august 26, 2004

15
The Student Newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American August 26, 2004 Just as Rocky Balboa did after climbing the steps of the Museum of Art building in Philadelphia, Dr. Blandina “Bambi” Cardenas marched onto the Student Union Auditorium stage with her fists in the air – victory. Following a grueling 10-month search, Cardenas was named the new president June 21 to replace Dr. Miguel Nevarez who was The University of Texas Pan American president for 23 years. She is the first Hispanic female to hold the position. Other than Cardenas, there were seven other candidates vying for the spot of president. In mid-April, one of the seven candidates pulled out of the running due to personal reasons according to UT System officials. All of the candidates, including Cardenas, visited UTPA where they met with university administrators as well as students and faculty. Cardenas, 59, met with an overwhelming amount of university administrators, faculty, staff, and students as a part of a daylong celebration the day after the announcement was made. “We welcome you as a leader and a colleague,” said a faculty senate chair member in front of a full house. “We expect this president to make this great university better.” Before addressing the University for the first time as president, Cardenas received gifts including a UTPA pin and license plate holder, as well as a half a dozen hugs. “In the faces of all of you here, your presence tells me I’m welcome and I am grateful,” Cardenas said. “It also tells me you have hopes and expectations that this University can have on a border state. I hear you, I understand the expectations.” Cardenas told the audience that UTPA would rise to those expectations with the help of the whole university as well as the community. “We will rise to levels of expectations, to levels of hope with determination that will stir our minds to reach where we have never reached before.” A native of Del Rio, a border town nearly 170 miles northwest of Laredo, Cardenas has been an assistant manager for the American Bar Association, a high school English teacher, a superintendent, and most recently, dean and professor at the College of Education and Human Development at UTSA. The former high school cheerleader who was voted most likely to succeed has also overseen various groups such as the Office of Minorities in Higher Education, the Administration for Children, Youth and Families, and has also served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “I am going to be about bringing bacon to the Rio Grande Valley, I’ve got fight in me, when it comes time to fight, I fight, to persuade – I will,” she said. “And I’ve been known to bat my eyelashes.” Cardenas begins her time at UTPA next month, but she already has a list of things she’d like to accomplish once she’s on campus. She said she intends to make time to meet with faculty, staff, and students in small group settings to hear what they want to see happen with their university. “I want all of us to look for that one thing to be our signature contributions, I want you to think about that contribution,” she By EDWINA P. GARZA The Pan American THE PAN AMERICAN Exclusive : Nevarez says his final farewell New Leader for UTPA See Page 3 See LEADER page 12 Courtesy of University Relations

Upload: therider

Post on 07-Apr-2016

218 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

volume61number01

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: August 26, 2004

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 A u g u s t 2 6 , 2 0 0 4

Just as Rocky Balboa did after climbing the steps of theMuseum of Art building in Philadelphia, Dr. Blandina “Bambi”Cardenas marched onto the Student Union Auditorium stage withher fists in the air – victory.

Following a grueling 10-month search, Cardenas was namedthe new president June 21 to replace Dr. Miguel Nevarez who wasThe University of Texas Pan American president for 23 years. Sheis the first Hispanic female to hold the position.

Other than Cardenas, there were seven other candidates vyingfor the spot of president. In mid-April, one of the sevencandidates pulled out of the running due to personal reasonsaccording to UT System officials. All of the candidates, includingCardenas, visited UTPA where they met with universityadministrators as well as students and faculty.

Cardenas, 59, met with an overwhelming amount of universityadministrators, faculty, staff, and students as a part of a daylongcelebration the day after the announcement was made.

“We welcome you as a leader and a colleague,” said a facultysenate chair member in front of a full house. “We expect thispresident to make this great university better.”

Before addressing the University for the first time as president,Cardenas received gifts including a UTPA pin and license plateholder, as well as a half a dozen hugs.

“In the faces of all of you here, your presence tells me I’mwelcome and I am grateful,” Cardenas said. “It also tells me youhave hopes and expectations that this University can have on aborder state. I hear you, I understand the expectations.”

Cardenas told the audience that UTPA would rise to thoseexpectations with the help of the whole university as well as thecommunity. “We will rise to levels of expectations, to levels ofhope with determination that will stir our minds to reach wherewe have never reached before.”

A native of Del Rio, a border town nearly 170 miles northwestof Laredo, Cardenas has been an assistant manager for theAmerican Bar Association, a high school English teacher, asuperintendent, and most recently, dean and professor at theCollege of Education and Human Development at UTSA.

The former high school cheerleader who was voted most likelyto succeed has also overseen various groups such as the Office ofMinorities in Higher Education, the Administration for Children,Youth and Families, and has also served on the U.S. Commissionon Civil Rights.

“I am going to be about bringing bacon to the Rio GrandeValley, I’ve got fight in me, when it comes time to fight, I fight,to persuade – I will,” she said. “And I’ve been known to bat myeyelashes.”

Cardenas begins her time at UTPA next month, but she alreadyhas a list of things she’d like to accomplish once she’s on campus.She said she intends to make time to meet with faculty, staff, andstudents in small group settings to hear what they want to seehappen with their university.

“I want all of us to look for that one thing to be our signaturecontributions, I want you to think about that contribution,” she

By EDWINA P. GARZAThe Pan American

THE

PAN AMERICANEExxcclluussiivvee: Nevarez says his final farewell

New Leaderfor UTPA

See Page 3

See LEADER page 12Courtesy of University Relations

After serving for five years as the assistantcoach of the University of Texas-PanAmerican men’s basketball team and withthe departure of Bob Hoffman, RobertDavenport was rewarded with the headcoaching duties of the Broncs in June.

“After being named I was honored andoverwhelmed,” Davenport said. “At the timeonly myself and Spencer Wright were left onthe staff and the two of us were doing thework of five.”

During the summer, Davenport hiredassistant coaches Brian Dolon, Greg Wright,and administrative assistant Ryan Edwards,while assistant coach Wright is returning forhis sixth season.

“I’m really excited about each of thoseguys and what they bring to the table,”

Davenport said. “You’reonly as good as your bestplayers and your staff mem-bers and I think those guysare all quality guys.”

With the basketball sea-son just a few months away,the Oklahoma BaptistUniversity graduate isaware of the challengesahead of him.

“Anytime you have atransition from somebodywho was as beloved asCoach Hoffman that’snever easy, but Bob and Iwere really close and stillgood friends,” Davenport said. “That willmake it a little bit easier, but any time yougot a personality like that and your followingthem it is not easy.”

Another challengefor Davenport isfinding a way toreplace seven seniorsafter this past basket-ball season.

“That’s probablythe biggest challengeto make sure we getthe right guys,” saidDavenport.

According to theBroncs’ new headcoach, the recruitingprocess began a fewmonths ago.

Davenport was pleasedwith a recent change to NCAA rules that nowpermit universities to recruit more players.

“(Previously) we were only able to signeight (players) in two years,” Davenport

said. “It left a lot of scholarships at a lot ofschools unused, and we have had yearswhere we didn’t get to use our full allotmentof scholarships because of that.”

The rule change had an impact on the wayDavenport recruited players for his first yearas head coach at UTPA.

“(Now) we can sign as many as we needto,” Davenport said. “That’s good because(now) we don’t have empty scholarships.”

This year’s team will have 10 playersreturning from the 2003-2004 roster. Inaddition, five players have been signed. Fourof those players are freshmen and one is ajunior from a junior college.

“Once school starts we will start with ourindividual workouts, weight training, andconditioning,” Davenport said. “As soon aswe get physicals done the first week of

EDINBURG – In order to get agood idea of what high schoolfootball is going to be like inEdinburg this year, you have tofeel the enthusiasm radiating onthe practice field, which appearslike it’s going to be a mad dash tothe postseason.

Earlier this month, EdinburgEconomedes and Edinburg Highcoaches began the long road tothe 2004 varsity football season.

“Our goal is the playoffs,” saidEconomedes Jaguars Head CoachOscar Salinas. “We want tocontinue to build tradition.”

Last year, Economedesemerged as a District 31-5Ajuggernaut by notching animpressive 9-1 record that led totheir first district championshipin school history. They finishedthe season as district co-champions with PSJA North.

For the Jags, the season startedwith a reminder set upon theplayers by coaches.

“We told them they weren’tthat good,” Salinas said. “We toldthem ‘don’t read the newspaper,you haven’t earned anything.’”

Running back RyanRichardson, who rushed for over1,000 yards last season, returnsthis year. Economedes graduatedan entire offensive line and twostarting receivers last spring fortotal net loss of 13 starters.

On defense, the Jags return two

third-year veterans. Rey Reynaand Jaime Hinojosa are defensivetackles and All-State middlelinebacker Juan Carlos Moralesrounds out the core of the Jaguar‘D’.

“We have a lot of work to do ondefense,” Salinas said.

Defensively, Salinas said theJaguars will continue to “blitzand run, what we’ve been doing”.

On offense, he said they willcontinue to give the ball toRichardson.

“Ryan Richardson is probablythe best ‘back in the Valley,” saidEdinburg High coach RobertVela. “We don’t worry aboutthem until we play them.”

The Bobcats return only fourstarters on offense and three ondefense

Vela said the mark of a goodfootball program is its‘consistency’ leading into everynew season. He says that theBobcats try every year to lead abalanced attack and throw, or run,the ball whenever it’s needed.

The Edinburg High head coachsaid that in the past the success ofthe Bobcat teams have relied on‘big-time plays.’

“Big-time players can makebig-time plays who indeed willplay in big-time games,” Velasaid.

Offensively, the Bobcats willrely on returning quarterbackAnthony De la Vina, who threwfor more than 700 yards lastseason.

Junior halfback Jesse Galvánreturns from an 862-yard rushingseason. Galván played his bestgame last year against HarlingenSouth when he rushed for 226yards in a crucial bi-districtshowdown.

On defense, the ‘Cats willutilize potential Division Iplayers Kevin and Glen Cowanup front. Kevin is a defensiveend and Glen is a defensivetackle.

Vela said that if the Bobcatscontinue to make big plays thisyear, the result would be a ‘goodsolid football team.’ He has ledteams to the playoffs five times inhis seven-year tenure as headcoach of the Bobcats.

This season marks the first timein two years Economedes andEdinburg North play against theBobcats for a chance to be called“city champs”, a title coachestend to downplay.

“We want a competitive, butgood situation without theanimosity,” Salinas said.

Vela said the title of citychampion means nothing whencompared to the team’s desire toreach the playoffs.

■ Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . 16

■ Volleyball. . . . . . . . . .15

■ Sports Clipboard . . . . . 13

PAGE 16

SPORTSFootball season kicks off this weekendBy JOEY GOMEZThe Pan American

Davenport takes over the reins of Bronc program

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Edinburg Economedes Jaguars practice recently in preparation for the start of the 2004 high school football sea-son that kicks off Friday. The Jaguars will host the Sharyland Rattlers in the first game of the season.

See DAVENPORT page 15

By JOEY HINOJOSAThe Pan American

ROBERT DAVENPORT

Page 2: August 26, 2004

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539

(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122

http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican

54rd Year – No. 1

The PANAMERICAN isthe official 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 orgratuitous personalattacks. Letters areprinted at thediscretion of theeditor and mustinclude the writer’sname, class/titleand phone number.

Letters policy

August 26 2 0 0 4

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.

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 sPPAAGGEE 22

College dropout rate a devastating loss

CCAALLEENNDDAARR

THURSDAY 8/26PARADIGM Live!

The Quad8 p.m.

FRIDAY 8/27Bronc Brain Feeze

Free ice creamThe Quad

NoonMovie: “50 First Dates”

SU Theater & Quad3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

MONDAY 8/30Merchant Mall

The Quad6-8 p.m.

TUESDAY 8/31New Bronc Celebration

The Quad11 a.m.

WEDNESDAY 9/1LUAU

The Quad6-8 p.m.

Welcome backBroncs! Hello to all ofthose new freshmen oncampus, and helloagain to those who likeme face their lastmonths as UTPAstudents.

It is funny to seehow one’s attitudetoward life changesdramatically within 3-

4 years. As a freshman one is oblivious tocollege life and to its “tortures.” Then as theyears progress and the classes’ get more andmore demanding, one matures and knowsschool is a priority, and that just blowing offa test is not the answer. But of course, thereis also the knowledge of how to handle yourschool life and party life at the same timegiving both attention. However, noteverybody knows how to juggle two things atthe same time, and the dropout rate increases.

It is incredible to look back to freshmanyear in college and remember seeing a lot ofnew faces as well as those familiar ones whostick around with you from high school tocollege life. Then year by year, semester bysemester, the size of your class decreased andhalf of those who started the same year, thesame semester you did, have either droppedout or transferred. There are only those fewwho eventually stay long enough to get a

bachelors’ degree.In the fall of 2001, 14,000 students

enrolled at UTPA and 2,228 of those werefreshmen. Last year, the numbers were evengreater. In the fall of 2003, estimates of16,000 students were enrolled, and 2,534 ofthem were freshmen. The difference threeyears makes is a lot. But what does that meantoward the final numbers of those who dograduate after completing their prerequisitesto receive a diploma? Do the numbers go upbecause the more freshman who enroll willhelp decrease the number of dropouts, or willit just level the numbers?

The number of students who dropoutincreases each year. Statistics show thatabout 10 percent of first-year students don’tcome back for their second year. The highdropout rate is sometimes connected with theincrease in tuition, but as tuition goes up,financial aid monies also increase. Therefore,there should be more to it than that.

Some studies also show that race might bethe culprit in the increase in dropouts. TheJournal of Blacks in Higher Education statedthat according to the most recent figures, thenationwide college graduation rate for blackstudents is 39 percent, 21 percentage pointsbelow the 60 percent rate for white students.But it also states that race is not the issue.However, many statistics have also pointedout that Hispanics are one of the ethnicitieswith the highest dropout rates.

According to a study done in 1993, about30 percent of the U.S. Hispanic populationages 16-24 had dropped out of school,comparing to the overall dropout rate of 11percent; an eight percent rate for whites, anda 13 percent rate for African-Americans.

Nobody really knows the cause of the highdropout rates that increase more with eachyear. Whether it is due to race, moneyproblems, or hard curriculum there is noclear answer to the retention problem. Butthen there are those who stick around.

With each semester that passes, I seemyself, as well as my peers and friends, withgreater knowledge of what the semester willbring: studying, headaches, cramming, andlots and lots of caffeine. Yet, it is stillunknown to us how well we will do, or if wewill be eligible to graduate. Because there isalways that one class each semester that killsyou, and that grade can keep you fromwalking with a black toga and robe to receiveyour diploma in the Field House.

But if you are reading this then yousurvived the numbers, you are a statistic.Congratulations! You are part of the selectfew who struggle and keep their goals toreach the desired diploma that will place youlike most people say, in a better paying job,leading to a brighter future. It is not easystarting a semester, but it is always easier tobreathe and learn how well you did at theend. Good luck to all.

ARIANNA VAZQUEZ

EditorArianna Vazquez

[email protected]

News EditorClarissa Martinez

[email protected]

A & E EditorOmaira [email protected]

A & E EditorOmaira [email protected]

Sports EditorEd Chrnko

[email protected]

Graphics EditorsDägoberto Pérez

[email protected]

Franco [email protected]

Ginmarie [email protected]

Copy EditorDulce [email protected]

Reporters

Angela Canales

Cecilia Castaneda

Emma Clark

Edwina P. Garza

Christina Harris

Aaron Lozano

Vanessa Lucio

Roberta Tijerina

Joey Gomez

Photographer

Delisa Guadarrama

Copy Editor

Dulce Gonzales

Adviser

Dr. Greg Selber

THE

PAN AMERICAN

August 26, 2004 SSppoorrttss Page 15

EDINBURG – The EdinburgRoadrunners capped off the seasonwith a league-leading 68 wins andearned the home-field advantage inthe first round of the Central BaseballLeague West Division playoff seriesagainst the Amarillo Dillas (36-58).

“We just have a group of guys whoare aggressive and hard working,”said Roadrunners manager ChadTredaway. “We arguably have thebest team in four years.”

Edinburg drew first blood Mondaywhen they defeated the Dillas 3-1 inGame 1 of the best-of-five playoffseries and repeated their performanceTuesday with an 8-5 win to jump outto a 2-0 series lead.

Left-hander Pedro Flores dominat-ed the mound opposite Amarillo’sJason Stockstill in a pitching duelthat featured two 10-game winners.Flores struck out eight batters, allow-ing only two hits, one run, and ninestrikeouts in eight innings of work.

Joe Goodmann notched the save,his eighth overall and first of thepost-season.

“Amarillo put their ace on themound, Jason Stockstill,” saidTredaway, whose ball club lit up thelefty three runs on six hits.

In Game 2, righthander EricMontoya notched the win by pitchingfive innings, while giving up fiveruns on eight hits.

The Roadrunners dominated theCBL regular season by winning both

halves outright with a 33-14 first halfand a 35-13 second half.

The start of the playoffs alsomeans that regular-season accoladesare rewarded, such as Edinburg’sright-handed reliever SteveWilkerson, who was recently namedCBL Relief Pitcher of the Year.Wilkerson saved 14 games in 61innings of work, while compiling a 2-3 record that equated to a 3.29 ERA.

This year’s Roadrunners club alsohad four members selected to theCentral Baseball League All-Starteam. Infielders Anthony Angel(.308), Ryan Lehr (.322), outfielderRyan Webb (.338), and pitcher Flores(10-5, 2.49 ERA), who was alsoselected as the league’s best left-handed starter.

