october 19, 2006
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A crowd of young protesters stood
in front of a McDonald’s restaurant
Monday afternoon, picketing against the
company. Their beef? That the fast-food
chain promotes unhealthy food, slaugh-
ters animals for meat, and is a major
player in globalization, among other
criticisms
Clad in black, the group of teens
and 20-somethings protested against the
company as part of “International Anti-
McDonald’s Day,” and the United
Nations World Food Day. They picketed
a franchise located at the intersection of
Savannah Avenue and 10th Street, hold-
ing signs with complaints such as, “Meat
is Murder,” and “McSlavery,” “For the
Environment” and “Eat Local.” Several
teens in mohawks even bore black-and-
red anarchy signs.
Though banding together against
the same corporation, the protesters’
individual causes varied. Jordan Hughes,
an undeclared sophomore at The
University of Texas-Pan American, said
she was against McDonald’s and its
unethical treatment of animals.
A group of seniors led by Elaine
Gonzalez and Katrina Newell, both
communication studies majors, met
Tuesday with Student Government
Association (SGA) senators in hopes of
getting their support on a petition to
move commencement ceremony to the
Dodge Arena.
The group has been working for
several weeks on the petition, designed
to shift commencement exercises in
order to allow more relatives of graduat-
ing seniors to share this accomplish-
ment.
The petition was distributed through-
out each college on campus and
has been signed by
approximately 730 students.
SPACE ISSUESOne of the main factors for switch-
ing the graduation location, according to
Newell, is the need for more space as
UTPA’s graduation rate increases. In
2001, UTPA granted 1,431 bachelor’s
degrees, 359 master’s degrees, and eight
doctorates. Those numbers increased by
38, 46 and 50 percent respectively in
2005.
Francisco Alday, a senior majoring
in communication studies, said he sup-
ports the request because the Field
House in no longer equipped to host an
event of such magnitude given the larg-
er numbers.
“As students, we have a right to
choose where we want to have this cere-
mony,” Alday said. “After all, this is a
day we worked so hard for, and we
should not have to limit the number of
loved ones we can invite to share this
moment with us.”
In addition, Alday said his grand-
PAN AMERICAN
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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 Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n O c t o b e r 1 9 , 2 0 0 6
UTPA participating in“Save Lids to SaveLives” program
Take a look at the highsand lows of the fall TVseason
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A&ENews
By ANA LEYThe Pan American
Protesterstake on
fast-foodrestaurant
By EDWARD ELGUEZABALThe Pan American
Students lobby for new graduation venue
See GRADUATION page 11
UTPA plans radio programContrary to what the rumor mill will
have you believe, The University of
Texas-Pan American will not be getting its
own radio station, said Fred Mann, lectur-
er for the department of communications.
However, while a radio station is
not in the works, Mann did say UTPA is
set to format a pilot for a monthly news
magazine on local public radio station
KMBH-FM 88.1, which will be run by
his special topics class Bronc TV.
“What we’re doing is the pilot for a
show we would like to do in the spring
semester,” Mann said.
He added that he spoke with Peter
Dabrowski, associate dean for the
College of Arts and Humanities, about
the possibility of putting the university
on the air, and the latter responded
enthusiastically.
“The support and encouragement
we’re getting from the deans is wonder-
ful,” said Mann. “We’ve been given lots
of freedom by Dr. Dabrowski.”
The show will focus on campus
issues and run 15 to 20 minutes long. If
the pilot is a success Mann will consider
running a monthly program on KMBH.
“The ultimate decision would be
left to administrators, but the news mag-
azine is a great way to start,” Mann said.
Expanding Web radio is another
By JAVIER CAVAZOSThe Pan American
See MCDONALD’S page 11 See RADIO page 11
1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican
56th Year – No. 9
The Pan American gladly accepts letters fromstudents, staff and faculty regarding newspapercontent or current issues. The Pan Americanreserves the right to edit submissions forgrammar and length. Please limit submissionlength to 300 words. The Pan American cannotpublish anonymous letters, or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitous personalattacks. Letters are printed at the discretion ofthe editor and must include the writer’s name,classification/title and phone number.
O c t o b e r 1 9 , 2 0 0 6
PAGE 2
News EditorSandra Gonzalezsandra_panamer-ican@yahoo.com
A&E EditorFrank Calvillo
hennero@msn.com
Design EditorErika Lopezlopez475@yahoo.com
IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
THE PAN AMERICAN
THE
PAN AMERICAN
The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of thewriters and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the university.
Available Oct. 26Read if you dare- Find out what haunting events aregoing on in the world of entertainment
READERFORUM
Designers
SecretaryAnita Casares
Roy Bazancrazy_restless@yahoo.com
Laura C.Gomez
lm.gomez@yahoo.com
GregorioGarza
the_nataku@yahoo.com
Brian Carr
Javier Cavazos
Roderick Dorsey
Leslie Estrada
Trey Serna
Ana Ley
Maria Mazariegos
Kristyna Mancias
Angela Salazar
Reporters and Photographers
Advertising informationspubs@panam.edu
DeliveryThursday at Noon
AdviserDr. Greg Selber
Ad ManagerCarolina Sanchez
Asst. Ad ManagerLillian Villarreal
Sports EditorLuke Koonglkoong2004
@yahoo.com
Photo EditorOnydia Garza
north14star@aol.com
EditorClaudette Gonzalez
ThePanAmerican@gmail.com
Vying for the title- Find out the latest on the Texasgovernor’s race
Web Site Review By: Sandra Gonzalez
As much as I love this site, I have to
admit that visually it’s not as attractive as it
could be. Also, there were a few things on there that were a bit hard
to find. One of the most conflicting parts of Etsy was its search func-
tions. I both loved and hated this part. Everyone needs a shopping
Web site to have a complex and thorough search function. Etsy has
that…kind of. For example, if I wanted an idea of something to match
my hot pink fuzzy handcuffs, I would be in luck because Etsy has a
nifty search-by-color function called ColorSpace. The site gives you
color swatches that you drag your cursor over and ColorSpace picks
out random listed items that match the color you pick. It’s not only
addicting, but don’t try out this function while under the influence of
anything. (If you drag your cursor over the colors really fast it looks
like a beautiful rainbow. And that’s without smoking anything.)
However, I have a big problem with their normal search function
because you can’t filter results by size like on eBay. For someone of
stunted stature, like yours truly, that could come to be a bit of a pain.
My love for eBay is no secret; just
ask my bank account. Although, I have
to admit, there are only so many times you can search for Wentworth
Miller memorabilia and shoes before you begin to get a little bored.
My qualm with eBay actually began last Christmas when I attempted
to answer the question, “What do you get someone who has every-
thing?” Apparently, the answer is a gift card to Red Lobster (Give me
a break. I was on the highway and it was there). Admittedly, it was not
the stunner of a gift I was looking to give. As a consequence, I’ve
vowed to try not to mark the birth of Jesus by spreading the love of
cheddar biscuits ever again. My answer came last week when I was
sent a link to Etsy.
Much like eBay, Etsy is a selling and trading site that gives users
a chance to sell everything from accessories to clothes to art.
However, the catch on Etsy is that everything sold must be a hand-
made creation. This makes for an interesting surfing experience,
especially for those who can appreciate unique looks and products
like those offered by Etsy, which was founded in June 2005 by (oddly
enough) four college guys (who I predict will be the next wave of rich
nerds to follow the Google guys).
Just as my palms were becoming sweaty with worry over my lack of an adequate Web site for my next review, a sign came to me from above. Well, actual-ly, the little man in my computer told me I had mail. Thankfully, it was not a spam mail offering me 10 percent off an “herbal enhancement.” It was a sug-gestion from a reader. I’m hungry. What’s for dinner? www.etsy.com.
It’s no surprise that Etsy has its work cut out trying to
stand out apart from eBay, with which it has no official con-
nection. One of the ways it does this is by allowing users to write bios about
themselves. This part of the site could have gone terrible wrong if sellers
wrote lengthy metaphors for their damaged lives and how said life has
influenced their “art.” As it turns out, few do. In fact, many take advantage
of this space to give valid explanations of their work. Of course, you also
get a colorful few who claim to be elves working in a Norwegian factory.
Unless the claims are true, the outlandish stories should be left to old wise
men with long white beards. I like reading stories about people and how
they got their start; the more detailed and distinctive, the better. However,
if they are in fact true let me go on record saying I’m very sorry if I’ve
offended any readers who may be elves. Though I’m not one known for my
apologies, it’s been a long-standing fear of mine that one night little people
with pointy hats will come into my room and steal me. Since I don’t feel
like sleeping with my hammer in hand, please accept my apologies.
Elves aside, most of the work on Etsy seems to be genuinely hand-
crafted. In case you find something that isn’t, Etsy has equipped every page
with a “Flag this item as not handmade” button. After surfing the site for a
few hours, I should mention the quality of work on Etsy sometimes rivals
that of “Project Runway.” Some of these sellers are truly talented. Though,
as with anything, you have to filter through some pretty weird crap to find
the good stuff. Sometimes, sellers’ overly eccentric items are the metaphor-
ical leprechaun guarding the pot of gold. The same goes for music, acces-
sories, toys, and home décor. However, it is well worth the search. A few
pages at Etsy have as much (if not more) individuality than is found in 10
bins at Ropa Usada, and minus the fleas. Frankly, I wish more people
shopped here. Then, I wouldn’t have to see 20 people every day wearing the
same “Hottie” shirt that only five people in this world should be wearing.
Furthermore, Wentworth, McDreamy, Mr. Clooney, Angelina and I have too
much taste to don them.
Hrs. of Entertainment:Love eBay? Try Etsy. 2 hours!
