July 27, 2006
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Transcript of July 27, 2006
PAN AMERICAN
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T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n J u l y 2 7 , 2 0 0 6
Web site makes itsmark on the video-sharing industry
‘Clerks II’ adds yetanother chapter tobeloved cult classic
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A&ENews
By MEREDITH CANALESThe Pan American
College ofArts,
Humanitiesselects dean
See GUERRA page 4
Paul Saleselected
as provost
OLE - Larry Thompson (left),a tech from the Physical Plant, and Nohemi Moreno, a freshman education major, were just twoof 50 participants who took advantage of free salsa lessons given by the Office of Student Development July 20. The nextlesson will take place today in the Ballroom at 4:30 p.m.
Shall we dance?Office of Student Development offers free salsa lessons
By SANDRA GONZALEZThe Pan American
Manuel Arridona, director of the
Office of Student Development, still
remembers his first experience with
salsa dancing back in his college days at
the University of Iowa. Though it was
an unlikely place to find the Latin-based
dance, he said the crowds responded
well, as did he.
“I haven’t danced it in a while. I
still have it in me, though,” he said. “In
fact, I have salsa music at home.”
So when Rosie Leal, coordinator
for the Office of Student Development
staffers, came up with the idea of
offering free salsa lessons to students, he
knew they had
stumbled upon a
great idea.
“ M a i n l y,
we realized there
was a need for it
that was not being
met in the local
area so
w e
offered something for free,” Arridona
said. “We thought that there was strong
interest for it. You can go anywhere for
rock music for dance music, but there
are not a whole lot of areas that provide
a heavy venue for salsa.”
With the last lesson of three being
offered in the Ballroom today at 4:30,
hopes are to continue the success of the
first two, which brought in 70 and 50
people, respectively.
According to Arridona, salsa
wasn’t chosen only for its Hispanic
origins, but also because this dance is a
wonderful way to bridge cultures.
“When I was at the University of
Iowa, there was more of a mixed
ethnicity. In fact, my girlfriend at the
time was a white
A n g l o - S a x o n
Protestant and she
was the one who
introduced me to
salsa,” he said.
“We had salsa
events on
campus and
t h e y
were always packed because there was
no venue for salsa over there.”
The lessons are open to the UTPA
public and the community at large, and
feature levels of expertise from
beginning to intermediate.
Mario Segura, who teaches the
salsa lessons, said those interested don’t
have to bring a partner because he
rotates pairs if the participant does not
have one. He says this method has its
benefits.
“I do it so you don’t get used to
dancing with just one person because
when you get on the dance floor with
someone else you want to know how to
dance with someone different,” he said.
Segura, who teaches freelance
lessons mainly in McAllen, split the
participants into boys and girls since
By CAMILLE RICHThe Pan American
See SALSA page 4
As Blandina Cardenas, president of
The University of Texas-Pan American,
entered the Visitor’s Center amid the
sounds of mariachi music, she was
followed by a new face: Paul Sale, new
provost/vice president of academic
affairs.
At the Monday morning ceremony,
Cardenas and co-chairs of the search
committee for the provost helped
announce the chosen candidate.
“I pledge to you all to vigorously
devote my energy, my passion, my
e x p e r i e n c e ,
knowledge and skills
to enhance the vision
of UTPA,” Sale said.
“My wife and I are
eager to build new
and long-lasting
relationships with our
campus home and the greater Rio Grande
Valley.”
After a 15-member committee
dwindled down the initial 38 applicants
to just nine in March, the pressure was on
to find the best candidate. From those
nine, five were invited back for campus
visits and to participate in open forums
held the week of June 19.
At the ceremony, Cardenas asked
the members of the committee to stand
and be recognized for their hard work.
“These people worked tirelessly to
accomplish what everyone said could not
be done, and indeed if you look at the
record, we have accomplished a great
deal in a very short period of time,” she
said. “I thank you for your discipline,
your tenacity and courage to undertake
this task.”
Cardenas also praised the efforts of
Ana Maria Rordiguez, who served as
See SALE page 4
The search committee members in
the College of Arts and Humanities let
out a sign of relief on July 19 when
Dahlia Guerra, former chair of music,
was appointed new dean.
After a series of ads placed in
academic publications produced 16-18
applicants, it was the job of the dean
search committee to come up with a top
five applicants over a series of meetings.
“After that it
was the question of
who was the best fit,”
Glenn Martinez,
chair of the search
committee, said. “All
the candidates were
highly qualified for
the position. It was just a question of who
was the best fit for the College of Arts
and Humanities and this point and time,
given where we want to go.”
It turns out, that even after the
search, the person right for the job had
been right under their nose; rather, in the
music department.
“I think she has very refined
leadership qualities. She knows how to
bring people together for common goals,”
Martinez said. “She’s very sensitive to
the different areas of achievement in both
the arts and humanities. She’s very
familiar with that diversity and to ways of
brining those different areas of expertise
together in order to make the college
stand out.”
Guerra, who earned her
undergraduate degree from Pan American
University, eventually went to SMU and
earned a master’s in Piano pedagogy,
teaching piano performance.
GUERRA
SALE
Jennifer Durhiem
1201 West University, CAS 170
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122
http://www.panam.edu/dept/panamerican
55th Year – No. 32
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J u l y 2 7 , 2 0 0 6
PAGE 2
News EditorSandra Gonzalezsandra_panamerican
@yahoo.com
A & E EditorMeredith Canalesmeredith_canales
@hotmail.com
Sports EditorDaryl Gonzales
DesignersRoy Bazan
Laura C. [email protected]
Reporters
Frank Calvillo
Javier Cavazos
Roderick Dorsey
Adriana Garza
Luke Koong
Krystina Mancias
Fernando Martinez Pechs
Carolina Sanchez
Trey Serna
AdviserDr. Greg Selber
SecretaryAnita Casares
Advertising [email protected]
DeliveryThursday at Noon
IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
THE PAN AMERICAN
New leaders join UTPAWe profile the newest faces inthe university’s administration.
