A place to be proud

McAllen’s Cordoba Cafe holds PRIDE event

Note: This article originally appeared in The Pan American's website June 28, 2014. The Pan American was the student newspaper at my former university, The University of Texas - Pan American, where I got into writing. Ultimately, TPA was shut down as a result of a merger with neighboring university to make way for The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and the new student publication did not transfer anything from TPA. Here's one of my articles for them that was saved thanks to the miracle of Google Docs.

After a brief hesitation, UTPA student Samantha Herrera takes a quick breath to compose herself, then begins telling the audience at the patio of McAllen’s Cordoba Cafe of her coming out experience.

“My aunt and uncle, who I was living with at the time in Edinburg, were Baptist ministers so I wasn’t going to tell them,” the 22-year-old English major said to the hushed crowd June 22. “I didn’t feel safe to tell anyone about my identity as a queer woman until I went away from home to Michigan for my freshman year of college.”

This was the scene at the LGBT Pride Speak-Out event, which took place at 1303 N. 10th St. The function was hosted by several UTPA organizations including UTPA’s Feminist Club, which Herrera is a member of.  The gathering was held in June to commemorate Pride Month, a month-long celebration to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots. According to the Library of Congress, the Stonewall Riots were a series of protests at a Manhattan gay bar following a police raid, and the event is considered to be a major tipping point in the fight for LGBT equality.

The LGBT Pride Speak-Out included a viewing of the film Antes Dios, Todos Somos Familia, or Before God, We Are All a Family. The 2013 film consists of interviews with several openly gay Catholic LGBT members and their families who talk about how they balance their religion and their sexuality. Following the viewing was an “open mic,” where audience members were invited to take the stage and talk about their experiences with homosexuality.

For Herrera, the open mic was the first time she had come out publicly, an experience she said was as scary as it was empowering. She was motivated to do so to celebrate her identity and inspire others to do the same.

“We don’t come out just once. First, we have to come out to ourselves, then to our family and friends, then we have to do it whenever someone asks us,” she explained. “As long as we create a space where we’re proud of ourselves, then I’m going to keep doing it.”

The UTPA chapter of the Texas Freedom Network  helped organize LGBT Pride Speak-Out. Texas Freedom Network is a liberal organization whose members seek to protect individual liberties and religious freedom. Ruben Garza, a field organizer for the group, was on hand at the event.

“We’re trying to get the message across that there’s a community of acceptance right here in the (Rio Grande) Valley, especially since down here it’s a predominant Catholic and ‘machismo’ culture,” said the 2013 UTPA Mexican-American studies and political science alumnus. “We want to create a space of understanding, unity, acceptance and visibility, especially since some events happening [in Texas] may not inspire hope for LGBT citizens.”

The Edinburg native was referring to several events that happened in Texas this past month that have gained national attention. These include a family court judge in Tarrant County, located in Fort Worth, denying parental rights to the biological twin boys of a homosexual couple, as well as the Texas Republican Party recently voting to adopt a platform that supports “reparative therapy” for gays.

Reparative therapy, otherwise known as “conversion therapy” according to the American Psychiatric Association, is a form of treatment that seeks to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality. The APA and other organizations oppose this therapy because it is based on the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or that people can change their orientation, which the APA declassified in 1974.

According to The Washington Post, since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denied federal recognition to married same-sex couples last year, seven more states have legalized same-sex marriage. This has raised the number total number of states that recognize same-sex unions to 19. The rest of the 31 states have a same-sex marriage ban and have pending lawsuits challenging the ruling as unconstitutional, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

After the event, which had approximately 25 attendees, Garza admitted that there was a missed opportunity due to the video screening and its intended audience.

“Most of the attendees were college-aged students who may have probably severed all ties with the church,” he said. “We wanted to invite several people, including the older generation, to make the movie relatable to them since they went through the same thing as the parents in the film, but we can always improve that for our next event.”

Lorena Singh, a community advocate for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, also attended the open mic. She quoted a 2009 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that surveyed 7,000 13 to 21-year-old LGBT students and the violent experiences they’ve faced because of their sexual orientation. According to the study, one in five LGBT students is a victim of physical assault in school.

