august 5, 2010
DESCRIPTION
volume66number31TRANSCRIPT
By Denisse SalinasThe Pan American
Don’t talk out loud about or-ganized crime, don’t leave the house af-ter dark, don’t run if you’re in the middle of a shooting and don’t honk at someone if they’re stopped on the middle of the road. In border cities like Reynosa and even in the interior, these are some of pieces of ad-vice people give each other to stay secure in places that once seemed so tranquil.
Organized violence has hit Mexico so hard in the past three years that many Mexican citi-zens living in the United States are scared to go south, because even on the highways one stands a decent chance of getting a car stolen or worse, face a violent situation. More than 28,000 people have been killed in the drug cartel wars since 2006, and while most of the violence in-volves the principles in the confl ict, innocent citizens have been increasingly affected.
“Before, and I say before which for me is last year, I would go to Monterrey twice a month in a car, now, it is impossible,” said Karen Saenz,
a UTPA psychology student and Mexi-can citizen. “It is not because
something that has happened to me but because of things we
hear, it is not safe at all.”In the cities, one
can expect crime to happen any
time of the day, not only
at night. N i g h t -c l u b s h a v e l o s t
money because p e o p l e
are scared to go.
Restaurants and bars close early and tourism has de-creased because some countries includ-ing the United States have sent warnings not to go to Mexico. Recently, the UT System can-celed several Study Abroad programs sched-uled to take place in Mexico this summer.
At UTPA, the fi fth largest campus in the System and the 10th largest public university in Texas, more than 86 percent of the 17,534 students are Mexican-American and a major-
ity still has family in different Mexican cities. Joanna Cantu, a senior speech therapy ma-
jor, agrees with the suggestion that students stay north of the border as a preventive measure.
“I have been here for almost 12 years and I do not go unless I really have to,” she said. “This is affecting every one of us and is taking away lives that do not deserve it.”
Along with intermittent reports from the me-dia, word of mouth keeps everyone informed. Due to self-censorship in the wake of a num-ber of violent incidents targeting journalists, it is rare to fi nd a story in a Mexican outlet that relates what is happening in the war-torn nation.
“Everything we know about what is go- ing on we know because of other people t h a t know,” Saenz s a i d . “You will not f i n d any news stories
that talk about a shooting or about the kidnappings
that have been taking place for years now.”
Friends and families help each other prevent crimes by
sending e-mails with tips or advice on what to do in case something
happens, or detailing where not to go. “I received an e-mail saying that we should
not be walking by ourselves in the malls, or downtown,” said Karla Dias, a junior market-ing student. “It seems like now the trend is to kidnap women, give them a type of drugs so she can forget everything, and leave her in a motel where she will fi nd herself naked
and without any type of identifi cation.”These sort of events have been happening
more and more, as organized crime has in-creased and the country battles for its soul with drug traffi ckers.
“When everything started to happen, I re-member saying that it was not going to hap-pen to me,” Dias said. “Until I saw something that changed my mind, that is when I realized that this could happen to anyone, good or bad, young or old, it doesn’t matter.”
The majority of the students agree that by going to Mexico they risk a lot of things in-cluding their lives. Some insist that the troubles won’t stop them from going when half of their family still lives on the other side of the border.
“I need to keep going to Mexico, most of my family are there,” Saenz said. “I am taking the measures to prevent anything that can happen to me, maybe I seem exaggerated but I no longer go in my own car, I travel on the bus and I do not dress up because if you seem to have money, even if you don’t, that is the main thing that catches the attention of robbers.”
Actually, the extended period of terror has had a positive, unintended consequence. Fami-lies are closer; they call each other every other day to ask if everyone is fi ne. Kids go home early, they spend more time together, and they say they love each other before they leave; they know that it might be the last time they will see each other.
Still, the country is under siege and there is no end in sight to the struggle.
“We have to pray,” Saenz said. “Because only a miracle will help our country.”
The University of Texas-Pan American will welcome a new vice president for business affairs for the fall semester. Martin V. Baylor, associate vice president for budget and resource planning at the University of Texas at Dallas, will begin in the role Aug. 23.
“We are extremely fortunate to have had such an outstanding pool of candidates and especially fortunate to have acquired the talents of Mr. Baylor,” Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, UTPA president, announced in a memo to the University community July 6.
Baylor, born in Illinois, has spent almost 25 years in university fi nance and budgeting, so understands the fi nancial implications of different alternatives quite well. He replaces Jim
Langabeer, who retires in August.“My very fi rst auditing position was back in
1985 as the director of fi nancial services at Baylor College of Dentistry,” Baylor said. “I really enjoyed working in the higher education environment and being around faculty and students.”
