The Optimist - Aug. 24, 2009

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AD KIOSK OPENSfor business. Get the rulesfor posting flyers, and find out what else changed oncampus during the summer.

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acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No.1 1 section, 12 pagesMonday, August 24, 2009

Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

One year later, ACU’s mo-bile initiative is still going strong, according to a doc-ument released Friday that reported overwhelmingly favorable responses from students, faculty and staff.

“It was successful be-yond our wildest imagina-tion,” said Kevin Roberts, associate vice president of operations. More than 85 percent of the fac-ulty reported that ACU should continue the pro-gram, and more than 90 percent of students rated

it “good” or “very good,” he said.

“I loved it,” said Kate Wasemiller, sophomore speech pathol-ogy major from Abilene. Stu-dents could use the devices

in class to check grades and email papers or ques-tions, she said.

“Over 90 percent of students reported using it at least once a week in all their classes,” Roberts said.

However, students could not use them in the class-room all the time.

“Some of my classes were too big to all get on the Internet,” said Anna Bouchelle, sophomore so-cial work major from Ama-rillo. “There were not many classes where we were able to use it.”

This problem can be chalked up to the lack of

purely freshman classes and the fact that professors are learning to use these devices along with the students.

“It takes a while,” Rob-erts said. “It’s like, how do you plan to use a computer in your class? Well, there are

Mobile initiative faces second yeariPHONE

see MOBILE page 10

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Entering freshmen get tangled up in a massive game of Twister that almost completely covered Moody Coliseum’s floor.

STUDENT LIFE

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

Abilene Christian Univer-sity embarked on its first presidential search in 19 years Thursday when the presidential search advi-sory committee met for the first time.

Don Crisp, chair of the committee, received a call from C.E. Cornutt, chair of the Board of Trustees, ear-lier this year asking him to serve as committee chair.

“This is a very important time for the university,” Crisp said. “I was honored to accept.”

Crisp said the first meet-ing would, at the least, give members a chance to meet one another. Beyond personal introductions, he hoped to reach a general consensus on where the committee should begin.

Getting a feel for whatthe university’s constituents, including students, want is a top priority for the com-mittee, Crisp said. Faculty, staff, students and alumni will have the opportunity to voice their opinions through an online survey, according to acu.edu.

Crisp said the commit-tee will compile a report and hopes to make it avail-able to the public “within a few weeks.”

Dr. Royce Money, presi-dent of the university, an-nounced his resignation from the office of presi-dent on May 16. The new president, whom Money said should be selected and announced by mid-spring, will officially take the reins on May 31.

The 15-member search committee will not work alone. The university hired Academic Search, Inc., to assist and advise commit-tee members throughout the process.

Search committeemeets for first time

ADMINISTRATION

Students let loose, bond at Welcome WeekChelsea HackneyCopy Editor

Deafening noise filled Moody Coliseum Tuesday as nearly 800 students crowded onto a giant Twister board to take part in a long-standing Welcome Week tradition.

The number is not surprising, considering ACU is taking in more than 1000 freshmen this year, said Wade Huggins, Welcome Week stu-dent director and senior Biblical text major from Abilene. The “world’s largest game of Twister” was not the only event planned for this horde of new students.

This year’s Welcome Week began Monday and continued until Satur-day night, culminating in the annual Freshman Talent Show. Many of the scheduled activities are Welcome

Week traditions, but the student di-rectors decided to do something a little different this time, adding two new events.

One of the surprises was a gen-eral-education session dubbed ACU Mythbusters. The purpose of the course, Huggins said, was to dispel some of the rumors about classes at ACU. As part of the event, Dr. Brian Cavitt, associate professor of chem-istry, and Randy Harris, instructor of Bible, missions and ministry, demonstrated what a college course is like.

“We wanted to show students that class at ACU doesn’t have to be what it looked like in high school,” Huggins said. “It’s not just lecture.”

The other new event was the Fun Run, a 5K marathon that took place Saturday. It also included a

separate, shorter race with a prize awarded for the most creative mode of transportation.

“Hopefully, it becomes a cool tradition,” Huggins said. “We’re ex-cited. We’ve been working, working, working, not seeing any students, and now we get to see them all ex-cited and having fun.”

The First Year Program and the student directors planned the events, but the success of Welcome Week depended heavily on willing upperclassmen to volunteer as peer leaders and mentors.

“Welcome Week starts the year. If it’s not fun, the rest of the year won’t be fun,” said Tyler Allen, ju-nior biology and business major from San Antonio and peer mentor

Roberts

QUICK FACTS

The purpose committee of theBoard of Trustees nominated themembers; the Board as a wholethen approved them:

n Don Crisp, ChairUniversity Council

n Dr. Billy CurlBoard of Trustees

n Dr. Colleen DurringtonBoard of Trustees

n Berto GuerraBoard of Trustees

n Janice Massey, M.D.Board of Trustees

n James Orr, J.D.Board of Trustees

n Dr. Barry PackerBoard of Trustees

n Gary Thornton, J.D.University Council

n Dr. Jeff ChildersFaculty

n Dr. Tracy ShilcuttFaculty

n Dr. Rusty TowellFaculty

n Bart HerridgeStaff

n Craig FisherAlumnus

n Charles GainesStudent

n Dr. Gary McCalebVice Presidentsee WELCOME page 10

Spiritual growth, development top goals for ’09-10 school yearSondra RodriguezManaging Editor

University administrators expect the 2009-10 school year to be one of chal-lenges, development and growth.

Dr. Jean-Noel Thomp-son, vice president and dean for Student Life, said the faculty and staff es-tablished partnerships in-tended to further develop students academically, spiritually and socially.

“There’s an incredible zeal right now among our faculty and staff about

how to best engage our students in learning, growth and development,” Thompson said. “Lots of folks are working together to form partnerships that will benefit students in tre-mendous ways.”

The 2009-10 school year will be the first with Dr. Jea-nine Varner as provost, and Thompson said he antici-pates a collaborative spirit between academic depart-ments, Student Life and campus organizations.

