February 15, 2007

In 1997, the Texas Legislature

decided all graduating high school stu-

dents in the top ten percent of their

class would be granted automatic

admission into any Texas public univer-

sity. The ruling was designed to

improve and maintain campus diversity.

Now, nearly 10 years later, some law-

makers say the rule is vulnerable to

being changed.

The Texas Legislature meets every

other year beginning on the second

Tuesday in January to address govern-

mental issues and decide on pressing

senate bills. This session, Dennis

McMillan, The University of Texas-Pan

Americans associate vice president for

enrollment and student services, said

there are multiple bills out there trying to

reduce the top ten percent law.

Reducing the top ten percent law

to five percent is only one way of law-

makers dealing with the issue,

McMillan said. There are other bills

that suggest only allowing a certain per-

centage of the incoming freshman class

to be admitted based on the top percent

rule.

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T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 0 7

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A&ENews

UTPA prepares for visit from SACS committee

By VERONICA GONZALEZThe Pan American

Texas top tenpercent ruleunder review

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American

As the time for re-accreditation

from the Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools approaches, insti-

tutions tend to get nervous. However,

such is not the case at The University of

Texas-Pan American.

A team of eight peer reviewers and

Linwood Rose, president of James

Madison University in Harrisonburg,

Va., will visit UTPA April 16-19 to

determine whether the university will be

allowed to keep its accreditation, a dis-

tinction that ensures the universitys fed-

eral funding among other things.

We will achieve it, said William

Turk, SACS coordinator and liaison. He

is also co-chair for the leadership com-

mittee, one of three involved in the

accreditation process at the university,

alongside President Blandina Cardenas.

The process, which takes place

every 10 years, is a daunting one,

according to Turk, who compared wait-

ing for the review team and accreditation

to writing a term paper.

Were positive were doing a good

job but we havent received a final grade

yet, he said.

When the SACS visitation team

arrives on campus, it will be discussing

the Quality Enhancement Plan and tak-

ing a detailed look at campus facilities.

Turk said that understanding the

magnitude of being accredited has always

been important. The alternative to win-

ning is not good.

If were not accredited, your

degree means nothing and we get no fed-

eral aid, Turk said. Basically, were

out of business.

He added that accreditation is very

important to students as well.

It tells anybody that looks at your

degree that its meaningful and wasnt

bought over the Internet, Turk said. If

that program is not accredited by some

institution that says this is a worthwhile

academic piece of paper, its meaning-

less. You spent a whole bunch of money

on nothing.

Receiving accreditation also

By LUKE KOONG

The Pan American

See SACS page 11

See PERCENT page 11

Rather familiar face:

A familiar voice could be heardthroughout the Fine Arts AuditoriumTuesday night. However, DanRathers faultless diction and broad-cast-ready tone were not comingthrough the speakers of a televisionbecause on this particular evening, hewas reporting live.

Rather made the journey to TheUniversity of Texas-Pan Americanfrom Afghanistan, where he had beenfilming a report just 48 hours beforefor his HDNet show Dan RatherReporting. While it was not his firsttrip to the Valley, this time the formerlongtime CBS Evening News anchorwas visiting the universityas part of the

Distinguished Speakers Series.While an audience of over 700 is

a smaller one than the Texas-bornRather is used to, he nonetheless tookadvantage of the opportunity to speakabout the world and journalism as itis now and will become.

HERE, NOWExpectedly, the CBS veteran

made it a point to talk at length aboutthe status of the vocation he called hislifes work. He stressed that in thepresent day, reporters are constantlyfaced with the dilemma of decidingwhat is news.

A good definition of news: newsis something you, the public needs,

By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American

See RATHER page 11

Former news anchor speaks to students

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539

(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican

56th Year No. 19

The Pan American gladly accepts letters fromstudents, staff and faculty regarding newspapercontent or current issues. The Pan Americanreserves the right to edit submissions forgrammar and length. Please limit submissionlength to 300 words. The Pan American cannotpublish anonymous letters, or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitous personalattacks. Letters are printed at the discretion ofthe editor and must include the writers name,classification/title and phone number.

F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 0 7

PAGE 2

News EditorSandra Gonzalez

sandra_panamerican@

yahoo.com

A&E EditorFrank Calvillo

[email protected]

Sports EditorLuke Koonglkoong2004

@yahoo.com

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OFTHE PAN AMERICAN

THEPAN AMERICAN

The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of thewriters and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the university.

Available Feb. 22Colorful characters- Find out why a comic book followingtranslates into box-office gold formovies

READERFORUM

Designers

SecretaryAnita Casares

Gregorio Garzathe_nataku@ yahoo.com

Rick [email protected]

Leslie EstradaOnydia Garza

Patrick KennedyKristyna Mancias

Jeanette PerezRafael Roux

Angela SalazarErick 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

[email protected]

EditorClaudette Gonzalez

[email protected]

Injection issue- Find out more about Gov. Perrysdecision regarding an HPV-preventingvaccine

Letters to the editorTo the editor: I would like to take this opportu-

nity to thank the IntelligenceCommunity Center for AcademicExcellence for hosting a seminar withMr. Benjamin Romero of Lockheed-Martin Jan. 20.

Mr. Romero shared the story ofhis own pathway from being the old-est of 9 children growing up in ruralNew Mexico with little financialresources to attending college andlater achieving a 28-year career as ahigh ranking officer in the Air Force,and now in industry.

His story was inspirational to many of the students in attendance.

Mr. Romero shared his experiencesand views of working in intelligencegathering.

When asked some challenging(and in my opinion, valid) questionsabout past activities of the CIA, suchas illegal intrusions into other coun-tries, he responded with grace, point-ing out that he had never worked forthe CIA nor agreed with all govern-ment decisions such as the wars inVietnam and Iraq.

I salute the Center for AcademicExcellence for providing an opportu-nity to UTPA students to learn about acareer path that has appeal to some

but certainly not all.I feel that as an institution of

higher education, presenting optionsand possibilities to our students,who then decide for themselves ifthey are a fit, is the right way togo.

I look forward to attendingmore of the seminars hosted by theCenter.

Sincerely,Bruce Reed

Interim DeanCollege of Health Sciences &

Human Services

To the editor:In the article, SGA president

faces group of upset senators (Feb.1), it was disappointing to read thatStudent Government AssociationPresident Argelia Barerras negli-gence is being dismissed with divert-ing phrases such as, The studentgovernment should be focusing on thebusiness of the university andovercoming miscommunica-tions. Are the miscommunicationsabout meeting times?

When elected student represen-tatives use an established democratic

process in light of legitimate griev-ances without personal vendettas,their efforts should be applauded.This is where we as students canlearn first-hand what that nifty littlephrase checks and balances is allabout.

It is unacceptable that theCollege of Arts and Humanities hasno representatives and that atten-dance to mandatory meetings is nottaken seriously. Because there can beno accountability or accessibility ifthere are excessive absences, is itcomical to state that the students are

being represented to the fullestcapacity.

Many of our student leadershave the potential to have polished

political careers in our communitiesand if social participation is notunderstood now, then how can wetrust them later?

This is the most elementalpremise in understanding democra-cy. Even at the university level, hold-ing an office is not merely about cer-emonial debuts and mixers, but hardwork.

Again, hats off to our vigilantrepresentatives you make us proud!

Samantha Garciasenior biology major

To the editor: Sorry, this isn't the nude photos

of the actor you love. But you can stillread this opinion of one insignificantreader of this newspaper.

This is in reference to the arti-cle dated Feb. 8 Student govern-ment continues debate over leadersfaults.

I was in Army JROTC in highschool. In my senior year, I wassecond in command of the staff(which is the equivalent of the SGAsenate).

Whenever our leader didn't showup, we knew that if she had a chance

to go to the meetings, she would. This thing about the senators

being mad at the president is childish.When my leader didn't show, I, AS A

LEADER, took charge do the workand show it to my leader afterwardswhen I saw her.

Why anyone would waste timetalking about impeaching a leader,unless for a serious offense (i.e.:drugs, suspension, etc.), is beyond mythinking.

These three senators have anagenda, too much time on their handsand need get over whatever personalgrudge they have with her.

I, as a freshman, am not familiarwith the SGA. But even I know thatthe SGA president has to worry aboutsenior classes, personal life (like fam-

ily and friends) and the responsibilityof SGA. Obviously, she has lot on herplate aside from the student govern-ment.

The students elected an SGApresident because she was someonewith a lot extraciurricular activites,and not someone who has a lot freetime to do things like a write a longletter (my brain hurts) to a studentnewspaper.