The new VP earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois State University in 1985 and a master’s in business administration from Baylor in 2005.
Baylor will be joining the UTPA community from the UTD after having spent three years as associate VP for business affairs. “Marty,” as his colleagues know him back home, managed the university’s budget and strategic goals after his arrival in 2007.
The Illinois native fi rst got wind of the job
opportunity through e-mails from recruiters and headhunters about various positions across the country. When the note arrived detailing the proposed position at UTPA, Baylor jumped at the opportunity.
“I was immediately interested not only because of Dr. Nelsen’s leadership qualities but also my because of the location,” he commented. “My wife’s family resides in Pharr so we’re familiar with the area.”
Upon receiving notice that he was selected as the new VP, Baylor said he felt “excited
and pleased at the decision.” His initial plan after arriving is to get up to speed on the many projects going on around campus.
“I also want to have an opportunity to get around and meet as many people as possible,” he noted. “My fi rst goal will be to get to know the campus and let the campus get to know me.”
In easing the strain the university has endured during the state-mandated budget cuts, Baylor plans to set out and talk with folks about their concerns, also entertaining their suggestions. He also believes that by creating and identifying operation effi ciencies the university can weather the cuts.
“I am so excited about this opportunity and am looking forward to getting to work with the great folks at UTPA,” Baylor said.
THE PAN AMERICANVolume 66, No. 31 August 5, 2010
By Denisse SalinasThe Pan American
By Roxann GarciaThe Pan American
Summer enrollment on the rise
UTPA cartoons:Elías Morán’s latest
on campus life
Photos: Joe Garcia displays artwork in the UTPA library
La clínica de UTPA se ex-pande a través de los años
New VP brings years of experience
Fears intensify as border violence escalatesUTPA students struggle to reconcile safety with families
Graphic By A
sh
l yn
n Biel
Martin V. Baylor
Roya Dinbali said she is an animal enthusiast. Her love for animals prompted her hold a meeting Monday at the Department of Environmental Health Safety, to make sure the wild felines are properly handled under the UTPA Feral Cat Catch and Release Program.
Dinbali personally contacted DEHS, Edinburg Animal Control and the RGV Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic last month in efforts to raise “awareness on this situation” and get campus and community members to participate in an endeavor that has failed to succeed in past years.
She hopes to get the program - still in its tentative stages of planning - off the ground as early as the fall semester.
“Together we are working to set up meetings to recruit volunteers to help all the cats on campus get spayed and neutered,” she said in an e-mail interview. “Now with this program up and running, [we’re] getting full support from the entire safety offi ce and many people on [and off] campus.”
Dialogue during the meeting touched issues ranging from cage sizes, tagging and handling pregnant cats, to expenses and the construction of feeding stations.
“Business Affairs has contributed limited funds to implement the program,” said Richard Costello, DEHS director. “They will cover
the feeding stations” to be placed on locations around campus.
It’s estimated that there are 40 to 50 cats scattered around the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The Fine Arts Department, and an area on the northeast side of campus.
The Physical Plant has yet to determine whether it will construct the stations around these areas, which Costello said “will serve like housing for them [the cats] too”
The Spay and Neuter Clinic, which welcomed its new facility in McAllen in November, will accept vouchers that will provide 75 to 85 percent of the sterilization cost, substantially lessoning the price the program will have to pay for surgeries. Male cats will cost $15 and female cats $25, whereas the average would usually be $40 to $50, respectively.
Senior criminal justice major Lorena Medrano pledged that her organization, Advocates for Animal Welfare, will donate an additional $500 to the contribution of each cat’s visit to the vet or any other expenses that arise during the program’s ongoing quest to curb the population; this includes putting tuna inside the steel cages.
Medrano, who serves as the club’s secretary, expressed the sentiment shared by other members.
“We’ve waited for this for three years,” she said. “We’ve been fundraising for this long, but we just needed more support; we needed
faculty and community members to help, so we’re super excited that we’re fi nally getting started!”
THE PLAN AND FEASABILITY
Now that the Spay and Neuter Clinic can provide low cost sterilization, expenses and procedures that once seemed unreachable are now within grasp.
“We didn’t have the spay/neuter center then so it’s a lot more cost-effective now,” said Arlene Campos-Smith, clinic manager who is working closely with Dinbali and others involved. “That’s the whole reason we opened, because there are problems like this and people just can’t afford to take care of them on their own.”
