0-0 2-4 8 1 1 1 5Vaughn, T. 3-11 3-9 0-0 9 1 1 0 5Kostacky, D. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0Winfrey, T. 2-5 1-2 0-1 5 0 1 0 1Garrett, R. 4-4 0-0 1-1 9 1 0 0 1Jean, R. 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 3Schneider, T. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0Ramirez, C. 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 3 1 0 1Grisby, A. 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 1 1 0 2Totals 21-51 7-20 3-6 52 14 9 1 23
Men’s BasketballSat. Jan. 27
Texas-Pan American at South Dakota St. (Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D.)
Texas-Pan American (10-10)Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA FT-FTA TP A S B REBShankle, D. 2-2 2-2 1-2 7 2 2 0 0Allgood, J. 3-6 0-1 4-4 10 0 1 2 4Stoll, P. 1-4 1-4 0-0 3 3 1 0 0Burrell, B. 5-13 2-7 2-2 14 1 0 0 3Lien, C. 1-2 0-0 3-4 5 2 0 0 3Puente, D. 5-7 3-4 0-0 13 2 1 0 0Chatman, J. 2-6 2-6 0-0 6 2 0 0 1Smith, B. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0Trader, Z. 3-7 0-0 3-3 9 0 0 0 3Edwards, C. 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 4Totals 22-49 10-24 13-15 67 13 4 3 21
South Dakota St. (5-15)Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA FT-FTA TP A S B REBWilliams, K. 9-13 2-3 4-4 24 0 0 0 4Lonely, M. 3-6 0-0 6-8 12 2 1 0 6Frias, J. 1-2 0-0 2-4 4 2 1 0 6Callahan, G. 6-10 1-3 2-2 15 5 2 0 4Cadwell, M. 5-10 0-1 4-5 1 0 0 0 5Casey, M. 0-1 0-1 2-2 2 0 0 0 0Wipf, T. 0-1 0-0 1-2 1 0 0 0 0Kleinjan, A. 1-2 1-1 3-5 6 1 0 0 2Yackley, B. 1-3 0-2 0-0 2 1 0 0 2Basset, T. 0-0 0-0 2-4 2 1 0 0 3Totals 26-48 4-11 26-36 82 12 4 0 35
ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS
Composing sonatas for the world’s athletes
Sat. Jan. 27North Florida 6 vs. Texas-Pan American 1
Women’s SinglesVanessa Sanchez, North Florida, def.
Giana Oliveira, Texas-Pan American, 6-4,3-6, 6-1.
Julia Cirne-Lima, Texas-PanAmerican, def. Natalia Sanchez, NorthFlorida, 7-5, 6-3.
Catalina Castillo, North Florida, def.Stephanie Willerding, Texas-Pan American,6-3, 6-3.
Florencia Torres, North Florida, def.Silke Buksik, Texas-Pan American, 6-2, 6-1.
Ina Durcakova, North Florida, def.Megan Bedeau, Texas-Pan American, 6-3,2-6, 6-4.
Robin Rogers, North Florida, def. NicoleGarcia, Texas-Pan American, 7-5, 6-0.
Women’s DoublesNatalia Sanchez/ Catalina Castillo,
North Florida, def. Giana Oliveira/ MeganBedeau, Texas-Pan American, 8-4.
Ina Durcakova/Florencia Torres,North Florida, def. Julia Cirne-Lima/
Stephanie Willerding, Texas-Pan American,8-5.
Vanessa Sanchez/ Robin Rogers,North Florida, def. Silke Buksik/ NicoleGarcia, Texas-Pan American, 8-3.
Fri. Jan. 26Texas-El Paso 4 vs. Texas-Pan American 2
Women’s SinglesWeronika Bloczynska, Texas-El
Paso, def. Giana Oliveira, Texas-PanAmerican, 6-1, 6-3.
Julia Cirne-Lima, Texas-PanAmerican, def. Isabela Kulaif, Texas-ElPaso, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Katherine Palider, Texas-El Paso,def. Stephanie Willerding, Texas-PanAmerican, 6-4, 6-3.
Marina Deluca, Texas-El Paso, def.Megan Bedeau, Texas-Pan American, 6-1,6-3.
Silke Buksik, Texas-Pan American,def. Harmonie Chatagner, Texas-El Paso,6-3, 6-3.
Megan Pritchard, Texas-El Paso, def.Nicole Garcia, Texas-Pan American, 6-2, 6-4.
The Bronc tennis squads are still
chasing their first wins of the season.
On the men’s side, the team was
shut out by the Horned Frogs of Texas
Christian University, 6-0, when they met
on the court Jan. 24.
