January 25, 2007

The University of Texas-Pan

American will soon be reviewing the

core curriculum, possibly lowering

required hours from 48 to 42 in order to

abide by two mandates created by the

State of Texas.

One mandate says that the total

hours needed to complete a degree

should be lowered to anywhere from

120 to 124 hours. The other states that

the core curriculum should be at 42

hours, unless probable cause is shown to

warrant up to 48 hours, which is the cur-

rent number of hours in the core.

The object of the proposed cut is to

enable students to get into their major

courses more quickly, which could help

students graduate sooner.

Under the current core curriculum

plan, students are required to complete

PAN AMERICAN

SSeeee PPaaggee 1166

Junior guard BrianBurrell leads Bronchoops in scoring

Sports

THE

T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n J a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 0 7

Engineering studentsface unique challengesat national competition

Musical organizationscome together for yearlyclassical extravaganza

SSeeee PPaaggee 77SSeeee PPaaggee 33

A&ENews

UTPA, TSTC partner to boost number of transfers

By SIDNEY MEADOWSThe Pan American

UTPA topare down

48-hour core

Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American

COMING TOGETHER - President Blandina Cardenas shakes the hand of TSTCPresident J. Gilbert Leal at a ceremony partnering the two universities.

Blandina Cardenas, president of


American, is trying to make it a little

easier for students from Texas State

Technical College to obtain a four-year

degree.

At a ceremony Jan. 18, Cardenas

and J. Gilbert Leal, president of TSTC,

signed three agreements that aim to

increase the number of hours students

from the technical college are able to

apply toward a four-year degree, and

facilitate the transfer process.

“By signing this agreement, we are

recognizing that our students are very

capable of handling the curriculum at the

university level and they no longer have

to start at the beginning,” Leal said,

referring specifically to the General

Articulations Agreement.

Cardenas said the Dual

Enrollment Agreement will provide

advisement opportunities to TSTC stu-

dents upon declaration of intent to

transfer. At the advisement, transfer

students will be given a degree plan and

receive help throughout the entire trans-

fer process.

In fall 2006, out of 446 students

who terminated studies at TSTC, only 55

transferred to UTPA, according to

Cardenas. She hopes these agreements

will result in an increase in the number

of students who choose to continue their

education.

“A year from now we want to dou-

ble that number, and two years from now

we want to double the number from the

year before,” she said.

An agreement was also made

between TSTC and the UTPA College of

Science and Engineering under which

students who have completed an

Associate of Applied Science degree

program can continue on to pursue a

four-year degree in engineering at

UTPA.

“We have looked at those more

technical courses that students take at

TSTC to see which of those could trans-

fer,” Cardenas said. “They don’t all

transfer, but by working together we

want to maximize the transferability of

By SANDRA GONZALEZ

The Pan American

See AGREEMENT page 11

See COURSES page 11

Having to wait in line at the post office is

no big surprise. But at the Edinburg Post Office

on Jackson Street, droves of people have been

lining up, not to mail packages, but to get a

passport in order to keep up with new travel

requirements.

The first phase of the Western

Hemisphere Travel Initiative officially went

into effect Monday. What does this mean for

the average Rio Grande Valley citizen? For

those who cross the border and return by land,

not much for now. However, anyone planning

to travel outside the country and return by air

must now present a valid passport, which costs

$97 for anyone 16 and older, and $82 for those

under 16.

According to Felix Garza, a supervisory

customs officer in McAllen, the WHTI affects

everyone traveling into the United States by

air from Canada, Mexico, Central and

South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

For U.S. citizens, a U.S. passport is all that’s

needed to reenter the country. Legal U.S. resi-

dents can present their resident alien card or

“green card” instead. Citizens of any other

country will be required to present a U.S. visa

in addition to a valid passport issued by their

home country.

“If you’re a Mexican citizen and live and

work in Mexico, the only way you can make

entry to the U.S. is by having a valid U.S. visa

and a Mexican passport,” Garza said.

First announced in 2005, the new rules

are a cooperative effort between the

Department of State and the Department of

Homeland Security. The WHTI, a two-phase

plan, is meant to improve national security as

mandated by the Intelligence Reform and

Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The second

phase, scheduled to go into effect in January

2008, will require passports from anyone

By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American

See PASSPORTS page 11

1201 West University, CAS 170

Edinburg, Texas 78539

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

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

56th Year – No. 16

The Pan American gladly accepts letters fromstudents, staff and faculty regarding newspapercontent or current issues. The Pan Americanreserves the right to edit submissions forgrammar and length. Please limit submissionlength to 300 words. The Pan American cannotpublish anonymous letters, or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitous personalattacks. Letters are printed at the discretion ofthe editor and must include the writer’s name,classification/title and phone number.

J a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 0 7

PAGE 2

News EditorSandra Gonzalez

sandra_panamerican@

yahoo.com

A&E EditorFrank Calvillo

[email protected]

Sports EditorLuke Koonglkoong2004

@yahoo.com

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF

THE PAN AMERICAN

THE

PAN AMERICAN

The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of thewriters and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the university.

Available Feb. 1Rock on- Learn more about the emerging heavymetal scene in the RGV

READERFORUM

Designers

SecretaryAnita Casares

Gregorio Garzathe_nataku@ yahoo.com

Rick [email protected]

Edward Elguezabal

Leslie Estrada

Onydia Garza

Patrick Kennedy

Kristyna Mancias

Jeanette Perez

Rafael Roux

Angela Salazar

Erick Quintero

Reporters and Photographers

Advertising [email protected]

DeliveryThursday at Noon

AdviserDr. Greg Selber

Ad ManagerLillian Villarreal

Asst. Ad ManagerSamantha Quintana

Photo EditorSidney Meadowsoutintherain@

aol.com

Design EditorRoy Bazan

[email protected]

EditorClaudette Gonzalez

[email protected]

Road work ahead- Get the latest on plans for roadconstruction on University Drive

By: Juan Garza

Pricilla Gonzalez, like many of her

counterparts at The University of Texas-

Pan American, attended school while

working last semester. However, the

junior criminal justice major had a

chance to gain experience and knowl-

edge in her field of study by working

alongside Congressman Ruben

Hinojosa.

Gonzalez, who spent a total of over

140 hours in her internship, said she

learned a lot while working at the office.

“I realized it would enhance my

people skills and get to know the con-

cerns of the people of the Rio Grande

Valley,” Gonzalez said.

As the spring semester begins,

Araceli Perez, internship coordinator for

The Office of Career Services, said that

now is the best time to explore and apply

for positions for the summer, as most

decisions are made during this time.

Perez said internships can be

invaluable to students. That is why she

The International Women’s Boardwill be hosting Shary-ShiversMansion Tours on Jan. 27 and 28 tobenefit the UTPA Foundation. Formore information call ChristieCantu at 381-3665.

News in brief:NEWSStudent Union loses longtime director Smith

See INTERNSHIPS page 12

Student takes top honors at challenge

As students returned from winter

break, a familiar face at the Student

Union was nowhere to be seen.

Samuel Smith, director of the union

for six years, has made an exit from The

University of Texas-Pan American, opt-

ing to take a job at Stephen F. Austin

State University in Nacogdoches.

While Smith’s departure was sud-

den, Melissa Benavides, assistant direc-

tor at the union, said the staff is trying to

keep running business as usual.

“It’s going. We miss him. But we

have work to do so we have to contin-

ue,” she said. “We all feel the pressure.”

Marina Contreras, a senior English

major and Student Union employee, said

while the office has been hectic, the staff

is acting to support each other.

“The volume

of work has

increased quite a

bit,” Contreras said.

“Thankfully Melissa

has some of us to

help…take over

some of her respon-

sibilities so she can do some of the

things Sam did.”

However, Smith, who will help

open a new student center at SFA -

which he will head - said he is confident

of his former staff’s ability to carry on

without him.

“I have all the faith and confidence

that they will continue to offer great serv-

ice. I still correspond with them,” he said.

“When you do this you don’t feel like you

ever leave. You keep your connection.”

Smith said in his time at UTPA, he

and the staff worked hard to make lasting

improvements. Those changes, according

to him, are evident in numbers.

When he first took over leadership,

Smith said it was open for 40 hours a

week and now it operates for 76 hours

See UNION page 12

By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American

Internships heralded asbeneficial

to studentsBy KRISTEN VILLEGASThe Pan American

SMITH

Using crude materials such as

cheap lumber, screws, bolts, four tires

and a mere $20 in spending money for

personalized touches, Luis Madrigal and

a group of nine engineering students

from universities across the country

worked to build the best soap-box car at

the Extreme Engineering Challenge in

Denver Jan. 11.

The event, hosted by the Society of

Hispanic Professional Engineers as part

of the 2007 National Technical and

Career Conference, tested participants’

creativity, ingenuity and stamina. They

had to design their cars from scratch in

just 24 hours.

“It was intense the whole time,”

said Madrigal, a senior mechanical engi-

neering major at The University of

Texas-Pan American.

So intense, in fact, that three of his

teammates dropped out before finishing

the project.

The day started early for the com-

petitors as most, including the Pharr

native Madrigal, traveled from their

hometowns to Denver. After interview-

ing briefly with team leaders from top

companies such as Raytheon, Lockheed

Martin, Intel and Ford, the students set-

tled in to wait for the announcement of

who was selected to participate.

At the end of the day, Madrigal was

selected to be on a team headed up by

representatives from Ford and Intel.

However, he and his teammates still had

no idea what project lay ahead; they only

received a few clues.

“They gave us a box of Legos and

told us to build a Lego car. We were kind

of lost at that point,” the 26-year-old

said. “They gave us little pieces of infor-

mation about what we were supposed to

do, and as time progressed they gave us

more information. By six to eight

o’clock in the morning, we had a pretty

good idea that we were trying to build

some kind of a soap box car.”

For Madrigal, the logistics of

building a car really piqued his interest.

“It was interesting because as an

engineer, you had to find a way for it to

steer, for it to brake and not to lose any

force,” Madrigal said. “Everybody’s

starting up on a hill, or ramp, so we all

started off with the same amount of ener-

gy but it’s a matter of how you can steer

around obstacles, how far you go.”