Hope you enjoyed.

Sexy forever,Andrew Dominguez

freshman biology major

Q Even at the unviversitylevel, holding an office is notmerely about ceremonialdebuts and mixers, but hard

work.

- Samantha Garciasenior biology major

Q Why anyone wouldwaste time talking aboutimpeaching a leader, unlessfor a serios offense (i.e.:drugs, suspension, etc.) is

beyond my thinking.

- Andrew Dominguezfreshman biology major

Q I salute the Center forAcademic Excellence forproviding an opportunity toUTPA students to learnabout a career path that hasappeal to some, but certain-

ly not all.

- Bruce ReedInterim Dean

College of Health Sciences &Human Services

Savannah Martinez

Interest rates two words most stu-

dents dislike more than the loans they

are attached to. However, this may not

be the case for long because of state

House Resolution 5 passed Jan. 17.

According to Valley Congressman

Ruben Hinojosa, the bill aims to cut loan

interest rates in half over the next five

years.

This is the first step in dealing

with access and affordability of higher

education, said Hinojosa.

The reduction will begin July 1,

2007 and continue to decrease annually

until 2011. It will affect new, subsidized

loans that are taken out after the start

date.

The problem is interest rates

adding thousands of dollars to the debt

[students] already owe, said Hinojosa.

According to Fastweb.com, which

posted a sample loan scenario to better

explain the process, someone paying off

a $10,000 loan will, over 10 years, pay

$4,718.49 in interest. This is the type of

situation Hinojosa and the members of

the 110th Congress are trying to elimi-

nate.

In Texas, 64 percent of undergrad-

uate students take out loans - 89.9 per-

cent of which are federal, such as

Stafford loans - according to the

At around 8 a.m. Samantha Koch

will be getting ready to head off to

school. After a day of classes and having

to go to work in between each class at

The University of Texas-Pan American

Admissions and New Student Services

office where she is an orientation leader,

all she wants to do is go home and relax.

However, instead she worries about

making it to her second job at Joes Crab

Shack on time, where she earns $3.20 an

hour plus tip share as a hostess.

At first it was a little difficult

being able to manage everything, said

Koch, a freshman at UTPA. But after a

little work at it, I am able to deal with

classes, study time and two jobs allow-

ing downtime for myself not to mention

time for home and projects.

However, changes might be made

to benefit an estimated 5.6 million work-

ers in the United States just like Koch, as

the U.S. Senate has passed a bill to

increase the minimum wage 40 percent

to $7.25 over a two-year period.

Like many minimum-wage work-

ers Koch, a journalism major, depends

on minimum wage paying jobs in order

to pay bills and get by.

I wake up, go to class, go to my

orientations until we are done, go to

Joes change there and dont get home

until around 11 p.m., said Koch.

However, not everyone is happy

with the idea of the increase. Small-busi-

ness owners have traditionally worried

that raising the wage will force them to

cut employees and/or benefits. But the

Senate bill would institute tax credits

from the government to compensate for

wage increases. The planned tax advan-

tages are worth $8.3 billion over a 10-

year period.

The wage increase, the first in a

decade, would boost the average annual

salary for a minimum-wage worker to

$15,000 from $11,000. The tax break

appears to even things out in terms of the

employer. But there are other complica-

tions and possible unintended conse-

quences.

Jose Pagan, a professor of econom-

ics, said while many workers would ben-

efit from the increase, others could be

pushed into unemployment as a result.

Increasing the minimum wage

will force employers to think twice

about hiring new workers, he said.

Employers will also be less likely to

The controversial film Hand ofGod, which addresses sexualabuse by Catholic priests, willbe shown at Cine El Rey Feb.18 at 4:30 p.m.

News in brief:

See MINIMUM page 12

Troxel Hall to be home to student organizations in fall

See LOAN page 12

Minimum wage to increaseBy KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American

The word is out: beginning fall

2007, tenants of Troxel Hall dormitory

will have something in common besides

living under the same roof.

When the new semester begins, so

will organization housing, a proposal

that offers students at The University of

Texas-Pan American a chance to live

with others from their same campus

club, fraternity,

sorority, religious

group or any

other university

organization.

No other

college has done

this. Theme and

Greek housing has been done, but not

organization housing, said Chad

Martin, director of residence life at The

University of Texas-Pan American. Our

main focus is to create a better campus

environment.

Troxel Hall, which is located on

Sugar Road and was built over 30 years

ago, has four towers and three floors,

making a total of 12 spaces. Also known

as pods, each space could accommo-

date 11 to 14 students, and groups apply-

ing for organization housing will get to

live in the pod of their choice, depending

on availability.

I think itll be a great opportunity

for students and organizations to come

together and get to know each other,

said Tania Chavez, a Student

Government Association member and

senior finance major. Ive been living

on campus for almost three years and it

was hard to get to know people when I

first moved in.

The cost of living in Troxel Hall

will remain the same, with double occu-

pancy rooms priced at $1,500 per person

and singles at $2,100 per year.

Its going to be run 100 percent

By ANNA FLORESThe Pan American

See HOUSING page 12

Possibleschedulingchanges inthe works

The Task Force on Academic

Scheduling has revised the present aca-

demic schedule of Monday-Wednesday-

Friday and Tuesday-Thursday classes in

hopes of benefiting faculty and students

at The University of Texas-Pan

American.

Instead of a MWF and TR sched-

ule, the team is proposing a MW, TR,

and Friday schedule, with the possibil-

ity of Saturday classes. Classes on MW

and TR will be an hour and 15 minutes

with a 90-minute activity period.

Friday classes will run two hours and

30 minutes with an activity period of

1:15.

Dennis McMillan, associate vice

president for enrollment and student

services, served on the task force and

said the new schedule could have great

benefits.

It will impact the ability of us

being able to offer classes at the times

that the students want them the most.

Itll stretch the schedules into the late

afternoon, he said.

The task force was formed a little

over a year ago when UTPA President

Blandina Cardenas asked for proposals

for a new schedule. In order to come up

with the new schedule, the group con-

sulted with faculty, administrators and

staff involved in the scheduling develop-

ment process to come up with a new

plan.

In addition to the new structure,

another proposed change would allow a

By BRENDA RODRIGUEZThe Pan American

See SCHEDULE page 12 BARE MINIMUM - Vanessa Jasso, an architecture major, makes a sandwich at Subway where she earns minim wage.Rafael Roux/The Pan American

NEWS

Loan rates to see declineBy SARAH JESKEThe Pan American

MARTIN

Legislation to give students financial relief

NEWS February 15, 2007

Evening Tutoring at Unity Hall!

The Learning Assistance CenterWill start evening tutoring services

In Mathematics and WritingAt Unity Hall 1/29/07 Monday-Thursday

From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Internet Tutoring is now availableCall 381-2585 for details

Successful Semesters Begin Here!

For information call the Learning Assistance Center (LAC)Location: LAC building except for Writing (Library Suite 101)

381-2585 or go by LEAC 100.

According to statistics from arecent study by The Center forInformation and Research on CivicLearning and Engagement, voterturnouts from 2004 showed only 51 per-cent of women ages 18-24 and 68 per-cent of women ages 25 and above voted.

Disappointed with voter turnouts,local Democratic women from HidalgoCounty have come together to form achapter of Texas Democratic Women.

Dori Contreras Garza, judge in the13th Court of Appeals, said female par-ticipation in the political process is a bigconcern.

The purpose of the organization isto promote increased political activityand influence of Democratic women inTexas politics, said Contreras Garza.

She also assisted in the formationof the Coastal Bend Chapter of TDW,which was organized by northern Texascounties in 1987. While TDW is madeup of women of various professions andbackgrounds, this is not only a womensorganization; men may join as well.

The focus is women. We want toparticipate not compete against men,said Dolly Elizondo, the first president

elect of the local TDW. Some activities TDW will be tak-

ing part in will be voter registration, sup-porting local activities of the Democraticparties, discussing community issues,and educating the public on how tobecome involved in the political process.

As a group we can all make a dif-ference and help promote our party andhelp improve the voter turnout, saidContreras Garza. We would also like toencourage women to run for office andget involved politically.

In addition, TDW highly encour-ages students, who are often apatheticabout politics, to join. TDW hopes to getinvolved with student Democrat organi-zations to help get the vote out.

It is important to network and startnetworking at a young age, saidContreras Garza. Students have only to

gain from the experience of gettinginvolved in this organization, not only tobecome more informed but to meet peo-ple than can help you along the way.