“We need to be able to do better than this,” the 43-year-old UTPA alumna said. “We need to show the LGBT youth that they do have support available and they should never have to be afraid just because of who they are.”

Other Pride events included the third annual Pride March hosted by the campus group the UTPA LGBT alliance. The march was held Friday, June 27 in the C-1 parking lot at UTPA at 5:30 p.m.

‘A Night in Old Mexico’

Screening promotes local filmmaking

Note: This article originally appeared May 27, 2014 online at the website for The Pan American. The Pan American was the student newspaper at my former university, The University of Texas - Pan American, where I got into writing. Ultimately, TPA was shut down as a result of a merger with neighboring university to make way for The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and the new student publication did not transfer anything from TPA. Here's one of my articles for them that was saved thanks to the miracle of Google Docs.

Thanks to the CineSol Independent Film Festival, a showcase that screens films from Rio Grande Valley filmmakers annually across the RGV, local residents had a chance to see Robert Duvall’s A Night in Old Mexico, which was filmed in Brownsville.

In the movie, Academy Award-winning actor Duvall (Tender Mercies, 1984) plays a cantankerous rancher whose land is claimed by the bank, causing him to go on a trip to Mexico to serve as a last “hurrah.” His estranged grandson is dragged along and through a series of coincidences the two inadvertently end up with stolen money from a drug kingpin.

A Night in Old Mexico had a limited release May 16 that also coincided with its release via several digital platforms, such as iTunes and Amazon Instant. According to CineSol Festival Director Henry Serrato, this release strategy made many local theaters reluctant to carry the movie. This led him to screen the movie at Cine el Rey during Memorial Day weekend May 24 at 7 p.m. and May 25 at 2 and 5 p.m. for $10 per ticket. Previously, the film was shown at The University of Texas at Brownsville May 23.

Despite taking place in Mexico, A Night in Old Mexico was shot in Rio Hondo and Brownsville during summer 2012 over a period of three weeks. Locations in Brownsville included The Capitol Theatre on 1101 E. Levee St. and the Camille Lightner Playhouse at 1 Dean Porter Park.

For Serrato, a Harlingen native who graduated from UTPA in 1997, the screening was a chance to show how local filmmaking could benefit the Valley’s economy and local talent.

“When a film is shot down here, it brings in income to the city while also allowing us to build a reputation with film companies that will hopefully bring in more filmmaking opportunities for the Rio Grande Valley,” the 40-year-old explained. “The movie had at least 500 local people involved...as extras and for many, this was the only chance for them to see their work.”

Ashley Beane, an alumna of the University of North Texas, was one of the more than 80 people who attended the Friday evening screening to promote her non-profit organization Rio Grande Valley Film Society (FiSo). The organization has been active for three months and promotes the advancement of local filmmaking. She discussed several benefits of filming in the RGV, such as companies receiving tax incentives for shooting in low-income areas.

“We have a lot to offer and we need to show that the film industry in the RGV has a lot of talent available and can compete with the film industries of other much more well-known places,” the radio/TV/film graduate said.

Cynthia Sarmiento, an extra in the film, attended the Friday screening along with her family. Many of the Weslaco native’s scenes involved her interacting with Duvall; she's a big fan.

“He was so relaxed and down to earth and would always say ‘hi’ to everyone,” the 2011 UTPA alumna recalled. “One time, during a break from shooting, he actually sat next to me on a bench and started making small talk. I was so starstruck by the fact that he was talking to me that I just nodded and smiled at him and realized, ‘Crap, he probably thinks I’m not talking because I don’t know English or something.’”

Other recent Hollywood productions filmed in Brownsville include the 2012 Mel Gibson thriller Get the Gringo and a Season Two episode of the NBC drama Friday Night Lights. Endgame, an independent film about a Brownsville chess team starring Modern Family’s Rico Rodriguez and Napoleon Dynamite’s Efren Ramirez, is currently in post-production.