Madrigal’s team spent their $20

stipend on a headlight and a battery for

power, some foam to make the ride more

comfortable, and some chicken wire and

duct tape to dress up the front of the car.

While Madrigal felt his team was

among the strongest there, they got off to

a slow start before finally pulling ahead.

By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American

SUCCESS - Luis Madrigal celebrates a job well done as he crosses the finishline. Madrigal won top honors for the design of a soap box car at NTCC.

Stacy Meier/ National Technical and Career Conference

See ENGINEERING page 12

UTPA students skeptical about learning happiness in classroom

Can happiness be taught? George

Mason University in Fairfax, Va.,

believes it can.

After learning they were ranked as

one of the top 15 unhappiest campuses

by the Princeton Review, the university

set up a class called the Science of Well-

Being, which aims to leave students

feeling happier.

Throughout the course, students

were instructed to perform acts of self-

less kindness, meditate, record their

thoughts and experiences, and share

them with the class. The class is taught

with a relatively new approach called

positive psychology.

Marcela Villarreal, a junior psy-

chology and communication major at

The University of Texas-Pan American,

said that she’s unsure whether a course

like the Science of Well-Being would

prove effective.

“I think people you really don’t

know shouldn’t tell you how to feel, or

ask you to do something. You should (do

something) because you and only you

feel like helping no matter why, or

who,” said Villarreal, of Monterrey,

Mexico.

According to the Princeton

Review, unhappiness on campus may

result from stressors such as marriage,

outside jobs and long commutes, all of

which are present in the lives of UTPA

students.

Jessica Chihuahua, senior psychol-

ogy and business management major,

said a class similar to the Science of

Well-Being wouldn’t necessarily be

taken seriously at UTPA.

“As a psychology major, I might be

By BRENDA RODRIGUEZThe Pan American

See HAPPINESS page 12

NEWS January 25, 2007

Peter Kranz was one of the several

million Americans who were not at

home for Christmas and the advent of

the New Year.

However, unlike other Americans

who were traveling domestically, he was

halfway around the globe.

The professor of educational

psychology was participating in a

monthlong faculty exchange program

sponsored by the Office of International

Programs and the University of Da Nang

in Vietnam starting Dec. 11. During that

time, he taught psychology and English

to faculty and students.

For Kranz, living in Da Nang,

population 752, was a new experience.

“It was more than me just being a

teacher. I was also a learner,” he said.

He taught the faculty theories in

psychology and helped international

business students practice their English.

The professor worked six days out of the

week with Sundays off.

On one of those off days, Kranz

had a chance to visit a Buddhist temple

located in the jungle-lush hills around

the city. Accompanying him were some

of the faculty at the university.

“Those moments were very

precious because it was out of the

academic venue and people were able to

extend and chat,” he said.

Kranz’s experience overseas is not

his first. Two summers ago, he taught in

Wuhan, China, and in 2003 he went to

Costa Rica. He said being a distinct

minority was an enriching experience.

Upon arriving at the Vietnamese

university, he did not know what classes

he would be teaching; he had to learn

how to be flexible in what he did and

how he taught.

“I had to learn a variety of things

off of the top of my head. I didn’t know

how much I was going to teach and

when I was going to teach,” he said.

Kranz said he did not mind,

though.

“The un-knowing, too, was part of

the experience, rather than having

everything set and knowing exactly what

you were going to do,” he said.

The language barrier also gave

Kranz a chance to alter his teaching

methods.

“I also had to learn patience and

flexibility with certain classes in using

an interpreter,” he said. “I had to speak

slower, make my statements concise and

clear and take time to answer questions

and clarify issues.”

Kranz said the mentality toward

education was different in Da Nang.

Most of the students are first-generation

and take their time at the university very

seriously.

“Students didn’t mention whether

it was the football playoffs or who was

going to win the Golden Globes,” Kranz

said. “It makes you realize that what

goes on in the world from other people’s

standpoints - as far as what’s important -

may not be as important here.”

When he was not teaching, Kranz

would visit local attractions with his

Vietnamese hosts. The large expanses of

rice fields and farmers plowing were

different compared to the increasing

urbanization and traffic of the Valley.

However, the communication

barrier made interacting with others

difficult at times.

“Very few people spoke English,”

Kranz said. “I was the only American I

saw on campus, and in fact, in the city of

Da Nang, I rarely came across another

American.”

On occasion, he would run across a

European, but otherwise he was in a sea

of Asians.

His presence in the city was

almost equivalent to that of a movie star

at times. People would even look

intently at him while driving their

motorcycles. Kranz and his hosts found

ways to make their intentions known

using gestures.

“Look at the road,” Kranz said he

would motion to them.

Part of the fascination might have

come solely from being a foreigner, but

his height of 5-foot-11 made him a giant

among a much smaller population.

Kranz said his experience in

Vietnam was very memorable and he

regrets not having the opportunity to see

more of the country. This summer he

will be heading to India to teach during

the break.

He hopes he will get the

opportunity to stay and visit his next

destination longer.

“It would be a terrific experience to

spend a semester or a year,” he said.

“Then I could do more travel around the

country and not feel as rushed.”

By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American

January 25, 2007 NEWS

Prof. returns from faculty exchange in Vietnam

Sidney Meadows/The Pan American

Peter KranzEXCHANGE - Peter Kranz meets a Buddhist monk during one of his visitsaround Da Nang, Vietnam while taking part in a faculty exhange programoverseas.

MOVING ON UP - Lt. Col. Andre Dean

speaks to a crowd at the Cadet Awards

Ceremony Jan. 18. At the ceremony,

Dean received a metal to

commemorate a promotion to his

current rank from his former title of

Major. At the event, which took place in

the Student Union Theater, the ROTC

program also accepted an anonymous

donation of approximately $200,000.

Dean said he was surprised and

honored that someone would give such

an outstanding amount of money and

encouraged all who can to do the

same. “All community members who

are concerned with the of the future of

the university should donate, and

should donate to the future of the

students who are working so hard to

get an education. These financial

pieces are a huge part of the success

of the university and the Rio Grande

Valley."

Pricilla Gonzalez, como muchos de

sus compañeros en la Universidad de

Texas Pan American, trabajo durante su

último semestre. La estudiante de crimi-

nología tuvo la oportunidad de adquirir

experiencia y conocimiento en su campo

de estudios al trabajar junto al congresista

Ruben Hinojosa.

Gonzalez, quien trabajo un total de

140 horas en el internado, reconoció haber

aprendido mucho mientras trabajaba con

el congresista.

“Me di cuenta que me ayudo a mejo-

rar mi relación con las personas y a con

conocer las necesidades y preocupaciones

de los ciudadanos del Río Grande Valley.”

dijo Gonzalez.

Al iniciar el semestre de primavera,

Araceli Perez, Coordinadora de Practicas

Profesionales en la oficina de Career

Services, reconoce que ahora es el

momento de explorar y aplicar para posi-

ciones durante el verano, puesto que la

mayoría de las decisiones se toman

durante este tiempo.

Perez dijo que las practicas profe-

sionales pueden ser invaluables para los

estudiantes. Por esto ella anima a los estu-

diantes a buscar y considerar algo que les

ayude a ganar tanto experiencia, como

conocimiento en su área de estudio.

“El programa de internado es un

paso sumamente importante para el desar-

rollo académico del estudiante durante su

estancia en la universidad,” dijo Araceli

Perez.

La coordinadora cree que las practi-

cas profesionales les dan a los estudiantes

la oportunidad de obtener experiencias del

mundo real, y al mismo tiempo un mejor

entendimiento de su carrera profesional.

Los estudiantes pueden aplicar sus

conocimientos y habilidades que han

aprendido en clase y ser capaces de com-

petir con profesionales.

“Las practicas profesionales no son

en realidad un trabajo, es mas una experi-

encia de aprendizaje.” dijo Perez.

Durante el tiempo que fue interna,

Gonzalez pasó un tiempo considerable

con Hinojosa, atendiendo eventos a los

que fue invitada.

“Tuve la oportunidad de observar

comportamientos, tomar notas y dar

ruedas de prensa para los reporteros.” dijo

Gonzalez

Otro de los deberes de Gonzalez fue

el apoyar a Hionojosa con algunos casos

legales. Además, Gonzalez reconoció que

una de las cosas mas importantes que

aprendió fue la situación esta comunidad.

“También aprendí sobre las necesi-

dades reales que tienen las personas de la

comunidad, a la cual representa el

Congresista Hinojosa,” respondió

Gonzalez.

Después de pasar mucho tiempo tra-

bajando en un ambiente político,

Gonzalez dijo estar interesada en seguir

los pasos políticos y enfocarse más en los

asuntos de la comunidad.

“El Congresista Hinojosa tiene tanta

pasión por su trabajo, que me fomento a

animar a nuestra juventud para que esta

tenga una educación,” aseguro la

Practicante.

Esto aumento el entendimiento del

mundo real ya que la política puede ayu-

dar a Gonzalez a decidir el seguir detrás

de una carrera política, de acuerdo a

Perez. Una de las mayores ventajas de

hacer el practicas profesionales es que los

empleadores pueden decidir quedarse con

los estudiantes después de que haber ter-

minando sus estudios. Además de que el

estudiante puede obtener una mejor oferta

de trabajo gracias a su experiencia.

Un buen momento para considerar el

hacer un internado seria al final del segun-

do año de carrera, dijo Perez. Otros men-

tores sugieren tener múltiples internados

durante el curso de la carrera.

“Las practicas profesionales abren

muchas puertas que te permiten rela-

cionarte con personas que no lo harías

durante tu vida diaria,” agrego.

Los estudiantes interesados deben

acudir a la oficina de Career Services

localizado en el edificio de Student

Services en la oficina 2.101 o llamar al

381-2243 para hacer cita con Perez o

algún consejero.

