Presidio expected to host deportees in future

By DIANNE LEYVA
Staff Writer

 Presidio, TX is considered one of the most tranquil border towns in Texas, however this may radically change in the next few months. With a population of approximately 4,150 people, the core of this town lies within its schools and family businesses. The relationship with its border town Ojinaga, Chihuahua has always been one of friendliness. Support for each community to progress was seen in the flood which invaded both communities September of last year. Both communities sought ways to aid each other in the disaster and the unification allowed them to successfully survive this natural disaster.
        A year later, the communities are once again faced with turmoil. Not only will they be dealing with the drug war and shootings in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, but also with the possibility of hosting convicts. The Alien Transfer and Exit Program (ATEP) will now allow Homeland Security to use the Presidio/Ojinaga border to deport approximately 34,000 illegal immigrants per year into Mexico. This has caused much apprehension within both communities. Tales of men being assaulted by the deportees have already flown through the communities.     
        “Based on what I have read, the deportees will be coming from the Arizona and California areas, with little or no ties to the Presidio/Ojinaga area. What will they do? Return home? Stay? Ojinaga/Presidio does not have the infrastructure or resources for a constant influx of 3,000 males per month. The area concerns about how this might disrupt our peaceful co-existence, “David Borden, resident of and coach in Presidio, said.
        Efforts from Texas Governor, Rick Perry urging the federal government to stop its plans and take the necessary actions to secure the Texas border were not successful. The ATEP program is now in effect. As a means of security, the state of Texas has increased its law enforcement resources and leveraged technology on the border. Under the leadership of the governor and aid from the legislature the state of Texas has dedicated more than $110 million to secure the border. 
        However, concerns that this is still not enough have risen within both communities. A tranquil town, may lose its stability and peace.

Safety tips for those travelling in Dec.

By ROBERT HICKS
Staff Writer

Many students will begin to return home this winter as the Christmas break kicks off.  Several of them will be traveling to the remote corners of Texas and some will even be traveling across the country. 
       All who muster their strength to ford the cold weather and take one of these long-haul jaunts are advised to take extreme precautions and be prepared for whatever conditions the harsh winter weather can throw at them.
      Before even beginning to plan the trip, students should make sure that their tires are aired and not suffering any punctures.  This can be done at any gas station that offers service.   Students should also make sure they are up-to-date on their regular oil changes and maintenance before leaving town.  Finally, in the case of the emergency, all travelers should have important safety items in their cars: a flashlight, batteries for the flashlight, a tire gauge, a blanket, a spare tire, and a first aid kit. 
       The perilousness of the journey will depend chiefly on three factors: the destination of the journey and the time at which one travels.
        If you travel north to a town such as Lubbock, Amarillo, or Dumas, you should expect to see more ice caution signs and higher chances of freezing or slipping on black ice.  Traveling south, however, does not necessarily mean you should anticipate a smooth trip. 
        Now if you’re traveling southeast toward San Antonio, Houston, or Corpus Christi you can expect an ice-free road as you make the gradual descent in elevation. 
         If you’re traveling southeast toward Presidio, El Paso, or Fort Stockton, it may be pertinent for you to take the most extreme precautions, for you will be driving in an area where the altitude ranges from about 2,000 ft above sea level in Presidio to a little over 5000 ft in Fort Davis.
         When considering the time of day, it may be common sense to say it is much less life threatening to drive during the day than at night.  However, many students tend to leave late in the day after their last exam to go to a place such as Dallas or Houston and end up being stuck on the road late at night. 
          During the winter, the temperature change between day and night can be as high as 30 degrees some days, especially in humidity-bare areas in West Texas.  There have been days in Fort Davis when, during the day, the thermometer read 50 degrees; and by the time night fell, it read below freezing.  Freezing temperatures increase the possibility of frozen roads and invisible ice patches.  When traveling to distant places, try to leave in the morning so that you can reach home-base before the bracing nightly winter wind chill hits.