The visits will entail the cats’ proper documentation so that there can be a database for future reference, in case they are accidentally re-caught.
“We’re gonna keep track of their color, their markings, their sex; exactly when we trapped them, where we trapped them and who actually picked them up,” Dinbali said. “We’re tracking how long they’ve been in the kennel, everything; where they’re released and who released them and any vet comments.”
Dinbali also mentioned a possible distribution list that would be sent out weekly to inform people on the status of the cats.
For example, if a familiar orange cat is missing from its area outside the Health Science and Human Service
building, she said a student would be able to report it and question the cat’s whereabouts and health.
But, “If we want to get this right, we need all levels of volunteers,” Dinbali said with urgency.
Campos-Smith said that the compassion shown by those willing to volunteer is a better choice to the alternative method of animal population control: euthanasia or displacement.
“Shipping them away doesn’t work because all they do is breed to replace those numbers that have been euthanized for no medical reason,” she claimed. “So you end up with the same numbers of cats, if not more, and the problem’s never going to end that way.”
For more information on how to volunteer contact the DEHS offi ce at (956) 665-3690.
Illustrated Commentary
August 5, 2010 2
Elias Moran/The Pan American
The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to [email protected].
Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.
The Pan American is the offi cial student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily refl ect those of the paper or university.
Letters to the Editor
DeliveryThursday at noon
1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 381-2541
Fax: (956) 316-7122
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Kristen Cabrera [email protected]
NEWS EDITOR: Roxann Garcia [email protected]
ONLINE/SPANISH EDITOR: Denisse Salinas [email protected]
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: Victor [email protected]
SPORTS EDITOR: Sara Hernandez [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Alma E. Hernandez [email protected]
SENIOR DESIGNER: Jennifer Tate [email protected]
DESIGNERS: Alexis [email protected]
Ashlynn Biel [email protected]
ADVISER: Dr. Greg [email protected]
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE: Anita Reyes [email protected]
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mariel [email protected]
WEBMASTER: Jose Villarreal [email protected]
THE PAN AMERICAN
Vol. 66, No. 31
Spay and Neuter Clinic Prices
Male cats: $15 Female cats: $25
Without voucher:average $40 to $50
By Lupe FloresThe Pan American
E� orts under way to curb cat population
Waiting for fi nal grades, whether during regular or summer semesters, is not always fun. The hard work done refl ects the fi nal grade but sometimes, the judgment isn’t what one expects.
There are many reasons for a low test grade or low participation grade, and often the individual knows just what he or she could have done to avoid the situation. Sometimes, however, one can fi nd a miscalculation made during the process. An incident like this happened to a UTPA fi nance major who used the institutional process to get a grade change. Thanks to the Handbook of Operating Procedures, this Bronc, who wished remain anonymous, was able to improve his grade.
The student in question discovered that his fi nal grade in a business class that he took last fall had a miscalculation based on an undetermined participation grade. So he turned to the institutional process to try and address what he saw as a mistake. He worked on the process for seven months and, in June of this year, was vindicated.
Through e-mail, students routinely receive updates to the HOP, as it’s called. It’s the guideline and rules
document governing all sorts of university policies, from proper use of resources to standards covering outside employment by UTPA staff. Contained within this vital handbook, in Section 5.2.1, are processes and procedures for changing a miscalculated grade.
Ana Maria Rodriguez, interim vice president of academic affairs, said she believes the process works because all policies are crafted by experts and overseen by attorneys in the Offi ce of General Counseling. The HOP did not spring up overnight, or without institutional support.
“I think there was a lot of thought that was put into developing this policy and what would be best,” Rodriguez said. “I think that there was inspiration of what other institutions do in terms of academic appeals, so our policy is pretty consistent. It has to be consistent with the rules and regulations of the UT System.”
In the event of a disagreement between student and professor about a grade, the student works up the chain of command, starting with the professor. More often than not, if an error has been made, the teacher of record will fi nd the miscalculation and make the change.
If the professor doesn’t fi nd the
grade to be incorrect, a student may take the complaint to the department chair within a year of the incident. Review of the case must take place within 10 days of submission of a complaint, according to the HOP. In some cases, the chair will then call for an Academic Appeals Committee that consists of three uninvolved professors. At this point the student is required to submit evidence of a mistake and/or bring in a witness. If he/she is still not satisfi ed with the department chair’s verdict based on the committee’s decision, the student can take the process further.
Next is an appeal to the dean of the college in which the class is given, within 10 days of the fi rst appeal. A decision is made within another 10 days and the student may appeal the dean’s decision. That’s where the road ends for students; afterward there is no other higher offi cial to go to.