Bronc Career Connection es un

sitio web ofrecido por Career Placement

Services donde los estudiantes pueden

registrarse y buscar internados así como

ofertas de trabajo. Los estudiantes

pueden tener acceso a al sitio web al vis-

itar http://ea.panam.edu/careerplace-

ment.

Experiencia y oportunidad para el futuroPor KRISTEN VILLEGASTraducido Por MERCEDES CANTUThe Pan American

EN ESPAÑOLDile a tus queridos cuanto los quieres! Escribelesun mensaje en nuestra edicion especial del dia deSan Valentin por solo $5. Llame al (956)381-2541 o visite COAS 170 para mas informacion.

Noticias en breve:

“El programa de internadoes un paso sumamente impor-tante para el desarollo acade-mico del estudiante durantesu estancia en la universi-dad.”

- Araceli Perez,Coordinadora de practicas profesionales

The Valley Symphony Orchestra

and Chorale work year ‘round, perform-

ing throughout the Valley. Routine con-

certs are scheduled for almost every

month, but every now and then conduc-

tor Peter Dabrowski likes to break out of

the mundane. That’s what the Pops

Symphonic Extravaganza is all about.

The VSOC, along with the South

Texas Youth Symphony, under the direc-

tion of University of Texas-Pan

American music professor Dabrowski,

will be performing the third annual Pops

Symphonic Extravaganza at the

McAllen Civic Center at 4 p.m. on Jan.

26.

The event caters to the young and

young at heart, even accommodating

early bedtimes with a 4 p.m. downbeat

rather than the customary 8 p.m. start

time. According to Dabrowski, it is an

event like no other.

“It’s basically a concert designed

to entertain people at the end of the

week,” he said. “It’s program-oriented

toward entertainment and meant to cre-

ate an atmosphere of fun and enjoy-

ment.”

Underwritten by the City of

McAllen, the 90-minute event will fea-

ture popular classical favorites per-

formed by both orchestras and will be

accompanied by ballet dancers from the

Deborah Case Dance Academy/Rio

Grande Valley Ballet. The dancers will

be featured in three movements from

“The Nutcracker,” a play they have long

been involved with.

For both Case and Dabrowski,

such collaboration was a win-win situa-

tion.

“I believe live music enriches the

lives of the dancers. Live music requires

them to listen more carefully to tempo

changes versus set tempos from record-

ed music,” said artistic director and

dance instructor Case. “In return, we

provide a beautiful visual for the

music.”

The VSO will kick off the after-

noon with pieces by Morton Gould,

American composer Leroy Anderson,

Edvard Grieg, Stravinksy and

Tchaikovsky. John Philip Sousa’s “Stars

and Stripes Forever” will close the first

part of the event.

The STYS, consisting of young

performers from the Valley and northern

Mexico, will continue the second part of

the extravaganza performing selections

by Brahms, Franz Liszt, Elmer

Bernstein, and Tchaikovsky.

While planning the event,

Dabrowsky chose music in part based on

how much fun it would be for perform-

ers and listeners alike.

“My philosophy is that when musi-

cians are playing something they like,

that energy produces much better per-

formances, so the challenge is to find

pieces which are fun for everyone,”

Dabrowski said.

But even though it will be a fun

concert, Dabrowski stressed that the

educational value will be there too.

“I think that students are being

robbed of this,” he said. “Watching a

concert on TV cannot be compared with

a live performance with over 200 musi-

cians.”

Monica Folk, the VSOC adminis-

trator, explained that students will also

enjoy seeing their classmates on stage.

“I think that the fact that we have

students from UTPA in both orchestras

is a great invitation to students from

campus to come and enjoy the concert,”

she said. “Everyone will find something

they love.”

For more information about the

Pops Symphonic Extravaganza, pl

As a child the world is mostly

make-believe. Something as simple as a

cardboard box can become a rocket ship

that will take one on a trip to the moon.

The story of Don Quixote de la

Mancha explores just this idea, but in the

end it is the faux reality that Quixote has

built in his mind that drives him to mad-

ness and makes his fiction a reality.

Written by Miguel de Cervantes, the

novel explores the adventures of Alonso

Quixano a landowner who has read so

much more than his fair share of chival-

ry writing and is convinced he is a knight

named Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Along with his sidekick Sancho

Panza, they seek out to rescue his fanta-

sy fair maiden, Dulcenea Del Toboso.

“Don Quixote de la Mancha is the

best novel written in any language,” said

Lino Garcia, a Spanish professor at The

University of Texas-Pan American. “It

has universal appeal and relates to the

accomplishments of Tejanos.”

A native of Brownsville, Garcia has

been a professor for 40 years and recent-

ly gave a lecture at the Museum of South

Texas History about the novel and how it

relates to the Rio Grande Valley. The lec-

ture, called “Los Tejanos y Don Quixote

de la Mancha,” was given entirely in

Spanish.

“I did it in Spanish because much

of my research is in Spanish,” said

Garcia, “and because Tejas or Texas was

once a Spanish-speaking part of New

Spain from 1519 to 1821.”

He believes that Tejanos, mainly

those who settled South Texas in the

1700s, had read the novel.

“This novel with its thirst for truth,

sense of justice and a love of adventure

provided for them an inspiration to seek

fortune in a brave new land – South

Texas,” he said.

Since a good percentage of the

population of the RGV speaks Spanish it

only seems fitting to have conducted this

lecture and topic in that manner. And, the

public response was positive. The audi-

ence was filled not only with natives of

the Valley, but also Winter Texans get-

ting in some Texas history before the

time comes to head back home.

There were also former students of

Garcia’s in the audience who came to

hear the lecture and pass on what they

were learning.

“I’m a Spanish teacher,” said Enith

Villalobos, a former student. “I like get-

ting my students involved in events like

this one.”

Villalobos went on to say that get-

ting her students involved with stories

and the subject of Spanish itself is hard,

especially with high school students. A

teacher of bilingual studies at McAllen

Memorial High School, she hopes to

touch upon subjects like the Don

Quixote novel in her upcoming classes.

Garcia became interested in the

novel as a freshman in college. The story

opened his eyes to the injustices around

him, and fostered the desire to correct

them.

The novel has all the key compo-

nents of a great story: adventure, love,

fantasy, friendship. Don Quixote de la

Mancha borders the thin line between

reality and fantasy and explores what

happens when one overcomes the other.

“All of us are in essence a Don

Quixote. It is not always the victory that

is important,” said Garcia, “but that we

follow the quest, and that we stay in the

fight. Something within the everyday

conflicts will be positive and of use to

society.”

&RTSNTERTAINMENT

News Brief

Famed adventure tale echoes South Texas historyBy ANGELA SALAZARThe Pan American

Local concert seeks to satisfy different tastesBy JEANETTE PEREZThe Pan American

Let that special some-one know how you feel.Buy a dedication in ourValentine’s Day insert!Call 381-2541 or visitCOAS 170 for more

info.E A

LITERATURE AND SOCIETY - The classic novel “Don Quixote de la Mancha”by Miguel de Cervantes resonates greatly with residents of South Texas.

http://www.faylicity.com

Monica Folk/Valley Symphony Orchestra

For more informaton, pleasevisit the VSO’s official Web site athttp://www.valleyorchestra.org.

TIMELESS WORKS - The Valley Symphony Orchestra and The Deborah Case Dance Academy rehearse for the third annu-al Pops Symphonic Extravaganza, which will feature a variety of treasured classics by well-known composers on Jan. 26.

January 25, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT January 25, 2007

he setting is familiar. A dark andlonely street in the seedy side oftown, and it looks as if dangerlies ahead. The people are also

the same. The shady characters lurkingaround in the alleyways and the enticing,yet suspicious, dames of the night. The pro-tagonist also hasn’t changed. He’s still thesame hard-nosed, no nonsense and cynicalsleuth who lives in this kind of world. He’sunshakable and knows what’s coming tohim. The only difference is that this time,he’s barely old enough to drink.

The characteristics above are all fea-tures that have come to represent film noir,a specific genre popular in Hollywood inthe 1940s and ‘50s. Film noir told stories ofdetective work, crime and violence, usuallyinvolving an assortment of characters with

loose morals and skeletons in their closets. In short, film noir was considered to be

a portrait of the downside of society. It wasa look at the darker side of life and thedegenerates who lived it.

In the 21st century, it would appear thatfilm noir is making a comeback throughfeature films and television shows aimedsquarely at teens and young adults. Withinthe last two and a half years, movies such as“Brick” and “Sin City” and the T.V. series“Veronica Mars,” have debuted, featuringteenage characters who find themselves insettings and situations eerily similar tothose of the film noir era. And furthermore,they have all been hits.

The first sign of the genre’s re-emer-gence came in the mystery-drama“Veronica Mars.” The show told the story

of 16-year-old Veronica, a high school stu-dent and amateur detective who, thoughostracized by her peers, still found herselfwith a new mystery to solve on or aroundcampus each week. No matter what caseshe was currently working on, it did notdeter her from her ultimate goal, uncover-ing the killer of her best friend, Lilly.

Viewers embraced the main characterand her “seen it all” attitude, all of whichcame from the mind of writer Rob Thomas,a self-proclaimed fan of film noir who firm-ly believes the genre’s themes can make forentertaining television.

“Using noir ideas in a high school set-ting does lend itself to juicy storylines,”said Thomas in a 2006 interview. “An adultnoir storyline might be: a husband murdershis wife for the insurance money. Our high

school noir storylines would be: “Myboyfriend took dirty pictures of me. Helpme get them back.”

The show quickly developed a follow-ing and by the end of its first season in thespring of 2005, had become one of the mostpopular and critically praised new programsof the 2004-2005 television season.

That same year, a small independentproduction called “Brick” began generatinga significant amount of buzz throughout thefilm world.

Set at a high school in a nondescriptcity, “Brick” told the story of Brandon, ahigh school outcast who turns detectivewhen he sets out to investigate the disap-pearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Unlike “Veronica Mars,” though,“Brick” showed little acknowledgement to

its high school setting. Instead, the filmpainted its characters as adults through theuse of crass violence, fierce dialogue andmature storylines, all of which made audi-ence members turn to their neighbors toask: “These are high school kids?”

