April 7, 2011

� e outcome of the Tejan@ Movement for Education rally, which took place on campus last week, has yet to emerge from unclear waters. E� orts to keep the Mexican-American Studies program alive at UTPA have clashed with those of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which seeks to kill the program.

At 11 a.m. on March 31, Cesar Chavez Day, students, faculty and sta� walked out of classes and marched to the quad in support of the program that has been up and down since it began in 1981. Organizers, guest speakers and protesters were frustrated that THECB, the leading adviser to the Texas Legislature on higher education, is trying to cut the program for good because of its low-producing graduation rate, despite the fact that there is no state funding for the program.

“It’s an excuse. � e reality of the situation is that if you want a program to do well, you have to fund it,” said John Michael Torres, communication coordinator for LUPE (La Union del Pueblo Entero) and guest speaker at the event. “It needs more active support from within the culture of the university.”

� e two-hour event rallied more than 130 supporters, with additional spectators from the Student Union. From every corridor that corners the Quad, onlookers lent their ears – albeit for a shorter period than those participating in the rally itself – to the overall message given that day.

“To be honest, I didn’t know this was going on until somebody told me ‘come and see,’” said sophomore PR/advertising major Jairo Castro. “But I’m glad I came and learned, like we heard many times here, we can’t really move forward if we don’t know our past.”

Representatives of national, local and campus organizations such as � e Brown Berets de Aztlan, VOX (Voices for Planned Parenthood) and the MAS club, which sponsored the event, not

only spoke but listened to what others had to say about the cause.

Tato Laviera, a renowned Latino poet and self-proclaimed Nuyorican best known for his meticulous use of Spanglish, was among the guest-speakers highlighting the importance of cultural and historical inclusion in education systems everywhere. � e term Nuyorican was coined in 1974 and is a Spanish-English take on the term nuyorquino (New Yorker) and Puerto Rican by people of Puerto Rican origin residing in New York.

“My main commitment to demonstrate and show my face for this movement is to let the university and system of Texas know how embarrassing it is for them to have a school at the bottom of the Western Hemisphere that doesn’t have the capability of teaching Mexican American studies to the more than 18,000 students here,” Laviera said. “I think that the neglect of this institution and its mother agencies to negate that right is a basic act against human rights.”

30 YEARS OF NEGLECTUp until four years ago, when a

cohort of Chicana professors realized how undernourished MAS was on campus, little had been done to the program that would help it deliver substantial content to students.

“We changed the entire curriculum to re� ect a better understanding of what the � eld of Chicano studies is,” said Stephanie Alvarez, co-director of MAS. “For a degree plan not to change in 30 years is pretty astounding and it indicates what we already suspected, which was that no one was really taking care of this program.”

For three decades, the program formerly known as Mexican American Heritage had only one graduate. In the past � ve years, that number rose to � ve. Additionally, two students are currently listed to graduate this summer under the new program while almost a dozen are listed as future majors or recipients of a newly added graduate certi� cate in MAS.

Although the numbers seem low, Petra Guerra, assistant professor of communication who has worked alongside Alvarez to keep the � eld of study, said it is a good and usual start for a program that was never given attention.

“(� e program) was just there in the books. So we had to revamp the curriculum and then recruit students. And that’s where we’re at right now,” the Pharr native said. “Usually what happens to a program is that (THECB) will give them a certain amount of years to produce or not produce. � ey haven’t done that to us. We haven’t had

that chance.”� e chance to show existing

interests, to ask for funding and to stay relevant in history was the overall argument blanketing the stage and crowd last week.

“It delivered a clear and human message of the need to portray (MAS) in the annals of South Texas history as a means to justify the existence of this wonderful Mexican culture,” Laviera said.

TIME TO OPERATIONALIZEBut the green light for a chance

might not be as dim now as it has

been in the past. After pressure from professors and students during meetings with UTPA President Robert Nelsen before the rally, he agreed to give money from his President’s Circle Funds to create a space for MAS on campus.

“We are going to help it move forward and operationalize it,” Nelsen said in an interview from Austin. “We’re going to � nd a location for the center (on campus) and give its director release time.”

� e funds will come in increments

CHECK THE WEBAstrophysicist a science enthusiast || Distinguished speaker pushes for science education support.

Business administration on FIRE || Economic leaders gather for symposium.

FESTIBAUn éxito || Por sexta ocasión el día de la comunidad promueve la literatura.PÁGINA 10

WALK IT OUTWWW.PANAMERICANONLINE.COMVolume 67, No. 23 April 7, 2011

Reynaldo Leal / THE PAN AMERICAN

Students gather to protest program’s shaky future

By Lupe FloresThe Pan American

SEE WALK || PAGE 3

UNIFIED – Supporters of the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program stage a walkout March 31 in the quad. (L-R) Freshman Misael Ramirez, graduate student Orlando Hinojosa, and allumna Ivete Kuete hold signs supporting MAS.

Most of the time when some-thing “not good” happens to us, we tend to think about how bad the situ-ation was instead of thinking about the good things that came out of it. I know it sounds very cliché since at some point of our lives we have all been told that, but the truth is when we hear it, it becomes easier to actu-ally look at the bright side.

