september 4, 2008
DESCRIPTION
David Anshen Asst. Professor of English “I don’t think there has been enough of an effort to awaken the conc- science of America.” T CRIME SINCE 1943 URGE TO BE HEARD - Shirley Rickett embosses the word “my” at a recent Border Wall event in Granjeno. Attendees were given the oppor- tunity to make their own signs and post them throughout the city. By Brian Silva THE PAN AMERICAN By J.R. Ortega THE PAN AMERICAN By Abby Flores THE PAN AMERICAN SEE BORDER || PAGE 11TRANSCRIPT
SINCE 1943 September 4, 2008Volume 65, No. 2
Nearly a week has passed since aquadruple stabbing early Sundaymorning near the university campus
left 23-year-old David Vasquez deadand three others injured.
According to Edinburg police, 21-year-old Jesus Felix of McAllen and20-year-old Mark Anthony Guerra ofAlice disrupted a party at VerandaPlace Student Apartments, # 617where they assaulted and stabbedDavid Cardwell Jr., 21, in the back ofthe head.
His brother Alex Cardwell, 18, wasstabbed in the back and Vasquez in the
thigh; the latter died at McAllenMedical Center.
Twenty-year-old Eduardo JaimeSaucedo was also stabbed severaltimes in the back and was seen leav-ing the area in the passenger seat of avehicle, according to reports.
Both Felix and Guerra were takeninto custody and after a thoroughinvestigation, Felix was charged withthe murder of Vasquez and two countsof aggravated assault on the Cardwell
brothers: Guerra was charged withaggravated assault of Saucedo.
If convicted of the murder charge,Felix may face up to 99 years inprison and a $10,000 fine. Guerra islooking at up to 20 years in prison ifconvicted of aggravated assault.
Police believe alcohol, and a dis-pute over a gang tattoo betweenGuerra and Saucedo, sparked thequarrel. None of the men involved inthe incident are from The University
of Texas-Pan American, according toPolice Chief Quirino Munoz.
With the investigation and casestill under way, The University ofTexas-Pan American student andVeranda Place resident RachelSaldana reflected back on the week-end’s violent act, something she saidshe never expected.
“My dad was the one that told me,”said the 21-year-old theater major. “I
� CRIME
By J.R. OrtegaTHE PAN AMERICAN
INDEX FEATURES PG. 2 NEWS PG. 3 A&E PG. 7 SPORTS PG. 13
SEE STABBING || PAGE 11
University reacts to Labor Day weekend murder
Progress hits wall in border town� POLITICS� HEALTH
Ever shared a drink or kissedsomeone you’ve just met? Every day,a college student is affected becauseof carelessness, and approximately1,500 to 3,000 Americans are infectedby Meningococcal disease, alsoknown as Meningitis, with 30 percentof those cases involving young teensbeginning college.
To help prevent an outbreak, theStudent Health Services is offeringmeningitis vaccinations on two differ-ent dates, Sept. 5 at the Student Unionand Sept. 19 at the library lobby; theevent will take place from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. on both days.
Freshmen are known to be an easytarget to meningitis, along with any-one living in crowded areas, a groupwhich often also includes collegekids.
Athletes are also at risk of gettingthe infection due to sharing lockerrooms and showers.
Plus, those who share items thathave touched another person’s mouth,like utensils or drinking glasses, aresusceptible due to the exchange ofsaliva.
Given these facts, the universitydecided to do a little prevention work
By Abby FloresTHE PAN AMERICAN
SEE MENINGITIS || PAGE 11
URGE TO BE HEARD - Shirley Rickett embosses the word “my” ata recent Border Wall event in Granjeno. Attendees were given the oppor-tunity to make their own signs and post them throughout the city.
One dead, threeinjured in earlymorning stabbing
Photo by Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICAN
Wally Hochbaun, 84, observedfrom his wheelchair as speakers tookthe mike at an anti-border wall rallyin the Granejo Public FacilityMonday night. The former Air Forcesergeant had flown over Germanyduring WWII and later witnessed thehorrors of the Nazi concentrationcamps. However, this seasoned com-bat veteran said there is another dif-ferent sort of tragedy occurring local-ly; the border wall encroaching on thehomes in Granjeno, Texas, locatednear Mission.
Hochbaun, whoresides in Mission,has lived a life ofactivism, primarilyup in Chicago forvarious causes, i.e.the anti-nuclearand anti-draftmovements. Hislatest fight now iswith those whowould construct a wall separating theUnited States from Mexico.
“I’ve been fighting for thosethings since I left the service,”Hochbaun said. “A lot of the stuff wefought for we fought as the minority.But, we won, we won as the minori-ty.”
Hochbaun said the people mustpressure their leaders to win the fight.
“Look at Martin Luther King, Jr.,he was in the minority in his fight for
civil rights, but he won,” he noted. “Ittakes pressure.”
The rally was hosted by the newlyformed Resist The Wall organization,with an assist by a veteran group, LaUnion de Pueblo Entero, or LUPE.The rally was moderated and led byNick Braune, a local philosophy pro-fessor, who chose not to reveal thename of his school.
“We are here to tell you that you’renot alone,” Braune said in openingremarks.
The border wall, which is alreadyunder construction, will eventually
extends along thebackside of homesin the southern halfof Granjeno, attimes coming with-in a few yards ofresidences. Withthe process alreadyin motion, thetown’s 24-year-oldmayor, VicenteGarza Jr., admitsthat goals have
changed.“It cuts off our experience of natu-
ral habitat and way of living,” Garzasaid. “We’re going to have to find adifferent way because people aregoing to have to adapt to the way it iswith the border wall in the way.”
Garza said the town would havelost approximately 50 homes ifHidalgo County officials and the U.S.Department of Homeland Security
SEE BORDER || PAGE 11
“I don’t think there hasbeen enough of an effortto awaken the conc-science of America.”
David AnshenAsst. Professor of English
By Brian SilvaTHE PAN AMERICAN
Clinic saysshots helpavert disease
UPB presents They Mean Us & Hope for the Stars; See Page 10
1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 381-2541
Fax: (956) 316-7122www.utpa.edu/dept/panamerican
Sept. 4, 2008
The Pan American is the official stu-dent newspaper of The University ofTexas-Pan American. Views presentedare those of the writers and do not nec-essarily reflect those of the paper oruniversity.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
J.R. Ortega / [email protected]
NEWS EDITOR
Abigail Muniz / [email protected]
A&E EDITOR
Laura Garcia / [email protected]
SPORTS EDITORS
Ramiro Paez / [email protected] Garza / [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Roxy Solis / [email protected]
DESIGN EDITOR
Roy Bazan / [email protected]
COPY EDITOR
Adriana Acosta / [email protected]
The Pan American accepts letters of300 words or less from students, staff andfaculty regarding recent newspapercontent, campus concerns or currentevents. The Pan American reserves theright to edit submissions for grammar andlength. The Pan American cannot publishanonymous letters or submissionscontaining hate speech or gratuitouspersonal attacks. Please send all storyideas to [email protected].
Individuals with disabilitieswishing to acquire this publication in analternative format or needing assistanceto attend any event listed can contact ThePan American for more details.
**Delivery**Thursday at noon
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
REPORTERS, DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Alvaro Balderas Russen VelaIsaac Garcia Andrielle FigueroaOnydia Garza Ben BrionesRick Gamez Ana VillaurrutiaPedro Perez IV
ADVISER
Dr. Greg Selber --- [email protected]
SECRETARY
Anita Reyes --- [email protected]
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Samantha Quintana --- [email protected]
THE PAN AMERICAN September 4, 2008Page 2
V 65, No. 2
J.R. Ortega1920s and 1930s
Brian Silva1960s and 1970s
Abigail Muniz1940s and 1950s
Adriana Acosta1990s and 1980s
Ana Villaurrutia2000
UTPA Generations: The SeriesThe Pan American welcomes any pictures, anecdotes or memories from the past. UTPA community members are
encouraged to contact us.
Breaking Ground: The birth of UTPAIt has a historical marker and some of
the buildings still stand. Though thestructures may be weathered, TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American stillsees itself in the shadow of the formerEdinburg College just east of campus.
Edinburg College, the original incar-nation of what is now known as UTPA,was founded in 1927 as a two-year com-munity college governed under theEdinburg School District.
The city’s educational endeavor wasa local affair, as nearly all the school andadministration buildings were located ina two-block radius.
Attending college in the late 1920searly 1930s was no easy feat. Womenhad just been given the right to vote andsome American views on females ineducational institutions were stillskewed toward the classic ‘women in
the household’ role. Despite the many obstacles women
and minorities like Hispanics faced in atime where many city venues were seg-regated, Edinburg College attempted tobreak the mold.
In its first year, the college housed200 students and offered classes in sci-ence, engineering. Its initial presidentwas H.C. Baker, who served in thatcapacity from 1927 to 1930.
Though it is hard to find survivinggraduates from the original college, asampling of their personalities can beread simply by looking at their yearbookpicture.
The yearbook of 1929 has senior pic-tures with name and description rightbelow. Skimming across the pages of theyearbook, The Midlothian, readers comeacross a classy-looking woman likeEvangeline Hinojosa, who wasdescribed by her class as “A small bun-dle of pep.”