According to writer/director RianJohnson, however, that was exactly the reac-tion he was going for.

“We set ‘Brick’ in a high school to getaway from the images of men in hats andwhat we typically think of as detectives,” hesaid.

Like Thomas, Johnson is a lover of theclassic film genre, but sought to find a differ-ent way of presenting his film.

“I love film noir, but the thought of imi-tating it wasn’t appealing,” he said in a 2005interview. “We (the filmmakers) wrestled

with the question of how you do the genretoday and this was the approach we hit on.”

The novel approach worked and soon,the modestly-budgeted “Brick” was rakingin millions at the box office while garneringnotable reviews from critics.

It wasn’t long before other similarlythemed projects with young casts began tosurface, such as the film adaptation ofFrank Miller’s “Sin City,” starring NickStahl, Elijah Wood and Alexis Bledel, plus“The Black Dahlia,” starring Josh Hartnettand Scarlett Johannson.

COMPELLING ELEMENTSIt is still unclear why these tributes to

film noir are successful. However, to pin-point an answer, it might help to revisit thepublic’s initial fascination with this type of

storytelling. “The original appeal was film noir’s

gritty subject matter as an alternative to thehappy-go-lucky studio musicals thatreigned supreme in that era,” said EdCameron, an English professor at TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American.

Cameron, who teaches a class called“Intro to Film Studies,” believes one of thegenre’s main goals was to point out that lifewas not always pretty.

“Universally, the appeal of film noirmight revolve around this genre’s reluc-tance to shy away from the seamy side oflife,” Cameron said.

Likewise Debbie Laurel, a senioranthropology student at UTPA, feels thatmovies from the time period are more real-istic in their portrayal of human life than

many of the computer-generated onesshown in modern theaters.

“For me they’re more organic andauthentic than some of the other stuff yousee in any of the movies you see today. Plusthe acting is better and more real,” she said.

In a time filled with uncertainty andchaos, films and storylines such as theseseek to serve as an unlikely learning tool,educating young people about what the out-side world can be like, while at the sametime fulfilling their entertainment needs.

With “Veronica Mars” well into itsthird season and two planned sequels for“Sin City” on the horizon (the first is dueout in late 2007), it appears as if the futurefor some of Hollywood’s young film andT.V. characters looks as dark and shady asever.

T

January 25, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT January 25, 2007

he setting is familiar. A dark andlonely street in the seedy side oftown, and it looks as if dangerlies ahead. The people are also

the same. The shady characters lurkingaround in the alleyways and the enticing,yet suspicious, dames of the night. The pro-tagonist also hasn’t changed. He’s still thesame hard-nosed, no nonsense and cynicalsleuth who lives in this kind of world. He’sunshakable and knows what’s coming tohim. The only difference is that this time,he’s barely old enough to drink.

The characteristics above are all fea-tures that have come to represent film noir,a specific genre popular in Hollywood inthe 1940s and ‘50s. Film noir told stories ofdetective work, crime and violence, usuallyinvolving an assortment of characters with

loose morals and skeletons in their closets. In short, film noir was considered to be

a portrait of the downside of society. It wasa look at the darker side of life and thedegenerates who lived it.

In the 21st century, it would appear thatfilm noir is making a comeback throughfeature films and television shows aimedsquarely at teens and young adults. Withinthe last two and a half years, movies such as“Brick” and “Sin City” and the T.V. series“Veronica Mars,” have debuted, featuringteenage characters who find themselves insettings and situations eerily similar tothose of the film noir era. And furthermore,they have all been hits.

The first sign of the genre’s re-emer-gence came in the mystery-drama“Veronica Mars.” The show told the story

of 16-year-old Veronica, a high school stu-dent and amateur detective who, thoughostracized by her peers, still found herselfwith a new mystery to solve on or aroundcampus each week. No matter what caseshe was currently working on, it did notdeter her from her ultimate goal, uncover-ing the killer of her best friend, Lilly.

Viewers embraced the main characterand her “seen it all” attitude, all of whichcame from the mind of writer Rob Thomas,a self-proclaimed fan of film noir who firm-ly believes the genre’s themes can make forentertaining television.

“Using noir ideas in a high school set-ting does lend itself to juicy storylines,”said Thomas in a 2006 interview. “An adultnoir storyline might be: a husband murdershis wife for the insurance money. Our high

school noir storylines would be: “Myboyfriend took dirty pictures of me. Helpme get them back.”

The show quickly developed a follow-ing and by the end of its first season in thespring of 2005, had become one of the mostpopular and critically praised new programsof the 2004-2005 television season.

That same year, a small independentproduction called “Brick” began generatinga significant amount of buzz throughout thefilm world.

Set at a high school in a nondescriptcity, “Brick” told the story of Brandon, ahigh school outcast who turns detectivewhen he sets out to investigate the disap-pearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Unlike “Veronica Mars,” though,“Brick” showed little acknowledgement to

its high school setting. Instead, the filmpainted its characters as adults through theuse of crass violence, fierce dialogue andmature storylines, all of which made audi-ence members turn to their neighbors toask: “These are high school kids?”

According to writer/director RianJohnson, however, that was exactly the reac-tion he was going for.

“We set ‘Brick’ in a high school to getaway from the images of men in hats andwhat we typically think of as detectives,” hesaid.

Like Thomas, Johnson is a lover of theclassic film genre, but sought to find a differ-ent way of presenting his film.

“I love film noir, but the thought of imi-tating it wasn’t appealing,” he said in a 2005interview. “We (the filmmakers) wrestled

with the question of how you do the genretoday and this was the approach we hit on.”

The novel approach worked and soon,the modestly-budgeted “Brick” was rakingin millions at the box office while garneringnotable reviews from critics.

It wasn’t long before other similarlythemed projects with young casts began tosurface, such as the film adaptation ofFrank Miller’s “Sin City,” starring NickStahl, Elijah Wood and Alexis Bledel, plus“The Black Dahlia,” starring Josh Hartnettand Scarlett Johannson.

COMPELLING ELEMENTSIt is still unclear why these tributes to

film noir are successful. However, to pin-point an answer, it might help to revisit thepublic’s initial fascination with this type of

storytelling. “The original appeal was film noir’s

gritty subject matter as an alternative to thehappy-go-lucky studio musicals thatreigned supreme in that era,” said EdCameron, an English professor at TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American.

Cameron, who teaches a class called“Intro to Film Studies,” believes one of thegenre’s main goals was to point out that lifewas not always pretty.

“Universally, the appeal of film noirmight revolve around this genre’s reluc-tance to shy away from the seamy side oflife,” Cameron said.

Likewise Debbie Laurel, a senioranthropology student at UTPA, feels thatmovies from the time period are more real-istic in their portrayal of human life than

many of the computer-generated onesshown in modern theaters.

“For me they’re more organic andauthentic than some of the other stuff yousee in any of the movies you see today. Plusthe acting is better and more real,” she said.

In a time filled with uncertainty andchaos, films and storylines such as theseseek to serve as an unlikely learning tool,educating young people about what the out-side world can be like, while at the sametime fulfilling their entertainment needs.

With “Veronica Mars” well into itsthird season and two planned sequels for“Sin City” on the horizon (the first is dueout in late 2007), it appears as if the futurefor some of Hollywood’s young film andT.V. characters looks as dark and shady asever.

T

A & E January 25, 2007

Indie-rock band The Shins, once a

hobbling toddler of music, has stood

upright and proved itself mature with its

latest effort “Wincing the Night Away.”

Released

Jan. 23, the

album is a

welcome awakening from the

Albuquerque, N.M., natives’ first two

efforts, “Oh, Inverted World” and

“Chutes Too Narrow,” which were as a

whole only slightly more thrilling than a

Celine Dion cover of Korn’s “Freak on a

Leash.”

Unlike the first two albums,

“Wincing the Night Away” has its bear-

ings. The Beatles influence is clearly

defined, but not overwhelming enough

to call it a sub-par modern adaptation.

Every melody is perfectly paired with a

keyboard tune or modest guitar solo.

Every song is perfectly and purposefully

produced, resulting in thoughtful-sound-

ing music.

In their first record, The Shins too

often pulled a Vanilla Ice by stealing

tunes, adding a funky beat and calling it

a new sound. And while it may have

taken people a while to figure out the

Queen connection, modern-day music

listeners are harder to fool. After the first

record, I would have predicted the

demise of the Shins, since every song

sounded like another, better version of

ones I’d heard before. The second effort,

while more creative than the first, was

unstable. Like a too small pair of panty-

hose, the sound didn’t quite fit. It was

left to fester uncomfortably.

Thankfully for them, music listen-

ers like festering and took to their sound.

Good news for them is that the hint of

good sound and potential that was sprin-

kled ever so lightly in “Chutes Too

Narrow” has come to the forefront in

“Wincing the Night Away.”

Before anyone starts opening up

those doors to the Rock and Roll Hall of

Fame, however, it is important to point

out that while the Beatles sound is a key

part of The Shins, lyrical genius is far

from present.

Blame the school system, marijua-

na or anything else; the fact is that lyri-

cally, The Shins fall into an unclassifi-

able category. No, they are not too bril-

liant for words. In fact, they are too

strange. One such example of head

scratching lyrics comes from track 6,

“Red Rabbit”: “Well, I know there’s an

eventual/Release from every scale of

crime/But the necessary balloon lies a

corpse on the floor/We’ve pissed on far

too many good intentions held by clever

sprites/And they’re all standing up for

their rights.”

Band head honcho and the pen

responsible for The Shins lyrical con-

tent is James Mercer. He told one mag-

azine that he was cryptic with his words

because he’s insecure. Unfortunately,

listeners are paying for his insecurities

both figuratively and literally. To pay

for music is to pay for the sound, the

words, the tune, the melody, etc.

Mercer’s shortcomings as a writer ulti-

mately cost the band and the fans a lot

more than dollars and cents. It will

eventually cost them a chance at great-

ness, of which they do have the poten-

tial to achieve.

