The Optimist - May 1, 2009 by ACU Optimist

Optimist the

a product of the JMC

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Friday, May 1, 2009 :: Vol. 97, No. 54 :: 2 sections, 24 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com

Inside This Issue:

Pg. 5

Not-so Sunny Delight: a review of the new film ‘Sunshine Cleaning’

Pg. 6

On the Table: an examination of race and the ACU community Pg. 8

The Top 10 stories of the 2008-09 school year

Softball team takes on ASU in the LSC Championship in Abilene

ACUPD expands jurisdiction to I-20, E.N. 10th By Michael Freeman Managing Editor

Students living off campus may soon see ACU Police vehicles patrolling through their neighborhoods. The ACUPD expanded its jurisdiction in April after renewing its four-year adjunct police agreement with the Abilene Police Department. “We adjusted the boundaries to better reflect our con-

stituency in our service area,” said Jimmy Ellison, chief of ACU Police Department. Before April 1, the ACUPD patrolled the campus, as well as the immediate surrounding neighborhoods. The department’s jurisdiction reached as far west as Will Hair Park, as far north as I-20, as far east as Griffith Road and as far south as E.N. 10th Street. But as more incidents involving

ACU students continued to occur farther away from campus, both the ACUPD and the Abilene Police Department agreed the expansion was necessary. Now, the ACUPD — with its 13 full-time police officers — will patrol as far west as Cottonwood Street, as far north as East Overland Trail, as far east as Union Lane off of Highway 351 and as far south as East Highway 80.

“The deal with ACU is pretty much a win-win deal,” said Keith Shackleford, commander of the Community Services Division of the Abilene Police Department. “We have a really good working relationship.” At any given time of day, about two dozen Abilene Police Department officers are patrolling the city, responding to 10-20 calls collectively each day. In a city

Will Read for Food

covering more than 110 square miles, patrolling can be tricky, Shackleford said. The agreement between the Abilene Police Department, which is comprised of about 250 employees, and the ACUPD is meant to supplement each other’s forces to work together to patrol areas and reduce response times to emergency calls. See

Courtesy of :: ACUPD A map of ACUPD’s new jurisdiction.

Police page 7

‘Prickly Pear’ bids campus farewell By Heather Leiphart Staff Photographer

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer

Danielle Sousares, senior math education major from Austin, cashes a check at The Campus Store on Thursday.

Used books provide extra summer cash By Laura Acuff Opinion Page Editor

Students itching to finish final exams and conclude the semester should consider making one last stop to pad their wallets before hitting the road. Textbook buybacks in The Campus Store begin Dead Day and last through Friday. “It’s quick cash; I mean, you’re going to get that money then and there,” said Tammy Powell, text and media manager for The Campus Store. “You can come in,

get it and it’s automatic cash right there for you.” Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, students will be able to sell back their used textbooks as long as they bring a photo I.D. Buyback hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. While students will not receive a full refund for their textbooks, the buyback offers the option of receiving cash for any of the books The Campus Store

will accept. Books that do not make the store’s approval list may include books that will not be used in future semesters or books with new editions, Powell said. Also, once quotas are met, certain books may depreciate in value. Although long lines at the buyback have been an issue in the past, Assistant Store Director Scott Harsh said he does not anticipate experiencing that problem this year. Improved technology has sped See

Books page 7

Page 2 Editor

Construction began two weeks ago on the ad kiosk between the Campus Center and the Brown Library. Plans for the structure were announced nearly five months ago. The completed structure will serve as a medium for students to advertise groups and events, since the administration prohibited fliers and sidewalk chalk on campus, beginning last October.

Scot Colley, associate director of Physical Resources, said the construction students see now is “the foundation and the beams to hold the message boards.” The purple beams in front of the Campus Center are arches that form the concrete block used as a foundation. Jerry Garza, supervisor of campus construction, said plans clearly are laid out for the remainder of the construction process. “We’ve got the arch built and we still need a roof,” he said.

“Depending on the weather, we’ll get as much done as we can ... but we hope to get it done in a couple of weeks.” A different builder will hang the signs for the bulletin boards where students can post fliers, and the structure should be completed in several weeks, Garza said. Colley said the administration has not yet faced any obstacles during the process, and students can expect a fully functioning kiosk in fall 2009. E-mail Rodriguez at: sar06g@acu.edu

Students who want to purchase a book filled with photos and stories about classmates, teachers and significant events from the year 2008-09 are out of luck. Because of a steady decline in interest, the Prickly Pear, ACU’s yearbook since 1916, will no longer be printed. Sales dove from 1,400 books in 2001 to a meager 443 in 2008, the last edition. “When we made the decision, I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if anyone will ask where the yearbook went?’” said Cade White, instructor of journalism and mass communication. “I think, sadly, and not surprisingly, at this point I’ve only had two inquiries. None were from students.” White, who served as adviser of the Prickly Pear for eight years, said the decline in sales is a national trend in university yearbooks,

Jozie Sands :: staff photographer Evan Crane works on the ad kiosk Tuesday outside the Campus Center.

Student Reporter

Students can take a break from studying Monday to attend this semester’s Midnight Breakfast and Dead Day Recycling event. The Midnight Breakfast, which occurs every Dead Day of finals week, begins at 10:30 p.m. and continues until midnight. Students can use meal plans or Bean Bucks to attend the breakfast in the “World Famous Bean.” In previous years, the event has included karaoke and door prizes. “I went freshman year, and I have to say, there’s no better treat before finals than breakfast at midnight,” said Kelly Jo Scott,

ACU WEATHER 40%

‘Prickly Pear’ sales have declined steadily for the last eight years.

Sunday

High: 90 Low: 64

High: 81 Low: 61

High: 72 Low: 53

Videos :: Podcasts :: Slideshows Department of Journalism and Mass Communication ::

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

443 525 880 800 760 1,200 1,260 1,400

and ACU was another inevitable victim. He said a lack of group identity among students within a particular class presents the biggest challenge. Today, it is not abnormal for students to spend more than four years in school or delay attending, so not all students in a college class will be the same See

Pear page 3

junior theatre major from Gardner, Kan. Also on Monday is Dead Day Recycling, an activity that allows students to recycle unwanted clothing and furniture, which benefits the homeless supported by Love and Care Ministries and the refugees supported by the International Rescue Committee. Dead Day Recycling, located in the Brown Library parking lot, begins at noon and continues until 3 p.m., giving students the chance to help those in need. Students who give donations also will receive a free Cajun Cone, as well as the opportunity to browse See

Abilene Christian University

Pancakes page 7

What do you think about ACUPD’s expansion?

a. We can’t have guns; we need it. b. I guess it’s a good thing. c. Where’s the money coming from? d. It makes me feel safer.

40%

Saturday

Sales

Source: JMC department

Online Poll :

Friday

Year

Students enjoy pancakes, treats for Dead Day By Cara Leahy

Ad kiosk on track for fall unveiling By Sondra Rodriguez

dying Breed

acuoptimist.com ::

Serving the ACU community since 1912

ACU Police Tip of the Week

Campus Day Friday, May 1, 2009

Calendar and Events

Friday

10 a.m. to 11 p.m. A Cinco de Mayo Festival will take place at the St. Vincent Pallotti Church. The event will feature food, games, a flea market and outdoor dance. For more information, call 672-1794.

