panamericanonline.com

Volume 69, No. 15 January 24, 2013

Page 7

Pages 4-5

Registration Woes

62 - 60

Oh Boyd

Freshman guard dazzles on the court

Cinemark brings in Valley’s first dinner theater

Page 3

Online

The cinema project

Men’s basketball beats two-time defending conference champions UVU

This merger would allow the new university to access Public Univer-sity Fund, which directs money from West Texas oil lands to members of both the UT and Texas A&M Uni-versity Systems. It would bring a large potential windfall at a time when money in higher education is hard to come by.

ALL IN THE DETAILS Since the announcement last

month, many questions have arisen on both the medical school and the merger. However, Nelsen said he doesn’t see the development as a merger at all.

“They will have a real campus in Brownsville. It’s not just a merger, it’s the growing of both campuses,” he said. “There are lots of people wor-ried about contraction and decreas-ing in size, but this is about growth

and increasing in size.”Nelsen said the new university

will search for a dean for the medi-cal school and executive vice presi-dents for each campus as well as one president overall, although who they will be is up in the air.

“(UTB President Juliet) Gar-cia and I checked our egos at the counter or whatever it is,” Nelsen said. “It isn’t about us or who’s going to be in charge. This is an amazing opportunity for students.”

With the opportunity to ac-cess PUF, expand enrollment, and work toward becoming a tier-one research university, Nelsen admit-ted there are wrinkles that need to be worked out first.

“The important thing is that when the new university is cre-ated, everyone will already be students there and keep the de-gree program and it will not af-fect them one way or another,” he

said. “They will be admitted and not have any more requirements...People keep asking me, ‘Do I have to reapply to the university?’ No. It’s done automatically.”

Besides the admissions pro-cess, the university’s name, mas-cot, colors and reputation are still under consideration.

“Yes, there will be a different university on degrees when they are handed out,” Nelsen said. “It will be a more prestigious name, and students will have gradu-ated from a research university. I would like to add Pan American or Brownsville on it but it’s too early to talk about doing that...I, mean I love Pan American, I love the name and love the University.”

Continued on Page 2

Schedules, cancelled classes, prereq holds

By Karen antonaCCi

UTB and UTPABY MERGING

In pursuing hopes of get-ting the new RGV university bill through the Texas Legislature with a two-thirds vote, UTPA President Robert Nelsen hasn’t been able to be on campus much lately.

“We had a meeting two days ago with all the Legislative delega-tion, to talk about what the bill will look like,” Nelsen said Jan. 17, add-ing that a generic draft of the bill is complete. “We hope that the bill will be filed in the next three weeks...I’ve spent a lot of time up there, which is frustrating to be up there more than on campus.”

The new university was tenta-tively referred to as The University of the Americas in a presentation made to the UT System Board of Regents Dec. 6 by Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa. The plan is to combine UTPA with The Uni-versity of Texas at Brownsville and integrate the Regional Academic Health Center, currently operating under UT San Antonio, into a Rio Grande Valley medical school.

Film & TV BlogWhat has been your most memorable pop-culture binge?

MLK Day Walk

Cine El Rey hosts third annual event to honor civil rights figure

Online

2 January 24, 2013

One does not simply regis-ter for a class.

The first hurdle is The Holds, which sounds like some sort of horrible STD. To get rid of The Holds, prospective students usually must pay an outstand-ing bill or turn in an errant, and digitally unavailable, form. But for a particularly tough case of The Holds, students must beat a path from the Registrar’s Line to the Mighty Department Chair and get it removed.

The next obstacle on the path to some classroom real estate is the ASSIST site itself. Occasionally, while everything is going peachy in the regis-tration process, ASSIST gets stressed out and takes a smoke break, leaving prospective classes in limbo.

Once “add class” has been achieved, the plot thickens.... unless 14 others wanted to take Typewriter Maintenance 1301, the class won’t hap-

pen and the typewriters of the world will fall into disre-pair. Or, hey, the University might inexplicably schedule TYPMNT 1301 at the same time and place as Conspiracy Theory 2303.

In any case, the labyrin-thine class registration system is no one person’s fault. It simply suffers from a bizarre combina-tion of digitalization and hu-man miscommunication that makes trying to get into a class

a gauntlet of standing in lines, stalking department chairs, and banging one’s head against sev-eral computer screens.

But if UTPA could fix its class registration hazing pro-cess, there might be fewer stu-dents scrambling for a class at the last minute to meet their financial aid or scholarship re-quirement. Maybe one day, one could just simply register for a class. The thought.