This season marks the fourth con-secutive year that the Roadrunnershave qualified for the playoffs andthey hope to capture their secondleague title franchise’s short four-year history.

Edinburg’s first round opponent,Amarillo, will have their backs to thewall in the first-round playoff series.The Dillas have lost four in a row andare 3-11 against the Roadrunners inthe regular season and are alreadydown 1-0 in the best-of-five series.

Edinburg posted a 36-12 record athome during the regular season,

which should be a confidence boost-er for the local club in the postsea-son..

The Roadrunners will need theconfidence of having the home-fieldadvantage in order to overcome theDillas, who eliminated Edinburg inthe first round of last season’s play-offs, three games to two.

The playoff series will continuetonight in Amarillo’s Potter CountyMemorial Stadium at 7 p.m.

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Roadrunners defeated the Amarillo Dillas 3-1 and 8-5 in the first two games of the Best-of-Five seriesplayed at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Game 3 will be played tonight at Amarillo.

Roadrunners take 2-0 series lead

school, (then) at that point we’re busy everyday.”

With five years of experience at UTPA,Davenport has had several accomplishmentsadded to his resume.

Since the summer of 2000, the first yearhead coach has been involved in the Broncs’Summer Camp.

“When we got here, the camps were fairlynon-existent,” he said. “There had beencamps, but they weren’t very well attended.”

According to Davenport, over the yearsthe number of camp members has grown

through promotion and hard work. “We teach basketball and expect the kids

to behave, do the right things, and teachcharacter,” he said.

Davenport is also proud of the team’sgraduation rate.

“Last season we had two guys working onmaster’s degrees,” Davenport said. “(Also)Eric Montalvo graduated in May and will becoming back this year working on his mas-ter’s.”

During the past five years there have onlybeen a couple of players who have not grad-

uated. “I can only think of two, who chose not to

graduate,” Davenport said. “They went andplayed overseas.”

Another one of his achievements occurredthree years ago when the Broncs finished theregular season with 21 wins. UTPA was theonly Division I men’s basketball program towin 20 or more games that year.

“We had a really good team and a greatschedule that year,” Davenport said.

Mire Chatman finished third in the nationin scoring and steals during the 2001-2002

season. Davenport has also been content with the

players’ behavior off the court as well.“The neat thing is, around here we don’t

have (a bad) image because our kids actright, and we’re graduating kids,” he said.“Kids are going to do what you expect ofthem and if you don’t expect anything out ofthem then that’s what you’re going to get.”

Davenport and the Broncs will open up the2004 basketball season Nov. 23 at the FieldHouse at 7:30 p.m. against Texas A&M-International.

Davenport continued from page 16

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Edinburg’s mascot Roadie entertains the crowd during the first two gamesof the West Division playoff series between the Roadrunners and Dillas.

By STEE RAMIREZThe Pan American

Page 3: August 26, 2004

Oracle upgrade available for fall semester

■ Day Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

■ Asst. Chief Carey . . . . . . . . . . 5

■ Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11NEWS

The University of Texas-Pan American is in theprocess of moving to Oracle technology for itsbusiness computer systems, including e-mail. VMSMail and Microsoft Exchange will be replaced byOracle Collaboration Suite, which is an integratedset of programs that provide email, address book,calendar, and file storage, all accessible by a singlelogin and password.

“The implementation budget is over $10 millionand we expect to get considerable benefit,” saidDavid Ramsey, oracle transformation leader. “Inaddition, the technology we are replacing isobsolete. One of the reasons the University is doingthis is because it is like having a car after a while,you just can’t repair the car anymore.”

The current systems have not been replaced inover 20 years and the University was trying to bemore efficient with the way things were beingprocessed.

“We are moving from 1980s technology ofbusiness processes to twenty-first centurytechnology in business processing. This will make itmore efficient so we can serve the faculty, staff, andstudents better,” he said.

The transformation process began in Novemberand has been non-stop since. It is scheduled tomigrate through 2006 to be fully established at theuniversity.

“The Oracle project is called the OracleTransformation Initiative because it is really goingto transform the University,”Ramsey said. “We started up inNovember when I was recruitedto lead the project and we havesince changed our computerhardware server, [which]brought up in April and May.”

The new technology ismigrating toward changing allthe systems a little at a timeand there have already beenOracle changes to someprograms.

“In June we implementedwhat is called CRM which is tohelp with new studentrecruiting,” said Ramsey. “Weare coming up with OracleCollaboration Suite which isthe new E-mail system comingup and will be available Sept.1. We are migrating groups abit at a time that will take six tonine months.”

The next big step in the Oracle transformation isnew E-mail systems for faculty, staff, and students.The faculty and staff, however, will be the first tomigrate into this new E-mail system beginningSeptember 1.

One of the programs that will directly affectfaculty, staff, and students will be the new e-mail

system. This new system iscalled Collaboration Sweet.There will be changes to thecurrent e-mail system andthere will be more availablethrough this new system forall faculty, staff, and students.

Anne Harwell Taol, directorfor Academic Computing,agrees that the University willbe more modern and effectivethrough this new Oracletechnology.

“What we’ve got right nowis a variety of systems andthey are primarily based.They are not as efficient aswhat we could have. It willlet us grow and address thegrowth needs for the future bemore agile and adapt quickerto change to be able to getinformation faster to cut thetime between the time

information is gathered to the time it is madeavailable to administrators and also this will have agood affect to give the students better service. Theunderlying reason for everything we do is to servethe students better.”

As Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez speaks, his eyes glimmer with atouch of sadness and imperial ease as he talks about his reignas The University of Texas Pan American President comingto a close.

“I am not retiring, just simply shifting gears,” Nevarezsaid. “I want to contribute to the university because it hasbeen my life, my family’s life and I will always be here.Besides, I cannot go from 100 miles per hour to absolutezero.”

Looking out the three-story administration buildingwindow, Nevarez appears to drift into a memorable time ashe recalls when he was a young boy full of hope and had onlydreams of what he wanted to with his life.

“My father was a doctor and instilled in me a profoundappreciation for completing my schooling so that is why Icannot leave I guess,” Nevarez said. “If I can do that for thestudents of UTPA which has already produced some of thefinest professionals in and out of the Valley, I’d like to thinkI fulfilled what I set out to do.”

Some will say Nevarez has contributed so much to UTPAbecause of his unwavering persistence to see Pan AmericanUniversity became part of the UT System. Others will claimit is because of the implementation of master’s programs forvarious schools, along with the definite increase in

enrollment by thousands over the years. Still, most will sayit was all because of the South Texas Board Initiatives, or dueto his heartfelt involvement with faculty and students.

The list goes on and on. But numbers and programs aside,this former debutante of academia feels the single mostimportant contribution that he has accomplished for theuniversity, would lie in students.

“The Wall Street Journal wrote an article describing UTPAas the single most important institution that is responsible forcreating a Hispanic professional middle class,’” Nevarezsaid. “I am extremely proud of this, it just took an outsider topoint it out, we should all be happy because of this.”

Nevarez is considering going back to where it all startedfor him, in the classroom.

“Nothing is set in stone, but the education administrationfield has always interested me,” he said. “I have some ideason how we can enhance student outreach possibly throughdeveloping a coastal studies research lab with homage tomarine life here in, the Valley like in Port Aransas.”

With Nevarez’s background and interest in math andscience education, it might not be a surprise if ideas in thesefields manifest on campus in the future.

As far as Nevarez is concerned the new UTPA PresidentDr. Blandina “Bambi” Cardenas is well prepared andequipped for a fast-paced lifestyle with changes coming toUTPA.

“I have known Dr. Cardenas professionally for about

New technology benefits both students and faculty

Former president reflects on legacy and futureBy VANESSA L. LUCIOThe Pan American

By ANGELA I. CANALESThe Pan American

Franco Caballero/The Pan AmericanSee NEVAREZ page 12

August 26, 2004 SSppoorrttss Page 14

Dave Thorn will return this year tostart his seventh season at the helm ofthe University of Texas-Pan Americanvolleyball team that tied the schoolrecord in wins last year with 19.

The Lady Broncs will have six oftheir seven starters returning from lastyear’s record-setting team, whichshould provide a good base for theteam to equal or surpass last season’saccomplishment.

“We have a real explosive team.”Thorn said. “There haven’t been awhole lot of major changes and that’s agreat thing.”

Winker Cruz, a red-shirted fifth-year senior, will return to the UTPAvolleyball squad after suffering aninjury last year.

“Cruz is a big, big force for us in thepast couple of years,” Thorn said.

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter saysthat she is 100 percent and is ready togo.

“We’re pretty stacked this year,”Cruz said. “All we have to do is takecare of the mental things. As long aswe work together I think the seasonwill be great.”

UTPA will ease into the 2004 seasonwith an Alumni Game Aug. 29 and anexhibition match Sept. 1 against a teamto be announced. Both matches will beplayed at the Field House at 7 p.m.

The Lady Broncs will get their firsttaste of the regular season when theyhost the UTPA Invitational Sept. 3-4 atthe Field House. The tournament willinclude Louisiana-Monroe, GramblingState, Providence College, and TheUniversity of Oklahoma, a Big 12powerhouse.

“It will be a sight to see,” said senioroutside hitter Cathi Netemeyer. “Ithink we are going to hang with themand really dominate them, especiallyhere on our home floor and set the pacefor the rest of the season.”

UTPA will also count with the returnof rising Brazilian star CarolMarcengo, who finished the best sea-son by a UTPA rookie by setting thesingle-season record for most digs with641, and finished fourth last season inthe NCAA Division I standings.Marcengo also was named theIndependent Libero of the Year for heraccomplishments as a freshman.

After the opening home tournament,the Lady Broncs will take on a toughone-month long road schedule thatincludes school’s such as Baylor,Texas Tech, and Air Force beforereturning home Oct. 12 to face TexasA&M-Corpus Christi.

However, Thorn believes that hissquad is up to the task.

“I expect our upperclassmen to pickup the load for us,” he said. “They’rereally starting to gel together as agroup.”

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Cathi Netemeyer (center) during a recent practice at the UTPA Field House. The Lady Broncs will play their annu-al Alumni game Aug. 29 and will open the season Sept. 1 with the UTPA Invitational.

Lady Bronc volleyball prepares foranother record-breaking season

The transition to life in South Texas cancome as quite a shock to the senses for mostpeople, especially when they come fromcolder regions of the country like theUniversity of Texas-Pan American’s newSports Information Director Joe Monaco.

Monaco, who was the Assistant SID atNCAA Division II power AshlandUniversity in Ohio, replaces the void left byformer SID Dave Geringer, who departedUTPA rather suddenly halfway through thespring semester and did not return phonecalls to The Pan American.

The native of Youngstown, Ohio startedhis duties in June and has been busy makingthe transition from the faster-paced Northern

style of life to the Valley.Monaco endured a two

and a half day trip duringhis move from Ohio toTexas along with a 30-degree change in averagetemperature. He is alsolearning to adjust fromskiing to relaxing by thepool on weekends.

“I’ll miss it (skiing),but it’s a nice change,”Monaco said. “I love theValley.”

The Ohio native will alsobe pulling double-dutysince Assistant SID Mike Bond also left theUniversity quite swiftly after less than a yearin the position.

One of the qualitiesMonaco brings to the tablein his new post is his hard-working mentality.

“Hard work is what hasgotten me to where I amtoday,” he said. “Theopportunity that was givento me was a great one, andaccepting it was an evengreater risk, but it was toogood to pass up.”

Although he is only 24,Monaco is an experienced

sports professional, comingfrom a fanatically sports-ori-

ented state like Ohio. The Youngstownnative received his bachelor’s degree insports communication and journalism from

Ashland University in 2002 and obtained hismaster’s in sport education in May 2004, justbefore making the trek down to Texas.

Monaco is also no stranger to professionalsports since he covered the NFL’s ClevelandBrowns training camp while he was a sportsproducer with cleveland.com, Ohio’s largestnews and information Web site.

In addition, the 24-year-old is not yourtypical sports wannabe, since he let his batdo the talking for him. His exploits on thebaseball field at Boardman High School ledhim to Ashland University, where he playedin the Division II World Series as a fresh-man.

However, Monaco has put away his batand glove and traded it in for, what at timescan be, a 24-hour job as the university’s newSID.

New UTPA SID adjusting to Valley life

By DARYL GONZALESThe Pan American

By JACOB ALEGRIAThe Pan American

JOE MONACO

Page 4: August 26, 2004

Child developmentcenter set for 2005

With all the new construction occurring at The University ofTexas-Pan American, one building is planning to offer a differenttype of service to the campus community. This building is notintended to hold any common classes.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Child Development Center[CDC] occurred on Tuesday Aug. 17. The new center will be locatedto the north of campus on Van Week Street, just west of Fifth Streetand is scheduled to open by August 2005.

The large attendance at the ceremony included universityadministration, students, and a special appearance by toddlerswearing “Class of 2025” T-shirts. The one goal of all was tocelebrate the initial step towards the creation of the 11,177-square-foot building.

One of the goals of the CDC is simply. To help strengthen theretention rate of students who also are parents. By offering childcareclose to campus, officials hope to lessen parents’ pressure of findingsuitable daycare at a rational location.

The cost is expected to reach $1.5 million, and according to anarticle by University Relations, Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez says it is“Going to be a home for 140 children from the age of three monthsto four years and they are going to be the children of our studentshere at the University.”

Tuition fees will vary from $80-90 a week for students, and $85-95 a week for faculty and staff.

The benefits of paying that tuition fee will include having childrenin an environment that includes ten classrooms that will hold them intheir specific age group. The CDC will separate into groups ofinfants, toddlers and preschoolers. A special accommodation for theparents will be a “mother’s room.” This room is designated for momsto breastfeed and bond with their infants.

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 4

By CLARISSA MARTINEZThe Pan American

Valley begins business trade mission to Mexico

The South Texas Minority Business OpportunityCommittee a project of The University of Texas – PanAmerican, will a Trade Mission to Aguascalientes,Mexico, Sept. 1-3.

The goal of the mission is to promote U.S. exports bygiving U.S. businesses first-hand market information andaccess to potential business partners in Mexico.

“We take companies from here and match them withcompanies in Mexico,” said Terry Fuentes, internationaltrade specialist for MBOC. “It’s basically matchmakingthat we are doing for businesses that want to do business inMexico.”

With the help of the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce,the South Texas MBOC pre-arranges the meetings and fliesthe participants to Mexico. Companies wanting toparticipate must submit a profile, and the profile is thensubmitted to Aguascalientes and the Secretary ofEconomic Development. These organizations are in chargeof setting up the actual meeting.

The State of Aguascalientes then contacts localbusinesses and submits the profiles of the Valleycompanies. If the Mexican company is interested in doingbusiness, a meeting is scheduled.

Participation in the trade mission also includes anEconomic Overview Presentation by the secretary ofeconomic development of Aguascalientes and assistancewith hotel, travel, and translation services.

“Everything is arranged for the companies. They just goand already know they have meetings with potentialcustomers. So we are providing them with trade leads inMexico,” explained Fuentes. “The trip is at eachcompany’s expense, but we basically do the legwork for

them.”Fuentes said that the missions are mainly intended for

those interested in exporting their products or services toMexico. Participating companies have not been confirmedyet.

The South Texas MBOC has been arranging missionslike these since 1997. Most have been to Mexico, but somehave taken place in Central and South America. This year,MBOC has chosen Aguascalientes as the site of its missionfor its location.

Aguascalientes is located in the heart of Central Mexico,which represents 46 percent of the Mexican population and52 percent of its Gross National Product (GNP).Aguascalientes Manufacturing GDP contributions include:automotive and auto parts, 35 percent; textile and apparelindustry, 20 percent; electronics and software, 9 percent;and metal works 6 percent.

The South Texas MBOC is managed by the University,as it is part of UTPA’s external affairs. Located at theUTPA Annex on Closner Road, the MBOC is a state andlocal organization dedicated to the planning, coordinating,and delivery of available resources for the maximumpractical participation of the local minority business sectorin the economic life of the community.

“We work with businesses that are interested ininternational trade and also businesses that want to sell tothe state, local, or federal governments,” explainedFuentes. “We focus on international trade, procurementopportunities and financing.”

Franco Caballero/The Pan American

Diggin’— (from left) New UTPA President Blandina Cardenas, UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof, formerPresident Miguel A. Nevarez, and other university officials gather Aug. 17 with children at the groundbreaking cer-emony for the new Child Development Center north of campus on Van Week Street.

By ROBERTA TIJERINAThe Pan American

UTPA will host trade mission to Aguascalientes September 1

FOR THE RECORD

Jets aquire CarterQuincy Carter signed a one-year deal with New York on

Tuesday.The signing comes just three weeks after Carter was

released by the Dallas Cowboys amid reports he failed adrug test.

“I’m looking forward to being a Jet and also helping thisfootball team winning games however I can,” Carter said.“I’m just so excited to have a job right now.”

Americans take Olympic goldAmericans Misty May and Kerri Walsh claimed the gold

medal in women’s beach volleyball on Tuesday night.They beat second-seeded Shelda Bede and Adriana

Behar of Brazil 21-17,21-11 without losing a set in sevenmatches.

Earlier Tuesday, Americans Holly McPeak and ElaineYoungs won the bronze medal when they beat Austrailia’sNatalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson 21-18,15-21, 15-9.

“Its been such a whirlwind, with so many emotions,”Walsh said. “We’ve had so many great opportunitiesand,through it all, we’ve had to keep our focus on winningthe gold. I’m feeling everything right now.”

