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JOB SEARCH TV show writer puts out new book Census Bureau conducts research at UTPA Valley hoops teams set up for fall start By MANUEL TISCARENO The Pan American By MICHAEL GARCIA The Pan American By ANA LEY The Pan American state and nation.” Last year the magazine ranked UTPA second in awarding degrees in social services to Hispanics, as well as second in awarding degrees in health services and eighth in nursing. This year, Hispanic Outlook also recognized the university in 2006 for
Citation preview
A recent issue of Hispanic Outlook
for Higher Education ranked The
University of Texas-Pan American No. 1
in awarding Hispanic students rehabili-
tation degrees.
The report, released June 4 in the
publication’s Health Professions issue,
also recognized the school’s nursing pro-
gram as the 13th best in the nation for
Hispanic students.
The institutions in the “Top 25
Rehabilitation/Therapeutic Schools
Graduating Hispanics” and “Top 25
Nursing Schools Graduating Hispanics”
reports were selected according to statis-
tics released by the Department of
Education and the Census Bureau, said
Suzanne Lopez-Isa, managing editor for
Hispanic Outlook.
“There is an up-and-coming trend
in health professional careers,” she said.
“People now can overcome medical dis-
abilities; therefore rehabilitation has
become an important part of the health
care industry due to the increased
longevity of people.”
Lopez-Isa said the list was based
on the percentage of Hispanic students
graduating from accredited schools,
regardless of whether they are so-called
Hispanic-serving institutions.
To receive such a distinction -
Hispanic-serving institution - at least 25
percent of undergraduate full-time-
equivalent students must be Hispanic. In
addition, no less than 50 percent of stu-
dents must be low-income individuals
and first-generation college students.
“The fact that [UTPA] is a
Hispanic-serving institution is matter of
fact,” she said. “Our ranking involved all
schools.”
Bruce Reed, dean of the College of
Health Sciences and Human Services
and former chair of the rehabilitation
department, said receiving recognition
from the publication was very signifi-
cant for UTPA because the Hispanic
population is the fastest growing in the
United States. Moreover, the predomi-
nantly bilingual students the university
produces are in high demand, he added.
“Certainly, we would hope that stu-
dents who are Hispanic or interested in
being educated in a bilingual environment
will look at these ratings and consider
UTPA,” he said. “We recruit almost all of
our students locally, and we would like to
recruit on the national level.”
The university with the top-ranking
nursing department was Miami Dade
College. Carolina Huerta, chair of
UTPA’s nursing department, said the
nursing department can improve its
ranking by enlarging its pool of gradu-
ates who pass state boards.
“The nation is facing a tremendous
shortage of nurses, as well as a shortage
of Hispanic nurses. We produce nurses,
both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, who
provide quality care to people in need,”
said Huerta.
Huerta said she thinks the nursing
department was recognized because for
over 40 years, “we have been producing
registered nurses who provide quality,
competent care to the local community,
state and nation.”
Last year the magazine ranked
UTPA second in awarding degrees in
social services to Hispanics, as well as
second in awarding degrees in health
services and eighth in nursing.
This year, Hispanic Outlook also
recognized the university in 2006 for
awarding 1,889 bachelor’s degrees to
students, making it second in its list of
top 100 schools to serve graduating
Hispanics. UTPA ranked fifth in the
list of top 100 schools to award mas-
ter’s degrees to Hispanics, but did not
rank in the top 100 that award doctor-
al degrees.
SSeeee PPaaggee 77
Valley hoops teams set upfor fall start
SPORTS
Census Bureau conductsresearch at UTPA
TV show writer puts outnew book
SSeeee PPaaggee 66
SSeeee PPaaggee 33
A&E
NEWS
Rehab department ranked best for Hispanics
Bribe criticisms escalate for financial aid officials, lenders
Financial aid officers and lending organ-
izations have faced increased scrutiny in recent
months, stemming from revelations that some
university personnel may be purposely endors-
ing some entities for personal gain.
Colleges across the country have been
criticized for having “preferred lender” lists,
which include lenders that offer perks—like
cash and trips—for university officials to
steer students toward them.
The UT System banned such lists in
early April to avoid related scrutiny,
according to Elaine Rivera, executive
director for student financial services at
The University of Texas-Pan American.
Rivera said she is not surprised at the
criticism both lenders and financial aid
offices have received.
“I think because the nature of the
business, you are going to get some prob-
lems,” she explained. “There have been
some abuses, but I think that generally uni-
versities strive to find the best loans for
their students.”
She said the student financial services
office discourages students from getting
loans, instead aiming to help students find
money through alternative or private means.
Still, some bank administrators encourage
students to know the parameters of a loan
and to not be afraid of it as a last resort.
“If you have the desire to be educated
and to go to college, don’t let the limitations
of not having a fund hold you back,” said
Edna de Saro, vice president and marketing
director of Lone Star National Bank. “Be
aggressive; know exactly what you are get-
ting yourself into.”
De Saro said she was surprised after
she found out preferred lender lists were
recently banned.
“I don’t know why a university
would want to do business with banks when
they are bribing them,” she said. “Building
that type of public relations is really embar-
rassing.”
She also warned that the behavior of
the student loan market could have adverse
By MANUEL TISCARENO
The Pan American
See LOAN page 4
Search for newlibrary directorcoming to close
The search for a new library direc-
tor for The University of Texas-Pan
American is coming to a close following
two final interviews conducted by uni-
versity officials June 28 and 29.
Two final applicants were inter-
viewed extensively by Paul Sale,
provost and vice president for academic
affairs, as well as the library director
search committee at the end of June. A
decision is expected later this week.
MEET THE FINALISTSFarzaneh Razzaghi, one of the final-
ists, has been interim library director
since June 2006. She has a doctoral
degree in library information studies from
Texas Woman’s University and has been
working at UTPA since 1990, where she
has held job titles such as associate
library director for research services.
