February 23, 2012

Finishing StrongPage 10

ONLI

NE

Broncs look to keep winning streak alive on the road

the

Volume 68, No. 19 February 23, 2012

panamericanonline.com

ROTC: The Bronc Battalion A documentary

by The Pan American

Page 11

Page 4

Mike McCarthy’s path to UTPA and success

Second Home

Page 9

Famous Oscar Mayer vehicle comes to UTPA

Page 8

Actors mold personas for stage

Transforming

Weinermobile

DEBT-ONATEChanges to student loans expected next fall

tweets

Ashley Leal walked across the stage at the McAllen Convention Center to accept her degree in anthropology from UTPA in De-cember. She hadn’t even left the building or taken off her cap and gown before she started to think about finding a job, any job.

Surely there would be em-ployment out there, she thought out loud. Perhaps one of the local museums or libraries could use a new anthropologist. Maybe she could work at an office or school. Her options felt limitless with a diploma in hand.

One thing was certain: she was running out of time to help

her family pay the monthly bills. The work and sacrifice it took to get that piece of paper would need to manifest itself in the form of a career and income, to make the last five years of her life worth it.

Two months, an updated re-sume and dozens of applications later, my wife has not found a steady job. If not for my GI Bill and the little money I make at The Pan American, it would be impossible to pay our bills.

Ashley graduated with 1.7 million other Americans in 2011. Like them, she is trying to find her way into a workforce that is struggling with an unemploy-ment rate of 8.3 percent and a job creation rate that is just recover-

ing from the “Great Recession.”As I close in on my gradu-

ation date, I have to wonder

about the possibility of having two unemployed people in our whousehold.

It would seem that the days when all a person needed to be successful was a college educa-tion have passed. Maybe it’s time to admit to ourselves that a piece of paper saying we went to school for four years isn’t enough.

In a four-part series, The Pan American will explore the issues facing students and graduates as they prepare for life after college. Which de-grees can get you a job sooner, to, how long it will take to pay off debt? We approach these topics with one overarching question in mind: what are we getting in exchange for our money and time?

The Pan American accepts let-ters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty re-garding recent newspaper con-tent, campus concerns or cur-rent events. We reserve the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We can-not publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to

[email protected].

Francisco Rodriguez / The Pan American

The Pan American is the official student newspaper of The Univer-sity of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writ-ers and do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or university.

Letters to the Editor

Delivery:Thursday at noon

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 665-2541

Fax: (956) 316-7122

Co-Editors-in-ChiEf: Reynaldo Leal Nadia Tamez-Robledo nEws Editor: Karen Antonacci sports Editor: Michael SaenzArts & LifE Editor: Norma GonzalezphotogrAphy Editor: Mac Peña dEsign Editor: Erick Gonzalez MuLtiMEdiA Editor: Pamela Morales AdvisEr:Dr. Greg SelberAdMinistrAtivE AssoCiAtE: Anita Reyes AdvErtising MAnAgEr: Mariel CantuwEbMAstErs: Jose Villarreal Selvino Padilla

thE pAn AMEriCAn

Vol. 68, No. 19

[email protected]

2 February 23, 2012 editorial

@jawslikesbiting everyone has rolling backpacks at #UTPA

Do you have a story idea? Tweet at us!

President Obama released his 2012 campaign playlist last week, featur-ing artists like Darius Rucker and Florence and the Machine. Goes to show that the right music can make the man, or in this case, the president.Wonder what Newt Gingrich lis-

tens to. Lady is a Tramp?In keeping up with the Command-er-in-Chief, The Pan American has also constructed the perfect playlist for production night.2 p.m.Words I Never Said (Lupe Fiasco)Start designing pages and laying stories. 3 p.m.James Brown (Cage the Elephant)4 p.m.Supermassive Black Hole (Muse)5 p.m.Gucci Gucci (Kreayshawn)6 p.m.Pandora Radio thinks we stopped listening. We haven’t.

7 p.m.What you know (Two Door Cin-ema Club)8 p.m. Big Poppa (Notorious B.I.G.)9 p.m.No idea why Jay-Z Radio started playing Marvin Gaye, but we like it.Sports Section Done.10 p.m. (Dub step time)Lights (Ellie Goulding)11 p.m.Monster (Kanye West)MidnightPor tu maldito amor (Vicente Fer-nandez)Arts and Life section done, and wishing we had some tequila.

1 a.m.Died in Your Arms Tonight (Cut-ting Crew)Spread is done. Think the ‘80s mu-sic affected the design.2 a.m. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)Finishing the front page.2:35 a.m.Baby Please Don’t Go (Them)Realized we’re missing an ad on page 12.2:50 a.m.Them Shoes (Patrick Sweany)Paper done... Peace out, homies. 3 a.m.Knife Party (Internet Friends)

-@xoxoTatiiana

- @ThePanAmerican

week 6

Production

Notes

I hate it when I log on to a comp. @ the COAS & 5 min later there’s a class.Y not put a schedule up so we know when classes are? #UTPA

-@Mars_LTP

cartoon

Is it worth it?opinion

Reynaldo LealCo-Editor-In-Chief

8.3 percent National unemployment rate

as of Jan. 1.

*Department of Labor

10.5 percent Latino unemployment rate

as of Jan. 1.

*Department of Labor

1.7 million Americans graduated from

college in 2011.

*Institute of Education Science

Photo of the week

Stu

dent

loan

aw

ard

rele

ase Senior year

Freshman year

Norma Gonzalez/The Pan American

Karen Villarreal /The Pan American

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano visited the U.S. Customs Border Patrol station on Feb. 21 to review border protection operations with law enforcement officials. Protesters gathered outside the station with signs, calling for immigration law reform. The activists left quickly when security for the business park across the street, where many of the protesters parked their cars, threatened to tow their vehicles.

the pan americanFebruary 23, 2012 Page 3

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The job market was a different place in 2009 when Raye Dickenson accepted her university diploma and became a ninth-grade teacher in McAllen. She was able to begin paying off the $20,000 in student loans her English degree left her with.