Saturday

8-10 p.m. Cinderella will be presented by the Abilene Ballet Theatre at the Paramount Theatre. For more information or to buy tickets, call 675-0303.

Sunday

Monday

Dead Day, no classes Noon to 3 p.m. Dead Day Recycling will take place in the Brown Library parking lot.

JMC students present short documentaries By Kimberly Wolford Student Reporter

Students presented a variety of media productions Thursday night in the Morris Center as part of a free screening event. Sarah Gibson, adjunct instructor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, said all the productions came from two classes in the JMC department, JMC 360: Television Field Productions and JMC 260: Television Studio Production. Eight documentaries ranging between five and 10 minutes were shown during the film screening, as well as commercials that advertised the JMC Network; the event also included animation projects and silent films.

The documentaries were a project for the Field Production class. The project’s prompt was to create a documentary following someone that was in some way connected with ACU, Gibson said. Pete Koehn, senior electronic media major from Olathe, Kan., began organizing his documentary in early March before spring break and finished editing Monday. His documentary, titled Walking Poems, focuses on Dr. Steven Moore, associate professor of English, and the different experiences he has encountered throughout his life. “I’ve talked to him a little bit about his past when he was growing up,” Koehn said. “I think the story is

relevant given today’s social and racial melting pot.” Although Koehn will not pursue a career in documentary filmmaking, he said the experience was beneficial and will assist him with his future career. Other documentary subjects ranged from one student’s experience with racism, Dr. Kerri Hart’s battle with knee replacement surgery, Gamma Sigma Phi’s Sing Song act and former ACU student Zach Snyder’s mission work. “They work on these documentaries all semester,” Gibson said. “We try to have a way for the public to see all of their hard work.” Gibson said she has heard talk about putting these documentaries on the ACU Channel

Always report suspicious activity to ACUPD at 674-2305 or 674-2911.

Chapel Checkup

10:30 p.m. to Midnight Midnight Breakfast will take place in the “World Famous Bean.” The event costs a meal plan or $5.

8 p.m. Mall Cop will be shown for the Free Movie Night in Cullen Auditorium.

Get campus emergency information with the free, fast and easy ACU ALERT. Go to www.acu.edu/acualert.com to register.

on YouTube, but nothing has been finalized. This is the second time the screening was at ACU, and Gibson said she hopes it will not be the last. “We are trying to teach this class in Summer II,” Gibson said. “And if we have enough students, there will be a screening at the end of that session, too.”

Tanner Anderson contributed to this story. E-mail Wolford at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

acuoptimist.com nStudents let loose at Backyard Bash nInternet outage necessary for stability of campus network

Credited Chapels to date:

Credited Chapels remaining:

Announcements Student organization annual update forms are due in the Student Organizations office by Monday at 5 p.m. The form is mandatory for student organizations to be recognized during the 2009-10 school year.

Commencement will begin May 9 at 10:30 a.m., and the ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. in Moody Coliseum.

Midnight Breakfast will take place in the “World Famous Bean” on Monday from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. The breakfast costs $5 or a meal plan.

Undergraduate Commencement rehearsal for the College of Arts and Sciences will take place in Moody Coliseum on May 8 at 4:15 p.m. Line-up for Commencement will begin at 2:30 p.m., and the ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.

The Campus Store will buy used textbooks Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Final grades are due at 5 p.m. on May 12 and will be available online at 8 a.m. on May 14.

Undergraduate Commencement rehearsal for the College of Biblical Studies, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education and Human Services and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing will take place in Moody Coliseum on May 8 at 3 p.m. Line-up for

The last day to withdraw from a Maymester Session I course is May 11. For more information, contact the Registrar’s office at 674-2235. Residence Halls will close May 9 at noon.

Volunteer Opportunities Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to some of the homebound members of the community. The commitment is once a week. Volunteers will pick up the meals from the Meals on Wheel’s building and deliver them to people around Abilene. It takes one hour each week. Call Mitzi McAndrew at 672-5050 to volunteer. The Christian Service Center needs volunteers to file requests in the donation center, sort and organize donations and occasionally pick up donated items. Volunteers are needed Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon or from 2-4 p.m. For more information, call Roberta Brown at 673-7531 or go to www.uccabilene.org/ministries/csc.htm. The Center for Contemporary Arts needs volunteers to give free art lessons to kids, while providing the opportunity to learn about art through the ArtReach program. Volunteers do not have to be artists and are needed Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. For more information, call Katherine Trotter at 677-8389 or e-mail katherine@center-arts.com The Salvation Army needs volunteers Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to sort and hang clothes, take donations, organize shelves and mark items. Open-toe shoes are restricted. For more information, contact Cecilia Barahona at

677-1408 or send an e-mail to cecilia_barahona@uss.salvationarmy.org. The Ben Richey Boys Ranch needs volunteers for its Clay Break Classic at Abilene Clay Sports on Saturday from 12:45-3:15 p.m. or 2:45-5:15 p.m. Volunteers will set up shoot stations and organize the dinner and auction. For more information, call Jama Stacy at 338-3547. The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature needs volunteers to greet patrons, assist with art activities, sell books and make visitors feel welcome. Volunteers are needed Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. For more information, contact Debby Lillick at 673-4586. Global Samaritan Resources needs volunteers to sort through clothing and repack boxes. Volunteers are needed any time Monday through Thursday. For more information, contact David Catalina at 676-9991. Find out volunteer opportunities by visiting the Volunteer and ServiceLearning Center’s Web site at www. acu.edu/vslc and clicking on Volunteer Opportunities. For more information or to sign up to help, contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout.

FROM THE FRONT

Friday, May 1, 2009

Pear: Book sales decline Continued from page 1 age or from the same region. Another reason students do not feel the need for a yearbook is the rise in social networking Web sites, such as Facebook, which can achieve some of the same effects in students’ eyes, White said. “I’m not blaming the students for this; it was an inevitable situation that occurred over a long period of time,” he said. “There were years where there were some profits. We used to sell more books per capita to students at ACU than UT did, even as recent as 10 years ago.” The yearbook began completely self-sufficient, paying for the operation through book sales, but when the book went almost $30,000 over budget several years ago, which had to be absorbed by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, something had to change, White said. “Our expenses were becoming completely unmanageable,” he said. “With sales declining and operational costs staying essentially the same, we just continued to see that downward slide.” The yearbook staff invented a “long and creative list” of solutions to try and keep the Prickly Pear alive for a few more years. White said these solutions were “made necessary by financial realities.” The main attempt was to change the operational model. Taylor Publishing, the company used by the Prickly Pear staff, created a new system of yearbook operation called the milestone program. Under this program, Taylor Publishing took on all production, promotion and distribution costs, and the yearbook staff received a stipend, around

