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Pg. 8 Wildcats womp East Central, protect undefeated record
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 :: Vol. 97, No. 14 :: 1 section, 8 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com
Inside This Issue:
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ACU adapts to Apple power adapter recall
Sushi available to students Sundays at The Den in Barret Hall
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Fútbol family: Soccer players from around globe unite
Computer ownership diminishes need for labs in halls By Colter Hettich Features Editor
The days of late night computer labs bustling with freshmen might be quickly drawing to a close, if they have not already. With 93 percent of incoming freshmen bringing their own computers to ACU, the theory behind computer labs has become less and less relevant. George Saltsman, executive
director for the Adams Center for Learning, serves as chair of the LINK team. LINK — leadership, infrastructure, networking and knowledge — “administers the technology portion of the Academic Enrichment and Technology (AET) Fee,” according to www.acu.edu, and decided the residence hall computer labs no longer served their intended purpose. “LINK said the model for having a lab, per say, has gone
away,” Saltsman said. “And there probably is a better way of putting computers in the residence halls than dumping them in one place.” With more incoming students bringing computers, students’ needs have changed. Instead of general computer access, most students need access to printers. ACU’s printing station in the Brown Library, CopyCat, intentionally was designed to
accommodate this need. J.P Hennessy, freshman Biblical studies and history major from Coppell, lives in Mabee Hall and said he might see one person in the lab as he walks by the area. He has never seen more than two. “Pretty much everyone I know has their own computer,” Hennessy said. “Most of them have their own printers too, since Mac is offering a free printer when you
buy a computer.” LINK’s role primarily is funding and direction, Saltsman said. Residence Life must design how the university will implement the transition. No one from Residence Life was available for comment. John Delony, director of Residence Life and Housing, said he is working on a proposal for the Oct. 31 deadline. Saltsman said, “There are likely to be computers
and printers in the common rooms on each floor.” LINK reviews all proposals in November and typically makes its final decision on Dead Day. Consumers’ growing attachment to their personal computers has helped push LINK’s focus from “what” to “where” the computers are. “It’s definitely a trend we’re See
Labs page 4
Week of activities Pipes offers insight into election promotes wellness
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By Michael Freeman Managing Editor
Well Full of Activities
Student Reporter
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer for Christians. It’s really up to you to decide which issues matter most.
Students filled Hart Auditorium to its capacity Monday night to listen to former speechwriter for President George W. Bush Kasey Pipes speak in a Chapel forum on politics. The ACU alumnus’ lecture, titled “A Christian’s Responsibility to Government,” primarily covered evangelicals, the issues that matter to them and how the Republican and Democratic parties have been catering to them in the upcoming presidential election. “It’s such a hot topic,” Pipes said. “It’s an important development in American politics now that both parties are competing for voters of faith. And I think that’s good for both parties and good for voters of faith.” Pipes, who graduated from ACU in 1995 and was honored with the ACU Young Alumnus of the Year in 2006, began Monday night by reviewing the history of presidential elections in the past 50 years. Americans’ tendency to elect a president from a different party basically every eight years has been a trend since Dwight Eisenhower was president, Pipes said. Issues also have changed significantly. Abortion traditionally has been a key factor for evangelicals in determining whom they will vote for; but recently, life issues such as urban poverty, genocide in Africa and the environment have come to the forefront, Pipes said. “If you look at the Gospels, there is very little Jesus says of a political nature,” Pipes said. “I don’t know if there is a particular See
By Ruth Ramsey With new activities every day, the eighth annual Wellness Week, which began Monday, is in full force. The 2008 theme, “Come to the Well and Thirst No More” is devoted to changing students’ wellbeing by integrating their spiritual, emotional and physical perspectives. On Wednesday, Wellness Week offers free popcorn to students, faculty and staff all afternoon in the Campus Center. On Friday, “Unstressed Day” includes a dunking tank, rock wall, bouncing boxing, twister, bungee run, Velcro wall and obstacle course from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the mall area in front of Moody Coliseum. Steve Rowlands, director
:: Kasey Pipes, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush
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A host of activties will be available to the ACU community after Chapel Friday at “Unstressed Day.” n Rock wall n Dunking tank n Bungee run n Bouncing boxing n Velcro wall
of ACU’s Counseling Center, said Wellness Week is similar to those in the past but will continue with the common theme of helping students be proactive in life. “It is a chance to relay information about different See
Wellness page 4
Campaigners positive despite drop in options By Laura Acuff Opinion Page Editor
While Spring Break Campaign 2009 planners initially hoped for about 60 leaders for 30 campaigns, the 50 leaders appointed for this year’s campaigns remains proportionate to the also lower number of finalized locations with 25 destinations on this year’s agenda. “We wanted more locations and more leaders, but neither one really happened this year,” said SBC secretary Meredith
Photo Illustration by: Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer
acuoptimist.com: See a video of Kasey Pipes discuss evangelical voters and the ’08 election.
Pipes page 7
Platt, sophomore vocational missions major from Midland. Because the numbers, although lower than hoped, remained proportional, Platt said SBC still has plenty of manpower for this spring’s campaigns. In previous years, students traveled to as many as 33 destinations for campaigns, according to Optimist archives. This year’s drop to 25, Platt said, was the result of several factors, including some potential See
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Students style soles at TOMS shoes event By Tanner Anderson
acuoptimist.com
Page Designer
If students look around campus, it may be hard for them to find anyone with bare feet, and if they do, it is probably a decision those bare-footed individuals decided to make personally. Friday, TOMS Shoes and its Style Your Sole Tour made a pit stop in the ACU mall area not only to give students the chance to add an extra pair of shoes to their wardrobe but to donate a pair to shoeless children who do not have a choice when it comes to footwear.
See video of the music, food and fun at Friday’s Style Your Sole event
The price was $42 for each pair of the slip-on shoes. Students picked out a pair of shoes, styled and decorated them and walked away knowing a child somewhere would have a pair to call their own also. The Style Your Sole Tour is traveling around 50 different campuses across the nation to
Acu WeAtHeR
spread their one-for-one motto. For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair child in need. “We’ve been attending the Social Justice Chapel and heard that TOMS was donating shoes to children across the world, so we bought a pair for a friend back home,” said Marshall Fox, freshman English major from Waco. Blake Mycoskie created TOMS Shoes in 2006 after he was inspired to help shoeless children he saw while in South America. The company has given more than 10,000 pairs of
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shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 to children in South America. TOMS hopes to hand out 200,000 pairs of shoes to children around the world. “I think it’s important in all places including campuses to encourage any act of global support. While you’re here, you can get something for yourself while simultaneously giving something to others,” said Zach Linge, political science major from San Antonio. In addition to shoe decorating, participants also could indulge in free food and music performed by
mostly ACU students near the Campus Center. “I think it’s important for people to get involved anyway they can, even with something as simple as shoes. You can affect a child’s life with something so simple,” said Kendell Wilson, junior public relations major from Sherman. TOMS shoes can also be purchase at www.tomsshoes. com. or in town at Monk’s Coffee Shop located at 233 Cypress St.
E-mail Anderson at: tsa04a@acu.edu
Kat Patton :: staff photographer Rebekah Gill, junior nursing major from Farmersville, decorates one of her shoes at Friday’s Style Your Sole event.
Online Poll : Log onto www.acuoptimist.com or www.youtube.com/acuvideo to see weekly News casts and Sports casts from the JMC Network News Team and videos profiling various events and stories around campus and Abilene.