“I literally graduated and walked into a position,” the 25 year old said. “It was fantastic.”

The security didn’t last. Dickenson was among the first to lose her job when the district made personnel cuts in 2010.

She returned to UTPA last January to complete prerequisites needed to apply for the master’s in social work program next fall. She’s taken a work-study position, works minimum-wage jobs when she can, and is racking up more student loans in the process.

“[For] people who are working and trying to put themselves through school, we don’t have an option,” Dickenson said.

One positive was the subsidized loans she was offered. The government pays interest earned on those loans while Dickenson was enrolled at least part-time and up to six months after she graduates.

However, subsidized loans will no longer be an option for

Dickenson or any other graduate student next fall.

While making budget cuts last year, Congress eliminated subsidized loans for graduate students in order to maintain funding for the Pell Grant, said Jael Garcia, associate director of Student Financial Services. The

Pell program provides need-based financial aid to undergraduate students.

“When you put it that way, it was a decision they had to make,” Garcia said. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to afford the Pell Grant program.”

Eligible graduate students will still be able to borrow unsubsidized federal loans, which they are responsible for paying back with the interest that accumulates while they are in school. At a fixed rate of 6.8 percent, an unsubsidized loan of $5,000 will earn $340 in interest over the course of a year.

“From the graduate student perspective, for those that meet the definition of need, it was always better for them to get the subsidized loan, so it is going to be a big change,” Garcia said.

Monique Cano hopes to graduate with her clinical psychology master’s degree in August and avoid the change. She said the demands of her program - four classes, a 480-hour internship, counseling other students, and a graduate assistantship - made accepting subsidized loans a must.

“There are a lot of jobs that are not on the market even if you have a degree, so graduate school is becoming more and more of a necessity,” she said,

“and in order to finish graduate school in a timely fashion, full-time is the way to go.”

Cano, who saves money by living with her parents, plans to pay for summer classes out of pocket to avoid more loans. She hopes to pay off the $20,000 in student debt

she has borrowed since fall 2010 within a year of getting a job.

“As soon as I graduate – boom – interest starts,” she noted. “[Being] able to scrape any extra money for interest and loans, it’s just an added stress, and I think it’s really horrible that they’re doing away with it.”

UNDERGRAD IMPACTUTPA undergraduate students

who accept subsidized government loans next fall will see a change, as well - they’ll be borrowing at double the current interest rate. The 2007 law that gradually lowered subsidized Federal Stafford loan interest to 3.4 percent is set to expire in July, when interest will return to its 2008 rate of 6.8 percent.

“That’s crazy,” said junior Martin Cantu, who took out his first loan in the fall. “I would think twice before accepting that loan.”

Nationally, borrowers take out an average amount of $25,000 in loans. The new rate would cost the average borrower more than $2,000 annually in additional interest once they start paying back the money. Because the first UTPA summer semester begins before July 1, loans taken out for summer 2012 or earlier will not be affected.

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-McAllen, helped author the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. The law incrementally lowered the then-6.8 percent interest on subsidized loans every year until it reached its current rate.

“We should not be asking students and their families to

pay more on their student loan debt,” Hinojosa said regarding the impending increase.

He and Rep. George Miller of California sent a letter earlier this month urging Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, to amend the law and extend the lower interest rate before the change takes affect in July.

“Students should be emailing and writing letters and calling,” Hinojosa said, referring to Kline and other members of the committee. “It’s worth fighting for.”

While action on Congress’ part could halt the interest increase, Garcia said it is unlikely to matter.

“It’s rare for them to make last-minute changes,” she said. “I don’t foresee it going (back) to those low amounts because, at the federal government and the state government, they’ve been working on budget reductions, so then this is definitely one more thing they

have to consider in order to reduce (spending).”

PAY BACKDespite the additional

charges she will pay in the future, Dickenson said she doesn’t see a way around accepting loans. Combined with the money she still owes from a bachelor’s degree, she estimates that she will be $45,000 to $50,000 in debt upon graduation.

“It’s weird to say, but I was offended,” she said about the change. “I’m trying to make something of myself, and I feel like we’re being punished for it. I understand that the economy’s wonky right now and they’re doing what they can to make sure no one area is hurting too much, but I feel like there has to be a better way.”

(This is Part One of The Pan American’s four-part series on financial aid. Part Two will appear next week and will cover default prevention steps being taken by the University.)

By Nadia Tamez-RobledoThe Pan American

Subsidized loans to disappear for grad students, double in interest for undergrads

Years with loan

680 Toilet paper 4-packs at

$2.50

6,800 Ramen noodle meals at $0.25

65 Diaper

88-packs at $25.99

28 Video games at

$59.99

485.7 Gallons of gas

at $3.50

309 Pizzas at

$5.50 each

485 Cups of coffee

at $3.50

5-year plan: $34,737.32 total amountwith payments of $578.98 per month.


With an initial loan amount of $25,000 and a

6.8 percent interest rate, this is how much you will pay after five or 10 years.

4

6

5

7

3

2

1

College Cost Reduction and Access Act is

passedCollege Cost

Reduction and Access Act expires.

Lowest intrest rate.

Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

4

6

5

7

3

2

1


passedCollege Cost



Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

Years with loan


$2.50


65 Diaper

88-packs at $25.99

28 Video games at

$59.99


at $3.50

309 Pizzas at

$5.50 each

485 Cups of coffee

at $3.50





4

6

5

7

3

2

1


passedCollege Cost



Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

4

6

5

7

3

2

1


passedCollege Cost



Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

Years with loan


$2.50


65 Diaper

88-packs at $25.99

28 Video games at

$59.99


at $3.50

309 Pizzas at

$5.50 each

485 Cups of coffee

at $3.50





4

6

5

7

3

2

1


passedCollege Cost



Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

4

6

5

7

3

2

1


passedCollege Cost



Academic Year

6.86.8

5.6

4.5

3.4

6.8

What $1,700 could’ve bought

How $25k doubles at 6.8%


passed

College Cost Reduction and

Access Act expires.

