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A&E I SERIES Thursday Nov. 15, 2007 Bronc basketball men win season opener 58th Year No. 12 Tuition increase possible for fall 2008 By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American Art aids war veterans in recovery, experts say By BOBBY CERVANTES The Pan American By ABIGAIL MUNIZ The Pan American See Page 15 See Page 7 See Page 3 See SCHEDULE page 11 SPREADING AWARENESS Kennedy said that in order to help expand awareness about environmental issues, the U.S. government and its cit- See TECH page 11
Citation preview
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed a
full auditorium at The University of
Texas-Pan American Wednesday,
emphasizing the need for community
members to stay abreast of environmen-
tal issues such as global warming.
“We (must) recognize that nature is
the infrastructure of our community,” he
said.
Kennedy, an environmentalist and
lawyer and keynote guest for the cam-
pus’ International Week celebration,
described ecological problems through-
out the world and spoke about media
distractions keeping people from learn-
ing about ecological issues.
The conservationist said media
focus too much on celebrity instead of
issues such as global warming, pollution
and environmental sustainability.
“(Media) focus too much on
entertainment,” said Kennedy, one of
Time magazine’s “Heroes for the
Planet” in 1999. “We hear more about
‘Brangelina’ than we do about global
warming.”
Kennedy, 53, said that 90 percent
of the news that reaches Americans
comes from conservative corporations
such as Fox.
He explained that most conserva-
tives don’t understand the immediacy of
environmental problems.
“Eighty percent of Republicans are
Democrats that don’t know what’s going
on,” he said. “We are leaders of the free
world but we have no idea what is going
on in the world.”
SPREADING AWARENESSKennedy said that in order to help
expand awareness about environmental
issues, the U.S. government and its cit-
Between quiz clickers, Web CT
and smart classrooms, The University of
Texas-Pan American is well within the
technology swing of things. But with an
increasing number of teachers using new
technology in their classrooms, is tradi-
tional education history?
A majority of recent college gradu-
ates say that universities and colleges
should place more emphasis on the
“concepts and new developments in
technology,” according to a study by The
Association of American Colleges and
Universities in 2006. 59 percent of
recent graduates agreed that future grad-
uating classes should be required to
learn more about technology than they
did in the past.
In an attempt to keep up with the
By BOBBY CERVANTESThe Pan American
See Page 15
Bronc basketball menwin season opener
SPORTS
Tuition increase possiblefor fall 2008
Art aids war veterans inrecovery, experts say
See Page 7
See Page 3
A&E
NEWS
58th YearNo. 12
ThursdayNov. 15, 2007
TH
IS W
EE
K
� CAMPUS
� SERIES
Class timechangespossible
See TECH page 11
An informal committee was recent-
ly appointed to discuss and make recom-
mendations for a possible schedule
change in the fall of 2008. The committee
was formed at a Department Chair
Leadership Development meeting Oct. 3,
and has discussed changes in the schedule
that would affect Monday, Wednesday
and Friday afternoon classes.
“What we’re trying to do here is
provide opportunities for students to
build their schedules in ways that would
be helpful to them, that’s the bottom
line,” said Ana Maria Rodriguez, senior
vice provost for undergraduate studies.
See SCHEDULE page 11
Profs ponder useof innovations inclassroom setting
By ABIGAIL MUNIZ
The Pan American
� DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES
Technology changing education
By J.R. ORTEGAThe Pan American
See KENNEDY page 11
Environmentalactivist says U.S. is distracted
Kennedy speaks on nature, society
Campus PDresponds tophone threat
� DEVELOPING
The University of Texas-Pan
American Police Department is “in the
process of investigating” death threats
made against a campus employee
Wednesday, Assistant Chief James
Loya said.
Several anonymous sources suggest
the threats, delivered by phone
Wednesday, were against Provost/Vice
President of Academic Affairs Paul Sale,
who had “no comment” about the incident.
In the wake of the shooting deaths
at Virginia Tech last year, concern about
a possible situation at UTPA spread
quickly Wednesday, but most officials
were mum as to any details. Despite
early breaking rumors of bomb threats
and an Executive Building lockdown,
Loya said there was never an immediate
threat on campus.
Visit www.utpa.edu/dept/panamer-
ican for updates as they become avail-
able.
By SANDRA GONZALEZ
The Pan American
Photos by Nick Dodd/The Pan AmericanENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose speech marked the end of this semesterʼs DistinguishedSpeaker Series, addresses an auditorium full of students, staff and faculty at The University of Texas-Pan American.
THE PAN AMERICANPage 2
1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 381-2541
Fax: (956) 316-7122www.utpa.edu/dept/panamerican
THE
PANAMERICAN
NOVEMBER 15, 2007
The Pan American is the official student newspaperof The University of Texas-Pan American. Viewspresented are those of the writers and do notnecessarily reflect those of the paper or university.
Editor-in-ChiefSandra Gonzalez.................................................
News EditorAna [email protected]
A&E EditorJeanette [email protected]
Sports EditorErick Quintero.................................................
Photography EditorVeronica Gonzalez...........................................
Design EditorRoy [email protected]
Designers
Rick Gamez
Greg Garza
Reporters and Photographers
Brian Carr
Leslie Estrada
Onydia Garza
Ramiro Paez
Lezette Villarreal
Laura Garcia
AdviserDr. Greg [email protected]
The Pan American accepts letters of 300words or less from students, staff and facultyregarding recent newspaper content, campusconcerns or current events. The Pan Americanreserves the right to edit submissions for grammarand length. The Pan American cannot publishanonymous letters or submissions containing hatespeech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send allstory ideas to [email protected].
Individuals with disabilities wishing toacquire this publication in an alternative format orneeding assistance to attend any event listed cancontact The Pan American for more details.
SecretaryAnita [email protected]
Advertising ManagerSamantha [email protected]
Assitant Advertising ManagerJacqueline Iglesias...................................
***Delivery
Thursday at noon
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SavethesedatesNovember
� PONDERINGS
� QUIPS FROM QUINTERO
he entertainment world in all its
glory keeps churning out juicy,
embarrassing revelations. Whether you
like him or not, recently Duane
Chapman, popularly known from A&E’s
“Dog, the Bounty Hunter” has been in
the news for racial slurs.
After a leaked recorded phone con-
versation (private, may I add), Dog has
been targeted as a racist for repeatedly
using the so-called n-word toward his
son Tucker’s girlfriend. I mean, the man
does sport that long, blond trailer-trash
mullet and carries around that wide-load
of a wife, so why does it come as a sur-
prise?
What surprises me is that the enter-
tainment world is so quick to turn their
back on celebrities when a situation such
as this arises.
Racist or not, the man had a popu-
lar show that suddenly was removed
from the air after the network heard of
this fiasco. It’s the same story.
Every news station, gossip column
and program struck gold with Don
Imus’s insensitive remarks. The comedi-
an/writer/radio talk show host was put
under serious heat for his comment on
the Rutgers women’s basketball team.
As a result, MSNBC canceled his
morning radio show and his once-good
name has been tainted ever since. And of
course, who could forget Michael
Richards (Cosmo Kramer of “Seinfeld”)
and his unfortunate comedy act break-
down? A heckling incident turned into
headline news and what do you know,
Richards is labeled a no-good, African-
American-hating white man.
What I don’t understand is why
people like Chapman, Imus and
Richards get in trouble for an outburst
during a vulnerable moment yet people
like Strom Thurmond remain public
figures (and racists). The man left the
Senate office at 100 years old, as the
longest-serving senator, and oldest at
the time.
So why do people make such a
huge deal when a celebrity is associated
with discrimination, but when a govern-
ment official does it, it’s OK? People
may have still resented him, but nobody
made him resign.
It’s a sad thing to know that the
public is more informed and concerned
with what goes on in the entertainment
industry than what happens within
their government.
Entertainment personas have
more influence on the general public
than the government ever will. It’s the
cold truth.
TBY: JEANETTE PEREZ
OPINIONNovember 15, 2007
Celebrity gaffes are overhyped
he first couple of knocks I didn’t
mind too much, but when the short
little guy went for my legs for a second
time, I’d had enough.
I was taken back through time, to
my younger days when I used to bartend
and kick out rowdy winos and loud-
mouth boozers, and felt like reverting to
the old ways. Hey, what can I say? That
was actually the coolest thing next to a
nice tip in that line of work.
I kept my cool, slowly got back up
after hitting my second three-pointer,
and walked away. For the last few years
I’ve had to do a lot of that because I am
and always will be the bigger man.
It was crystal clear: the dude sim-
ply knocked me down, but no whistle.
The best I could do was give the referee
my best evil-eye, from there things pro-
gressively worsened. Fouls galore, a
tackle here and there, it was all fair
game.
Maybe it was my face. I’ve been
told on many occasions I should smile
more; I’d rather not, I hate wrinkles, but
it was the only thing I could think of.
‘Maybe I come off as a douche?’ I
thought. Maybe the refs didn’t like me,
although I highly doubt a personal
vendetta was on their to-do list.