Marisela Deleon, president of theYoung Democrat Society at UTPA,encouraged her members to participate,attend meetings and become involvedwith TDW. She said working with theorganization would not only increasesupport for the Democratic Party butalso provide equal opportunities foreveryone.

This is a fantastic way for womento get involved and take leadership rolesin the future, said Deleon, a seniorfinance major. Its also a good way forwomen to participate, as opposed to menbeing the leaders.

As part of an organization that pro-motes voting and involvement forwomen, TDW members hope to make adifference in the community by combin-ing the two and getting people aware ofthe fact that voting can make a difference.One of their main goals is to educateyoung women on how to get involved.

I would like to have a hand inmotivating young students to vote,Elizondo said.

As president of TDW, she wants tokeep up with laws being passed that

affect female Democrats and said shehas always been interested in getting thevote out; thats why she joined theorganization.

I now belong to an organizationthat promotes voting, Elizondo said.

TDW will have its next meetingsome time in March at The University ofTexas Pan-American, to raise awarenessamong students. For more informatione-mail Contreras Garza [email protected].

By KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American

February 15, 2007 NEWS Page 5

Group hopes to increase female political activity

Q This is a fantastic way forwomen to get involved andtake leadership roles in the

future.

- Marisela Deleonpresident

Young Democrats Society

VOTER - Dolly Elizondo, president of the local Texas Democratic Women chap-ter, hopes the new organization will increase female political involvement.

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American

Taza de inters son probable-mente las tres palabras que la mayora delos estudiantes detestan, incluso mas quelos prestamos a los que estn sujetos. Sinembargo es posible que esta situacincambie, gracias a las resolucionesaprobadas por el congreso el 17 deEnero.

De acuerdo al congresista RubnHinojosa, la ultima ley aprobada clamael reducir la taza de inters a la mitad enlos prximos 5 aos. Este es nuestroprimer paso para lograr que la educacinsuperior sea accesible.

La reduccin comenzara el primerode julio de 2007 y continuara en decre-mento hasta el 2011. Este decrementotambin afectara a los prestamos quehallan sido adquiridos antes de que entreen efecto esta ley.

El sitio Fastweb.com ha creado

un escenario virtual que explica el fun-cionamiento de los intereses con lastazas de ahora. Alguien que solicita unprstamo de $10,000 dlares con 10aos a pagar, tendr un inters total de$4,718.49 dlares. Este tipo de situa-ciones son las que el congresistaHinojosa intenta eliminar.

Segn el Centro Nacional deEstadsticas para la Educacin, en Texasun 64% de los estudiantes universitariossolicitan prestamos bancarios, 89% sesolicitan al gobierno federal, un ejemplode estos prestamos es Stafford Loans.

Laura Salas, estudiante de postgra-do en la facultad de negocios de laUniversidad de Texas-Pan American,recibi un prstamo para pagar su edu-cacin mientras asista a la UniversidadOur Lady of the Lake.

Yo no medite lo suficiente acercade los costos, cuando los requer en launiversidad, sin embargo no fue ascuando los busque para mi postgrado.

Cuando Salas se gradu de laOLLU ella habia accumulado cerca de$40,000 dlares en prestamos.

Se que ser capaz de pagar mideuda, pero esto me tomara de 10 a 15aos, dice Salas.

Hinojosa, ex alumno de UTPA, diceque el no tuvo que tomar un prstamopara poder completar su educacin supe-rior, pero reconoce que esto ha cambiado.

Tengo que admitirlo, yo no tuveque pedir prestamos para pagar mis estu-dios universitarios, pero era mucho masbarato cuando yo estudiaba. En eseentonces $3,000 podan mantenerte por

un ao, ahora es casi cuatro veces eso.Hinojosa reconoce las necesidades

de los estudiantes para poder costear sucarrera universitaria y asegura que estamedida es un gran paso para lograr quelos estudiantes terminen sus carreras,tanto en el mbito acadmico como en elfinanciero.

William Morley quien es directorde Servicios Financieros, quiere asegu-rarse que todos los estudiantes y futurosestudiantes comprendan este cambio enlas regulacin. En un esfuerzo paralograr esto y con motivo del mes de laayuda financiera (febrero), asistir aescuelas publicas a lo largo del Vallepara informar a todos los estudiantes. Elequipo de Servicios Financieros planeatambin visitar escuelas de educacinelemental y media superior explicandola importancia de una educacin univer-sitaria.

Nuestro propsito es educar sobreel mundo de los prestamos para la edu-cacin. Queremos enfatizar que el cole-

gio s es una posibilidad sin importarcual es el ingreso familiar, dice Morley

Adems, Hinojosa dice que una desus prioridad es asegurar que nadie sequede fuera del presupuesto cuando estesea finalizado.

Mientras otras alternativas parapagar la educacin superior son preferi-das, Hinojosa dice que si los prestamosson la nica opcin, las personas debenutilizarlos sin remordimientos porintereses.

Quizs tomen aos para pagarlos,pero los beneficios de una educacinuniversitaria los valen, dice Hinojosa.

Q Este es nuestro primerpaso para lograr que la edu-cacin superior sea accesi-

ble.

- Rubn HinojosaCongresista

Legislatura de Texas

Legislatura intenta bajar intereses en prestamosPor SARAH JESKETraducido Por JAIME NAVARROThe Pan American

EN ESPAOL El filme controversial Hand of God,que habla sobre el abuso sexualcometido por sacerdotes Catlicos,ser mostrado en Cine El Rey el da18de Febrero a las 4:30 p.m.Noticias en breve:

Q Queremos enfatizar que elcolegio s es una posibilidadsin importar cual es el ingreso

familiar.

- William MorleyDirector, Servicios Financieros

Usually Monday is one of thosedays you wish would never come. It givesa sense of dread because you know itmeans going back to school or work, orsometimes both. Last Monday was differ-ent.

The University Program Board hashosted a variety of campus activities forstudents at The University of Texas-PanAmerican, but what happened Feb. 5stood out from the rest.

For the second year in a row, UPBheld its long-awaited Battle of the Bands.With a lineup of local talents and a specialguest performance by the Detroit-basedband PBM, the night was more thanpromising. The reward: the local teamcoming in first place would be given itsown UTPA-sponsored show April 3.

According to UPB advisor MaricelaGonzalez, the show represented morethan just entertainment value.

Its proven that students who inter-act in their community have better gradesso I think its really important for them toget involved, she said.

The event kicked off at 6 p.m. in theStudent Union Theater, with the bandsready to hit the stage.

Opening up the night were the out-of-towners PBM, who appeared onNBCs Americas Got Talent show. Thepunk rock/ska quintet wasted no timebusting out tunes with its unique style.

In addition to songs like SuperHero and Retail King, the five guyssurprised the audience and belted out theirown versions of popular television showsongs, including The Fresh Prince ofBel-Air and an all-time kid favorite,

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,before ending their set with another sur-prising song written out of popularNintendo codes.

After 45 minutes of ska-rockinspired tunes, it was time for the locals.First up was the Weslaco alternativeChristian rock band Last Place. Playingonly two songs for a set, the four guyswalked off with a round of applause.

Five minutes later, the ska-reggae-

punk Vital Brass Tones from Edinburgmixed it up with some audience participa-tion to their highly up-tempo songs.

Edinburgs own goth-inspiredDriving the Nails hit the stage with theirblack clothing, headbanging and longhair. Loud blasting drums, synched gui-tars and the soft melodies of the keysfused together created the perfect ambi-ence for a rock show.

Mellowing things out a bit were the

Decadent Suits with their indie/blues-inspired songs, dressy apparel and theircrowd-pleasing Shake, Shake.Following that act were the alternativerock and punk sounds of the female-front-ed Violet Avenue, hailing from McAllen,of course, with their happy beats Havenand Slow and the like.

Last but not least, representing theValley rock scene was yet anotherEdinburg band, Stillborne. With the singerrevving up the crowd and inspiring theirsupporters to take a stand in the front, thislocal band rocked the night away.

At the end of the night, Driving theNails came in third, Vital Brass Tonestook second, and Decadent Suits nabbedtop honors.

Driving the Nails guitarist, FrankSalinas, a graphic design major, stressedthe importance of the nights event.

A lot people dont realize that wehave so many talented acts in the Valley,said the 21-year-old Edinburg native. Itsvery important and its time that theValley realized what theyre missing.

With more than 250 people in atten-dance, the night was definitely a success.

