RAYMOND RUIZ EGMN
By AUDRIS PONCE (UH)
Media responds to Cleveland rape coverage Journalism standards came under fire after a New York Times article published on March 8 created an upheaval of complaints stating that the story lacked balance toward an alleged child rape victim in Cleveland, Texas. “We live in a society that continues to blame and shame vic-tims of sexual assault,” said Kelly Boros, communications manager of the Houston Area Women’s Center. “It is disheartening but not surpris-ing to see rape myths perpetuated in the news; sometimes subtly and sometimes blatantly.” An 11-year-old girl was allegedly raped by 18 men from 15 to 27 years of age in Cleveland, a small East Texas town. The case began when photos and videos taken by the men during the young girl’s sexual assault went viral at
her school. One of the girl’s peers recognized her and some of the men in a video and notified school officials. Readers accused the ar-ticle’s author, James C. McKinley Jr., as taking a one-sided stance that was geared against the young girl and her family. The article quoted Cleve-land residents as saying the girl “dressed older than her age, wear-ing makeup and fashions more ap-propriate to a woman in her 20s” and asking “what was her mother thinking” by letting her spend time in the Quarters, the same area in which the incident took place. Boros’ greatest fear is that negative portrayals of alleged rape survivors in the media will prevent others from coming forward and getting help.
Communications coordi-nator for HAWC, Frida Villalobos, said she was disgusted after reading McKinley’s piece. “I was upset be-cause they’re placing the blame on the wrong person,” she said. “(The men) knew exactly what they were doing was wrong.” She also comments on the arguments about the girl’s image depicted in the article. “There is no need to say the girl dressed provocatively or that she looked older,” Villalobos said. “That doesn’t make her the person responsible for what hap-pened to her.” The article does not hold a single item referencing any resi-dent or professional in defense of
By NORMA VASQUEZ (UH)
see MEDIA, page 4
Behind the Curtain Karina González,a new addition to the Houston Ballet, recalls her first performance, past roles and the challenges she faces. --Page 6 see GRILL, page 8
Cleveland, TX was thrown into the national spotlight after 18 sus-pects allegedly raped a 11-year-old girl. Media coverage by the New York Times and Houston Chronicle has come under scrutiny for “vic-tim blaming”.
Inside: News- 2 Sports- 3 Op/ Ed- 4 Life & Entertainment- 6 El Pulso- 7 Comics- 8
The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo was originally started in January 1931 by seven Houstonians that met for lunch at the Texas State Hotel. The first show, named The Hous-ton Fat Stock Show, was held at Democratic Convention Hall.
Rodeo Time!
Photo coutersey of Amitava SakarKarina González rehearses for her role in Marie Antoinette.
The smell of brisket, chicken and ribs helps fulfill the hunger that drives award-winner Ernest Ramirez to grill. Growing up in a farm in Southern Texas, Ramirez discov-ered his passion. “The 70s were about real cowboys, going out with the cow-boys and staying out there with them,” said Ramirez. “That in-spired me; seeing all that made me want to grill.” Upon moving to Victoria, Ramirez became involved with the Knights of Columbus and began cooking chicken. Ramirez later moved to Houston and began par-ticipating in cook-offs. “I came to Houston and started barbecuing with a barrel pit because that’s all I had,” Ramirez said. “Eventually I did a cook-off in New Caney and bought a smoker pit. I won the whole competition and was like “Wow! That’s cool!’” Grilling with a small grill is unethical in the world of bar-beque, which is why Ramirez be-gan building his own through his experience of being a welder. “The one I built took me
… around 4 years. It’s an 8-foot rotating pit with a 20-foot trailer. I had no blue prints so I looked on the Internet,” Ramirez said. Participating in his first major competition in 2000, his team Drillen and Grillen came in second place out of 400 teams competing in the reserve ribs. Ramirez con-tinued competing and was named Grand Champion of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Cook Off in 2010. “When they called out the name it didn’t sink in. When I saw my wife that’s when it really did and a big load came off of me. It’s an experience that’s ‘wow’. You want to feel it again so that’s where the hunger comes from - it’s the feeling of accomplishment,” Ramirez said. The win in 2010 did not only create the hunger but also qualified his team to head off to the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue. “It was a prestige to win something at the Jack Daniels,” Ramirez said. “It’s real hard for a
Cook-off champ feeds hunger
2011 NCAA Final Four Reliant Stadium April 2 & 4, 2011
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Diabetes is rampant across the United States. A 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that almost 26 million Americans have Type II Diabetes. Among Latinos, the presence of diabetes among adults over the age of 20 is around 12 percent, compared to 7 percent among non Hispanic whites. Why is diabetes so high for Hispanic people? In this case, the thrifty gene may be causing the problem. The thrifty gene is found in the DNA composition of Native Americans. This gene causes the body to store extra amounts of fat and sugars. 500 years ago during the days of hunting-gathering and horticulture, famine was a regular visitor among Native Americans. In order to survive, the thrifty gene developed so their bodies could have fat to hold onto during these famines. But, with the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, the thrifty gene then passed from Native Americans to Hispanics, thus making modern day Latinos struggle with fat storage that can lead to being overweight or obese, a large risk factor for developing diabetes. “In this thrifty gene, you find this capability of storing sugars in modern times when there is not a need for it, so therefore there’s an accumulation of it in the body which is a pathway into diabetes,” said Dr. Andrew Gordon, professor of anthropology at UH-Main. The Pima tribe of Arizona has the highest rate in the entire world at more than 50 percent, making it more common to be a diabetic than a non-diabetic. “On chromosome one,
