By David Velasquez
Driven by patriotism and the strive for independence Specialist Sylvia Rodriguez, a native Laredoan, decided to join the Texas Army National Guard for the experience of a life-time, an experience that the young Laredoan has found to be exciting and rewarding, as is evidenced by her recent selection of "Soldier of the Year."
Specialist Sylvia A. Rodriguez, a Nixon High School graduate and a biology major at TAMIU, was presented with the prestigious honor of "Soldier of the Year" during an August ceremony presided by Senator Judith Zaffirini and by Major David Savage, Brigade Chemical Officer from the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas Army National Guard, who presented the award.
According to Rodriguez, a chemical specialist with a local National Guard unit, the award was unexpected. "It came as a surprise, It's a high honor for me. I am glad to possess all those qualities that got me selected as Soldier of the Year." The modest soldier further stated that she could not "pinpoint what I did to deserve this honor, I just do what I am told." In expressing her feeling of satisfaction at receiving the award the soldier stated that "it is a good feeling to have everybody congratulate you, it made me feel like I gained their respect."
Although Rodriguez was obviously elated and honored by the award, the soldier was quick to thank her "fellow soldiers for their guidance and encouragement, because without them, this would not be possible. I also thank God for being brought into this world, and my parents for all the support they have given me."
Although being presented with the Soldier of the Year award was quite an honor for Specialist Rodriguez, it was not the first time that she has been recognized as an outstanding soldier. In less than three years, the span of her young military career, Rodriguez has received the Army Achievement Medal, and a promotion from PFC (Private First Class) to Specialist to add to her growing list of military accolades.
For her military success, Specialist Rodriguez credits the Texas Army National Guard for instilling in her such virtues as discipline, self-confidence, time-management, and the ability to overcome obstacles.
In regards to her most recent award, Specialist Rodriguez believes that her award came as a result of her unit's, the 449th Company out of Laredo, successful mission in supporting the 39th Infantry Brigade during annual training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. While at Fort Polk, Rodriguez and her fellow soldiers supported the 39th Infantry Brigade by providing smoke cover for fellow soldiers during simulated battle activities.
According to Rodriguez, it is this type of training that enhances discipline, team work, and self-confidence in the soldier. It also provides the soldier with "an opportunity to put into action what you have learned." She further elaborated that these are skills and qualities that not only make the person a better soldier, but a better citizen. Rodriguez stated that these were qualities she sought when she decided to enlist.
She stated that by having enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard, she has become a better citizen by learning to take responsibilities for her actions, being more confident in her abilities, being disciplined in her time management skills, and gaining the satisfaction of independently financing her education.
In describing her current status as a college student, Rodriguez stated that "college work can get really stressful," but by applying what she has learned in the military, she has been able to "overcome obstacles." Specialist's Rodriguez cited this as one of the reasons that she has "no regrets" about her decision to become a soldier. She mentioned that she went into the military "blindly, but came out with her eyes wide open." In addition "I gained a lot of confidence coming out than I had going in."
Her advice to others was "if you want to serve your country and become a better citizen" you should join the military because "it teaches you discipline, self-confidence, and the ability of not turning "away from challenges that seem impossible."
Although Rodriguez did mention that people around her tried to discourage her from enlisting, her desire to serve her country and to prove to herself "that I had it in me", allowed her to forge ahead with her decision, and has not regretted it since.
by Carlos A. Guardiola
Editor-In-Chief
Women in the administrative fold at TAMIU are paid an average of nearly $12,000 less per year than men who hold the same title.
A related article by Bob Sablatura of the Houston Chronicle in March prompted a recent review of TAMIU's own pay scales, and revealed a salary-gender gap that echoed Sablatura's statewide findings.
The documented source of this information is the Fiscal Year 1996/1997 Operating Budget of Texas A&M International University, a budget report that lists the names, positions and salaries of all persons employed at this University.
Under the current classification system, employees at TAMIU are classified as support staff, administrators, or faculty. Support staff are the lowest earners; administrators and faculty, with some exceptions, have much higher salaries.
The review encompassed all persons with the title of director or the functional description of a department head.
There were 11 female administrators and 9 male administrators identified from the operating budget.
Although women were numerically higher in this group, they earned salaries totaling $441,930 for FY 96-97; men earned salaries totaling $468,167. From these amounts, the average salary for a man was $52,019, compared to $40,175 for a woman.
