The Optimist - Oct. 17, 2008

Page 1

Optimist the

a product of the JMC

network

Friday, October 17, 2008 :: Vol. 97, No. 17 :: 1 section, 8 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com

Inside This Issue:

Pg 3

Pg 4

Students skip Chapel to dine at local barbecue restaurant

Provost retiring, moving West

Pg. 5 Savory Sushi: New restaurant diversifies Abilene eating scene

‘Jacob’s Dream’ documentary earns university Emmy nomination

Pg 8

Showdown in Canyon: No. 3 ACU to play ranked rival WTAMU

Eyes on the Presidency Students gather, react to debate By Michael Freeman

By Daniel Johnson-Kim

Managing Editor

Editor in Chief

After almost 40 years of work in higher education, Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen is leaving college. VanRheenen, who served as the university’s Provost for 13 years, announced his plans to retire at the end of the fiscal year at a Faculty meeting Tuesday afternoon. The anVanRheenen nouncement came as a surprise to some faculty members, but VanRheenen, 64, said it was a decision he and his wife Joan carefully deliberated. Although he said he thoroughly enjoyed his tenure as ACU’s chief academic officer, he and his wife are eager to move to the West Coast, where their children and seven grandchildren live. “I’m sure I’ll stay very busy,” VanRheenen said. “We’ll be living close to Seattle on a little island out in the Puget Sound.” Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, wrote in an e-mail that he was working with the Faculty Senate to appoint a Search Committee to conduct a national search for VanRheenen’s replacement. Money wrote that the committee should be announced and functioning by early November. “During Dwayne’s tenure as Provost, the university has enjoyed significant gains in the academic area,” Money said in the e-mail. “My estimate is that he has overseen the hiring of about two-thirds of our current faculty.”’ Money added VanRheenen would still work as a consultant during the 2009-10 school year to help with the implementation of the new core curriculum and other “special projects.” VanRheenen received his bachelor’s degree from Harding University and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri. VanRheenen said he worked in the Department of Communication at the University of Maine for 15 years; he was the Dean of Faculty for Seaver College at Pepperdine University for 11 years and has been ACU’s provost since 1996. While at ACU, VanRheenen’s colleagues said he played a large role in increasing the size and quality of the ACU faculty and curriculum, although VanRheenen humbly See

Retire page 7

Nearly three dozen students attended a presidential debatewatching party in The Grove apartment clubhouse Wednesday night, sparking student cheers and jeers, but few changed minds. As the final debate between Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama got under way, the students intently watched while quietly eating pizza from Little Caesars, chips and cake, all of which were provided by The Grove and both the ACU College Democrats and ACU Young Republicans. “I was a little surprised with how many people were interested. It was a good turnout,” said Shannon Martin, senior family studies See

acuoptimist.com: Hear students’ thoughts on the third and final presidential debate

Debate page 7

Jozie Sands :: staff photographer Donnovan Plummer, senior communication major from Mesquite, watches the final presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain at The Grove clubhouse Wednesday night.

Marijuana in Edwards lands student in jail By Daniel Johnson-Kim Editor in Chief

An ACU freshman from Austin was arrested and jailed Oct. 7 after the ACU Police Department found a small bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the student’s room in Edwards Hall. ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said ACUPD officers were called to the residence hall after several students and Kevin Claypool, Edwards Residence Director, reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from the student’s room on the first floor.

Ellison said two students were in the room, and ACUPD found drugs and several bongs and pipes. Only one student was found to be carrying drugs and was charged with possession of less than two ounces of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor. ACUPD arrested the student, whose name university officials would not release, around 7 p.m. He was taken to Taylor County Jail. “We found the drugs and placed him under arrest,” Ellison said. “It was a fairly open and shut incident.” If the freshman is convicted, he may face a fine not to

exceed $2,000 and confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days, according to the Texas Penal Code. Ellison said the case already was filed with the Taylor County District Attorney’s office. In addition to facing criminal charges, the student could face university sanctions and even suspension from the university. According to the ACU Student Guide, using illegal drugs is a Category Three violation of the university policy. A Category Three violation can result in suspension from the university, an ac-

countability agreement, loss of privilege, a minimum fine of $100, loss or reduction of scholarships, eviction from university housing, delay or prohibition of registering for classes and denial or readmission without approval. Although Ellison said this incident did not produce a further investigation into drugs on campus, he said it shows these types of crimes occasionally occur on and around ACU’s campus. “There is no indication this incident was linked to any specific people or patterns,” Ellison said. “At the

same time I’m not so naïve to think this is the only incident that has occurred on campus. This is probably the one that somebody smelled and called.” Ellison added that this happens once or twice a semester, and he does not believe it is fair to assume because of these incidents there is a “drug problem” on campus. “Incidents such as this show ACU is not immune to people making poor choices,” Ellison said.