Last week, � e Pan American sta� went on a school trip to Forth Worth to attend the Texas Intercol-legiate Press Association conven-tion. I had never been there before but since I enjoy driving so much, I took my own car. I have always liked to drive long distances (the longest I have driven before Forth Worth was San Antonio, if you can say that is

long distance) because I got to see di� erent roads and give a concert while driving.

� is time was a little bit di� er-ent though. After passing Falfurrias, I heard a sound, but I did not pay attention; after a few minutes, my truck almost yelled at me and told me to stop, well, not literally but the panel lights were saying that. Once I stopped, smoke started to get out of the truck. 

I have to admit that even though my dad always tells me to check the truck before leaving, I did not look at anything besides the gas. Not that I check my truck, I always have some-body else do it, but this time, I just completely did not pay attention.

Going back to the incident, when I pulled over quickly Mariel Cantu (our advertising manager and also a mechanical engineering stu-dent) went and check what was go-ing on and she quickly said a belt had came o� . All of a sudden, she started going at it and trying to � x it while Jen Tate (our newspaper designer) and I were making several calls to the other Pan American people.

While we were trying to do something to help Mariel, a man pulled over in front of us and got out of his truck and seemed ready to help us. So he did. He and Mariel � xed the belt since he was carrying tools and

everything necessary. I really thought it was over… but it wasn’t.

Once I turned on the engine, something else was wrong, it was not only the belt that had a problem but it was something else more delicate. So, Michael, the guy that pulled over to help us, told me there was a me-chanic around � ve minutes ahead (we were close to George West) and that he could take us there since my truck’s engine was not going to be able to stay on.

Michael had a chain about six feet long, but I had to ask Freddie Martinez (one of our photographers) to be the pilot since I had never done it before, and besides, I was really stressed out at the situation. Once we got to the mechanic they told me I had to wait three hours for the truck to be done because it was noon and all of the workers were out to lunch. So we did. By now, almost all of � e Pan American sta� was waiting with me, there were around 10 of us there and I told them they could go, I would catch up with them later. But they were so supportive, and decided to wait.

Dairy Queen was our stop; we ate, talked, and even watched a movie while waiting. After two and a half hours I went back to the mechanic to pick up my truck. After that, the whole trip was good, we made it to

Forth Worth with a few stops to pump gas and eat, and at about 10 p.m. we were at the hotel.

Right after I picked up my truck and started driving, I said, “Today was not really my day, everything went really bad.” And then Jen told me to look on the bright side. I did, and the truth was that it was really my lucky day because I was not driving by myself, a stranger stopped to help us, not caring about spending almost an hour with us. And all the sta� was with me and being very supportive, I never felt alone. Even though I know it is best to look at the bright side during di� cult times, that day I just needed someone to remind me that there was actually a bright side.

That situation made me re-alize how close I am with my co-workers and that I will miss them a lot once we graduate in May, be-cause I don’t think there is a bet-ter work environment than with these people.

So it is true. We all know there is a bright side to anything, but some-times we just need to be reminded that things happen for a reason and for us to get something out of that sit-uation. And in case you are wonder-ing, we came home with 17 awards including second place for Overall Excellence and an honorable mention for Best of Show.  

April 7, 20112

Seeing the sunny side of things

Anthony Salinas/THE PAN AMERICAN

Denisse Salinas Spanish Editor

Commentary

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to [email protected].

Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.

The Pan American is the offi cial student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily refl ect those of the paper or university.

Letters to the Editor

Delivery:Thursday at noon

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 381-2541

Fax: (956) 316-7122

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Kristen Cabrera [email protected]

NEWS EDITOR: Roxann Garcia [email protected]

ONLINE/SPANISH EDITOR: Denisse Salinas [email protected]

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: Benny [email protected]

SPORTS EDITOR: Sara Hernandez [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Alma E. Hernandez [email protected]

SENIOR DESIGNER: Jennifer Tate [email protected]

DESIGNERS: Alexis [email protected]

Erick [email protected]

ADVISER: Dr. Greg [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE: Anita Reyes [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mariel [email protected]

WEBMASTERS: Jose Villarreal [email protected]

Selvino [email protected]

THE PAN AMERICAN

Vol. 67, No. 23

Accepting funding for UTPA academic programs from the O� ce of the Director of National Intelligence was the topic at hand in the Borderlands Room of the Education Complex Wednesday afternoon.

Members of the College of Arts and Humanities College Council asked the Faculty Senate to oppose further funding from ODNI, which sponsors the Integrated Global Knowledge and Understanding Collaboration (IGKNU) and the Global Security Studies program at UTPA. � eir reasoning was that the association with ODNI could encourage cooperation with the CIA.

According to Philip Zwerling, assistant professor of English at UTPA and one of the speakers at the meeting, the IGKNU program has received close to $2.5 million in ODNI grants over the last � ve years; monies that will cease next month. At the meeting Zwerling stressed that an association with the ODNI funding program, which is linked to intelligence agencies like the CIA, may engender a situation where UTPA faculty refrain from discussing their work/research with one another. � is would then be a violation of academic freedom, he claims.

