October 4, 2007

SSeeee PPaaggee 1166

Runner Nava defies odds,claims victory

SPORTS

State Rep. Pena speakson upcoming campaign

Local fans await returnof Ricky Martin

SSeeee PPaaggee 88 aanndd 99

SSeeee PPaaggee 33

A&E

NEWS

58th YearNo. 6

ThursdayOctober 4, 2007

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SECURITY SERIES CAMPUS

CAMPUS

Departmentsawait Ph.D.programs indevelopment

The department of modern lan-

guages, computer literacy and kinesiolo-

gy are among those with core classes

missing from a 42-hour proposal drafted

by the University Core Curriculum

Committee. UTPA currently has a 48-

hour requirement plan including offer-

ings from the aforementioned.

One of the most significant

changes within the proposed plan, which

has been in the works for three years,

includes six hours of so-called flexible

components, which allow students the

option to choose two three-hour classes

within their own discipline to count

toward the core curriculum.

An electronic vote

scheduled to take place

at the end of

September was postponed until late

October to allow for further discussions

on the matter. Currently, forums in each

college are taking place.

FLEXIBILITYCutting down on core curriculum

hours to allow for more discipline-spe-

cific courses is one avenue universities

are taking to make up for more strict

parameters set by the Texas Legislature

in late 2005. The Texas Education

Coordinating Board mandated that by

2008 all university bachelor degree

plans should not exceed 120 hours —

with exceptions made for highly techni-

cal areas, such as engineering.

Rajid Nabiar, associate professor of

mechanical engineering, said he favors

the new plan, which was first put up for

faculty consideration in March. He said

increased class choice flexibility will

help the engineering department cut the

Some departments not includedin new core curriculum proposal By SANDRA GONZALEZ

The Pan American

s an attempt is being made to shave hours off TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American’s core courses, certain

departments on campus could find themselves on the figurativecurriculum cutting room floor if a proposal to the FacultySenate passes later this month.

Jerry Lowe knows a thing or two

about losing high school students as

dropouts. Working as a high school

principal for 17 years in East Texas, he

experienced an estimated 30 percent

dropout rate.

The situation is not much brighter

in The Rio Grande Valley. Out of

75,500 students that entered high

schools in Hidalgo and Starr counties in

2000, less than 41,000 graduated four

years later, according to a recent study

by The Monitor.

Lowe, an educational leadership

professor at The University of Texas-Pan

American, said a simple solution might

be to give students more individual

attention by reducing class sizes.

“[This is so] that you don’t have

so many kids together,” Lowe said.

“Sometimes students in large schools

simply feel like a number.”

Lowe recognized that it all

depends on the economics of the school

and that it would take much planning,

but a versatile approach that he was

able to use while a principal was

evening school.

By ABIGAIL MUNIZThe Pan American

See DROP page 11

In the past decade, The University

of Texas-Pan American has offered stu-

dents the ability to further their education

through post-baccalaureate degrees by

instituting doctoral programs in two of

the university’s colleges. According to

officials, many more are in the works.

Marc Simpson, Ph.D. program

director for the College of Business

Administration at UTPA, said the math-

ematics department is considering hav-

ing its own doctoral program. Simpson

said the further development of such

programs will certainly enhance the uni-

versity. While the school does not cur-

rently have planning authority, the

department has submitted a request to

the UT System to acquire it.

“The math department contacted

the College of Business Administration

when they were putting together their

application to ask us about some of our

success rates,” he said. “We have very

high success rates, so they were very

pleased with that because it shows that

the Ph.D. programs we have at UTPA are

very successful and indicates that we can

handle more.”

Since May 1998, when UTPA

awarded its first doctoral degree in busi-

ness administration, the university has

See CORE page 11

As rate rises,educationspecialists tacklesolutions

See PROGRAMS page 11

By BOBBY CERVANTES

The Pan American

A

25 - 27

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

October 4, 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.................................................

[email protected]

News EditorAna [email protected]

A&E EditorJeanette [email protected]

Sports EditorErick Quintero.................................................

[email protected]

Photography EditorSidney Meadows................................................

[email protected]

Design EditorRoy [email protected]

Designers

Rick Gamez

Greg Garza

Veronica Gonzalez

Reporters and Photographers

Brian Carr

Leslie Estrada

Onydia Garza

Ramiro Paez

Manuel Tiscareno

Lezette Villarreal

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 ManagerSamantha [email protected]

Assitant Advertising ManagerJacqueline Iglesias...................................

[email protected]***

DeliveryThursday at noon

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SavethesedatesOctober

99 The Distinguished Speakers

Series presents former SovietUnion president Mikhail

Gorbachev. The event willbe held at the Fine Arts audi-

torium at 7:30 p.m.

Newsinbrief

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

y original intent was to write an

editorial questioning the need for

HESTEC to continue focusing on sci-

ence literacy for Hispanics (because

while I think at one point it had a solid

purpose, lots of other ethnic groups are

now growing in the Valley and I don’t

think there is a significant shortage in

Hispanic scientists/engineers anymore).

But I’ll let someone else investigate that

in a story The Pan American hopes to

release in an upcoming issue.

Instead, I’m going to focus on a

longstanding beef I’ve had with the

political science department at The

University of Texas-Pan American. I

don’t know if this is something unique to

UTPA, but political science professors

here tend to be incredibly preachy and

one-sided.

In fact, I have heard from many

students that some professors will have

confrontations with them during class if

they question the views being taught. I

don’t know about other students, but

when I walk into a political science

classroom, I’m looking forward to learn-

ing about the political process and exam-

ining different theories about govern-

ment. I am not looking forward to my

pretentious professor picking a fight

with me.

Maybe that’s the nature of politics.

Maybe the best political scientists are the

ones that get all fired up about what they

believe in.

Maybe I wouldn’t mind it so much

if impressionable UTPA students were

being fed a range of perspectives.

But here’s the problem: I don’t

know a single conservative, Republican

political science professor on campus.

I’m not a political science major, so

maybe there’s a (probably unpopular)

professor secluded in an office some-

where in the Social and Behavioral

Sciences Building. If you know him, tell

him to show up to a political discussion

somet ime, because the Republican per-

spective sure as hell isn’t around when

UTPA is represented at debates across

the Rio Grande Valley.

I realize that it would make sense to

represent Democrats at events like these,

because most people in the Valley label

themselves as such. Still, I think that if

political science courses didn’t empha-

size the righteousness of liberal,

Democratic perspectives as much as they

do, we would probably have a little more

political diversity on campus.

I also realize that it makes sense

that the Democratic perspective be pop-

ular here because it is at most college

campuses. (Because Bush is an idiotic,

half-witted liar, blah blah blah. Rock the

vote, WOO!)

But isn’t the point of going to

college to

expand your

views beyond

the popular

perspective?

A modest request forpolitical diversity

Are you an indignantDemocrat who thinks I’m awicked Republican-support-ing witch? Do you want tohave a debate over it? Here:[email protected]

PRESIDENT UPDATEAlexandro Ramirez, son of Dr.

Blandina Cardenas, sent an e-mail to the

UTPA community regarding the presi-

dent’s recovery.

While admitting it had “been a long

couple of weeks” for the family, the support

of the community has helped make the

president’s recovery a speedy one, he said.

The president is currently resting at

home. They will be accepting cards and e-

mails, but ask that donations be made to

the Valley Heroes Scholarship fund in lieu

of flowers. The scholarship supports

immediate families of those who have

died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It will take weeks of rest and exercise

before the president can resume her duties.

When the time comes for her to return,

Ramirez is confident of the continual care

his mother will receive outside her home.

“I ask all of you to become her care-

takers, encouraging her when you see

her…giving her more of the same smiles,

embraces, and messages of love that you

already have.”

LESSONS FROM LEY

MBY: ANA LEY

rowing up with three sisters, there

was always openness about under-

clothes issues. A flash of bra or offending

panty lines were not — and still aren’t —

anything to tip-toe around. You see, you

tell. Common courtesy, really.

But the world is not my sister. So

what was I suppose to do then when last

week I saw a fellow femme walking

through the communication building

wearing a pristine, white, see-through

dress, complete with white underwear?

Well, I did what most people in this

world — including her friends — did

that day: I let her walk around like a half-

nude idiot.

It’s not a decision I was proud of,

but how exactly do you start a conversa-

tion like that?

“Hello, miss. Nice to meet you.

Great weather today, huh? Yeah, I can

see your giant panties.”

Not exactly a smooth or comfort-

able situation for either party.

Imagine being on the receiving end

of that. Part of me would feel grateful to

the stranger for — unlike the rest of the

jerks in this world – pointing out this

embarrassing oversight. The other part

would be screaming mad at this person for

pointing out something I clearly can not

change for the rest of the day, leaving me

with the unsettling — or not, depending on

who’s looking — knowledge that people

aren’t looking at my pretty white ensem-

ble, but my pretty GAP undergarment.

The paradox in this situation is that

I have no trouble telling boys when their

fly is open or when I see a flash of the

“hairy divide.” But those situations can

be fixed in an instant. See-through

clothes and pantylines can’t.

I sympathize with those who get

caught in embarrassing situations.

Maybe because it happens to me all the

time. I don’t, however, feel bad for peo-

ple who ask for it. Prime examples: girls

who wear colored bras beneath white

shirts (your cries for attention are pathet-

ic), people who wear white underwear

underneath white clothes (beige is the

answer) or guys who are either too poor

to buy a belt or too stupid to know that

the world does not want to see their skid-

marks.

Despite my reservations about

alerting perfect and imperfect strangers

alike about their undergarment woes, I

think I will rescind the modesty an over-

ly PC world has instilled in me and opt

for honesty. After all, I would want to

know so I can march right over to GAP

and tell them how seamed their seamless

really are.

In a time when we walk on

eggshells more than carpet, I will take

my opportunity to breakdown the barri-

ers of reticence we have placed on our

own free will and just speak the truth.

We’re all humans. Embarrassment hap-

pens to the best of us. No need to get our

panties in a bunch over it.

G

BY: SANDRA GONZALEZ

Want me to tell you when you’rehaving underwear issues? Rathernot know? Fine, look like a moron. Ifyou want the truth, let me know:[email protected]

25 - 27 The Dance Ensemble will

present its annual Fall concertat the Fine Arts auditorium.

