march 21, 2002
DESCRIPTION
volume 58 number 22TRANSCRIPT
CAMPUS NEWS
THURSDAYMarch 21, 2002
An Inside Look:■ Opinion ........................................2■ News ............................................3■ A & E............................................7■ Sports ........................................16
T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f T e x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n
Page 8Page 8
■ In observance ofNational FarmworkersAwareness Week, theAssociation of MigrantStudents (AMS) will beinvolved in a number ofactivities this week.Booths have been setup in the Student Unionand the cafeteria todistribute informationand talk to interestedstudents. Friday, March22, the Universit y ofTexas-Pan American’sCollege AssistanceMigrant Program(CAMP) will assist 20students at EmiliaSchunior-Ramirez Hallwith the high schoolGED equivalencyprogram.
Page 4
CCaammppuussVOICEHow doestelevisonviewingimpactyoung
people?
Anna Stwora/The Pan American
GODLY TRIBUTE — (top to bottom): Rolly Cruz, Melissa Perez and Kay Ferguson paint religious art-work on canvases Wednesday afternoon on the quad. The canvases are part of a mural that will be dis-played next week in observance of Resurrection Week. The event was sponsored by Chi Alpha, a campusreligious organization.
Throughout the 75- year history of theUniversity of Texas-Pan American, many aspectsof the school have changed. The physical appear-ance, the name and even the location.
However, the biggest change can be seen in theincrease of enrollment, and UTPA administratorshope the trend continues in the years ahead.
UTPA officials began to tap the junior high andhigh school markets a few years back to get stu-dents interested in college at a young age.
Director of Institutional Effectiveness Ted VonEnde said the people in the Valley don’t enroll incollege at the same rate as the rest of the state,and hopes UTPA’s recruitment and outreach serv-ices can encourage more students to attend col-lege.
“If successful in increasing the participationrate of people in the Valley, our target number forstudents in the year 2015 is 26,000,” Von Endesaid. “That is assuming we do whatever to get theparticipation rate up.”
UTPA’s enrollment gradually increased in thepast few years, but saw its biggest hike from Fall2000 to Fall 2001. In 2000, enrollment figuresshow 12,760 students attended UTPA. By 2001,that number had increased 7 percent to 13,640students.
Von Ende said the growth of the Valley in pop-ulation contributed to the increased enrollment ofUTPA, which in return provides more educationalopportunities to people in this region.
“We predict we will break the 14,000-studentmark in Fall 2002 and we predict to keep ongrowing,” Von Ende said. “If we continue toenroll people at the same rate, our enrollment ispredicted to reach 18,000 or more in the next tenyears.”
A big part of UTPA’s effort to attract studentscomes from the office of Outreach andRecruitment Services.
Director Jody Pena said her office does every-thing to market UTPA to high school studentsfrom advertisements and mail-outs to high school
By Eladio JaimezThe Pan American
Long-termplan targetsenrollment
See HISTORY page 6
Pairing required freshmencourses has increased theretention rate of students atthe University of Texas-PanAmerican.
The Learning Community(LC) was originally pilotedin the College of Arts andHumanities in the Fall of1999 by linking English1301 and History 2313.Interested students must firstregister for both classes.This allows the same group
of students to take bothclasses with each other.
Judy Davidson, anEnglish professor currentlyteaching in the LC,explained that students arein the two courses the entireyear with the same students,which allows them theopportunity to feel morecomfortable and get to knowthe other classmates.
“I think the LearningCommunity helps studentswith the transition into col-lege and they begin to bondwith campus friends more
quickly,” Davidson said.Student enrollment has
increased over 40 percentsince the development of theprogram and is continuing toincrease.
“The first semester of theprogram involved 60 stu-dents and currently there are140 students enrolled,” saidErin Whittmeyer, LearningCommunity coordinator.
Whittmeyer explained thatthe two faculty memberswho are teaching the pairedcourses must cooperate
Class pairs boost retentionBy Nikki RamirezThe Pan American
See LINKING page 6
RecreatingCONVENTIONALArt
MR. FAVORITE: TigerWoods looks to be the onlygolfer to ever defend thetitle at The PlayersChampionship this weekendat Sawgrass. Woods comesto the tourney as thefavorite following a quickstar t to the 2002 PGATour season. He’s alsoalready been mentioned asa top contender at theMasters, his next tourna-ment after TPC. Woods hasrolled in his last twoevents, which justifies hisconsideration as a topgolfer in the upcomingtourney. Woods won goingaway at Bayhill last weekand charged his way intosecond at Doral two weeksago. Others to look forinclude: David Duval, PhilMickelson and Ernie Els.
PGA
NFL
RETURNING HOME:Former Denver Bronco’stight end Shannon Sharpesaid he would like to comeback to the Mile High Cit yeven if it means makingless money, according toAssociated Press repor ts.Sharpe, who turns 34 inJune, was one of manysalar y cap casualties of theBaltimore Ravens. Despitea nagging knee injur y thispast year, the 12-year NFLveteran tied for the NFLlead in catches with 73 atthe tight end position. TheBroncos are also interestedin re-signing Sharpe, but inthe end, money will be thedeciding factor.
SPORTS■ Bronc Tennis . . . . . . . . .14
■ Sports Clipboard. . . . . ..15
■ Bronc Baseball . . . . . . .15
PAGE 16
Blake Daniels/The Pan American
HOME SWEET HOME: Former Mission Eagle John Lopez slides safely into home plate while eluding a tag from Kansas pitcher Tom Gorzelanny as teammates MattSisk, right, and Tony Ortiz look on Wednesday afternoon at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The Broncs beat the Jayhawks 7-2 and improved their win streak to fourgames. The Broncs look to improve their streak this weekend with a three-game series against the 14th-ranked Texas Longhorns (20-6) at Disch-Falk Field.
Broncs sweep Kansas
Blake Daniels/The Pan American
NO RUNS FOR YOU: Bronc catcher Matt Eichel embracespitcher Frank James after pitching the team’s first shutout thisseason. The Broncs defeated the Jayhawks 4-0 on Tuesday.
When the University of Texas-PanAmerican Broncs took the field against theKansas Jayhawks of the Big 12Conference Wednesday, it was a case oftwo teams headed in opposite directions.Surging UTPA beat the strugglingJayhawks twice, 4-0 and 7-2, and nowlook forward to a match with in-state rivalUT-Austin next.
The Jayhawks leave the Valley with aseven-game losing streak, while the Broncsride a four-game win streak and are play-ing their best baseball of the season.
“We had a lot of momentum going intothis series,” said head baseball coachReggie Tredaway. “We needed to pick upwhere we left off from the Notre Dameand Texas Christian University wins at TheRound Rock Tournament, and we did thattoday and last night.”
The Broncs have showed maturity and ahigher level of play the past five games,qualities that were absent earlier in the sea-
son. They were 2-15, and are now 6-15after four wins in a row.
“This team has showed maturity andsigns of turning the corner,” Tredawaysaid.
Wednesday’s Kansas game started out asa pitcher’s duel until the Bronc bats caughton fire in the second inning. The Broncsscored three runs in the second and one inthe fourth before finishing the game withthree runs in the last two innings to get thewin.
Catcher Sean Flynn went two-for-threeat the plate and center fielder John Lopez,of Mission, went three for four with threeRBI.
“I have started to put more attention tostaying back in my stance and drivingthrough the ball,” said Lopez.
Justin Bogy gave up one run on four hitsin seven innings of work to take the win.
“Justin started where (Frank) James leftoff last night, throwing strikes and stayingout of three-ball count situations,” saidTredaway.
After one of the worst starts in school history, the Bronc for-tunes seem to be turning around. After defeating nationallyranked Notre Dame and Texas Christian University over SpringBreak, the Broncs came home to host Kansas University.Pitching helped the Broncs past the Jayhawks in both contests.
By Blake DanielsThe Pan American
See BASEBALL page 15
■ The Universit y ofTexas-Pan AmericanFoundation will host itsannual Pan-Am Classicgolf tournament April20 at the Los LagosGolf Club in Edinburg.Events included at thetournament include theBlockbuster MillionDollar Cash Shootoutand a youth golf clinichosted by members ofUTPA’s men’s andwomen’s golf teamsThe clinic is open to allchildren ages 6-13. Anumber of scholarshipoppor tunities forinterested par ties,including Ace, Eagle,Birdie, Par Beer Car tand Hole. Proceedsraised from thetournament go to theGreater Universit yFund, which providesfunding for scholarshipsand special activitiesfor UTPA students.For more information,
contact UTPA at 318-5301.
LOCAL NEWS
UTPA: Vision of SuccessTHIRD IN A CONTINUING SERIES
OPINION l e t t e r s ■ e d i t o r i a l s ■ c a r t o o n s
1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican50th Year – No. 22
EditorMatt Lynch
Layout Designers
Gabriel HernandezCristina ReynaCeleste Y. Tello
Reporters
Blake Daniels
Jaime Garcia Jr.
Mike Gonzalez
Elizabeth Martinez
Linda Martinez
Nikki Ramirez
Belinda Reyes
Cristina ReynaCesar Trevino
Photographers
Anna StworaMary Zuviri
Advertising
Dagoberto Perez
CirculationJesus M. Gonzalez
Advertising CoordinatorJuanita Sanchez
AdviserGreg Selber
the PAN AMERICAN is theofficial studentnewspaper of TheUniversity ofTexas-PanAmerican. Views presentedare those of thewriters and do notnecessarily reflectthose of theuniversity.
The Pan Americangladly acceptsletters fromstudents, staff andfaculty regardingnewspaper contentor current issues.The Pan Americanreserves the rightto edit submissionsfor grammar andlength. Please limitsubmission lengthto 300 words. ThePan Americancannot publishanonymous letters,or submissionscontaining hatespeech orgratuitouspersonal attacks.Letters are printedat the discretion ofthe editor andmust include thewriter’s name,class/title andphone number.
Letters policy
March 212 0 0 2
Readers with dis-abilities mayrequest an alter-native format ofthis publicationat The PanAmerican busi-ness office. For special assis-tance to attendany event listedin this publica-tion, contact thecoordinator of theevent at least oneweek prior to theadvertised date.
Sports EditorEladio Jaimez
Celebrating 50 years
PAGE 2
A & E EditorAshley Brooks
News EditorCristina [email protected]
Copy EditorMelissa
By the numbersMarch 21, 2002 sports Page 15
Broncs finish near bottom inSouth Carolina
AIKEN, SC–The University of Texas-Pan American men’s golf team finished 14th at the 15-team Cleveland Golf Collegiate Championship, hosted by Soutth Carolina-Aiken at thePalmetto Golf Club on Monday.
The Broncs shot a final-round score of 290, good for a 54-hole total of 884. UTPA finishedahead of Tulane by eight strokes.
Virginia Tech won the tournament with a score of 836, followed by South Florida at 851,Texas-Arlington and Kansas at 854, Furman at 855 and Virginia Commonwealth at 857.
Texas tech was next at 859, followed by the host Pacers at 860, Pfeiffer at 866, SoutheasternLouisiana at 873, Florida State and Maryland at 877, and Georgia College and State Universityat 878.
Sophomore Ben Piper led the Broncs, shooting a final-round score of 70 for a 54-hole total ofone-under-par 212, tying him for 13th. Senior Santiago DeLarrea shot a 70 for a total of 218,and tied for 35th.
Freshman John Huerta shot 75 for a total of 225, and is tied for 59th, sophomore RudyCeledon shot 75-229 and tied for 71st, and junior Omar Halldorsson shot 79 for 238, good for78th place.
The Broncs return to South Carolina to participate at the Furman Intercollegiate this weekendin Greenville.
SPORTS CLIPBOARD BASEBALL
BRONC LEADERS
Batting Average
Juan Saenz .545
Adam Farek .417
Matt Eichel .381
Matt Sisk .354
Tony Ortiz .295
Homeruns
Matt Eichel 2
Matt Sisk 2
Jarrad Maddox 1
Sean Flynn 1
Tony Ortiz 1
RBI
Matt Sisk 13
Jarrad Maddox 8
Marr Eichel 7
Tony Ortiz 7
Skip Weast 6
Sean Flynn 5
Hits
Matt Sisk 29
Jerome McCoy 22
Bruce Kennedy 18
Jarrad Maddox 11
Tony Ortiz 13
Runs
Matt Sisk 16
Jerome McCoy 13
Jonathan Mason 9
Bruce Kennedy 10
Sean Flynn 8
TEAM NUMBERS
Batting Average .277
Homeruns 7
RBI 74
Hits 193
Runs 93
GOLF
BRONCS
Cleveland Collegiate
Ben Piper 68-74-70-212, tie for 13th
Santiago DeLarrea 75-73-70-218, tie for 35th
John Huerta 75-75-75-225, tie for 59th
Rudy Celedon 74-80-75-229, tie for 71st
Omar Halldorsson 79-80-79-238, 78th
LADY BRONCS
NIU/Snowbird Intercollegiate Tournament
Crystal Frazier 79-85-164, tie for 47th
Adriana Espinoza 85-79-164, tie for 47th
Christine Treanor 81-85-166, tie for 57th
Itziar Unanue 89-77-166, tie for 57th
Christina Infante 89-102-191, tie for 119th
BASEBALL continued from page 16
“We pitched extremely well today and hit the ballgood,” Tredaway said after Wednesday’s game. “Ifwe stay consistent, we can play with anyone.”
Bronc pitchers seem to have found their groove,especially in Tuesday night’s game.
From the first pitch, the Broncs controlled thingsagainst the Jayhawks and won 4-0. Left-handerJames started the game strongly and recorded theteam’s first shutout of the season.
“This is the best I have pitched all season,” Jamessaid. “I am still pumped and feel that I could goanother nine innings.”
James improved his record to 4-3 and lowered hisERA to 3.69 with 31 strikeouts. He also pitched theBroncs first complete game of the season.
“We all played great and showed that we have thepotential to beat anyone,” James said.
James gave up five hits and fanned nine Jayhawksin nine innings of work. Shortstop Jerome McCoywent three-for-four with three singles, two stolenbases, one RBI and one run. Center fielder JonathanMason went one-for-three with a single and put on ashow, stealing second and third base back to back inthe sixth inning.
“We did what it takes to win tonight,” McCoysaid. “Coach (Tredaway) gives us the green lightwhen we get on base and that makes it possible toget the steals we need to be in scoring position.James was phenomenal tonight. His performanceallowed us to relax and play,” he added.
The Bronc defense has stepped up as well, allow-ing just 11 hits and two runs in the last 18 innings.
“We have learned how to scratch and hit. This hashelped us to be more accurate,” Tredaway said.
The Broncs put their win streak on the line whenthey head to Austin for a three-game series againstthe University of Texas at Disch-Faulk Field. JustinDowd starts the pitching duties for the Broncs onFriday, Travis Parker gets the nod on Saturday andJames closes out the series on Sunday.
“Our freshmen have contributed well, our pitchinghas started to compete and the defense is makingplays,” Tredaway said. “This has allowed us to starta win streak and become confident heading toAustin.”
Building a successful program is along journey.
In most cases, failure comes beforesuccess. The University of Texas-PanAmerican baseball team is loaded withyoung and talented players led bycoach Reggie Tredaway. In his fourthseason the Broncs have struggled andTredaway feels inexperience hasplayed a prime role in his team’srocky start.
“Overall, our record is not verygood, but we’re playing with a com-pletely different team from last year,”Tredaway said. “We’re playing withfourteen freshman and eight seniorpitchers. We’re playing with a lot ofinexperienced men.”
The inconsistent hitting and pitchinghurt the team early this season,according to Tredaway.
“In some of the games past, we’vegotten to three-ball counts,” Tredawaysaid. “We’ve hit a lot of batters.When you do that, we give up a lot ofbig innings and we don’t have the typeof offense to overcome five-or eight-run innings.”
Coming into Tuesday night’s gameagainst the University of Kansas, theBroncs pitching staff had an ERA of8.03, compared to their opponents’average of 3.35. The Broncs had alsogiven up 79 walks in just 19 gamesand have hit 35 batters. Pitcher FrankJames knows his team can improve,but feels improvement starts with con-sistency.
“We just need to be in sync,” Jamessaid. “We’ve got all the talent in theworld, it’s just a matter of doing it
every day. We’ve had real good per-formances, but we’ve also had badones.”
On offense, the Broncs are currentlybatting .275, but have only sevenhomers. Tredaway said driving inruns is the problem, not hitting theball.
“We’re getting a lot of hits, butwe’re not scoring runs,” Tredawaysaid.
Tredaway feels the Broncs canincrease run production by not onlygetting hits with two outs, but hitswith none out as well.
“What’s happening is that we’re get-ting a lot of two-out hits, so we needto improve [hitting] with no outs,”Tredaway said.
One player that has stepped up forthe Broncs is third baseman Matt Sisk.He leads the team in all categories,including at batting average with a.373 tilt. Sisk has two homers, 12RBI and a .583 slugging percentage.Sisk is confident his teammates pro-ductivity will increase before the endof the season.
“Some of those guys have neverseen Division I baseball, but now thatthey’ve seen it, they can make theadjustments,” Sisk said.