$17 from each book sold, which was used for staff salaries and operational expenses. This decision raised the price and ultimately extended the Prickly Pear’s life by a few years, but only “delayed the inevitable,” White said. “Looking back, I think the real disadvantage to us was that it created more of a disconnect between the students who produced the book and the student body because we were no longer involved in the marketing of the book,” he said. Another attempt to save the Prickly Pear from extinction occurred many years ago, when each student’s account automatically was charged for a yearbook. This was met with a significant negative response from the students and was not done again, White said. The department also stopped having separate staff between the Optimist and the Prickly Pear because of the added expense and job overlap. The last challenge faced by the Prickly Pear was to overcome issues with student photos. The average span of a photographer or company working with the yearbook was about two years, White said. The photographers would shoot student portraits, expecting to sell print packages, which is where they make the most money. But students were not buying them. Optimist photographers then took over the job to save expense, but too few students chose to have their pictures taken. The department resorted to using student ID photos, which could be retaken multiple times at no cost. “Book sales were tied to the number of students who got

their portrait made, but each year fewer students wanted to have their picture taken,” White said. “When you have fewer students in the book, it becomes less significant to the study body as a whole.” Mallory Edens, 2007-08 Prickly Pear design editor, said the staff made every effort to get the word out to students about the yearbook sales. Postcards also were sent to students’ home addresses announcing the arrival of portrait time. “We spent days getting the list of all the student e-mails and sending each and every one an e-mail saying it was time to order the yearbook. All students got multiple reminders throughout the year,” said Edens, junior advertising/public relations major from Rockwall. “It’s sad that when you put forth all that effort and students just don’t respond and aren’t interested. For so many students to not even know that we have a yearbook is kind of pitiful.” Because fewer students were involved, the book became less significant to the curriculum. This, in addition to the steadily increasing cost, led the department to decide that 2008 would be the last edition. “Sadly, to use the same words that I’ve heard other administrators use, the yearbook is a dinosaur that has outlived its purpose to the students,” White said. “The big schools that have the big yearbooks are typically the product of another department on campus that is an extension of recruiting or alumni relations. The yearbook is seen as a cost of doing business. It’s not meant to be self-supporting or profit-making.” E-mail Leiphart at: hal08a@acu.edu

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CAMPUS NEWS

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Friday, May 1, 2009

Social clubs converge at Amphitheatre for devotional By Kimberly Wolford Student Reporter

More than 100 people from every social club mingled and worshiped together Tuesday to end the spring semester with an All-club Devotional in the Amphitheatre. The devotional was the first of what club chaplains hope to be many club devotionals in the future. “We called this our test run,” said Bryan Elrod, sophomore marketing major from Sugarland and Gamma Sigma Phi chaplain. “We invited all of the clubs out for a time of fellowship and worship. [We wanted to] see how much interest there was and if this was something that people want to see continue.” Elrod said the devotional had a pretty decent crowd. Elrod led the club members in 10 worship songs and

delivered a message about fellowship and support for clubs to continue meeting for monthly devotionals next year. Candice Watson, sophomore youth and family ministries major from Houston and Sigma Theta Chi chaplain, led a prayer, after which people stayed to meet and talk to one another while enjoying refreshments. The devotional lasted 45 minutes. Rachel Smith, junior elementary education major from Richardson and Kai-O Queen for Alpha Kai Omega, said the devotional accomplished its purpose of building fellowship among club members. “The point was to just come together and to forget what club we’re in and simply worship God,” Smith said. The event resulted from meetings Elrod and other club chaplains had, where they discussed beginning an

event where all clubs could congenially meet. Gamma Sigma Phi sponsored Tuesday’s devotional, but Elrod said he hopes other clubs will lead future devotionals. “The idea was to hand off what different clubs take this on because the idea is not for this to be something that certain clubs get credit for, but rather for something that all the clubs get to lead. It makes it a new event every time instead of having the same thing,” Elrod said. “This is something that we really want to see grow and to have something that people really enjoy coming out to.”

Chandler Harris and Michael Freeman contributed to this story. E-mail Wolford at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Heather Leiphart :: staff photographer Bryan Elrod, sophomore marketing major from Sugarland and Gamma Sigma Phi chaplain, speaks to 100 students from different social clubs Tuesday night in the Ampitheatre during the All-club Devotional.

Student organizations go green as semester closes By Heather Leiphart Student Reporter

As students clean out a year’s accumulation of clothing, dishes and school supplies from their residence halls and apartments, several ACU organizations are going green and providing earth-friendly ways to dispose of these items. University Park will plant a tree and have a garage sale in its clubhouse, while the Service Action Leadership Team will have a furniture and clothing drive. In addition, the Students’ Association Congress has placed recycling bins in Nelson Hall and Mabee Business Building. UP residents are preparing to dispose of unwanted items at the annual end-of-the-year garage sale Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Any items not

sold will be donated to the Salvation Army. UP will provide tables, chairs and price stickers, so students only need to bring their items to sell, said Tenell Zahodnik, resident director of UP. Because of soggy weather, the event will take place inside the clubhouse. UP also plans to plant a tree Monday in honor of Earth Day. The event was scheduled for last Monday, but UP staff encountered issues obtaining the tree, Zahodnik said. UP staff had hoped to get the tree from Physical Resources’ tree farm, but instead UP may have its landscapers choose a tree that will thrive. The staff then will buy it and plant it, she said. “It’s strange for me because I was a student here and I’m watching this cam-

pus grow and change, so the idea of giving something now that will be here for generations to come is cool,” Zahodnik said. “It’s also a way to give something back because we’re always so busy taking.” UP also raffled tickets to see the new movie Earth as part of the Earth Day celebration. UP staff plans to join the Arbor Foundation, which sends 10 seedlings for membership. The tiny trees will be planted during the summer. “Our entire company has been working on going green,” Zahodnik said. “Earth Day was a big deal for us, but it’s an entire change in mentality. We’re trying to make it so that it’s not just for Earth Day that we’re giving back.” SALT organizers also are going green with an annual

Dead Day Recycling event. They are asking students to bring their unwanted household objects, furniture, clothes and school supplies to the Brown Library parking lot from noon to 3 p.m. on Dead Day. They will donate the items to Love and Care Ministries and the International Rescue Committee. “We wanted to have a central location where students can bring the items they don’t need, and then give those to people who are in need,” said Caitlin Winegeart, junior accounting major from Abilene and one of the event organizers. “At the end of the year everyone is moving out, an often times you drive by campus and see the dumpsters piled up sky-high, and a lot of it is still really great items.” The IRC helps refugees locate housing and integrate

into the school system in Abilene. Love and Care Ministries focuses on assisting the homeless. Students who donate will receive a free Cajun Cone and may swap clothing they contribute for other donated clothing. Winegeart said SALT organizes the event every year, but four pickup truck loads of clothing donations overwhelmed the ministry last year, which is why SALT will now allow students to swap clothing items. “The compensation is Cajun Cones, but also the benefit of knowing that you’re helping out someone in need,” Winegeart said. In addition, SA Congress has placed recycling receptacles in Nelson Hall and Mabee Business Building. It has been a long process, but with cooperation from

the administration, Congress has organized a recycling program that can be “easily maintained and has the potential to grow into a campus-wide program,” said Daniel Burgner, former junior class representative, in an e-mail. “The recycling program is very important to the ACU mission and community,” said Burgner, junior political science major from Yorba Linda, Calif. “If we expect to be Christian leaders throughout the world, then we must set an example for taking care of the world.”