How much does a candidate’s faith affect your vote?
a. Not at all. It should be about issues. b. It is very important to me. c. I only support those who believe. d. It has some effect.
acuoptimist.com Department of Journalism and Mass Communication ::
Abilene Christian University
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Serving the ACU community since 1912
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Campus Day Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Calendar and Events
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Wednesday
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Thursday
Saturday
Friday
Wellness Week
Wellness Week
Wellness Week
Wellness Week
Free popcorn will be in the Campus Center for Wellness Week.
5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ArtWalk “Art Beat” in downtown Abilene. Call 677-8389 for more information.
Ghost Tours shares ghostly tales relating to the history of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village lynchings, death and decay. Call 572-3365 for more information.
Service Saturday
6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Sterling Volkswagen Street Eliminator at the Abilene Dragstrip. Call 673-7223 for more information.
acuoptimist.com
Credited Chapels to date:
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Credited Chapels remaining:
Across the Universe will play at the Paramount Theatre Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for students.
6 p.m. Dodge RAM-bunctious Friday Night! at the Abilene Dragstrip.
Webcast
This week’s newscast highlights the weekend’s soccer game, football game, tennis matches and cross country meet.
Log on to www.youtube.com/acuvideo for a deeper look into Kasey Pipes’ forum and the TOMS “Style Your Sole” performance.
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Announcements Open Mic Night in Minter Park will be Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone is invited to listen to poetry, comedy, music and other entertainment. Monk’s Coffee Shop will provide free hot chocolate.
Downtown Dayz promotes outdoor music, sidewalk sales, working artists, walking history tours and more. Call 672-9696 for more information.
Online Newscast
ChapelCheckup
Wellness Week invites students to come relax and have a good time with inflatables in the mall area outside Moody Coliseum Friday. The day will feature an inflatable rockwall and inflatable boxing for students to enjoy.
Volunteer Opportunities St. John’s Episcopal School needs volunteers at various times from Oct. 20 to Oct. 26 to help set up, run booths and tear down its carnival.
ushers Oct. 18 for the Prairie Home Companion performance in Moody Coliseum. Help is needed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The annual G. V. Daniels Recreation Center Fall Festival needs volunteers Oct. 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Volunteers will assist with game booths and hand out candy to kids. Appropriate costumes are allowed.
Service Saturday will allow students to sign up in the Campus Center after Chapel on Wednesday for the next service day. A number of sites will be available.
The ACU Alumni Office needs volunteers to help with various aspects of the Homecoming Carnival Oct. 24 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. or 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Help is needed to control the inflatables, paint faces, hand out candy or walk around in Elvis costumes. ACU’s radio station KACU-FM is seeking volunteers to act as
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 jmcnetwork@acu.edu or to the Page 2 Editor at mab07d@acu.edu.
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.
ACU Police Tip of the Week
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About This Page
Find out volunteer opportunities by visiting the Volunteer and Service-Learning 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.
Never leave your PIN number with your credit cards or your ATM cards.
Police Log Edited for space
Monday, Sept. 29 11:39 p.m. ACU police assisted Abilene police with an intoxicated subject at the Subway on Judge Ely Boulevard. Tuesday, Sept. 30 12:51 a.m. ACU police assisted Abilene police with an intoxicated driver at the Subway on Judge Ely Boulevard. 3:35 a.m. A smoke alarm activated at the University Park apartments; the resident was advised to contact maintenance. 9:10 a.m. ACU police escorted the blood bank to the Brown Library. 9:19 p.m. A fire alarm at Mabee Hall was set off by a fog machine. Wednesday, Oct. 10 3:35 a.m. A smoke alarm was activated at the University Park apartments. 4:35 p.m. A theft was reported at the Hilton Food Court in the Campus Center. 11:25 p.m. Someone reported a suspicious vehicle at East North 22nd Street and Cedar Crest; police were unable to locate the automobile. Thursday, Oct. 2 2:01 a.m. ACU police assisted Abilene police with a vehicle accident at Ambler Avenue. 7:25 a.m. ACU police assisted Abilene police with a subject threatening suicide at 2400 Church St.
Friday, Oct. 3 8:30 a.m. ACU police assisted Abilene police with a subject threatening suicide at 1400 Church St. 9:23 p.m. Someone reported students consuming alcohol at Will Hair Park. Saturday, Oct. 4 12:37 a.m. Someone reported a noise violation at 600 College St.; police were unable to locate. 1:19 a.m. Someone made an incomplete 911 call at the Nelson Hall call box; police were unable to locate anyone. 1:30 p.m. Police escorted an elderly female from the parking lot to the Biblical Studies Building. 2:40 p.m. Police escorted an elderly female from the Biblical Studies Building to the parking lot. 7:38 p.m. Someone reported a suspicious subject on the Lunsford Trail; it was a student waiting for a ride. Sunday, Oct. 5 1:28 a.m. Someone reported a noise disturbance at The Grove, building 2; police contacted the resident. Always report suspicious activity to ACUPD at 674-2305 or 674-2911.
CAMPUS NEWS
Wednesday, September 8, 2008
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iPhone adapters pose fire hazard By Savannah Shelton Student Reporter
Apple recently recalled all the chargers that came with the new iPhone 3Gs released in July, affecting the several hundred students who have the smart phones. The chargers’ metal prongs have a tendency to break off and remain in an electrical outlet, causing a potential fire hazard. The adapters supplied with the iPhones sold in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico and several Latin American countries are being replaced. On Monday, Apple announced the Apple Ultracompound USB Power Adapter Exchange program. While no injuries have been reported, Apple is voluntarily exchanging the chargers for replacement adapters, free of charge, according to www. apple.com. The 3G boasts some new features that were not part of the original iPhone, such as iPhone in Enterprise, maps
with GPS and the App store. It also is available in either eight or 16 gigabytes. The phone is sold at Apple Retail Stores and AT&T stores, according to the Apple Web site. ACU freshmen who received the iPhone 3Gs are directly affected by the recall. “Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter,” according to the Web site. iPhone users can use a USB adapter that connects to their computers until the new adapters are available starting Friday. “ACU is working with our Apple representative, and [Apple] will be supplying us in bulk with new adapters which will be given out at the Team 55 desk,” said Kay Reeves, director of technology support services. Sophomores, juniors or seniors with 3Gs who need to exchange their adapters
can order a replacement online or exchange the adapter at an Apple Retail Store starting Friday. Apple. com/support/usbadapter/ exchangeprogram/ provides a picture of the adapter for 3G owners to compare adapters. “If it matches, we will provide a replacement adapter in exchange for your current one,” according to the Web site. Freshmen simply have to take a trip to the Brown Library and provide their information to exchange their adapters. “We have to send Apple the serial number of all our freshmen’s iPhones, so Apple will send us the amount of adapters we need,” Reeves said. While no injuries havebeen reported, users should be cautious and resort to their USB chargers until the replacements are supplied, according to the Web site.
E-mail Shelton at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Hundreds of pumpkins line the grounds of the Disability Resources, Inc. pumpkin patch. Students can purchase pumpkins at the patch, which will be open for the rest of the month.