6.8%

5.6%

4.5%

3.4%

6.8%

DEBT-ONATE4 February 23, 2012 news

5February 23, 2012news

New York Times columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman will lecture to students and commu-nity members at the Fine Arts Auditorium next week.

Friedman is the second fea-tured speaker in the 2011-2012 Distinguished Speaker Series. He will discuss ideas synony-mous with those expressed in his most recent book, “That Used to be Us.”

The book is about the dismal state of America and its interna-tional strategy in a post-Sept. 11 world. Friedman offers an opti-mistic solution on how the na-tion can act collectively for the common good.

“Our country is in a slow decline,” writes Friedman in his book. “Just slow enough for us to pretend – or believe – that a decline is not taking place.”

The foreign-policy thinker is regularly featured in the Times’

op-ed column. His work cov-ers domestic and foreign policy issues such as globalization, the war on terrorism, and why American jobs are moving over-seas. Many of these issues hit home for students seeking to explore political ground.

“I’m excited to hear about his ideas,” says junior Pablo Ale-man, a self-proclaimed political

junkie. “I find myself agreeing and disagreeing with him on what he has to say.”

Last semester, the series hosted an evening with poet and laureate Dr. Maya Angelou at the Fine Arts Auditorium in front of nearly 1,200 students and members of the community. Those attending got the oppor-tunity to listen to the renowned civil rights activist recite “Still I Rise” from Angelou’s third published book of poetry by the same name. “And Still I Rise” is a 1978 collection of poems about how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma.

The Distinguished Speakers Series, which is underwritten by student fees, is committed to providing influential speak-ers that share unique experiences and perspectives on topics such as world affairs, the environ-ment, and the arts.

“The events are a great in-spiration for students at UTPA,” says Irene Davila, an English

major and aspiring poet. “It is great that I got to bring my fam-ily and show them who I look up to.”

An evening with Larry King on April 3 will conclude the 2011-2012 Series. For 15 years, King hosted the popular CNN talk show “Larry King Live,” which boasted more than 1 mil-lion nightly viewers.

The Friedman lecture, which is free, is open to both students and the community. Due to limited seating, students will take precedence for admission. Doors will open at 7 p.m. to students, staff and faculty with a valid UTPA identification. The general public will be seated at 7:20 p.m.

If one doesn’t feel like leav-ing the confines of their living space at home or the dorm, the entire lecture will be available via online streaming video from the UTPA website (www.utpa.edu/live).

By David AlvaradoThe Pan American

New York Times columnist to address students and community on Wednesday

The Student Govern-ment Association discussed various technology issues in their meeting Friday.

In her report to the SGA, President Stephanie Corte spoke about a charging sta-tion slated for the Academic Services building.

The station would have slots for students to charge their mobile devices and cost about $2,000. The funds will come from student service fees stu-dents already pay for Informa-tion Technology, Corte said.

Corte also asked for the SGA’s opinion how the book-store should charge students for Microsoft software. The bookstore is considering mak-ing the software free for the first 30 days of a semester and then $50 after that, as opposed to the current steady $35 fee. The SGA chose to table the discus-sion until senators could talk with their constituents.

SGA meetings take place every Friday at 1 p.m. in EDU 1.502 and are open to the public.

Follow @ThePanAmerican on Twitter for live updates from the meetings.

Thomas Friedman

Distinguished speaker The French Club will be holding a meeting on Thursday at noon in COAS 309.

There will be a Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX) meeting on Tuesday at noon in UC 307.

There will be karaoke in the Student Union from 11 am to 2 and from 6:30 pm to 8:30 on Thursday.

Want a club event in the paper? Send an email to [email protected].

newsbriefs

UTPA administrators unveiled the official ring at the UTPA Homecoming Pep Rally. The ring was designed by UTPA jewelry designers. The ring will be available for pre-order starting Feb. 17.

Courtesy Photo

SGA Meeting Report

THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN February 23, 2012 February 23, 2012 Page 7Page 6

Long-distance relationships are hard. Factor in four people spread across nearly 2,500 miles, and it may seem like a miracle that rock group Lunch is still a band at all. The members, however, never had a doubt.

“I knew halfway through senior year of high school that we weren’t going to be together,” said singer/guitarist Prakhar Jain, a McAllen native who attends Texas A&M University. “But there was never a point where we said the band was split-ting up.”

Lunch had been together for four years when members graduated from the Science Academy of South Texas and the McAllen International Baccalaureate pro-gram in 2009. They spent the following summer playing shows around the Valley and at the White Rabbit in San Antonio. “That’s when we had the most steam going,” Jain recalls. “We were just on fire that summer.”

They received the shipment of their five-song EP, “Not If You Have A Couch,” only a week before Jain moved to College Station and bassist Roberto Mendez left for Seattle University in Washington state.“We finished it, and we all took off,” said guitarist Thomas Eubanks, a UTPA pre-med biology major. “Until now, we never saw it through. We need to see if we can make it.”