OVER THE BREAKThe Broncs ended the Round Rock
Classic by defeating the 24th rankedFighting Irish of Notre Dame, 6-5.James gave a solid performance forthe Broncs despite a Notre Damethree-run rally in the ninth.
“It’s a pretty nice win,” James said.“The best part about it is we know wecan do it. It’s just a matter of takingcare of business. If we do that, we’rejust as good as anybody.”
The fireworks began in the thirdinning when left fielder BruceKennedy doubled to right field drivingin Mission native John Lopez. Secondbaseman Chris Jones had two hits anddrove in Marco Garza, also fromMission, in the Broncs’ three-run sixthinning that put the Irish away.Tredaway said the victory was a confi-dence boost for his team.
“Any time you beat a top team,especially as young as we are, it’s gotto be a lift for your team,” Tredawaysaid. “It’s a team sport, and we allwon the game.”
Prior to the victory over NotreDame, the Broncs leaped over TexasChristian University, 5-4 in the secondgame of the tournament. Pitchingmade the difference for UTPA aspitcher Travis Parker and Justin Bogycombined to give up only four hits.
UTPA lost its first game of the tour-nament to a tough Southwest TexasState team March 8. RighthanderJustin Dowd allowed four runs in thethird and three in the fifth off 11 hitsas the Bobcats mauled the Broncs, 7-1.
“Justin pitched pretty well, but wejust didn’t get enough runs,” Tredawaysaid.
Although the Broncs managed to get10 hits, they left six runners stranded.The lone run came in the third inningwhen a one out-single by Kennedydrove in Sean Flynn.
Even though the Broncs have a los-ing record, Tredaway sees improve-ment and is optimistic his young play-ers will keep playing hard and contin-ue the tradition at UTPA.
“The guys are playing with a lotmore confidence now,” Tredaway said.
Broncs dealing with growing painsBy Mike GonzalezThe Pan American
Television: The great voidThis perfectly innocent 3-year-old sat at
the edge of his seat, clutching his mother’sarm, eyes wide in facination. He stared inawe at the almighty screen that stoodbefore him.
I couldn’t help but watch him. It’s just amovie, I thought. But to him, this was justthe beginning. He had no idea what he wasabout to be exposed to during that two-hour time span. He sat unconsciouslymezmerized by that impressionable entity.It was his way in, I decided.
Television.That bizarre glowing box offers a multi-
tude of uses. And yet, I find it perfectlypleasant at times to stare blankly at a tran-quil grey screen devoid of the usual clutter.
Perhaps more can be understood duringthis simple act of quiet contemplation thanfrom scores of 30-minute reality shows, intheir desperate attempts to convince view-ers of the common bonds they share withcharacters from the Real World, Survivor,or Big Brother.
Such series represent the current
demands of this pop culture generation. These shows continue to pursue topics
that offer little cognitive advancement anda continued promotion of materialism.
Programming has become an inevitablerace to see who will be next to wave thetriumphant flag affirming yet another self-titled talk show.
Brimming with senseless dating showsand contests, television not only providesvaluable relationship advice for the forlornthrough shows like The 5th Wheel,Elimidate, Dismissed, and Blind Date, butcareer resuscitation for idle stars desperateenough to participate in stunts likeCelebrity Boxing or Fear Factor.
It’s not enough to watch such programs
once anymore, however. We now have theopportunity to purchase rare footage of thetalented public as they participate inmoronic acts of self-infliction such as inthe obnoxious Jackass videos or thedrunken, bare-all Girls Gone Wild series,hence the titles.
Is that what junior has to look forwardto? Will he, too, want to stay up late towatch Howard Stern in all his repugnantglory?
I wondered what he would take from hisexposure as he embarked upon this jour-ney through junkfood television.
Will he be more accepting of peopleafter having watched as television contin-ues to push homosexual subject matter tothe forefront of society?
I pondered that little boy’s future as heabsorbed every sight and sound of thatdestructive, pseudo baby-sitter we affec-tionately call the tube.
Maybe it should be sold with a warninglabel.
Caution: May cause regression.
CRISTINAREYNA
Reader ‘totally missed the point’ of Denim Day
Purpose of posters was to send positive messageThe purpose of the “Wear
jeans if you are gay onThursday” posters the weekbefore Spring Break was tomake a statement that one can-not judge a book by its cover,not to have any negativeremarks about the fliers. Ourgroup goal was to educate peo-ple that what counts is on theinside, not on the outside.Surely many were confused bythe fliers that were posted upthis past week. Judging an indi-vidual based on their clothingand on the pretense that a per-son is gay, is irrelevant to thecharacterization of the individ-ual.
To those that were clearlyupset by this and tore down thesigns, no harm was intended.Once again, those actions showa mere misunderstanding ofwhat is really behind the pic-ture. It is not an agenda we aretrying to enforce, we are justgiving a point of view. If wedid pick certain attire that ourorganization would wear, thepurpose of our statement wouldbe irrelevant. I would like tostate as well that individualswho posted the fliers are notaffiliated with GLOBAL andshould not be harassed.
The comparison of “if youare a Nazi, wear a T-Shirt,” is
completely undermining thepurpose of “Stop the hate”week. The comparison of Nazisto our organizations is beyondludicrous as you look into thepast, Nazis persecuted all thatwere not on their agenda, notonly the Jews. Communists,Homosexuals as well as othercultures were not accepted bythe Nazi regime. We pickedjeans as the article of clothingbecause the majority of the stu-dents at Pan-Am wear jeans.One cannot tell the differencebetween homosexuals and nonhomosexuals, therefore onecannot judge based on the exte-rior. One cannot and must not
judge according to what is seenrather than what is not seen.
The sole purpose for theposters was to send the mes-sage that we are all the sameon the inside, regardless of ourbackground and we cannotpass judgment on the exteriorwithout learning about who aperson is on the interior. I,Nyssa Cruz, president ofGLOBAL, thank the StudentOrganization DevelopmentCommittee for commending uson the work we have done hereon campus.
Nyssa Michelle CruzPresident of GLOBAL
TO THE EDITOR
I cannot believe that students at this uni-versity are not able to recognize bigotry,racism or irony.
The letter to the editor printed on March7 has totally missed the point. This campusis full of young people and for most, everyday is Jean Day.
I think what GLOBAL was trying to doby suggesting that everyone who is gay
wear jeans is that by wearing such a com-mon article of clothing this would showthat you just don’t know who is gay.
Mr. Cook’s example of a Nazi group thatwould pick a “T-Shirt Day” is ridiculous.This is one group that would look to dis-tinguish itself form others and call atten-tion to the cause.
I think GLOBAL was not out to promote
their group, they were promoting aware-ness, something that apparently has failedhere. Mr. Cook’s reaction to this simple,idealistic and I think funny concept ishomophobic, which I hope was not hisintention.
Debbie McMillinAdmissions and Records
PAGE 3■ Campus Voice . . . . . 4
■ VAMOS . . . . . . . . . 5
■ Campus Life . . . . . . 12NEWS
In 1999, The University of Texas-Pan American decided it needed tovisually enhance the main entranceof the campus through the construc-tion of a Visitors Center.
Employees of the Visitors Centerwill greet guests and provide infor-mation to prospective students.
The 7,200-square-foot VisitorsCenter will house a lobby, videoroom, a community meeting room,the Student Outreach andRecruitment department of theDivision of Enrollment and StudentServices and 2,500 square feet ofexhibit space to display student andalumni works and achievements.
The parking and paving work atthe center is scheduled to be com-pleted in about a month, and land-scaping will begin shortly thereafter.The new Visitors Center will cost$3.2 million and is designed to bethe first point of contact for visitorsto the campus, as well as potentialstudents.
In addition to the construction ofthe center, UTPA plans to add aunique art piece to grace the entranceand to represent the university.
James R. Langabeer, UTPA vicepresident, asked Physical PlantDirector Marvin Boland to findartists who could produce a bronzerepresentation of the school’s mas-cot, the Bronc.
After an exhaustive search, NewMexico artist Veryl Goodnight wasselected to construct the sculpture.Goodnight has worked with sculpturefor 25 years and is internationallyrecognized for her work.
“She is very well known for herwork on horses,” said Carol Rausch-Braden, assistant to the president.
One of Goodnight’s most promi-nent works, “The Day the Wall CameDown,” is located both in Berlin,Germany and at the George BushPresidential Library at Texas A&MUniversity. “The Day the Wall CameDown” serves as a monument depict-ing the collapse of the Berlin Wall in1989 and the eventual reunificationof East and West Germany.
According to Rausch-Braden,Goodnight worked with a live horsein an effort to capture the best posefor the University’s statue. Rausch-
Braden went on to say that she useslive models for all pieces that includeliving subjects.
In an effort to capture the realessence of a bronc, Goodnight select-ed a live mustang stallion namedTarkio as a model. She took videoand photos of Tarkio, which havebeen preserved in the Universitylibrary archives. After watching hisvideos and several others, Goodnightused the steed’s dimensions to createthe pose for the UTPA statue.
In addition to studying live mod-els, she also researched the history ofbroncs and the Valley.
“She [Goodnight] learned that thisarea that we live in was known as the‘Wild Horse Desert,’ and it wasknown for that because of the manywild horses that lived in and roamedthe area,” Rausch-Braden said.
Rausch-Braden explained that thebronc represented the blending andassimilation of cultures in SouthTexas. The horse was originallyintroduced to the region in the 14thcentury by the Spanish conquista-dors. Prior to Spanish exploration,horses were not found on the NorthAmerican continent. As the Spanishconquistadors changed the face andcultural history of our country, so didthe “mustang,” or bronc.
“For this reason it is felt that thebronze sculpture would nobly andhonorably represent the spirit andstrength, the independence and perse-verance and the ability to affectchange that UTPA represents to peo-ple of South Texas and the RioGrande Valley,” Rausch-Braden said.
Goodnight first created a smallclay version of the statue forapproval at the university. Once itwas complete, Goodnight made asculpture one-twelfth the size of theproposed actual sculpture. Followingapproval by UTPA officials, thismodel was sent to Disney’s DigitalLabs for enlargement.
According to Rausch-Braden, theclay/wax sculpture has already beencompleted and is awaiting bronzecasting, which will take place in thenext couple of week’s. Followingthe casting process of about 12weeks, the statue will undergo a finalfinishing process. UTPA officialshope the sculpture will be ready inAugust, just in time for the openingof the new Visitors Center, Sept. 1.
Mascot statue gracesnew Visitors Center
The University of Texas-Pan AmericanCollege of Business Administration ishome to the Center for Tourism Research.
Under the direction of Vern Vincent, pro-fessor of quantitative methods and directorof the Tourism Center, the Center conductsstudies examining the Valley’s tourismneeds and attempts to provide applied reso-lution for these requirements. Using a con-glomeration of professors and students, theorganization collects data, processes it, andcalculates statistical numbers to be usedfor studying the Valley’s tourism situation.
The Center for Tourism Research Webpage states that the center “addressessocial, cultural, environmental, and eco-nomic issues related to the tourism indus-try locally, regionally, and nationally.”Vincent stated that Center results havebeen noted in periodicals such as The WallStreet Journal, Dallas Morning News,Houston Chronicle, and The Monitor inMcAllen.
Research is sponsored and funded in partby, The Texas Recreational VehicleAssociation (TRVA) and works with thestate’s Texas Economic Division. TheCenter conducts other surveys at therequest of a wide array of organizationsand individuals.
“Currently, the center is conducting astudy pertaining to assessing the effective-ness of education in colonias,” saidVincent. “Previously, we (the Center) con-ducted and published a study on lawsuitabuse in the Valley.”
Although the Center probes a plethora ofissues, its main focus is American wintervisitors and Mexican nationals, since thesetwo groups displayed the highest represen-tation “Visitors to the Valley” scale. Thirtyfour percent of yearly visitors are WinterTexans, and 40 percent are Mexicannationals, according to the Rio GrandeValley Winter Visitor Study.
The Center and its faculty have beenresearching winter visitations for over 25years, according to the Web page. TheCollege of Business staff and facultywould be overwhelmed and inundated withresearch requests if attempting to conductthese studies alone. Therefore, the Centerhas decided to promote the use of studentsfrom the field to aid in the research. The
tasks are divided and assigned through ahierarchical scale whereby undergraduatescollect data, graduate students composedata files, and the Ph.D. students gatherthe data and produce the journals whichthe Center publishes.
Every two years, during early spring, theCenter dispatches undergraduate studentsto shopping malls located throughout theValley. This process is what the centercalls “mall-intercept surveys.” Studentsstand at the entrances armed with detailedsurvey handouts that they distribute totourists as they walk in. These forms aredivided into four categories, each appropri-ate to the particular “tourist.”
Andres Rivas-Chavez, a doctoral studentwho also teaches economics, took part inthe most recent study and explained thefour types of surveys groups. There arelocal residents, tourists (non-winter orMexican), Winter Texans, and Mexicannationals, according to Rivas-Chavez.
The data, after collected in surveys, isthen processed via computer by graduatestudents. The analyzed information is thengraphed and used as applied (detailed)research material for the finished journals.This finished work is ultimately utilized indetermining what Rivas-Chavez calls, “thethree impacts.” The three impacts are usedto define what impact each tourist grouphas on the local economy. They are DirectImpact, Indirect Impact and Economic(induced) Impact. Eventually, throughproper application of the refined journal,the Center produces information that high-lights the economic impacts and the needsof tourists.
Vincent said that students used in thesestudies do so either voluntarily or, as isseen in upper level classes, as an assignedduty. The Web page states that, “the Centeris committed to providing an opportunityfor students to learn applied researchmethodologies and to become involved inthe research activities of the Center.” Inall, 123 students participated in the lastresearch project, 14 under the supervisionof Vincent, including Rivas-Chavez.
“All students participate in the researchcenter to train in the field,” Vincent said.When asked what he thought of the experi-ence, Rivas-Chavez said, “It was a won-derful experience. It was a great opportuni-ty to learn more about what is going on inthe Valley.
Students conductstudies on tourism By Melissa Ciomperlik
The Pan American
By Jaime Garcia Jr.The Pan American
REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES& ADOPTION AFFILIATES
SINCE 1973
WE UNDERSTAND... WE CARE... AND WE HELP
LICENSED BY THE TEXAS DEPT. OF HEALTH #009PROVIDING SURGICAL AND MEDICAL ABORTIONS
WITH THE COMFORT OF IV SEDATION, EMERGENCYCONTRACEPTION, SONOGRAMS, BIRTH CONTROL
SERVICES AND FREE PREGNANCY TESTING.ADOPTION SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE
1-800-270-6757613 SESAME DRIVE WEST HARLINGEN, TEXAS 785501-800-575-8604 MEX. 001-800-010-1287
www.reproductiveservices.com
March 21, 2002 sports Page 14
Travel may be fun for most people,but the road has been rocky this seasonfor the University of Texas-PanAmerican men’s and women’s tennisteams.
“We’ve been on the road for a longtime,” said head tennis coach ToddChapman.
With over half the season completed,the Broncs have struggled through a 6-5start and have yet to play a match infront of a home crowd.
The Lady Broncs have played justtwo matches in Edinburg, picking upone of their two wins of the season bytrouncing Lamar March 1.
But both teams have the opportunityto turn the tables on their opponentsthis weekend during rare home contests.The Broncs begin a weekend of tennisactivity against St. Mary’s (TX) Fridayat 5 p.m.
“I’m excited for the players,”Chapman said. “It’s their family andfriends that get to come out and watchthem play.”
Chapman went on to say that St.Mary’s may give his team a challenge.
“St. Mary’s is a solid team,” he said.“The match could go either way.”
In their most recent action March 16,the Broncs upended St. Mary’s (CA) 5-1 on the last leg of a California roadtrip.
Despite the seemingly lopsided score,the match was closer than the score leton, with four of the six singles matchesgoing three sets.
“Any time you have four three-setmatches, you know it’s going to be aclose match,” Chapman said. “As acoach, you know it can go either way.We played with a lot of heart.”
UTPA picked up wins in all spotsexcept no. 2 singles, where FrankSchmitt defeated sophomore TomMangleschots 6-7 (7-5), 6-1, 6-2.
Junior Matt Gower earned a straightset victory for the Broncs at no. 1 sin-gles, pounding Thomas Burgemeister 6-4, 6-1.
At no. 3 singles, freshman FilipKoziell defeated Arturo Planell 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
After dropping the first set 3-6, fel-low Canadian freshman Jeremy Salvocame from behind to soundly beat J.J.Whitlinger in three sets 6-0, 6-1.
Senior Kareem Abdullah and juniorNeil Barraclough earned wins for UTPA
at fifth and sixth singles, with Abdullahbeating Philip Laubscher 4-6, 6-3, 7-5,and Barraclough trouncing Josh Farley6-0, 6-1.
The Broncs head into Friday’s contestthe winners of three of their last fourmatches, but Chapman feels his teammust continue to improve.
“We just have to work on our confi-dence,” Chapman said. “We need toplay hard every time and leave every-thing we have out on the court.”