The Pan American is the official student newspaper of The Univer-sity of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writ-ers and do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or university.

1201 West University, ARHU 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539Phone: (956) 665-2541

Fax: (956) 316-7122

Editors-in-ChiEf: Karen AntonacciDaniella Diaz nEws Editor: Charles Vale sports Editor: Norma GonzalezArts & LifE Editor: Lea Victoria JuarezphotogrAphy Editor: Adrian Castillo dEsign Editor: Karen Villarreal MuLtiMEdiA Editor: Elizabeth Espinosa

soCiAL MEdiA Editor: David Alvarado AdvisEr:Dr. Greg SelberAdMinistrAtivE AssoCiAtE: Anita Reyes AdvErtising MAnAgEr: Elva Ramirez wEbMAstEr: Jose Villarreal

thE pAn AMEriCAn

Vol. 69, No. 15

thepanamerican@gmail.com

Next Delivery:Jan. 31 at noon

Tweet at and follow us @ThePanAmerican

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from stu-dents, staff and faculty regarding recent news-paper content, campus concerns or current events. We cannot pub-lish anonymous letters or submissions contain-ing hate speech or gratu-itous personal attacks.

Please send all letters to:thepanamerican

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Francisco Rodriguez / The Pan AmericanLetters

to the Editor

#UTPA

REgisTRATion FRUsTRATion

#IGoToASchoolWhere my books are more expensive than my classes?! #UTPA

- @PresshDestiny

#IGoToASchoolWhere ev-eryday has something in-teresting within itself and I wouldn’t change it for the world. #UTPA

- @lauroazuniga

A crazy female is standing outside the SBS yelling “Jo-tos! Puros Jotos!” to no one in particular. Only at UTPA.

- @dewey1027

Francisco Rodriguez/The Pan American

opinioncomic

MERgER ConTinUEd FRoM PAgE 1

EdiToRiALPan American Staff

2/3Legislature needed to approve the merger

of50

50IN 2014

$10MillionGRANT FOR RGVMEDICAL

SCHOOL

twelveBILLION$Amount in PUF

MED SCHOOLThe new part of the new uni-

versity will be the medical school, which Valley leaders are hoping will help alleviate the shortage of doctors in South Texas.

According to a 2012 report by the Texas Department of State Health Statistics, border areas like Hidalgo and Cameron county have an average of 108 direct primary care physicians per 100,000 people, below the average for the state, which is 165 per 100,000.

According to the Associa-tion of American Medical Col-leges, about 60 percent of medi-cal students stay in Texas after completing a residency there, so the hope is that the new entity in the Valley will entice more doctors to set up practices in South Texas.

Nelsen said that there will be about 50 students from the Val-ley admitted to the UT Health Science Center San Antonio in 2014. The first cohort will do

two years there until coming to the Valley to complete their resi-dencies. Then, in 2016, Nelsen said he hopes a group of Valley students can start attending the new RGV med school.

As to whether the school would be located in Hidalgo or Cameron county, Nelsen said the idea that a medical school is going to be a new construction in one place is a fallacy to begin with.

“Thirty years ago, you built a teaching hospital and you did everything in that teaching hos-pital, but that’s not the way it works anymore,” he said. “The idea that you have one teaching hospital is not feasible. Whether it’s in McAllen or Harlingen or Raymondville doesn’t really mat-

ter because there will be multiple hospitals that will be working.”

The medical school will be initially funded by $10 million from UT System, money which

Nelsen said would be used to hire faculty and a dean. Addi-tionally, System estimated that combining UTPA and UTB would save about $6 million. Lastly, Nelsen added that the PUF could provide for many of the med school’s costs.

“When they need beds for the hospital, PUF would pay for that. If they need mannequins to practice on, PUF can pay for things like that,” he said.

ELUSIVE PUF As for why both UTB and

UTPA are not currently eligible to receive the PUF monies, the answer lies in the near 90-year dance between Texas Southmost College, Edinburg, Brownsville, and the UT System.

Started in 1973, UTB was initially a branch of then-Pan American University. When PAU was integrated into the UT System in 1989, its Brownsville branch came in too. While UTPA and its Brownsville satellite had new names, they weren’t technically new in the eyes of the Texas Constitution, and that created some problems.

“Since we already existed, it would have re-quired a Constitutional amendment to be (Public University Fund) eligi-ble...which the whole state would have had to vote on,” Nelsen explained. “We’re the only ones that came into the system al-

ready existing.” In 1991, TSC partnered

with the Pan Am satellite and the Texas Legislature approved The University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, combining TSC’s land and buildings with UTB’s four-year programs. In 2011, the partnership was dissolved, leav-ing both colleges to start lay-offs and UTB to begin casting around for a new location.