OPINIONOctober 4, 2007

Do notshow me yours

As students stress over the rise of

tuition at The University of Texas-Pan

American, fluctuating student fees garner

little attention.

UTPA students pay mandatory fees

every semester which designate monies

to support specific aspects of the campus,

such as faculty salaries, gym use and

Internet services. In 2003, students were

required to pay $390 in fees. Over the

next two years, this number dropped by

$60. But last fall, this number rose again

to $346, according to the Texas Higher

Education Board.

While specific fees covering med-

ical services have risen by $1 or $2, the

greatest charge this year comes from the

school’s new Wellness and Recreational

Center. The center is costing every stu-

dent $75 per fall and spring semester and

$35 per summer session.

In comparison to other schools in

Texas, UTPA is still a good deal, as its total

THE PAN AMERICANOctober 4, 2007 Page 3

NEWS

Student fees increasing

Historicalassociationeyes UTPA

as new home

Members of the student organiza-

tion Aporia are always up for an intellec-

tual challenge. In an effort to encourage

others to challenge themselves, the club

redefined its club goals and completely

recreated its image at The University of

Texas-Pan American.

Once called the “Philosophy Club,”

Aporia recently changed its name after

group members decided to restructure its

constitution because the club failed to

meet organization requirements.

Stephen Leach, a philosophy pro-

fessor at UTPA, advises the renewed

philosophy club. “Aporia” translates to

“perplexity” in Greek, and Leach hopes

this will change the image the philoso-

phy club once had.

Leach said the group wants to por-

tray a desire to seek truth by questioning

and challenging itself intellectually.

President Ian Reeder, a freshman

from Indiana with an undeclared major,

said he eventually wants the club to raise

See APORIA page 12

By J.R. ORTEGAThe Pan American

FINANCES

ACADEMIC

Philosophy Club aquires new name to fit purpose

See FEES page 12

By ANA VILLAURRUTIAThe Pan American

Although The University of Texas-

Pan American is ranked the 10th largest

national institution for Hispanic students,

many Texans still do not know there is

much to be found south of Austin. To

give the university and its surrounding

community more state recognition,

UTPA’s history department has invited

the Texas State Historical Association to

make the school its permanent residence.

TSHA, founded in 1897 by Oran

M. Roberts, is a private, non-profit asso-

ciation focused on furthering the “appre-

ciation, understanding and teaching of

the rich and unique history of Texas

through research, writing, and publica-

tion of related historical material,”

according to its Web site.

“We are definitely the leading

scholarly group on Texas history,” said

Steven Cure, director of educational

services for THSA. “The graduate oppor-

tunities, educational programs, and visi-

bility is significant for the future of Texas

history.”

The well-known organization pro-

vides individuals, historians and scholars

the opportunity to study, teach and enjoy

Texas history through offered initiatives.

For example, TSHA distributes three

publications geared toward helping peo-

See HISTORICAL page 12

By LEZETTE VILLARREALThe Pan American

POLITICS

Aaron Pena discusses plans, campaign

Rep. Aaron Pena is again running

for the Texas Legislature, after holding a

seat for three consecutive terms. Pena

represents House District 40, which

spans through Sullivan City, Edinburg

and La Villa, among other locales.

The incumbent is being challenged

for the spot by Eddie Saenz, an engineer

who has filed the necessary paperwork

with the state to begin raising money for

a campaign rematch against Pena during

the March Democratic primary. Saenz

previously challenged Pena unsuccess-

fully in 2004 - he came up short with 35

percent of the vote. Pena ran unopposed

in 2006.

In an inter-

view with The

Pan American,

Pena describes his

successes over the

past four years,

discusses his

plans for the dis-

trict if elected, and reacts to criticisms

from Saenz, who was charged for driv-

ing while intoxicated late last month.

Q: Why do you think you shouldbe elected again?

A: Because I have built up the nec-

essary experience and strength it takes

through consistent relationships in gov-

ernment. These relationships are benefi-

cial to [The University of Texas-Pan

American], to Edinburg and to the dis-

trict’s community as a whole. Building

seniority takes time. If we bring in a new

By ANA LEYThe Pan American

See PENA page 12

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American

INCOMING - Lt. Col. Andre E. Dean (right) helps prepare a Black Hawk helicopter for takeoff at the UTPA track last Friday. The helicopter was brought to campus as aneffort to promote ROTC recruitment.

PENA

NEWSPage 4 October 4, 2007

NEWSOctober 4, 2007 Page 5

Most college students rely on text-

books, professors and television to learn

about foreign countries. But student

members of an organization at The

University of Texas-Pan American have

taken advantage of a cultural enrichment

program and traveled to far corners of

the world.

Stacey Enslow, an English and

anthropology double major, traveled to

India this summer as part of the Baptist

Student Ministry, a Christian student

organization on campus.

“I love culture and seeing how

other people live and thrive in their envi-

ronment,” she said. “It interests me to

see how even though we as Americans

have our ways and ideas of how things

should be done and how everything

works best, people of other cultures have

their own ways. And they work well for

them.”

BSM has been sending curious stu-

dents to a wide range of destinations for

the last two years, including Washington

state, Russia and South Asia. And while

BSM doesn’t reveal the cities they send

students to, Stacey said that she was

pleased with her placement in South

India.

“My trip was a cultural exchange

and my purpose was to create relation-

ships with Indians, learn about their

lifestyle and live among them,” Enslow

said. “This was a great learning experi-

ence for me and I loved the sharing of

each other’s faiths and cultures.”

Enslow lived in India from June 3

to 25. She spent her three weeks there

visiting different villages learning about

how people from India live and creating

relationships with residents.

“In one village, we were a part of a

women’s conference and we spent the

whole day encouraging each other, fel-

lowshipping, talking and learning how

to have a great time with a group of

Indian women,” she said. “In other vil-

lages, we helped with the kids clubs and

spent the time singing and dancing and

telling stories.”

Enslow said the trip was also a

chance to become independent.

“Living in another culture is a very

cool experience but takes a whole lot of

willingness to learn and step out of your

comfort zone,” she admitted. “You also

have to be willing to make mistakes and

learn from them. I learned how to get

around an Indian city by myself, learned

to be culturally sensitive and always be

thinking how my actions would be per-

ceived.”

She said that one of the most valu-

able lessons she learned on the journey

was something that could not have been

fully taught any way but by immersion

in a new culture.

“I learned that all people, no matter

their status in life, their color, ethnicity,

language or personality are all bound

together by one thing,” she said. “We are

all relational people in need of fulfilling

relationships. Because of this, we should

reach beyond cultural boundaries to help

each other out.”

Robert Rueda, director of BSM,

said the organization aims to tear down

cultural boundaries.

“We believe in sending students so

that they can learn from other cultures

and see how God is working in those

places,” he said.

According to Rueda, some trips are

intended as missionary trips in which

students “serve others in God’s name,”

while other trips are cultural exchanges

whose purpose is to teach students about

a culture and be an encouragement to

others.

“The mission of the BSM is to

encourage students to think about God

during their college years,” Rueda said.

“We do this through journey groups,

which are small Bible study groups led

by students.”

By JULIET PEREZThe Pan American

Christian organization sends student missionaries to Asia

Stacy EnslowCAMELBACK RIDER - Stacey Enslow, a member of the Baptist Student Ministry, waves to the camera while visiting an Indianvillage a visit during a BSM-sponsored journey to south Asia.

SEEN AND CAPTURED

STUDENT TRAVEL

Louie Alfaro/The Pan AmericanPELOSI PRESENTS - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi encourages students at The University of Texas-Pan American topursue careers in engineering, math and science last Thursday during HESTEC week.

More than 1,500 guests gathered

last Thursday to hear a speech by Nancy

Pelosi, the first female speaker of the

U.S. House of Representatives.

A key topic discussed was the pro-

posed Dream Act, which seeks to help

young undocumented people enrolled in

a university or serving in the military to

obtain legal status and citizenship.

“I’m here today to stress to you the

commitment of many in Congress to

pass the Dream Act,” said Pelosi. “We

don’t want it to be only a dream, we want

to make it a reality and I want to make

that commitment to you today.”

The event, part of Hispanic

Engineering, Science and Technology

week at The University of Texas-Pan

American, emphasized the need for sci-

ence literacy among America’s youth.

Pelosi also commented that HESTEC

is something unique to the university.

“The opportunities that HESTEC

has provided define UTPA as a leader in

the nation,” she said. “I know of no sim-

ilar effort in our time like HESTEC.

Once again, South Texas is in the lead.”

Pelosi also reminded the audience

that “it is our moral obligation to pre-

serve this planet.”

By LEZETTE VILLAREALThe Pan American

CALL FOR PROGRESS - The Student Government Association hosts its third-annual State of the Student Body Address Wednesday evening. SGA presidentTony Matamoros presents student issues to administrators at UTPA.

Topics presented included proposals for a student-led radio station, text-book cost reductions and university-wide environmental awareness programs.SGA has received a budget increase that will allow the organization to sponsormore programs for students, which will allow goals to be met faster.

Issac Barrientes/The Pan American


Crowds had gathered on The

University of Texas-Pan American

grounds Saturday evening for the much

anticipated HESTEC Community Day.

Opening the night was one of UTPA’s

own, famous actor, Valente Rodriguez,

known for his comedic role on “The

George Lopez Show.”

But before the weekend celebra-

tion, Rodriguez had dropped by the uni-

versity a day earlier for an inspirational,

motivational discussion and a quick

game of Simon Says.

“He is living proof you can get

there,” said film/theatre/television pro-

fessor Jack Stanley as he introduced

Rodriguez, one of his former students.

Wearing a cap, a light blue polo

shirt and a backpack slumped on his

shoulder, Rodriguez proudly faced the

huge crowd of students, alumni, cameras

and professors Friday morning.

“I wanted to make sure I had the

opportunity to talk to you guys because

every time I come down here, Dr. Stanley

and Dr. Monta always tell me that there

are many students that want to ask me

questions and meet me,” said the “George

Lopez Show” actor as he addressed more

than 100 people in room 101 in the Social

& Behavioral Sciences building.

