Inside The MJ

...Award-winning newspaper for The University of Texas of the Permian Basin...
Monday, August 29, 2005
Volume 23 · Issue 18
Program benefits Principal
Dearly Beloved...
Certification candidates
by Jason Navarette
Editor-in-Chief
UT Permian Basin
was home to a public meeting that addressed grant opportunities for teachers and
education administrators interested in earning Principal
Certification. The meeting
was held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 15
in the UT Permian Basin Library Lecture Hall LL 002.
About 40 possible program
candidates attended the
meeting, roughly half of
which had attended UT Permian Basin in the past.
The Educational
Leadership Team of UT Permian Basin—which consists
of Dr. Steve Jenkins, Dr. Carl
Hoffmeyer, Dr. Richard Gregory and Dr. Roy Benavides,
who was not present for the
meeting—discussed the
newly-funded West Texas
Principal Center Leaders of
Leaders Model, a project
funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The threeyear project is designed to
train 40 principal candidates
to serve in high-poverty,
high-need school districts—
districts which include Ector
County, Balmorhea, Big
Spring, Fort Stockton,
Lamesa, Pecos-BarstowToyah, Seminole, Snyder and
Stanton Independent School
Districts.
Vice President of
Graduate Studies and Research Dr. J. Tillapaugh
opened the meeting stating,
“This program provides a
terrific opportunity for educators.”
He detailed the admissions process to attendees, stressing the importance
of haste in enrollment.
Dr. Jenkins mirrored
this by saying, “Although [Dr.
Susan Lara], the new Vice
President of Student Services, has worked with Admissions to get you started,
[candidates] need to make
sure that everything is taken
care of soon.”
Participating candidates of the program will be
eligible for support for tuition, fees and books.
Through the program, training opportunities and seminar participation will be offered to current campus leaders.
One of the criteria for
the program included the
taking of the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE).
During the meeting,
Dr. Hoffmeyer urged, “Do not
worry about the GRE . . . .
Everyone gets accepted into
the program.”
See Certification, p. 3
Photo by Jay Gorania
UT Permian Basin Student Senator and groom Mike Wheeler holds the hands of his blushing bride, Crystal,
as they tie the knot at the University’s Stonehenge.
Rockin’ and Rollin’ and Whatnot
Program Board Events
~September~
Sept. 1
Club Day
Ryan Hood Band
Sept. 8
Jonathan Sprinkles
~Leadership Speaker~
Sept. 23
Freebee Friday
~Spray Can Art~
Joe & Lefty
Photo by Jay Gorania
Vocalist Tim Williams of the band Bloodsimple screams to a delighted audience
during an installment of the Dos Amigos summer concert series.
Center offers career
opportunities to students
by Jason Navarette
Editor-in-Chief
For years, the UT
Permian Basin Career Counseling and Job Placement Services Center has provided
job opportunities, as well as
career advice and services, to
students campus-wide.
The Career Services
Center is available for use for
all current students and
alumni seeking assistance
with career advice and job
placement services.
Career Services Center Director Tony Love encourages students to participate in the services the Center has to offer.
He said, “Students
can register with the
University’s recruitment
website, use the DISCOVER
career exploration system
and take a personality test to
see if their personality
matches the typology of
people who are successful in
a particular career. The DISCOVER program is a great
tool for undecided majors
trying to choose a specific
career path and decide upon
a major.”
The DISCOVER program is offered through ACT,
a non-profit organization focused on career-oriented services.
The
recruitment
website of UT Permian Basin,
College Central Network
(www.collegecentral.com/utpb),
hosts campus student
worker openings, as well as
off-campus full and part time
jobs for students and alumni.
Each year, the Career
Center hosts a job fair, an
educator’s job fair and a career fair, in addition to various seminars.
See Center, p. 3
Sept. 29
Eric O’Shea
~Comedian~
EZ Rider Campus Bus Route
Northbound Bus
- Travels to Wal*Mart &
Music City Mall
- Leaves Mesa Building every hour
from 6:35 a.m. to 5:35 p.m.
Southbound Bus
- Travels to Odessa College &
Downtown
- Leaves Mesa Building every hour
from 6:50 a.m. to 5:50 p.m.
Note: There are nine bus stops on campus. Fare for
students is $0.75 and a student monthly pass is $27.00.
For more information, call (432)561-9990 or visit the
web at www.ez-rider.org.
Inside
The MJ
The Mesa Journal calls
for more “Letters to
the Editor”...
page 2
Pennsylvania’s Yves Jean
Band concert review...
page 3
Events schedule for
Student Activities...
page 4
Page 2, The Mesa Journal
Into the Wilderness
Humble Beginnings . . .
Welcome back, Falcons!