Galax Z Fair III

Local music festival celebrates third year

Note: This article originally appeared in the March 20, 2014 issue of The Pan American. The Pan American was the student newspaper at my former university, The University of Texas - Pan American, where I got into writing. Ultimately, TPA was shut down as a result of a merger with neighboring university to make way for The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and the new student publication did not transfer anything from TPA. Here's one of my articles for them that was saved thanks to the miracle of Google Docs.

Austin has South by Southwest (SXSW), South Padre Island has the Ultimate Music Experience, and McAllen has Galax Z Fair.

The music festival was held for the third year, on non-consecutive days in McAllen March 10 and 13. The first day, which ran from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., saw 23 bands, including local band Zorah and N.Y.-based indie band Miniature Tigers, play across four different venues on 17th Street. These locations included Cine El Rey, Bruja Luna, The Flying Walrus and Suerte Bar & Grill. Suerte included an “artist corner” where local artists, such as Travis Trapp and Gwyn F. Della Croce, showcased their artwork throughout the day.

The second day had Cine El Rey as the sole venue, hosting Michigan-based rock group Cheap Girls, New York-based singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson, and Floridian punk rock band Against Me!

Nearly 1,000 tickets were sold for the latest Galax Z Fair, according to founder Patrick Garcia. Public relations major June Cavazos was among the attendees, making for the Mission native’s first music festival.

“When I heard that Tops and Miniature Tigers were playing, I just had to go,” the 19-year-old said. “Their music gives off a sense of empowerment that makes your emotions go away, and makes you want to dance. It’s also great that the festival is local, so I’m running into a lot of friends and people I haven’t seen in a long time. It feels like a family.”

The sense of camaraderie was also shared by local band Pinky Swear, which is composed of four UTPA students. Lead singer Sarah Walker described the experience of performing at Galax Z Fair as “nerve-wracking.”

“Galax Z Fair is more intimate,” the TV/film major said. “You can see a lot of friends supporting you and it feels comforting. I’d imagine that South By Southwest would provide a sense of detachment since you’re playing at a new place, but the experience would be worth it.”

Galax Z Fair founder Garcia said the decision to spread out so many bands across multiple venues was made to create a more “engaging” experience for attendees by having them visit different locations and decide which bands to stay and watch.

Noise-punk band Perfect Pussy also performed on the first day of the festival. Meredith Graves, the lead singer of the Syracuse-based group, compared the music scene of the Rio Grande Valley to that of New York.

“I love it. Galax Z Fair captures the true spirit of a community that’s built by the hands of the people who support each other,” the 26-year-old said. “New York also has a do-it-yourself mindset when it comes to independent artists, but it’s vicious. It’s every man for himself and no one supports each other, it’s so different here though. You can tell that everyone loves each other and are fans of each other.”

According to Garcia, a UTPA alum, many of the visiting bands were contacted by mass email to artists scheduled to perform at the SXSW Music Festival; they were asked if they’d be interested in participating in Galax Z Fair.

“These are all bands I like and I would definitely go watch if they were visiting,” the 28-year-old Brownsville native said. “This is about establishing a culture where people with an alienated taste in music can get together and get excited about music.”

Sex, shoes and curves

UTPA Theatre Department prepares for new season

Note: This article originally appeared in the Feb. 27, 2014 issue of The Pan American. The Pan American was the student newspaper at my former university, The University of Texas - Pan American, where I got into writing. Ultimately, TPA was shut down as a result of a merger with neighboring university to make way for The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and the new student publication did not transfer anything from TPA. Here's one of my articles for them that was saved thanks to the miracle of Google Docs.

With the spring semester in full swing, the UTPA Theatre Department is set to premiere its three productions that will play throughout the semester: Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Real Women Have Curves, and Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Tom Grabowski, the UTPA theatre director, called the lineup an interesting one and explained the range of genres this semester is intended to keep the upcoming season fresh and different from the previous season. Last semester's group included the horror productions The Woman in Black and Diner of the Dead.