Rodriguez, who was born in the

Rio Grande Valley, lived in Elsa for

about half of his life and like many peo-

ple here, wasn’t very well off.

“My family was dirt poor. We were

migrant farm workers,” said Rodriguez,

who came from a family of nine. “I grew

up on food stamps, government cheese,

powdered milk and eggs.”

A bigger struggle Rodriguez

encountered was the lack of education in

his family.

“I was the first one to graduate high

school and then go to college. I grew up

speaking Spanish as a first language so

when I got to school, it was very hard,”

said Rodriguez. “I had to learn English.

They put me in remedial classes and cer-

tain programs, and it worked.”

The lack of support from his kin

was another huge problem for the

Hispanic actor.

“It was a real struggle because after

I got to a certain point, my mother, who

had only gone up to second grade and my

father to third, couldn’t help me. There

was very little help coming from my fam-

ily,” said Rodriguez, who now resides in

California. “I had to search for other peo-

ple to help. One of the best and most

important things in my life was that I had

amazing teachers; the kind of people that

when you go up to them and say, ‘I’d like

to pursue this’ say, ‘I’ll help you.’”

Rodriguez found the necessary

support and confidence he couldn’t find

at home from his education. At the age

of 15 he realized that what he wanted

most was a life outside the fields.

“I was out in San Manuel one sum-

mer picking algodon. It was hot and

humid, about 95 degrees out. My back

was hurting, my knees were aching, my

eyes covered in sweat and the smell of

blood was in my nose,” recalled

Rodriguez. “It was then I thought hey, you

know what, this isn’t for me. I’m not

gonna do this for the rest of my life. If I

had trouble at 15 when my body was still

new, could you imagine at 30. How about

when I’m 50 and close to retirement?

There’s no retirement from the fields.”

While Rodriguez set out on getting

himself a life through education, the

same ideas didn’t apply to his family.

“My brothers and sisters made

some really harsh choices. One of my

brothers ran away to join the army at 17

in ’69 during Vietnam. My sister ran

away, had five kids by the age of 24,

with her first at 14,” explained

Rodriguez of his siblings. “Another

brother wanted easy money so he started

dealing drugs, got caught and spent 20

years in jail. I thought, man, I don’t want

any of those things. The only thing they

hadn’t tried was education.”

Rodriguez was determined to

change his life at all costs; he even con-

vinced one of his high school teachers to

drive him to registration at UTPA one

summer.

BACK TO NOWA day before Community Day, and

after a brief look into his history, the

actor asked for a volunteer but gave no

explanation as to his intentions.

Following 10 minutes of audience col-

laboration, Rodriguez continued with

words of encouragement.

“There are two kinds of lessons in

the world: active and passive. The passive

lesson is the one the students in the audi-

ence learn from watching somebody else.

Everyone can be passive, but the active

lesson is what’s important,” said

Rodriguez. “You have to have the courage

to stand up and say what you want. You’re

about to step in front of the world.”

Rodriguez’s playful tactics weren’t

over yet. A game of Simon Says ensued,

but with fun and games come lessons

learned.

“The world will try to hurt you. It

will try to cheat you. You have to pay

attention,” insisted Rodriguez, who was

part of more than 30 main stage shows

and several films at UTPA. “You must be

resilient because it comes at you every

day. You have to learn to adjust, be very

quick and make do with what you have.”

As an actor, Rodriguez knows that

firsthand, and giving up was never an

option. Questioned on how he felt about

the “Caveman” show replacing “The

George Lopez Show” this fall season, he

showed no discouragement.

“One door closes and another one

opens. You can’t let the world beat you

down,” he said. “We had 120 shows and

were the first Latino show to go that far.

We went a long way.”

Lopez, on the other hand, didn’t

take the situation so well.

“I get kicked out for a caveman and

shows that I out-performed because I’m

not owned by ABC. So a Chicano can’t

be on TV, but a caveman can? You know

when you get in this that shows do not

last forever, but this was an important

show and to go unceremoniously like

this hurts,” said Lopez in an interview,

blaming racial issues on the cancellation.

The sitcom, which was canceled

May 15 of this year, premiered in 2002

and aired until 2007 on ABC. To date,

the “George Lopez Show” is the second

longest-running sitcom in television his-

tory starring Hispanics.

While the experience was rough,

his preparation at UTPA will be one he’ll

never forget.

“I’m proud to be from here, that’s

why I keep coming back. The person

standing up here is like you, from the

Valley, educated here, with the same

thoughts and ideas and hopes and

dreams,” Rodriguez said. “You have to

keep it all in perspective and go down

some really hard roads. We’re [as

Hispanics] moving forward.”

THE PAN AMERICANOctober 4, 2007 Page 7

Though his forte is computers, The

University of Texas-Pan American’s

Mohan Rao loves the arts. That is why

the computer information systems pro-

fessor is taking a grass-roots approach to

promoting this year’s Palm Fest.

The festival, scheduled to take

place Oct. 6 and 7 at the McAllen Civic

Center, returns this year, offering the

public a wide variety of entertainment

for the whole family to celebrate the dif-

ferent cultures and history of South

Texas.

Rao said promoting the arts is very

important, especially now when people

do not seem to pay much attention to

cultural events anymore.

“I love the arts and culture,” said

Rao.“They enrich our lives and enhance

international understanding which we

need so badly nowadays.”

The event, a combination of sever-

al festivals that have previously taken

place throughout the year, is very impor-

tant in emphasizing the cultural and eth-

nic diversity of the Rio Grande Valley.

“Cultural activities, entertainment,

arts, outdoor recreation and nightlife all

provide quality of life,” Rao said. “It is

very important for people living here to

also attract new talent. Doing this will

help the economic growth of the Valley.”

In attempt to drum up support for

the festival, Rao has offered his students

extra credit for volunteering at the event.

“One of the organizations I am

helping, Keep McAllen Beautiful

(KMB), needs people to help out,” he

said. “I have asked my students to volun-

teer and several of them showed inter-

est.”

Rao said it is the least he can do for

an event that will surely be a fun week-

end of cultural entertainment.

“It is a celebration of heritage, cul-

ture, dance, music, food and activities

for the whole family,” said Rao.

Karina Tamayo, a senior marketing

major at UTPA, agrees with Rao, saying

even the smallest of events enhances cul-

tural life in the area.

&RTS NTERTAINMENTEACAMPUS SCENE

By JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American

COMMUNITY

See PALM page 10

Palmfest toprovide fun,educationalweekendBy LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American

Actor, alumnus speaks on troubled past

Sidney Meadows/The Pan AmericanHOME AGAIN - Valente Rodriguez, UTPA alumnus, speaks at HESTEC Saturday.The former “George Lopez Show” actor spoke candidly about his difficult upbringingthat he said gave him the drive to succeed.

eople of the Rio Grande Valley will be shak-ing their hips to saucy beats this week as

one of Latin music’s hottest stars makes his wayback to the Dodge Arena. After selling out thevenue in May during his record-setting Black andWhite tour in promotion of his MTV: Unpluggedrelease, on Oct. 5 the Puerto Rican icon andGrammy Award winner Ricky Martin hits thearena for a second much anticipated performance.

Martin, born Enrique Jose Martin Morales,has become a much-celebrated idol in today’smodern Hispanic culture. Having sold more than34 million albums worldwide to date and toppingthe charts with 30 hit singles, the singer has madequite a name for himself in both the music worldand pop culture. The Valley is among thoseembracing Martin’s success.

Dodge Arena general manager, James Brickerfinds that the Valley can’t get enough of Martin.

“The promoter, Live Nations, decided tobring him back again because he’d done so welllast time. It was a large crowd of 5,700 people,the most we could fit in here,” said Bricker, whofinds that the arena offers what amphitheatersdon’t. “It’s the perfect opportunity to see peopleyou hear on the radio and watch on television, upclose and personal. To see him in a small buildingcompared to the huge setting of the AT&T orVerizon amphitheaters, makes all the difference.”

While Martin is no stranger to sold-out showsand a promising career, it was a challenge for thePuerto Rican singer to take those first steps intothe music industry. It would be a long, hard roadbefore he’d climb to the top of the charts and ownthe spotlight.

With no prior connection to the music world,Martin at the age of six, found himself wanting to

perform. Six years later, at 12, Martinfinally had the chance to shine. It

was then that he auditioned for

the manufactured Latin pop boy band, Menudo.The highly successful band composed of youngHispanic adolescents was short lived though, asone by one the boys were singled out as theyadvanced into their teenage years. The group wasforced to disband as the members had outlivedtheir adolescence and the spotlight. With nowhereelse to turn, a 17-year-old Martin returned toPuerto Rico to complete high school and took onacting in the United States not too long after.

It wasn’t until 1990 that Martin finally caughta big break, signed to Sony Discos, the Latincounterpart of Sony, he released an album com-prised entirely in Spanish. His release hit gold sta-tus in Mexico, South America and the U.S. A soloalbum followed in 1993 and that alone sold morethan 1 million copies. Martin soon crossed overinto the English music market in 1999 with a self-titled release. With the trendy single, “Livin’ LaVida Loca,” Martin instantly shot to stardom inseveral countries and the album became one ofthe top-selling albums of that year, selling morethan seventeen million copies and certified seventimes platinum. Seven years later, the Spanish andEnglish singing international mega-star continuesto triumph in the entertainment business with alive, unplugged album.

Senior bilingual education major Anette Ojedabelieves Martin’s music is just what the Valleyneeds.

“I appreciate his music and it’s impressivehow far he’s gone, starting from Menudo and pro-gressing into English and acting. I like his musicbecause it’s uplifting and makes you want todance,” said the 22-year-old from Weslaco. “TheHispanic community is all about movement andrhythm. It’s just really catchy and fun. He has areally good voice.”

Martin’s returns are always something worthnoting, said Ojeda.

“He’s had his moments when he’s laid low inthe media, but when he comes back. Wow. Hecomes back with a bang.”

While Martin’s music is not appealing toeveryone, his performances leave quite theimpression.

“Even though I’m a gringo and I’m not intoLatin music, he puts on a good show. Ricky playsclose to two hours,” said Bricker. “He has greatlighting, great stage presence. His performance isthe best I’ve seen so far.”

Aside the hype of his stage performance, Martinis highly involved in more than just his being.