Lunch has a chance to finish what they started nearly two and a half years ago when they play at the Never Say Nev-er Music and Arts Festival at Mission’s Las Palmas Race Park in March. The band is almost certainly taking the main stage be-fore headlining acts Forever the Sickest Kids and Wiz Khalifa. “Unless we were famous, we would never get the chance to play on a stage that has speakers the size of mobile homes hanging from chains on an enor-mous 40-by-40 stage,” Eubanks said. As of Wednesday night, Eubanks had single-handedly sold 56 of the 75 event tickets the band needs to secure the cov-eted main-stage time slot. The Spring Break performance could put Lunch in front of thousands of concert-goers in ad-dition to national music acts. “When you’re playing the main stage,

a lot of other artists are standing around, and one of them could be a scout for the record label,” George Culberson, NSN festival coordinator, said. “If they catch an artist’s attention...they could potentially send a text to one of the record [represen-tatives] and say, ‘Hey, you need to keep an eye on these guys.’” Never Say Never is just the beginning of a larger effort by the band to give rock stardom one last chance. Mendez and Jain both plan to transfer to UTPA next fall, bringing the members back together for one year before Jain and Eubanks head to medical school.

“If we promote hard like we are now for one year after a big show like this [and] we don’t make it, then it would never hap-pen,” Eubanks said. “If we can’t make it in a year, then at least we know we saw it through.”

The conversation about the move be-gan over the winter break and necessitat-ed some soul-searching for Mendez, who has settled into his classes, found good roommates, and has a girlfriend.“Those have made the decision more complicated and bittersweet,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s kind crazy for me because I feel like I have some more sta-ble roots in Seattle. I feel like it’s the right decision, and an exiting one.”

BANDING TOGETHERLunch was the brainchild of Jain, Mendez, drummer Luis Torres and then-guitarist Juan Centurion. The original lineup formed in 2006, and Eubanks took Centurion’s place in 2008. Torres credits the band’s early for-

mation with their longevity, calling it a “a right-place-at-the-right-time kind of thing.”

“Out of the four years we were in high school, we were a band the whole time,” the 20-year-old said. “We all played our instruments before we got together. It’s an attraction we all have to creativity.” The group pulls its inspiration from pop-punk mainstays like Green Day, Blink-182 and Sum 41. “We’ve really shifted from punk rock to popular rock,” Eubanks said. “What it is, is classic riffs - like ACDC, the riffs that they play - used in pop music. So you have really crunchy guitar, really hard riffs but with extremely high energy.”Lunch will have three days to re-hearse before they perform, for the first time in more than a year, to thousands of concert-goers in a few weeks. That doesn’t bother Jain. “We’re just going to live at Thomas’ house and practice,” he said. “I feel like that’s enough for us to get our groove back again. I think it’s going to be our

best show yet, honestly.”The band’s set will consist of the five tracks from their EP and a two new origi-nal songs, “Brittney Isn’t Kidding” and “Karousel.”

“There’s no filler,” Jain said. “Every song on that CD has a purpose. If I were to illustrate our growth, it’s not an arrow, it’s a circle growing bigger and bigger.”Torres said he is trying to keep the magnitude of the performance out of his mind for now.

“It can get to be a lot of pressure, so I’m just distancing myself from the real-ity of the show,” he explained. “Just (fix-ing) the small problems and practicing as much as possible.” In addition to playing Never Say Nev-er, Lunch will release a continuation of their EP July 1. It will keep its predeces-sors name and will include the original five songs along with five new tracks. “We’re going to melt people’s faces off,” Jain promised. “This is a long time coming, and I’m so excited to get on that stage. I don’t know what’s going to hap-pen there, but I know we’re going to be ready to rock.”

Members of Valley band to reunite during

local festival for one last shot at fameMembers of Valley band to reunite during


local festival for one last shot at fame

We’re going to melt people’s

faces off.

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo

Design: Frank Rodriguez Erick Gonzalez Mario Lopez

- Prakhar Jain Singer/Guitarist

Frank Rodriguez Erick Gonzalez Mario Lopez


THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN February 23, 2012 February 23, 2012 Page 7Page 6

Long-distance relationships are hard. Factor in four people spread across nearly 2,500 miles, and it may seem like a miracle that rock group Lunch is still a band at all. The members, however, never had a doubt.

“I knew halfway through senior year of high school that we weren’t going to be together,” said singer/guitarist Prakhar Jain, a McAllen native who attends Texas A&M University. “But there was never a point where we said the band was split-ting up.”

Lunch had been together for four years when members graduated from the Science Academy of South Texas and the McAllen International Baccalaureate pro-gram in 2009. They spent the following summer playing shows around the Valley and at the White Rabbit in San Antonio. “That’s when we had the most steam going,” Jain recalls. “We were just on fire that summer.”

They received the shipment of their five-song EP, “Not If You Have A Couch,” only a week before Jain moved to College Station and bassist Roberto Mendez left for Seattle University in Washington state.“We finished it, and we all took off,” said guitarist Thomas Eubanks, a UTPA pre-med biology major. “Until now, we never saw it through. We need to see if we can make it.”

Lunch has a chance to finish what they started nearly two and a half years ago when they play at the Never Say Nev-er Music and Arts Festival at Mission’s Las Palmas Race Park in March. The band is almost certainly taking the main stage be-fore headlining acts Forever the Sickest Kids and Wiz Khalifa. “Unless we were famous, we would never get the chance to play on a stage that has speakers the size of mobile homes hanging from chains on an enor-mous 40-by-40 stage,” Eubanks said. As of Wednesday night, Eubanks had single-handedly sold 56 of the 75 event tickets the band needs to secure the cov-eted main-stage time slot. The Spring Break performance could put Lunch in front of thousands of concert-goers in ad-dition to national music acts. “When you’re playing the main stage,

a lot of other artists are standing around, and one of them could be a scout for the record label,” George Culberson, NSN festival coordinator, said. “If they catch an artist’s attention...they could potentially send a text to one of the record [represen-tatives] and say, ‘Hey, you need to keep an eye on these guys.’” Never Say Never is just the beginning of a larger effort by the band to give rock stardom one last chance. Mendez and Jain both plan to transfer to UTPA next fall, bringing the members back together for one year before Jain and Eubanks head to medical school.

