Cinco de Mayo

!
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
...Award-winning newspaper for The University of Texas of the Permian Basin...
Friday, May 13, 2005
Volume 23 · Issue 14
Cinco de Mayo: The history behind the Mexican celebration
by Kai Djhowtey
Contributor
Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated in Mexico, most notably in
the Mexican state of Pueblo, to commemorate the Battle of Pueblo
which was fought on May 5, 1862.
Even in several United States cities,
Cinco de Mayo has become celebrated
and festivities such as parades and
carnivals are held.
David Ortiz, a student at
Odessa College who celebrates Cinco
de Mayo every year, said, “Sure,
there’s parties and fun, but it all
means something. [The Mexican
people] showed their true
strength.”
The stage was set when, on
Sept. 16, 1810, Mexico won its independence from Spain. Afterwards
was a time of many wars and
coups, which includes the MexicanAmerican War and the 1858 Mexican Civil War. War was costly to
the newly-established Mexico and
proved detrimental to the Mexican
economy.
Due to the state of its
economy, Mexico borrowed money
from other nations and, as a result,
became in debt to France, Spain and
England; those countries later sent
military forces into Mexico when
the debts could not be paid. Shortly
after the military campaigns began,
the Spanish and English forces negotiated with President Benito
Juarez of Mexico and the forces were
eventually withdrawn.
The French army remained, however. In hindsight, it is
clear that Napoleon III, the French
emperor, was looking to expand his
empire.
Ortiz said, “[The French]
didn’t leave. They were looking to
add Mexico to their real estate...
They were being imperialistic.”
After the French army invaded Mexico, it marched for
Mexico City. One estimate places
the French army as being numbered
at roughly 6,500 soldiers. The Mexican militia, which was led by
Texas-born General Ignacio
Zaragoza Seguin, consisted of
about 4,500 men.
United States President
Abraham Lincoln had condemned
the French invasion of Mexico,
though no support could be given
due to the American Civil War.
Although outnumbered,
Denise Cruz, a history student attending UT Permian Basin, attributed the success of the Mexican militia to miscalculations made by the
French General Charles-Ferdinand
Latrille, Comte de Lorencez.
Cruz said, “[General de
Lorencez] underestimated the
Mexican troops. He underestimated
their capability... You can’t do that
in combat. If you do, you’re in
trouble.”
The climax of the French
campaign took place at Pueblo. Despite the odds, the Mexican militia
defeated the French army in combat. General de Lorencez ordered his
army to retreat.
Although the French were
defeated at the Battle of Pueblo, they
returned with more troops and
eventually conquered Mexico City.
President Juarez was overthrown
and replaced by Archduke
Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria.
Cruz stated, “The Battle of
Pueblo wasn’t a decisive battle. [The
French] eventually came back and
defeated Mexico... [The battle]
shows just how brave and courageous the Mexican people are.”
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated
both south and north of the border,
honoring the bravery of the Mexican people.
Sources: Encyclopedia Encarta, Encyclopedia Britannica and Napoleon.org
(www.napoleon.org/en/home.asp).
Courtesy Photo
Two children prepare for the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Lubbock, TX.
Día de los Niños activities brought to Floyd Gwin Park
by Deandra Martinez
Staff Writer
April 30 marked the celebration of the Mexican holiday Día
de los Niños, which is translated as
”Children’s Day.” The holiday pays
homage to children and their importance in society.
Día de los Niños has been a
holiday in Mexico since 1925,
though it did not become celebrated
in the United States until 1997. This
was due to children’s author and
native Texan Pat Mora, who felt a
need to link all children to books,
languages and cultures.
Even after nearly 10 years,
Día de los Niños is still going strong
as more than 100 cities in the United
States took part in the annual celebration.
Odessa, Texas, is certainly
no exception as the Spanish television station Univisión hosted the
third annual Día de los Niños celebration at Floyd Gwin Park.
The celebration included
game booths, balloons, face painting, a health fair, story time, music
and door prizes, which included
new bicycles courtesy of Toys R Us
of Midland.
Univisión Event Coordinator Martin Gonzales said, “This is a
day to celebrate and dedicate a day
to the future, nuestros niños...‘our
children.’”
Only due to the efforts of
event volunteers was the celebration possible. Phi Alpha Theta of UT
Permian Basin and the Student Volunteer Center were just a few of the
many organizations that took part
in this year’s celebration.
Phi Alpha Theta President
Leslie Coughran said, “It’s about
getting a group of people together
and being able to give back to the
community. Phi Alpha Theta is a
new club here at UTPB this semester, so we felt that this event would
allow for an opportunity for more
students to see what were about.”