we’ve identified a region that contains a diabetes susceptibility gene in the Pimas and this has been confirmed in many other populations around the world,” said Dr. Clifton Bogardus of Phoenix Epidemiology in an interview with USA Today. “And on chromosome 11, we have a region that harbors an obesity susceptibility gene.” With the introduction of pre-packaged food for a cheap price in grocery stores, hunting-gathering and horticulture lifestyles were abandoned. Hunting-gathering and horticulture required physical strength, so the extra fat stored was easily burned off and also, food that is not treated with chemicals is better for one’s body. According to Dr. Andrew Gordon, meat contained 400 times more protein than modern meat from the supermarket during the times of hunting-gathering. In addition, many Hispanics and Native Americans are poor, working class people. Healthier food is more
expensive, while foods that are high in fat, sugars, and salt are more affordable. In 2008, the US Census Bureau reported that 23 percent of Hispanics live below the poverty line. “The use of exercise in one’s everyday life is not to just to come home and sit down and watch the television and to eat and drink beer, but to get out and exercise as part of one’s daily routine,” Dr. Gordon said. Due to their genetic composition, Hispanics have a higher tendency to develop Type II Diabetes, but can lower their risk by eating right and exercising regularly. For a detailed mini-documentary on the thrifty gene, watch ‘Nothing Nifty about Thrifty’ on uhelgato.com.
From fighting famine to diabetesBy DARLENE CAMPOS (UH)
DARLENE CAMPOS EGMNThe thrifty gene composition is prevalent in Native Americans.
One year ago I was brand-ed sports editor for El Gato Media Network, back then it was simply called El Gato, and in that year the organization has grown by leaps and bounds. It has attained accolades from many prominent organiza-tions such as the National Asso-ciation of Hispanic Journalists, the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals and was a fi-nalist for the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award for best Online Newspaper. It has reached these accolades thanks in large part to its members, both past and pres-ent. There is a sense of pride that flows within my veins as I think back to the first issue of the Venture and how the group came together to achieve the goal of re-leasing the first ever Latino-run col-legiate newspaper at the University of Houston. It was exactly one year ago when our director challenged us to put together a newspaper by
Letter from the sports editor
the semester’s end. It took the en-tire El Gato staff to accomplish this goal and, in a way, that’s how it has always been. Over the course of this past year, I have had the pleasure of working asides some of the greatest young and up-and-coming Hispan-ic journalists the city has to offer. Their work ethic and journalistic integrity has made this newspaper a must read. El Gato Media Network is an organization looking to estab-lish a Hispanic voice in the media, and in some ways it is more than that. El Gato is a family, not a fraternity or sorority. When one of our members graduates we don’t forget about them. They remain in the loop for as long as they like and are encouraged to continue work within the organization. Once a gato, always a gato.
By JESUS ACEVEDO (UH)
March - April 2011
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March - April 2011
“I’d like to be a basket ball player because thats my favorite sport. I would be Dwight Howard, because he has a positive personality, and he always plays and has fun.”-Hamza HallalUH
Who would you be in the world of sports?
“I would love to be a pitcher. I’d like to pitch for UCLA softball, that was my dream when I was little.”-Gloria CervantesUH
“Michael Jordan won’t be a bad choice, because he helps communities.”-Christina Perez UHD
“David Beckham, because he has the talent and the looks.”-Will Orellana UHD
*undecided*“Cricket and Basketball but I love all sports.”-Mohammad Salahudin UHD
Wii and Kinect: The rise of pseudo-sportsBy CHRISTINA REYES (UH)
With technology infiltrat-ing almost every aspect of our lives it’s no surprise to find AA batteries replace a baseball bat, a bowling ball or a boxing glove. Not too long ago people actually went outside to get in shape and have fun — oh, the horror! Nowadays, more and more fall captive to the glitz and glamour that is a high score on our preferred game console. Never mind the skill and merit that an ac-tual sports competition embodies; no, beating your big brother’s or sister’s score on the Nintendo Wii is just as rewarding. The innovative idea of bringing outside games inside was just mind blowing to both avid ath-letes and gamers. It had never been possible to bring such different at-tributes together. It had never been possible to swing a bat or throw a punch without the inevitable break-ing of a family heirloom, but the Wii did it all. I admit, I also fell in love with how air conditioner-friendly the Wii is during Houston’s bipolar weather. Sometimes it’s just nice to feel like you’re exercising without having to go the extra mile. For those days when every little thing is just making you feel like staying home, the Wii is a perfect alterna-tive. It sure beats breaking your New Year’s resolution com-pletely. All perks aside though, the Wii has nonetheless fallen into
the bottomless pit that all games dive into: the cheats. Not to say you can do much with a practically codeless game that the Wii Sports is, but if you angle the controller a certain way, if you twist your wrist just right - Voila! You’ve just hit a record-breaking home run while sitting down on the sofa. The mak-ing of a future all-star player? I sure hope not. It’s laughable to believe that gamers would not have found loopholes in the game. Isn’t that what differentiates an amateur from an expert - to find every glitch and anomaly in a video game and exploit it to feed our crazy, com-petitive desires? I daresay, the second someone found it easier to hit a curveball or a birdie sitting down, the Wii’s purpose was defeated. In the Xbox’s Kinect however, we find a breath of fresh air after getting rid of the Wii’s controller, which was much too similar to our old, sloth-like days of gaming. With Kinect, “technology evaporates, letting the natural mag-ic in all of us shine.” Oh, well that’s great! You see, I thought we didn’t need a $400 machine to show us our “natural” side. Even though the Kinect does a splendid job in obliterating the need for a controller, the threat of pseudo-sports does not decline.