Disability organization sells pumpkins to generate funds By Kimberly Wolford Student Reporter
Students receive easier access with new online filing system By Heather Leiphart Student Reporter
A new files system application on the MyACU Web site replaced the old system Monday, closing access to old files but providing students and faculty with new features. The old system only had the ability to store files, whereas the current system boasts several new options: n Web: A mostly unknown perk for the students and employees at ACU is the ability to have their own personal Web pages, said Kristy Strickland, technology trainer. If the users know how to create Web pages, they can upload them to the new Web folder where they are made public immediately. Any kind of content is allowed, as long as it adheres to ACU’s guidelines, she said. n Sharing: The old system allowed file sharing through a shared folder to the ACU community only. The share feature in the new system allows files or folder sharing with anyone outside of the ACU community with a valid e-mail address, but the file or folder can be password protected. The recipients receive a link to the shared folder through a e-mail and are then asked if they would like to subscribe or save the link. n Subscriptions: This option notifies the user by email anytime the chosen file or folder is opened or edited. This assists students who want to know when a graded paper is returned, Strickland said. In addition, faculty members can set up a subscription on a dropbox, which notifies them when students submit their
assignments, removing the need to constantly check the folder. This also benefits group projects, Strickland said. n Locking: This option locks files from further editing. n Tags: Users can assign key words to their files, which makes searching for files easier. n Bookmarks: The new system has a built-in bookmarks menu for important links. n Versioning: Users may now keep different versions of a file without accidentally saving over the original or needing to rename each different version. This benefits collaborative group projects, Strickland said; professors also can look at previous versions to see what changes have been made. n Logging: This feature keeps track of everything that happens to a particular document, such as updates or permission changes. n Departments: This link allows faculty members to share files with their department. “If they want to use that, they just have to call the help desk and tell us what folder name to use and who is going to be the owner of that folder,” Strickland said. n Dropbox changes: Students now can see their assignments after they are uploaded, and professors have a return box for graded assignments. The return box automatically sends each graded assignment back to the student’s folder, removing the need for professors to search through long class lists to find each folder. In addition, the 15-minute wait time for files to appear in the system after uploading or
transferring is gone. “One of the biggest reasons we decided to do the switch this year is because of the new iPhone initiative,” Strickland said. Freshmen are able to access all of the content in their home or class info folders through their devices, which is why the new system’s implementation this semester is a huge advantage, she said. She said the file system was not meant to replace the blackboard system; it is completely different and the professors’ choose which system they use for each class. “Some new things are going to be coming in the next week or two for faculty that we’re really excited about,” Strickland said. Some other locked options in the file system should be available by next year, which will provide even more helpful features, she said. Faculty members tested the new system during the summer, and Strickland said she does not expect students to have many problems adjusting. She offers training classes for employees and students. The training class schedule can be found at www.acu.edu/training. Another helpful Web site with frequently asked questions and a training video is www. acu.edu/files.
E-mail Leiphart at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
A new attraction has arrived in Abilene as Disability Resources, Inc, a nonprofit organization, sponsors a monthlong pumpkin patch to raise funds for its organization. The patch, which began Oct. 1, is open to the public until Oct. 31. Plenty of opportunities are available for those wanting to visit, said Susan Hickmott, executive administrative assistant for Disability Resources, Inc. The pumpkin patch is entertaining for families as well as students. Hickmott said the organization provides hayrides and photo opportunities for all age groups and a story time for the younger visitors.
Another attraction at the pumpkin patch is all the different types of pumpkins for sale. “Prices for the pumpkins range with the size of the pumpkin,” Hickmott said. Last year, prices went from 75 cents all the way to $15. A portion of the proceeds from the pumpkin sale will go to Disability Resources for its projects. With Halloween fast approaching, many people are in the market for pumpkins to carve. The pumpkin patch provides people with an opportunity to buy their pumpkins in a more entertaining and authentic venue then simply going to a grocery store. “Last year, we just bought a pumpkin at Wal-Mart,” said Brittany
MacDonald, sophomore Interior Design major from Hillsboro. “But I think it would be more beneficial to buy it somewhere like this pumpkin patch, where money goes to charity.” Disability Resources is located north of I-20 on Hwy 277 North. This organization has served the developmentally disabled individuals in the area since 1987. Services offered include live-in care and work experience through the vocational campus. For more information about Disability Resources or how to get involved with the pumpkin patch and other activities, contact Disability Resources, Inc. at 677- 6815.
E-mail Wolford at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
CAMPUS NEWS/FROM THE FRONT
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Den offers food diversity Wellness: Rector begins week By Elizabeth Coffee Student Reporter
In order to broaden meal options for students, ACU started Sushi Sundays, where from 7 p.m. to midnight every Sunday in The Den, chefs prepare various rolls of sushi that can be purchased with meal plans or Bean Bucks; the meal includes a drink and eight cuts of sushi. “I just started working here this summer, and it was during my interview when they saw that I could do it [make sushi],” said Christopher Diaz, ACU catering chef. “When they hired me, I agreed to do something like this.” From California rolls to tuna rolls, ACU chefs prepare just about any type of sushi. Ingredients include shrimp, tuna, crab, cucumber, carrots and pickled radish. “The more popular we get, the more our budget grows and the more things we can offer,” Diaz said. During the first hour, traffic at a typical Sushi Sunday usual-
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I enjoy the kids’ faces that haven’t tried it. When they actually eat it, they come back and tell me that they like it. :: Christopher Diaz, ACU catering chef
ly is slow, but around 8:30 p.m. students begin to pack The Den. Last weekend, the line for Sushi Sunday was out the door. The small coffee shop was filled with the sounds of students ordering, the chatter of those waiting in line, knives scraping against cutting boards and the cappuccino machine brewing in the background. This experience seems to brighten students’ days, said Jason Strader, a sushi chef. “I enjoy the kids’ faces that haven’t tried it,” Diaz said. “When they actually eat it, they come back and tell me that they like it.” Strader said students should not be scared to try the unsual.
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Erin Brown, sophomore speech pathology major from San Antonio, attended each Sushi Sunday since it started four weeks ago. “It’s convenient having sushi right below my pod,” Brown said. “It’s also really nice to have ACU open up other opportunities and have a broader selection of food.” ACU Dining Services intends to offer another Sushi Sunday at the Starbucks in the Brown Library, Diaz said. “This is a good place to try something new and different,” Diaz said.
E-mail Coffee at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
services and making college life easier along with a better life in general,” Rowlands said. “Wellness Week is important because usually we know what it takes to be healthy but don’t take the time. This is a problem especially in college, and Wellness Week is a time to be reminded.” The ACU Counseling Center, Medical Clinic, Campus Activity Board, Peer Health Education Program, Residence Life and the Department of Exercise Science
and Health sponsored Wellness Week 2008, and all students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in the week’s activities. “Wellness Week is in October because around this time is when the Counseling Center sees the stress levels go up. The honeymoon period of school starting has wore off, and now we are in the middle of everything,” Rowlands said. “There are more stressors; pledging has started, relationships might not be going the way you wanted and more stu-
dents are getting sick with the change of weather.” The week’s activities began with Dr. Tony Rector’s message in Monday’s Chapel and continued with free massages, educational and informational booths on spiritual, emotional and physical wellness and free giveaways. To learn more about Wellness Week activities or the Counseling Center, visit www.acu.edu/campusoffices/counseling.
E-mail Ramsey at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Lab: Computer labs dissappearing Continued from page 1 seeing all across technology,” Saltsman said. “The computer is becoming an extension of a person, and that connection is not something we want to sever.” One major corporation al-
ready has begun catering to a growing trend. As part of its new program BYOC — Bring Your Own Computer, Citrix Systems employees receive a $2,100 stipend to buy a laptop of their choice and a threeyear service plan, according to the Associated Press.
Although incoming freshmen did not receive quite as generous an offer, the privilege of choosing between an iPhone or iPod Touch may be one step closer.