Students in Philanthropy grant awards to local organizations
More than $20,000 raised to benefit non-profit organizations
by Jason Navarette
Editor-in-Chief
Webster’s Dictionary
defines philanthropy as
“works or endeavors, as
charitable aid or endowments, intended to increase
the well-being of humanity.”
True to this definition, the UT
Permian Basin Students in
Philanthropy (SIP) gathered
on April 21 in the Multipurpose room of the Student
Union in order to present
grant awards to 25 area nonprofit organizations. The
amount totaled more than
$20,000 and individual
awards ranged from $500 to
$1,500.
In the opening of the
event, UT Permian Basin
President Dr. W. David Watts
stated that the grant award
presentation “sets a stan-
dard of philanthropy not
only here but elsewhere in
the nation.”
The President of
both SIP and the UT Permian
Basin Student Senate, Crystal Barrios, was in agreement with this sentiment.
She said, “[The purpose of SIP] is to affect our
community in a positive
way.”
Barrios’ statement
mirrors the statement of pur-
pose for SIP. According to
their website, SIP is an “indepth leadership training
program which provides
students the opportunity to
improve the quality of life in
their communities.”
Dr. Watts remarked
on the importance of the ceremony by examining the impact SIP has on students.
He said, “[SIP serves]
as a vehicle to give money to
organizations... You teach
students through practice
how important it is to give.”
According to Dr.
Watts, SIP not only aids the
community, but the program
also harnesses the leadership
skills of its members.
Dr. Watts said to the
SIP members, “You have
shown your leadership
through your participation
in this program... You are
truly leaders.”
The grant award
Sandstorm, Sigma Tau Alumni Association honors
Delta host poetry night students at awards ceremony
by Jason Navarette
Editor-in-Chief
In a concerted effort by
UT Permian Basin’s literary
magazine Sandstorm and the English National Honor Society
Sigma Tau Delta, a poetry and
open mic night was held on April
30 in the courtyard of the Visual
Arts Studio on campus. Free refreshments were available during
the event.
After brief opening remarks by Sigma Tau Delta President Todd Richardson, Sandstorm
Advisor Dr. Jason Lagapa and
Sandstorm Editor Ellen Boyd, the
featured poets read their works
aloud to the audience. Feature
readers included Nancy Thorne,
Amanda McCain, Maria Elena
Campos-Rimer, Eileen Peters and
Jermaine Harmon.
Sandstorm Editorial Board
member Deborah Glast stated,
“[The poetry reading was] really
nice. It is better when you hear
someone read their poems versus
hearing them being read.”
She added that the effect
of the poetry readings has more
impact on the audience due to serenity of the Visual Arts Studio
courtyard, which is adjacent to
UT Permian Basin’s replica of
Stonehenge.
After a short intermission, audience members were encouraged to participate in the
open mic portion of the event.
After one member of the audience
combined music with lyrical poetry, several other individuals
shared their poetry.
Nora Al-Abdullah, a
sophomore double-majoring in
Biology and Psychology, was
pleased with the event.
She remarked, “It was
pretty good... I really enjoyed it.
See Poetry Night, p. 3
by Marcella Pettus
Staff Writer
The Distinguished Alumnus and Beacon Awards ceremony
was held on April 23 in the room
LL001 in the UT Permian Basin Library. The awards ceremony was
hosted by the UT Permian Basin
Alumni Association to honor a select group of area-wide high school
students. The students, juniors and
seniors in high school who plan on
attending college, were chosen to
receive a scholarship to UT Permian
Basin for displaying academic excellence and a commitment to serve
others.
The special guest for the
event was Donna Michelle Rainey,
who was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus award for her
outstanding achievement in the
United States Air Force (USAF) and
her success following her gradua-
tion from UT Permian Basin.
When asked how she felt
about receiving such a distinguished award, Rainey replied, “It’s
an honor to be chosen to represent
UTPB as my time here truly gave
me the foundation I need to serve
the American public.”
Rainey attended UT Permian Basin and graduated in 1991
with a BA in History and a minor in
Speech. She went on to become a
Major in the USAF and received
numerous awards for her participation.
UT Permian Basin President Dr. David W. Watts was unable to attend the event due to a family illness.
monies were raised from a
SIP Halloween carnival and
a poinsettia sale. The total
amount raised was matched
by the Abell-Hanger Foundation, a Midland-based philanthropic organization and
sponsor of SIP.
Anyone interested in
joining SIP or wanting more
information on the program
can the UT Permian Basin
Student Financial Aid office
at (432)552-2620.