• Homero Blanca is the only athlete of Mexican-American descent to be inducted into the UH Athletics Hall of Honor. Blanca played golf at UH from 1958–1962 and was inducted in 1978.
• The first live cougar, Shasta I, was a 75-pound 15-month-old Mexican puma. She was purchased by Alpha Phi Omega (APO) in 1947 from wild-animal rancher Manuel King.
• Seven former UH Latin-American students have participated in the Olympics: Rolando Ferreira (basketball) 1988-92 Brazil, David Diaz (basketball) 1992 Columbia, Carl Herrera (basketball) 1992 Venezuela, Azul Almazan (Diving) 2000 Mexico, Patty Kohlmann (free-style swimming) 1984-88 Mexico, Sigrid Niehaus (freestyle swimming) 1988 Costa Rica, and Theresa Rivera (freestyle swimming) 1984 Mexico.
• Only about 26 out of 417 student athletes at UH are of Hispanic/Latino descent.
Photo Tour of UH Hall of Fame
Disability Leadership Network of Houston leadership Resource Fair
Adults with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.
Presentations will be in Spanish only(Childcare & Lunch will be provided)
April 9th, 20119:00 am – 2:00 pm
United Way of Greater Houston50 Waugh, Houston
By ORPHA PALOMARES (UH)XPOZURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Facts: Hispanics and UH AthleticsBy ARIANNA MARTINEZ (UH)
Xpozure’s Photo of the Month
By MEGAN OTIS www.xpozurephoto.com
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March - April 2011OP/ED
Eventually we have to turn from our academic mental-ity and switch to hands-on experience.
Post graduation identity By ERIKA ANDRADE (UH) The break between grad-uation and finding that higher-paying job has allowed me to sow buttons, rearrange my room, prac-tice my photography, socialize with friends, take a road trip, cook for myself, rediscover the iron, lose the dark circles under my eyes, laugh at Mexican soap operas but also frown in utter confusion at my fu-ture. My biggest mistake prior to graduation was not having a plan after the ceremony. I set a goal to graduate within four years or I would be an utter failure to my-self— how, why, don’t ask. I only changed my ma-jor once—from print journalism to creative writing—in my transi-tion from San Jacinto College to UH. You may imagine my anxiety at possibly delaying graduation to “find myself”. I always enjoyed writing, and I realized that to be a journalist you must be a reporter first, which (don’t tell potential employers) I am not. However, to my surprise, making up people is also a chal-lenge, though much less intimidat-ing than talking to real aggressive ones. So I am currently in the limbo of being stuck between fiction and reality. Maybe it was a rash de-cision only to finish on time, but I can honestly say my last two years of undergraduate study were by far more enjoyable and less draining than my initial two. I figured out what I was doing the last semes-ter of college, and by then it was time to jump into the work force
as a “professional” - another pe-riod of identity crisis I hope to de-cipher soon (though it would sadly eliminate 50 percent of my writing prompts). I had my suppressed suspicions which I am confirming presently and should emphasize - a liberal arts degree will not land you a job right out of college. No par-ticular degree will actually, and that is the reason why your job search should be aimed at your interests
and skills rather than your degree, though they usually are related. You are mostly likely to persuade employers to hire you and be moti-vated to start working if you are in-terested in the position rather than pointing at your degree to justify why you applied. I was one to visit the Uni-versity Career Services counselors both when changing my major and job searching. Both instances have been helpful, so if you are confused or job hunting, you should defi-nitely pay them a visit at www.ca-reer.uh.edu and then in person. The counselors made it clear that you should not feel constrained when choosing a major or a job, since you are unlikely to stick with the same interests for the rest of your life. Being in limbo between practical and imaginative is a good [email protected]
thing because employers in many areas look for people who can func-tion in both realms, which most of us are capable of doing, though we lean one-sidedly. The trap I fell into while job browsing was comparing quali-fications and responsibilities with my writing experience in the class-room. Eventually we have to turn from our academic mentality and switch to hands-on experience. Beware about the time you take to relax after graduation; lack of productive activity can lead to lack of motivation. If that dream job seems to still be in the fantastic world, get your hands muddy with some internship experience while earning money from a part-time job. After some frustration, I land-ed an internship with Arte Público Press which I am looking forward to, not only because it will increase my productivity but expose me to books, authors and the publishing industry thus increasing my knowl-edge in an area related to my degree and career goals. While you intern and be-fore applying for positions, perform informational interviews to ensure you will love in practice what you do in theory. Take your bachelor’s job experience to decide whether your master’s will be related or not. Most importantly, measure success in your personal terms; you will feel more at ease with your deci-sions.