Etsy.com wowed me. Thanks to reader and Etsy
seller Kenia, no one will get a gift card for Christmas
(PIMPING ALERT: visit her jewelry store on Etsy called
UniqueInnovations.) Do you have a Web site to promote your band or
where you go to entertain yourself? If so, e-mail me at
Sandra_Panamerican@yahoo.com. Cyber lovin’ is for losers: no porn.
Side note:
Content:
Is quality sacrificedwhen you buyhomemade goods?
Graphics/Photos:
Web site Overview:
One out of every six women across
the United States has been a victim of
some form of sexual assault, according
to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National
Network. With this fact in mind, it is no
surprise The University of Texas-Pan
American is raising awareness about
sexual assault among students, faculty,
and staff.
Mujeres Unidas and the Campus
Assault Response Effort organization
will host a free four-week training ses-
sion starting Oct. 21 for any person
interested in becoming an advocate for
survivors of domestic violence and sex-
ual assault.
According to Christine Carruthers,
student judicial affairs officer, sexual
assaults are underreported and can cause
a great deal of emotional and physical
pain.
“We want to provide the best serv-
ices available for anyone having to go
through a situation like that,” she said.
However, sometimes assistance
can only be given to those in need when
volunteers are available. Many times
volunteers for organizations are scarce.
Nelda Hernandez, volunteer coordinator
for Mujeres Unidas, believes that volun-
teers are a crucial part of every organiza-
tion.
“We have our faithful volunteers,
but any new recruit is always wel-
comed,” said Hernandez. “The more
volunteers we have for our organization,
the better we can help the community
and the survivors of domestic violence
and sexual assault.”
Victim advocates will attend a
four-week training session that will
cover the dynamics of domestic violence
and sexual assault. Carruthers said the
event will also teach about medical and
criminal components and the interven-
tion process.
The training will begin Oct. 21 and
will continue until Nov. 9 on Tuesdays
Next time you stroll through the
dairy aisle of HEB, you might be able to
help save the life of another woman in
the Valley.
The University of Texas-Pan
American faculty and staff are partici-
pating in Yoplait Yogurt’s annual Save
Lids to Save Lives program for the first
time in university history. The UTPA
Valley Border Health Office (VBHO)
has set a goal for collecting 1,000 lids to
help against breast cancer.
Claudia Barreto, a sophomore
advertising major from Pharr, works in
the VBHO and came up with the idea to
take part in the Yoplait program.
“Breast cancer is something that
touches all women. Ninety percent that
get it never had it in their family,” Barreto
said. “It is a misconception that if my
grandmother doesn’t have it, if my moth-
er doesn’t have it, then I won’t get it.”
She said she selected the program
because it is a good way to get the UTPA
community involved and spread aware-
ness about breast cancer.
“I want faculty and staff to help out
so that they can be a part of something,”
she said. “It’s a great way to get their
participation and start thinking about
breast cancer and the families.”
According to the American Cancer
Society, 34 percent of Hispanic females
diagnosed with breast cancer die from it.
Data from the state health department
estimates 200 women out of 1,000 living
in the Rio Grande Valley will develop it.
By saving lids and turning them in,
people will enable Yoplait to donate
money toward research in breast cancer.
Each lid sent in translates to 10 cents
toward the Susan G. Komen Breast
The University of Texas-Pan
American’s Distinguished Speakers
Series has given students a little less
than a two-week notice. However, the
three-year-old series is far from quitting.
In fact, in 11 days a visit from actor
Louis Gossett Jr. will mark the begin-
ning of this year’s cycle of speakers.
Following Gossett’s Oct. 30
appearance will be Nobel laureate
Rigoberta Menchu, broadcast journalist
Dan Rather and former U.N. Weapons
Inspector Scott Ritter, according to
Samuel Smith, Distinguished Speakers
Committee (DSC) chairman.
Argelia Barerra, Student
Government Association president and
DSC member, said the committee tried
to think beyond “big names” when pick-
ing this year’s speakers.
“The committee wanted to bring
recognized speakers,” she said. “We did-
n’t just want popular people, but people
who have been distinguished in the
nation and in the world.”
In addition, Smith said they looked
at people from a variety of fields.
“The students did look at athletes
this year. They looked at an educator,”
he said. “We couldn’t make all of those
things happen. A lot of times it turns into
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
See SPEAKERS page 12
There will be a Discrimination/Sexual
Harassment Awareness Seminar Oct. 20 in
the Student Union Theater from 2 p.m.-4
p.m. Attendees are asked to arrive 15 min-
utes early to register.
News in brief:NEWSFuture distinguished speakers announced
See CANCER page 12
Yogurt lids raise fundsBy LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
By LEZETTE VILLARREALThe Pan American
See ASSAULT page 12
Sessions to teach assault-victim advocates
SAVING - Claudia Barreto, a sophomore advertising major, was responsible forbringing Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives program to UTPA.
Jennifer Terrazas/The Pan American
LOUIS GOSSETT JR. RIGOBERTA MENCHU DAN RATHER SCOTT RITTER´
OCT. 30 NOV. 28 FEB. 13, 2007 APRIL 5, 2007
Academy Award-winningactor
Recipient of the 1992 NobelPeace Prize
Former anchor of CBSEvening News.
Former U.N. WeaponsInspector
By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American
Maria Consuelo Guerrero is deter-
mined to bring a taste of the Brazilian
language and culture to students at The
University of Texas-Pan American.
Accordingly, Guerrero, a lecturer in the
department of modern and classical lan-
guages and literature, will offer the uni-
versity’s first Portuguese class in the
spring.
“Our university is growing. We’re
offering more programs. Now the lan-
guage department is growing as well,”
Guerrero said. “It’s so important for me
that we’re offering more languages
because there are many advantages to
taking a foreign language.”
According to Guerrero, the new
Portuguese class will focus on commu-
nication.
“We’ll have a textbook, we’ll study
grammar, we’ll read, we’ll write, we’ll
listen to music and we’ll watch some
videos. But, the concentration and the
purpose is going to be communicative,”
Guerrero said. “In fact, the grammar and
the vocabulary are going to be practical,
common daily situations.”
As a student in her native Mexico
City, Guerrero learned Portuguese by lis-
tening to Brazilian music and participat-
ing in theater productions with Brazilian
See PORTUGUESE page 12
Portugueseclasses tobe offered
2006 2007
Page 4 A & E October 19, 2006
October 19, 2006 NEWS Page 5
The walls of Jack Tierney’s office
at Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity are
plastered with enormous strips of butch-
er paper, each containing lists of goals
for the organization.
Tierney is the new executive direc-
tor for the Rio Grande Valley branch of
the national non-profit group that pro-
vides low-cost housing to families in
need through a system of “sweat equity”
and volunteer workers.
Although he’s only been in the
position for about a month, Tierney
already has a good idea of what needs to
get done, and how.
“This is really kind of our goals up
here [on the walls)] The basic one is to
get houses built,” Tierney said. “We
want six this fiscal year and 12 next fis-
cal year and 20 the third year.”
Tierney, a husband and father, says
though he is “well past retirement age,”
he is still up for the challenge.
“I decided that I was looking for a
challenge and this is a challenge,” he
said. “I think this organization has a lot
of potential. I think we can do a lot of
good in this community.”
In all, there are 34 houses in the
Las Milpas subdivision near Pharr
where crews have been working; that
project is almost done. Now the organi-
zation is looking to acquire more land,
either through donations or by purchas-
ing low-cost land.
“We’re running out of lots out
there,” Tierney said. “We need to find
some land but the problem is we can’t
pay too much for the land. If we pay too
much then we price people out.”
In order to keep homes within
reach of the low-income families that
Habitat serves, Tierney focuses on total
monthly expense for each family.
“We’re trying to hold the cost to
the family at about $300 a month,” he
said. “With that $300 a month, they pay
the principal on their loan, and they pay
insurance and the taxes.”
And Tierney knows a thing or two
about loans since his professional back-
ground is in banking. The Cambridge,
Mass., native first moved to the Valley
24 years ago when he accepted a job as
the president of a Harlingen bank. Since
then, he has been at the helm of several
financial institutions in the area.
Most recently, he was president of
McAllen National Bank before semi-
retiring and getting into independent
financial consulting.
“I think I have some skills that I
could help them with. We build houses,
then we bankroll them,” Tierney said.
“Having been a banker, I know a little
bit about how mortgages run and that’s
one half of what we do. We’re like a
bank on one side and a little construc-
tion company on the other.”
LOOKING AT THE RESUMEBut while Tierney’s professional
background may be in finance, his edu-
cational background is a different story.
He began his college education at
Harvard University but after only a year
he transferred to West Point, where he
studied civil engineering. Then, during
10 years in the Air Force, he completed
a law degree.
Although these degrees may seem
unrelated to his career, Tierney said he
learned valuable skills through his mili-
tary education.
“In a lot of ways, the service acad-
emies are great places to learn how to
handle people, how to manage and lead,
which is really what you’re doing in any
organization,” he explained.
Tierney also has experience work-
ing with charitable organizations. For
two years he was president of the local
food bank.
“I went through a lot of the grow-
ing pains at the food bank and I saw this
and it’s a lot the same,” Tierney said.
“It’s basic need that we’re fulfilling.”
In Tierney’s opinion, owning a
home is key to improving a family’s sta-
tion in life and their standard of living
“Instead of renting a substandard
place for $300 a month, for $300 a
month they become taxpayers. They
have to start to pay property taxes. They
start to build equity in their house, and
at some point they own a house,”
Tierney said. “If you look at what’s the
biggest asset most of the people in the
United States own, it’s their home.”
But Tierney said it is sometimes
hard to find families who qualify for a
Habitat home. The two main require-
ments are that the family members be
legal residents or U.S. citizens, and that
they have a steady source of income
within a certain range, depending on the
size of the family.
“It’s not a major amount of income
but a lot of these people don’t have even a
steady job, or particularly if they work off
the books, if they work in the cash econo-
my, it’s hard for them to show that they
have a steady income,” Tierney said.