Inside
The MJ
Students discuss the
Mexican Holiday Cinco
de Mayo...
page 2
Battle of the Bands rock
UT Permian Basin...
page 3
Sports Editor
discusses the
direction of UT
Permian Basin
sports...
page 4
Page 2, The Mesa Journal
Opinion/Editorial
Into the Wilderness
Letters to the Editor
A salute to the underdogs
It’s easy to get stressedout as the semester draws to a
close. This is especially true
when final exams are thrown in
to the mix. Add work, family
trouble and financial woes and
you have a recipe for trouble. It’s
easy to be an underdog, or
someone who is at a disadvantage and expected to fail at an
endeavor.
Jason
It is all too apparent that
Navarette
this country is obsessed with
Editor-in-Chief
winners. The bigger a victory is,
the bigger the person. This is
particularly true in Texas. What about those down on
their luck, those fighting to make something of themselves? What about the underdogs?
At some point in their lives, everyone takes the
role of the underdog. What we do from there is what is
most important.
Are you an underdog?
If so, then you might want to consider taking
time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
There is a misconception many have about the
Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, translated as “5th of
May.” Cinco de Mayo is sometimes referred to as
Mexico’s Independence Day, though this is not true;
Mexico’s Independence Day is actually celebrated on
Sept. 16.
Cinco de Mayo is a time that celebrates the courage of an outnumbered, poorly armed Mexican force
that defended Mexico from French invasion. As a result the French were temporarily forced back and it
could be argued that the American Civil War South
could not gain military support from France’s Emperor
Napoleon III at that time.
Cinco de Mayo is a time that celebrates the underdog.
If you ever find an army of doubts knocking at
your door, don’t be discouraged. If you ever feel overwhelmed and outnumbered by the troubles of the
world, stand up, dust yourself off and stand your
ground. Don’t be discouraged, don’t be afraid. And
don’t ever give up.
Here’s to the underdog.
Viva Cinco de Mayo!
!
ampus
C
C onnection
with Jay Gorania
What are your plans for
Cinco de mayo, which is
Thursday, May 5th?
“My plans for this Thursday,
which is Cinco de Mayo... probably to study for a
final.”
- Marjorie King
Visual Communication
Senior
Friday, May 13, 2005
Student Editor gives accolades to The Mesa Journal
During the weekend of April 7 through 9, I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Texas
Intercollegiate Press Association’s annual conference in Dallas. The purpose of the conference was to host
writing workshops for invited journalism students from several colleges and universities in the state of Texas.
The event culminated with an awards banquet that saw several students walk away with prestigious
awards. What a thrill! Not only did I learn more about the ins and outs of journalism and what it takes to
become a polished writer, but I was fortunate enough to establish friendships that I hope to have with me for
the rest of my life.
As I combed the pages of The Mesa Journal I realized that my colleagues and I are mirrored images
of former editor Jay Gorania and his staff. Both of us face the same challenges with deadlines, writers and
campus administration but hold no reservations in bringing the news of our respective campuses to the
students.
Publishing a campus newspaper is not easy. I applaud The Mesa Journal for publishing exceptional
work and continue to look to it as a source of inspiration and leisure reading. On behalf of The Rambler, I say
job well done and keep fighting the good fight.
Phil McNeary
Campus Life Editor of The Rambler
Texas Wesleyan University
Trip to Italy brings experience, course credit to students
by Chessa Jones
Columnist
Verona. Although we were
very tired, we still found
Verona to be amazing. We
even saw a structure older
than the Coliseum.
After this tiresome
venture, we were told it was
time to go to our hotel, but
only to drop off our luggage.
We were tired but relieved to
see where we would be
spending the next three days.
As we arrived in
Venice, we were told that we
would have to cross three
bridges while still carrying
our luggage. While we began
to walk, it was apparent that
this would be no simple task.
The walk was over one mile
and the three bridges had
stairs. Having brought too
much luggage, I was exhausted and ready for some
rest as we finally approached
the hotel.
After 14 hours on a
plane and little or no sleep,
UT Permian Basin students,
families and friends visited
Italy last year as part of the
course entitled “Art in Italy.”
The purpose of the trip was
to see the various artistic
mediums used in Italy. When
we arrived, we were greeted
by our animated guide,
Guilio.
Many were tired and
in hopes of going to the hotel
for some rest and to freshenup. However, those hopes
were soon dashed when we
were informed that we were
to go on a walking tour
around the Italian city of
When we checked
into our hotel, our guide told
us to quickly go to our rooms
and get settled in. When we
came quickly back to the
lobby afterwards, it was time
for more walking; it was also
time for our “welcome to
Italy” dinner.