E-mail Johnson-Kim at: djj04a@acu.edu

Classrooms incorporate devices ‘Prairie Home’ brings

classic show to Moody

By Colter Hettich Features Editor

With most midterms behind students and faculty, the semester officially has reached the halfway mark. Freshmen received their iPhones 62 days ago, and one can hardly walk from building to building without spotting someone looking at or talking on a mobile device. The ACU community and the world have high expectations for the devices’ implementation in the classroom. In University Seminar classrooms, the iPhone plays an integral role. Ray Petitt, adjunct instructor of computer science, teaches a U100 for computer science majors. When he instructs his class to participate in a poll via iPhone, the room comes alive with laughter and dialogue. “This is looking painful, guys.” “Wait, I just submitted mine.” “Whoever’s voting more than once, stop it.” One student calls out, “Who misspelled Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer tasty?” Laughing, an anonymous voice John Royse, freshman computer science major from San Antonio, completes a survey about college life See iPhone page 7 with his iPhone during his U100 class.

aCU WEaTHER

More from the

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

High: 76 Low: 48

High: 79 Low: 51

High: 82 Low: 53

By Michael Freeman Managing Editor

Radio Classic

A Prairie Home Companion, a public radio program with a national audience of more than 4 million listeners, will broadcast live from Moody Coliseum Saturday at 5 p.m. “It’s the biggest thing to ever happen to KACU,” said Terri Peterson, KACU-FM membership director and business manager. “This is the most listened program in public radio.” Based in St. Paul, Minn., the show, known for comedic segments such as “The News from Lake Wobegon” and “Guy Noir, Private Eye”, tours the country, making about 10-15 stops every year.

A Prairie Home Companion will broadcast live from Moody Coliseum Saturday at 5 p.m. The show, which has more than 4 million listeners, has broadcast from around the United States and world, including: n Canada n Ireland n Scotland n England n Germany n Iceland

After more than a two-year endeavor of bringing the radio program to campus, ACU See

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, in addition to videos profiling various events and stories around campus and Abilene.

Prairie page 7

If you could vote today, who would you vote for?

a. Sen. John McCain b. Sen. Barack Obama c. Other candidate d. Sen. Hillary Clinton

acuoptimist.com Department of Journalism and Mass Communication ::

Abilene Christian University

::

Serving the ACU community since 1912


2

Campus Day Friday, October 17, 2008

Calendar and Events

17

Friday

4 p.m. ACU Soccer versus Central Oklahoma 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Ajisai: an Asian fashion show in Teague Special Events Center

18

20

19

Saturday

Sunday

4:45 p.m. - 7:15p.m. Prairie Home Companion in Moody Coliseum 6 p.m. ACU Football at West Texas A&M

Monday

2 p.m. ACU Soccer at SW Oklahoma

7 a.m. Prayer at Jacob’s Dream

Jordan Shriners’ Circus at the Taylor County Expo Center. Call 677-4376 for more information.

10 a.m. Early voting in the Campus Center. Contact Christy Allen at 674-1216 for more information.

Online Newscast

Webcast

This week’s newscast highlights the ACU football team’s win over Angelo State last Saturday as well as the results from the volleyball and soccer games.

Log on to www.youtube.com/acuvideo for clips from the TRiO balloon release on Monday. Also featured is the Study Abroad students’ art gallery.

Announcements The Medical Clinic is offering flu shots to students, faculty and staff Nov. 20 in the Living Room in the Campus Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those who had the flu last year should not delay. Shots also are available in the clinic Tuesdays and Thursdays during regular clinic hours. Shots are $25 and can be paid by using cash, check or by charging to a Banner account. Class Senators are conducting interviews for Class Sing Song Directors Oct. 20-24. Students interested in directing a class Sing Song this year, can contact a class senatorsor visit the Students’ Association Office. Check out the student events calendar for information regarding the upcoming Criminal Justice & Military Career Fair Oct. 28 and the Graduate School Fair Oct. 29.

Get in the spirit of Homecoming and vote for the 2008 Homecoming Queen between Oct. 15-17. The queen will be crowned during halftime of the Homecoming football game Oct. 25 at Shotwell Stadium. Vote at www.acu.edu/queen. Ghost Tours is an event Friday and Saturday at the Buffalo Gap Historic Village. It is a chance to hear all the ghostly tales relating to the history of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village lynchings, death and decay. Call 572-3365 for more information. Cross Canadian Ragweed has a concert Saturday at the Taylor County Expo Center Entertainment Pavilion at 7 p.m. Call 677-4376 for tickets and details.

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. 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. 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 ushers Oct. 18 for the Prairie Home Companion performance in Moody

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.

Chapel Checkup

7:30 p.m. SHADES, Swing Cats and salsa dancers perform at Primetime.

acuoptimist.com

About This Page

Coliseum. Help is needed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Rose Park Recreation Center needs volunteers for its Halloween Carnival Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. This will be a safe alternative for trick or treaters, and volunteers are needed to operate booths and pass out candy. The Junior League of Abilene needs volunteers for its annual Christmas Carousel, Style Show and Kids Event beginning Nov. 6 through Nov. 9 at the Abilene Civic Center. Help is needed different times each day for a variety of jobs. Proceeds from this event benefit local charitable organizations. 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.

Credited Chapels to date:

37

Credited Chapels remaining:

29

Students complete Chapel credits early By Cody Veteto Chief Videographer

At least seven ACU students are near their Chapel credit requirements for this 2008-09 academic fall semester, although it is only midway through October. The students nearing their Chapel credit limits worked for the ACU Replay organization during this year’s Summit. Those same students also were paid for their ACU Replay work. ACU Replay was an audio recording organization founded by ACU alumnus Lyndell Lee; it only operated during Summit. One of the students who worked for ACU Replay, Lawson Soward, sophomore integrated marketing communication major from Colleyville, already has 48 Chapel credits this semester. He said he strategized to get all of his Chapel credits early. He said he attended every Chapel during Summit when he was not working and all the small group Chapels on Tuesdays and Thursdays. His required Chapel credits were reduced to 47 because he worked for ACU Replay during Summit. He said he was excited not to have quite as many required credits. Brady Bryce, Director of Ministry Events, allowed the student workers to receive Chapel credits for working

during the times they could have attended Chapel. Bryce also was thankful to Jean-Noel Thompson and Mark Lewis for their willingness to give Chapel credits to the students who attended several Summit sessions. Danielle Lough, the Ministry Events Coordinator, said all of the Summit student workers asked if they could be compensated for the Chapel credits they missed because of their work. “We did not want to penalize them for opportunities missed,” Lough said. An unspoken agreement between ACU’s Chapel office and ACU’s Ministry Events also enabled these students to gain Chapel credit. “My hope is that students who earn their credits early will choose to continue to attend because they want to,” said Mark Lewis, Assistant Dean for Spiritual Life and Chapel Programs. For the one remaining Chapel forum of the semester, Lewis hopes students will still attend because they want to see the Nov. 10 “Everything is Spiritual” Rob Bell video presentation at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.

E-mail Veteto at: cjv04a@acu.edu


CAMPUS NEWS

Friday, October 17, 2008

Page 3

Barbecue provides sanctuary for group of students By Lydia Melby Arts Editor

On the first week of every month, students are treated to a Departmental Chapel session especially for their major, led by the faculty of their department and featuring speakers and lessons of particular interest for that major. Many students find this to be a helpful time to get connected with their department, but a select group of students find it to be a great time to eat barbecue. “Harold’s Chapel,” as those who attend usually call it, was started by a group of friends who decided that once a month, they would forego one Cha-

pel credit in favor of friends and Harold’s barbecue. “We started skipping departmental Chapel freshman year just because most of us were done with Chapel credit by then and because we wanted to all hang out,” said Zach Cook, junior marketing and finance major from Houston. Cook is the leader of “the Harold’s group” and generally is considered the mastermind behind the entire endeavor. “Sophomore year, I just decided to actually organize something and make it a real, once a month event,” Cook said. “So I made a Facebook group called ‘Celebrating the Alternatives to Departmental Chapel’ and

got some friends together… and now, it’s taking off, it’s growing, it’s getting pretty strong. I’m feelin’ it.” Cook explained that the students who usually attend do not necessarily have anything against Departmental Chapel but just that they felt spending time with friends was more valuable than one Chapel credit. “It’s not that we don’t like Departmental Chapel, but it just isn’t the most interesting Chapel for me… I don’t really get to participate… Departmental Chapel for me is just like sitting there and getting lectured at,” Cook said. “Also, it’s convenient to skip that Chapel because it’s just once a month, so we

aren’t losing too much Chapel credit … and it’s really great because we’ve built this thing up, and Harold expects us, and that’s cool because I kind of know him now.” While a core group of students attend every month, “Harold’s Chapel” is an open group with fluctuating numbers. Generally 20 to 25 students attend. “I don’t go [to Harold’s Chapel] every time because I actually do like my Departmental Chapel; it’s definitely not the worst thing in the world,” said Megan Faver, junior English major from Lufkin. “However, I do go occasionally because ‘Harold’s’ is a fun chance for us all to get together and hang

out, especially since we all live off campus now so we don’t see each other as much anymore.” James Woodroof, junior interdisciplinary major from Nashville and regular “Harold’s Chapel” attendee, has been going since the group’s beginning more than a year ago. “I typically don’t get much out of Departmental Chapel because of my major,” Woodroof said. “But I get to be with my friends and get valuable time with them as opposed to just sitting there and not doing anything. Plus I get Harold’s peach cobbler.” Cook claims it is a great alternative to Chapel, even

if Chapel credit is not involved. He said eating great food while fellowshipping with friends is a valuable thing students sometimes overlook. “We eat and commune, basically.” Cook said. “It’s a really simple Chapel concept. And it’s not an exclusive thing. If other people want to join us, I’d say go for it…but under two conditions: they’d have to join the Facebook group and they’d have to get food after me.”

E-mail Melby at: lgm05e@acu.edu

‘Jacob’s Dream’ documentary grabs 2008 Texas Emmy nomination By Tanner Anderson Page Designer

ACU is attending the Emmys on Saturday. The black and white affair will see a little of the purple and white this year in the Texas chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, also known as the Emmy awards. The documentary, ‘The Making of Jacob’s Dream’, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Texas chapter. The documentary, produced by Ron Hadfield and Martin Perry, focused on ACU’s Bicentennial celebration and the creation of Jacob’s Dream, a statue built in 2006 by Jack Maxwell, chair of the Department of Art and Design. KTXS donated free airtime and broadcast the 28-minute docu-

mentary on air in October of 2007. If it were not for the onair broadcast, the documentary would not have qualified for ACU’s first Emmy nomination. Earlier this year, ‘The Making of Jacob’s Dream’ was a four-time winner in the 28th annual Telly Awards. Previous ACU films by Hadfield and Perry in recent years won four other Tellys and an international silver medal from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; the documentary received its Emmy nomination Sept. 19. “Each year I work with Phillips Productions Inc. to show and create a film for the university,” said Hadfield, assistant vice president for university communication. “Everybody understood the

significance the sculpture would have upon completion, so we knew the documentary would be compelling.” The film will be competing in the “Documentary - Cultural/ Historical” category, which has five nominees. Winners will be announced during a gala Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Theater in Houston. Hadfield worked on the documentary for two years with the film’s director, photographer and editor Martin Perry, production manager at Phillips Productions Inc. located in Dallas. The film captures the work of the sculptors and other artisans who battled several elements such as weather, engineering and production delays to meet the time crunch deadline for