WOMENWhile the Broncs have won three out
of four, the Lady Broncs have struggledthroughout the season, winning just twoout of 10 matches and losing twostraight.
According to Chapman, the youth ofhis team has hurt UTPA in critical situ-ations. Of their 10 losses this season,the Lady Broncs lost five of them by a4-3 score.
“I think it’s confidence,” Chapmansaid. “All it’s going to take is for us towin one of those and then we’ll see thatwe can win the close matches.”
Despite its difficulties this season,Chapman is confident his team can fin-ish the season strong. “We’ve been inevery match we’ve played,” he said.“We’re going to have a lot of close
matches.”The Lady Broncs have an opportunity
to halt their two-game losing skidSaturday when they host St. Mary’s(TX) at 9 a.m. and Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 2 p.m.
“It’s exciting that we have a teamcoming a long way to play us,”Chapman said. “St. Mary’s is a solidprogram. Win or lose, the matches aregoing to be close.”
In their most recent action, the LadyBroncs dropped a 4-3 contest to SanJose State March 12.
San Jose State earned the doublespoint, winning two out of the threematches.
UTPA’s lone win came at numberthree doubles, where the duo of fresh-men Kathryn Waslen and Ana Penadefeated Emily Kuo and Whitney Vasu8-0.
The Lady Broncs picked up points atthe no. 1, no. 5 and no. 6 positions.Sophomore Celine Merlini earned aLady Bronc victory in the no. 1 singlesslot, beating Ana Lukner 6-2, 7-6 (9-7).
Pena picked up her second win of thematch at no. 5 singles, blanking Kuo 6-0, 6-0, while sophomore Jessica Brownout-fought Vasu at no. 6 singles, record-ing a 6-7 (7-3), 6-1, 7-5 victory.
By Matt LynchThe Pan American
Netters looking forward to playing at homeBroncs hope to relieve stress from playing on theroad with their first match of the season at UTPA
Chapman anticipates third home match of the season will turn things around for Lady Broncs
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 4
– Anna Stwora
Robert IvarraEngineeringFreshman
I think television influences youngpeople in their behavior and fashion.
Robert GilchristMechanical EngineeringJunior
If young people are able to under-stand advertising maybe they couldbe influenced.
Marcelo RoitbergGraduate Student MBA
I think it depends on the personbecause someone who watches TV allday would be affected differently froman individual who watches televisiononly sparingly. In general, I think peo-ple watch more TV than necessary.
How does televisionviewing impact young
people?
Nadia GallegosComputer ScienceJunior
It can have both a good or badimpact because sometimes it tellsyou what is out there. Although,sometimes television networks tendto focus too much on one area andignore other issues.
VOICECCaammppuuss
Jason RodriguezChemistryJunior
Television can have a good or bad impacton young people, parents must be carefulwhat they allow them to watch.
The University of Texas Pan-AmericanStudent Government Association
What is SGA?SGA strives to create a cohesive, unifies voice for UTPA students. We are spokesmen for our constituents, bringing their concerns and ideas to light, and giving them a chance to
be heard by administrators. We feel the pulse of this institution, and push for the projects students want.Students are, quite obviously, the most important part of any university. Sometimes that simple truth is obscured by the enormous amount of machinery required to keep this insti-
tution running. If you have ever been caught in its grinding gears of bureaucracy, you know exactly what we mean. Student rights get trampled, and students are left with the feelingthat there is nothing they can do about it. Your instructor makes you buy tickets and t-shirts to support a university performance group. Your economics professor starts the semesterproclaiming, “No one in the class is getting an A, no matter what.” After waiting twenty minutes in line, the people of Payments and Collections send you to Admissions, who prompt-ly send you back to Payments and Collections; you can’t shake the people at P&C because they’re behind that thick glass. You feel impotent, powerless, and frustrated.
SGA will fight for you. E-mail us anytime ([email protected], or come by our senator’s office hours (see bellow). Anytime you feel mistreated, or someone cuts corners, youare the victim. This university exists because of you. This university exists for you. When your needs are viewed as secondary considerations, you are being short-changed.
How Does SGA work?The Senate is the legislative branch of SGA, and is composed of senators from every undergraduate college, as well as two representatives from the graduate population. The num-
ber of seats for each college varies depending on the size of that college. Senators bring up issues relevant primarily to the students of their respective colleges, although anything relat-ed to the university is open for discussion. Four Senators-at-large represent students who are not part of any college.
The Executive branch is made up of a President and vice-president, who are usually the contact points between SGA and the Administrators. They also generate a substantial partof the legislation brought before the Senate.
Senator Representatives are assigned to be specific Senators, and Executive Aides assist the President and Vice-president. SGA is effective because we know who to talk to, and because we fight as a group, rather than as individual students. We have the power of numbers and experience, guarantee-
ing our voice—your voice—will be heard.
Current Projects:Something that we find shocking is the relative obscurity of our organization. No one knows what SGA does, even though the fruits of our labor are apparent for all to see. This
is a brief listing of some of our recent projects, and what they mean to students.˙When parking permit prices were scheduled to increase before the Fall 2001 semester, SGA met with parking officials and sent them a clear message: “Students will not pay morefor parking unless we have more parking.” The hike was tabled, and they rethought their strategy. Another increase has been proposed, but this time it is coming with the con-struction of several new lots.˙ After an incident where one of our female students was accosted after dark, SGA conducted a night walk around campus. We photographed lights which were out of order, high-lighted danger zones, and noted the presence (and absences) of police staff. We have met with the police chief and forwarded our recommendations to him.˙SGA has been integral to securing a Student Daycare. This facility will make it possible for students to leave their children on campus while they go to class, helping them jugglefamily and education. Part of the struggle in getting their project approved was proving to administration that there was significant student need matched by demand. SGA’s sup-port of this project reflected that demand; we also helped conduct campus wide polls to generate reliable data.˙Adpot-an-Angel is our holiday event, which allows students with a financial need to register their children to receive free Christmas gifts. SGA secures money from the universitycommunity and private donors to buy gifts and stage a banquet where Santa presents the children their gifts.˙SGA is represented on the Student Affairs Advisory Committee (SAAC), which determines the allocation of your student service fees. Rather than leave the decision on how tospend your money up to administrators alone, SAAC solicits input from a members selected from different parts of the university. The student perspective is provided, in part, bySGA members. Bear in mind, though, that the committee can be overruled by the administration. Keep your eyes peeled for the SAAC recommendations in a future issue of ThePan American.˙The upcoming “Stop the Hate” events are sponsored by SGA. We hope to engender tolerance by showing students the ugly truth about discrimination.
What we decide to pursue is determined by what students want. No need is too small for the SGA We might not be the people who ultimately meet that need, but we can get theball rolling o point you in the right direction. We are the friendly faces in an often-faceless institution, a place to start when you have a problem that demands attention.
How can I contact my Senator?Senators are obligated to host “Senator’s Forums” within their colleges, which allow students an opportunity to raise concerns, voice opinions, and ask questions. The times for
these forums should be clearly posted around each college. Senators-at-large also conduct outreaches for students not belonging to any college. Furthermore, special groups on campus(i.e. dorm residents) will be invited to forums held by SGA committees.
We encourage, cajole, and beg for you to write us at our Email: [email protected]. This is the best way to get n touch with us quickly and painlessly. We also love to meet ourconstituents face-to-face. Senators’office hours, as well as office hours for our President and Vice-President, can be found at the bottom of this page. We are located in room 322 of theUniversity Center, and can be reached by phone at (956) 381-2517.
Join SGA!There are still vacancies for Senators in a number of colleges, and a nearly unlimited number of positions available for Senator Representatives and Executive Aides. Joining SGA
is the best way to get involved on campus, to meet people and make new friends. SGA is a tight knit organization. We genuinely like each other, and often hang out socially.If you are thinking of an education after UTPA, being part of this team can help you reach that goal. The leadership skills, communicative ability, and critical thinking required of
a student leader are the exact qualities graduate schools look for in their applicants. Serious employers look for these same qualities.Any way you slice it, you will benefit from being apart of SGA.
Office Hours (Rm. 322, UC)President: Ezequiel Moya, Jr. Vice President: Vito ChavanaTuesday and Friday, 1-5pm; 10am-1pm Tuesday, 10am-1pm; Friday, 1-5pm
Senators-at-large (1 vacancy)Matthew Garcia, Monday, 12-2 pm
Alyssa Marie Munoz, Wednesday, 10:45-11:45 amJessica Ann Garcia, Wednesday, 10:45-11:45 am
Senators for the College of Science and Engineering (no vacancies)Gonzalo Perez-Garcia, Friday, 9:30-10:30 am
Devin B. Lacey, Thursday, 3-4 pmLucy Garcia, Tuesday, 2:35-3:50 pm
Senators for the College of Arts and Humanities (1 vacancy)Melaney Cortez
Tuesday, 12-1 pm
Senators for the College of Social and Behavioral Science (1 vacancy)Raul Mendoza, Wednesday, 10-11 am
Lea Lopez, Thursday, 12-1 pm
Senators for the College of Health and Human Services (2 vacancies)Senators for the College of Business Administration (2 vacancies)
Graduate Senators (2 vacancies)
Senator Representatives: Executive Aides:Jose Andrade Ivan BarrajasChrista Unsinn Terrence RyanKarina TrevinoAngela Canales
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 13
CAMPUS LIFEPAGE 12
■ W h a t s t u d e n t s a r e d o i n g a t U T P A
It’s late at night and a student’s carwon’t start. Instead of panicking orbeing stranded, the student makes aquick phone call. Soon, a campuspolice officer arrives on the scene andoffers a jump-start, and the problem issolved.
Jump-starts are only part of theservices offered by the University ofTexas-Pan American police depart-ment, which functions according to thepolicies mandated by the 14-schoolUniversity of Texas system.
The police department is responsiblefor following the duties and proce-dures that are listed in the handbookof police policies. But there are morethan just rules in that book, which alsodetails what helpful jobs officers arecharged with performing, includingunlocking cars for absent-minded stu-dents, staff, or faculty. But the bulk ofthe handbook regards daily job duties.
“These standard operating proce-dures set the manner in which mem-bers of the UPD conducts themselves
in the performance of their duties,”said UTPA Sgt. James Loya.
According to Loya, basic informa-tion on the duties and responsibilitiesof the University Police Departmentcan be found on the web site. Not onlydoes the department offer servicessuch as police escorts, locksmiths, andjump-starts, but it also informs andeducates the university/local commu-nity in regard to crime and drugawareness.
The UPD reports annual crime sta-tistics to the U.S. Department ofEducation, according to Loya. Blueemergency phones across campus,plus the Crime Stoppers campaign,have made it easier for students toreport violence on campus. Anattempted assault of a UTPA studentlast October was solved by campuspolice recently, with an assist from theEdinburg Police Department. Campusvigilance and creative police workcontributed to the arrest of a suspect.
“The inner campus is patrolled bybike patrol officers,” Loya said.
In addition to working to preventauto theft on campus, the department
conducts what it calls “high visibilitypatrols.”
“We’ve increased unmarked policepatrols, which have been successful inthe past,” Loya said. “ We also workin conjunction with the Auto TheftTask Force.”
The university police also workclosely with University CounselingServices and Student Housing to findpolicy violators and to help studentswho run afoul of drugs and alcohol.
“When UPD comes in contact witha student with an addiction, he or sheis made aware of the services avail-able to them at the university,” Loyaexplained.
According to the department Webpage, the university will impose aminimum disciplinary penalty of sus-pension for conduct related to the use,possession, or distribution of drugsthat are prohibited by state, federal, orlocal law.
The department encourages the uni-versity community to report any andall suspicious activity to theUniversity Police Department at 316-7151.
Campus police duties varyBy Nikki RamirezThe Pan American
Anthropologist Alessandra M. Lemospresented her field work on the indige-nous Macuxi Indian tribe from Roraima,Brazil, Tuesday, March 19, at theCollege of Social and BehavioralSciences.
Lemos, whose lecture was presentedby the anthropology club, has beenworking with the tribe since the early1990s, since she graduated with a bache-lor’s degree in psychology and went onto work at Roraima University. Sheearned a scholarship to attend theUniversity of Florida at Gainesvillewhere she completed her master’sdegree in anthropology.
Lemos’ fieldwork and thesis were onthe Macuxi tribe and their assimilationinto Western culture despite a strugglefor control of their ancestral land. Thepopulation of the Macuxi tribe is 12,000and they live in an area of Brazil whichborders Venezuela and Guyana.
Their native language is called Carib,and most Macuxi are bilingual, speakingboth
Carib as well as Portuguese, Lemossaid. The Macuxi practice horticulture,fishing and hunting small game. Their
main production is the manioc, a nativevegetable that produces beer, the tribe’smain source of liquid intake until recent-ly.
During Lemos’ lecture, she showed a1998 documentary on the tribe, displayintheir history and fight for their originalterritory symbolized by the “Day ofCommitment,” which took place April26,1977. This date is recognized as thedate when the Macuxi formally stoodagainst the Brazilian government in aprotest for their land.
“The film shows a big meeting thatthe Macuxi had on April 26 of 1997, cel-ebrating the 20 years of their ‘Day ofCommitment,’ or the day that theydecided to give up drinking alcohol,”Lemos said. “They felt that this [alco-hol] was destroying their people, muchmore than the invaders and colonizers.”
The documentary showed the Macuxitribe discussing the reasons why theygave up alcohol. They believed thatalcohol made them weak and vulnerable,which led to the loss of the majority oftheir ancestral land to the Portuguesecrown in the early 1700s.
The meeting took place in Roraima’scapitol city, Boa Vista, in the Maturucavillage.
As a result of their “Day of
Commitment,” the tribe began organiz-ing councils to represent them in theirstruggle. The Roraima IndigenousCouncil, (CIR) represents the Macuxitribe, along with other indigenousgroups such as the Yanomami tribe.
“The area where the tribe lives is in areservation that is not recognized orestablished by the federal government,”Lemos said. “All [recognized] Indianlands are owned by the federal govern-ment.”
The Macuxi have been struggling tohave their land recognized as their ownby the Brazilian government, but havebeen waiting in vain for PresidentFernando Enrique Cardoso’s signaturefor the land recognition, Lemos added.
The anthropology club hosts a numberof different anthropology speakers everysemester, according to Roel Quiros, aUTPA senior majoring in anthropologyand president of the Anthropology Club.
“A lot of people don’t really knowabout the the Macuxi tribe. It was inter-esting to hear about her [Lemos] ethno-graphic fieldwork on the tribe,” Quirossaid. “It is important for people to knowabout the various cultures that exist.”
Lemos said she plans to work on herPh.D. in anthropology and continue herwork with the Macuxi.
Anthropologist discusses findingsabout Brazilian tribe’s struggles By Belinda ReyesThe Pan American
For two friends living as minorities within aminority population, the formation of the Asian-American Association (AAA) seemed to be theright way to create unity in diversity.
Wanting to know more about their Philippinoculture, President Claire Rizalado and VicePresident Melissa Tan started the AAA this semes-ter, a club which includes students with Indian,Chinese and Middle Eastern backgrounds.
“We’re using our heritage to share ourselvesand at the same time learn about other people,”Rizalado said. “If the members have a special tal-ent that they want to show off, or they want toexpress themselves, then this organization is atool.”
After the Twin Towers tragedy Sept. 11, theassociation will indeed work as an educationaldevice. With the rise of student interest in MiddleEastern and Islamic studies on campuses acrossthe nation, AAA gives students the opportunity toexperience lifestyles from countries halfwayacross the globe.
“We’re trying to teach everybody what our cul-ture is about and also have pride in what we are,”said Amisha Bhakta, AAA social coordinator.
While the Student Union offers sandwiches,barbeque and frozen yogurt, the AAA seized thechance to incorporate cultural uniqueness by sell-ing egg rolls, General Tsao’s Chicken, rice and LoMein in a fundraiser last week.
In addition to savoring traditional Chinese cui-sine, students and faculty got a taste of foreign lit-erary work while members of The Communityread poetry from different Asian and Asian-American writers.
“We embrace a lot of different kinds of arts, alot of different kinds of people—that’s alright withus,” said Dan Vaughn, president of TheCommunity. “In fact, that’s where we believe ourstrength is in, in the diversity of our members.That’s why it’s important for us to work with agroup like the Asian-American Associationbecause diversity is where our strength is in.”
With 35 members, the club, whose office is onthe second floor of the University Center, alreadyhas plans to hold a talent and culture show thissemester, and members hope to invite guestspeakers to the university for a conference. Inaddition, they are working on Asian-AmericanWeek, an event which will feature several differ-ent issues every day of the week from differentAsian countries.
“We want to tell other students and teach themabout our culture,” said Priya Govind, AAA mem-ber. “Right now we have around thirty or fortymembers. There is a ten-dollar membership, and itis open to everybody, you don’t have to be Asianto be in the club.”
Club offersglimpses ofAsian life
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 5
Due to the upcomingEaster holiday and thestaff’s trip to a state compe-tition, The Pan American willnot appear on March 28.
However, we will be backto deliver more hard-hittingnews on April 4.