I would definitely come back tofuture battles, smiled 19-year-old fresh-man computer information systems majorJonathan Ovalle.

After some delays and postpone-ments, everything is finally ready to startshooting this summer for Mexica Filmslatest production, the independentMexican film, El Gato Chido (The CoolCat).

The film by Arni Rodriguez, aUniversity of Texas-Pan American gradu-ate student, is a teen comedy about a girlwho gets dumped by her boyfriend andthen finds true love. The story revolvesaround Valentines Day and shows howeveryone looks to find their perfect match.

In the film, everybody is lookingfor their gato chido, said executive pro-ducer Rodriguez. The phrase is used as ametaphor. It is the protagonists way ofsaying that she is looking for her PrinceCharming.

This promising film contains a num-ber of Mexican actors including Sherlyn,who will be the protagonist. Other actors

include Omar Chaparro, a comedian,model and actress Roxana Martinez andjournalist Pepillo Orijel.

Award-winning Mexican actressSylvia Pinal is also in negations to star inthe film.

Im flying to Mexico City nextweek to meet Sylvia Pinal, Rodriguezsaid. I am very nervous since she has notcome out in films for a while. I really hopeshe accepts the proposal I have for her. Iwould love for Mrs. Pinal to be in myfilm.

Local talent will be showcased inthis movie, which will give them as muchexposure as possible.

We have local talent like actressAlejandra Barrera and myself, saidBrenda Bautista, assistant producer. Wehave a lot of fresh faces who are very tal-ented and are willing to really focus theirattention on the project.

The movie, which should wrap film-ing by the end of the summer, will bereleased throughout Mexico and the

United States within the next year.We have two distributors interested

in the movie, said Rodriguez. Videocineand Warner Brothers Mexico are anxiousto distribute the film; I guess its whoevermakes the best offer gets it.

Rodriguez stated that he wants toportray Hispanics in a positive light, andhighlight the strength of the Latino com-munity.

I want to show the world that wecan do things, Rodriguez said. I want toshow them that we are beautiful and tal-ented.

Salvador Gutierrez, a junior televi-sion/film major at The University ofTexas-Pan American, thinks that what isbeing done by Mexica Films is veryimportant and gives other students hope torealize their dreams.

Knowing that a graduate student isalready making one of his dreams cometrue really encourages me to keep ondoing the best on everything that I do,Gutierrez said. It is really an inspiration;

it shows us that our dreams can also cometrue if we work hard enough to achievethem.

Rodriguez said that the best advicehe can give to students is to do what theywant.

Everybody has dreams. If you wishfor something to happen, do it. It will be

hard and require time but you can do it,he said. People say they want to dothings but never get them done. If youwant to achieve something you have towork hard to get it.

&RTSNTERTAINMENT Editors Pick:

Mexican film company to produce debut featureBy LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American

Battle of the Bands rocks on through second year

Must-Read BookBest-selling author BrianSelznicks new novel, TheInvention of Hugo Cabret,tells the magical story of anorphan in ParisE A

For more information aboutEl Gato Chido and other produc-tions visit www.mexenter.com.

By JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American

Joey Cortez/The Pan AmericanBAND WARS - One of the highlights of last weeks Homecoming festivities was the Battle of the Bands held Feb. 5 in theStudent Union. Edinburg ska-reggae-punk group Vital Brass Tones (above) mixed up the evenings selections.

February 15, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT February 15, 2007

veryone knows the story of Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter whose secret life was beingthe one and only Superman. In a way, beingSuperman was Kents hobby or hidden talent in

his life. Half the time he would be at his job writing andreporting the news, but a secret life allowed him to bringout a different side of himself.

The University of Texas-Pan American is filled withClark Kents by day and Supermen by night. Maybe savingthe planet isnt on everyones list of talents or hobbies, butsome are just as fun and interesting.

THE WEDDING SINGERSusana Chapa began her career with UTPA in 1998 as

an English as a second language instructor for the EnglishLanguage Institute. She is now assistant director for CareerPlacement Services.

My present position has many responsibilities andlends to the overall operation of the department, saidChapa. Consistently working with students, faculty,administration and employers is my commitment to provid-ing high quality services for our students to develop,explore and establish their mission while a university stu-dent and upon graduation.

During the week, Chapa and the rest of the staff at CPShelp students find jobs and internships that will benefitthem in the future. However, an interest from her youth stillkeeps her busy on the side.

My interest with music and actually singing beganwhen I was a junior high student, Chapa said. I was aband member and a fellow band member shared that hewould play and sing at weddings.

Because of her own passion for singing, she asked herfriend to let her know if he ever needed a singing partner.After being invited to one of her friends rehearsals, shebegan singing with the band as a part-time job throughouther junior high and high school years.

During her years in high school, Chapa decided to finetune her voice by joining choir, musical productions andtalent shows.

I would enter as a soloist until a few of my classmatesand I formed a trio and we began to sing at local talentshows, she said. One year I decided to enter the talentshow at the Mercedes Live Stock Show back in the 70s

when they had that event and I actually won.Trying to figure out a way to prove herself to the music

community was difficult at first, but after a certain perform-ance, she finally let it become her part-time job as an adult.

I proved myself through when I sang at my chiefs - Iwas then employed as an Adult Probation Officer - daugh-ters wedding and from then on it became a part-time jobfor me, she said.

Now 30 years later, Chapa continues to perform andmaintain her passion for singing and music. Her mostrecent performance was at a wedding in St. JosephsDowntown Cathedral in San Antonio. Chapa considered itan honor to sing at such a spiritual and historic cathedral.

Chapa says her favorite moment is in 1977 when shesang on KGBT radio, and calls that being at the right placeat the right time.

MARSHALLING ARTSSome talents require a more physical impact on the

body. Martial arts are becoming one of the most popularsports around. To become a master takes a lot of disciplineand study.

Cory Wimberly, an assistant professor who teachessocial political philosophy and feminism classes, is a Senseiin Ju Jitsu.

Jujitsu is what I do now, Wimberly said. I startedwhen I was younger with Tae Kwon Do. I began to doJujitsu in 1994.

There are some differences between Jujitsu and TaeKwon Do and other martial arts.

Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kung Fu are the most pop-ular, he said. They focus mainly on striking, punching.Tae Kwon Do focuses 70 percent on kicking. Jujitsu, theresdifferent kinds, but the one I tend to do most often focusespretty equally on striking, throws and takedowns.

This type of Jujitsu also centers on self-defense andwhat to do if someone fights you to the ground. SinceWimberly also teaches feminism courses, he can use hisknowledge of martial arts.

Ive taught womens self defense as an option for myfeminism courses, Wimberly said. That has worked real-ly well especially when you get students out of class, theybond together and the discussion in the class is muchimproved.

Most people idolize or want to become like those theysee on television or in the movies. This is how it all startedfor Wimberly.

I was like 11 or 12. It was like a childhood fantasykind of thing. I wanted to be like the guys in the movies, bea ninja and an expert and learn all the secrets of martialarts, he said.

Although Wimberly says many people get into martialarts for fun reasons, their reasons for sticking with it aremore important. One of his biggest influences in the sporthas been Frank Shamrock, a fighter for the UltimateFighting Championship.

Wimberly is a new member of the faculty at UTPA. Hemoved here from Southern California and began teachinghere in August 2006. Because of the similarities he seesbetween the two places, he is starting to feel right at homein the Valley.

THE BREWERChristopher Little has a unique hobby that began back

in his graduate school days. Benjamin Franklin once said that Beer is living proof

that God loves us and wants us to be happy! Little said.His interest expanded and soon he became fascinated,

wanting to taste every beer possible - sort of like a collec-tion, as he puts it. Not only is he enthralled by the taste, butalso the history behind beer.

I have probably tried 150 different beers from aroundthe world and from various microbreweries and large brew-eries, he said Additionally, I have an interest in the histo-ry of brewing and in the yeast organisms themselves.

It was this interest that led him to brew his own beer;doing so remains one of his favorite things to do with hisfather. He brews three batches per semester. Since he teach-es plant pathology and mycology, brewing is right up hisalley.

My students know I do this, Little said. Since thisprocess utilizes yeast, I have suggested that it might be afun activity for the mycology (fungal biology) students.

Although this suggestion has yet to be carried out, itwould make for an interesting class. And just as an FYI;none of his homemade beverage has ever been sold.

So for all the Clark Kents out there, it is alright to allow theSuperman in you out to share talents and hobbies with others.