I pleaded with one of them for the
sake of everyone’s safety on that court.
His response:
“You all are playing dirty too.” My
jaw nearly dropped. Oh and by the way I
was complaining even when we had a
12-point lead.
Look, I enjoy a good physical bas-
ketball game and I love the Intramural 5-
on-5 league the Wellness and
Recreational Sports Complex put togeth-
er, please don’t misunderstand me.
But when the safety of participants
is compromised - especially my own - I
tend to worry.
The games run for about an hour
and I imagine the expediency factor that
goes into refereeing several back-to-
back games is the reason fouls aren’t
called every time.
That’s cool too, but diving at some-
one’s legs constitutes a foul in anyone’s
book.
Normally I’m not one to complain,
I think that type of attitude is reserved
for…well I rather not say.
The two refs clearly overlooked the
safety of the players for the entirety of
the game. I know they’re students and
are probably doing it for a little extra
cash, but if you’re going to do some-
thing, do it right. Take a little pride in
your job, go to the video store and pick
up “Refereeing 101,” it might help.
Don’t like that suggestion? Then
just do the right thing.
If they can’t control the game and
everything that goes with it, including
players’ tempers which tend to flare
when fouls aren’t called, fights will
break out.
Well surprise, surprise.
As I later found out from the stu-
dent manning the front desk, a fight did
break on the other court, the campus
police came and whisked the perpetra-
tors away. Case in point.
I could go on and on about refer-
eeing or the lack of it, but I have a
game in a few minutes. Yeah I’m going
back. I feel ready: after all last night I
stayed up late watching “Fight Club,”
just in case.
BY: ERICK QUINTERO
� Have you had a bad expe-rience with a lousy referee,too? Tell me about it at: [email protected].
T
When friendly matches turn violent
� Are you tired of hearingabout celebrities and theirpolitically incorrect [email protected]
2929The next edition of The PanAmerican hits stands
� DISCUSSION
� TOY DRIVE
Newsinbrief
The Social Work Student
Association will host a toy drive from
Nov. 8 to Nov. 28.
The toy drive is sponsored by
Court Appointed Special Advocates, a
non-profit volunteer organization that
utilizes trained citizens to provide
abused or neglected children a voice in
court.
SWSA is asking the campus com-
munity to assist CASA reach its goal of
gathering 500 toys for the children that
they currently serve.
SWSA will be placing donation
boxes in the following buildings: SBSC,
COAS, BUSA, STUN, HSHSE, and
MAGC.
The toys should be in their original
packaging and their value should be $10
to $20 dollars.
For more information, please call
381-3578.
On Nov. 8 at Unity Hall, the
Global Awarness Project held a discus-
sion forum about the Jena Six trials.
The trials involved six Aftican-
American teens accused of beating
Justin Barker, a white teenager, at Jena
High School on Dec. 4, 2006.
The committee invited Dr. Jessica
Lavariega-Monforti, political science
professor; Philip Etheridge, criminal
justice professor; and Aje-Ori Agbese,
communication professor to share their
views.
The Cost of Education Committee at
the University of Texas- Pan American
held an open forum Tuesday to discuss
proposals for a boost in fees and designat-
ed tuition costs for UTPA students through
the next two academic years.
A UTPA student taking 15 semester
credit hours currently pays $2,413 for
tuition and mandatory fees. In the pro-
posal, the student would be paying
$2,938 by 2009 and $3,200 by 2010.
The 22-member committee, com-
prised of nine students and 13 faculty
and staff, reviews tuition and fee propos-
als and later makes recommendations to
the president of the university. This
week, The University of Texas-Austin
announced an 8-percent hike in tuition,
as colleges across the nation are being
forced to raise rates for various reasons.
THE PAN AMERICANNovember 15, 2007 Page 3
NEWS
Oil costs are rebounding after a
steep drop on Tuesday, and those plan-
ning car trips next Thanksgiving week-
end will have to plan for fluctuating
prices as they gas up.
Americans have had to adjust to
fluctuating gas prices since the 1970s,
and in recent years have seen the price at
the pump rise consistently.
Wednesday, crude for December
delivery rose $2.55 to $93.72 a barrel on
the New York Mercantile Exchange after
a $3.45 drop Tuesday, according to The
Associated Press.
The statewide average gas price for
this week is $2.66 per gallon, according
to the San Antonio-Express News.
Houston enjoyed the cheapest gas this
week at $2.60 per gallon.
Gasoline prices remain above $3 in
39 states.
“Historically gasoline prices fall in
� ACADEMICS
Faculty reflects
Over one week after the Faculty
Senate voted against proposed changes
to The University of Texas-Pan
American’s core curriculum, reflection
on the process and discussions leading
up to the vote has begun.
Paul Sale, vice president/provost
for academic affairs, said the monthlong
dialogue and forums on the matter were
a positive.
“I hope that I can take at least part
responsibility for opening discussions
about matters of importance to the cam-
pus community. Following Dr.
(Blandina) Cardenas’ lead, we’re trying
to be very transparent and have open dis-
cussions,” he said. “What we find is that
we get a lot of perspectives — neither
side is right or wrong, but it’s important
to get them all on the table to make the
best decision we can.”
The debate over the core curricu-
lum proposal was abundant in perspec-
tives, with many arguing the validity of
various courses to overall student educa-
tion, Sale said. The proposed curriculum
omitted requirements for kinesiology, a
foreign language and a computer course,
among others.
LOADED ISSUELewis Weger, assistant professor of
physician assistant studies, said while he
had objections to the proposal because
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
Gas pricesfluctuate,drivers toadjust
� ECONOMY
See GAS page 12
Core curriculumgroup to revisitpossible changes
See COURSES page 12
By LEZETTE VILLARREALThe Pan American
� HEALTH
Schools fighting staph
Health officials at the University of
Texas-Pan American are reevaluating
their cleaning methods to ensure a safer
and cleaner campus, following recent
local and national news reports of a
staph infection borne from bacteria
recurring in various schools and commu-
nities throughout the country.
In October schools throughout the
United States were closed and events
were canceled in Connecticut,
Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio.
School officials in Mississippi,
New Hampshire and Virginia reported
student deaths from the bacteria, while
officials in at least four other states
reported cases of student infections.
There have been reports of students
with staph infections in the past at
UTPA’s Student Health Services Center,
with the most recent diagnosis being
about one month ago, said Rick Gray,
director of health services. The person
diagnosed was treated, and the infection
was cleared after proper and
immediate care, he said.
Director of Environmental Health
and Safety Richard Costello said it is
important that the university has policies
in place that “do not result in or facilitate
a (Staphylococcus Aureus) infection in
the UTPA community.”
Staph infections were the primary
cause of skin and soft tissue infections in
American communities until the 1990s,
when a different strain known as
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
Aureus, associated mostly with healthcare
facility infections since the 1970s, became
another leading cause of severe infections.
Dr. Rachel Gorwitz, a medical epi-
demiologist at the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, said that when
the staph bacteria is exposed to uncov-
ered, damaged skin and skin tissue, it
starts becoming infectious and begins
eating away the host’s tissue and skin as
the bacteria multiplies.
The recent staph infection increase
has some people worried, but medical
health professionals say that the commu-
nity-associated MRSA, a strain immune
to penicillin and other antibiotics, has
been around for decades, so students and
the general public alike should take a
deep breath and simply reevaluate their
own personal hygiene methods.
For that reason, Costello said the
school is ensuring
that buildings are
equipped with
hand-wash ing
facilities, and
that common
equipment in
facilities like
weight rooms are
properly disinfec-
ted on a daily basis
as recommended by
the Centers for
Disease Control.
“This is not a new
problem,” Patti Koo,
a physician’s assis-
tant for Student
Health Services
said. “(MRSA) is
just getting more
media hype these
days, which is a
good and bad
thing. Good
because people
can understand it
and prevent it; bad
because it gets blown
way out of proportion.”
Rosalinda Rossaw, a
nurse practitioner at UTPA’s
By LUPE A. FLORESThe Pan American
Hygiene isemphasized asinfections sprout
-kidshealth.org
Staph infection?
How to prevent it:
Veronica Gonzalez/The Pan AmericanINCREASE - Tony Matamoros, president of the Student Government Association,presents a proposed tuition and fee increase for the next two years.
By ABIGAIL MUNIZThe Pan American
� TUITION
Tuition cost proposals may hike prices
Staph is the shortened name forStaphylococcus, a type of bacteriathat can live harmlessly on manyskin surfaces, especially aroundthe nose, mouth and genitals. Butwhen the skin is punctured or bro-ken for any reason, staph bacteriacan enter the wound and cause aninfection.
What is
Wash hands frequently and bathe or showerdaily.
Areas of skin that have been injured — such ascuts, scrapes, eczema, and rashes caused byallergic reactions or poison ivy — should becleaned and covered, and use any antibioticointments or other treatments that your doctorsuggests.