Technically, both UTPA and UTB must be abolished before the new University of the Americas can take their place and receive PUF monies, which can fund capital constructions like new buildings or online re-sources, Nelsen said. While the new university would be sharing part of the $12 billion PUF pot with other UT schools, Cigar-roa made it clear to the other presidents that another school drawing on the money wouldn’t matter because West Texas oil is doing well.

“It’s not going to cost them anything because the PUF is grow-ing so much...there will be sharing

but no one is going to end up los-ing money,” Nelsen said.

The big “if” for the new university and its med school is whether the Legislature approves the plan by a two-thirds vote. The usual UTPA day at the Capitol in Austin was renamed this year as RGV Higher Education Day at the Capitol. The UTPA delegation will visit legislators’ offices Jan. 30 and talk up the new university.

Nelsen said the new univer-

sity’s lack of a price tag for the state might be the biggest plus for the Legislature.

“I haven’t had anybody that I talked to say ‘no’,” he said. “Part of that is that there is no fiscal note. Everyone is saying ‘Well, money.’ But to put us together doesn’t cost anything.”

On the other hand, any-thing could happen.

“I have run into some skep-ticism,” Nelsen said. “Some say, ‘Do you really think you’ll get a two-thirds vote in any legis-lature, as divided as legislatures are nowadays?’”

soon...

3January 24, 2013

Lohany Garcia can breathe now that she is finally registered in the Chemical Problems I course she needs for her degree plan.

She wasn’t able to register for the class because of a hold on her account that took a se-

ries of trips to the Chemistry Department office and the reg-istrar’s before it was removed.

“I feel like my time was wasted. The department should have contacted the

registrar’s office first,” Garcia said. “If it was only me, OK, that’s fine, but there are other students who have the same problem who are barely hav-ing their names sent.”

Garcia is just one in a num-ber of students this semester who have experienced holds that prevent registration for a class, the sudden cancellation of class-

es and other similar problems related to scheduling.

HOLD ONMeanwhile, John Villar-

real, the recently appointed

chemistry chair, spent the beginning of the semester be-coming acquainted with the workings of the office.

When it’s time to submit a new schedule for an upcoming se-mester, the chair of a department submits a draft of the schedule to their dean, who in turn relays it to the respective vice provost for approval or editing.

Department chairs at UTPA are the designated facul-ty members who have the pow-er to rearrange, or override, a class for a student’s schedule.

Previously the assistant dean for the College of Math and Sci-ence, Villarreal slowly adjusted to his role and found it to be a bumpy transition. The depart-ment’s enrollment grew by 6 percent, causing a need for more sections and larger classes.

“This growth caught us completely by surprise,” Villarreal noted.

Villarreal and the Chem-istry Administrative Assistant Rosemary Hinojosa each have had to process paperwork to allow students to enter closed classes, or waive pre-requisite holds for classes.

“This semester, we gen-erated a stack of papers two

inches high of late additions to the classes that we offer,” Vil-larreal said. “Sometimes the students generate the request and that’s fine. We’re here to serve as many as we can.” THIS SECTION CANCELLED

Humberto Garza, a junior social studies composite major, was looking forward to taking Intro to Judaism with history

lecturer Ken Grant but when he showed up to class, he thought it was weird that Grant was miss-ing. He got the email that night that the class had been cancelled due to low enrollment.

“I was disappointed because it was a class I was really look-ing forward to,” the 21-year-old said. “I understand because (the administration) was probably optimistic that people would still join, so it’s OK.”

Kristin Croyle, vice provost of undergraduate education, is in charge of approving under-graduate schedules for each col-lege. She also has the final say on any classes that need to be can-celled at the start of a semester.

There are a number of rea-sons why a class can be cancelled, according to Croyle. If a profes-sor quits or passes away right be-fore the semester, the department has to resort to that tactic.

Low enrollment is usually the reason a course gets nixed, she said. The University requires at least 15 registered students in an undergraduate class, and 10 on the graduate level.

“We try to give students a fair opportunity to register and not cancel classes that are small until kind of close to the semester,” Croyle said. “But at some point we have to pick the ideal point in which to say, ‘This is not working. We have to cancel this.’ It’s hard to pick the ideal date. Someone is al-ways inconvenienced.”

Sometimes exceptions are made, though.

“So, if (the department) says, ‘This is a class students need to graduate,’ and we’ve got 12 students, but three of them are graduating seniors, the class is worth keeping,” Croyle said.