SUMMERR E A D E R F O R U M
Students, faculty and staff:The Pan American needs your help. As we bring a close to our summer issues
and turn our attention to the fall editions, we ask that everyone continue submittingtheir poems, short stories, art work, cartoons and interesting photographs. In addi-tion, we also welcome story suggestions about people, organizations and events.
-The Pan American
THE
PAN AMERICAN
The Pan American is the official studentnewspaper of The University of Texas-PanAmerican. Views presented are those of thewriters and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the university.
UTPA writer’s guild: By Sergio Cuevas, freshman English major
Community Bulletin: By Frank Calvillo
"The Ancient Summer Melody (As We Part Forever After)"
Lighten up, sorrowed oneYou're nothing more than anyoneSummer's sunlight has kept me in thoughts of youBut upon candlelight’s, remorse fills me up like your own heart wouldPlease don't fight it anymoreI've been told, now I'm done, so place the cross above the floorYou should feel different just lying in my handYou're further than never before and so wasted in out timely sand I'm moving the late buried tragedyIt's so appealing as fine hours sink in to completeI surrender; the story ends with a past love spoken ofSo remember, the memory grows until silence speaks of a recent passive love.
T.V. star George Lopez is set to bring his highly anticipatedcomedy tour to Harlingen’s Municipal Auditorium on Sunday,July 30. The show will take place at 6:30 p.m. with a repeatperformance at 9:30 p.m. The tour, which began earlier thismonth in Laredo, has received praise from critics and audi-ences. Free from television censors, Lopez talks candidlyabout growing up and living in the Latino community. Lopezbegan his career as a stand-up comedian and found fame ontelevision with his successful sitcom “The George LopezShow” in 2002. For more information about Lopez’ show,please contact the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium at (956)430-6699.
Available Aug 24
Ramses!‘Nacho Libre’s’ Ramsescomes to RGV for film festival,UTPA contest.
IT on verge of advancements, new features
YouTube makes its way into American pop culture
There will be a table tennistournament in the StudentUnion game room on Aug. 8 at2 p.m.
News in brief:N E W SAs Norma Abundez watched a
crowd of children half-scream and half-
sing her 3-year-old nephew “Happy
Birthday,” she could not help but feel
like there was something missing.
“My family lives all over Texas and
I wanted them to be able to be share and
be a part of our lives, whether they are
here or not,” Abundez, a junior business
management major at The University of
Texas-Pan American, said.
In order to have her whole family
share the moment, Abundez uploaded a
home video of the moment to
YouTube.com, a video sharing Web site.
Now, whether her nephew is blowing out
his birthday candles or just playing in at
the park, her family members across the
country can share the moment over the
Internet.
YouTube.com, founded in February
2005, was intended to be a personal
video sharing service. It has become an
entertainment site that has more than 70
million videos viewed per day. Teenagers
and young people are taking advantage
of this site now more than ever before.
“YouTube seems to be the newest
thing, like MySpace was a year ago,”
said Donna Pazdera, a communication
professor at UTPA. “Everybody seems to
be using it and it’s kind of taken on a life
of its own.”
With 60,000 videos uploaded every
day, users can view everything from
current events, “America’s Funniest
Home Videos,” music videos and videos
that satisfy hobbies and interests.
Salvador Grajeda, a junior print
journalism major, said he’s viewed
everything from cartoons to parody
videos. It is this variety of options that
Grajeda says makes the Web site unique
from others.
“I really think that that Web site is
sort of one of the most creative that’s
come along in a long time,” Grajeda said.
“It really sort of shifts the focus from the
people making the site to the audience.”
However, Pazdera believes that
with sites like YouTube.com
encouraging users to take pictures and
video of themselves, people are
becoming vain.
“If we’re going to be worrying
about how cute we are in our little videos
or photos. It is sort of surreal sometimes
how obsessed and narcissistic we really
have become,” Pazdera said. “I guess
that’s the only thing I get concerned
about; that people might not reflect on
who they really are or what they really
want out of life. Instead, they will focus
on being popular all of the time and
pleasing other people.”
Abundez agrees saying that some
users are taking their exposure too far,
but says it doesn’t mean everyone is
becoming vain.
“I don’t necessarily think that people
are becoming more obsessed with
themselves as much as people are
becoming a lot more open about it,” he said.
While Pazdera has not uploaded a
video of herself, she has made it on to the
YouTube Web site thanks to a student’s
video of the CODA awards (a
communication department ceremony)
in the spring.
“I was in a video that was posted on
there. She interviewed a number of
faculty members and students she posted
it up on YouTube,” she said. “It’s just a
thing for graduating seniors, like advice
and seniors reflecting on how their years
here were.”
For special moments, Pazdera said
she thinks uploaded videos are great for
the individuals involved, but otherwise
should not aim for attention from the rest
of the public.
However, YouTube is more than
just catching the public’s attention, it is
becoming a part of Internet culture. In
fact, it is currently the 18th most visited
site on the Internet.
By ADRIANA GARZAThe Pan American
With a majority of the campus on
summer vacation, the mid-year break
offers The University of Texas-Pan
American the chance to test out new
technology and update existing
infrastructure. This year, two projects
are making major headway.
Most noticeable, and by far the
largest project, is the integration of
Oracle. The new database management
software will upgrade the university’s
current system and help streamline
processes around campus. With a go-
live date set for September, human
resources and financial resources tasks
will be improved and made easier for
faculty and staff.
“We’re hoping that with improved
administrative processes, processing
time, [the changes] will facilitate less
leg-work on campus, fewer
authorizations being required, quicker
processing of transactions and clearing
up accounts right away,” Jim Langabeer,
vice president for business affairs, said.