- Cleanliness and good hygiene
- Keep injuries clean
See PROPOSALS page 12
See STAPH page 12
Committee givesplans enhancingstudent services
NEWSPage 4 November 15, 2007
NEWSNovember 15, 2007 Page 5
CAMPU
S LIF
EEVENTS ....... .......
For more info or to request special accommodations, please contact us at 381-2660 or log on http://dos.utpa.edu
Educ
ation
Beyo
nd
Your
Degre
e
Thurs. Nov. 15 Great American SmokeoutFrom 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel Lawn
SU: Air Hockey TournamentFrom 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the SU Game Room
Career Services: Tips on Federal EmploymentSU Sage Room 12 - 1 pm
Play: Frida, Un Retablo Starting at 7:00 p.m. at the SU Theater
Disabilities Awareness FairFrom 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the SU Commons/E. Patio
Fri. Nov. 16 UPB Movie: Ladrón Que Roba a LadrónStarting at 7:00 p.m. at the SU Theater
Tues. Nov. 20 Ultimate Money Skills: Scholarships, Dollars, Budgets, & BillsStarting at 5:30 pm at the SU Theater
SU: Turkey BowlingFrom 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Student Union
UPB Coffeehouse: Guitar Hero TournamentStarting at 7:00 p.m. at the SU Café
Wed. Nov. 21 SU: Fan Frenzy ContestFrom 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the SU Commons
NEWSPage 6 November 15, 2007
The Rio Grande Valley is home to
roughly 45,000 veterans, many of whom
have turned musicians, poets, artists, and
writers to enjoy the helpful power of cre-
ative therapy.
One might not expect a tough sol-
dier to focus so delicately on a craft, but
with the help of the McAllen Vet Center
and Dr. Marsha Nelson of the Creative
Journaling Expressive Arts program,
many have discovered a healing tool.
“Through the right side of the brain
and the use of your non-dominant hand,
the arts, music, intuition, creativity and
higher power are accessed,” said Nelson.
“While many people think vets are bitter
old men telling stories, and never letting
go of their battle wounds, we see a differ-
ent side to them when they express them-
selves through the arts.”
After months, sometimes years, of
hellish, combat scenes, soldiers return to
a “normal” environment again, but soon
after they may develop a condition
known as Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder. Although anyone having expe-
rienced a severely traumatic situation
may suffer from PTSD, official traces of
it were first noted in study of veterans of
Vietnam combat.
According to Nelson, PTSD is
caused by the left side of the brain trying
to make reason of the traumatic event.
Many resort to medications or succumb
to the evil triad of drugs, sex and alcohol
in order to forget the painful scenarios.
That’s where CJEA comes in.
“The art therapy tools allow the
individual to unhook from the reoccur-
ring thought patterns and creative alter-
native neropathways which are free of
trauma,” said Nelson.
The healing program is used at the
McAllen Vet Center under the direction
of Sylvia De Leon, during counseling
sessions to help the men and women find
a hobby and get closer to their families.
“We use creative arts clinically, it is
a way to help soothe the mind,” said De
Leon, a counselor at the MVC.
Local veterans are no exception. In
fact, Nov. 4, the Pharr Convention Center
hosted the third annual Veterans Creative
Arts Expo, an event featuring the work of
ex soldiers from paintings to woodworks
to computer skills.
Each year the men and women who
have served the country look forward to
the event, and as for the change the coun-
selors strive to make, it’s a positive one.
“More guys come out and you can
tell they become less reserved, kind of
like saying ‘I have issues but I can still
express myself in this way,’” said John
Najera, also a counselor for the Vet
Center.
PROGRESS MADEBob Wright, a Vietnam Veteran,
was recently diagnosed with prostate
cancer caused by exposure to Agent
Orange (a toxic herbicide used to defoli-
ate in Vietnam). He had both prostate
surgery and hernia surgery in the past
year resulting in what the Veteran’s
Administration calls "adjustment disor-
der and depression.”
One technique that has proved help-
ful for him is “Dancing on Paper.” A CD
with nine samples of emotions each 2 to
3 minutes in length is played, and partic-
ipants use paper and markers. The partic-
ipant is given 10 sheets of paper, dancing
on it using the colored markers that they
feel best matches the music.
“I ask the participants to ‘skate’
along on the paper just making lines, no
artistic pictures. The participant is just
allowing the emotions to be expressed on
the paper by either using both hands (a
marker in each hand) or the non-domi-
nant hand only,” said Nelson.
Wright says the techniques help
him get the physical pain associated with
the emotional pain onto paper, giving
him an outside-in perspective rather than
having his emotions trapped inside.
“The significant change I have
experienced has been positive,” Wright
said. “Along with counseling sessions
with a Vet Center social worker and anx-
iety/depression medication prescribed by
my primary care physician, this has made
most of the ‘cloud’ hanging over me,
some of it from 38 years ago as a combat
medic in Vietnam, seem to disappear.”
Nelson is also the executive direc-
tor of Project Insight, a non-profit group
designed to help get the CJEA program
into the military so that soldiers can
begin the coping process before it’s too
late.
“For a soldier, that is the greatest
fear of being labeled crazy. Thirty years
after the war, they go into the Veteran’s
Affairs to see if they can get a diagnosis
of mentally impaired because they hon-
estly feel crazy,” she said. “This is when
I get them in my programs at the Vet
Center. They feel hopeful and have fun.”
Soldiers recently deployed to Iraq
and Afghanistan were equipped with the
proper tools. Included in their care pack-
ets were: journaling prompts, a CD, a
journal, a pen and a box of Kleenex, all
in a zip-lock bag.
According to De Leon, a counselor
at the Vet Center, when many vets go for
intensive therapy they are better prepared
due to their involvement with the CJEA
tools. Veterans are able to identify with
their hidden talents and at the same time
take their mind off certain disturbing
aspects of their time in the service.
For more information about
services, please contact the McAllen
Vet Center at 956-631-2147 or
Marsha Nelson at 956-383-6045.
&RTS EA NTERTAINMENTTHE PAN AMERICAN
November 15, 2007 Page 7
Last spring, students in Michael
Minor’s class spent a semester listening
to ZZ Top violating copyright on a John
Lee Hooker blues song. Copyright viola-
tions are only part of what the music
business is comprised of.
Minor, a Nashville native and pro-
fessor at The University of Texas-Pan
American, has taught “Music Business,”
which employs students with knowledge
about the popular business, since spring
of 2007 and will do so in the spring.
What makes this class different from
many other business courses, said
Minor, is that it’s very open-minded.
“This is the only class of its type at
UTPA, and I believe the only one south
of San Antonio, it is also one of the
classes which welcomes majors from all
disciplines,” said Minor, who has been
teaching business courses at UTPA since
1990.
The course is not only a class for
business majors, but for everyone. Last
spring, Minor had music, business, and
communication people in the class.
“I don’t require any business pre-
requisites, so anyone who is a junior or
senior can take the class,” said Minor.
The class, he added, is very hands-
on and provides an in-depth experience
for students. In fact, last semester, Minor
adopted a structure similar to that por-
trayed in the movie “School of Rock,”
(starring Jack Black) in which students
created a band.
“One of the students suggested that
we have a ‘School of Rock’ experience.
Eventually I agreed,” he said.
The band, which was named
“Hello, Deidra,” consisted of students
Cynthia Escaname and Fernie Hinojosa
who played keyboards, Olivia McCord
and Natalie Haime as singers, Armando
Veliz as the drummer, and chair of the
band-naming committee, Deidra A.
Johnson.
Johnson, a senior marketing major,
� CAMPUS
Studentslearn first-hand thebusinessof musicBy RUSSEN VELAThe Pan American
See MUSIC page 10
Nick Dodd/The Pan American
CREATIVE HEALING - Luis Garcia, vet and UTPA graduate of 1975, expresseshimself through painting, one of the various art forms used in the healing process.
� ART & COMMUNITY
War veterans turn to art for therapyBy LAURA GARCIAThe Pan American
Nick Dodd/The Pan American
HONOR - (from left) Tony Cordova, Elliot Moore, Ray Molano and Tony Anenas were among the veterans at the 3rd annualVets Creative Arts Expo held Nov. 4 at the Pharr International Convention Center.
t was an array of dancing, ethnic foods
and flavors, cultural diversity and earth-
ly topics as The University of Texas-Pan
American hosted the seventh annual
International Week.
With its “Earth Matters” theme,
International Week went ‘green,’ address-
ing issues of global warming,. It offered
environmentally friendly alternatives to
create awareness among students and the
community of other languages, cultures,
politics, economies and issues throughout
the world.
Aside from the educators, panel discus-
sions and guest speakers, the university
hosted various environmentally friendly
activities throughout the campus.
Students and the community indulged
in the free food tasting and sampling during
Monday’s “International Night,” the first
event to kick off the weeklong activities.
Assorted sushi rolls, sliced fruit, seafood
were among the various other international
delectables which lined the tables set along-
side the university library media courtyard.