Degreeworks, the Univer-sity’s advisement tool avail-able through ASSIST, was purchased in spring 2011 and offers tools to help students figure out the classes they still need to take for their degree plan. According to Croyle, the software will soon offer depart-ments a tool to better predict what classes should be offered for upcoming semesters based on a student’s progress in their degree plan.

Croyle also advised stu-dents to use the waitlist for any class they hope to take for the upcoming semester if a spot isn’t immediately open. It al-lows the departments to know if they need to open up another section for a class.

“The best thing students can do is register for the classes they need as soon as they know they need them,” she advised. “That’s really the biggest thing. If they put off registration, then they may not have the seat in the classes they need.”

As for Garcia, she is fi-nally content with her sched-ule and hopes that no further complications arise with her new course.

“It was really frustrating,” she concluded. “I hope I never have to experience this again.”

start-of-semester woes Class schedules, cancelled classes, prereq holds

By Daniella DiazThe Pan American

Rhetoric and Composition II was cancelled because fewer than 15 students enrolled in the course. This was one of a number of classes that were nixed at the start of the semester.

Belen Diaz/The Pan American

I was disappointed because it was a class I was really looking forward to. (But) I

understand because (the administration) was probably optimistic that people would still join, so it’s OK.- Humberto GarzaSocial studies composite major

The best thing students can do is register for the

classes they need as soon as they know they need them. - Kristin CroyleVice provost of undergrad education

THE PAN AMERICAN January 24, 2013Page 4 THE PAN AMERICAN January 24, 2013Page 5

RE-DRAFTING THE DRAFTHOUSEUTPA community reacts to Cinemark Bistro announcement

Story by Lea Victoria Juarez Photos by Adrian Castillo

The cinema contains six auditoriums with varying seating capacities. The building is located on the corner of W. Trenton Road and S. Jackson Road in Edinburg.

Cinemark Holdings Inc. is taking over the unfinished Alamo Drafthouse cinema project and is scheduled to open its new dinner theater this summer.

After hearing the news about the planned Cinemark Movie Bistro in Edinburg, freshman Imalay Cuel-lar’s eyes widened in excitement. As an avid moviegoer, she already began making plans to attend the Valley’s first dinner theater scheduled to open its doors this summer.

The Bistro will offer audiences the movie theater experience while providing the same services as a dine-in restaurant.

“I think it’s perfect. I’ll get out of school and go over there. I’m a crazy person when it comes to movies,” the 18-year-old business major from Mis-sion said. “I go like every Tuesday. So

I’ll probably be going there because it’s...a good combination so I believe it’s going to bring more people.”

Like Cuellar, fanatics of the big screen will finally be able to experience a dine-in theater in the area without traveling to the nearest location in San Antonio.

Edinburg’s Alamo Drafthouse Theater on the corner of Trenton and Jackson was left unfinished in 2007 after the then-owner went bankrupt. Six years later, Cinemark Holdings Inc. and new owner B-Y Properties has decided to bring the sandy colored building back to life in the form of a Cinemark Bistro.

As in a traditional movie theater, audience members sit in rows of seats that fill the auditorium. In a dinner the-ater, a long table is installed in front of each row. Patrons will press a button, signaling a waiter that they would like to place an order from either the ex-panded menu that includes burgers, pizza, fresh wraps or common theater eats like popcorn and sweets. The menu will also include crafted beers, premium wines and margaritas, along with non-alcoholic drinks.

B-Y Properties purchased the long-dormant property in November 2010 and from then on attempted to find someone to lease the space, un-

til the deal with Cinemark was made and announced Jan. 11. Cinemark, whose headquarters are stationed in Plano, TX, currently has seven Val-ley theaters. However, the dine-in theater-style is among the first for the motion picture exhibiting company. An El Paso location is also in the making for Cinemark. Both theaters are projected to open this summer.

“This is a new concept for Cin-emark,” said Johnny Cisneros, the Trenton and Crossroads Plaza broker. “They really have not done dinner theater before so I think that this is an opportunity to design something that can satisfy the desires of quite a few people.”

The Edinburg theater will have six auditoriums with a maximum oc-cupancy of about 800 people and a parking capacity of more than 900 vehicles, according to the broker.

Communication major Brenda Marquez has attended a dine-in style theater in San Antonio and believes that the Bistro will be a positive ad-dition to the Valley scene when it is

scheduled to open this summer.“(It’s) a really neat experience.

I was more comfortable,” 20-year-old Marquez recalled. “I think it will be a new source of entertain-ment for people who are looking for something different and for those who are coming in to visit.”