E

A & E February 15, 2007

You know the setting. Avant-gardemusic coming from the speakers, deco-rative pieces of art hanging from thebrightly-colored walls and plush, redvelvet chairs for you to sit in. No it isntan upscale restaurant in New YorkCitys Soho district. Its a McAllenrestaurant called Masterpiece Caf.

Masterpiece Caf is one of thoserestaurants that strives to be differentfrom the average eatery through itsunique surroundings.

Although primarily a lunch caf,open only between the hours of 11 a.m.and 2:30 p.m. Monday throughSaturday, Masterpiece Cafs menureads like one from an elegant four-starrestaurant.

Choices at the place - located inthe Uptown Plaza on North 10th -include quiche, sandwiches served onGreek bread, deserts such as tuxedo-truffle mousse and an assortment ofbeverages from fine wines to espressosand milkshakes.

But beyond the conventions of anyother restaurant, the element that makesMasterpiece Caf a one-of-a-kind origi-

nal is the art on its walls. Upon entering the restaurant, the

first thing to be noticed is the eye-catching pieces of art on displaythroughout. Made of steel, tile and wire,the pieces reflect the contemporary feelof todays art world and serve toenhance the experience of the cafspatrons.

Masterpiece Caf is actually thelittle sister of Artline America, an artshop that opened in 1991 specializing incustom framing; it is located in the samebuilding.

According to owner RoyRobinson, it was his appreciation for artthat led to the creation of MasterpieceCaf in 2000.

We thought that the two of themwould go hand in hand, he said. Wewanted people to have a chance toenjoy good art while having somelunch.

Robinson says that if a person likesa piece of art that much, they are wel-come to leave with it for the right price.

All the pieces in the caf are forsale, Robinson said, although theprices do tend to vary.

Just as the price of the artworkvaries, so does the clientele who comes

in to look at it.We have different types, from

young folks that enjoy art to WinterTexans. Most are professionals that justwant a fast bite to eat in a relaxedatmosphere, Robinson said.

I see something different everytime I come here, said Rhonda Flores,a McAllen resident.

Flores, who often frequentsMasterpiece Caf, feels it is ideal forlunchtime cravings.

I always get the chicken salad forme and my boss, she said. Its herfavorite.

Sarah Rios, another McAllen resi-dent, feels that the quiet atmosphere iswhat has her coming back for more.

So many places are really busyand loud during lunch time and this oneisnt, she said. You can just relax andenjoy your lunch peacefully.

It is this collective atmosphere thatRobinson believes contributes to thecafs success.

The majority of our customers arerepeat customers who end up comingback to us multiple times, not only forthe food, which is healthy and also madefrom scratch, but also to look at the art,he said.

By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American

Films thatOscar forgot

Caf shows patronsart of having lunch

Elizabeth Kennedy/The Pan AmericanSHOP WHILE YOU EAT - Pricetags hang from the paintings featured throughout Masterpiece Caf, a McAllen eaterywhere dining and art go hand in hand.

Every February for the past 79years, Hollywood has chosen to honor theyears best in films with the AcademyAwards. The much-anticipated ceremonypraises those who took part in creating themost memorable and noteworthy motionpictures throughout the past year.Outstanding films such as TheDeparted, Babel and Little MissSunshine scored with critics and movie-goers and were deservedly recognizedwith nominations for this years Oscars.However while nearly all of the filmsnominated for this years statuettes wereOscar-worthy (albeit on different levels),its difficult to ignore the absence of someof the years cinematic gems.

RUNNING WITH SCISSORSIts hard to imagine why, with so

many of the elements Academy voterslove, this true-life story was passed overfor any nominations. Based on the best-selling memoir by Augusten Burroughs,the dark, comedic film tells the story of a16-year-old boy who is given up foradoption by his erratic mother, to hereccentric psychiatrist and his offbeat fam-ily. Aside from a strong cast of actors thatincludes Alec Baldwin, Annette Benningand Gwyneth Paltrow, the film contains atype of humor unseen in many of todayscomedies. Take for example the scene inwhich combating spouses Baldwin andBenning are at a restaurant whereBaldwin proclaims: I havent had a drinkin four years, to which his estrangedwife says to a nearby waitress: Excuseme, could you get him a medal? How afilm like this was ever overlooked willforever remain a mystery.

INFAMOUSMany say that nothing original

comes out of Hollywood anymore.However the rule should not apply toInfamous, the re-telling of the makingof Truman Capotes non-fiction classicIn Cold Blood. Released a year after2005s similarly-themed, Oscar-winningCapote, Infamous was instantly dis-missed as a mere copy of the previousfilm and received no accolades oracknowledgment. Had academy votersgiven the film a chance, surely theywould have noted the energetic perform-ances (particularly from an outstandingSandra Bullock), the sharp dialogue and,more importantly, the contrast betweenthe authors plush New York world andthe solemn Midwestern farmland he vis-its. Where Capote went out of its wayto be overly dark, Infamous focused on

the humanity of the story while at thesame time managing to remain com-pelling throughout.

A GOOD YEARPerhaps one of the most overlooked

films of 2006, A Good Year is the filmadaptation of the best-selling novel of thesame name by Peter Mayle. The film tellsthe story of a successful businessmanwho inherits a vineyard in France after hisuncle dies. Upon returning to his lateuncles large estate, he recounts his daysas a young boy there and in-turn begins tore-evaluate his life. With performancesfrom Russell Crowe, Albert Finney andFreddie Highmore, the most obviousquestion here is why werent any actingnominations bestowedamong thesethree talentedand versatilea c t o r s ?F u r t h e r -more, thefilms coun-tryside set-ting in thesouth ofFrance is sovivid and live-ly that it almostbecomes a char-acter itself, notto mention awould-be shoe-in for best cin-ematog-raphy.In thep a s t ,films

likeA Good Year haveoften been embraced by the Academy. Itsabsence is yet another sign that todaysvoters prefer smaller-scaled films dealingwith social issues.

It is unclear how a film is chosen toreceive the highest honor in TinselTown. Some believe it is through endlesscampaigning, while others insist it ispure taste that can lead to taking home agolden guy. However defining a goodmovie has nothing to do with how manynominations it receives for any award.While some of the years best films willbe honored at the ceremony on Feb. 25,the real winners will be the movie audi-ences who find pleasure and joy in a filmsimply because they thought it wasgood.

By FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American

February 15, 2007 NEWS Page 11

SACS continued from page 1

RATHER continued from page 1 PERCENT continued from page 1

proves that the institution has continued

to improve.

During the off-campus review,

UTPA met 66 out of 76 criteria set forth

for accreditation. Of the 10 criteria not

met, three dealt with the universitys

financial report. Another two dealt with

the Starr County campus.

Additional documentation was

requested for institutional outcome

assessment, how technology enhanced

student learning, how the institution

measured students progress in the core

curriculum, information about independ-

ent graduate learning and supplemental

data for 50 faculty members teaching

classes for credit.

A QUALITY PLANKaren Watt, professor in educa-

tional leadership, has been serving as

project director for the QEP, a document

outlining how the university plans to

improve student learning. In particular,

it targets three freshman-level math

courses that have been found to have

high failure rates.

Both Turk and Watt said it was

important students were familiar with

the QEP because it is the main issue the

accreditation team will be looking at

during their visit.

The QEP is something that we

need to make sure that students are affect-

ed by because everyone has to take those

gatekeeper (core) courses, Watt said.

The process to create the QEP orig-

inally began in fall 05, with preliminary

studies and surveys of university needs.

Project members were asked to

identify an area affecting the quality of

learning that could show improvement

within five to 10 years. The project team

looked at the top 10 courses with high

failure rates.

Since the three math courses were

at the top, we thought we needed to really

look into this and see how we can make

teaching and learning better, Watt said.

Especially alarming was the num-

ber of first-generation Hispanic students

failing core math courses. Failure rates

as high as 78 percent were noted for

first-generation students. Overall, the

rates were as high as 62 percent for those

freshman-level courses.

The student learning objectives, part

of the QEP, are those statements com-

monly found on syllabi that say what a

student should get out of a certain course.

The QEP doesnt focus on the con-

tent of the math courses; it shows the

process whereby the university will

implement initiatives to improve student

learning.

Watt has been the leader of an

interdisciplinary team with a representa-

tive from each college selected to give

their input for the QEP.

The largest challenge has been

coordinating all of the ideas and all of

the input from everyone to create the

document (the QEP), get it ready and

send to the SACS external review team,

she said.