The position of Director of Nursing, held by Dr. Charlotte Torres, was excluded from consideration in this review. Although she held the title of Director, she is listed as faculty in the University course catalog. She also held a Ph.D., which was not representative of other administrators. Her salary was $68,034, which would have technically made her the highest-paid female administrator in this review.
The highest-earning male administrator was the Comptroller and head of the Business Office at a listed salary of $65,956; second-highest was the Director of Computer and Telecommunications at $65,021. The highest-earning female administrator was the Director of Institutional Research at $56,946; second-highest was the Director of Academic Enrichment at $49,344.
The lowest-earning male administrator was the Director of Continuing Education at $41,000; second-lowest was the Director of Public Affairs and Information Services at $42,534. The lowest-earning female administrator was the Director of Career Planning and Placement at $30,682; second-lowest was the Director of Financial Aid at $31,811.
One official, who declined to be named, said the budget for salaries at all levels is based on projections from previous years. "The lower salaries may have resulted from departments that did not project much growth," said the official. Another explanation forwarded from the official stated that recent hirees tended to earn a lower wage because more tenured positions reflected a higher accrual of merit raises. "If they've been with the University for ëx' number of years, they would have ended up with larger salaries compared to the recent hirees. It has nothing to do with whether they are men or women."
However, two men hired as Chief of Police and Director of Computer and Telecommunications Services were appointed at salaries, respectively, of $51,034 and $63,435, while two women hired as Director of Student Health and Director of Career Planning and Placement were appointed at salaries of $39,034 and $30,032, respectively. All were recent hirees appointed at or slightly before FY 95-96.
Salary-gender disparities flattened out at the support staff level because positions and duties are standardized. Disparities were more prominent at the administrator level largely because positions are allocated a given salary through a complex process and criteria that are not very clear. "It depends on the budgeted amount," said the official. "Everyone can't be hired at the same salary because of normal budget restrictions."
The administrator flatly denied that gender played a role in assigning salaries to women. "We're not supposed to look at that, and it is against the law to look at that," said the official.
Asked if any corrective action would result from these findings, the official said, "The budget is periodically reviewed to determine when adjustments are needed. It's done every fiscal year as an ongoing process."
However, the administrator admitted that gaps between gender and salary were not a priority focus. "No adjustment is made if there is no apparent need."
This letter is regarding Dr. Thompson's responses toward the night courses. Dr. Thompson stated in the article [Bridge vol. 1 no. 3, May/June issue] that the number of night courses offered at TAMIU matched those offered at other universities. This response is unacceptable.
Dr. Thompson should not compare TAMIU with other universities because the student population at TAMIU is quite different to that of other universities. The average student at several universities would probably be an 18 or 19 year old, full-time student. The TAMIU average student is a 29-year-old, part-time, female student. This average obviously suggests that TAMIU consists, for the most part, of students who work full- time and are registering for courses for their betterment. It seems that this university is more concerned with accommodating their younger freshmen and sophomore students than the older students — older students who comprise the vast majority of the student population. Remember, Dr. Thompson, there were only 400 to 500 freshmen and sophomores registered here. Close to 2000 students do not fall into these categories. These students are the loyal ones who are determined to continue and finish their education at this university. Dr. Thompson and all other Deans should set their priorities straight. Maybe they should see how LCC handles this situation.
Name withheld upon request.
I am writing in hopes of learning what is going on with the bookstore. I am angry at the prices of used as well as new books. I understand that if they buy books for a high price they must sell them for a higher price. However, I sold back a book form last year for 8 dollars. I bought the book used for 40 dollars. Now I see this same book for sell for 40 dollars again. That is a five hundred % profit per semester.
I would like to know how the bookstore is affiliated with the University. How did they negotiate a contract? Does any of their profit go to the school? How much do they mark up new books? The student body has a right to know.
Name withheld upon request
1. TO THOSE PERSONS OR PERSON WHO FELT IT WOULD BE A COURTESY TO REARRANGE THE FRONT END OF MY CAR THE OTHER DAY IN THE PARKING LOT I HAVE TWO THINGS TO TELL YOU.
1. IT IS NOT VERY PLEASING TO ME TO KNOW THAT MY FELLOW STUDENTS CANNOT EVEN HAVE THE COURAGE TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAD AN ACCIDENT.