This next walk to the
restaurant was long and tiresome, but once we arrived
we were wined and dined
with some delicious Italian
cuisine. Most importantly,
we were finally off of our feet.
Once the meal was
over, we were on our way
back to the hotel. We rode on
a water taxi, which gave us a
beautiful view of Venice. As
we arrived at our stop, one
couple on the tour was not
allowed to get off. Everyone
was flustered and unsure of
what to do. Luckily, there
was someone on the taxi that
was able to tell them how to
get back to where we were
by getting off at the next stop.
They made it back shortly
after we did.
Our final adventure
for the day was over, and it
was time for some much
needed sleep. Though our trip
started off bumpy, it was a
growing experience. I saw
more in one day than I had in
a lifetime. We were introduced to a new culture and
went on to see Florence and
Rome.
Any student should
take the opportunity to go
abroad on a trip if they are
able. Our guide was wonderful, helpful and knowledgeable. I am so grateful that I
was able to go on this inspirational trip. And to top it all
off, I got six credit hours.
The UT Permian Basin Mesa Journal seeks an Editor to oversee the student newspaper.
The successful candidate will analyze the news content and readership; monitor the quality
of reporting, writing, photography, graphics and presentation of the news; assign, coordinate, edit and layout stories; oversee the newspaper website; ensure writers meet deadlines; and represent the newspaper at UT Permian Basin events. The candidate must be an
enrolled student either in an undergraduate or graduate program at UT Permian Basin.
Applications and complete job description for The Mesa Journal Editor can be picked up
in the UT Permian Basin Career Services Department located in the PASS Office, MB1160
or online at http://www.collegecentral.com/utpb/. Please submit current résumé and a
writing sample with application by May 31, 2005. Please call the Career Services Department at (432) 552-2633 for additional questions.
UT Permian Basin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The Mesa Journal
e-mail: [email protected]
STAFF
“I’ll be celebrating in spirit
with [the] Hispanic community while I’m taking my final.”
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Phone: (432) 552-2659
Fax: (432) 552-2660
- Elen Boyd
English
Senior
“Probably drinking beer.”
- Chessa Jones
Communication
Senior
Editor-in-Chief: Jason Navarette
Sports Editor: Laura Fisher
Business Manager: Tony Testerment
Advisor: Becki Murphy
Staffwriters: Nancy Aguirre, Ben Campbell, Alex Carpenter, Martin
Chabarria, Luke Garrett, Isidro Gonzales, Jay Gorania, Malissa Greenwood,
Lauren Johnson, Deandra Martinez, Monica Murguia, Marcella Pettus, Tony
Prather, Alex Smith, Joshua Smith, Jessica Thomas, Jhared Thomas, Owen
Wallace-Servera, Veronica Villarreal
Layout and Design: Jason Navarette
Photographers: Jay Gorania
General Information
The Mesa Journal is a student publication that provides information, commentary and entertainment for The University
of Texas of the Permian Basin community. Editorial statements and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of the UT Permian Basin administration.
Letter Policy
All contributions, in good taste, will be edited for grammar, spelling, length (250 minimum), libel, profanity and
personal attacks. All letters must contain the author’s name, major, academic classification and contact information.
This information can be withheld upon request. Electronic copies of articles and letters are preferred.
Mission Statement
The Mesa Journal is designed to inform, entertain, educate and heighten awareness of students, faculty and administrators at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Staff members will be responsible journalists by maintaining
high ethical standards with fairness, accuracy and balance.
Arts & Entertainment
Friday, May 13, 2005
Falcon Arcade
God of War scores 9.8 out of 10
by Jason Navarette
Entertainment Reviewer
It is rare nowadays for a
video game to bring something
unique and intriguing to the gameplaying field. True, there are a number of first person shooter (Deus Ex,
Splinter Cell) and action/adventure
(Mark of Kri) games that deserve
merit for their uniqueness within
their genre. Unfortunately, these are
the exception rather than the rule.
Then enter God of War. In this
brilliant Playstation 2 (PS2) action/
adventure game, you play the role
of Spartan warrior Kratos on his
quest for vengeance and salvation.
Led astray by Ares, the Greek god
of war, our intrepid anti-hero
battles his way through the minions of the now-renegade god to find
Pandora’s Box, an item capable of
laying low the gods.
The battles are fierce (and
beautiful). Every attack is displayed
flawlessly, showing highly detailed
and gory death and dismemberment by Kratos’ “blades of chaos.”