And the winner is... The five contenders are: n The Making Of Jacob’s Dream n Central Texas Remembers WWII n Cruiser Houston: Of Pride And Purpose n Ghost Town: 24 Hours In Terlingua n Pompeii: Tales From An Eruption

ACU’s Centennial Birthday Celebration on Sep 9. 2006. “It’s extraordinarily humbling to be involved with a project considered for such an honor,” Hadfield said. “Even if it doesn’t win, it’s still an accomplishment which validates all the hard work that everyone has put into this project.” E-mail Anderson at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Jozie Sands :: staff photographer

‘Jacob’s Dream,’ the subject of the Emmy-nominated documentary, sits just east of the Biblical Studies Building.


CAMPUS NEWS

Page 4

Friday, October 17, 2008

SA awards more than $3,000 By Daniel Johnson-Kim Editor in Chief

The Students’ Association Congress voted to give a student group more than $3,000 Wednesday, the largest amount Congress has given this semester from the Student Request Fund. A motion to give Alpha Psi Omega, ACU’s nationally recognized honorary theatre society, $3,668.30 to help fund two trips to the Southeastern Theatre Conference State Screening Auditions passed overwhelmingly, leaving the group to fund $1,167 to make the trips. The funds will help pay for 12 APO members’ trip to the Mississippi State Screening on Dec. 7, and eight members’ trip to the Virginia State Screening, on Nov. 1. Students attending the Mississippi screening are required to pay $66.70 out of their own pockets, while students attending the Virginia

screening are required to pay $83.25. Congress calculated these numbers. The SETC screenings are for professionals, so students must first pass a screening in order to audition with other industry professionals at the conferences, said Seth Bazacas, senior musical theatre major form Ocean City, N.J., and president of APO. Bazacas said the auditions were invaluable to ACU theatre majors, and he and other theatre students who auditioned in past years were able to work professionally during the summer with various companies. “I passed the screening, ended up with 15 call backs and when all was said and done I had six job offers,” Bazacas said. Bazacas worked for the Prather Entertainment and Weathervane Playhouse, along with Jonathan Bragg, senior

musical theatre major from Rowlett. While making his case before Congress, Bazacas said that because of the help SA provided in past years, the theatre department has had more students working professionally in theatre than ever before. Bazacas convinced several Congress members, who steadfastly stood behind giving APO as much money as possible. “The Homecoming Musical draws more money than the Homecoming football game,” said junior Sen. David Vanderpool during debate of the motion. “If our actors and actresses are better, the ACU community will be better. Let’s give them as much money as possible.” More than $3,500 remains in the Student Request Fund after this allocation. The fund had more than $10,000 at the beginning of the semester. E-mail Johnson-Kim at: djj04a@acu.edu

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer David Vanderpool, junior Biblical text major from Brentwood, Tenn., speaks on allocating money for Alpha Psi Omega, a nationally recognized honorary theatre society, during Wednesday’s meeting.

Emily Jorgenson :: staff photographer Marsha Smith, ACU medical clinic nurse, gives Christopher Shim, junior finance and marketing major from Atlanta, a flu shot in preparation of flu season.

Flu vaccinations offered to prevent repeat outbreak By Sondra Rodriguez Student Reporter

The ACU Medical Clinic is pricking students with flu shots in their attempts to avoid the immobilized lifestyle comprised of sleep, liquids and antibiotics caused by the illness, which is the second-most common reason for a student to drop a class midsemester. The clinic offered shots in the Campus Center’s Living Room Tuesday and also is making them available in the clinic on the main level of McKinzie Hall every Tuesday and Thursday. The $25 vaccinations are offered in the Living Room again on Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be charged to a student account. Kathy Stokes, clinic office manager, said no appointment is necessary for walk-ins, and encouraged students to get the vaccine. “Hopefully students will take advantage of it after

the outbreak we had last year,” she said. According to Optimist archives, the flu hit campus so hard that the clinic was forced to send students off-campus for medical attention. Staff members in the clinic were treating 25-30 victims everyday, starting in mid-January. Stokes said the clinic only ordered 300 shots last year and almost 500 shots this year. “We haven’t given as many as we’d like in the past, but we’re expecting to sell out this year because we’ve opened the offer to faculty and staff,” she said. “If we sell out, we’ll purchase more this year.” Haley Bulls, senior speech pathology major from Paris, said she definitely will get the shot within the next few weeks. “I’ve always done everything I can to stay healthy,” Bulls said. She said the fact that the fee can be charged to her stu-

dent account made the decision easier, although she said she will most likely not get the shot in the Campus Center. “I’ll do it in the clinic; I don’t want people to be watching me when I get it,” she said. Because viruses in the shot are inactive, it is not possible to get the flu from the shot, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. However, students should be aware of possible side effects that include soreness, redness or swelling in the area the shot was given, a small fever and body aches. Bulls said she will take her chances on suffering from side effects of the vaccine if it means she will avoid having to endure the flu during school. “Other than out of habit, I always get the shot,” she said. “I’d rather go through that then get behind and be sick for weeks.”