UTPA’s Garza becomes a RedUTPA infieder Marco Garza signed a professional base-

ball contract with Cincinnati on Aug. 19.The Pan American standout shattered school records for

all-time hits (190) and hits in a single game (7) tied for thethird highest in NCAA Division I history.

Garza will report to spring training in February.

Israel wins its first goldWindsurfer Gal Fridman gave the best overall perform-

ance in the 11-stage competition and secured his country’sfirst Olympic gold medal with a second-place finish onWednesday.

Israel’s Olympic history is marred by terrorist attacksand political power struggles. In 1972, 11 Israeli athletesand coaches were killed by Palestinian terrorists.

Fridman began sailing at age 7, and entered his firstcompetition when he was 11. He won a bronze medal atthe 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“We have a gold medal,” said Yaron Micaelli, spokesmanfor the Israeli delegation in Athens. “What can be morethan that?”

Quote of the day:“The medal is a symbol of an eight-year battle. I have

been waiting for this moment for so long.

- Brazilian beach volleyball gold medalist Emanuel Rego

SSPPOORRTTSSCCLLIIPPBBOOAARRDD

NFL

Preseason Week 3

Thursday, Aug. 26

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 27

N.Y. Giants at N.Y Jets, 6 p.m.

San Francisco at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle at San Diego, 9 p.m.

Green Bay at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Washington at St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Houston at Denver, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 28

Buffalo at Indianapolis, 6 p.m.

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 7 p.m.

Oakland at Arizona, 8 p.m.

Miami at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Kansas City, 7 p.m.

New England at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 30

Tennessee at Dallas, 7 p.m.

San Diego at San Francisco, 10 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 3

Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.

Green Bay at Tennessee, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at NY Jets, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Miami at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Note: all times central standard time

HOUSTON ASTROS

Date Opponent Time

Aug. 26 Chicago 1:20 p.m.

Aug. 27 Chicago 2:20 p.m.

Aug. 28 Chicago 3:05 p.m.

Aug. 29 Chicago 1:20 p.m.

Aug. 30 Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.

Aug. 31 Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.

TEXAS RANGERS

Date Opponent Time

Aug.26 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug.27 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 28 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 29 MINNESOTA 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 30 MINNESOTA 6:10 p.m.

Aug. 31 MINNESOTA 2:05 p.m.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

WOMEN’S GOLF

Date Opponent

Oct. 4 Battle at the Lake Invit.

Oct. 5 Battle at the Lake Invit.

Oct. 11 Lady Indian Classic

Oct. 12 Lady Indian Classic

Oct. 24 Sam Houston State Tri-Match

Oct. 25 Ellingson/Shu Invitational

Oct. 26 Ellingson/SHSU Invitational

Nov. 8 Lady Bronc Classic

Nov. 9 Lady Bronc Classic

MEN’S GOLF

Date Opponent TimeSept. 13 Fairway Club Invit. (Univ. of Nebraska)

Sept. 14 Fairway Club Invit. (Univ. of Nebraska)

Oct. 4 Stonebridge Invit. (So. Methodist Univ.)

Oct. 5 Stonebridge Invit. (So. Methodist Univ.)

Oct. 11 Crown Classic (Stephen F. Austin)

Oct. 12 Crown Classic(Stephen F. Austin)

Oct. 22 The Nelson Invit. (Stanford Univ.)

Oct. 23 The Nelson Invit. (Stanford Univ.)

Oct. 24 The Nelson Invit (Stanford Univ.)

VOLLEYBALL(partial schedule)

Date Team/Tournament TimeAug. 29 UTPA Alumni 7 p.m.

Sept. 1 TBA (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Sept. 3 UTPA Invitational 1 p.m.

Sept. 4 UTPA Invitational 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Baylor 7 p.m.

Sept. 10 Texas Tech Round-up Noon

Sept. 11 Texas Tech Round-up Noon

Sept. 18 at Texas A&M-Int’l 4 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Prairie View A&M 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Air Force 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 No. Colorado Classic 7 p.m.

Sept. 25 No. Colorado Classic 4 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Sam Houston State 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Texas A&M-CC 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 Texas A&M-CC 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 No. Colorado 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 Utah Valley State 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 Texas A&M-Kings. 7 p.m.

Oct. 21 UTEP 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 New Mexico State 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 Texas State 7 p.m.

Oct. 27 UTSA 7 p.m.

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Edinburg Economedes Jaguar receiving corps prepare to take off and improve upon lastseason’s success. The 2004 Valley high school football season starts Friday night.

August 26, 2004 SSPPOORRTTSS Page 13

Page 5: August 26, 2004

Definite plans for the UTPA Wellness Recreation Centerhave been put into place. University officials have authorizedthe hiring of a health education coordinator whose job includesworking directly with students when the center opens in 2007.

The committee appointed to lead the center to completion iscomprised of students, and chaired by Dr. Jerry Price, Dean ofStudents. He confirmed that an architect has been selected fornegotiations on the final plan for the center.

“We’re very excited about it. They’ve built manyrecognized wellness centers in the Southwest.” Price said.

After scrutinizing many campus wellness centers around thestate, the committee put together a list of guaranteed activitiesthe UTPA center will offer. More than 1,100 students voted byreferendum during the Spring 2004 semester, and the centerreceived 86 percent approval from the student body, during thestudent concurrent yearly election.

In approving the facility, students were saying yes to the $75fee, and have been guaranteed racquetball courts, a climbingwall, a weight room and cardio room, as well as a studentlounge and an outdoor swimming pool.

Other campuses within the UT System were key models inthe initial plan by the committee.

Price said the committee found the UT-San Antoniowellness center too small, and this was valuable in decidingthe size of the facility, now at 100,000 sq. ft.

“As we grow and as we’re attracting more students, werealized we’re going to have to have some of the facilitiesother universities have, in order to compete,” Price said. “Ourmission is to be a hub of campus activity and to be a fun place,but most importantly we want to be a facility that educatespeople on how to have a healthy life from here on in, to teachthem skills, to give them information so that they will be able

to live a healthier life.”As well as physical well-being, the wellness center promises

to offer large employment opportunities for students. “The facilities that are really well run provide not only

employment opportunities for students, but professionaldevelopment opportunities for students as well,” Price said.“There are levels of leadership where students can gain a lot ofexperience and skills. For this facility to reach its potential, wehave to have those kind of opportunities for students.”

UTPA will offer wellness recreation center services toalumni, faculty and staff, but Price adds the cost of using thefacility will certainly be equally distributed.

“I can see us charging $20 to $25 per month for faculty andstaff. I do think it makes sense to keep costs as low as possiblefor prices as low as we can for students,” he said.

By allowing others in the UTPA community to use thefacility and charging them more, Price explained that it keptthe costs down for students but is not attempting to takebusiness from any other facility in the area.

There are, however, some practical problems that the centermay face.

“One [problem] is where to put it,” he said. “We’re going tobe expanding north and west particularly, so do we put thecenter out there where we’re growing? Or, do we put it closerto the heart of campus? Another is the parking. We certainlycan’t take parking away unless we have alternatives to replaceit.”

Crucial to these discussions is the cost of the center, whichcurrently stands between $18 and $22 million, and where thefacility should be placed to maximize its usage.

By fall 2004, Price hopes that the design will have beendecided upon ready to be presented to the University Board ofRegents. Approval from the board means the plans can betaken to the Texas Legislature, and authorization from themmeans building could begin as early as next summer.

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 5

By EMMA CLARKThe Pan American

Future wellness center to promote healthy lifestyle

Melissa Martinez/The Pan American

COMING HOME— UTPA students use a creative way to move into theirdorm on Tuesday afternoon to get ready and start the new semester.Although UTPA is a commuter school, there are over 500 students living oncampus this semester.New President Dr. Blandina Cardenas pitched in to help residents get accli-mated, showing that she takes an interest in students.

Nevarez continued from page 3

Leader continued from page 1

twenty years and known of her for almost thirty,” Nevarez explained. “I understand hershort term goals consist of listening a lot and learning all about UTPA. I also know she hasalready met with faculty senates, transition committees, and student leaders which shows ahigh level of excitement on her part.”

When it comes to advice for Dr. Cardenas, Nevarez laughed with wise eyes and said.“The only one that knows what’s in the soup is the one stirring it, I stirred that pot for 32years, and I wish her all the best.”

Nevarez also had some words of insight to share with the students of UTPA.“Take the tough courses and be successful for what one really wants, the students must

remember to have ganas. They must find a focus and motivate themselves for a purpose, getinvolved with outside activities on campus or church because building character is just asimportant as an education.”

With those final words, Nevarez sees the end of his reign of university president, and thebeginning of a new era. One he is sure to be part of.

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 12

Mixed emotions ran through the UTPA Visitors CenterWednesday, Aug. 18, as staff and faculty waived farewell toAssistant Chief of Police W.J. Carey. After six years ofservice at UTPA Carey will now assume the position asdirector of public safety at Western Oregon University in thefall.

With the move, Carey has the opportunity to be closer tohis children and grandchildren. The experiences he had withhis “other” family at UTPA are difficult to leave.

“It’s very, very hard. This has been a family, and a veryfamily-orientated location. I have a lot of great relationshipsformed, and bonds,” Carey said.

Many of those bonds were with security and policeofficers, as well as administrative staff.

Sergeant Delma Lopez said, “He kept me going. He wasvery open to different ideas, different suggestions. If I spokemy mind, he was always willing to listen. He will be missedabsolutely.”

Carey explained that the position of director of publicsafety is the equivalent to chief of police here at UTPA.

“I will still have officers, I will have guards, parking andtraffic, investigations, everything. The biggest change isgoing to be that I no longer have the Chief when I’ve got aheadache I can take to him – the buck stops here now,” hesaid.

Chief of Police Howard Miller explained how Carey hadmade his life easier over the years.

“I typically ask new candidates when they come in, ‘Whatare your strengths, your weakness,’” Miller said,remembering his interview with Carey. “For Carey, probably

the only person that I’ve met through all the years, hisweakness is he’s too sweet, he’s too good. He’s a great guy.”

New UTPA President Dr. Blandina Cardenas, and nowretired President Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez were both inattendance at the mid-afternoon reception. Dr. Nevarezagreed with Chief Miller about Carey's contribution to theuniversity.

“Chief J., well, I always admired him. He was verystudent-orientated,” Nevarez said. “To me the mostimportant thing has been that he really had a lot to do withthe night lights that we have on campus to make campussafer and to provide escorts to students after 10 p.m. atnight. We’re just going to miss him, and he’ll be hard toreplace.”

Miller went on to explain that the position of assistantchief of police will be open to local residents, but may notfilled until the spring semester. A committee of students,staff and faculty will be formulated, to pick those candidatesmost appropriate.

Miller will then make the final decision. “We’re in specialized law enforcement, working on a

college campus,” Miller said. “You need a people-orientatedtype of person that understands academia because you’reworking with a very select group of people. We’re a majorcommunity campus and we’re looking for someone with thatkind of ideology.”

Carey said the hardest task his replacement will face isgetting to know the campus, and agreed that policingeducational grounds is very different from policing amunicipality.

“I think the challenge he’s going to face is getting to knowthe campus, and realizing that this is a family,” Careyconcluded.

Asst. Chief Carey resigns after six years of serviceBy EMMA CLARKThe Pan American

Courtesy of University Relations

FAREWELL— Colleagues and friends gather at a reception atthe Visitors Center for Assistant Chief of Police W.J. Carey.

“Take the tough courses and be successful forwhat one really wants, the students mustremember to have ganas.”

-Dr. Nevarez, former UTPA president

said. “Then I want you to think about what itwould take for you to do that. How will weaccomplish what we want to accomplish. Iwant you to think substance, product,improvement.”

Cardenas predicts that UTPA could easilybuild on a legacy that was created by Nevarezand all who helped him in the past years.Support, she said, would play in as a majorfactor in order to see UTPA move forward, oneof those topics being research and doctoralprograms.

A discussion, she mentioned, needs to behad to emphasize the importance and benefitprospects that doctoral and research programscan have in the Valley.

“Our students need to understand what thisresearch thing is all about,” she said. “We areadding to the knowledge base to solveproblems. I have no doubt that we are going todo this.”

In about five years, Cardenas expects theball of change to have already begun rolling.She said the Valley could anticipate a “rate ofchange like the state of Texas has never seenbefore.”

“I look forward to sharing that which I haveto give and serve this university to the best ofmy ability,” she concluded.

After a hug and kiss from Bucky, the UTPAmascot, as well as countless of interviews withlocal media, a few students and supporters

stood in the wings waiting for a chance tomeet and greet the new president.

“I think it’s great with her being Hispanicand a woman, someone with a lot ofexperience,” said Janet Hernandez, a seniorstudying international business. “I think it’sawesome, I’m glad she’s here to help improvePan Am.”

Hernandez stood behind a crowd of peoplewho were trying to get a question, a picture, orshake the hand of Cardenas. Before she left tocontinue the daylong celebration, Hernandezgot a chance to say hello to the new president.

“I got to shake her hand,” Hernandez saidwith enthusiasm and a smile that rivals that ofa person who just met a pop star. “She seemedreal nice.”

Nathan Shwartz, student body president,said he was impressed with the selection.

“I think she’s a very charismatic personthat’s going to be exciting,” he said. “She’s gota big job ahead of her with 46,000 students.This is a really big university, and she’s got alot of experience behind her to help her. Shewas a good choice as the first femalepresident, and it’s going to be good to see theinteresting change in leadership style.”

Cardenas received her bachelor’s degree injournalism from the University of Texas atAustin, and her doctoral degree in educationleadership and administration from theUniversity of Massachusetts at Amherst.

VolunteersNeeded

The Pan American is now searchingfor new blood. Those interested in writ-

ing, taking pictures or working ondesign should e-mail

[email protected]. Volunteer positionsare available, and can lead to paid

positions within a semester.

Proposed WellnessBuilding Features

-A weight room and cardio room

-Gymnasium for basketball, volleyball,

badminton

-Multipurpose court for basketball,

indoor soccer, floor hockey

-Climbing and bouldering wall

-Locker rooms; racquetball courts

-Indoor jogging track

-Student lounge

-Aerobics/multipurpose rooms

-Outdoor recreational swimming pool

Page 6: August 26, 2004

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 6

Financial aid online featuresprovide added convenience

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 11

Waiting in line to accept financial aid awards can befrustrating. Trying to sign up for pre-loan sessions can betime consuming. Students looking for work-study canfind it difficult to find the right job on campus that willsuit them. These situations will no longer pose asirritating problems.

The Student Financial Services Office has developednew online services to better accommodate students’needs. Beginning fall 2004, students can now acceptfinancial aid awards online.

Prior to having online services, students had threeways to accept their award including mailing it, putting itin the drop box located at the Student Services Building,or standing in line at the Financial Aid Office.

With those being options of the past, students can nowlog on to assist.panam.edu and click on "StudentServices" to handle business in minutes in the comfort oftheir own home. Accounting Technician Robert Z.Trevino explained that having an active UTPA e-mailaccount is important. In the future, students will havetheir award letters sent to their email address.

With 75 percent of UTPA students receiving sometype of financial aid, including grants, scholarships andloans, the Financial Aid Office felt the need forimprovement.

Therefore, Stafford loan borrowers benefit from thenew online services. Borrowers who once went through alengthy process of accepting a loan can say goodbye tothat method. Those days consisted of being awarded,accepting the award, attending a pre-loan session andhaving the loan guaranteed. This process can now bedone online by logging on towww.ess.panam.edu/finaid/loans.

Though "Loans by Web" is a quick process, a concernfrom the financial aid services was made clear.

"Since we are no longer having students come in, weare losing personal touch," said Associate Director, EliasOzuna.

Ozuna also said that in the past, first-time borrowershad to physically attend a pre-loan session where thestudents were informed about the responsibilities ofhaving a loan, Ozuna said. They were quizzed to makesure they understood what was discussed during thesession.

Still wanting borrowers to be informed, online pre-loansessions cover the same material and students are quizzedon it as well.

"The pre-loan session serves as a reminder as they gothrough the process," Trevino said.

According to Ozuna, the session must be completedonce a year to help keep the default percentage down. Hesaid that it is easier completing the session onlinebecause students don't have to face issues like long linesor session availability, which were problems before.

"Two main reasons for having ‘Loans by Web' is thecapability of signing promissory notes at home usingFAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) pinnumber to electronically sign it and no longer requiringpeople to come in for workshops," Ozuna said.

Another new service is the UTPA Work-study StudentEmployment System coordinated by William Morley. Itallows work-study students who have been awarded, toconduct employment affairs online such as referrals,appointments or even setting up a resume.

"They can promote themselves," said MichelleAlvarado, director for Student Financial Services andScholarships.

In turn, this system allows supervisors to look forfuture employees, Alvarado said, adding that the newservices targets students who actually need to come in.

"We're trying to meet their needs," Alvarado said.According to Ozuna, about 44 percent of freshmen and

33 percent of remaining students have taken advantage ofthese new online services.

"I've been monitoring numbers each week and they'vestayed that way. They've stayed consistent," he said.

For freshman Esperanza Zapata, new online servicesare beneficial as well as more convenient for her.

"Well, I think it's really good because you don't have towait in line and waste your time. It's pretty simple,"Zapata said.

The Student Financial Services Office has moredevelopments in store for UTPA students. They arecurrently working on an online Financial RevisionRequest Form that allows students to apply for a loanafter declining in their FAFSA. Online sign up sheets areunder development as well to make it faster and easier forstudents to sign up for various workshops.