2. REMEMBER THAT WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS ONE OF THESE DAYS SOME ONE WILL HIT YOUR CAR AND NOT TELL YOU AND THEN WE WILL SEE HOW YOU FEEL. STUDENTS MUST BE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE WE ARE NOT CHILDREN STOP ACTING LIKE ONE AND REPORT ANY ACCIDENTS IN THE PARKING LOT TO THE CAMPUS POLICE.
2. THIS IS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF TAMIU. I'M DISAPPOINTED AT YOU! YOU RAISE OUR FEES ALMOST EVERY SEMESTER, CHARGE US MORE FOR PARKING THAN YOU DO YOURSELF AND FACULTY/STAFF, MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN NOT KEEP AND YET TAKE OUR USUAL FIVE AND A HALF WEEK SUMMER COURSE LOADS AND TURN THEM INTO A FOUR WEEK CRASH COURSE THAT INCREASES THE FAILURE RATE OF FELLOW STUDENTS. NOT TO MENTION THAT SOME PROFESSORS HAVE TO LIGHTEN THE WORK LOAD TO COMPENSATE FOR THE TIME PERIOD ALLOTTED AND YET YOU SAY YOUR TRYING TO GIVE US THE STUDENT A QUALITY EDUCATION. WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU DEADLINES ON CONSTRUCTION OR THE STUDENTS THAT HELP PAY YOUR HIGH SALARIES? DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT US OR ARE WE JUST BEING USED AS WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO PAY FOR MORE BUILDINGS AND SALARY INCREASES. SINCE WHEN DID HOW MUCH YOU GET PAID FIGURE IN ON HOW LITTLE EDUCATION OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING?
3. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ARE BEING PASSED AROUND LIKE CANDY ON THIS CAMPUS AND IT MUST STOP. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY ACT AND THE STUDENTS OF THIS CAMPUS SHOULD NOT TOLERATE IT ANY LONGER.
Scott Roberts
I am quite disappointed and appalled by Dr. Rhodes response regarding the requirement of English 3301. Dr. Rhodes remarks stating that students transferring from LCC were not properly prepared for the writing skills necessary at a university level was non-factual. And then saying that the LCC faculty were not good instructors because they lacked the doctorate degree was quite unprofessional.
I decided to register for English 3301 (301 back then) several years ago, not because it was a requirement ( I had already passed the language proficiency exam), but to try to better my writing skills. I was very disappointed with the outcome.
After every writing assignment, a note was written on the paper stating problem areas. It did not specify where the problem existed within the paper nor how to fix the problem. After being questioned from students on why the professor would not teach grammar and writing skills, the professor responded by stating it was against the LPE policy to track students grammar and writing skills since the students should have already mastered these skills prior to entering this university.
So, then, what is the purpose of this course? How can the University expect its students to improve their writing skills if the English faculty are not allowed to teach these skills? TAMIU should study this course carefully and restructure it or just eliminate it. From personal experience, this course was not useful or helpful at all.
Name Withheld Upon Request
by Carlos Ferdin
The first Editor-In-Chief of the first student newspaper on campus, Carlos A. Guardiola, said in a recent interview that the fifth edition of The Bridge will be his last.
"The paper deserves more time than I will have during this next semester," said Guardiola.
When asked if recent articles and editorials which criticized various people and groups on campus contributed to his decision to leave, Guardiola shook his head.
"Students haven't realized that they are probably the most influential voice on campus," said Guardiola. He said that many University administrators encouraged an active student body. "Criticizing and asking questions should be part of that activism."
Guardiola said he was aware of complaints about his attack-dog style. "Frankly, I don't think anyone who echoes the party line should be leading the paper," he said. "It only shows that you don't have any resolve to disagree."
Guardiola pointed out that his sole aim was to allow readers to be influenced by the truth and accuracy of each article. "It is perfectly fair to ask for and expect good reasons for what the University does or doesn't do. If it didn't make sense, I would tell a reporter to check it out and come back with the story."
Is Guardiola upset that some people viewed him as a troublemaker? He laughed before responding.
"That just tells me I'm inspiring debate. I mean, sure, it bothers people that they can't get away with some of the things they used to. Having a newspaper here changed the whole dynamic."
Guardiola also stated he is certain that there are others who shared his views but were afraid to speak out, and this only motivated him to work harder at the paper.
Guardiola credited faculty advisor Dr. Michael Angulo with keeping the spirit of free speech alive for students. "Dr. A. encouraged us by standing behind our decisions, whatever they were. I never saw any censorship occur while I was here. We owed that to Dr. A."