“If I do happen to get the job, I do
feel that my experience at UTPA would
be to an advantage,” Razzaghi said.
“I’ve interacted with many students
throughout the years and have had posi-
tive response throughout.”
Dennis Tucker, the other finalist,
has his share of resume accomplish-
ments as well. In fact, if chosen to fill
the position, UTPA will be the third uni-
versity Tucker has held the position at.
He was library director at Bethel (Ind.)
College and at Northwestern State
University in Louisiana.
See LIBRARY page 4
57th YearNo. 31
WednesdayJuly 11, 2007
TH
ISW
EE
K
JOB SEARCH
STUDENT FINANCES
CAMPUS
Nat’l magazinerecognizesUTPA’s effortsBy ANA LEY
The Pan American
By MICHAEL GARCIA
The Pan American
NUMBER ONE - Hispanic Outlook recognized UTPA’s rehab department in itsJune 4 Health Professions issue.
Hispanic Outlook
hen it comes to reading sensa-
tional news, I like to consult
the plethora of tabloids located on the
racks in the checkout line at HEB.
Okay, not really, but the headlines
that they have are quite interesting. I
especially like it when they have pic-
tures of alien babies. In some corner
of my mind, I know those are real
photos - some people just have ugly
babies.
That’s why when I was handed
an article two weeks ago by Melissa
Ludwig about UTPA President
Blandina Cardenas, I was shocked - if
only for a moment.
The San Antonio-Express News
ran an article with the headline
“Suspicions continue dogging the
president of UT-Pan Am.”
First inclination. What suspi-
cions? Is she plotting a coup of the
government? Was she the one who
made up Santa Claus?
I continued into the first para-
graph and read, “improperly using
university resources for home
improvements.”
Whoa!
Then, jump ahead to the third
paragraph from end. “…Didn’t follow
procedure when using university
landscaping services, vehicle, credit
cards, and cell phone, and when sub-
mitting receipts for drinks and meals
while traveling.”
That’s it? You made all this hub-
bub about incorrect procedures?
Suffice to say I was disappointed, but
not because of a lack of drama. The
newspaper had (forgive my use of a
cliché, but I can’t think of anything
better at present) made a mountain
from a mole hill.
Jumping on the sensationalist
bandwagon, The Monitor decided to
run a story by Daniel Perry covering
the same thing. Online, they provided
scanned copies of two audits that the
university released. If she’s guilty of
anything, it’s allegedly losing nine meal
receipts totaling $316.86 and using the
wrong credit card for purchases (she
has two from the university.
I’m pretty bad at tossing out
receipts and I tend to use the wrong cred-
it card for purchases as well. (Okay, I
kind of always use my dad’s card instead
of mine… *Innocent look*)
The president has already reim-
bursed the university for all the
expenses and followed all of the rec-
ommendations from the auditor. The
UT System is conducting an inde-
pendent audit, but I doubt highly that
they’ll find anything else.
I must say I’m disappointed in
the two reporters for not looking into
this story appropriately. The sensa-
tional headlines were misleading, to
say the least.
Although, in a way, I can’t really
blame them. Boring tabloid stories
don’t sell well at HEB.
few weeks ago, I participated in a
week-long student project hosted
by the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists in San Jose, Calif. There, a
very big crowd of hot-shot journalists
from all over the country gathered to
teach us less-experienced students the
ropes. We students basically scurried
around the city scrawling news about the
town as the professional reporters held
our hands along the way.
During my stay in California’s Bay
Area, I was given a last-minute assign-
ment to cover a seemingly mundane
event that ended up stirring a lot of buzz
in the journalism community. Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger told an audito-
rium packed with Hispanic media that
immigrants who need to learn English
should “turn off the Spanish television
set.”
After the room filled with a huffy
vibe from Spanish-language media, one
reporter retorted that immigrants “are
too busy working” to learn English,
which I thought was utterly cheap and
irrelevant. At any rate, the audience
cheered and the Governator ended up
looking like a bumbling ass in front of
everyone. For most of the week I was
there, his remark was frequently brought
up in casual conversations by my fellow
Hispanics and referred to as bigoted and
ignorant.
I shouldn’t even have to explain
why Schwarzenegger had a point. Many
of us at The University of Texas-Pan
American either are immigrants who
learned English as a second language or
have immigrant parents who learned it
that way. Those who immigrated to the
United States and were serious about
starting a better life in a new country
realized that they had to break out of
their comfort zones and submerge them-
selves in a new language and, yes I said
it, get acclimated to a new culture. Those
who were lazy, stubborn and scared of
change are the reason America com-
plains about immigrants so much.
I was once an English tutor at the
campus Writing Center, and I’d often
get a Spanish-speaking student who
essentially wanted me to translate his
or her essay for him. This is not to say
that English-speaking students were
any better - many of them would try to
get me to write the entire thing for
them - but in my time there, I realized
that a lot of people in the Valley are
entirely dependent on Spanish. It bugs
the heck out of me that so many
Spanish-speaking immigrants are com-
placent knowing that they can get
around without learning a new lan-
guage because lots of people around
them are complacent, too.
My own family is guilty of this. I
remember when I was a kid my mom
would get indignant if a cashier or wait-
er didn’t speak Spanish, as if it were
their duty to the client. And whenever I
wanted to remind her that English was
the national tongue, I ended up feeling
like an arrogant brat.
I realize that unlike her, I was for-
tunate to have been exposed to English
since I was young and it was probably
out of convenience that I easily under-
stood the importance of breaking away
from the comfort of Spanish.
But I don’t want to make any
excuses for my mother. I have much
more respect for her than that, and I
think more immigrants need to do the
same for one another. It’s too easy to pity
someone for feeling vulnerable in a new
country. It’s too easy to give them a
Spanish-language handout.