As you advance in the game, new
and more deadly attack combos are
collected, fashioning the already
formidable Spartan into a killing
machine. Needless to say, the game
earned its ESRB rating of Mature.
The gameplay is flawless.
The battles flow smoothly and,
thanks to the remarkable variety
and artificial intelligence of the enemies, the game keeps you on your
toes. God of War also has superb
graphics. Whether you are slicing
through your enemies or enjoying
a beautifully rendered cutscene, this
title seems to come to life, leaving
you wanting more.
Unique, intriguing, beautiful. God of War is a must-have PS2
title for connoisseurs of any video
game genre.
God of War scores an impressive 9.8 out of 10.
The Mesa Journal, Page 3
A night of laughs at the Founder’s Theatre
Entertainment Review by Maria Elena Campos Rimer
Presented at UT Permian Basin, Dr. Shawn Watson’s production of The Importance of Being
Earnest at the Founder’s Theatre was a laughter-filled evening. The performances were held on
April 21 through 30.
Although the beginning started a bit slow. As the plot progressed, the comedic antics caused
the audience as well as me to fall into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
The excellent comedic timing of Tony Prather as Algernon Montcrief and Scott Simpson as
Jack Worthing was a joy to watch.
The company as a whole mastered the often easily butchered British accent, which was
rather impressive; although oftentimes it was spoken so quickly that the jokes were lost on the
untrained West Texas audience’s ears.
Misty Wiberg once again awed this critic with her portrayal of Gwendolyn Farifax, the
daughter of Lady Bracknell, a role which was wonderfully played by Janice Begley. Both Wiberg
and Begley were in the fall semester’s Necessary Targets and once again they do not fail to please.
Newcomer to the Founder’s Theatre stage, Amanda McKee, who played the charming Cecily
Cardew, brought a breath of fresh air into the play with her sweet disposition and excellent use of
the British accent that this critic adored and appreciated.
Todd Richardson and Brandon Cerka, who played butlers Merriman and Lane respectively,
were highly comical and well-developed characters that allowed the audience to laugh at the rich
and haughty comedy as much as desired.
Kristen Vesely as Miss Prism and David Van Houten as Rev. Chausable played the perfect
flirtatious couple and were a pleasure to watch.
The final “character” in the play was the wonderfully constructed and designed set. Transforming a regular black box theatre into a London city flat, to a country garden and then to a
drawing room is not a feat easily done. This company allowed the audience to travel over the pond
and be entertained for two hours of rip-roaring madness and fun.
I enjoyed the show and commend the actors and the director on a jolly well-done show!
Bands musically battle it out at annual concert
by Jay Gorania
Entertainment Reviewer
With the semester’s
end in sight, students were
treated to the Student Program Board’s (SPB) annual
Battle of the Bands that was
held at the grassy knoll between the book store and the
Gymnasium. Though the
turnout was minimal and
sparse as the initial band
took stage, I tip my hat to the
SPB’s Concert Committee
Chair Garrett Miller for
drawing in a healthy, growing crowd that stayed for the
majority of the event.
Off in the Woods
kicked things off with a formulaic version of Ben
Harper-esque (they even
threw-in a Harper cover) folkfueled rock that concluded as
unspectacularly as it began.
They may as well have had a
drum machine in place of
their drummer who was as
skilled as an Indian-Canadian attempting to ice skate
(believe me, it’s not a pretty
site).
Next up was Color Me
Acoustic, a band that wasn’t
included in the competition
but was nevertheless given
the opportunity to play. Color
Me Acoustic is the acoustic face
of Odessa’s punk-rock band
Color Me Dead, who had participated in last year’s Battle
of the Bands.
To say that the act
was not the most musical of
the evening would be a gross
understatement. I’ve always
been extremely compelled to
Color Me Dead’s undeniable
energy, however. While
Campus Spotlight
John Ben Shepperd
Public Leadership Institute
The JBS Public Leadership Institute has brought many leadership opportunities to the students of UT Permian Basin and the
Odessa/Midland community through university leadership
programs, the Distinguished Language Series and new Texas
Education Agency (TEA) approved high school curriculum.
Mission, Goal & Challenge Statement
The mission of the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute is to provide young Texans an education for and about
leadership, ethics and public service.
The goal of the Institute is to develop a well-rounded leadership
program to improve young Texans’ personal leadership skills,
develop their sense of community responsibility and educate
them on the importance of ethics and public service. Public
service and coming together to solve community concerns is a
uniquely American and Texas characteristic.
The challenge is how best to prepare young Texans to accept
leadership responsibility and lead the state into the 21st century.