By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American

Franchise restaurants can be found

all over the Rio Grande Valley.

However, there are other restaurants that

offer a more unique scene for locals.

Thirsty Monkey New Orleans Bar and

Grill offers cus-

tomers an orig-

inal, Cajun-

style cuisine with a jazzy touch.

The restaurant is located at 119 W.

Nolana in McAllen, and even though its

unusual name might make some people

wonder, there is not much behind it.

“I wish I had a great story to tell

you,” owner Liza Guzman said. “But I

just made up the name.”

The décor of the place is nice and

classy, giving an uptown yet casual

effect. The interior features bright red

walls, paintings, and a mural of New

Orleans, and the lights stay dim

throughout the day and night. The place

is spacious enough to comfortably

accommodate customers. Jazz music

plays softly in the background, creating

a relaxing ambiance.

Aside from other options, the

menu features daily specials for people

to enjoy. Monday is red beans and rice,

Tuesday is seafood gumbo, Wednesday

is crawfish etouffee, Thursday is jamba-

laya, and Friday is fried catfish.

A full bar is available and Guzman

added that the restaurant offers happy

hour Monday-Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Valley resident Diego Garza

enjoys the food and is already a regular.

“The food is great. I’ve tried many

things on the menu, but my favorite is

the gumbo,” Garza said. “It is actually

home-made and this restaurant is the

only one that serves it.”

He also added that he enjoys the

soft, relaxing music playing in the back-

ground.

“I really enjoy the fact that you can

actually carry on a conversation,” Garza

said. “There are some places where the

music is so loud you have to yell in

order to be heard. You can actually have

a good time here with your family and

friends.”

Even though Thirsty Monkey is

mostly a family-oriented place, it does

turn into a night club on Friday and

Saturday nights.

“We’ve got live music on Fridays,”

said Guzman. “The band starts off at 10

p.m. with jazz and blues and they’ll

switch over to alternative and rock

music.”

She emphasized that the bar is only

for people 21 and over, and no minors

are allowed in since they actually card at

the door.

Thirsty Monkey has been open for

more than a year now and has not

changed the theme that has differentiat-

ed it from other places; it has stayed

loyal to its unique cuisine and great

service. So it seems that New Orleans

has come down to the Valley to stay.

By LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American

Shins’ newest effortmusically impressive,

lyrically baffling

TURN A SQUARE - The Shins eagerly anticipated third studio release proves tobe neither a triumph nor an embarassment.

Thirsty Monkey brings New Orleans style to RGV

http://www.stuff.co.nz

Joey Cortez/The Pan AmericanN’AWLINS STYLE - (left to right) Sean Donnelly, Brad Keller and Chuck Donnell converse over a drink at Thirsty Monkey,a McAllen restaurant and bar with an authentic Louisiana flair.

January 25, 2007 NEWS

courses from TSTC.”

Leal, who has held his position for

seven years, said that a partnership

between TSTC and UTPA has been a

long time coming.

“Those of us in technical education

have fought a long battle and several

years to be recognized as part of the

higher education community,” he said.

More than anything, however, he

said this agreement is for the students’

future.

“In order to get into the manage-

ment and supervisory positions, it’s nec-

essary for them to continue their educa-

tion and these agreements today will

make it a lot easier,” he said.

Cardenas added that once a degree

is obtained, a variety of situations in stu-

dent lives are improved.

“Our students triple the earning

power of their families upon getting

their degree,” she said. “Also, one of the

realities we know is that if you get one

person in a family to get a degree the rest

will follow suit. We see families being

transformed.”

In addition, Cardenas said the

community will benefit from having

more educated people in the work

force.

“It is an important day for the

development of this region of the state,”

she said.

John Edwards, vice president of

enrollment and students services, said

the agreements are all about sending a

message.

“We’re here to help South Texas

students understand that our two insti-

tutions are going to work together so

that they can begin their studies in

Harlingen and finish them here at

UTPA,” he said.

For more information on transfer-

ring and admissions, call Admissions

and New Student Services at (956) 381-

8872.

entering the country by land or sea.

The initiative is expected to make

it easier for customs agents to identify

travelers quickly and accurately.

However, many in the RGV don’t have

passports and find the cost of getting a

passport prohibitive. For those, help

may be on the way. A passport card, or

PASS card, is in the works. According to

Garza, it may represent up to a 50 per-

cent savings on the cost of getting a

passport. In addition, it will be more

convenient to carry around.

“It’s a form of an ID card the size

of a regular credit card, which will be an

alternative to the passport as we know it,

which is a book with several pages. It’s

not the right size to carry,” Garza said.

But he stressed, “The passport card

is still in the making. It’s still not a done

deal. Once approved, if it does get

approved, then it will become an option

to the passport.”

However, others, such as Arizona

native Taylor Schneider, say getting a

passport is “not really a big deal.”

Schneider, a freshman on the Lady

Bronc basketball squad, applied for her

passport Tuesday in preparation for a

trip to Port Penasco, Mexico.

For U.S. citizens caught on the

other side of the border without a pass-

port, it won’t be the end of the world, but

it will be a hassle to get back in.

“American citizens who enter or

arrive at a U.S. port of entry, who do not

possess the American passport, cannot

be denied entry back into their country,

but they will experience delays,” Garza

said.

During the delays, agents will veri-

fy identities and perhaps take finger

prints, Garza said.

“It all depends on how fast we can

get that data and run it through the sys-

tem,” he said.

In order to avoid long delays in

customs, Garza strongly recommends

that anyone traveling outside the country

obtain a passport before leaving.

While Garza could not comment

on the specific staffing arrangements at

local airports, he emphasized that

Customs and Border Protection agents

are ready to handle new procedures.

“We are there, we are available and

we are prepared to do the things that we

have to do, to arrive international travel-

ers, to screen them, to process them and

to release them,” Garza said.

For information on getting a pass-

port, visit www.travel.state.gov or visit

the Edinburg Post Office Monday

through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

at least one semester of various classes

including math, foreign language, social

science, and a lab science. The core is

designed to give students a sampling of

most disciplines and the possibility of a

reduction has many wondering what

requirements would get cut.

“The combination of the two laws

is something that people have to worry

about,” said Pearl Brazier, a UTPA asso-

ciate professor of computer science.

“The problem I see at this point, as part

of the computer science department, is

that most of the core is necessary for our

[department’s graduation] plan.”

Brazier also said a cut in core hours

could mean a cut in quality.

“With the hours for a degree set

back, we might not be giving them

everything we should,” she said.

However, Angela Davila, a sopho-

more business management major, feels

slightly optimistic about the cut in hours.

“Less time to get a degree sounds

good,” she said. “I like being a student

and all, but I’m looking forward to get-

ting out there and finding a real job, one

that’s not in fast food.”

UTPA has formed a formal com-

mittee to review the core curriculum.

The committee will form a recommen-

dation that will be passed down to a fac-

ulty committee, then the overall faculty.

Final approval will come through the UT

System, according to Ana Maria

Rodriguez, the administrative liaison for

the committee, and senior vice provost.

“We have to first deal with the

question of what is the core curriculum,”

said Rodriguez. “The core curriculum is

the foundation of degree plans and we

feel it is important for our students to be

well rounded.”

The committee is meeting two or

three times a month and attendance is

open to the public. If the attending pub-

lic feel that they have a contribution to

make, arrangements must be made

beforehand to address the committee.

The latest meeting was Jan. 19.

UTPA evaluates its core every five

years, so Brazier has participated in

shaping it into what it is now. Thus, she

takes special interest in the outcome and

has been following its progress.

“With the shortened core, some of

the courses should be exchangeable

depending on a student’s major,” said

Brazier. “Like a computer science

major wouldn’t need a biology class,

but an electrical engineering class

instead.”

Marie Mora, chairman of the core

curriculum committee, added that the

law states that students will be penal-

ized for taking too many hours over the

recommended 120. Since the conse-

quences could be dire, she said it is

important for students to keep track of

their hours.

“If a student drops a class because

they fear a bad grade, and then retakes

the course, they may be penalized for the

additional hours added,” said Mora, a

professor of economics, finance and

general business. “Even with this short

amount of hours taken out we should see

a substantial jump in students graduating

in four years, provided they are respon-

sible with dropping their classes.”

For now, Mora said they are

preparing as much as they can for the

implementation of the laws, which cur-

rently have no set date.

“If everything goes smoothly, and

if we’re a little lucky, the changes to the

core curriculum should be instated

around September of 2007, but that’s

only if it makes it through all the stages

of critique,” she said.

PASSPORTS continued from page 1

COURSES continued from page 1

AGREEMENT continued from page 1

WHTII TIMELINEDec. 17, 2004 - Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of2004, a.k.a. the 9/11 Intelligence Bill, signed into law

April 5, 2005 - DOS and DHS first announce Western Hemisphere TravelInitiative

August 2005 - Notice of proposed rulemaking

Nov. 27, 2006 - Official announcement of phase 1 date and requirements

Jan. 23, 2007 - Citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, andBermuda required to present a passport to enter the United States whenarriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere

Jan. 2008 - Persons entering by land or sea will be required to present avalid passport

Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE - J. Gilbert Leal, president of TSTC, speaks to acrowd of administrators and faculty Jan. 18 when he and President BlandinaCardenas formally announced agreements between the two institutions that aim toincrease the number of students who continue their education after TSTC.

“By signing this agree-ment, we are recognizing thatour students are very capableof handling the curriculum atthe university level and nolonger have to start at thebeginning.”

- J. Gilbert Leal,president of TSTC

NEWS January 25, 2007

ENGINEERING continued from page 3

“At the beginning, it was horrible

because there were a lot of minds, and a

lot of these people are extremely intelli-

gent so they’re used to running their own

group,” Madrigal said. “But we were

able to get the group together for a com-

mon goal, which was to win.”

Competitions included seeing

which car could go the farthest, which

could maneuver best around obstacles

placed in the course, and which could

brake soonest. The slow start took a toll

on their competitive record, however.