It is time for another exciting
academic year at UT Permian
Basin. I would also like to give a
warm welcome to all of the new
students to the University—we
are happy to have you as part
of the flock.
From its humble beginnings under the direction of Dr.
Bob Rothstein, The Mesa Journal,
Jason
the student newspaper of UT
Navarette
Editor-in-Chief Permian Basin, has evolved into
an award-winning publication.
We at The MJ strive to
strengthen the Falcon community, as well as provide
a connection amongst students.
The MJ has always taken reader feedback, accolades and criticism to heart. Through such feedback,
the paper can continue to improve in order to better
strengthen the University community.
Amid this feedback can be found a few concerns regarding the content of The Mesa Journal—concerns that I would like to assuage:
1. Columns - From time to time, a writer will
offer their opinion on a subject, as was the case in
former Sports Editor Laura Fisher‘s opinion piece titled
“What could have been... check that... what should
have been” (Volume 23, Issue 14). According to journalistic style, these opinion pieces are referred to as
“columns” in order to differentiate them from objective articles. As they are based on a writer’s opinion,
columns are subjective by nature. There has been some
confusion regarding columns, which is understandable
considering that the issue regarding them has never
been addressed in The Mesa Journal. In order to prevent such misunderstanding in the future, all columns
will be denoted with a disclaimer.
2. Falcon Sports - In the “Falcon Athletics
2004-2005 Sports Standings” table in the “Orientation
Special” issues (Volume 23, Issues 15 and 16), the UT
Permian Basin swim teams were not included. No slight
was intended (especially considering the multitude of
Falcon swimming articles written during the 2004-2005
academic school year). It was determined prior to the
Summer Semester to include the end-of-year standings for the swim teams in the final installment of the
“Orientation Special” issues (Volume 23, Issue 17). The
Mesa Journal wholeheartedly supports all of UT Permian Basin’s sports, as well as every Falcon athlete.
Every University athlete deserves a big pat on the back
for their hard work and dedication.
3. The Mesa Journal length - During the “Orientation Special” issues (which were printed during
the Summer Semester), the page length of The Mesa
Journal has been six pages. During the long semesters
(Fall and Spring), The MJ has been four pages in length.
Various factors must be taken into consideration when
analyzing the length of a student publication, such as
the predominant presence of Journalism Department
students, the number of paid editorial staff members
and the size of the publication’s budget. If any of these
factors are lacking, so too are the number of pages in
the publication. Regardless of its length, The Mesa Journal has won 18 awards (15 state and three national) to
date—a trend that The MJ is determined to continue.
The Mesa Journal thrives on reader feedback.
Only through such feedback can the newspaper truly
grow. If you have a comment or concern regarding
the paper, speak up. If you would like something covered in these pages, just let us know. This is your newspaper. You, as the reader, are the lifeblood of The MJ.
If you would like to join The MJ or would like
to leave feedback, article contributions or story ideas,
feel free to call (432)552-2659, ema il
[email protected] or drop by the office in room
MB 2138 of the Student Union. We look forward to
hearing from you!
I want this to be an enlightening academic year
filled with fun and excitement. I encourage each student to join a club or organization, attend UT Permian
Basin events (a table of the 2005-2006 student activities can be found on page 4 of this issue) and participate in campus publications such as The Mesa Journal
and/or Sandstorm, UT Permian Basin’s literary magazine. Most of all, I encourage each student to have fun
and take full advantage of the services UT Permian
Basin has to offer.
The Mesa Journal
Opinion/Editorial
Monday, August 29, 2005
Letters to the Editor
Fellow Falcons, The Mesa Journal wants your opinion on any
subject, in good taste, pertaining to anything in current events—
whether regarding The MJ or otherwise. Please email your
“Letters to the Editor” to mesajournal.edu or drop by the office,
which is located in room MB2138 of the Student Union. Please
include your name, Major and Classification along with the letter.
The Mesa Journal editorial staff reserves the right to edit for
content or hold the letter for a later publication.
Remember, The Mesa Journal is here for you, the students of UT
Permian Basin. Here’s to a great year and keep those letters
coming.
The Mesa Journal
Editorial Staff
My Rant
Column by Isidro Gonzales
Assistant Editor
The Price of Things
On my way to
school the other day I noticed that the price of gas
has hit an all-time high
$2.50. My first thought
was, “how in the heck did
it get so high?” The next
thought I had was, “Will
it ever go down?”
Since the price of
gas broke the $2 threshold
here in West Texas, there
has been a noticeable increase in the explanations
for the increase. Not only
here, but around the
country, a different reason
has been used to “explain”
the increase such as the
Bombings in London. Ok,
I might be crazy and don’t
see the connection, but
when was the last time the
United States imported oil
from the United Kingdom? The answer is never.