Students are also antici-pating new academic chal-lenges influenced by Var-

ner’s decisions as provost.Renee Liffland, fresh-

man occupational therapy major from Pawling, N.Y., said she plans to focus and do well in classes.

“I want to work hard,” she said. “I’m excited to get started.”

Returning students like

Jordan Smith, sophomore English major from San Diego, Calif., said between great professors and chal-lenging courses, he and a group of friends hope to get a 4.0 this year.

Adam Browning, senior business management major from San Antonio,

said he hopes to get into the specifics of his major this year.

“I’m looking for a chal-lenge,” he said. “ACU is a good environment to fa-cilitate that challenge and growth.”

Spiritual growth, in and beyond the Chapel experi-

ence, was also an area of emphasis this summer, Thompson said. Staff members attended what Thompson referred to as a “call to spiritual convic-tion” that convinced him that staff members, re-gardless of title, have the potential to influence the lives of students.

“I think there was a fan-tastic synergy in that room. We left pumped up, excited and waiting for you all to get back here,” he said. “I’m hoping to see much more

STUDENT LIFE

I want folks to be compelled to think about how theyimpact the people around them and how that shapesthem as a young man or woman of God.JEAN-NOEL THOMPSONVice president for Student Life and dean of students

contact Hettich [email protected]

see GOALS page 10

Welcome Week in photosPAGE 6

PAGE 6

The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to [email protected].

To ensure that an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.

AboutThis Page

Announcements

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Monday, August 24, 2009

The ACU Clinic will not give excuse notes for missed classes, Chapel or exams due to a clinic visit.

A mandatory social club information meeting will take place in Hart Audito-rium Aug. 27. Those inter-ested in pledging a social club this fall must attend, or pick up information in McKinzie Room 121.

Welcome to Abilene event for new students will take place Aug. 25 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Hunter Welcome Center. Freshmen and transfers are welcomed for an introduc-tion to life in Abilene.

Lettice & Lovage, the fall comedy, will be presented Aug. 27-29 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Fulks The-ater. Call 674-ARTS or secure tickets online at www.acu.edu/theatre.

Flag football registra-tion will take place Aug. 26 to Sept. 2. Information and papers are available online at www.acu.edu/intramurals or at Bennett Gymnasium. For more in-formation, call 674-2555.

Official Opening Day Ceremonies will take place in Moody Coliseum Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to noon.

There will be a speech and debate team infor-mational meeting for in-terested students at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Sher-rod Building Room 211. For information contact Dena Counts, 428-6699 or [email protected].

Students willing to vol-unteer at Summit Sept. 20-23 can visit www.acu.edu/summit under the “Work Upportunities” tab to submit an application form.

To join the Students’ Association, pick up a petition Aug. 25 at noon in the SA office located in the basement of the Campus Center.

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Students try to stay on their feet during the world’s largest game of Twister during Welcome Week.

2CampusDay

277-9 p.m.ACU’s 2009 season-opening football game against Northwest Missouri State will take placeat Shotwell Stadium.

7:30-9:30 p.m.Lettice and Lovage will be performed in Fulks Theatre. For more information or to buy tickets, call 674-2787.

THURSDAY

9:30 a.m.- noonA food handlers course will take place at the Taylor County Extension Office. For more information, call 672-6048.

26WEDNESDAY

5:30-7 p.m.Welcome to Abilene will take place in the Hunter Welcome Center.

6 p.m.A planetarium show will take place at the Morgan Jones Planetarium. The event costs$3 for adults and $2 for children. For more information, call 677-1444.

25 TUESDAY

First day of class

11 a.m.Opening Chapel will take place in Moody Coliseum.

2:30-3:30 p.m.Coffee with the Congressman will take place in Radford Auditorium at McMurry University.

24MONDAY

01

Chapel

CreditedChapelsto date:

Checkup

70CreditedChapelsremaining:

August 24, 2009Campus News

Laura AcuffFeatures Editor

Hundreds of candles lit a winding walk from Moody Coliseum to the Beauchamp Amphithe-ater as the freshman class of 2013 and trans-fer students experienced Welcome Week’s tradi-tional Candlelight Devo-tional Tuesday night.

ACU alumni, fac-ulty and families lined the sidewalks and sang over the new students on their way to the de-votional, where Dr. Bob Strader, adjunct profes-

sor of Bible and associate director of ACU Leader-ship Camps, delivered a message on finding di-rection and purpose in the college experience.

As the students reached the Tower of Light, their candles, too, were lit. Stu-dents lit each other’s can-dles, sharing and spread-ing lights from the outer

edges all the way to the center of the fully packed amphitheater.

“It’s just an awe-some experience,” said Amanda Buchanan, se-nior psychology major and steering committee member from Lubbock. “Other than being an incredible sight, what better way to welcome

new students than to literally surround them on this walk and sing over them?”

Stefanie Nicholas, math education major from Allen, said she knew about Candlelight Devotional from friends who already attend ACU, but was still surprised by the actual experience.

“It sounded pretty cool,” Nichols said. “I had just seen pictures of it. They didn’t tell me what really happens. I didn’t know what we were going to do, like the walking through everyone.”

One of the most pho-tographed events on ACU’s campus and a highlight of the Wel-come Week experience, Candlelight Devotional attracts members of the ACU community every year who hope to bless new students and share the experiences they had at their own Candlelight

Devotionals in the past.Nichols said the rit-

ual helped her feel like a part of the ACU com-munity, and she believes she will likely return to offer the same experi-ence to successive years of new students.

“I really loved it,” Nichols said. “It was cool just being invited and seeing all the friends that I’d made that were upperclassmen waving and smiling at you, wel-coming you in.”

Incoming students share light at devotionalCAMPUS


The summer break provides faculty and staff with valuable time every year for main-tenance and changes, and the department of Web Integration and Programming and the Adams Center for Learn-ing and Teaching took advantage of the three-month lull. High-profile ventures, such as the Mobile Learning Initia-tive, received due at-

tention, but other, less glamorous projects were tended to as well.