The night was not without its entertain-
ment. Dancing troupes of flashy belly
dancers, spicy flamenco and salsa move-
ment and traditional Mexican folklorico
performed for the crowd. Acoustic music
from a live band and the delicate sounds of
Japanese instruments filled the air.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 November 15, 2007
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTNovember 15, 2007 Page 9
I
Zareen Alam
Noriko Urade
Zambian Vocal Group
Solenne Ayala with the McAllen Dance Company
Suteki’s Andro Lopez, Fernanda Sturgell
Priscilla Arstin, Orlando Perez of the
McAllen Dance Company
Solenne Ayala
Earth poetry and coffee hour
(from left) Norma Silva, Cassandra Mendoza,
Yolanda Sanchez, Mayda Villafranca
t was an array of dancing, ethnic foods
and flavors, cultural diversity and earth-
ly topics as The University of Texas-Pan
American hosted the seventh annual
International Week.
With its “Earth Matters” theme,
International Week went ‘green,’ address-
ing issues of global warming,. It offered
environmentally friendly alternatives to
create awareness among students and the
community of other languages, cultures,
politics, economies and issues throughout
the world.
Aside from the educators, panel discus-
sions and guest speakers, the university
hosted various environmentally friendly
activities throughout the campus.
Students and the community indulged
in the free food tasting and sampling during
Monday’s “International Night,” the first
event to kick off the weeklong activities.
Assorted sushi rolls, sliced fruit, seafood
were among the various other international
delectables which lined the tables set along-
side the university library media courtyard.
The night was not without its entertain-
ment. Dancing troupes of flashy belly
dancers, spicy flamenco and salsa move-
ment and traditional Mexican folklorico
performed for the crowd. Acoustic music
from a live band and the delicate sounds of
Japanese instruments filled the air.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 November 15, 2007
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTNovember 15, 2007 Page 9
I
Zareen Alam
Noriko Urade
Zambian Vocal Group
Solenne Ayala with the McAllen Dance Company
Suteki’s Andro Lopez, Fernanda Sturgell
Priscilla Arstin, Orlando Perez of the
McAllen Dance Company
Solenne Ayala
Earth poetry and coffee hour
(from left) Norma Silva, Cassandra Mendoza,
Yolanda Sanchez, Mayda Villafranca
ay-Z’s “American Gangster” is
not a soundtrack to the Denzel
Washington movie of the same name. It
is, however, a parallel to the film, as it
samples the movie liberally and is also
based on the life of Harlem drug-lord
Frank Lucas.
In this regard, Jay-Z attempts to
develop “American Gangster” as a con-
cept album and a tribute to the ex-heroin
dealer Lucas. But his brag-rap tradition
gets in the way of this goal, as Jay trips
over his own ego en route to the feat.
But despite the missed mark
“American Gangster” has several
redeeming qualities. The album is rich
and unique. Horns drive many of the
hooks and artists Al Green and Marvin
Gaye are both sampled. The result is a
musical atmosphere that hints at Lucas’s
time period.
“Blue Magic,” a track named after the
Lucas-branded heroin for which the crimi-
nal became legendary, floats like chocolate
and blends steady drums with cool synthe-
sizers and sparse lyrical brag antics.
“I’m getting / I ain’t talking about
it / I’m straight living it.”
“American Gangster” is the perfect
follow up for “Kingdom Come” which
seemed a paltry reason for an elite artist
such as Jay-Z to step out of retirement.
And while “Kingdom” did gener-
ate commercial success, garnering Jay-Z
endorsements with Budweiser, it seemed
a low point in his catalogue.
“American Gangster” should be
regarded as Jay-Z’s return to form, howev-
er the odd parallel message of the album
might leave fans scratching their heads.
Jay-Z’s latest album debuted at
no. 1 and sold more than 425,000
copies to date. This is Jay-Z’s 10th
chart-topping debut, making him tied
in second place alongside Elvis for
most No. 1 albums.
� MUSIC REVIEWS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 10 November 15, 2007
MUSIC continued from page 7
he recently packaged Led
Zeppelin “Mothership” is essen-
tially a Cliff’s Notes version of the leg-
endary arena rockers’ portfolio.
Comprised of two CD’s and one
DVD, “Mothership” consists of 24 audio
tracks and 19 videos.
The set includes all of Zeppelin’s
most memorable songs, from “Dazed
and Confused” to “Stairway to Heaven.”
Old and new fans alike will appreci-
ate the catalogue of hits, and lesser known,
yet extremely well crafted, standouts.
But the greatest achievement of
this “Greatest Hits” album, is the pro-
ducer’s ability to string the playlist
together seamlessly while packaging
Led Zeppelin with an eye toward a
younger market.
Led Zeppelin’s staying power is a
result of the band’s legendary antics, pow-
erful songwriting and genius marketing.
“Mothership” looks like a White
Stripes album cover. It’s a black and
red screen print of a zeppelin hovering
over a stereo shaped building.
Inside the album are stamped
images of each of the members; John
Paul Jones, John Bonham, Robert Plant
and Jimmy Page.
For those unfamiliar with the lega-
cy of Led Zeppelin, their career spanned
from 1969 to 1979, during which time
they were widely regarded as the best
arena rock band.
They had a thick driving edge,
probably the best guitarist of the era in
Page, and a penchant for otherwordly,
Tolkienesque lyrics.
“Mothership” is an extremely cost
effective introduction to their breadth of
work, or a great addition to a true fan’s
catalogue.
By BRIAN CARRThe Pan American
Amazon.com Amazon.com
Jay-Z
J
Zeppelin delivers classics, while Jay-Z reforms
T
Led Zeppelin
was responsible for coming up with
the name. She decided to use
MySpace as a way to get suggestions
from her friends.
“I presented all the names to the
class and then Minor threw in the ‘Hello,
Deidra.’ He said it had a nice ring to it,”
said Johnson. “The whole class with-
drew their votes for the other band
names and unanimously voted for
‘Hello, Deidra.’”
The band covered many songs
including Gloria Gaynor’s 1970s hit “I
Will Survive,” and performed at the
MMIB (Management, Marketing, and
International Business) department for
the College of Business last spring in the
media theater.
The band is no longer together,
because as Johnson explained, “Hello
Deidra” was created mainly for the
course. But its members still remain
friends on campus.
Teaching students the business
aspect of an industry surrounded by
glamour was one of his main hopes
when the idea to bring the course to
UTPA first came to Minor in 2004.
“There are two different points for
two separate groups of people. First, to
prepare the aspiring artists to have a
successful career in music and second,
to provide a career path for those want-
ing to be in the entertainment business
but whose career may not include per-
formance,” said Minor. “I think any
artist or group would have a better
chance of success as a result of taking
a course like this.”
Minor knows from experience;
he’s in a band.
“Playing in a band taught me
about finding gigs and developing
industry contacts, contracts, equip-
ment, and a little about recording,” said
Minor enthusiastically.
Olinda Almanza, a junior education
major, is excited about taking the class
in spring 2008.
“When I heard I could take this
class even though I am not a business
major, I rushed for it,” she said. “It’s
exciting to know all the stuff that famous
musicians or record producers need to
know to survive in the business.”
Melissa Garcia, a senior business
major, finds the class beneficial to those
seeking knowledge of the music world.
“[My cousin] went all the way to
Corpus Christi because supposedly they
have a music business class there, but
now he can be here and take the class,”
she said excitedly.
The class offers an opportunity that
many aspiring musicians wouldn’t oth-
erwise look into.
“Many students would like to have
a career in music, but may not be lucky
enough to have careers as an artist,”
Minor said. “This course shows other
non-artist careers within the industry,
such as being an A&R (“Artist and
Repertoire”) executive who is in charge
of finding artists for a record label, get-
ting them recorded, and deciding how to
promote them.”
Minor is anxiously awaiting the
upcoming semester, when he will be
adding some new features to the
course.
magine waking up from a coma with
no memory of your past life. For
Samantha Newly, played by Christina
Applegate (“Married with Children”)
that is reality. Every day is a new adven-
ture as she battles amnesia in ABC’s lat-
est fall hit, “Samantha Who?”
In the comedy, Applegate’s charac-
ter is a 30-year-old psychiatrist who,
after becoming the victim of a hit-and-
run accident, wakes up from an 80-day
coma with amnesia. Attempting to
reconstruct who she was before the acci-
dent, Newly discovers that the life she
led before was not very promising. She
was an awful person who partied too
much. Horrified at her previous life, she
decides it’s time to better herself and
repair the damage that’s been done.
Follow Newly on her everyday dis-
coveries as she attempts to put the pieces
in her life back together, Mondays at
8:30 p.m. on ABC.
“Samantha Who?”
I
By JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American
WhatYou’reNotWatching
� TV CORNER
izens must first “restore democracy by
(reforming) America’s media and cor-
porations.”
“This is the most entertained and
least informed (generation) in the histo-
ry of America,” he said.