David Anshen, assistant professor of English and � lm studies, added that continued funding from ODNI would also be a violation of UTPA’s mission, which stresses value on ethical conduct based on honesty, integrity and mutual respect in all interactions and relationships. � is argument is rooted in the belief that intelligence

agencies like the CIA are believed to violate international/national law by participating in illegal/immoral acts in the areas of human rights, torture, illegal detention, etc.

“I don’t believe this is an issue of academic freedom, as the speakers (do), which is one of the strongest arguments people have had against what we have tried to do,” Ashen said. “I think this is an issue of having the university take a position consistent with norms of national and international law, ethics, human dignity, and I think that the CIA and various intelligence agencies in the United States and worldwide have been opponents of academic freedom and opponents of basic human rights.”

Along with the speakers, which also included Samuel Freeman, an associate professor of political science who further backed the idea of ceasing future ODNI funding, Ashen hopes that the Senate will seriously consider this argument against it.

However, to Kristin Croyle, interim dean in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences since last July and associate professor of psychology at UTPA, the proposal by the COAH College Council to not accept ODNI funds is a bit unmerited.

“� e grant is an initiative of the ODNI, funded by the National Geospatial Agency, which is in the Department of Defense,” Croyle said. “Note that there is no tie between the CIA and this ICCAE grant. � e ODNI awarded it, the funding is through DoD (through the National Geospatial Agency). And the grant is managed federally by a senior program manager in the O� ce of the Director of National Intelligence ICCAE program o� ce.

Notice that the CIA is not involved….an assertion that the CIA is involved is simply that: an assertion. It goes counter to the facts.”

According to an IGKNU facts sheet, funding from the ODNI helps support programs like the Global Security Studies Master’s Degree, the Global Security Studies Graduate Certi� cate, and an undergraduate minor in Global Security Studies. It also o� ers grants to support student travel to China and Morocco to study language and culture by o� ering scholarships for up to $5,000 available to students from

all academic � elds and majors. Realizing how the ODNI funding

helps students, Croyle expressed her belief that the Senate meeting was a good way to provide full perspective on this issue, especially for students in the Global Security Studies Leadership program.

“My heart kind of goes out to the students in the GSSL program, it’s always hard to hear something you are a part of being attacked,” she said. “It’s important in general for students to be aware of academic issues of controversy and how we resolve those. I kind of feel

bad when they see themselves in it.”At the meeting many students

spoke up and stressed their opinions on the issue. Among those who were in the audience was David Molina, a 22-year-old sophomore who is majoring in accounting.

“� at (COAH College Council) resolution, what they proposed, was for them to take that funding away, which I am opposed to that because…it is not really about the students,” he said. “It not really about who is giving the money, it’s more about who is receiving it…When you get down to it, it is for the students.”

April 7, 2011 3

Faculty crusade versus IGKNU proceeds

By Belinda MunozThe Pan American

By Reynaldo LealThe Pan American

Faculty Senate meeting is site for healthy debate on issue

WALKcontinued from Page 1

Tammy Ayala / THE PAN AMERICAN

OPEN TALK - Jorge Trujillo shares his opinion on IGKNU during the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday afternoon in the Education Building.

of $10,000 a year for the � rst couple of years and will act as seed money to nourish a program that Alvarez said has waited long enough.

“We’ve been wanting this forever!” she said. “But we’re going to need time and this is a main concern of ours.”

Alvarez is referring to the fact that even if the center is built, the THECB can still cut the program in the end if it wishes. However, the board will first have to hear a report from 40 MAS faculty who wish to keep teaching the subject they deeply appreciate.

“I cannot guarantee that the degree program will continue,” Nelsen was quoted as saying in the Rio Grande Guardian during his trip to Austin last month. “� at is in the hands of the coordinating board. I will � ght for it with the coordinating board to keep it

alive but we will have to see.” Vania Barrera, 29, is

a master’s student in the Department of Sociology.

Like a few others receiving the graduate certi� cate in MAS this May, she extended her graduation date by nearly a year to gain extra knowledge in a � eld of study she said is eye-opening and ubiquitous.

“I barely learned about the program a year ago. I had never thought about learning who I am or who was here before me or what my culture was,” she admitted. “Wherever I go, I know people are going to ask me what I know about the border, about the Rio Grande Valley… I want to be able to give them answers.”

Members of the local chapter of the Student Farm Workers Alliance, in support of the Campaign for Fair Food, held a rally Sunday in front of Quizno’s at 1005 E Nolana Ave. in McAllen.

� ey are asking the national food chain to pay one more cent per pound of tomatoes bought in order to better the living conditions and wages of Immokalee workers in Florida.  

“We can’t just allow these people to be treated this way,” said Jose Guzman, an Economedes High School freshman who plans to attend UTPA. “We wouldn’t care if we had to pay one more cent for a sandwich. Why should Quizno’s care about one cent more for tomatoes?”