The Blackboard and Webfiles tabs on myACU received several adjust-ments to improve func-tionality. James Lang-ford, director of Web Integration and Pro-gramming, said many of the changes were subtle.

“Webfiles is not a Google product,” Lang-ford said. “We wanted it all to look like one big sys-tem, so we have patterned myACU after Google.”

Feedback from fac-ulty and student focus groups sponsored two years ago by the Adams Center had a direct im-pact on this year’s im-provements. The but-tons at the top of the Webfiles interface were modified, a group folder was added for professors and teacher’s assistants to more easily commu-nicate with students and a trashcan was created in each class folder to make it easier for users to locate deleted files.

In addition to im-proving myACU’s Web-files, the Web Integra-tion and Programming department upgraded Blackboard. Blackboard changes will be even harder to spot.

Hab Adkins, manager of programming and support in Web Integra-tion and Programming, said the upgrade “fixed a few known bugs, but for the most part it will look and operate as it did during the spring and summer.”

Mobile technology

has encroached on ter-ritory once dominated by platforms like Black-board. Students now can receive immediate announcements and as-signments on the go. Langford acknowledged that ACU’s mobile learn-ing technology offers many of the same servic-es, but said Blackboard still has a few unique ones to offer.

“We have got such a history with Blackboard; most teachers on cam-pus have used it at one

time or another,” Lang-ford said. “In addition to just having a lot of course materials in place, it does things like quiz-zes and grade books.”

Blackboard did not add any noteworthy features, but this summer’s upgrade increased the platform’s stability and speed.

myACU Web site upgraded for stability, speedTECHNOLOGY


contact Acuff [email protected]

What better way to welcome new students than toliterally surround them on this walk and sing over them?AMANDA BUCHANANSenior psychology major from Lubbock

August 24, 2009 Campus News

Lizzy SpanoArts Editor

Although students enjoy-ing the freedom of sum-mer might have imagined campus as empty and deserted over break, the university, in fact, has been buzzing with con-struction projects, some of which will continue into the school year.

The Physical Resourc-es department and oth-ers who oversee campus renovations constantly review the needs and re-quests of students and faculty and continue to make change where necessary, said Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, vice president and dean for student life. This in-cludes minor and signif-icant construction and renovation in residence halls, campus grounds and office space.

“We need to look aesthetically at the uni-

versity,” said Thomp-son. “We are constantly looking for ways to en-hance the physical envi-ronment and yet do some-thing that’s practical and useful for students. That’s been the focus all along.”

Among these projects are purple bike racks, as well as signs to direct students and visitors. The advertising kiosk outside the Campus Cen-ter has been completed, and the finishing touch-es have been put on the Brown Library Atrium’s kitchen, which will be used to conduct student and faculty events. Dec-

orating initiatives have also been launched to improve the physical ap-pearance of campus.

“When people visit this campus, they can see the marks of our purpose and our prom-ise,” said Thompson. “Walk in various build-ings and you’ll see many more pictures of our students. Anywhere you look you will witness…the life and vibrancy of our campus—and that’s our students in action.”

Construction of the recreation center is also a goal at this time. The university hopes to re-

ceive approval and begin construction at the be-ginning of the spring se-mester, Thompson said.

“We’re meeting in No-vember, and during that particular board meeting we will talk about the recreation and wellness center,” said Thompson. “By end of this month, all design and construction documents will be done. We’re in the position to get that one out of the gate as soon as possi-ble; it’s going to literally transform this campus with access to recreation opportunities.”

To improve the ap-

pearance of campus while still giving stu-dents the opportunity to advertise, an advertising kiosk was proposed last semester and completed by physical resources during finals week. Stu-dents can now advertise by submitting advertise-ments and posters to the Office of Student Life or the Campus Cen-ter information desk for approval. Poster guide-lines can be found on-line under the Student Life tab.

“There were some concerns about the gen-eral appearance of the campus,” said Joel Swed-lund, Campus Center director. Swedlund said that previous methods of advertising, such as posting signs on doors and campus grounds, were thought to detract from the campus’ ap-pearance. “We want the campus to be something

very inviting, not only to current students but to potential students.

Future projects in-clude renovating the basement of the Cam-pus Center as a “Cen-ter for Christian Service and Leadership” that will focus on carrying out the university’s mis-sion. Possibilities in the future include spaces for student groups to meet, study and coordi-nate events profession-ally. Regarding campus repairs, Thompson said the university tries to be proactive and consis-tent in renovation and construction, so that problems are avoided before they happen and the campus is improved as necessary.

Kiosk, bike racks among summer projectsCONSTRUCTION

Lizzy SpanoArts Editor

International students kicked their freshman year into gear Thursday with the “Futbol on the Lawn” soccer game, one of many Welcome Week activities designed to wel-come multicultural stu-dents to ACU.

The soccer game, played on the lawn of the Zona Luce Building, provided a way for new international and ESL stu-dents to have some fun and enjoy a game they are familiar with, said Lindsey Fleming, senior social work major from Beamsville, Ontario.

“Welcome Week is com-pletely different when you’re working with the international students,” Fleming said.

“As the week has pro-gressed, they have gotten really excited about being here,” said Mark Foster, se-nior information technol-ogy major from Abilene.

Foster said there was a good turnout for the soc-cer game, and both new and current students participated. This activity was one of many during Welcome Week, including the freshman talent show and mentor group Olym-pics, which the students enjoyed with other men-tor groups.

Mark Yum, freshman from Hong Kong, who participated in many of these events, said he has enjoyed his first week in Abilene and Welcome Week, especially the candlelight devotional.

Laura Blake, coordina-tor of the International Students Association, also takes part in helping international students ad-just at ACU.

Blake begins correspond-ing with international stu-dents as soon as they have been admitted to ACU.