People should give
Schwarzenegger more credit. Sure, he
could’ve phrased it more delicately than
he did, but if he had, who would have
listened? He didn’t say we should stop
airing Spanish-language television alto-
gether. He simply stated that if you’re
trying to learn English, stop being
dependent on Spanish.
It’s frustrating to me that Hispanics
are so easily offended, that they can’t see
the pragmatism in that.
While I agree that Spanish-lan-
guage media is of great cultural value
to Hispanics - and non-Hispanics, for
that matter - immigrants should turn
off the Spanish television set…so
they can get used to the English one
first.
If you’d like to check out the story
from whence this commentary came
along with footage of Gov.
Schwarzenegger addressing NAHJ, visit
joomla.latinoreporterdigital.org.
RReeppoorrtteerr’’ss NNootteebbooookk
A
LESSONS FROM LEY
1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
Phone: (956) 381-2541
Fax: (956) 316-7122
www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican
THEPAN AMERICAN
JULY 11, 2007
ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS
Sensitive to sensationalismBY: ANA LEY
Please send all com-ments, questions or pic-tures of naked aliens [email protected].
BY: LUKE KOONG
W
OPINION
The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of the writersand do not necessarily reflect those of the paper oruniversity.
Editor-in-ChiefSandra Gonzalez.................................................
Managing EditorLuke [email protected]
News EditorAna [email protected]
A&E EditorFrank [email protected]
Sports EditorErick Quintero.................................................
Photography EditorSidney Meadows.................................................
Design EditorRoy [email protected]
DesignersRick GamezGreg Garza
Reporters and Photographers
Jennifer Durheim
Leslie Estrada
Daniel Flores
Michael Garcia
Moses Garcia
Onydia Garza
Veronica Gonzalez
Patrick Kennedy
The Pan American gladly accepts letters fromstudents, staff and faculty regarding recentnewspaper content, campus concerns or currentevents. The Pan American reserves the right to editsubmissions for grammar and length. Please limitsubmission length to 300 words. The Pan Americancannot publish anonymous letters or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks.Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor andmust include the writer’s name, phone number,classification/title and major if applicable. Pleasesend all story ideas to the corresponding sectioneditor or to [email protected] at least twoweeks prior to event.
AdviserDr. Greg [email protected]
SecretaryAnita [email protected]
Advertising [email protected]
***Delivery
Thursday at noon
Ramiro Paez
Jeanette Perez
Brenda Rodriguez
Rafael Roux
Angela Salazar
Manuel Tiscareno
Kristen Villegas
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Please forward all indignant cries
against American assimilation to
“We are a sensationalistsociety and we have nobodyto blame but ourselves.”
“It bugs the heck out of methat so many Spanish-speaking immigrants arecomplacent knowing thatthey can get around withoutlearning a new languagebecause lots of peoplearound them are compla-cent, too.”
Job interviews, graduation prepara-
tions and thoughts about graduate school
often mean a whirlwind of stress for college
seniors. However, it is also a time for stu-
dents to reflect on their academic experi-
ence and measure their accomplishments.
For Natalie Haime, a recent
University of Texas-Pan American gradu-
ate, these accomplishments have been
numerous.
“The best way I can describe my col-
lege career is that it was overwhelming,”
she said. “Going from meeting to class to
meeting was very hectic, but I feel as
though I really took advantage of what was
offered to me and gained a lot from that.”
A Canadian, Haime came to UTPA
through a golf scholarship that allowed her
to pursue her degree in communication.
However, she did not limit her involve-
ment to the golf team. She was chief of
communications for the Student
Government Association, acting as a liai-
son between the student body and its rep-
resentative assembly. In addition, she was
a member of the marketing committee,
where she contributed to marketing cam-
paigns to boost UTPA’s image. Now,
Haime is serving as the director for the
marketing promotions office at the univer-
sity’s athletic department.
Haime is the fourth person to serve
as director in three years. The last market-
ing promotions director, Misty Norris, held
the title for only two months.
“I think they were looking for someone
who would be more committed to working
for the university,” she said. “I have wanted
to be the director since before I graduated,
and right now there’s no reason I would want
to leave. This job is perfect for me.”
Haime was once the official Bucky
the Bronc mascot and wore the character’s
costume at university sporting events.
Though the suit was hot and uncomfort-
able, Haime said it was worth the satisfac-
tion she got from making attendees laugh,
adding that at times, she even caught her-
self smiling behind the mask during dance
routines.
“Being Bucky the Bronc was an
amazing experience for me because it
allowed me to kind of shed my inhibitions
and cut loose,” she said. “I’m naturally a
kind of goofy, silly person and when I was
inside the costume, dancing around and
having a good time, I felt like part of my
personality shone through.”
Hopeful about UTPA’s future, Haime
stressed the importance of school spirit.
“I hope that by working for the
athletics department I can help inspire
a sense of school spirit in students at
UTPA,” she said. “I want students to
get excited when they see their
school’s team win, and I want them to
get upset when they don’t. I want
UTPA students to eventually become a
big family on campus.”
Stella Benevides/The Pan American
CORNER OFFICE - Recent UTPA graduate Natalie Haime sits behind her new desk at the school’s deparment of marketingand promotions office with Bronc Athletics.
NEWSUTPA graduate giving back to university�s athletic department
RESEARCH
By ROBERT CERVANTESThe Pan American
CAMPUS
With less than three years until
2010 Census is released, the U.S.
Census Bureau has teamed up with
The University of Texas-Pan
American to conduct a new survey
which will help identify demographics
of Mexican nationals living in the
United States.
Sai Mullapudi, a business eco-
nomics research associate at UTPA’s
Center for Entrepreneurship and
Economic Development, was in
charge of gathering volunteers for the
survey from June 25-29.