Currently, the new software
implementation will focus mainly on
faculty and staff, but the university
would like to improve services for
students as well.
According to Langabeer, the
upgrade to Banner, which will replace
ASSIST, will take place after work on
HR and FR is complete.
“It’s like getting a new car and
taking it around the block. The next
thing you do is read the book,”
Langabeer said. “We’ll have the ‘car’
moving, but there will be things we will
1. Evolution of Dance
2. Pokemon Theme Music Video 3. Real Life Simpsons Intro
4. Japanese Prank Show Clip 5. Hey Clip
From the 1950s topresent day, comedi-an Judson Laipplyshows how dancehas changed.
A live-actiontribute toPokemon
A live-actionversion ofSimpsons’openingcredits
A toiletthatexposesuser afterdoorcloses
Twofriendssing,dance to“Hey” bythe Pixies
over 29 million views
over 14 million views over 8 million views
over 7 million viewsover 7 million views
Top 5 videosof all-time
By LUKE KOONGThe Pan American
DOWNLOADING - The university is in the process of setting up its own iTunesmusic store as part of iTunes U. iTunes U will allow students to download lec-tures, presentations and video clips uploaded to the store. See TECHNOLOGY page 4
Study: driving while oncellphone as bad as DUI
Driving while talking on a cell
phone is equally as hazardous as driving
with an alcohol level of .08, according to
a new study done by The University of
Utah.
According to the study, motorists
who talked on either hand-held or hands-
free cell phones drove slightly slower,
were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes,
and displayed 24 percent more variation
in following distance as their attention
switched between driving and conversing.
In addition, drivers who talked on
their cell phone were19 percent slower to
resume normal speed after braking and
were more likely to crash.
According to Johnny Hernandez, a
Texas Department of Public Safety
education trooper, the time to address this
problem is now, before it gets any worse.
“The number of accidents will not
go down until the Legislature passes a
law against this,” Hernandez said. “We
have too many distractions like changing
the radio, talking to a passenger,
smoking, eating, drinking, applying
makeup and sometimes thinking.”
The study found that when a
motorist drives while intoxicated or
while talking on the cell phone, they do
not have complete attention on the road
or use their five senses as acutely.
People who are usually on the cell
phone while driving see the road and the
various items on it, but not paying
attention to them makes it harder to react
in a case of an accident.
Even some students who have had
experiences with drunken driving
recognize the immense danger involved
with driving while talking on the cell
phone.
“The other day I was text
messaging a friend, and when I looked
See DRIVING page 4
By CAROLINA SANCHEZThe Pan American
www.youtube.com
Page 4 NEWS July 27, 2006
SALSA continued from page 1
they learn different steps. With help
from his other instructor, George
Elizondo, they began teaching them
everything from simple counting to
more complex moves and turns.
It’s evident that one group, which
also happened to be the largest one, had
it a little easier than the other.
“Girls tend to pick it up faster
because guys have to lead the girl into
the move and they have to remember all
the moves,” said Segura, who has been
dancing for a year and a half. “The girls
are just following. The guy has a lot of
mental thinking they have to do, so it
takes them a longer time to make it more
natural.”
Despite the challenges, Karla Gage,
a senior education major, who attended
with Juan Carranza, a junior engineering
major, said she enjoyed herself.
“We took salsa lessons before. I
love salsa and I urged him to come with
me to this class,” Gage said.
Carranza countered by saying he felt
the pressure of having to lead the dance.
“Sometimes you want to do
something, and your partner does
something absolutely different,” he said.
In addition, he felt that there is a
big difference between how you dance
salsa for fun in a party and doing it more
technically, which is much more
difficult. He added that he will come
back with his partner next week to
improve their style.
The final salsa lesson will take
place today in the ballroom at 4:30 p.m.
Arridona said that depending on the
overall success of the free salsa lesson
series, they might consider doing more
in the future.
In 1985, she returned to UTPA as a
lecturer and eventually moved up the
ranks at the university. After so many
years at UTPA, Guerra said she is
looking forward to taking an important
role in the university.
“I will rise to the occasion. I
believe in what I am doing, I believe in
our students and I believe in our faculty,”
Guerra said. “They will all always come
first.”
Chair of the music department
since1999, Guerra said she is and always
has been a people person, and that will
not change with her new role.
“I want everyone to be heard. I
need to meet with people because I want
to make them feel empowered,” she
said. “I want them to accomplish all they
want to. There is so much talent in this
college. It’s just a matter of facilitating
their success.”
Guerra added that they have
already gotten a head start on advancing
the college.
“We’ve already discussed in the
past that new undergraduate and
graduate degrees are being investigated
and, hopefully, some doctoral
programs,” she said.
While Guerra admits the position
will not be easy, she said she is up for the
challenge.
“There will be some tough
decisions, but I will always keep in mind
all the ramifications of what I’m doing
and just always do my best for our
university and our college,” she said.
“Sometimes you just have to do it.”
GUERRA continued from page 1
Jennifer DurheimDANCE WITH ME- While they opted not to rotate partners, Juan Carranza, ajunior manufacturing and engineering major, and Karla Gage, a senior educationmajor, said they would take the free salsa lessons again.
TECHNOLOGY continued from page 3
want to do to make the ‘car’ run finer.”
One of the reasons Banner is being
implemented is because ASSIST is being
phased out by Sungard, the company that
produced ASSIST. In addition, the
Banner system gives access to more
information in a more organized manner.
While ASSIST, which has been
around for 18 years, has served the
university well, Banner will be a large
improvement to student services.
ITUNES UThe second project taking place is a
new trailblazing service being offered by
Apple, iTunes U. Just like the Bronc
Hotmail service launched earlier this
year, Anne Toal, director of academic
computing, said UTPA is setting the bar.
