august 31, 2006
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volume63number01TRANSCRIPT
Border town officials are upset after
being left out of a U.S. House of
Representatives subcommittee hearing
on border violence recently in which
testimony from border law enforcement
officers and victims of border violence
was heard.
The Aug. 16 hearing held in
Houston was one of about two dozen that
are taking place around the country to
help lawmakers determine what actions
should be taken to further secure the
borders against illegal immigrants.
“It would be a common courtesy to
invite the mayors and civic leaders who
actually live on the border and not just
have emotionalized testimony and a
single point of view,” said Richard
Cortez, McAllen mayor. “The positions
of those who weren’t present regarding
the situation on the Texas/Mexico border
differ from the views of those present at
the subcommittee hearing.”
Cortez added that border mayors
feel as though using the hearings as a
means for determining the best course of
action to take against illegal immigrants
is “mixing two different issues that aren’t
necessarily related.”
“The majority of people who come
across the border are after a better life
and a job, through hard work, not
criminal mischief,” he said.
With the threat of decreased
tourism on both sides of the Rio Grande,
local leaders feel that more rational ideas
aren’t being heard.
“People see and read about this and
think they shouldn’t come down here
As Fall 2006 kicks into gear, the
College of Health Sciences and Human
Services and the College of Education
remain under the leadership of Bruce
Reed and Velma Menchaca, interim
deans of their respective colleges.
Reed and Menchaca have served as
head administrators for their colleges for
nearly a year and a half so far. Currently,
however, there are not any searches under
way for either college to find permanent
deans.
Both colleges are waiting for the
provost’s office to initiate the searches,
which will most likely begin in
September.
K a r e n
Chandler, assistant
dean for the College
of Health Sciences
and Human Services,
elaborated on the
process.
“Generally each department elects
one representative to the committee and
then the committee elects a chair,”
Chandler said. “Other individuals are
usually appointed to the committee by the
provost.”
While Reed and Menchaca are not
full-time deans, they wield the same
power as their counterparts across
campus.
“I wasn’t appointed to baby-sit but
to work hard and make our program the
best it could possibly be,” said Menchaca.
Those responsibilities include
initiating new programs and projects,
taking part in the faculty tenure process
and taking disciplinary action when
needed.
Reed stressed that having to wait for
PAN AMERICAN
SSeeee ppaaggee 1166
Little League pitchersface threat of armoveruse injury
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 A u g u s t 3 1 , 2 0 0 6
Dahlia Guerra sharesplans for College ofArts and Humanities
Scorcher 7 returns tothe Valley Saturday atthe Dodge Arena
SSeeee ppaaggee 77SSeeee ppaaggee 55
A&ENews
No plans yetin place forinterim deansuccessors
By JAVIER CAVAZOSThe Pan American
See DEANS page 11
Recenthearingsaddressborder
violenceBy LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
See VIOLENCE page 11
REED
Women’s rights groups nationwide
rejoiced Aug. 24 when the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) announced
its approval of the highly controversial
emergency contraceptive Plan B as an
over-the-counter (OTC) medication.
“This is a huge victory for women.
Emergency contraception, if widely
used, has the potential to prevent half of
all the unintended pregnancies in this
country each year,” said Kathryn Hearn,
community services director for Planned
Parenthood in McAllen. “It gives
women more control over their fertility,
over their destiny, over their dreams of
an education and a career.”
The approval came after a three-
year struggle between the manufacturer
and the FDA, with activist groups
putting pressure on both sides.
“Normally the FDA is not so
influenced with outside political groups,
but in this case they did come under a
tremendous amount of pressure to
prevent this approval of contraception,”
Hearn said.
Although women 18 and older will
be able to buy Plan B over the counter,
the FDA set an age restriction that will
require girls 17 and younger to get a
prescription. This is a compromise
decision that leaves Barr
Pharmaceuticals, the pill’s
manufacturer, wanting more.
“While we still feel that Plan B
should be available to a broader age group
without a prescription,” Bruce Downey,
Barr’s chairman and CEO, said, “we are
pleased that the agency has determined
that Plan B is safe and effective for use by
those 18 years of age and older as an over-
Plan B OK’d By CLAUDETTE GONZALEZThe Pan American
FDA approves OTC use of controversial pill
See PLAN B page 11
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1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
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News EditorSandra Gonzalezsandra_panamerican
@yahoo.com
A&E EditorFrank Calvillo
IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
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Making ‘fish’ year count - Follow students as they toughout the trials of SGA’s fresh-man year internship program
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READERFORUM
Designers
SecretaryAnita Casares
Laura C. [email protected]
Brian Carr
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Maria Mazariegos
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Reporters and Photographers
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THE PAN AMERICAN READER SURVEY:
Cine Sol Contest Reminder:
Correction: In last week’s The Pan American, quoted material in “UTPA theater department announces fall lineup” implied that thedepartment has never had a female director. This was incorrect. What was meant was that there had been few female directors inrecent times.
Also, in “Concerns over Castro’s fate still remains,” the interview subject was incorrectly identified as being from Cuba; shewas born in Mexico.
Name:Address:
Classification:Major: Phone #:
Thirteen lucky students will win a ticket to CineSol and be entered into a chance to win one offour real lucha libre masks signed by Ramses tobe given out at the festival. Please visit theStudent Publications office in COAS 170 fromAug. 24 - Sept. 1 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. todrop off your entry form. Students may also sendtheir name, address, telephone number, classifi-cation and major to [email protected] will be contacted shortly after.
It is widely known that everyday
Americans are falling deeper into debt.
Less widely known, however, is that The
University of Texas-Pan American is no
exception to the growing abyss of debt.
When approved, the most recent addi-
tion to UTPA’s debt will be a $50 million
fine arts academic and performance com-
plex.
The plans for the complex began when
House Bill 153, a piece of Texas legisla-
tion, was discussed May 31 during the
Legislature. This bill will allow $1.8 bil-
lion in new construction by 10 major pub-
lic university systems in Texas, paid for
through the issuance of tuition revenue
bonds.
When HB 153, cosponsored by State
Rep. Aaron Pena, is formally passed, the
state of Texas will grant UTPA $39.7 mil-
lion for the multi-purpose center and $6
million for a new Starr County Upper
Level Center in Rio Grande City.
The multi-purpose complex and Starr
County center are expected to be worth a
grand total of $50 million and $7.5 mil-
lion, respectively, leaving the university
with an estimated $11.8 million bill for the
two projects.
Pena, a member of the House
Appropriations Committee, will meet with
the committee during the next legislative
session to guarantee the interest and debt
on the tuition revenue bonds.
One year ago today, Elda Perez,
director of The University of Texas-Pan
American Day Care Center, opened the
doors of the child-care center for the first
time.
In particular, Perez remembers ask-
ing one small girl as she was walking
through the doors if she was ready to
come to school.
“She looked at me, and said: ‘I’m not
coming to school,’” Perez said. “And I
look at her, you know when you don’t how
to respond, and asked her: ‘What do you
mean you are not coming to school?’ and
she replied: ‘I am coming to college.’”
Perez said this was a great experi-
ence because the UTPA Day Care Center
aims to expose children to the idea of
going to college in the future.
“They will always remember that
they went to college with mom, so they
will have that illusion as well,” she said.
The center first opened with approx-
imately 95 children. Now, it is at full
capacity with 140 children and a waiting
list of approximately six months.
“This first year is made of mixed
feelings and mixed emotions,” Perez said.
“You put so much effort in what you do so
I can say it’s been very rewarding. It has
taken us a year to be at full capacity, and
we want to continue like this.”
Maria Estevez, a senior criminal jus-
tice major, brings her nearly 3-year-old
daughter Mariely every day to the center
and says it has been a wonderful experi-
ence.
“She is happy about coming every
day. At the end of the day, she doesn’t want
to come out of the room,” Estevez said.
“Sometimes the teacher has to walk her
out, and she cries because she doesn’t want
to leave. I feel very happy and safe about
bringing my daughter to this center.”
Despite the extensive waiting list,
Perez says the day care does not plan to
open new spots or accept more children
Out with the old and in with the new,
as the much-anticipated Oracle system is
set to go into effect Friday at The
University of Texas-Pan American.
As the 2005-2006 school year offi-
cially wraps up today, the accounting peri-
od or fiscal year also closes, which will
cause the current computer system at
UTPA to retire.
Oracle will assist university employ-
ees with tasks such as payroll, personnel
duties like new employees and scheduling
employees’ vacations, and some of the
university’s financial aspects pertaining to
purchasing and inventory. It will replace
Information Associates (ACTPLUS), an
older system in use for almost 20 years.
“UTPA’s current large computer sys-
tems are nearly 20 years old and are in
serious need of upgrading,” said Anne
Toal, director of Academic Computing.
The university first began discussing
the possible upgrade of systems in 2002,
and began looking for a system with mod-
ern capabilities. The Oracle Information
Systems software was purchased in 2003
but will not be implemented until the offi-
cial beginning of the 2006–2007 calendar
school year.
James Langabeer, vice president for
business affairs, says even though it may
take a while to utilize the system’s many
“tremendous” capabilities, it should not be
long until it is fully up and running.
“I anticipate it will be fully imple-
mented by the end of the fall semester,” he
said.
Gary Wiggins, vice president for
information technology, believes the sys-
tem is instrumental for the university
because of its endless capabilities and
By CRYSTAL LEE ROBINSONThe Pan American
Green- and white-clad Bronc cheer-
leaders ran down the aisles of The
University of Texas-Pan American Fine
Art’s Theater during the presentation of
the new UTPA logo last week. Angelo
Morsello, who helped design the logo,
could not help but be full of pride.
“I felt excited, happy and like I had
done a job well,” said Morsello, the graph-
ic designer from University Relations.
While the final product drew many
cheers from the crowd, few knew that
Morsello and a team of six to eight other
designers had just two weeks to make the
final product.
After balancing the logo assignment
with other projects and working several
hours a day, the team created approxi-
mately 100 new designs for UTPA.
“We had meetings and pretty much
went from 100 to 50 to the top 10,”
Morsello said. “Then, those went through
the UT System and the higher-ups at
UTPA.”