E-mail Hettich at: clh05d@acu.edu
Monk’s Open Mic Night brings downtown buzz By Molly Byrd Page 2 Editor
Downtown Abilene will shine brightly Thursday with Open Mic Night, an event that promotes the Light and Beauty Initiative. The event will give students and members of Abilene’s community the opportunity to express themselves from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Minter Park. The event is geared toward those interested in livening Abilene’s night life. Jessica White, junior premed and psychology major from Knox City, said one of the main goals of Open Mic Night is to bring attention to the downtown area. The promoted Light and Beauty Initiative will provide lighting for the Cypress Street trees. “We need everyone to know that special things can happen downtown if we can light up the streets because people will feel more comfortable staying there and hanging out all night,” White said. Booths will be set up at the event, allowing individuals or businesses to sponsor light installments below each of the trees. The sponsors will have plaques with the honoree’s or business’ name on it.
Monk’s Coffee Shop, Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, The Center for Contemporary Arts and ACU’s Office of Multicultural Enrichment are sponsoring the mic night. Monk’s will provide free hot chocolate, and bands have been booked to keep the entertainment on the open microphones constant. Anyone wishing for a slot in the lineup can contact Jamie Shelbourne at 677-8389. Abilene does not have much life in its downtown area, even though it has invested a lot of money to make it aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable, White said. “Downtown lacks that buzz of activity in nightlife, and that’s something I’d love to see happen in Abilene,” she said. White said her goal is to get people to come walk around, listen to music and meet new people, while they enjoy the night’s new bright and lively atmosphere. Light and Beauty Initiative leaders want to see all the trees lit up and commemorated before the 20th annual City Sidewalks event Dec. 2.
E-mail Byrd at: mab07d@acu.edu
Emily Jorgenson :: staff photographer Members of the SHADES step squad rehearse routines in preparation for their performance at Southern Hills Church of Christ Friday.
SHADES squad performs for festival By Elizabeth Spano Student Reporter
ACU’s SHADES step squad broadened its stomping grounds last Friday to Southern Hills Church of Christ, where it performed its first show of the semester for Abilene’s 14th annual Balloon Fest event. SHADES’ routine was performed on the main stage as an opening to the event’s activities. The show was among other festivities that included inflatable games for kids, fair attractions, food, opportunities to ride in hot air balloons and several local band performances. “I think [SHADES] did a really good job,” said David Wells, senior missions major from Atlanta and the squad’s guys’ captain. The show, which Wells said was a “come-and-go type per-
formance,” was performed on the flat bed of a truck that members said lessened the stomps’ sound quality. “The stage was small, but it worked,” said DeMarco Howard, junior fine arts major from Missouri City and head captain. Howard said some improvements could be made following the first show, such as precision and stage presence. Alise Anderson, junior marketing major from Flower Mound, agreed the stage was an inconvenience but said the squad was still “very together for [its] first performance.” SHADES’s next performance will be the Asian Fashion show Oct. 17 in the Teague Special Events Center from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., followed by the Cultural Rhythms show Oct. 18 at the Prime Time Entertain-
ment Ball Room from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The squad is anticipating other events and new routines planned for this year, including performances in the Homecoming Parade on Oct. 25, Ethnos Culture Show in November, Sing Song and the Spring Step Show. Members also will be outfitted with new T-shirts to wear for the events. SHADES already is devoting time and effort to preparation for the spring show, which members said they anticipate to be bigger and better than before, member Alise Anderson said. Those wishing to audition for talent acts in the spring show will be able to try out for parts, and audition details will be announced at a later date. Fifteen members are involved with SHADES this year, six of whom are fresh-
men. Tryouts are every fall and spring for those wishing to join the squad. Members practice twice a week, planning routines for upcoming shows and always providing constant encouragement and prayer for fellow members. Each routine is rehearsed until every stomp and clap is precise and unanimous. Howard said he views SHADES as an enriching and culturally diverse extracurricular activity. This year, the squad is encouraging bonding among members outside of practice and performances. Howard said activities such as movie nights and get-togethers enhance the unity of the squad both in and out of practice.
E-mail Spano at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
October 8, 2008
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Photos by :: Zak Zeinert, chief photographer From left to right: (Top row) Donovan Plummer, David Hewell, Asa Kusuma, German Irias, Samuel Opoku, Nathan Pickle, Giguya Nzunga, Ricardo Johnson, Felix Uhegbu, Eddy Borera, Juan Carlos Calvillo, Vibulano Hun (Bottom row) Jorge Daniel Garcia, Joel Lubanga, Tito Attang, Stephen McBride, Lazarus Kawinga, David Suazo, Wilkins Ahuta, Joe Byun, Hiroaki Akahoshi and Takumi Matsumoto
The Second Family At a West Texas university, a love for a global game brought together players from 13 countries. The diversity that once divided them now serves as their greatest weapon.
By Colter Hettich features editor
While school campuses in Abilene sit lifeless on Sunday afternoons, Mann Middle School transforms into a battleground. Across the street a white, church steeple stands just higher than the mesquite treetops. Weathered homes with toy-littered lawns line the bordering streets to the north and west. A few steps from the sideline, a man sells traditional Mexican snacks under his blue canopy. Friends and families of the players fan themselves from their folding chairs. Every couple of minutes a referee’s whistle interrupts spectators’ conversations and all eyes turn to the action. Here, on a cloudless Sunday afternoon, a love for the game of soccer, or fútbol, brings 160 players from all over the world together. Liga Hispana de Abilene (Hispanic League of Abilene) has given 22 ACU students and alumni a reason to join a second family: ACU Inter FC. Gregorio Torres, the league’s founder, played on Abilene High School’s first soccer team in 1986. After graduating, Torres and his friends continued playing together in out-of-town tournaments. But traveling to a different city every weekend took its toll. “I finally thought, ‘Why not start a league in Abilene?’” Torres said. In spring 2006, the 16-andup Hispanic League of Abilene played its first game. Today, every league referee has registered with FIFA, the international governing body of the sport. Games start at 10 a.m. and do not usually end until 6 p.m. In case someone resorts to violence, any person or team that starts a fight is immediately ejected from the league. “Everyone is here to have fun,” Torres said. “And if the kids are here playing, then they’re not on the street, in a gang or doing drugs.”
When deciding on a name, ACU Inter FC had no choice but to include “international.” The Bahamas, Cambodia, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, South Korea, United States and Zambia are all represented by at least one team member. “It sounds really cool and it is, but we have to develop strategies and learn many ways of multicultural communication,” said Daniel Garcia, the team’s goalkeeper. Garcia, ACU multicultural enrollment marketing specialist, came to ACU from Cancun, Mexico, and graduated in 2004. When Garcia is not recruiting international students or defending ACU Inter FC’s goal, he maintains the league’s Web site, www.futbolabilene.com. Wherever it goes, the global game of soccer carries a gravity that draws people together — people who would likely never interact otherwise. “Where else will you get the opportunity to be involved in something with people from 13 different countries?” Garcia said. “Now that there is no school team or even intramural club soccer [at ACU], this is one of the only places people can play semi-competitively.” Takumi Matsumoto, senior engineering for physics major from Japan, joined the team two years ago. His friend Hiroaki Akahoshi, ACU alumnus from Japan, played on the team and convinced him to try out.