After find a qualifying family,
however, Tierney said Habitat does all it
can to help them pay off the house.
Once we get them in the house, if
they hit a bump in the road, if somebody
gets sick or gets laid off, we don’t have
to collect right away,” he said. “If
they’re making a good faith effort, as
long as they’re keeping the taxes and
the insurance current then we can work
with them a bit.”
According to Tierney, more often
than not they do succeed.
“Since 1988 we’ve built 74 total
houses and about 10 of them have been
paid off,” Tierney said. “That many
paid off in less than 20 years is really
amazing.
Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity
is currently looking for volunteers to
man its office and warehouse.
“The thing we need right now is
volunteers in the office,” Tierney said.
“In order to keep costs down we have to
have a limited staff but we have a lot of
things that need to be done.”
Local Habitat branch gets new directorBy CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American
SOAKED - Raymond Crews gets
dunked at an event held by the
Association of Information Technology
Professionals Oct 12. Crews, Jesus
Tanguma, and Wayne Headrick, all
associate professors of computer infor-
mation systems and quantative meth-
ods, and Assistant Police Chief James
Loya participated in the event in hopes
of bringing awareness of AITP. Cynthia
Castilla, president of AITP, said while
they did not raise much money, they
accomplished their main goal of the
day. "It was more to get our name out
there, especially since we'd been dor-
mant for two years," she said. "We got
a lot of feedback and positive reac-
tions." For more information on AITP e-
mail Castilla at cynthia@aiptutpa.org
or visit www.aitputpa.orgSandra Gonzalez/The Pan American
Claudette GonzalezThe Pan AmericanHARD WORK - Rudy Abrego and Jesus Pina put in sweat equity on a house inHabitat for Humanity’s Las Milpas subdivision.
For more information on vol-unteering, call the Rio GrandeHabitat for Humanity office at(956)686-7455.
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Page 6 EENN EESSPPAAÑÑOOLL October 19, 2006
&RTSNTERTAINMENT
Editor’s Pick: Must-see movie
A bucket of beer at MoonBeans
Coffee costs $15.10, and is the perfect
primer for the Friday night open- mic
performances.
According
to promotional
materials, the
gig starts at 8 p.m., but as members of
the staff casually forewarn:
“We wait for people to get here
before we start.”
Get to the 5401 N. 10th Street loca-
tion early, choose five beers from their
all-star list, plunk down three five-spots
and a dime and sit in the corner of the
dimly lit coffee house that showcases
local artists’ work hung on beautifully
painted walls.
For many would-be musicians,
poets and writers, open mic is the apex
of their creative exposure – the only
chance they get to showcase their tal-
ents.
For others, however, such per-
formance nights are a casual dress
rehearsal, giving them the opportunity
to test their calm in front of a crowd,
and try out new material.
Conrad Ramirez’s violin broke the
open-mic ice. Standing atop the two-
step, quarter-circle stage he delicately
navigated his horsehair bow across the
four-stringed instrument, seamlessly
showcasing excerpts from “The Red
Violin” soundtrack, and works of his
own composition.
The 19-year-old Ramirez is a soph-
omore biology major at The University
of Texas-Pan American. Since picking
up the violin, he has had the chance to
play in formal orchestras.
The pursuit of a serious violin-
player position would interfere with his
schedule. But open-mic night at
MoonBeans gives him the perfect oppor-
tunity to continue to entertain with the
instrument.
“This is really the only chance I get
[to perform],” Ramirez said. “For me it’s
just fun.”
There was also a bespectacled,
Spanish-speaking guitarist who sang
beautiful psuedo-boleros. He prefaced
each song with long verbal introductions
that I couldn’t understand but appreciat-
ed nevertheless.
There were more than 30 people in
the MoonBeans audience at the height of
attendance. Some sipped chilled white
wine, leaned back in their chairs and
applauded with reverence at the end of
each performance.
Steve Castillo, a McAllen resident
and father of two, says a night at
MoonBeans is the perfect evening for
him and his wife.
“We don’t really get a chance to go
out very much because of the kids,”
Castillo said. “This is the perfect thing
for us because it’s relaxed but you can
also have a really good time.”
As the night progressed audience
members watched as raindrops fell from
the sky.
Inside was warm, coffee-scented
and safe. Baths of soft light cast shadows
across faces, and beer bottles sank into
buckets of ice on unfinished wood
tables.
But it doesn’t take talent or creativ-
ity to perform at MoonBeans open-mic
night. One enterprising attention seeker
merely read an excerpt from “A
Purpose-Driven Life,” which was kind
of interesting.
McAllen coffee house opens its doors to local talentsBy BRIAN CARRThe Pan American
Gala offers dining, prizes, more for good cause
The Women’s Athletic Club (WAC)
is getting ready for its annual fundraising
gala. This year the organization will be
putting on a Caribbean Carnival Oct. 21.
WAC is an organization that col-
lects funds for the women’s athletic
department. Members of this organiza-
tion consist mostly of staff in the depart-
ment and community members.
Students who are interested are welcome
to join.
“Caribbean Carnival is our yearly
fundraiser,” said Pegjohngy Moses,
assistant athletics director for compli-
ance services and senior administrator
of the women’s department. “It is the
gala that we put on every year to raise
funds to give scholarships to female
athletes here at The University of
Texas-Pan American.”
This year the event will take place
at the university’s Annex Building locat-
ed on Closner. It is scheduled to start at 7
p.m. and will go on until midnight.
Tickets cost $50 per person and
they include everything from being able
to enter the different auctions and con-
tests, to being able to enter the dancing
competition and enjoy the food and bev-
erages provided.
“Most people don’t eat before
going there because the food is so enjoy-
able that it is like dinner for them,”
Moses said.
The gala will be filled with many
fun activities for everybody. Two major
auctions will take place during the night.
“We are going to have a silent auc-
tion where we are going to have mostly the
smaller gifts,” Moses said. “People can
actually take them home as decorations, or
gifts for friends or family members.”
A live auction will also take place, in
which a lot of big items will be available.
“Among other things, we have a
plasma television that will be a part of
this auction,” said Moses. “People from
the maquilas were kind enough to donate
it for us.”
Moses added that local eye sur-
geon Dr. Carlos Manrique donated a
laser eye surgery, which will be a part of
the live auction.
“We have many sponsors,” she
said. “People donate most of the articles
being auctioned.”
Funds raised during this event will
be given directly to female student ath-
letes at UTPA in the form of scholarships.
“In past galas we have been able to
raise enough money to give scholarships
to students who are not competing any-
more,” said Moses. “This will help them
until they are done with their degree.”
There is a whole list of criteria
when deciding who to give the scholar-
ships to. To discuss this, the club mem-
bers got together in a committee meeting
and decided the matter.
This event has been taking place for
the last four years, and every year the
theme changes.
“It is not always a carnival. It
varies from year to year,” said Moses.
“We’ve had many themes, including
Mardi Gras.”
Moses said that depending on the
theme of the event, they decide on what
type of music to play and the type of con-
tests for attendees. She said attendance
has gotten better with time.
“We have been able to get the word
out there more and more every year,”
Moses said. “The more people under-
stand what we are doing and that the pur-
pose of the gala is to help women gradu-
ate and get their degree, the better the
attendance is.”
Moses mentioned that it is a fun
event to attend and everyone is invited.
“The food is great and you actually
get to interact with the student athletes,”
she said. “Students are there during the
whole gala helping out with the auctions
or serving food.”
By LESLIE ESTRADA
“Marie Antoinette”starring
Kirsten Dunstdirected by
Sofia CoppolaE A
HOT CUP OF ENTERTAINMENT - MoonBeans Coffee holds open-mic nightevery friday.
Brian Carr/ The Pan American
For more information about theCarribean Carnival, please contactthe athletic department at (956)381-2221 or (956) 381-2383.
The Pan American
October 19, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT October 19, 2006
Story By: Trey SernaDesigned By: Roy Bazan
When fall rolls around, it’s aboutmuch more than just school and home-work. It’s also time to get drawn backinto the world of procrastination bywatching the new fall season televi-sion line-up.
This season of shows promisessuperhero adventures, scandalous sto-rylines, humorous situations and more.
NEW SHOWS TO WATCHA promising show that hit ABC air-
waves on Sept. 28 was “Ugly Betty.”The show stars America Ferrera (Betty)who is an ordinary girl with so much tooffer. But her talents and true personal-ity are overshadowed by her not-so-hotlooks when she enters the superficialworld of high fashion as the editor-in-chief’s personal assistant. In an inter-view on the late-night talk show “JimmyKimmel Live,” Ferrera said the showwasbased on “Yo Soy Betty La Fea” (IAm Ugly Betty), a popular, Colombiantelenovela that has become an interna-tional success.
The premise has been re-made inmany other countries and has beensuccessful. Betty’s charm with a U.S.audience has already won people over.
“The reason I watched ‘Ugly Betty’was because it was right before ‘Grey’sAnatomy,’” said Michelle Gonzalez, acommunication disorders major. “Itreminded me a lot of the movie ‘TheDevil Wears Prada.’ I like it a lot and Ithink I’ll continue watching it on a reg-ular basis.”
Another ABC show that’s gotten alot of attention is “The Nine,” whichfollows nine strangers and how theycope after experiencing a bank rob-bery together in Los Angeles.
Unlike crime-scene shows such as“CSI” or “Law and Order: SpecialVictims Unit,” which have a puzzling orgruesome murder/mystery at the startand then conveniently solve the caseby the end of thehour, a lot ofshows this sea-son have takenon a differentf o r m u l a .One story-line isu s u a l l yextendeda n d
stretched throughout an entire season,leaving a major key point out of thestoryline and ending each episodewith a cliffhanger, such as in “TheNine.”