Also existent was the original studentnewspaper The Scotchman, which washeaded by Editor John Wray. On Sept.29, 1929, the first issue hit the stands,according to documentation from TheMidlothian.
The student press was an intermittentpublication until 1943, when The PanAmerican began.
Looking through the yearbooks of thethe universities beginnings, one of theonly forms of documentation, offers aglimpse of the past.
Even in the 1920s and ‘30s, Broncswere alive with pride. Sophomores start-ed a tradition in which they helped fresh-men get acquainted with one another byholding meetings to help the enteringclass elect class officers.
“Education in the spirit of life isdynamic, progressive, practical, recre-ative, friendly, cooperative and idealis-tic,” stated Baker in the 1929 yearbook.
When the college first began, many
of the students knew one another andmost of the athletes in ‘29 were from theoriginal 1927 class.
In 1930, H.W. Miles became the deanof the college and superintendent of theEdinburg schools. The college was goingthrough a stage of substantial growth.
Miles’ reign however only lasted ayear. In 1931, the longest reigning pres-ident presided over the college. R.P.Ward took over, and in 1933, the onlyhigher learning institution in the Valleyquickly grew enough for the college togo through its first name transition, intoEdinburg Junior College.
Ward served as president from 1931-1943 and then left for World War II,returning to the role in 1946 beforefinally retiring in 1960. All told, Wardserved 26 years.
These first two decades marked thestarting ground work for an institutionthat would soon undergo not two but sixtransitions in 81 years.
UTPA Generations: The SeriesWatch for Bronc history lessons intermittently
throughout the semester
Aug. 25 - IntroductionSept. 4 - ‘20s & ‘30s Sept. 25 - ‘40s & ‘50sOct. 16 - ‘60s & ‘70s Nov. 6 - ‘80s & ‘90sDec. 3 - 2000 & Beyond
By J.R. OrtegaTHE PAN AMERICAN
THE PAN AMERICAN Page 3September 4, 2008
University welcomes Class of 2012Fresh faces filled the Student
Union auditorium on Thursday duringactivity hour at the third annualFreshman Convocation. The auditori-um reached its capacity as first-yearstudents at The University of Texas-Pan American took their seats, greetedfellow classmates, and waited for theevent to begin.
President Blandina Cardenas, amid
music playing in the background, wel-comed students to the convocation.She even took a minute to dance withBucky the Bronc, the school mascot.
Maggie Hinojosa, associate vicepresident and dean of admissions,welcomed students and explained theimportance of convocation.
“We are a family, and you are nowpart of this family,” she said.“Freshman convocation is to affirmyour membership in our family.”
To students, the event may be a for-mality that has to be attended to, butaccording to Hinojosa, the administra-tion uses it to give rookies a warmwelcome, and perhaps aid down theroad in sticking around.
For the entering freshman of 2005,the two-year retention rate stood at59.3 percent, up from 53.8 in 2004,according to retention and graduationinformation on the school Web site.
“Pretty much anything we do is
directed at keeping students here andhelping them feel that sense of com-mitment,” Hinojosa said. “Anythingwe do is geared to helping them feel athome.”
Marcos Silva, Student GovernmentAssociation president, also took to thelecturn and shared with students hisadvice of what a successful studentneeds to do in order to truly get themost of their college career.
“Be an active student,” said Silva.
“That means go to your classes, initi-ate the study group, get the number ofthe person sitting next to you… it’sthose relationships that’ll help youpass your class.”
Silva also assured students that theSGA organization is there to speak forall students.
“Our main objective is to representyou, to carry out your concerns, yoursuggestions or comments that you
� CAMPUS
SEE WELCOME || PAGE 12
By Abigail MunizTHE PAN AMERICAN
The University of Texas-PanAmerican held its third annualBucky’s Block Party celebration atthe Field House Aug. 28. The event,which is usually held in the quad, wasswitched after a week of heavingrains plagued the Rio Grande Valley.The whole event, which cost the uni-versity $10,000, was free to all stu-dents.
While Bucky feasted on ice-creamcakes from Dairy Queen, the Officeof Student Development and theStudent Union set up for the rest ofthe student body.
Usually, the OSD goes solo inarranging all the festivities forBucky’s Block Party but this year theStudent Union assisted.
The Union provided food and nov-elties, while OSD also provided foodand a little something extra: liveentertainment.
The Field House was filled with a
variety of music from Tejano to ‘80srock, played by the Manhattan Show,a local band form Hidalgo. The gymalso had an obstacle course, a tricyclerace, boxing, a photo booth withBucky, and a butt sketch caricature.The butt sketch caricature gave stu-dents a drawing from the top of theirhead to the bottom of their heel.
Carina Alcantara, coordinator ofstudent development, said the party isa way for the university to reach outto both the UTPA students and thelocal community. It also allows stu-dents to get more out of their collegeexperience and meet new people.
“The purpose of this event is torecruit students into organizations andto also give merchants, communityservice agencies, and the Universityof Texas-Pan American exposureamong students,” Alcantara said.
As a promotional effort to gain stu-dent feedback, the OSD gave outnachos as an incentive for students tofill out a two-minute survey. The sur-vey had a variety of questions that
centered on which famous artist thestudents wished to see on campus per-forming live. The results of the surveyare still unknown but the survey willhelp kick off a Spring event. TheStudent Union also raffled off severalT-shirts and pens at the event.
Free food was the main source of
motivation for students to go fromtable to table, though some wereeager to gain knowledge of differentorganizations. The Pre-Law Societyorganization at the event providedcandies to students who joined theirorganization. They also informed stu-dents of their upcoming meetings and
how they can prepare for law school.Other student organizations thatattended were Delta Zeta, OmegaDelta Phi and many more.
Local restaurants such as Maki,located on University Drive, offered
Bucky’s Block Party‘bucks’ studentsinto fall semesterBy Janette GonzalezTHE PAN AMERICAN
BOOGIE NIGHTS - UTPA students learn how to disco at the 3rd annual Bucky’s Block Party Aug. 28 inthe UTPA Field House.
Photo by Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICAN
Ribbon CuttingMuseum of South Texas History
Sept. 10, 20085:30 p.m.121 E. McIntyre
Drinking age intiative avoided by UTPAFor years, Edinburg’s Mothers
Against Drunk Drivers and HolidayWine and Liqueur have ironically co-existed on University Drive, eachevoking opposite sides on the topic ofalcohol use. But a recent and contro-
versial suggestion to lower the drink-ing age has ruffled feathers both local-ly and across the country.
The Amethyst Initiative has alreadygarnered support from 129 universi-ties nationwide, including state col-leges West Texas A&M in Canyon andthe University of Incarnate Word in
San Antonio. However, on Aug. 25, the
University of Texas-Pan Americandecided to stay out of the divisive ini-tiative.
A message from PresidentBlandina Cardenas for the press statedthat until UTPA is approached by
either the college professors support-ing the initiative or UTPA students,the university will not consider takingsides.
“We have not been approached bythe college professors supporting theAmethyst Initiative, nor have we beenapproached by our students on this
issue. Should that occur we would becompelled to study the data veryclosely before coming to a decision onwhich side to support,” wroteCardenas.
Since 1984, the drinking age hasbeen 21 thanks to the National
By Ana VillaurrutiaTHE PAN AMERICAN
SEE PARTY || PAGE 12
SEE ALCOHOL || PAGE 12
� CAMPUS
� NATIONAL
Teach For America Info Session
Sept. 4, 20085 p.m. to 6 p.m.College of Engineering Auditorium
ADVERTISEMENTS September 4, 2008Page 4
ADVERTISEMENTS Page 5September 4, 2008
ADVERTISEMENTS September 4, 2008Page 6
� NIGHTLIFE
THE PAN AMERICAN Page 7September 4, 2008
Comedy shows are known for wildand gasp-inducing monologues andhave the tendency to leave audiencesapplauding thunderously with satis-faction of what they just witnessed.
While funny men and women canbe enjoyed at shows across the UnitedStates, most notably in entertainmentcities like New York, Florida orCalifornia, it’s been tough to find agood place to laugh in the Rio GrandeValley. The demand for comedy isthere, but only a few venues havecatered to comedians to date.
That is why brothers Bert and IsaacGuerra are bringing Comedy Night totheir Cine El Rey Theater in McAllen.
“Wednesday Night Comedy is allabout groups of friends and co-work-ers enjoying laughter together,” said
Bert Guerra, a 1991 UTPAgraduate of communica-tions and music. “Webelieve friends who laughtogether stay together.”
The brothers, originallyfrom Premont, reside in
Edinburg and McAllenrespectively, said they want-
ed to have events they person-ally wanted to see. Since there is
no full-fledged comedy club in theValley, they knew there was a need forone. Bert, the elder of the Guerrabrothers, was the only one availablefor comment about the upcomingComedy nights. “We (Isaac and I)knew a full comedy club might not beable to sustain comedy every night ofthe week like bigger markets,” saidBert. “So we decided to have it oncea week.” The fun began onWednesday Aug 6, with comedianCleto Rodriguez officially openingthe comedy nights at Cine El Rey. TheGuerra brothers are excited about thetalent their promoter Nano Ramirezhad scouted out for the weekly come-dy night shows.
“Nano started in the beginning ofsummer and came across some verydiverse and hilarious comedians.”