Can race have an influence in sports?By ARIANNA MARTINEZ (UH) When it comes to sports, for some reason here in the USA, there has always been a rivalry be-tween Hispanics and Americans, in soccer and baseball maybe a little more. Hispanics will not accept that Americans are better at soccer or baseball, yet in all of the levels that I’ve seen: peewee, high school, college, professional, the Hispanics always have a hard time beating the Americans. And the higher the level get the less Hispanics I see. Americans find it hard to believe or they get mesmerized when they see a Hispanic playing football or basketball, heck even the same Hispanic community will question their talent. I mean how can they when in Mexico there’s no professional football league. There are no cultural boundaries in sports and Hispanics share the same passion and emo-tions in sports. Both forget about the world when the game is on and they root for their favorite team unconditionally and wish for their team to win the championship, they even dream of playing for their favorite team, and when they play they will pour their hearts out: Sports unites them. Although they might share the same feelings and passion for sports, their culture and aspira-tions in sports run parallel of each other. Carla Loza Gomez, a psy-
chology graduate from the Univer-sity of Houston, lived in Mexico City as a child but has raised both of her children, Vanessa 19 and Anibal 16, in Houston Texas and understands very well the cultural differences of these two, especial-ly when it comes to children and sports. “Americans and the American government, from my experience, support kids tremen-dously in sports,” Gomez said. “Parents are willing to do what-ever it takes and put out whatever the amount of money their children might need, something that even the Hispanics living in the US are still lacking to understand.” Gomez said while His-panics have a great passion for sports, they find it difficult to pay for registration fees or uniforms. She said sports is not their top pri-ority and opt to spend the money on other things. Lauren Prewitt, an Eng-lish teacher and soccer coach at Cypress Woods High School and at Cy-Fair Dynamo has seen the dif-ferences not only between Ameri-cans and Hispanics, but also be-tween the low economic Hispanics and the high economic Hispanics. “I have a very excellent player for example who both par-ents are from Mexico, they are very well off and they put a lot of pres-sure on her to succeed,” Prewitt said. “The reason I believe that is,
the 11-year-old girl. Veronica Villafane, a member and ex-president of the National Association of Hispan-ic Journalists, shared the same thought. “I think what is missing there is that they should’ve inter-viewed somebody from a woman’s support group or a specialist deal-ing with rape victims to address those types of comment,” Villafane said. “They have to put the other side.” The Society of Profes-sional Journalists has an ethics code that they recommend journal-ists abide by though its adherence is voluntary. Fred Brown, vice-chair-man of the SPJ ethics committee, believes the article followed ethical standards and its lurid details hold importance to the story. “If witnesses saw her in
this unsavory area and dressed in a style that struck them as inappro-priately grown-up, that certainly is a crucial element in describing the sociological circumstances sur-rounding this crime,” said Brown. Brown believes those al-legations were relevant to the story and couldn’t be ignored. Vanesa Brashier, the edi-tor of the community’s newspaper the Cleveland Advocate, believes that despite how easy it is for peo-ple to dissect an article, the only people who fully understand this case are the people involved. Both Brashier and Brown agree that as a reporter one of the main obligations is to reach equi-librium within the story. “Everything has got to be quick while being fair, accurate and balanced,” said Brashier.