PILOT PLANNINGChad Richardson, a sociology pro-

fessor, has been helping to write up the

pilot project dealing with the gatekeeper

math courses, as part of the SACS

accreditation process. In particular,

Richardson has used his specialty in

sociology to help identify the needs of

first-generation Hispanic students and a

description of the local community.

It was intended mainly for first-

generation students because we found

that their passing rates in those college

math courses were much lower than the

rest of the student population,

Richardson said. A lot of them who

dont pass drop out of the university. Its

retaining students by helping them get

past the math courses.

Starting in the fall, only eight sec-

tions of the first math course will be

offered. Beginning in 2008, all three

math courses will be offered and the

project will be in full swing.

Richardson said one of the most sig-

nificant changes would be to divide the

courses into modules so that students who

failed a math course would only need to

retake the modules he or she did not pass,

rather than retaking the entire class.

Other interventions include four

hours of classroom instruction, three

hours of interaction with the professor

and use of co-operative teaching.

WAITING GAMEThe final version of the QEP will

be sent to print within the next few days.

Between now and April, the campus

SACS committees will be spreading the

word about the QEP to the rest of the

university.

All of us are hoping that the initia-

tives we put in place will actually

improve student performance, Watt

said. Weve been talking about it for a

couple of years. Now seeing the plan in

place will be interesting.

UTPA should receive feedback

about the status of receiving accredita-

tion but will not have an official

response until December.

Individuals interested in learning

more can visit http://sacs.utpa.edu/QEP.

Among the problems bringing this

issue to the foreground is the fact that

because of the rule, Texas flagship

schools such as Texas A&M University

and The University of Texas-Austin have

a progressively smaller percentage of

slots available for students who were not

in the top ten percent of a Texas high

school class.

In the last four years, top 10 per-

cent admittances to UT have gone from

30 percent of the incoming class to 70

percent. These statistics have some wor-

ried that should the trend continue, there

would be a time when the entire incom-

ing class would be composed of these

students.

Under the current law, those

within the top ten percent are admitted

by high school grade-point average,

despite SAT/ACT scores. This means

that grades are the determining factor,

though it has long been suggested that

the top 10 percent at an academically

excellent school is a bit different than

the top 10 percent at other schools

with lower performance.

As for The University of Texas-Pan

American, McMillan said the number of

students admitted based on the top ten

percent law has never been a problem.

Last semester, 508 out of the 2,845

entering freshman were in the top ten

percent of their high school class.

Im not overly concerned from

UTPAs standpoint, McMillan said. I

wish we did have the problem of the top

ten percent taking our slots.

However, McMillan said should

legislation pass that eliminates the law,

UTPA could see advantages, particularly

regarding the traditional brain drain of

top area kids heading upstate.

We might reap the benefit of stu-

dents that could have gone on to other

public institutions, but because they did-

nt get in, they may decide to stay here,

he said. It could result in UTPA getting

top-notch students we may have never

gotten before, like those in the seventh or

eight percentile.

Yet, some high school students cur-

rently in the top ten percent of their class

fail to see the possible benefits.

I think its not fair. Those graduat-

ing from one high school may have it

easier to be in the top ten percent of the

class than the other, depending on class

size and the academic strength of the

school, said Laura Gonzalez, a senior in

the top ten percent at Valley Christian

High School in Brownsville.

McMillan added that UTPA wants

to focus on continuing to meet the grow-

ing demand for better higher education

with more opportunities for incoming

students.

When legislature mandates a rul-

ing, we have to react to it. Multiple bills

passed based on class rank will probably

change our admissions policy, he said.

Right now a committee is reviewing it.

We want to focus on raising the bar, by

continuing to raise our ACT score

requirements.

State Rep. Aaron Pena said the cur-

rent law has served its purpose and any

decision to overturn it should be

approached with careful consideration

and be well thought out.

I think the plan has done a pret-

ty good job of addressing some his-

toric under representation of minority

students in higher education without

resorting to the use of quotas, Pena

said.

Joey Cortez/The Pan AmericanMOB SCENE - UTPA police hold back audience members who swarmed Dan Rathers car after his speech Tuesday.

something that is important for the pub-

lic to needin which, someone, some-

where, often in a power position, doesnt

want you to know, he said.

Rather added that the importance

of reporting real news is immeasurable,

and no one understands that better than

those who are trying to keep it away

from the public.

Unfortunately, the small minority

of people who have something to lose

often understand this better than the great

majority of people who stand to gain from

the truth being told, he said. Thats why

they have and will continue to go to great

lengths to manipulate the news.

During the 2004 presidential cam-

paign, Rathers own ability to report the

news was put into question after his pro-

gram ran a false report about President

George Bushs military record. He said

when a reporter comes under fire for how

they report, there is one thing they can do.

If youre going to be a reporter of

integrity and independence, I think the

only attitude you can take is to keep on

keeping on, while always keeping in

mind no one does it perfectly, he said.

And, certainly, I have not.

However, he said reporting, though

flawed, is necessary.

This countrys founders put free-

dom of the press in the First Amendment

of the Bill of Rights not because they

loved reporters, he said. They put free-

dom of the press right after freedom of

religion because they understood that

without it, the democratic experience...

didnt have a chance.

YEAR TO WATCHIn his nearly 24 years at CBS News,

Rather reported on several wars, both

political and literal. During his recent

visit to Afghanistan, Rather said he came

across what he calls a forgotten war.

Afghanistan is not Iraq. It has a

different history, a different culture and

different people, he explained.

Rather added that this year will be

defining for the United States.

If Im correct in my judgment, and

I may not be since Im often wrong,

2007 will be a particularly bloody and

expensive year in Afghanistan, he said.

However, I believe there is always

cause for optimism especially in this

country, the history of which is filled

with examples of adversity and obstacles

overcome.

Rather added that the future of the

country will depend on not just the

upcoming presidential election, but what

Americans choose to hear during it.

So as these great issues of

America and the world are debated, I ask

you to remember to consider your news

sources while asking yourself who

stands to gain from any particular view

point and why, he said. Dont become,

as many of us journalists have, too afraid

to ask the tough questions.

The final speaker of the series,

Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons

inspector, is scheduled for April 5.

NEWS February 15, 2007

offer on-the-job training to workers so

the increase could have a negative

impact.

Kochs only worry is that if mini-

mum wage were to go up she thinks that

companies would find a way to raise

prices in their products and that the

economy would experience a downfall.

James Eugene Garverick, a UTPA

professor of accounting, agreed, saying

he thinks most people already make over

minimum wage due to supply and

demand in the marketplace, adding that

he believes the only effect this bill would

have would be inflationary.

I think the biggest ramifications

will be to make politicians look good,

more than economic ramifications, said

Garverick.

However, John Bokina, a professor

in the political science department, says

that based on past minimum wage increas-

es, the effect on inflation will be minimal.

Would it possibly have an increase

in the cost of goods and services? Yeah,

a little, but nothing dramatic, Bokina

said. Its compensated by the fact that

people will have enhanced buying power

and they can purchase more goods and

services.

Bokina believes there will be bene-

fits to both workers and businesses, saying

that when workers have more buying

power, the buy more from the businesses.

In addition, Garverick said he does-

nt think the increase in minimum wage

will be a total benefit to society, saying it

might have an adverse effect on health

care and company benefits.

However, Pagan said whatever the

effect; it should be felt full-force locally.

The Valley has one of the lowest

average wage rates in the country so, if

there is going to be an impact, we should

feel it here more than almost anywhere

else in the United States, Pagan said.

Department of Educations National

Center for Education Statistics.

Laura Salas, a graduate student in

the business program at The University

of Texas-Pan American, took out loans

to pay for her bachelors degree at Our

Lady of the Lake University in San

Antonio.

I didnt think about the cost as

much as I should have, Salas said, but

it definitely made a difference when I

was looking into graduate school.

Salas graduated from OLLU with a

degree in social work and about $40,000

in student loans.

I know I will be able to pay off my

debt, but it is still going to take 10 to 15

years before I am done, she said.

Hinojosa, a graduate of UTPA, said

while he never had to take loans to achieve

his business degree, things have changed.

I will admit, I did not have to take

out any loans to pay for college, but it

was much cheaper when I was in

school, said Hinojosa. [Back then]

$3,000 could get you through the year.

Now it is four times that.

Hinojosa recognizes the need for

more help in affordability and said the

new measure is a big step in helping stu-

dents solve the affordability puzzle,

which includes academic preparation

and financial aid options.

William Morley, assistant director

of student financial services, wants to

make certain all current and prospective

students become aware of the changes.