Guardiola cited his major contributions to The Bridge as drafting internal guidelines, including the "Submissions and Style Guide" and the "Rules of Reporting" to professionalize content and presentation of the paper.
Guardiola added, "The future of this paper isn't going to be determined by one editorial, or by one article. That goes to commitment and collaboration within the organization."
Guardiola observed that the paper was blessed with creative talent during its startup period. Most of the reporters were honors students, an impressive fact considering that only one or two were actually English majors. "That always struck me as kind of curious," said Guardiola.
What did Guardiola think about The Student Underground, another publication which circulated on campus with anonymous authorship?
"I'm very comfortable with it," Guardiola said. He interviewed a spokesperson for the Underground a few months ago in which the spokesperson stressed a student perspective. Guardiola said, "The Bridge is student-run, but we include other perspectives, because faculty and administrators and the front-line employees all make up the campus community here."
Asked what major challenges faced the next, as-yet unnamed editor-in-chief, Guardiola was pensive. "Internally, it's probably organizing the staff. We've had cases where students drop in and but according to their level of interest," said Guardiola. "It ends up hindering good organization."
Guardiola said this worried him in light of the departure of Emily Gist, the first Journalism Club President, as well as Anika Fasci, Features Editor and Club Vice- President. "Those two people did the work of four or five."
Guardiola said that the departure of the paper's computer wizard, Octavio Gaytan, also left no one to input The Bridge on the TAMIU homepage. "We don't have anyone right now with Octavio's experience in HTML formatting," he lamented, "so our Web page is dead in the water."
Guardiola's major sticking point during his tenure was who ultimately held the reins to the paper. He stated that he did not believe in a chain of command beyond the editors at The Bridge. "Why have editors if your decisions are going to be vetoed higher up," he asked.
"I knew that the favorite argument — and this is true at all campuses — is the issue of liability for the University because of something that the paper might print," Guardiola said. "But if that's the argument, then I can't accept taking legal advice from anyone other than a lawyer licensed to practice in this state. No committee, no review board, no kangaroo court.
"So externally, the biggest challenge is reasserting our status as a student-run newspaper," Guardiola continued. "Ninety-eight percent of it was students' blood, sweat and tears that got this paper going, and I didn't support arguments that we owed the University good press."
Guardiola said his main reason for keeping The Bridge autonomous was funding. "After the first edition, this paper was paid 100 percent by advertising dollars. Tim [Kennedy] did nearly all of those sales. It knocked a big hole in arguing that this was a quid pro quo situation. It never was, and it never should be."
Guardiola admitted that no substantial overtures were made to wrest control of the paper from its editors, but he also said the University's support for this endeavor was very minimal.
The Bridge started with one battered computer, a tiny outer suite in KL 418, and $250 dollars in seed money for the Journalism Club, Guardiola pointed out. "We've sold the ads, designed the layout, written our articles and paid our bills each month," he said. "I saw the University purchase only one software program for us during the entire time that we struggled."
That they have lasted this long with threadbare resources attests to the staying power of The Bridge.
Guardiola said he would like to see some design changes in the paper, including a front-page color photo, as well as going from a monthly to a biweekly publication cycle.
So what is the most important quality in being an editor-in-chief? "You need to be a strong shield," said Guardiola. "If your team senses that you're going to crack, they'll lose confidence in what they're doing. You also really have to care about the sacrifices your people make to put the paper out."
Tim Kennedy, Managing Editor, and Sarah Collins, News Editor, are expected to helm the paper while interviews are planned for a new editor-in-chief.
Guardiola also did not rule out the possibility of occasionally writing articles as a contributing reporter.
"Oh, I'll be around," he said. "I really, really enjoyed working on the paper. I still have very strong roots here."
by Carlos A. Guardiola
Editor-In-Chief
Every weekday at around 1 p.m., a scene plays out in our parking lots: the lone vehicle glides through the rows of cars, searching for a space. Up ahead, the driver spots someone walking to a yet-unseen car, and the vehicle lopes forward like a vulture that hovers over potential meat before finally swooping in.
Many people have nightmares about their kneecaps getting sliced off by a passing bumper.
At the old Laredo Community College campus, before any talk about this new tradition, before the first foundation cement was poured over sprawling Killam land, every University employee got to park for free.
Sure, there were LCC rules and regulations about obtaining a parking permit. There was also a segregated area exclusively for faculty and administrative staff parking. Although there was an established history of making the lowest-paid employees pay for their spaces, the requirement to pay fees was universally ignored.