MEDIAcont. from page 1
is because they came from a place where they didn’t have much op-portunity and then they came to America and they made something of themselves so they expect her to do the same.” Prewitt said that a lower economic player might not have the same pressure from the family; he or she has to go through other obstacles that keep him or her from dedicating 100% to the sport. “Some of my lower eco-nomic Hispanic players have to miss practice or I have to be more flexible with them because they have family Prewitt said. “Everyone in this coun-try wants to be number one and the parents teach their children to com-pete, set goals, and try to achieve them, something that in my opinion Hispanics lack in,” Gomez said. Hispanics tend to be more relaxed in that perspective. They have their children join a sports team because they like the sport but not for a future purpose. Others join a sports team to break out of the daily routine that’s work, work, and work. For Hispanics, mainly the grownups, there are other things more important than sports. To them it is just a pas-sion, a recreation, a pass time; sure a lot wish and dream of becoming the next Pele, the next Fernando
see RACE, page 8
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT6 The Ventureuhelgato.com
Which Way Home provides direction about child migrants By ANNA GALLEGOS (UH) The opening scene sets the tone of the award-winning documentary “Which Way Home”. The film starts with the broken body of a dead illegal migrant being pulled from the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border; it is the body of a Hispanic male who couldn’t finish the treacherous journey to the U.S. It serves as a warning to all of those that are trying to cross illegally. This is no easy journey. “Which Way Home” follows the 20-day journey from the southern tip of Mexico to the U.S. border of not just any migrants but the most vulnerable among them. Thousands of children, ranging from age 7 to 17, venture through Mexico on top of freight trains, a practice which is illegal, until they reach the northern states to walk across the desert and the Rio Grande into the U.S. “We hope to put a human face on migration,” said Sascha Weiss, the film’s field producer, about the intent of the film. “We wanted people to understand the risks that children are taking to get to the U.S. and Mexico even. Kids are dying to come here.” The film does exactly
what it set out to do by riding the trains with Kevin and Fito, both 14 years old boys, and a handful of other children who leave their families for a better life, more money or the big cities that they have seen in movies. For some children, they want something very specific in the U.S. – to be adopted and to have enough money to send back to the mothers and younger siblings that they left behind. What makes the documentary more heart rending is that most of the children are not from Mexico but rather from Honduras or other Central or Southern American countries. By crossing two or more countries, these children have wide eye optimism about their potential futures in the U.S. but are blinded about the dangers of the journey. They can die due to lack of food and water, be kidnapped by smugglers or crushed by the trains that carry them north. “For some of them this is a badge of honor,” said Weiss, “that they survived the journey.” All of the children survive the journey but not all make it to the end. Some of the children willingly turn back, are captured by Mexican
immigration services or caught by the U.S. Border Patrol. According to the film, the Border Patrol finds 100,000 + kids trying to enter the U.S. When found by the U.S., the children are treated the same adult illegal migrants. “We’re still not treating the children differently in the eyes of the law. People feel more empathetic towards them because they aren’t seen as the same kind of risk as taking jobs or any of the type of complaints that Americans will have about the adult migrants,” said Weiss “They may have empathy but it’s not causing anyone to act.” So far there has been no move to change the laws for child migrants but the film has garnered an Oscar nomination for best documentary in 2010 and coverage on HBO. “Which Way Home” was released on DVD in late January 2011. Go to www.whichwayhome.net for more information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgaPU9rzTHQ
March - April 2011
By CHRISTINA REYES (UH)
La Vida y Los Tiempos de Frida Kahlo, written and performed by Angeles Romero, takes you on a whirlwind of fiery passion and distress as you follow Frida through her polio-ridden childhood, more than 30 excruciating operations, and multiple amorous affairs. A combination of live action and interactive video, the play artfully links several chaotic scenes as Angeles’s dynamic voice brings to life the Frida that we all know and love. Frida begins the action immediately as she leaps from the wheelchair she was brought in by La Muerte Paparazzi (Death, the Paparazzi) and paints the audience a metaphorical representation of her childhood as she, goddess of war, fights wicked dragons with her trusty sword-cane and loyal doll, Magdalena. As the scene matures and Frida’s child-like voice deepens, we are witness to her transformation as she starts a self-portrait on her glass mirror and proclaims: “Like Daphne, I will become a tree: I will grow roots. They will think I am dead, but as a plant I will forever stay, for I am destined to
metamorphosis, forever.”Now an adult, Frida allows us a closer look into some of her most intimate moments and personal musings via crafty innuendos that require much more than a single glance. However, throughout these fervent and intense scenes Frida incorporates the audience into the play with the witty humor and sarcasm that made her one of a kind. Once her life’s progression finished painting the self-portrait, La Muerte Paparazzi, her faithful companion throughout the play, wipes the mirror clean with a rag speckled with the “insistent stains” that became her continuous loss and sorrow. Frida then takes her last breaths and is wheeled away as she came in, followed by the warm, solitary light of history. La Vida y Los Tiempos de Frida Kahlo is a not a one-genre play; it aptly represents the complexity that is life by sprinkling the drama, comedy, and tragedy that saturate everyday life. Romero’s impeccable performance breathes life into the Frida that, until now, we had only known through painting. Through her own personal
troubles, Romero embodies Frida in such a way that makes you feel like you are really in the presence of the Mexican queen of art. This coveted play is hands down: a must-see. You will leave with a sense of hope and wonder as in her last musings, Frida’s asks the audience to consider what separates you from being real and just being another figment of her imagination. If you had the courage to stand up from your seat when she asked, against the norm of the others sitting down, then you existed.
Please keep in mind that the strong, adult connotations of this play are not appropriate for anyone 16 years of age and younger. English version soon to be announced in April 2011. For more information visit www.tbhcenter.org or call 713-222-1213 to purchase tickets.