In an effort to do so, he will be sharing

the information with students in public

schools across the Valley throughout the

month of February, which is Financial

Aid Awareness Month.

During the month, staff members

from Student Financial Services plan to

visit elementary, middle and high

schools explaining the importance of

higher education.

Our purpose is to help get the

world out about financial aid, Morley

said. We want to emphasize that college

is a possibility, no matter what your fam-

ilys income status.

In addition, Hinojosa said one of

his main priorities is making sure educa-

tion is not left behind when the national

budget is finalized.

While alternative funding options

are always preferred, Hinojosa said if

loans are the only option to pay for edu-

cation, they should be taken advantage of.

It may take years [to pay them

off], but the benefits are worth the wait,

he said.

LOAN continued from page 3

MINIMUM continued from page 3

HOUSING continued from page 3different from anything else on campus,

Martin said. It will be a self-governed

residence hall.

Troxel Hall residents will be able to

have their pods painted in the color of

their choice and have the option of

replacing existing furniture with their

personal selections, both features not

offered at other residence halls.

It sounds like a cool idea, but there

would have to be certain rules so that there

wouldnt be any type of chaos even though

its going to be self-governed, said Hector

De Leon, a junior biology major.

Martin assured that each pod will

be able to apply their own rules within

the dorm community, though state and

federal regulations would still have to be

met. Each organization will also have

their own office and rooms will be avail-

able on each floor where groups can

invite speakers or hold meetings.

Another appealing features accord-

ing to Martin are 24-hour visitation and

the option of residence during holidays.

For anyone that is planning to live

on campus, this is the perfect opportuni-

ty to be more engaged with university

life, Chavez said. I totally encourage

students to apply for organization hous-

ing. If it wouldve been available when I

first came to Pan Am, I definitely

wouldve been part of it.

Students interested in being part of

this new project can apply starting March

1 at the Residence Life office, located in

UC 315.

With organization housing we

hope to see positive changes in regards to

life on campus, and possibly create a bet-

ter college experience for UTPA stu-

dents, said Martin.

Fast Eddies BilliardsIs now hiring for

Waitstaff, bartender,and hostess at the

McAllen and EdinburgLocation

400 Nolana St. G, McAllen815 N. Closner, Edinburg

15-minute break in between classes and

an activity period every day.

Yazmin Gonzalez, a junior English

major from McAllen, said she would

welcome the changes.

I love the idea of not having to

come to school the whole week,

Gonzalez said. And I like the 15-minute

break because it gives me extra minutes

to smoke a cigarette.

John Emery, dean of the College of

Business Administration and chair of the

task force, said many professors feel this

schedule is the route to take.

Most instructors, not all, feel that

a 75-minute class format is more effi-

cient. You only have to take roll and get

everyone settled in and once you get into

the material, it works a lot better, he

said. There are some exceptions.

Professors that teach mathematics feel

that shorter classes but more frequent

classes work a little better.

In addition, Emery said the new

schedule could help alleviate parking

headaches around campus for the univer-

sitys 16,253 students as some students

would prefer a MW schedule, while oth-

ers would want a TR.

Emery added that at certain times,

the university only uses a little over 50

percent of its available classroom space.

Better spacing out of classes time-wise

would make use more efficient.

When we ask the Legislature to

support us for a new facility theyre

going to say, Well, how much are you

using? so the more you use them the

stronger your case is to get a new

building and things like that, said

Emery.

However, the new schedule would

not be without its drawbacks. According

to McMillan, students who prefer to sign

up for early morning classes to end their

day early may find themselves in a bind,

as this new system has more afternoon

than morning classes.

We know that its not always

possible for students to get all their

classes between eight and noon

Monday through Friday, he said.

Theres going to be times where after-

noon classes are going to be required,

but we can do some things to try to help

in that regard.

McMillan added that the new

schedule could hurt student involve-

ment, one of the universitys biggest

goals.

Concerns that we have would be for

instance the students in the residence halls.

If they were through with their classes on

Thursday the residence hall would just be

vacant on the weekends, said McMillan.

Were trying to encourage student

engagement and student activities within

the residence halls but if all the students

leave every weekend that would work

against us in trying to encourage that sort

of student engagement.

The Student Government

Association is in charge of communicat-

ing the students feelings on the propos-

al. E-mail reader opinions to members at

[email protected].

The academic deans are already

surveying their people and weighing

options; they will report back to the

Provost/Vice President for Academic

Affairs Paul Sale.

If the schedule is approved,

changes may take place as early as fall

2008.

SCHEDULE continued from page 3

Q Increasing the minimumwage will force employers tothink twice about hiring newworkers.

- Jose Paganprofessor of economics

On Friday, 23 members of the men and womens track teams posted

personal records at the University of Houston/RunSport All-Comers Track

Meet.

Liliana Cavazos took first place with a leap of 39-3 1/4 in the triple jump,

also earning third place in the school record books. Carolina Izaguirre took

first in the 3,000 meters, finishing with a time of 10:45.64. Omar Doria, of

Edinburg North, was first in the mile with a time of 4:24.87.

Claudia Lopez hit a 37-11 and tied for second in the triple jump. Edinburg

native Rose Escovedo finished fourth in the 3,000-meter. Sara Rodriguez of

Pharr finished two spots behind her. Vanessa Brown took home second and

third in the 200- and 400-meter races, respectively.

Ashlon Martin was fifth and seventh in the 400-meter and 200-meter,

respectively. Amanda Ferris took third place accolades in the weight throw,

while the distance medley team of Sonya Rivera, Shardae Bey and Lizet

Garcia notched a third-place finish.

Gilroy Martinez finished third in the one-mile race, senior Will Littleton

was second in the high jump and Sal Gonzalez was third in the pole vault.

Scott Miller was sixth in the weight throw, Luis Nava was third in the

3,000-meter race and Angel Ramirez finished ninth in the same event.

Wally Gonzalez finished fourth in the 800-meter run. He was also part of the

distance medley team with Doria and Ruben Cantu, helping it take second

place.

The outdoor season begins March 3 in Laredo.

The Pan American

I wasunable to goto the basket-ball game thisweekend, andmuch to mydismay, ourboys in greenand orangewere edgedout 81-76.The loss

ended their 10-game dominance of homecourt. Now, had this game been played onmy game console, the outcome most cer-tainly would have been different.

Anyone familiar with the CollegeHoops franchise for the Sony PlayStation2 will know that in the game options,there are sliders that help determine thedifficulty level of the game. Now, mostdays, Ill leave the settings as they are andlose graciously. But there are just somegames that you cant lose. Especially ifyoure trying to win a bid for the BigDance in March.

So, lets say Im losing by, oh, I dontknow, 19 points with 5:23 left to go.

See that slider that controls 3-pointaccuracy? Normally it sits at the mid-pointof the bar.

Not when Im down by that muchwith so little time to go. 3-point accuracybar, meet 100 percent!

Now, watch as Colin Lien hits a tri-fecta from way behind the arc. Watch BrianBurrell knock down threes while fadingaway from two defenders.

Watch as that 19-point deficit fadesaway and becomes a 30-point blowout.

Take that, Texas A&M! Bow down tomy might, Florida.

You readers might say I have nohonor. But at least the Broncs are stillundefeated in my book.

Yet, when all is said and done andUTPA has won five straight national titles,reality sets back in. No matter how much Ihumiliate powerhouse teams in the game,the truth remains that we lost our first homegame. Of course, the season is far fromover.

The team will be finishing the seasonon the road. If the prior results of the sea-son are any indication, the teams we aregoing to face will be easily handled with noproblems.

So here Utah Valley State, we giveyou this one win on our court. Becausewere coming to dominate on yours.

Please send all comments, questionsand cheat codes to [email protected].

February 15, 2007 SPORTS Page 13

ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS

Im a dirty cheater

By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American

Track and field teams continue to improveBroncs preparing for outdoor season

BaseballFeb. 11

McNeese at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Texas-Pan American 9, McNeese 7

R H ETexas-Pan American 101 160 00X 9 9 2McNeese 102 300 001 7 11 4

Conrad, Ropp (4), Frantz (7), Smith (9) and Hulett; Cisper, Smolen (3), Silva (7), Davilla (9) and Flores. W-Smolen (1-0); L-Conrad(0-1); S-Davila (2). 2B: McNeese-Becker; Texas-Pan American-Gonzalez, Flores, Brooks, Bourn. HR-Kingrey.