For further information, call the Financial Aid Officeat 381-2501, or go online rather than wait in line

Hail the Pre-Meds, the engineers, the nurses, and now, as of thepast semester, hail the English students.

A new chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English HonorSociety, was created for the University of Texas-Pan American.Sigma Tau Delta is a coed honor society designed to providedistinction for high achievement in English language and literature.UTPA English students long awaited their own chapter, now ChapterAlpha Lambda Psi, an opportunity for designated excellence.

"The English department never had a type of society to honor itsstudents," said Alpha Lambda Psi Vice-President Sonia Olivarez."We needed this to help others be honored and be proud of being anEnglish major."

Sigma Tau Delta aims to provide cultural stimulation on collegecampuses, increase community interest in English departments, andencourage creative and critical writing. Sigma Tau Delta inductsapproximately 7,000 members annually and has over 600 activechapters. It was time to include UTPA in this society of achievementand activity.

"I knew of other honor societies on campus," said Alpha LambdaPsi President Jeanette Ferry-Gomez. "I assumed there was an Englishhonor society but after searching, there wasn’t. I figured it would bea good thing for English students to have their work organized."

Ferry-Gomez set on to create exactly what other English studentsonly mildly considered, official and national recognition specificallyfor UTPA. Ferry-Gomez, junior, graduated Valedictorian fromCorpus Christi Academy and is the first to launch Sigma Tau Delta oncampus. Now, she adds founder and president to her list ofcredentials. Yet, her ambition to induct a new chapter brings honor toher English peers who join.

"Through Sigma Tau Delta, students can have their work publishedin national newsletters and the Sigma Tau Delta literary magazine,Rectangle", Ferry-Gomez said. "We’re also planning a groupspotlighting amongst our members where we recognize each oneindividually."

Nationally, the honor society organizes different opportunities torecognize their outstanding students. They also facilitate careerchoices and career advancement through networking. Students andprofessors enrich their relationship through association in Sigma TauDelta.

"It really helps the professors connect with the students,” Olivarezsaid. "This makes the students feel more confident about what they’relearning. They’re going into the real world confident, knowing theyhave somebody to turn to."

Ferry-Gomez and the officers also plan to open communicationsthroughout the whole English department, especially between thestudents. They aim to unify the department, building strengthtogether.

"We’re planning on having a book swap between the Englishstudents,” Ferry-Gomez said. "We know this would really help out."

Students also improve by increasing their community servicethrough Sigma Tau Delta. Alpha Lambda Delta is currently planningmany community service activities, including a Book Ban Week.

According to Ferry-Gomez, during the Book Ban Week, membersof Alpha Lambda Delta will set up a booth at a library informingstudents about book bans in history and encouraging people to keepreading.

These community activities and the recognition of outstandingEnglish students brings a new face to the university. It develops thedepartment as a whole, encouraging others to build a love forEnglish.

"As a whole, it gives good publicity,” Ferry-Gomez said. "It givesthe school and the department a positive face."

The English honor society brings recognition and honor to adepartment. The society hopes that students will feed of thisconfidence and realize a love for books can be more than just ahobby, it can be honored.

"We want English to get noticed," Olivarez said. "Books teach us alittle more about life and everyone needs to learn a little more aboutthat."

New English honorsociety highlightsleading achieversBy JENILEE HERNANDEZ

The Pan American

By CECILIA CASTANEDAThe Pan American

Page 7: August 26, 2004

n Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

n McAllen Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

n Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 10

A&E n n n ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

VVOOTTEE continued from page 7

3

Who is going to win the next presidential election? Thatis a question on the minds of the candidates and Americanvoters.

Candidates seek ways to motivate citizens to visit thepolls on Election Day to cast their votes. Despite efforts thattarget young voters, the number of Americans ages 18 to 25that vote is low.

In the past, non-profit organizations have made stridesto motivate this age group, and candidates like Bill Clintonhave utilized MTV to ensure this segment heard his voice. In1992, "Facing the Future With Bill Clinton" was aired as partof MTV's "Choose or Lose" election Coverage. The forumwas comprised of mainly 18-24-year-olds in an attempt toinspire other MTV viewers to become active in the electoralprocess. However, this year non-profit or non-partisangroups are upping efforts to increase the percentages of 18 to25-year-olds who participate in the voting process.

Groups such as MTV's Rock The Vote or CitizenChange are getting help from celebrities who seek to stimu-late interest from the youth. Celebrities have increased theirawareness in politics due to statistics that show the lack ofinvolvement younger generations display in major elections.

The Center for Information & Research on CivicLearning & Engagement (CIRCLE) conducts research onvarious areas of voting such as voting behaviors among dif-ferent age groups, genders, and race. According to a surveyby CIRCLE, 26.9 million 18 to 25-year-old Americans wereeligible to vote in the year 2000. Only 9.9 million or 42.4percent of citizens within this age group voted, while 17 mil-lion never made it to the polls.

Celebrities are trying different tactics to get the 18 to 25-year-old age group to vote. Movie stars and rock stars areappearing on television and radio doing public serviceannouncements (PSAs) to promote the need to vote. Artists

are recording songs that focus on the topic of voting and oth-ers are designing clothing with an election theme.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds is among one of the starsthat wants to take part in this effort. Babyface and MissyElliot plan to lead a group of artists including Wyclef Jean,Ashanti, Eve, and others to record the song "Wake UpEverybody." According to E! Online, the Democratic Party

used that song in 1976 during Jimmy Carter's quest for thepresidency to urge black citizens to vote. The song will nowend with a rap by Missy Elliot in which she states, "This isfor everybody white or black/You better go and vote and getup off your back."

Among one of the most voiced celebrities this year inhis quest to get the youth to vote, is Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.Combs, who is referring to himself as "Citizen Combs," hasstarted the non-partisan group Citizen Change. The missionof the group is to educate and motivate young voters.

On various interviews Combs has commented that withthe closeness of this year's elections it is the youth who willbe the deciding factor, and if they don't vote they can't com-plain about the way the government is run.

According to the website, thekansascitychannel.com(KMBC-TV), Combs is teaming up with MTV to develop adocumentary about politics, which targets young voters andspeaks to them in "their" language. The documentary isscheduled to air sometime before the Nov. 2 elections. As alast attempt to raise the voting percentages of this segment ofthe population, Combs has created a T-shirt line with the slo-gan "Vote or Die!" The rapper claims that he wants to makevoting sexy.

This movement is so big that websites are making thevoting process easier for this age group. Websites for groupssuch as Citizen Change, the Youth Vote Coalition, and RockThe Vote not only provide information about voting andmajor voting events going on in various cities, but alsoinclude a link to help people register to vote. The Rock TheVote site has a section with PSAs from various artists likeSteven Tyler and Lindsay Lohan, and receives other forms ofsupport from artists and actors such as Ben Affleck,Hoobastank, and Ashlee Simpson.

Many recognize the great importance of having theyouth vote. Jerry Polinard, chair of the political sciencedepartment at the university, explains that for decades the 18

By DULCE GONZALEZThe Pan American

By JORGE HINOJOSAThe Pan American

Independent film "Open Water," based on two scubadivers that are accidentally stranded in the middle of theocean, takes on a new film making approach that will elevateany viewer's anxiety level.

"Open Water" is a low-budget film based on true events,and unlike the blockbuster "Jaws," stays away from flashyspecial effects. The shark scenes were all created using realsharks in real open water making the film more realistic andpleasing to the eye.

In a simple, low quality, home video type of RecordingProducer Laura Lau introduces Susan (Blanchard Ryan) andDaniel (Daniel Travis), a couple who decides to take a breakfrom their busy lifestyles. The couple ends up in a Caribbeangetaway where they pay to take a scuba diving trip that turnsawry.

A series of mistakes, miscounts, and an obvious lack ofcommunication, lead their boat to depart the diving site with-out them. After scuba diving for an hour, Susan and Daniel

reemerge to the surface where they find themselves alone inthe middle of the sea.

The couple immediately believes that the crew willnotice the missing tanks and ownerless bags on the boat, andreturn for the pair. The shocking and ironic situation sooncauses the couple to argue about whose fault it is, offeringthe viewer some comic relief when Susan says, "I wanted togo skiing!" A few hours pass and it starts to get cold, jelly-fish start to sting and sharks begin to circle the two. By thispoint tension and fear rises for the characters and the audi-ence.

The 79-minute, R-rated film ultimately leaves viewerswith the sense that these sorts of casualties can actually hap-pen to anyone.

“Open Water" opened in select theatres Aug. 6, butopened everywhere on Aug. 20 bringing in an astonishing$11.8 million in the first weekend. This amount is great for alow-budget, indie film, and puts the film in the number fivespot just below "Alien Vs. Predator."

Celebrities help election campaign effort

Movies about sharks have captured the inter-est of movie-goers since the 1970s.

Reviewers Rating: 3.5/5 stars

to 25-year-old group has had the lowest propensity to vote of any age group. Hestated that any efforts to increase involvement and awareness in the politicalprocess are important and desirable.

"Celebrities often serve, for good and ill, as role models and I welcome theirefforts to encourage the 18-25 cohort to become involved," said Polinard. "The2000 presidential election illustrates how important voting can be, so an increasein the percentage of younger voters can have an impact on the outcome of elec-tions."

According to Jack Stanley, professor of communication at UTPA, gettingAmericans of any age to vote is positive. Stanley stated that generations ofAmericans have fought and died so that we could have the rights and freedoms weenjoy, yet younger generations have grown up with rights and liberties that havecost them nothing.

"We must be active in the life of our government or all those deaths and allthat blood will have been in vain," said Stanley.

Stanley also commented that some celebrities have a hidden political agendawhen trying to promote people to vote, and they are really seeking support for theircandidate of choice.

"Some of the celebrities involved have thinly veiled political agendas of theirown, which taints this supposedly balanced program," stated Stanley. "What theyare really saying is we want you to vote and we want you to vote for our party'scandidates."

Stanley noted that being famous for nothing more than merely being famousshould carry no special power, but to the youth of our nation fame seems to beholda power worthy of influence. If a celebrity changes their clothes or hairstyle youngpeople sometimes follow with little or no thought.

"What is mystifying to me is that anyone older than 14 would think the abil-ity to sing, dance, throw or catch a ball, act, or tell a joke would be the same skillsto shape opinions about life, liberty, and a stable government," Stanley said.

On Nov. 2 the next President will be determined, and perhaps the trend of lowrepresentation of young voters will change.

‘Open Water’ out-splashes ‘Jaws’

The University Program Board (UPB) will helpkick off the new academic year by providing thecampus with the musical stylings of the alternativerock band Paradigm.

"[The] committee chairs first saw Paradigm ata regional conference last year,” UPB PresidentAdrian Sandoval said. “They were very impressedand decided to invite them."

According to Sandoval, Paradigm stands apartfrom other alternative rock bands with the positivemessage they bring.

"The band has a moderate sound that willappeal to students," Sandoval said.

The Sacramento-based band is currently tour-ing college campuses across the country. Theirmusic is aired primarily on college radio stations.The group has been compared to artist such as U2,Sarah McLachlan, and ColdPlay. Their songs tellstories about restoring hope after dark times.

The band plans to ring in the new school yearby performing a free concert Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. at theQuad. All students, faculty, and staff are welcomed.For more information on Paradigm visit paradigm-music.com.

According to the website, paradigm-music.com, Paradigm’s lyrics relate familiar yetthought-provoking stories that reflect hope amidstthe melancholy and pain of real life.

The band was formed in 1999 by guitaristSteven Stratton and vocalist Shannon Curtis. The

two began writing songs and were later joined bydrummer/vocalist Tony Edwards, guitarist KeithOgden and bassist Kyle Knowlton. The bandreleased their first CD, “Standing in Line,” inAugust 2002, which features songs with familiartopics.

"We write songs about stuff going on in peo-ple's everyday lives," Curtis said.

The band is able to reach young adults becausethey have gone through many of the same emotion-al experiences. Like a score of their fans, the mem-bers of Paradigm attended college and received theirdegrees.

"We try to capture real emotion and get peopleto think differently about the world, politics, andsociety," Curtis said.

Paradigm headlines free concert By LAURA GARCIAThe Pan American

Who says there’s nothing to do in the Valley? A quickdrive down Nolana Loop would show you it’s not just a stripof restaurants anymore. McAllen nightlife is going through agrowth spurt of amazing proportions with new bars, clubs andelaborate renovations.

AK's Sports Bar and Grill has undergone renovationswith the addition of a patio to allow for more space. The newarea includes large neon palm trees to spice up its otherwiseparking lot landscape.

"I don't know where so many people hide during the day,"said UTPA anthropology major, Rosario Garza, "at night, theyall come out and it gets so crowded here, even with the newpatio."

The popular bar recently gained an even larger crowdwith its summer bikini contest.

"We're trying to just do the right thing, put on some goodentertainment," said Arturo Kalifa, owner of AK's. "Havinggood entertainment is the right thing and trying to fix up theclub so it’s clean and it won't be so cluttered."

Kalifa mentioned that the nightclub plans to raffle off ajet ski during football season, in attempts to draw a largercrowd during the fall season. Currently AK’s uses two DJ'snightly.

"I believe we've got one of the bigger clubs here inMcAllen, in a very good location," he said.

A few blocks west of AK's on Nolana Loop is a cluster ofnight clubs that suit just about everybody's taste. TejanoSaloon offers international and Tejano music while just next-door Mystique Show Bar caters to the gay and lesbian popula-tion on Saturday nights with weekly drag shows. Next door toMystique is McAllen's newest addition to nightlife, Barrock,which features something different every night.

On Wednesday Barrock hosts a comedy night, whichincludes a $100 prize. Thursday nights cater to an internation-al crowd with international rock music. Friday the clubswitches to American rock and on Saturday it's the crowd

doing the entertainment with karaoke. Karaoke also features acash prize for talented singers.

"I went on a Thursday and the live music gives the envi-ronment a distinct flavor. Its rock, so it’s pretty cool," saidUTPA student Carlos Contreras. "I had a good time, live musicalways gives some spice to a bar, especially now, when thereis so much competition among all the places opening up."

With its advertisement in The Monitor boasting that itstrictly enforces a dress code, it follows a trend most newMcAllen clubs follow, an upscale environment. According tosome, the trend works well as a public relations marketingtool.

"Enforcing the dress code gives the club a certain appealand reputation," said Docs and Billiards bartender and UTPAcommunications student Omar Garza. "It gives the feeling thatthey are letting in VIP's only and in order for you to be a VIP,you have to dress up and look good."

Down the street is Prada, a veteran bar in McAllen thatseemed to initiate the trendy upscale characteristics ofMcAllen nightclubs. Across the street from Prada is the loca-tion for a new bar that is said to open pretty soon next toBennigan's Grill and Tavern, which serves its famous pints ofGuinness beer.

Kafs, a former coffee house called Kafecitos has taken adramatic turn and has become a bar offering a wine selectionin a trendy international environment. Next-door is The YachtClub, which features live international bands weekly. In thesame area is Fast Eddies, a bar offering a relaxing pool hallenvironment, no dress code enforced.

Around the corner, turning right onto 10th Street isBuffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill, a bar that has gained pop-ularity on Tuesday nights with its college student crowd.

Across the street from Buffalo's a different environmentis found with the Light Lounge and Club X/S, two fairly newnightclubs that have managed to keep up with the nightlifeexcitement.

On South 10th Street is Scala, which opened early in2004 replacing short-lived Club Velvet. It’s rather dark loca-

tion adds to its mystery including live international music inan upscale environment.

"When Scala opened I was excited to go, I even had freepasses. I was really interested, but it seems that there are somany new places opening,” said UTPA student Angie Ybarra.“It’s very hard to keep up. Usually my girlfriends and I love itwhen a new place opens, but there's so much to do already."

McAllen transforms into insomniac’s paradiseBy AARON LOZANOThe Pan American

Photo courtesy of paradigm-music.com

See VOTE page 10

It’s atoast toa long

nightlife

Page 8: August 26, 2004

*August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 9August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 8

In keeping up with the popularity of celebrity

poker and televised poker tournaments, the

University Program Board (UPB) has kicked off the

school year with a Poker Run.

Groups of students will meet on campus on the

morning of Aug. 28, and will travel to various cities

between Edinburg and South Padre Island, where

they will be given a series of clues in order to find a

playing card. Once participants collect five poker

cards they will meet to see who has the best hand.

Poker Run is just one of the many events the

UPB has scheduled for the week of Aug. 25 to Sept.

1 as part of the Hawaiya Doin' Welcome Week

2004.

Campus Events

For those wanting to enjoy a good concert, the

UPB brought down Paradigm, an alternative rock

band from Sacramento, Calif. to perform at the

Quad tonight at 8 p.m. The band's first full-length

CD, "Standing in Line," received rave reviews from

critics across the country and has performed live at

many venues and universities since the release of

the album.

According to LocalMusac.com, the band’s first

full-length CD has the unique ability to appeal to

almost anyone.

This is only one of the many great reviews the

band has received, and has visited universities and

music venues all over the country since the release

of their album.

Another event that will take place in the Quad is

Merchant Mall where various businesses from

around the state will present the services of the

company and conduct special promotional give-

aways.

Merchant Mall will be held on Aug. 30 from 5

p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Quad. Some of the businesses

include Bennigans Bar and Grill, Cellular One, El

Rey Theatre, Red Bull, and Wal-mart.