Amy Silva, a 21-year old junior
nutrition and pre-med major from
Harlingen, said she enjoyed the speech
and has considered becoming more
involved in the pro-environment move-
ment. Kennedy’s speech only help
increase that aspiration.
“I feel motivated to help change the
environment,” she said, adding that
Kennedy’s talk boosted that motivation.
“Sometimes it feels like it’s you against
the world.”
Among other criticisms,
Kennedy said “this is the worst White
House” when it comes to dealing with
the environment.
He said the Bush administration
ignores major problems in the world’s
ecologic system.
Kennedy is a nephew to former
U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s.
His father, Robert F. Kennedy,
served as U.S. attorney general in the
early 60s. He was one of President
Kennedy’s most trusted advisers and
worked closely with the president during
the Cuban Missile Crisis. He is also co-
host of the Air America radio program
“Ring of Fire.”
Kennedy’s speech was hosted in
part by UTPA’s 7th annual
International Week, whose theme was
“Earth Matters,” because its events and
presentations centered on environmen-
tal issues. It was the second and final
installment of the Distinguished
Speaker’s Series this semester.
In October, former president of the
Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, the
first presenter of the semester, spoke
about peace in the 21st Century.
While the Distinguished Speaker
Series Committee is still deciding on a
second speaker, it currently has one
planned presenter.
NEWSNovember 15, 2007 Page 11
SCHEDULE continued from page 1
The proposal has recommended
that morning Monday-Wednesday-
Friday classes stay as they are, while
classes starting after 11:45-12:35 be
offered only on Mondays and
Wednesdays, extended in length from
the current duration of 50 minutes to 1
hour and 15 minutes, or equivalent to
Tuesday/Thursday classes.
There would also be a given time-
frame for Friday afternoon classes if a
department were willing to hold classes
that day.
According to Rodriguez, head of
the scheduling committee, a similar
effort took shape three years ago with a
task force made up of deans and faculty.
The group had proposed a similar sched-
ule but at the time, the school “wasn’t
ready for a number of reasons,” she said.
One main reason was a change in admin-
istration when Paul Sale replaced
Roland Arriola as vice president of aca-
demic affairs.
“There are some questions coming
up about it about how many students
would be positively or negatively effect-
ed by this and what our classroom uti-
lization would be if we changed it,” said
Sale. “One of the things we realized was
that the Monday-Wednesday-Friday
schedule...doesn’t utilize Friday after-
noon.”
Sale said most students are proba-
bly worried about having to get used to a
new schedule, though he assured they
would get comfortable with it eventual-
ly. He added that the school would try to
accommodate significant concerns.
“I was actually an undergraduate at
a college that had a schedule similar (to
the proposed one) and you get use to it
after a while,” he said. “We’re going to
make sure to talk to the Student
Government Association to make sure
we’re not disadvantaging anybody.”
Rodriguez said a president’s execu-
tive committee would meet Monday to
discuss the matter with all of the vice
presidents at the university. She added
that the proposal was sent to the Council
of Deans so that the committee could get
feedback before presenting it as an offi-
cial proposal.
“There is a lot of support for it, but
there are also some concerns that we
have. It’s not perfect,” Rodriguez said,
adding that “nothing is official yet.”
Kelly Alvarado, a freshman music
major, said that the change sounds like
an overall good idea, but the students
should have options.
“I think that there should still be
that option for MWF classes for students
who need the time between classes to be
spread out,” said the Harlingen native,
adding that it might be an adequate
schedule for upper-level students, giving
them more options.
Rodriguez admits that while the
university once considered changing
class schedules during the 2005-2006
school year, they have yet to take the
proposal to student for their input on the
matter. Administrators hope to collect
student feedback at a forum next
Tuesday during activity period in the
SBS auditorium.
Maria Roberts, assistant professor
in the education department, said that
the most important thing to consider is
how it meets the students’ needs. She
also pointed out that longer afternoon
periods would give professors the oppor-
tunity to actually finish a lesson, some-
thing she, along with other professors,
has a hard time doing in a 50-minute ses-
sion.
“As far as it goes, you can’t get
much done [in MWF sessions]. It doesn’t
leave [a professor] time to offer individual
help,” Roberts said. “Ultimately though,
the undergrads are the ones that are going
to decide if this is what they need.”
Rodriguez agreed, saying that their
primary goal is to help students, and that
it’s important to recognize if the pro-
posed changes would be beneficial to
them.
TECH continued from page 1times, most universities offer online
classes whereby students learn from
the comfort of their homes; they are
usually required to be on campus for
tests only, sometimes not even then.
UTPA is no exception, offering
nearly 60 online courses for the spring
2008 term, according to university
course listings.
Stephen Crown, a mechanical
engineering professor, said that it is a
mistake to replace the more traditional
approach to education with technology
completely, but admits it may “revolu-
tionize the teaching environment.”
He uses technology quite often in
laboratory classes, recording himself
doing a lab and allowing the students to
view the video when they are having dif-
ficulties.
“I used to run the lab where I
would demonstrate lab up front and put
that on my Web site,” he said. “So
when (the students) are receiving
instructions, they can simply pause the
video. That way, I’m addressing them
individually.”
At one time, Microsoft’s Power
Point – a program that allows instructors
to present information on visually appeal-
ing slides – was the most technologically
advanced media at a teacher’s disposal.
But in the past 10 years, it has come to
seem almost obsolete to some students
with the advent of other options.
A more commonly used technolo-
gy at UTPA is distance learning with
Blackboard, an online classroom alter-
native where teachers can post anything
from lecture notes to quizzes.
Maria Flores, a Spanish lecturer
and instructional technology coordina-
tor at UTPA, thinks technology helps
students connect more directly with the
lesson and provides broader access to
class information.
“I believe that the visual impact is
very important in teaching students about
culture and language,” she said. “Power
Points help the student by having a chap-
ter from a text available online for easy
access by the student. Resources online
are easy to use and it gives the students
easy access from any computer.”
However, many professors take a
middle-ground approach to technology
use. Though they recognize technolo-
gy’s great benefits in enhancing the
experience, they are also aware that it
should not substitute for traditional face-
to-face teaching.
Shelia Pozorski, an anthropology
professor, said she uses innovation only
when she “truly [believes] it enhances
the class.”
“I don't really believe that
PowerPoint lectures enhance or
improve a class,” she said. “I like to
see my students, read their faces and
encourage them to interact. This is
much more difficult if we are all in the
dark staring at a screen.”
KENNEDY continued from page 1
� A forum on the proposedclass time changes will beheld next Tuesday at noon inthe SBS Room 101.
Veronica Gonzalez/The Pan American
GREEN GREETING - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) speaks with Brazilian SenatorCristovam Buarque (left) meets up with before his speech Wednesday.
The next Distinguished Speaker will be PaulRusesabagina, a Rwandan hotel managerwho saved 1,000 civilians during theRwandan Genocide of 1995.
� Coming Jan. 30, 2008
� “(Media) focus too muchon entertainment. We hearmore about ‘Brangelina’ thanwe do about global warm-ing..”
-Robert F. KennedyEnvironmentalist
Distinguished Speaker guest
� “I don't really believe thatPowerPoint lectures enhanceor improve a class.”
-Shelia Pozorskianthropology professsor
PROPOSALS continued from page 3
STAPH continued from page 3
NEWSPage 12 November 15, 2007
of its educational philosophy, which
replaced some courses with others and
omitted some altogether, the issue was
twofold for him.
“We weren’t under mandate to
change the core curriculum,” he said. “It
put a wedge between a lot of depart-
ments.”
Weger said that while many institu-
tions within the UT System and the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board are
moving toward reducing the core curricu-
lum, “a movement is not a mandate.
If we don’t have to do it, why cause
unnecessary friction, heartburn and dis-
cord?” he said. “The last thing you need is
animosity among the ranks.”
Among the “hotly contested” areas,
Weger said, was the placement of a logic
course, which focuses in teaching math
theory, as a substitute for algebra.
“A couple of those courses were
picked because they were theoretical,”
he said. “But I tend to think that func-
tionality is a little more important.”
In the end, a group of 227 voting-
eligible faculty won the majority, strik-
ing down the proposal, as 174 were in
favor. An estimated 57 percent of eligi-
ble faculty voted.
WHAT IS NEXT?While voting on the issue is com-
plete, the development of a new core
curriculum is hardly over, Sale said.
“What’s important to remember is
that curriculum is a living, breathing
entity at every university. Any university
that stops talking about curriculum is a
university that is behind the times.” he
said. “If we don’t continuously ask our-
selves ‘what is the best education for our
students?’ and ‘how do we keep the cost
of education manageable while still pro-
viding a quality education year after
year?’ then we’re not doing our jobs.”
Sale said he is very appreciative of
the administrators and faculty for
embracing wider discussions, but that
“we all must keep in mind that there is a
time for discussion and a time for action,
with a fine line in between.
“Universities are traditionally slow
to change. Some would view that as a
good, but I would say that the change
cycle in America is becoming shorter
and shorter and you can see that in a
variety of indicators,” he continued.