“Ricky’s a nice guy to work with and very pro-fessional. During sound checks, he’d walk aroundthe building standing at every corner to make surethe sound was good everywhere,” said Bricker.

Martin is well known for his generosity andself-less nature. He is the Goodwill Ambassadorto UNICEF and has established the Ricky MartinFoundation in Puerto Rico to advocate for thewelfare of children. He has also collaborated withthe International Organization for Migration’s“Llama y Vive” (Call and live) campaign, aimedto prevent human trafficking, the protection ofyoung victims of trafficking and the prosecutionof traffickers.

“I love him for that. It’s really important forthat issue to be put out there. Human trafficking isknown but nobody really hears about it,” saidOjeda. “It’s good that he’s involved in charitybecause he’s contributing to society in more waysthan one.”

For more information on Ricky Martin Tickets,visit the Dodge Arena Web Site at:www.dodgearena.com or call thebox office at 956-668-7740.

www.rickymartin.de

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 October 4, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTOctober 4, 2007 Page 9

P

Singer makes anticipatedreturn to Dodge Arena

eople of the Rio Grande Valley will be shak-ing their hips to saucy beats this week as

one of Latin music’s hottest stars makes his wayback to the Dodge Arena. After selling out thevenue in May during his record-setting Black andWhite tour in promotion of his MTV: Unpluggedrelease, on Oct. 5 the Puerto Rican icon andGrammy Award winner Ricky Martin hits thearena for a second much anticipated performance.

Martin, born Enrique Jose Martin Morales,has become a much-celebrated idol in today’smodern Hispanic culture. Having sold more than34 million albums worldwide to date and toppingthe charts with 30 hit singles, the singer has madequite a name for himself in both the music worldand pop culture. The Valley is among thoseembracing Martin’s success.

Dodge Arena general manager, James Brickerfinds that the Valley can’t get enough of Martin.

“The promoter, Live Nations, decided tobring him back again because he’d done so welllast time. It was a large crowd of 5,700 people,the most we could fit in here,” said Bricker, whofinds that the arena offers what amphitheatersdon’t. “It’s the perfect opportunity to see peopleyou hear on the radio and watch on television, upclose and personal. To see him in a small buildingcompared to the huge setting of the AT&T orVerizon amphitheaters, makes all the difference.”

While Martin is no stranger to sold-out showsand a promising career, it was a challenge for thePuerto Rican singer to take those first steps intothe music industry. It would be a long, hard roadbefore he’d climb to the top of the charts and ownthe spotlight.

With no prior connection to the music world,Martin at the age of six, found himself wanting to

perform. Six years later, at 12, Martinfinally had the chance to shine. It

was then that he auditioned for

the manufactured Latin pop boy band, Menudo.The highly successful band composed of youngHispanic adolescents was short lived though, asone by one the boys were singled out as theyadvanced into their teenage years. The group wasforced to disband as the members had outlivedtheir adolescence and the spotlight. With nowhereelse to turn, a 17-year-old Martin returned toPuerto Rico to complete high school and took onacting in the United States not too long after.

It wasn’t until 1990 that Martin finally caughta big break, signed to Sony Discos, the Latincounterpart of Sony, he released an album com-prised entirely in Spanish. His release hit gold sta-tus in Mexico, South America and the U.S. A soloalbum followed in 1993 and that alone sold morethan 1 million copies. Martin soon crossed overinto the English music market in 1999 with a self-titled release. With the trendy single, “Livin’ LaVida Loca,” Martin instantly shot to stardom inseveral countries and the album became one ofthe top-selling albums of that year, selling morethan seventeen million copies and certified seventimes platinum. Seven years later, the Spanish andEnglish singing international mega-star continuesto triumph in the entertainment business with alive, unplugged album.

Senior bilingual education major Anette Ojedabelieves Martin’s music is just what the Valleyneeds.

“I appreciate his music and it’s impressivehow far he’s gone, starting from Menudo and pro-gressing into English and acting. I like his musicbecause it’s uplifting and makes you want todance,” said the 22-year-old from Weslaco. “TheHispanic community is all about movement andrhythm. It’s just really catchy and fun. He has areally good voice.”

Martin’s returns are always something worthnoting, said Ojeda.

“He’s had his moments when he’s laid low inthe media, but when he comes back. Wow. Hecomes back with a bang.”

While Martin’s music is not appealing toeveryone, his performances leave quite theimpression.

“Even though I’m a gringo and I’m not intoLatin music, he puts on a good show. Ricky playsclose to two hours,” said Bricker. “He has greatlighting, great stage presence. His performance isthe best I’ve seen so far.”

Aside the hype of his stage performance, Martinis highly involved in more than just his being.

“Ricky’s a nice guy to work with and very pro-fessional. During sound checks, he’d walk aroundthe building standing at every corner to make surethe sound was good everywhere,” said Bricker.

Martin is well known for his generosity andself-less nature. He is the Goodwill Ambassadorto UNICEF and has established the Ricky MartinFoundation in Puerto Rico to advocate for thewelfare of children. He has also collaborated withthe International Organization for Migration’s“Llama y Vive” (Call and live) campaign, aimedto prevent human trafficking, the protection ofyoung victims of trafficking and the prosecutionof traffickers.

“I love him for that. It’s really important forthat issue to be put out there. Human trafficking isknown but nobody really hears about it,” saidOjeda. “It’s good that he’s involved in charitybecause he’s contributing to society in more waysthan one.”

For more information on Ricky Martin Tickets,visit the Dodge Arena Web Site at:www.dodgearena.com or call thebox office at 956-668-7740.

www.rickymartin.de

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 October 4, 2007

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTOctober 4, 2007 Page 9

P

Singer makes anticipatedreturn to Dodge Arena

PALM continued from page 7

An audience need not know or care

about any books written by Jane Austen

200 years ago to enjoy “The Jane Austen

Book Club.” This is a witty, grown-up

tale about modern day relationships

requiring no particular knowledge of

Austen’s work. Her admirers, however,

will be very pleased at references to and

one-liners about her novels that appear

throughout this exceptional film.

While at first glance it may be easy

to categorize this movie as a so-called

chick-flick, many males who attend with

either their spouse or girlfriend will

indeed find one of the subplots very

interesting and connecting. It is a shining

example of a genre exhibiting a good

dose of feminine energy mixed with a

masculine solution.

A group of friends in Sacramento

put together a book club, agreeing to

meet once a month. Their focus is the

work of Austen: each person takes a

novel on which to concentrate, only to

find their lives paralleling those of the

author’s heroines. This five-member

book club is all about community,

matchmaking, love, social standing,

money and marriage, i.e, all the elements

in an Austen novel.

Robin Swicord writer of such great

films such as “Memoirs of a Geisha,”

“Practical Magic,” and “Little Women,”

not only adapted the screenplay from the

book by Karen Joy Fowler, but she also

directed the film. In her first major

directing project, Swicord manages to

make every person in a large cast fully

three-dimensional. That’s impressive,

considering there are so many characters

besides the club members. She gives so

much depth to her characters that the

audience can identify with almost all of

them. Swicord’s style of directing can be

compared to that of Penny Marshall (“A

League of their Own,” “Riding in Cars

with Boys,” “Big”). So many of the

camera angles and one-liners will

forever be in embedded in the audience’s

mind when they leave the theater.

Out of all the cast members, even

though they are all wonderful, Emily

Blunt is by far the one you most identify

with and remember.

It comes as no surprise that

Entertainment Weekly gave her the

honor of “Scene Stealer” because of her

notorious moments in “The Devil Wears

Prada,” and Blunt retains her crown in

“Book Club.” If Sony Pictures does not

start a campaign for her as best

supporting actress for the upcoming

Oscars, it will be a huge mistake.

For anyone looking for a good time

and a nice romantic comedy, “The Jane

Austen Book Club” is indeed the film of

the season. Moviegoers both female and

male will be entranced with the humor

and excellent performances. One can

almost call this the next “Love

Actually,” which is considered a male-

female flick.

Backed up by a great soundtrack

which includes Snow Patrol, Aimee

Mann, and Paolo Nutini’s hit song “New

Shoes,” the film has drama and romance,

and is laugh-out-loud funny. “Book

Club” illustrates why Austen is still in

print and in people’s hearts. Austen’s

novels are deliberately provocative, but

rather because they are such finely

observed portraits of the way human

beings behave. The film’s period is now,

the place is Sacramento, but as the film

ultimately comes undone, like a corset in

Jane’s novels, it becomes clear that

human beings have not changed that

much as they toil and tumble their way

through relationships.

Whether dressed in jeans,

petticoats, or corsets, characters in “The

Jane Austen Book Club” fashion a good

rule book to follow as you live your life

the way you want to. Never has a film

brought so many stories of real-life

situations to full light; audiences will be

laughing out loud one minute, and

crying the next.

enjamin Percy has been soaring up

the literary ladder since his debut

collection “The Language of Elk” hit

stands early last year.

Post “Elk,” Percy has been

included in the Best America Short

Stories series, has received a Pushcart

Prize, and even grabbed the Paris

Review’s Plimpton Prize and subsequent

$10,000 purse.

In addition to literary adoration,

Percy has had two short stories

optioned for screenplays, including the

title story of the new collection,

“Refresh, Refresh,” which has been

accepted to this year’s Sundance

Institute writing lab.

The 28-year-old, Oregon-born

writer has achieved such feats by

consistently producing bare, readable

stories which are simultaneously

masculine and tender.

His style is often compared to the

minimalism of Raymond Carver,

Ernest Hemingway and Kurt Vonnegut.

His prose is quick, readable and raw.

These are action-based stories that

drive along aggressively, told from a

first-person point of view with the

narrator screaming details throughout

the journey.

The entire collection “Refresh,

Refresh” is set in the high desert of

Oregon, the author’s birthplace. By

using the familiar backdrop, Percy is

able to tackle topics such as the Iraq war,

the loss of a spouse, and abusive

relationships without losing the anchor

of reality.

Some critics will site an

exaggeration in several instances.

“Refresh, Refresh” is based in a town

where the majority of the community’s

fathers have been deployed to the Iraq

war. “Crash” batters the protagonist with

the death of a wife, an insensitive family,

and the rigors of first-time fatherhood.