E-mail Leiphart at: hal08a@acu.edu

ArtsFriday

May 1, 2009

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Swing the Lead celebrates album release with show By Paul Knettel Contributing Writer

Interested in hearing some great free music Friday? Then you should head out to 1142 Washington Blvd. this Friday night at 9 p.m., where Swing the Lead will play a basement show in support of the release of its debut album, Beginnings. Swing the Lead, a local band made up of four ACU students and fronted by Stephen Munoz, will be joined by another Abilene band, Close Your Eyes, in what promises to be a fun, exciting and entertaining show. Beginnings, an aptly titled first album for the band, is a collection of nine energetic punk rock songs in the vein of early Brand New or Taking Back Sunday. Recorded by Mason Shirley, an ACU student who does recordings and live sound, the album is overall a solid debut effort by Swing the Lead. The track titles are of the typical witty-punk breed, such as Your Handwriting Smells Fishy and Your Boat Shoes Got Nothing on Me. The music is full of fast, engaging guitar riffs played by lead guitarist Zak Zeinert, driving beats and dynamic drum fills provided by Andy Munoz and catchy vocal hooks sung by Munoz and

Kim Martin :: contributing photographer

Clockwise from top: Swing the Lead performs at the Beach Bash two weeks ago in the Mall area on campus. Right: Bassist Matt Tate, junior graphic design major from Arlington, and lead singer/guitarist Stephen Munoz, junior marketing major from Escondido, Calif., perform. Below: Cover design for Beginnings by Matt Tate and Andy Munoz, sophomore art major from Escondido, Calif. bassist Matt Tate. The vocals are enthusiastic and include some nice harmonies, such as on the chorus to the song Kings. Some songs employ split vocal parts, where two different things are sung at the same time, and the song Kids from the Underground features a compelling shout chorus, where the whole band shouts responses to Munoz’s vocal lines. The album includes two versions of the song I Won’t be There: the normal full band version and an acoustic version that features electronic drums and bass, a synth part and even a piano in the back-

ground during the chorus. The acoustic version is somewhat a departure from the rest of the band’s songs, but I like the ideas it puts together for the tune. The last song, Pain Heals, Chicks Dig Scars, and Glory Lives Forever, is another acoustic song and is a simple, hopeful track that contains some of Munoz’s finest vocals. Although this is a good first album, it feels like some of the energy of Swing the Lead’s live show has been lost in the recordings. This often happens with the style of music the band plays, simply because the intensity of

its live shows is difficult to imitate in a recording. That being said, you should go see the band live because its members put on exciting and fun shows that get the audience singing, clapping and even dancing, as the band jumps around on stage and

Hyped indie flick less than expected By Lydia Melby Arts Editor

Formulas can be valuable sometimes. They are essential for math, chemistry, physics and who does not love throwing an “Ee equals em cee squared — duh” comment into the occasional conversation? Formulas also can be good for the arts, if used correctly. What would a chickflick be without the old ‘boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back’ plotline? Well, it might be disconcerting for those who like to watch the typical formula movie. So when making the kind of romantic comedy that girls all over the planet will force their woebegone significant others to watch, sticking with the formula is a little essential. However, if you are going to market a film as the newest heartfelt, offbeat, indie little dramedy, using a formulaic script is generally a bad idea. The people who like predictable movies probably will not be the people who watch your film, and ramming conventional sentimentality down your audience’s throats with the most contrived plot devices you can devise will not work for an audience who expected a quality film. Using formulas is exactly the kind of mistake a lot of ‘artsy’ movies are making today, and Sunshine Cleaning is no exception. You would never guess from the previews and hype that this movie is a recycled mess of self-conscious writing and forced emotion all thrown into a predictable, yet cluttered plot. When watching the film, I felt certain I had seen some scenes before, and some events, while they did not necessarily give a sense of déjà vu, were not too surprising. For some reason, I expected more from the woman who directed Sylvia and the makers of Little Miss Sunshine. Another problem was the movie lacked a sense of focus. It seemed like whoever

generally rocks out. While you’re at it, pick up a copy of Beginnings because it is a strong debut for Swing the Lead; besides, supporting local bands is important and helps keep good, authentic

Contributing Writer

Above: Jason Spevak as Oscar, Amy Adams as Rose, Emily Blunt as Norah and Alan Arkin as Joe have a dysfunctional family dinner. Right: Spevack watches his mother and aunt as they clean a crime scene. edited the film cut some of the unifying scenes on accident. But the biggest problem with the movie was the over-drawn sentimentality. It begins well, but becomes more and more contrived, and there came a point toward the end where I thought, “Honestly? Did the writer really expect us to swallow that without complaining?” Condescension in the place of subtlety is never a good idea. However, Sunshine Cleaning’s mediocrity is certainly not the fault of the actors. The only blemish with this stellar cast is they chose to be in such a movie. But actors have to work and eat, and with the amount of publicity this film is getting, I imagine none of the actors will regret their choice too much. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are both fantastic. Adams has the tough job of making her obnoxious character likable, while keeping her human. Her character makes some of the worst choices a mother has ever made and is generally a self-

ish prima donna, but Adams mostly succeeds in eliciting compassion from the viewers, despite her character’s faults. Blunt is one of the better actresses working in Hollywood today, and I would pay money to see her in almost anything. Alan Arkin, of Little Miss Sunshine fame, is predictable but genuine as a widower grandfather, and newcomer Jason Spevack is delightfully bratty in his role as the child of Adam’s single mother character. Overall, this is a decent film that tried to be too much more. Sunshine Cleaning did not hit a profound note in its entire 91 minutes, although the supporting cast and one minor

role in particular somewhat saved the film from too much driveling self-pity. If you can get past the jumbled plot and unbelievable moments, I would recommend the film; however, if you do not meet all of the above criteria, I suggest finding a better way to spend your Friday night and money.

E-mail Melby at: lgm05e@acu.edu

E-mail Knettel at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

‘DWTN’ album raises HIV/AIDS awareness By Tanner Hadfield

Photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

music alive. To hear some of Swing the Lead’s music, visit its Myspace page: myspace. com/swingtheleadmusic.