2000-2009

2000-2009
A retrospective look back at the decade

By KRISTEN GIPSON
Editor-in-Chief

   As the semester draws to a close, it’s with fond thoughts that I look to start the next semester..    Some UTPB students, however, are taking a look back at the last decade, and are determined to learn from our mistakes and grow from our successes.    Whether we’re looking back at the fads of 2000 or the strong and building trends of 2009, predicting what’s to come in the next decade is about as easy as looking at the last one.
         Sometimes the easiest way to define a decade is by its music; certainly, the sixties bring to mind peace-loving, guitar-strumming hippies, while the eighties inspire thoughts of hair band rock ballads.   The beginning of this decade began with the continued success of pop music stars Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys topping the music charts, in addition to guitar-great Lenny Kravitz and the raspy-voiced Macy Gray.    Since then, one Backstreet Boy has entered and completed rehab, Britney has been married-and divorced-twice, and all of these stars of the decade are still putting out hits, despite the competition of newcomers like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.   In addition, today’s music stars are forced to compete with the many breakout performers spawned by reality TV series American Idol, who consistently produce mass-appealing singles like Jordin Sparks’s “Battlefield” and 2002 winner Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone.” 
      American Idol isn’t the only reality TV show that the United States has become obsessed with over the past decade.   Family-oriented sitcoms like Boy Meets World and Friends have phased out in favor of hyper-stressful, often competitive reality shows like Survivor (first broadcast in the U.S. in May 2000), The Bachelor (debuted in 2002 on ABC), and Jon and Kate Plus Eight (which first aired in two one-hour specials: Surviving Sextuplets and Twins and Surviving Sextuplets and Twins: One Year Later).   Surprisingly, interest in these reality shows haven’t phased out much.    Jon and Kate Gosselin have only recently ended their reality series chronicling the lives of their eight children.  The Bachelor and Survivor, inexplicably, are counting over fourteen seasons, with no immediate end in sight.   The shows still have nothing on animated-series, The Simpsons, which in 2000 was awarded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2009, surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American primetime entertainment series.     It’s only natural to assume that in 2019, American audiences will still be watching Homer and the residents of Springfield.  
        Music and books have played out with each other to provide double-edged trends in the last decade.  Although movies based on popular novels have always been in production, some of the biggest novels this year Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, and Twilight, just to name a few, have also produced some of the decade’s biggest blockbusters.    Other themes in the past decade have been movies based on comic books (Watchmen, the Spiderman trilogy, The Dark Knight), and movies featuring vampires (remember Dracula 2000, featuring a pre-300 Gerard Butler, Van Helsing, and, of course, the currently popular, Twilight).
        Perhaps the most impacting trends of the decade are those based on political figures of the last decade.    There were plenty of scandals between 2000 and 2009, but the things people are likely to remember most are the tragedy of September 11, the subsequent War Against Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, political figures like Colin Powell, President George W. Bush, Condeleeza Rice, and the fervor of the 2008 presidential election, which threw figures like Sarah Palin and hopeful John McCain into the light of fame, even as the public embraced eventual president-elect Barack Obama.
       Meanwhile, on the home front of UTPB, students are witnessing some of the biggest and most impressive changes for the school over the past few years, as UTPB has broken ground on three new additions to the UTPB system, including a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, a Student Multipurpose Center, and a Science and Technology Center.  
        Whatever UTPB faces in the teens of the next decade, with graduates like those commencing on December 12, it can only be bigger and better things.

Lecturer Sam Gosling delves into aspects of psychology for packed house on Nov. 12

By ROBERT HICKS
Staff Writer

On Thursday, November 12, UTPB was endowed the privilege of hosting yet another interesting speaker with a bounty of knowledge and wisdom. 
     Students, faculty members, and other supporters of the campus gathered in the Library Lecture Hall to listen to Samuel Gosling, an internationally recognized Ph. D in social psychology, present a thought-provoking and mind-jogging speech on the realms of psychology and some functions of the mind.
      For an hour and a half, Gosling engaged the audience in a most ingenious lecture on his study of social perception and how people form impressions on the basis of others’ behavior, on what they look like, and on cues in the physical environment. The things we see on the outside of a person, such as the tidiness of his room, the music on his ipod, and the layout of his Facebook or Myspace, influence external perceptions of another’s personality and character.
      He also discussed his research on animals and how it informs theories of personality and social psychology. He uses his findings in the behavior of dogs and cats to compare with the realms of human personality.
        Gosling touched on the five main traits by which people discern the personality of others and profile strangers which he called the big five.
      Gosling has published many works; the most well-known of these is his book Snoops: What Your Stuff Says about You.  After the speech, he conducted a book signing and offered answers to any questions audience members had.
      “The Gosling lecture is great for our psychology program and the growth of our university,” said Psychology professor and chairman, Dr. Spencer Thompson.  “The more events we continue to hold like this the more we will grow as a university