Adrian Sandoval, president of the UPB, said

that freshmen especially should attend Merchant

Mall because they can get an idea of what business-

es have to offer. He also encouraged students to

attend the New Bronc Celebration on Aug. 31 from

11 a.m. until 1 p.m., which is designed to promote a

feeling of school spirit in UTPA students.

"There are a lot of students that have pride in

this school," said Sandoval. "The general feeling is

that mostly freshmen don't know that, so our goal is

to beat apathetic students to the punch and show

them that we are proud to be Broncs."

On Sept. 1 a big luau will be held at the Quad

from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The UPB will provide games

and food for the students, as well as a concert by

Sugar Iced Tea, a salsa/meringue band.

"The idea is that we want to start the year off

right," said Sandoval, "to allow the students to blow

off a little steam before we start the bulk of the

semester."

Although the first week of school is packed

with events, the program board plans to continue

with activities throughout the semester. The

Glitz & Glamour Visit Valley

Carnival of the Great Pumpkin, on Saturday Oct. 23, is an event for students and

their families. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in a Halloween costume and

compete for prizes.

Student organizations have their own chance to compete with other campus

groups in the Bronc-O-lympics Thursday, Nov. 11. Each group will be put

through a series of challenges to win in tournament-like games. The winning

organization receives a cash prize and a trophy.

Students who wish to join an organization can attend the Recruitment Fair

Sept. 7 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Booths will litter the Quad, where students

can gather information and talk to club

members from various UTPA organiza-

tions. According to its website, the Office

of Student Development (OSD), which

oversees student organizations, will pro-

vide music from a local radio station and

have prize giveaways.

Rodney Gomez, coordinator of stu-

dent development, believes that this

semester will be an exciting one.

"We are focusing not only on giving

students a good time but on building com-

plete students," said Gomez, "our activi-

ties and events are designed to build skills,

promote key values, and make better peo-

ple of our students."

Gomez did point out that the activities

the OSD has planned are not all about

entertainment; however, they will be fun.

"You can come to our events, have

fun, but know that you are not wasting

your time," stated Gomez. "What you are

doing is directly related to aiding your

success in school."

The major event this fall will be

Hispanic Engineering Science and

Technology Week (HESTEC) from Sept.

26 until Oct. 2. Some of this year's

keynote speakers include Alma Martinez

Fallon, president of the Society of Women

Engineers; Camilo Pardo, chief designer

for the Ford Motor Company; Orlando

Figueroa from NASA headquarters; for-

mer "Saved by the Bell" star and “Man's

Show” host Mario Lopez; and

singer/actor Lance Bass.

Around Town

The Dodge Arena always has a wide variety of entertainment in store for the

Valley. The major event this fall is the South Texas Scorcher on Sept. 11. The list

of attractions seems endless but includes the 2005 New Car Showcase, motorcy-

cle giveaway, car audio contest, extreme motocross, BMX and skateboard expo,

a $50,000 free throw contest, and a special Sept. 11 tribute to remember fallen

heroes.

Several local bands will perform at the arena, such as Vinyl Dharma, Valley

Lemmons, Metalstorm, The Fold, and Division 623 from Brownsville. However,

not just Valley bands will perform at this venue. Maverick Recording artists

Tantric will be playing live, along with Syn, an alternative band out of Mexico.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans can meet wrestlers Booker T.

and Batista at the Scorcher as well. The famous WWE Superstars, who can be

seen on pay per view or on any WWE wrestling show, will be greeting fans and

signing autographs.

Tickets for all arena events are

available at the Dodge Arena Box

Office and all RGV Ticket Outlets.

Ticket prices are $15 pre-sale, $20

at the door, and $5 pre-sale youth

tickets (ages 2-10).

Another Dodge Arena event

taking place this fall is the Country

Legends Gala, produced by the

Make-A-Wish Foundation. Multi-

platinum selling artist Sammy

Kershaw, who is joined by Ray

Price, Doug Stone, Larry Gatlin and

the Gatlin Brothers, and John

Conlee, will headline the concert.

The Country Legends Gala starts at

7:30 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Major events at the La Villa

Real special events center this year

include "The Labor Day Rap &

Reggaeton Tour," Clint Black in

concert, and comedian Happy.

The Labor Day Rap and

Reggaeton Tour will consist of a

daylong event featuring The Roof

Djs and dancers, and many artists,

as well as a car show and bikini

contest. Other features of the event

include food booths, a 3-on-3-bas-

ketball tournament, and cash and

prizes for all winners. The car

show starts at 1 p.m. and the doors

open for the concert at 6 p.m.

Clint Black will make his sec-

ond appearance after 14 years at

the Villa Real on Sept. 4 for a con-

cert sponsored by the Hidalgo

County Crime Stoppers. According to the Villa Real's website, he promises to

give the best concert of the year. His new CD, "Spend My Time," is available

now.

This fall will be packed with events, whether at school or around the Valley.

For students who want to take a break once in a while and relieve stress, there

will always be something to do.

Mario Lopez went on from “Saved by the Bell” fameto face other challenges such as hosting “The ManShow,” and now he’s visiting UTPA.

Community

Country Legends Gala Aug. 26 Dodge Arena

Labor Day Rap & Reggaeton Tour Sept. 4 La Villa Real Events Center

Jackson Street Market Day Sept. 4 Harlingen

Conjunto Music Induction Awards Sept. 5 San Benito Community Center

South Texas Scorcher Sept. 11 Dodge Arena

Olivia Newton-John Sept. 19 McAllen Civic Center

Clint Black Sept. 23 La Villa Real

Cher Nov. 5 Dodge Arena

Happy - Comedian Nov. 26 La Villa Real

Campus

Hawaiya Doin’ Welcome Week Aug. 26 – Sept. 1 Quad & Various locations

Student Org. Recruitment Fair Sept. 7 Quad

HESTEC Week Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 UTPA Campus

Carnival of the Great Pumpkin Oct. 23 UTPA Field House

Bronc-O-lympics Nov. 11 Quad

*C O M I N G E V E N T S

******This new semester, like all others, is guaranteed to be full of homework, proj-

ects, and plenty of studying. While the reality of the long road ahead sinks in,there are a few silver linings like concerts, comedians, and exciting campus andcommunity events that are sure to break up the monotony of schoolwork. Story by Christina Harris

Page 9: August 26, 2004

*August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 9August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 8

In keeping up with the popularity of celebrity

poker and televised poker tournaments, the

University Program Board (UPB) has kicked off the

school year with a Poker Run.

Groups of students will meet on campus on the

morning of Aug. 28, and will travel to various cities

between Edinburg and South Padre Island, where

they will be given a series of clues in order to find a

playing card. Once participants collect five poker

cards they will meet to see who has the best hand.

Poker Run is just one of the many events the

UPB has scheduled for the week of Aug. 25 to Sept.

1 as part of the Hawaiya Doin' Welcome Week

2004.

Campus Events

For those wanting to enjoy a good concert, the

UPB brought down Paradigm, an alternative rock

band from Sacramento, Calif. to perform at the

Quad tonight at 8 p.m. The band's first full-length

CD, "Standing in Line," received rave reviews from

critics across the country and has performed live at

many venues and universities since the release of

the album.

According to LocalMusac.com, the band’s first

full-length CD has the unique ability to appeal to

almost anyone.

This is only one of the many great reviews the

band has received, and has visited universities and

music venues all over the country since the release

of their album.

Another event that will take place in the Quad is

Merchant Mall where various businesses from

around the state will present the services of the

company and conduct special promotional give-

aways.

Merchant Mall will be held on Aug. 30 from 5

p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Quad. Some of the businesses

include Bennigans Bar and Grill, Cellular One, El

Rey Theatre, Red Bull, and Wal-mart.

Adrian Sandoval, president of the UPB, said

that freshmen especially should attend Merchant

Mall because they can get an idea of what business-

es have to offer. He also encouraged students to

attend the New Bronc Celebration on Aug. 31 from

11 a.m. until 1 p.m., which is designed to promote a

feeling of school spirit in UTPA students.

"There are a lot of students that have pride in

this school," said Sandoval. "The general feeling is

that mostly freshmen don't know that, so our goal is

to beat apathetic students to the punch and show

them that we are proud to be Broncs."

On Sept. 1 a big luau will be held at the Quad

from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The UPB will provide games

and food for the students, as well as a concert by

Sugar Iced Tea, a salsa/meringue band.

"The idea is that we want to start the year off

right," said Sandoval, "to allow the students to blow

off a little steam before we start the bulk of the

semester."

Although the first week of school is packed

with events, the program board plans to continue

with activities throughout the semester. The

Glitz & Glamour Visit Valley

Carnival of the Great Pumpkin, on Saturday Oct. 23, is an event for students and

their families. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in a Halloween costume and

compete for prizes.

Student organizations have their own chance to compete with other campus

groups in the Bronc-O-lympics Thursday, Nov. 11. Each group will be put

through a series of challenges to win in tournament-like games. The winning

organization receives a cash prize and a trophy.

Students who wish to join an organization can attend the Recruitment Fair

Sept. 7 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Booths will litter the Quad, where students

can gather information and talk to club

members from various UTPA organiza-

tions. According to its website, the Office

of Student Development (OSD), which

oversees student organizations, will pro-

vide music from a local radio station and

have prize giveaways.

Rodney Gomez, coordinator of stu-

dent development, believes that this

semester will be an exciting one.

"We are focusing not only on giving

students a good time but on building com-

plete students," said Gomez, "our activi-

ties and events are designed to build skills,

promote key values, and make better peo-

ple of our students."

Gomez did point out that the activities

the OSD has planned are not all about

entertainment; however, they will be fun.

"You can come to our events, have

fun, but know that you are not wasting

your time," stated Gomez. "What you are

doing is directly related to aiding your

success in school."

The major event this fall will be

Hispanic Engineering Science and

Technology Week (HESTEC) from Sept.

26 until Oct. 2. Some of this year's

keynote speakers include Alma Martinez

Fallon, president of the Society of Women

Engineers; Camilo Pardo, chief designer

for the Ford Motor Company; Orlando

Figueroa from NASA headquarters; for-

mer "Saved by the Bell" star and “Man's

Show” host Mario Lopez; and

singer/actor Lance Bass.

Around Town

The Dodge Arena always has a wide variety of entertainment in store for the

Valley. The major event this fall is the South Texas Scorcher on Sept. 11. The list

of attractions seems endless but includes the 2005 New Car Showcase, motorcy-

cle giveaway, car audio contest, extreme motocross, BMX and skateboard expo,

a $50,000 free throw contest, and a special Sept. 11 tribute to remember fallen

heroes.

Several local bands will perform at the arena, such as Vinyl Dharma, Valley

Lemmons, Metalstorm, The Fold, and Division 623 from Brownsville. However,

not just Valley bands will perform at this venue. Maverick Recording artists

Tantric will be playing live, along with Syn, an alternative band out of Mexico.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans can meet wrestlers Booker T.

and Batista at the Scorcher as well. The famous WWE Superstars, who can be

seen on pay per view or on any WWE wrestling show, will be greeting fans and

signing autographs.

Tickets for all arena events are

available at the Dodge Arena Box

Office and all RGV Ticket Outlets.

Ticket prices are $15 pre-sale, $20

at the door, and $5 pre-sale youth

tickets (ages 2-10).

Another Dodge Arena event

taking place this fall is the Country

Legends Gala, produced by the

Make-A-Wish Foundation. Multi-

platinum selling artist Sammy

Kershaw, who is joined by Ray

Price, Doug Stone, Larry Gatlin and

the Gatlin Brothers, and John

Conlee, will headline the concert.

The Country Legends Gala starts at

7:30 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Major events at the La Villa

Real special events center this year

include "The Labor Day Rap &

Reggaeton Tour," Clint Black in

concert, and comedian Happy.

The Labor Day Rap and

Reggaeton Tour will consist of a

daylong event featuring The Roof

Djs and dancers, and many artists,

as well as a car show and bikini

contest. Other features of the event

include food booths, a 3-on-3-bas-

ketball tournament, and cash and

prizes for all winners. The car

show starts at 1 p.m. and the doors

open for the concert at 6 p.m.

Clint Black will make his sec-

ond appearance after 14 years at

the Villa Real on Sept. 4 for a con-

cert sponsored by the Hidalgo

County Crime Stoppers. According to the Villa Real's website, he promises to

give the best concert of the year. His new CD, "Spend My Time," is available

now.

This fall will be packed with events, whether at school or around the Valley.

For students who want to take a break once in a while and relieve stress, there

will always be something to do.

Mario Lopez went on from “Saved by the Bell” fameto face other challenges such as hosting “The ManShow,” and now he’s visiting UTPA.

Community

Country Legends Gala Aug. 26 Dodge Arena

Labor Day Rap & Reggaeton Tour Sept. 4 La Villa Real Events Center

Jackson Street Market Day Sept. 4 Harlingen

Conjunto Music Induction Awards Sept. 5 San Benito Community Center

South Texas Scorcher Sept. 11 Dodge Arena

Olivia Newton-John Sept. 19 McAllen Civic Center

Clint Black Sept. 23 La Villa Real

Cher Nov. 5 Dodge Arena

Happy - Comedian Nov. 26 La Villa Real

Campus

Hawaiya Doin’ Welcome Week Aug. 26 – Sept. 1 Quad & Various locations

Student Org. Recruitment Fair Sept. 7 Quad

HESTEC Week Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 UTPA Campus

Carnival of the Great Pumpkin Oct. 23 UTPA Field House

Bronc-O-lympics Nov. 11 Quad

*C O M I N G E V E N T S

******This new semester, like all others, is guaranteed to be full of homework, proj-

ects, and plenty of studying. While the reality of the long road ahead sinks in,there are a few silver linings like concerts, comedians, and exciting campus andcommunity events that are sure to break up the monotony of schoolwork. Story by Christina Harris

Page 10: August 26, 2004

n Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

n McAllen Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

n Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

August 26, 2004 AArrttss && EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt Page 10

A&E n n n ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

VVOOTTEE continued from page 7

3

Who is going to win the next presidential election? Thatis a question on the minds of the candidates and Americanvoters.

Candidates seek ways to motivate citizens to visit thepolls on Election Day to cast their votes. Despite efforts thattarget young voters, the number of Americans ages 18 to 25that vote is low.

In the past, non-profit organizations have made stridesto motivate this age group, and candidates like Bill Clintonhave utilized MTV to ensure this segment heard his voice. In1992, "Facing the Future With Bill Clinton" was aired as partof MTV's "Choose or Lose" election Coverage. The forumwas comprised of mainly 18-24-year-olds in an attempt toinspire other MTV viewers to become active in the electoralprocess. However, this year non-profit or non-partisangroups are upping efforts to increase the percentages of 18 to25-year-olds who participate in the voting process.

Groups such as MTV's Rock The Vote or CitizenChange are getting help from celebrities who seek to stimu-late interest from the youth. Celebrities have increased theirawareness in politics due to statistics that show the lack ofinvolvement younger generations display in major elections.

The Center for Information & Research on CivicLearning & Engagement (CIRCLE) conducts research onvarious areas of voting such as voting behaviors among dif-ferent age groups, genders, and race. According to a surveyby CIRCLE, 26.9 million 18 to 25-year-old Americans wereeligible to vote in the year 2000. Only 9.9 million or 42.4percent of citizens within this age group voted, while 17 mil-lion never made it to the polls.

Celebrities are trying different tactics to get the 18 to 25-year-old age group to vote. Movie stars and rock stars areappearing on television and radio doing public serviceannouncements (PSAs) to promote the need to vote. Artists

are recording songs that focus on the topic of voting and oth-ers are designing clothing with an election theme.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds is among one of the starsthat wants to take part in this effort. Babyface and MissyElliot plan to lead a group of artists including Wyclef Jean,Ashanti, Eve, and others to record the song "Wake UpEverybody." According to E! Online, the Democratic Party

used that song in 1976 during Jimmy Carter's quest for thepresidency to urge black citizens to vote. The song will nowend with a rap by Missy Elliot in which she states, "This isfor everybody white or black/You better go and vote and getup off your back."

Among one of the most voiced celebrities this year inhis quest to get the youth to vote, is Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.Combs, who is referring to himself as "Citizen Combs," hasstarted the non-partisan group Citizen Change. The missionof the group is to educate and motivate young voters.

On various interviews Combs has commented that withthe closeness of this year's elections it is the youth who willbe the deciding factor, and if they don't vote they can't com-plain about the way the government is run.

According to the website, thekansascitychannel.com(KMBC-TV), Combs is teaming up with MTV to develop adocumentary about politics, which targets young voters andspeaks to them in "their" language. The documentary isscheduled to air sometime before the Nov. 2 elections. As alast attempt to raise the voting percentages of this segment ofthe population, Combs has created a T-shirt line with the slo-gan "Vote or Die!" The rapper claims that he wants to makevoting sexy.

This movement is so big that websites are making thevoting process easier for this age group. Websites for groupssuch as Citizen Change, the Youth Vote Coalition, and RockThe Vote not only provide information about voting andmajor voting events going on in various cities, but alsoinclude a link to help people register to vote. The Rock TheVote site has a section with PSAs from various artists likeSteven Tyler and Lindsay Lohan, and receives other forms ofsupport from artists and actors such as Ben Affleck,Hoobastank, and Ashlee Simpson.

Many recognize the great importance of having theyouth vote. Jerry Polinard, chair of the political sciencedepartment at the university, explains that for decades the 18

By DULCE GONZALEZThe Pan American

By JORGE HINOJOSAThe Pan American

Independent film "Open Water," based on two scubadivers that are accidentally stranded in the middle of theocean, takes on a new film making approach that will elevateany viewer's anxiety level.