If you have $13 and a heart, go and buy the most interesting album release of the semester: Dark Was The Night. DWTN ($12.99 on www.Amazon.com, or $15.99 for iTunes’ purists) is a compilation album from the Red Hot Organization, raising awareness and funds for HIV and AIDS. Produced by the Dessner brothers of The National and featuring artwork done by former ACU student Ryan Feerer (’05), DWTN contains 31 tracks from a murderer’s row of current indie-rock sluggers, including Ben Gibbard, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Feist, Spoon, Iron and Wine, Conor Oberst, Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire (Where the Wild Things Are trailer music providers). Usually compilation albums drag the bottom of the B-sides barrel, but this one drags the bottom of the sea, trolling the sparseness of some ethereal subterranean despair and anticipation, using cutting room floor material to make a fantastic headdress of coarse black feathers and eyelashes. Maybe it is because of great solo efforts by these outstanding artists or the effortless reverberations created by so much talent in one place, but there is no disappointment here. Bust out your Tonka trucks, kids, there is so much goodness to dig through here. Stuffy smoke fills both disks of this collection, titled This and That, respectively. Disk one begins with a bang with Dirty Projectors and David Byrne’s foot-stomper Knotty Pine. A staccato bass line and punchy pianos fill the spaces on this upbeat collaboration. Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) and Feist’s cover of Train Song is a beautiful twangy duet of introspec-

tive wanderlust, with both voices pushing toward a hopeful, rusty swooning of “it won’t be long.” Grizzly Bear provides another noteworthy track on disk one with Deep Blue Sea. The song is pretty meager in instrumentation compared to the bands’ normal work, but it does evoke a simple beauty reminiscent of the gentle end of a sad, watery tale. Perhaps the best track on both albums, Sufjan Stevens’ You are the Blood closes out the first disk. The tenminute epic encompasses the mini-symphony that this album is, sprawling across soundscapes of intricate electronic and shiny orchestral chorals. Those impatiently waiting Stevens’ next album will find themselves able to wait a while longer; this song appropriately fills the Sufjan-shaped hole jonesin’ in your hungry soul. Disk two is more jaunty and scattered than the first, with ear-openers in My Morning Jacket’s plunky El Caporal, Andrew Bird’s usual magical work in The Giant of Illinois, Blonde Redhead and Devastation’s crackly, wistful whisper of a song When the Road Runs Out and Cat Power’s best Bob Dylan impersonation on the soulful rendition of Amazing Grace. The album-capping Love vs. Porn ends things nicely. This offering from Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew is a weary, bleary ballad of dirty despair mourning the loss of sanctity associated with sexuality and relationships. It all ends with the lights out, save for the soft blue glow of a computer screen, twinkling, torn between despondence and hope on a familiar drowsy, dark night. Perk up your Sunday afternoon ears and help a great cause while you are at it.

E-mail Hadfield at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

ViewsFriday

Page 6

May 1, 2009

Year’s top articles represent historic terms 1 4 6

Daniel Paul Watkins became the first Students’ Association president removed from office in the history of the university when the SA Congress voted 25-5-2 to impeach the senior political science major from Fredericksburg, Va. The vote stripped Watkins of his title and responsibilities as president in a closed hearing March 4. The hearing came to be after Luke Cochran, then the SA Chief Financial Officer and now the newly elected Executive Treasurer, accused Watkins of failing “to lead the Students’ Association in a positive manner,” showing “disrespect for the Abilene Christian University community” and failing to “adhere to the ethical standards of conduct as noted in the Abilene Christian University Campus Policies.” Watkins said the procedure was unconstitutional. Students reacted to the decision with confusion and interest, but no public record of the hearing or of who voted to impeach Watkins exists. After a competitive election season, the United States of America made history, electing President Barack Obama, first black president of the United States. The country celebrated Obama’s election, as the country took a historical leap forward after its embarrassing history of slavery, segregation and discrimination. Once again, the U.S. saw a peaceful exchange of power. Although ACU is miles from Washington, D.C., its stu-

dents and faculty joined the celebration. On election night, student supporters of Obama rejoiced, and a handful of staff, faculty and students made the trip to the nation’s capital to witness Obama’s inauguration Jan. 20. Even those on campus who voted for Obama’s opponent took notice on inauguration day to witness history. The tech world and media across the nation took notice when ACU launched its state-of-theart Mobile Learning Initiative in the fall. Although early critics of the initiative called it a “gimmick,” the faculty, students and staff who oversaw and participated in the program in which more than 1,000 ACU community members received an Apple iPod touch or iPhone, compliments of the university, proved it was a step forward in the integration of technology in the realm of higher education. ACU designed mobile interfaces that students used in and out of the classroom to enhance their educational experience. ACU extended its knowledge of the program at February’s ConnectEd Summit, a two-day conference where more than 400 people from four continents, eight countries and more than 30 U.S. states attended to collaborate on mobile learning. ACU already has committed to distributing mobile devices to the next batch of incoming freshmen and plans to build on its successes and shortcomings of its innovative experiment.

SA President Daniel Paul Watkins said an unknown person placed a hangman’s noose in his office chair in September. Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, called it “an outrageous act,” and students, faculty and staff joined in condemning the incident as an ignorant act of hate that did not represent the views of the ACU community. The ACU Police Department investigated the act, but after a thorough investigation, no culprit has been found. The noose incident story was reported by local, state and national news organizations. The story sparked classroom conversations about race and discrimination on this West Texas campus. In February, the NCAA penalized the ACU track and field and football programs for violations. The NCAA penalized the successful sports programs for extra benefits to student-athletes, paid visit violations and impermissible inducements of prospective student-athletes. ACU self-reported the infractions in 2007, and after a year-long investigation, the NCAA punishments included a two-year probation, recruiting restrictions, vacations of football records, athletic scholarship reductions and a financial penalty. After consideration, ACU appealed some of the violations. If the appeal is denied, the football team will have to vacate its wins from the 2007 season and

the statistics recorded during those wins. Behind a strong senior class, the ACU football team made waves with one of its “winningest” seasons in the program’s history. ACU finished the season with a 11-1 overall record, the program’s first outright Lone Star Conference championship since 1973, an appearance in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA playoffs and the program’s highest-ever NCAA Division II national ranking (No. 2). NFL scouts took notice of ACU’s slew of talent, and Johnny Knox and Bernard Scott — the winner of the D-II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Harlon Hill Award — were drafted by NFL teams Sunday. ACU players set several NCAA, LSC and school records during the 2007 season, and a faithful sea of purple and white fans witnessed every moment. More than four years after he was arrested for the murder of his parents, Dennis and Norma Woodruff, former ACU student Brandon Woodruff was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in March. Former and current ACU students testified in the trial, and Woodruff’s attorney said he was “shocked” by the jury in the 354th District Court in Hunt County’s decision. Dennis was shot once in the head and stabbed nine times, while Norma was shot as many as five times from bullets

Lebensgefahr

This Year’s Top Stories

Whether it was an iPhone movement or the impeachment of a student leader, the shores of the Abilene Christian University news reservoir were flooded with incomprehensible stories. And in its first official year on campus, the JMC Network, the student media operation at ACU, proudly reported the flow of first-rate stories through its print, broadcast multimedia and online mediums. But not all stories are equal. The Optimist editorial swam through the more than 50 newspaper issues of the past school year, and after debating which story made the biggest splash on the newsworthiness scale, we proudly present the Top 10 stories of the year:

fired six days before Woodruff was arrested. As he left the courtroom, Woodruff said he planned to appeal the decision. In March, the island nation of Madagascar endured a military coup d’etat when former President Marc Ravalomanana, who visited ACU’s campus twice, was forced to resign, and the military pronounced Andry Rajoelina the new leader of the nation. Rajoelina had been leading anti-government protests for months and earned the military support, but the exiled Ravalomanana has challenged Rajoelina’s authority. Ravalomanana partnered with ACU to bring 24 Malagasy students to campus as part of the Madagascar Presidential Scholars Program in 2004, and spoke at the Malagasy students’ Commencement in 2008. At least 10 Malagasy students attend ACU. A new advertisement policy took effect that prohibits the posting of announcements, advertisements and fliers on side-

walks, doors, walls or trash bins throughout campus. Several students opposed the policy, while others supported the policy. SA Congress passed a resolution against the policy. More than six months after the enactment, the university began construction on an ad kiosk in front of the Campus Center where students could advertise events. The university witnessed a host of campus renovations and construction during the 2008-09 school year. Along with a redesign of the “World Famous Bean”, the university unveiled the 57,000-square-foot, $15.7 million Hunter Welcome Center in February. The center has been utilized as a venue to host a myriad of campus event, and several ACU departments relocated into new offices in the center.