We then acquired a shining new campus, still not completely built, with tenuous funding sources, and the Board of Regents at College Station decided to charge us for parking. Or so we were told.
Employees have to pay 20 dollars a year for their permits; students must pay $15 per semester.
TAMIU parking regulations state that all vehicles on campus must have a permit to park. Those with no permit are ticketed.
What does this guarantee? The process apparently gives TAMIU police officers something to do.
Even so, I walk back from lunch every day and find cars with no parking permits occupying the spaces designated for employees, most of whom have paid their $20 fee. No one is checking them, despite all warnings.
At the old LCC campus, finding a parking space after lunch was a free-for-all, and no employee cared because no one paid a dime for it, anyway. Employees are now led to believe that they have a guaranteed space for their $20 fee; they do not.
Of course, people are accustomed to being charged for parking for special events, such as the Jalapeno Fest or the much-feted Grand Parade. But attending classes to better oneself does not fall under that category.
Then-President Leo Sayavedra addressed the issue briefly during a press conference more than a year ago, saying, "Obviously, if everyone who goes to TAMIU decides to take their car, we will not have enough spaces."
Obviously?
Who planned this crazy idea? A decision was made to build a University without factoring in the parking spaces for the people who had to work here! (Dr. Sayavedra did not seem to mind, as he had his own private space designation when the campus relocated). The University currently has over 300 full-time employees alone, not including the part-timers and work-study students.
Just listen to the logic for a second: If you don't have a parking permit, you will be ticketed. If you work on campus, you need to bring your car. You have a choice of riding the El Metro to work, but I don't think that 300 employees will fit inside one bus, although it would be fun to try.
This leaves the concept of you and your car, cruising happily to the campus. But what about that pesky fee?
Since employees specifically have no real option except to bring their car, I allege that the $20 fee is simply a tax levied on every employee for the privilege of working on campus. And the last time I checked, the only entity which could tax our jobs was the IRS.
One person told me that I needed to think about this comparatively, since, at other universities, the parking permit fees are as high as $50. I told the person that I was thinking about this issue comparatively — compared to LCC, we are paying through the nose. Compared to the old days, we used to pay zip.
The TAMIU Chief of Police, Harry Stege, was once queried about the appropriation plan for monies collected from parking fines and traffic tickets issued on campus. His response was that the money went to a fund which paid for the maintenance of the parking lot.
I wonder what horrible things happen to parking lots that they need such extensive maintenance.
Meteor showers? Gang graffiti? Perhaps some earthquake might crumble the pavement. These events are within the realm of theoretical possibility, but some strange instinct tells me they will not happen during my lifetime.
The problem of employees and students struggling to find adequate parking space will never be rectified to everyone's satisfaction. It is an occurrence much unto the leaves changing color with the seasons: sooner or later, we get used to it.
However, charging employees and students for parking spaces that are not guaranteed was a very poorly considered decision.
No doubt there will be persons who ask what the difference really is, whether or not there is free parking on campus.
Well, with TAMIU enrolling 2,000 students and LCC enrolling close to 8,000, I guess the difference right now is about 6,000 students.
by Lorenzo Rodriguez
Not so long ago it was Mother's day and our little girl and I treated her Mommy to a popular eatery. My wife was very pleased by us taking her out to dinner so she didn't have to cook or wash dishes on Mother's Day. At the restaurant, enjoying our delicious meal together, I couldn't help but notice two women who were working feverishly to keep up with the crowd that kept coming into the dining area. One of the women was pushing a cart, which had pitchers of iced tea, water and coffee on it for the patrons who kept asking for refills. The other woman was pushing a cart with a basin and a cloth, as she picked up dirty silverware and dishes from the tables and wiped them clean for the next patrons.
I reached over to my wife, asking her to glance at the two women and ask herself what was wrong with that picture. She stared at me and smiled. I asked her if she wanted me to tell her. She said, rather sarcastically, "Please, why don't you?" "Well," I said, "it is Mother's Day today. Why are these two women working instead of being home with their loved ones, sleeping late, and having their children and husbands do their chores?" My beautiful wife answered, "I don't know, but I guess there is a point to all of this." She was right; there is a point. I feel Corporate America is breaking up the family unit.
For example, look at New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Miami; these cities never sleep. People today are working all hours of the day and night. Is it really necessary to work day and night? What is the urgency? Where are we going? I worked over the past weekend and out little girl was crying when I came in the door. She asked why I had to work all the time. I picked her up and wiped the tears off her cheeks and said, "I don't work all of the time, even though it seems that way." I told her that Monday was my day off and that I would be taking care of her. The sparkle in her eyes returned with joy.