"Open Water" is a low-budget film based on true events,and unlike the blockbuster "Jaws," stays away from flashyspecial effects. The shark scenes were all created using realsharks in real open water making the film more realistic andpleasing to the eye.

In a simple, low quality, home video type of RecordingProducer Laura Lau introduces Susan (Blanchard Ryan) andDaniel (Daniel Travis), a couple who decides to take a breakfrom their busy lifestyles. The couple ends up in a Caribbeangetaway where they pay to take a scuba diving trip that turnsawry.

A series of mistakes, miscounts, and an obvious lack ofcommunication, lead their boat to depart the diving site with-out them. After scuba diving for an hour, Susan and Daniel

reemerge to the surface where they find themselves alone inthe middle of the sea.

The couple immediately believes that the crew willnotice the missing tanks and ownerless bags on the boat, andreturn for the pair. The shocking and ironic situation sooncauses the couple to argue about whose fault it is, offeringthe viewer some comic relief when Susan says, "I wanted togo skiing!" A few hours pass and it starts to get cold, jelly-fish start to sting and sharks begin to circle the two. By thispoint tension and fear rises for the characters and the audi-ence.

The 79-minute, R-rated film ultimately leaves viewerswith the sense that these sorts of casualties can actually hap-pen to anyone.

“Open Water" opened in select theatres Aug. 6, butopened everywhere on Aug. 20 bringing in an astonishing$11.8 million in the first weekend. This amount is great for alow-budget, indie film, and puts the film in the number fivespot just below "Alien Vs. Predator."

Celebrities help election campaign effort

Movies about sharks have captured the inter-est of movie-goers since the 1970s.

Reviewers Rating: 3.5/5 stars

to 25-year-old group has had the lowest propensity to vote of any age group. Hestated that any efforts to increase involvement and awareness in the politicalprocess are important and desirable.

"Celebrities often serve, for good and ill, as role models and I welcome theirefforts to encourage the 18-25 cohort to become involved," said Polinard. "The2000 presidential election illustrates how important voting can be, so an increasein the percentage of younger voters can have an impact on the outcome of elec-tions."

According to Jack Stanley, professor of communication at UTPA, gettingAmericans of any age to vote is positive. Stanley stated that generations ofAmericans have fought and died so that we could have the rights and freedoms weenjoy, yet younger generations have grown up with rights and liberties that havecost them nothing.

"We must be active in the life of our government or all those deaths and allthat blood will have been in vain," said Stanley.

Stanley also commented that some celebrities have a hidden political agendawhen trying to promote people to vote, and they are really seeking support for theircandidate of choice.

"Some of the celebrities involved have thinly veiled political agendas of theirown, which taints this supposedly balanced program," stated Stanley. "What theyare really saying is we want you to vote and we want you to vote for our party'scandidates."

Stanley noted that being famous for nothing more than merely being famousshould carry no special power, but to the youth of our nation fame seems to beholda power worthy of influence. If a celebrity changes their clothes or hairstyle youngpeople sometimes follow with little or no thought.

"What is mystifying to me is that anyone older than 14 would think the abil-ity to sing, dance, throw or catch a ball, act, or tell a joke would be the same skillsto shape opinions about life, liberty, and a stable government," Stanley said.

On Nov. 2 the next President will be determined, and perhaps the trend of lowrepresentation of young voters will change.

‘Open Water’ out-splashes ‘Jaws’

The University Program Board (UPB) will helpkick off the new academic year by providing thecampus with the musical stylings of the alternativerock band Paradigm.

"[The] committee chairs first saw Paradigm ata regional conference last year,” UPB PresidentAdrian Sandoval said. “They were very impressedand decided to invite them."

According to Sandoval, Paradigm stands apartfrom other alternative rock bands with the positivemessage they bring.

"The band has a moderate sound that willappeal to students," Sandoval said.

The Sacramento-based band is currently tour-ing college campuses across the country. Theirmusic is aired primarily on college radio stations.The group has been compared to artist such as U2,Sarah McLachlan, and ColdPlay. Their songs tellstories about restoring hope after dark times.

The band plans to ring in the new school yearby performing a free concert Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. at theQuad. All students, faculty, and staff are welcomed.For more information on Paradigm visit paradigm-music.com.

According to the website, paradigm-music.com, Paradigm’s lyrics relate familiar yetthought-provoking stories that reflect hope amidstthe melancholy and pain of real life.

The band was formed in 1999 by guitaristSteven Stratton and vocalist Shannon Curtis. The

two began writing songs and were later joined bydrummer/vocalist Tony Edwards, guitarist KeithOgden and bassist Kyle Knowlton. The bandreleased their first CD, “Standing in Line,” inAugust 2002, which features songs with familiartopics.

"We write songs about stuff going on in peo-ple's everyday lives," Curtis said.

The band is able to reach young adults becausethey have gone through many of the same emotion-al experiences. Like a score of their fans, the mem-bers of Paradigm attended college and received theirdegrees.

"We try to capture real emotion and get peopleto think differently about the world, politics, andsociety," Curtis said.

Paradigm headlines free concert By LAURA GARCIAThe Pan American

Who says there’s nothing to do in the Valley? A quickdrive down Nolana Loop would show you it’s not just a stripof restaurants anymore. McAllen nightlife is going through agrowth spurt of amazing proportions with new bars, clubs andelaborate renovations.

AK's Sports Bar and Grill has undergone renovationswith the addition of a patio to allow for more space. The newarea includes large neon palm trees to spice up its otherwiseparking lot landscape.

"I don't know where so many people hide during the day,"said UTPA anthropology major, Rosario Garza, "at night, theyall come out and it gets so crowded here, even with the newpatio."

The popular bar recently gained an even larger crowdwith its summer bikini contest.

"We're trying to just do the right thing, put on some goodentertainment," said Arturo Kalifa, owner of AK's. "Havinggood entertainment is the right thing and trying to fix up theclub so it’s clean and it won't be so cluttered."

Kalifa mentioned that the nightclub plans to raffle off ajet ski during football season, in attempts to draw a largercrowd during the fall season. Currently AK’s uses two DJ'snightly.

"I believe we've got one of the bigger clubs here inMcAllen, in a very good location," he said.

A few blocks west of AK's on Nolana Loop is a cluster ofnight clubs that suit just about everybody's taste. TejanoSaloon offers international and Tejano music while just next-door Mystique Show Bar caters to the gay and lesbian popula-tion on Saturday nights with weekly drag shows. Next door toMystique is McAllen's newest addition to nightlife, Barrock,which features something different every night.

On Wednesday Barrock hosts a comedy night, whichincludes a $100 prize. Thursday nights cater to an internation-al crowd with international rock music. Friday the clubswitches to American rock and on Saturday it's the crowd

doing the entertainment with karaoke. Karaoke also features acash prize for talented singers.

"I went on a Thursday and the live music gives the envi-ronment a distinct flavor. Its rock, so it’s pretty cool," saidUTPA student Carlos Contreras. "I had a good time, live musicalways gives some spice to a bar, especially now, when thereis so much competition among all the places opening up."

With its advertisement in The Monitor boasting that itstrictly enforces a dress code, it follows a trend most newMcAllen clubs follow, an upscale environment. According tosome, the trend works well as a public relations marketingtool.

"Enforcing the dress code gives the club a certain appealand reputation," said Docs and Billiards bartender and UTPAcommunications student Omar Garza. "It gives the feeling thatthey are letting in VIP's only and in order for you to be a VIP,you have to dress up and look good."

Down the street is Prada, a veteran bar in McAllen thatseemed to initiate the trendy upscale characteristics ofMcAllen nightclubs. Across the street from Prada is the loca-tion for a new bar that is said to open pretty soon next toBennigan's Grill and Tavern, which serves its famous pints ofGuinness beer.

Kafs, a former coffee house called Kafecitos has taken adramatic turn and has become a bar offering a wine selectionin a trendy international environment. Next-door is The YachtClub, which features live international bands weekly. In thesame area is Fast Eddies, a bar offering a relaxing pool hallenvironment, no dress code enforced.

Around the corner, turning right onto 10th Street isBuffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill, a bar that has gained pop-ularity on Tuesday nights with its college student crowd.

Across the street from Buffalo's a different environmentis found with the Light Lounge and Club X/S, two fairly newnightclubs that have managed to keep up with the nightlifeexcitement.

On South 10th Street is Scala, which opened early in2004 replacing short-lived Club Velvet. It’s rather dark loca-

tion adds to its mystery including live international music inan upscale environment.

"When Scala opened I was excited to go, I even had freepasses. I was really interested, but it seems that there are somany new places opening,” said UTPA student Angie Ybarra.“It’s very hard to keep up. Usually my girlfriends and I love itwhen a new place opens, but there's so much to do already."

McAllen transforms into insomniac’s paradiseBy AARON LOZANOThe Pan American

Photo courtesy of paradigm-music.com

See VOTE page 10

It’s atoast toa long

nightlife

Page 11: August 26, 2004

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 6

Financial aid online featuresprovide added convenience

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 11

Waiting in line to accept financial aid awards can befrustrating. Trying to sign up for pre-loan sessions can betime consuming. Students looking for work-study canfind it difficult to find the right job on campus that willsuit them. These situations will no longer pose asirritating problems.

The Student Financial Services Office has developednew online services to better accommodate students’needs. Beginning fall 2004, students can now acceptfinancial aid awards online.

Prior to having online services, students had threeways to accept their award including mailing it, putting itin the drop box located at the Student Services Building,or standing in line at the Financial Aid Office.

With those being options of the past, students can nowlog on to assist.panam.edu and click on "StudentServices" to handle business in minutes in the comfort oftheir own home. Accounting Technician Robert Z.Trevino explained that having an active UTPA e-mailaccount is important. In the future, students will havetheir award letters sent to their email address.

With 75 percent of UTPA students receiving sometype of financial aid, including grants, scholarships andloans, the Financial Aid Office felt the need forimprovement.

Therefore, Stafford loan borrowers benefit from thenew online services. Borrowers who once went through alengthy process of accepting a loan can say goodbye tothat method. Those days consisted of being awarded,accepting the award, attending a pre-loan session andhaving the loan guaranteed. This process can now bedone online by logging on towww.ess.panam.edu/finaid/loans.

Though "Loans by Web" is a quick process, a concernfrom the financial aid services was made clear.

"Since we are no longer having students come in, weare losing personal touch," said Associate Director, EliasOzuna.

Ozuna also said that in the past, first-time borrowershad to physically attend a pre-loan session where thestudents were informed about the responsibilities ofhaving a loan, Ozuna said. They were quizzed to makesure they understood what was discussed during thesession.

Still wanting borrowers to be informed, online pre-loansessions cover the same material and students are quizzedon it as well.

"The pre-loan session serves as a reminder as they gothrough the process," Trevino said.

According to Ozuna, the session must be completedonce a year to help keep the default percentage down. Hesaid that it is easier completing the session onlinebecause students don't have to face issues like long linesor session availability, which were problems before.

"Two main reasons for having ‘Loans by Web' is thecapability of signing promissory notes at home usingFAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) pinnumber to electronically sign it and no longer requiringpeople to come in for workshops," Ozuna said.

Another new service is the UTPA Work-study StudentEmployment System coordinated by William Morley. Itallows work-study students who have been awarded, toconduct employment affairs online such as referrals,appointments or even setting up a resume.

"They can promote themselves," said MichelleAlvarado, director for Student Financial Services andScholarships.

In turn, this system allows supervisors to look forfuture employees, Alvarado said, adding that the newservices targets students who actually need to come in.

"We're trying to meet their needs," Alvarado said.According to Ozuna, about 44 percent of freshmen and

33 percent of remaining students have taken advantage ofthese new online services.

"I've been monitoring numbers each week and they'vestayed that way. They've stayed consistent," he said.

For freshman Esperanza Zapata, new online servicesare beneficial as well as more convenient for her.

"Well, I think it's really good because you don't have towait in line and waste your time. It's pretty simple,"Zapata said.

The Student Financial Services Office has moredevelopments in store for UTPA students. They arecurrently working on an online Financial RevisionRequest Form that allows students to apply for a loanafter declining in their FAFSA. Online sign up sheets areunder development as well to make it faster and easier forstudents to sign up for various workshops.

For further information, call the Financial Aid Officeat 381-2501, or go online rather than wait in line

Hail the Pre-Meds, the engineers, the nurses, and now, as of thepast semester, hail the English students.

A new chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English HonorSociety, was created for the University of Texas-Pan American.Sigma Tau Delta is a coed honor society designed to providedistinction for high achievement in English language and literature.UTPA English students long awaited their own chapter, now ChapterAlpha Lambda Psi, an opportunity for designated excellence.

"The English department never had a type of society to honor itsstudents," said Alpha Lambda Psi Vice-President Sonia Olivarez."We needed this to help others be honored and be proud of being anEnglish major."

Sigma Tau Delta aims to provide cultural stimulation on collegecampuses, increase community interest in English departments, andencourage creative and critical writing. Sigma Tau Delta inductsapproximately 7,000 members annually and has over 600 activechapters. It was time to include UTPA in this society of achievementand activity.

"I knew of other honor societies on campus," said Alpha LambdaPsi President Jeanette Ferry-Gomez. "I assumed there was an Englishhonor society but after searching, there wasn’t. I figured it would bea good thing for English students to have their work organized."

Ferry-Gomez set on to create exactly what other English studentsonly mildly considered, official and national recognition specificallyfor UTPA. Ferry-Gomez, junior, graduated Valedictorian fromCorpus Christi Academy and is the first to launch Sigma Tau Delta oncampus. Now, she adds founder and president to her list ofcredentials. Yet, her ambition to induct a new chapter brings honor toher English peers who join.

"Through Sigma Tau Delta, students can have their work publishedin national newsletters and the Sigma Tau Delta literary magazine,Rectangle", Ferry-Gomez said. "We’re also planning a groupspotlighting amongst our members where we recognize each oneindividually."

Nationally, the honor society organizes different opportunities torecognize their outstanding students. They also facilitate careerchoices and career advancement through networking. Students andprofessors enrich their relationship through association in Sigma TauDelta.

"It really helps the professors connect with the students,” Olivarezsaid. "This makes the students feel more confident about what they’relearning. They’re going into the real world confident, knowing theyhave somebody to turn to."

Ferry-Gomez and the officers also plan to open communicationsthroughout the whole English department, especially between thestudents. They aim to unify the department, building strengthtogether.

"We’re planning on having a book swap between the Englishstudents,” Ferry-Gomez said. "We know this would really help out."

Students also improve by increasing their community servicethrough Sigma Tau Delta. Alpha Lambda Delta is currently planningmany community service activities, including a Book Ban Week.

According to Ferry-Gomez, during the Book Ban Week, membersof Alpha Lambda Delta will set up a booth at a library informingstudents about book bans in history and encouraging people to keepreading.

These community activities and the recognition of outstandingEnglish students brings a new face to the university. It develops thedepartment as a whole, encouraging others to build a love forEnglish.

"As a whole, it gives good publicity,” Ferry-Gomez said. "It givesthe school and the department a positive face."

The English honor society brings recognition and honor to adepartment. The society hopes that students will feed of thisconfidence and realize a love for books can be more than just ahobby, it can be honored.

"We want English to get noticed," Olivarez said. "Books teach us alittle more about life and everyone needs to learn a little more aboutthat."

New English honorsociety highlightsleading achieversBy JENILEE HERNANDEZ

The Pan American

By CECILIA CASTANEDAThe Pan American

Page 12: August 26, 2004

Child developmentcenter set for 2005

With all the new construction occurring at The University ofTexas-Pan American, one building is planning to offer a differenttype of service to the campus community. This building is notintended to hold any common classes.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Child Development Center[CDC] occurred on Tuesday Aug. 17. The new center will be locatedto the north of campus on Van Week Street, just west of Fifth Streetand is scheduled to open by August 2005.

The large attendance at the ceremony included universityadministration, students, and a special appearance by toddlerswearing “Class of 2025” T-shirts. The one goal of all was tocelebrate the initial step towards the creation of the 11,177-square-foot building.

One of the goals of the CDC is simply. To help strengthen theretention rate of students who also are parents. By offering childcareclose to campus, officials hope to lessen parents’ pressure of findingsuitable daycare at a rational location.

The cost is expected to reach $1.5 million, and according to anarticle by University Relations, Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez says it is“Going to be a home for 140 children from the age of three monthsto four years and they are going to be the children of our studentshere at the University.”

Tuition fees will vary from $80-90 a week for students, and $85-95 a week for faculty and staff.

The benefits of paying that tuition fee will include having childrenin an environment that includes ten classrooms that will hold them intheir specific age group. The CDC will separate into groups ofinfants, toddlers and preschoolers. A special accommodation for theparents will be a “mother’s room.” This room is designated for momsto breastfeed and bond with their infants.

August 26, 2004 NNEEWWSS Page 4

By CLARISSA MARTINEZThe Pan American

Valley begins business trade mission to Mexico

The South Texas Minority Business OpportunityCommittee a project of The University of Texas – PanAmerican, will a Trade Mission to Aguascalientes,Mexico, Sept. 1-3.

The goal of the mission is to promote U.S. exports bygiving U.S. businesses first-hand market information andaccess to potential business partners in Mexico.

“We take companies from here and match them withcompanies in Mexico,” said Terry Fuentes, internationaltrade specialist for MBOC. “It’s basically matchmakingthat we are doing for businesses that want to do business inMexico.”