“They break up the 24 hours into

five segments and they give you a chal-

lenge within each of those segments,”

Madrigal said. “We were actually in the

bottom three for a good number of the

challenges, but as we started to get

together and people started to find their

niche, we started to pull forward and we

did end up with the best automobile at

the ‘Olympics,’ where they had different

competitions.”

At the end of the 24-hour competi-

tion, each team selected two representa-

tives to give a presentation highlighting

the strong points of their car, with the

goal of “selling” it to an imaginary race

car driver.

However, while the race car driver

may have been imaginary, the critics

weren’t.

“That’s when we were really able

to outshine the rest of the teams,” said

Madrigal, who was one of the two desig-

nated to present his team’s work.

Madrigal’s performance through-

out the competition and in the presenta-

tion garnered much attention, as the

judges named him the Top Extreme

Engineer, an honor accompanied by a

$2,000 scholarship.

However, Madrigal had other goals

in mind. Foremost on his to-do list was

securing an internship with one of the

top companies at the convention.

“My main goal as a student was to

get an internship. I was looking at either

Lockheed Martin or General Electric

Energy,” Madrigal said.

After pausing for a solid eight

hours of sleep, Madrigal attended a

workshop conducted by GE representa-

tives, who offered Madrigal a summer

internship in South Carolina.

For Madrigal, the internship is an

opportunity to get his foot in the door

and possibly get a job offer for after he

graduates in December 2008.

encourages students to look into and

consider something that will help gain

both experience and knowledge in a spe-

cific field of study.

“The internship program is an

extremely important step during a stu-

dent’s academic development during

college,” Perez said.

The coordinator believes intern-

ships give students the opportunity to

obtain real-world experiences, along

with a better understanding of what their

career will be like. Students can put to

use skills and knowledge they have

learned in the classroom and be able to

challenge themselves in the outside

world with real professionals.

“Internships are not really a job.

They are a mentorship,” Perez said.

During her internship, Gonzalez

spent considerable time with Hinojosa,

attending events he was invited to.

“I had the chance to attend while at

the same time observing behaviors,

focusing on taking notes, and handing

out press kits to reporters,” Gonzalez

said.

Gonzalez’s other duties included

assisting Hinojosa with certain legal

cases and helping the grant coordinator

find appealing grants. In addition,

Gonzalez said one of the most important

things she learned was about the plight

of the community.

“I also learned about some of the

real needs of the people in the communi-

ty that Congressman Hinojosa represent-

ed,” Gonzalez said.

After spending so much time work-

ing in a political setting, Gonzalez said

she is now interested in following politi-

cal races and focusing more on commu-

nity concerns.

“Congressman Hinojosa was so

passionate about his work, he encour-

aged me to especially encourage our

youth about pursuing education,” she

noted.

This increased understanding of the

real world and politics could give

Gonzalez a leg up should she choose to

pursue a politically oriented career,

according to Perez. In addition, one of

the biggest advantages of doing intern-

ships is that some jobs may choose to

keep students after graduation. In addi-

tion, the student may have a better job

offer because of the experience.

A good time to consider looking

into an internship would be at the end of

sophomore year, Perez said. Other men-

tors suggest having multiple internships

over the course of a college career.

“Internships open up a lot more

doors and let you connect with people

you were not going to connect with in

everyday life,” she added.

Interested students should stop by

the Career Services Office located at

Student Services Building in room 2.101

or call 381-2243 to set up an appoint-

ment with Perez or with an adviser.

In addition, The Bronc Career

Connection is a Web site offered by

Career Placement Services where stu-

dents can register and post resumes

online. The site allows students to search

for internships as well as job openings.

Students can access the Web site by vis-

iting http://ea.panam.edu/careerplace-

ment.

interested in taking a class that teaches

acts of kindness, however I believe it

would be a very controversial class,”

Chihuahua, a Weslaco resident, said.

“Where do we draw the line? What is

kind to one person and what is kind to

another individual?”

However, Chihuahua, who has par-

ticipated in missionary work at her

church, said she has seen the positive

effects of volunteering.

“It is amazing how much a simple

smile or thank-you comes to mean, com-

ing from a total stranger with whom you

only spend maybe a few minutes, or did

a small nice act for,” she said.

Although Chihuahua is supportive

of volunteering and performing acts of

kindness to strangers, she doesn’t think a

class like this would work at UTPA.

“The last thing that many students

want to do is have to take and pay for a

class that won’t really serve us much for

our careers,” she said. “We might see it

as a waste of time and waste of money.”

Russell Eisenman, a UTPA associ-

ate professor of psychology, also ques-

tions a course that would teach students

to be happy.

“I’m skeptical that this really leads

to well-being,” he began. “What I would

like to see first is a study that shows the

people who do this have more well-

being.”

However, Eisenman said he is glad

that the Science of Well-Being is taught

with positive psychology views.

“Psychology has been toward the

negative, based on the work of Freud

and other people,” he explained. “The

emphasis has been on what’s wrong with

people. Positive psychology is some-

thing that is very good and that the field

needs to focus more on.”

Eisenman also pointed out that he

would consider teaching a class like the

Science of Well-Being. However, he said

he’d teach it to give students a broader

view of psychology based on research

rather than just an idea.

Eisenman does feel that a course

like this could work at UTPA but proba-

bly wouldn’t be revolutionary. But he

believes happiness is important in one’s

life and advises students to take that

approach.

“You’re alive now. People some-

times think, ‘Some day I’ll be successful

and have a nice job and then I’ll be

happy,’ but your life is happening right

now,” Eisenman said. “So it makes sense

to try to be happy right now even though

there may be a lot of stress and strains.”

per week. In addition, prior to his arrival,

no food service was offered to the stu-

dents at the union; now it serves 150,000

meals a year.

“Before I was there the student cen-

ter was projected not to be a

success,¨Smith said. ¨But, we operated in

the black every year. We put cash in the

bank.”

That money, according to Smith,

will come in handy to fund the future of

the Student Union.

“I think there’s a great starting fund

for a new facility,” he said. “My guess is

that within the next year, students will

vote to expand the student center.”

However decisions regarding the

future of the union will rest in the hands

of the new director. Benavides said she

has high hopes for Smith’s replacement,

currently being searched for by the Dean

of Students.

“We want someone who cares and

has experience in running a facility like

this. We want someone who has ideas

and will implement them,” she said. “But

also we want someone who understands

that it is a students’ building and that stu-

dents get priority.”

Smith agreed saying he hopes the

union finds a high-quality leader.

“University students, especially

UTPA students, deserve the very best that

can be found,” he said.

Benavides said they hope to have a

replacement by the end of the spring.

UNION continued from page 3

HAPPINESS continued from page 3

INTERNSHIPS continued from page 3

Bronc men’s basketball heads to the DakotasTeam expecting a hard battle against N.D. State

UTPA is scheduled to start United Basketball League play when they head for the

Dakotas to face an experienced North Dakota State team (11-6) on Jan. 25 and South Dakota

State (4-14) on Jan. 27.

According to head coach Tom Schuberth, stealing some road wins would place UTPA in

a solid position to win the UBL.

“We’ve got an opportunity that we haven’t had in a long time and that is to play for a con-

ference championship,” Schuberth said. “It starts on the road and if you can win your road

games and defend your court then you have a chance to win your conference.”

UTPA is currently undefeated at home despite the lack of much student attendance; the

Broncs are 8-0 at the Field House, rallying behind their home fans, mainly Winter Texans and

the ever-supportive Bronc Basketball Band.

No doubt the win would be a huge lift for the Broncs. N.D. State, although young, is very

solid, with four sophomores scoring in double figures.

“They are a great basketball team, probably the best independent team out there right

now,” said the first-year Bronc coach. “They have all their starters back from last year. They

are the same team that went on the road last year and beat Wisconsin and they beat

Marquette on the road this year.”

The men have focused on defense over the last eight days in preparation for league play.

Schuberth said 6-foot-11 center Colin Lien is poised for a big game and is expected to cause

many match-up problems for State.

The Green and Orange will be without the services of solid backup senior point guard

Larry Shephard who injured his hand in practice, but will look to junior point guard Danny

Puente, from McAllen, to step up and answer the call.

The Pan American

On Feb. 4, the

Indianapolis Colts

and the Chicago

Bears will take each

other on in Super

Bowl XLI. To that I

say, pfft. Here are

five reasons why you

shouldn’t be part of

the millions tuning in

that Sunday.

1. I’ll be thoroughly wasted after a long

night of celebrating the Broncs’ latest home vic-

tory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The game will not even be close as the Green

and Orange roll over the Highlanders with a con-

test filled with spectacular offense and lock-

down defense. Colin Lien will have 10 monster

blocks and Burrell will light them up behind the

arc with pinpoint accuracy. And let’s not forget

the back-breaking dunks that help the Broncs

reach the century mark. Heck, we’ll do so good

they’ll let me play a few minutes.

2. Why tailgate when you can go attend

the birthday parties of Oscar de la Hoya (34),

one of the world’s greatest boxers, Carly

Patterson (19), winner of the 2004 gold medal

in the all-around gymnastics competition and

Natalie Imbruglia (32), Australian singer

known for her song ‘Torn.’ And we can’t forget

to celebrate the creation of Serbia and

Montenegro four years ago, along with Sri

Lanka’s Independence Day!

3. We all know that there’s a better show to

watch at 5:25 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday.

That’s right, I’ll be tuned into Animal Planet

watching Puppy Bowl III! The canines are so

fierce, they make Brian Urlacher and that No. 1

defense of the Bears want to wet themselves.

That Indy offense could probably learn a thing or

two from those dogs as well. They catch better

than Marvin Harrison could ever dream of in a

million years.

4. My shrink said I should get out more

often and try new things, so after showing my

face at the Golden Boy’s shindig, I’ll head on

over to Oklahoma City Okla., to attend the

Heartland Golf & Travel Expo. Ralph, my imag-

inary Winter Texan friend, said the event is a

blast and that you can win limited edition bait-

and-tackle boxes.