But Percy’s short stories are intense

car bombs of readability. Some beliefs

must be suspended, but it’s not like he’s

asking you to follow a wizard to magic

school. And while he’ll never get that

kind of Potteresque attention, at this

pace he may very well deserve it.

BC may have a hit Thursday line-

up with “My Name is Earl” and

“The Office,” but the CW is giving it

good competition with the chilling series

“Supernatural,” back for a hair-raising

third season.

The show follows brothers Dean

(Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester

(Jared Padalecki) on a cross-country

investigation of paranormal events. The

previous two seasons took the duo on a

wild goose chase in search of the demon

that killed their parents. The two even

the score but not without unleashing a

hell of their own. Sam is killed but Dean

strikes a deal with another demon to

resurrect his younger brother, offering

his own life in return: one year to live.

This season is sure to leave you at

the edge of your seat as the brothers fight

to stop hell’s demons from conquering

Earth before Dean’s time runs out. Watch

Sam and Dean raise hell Thursdays at 8

p.m. on the CW.

Amazon.com

“Supernatural”

BOOK REVIEW

N

Percy’s latest proves ‘refreshing’

By JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American

MOVIE REVIEWARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 10 October 4, 2007

By BRIAN CARRThe Pan American

B

By RUSSEN VELAThe Pan American

‘Jane Austen Book Club’: a film for all eyes

Sonyclassics.com

Benjamin Percy

TV CORNER

WhatYou’reNotWatching

“I would love to see this area grow

into a place rich in culture and arts,”

Tamayo said. “We live in a place that has

a lot of cultural diversity.”

Rao stated that benefiting the area

in which he lives motivated him to get

involved in events like Palm Fest.

“I am a member of an organization

called Futuro McAllen,” said the

professor. “We are citizens committed to

a better quality of life for McAllen

neighborhoods.”

Senior business major Cesar

Gonzalez showed interest in events

where culture and art are promoted.

“People should be more than

willing to start educating themselves

toward cultural things.”

Rao also said that through music,

dance, food and entertainment, Palm

Fest offers an understanding of the

history of McAllen, its heritage and its

diverse cultures of today.

Knowing different cultures will

improve trust in one another and enrich

our lives,” he said.

At the event, children will have the

opportunity to see Batman and classical

dances from India, Japanese koto

players, Philippine dancers, South Texas

Indian dancers and Ahava Middle

Eastern dance troupe, among others.

IN DEPTH - “The Jane Austen Book Club” adds dimension to Austen’s characters, paralleling real-life with known heroines

seen a rapid increase in the number of

students enrolled in terminal degree

programs, according to the Office of

Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

UTPA currently offers two doctoral pro-

grams - in business administration with

an emphasis in international business,

and a doctorate in educational leadership

from the College of Education.

In 2001, OIRE reported a total

enrollment of 75 students in doctoral pro-

grams. Three years later, UTPA passed

through a threshold of sorts, boasting 100

doctoral students in total, 48 in the

College of Business Administration and

52 in the College of Education. Since

then, UTPA has kept a steady increase,

enrolling 103 students in 2006.

Doctoral programs will raise

UTPA’s reputation as a quality universi-

ty, Simpson added.

“UTPA is ranked as a predominant-

ly master’s-granting institution,” he said.

“The higher up that scale you go, the

more prestigious [UTPA] becomes,

attracting more attention and more

money.”

According to Cynthia Brown,

interim vice provost for graduate studies

and academic centers, some graduate

programs currently in the process of

extending to the doctoral level are found

in rehabilitative counseling, manufactur-

ing engineering and clinical psychology.

Among the benefits associated with new

doctoral programs, Brown said the

school may create a greater research

staff on campus.

“The opportunity to work with

doctoral students may help attract

research faculty to UTPA and, of course,

the opportunity to work with our

research faculty attracts doctoral stu-

dents to UTPA,” she said. “It is the cre-

ation of new knowledge that brings

recognition to any university.”

The counseling project is currently

under review by the Texas Higher

Education Coordinating Board and the

manufacturing engineering program is

to be submitted to the UT System for

consideration soon, according to Brown.

UTPA’s developing clinical psychology

program has THECB authority to devel-

op a program and is currently doing so.

In addition, UTPA has a collabora-

tive pharmacy program with the

University of Texas-Austin in which stu-

dents attend UTPA for their first two years

of college before heading to University of

Texas-Austin to complete their degrees.

The process of creating a Ph.D. pro-

gram is “quite lengthy,” according to

Brown. Essentially, it starts with a propos-

al and ends with approval or rejection

from the THECB.

PROGRAMS continued from page 1“A lot of these kids drop out

because they have to help out the family

by working,” Lowe said. “This different

way of delivering instruction would help

get them out of the regular school setting

and even allow them to acquire an edu-

cation while they work [during the

day].”

Matthew Meyers, a senior program

coordinator for the College of Education

and bilingual education professor at

UTPA, said that in the Valley, language

is a barrier for many students.

During the 2005-06 school year,

711,237 students in Texas were classified

as having limited English-speaking skills,

according to the Houston Chronicle.

“In many instances, accommoda-

tions have not been made for those that

are not English proficient,” Meyers said.

“We can look at the students but we have

to look at the schools and how they are

working for the students.”

Meyers also emphasized that as

professionals, teachers are left with the

task of accommodating their students,

despite state and federal guidelines.

Jasmine Rodriguez, a senior

English major at UTPA who is planning

to teach after graduation, said once she

is a teacher, she will try to “include a lit-

tle of everything” to accommodate the

whole class and to see which approach

yields a better result.

“But tutoring students, basically

taking care of their needs and letting

them know you care is very important,”

said Rodriguez, a McAllen resident.

Standardized testing may also be a

factor. According to test scores released

by the Texas Education Agency and the

Texas Assessment of Knowledge and

Skills test, out of 9,669 eleventh-grade

students tested that were characterized

as “limited English proficient,” only 16

percent met the standard for all tests

taken. Scores also indicated that out of

95,397 students who were characterized

as “economically disadvantaged,” 54

percent met the standard.

“Test scores [for the TAKS] don’t

have anything to do with the ability to

succeed,” Lowe said. “It’s a one-size-

fits-all type of test.”

DROP continued from page 1

NEWSOctober 4, 2007 Page 11

CORE continued from page 1

current 139-hour degree plan to meet the

Board’s standard.

“The Higher Education

Coordinating Board has said they expect

engineering [degrees] to require more

hours, but at most 127 hours. It’s still a

big difference,” Nambiar, who is in the

Faculty Senate, said. “Liberal arts

degrees are already on average 124

hours, so at most they have to lose four

hours to get down to 120.”

Cutting liberal arts curriculum,

including modern languages, was

according to Nabiar, the best option.

“You can’t cut from the profession-

al component because you have to pro-

vide the same amount of professional

component as say a UT-Austin to com-

pete in the job market,” he explained.

“[With the new core curriculum] the

engineering students, for example, could

claim three hours of math and three

hours of science; whereas someone in

the college of humanities could claim

Spanish or a philosophy class as being

part of the core.”

DEBATEStill, the possible absence of a lan-

guage class requirement has caused an

internal stir in that department, prompt-

ing the creation of the Modern Language

Core Curriculum Task Force.

The task force, which is comprised

of the entire department, has not taken

any official action other than voicing

their opposition to the proposal.

Stephanie Alvarez, modern lan-

guages lecturer, suggested the prospect of

removing a language requirement is coun-

terproductive to the university’s goals.

“From the department’s point of

view, in order for the university to

accomplish its own goals, mission and

vision we have to include a second-lan-

guage proficiency,” she said.

Nabiar, however, said while he can

understand concerns from liberal arts

departments, he sees the new plan as a

step in the right direction.

“Each faculty member feels that

what they are teaching the students is

absolutely important to the students,” he

said, adding that there is validity to both

sides of the “an engineer doesn’t need to

know Spanish” argument.

Alvarez, however, strongly

believes that a second language is criti-

cal to every discipline.

“In order for someone to be com-

petitive in the job market in any field

and in order to conduct research, you

need to be proficient in a language other

than Spanish; not just to communicate

with other people in your field and at

your job, but to do and read research

done in other counties,” she said.

FINDING BALANCEThe modern languages task force is

making its distaste for the proposal

known, and Nabiar said there is discord

across the university.

“The curriculum has reduced the

science requirement to six hours,” he

said. “The science faculty aren’t happy

about it because they say students need

to know more science.”

Finding accord among disciplines in

any situation is a difficult feat, according

to Marie Mora, who chaired the curricu-

lum committee until May of this year.

“Everything we’re proposing to

change was voted on by the committee,”

the economics and finance professor

said. “That doesn’t mean everyone on

the committee was 100 percent in agree-

ment with the changes.”

Within the UT System, while no

core requirements look identical, there

are similarities. The University of Texas-

Brownsville has a core outline parallel to

that of UTPA’s current one — complete

with a modern language and kinesiology

provision — but does not contain a

mandatory computer literacy class.

The proposed UTPA plan more

resembles those of The University of

Texas-Austin, The University of Texas-

San Antonio and The University of

Texas-Dallas; all of which contain no

modern language, kinesiology or com-

puter literacy provisions

Ana Maria Rodriguez, UTPA sen-

ior vice provost for undergraduate stud-

ies, said while there is “nothing that says

we have to do this,” changes within the

university since the core curriculum was

first drafted in 1999 have made the

review necessary.

“We had another president and our

mission and goals were different,” she

said.

Rodriguez added that the evalua-

tion of core classes is in preparation for

a mandated review of core curriculum,

scheduled to take place in 2009. Such a

review last happened in 2004.

“A lot of other institutions have a

42-hour core. We’re just looking to see if

we should reformat,” she said. “I think

[the committee] invested an awful lot of

time reviewing it and listening to various

points of view.”

Decisions, such as this one, are “not

done overnight,” according to Rodriguez,

but “conversations, deliberations and dis-

cussions are very important.”

“Out of that usually comes good

decision making,” she said.

“UTPA is ranked as a pre-dominantly master’s-grantinginstitution. The higher up yougo, the more prestigious[UTPA] becomes, attractingmore attention and moremoney.”

- Marc SimpsonPh.D. program director

College of BusinessAdministration


person, it will take very long before they

can build on successes.