With the help of the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce,the South Texas MBOC pre-arranges the meetings and fliesthe participants to Mexico. Companies wanting toparticipate must submit a profile, and the profile is thensubmitted to Aguascalientes and the Secretary ofEconomic Development. These organizations are in chargeof setting up the actual meeting.

The State of Aguascalientes then contacts localbusinesses and submits the profiles of the Valleycompanies. If the Mexican company is interested in doingbusiness, a meeting is scheduled.

Participation in the trade mission also includes anEconomic Overview Presentation by the secretary ofeconomic development of Aguascalientes and assistancewith hotel, travel, and translation services.

“Everything is arranged for the companies. They just goand already know they have meetings with potentialcustomers. So we are providing them with trade leads inMexico,” explained Fuentes. “The trip is at eachcompany’s expense, but we basically do the legwork for

them.”Fuentes said that the missions are mainly intended for

those interested in exporting their products or services toMexico. Participating companies have not been confirmedyet.

The South Texas MBOC has been arranging missionslike these since 1997. Most have been to Mexico, but somehave taken place in Central and South America. This year,MBOC has chosen Aguascalientes as the site of its missionfor its location.

Aguascalientes is located in the heart of Central Mexico,which represents 46 percent of the Mexican population and52 percent of its Gross National Product (GNP).Aguascalientes Manufacturing GDP contributions include:automotive and auto parts, 35 percent; textile and apparelindustry, 20 percent; electronics and software, 9 percent;and metal works 6 percent.

The South Texas MBOC is managed by the University,as it is part of UTPA’s external affairs. Located at theUTPA Annex on Closner Road, the MBOC is a state andlocal organization dedicated to the planning, coordinating,and delivery of available resources for the maximumpractical participation of the local minority business sectorin the economic life of the community.

“We work with businesses that are interested ininternational trade and also businesses that want to sell tothe state, local, or federal governments,” explainedFuentes. “We focus on international trade, procurementopportunities and financing.”

Franco Caballero/The Pan American

Diggin’— (from left) New UTPA President Blandina Cardenas, UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof, formerPresident Miguel A. Nevarez, and other university officials gather Aug. 17 with children at the groundbreaking cer-emony for the new Child Development Center north of campus on Van Week Street.

By ROBERTA TIJERINAThe Pan American

UTPA will host trade mission to Aguascalientes September 1

FOR THE RECORD

Jets aquire CarterQuincy Carter signed a one-year deal with New York on

Tuesday.The signing comes just three weeks after Carter was

released by the Dallas Cowboys amid reports he failed adrug test.

“I’m looking forward to being a Jet and also helping thisfootball team winning games however I can,” Carter said.“I’m just so excited to have a job right now.”

Americans take Olympic goldAmericans Misty May and Kerri Walsh claimed the gold

medal in women’s beach volleyball on Tuesday night.They beat second-seeded Shelda Bede and Adriana

Behar of Brazil 21-17,21-11 without losing a set in sevenmatches.

Earlier Tuesday, Americans Holly McPeak and ElaineYoungs won the bronze medal when they beat Austrailia’sNatalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson 21-18,15-21, 15-9.

“Its been such a whirlwind, with so many emotions,”Walsh said. “We’ve had so many great opportunitiesand,through it all, we’ve had to keep our focus on winningthe gold. I’m feeling everything right now.”

UTPA’s Garza becomes a RedUTPA infieder Marco Garza signed a professional base-

ball contract with Cincinnati on Aug. 19.The Pan American standout shattered school records for

all-time hits (190) and hits in a single game (7) tied for thethird highest in NCAA Division I history.

Garza will report to spring training in February.

Israel wins its first goldWindsurfer Gal Fridman gave the best overall perform-

ance in the 11-stage competition and secured his country’sfirst Olympic gold medal with a second-place finish onWednesday.

Israel’s Olympic history is marred by terrorist attacksand political power struggles. In 1972, 11 Israeli athletesand coaches were killed by Palestinian terrorists.

Fridman began sailing at age 7, and entered his firstcompetition when he was 11. He won a bronze medal atthe 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“We have a gold medal,” said Yaron Micaelli, spokesmanfor the Israeli delegation in Athens. “What can be morethan that?”

Quote of the day:“The medal is a symbol of an eight-year battle. I have

been waiting for this moment for so long.

- Brazilian beach volleyball gold medalist Emanuel Rego

SSPPOORRTTSSCCLLIIPPBBOOAARRDD

NFL

Preseason Week 3

Thursday, Aug. 26

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 27

N.Y. Giants at N.Y Jets, 6 p.m.

San Francisco at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle at San Diego, 9 p.m.

Green Bay at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Washington at St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Houston at Denver, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 28

Buffalo at Indianapolis, 6 p.m.

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 7 p.m.

Oakland at Arizona, 8 p.m.

Miami at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Kansas City, 7 p.m.

New England at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 30

Tennessee at Dallas, 7 p.m.

San Diego at San Francisco, 10 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 3

Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.

Green Bay at Tennessee, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at NY Jets, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Miami at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Note: all times central standard time

HOUSTON ASTROS

Date Opponent Time

Aug. 26 Chicago 1:20 p.m.

Aug. 27 Chicago 2:20 p.m.

Aug. 28 Chicago 3:05 p.m.

Aug. 29 Chicago 1:20 p.m.

Aug. 30 Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.

Aug. 31 Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.

TEXAS RANGERS

Date Opponent Time

Aug.26 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug.27 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 28 Kansas City 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 29 MINNESOTA 7:05 p.m.

Aug. 30 MINNESOTA 6:10 p.m.

Aug. 31 MINNESOTA 2:05 p.m.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

WOMEN’S GOLF

Date Opponent

Oct. 4 Battle at the Lake Invit.

Oct. 5 Battle at the Lake Invit.

Oct. 11 Lady Indian Classic

Oct. 12 Lady Indian Classic

Oct. 24 Sam Houston State Tri-Match

Oct. 25 Ellingson/Shu Invitational

Oct. 26 Ellingson/SHSU Invitational

Nov. 8 Lady Bronc Classic

Nov. 9 Lady Bronc Classic

MEN’S GOLF

Date Opponent TimeSept. 13 Fairway Club Invit. (Univ. of Nebraska)

Sept. 14 Fairway Club Invit. (Univ. of Nebraska)

Oct. 4 Stonebridge Invit. (So. Methodist Univ.)

Oct. 5 Stonebridge Invit. (So. Methodist Univ.)

Oct. 11 Crown Classic (Stephen F. Austin)

Oct. 12 Crown Classic(Stephen F. Austin)

Oct. 22 The Nelson Invit. (Stanford Univ.)

Oct. 23 The Nelson Invit. (Stanford Univ.)

Oct. 24 The Nelson Invit (Stanford Univ.)

VOLLEYBALL(partial schedule)

Date Team/Tournament TimeAug. 29 UTPA Alumni 7 p.m.

Sept. 1 TBA (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Sept. 3 UTPA Invitational 1 p.m.

Sept. 4 UTPA Invitational 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Baylor 7 p.m.

Sept. 10 Texas Tech Round-up Noon

Sept. 11 Texas Tech Round-up Noon

Sept. 18 at Texas A&M-Int’l 4 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Prairie View A&M 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Air Force 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 No. Colorado Classic 7 p.m.

Sept. 25 No. Colorado Classic 4 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Sam Houston State 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 at Texas A&M-CC 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 Texas A&M-CC 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 No. Colorado 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 Utah Valley State 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 Texas A&M-Kings. 7 p.m.

Oct. 21 UTEP 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 New Mexico State 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 Texas State 7 p.m.

Oct. 27 UTSA 7 p.m.

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Edinburg Economedes Jaguar receiving corps prepare to take off and improve upon lastseason’s success. The 2004 Valley high school football season starts Friday night.

August 26, 2004 SSPPOORRTTSS Page 13

Page 13: August 26, 2004

Oracle upgrade available for fall semester

■ Day Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

■ Asst. Chief Carey . . . . . . . . . . 5

■ Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11NEWS

The University of Texas-Pan American is in theprocess of moving to Oracle technology for itsbusiness computer systems, including e-mail. VMSMail and Microsoft Exchange will be replaced byOracle Collaboration Suite, which is an integratedset of programs that provide email, address book,calendar, and file storage, all accessible by a singlelogin and password.

“The implementation budget is over $10 millionand we expect to get considerable benefit,” saidDavid Ramsey, oracle transformation leader. “Inaddition, the technology we are replacing isobsolete. One of the reasons the University is doingthis is because it is like having a car after a while,you just can’t repair the car anymore.”

The current systems have not been replaced inover 20 years and the University was trying to bemore efficient with the way things were beingprocessed.

“We are moving from 1980s technology ofbusiness processes to twenty-first centurytechnology in business processing. This will make itmore efficient so we can serve the faculty, staff, andstudents better,” he said.

The transformation process began in Novemberand has been non-stop since. It is scheduled tomigrate through 2006 to be fully established at theuniversity.

“The Oracle project is called the OracleTransformation Initiative because it is really goingto transform the University,”Ramsey said. “We started up inNovember when I was recruitedto lead the project and we havesince changed our computerhardware server, [which]brought up in April and May.”

The new technology ismigrating toward changing allthe systems a little at a timeand there have already beenOracle changes to someprograms.

“In June we implementedwhat is called CRM which is tohelp with new studentrecruiting,” said Ramsey. “Weare coming up with OracleCollaboration Suite which isthe new E-mail system comingup and will be available Sept.1. We are migrating groups abit at a time that will take six tonine months.”

The next big step in the Oracle transformation isnew E-mail systems for faculty, staff, and students.The faculty and staff, however, will be the first tomigrate into this new E-mail system beginningSeptember 1.

One of the programs that will directly affectfaculty, staff, and students will be the new e-mail

system. This new system iscalled Collaboration Sweet.There will be changes to thecurrent e-mail system andthere will be more availablethrough this new system forall faculty, staff, and students.

Anne Harwell Taol, directorfor Academic Computing,agrees that the University willbe more modern and effectivethrough this new Oracletechnology.

“What we’ve got right nowis a variety of systems andthey are primarily based.They are not as efficient aswhat we could have. It willlet us grow and address thegrowth needs for the future bemore agile and adapt quickerto change to be able to getinformation faster to cut thetime between the time

information is gathered to the time it is madeavailable to administrators and also this will have agood affect to give the students better service. Theunderlying reason for everything we do is to servethe students better.”

As Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez speaks, his eyes glimmer with atouch of sadness and imperial ease as he talks about his reignas The University of Texas Pan American President comingto a close.

“I am not retiring, just simply shifting gears,” Nevarezsaid. “I want to contribute to the university because it hasbeen my life, my family’s life and I will always be here.Besides, I cannot go from 100 miles per hour to absolutezero.”

Looking out the three-story administration buildingwindow, Nevarez appears to drift into a memorable time ashe recalls when he was a young boy full of hope and had onlydreams of what he wanted to with his life.

“My father was a doctor and instilled in me a profoundappreciation for completing my schooling so that is why Icannot leave I guess,” Nevarez said. “If I can do that for thestudents of UTPA which has already produced some of thefinest professionals in and out of the Valley, I’d like to thinkI fulfilled what I set out to do.”

Some will say Nevarez has contributed so much to UTPAbecause of his unwavering persistence to see Pan AmericanUniversity became part of the UT System. Others will claimit is because of the implementation of master’s programs forvarious schools, along with the definite increase in

enrollment by thousands over the years. Still, most will sayit was all because of the South Texas Board Initiatives, or dueto his heartfelt involvement with faculty and students.

The list goes on and on. But numbers and programs aside,this former debutante of academia feels the single mostimportant contribution that he has accomplished for theuniversity, would lie in students.

“The Wall Street Journal wrote an article describing UTPAas the single most important institution that is responsible forcreating a Hispanic professional middle class,’” Nevarezsaid. “I am extremely proud of this, it just took an outsider topoint it out, we should all be happy because of this.”

Nevarez is considering going back to where it all startedfor him, in the classroom.

“Nothing is set in stone, but the education administrationfield has always interested me,” he said. “I have some ideason how we can enhance student outreach possibly throughdeveloping a coastal studies research lab with homage tomarine life here in, the Valley like in Port Aransas.”

With Nevarez’s background and interest in math andscience education, it might not be a surprise if ideas in thesefields manifest on campus in the future.

As far as Nevarez is concerned the new UTPA PresidentDr. Blandina “Bambi” Cardenas is well prepared andequipped for a fast-paced lifestyle with changes coming toUTPA.

“I have known Dr. Cardenas professionally for about

New technology benefits both students and faculty

Former president reflects on legacy and futureBy VANESSA L. LUCIOThe Pan American

By ANGELA I. CANALESThe Pan American

Franco Caballero/The Pan AmericanSee NEVAREZ page 12

August 26, 2004 SSppoorrttss Page 14

Dave Thorn will return this year tostart his seventh season at the helm ofthe University of Texas-Pan Americanvolleyball team that tied the schoolrecord in wins last year with 19.

The Lady Broncs will have six oftheir seven starters returning from lastyear’s record-setting team, whichshould provide a good base for theteam to equal or surpass last season’saccomplishment.

“We have a real explosive team.”Thorn said. “There haven’t been awhole lot of major changes and that’s agreat thing.”

Winker Cruz, a red-shirted fifth-year senior, will return to the UTPAvolleyball squad after suffering aninjury last year.

“Cruz is a big, big force for us in thepast couple of years,” Thorn said.

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter saysthat she is 100 percent and is ready togo.

“We’re pretty stacked this year,”Cruz said. “All we have to do is takecare of the mental things. As long aswe work together I think the seasonwill be great.”

UTPA will ease into the 2004 seasonwith an Alumni Game Aug. 29 and anexhibition match Sept. 1 against a teamto be announced. Both matches will beplayed at the Field House at 7 p.m.

The Lady Broncs will get their firsttaste of the regular season when theyhost the UTPA Invitational Sept. 3-4 atthe Field House. The tournament willinclude Louisiana-Monroe, GramblingState, Providence College, and TheUniversity of Oklahoma, a Big 12powerhouse.

“It will be a sight to see,” said senioroutside hitter Cathi Netemeyer. “Ithink we are going to hang with themand really dominate them, especiallyhere on our home floor and set the pacefor the rest of the season.”

UTPA will also count with the returnof rising Brazilian star CarolMarcengo, who finished the best sea-son by a UTPA rookie by setting thesingle-season record for most digs with641, and finished fourth last season inthe NCAA Division I standings.Marcengo also was named theIndependent Libero of the Year for heraccomplishments as a freshman.

After the opening home tournament,the Lady Broncs will take on a toughone-month long road schedule thatincludes school’s such as Baylor,Texas Tech, and Air Force beforereturning home Oct. 12 to face TexasA&M-Corpus Christi.

However, Thorn believes that hissquad is up to the task.

“I expect our upperclassmen to pickup the load for us,” he said. “They’rereally starting to gel together as agroup.”

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Cathi Netemeyer (center) during a recent practice at the UTPA Field House. The Lady Broncs will play their annu-al Alumni game Aug. 29 and will open the season Sept. 1 with the UTPA Invitational.

Lady Bronc volleyball prepares foranother record-breaking season

The transition to life in South Texas cancome as quite a shock to the senses for mostpeople, especially when they come fromcolder regions of the country like theUniversity of Texas-Pan American’s newSports Information Director Joe Monaco.

Monaco, who was the Assistant SID atNCAA Division II power AshlandUniversity in Ohio, replaces the void left byformer SID Dave Geringer, who departedUTPA rather suddenly halfway through thespring semester and did not return phonecalls to The Pan American.

The native of Youngstown, Ohio startedhis duties in June and has been busy makingthe transition from the faster-paced Northern

style of life to the Valley.Monaco endured a two

and a half day trip duringhis move from Ohio toTexas along with a 30-degree change in averagetemperature. He is alsolearning to adjust fromskiing to relaxing by thepool on weekends.

“I’ll miss it (skiing),but it’s a nice change,”Monaco said. “I love theValley.”

The Ohio native will alsobe pulling double-dutysince Assistant SID Mike Bond also left theUniversity quite swiftly after less than a yearin the position.

One of the qualitiesMonaco brings to the tablein his new post is his hard-working mentality.

“Hard work is what hasgotten me to where I amtoday,” he said. “Theopportunity that was givento me was a great one, andaccepting it was an evengreater risk, but it was toogood to pass up.”

Although he is only 24,Monaco is an experienced

sports professional, comingfrom a fanatically sports-ori-

ented state like Ohio. The Youngstownnative received his bachelor’s degree insports communication and journalism from

Ashland University in 2002 and obtained hismaster’s in sport education in May 2004, justbefore making the trek down to Texas.

Monaco is also no stranger to professionalsports since he covered the NFL’s ClevelandBrowns training camp while he was a sportsproducer with cleveland.com, Ohio’s largestnews and information Web site.

In addition, the 24-year-old is not yourtypical sports wannabe, since he let his batdo the talking for him. His exploits on thebaseball field at Boardman High School ledhim to Ashland University, where he playedin the Division II World Series as a fresh-man.

However, Monaco has put away his batand glove and traded it in for, what at timescan be, a 24-hour job as the university’s newSID.

New UTPA SID adjusting to Valley life

By DARYL GONZALESThe Pan American

By JACOB ALEGRIAThe Pan American

JOE MONACO

Page 14: August 26, 2004

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539

(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122

http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican

54rd Year – No. 1

The PANAMERICAN isthe official 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 orgratuitous personalattacks. Letters areprinted at thediscretion of theeditor and mustinclude the writer’sname, class/titleand phone number.