TCU entered the fray ranked 36th
in the nation. Junior Gary Bianco was
defeated in two straight sets by Cosmin
Cotet 6-0, 6-1. David Lopez-Heredia
also fell when matched up against Chris
Biro, by a 6-3, 6-4 count.
Freshmen Nirvick Mohinta and
Shashank Vij, both transfers from the
University of New Orleans, didn’t fare
any better. Mohinta lost his match to
Kriegler Brink 7-5, 6-0 while Vij
dropped his against Andrew Ulrich 7-5,
6-1.
Freshman Brett Bernstein and
sophomore Rosendo Cantu suffered
defeat at the hands of Caleb Bulls (6-2,
6-2) and Stuart Row (6-1, 6-0), respec-
tively.
The men could have wiped away
the shutout when Bernstein and Lopez-
Heredia played Biro and Ulrich in dou-
bles. They were leading 6-3 before being
bumped 8-7.
Bianco and Mohinta lost 8-3
against Brink and Bulls while Vij and
Cantu went down 8-4.
The Lady Broncs haven’t had
much luck either, as they dropped three
straight matches in El Paso over the
weekend.
In Sunday’s match against Lamar,
junior Giana Oliveira was the only sin-
gles winner as she defeated Tanya
Roberts 7-6 (3), 6-3, and then teamed
with Julia Cirne-Lima to take the num-
ber-one doubles’ competition against
Kaltrina Harbuzi and Roberts.
Cirne-Lima didn’t fare as well on
her own, as she dropped a 6-0, 6-3 match
to Harbuzi.
In other singles action, Stephanie
Willerding was defeated by Maria
Gutierrez (6-3, 6-2) while Megan
Bedeau lost her match to Pamela
Martinez (6-2, 6-1). Silke Buksik and
Sarah Burton lost to Manijee Ashrafi (6-
2, 6-0) and Manami Kuroda (6-0, 6-1),
respectively.
Doubles team Willerding and
Garcia dropped an 8-4 decision to
Ashrafi and Martinez while Bedeau and
Buksik fell 8-3 to Gutierrez and
Kuroda.
Saturday and Friday’s matches
were equally disappointing to the
women’s team, as they fell to the
University of North Florida (6-1) and to
the University of Texas-El Paso (4-2).
Additional match results from El Paso
By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
By THE PAN AMERICAN
Bronc baseball looks forward to start of spring season
Broncs drop two games on roadtripThe University of Texas-Pan
American men’s basketball team began
its United Basketball League season on
the wrong side of the win column with
two road loses.
On Thursday night the Green and
Orange squad suffered an 88-58 set-
back at the hands of a more experi-
enced North Dakota State, in a game
plagued by turnovers on both sides.
There were 44 total miscues, including
24 by UTPA that led to 29 State points.
Turnovers, according to head
coach Tom Schuberth, combined with a
lack of concentration and too many
defensive miscues, resulted in a 30-
point blowout, but he was quick to
point out most of the defensive break-
downs can be corrected.
“North Dakota State was playing
very good; we just came off a 10-day
layoff. I don’t know if that hurt us but
it certainly didn’t help us,” Schuberth
said. “I felt like we had been playing
good at home, but we were not playing
the type of caliber teams that North
Dakota State has, so we got off to a
decent start then we just kind of crum-
bled. Before we knew it they were
increasing their lead and we just could-
n’t get back in the game.”
NDSU torched the nets in the first
half by shooting 54 percent from the
field. On the other side of the spectrum
things looked dismal as the Green and
Orange offense sputtered to a mere 29
percent. The Bison went up at half 39-
23 and the second half would prove to
be no different clip. The Bison out-
pointed UTPA 49-35.
The Green and Orange were led
by steady 6-foot-11 senior center Colin
Lien, who tallied 15 points on 5-of-9
shooting and pulled down five
rebounds. Junior forward Zach Trader
also chipped in 12 points.
Ben Woodside scored 23 points,
Brett Winklemann added 21 points and
Andre Smith racked up 19 for NDSU.
OH-FOR-TWO UP NORTHThe shooting woes continued for
the men Saturday night during the first
half of play against South Dakota State
in game two of their short road trip;
they dropped an 82-67 decision.
UTPA shot seven of 24 from the
field in the first half and the
Jackrabbits did not hesitate to capital-
ize on their misfortune as they took a
37-24 halftime lead.
The 15-point loss keeps the
Broncs at a .500 winning percentage
for the season with a 10-10 record.
Junior shooting guard Brian
Burrell led UTPA with 14 points and
former McAllen Memorial Mustang
Danny Puente added a career-high 13.
“We turned around and went to
South Dakota State and I just didn’t
think we were as mentally ready as
we’ve been at all our other games,”
Schuberth said. “I always felt like we
had an opportunity each time the ball
was tipped off to win the game but
after about the first five minutes we
just lost focus.”