E-mail Rodriguez at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Class trains for marathon By Lezlee Gutierrez Student Reporter

Some students are preparing for more than midterms this week. This semester 17 students are enrolled in the marathon class, which requires each student to compete in a marathon before the semester ends. The marathon class takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m., and most of the students are preparing to compete in the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on Dec. 14. This is the second time the marathon class has been offered as an Exercise Science and Health course. “The goal of our class is to safely prepare each student to finish a marathon by the end of the semester,” said Odies Wright, associate professor of exercise science and health. The marathon class had 18 students last year; none of them had ever run a

marathon. This semester, three of the students have marathon experience. The students follow a preparation and training regimen developed by former American Olympian Jeff Galloway. The regimen follows a threeday run-walk-run method to build endurance. In order to run four to six miles by the beginning of the semester, students began preparing during the summer. They then add two miles each week and are currently at 16 to 18 miles. “Our goal is to be able to run 20 to 24 miles before the marathon,” said James Woodroof, junior philosophy, psychology and Bible major from Brentwood, Tenn. Woodruff already competed in the Houston Chevron Marathon and is excited to run in Dallas. “Everyone is doing well because we give each other encouragement; we push our-

selves harder when we see everyone else pushing so hard,” Woodroof said. Marathon students run long distance on the weekends to constantly build mileage. “We also run a few times outside of class and add crosstraining exercises like bike riding and weight training, which really helps,” said Jill Sanders, junior biology major from Edmond, Okla. Sanders started at seven miles a week at the beginning of the course and is now at 16 miles. The students also have learned helpful information on proper diet and exercise. Each student is responsible for the running and exercise needed to maintain mileage and consistency. Any student interested in taking the course next semester can contact the Department of Exercise Science and Health at Ext. 2278. E-mail Gutierrez at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu


October 17, 2008

ArtsFriday

Page 5

Bonzai offers sensational sushi and show By Sara Snelson

flavors of fish, avocado, cream cheese and wasabi can make one relish anyStudent Writer thing but just raw fish. Confused about the relation beOut of nowhere, two to three months ago, a new restaurant appeared among tween sushi and a Japanese steakhouse the Abilene dining scene. A Japanese — it works. The two types of food are steakhouse nearly mimicking Fuji’s. A on the opposite ends of the cuisine restaurant featuring something only a spectrum, but Abilenians have now couple of places in Abilene offer: sushi. obtained something that could not be Spring rolls, dragon rolls, salmon, found in Abilene with a grill providing eel, shrimp, crab and the traditional more than just entertainment. Japanese steakhouses always are California roll are among the countless possibilities. With the prices ranging diverting, considering the food is readanywhere from $5 to $13 and portions ied right in front of you. Most places ranging from five to 12 rolls, Bonzai try to somehow involve customers in presents a sustenance that has been the preparation of the food, but what I wanting at a reasonable price and a experienced at Bonzai was not just entertainment through preparation, but a stuffed-full stomach. Flashy and vibrant in presentation, complete production. Yes, the typical flipping of the Abilenians are no longer lacking. While some people are scared of the word shrimp or rice and having to catch it in “raw,” the rice, seaweed and combined your mouth is a classic of the Japanese steakhouse. However, Bonzai brought more show into the culinary presentation. Eggs were juggled and then caught by the top of the chef’s hat. The chef skillfully manipulated the ingredients as he cooked, creating a live volcano, a smoking train and a beating heart. Food portions are large everywhere now, and Bonzai is no exception. With soup, rice, meat, vegetables and a salad at dinner, when leaving you will not feel wanting. From chicken to raw fish and a production, Bonzai will leave you appeased and ratified with the money you spent — it is favorably worth it. Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Tip: Lunch is cheapCalifornia Rolls and Teryaki Chicken and Shrimp are just two of er than dinner; howevthe dishes available at the Bonzai Japanese Steakhouse.

Music SCEne n Friday, Oct. 17: The ACU Chamber Orchestra will perform La Creation du Monde (The Creation of the World) by Darius Milhaud and conducted by Dr. Stephen Ward. Admission is free, and the concert will be in the WPAC Recital Hall at 8 p.m. n Saturday, Oct. 18: Country band Cross Canadian Ragweed will perform at the Taylor County Expo Center Entertainment Pavilion at 7 p.m. n Friday, Oct. 17: Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys will perform with Alpha Rev, Pompeii and Moroccan Victory Chant at 7:30 p.m. at Monk’s Coffee Shop. Admission is $7 at the door.

Abilene Arts

Zak Zeinert:: chief photographer

Chef Kenny Jian constructs a volcano from different cooking ingredients as he prepares food in front of guests at Bonzai Japanese Steakhouse. er, the sushi is always the same price. Lunch ranges around $7 and dinner around $13, not including tip. Bonzai is open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday-Sat-

urday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and is located at 1802 Clack St. next to the Seafood Tavern. E-mail Snelson at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

n Friday, Oct. 17: ACU Office of Multicultural Enrichment, in collaboration with the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, presents Ajisai: Four Seasons Asian Fashion Show, a runway event modeling the newest styles from Asian designers. The event will be in the Teague Special Events Center and will start at 7:30 p.m. n Saturday, Oct. 18: A Prairie Home Companion will perform at ACU in Moody Coliseum from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are available at KACUFM office or in the Moody Coliseum box office. n Saturday, Oct. 18: SHADES, ACU Swing Cats and world class salsa dancers will perform at Primetime Family Entertainment Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students with University ID.