The list includes Cleto Rodriguezwho won an award for FunniestComic in the Southwest in 2006 fromSan Antonio. Richard Trevino, a regu-
lar at the Rivercenter Comedy Club inSan Antonio who has opened forcomedian Paulie Shore; and SladeHam, who performed at the Cine ElRey theater on Aug 27.
Ham, a Beaumont Texas native, isnot standard fare yet in the comedyworld, but over the last 10 years, he’sgenerated a cult following. Like DaneCook before him, his stand-up con-sists of rants and raves which coversocial issues, the perils of his careerthe last eight years, and what he likesto call “train-wreck” or a relationship.His audience not only howls withlaughter at the show; they also enjoylistening to online rants he churns outweekly on his Web siteSladeham.com.
Cassandra Trejo, a sophomorecommunication disorders major, saidthat whenever comedians come toperform in the Rio Grande Valley, italways excites her about the differentmaterial they use.
“Sometimes they will talk aboutthe immigration laws, which is alwaysfunny to us Latinos,” said theEdinburg native. “I also like theirpolitical outbursts and jokes about thepresidential race, that always get thecrowd wild and fired up.”
While some material may be inap-propriate for minors, Bert insists that heand his brother Isaac have never had aproblem with allowing minors as long
they were accompanied by an adult.“We have featured a wide range of
comedians from different racial back-grounds and also different sexes,” hesaid. “Some of the material is cleanwhile some comedians leave you say-ing, ‘Oh my God! I can’t believe theysaid that,” said Guerra.
Regardless, the 61-year-old CineEl Rey will no doubt be the place tohave huge amounts of laughter. Bert
added that if the Comedy Nights are ahuge success, then they will continueto hold them for many years to come.
“Everyone who has gone has leftwith smiles on their faces,” said Bertproudly. “And nothing feels so goodthan seeing people enjoy themselves.”
Cine El Rey will also offer half-priced tickets to UTPA students forComedy Wednesdays when they pres-ent their student ID at the door.
By Russen VelaTHE PAN AMERICAN
Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICANLAST LAUGH - Slade Ham takes the stage at Cine El Rey in McAllenduring the venue’s newly added Comedy Wednesday.
Acts deliver punchline, laughter
Mid-semester, The University ofTexas-Pan American theatre, musicand dance departments will presentShe Loves Me, a musical filled withlaughs and surprises that will run fromOct. 8 to Oct. 12.
You might be thinking, what is amusical? A musical is a productionthat includes musicians, actors, anddancers. All the music in the produc-tion will be played by an orchestra,not just through a sound system. Allthe dancing will be choreographed bya professional. Who is responsible forthis merger of all this talent?
Directing the musical is PatMcEnnis. McEnnis graduated fromTexas State University in the late ‘70s.Raised in San Antonio, McEnnis hashad a professional career in theatre for10 years between receiving her BA
and masters in Business from TexasState University.
McEnnis explained that those whohave never heard of the play may findthat the story is more familiar thanthey think.
“Basically the story is based on thesame theme as the recent Tom Hanksand Meg Ryan movie, You’ve GotMail. The story is based on a ‘per-fumery’ shop; two of the clerks arecommunicating through a personal adin the newspaper,” she explained. “Ofcourse, in ‘real life,’ at the shop, theycan’t stand each other, so you can onlyguess what happens.”
She Loves Me is one of McEnnis’many productions at UTPA, the mostrecent being The Rainmaker for Pan-American Summer Stock, 2007. SheLoves Me was written by composerJerry Bock and lyricist SheldonHarnick, the same pair who wroteFiddler on the Roof. McEnnis said
she is attached to the former play. “That play (She Loves Me) was
presented by UTPA in the spring2002,” she said. “It is not as wellknown as Fiddler but has long been afavorite of mine.”
What makes this production spe-cial is the fusion of the various per-forming university departments: the-atre, music and dance. While it mayseem hard to direct three differentdepartments at once, McEnnis on thecontrary is very excited and does notforesee any obstacles.
“I love working with the musicdepartment,” she said. “And therecent merger of the dance departmentwith music has made organization ofthis project go very smoothly.”
Choreographing the dance portionis Melinda Blomquist, who alsoorganized that area for Good News in2003 and Fiddler in 2007. Musicinstructor Luis Alfonso Lopez will be
the musical director and conductor.Lopez directed the Broadway
Musical Revue last spring. ArturoRodriguez, who played in the orches-tra for Once upon a Mattress, will alsohelp out with the October project.
Does this production have anadvantage over regular plays becauseof the triple threat? Sharon O’Leary,from McAllen, auditioned for the lead-ing role as Amalia. O’Leary expressedher opinion on the assumption.
“I don’t know if it is necessarilybetter,” O’Leary stated. “Thoughmusic intensifies emotion, and danceis visually pleasing. They are all greaton their own but it is interesting to seethem all equally bound together.”
UTPA students are excited aboutthe production, like Adan ElizondoJr., a 19-year-old majoring in commu-nication disorders.
Elizondo, an Edinburg native,believes the audience can get some-
thing from any production. “I like plays,” he said. “There are
many kinds of plays from comedy todrama and historic to musicals. I feelas if you learn things by just watch-ing them.”
She Loves Me will not just explaina story; it will also shine light on theuse of so many of Pan Am’s talentedartists. Not only will these studentshave to act, but dance and sing aswell. Students are more in tune witharts, and McEnnis trusts that this is apositive.
“I believe promoting the arts ismost essential for our young people.The arts bridge the gap between, notonly other places in the world, butother times and concerns,” she said.“We are all just alike in reality, havethe same fears, hopes, needs, andthrough the arts we can realize thisoneness, and perhaps increase ourunderstanding of each other.”
She Loves Me takes cue from HollywoodBy Andrielle FigueroaTHE PAN AMERICAN
� FINE ARTS
McAllen Artwalk
Sept. 5, 20086 p.m. to 10 p.m.McAllen Arts District
Cinesol Film Festival
Sept. 6, 20086 p.m.Cine El Rey
It is often said that the journey of a thou-sand miles begins with one step. But forMichael Rodriguez, that trip instead beganwith a dance-step combination.
Rodriguez, a 19-year-old business man-agement major, has been balancing being afull- time student and dance instructor forthe past five years. Though many might con-sider him young for such a mentoring posi-tion, Rodriguez is actually a seasoned veter-an, having danced since the age of threewith the Deborah Case Dance Academy.
A JOURNEY BEGINS“Both my mother and sister danced when
they were younger,” explained the Edinburgresident and graduate of South TexasScience Academy. “My sister was dancingonce and I was watching one of her classes.Deborah Case saw me peeking in, picked meup and literally put me in class. After that, Ijust loved to dance.”
Rodriguez has been at the academy eversince and his repertoire now includes tap,jazz, ballet, hip-hop and Latin dance.
“Michael is an inspiration to the other stu-dents because he is dedicated and very disci-plined in his approach,” said Case, owner ofthe academy and artistic director of the RioGrande Valley Ballet.
Similarly, Rodriguez raves about Case,referring to her as a “second mother.”
“Deborah Case taught me everything Iknow,” he said with a smile. “The DanceAcademy is my second home.”
Amid performances in Romeo andJuliet, Like Water for Chocolate, Paquita,and The Nutcracker, Rodriguez recalls a turnas the court jester in Beauty and the Beast ashis favorite.
“It’s the most fun getting to be the clownthrough the whole thing,” he said, laughing.
Not all the attention that comes with beinga young male dancer was welcome, though.
“It’s hard for young boys to be dancers,”said Rodriguez. “You get teased a lot, but themore you fight it, the more they’re going tosay it. But sometimes all that hardship builds
you into a better dancer. You show everyonethat you’re doing this because you love it,and not for any other reason.”
When asked about what stirs his passion,Rodriguez says, “It’s just one of those thingswhere your body is just moving in crazy waysand it really says a lot to people. Throughdance moves you can tell a whole story.”
FROM THE HEARTThough a love affair with the art of dance
may be quite sweet, it can also be quite bit-ter. Rodriguez says he is prone to anklesprains, has bad knees, and once threw hislower back out during a performance.
He also claims to wake up daily with atleast 12 different body aches, but is alsoquick to downplay his injuries and sees themonly as minor setbacks that make himstronger—physically and mentally. Thissame attitude has translated lessons the arthas taught him into other areas of his life.
“Dance has always taught me to keep ongoing in everything I do,” he said. “I havehad so many injuries stop me, but being ableto get back up and try it again afterwards hasreally pushed me to know that whateverobstacle I encounter in life, I can alwayskeep going.”
Rodriguez’s love of dance coupled withhis discipline paid off. While still a freshmanat the Science Academy of South Texas inMercedes, Rodriguez became one of theyoungest instructors at the Deborah CaseDance Academy.
“I began by subbing for other instruc-tors when they were absent from
class,” recalled Rodriguez.“Deborah saw that I enjoyed
it and she asked meto be an
instructor.”Case said
Rodriguez’s passion isone of the aspects that droveher to choose him to be a fulltime instructor.
“I needed a tap and jazz teacher
and he was one of the best for the job,” shesaid. “The students love Michael’s teachingand talents. He is a top-rated dancer andinstructor and encourages others to strive tobe the best they can be.”
Helen Garcia, a McAllen dance instructor,works with Rodriguez at the academy andalso holds him in high regard.