Mullapudi and other employees
at the Center were asked to help
because the office is an affiliate of the
U.S. Census Bureau. Flyers posted by
Mullapudi around campus asked
Spanish-speaking, Hispanic adults to
participate and receive $40 for one
hour of their time.
While he is not sure what the
U.S. Census Bureau is researching due
to security reasons, Mullapudi said the
Bureau was only looking for Spanish-
speaking individuals because most of
them are Mexican nationals and some-
times they’re left out or double-count-
ed in census surveys.
“We were looking for Spanish-
speaking people because for some
who know English, [the questions]
may be too easy for them,” he said.
“The Spanish-speaking may know
how to answer them a different way.”
Patricia Goerman, a Census
Bureau employee who worked with
the university on the project, was also
unable to disclose information late
Tuesday afternoon, for security pur-
poses.
Isaac Longoria, a GIS specialist,
helped Mullapudi gather people to fill
out the survey.
“We had about 40 people call us
but we only picked 18 people to actu-
ally do the survey,” Longoria said.
Longoria said participants had to
meet certain criteria to be considered
for the survey. He said they looked
into people who have recently moved
out or into a house and people who
live with other people who have
recently moved in or out.
Every 10 years the U.S. Census
counts the number of people living in
America and Puerto Rico. The meas-
ure is important because it affects fed-
eral funding, representation in both
Congress and state/local government.
In the past, each American house-
hold received a short-form question-
naire, while one household in six
received a long form. Late last year,
the U.S. Census Bureau released plans
to Congress seeking to do the 2010
Census by short form only. This means
the form will only contain a count for
all residents living in the United States
and their name, sex, age, date of birth,
race, ethnicity, relationship and hous-
ing tenure. Estimated to take less than
10 minutes to complete, it would be
one of the shortest and easiest to com-
plete since the nation’s first official
process in 1790.
The nationwide implementation
of the American Community Survey
in 2005 replaced the need for a long-
form questionnaire in 2010. The ACS
is a yearly survey that estimates the
need for a decennial long-form ques-
tionnaire, while providing key socioe-
conomic and housing data about the
nation’s rapidly changing population
every year rather than once a decade.
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau in 2006, the number of minori-
ties in America reached 100.7 million.
Hispanics, who have been the largest
minority group since 2001, remain the
largest with 44.3 million people or
14.8 percent of the population as of
July 1, 2006. From 2005 to 2006 the
Hispanic population has increased 3.4
percent.
U.S. Census Bureau conducts research with UTPA assistanceBy BRENDA RODRIGUEZThe Pan American
Page 4 N E W S July 11, 2007
LOAN continued from page 1
effects for everyone involved.
“It only takes one bank to make the
bribe and one university to accept for every-
body to start thinking that its acceptable
behavior in the market,” she said. “We
don’t [offer loans] to be making money off
the students. That’s not the nature of our
business.”
Despite the recent controversy, some
UTPA students are impervious to accusa-
tions made against lenders and financial
aid officials.
“It was my choice to get a loan and
I’m satisfied with the way business is
being conducted,” said Raul Garcia, a
rehabilitation major from Edinburg. “As
long as my APR is good, it doesn’t really
matter what lenders are doing right now.”
LIBRARY continued from page 1
“My experience would do the
UTPA system a great advantage, I’ve had
the responsibility twice before so the
experience is there and I’ve had wonder-
ful relationships with every school I’ve
been employed in,” Tucker said.
He said UTPA’s future encouraged
him to apply for the job.
“Personally I felt I needed a
change, area-wise, and UTPA is such a
wonderful university that is ever
expanding, in an area that is growing
year after year,” he said.
Tucker has also held other positions in
the field such as director of learning
resources director for Project Hi-Net. There,
he co-wrote, oversaw and implemented a
four-year agreement from the Indianapolis
Foundation to the 31 high school library
media centers in Marion County.
The position of library director has
been vacant for roughly a year, after
Lawrence Caylor, the previous one,
retired. Sale said that he cannot disclose
any information about who the universi-
ty will choose, but that candidate
resumes will ultimately speak for them-
selves when the committee reaches its
decision later this week.
“The library is the heart of the
school and both candidates are more
than qualified to understand the task.
Either which way it goes, our school is
going to be lucky to have a library direc-
tor that understand the needs and the
means of our future generations,” Sale
said. “Honestly it’s a shame that we can
only pick one instead of both, but either
way UTPA is going to be in better
advantage either way it goes.”
The Beach Boys may have the
sounds, but it’s the city of Edinburg that
had the smells of summer. This past week-
end the city held its second annual Texas
Cook’Em High Steaks at Municipal Park.
Intense aromas of barbecue sauce
and competition filled the air when 75
teams from around the state got together
for some friendly cooking, but surprising-
ly no recipes were shared.
Each team was allowed to compete
in four different categories; chicken, pork
ribs, steak and brisket. Some teams sub-
mitted entries for all categories. After a
kick-off on Friday, the competition truly
began in the early morning hours
Saturday.
Cooks armed with their own blend of
spices and marinades began early to make
sure that their entries were done to perfec-
tion before the 3 p.m. deadline.
Joe Gilbert Perez, known as Gil from
Gil’s Barbeque, has been in the business of
feeding barbecue lovers for more than 10
years.
“This is the first time I’m competing,
ever,” said the Edinburg native. “I think
we did pretty good and I’m happy with
everything.”
Even though he has been serving his
food to customers for years, it never
dawned on him to try his hand at a cook-
off until now and he says it will not be his
last time. Out of all the entries Perez sub-
mitted, he felt one outshined all the others.
“Pork spare ribs,” he said with confi-
dence. “It’s my sauce. We just invented a
sauce this past week that we redid and we
are very happy with it.”
One of the largest groups was Los
Pistoleros, a group of Border Patrol
agents. Veterans to cook-off competitions,
they decided to try their hand at it again,
not for the trophies, but for the fun.