While the show has done well,some are a little less impressed by thepilot.
“I saw the premiere and I really did-n’t like it,” said Jennifer Terrazas, asophomore biology major. “To me, theplot wasn’t that good and it lackedsome depth.”
NBC struck TV ratings gold withthe debut of “Heroes” Sept. 25. Theseries tells the story of people whobelieved they were average, until theywoke up with incredible abilities andsuperpowers. Writers from the showsay the series will follow a storyline ofeach character discovering what theirpower is, why they have it, the originsof it and much more.
“I love this show because the writ-ers are taking a different perspectiveon superheroes,” said Ernesto Solis, asophomore print journalism major.“They’re taking it from a more realisticpoint of view.”
According to NBC, it was the most-watched program of the night; attract-ing 14.3 million viewers and receivedthe highest rating for any NBC dramain five years.
RETURNING SHOWS TO WATCHSome of last season’s shows left
audiences at the edge of their seats foralmost four months,
anticipating whatwould happen nextseason. One suchprogram was ABC’s“ D e s p e r a t eHousewives.” Thedirty laundry washung out to dry and
just as one loadseemed to be get-ting clean, it allgot dirty again.
“I love thedrama on thatshow,” saidApril Vallejo, afreshman nurs-ing major.“Gabrielle [Eva
L o n g o r i a ]has got
to be
my favorite character because she hasso much attitude.”
“Desperate Housewives” aired forthe first time Oct. 3, 2004 with a report-ed 21.3 million viewers, according tothe Nielsen 2004-2005 TV season rank-ing. This made it the best new dramaseries for the year and the highestrated show that week. It had peopletalking by the water cooler the nextday. However, the excitement dieddown during the second season whenfans and critics agreed that the pro-gram didn’t live up to the dark,comedic drama of the first.
“I didn’t like the second seasonbecause after the first one, it justdragged on with the same ol’ stuff anddidn’t really go anywhere,” saidGonzalez, an original “Housewives”fan. “I really didn’t watch much of thatseason and I haven’t even watched thestart of the third.”
During the promotion for the thirdseason, it was made clear by the castand creators that this season wouldattempt to go back to the style of thefirst.
Another Sunday night favorite on adifferent network is the crude-humored, “Family Guy.”
This is one of the very few showsin history that has been cancelled andre-hired twice by the same network.“Family Guy” originally aired on Fox in1999. It was cancelled in 2000, broughtback and then cancelled again in 2002.But, the series began airing re-runs onthe Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.High ratings and strong DVD sales ofthe first three seasons promptedFox to revive the series on May 1,2005.
“Family Guy” premiered itsnewest season on Sept. 10, withits frequent, random cutawayjokes that usually take a rudi-mentary stab at pop culture.
“I like ‘Family Guy’ becauseit’s viciously humorous,” saidSolis.
Among other returning shows arethe action-drama “Prison Break,” theJennifer Love Hewitt vehicle “GhostWhisperer,” the noirish mystery“Veronica Mars” and the power-house adventure series“Lost.”
SHOWS THAT TANKEDWith success of new
and returning shows, there’sbound to be some losers
among the crowd. NBC may have hit ahome run with “Heroes,” but theyscored a major strikeout with“Kidnapped,” which premiered Sept.20 to minimal ratings.
The series was supposed to fea-ture a different kidnapping each sea-son, bringing in different cast mem-bers each time. NBC was disappointedwith the ratings of the first threeepisodes and ordered production toshut down.
According to the networks, when atelevision pilot is picked up by a net-work, 13 episodes are contracted.Depending on the ratings of the firstfew episodes, the network will orderthe “back nine,” bringing a total of 22episodes per season. However, NBChas not ordered the “back nine” forthis show. For the mere seven millionviewers that did gain interest in theshow, producers say “Kidnapped” willbe moved to Saturday nights startingOct. 21 and the storyline will tie up allloose ends by the end of the 13thepisode.
Another casualty in the televisionworld is “Smith,” which premieredSept. 19. The series was supposed tofollow the lives of a group of profes-sional thieves who keep their workseparate from the rest of their lives.Looks like no one will be followinganything since the show was dropped
Oct. 6, afteronly three
episodes.It’s still
unclear as towhether the series
will give closure to theiraudience or simply vanish
without a trace from TV air-waves.
October 19, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT October 19, 2006
Story By: Trey SernaDesigned By: Roy Bazan
When fall rolls around, it’s aboutmuch more than just school and home-work. It’s also time to get drawn backinto the world of procrastination bywatching the new fall season televi-sion line-up.
This season of shows promisessuperhero adventures, scandalous sto-rylines, humorous situations and more.
NEW SHOWS TO WATCHA promising show that hit ABC air-
waves on Sept. 28 was “Ugly Betty.”The show stars America Ferrera (Betty)who is an ordinary girl with so much tooffer. But her talents and true personal-ity are overshadowed by her not-so-hotlooks when she enters the superficialworld of high fashion as the editor-in-chief’s personal assistant. In an inter-view on the late-night talk show “JimmyKimmel Live,” Ferrera said the showwasbased on “Yo Soy Betty La Fea” (IAm Ugly Betty), a popular, Colombiantelenovela that has become an interna-tional success.
The premise has been re-made inmany other countries and has beensuccessful. Betty’s charm with a U.S.audience has already won people over.
“The reason I watched ‘Ugly Betty’was because it was right before ‘Grey’sAnatomy,’” said Michelle Gonzalez, acommunication disorders major. “Itreminded me a lot of the movie ‘TheDevil Wears Prada.’ I like it a lot and Ithink I’ll continue watching it on a reg-ular basis.”
Another ABC show that’s gotten alot of attention is “The Nine,” whichfollows nine strangers and how theycope after experiencing a bank rob-bery together in Los Angeles.
Unlike crime-scene shows such as“CSI” or “Law and Order: SpecialVictims Unit,” which have a puzzling orgruesome murder/mystery at the startand then conveniently solve the caseby the end of thehour, a lot ofshows this sea-son have takenon a differentf o r m u l a .One story-line isu s u a l l yextendeda n d
stretched throughout an entire season,leaving a major key point out of thestoryline and ending each episodewith a cliffhanger, such as in “TheNine.”
While the show has done well,some are a little less impressed by thepilot.
“I saw the premiere and I really did-n’t like it,” said Jennifer Terrazas, asophomore biology major. “To me, theplot wasn’t that good and it lackedsome depth.”
NBC struck TV ratings gold withthe debut of “Heroes” Sept. 25. Theseries tells the story of people whobelieved they were average, until theywoke up with incredible abilities andsuperpowers. Writers from the showsay the series will follow a storyline ofeach character discovering what theirpower is, why they have it, the originsof it and much more.
“I love this show because the writ-ers are taking a different perspectiveon superheroes,” said Ernesto Solis, asophomore print journalism major.“They’re taking it from a more realisticpoint of view.”
According to NBC, it was the most-watched program of the night; attract-ing 14.3 million viewers and receivedthe highest rating for any NBC dramain five years.
RETURNING SHOWS TO WATCHSome of last season’s shows left
audiences at the edge of their seats foralmost four months,
anticipating whatwould happen nextseason. One suchprogram was ABC’s“ D e s p e r a t eHousewives.” Thedirty laundry washung out to dry and
just as one loadseemed to be get-ting clean, it allgot dirty again.
“I love thedrama on thatshow,” saidApril Vallejo, afreshman nurs-ing major.“Gabrielle [Eva
L o n g o r i a ]has got
to be
my favorite character because she hasso much attitude.”
“Desperate Housewives” aired forthe first time Oct. 3, 2004 with a report-ed 21.3 million viewers, according tothe Nielsen 2004-2005 TV season rank-ing. This made it the best new dramaseries for the year and the highestrated show that week. It had peopletalking by the water cooler the nextday. However, the excitement dieddown during the second season whenfans and critics agreed that the pro-gram didn’t live up to the dark,comedic drama of the first.
“I didn’t like the second seasonbecause after the first one, it justdragged on with the same ol’ stuff anddidn’t really go anywhere,” saidGonzalez, an original “Housewives”fan. “I really didn’t watch much of thatseason and I haven’t even watched thestart of the third.”
During the promotion for the thirdseason, it was made clear by the castand creators that this season wouldattempt to go back to the style of thefirst.
Another Sunday night favorite on adifferent network is the crude-humored, “Family Guy.”
This is one of the very few showsin history that has been cancelled andre-hired twice by the same network.“Family Guy” originally aired on Fox in1999. It was cancelled in 2000, broughtback and then cancelled again in 2002.But, the series began airing re-runs onthe Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.High ratings and strong DVD sales ofthe first three seasons promptedFox to revive the series on May 1,2005.
“Family Guy” premiered itsnewest season on Sept. 10, withits frequent, random cutawayjokes that usually take a rudi-mentary stab at pop culture.
“I like ‘Family Guy’ becauseit’s viciously humorous,” saidSolis.
Among other returning shows arethe action-drama “Prison Break,” theJennifer Love Hewitt vehicle “GhostWhisperer,” the noirish mystery“Veronica Mars” and the power-house adventure series“Lost.”
SHOWS THAT TANKEDWith success of new
and returning shows, there’sbound to be some losers
among the crowd. NBC may have hit ahome run with “Heroes,” but theyscored a major strikeout with“Kidnapped,” which premiered Sept.20 to minimal ratings.
The series was supposed to fea-ture a different kidnapping each sea-son, bringing in different cast mem-bers each time. NBC was disappointedwith the ratings of the first threeepisodes and ordered production toshut down.
According to the networks, when atelevision pilot is picked up by a net-work, 13 episodes are contracted.Depending on the ratings of the firstfew episodes, the network will orderthe “back nine,” bringing a total of 22episodes per season. However, NBChas not ordered the “back nine” forthis show. For the mere seven millionviewers that did gain interest in theshow, producers say “Kidnapped” willbe moved to Saturday nights startingOct. 21 and the storyline will tie up allloose ends by the end of the 13thepisode.