Texas-Pan American 4-3, McNeese 0-3

Feb. 10

Cal State Northridge at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Cal State Northridge 5, Texas-Pan American 3

R H ECal State Northridge 030 000 011 5 11 3Texas-Pan American 001 200 000 3 7 1

Jolicoeur, Haderlein (9) and Parham; Linder, Guajardo (5), Mancini (8), Davila (8) and Flores. W-Jolicoeur (2-0); L-Davila (0-1); S-Haderlein (1). 2B: Cal State Northridge-Traynum, Kasarjian, Parham; Texas-Pan American-Brooks. 3B: Cal State Northridge-Reed.

Cal State Northridge 6-2, Texas-Pan American 3-3

Feb. 9

Illinois-Chicago at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Texas-Pan American 2, Illinois-Chicago 1

R H ETexas-Pan American 000 001 001 2 8 0Illinois-Chicago 000 000 001 1 6 0

Peterson, Davis (8) and Whinery; Wymer, Silva (9), Davila (9) and Flores. W-Wymer (2-0); L-Peterson (0-1); S-Davila (2). 2B: Illinois-Chicago-Flores. 3B: Illinois-Chicago-Gempp Jr.

Texas-Pan American 3-2, Illinois-Chicago 0-1

Mens BasketballFeb. 10

Utah Valley State at Texas-Pan American (Edinburg)Utah Valley State 81, Texas-Pan American 76

Utah Valley State (17-7)Peterson 1-2 1-2 3, Bailey 3-5 5-7 12, Heck 7-11 4-6 23, Brady 1-3 1-2 3, Brown 2-3 1-2 5, Olsen 0-1 0-0 0, Toolson 6-11 3-3 17, Troyer

3-6 0-2 6, Walker 5-7 2-4 12, Ravenberg 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 28-49 17-29 81.

Texas-Pan American (12-11)Stoll 7-10 4-7 23, Burrell 6-11 2-2 17, Shankle 2-3 1-2 6, Trader 2-4 4-5 8, Allgood 3-5 0-0 0, Puente 0-0 0-0 0, Edwards 0-0 0-2 0,

Chatman 0-2 0-0 0, Robinson 0-0 0-0 0, Lien 4-5 7-10 16. Totals 24-40 19-29 76.

Halftime-Utah Valley State 34-32. 3-Point Goals- Utah Valley State 8-20 (Peterson 0-1, Bailey 1-3, Heck 5-7, Olsen 0-1, Toolson 2-5,Troyer 0-3) Texas-Pan American 9-20 (Stoll 4-7, Burrell 3-8, Shankle 1-2, Chatman 0-2, Lien 1-1). Fouled Out-Olsen. Rebounds-Utah ValleyState 26 (Heck 7) Texas-Pan American 24 (Burrell 9). Assists-Utah Valley State 12 (Olsen 3) Texas-Pan American 12 (Stoll 3). Total Fouls-Utah Valley State 25, Texas-Pan American 23. A-1,450.

Womens BasketballFeb. 10

Texas-Pan American at Utah Valley State (Shurian Family AC in Orem, Utah)Utah Valley State 75, Texas-Pan American 54

Texas-Pan American (10-15)Gray 3-8 2-2 8, Daniel 1-4 3-7 5, Vaughn 1-4 0-0 2, Garrett 0-2 1-2 1, Grigsby 3-13 2-5 8, Wilson 4-4 0-0 11, Jones 1-5 0-0 2, Freeman

1-1 0-0 3, Kostacky 0-1 0-0 0, Winfrey 0-4 0-0 0, Jean 4-8 2-2 10, Schneider 0-0 2-2 2, Ramirez 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-55 12-20 54.

Utah Valley State (12-11)Marvin 6-15 8-11 24, Fairbanks 9-16 8-9 27, Grimm 3-9 2-2 8, Peterson 0-7 0-0 0, Beaman 1-2 0-0 2, McMurray 3-5 1-1 9, Ahlstrom

0-1 0-0 0, Smith 1-2 1-2 3, Nakayama 0-3 0-0 0, Schott 0-0 0-0 0, Cornejo 1-2 0-0 2, Reynolds 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 20-25 75.

Halftime-Utah Valley State 38-30. 3-Point Goals-Texas-Pan American 4-11 (Gray 0-1, Vaughn 0-1, Grigsby 0-2, Wilson 3-3, Freeman1-1, Winfrey 0-2, Jean 0-1) Utah Valley State 7-20 (Marvin 4-7, Fairbanks 1-3, Peterson 0-5, McMurray 2-3, Nakayama 0-2). Rebounds-Texas-Pan American 38 (Daniel, Grigsby 6) Utah Valley State 41 (McMurray 8). Assists-Texas-Pan American 10 (Gray, Grigsby, Jones,Winfrey 2) Utah Valley State 19 (Marvin 5). Total Fouls-Texas-Pan American 16, Utah Valley State 19. A-301.

Mens TennisFeb. 10

Texas-Pan American 5Hardin-Simmons 2

SinglesIvan Avila, UTPA, def. Ryan Waters, Simmons, 7-5, 7-6Gary Bianco, UTPA, def. Wade Morgan, Simmons, 6-2, 6-0David Lopez-Heredia, UTPA, def. Justin Lockbay, Simmons, 7-5,7-6Shashank Vij, UTPA, def. Samuel Miers, Simmons, 6-3, 6-0

DoublesIvan Avila and Nirvick Mohinta, UTPA, def. Doug Eckstein andWade Morgan, Simmons, 8-1Shashank Vij and Gary Bianco, UTPA, def. Samuel Miers andWes Kidd, Simmons, 8-6

Texas-Pan American 5Abilene Christian 1

Lamar 4Texas-Pan American 0

Womens TennisFeb. 10

Texas State 4Texas-Pan American 3

SinglesJulia Cirne-Lima, UTPA, def. Andrea Giraldo, State, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0Megan Bedeau, UTPA, def. Sumarie Muller, State, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4Silke Buksik, UTPA, def. Ali Gulida, Texas State, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3Ashley Ellis, State, def. Giana Oliveira, UTPA, 6-1, 6-1Lainy Chafitz, State, def. Stephanie Willerding, UTPA, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2Mackenzie Farmer, State, def. Nicole Garcia, UTPA, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

DoublesMegan Bedeau and Silke Buksik, UTPA, def. Ashley Ellis andMackenzie Farmer, State, 8-6Lainy Chafitz and Andrea Giraldo,State, def. Giana Oliveira andJulia Cirne-Lima, UTPA, 8-4Sumarie Muller and Ali Gulida, State, def. Stephanie Willerdingand Nicole Garcia, UTPA, 8-5

February 15, 2007 SPORTS Page 15

The University of Texas-PanAmerican produced more than twowins in three days during the weekendin the Citrus Tournament held atEdinburg Baseball Stadium. Four

Broncs earned spots on the All-Tournament team.

Catcher Osiel Flores made theteam with a .385 batting average,compiling five hits in 13 at-bats. Thesenior produced a double againstMcNeese State, which brought in twoteammates and a 9-7 victory.

Abraham Garcia had five hitsduring the tournament, producing a.556 batting average. The sophomorescored a run against McNeese Stateand produced four hits in six trips tothe plate in the games against Illinois-Chicago and Cal State Northridge.

Junior outfielder Roly Gonzalez

scored five runs for the Broncs. In thegame against McNeese State, he scoredthree times and had three RBIs.

Bronc hurler Josh Wymer wasalso honored. The freshman accumulat-ed eight innings without a run andnotched a win for his efforts. Heallowed a .167 batting average in help-

ing the Broncs attain a 2-1 record. Inaddition, Wymer was also selected asthe Division I Independent Pitcher ofthe Week.

On a down note, the Broncs gotflattened, 19-0, Tuesday to even theirrecord at 4-4 heading into a three-games series at Texas A&M this week.

By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American

Baseball players earn honors for performance

The climb toward success for TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American menand womens tennis teams has been arocky one, but one they hope will ulti-mately succeed.

Since the time he decided to take thereigns of the UTPA tennis program, headcoach Ron Hubbards dream was to takethe program back to its glory days of the1960s and 70s. To accomplish his goals,he planned to beef up recruiting efforts,and step up the level of competition. Bothteams have opened up against some verystrong opponents this season, leading toclose losses and hard-fought victories.

The teams are evolving. Theyvestarted with highly ranked teams, and ithas certainly helped us some, saidHubbard, once a Bronc standout in thesport, back in the 70s.

After starting the spring season

Documents

February 15, 2007