“This gave a chance for all the bor-
der patrol agents to get their families
together,” said Ruben Duran, a member of
Los Pistoleros.
The group of 20 agents along with
their friends and families had a chance to
come together for a weekend, which is
rare for those who are in their particular
line of work. Their secret for good bar-
beque is simple - “Good friends, good
drinks and good sportsmanship.”
Friends and families of the teams
also found the event entertaining and
offered chance to spend time sharing
laughs and food. Although a bulk of the
event was for the competition, there were
those who were there merely to announce
themselves to the community.
The Edinburg Crime Stoppers had a
booth selling tacos to help get their name
out into the community.
“This is not a fundraiser,” said Balde
Gomez, a member of Crime Stoppers.
“Any money we make goes to the
‘rewards program.’”
The rewards program works with a
phone number that citizens can call to help
the police with leads or clues in local
crimes and possibly gain a reward.
The biggest prize of the night, how-
ever, went to a team from Conroe. Don
Canterbury and his team We Be Smoking
took the grand champion prize. Although,
his team may have been in the winners cir-
cle, he sees it as a hobby and chance to be
with family.
“We go to have fun. We figure that if
we go to the point where we don’t have
any fun, they we just stop,” said
Canterbury, “We make it a family thing
and just have fun with it.”
This barbeque expert has seen his
fair share of competition. Jan Canterbury,
his wife, and her team We Be Cooking
Too, has been neck and neck with her hus-
band’s team for about six years.
“We don’t swap recipes. We don’t
copy cat each other and we both have two
different recipies for everything we do,”
said Mr. Canterbury jokingly. “Judges
may like one over the other. Instead of giv-
ing us just four chances it gives us eight.”
It was just last year at the Edinburg
Cook’em that We Be Cooking Too took
home the grand championship. After all
was said and done, the night ended with
a concert performed by Texas Heat. The
band played to the enjoyment of the tired
chefs and ended the night on a good
note.
For more information on other sum-
mer events sponsored by the City of
Edinburg, check out www.edinburg.com.
As most of us return to a new sum-
mer session with not-so-exciting news to
tell, there are other students who are back
from the Study Abroad program full of
great anecdotes to share.
The Office of International Programs
puts on several programs together every
summer, so that students who are interest-
ed can get a taste of other cultures by trav-
eling abroad, according to Nora Yado-
Hernandez, a program advisor in the OIP.
Students like Mireya Romero, a
sophomore biology major at The
University of Texas-Pan American, took
advantage of this option and traveled to
Salamanca, Spain.
“I chose Spain over the other pro-
grams because I really wanted to get a
taste of the Spanish culture,” Romero said.
“Although, I had been to Europe before I
did not get the chance to go to Spain.”
According to OIP, Salamanca is by
far the most popular destination. There are
usually up to almost 85 students traveling
to that city in just one summer session.
“I think that this program is so popu-
lar because there are many colleges that
offer courses in Salamanca,” Romero said.
“My friends and I decided to take the polit-
ical science courses, but there are several
classes to choose from.”
Romero stated that she really liked
the fact that there were a lot of internation-
al students studying in Salamanca, which
enabled her to meet people from around
the world.
“Most of the students there were
from other parts of the world,” Romero
said. “There were more international stu-
dents than Spanish, and I got to meet peo-
ple from places that I never imagined. It
was a great experience.”
Sophomore biology major
Alexandra Alvarez also went to
Salamanca and enjoyed it just as much.
“I loved the city and its surround-
ings,” Alvarez said. “At first, when we got
there the city looked very dull, but as we
drove around the scenery started to
change, especially at night when the Plaza
Mayor (central plaza) turned on its lights
and lit everything around it. It really was a
beautiful sight.”
Summer school in Salamanca is
slightly different from the summer ses-
sions that are offered at UTPA. Students
are only required to go to school Monday
through Thursday so that they will get a
three-day weekend to travel around and
get to know other places.
Yado-Hernandez said many people
take advantage of the study abroad pro-
grams because they like the fact that the
semesters are shorter and more fun.
“I enjoyed the shorter classes, and I
really loved that we only went to classes
four days a week,” Romero said. “Doing
this gave me the opportunity to travel
around Spain which is, apart from study-
ing, the point of these programs.”
Aside from traveling, Romero said
she enjoyed the lifestyle of the
Salamanca people.
“Staying with a family gave me the
opportunity to get to know the culture
more in depth,” Romero said. “Another
thing that I liked was the livelihood of the
city. Everybody gathers at the Plaza Mayor
to have a great time, and although it is a
small city, it is full of excitement and fun.
Romero and Alvarez encourage stu-
dents to take part in these activities. Both
said that it is a great experience that they
will never forget.
“Students who are able to take part in
this should definitely do it,” Alvarez said.
“They will get the opportunity to experi-
ence other cultures first-hand, and the
whole experience of traveling abroad by
ourselves is very exciting.”
&RTS NTERTAINMENTStudents relate experiences of studying abroad
By LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American
EA
Second annual summer cook-off draws large crowdBy ANGELA SALAZARThe Pan American
Mireya Romero
A DIFFERENT WORLD - UTPA students Mireya Romero, Alexandra Alvarez andGabriela Barrera pose in front of Spain’s flag during their visit to Salamanca.
TRAVEL SCENE
LOCAL SCENE
Daniel Flores/The Pan AmericanFINGER-LICKIN’ GOOD TIME - Many local residents showed up for the annualTexas Cook ’Em High Steaks event at Edinburg Municipal Park on June 29-30.
Page 6 A & E July 11, 2007
Between book signings at Borders for his
recently released novel, “Slip and Fall,” and writ-
ing for the hit Fox TV show “Prison Break,” Nick
Santora often finds himself going days at a time
without sleep.