With new businesses comes more employment. Cisneros also explained the theater will bring 80 jobs to the area that will be filled over time. As of now, no businesses are set to occupy the space inside the building, but he is confident that with the Cinemark project up and running, more busi-nesses will seek to be tenants.

“We’re trying to lease out the rest of the plaza to other entertainment and, or food prospects. That’s the goal here,” Cisneros said. “I’ve got 70,000 square feet left to lease up, and hope-fully we can bring in some concepts that will be complementary to Cin-emark.”

Freshman Dayra Garza looks forward to a night out with her friends at the new Movie Bistro.

Tired of the same routine of con-vening at a traditional theater, Garza is excited to see what the dinner theater has to offer.

“I think it’s awesome. It’s a chance for the youth to actually do some-thing different,” the 18-year-old di-etetics major said. “We can hang out and go to a movie and don’t have to leave right away. We’ll have a chance to relax and get something to eat and enjoy ourselves.”

At the heart of the theater will be a kitchen with corridors lead-ing to each of the theaters. Cisneros explained that current layout of the building is subject to change, how-ever the architectural plans have not been released yet.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how the Valley takes it,” said Edinburg Economic Development Center Project Manager Leticia Reyes. “It’s a new entertainment option for the residents. I know we have the Carmike, but this is just a different option and not just for Edinburg, but for the whole Valley.”

THE PAN AMERICAN January 24, 2013Page 4 THE PAN AMERICAN January 24, 2013Page 5

RE-DRAFTING THE DRAFTHOUSEUTPA community reacts to Cinemark Bistro announcement

Story by Lea Victoria Juarez Photos by Adrian Castillo

The cinema contains six auditoriums with varying seating capacities. The building is located on the corner of W. Trenton Road and S. Jackson Road in Edinburg.

Cinemark Holdings Inc. is taking over the unfinished Alamo Drafthouse cinema project and is scheduled to open its new dinner theater this summer.

After hearing the news about the planned Cinemark Movie Bistro in Edinburg, freshman Imalay Cuel-lar’s eyes widened in excitement. As an avid moviegoer, she already began making plans to attend the Valley’s first dinner theater scheduled to open its doors this summer.

The Bistro will offer audiences the movie theater experience while providing the same services as a dine-in restaurant.

“I think it’s perfect. I’ll get out of school and go over there. I’m a crazy person when it comes to movies,” the 18-year-old business major from Mis-sion said. “I go like every Tuesday. So

I’ll probably be going there because it’s...a good combination so I believe it’s going to bring more people.”

Like Cuellar, fanatics of the big screen will finally be able to experience a dine-in theater in the area without traveling to the nearest location in San Antonio.

Edinburg’s Alamo Drafthouse Theater on the corner of Trenton and Jackson was left unfinished in 2007 after the then-owner went bankrupt. Six years later, Cinemark Holdings Inc. and new owner B-Y Properties has decided to bring the sandy colored building back to life in the form of a Cinemark Bistro.

As in a traditional movie theater, audience members sit in rows of seats that fill the auditorium. In a dinner the-ater, a long table is installed in front of each row. Patrons will press a button, signaling a waiter that they would like to place an order from either the ex-panded menu that includes burgers, pizza, fresh wraps or common theater eats like popcorn and sweets. The menu will also include crafted beers, premium wines and margaritas, along with non-alcoholic drinks.

B-Y Properties purchased the long-dormant property in November 2010 and from then on attempted to find someone to lease the space, un-

til the deal with Cinemark was made and announced Jan. 11. Cinemark, whose headquarters are stationed in Plano, TX, currently has seven Val-ley theaters. However, the dine-in theater-style is among the first for the motion picture exhibiting company. An El Paso location is also in the making for Cinemark. Both theaters are projected to open this summer.

“This is a new concept for Cin-emark,” said Johnny Cisneros, the Trenton and Crossroads Plaza broker. “They really have not done dinner theater before so I think that this is an opportunity to design something that can satisfy the desires of quite a few people.”

The Edinburg theater will have six auditoriums with a maximum oc-cupancy of about 800 people and a parking capacity of more than 900 vehicles, according to the broker.

Communication major Brenda Marquez has attended a dine-in style theater in San Antonio and believes that the Bistro will be a positive ad-dition to the Valley scene when it is

scheduled to open this summer.“(It’s) a really neat experience.

I was more comfortable,” 20-year-old Marquez recalled. “I think it will be a new source of entertain-ment for people who are looking for something different and for those who are coming in to visit.”