“We’re not the biggest school in the
UT System. It always seems like the big
schools do things first and the smaller
ones are expected to follow behind,” Toal
said. “This time, we’re the leader,”
UTPA is one of a handful of
schools that has been selected to take
part in Apple’s new product, joining
such schools as Stanford University and
the University of California-Berkeley.
The new program will allow
schools to upload content like videos,
lectures and audio files from other
campus-wide events up to the iTunes
music store. Students can then access
those files from any computer equipped
with iTunes. Toal thinks the best part of
implementing iTunes U is the familiarity.
“iTunes is a cool product. It’s easy
to use and everybody knows what it is.
You don’t have to explain anything to
anyone,” Toal said.
The university is currently working
on its own music store. Everything from
the appearance to the content provided
will be up to UTPA. All video and audio
clips will be provided in full, as opposed
to 30-second clips normally provided.
Most of all, everything will be free to
download to personal computers or MP3
players.
Toal said iTunes U will benefit the
university as a whole as well, but first the
university has to get its presence set up.
“We are going to be putting things
on there that carry a message about Pan
am to the world,” she said. “We have
everything we need to get started
working on it. Now we just need to
figure out how to make it great.”
Toal added that she is trying to
gather suggestions for content to include
on the music store and invited
individuals with ideas to contact her at
PROVOST continued from page 1interim provost.
“Since March, [Rodriguez] has
taken on the job of interim provost with
all the energy, intelligence, discipline
and dedication of anyone who has held
the position,” she said.
Cardenas added that when the
decision came down to her, even she had
to call upon higher powers for help.
“The committee did its work so
well that my choice was tough one. I
called on divine intervention. I am one
of those rare Hispanics who is not
Catholic, but I have to tell you I called
on more than one saint to guide my
decision,” she said jokingly
While she eventually decided on
Sale, Cardenas admitted that Sale had
some “strikes against him” coming into
the evaluation process.
“First, he was an educator, and I
had wanted very much to find a person
who was not in education. Second, he
was a man. Enough said,” she joked
once again.
However, she said, it was Sale’s
desire to serve the students and the
institution that made her decision.
Sale, who has been serving
Virginia’s Radford University as the
dean of education and human
development, then thanked the
committee and explained what drew him
to UTPA.
“[UTPA’s] many successes have
made this position particularly attractive to
me,” he said. “The campus is moving in a
very prestigious direction with a deliberate
speed.”
For now, Sale said he is excited
about being given the opportunity to
serve UTPA. In fact, he added he would
like to serve as provost not just now, but
in the future as well.
“I would like to support the
president in moving forward to meet the
needs of the students and citizens of the
Valley until 2050,” he said with a smile.
Sandra Gonzalez/ The Pan AmericanWARM WELCOME- President Blandina Cardenas and Paul Sale, new provost/vpfor academic affairs, pose for pictures at the announcement ceremony.
DRIVING continued from page 3
back to the road, I almost hit a car that
stopped in front of me,” Carlos
Hinojosa, a freshman mathematics
major, said. “I was so scared more than
any other time when I’ve driven drunk.”
While there is no law currently in
place for all drivers, those who have
been driving for less than six months
after receiving their driver’s license are
not allowed to use their cell phones
because they are considered
inexperienced drivers, said Hernandez.
This law is in place for a good
reason according to the study. It found
that a young driver on the phone often
does not pay proper attention to their
speed. Without proper speed awareness,
the driver may unknowingly increase the
car’s speed, increasing the chances of an
accident.
Peter de la Garza, assistant police
chief in Edinburg, said if using a cell
phone on the road is necessary, the safest
thing to do is pull over.
“It is important to keep your hands
on the wheel and your eyes on the road,”
he said. “If you have one hand on the
steering wheel and the other holding the
cell phone, it is hard to react in case of
an emergency.”
“The number of acci-dents will not go downunless the Legislaturepasses a law against this.”
Johnny Hernandez, DPS education trooper
Fast fact:Motorists who talk on
either hand-held orhands-free cell phonesare 9 percent slower to
hit the brakes.
&ARTSE N T E R TA I N M E N T
Editor’s Pick: Must-see movie
Remember when Grace Kelly
planted that memorable kiss on Jimmy
Stewart’s lips at the beginning of
“Rear Window,” or when Lauren
Bacall taught Humphrey Bogart how
to whistle in “To Have or Have Not?”
Back in the golden age of
Hollywood, movies were considered to
be the most magical form of
escape, thanks to
glamorous stars,
t o p - n o t c h
directors and
compelling
stories.
Now, in an era of Gwyneths and
Brads, Hollywood has taken on an
altogether different tone. Although it’s
still entertaining, one can’t help but
long for the days when films boasted
romantic ideals instead of the blatant
social views that dominate today’s
movie screens.
This summer, old Hollywood has
returned thanks to Cine El Rey’s sum-
mer-long Classic Film Series. The
free-of-charge screenings, which take
place every Sunday afternoon through-
out the months of June, July and
August, are sponsored in part by the
newly founded publication, The Paper
of South Texas.
For some film lovers such as A.J.
Prado, a junior human resources major
at The University of Texas-Pan
American, classic pictures help pro-
vide excellent views on just how much
the world has changed.
“I love watching old movies
because I’m always intrigued by how
things were back then compared to
how different everything has gotten in
our society,” he said.
Some of the films that have been
showcased so far have included the
classic fantasy tale “The Wizard of
Oz,” “Rebel Without a Cause,” the
ultimate portrayal of teen angst, and
the quintessential film noir “The
Maltese Falcon.”
Luis Munoz, owner of Cine El
Rey, believes that this unique event is
strictly for the public’s benefit.
“I felt that not only are these
movies worth watching, but people
need to experience them on the big
screen the way they were meant to be
seen,” he said. “Along with a social
value, there’s also the practice of shar-
ing them with others that is important.”