VAMOS gives monetary aid to studentsOrganization offers opportunity for financial assistance throughout college
Matt Lynch / The Pan American
Fidel Rosales (left) and Marisol Torres perform It Rains at Acoustic Night Wednesdayevening in the Student Union Theatre. Rosales took third place in the competition. Theevent was sponsored by the University Program Board and featured 10 student artists.First place went to Jimmy Villanueva, who was awarded an Ibanez acoustic guitar for hisperformance of One Thing. Jaime Garcia Jr. took second place with Moths in my Shower.
UNPLUGGED
* The fall 2002 class schedule is missing a page of biology listings. The Webversion is correct and includes the missing information on page 38. A copy canbe downloaded on the Web site at: http://www.panam.edu/schedulesThe missing information will be included in the published addendum which isscheduled to be out on May 2.
* Mandatory academic advisement began March 18 and ASSIST registration forsummer and fall begins March 25. * The deadline for submitting applications for student government elections isMarch 21 by 4 p.m. They are available at UC 205. The elections have been scheduled for April 2-3
Roger Solis, a senior at University ofTexas- Pan American is taking 30 hoursthis semester in order to graduate in May,thanks to the Valley Alliance of Mentorsfor Opportunities and Scholarships, or(VAMOS) program.
Solis, a double-major in mathematicsand sociology said that the program hasenabled him to attend college and it wouldhave been hard to continue school withoutit.
“Sometimes when students have to work,they get distracted from doing schoolwork,” Solis said. “They [VAMOS] reallyextend their hands and help you pay forschool.The program is really amazing.”
The VAMOS scholarship program offers
a four-year scholarship to entering fresh-men who are Hispanic and live in HidalgoCounty. The program was founded in1996 by a group of 62 businesses, includ-ing Cantu Construction. The first awardswere given out in 1997.
“We had our first class of VAMOSscholars graduate in May 2001 and inDecember 2001,” said Yvonne Guajardo,executive director of VAMOS. “We arelooking to see our second class graduatethis May.”
The goal of the VAMOS program is toestablish financial support for the recipi-ents by renewing the scholarship everyyear throughout the four years in college.
Fundraisers and donations help keep theprogram alive. The recipients are expectedto maintain a 2.75 GPA and work with des-ignated professional mentors, Guajardo
said. “We intensified the program this year
and established a formal mentoring pro-gram,” Guajardo said. “Before it wasinformal where we expected the profes-sionals to strike up a relationship with thestudents. Now it is [mandatory] for stu-dents to be involved with the mentors. Weare hoping to see that improvement.”
VAMOS mentors are community volun-teers such as doctors, teachers, lawyers,bankers, and business owners.
They attend luncheons, training sessionsand recently they were expected to meetwith students during Spring Break,Guajardo said.
VAMOS scholars expressed their needand appreciation for the scholarship.
“The scholarship allows us to buy whatwe need for school and helps provide us
with certain items that are hard to come byat times,” said Jessica Gonzalez, a sopho-more nursing major. “In general, it helpsus concentrate more on school [rather] thanworking a full-time [job].”
The graduation success rate for VAMOSscholars is around 80 percent, and this year11 scholars will graduate from UTPA[there are 13 total who are graduating],according to Guajardo. Twenty-nine UTPAstudents are currently enrolled in the pro-gram.
Guajardo said that VAMOS is currentlytaking scholarship applications and thedeadline is April 16. Award letters will besent out in May and there will be a banquetfor scholars and mentors in June.
For more information regarding the pro-gram, contact Yvonne Guajardo at (956)-631-1273.
By Belinda ReyesThe Pan American
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Special to The Pan American
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 6 March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 11
together to coordinate the syllabuses andassignments.
“Several times throughout the semestermy colleague and I do joint assignments,”Davidson said.
Not only does the program help stu-dents excel with their writing skills, italso gives them a chance to interact withthe professors.
“The advantage to this is that studentsenroll in small classes which gives themthe opportunity to interact more frequent-ly with the professor,” said StevenSchneider, chair of the English depart-ment.
Statistics show that LC students have ahigher retention rate than other first timestudents. Last year, LC data revealed aretention rate of 81.66 percent comparedto 58.17 percent of students who hadn’tparticipated in the LC.
“I think this is a highly successful pro-gram,” Davidson said. “ This is my thirdyear to participate in it and I’ve had stu-dents drop by my office to say hello andtell me that joining a LearningCommunity class was the best decisionthey made as a freshman.”
According to Whittmeyer, nine addi-tional course sections will be offered inthe fall of 2002 and a maximum of 340students can enroll.
This semester’s LC courses includeEnglish and history, music and Spanish,and philosophy and math. More coursesare expected to be offered in the future.
Interested students can find pairedcourses listed in the summer and fallcourse schedules, now available.
LINKING continued from page 1
visits and campus tours.Pena said in the last year UTPA real-
ly marketed themselves and believesthe increased enrollment was a result ofthat exposure.
“We had billboards and more publi-cations to market UTPA,” Pena said.“I’d like to think that brought thoseextra students to UTPA.”
Pena said UTPA’s effort to recruittransfer students includes more thanjust South Texas Community College.
“We’re recruiting from more thanjust STCC,” Pena said. “Many studentsare coming in from the Coastal Bendarea and Laredo.”
The use of the fairly new Outreachand Recruitment office isn’t the firsttime UTPA has used help to increaseenrollment. Von Ende remembers whenenrollment saw significant increases asfar back as the mid-’50s.
Von Ende said enrollment went up in1952 when the university became afour-year college and again in 1965when it joined the state system, butUTPA didn’t start seeing big changesuntil the 1970s.
“That’s when we started seeing thecurve go 90 degrees up,” Von Endesaid.
Von Ende said the availability of fed-eral financial aid in the early 1970smade higher education more feasibleand affordable to Valley students.
“In 1970 the enrollment was 5,000and by the end in 1979 enrollment wasat 8,500,” Von Ende said.
Von Ende said the university experi-
enced another big surge in enrollmentin 1989.
“The next really big jump was whenwe joined the UT system,” he said. “Infall of 1987 we had 9,600 studentsenrolled, and by the fall of 1989 that
number jumped to 12,000.”Von Ende said the growth continued
until about 1994 when STCC beganaffecting enrollment figures at UTPA.
In 1994 UTPA reached 13,750 stu-dents, but a year later and two yearsafter STCC opened its doors the effecton UTPA’s enrollment inflicted bySTCC began showing.
“Enrollment started dropping gradu-ally,” Von Ende said. “In 1994 we wereat 13,750 than in 1995 we dropped to13,373 and in 1996 we were down to12,692.”
Von Ende added that even as STCCmade more programs available, UTPA
continued adding its own programs andstudents started transferring. He saidthey predicted the decline in enrollmentand the university knew it would betemporary.
Von Ende said UTPA used theUniversity of Texas-El Paso as a modelto predict what would happen inEdinburg. Until the mid 1970s, UTEPwas the only university serving thatarea. When El Paso CommunityCollege opened, UTEP’s enrollmentdecreased as well, but gradually beganto increase.
“We predicted this would happenhere as well because of STCC’s broad-ening of educational opportunities inthe upper Valley.” Von Ende said.
He said even with enrollment on thedecline in the mid-’90s, UTPA contin-ued building facilities to accommodatestudents the university expected toenroll.
“We built the engineering and sci-ence buildings and recently the newmath building because these were areaswe were getting more enrollment in,”Von Ende said. “We knew the declinein enrollment was temporary, and weneeded to prepare for that growth.”
Von Ende said this region benefitedgreatly from the growth of UTPA andSTCC.
“There are more people in theValley,” Von Ende said. “More peopleneed to be educated. There is a biggerpool of people, and both schools areexpanding capacity to help this pool ofpeople.”
HISTORY continued from page 1
There are more peoplein the Valley. More
people need to be educat-ed. There is a bigger poolof people, and both schoolsare expanding capacity tohelp this pool of people.”d
a-Ted Von EndeDirector of Institutional Effectiveness
“
Once a week for 30 minutes aday, listeners can tune their radioto Latino USA, the only nationalradio journal of news and cultureproduced from a Latino perspec-tive.
Latino USA is based at theUniversity of Texas at Austin andis a production partnership of KUTRadio and the Center for Mexican-American Studies at UT. It is dis-tributed by National Public Radioand the Longhorn Radio Network.This English language radio pro-gram is syndicated nationally andaired on over 200 stations, accord-ing to Alex Avila, senior producerfor Latino USA.
“Latino USA reaches listenersfrom Puerto Rico to Alaska,” Avilasaid. It can be heard Sundays at
3:30 p.m. locally on McAllen’sKHID-FM 88.1.
Offering multiple views onissues affecting Latinos, LatinoUSA hopes to bridge the gapbetween different cultures by pro-viding a better understanding ofthe Latino way of life.
“Our main reason for existing isto give a voice to a big segment ofsociety that is often overlooked,”Avila said. “We bring that perspec-tive to the listeners.”
This week’s program will becovering President George W.Bush’s trip to Monterrey, Mexicowhere he will take part in an inter-national conference on globaliza-tion. He will also meet individual-ly with Mexican President VicenteFox to discuss immigration issuesimportant to both the United Statesand Mexico.
An interview with Bush dis-
cussing his upcoming trip toCentral America will also be aired.Following the interview will be asurvey analysis examining whatissues concerning Central Americaare on the agenda, and whichissues should be focused on. A seg-ment of the program will concen-trate on the economic impact ofLatino immigrants in NorthCarolina, one of the many stateswhich has received an influx ofimmigrants. The Latino populationin the United States reached 35million, according to the mostrecent U.S. Census.
“We put out the news we thinkthe Latino audience wants to hearor should know,” Avila said.
Avila said that this radio pro-gram is not limited to onlyHispanic audiences, but also reach-es people of all ethnicities whohave an interest in Latino issues.
“Often we receive e-mails fromlisteners saying ‘I’m not Hispanicbut...’,” Avila said.
Latinos are very diverse withintheir own culture, and Latino USAtries to create a balance of cover-age of the issues that affect varioussubgroups within the Latino cul-ture.
“Latinos in South Texas have adifferent perspective than Latinosin California,” Avila explained.“We hope to remind people thatthere are other points of view outthere.”
Latino USA has two majorupcoming milestones. InNovember, the 500th show will beaired, and in April 2003 the pro-gram will celebrate its 10-yearanniversary. In the future, Avilahopes to expand the broadcast toan hour-long segment and build alarger staff at Latino USA.
■ Jewelry-making . . 8 - 9
■ Culture Club . . . . . . 10ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 7
AroundTown
Art That Heals, Inc.Garage SaleMarch 23-24 from 8 a.m.-sundownInfo: Art That Heals, Inc.is a nonprofit organizationthat deals with and pro-motes cultural awarenessof HIV/AIDS. Donationsfor the garage sale arebeing accepted at 1816Pine Oak Road inEdinburg (call first).Place: Corner of SharyRoad and 6-mile line inMissionCall: (956) 383-1528,(956) 585-7661
“Bellezas del CineMexicano” book signingand discussionMarch 28 at noonEvent: RogelioAgrasanchez Jr. will auto-graph and discuss hisbook “Bellezasa del CineMexicano” (Beauties ofMexican Cinema) whichfeatures some of the mostbeautiful women inMexican cinema from vari-ous decades. Place: SchillingRoom of the Library
Taste of the Valley2002April 4 from 6:30-9:30p.m.Tickets: Tickets are $10Place: Pharr InternationalConvention CenterInfo: Various Valleyrestaurants give out sam-ples of their food topatrons.Call: (956) 787-1481
Kathleen Alcalabook reading andsigning April 4 at 7:30 p.m.Info: KathleenAlcala, the award-winning author of“Spirits of theOrdinary,” “TheFlower in the Skull”and “Treasures inHeaven” will signand read from herbooks.Place: StudentUnion Theater
By Elizabeth MartinezThe Pan American
UTPA and Arizona Stateprofessors and students show off their
work in a combined exhibit runningthrough March 31 in the Clark Gallery
in the Fine Arts BuildingBy Linda MartinezThe Pan American
(Above) - “Casita Dementa - Home ofLitica Queen of the Mutant Gerbils” byUTPA graduate student Ben Varela.
(Left) - Untitled work by UTPA graduatestudent Ray Pocquette.
Radio station gives Latino perspective
Exhibit helps bridge gapbetween two ‘states’
“Two States of Ceramics,” the lat-est art exhibit in the Clark Gallery,features work from graduate studentsand professors from Arizona StateUniversity and the University ofTexas-Pan American.
According to Dindy J. Reich, thegallery director, the “two states”theme has a double meaning. Thefirst meaning is there are two states,or kinds, of ceramics, and the secondis that the art comes from two differ-ent states geographically, Texas andArizona.
The exhibit, which started Feb. 26,will run through Sunday, March 31and is located in the Fine ArtsBuilding.
Displays of clay work, wall pieces,wheel-thrown work and ceramicsculptures are some of the examplesof work that can been seen at theexhibit.
A reception with the artists fromUTPA is scheduled for tonight from7-9 p.m. in the Clark Gallery. UTPAprofessors Chuck Wissinger andRichard Hyslin are some of the artistsfeatured, along with graduate studentsJohn Bazan, Jeremy Schmidt, BenVarela, Ray Pocquette, Opal JaneLemaster, Chris Leonard, JulianRodriguez and Fulden Sara.
Admission to the exhibit is free.The gallery is open Monday throughFriday.
Photos byMary Zuviri
March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 10
CD: “Significant Other” by Limp BizkitBook: “Harry Potter” series by J.K. RowlingMovie: “Vanilla Sky”
CD: “Romances” by Luis MiguelBook: “Don Quixote” by Miguel de CervantesMovie: “Titanic”
CD: “Last of the Mohicans” soundtrackBook: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules VerneMovie: “Scarface”
Enrique ReyesSeniorMarketing
Cynthia GonzalesSophomoreManufacturing
Laura GarciaJuniorChemistry
CULTURE CLUBWhat students like to read, listen to and surf.
The
Aside from the usual paintings and sculptures, the university artdepartment features a lesser known medium of artistic expression:jewelry.
The idea of jewelry-making as an art, rather than a craft, isunique to some, but to those interested, it is a serious art form.Students of the jewelry class get experience dealing with metalworks. The designs and pieces range from necklaces and rings, tovaried designs on everyday utensils.
"[In the jewelry class] you get a lot of practice andlearning of new skills, plus it's a different version of art,that for some is very complicated but for others, is a greatway to express yourself," commented Joe Banda, a juniormajoring in art.
"I found the class informative and I learned a lot andhad fun working with the equipment,” said Rene VillalonJr., a senior psychology major and former student in theclass. “The class was a blast. [I had] cool classmates [and]elbow room to work without someone over your shoulder,but the guidance was there when needed."
Nancy Moyer, art department chair, teaches the course.Moyer, originally from Los Angeles, acquired her B.A.from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, her M.A.from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. fromSouthern Illinois University at Carbondale. The road toher degrees varied almost as much as her choice of col-leges.
"My undergraduate degree is in sculpture. Due to afalling out with my sculpture professor in graduate school,I switched to jewelry, the nearest thing to sculpture at thetime,” Moyer said. “It turned out to be a very marketableand seductive art form, and I stayed with it," she added.
"I taught jewelry at Southwest Texas State University,but didn't start teaching it here at UTPA until we had noone else to teach it, and the department chair at the time,Richard Hyslin, discovered my background in the sub-ject," Moyer said.
"That's when I really got serious and started showingmy jewelry nationally."
In the class, students have hands-on training with metalworks, and they get to design their own jewelry.
"I've taken several other art classes before, and youhave to take some classes because to use metal and designshapes, some of the other classes help in the outcome ofyour project," Banda said.
"I would happily recommend the class to students whoask for a fun and exciting class that gets you away fromdoing papers and heavy reading, while allowing you towork on your hand-eye coordination, artistic abilities, andbeing exposed to creative information," Villalon said.
The jewelry students are encouraged to choose a field to
work in, as well as a medium. Their choices of these lead to differ-ent artists' techniques, depending on the available materials, andvarious ways of expressing ideas through their pieces.
"I really enjoy seeing what the student will produce each semes-ter," said Moyer, who added that some students have even beenaccepted into graduate schools for jewelry making. This marks anotable success for the university art department, as well as for stu-dents who have learned the art form.
The class is open to any wanting to learn more about jewelrymaking, and is offered most semesters. For those interested, contactNancy Moyer at 381-3481, or [email protected]
March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 9March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 8
(Above) -Stephanie Navarrocuts away at anembellishment for alarger jewelry pieceshe is in theprocess of creating.
(Right) - StudentJim Farber addsfinal touches to hislatest piece of jew-elry. Shown belowis a piece Farbercreated for theclass.
By Cesar TrevinoThe Pan American
CONVENTIONALRecreating
ArtWhile many people tend to think of jewelry-making as more of a craft than an artform, students in Nancy Moyer’s jewelry-making class are proving them wrong
Photos byCesar Trevino
(Below) - PaulaSteele beginswork on a newjewelry piece.Shown at left is abarrette she cre-ated during thejewelry-makingcourse.