Players huddle together, exhausted, at the conclusion of a Tuesday night practice. The inherent challenges of such an ethnically diverse team met Matsumoto head on. “I’m not good at English. At first I think it was hard to communicate,” Matsumoto said. In addition to the language hurdle, cultural styles of play clashed. “Here they show their own skill. Teams back home play together more,” Matsumoto said. “I think Japanese people are afraid of mistakes;
sometimes they are afraid to take a shot.” Stephen McBride, junior prephysical therapy major from Ecuador, said as the team became more familiar with each other, they slowly opened up to criticism. Once they felt comfortable correcting each other and sharing ideas, the floodgates opened. “We play as a team, but each person has their individual talent and we use that talent as a
weapon against the opponent,’” McBride said. “Hiro runs very fast, so we use his speed. David has very good footwork, so we use him for that. Juan Carlos is very calm with the ball and keeps a very cool head, so we use him in midfield. And Eddie, Laz and Ricky are almost impossible to get by, so we use their defensive skills.” The team’s renown has grown to the point that seven players showed up this season
Left: Giguya Nzunga, freshman business management major, out maneuvers his opponent at a Sunday afternoon match. Right: At practice next to the Zona Luce Building, Ricardo Johnson, ’06, gets the first touch, while Hiroaki Akahoshi watches.
in hopes of filling three openings. Four years on the school team and a lifetime of practice paid off for David Suazo. The team asked the freshman mathematics major from Honduras to join them. Daniel Garcia, who met Suazo at his school in Honduras, first introduced him to the team. The number of international students took Suazo by surprise, but what he learned about the world surprised him even more. “I thought that Ecuador was the same as Honduras, but it’s very different,” Suazo said. “And I learned a lot about Africa. We’ve become like a family.” Lazarus Kawinga, ACU alumnus from Zambia and ACU Inter FC coach, said the same thing. “It pretty much becomes a family,” Kawinga said. “But it’s quite a challenge. You have to understand where they come from and pay attention to who they are individually.” Growing up, Kawinga wanted nothing more and nothing else than to play soccer professionally. Having broken “almost every bit of bone in [his] body,” it took more than physical pain to deter him. His mother’s wellplaced insistence on education finally gave him the courage to let go of his dream. He did not expect to find a soccer team when he left home for a university in Abilene. “It’s one of those things that you hope for, but where we come from we don’t usually pick and choose,” Kawinga said. When he arrived at ACU in 1997, he and a handful of international students started playing pick-up games. Little did they know their games would become an organized, 22-player squad. The longer they played “for fun,” the more frequent talks of league play became. The talks materialized, the team members pooled their money and they began entering out-of-town tournaments. “When they started the Hispanic League, we jumped on it,” Kawinga said. Although widely acknowledged as a global sport, Kawinga said soccer alone would never be enough to create the ACU Inter FC family. “It doesn’t have to be soccer,” he said. “The way we do it, we don’t get paid. We only do it for the love of the game.”
E-mail Hettich at: clh05d@acu.edu
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October 8, 2008
Bailout prompts movement of financial responsibility from all
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e, the Optimist Editorial Board members, are not economists. But it does not take a business major to know our country’s current financial state needs improving. To oversimplify, Americans have been spending more than we should. In terms of the ever-fluctuating business cycle, our economy enjoyed what was perhaps an unnaturally long upswing because of government regulation, priming it for a steeper fall than even what a normal business cycle would have prompted. And certainly, now are we falling. When our economy was on the rise or stable, people could ask for more loans than they could afford to pay back at the time and walk away unscathed. For instance, in the housing market, buyers could purchase a house for more than they could actually afford with money they did not actually have because when they later sold the residence, it had accrued more worth and would
Regardless of how we came to this point... Now we have to look to the future.
sell for more than what they paid for it, negating that initial, overly ambitious loan. The government promoted such practices, making its goal to increase the 70 percent of home-owning Americans to 80 percent by encouraging loans for lower-income borrowers. It stuck by that goal, regardless of whether these individuals would be capable of repaying the money when the housing market reached its next natural decline and regardless of warnings from people like Warren Buffett, who TIME Magazine calls “the nation’s most successful investor” and the Bush administration’s White House chief economist, N. Gregory Mankiw. The dangers of entering the downward spiral of debt are clear: as people fail to repay their loans, banks fail to repay
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companies like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, who borrow money from both the Federal Reserve and other countries at low interest rates. With national debt already a monumental issue, debt to other countries brings obvious political ramifications. Now that we are entangled in this mess, our elected representatives have picked a plan of action: the $700 billion bailout, which is really the $700 billion bailout including the billions of dollars of pork-barrel spending those representatives demanded before passing it. The purpose of this bailout is, basically, yet another loan. The government loans money to lenders to keep them from failing before the housing market and general economy can pick up, at which time the lenders will, ideally, repay the government money.
Why should we, as college students, care? Most of us are one to four years away from entering the workforce ourselves. Generally, the lasting, most significant impacts of economic decisions tend to take hold eight to 10 years after their implementation, meaning what those in power decide now, we will have to deal with just as most of us are starting our careers. We want this decision to be a good one. But this is neither the end nor the final solution. It is a result we are only beginning to contemplate. We have to stand up, dust off and look for the economic stumbling block we hit the first time around to avoid an instant replay. We need to realize lenders will lend more money than we should accept. We must take responsibility for our own finances and not trust bankers to look out for our interests when our capitalistic system requires them to watch out for their own. We need to avoid spending money we do not have and
The issue:
Financial irresponsibility on the part of individuals, lenders and government officials left our nation in an extreme economic depression.
Our view:
The bailout, whether necessary or beneficial, has been passed. We now must decide how to move forward.
The solution:
We must strive to avoid making mistakes twice, as individuals and a nation. live frugally when necessary. “Keeping up with the Joneses,” unfortunately, is not always conducive to keeping up with our bank accounts. The bailout is a temporary fix. It is a hand up to companies who should have been more careful loaning money to people who should have been more cautious asking for it. It may be necessary, but it also may tell lenders to expect a government bailout after handling funds irresponsibly. Regardless of how we came to this point, whether the bailout is necessary or even beneficial — those points are all arguable and still inspire discussion — it is done. Now
we have to look to the future. With a presidential election looming in November, it is up to all of us to do the research, decide what we believe, discover what our candidates believe and vote accordingly. Money does not grow on trees. Neither do good leaders, and neither do good decisions. At this point, apathy is no longer a harmless, apathetic force. We are going to have to work for a better economic future for our nation, starting with making good financial decisions for ourselves. E-mail the Optimist at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Abilene area offers surprising diversions Every Friday, many ACU students pack their cars, grab their road maps and take to the roads in search of adventure, excitement and an overall fun weekend. Who can blame them? On the surface, Abilene is The Fro Knows an incredibly boring and By Michael dreadfully Freeman unattractive town. Half of the city’s buildings look dilapidated, the night life practically ends at 9 p.m. and the local television commercials have more jingles in them than an episode of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. However, weekend travelers should be ashamed of themselves. Fun does reside in Abilene; it’s just hidden. So instead of burning money on gasoline this weekend, students should try to do something in town. After all, one of the purposes of attending college is to challenge oneself and to learn how to problem-solve. And Abilene presents quite a conundrum. It can be difficult to find something exciting to do in this town, but part of the excitement comes in trying to figure it out. For those of you who have a hard time getting your creative juices flowing, here are a few suggestions for you to check out in Abilene: Two movie theaters in town offer different, yet equally enjoyable experiences. The Town & Country Drive-In, located on Vogel Street and North Mockingbird Lane, showcases two 100-foot screens that play double-features Thursday through Sunday. But if you suffer from car claustrophobia, you might want to go to the downtown Paramount
Students must suffer through midterm stress I’ve never been a fan of obligations; to me that word is in the same boat as job (boo), responsibility (sick) and other atrocious perversions that for some reason grown ups had to invent to suck the dreams and spirits from their p r o m i s ing People Say I youth (us). Talk Too Much I know not everyone has By Tanner the same outAnderson look as I do; in fact, some people even like their daily responsibilities and seem to have every small aspect of their current lives strategically in place. Some students already are working with a great internship, turn in their assignments
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...I’ve been there... so to anyone who’s close to meltdown mode, you’re not alone.
five days before they’re due and have no troubles at all convincing professors and fellow students their futures are bright, optimistic and completely in sync. To these people, I say congratulations, but this column isn’t for you. This is for you fellow slackers out there, to everyone who is overwhelmed
acuoptimist.com Log online to hear Anderson podcast his column.