“I’ve taught dance for ten years andworked with lots of people,” Garcia said.“Michael is so young, but he’s professionaland disciplined. He has so much creativity.”
Creativity and passion spill into otherareas of the young dance instructor’s life aswell. Though short on time, Rodriguezcounts music as a hobby and plays piano,guitar and saxophone.
Still, he counts faith as the most importantthing and is heavily active in his parish, theBasilica of Our Lady of San Juan, includingbeing a member of a men’s catechism group.The group recently returned from a mission-ary trip to Veracruz, Mexico, where theypassed out school supplies to children insmall mountain villages.
NOT WITHOUT OBSTACLESBalancing his school and dance life has
always been a struggle and he admits to notalways being successful at it.
“When I was younger, going to theScience Academy was painful becausethey pack you with so much work,”said Rodriguez. “After school, I’dgo straight to teaching. I wouldsqueeze in sleep whenever I
found time anddo home-
work at rehearsals.”These days the busy dancer has the
schedule down to a near art form, though hesays he still struggles to find the perfect bal-ance. “Like most people, I am just a busyperson who struggles to keep things work-ing,” he says.
While encountering a young person withso much discipline is rare, on the subject ofbeing a role model and inspiration for others,Rodriguez acknowledges that it is scary butalso very fun to help inspire others.
“But people should be inspired by theirown heart and what they want to do,” headded modestly. “Their own heart shouldlead them.”
For now, Rodriguez is focusing on thefall semester and preparing for TheNutcracker with the Rio Grande ValleyBallet coming in December. As for thefuture, Rodriguez hopes to continuedancing, complete his degree, andhave his own dance studio one day.
With his impressive trackrecord, it looks like all systemsare go.
“As long as you reallywant to do something,just push yourself to doit,” he said. “It couldhappen.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT September 4, 2008Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9September 4, 2008
Photos by Isaac Barrientes Design by Rick Gamez
By Marco CarbajalTHE PAN AMERICAN
“... People should beinspired by their ownheart and what they wantto do. Their own heartshould lead them.”Michael RodriguezBusiness management majorDeborah Case Dance Academy instructor
A walk in these shoes
It is often said that the journey of a thou-sand miles begins with one step. But forMichael Rodriguez, that trip instead beganwith a dance-step combination.
Rodriguez, a 19-year-old business man-agement major, has been balancing being afull- time student and dance instructor forthe past five years. Though many might con-sider him young for such a mentoring posi-tion, Rodriguez is actually a seasoned veter-an, having danced since the age of threewith the Deborah Case Dance Academy.
A JOURNEY BEGINS“Both my mother and sister danced when
they were younger,” explained the Edinburgresident and graduate of South TexasScience Academy. “My sister was dancingonce and I was watching one of her classes.Deborah Case saw me peeking in, picked meup and literally put me in class. After that, Ijust loved to dance.”
Rodriguez has been at the academy eversince and his repertoire now includes tap,jazz, ballet, hip-hop and Latin dance.
“Michael is an inspiration to the other stu-dents because he is dedicated and very disci-plined in his approach,” said Case, owner ofthe academy and artistic director of the RioGrande Valley Ballet.
Similarly, Rodriguez raves about Case,referring to her as a “second mother.”
“Deborah Case taught me everything Iknow,” he said with a smile. “The DanceAcademy is my second home.”
Amid performances in Romeo andJuliet, Like Water for Chocolate, Paquita,and The Nutcracker, Rodriguez recalls a turnas the court jester in Beauty and the Beast ashis favorite.
“It’s the most fun getting to be the clownthrough the whole thing,” he said, laughing.
Not all the attention that comes with beinga young male dancer was welcome, though.
“It’s hard for young boys to be dancers,”said Rodriguez. “You get teased a lot, but themore you fight it, the more they’re going tosay it. But sometimes all that hardship builds
you into a better dancer. You show everyonethat you’re doing this because you love it,and not for any other reason.”
When asked about what stirs his passion,Rodriguez says, “It’s just one of those thingswhere your body is just moving in crazy waysand it really says a lot to people. Throughdance moves you can tell a whole story.”
FROM THE HEARTThough a love affair with the art of dance
may be quite sweet, it can also be quite bit-ter. Rodriguez says he is prone to anklesprains, has bad knees, and once threw hislower back out during a performance.
He also claims to wake up daily with atleast 12 different body aches, but is alsoquick to downplay his injuries and sees themonly as minor setbacks that make himstronger—physically and mentally. Thissame attitude has translated lessons the arthas taught him into other areas of his life.
“Dance has always taught me to keep ongoing in everything I do,” he said. “I havehad so many injuries stop me, but being ableto get back up and try it again afterwards hasreally pushed me to know that whateverobstacle I encounter in life, I can alwayskeep going.”
Rodriguez’s love of dance coupled withhis discipline paid off. While still a freshmanat the Science Academy of South Texas inMercedes, Rodriguez became one of theyoungest instructors at the Deborah CaseDance Academy.
“I began by subbing for other instruc-tors when they were absent from
class,” recalled Rodriguez.“Deborah saw that I enjoyed
it and she asked meto be an
instructor.”Case said
Rodriguez’s passion isone of the aspects that droveher to choose him to be a fulltime instructor.
“I needed a tap and jazz teacher
and he was one of the best for the job,” shesaid. “The students love Michael’s teachingand talents. He is a top-rated dancer andinstructor and encourages others to strive tobe the best they can be.”
Helen Garcia, a McAllen dance instructor,works with Rodriguez at the academy andalso holds him in high regard.
“I’ve taught dance for ten years andworked with lots of people,” Garcia said.“Michael is so young, but he’s professionaland disciplined. He has so much creativity.”
Creativity and passion spill into otherareas of the young dance instructor’s life aswell. Though short on time, Rodriguezcounts music as a hobby and plays piano,guitar and saxophone.
Still, he counts faith as the most importantthing and is heavily active in his parish, theBasilica of Our Lady of San Juan, includingbeing a member of a men’s catechism group.The group recently returned from a mission-ary trip to Veracruz, Mexico, where theypassed out school supplies to children insmall mountain villages.
NOT WITHOUT OBSTACLESBalancing his school and dance life has
always been a struggle and he admits to notalways being successful at it.
“When I was younger, going to theScience Academy was painful becausethey pack you with so much work,”said Rodriguez. “After school, I’dgo straight to teaching. I wouldsqueeze in sleep whenever I
found time anddo home-
work at rehearsals.”These days the busy dancer has the
schedule down to a near art form, though hesays he still struggles to find the perfect bal-ance. “Like most people, I am just a busyperson who struggles to keep things work-ing,” he says.
While encountering a young person withso much discipline is rare, on the subject ofbeing a role model and inspiration for others,Rodriguez acknowledges that it is scary butalso very fun to help inspire others.
“But people should be inspired by theirown heart and what they want to do,” headded modestly. “Their own heart shouldlead them.”
For now, Rodriguez is focusing on thefall semester and preparing for TheNutcracker with the Rio Grande ValleyBallet coming in December. As for thefuture, Rodriguez hopes to continuedancing, complete his degree, andhave his own dance studio one day.
With his impressive trackrecord, it looks like all systemsare go.
“As long as you reallywant to do something,just push yourself to doit,” he said. “It couldhappen.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT September 4, 2008Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9September 4, 2008
Photos by Isaac Barrientes Design by Rick Gamez
By Marco CarbajalTHE PAN AMERICAN
“... People should beinspired by their ownheart and what they wantto do. Their own heartshould lead them.”Michael RodriguezBusiness management majorDeborah Case Dance Academy instructor
A walk in these shoes
� VALLEY ENTERTAINMENT
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT September 4, 2008Page 10
University of Texas-Pan Americanstudents were exposed to a differenttype of music Tuesday night at theUniversity circle. Different in thesense that no one had the mic in theirhand blaring obscenities at the crowd,and there was no relentless moshing(the act of audience members slam-ming into each other), thus no elbowsto the head.
The University Program Board(UPB) put together the “Stir in YourMuse” concert as part of N2Tunes, adivision of its Coffeehouse series,which promotes musical entertain-ment on campus. The concert show-cased two local bands that describethemselves as “instrumental,” TheyMean Us and Hope for the Stars.
People may not be too familiarwith what instrumental music consistsof. But Stacy Sanchez, a UPB com-mittee chair, described it.
“It has an electric feel, with the useof synthesizers and no words at all,”said the sophomore public relationsmajor. “But they use a melody, whichstill keeps it interesting.”
The instrumental genre isn’t onethat receives too much exposure, thusmaking its debut on campus a bit
more exciting. When the drummerfrom They Mean Us was asked aboutaudience feedback, he was optimistic.
“I hope they walked away with anew experience,” said Hector PerezJr., a 26-year-old Mission native. “Wehave something different to offerbecause we don’t use vocals, so it’s adifferent way to listen to music. Wehope to expand their minds a bit.”
He went on to explain that becausethere is no singing, listeners don’t gethanded the meaning behind lyrics; theyhave to go beyond and explore a little.
Sanchez has partnered with Don’tGet Emo Productions and the MySpacenetwork to bring both local and out-of-town bands together to make the Valleymusic scene more appealing.
Hope for the Stars drummer ArtHurtado was asked pre-show what sethis group apart from others.