To meet this challenge the Institute offers: Academic Studies,
Distinguished Lecture Series, Specialized Seminars, Summer
Leadership Institute for Teachers, Student Leadership Forums,
Student Leadership Camp, Annual Forum and the “Outstanding Local Leader” or “Outstanding Texas Leader” Awards.
Contact Information
Physical Location Phone Number
MB4204
(432)552-2850
Email Address
Poetry Night,
Continued from p. 1
It was much more than I expected.”
Other members of
the audience were impressed
Latin-flavored rock, to be
precise. Their vocalist/guitarist had a smooth, soulful
voice that was very personable, yet it lacked the power
and punch that the wellplayed music demanded. It
was mixed too thin soundwise, but the additional percussionist brought something differentiating to the
event. Additionally, a guest
rapper augmented the performance and strangely that
seemingly out of place element made sense.
Lords of Desire, my personal favorites of the evening,
took the stage next with an
arrogance that I was annoyed with until I realized
there was quality worth
boasting, and that it was on
par with my own arrogance.
If you’re great and you know
it, what’s wrong if you show
it?
Anyway, this trio of
brothers was exceptionally
impressive considering that
this was their first ever performance. They had a great
deal of stage presence, and
their connectivity within the
band and with the audience
was robust. The guitarist
and drummer regularly
switched places and were
both competent at both instruments. The sun-glassesat-night adorning vocalist,
who occasionally picked up
a bass guitar, was a spittingimage of Queens of the Stone
Age (and formerly of Kyuss)
front man Josh Homme. He
even had Homme’s characteristic fun-loving, cocky demeanor, to boot.
If you take stoner
rock, the punk-rock of Iggy
and the Stooges and a dash of
surf-punk and put it all into
a blender, you have Lords of
Desire. Worthy of note were
their covers of Ween and The
Eagles of Death Metal (a Queens
of the Stone Age side project).
Shot Down in Left Field
followed with their Christian-themed hardcore music.
A friend of mine coined an
interesting term to describe
them based on their religious
beliefs (without mocking
them) and there ventures
into emo and screamo musical terrain. He wittingly refers to them as “Chremo.”
The only good thing I can say
about this band is that their
second vocalist, who boasts
a strong death/black metal
roar, has a voice that’s good
enough to land him in a touring, signed band. Well, he’s
almost there.
Outside of that, their
main vocalist had nothing to
offer, there music was better
than Deadlie’s but just as stereotypical, and their on-stage
“presence” was just pathetic.
They tried to act like
hardcore/noise-core bands
like Dillinger Escape Plan or
Converge in the physically
random and violent movements that they engaged in.
But unlike the genuine, cathartic approach of bands of
that ilk, Shot Down in Left Field
was just faking it, and it
showed. The awkward manner in which they were literally tripping over each other
was laughable.
Last, but certainly
not least, was Soulstrum, undoubtedly the best all
around band of the evening.
In every department—
rhythm section, guitarist
and vocalist—this hard rock
band was without weakness.
Though they are apparently
a relatively new band their
interrelationship as a band is
immediately
apparent.
While their charismatic vocalist did have a great range,
a unique gruff voice, and an
endless amount of passion, he
definitely over sang. His extended melodies that closed
lyrical lines and final syllables were too frequent and
they were held too long. It
was all about him, and as I
was saying I’m not against
arrogance, but here it came
as a hindrance to the band
musically.
The top three bands
as selected by three judges
were Brand New Jones, Shot
Down in Left Field and
Soulstrum. Each band played
one song, and the winner
was decided by the judges
doing their best to measure
the loudest crowd response
once all three bands were together on stage. Shot Down in
Left Field and Soulstrum were
deemed to have garnered an
equal amount of response, so
the process was repeated
without Brand New Jones who
apparently received less
praise from the audience. The
judges determined the crowd
was more in favor of Shot
Down in Left Field... and we
have a winner.
The will of the majority is never wrong, of
course. That’s why, even with
the popular vote this time,
George Bush is our President.
with recitals, though some
felt that events such as poetry night need to be publicized more.
Maria Muñez said,
“These types of events need
to be covered. It seems like
only sports are written
about anymore. These events
need to be covered.”
Close to 60 people
were in attendance of the poetry and open mic night.
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masked as Color Me Acoustic,
there was only an acoustic
guitarist and a vocalist who
played a charming, broken
tambourine and often traveled in and around the
crowd... and occasionally
into a lone, helpless tree. The
broken tambourine is an excellent metaphor for their
music in that they are the
antithesis of music. This perspective may appear to be
pejoratively expressed, but I
mean for it to be complementary, and as a band of punkrockers, I believe they would
take it as such.