In Your Words
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with school, work and all the crazy aspects of their social lives. This is for those students who pull all-nighters for a test and then have to worry about writing a 10page paper the following day and are wondering and worrying what the future will hold. To those people, I only can write the corniest most cliché term I have ever written. What I want to say to you is “Keep on truckin’!” You’re darn right I said it; whether you found it encouraging or not, I don’t care. It needed to be said. It’s that time of year when midterm tests and grades are due. The time when most classes are
“I love finding a quiet tree and letting the sun bathe me and writing poetry.”
What is your favorite Abilene activity?
Stradlyne Hallman
Dennis Podryadchikov
Journalism and psychology major from Haiti.
E-mail Anderson at: tsa04a@acu.edu
“I personally enjoy hanging out downtown, enjoying some coffee, sitting by the fountain, and riding my bike.”
“The only thing that comes to mind is Prime Time. I have family with me, and we usually go there.”
acuoptimist.com View videos of student responses for the “In Your Words” questions online at a later date at www.acuoptimist.com
awaiting one of your major assignments for the year that probably has a significant effect on your final grade, and unless your name is Genius Gary or Suzy Smartypants, you need to read something immature and encouraging. All I can really say is I’ve been there and still am there today, so to anyone who’s close to meltdown mode, you’re not alone. The good thing about the meltdown mode, however, is people for some reason are a lot stronger than they believe. So to that person who has the nastiest school schedule in the history of school schedules, you know what needs to be done and soon enough you’ll be done with it.
Graduate student from Russia.
acuoptimist.com Log online to hear Freeman podcast his column.
Mandee Rector
Musical theater major from Abilene.
Theatre. The Paramount, built in 1930, shows nostalgic movies every month as well as concerts, plays and musicals in a spacious theater decorated with faux SpanishMoorish architecture and a domed ceiling painted as the Abilene night sky. If you want to do something outdoors, visit the Abilene Zoo on East South 11th Street, where you can see more than 800 animals, including giraffes you can hand-feed. Play Faire Park on South 2nd Street off of Shelton Street also provides outdoor entertainment with monthly music concerts and miniature golf. If you want a
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...weekend travelers should be ashamed of themselves. Fun does reside in Abilene...
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mixture of both outdoor and indoor fun, Prime Time Family Entertainment Center on the southeast side of Loop 322 offers bowling, bumper cars, arcade games, go-karts and laser tag. Nothing sound good yet? Well, if you are really desperate, then drive about 30 minutes north to Anson. A dark county road near the town’s cemetery is home to the infamous Anson Lights, a mysterious ghost light of an old woman searching for her long-lost son. And if you drive down the road this Saturday night, turn off your car and flash headlights toward the cemetery, I can guarantee you will see something. It will either be one of three things: the actual ghost of the old woman, the Anson police coming to arrest you for loitering or me clad in Ghostbusters drag — complete with a Proton Gun. And if that doesn’t excite you, then maybe you should skip town on the weekends.
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
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
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FROM THE FRONT/SPORTS JUMPS
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Page 7
Football: Malone tosses five TDs Soccer: Wildcats Continued from page 8 first half on a two-yard touchdown by running back Joshua Maldanado. The Wildcats responded on their next drive when Scott scored his third touchdown of the game on a 19-yard pass from Malone. The Tigers drove down again on the next possession before safety Tony Harp intercepted a pass on the goal line to stop all momentum for East Central, giving the Wildcats a 31-7 lead at halftime. “Tony Harp did a nice job Saturday and had an interception before the half that helped kill the momentum for the other team,” Thomsen said. After halftime, the Wildcats put the game away after scoring on their first play of the second half for the third consecutive game. Malone found wide receiver Edmund Gates for a 66-yard touchdown pass to put ACU ahead 38-7. Malone found Gates again mid-
way through the third quarter for a 22-yard touchdown pass bringing Gates’ touchdown total to five on the year. Malone threw his third touchdown of the quarter with two minutes remaining, throwing a screen to Scott that covered 53 yards to make it 52-7. Scott finished the game with a career-high 173 receiving yards and three touchdowns on seven catches while adding 128 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries to finish with 301 total yards. “He’s a really good pass catcher and had 46 catches last year and was the third leading receiver,” Thomsen said. “When they put enough people in the box to stop him in the running game, you just have to get him going other ways.” Running backs Chancy Campbell and Patrick Washington finished the scoring for the Wildcats in the fourth quarter to make it 66-7. The Wildcats are averaging 540
yards of offense and 54 points of game through five games this season behind Malone who finished 17 of 23 passing with 357 yards and five touchdowns. Gates led all receivers with 92 yards and two touchdowns on three catches. “I think from an offensive standpoint, the execution was OK,” Thomsen said. “The first quarter wasn’t all that great, but then we kind of woke up and did better.” Defensively, the Wildcats limited the Tigers to 179 total yards, negative nine rushing yards and 188 passing yards. The Tigers managed their second-lowest scoring total of the season with seven points, while the Wildcats forced six turnovers — three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. East Central’s quarterback Marcus Johnson was kept to just 136 yards a passing with no touchdowns and one interception after throwing for 426 yards and two touchdowns the previous
week, breaking his own school record for passing yards. Linebacker Bryson Lewis led the Wildcats with eight tackles, while defensive lineman Nick Jones added 5 tackles and Studivant added four tackles and two sacks. Linebackers Casey Carr and George Faber along with Harp each had an interception, while linebackers Eric Edwards and Fred Thompson added a fumble recovery. The seven points allowed was a season best for the Wildcat defense. “I think our defensive coaches came out with a good plan to limit [Johnson’s] effectiveness, and our players really executed that well and played well,” Thomsen said. The Wildcats will play Angelo State (3-3) at Shotwell Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m.
E-mail Abston at: gda04b@acu.edu
struggle in games Continued from page 8 her and the goal, Patchen’s shot missed. The miss proved costly as the Wildcats gave up the game’s only goal in the final minute of play. With only 59 seconds left to play, Mustang substitute Jordan Smith scored to dash any ACU hope of winning in overtime. “The offense is still working hard,” Patchen said, “We’re just having trouble finishing. We have had a lot of good shots, but they haven’t gone in yet.” Jordan Reese said the Wildcats were having communication issues regarding volume and giving directions to those with the ball. “The offensive struggle is across the entire field,” Reese said. “We keep losing the ball, either on a bad
touch or a bad pass.” The two losses dropped ACU’s overall record this season to 4-5-1 and its conference record to 0-2. It is significant to note both Alyson Thomas and Jackie Gentile did not play against Midwestern due to injuries suffered in Thursday’s loss to Dallas Baptist. Coach Wilson did not make that an excuse. “It’s always tough to lose two key players, but we have proven we can play without key players this season,” Wilson said. “We will not make that as an excuse for why we lost.” ACU plays in Oklahoma for two conference games this week. On Friday, the Wildcats take on East Central University, and Saturday they play Northeastern State. E-mail Gwin at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Pipes: Speech focuses on political race Run: Conditions cause poor finish Continued from page 1
ideology that’s attached to the Gospel, but there are certainly values that are attached to the Gospel. Both parties have different sets of issues that they think speak to those values. Democrats have social justice issues, and Republicans have protecting the unborn. It’s really just up to the voter to pray, read the Bible and come up with their own answer as to how they can best vote their values.” Pipes discussed how religious issues play a part in this year’s presidential election and how both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama handle those issues.