“Welcome Week helps new students learn a lot about ACU,” said Blake. “I’ve had amazing stu-dent volunteers who have

really gotten involved with the new students this year, and that makes a world of difference.”

Blake said all ACU stu-dents can help in making new and international students feel welcome.

“Be friendly,” said Blake. “Don’t be afraid to talk to international students. They are great, they have most of the same thoughts and feel-ings that you have, and they have really cool things to share about their cultures and experi-ences.”

ISA futbol game invites world culturesSTUDENT LIFE

contact Spano [email protected]

contact Spano [email protected]

QUICK FACTS

Posters must be submitted to the Campus Center information desk or the Student Life office.

n Approved flyers will be posted thefollowing business day.n Flyers must be no larger than 8” 1/2 x 11”.n Students may submit up to three flyers.n Priority will be given to students promoting events.

Monday, August 24, 2009

PASSINGTORCH

Campus Community converges to guide incoming students


A praise team leads the freshman class in song during the Candlelight Devotional in Beauchamp Amphitheater.

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Meredith Wilson, freshman art and social work major from Burleson, guards the ball from Mandy Becker, freshman undecided major from San Antonio, in a Welcome Week basketball intramural game.


LEFT: A group of students runs alongside Campus Court during the Fun Run 5K around Lunsford Walking Trail Saturday morning.

ABOVE: Freshmen gather in Beauchamp Amphi-theater to worship by candlelight. This has been an official part of Welcome Week since 1986.

RIGHT: Jon Davis, senior marketing major from Carrollton, sports an unusual outfit during Wel-come Week’s annual Twister game Tuesday in Moody Coliseum.

the



August 24, 2009Campus News

Linda BaileyOpinion Page Editor

More students return-ing to school mean more customers and part-time workers for businesses surrounding ACU.

Gary Shifflett, store director of United Su-permarket, said a lot of ACU students shop in the store, and he believes United sees an increase in customers when students return to school.

Ginger Chandler, field-marketing manager for Rosa’s Cafe, said it is an exciting time when col-lege students return for the fall semester.

“It’s great when they come back,” Chandler said. “It increases sales tremendously.”

Rosa’s has many pro-motional offers through-out the year, but the real work begins when students come back to Abilene. Chandler said they are working on a promotion that will al-low students to become “VIP members” at Rosa’s. Through this offer, stu-dents will receive text mes-sages from Rosa’s that can be used for discounts and free food.

“It’s a great advertis-ing tool for us,” Chandler said. “It is a way to help

college students get some discounts on food and get some items free, too, be-cause it is expensive when you go off to school.”

Joe Spano, owner of Spano’s Italian Restau-rant, said that his busi-ness is only one of many to benefit from the return of students.

“Summer time is over, people are back from va-cations and everybody is getting settled in,” said Spano. “It just seems like the pace of life in general seems to pick up a little in Abilene when school is in session.”

Spano said he tries to target the college-age

crowd by giving them a 10 percent discount when they present their student I.D.

Students not only shop at these establishments; they work there. Spano’s hires a large number of college students, some of who work from the time they arrive in Abilene as freshmen until they grad-uate. Spano said that the

wait staff is made up en-tirely of local college stu-dents during the year, but during the summer, em-ployees leave to be with their families and are un-able to work.

United also employs many college students during the fall and spring semesters who leave dur-ing summer break. How-ever, Shifflett said they

normally do not have any problem finding people to work during the summer months, because college students originally from Abilene return for the sum-mer and fill in the gaps.

Several businesses around Abilene hire col-lege workers and offer discounts to students. With these places target-ing the college popula-tion, students have many opportunities to save and make money off-campus.

Local businesses look forward to students’ returnCOMMUNITY

Kelsi WilliamsonStaff Photographer

A busy week and a few drops of rain did not keep participants in the Wel-come Week Fun Run from jogging with style. The Fun Run, which took place Sat-urday morning, was actu-ally two races, a 5K run and a one-mile race. 29 runners participated in the 5K, and 25 took part in the shorter race.

The run was added to Welcome Week this year in order to promote a healthy college lifestyle.

“We want to make sure people start off college healthy,” said Eric Gumm, assistant director of the First Year Program and director of orientation. “We knew a lot of stu-dents like to run...and so we wanted to get them started by having fun.”

Participants in the one-mile run were encouraged

to showcase their creative talents by using alternative modes of non-motorized transportation to complete the race. Freshman Chase Martin from the Colony showed off his unicycle skills in a banana suit to create what he hoped was a prize-winning combina-tion. Martin said that his motivation for racing was the free bike promised to the most creative means of transportation.

“The bike is the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Martin. The bike prize, do-nated by BikeTown, was awarded to John Blackwell, freshman from Ft. Worth. for his Fled Flinstone de-piction at Saturday night’s talent show. Martin didn’t let the stiff competition dampen his spirits.

“We’re already winners, because we get free T-shirts,” Martin said.

Freshman duo Aman-da Jinkerson and Pierce

Carpenter from Abilene crossed the finish line of the one-mile race first, rid-ing their two-seater bicycle, while Colter Lane, senior physics, mathematics and

education major from Ka-lispell, Mont., won the 5K with a time of 19 minutes and one second.

Because this is the first year for the Fun Run, Wel-

come Week leadership was unsure what to ex-pect. Gumm said the event would be evaluated to see if it should continue in fol-lowing years.

“The key is that they’re out here having fun,” Gumm said.

5K Fun Run promotes healthy lifestyle CHARITY

contact Williamson [email protected]


A group of students start the Fun Run 5K and one-mile race in front of Barret Hall on the Lunsford Trail Saturday morning.

contact Bailey [email protected]

It just seems like the pace of life in general seems to pick up a little in Abilene when school is in session.Joe SpanoOwner of Spano’s Italian Restaurant in Abilene

Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing

personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy.

Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699

E-mail letters to: [email protected]

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Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

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Editorial and Management Board


Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

Laura AcuffFeatures Editor

Linda BaileyOpinions Page Editor

Jozie SandsChief Photographer

Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Sommerly SimserMultimedia Editor

Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

Liz SpanoArts Editor

Scott StewartPage 2 Editor

Jordan BlakeyCartoonist

Multimedia Desk(325) 674-2463

Kenneth PybusFaculty Advoser

Cade WhiteFaculty Adviser

Christi StarkAdvertising

Optimistthe

By Jordan BlakeyAtaraxia

The Optimist is the source of community, national and internation-al news for ACU students and the Abilene commu-nity. We strive to serve our readers by delivering unbiased, honest news to fill the pages in each week’s newspaper.

The Opinion page is different, and readers should understand its purpose and the right of the Optimist staff that is protected by the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

The Opinion page is where members of the staff have the opportunity to publish, that’s right, opinions about issues sur-rounding campus or the community. Pieces on this page should be read as one person or group’s views.

The page will appear in each issue and will contain an editorial, two columns, a cartoon by the Optimist’s own car-toonist, and reader feed-back when possible. This includes letters to the editor, responses to dis-

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Editorials will reflect the opinions of the Opti-mist editorial board rath-er than an individual’s. For this reason, editorials are left unsigned but are open for comments and feedback from readers.

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Editorial page promotes campus dialogueEDITORIAL

New year calls for new perspectiveCOLUMN

Bread and TomatoColter Hettich

Only God knows the n u m b e r of films and books based on one simple concep t : the ability to know what is going to happen before it happens. The mere thought ignites our imagination, and ques-tions spiral out of control: What if I could see the fu-ture? Could I win the lot-tery? Could I be an outlaw? How would they stop me? Would I be responsible for preventing tragedies? What if only ten people could see the future? Could we fight them? What if everyone could? How would we live?

What if we could only see 10 seconds ahead? Five?

Then the reality of our shortsightedness turns us around and forces us to question the past: If I could have seen the future, would I still have said yes? If only he could have known what was going to happen, he never would have driven that fast.

It amazes me how many important decisions seem to be made in the shortest amount of time — at least, it seems like an instant. Truth is, the most impor-tant decisions in our lives are not single choices but thousands of little ones. It is the reason time flies. We scurry across count-less little choices to get to the big one, only to find the choice was made be-fore we arrived.

Willingly or unwillingly, we jump into this roulette wheel and must decide in four years who we really are, what we really believe and what we really want to do with the rest of our lives. But unlike the help-less, white ball that waits to be assigned a number and color, we have the ability to choose.

Whether you have just begun your time at ACU or feel like you have already left, I challenge you: fight the tendency to let the spin-ning blur of circumstances choose for you. Almost ev-ery happening in this world

is beyond your control, but do not let it swallow you. The world is full of red twelves, black thirty-fives, and red nineteens who al-lowed themselves to be smacked around, settling wherever they land.

We cannot see the fu-ture, so we must pay at-tention to what we can see: the present. Make good choices now, no matter how small, and you might find that the future does not look so grim.

Truth is, the most important decisions in our lives are not single choices but thousands of little ones.


Meet the Board

Columnist Hometown: LubbockMajor: Advertising/Public Relations Classification: Junior

Linda Bailey

Opinion EditorHometown: BorgerMajor: Journalism Classification: Junior

Ryan Self

Features EditorHometown: College Station Major: Journalism Classification: Junior

Laura Acuff

Editor in ChiefHometown: Abilene Major: JournalismClassification: Senior

Colter Hettich

Copy EditorHometown: MidlothianMajor: Political Science Classification: Senior

Chelsea Hackney

Arts EditorHometown: Canton, Penn.Major: Journalism Classification: Junior

Lizzy Spano

Managing EditorHometown: McKinneyMajor: Journalism Classification: Senior

Sondra Rodriguez

Hettich

THE ISSUEHere you will find a brief explanation of the issue.

OUR TAKEWe will summarize our opinion here.

OpinionAugust 24, 2009 Page 9

I liked candlelight devo because it was cool to see all of the lights and listen to the speaker.TYLER PINKERTFreshman business management major from Red Oak

I liked the service project. I got to know a lot of people and my group and I had a blast. AYREA TOWELLFreshman chemistry major from Abilene

I enjoyed the mentor group time. It is fun to know other people who are going to be in your classes.LAURA FOXFreshman speech pathology major from Salt Lake City, Utah

Welcome week was awesome. I met so many people and having the upper classmen hang out with us was great.D.J ACEVEDOFreshman youth and family ministry major from Tuscola

DISCUSSION: What did you think of Welcome Week?

We ask readers to keep an openmind ... the words printed in an editorial or column are our words,our thoughts and our beliefs.

August 24, 2009From Front

spiritual emphasis.Students also predict

spiritual growth.“I want to be an ex-

ample and grow closer to God through my per-sonal relationships,” Smith said.

Browning said he wants to focus on spend-ing more time with God.

“I anticipate another year of questioning, af-firmation and hopefully growing close in a rela-tional aspect,” he said.

In addition to the spir-itual growth of everyone on campus, Thompson said he anticipates so-cial and personal growth through campus organi-zations and “perhaps

the best ResLife staff we’ve ever had,” he said. Those living in Residence Halls will see changes from prior years’ pro-grams. Thompson said he couldn’t wait to see how the staff integrated these changes into the focus of the year.

Smith said he hopes to challenge himself so-cially by setting a high standard for this year.

“I expect this year to be twice as good as last year,” he said. “I expect to make a lot more friends, establish deeper connec-tions within my depart-ment and serve and lead around school.”

Browning, an assistant director in Smith-Adams Hall, said he expects an intense year working

with Residence Life.“This year will be full

of new people and new faces,” he said. “There’s a lot to do.”

Faculty, staff and students anticipate challenges during the 2009-10 school year, and Thompson said he hopes to address those challenges with students by encouraging them to ask the question: “Who am I becoming?”

“I want folks to be compelled to think about how they impact the people around them and how that shapes them as a young man or woman of God.”