As a band at a Battle
of the Bands competition,
however, I think they were
atrocious (as did 90 percent
of the attendees, outside of the
diehard groupies... I mean,
fans). But as performance art,
there was genius at work.
There was a great deal of
hollering and screaming that
was interestingly juxtaposed
with aggressive acoustic versions of Color Me Dead songs.
They took music as it is conventionally perceived, and
they violently raped it at its
core much to my delight. For
those interested in hearing a
much, much more musically
inclined version of this sort
of thing, check out Live Till You
Die (an album released in
2000) by heavy-hitting, noise
merchants Today is the Day.
Next on the chopping
block was Deadlie. Heavy
metal has been my favorite
music, my burning passion,
since I was six or seven years
old. But do you know what?
Not every heavy band is a
good band, at least in my eyes
(unfortunately many heavy
bands and fans equate heavy
with quality). I like good music, and the bowl of pathetically structured noise that
Deadlie
produces
was...actually worse than it
normally is due to the horrible sound mix they had. Interchangeable-any-randomplace-you’d-like arrangements, monotony, predictability, and single-pitch
screaming (that was mocked
by burping sounds generated
by many in the audience) are
the characteristics you may
expect if you have a tendency
to stereotype heavy metal
music to be of the Beavis and
Butthead variety. This describes Deadlie to a T. ‘Nuff
said? At least the drummer
rocked.
Brand New Jones followed up with actual music,
Director
Jack D. Ladd, Esq.
...the award-winning student newspaper of
UT Permian Basin is now just a keystroke away.
www.utpb.edu/mj/index.htm
Student Life
Page 4, The Mesa Journal
Friday, May 13, 2005
Campus News...
UT Permian Basin to hold Intensive Language Program in Mexico
UT Permian Basin will offer a two-week Intensive Language Program on May 15 through 28 and July 10 through 23 in Chihuahua, Mexico. The Spanish course
is available for three credit hours in SPAN 1389. Those taking part in the program will be invited to live with Mexican families and study at Universidad Autonoma de
Chihuahua. Those interested in being a part of the Intensive Language Program is encouraged to send a letter of interest and apply online at www.utpb.edu or call
(432)552-2108. A deposit is required for the program and space is limited to 30 people. The program is open to the public and transportation will be provided.
Students encouraged to Study Abroad
Students will be embarking to France as part of the Study Abroad course in the early summer. For more information on the Study Abroad course, contact
Marianne Woods by calling (432)552-2290 or by emailing [email protected].
What could have been... check that... what should have been
- sports column -
Is the athletic
department’s expansion in
the best interest of the UT
Permian Basin student
body, in particular, the student athlete? What is good
for the university is not always good for the student
athlete. This expansion will
draw more people to the
university, and will draw
more attention to the university. The question is,
“What happens to the
quality of life of the preexisting student athletes
and programs?”
Laura Fisher
With my graduation
in
the
spring, I am not
Sports Editor
sure that I will be able to
give back to an institution that does not fully take
care of its athletes. I have been a member of the
women’s soccer team for four years, captain of the
team for two years, a two-time academic All-American and am currently the only athlete to play all four
years on the women’s soccer team. In addition, I have
been sports editor for three years, have worked at
the gym for four years and am in contact with athletes and coaches on a daily basis. In other words, I
am just the person to bring attention to problems
having to do with the understaffed and under
funded athletic department.
I was aware that there would be problems
coming into a first-year program, but I also thought
that by the time I left the many of these problems
would be solved. In all honesty, this has not happened. The athletic department has focused on
growth for the past few years which has occurred,
but the university seems more intent on quantity
over quality. What I mean by this is that new sports
have been added, but the pre-existing sports have
been neglected.
In my four years on the soccer team not
much has changed since that first year. The basketball teams have been competing for three years. In
those three years, the women’s team has made the
playoffs every year and even made it into the second round this year. The men’s basketball team has
improved greatly having their first season with more
than three wins. The swimming program has been
a part of the university for two years and has made
it to nationals each of those years. This is great for
the university, but what about the other teams. Volleyball won less than 20 games in the last year, the
worst the team has done in five years. The women’s
soccer teams made the playoffs in their first year,
but have failed to make the playoffs for the past three
years. The men’s soccer team has not made the playoffs in the past three years. The athletic department
has plans to move to NCAA Division II status within
the next two years. This involves moving into a much
more competitive division. Although it would bring
more recognition to the university, I do not think
the athletic program is ready to handle such a move
and be able to compete on a level playing field. The
newer programs are showing progress while the existing programs seem to be stagnant. There are many problems that attribute to this.