In my humble opinion, I feel Corporate America is not helping the American family, but hurting us by breaking up the family unit. Big, fat corporate companies are becoming richer and richer. We need to do some serious soul-searching and not conform to the corporate machine, because our children are crying. They need the nurturing that only a parent can give them.
by Hugh Elmore
Reporter at Large
Registration is never fun. Nobody likes to wait in several lines, for several hours to insure a place in most classes. Certainly there are classes which students would gladly spend considerable time and effort to register for, but these are few — very few.
In most cases students spend a ridiculously long time in line to register, some only to be told that they have holds to clear and are forced to leave the line. Others spend time changing their official addresses and phone numbers in line. Then the student can expect to find at least one of the classes necessary for their degree plan closed. She must then rearrange her schedule to the grave, and obvious, displeasure of the next students in line. If she intends to take more than seventeen hours another wait results. The advisor must locate someone who knows how to convince the computer that this is acceptable — after all she had the proper form signed by the dean days in advance. Assuming that she is able to register for some useful classes, she must now pay her fees. This line is truly slow as no line has been slow before it. Perhaps she waits 2 hours. The business office clerks wonder at the biting wit the student exhibits; after all she has learned no small amount of wit in two years of college.
TAMIU registration is by no means the worst in the state. It is in fact better than some larger schools. It is however, not what one would expect of a University that calls itself the "campus of the 21st century." Rather than rate it among other schools of its type, effort should be concentrated on how it could be better.
The most obvious characteristic of registration is lines. This situation could be ameliorated almost effortlessly by whoever it is who makes decisions. The length of time spent in waiting in lines might be halved by allowing each class to register in succession. For example, why not allow upperclassmen register the first day and ask underclassmen register the second. Since one would expect more upperclassmen to work perhaps registration should be open in the evenings for this segment of the university's population. This would be beneficial to all students since the two segments of students recognized would probably not register for the same classes. Why not allow students to clear all holds in the days before registration? While this may not cut hours off the registration process, it would be a step in the right direction. Presumably, there is some concrete, and undoubtedly important, logic behind demanding payment of all fees on the same day of registration. Certainly every student is interested in learning the nature of this policy. Why not allow students to pay at the business office anytime in the first week of school. Could not a delinquent student's schedule be canceled at this time as easily as the day of registration?
One might note that while many of the buildings on the campus of Laredo Community College are slightly older than most of those on this campus, the local school seems to be slightly more accurately described as the "campus of the 21st century," at least when it comes to registration. LCC's "OLE," or registration by phone, appears to be the foremost innovation in modern, or 21st century, registration method.
Though TAMIU has come far, there is always progress to be made. Perhaps in the spring registration will be far less of a burden on each and every student, and maybe even a few professors.
Kamal Fatehi received his Ph.D. Degree in Management from Louisiana State University. He has published in such journals as Journal of Business Research, Journal of Behavioral Economics, Journal of Management , Industrial Management , Employee Relations Law Journal, Managerial Planning, Management International Review, International Executive, International Journal of Management, and Journal of Global Business. He is also the author of International Management : A Cross-Cultural and Functional Perspective, an undergraduate textbook published by Prentice Hall, Inc. He has served on the editorial boards of four scholarly and professional journals.
In teaching and research he draws from his years of managerial experience with industry and his service to public and private organizations as consultant, including an assignment with the Russian Privatization Center, Moscow, Russia. Dr. Fatehi was a Fulbright Scholar at Western University Baku, the Republican of Azerbaijan, where he lectured and advised the University on curriculum development.
by Hugh Elmore
The recent movie "The Island of Doctor Moreau" provides a thrilling look at modern visual effects while reminding the viewer of a time when effects were not all that convincing. The movie is absolutely full of interesting creatures engaged in interesting situations. Based on the book of the same name by H. G. Wells, the story is perhaps more current today than it has ever been in the past.
The movie is centered around the experience of a United Nations diplomat who, after being stranded in the middle of the Java Sea, is rescued by a decrepit sail boat and deposited on a small island. This island happens to be the home of two expatriate American doctors who are engaged in some very unusual research.
Doctor Moreau, portrayed by Marlon Brando, is obsessed with creating the perfect race of being. He attempts this by splicing the genes of almost every conceivable creature to that of humans. An interesting situation develops as a result of his success. What is man? This theme is dealt with in a very interesting manner by the director.