With new businesses comes more employment. Cisneros also explained the theater will bring 80 jobs to the area that will be filled over time. As of now, no businesses are set to occupy the space inside the building, but he is confident that with the Cinemark project up and running, more busi-nesses will seek to be tenants.

“We’re trying to lease out the rest of the plaza to other entertainment and, or food prospects. That’s the goal here,” Cisneros said. “I’ve got 70,000 square feet left to lease up, and hope-fully we can bring in some concepts that will be complementary to Cin-emark.”

Freshman Dayra Garza looks forward to a night out with her friends at the new Movie Bistro.

Tired of the same routine of con-vening at a traditional theater, Garza is excited to see what the dinner theater has to offer.

“I think it’s awesome. It’s a chance for the youth to actually do some-thing different,” the 18-year-old di-etetics major said. “We can hang out and go to a movie and don’t have to leave right away. We’ll have a chance to relax and get something to eat and enjoy ourselves.”

At the heart of the theater will be a kitchen with corridors lead-ing to each of the theaters. Cisneros explained that current layout of the building is subject to change, how-ever the architectural plans have not been released yet.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how the Valley takes it,” said Edinburg Economic Development Center Project Manager Leticia Reyes. “It’s a new entertainment option for the residents. I know we have the Carmike, but this is just a different option and not just for Edinburg, but for the whole Valley.”

January 24, 2013 arts & life6

By Xander Graff-SpektorThe Pan American

Art in EdinburgBy Xander Graff-SpektorThe Pan American

After leaving the Valley for seven years, Edinburg artist Javier Espinoza returned to find a thriv-ing art scene that didn’t exist when he moved away in 2000. Now, 13 years after the new millennium, art has inspired the City of Edinburg. Artists, the city and the University have joined forces in developing a revitalized, flourishing arts district.

Though no date is officially set for the opening of the district, the Cultural Activities Board marches on with the Edinburg Arts, and its monthly community event, Jardin del Arte. CAB is a committee that organizes future artistic venues and the Edinburg Arts are any artistic events hosted by Edinburg.

The rising number of people attending the community’s events has UTPA and CAB members striving for a visually striking future for Edinburg.

“When I returned in 2007 (from Grand Rapids, Mich.), I was surprised,” said Espinoza, a 38-year-old junior graphic design major at UTPA. “Art is growing on the people here. With every event there are more and more people, and it’s important to keep promoting the art. There are too

many people here with too much talent, and they should all be given a chance to show their work.”

With the start of Jardin in the summer of 2011, Edinburg’s CAB members hoped to preserve and encourage the art scene with-in the community. Letty Leija, CAB member and director of the Dustin Michael Sekula Memo-rial Library, said a total of 13,527 people have attended Edinburg Arts events and more than 7,100 have been to Jardin.

Jardin showcases artists, musi-cians, poets, art-inspired jewelry crafters and many local vendors the second Friday of every month from April to November.

According to Dahlia Guerra, UTPA dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and chair of CAB,

the last Jardin event, Jazz Night on Dec. 13, had over 1,000 attendees and she believed it is successfully growing in popularity.

Leija and Guerra both agree that bringing the arts to Edinburg is a significant part of the plan to help the city’s economic stimulus for small businesses and the down-town area.

“Jardin del Arte is the initial step to bring the arts into the city of Edinburg,” said Leija, a UTPA alumna. “We have people from all

over the Valley and Mexico who present their art.”

She envisions a booming downtown with various displays of art including a bigger Jardin, an Artisan Fair, a Cinco de Mayo Fes-tival, the continuation of the Festi-val of International Books and Arts Community Day and the comple-tion of the McIntyre Project, a plan to turn McIntyre Street into a walkway that would connect the campus to the courthouse to be-come the arts district of Edinburg.

FESTIBA is a week long event showcasing a series of lectures, plays, concerts and art exhibitions to broaden cultural awareness in the Valley. The next FESTIBA will be March 18 to 22.

“The City of Edinburg has been preparing with the Univer-sity to revitalize downtown for UTPA students and the com-munity,” Leija said. “We plan on having more different types of events such as film, literature, music and cultural (events).”

Evana Vleck, a 39-year-old former events coordinator for the Edinburg Arts, held several art gal-leries on her own as well as with the city. Her last function, The Gift of Art, was at the Edinburg library in December and featured nine artists from the area.

“Art is a gift to the world and I plan to continue participating,” Vleck said. “Right now is the be-ginning stages (for Jardin) and anyone’s input is important to its continuing development.”