Films to be showcased in the
coming weeks include highly regarded
favorites as the epic drama “Gone with
the Wind,” the side-splitting Marx
Brothers farce “Duck Soup,” and
“Citizen Kane,” one of the most
revered films in history.
Like Prado, Angela Gibson, a
junior psychology major, thinks the
summer-long event offers a well-
deserved change of pace from today’s
films.
“I feel that movies nowadays are
way too flashy and lack story, whereas
back then all the movies had more to
do with stories and plot, rather than
special effects,” she said.
Satisfied with the public’s
response so far, Munoz said he plans to
incorporate more classic films into the
theater’s lineup in the coming months.
“We plan to have a Saturday clas-
sic movie matinee for youths from
ages 7-15 and a classic horror film fes-
tival for Halloween as well,” said
Munoz.
In recent times, the landmark the-
ater has solidified a reputation for
itself as an art house cinema, showcas-
ing many sought-after independent
films and documentaries. On special
occasions however, the films of old
Hollywood make an appearance at the
nearly 60-year-old theater. For exam-
ple, Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror
films “Psycho” and “The Birds” were
showcased during a Halloween event
in 2002.
Thanks to Cine El Rey and The
Paper of South Texas, today’s genera-
tion will be able to sit in the dark the-
ater this summer and be entertained by
the likes of Orson Welles, Vivien
Leigh, Tyrone Power, Debbie
Reynolds and the Marx brothers.
So while Brandon Routh might
soar in “Superman Returns” and Meryl
Streep might terrorize Anne Hathaway
in “The Devil Wears Prada,” it is com-
forting to know that close by, Rhett is
still telling Scarlet that he doesn’t
“give a damn.”
Showtime is every Sunday at 1
p.m. and admission is free. For a full
list of films and dates, and for other
information, please visit
http://www.cineelrey.com.
Cine El Rey presents a splash of old HollywoodBy FRANK CALVILLOThe Pan American
‘Dusk and Summer’ brings Dashboard Confessional to Houston
It was a hot summer evening on July
19 in Houston. A brief rain shower had just
passed and the air was humid but filled with
anticipation outside of the Verizon Wireless
Theatre, as Dashboard Confessional fans
stood in line and eagerly waited for doors to
open.
Dashboard Confessional’s front-man,
Christopher Carrabba, rose to fame with his
genuine melodies in 2000 with the release
of “The Swiss Army Romance.” With his
heart on his sleeve, he quickly became the
poster boy for emo music fans everywhere.
Six years later, Carrabba is back with his
fifth album, “Dusk and Summer,” and is
out on a national summer tour.
As soon as doors opened, fans
swamped the arena and took their places in
front of the stage, waiting for the show to
start. After opening acts Ben Lee and Say
Anything, a white curtain fell upon the
stage as crews worked to set up Dashboard
Confessional’s set. Then, the lights went
out and the audience started screaming, as
they knew the show was about to start.
With the thin curtain still up, the
music started to play, and lights began to
illuminate the space behind it. A silhouette
of the band was projected on the
curtain, then, it dropped.
Carrabba stood there with his
infamous sleeves of tattoos, a
microphone in his hand, wear-
ing a pair of jeans and a dark
grey T-shirt. He greeted his fans
with “Heaven Here,” from his
latest album.
It was apparent, though,
that Carrabba wasn’t in the
greatest spirit. After his first
song, he threw out his ear piece
and angrily walked off stage.
He came back with his guitar
strapped around him and played
his second song, while making
obviously angry gestures to
someone off stage. He later
revealed he was upset because a fight had
erupted in the crowd and security failed to
take action.
Carrabba took a “quiet time” with the
crowd and simply strummed his guitar as
he spoke with the audience and said that
“one fight was already one too many for a
Dashboard show.”
Carrabba’s stage presence was amaz-
ing as he interacted with fans on a very per-
sonal, one-on-one level. With nearly two
hours of music, there was a great mix of
new material, as well as old-
school songs from all his earlier
albums.
One of the most memo-
rable and possibly moving
moments was when Carrabba
took a moment to describe his
inspiration for writing the song
“Dusk and Summer.” He took
the audience back to the evening
when he climbed on the roof of
his house, with his guitar, and
gazed into the evening sky. He
said it was the moment when the
sun had set and the stars were
already shining bright in the twi-
light sky. He asked the audience
to hold up their cell phones and
wave them in the air throughout
the song, so they could relive that moment
with him. The crowd was flooded with an
array of lights that looked just like a night
sky, and an image of shooting stars was
projected at the back of the stage as
Carrabba sang his heart out.
Carrabba ended the show by singing
a song he describes as being about the best
day you can ever remember. The audience
immediately erupted in screams, as they
knew it was the song “Hands Down.”
Experiencing Dashboard live is a
must for any fan. It’s rare to see an artist
perform with such passion and intensity.
Usually, as artists rise to fame and get big-
ger fan bases, they lose touch with the audi-
ence, but Carrabba couldn’t have been any
closer with his fans and his music.
As music artists today quickly rise to
fame and fade away, there’s no doubt
Dashboard Confessional will be around for
many years to come.
For more information on Dashboard
Confessional, visit the band’s Web site at
http://www.dashboardconfessional.com
By TREY SERNAThe Pan American
DRAMA AND ROMANCE - Classicfilms are being shown at Cine El Reythis summer.
geocities.com
concertshots.comAND THE BAND PLAYED ON - Christopher Carraba, leadsinger for Dashboard Confessional, wowed fans with his talentin Houston last week. Here, he and the band play in July 2002at Hi-Fi Buys Ampitheatre in Atlanta.