It may not sound like much but, according to the Alliance, the penny extra would nearly double the daily

wages of workers, who must pick two tons of tomatoes in order to earn the equivalent of a daily minimum wage.

� rough the years Americans have begun to care more about what they eat, a fact seen on menus and grocery aisles across the country in the form of consumer buzzwords like “organic” or “free range.”  However, the issue of labor is not talked about as frequently and the students think this is apparent in the way companies address labor issues in the world of industrialized agriculture.

“All these businesses have rules on the quality of the food and soil that growers have to follow to do business with them,” said Geo� rey Waters, a student at UTPA. “But some don’t seem to care about the quality of life for the laborers that work on these crops.”

According to Waters, it is just as important to know who grows and picks the food one � nds in the grocery store as

it is to know if the food is organic or not.  Richard Contreras, a computer

science major at UTPA, had never been to a rally before or heard of the Immokalee workers, but he found himself holding a sign on a busy McAllen street in support of the cause.   According to Contreras, who was at the rally because friends invited him, “Once a person learns about modern day slavery, they should never care in silence.”  

� roughout the afternoon the students passed out pamphlets, held signs, and even brought a letter to the manager of the Quizno’s, so that he could pass it up to the Denver corporate o� ce. Other food chains, like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway, have already reached agreements with the Immokalee workers through this coalition.

Rally held for extra pennies

See photos online

Advertisements April 7, 2011Page 4

AdvertisementsApril 7, 2011 Page 5

Pass the plateThis dish represents the proportion of the types of food one should consume, in relation to each other, per day.

563

THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN April 7, 2011 April 7, 2011 Page 7Page 6

Keep it healthyNutrition Facts

KFC Grilled Fillet 130 2 390 0Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad w/o dressing & croutons 200 6 570 0Chicken Tenders 230 13 380 0Garden Salad (no chicken) 70 4 100 3

Chick-n-Strips: 1-count in kids meal 120 6 410 0Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad 180 6 650 4

Grilled Chicken Salad 240 8 650 5

Premium Caesar Salad 140 4 180 3

Crunchy Taco Fresco Style 150 7 n/a n/aRanchero Chicken Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 4.5 n/a n/aGrilled Steak Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 5 n/a n/a

Food Calories Fat (g) Sodium Fiber

What you put in your body is what you get out of it. Although our daily routines make it harder to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, it is important to know what foods give our body the nutrients we need, and what activities are ideal to make the best use of this energy. Being healthy is more than looking well, it’s about doing the little things that can help us strive for well-being.

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

Racquetball Swimming Soccer

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

563 493 422

How many calories are you burning?563

246 211

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

246 Moderate housework VolleyballRunning

How many calories are you burning?422

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

211 VolleyballFootball

How many calories are you burning?

Football

493

Soccer

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

493

Find yourself with nothing but fast food all around? Here are some healthy options.

8X8In order to remain healthy & prevent de-hydration, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (2L).

Pass the plateThis dish represents the proportion of the types of food one should consume, in relation to each other, per day.

Keep it healthyNutrition Facts

KFC Grilled Fillet 130 2 390 0Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad w/o dressing & croutons 200 6 570 0Chicken Tenders 230 13 380 0Garden Salad (no chicken) 70 4 100 3

Chick-n-Strips: 1-count in kids meal 120 6 410 0Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad 180 6 650 4

Grilled Chicken Salad 240 8 650 5

Premium Caesar Salad 140 4 180 3

Crunchy Taco Fresco Style 150 7 n/a n/aRanchero Chicken Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 4.5 n/a n/aGrilled Steak Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 5 n/a n/a

Food

What you put in your body is what you get out of it. Although our daily routines make it harder to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, it is important to know what foods give our body the nutrients we need, and what activities are ideal to make the best use of this energy. Being healthy is more than looking well, it’s about doing the little things that can help us strive for well-being.

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

Find yourself with nothing but fast food all around? Here are some healthy options.

8X8In order to remain healthy & prevent de-hydration, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (2L).

GrainsGrains

Vege

tables

Vege

tables

Fruit

Fruit

OilsOils

DairyDairy

Proteins

Proteins

By Sara Hernandez & Jennifer Tate

Pass the plateThis dish represents the proportion of the types of food one should consume, in relation to each other, per day.

563

THE PAN AMERICANTHE PAN AMERICAN April 7, 2011 April 7, 2011 Page 7Page 6

Keep it healthyNutrition Facts

KFC Grilled Fillet 130 2 390 0Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad w/o dressing & croutons 200 6 570 0Chicken Tenders 230 13 380 0Garden Salad (no chicken) 70 4 100 3

Chick-n-Strips: 1-count in kids meal 120 6 410 0Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad 180 6 650 4

Grilled Chicken Salad 240 8 650 5

Premium Caesar Salad 140 4 180 3

Crunchy Taco Fresco Style 150 7 n/a n/aRanchero Chicken Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 4.5 n/a n/aGrilled Steak Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 5 n/a n/a

Food Calories Fat (g) Sodium Fiber

What you put in your body is what you get out of it. Although our daily routines make it harder to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, it is important to know what foods give our body the nutrients we need, and what activities are ideal to make the best use of this energy. Being healthy is more than looking well, it’s about doing the little things that can help us strive for well-being.