Finally, after four committee
approvals, they decided on the logo with
the right representation of the institution.
Morsello said he thought it out quite
extensively.
“I wanted something powerful, ele-
gant, modern, sophisticated, and legible,”
he said. “The older logo had this text that
was a little bit hard to read. I wanted to
take it in a new direction.”
Morsello added that every element
of the new design has meaning.
“The squares represent the compass:
north, south, east and west,” he said. “We
accept students from all over the world, so
See DAY CARE page 12
By CAROLINA SANCHEZThe Pan American
New logo moremodern, elegant
New Oracle system to debut today
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
See LOGO page 12
See ORACLE page 12
FIRST-DAY JITTERS - Emre clutches onto his mom, Yasemin, assistant adviserfor the study abroad program, as he gets dropped off for his first day at the UTPADay Care Center.
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Day care celebrates one-year anniversary
See FUNDS page 12
The Pan American and severalother student organizations will bepresent at an involvement fair todayon the Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. with the hopes of recruitingnew members.
News in brief:N E W S
OUT WITH THE OLD - Angelo Morcello, graphic designer, says the new UTPAlogo (bottom) is a far cry from the old one (top) as it is more legible and “elegant.”
University Relations
UTPA spending for constructionBy ANA LEYThe Pan American
The demand for golden skin is so
high that, according to Time magazine,
there are three times as many profession-
al tanning parlors in the United States as
there are Starbucks.
Locally, many Valley residents
employ this method.
“I like tanning inside. I tan about
three to four times per week for 13
minutes a session, then I stop for one
week and then tan again,” said Esmer
Sanchez, a 23 year-old receptionist at
The Bronzing House in McAllen. “I
love it.”
Indoor tanning is a $5 billion year-
ly industry in the United States With a
single tanning session at local parlors
running about $7-$10 for 15-20 minutes.
The trend seems to be attracting the
attention of young people everywhere.
“I don’t like the pasty look on
myself. I feel that does not look
healthy,” said Jenice Garza, a tanning
customer from McAllen.
While artificial tanning does guar-
antee a tan for most people, those who
do not tan naturally in the sun will still
find it difficult to achieve the desired
shade of brown under the tanning beds.
“Usually, it will take about 20 min-
utes a day for two weeks to begin seeing
a nice tan,” Jose Gonzales, a
Cornerstone Fitness Center consultant,
said. “But not everyone will tan.”
However, repeated attempts at get-
ting a tan cause damage to the skin. This
fact often comes to the shock of many
tan fans who rely on tanning parlors
because they feel it is a safer alternative
than sunbathing.
“I think it is safer than actual tan-
ning in the sun,” said Gilberto Salinas
Ibañez, a senior international business
major at The University of Texas-Pan
American. “It also saves a lot of time.
Being a senior here at UTPA takes a lot
of time. That’s why artificially tanning
comes in handy for me when I don’t
want my skin to look pale.”
According to the American
Academy of Dermatology, UV lamps
come with all the health risks of natural
sunlight and also emit some vitamin D
inducing UVB rays that in excess cause
sunburns and skin cancer along with
more UVA rays that cause wrinkles. Any
change in skin color, according to the
Skin Cancer Foundation, is a sign of UV
radiation damage.
But most customers deny that they
tan often or long enough to elicit the
harmful effects.
“I don’t do it that often to be get-
ting worried about the cancer risks or the
wrinkles,” said Garza.
While repeat customers are often
very enthusiastic about artificial tanning,
others are turned off by the fake process.
“Tanning in those beds just doesn’t
seem normal to me,” Reyna Lemus, a
freshman nursing student, said. “The
girls look so orange and burned when
they come out of there. It doesn’t look
healthy or nice.”
The fascination with artificial tan-
ning may be brought upon by many rea-
sons, but in the end it comes down to the
desire to achieve physical beauty and
perfection, even at the risk of one’s own
health. Julio Morales, a sophomore
criminal justice major, has one cardinal
rule: keep it natural.
“Don’t get so glossy golden tan
you end up looking like a glazed donut,”
Morales said.
Page 4 NNEEWWSS August 31, 2006
Indoor tanning more popular, risky than everBy MARIA A. MAZARIEGOSThe Pan American
Where: Local recruiting station at 2901 N. 10th St
When: Monday through Saturday 8:00am-5:00pm
Who: Your local recruiter at (956) 682-6141
Ask aboutMoney for
College
Onydia Garza/The Pan AmericanSUN DAYS - Though more young people are going to tanning parlors in search of the perfect golden tan,few heed the many medical warnings against it.
Standing atop the Pyramid of the
Sun in Theotihuacan, Mexico, Dahlia
Guerra felt connected to her Mexican
roots. While she took hundreds of steps to
reach the top, she and The University of
Texas-Pan American mariachis, which
she directs, knew the moment they
accomplished their goal, the work was
well worth it.
Much like her arduous journey to
the top of the pyramid, Guerra, an
Edinburg native, is hoping that the hard
work she does in her new role as dean of
the College of Arts and Humanities also
produces success.
“I think that is going to be a
challenge, but I am up for the challenge,”
she said. “I am looking forward to serving
the students and my community in any
way I can.”
Though she admits her new role
will not be an easy one, Guerra is hoping
that any and all the work she puts into
her job will allow the college to reach its
true potential.
“We have a very large, diverse
college. This college has the potential for
being the center of artistic and cultural
activity in the Valley,” she said. “As we
produce leaders, our students must be
prepared to go out not only into our
community but also into the world.”
Guerra, a graduate of Pan
American University, has had much
experience with travel.
“In a recent trip, we [she and the
UTPA mariachis] went to Chicago and
performed for thousands of children in
the Midwest who had never seen a
mariachi,” Guerra said. “It was a very
different culture than ours. We had a very
wonderful experience bringing them a
little part of South Texas and UTPA.”
However, before UTPA shares itself
with the rest of the world, Guerra says it
is important we share with each other.
“I need to talk with the faculty and
different chairs and assess their needs
and gather ideas,” she said. “I think we
need more open forums. People need to
be heard.”
Guerra added that this sharing of
ideas and needs is not exclusive to
faculty and staff.
“We need to schedule some
discussions between the dean and the
students and just listen,” she said. “I
would love to talk to students. I’ve always
been that kind of administrator. Students
come in and if they have a question,
problem or idea, my door is always open
for them. I make time.”
The only drawback to her new role
according to Guerra, is her lack of spare
time to practice her biggest passion:
piano.
“I just performed this past season
with the Valley symphony orchestra. I
soloed on the piano,” said Guerra, who
has a master’s degree in piano
pedagogy and was chair of the music
department before the upgrade. “I play
whenever I can.”
Her love for piano began at age 13
when she first started taking lessons at
Pan American University.
“So I feel like Pan American is my
home,” she said. “This is where I spent
the majority of the years of my life.”
Since then, her love for piano and
the university have grown concurrently.
“I love Bach, Mozart,
Rachmaninoff, those are my favorites. I
played the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody for
my graduate recital so I can probably say
it is one of my favorite pieces,” she said.
In the end, Guerra hopes her
position as dean allows her to further
connect to her long-time UTPA roots and
a chance to take the College of Arts and
Humanities to new, unforeseen heights.
August 31, 2006 NNEEWWSS Page 5
Sandra Gonzalez/ The Pan American
LOVE OF MUSIC - Dahlia Guerra(left) new dean of the College ofArts and Humanities, says shewon’t have much time to playpiano during the work week as herschedule will be hectic. However,she claims it is and always will beher greatest passion. Her otherlove, directing the UTPAmariachis, is also somethingGuerra says she will not give upjust yet as the music is very closeto her heart. The mariachis areshown above playing for a groupof school children in April.
Dahlia Guerra: at new heightsBy SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American Students
share theirthoughts on Dahlia
Guerra“She’s a super
lady. Dr. Guerratells us aboutopportunities forscholarships andgaining [career]experience.”
–Mike Trevino, senior music
“Dr. Guerra isalways helping,she knows a lotand is willing toget us in contactwith people she
knows that can be useful forschool and events.”
–Jaime Garcia, senior music
“[Guerra] ishonest, easy towork with andvery interested inhelping students,faculty and thecommunity.”
–Joel Pagan, viola professor
“Dr. Guerrahas a great pridein her culture andit shows in hersupport andpromotion of
groups like the UTPA mariachiband and other groups.”
–Maribel Garcia, seniorMBA/music
Dahlia Guerra
Hace un año, Elda Perez, directora
del albergue infantil de The University
of Texas-Pan American, abrio su guarde-
ria por primer vez.
En particular, Perez recuerda
haberle preguntado a una de las niñas
que entraba si estaba lista para empezar
la escuela.
“Volteo a verme a los ojos y
respondio: ‘Yo no vengo a la escuela,’”
dijo Perez. “Y yo la mire sin saber que
decir, y le pregunte: ‘Que quieres decir
con que no vienes a la escuela?’ y con-
testo: ‘Yo vengo a la universidad.’”
Perez exclamo que eso fue una
gran experiencia ya que UTPA Day Care
Center tiene la meta de exponer a los
niños a la idea de asistir a la universidad
en el futuro.
El centro se abrio con 95 niños
aproximadamente. Ahora esta a su max-
ima capacidad con 140 niños y una lista
de espera de 6 meses.
Maria Estevez, estudiante en justi-
cia criminal, trae a su hija de 2 años 8
meses, Mariely Estevez, todos los dias a
la guarderia. Estevez dice que ha sido
una experiencia maravillosa.
“Ella esta feliz de venir todos los
dias. Al final del dia, no quiere salir del
cuarto,” dijo Estevez. “A veces la profe-
sora tiene que caminarla fuera de la sala,
y llora por que no se quiere ir. Yo me
siento muy feliz y segura de poder traer
a mi hija al centro.”
A pesar de la larga lista de espera,
Perez dice que no hay ningun plan por
habrir nuevos lugares o aceptar a mas
niños porque tienen una licencia que
solo los deja aceptar un cierto numero de
niños. Mientras el centro podria aceptar
unos cuantos mas de niños, Perez dice
que han escogido no hacerlo porque la
calidad y atencion de maestros no seria
tan buena como lo es ahora.