“Miami Vice” Starring:
Jamie Foxx and ColinFarrell
Twelve years ago, one of the most
famous independent films in the histo-
ry of cinema was released. The movie
opened the door for its director to
make several other films over the
course of many years, using many of
the same actors. Now, after more than
a decade of waiting, fans of that origi-
nal film can find out what has hap-
pened to its main characters in the
much-anticipated sequel, aptly titled,
“Clerks II.”
“Clerks” has garnered a cult fol-
lowing for Smith over the years. With
memorable characters, like Jay (Jason
Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), he has
been able to create a franchise known
the world over.
For “Clerks,” the budget was
small and the film quality poor, but the
idea was priceless. It is a movie about
a day in the life of two clerks, one for
the gas station and one for the adjoin-
ing movie rental store. Dante (Brian
O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff
Anderson) do their best to run their
places of business without actually
working too hard. They are joined in
both stores by a cast of colorful char-
acters, with Jay and Silent Bob surfac-
ing most often.
THE BEGINNINGThese two characters are proba-
bly Smith’s best-known in pop culture.
Smith and Mewes met in their home-
town of Leonardo when Mewes was
dragged along to a comic book confer-
ence by his older brother, who was
friends with Smith. Though he did not
originally take to Mewes, the two later
got along. Smith ended up writing the
role of Jay specifically for Mewes, and
the two have been friends ever since.
That friendship has stood the test
of time and, in the case of these two,
addiction. Mewes was born to a hero-
in-addicted mother, and with the help
of Smith and longtime friend and co-
star Ben Affleck, he finally got clean in
2003, after many failed attempts. On
several occasions, Smith kept Mewes
at his house in order to try to break his
addiction to heroin, and Affleck actual-
ly paid for two of Mewes’ stints in
rehab.
In his blog, posted at silentbobs-
peaks.com, Smith recounted one of
Mewes’ times in rehab when he left a
court-mandated treatment before he
was supposed to.
“It was a sobering notion, to say
the least - and one that was still bounc-
ing around in my head when Marty
capped the Jason escape story with
‘But he’s here with me now, and…’”
Smith wrote. “I steeled myself to hear
Jason’s voice, all drug-addled and
dope-dimmed. If he was out of rehab,
surely he was back on drugs.”
That visit would be his next-to-
last in a drug rehabilitation facility, as,
when he was ordered by a judge to
complete the rehab in 2003, he did just
that, successfully, and has been clean
ever since.
“Clerks II” will be Mewes’ first
production with Smith completely
clean and sober. In fact, one of his
motivations was that Smith promised
him he would make another movie fea-
turing Jay and Silent Bob.
MOVIE THAT STARTED IT ALL“Clerks,” released in 1994, was
the brainchild of then little-known
director Kevin Smith. It was filmed at
night at the convenience store where
Smith worked, which was in reality—
just like in the movie—called the
Quick Stop. Though the film had a
budget of only about $26,000 and was
financed mostly with borrowed money
and credit cards, it was well received
at the Sundance Film Festival that year
and quickly caught on.
After “Clerks” was viewed at
Sundance in 1994, it was picked up by
Miramax to be shown in theatres
around the country.
In an interview from View
Askew’s (Smith’s production compa-
ny) Web site, Mewes recounted how he
felt about Miramax’s acquisition of the
film.
“I was shocked. Everyone was
shocked,” he said. “I showed my mom
the movie, and then I told her the
movie got bought and that it was
gonna be shown in theatres and be on
video. Everyone was really psyched
about it. Everyone in my little town of
hounds started to call me a movie star.”
Even after its release into the
mainstream, the film garnered good
reviews.
In a 1994 New York Times
review, Janet Maslin compared the
characters’ actions to Smith’s future.
“Dante’s erratic efforts to keep
the Quick Stop running smoothly,
including a sign that reads ‘If you plan
to shoplift, let us know,’ mean he may
actually move on to bigger things
some day,” she wrote. “Mr. Smith is
certain to do the same.”
Smith is certainly more intelli-
gent than the average producer, basing
his main character’s name, Dante, on
“The Divine Comedy” by Dante
Alighieri. Also, there are nine breaks
in the movie, featuring complex
words, such as perspicacity, to repre-
sent the nine rings of hell.
PATH TO GLORYOnly one year after his low-budg-
et independent film aired at Sundance,
Smith was hard at work once again,
producing and directing his second
full-length film, “Mallrats.”
Scott Mosier, who helps produce
Smith’s films, said “Clerks” was dif-
ferent from the other films because he
and Smith had full control over it. He
described how responsibility and
cooperation had to increase as time
passed.
“‘Clerks’ is a completely separate
experience because nobody knew who
we were. Even on ‘Chasing Amy,’
where it was investors, there was still a
certain amount of responsibility. On
‘Clerks,’ we were really just responsi-
ble to ourselves,” he said in a View
Askew interview. “We didn’t have to
answer to anybody. We could just get
up and shoot when we wanted to.”
Mosier also mentioned that studio
control on a set involved more politics
and strategy than he would prefer.
“You can’t just concentrate on
physically making the films, getting
the most out of the day and all the rest
of that,” he said. “You end up having
to deal with studio politics and the
money people. You know, they’re con-
cerned about language, so you argue
and you talk and stuff.”
That hasn’t seemed to deter
Smith from making great films. One
after the other, his well known films,
including ‘Mallrats,’ ‘Dogma,’
‘Chasing Amy’ and ‘Jay and Silent
Bob Strike Back,’ have snowballed,
gathering more and more followers as
time passes.
Page 6 A & E July 27, 2006
‘Clerks’ saga adds new chapterBy MEREDITH CANALESThe Pan American
While a bit over the top, “Clerks II”
manages to answer many of the ques-
tions long-time fans might have after
Dante’s and Randal’s more than 10-year
sabbatical. Once again, as pointed out by
Randal, Dante has two girls chasing after
him. Also a recurring theme is Jay and
Silent Bob, this time hanging out on the
wall of the fast food restaurant where
Dante and Randal now work.