ViewsFriday

Page 6

October 17, 2008

Lavish AIG resort squanders government bailout money

P

erhaps you heard about the $600 billion bailout Congress passed to fuel our faltering economy. Perhaps you heard how we are paying the bailout through taxes. Perhaps you even heard how our hard-earned money already has supported failing businesses like AIG. The day AIG, a mega insurance company, was to declare bankruptcy; the federal government committed $85 billion to bail it out. Less than a week later, the company spent $400,000 on a weeklong retreat at a luxury resort and spa, the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif. Documents obtained by congressional in-

Businesses with negligent spending practices are losing money, but Congress is throwing billions of dollars their way for them to use as a life preserver.

vestigations show the company paid nearly $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals, $7,000 for golf and $23,000 in spa charges. In other words, our money paid for someone’s manicures and pedicures. Although the company claims the retreat is standard practice among insurance companies and rewards high-performing individuals for a job well done, Rep.

Henry Waxman (D-CA), who chaired the hearing on AIG, told ABC News, “It defies common sense to spend over $400,000 at an exclusive resort a week after the government bailed out AIG. It shows a reckless disregard for the shareholders, who are now the U.S. taxpayers.” That’s right, Mr. Waxman. If our money is to be spent on spa treatments and fancy resorts, should we not be the ones en-

joying such extravagance? The AIG executives’ response? They canceled a second retreat planned for the same brokers at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Half Moon Bay, Calif. This move is commendable, especially since AIG now is asking for another federal handout in the amount of $37.8 billion. Although AIG may have put its metaphorical foot in its mouth with its latest spending practices, it is not the only one. Everyone is doing it. The standard practice for insurance companies includes large compensation packages for executives, luxurious retreats and trade in derivatives and credit swaps that

The issue:

Following the government’s $85 billion bailout, AIG sent some employees on a $400,000 weeklong retreat.

Our view:

Such irresponsible and unnecessary usage of funding indicates a lack of appreciation for the second chance AIG recently received.

The solution:

AIG and other such companies should be grateful for the help they received and develop better, more frugal, business practices. government regulators have trouble understanding. This is the problem. Businesses with negligent spending practices are losing money, but Congress is throwing billions of dollars their way for them to use as a life preserver. But each time they are pulled back

onto the boat, they just throw themselves into the ocean again. Eventually the businesses will drown, but at this rate, they will be taking our money with them.

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

McCain’s tactics turn cold as defeat looms

Sen. Barack Obama learned Wednesday night when a Maverick is cornered, he bites. Whether it was Sen. John McCain’s rolling eyes, his questioning of Obama’s connections, his constant interrupIn Case You tions, his Wondered condescending tone, his By Daniel Johnson-Kim d i s i n g e n u ous smile and smirk or his mocking of Obama when calling out his “eloquence” and belittling his substance, one thing was clear at the third and final presidential debate: McCain swung hard, but it won’t prevent his unavoidable freefall to failure. After dropping in several polls in battleground states leading up to the debate, the McCain campaign refocused its strategy from talking policy to attacking Obama. At several campaign stops McCain and his gimmick, I mean running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin hounded Obama for an alleged connection with former “domestic terrorist” William Ayers. Palin fed a hate-filled crowd in Englewood, Colo., saying Obama was, “palling around with terrorists” and doesn’t see the U.S. like other Americans. In an interview with CNN, McCain called Ayers an “unrepentant terrorist” who “wants to destroy America.” He added Obama was not truthful about his relationship with Ayers. Apparently the slurs even sunk in with McCain supporters. When McCain asked, “Who is the real Barack Obama?” at a rally, a supporter screamed, “Terrorist!” For the record, Ayers, a professor of Education at the University of IllinoisChicago, admitted to being a member of the Weather Underground Organization that claimed responsibility for a dozen bombings during the 1970s. Obama was eight years old when Ayers was part of this organiza-

Left-handed presidential nominees catch interest While watching the final presidential debate Wednesday night, something struck me. No, it was not only John McCain’s dirty, insisting attacks on Barack Obama’s actual or supposed ties with Bill Ayers and ACORN; Pardon Y’all’s neither was French it McCain’s By Camille Vandendriessche exasperating attempts to maintain a fake, forced smile on his face. What hit me then — and I can’t explain why I did not notice before — was the fact both candidates are left-handed. Left-handed people don’t get enough attention, and I am not saying that just because I am a lefty — well, maybe so. Think about a tool most of us use everyday: a computer mouse. The setting of standard desk com-

Having two left-handed presidential nominees might not be a coincidence...

puters imposes everyone to use the mouse with the right hand. Isn’t this a flagrant disadvantage against lefties? Actually, when using a mouse with the “wrong” hand, left-handed people have the “good” other hand free to do tasks that require accuracy like taking notes. Still, most tools in this world are made for righties. Studies about handedness acknowledge seven to 15 percent of the world population is left-handed. Lefties use the right hemisphere of their brain more, whereas righties use the left hemisphere more. Because of each hemisphere’s properties, lefties are believed generally have naturally superior spatial visualization, coordination and artistic skills, while righties have better rational, logical and analytic skills.

In Your Words

“It kind of seems unnecessary to me. There’s more tactful ways to win your people’s support.”