“But I think institutions that are able to
be nimble but thoughtful in their change
processes will be the ones with a com-
petitive edge in the future.”
Sale said that issues aside, it is
important to “make sure we’re doing what
we need to be doing, which is helping stu-
dents graduate in a timely manner.”
Weger said that the discussions,
while over for now, were beneficial.
“If down the road we are mandat-
ed, then we have the groundwork laid,”
he said.
with the price of oil,” said Jorge Vidal,
an economics professor at UTPA. “And
right now, oil, the main ingredient in
gasoline is…(fluctuating) up and down.”
But the winter season could also
provide relief Vidal said, due to the
annual decrease in driving during this
period.
A major factor in the cost of gaso-
line is the price of crude oil production.
When gasoline prices increase, it is due
to the rise in the cost of crude oil, costs
of which have ranged from $70 to $100
a barrel for the past 10 years depending
on several factors in the Middle East, a
region Americans have grown dependent
on through the years.
Damian Damianov, associate pro-
fessor of economics, said unpredictable
gasoline prices have been a topic of
more intense debate for about 10 years
because of the large impact they have
had on peoples’ lives.
Though prices have gone down
dramatically from time to time, people
rarely notice, he added.
“At least two or three times a year
we have these discussions about what the
factors are that cause this certain surge in
price,” he said. “Actually, when we take a
look at it, the price is going down. But at
the time they’re going down nobody
notices because it’s good for consumers.”
But with oil approaching $100 a
barrel, the price of crude oil is still high
compared to 10 years ago.
Vidal believes an overall high gas
cost may have negative effects on stu-
dent spending.
“If students commute, it’s obvi-
ously going to be a negative effect
because you’re going to have to pay
more for gasoline,” said Vidal. “It’s
going to affect their consumption in
other goods and services because they
have to spend, more on gasoline so they
have less income for other things like
entertainment and vacations during
Christmas break.”
But Damianov thinks other
expenditures take a bigger toll on stu-
dent wallets.
“If you look at the price of books, I
think that’s much more of a concern
because a book costs about $100, so all
the changes in price in gasoline will cost
about half a book or more per month,”
said Damianov. “So for the entire semes-
ter, it will probably add up to one book
that they can buy.”
Victoria Martinez, who lives 20
miles away from the university in San
Juan, said she has taken various meas-
ures to cut back on gas consumption in
recent years.
“I have big breaks in between my
classes, so I don‘t go home during
them anymore,” said Martinez. “I try to
stay (at UTPA), so I won’t be going
back and forth.”
Martinez, who drives a
Volkswagen Beetle, also accommodates
high gas prices by carpooling and only
making necessary trips.
“Gas prices have gotten to be so
ridiculous. It takes me about $40 dollars
to fill up my Beetle every week if I just
go and come to school,” she said. “If I
didn’t have extra financial aid money I
wouldn’t make it.”
GAS continued from page 3COURSES continued from page 3
Student Health Services center, said car-
rying a bar of soap is a good way of pre-
venting a staph infection — probably
more effective than methods to create
sterile facilities.
“We all carry this bacteria (under our
fingernails, inside our nose), and it’s been
a part of us since birth,” Rossway said.
“It’s only a matter of practicing good
hygiene and caring for open wounds.”
Since students and athletes who
live in the dormitories on campus seem
to have more physical contact with oth-
ers, it may seem they are more suscepti-
ble to catching the infection, especially
since they sweat and shower together in
common facilities every day.
But ironically, Gray said that the
probability of them contracting an
infection is the same as for people in a
regular community, where people also
have constant skin-on-skin contact
with one another.
Jose Lopez, a sophomore English
major and dorm resident, said he feels no
threat of a staph infection because he
says his hygiene practices are good.
Since he began college at UTPA, he
hasn’t seen anyone with a wound who
developed an infection because of person-
to-person contact at the dormitories.
“I hadn’t even heard of that form of
infection and that it can progress from a
simple wound or curable boil,” he said.
To inform students about the threat
of staph infections and teach ways of
treating and avoiding them, UTPA offi-
cials have placed posters around campus
illustrating the practice of good hygiene
and proper care of wounds.
“I think it’s good that the universi-
ty is publicizing the bacteria,” said
Gracie Montanez, a freshman account-
ing major, about the school announce-
ments. “I always carry hand sanitizer
and practice good hygiene, and I don’t
see why other students should find harm
in doing the same.”
According to Tony Matamoros, co-
chair of the committee and president of
the Student Government Association,
UTPA is “far behind the average of what
other universities are charging [in
tuition].” UTPA’s tuition and fees cur-
rently cost $627, or 20.6 percent, less
than the average of what other universi-
ties in the UT System charge.
“Revenue (from higher tuition)
will be used to enhance the quality of
education at UTPA,” Matamoros said.
Committee members added that there
are many benefits in upping tuition
costs. Student services would be
enhanced, classrooms would be
equipped with better technology and the
school would have more money to
recruit faculty.
COEC said one main reason the
school is having to dip into tuition and
fee money is because of a decrease in
appropriations funding and an increase
in salaries, utility and technology costs.
University budgets receive just over 30
percent of their monies from the state, as
compared to nearly 75 percent in 1975.
Juan Gonzalez, assistant vice pres-
ident for business affairs, said that the
proposed changes would take effect in
the fall of ’08 if passed.
“We go through this process every
year, but the current one is looking at
two fiscal years,” Gonzalez said, adding
that fee costs could vary dramatically
from year to year.
Although the final decision rests
on the UT Board of Regents, John
Edwards assured students that their
input is valuable.
“We want your responses, we want
to know what you’re thinking and we
want to be the university you would
want us to be,” said Edwards, co-chair of
the committee and vice president for
enrollment and student services at
UTPA. “For us to get there, we’re simply
going to have to ask for more money in
the process.”
If the measure passes, students will
also see an increase in available finan-
cial aid award money. A portion of the
money are required to be set aside for
this purpose; the estimated amount set
aside for 2008 is $2.7 million. By 2010,
that figure would rise to approximately
$6.6 million.
For those wishing to provide feed-
back to COEC, the committee has creat-
ed a Web site with the presentation and
an online form to submit feedback. The
site will be available until Nov. 16, 2007.
It can be accessed at
http://www.utpa.edu/coec/forums.html.
� SEEN AND CAPTURED
Roxy Solis /The Pan AmericanLETʼS GET PHYSICAL - Faculty and staff had a chance to test their levels of fit-ness Nov. 14 at the Wellness and Recreational Center during the Faculty and StaffFitness Challenge.
The Texas-Pan American women’s
volleyball team has put a cap on their
2007 regular season and their first under
new Head Coach Angela Hubbard after
sweeping two consecutive road matches
versus Prairie View A&M and Texas
Southern University. They will now get
ready for the post season as they will
participate in the National Independent
Tournament November 16th and 17th in
Orem, Utah.
The Lady Broncs won their match
on Friday Night by a tally of 3-1. The
PVAM Panthers captured the first set by
a score of 30-20, but the Lady Broncs
came on strong in the second set to take
a 30-24 victory. The Valley’s program
took advantage by winning the third
game over the Panthers with a 30-27 tri-
umph before taking the fourth and deci-
sive frame 30-25 en route to capturing
the road victory.
Deanna Schneyer led the Lady
Broncs with a team-high 16 kills to go
along with a .273 hitting percentage.
Chelsea Blakely quarterbacked the
Lady Broncs’ offense as the UTPA jun-
ior setter dished out a match-high 56
assists to go along with 13 digs en route
to recording her 10th double-double of
the season.
“As a staff we were very lucky to
have someone like Chelsea here,” UTPA
Head Coach Angela Hubbard said. “I’ve
said it before she is probably the best
setter I have ever coached. She is a great
leader; she bought into our system and
brought the girls along with her.”
In their final contest of 2007 the
Lady Broncs swept past Texas Southern
with a three games to none victory.
In the first game, the Lady Broncs
were able to pull away at the end of the
match to record the 30-22 victory fol-
lowed by a hard-fought 36-34 triumph in
the second set to give UTPA the 2-0
advantage heading into the third and
final set.
“I was really pleased with our per-
formances as we finished out the sea-
son,” Hubbard said. “I was excited to see
us grab a couple of road wins it will help
us build confidence going into the NIT
(National Independent Tournament).”
In the final match, the Lady Broncs
slid past the Lady Tigers by a final score
of 30-24.
Kellie Phillips recorded her
eighth double-double of the season
with an 11-kill, 15-dig performance
while Chelsea Blakely dished out a
match-high 26 assists.
Sophomore Rebecca Toddy added a
match-high 22 digs for the Lady Broncs.
“Rebecca Toddy has been great
for us this year,” Hubbard added. “She
has really stepped into the role that we
gave to her and she has improved
every single game. We are very proud
of her progression.”