Aside from the usual paintings and sculptures, the university artdepartment features a lesser known medium of artistic expression:jewelry.
The idea of jewelry-making as an art, rather than a craft, isunique to some, but to those interested, it is a serious art form.Students of the jewelry class get experience dealing with metalworks. The designs and pieces range from necklaces and rings, tovaried designs on everyday utensils.
"[In the jewelry class] you get a lot of practice andlearning of new skills, plus it's a different version of art,that for some is very complicated but for others, is a greatway to express yourself," commented Joe Banda, a juniormajoring in art.
"I found the class informative and I learned a lot andhad fun working with the equipment,” said Rene VillalonJr., a senior psychology major and former student in theclass. “The class was a blast. [I had] cool classmates [and]elbow room to work without someone over your shoulder,but the guidance was there when needed."
Nancy Moyer, art department chair, teaches the course.Moyer, originally from Los Angeles, acquired her B.A.from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, her M.A.from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. fromSouthern Illinois University at Carbondale. The road toher degrees varied almost as much as her choice of col-leges.
"My undergraduate degree is in sculpture. Due to afalling out with my sculpture professor in graduate school,I switched to jewelry, the nearest thing to sculpture at thetime,” Moyer said. “It turned out to be a very marketableand seductive art form, and I stayed with it," she added.
"I taught jewelry at Southwest Texas State University,but didn't start teaching it here at UTPA until we had noone else to teach it, and the department chair at the time,Richard Hyslin, discovered my background in the sub-ject," Moyer said.
"That's when I really got serious and started showingmy jewelry nationally."
In the class, students have hands-on training with metalworks, and they get to design their own jewelry.
"I've taken several other art classes before, and youhave to take some classes because to use metal and designshapes, some of the other classes help in the outcome ofyour project," Banda said.
"I would happily recommend the class to students whoask for a fun and exciting class that gets you away fromdoing papers and heavy reading, while allowing you towork on your hand-eye coordination, artistic abilities, andbeing exposed to creative information," Villalon said.
The jewelry students are encouraged to choose a field to
work in, as well as a medium. Their choices of these lead to differ-ent artists' techniques, depending on the available materials, andvarious ways of expressing ideas through their pieces.
"I really enjoy seeing what the student will produce each semes-ter," said Moyer, who added that some students have even beenaccepted into graduate schools for jewelry making. This marks anotable success for the university art department, as well as for stu-dents who have learned the art form.
The class is open to any wanting to learn more about jewelrymaking, and is offered most semesters. For those interested, contactNancy Moyer at 381-3481, or [email protected]
March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 9March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 8
(Above) -Stephanie Navarrocuts away at anembellishment for alarger jewelry pieceshe is in theprocess of creating.
(Right) - StudentJim Farber addsfinal touches to hislatest piece of jew-elry. Shown belowis a piece Farbercreated for theclass.
By Cesar TrevinoThe Pan American
CONVENTIONALRecreating
ArtWhile many people tend to think of jewelry-making as more of a craft than an artform, students in Nancy Moyer’s jewelry-making class are proving them wrong
Photos byCesar Trevino
(Below) - PaulaSteele beginswork on a newjewelry piece.Shown at left is abarrette she cre-ated during thejewelry-makingcourse.
Once a week for 30 minutes aday, listeners can tune their radioto Latino USA, the only nationalradio journal of news and cultureproduced from a Latino perspec-tive.
Latino USA is based at theUniversity of Texas at Austin andis a production partnership of KUTRadio and the Center for Mexican-American Studies at UT. It is dis-tributed by National Public Radioand the Longhorn Radio Network.This English language radio pro-gram is syndicated nationally andaired on over 200 stations, accord-ing to Alex Avila, senior producerfor Latino USA.
“Latino USA reaches listenersfrom Puerto Rico to Alaska,” Avilasaid. It can be heard Sundays at
3:30 p.m. locally on McAllen’sKHID-FM 88.1.
Offering multiple views onissues affecting Latinos, LatinoUSA hopes to bridge the gapbetween different cultures by pro-viding a better understanding ofthe Latino way of life.
“Our main reason for existing isto give a voice to a big segment ofsociety that is often overlooked,”Avila said. “We bring that perspec-tive to the listeners.”
This week’s program will becovering President George W.Bush’s trip to Monterrey, Mexicowhere he will take part in an inter-national conference on globaliza-tion. He will also meet individual-ly with Mexican President VicenteFox to discuss immigration issuesimportant to both the United Statesand Mexico.
An interview with Bush dis-
cussing his upcoming trip toCentral America will also be aired.Following the interview will be asurvey analysis examining whatissues concerning Central Americaare on the agenda, and whichissues should be focused on. A seg-ment of the program will concen-trate on the economic impact ofLatino immigrants in NorthCarolina, one of the many stateswhich has received an influx ofimmigrants. The Latino populationin the United States reached 35million, according to the mostrecent U.S. Census.
“We put out the news we thinkthe Latino audience wants to hearor should know,” Avila said.
Avila said that this radio pro-gram is not limited to onlyHispanic audiences, but also reach-es people of all ethnicities whohave an interest in Latino issues.
“Often we receive e-mails fromlisteners saying ‘I’m not Hispanicbut...’,” Avila said.
Latinos are very diverse withintheir own culture, and Latino USAtries to create a balance of cover-age of the issues that affect varioussubgroups within the Latino cul-ture.
“Latinos in South Texas have adifferent perspective than Latinosin California,” Avila explained.“We hope to remind people thatthere are other points of view outthere.”
Latino USA has two majorupcoming milestones. InNovember, the 500th show will beaired, and in April 2003 the pro-gram will celebrate its 10-yearanniversary. In the future, Avilahopes to expand the broadcast toan hour-long segment and build alarger staff at Latino USA.
■ Jewelry-making . . 8 - 9
■ Culture Club . . . . . . 10ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 7
AroundTown
Art That Heals, Inc.Garage SaleMarch 23-24 from 8 a.m.-sundownInfo: Art That Heals, Inc.is a nonprofit organizationthat deals with and pro-motes cultural awarenessof HIV/AIDS. Donationsfor the garage sale arebeing accepted at 1816Pine Oak Road inEdinburg (call first).Place: Corner of SharyRoad and 6-mile line inMissionCall: (956) 383-1528,(956) 585-7661
“Bellezas del CineMexicano” book signingand discussionMarch 28 at noonEvent: RogelioAgrasanchez Jr. will auto-graph and discuss hisbook “Bellezasa del CineMexicano” (Beauties ofMexican Cinema) whichfeatures some of the mostbeautiful women inMexican cinema from vari-ous decades. Place: SchillingRoom of the Library
Taste of the Valley2002April 4 from 6:30-9:30p.m.Tickets: Tickets are $10Place: Pharr InternationalConvention CenterInfo: Various Valleyrestaurants give out sam-ples of their food topatrons.Call: (956) 787-1481
Kathleen Alcalabook reading andsigning April 4 at 7:30 p.m.Info: KathleenAlcala, the award-winning author of“Spirits of theOrdinary,” “TheFlower in the Skull”and “Treasures inHeaven” will signand read from herbooks.Place: StudentUnion Theater
By Elizabeth MartinezThe Pan American
UTPA and Arizona Stateprofessors and students show off their
work in a combined exhibit runningthrough March 31 in the Clark Gallery
in the Fine Arts BuildingBy Linda MartinezThe Pan American
(Above) - “Casita Dementa - Home ofLitica Queen of the Mutant Gerbils” byUTPA graduate student Ben Varela.
(Left) - Untitled work by UTPA graduatestudent Ray Pocquette.
Radio station gives Latino perspective
Exhibit helps bridge gapbetween two ‘states’
“Two States of Ceramics,” the lat-est art exhibit in the Clark Gallery,features work from graduate studentsand professors from Arizona StateUniversity and the University ofTexas-Pan American.
According to Dindy J. Reich, thegallery director, the “two states”theme has a double meaning. Thefirst meaning is there are two states,or kinds, of ceramics, and the secondis that the art comes from two differ-ent states geographically, Texas andArizona.
The exhibit, which started Feb. 26,will run through Sunday, March 31and is located in the Fine ArtsBuilding.
Displays of clay work, wall pieces,wheel-thrown work and ceramicsculptures are some of the examplesof work that can been seen at theexhibit.
A reception with the artists fromUTPA is scheduled for tonight from7-9 p.m. in the Clark Gallery. UTPAprofessors Chuck Wissinger andRichard Hyslin are some of the artistsfeatured, along with graduate studentsJohn Bazan, Jeremy Schmidt, BenVarela, Ray Pocquette, Opal JaneLemaster, Chris Leonard, JulianRodriguez and Fulden Sara.
Admission to the exhibit is free.The gallery is open Monday throughFriday.
Photos byMary Zuviri
March 21, 2002 Arts & Entertainment Page 10
CD: “Significant Other” by Limp BizkitBook: “Harry Potter” series by J.K. RowlingMovie: “Vanilla Sky”
CD: “Romances” by Luis MiguelBook: “Don Quixote” by Miguel de CervantesMovie: “Titanic”
CD: “Last of the Mohicans” soundtrackBook: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules VerneMovie: “Scarface”
Enrique ReyesSeniorMarketing
Cynthia GonzalesSophomoreManufacturing
Laura GarciaJuniorChemistry
CULTURE CLUBWhat students like to read, listen to and surf.
The
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 6 March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 11
together to coordinate the syllabuses andassignments.
“Several times throughout the semestermy colleague and I do joint assignments,”Davidson said.
Not only does the program help stu-dents excel with their writing skills, italso gives them a chance to interact withthe professors.
“The advantage to this is that studentsenroll in small classes which gives themthe opportunity to interact more frequent-ly with the professor,” said StevenSchneider, chair of the English depart-ment.
Statistics show that LC students have ahigher retention rate than other first timestudents. Last year, LC data revealed aretention rate of 81.66 percent comparedto 58.17 percent of students who hadn’tparticipated in the LC.
“I think this is a highly successful pro-gram,” Davidson said. “ This is my thirdyear to participate in it and I’ve had stu-dents drop by my office to say hello andtell me that joining a LearningCommunity class was the best decisionthey made as a freshman.”
According to Whittmeyer, nine addi-tional course sections will be offered inthe fall of 2002 and a maximum of 340students can enroll.
This semester’s LC courses includeEnglish and history, music and Spanish,and philosophy and math. More coursesare expected to be offered in the future.
Interested students can find pairedcourses listed in the summer and fallcourse schedules, now available.
LINKING continued from page 1
visits and campus tours.Pena said in the last year UTPA real-
ly marketed themselves and believesthe increased enrollment was a result ofthat exposure.
“We had billboards and more publi-cations to market UTPA,” Pena said.“I’d like to think that brought thoseextra students to UTPA.”
Pena said UTPA’s effort to recruittransfer students includes more thanjust South Texas Community College.
“We’re recruiting from more thanjust STCC,” Pena said. “Many studentsare coming in from the Coastal Bendarea and Laredo.”
The use of the fairly new Outreachand Recruitment office isn’t the firsttime UTPA has used help to increaseenrollment. Von Ende remembers whenenrollment saw significant increases asfar back as the mid-’50s.
Von Ende said enrollment went up in1952 when the university became afour-year college and again in 1965when it joined the state system, butUTPA didn’t start seeing big changesuntil the 1970s.
“That’s when we started seeing thecurve go 90 degrees up,” Von Endesaid.
Von Ende said the availability of fed-eral financial aid in the early 1970smade higher education more feasibleand affordable to Valley students.
“In 1970 the enrollment was 5,000and by the end in 1979 enrollment wasat 8,500,” Von Ende said.
Von Ende said the university experi-
enced another big surge in enrollmentin 1989.
“The next really big jump was whenwe joined the UT system,” he said. “Infall of 1987 we had 9,600 studentsenrolled, and by the fall of 1989 that
number jumped to 12,000.”Von Ende said the growth continued
until about 1994 when STCC beganaffecting enrollment figures at UTPA.
In 1994 UTPA reached 13,750 stu-dents, but a year later and two yearsafter STCC opened its doors the effecton UTPA’s enrollment inflicted bySTCC began showing.
“Enrollment started dropping gradu-ally,” Von Ende said. “In 1994 we wereat 13,750 than in 1995 we dropped to13,373 and in 1996 we were down to12,692.”
Von Ende added that even as STCCmade more programs available, UTPA
continued adding its own programs andstudents started transferring. He saidthey predicted the decline in enrollmentand the university knew it would betemporary.
Von Ende said UTPA used theUniversity of Texas-El Paso as a modelto predict what would happen inEdinburg. Until the mid 1970s, UTEPwas the only university serving thatarea. When El Paso CommunityCollege opened, UTEP’s enrollmentdecreased as well, but gradually beganto increase.
“We predicted this would happenhere as well because of STCC’s broad-ening of educational opportunities inthe upper Valley.” Von Ende said.
He said even with enrollment on thedecline in the mid-’90s, UTPA contin-ued building facilities to accommodatestudents the university expected toenroll.
“We built the engineering and sci-ence buildings and recently the newmath building because these were areaswe were getting more enrollment in,”Von Ende said. “We knew the declinein enrollment was temporary, and weneeded to prepare for that growth.”
Von Ende said this region benefitedgreatly from the growth of UTPA andSTCC.
“There are more people in theValley,” Von Ende said. “More peopleneed to be educated. There is a biggerpool of people, and both schools areexpanding capacity to help this pool ofpeople.”
HISTORY continued from page 1
There are more peoplein the Valley. More
people need to be educat-ed. There is a bigger poolof people, and both schoolsare expanding capacity tohelp this pool of people.”d
a-Ted Von EndeDirector of Institutional Effectiveness
“
CAMPUS LIFEPAGE 12
■ W h a t s t u d e n t s a r e d o i n g a t U T P A
It’s late at night and a student’s carwon’t start. Instead of panicking orbeing stranded, the student makes aquick phone call. Soon, a campuspolice officer arrives on the scene andoffers a jump-start, and the problem issolved.
Jump-starts are only part of theservices offered by the University ofTexas-Pan American police depart-ment, which functions according to thepolicies mandated by the 14-schoolUniversity of Texas system.
The police department is responsiblefor following the duties and proce-dures that are listed in the handbookof police policies. But there are morethan just rules in that book, which alsodetails what helpful jobs officers arecharged with performing, includingunlocking cars for absent-minded stu-dents, staff, or faculty. But the bulk ofthe handbook regards daily job duties.
“These standard operating proce-dures set the manner in which mem-bers of the UPD conducts themselves
in the performance of their duties,”said UTPA Sgt. James Loya.
According to Loya, basic informa-tion on the duties and responsibilitiesof the University Police Departmentcan be found on the web site. Not onlydoes the department offer servicessuch as police escorts, locksmiths, andjump-starts, but it also informs andeducates the university/local commu-nity in regard to crime and drugawareness.
The UPD reports annual crime sta-tistics to the U.S. Department ofEducation, according to Loya. Blueemergency phones across campus,plus the Crime Stoppers campaign,have made it easier for students toreport violence on campus. Anattempted assault of a UTPA studentlast October was solved by campuspolice recently, with an assist from theEdinburg Police Department. Campusvigilance and creative police workcontributed to the arrest of a suspect.
“The inner campus is patrolled bybike patrol officers,” Loya said.
In addition to working to preventauto theft on campus, the department
conducts what it calls “high visibilitypatrols.”
“We’ve increased unmarked policepatrols, which have been successful inthe past,” Loya said. “ We also workin conjunction with the Auto TheftTask Force.”
The university police also workclosely with University CounselingServices and Student Housing to findpolicy violators and to help studentswho run afoul of drugs and alcohol.
“When UPD comes in contact witha student with an addiction, he or sheis made aware of the services avail-able to them at the university,” Loyaexplained.
According to the department Webpage, the university will impose aminimum disciplinary penalty of sus-pension for conduct related to the use,possession, or distribution of drugsthat are prohibited by state, federal, orlocal law.
The department encourages the uni-versity community to report any andall suspicious activity to theUniversity Police Department at 316-7151.
Campus police duties varyBy Nikki RamirezThe Pan American
Anthropologist Alessandra M. Lemospresented her field work on the indige-nous Macuxi Indian tribe from Roraima,Brazil, Tuesday, March 19, at theCollege of Social and BehavioralSciences.
Lemos, whose lecture was presentedby the anthropology club, has beenworking with the tribe since the early1990s, since she graduated with a bache-lor’s degree in psychology and went onto work at Roraima University. Sheearned a scholarship to attend theUniversity of Florida at Gainesvillewhere she completed her master’sdegree in anthropology.
Lemos’ fieldwork and thesis were onthe Macuxi tribe and their assimilationinto Western culture despite a strugglefor control of their ancestral land. Thepopulation of the Macuxi tribe is 12,000and they live in an area of Brazil whichborders Venezuela and Guyana.
Their native language is called Carib,and most Macuxi are bilingual, speakingboth
Carib as well as Portuguese, Lemossaid. The Macuxi practice horticulture,fishing and hunting small game. Their
main production is the manioc, a nativevegetable that produces beer, the tribe’smain source of liquid intake until recent-ly.