5. The last and most important reason

why we should boycott this year’s Super

Bowl: my New Orleans Saints aren’t playing

in it.

P.S. De la Hoya requested I bring a date

to the party. If there are any ladies interested,

hit me up.

Please send all questions, comments and

marriage proposals to [email protected].

By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American

January 25, 2007 SPORTS

Women’s BasketballFri. Jan. 19

Texas-Pan American at Oral Roberts (Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla.)Oral Roberts 68, Texas-Pan American 47

Oral Roberts (11-7)Seay 2-2 3-4 7, Turek 8-16 8-13 24, Camargo 3-6 0-1 6, Watman 5-10 0-0 14, Langford 0-5 0-0 0, Martins 1-2

0-0 3, Kindell 1-2 0-0 3, Voelker 2-3 3-4 7, Davidson 0-3 0-0 0, Fithian 0-0 0-0 0, Volpato 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 24-52 14-22 68.

Texas-Pan American (8-12)Daniel 2-4 0-0 4, Grigsby 0-0 2-2 2, Gray 3-16 0-0 9, Vaughn 2-5 0-0 5, Ramirez 3-4 0-0 6, Wilson 1-1 1-1 3,

Jones 4-10 0-0 8, Freeman 2-3 0-0 6, Kostacky 1-1 0-0 2, Winfrey 0-1 0-0 0, Garrett 0-0 0-0 0, Jean 1-5 0-0 2,Schneider 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 3-3 47.

Halftime-Oral Roberts 33-15. 3-Point Goals-Texas-Pan American 6-19 (Gray 3-11, Vaughn 1-3, Jones 0-1,Freeman 2-3, Winfrey 0-1) Oral Roberts 6-18 (Watman 4-8, Langford 0-4, Martins 1-1, Kindell 1-2, Davidson 0-3).Rebounds-Texas-Pan American 23 (Daniel 8), Oral Roberts 42 (Turek 8). Assists-Texas-Pan American 11 (Ramirez 4),Oral Roberts 18 (Camargo 5). Total Fouls-Texas-Pan American 18, Oral Roberts 10. A-1,137.

Upcoming Schedule

Jan. 25 * North Dakota StateJan. 27 * South Dakota StateFeb. 1 @ * IPFWFeb. 3 @ * NJITFeb. 10 @ * Utah Valley StateFeb. 15 @ * South Dakota StateFeb. 17 @ * North Dakota StateFeb. 24 * Northwestern UniversityFeb. 27 Monterrey Tech (Exhibition)March 3 * New Jersey Institute

Bold denotes home games* denotes UBL games

ENLIGHTENED BY LUCAS

Join the movement: boycott the Super Bowl

Women’s Category LeadersUp to Jan. 22 - 20 games played

FG % Robin Garrett .576 (34-59)3-PT % Danielle Kostacky 1.000 (1-1)FT % Tiona Wilson .889 (8-9)Points LeKeisha Gray 207 (10.4 ppg)Reb. MaHogany Daniel 125 (6.3 rpg)Assists LeKeisha Gray 38 (2.3 apg)Steals LeKeisha Gray 38 (1.9 spg)Blocks MaHogany Daniel 30 (1.5 bpg)Fouls MaHogany Daniel 68 (3.4 fpg)TO LeKeisha Gray 71 (3.6 tpg)

BaseballUpcoming Schedule

UTPA Classic Opponent Time LocationFeb. 3 Texas State 2 p.m. Edinburg Baseball Stadium

Oklahoma 7 p.m. Edinburg Baseball StadiumFeb. 4 Oklahoma Noon Edinburg Baseball Stadium

Texas State 5 p.m. Edinburg Baseball Stadium

Citrus TournamentFeb. 9 Illinois-Chicago 3 p.m. Edinburg Baseball StadiumFeb. 10 Cal State-Northridge 7 p.m. Edinburg Baseball StadiumFeb. 11 McNeese State 5 p.m. Edinburg Baseball Stadium


American Lady Broncs continue to strug-

gle on the road as they suffered a setback

last weekend at Oral Roberts University

68-47, falling to 8-12 on the season.

In the opening minutes of the first

half the Lady Broncs were unable to get

anything going as the Golden Eagles

jumped to an early 18-2 lead with 12:04

left in the first half. UTPA shot 35.3 per-

cent on 6-of-17 shooting and would

enter intermission down 33-15.

“Our defense wasn’t quite at the

level that it had been the past two games,”

said head coach DeAnn Craft. “I still

think we played relatively well but again

it goes back to if your shots aren’t falling

then your defense has to play at a greater

level and it wasn’t our night. We just did-

n’t play a solid first half and we dug too

deep of a hole in the first half.”

The Golden Eagles offensive threat

of the night belonged to Elisha Turek,

who scored 20 of her teams 35 points in

the second half. Turek finished with a

game-high 24 points.

UTPA would come to within 10

points after a three-point basket by new-

comer Tiona Wilson with 11:52 remain-

ing in the second half but ORU’s sharp

shooter Turek would seal the deal for the

Golden Eagles scoring seven points,

increasing the lead.

LeKeisha Gray finished with nine

points on 3-of-16 shooting, while adding

four rebounds in 37 minutes on the

court. UTPA failed to have a single play-

er score in double digits.

The Lady Broncs will be back in

action Thursday at the Field House,

where they will host their second

United Basketball League game,

against North Dakota State University

at 7 p.m.

UTPA will have its work cut out

against NDSU, ranked 160th in the

United States. This will be the first meet-

ing between the two teams this season.

The Bison are 10-5 against teams from

the Lone Star state including a 59-54

win over the University of Texas-

Arlington at the Montana State Tourney

in November.

“[NDSU] beat Minnesota, a Big 10

team by 15, and just lost to Arkansas

State by three, who is leading in the Sun

Belt Conference. NDSU is highly talent-

ed, much taller than we are but we think

we’re quicker,” Craft commented. “It’s

going to be a battle of tempo. Is North

Dakota going to slow the game down

with their height? Are we able to speed

the game up with our quickness?”

Saturday’s game will be equally

competitive, as the Green and Orange will

play host to the 42nd-ranked women’s

team, the Jackrabbits from South Dakota

State University, currently 15-5.

“There is not a better basketball

team that will be in our gym than who

will be here on Saturday night,” admit-

ted Craft. “I can’t say enough about

South Dakota. They are lethal, quick,

athletic and explosive. They can shoot

the three like no other team. It’s the best

team we’re probably going to face this

season.”

SPORTS January 25, 2007

By KRISTYNA MANCIASThe Pan American

Lady Broncs look to rebound on home court

HOME SWEET HOME - (left) Freshman guard Rose Esther Jean (25) prepares to drive past a defender during the Jan. 13 game against New Jersey Institute of Technology. (right) LeKeisha Gray,MaHogany Daniel, Robbin Garrett (left to right) swarm to the ball during the sme game. The Lady Broncs won the game 55-44 while playing in front of familiar faces. The lady hoopsters play North DakotaState University in the Field House tonight at 7 p.m. UTPA currently has six home wins this season.

Green and Orange ready to hit track at full speed

Speed, strength, and endurance

are on the minds of every single mem-

ber of the young, but talented men and

women’s track and field team for The

University of Texas-Pan American.

While most of us huddle around

warm cups of hot cocoa in the Student

Union, the men and women, and their

coaches, of the track and field teams

are out there braving the weather,

working to be the best, with the goal of

reaching the NCAA National

Championships in June.

At the core of this hardworking

group of distance runners, sprinters,

jumpers, and throwers is the coaching

staff, headed by 17-year coaching vet-

eran Ricky Vaughn, who has produced

many NCAA and various conference

champions, as well as an Olympic

competitor. Vaughn, who is now in his

sixth year as head coach for the

Broncs, feels that this year’s team is

comprised of, “some really talented

kids.”

Assisting Vaughn are two new

coaches to the university who add a lot

of muscle to the program. Hired back

in October was assistant coach Dennis

Darling, an NCAA National Champion

and three-time Olympic competitor for

the Bahamian relay squad. Besides his

many accolades, Vaughn believes that

Darling will bring, “an enormous

amount of experience,” to the team.

Another assistant coach brought

on board last week was former Bronc

track and fielder Hugo Cervantes, a

Valley native.

“Cervantes is a hard worker. We’ll

see the program grow under him,”

Vaughn said.

A UTPA graduate with a degree in

kinesiology, Cervantes participated on

the Bronc cross country and track and

field teams, even competing in the

NCAA Division I South Central

Regional Cross Country

Championships in 2003. He holds a

university record for the steeplechase.

Also assisting the coaching staff

is second-year student assistant coach

Rowena Hamlet. Hamlet, a biology

graduate student, was a Lady Bronc

seven-time champion who holds uni-

versity records in the indoor 400-meter

dash, outdoor 100-meter hurdles, 200-

meter dash and 400 meter dash.

The majority of the men and

women team members have little colle-

giate experience, but come with a vigor

for success. Vaughn and his coaching

staff are working hard to prepare the

teams for their competitions.

“We are concentrating on their fit-

ness levels, and getting them ready to

compete to the best of their ability,”

Vaughn said.

Vaughn expects the team to grow

with every practice and competition.

To guide their fellow athletes in the

growth of the young team are a group

of dedicated team leaders.

For the men’s team, these leaders

are All-American Will Littleton, a sen-

ior kinesiology major from Cuero, Luis

Nava, a junior nursing major from La

Joya, and Sal Gonzalez, a junior physi-

cal therapy major from Los Fresnos.

Leading the women’s team are

sophomore Wendy Wells, a kinesiology

major from Weslaco, Vanessa Brown, a

sophomore pre-med biology major

from Houston, Amanda Ferris, a junior

kinesiology major from San Antonio,

and junior Liliana Cavazos, a kinesiol-

ogy major from Weslaco.

The track and field teams already

made their 2007 debut in the Leonard

Hilton Memorial Competition at the

University of Houston last week,

where they garnered three top-ten per-

formances. Coming in second place in

the high jump was Littleton. Ferris

came in third in the weight toss, and

Kate Shannon, a sophomore kinesiolo-

gy major from Houston, was seventh in

the pole vault, with a jump that tied a

university record set in 2002.