E-mail the Optimist at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

By Alex York

In Your Words What are your summer plans? “I’m hoping to have an internship at Disney and make some connections for my career.”

“I plan to take a summer course at the community college where I live.”

Eyrah Quashie

Stacey Kilnge

Freshman public relations major from The Colony

Junior communication major from Garden Ridge

“My plans for the summer are going home and working for a few months.”

acuoptimist.com View videos of student responses for the “In Your Words” questions online at www.acuoptimist.com.

Jordan Blakey

Senior graphic design major from Rowlett

Apathy impedes experiencing optimal fulfillment Silence comes with mixed reviews. Struck with a heaping dose of writer’s block before this last column of the year, I filtered t h r o u g h Web site pages of famous quotations about the subject Conscientious as I contemConjecture plated the fact that I By Laura already was Acuff 11 hours past my deadline and still had written nothing. Opinions seemed divided into two courts. The first group expressed the idea that

chatter without substance should be avoided — when you do not have anything of value to say, keep your mouth shut. The second camp subscribed to the idea that silence, in general, protects the status quo, inhibits progression and is inherently bad. Either way, I realized most of the world’s great thinkers, or at least most quoted thinkers on the Internet, surely would frown upon my predicament. With my deadline trailing further and further behind, I did not have anything to say; and with the publication deadline looming ever nearer, I did not have the option of saying nothing. I asked my roommate, an art major, if she had any ideas. Right away, she said simply,

Editorial and letter policy 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: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

“You could write about the art department.” My dubious expression immediately sent her into justification mode. She began talking about upcoming reviews and different opinions on teaching styles within the department. In short: nothing I could turn into a super exciting or hysterically witty column. But she was serious. I dared not belittle her idea, if for no other reason than we still had to live together for 10 more days before parting ways for the summer. I tried to consider her idea, tried to think of some genius writing mechanism that would make the rest of the student body, or at least the five people outside my immediate family who read my

columns, care about the inner workings of a single, specific department at ACU. Nope, nothing. But I was impressed by her sincerity. She really wanted me to write about her department. Her eyes lit up as she described the “controversial” bits, and her enthusiasm shined through the PR push. And I thought maybe that is not so bad. I could not turn the suggestion into a column, but I had to admire the passion she exuded for her vocation. Then it hit me: It does not always matter how many people we recruit to our respective causes, whatever they may be. Whether anyone else cares about our passions is insignificant.

Optimist the

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Sure, it feels exhilarating to communicate a sentiment felt by the masses instead of struggling to shout a message no one else seems to hear. But in the end, it matters less what we achieve with our convictions and more that we actually have convictions. Without calling, without inspiration, life would seem rather empty. When I tried to decide with what message I wanted to leave Optimist readers in my last column of the year and as editor of the opinions page, I kept returning to the same question: How do I make them care? I realized I cannot. But that does not matter. It matters less what we care about and more that we do, that we find

issues or subjects to spark our interest. It matters that we act on what inspires us. After all my Internet searching, my favorite quotation about silence became one by English novelist D.H. Lawrence. Instead of condemning silence as apathy, Lawrence identified it as sometimes, but never always, appropriate. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot,” he said. And that communicates the last exhortation I hope to leave my readers: Carefully consider what you say, but when you say it, say it well — say it with conviction. Care. E-mail Acuff at: lka06a@acu.edu

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SPORTS JUMPS / CAMPUS NEWS

Friday, May 1, 2009

Page 7

Tennis: Men claim second title in three years Police: Expansion to cut response time Continued from page 8

ACU continued its dominance, and after winning the first two singles matches and the No. 3 and No. 5 matches, the match was called after it became clear that the TexAnns had no shot at a comeback. With the win, the women claimed their second straight LSC title. While the women were busy defending their title, the men were looking to reclaim the LSC title for the second time in three years. In order to do so, they had to beat the only team in the region that defeated them during the regular season. It was the finals match many predicted with ACU taking on Cameron.

The men came out on fire, taking two of three doubles matches, a reverse from the earlier meeting when they went into singles down 1-2. With the lead heading into singles, the Wildcats were looking to encounter the same fortune in the final six matches of the day. After losing the No. 1 singles match, ACU fought back to win the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 matches to put the Aggies away and take the conference title 5-3. “I don’t think we played up to our capability last time, but we came out today and took care of business,” said Hutton Jones, head tennis coach. On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that both the

men’s and women’s tennis teams would host the Division II South Central Region tournament next week, May 7-9. The women were awarded the No. 1 seed and will play Washburn at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday; Incarnate Word and Tarleton State will play at 12:30 p.m. in the other semifinals match. The championship match is Friday at 10 a.m. The men were also awarded the No. 1 seed and will be joined by Washburn and Southwest Baptist in the three-team regional tournament. ACU will play in the championship match next Friday at noon against the winner of the Washburn and Southwest Baptist match,

which will be played Thursday at 10 a.m. Both the men and women are looking to repeat as South Central champions in this year’s regional final. Last year, the women defeated Northeastern State 5-0 to advance to the national tournament, and the men defeated Incarnate Word 5-3 to advance. “As a coach, you just hope that [the players] feel a hunger to compete better than they did last week every week,” Jones said. “It’s time to get hungry again.”