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

Racquetball Swimming Soccer

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

563 493 422

How many calories are you burning?563

246 211

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

246 Moderate housework VolleyballRunning

How many calories are you burning?422

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

211 VolleyballFootball

How many calories are you burning?

Football

493

Soccer

Calories burned per hour are based on an average weight of 155 lbs.

493

Find yourself with nothing but fast food all around? Here are some healthy options.

8X8In order to remain healthy & prevent de-hydration, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (2L).

Pass the plateThis dish represents the proportion of the types of food one should consume, in relation to each other, per day.

Keep it healthyNutrition Facts

KFC Grilled Fillet 130 2 390 0Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad w/o dressing & croutons 200 6 570 0Chicken Tenders 230 13 380 0Garden Salad (no chicken) 70 4 100 3

Chick-n-Strips: 1-count in kids meal 120 6 410 0Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad 180 6 650 4

Grilled Chicken Salad 240 8 650 5

Premium Caesar Salad 140 4 180 3

Crunchy Taco Fresco Style 150 7 n/a n/aRanchero Chicken Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 4.5 n/a n/aGrilled Steak Soft Taco Fresco Style 170 5 n/a n/a

Food

What you put in your body is what you get out of it. Although our daily routines make it harder to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, it is important to know what foods give our body the nutrients we need, and what activities are ideal to make the best use of this energy. Being healthy is more than looking well, it’s about doing the little things that can help us strive for well-being.

How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?How many calories are you burning?

Find yourself with nothing but fast food all around? Here are some healthy options.

8X8In order to remain healthy & prevent de-hydration, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (2L).

GrainsGrains

Vege

tables

Vege

tables

Fruit

Fruit

OilsOils

DairyDairy

Proteins

Proteins

By Sara Hernandez & Jennifer Tate

April 7, 20118

EXTENDED DECISIONS

On the corner of Houston Avenue and Main Street in downtown McAllen, a nun clad in a habit stands in front of a plain brown building with outstretched arms, a black rosary dangling from her fingers.

“Santa Maria, madre de dios…” she begins her prayer to the Virgin Mary. The five people behind her on the sidewalk recite along in a unified monotone as pedestrians walk in and out of Whole Woman’s Health Clinic, one of two abortion providers in the Rio Grande Valley. A security guard paces back and forth across the entrance, and a banner posted on the adjacent building points to its neighbor and exclaims, “ABORTION is MURDER of an innocent life!”

As a young woman in a blue shirt and large sunglasses crosses the street toward the clinic, one of the praying women breaks away from the group.

“There’s help for you,” she says, holding out a white pamphlet. “We have a clinic over there where we have all the services for free.”

The young woman stops for a moment and murmurs a response before walking behind the concrete partition separating the sidewalk from the front entrance. She goes inside.

TESTY TOPICWhile the heated debate

surrounding abortion is nothing new, it gained status as an “emergency issue” in January when Gov. Rick Perry put it at the forefront of the 82nd legislative session’s agenda alongside the budget deficit and consideration for voter ID cards.

The Senate and House passed different versions of so-called “sonogram bill” in early March. SB 16 reinforces the requirements set forth by the 2003 Women’s Right to Know Act – which requires doctors to describe what the fetus may look like and inform patients of health risks posed by both abortion and giving birth 24 hours before the procedure – and takes it a step further by mandating that doctors must show, describe, and make audible the heartbeat sounds of sonograms to abortion patients.

“We’re all for it,” said Efrain Reyna, 34, a member of St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Pharr, who also prayed the rosary outside of Whole Woman’s Health Clinic. “We believe that the mothers going in there to have an abortion don’t know that it’s a life.”

Women can opt out of viewing and listening to the sonogram but must wait at least two hours after hearing the description before proceeding with an abortion. The House version

of the bill calls for a 24-hour waiting period after the sonogram and does not include an option to forego the images and audio.

“A lot can happen in 24 hours,” said Reyna, who has joined members of churches from across the Valley to gather in front of the McAllen clinic to pray and hand out pamphlets to people entering several times a week. “I think at least getting them in the door and seeing the baby, waiting those 24 hours, a miracle could happen and we could change their mind.”

The idea that the bill will lead women to reconsider having an abortion is one that has been echoed by supporters in the state capitol, but is one that Whole Woman’s Health Vice President Terry Sallas Merritt says is unrealistic.

“In our experience and in the research studies that have been done, no matter what, when a woman looks at an ultrasound, she may have some feelings about that, she may ask some questions about that, but it has never changed her mind,” Merritt said. “People who change their mind about abortion are going to change their mind anyway…the problem we have will this law is that it’s not about safety. It’s about forcing women to undergo medical planning done by politicians, not by physicians.”

Conducting and viewing sonograms with patients is already part of the procedure, said Lester Minto, a doctor and medical director of Reproductive Services in Harlingen.