Letters policy

August 26 2 0 0 4

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.

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 sPPAAGGEE 22

College dropout rate a devastating loss

CCAALLEENNDDAARR

THURSDAY 8/26PARADIGM Live!

The Quad8 p.m.

FRIDAY 8/27Bronc Brain Feeze

Free ice creamThe Quad

NoonMovie: “50 First Dates”

SU Theater & Quad3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

MONDAY 8/30Merchant Mall

The Quad6-8 p.m.

TUESDAY 8/31New Bronc Celebration

The Quad11 a.m.

WEDNESDAY 9/1LUAU

The Quad6-8 p.m.

Welcome backBroncs! Hello to all ofthose new freshmen oncampus, and helloagain to those who likeme face their lastmonths as UTPAstudents.

It is funny to seehow one’s attitudetoward life changesdramatically within 3-

4 years. As a freshman one is oblivious tocollege life and to its “tortures.” Then as theyears progress and the classes’ get more andmore demanding, one matures and knowsschool is a priority, and that just blowing offa test is not the answer. But of course, thereis also the knowledge of how to handle yourschool life and party life at the same timegiving both attention. However, noteverybody knows how to juggle two things atthe same time, and the dropout rate increases.

It is incredible to look back to freshmanyear in college and remember seeing a lot ofnew faces as well as those familiar ones whostick around with you from high school tocollege life. Then year by year, semester bysemester, the size of your class decreased andhalf of those who started the same year, thesame semester you did, have either droppedout or transferred. There are only those fewwho eventually stay long enough to get a

bachelors’ degree.In the fall of 2001, 14,000 students

enrolled at UTPA and 2,228 of those werefreshmen. Last year, the numbers were evengreater. In the fall of 2003, estimates of16,000 students were enrolled, and 2,534 ofthem were freshmen. The difference threeyears makes is a lot. But what does that meantoward the final numbers of those who dograduate after completing their prerequisitesto receive a diploma? Do the numbers go upbecause the more freshman who enroll willhelp decrease the number of dropouts, or willit just level the numbers?

The number of students who dropoutincreases each year. Statistics show thatabout 10 percent of first-year students don’tcome back for their second year. The highdropout rate is sometimes connected with theincrease in tuition, but as tuition goes up,financial aid monies also increase. Therefore,there should be more to it than that.

Some studies also show that race might bethe culprit in the increase in dropouts. TheJournal of Blacks in Higher Education statedthat according to the most recent figures, thenationwide college graduation rate for blackstudents is 39 percent, 21 percentage pointsbelow the 60 percent rate for white students.But it also states that race is not the issue.However, many statistics have also pointedout that Hispanics are one of the ethnicitieswith the highest dropout rates.

According to a study done in 1993, about30 percent of the U.S. Hispanic populationages 16-24 had dropped out of school,comparing to the overall dropout rate of 11percent; an eight percent rate for whites, anda 13 percent rate for African-Americans.

Nobody really knows the cause of the highdropout rates that increase more with eachyear. Whether it is due to race, moneyproblems, or hard curriculum there is noclear answer to the retention problem. Butthen there are those who stick around.

With each semester that passes, I seemyself, as well as my peers and friends, withgreater knowledge of what the semester willbring: studying, headaches, cramming, andlots and lots of caffeine. Yet, it is stillunknown to us how well we will do, or if wewill be eligible to graduate. Because there isalways that one class each semester that killsyou, and that grade can keep you fromwalking with a black toga and robe to receiveyour diploma in the Field House.

But if you are reading this then yousurvived the numbers, you are a statistic.Congratulations! You are part of the selectfew who struggle and keep their goals toreach the desired diploma that will place youlike most people say, in a better paying job,leading to a brighter future. It is not easystarting a semester, but it is always easier tobreathe and learn how well you did at theend. Good luck to all.

ARIANNA VAZQUEZ

EditorArianna Vazquez

[email protected]

News EditorClarissa Martinez

[email protected]

A & E EditorOmaira [email protected]

A & E EditorOmaira [email protected]

Sports EditorEd Chrnko

[email protected]

Graphics EditorsDägoberto Pérez

[email protected]

Franco [email protected]

Ginmarie [email protected]

Copy EditorDulce [email protected]

Reporters

Angela Canales

Cecilia Castaneda

Emma Clark

Edwina P. Garza

Christina Harris

Aaron Lozano

Vanessa Lucio

Roberta Tijerina

Joey Gomez

Photographer

Delisa Guadarrama

Copy Editor

Dulce Gonzales

Adviser

Dr. Greg Selber

THE

PAN AMERICAN

August 26, 2004 SSppoorrttss Page 15

EDINBURG – The EdinburgRoadrunners capped off the seasonwith a league-leading 68 wins andearned the home-field advantage inthe first round of the Central BaseballLeague West Division playoff seriesagainst the Amarillo Dillas (36-58).

“We just have a group of guys whoare aggressive and hard working,”said Roadrunners manager ChadTredaway. “We arguably have thebest team in four years.”

Edinburg drew first blood Mondaywhen they defeated the Dillas 3-1 inGame 1 of the best-of-five playoffseries and repeated their performanceTuesday with an 8-5 win to jump outto a 2-0 series lead.

Left-hander Pedro Flores dominat-ed the mound opposite Amarillo’sJason Stockstill in a pitching duelthat featured two 10-game winners.Flores struck out eight batters, allow-ing only two hits, one run, and ninestrikeouts in eight innings of work.

Joe Goodmann notched the save,his eighth overall and first of thepost-season.

“Amarillo put their ace on themound, Jason Stockstill,” saidTredaway, whose ball club lit up thelefty three runs on six hits.

In Game 2, righthander EricMontoya notched the win by pitchingfive innings, while giving up fiveruns on eight hits.

The Roadrunners dominated theCBL regular season by winning both

halves outright with a 33-14 first halfand a 35-13 second half.

The start of the playoffs alsomeans that regular-season accoladesare rewarded, such as Edinburg’sright-handed reliever SteveWilkerson, who was recently namedCBL Relief Pitcher of the Year.Wilkerson saved 14 games in 61innings of work, while compiling a 2-3 record that equated to a 3.29 ERA.

This year’s Roadrunners club alsohad four members selected to theCentral Baseball League All-Starteam. Infielders Anthony Angel(.308), Ryan Lehr (.322), outfielderRyan Webb (.338), and pitcher Flores(10-5, 2.49 ERA), who was alsoselected as the league’s best left-handed starter.

This season marks the fourth con-secutive year that the Roadrunnershave qualified for the playoffs andthey hope to capture their secondleague title franchise’s short four-year history.

Edinburg’s first round opponent,Amarillo, will have their backs to thewall in the first-round playoff series.The Dillas have lost four in a row andare 3-11 against the Roadrunners inthe regular season and are alreadydown 1-0 in the best-of-five series.

Edinburg posted a 36-12 record athome during the regular season,

which should be a confidence boost-er for the local club in the postsea-son..

The Roadrunners will need theconfidence of having the home-fieldadvantage in order to overcome theDillas, who eliminated Edinburg inthe first round of last season’s play-offs, three games to two.

The playoff series will continuetonight in Amarillo’s Potter CountyMemorial Stadium at 7 p.m.

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Roadrunners defeated the Amarillo Dillas 3-1 and 8-5 in the first two games of the Best-of-Five seriesplayed at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Game 3 will be played tonight at Amarillo.

Roadrunners take 2-0 series lead

school, (then) at that point we’re busy everyday.”

With five years of experience at UTPA,Davenport has had several accomplishmentsadded to his resume.

Since the summer of 2000, the first yearhead coach has been involved in the Broncs’Summer Camp.

“When we got here, the camps were fairlynon-existent,” he said. “There had beencamps, but they weren’t very well attended.”

According to Davenport, over the yearsthe number of camp members has grown

through promotion and hard work. “We teach basketball and expect the kids

to behave, do the right things, and teachcharacter,” he said.

Davenport is also proud of the team’sgraduation rate.

“Last season we had two guys working onmaster’s degrees,” Davenport said. “(Also)Eric Montalvo graduated in May and will becoming back this year working on his mas-ter’s.”

During the past five years there have onlybeen a couple of players who have not grad-

uated. “I can only think of two, who chose not to

graduate,” Davenport said. “They went andplayed overseas.”

Another one of his achievements occurredthree years ago when the Broncs finished theregular season with 21 wins. UTPA was theonly Division I men’s basketball program towin 20 or more games that year.

“We had a really good team and a greatschedule that year,” Davenport said.

Mire Chatman finished third in the nationin scoring and steals during the 2001-2002

season. Davenport has also been content with the

players’ behavior off the court as well.“The neat thing is, around here we don’t

have (a bad) image because our kids actright, and we’re graduating kids,” he said.“Kids are going to do what you expect ofthem and if you don’t expect anything out ofthem then that’s what you’re going to get.”

Davenport and the Broncs will open up the2004 basketball season Nov. 23 at the FieldHouse at 7:30 p.m. against Texas A&M-International.

Davenport continued from page 16

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

Edinburg’s mascot Roadie entertains the crowd during the first two gamesof the West Division playoff series between the Roadrunners and Dillas.

By STEE RAMIREZThe Pan American

Page 15: August 26, 2004

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 A u g u s t 2 6 , 2 0 0 4

Just as Rocky Balboa did after climbing the steps of theMuseum of Art building in Philadelphia, Dr. Blandina “Bambi”Cardenas marched onto the Student Union Auditorium stage withher fists in the air – victory.

Following a grueling 10-month search, Cardenas was namedthe new president June 21 to replace Dr. Miguel Nevarez who wasThe University of Texas Pan American president for 23 years. Sheis the first Hispanic female to hold the position.

Other than Cardenas, there were seven other candidates vyingfor the spot of president. In mid-April, one of the sevencandidates pulled out of the running due to personal reasonsaccording to UT System officials. All of the candidates, includingCardenas, visited UTPA where they met with universityadministrators as well as students and faculty.

Cardenas, 59, met with an overwhelming amount of universityadministrators, faculty, staff, and students as a part of a daylongcelebration the day after the announcement was made.

“We welcome you as a leader and a colleague,” said a facultysenate chair member in front of a full house. “We expect thispresident to make this great university better.”

Before addressing the University for the first time as president,Cardenas received gifts including a UTPA pin and license plateholder, as well as a half a dozen hugs.

“In the faces of all of you here, your presence tells me I’mwelcome and I am grateful,” Cardenas said. “It also tells me youhave hopes and expectations that this University can have on aborder state. I hear you, I understand the expectations.”

Cardenas told the audience that UTPA would rise to thoseexpectations with the help of the whole university as well as thecommunity. “We will rise to levels of expectations, to levels ofhope with determination that will stir our minds to reach wherewe have never reached before.”

A native of Del Rio, a border town nearly 170 miles northwestof Laredo, Cardenas has been an assistant manager for theAmerican Bar Association, a high school English teacher, asuperintendent, and most recently, dean and professor at theCollege of Education and Human Development at UTSA.

The former high school cheerleader who was voted most likelyto succeed has also overseen various groups such as the Office ofMinorities in Higher Education, the Administration for Children,Youth and Families, and has also served on the U.S. Commissionon Civil Rights.

“I am going to be about bringing bacon to the Rio GrandeValley, I’ve got fight in me, when it comes time to fight, I fight,to persuade – I will,” she said. “And I’ve been known to bat myeyelashes.”

Cardenas begins her time at UTPA next month, but she alreadyhas a list of things she’d like to accomplish once she’s on campus.She said she intends to make time to meet with faculty, staff, andstudents in small group settings to hear what they want to seehappen with their university.

“I want all of us to look for that one thing to be our signaturecontributions, I want you to think about that contribution,” she

By EDWINA P. GARZAThe Pan American

THE

PAN AMERICANEExxcclluussiivvee: Nevarez says his final farewell

New Leaderfor UTPA

See Page 3

See LEADER page 12Courtesy of University Relations

After serving for five years as the assistantcoach of the University of Texas-PanAmerican men’s basketball team and withthe departure of Bob Hoffman, RobertDavenport was rewarded with the headcoaching duties of the Broncs in June.

“After being named I was honored andoverwhelmed,” Davenport said. “At the timeonly myself and Spencer Wright were left onthe staff and the two of us were doing thework of five.”

During the summer, Davenport hiredassistant coaches Brian Dolon, Greg Wright,and administrative assistant Ryan Edwards,while assistant coach Wright is returning forhis sixth season.

“I’m really excited about each of thoseguys and what they bring to the table,”

Davenport said. “You’reonly as good as your bestplayers and your staff mem-bers and I think those guysare all quality guys.”

With the basketball sea-son just a few months away,the Oklahoma BaptistUniversity graduate isaware of the challengesahead of him.

“Anytime you have atransition from somebodywho was as beloved asCoach Hoffman that’snever easy, but Bob and Iwere really close and stillgood friends,” Davenport said. “That willmake it a little bit easier, but any time yougot a personality like that and your followingthem it is not easy.”

Another challengefor Davenport isfinding a way toreplace seven seniorsafter this past basket-ball season.

“That’s probablythe biggest challengeto make sure we getthe right guys,” saidDavenport.

According to theBroncs’ new headcoach, the recruitingprocess began a fewmonths ago.

Davenport was pleasedwith a recent change to NCAA rules that nowpermit universities to recruit more players.

“(Previously) we were only able to signeight (players) in two years,” Davenport

said. “It left a lot of scholarships at a lot ofschools unused, and we have had yearswhere we didn’t get to use our full allotmentof scholarships because of that.”

The rule change had an impact on the wayDavenport recruited players for his first yearas head coach at UTPA.

“(Now) we can sign as many as we needto,” Davenport said. “That’s good because(now) we don’t have empty scholarships.”

This year’s team will have 10 playersreturning from the 2003-2004 roster. Inaddition, five players have been signed. Fourof those players are freshmen and one is ajunior from a junior college.

“Once school starts we will start with ourindividual workouts, weight training, andconditioning,” Davenport said. “As soon aswe get physicals done the first week of

EDINBURG – In order to get agood idea of what high schoolfootball is going to be like inEdinburg this year, you have tofeel the enthusiasm radiating onthe practice field, which appearslike it’s going to be a mad dash tothe postseason.

Earlier this month, EdinburgEconomedes and Edinburg Highcoaches began the long road tothe 2004 varsity football season.

“Our goal is the playoffs,” saidEconomedes Jaguars Head CoachOscar Salinas. “We want tocontinue to build tradition.”

Last year, Economedesemerged as a District 31-5Ajuggernaut by notching animpressive 9-1 record that led totheir first district championshipin school history. They finishedthe season as district co-champions with PSJA North.

For the Jags, the season startedwith a reminder set upon theplayers by coaches.

“We told them they weren’tthat good,” Salinas said. “We toldthem ‘don’t read the newspaper,you haven’t earned anything.’”

Running back RyanRichardson, who rushed for over1,000 yards last season, returnsthis year. Economedes graduatedan entire offensive line and twostarting receivers last spring fortotal net loss of 13 starters.

On defense, the Jags return two

third-year veterans. Rey Reynaand Jaime Hinojosa are defensivetackles and All-State middlelinebacker Juan Carlos Moralesrounds out the core of the Jaguar‘D’.

“We have a lot of work to do ondefense,” Salinas said.

Defensively, Salinas said theJaguars will continue to “blitzand run, what we’ve been doing”.

On offense, he said they willcontinue to give the ball toRichardson.

“Ryan Richardson is probablythe best ‘back in the Valley,” saidEdinburg High coach RobertVela. “We don’t worry aboutthem until we play them.”

The Bobcats return only fourstarters on offense and three ondefense

Vela said the mark of a goodfootball program is its‘consistency’ leading into everynew season. He says that theBobcats try every year to lead abalanced attack and throw, or run,the ball whenever it’s needed.

The Edinburg High head coachsaid that in the past the success ofthe Bobcat teams have relied on‘big-time plays.’

“Big-time players can makebig-time plays who indeed willplay in big-time games,” Velasaid.

Offensively, the Bobcats willrely on returning quarterbackAnthony De la Vina, who threwfor more than 700 yards lastseason.

Junior halfback Jesse Galvánreturns from an 862-yard rushingseason. Galván played his bestgame last year against HarlingenSouth when he rushed for 226yards in a crucial bi-districtshowdown.

On defense, the ‘Cats willutilize potential Division Iplayers Kevin and Glen Cowanup front. Kevin is a defensiveend and Glen is a defensivetackle.

Vela said that if the Bobcatscontinue to make big plays thisyear, the result would be a ‘goodsolid football team.’ He has ledteams to the playoffs five times inhis seven-year tenure as headcoach of the Bobcats.

This season marks the first timein two years Economedes andEdinburg North play against theBobcats for a chance to be called“city champs”, a title coachestend to downplay.

“We want a competitive, butgood situation without theanimosity,” Salinas said.

Vela said the title of citychampion means nothing whencompared to the team’s desire toreach the playoffs.

■ Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . 16

■ Volleyball. . . . . . . . . .15

■ Sports Clipboard . . . . . 13

PAGE 16

SPORTSFootball season kicks off this weekendBy JOEY GOMEZThe Pan American

Davenport takes over the reins of Bronc program

Photo by Delisa Guadarrama/The Pan American

The Edinburg Economedes Jaguars practice recently in preparation for the start of the 2004 high school football sea-son that kicks off Friday. The Jaguars will host the Sharyland Rattlers in the first game of the season.

See DAVENPORT page 15

By JOEY HINOJOSAThe Pan American

ROBERT DAVENPORT