The Dean of Students, not noted in the outline, is available to guide students with the process, said Magdalena Hinojosa, associate vice president and dean of admissions and enrollment services. Also in the mix is Christine Carruthers, assistant director of the Offi ce of Student Life and Transition Services.
“We help students with the process,”
Carruthers said. “We help structure the written appeal by reviewing the grammar so it’s presented better. We also serve as an advocate by calling the latest person in the chain of command so the students can get a faster result.”
The student in question did use the Dean of Students as a resource to review his written appeal.
“They just told me how to be calm –more calm about it,” the student said. “And get more towards the point rather than adding too many details in what I’m trying to say.”
Hinojosa suggests that students should be aware of details on a professor’s syllabus so this kind of situation or a similar one is avoided. It is incumbent on the student to be diligent in following the rules, but thanks to the HOP, the university also has responsibilities.
“Students should defi nitely ask for grades from assignments,” Hinojosa
advised. “This is an academic matter and the appropriate procedures should be followed.”
The anonymous student with the grade problem went through the process and was able to change his fi nal grade. But he is not at rest about the deal.
“It’s not a good process,” said the student. “It’s not objective. Too many loopholes and grey areas in sharing information. It’s not suitable to integrity on both sides of the dispute. The process shouldn’t take no more than 60 days, not six or seven months.”
Rodriguez said she thinks that the appeal process has been proven effective, but that like all rules will go through the ringer sooner or later; it is set to be reviewed some time during the fall semester. Most policies are in place for fi ve years before review, and with any such living document, can be changed based on changing facts on the ground.
NEWS August 5, 2010Page 3
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR UTPA EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS
By Pamela MoralesThe Pan American
Finding errors amid the paperwork Grade corrections prove diffi cult even with process
THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN August 5, 2010 August 5, 2010 Page 5Page 4
Photos by: Alma E. Hernandez, Daniel Flores, Hector Garcia
The application, which was created by Reel to Red Productions, is a sports-themed game called “Bucky Challenge,” in which the user guides Bucky through a series of athletic challenges by using the touch screen.
Chelse Benham, the director of Reel to Red and the game’s creative director, led five Reel to Red team members along the journey of creating the game.
“It’s actually a marketing tool to expose the youth to the University,” Benham said. “The idea of doing a game app became interesting because The University of Texas at Austin had a utility app that was popular. It was number seven on the most popular free apps in the iTunes App store. I wanted an iTunes game that could be used to market UTPA.”
The idea behind the app is to expose the public to the University behind the mask of a fun game free to download.
What is novel about “Bucky Challenge” is the entire game takes place on the UTPA campus.
“‘Bucky Challenge’ is a multi-level sports game where we literally took photos of the campus and incorporated those into the game,” Benham explained. “We fi gure that if it takes someone anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to play the game, what they’re seeing are the real University buildings and signage all that time. At the end of the game, the University’s website is displayed. It’s a new way to market to the youth on their terms.”
Not only are users exposed to images of the campus. A few familiar faces will be present
in the game as well. “The game has humor. It’s
meant to be funny. I and our other graphic
designer, Hilda Del Rio, made the Reel to Red team into bubblehead characters that can be seen in the game,” said Alexis Carranza, graphic designer and assistant director for Reel to Red. “We also arranged a photo shoot with Ricardo Gonzalez of the Visitors Center who plays Bucky. We did a one-hour photo shoot with him dressed in costume and posing in different sport poses. That was a lot of fun.”
Designing the game was no easy task. The group had no coding or app-building knowledge, and learning the software development kit from Apple to create an app that functions with the iPhone was an enormous undertaking.
“It required learning everything from the human interface guidelines for Apple to trying to learn Xcode, which is C++ and Objective-C-based coding. That’s almost impossible trying to learn overnight and still put a game together,” Benham explained.
After about six weeks of trying to fi gure out Xcode, Benham’s son assisted the group by informing them of a program called GameSalad, created by Gendai Games. The Austin-based company’s freeware seemed perfect for the team, but it came with software glitches that were almost impossible to solve.
“GameSalad is freeware, but it’s a beta and it’s constantly having problems. It’s hard to work with. There are quirks about it you have to fi gure out what is causing the problem,” explained James Hernandez, the game’s technical engineer. A beta is software that is in the second stage of testing and is used as a prototype, or preview for potential buyers. It is often free or at a discounted price because it typically contains glitches. “I’m sure it’s much easier on a second game. Mind you, our game is one of the very few
being built with GameSalad that’s multi-level.”Despite the trouble brought on by working
with a beta, GameSalad turned out to be a simpler program to work with than Xcode.