Students invited to view process of art class’s annual iron pour

By DIANNE LEYVA
Staff Writer

      UTPB sculpture and 3D design students poured their molds in the foundry yard behind the Visual Arts Studio Monday, November 9. 
      “We put bricks together, lay them face down, and put sand over them. The sand dries for about two days, and then the process is repeated on the other side,” sophomore, Audrianna Hinojosa said.
     These molds are then poured into a cupola, a furnace in which the iron is cast. UTPB prides itself in having the largest academic cupola in the state.    Since temperatures can reach approximately 2400 degrees during the pouring of cast iron, many safety precautions are required. Fire extinguishers and a water hose must be accessible to prevent a disaster. 
      The process includes the charge preparation, in which the iron is busted into hand- size pieces and is treated with 2 oz marble chips. After the long process of the “burn-in” is over,  which can last for approximately 2 hours, the  blast process begins. A large blower is connected to the wind belt. When the molten iron emerges, the bot is removed and molten iron is delivered into the preheated ladle. Another bot is placed in the hole and molds are poured into the mold line.
     The end result is a piece of art for yet another class of 3D art and Sculpture students.

National Novel Writing Month spurs

By KRISTEN GIPSON
Editor-in-Chief

For one class of UTPB students, the month of November began, not with a farewell to Halloween and an overdose on sugary treats, but with the frenetic clatter of fingers to keyboards, the flurry of hands flying across paper, and the mentality of a racer shooting off from the starting line with nothing but the end in sight.   That’s because the end of November heralds something far more important than a simple grade.   These classmates in the Fall Studies in Writing class are working toward the goal of writing a 50,000 word novel for National Novel Writing Month.
       National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo) began in 1999 as a madcap approach to novel writing, in which participants sign up for a month of what essentially amounts to marathon novel writing.   At an estimated 1,500 plus words per day, the 30 days between midnight on October 31 and midnight on November 30 are spent plugging away at the computer, with no regard to the quality of the work.  Participants “win” Nanowrimo when they reach a total of 50,000 words.
      Studies in Writing student and 2009 Nanowrimo participant, Richard Fischer claims that the way the course was developed is just another incentive for winning in November.
      “There were two reasons for me to do this: One, I could actually write a novel, and two, the need for the grade makes me write it,” Fischer said.
     The program director of Nanowrimo, Chris Baty,  explains that the benefits of Nanowrimo are multifarious and far-reaching.  Why should students undertake this responsibility?  Chris Baty enumerates on the many reasons:
     “To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work,” Baty said.
     Dr. Rebecca Babcock, who heads the Studies in Writing course explains that her interest in developing the course began when students started approaching her about beginning a course in the study of writing.  Babcock took a minimalistic approach to the course, following Baty’s advice not to get bogged down with notions of quality.
     “It’s not as hard and scary as it seems,” Babcock said, “but you really have to have low expectations for the novel itself.” 
     After the process itself has been completed, a year may then be dedicated to editing the novel, although there is also a Nanoedmo, or National Novel Editing Month for truly dedicated novelists.  
     Students who are interested in participating in Nanowrimo should not be discouraged by the approaching November deadline.  Nanowrimo can be implemented any month of the year, although Baty claims that working on your novel alongside over 100,000 other participants is a great motivator to win the 50,000 word mark.  
       Babcock urges students to consider trying the Nanowrimo experience, even if they do not have any interest in writing as a profession.
     “I don’t think I really would want to be a novelist for a job, but I may do it again next year because I think it’s good for the soul and the mental aspect of one’s life,” Babcock said.