Q: What were some of your bestcontributions to UTPA? What areyour plans for the school if re-elected?

A: My number one priority for the

Edinburg community was to get $5 mil-

lion for the [Regional Academic Health

Center], and I was successful in getting it

last May.

I was also able to get debt financing

through the appropriations process for

necessary funding for the school’s $40

million fine arts center.

One of my primary projects is to

bring a full-fledged medical school to

Edinburg through UTPA. I hope this

school can one day complement the

RAHC.

Q: What have you done for thecommunity?

A: I have been a primary joint

author to a bill that increases the number

of children getting access to the

Children’s Health Insurance Program. I

have also gotten retired teachers an addi-

tional pay check and worked hard to get

teachers pay raises.

Q: What are your plans for thecommunity?

A: Building constant living adjust-

ments to retirement pay. And to continue

building on the successes of my last term.

The CHIP bill we passed last session allo-

cated $80 to $90 million to economically

disadvantaged, uninsured children.

Republicans tried to cut funding for it, but

we were able to restore it. This was one of

the biggest successes for the Legislature,

and I want to build on that.

Q: Your opponent questions yourdedication to the county because youaligned yourself with Speaker TomCraddick. What is your reaction tothis?

A: Let me just say that it’s what he

said last time, and he lost. Every person

[in the House] voted as I did for the last

three sessions. Saenz is just looking for a

red herring so he can get votes. People

have already dismissed a lot of his

attacks.

Q: He also thinks you don’t workhard enough to improve areas likeEdcouch, Elsa and La Joya.

A: Again, he said that last time as

well. He’s a broken record. When I get

more money for teachers and more

money for CHIP, this affects all commu-

nities, not just Edinburg. When we

worked to keep the “10 Percent Rule”

for high school students applying to col-

lege, this benefits them as well. Mr.

Saenz will say whatever he can to get

elected. He hasn’t learned from his over-

whelming loss [in 2004].

Q: What are major differencesbetween your priorities and his?

A: My primary objective is to serve

the people I represent. History has

shown that Saenz just wants to serve

himself and a small group he is associat-

ed with.

Q: What history would that be?A: I’ll leave it at that. The people of

Edinburg know what I’m talking about.

Q: On the topic of Saenz’ recentDWI charge, do you think the publicshould withhold judgment, as hislawyer has suggested?

A: Saenz owes the general public

an apology. No one is above the law and

no one should seek special treatment for

committing a crime. Any other person in

those circumstances would have been

treated much differently.

Q: Do you think this gives you anadvantage in the election?

A: The public already knows

Saenz. This event will add to that neg-

ative view. There are many other prob-

lems [regarding Saenz] that the com-

munity is well aware of.

HISTORICAL continued from page 3

tuition and fees cost an average of $2,157

last year, while tuition alone was $3,993 at

The University of Texas-Austin.

New buildings - like the Wellness

and Recreation Sports Complex - cause

fees to increase. In addition, mainte-

nance of some student favorites - like the

Student Union and parking shuttles -

also upped the fees.

“Basically it comes down to very

difficult choices, given finite resources

and various pressures,” said Juan

Gonzalez, assistant vice president for

business affairs at UTPA.

Still, Gonzalez said pressure can do

some good - recent fee increases were

used to pay for additional faculty and

new firewalls to keep UTPA’s informa-

tion infrastructure safe.

“Sometimes there’s not enough

money to go around,” he said, adding

that the fees greatly make up for that

lack of funds.

Discussions about next year’s fees

begin in October. Though there are no

specific dates yet, the proposals that

President Blandina Cardenas approves

will be discussed in open forum from

late October to early November.

“The students are very involved

[with fees],” said Jerry Price, dean of

students and co-chair of the Cost of

Education Committee.

That committee is responsible for

posing fee questions to Cardenas; it is

composed of students from the Student

Government Association and universi-

ty staff.

Price said the committee plans to

consider raising resident housing rates,

student health fees, child development

fees, and student orientation fees. Price

stressed that each proposal is displayed to

students before decisions are finalized.

“We pick a focus group of students,

such as in orientation, we had picked a

group of freshman who just got through

orientation,” he explained.

Maggie Salinas, a senior from Rio

Grande City, said she wasn’t too excited

about the new recreational center, and

wishes fees hadn’t gone up because of

its construction.

“I’d imagine they would have to get

their money somehow,” she said. “I guess

they assumed everyone would use it.”

The criminal justice major said the

recreational center better serves students

who spend more time at the university,

unlike students like her who commute to

UTPA and have no time to take advan-

tage of it.

However, Alma Munoz, senior at

UTPA, uses the facilities and said the fee

charge is the reason she goes.

“That’s my motivation, it makes it

harder to have enough to pay but it also

makes it easier to take advantage,” the

sociology major said. “It has its pros and

cons.”

The recreational center was voted

on by students on the Cost of Education

Committee assured John Edwards, vice

president for enrollment and student

services and co-chair of the committee.

He encouraged students to attend the

committee’s public forums because it is

the way students have input in the fee

process.

Not all fees can be predicted. For

example, the falling infrastructure of the

school’s Social and Behavioral Sciences

Building will cost the university about

$375,000 this semester. The building,

which will be restructured because of

severe water damage, will take three

months to repair, according to UTPA

officials.

Overall, UTPA’s fees rank low

compared to other schools, but as the

university expands and more repairs are

made, fees could be raised, he said.

traveling funds so members can hold dis-

cussions at other Texas universities and

broaden their philosophical perspectives.

“We’re still students at UTPA and

we don’t know everything…we can’t

possibly,” he said. “We’re here actually

to learn, and this helps us learn… it’s a

greater way to feed our minds.”

Officers, along with 25 interested

persons, have held only one meeting this

semester. The organization hopes to have

at least 20 members by the end of the

2007-2008 school year.

Leach has been guiding the club for

more than a year, and says it is important

for the university because students from

all disciplines can come and learn about

a fundamental area of study.

“Everyone is interested in philoso-

phy, even if they don’t know it yet,”

said Leach. “Philosophy is interested in

them, so they should be interested in

philosophy.”

As part of its new look, the organi-

zation plans to have roundtable discus-

sion once a semester, with professors,

members and interested students cover-

ing controversial topics such as religion.

Before becoming official, Aporia

held one roundtable discussion on war

that had a turnout of about 100 people

from UTPA and the community. Leach

said this success motivated members to

continue the discussions.

Currently, officers are looking into

philosophy clubs at other universities to

help inspire, boost and change their

organization. They are also making an

effort to cooperate with other UTPA

organizations to help gain recognition.

Every Friday this semester, Aporia

hosts “Friday Dialogues,” open discus-

sions on broad areas of philosophy.

Past dialogues have included philo-

sophical films that raise questions for

discussion; there have been guest speak-

ers like Jesse Bailey of Pennsylvania

State University, who discussed one of

Plato’s most famous dialogues.

“We’ve got good officers in place

with good ideas, though we’re only in the

idea stage with some things,” said Leach.

“We already have a few plans in the

works that will [we hope] draw in stu-

dents, faculty and people outside of the

university.”

Before its transformation, the phi-

losophy club “did not have a real sense

of organization,” according to Leach.

The club spent most of its time working

with Ethics Bowl, another campus organ-

ization. It also did not have a constitution

stating their purposes and goals.

ple understand and learn more about

state history.

Now UTPA is trying to lure the

show south.

“For the university it adds pres-

tige,” said Michael Faubion, department

chair for UTPA’s history and philosophy

department. “They publish a quarterly

journal and if it’s coming out of UT-Pan

Am, that'll help bring recognition.”

TSHA has the oldest continuously

published scholarly journal in Texas.

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

was first published in 1897 and comes

out 16 times per year, presenting readers

with historical documents as well as the

latest research in the field. Other publi-

cations include a newsletter called

Riding Line, published four times a year.

The organization is also involved

in providing teachers, students and the

public the chance to learn about Texas

history through different educational

programs. In 1939, TSHA developed its

Educational Department to enhance the

learning and teaching of Texas history

throughout state schools.

MOVING OUTTSHA has been housed at UT-

Austin since its establishment, but is

looking for a university to host it

because it had to move out by Dec. 31,

due to an office-space shortage.

UTPA has submitted a proposal to

become the organization’s new home.

But before its proposal can be reviewed,

the university must comply with a list of

requested accommodations. TSHA has

specific requirements concerning the

amount of space provided for the associ-

ation, technical and administrative sup-

port, and staffing needs. TSHA is also

requesting the proposal mandate a 20-

year contract.

UTPA’s proposal listed the benefits

the university offers, and was similar in

format to a grant proposal, Faubion said.

UTPA is still looking for space to house

TSHA in the event that its proposal is

accepted, he added.

“They'll review all proposals Nov.

15, and I've been told they should

announce the proposal they've accepted

by the end of year,” he said.

Faubion said TSHA can bring great

recognition to UTPA.

“Every state has something like

this and whereever that institution is

housed, it gets a lot of attention by all

the historians in the state,” Faubion said.

“That'll help build the reputation of

UTPA.”

The organization will also bring a

$500,000 endowment for a chair posi-

tion at the selected school, he added.

An annual convention for over 600

historians and history enthusiasts hosted

by TSHA would be held at UTPA and

would benefit local businesses, said

Faubion.

“The other big change we'll see is

greater access to other universities

around the state [for graduate students],”

said Faubion. “Graduate students in the

program will have more opportunities

for job employment.”

Carlos Cantu, a history graduate

student familiar with TSHA, said he

believed it would greatly benefit the uni-

versity if the history association were

moved here.

“I think TSHA will bring prestige

to UTPA,” said the Mission resident. “It

will definitely put us in a more national

scope.”

FEES continued from page 3

APORIA continued from page 3

PENA continued from page 3

Next week: Eddie Saenzspeaks on arrest, more.

“Everyone is interested inphilosophy, even if they don’t

know it yet.”

- Stephen Leachphilosophy professor

The University Of Texas-Pan

American Lady Broncs hoped to bounce

back from a devastating three-set

blowout to Stephan F. Austin, but

Southland Conference foe Lamar

Cardinals put those hopes to rest by

beating the Lady Broncs 30-22, 30-18,

30-24 Tuesday night in Beaumont.