E-mail Tripp at: bjt07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 1

Police Patrols

The ACUPD has been pursuing redistricting its patrol borders since last semester, but it kept getting delayed because of the lengthy legal process of redistricting the jurisdiction. Despite the delay, Ellison said the expansion will better serve the ACU community. “Conceivably, it can give you a much quicker response time,” Ellison said. “If you’ve got Abilene Police cars patrolling the whole city, and a burglary in progress gets reported here,

The ACU Police Department expanded its patrol boundaries in April. The jurisdiction will stretch to the following parts of Abilene: n North: East Overland Trail n South: East Highway 80 n West: Cottonwood Street n East: Union Lane

well, the nearest Abilene Police car could be 10 minutes away. We’re always going to be in this area.” E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu

Baseball: Wildcats Pancakes: Students organize collection to host tournament Continued from page 1

Continued from page 8 will also be key to the Wildcats’ success. On the mound, ACU finished the season ranked second in the LSC with a 5.09 team ERA. Starting pitcher Preston Vancil (3-4) leads all starters with a 3.98 ERA and tops the LSC in strikeouts (96). Starting pitchers Cameron Aspaas (72, 4.63 ERA) and Cooper Page (2-1, 5.34 ERA) also will be key in the tournament, while relief pitcher Kevin Justice (7-2, 4.08 ERA) and closer Brad Rutherford (9-3, 3.16 ERA, 10 saves) will play big roles. “We battled with [Southeastern Oklahoma] early in the year and had some really close games,” Bonneau said. “Preston Vancil threw a very good game against them, and we will have him and Aspaas to choose from to start the series out.” The Savage Storm finished off the regular season by taking three of four from East Central, and are led by starting pitchers Reece Dodd (11-3, 2.35 ERA), who leads the LSC in ERA, and Nathan Johnson (4-6, 5.15

ERA). Offensively, outfielder Cody Pearce (.389), infielder Scott Hancock (.374) and catcher Ryan Bowen (.333, 8 HR) will lead Southeastern Oklahoma. The LSC tournament field will also include top-seeded Cameron, second-seeded Angelo State, fifth-seeded Eastern New Mexico and sixthseeded Tarleton State. The Wildcats, who lost last season to Texas A&M-Kingsville in the championship game of the tournament, will begin play Saturday at 7 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field. If ACU wins, they will play Sunday at 7 p.m., but would play Sunday at 3 p.m. if they lost their first game in the double elimination tournament. “We’re in a position where we have to win to go to regional’s which is a little different from years past,” Bonneau said. “This team can do a lot of damage, and we will wait and see who shows up and how we respond to the tournament atmosphere.”

E-mail Abston at: gda04b@acu.edu

through the donated clothing. “The trading is just for T-shirts and clothes, so if you bring a T-shirt, you can get a T-shirt you like,“ said Caitlin Winegeart, junior accounting major from Abilene. Winegeart is one of the students who organized the event.

“We’ve been doing this for the past seven or eight years, and it looks a little bit different each year,” she said. Last year, so much was donated it took four pickup trucks to deliver the clothing to the organization, she said. “Essentially why the Dead Day started was to alleviate dumpster-diving at the end of the semester; and a lot of the stuff gets

thrown out, and a lot of it’s useable,” Winegeart said. The plan this year is to collect both clothing and whatever other donations students choose to provide. Winegeart said she hoped to see more furniture in this year’s event, all of which will go to refugee families and Abilene’s homeless. All clothing left over from trading will be do-

nated, along with all household items and furniture, to Love and Care Ministries and the IRC, which works to help settle refugee families in Abilene. “We’re hoping students have enough stuff packed that they know what they could give away,” Winegeart said. E-mail Leahy at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Books: Store profits from buyback Continued from page 1 up the buyback process. Although some students line up early the first day of buybacks to sell their textbooks, Powell said she does not think such measures are necessary. “Usually once it gets going, it goes pretty fast, but some of them just really want to get there, and I guess they’re really ready to sell their books back,” Powell said. “If people want to, that’s great. They’ll be first in line to sell their books back, but I don’t really know what the benefit is.” As the Internet has become more a part of ev-

“

If you sell them back here, then it’s going to be cheaper for the students to buy a used book in the fall or the next semester. :: Tammy Powell, text and media manager for The Campus Store

eryday life, Harsh said students have more venues and opportunities through which they can buy and sell used textbooks. However, he said The Campus Store has yet to see a decrease in profit, and he said students continuing to return books to The Campus Store benefit the ACU community.

”

“One of the strengths of our area is being able to offer used books,” Harsh said. “If we can keep that cycle going, that really is what makes it beneficial to everybody, and so we like to see books in that cycle as long as we can because more than one student can benefit from those books.”

Powell also said selling back books to The Campus Store aids other students. “If you sell them back here, then it’s going to be cheaper for the students to buy a used book in the fall or the next semester,” Powell said. “Whereas, if we don’t get any back, we’re just going to have to order new ones, and then those students will have to buy all new ones.”

E-mail Acuff at: lka06a@acu.edu

Softball: ACU ranked No. 3 in regional poll Golf: Team travels to Mich. for regionals Continued from page 8

Continued from page 8 OK because there has always been someone else there to pick them up. We expect that to continue this weekend.” The Rambelles are led offensively by Sandy James, who leads the team in almost every offensive category (hits, runs, batting average and RBIs). Defensively, the Rambelles have two strong pitchers in Chelsea Nelson and April Haywood. Nelson is 24-4 on the season with a 2.48 ERA, while Haywood is 16-4 with a 2.96 ERA.

The series is also important because it could affect the seeding of the regional rankings, which determines playoff seeding. Angelo State is No. 1 in the region and ACU stands in No. 3. The top six teams make the playoffs, and the top two seeds receive a first-round bye.

E-mail Cantrell at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

remains is Patrick Hanuer. Campbell plans to take the same five players to the regional tournament that he took to the LSC Tournament: Cyril Bouniol, Hilton Funk, Hanuer, Zach Sadau and Jose Gutierrez. The team will play 54 holes, consisting of 18 holes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Along with ACU, the other teams competing in the South Central Region include: Central Oklahoma, Washburn, St. Edward’s, Northeastern State,

Central Missouri, St. Mary’s, Texas A&M-Commerce, Missouri Southern State and Dallas Baptist. Funk said ACU has been playing match play rounds among the team to build team spirit. “We are trying to connect and play together as a team,” Funk said. “Our expectations are of course to make it to nationals, and we should make it.” Funk said the team has done pretty well so far this season, but that it hasn’t shown its true potential.

“We have kind of been disappointed, but we should peak at the right time,” Funk said. “We are hoping to show that with our scores.” Funk has not played The Meadows at Grand Valley State, but has heard it is supposed to be a really nice golf course with tight fairways and high roughs. “It should be demanding, but I think it will suit our games well,” Funk said. “The fairways are narrow, but we are fairly good ball strikers.” Funk said the team needs to stay positive leading up

to the tournament. “By playing together and having fun together, it kind of keeps us loose and positive and we can build each other up,” Funk said. Out of the 20 teams competing next week, only the top five will move on to the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Blaine, Wash., on May 19-22.