The Lady Broncs will open the
National Independent Tournament on
Friday in Orem, Utah as they take on the
Friars of Providence College at 1 p.m.
mountain time. They will later face Utah
Valley State in the Round Robin style
tournament in a 4 p.m. match.
“We’re excited for the NIT. We’ve
practiced hard and watched tape on
everyone,” Hubbard added.
The Lady Broncs enter the tourna-
ment having won four out of their last
five games going into the tournament.
NOTES - Turn to Page16 for an in
depth look into the National
Independent Tournament and a team by
team breakdown.
� VOLLEYBALL
UTPA sweeps Texas Southern, improves to 13-17Lady Broncsprimed for NITin Orem, Utah
SPORTSNovember 15, 2007 Page 13
Onydia Garza/The Pan AmericanTOURNAMENT TIME - UTPAʼs outside hitter Kellie Phillips attacks the net whilefreshman Charity Cucancic defends during practice Wednesday. The womenplay Providence College Friday in the National Independent Tournament.
By ALEX DEL BARRIOThe Pan American
RPI - Rating Percentage IndexUtah Valley: 187
CSU Bakersfield: 233NJIT: 261
UTPA: 269Providence: 277
Chicago State: 306
National Independent Tournament SchedulePool 1 - Providence, Utah Valley, UTPA
Pool 2 - CSU Bakersfield, Chicago State, NJIT
Friday9 a.m. Pool 1: UTPA vs. Providence11 a.m. Pool 2: NJIT vs. Chicago State1 p.m. Pool 1: Utah Valley vs. Providence4 p.m. Pool 2: CSU Bakersfield vs. Chicago State6 p.m. Pool 1: Utah Valley vs. UTPA8 p.m. Pool 2: CSU Bakersfield vs. NJIT
Saturday1 p.m. 5th place match: Pool 1ʼs No3 vs. Pool 2ʼs No33:30 p.m. 3rd place match: Pool 1ʼs No2 vs. Pool 2ʼs No26 p.m. Championship match: Pool 1ʼs No1 vs. Pool 2ʼs No1
Continental Basketball Association
action is now in full swing for the Rio
Grande Valley as the Silverados hosted the
first exhibition game against the Houston
Blaze, defeating them 117-108 Saturday
night at the P-SJ-A Memorial Gymnasium.
The game kicked off pro hoops in
the Valley, but also was played to raise
money for the Mexican state of Tabasco,
where rainstorms caused the worst flood-
ing there in more than 50 years.
“We’ve been doing community
work since day one,” said Silverados co-
owner Art Gonzalez. “We’re very happy
that the community has accepted us and
we’re just giving a little back in these
charity fundraisers.”
Charity aside, the basketball team
took care of business and did so with au-
thority as the Silverados played physical
all night, wearing down the Houston
team. RGV head coach Steve Tucker said
his team played hard but still need a lot
of improvement before the regular season
begins Nov. 17. The Silverados will play
their first regular season game against
Oklahoma, at the McAllen Convention
Center. Tip-off is at 7:05 p.m.
“We won the game and I know
that’s all that matters. But were we
sloppy? Yes. Did we find a way to win?
Yes,” he said. “We’re not always going to
play great but we’ll play hard and playing
hard leads to winning games but we still
need a lot of work though.”
This was the first game ever for
the Silverados, who have been joined by
the NBA Developmental League’s
Vipers as the area welcomes not one,
but two new squads.
Considering its newness, the team
didn’t seem all that rusty, shooting 65.9
percent from the field in the first half.
However, RGV did commit 16 turnovers
in the half as Houston took advantage of
the mistakes to put up points on 12 of the
16 turnovers. The Blaze shot a staggering
79.2 percent from the field to take a 60-
58 lead at the half.
Trailing at the start of the half, RGV
was sparked into the lead by shooting
guard Toby Smith, who had a game-high
26 points. The University of Tulsa prod-
uct scored eight points in an 11-point run
early in the third as the home team took
command.
From there the Silverados played
hard defense with fullcourt pressure in the
fourth quarter to wear down the Blaze.
The outstanding shooting continued
for both sides, however, as Houston shot
54 percent and RGV 67 percent. RGV
took another 9-0 run against the Blaze
late in the fourth en route to a well de-
served first-game win.
“We just came out of training camp
so we started off a little rusty,” Smith
said. “But I think we played team basket-
ball and did our thing and took care of
business. Now we just have to get ready
for the next one.”
Smith shot 12 for 14 from the floor
and raked in three steals. Teammate Tim
Pledger, a 5-foot-9 point guard who played
college ball at Delta Sate, had 14 points.
Houston’s Colin Lien, a two-year
starter for The University of Texas-Pan
American who finished his eligibility last
season, had 24 points for the Blaze while
teammate Terry Connerway had a team-
high 25.
Lien suited up for a shorthanded
Blaze squad and logged heavy minutes
on his way to earning valuable experi-
ence for the upcoming season, which tips
off Saturday at 7:35 against the Okla-
homa Calvary.
The Silverados logged in another
exhibition victory on Monday night when
they defeated the San Antonio All Stars,
117-108 at Harlingen South high school.
Lien scored seven points off the bench
while Bahamas national team member
Ray Rose scored 19.
Competition was stiff after the
Bronc men’s and women’s programs took
the course at Agri Park when the Univer-
sity of Arkansas hosted the NCAA Divi-
sion I South Central Regional
competition Saturday.
The University of Texas-Pan Amer-
ican men’s squad clinched a 12th place
overall standing in 10K action with a
team tally of 2:43:54.11, and completed a
pair of personal bests in the season-end-
ing meet. The women took home 13th
place in the 6K run, at 2:00:17.40
Leading the men’s division with a
time of 30:15.3 was junior standout and
La Joya native Luis Nava, notching 13th
place out of 105 competitors with a per-
sonal best time at the regional meet.
Nava was projected to be a strong
contender for nationals after clinching
first at the National Independent Cham-
pionships Oct. 27 but missed qualifica-
tion at the regional. The top four
finishers advanced.
“There was a lot of competition,”
said Nava. “Even though I didn’t qualify,
I knew I’d left everything I had out there
at the race. I didn’t accomplish the goal I
wanted but I did accomplish other goals
like improving my time [by] 1 minute. I
did OK and the rest of the team knows
whether they did well”
Crossing the end line behind Nava
in the 39th position was PSJA North grad
J.J. Hernandez with a 10K personal best
of 31:37.4.
Freshman McAllen native Angel
Ramirez and Edinburg North HS alum
Rolando Vela came in with the 66th and
87th positions and times of 32:41.2 and
33:47, respectively
“Nava and Hernandez both hit per-
sonal records,” Coach Dennis Darling
said. “I was pleased with those per-
formances. The rest of the [men’s] team
gave it their all and I felt that they did
pretty well.”
The University of Arkansas took
first place in the men’s competition with
the University of Texas–Austin, Texas
A&M, Lamar and LSU rounding out the
top five of 14 schools.
Brownsville Hanna HS ex Carolina
Izaguirre led the women with a 53rd-place
showing in the 6k run recording a time of
22:46.7 while junior Pharr’s Sara Ro-
driguez claimed the 74th spot marking
23:27.9. Diana Galloso closed out the top
100 for the Green and Orange group in
89th place with a time of 24:07.8 to wrap
up the 2007 campaign.
Rice University claimed victory on
the women’s side by posting a total team
tally of 1:46:04.40. The University of
Arkansas, Baylor, Texas A&M and UT-
Austin recorded second through fifth.
“The women were sub par and I felt
like they really didn’t go out and com-
pete as well as they should have,” Dar-
ling said. “But they can go back, train
and come back stronger than ever. I felt
that they learned something this week-
end and [they] know what to expect for
next year.”
A new cross country season begins
fall 2008 but both teams look to the en-
suing track and field schedule in the
spring.
Nick Dodd/The Pan American
SPORTSPage 14 November 15, 2007
� BASKETBALL
� NCAA CROSS COUNTRY
Luis Nava placed13th, two spotsshy of Nationals
UTPA runners struggle in South Central Regional
Former UTPA center Lien debuts with RGV Silverados
By DANNY GARZAThe Pan American
WELCOME TO THE PROS - Colin Lien warms up before his first professional basketball game with the RGV SilveradosSaturday at P-SJ-A Gymnasium. Lien suited up for a short-handed Houston Blaze team instead, finishing with 24 points.
Silverados’ gamebenefits floodvictims in Mexico
By GABRIEL SALDANAThe Pan American
It might be early in the 2007-2008
basketball season, but the University of
Texas-Pan American men’s basketball
team are certainly proving to many that
their seven game improvement from a
year ago should be considered legit.
In Tom Schuberth’s first year as
head coach a season ago, he led the
Broncs to a 4-0 start and now has them
right back on that track as they are 2-0
after posting wins in their home openers.
They defeated the University of Texas-
Permian Basin on Saturday, 77-65, and
Texas A&M International University on
Tuesday, 101-75, both of which were
held at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
Much of the success that the Green
and Orange are encountering this season
is due in large part to three seniors:
guards Briand Burrell, Paul Stoll, and
up-and-coming forward Zach Trader.