After having consecutive wins two

weeks ago, the Lady Broncs seem to

have gotten off track. The Green and

Orange (7-13) have suffered back-to-

back three-set blowouts.

In the first game against the

Cardinals, the Lady Broncs came out

with an early lead, but Destiny Madison

led a Cardinal rally as Lamar stormed

back to take the lead over UTPA. The

Cards never looked back as they claimed

victory 30-22. Mason had a match high

with 16 kills to go along with 14 digs.

The momentum carried Lamar on

to the next game as the Cardinals

jumped on the scoreboard drawing first

blood. But Kellie Phillips put a quick

end to the rally as she led her team offen-

sively to within striking distance mid-

way through the match. Lamar simply

overmatched the visitor and pulled away

late in the game as they claimed another

Cardinal victory, 30-18.

The Lady Cardinals did not stop

the relentless attack on the Lady Broncs

in the third match as they took a com-

manding lead early. UTPA tried to estab-

lish an offensive rhythm, but defensive

specialist Adrianne Meengs was able to

keep the Lady Broncs in check. In the

end, the home team capped off the

straight-set victory with a 30-24 decision

in the third and final frame.

The Cardinals held advantages

over the Lady Broncs in kills (61-25),

total attacks (125-104), hitting percent-

age (.336-.048), assists (57-23), digs

(49-40) and total blocks (9.0- 6.0).

The Lady Broncs dropped their

overall record to 7-13 on the 2007 cam-

paign while the Lady Cardinals

improved their record to 13-7.

On a positive note for UTPA, the

Lady Broncs have already won one

game more than last year and seem to be

improving statistically. The women have

884 total kills with Phillips leading the

way in the category with 231.

Defensively, the Green and Orange

have a total of 121 blocks and 1,058

digs. Defensive specialist Deanna

Schneyer leads the block category with

57 and Rebecca Toddy leads the team

with digs with a combined 287.

The women will be back in action

on Friday when they travel to Orem,

Utah, for a match up against Utah Valley

University. They head home Oct. 9 to

take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in

their first home game of the season.

The women’s golf program finished

in the top half of 15 teams at the Oral

Roberts University Shootout garnering

7th place laurels earlier this week.

Leading the pack through 54

greens was Mission Veterans High

School graduate Rebecca De Leon, who

cracked the top 10 to claim a spot at

ninth place with a collective score of

231(78-75-78). The top 10 finish is the

frontrunner’s second this season.

“Ninth feels pretty good, especially

because I had a bad season last year

where my game just wasn’t coming

around and it feels great,” said De Leon.

“Our coach has this whole new mental

game that helps us out to become strong

around the field and become positive on

the course.”

Haley Hocott of San Antonio

MacArthur HS managed to fall just out-

side the top 10 in a tie for 14th place over-

all. Hocott recorded a season-best score of

73 during the third round Tuesday and

posted a three-round tally of 234.

UTPA junior Mariale Camey and

senior Elizabeth Rodriguez tied for the

41st spot at the end of 54 holes with con-

current scores of 243. Men’s and

women’s head golf Coach Ofelia Lopez

and many of the players alike have con-

sistently said that the level of play up

unto this point in the season has been

“mediocre at best.” Now some are

beginning to question whether the per-

formances are a result of a coaching staff

spread thin.

However, De Leon said coach

Lopez is always there for her and other

players on both squads.

“It’s not really an issue because

she’s there for us at any time. She told us

to call her and I’ve had many times

when I need her and call her,” De Leon

said. “She responds right away. She’s

there for us at any time.”

There has been buzz within the ath-

letics department about the possible hiring

of a new coach to lighten the workload for

Lopez, but the process could be a lengthy

one according to Assistant Athletic

Director for Media Relations Joe Monaco.

UTPA is currently accepting

resumes and Monaco said once a pool of

applicants is together, a search commit-

tee will hold on-campus interviews. The

position will be offered following the

campus visit. No target date for hiring

had been set.

“Though the endeavor seems easy

enough, the time frame for the hiring

process depends largely on the universi-

ty human resources department and

qualification issues with potential appli-

cants,” Monaco said. “Hiring processes

are difficult.”

Lopez’s position of dual coach has

been the cause for adjustments to the

Green and Orange teams’ playing sched-

ules. As the teams will engage in split-

location tournaments throughout the sea-

son, the tightly scheduled instructor will

only be able to travel with one team.

“What will happen is that when the

men and women play together, Coach

Lopez will travel with the women and

we’ll send an administrator with the

men,” Monaco said. “If there are sepa-

rate schedules where [only] the men are

playing, Coach Lopez will travel with

the men.”

The next stop on the Lady Bronc

tour this season is Gulf Shores,

Alabama. The Green and Orange play

Nov. 5 at the UAB Fall Beach Blast

hosted by the University of Alabama-

Birmingham.

The men’s next tournament is slat-

ed to kick off on Monday at the Crown

Classic hosted by Stephen F. Austin

University in Lufkin.

VOLLEYBALL

By DANNY GARZAThe Pan American

Life on road not easy for Lady Broncs

By GABRIEL SALDANAThe Pan American

Green andOrange drops to7-13 on year

SPORTSOctober 4, 2007 Page 13

De Leon shootsseason-best 75in second round

Texas-Pan American (7-13) vs Lamar University (13-7)At Beaumont Oct. 2 UTPA 0 - Lamar 3

Texas-Pan American ATTACK ASSIST SERVE Name GP K E TA Pct A E TA Pct SA SE TA Pct DIG BHE BS BA BE 0 RE Pct

Trinidad, Ytszel.... 3 0 1 5 -.200 0 0 11 .000 1 1 15 .933 4 0 0 0 0 20 0 1.000Mayor, Noelle....... 3 3 3 19 .000 0 0 8 .000 1 0 13 1.000 9 0 1 0 0 5 0 1.000Phillips, Kellie.... 3 8 4 30 .133 0 0 14 .000 0 0 11 1.000 6 0 0 4 0 17 0 1.000Blakely, Chelsea.... 3 0 2 2 -1.00 23 0 27 .852 0 0 10 1.000 6 5 0 1 0 0 0 .000Schneyer, Deanna..3 7 2 16 .312 0 0 1 .000 0 0 0 .000 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 .000Reed, Danielle...... 3 2 3 14 -.071 0 0 1 .000 0 0 5 1.000 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 .000Logan, Marci........ 3 5 5 17 .000 0 0 2 .000 0 0 0 .000 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000Toddy, Rebecca......3 0 0 1 .000 0 0 23 .000 1 0 11 1.000 9 0 0 0 0 29 3 .906

Totals.............. 3 25 20 104 .048 23 0 87 .264 3 1 65 .985 40 5 1 10 2 71 3 .959

Lamar University ATTACK ASSIST SERVE Name GP K E TA Pct A E TA Pct SA SE TA Pct DIG BHE BS BA BE 0 RE Pct

Holdorff, Lauren.... 2 3 2 8 .125 0 0 2 .000 1 1 8 .875 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 1.000Abel, Molli......... 3 9 3 21 .286 0 0 1 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 5 0 2 0 1.000Mason, Destiny...... 3 16 5 28 .393 3 0 19 .158 0 1 16 .938 14 0 0 1 0 16 0 1.000Adams, Meagan.....2 5 1 9 .444 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000Meengs, Adrianne.. 3 13 1 17 .706 44 0 44 1.000 0 2 10 .800 1 2 0 6 0 0 0 .000Brewer, Kaci........ 2 6 2 16 .250 2 0 10 .200 0 0 7 1.000 6 0 0 1 0 11 2 .846Gladle, Genevieve..1 0 1 4 -.250 1 0 8 .125 0 1 3 .667 4 0 0 0 0 11 1 .917Hamilton, Andrea....3 0 0 0 .000 6 0 20 .300 1 5 20 .750 14 0 0 0 0 20 0 1.000Mitchell, Courtney.. 1 6 2 9 .444 0 0 0 .000 0 1 3 .667 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000Rush, Lauren........ 3 1 1 7 .000 1 0 4 .250 1 4 22 .818 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000Blythe, Shalayne.... 1 2 1 6 .167 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Totals.............. 3 61 19 125 .336 57 0 108 .528 3 15 89 .831 49 2 1 16 0 61 3 .953

GOLF

Lopez will continue at helm for both men, women

SPORTSPage 14 October 4, 2007

He spent the latter part of last

year’s season talking about rankings,

scheduling, recruiting and how the

University of Texas-Pan American

men’s and women’s tennis program

should be right dab in the thick of them.

This year, second year head coach

Rob Hubbard has assembled another

difficult schedule. But should his teams

respond favorably, they shouldn’t have

a problem moving up in the college

rankings.

“It’s going to be very difficult play-

ing against nationally ranked teams but

that’s the direction we’re headed,” said

Hubbard. “The schedule is very impor-

tant in order for us to continue to attract

quality recruits that we’re looking for.”

While the Lady Broncs struggled at

the fourth annual Scarborough

Specialties Open in Lubbock, where

they posted a 1-5 singles record and

went 3-3 in doubles action, the men are

set to make their 2007-2008 debut

Friday at the UTSA Invitational hosted

by Southland Conference foe University

of Texas-San Antonio.

The three-day tournament is only

the beginning of another tough schedule,

where dates with the likes of Texas Tech,

Clemson, SMU and Arkansas linger.

Much like last year, the goal

remains the same; play a tough regular

season schedule with various road

games and a couple of tourneys along

the way in preparation for the Southland

Conference Tournament in the spring.

The men return plenty of experi-

ence from last year’s team, which

claimed a berth in the Southland

Conference tournament—the first since

the 2005 season.

Sophomore Brett Bernstein and

senior Ivan Avila are arguably this year’s

best players, they play alongside junior

David Lopez-Heredia and sophomore

Nirvick Mohinta to form a group that

has plenty of experience coming in to

this season.

Avila, the lone senior on the squad,

brings plenty of time spent on the court;

he has competed in several Mexico City

tournaments throughout the year.

The squad has trained hard, but they

still “have many aspirations to go far in

the tournament,” said Avila of the season

opener. “I’ve been training a lot; I played

well in some tournaments in Mexico. I

got to finals in some professional tourna-

ments in that country. I trained hard and I

hope to do well in my remaining season.