Goals: Campus leaders focus on spirituality

STUDENT LIFE

Continued from page 1

for the political science University 100.For students used to the college scene,

Welcome Week was more about getting to know one another than the inner work-ings of the university. Alex Davis, senior psychology major from Denver, was the peer leader for a group of 16 trans-fer students.

“They’ll answer each other’s ques-tions,” Davis said. “It’s cool to see that cohesiveness.”

That cohesiveness is exactly what drew incoming freshman Sarah Ratliff to ACU.

“I went to a small high school, so I didn’t want to go somewhere huge and have 400 people in my class,” said Ratliff, an English major from Lake Kiowa. “I love the family atmosphere here, and it’s what I grew up with. It felt like home to me.”

Feeling like home and actually being home are two different things, and many students already are finding creative

ways to stay in touch with family and friends.

“I took two videos and a picture, and I’m going to put them on YouTube and send them to my family,” said Madison Dennis, freshman information systems major from New Braunfels. All that using his brand new iPhone, of course.

Even though not all Welcome Week events are mandatory, most students showed up for the events and seemed to be benefitting from it.

“I know my dorm, and not just the dorm but the people,” Dennis said. “I learned my way around after just two days.”

Dennis is not alone in making friends.“When I think about Welcome Week,

I think about what a blast we had,” Hug-gins said. “Some of my best friends I met during Welcome Week.”


Welcome: first weekunites new students

STUDENT LIFE

a thousand different ways.”

Mike Cope’s Bible class went beyond grades and papers. Students frequent-ly took polls and used their devices to respond.

“In a class with 300 students, receiving feed-back is difficult,” said Cope, instructor in the Bible, missions and min-istry department. “It’s also hard to know what’s connecting, what’s need-ed. The polls give an on-the-fly way to accomplish that—to some extent.”

Faculty took classes all summer to learn how to better use the devices, a task that made easier

because more students will have access to a de-vice, Roberts said.

“The more saturation we have around campus, the greater impact there will be,” Roberts said.

It is hard to say how professors, with a year under their belt, will use the devices in their class this year, but the new freshman class already has some ideas, although few involve schoolwork.

“I use the Maps fea-ture all the time,” said Taylor Schmidt, fresh-man youth and family ministry major from San Antonio. “I’m always getting lost.”

The devices are use-ful in many ways for students far from home,

as well.“My mom added all

these cool apps on it,” said Dana Defrees, fresh-man elementary edu-cation major from San Antonio. “USAA has this great app that lets you take a picture of a check and sends it straight to your bank account.”

Whether the mobile initiative played a part in students’ decisions to enroll at ACU is difficult to say, but “the iPhone was a definite plus,” Schmidt said.

While sophomores are toting the iPhone 3G, incoming freshman were given the option of an iPod Touch or the iPhone 3GS. With Apple releasing new devices

every year, the initia-tive has the potential to cause confusion in classes where students have three different de-vices, but faculty will take that into account, Roberts said.

“The deal is anything used in class won’t use features of the 3GS,” he said. “We wanted to make sure, from an academic perspective, everything you need to do in your class you’ll be able to do on an iPod Touch.”

Students still will re-ceive a new handset ev-ery two years, so this year’s freshmen will get an upgrade their junior year. The plan right now is that graduating seniors will keep the device when they leave,

Roberts said.Of course, keeping

the handset is less im-portant than receiving it in the first place. Devic-es had to be distributed to every student before the first day of school, so that they could be used in class. Last year, students congregated at the Team 55 desk in the Brown Library during Welcome Week.

“If you’ll remember, ev-eryone came on that one day. It was exciting, but it was a little too exciting,” Roberts said, laughing.

Instead, this year, af-ter completing enroll-ment requirements, stu-dents could go online, choose their device and it was mailed directly to them. Most students

had them by the middle of May, Roberts said.

“Late registers could go to the Learning Com-mons like last year, but we only handed out a couple hundred instead of 900,” he said.

ACU’s success has en-couraged several other schools to begin their own mobile initiatives. The university has given 95 presentations all over the world since the pro-gram’s launch. The rec-ognition for the univer-sity has been staggering, and it can only improve, Roberts said.

“We have every reason to believe that the suc-cess we realized last year will continue,” he said.

Mobile: iPhone use to increase in the classroomiPHONE


contact Hackney [email protected]

contact Rodriguez [email protected]

contact Hackney [email protected]

Monday, August 24, 2009 Page 11From Sports

from Oklahoma Univer-sity. He has the starting spot and with his great speed and ability to run through tacklers, he should be a great fit in the offense. Richardson should see playing time in the backfield along with Reggie Brown, who transferred from Blinn College.

Edmund Gates re-turns as the top re-ceiver for the Wildcats. After being second to Knox last season, Gates will lead the recieving core as ACU enters the season. Chris Howard, a transfer from An-gelo State, will back up Gates. Rutgers transfer Dennis Campbell and Kilgore Junior College transfer Kendrick John-son will fill the remain-ing two starting spots. Terrell Woodall and Raymond Radway will serve as backups.

The offensive line is returning three start-

ers, including Tony Washington. Washing-ton has already been voted in as a preseason first team All-Ameri-can. He is also ranked the No. 6 offensive tackle prospect in the nation, regardless of NCAA division, by for-mer Dallas Cowboys vice president of per-sonnel Gil Brandt.

The Wildcats’ offense is loaded with talent, which will be heavily tested all season, start-ing with a game against Northwest Missouri State at Shotwell Stadium Thursday, August 27.

“We have a lot of tools, we just need to find the right place for them,” Collums said. “It is a long season, and how we progress as a team will determine how we do offensively.”

Stars: Teamreloads offense

FOOTBALL


contact Cantrell [email protected]

“I was really proud of the effort the guys gave,” Coach Don Hood said. “We came into the meet as 20-25 point underdogs. Everyone competed really hard and scored what they were sup-posed to or better, which is incredible for a meet. I wish we could have done a little more to win it, but bottom

line, we just ran out of bul-lets.”