Seguridad primeroLas medidas de seguridad de
UTPA Day Care Center son una de las
mayores atracciones. Cada padre de
familia tiene un codigo de seguridad.
Para venir a recoger a sus hijos, tienen
que marcar el numero de codigo en la
puerta.
“Cuando los padres marcan el codi-
go de seguridad, su foto aparece en la
pantalla de nuestro monitor, y asi sabe-
mos que son en realidad ellos,” dijo
Perez.
Michelle Sieber, especialista en
educacion, esta a cargo de todas las
activdades y planes de acuerdo a las lec-
ciones y edad de los niños.
“Todas nuestras actividades estan
basadas en un plan de estudio y estan
divididas en equipos cada mes. Despues
tienen lecciones semanales basadas en
esos equipos,” dijo Sieber.
ConvenienciaA parte de ser la guarderia mas cer-
cana al campus, UTPA Day Care Center
es la guarderia con mayor demanda por
lo que acomoda horarios para los estudi-
antes y facultad. Esta abierto de Lunes a
Viernes de 7 a.m - 6 p.m y solo cierra en
dias festivos importantes.
“El horario es de mucha ayuda para
todos ya que esta dentro del campus, por
lo que pueden dejar a sus hijos en
camino a clase, y si por ejemplo su clase
termina al mediodia tienen tiempo de ir
a estudiar o hacer otra cosa,” dijo Lee
Guerrero, socia administrativa que ha
trabajado en el centro pr 8 meses.
El mayor requerimiento que este
centro pide es que para ser elegible la
persona tiene que ser estudiante o parte
de la facultad o empleado de la universi-
dad con un niño que este entre los tres
meses de edad y cuantro años.
Guarderia de UTPA tiene exito al año de abrir Por CAROLINA SANCHEZTraducido Por MERCEDES CANTUThe Pan American
EN ESPAÑOLThe Pan American y otras organizacionesestudiantiles estarán presentes en una feriade participación estudiatil hoy en el Quadde 11: 30 a.m. a 1 p.m. con la esperanza deattraer miembros nuevos.
Noticias en breve:
Onydia Garza/The Pan AmericanKICKER - La mamá de Katarina la deja en UTPA Day Care Center donde ella esfeliz en estudiar en la universidad donde trabaja su papá.
&RTSNTERTAINMENT
Editor’s Pick: Must-read book
A semester begins, which means
new classes, new students, new teachers,
and a great deal of work for the univer-
sity choir and men’s and women’s cho-
ruses. All the groups perform different
music every semester.
Currently, they are preparing for
fall concerts; for its first one, Oct. 17,
the choir has chosen to pay tribute to the
composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in
honor of his 250th birthday this year.
“Every year we have four very
large-scale concerts,” said university
choir instructor Christopher Munn. “For
the first concert, we will be performing
a very long multi-movement work by
Mozart. This is the year 2006, and so
this is a big anniversary for Mozart, who
was born in 1756.”
At the choir’s next concert,
scheduled for Nov. 10, the group will be
performing a large, double-choir work
by Vivaldi. According to Munn, this
lineup of works by well-known com-
posers is characteristic of the choir,
which, due to degree of difficulty, is pri-
marily made up of music majors.
“The choir typically does lengthy
works by major composers,” said Munn.
“We rehearse every day, because it takes
every day to prepare such difficult
music.”
Many choir members were part of
the all-district choir when they were in
high school and have had training for
several years. That’s why they are able
to do advanced music.
While most are already experi-
enced singers, they appreciate Munn’s
talented leadership.
“The university choir is one of the
best in the state, with one of the best
directors, Dr. Munn,” said choir member
Erica Aldape, a senior music education
major. “Our program has had the chance
to expand in the last 10 years and we do
music that is very inspirational. When
we see great directors like Munn, it helps
us want to become better directors our-
selves, when we go out to the field.”
Munn is very optimistic about the
quality of upcoming performances.
“Our returning students are very
good and our incoming students, as of
today still remain to be seen, but we have
high expectations that they are going to be
very good also,” he said. “We hope to get
better every year, and hope to see our audi-
ence satisfied with our performances.”
Although the choir is open to stu-
dents of other majors, the level of skill
and commitment required generally
restrict membership to music majors.
However, those interested in singing for
fun have other options: the men’s or
women’s chorus.
Each one rehearses once a week and
their music is generally a bit less difficult
but more lighthearted and entertaining,
both for members and the audience.
“You don’t have to be a music
major to be part of the men’s or women’s
chorus,” said Munn. “In fact you don’t
have to, to be part of the university choir,
except that you have to be able to per-
form at a very high level, whereas men’s
and women’s chorus are a little more
entertaining.”
This is ideal for students like Lucas
Saenz, a sophomore business major plan-
ning on joining the men’s outfit.
“I like to sing and love to perform
in front of people. I think that this is a
great way of doing something I like,
while taking part in a school-related
activity,” said Saenz.
Choir, chorus appeal to singers of all skill levelsBy LESLIE ESTRADAThe Pan American
Annual event promises celebrities, music and scares
The temperature reached a swel-
tering 105 degrees on Labor Day 2000
in the Rio Grande Valley. Despite the
heat, more than 3,000 people gathered
at the then-called Pepsi Sports Park at
Shary Plantation in Mission. It marked
the beginning of an annual event that’s
currently in its seventh year.
The South Texas Scorcher, re-
named in 2004 to simply The Scorcher,
has grown greatly and has become a
Valley attraction. It was created by
Marc Fantich, president of The Fantich
Media Group, an advertising agency
and publicity firm based in South
Texas.
This year’s show will be Sept. 3 at
the Dodge Arena, located at 2600 N. 10
St., in Hidalgo. The arena allows it to be
an all-day indoor and outdoor affair.
Tickets are $15 and children under 10
get in free.
According to The Scorcher’s Web
site, its home has changed through the
years. In 2001, it moved to Valley Race
Park in Harlingen; where it remained in
2002 as well. It returned to the
Sharyland Sports Park in 2003. Finally,
in 2004, it was moved to the Dodge
Arena and has remained there since.
The occasion houses a multitude
of events from car and bikini shows to
tribute bands.
Maritiza Cantu, a UTPA graduate
and McAllen resident, attended The
Scorcher in 2003. Though, there wasn’t
enough time to see all the events, Cantu
enjoyed what she saw.
“I liked the bands I got to see,”
Cantu said. “Some of my friends’ bands
got to play as well, so it was fun seeing
them jamming out on stage.”
While many, like Cantu, are
attracted to The Scorcher because of the
variety of events and shows, some still
fail to gain interest.
“I’ve heard it’s really not that
great and from the commercials I’ve
seen, it doesn’t look that great,” said
Deyanira Gonazalez, a junior communi-
cation disorders major. “It’s always
tribute bands, unknown bands, car
shows and really nothing that exciting.”
This year, however, the Dodge
Arena Web site has added an element of
surprise by stating that, for the first time
in Scorcher history, there will be three
huge wrestling stars from the WWE and
TNA. Jerry “The King” Lawler, Conan
and Christy Hemme will be signing
autographs all day.
At the event, six tribute bands will
pay homage to Kiss, Van Halen, Pink
Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin
and Rush.
Other events include a $1,000
bikini contest, a Scream Factor X
Haunted House, a huge skating ramp
where skateboarders will show off their
abilities and a car show.
The Scorcher is expanding every
year and this year is no exception.
“It’s always growing and we’re
always adding in new bits to it,” said
Hector Orozco, an assistant with the
event. “We just started advertising for
this a few weeks back but tickets sales
have been pretty good.”
A sign of growth is evident in its
attendance record. The event started out
bringing in a little more than 3,000 peo-
ple but that number has grown to over
15,000 now.
For more information on The
Scorcher, visit www.dodgearena.com or
www.thescorcher.net
By TREY SERNAThe Pan American
“Crisis”The new thriller frombest-selling author
Robin Cook
SINGING SENSATION - Choir director Christopher Munn accompanies The University of Texas-Pan American choir onthe piano during rehearsal Wednesday. The group is preparing for their first concert scheduled for Oct. 17.
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
E A
August 31, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT August 31, 2006
He is known as a comedic genius to many members ofGeneration X. With his witty humor, sardonic characters andone-of-a-kind interpretations of American life, Mike Judgehas succeeded in constantly delivering hilarity, but also a par-ody of American society in general.
Judge reached millions of teenagers through his infa-mous MTV cartoon “Beavis and Butthead,” and later foundhis way onto network television through his long-runninganimated sitcom, “King of the Hill.”
His traditional method of focusing on characters ratherthan simple gags has become a constant for Judge.
“I think for me, it’s always been that way. I actually likegag writing, but my strength is definitely more observationalstuff,” said Judge in a recent interview with ign.com.
But it was the first foray into the arena of live-action fea-ture films, with the satirical comedy “Office Space,” thatproved a career highpoint for Judge, and has now becomeone of the most highlighted footnotes in his stellar career.
It has been nearly eight years since Judge’s “OfficeSpace” came out, but next month, the man who made red sta-plers a must-have accessory for many fans will release hissecond live-action feature film, “Idiocracy.”
The film tells the story of Joe Bowers, an average guywho is handpicked by NASA to embark on a hibernation pro-gram set in the future. Once the mission is under way, Joe dis-covers a society filled completely with idiots.
Fans have been waiting a long time for something newfrom Judge, a man who oddly enough, was the most unlikelycandidate for a comedy writer imaginable.
THE EVOLUTION OF JUDGEBorn in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1962 to middle class par-
ents and raised in Albuquerque, Judge expressed an interestin science from an early age. Like many other boys, he par-ticipated in various activities such as Boy Scouts growing up.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physicsfrom The University of California at San Diego, Judgeenjoyed a brief stint as bass guitarist of Anson Funderburghand The Rockets, a blues band.