“If we promote hard like we are now for one year after a big show like this [and] we don’t make it, then it would never hap-pen,” Eubanks said. “If we can’t make it in a year, then at least we know we saw it through.”

The conversation about the move be-gan over the winter break and necessitat-ed some soul-searching for Mendez, who has settled into his classes, found good roommates, and has a girlfriend.“Those have made the decision more complicated and bittersweet,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s kind crazy for me because I feel like I have some more sta-ble roots in Seattle. I feel like it’s the right decision, and an exiting one.”

BANDING TOGETHERLunch was the brainchild of Jain, Mendez, drummer Luis Torres and then-guitarist Juan Centurion. The original lineup formed in 2006, and Eubanks took Centurion’s place in 2008. Torres credits the band’s early for-

mation with their longevity, calling it a “a right-place-at-the-right-time kind of thing.”

“Out of the four years we were in high school, we were a band the whole time,” the 20-year-old said. “We all played our instruments before we got together. It’s an attraction we all have to creativity.” The group pulls its inspiration from pop-punk mainstays like Green Day, Blink-182 and Sum 41. “We’ve really shifted from punk rock to popular rock,” Eubanks said. “What it is, is classic riffs - like ACDC, the riffs that they play - used in pop music. So you have really crunchy guitar, really hard riffs but with extremely high energy.”Lunch will have three days to re-hearse before they perform, for the first time in more than a year, to thousands of concert-goers in a few weeks. That doesn’t bother Jain. “We’re just going to live at Thomas’ house and practice,” he said. “I feel like that’s enough for us to get our groove back again. I think it’s going to be our

best show yet, honestly.”The band’s set will consist of the five tracks from their EP and a two new origi-nal songs, “Brittney Isn’t Kidding” and “Karousel.”

“There’s no filler,” Jain said. “Every song on that CD has a purpose. If I were to illustrate our growth, it’s not an arrow, it’s a circle growing bigger and bigger.”Torres said he is trying to keep the magnitude of the performance out of his mind for now.

“It can get to be a lot of pressure, so I’m just distancing myself from the real-ity of the show,” he explained. “Just (fix-ing) the small problems and practicing as much as possible.” In addition to playing Never Say Nev-er, Lunch will release a continuation of their EP July 1. It will keep its predeces-sors name and will include the original five songs along with five new tracks. “We’re going to melt people’s faces off,” Jain promised. “This is a long time coming, and I’m so excited to get on that stage. I don’t know what’s going to hap-pen there, but I know we’re going to be ready to rock.”

Members of Valley band to reunite during



local festival for one last shot at fame

We’re going to melt people’s

faces off.

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo

Design: Frank Rodriguez Erick Gonzalez Mario Lopez

- Prakhar Jain Singer/Guitarist



Coronation Ball

8 February 23, 2012 arts & life

It begins with a script. Then slowly the character builds within the body and mind, drawing on past experiences and emotions. It feeds off of others and eventually trans-forms a person until the final words have been spoken.

The final product of a play is merely the framed piece of art work that was once a blank can-vas. Each actor develops their character over time in order for the public to experience the play in the most realistic way

possible. They are not actors playing a role. They are the role.

“People have come and set apart, two to three hours, de-pending on the length of the show, to watch you,” junior and theater performance major Kate Dirrigl said. “So I feel like, as an actor, you owe it to them [the audience] to be that character.”

The theater students of UTPA all have their own ways of becoming their characters. For their upcoming perfor-mance in Arsenic and Old Lace, which opens Feb. 27 in the Al-bert Jeffers Theatre, the actors must channel personas from

the 1940s. “When I’m reading (the

script), I’m looking for inten-tions, I’m looking for charac-ter quirks,” 20-year-old Dirrigl explained. “If there’s anything that she does that I don’t do, I go and I research it.”

The play is a comedy about a drama critic who must deal with his two murderous, spin-ster aunts, a brother who be-lieves himself to be Teddy Roo-sevelt and another brother who seems to have escaped from a nuthouse and gotten plas-tic surgery performed by his drunken accomplice. Dirrigl’s role in Arsenic and

Old Lace is an innocent pastor’s daughter, Elaine Harper. One of Dirrigl’s techniques as an actress is trying to mimic her character’s movements in her everyday life.

“I might wake up in the morning and be like, ‘OK, I’m going to get ready in the way that Elaine would get ready,’” Dirrigl said. “So, yes, it’s me putting on my clothes and brushing my teeth, but I’m do-ing it in a manner that I feel Elaine would.”

After being tested out dur-ing rehearsals and approved by the director, the actors help to visually build their character for the audience through these mannerisms.

When an actor is given the role of a person very different from themselves, it requires a lot of studying other people. Ju-nior Gina Marie plays the role of Martha Brewster, an elderly woman.

“My grandma, I’ve been watching her. She’ll do some-

thing and I’ll stare at her and watch her, and I’ll mimic it just in my private room,” 24-year-old Marie said with a laugh. “I have to go and observe people around the same age group just to kind of see movements, like how they walk and stuff.”

Junior Kevin Cruz explains that it’s like “re-learning your-self.” It’s a process that actors continue to go through with ev-ery role they take on. Once they take the stage it is up to them to put on a believable performance for the audience.

“I enter and I’m Charlie, but by the time I’m putting on my makeup and it’s done, I’m slowly becoming that charac-ter,” senior Charlie Palacios ex-plained.

Even though it’s a process that takes time, transform-ing into another character is part of what they love about their work.

“It’s almost like getting to know someone without physi-cally meeting them, but you become them,” Palacios said.

Being able to escape into the mind of another person is often soothing for the actors. They try to provide that same escape for the audience as well.

“They (the audience) can take this two hour play and forget about their problems and kind of enjoy their time and just take a vacation from whatever it is that’s bothering them that day,” Marie said. “It’s a great feeling to be able to do that.”