Individual ACU athletes performed well, and some won national titles. Camille Vandendriessche made history in the decathlon, winning his third straight decathlon title. He became the first athlete in NCAA Division II history to win three straight multi-event championships, the third

to win three straight multi-event titles and the fourth to win three multi-event titles in a career. Camille posted his personal best in the decathlon, scoring 7,674 points.

“The biggest event on the first day was the long jump for me.” Camille Vandedriessche said. “I beat my record by a foot and that surprised me. The

second day, I was able to seal the deal with the pole vault, as I put a lot of dis-tance between me and sec-ond place.”

Vandedriessche was proud that his father was able to witness the event, but regretted that the team did not share his victory.

“It doesn’t mean as much as it would have if the team would have won; that was

what was most important,” Vandedriessche said.

Nick Jones put up an impressive performance to defend his title in discus. Jones was in second with his throw of 178-7, but launched a 182-1 for his fi-nal throw, claiming his sec-ond title in discus throw.

Ramon Sparks upset NCAA Division II Male Field Athlete of the Year

Joe Kindred to win the Na-tional Championship in the triple jump. Linda Brivule defended her title in the women’s javelin throw. On her first attempt, she put up a throw of 162-10, which no one else could match, securing her second national title.

Title: Vandendriessche marks record day TRACK


SPORTS

NCAA: Ruling comingContinued from page 12

and the vacation of all the wins during the 2007 football season.

The university decid-ed to appeal the penal-ties which would erase all wins and stats from the 2007 season, includ-ing 15 school records and Bernard Scott’s Divi-sion II record for touch-downs and points scored in a single season.

In an interview after the decision to appeal, Dr. Royce Money, presi-dent of the university, said that he felt the foot-ball penalties were “ex-cessive” and “that the evidence presented did not match the severity of the penalties.”

contact Tripp [email protected]


Jordan Schilling goes up for a serve .

contact Cantrell [email protected]

Contact Tripp [email protected]

“Although we made it to the finals of last year’s tournament, we can be even bet-ter this year,” commented head coach Kellen Mock.

The seniors returning to the squad are Erin Curry, Lauren Leone and Michelle Bacon. The returning juniors and sopho-mores are Ijeoma Moronu, Shawna Hines, Jordan Schilling, Kelsie Edwards, Jennie Hutt,and Aubree Vick. Those nine return-ing players will be supported by four new freshmen, including Kalynne Allen, Jorden Silva, Heather Leyva and Kate Strahan.

Leone returns to the team after miss-ing all of last season because of an ante-rior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear. She is a three-time All-Conference player, and her return is more than welcome.

“With Lauren coming back, we can move some other people back to their natural positions who were filling in for her in the middle. Jorden Schilling can go back to playing the outside where we need her. Our greatest strength this year is our experience, and with players like Shawna Hines and Ije Moronu, we can re-main consistent,” said Mock.

Hines was last year’s LSC Defensive Player of the Year and already has been chosen as preseason Defensive Player of the Year for 2009.

Mock is focused on winning more games this season, most importantly,

games in which they are favored. “We are not happy with a 9-4 conference

record; we lost to some teams last season that we should have beat. This year, we need to take care of our opponents who we have more talent than. Also, we need to win some games where the other team is better than us,” said Mock.

In the first game of the Nebraska-Omaha Showcase that takes place Au-gust 28-29, the Wildcats will face a Tru-man State team that reached the national semifinals last year.

Volleyball:Cats ready

VOLLEYBALL


contact Gwin [email protected]


Tradition is sacred at ACU, and intramural sports are no exception. The intramu-ral games organized dur-ing Welcome Week quickly indoctrinate freshmen and transfer students in the ritual.

New students com-peted in flag football, basketball and volleyball as part of the Welcome Week program planned by the university.

Not only did students have the chance to play the sports they love in a competitive environment,

but they also had the chance to meet other new students on their teams.

Another great, though not obvious, opportunity for students to meet peo-ple was during sign-ups. Participants signed up on rosters as they registered for Welcome Week, giving them the chance to talk to students they might not have met otherwise.

“I just met these guys this week,” said Patrick Casey, sophomore trans-fer student from Fort Col-lins, Colo. “They turned out to be a bunch of really good guys.”

New students are not

the only ones who get something out of the games. New intramural director Kenli Edwards en-joyed them as well.

“Its really great to get to meet all the new students, and to give them some-thing fun to do as kind of an introduction to ACU,” said Edwards. “It’s also good to see the upper-classmen come to some of the games and welcome these students and get to know them.”

‘Fish’ing for Intramural ChampionsINTRAMURALS


Chelan Ewing, freshman undeclared major from Portland, Ore., dashes out of reach.

SportsPage 12 August 24, 2009

StandingsFOOTBALL

Team Div. Ovrl.ACU

VOLLEYBALL

ASUENMUMSUTSUTAMU-KWTAMU

UCOECU

0-00-00-00-00-00-00-0

0-00-0

0-00-00-00-00-00-00-0

0-00-0

Team Div. Ovrl.ACUASUCameronUCOECUENMU

0-00-00-00-00-00-0

0-00-00-00-00-00-0

n Knox: In a 27-20 preseason loss to Buffalo, Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox had two receptions for 22 yards and a kick return for 39 yards. He also made a tackle on a ball intercepted by the Bills.

n Scott: In a 17-7 preseason loss to New Orleans, Cincinnati Bengals RB Bernard Scott had six carries for a team high 30 yards. Scott also had one reception for 12 yards. Scott will be compet-ing for the backup running back position this season.

n Malone: Billy had a tryout with the Buf-falo Bills, but instead decided to come back to ACU and take the position as tight end coach.

Briefs

WOMEN’S SOCCERTeam Div. Ovrl.ACUAngelo St.MSUWTAMUCentral Okla.East CentralENMUNE St.TAMU-C

0-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-0

0-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-0

TX Woman’sSW Okla.