Shortly after marrying girlfriend Francesca Morocco in1989, the 27-year-old was hired as a writer and cartoonist forHBO’s late night comedy talk-show “Night After Night.” Notonly did Judge write for the show, but he also drew cartoons,voiced the characters, composed the music and produced anddirected a series of short films for the program.
It was on “Night After Night” that he introduced hisaudience to two young boys who sat around the televisionsaying whatever came into their heads. Judge named thesetwo characters Beavis and Butthead. Shortly after the pro-gram aired, MTV came knocking.
STRIKING A CHORD“Beavis and Butthead” grew from a short cartoon to a
full-fledged series in 1993, when it premiered on MTV’s“Liquid Television.” Almost instantly the cable channel’saudience, which consisted of many teenagers and youngadults, was hooked on the antics of these two pre-teens andtheir mindless babble. It wasn’t long before the pair beganappearing everywhere from video games to Christmas spe-cials, spawning a slew of merchandising.
Monica Mejia, an English graduate student at TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American, recalls the first time sheencountered the terrible twosome on television.
“I just remember thinking they were stupid little kids thatdidn’t make any sense, but for some reason were still kind offunny,” she said.
However Judge didn’t have time to sit back and enjoy thefruits of his success as he was still undertaking all aspects ofproduction including, writing, drawing, producing, compos-ing, directing and providing all of the voices.
In December 1996 MTV Films and Paramount picturesbrought Judge and his cartoon to the big screen with “Beavisand Butthead Do America” to theaters nationwide. The hitanimated feature film boasted the voices of notable
Hollywood stars such as Demi Moore, Bruce Willis andDavid Spade.
“SHUT UP BEAVIS!”However by the spring of 1997 Judge was growing tired
of working on a show which he felt had run its course. Hewas much more interested in an animated sitcom he had beendeveloping about a Texan family.
But MTV didn’t want to let Judge, or his valuable fran-chise go. So as a compromise, Judge agreed to let the cablechannel take one of “Beavis and Butthead’s” supporting char-acters, Daria, and expand her into her own spin-off on thecondition that Judge would play no role in the new series.
Soon after, Judge took his new pet project over to execsat the FOX network, who offered him a lucrative contract andcreative control for the newly titled sitcom “King of the Hill.”
The show, which centered on a conservative Texan gaso-line salesman named Hank, his stern wife Peggy, their free-spirited son Bobby and a group of wacky friends and neigh-bors, premiered in the fall of 1997 immediately following“The Simpsons” on Sunday night. “King of the Hill” scoredwith audiences as well as critics who finally embracedJudge’s unique sense of humor.
Despite the sitcom’s continued success (the show recent-ly celebrated its 200th episode), Judge realizes how “King ofthe Hill” differs from other family-oriented shows.
“I get tired of the sitcom wife who’s always right andalways good. I like having the husband be right and the wifebe a little bit messed up for a change,” said Judge.“Sometimes I think we’ve gone too far with it though.”
HEADING TO THE OFFICEThe concept for “Office Space” first entered Judge’s
mind when he reflected upon his own experiences in theworkforce.
“Office Space was definitely inspired by my own horridjobs,” said Judge. “I worked at Jack in the Box in high schooland after college I worked as an engineer for about a year anda half, so that’s where a lot of it came from.”
The comedy, which showcased the ups and downs ofemployees in major corporations, was first developed into askit by Judge for “Night After Night,” and later as a segmentfor NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
In early 1998, Judge, who had secured a movie dealwith 20th-Century Fox, decided to expand his belovedpremise into a full-length, live-action feature film.
The story dealt with Peter Gibbons, a man who works amenial job for a huge corporation called Initech. Throughoutthe course of the movie Peter, along with his co-workersdevise a way to get back at the system and seek revenge onthe company they loathed.
The film, made on a modest budget of $10 million, wascritically praised by many who applauded Judge for his accu-rate portrayal of the everyday workplace.
Variety Magazine’s Joe Leydon even went as far asto compare Judge’s film with other comedic names ofthe past.
“Imagine a live-action version of the ‘Dilbert’comic strip with a touch of Hal Hartley’s deadpanabsurdism, and you have the frequently uproarious‘Office Space,’” he wrote.
However, the film was hardly a hit and wasbarely able to recoup the amount of money itcost to make.
It wasn’t until “Office Space” wasreleased on video and DVD that the filmbegan to gain popularity among many.
“It was honest,” said UTPA journal-ism major Robert Vinson, who has seenthe film numerous times. “A lot of come-dies are set up to be formulaic, but this one was-n’t anything like that.”
Vinson, a senior, agrees that it’s the film’s subject matterwhich has made “Office Space” resonate with audiences sowell.
“I think people who work in cubicles sympathize withthe dehumanizing aspects of working in a place like that,” hesaid. “Judge was successful in bringing that to light.”
Although released years ago, Office Space continues tolive on in merchandising through T-shirts, key chains, mousepads and of course a special-edition DVD. The Swingline sta-tionary company even went so far as to mass-produce red sta-plers, acknowledging a similar one that was made specifical-ly for the film.
Regardless of the film’s fan base though, Judge remainshesitant to produce a sequel to “Office Space.”
“Fox has been asking me about doing a sequel and I start-ed thinking, boy it would be fun, but nothing’s in the worksright now,” he said.
THE UNITED STATES OF UHHMERICACurrently Judge is continuing his work on “King
of the Hill,” a still-fruitful series that has earned himfive Emmy nominations - including one win for bestanimated series in 1999 - and legions of fans.
In recent years Judge has also kept busy with sideprojects such as television work and a theatrical ven-ture called “The Animation Project,” an anthologyshowcasing various short animated films for audi-ences.
This September Judge will release “Idiocracy,”his first live-action film since “Office Space,” toselect cities.
Though the plot is a far cry from Judge’s previ-ous work, the seasoned writer describes the film
enthusiastically.“I was thinking about evolution, and how since now
there are no more natural predators, pretty much everyonesurvives,” he said. “But it’s 500 years in the future and every-one’s dumb.”
The question of whether or not Judge’s latest effort willacquire the same following as his last one is irrelevant sinceJudge has more than left his mark.
“He has that dry sense of humor that has helped him todo some pretty interesting stuff,” said Mejia. “I think he wasreally the one responsible for shows like ‘Southpark’ and‘Family Guy.’ They didn’t really exist before he came along.”
August 31, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9Page 8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT August 31, 2006
He is known as a comedic genius to many members ofGeneration X. With his witty humor, sardonic characters andone-of-a-kind interpretations of American life, Mike Judgehas succeeded in constantly delivering hilarity, but also a par-ody of American society in general.
Judge reached millions of teenagers through his infa-mous MTV cartoon “Beavis and Butthead,” and later foundhis way onto network television through his long-runninganimated sitcom, “King of the Hill.”
His traditional method of focusing on characters ratherthan simple gags has become a constant for Judge.
“I think for me, it’s always been that way. I actually likegag writing, but my strength is definitely more observationalstuff,” said Judge in a recent interview with ign.com.
But it was the first foray into the arena of live-action fea-ture films, with the satirical comedy “Office Space,” thatproved a career highpoint for Judge, and has now becomeone of the most highlighted footnotes in his stellar career.
It has been nearly eight years since Judge’s “OfficeSpace” came out, but next month, the man who made red sta-plers a must-have accessory for many fans will release hissecond live-action feature film, “Idiocracy.”
The film tells the story of Joe Bowers, an average guywho is handpicked by NASA to embark on a hibernation pro-gram set in the future. Once the mission is under way, Joe dis-covers a society filled completely with idiots.
Fans have been waiting a long time for something newfrom Judge, a man who oddly enough, was the most unlikelycandidate for a comedy writer imaginable.
THE EVOLUTION OF JUDGEBorn in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1962 to middle class par-
ents and raised in Albuquerque, Judge expressed an interestin science from an early age. Like many other boys, he par-ticipated in various activities such as Boy Scouts growing up.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physicsfrom The University of California at San Diego, Judgeenjoyed a brief stint as bass guitarist of Anson Funderburghand The Rockets, a blues band.
Shortly after marrying girlfriend Francesca Morocco in1989, the 27-year-old was hired as a writer and cartoonist forHBO’s late night comedy talk-show “Night After Night.” Notonly did Judge write for the show, but he also drew cartoons,voiced the characters, composed the music and produced anddirected a series of short films for the program.
It was on “Night After Night” that he introduced hisaudience to two young boys who sat around the televisionsaying whatever came into their heads. Judge named thesetwo characters Beavis and Butthead. Shortly after the pro-gram aired, MTV came knocking.
STRIKING A CHORD“Beavis and Butthead” grew from a short cartoon to a
full-fledged series in 1993, when it premiered on MTV’s“Liquid Television.” Almost instantly the cable channel’saudience, which consisted of many teenagers and youngadults, was hooked on the antics of these two pre-teens andtheir mindless babble. It wasn’t long before the pair beganappearing everywhere from video games to Christmas spe-cials, spawning a slew of merchandising.
Monica Mejia, an English graduate student at TheUniversity of Texas-Pan American, recalls the first time sheencountered the terrible twosome on television.
“I just remember thinking they were stupid little kids thatdidn’t make any sense, but for some reason were still kind offunny,” she said.
However Judge didn’t have time to sit back and enjoy thefruits of his success as he was still undertaking all aspects ofproduction including, writing, drawing, producing, compos-ing, directing and providing all of the voices.
In December 1996 MTV Films and Paramount picturesbrought Judge and his cartoon to the big screen with “Beavisand Butthead Do America” to theaters nationwide. The hitanimated feature film boasted the voices of notable
Hollywood stars such as Demi Moore, Bruce Willis andDavid Spade.
“SHUT UP BEAVIS!”However by the spring of 1997 Judge was growing tired
of working on a show which he felt had run its course. Hewas much more interested in an animated sitcom he had beendeveloping about a Texan family.
But MTV didn’t want to let Judge, or his valuable fran-chise go. So as a compromise, Judge agreed to let the cablechannel take one of “Beavis and Butthead’s” supporting char-acters, Daria, and expand her into her own spin-off on thecondition that Judge would play no role in the new series.