“We always try to attract an audience by presenting works that we know we need to do because our students and audience members need to be exposed to them,” said the 57-year-old Illinois native, who began teaching at Pan American University in 1981. “Each play this semester is different, Liaisons’ is a period piece drama that is very involved, due to all the costumes and sets we’ll need. The other plays are lighter and not as technically elaborate.”

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, or Dangerous Liaisons, is an adaptation of the 1985 stage play based on the 18th-century novel of the same name. It tells the story of two noblemen and ex-lovers who seduce and humiliate others as a form of entertainment. The UTPA version is scheduled to run from Feb. 26 through March 2.

Real Women Have Curves is a coming-of-age tale set in 1987 Los Angeles and revolves around five women working at a sewing factory. Themes in the production range from body image to feminism. The show runs April 23-27.

Luis Moreno, a senior majoring in theater performance, is in the starring role of The Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

“The role is a challenge because the character is a sadistic pig,” the 24-year-old theater performance major said. “It’s our job to show that audiences that, no matter how disgusting, misogynistic, or evil our characters are, these guys are relatable.”

His co-star, Gina Marie, admits to enjoying her role as The Marquise de Merteuil, calling it a change of pace from other performances she’s done.

“In the past, I’ve played older, gentler characters,” the Pharr native said. “These guys aren’t conventional heroes and its indicative of how strong our season is.”

Marie is also performing in Real Women Have Curves.

The final production of the semester will be Twelve Dancing Princesses, from the Theatre for Young Audiences Program, an initiative that airs plays aimed at younger audiences. This production is an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces.

The story is that of a king who challenges a prince to solve the mystery of where and how his 12 daughters sneak off to every night. If he succeeds, the prince wins the hand of the princess of his choice. However, if he fails, the prince will be decapitated.

“There are no beheadings here. This adaptation will be a bit cleaner than a normal Brothers Grimm tale,” Brian Warren, the play’s director, said. “We’re also having some moments of comedy, like the inclusion of a reluctant executioner who’s not a fan of his job.”

As the title implies, Twelve Dancing Princesses will feature a dance number for each princess. The genre of dances includes salsa, irish step dancing, country and more.

This adaptation will feature student actors from Warren’s Children’s Theater Workshop class, which will also double as their final. Child actors will be featured in the production as well.

“We’re always interested in allowing children to see the joy of theater and how beneficial it can be for them,” said the 52-year-old Iowa native, who has been at the University since 2002. “By performing with adults, and vice versa, everyone gets to see how the process of theater is done. It’s exciting.”

Twelve Dancing Princesses will run May 1-4. More information can be found on the University Theatre website.

‘Unrealistic Expectations’

UTPA students, faculty discuss body image issues

Note: This article originally appeared in the Feb. 27, 2014 issue of The Pan American. The Pan American was the student newspaper at my former university, The University of Texas - Pan American, where I got into writing. Ultimately, TPA was shut down as a result of a merger with neighboring university to make way for The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and the new student publication did not transfer anything from TPA. Here's one of my articles for them that was saved thanks to the miracle of Google Docs.

Kevin Galaviz, a senior writing tutor at the UTPA Writing Center, tries not to worry about his appearance, but finds it hard to do so.

“I’m always paranoid about what people think of me. I’m always thinking that someone I’m walking by is judging me, so I just avoid eye contact most of the time when I’m in public,” the 24-year-old Georgia native said. “But, whenever I’m walking in public, and I hear someone I passed laugh, then I worry they’re laughing at me.”

According to Galaviz, this behavior started in 1996, when he was 16. That was the time his stepfather verbally abused him by calling him “obese.”

“My stepfather would always abuse me psychologically, and I never put much thought into my body until he called me that,” the English major said. “It’s something that scarred me back then, and now I have all these negative, self-conscious thoughts about myself.”

The following year, Galaviz was diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental disorder in which someone exhibits obsessive behavior about his or her appearance, according to the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Related Disorders Program.

According to Kristin Croyle, a UTPA psychology professor, people suffering from this disorder can develop a severe preoccupation with their body image. Croyle said these people often feel so depressed and hopeless about their bodies that they may go to drastic measures to fix them, such as developing eating disorders.