“I have always allowed for them to see the sonogram, but it’s always been a situation where the girl says, ‘Doc, can I see the sonogram?’” he said. “I’ve never said, ‘Ma’am, you have to look at this,’ and shoved it in her face. There’s a difference.”

After 30 years of experience as an abortion provider, Minto says the women who come to his clinic vary in age and motive. His patients have been as old as 58 and as young as 10. Some are college students who make the choice for their e d u c a t i o n , others are m o t h e r s struggling to support the families they already have and a few have even protesters outside his clinic.

“To get a picture of who all is coming, just look at the women around you,” he said. “They’re working people just like you and I. Teachers, girls who work in banks, students and nurses. Everything you can think of has presented itself over the years.”

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that of the 81,591 abortions performed in the state in 2008, approximately one-third were administered to women between the ages of 20 and 24. Of the 1,838 abortions performed on residents of Hidalgo County, 613 patients were in that same age group. The University of Texas-Pan American has a female population of 56.7 percent with a median student age of 23.

“They don’t know the choice they’re making,” said 19-year-old communication studies major

Evana Zamora, who has attended demonstrations at Minto’s clinic. “I think [the sonogram bill] gives them the option to see that this isn’t something just done on a Saturday night. This is a life. This baby is an extension of yourself.”

A final version of the bill must be agreed upon by both chambers of the Texas Legislature before it becomes law, but what the pro-life camp sees as a positive step is yet another chip at women’s reproductive rights in the eyes of the pro-choice.

“It’s all religion,” Minto said. “It’s obvious, and surely you can see what they think of women. It really is an insulting piece of legislation. Women are going to lose all their reproductive freedoms …and I promise it’s going to disappear little by little.”

By Nadia Tamez-RobledoThe Pan American

Possible legislation raises questions on abortion prevention

Growing up is hard to do. Especially when it leaves you trained as the perfect assassin by your ex-CIA father in the wilderness of Finland. Such is the plight of the title character in “Hanna.” The film is to be released Friday.

After a yearlong hiatus and a two-year gestation period TV on the Radio has returned with their fourth album “Nine Types of Light.” The album will be released Tuesday and finds the band taking an unexpected turn; they’re writing love songs.

Coffee too hot? Coffee too cold? Feel like not suing McDonald’s for burns on your lap? Coffee Joulies are just the thing. The magic stainless steel beans are said to drop the temperature of coffee three times as fast and keep it there twice as long. They currently sell at five beans for $40.

“30 Rock” may be going off the air in 2012, says Alec Baldwin who said “Our show next year is our last year of the show.” The statement, however, has not been backed by the studio and no other actors have said anything regarding the show’s end.

HOT waTEr— Anti-abortion sentiments are felt strongly in downtown McAllen, where a women’s clinic offers abortion services.

Tammy Ayala / The Pan american

Erick Gonzalez / The Pan american

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Induced Terminations of Pregnancy by Age and County

Texas Department of State Health Services

Vital Statistics 2008 Annual Report

HIDALGO CAMERON STARR WILLACY

-15

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40+

TOTAL

8

263

613

473

277

159

38

9 155 305 225137

68 36

0 12 26 21 13

6 1

1 7

16 10

7 6 2

1,831 935 79 49

Advertisements April 7, 2011 Page 9

Culminando su sexto año, el Festival Internacional de Libros y Artes (FESTIBA) concluye una semana cargada de eventos, actividades y conferencias dirigidas a alumnos y la comunidad del Rio Grande promoviendo la importancia de la lectura.

FESTIBA llega al 2011 con el tema de “leer a través del Rio Grande” con el propósito de promover el in-terés y apreciación por la literatura. Como parte de su campaña a favor de las artes y humani-dades, FESTIBA trajo durante el lapso de una se-mana a académicos destacados, autores y educadores a la Universidad de Texas-Pan Ameri-cana, la cual culminaría el 2 de abril con el día de la comunidad.

Iniciando a las 12:00 horas con la bi-envenida general y anuncios, el día de la comunidad de FESTIBA abrió con pre-sentaciones de baile y observaciones por parte de Robert S. Nelsen, presidente de UTPA y el congresista Rubén Hinojosa. El día continuó con bailes, mariachi, talleres literarios, exhibiciones y present-aciones de arte, concluyendo � nalmente con el concierto de Mariachi Cobre.

Además de eventos recreativos, el día de la comunidad ofreció a organizaciones estudiantiles la oportunidad de promoverse, conocer

gente y colectar fondos, como es el caso de la Asociación Americana de Mercadotecnia (AMA por sus siglas en inglés), que se presentó por primera vez en el evento para colectar fondos.

FESTIBA fue creado en el 2006 como el musical FESTIBA, que fue el preámbulo para el evento que tomó lugar en el 2007. Siguiendo el mod-elo de HESTEC con la intención de incrementar el interés y la apreciación

por la lectura en la ju-ventud para preparar de manera más e� caz a los jóvenes que inicien su educación postsecundaria.