Soon after, Judge took his new pet project over to execsat the FOX network, who offered him a lucrative contract andcreative control for the newly titled sitcom “King of the Hill.”
The show, which centered on a conservative Texan gaso-line salesman named Hank, his stern wife Peggy, their free-spirited son Bobby and a group of wacky friends and neigh-bors, premiered in the fall of 1997 immediately following“The Simpsons” on Sunday night. “King of the Hill” scoredwith audiences as well as critics who finally embracedJudge’s unique sense of humor.
Despite the sitcom’s continued success (the show recent-ly celebrated its 200th episode), Judge realizes how “King ofthe Hill” differs from other family-oriented shows.
“I get tired of the sitcom wife who’s always right andalways good. I like having the husband be right and the wifebe a little bit messed up for a change,” said Judge.“Sometimes I think we’ve gone too far with it though.”
HEADING TO THE OFFICEThe concept for “Office Space” first entered Judge’s
mind when he reflected upon his own experiences in theworkforce.
“Office Space was definitely inspired by my own horridjobs,” said Judge. “I worked at Jack in the Box in high schooland after college I worked as an engineer for about a year anda half, so that’s where a lot of it came from.”
The comedy, which showcased the ups and downs ofemployees in major corporations, was first developed into askit by Judge for “Night After Night,” and later as a segmentfor NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
In early 1998, Judge, who had secured a movie dealwith 20th-Century Fox, decided to expand his belovedpremise into a full-length, live-action feature film.
The story dealt with Peter Gibbons, a man who works amenial job for a huge corporation called Initech. Throughoutthe course of the movie Peter, along with his co-workersdevise a way to get back at the system and seek revenge onthe company they loathed.
The film, made on a modest budget of $10 million, wascritically praised by many who applauded Judge for his accu-rate portrayal of the everyday workplace.
Variety Magazine’s Joe Leydon even went as far asto compare Judge’s film with other comedic names ofthe past.
“Imagine a live-action version of the ‘Dilbert’comic strip with a touch of Hal Hartley’s deadpanabsurdism, and you have the frequently uproarious‘Office Space,’” he wrote.
However, the film was hardly a hit and wasbarely able to recoup the amount of money itcost to make.
It wasn’t until “Office Space” wasreleased on video and DVD that the filmbegan to gain popularity among many.
“It was honest,” said UTPA journal-ism major Robert Vinson, who has seenthe film numerous times. “A lot of come-dies are set up to be formulaic, but this one was-n’t anything like that.”
Vinson, a senior, agrees that it’s the film’s subject matterwhich has made “Office Space” resonate with audiences sowell.
“I think people who work in cubicles sympathize withthe dehumanizing aspects of working in a place like that,” hesaid. “Judge was successful in bringing that to light.”
Although released years ago, Office Space continues tolive on in merchandising through T-shirts, key chains, mousepads and of course a special-edition DVD. The Swingline sta-tionary company even went so far as to mass-produce red sta-plers, acknowledging a similar one that was made specifical-ly for the film.
Regardless of the film’s fan base though, Judge remainshesitant to produce a sequel to “Office Space.”
“Fox has been asking me about doing a sequel and I start-ed thinking, boy it would be fun, but nothing’s in the worksright now,” he said.
THE UNITED STATES OF UHHMERICACurrently Judge is continuing his work on “King
of the Hill,” a still-fruitful series that has earned himfive Emmy nominations - including one win for bestanimated series in 1999 - and legions of fans.
In recent years Judge has also kept busy with sideprojects such as television work and a theatrical ven-ture called “The Animation Project,” an anthologyshowcasing various short animated films for audi-ences.
This September Judge will release “Idiocracy,”his first live-action film since “Office Space,” toselect cities.
Though the plot is a far cry from Judge’s previ-ous work, the seasoned writer describes the film
enthusiastically.“I was thinking about evolution, and how since now
there are no more natural predators, pretty much everyonesurvives,” he said. “But it’s 500 years in the future and every-one’s dumb.”
The question of whether or not Judge’s latest effort willacquire the same following as his last one is irrelevant sinceJudge has more than left his mark.
“He has that dry sense of humor that has helped him todo some pretty interesting stuff,” said Mejia. “I think he wasreally the one responsible for shows like ‘Southpark’ and‘Family Guy.’ They didn’t really exist before he came along.”
Page 10 A & E August 31, 2006
The real New York Dolls
emerged from the Manhattan punk-
rock underground in the early 1970s
dressed in drag and drenched in self-
destruction. Precursors to the she-
male rock heroes who enjoyed play-
ing to arena-capacity crowds during
the Reagan Era, the Dolls fell short of
finding fame, and had to settle for
influential status.
Blondie, The Clash, Poison and
countless others credit the Dolls as
their musical inspiration. But record
companies were leery of the New
York-based semi-cross-dressers due
to their eccentric behaviors and col-
lective addictions.
After a half decade without
mainstream success the Dolls dis-
banded. Two of the founding mem-
bers went on to form The
Heartbreakers, a punk rock band in no
way associated with Tom Petty, while
lead singer David Johansen took on a
solo career.
The New York Doll’s latest
endeavor “One Day It Will Please Us
To Remember Even This,” is a
reunion of sorts with founding mem-
ber Johansen and popular member
Sylvain Sylvain regrouping to capital-
ize on the history of their 1970s band.
Initially the defunct group was
brought together by Morissey to play
the 2004 Meltdown Festival at the
Royal Albert Hall in London. That
reunion was well chronicled in the
2005 documentary “New York Doll”
which followed estranged, troubled
founding-bassist Arthur “Killer” Kain
as he practiced for the reunion. Kain
died of Leukemia two months after
that final gig.
Unfortunately for the deceased,
the new product is strong.
The collective mentality of
Sylvain and Johansen is ‘Screw
Posterity.’ There is no lament and no
fatigue on the Dolls’ new recording.
There is less drag swagger due to old
age and road wear, but the intention
remains the same – rock and roll.
Opening with the harmonica-
driven testimonial “We’re All in
Love,” the Dolls quickly establish the
reality that their geriatric skills can
still maintain punk-rock progressions.
On “Dance like a Monkey,” they
put together a drum-driven toe-tapper
seemingly created for radio broadcast.
But it is on “Fishnets and
Cigarettes” that the Dolls return to
form, hinting at their blues and drag
queen roots while introducing a
mature reservation. They pontificate
what we’ve all known: “Happiness is
fishnets and cigarettes.”
Several guests perform with the
Dolls on their new CD including
R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe and
legendary blues gunslinger Bo
Didley. The result is a pentatonic per-
petuated pop gun of pleasure perfect
for road trips and bar parties.
Okay, it is slightly tacky that the
whole project is based on making
money. And it would have been
respectful to the deceased Dolls for
the living dolls to take on another
moniker for the latest album. But you
have to quietly root for a band that
has been through so much and
received so little.
What is ironic is that a band
founded upon the carelessness of
youth is poised to break through the
mainstream so late in their creative
lives. Dead Dolls, make ready to spin
in your graves.
By BRIAN CARRThe Pan American
Eatery offers patronsinternational cuisine
The same old everyday dining
experience can leave one’s palate
wanting to venture out and try some-
thing new. La Pampa is bringing a dif-
ferent type of Latin flavor to the
Valley.
La Pampa is an Argentinean steak-
house located at 3300 N. McColl in
McAllen. According to Julie Cantu, a
hostess, the McAllen location has been
open for almost eight months and the
Brownsville location just celebrated its
two-year anniversary.
According to the short story on the
back of the menus, the name “La
Pampa” means “the prairie.”
Argentina’s vast prairie lands yieldsim-
mense production of quality beef.
What makes this dining experience
different is the careful detail the chefs
take in order to make sure the experi-
ence is authentic.
“[The steaks] are cooked over an
open fire or mesquite,” said Frank
Gonzalez, a server for La Pampa.
“There’s nothing on the steak but sea
salt,” he added.
La Pampa offers some of the best
cuts of meat in the area. One of their
most popular dishes is known as the La
Cana, a 10-ounce sirloin steak served
with vegetables and either steak fries or
salad.
“Argentines very rarely ask for
rice, beans or tortillas,” said Gonzalez,
“just steak fries, usually, or vegetables.”
Another favorite for beef lovers is
the bife de lomo. This is a10-ounce
grilled beef tenderloin. According to
Gonzalez, it does not matter what dish
you select, it will just melt in your
mouth and customers tend to agree.
“I come here a couple times a
week,” said Dr. Lester Dyke, a cardiac
surgeon and McAllen resident who
was there enjoying a meal with his
family. “The bife de lomo is my
favorite dish.”
The menu has a variety of items
ranging from appetizers to salads to
deserts. An interesting appetizer can
blend a person’s sweet tooth and satisfy
carnivorous needs as well.
For example, the Empanadas
Argentinas are a good way to start off a
meal. The customary empanada is
stuffed with ground beef and spices.
The appetizers and meals are
served with a side of fresh baked bread
and an array of dips and spreads
including butter, chicken pate (or
paste), and Chime-Churri dip. This
tasty dip is a mix of parsley, ajo moli-
do (crushed garlic), basil, crushed red
peppers and virgin olive oil. Caution:
the garlic taste on this is very strong,
but it’s still good.
Now, for those who have to satis-
fy their sweet tooth there are more than
enough choices. The most ordered
desert is the Helado frito or fried ice
cream. The ice cream is covered in
Argentinean bread, deep fried and
sprinkled with cinnamon powder.
Although, this dessert is not an authen-
tic Argentinean dish, it still seems to
be a popular choice among customers.
And for those who wish to watch
the waistline, there are salads. The
Ensalada La Pampa is a mix of heart of
palm, artichoke hearts, olives and let-
tuce with balsamic dressing. Even
though these are salads the portions are
quite big and can feed two or more
people.
La Pampa has a romantic yet rus-
tic atmosphere, with candles on every
heavy, wooden table and chic settings;
it is definitely fine dining. The walls
are covered with traditional
Argentinean antiques that were
brought straight from South America,
ranging from lassoes and
“Alpargatas,” an old type of
Argentinean calendar, to posters
describing every step to the tango.