“Well we put a lot of heart and workinto the music we play and that in turnhas affected how we play live,” notedthe 23 year-old from Brownsville.“We’ve been called intense and attimes even violent in our performancesbut always passionate.”
Sanchez’s plan for the concert seriesis to give UTPA students a chance tomellow out a bit after all the work.
“We want to give each concert adifferent theme to spark interest, it’s a
good way to relax and get away from itall, a way to loosen up,” he explained.
With the help of cookies, coffeeand hot chocolate the crowd was ableto do just that, although it may stillhave been a few degrees too hot forwarm beverages. The school year hasonly begun and more of these
unwinding concerts will offer a sure-fire way to disengage from day-to-day stress.
“With school already in its secondweek I think it’s a great way to relax,it’s also a great way for entering fresh-men to socialize and make friends,”said Elvira Villarreal, a 22-year-old
political science major.The UPB looks forward to upcom-
ing events such as “Spin Your Beat”on Oct. 7 from 7 p.m. to midnight,when area DJs will come together inthe ballroom and spin the night away.
For more information please con-tact Stacy Sanchez at 956-624-3600
Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICAN
By Laura GarciaTHE PAN AMERICAN
UPB delivers ‘Stir In Your Muse’ concert � AROUND CAMPUS
SOUND OFF - They Mean Us performs at the University Circle on Tuesday night, as part of UPB’sCoffeehouse series. The UPB will put on several musical events throughout the semester.
The Rio Grande Valley will get aspecial treat on Friday, Sept. 5, asbesetselling international artistEnrique Iglesias takes the stage at theDodge Arena in Hidalgo.
Iglesias, son of Julio Iglesias, oneof the most popular Latin singer ofthe ‘70s and ‘80s. Madrid-born andMiami-raised, Enrique Iglesias isacclaimed as the biggest sellingSpanish language artist in the world,with 18 No. 1 hits to date.
His latest album 95/08 dropped inMarch of this year, and within a fewmonths it was declared double plat-inum, a prestigious honor for any artist.The Spanish album is a compilation ofhis No. 1 hits, including “Heroe”
(Hero), the Spanish version of the songthat seemed to unite all of America onthat fateful morning of 9/11.
Iglesias was out of the loop forwhat seemed a long while to hisbiggest fans, but has made a come-back with the latest album, which alsoincludes two new songs.
Joining Iglesias this weekend willbe “The Kings Aventura,” a Latingroup with its roots in New York.They are a mixture of bachata withR&B, hip-hop and other Americanpop styles. Aventura’s latest album,KOB Live has sold more than300,000 copies.
The concert starts at 9 p.m and thedoors open at 8 p.m.
PICTURES FROM FLICKRLATIN CROONER - Enrique Iglesias swoons the crowd at one of themany stops on his tour.
“I know who he is butI’m not a fan, I listen toChristian rock.”
Noel Ybarra, 23Business administration
“I personally don’tlike him or that genrebut I do think it’sgood he’s coming tothe Valley because itdisplays how muchthe Valley is growing”
Cassandra Reyes, 22Public relations
“I don’t like him orhate him but I thinkit’s cool that they arebringing a wide rangeof artists and sound.”
Monica Garza, 23Graphic design
“It’s awesome thathe’s coming down,he’s an incredibleartist. I love hismusic... personallyhis latest album is thebest.”
Tanya Cavazos, 19Communication dis-
orders
UTPA reacts toIglesias concert
Iglesias here Friday
MENINGITIS continued from Page 1
NEWS Page 11 September 4, 2008
ahead of time.“Every year more college students
are being diagnosed, and it’s impor-tant that we help prevent the problemhere on campus,” said Susan Hall, aregistered nurse with Student HealthServices.
Many young teens and college stu-dents are not aware of how serious thedisease may be.
It can cause swelling of tissuearound the brain and spinal cord,leading to brain damage, loss oflimbs, or death within a few hours ofcontraction.
But it’s out there, and it’s dangerous,making the vaccinations a smart move.
“A lot of my friends have no clueof what meningitis is,” said freshmannursing major Stefany Perez, ofHidalgo. “I think it would be scary tomeet someone, and not know that theymight be infected. I will definitelysign up, they’re offering it at a veryinexpensive price and it’s for my ownbenefit.”
There are five types ofMeningococcal bacteria: A, B, C, Yand W-135. The most common amongcollege age groups are C, Y or W-135,which are vaccine-preventable.
Approximately 100 to 125 cases ofmeningococcal disease occur in col-lege campuses each year, and five to15 will result in death.
Many of the symptoms ofMeningococcal disease are very simi-lar to those of the flu. They mayinclude high fever, headaches, stiff
neck, vomiting and nausea.The disease moves quickly, and it
is important that one see a doctor ifdeveloping two or more of thesesymptoms.
“So far, 100 students have alreadysigned up for both days. Hopefullymore students will gain interest in thiscampaign and we can add anotherday,” Hall said.
The university initiative has beenpraised so far.
“It would be nice to see preventioncampaigns more often. They help usbe aware, and they’re very informa-tive,” said senior education majorKristen Esquivel, of Edinburg. “It’simportant that not just freshman, butall college students get vaccinated.You just never know.”
Other ways to help preventMeningitis: not sharing items thatmay have touched another person’smouth, strengthening your immunesystem, not smoking or drinking alco-hol, and getting enough sleep.
No reports have been made of thedisease here on campus. This is whythe Student Health Services depart-ment asks that you take part and getthe vaccination.
Students can register for the vac-cine at the Student Health Servicesbuilding between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Itwill be available for students, staffand faculty for $14. Regularly, theprice of the vaccine can be as much as$120 to $130 at a clinic or doctor’soffice.
hadn’t agreed to a compromise thatsaved the homes. Now that the resi-dences are secure, Garza said his goalnow is to plan for the future and seehow the town can learn to work andlive with the barrier.
“We have to find a way as to how
we can benefit from this wall, andhow we can bring up our economy,”he admitted.
LUPE organizer Martha Sanchez,55, expressed citizens’ disappointmentwith the government and alsoacknowledged a drop in morale.Despite having won a partial battlewith the 50 houses, the fact that thewall project is going forward has beena blow.
“We thought they (DHS) weregoing to listen to us, but they didn’t,”Sanchez said. “Progress now justmeans someone listening to us.”
Sanchez said one of the main rea-sons they held the rally was to helpboost the morale of Granjeno, where“The people just feel powerless,” shestressed.
A COLLEGIAL ASSISTAlong with Braune, five professors
from UTPA were in attendance at therally in support of the anti-border wallmovement, in addition to two SouthTexas College teachers. DavidAnshen, UTPA assistant professor ofEnglish, was among the speakers ofthe event and spoke of the wall as rep-resentative of the worst aspects ofAmerican intolerance and racism.
“It’s not designed to stop immigra-tion. I think its designed to make sureimmigrants when they come into theUnited States will be more easily vic-timized and made into cheap labor,”Anshen claimed. “It stands against thebasic principles of human solidarity. Ithink its possible in the long run thiswall can come down as other wallsaround the world have come down.”
Anshen said that American historyhas shown that taking the high moralground can result in accomplishingthe impossible.
“There‘s a saying, ‘If the peoplelead, the leaders will follow,’” he said.“I don’t think there’s been enough ofan effort to awaken the conscience ofAmerica.”
The English professor surmisedthat over time, people will create amore just society, but added he doesn’texpect it to happen in the immediatefuture.
In the crowd of citizens observing
the rally was a man isolated in his opin-ion. Rod Rodriguez, who would onlywould say he was from the Valley, saidhe didn’t understand the concept of thetownspeople’s argument.
“Why are they complaining? This isabout the security of our country,”Rodriguez said. “If a person breaks thelaw they have to be held to it. We haveto follow the laws of our country.”
At the end of the rally, participantstook marker to sign and hammeredsigns with phrases like “Not in MyName” and “No Border Wall” alongthe road in front of the event area.Several others also took their signs tothe border wall project area, but werechased off the job site by constructionworkers.
In addition to the rally and speak-ers, an area was set up to give peoplea chance to tell their stories on cam-era. The filming is part of the ongoingBorder Wall Documentation Project,and allows for the stories taped to besent to congressional leaders and com-mittees, according to project organizerStephanie Herweck.
“We will let them know exactlywhat kind of impact the border wall ishaving on the Valley,” Herweck said.
The project also allows for the edu-cation of leaders, and help border-issues groups record what life is likealong the border wall. Herweck saidthe project’s videos and are also sentto lobbying groups.
BORDER continued from Page 1
was alarmed and shocked that some-thing could happen so early in thesemester.”
Security at Veranda StudentApartments, located at 941 N. SugarRd., is not good enough, she said.Saldana said she knows of just onesecurity guard who patrols the com-plex, which that makes her feeluneasy. She added hiring more securi-ty guards would benefit the smallapartment community.
At full capacity, the complex canhouse 576 tenants.
“I’m always with others,” she said
with some confidence. “I try to not bealone, especially at night, and I makesure my front door is always locked.”
Veranda Place Student Apartmentswas unable to comment due to compa-ny policy.
Jessica Nix, the complex publicrelations spokesperson, said the LaborDay weekend crime had been broughtto her attention.