De acuerdo a la pá-gina de FESTIBA, con los menores logros y niveles de asistencia, la población hispana son el único grupo minoritario en los Estados Unidos cuyas puntuaciones de alfabe-tismo han disminuido en la última década.

Compartiendo los ide-ales de FESTIBA, la aso-ciación de ex alumnos de UTPA lleva a cabo su venta anual de libros. “Colecta-

mos libros de la comunidad, de ex alum-nos, diversas organizaciones y gente que gusta de leer y tiene libros que ya no necesita”, explicó Arnoldo Mata, ex alumno y dirigente del comité a cargo de la venta de libros usados. “El punto de la venta de libros es colectar dinero para becas de libros para estudiantes, ya que el costo de los libros es muy elevado en algunas ocasiones”.

Mata explicó que llevan tres años haciendo la venta de libros, y a lo largo de ese tiempo han notado un incremento en el número de libros donados, estimando que éste año obtuvieron 10 mil libros.

Así mismo, comentando acerca de la labor educativa que ha hecho FESTIBA en el Valle, Mata dijo que es algo grandioso, ya que es un intento por contrarrestar la falta de motivación por la lectura que se presenta en el Valle.

“La idea original era que necesitamos hacer algo para promover a los padres el involucrar a sus hijos la lectura, incluso si no entienden inglés, el punto es que deben motivar a sus hijos a leer, sentarse con ellos y escucharlos leer, o ayudarlos, o lo que puedan hacer”, comentó Mata.

Otra organización que se ha hecho notar en FESTIBA ha sido

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), la organización más antigua y extensa en Estados Unidos promoviendo el alfabetismo en la familia durante 44 años y proporcionando recursos y fondos a programas locales para la compra de libros. RIF ha apoyado a UTPA durante los últimos cuatro años. Stephen Leach, vicepresidente de relaciones gubernamentales y extensión a la comunidad en RIF explicó para este cuarto año que este año RIF preparó actividades para demostrar agradecimiento en honor al apoyo que UTPA ha proporcionado a RIF.

“Celebrando el apoyo que nos ha dado la universidad estamos regalando un libro genial llamado ´gracias, thank you´, para dar a los niños que visiten nuestra carpa. Todos van a tener la oportunidad de escuchar una lectura del libro y de hacer una pulsera de agradecimiento en la cual los niños pueden poner cualquier cosa por la que estén agradecidos”. Leach explicó. “Esta es nuestra gran apreciación por UTPA y FESTIBA, asi como todo el trabajo que han hecho por la comunidad”.

Promoviendo la cultura y las artes

Por Yngrid FuentesThe Pan American

FESTIBA fomenta la cultura y las artes en el Valle de Texas con una campaña a favor de la apreciación de la literatura y por sexta ocasión, el día de la comunidad es todo un éxito.

Para ver fotos de FESTIBA visitaPANAMERICANONLINE.COM

7 de abril del 201110

Tammy Ayala/THE PAN AMERICAN

YO QUIERO ESE! – Le dijo Vianney Vazquez a su mamá Jocelyn Garza durante la venta de libros el sábado pasado en FESTIBA.

Arnoldo MataEx-alumno de UTPA

“Necesitamos hacer algo para promover a los padres el involucrar a sus hijos la lectura, incluso si no entienden inglés, el punto es que deben motivar a sus hijos a leer, sentarse con ellos y escucharlos leer, o ayudarlos, o lo que puedan hacer”.

panamericanonline.com

April 7, 2011 11

Broncs step up, win three

� e Broncs baseball team has been on an all-you-can-ride roller coaster ride so far in their early season. � is week the Broncs su� ered a couple of tough losses (2-0 and 5-1) to the No. 15 Horned Frogs (20-9) of Texas Christian University. � e loss put a stop to the three-game win streak the Broncs had been riding, and it settled the team back at an even 9-9 record for the early season. Luis Flores took the loss (0-2) in what was his second collegiate start.

It was a di� erent tune for the Broncs over the weekend as the bats were swinging and the pitching was zinging at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. � e Broncs hosted an exhibition match Friday and a twinbill Saturday against Centenary College, sweeping the three-game series from the visiting Gents (2-12 after the weekend).

� e Broncs had dropped two of three the previous weekend against Louisiana Tech to slide under .500 for the early season. But they came out this weekend ready to correct mistakes and take that record back over the hump.

“What a di� erence a week makes,” said Alex Carnall, senior out� elder for the Broncs, after UTPA beat Centenary 10-3 and 11-0 April

3, after a 5-4 win April 2. “� is week’s biggest di� erence was our pitching. � e bullpen held the line for us and that helped us stay on top.”

Carnall was referring to last week’s game against Louisiana where the Broncs had control of the game until the � nal out; then the Bulldog bats turned on and came back to regain the lead and eventually the victory.

“We scored a lot of runs and played great defense both doubleheaders, but our pitching was what really stepped up for us this time around and helped us earn our wins,” said Carnall, who is hitting .237 this season.

� e Broncs got the scoring started in game one in the third inning o� a single by Adrian De La Rosa. Tom Sicking then reached second base and Carnall hit a two-run single into right � eld.