Music by Carlos Gardel, a famous
Argentinean singer, plays softly in the
background to help enhance the mood.
This is a great restaurant for a fam-
ily celebration or a date. Even if you’re
just in the mood to try something new,
then La Pampa will provide a unique
Latin dining experience.
By ANGELA SALAZARThe Pan American
New Dolls albumdiffers from original
Ruben Moses Garcia/The Pan American
VISITING ARGENTINA- La Pampa goes to great lengths to make sure that every customer’s diningexperience is unique.
the-counter product.”
The two-pill treatment, also known
by its generic name, levonorgestrel, is a
progestin-only contraceptive, meaning a
highly concentrated dose of one of the
same hormones used in oral
contraceptives. When taken within 72
hours of unprotected sex, studies have
shown that Plan B – or the “mornin- after
pill” - is 89 percent effective in preventing
pregnancy.
However, health professionals
stress that it should only be used in
case of emergency, not in place of a
regular contraceptive.
“It’s not meant to be used on a
regular basis. That’s why it’s called
‘emergency contraception,’” said Crystal
Stewart, an RN at Student Health
Services at The University of Texas-Pan
American. “If you’re going to take a
highly concentrated form of the pill, why
not just take regular birth control? It’s
easy, it’s safer, there are fewer side effects
and it’s much more reliable.”
In addition, Plan B is much more
expensive than the regular birth control
pill at $45 to $50 dollars per dosage.
Conventional birth control can be obtained
for $12 to $17 for a month’s supply at
Student Health Services on campus.
CONTROVERSYThe FDA’s approval of Plan B
becoming an OTC drug has raised
doubts. Many worry that easy access to
emergency contraception may result in a
false sense of confidence in it, rather
than on other more effective and reliable
forms of contraception.
“People who aren’t on birth control
and aren’t using condoms regularly
might take Plan B and it might work for
them once or twice but if they don’t
make changes that are more reliable,
they’re going to end up pregnant
anyway,” Stewart said.
However, Hearn believes this is not
the case.
“Survey after survey that we’ve
done tell us that for the most part, people
are using birth control when they come
for emergency contraception but they
had an accident, missed a couple of pills,
the condom broke or they were victims
of sexual assault,” she said.
Another issue swirling around the
approval is some confusion between
emergency contraceptives such as Plan
B and the so-called “abortion pill,”
which operates in a distinct manner to
end a pregnancy.
“The abortion pill, RU-486,
Mifeprex, by whatever names it is used,
actually causes the termination of a
pregnancy, whereas emergency
contraception is made of the same
hormones in regular birth control pills and
just prevents a pregnancy,” Hearn said.
The heart of the conflict, however,
is in the definition of pregnancy. While
the Catholic Church and many other
pro-life groups believe that life begins at
conception - when an egg is fertilized by
a sperm - many health organizations
including the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services and the American
College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists define pregnancy as
beginning when a fertilized egg attaches
to the uterine wall.
Plan B works in three ways to prevent
pregnancy. It can temporarily stop an egg
from being released from the ovaries to the
uterus, stop fertilization, or stop a fertilized
egg from attaching to the uterus.
Because one of the methods works
by preventing an already fertilized egg
from attaching to the uterus, the Catholic
Church strongly opposed the transition
from prescription-only status to over-the-
counter availability of Plan B.
“The Church is one of many
organizations that really defend life,
from conception to the end of life,” said
Alfonso Liguez, campus minister at the
Catholic Student Center in Edinburg.
“Life is important. It’s sacred. It must be
protected.”
For this reason, although the church
disapproves of all contraceptive use,
Liguez believes at the very least, women
should have the counsel of a physician
when taking emergency contraception.
“It’s important that women know
that without doctor’s supervision they
may be taking levels of a drug that
could potentially lead to an early
abortion and that’s a really grave issue,”
Liguez said. “Over-the-counter use of
this potentially harmful drug will
compromise informed consent and
follow-up care when necessary.”
However, based on the definition
generally accepted by health
organizations, Plan B does not cause
abortions. In fact, supporters believe that
it will actually decrease the number of
abortions that occur each year.
“The United States, for all its
resources, for all its wealth, for all its
education, has one of the highest rates of
unintended pregnancy in the
industrialized world,” Hearn said. “Of
course, the leading cause of the need for
abortion is unintended pregnancy. That’s
one of the wonderful things about
emergency contraception. It reduces the
need for abortion.”
While Student Health Services
offers students the opportunity to
purchase Plan B at the on-site
pharmacy, Stewart hopes not many will
need that service.
“I’d like to see people making safer
choices so that this isn’t something that
they need,” Stewart said. “But, it’s nice
that it’s there when they do need it.”
and see the reality of life on an
international boundary,” added Cortez.
“There’s a criminal element in every
society. Yes, some immigrants, legal or
otherwise, commit crimes in America,
but so do Americans.”
Cortez added that the media focus
more on border violence than on crimes
in Los Angeles, New York and other
large cities, which in his opinion is a
double standard.
Recent criminal activity involving
homicides and drug-related violence in
Mexico has prompted Congress to take
notice of the security of the border as
well as the influx of illegal immigrants.
Over 140 people have died in border
violence this year.
“The violence needs to be stopped
in any way,” Cortez said. “The facts
need to be examined and can’t be
embellished.”
Kidnappings and murders in
Ciudad Juarez and drug cartels have
plagued the border for years making
residents on both sides worry. Last year,
the U.S. State Department issued
warnings to tourists venturing across the
border and their Mexican counterparts
quickly dismissed the warnings as
unfounded.
Those with family on both sides of
the border often get first-hand accounts
of what occurs.
“I have family who live in Mexico
and sometimes the things that happen
there that I’ve heard about are scary,”
said Ricardo Rios, a sophomore political
science major. “The law enforcement is
nothing like what we have here and for
many families if anything does happen
to a loved one you may never have
closure.”
However, for many university
students, trips to Mexico are a regular
occurrence and don’t worry them.
“It never seems that dangerous to
me. I feel about as safe there as I do
here,” said Kelly Cramer, a junior
criminal justice major. “The violence
doesn’t really scare me that much, and
the cities that have been most affected
were Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juarez.”
Cramer added that crime can
happen anywhere.
“Things happen on both sides so
we can’t point fingers and say it is only
one group of people,” Cramer said.
The subcommittee meetings will
continue in various cities throughout the
country as Congress continues to tackle
immigration reform. Protests have been
held at several, including most recently
at the one in Houston, with critics
claiming it is political maneuvering and
election-year politics.
August 31, 2006 NEWS Page 11
PLAN B continued from page 1
a full-time dean is not a negative thing.
“In higher education
administration, it often takes a long time
to get hirings in place,” he said. “Having
interims for one to three years or more is
not uncommon.”
In fact, both deans have been able to
accomplish many things during their
service.
For some who serve as an interim
administrator, there is a tendency to
abstain from making major managerial
decisions. However, according to Reed,
the president made sure that was not the
case.
“President Cardenas was very clear
that she expected an interim dean to
operate as a dean, not as an interim,”
Reed said. “She did not want someone
coming in with the idea that it’s interim
and therefore shouldn’t make hard
decisions.”
He believes having an interim
administrator will eventually be more
harmful than beneficial, but service in the
short term, as in his and Menchaca’s
case, is vital to the success of the college.
Menchaca’s college is about to
establish a reading clinic in addition to
developing demonstration classrooms.
Reed’s college recently opened a new
student organizations
office where club
officers can meet.
During this academic
year, he would like to
start a recycling
program for his
college.
The previous provost, Rodolfo
Arevalo, appointed both Reed and
Menchaca to their current positions. It is
likely that both will continue serving for
at least another year.
VIOLENCE continued from page 1 DEANS continued from page 1
MENCHACA
flexibility. Running such a wide-ranging
system may cause its leaders some prob-
lems, of a technical nature or in set up,
along the way.
“If we anticipated any problems,
we’d fix them,” Wiggins said.
As of now, Langabeer said the only
obstacle they are predicting is the “learn-
ing curve.”
“There are people who have worked
with the current system for years, so bring-
ing in a new system may be a bit of a
change and adjustment,” he noted.
All the proper measures were taken
to ensure minimum problems. Employees
have and will be trained in order to gain
knowledge and better understand the sys-
tem and its capabilities.
“We are not going to change every-
thing in one day,” Wiggins said after men-
tioning that the system will be slowly
phased in.
The university currently has over
1,000 employees who will use the system.
“At this time, students who aren’t
also employees will not see a whole lot of
the system. The system is mainly for
employees; it is a software system in
which everyone and everything gets paid,”
Langabeer said. “The purpose of this sys-
tem is to upgrade our old one. We need
more convenient ways to pay things such
as parking permits and/or citations.”
As of today the old computer system
is still running, but by midnight tonight it
will retire and Oracle will take its place.
Page 12 NEWS August 31, 2006
FUNDS continued from page 3
DAY CARE continued from page 3
because it has a license that only allows a
certain number of kids. While the center
could accept a few more children, Perez
says they choose not to take more because
the quality and teacher attention would not
be as good.
Currently, the center’s staff includes
10 full-time employees, seven part-timers,
an assistant director, an education special-
ist, and about to 20 staff members, includ-
ing work-studies.
SAFETY FIRSTThe security measures at the Center
are also one of the main attractions. Every
parent is assigned a security code, and in
order to come in and pick their child up,
they have to dial the code at the door. If
another person is allowed to come pick a
child up from the center, they are assigned
a different code.
“When the parent dials the security
code, a parent photo comes out on the
monitor, so we know that is the parent,”
Perez said. “We make sure that is the par-
ent, and that they are taking the correct
child.”
Michelle Sieber, an education spe-
cialist, is in charge of activities and plans
them according to lesson plans and the
child’s age.
“All of our activities are based on
our curriculum and they are divided in
teams every month. Then you have week-
ly lessons based on those teams,” Sieber
said.
Some of the past teams have includ-
ed: I am special, transportation, commu-
nication, community helpers.