Cruz explains that what he enjoys most about the Jef-fers theatre is that the audience and the stage are so close to each other. All the preparation put into the production and a character is done for the sake of the audience.

“The audience makes so much difference because now it’s not just you, but it’s also the energy the audience gives you,” Cruz said. “Every audience might not have seen this show so you want to make it the best experience for them as much as possible.”

Becoming the characterUTPA theater students transform

in Arsenic and Old Lace By Lea Victoria JuarezThe Pan American

Hold Still - Rosa Nichols, senior, patiently waits as Kate Dirrigl, junior, laces the back of her corset. Aresnic and Old Lace will premiere on Feb. 27th to the public.

Mac Peña/The Pan American

To watch the video

Visit our website panamericanonline.com Stephanie Corte, current SGA president, and Ohireime Eromosele are crowned 2012 homecoming king and queen by 2011 royals Erik Mar-tinez and Daniela Gonzalez. Students attended the University’s Corona-tion Ball Friday night, as part of the Homecoming week festivities.

“It’s amazing,” Corte said. “I can continue to do what I already love to do. Promote Bronc Pride.”

in tHe SpotligHt – The cast of Arsenic and Old Lace rehearse dry multiple times before dawning on their costumes and make – up, apart of their transformation. They will complete this metamorphosis when they start dress rehearsals a few days before the premiere.

Mac Peña/The Pan American

Oscar Mayer has a way with bologna, and of course, wieners on wheels. The Wienermobile, a 27-foot-long car shaped like a hot dog, made its way to Univer-sity grounds this week to promote more than cold-cut meats.

“Ketchup” Kiley Hodges and “Schnitzel” Itzel Cruz, a 2011 UTPA alumna, have driven the Wienermobile since last June as part of what Cruz calls, “marketing on wheels.”

“There are six wienermo-biles, two hotdoggers per vehicle, and we have a one-year contract with Oscar Mayer where we spread miles of smiles all over the country,” Hodges said.

The two girls also kept a video blog named “How do you feed the good side of life?” and recorded the responses of students who were willing to share their answers.

“It means, how do you make the most out of a bad situation?” explained Hodges to freshman Luis Ramirez, a member of the Tau

Kappa Epsilon fraternity. “We feed the good side of

life by holding fundraisers for St. Jude and promoting brotherhood,” Ramirez responded.

Oscar Mayer recruits new hot-doggers, or drivers, every year at a number of universities. An infor-mation session was held at UTPA Feb. 22, and all graduating seniors were welcome to attend.

Both Hodges and Cruz dis-cussed the opportunities their job has brought them.

“It will forever be my conver-sation starter,” Hodges said. “Some people see us as a travelling circus, which we are, we’re a spectacle. Kind of the point.”

Even the simple task of pump-ing gas is an adventure on the Wie-nermobile.

“People will be like, ‘What are you doing?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m pumping gas.’ Yep, we pump gas like everyone else,” Hodges ex-plained. “I like how everybody wants to talk to me. They don’t even know who I am, but people get excited when they see me wear-ing the polo, or in the Wienermo-bile, and they want to hear my

story. This is the kind of job where you can laugh at yourself.”

Cruz, a McAllen native, grad-uated in May 2011 from UTPA with a marketing degree. Her contract with Oscar Mayer began in June and she has since been to many places including Illinois, Florida and California, meeting numerous individuals in the mar-keting field.

“Just being on this job obvi-ously opens a lot of doors,” Cruz said. “Meeting people on the road who already know what this job entails and hearing them say ‘Hey, I would love to have you work for me.’ I didn’t even have to apply and I got a job offer, wow. It’s some-thing not a lot of people have done, people are going to ask you about it. There’s been more people in space than people who have driven the Wienermobile, that’s what I call a ‘bun fact.’”

One thing both hotdoggers could agree on, one of the best things about driving the Wiener-mobile has been the travelling. While Cruz was happy to be home and considered herself a “lucky dog” to be able to visit her home-

town twice since her job began, the Wienermobile has been to the New York Stock Exchange and driven over the Golden Gate Bridge. It has certainly taken her places.

“Its really hard to pick a fa-vorite because we get to go to a lot of cities,” Cruz said. “I’m trying to

figure out where I want to live af-ter this, and it’s really hard. It’s just amazing having the opportunity and being able to do all these things and meet all these people with all kinds of different stories. That’s what I enjoy most about this job.”

9February 23, 2012arts & lifeFiesta events

By Zaira AguilarThe Pan American

Wienermobile rolls into UTPA

Wienies - Kiley Hodges (left) and Itzel Cruz, two Oscar Mayer ambassadors, drive to UTPA to recruit new hotdoggers on Feb. 16.

Adrian Castillo/The Pan American

The City of Edinburg will kick off the 43rd annual Fiesta Edinburg at Edinburg Municipal Park Feb. 23. The four-day event will run through Feb. 26 and consist of a carnival, live music on two stages, arts and crafts and food from local vendors.

“Fiesta Edinburg has an Entertainment Committee that strives to assemble a lineup that offers a variety of music for all age groups,” said Ronnie Larralde, the Director of Marketing and Special Events for the City of Edinburg.

Parking will be $5. There is an entrance fee of $5 for adults, $3 for kids, and children 4 years old and under are free.

“Fiesta Edinburg is trying to attract people of all ages from, not only the Edinburg community, but the surrounding cities as well,” Larralde said.

While the annual celebration started for the City of Edinburg

becoming the county seat, it has turned into a city-wide bash where people go to enjoy a family atmosphere.

For more information, visit www.edinburg.com/fiesta.html.

By Vanessa GarzaThe Pan American

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They suffered 11 straight losses on the road, 12 double-digit defeats in all, and endured a 14-game span in which they only won three.

And still, this year’s version of the UTPA men’s basketball team has a few tests remain-ing in the next couple of weeks, despite already having passed many exams during Great West Conference play.