“We were kind of discouraged at fi rst working with Xcode, but once GameSalad came along, the game building went from some impossible idea to being a real product in a short period of time,” Del Rio said.
Ultimately, the project was started as a learning curve for the members of Reel to Red.
“There was a lot of trial and error on trying to fi x the movements of our characters, especially in the editing portion when we put the levels together and how those levels would interact with each other. It was challenging,” said Hernandez, who initially underestimated the amount of physics that went into the creation of a game.
“It’s just another creative product from Reel to Red where we expand the skill set of the team and showcase the University in a unique way,” Benham said. The group recently won state-wide and international awards for exhibiting the University in a documentary, website, and commercial campaign including a Lone Star Emmy, a Webby People’s Voice Award, and a Telly Award.
Benham documented the entire process of creating the game app in a blog called “The Novice App Builder,” with the hope of aiding others who would like to create a game using GameSalad. The blog can be found at noviceappbuilder.blogspot.com. Screenshots of “Bucky Challenge” are available at www.reeltored.com. The app is free to download from iTunes.
Ever wonder what it would be like to suit up as a school mascot? Now, anyone with access to an iPhone or iPod Touch can take on the role of Bucky, The University of Texas-Pan American’s mascot, when they download the UTPA-themed application from the iTunes app store.
By Cecily Saldana the pan american
Design by Alexis Carranzathe pan american
THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN August 5, 2010 August 5, 2010 Page 5Page 4
Photos by: Alma E. Hernandez, Daniel Flores, Hector Garcia
The application, which was created by Reel to Red Productions, is a sports-themed game called “Bucky Challenge,” in which the user guides Bucky through a series of athletic challenges by using the touch screen.
Chelse Benham, the director of Reel to Red and the game’s creative director, led five Reel to Red team members along the journey of creating the game.
“It’s actually a marketing tool to expose the youth to the University,” Benham said. “The idea of doing a game app became interesting because The University of Texas at Austin had a utility app that was popular. It was number seven on the most popular free apps in the iTunes App store. I wanted an iTunes game that could be used to market UTPA.”
The idea behind the app is to expose the public to the University behind the mask of a fun game free to download.
What is novel about “Bucky Challenge” is the entire game takes place on the UTPA campus.
“‘Bucky Challenge’ is a multi-level sports game where we literally took photos of the campus and incorporated those into the game,” Benham explained. “We fi gure that if it takes someone anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to play the game, what they’re seeing are the real University buildings and signage all that time. At the end of the game, the University’s website is displayed. It’s a new way to market to the youth on their terms.”
Not only are users exposed to images of the campus. A few familiar faces will be present
in the game as well. “The game has humor. It’s
meant to be funny. I and our other graphic
designer, Hilda Del Rio, made the Reel to Red team into bubblehead characters that can be seen in the game,” said Alexis Carranza, graphic designer and assistant director for Reel to Red. “We also arranged a photo shoot with Ricardo Gonzalez of the Visitors Center who plays Bucky. We did a one-hour photo shoot with him dressed in costume and posing in different sport poses. That was a lot of fun.”
Designing the game was no easy task. The group had no coding or app-building knowledge, and learning the software development kit from Apple to create an app that functions with the iPhone was an enormous undertaking.
“It required learning everything from the human interface guidelines for Apple to trying to learn Xcode, which is C++ and Objective-C-based coding. That’s almost impossible trying to learn overnight and still put a game together,” Benham explained.
After about six weeks of trying to fi gure out Xcode, Benham’s son assisted the group by informing them of a program called GameSalad, created by Gendai Games. The Austin-based company’s freeware seemed perfect for the team, but it came with software glitches that were almost impossible to solve.
“GameSalad is freeware, but it’s a beta and it’s constantly having problems. It’s hard to work with. There are quirks about it you have to fi gure out what is causing the problem,” explained James Hernandez, the game’s technical engineer. A beta is software that is in the second stage of testing and is used as a prototype, or preview for potential buyers. It is often free or at a discounted price because it typically contains glitches. “I’m sure it’s much easier on a second game. Mind you, our game is one of the very few
being built with GameSalad that’s multi-level.”Despite the trouble brought on by working
with a beta, GameSalad turned out to be a simpler program to work with than Xcode.
“We were kind of discouraged at fi rst working with Xcode, but once GameSalad came along, the game building went from some impossible idea to being a real product in a short period of time,” Del Rio said.
Ultimately, the project was started as a learning curve for the members of Reel to Red.