I’ve also played some ATP tournaments

in Mexico City but not this summer

because I had to take classes.”

Bernstein finished his rookie cam-

paign at UTPA with a 9-8 singles record

and a six-game winning streak. The All-

Southland Conference honorable men-

tion selection enters this tournament

with an edge after playing four times

over the summer, including on the 2007

ITA Summer Circuit.

On the women’s side of the court,

the Lady Broncs have exactly two weeks

to prepare before taking the court at the

ITA Regionals hosted by Texas Tech,

Oct. 18.

In their recent trip to Lubbock the

women played admirably but not

exactly up to par.

Their lone singles win came in the

first flight after senior Silke Buksik cap-

tured the point by defeating Air Force’s

Sarah Cassman of Air Force in three

sets; 3-6, 6-0 and 6-2.

Sophomores Stephanie Willerding

and last year’s surprise Luisa Cantu post-

ed back-to-back wins in doubles’ action

with a 8-1 victory over Texas State, and a

8-2 win over North Central Texas College.

It was a good weekend to be a Bronc

Soccer Club defender but an even better

one to be an attacker. The men scored

eight goals over the weekend and gave up

nil, netting four on Saturday against Rice

and another four against The University of

Texas-San Antonio Sunday as Bronc

goalie Jose Cortez recorded back-to-back

shutouts.

Both home matches were played at

the intramural practice field under a

gloomy South Texas sky and in front of

faithful fans that watched the Broncs

dominate from beginning to end.

The pair of victories kept the men

atop the Texas Collegiate Soccer League

Southeast division with a 5-0-1 record,

their lone loss being by forfeit to San

Antonio College.

They’ve done it with effective pass-

ing and a fun attacking style. Yet for the

men it’s all about leaving a lasting impres-

sion on the opposition, whether they’re a

struggling team like Rice or a solid one

like UTSA.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re weak or

not, they’re still a team. We’re ready for

whichever team comes, Rice came and we

won,” said senior forward Juan P. Davila

after the 4-0 win. “We just wanted to fin-

ish them off; we wanted them to remem-

ber us. I think now they have a good idea

of who we are.”

Davila scored the first goal and had

two assists.

Bronc Soccer Club adviser Marcelo

Schmidt started the Rice game with a dif-

ferent formation in the first half but revert-

ed to his old playing style in the second

and the men responded with three goals in

the final 18 minutes.

“The second half we went back to

basics; we went back to a 4-4-2 with

options on the side and just again, incred-

ible talent. Other than that it’s the magic of

the kids,” Schmidt said.

Against Rice the men had 20 shots

on goal, compared to seven for the Owls,

and their first two possessions resulted in

deep drives with tries on target.

It was Davila who struck first in the

20th minute inside the box on a cross from

Luis Barrenechea. Barrenechea dribbled

through the right side all the way to the

back line and filtered a pass that landed at

Davila’s feet; Davila then drilled it home

for a 1-0 advantage.

Barrenechea broke out of his two-

game scoring slump in the second half

when Davila returned the assist favor in

the 27th minute, Barrenechea’s shot to the

far right gave UTPA a 2-0 lead. Twelve

minutes later Davila again fed

Barrenechea, who put it away with a nice

diving header to the far post for a 3-0

advantage. Julio Gonzalez added the last

goal in the 44th minute with a wicked shot

from 20 yards out on a Juan Reynoso

assist.

“I always had the support of my

team and I just had to put it in. The team

did all the work and fortunately the shots

went in. I’m happy about it,” said

Barrenechea, who added the club will

continue to sell refreshments to fans at all

home games. “We always want to keep

them happy. Besides, we always win in

our field.”

It was the same storyline against

UTSA; a different formation in the first

half only yielded one goal, but the second

half saw a much more comfortable and

relaxed Bronc offense as the men avenged

last year’s only regular-season loss.

“As soon as the first goal dropped, it

was all pretty much down hill [for

UTSA],” Schmidt said. “I would say that

we controlled the entire tempo of the

game, we controlled the attack, we con-

trolled the midfield and our defense was

incredibly solid.”

The coach said he will nominate his

defense for the TSCL MVP of the week

for their efforts over the weekend.

On Sunday Roel Trevino gave the

Broncs a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute, Julio

Veliz made it 2-0 in the 60th minute, while

Reynoso added two scores in the final 15

minutes, bringing his season total to 5.

The men will travel to Houston on

Saturday for a rematch against Rice, fol-

lowed by a Sunday home game against

Texas A&M at 1 p.m. The women hope to

claim their first victory of the year as they

host Texas State on Saturday at 1 p.m. at

the intramural practice field.

By ERICK QUINTERO

The Pan American

Goalie JoseCortez picks uptwo shutouts

TENNIS

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

SPORTSOctober 4, 2007 Page 15

Bronc Soccer Club wins back-to-back matches

Men to open new season at UTSA Invitational on FridayHubbard putstogether anothertough schedule

CLUB SOCCER


PERFECT FORM - Sophomore Brett Bernstein’s four tournament appearancesduring the summer give him an edge entering the UTSA Invitational on Friday.

By ERICK QUINTERO

The Pan American

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - Junior Julio Gonzalez scored the last goalfor the Bronc Soccer Club in its victory over Rice University on Saturday.

SPORTS

2

33

Number of years AssistantAthletic Director for Media

Relations Joe Monacoworked for UTPA. Monacowill step down on Oct. 10

2Number of top-10 finishesthis season by UTPA longdistance runner Luis Nava

StatsAtAGlance

99On Oct. 9 the UTPA volley-ball team will play the firsthome game of the season

BASKETBALL

ShortSports

THE PAN AMERICANPage 16 October 4, 2007

La Joya native on the right trackCROSS COUNTRY

College is a time where important

lessons are learned. For University of

Texas-Pan American cross-country run-

ner Luis Nava, life brings education in

school and on the course.

In 2004, the junior pre-med major

graduated from La Joya High School,

where he was involved in soccer and

cross-country. Running was his true

devotion.

Nava currently ranks among the

all-time UTPA greats. His seventh place

overall performance with a 24:54 time in

the first meet of the season at Texas

A&M catapulted him to 10th place in

program history in the 8,000 meter race.

However his best finish of the

young season was on Friday at the

Islander Splash Invitational. Nava fin-

ished runner up to 2006 NCAA 10k out-

door national champion Shadarak

Sangkok from Texas A&M Corpus

Christi with a time of 25:53.

According to Nava, the long-dis-

tance athletic competition is what keeps

him going for the everyday situations

life brings to the door. He said running is

what he goes to school for and it is a way

to stay out of trouble.

Getting accustomed to running

long distance is not easy, but for Nava, it

has taught discipline, dedication and

physical fitness. He says having the right

attitude helps.

“You’ve got to be excited about

what you do,” said Nava. “You’ve got to

like what you’re doing.”

During his six years of running,

Nava has experienced success, but has

had to work for everything that he has

accomplished.

Unfortunately for the La Joya

native, he does not get to continue his

training in the summer as he travels to

Arkansas to make a living. But still,

working every year as a migrant worker

from the end of May to mid-August in a

different state has not prevented Nava

from accomplishing big goals.

After coming to UTPA as a walk-on

and eventually earning an athletic schol-

arship, Nava is appreciative about what

has transpired in his life, including gain-

ing the respect of his peers and coaches.

“Nava is a great leader,” said Hugo

Cervantes, head coach of the UTPA

men’s and women’s cross-country team.

“He motivates his fellow teammates by

training hard and doing all the little

things to be a better athlete.”

Nava credits his teammates for

keeping him going when he feels tired or

needs encouragement. The team, he

says, is his second family and if one goes

down, they all go down. He runs with

heart not only for himself, but also for

his family, school and his coach.

But the motivation and drive does

not all come from within. According to

the La Joya native, Westly Keating,

arguably UTPA’s greatest runner has

been his biggest inspiration. Keating is

the former Bronc All-American from

Pharr who graduated last year and still

keeps in contact with the program from

time to time.

“Nava has come a long way since

he’s been here,” said Cervantes. “He has

lots of experience from practicing and

competing with Keating. That helped

him to realize the level of training that

he needs to be at in order to be an NCAA

national contender.”

His cross-country career has

already impacted Nava’s life, as that is

the reason he was able to receive an

opportunity to continue his education at

UTPA, and the impetus to continue

school. It also taught him discipline that

the real world requires when one is on

one’s own. Cervantes says that Nava’s

discipline and determination will make

him successful in the future.

“Luis is a contender in practice and

competition,” said Cervantes. “He is

determined to make it to nationals and

knows how to get there. Every time he

steps on the line, whether to practice or

run, he visualizes the race that will take

him to nationals.”

Being the first to attend college in

his family, Nava knows that quitting will

never be an option. He says he has come

too far to give up on any dreams and has

learned a valuable lesson.

“Something that you really want is

not going to come that easy,” said Nava.

“In order to accomplish it, you have to

work for it as hard as you can.”

RUNNER’S HIGH - Senior long-distance runner Luis Nava had eight top-10 performances during hisjunior campaign. Nava finished second at the Islander Splash Invitational on Friday with a 25:53 time.


By RAMIRO PAEZThe Pan American

When the 2007-2008 UTPA Bronc

basketball season begins at home Nov.

10 against the University of Texas-

Permian Basin, the Broncs will have

several new additions to their roster.

San Antonio native Nathan

Hawkins and Emmanuel Jones from

Washington D.C. have joined the team

and will try to lift the Broncs past their

14-15 record of last year. Their eight-

game improvement was recognized by

the NCAA as the Top Division I regu-

lar season turnaround in the state of

Texas.

Hawkins and Jones both come to

UTPA with successful history. Jones

led Riverside City College to an

Orange Empire Conference

Championship last year and was named

All-OEC first team.

At Moberly Area Community

College, Hawkins averaged 12.0 points

and 5.0 rebounds a game last season.

He is the nephew of NBA Hall of Fame

and former San Antonio standout

George “Iceman” Gervin and his father

played for the Golden State Warriors.

The Broncs were featured on

ESPN.com with analysts stating that

experience and coaching continuity

could be the key ingredients for a win-

ning season.

Documents

October 4, 2007