“I feel like we’ve got two pretty good choices, but it’s a pretty stark choice,” Pipes said. “I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer for Christians. It’s really up to you to decide which issues matter most.” Pipes’ speech lasted about 25 minutes, and then the audience asked questions. Students inquired about Obama’s motives for taking particular positions, Gov. Sarah Palin’s impact on the election and the reason why certain issues are more important to evangelicals than others. The questionand-answer segment went for about another 25 minutes. “I thought the questions that were asked were very
good questions,” said Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university. “I could sense that we could’ve continued this for quite some time, but we said it would start at 7 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.” Pipes, who lives in Fort Worth, currently runs a corporate consulting firm and has written a biography on President Dwight Eisenhower, titled “Ike’s Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality.” Prior to entering the consulting business, he served as chief campaign speechwriter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. From 1999 to 2004, Pipes
wrote speeches for George W. Bush. He also wrote speeches and provided policy advice for Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Bob Dole, Commerce Secretary Don Evans and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman. Pipes said he was encouraged to see ACU students interested in the political process. “I think the students here are very informed, very aware and very knowledgeable,” Pipes said. “That’s a real tribute to this generation, that it is more involved in the affairs of the nation, and that’s a good thing.”
Continued from page 8 time of 25:31, Kelsey Hilton who finished 158th with a time of 26:59 and Lindsay Putman who finished 162nd with a time of 27:51. Burroughs said the conditions at OSU were not the most favorable. “The course has very thick grass with spongy wood chips, not necessarily one suitable for fast running, but cross country is more about endurance than
speed,” Burroughs said. ACU’s focus will now turn toward the Lone Star Conference Championship, which is Oct. 25 in Kingsville. The team has a meet in San Angelo before then, but Burroughs said only a few players will attend. “This next week, I will be encouraging as many miles as possible,” Burroughs said. “Remember, our sport is a sport of conditioning.” E-mail Craig at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
Volleyball: Team SBC: Some locations for campaigns change learns from losses Continued from page 1
hosts failing to finalize plans. In addition to not scheduling some new locations, SBC will not send a group to Hawaii as in the past partly because of changing leadership in the church at Honolulu, which made making the decision easier, Platt said. “It sounds bad, but when you’re short on leaders, you kind of have to be like, ‘who needs us the most?’” Platt said. One new location this year is Regina, Saskatchewan, in Canada, joining places like Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico on SBC’s list of international destinations. While SBC annually sends several groups out of the country, Platt said Europe is not usually an option largely because of expense and jetlaginduced fatigue. Kasey Smith, sophomore psychology major from Al-
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It sounds bad, but when you’re short on leaders, you kind of have to be like, ‘who needs us the most?’ :: Meredith Platt, sophomore vocational missions major from Midland
len, attended the spring break campaign to Virginia Beach, Va., last year and plans to colead a campaign this year to Patchogue, N.Y. “I wanted to be able to help with what we’re doing this year and be a part of the process, so that more students can do it because if they don’t have enough leaders then people can’t go,” Smith said. Campaign leaders attended an informational luncheon Saturday to meet each other and fellowship. The next step in the planning process includes lead-
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ers contacting host churches and organizations and planning itineraries and budgets. Students interested in joining a campaign may view trip details and cost information at the SBC Info Fair set to take place Nov. 4. Tri-folds with details for each campaign will be on display in the Campus Center Nov. 3-6, and campaign signups are Nov. 6. Campaign assignments are based on a lottery system in which each student submits top choices. Prices for each campaign vary, and Platt said students
can expect to be provided with information on writing fundraising letters to raise money. Campaign leaders also may decide to coordinate group fundraisers for their campaigns. Overall, Platt said SBC provides an experience most college students will not receive during spring break travels. “Spring Break Campaigns is a really easy way to live different from the world, in my opinion, because 90 some-odd percent of the college students in America will go do something fun and adventurous or exciting that revolves around them,” Platt said. “But if you go on an SBC with ACU, you will be part of a group of students that take their week of rest and use it to serve someone else. It’s really an awesome chance to live your faith out away from campus.” E-mail Acuff at: lka06a@acu.edu
Continued from page 8 while three others added at least six. Moronu posted another double-double with 29 assists and 10 digs. The Wildcat defense held Newman to a .024 hitting percentage. In the team’s final match of the tournament, the Wildcats lost to the host Pittsburg State 3-1 (25-13, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23). Junior outside hitter Michelle Bacon and Hutt led the Wildcats with nine kills each, and Schilling added eight in the loss. The team was outhit by the Gorillas .244 to .121. Nine service errors and four Gorilla service aces helped Pittsburg State to victory. Moronu posted another solid performance with 34 assists,
13 digs and five kills. Her overall performance at the tournament earned her alltournament team honors. The Wildcats’ record now stands at 14-6 overall and 2-2 in LSC play. The team has lost six of its last 11 matches since beginning the season 9-0. The team will travel to play Angelo State Thursday at 7 p.m. “We have to take care of matches,” Mock said. “Angelo State looked great this weekend at the tournament. We have to take what we learned this weekend and get out and win some matches these next couple of weeks.
E-mail Harris at: tch05f@acu.edu
SportsWednesday
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SCOREBOARD Standings Football Team
Div. 2-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-2
WTAMU ACU MSU TAMU-K Angelo St. Tarleton St. ENMU
Overall 6-0 5-0 4-1 4-2 3-3 5-1 1-5
Volleyball Team MSU WTAMU Tarleton St. TX Woman’s TAMU-C
Div. 3-0 2-0 4-1 3-1 3-1 2-2
Overall 19-3 18-3 13-6 13-7 11-6 14-6
ACU* *7th out of 14 teams
Women’s Soccer Team
Div. 3-0 2-0 2-0 1-1-1 1-1 MSU 1-1 TX Woman’s 1-1 ENMU 1-2 East Central 0-2-1 ACU 0-2 SW Okla. 0-2 WTAMU Central Okla. Angelo St. NE St. TAMU-C
Overall 9-1-1 7-2-2 8-3-1 2-5-2 7-2-1 6-4 6-4 7-5 4-5-2 4-5-1 2-9
Men’s cross country team finishes fourth at OSU By Jeff Craig
times of 24:58 and 25:19. The Wildcats’ final runner, Charles White, finished in 32nd with a time of 25:22. Coach Burroughs was pleased with his entire team but impressed by the rapid development of White. “Charles’ confidence is going through the roof, having kept up with our all-Americans; he’s got a shot at allAmerican,” Burroughs said. The women’s team did not find the same success as the men. In an uncharacteristic fashion, the women finished in 20th place. Although the women did not end as high as they normally do, Burroughs still saw positives. “With the women, we
found some key areas we need to work on to improve,” Burroughs said. “We have five weeks to get them prepared for regionals.” The women’s average time was 25:01, while Northern Arizona won the women’s bracket with a time of 21:34. Individually, all-American Winrose Karunde was ACU’s top individual runner with a time of 22:08, good for 25th place. Winrose’s fellow allAmerican teammate Loice Cheboi finished 42nd with a time of 22:35. Other ACU athletes were Haley Garner who finished 143rd with a
Undefeated Wildcats crush ECU
Volleyball team falls in Kansas
Sports Writer
The ACU cross country teams traveled to Oklahoma State University last weekend for the annual Cowboy Jamboree. The meet pitted ACU against some of its toughest competition yet, including some Division I and Big 12 Conference powerhouse programs. The ACU men’s team finished last week as the topranked team in Division II, so the Wildcats’ matchup against Division I schools entrenched with rich athletic traditions proved a worthy test for ACU. The men’s team finished
Cross Country fourth, despite competing without All-American Cleophas Tanui, who was out with an injury. Head coach Sam Burroughs said he was pleased with his men. “The men did very well. It was very competitive,” Burroughs Burroughs said. “If we had run Tanui, we would have definitely finished in second.” No. 2 Oklahoma State won the men’s race with an aver-
age time of 24:23. Second and third also went to Division 1 schools in Northern Arizona and Indiana. Notable regional teams ACU beat included Kansas, Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas State and UT-Arlington. ACU’s men’s team had some impressive individual races as well. All-American Julius Nyango finished in eighth with a time of 24:23, just 26 seconds behind the winner, Harding’s Daniel Kirwa. Nyango’s teammate and fellow AllAmerican Daniel Maina finished one second behind him to come in ninth. ACU’s other all-Americans Serge Gasore and Amos Sang finished 22nd and 31st respectively with
Volleyball Central Missouri 3, ACU 0 Missouri Southern 3, ACU 1
Saturday Football ACU 66, East Central 7
Volleyball ACU 3, Newman 0 Pittsburg State 3, ACU 1
Soccer
Upcoming Thursday Volleyball ACU at Angelo State, 7 p.m.