Since dramatically turning
around his average of 3.1 points per
game during his freshman campaign to
7.9 ppg last season, Trader already is
averaging 23.5 ppg in the first two con-
tests this year.
“Everything that I’ve done has just
come through the offense,” said Trader.
“We’re being patient on offense, moving
the ball, being real unselfish. I’ve just
got shots through the offense, got
rebounds and put them back; just the lit-
tle things, that’s my role.”
GAME 2After the 12-point win in their sea-
son opener, the Broncs picked up right
where they left off as they completely
dominated the Dustdevils in all facets.
Eleven out of the 12 players for the
green and orange helped contribute in
the walloping win over A&M
International, with Trader recording a
double-double at 25 points and 10
rebounds. Burrell recorded 17 points, 5
assists and 4 rebounds, while newcomer
Emmanuel Jones added 14 points.
Unlike in the exhibition, UTPA was
red-hot in the second half, shooting 56.7
percent from the field compared to 47.1
percent in the first. They also connected
on 7-of-11 from beyond the arc in the
second half.
“That’s what you got to like about
this year’s team compared to last year’s
team, they like to be on the end of an
assist rather than score and they’re
always looking to get their teammate
involved,” Schuberth said. “I think that’s
contagious now and you bring guys in
and they recognize that.”
Indeed the 101 points scored looked
probable as the game started in a quick
pace with the Broncs holding a one point
lead just five minutes in. From there on
out, it was all UTPA. They held a 14-point
lead at halftime, despite going without a
field goal in the last 6:55, but connected
on nine out of 12 free throw attempts.
In the second half, it was more of
the same story as UTPA never let the
Dustdevils get into rhythm and put a sig-
nature on the win with two slam dunks
by guard Damon Franklin in the last
minute that ignited the crowd.
“It was a great team win,” said
Trader. “Mostly everybody got on the
board. Obviously, we scored 101
points, played good defense and we got
back better on transition. That was one
thing we were really focusing on and
we were patient on offense and defense
and that is what we need to do to win all
of our games.”
SEASON OPENERThe season opener for the Broncs
was almost a mirror image of their sec-
ond game. They built a 12-point lead at
halftime and proved to be enough to
stave off the pesky Falcons as they made
two second half runs to reduce the green
and orange’s lead to single digits.
Jones scored nine of his 12 points
in the second half and, like in the second
game, ended it with a slam dunk.
Burrell recorded 18 points, seven
rebounds and four assists, while Trader
led all scorers with 22 points along with
five rebounds.
The Broncs will take their 2-0 record
to Springfield, Mo. for their first road
matchup tomorrow in the Missouri State
University Tournament. The two-day
event pits UTPA against UNC-Greensboro
Friday at 5:30 pm and Saturday against the
winner of the Missouri State and Harding
University game.
Much was made over the summer
arrival of 6-foot-2 Icelandic National
Team standout Maria Ben Erlingsdottir
to the University of Texas-Pan American
women’s basketball team.
And with good reason.
On Monday night the three-year
Icelandic National team member
reminded everyone why she was worth
every mile of the trip to Edinburg, deliv-
ering the goods Monday night during a
UTPA 77-55 victory over Texas A&M-
International, the Lady Broncs sole exhi-
bition game of the year.
Rarely do freshmen come in and
provide instant offense in college hoops,
as most need a year or so to get acclimat-
ed to the pace and faster game play not
seen in the high school ranks. Not
Erlingsdottir. When the dust settled
against the Division II Lady Dustdevils
her stat line read: 21 points, five
rebounds and one block.
She led all scorers in that game, not
bad for a first collegiate ball game.
“She just had a fabulous game, hit
some important baskets. The thing she
didn’t get to show tonight is what a spe-
cial passer she is,” said fifth-year coach
DeAnn Craft. “If you don’t get to double
team her, I think it’s going to spell trou-
ble for opposing teams. “She’s just a
very court-savvy player with a great
shooting touch.”
UTPA senior tri-captain and ultra-
quick point guard LeKeisha Gray, as
expected, had a monster game too, with
19 points, nine assists, six rebounds and
two steals. Simply put, Gray was every-
where but it was Erlingsdottir who
remained the talk of the night.
“That’s how she got people. People
think that she came in to be an inside
player, but she had the outside game too
as well so they’re going to have to learn
how to defend her,” Gray said about
Erlingsdottir.
The Lady Broncs took a 36-30
halftime lead after Teshay Winfrey con-
nected from three-point land with seven
seconds left to play. Winfrey finished
with seven points, five rebounds, three
assists and two steals and Tamara
Vaughn chipped in with seven points,
four boards, two dimes and one steal.
TAMIU opened the second half on
an 11-5 run to tie the game at 41-41, but
UTPA answered with an 11-1 run after
Erlingsdottir connected on a couple of
freebies from the charity stripe to pull
the Lady Broncs ahead, 53-42 with
11:23 left in regulation
“When they made their little run,
we were just going and not getting
back on defense, but then again they
weren’t getting back either,” Gray said.
“So what we did was we just had to
calm down and get our defense. That’s
what we’re known for, we’re a good
defensive team.”
Erlingsdottir scored five of the
last 10 Lady Bronc points, her last
three-pointer, a corner beauty, gave the
Green and Orange women a decisive
68-55 lead.
“I think we played good, we played
good defense and we were making some
good shots and that’s what it takes,”
Erlingsdottir said. “I think we’re ready
for Baylor.”
Today the Lady Broncs are in Waco
for a date with Big 12 opponent Baylor
University (3-0) with tip-off scheduled
for 7 p.m.
By ERICK QUINTERO
The Pan American
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
� NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALLSPORTS
November 15, 2007 Page 15
By RAMIRO PAEZThe Pan American
Give it to Trader: Broncs add two more to win columnTrader tabbed asgo-to guy after23.5 ppg outing
� NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Erlingsdottir and Gray lead UTPA past Dustdevils, 77-55
SWEET STROKE - LeKeisha Gray gets perfect lift on a three-pointer over twoTexas A&M-International defenders Monday during the UTPAʼs 70-55 exhibitionvictory at the Field House. Gray scored 19 points and handed out nine assists.
Onydia Garza/The Pan AmericanGO-TO GUY - Forward Zach Trader looks for an open man during Tuesdayʼs
101-77 exhibition victory over Texas A&M-International at the Field House.Trader led all scorers with 25 points and posted his first double-double.
23.523.5Zach Trader’s scoring aver-
age through the first twoseason games
2121
Number of points freshmanMaria Ben Erlingsdottir
scored in her first game as aLady Bronc in a 70-55 win
over Texas A&M-International
1313
Number of regular seasonwins UTPA’s volleyball
team, a seven-gameimprovement from last
year’s 6-25 record
SPORTSStatsAtAGlance
“TheySaidIt”
Page 16 November 15, 2007
� BASKETBALL
By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American
THE PAN AMERICAN
ShortSports
The first pitch of the University of
Texas-Pan American annual Green-
White Baseball Series was thrown yes-
terday at 3:30 p.m. at Edinburg Coyote
Stadium. The three-game series con-
cludes fall semester workouts and the
team’s season and gives head baseball
coach Willie Gawlik a chance to look at
the team’s myriad of new faces.
Game two is today at 3:30 p.m.
and game three Friday at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s a fun time for our squad. We
have been working hard since August
and,” Gawlik said. “It gives the team a
jump start to get ready for the season.”
� BASEBALL
fter posting an incredible turnaround under the direction of first-
year head coach Angela Hubbard the women’s volleyball team
enters the National Independent Tournament hosted by Utah Valley
State with a 13-17 record. But they’ll have to finish the season without
their leader.
The Lady Broncs are winners of four out of their last five games,
including a 3-0 sweep of Texas Southern in their regular-season finale
Friday at Houston. UTPA has played four games on their home court,
winning three; the rest of the games have been played on the road or at
neutral sites. With everything clicking, the women travel to Orem, Utah,
to play in a two-pool tournament that will determine the Independent
National Champion.
It’s simple, win two games and they’re in the championship game.
Only thing is they’ll be doing it without Hubbard, who is to give birth
to her first child Sunday. First-year assistant coaches Talia Ogle and
Leah Johnson will take over the coaching duties for the Lady Broncs.
“The good thing is Leah, Talia and I work together as a team to
coach this team so they’re used to them being in charge and having feed-
back from them,” Hubbard said. “I think that obviously records don’t
necessarily mean that much, Utah Valley is a great team, and we know
that. Providence, we don’t know too much about them but we’ve got tape
on them, we’re preparing for them and I think the girls will do fine.”
See Page 13 for complete schedule.
� “For us to go up and
win would be a huge monu-ment. We’re excited about itthough; challenges are
what this program is about.”
- Tom SchuberthUTPA menʼs basketball head
coach on the upcomingMissouri State Tournament
A