Our facilities are the first area of concern. They
are not equipped to handle the increase of athletes. The
weight room is not even big enough to handle one team
at a time let alone the regular students that have access
to it. There are two gyms, but there are three teams
that have to practice for at least two hours each. There
is only one soccer field and there are two soccer teams.
Most days neither team is even allowed to practice on
the field. The soccer players have to go to a city park in
order to practice. For those athletes that do not have a
vehicle, this poses a big problem. The soccer teams were
promised two practice fields on campus, which we still
have not been able to use because they are not ready.
The soccer field that is on campus is only used for
games. It took the athletic department three years to
put a fence around the field so that UT Permian Basin
players and our opponents did not have to chase balls
into the pond, bushes or ditches. The field itself needs
constant supervision. Many game days, you can find
the soccer coach filling up the holes that are made by
Falcon
Sports
prairie dogs before the game, an action that should be
taken care of by others so the coaches can be focused
on the game and getting his team ready to play a match.
Both soccer and baseball fields have to be lined before
every game, which is also done by the coaches. The
baseball coach also has to prepare the field for play before the game. Many times, even the players were involved in filling holes on the soccer field or fixing the
mound on the baseball field.
Another area of concern is the training room.
There are 13 sports and approximately 350 athletes, all
of whom practice around the same time. For every season there are at least four teams practicing at the same
time. The training room is the size of an office and only
has four tables. There is one athletic trainer and only
three student trainers. These trainers work far beyond
their duties. They spend over 30 hours every week in
the training room and at practice, not including the
games they have to attend and the weekend road trips.
In spite of this, the training budget is being cut by 40
percent for the 2005 to 2006 academic year. The trainers are an essential part of our athletic program and, in
spite of this, were not even mentioned at the athletic
banquet—not even a “thank you; we appreciate everything that you do for our athletes.” As an athlete who
has had three knee surgeries, I was appalled because
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they do so much for us and they deserved much
more than the “thank you” they did not receive. So
to the trainers, thanks for all you have done.
The next area of concern is the coaches.
Coaches are not paid equally and each has multiple
responsibilities. There is also no diversity among the
coaches. There is currently only one female coach,
who coaches four sports, teaches full time and gets
paid less than the men’s basketball coach who
teaches one. Coaches that have multiple teams need
assistant coaches. Both men’s and women’s basketball teams each have one assistant. Yet both men’s
and women’s swimming and soccer have only one
assistant for both teams. Coaches have to recruit
heavily in the off-season, and most of the time have
to pay for trips themselves.
This brings up another problem: The budget. The athletic department is so preoccupied with
the budget and saving money that coaches are being forced to perform duties that are out of their
scope—like field maintenance. The recruiting budget is also very small. In order to make teams better,
coaches must be able to travel and bring talented
athletes into the program. The problem is most
coaches have to spend their own money to travel
and recruit. Because of this, most of the recruiting
is done in Texas because coaches cannot afford to
pay out of their pocket to go any further. Scholarship funds are also not equitably distributed. I was
fortunate enough to be on an academic scholarship
so I did not have to worry about my athletic money
being reduced or taken away completely. Athletes
are encouraged to apply early in hopes that they will
receive academic money so that no finances will be
taken away from the athletic budget. The university needs to equitably fund all programs and have
equal distribution of scholarship money.
The university prides itself on the studentathlete, with the student coming first. So the most
important award would be the academic All-American award, which honors an athlete for their academic achievements as well as those on the playing
field. Yet, it was the last award given at the athletic
banquet. By the time it was given, most of the athletes had left to study for finals. The award was not
even put in a frame, as in past years.
Despite my concerns about the athletic program, I do not want to seem like I am bashing the
department. I am very grateful for every experience
that I have had being an athlete at UT Permian Basin. I am also very thankful for every opportunity
that I have received. I am also very concerned knowing that there are reasons why I am the only women’s
soccer player to play four years. The question is,
“Why am I the only one who stuck with it from
that first year?” It was a labor of love. I stayed in
hopes of the program improving as I was promised
by the athletic department that it would. Well in all
reality it has not. I would love nothing more than to
return in five years and see the university prospering at the Division II level. I would love to give back
to an institution that gave so much to me, but many
changes have to be made in order for this to happen. I hope they will, sooner rather than later.
The Mesa
Journal
would like
to thank
the athletic
and student
trainers for
their hard
work and
dedication.
Thank
You!