Well do you agree that this
is about the lamest excuse
in the world, but it doesn’t
stop there—how about 911? The most terrible day
in modern American History and gas stations were
trying to raise the prices.
Nowadays it
seems that all they need is
some lame excuse to raise
the price again—why
don’t they really say the
reason: Pure and unadulterated greed.
With that said let
me move on. The price of
textbooks. We have seen
an increase in prices that
have no end in sight. Also
when we do get around to
buying these expensive
books we don’t even get
half of what we paid. According to a Government
Accountability Office
(GAO) report, college textbooks have increased an
average of six percent a
year. Couple that with the
rise of tuition in general,
which has been seven percent a year since the 1980s.
The report also stated that
prices for all goods have
risen only three percent a
year in the same time
span.
For God’s Sake,
we’re college students—
not millionaires. Don’t get
me wrong, the bookstore
here on campus (as well as
other bookstores) are only
doing their jobs.
My gripe is not
with them. It’s with the
book publishers. They
move one chapter around
and they call it a new edition—all for the almighty
excuse to raise prices.
So that you don’t
think I just love to gripe
let me offer some solutions
to these ever-growing
problems. Okay, we live
in an area where the mass
transit system is minuscule so we have to depend
on our cars. Thus, there is
no way around buying the
gas. The solution? Promote
more usage of the mass
transit system—in this
case, the Odessa city bus.
To solve the textbook problem, let’s all use
our keen powers of persuasion. Let’s all try to convince our illustrious professors to seek out cheaper
books with the same comparable information. This
might actually leave us
some change in our pockets to buy that expensive
gas.
Well for what it’s
worth here’s to a very
wonderful and exciting
school year.
Your Award-Winning Student
Newspaper
The Mesa Journal
e-mail: [email protected]
STAFF
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Phone: (432) 552-2659
Fax: (432) 552-2660
Editor-in-Chief: Jason Navarette
Assistant Editor: Isidro Gonzales
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
Page Two Design: Isidro Gonzales
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.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Arts & Entertainment
The Mesa Journal, Page 3
Yves Jean Band, audience turnout displeases reviewer
by Jay Gorania
Entertainment Reviewer
U n f o r t u n a t e l y,
many students missed an
opportunity to get together
to have a good time. Fortunately, those same students
missed watching a horrible
band.
On Aug. 18, the Student Program Board brought
Pennsylvania’s Yves Jean Band
to the parking lot in front of
the Student Housing Parker
Ranch House (the recreation
facility).
Yves Jean Band played
lack-luster, unimaginative
eclectic guitar music in the
style of Dave Mathews Band.
However, unlike that fantastic band, these guys hacked
their way through a set of
barren, musical emptiness.
Perhaps it’s because
the 40 or so people who initially came for the food ended
up winnowing down to a
mere 10 at the set’s close, but
the band performed with no
passion or cohesion whatsoever.
There really is no excuse for the lack of passion,
however. If a group puts in
hours upon hours to create
music they believe others
should hear, then they’ve got
to put in the effort irregardless
(I’m a pioneer of language) of
how many people are watching.
Early in their careers
The Doors were sometimes
heckled and laughed at by
entire crowds, but drug fiend
Jim Morrison and his cohorts
in psychedelia played each
show as if it was their last.
Anyway, Yves Jean is
a decent bass player, even
though his approach is an
over-exercise in minimalism.
The same can be said for Ken
English and his skills as an
organist.
Together, though,
Jean and English can’t hold a
harmony; Jean should accept
the fact that he should be a
backing vocalist rather than
a lead; and their drummer
and guitarist should be fired
for bringing absolutely no
redeemable qualities to the
band.
In spite of the musical worthlessness of the
evening, I was disappointed
that so few people came to
watch. Like I said, whether
or not an entertainer is good
or bad, a performance is always an excuse for people to
get together to have a good
time—and initial meeting
point for an evening of fun, if
nothing else.
I encourage everyone
to go watch the bands and
entertainers that the Student
Program Board brings (hey,
they did a great job of bringing in great local bands like
Soulstrum and Lords of Desire).
As the last prize in
the raffle, I won Yves Jean’s
CD “Rise Above Your Surroundings.” Its quality level
is on par with the band’s performance. I can’t wait to sell
it and put a few bucks to ward buying the new Foo
Fighters CD.
Photo by Emma Mae Cooley
Pennsylvania’s Yves Jean Band performs in the Student Housing Parker Ranch House
front parking lot on Aug. 18.
Hardcore band Throwdown takes no prisoners with “Vendetta”
by Jay Gorania
Entertainment Reviewer
Replete with the
charged, unforgiving violence of a bar room brawl,
Throwdown takes no prisoners with “Vendetta.”