Another casualty in the televisionworld is “Smith,” which premieredSept. 19. The series was supposed tofollow the lives of a group of profes-sional thieves who keep their workseparate from the rest of their lives.Looks like no one will be followinganything since the show was dropped
Oct. 6, afteronly three
episodes.It’s still
unclear as towhether the series
will give closure to theiraudience or simply vanish
without a trace from TV air-waves.
At 7 p.m. Monday, lines stretched
out for more than half a mile at Dodge
Arena as Valley residents waited
patiently for tickets to the worldwide
entertainment phenomenon, the Blue
Man Group.
The European-originated group is
currently on its “How to be a Megastar”
2.0 tour in which the often-times comi-
cal group learns what it takes to be rock
stars on stage through an act filled with
a variety of songs .
All ages were represented at the
event as older couples, young 20-some-
things, families and teenagers filled the
arena expecting to see a spectacular
show.
J.C. Lopez, a junior advertising
major at The University of Texas-Pan
American, hoped the show would live
up to his expectations.
“I’ve never had the chance to see
them before, but I’m expecting them to
be good,” Lopez said.
Lopez, who was first introduced to
the group via a commercial for IBM,
says the band’s music is what makes
them so appealing.
“It’s really an eclectic sound that
they have that is both rock and electron-
ica, which are both genres that I like,”
he said.
For others, the event provided a
chance to see the group close to home,
instead of having to go out of town.
“I was supposed to see them in San
Antonio early last year, but it just didn’t
happen,” said Valley resident Gabriel
Vasquez. “At first I didn’t know who
they were or what kind of show they
could put on, but I’ve heard they’re
awesome, especially the way they get
the audience involved.”
As fans eagerly continued to fill
the arena, opening act Tracy Bonham
performed several songs for the crowd,
giving a set that ran a little over due to
the increasing number of concert-goers
still waiting for tickets.
“We were supposed to begin the
show at 7:30, but there’s still such a
huge crowd outside that we’ve had to
start later,” Dodge Arena marketing
director Yajira Flores said.
THE SHOW GOES ONFinally, caked in their traditional
blue makeup, the eagerly awaited men
of the hour took the stage. The crowd
burst into an uproar as the group started
their opening song, a rock-influenced
number that was performed with their
trademark plastic pipes and drumsticks.
One head-banging, foot-stomping,
hand-waving, pelvic-thrusting jam fol-
lowed after another as the
men in blue employed
sounds of rock, electronica
and funk among others.
Each production was met
with unanimous applause
from the audience, which
was wowed by the group’s
effort.
Staying true to their
signature, members of the
group employed the use of
unconventional stage
instruments and props,
including among other
things, wooden spoons,
paint-filled drums, a very
long baton, and an over-
sized gong.
In keeping with
another of the group’s
famous trademarks, members never
uttered a single syllable throughout the
two-hour show. Even when it was time
to introduce the band members to the
audience, a tradition at the end of most
concerts, the Blue Man Group instead
pulled up an audience member on stage
and had her read each band member’s
name and instrument into a microphone.
Once the thunderous applause had
died down after the final number of the
evening, there was a feeling of sadness
yet joyful bewilderment following the
group’s departure.
After the show, UTPA’s Lopez said
he felt that the music and comedy were
the show’s strongest assets.
“I really like what they did with
the comedy and with the instruments
too,” said Lopez “My favorite part was
when they put on those LED light suits
and started to jump up and down.”
As the crowd departed the arena,
many attendees were enthusiastically
swapping their reactions to the show.
“It was like nothing I’d ever seen
before,” a teenage girl said to her friend
as they walked out.
Indeed it was.
Page 10 A & E October 19, 2006
By FRANK CALVILLO
BLUE IN THE FACE- The Blue Man Group performed their newshow “How to be a Megastar 2.0,” Monday which featured a varietyof insturments as well as physical comedy.
Blue Man Group wows audience at Dodge Arena
Photos by Onydia Garza /The Pan American
The Pan American
October 19, 2006 NEWS Page 11
GRADUATION continued from page 1
She also thinks the fast-food chain
hides ingredients in its nutrition facts and
said she stopped eating at McDonald’s
after watching the film “Supersize Me,” a
pseudo-documentary recording the physi-
cal effects of eating only items off the
McDonald’s menu for 30 days.
Hughes added that she wore black
Monday to mourn the death of animals
slaughtered by the company.
“Even though it’s not necessarily
the only company that does this to ani-
mals, it’s the largest one that does
because it’s on a global scale,” she said.
Still, the company’s Web site boasts
of its Animal Welfare Council, which was
co-developed by Temple Grandin, a pro-
fessional designer of humane livestock
facilities. The program allows suppliers
the freedom to develop additional stan-
dards and compliance systems.
Jeffrey Schmatz, a spokesperson
for JS Media LLC, which represents
McDonald’s Rio Grande Valley fran-
chises for marketing and public rela-
tions, said that the information distrib-
uted by the picketing group, particularly
a flyer advertising the event, “is filled
with inaccuracies and untruths.”
“We have reviewed the flyer that
was distributed at the South 10th store,”
he said. “Are you aware that this partic-
ular flyer was written nearly 20 years
ago? This can be easily verified with a
quick Google search.”
WHAT HAPPENEDWhile the restaurant’s supervisor
asked the group to leave, the protesters
stood their ground.
“As long as we don’t touch the
grass or touch their property, we’re free
to exercise our rights,” said Sofia Garza,
a freshman anthropology major at
UTPA. “If an officer asks us to stop, we
just go limp and drop to the ground. It
keeps us from getting into any legal
problems and it attracts attention.”
Located in one of the busiest parts
of town, the protest had little trouble
drawing an audience, but several drivers
made an effort to reach out to them as
they waited for traffic lights to turn green.
Greg Rodriguez, who organized the
protest, said he wore black to mourn
workers who have been injured or killed
on the job because he thinks McDonald’s
is guilty of employee discrimination and a
lack of worker’s benefits.
Rodriguez, a sophomore at South
Texas College, also said McDonald’s
exploits its workers by using cheap labor
in foreign countries, though the compa-
ny’s Web site claims the company’s pay
is at or above local market rate.
About 30 picketers showed up for
the protest. Vicky Garza, a junior at
Edinburg North High School, said she
was surprised at the event’s popularity.
“When we planned for this, only 10
people came,” she said.
RADIO continued from page 1
MCDONALD’S continued from page 1
t t v w bu u
T u t b tThe Law Offices of Daniel S. López, P.C.
DWILICENSE SUSPENSIONOCCUPATIONAL LICENSEBOND REDUCTIONMISDEMEANORS
Call (956) 424-1600 to find out whether you are a candidatefor a reduction to a lesser offense.
mother, who is wheelchair-bound, would
have trouble getting to and around the
Field House.
“The venue does not count with the
proper accommodations for handicapped
individuals to see the ceremony comfort-
ably,” he said.
Ana Maria Rodriguez, chair of the
commencement committee, said admin-
istration looked into the option of hold-
ing graduation at the Dodge Arena last
year, but ran into several problems.
“The Dodge Arena was already
booked for those days, it is an expensive
venture, and it is too distant from the
university,” she said. “If you are gradu-
ating from here, the graduation should
be here or at least close to here.”
REQUEST DENIEDAlthough the commencement com-
mittee has not agreed to hold com-
mencement at Dodge Arena, university
President Blandina Cardenas is pleased
to hear students’ ideas.
“We welcome students’ thoughts and
input on issues of concern to them. We are
always open to discussion,” Cardenas said.
However, tension has increased
during the last couple of weeks, as the
group of students petitioning are being
more active to get their matters heard.
Newell said it is necessary to use avail-
able resources in the best way possible.
“By presenting this petition, we
hope to portray the number of students
that genuinely want to have graduation in
a place where we won’t have to stretch
six or seven tickets,” Newell said.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONSRodriguez, who is also associate
vice president for undergraduate studies,
said the administration has looked into
other options for a venue, but none have
worked out yet.
“We also considered having gradua-
tion at the [Edinburg Baseball] Stadium,
but the weather was not going to help and
we would still need to have two different
graduations,” she said.
Rodriguez added that they also
considered having commencement at the
new Fine Arts auditorium that’s in the
works, but the planned size of the build-
ing does not coincide with the number of
people required. The new center will
seat more people than the Field House,
however.
Some recent graduations have
begun to segment graduates by pairs of
colleges during the commencement day.
However, Rodriguez said departmental
graduations at the same time bring
scheduling problems.
“The president and vice-president
would not be able to attend all the cere-
monies to confer the degrees,” she said.
During Tuesday’s meeting with
SGA, Gonzalez and Newell presented
their results to the senate, and several ques-
tions were raised. Senators wanted to
ensure students who signed the petition
were aware that a venue change to the
Dodge Arena would cost more and higher
tuition would have to cover that increase.
Despite the questions still in the air,
SGA senators plan to sponsor this peti-
tion and write a resolution plan to pres-
ent to the commencement committee,
said Tony Matamoros, a junior and gov-
ernment senator at large.
The SGA senate and petition leaders
met with the commencement committee
today at 9 a.m. in the Provost’s
Conference Room at the Student Services
Building to discuss a resolution.
possibility that Mann and his team are
looking at.
“Right now we offer play-by-play
coverage of baseball, volleyball and
men’s and women’s basketball home
games that can be listened to on the
UTPA Athletics’ Web site,” Mann said.
The projected costs for a radio sta-
tion are anywhere from $100,000 for an
Internet broadcast to $1 million for tradi-
tional broadcasting. Mann said he would
look at equipment at the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) con-
ference in Las Vegas this spring.