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Frida Kahlo: Reincarnated through theatre
Behind the Curtain: The Successes of a Houston Ballet Dancer Everyone watched. Her tutu bounced to the rhythm of her tip-toed dance. She could not hear the music over her own heart-pounding but carried on the performance because she had memorized the steps. She could not make out her family in the crowd, but she knew they were present. She let go within herself and danced. Karina González, soloist dancer for the Houston Ballet started her career at 7 years old when her first performance in front of an audience confirmed her calling. “I loved the feeling of being onstage,” she said, and from that moment she has continued to develop and excel in her career. González’ latest debut was in Marie Antoinette which she performed for the first time since joining the Houston Ballet in 2010. She related her experience with this performance. “Almost all the dancers know and feel familiar with the ballet, so as a new member it was challenging to learn and try to fit in with them,” she said. Despite the technical setbacks, she enjoyed watching “how the principal character develops her role,” she said. “It is very artistically demanding so I feel lucky to be next to such great artists.” González was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Prior to her move to Houston, she trained at
the Gustavo Franklin Ballet School in Caracas, dancing professionally with Ballet National of Caracas and Tulsa Ballet Theater in Oklahoma, where she reached the rank of principal—the highest position within a professional dance company—in 2007. She is a silver medal winner of the New York International Ballet Competition. González has danced principal roles in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, Andre Prokovsy’s The Great Gatsby, as well as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and The Sleeping Beauty. González’ favorite role has been Juliet in Romeo and Juliet because she could relate to the character and transferred the feelings to the audience in her performance. “The most challenging aspect for me is to get a role that feels natural and makes the audience feel what I am feeling at that moment,” she said about leading a career in dance. Heavily technical roles are also a challenge. Her role as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, for example. “The role is one of the most technically demanding classical ballets; you need to be vulnerable and evil…Technically it is difficult from beginning to end, so I think it would be one of the most difficult roles that I have done,” she said.
By ERIKA ANDRADE (UH)
see BALLET, page 8
The Venture 7March - April 2011 EL PULSO
Jugadores del NFL demandan mejor tratoPor ROBERTO GUERRERO (UH) El NFL es la liga más popular de los Estados Unidos. El Súper Tazón XVIV fue el programa televisado más visto en la historia del sistema de Nielson. Todas las cadenas nacionales como NBC, CBS, Fox y ESPN también repor-taron números altos en “rating” comparado al año pasado. La liga reporto ganancias de 79 billones de dólares en el año fiscal 2010. Lo único que podría derivar el poder del la NFL sería la liga mimsa, y eso es lo que parece que harán. Este tres de marzo a la 11:59 pm expira el contrato entra la unión de jugadores de la NFL (NFL players Union) y el NFL. Al expirar el contrato los jugadores irán a huelga y habrá peligro de que no haya temporada en el 2011. La unión de jugadores y los dueños no pueden llegar a términos aceptables para ambos lados para un nuevo contrato laboral. Los dos grupos se juntaron antes y después del “Su-per Bowl” en Dallas. Pero tantas fueron sus diferencias que pararon todas las negociaciones y no se re-unieron otra vez.
Los puntos de conflictos son:1. Cómo repartir las gananciasLos jugadores saben cuáles son las ganancias de la NFL y ellos sienten que no están recibiendo una parte justa de esos 9 billones. Y quizás tengan razón, ellos son los que se juegan su salud y su vida semana tras semana. Pero los dueños qui-eren quedarse con lo más que pu-eden de los ingresos.2. Una temporada de 18 juegos A los dueños les gustaría ver más
ingresos y quieren agregar dos juegos a la temporada, de 16 a 18. El plan de los dueños es eliminar dos juegos de pretemporada y hac-erlos juegos de temporada. Los ju-gadores solo van a llegar a este tér-mino si son pagados más por estos juegos, además se preocupan por su salud ya que la temporada de 16 juegos deja muchos jugadores con lesiones y un desgaste físico may-or. Los dueños no quieren pagar porque dicen que lo único que cam-biaría sería que dos juegos cuenten como temporada regular, pero los jugadores dicen que el nivel de juego es más alto y peligroso en
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juegos que cuentan para “playoffs”.3. Establecer una escala de salar-ios para los jugadores ingresantes del la liga colegial. Este punto no será el más difícil de llegar a términos satisfac-torios. Los jugadores no creen que sea justo que un jugador que no ha jugado un partido en la liga pueda ganar millones de dólares garan-tizados, pero un veterano probado en la liga gana miles de dólares que no son garantizados.4.Beneficios y ayuda para los ju-gadores retirados. Los jugadores quieren un plan médico y ayuda financiera para los jugadores retirados. Muchos ex ju-
...Al expirar el contrato los jugadores irán a huelga y habrá peligro de que no haya temporada en el 2011...
gadores desarrollan enfermedades serias por el desgaste físico que requiere el Fútbol Americano. Los problemas mentales están entre las mayores causas de muerte en ex jugadores. Los dueños quisieran quedarse con los más posibles in-gresos pero entienden lo que da un jugador en la temporada para hacer esos ingresos. La liga ha tomado pasos para proteger a los jugadores de lesiones graves y se estipula que un programa médico será creado. En el “Día del Amor y la Amistad” los dos grupos llegaron al acuerdo de resumir negociaciones con un mediador del gobierno. El Comisionado y el Presidente de la Unión también llegaron al acuerdo de que no se comunicará al público sobre las negociaciones. Al término de las negociaciones el intermedi-ario dijo que las pláticas entre los dos grupos fueron positivas y que hubo progreso, pero que todavía hay más diferencias que acuerdos. No parece que los dos la-dos tendrán un nuevo acuerdo antes de que tengan que empezar prácti-cas en mayo. Muchos analistas ya se están haciendo a la idea de que habrá una temporada reducida de un máximo de 12 juegos, mientras otros piensan que no habrá tem-porada. Los que tienen más que perder en esta pelea entre millon-arios y billonarios son la afición que podría perderse todo un año de fútbol profesional.