� e bottom of the fourth saw more of the same for UTPA as the Broncs sent 11 batters to the plate, good for seven runs. Catcher Mike McCarthy, De La Rosa, Carnall, Angel Ibanez and Vincent Mejia all recorded at least one

RBI in that inning that helped blow the game wide open for the Broncs, leading to an 11-0 victory.

Zack Zouzalik (1-0) earned the win after pitching three innings of scoreless baseball and only allowing one hit. Troy Green pitched a scoreless ninth aiding in the victory.

� e second game of the doubleheader was also a dominant performance by the Broncs.

De La Rosa drove in Roger Bernal in the bottom of the second giving the Broncs the early 1-0 lead; the lead would never be lost by the home team. Carnall

was hit by a pitch, and Mejia reached base on a hit down the third-base line, setting the stage for McCarthy to rip a two-run triple allowing both Carnall and Mejia to touch home plate.

� e Broncs nailed their � nal runs in the bottom of the seventh after the traditional stretch, adding another � ve. � e Gents were not shut out this game producing three runs of their own, but Bronc pitching was just too much.

Michael Zouzalik, a 6-foot-3 junior from Austin whose brother got the victory in Game One, picked up the positive decision with six innings of work; he allowed three unearned runs, while Jonathan Sa pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to seal the sweep.

Pitching has been a perennial Bronc weakness in recent years, but the team ERA of 3.75 after 17 games is a vast improvement. Michael Zouzalik is at 3.63, Zach at 3.86.

“We have to be focused on everyone moving in the right direction for the rest of the season,” Carnall added. “Coach Mantrana has made it clear that we are capable of making some noise this season as long as everyone can focus on the positives and bring it in practice.”

Bernal, a 6-2 junior from San Antonio, was hitting .339 through the weekend, with McCarthy, a junior catcher from Connecticut, leading the team with 12 RBI. � e team average is .268, with MacInnes at .400 and Utah freshman Colton Van Komen at .333.

Edinburg Baseball Stadium will turn its light back on April 8 when a four-game series against conference opponent Chicago State University begins.

By Dionicio RodriguezThe Pan American

Pitching tunes up to sweep Centenary over weekend.

� e UTPA men’s tennis team is left searching for answers after a less than stellar performance against the top-ranked junior college team in the nation and a loss over the week-end. � e team su� ered a 6-1 setback against A&M-Corpus Christi Mon-day and then dropped one to a visit-ing team from Laredo.

On Saturday at the UTPA’S Or-ville Cox Tennis Center, the Broncs welcomed Laredo Community Col-lege only to � nd themselves out-matched for much of the afternoon. � e Broncs fell 5-2 with the only two victories coming from Aswin Vijayaragavan and Beau Bernstein. � e rest of the Broncs struggled to � nd their stroke and fell way behind.

“Aswin and Beau played amazing tennis today... they fought the whole way and even got down but man-aged to � ght back into the match and pulled out our only doubles vic-tory of the day,” head coach Chris Taylor said. “I was disappointed to say the least in our two and three doubles teams. I thought the inten-sity on court two was pretty bad. On court three we dug ourselves a hole too deep to overcome.”

Vijayaragavan continued his ex-cellent play and completely domi-nated his singles opponent winning in straight sets (2-0) to notch a point for the Broncs, who are now 1-10 overall.

“After a few games my oppo-nent started missing a lot. I felt he wouldn’t comeback because the weather was real hot and he was mentally weak,” said Vijayaragavan, a senior from India. “He’s a real tal-ented player but one thing which I felt I was doing better than him was that I was returning much better. I pretty much dictated each game and that was my main advantage today.”

Monday in Corpus Christi, only Bernstein was able to pick up a win, and his duet with Vijayaragavan ob-tained its fourth consecutive win and moved to a 7-2 record this season.

It was evident that this wasn’t the Broncs best showing of the season, but the youth of this team may be the main reason for the struggles. Taylor is still searching for more � ght out of his young squad and in-sists that it can only get better.

“I think maturity may be a prob-lem with our younger players on this team, but you have to expect an 18-year-old freshman to make mistakes. � e other side of the coin is how you respond when you make mistakes that’s the problem,” Taylor said. “We don’t really have any ac-countability on this team. We can’t have that kind of attitude and expect to win. We have to accept that were not going to win every time and it’s how we respond to the losses. We have to get better. We will get better.”

� ey will now travel to face the University of Texas at Arlington on Friday, April 8 at 2 p.m.

Men’s tennis struggles to � nd

cohesiveness

Alex CarnallSenior

“Our pitching was what really stepped up for us this time around and helped us earn our wins.”

“A” GAME - Cody Plunk from Lawton, Okla., was a big factor in the Broncs’ win against Centenary Friday night. The senior took the win with seven innings pitched, allowing seven hits and four runs.

Norma Gonzalez/THE PAN AMERICAN

By Michael SaenzThe Pan American

For photos of UTPA’s wins against Centenary College, go to PANAMERICANONLINE.COM

the pan american April 7, 2011Page 12