“We take every situation similar tothis very seriously,” she said.“However this was an isolated inci-dent.”
Nix said there are 40 Veranda Place
Student Apartments and that some-times situations like this are in thehands of the tenants.
“It’s an unfortunate situation thatcould have happened anywhere,” sheadded.
UTPA assistant police chief JamesLoya said that although the incidentdid not occur on UTPA property, theproximity of the crime really hitshome.
“When it’s a situation like that, it’simportant when you have get togeth-ers to know who you are letting intoyour doors,” he said.
STABBING continued from Page 1
POUNDING IN SOME SENSE - David Saavedra helps localGranjeno residents display throughout the city.
Photo by Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICAN
“Progress now just meanssomeone listening to us.”
Martha Sanchez LUPE organizer
CRIME SCENE - Veranda Place Apartments, which opened in mid-August, was the site of a quadruple stab-bing Labor Day weekend.
Photo by Ben Briones/THE PAN AMERICAN
NEWS September 4, 2008Page 12
ALCOHOLcontinued from Page 3
free samples of their most popularsushi. A girl dressed in an Asian-styleoutfit showed curious students how toproperly use chopsticks.
Edgar Reyes, a 20-year-old juniorbiology major, said he “loved theexperiences of different organiza-tions” and that it was interesting “try-ing something new like sushi.”
Reyes also visited Buckle for itsdiscount you receive when you workthere and GameStop for its games.
Also present was a Border Patrolbooth, which 20-year-old JahacielVillarreal found to be of particularinterest.
The dietetics major said the BorderPatrol’s stories of how members stopillegal drugs and immigrants fromcrossing the border caught his ear.
“I especially liked the service theschool provided,” Villarreal said afterreceiving brochures and free noveltiesfrom different organizations.
There are more than 200 studentorganizations on campus but only 43attended the event.
The OSD was pleased to havemore than 800 people attend thisevent. The newer location helpedincrease the student participationbecause it allowed them to get betteracquainted with every organization.Booths now were set-up in lines andnot scattered like in previous years.
Although, Bucky the Bronc kepthimself busy eating ice cream henever revealed his true identity. So,Bucky the Bronc remains a student inthe university but is still a mystery.
have about the university,” he said. “Ifany of you ever run into a bumpy roador have any new ideas, we’d like toinvite you all to our office.”
Cardenas shared a similar messagewith the students.
“You’ve got to be engaged, you’vegot to be active, you’ve got to beexcited about this time in your life andthe great opportunities that you have,”Cardenas said. “If you’re bored atUTPA, there is something wrong withyou because there are just too manythings to do here.”
Joanna Herrera, a freshman nurs-ing major from Edinburg, said herbiggest fear entering her first year ischemistry.
“It scares me,” she said. But after hearing the speakers,
Herrera suggested that she now has abetter outlook on the coming semesterand the years to come.
“It was pretty cool of the speakersto talk about the things they did,” shesaid. “Some of the things the presidentsaid really gave me the confidence Ineeded.”
WELCOME continued from Page 3
Minimum Drinking Age Act, butMiddlebury College President JohnMcCardell began the AmethystInitiative after accusing the drinkinglaw of helping lead to “clandestinebinge-drinking” among underagedrinkers.
Supporters of the initiative believethat since 18-year-olds can vote, serveon juries and join the military, theyshould be able to drink alcohol legal-ly. The plan asks for elected officialsto rethink the act.
UTPA Interim Dean of StudentsJeanette Broshears believes the reasonsome universities support the initia-tive derives from their large on-cam-pus population, which allows theschools to separate students by agegroups.
Since UTPA has such a small num-ber of students living on campus,fewer than a thousand at last count,this just hasn’t been an issue to date.
“It’s not so much that we (UTPA)didn’t decide to sign it, we decided tofocus on other things,” said Broshears.“We just don’t think we have thedrinking population.”
Miguel Lopez, coordinator for theuniversity alcohol and drug abuse pro-gram, has conducted surveys amongthe UTPA student from all ages andclassifications. The survey took placeduring spring 2007 to fall 2008 andfound that 27 percent are non-
drinkers, 47 percent are casualdrinkers and 16 percent were bingedrinkers.
On the national average, 31 percentof college students fall under alcoholabuse.
While the administration wouldassert that it doesn’t have a “partyschool” problem, some students havedifferent opinions about the matter.Senior Percal Lopez, 22, believesthere is a drinking population at theuniversity.
“You hear it a lot in class like,‘Party today, were going to get sowasted.’” said Lopez, who believesthe drinking age should remain at 21.
However some students, like 20-year-old sophomore FernandoOlivarez, want to join the initiative.
“I feel like people in high schoolare going to use fake IDs any ways,”explained Olivarez. “I don’t hang outwith anyone that doesn’t want thedrinking age to be lowered.”
Meanwhile, South Texas MADDaffiliate executive director JenniferNorthway said her organization wasunhappy with the universities whosigned the Amethyst Initiative.
“We are extremely disappointedwith the presidents that have signedthe petition,” she said.
Northway, who is in the process ofproposing the creation of a universitychapter of MADD called UMADD at
UTPA, believes the initiative was sup-ported by “misguided research,” andthat lowering the drinking age wouldonly increase excess and binge drink-ing.
“We know that 21 saves 1,000 livesa year, it has gone down since the lawin 1984.” said Northway.
The National Highway TrafficSafety Administration estimates from1982 to 2007, there have been 8,100fewer drunk driving fatalities.
As the debate rages on, Cardenaswill keep UTPA out of it until the stu-dent body says otherwise. Even thenthe administration will conductresearch on whether underage drink-ing suits the university.
PARTYcontinued from Page 3
�TIDBIT
South Texas affiliates ofMothers Against DrunkDriving are looking for stu-dents interested in starting auniversity chapter. AndreaBryant, newly appointedUMADD program specialistand executive directorJennifer Northway encouragestudents to contact theiroffices at (210) 349-0846 formore information.
A challenge has been perceived onThe University of Texas-PanAmerican soccer field. While themen’s soccer club tries to exceed anoutstanding 2007 season, the LadyBroncs have a new team attitude andare ready to establish themselves as acompetitive team in the TexasCollegiate Soccer League.
The Broncs, led by coach and kine-siology professor Marcelo Schmidt,return from last year’s 9-2 perform-ance, good enough for fifth in theSouth Conference League behindhigh-scoring universities like TexasTech and Texas State.
Juan “Puma” Reynoso, a seniordietetics major, returns as the team’stop scorer after scoring 16 goals in 16games. However, though he is satis-fied with his performance, he has onegoal in mind: avenge losses againstTexas and Texas A&M.
“They have good teams and theybeat us but they didn’t treat us well, sowe want to go out and beat them thistime,” said Reynoso.
Although Schmidt is confident inhis team’s ability to succeed in the fol-
lowing months, he knows his menhave to take a one-game-at-a-timeapproach this season.
“Our goal is to qualify to nationals,but we have to keep in mind we haveto win regionals first, which means tobe first in our conference,” he said.
The league’s South Conference iscomposed of University of Texas 2,The University of Texas-San Antonio,Saint Edwards University, TexasA&M-Kingsville, and LamarUniversity.
On the women’s side, a renewedsense of commitment is inspired bynew head coach Hugo Zuniga. TheLady Broncs are eager to build on lastyear’s 2-6-1 campaign; despite thefew victories, the women got somegood experience. Zuniga, under hiswinning philosophy, is ready to leadhis team to its potential.
“All games are going to be hard,”he said. “Every game has a specialcondiment.”
Junior Gabriela Soto and Edinburgnative Yoli Pena look to be this year’sleaders for the Lady Broncs. Pena,from Edinburg North High School,will make the move from forward togoalie this season and is certain the
team will show considerableimprovement.
“We have more girls and we arelooking better in practice,” she said.“We expect to do a lot better.”
Defender Cynthia Sanchez sharesher teammate’s point of view.
“I’m hoping to do better,” she said.“We changed coaches and we likeHugo’s coaching style. Hopefullywe’ll have a better season.”
The teams will kick off their sea-sons Sept. 13 as they men play host toUTSA, their “natural rival,” accordingto Schmidt, while the girls will travelto College Station to face the Aggies.
Members from both soccer clubsencourage the UTPA community toattend their games this season in orderto establish Bronc soccer as a legiti-mate power. They state that a signifi-cant fan base could prove to be thedifference in winning or losing.
“I would like everybody to gosupport the team and see how suc-cessful we are, not only on the fieldbut also outside of it,” said Schmidt.“We are more than a soccer team. Wedo community service and wouldlike to set an example for the stu-dents of UTPA.”
� SOCCER
Expectations high for men’s, women’s soccer units
Saenz returns to familiar ground Soccer Clubs’ Season Schedule
SPORTS Page 13September 4, 2008
By Sara HernandezTHE PAN AMERICAN
The wait is finally over. A newleader will be handling the reins of theUniversity of Texas Pan-American’sbaseball team for the upcoming 2009season. Manny Mantrana, from SaintThomas University, was named headcoach Friday after an extensivenationwide search.
“I hope he comes and turns theprogram around with his experi-ence,” said catcher Jordan Rutenbar.“I’m eager to see what type of coachhe is and how he’ll conduct practiceand operate the team during games.I’m sure I’ll learn from what he hasto say.”