Not that he minds; he is living his dream,
after all. However, much like any good television
show plot, his route to happiness was anything but
streamline. In an exclusive interview with The
Pan American, Santora - who much to his chagrin
practiced law for several years before becoming a
script writer - speaks about past academic and
employment confusions that paved the route to his
eventual success.
When you first started college, what madeyou take the law route?
Actually, in college I didn’t study law. I did-
n’t start studying law until after I graduated. In
college, I changed majors a bunch of times: eco-
nomics, drama, political science, and I actually
have a minor in African-American studies. I just
didn’t think that creative writing was a way to
make a living. I didn’t know that you could. And
when I graduated from college, I went to law
school because I, honestly, had nothing else to do
Did the fact that your parents paid forschool influence your decision to pursue the“serious career”?
Absolutely. My parents never pressured me.
I realized much later in life that my parents just
wanted me to be happy. However, after being the
first male Santora to get to go to college and hav-
ing that incredible gift of education given to you,
you feel like you want to do something with it.
During those years in law school, did younotice you didn’t like the profession?
Yes. My second day I called my parents and
told I didn’t want to be in law school, this was not
for me. My dad and I talked on the phone and he
said: ‘Listen, get the education. You don’t have to
be a lawyer for the rest of your life. But you
worked so hard to get into law school and when
you start something, you have to see it through.’ I
wound up practicing for six years. It was a mis-
take in that it wasn’t what I was meant to do. At
the same time I think it was a character-building
experience.
What was that moment like when youdecided to make the switch to script writing?
I was terrified and at the same time relieved.
Once I knew I was done and had my last day of
work as a lawyer, I knew that I didn’t have a job
to go to every day. But at the same time, I knew
I’d never go back to practicing law. I would have
done anything else. I would have been a cowboy
before I’d be a full-time lawyer again. Being a
lawyer wasn’t for me. There’s nothing wrong with
the profession. It’s an important and honorable
profession. So, it was a combination of exhilara-
tion and nausea.
How did your loved ones react? They were concerned and worried. But at
that point, all I’d done was leave a job that didn’t
make me happy. It had nothing in terms of enjoy-
ment for me. I had nothing to look forward to. But
at the same time they were supportive.
And I know you also mentioned your wifewas a big supporter. Do you think that kind ofunconditional support is needed to make amajor career transition?
I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for Janine.
If she hadn’t said ‘OK, let’s do this,’ I never
would have left New York.
Do you think that these years of practic-ing law ended up benefiting you now in anyway?
I definitely think it helped. Being an attorney
requires discipline. It requires you to work incred-
ibly long hours and it requires that you sit down
and write memos for five, six, seven hours on end.
In my industry I have a reputation of being a fast
writer. The work product I produce is quality;
nothing suffers from me being fast. But the reason
I think my work is fast is because I write in longer
stretches. I can write for 12, 13 hours straight if I
have to.
When we first met at your book signing inVirginia, you said that age 7 you used to go tolibraries and run your fingers over the titles inadmiration of the authors. What, if any, bookinspired you?
I remember thinking that books were just
really cool. I remember as a little boy I loved “The
Giving Tree,” which is a famous children’s book.
My mother used to read it to me all the time. I
remember that book stirring emotion in me. I real-
ized then that a story could get a visceral response
from people. Also, the book was written for some-
one named Nicholas, so I thought the book was
written for me. I was so clueless. Then, when I got
older, I thought, and I still think, “To Kill a
Mockingbird” is probably the perfect novel. The
book is just amazing. It’s a beautiful story. It’s got
everything. It’s a thriller, a drama, a tale about
society, and a love story in the sense of a father’s
love for his children.
Do you try and bring that multi-dimen-sional purpose to the things you write, whether
it be novels or television? I try and tell stories that entertain, obviously.
But I don’t like to have one-dimensional charac-
ters. That’s why people are responding well to
“Slip and Fall,” my first novel, because the hero
of the story is very flawed. He’s flawed on a lot of
levels. He ends up lying to his wife, he commits
multiple fallacies. People get emotionally and
physically hurt because of his decisions. That’s
not your typical hero.
When you first made the career change, whatwas your definition of success? Has that changed?
I just wanted to tell stories and take care of
my family doing it; to me that was success. Doing
that would make me happy as opposed to miser-
able like I was for so many years. That definition
hasn’t changed. That’s my definition of success
right now. Being happy, doing what you love and
taking care of your family. And that’s where we
are right now, so I’m pretty freaking thrilled.
If you were to give advice to a student whois pursuing the “smart” or “safe” career andnot what they love, what would it be?
I’d tell them that pursuing what they love
would be the smart career. The safest thing you
can pursue is what you love. If you’re passionate
about something, you’ll put much more effort into
it than if you’re not passionate about it. Just fol-
low your passion and you’ll be successful because
you’ll be doing what makes you happy and if
you’re happy, by definition, you are successful. I
guess that’s what I would tell a student. But then
again, what the hell do I know.
FEATURE STORY
For more information on “Slip andFall” visit Bordersstores.com.
TAKING A BREAK FROM PRISON - Nick Santora’s new novel “Slip & Fall” is about the downside of reality and whathappens when we try to escape it.
NICK SANTORA: Slips, falls into HollywoodBy SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
Rio Grande Valley hoops fans have
will have more than high school and Bronc
basketball to look forward to this year as
two new professional teams prepare for
their November season kickoffs.
Thus, the explosion of professional
sports in the Valley, which also includes the
Dorados in arena football, minor league
hockey’s Killer Bees, and two Independent
League baseball outfits, continues.
SILVERADOSSilverados coach Steve C. Tucker,
who was number seven on the Pro
Basketball News top 10 list of coaches not
in the NBA, said both pro teams will sure-
ly deliver for all the hype. His will play in
the American
B a s k e t b a l l
Association,
with former
University of Texas-Pan American star
Kevin Mitchell on board as a co-owner.