0-00-0

0-00-0

Cats claw on without ’08 starsFOOTBALL


There is no word yet on whether or not the foot-ball team will be allowed to reclaim the victories won and stats accumu-lated during the record-setting 2007 season.

According to sports in-formation director Lance Fleming, the university is not allowed to com-ment on the appeal until the Infraction Appeals Committee hands down its verdict.

“We should hear something anytime be-

tween the first day of classes, and the third or fourth week of school,” Fleming said.

In February, ACU was informed that it would be punished for numerous minor infractions com-mitted by the track and field and football teams. Extra benefits, paid visit violations and impermis-sible inducements viola-tions, as well as a failure

by the head track and field coach to monitor, were some of the infrac-tions listed, according to a report released by the NCAA.

Many of the punish-ments handed down by the Division II Committee on Infractions were self-imposed by university officials. The university decided to reduce the number of track and field

scholarships from 12.6 to 10.5 for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years. It was also decided that no athletic team would be allowed to have more than five international players on its roster until the 2011-12 school year.

The Committee hand-ed down penalties of its own. The penalties included a limit on the number of official paid visits, a requirement for members of the coaching staff to attend a NCAA regional rules seminar

NCAA violation appeal still pending SPORTS

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

The 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship this summer brought the Wildcats’ seven-year title streak to an end. The men’s team took second in the team competition and the women sixth, making it the first time since 2001 that ACU did not win an indoor or outdoor national championship.

The men’s track team held a close lead going into the final day of the meet, and it came down to the final event: the 4x400 relay. In four of the last eight years, the Wildcats and the St. Augustine Falcons have battled to the last event, but for the first time the Falcons ended on top. The win gave the Falcons the most points in the meet and the national title. The women’s team failed to register a single team point in the first three days, but they fought back on the final day and finished sixth.

ACU fails to re-claim track title

TRACK

ZAK ZEINERT Contributing Photographer

Wildcat QB Zach Stewart looks to the sideline for a play call against Angelo State. Stewart is competing for the starting quarterback position this season.

MSU 0-0 0-0SE Okla. 0-0 0-0SW Okla. 0-0 0-0TSU 0-0 0-0

South

North

NE State 0-0 0-0

TAM-C 0-0 0-0SW Okla. 0-0 0-0SE Okla. 0-0 0-0

TAM-C 0-0 0-0TAM-K 0-0 0-0TWU 0-0 0-0WTAMU 0-0 0-0

EX FACTORS

Wildcats set forseason openerAustin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

With another exciting ACU volleyball sea-son ahead, the Wild-cats will be looking to build on a surprising finish to last season.

Last year, the Wild-cats won 26 games and finished with a confer-ence record of 9-4. In the Lone Star Con-ference tournament, however, the Wildcats surged to the cham-pionship game before losing to top LSC team, West Texas A&M.

The 26 wins and

appearance at the LSC tournament final un-fortunately were not enough to boost the Wildcats into the re-gional tournament.

Confidence is high as the Wildcats enter the new season with elevated expectations.

“Everyone associ-ated with the team would be disappoint-ed, I think, if we didn’t make it to the regional tournament this year. We are returning nine players, all of which had significant play-ing time last season.. lthough we did make

VOLLEYBALL

see VOLLEYBALL page 11see TITLE page 11

QUICK FACTS

NCAA Sanctions

Trackn Reduced scholarships from 12.6 to 10.5 for the 2008-09, and 2009-10 seasonn No more than five interna-tional athletes on the roster untill the 2011-12 season

Footballn Vacate wins from the 2007 season, making ACU’s record for that year 0-3n Erase all stats accumu-lated over the 2007 season including 15 school records

THURSDAY

FootballACU vs. NW Missouri St., 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

VolleyballTruman State, 2:30 p.m.

Nebraska-Omaha, 7 p.m.

Women’s SoccerACU vs. Central, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY

VolleyballNorth Alabama, 2 p.m.

Minnesota-Mankato, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

Women’s SoccerACU vs. St. Mary, 1 p.m.

Upcoming


Camille Vandedriessche, who won his third straight decathlon title, prepares to vault.

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

The Wildcats are gear-ing up to defend a Lone Star Conference title and a perfect regular-season record from last year. With a lot of changes occurring on the team, pressure has been put on the offense to fill in the gaps of the high-powered machine that is the ACU offense.

The offense has a huge gap to fill in the

position of quarterback. Billy Malone has gradu-ated, leaving the job up to Zach Stewart and Clark Harrell. After re-covering from shoulder surgery at the end of last season, Stewart worked hard to earn the starting position.

Stewart got some game experience when Malone was hurt in a game against West Texas A&M last season. Stewart led the Wildcats to a 37-17 victory over a Tarle-

ton State team, and then threw for 350 yards with three touchdowns in a 42-17 victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

“It has been a long process rehab-ing my shoulder,” Stewart said. “I had my surgery on De-cember 12 and every day since then, I have been in the training room for an hour and a half doing re-hab trying to strengthen it back up. It is close to 100 percent now. It gets better every day.”

Harrell is listed sec-ond behind Stewart and is excelling because of his strong knowledge of the offense. Offensive coordinator Ken Col-lums said he feels good about the quarterback situation.

“Both guys can go in and do well. I don’t feel that we are limited in any way with either of them on the field,” Col-lums said. “The offense is hard to learn, but they both know the of-

fense and have studied it enough to go out and perform well.”

As running back, the Wildcats will be looking to replace the Harlon Hill Trophy winner and now Cincinnati Bengal, Bernard Scott. In his footsteps is his younger brother, Daryl Richard-son, and sophomore transfer Justin Johnson. Johnson transferred to ACU in the off-season

see NCAA page 11

Scott

Evidence presented did not match the severity of the penalties.DR. ROYCE MONEYACU President

see STARS page 11

The Optimist - Aug. 24, 2009

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