What role do you think mudslinging plays in presidential campaigns? acuoptimist.com View videos of student responses for the “In Your Words” questions online at a later date at www.acuoptimist.com

Lefties are represented more than righties in various fields such as arts, mathematics and sports that involve handeye coordination like tennis, boxing and fencing. Having two left-handed presidential nominees might not be a coincidence; indeed four of the last six presidents of the United States are or were lefties, and the coming election will establish Obama or McCain as the sixth left-handed American president out of 12 since the end of World War II. While Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton were undoubtedly left-handed, Ronald Reagan’s handedness has been questioned. He did write with his right hand, but several publications assumed he was forced to switch from left to right

Sarah Kratzer

Psychology major from Los Alamos, N.M.

in his childhood. The same sources claimed Reagan seemed to execute certain actions more comfortably with the left hand, like in the movie The Killers, where he slapped Angie Dickinson with his left hand. The McCain-Obama presidential debate was not a première in its genre; the 1992 debate already opposed lefties only in the persons of Rep. George H. W. Bush, Dem. candidate Bill Clinton and Independent candidate Ross Perot. Unfortunately, lefties cannot always be in the winners’ camp, even when opposed to righties; Al Gore, John Edwards and Robert ‘Bob’ Dole are among the most recent unlucky candidates to the presidency. And on Nov. 4, one more name will appear on this list.

E-mail Vandendriessche at: cxv06a@acu.edu

“I think it’s ridiculous and doesn’t add anything to the debating process. If anything, I think it detracts something from the process.”

“I think it sets up the vulnerability of everybody and lets the public see the dark side of the candidates.”

Dale Akers

Kent Akers

Psychology major from Buena Vista, Colo.

acuoptimist.com Log online to hear Johnson-Kim podcast his column.

Youth and family ministry major from Buena Vista, Colo.

tion. According to Michael Dobbs, the washingtonpost. com “fact checker,” Obama’s only connections to Ayers is a $200 donation the professor gave to Obama’s reelection fund for the Illinois State Senate and the fact both of them were on a board of the anti-poverty group the Woods Fund of Chicago. Keep in mind the director of the board called a direct connection between Obama and Ayers “a stretch.” But don’t tell that to McCain — he wanted answers Wednesday night. “We need to know the full extent of that relationship,” McCain said.

Instead of sinking in, McCain came off as a tired, angry old man who will do anything to win.

One relationship McCain was eager to sever was his to unpopular President George W. Bush. “Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago,” McCain said to knock down the Obama campaign’s constant rhetoric linking McCain to Bush. He may not be president Bush, but the record shows McCain loves to support him. Although the Obama campaign’s tune about McCain’s links to Bush has been played more than the Macarena in 1996, the claim has some substance. McCain voted with Bush 97 percent of the time in 2007 and an average of 89 percent of the time since 2001, according to Congressional Quarterly. McCain’s attacks reveal how desperate the Maverick from Arizona is getting. While the Obama campaign focuses on preaching his policies in these last few weeks, it appears McCain is content on attacking Obama’s character. Instead of sinking in, McCain came off as a tired, angry old man who will do anything to win. McCain’s bites may increase as Election Day nears, but the Maverick will be in the doghouse come Nov. 4. E-mail Johnson-Kim at: djj04a@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

Optimist the

Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Newsroom: (325) 674-2439

Sports desk: (325) 674-2499

Editorial and Management Board Laura Acuff

Grant Abston

Editor in Chief

Opinion Page Editor

Sports Editor

Michael Freeman

Daniel Johnson-Kim

Cody Veteto

Kenneth Pybus

Chief Videographer

Adviser

DeLaina Parker

Cade White

Zak Zeinert

Lydia Melby

Managing Editor

Chief Photographer

Arts Editor

Broadcast Manager

Sommerly Simser

Colter Hettich Features Editor

Kelline Linton

Molly Byrd

Mult. Managing Editor

Photo department: (325) 674-2499

Advertising office: (325) 674-2463

Chief Copy Editor

Multimedia desk: (325) 674-2463

Page 2 Editor

Subscriptions ($40/academic year): (325) 674-2296

Adviser

Christi Stark Advertising Manager

E-mail: jmcnetwork@acu.edu


FROM THE FRONT / SPORTS JUMPS

Friday, October 17, 2008

Page 7

Football: Department of Athletics offers bus rides to game Continued from page 8 Buffs have forced 14 turnovers on the season and are led by defensive ends Brandon Swain and Eugene Sims, who have combined for 6.5 sacks. “They run a 3-4 and are really fast and athletic,” Thomsen said. “It is the best defense we have faced since this point.” Despite facing one of the top offenses in the nation, the Wildcats have matched the Buffs

step-for-step. The Wildcats rank third nationally, averaging 530 yards a game, and have the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the nation at 53.5 points a game. Quarterback Billy Malone ranks No. 1 nationally in passing efficiency and has thrown for 1,913 yards and 21 touchdowns. Wide receiver Johnny Knox will lead the Wildcats receiving corps after setting the ACU single-game receiving yards record last week, catching

six balls for 232 yards and four touchdowns. Knox (530 yards), Gates (465), and Ferguson (312) lead the Wildcats. “This is one of the best offenses I’ve ever seen,” defensive end Vantrise Studivant said. “It’s exciting to come to the sideline and see Billy [Malone], [Bernard] Scott, Clyde [Edmund Gates], Tyjuan [Manning] and people like that.” Running back Bernard Scott enters the game as the third-

ranked running back in the nation, averaging 141 yards a game. Scott has also caught 21 passes for 422 yards and ranks second nationally, averaging 15 points a game. Defensively, the Wildcats have been equally impressive, allowing just 259 yards a game and ranking seventh nationally, giving up just 12.7 points a game. After scoring a defensive touchdown last week, the Wildcat defense has scored a

touchdown in five consecutive games and has scored seven total touchdowns. The defense has also forced 25 turnovers and recorded 23 sacks, led by defensive end Aston Whiteside (5) and Studivant (4.5). “We just want to get better, create more pressure, be more precise on pass coverage and play fast,” Studivant said. The Wildcats will face West Texas A&M Saturday at 6 p.m. in Canyon. The ACU Department

of Athletics will be sponsoring two buses for fans to travel to Canyon. The cost to travel is free, but fans will be responsible for purchasing their own tickets, ($5 for student with ID, $12 for adults). Buses will leave the Teague Special Events Center parking lot at 11:15 a.m. Saturday morning. To reserve a spot, e-mail Nate Davis at nate. davis@acu.edu. E-mail Abston at: gda04b@acu.edu