E-mail Harris at: tch05f@acu.edu

SportsFriday

Page 8

SCOREBOARD

Third-seeded Wildcats to play Southeastern Oklahoma

Standings

By Grant Abston Sports Editor

Baseball Team

Div. 32-12 31-13 30-14 23-20 23-21 Tarleton St. 22-21-1 Central Okla. 22-22 SW Okla. 21-23 NE State 16-26-1 TAMU-K 15-29 WTAMU 13-29 East Central 13-31 Cameron Angelo St. ACU SE Okla. ENMU

Overall 41-13 40-16 39-17 27-24 28-26 25-28-1 27-28 30-25 21-31-1 20-35 20-33 14-38

Softball Team

Div. ACU 15-3 Angelo St. 14-4 WTAMU 9-8 TAMU-K 8-10 Tarleton St. 8-10 TX Woman’s 6-12 ENMU 2-15

Overall 42-11 41-8 35-21 32-22 26-22 26-25 24-23

May 1, 2009

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Shortstop Willie Uechi swings at a pitch against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Despite being ranked No. 2 in the regional poll just three weeks ago, ACU dropped to No. 5 in the regional poll after a 4-5 finish and will head into this weekend’s Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship tournament needing a strong performance to earn an invite to the regional tournament. The No. 25 Wildcats (39-17, 30-14) earned the No. 3 seed for the LSC postseason tournament and will play fourthseeded Southeastern Oklahoma (27-24, 23-30) in their opening game of the tournament. The top six teams in the LSC will be competing for the LSC champi-

Baseball onship while the top six ranked teams in the region, ranked after the conference tournament, will earn an invite to the regional tournament; the winner of the LSC tournament will get an automatic invite. “Anytime you play in the playoffs is an accomplishment, and that’s something a handful of our guys have not done with all the new guys,” head coach Britt Bonneau said. “We are kind of a bubble team this year and have to play well enough to get to championship Tuesday, and to get there, you got to play good baseball early.” The Wildcats, who won three of four from Southeast-

ern Oklahoma earlier this season at home, enter the series as the top-ranked team in the LSC in batting average (.348), and average just under eight runs a game. Catcher Jordan Schmitt, who broke the ACU single-season record for RBI last weekend, will lead the Wildcats’ offense. Schmitt leads the team in home runs (12), RBI (89), triples (5), doubles (20) and ranks third with a .391 average. Shortstop Willie Uechi (.409), center fielder Thomas Bumpass (.397), second baseman Chris Hall (.381), designated hitter Cameron Watten (.358) and outfielder Travis Latz (.353) See

Baseball page 7

Lone Star Showdown

Scores Friday Softball ACU 3, Midwestern State 0

Baseball Tarleton State 3, ACU 2 ACU 7, Tarleton State 1

Men’s Tennis ACU 5, Cameron 3

Women’s Tennis ACU 5, Tarleton State 0

Saturday Baseball Tarleton State 6, ACU 3 ACU 17, Tarleton State 11

Sunday Softball ACU 7, Central Oklahoma 2

Upcoming Friday Softball ACU vs. Angelo State, 5 p.m.

Saturday Softball ACU vs. Angelo State, noon ACU vs. Angelo State, 2:20 p.m.*

Baseball ACU vs. SE Oklahoma St., 7 p.m. :: Home games listed in italics * If necessary

Briefs n Preston Vancil earned LSC Pitcher of the Week honors after striking out a career-high 13 batters in his fourth Vancil complete game of the season as ACU defeated Tarleton State 7-1 on Friday. Vancil allowed just one run on seven hits in nine innings as he improved to 3-4 on the season. n Tickets will be $3 for the LSC postseason baseball and softball games hosted by ACU. Three hundred tickets for baseball will be passed out at Chapel on Thursday and Friday, and 100 tickets will be passed out for the softball games at the gate. n Catcher Jordan Schmitt of the baseball team and tennis player Irene Squillaci were named the male and female winners of the Paul Goad Award at ACU’s annual sports banquet, given to the top student-athletes at ACU for the 2008-09 athletics year. Football players Billy Malone, Bernard Scott, Johnny Knox and Sam Collins along with track and field standout Camille Vandendriessche were given the Horizon Award, awarded to student-athletes who had outstanding performances in a single season or career.

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer First baseman Katie Cornelison rounds third base against Tarleton State on April 10. The Wildcats will play Angelo State in a best-of-three series to decide the Lone Star Conference champion.

Softball team to play Angelo State for conference championship By Ryan Cantrell

Softball

Sports Writer

After winning the south side of the Lone Star Conference tournament, the Wildcats will host Angelo State this weekend for the LSC Championship series. The championship will be a best of three series starting Friday at 5 p.m. “Angelo State is a good hitting team,” head coach Chantiel Wilson said. “They have two good pitchers, and we just hope to play two good games or three if it goes that far.”

The Wildcats edged out the Rambelles for the LSC South Division regular season title. The Wildcats held on to a one-game edge over Angelo State. ACU finished 15-3 in conference, while the Rambelles were 14-4. Despite winning the South Division, the Rambelles took the series between the two teams, winning two of three in San Angelo earlier this season. The Wildcats won the first meeting between these two teams 7-3 before drop-

ping the next one 11-5. The final game between the two teams was a great one that needed extra innings before it was decided. The Wildcats lost a heartbreaker 7-6 in extra innings. The Wildcats have been on an incredible streak down the final stretch of the season. They are 26-2 over their last 28 games, with the only two losses being at San Angelo. The Wildcats are hoping that being at home will give them the advantage they need to swing this series in their favor.

“I think it is a big deal when you are able to play at home in front of your friends and family as opposed to on the road,” Wilson said. “We have played well on the road, but it is nice not having to travel or stay in a hotel. We are excited to be able to host this weekend.” Great pitching and timely hitting have carried the Wildcats this season. Jacque Gregoire leads the team with a 21-4 record for the season on the mound. She also has an impressive 2.60 ERA and 122 strikeouts for the

season. Gregoire is complemented by Kim Partin, who has been solid almost every time she has pitched; she has an 11-2 record with a 1.89 ERA. The Wildcats’ offense has also been a strength as their balance throughout the lineup has carried them. “I think our hitting has been a big part of our success because it has not just been one person,” Wilson said. “Sometimes slumps happen, and if one person has been struggling this season, it has been See

Softball page 7

Cats receive at-large bid to Regional tournament

Tennis teams claim LSC titles

By Chandler Harris

After an impressive season, the men’s and women’s tennis teams have begun their quest for a successful postseason. Both teams were vying for conference championships, and both teams got them. The women were nothing short of dominant in their defense as reigning LSC champions. Not allowing a single point in three matches, the Wildcats swept away competition one after the other. After sweeping the first two rounds of the tournament, the women competed against Tarleton State University. It was all Wildcats from the start, as the women took all three doubles matches, taking a 3-0 lead into singles play. In singles

Golf

Assistant Sports Editor

The Wildcat golf team received an at-large bid Friday to compete in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional tournament May 4-6. The tournament will be played at The Meadows at Grand Valley State UniverCampbell sity in Allendale, Mich. “There are a lot of very talented teams in our region,” head golf coach Mike Campbell said. “We know we can compete with all of them if we play our game. If

we do, we have a good shot at going to nationals.” There are 10 teams from the South Central Region and 10 from the Midwest Region. Campbell said the Wildcats have not yet competed against any of the teams from the Midwest Region. The University of Indianapolis from the Midwest Region is ranked No. 22 in the nation, and Ferris State is another top program, Campbell said. The team played at The Meadows at Grand Valley State during the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship. The lone Wildcat who played on that team who still See

Golf page 7

By Brandon Tripp Broadcast Assistant

See

Tennis page 7

Dick Schissler :: staff photographer Eldad Campbell (above) and the men’s and women’s tennis teams grabbed the No. 1 seed in the South Central Region tournament.