With the vacant position of co-ordinator still open, Leija believes it is going to be an exciting new year for art in Edinburg and will soon announce the new hire.

According to Guerra, holding events close to the University has many people excited about the future of art in the Valley. The welcoming nature of the city and the University

has created a bright outlook for cur-rent and future artists, she added.

The Fine Arts Gallery at the Annex Building, the Charles and Dorothy Clark Art Gallery at the ARHU Building (formally COAS) and the library’s art gallery on the

first floor are galleries designed to service students and the public.

Paul Valadez, a 47-year-old art lecturer at the University, said he thinks the Valley has a lot to offer when it comes to art.

“The art scene here is vibrant,

it’s supportive; the people here are excited,” said Valadez, originally from California. “There is more art going on here in the Valley than places like Sacramento and Stock-ton, where I’m from.”

Even with the increasing number of participants, Helene Nicol Bowles, a 20-year-old ju-nior studio art major, believes anything held by the city is too intimidating and that does not make the artist feel welcome.

“The art events are too orga-nized. There’s no free flow,” Bowles said. “Anything the city does is too uptight and not comfortable for the artists to go and hang out. Maybe if there was a venue the city opened specifically for artists; I think that would be a nice change.”

Even without her former title, Vleck appreciates the input and still believes the city is on the right track. With the Univer-sity in Edinburg, Vleck thinks it would be ridiculous for it not to have one and she looks forward to an Edinburg full of art.

“If anything feels too orga-nized it is because there are pro-tocols being followed. You are working with six departments (in the city) and everyone must be updated about the event,” Vleck said. “If the artists have doubts, its understandable. There are dif-ferent artists for different events. The Jardin usually has different artists every month and for the most part they seemed happy.”

Edinburg Arts

University works alongside city, visualizes bright future for art

Photo courtesy of Jardin del Arte

Photo courtesy of Jardin del ArteJardin del Arte is a community event held at City Hall every second Friday of the month from April to November. It is one of the events that the city hosts to showcase local artists and develop the Edinburg art scene.

7

While senior Bianca Torre has made history in the women’s basketball program, it may be time for her to move over for an-other 5-foot-5 dynamo - fresh-man KaeLynn Boyd.

The women’s basketball coach-ing staff switched things up Satur-day as Boyd, who had previously started five games, got the call for the Houston Baptist matchup as point guard, moving Torre over to the shooting-guard position.

Boyd, who has played in all 19 games, averaging 24.5 minutes and 7.4 points per game, has been tak-ing a stronger role on the team, giv-ing Field House audience members deja vú, playing a la Torre. Boyd finished Saturday’s game against the Huskies with eight points, six assists and a career-high 10 assists.

It would be simple to say that Boyd, a Louisiana resident, is Torre’s replacement, phasing the senior guard out and prepping to take over the team, but that’s not the reason for all the minutes she’s recording on the court. According to Denny Downing, the women’s basketball head coach, Torre is still recovering from an ACL injury and can’t play as hard or much as she used to. The team had to adjust, as is needed ev-ery season, and Boyd has proven a great addition.

Torre, the all-time leading scorer in the program, has averaged 23.6 minutes and 6.1 points per game this season, down from her past numbers, as Boyd has begun to come around.

“Me and Bianca resemble each other as players in various ways,” Boyd said. “It’s an honor for me to

be recognized as following in her footsteps because she’s a great team player and she’s great person on and off the court.”

The freshman has already racked up 465 minutes on the court this season, averaging 24.5 per game. The only other freshman to play as much is Joyea Marshall from Wichita, Kan., averaging 0.4 minutes more.

“We saw her leadership abili-ties and that’s one of the things coach [LaToya] Howell, my as-

sistant coach, did a good job with - developing a rapport with Kae Kae before she got here,” Downing explained. “I think that’s been really helpful in her transitioning into be-ing a 25-minute-a-game player.”

HOME VISITBefore Boyd, better known as

“Kae Kae” by her team, donned the UTPA jersey, Downing made a visit to Louisiana to recruit her, Rickell Preston and Angelle Simon, three of his six freshmen on the team.

Since the Louisiana trio all lived within 30 miles of each

other, Downing made one trip for all three. The recruits met up at the middle point, the Boyd residence in Boutte, near New Orleans.

The business trip took a silly turn as Downing, who was talking animatedly with the prospective players and family members, had a tooth fly out of his mouth. He re-covered quickly by catching it mid-air and putting it back in place.

No one paid attention, as-suming the coach just lost con-

trol of his gum, but Downing, who recently had gone to the dentist and had a temporary cap put on, knew better and was em-barrassed to say the least.