With 12:44 left in the Se-nior Night game against Chi-cago State Feb. 18, the Broncs saw themselves down 58-49 and the momentum they had build in the previous five games was in jeopardy.

But two layups by Jesus Del-gado (in one occasion, one plus the foul), two made free throws and a three-pointer by Brandon Provost quickly put the Broncs back on course. It sparked the team on a night when emotion nearly got the best of them. UTPA dug in when it counted

and started playing the style that had gotten them four wins, so far, in conference play. The Broncs went on to defeat the Cougars 74-70 and improved to 5-2 in GWC.

“The biggest thing for us is that we’re playing defense along with execution down the stretch,”

junior guard Aaron Urbanus said. “We lost a lot of games last year and earlier this year when we wouldn’t execute down the stretch. We were forcing some shots and turning the ball over, but now we’re the one’s up, not having to foul and knocking down our free throws.”

Defense was definitely an area that coach Ryan Marks wanted to

improve. Last year it was a con-cern throughout the season when the Broncs allowed 76 points per game. This season they have cer-tainly made the improvement, and only allowing 68 per contest has enabled them to win in more ways than one. That is the true test of a good team, the ability to win games ugly.

“I believe this is the best we’ve played since I’ve been at Pan Am,” Urbanus said. “Like I

said, we are doing the best job of executing down the stretch and playing defense. This is, by far, the best defensively we’ve played in this long of a stretch.”

The Broncs didn’t take their past two home wins in the pret-tiest of ways. They won against NJIT on Feb. 16 despite shooting only 38 percent from the field, and in the final home game of the

season (versus CSU) the Broncs shot 44 percent. In both contests UTPA was outshot percentage-wise by the opposition, but still found other ways to triumph.

They have defended their home court by going 4-1, beaten the bad teams and won in un-orthodox fashions. They are play-ing the best brand of basketball that UTPA has seen since the 2007-08 Broncs unit that won 18 games, and are winners of

four straight and six of eight. But perhaps the final and greatest test that will define the season will be the three-game road trip that closes the season, starting Satur-day in Utah at 8:05 p.m.

They open up against a team they fought until the end the first time around, but ultimately fell, 77-69. The Broncs gave first-place Utah Valley all they could handle, and then some. UTPA had the lead with four minutes left but the Wolverines put to-gether a rally after overcoming the foe’s best punches.

That was in the Field House. This time the Broncs will have to put up an even better fight in Orem, where the Wolverines have gone 12-2 this year. Utah Valley has owned the conference this sea-son with a perfect 7-0 record and has tallied an 18-victory campaign thus far. It will not be an easy task, but the Broncs don’t lack for con-fidence or momentum.

“Absolutely,” Urbanus said when asked if this team can beat Utah Valley in the rematch. “That’s the game we didn’t exe-cute down the stretch like we had been doing lately. We were up the whole game, and I didn’t make a shot at the end of that game. I put a lot of pressure on myself for the reason we lost, but we’re very confident that we can beat Utah Valley.”

10 February 23, 2012 sports

Upset-mindedBroncs head to Utah for crucial rematch

It may have taken much of the season, but Josh Cleveland believes he has found a com-fort zone on his team.

For much of the year the Broncs have been inferior in stature compared to oppo-nents and have asked Cleve-land to go against some of the best big men in all of college basketball. He has been as-signed to check the likes of Northwestern’s John Shurna and Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas, who aren’t easy cov-ers for any frontcourter in the NCAA, much less an under-sized one. But now against Great West Conference foes, the 6-6 sophomore has found his groove as the Broncs’ vir-tual sixth man.

“I love it,” Cleveland said

about coming off the bench. “It’s been something I’ve done even in AAU season and I’m comfortable with it. It’s more than enough to come off the bench and supply that energy that the team needs.”

During his first season with UTPA, Cleveland saw action in all 31 games and started in two contests. He averaged three points and 1.6 rebounds per game. He is an Elsik High School product out of Houston.

Cleveland has started seven games this season but has been the most productive lately coming off the bench. During his last seven games he averaged seven points and four rebounds. Prior to the conference season he was get-ting only four points and 2.5 boards per contest.

Coach Ryan Marks has found

the perfect dosage of Enique Mason and Cleveland at center, sprinkled with a bit of Ruben Cabrera. Prior to the season he wanted his two centers along with Cabrera to aver-age somewhere around 15 points and 10 boards. The trio so far this year is pretty close, checking in at a 16/8.5 during conference play. Couple that with the solid guard play of Brandon Provost, Jared Maree and Aaron Urbanus and it explains the Broncs’ latest tear. The Broncs are 5-2 in conference play,

having won four straight and six of eight.

And even though Cleve-land’s seven points and four rebounds do not jump off the stat sheets, it doesn’t take away from his contribution. It may not be a monster dunk over a defender or a momentum-erasing block, but there is al-ways one thing the Broncs can expect from the sophomore every night: Energy.

By Michael SaenzThe Pan American

Cleveland finds his role

Stepping up - Sophomore forward Josh Cleveland slams down a facial dunk on Chicago State senior forward Lee Fisher during UTPA's 74-70 victory.

Ruben Gutierrez/The Pan American

On the RiSe - Junior guard Brandon Provost breaks away from the CSU-Bakersfield defense for a finger roll. He is averaging 14 points per game while shooting 47 percent from behind the arc during conference play.

Ruben Gutierrez/The Pan American

Four-game winning streak

Feb. 4UTPA 70, UND 58

Feb. 8UTPA 73, CSUB 67

SeasonPTS 3.7 REB 2.4 BLK 0.7

Feb. 16UTPA 75, NJIT 67

Feb. 18UTPA 74, CSU 70

Last four games

PTS 7.8 REB 3.5 BLK 1.0

Josh Cleveland

I believe this is the best we've

played since I've been at

Pan Am.