El uso del espanglish, un amalgamiento del idioma inglés con el español, ha crecido sustan-cialmente con el incremento de la poblacion latina en los Estados Unidos. Los orígenes del espang-lish se remontan a 1848, cuando México cedió parte de su territo-rio a EE.UU. de acuerdo al tratado Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Desde ese en-tonces ha surgido un idioma hibrido con el que la gente latino-americana se comunica cotidianamente. Además con el gran cre-cimiento de migración de hispano-hablantes provenientes de America del Sur y el Caribe, se adquiere no solo un sinfín de nuevas palabras que son ajenas a la cultura mexi-cana, sino modismos que son pro-pios de países latinos como Gua-temala, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, Uruguay y Puerto Rico por mencionar algunos. Con más de 35 millones de latinos, los EE.UU es uno de los puntos más importantes para la población hispana en el mundo. Por ejemplo, según la Oficina del Censo de los EE.UU. en el 2010, la población latina en Houston era de 37.4%. Con una población que crece día a día, no es extraño que el espanglish sea una herramienta indispensable de comunicación. La proliferación del es-panglish ha tambien adquirido una gran importancia en el ámbito cultural en general de los EE.UU. Tanto así que artistas, comerciantes
y hasta políticos hacen uso de esta lengua para llegar a las masas hispanas. ¿Y por qué no? si se ha estimado que la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos será de más de 47 millones de personas hacia el año 2020. Esto constituiría el 15 por ciento de la población total según informa Arnulfo Ramírez en su artículo “El español y los his-panos en los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica”. Se habla espanglish ahora más que nunca; sin duda, es una lengua relativamente joven que se niega a morir. Se estan creando nuevas formas para mantener el es-panglish en los EE.UU. Este idioma coloquial ha tomado tanta fuerza en las comunidades hispanas en EE.UU. que se prepara ya un dic-cionario de espanglish, tal y como lo indica Patricia Kolesnico en su artículo publicado en la página de Internet www.elclarín.com. El espanglish ha surgido en el corazón de una comunidad con la necesidad de comunicarse en un idioma propio, ya que se encuentra en una zona fronteriza cultural y geográfica: viviendo en un país mayoritariamente anglo-hablante que colinda con la tierra de su historia y cultura ancestral. Al no ser “ni de aquí ni de alla” este fenomeno ha servido como vinculo de comunicación entre generacio-nes a lo largo de su existencia.
El espanglishPor VICTOR MARTINEZ (UH-D)
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La seguridad fronteriza ha sido uno de los temas más dis-cutidos en la política de los Estados Unidos. Constantemente vemos las distintas propuestas de ley que dife-rentes legisladores han realizado. La seguridad en la fron-tera ha sido uno de los temas más conflictivos en los debates en-tre políticos de Estados Unidos y México. La violencia en México continúa incrementadose, 33,000 asesinatos se han registrado desde que el Presidente Felipe Calderón declaró la guerra contra el narcotrá-fico en el 2006. El Gobernador Rick Perry ha mostrado preocupación por el aumento de la violencia en el veci-no país del sur y es por esto mismo que se han tratado de proponer leyes que combatan esta lucha con-stante del colindante país. Legisladores de los Esta-dos Unidos han debatido el prob-lema y el efecto que podría traer a los Estados Unidos la constante violencia en México. Mientras que el presidente Felipe Calderón ha criticado el consumo de drogas y el tráfico de armas, el presidente Barack Obama ha tratado de com-batir la alta demanda de drogas que existe en el país. Perry ha criticado constantemente el poco desem-peño que ha realizado Obama en cuestión de protección a la frontera. En una conferencia en Washington en el mes de febrero, Perry criticó la falta de protección a lo largo de las 1,200 millas de la frontera con México, donde ex-ternó su preocupación por la ausen-cia de la Guardia Nacional donde ha pedido que se desplieguen mil
tropas para la seguridad. El 15 de febrero fue un impacto para los Estados Unidos cuando dos agentes de ICE fueron atacados por personas armadas, dándole muerte a Jaime Zapata y dejando herido de bala a Víc-tor Ávila. Este hecho presionó al gobierno de Obama a tomar ac-ción. Días después se implementó la operación “Bombardier” donde se realizaron redadas en diferentes puntos de la nación dando como re-sultado el arresto de 676 personas relacionadas con los carteles de la droga en México. Se decomisaron 12 millones de dólares en efectivo, 467 kilos de cocaína, 21 libras de heroína, 40 mil libras de marigua-na, 282 armas de fuego y 94 ve-hículos. Los proyectos de ley con-tinuarán a lo largo de este período. Muchos analistas políticos dijeron que la relación México-Estados Unidos se podría ver afectada por el ataque contra los agentes de ICE. La realidad fue otra ya que tres semanas después Calderón visitó a Obama para tratar de hablar sobre temas que afectan a los dos países, resaltando el tema del narcotráfico. Pero esas fueron solo pláticas, las acciones se llevarán a cabo en cu-anto transcurra el tiempo. Por lo pronto, solo nos podemos quedar con los hechos y esperar que se haga lo que plantean los dos gobiernos. Todavía que-dan muchas dudas en el aire sobre cuáles serán las acciones después de todo lo acontecido.