Ironically, in this plot, the two have
just returned from a court-mandated stay
in rehab. Jay, sporting a “Got Christ?”
shirt, and Silent Bob, however, are still
engaging in the trade that got them to
rehab in the first place: selling marijua-
na. The plot twist seems appropriate, as
this is Mewes’ first big-screen appear-
ance as Jay while clean and sober. To
make it even stranger, Smith has the
characters toting around a Bible and try-
ing to get their customers interested in
God.
“There’s all kinds of crazy [stuff] in
here,” says Jay, to one of his customers.
“Did you know Jesus was a Jew?”
As usual, the two nutty characters
who seem to do nothing other than sell
drugs and engage in juvenile potty
humor save not only Dante and Randal
at the end of the film, but the film itself.
When Smith hired actors for his original
picture, very few of them had acting
experience. This lack of formal training
is especially evident in the sequel, as it
seems none of the actors, particularly
O’Halloran, has bothered to get any for-
mal training in the past 12 years.
For all those “Clerks II” fans out
there, though, this movie is exactly what
they’ve been waiting for. Even with its
over-the-top moments: Jay and Silent
Bob prancing around in pigtails singing
the Jackson Five’s “ABC,” or the
extremely explicit donkey show toward
the end of the film, the flick is like
manna from a God-like Kevin Smith to
his devoted followers.
Still, with all the oddities and over-
done stunts, the ending (which will not
be revealed here) is perfect. The way
Smith begins and ends the film is pure
movie gold, even if most of the stuff in
the middle is a cheap imitation.
Trailers, pics and movie posters,
Hollywood publicity the original didn’t
have, are just a click away on myspace.
Visit their site at
http://www.myspace.com/clerksii.
Dante andRandal
Strike BackBy MEREDITH CANALESThe Pan American
‘Clerks’ started more than just trend
UTPA Sports Information
UTPA associate head women's basketball
coach Tracy Anderson announced on July 19 that
she has accepted the position of head women's
basketball coach at Newman University, an NCAA
Division II program located in Wichita, Kan. The
newly named head coach returns to her coaching
roots in Kansas.
“This is truly a bittersweet time for me and the
hardest move I've ever had to make in my
professional career," said Anderson. "Although I'm
very excited about the opportunity to lead my own
program and embrace the challenges that come with
taking Newman University into unchartered
territory as a Division II program.
She added that
she will miss the team
and the coaches
deeply.
“This is the
finest and most
talented group of
players I have ever
helped assemble in 17
years of coaching so it
saddens me to miss
the ride they are going
to embark on in the next couple of years.” She
commented.
UTPA coach DeAnn Craft praised the efforts
of Anderson and wished her well for the future.
“This is a fabulous opportunity for Tracy, and
she will do a tremendous job at Newman
University,” Craft said, of the coach she replaced
when she came to UTPA. “This is a great fit for
Tracy and with all of her recruiting ties in Texas
and Kansas; she will be a shining star as Newman's
head coach.”
Craft noted that finding a replacement is going
to be tough.
“Tracy is very deserving of this opportunity,
and she is going to be sorely missed as a member
of our coaching staff. It's great recognition for our
program that one of our coaches is going on to start
her own program," added head coach she said.
Anderson was set to begin her fourth season
with the UTPA women's basketball program and
her third season as associate head coach of the Lady
Broncs. Throughout her tenure with the squad, she
handled the post players on both the offensive and
defensive sides of the ball and her hard work was
evident as four Lady Bronc post players earned All-
Independent recognition the last three seasons.
The Lady Broncs' low post players have been
one of the biggest strengths for the program over
the last three seasons, and were a major reason why
UTPA has recorded the most victories in a three-
year stretch in its 22-year history. During the 2005-
06 season, UTPA collected 1,085 total rebounds and
averaged 38.8 rebounds per game, which were both
the second-highest rebounding total in single-
season program history.
In addition, Anderson played a major role in
the planning for every game and was a pivotal
component in the record-breaking season for UTPA
during the 2004-05 campaign. A strong presence on
the bench, Anderson was the man-to-man
mastermind for the Lady Bronc defense, which
allowed the fewest points per game average in
program history during the last four women's
basketball campaigns.
In Anderson's four seasons with the squad, the
Lady Broncs witnessed the points allowed number
drop from 66.4 per game in 2002-03 - which was a
program record at the time - to 57.0 during the
2004-05 season.
Anderson also served as the team's academic
coordinator, and during her tenure with the Lady
Broncs, 79 student-athletes earned selections to the
Bronc Pride 3.0 Club. In addition, Stacey Gooden
became the first-ever UTPA student-athlete to earn
valedictorian honors for her graduating class in
May of 2006 after earning a perfect 4.0 grade-point
average.
Anderson served as the program's interim
head coach during the 2002-03 season after former
head coach Karen Nicholls resigned prior to the
beginning of the campaign. The Lady Broncs
finished with a 7-21 record, but made dramatic
improvements in scoring, rebounding, field goal
percentage, steals, blocked shots and turnovers
from the previous season.
That season, Anderson led the Lady Broncs to
a 61-58 victory over the University of Nebraska,
which was the program's first victory over a Big
XII Conference opponent. The Lady Broncs also
captured victories over Sun Belt Conference foe
Arkansas-Little Rock as well as Texas A&M-
Corpus Christi, IPFW and Centenary with
Anderson at the helm.
"I am ready to embark on new challenges, and
I take with me the knowledge and motivation of my
mentor in Coach Craft,” Anderson said. “I have
loved my time here and will watch the Lady Broncs
very closely as they will forever hold a special
place in my heart. I want to thank the
administration, University, the coaches, my mentor
and friend Coach Craft and especially the players
for the love, support and experiences that will be
with me always. My only hope is that I have left
this program a much better program then when I
arrived because I know I am leaving as a better
coach."