“The NAB has the latest equipment
and technology,” Mann said of the con-
ference. “It’s like a flea market for
broadcasters.”
Perez added that being able to work
in an actual studio and interview public
figures are other compelling reasons he
and his classmates want to move for-
ward with the pilot.
“We get to work with teams and
develop those skills along with our lead-
ership abilities while we do really fun
projects,” said Perez.
Rodolfo Franz, a sophomore market-
ing major, says a student-produced radio
program is an idea some students quickly
embraced as a way to put the university
and its broadcast hopefuls on the map.
“I know that UTB has a radio pro-
gram they produce, and a similar pro-
gram would be a way for us to showcase
our own talent to the community,”
Franz, a Hidalgo resident, said.
With the high cost of starting a sta-
tion and the amount of work involved,
Mann and his students definitely have
their work cut out for them.
“In order to start a radio station we
would need a professor who was dedi-
cated to that, and that’s all they would
probably be able to work on,” said
Mann. The department could add a new
hire in that area as early as next year.
They would also need someone
who was good with computers and
broadcast equipment along with rights to
play music, Mann said.
Obstacles make it difficult to start
the university’s own station, but Mann
says his people hope the new pilot shows
that a program produced and generated
by students is viable.
Daniel Flores/The Pan AmericanACTIVIST - Sofia Rivera, a freshman anthropology major, protests outside theMcDonald’s off Savannah and 10th Street in McAllen Oct. 16.
For more information onBronc TV, call Mann at 381-3580.
SPEAKERS continued from page 3
Page 12 NEWS October 19, 2006
what is their schedule and what is our
schedule.”
After choosing an initial list of 50,
Smith said the committee then narrowed
the number of speakers based on cost
and availability.
Furthermore, Smith said the com-
mittee wanted to secure speakers who
had legitimate opinions to offer on their
given subjects, not just people with con-
troversial opinions.
“I don’t think everyone has to be a
Nobel Prize winner, but I think someone
has to have some notoriety for the infor-
mation that they are espousing. They
have to have validity,” he said. “How
have they distinguished themselves?”
In the end, Smith says they ended
up very happy with the list.
“Some people were concerned that
we only had one woman speaker. Three
of the four student votes are females, but
when given the chance they voted for the
males,” he said. “It was all based on no
other criteria than what distinguishes
them.”
However, it takes money to get dis-
tinguished people to visit UTPA. While
Smith admitted that the committee does
spend a decent amount, he said it is only
possible because of the support the
series gets.
“This year, we were blessed with
[receiving funds from] student service
fees, student union fees, and the presi-
dent supported us this year too,” he
said.
COMING EVENTSWhile he is looking forward to all
the speakers, Smith said he has special
memories regarding Rather, who will
speak on Feb. 13.
“I remember watching T.V. back
when I was a college student, [and see-
ing Rather] in the mud reporting live
from Vietnam with a helmet on,” Smith
said. “There wasn’t as much news as
there is today. There was no CNN. So if
you wanted to see world news you got
that at 5:30 from the T.V. You’d gather in
the dorm lobby.”
Smith said Ritter, who will speak
on April 5, should bring an interesting
perspective on what occurred during the
weapons inspection that prompted the
beginning of the Iraq war.
“I hope he doesn’t say something
that brings the CIA down on us,” Smith
said with a laugh. “But I think it’s impor-
tant for us in Mid-America, away from
all that, to know what goes into making
those decisions. Let’s talk to somebody
who was there. That seemed to be in the
appeal of the students (representatives)
this year.”
However, this year the committee
will be facing a new challenge with one
of the speakers.
“Rigoberta Menchu’s speech will
be in Spanish,” Smith said. “It had noth-
ing to do with we’re a Spanish-speaking
part of the country. This is her language.
So this is something we’d have to gear
up for if we had a person coming from
Czechoslovakia, or some other part of
the world.”
Currently, the committee is work-
ing on figuring out the best way to trans-
late the speech. Thought he has some
ideas, Smith said the biggest challenge is
determining the best avenue to pursue
with just 45 days until her Nov. 28
speech.
This year, all events will be held
free of admission in the Student Union
Theater. Doors will open to students at 7
p.m and to the public at 7:20 p.m.
and Saturdays. Anyone interested in
becoming an advocate is encouraged to
visit the UC Room 320 to pick up an
application form to reserve a spot at the
training.
Each student signing up for the
training should attend every session, but
Hernandez said that make-up periods
would be available if students could not
attend.
Once trained, the victim advocates
will be in contact with survivors of
domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
They will speak directly to the victim and
can be asked to stay at the hospital with
the victim to help them sort through the
situation. A victim advocate can also be
asked to speak to survivors through the
telephone hotline.
“We want to support students when
something happens. We want victims to
understand the importance of reporting
the crime,” said Carruthers. “Just
because a person has been drinking,
doesn’t make what has happened to them
okay.”
Students sometimes think that
they will be held at fault for being vic-
tims of sexual assault, but any time a
person is forced to do something, the
blame is on the person who has forced
them.
Donna Arevalo, a sophomore reha-
bilitation services major from Falfurrias,
said she thinks the training will be full of
benefits.
“I’m glad the victims have an outlet
at one of the hardest times in their lives,”
Arevalo said. “Victim advocates repre-
sent those victims and can help make the
situation a little easier.”
CANCER continued from page 3
Cancer Foundation. Yoplait has already
guaranteed $500,000, with a maximum
donation of $1.5 million possible.
Barreto encouraged participation,
saying it only required a visit to the gro-
cery store.
Participants who donate at least
three lids on campus will receive a lapel
pin. About 200 lids have been collected so
far, and Barreto anticipates many more as
the submission deadline approaches.
She thinks the 1,000-lid goal for
UTPA will be met and is excited about
the involvement already shown.
“This is a good way to bring us all
together. When we send in the 1,000
lids, it will be from the faculty and staff
from UTPA,” she said. “This is isn’t just
an individual. We’re all together to help
find a way to end breast cancer.”
Denny Meline, a health education
coordinator at the VBHO, said the uni-
versity’s participation in Yoplait’s pro-
gram has additional benefits.
“We’re also trying to promote
nutrition,” he said. “By eating yogurt, it
is a healthy snack that faculty, staff and
students can choose from.”
While this is the inaugural year for
participating in the Yoplait program,
UTPA has been running a wellness pro-
gram for three years, that helps raise
awareness of many indigent health issues.
“We’re trying to get more aware-
ness out there on what affects our com-
munity, the population that makes up
UTPA,” Meline said. “A wide variety of
health issues affect the make-up of the
faculty and staff, so once a month we’ll
do the seminar series based upon the
biggest factor.”
Such health issues include diabetes
and other forms of cancer. One glaring
problem affecting UTPA is high choles-
terol. Meline said five of the top 10 med-
ications taken by university faculty and
staff deal with cholesterol.
Operation Wellness, a 13-week
program aimed at improving the health
of the departments around campus, is
entering its fourth week.
There are currently 14 departments
and 120 employees competing in cate-
gories such as weight loss, exercise and
attendance of health presentations. At
the end of December, the program ends
and awards and prizes will be given out.
PORTUGUESE continued from page 3
friends, co-workers and professors. In
her class, she plans to use these cultural
aspects - especially music - to capture
her students’ attention and help them
learn how to pronounce words like a
native speaker would.
“The sotaque Brasileiro (Brazilian
accent) is very special. With music, you
really get a feeling for the language,”
Guerrero said. “I think it’s going to be a
fun way and it’s going to really strengthen
the communicative aspect of the course.”
Guerrero said she has already had a
positive response from students who
have heard about the course.
“I think that the students are going to
get so attracted to the language. They are
already,” she said. “I’ve talked to a few of
my own students and they immediately
think futbol, bossa nova, music, carnaval.
I think it’s going to be a success.”
For Guerrero, offering Portuguese
is particularly important because of the
connections she sees between Brazilians
and the Spanish-speaking students at
UTPA. To begin with, Guerrero cites
geographical proximity to Brazil as a
reason to learn the language.
“We are in the Americas. Brazil is
in the Americas,” Guerrero said.
The country’s economy is also sig-
nificant, especially for those who plan
on going into international careers.
“Brazil is one of the three most
important countries in Latin America,
along with Mexico and Argentina,”
Guerrero said. “Brazil’s economy is very
important for the continent and for the
world.”
Guerrero mentioned that the
Hispanic and Brazilian cultures share
many features.
“We are very similar in history cul-
ture,” she said. “We both have this love
for music. The language is similar. It
comes from the same root – Latin.”
These similarities come from shared
history between the Brazil and the
Spanish-speaking Latin American coun-
tries. Both were conquered by Europeans
from the Iberian Peninsula – Brazil by the
Portuguese, and the Spanish-speaking
countries by the Spanish.
“The culture, the music, the new cin-
ema, the people – we are different but so
much alike in many ways,” Guerrero said.
While the United States is not tech-
nically a Latin American country, the
university’s proximity to Mexico puts it
in an interesting position.
“We have to take into account the
geographical situation UTPA is in. We
live on the border with Mexico. More
than 90 percent of our student popula-
tion is Hispanic,” Guerrero said. “All of
those geographic, historical, economic
and cultural similarities are stronger here
on the border than at other universities in
the country.”
The class will be listed under
Foreign Language as FORL 1391.01 in
the Spring class schedule and will be
held Monday, Wednesday and Friday at
12:45 p.m.
ASSAULT continued from page 3
For more information, studentscan contact Guerrero at mcguer-rero@panam.edu.
Participants can submit lidsdirectly to Yoplait by mailing themto Save Lids to Save Lives at P.O.Box 72716, Rockford, MN 55572-7016. On campus, lids can be sub-mitted to UC 103 to Marla Hinojosa.