Mantrana, the winningest coach inSTU baseball history, brings animpressive background to UTPA.Most notable is the fact that he won70 percent of his games along withhelping St. Thomas compile a 98-per-cent graduation rate.
In his stint with the Bobcats, heproduced a record of 434-193-1 andtook his team to the College WorldSeries three times. As a player,Mantrana had a 10-year career whileplaying in the Milwaukee Brewers,Detroit Tigers and New York Metsfarm systems.
“I think Mantrana is a great hiringfor us. With all his experience andaccolades, I think we‘ve found our-
selves a great coach,” said interimathletic director Ricky Vaughn. “Ilook forward for him to get here andget things started.”
“All the candidates were strong butwhen you consider what he’s done, herose to the top of the list and I thinkhe’s going to be a great coach that willbring excitement back to the Broncbaseball.”
The Miami native replaces formerhead coach Willie Gawlik, who wasrelieved of his duties in June after theadministration decided not to renewhis contract for a seventh season.
The Broncs, once one of thenation’s best baseball programs, havestruggled since legendary coach AlOgletree retired a decade ago. Theyfailed to have a winning record in anyof Gawlik’s six seasons at the helm.
McAllen native Abraham Garciasays he’s looking forward to a freshstart and hopes the Bronc tradition canbe restored.
“It’s good to know that we finallyhave a coach after without one thewhole summer,” said Garcia. “We areused to start workouts right away inprevious years so it‘s a good feelingto know we can start right away.From what I’ve heard, he brings a lotto the table and I‘m anxious to see hisstyle. Hopefully, he can bring thewinning tradition he has to our teamand school.”
When seeking breaking news,score updates and exclusive informa-tion on University of Texas Pan-American athletics or its athletes, theathletic Web site(www.utpabroncs.com), which is runby the sports information department,is the place to find it.
The sports information personnelare the people responsible for postingthe latest athletic information.Beginning this fall, the departmentwill be guided by a new and confidentdirector in Bernie Saenz, a formersports information interim.
“Our main thing here is that weneed and are going to celebrate ourvictories. That is the focus,” saidSaenz. “In order to do, that we have towork well with the public and alsohave good relationships with themedia, staff, faculty and students. Weknow we’re not going to changethings overnight but we’re going tochip away and we’re going to have apositive impact on the university.”
The sports information departmenthandles the way the UTPA communi-ty receives its athletic news throughvarious forms of media. Members arein charge of statistics and communi-cating messages from athletes andcoaches to its fans.
“We apply the media aspect ofBronc athletics to everything,” saidPedro Perez, a sports informationwriter and also a staffer with The PanAmerican. “We are the ones who runthe Web site and therefore we have a
responsibility to let everybody knowwhat’s going on in athletics.”
Saenz, a 2000 UTPA graduate,recently took over as the assistant ath-letic director for media relations.Veteran Jim McKone, who worked atthe university from 1969-1999, hadfilled in last year after SID Joe Monacoleft to take a similar position at TCU inFort Worth. Rick Vaughn, former trackcoach, is now the interim athletic direc-tor as the department seeks to fill itsvacancies as quickly as possible withthe busy fall sports season up it.
With a broad background in writing,media collaborations and communityinvolvement, Saenz is looking forwardto returning to his collegiate roots andestablish a respectable department.
“First, Bernie is a fan of Bronc ath-letics and he brings a total package,”said interim athletic director RickyVaughn of Saenz’s work ethic. “I thinkwe made a good decision bringing in aperson that knows a little bit about whatthe previous occupant was doing. Whenyou look at what he’s in, publicity, rela-tions with the community and connec-tions with media outlets, it was an easydecision to make when hiring him.”
Saenz, who worked at a televisionstation before returning to UTPA,knows the commitment ahead butdoesn’t hesitate to create a welcomingenvironment.
“Words can’t explain what itmeans to be here,” he said. “The factis I’m very happy to come back to PanAm. I remember working in this exactoffice in 1999. I remember because Ihelped bring in this furniture.”
By Alvaro BalderasTHE PAN AMERICAN
By Alvaro BalderasTHE PAN AMERICAN
Broncs name Mantranalatest baseball coach
� SPORTS INFORMATION� BASEBALL
Sept. 13 @Texas A&M 5 p.m.
Sept. 14 @ Sam Houston 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 Texas State 3 p.m.
Sept. 21 @ UTSA 3 p.m.
Sept. 27 SFA 5 p.m.
Oct. 4 Baylor 5 p.m.
Oct. 5 Texas 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 UTPA (@ San Marcos) vs. Texas Tech 5 p.m.
MEN
Sept. 13 UTSA 3 p.m.
Sept. 14 Houston 11 a.m.
Sept. 27 @ St. Edward's 3 p.m.
Sept. 28 @ Texas 2 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 Texas State 3 p.m.
Oct. 11 @ Lamar 3 p.m.
Oct. 12 @ Texas A&M 1 p.m.
Oct. 18 TAMU-Kingsville 3 p.m.
THE OTHER FUTBOL - The men’s and women’s soccer clubs aregearing up for the 2008 Texas Collegiate Soccer League season.
File Photo
� SCHEDULE
WOMEN
*Home games in bold face
ADVERTISEMENTS September 4, 2008Page 14
Lady Broncs open season 1-3, host tourney
Schuberth boosts troop morale in Middle East
� VOLLEYBALL
� BASKETBALL
SPORTS Page 15 September 4, 2008
For The University of Texas-PanAmerican men’s basketball coach TomSchuberth, the opportunity to travelwith a group of NCAA basketballcoaches and tour Iraq and Kuwait wassomething he had never imagined.
In his third year as Bronc coach.Schuberth was selected to be part of
Operation Hardwood V, an initiativelaunched in 2005 to boost moraleamong U.S. military men and womenserving in the Middle East. In the fiveyears of the operation, there has neverbeen a team that has gone in to Iraq;Schuberth and the other coaches werethe first.
Other Division I coaches that werepart of Operation Hardwood V includ-ed Jerry Wainwright (DePaul
University), Jeff Jones (AmericanUniversity), Brian Gregory(University of Dayton), ReggieMinton (National Association ofBasketball Coaches) and FranFraschilla (ESPN).
Schuberth was selected to takepart in the event after he expressedinterest in wanting to go; he was alsorecommended by other coaches. InJune, he was informed he would be
part of the team. “This was a once in a lifetime
opportunity,” he said. “There aremany coaches that want to be a partof it.”
In August, Schuberth, along witheight NCAA Division I coaches and abasketball analyst for ESPN, flewinto Kuwait and visited troops at dif-ferent military bases. Then they flewto Iraq and spent the majority of theirtime in Camp Victory, a huge com-plex outside of downtown Baghdad –this is where the basketball competi-tion took place.
Each coach was given a 12-mem-ber team of soldiers came from differ-ent bases in Iraq. They had less thenthree days to practice with theirsquads before the tournament began.Each team played until the last twostanding teams got to compete in thechampionship. An experienced bas-ketball coach with 25 years under hisbelt, Schuberth was able to take themen’s basketball team to five wins,including one over a team represent-ing The University of Texas SanAntonio.
Schuberth’s team won the event.“We went 5-0 and that was nice.
The trip would have been great even ifwe had lost all my games, but to seethe smiles on their faces was great,”he said.
The winning team was awarded
medals and was recognized by variousmedia outlets.
But before his win in Iraq, as partof Operation Hardwood V, Schuberthvisited Brooke Army Medical Centerin San Antonio to meet wounded sol-diers in the burn ward. After his visit,he joined the rest of the coaches invisiting Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter in Washington D.C. where hemet men and women who have beeninjured in combat.
“The visit to the hospitals and see-ing the soldiers was a life-changingexperience for me,” Schuberth said.
He added he enjoyed his visit withthe soldiers and was glad to be part ofthe whole thing.
“This is something I’d love to do,”he said, reminiscing about the experi-ence. It was a way to give back to thetroops defending our country.”
He said the camaraderie with othercoaches was outstanding, giving thema chance to get to know one another.All 10 coaches bunked in one ofSaddam Hussein’s hunting housesnear one of his palaces.
The UTPA coach was also mostimpressed with the soldiers’ attitudes,describing them as “uplifting.”
“I have great respect for what theydo,” he said. “I will never forget that.”
The volleyball team (1-3) will get arare chance to play at home this week,as the Lady Broncs host their owntournament.
At the conclusion of the Labor Dayweekend, the team dropped threematches at the Century Tel PremierTournament in San Marcos, Texas.But despite a 1-3 start to open the2008 campaign, the Lady Broncs gotpassing marks from the coach.
“Overall I was pleased with theprogress we have made,” said headcoach Angela Hubbard. “We playedsome tough competition this week-end, historically very good teams.We kept our poise throughout thematches, however we made toomany errors and need to work on cut-ting those in half.”
The Lady Broncs will look toclimb over .500 as they host the two-day UTPA Tournament at the FieldHouse starting Friday. They will facePrairie View A&M in the first daywith the match slated for 6 p.m., fol-lowed by a doubleheader Saturday at11 am and 4 p.m.
The team hopes to take advantageof the home court, as the next sevengames will come on the road.
“Competing at home is an excite-
ment in itself but I know the team islooking foward to showing our fanshow much they have improved overthe last year,” said Hubbard.