“There was a lot of trial and error on trying to fi x the movements of our characters, especially in the editing portion when we put the levels together and how those levels would interact with each other. It was challenging,” said Hernandez, who initially underestimated the amount of physics that went into the creation of a game.
“It’s just another creative product from Reel to Red where we expand the skill set of the team and showcase the University in a unique way,” Benham said. The group recently won state-wide and international awards for exhibiting the University in a documentary, website, and commercial campaign including a Lone Star Emmy, a Webby People’s Voice Award, and a Telly Award.
Benham documented the entire process of creating the game app in a blog called “The Novice App Builder,” with the hope of aiding others who would like to create a game using GameSalad. The blog can be found at noviceappbuilder.blogspot.com. Screenshots of “Bucky Challenge” are available at www.reeltored.com. The app is free to download from iTunes.
Ever wonder what it would be like to suit up as a school mascot? Now, anyone with access to an iPhone or iPod Touch can take on the role of Bucky, The University of Texas-Pan American’s mascot, when they download the UTPA-themed application from the iTunes app store.
By Cecily Saldana the pan american
Design by Alexis Carranzathe pan american
It’s 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Only a few visitors dare to walk around the silent university campus in the Rio Grande Valley summer heat, which seems to have scared away almost all UTPA students this weekend.
Grinding and banging is heard in a laboratory in the engineering building, where the silence and solitude outside can be almost forgotten as one witnesses the arrival of a few mechanical engineering students. They cheerfully greet each other as if they hadn’t met in a long time.
But they have. The members of the UTPA Society of Automotive Engineers gather every Saturday morning to work on the design and structure of the Mini Baja car, which is a cross between a go-kart and an All-Terrain Vehicle that looks pretty much like the fi rst.
In April, the group earned 15th out of 110 universities from three different countries in the Mini Baja 2010 Competition in Greenville, S.C. Aside from the race lasting more than four hours, the “Bronco” had to endure various tests, including pulling another vehicle for 75 feet and driving the car through a track of dirt paths weaving between trees.
This is the best result the team has accomplished in this competition since they fi rst participated in 1999.
Being part of this race, however, is not easy because the number of spots available for competitors is limited while the number of universities wanting to participate is substantial.
“You have to be very lucky because there are only a set number
of slots available, they open it by 8 or 9 in the morning and by 10 it’s already full,” said senior Sam Manzewitsch from McAllen. As he spoke, he screwed a piece onto the bottom of the iron structure located in the middle of the laboratory, surrounded by older versions of the car, one computer, and plenty of tools and pieces that would seem strange to most people.
Signing up for the event is just one of the steps that the group has to deal with in order to compete. The planning and building of a new car starts in May and doesn’t end until hours before the competition 11 months later. The Mini Baja has technical specifi cations the students have to meet in order to be able to go to the SAE Competition.
“They give you a rule book and a motor and then you just build the
car… there’s a bunch of rules to make it safe,” Manzewitsch said. “You basically go by book regulations; you build your car around that.”
Each year, the car is based on the design and structure of the past year’s vehicle.
“Usually at the end of the year we tear down last year’s car and we try to make it better this year,” said Sergio Ortega, a senior from Pharr. “So we’re trying to reduce the weight and keep the same design; whatever problem we had this year with this car we’re going to try to make it better.”
MAKING IT WORKThe planning and building of the
Mini Baja gives the students insight into a real-life situation that is not offered in class
“The point of this project is that we’re given a scenario,” said junior Felipe Saavedra from Mission. “They tell us that we’re supposed to get this car according to certain rules and you’re pretending it’s a costumer, so you go and try to sell the idea of the car.”
The team members mentioned that there are no major difficulties when assembling the car, but that sometimes they get past common miscalculations, or put it together, see it run great, set it apart and then forget how they put it together in the first place.
The biggest obstacle however, is faced fi nancially. Although the group gets help from sponsors that donate money, parts or services, they also try to raise as much money
as possible by organizing various events. The $10,000 invested in the “Bronco” is very little compared to the outlay of other teams that spend more than $100,000.
“You have to concentrate on building the car,” Saavedra said. “We also have to concentrate on how to organize ourselves with the money to be able to build it. It’s the more stressful part.”
Still, the group members said they enjoy being part of the SAE, which has 14 active members in UTPA, because it leads them to develop skills such as teamwork, which is crucial in engineering. They also mentioned that the satisfaction of driving the Mini Baja and seeing it compete motivates them to put aside time from their school and personal lives.