“It happened so fast and I thought he caught the gum and then when he told us, it was so hi-larious,” Boyd remembered. “He sucked it up and finished the home visit. It gave us a good laugh. It was a little bonding. It showed us he’s really free and he’s very comfort-able with us now.”

THE NEXT STEPThis year the team wel-

comed six freshmen, but will have to say goodbye to six se-niors at the end of the season. With 14 players on the team, that means the Broncs will lose almost half of the roster at the end of the school year and will have a relatively young team next season.

“The season is a learning ex-perience. It’s all about experience this year,” Boyd explained. “It’s all about chemistry, so we’re getting the chemistry together.”

The women’s basketball team endured a five-game losing streak over the winter break, but has since bounced back, adding two W’s to their record, now 7-12, 1-2 in conference. Their next match is Saturday in Louisiana, against University of New Orleans.

“This season hasn’t been bad. It would be nice to have more wins but we’ll take it and learn and progress as we go,” she said.

The addition of Boyd has proven to be a good one as she is the third leading scorer on the team this season. Not to mention, she still has three more seasons to devote to the Broncs.

“(Boyd is) positive every time she comes on the floor and brings a lot of energy every time she comes on the floor,” Downing said. “She’s a student of the game and she’s a thinker of the game while she’s on the floor. Not all kids are like that, but she really is. She’s the coach on the floor when she’s out there.”

NEXTFreshman guard making lasting impression on the court

January 24, 2013

Freshman KaeLynn Boyd (right) does a fast break across the court during the season opener against The University of Texas San Antonio Nov. 9. Boyd, who only played 15 minutes of the UTSA game, has become a strong 25-minute-a-game player. Norma Gonzalez/The Pan American

By Norma GonzalezThe Pan American

Astros Q&A with

the

TPA: What advice do you have for college athletes wanting to make it to the professional level?

The Pan American met up with Houston Astros’ General manager Jeff Luhnow and player Carlos Corporan at La Joya High School before a pep rally for a quick interview. The pep rally, a prize for the winners of the Comcast Sportsnet text-to-win competition, was part of CSNS’s marketing push to have people ask their cable providers to add the network in order to watch the Rockets and Astros. The group representing the team came down to the Valley Jan. 23.

luhnow: Well I think the story is similar across any sport. You have to work hard, you have to give it your all, you

have to listen to your coach and have a back up if it doesn’t work out. Usually finishing college and finishing your degree is a good back up plan.

TPA: Would you recommend an athlete leave college if they are drafted?

luhnow: I think if you have the chance to play professional baseball and you get drafted, it’s definitely a personal

decision. But if you’re a junior and you’re going to forego that last year, you’ll have a chance to go back and do it later. So I’d say for most players my advice would be take the opportunity if it’s something you’ve always wanted to do. You can always come back later if it doesn’t work out and finish school.

TPA: Last year we had one of our players get drafted by the Astros organization, Angel Ibañez.

luhnow: Yeah. We’re looking forward to following his career. We scout Pan American every year. We were

fortunate enough last year to match up with our need and a player being available. So we’ll be back this year to watch again.

TPA: Do you have your eyes set on any of our players this year?

luhnow: All over the country we’ve got scouts and they’ve got their lists together. I haven’t gotten into the

details of everybody’s list, but I’m sure there’s a couple of players at least.

TPA: Who is the toughest pitcher you have faced and what made them difficult to bat against?

corporAn: As a hitter, Tommy Hanson from the Atlanta Braves (who is now with the Anaheim Angels).

He’s really tough. He has a really good curveball and good change up. It was kind of crazy for me.

TPA: Was there ever a time you got injured and feared your career might be over?

corporAn:I had an incident last year when I slid to second, I tried to steal, and I kind of got stuck with the

board. I kind of did a scorpion, so my feet went over my head. I hurt my shoulder. Afterwards it felt really bad and I thought it was really serious but I took care of it and now I’m here.

TPA: Any advice for collegiate athletes?

corporAn: Just follow your dreams. The big leagues are not far away. I played college ball for two years

and now I’m here in the big leagues. With good attitude and hard work, you’ll make it.

bigTHiNg

Astros’ player Carlos Corporan greets those in the the La Joya High School gym as he joins the pep rally Jan. 23.

Photo and story by Norma Gonzalez

Women’s Basketball Head Coach- Denny Downing

“(Boyd is) positive every time she comes

on the floor and brings a lot of energy every time she comes on the floor.”

Women’s baskeball head coach

- Denny Downing

the pan americanJanuary 24, 2013 Page 8