Friday Tennis LSC Fall Individual Championship, Wichita Falls, 9 a.m.
Soccer ACU at East Central, 4 p.m.
Saturday Tennis LSC Fall Individual Championship, Wichita Falls, 9 a.m.
Football ACU vs. Angelo State, 7 p.m.
Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Top: Running back Bernard Scott runs past the defense in ACU’s 66-7 win Saturday night against East Central University. Scott finished with 301 allpurpose yards. Bottom Right: Quarterback Billy Malone throws a pass against the Tigers. Malone threw for 357 yards and five touchdowns.
By Grant Abston Sports Editor
The Wildcats remained unbeaten and improved to 5-0 on the season after defeating East Central University 66-7 Saturday at Shotwell Stadium in a Lone Star Conference crossover game. Led by running back Bernard Scott’s 301 all-purpose yards and quarterback Billy Malone’s five touchdowns, the Wildcats racked up 595 yards of total offense and limited the Tigers to just 179 yards. East Central fell to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the LSC. The Wildcats also jumped to No. 3 in the nation after former No. 1 Valdosta State lost. However, ACU came in second behind West Texas A&M in the first week of the regional rankings.
Football ACU 66, East central 7 “We played pretty good overall, and I think our guys for the most part came out ready to go and did a good job in all three phases,” head coach Chris Thomsen said. “They came out, executed and got after it.” Scott put the Wildcats on the board first, scoring on a 60-yard run seven minutes into the first quarter before pushing the lead to 14 two minutes later after scoring on a 23-yard pass from Malone. Kicker Matt Adams extended the lead to 17 after a 26-yard field goal to begin the second quarter before the Wildcat defense scored its sixth touchdown of the season. After the field goal,
acuoptimist.com See a slideshow and video highlight from ACU’s win over East Central the Tigers started the ensuing drive at the 28-yard line. Defensive ends Aston Whiteside and Vantrise Studivant recorded sacks on first and third down to force East Central into a three and out. On the punt, the Tigers fumbled the snap in the end zone, and defensive back Richard Havins recovered the fumble for the touchdown. East Central scored its only touchdown of the game with 7:16 remaining in the See
Football page 7
MSU beat Cats 1-0 in final minute
:: Home games listed in italics
By Austin Gwin Sports Writer
NOTES n The Wildcat football team’s next two games will be broadcast locally. The Wildcats will play Angelo State on KRBC-TV and West Texas A&M on KTAB-TV.
NCAA Super regional four The first football regional polls were announced Monday. 1. West Texas A&M (6-0) 2. ACU (5-0) 3. Northwest Missouri (5-1) 4. Pittsburg State (5-1) 5. Central Missouri (5-1) 6. Midwestern State (4-1) 7. Central Washington (5-1) 8. Texas A&M-Kingsville (4-2) 9. Tarleton State (5-1) 10. Truman (3-2)
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Assistant Sports Editor
Friday
Midwestern State 1, ACU 0
See
By Chandler Harris
Scores
Sunday
October 8, 2008
Zak Zienert :: chief photographer Midfielder Sadie Barton dribbles past a defender against Midwestern State. The Wildcats lost to the Mustangs 1-0, falling to 4-5-1 on the year.
The Wildcat soccer team lost to Dallas Baptist Thursday in its last non-conference game of the season before falling to Midwestern State University in the final minute in a Lone Star Conference matchup Sunday. The Mustangs went home with a 1-0 victory in their first conference match of the season after scoring in the final minute to break a scoreless tie at the ACU soccer field. “Defensively, we have been tough all year. Offensively, we are looking for a spark,” said head soccer coach Casey Wilson. “We are going to make some adjustments, maybe move some players around. All we need is just someone getting one in.” The first half of the game on Thursday looked good on paper for ACU. The Wildcats outshot DBU 9-1 in the first half. They
Soccer MSU 1, ACU 0 had three corner kicks, but the scoreboard told the story for the Wildcats. At the end of the first half, both sides read zero. In the 54th minute, finally a ball was put in the net. Allyson Bales for the Patriots scored on a set up by Sarah Meirerhofer on a one-on-one play against goalie Crissy Lawson. “I think as a team we’re working together well on offense. I think it’s going to take someone stepping up and getting that first goal,” midfielder Alyse Ritchie said. The game against MSU on Sunday afternoon was not much better for the Wildcats. ACU had its opportunity to put a goal on the board. In the fourth minute of the first half, Rachel Patchen beat the Mustang goalie to a loose ball. With only open grass between See
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The ACU volleyball team dropped three of its four matches over the weekend at the Pittsburg State Invitational in Pittsburg, Kan. Two of the losses came at the hands of nationally Hines ranked teams, No. 14 Central Missouri and No. 16 Pittsburg State. “I’m a little frustrated overall with our play,” head coach Kellen Mock said. “We were capable of winning all three of the games we lost but we weren’t able to finish.” In its first match of the tournament, the team lost to Central Missouri 3-0 (2522, 25-23, 25-16). The Jennies won the match in just one hour and nine minutes. The Wildcats hit only .113 to the Jennies’ .213. Sophomore middle blocker Shawna Hines led the way with 12 kills and three blocks. Freshman outside hitter Jennie Hutt and sophomore middle blocker Jordan Schilling both added nine kills each in the loss. The Wildcats’ second match on Friday also ended in defeat but to a different Missouri-based opponent. Missouri Southern defeated ACU 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 14-25, 25-18). The Wildcats outhit the Lions by more than 40 percentage points, but it was not enough. The Wildcats put up a .236 hitting percentage to Missouri Southern’s .194. Schilling led the team with 15 kills, followed by Hutt with 12 and Hines with 11. Sophomore setter Ijeoma Moronu fell just short of a triple-double with 44 assists, 11 digs and six kills. The team’s downfall was its receiving. The Wildcats compiled 13 service receiving errors to Missouri Southern’s two. The Lions’ Jeanna Feldman had match-high 17 kills in the win. “There are some positives regarding our play as a whole this weekend,” Mock said. “It wasn’t a resounding success but it wasn’t terrible either. It was one of those weekends that fell right down the middle.” ACU’s success came on Saturday as the Wildcats responded to their first two-game losing streak of the season by sweeping Newman 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-9). The Wildcats disposed of Newman in just 54 minutes. Hines’ .643 hitting percentage propelled the team to a season-high .485 hitting mark. Hutt’s 14 kills led the Wildcats, See
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