During Lemos’ lecture, she showed a1998 documentary on the tribe, displayintheir history and fight for their originalterritory symbolized by the “Day ofCommitment,” which took place April26,1977. This date is recognized as thedate when the Macuxi formally stoodagainst the Brazilian government in aprotest for their land.
“The film shows a big meeting thatthe Macuxi had on April 26 of 1997, cel-ebrating the 20 years of their ‘Day ofCommitment,’ or the day that theydecided to give up drinking alcohol,”Lemos said. “They felt that this [alco-hol] was destroying their people, muchmore than the invaders and colonizers.”
The documentary showed the Macuxitribe discussing the reasons why theygave up alcohol. They believed thatalcohol made them weak and vulnerable,which led to the loss of the majority oftheir ancestral land to the Portuguesecrown in the early 1700s.
The meeting took place in Roraima’scapitol city, Boa Vista, in the Maturucavillage.
As a result of their “Day of
Commitment,” the tribe began organiz-ing councils to represent them in theirstruggle. The Roraima IndigenousCouncil, (CIR) represents the Macuxitribe, along with other indigenousgroups such as the Yanomami tribe.
“The area where the tribe lives is in areservation that is not recognized orestablished by the federal government,”Lemos said. “All [recognized] Indianlands are owned by the federal govern-ment.”
The Macuxi have been struggling tohave their land recognized as their ownby the Brazilian government, but havebeen waiting in vain for PresidentFernando Enrique Cardoso’s signaturefor the land recognition, Lemos added.
The anthropology club hosts a numberof different anthropology speakers everysemester, according to Roel Quiros, aUTPA senior majoring in anthropologyand president of the Anthropology Club.
“A lot of people don’t really knowabout the the Macuxi tribe. It was inter-esting to hear about her [Lemos] ethno-graphic fieldwork on the tribe,” Quirossaid. “It is important for people to knowabout the various cultures that exist.”
Lemos said she plans to work on herPh.D. in anthropology and continue herwork with the Macuxi.
Anthropologist discusses findingsabout Brazilian tribe’s struggles By Belinda ReyesThe Pan American
For two friends living as minorities within aminority population, the formation of the Asian-American Association (AAA) seemed to be theright way to create unity in diversity.
Wanting to know more about their Philippinoculture, President Claire Rizalado and VicePresident Melissa Tan started the AAA this semes-ter, a club which includes students with Indian,Chinese and Middle Eastern backgrounds.
“We’re using our heritage to share ourselvesand at the same time learn about other people,”Rizalado said. “If the members have a special tal-ent that they want to show off, or they want toexpress themselves, then this organization is atool.”
After the Twin Towers tragedy Sept. 11, theassociation will indeed work as an educationaldevice. With the rise of student interest in MiddleEastern and Islamic studies on campuses acrossthe nation, AAA gives students the opportunity toexperience lifestyles from countries halfwayacross the globe.
“We’re trying to teach everybody what our cul-ture is about and also have pride in what we are,”said Amisha Bhakta, AAA social coordinator.
While the Student Union offers sandwiches,barbeque and frozen yogurt, the AAA seized thechance to incorporate cultural uniqueness by sell-ing egg rolls, General Tsao’s Chicken, rice and LoMein in a fundraiser last week.
In addition to savoring traditional Chinese cui-sine, students and faculty got a taste of foreign lit-erary work while members of The Communityread poetry from different Asian and Asian-American writers.
“We embrace a lot of different kinds of arts, alot of different kinds of people—that’s alright withus,” said Dan Vaughn, president of TheCommunity. “In fact, that’s where we believe ourstrength is in, in the diversity of our members.That’s why it’s important for us to work with agroup like the Asian-American Associationbecause diversity is where our strength is in.”
With 35 members, the club, whose office is onthe second floor of the University Center, alreadyhas plans to hold a talent and culture show thissemester, and members hope to invite guestspeakers to the university for a conference. Inaddition, they are working on Asian-AmericanWeek, an event which will feature several differ-ent issues every day of the week from differentAsian countries.
“We want to tell other students and teach themabout our culture,” said Priya Govind, AAA mem-ber. “Right now we have around thirty or fortymembers. There is a ten-dollar membership, and itis open to everybody, you don’t have to be Asianto be in the club.”
Club offersglimpses ofAsian life
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 5
Due to the upcomingEaster holiday and thestaff’s trip to a state compe-tition, The Pan American willnot appear on March 28.
However, we will be backto deliver more hard-hittingnews on April 4.
VAMOS gives monetary aid to studentsOrganization offers opportunity for financial assistance throughout college
Matt Lynch / The Pan American
Fidel Rosales (left) and Marisol Torres perform It Rains at Acoustic Night Wednesdayevening in the Student Union Theatre. Rosales took third place in the competition. Theevent was sponsored by the University Program Board and featured 10 student artists.First place went to Jimmy Villanueva, who was awarded an Ibanez acoustic guitar for hisperformance of One Thing. Jaime Garcia Jr. took second place with Moths in my Shower.
UNPLUGGED
* The fall 2002 class schedule is missing a page of biology listings. The Webversion is correct and includes the missing information on page 38. A copy canbe downloaded on the Web site at: http://www.panam.edu/schedulesThe missing information will be included in the published addendum which isscheduled to be out on May 2.
* Mandatory academic advisement began March 18 and ASSIST registration forsummer and fall begins March 25. * The deadline for submitting applications for student government elections isMarch 21 by 4 p.m. They are available at UC 205. The elections have been scheduled for April 2-3
Roger Solis, a senior at University ofTexas- Pan American is taking 30 hoursthis semester in order to graduate in May,thanks to the Valley Alliance of Mentorsfor Opportunities and Scholarships, or(VAMOS) program.
Solis, a double-major in mathematicsand sociology said that the program hasenabled him to attend college and it wouldhave been hard to continue school withoutit.
“Sometimes when students have to work,they get distracted from doing schoolwork,” Solis said. “They [VAMOS] reallyextend their hands and help you pay forschool.The program is really amazing.”
The VAMOS scholarship program offers
a four-year scholarship to entering fresh-men who are Hispanic and live in HidalgoCounty. The program was founded in1996 by a group of 62 businesses, includ-ing Cantu Construction. The first awardswere given out in 1997.
“We had our first class of VAMOSscholars graduate in May 2001 and inDecember 2001,” said Yvonne Guajardo,executive director of VAMOS. “We arelooking to see our second class graduatethis May.”
The goal of the VAMOS program is toestablish financial support for the recipi-ents by renewing the scholarship everyyear throughout the four years in college.
Fundraisers and donations help keep theprogram alive. The recipients are expectedto maintain a 2.75 GPA and work with des-ignated professional mentors, Guajardo
said. “We intensified the program this year
and established a formal mentoring pro-gram,” Guajardo said. “Before it wasinformal where we expected the profes-sionals to strike up a relationship with thestudents. Now it is [mandatory] for stu-dents to be involved with the mentors. Weare hoping to see that improvement.”
VAMOS mentors are community volun-teers such as doctors, teachers, lawyers,bankers, and business owners.
They attend luncheons, training sessionsand recently they were expected to meetwith students during Spring Break,Guajardo said.
VAMOS scholars expressed their needand appreciation for the scholarship.
“The scholarship allows us to buy whatwe need for school and helps provide us
with certain items that are hard to come byat times,” said Jessica Gonzalez, a sopho-more nursing major. “In general, it helpsus concentrate more on school [rather] thanworking a full-time [job].”
The graduation success rate for VAMOSscholars is around 80 percent, and this year11 scholars will graduate from UTPA[there are 13 total who are graduating],according to Guajardo. Twenty-nine UTPAstudents are currently enrolled in the pro-gram.
Guajardo said that VAMOS is currentlytaking scholarship applications and thedeadline is April 16. Award letters will besent out in May and there will be a banquetfor scholars and mentors in June.
For more information regarding the pro-gram, contact Yvonne Guajardo at (956)-631-1273.
By Belinda ReyesThe Pan American
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Special to The Pan American
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 4
– Anna Stwora
Robert IvarraEngineeringFreshman
I think television influences youngpeople in their behavior and fashion.
Robert GilchristMechanical EngineeringJunior
If young people are able to under-stand advertising maybe they couldbe influenced.
Marcelo RoitbergGraduate Student MBA
I think it depends on the personbecause someone who watches TV allday would be affected differently froman individual who watches televisiononly sparingly. In general, I think peo-ple watch more TV than necessary.
How does televisionviewing impact young
people?
Nadia GallegosComputer ScienceJunior
It can have both a good or badimpact because sometimes it tellsyou what is out there. Although,sometimes television networks tendto focus too much on one area andignore other issues.
VOICECCaammppuuss
Jason RodriguezChemistryJunior
Television can have a good or bad impacton young people, parents must be carefulwhat they allow them to watch.
The University of Texas Pan-AmericanStudent Government Association
What is SGA?SGA strives to create a cohesive, unifies voice for UTPA students. We are spokesmen for our constituents, bringing their concerns and ideas to light, and giving them a chance to
be heard by administrators. We feel the pulse of this institution, and push for the projects students want.Students are, quite obviously, the most important part of any university. Sometimes that simple truth is obscured by the enormous amount of machinery required to keep this insti-
tution running. If you have ever been caught in its grinding gears of bureaucracy, you know exactly what we mean. Student rights get trampled, and students are left with the feelingthat there is nothing they can do about it. Your instructor makes you buy tickets and t-shirts to support a university performance group. Your economics professor starts the semesterproclaiming, “No one in the class is getting an A, no matter what.” After waiting twenty minutes in line, the people of Payments and Collections send you to Admissions, who prompt-ly send you back to Payments and Collections; you can’t shake the people at P&C because they’re behind that thick glass. You feel impotent, powerless, and frustrated.
SGA will fight for you. E-mail us anytime ([email protected], or come by our senator’s office hours (see bellow). Anytime you feel mistreated, or someone cuts corners, youare the victim. This university exists because of you. This university exists for you. When your needs are viewed as secondary considerations, you are being short-changed.
How Does SGA work?The Senate is the legislative branch of SGA, and is composed of senators from every undergraduate college, as well as two representatives from the graduate population. The num-
ber of seats for each college varies depending on the size of that college. Senators bring up issues relevant primarily to the students of their respective colleges, although anything relat-ed to the university is open for discussion. Four Senators-at-large represent students who are not part of any college.
The Executive branch is made up of a President and vice-president, who are usually the contact points between SGA and the Administrators. They also generate a substantial partof the legislation brought before the Senate.
Senator Representatives are assigned to be specific Senators, and Executive Aides assist the President and Vice-president. SGA is effective because we know who to talk to, and because we fight as a group, rather than as individual students. We have the power of numbers and experience, guarantee-
ing our voice—your voice—will be heard.
Current Projects:Something that we find shocking is the relative obscurity of our organization. No one knows what SGA does, even though the fruits of our labor are apparent for all to see. This
is a brief listing of some of our recent projects, and what they mean to students.˙When parking permit prices were scheduled to increase before the Fall 2001 semester, SGA met with parking officials and sent them a clear message: “Students will not pay morefor parking unless we have more parking.” The hike was tabled, and they rethought their strategy. Another increase has been proposed, but this time it is coming with the con-struction of several new lots.˙ After an incident where one of our female students was accosted after dark, SGA conducted a night walk around campus. We photographed lights which were out of order, high-lighted danger zones, and noted the presence (and absences) of police staff. We have met with the police chief and forwarded our recommendations to him.˙SGA has been integral to securing a Student Daycare. This facility will make it possible for students to leave their children on campus while they go to class, helping them jugglefamily and education. Part of the struggle in getting their project approved was proving to administration that there was significant student need matched by demand. SGA’s sup-port of this project reflected that demand; we also helped conduct campus wide polls to generate reliable data.˙Adpot-an-Angel is our holiday event, which allows students with a financial need to register their children to receive free Christmas gifts. SGA secures money from the universitycommunity and private donors to buy gifts and stage a banquet where Santa presents the children their gifts.˙SGA is represented on the Student Affairs Advisory Committee (SAAC), which determines the allocation of your student service fees. Rather than leave the decision on how tospend your money up to administrators alone, SAAC solicits input from a members selected from different parts of the university. The student perspective is provided, in part, bySGA members. Bear in mind, though, that the committee can be overruled by the administration. Keep your eyes peeled for the SAAC recommendations in a future issue of ThePan American.˙The upcoming “Stop the Hate” events are sponsored by SGA. We hope to engender tolerance by showing students the ugly truth about discrimination.
What we decide to pursue is determined by what students want. No need is too small for the SGA We might not be the people who ultimately meet that need, but we can get theball rolling o point you in the right direction. We are the friendly faces in an often-faceless institution, a place to start when you have a problem that demands attention.
How can I contact my Senator?Senators are obligated to host “Senator’s Forums” within their colleges, which allow students an opportunity to raise concerns, voice opinions, and ask questions. The times for
these forums should be clearly posted around each college. Senators-at-large also conduct outreaches for students not belonging to any college. Furthermore, special groups on campus(i.e. dorm residents) will be invited to forums held by SGA committees.
We encourage, cajole, and beg for you to write us at our Email: [email protected]. This is the best way to get n touch with us quickly and painlessly. We also love to meet ourconstituents face-to-face. Senators’office hours, as well as office hours for our President and Vice-President, can be found at the bottom of this page. We are located in room 322 of theUniversity Center, and can be reached by phone at (956) 381-2517.
Join SGA!There are still vacancies for Senators in a number of colleges, and a nearly unlimited number of positions available for Senator Representatives and Executive Aides. Joining SGA
is the best way to get involved on campus, to meet people and make new friends. SGA is a tight knit organization. We genuinely like each other, and often hang out socially.If you are thinking of an education after UTPA, being part of this team can help you reach that goal. The leadership skills, communicative ability, and critical thinking required of
a student leader are the exact qualities graduate schools look for in their applicants. Serious employers look for these same qualities.Any way you slice it, you will benefit from being apart of SGA.
Office Hours (Rm. 322, UC)President: Ezequiel Moya, Jr. Vice President: Vito ChavanaTuesday and Friday, 1-5pm; 10am-1pm Tuesday, 10am-1pm; Friday, 1-5pm
Senators-at-large (1 vacancy)Matthew Garcia, Monday, 12-2 pm
Alyssa Marie Munoz, Wednesday, 10:45-11:45 amJessica Ann Garcia, Wednesday, 10:45-11:45 am
Senators for the College of Science and Engineering (no vacancies)Gonzalo Perez-Garcia, Friday, 9:30-10:30 am
Devin B. Lacey, Thursday, 3-4 pmLucy Garcia, Tuesday, 2:35-3:50 pm
Senators for the College of Arts and Humanities (1 vacancy)Melaney Cortez
Tuesday, 12-1 pm
Senators for the College of Social and Behavioral Science (1 vacancy)Raul Mendoza, Wednesday, 10-11 am
Lea Lopez, Thursday, 12-1 pm
Senators for the College of Health and Human Services (2 vacancies)Senators for the College of Business Administration (2 vacancies)
Graduate Senators (2 vacancies)
Senator Representatives: Executive Aides:Jose Andrade Ivan BarrajasChrista Unsinn Terrence RyanKarina TrevinoAngela Canales
March 21, 2002 THE PAN AMERICAN Page 13
PAGE 3■ Campus Voice . . . . . 4
■ VAMOS . . . . . . . . . 5
■ Campus Life . . . . . . 12NEWS
In 1999, The University of Texas-Pan American decided it needed tovisually enhance the main entranceof the campus through the construc-tion of a Visitors Center.
Employees of the Visitors Centerwill greet guests and provide infor-mation to prospective students.
The 7,200-square-foot VisitorsCenter will house a lobby, videoroom, a community meeting room,the Student Outreach andRecruitment department of theDivision of Enrollment and StudentServices and 2,500 square feet ofexhibit space to display student andalumni works and achievements.
The parking and paving work atthe center is scheduled to be com-pleted in about a month, and land-scaping will begin shortly thereafter.The new Visitors Center will cost$3.2 million and is designed to bethe first point of contact for visitorsto the campus, as well as potentialstudents.
In addition to the construction ofthe center, UTPA plans to add aunique art piece to grace the entranceand to represent the university.
James R. Langabeer, UTPA vicepresident, asked Physical PlantDirector Marvin Boland to findartists who could produce a bronzerepresentation of the school’s mas-cot, the Bronc.
After an exhaustive search, NewMexico artist Veryl Goodnight wasselected to construct the sculpture.Goodnight has worked with sculpturefor 25 years and is internationallyrecognized for her work.
“She is very well known for herwork on horses,” said Carol Rausch-Braden, assistant to the president.
One of Goodnight’s most promi-nent works, “The Day the Wall CameDown,” is located both in Berlin,Germany and at the George BushPresidential Library at Texas A&MUniversity. “The Day the Wall CameDown” serves as a monument depict-ing the collapse of the Berlin Wall in1989 and the eventual reunificationof East and West Germany.
According to Rausch-Braden,Goodnight worked with a live horsein an effort to capture the best posefor the University’s statue. Rausch-
Braden went on to say that she useslive models for all pieces that includeliving subjects.