October 19, 2006 SPORTS Page 13
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Men’s soccer making their way to the topUTPA sets sights on UTB soccer club
The past few weeks have proved to be quite a rollercoaster for The University of
Texas-Pan American Men’s Bronc Soccer Club, along with the rest of the Lone Star
Southern Division.
After what seemed like an open and shut case for the Broncs heading to the region-
al tournament, the games in the past two weeks of play have turned the division on its
head, and have given the once hapless UTB Soccer Club a sliver of hope in going to the
regional tournament.
UTB’s hopes of going to the regional tournament rest on the Bronc soccer
club’s performance. UTPA finally fell to arch rival UTSA in a grueling 3-1 upset on
Oct. 8 at home.
After putting practice into high gear, and churning out a high-octane offense, the
Broncs next managed to put away Texas A&M-Kingsville in a 3-1 victory. The Broncs,
however, were not alone in the turnaround department with the division’s runners-up,
UTB and UTSA, managing to put in hard-earned victories in the past two weeks.
The sudden turnaround by those two teams has spelled trouble for UTPA’s hopes
of going to the tournament. They are both one game away from tying the Broncs for the
division lead. Unfortunately for UTSA, their season is done and over with, meaning that
they won’t get that chance. Only UTB stands in the way of the Broncs’ path to glory.
The game that would decide the fate of the division was to be played this past
Sunday. However, due to the arrival of thunder and rain, the game was called off,
and now, the clincher of the 2006 regular season will have to wait until Saturday.
The footballers will travel to neutral venue Morningside Park in Brownsville and
play UTB at 1 p.m.
Bronc Hall of Fame on the horizonNominations accepted through Nov. 20
The University of Texas-Pan American will be looking for nominees to induct into
the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2007.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has invited nominations for candidates
into the inaugural class. Nominations, which begin Monday, can be made by anyone in
the community through the university Web site.
The university has been working for close to a year to establish the hall.
Scott Street, athletics director, said nominees would be recognized for their con-
tributions to the university and the community.
“We’re doing it to honor all of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators
who have shown exemplary achievements, not only in athletics but in their personal
lives as well,” Street said.
Some of the areas nominees will be evaluated on include earning letters while in
varsity sports, outstanding athletic performance, earning a degree at UTPA and com-
pleting athletic eligibility while at the university. In addition, their reputations must reflect
positively on UTPA. Nominations are limited to former athletes who have not compet-
ed for at least 10 years. Coaches and administrators can be nominated at any time
after they leave their position.
Nominations will be accepted until Nov. 20.
ZOOT SUIT RIOT - Steve Guevara, a senior journalism major, shushes the crowd for the preformace ofhis fraternity, Omega Delta Di, during Midnight Madness. In the end, they walked away with first place fortheir skit.
The three seniors are now down to
two after the permanent leave of absence
for volleyball starter Chrissie Carrigan.
The libero/outside hitter was missing from
the Lady Bronc line-up on Oct. 6 against
South Dakota State, and will not be back
in 2006.
The 5-foot-11 British Columbia
native came to The University of Texas-
Pan American in fall 2003 and made her
presence known. As a freshman, Carrigan
saw playing time early and finished sixth
on the team in hitting percentage and kills
per game.
During her time at UTPA, Carrigan
continued to rack up big numbers for her
squad. Before leaving the team, she
reached the 1,000-dig mark for her career,
becoming the fifth player in program his-
tory to do so.
The libero/outside hitter found great
success not only in achievements on the
court, but also with individual relation-
ships at UTPA.
“Accomplishments mean nothing.
It’s the relationships I made that I will
cherish forever,” Carrigan said. “I could-
n’t ask for better friends or a more sup-
portive coaching staff; I am so thankful
for them.”
The starting senior is back in her
hometown of Victoria, British Columbia,
and said personal reasons caused her to
leave the squad before her last season was
up.
“I just felt that it was time for me to
move on and do other things,” she said.
“Obviously there were certain things that
happened that were a catalyst for my deci-
sion, but for the most part it was just the
feeling that my time at Panam had taught
me everything it was going to, and it was
time to move on.”
The Lady Broncs, currently 4-19
overall, have had a rough season, but
Carrigan mentioned the team’s record was
not the determining factor in her leaving.
“The losing season had nothing to
do with my decision to leave. I absolutely
love my teammates and coaches, and had
an amazing experience playing, regardless
of the win/loss situation,” Carrigan said.
The Pan American asked for a state-
ment from the athletics department, but
they were not allowed to comment.
“Chrissie Carrigan has decided to
leave the team due to personal reasons.
The University of Texas-Pan American
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
does not discuss issues surrounding any of
our administrators, coaches or student-
athletes,” said Joe Monaco, director of
athletic media relations and sports infor-
mation.
The Canadian senior came to UTPA
to play volleyball and make an impact on
the squad and she did just that. Despite
the sudden departure, her name will
be forever embedded in UTPA’s
record books.
Without their star, the
Lady Broncs suffered
their sixth straight
loss last Saturday,
against Texas
Christian University, now
16-6. TCU handed UTPA a 3-0
setback (30-14, 30-20 and 30-27).
Senior Heather Bravo finished with
a match-high 20 kills, along with five
digs, marking her second consecutive
20-kill performance. Sophomore
setter Chelsea Blakely finished with
a double-double, as she collected 33
assists and 10 digs.
The past two seasons, the Lady
Broncs managed to finish with 10 wins
and there’s still time to meet that standard.
They have five games left before the
National Independent Tournament, and
the Lady Broncs will focus on the rest of
the season and look forward to
the last home game against
Texas A&M-International
Nov. 7.
Page 14 SPORTS October 19, 2006
By KRISTYNA MANCIASThe Pan American
Senior standout quits team midseason
After the regular season ended, the
Houston Astros released pitching coach
Jim Hickey. The former star for The
University of Texas-Pan American was
appointed to the interim position in July
2004 and was then named the full-time
pitching coach in October 2004.
“I was shocked,” said UTPA base-
ball coach Willie Gawlik, of Hickey’s
release. “He’s a personal friend of mine
and a personal friend of the baseball pro-
gram here at The University of Texas-
Pan American. He played here and had
his career here. He has had a lot of suc-
cess at the major league level and it’s
kind of shocking and disappointing that
the Astros did him that way.”
In his first year as pitching coach
Hickey and some of his more notable
pitchers, including Roger Clemens,
Brad Lidge, and Roy Oswalt, helped
drive the Astros to the World Series.
In 2005 the Astros hurlers finished
second in the National League with a
3.51 ERA with Clemens finishing first
and Petite finishing second among
individuals.
The staff also led the league with
the fewest allowed runs and walks and at
the end of the regular season Houston
advanced to the playoffs. They made it
to the World Series but lost four straight
games to the Chicago White Sox.
Despite that, Houston arms had a rela-
tively good two seasons with Hickey.
Yet they still went through with releas-
ing him.
“I feel like he’ll catch on with
somebody because he’s had a nice career
in the minors and the major league level.
He’s done real well,” said Gawlik. “The
Astros were struggling and then he came
in and in his first year they made the
wild card.”
The Astros finished this season
with a great run. They were creeping up
to St. Louis for the wild card and ended
up only finishing 1.5 games out. Just a
couple turns out of 162 games in the sea-
son and the team could have been right
back in the postseason.
“They could have won a lot of
those games, anything could have hap-
pened,” said Gawlik. “I think it came
down to the owner or the general manag-
er of the Astros. I don’t know this for a
fact. I’m just speculating that coach
[Phil] Garner was probably told that he
needed to make another change.”
After releasing the hitting coach in
mid-summer to make some changes, the
Astros are still looking to make a change
that fits with their club. With many
going on in Major League Baseball, it’s
always hard to anticipate anyone’s
future. Joe Girardi made a great run with
a group of young Marlin players and was
named National League Manager of the
Year, and yet he was released also.
“Professional baseball is not kind
to anybody. I’ve known players person-
ally in this situation, where things just
didn’t workout. But [Hickey] will land
on his feet because he’s a Christian and
a good man,” Gawlik said. “I talked to
him on the phone yesterday and I’m con-
fident that he’ll get another job at the
major league level.”
Prior to joining the Houston Astros,
Hickey spent 14 years in the minor
league system. There he molded young
players for the major league level. In
2002, he was named Astros Player
Development Man of the Year.
Dating further back than his time
spent as a coach, Hickey was a standout
pitcher in his final season at UTPA.
Starting out, Hickey wasn’t even on the
pitching staff; he began his career here
as a first baseman and utility player.
After a disappointing junior season
Hickey went back to his hometown of
Chicago and played in a baseball league.
Moving to the mound he pitched a cou-
ple of no-hit shutouts and after that, he
returned to UTPA as a pitcher.
That year Hickey finished with an
astonishing 1.66 ERA, striking out 109
batters in 130.1 innings and allowing
just 19 walks. At the end of the season
the Broncs had engraved a school
record of 64 wins, pushing them into
the NCAA tournament. In the regional
finals UTPA lost to The University of
Texas in Austin.
October 19, 2006 SPORTS Page 15
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
By JORGE HINOJOSAThe Pan American
Houston Astros release pitching coach, former Bronc
Among the hardened and talented
athletes here at The University of Texas-
Pan American, there is a girl who would
stand up against raging storms and all of
the competition in an entire nation to
achieve her dreams. This athlete goes by
the name of Mariale Camey, and she’s
off to the World Amateur Golf Team
Championships in South Africa this
week, where she and her team will play
a grueling 72 holes from October 18th
through the 21st.
“This is like a dream to me,” said
Camey, a sophomore business manage-
ment major from Guatemala in reference
to her acceptance to the Guatemalan
Amateur team.
Dreams do come true as Camey
takes her place among the top three
women amateur golfers in Guatemala,
alongside the mother/daughter duo of
Beatrice de Arenas and Cristina Arenas.