CONVENIENCEAside from being the nearest child
care center to campus, the UTPA Day
Care is also in high demand as it accom-
modates student and faculty schedules. It
is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-6
p.m and is only closed on major holi-
days.
“The schedule is very helpful for the
people because it is on campus, so you can
drop your kid on your way to class, and
also if their classes end at 12:30 p.m. they
have time to study or do whatever they
need to do,” said Lee Guerrero, an admin-
istrative associate who has been working
with the center for eight months.
The center is also budget-conscious
with three options for payment: private
pay, some child care grants such as “Child
Care Assistance Means for Parents and
School,” also called Campus Grant or C-
Grant, and “Child Care Services,” which
is when an outside agency refers you to
the UTPA Day Care Center.
The main requirement is that in
order to be eligible the person has to be
student, faculty or staff with a child
between the ages of three months and four
years. However, the facility is primarily
for students, and so they are only allowed
to accept a certain amount of spaces for
faculty and staff.
“It’s going to be a tight budgetary
cycle because of other demands such as
tax cuts, state park and jail maintenance,”
Pena said. “But the state of Texas is grow-
ing, and we have to keep up with it.”
While he believes the school will have
to endure growing pains, he is certain that
taking on the project will ultimately prove
a progressive step for the community.
“UTPA is a jewel in the Valley, and we
hope that adding this building will help
make it shine even brighter,” he said. “I
know this center will further highlight the
rich diversity the Valley has to offer.”
James Langabeer, vice president for
business affairs at UTPA, envisions the
multi-events complex as “the future center
of cultural event presentation in the lower
Rio Grande Valley.”
“We are certain this will be a premiere
theatre for not only our students, but our
community members as well,” he said.
While the university and community
leaders have not released any detailed
specifications for the arena because it is
still in the very early stages of planning,
Langabeer predicts the school’s tennis
courts and track will have to be moved for
its construction.
He added that while they are not sure
about the availability of the land they want
to use, the school’s current focus is to
build it on the corner of University Drive
and Miguel Nevarez Drive.
Although state legislators must still
formally pass HB 153 during their next
regular session in January, Langabeer and
other local community leaders are confi-
dent it will be approved. He anticipates a
meeting with UTPA President Blandina
Cardenas and Marvin Boland, director of
the university’s facilities planning office,
taking place before then so that they may
begin to discuss the project’s execution.
“This will be the first of a long series
of meetings with university planners and
community leaders so that we can eventu-
ally get into the nitty-gritty of it all,” he
said. “We still have to wait for the bill to
get formally approved, so the project is
still in its preliminary stage. But we’d
rather hit the ground running and start
talking to our planners now.”
While Langabeer believes the univer-
sity will have little flexibility to take on
more debt for another large project after
building the complex, he is confident the
realization of the university’s vision will
be well worth it.
“It’d be nice if we just had money
lying around and didn’t have to take on
any debt at all, but we don’t,” Langabeer
said. “All I can say is, we’ll manage.”
Luis Roberto Garcia, a sophomore
criminal justice major, believes that
though a fine arts auditorium would bene-
fit students, the funds would have been
better suited for addressing parking issues.
“Whenever we (students) take our
lunch break, it gets very hard to find a
spot, and it gets really packed at the base-
ball stadium,” he said. “I can see why they
would want to build something for fine
arts students, though, because the practice
rooms and dressing rooms for music stu-
dents are very small.”
Roberto Soto, a 2005 graduate in the-
ater performance, believes the fine arts
academic and performance complex is a
definite necessity.
“The university will reap more than it
sows by giving theatre students a place to
perform and show everyone how capable
they are,” he commented. “It will allow the
Valley to expand its intellectual diversity.”
Soto believes that a new acting arena
will allow performers to put on more
impressive shows and ultimately inspire
younger students to study theatre at
UTPA.
ORACLE continued from page 3
LOGO continued from page 3
TO CAPACITY - With approximately 140 children enrolled, the UTPA Day CareCenter has a waiting list of six months.
Courtesy of UTPA Day Care Center
they represent the diversity of students
from UTPA.”
In addition, Morsello said he chose
the star to take center stage because it is a
well-known symbol of the UT System and
because the students are “shining stars.”
“They excel and shine in their field
of study,” he said, adding that when he
learned that he was going to be part of the
project, he was thrilled.
“It was a project that I had wanted,”
he said. “I am very honored to have been
a part of it.”
Ramiro R. Lozano, publications pro-
duction manager for University Relations,
also worked on the logo project and said
students had input on the final decision.
“I think this was important because
in years past students really didn’t have as
much of a direct say,” he said. “There was
actual student representative.”
For now, UTPA students can view
the new logo on the Web site – which also
has a new look as of Monday - or around
campus on various posters. For Morsello,
this is one of the biggest honors.
“It feels good to see the logo
around campus,” he said. “As a designer
you feel so proud to have something you
made reproduced in so many ways. I’m
very proud and honored that my logo
was chosen.”
INSTITUTION SUBMITS CAPITALPROJECT PROPOSAL
TEXAS HIGHEREDUCATION
COORDINATINGBOARD
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS& RATES PROJECT
REVIEWS PROJECTSTO MEET
INSTITUTION’S NEEDS
AUTHORIZES PROPOSAL
LEGISLATURE
TEXAS BONDREVIEW BOARD
APPROPRIATEBOARD OFREGENTS
STATE BUDGETOFFICE
SUBJECT TOAPPROVAL BY
REVIEWS &APPROVES BOND
ISSUANCE
ATTORNEY GENERAL
APPROPRIATESDEBT SERVICE
CONFIRMS THAT FINANCING SYSTEM IS APPROPRIATE
HOW TRBs GET APPROVED
August 31, 2006 SSPPOORRTTSS Page 13
SPORTSCLIPBOARD
Game 3 win boosts Coyotes into ULB Championship SeriesComeback Kids do it again to clinch series
The Edinburg Coyotes defeated the Laredo Broncos 5-3 on Monday night, winning thethree-game series 2-1 to advance to the United League Championship Series.
The Coyotes are now facing the Alexandria Aces in the United League Baseball champi-onship series, a best-of-five tilt that started Wednesday in Alexandria, La. The AlexandriaAces defeated San Angelo in the other semi-final series.
Despite manager Vince Moore utilizing a solid lineup of six pitchers allowing only threeruns, the Coyotes survived another close call with a come-from-behind rally after trailing 3-1going into the bottom of the sixth inning. They scored one run in the sixth inning off a clutchtwo-out single by Evan Cherry, and then followed it up with two runs in the seventh inning tosecure the lead.
The Coyotes started the series with a 6-4 loss to the Broncos, putting the team in a must-win situation. With their backs against the wall, the Coyotes fought back from an early 7-0deficit in Game 2 Sunday, scoring seven unanswered runs, topped off with a two-out doubleby Carlos Gallardo that sent the game into extra innings. In the 10th inning, Eddie Lara fin-ished off the incredible surge with a single up the middle, securing an 8-7 victory and tying theseries at 1-1.
Davis promoted to associate head coach for UTPA women's hoopsNews passed last week on hiring
UTPA head women's basketball coach DeAnn Craft announced last Friday that Jill Davishas been promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach for the Lady Broncs.
Davis has played an instrumental role in the rebirth of the Lady Broncs' program throughtireless hours of evaluating, recruiting and signing student-athletes on the current roster. Overthe course of the last two seasons, Davis has helped the Lady Broncs develop one of theirdeepest and most talented women's basketball roster in program history.
Two years ago they won a program-best 14 games.The Lady Broncs' recent roster has included some of the best talent at the junior college
level in the state of Texas to go along with a McDonald's All-American nominee, a student-ath-lete selected as one of the top 150 players in the country as well as a trio of top-100 playersin the state.
On the court, Davis handles the perimeter players for the Lady Broncs, both on the offen-sive and defensive side of the ball. Over the course of the last two seasons, the Lady Broncshave connected on 259 three-point field goals, including 134 during the 2004-05 season, thefourth most in program history. Former Lady Bronc standout Dominique Montague was oneof the biggest reasons for UTPA's ability to shoot from behind the arc as she connected on111 career treys, third in program history.
In addition to her on-court responsibilities, Davis also directs the UTPA Lady Bronc eval-uations, campus visits for potential recruits as well as the team’s home presentations. Thefourth-year coach has her hand in all facets of the UTPA women's basketball program as sheserves as the team's travel coordinator and lead scout.
UTPA Sports Information
FOCUSED - Eddie Wilson, catcher for the Edinburg Coyotes, watches the game with teammates.The Coyotes won 5-3 Monday over the Laredo Broncos to advance to the championship series,which began last night. Games 1 and 2 are in Alexandria, La.
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
FOR THE RECORD
UTPA SPORTS
Volleyball
Upcoming Schedule
Sept. 1 Texas State (UTPA Volleyball Invitational) UTPA Field House 7:00 PMSept. 2 Texas Tech (UTPA Volleyball Invitational) UTPA Field House 7:00 PMSept. 4 Texas A&M - International Laredo, TX 7:00 PMSept. 8 Cornell (Univ. of Portland Tournament) Portland, OR 8:00 PMSept. 9 High Point (Univ. of Portland Tournament) Portland, OR 1:00 PMSept. 9 Univ. of Portland (Univ. of Portland Tournament) Portland, OR 7:30 PMSept. 15 Nevada (Univ. of Nevada Tournament) Reno, NV 7:00 PMSept. 16 Portland (Univ. of Nevada Tournament) Reno, NV 3:00 PMSept. 18 Texas A&M - Kingsville UTPA Field House 7:00 PMSept. 22 IPFW (IPFW Volleyball Invitational) Fort Wayne, IN 1:30 PMSept. 22 Robert Morris Univ. (IPFW Volleyball Invitational) Fort Wayne, IN 5:00 PMSept. 22 North Florida Fort Wayne, IN TBASept. 23 North Florida (IPFW Volleyball Invitational) Fort Wayne, IN 1:30 PMSept. 26 Texas A&M - Kingsville Kingsville, TX 7:00 PMSept. 29 North Dakota State UTPA Field House 7:00 PMSept. 30 Utah Valley State UTPA Field House 7:00 PM
Men’s Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Sept. 1 Baylor Relays Host - Baylor Waco, TX 9:00 AMSept. 16 Texas A&M Invitational Host - Texas A&M College Station, TX 9:00 AMSept. 22 UTSA Invitational Host - UTSA San Antonio, TX 9:00 AMSept. 30 Cowboy Jamboree Host - OSU Stillwater, OK 9:00 AM
Women’s Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Sept. 1 Baylor Relays Host - Baylor Waco, TX 8:00 AMSept. 16 Texas A&M Invitational Host - Texas A&M College Station, TX 8:00 AMSept. 22 UTSA Invitational Host - UTSA San Antonio, TX 8:00 AMSept. 30 Cowboy Jamboree Host - OSU Stillwater, OK 8:00 AM
Men’s Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Sept. 7 Hawks Invitational Host - Univ. of Hartford, Boston, MA All DaySept. 8 Hawks Invitational Host - Univ. of Hartford, Boston, MA All DaySept. 18 Raines Development Inter. Host - Francis Marion, Florence, SC All DaySept. 19 Raines Development Inter. Host - Francis Marion, Florence, SC All Day
TEAM STATISTICS (Through 4 games)
UTPA OPP--------------------------------------------------------ATTACK........................