Anderson returns to the Kansas basketball
scene as she served as the head coach of Bethel
College in Newton for three seasons. She began her
collegiate coaching career at Cowley County
Community College in Arkansas City.
The newly named Jet coach takes over a
program making the transition from NAIA to
NCAA Division II status as a member of the
Heartland Conference. Last season, the Jets finished
with an 18-14 record and were listed as high as
14th in the nation in the NAIA Division II rankings.
The Pan American contributed to the story
July 27, 2006 SSPPOORRTTSS Page 7
Anderson takes job at Newman University in Kansas
ANDERSON
The University of Texas-Pan
American started its second summer
baseball camp on Tuesday evening
Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The
camp, which will run from through
today, is being hosted by former New
York Yankee pitcher and current
UTPA assistant baseball coach Justin
Meccage.
The camp started off on the
right track, according to Meccage.
“Things overall went well
yesterday,” the second-year pitching
coach claimed Wednesday. “We had
close to 20 kids, and they were a
good group of kids. It was just the
perfect amount to where we can have
some one-on-one time with each kid
and not have to worry about kids
running around everywhere with no
focus.”
Meccage mentioned that
the camp, open to youngsters
between the ages of 6-18, mostly
consisted of younger kids.
“We had about three or four
older kids show up, and a lot more 6-
10-year-old kids, so we had to
provide some extra instruction,” he
proclaimed.
The camp was designed to
instruct youngsters on specific areas
of the game, including pitching,
catching, hitting, infield and outfield
mechanics, as well as strength and
conditioning drills. Radar readings
and evaluations on arm strength will
also be given to each camper.
“Hopefully the kids can take at
least one piece of information home
with them, and then take it back to
their Little League teams,” Meccage
said. “Whether it be hitting or
fielding, it would be great to know
that they were able to take the
knowledge with them and learn
something from it.”
The cost of the three-day clinic
was $75. Spaces were limited in
order to given each camper
individual attention.
“We want them to feel like they
got their money’s worth,” insisted
Meccage. “Every little kid is going to
be different, so they’ll enjoy one
aspect more than another, you know,
like the pitching or hitting lessons.
But we ultimately want them to have
fun and a good experience.”
The Broncs are busily recruiting
this summer to replace several
members of last year’s team, that
won 24 games.
How quickly a pro career gets
halted.
Former University of Texas-Pan
American Bronc baseball player Tim
Haines was
r e c e n t l y
s u s p e n d e d
after testing
positive for a
performance-
e n h a n c i n g
s u b s t a n c e .
The right-
handed hurler
who set a
school saves
record will now have to sit out 50
games.
Haines had signed a minor
league contract with the New York
Mets Class A team, the Brooklyn
Cyclones. The 27th-round pick by the
Mets was 2-0 with 3.09 ERA and had
three saves in 10 games in the pros,
but will miss the rest of the season.
In recent years, testing for
performance-enhancing substances
has become more frequent, especially
in the wake of the McGwire-Sosa-
Palmeiro-Bonds debacle. The
punishment phase for testing positive
puts offending players under the
three-strikes rule. The current policy
is 50 days suspension for a first
offense, 100 days for a second, and a
lifetime ban for a third. It is the
toughest drug-testing program in
professional sports.
The Haines situation comes as a
jolt to many from this area, including
his former coach, Willie Gawlik.
After hearing the news, Gawlik that
said it comes as just a shock to him as
to everyone else.
The coach stressed that Haines
is no longer affiliated with the UTPA
Bronc baseball program since signing
a contract with the professional
organization.
“He is a part of the New York
Mets professional baseball team, so
whatever happens there is with the
Mets and not UT-Pan American,” he
added.
During his short two-year stint
with the Broncs baseball program,
Haines had 16 saves, 89 strikeouts
and finished 6-8 on the mound in two
seasons. He was one of six pitchers to
go to the pros off this year’s team,
along with Bobby Gomez, Dane
Mason, Aaron Guerra, Kelly Casares,
and Alex Guajardo.
In 2006 he posted a school
record 10 saves with a 2.03 ERA, and
was a first team All-Independent
selection. Two weeks ago, he was
named a second teamer on the All
South Central Region squad,
becoming the first Bronc on that team
since Jesse Gutierrez and Leo Salinas
did it in 2000.
Haines suspended for 50 games after testing positive for illegal substances By DARYL GONZALESThe Pan American
Bronc baseball holds second camp of summer for Valley youth
By RODERICK DORSEYThe Pan American
OLD SCHOOL - Waldo Davila ofEdinburg sports his vintage '70s PanAmerican University baseball jersey atUTPA Night last Thursday at EdinburgBaseball Stadium.
S P O R T SEditor’s Pick: Game to watch
Martinez Ramirez
New York at AtlantaFriday at 6:35 p.m.
Can be seen on TBSt
Assistant Meccage is running the show
BRONC BUILDER - UTPA Bronc baseball player Leighton Autrey shows one of thecampers the proper batting stance to hitting the ball at the Bronc Baseball Camp onTuesday evening.
Daryl Gonzales/The Pan American
HAINESThe Pan American
COLLIGATE HELP - Osiel Flores, UTPA Bronc baseball player, tosses balls tocampers inside the batting cages Tuesday evening at the Edinburg BaseballStadium.
Daryl Gonzales/The Pan American
“He is a part of theNew York Mets profes-sional baseball team,so whatever happensthere is with the Metsand not UT-Pan Am.”
UTPA baseball head coachWillie Gawlik
“Hopefully the kidscan take at least onepiece of informationhome with them, andthen take it back totheir Little Leagueteams.”
UTPA baseball assistant coachJustin Meccage