What more need be said about the players than who they are? Marlon Brando displays his enormous skill as an actor as the brilliant but almost mad doctor. Val Kilmer, as the doctor's faithful assistant Montgomery, again proves that he is one of Hollywood's most promising actors. Near the end of the movie however, Kilmer seems to try to equal the intensity which is so synonymous with Brando.
The special effects one will see in this movie seem at times real and at other times almost vaudevillian. At least one of the creatures hurts one to look at, yet seems so real one wonders if it is an effect at all. This adds to the disturbing quality of the movie.
While the movie deviates from the novel in many aspects, the theme remains the same. As this theme is always current, the movie is not only good....but important.
by Dr. Jeri Jewett-Smith
In the 60's and 70's the big medical problem seemed to be cancer. We now have remarkable new treatments for diseases like leukemia, breast cancer, and colon cancer which have come from a focus on the big"C."
In the 80's, AIDS was the disease we worried most about (with good reason). Beyond all the media attention, however, other diseases were increasing in the population. We all know someone who has had to deal with medical problems related to birth defects, lowered fertility, or immune system dysfunction (allergies, multiple sclerosis, arthritis). What was making us sick?
In the tradition of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Theo Colborn and her colleagues Dianne Dumanoski and John Peterson Myers have written an excellent book on environmental toxins called "Our Stolen Future" (Penguin Books, $24.95).
This book chronicles the increasing concern and evidence for disease as a result of man-made (and naturally occurring) chemicals released into the environment that mimic hormones. Hormones are those chemicals that your body makes to signal developmental changes that accompany growth, puberty, and pregnancy. If the chemicals act in the body to stimulate changes that normally are stimulated by estrogen, they are tagged "environmental estrogens."
What kind of chemicals are of concern as environmental estrogens? "Our Stolen Future" presents information on the major types.
One diverse group of chemicals that act in this manner are certain pesticides like chlordane, DDT and DDE. Another group is the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which were used as insulators.
Both of these type of chemicals remain in the environment for a long time and are slowly broken down by bacterial or other biochemical processes. Since they persist in the environment, they often are accumulated by plants and animals, resulting in biomagnification as they work their way up the food chain: small animals in a lake eat algae, they are in turn eaten by small fish, which are eaten by larger fish. At each stage the concentration of the chemical increases, until the Saturday fisherman gets more than he bargained for in his fish-fry.
Colborn follows the trail, through the food chain to document the disturbing problems in wildlife and humans that appear to be related to environmental estrogens. Since the early focus in the 60's and 70's was on cancer, most researchers ignored other health problems that might be associated with these chemicals.
"Our Stolen Future" brings out these problems and also gives good advice on how to limit personal exposure to environmental estrogens. Her advice starts with "Know your water," an important topic for those of us in Laredo, where our primary source of drinking water is the Rio Grande. Since many pesticides are hormone disrupters, she warns that water supplies should be tested for the presence of these chemicals. Next she warns, "Choose your food wisely." Of primary concern are fish caught in waters with high levels of hormone disrupters.
From the 1994 "Regional Assessment of the Water Quality in the Rio Grande Basin" (Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission), our segment of the Rio Grande showed toxic substances of potential concern, including chlordane and DDE. Both of these chemicals have been implicated as environmental estrogens.
The material in this book, presented in such a way that you don't have to be a biochemist to understand, is important for all of us. Whether you want to have a family or just want to make healthy lifestyle decisions, this book gives you the information you need to limit your exposure to these potent chemicals.
[The following short story was submitted as a reminder to all new and returning students to drive carefully on the trek out to the TAMIU campus. ]
There was a gloomy two-story house on the corner of Shandelia Street, located in an ordinary neighborhood of Laredo, Texas. Laredo was usually buzzing with the hum of motor vehicles making their way to work, like busy bees gathering pollen of beautiful bright flowers. The weather was usually sunny and hot, about ninety-eight degrees on a regular day. When it became very cloudy the hums of busy automobiles passing the gravel streets would slow down. When it rained people would normally go inside their houses, but not Agnes who lived in the old two-story house on the corner of Shandelia Street.
When it rained she would sit outside in meditation, contemplating the raindrops of life falling on her hair and shoulders. It was during this time that she would vividly reminisce about the painful memory that haunted her thoughts. She could hear herself, her screeching hollers. Ah, no, no! She would scream to no avail. She could still see her children rolling inside of her car.