“We are not getting paid for it, we don’t get credit for this, and we get nothing out of it except building
a car and having fun with it,” Manzewitsch said.
Students like junior Eric Fausto from Mission had been waiting to be part of the SAE for years, after having seen the car displayed in events like HESTEC; middle and high school students are informed about the group in their visits to UTPA.
“I found out when I was in junior high, I came in a tour and I saw it and I was like ‘I wanna do that’,” Fausto explained.
Some of the members of the SAE know little about what their future will bring after graduation, and others confi dently say that Baja Driving is one of the things they would like to do for a living.
But for now, the creators of the “Bronco” are that group of students that gathers on Saturday mornings to work on their current passion all year, every year.
August 5, 2010 6
By Sara HernandezThe Pan American
Tammy Ayala/THE PAN AMERICAN
LAST TOUCH-UPS - Senior mechanical engineering student Sam Manzewitsch adjusts the top sheet of the Mini Baja car Saturday at the engineering building lab.
TOGETHER AS ONE - Felipe Saavedra (left) and Sam Manzewitsch screw a wheel onto the car. The Mini Baja crew mentioned that team work is one of the talents that students develop as part of the SAE.
Tammy Ayala/THE PAN AMERICAN
Courtesy of SAE
READY TO GO - Former captain Humberto Rodriguez drives the “Bronco” at the Mini Baja 2010 Competition in Greenville S.C. in April. UTPA got 15th place, the school’s best result in the competition so far.
SAE takes it off-road with Mini Baja
No vacation for Vijayaragavan, steps it up at home
PLAYING BIG - Aswin Vijayaragavan has been a top player for the Broncs since he arrived to UTPA in 2008. This summer, the senior has competed as amateur in various ITF tournaments.
Freddie Martinez/THE PAN AMERICAN
“All work and no play…” is a cliché used to describe a hard-working person with no time to play games. But for The University of Texas-Pan American men’s tennis senior Aswin Vijayaragavan, working hard at playing is what he does best: competing in the sport he truly loves, tennis.
“I love playing tennis and I want to go pro. The off-season gives me a chance to do so, since we don’t get an opportunity to do it during the season,” said Vijayaragavan, the two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year. “I agree people rest after a tough season in college, but if you want to go pro, you need to put everything behind you including rest.”
Vijayaragavan continued by stressing the importance of becoming dedicated to his craft, saying that, “hard work is the only remedy to success.”
Vijayaragavan has been working hard on his game this summer. He has competed as an amateur in several International Tennis Federation events, including last week’s ITF tournament in Tehran, Iran. He put up a fi ght, making it through the qualifying rounds of the event, winning three tough matches to advance into the Main Draw before falling to Gyorgy Balazs (nationally-ranked No. 504) from Hungary 4-6, 2-6.
When asked about the match versus Balazs, Vijayaragavan said, “It was a great experience. I enjoyed playing Balazs, since he is a great player and to win each point I had to give 100 percent. Too bad I fell short in that match, but I am glad I gave my best effort. Next time I’m sure I will give him a better fi ght.”
Partnering with Abjhijeet Tiwari of India, Vijayaragavan also advanced into the quarterfi nals of the doubles draw before falling again to Balazs and his partner, Atilla Balazs. Vijayaragavan attributed the loss versus the Balazs brothers to their quickness on the court.
“The doubles match was tougher than my singles match because the (Balazs) brothers were just too quick; we couldn’t match up with them,” he said.
In an attempt to advance in the ATP rankings, Vijayaragavan will compete again this week in Tehran. In the process of playing in more tennis matches, Vijayaragavan plans to improve on several aspects of his game.
“To improve my ATP ranking, I have many things I must work on,” he said. “First, I need to develop a weapon (on the court), and then my fi tness level has to go up. If I work on these things, I am sure I can do some damage.”
The business management major is highly motivated both on and off the court, boasting a solid 3.4 grade-point average. He believes that being
a champion in tennis involves hard work, talent and will—the same qualities necessary to be a successful student in the classroom.
“That’s the reason we see players like Rafael Nadal on top of the tennis world, because of his hard work and will to win,” he commented. “To be a superstar in the classroom requires the same elements as being a superstar in tennis: concentration, communication with the professors and doing the assignments on time.”
Athletic prowess is not an attribute Vijayaragavan possesses by accident; his family lineage reflects repeated athletic success. His father, Viji Vijayaragavan, played basketball and represented India in the Olympics.
“Let me be frank and tell you I am one of the luckiest guys to have a great basketball player for a father alongside me,” Vijayaragavan said. “His struggles motivate me to work even harder, since I want to accomplish in sports what he did. He is not only a great sports person, but also an amazing human being, more like my friend.”