“I think it (professional basketball)
being part of the Valley life and people, it
becomes an important entity,” he said. “We
want to make sure that we give an entity to
the basketball fans and something they can
be proud of this upcoming season and in
the years to come.”
Tucker has been coaching for 32
years, started his career in the Amateur
American Union in Jackson, Miss., and
attended college at the same time. In
1980, his career moved to the collegiate
level starting with Phillips College, a
junior college based in Mississippi. He
was an assistant from 1981-1988 at Sam
Houston State University and then
coached at Hawaii Loa from 1988-1992,
where he won three straight conference
championships. From 1992 to now, he
has coached professionally in the United
States and England with five different
professional teams.
In June, the Silverados signed their
first player, 24-year-old rookie Keith
Simpson. Simpson, a forward, comes from
Texas A&M International University and
McLennan Community College. Tucker
says that he hopes to put a team on the
hardwood that can win basketball games.
“We want to put the best team on
the court that we can possibly have and
I think we just need to be very focused
on the basics,” Tucker said. “We want to
be competitive right out of the gate and
we want to be one of the top teams in the
league. We need to do the little things to
put ourselves in the position to be suc-
cessful. Success opens up a lot of doors
for you in regards to challenging you to
win championships.”
The ABA Draft will consist of six
rounds and take place in September.
Tucker said a lot of the signing that will
take place will be done by networking and
recruiting, which is exactly how he prefers
it.
You want to put yourself in a situa-
tion where years down the line you can be
consistent with your success,” Tucker said.
“I want to set a foundation where five years
from now we are still winning because of
the one that was set this upcoming season.”
A location for the draft will be
announced at a later date. Training camp
for the Silverados will begin in late
October and play will begin in mid-
November at the new McAllen Convention
Center. Schedules will be released and
announced during September.
The franchise will hold its second
kids camp July 20-21.
VIPERSThe RGV Vipers recently announced
the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers
and New Orleans Hornets affiliations, are
part of the NBA Development League.
Former UTPA leader Bob Hoffman, the
Vipers coach, said expectations are high as
the team gears up for a late November start
at the Dodge Arena.
“We are going to try to play like
we’ve always played,” Hoffman said. “We
are going to try to play up-tempo, try to
find ways to score a lot of points and get
guys that are really good at attacking the
basket. That puts pressure on the defense at
all times.”
Pre-draft will take place in
Arlington, Texas July 28-29. Athletes
chosen by NBA D-League personnel
will come to the event to showcase their
talent in front of coaches and assistants
from every D-League team. Standard
contracts will be given to participants
who perform well; they will be placed in
the November draft after all the NBA
teams have made their final rosters.
The Vipers garnered much positive
attention earlier this year after former Spurs
star George “Iceman” Gervin accepted a
position as the team’s head of basketball
operations. Affiliation with the NBA will
probably give them a leg up on the other
league.
Hoffman said he and the entire Viper
personnel are excited about the upcoming
season.
We want to put a product on the floor
that is exciting to watch,” said Hoffman.
“We want to have a team that will be
involved in the community, stand for the
same things that our community does and
represent them well.”
Valley preparesfor new teams’first seasons
July 11, 2007 S P O R T S Page 7
VALLEY BASKETBALL
Two new pro basketball teams to debut in fall
By RAMIRO PAEZThe Pan American
The University of Texas-Pan
American men’s basketball team signed
three new players to national letters of
intent, following the end of a successful
season.
Point guard Nicholas Weiermiller,
forward Adinson Mosquera and guard
Damon Franklin will be joining the team
and Coach Tom Schuberth expects the
newcomers to have an immediate and
positive impact on Broncs’ performance
level.
“We need some depth and I think
they’re experienced enough and mature
enough, plus they’re competitive,” said
Schuberth, who starts his second season
in Edinburg after a 14-15 debut in 2006-
07. “They want to get in here and play.
We are excited about throwing them in
the mix.”
Lon Morris College’s Mosquera
played for the Bearcats men’s basket-
ball team where he contributed to the
team’s 19-13 record last year. The 6-
foot 9-inch forward played a role in
LM’s Region XIV championship by
averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 rebounds
per game in the championship tourna-
ment.
“He is really athletic and a great
defender. I’m counting on him coming
in and really contributing right off the
bat,” Schuberth said. “He played on a
team that made it to the national tourna-
ment in junior college so he’s used to
winning big,”
Weiermiller, a 1-2 combo guard,
joins the team from the IMG Academy
in Bradenton, Fla., which has produced
NBA players like Chauncy Billups and
Tayshaun Prince. He was named Star-
Gazette All-Twin Tiers Boys’ Basketball
Player of the Year at the Elmira Free
Academy and had averaged 21.1 points
per game during his junior and senior
seasons.
Franklin joins the Broncs from
Flint Northwestern High School in Flint,
Mich., another area known for produc-
ing basketball talent.
“Damon is an unbelievable athlete,
probably the best we have had here in
the last 10 years,” Schuberth said. “He
led the city of Flint in scoring the last
two seasons as a junior and senior. He is
a tremendous young man and a good stu-
dent.”
Though eager to put newly recruit-
ed members onto the court, the head
coach said that some adjustment time is
always necessary for players entering
the next level.
However, there are no pre-deter-
mined starting positions and every play-
er has equal opportunity at the beginning
of each season to compete for playing
time and a shot at cracking the lineup,
Schuberth added.
“It starts over every year. One thing
I do try not to stress too much is starting.
I want guys to feel like they can get into
our rotation,” he said.
Still, returnees Paul Stoll and Brian
Burrell seem assured of prominent play-
ing time. Stoll led the team in steals and
assists while Burrell paced in scoring.
Guard Dexter Shankle and forward Zach
Trader each saw significant playing time
last year, and should be in the mix some-
where as the Broncs look to post a win-
ning season for the first time in six years.