According to Schuberth his squad’s
subpar defense has led it to rush shots on
offense. Furthermore the squad’s two
losses may not look pretty on paper but
he said the players learned from the
experience and are happy to be home
where they remain undefeated.
The men resume play on
Thursday night against Indiana-
Purdue-Fort Wayne, at the UTPA Field
House. Tip off time is 7 p.m.
The game will prove to be anoth-
er tough matchup for the Green and
Orange as IPFW won both contests last
season.
Schuberth remained optimistic his
squad would be re-energized when they
take to Sam Williams Court. He chal-
lenged the student body to support their
team. He said he understands most stu-
dents are busy with work and other
responsibilities but he also noted that
UTPA’s president, Blandina Cardenas,
who is by far the busiest person on cam-
pus, is usually in attendance.
“It’s their university, it’s their bas-
ketball program, it’s their peers playing
out there,” Schuberth said. “We need
an involved and energized crowd. The
loyal and local fans we get make the
games fun.”
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Page 14 SPORTS February 1, 2007
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American
The University of Texas-Pan
American baseball season opener, also
known as the UTPA Classic Tournament,
will begin this weekend.
The baseball team has been ham-
mering out imperfections and has used the
offseason as a springboard to improve
their gameplay. The Broncs were 24-29
last year. They will compete against Texas
State and Oklahoma in the tourney.
Saturday, the Broncs will take on Texas
State at 2 p.m. Oklahoma at 7 p.m. On
Sunday they will play Oklahoma at noon
and Texas State at 5 p.m. All the games
will be at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
They are hoping that the preparation
will pay off this weekend.
“We started our fall workout sched-
ule at the beginning of school with offsea-
son conditioning which includes weight
training, running, hitting, pitching, field-
ing, defense and skill work,” said head
coach Willie Gawlik. “We then had about
a 24-day session in October and
November where we played as a team and
worked on team skills.”
Even during the Christmas break,
the team worked overtime on condition-
ing their skills.
“We started back up on Jan. 8 and
we have been going full tail since then.
There was some interruption by rain but
we are pretty much on schedule,” Gawlik
commented.
The Broncs hope to use the UTPA
Classic as the spark that will get them
ready for annual powerhouses like The
University of Texas-Austin.
Senior education major Alex
Guajardo expressed his eagerness to com-
pete with the Longhorns and his expecta-
tions for the team this season.
“This is the year that we are going to
beat them. We have not beaten them since
1971,” said Guajardo, a righthanded
pitcher from La Joya. “I expect for our
team to be the first team in a long time to
go to Regional and have a great year.”
Fellow teammate, senior mechanical
engineer major Osiel Flores, agrees with
Guajardo.
“We were supposed to beat them last
year but we came up short,” said Flores, a
catcher who hit .300 with 35 RBI in 2006.
Jim Hickey, former Bronc hurler and
current pitching coach for the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays, was on hand Jan. 20 to offer
some advice to the team as it prepared for
the tournament.
“Jim Hickey told us to go out and
have fun,” said senior business manage-
ment major Lyndon Bartosh. “He told us
that we are in college, we are healthy, we
are really blessed to be playing this game
right now, the game has brought us many
things and to look back on that and to
know that you are having a good time and
not to take it for granted.”
Bartosh, who hit .292 in spot duty
last season, said he and his teammates are
excited about the new season.
“We had a good fall season and we
got a bunch of good recruits in, good jun-
ior college transfers and high school
guys,” he said.
REBOUND - Colin Lien (23) and the Broncs dropped their first two road confer-ence games last week. UTPA and Lien, who averages 11 points and 6.5 reboundsper game, will face off tonight against IPFW at 7 p.m.
By SAVANNAH MARTINEZ
The Pan American
IN AWE - Pitcher Shane Janecka, a sophomore undeclared major, looks at formerAstros’ pitching coach Jim Hickey’s National League championship ring duringHickey’s visit on Jan. 19.
Melissa Uriegas/ The Pan American
February 1, 2007 SPORTS Page 15
Designed by Rick Gamez
WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL? - The Pan American polled 204 students, faculty, and staff members about who they think will win Super Bowl XLI. A majority, 111, think the Colts willwin while 93 believe Chicago will take the prize. The results of this poll are not scientific and they are the opinions of those participating.
Colts 28-13
A little birdie (my good
friend Elvis) told me Peyton
Manning and the re-energized
Colts D’ will be too much for
Rex Grossman and the Bears
offense. The Bears have a stiff
defense, but it’s Peyton’s time.
Colts 31-10
Rex has had two decent
games in a row. I think it’s time for
him to choke. The Bear-ies will try
to run the ball, but Indy will step
up big again. And there’s no stop-
ping Peyton. His comeback
against the Patriots says it all.