- Aaron UrbanusJunior guard”

”

By Michael SaenzThe Pan American

November 10, 2011 11February 23, 2012sports

After the University of Vermont Athletic Department decided to terminate its baseball program in February 2009 due to budgetary cuts, Mike McCarthy, along with 43 other student-athletes, was left high and dry, looking for a new place to call home.

McCarthy still remembers when he first found out that Vermont Baseball would be no more. Student-athletes were forced to quickly choose another university for transfer if they wished to continue playing.

“It was chaos,” the catcher said. “Coaches were calling about going on recruiting trips. The chaos went on until the middle of the summer, and then I got a call from Coach Norbert Lopez. It sounded that they were going in the right direction…I’m really glad I made this choice to come here.”

As a freshman at Vermont, McCarthy was named to the America East Conference all-rookie team, hitting an impressive .313 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Then he transferred to UTPA and continued the strong work under assistant coach

Lopez and head coach Manny Mantrana.

“Having Mike in the program has been a pleasure,” Mantrana said. “Ever since he got here he’s done nothing but be a tremendous ambassador for both the baseball program and the University. We were very blessed to bring Mike

down here to Pan Am.”McCarthy hit the ground

running during his first year in the Valley, 2010, starting 41 games and recording a .295 batting average with three home runs and 23 RBIs. He also had a fielding percentage of .972 and

caught 16 of 40 would-be base stealers. In the following season, he picked up right where he left off, recording a hit in 39 of 53 games and posting the second-most multi-hit games on the team with 20. He also paced the Broncs with 13 multi-RBI games, a .377 batting average and

45 RBIs. McCarthy has now started

92 games at UTPA and has a career batting average of .341 along with four homers, 21 extra-base hits, and 68 RBIs. As his senior season begins, the veteran backstop is confident that this

year will be a memorable one for both himself and Mantrana.

“I can see us winning 35-plus games for sure,” the senior said. “We have the talent and competition at every position. If one guy goes down, it’s not the end of the year because we have someone right there to back him up. We’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

McCarthy’s talents were not limited to baseball alone. He was named captain for both his soccer and basketball teams at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, Conn., claiming all-league on his soccer team and all-state on his baseball team; he still holds the school record for home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage.

Whether McCarthy will pursue baseball after graduation is still unknown since he says he would like to become an elementary school teacher. However, Mantrana is confident that his star catcher will make it to the next level.

“I think somebody is gonna give him an opportunity to play professional baseball,” the coach said. “Mike has all the intangibles as far as character, desire, commitment and he works hard consistently.”

WBB Bounces Back

The UTPA Broncs wom-en’s basketball team defeated Chicago State University 59-52 on Feb. 18 at the Jones Convocation Center in Chi-cago. The Broncs completed a regular season sweep over the Cougars and moved into a virtual tie for fourth place in Great West Conference. They outrebounded the Cougars 45-24, with Adanna Opara scoring 14 points and secur-ing nine of those rebounds. The Broncs return home to host the University of North Dakota tonight at 7 p.m.

BaseBall update

Broncs baseball opened up this year’s campaign with a 13-1 win over the Univer-sity of Texas at Brownsville on Tuesday night at the Edin-burg Baseball Stadium. Mike McCarthy went 3-for-3 with

four RBIs, tying his career-high. He belted a two-run home run in the second in-ning to take a commanding 8-0 lead. The Broncs return to the diamond on Friday when they kickoff the three-day Al Olgletree Classic at 7 p.m. against Southern Utah Uni-versity at the Edinburg Base-ball Stadium.

Women’ tennis picks up first Win

The Broncs women’s ten-nis team picked up their first win, 5-2 over the California State University Bakersfield Roadrunners Feb. 18 at Stock-dale Country Club. The team of Malin Andersen and Sun-cica Strkic defeated Daniela Dimas and Nancy Ramirez, 8-6. In singles matches Broncs won the top three positions with Dana Nazarova beating Veronica Dimas, 6-3, 6-3, Andersen defeating Daniela

Dimas 6-1, 6-2, and Strkic getting the win over Nancy Ramirez, 6-1,6-4. The Broncs bounced back after a 6-1 de-feat at the hands of Cal State- Fullerton on Feb. 17. They will be starting a stretch of three matches in three days Friday at 3:30 p.m. against the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

indoor track championships

Men’s and women’s track and field teams head to Chi-cago to compete in the Great West Conference Indoor Championships meet Feb. 24 through 26. This marks the end of the indoor season, making way for the outdoor season that kicks-off March 3 in Laredo at the Border Olym-pics.

UND

UVU

NJIT

CSU

UTPA

HBU

16

12

11

6

10

1

10

12

15

21

15

22

6

4

5

4

3

0

1

2

4

5

4

6

Men’s WoMen’s Briefs

18

11

11

12

9

3

10

17

15

14

17

23

7

5

4

3

2

2

0

2

5

4

5

7

UVA

UTPA

NJIT

UND

HBU

CSU

overall gwc w l w l

overall gwc w l w l

Coming Home - Teammates Shane Klemcke (left) and Vinnie Mejia congratulate senior catcher Mike McCarthy on his home run.

ruben Gutierrez/The Pan American

Recent Results

Feb. 18UTPA 59, CSU 52

BaseBallwomen's BasketBallFeb. 21

UTPA 13, UTB 1

McCarthy looks to lead Broncs to winning 2012 season

By Jonathan SalinasThe Pan American

I can see us winning

35-plus games for sure.

- Mike McCarthySenior catcher

Big Swing - Mike McCarthy gets a hit during Tuesday night’s game against UTB.

adrian castillo/The Pan American

Feb. 21 vs UTb: 3-3, HR (1), 4 RbIs

ConferenCe standings

”

”

the pan american February 23, 2012Page 12

The

Pan

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ew o

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ctio

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February 23, 2012