Protección en lafronteraPor JOSE SANTOS (UH)
8 The Venture
Final Four 2011
Pepe by Felipe Campos
March - April 2011
Confused Chicano by Raymond Ruiz
Ruth’s BoothTop 10 most watched sports By RUTH MONTANEZ
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1. Futbol (Soccer)- 3.5 billion fans and 715.1 mil-lion people watched the Worlds Cup 2010 final.2. Cricket- the 2011 Cricket world cup will be broadcasted in 220 countries.3. Basketball-2 billion spectators worldwide with viewership of 15 million per season.4. Tennis- 10 million viewers per match.5. Motor Racing- 461,000 viewers per race, 10 mil-lion per year. 6. Horse Racing- 2010 ‘s most popular race had 10.74 million viewers. 7. Baseball- 19.1 million viewers for 2009 World Series.8. Athletics- 8 to 9 million viewers in the Men’s 100 metre.9. Golf-3.6 million viewers last year10. Boxing- viewership of over 2 million fanatics
GRILL
BALLET
cont. from page 1
cont. from page 6
DANIEL MENDEZ EGMN
Ernest Ramirez gets ready to impress the judges.
González prepares and gets into her roles through rehearsal, coaching and effort. The same elements contribute to her success, plus a little bit of luck. “I will say what got me here today is working hard, the teachers and coaches that believed in me, giving me many opportunities along the way, and being in the right place at the right time,” she said. To relax after rehearsals and performances, González likes
team that doesn’t cook that style barbeque and place second by chicken at the Jack Daniels. It was great, even though I thought it was good just to compete with interna-tional teams.” Ramirez, along with Grillen and Drillen, recently par-ticipated in the 2011 Houston Live-stock Show and Rodeo Cook Off but did not place. “We got to keep going because we have a bigger competi-tion coming up with Sam’s Club,” Ramirez said. “We gave it our all.” Despite competing, grill-ing, doing charity work and work-ing as a pipe fitter, Ramirez still manages to have his number one priority beside him - his family. “You have to have family support; they have to be 100 percent behind you,” said Ramirez. “Since the beginning, they’ve helped me out.” Ramirez’s accomplish-ments are not left unseen in his family. “Motivation is huge in my family, and to see my relatives pur-suing their dreams no matter their age or obstacles is very inspiring,” said niece Ashley Gomez. “We all help each other; we are a hands-on family.”
While motivating his niece, Ramirez also has his wife’s support. Anna Ramirez believes that not just anyone can barbeque. “I’m his behind-the-scenes,” said Anna. “We have a good time, and he loves it. You have to love it because it’s a lot of hard work. It’s a passion - it’s his passion. For instance, he prepares mentally...you wouldn’t notice if he’s stressed because he enjoys it. I’m the one who gets stressed.” Other than competitions, Ramirez has an ultimate dream that he has yet to fulfill. “He wants to open a bar-beque restaurant,” Anna said. “An actual guy who opens a restaurant
Hey bro, wanna go play some flag football later?
F u t b o l ? ! Sure!
I’m ready to score a gooaall!!!
What’s with the flag? How about you score a touchdown instead so we can win. What kind of soccer
ball was that? NO hands in footie!!!
and is a competitor is going to put all of his heart into it.” Having his heart in it has allowed opportunities. “Once you’re recognized, everything starts opening; people start helping you,” Ramirez said. “They accepted me onto the ‘real barbeque business world.’” Remaining with the hun-ger and passion, Ramirez awaits what’s in store for him while stay-ing true to himself. “It’s kind of celebrity sta-tus,” Ramirez said. “You have to stay humble.”
to sleep, talk to her family back home, listen to Spanish music, watch TV and go to the movie theater. As a dancer who has performed abroad, González does not feel a difference in spectators’ response. “I really believe that if you do your best and give a good show the audience will enjoy it wherever you are,” she said. Pink At the Brown, March 24Raising the Barre, March 28thwww.houstonballet.org for ticket info.
Visita www.uhelgato.com para leer el artículo de El Pulso.
Frida Kahlo Regresa a La Vida
Por CHRISTINA REYES
Wanted: Spanish comics
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Soccer? Oh. Sorry my Mexican friend. In FOOTBALL the only player that kicks the
ball also collects the jock straps!
RACEcont. from page 4
Valenzuela, Mark Sanchez, or Edu-ardo Najera but can it be possible with the cultural mindset, the back-ground, and the responsibilities that Hispanics have to deal with in the USA? Sure it can. Could the culture differ-ences: the discipline, the priorities, the mentality, the way each culture views sports the reason why Amer-icans succeed in sports more than Hispanics? You tell me.
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