Second Life to revive students

Virtual reality brings the classroom to the web

By DIANNE LEYVA
Staff Writer

  The UT system will join Second Life and pursue student engagement in an educational experience, one limited only by the depth of one’s creativity and imagination. Each of the 16 universities will contain three islands. Each campus will be creating the necessary Second Life project plan, which corresponds with its overall tasks.  The purpose is for the 16 universities within the UT system to serve as learning models for other statewide systems.
 Although at times, it is incorrectly perceived as nothing more than a video game or a social network, Second Life has many attributes and allows for much more than simple interaction. Second Life, created in 2003 by Linden Lab, is the largest 3D virtual world environment. This network is the work of imagination; it is an online virtual world designed by the user. Today, there are about 360 million transactions within Second Life. It is used for commercial, educational, business and networking purposes. With the use of a customized avatar, the users, known as residents, may visit and interact within the grid. Second Life uses SLURL’s as links to websites within the grid that teleports the avatar from place to place. “It is the recreation of anything you can do in real life,” Oneita Burgess, director of UTPB’s REACH department, said.  There are no boundaries; everything within it is a replication of the real world.
      In Second Life, the students can interact, attend class and perform the tasks their professors require. Second Life allows the students to visit historical monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Giza and others all from their home computers. For scientific research students are able to view organs in 3D, something that has been previously unavailable. The UT system’s involvement in Second life makes it the largest virtual learning environment in existence.
    Using Second Life has its benefits. It allows for the reduction of travel costs and still produces the desired effects in regard to business. For educational purposes, Second Life has become the necessary tool to bypass all geographical boundaries and reduce the need for brick and mortar. Second Life will not be a requirement for all undergraduates; however, professors may require certain tasks within Second Life.
    For more information about Second Life you can visit secondlife.com.

Sandstorm hosts Poetry Night

By AMBER BATURA
Contributor

     UTPB was home of the annual Poetry Night event on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, hosted by the Sandstorm committee. The event kicked off at 7 pm, with students and faculty reading both their own creative works and those of famous authors.
     “[Poetry Night] is a fun way for students to show off their own creativity,” said Marshalla Hutson, a member of the Sandstorm committee Board.
      The participants and guests assembled seemed to agree as they listened and enjoyed a witty satire concerning healthcare, a love letter from a stalker, and tales from a Vampire P.I.  In addition, English professors Dr. Jason Lagapa, Dr. Mark Wildermuth, and Dr. Todd Richardson read both original works and classic poetry. 
     Taking advantage of the open mic, numerous students took to the stage and read original pieces.
     “Obviously, we want to get people together in a creative atmosphere, but also we want people (writers in disguise) to have a venue to express their creativity and we want people to become aware of Sandstorm and what it is,”  said commitee member, Katie Strain. 
    Hutson agrees that Poetry Night offers a creative outlet for a wide range of students.  “Poetry Night provides a way for student voices to be heard through their own words in their own ways,” Hutson said.
     This semester’s Poetry Night is not the only event taking place this year.  Sandstorm plans to host another Poetry Night in the spring semester as well.
     Sandstorm encourages students to submit their original short stories, poetry, essays, and art.   Deadlines are still open, and all you have to do is save your work onto a CD-R with your name, address, phone number and email and leave it in a drop box located outside of MB 4102.

UTPB moves from WebCT to Blackboard 9

By DIANNE LEYVA
Staff Writer

 The upcoming spring semester will bring about many changes within UTPB. Along with the Second Life project comes the transition from Web CT to Blackboard 9.  “We were outdated with Web CT,” Oneita Burgess, director of UTPB’s REACH,  said. “This is a big step for us.”
   Students and faculty will now be exposed to a different source of communication. Blackboard promises to be customizable, user friendly and compatible with Facebook and iphones.
   To ensure that all students are knowledgeable and able to utilize blackboard, the students will be offered orientation and training sessions after the winter break. Faculty and staff are currently training in Blackboard. The transition will take place at the beginning of spring semester.
      “Students will communicate across the institution,” Burgess said.  Blackboard holds a variety of features, including a display of all tasks to be performed, a calendar, online tele-campus, and webmail. With a new user interface, the updated web 2.0 contains a customizable interface with drag and drop features which allows the student to create unique arrangements. Blackboard 9 also has additional features such as blogs and journals. The blogs are available for teacher and student review. Students with disabilities are able to rearrange information and the improved sheet readers allow for easier access and improved legibility. The change promises to not only create better student-teacher communication, but also to allow students to organize and communicate with each other.

The Mesa Journal is now online!

Welcome to The Mesa Journal’s online publication. This is an online means of getting news about The University of Texas Permian Basin. You know, for all those times you can’t find a copy of the newspaper or don’t happen to be on campus. The search function should make it easier to find old articles.

Feel free to bookmark this page and check out our links. We’ve got a MySpace and Facebook group, too.