The Broncs’ top returning tennis player will be back on campus this fall for his senior season and will return to action for UTPA at the Baylor H-E-B Invitational Sept. 24-26. Later in the season, he will compete at the ITA/UTSA All-American Championships Oct. 2-10.
By Roderick Dorseythe pan american
So your basketball career at UTPA ended this year. What was the rest of the spring 2010 semes-ter like for you?After my last season at UTPA I took a couple of weeks off to rest and focus on school. I felt like a normal college student because I didn’t have to worry about anything else but school. Then, I starting training and preparing myself because I knew something was com-ing… an opportunity to play profes-sional basketball.
How were you invited to go back to Venezuela to try out for the na-tional team?I was contacted by the head coach, Nestor Salazar, by e-mail that I was going to be called for an invitation for the Venezuelan team tryouts. At the end of the spring I received an e-mail with the offi cial invitation.
How was it, going back to your family after almost a year of not seeing them? Was their support important in this period?Even though I was in Venezuela, I didn’t get to go home, I was like 15 hours away and I didn’t want to get a few days off from practice to go home, since my goal was make the national team. However, my parents went to vis-it me, it was nice of them, I was happy and excited to see them after a year. Of
course, their support was very impor-tant, it makes me work even harder. I’m happy they’re proud of me. They kept giving me advice to keep working hard every single day and saying words that made me realize that I am good enough to make this team.
How was the fi rst stage of training with the national team?It wasn’t easy, really hard because it was conditioning and getting in shape. I mean, it was too much run-ning and exercises twice a day, every day, but once I got in shape it became easier. I got used to the schedule also.
Did you expect to get chosen?Well, I was working really hard, giv-ing all of me in every practice, so yes, I was expecting to be chosen as one of the 12 players. It was a tough deci-sion by the coaches since we were 20 players and many of us play the same position in the court.
How did you feel when you were told you’d be part of it? Have you done anything similar before?I felt happy. Excited I was going to represent my country in an interna-tional tournament. I felt proud of myself also for the work I have done in a month and a half of training. I have been part of a national team before but at a young age, this is
different, this is the top level when it comes to playing international.
So what’s the plan for the upcom-ing months as part of the Venezu-elan national team?We are at Colombia right now, playing a South American championship. We already played three games and we are classifi ed to the next round. Our goal is win this tournament fi rst. Also, we want to be in the top four places, in order to qualify to the pre-Olympic Argentina 2011 and the Pan-American Games in Mexico, in 2011.
Are you eventually coming back to UTPA or the U.S.?Yes, I will go back to UTPA to fi nish school. After I’m done with the nation-al team I will fl y back to Edinburg.
How has the transition been from Venezuela to a community college here in the states, then UTPA, now back to Venezuela but with bigger goals?It hasn’t been easy, but I chose this life. I wanted to get an education in the U.S.; I got the opportunity. And I wanted to play college basketball as well, and thank God I got the opportunity. It’s been a great experience to be in a com-munity college in Iowa, and at UTPA, too. I thank God for being with me al-ways and for the opportunities that I got
and for making my dreams come true.
What are your goals in basket-ball?My goal is to play professional basketball. Being part of the Ven-ezuela basketball team was one of my goals and I have accomplished this one. I would like to play the World Cup Championship, play in the Olympics and get a medal. It would be awesome if I get to play in the NBA. That’s a dream of most basketball players.
How about in life in general?Goal in life, pretty simply, I just want to be happy. Wherever I end up, I want to have a good life meaning a good job, nice fam-ily, kids, and health. I live my life step by step, day by day. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, so we have to enjoy every second of our life.
What would you tell other stu-dents or young people who have the same dreams as you?To other basketball players who seek for their dreams to come true, work hard every day with dedication, deter-mination, discipline and desire…you will achieve what you want in life. Opportunities will come, keep work-ing hard and be ready.
Luis ValeraBy Sara Hernandez
Luis Valera, a UTPA Broncs ex, was selected for the Venezuelan na-tional basketball team
last week.
After having played basketball for the
majority of his life in his native country, he
migrated to the United States to play for
Marshaltown Commu-nity College in 2006.
Valera was recruited by UTPA in 2008 and
quickly became one of the Broncs’ more valu-
able players.
SPORTSAugust 5, 2010 Page 7
Q&A:
Want to see what Luis is up to in Venezuela? Check out photos at PanAmericanOnline.com
THE PAN AMERICAN August 5, 2010Page 8