The eating disorder website Something Fishy reports that an estimated 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder. One in 10 people diagnosed is male.

“People who are strongly affected by body image issues don’t talk about it because they’re embarrassed,” said Croyle, the vice provost for undergraduate education. “If you feel ugly or ashamed about something, it’s hard to talk about it. They’re not allowing themselves to see their self-worth because they’re only focusing on one negative thing about themselves. The only people that can know if something is wrong are close friends and family members.”

According to non-profit organization Do Something, 58 percent of college-age women feel pressured to be a certain weight. UTPA junior Regina Perez thinks about her weight, and is bothered by the fact that she may lose her fit, 5-foot-3 physique.

“I’m worried about getting old and gaining weight, and losing the shape and energy I already have,” the 20-year-old studio art and philosophy double major said. “I have to constantly remind myself that I shouldn’t have to worry about my body because that’s not important.”

Low self-esteem, negative influences from other people, or traumatizing childhood events can lead to dissatisfaction with appearance, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.

Croyle, a graduate of the University of Montana who has been at UTPA since 2002, explained that people with body image issues can be hard on themselves due to “unrealistic expectations” they set.

“People can be incredibly unrealistic about themselves, they can care more about how they look like than other people do,” she said. “Everyone feels this way, but sometimes, people can acknowledge they have flaws and live with it because they also acknowledge that they have several strengths. If they can’t see that, and this negativity starts to dominate them, that’s when people should be concerned.”

SEEKING HELP

Croyle recommends that people look for warning signs that individuals suffering from BDD face. These include a drastic change of mood, becoming more self-conscious about one’s looks, and displaying socially avoidant behaviors, such as not wanting to go out in public, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.

Galaviz also said that coming out as gay four years ago added to his stress. According to a 2012 article by the UK-based LGBT news outlet Pink News, 48 percent of gay men would sacrifice a year or more of their lives in exchange for a perfect body.

“People in the LGBT community...can be so judgemental,” he said. “There’s always those preconceived notions about how gay men have perfect bodies, or how gay men need to be placed in a certain category, like ‘bears’ (a large, hairy gay men),  ‘twinks’ (a young, thin gay man) etc. I feel as if I had to box myself into one of those categories when I first came out, and I didn’t like that.”

In a study by Brown University, more than 74 percent of women stated that they thought about their weight or appearance “all the time” or “frequently.” 46 percent of the men surveyed responded the same way.

UTPA counselor Kim Nguyen-Finn isn’t surprised that many people suffering from body-image disorders are college students. According to the clinical therapist, college is a transformative time for them.

“For many young adults, college is a time of self-discovery,” the San Antonio native said. “College marks a certain point in their life where they realize that they need to know who they are and who they want to be for the rest of their lives.”

According to Nguyen-Finn, men also face pressure regarding their image. However, as a 2012 article from The Examiner explained, a stigma surrounding men with body image disorders exists because these issues are usually categorized as a female problem. This causes men to be less likely to report or admit the issue, creating fewer precedents for treatment of males.

Nguyen-Finn acknowledges that treatment can be difficult, but recommends people do what they can to stick with it.

“Body image issues aren't something where all of the sudden you wake up one day and you’re cured,” she said. “It’s not like a light switch that suddenly makes you see clearly. It’s more like a dimmer switch, one that’s turned slowly, that takes a while to get there. There will be some drawbacks and moments where you feel as if you’ve failed, but the best course of action is to stay on track and keep at it. It does get better.”

Galaviz sought out counseling last semester due to stress brought on by BDD as well as family issues and an increase in his workload at school. He said he is now focusing on improving himself.

“I just felt overwhelmed by everything and realized that I was just making myself depressed,” he said. “I realized that no one was fighting for me, so I had to do it myself. I don’t want to live up to anyone’s standards anymore. I want to create my own.”

The UTPA Counseling and Psychological Services is located in Room 109 in the University Center. Counseling is free for all students.