Colts 9-2
Adam Vinatieri will contin-
ue his clutch kicking and that’s
all the Colts are going to need to
win. The Bears might get lucky,
but it won’t be enough. The Colts
better win too. I have to pay the
rent!
Colts 27-21
The Bears, especially quar-
terback Rex Grossman, have
been too inconsistent in their per-
formance. Plus my best friend is
from Indiana. I’ll be watching
but the commercials better not
suck.
Bears 14-3
I’m picking the Bears
because they play in Chicago and
that’s where Season One of
Prison Break was filmed. Not to
mention Oprah Winfrey lives
there too.
Bears 42-34
A bear can totally take a
horse down. No question about
it. Of course, the prospect of
them playing football brings up
an interesting dilemma because
neither have opposable thumbs
or a way to grip the ball.
Editors offer expert opinions on Super Bowl XLI
Big things come in small packages
and that’s exactly what The University of
Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs got
with starting point guard Lekeisha
Gray. In her first year at UTPA, the
junior college transfer has
made the transition to the
Division I level.
The quiet and
respectful ballplayer
may not say much off
the court but once the
ball is in play, she’s ready
to lead her troops into battle.
Gray, originally from
Muskogee, Okla., started playing
basketball in the fourth grade. Unlike
many other basketball players though, she
only participated in school ball.
“I started playing basketball in the
fourth grade and ever since then I knew I
wanted to play college ball. I never played
in AAU leagues,” said the 5-foot-4 guard.
In her final year at Butler County
College, she came to the attention of head
coach DeAnn Craft, who was looking for
talent after the graduation of former point
guard Devin Reed.
“I used to coach in that region and
I knew her coach and we were able to
hear about her early,” Craft said.
“Obviously we needed a person in that
position with the graduation of Reed the
year before. Therefore, I felt that she fit
our program’s needs.”
Her explosiveness and her determi-
nation were things that Craft knew would
be a valuable asset to the team. But one of
the biggest questions a coach must face is,
“How long will it take a player from the
junior college level to transition to the DI
level?”
In Gray’s case, the
answer wasn’t long in
coming.
“You can evaluate a
player at the junior college
level and still not know if they
can transition to the Division I
level,” Craft said. “She is one
of the finest, fundamentally
sound junior college players that I’ve seen
in quite some time. It’s just a rarity
on the women’s side to find
a kid like LeKeisha.”
In her first year,
Gray quickly stopped
being a newcomer
and has developed
into a leader. In the
team’s fourth
game she led in
scoring with
16 against
Schreiner Nov. 21.
Three days later she
again paced the unit, scor-
ing 15 at Texas State.
She has the ability to
drive to the basket or
take the open look from
the perimeter. And she
knows when to give it up,
as well.
“I think her leadership
has evolved from such a com-
mitment to fundamentals
because our young players
can emulate,” said her
coach. “If you want to
showcase a perfect defen-
sive stance all we need to do
is look at her.”
On Jan. 15, Gray took it upon her-
self to give UTPA’s rival Texas A&M-
Corpus Christi one of its biggest losses in
program history. The Lady Bronc led all
scorers with 18 points on 7-for-13 shoot-
ing including a trio of three-pointers to go
along with seven rebounds, two steals and
one assist in a 54-48 victory.
“LeKeisha propelled us in the
Corpus game,” Craft agreed. “She was the
best point guard on the floor and she went
up against an All-Independent first team
player..., so she was pivotal in that game.”
On Jan. 23, Gray was named
Independent Newcomer of the Week for
the second time this season. She is the only
Lady Bronc averaging in double figures
with 10.4 points per game and leads the
team in steals (38) and assists (46).
She has been at her best against the
toughest competition, notching 16 against
Nebraska and 15 against Texas, both fig-
ures leading the Lady Broncs versus Big
12 competiton.
One disadvantage that seems to
have no effect on Gray is her 5-4 stature,
and this fact has led to success through-
out her career.
“Sometimes my height seems to be
a disadvantage but I’ve been dealing
with it for a long time,” she said. “So
now I try to work around it. I’m not inti-
mated by big players at all, because I’ve
always said that big things come in small
packages.”
With the Lady Broncs in the final
stretch of their season, all eyes will be on
how they will finish and on Gray, their
biggest threat.
When asked if there was something
about her that people may not know, she
smiled and said, “That I’m a nice person.
I’m not the type of person to walk around
with a smile on my face. I may look
mean but I’m really a nice person.”
SPORTSEditor’s Pick: Game to Watch
Colts
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Bears
When: Feb. 4
Where: Miami, Fla.Game will be aired on CBS
By KRISTYNA MANCIASThe Pan American
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Ony
dia
Gar
za/T
he P
an A
mer
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