Though they’re commonly known as a hardcore
band, Throwdown is indisputably equal parts metal. Musically, the band is akin to
Certification,
Continued from p. 1
Dr. Jenkins added,
“We have a laid back campus
culture . . . . There is no real
timeframe for taking the
GRE.”
According to Dr.
early 90s aggressive metal
like Machine Head and Crowbar.
In other words, there
is an effort to craft brutally
heavy, well-rounded tunes,
unlike today’s phenomenon
for heavy bands to strive to
be the fastest or darkest or
(fill in any superlative).
Throwdown pays attention to
songwriting.
Long after you’ve listened to the CD, “Vendetta”
keeps playing in your mind
with an almost hypnotic
sense of addiction instilled
from only a few initial listens.
Vocalist Dave Peters
shouts with clarity, a la
Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta, yet it’s
obvious he grew up listening
to and singing along with the
caustic vocals of Pantera’s Phil
Anselmo.
Speaking of Pantera,
Jenkins, candidates for the
Principal Certification program must learn to create a
campus culture, create a
learning centered environment and believe in their students.
Once the program is
completed, candidates will
receive a Master of Arts in
Educational Leadership.
For more information about the West Texas
Principal Center Leaders of
Leaders Model or any of the
programs involved, call Educational Leadership Coordinator Dr. Hoffmeyer at
(432)552-2137 or email
[email protected].
Matt Mentley’s riffs have
clearly been influenced by
Pantera’s late great Dimebag
Darrell.
Traditional hardcore
breakdown arrangements
are non-existent, but the
abrasiveness and ideological
theme of unity is present.
Peters’ lyrics are
typically hardcore in their
anger, outward pessimism
and, though it’s very cliché,
Center,
Continued from p. 1
The Career Services
Center aids students with
résumé/cover letter writing
and mock interviews. Moreover, the Center can establish a teacher placement file
in the expression of the
hardcore scenester credence
of brotherhood and unity.
I’m not referring to
Throwdown, but I’ve always
found it difficult to reconcile
the hardcore scene’s notion of
unity with its claim that it
encourages people to be
themselves. By design, unity
generally leads to conformity
in the pressure to homogenize the beliefs of individu-
als to align with espoused
group ideals (you can see this
all around you, especially
here at UT Permian Basin).
If you’re looking for
something avant-garde on the
heavy end of the musical
spectrum, look elsewhere.
But where Throwdown lacks
originality, they more than
make up for it with their
songwriting prowess, high
quality vocals and guitars.
(for a small fee) for educators
seeking to enter the job market.
For more information regarding the UT Permian Basin Career Counseling and Job Placement Services Center, Love can be contacted by phone at (432)5522633 or by email at
[email protected].
Note: A new segment
called “Career Corner” will be
published in upcoming issues
of The Mesa Journal. In this
segment, Career Services Center Director Tony Love will
answer student questions regarding careers, majors and
the Center.
Student Life
Page 4, The Mesa Journal
Monday, August 29, 2005
Office of Student Life
2005-2006 Activities Calendar
September 1
Club Day
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
UT Permian Basin Courtyard
Ryan Hood Band
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union Commons
September 8
Jonathan Sprinkles,
Motivational Speaker
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
Constitution and
Citizenship Day
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
To Be Announced
October 25
October 5
October 22
Salsa Magic
Jay and Lee
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
September 17
Halloween Carnival
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Gymnasium
Peter Bielegus,
Motivational Speaker
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. &
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
November 7
Jimmy Cabrera,
Motivational Speaker
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
& 7:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
November 12
Parent’s Day Weekend
Various Times
UT Permian Basin Campus
December 2
~Freebie Friday~
Caricature Artist
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
UT Permian Basin Courtyard
September 23
September 29
~Freebie Friday~
Spray Can Art of
Joe and Lefty
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
UT Permian Basin Courtyard
Eric O’Shea,
Comedian
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
November 4
October 28
Jason Bishop,
Magician
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
January 17
Grant Edmonds
Game Show
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
Falcon Fall Festival
~Key chains~
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
~Inflatables~
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
~Lloyd Dobler~
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
UT Permian Basin Courtyard
February 17
E-Baby,
Poet
7:00 p.m.
Student Union Commons
January 19
February 23
March 23
Alfred and Seymour
Comedy Act
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
Chris Cauley Band
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Student Union Commons
April 6
Alain Nu
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
Ronnie Khalil,
Motivational Speaker
& Comedian
~Workshop~
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
~Performance~
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Student Union
Multipurpose Room
January 30 – February 4
Homecoming Week
Various Times
UT Permian Basin Campus