Kills....................... 181 203Errors...................... 125 88Total Attacks............... 604 598Attack Pct.................. .093 0.192Kills/Game.................. 12.9 14.5
SET...........................Assists..................... 173 184Assists/Game................ 12.4 13.1
SERVE.........................Aces........................ 20 27Errors...................... 29 50Aces/Game................... 1.4 1.9
SERVE RECEPTIONS..............Errors...................... 27 20Errors/Game................. 1.9 1.4
DEFENSE.......................Digs........................ 263 260Digs/Game................... 18.8 18.6
BLOCKING......................Block Solo.................. 5 8Block Assist................ 18 48Total Blocks................ 14.0 32.0Blocks Per Game............. 1.0 2.3Block Errors................ 6 5
BALL HANDLING ERRORS.......... 12 10ATTENDANCE....................
Total....................... 0 174Dates/Avg Per Date.......... 0/0 1/174Neutral site #/Avg.......... 3/185Current win streak.......... 0 -Home win streak............. 0 -
Page 14 SSPPOORRTTSS August 31, 2006
August 31, 2006 SSPPOORRTTSS Page 15
Bronc runners anxious for start of new season
he first meet for the university’s
cross country team will be at
Baylor University Friday, and the season
icebreaker will be a good opportunity to
get Bronc feet wet, test their fitness, and
get back into the focus of competitive
running.
Head Coach Ricky Vaughn hopes
the Baylor meet, the first race of a rigor-
ous and competitive schedule, will give
the teams a better idea of physical shape
and how to best prepare.
“It is a true test to show us what we
need to do for the rest of the season,” he
said.
This cross country race, however,
will be different. The normal race, which
usually involves women running a 5k or
6k and the men running an 8k or 10k,
will consist of a two-person relay team.
The Baylor meet will feature each man
running 2x3,000 meters (two miles) and
each woman will run 2x2,000 meters
(1.25 miles). Assistant coach Brian
Cunningham feels that although they
have not prepared strongly for this meet
(because it is more of a fitness marker)
they will be ready on Friday.
“It’s a fun format, but something
different, and we should perform very
well,” he said.
Vaughn mentioned that they just
want to treat this meet as if it were a
hard workout, and see how well the
freshmen can perform. Newcomers like
Carolina Izaguirre, who hopes to gain a
positive experience and do her best,
said, “It’s my first race in college, so
I’m nervous, anxious and at the same
time excited.”
Though the meet will be treated
like a workout, there will be some heavy
competition. According to Cunningham,
the Broncs trained all summer without
other competitors, and now that they
have competition, all their hard work
begins to mean something.
“It starts to mean more, and
answers why you’ve been out every day
hammering yourself,” said Cunningham.
All that work has runners like sen-
ior Lorraine Garcia and freshmen Wally
Gonzalez anxious to compete. Garcia,
who is from Laredo, is ready to get back
into racing mode.
“We just want to see what we can
do against Baylor, and actually give
them a race,” she said.
Gonzalez, who attended Edinburg
North, may be jittery, but he is ready to
compete at the college level.
“I’m nervous but excited. It’s my
first race at the university and I’m hop-
ing to get some experience, and finish
strong,” he said.
With anticipation, excitement and
nervousness, the Broncs and Lady
Broncs are ready to take on their first
challenge.
“I’m always excited to get the first
meet going, to see what we have,” said
Vaughn.
By MARY NICHOLSThe Pan American
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
WARMING UP - Omar Doria, a freshmen and new addition to the men’s crosscountry team, practices early in the morning at the track. Doria and his fellowteammates will compete for the first time this season at Baylor on Sept. 1.
T
REC
SPORTS
Editor’s Pick: Game to WatchSPORTS
Competitive young pitchers risking injury to future arm growth
Little League baseball has evolved
from a mere pastime for youngsters prep-
ping for a possible future dream job, to a
worldwide spectacle celebrated annually
on national television. The desire to win it
all is as prominent at the Little League
level as it is in professional sports, and this
could be the root to a major concern
involving young pitchers: arm injury.
“First and foremost, for a pitcher to
be successful at an early age, I feel that he
should be
directed
in the
r i g h t
way,” says
Fabian Pedraza,
the head coach/pitching
coach of the Edinburg Wildcats, a local 8-
year-old team that won the state title tour-
nament held in Irving July 22.
“I don’t think that pitching [young
athletes] into late innings and giving them
a high number of pitches is too healthy for
their arms,” he added.
Overuse injuries are an increasing
issue with Little League hurlers, the most
noticeable being the damage done to the
growth plates between the pitching shoul-
der and arm. Traditional rules limit a pitch-
er to six innings a week during the regular
season. However, these same rules are
bent in favor of allowing a pitcher to throw
more innings in the postseason.
Pedraza indicated that wear and tear
on a young pitcher’s arm can be prevented
by implementing a pitch count and dis-
couraging the athlete from throwing any
type of breaking balls.
“Numbering pitches would be very
good at this age,” he explained. “There
should be no throwing curveballs or any-
thing similar; just keep it nice and simple
with fastballs and changeups.”
Another preventative method
Pedraza mentioned was proper condition-
ing of the young athlete.
“What we can do to condition pitch-
ers is to keep them running sprints in prac-
tice,” he said. “To keep them at a high level
in pitching, as far as in between innings, I
suggest they put on a sweater or jacket to
keep their pitching arm warm at all times.”
Pedraza’s son Fabian is a pitcher for
the Wildcats, and he believes that tough-
ness is an important trait a pitcher should
possess.
“I have to keep on pitching even
when I’m a little tired, because I think that
pitchers have to be tough, and I must be a
tough guy out there on the mound for my
team to have a chance to win,” his son
claimed.
Although he and his son agree that
physical and mental toughness are keys to
building a championship squad, Pedraza
strongly suggests that winning at the
expense of seriously injuring a child is not
a worthy cause, yet it happens all the time
in youth sports.
“To me, winning is important, but I
don’t feel that it’s so important that you
should risk injuring a kid,” he insisted.
“That’s why numbering pitches on a kid is
so important; it’s for longevity purposes,
especially if they have talent and will stick
to playing baseball in the future.”
Pedraza has not yet encountered any
arm issues with his young players, but he
advises an injured pitcher to rest the
wounded arm if and when an injury
occurs.
“Continue to condition the arm after
resting it; that’s the best solution,” he said.
Lady Broncs prepare for weekend tournament
After a rough start at the Texas State
CenturyTel/ Classic Honda Premier last
weekend, the Lady Bronc volleyball team
(1-2) will try to bounce back at home in
The University of Texas-Pan American
Volleyball Invitational this weekend, start-
ing against Texas State in a 7 p.m. game
Friday at the Field House.
The Lady Broncs picked up their first
win of the season against North Texas on
Saturday after going 0-2 in the first day of
tournament play. They lost to Texas State,
University of Southern California and
Wyoming in the tournament.
Even though the Lady Broncs won
just once, head coach Dave Thorn feels
that his team played hard.
“I think we did alright,” he said.
“The first day was a little rough. We
played against a good Texas State team
and they got us there and then we played
the number 13 team in the country. We
actually played much better in the evening
games and I think that carried over into
the second day, we beat North Texas and
gave Wyoming a run for it.”
He said that the experience gained at
the tournament was worth it.
“Overall I think the weekend was
pretty good and we just need to keep on
improving from that point,” he noted.
The Lady Broncs will host both
Texas State and Big 12 team Texas Tech at
the tournament. They will get a rematch
versus the Lady Bobcats, after losing to
them last weekend, 30-25, 30-26, and 30-
28.
On Saturday, UTPA will continue
tournament action against Texas Tech.
Last season, the Lady Red Raiders fin-
ished with an 11-20 record, including 4-16
in the Big 12. Bringing a school from a
major conference down to the Valley
brings exposure to UTPA’s volleyball pro-
gram and the university.
Outside hitter Heather Bravo
expects big things from her team and for
the volleyball program as a whole.
“I think it’s a big deal,” Bravo said.
“It’s going to bring a lot of people to the
game and it’s going to be very exciting
once we beat Texas Tech and I think it’s
really good for the school. I think it’s very
positive.”
After making several mistakes in the
season opener against Texas State last
weekend, UTPA will regroup and try to
start fresh at their home tournament start-
ing Friday.
By RODERICK DORSEY
The Pan American
By KRISTYNA MANCIASThe Pan American
LITTLE LEAGUER - Bone growth stems from several growth areas, including agrowth located in the humerus. However, continued stress from pitching canseverely widen or damage the plate.
Onydia Garza/The Pan American
Gregorio Garza/The Pan American
DIGGING IN - Deeanna Schneyer practices with the team during Wednesday practice. The Lady Broncs host Texas Stateand Texas Tech this weekend.
Edinburg Coyotes
Time: 7:05 p.m.
Alexandria Aces
When: Saturday
Edinburg Baseball Stadium