In an effort to capture the realessence of a bronc, Goodnight select-ed a live mustang stallion namedTarkio as a model. She took videoand photos of Tarkio, which havebeen preserved in the Universitylibrary archives. After watching hisvideos and several others, Goodnightused the steed’s dimensions to createthe pose for the UTPA statue.
In addition to studying live mod-els, she also researched the history ofbroncs and the Valley.
“She [Goodnight] learned that thisarea that we live in was known as the‘Wild Horse Desert,’ and it wasknown for that because of the manywild horses that lived in and roamedthe area,” Rausch-Braden said.
Rausch-Braden explained that thebronc represented the blending andassimilation of cultures in SouthTexas. The horse was originallyintroduced to the region in the 14thcentury by the Spanish conquista-dors. Prior to Spanish exploration,horses were not found on the NorthAmerican continent. As the Spanishconquistadors changed the face andcultural history of our country, so didthe “mustang,” or bronc.
“For this reason it is felt that thebronze sculpture would nobly andhonorably represent the spirit andstrength, the independence and perse-verance and the ability to affectchange that UTPA represents to peo-ple of South Texas and the RioGrande Valley,” Rausch-Braden said.
Goodnight first created a smallclay version of the statue forapproval at the university. Once itwas complete, Goodnight made asculpture one-twelfth the size of theproposed actual sculpture. Followingapproval by UTPA officials, thismodel was sent to Disney’s DigitalLabs for enlargement.
According to Rausch-Braden, theclay/wax sculpture has already beencompleted and is awaiting bronzecasting, which will take place in thenext couple of week’s. Followingthe casting process of about 12weeks, the statue will undergo a finalfinishing process. UTPA officialshope the sculpture will be ready inAugust, just in time for the openingof the new Visitors Center, Sept. 1.
Mascot statue gracesnew Visitors Center
The University of Texas-Pan AmericanCollege of Business Administration ishome to the Center for Tourism Research.
Under the direction of Vern Vincent, pro-fessor of quantitative methods and directorof the Tourism Center, the Center conductsstudies examining the Valley’s tourismneeds and attempts to provide applied reso-lution for these requirements. Using a con-glomeration of professors and students, theorganization collects data, processes it, andcalculates statistical numbers to be usedfor studying the Valley’s tourism situation.
The Center for Tourism Research Webpage states that the center “addressessocial, cultural, environmental, and eco-nomic issues related to the tourism indus-try locally, regionally, and nationally.”Vincent stated that Center results havebeen noted in periodicals such as The WallStreet Journal, Dallas Morning News,Houston Chronicle, and The Monitor inMcAllen.
Research is sponsored and funded in partby, The Texas Recreational VehicleAssociation (TRVA) and works with thestate’s Texas Economic Division. TheCenter conducts other surveys at therequest of a wide array of organizationsand individuals.
“Currently, the center is conducting astudy pertaining to assessing the effective-ness of education in colonias,” saidVincent. “Previously, we (the Center) con-ducted and published a study on lawsuitabuse in the Valley.”
Although the Center probes a plethora ofissues, its main focus is American wintervisitors and Mexican nationals, since thesetwo groups displayed the highest represen-tation “Visitors to the Valley” scale. Thirtyfour percent of yearly visitors are WinterTexans, and 40 percent are Mexicannationals, according to the Rio GrandeValley Winter Visitor Study.
The Center and its faculty have beenresearching winter visitations for over 25years, according to the Web page. TheCollege of Business staff and facultywould be overwhelmed and inundated withresearch requests if attempting to conductthese studies alone. Therefore, the Centerhas decided to promote the use of studentsfrom the field to aid in the research. The
tasks are divided and assigned through ahierarchical scale whereby undergraduatescollect data, graduate students composedata files, and the Ph.D. students gatherthe data and produce the journals whichthe Center publishes.
Every two years, during early spring, theCenter dispatches undergraduate studentsto shopping malls located throughout theValley. This process is what the centercalls “mall-intercept surveys.” Studentsstand at the entrances armed with detailedsurvey handouts that they distribute totourists as they walk in. These forms aredivided into four categories, each appropri-ate to the particular “tourist.”
Andres Rivas-Chavez, a doctoral studentwho also teaches economics, took part inthe most recent study and explained thefour types of surveys groups. There arelocal residents, tourists (non-winter orMexican), Winter Texans, and Mexicannationals, according to Rivas-Chavez.
The data, after collected in surveys, isthen processed via computer by graduatestudents. The analyzed information is thengraphed and used as applied (detailed)research material for the finished journals.This finished work is ultimately utilized indetermining what Rivas-Chavez calls, “thethree impacts.” The three impacts are usedto define what impact each tourist grouphas on the local economy. They are DirectImpact, Indirect Impact and Economic(induced) Impact. Eventually, throughproper application of the refined journal,the Center produces information that high-lights the economic impacts and the needsof tourists.
Vincent said that students used in thesestudies do so either voluntarily or, as isseen in upper level classes, as an assignedduty. The Web page states that, “the Centeris committed to providing an opportunityfor students to learn applied researchmethodologies and to become involved inthe research activities of the Center.” Inall, 123 students participated in the lastresearch project, 14 under the supervisionof Vincent, including Rivas-Chavez.
“All students participate in the researchcenter to train in the field,” Vincent said.When asked what he thought of the experi-ence, Rivas-Chavez said, “It was a won-derful experience. It was a great opportuni-ty to learn more about what is going on inthe Valley.
Students conductstudies on tourism By Melissa Ciomperlik
The Pan American
By Jaime Garcia Jr.The Pan American
REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES& ADOPTION AFFILIATES
SINCE 1973
WE UNDERSTAND... WE CARE... AND WE HELP
LICENSED BY THE TEXAS DEPT. OF HEALTH #009PROVIDING SURGICAL AND MEDICAL ABORTIONS
WITH THE COMFORT OF IV SEDATION, EMERGENCYCONTRACEPTION, SONOGRAMS, BIRTH CONTROL
SERVICES AND FREE PREGNANCY TESTING.ADOPTION SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE
1-800-270-6757613 SESAME DRIVE WEST HARLINGEN, TEXAS 785501-800-575-8604 MEX. 001-800-010-1287
www.reproductiveservices.com
March 21, 2002 sports Page 14
Travel may be fun for most people,but the road has been rocky this seasonfor the University of Texas-PanAmerican men’s and women’s tennisteams.
“We’ve been on the road for a longtime,” said head tennis coach ToddChapman.
With over half the season completed,the Broncs have struggled through a 6-5start and have yet to play a match infront of a home crowd.
The Lady Broncs have played justtwo matches in Edinburg, picking upone of their two wins of the season bytrouncing Lamar March 1.
But both teams have the opportunityto turn the tables on their opponentsthis weekend during rare home contests.The Broncs begin a weekend of tennisactivity against St. Mary’s (TX) Fridayat 5 p.m.
“I’m excited for the players,”Chapman said. “It’s their family andfriends that get to come out and watchthem play.”
Chapman went on to say that St.Mary’s may give his team a challenge.
“St. Mary’s is a solid team,” he said.“The match could go either way.”
In their most recent action March 16,the Broncs upended St. Mary’s (CA) 5-1 on the last leg of a California roadtrip.
Despite the seemingly lopsided score,the match was closer than the score leton, with four of the six singles matchesgoing three sets.
“Any time you have four three-setmatches, you know it’s going to be aclose match,” Chapman said. “As acoach, you know it can go either way.We played with a lot of heart.”
UTPA picked up wins in all spotsexcept no. 2 singles, where FrankSchmitt defeated sophomore TomMangleschots 6-7 (7-5), 6-1, 6-2.
Junior Matt Gower earned a straightset victory for the Broncs at no. 1 sin-gles, pounding Thomas Burgemeister 6-4, 6-1.
At no. 3 singles, freshman FilipKoziell defeated Arturo Planell 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
After dropping the first set 3-6, fel-low Canadian freshman Jeremy Salvocame from behind to soundly beat J.J.Whitlinger in three sets 6-0, 6-1.
Senior Kareem Abdullah and juniorNeil Barraclough earned wins for UTPA
at fifth and sixth singles, with Abdullahbeating Philip Laubscher 4-6, 6-3, 7-5,and Barraclough trouncing Josh Farley6-0, 6-1.
The Broncs head into Friday’s contestthe winners of three of their last fourmatches, but Chapman feels his teammust continue to improve.
“We just have to work on our confi-dence,” Chapman said. “We need toplay hard every time and leave every-thing we have out on the court.”
WOMENWhile the Broncs have won three out
of four, the Lady Broncs have struggledthroughout the season, winning just twoout of 10 matches and losing twostraight.
According to Chapman, the youth ofhis team has hurt UTPA in critical situ-ations. Of their 10 losses this season,the Lady Broncs lost five of them by a4-3 score.
“I think it’s confidence,” Chapmansaid. “All it’s going to take is for us towin one of those and then we’ll see thatwe can win the close matches.”
Despite its difficulties this season,Chapman is confident his team can fin-ish the season strong. “We’ve been inevery match we’ve played,” he said.“We’re going to have a lot of close
matches.”The Lady Broncs have an opportunity
to halt their two-game losing skidSaturday when they host St. Mary’s(TX) at 9 a.m. and Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 2 p.m.
“It’s exciting that we have a teamcoming a long way to play us,”Chapman said. “St. Mary’s is a solidprogram. Win or lose, the matches aregoing to be close.”
In their most recent action, the LadyBroncs dropped a 4-3 contest to SanJose State March 12.
San Jose State earned the doublespoint, winning two out of the threematches.
UTPA’s lone win came at numberthree doubles, where the duo of fresh-men Kathryn Waslen and Ana Penadefeated Emily Kuo and Whitney Vasu8-0.
The Lady Broncs picked up points atthe no. 1, no. 5 and no. 6 positions.Sophomore Celine Merlini earned aLady Bronc victory in the no. 1 singlesslot, beating Ana Lukner 6-2, 7-6 (9-7).
Pena picked up her second win of thematch at no. 5 singles, blanking Kuo 6-0, 6-0, while sophomore Jessica Brownout-fought Vasu at no. 6 singles, record-ing a 6-7 (7-3), 6-1, 7-5 victory.
By Matt LynchThe Pan American
Netters looking forward to playing at homeBroncs hope to relieve stress from playing on theroad with their first match of the season at UTPA
Chapman anticipates third home match of the season will turn things around for Lady Broncs
OPINION l e t t e r s ■ e d i t o r i a l s ■ c a r t o o n s
1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican50th Year – No. 22
EditorMatt Lynch
Layout Designers
Gabriel HernandezCristina ReynaCeleste Y. Tello
Reporters
Blake Daniels
Jaime Garcia Jr.
Mike Gonzalez
Elizabeth Martinez
Linda Martinez
Nikki Ramirez
Belinda Reyes
Cristina ReynaCesar Trevino
Photographers
Anna StworaMary Zuviri
Advertising
Dagoberto Perez
CirculationJesus M. Gonzalez
Advertising CoordinatorJuanita Sanchez
AdviserGreg Selber
the PAN AMERICAN is theofficial studentnewspaper of TheUniversity ofTexas-PanAmerican. Views presentedare those of thewriters and do notnecessarily reflectthose of theuniversity.
The Pan Americangladly acceptsletters fromstudents, staff andfaculty regardingnewspaper contentor current issues.The Pan Americanreserves the rightto edit submissionsfor grammar andlength. Please limitsubmission lengthto 300 words. ThePan Americancannot publishanonymous letters,or submissionscontaining hatespeech orgratuitouspersonal attacks.Letters are printedat the discretion ofthe editor andmust include thewriter’s name,class/title andphone number.
Letters policy
March 212 0 0 2
Readers with dis-abilities mayrequest an alter-native format ofthis publicationat The PanAmerican busi-ness office. For special assis-tance to attendany event listedin this publica-tion, contact thecoordinator of theevent at least oneweek prior to theadvertised date.
Sports EditorEladio Jaimez
Celebrating 50 years
PAGE 2
A & E EditorAshley Brooks
News EditorCristina [email protected]
Copy EditorMelissa
By the numbersMarch 21, 2002 sports Page 15
Broncs finish near bottom inSouth Carolina
AIKEN, SC–The University of Texas-Pan American men’s golf team finished 14th at the 15-team Cleveland Golf Collegiate Championship, hosted by Soutth Carolina-Aiken at thePalmetto Golf Club on Monday.
The Broncs shot a final-round score of 290, good for a 54-hole total of 884. UTPA finishedahead of Tulane by eight strokes.
Virginia Tech won the tournament with a score of 836, followed by South Florida at 851,Texas-Arlington and Kansas at 854, Furman at 855 and Virginia Commonwealth at 857.
Texas tech was next at 859, followed by the host Pacers at 860, Pfeiffer at 866, SoutheasternLouisiana at 873, Florida State and Maryland at 877, and Georgia College and State Universityat 878.
Sophomore Ben Piper led the Broncs, shooting a final-round score of 70 for a 54-hole total ofone-under-par 212, tying him for 13th. Senior Santiago DeLarrea shot a 70 for a total of 218,and tied for 35th.
Freshman John Huerta shot 75 for a total of 225, and is tied for 59th, sophomore RudyCeledon shot 75-229 and tied for 71st, and junior Omar Halldorsson shot 79 for 238, good for78th place.
The Broncs return to South Carolina to participate at the Furman Intercollegiate this weekendin Greenville.
SPORTS CLIPBOARD BASEBALL
BRONC LEADERS
Batting Average
Juan Saenz .545
Adam Farek .417
Matt Eichel .381
Matt Sisk .354
Tony Ortiz .295
Homeruns
Matt Eichel 2
Matt Sisk 2
Jarrad Maddox 1
Sean Flynn 1
Tony Ortiz 1
RBI
Matt Sisk 13
Jarrad Maddox 8
Marr Eichel 7
Tony Ortiz 7
Skip Weast 6
Sean Flynn 5
Hits
Matt Sisk 29
Jerome McCoy 22
Bruce Kennedy 18
Jarrad Maddox 11
Tony Ortiz 13
Runs
Matt Sisk 16
Jerome McCoy 13
Jonathan Mason 9
Bruce Kennedy 10
Sean Flynn 8
TEAM NUMBERS
Batting Average .277
Homeruns 7
RBI 74
Hits 193
Runs 93
GOLF
BRONCS
Cleveland Collegiate
Ben Piper 68-74-70-212, tie for 13th
Santiago DeLarrea 75-73-70-218, tie for 35th
John Huerta 75-75-75-225, tie for 59th
Rudy Celedon 74-80-75-229, tie for 71st
Omar Halldorsson 79-80-79-238, 78th
LADY BRONCS
NIU/Snowbird Intercollegiate Tournament
Crystal Frazier 79-85-164, tie for 47th
Adriana Espinoza 85-79-164, tie for 47th
Christine Treanor 81-85-166, tie for 57th
Itziar Unanue 89-77-166, tie for 57th
Christina Infante 89-102-191, tie for 119th
BASEBALL continued from page 16
“We pitched extremely well today and hit the ballgood,” Tredaway said after Wednesday’s game. “Ifwe stay consistent, we can play with anyone.”
Bronc pitchers seem to have found their groove,especially in Tuesday night’s game.
From the first pitch, the Broncs controlled thingsagainst the Jayhawks and won 4-0. Left-handerJames started the game strongly and recorded theteam’s first shutout of the season.
“This is the best I have pitched all season,” Jamessaid. “I am still pumped and feel that I could goanother nine innings.”
James improved his record to 4-3 and lowered hisERA to 3.69 with 31 strikeouts. He also pitched theBroncs first complete game of the season.
“We all played great and showed that we have thepotential to beat anyone,” James said.
James gave up five hits and fanned nine Jayhawksin nine innings of work. Shortstop Jerome McCoywent three-for-four with three singles, two stolenbases, one RBI and one run. Center fielder JonathanMason went one-for-three with a single and put on ashow, stealing second and third base back to back inthe sixth inning.
“We did what it takes to win tonight,” McCoysaid. “Coach (Tredaway) gives us the green lightwhen we get on base and that makes it possible toget the steals we need to be in scoring position.James was phenomenal tonight. His performanceallowed us to relax and play,” he added.
The Bronc defense has stepped up as well, allow-ing just 11 hits and two runs in the last 18 innings.
“We have learned how to scratch and hit. This hashelped us to be more accurate,” Tredaway said.
The Broncs put their win streak on the line whenthey head to Austin for a three-game series againstthe University of Texas at Disch-Faulk Field. JustinDowd starts the pitching duties for the Broncs onFriday, Travis Parker gets the nod on Saturday andJames closes out the series on Sunday.
“Our freshmen have contributed well, our pitchinghas started to compete and the defense is makingplays,” Tredaway said. “This has allowed us to starta win streak and become confident heading toAustin.”
Building a successful program is along journey.
In most cases, failure comes beforesuccess. The University of Texas-PanAmerican baseball team is loaded withyoung and talented players led bycoach Reggie Tredaway. In his fourthseason the Broncs have struggled andTredaway feels inexperience hasplayed a prime role in his team’srocky start.