At this very moment, the three women
are fighting it out among a record 51
women’s teams from around the world
that have shown up to claim the Espiritu
Santo Trophy.
As she packed her bags a week ago,
Camey reflected on all of the work and
dedication that she has put in to get her
where she is. As a young girl, Camey was
introduced to the sport by her family.
“My whole family plays golf in
Guatemala,” she said, “and one day, my
father asked me to try to play, and I did.”
After that, Camey said that she
played golf with her father every week-
end, and then gradually began to com-
pete in local tournaments.
“I liked the way it would challenge
me,” she said.
Strangely enough, as Camey’s tal-
ent for golf rose, so did her other athlet-
ic skills. She proved to be an agile swim-
mer, winning 10 championships, and
proved her worth on the basketball
court, earning player of the year honors
twice. But perhaps the strongest high-
light of her career as an athlete was all of
the time she spent winning tournament
after tournament while a member of
some of the most prestigious Central
American golf teams. Camey did a tour
with the championship team Central
American Junior Golf team, and won
three championships on another Central
American women’s golf team.
At the ripe age of 18, Camey was
invited to try out for the national
Guatemalan Women’s Amateur team to
represent the nation at the 2004 World
Amateur Golf Team Championships.
With hard work and determination,
Camey worked her way up the rankings,
down the green, and into the top three
slots, earning a spot on the national
team. But the date of the world champi-
onship fell upon the date of her high
school graduation, and Camey opted to
attend it with her family instead.
When asked about why she gave up
the spot, Camey said, “You only get one
high school graduation, and I was deter-
mined that I could make the team again.”
After high school, Camey chose to
attend college and play golf for the
University of New Orleans. Shortly after
she arrived, however, Hurricane Katrina
pounded the Gulf Coast and forced
Camey and her teammates to seek refuge
in Tennessee. Although she was affected
by one of the worst disasters in
American history, Camey took to the
green again as soon as she could, and
applied to The University of Texas-Pan
American. During the transition period,
Camey received her second invitation to
try out for the national Guatemalan
team, and accepted.
As the youngest player to ever play
the qualifying rounds for her nation,
Camey felt the pressure.
“I knew that each shot was going to
count,” she said.
Camey ended up with the Arenas
duo on the national team, with people
she had known and played golf with for
10 years. With the long-term compan-
ionship they have, the elements for a
strong national team are more potent.
Camey said that she feels confi-
dence in her team and herself.
“The most important thing is to do
well as a team.”
And so now Camey and her team-
mates are in an international struggle for
the World Amateur Golf Team
Championship, the Espiritu Santo
Trophy, which was once owned by Czar
Nicolas II, currently held in
Stellenbosch, South Africa.
The tournament will consist of each
team playing 72 holes over a series of
three courses, the Spier Estate Golf
Course, the De Zalze Golf Club, and the
Stellenbosh Golf Club, with two rounds
being played at each course.
Camey wanted to thank her coaches
and her professors for the support they
have given her, and wanted to convey a
message to the students of the university.
“Golf isn’t just for old people; it’s
fun,” she said.
CALL THE BULLPEN - Jim Hickey, who pitched for The University of Texas-PanAmerican baseball team, served as the Houston Astros pitching coach since 2004,but was released on Oct. 4.
By PATRICK KENNEDYThe Pan American
Mariale Camey
Golfer selected for tournament in South Africa
The University of Texas-Pan
American cross country teams have
returned home from a long trip to Terre
Haute, Ind., where they competed at
the Brooks Pre-Nationals Meet held by
Indiana State University.
The Lady Broncs came home after
having placed 11th overall out of 13
teams.
“I was very pleased with the way
the women competed,” head coach
Ricky Vaughn said. “Most of them
have never been to a big meet like that,
but they came out focused and compet-
ed hard. They had a great race.”
Great indeed, and by their person-
al marks, who wouldn’t be pleased?
Each one of the women posted a per-
sonal best last weekend in the 6K race.
Leading the pack was freshman
Carolina Izaguirre, finishing 45th over-
all. Other notable performances came
from Ashley Perez of Falfurrias, who
was closely followed by Sonya Rivera
(Brownsville) and senior Karla
Hernandez of Edinburg. All three
women finished the race seconds apart
from one another capturing 62nd, 63rd,
and 65th place honors, respectively.
“Carolina had a tremendous
race,” Vaughn said, “but it is hard to
single out just one person on the
women’s side. The team as a whole ran
very well. They were very focused and
went out with a plan and executed it.
Their finish shows you just how much
of a difference being focused and
determined helps in a race.”
On the men’s side, the Broncs
seemed to have had somewhat of a
hard time at this meet placing last out
of 36 teams overall.
“I was very disappointed with
how the men performed,” Vaughn said.
“We had targeted this meet specifically
and they knew they had to perform;
they just didn’t show up and run well.
Overall the men had a poor showing.”
Top finisher for the Broncs was
freshman Edinburg native Omar Doria,
who crossed the finish line in 25:58,
giving him 205th place.
Texas A&M-Kingsville transfer
Alex Moncivias was the next top fin-
isher for the Broncs coming in 231st,
while La Joya native Luis Nava came
in 233rd.
“Omar ran a solid race,” Vaughn
said. “He did although put himself in a
situation he couldn’t hold, but I was
impressed with how much he pushed
early on in the race.”
Up next for the Broncs and Lady
Broncs is the National Independent
Championships Oct. 29 held in Fort
Wayne, Ind.
In the past the teams have treated
this competition as just another chance
to better themselves before regionals,
but this year Vaughn and the athletes
are looking to win the Independents as
a team.
“In years past our focus was more
on regionals,” he said. “This year we
are going to try and win them. The
men’s team needs to search for their
identity for this competition. They are
a young team this year and in the past
we have had standouts like Westley
Keating establishing who we are. We
are looking for individuals to step up.
Winning this competition will help
then get prepared for regionals, and
help them gain the confidence they
need to win.”
Injuries are all too common for ath-
letes. Bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes and
sprained ankles are among the most fre-
quent. Often the more severe injuries shape
the way sports are regulated; every athlete
must adhere to safety measures enforced
by their respective governing body, who in
turn resort to some form of protective
padding as the answer.
In the summer, the Universal
Cheerleading Association met with The
University of Texas-Pan American
cheerleading squad as they do every
summer to teach stunts and review new
safety regulations.
In order for the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) to cover
the squad through catastrophic insur-
ance, certain guidelines must be fol-
lowed. The new rules state that one-
handed stunts, pyramids and basket toss-
es cannot be performed without a
padded surface, which the squad will
abide by. The coach must also be certi-
fied through the American Association
of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors.
According to Alex Herrera, a soph-
omore communication disorders major
and UTPA cheerleader, the main changes
are somewhat of a hassle and she does-
n’t see them as something that will com-
pletely prevent injuries.
Herrera went on to say the main
difference audiences would notice are
the mats during stunts, which must now
be used for every performance. But she
questioned the effectiveness.
“As a collegiate cheerleader person-
ally, I don’t think it is very effective,”
Herrera said. “I mean a 2.5-inch mat isn’t
going to help a fall from very high, so I
don’t really think it’s a big difference.”
She said the new restrictions are
liable to cause more problems.
“I think it’s more of a hassle to take
the mats everywhere, especially us,”
Herrera said. “We go to the high schools
and we have to take them and unroll them
and make sure nobody messes them up.”
While protective gear often mini-
mizes the degree of injury, Herrera believes
there is no substitute for responsibility.
“As a collegiate cheerleader you
should be responsible for your flyers,
and bases should assume that responsi-
bility and catch them,” Herrera, a base
herself, said. “Also, the flyers they
should do their job.”
Charlie Caceres, coordinator of
campus activities and cheerleading
coach, doesn’t see the new rules as
something the squad cannot deal with.
“There is no doubt we’ve already
done it. When we travel to the high school
pep rallies, we travel with mats,” he said.
“We welcome the change, if that’s what is
going to make my kids safer, then by all
means I’m going to do it.”
Caceres said the new standards
have not strayed much from safety pre-
cautions taken during practice.
“The mats are one and a half inches.
It’s your standard all-purpose mat, the
ones we use for practice are two and half,
but the standard is one and a half,” he said.
Caceres understands there will be
injuries, but he and his squad work hard
toward minimizing them through training.
“My bases are not going to let the
flyers touch the ground to begin with,”
he explained. “Basically my motto is
real simple. Your flyer is like gold and
you never let gold touch the ground. I
mean it’s real simple, the way I preach
this. I tell my bases, you will put your
body between the flyers and the floor.”
Bases in general take more of the
punishment as they absorb most of the
impact from the force of a 20-foot high
toss. According to Caceres, most tosses
performed range from 20 to 25 feet.
Common injuries for bases are black
eyes or sore ribs. Herrera wore a bad scrape
on her left shoulder, the result of Caceres’
philosophy.
Caceres said the familiarity of
stunts would not change.
“I think the audience expects to see
some niceties, pyramids and tosses. It’s
not a question of anything else. The last
thing we want to do is be ground-
bound,” he said.
SPORTS Editor’s Pick: Game to Watch
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Texas Longhorns
Time: Noon
Nebraska Huskers
When: Oct. 21
Where: Memorial Stadium
By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American
Game will be aired on ABC
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Cheering with a new set of regulations
By RACHEL REIDAThe Pan American
STUNT SAFETY - Kacey Capelo, a junior communication major (top), is support-ed by Tina Rojas (left), a freshman management major, and Karese Jenkins(right), a sophomore communication studies major, during Midnight Madness.New NCAA regulations require the use of mats during performances.
Broncs see mixed results at Brooks Pre-Nationals Meet
CROSSING THE LINE - Sonya Rivera, asophomore biology major, and her team-mates tried their best in Terre Haute, Ind.
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