Her neighbors would peek out their windows and see this slender, auburn-haired woman sitting in the middle of her backyard with her arms resting on her knees. A gloomy smile would gleam on her face as her body became drenched with the heavy rainfall.
"Look at her," her neighbor Felix, peeking out his window, remarked to his wife. "Can I see, Daddy?" his daughter asked him inquisitively. "No, get away from the window," Felix commanded his daughter.
In another house a woman looked out her window and quickly closed the curtains. Some people thought it was bad luck to see a dreary-looking woman sit outside in the rain. In a red brick house, located in front of Agnes, there lived a pudgy woman by the name of Cordelia. Cordelia stood attentively in front of her large bedroom window with her teenage daughter and son, Marisela and Otelo, who were about to enter college.
"Why is she doing that, Mom? Do you know?" Otelo frowned, his forehead creased; he could not believe what he was seeing. "Yeah. Why, Mother?" Marisela followed in amazement.
"There is a dark, sad story about that woman, Agnes, sitting out there in the rain," Cordelia told her daughter and son. "Many years ago her house was not so desolate and falling apart. Two children, Esme and Victor, her husband, and Agnes lived there happily, like a normal family. One glorious afternoon, when her husband came home from work, in his fingertips he held four airplane tickets to the Bahamas. He knocked desperately that day on his front door, impatiently waiting for Agnes to open it. When she did, he jovially flashed the tickets at her.
"What is that?" she asked, surprised. "We're taking a break from the tedious routine of day to day life!" "What?" she asked. "You heard right," he said. The children cam running downstairs to greet their father and embraced him.
That afternoon, torrential rain poured in Laredo, a rare occurrence. However, this was such a special occasion for Agnes' family, that they welcomed the beauty of the weather's rarity. Agnes' husband told her, "When it rains, life begins for many plants and insects. A new beginning for the many who waited. We waited long enough for this vacation. What better time to go than when its raining?" Agnes gazed pensively out the window for a moment, bowed her head for a second, then continued to pack her bags.
On the way to the airport, the rain had slightly subsided. The day was dark and serene; the roads gleamed with the fallen raindrops. Agnes' two children, sitting in the back seat of their station wagon, began to hum tunes they had learned at school. Agnes, seated in the front passenger seat, took a deep breath and closed her eyes in relaxation. Her husband, driving the automobile, could see a black , classic Chevrolet speeding closer to them on the horizon, but he did not say anything to Agnes. He did not want to bother her. As they passed near the classic Chevrolet, Agnes' husband noticed the car was swerving at a very high speed. He changed his mind and notified Agnes, but it was too late. "Agnes, Agnes we're going to . . ."
Agnes heard a loud thump, crash, the car went rolling like a bowling ball into a deep ditch by the side of the road. Agnes could see everything moving, her children screamed in terror as their small bodies moved violently all over the inside of the automobile. Her husband's head crashed against the windshield and then hit the steering wheel, but his body remained seated in an upright position held tight by the seatbelt. Blood trickled from his forehead and face. The scorching flames ensued. The screams of fear and futility became louder, and then there was silence. Agnes felt the intense searing pain all over her back; all she could see were flames coming from her side of the door. Then everything turned pitch black; she passed out.
Agnes woke up in a hospital bed with an I.V. needle firmly placed in her left arm. The first vision she saw was a doctor clad in a white garment next to her bed. She could hear him telling her, "Ma'am, your recovery will take several weeks but you are going to be fine."
"Where's my husband and kids?" Agnes replied. "I want to see them."
"Ma'am, I am terribly sorry to have to notify you, but your husband and children died of severe fractured bones in the accident." The doctor did not have the courage to look Agnes in the eyes. He shook his head and took off his glasses in disappointment. "I'm sorry," he said and left.
"No!" Agnes wailed. She covered her eyes with her right hand, and began to cough uncontrollably. "Who did this to me?" Agnes demanded, but there was no one there to answer.
Agnes later learned that the accident had occurred as a result of a drunk driver. A twenty something college student, who meant no harm but wanted to have a little fun, and didn't want to take a taxi back home.
Cordelia looked at her two high school kids, who were about to enter college, and concluded her story. "So now she sits there in the rain with her painful memory and grief. Another life destroyed by irresponsibility."
So now I ask you, the reader, is it worth it? Think twice before you drink and drive.
Rafael Rios