The program was 21-9 in 2001-02 and
then 14-14 in ‘03-‘04.
The team is currently involved in
further negotiations to recruit two new
inside men who will help ease the
recent losses of center Colin Lien,
center Kano Edwards and forward
Alex Robinson. Forward Julius
Allgood may also be lost for the sea-
son due to injuries.
Bronc benchbolstered bythree additionsBy GABRIEL SALDANAThe Pan American
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Fresh faces to join Green and Orange squad
5
76
SPORTSEditor’s Pick: Game to Watch
Argentina Mexico
76Number of goals scored inVenezuela’s Copa America.
5
Number of home runsneeded by Barry Bonds tosurpass Hank Aaron’s 755
record.
StatsAtAGlance
2-12-1Final score in U.S. men’s
national team’s victory overBrazil on Friday at FIFA’s
U-20 World Cup.
After 17 years in the college ranks
and stops at The University of Texas-El
Paso and Louisiana State University,
The University of Texas-Pan American
head men’s and women’s track and field
and cross country coach Ricky Vaughn
will serve as the new assistant athletic
director for support and student services.
His new post will see him in charge
of academic progress for UTPA’s 170
student-athletes. The former head coach
has guided 256 of his student athletes to
3.0 grade point averages.
Vaughn could not be reached for
comment.
On June 28, Barb Odale
announced she would resign as head
coach of the women’s golf team, citing
personal reasons. In a statement released
by the University’s Sports Information
Department, Odale said family had
much to do with her decision. After eight
seasons, the women’s coach said travel-
ing and being away from home had
begun to take their toll.
“Right now my family comes
first,” Odale said.
COACHING
ShortSports
When: WednesdayTime: 7:45 p.m.
Where: VenezuelaWill be aired on Univision, GolTV
The “Golden Boy” - Oscar de la
Hoya - was not present on Friday night
at the McAllen Civic Center, but a staple
of Golden Boy Promotions’ finest up-
and-coming boxers made their presence
felt during Summer Explosion.
Local boxing fans were treated to
eight savory bouts with the blue corner
winning all. While the blue nook boast-
ed former Olympians like Vicente
Escobedo, 14-1 (11 KO’s), Abner Mares,
13-0 (8) alongside current United States
Boxing Association Champ, Martin
Honorio, 24-3-1
(12) and Harlingen native James De La
Rosa, 14-0 (10). The red corner featured
lesser known but seasoned fighters with
sub-par records.Yet something wasn’t
right, and it was evident in the first fight.
A cruiserweight, four-round bout, was
even until Terrence Smith 4-4-1 (3)
caught Mexico City’s Carlos “El
Chocolate” Duarte off guard and sent
him to the mat in the final round. The
judges then stunned those early in atten-
dance as all three scored the bout 38-37
in favor of Duarte. “El Chocolate” 7-0 (5
KO’s) kept his undefeated record.
Bloodier moments ensued as
Carlos “Bam-Bam” Diaz diced
Escobedo’s upper left
forehead with a couple
of head butts. Diaz
pushed Escobedo to the
limit, but the former
Olympian saved his best
for the tenth and final
round as he landed
smart blow after cleaner
jab. Escobedo was
rewarded with a unani-
mous decision.
W o r l d - c l a s s
pugilist Honorio, 27,
ranked sixth by the
World Boxing
Organization and sev-
enth by the World
Boxing Commission,
headlined the main
event against Joe Morales 19-12 (4) of
San Antonio.
Honorio was warned for below-
the-belt activity in the fifth and lost a
point in the sixth after another low-blow
folded Morales. Morales kept the highly
touted Honorio busy with a series of jabs
and stealthy defense but Honorio was
the aggressor in the tenth, receiving a
95-93, 95-93, 96-92 split decision, much
to the dismay of Morales.
Honorio said the different styles
clashed, and - to his surprise - Morales
proved to be a tough challenge.
“It was a matter of preparation and
concentration. I just tried not to make
mistakes. He’s a tough fighter,” Honorio
said. “He’s got some losses but they’re
against some big names. That makes him
different, his experience.”
The low blows were as much as
part of Morales’ strategy as his aggres-
siveness. The San Antonio native
donned his trunks unusually high, but
Honorio assumed full responsibility.
“I have to admit, I think there were
some hits here and there that were pretty
clear, those were counted, others
weren’t, but that’s the way boxing goes,”
he said.
Mares earned a 57-56, 59-54, 58-
55 unanimous decision over Saul
Gutierrez 4-10-1 (1) of Saltillo, Mexico,
with pinpoint accuracy and stunning jabs
in six rounds of work.
Harlingen’s De La Rosa, a clear
crowd favorite, neutralized an aggres-
sive Michael Soberanis (7-14-2) with
fancy hip work and slick footwork.
Soberanis struck first with a harsh
left blow to De La Rosa’s head and fol-
lowed up with 1-2 combos. De La Rosa
countered with multiple hooks, and daz-
zling foot speed that shook and rattled
Soberanis, much to the delight of the
crowd.
He continued his attack with a buf-
fet of slugs and KO’d the San Antonio
native midway through the fourth round.
fter a celebratory back flip, “King”
James, 19, said he thought he impressed
everyone in attendance despite the fact
he wasn’t looking for a KO.
“I was being careful, I didn’t want
to get caught. If it came it came,” he
said.
The self-proclaimed ‘real-deal’
said he’s the one to watch.
“I feel like I’m the best up-and-
coming welterweight in the game. I’m
ready for anybody,” said the reigning
World Boxing Council Youth champ,
who predicts many more back flip
moments in Valley matches.
“You all are going to see a lot more
of that,” he promised.
NOTES: Edinburg native and
UTPA sophomore Yoli Pena had her pro
debut postponed when her opponent was
injured a few days before the fight.
By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American
Onydia Garza/The Pan AmericanDesigned by: Da Xie