“Overall, our record is not verygood, but we’re playing with a com-pletely different team from last year,”Tredaway said. “We’re playing withfourteen freshman and eight seniorpitchers. We’re playing with a lot ofinexperienced men.”
The inconsistent hitting and pitchinghurt the team early this season,according to Tredaway.
“In some of the games past, we’vegotten to three-ball counts,” Tredawaysaid. “We’ve hit a lot of batters.When you do that, we give up a lot ofbig innings and we don’t have the typeof offense to overcome five-or eight-run innings.”
Coming into Tuesday night’s gameagainst the University of Kansas, theBroncs pitching staff had an ERA of8.03, compared to their opponents’average of 3.35. The Broncs had alsogiven up 79 walks in just 19 gamesand have hit 35 batters. Pitcher FrankJames knows his team can improve,but feels improvement starts with con-sistency.
“We just need to be in sync,” Jamessaid. “We’ve got all the talent in theworld, it’s just a matter of doing it
every day. We’ve had real good per-formances, but we’ve also had badones.”
On offense, the Broncs are currentlybatting .275, but have only sevenhomers. Tredaway said driving inruns is the problem, not hitting theball.
“We’re getting a lot of hits, butwe’re not scoring runs,” Tredawaysaid.
Tredaway feels the Broncs canincrease run production by not onlygetting hits with two outs, but hitswith none out as well.
“What’s happening is that we’re get-ting a lot of two-out hits, so we needto improve [hitting] with no outs,”Tredaway said.
One player that has stepped up forthe Broncs is third baseman Matt Sisk.He leads the team in all categories,including at batting average with a.373 tilt. Sisk has two homers, 12RBI and a .583 slugging percentage.Sisk is confident his teammates pro-ductivity will increase before the endof the season.
“Some of those guys have neverseen Division I baseball, but now thatthey’ve seen it, they can make theadjustments,” Sisk said.
OVER THE BREAKThe Broncs ended the Round Rock
Classic by defeating the 24th rankedFighting Irish of Notre Dame, 6-5.James gave a solid performance forthe Broncs despite a Notre Damethree-run rally in the ninth.
“It’s a pretty nice win,” James said.“The best part about it is we know wecan do it. It’s just a matter of takingcare of business. If we do that, we’rejust as good as anybody.”
The fireworks began in the thirdinning when left fielder BruceKennedy doubled to right field drivingin Mission native John Lopez. Secondbaseman Chris Jones had two hits anddrove in Marco Garza, also fromMission, in the Broncs’ three-run sixthinning that put the Irish away.Tredaway said the victory was a confi-dence boost for his team.
“Any time you beat a top team,especially as young as we are, it’s gotto be a lift for your team,” Tredawaysaid. “It’s a team sport, and we allwon the game.”
Prior to the victory over NotreDame, the Broncs leaped over TexasChristian University, 5-4 in the secondgame of the tournament. Pitchingmade the difference for UTPA aspitcher Travis Parker and Justin Bogycombined to give up only four hits.
UTPA lost its first game of the tour-nament to a tough Southwest TexasState team March 8. RighthanderJustin Dowd allowed four runs in thethird and three in the fifth off 11 hitsas the Bobcats mauled the Broncs, 7-1.
“Justin pitched pretty well, but wejust didn’t get enough runs,” Tredawaysaid.
Although the Broncs managed to get10 hits, they left six runners stranded.The lone run came in the third inningwhen a one out-single by Kennedydrove in Sean Flynn.
Even though the Broncs have a los-ing record, Tredaway sees improve-ment and is optimistic his young play-ers will keep playing hard and contin-ue the tradition at UTPA.
“The guys are playing with a lotmore confidence now,” Tredaway said.
Broncs dealing with growing painsBy Mike GonzalezThe Pan American
Television: The great voidThis perfectly innocent 3-year-old sat at
the edge of his seat, clutching his mother’sarm, eyes wide in facination. He stared inawe at the almighty screen that stoodbefore him.
I couldn’t help but watch him. It’s just amovie, I thought. But to him, this was justthe beginning. He had no idea what he wasabout to be exposed to during that two-hour time span. He sat unconsciouslymezmerized by that impressionable entity.It was his way in, I decided.
Television.That bizarre glowing box offers a multi-
tude of uses. And yet, I find it perfectlypleasant at times to stare blankly at a tran-quil grey screen devoid of the usual clutter.
Perhaps more can be understood duringthis simple act of quiet contemplation thanfrom scores of 30-minute reality shows, intheir desperate attempts to convince view-ers of the common bonds they share withcharacters from the Real World, Survivor,or Big Brother.
Such series represent the current
demands of this pop culture generation. These shows continue to pursue topics
that offer little cognitive advancement anda continued promotion of materialism.
Programming has become an inevitablerace to see who will be next to wave thetriumphant flag affirming yet another self-titled talk show.
Brimming with senseless dating showsand contests, television not only providesvaluable relationship advice for the forlornthrough shows like The 5th Wheel,Elimidate, Dismissed, and Blind Date, butcareer resuscitation for idle stars desperateenough to participate in stunts likeCelebrity Boxing or Fear Factor.
It’s not enough to watch such programs
once anymore, however. We now have theopportunity to purchase rare footage of thetalented public as they participate inmoronic acts of self-infliction such as inthe obnoxious Jackass videos or thedrunken, bare-all Girls Gone Wild series,hence the titles.
Is that what junior has to look forwardto? Will he, too, want to stay up late towatch Howard Stern in all his repugnantglory?
I wondered what he would take from hisexposure as he embarked upon this jour-ney through junkfood television.
Will he be more accepting of peopleafter having watched as television contin-ues to push homosexual subject matter tothe forefront of society?
I pondered that little boy’s future as heabsorbed every sight and sound of thatdestructive, pseudo baby-sitter we affec-tionately call the tube.
Maybe it should be sold with a warninglabel.
Caution: May cause regression.
CRISTINAREYNA
Reader ‘totally missed the point’ of Denim Day
Purpose of posters was to send positive messageThe purpose of the “Wear
jeans if you are gay onThursday” posters the weekbefore Spring Break was tomake a statement that one can-not judge a book by its cover,not to have any negativeremarks about the fliers. Ourgroup goal was to educate peo-ple that what counts is on theinside, not on the outside.Surely many were confused bythe fliers that were posted upthis past week. Judging an indi-vidual based on their clothingand on the pretense that a per-son is gay, is irrelevant to thecharacterization of the individ-ual.
To those that were clearlyupset by this and tore down thesigns, no harm was intended.Once again, those actions showa mere misunderstanding ofwhat is really behind the pic-ture. It is not an agenda we aretrying to enforce, we are justgiving a point of view. If wedid pick certain attire that ourorganization would wear, thepurpose of our statement wouldbe irrelevant. I would like tostate as well that individualswho posted the fliers are notaffiliated with GLOBAL andshould not be harassed.
The comparison of “if youare a Nazi, wear a T-Shirt,” is
completely undermining thepurpose of “Stop the hate”week. The comparison of Nazisto our organizations is beyondludicrous as you look into thepast, Nazis persecuted all thatwere not on their agenda, notonly the Jews. Communists,Homosexuals as well as othercultures were not accepted bythe Nazi regime. We pickedjeans as the article of clothingbecause the majority of the stu-dents at Pan-Am wear jeans.One cannot tell the differencebetween homosexuals and nonhomosexuals, therefore onecannot judge based on the exte-rior. One cannot and must not
judge according to what is seenrather than what is not seen.
The sole purpose for theposters was to send the mes-sage that we are all the sameon the inside, regardless of ourbackground and we cannotpass judgment on the exteriorwithout learning about who aperson is on the interior. I,Nyssa Cruz, president ofGLOBAL, thank the StudentOrganization DevelopmentCommittee for commending uson the work we have done hereon campus.
Nyssa Michelle CruzPresident of GLOBAL
TO THE EDITOR
I cannot believe that students at this uni-versity are not able to recognize bigotry,racism or irony.
The letter to the editor printed on March7 has totally missed the point. This campusis full of young people and for most, everyday is Jean Day.
I think what GLOBAL was trying to doby suggesting that everyone who is gay
wear jeans is that by wearing such a com-mon article of clothing this would showthat you just don’t know who is gay.
Mr. Cook’s example of a Nazi group thatwould pick a “T-Shirt Day” is ridiculous.This is one group that would look to dis-tinguish itself form others and call atten-tion to the cause.
I think GLOBAL was not out to promote
their group, they were promoting aware-ness, something that apparently has failedhere. Mr. Cook’s reaction to this simple,idealistic and I think funny concept ishomophobic, which I hope was not hisintention.
Debbie McMillinAdmissions and Records
CAMPUS NEWS
THURSDAYMarch 21, 2002
An Inside Look:■ Opinion ........................................2■ News ............................................3■ A & E............................................7■ Sports ........................................16
T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f T e x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n
Page 8Page 8
■ In observance ofNational FarmworkersAwareness Week, theAssociation of MigrantStudents (AMS) will beinvolved in a number ofactivities this week.Booths have been setup in the Student Unionand the cafeteria todistribute informationand talk to interestedstudents. Friday, March22, the Universit y ofTexas-Pan American’sCollege AssistanceMigrant Program(CAMP) will assist 20students at EmiliaSchunior-Ramirez Hallwith the high schoolGED equivalencyprogram.
Page 4
CCaammppuussVOICEHow doestelevisonviewingimpactyoung
people?
Anna Stwora/The Pan American
GODLY TRIBUTE — (top to bottom): Rolly Cruz, Melissa Perez and Kay Ferguson paint religious art-work on canvases Wednesday afternoon on the quad. The canvases are part of a mural that will be dis-played next week in observance of Resurrection Week. The event was sponsored by Chi Alpha, a campusreligious organization.
Throughout the 75- year history of theUniversity of Texas-Pan American, many aspectsof the school have changed. The physical appear-ance, the name and even the location.
However, the biggest change can be seen in theincrease of enrollment, and UTPA administratorshope the trend continues in the years ahead.
UTPA officials began to tap the junior high andhigh school markets a few years back to get stu-dents interested in college at a young age.
Director of Institutional Effectiveness Ted VonEnde said the people in the Valley don’t enroll incollege at the same rate as the rest of the state,and hopes UTPA’s recruitment and outreach serv-ices can encourage more students to attend col-lege.
“If successful in increasing the participationrate of people in the Valley, our target number forstudents in the year 2015 is 26,000,” Von Endesaid. “That is assuming we do whatever to get theparticipation rate up.”
UTPA’s enrollment gradually increased in thepast few years, but saw its biggest hike from Fall2000 to Fall 2001. In 2000, enrollment figuresshow 12,760 students attended UTPA. By 2001,that number had increased 7 percent to 13,640students.
Von Ende said the growth of the Valley in pop-ulation contributed to the increased enrollment ofUTPA, which in return provides more educationalopportunities to people in this region.
“We predict we will break the 14,000-studentmark in Fall 2002 and we predict to keep ongrowing,” Von Ende said. “If we continue toenroll people at the same rate, our enrollment ispredicted to reach 18,000 or more in the next tenyears.”
A big part of UTPA’s effort to attract studentscomes from the office of Outreach andRecruitment Services.
Director Jody Pena said her office does every-thing to market UTPA to high school studentsfrom advertisements and mail-outs to high school
By Eladio JaimezThe Pan American
Long-termplan targetsenrollment
See HISTORY page 6
Pairing required freshmencourses has increased theretention rate of students atthe University of Texas-PanAmerican.
The Learning Community(LC) was originally pilotedin the College of Arts andHumanities in the Fall of1999 by linking English1301 and History 2313.Interested students must firstregister for both classes.This allows the same group
of students to take bothclasses with each other.
Judy Davidson, anEnglish professor currentlyteaching in the LC,explained that students arein the two courses the entireyear with the same students,which allows them theopportunity to feel morecomfortable and get to knowthe other classmates.
“I think the LearningCommunity helps studentswith the transition into col-lege and they begin to bondwith campus friends more
quickly,” Davidson said.Student enrollment has
increased over 40 percentsince the development of theprogram and is continuing toincrease.
“The first semester of theprogram involved 60 stu-dents and currently there are140 students enrolled,” saidErin Whittmeyer, LearningCommunity coordinator.
Whittmeyer explained thatthe two faculty memberswho are teaching the pairedcourses must cooperate
Class pairs boost retentionBy Nikki RamirezThe Pan American
See LINKING page 6
RecreatingCONVENTIONALArt
MR. FAVORITE: TigerWoods looks to be the onlygolfer to ever defend thetitle at The PlayersChampionship this weekendat Sawgrass. Woods comesto the tourney as thefavorite following a quickstar t to the 2002 PGATour season. He’s alsoalready been mentioned asa top contender at theMasters, his next tourna-ment after TPC. Woods hasrolled in his last twoevents, which justifies hisconsideration as a topgolfer in the upcomingtourney. Woods won goingaway at Bayhill last weekand charged his way intosecond at Doral two weeksago. Others to look forinclude: David Duval, PhilMickelson and Ernie Els.
PGA
NFL
RETURNING HOME:Former Denver Bronco’stight end Shannon Sharpesaid he would like to comeback to the Mile High Cit yeven if it means makingless money, according toAssociated Press repor ts.Sharpe, who turns 34 inJune, was one of manysalar y cap casualties of theBaltimore Ravens. Despitea nagging knee injur y thispast year, the 12-year NFLveteran tied for the NFLlead in catches with 73 atthe tight end position. TheBroncos are also interestedin re-signing Sharpe, but inthe end, money will be thedeciding factor.
SPORTS■ Bronc Tennis . . . . . . . . .14
■ Sports Clipboard. . . . . ..15
■ Bronc Baseball . . . . . . .15
PAGE 16
Blake Daniels/The Pan American
HOME SWEET HOME: Former Mission Eagle John Lopez slides safely into home plate while eluding a tag from Kansas pitcher Tom Gorzelanny as teammates MattSisk, right, and Tony Ortiz look on Wednesday afternoon at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The Broncs beat the Jayhawks 7-2 and improved their win streak to fourgames. The Broncs look to improve their streak this weekend with a three-game series against the 14th-ranked Texas Longhorns (20-6) at Disch-Falk Field.
Broncs sweep Kansas
Blake Daniels/The Pan American
NO RUNS FOR YOU: Bronc catcher Matt Eichel embracespitcher Frank James after pitching the team’s first shutout thisseason. The Broncs defeated the Jayhawks 4-0 on Tuesday.
When the University of Texas-PanAmerican Broncs took the field against theKansas Jayhawks of the Big 12Conference Wednesday, it was a case oftwo teams headed in opposite directions.Surging UTPA beat the strugglingJayhawks twice, 4-0 and 7-2, and nowlook forward to a match with in-state rivalUT-Austin next.
The Jayhawks leave the Valley with aseven-game losing streak, while the Broncsride a four-game win streak and are play-ing their best baseball of the season.
“We had a lot of momentum going intothis series,” said head baseball coachReggie Tredaway. “We needed to pick upwhere we left off from the Notre Dameand Texas Christian University wins at TheRound Rock Tournament, and we did thattoday and last night.”
The Broncs have showed maturity and ahigher level of play the past five games,qualities that were absent earlier in the sea-
son. They were 2-15, and are now 6-15after four wins in a row.
“This team has showed maturity andsigns of turning the corner,” Tredawaysaid.
Wednesday’s Kansas game started out asa pitcher’s duel until the Bronc bats caughton fire in the second inning. The Broncsscored three runs in the second and one inthe fourth before finishing the game withthree runs in the last two innings to get thewin.
Catcher Sean Flynn went two-for-threeat the plate and center fielder John Lopez,of Mission, went three for four with threeRBI.
“I have started to put more attention tostaying back in my stance and drivingthrough the ball,” said Lopez.
Justin Bogy gave up one run on four hitsin seven innings of work to take the win.
“Justin started where (Frank) James leftoff last night, throwing strikes and stayingout of three-ball count situations,” saidTredaway.
After one of the worst starts in school history, the Bronc for-tunes seem to be turning around. After defeating nationallyranked Notre Dame and Texas Christian University over SpringBreak, the Broncs came home to host Kansas University.Pitching helped the Broncs past the Jayhawks in both contests.
By Blake DanielsThe Pan American
See BASEBALL page 15
■ The Universit y ofTexas-Pan AmericanFoundation will host itsannual Pan-Am Classicgolf tournament April20 at the Los LagosGolf Club in Edinburg.Events included at thetournament include theBlockbuster MillionDollar Cash Shootoutand a youth golf clinichosted by members ofUTPA’s men’s andwomen’s golf teamsThe clinic is open to allchildren ages 6-13. Anumber of scholarshipoppor tunities forinterested par ties,including Ace, Eagle,Birdie, Par Beer Car tand Hole. Proceedsraised from thetournament go to theGreater Universit yFund, which providesfunding for scholarshipsand special activitiesfor UTPA students.For more information,
contact UTPA at 318-5301.
LOCAL NEWS
UTPA: Vision of SuccessTHIRD IN A CONTINUING SERIES