Their next competition is Feb. 3,

at the Houston Invitational, to be held

at the University of Houston.

January 25, 2007 SPORTS

By PATRICK KENNEDY

The Pan American

Onydia Garza/The Pan American

Women’s Track and FieldSchedule

Feb. 3 Houston InvitationalHost - University of Houston

Houston All Day

Feb. 9 UH/RunSport All-Comers MeetHost - University of Houston

Houston All Day

Feb. 23 USA Indoor ChampionshipsBoston, MA All Day

Feb. 24 USA Indoor ChampionshipsBoston, MA All Day

Mar. 3 Border Olympics Laredo All Day

Mar. 9 NCAA Indoor NationalChampionshipsHost - University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR All Day

Mar. 10 Bobcat OpenHost - Texas State

San Marcos All DayNCAA Indoor National Championships

Host - University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR All Day

Mar. 16 Tom Tellez InvitationalHost - University of Houston

Houston All Day


Houston All Day

Mar. 24 Texas InvitationalHost - University of Texas

Austin All Day

Men’s Track and Field Schedule

Feb. 3 Houston InvitationalHost - University of Houston

Houston ALL DAY

Feb. 9 UH/RunSport All-Comers MeetHost - University of Houston

Houston ALL DAY

Feb. 23 USA Indoor ChampionshipsBoston, MA ALL DAY

Feb. 24 USA Indoor ChampionshipsBoston, MA ALL DAY

Mar. 3 Border Olympics Laredo ALL DAY

Mar. 9 NCAA Indoor NationalChampionshipsHost - University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR ALL DAY

Mar. 10 Bobcat OpenHost - Texas State

San Marcos ALL DAYNCAA Indoor National Championships

Host - University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR ALL DAY


Houston ALL DAY


Houston ALL DAY

Mar. 24 Texas InvitationalHost - University of Texas

Austin ALL DAY

The beginning of Spring 2007

marked a new start for students and ath-

letes alike. The spring season for tennis

got going last week, with the women

starting the action Saturday and the men

opening play Tuesday.

The Lady Broncs were unable to

muster a win when they visited no. 28

Texas A&M last week. All three doubles

teams were defeated 8-1, while singles

action proved equally as difficult.

Freshmen Megan Bedeau and

Stephanie Willerding were the first to

compete when they went up against Anna

Blagodarova and Michelle Sammons,

falling (8-1). Juniors Giana Oliveira and

Julia Cirne-Lima also fell by the same

score to Tiffany Clifford and Sarah

Foster. Silke Buksik and Nicole Garcia,

both juniors, were unable to bring about a

different result as they were defeated (8-

1) by Marisa Druss and Elze Potgieter.

Oliveira was defeated by

Blagodarova in their singles match-up in

two straight sets. Garcia was defeated (6-

0, 6-0) by Nicki Mechem. Bedeau,

Willerding and freshman Sarah Burton

also fell to their respective opponents.

Cirne-Lima faced 50th ranked Potgieter

and lost (6-1, 6-2).

A similar fate awaited the men as

they met the University of Oklahoma on

Tuesday. Junior Gary Bianco was defeat-

ed by Andrej Daescu (6-3, 6-3) and David

Lopez fell to Marek Velicka (6-0, 6-1).

New Broncs Nirvick Mohinta and

Shashank Vij were also swept in their

matches. Freshmen Brett Bernstein lost to

Sergey Avdeyev (6-0, 6-4) and teammate

sophomore Rosendo Cantu was defeated

by Federico Chavarria (6-0, 6-0).

The teams have been preparing

since Jan. 10 for a fresh start to the spring

campaign. Although both squads came up

short in their season openers, both squads

will have ample opportunities to show-

case the fruits of their labor.

Robert Hubbard, head coach for

both the men and women, has been train-

ing his athletes and getting them more

conditioned by drilling them in the morn-

ing and playing practice sets in singles

and doubles in the afternoon.

The increased practice is to help

develop everyone’s niche.

“Every player on the team is very

different in style. Some are counter

punchers from the baseline, some have

big forehands and some rely on consis-

tency and quickness,” Hubbard said. “I

work with each of them on their strengths

and try to develop that and potentially

add another dimension to their game that

I might see available.”

He would like to unleash those new

strengths when they face ranked oppo-

nents this year.

One of the universities that Hubbard

looks forward to playing against most this

season is Texas A&M, which is ranked in

the top 25 in the country and was recent-

ly added to the Lady Bronc schedule.

“It’s difficult to get on the highly

ranked teams’ schedules,” Hubbard said

before the match. “We plan on using this

opportunity as a springboard, go up there

and compete as hard as we can and see

what happens.”

This weekend the women will trav-

el to El Paso to play three teams over a

three-day span. Facing them tomorrow

will be host Texas-El Paso, followed by

North Florida Saturday and Lamar

Sunday. The men will return to the courts

in February.

Hubbard is looking forward to the

men’s tennis team’s ability to compete

and win the Southland Conference

tournament.

“Any team that can win their

conference goes on to the NCAA

championships, so I am certainly

eager to play all our conference

matches,” Hubbard said.

Ultimately, he’s thrilled for the

opportunity to showcase

his athletes against

quality squads from

around the nation.

“I am eager for

both men’s and women’s

tennis teams because we have anywhere

from five to nine nationally ranked teams

on each of their schedules,” he explained.

“This is our opportunity to move back up

the food chain and get a little more credi-

bility to the program.”

This season the tennis teams will be

competing against other universities such

as Southern Mehtodist University,

University of Texas-San Antonio, Texas

A&M-Corpus Christi, Connecticut, Rice

and Southeastern Louisiana.

Tennis teams start slowly out of gate, look forward to rest of seasonBy SAVANNAH MARTINEZ

The Pan American

START UP - Oliver Steil helps themen’s tennis team in his first season asthe new graduate assistant coach.

Off the court you can say he’s laid

back, spontaneous, cool and easy to get

along with. Or he can tell you himself.

“There’s no telling what I might

do,” said Brian Burrell, leading

scorer for The University of

Texas-Pan American Broncs.

On the court, the 6-foot-3

junior shooting guard lets his

game do all the talking.

Needless to say the stat line

has a lot to say; 16.1

points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6

assists and 1.7 steals

per game. Those num-

bers have made him

the team’s go-to guy.

It’s tough

going for the

opposing guards

who are faced

with the tedious

task of chasing

down Burrell

t h r o u g h

screens, only to be

turned away by one of

his trademark three-

point shots.

Not since

Sergio Sanchez has

UTPA had a more

explosive scorer.

Sanchez led the Green and

Orange with 15.5 ppg during

the 2004-2005 campaign.

Burrell’s on-court goals are lofty to

say the least, but well within reach.

Winning the United Basketball League

title is priority number one.

“Winning our conference, hope-

fully going to the next level and

getting my degree. Just becoming

the best player I can be,” Burrell

said.

Winning the 10-game non-

sanctioned UBL title would be

a tremendous boost for the

Broncs and would certainly

increase their chances of

being invited into a Division I

conference.

The goal seems to be

within UTPA’s grasp, as

only two other

Independents own winning

records. Utah Valley Sate

(12-6) currently holds the top

spot and Jan. 25 opponent NDSU

is second with 11 wins.

Burrell shares similar goals to those

of many UTPA students, financial stabil-

ity being the main one. He also said an

education is key. He doesn’t have to look

far from home to know the importance of

a college degree; both of Burrell’s par-

ents are teachers, his father a middle

school history teacher and his mother a

fifth-grade English teacher.

“Academics are very important. I

just want to leave from UTPA with my

degree. That way I can support and start

my own family,” Burrell said. “To be

successful in life you know. Just to be

financially stable, man. I want to be

where I don’t have to keep asking my

parents for money, where I can be inde-

pendent and I won’t have to depend on

anybody to loan me theirs.”

According to Burrell, his father

signed him up for Little Dribblers, a little

league for hoopsters, when he was 8

years old.

The high-octane guard recalled his

early start in hoops, when he fell victim

to a coach who favored his own son

when it came to playing time.

“It was kind of funny because I

don’t think he really liked me and his son

was one of the main players,” the high-

scoring guard recalled. “His son ended

up getting hurt. He looked at the bench

and he didn’t know who to put in, so he

just put me in and ever since then I’ve

been doing real good.”

At Nacogdoches High School,

Burrell was also a standout track athlete.

Watch any of the Bronc games and that

becomes clear – when attacking the hoop

he is usually a step ahead of the action.

Burrell credits his involvement on the

track for his quickness and his three

years at Paris Junior College for improv-

ing aggressiveness. Burrell redshirted

his freshmen year, helped his team to a

National Junior College title the next sea-

son, and helped PJC clinch the confer-

ence title his final season.

Although he leads the team in scor-

ing, Burrell is surprisingly unselfish,

through he was asked during his high

school career and at Paris Junior College

to shoot more. He would rather get

everyone involved for the sake of team

chemistry, though.

“In high school they wanted me to

be more selfish. That’s kind of hard

because that’s not in my blood. I aver-

aged 20-something points but honestly

I don’t know how, because I wasn’t

even trying to score,” he said. “I would

make sure everyone would touch the

ball or get their points. That’s just the

type of player I am.”

After the Dakota trip, Burrell and

company will resume Feb 1. against

Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne at Sam

Williams Court at the Field House, with

tip-off time set for 7 p.m.

SPORTSEditor’s Pick: Game to Watch

Memphis

Time: 7:00 p.m.

San Antonio

When: Jan. 26

Where: AT&T Center

By ERICK QUINTEROThe Pan American

Burrell helping UTPAmake run for UBL title

STAMPEDE - Brian Burrell is one of theBroncs’ cogs on offense and defense. Hecurrently leads the team in points.

Onydia Garza/The Pan American Onydia Garza/The Pan American

January 25, 2007

Documents

Transcript of January 25, 2007