DAY ONEIn their first match on Friday, the
Lady Broncs dropped a close one toSacramento State (14-25, 25-27, 23-25).
In the first set, the Lady Broncsonly connected for a .105 hitting per-centage and had seven kills on 19attempts and five errors. With theLady Hornets hitting percentage at.385, it was smooth sailing as theycollected 14 kills on 26 attempts andhad only four errors.
In the second and third sets, UTPAshowed tenacity on the court, goingtoe to toe with the Lady Hornets butfalling short by two points in each,though the Lady Broncs did record abetter hitting percentage and numberof kills than Sac State.
Later in the day, the women col-lected a dominating win as theybreezed by Louisiana-Monroe 3-0.
The Lady Broncs hit .400 witheight kills on 15 attempts and only twoerrors in the first set (25-13), and heldthe Lady Warhawks to a .038 hittingpercentage in the second (25-17). Thefinal set ended with a 25-10 victory.
Defensively, the team was led byDeanna Schneyer, who had eightkills, while Kellie Phillips finishedwith nine kills, and three blocks.Senior Chelsea Blakely had 23assists and libero Rebecca Toddyadded nine digs.
DAY TWOOn the second day of the tourna-
ment, the Green and Orange droppedtwo 3-0 matches against MiamiUniversity and tournament hostTexas State.
Against the Lady ‘Canes (10-25,21-25, 20-25), outside hitters NoelleMayor and Phillips led the team, withthe latter marking 12 kills on 44attempts, and the former recording 10kills on 28 attempts.
“Noelle Mayor was very solid forus offensively,” said Hubbard. “Shemade very few errors and did a goodjob of seeing the court and executingto the open areas.”
The Lady Broncs rounded out thetournament with a 21-25, 22-25, 24-26 loss against the Lady ‘Cats.Blakely finished the contest withback-to-back double-doubles, getting26 assists and 14 digs.
“Chelsea showed great leadershipthis weekend and really stepped upher game,” said Hubbard. “She did an
excellent job giving our hitters one-on-one situations that would allowthem to score.”
The second-year head coach added
that the tournament allowed the teamto work on different lineups to seewhich was most successful, includingspotting weaknesses.
By Adriana AcostaTHE PAN AMERICAN
MIDDLE EAST KING - UTPA men’s basketball coach Tom Schuberth celebrates a tournament champi-onship with his team of U.S. troops, this summer in Iraq.
Courtesy of UTPA Basketball
By Pedro Perez IVTHE PAN AMERICAN
Photo by Onydia Garza/PAN AMERICAN STAFFNO PLACE LIKE HOME - The women will host the UTPA Tournamentat the Field House, where they recorded a 4-0 mark last season.
QuotesFromTheStands
� UNIVERSITY SPORTS
Editor’s Picks
Sunday 3:15 p.m. (FOX)
Edcouch-ElsaYellowjackets
HarlingenCardinals
�COLLEGE FOOTBALL
�NFL
MiamiHurricanes
Florida Gators
DallasCowboys
ClevelandBrowns
�HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Saturday 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday 7:30 p.m.
@
@
@
THE PAN AMERICAN September 4, 2008 Page 16
When you see a player fumblingthe football a yard short of the game-tying touchdown and two perennialpowerhouses taking the matchup intoan overtime thriller, it can mean onlyone thing: football is back.
The 2008 football season beganwith a bang on ESPN2 last Thursdaywhen the Cardinal of StanfordUniversity surprised fellow Pac-10nemesis Oregon State in a 36-28 vic-tory, where a yard was the differencein an overtime upset. And onMonday, Tennessee’s inconsistentkicker helped the UCLA Bruins to a27-24 overtime upset over the No. 18Volunteers, after Daniel Lincolnmissed a field goal in overtime.
But really, who cares about howother states fared? This is Texas,where football is considered a reli-gion and is unlike any other counter-part in the nation.
“People just seem to take Texasfootball more seriously down here,”said Oscar Barrera, a member of TheUniversity of Texas-Pan Americanmen’s track and field team. “It’s got alot of tradition. Also with the DallasCowboys, since they’re America’sTeam, that’s where it all started.”
Football fans around the RioGrande Valley are gearing up foranother electrifying installment ofhigh school, college and NFL footballthat will serve as their entertainmentfor the next six months. Only timewill tell if Texas teams in the colle-giate and NFL ranks will rise to glorybut in high school football, one localteam has already sent a shockwavethrough the state.
The Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets,
The Monitor’s No. 1 ranked team,certainly lived up to their standingafter taking down the state’s No. 7-ranked Corpus Christi CalallenWildcats Friday. The well-knownCoastal Bend Jinx that has plaguedthe Valley for years was broken inZero Week on a game-winning touch-down pass inside the final minute of a14-7 win. So with one historic win inthe record books, the renowned victo-ry promises to set the tone for analways unpredictable high schoolfootball season.
In college, the four Big 12 Texasschools split season openers, withThe University of Texas and TexasTech trouncing their opponents. TheLonghorn win coupled with a loss byClemson to Alabama allowed Texas,which returns nine starters on offenseand four on defense, to move into theNo. 10 spot in the Associated PressPoll. The Red Raiders remained atNo. 12.
Quarterback Colt McCoy, comingoff a mediocre 2007 campaign, willreturn to try and lead his Longhornteam (10-3) back to national champi-onship contention. During his reign atTexas, McCoy has not captured a winover arch rival Texas A&M, who wasupset Saturday by Arkansas St. Thetwo teams will play this year onThanksgiving Day.
However with Oklahoma,Missouri and Texas Tech on sched-ule, the road to the BCS champi-onship game Jan. 8 will not comeeasy. The boys from Lubbock arepicked by some experts to emerge atthe top of the Big 12 this year, espe-cially with the return of the passingthreat of senior quarterback GrahamHarrell to sophomore wide receiver
Michael Crabtree. Adrienne Champion, a junior busi-
ness management major, says shehopes all four Big 12 Texas schoolshave good seasons.
“I’m excited the 2008 (college)football season has started, I’m readyto see if any other Texas teams canget up in the polls,” said Champion.“Although Texas A&M and Baylorhad losses this opening weekend, Ihope they can turn it up a notch. Wewant our Texas teams to do great.When it comes to choosing sidesthough, I personally am rooting forthe Texas Longhorns, so we’re hop-ing for a great season.”
But as college football takes centerstage, the eyes of Texas will be uponthe Dallas Cowboys.
“I’m expecting for the Cowboys towin over 13 games,” said MarioPeralez, a freshman mechanical engi-neer major. “They should have a win-ning season because they’re loadedwith talent and the experience, sincethey were pretty much a young teamlast year.”
The Cowboys (13-3) are comingoff a disappointing 2007 seasondespite winning the NFC East title.The No. 1 seed proved to be worth-less as the eventual Super Bowlchampion New York Giants shocked‘Boys fans all over the country byupsetting Dallas.
Although America’s Team has hitsnags in their last two playoff runs,many experts still believe Dallas willemerge as Super Bowl champions,according to ESPN.com. They returnthe nucleus from last season and haveadded key acquisitions in defensivetackle Tank Johnson, linebacker ZachThomas, cornerback Adam “Pacman”Jones and first-round draft choice
Felix Jones, a back from Arkansas.Expectations for the ‘Boys are cer-
tainly running high at UTPA, as manydie-hard Dallas fans are expectingnothing less than a Super Bowl victory.
“I think they’ll win the NFC Easttitle again and hopefully make it tothe Super Bowl,” said MarkHernandez, a freshman historymajor. “I think they’ll have a reallygood season because they haveeveryone returning. Wade Phillipsdoes well with big games and noneof them play for themselves, theyplay for the team.”
In the AFC, the Houston Texanswill look to record their first playoffberth in franchise history. But sayingit is much easier than executing it asthe Texans compete in the AFCSouth, arguably the league’s bestdivision, with the likes of 2007 play-off teams Indianapolis Colts,Jacksonville Jaguars and divisionrival Tennessee Titans. They were 8-8last season.
The NFL will kick off its seasontoday with a primetime NFC Eastdivision rival showdown between theGiants and Washington Redskins.The Cowboys and Texans both findthemselves on the road in Week 1Sunday as Dallas travels toCleveland, while Houston pays a visitto Pittsburgh.
So here we find ourselves again,what many refer to as “the best timeof year,” a time where players leaveeverything on the field in hopes ofbecoming champions. A time packedwith six months of drama- filled,hard-hitting action that will push ournerves to the edge. But if footballseason is truly the best time of year,then we will gladly welcome a littleparanoia.
By Ramiro PaezTHE PAN AMERICAN
“They’re a good team andhopefully they can makeit to the Super Bowl. I doexpect for them to have agood season and a goodteam but there are somehard teams just like theCowboys.”
Jorge Luis SanchezOn the Pittsburgh SteelersSophomoreBiology major
“My favorite team is theDallas Cowboys and thisseason they should makeit to at least the SuperBowl with all the talentthey have. With FelixJones, one of the fastestrunning backs behindDarren McFadden, theyshould do good this year.”
Albert Ramos On the Dallas CowboysSophomoreCriminal justice major
Dates to Know:Applications for flag football aredue Friday. Play begins Monday.For questions, call 292-7808 or e-mail Art Cabrera at [email protected].