Soccer: Cats to battle iPhone: Professors push iPhone usage two Oklahoma teams Continued from page 1

Continued from page 8 are not overlooking them at all.” ACU is eighth in the conference standings. Since the top six teams make it to the post-season, ACU has its work cut out and will try to vault into the top six with wins this weekend. “We are taking our season one game at a time,” Wilson said. “The rest of our games could go either way. I think if we win about five plus games, we have a good shot at making it to the playoffs.”

If the team takes one game at a time, ACU should make the postseason, Wilson said. “We know we can win both this weekend,” Reese said. “It will just come down to how bad we want it and how consistently we play.” The game against Central Oklahoma is Friday at 4 p.m., and the one against Southwestern Oklahoma State is Sunday at 2 p.m.; both are at home.

E-mail Gwin at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Tennis: Squillaci makes second national trip Continued from page 8 On the women’s side, Irene Squillaci will make her second straight trip to the national championship. She is not a stranger to national pressure after finishing as the national runner-up in women’s doubles last year. This year, Squillaci is the region’s representative in women’s singles, and Jones sees no reason why she can’t replicate last year’s success. “She’ll have to be at the top of her game,” Jones said. “If she plays at the top of her game, I think she can beat anybody on any given day.” Squillaci said her main goal is not just to do well, but to be a good ambassador to her faith and her school.

“The most important thing is to represent ACU well and to glorify God,” she said. “If I play well, I think I have a chance of reaching top four.” When asked to size up her first round opponent, West Florida’s Suzanna Cavalcante, Squillaci noted the match will be mainly strategic. “She’s a very good player,” Squillaci said. “I have to play smart and examine her game. It will be more of a mental battle than a tennis battle.” The national championships takes place Thursday through Sunday at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. The center is the largest public hard-court tennis facility in the world. E-mail Craig at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Retire: Provost praised Continued from page 1 said credit for the high caliber of ACU’s faculty belongs to several of his colleagues in various departments. One specific benefit Dr. Tom Winter, Vice Provost, said VanRheenen brought to ACU’s hiring of faculty was the expansion of the areas from which ACU recruited faculty members. Winter, who worked with

VanRheenen since he arrived at ACU, said his work ethic would be missed in the Provost’s office on the second floor of the Administration Building. “I’ll miss him when I’m up there late at night or early in the morning,” Winter said. “We pulled a few allnighters working on projects from time to time.” E-mail Johnson-Kim at: djj04a@acu.edu

slyly replies, “If you hadn’t have asked that, we would have assumed it was you.” Pettit has noticed a deeper benefit to allowing students to anonymously respond and see their classmates’ responses instantly. “In my opinion, there are certain questions that a teacher would like to ask, but it’s hard to get an honest answer,” Pettit said. One day Pettit asked his class to identify how they matched up intellectually against their classmates. Only

two or three students claimed the top. The other 17 or 18 said the same thing: “I’m average but I want to work harder.” When Pettit showed his students the results, he watched barriers come down. Max Mills, freshman computer science major from Seattle, did not think professors would be able to find a way to use the iPhone in the classroom. He said he has been pleasantly surprised and appreciates the polls. “I think it’s a pretty good way to use [the iPhone] because it keeps me engaged,” Mills said. “If I’m zoning

out, it keeps my attention.” Ian Duncan, freshman computer science major from Bedford, said he has benefited from the iPhone outside of class as much as in class. “It’s pretty convenient for me,” Duncan said. “I’m not super familiar with ACU and I use it not just to get around campus, but to get around Abilene.” However, this new technology has its drawbacks. Having the Internet, e-mail and infinite resources in the palms of students’ hands can be a distraction. “Technology is more and more engrained in this genera-

tion,” Pettit said. “It’s almost painful for them to be separated from the outside world.” The iPhone can be a distraction for those who have it, but for those who do not it can be divisive. Tracy Shilcutt, assistant professor of history, only uses the iPhone in her American History II class on occasion. Although she is openly willing to experiment, the fact that not every student in the classroom is a freshman or has an iPhone makes it a challenge to incorporate the device. E-mail Hettich at: clh05d@acu.edu

Prairie: Tickets available for famous show Continued from page 1 persuaded A Prairie Home Companion to make its first trip to Texas since June 2006 when the show played in Austin. Sixteen women from the ACU A Cappella Chorus will be performing with the radio program, which is making its first appearance to West Texas. “We’re really, really fortunate to have it come to Abilene,” said John Best, journalism professor and KACUFM general manager. On July 6, 1974, Garrison Keillor, the show’s host, and the A Prairie Home Companion team began broadcast-

ing its live variety show. More than 30 years later, the radio program has produced broadcasts from Ca nada, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Iceland and almost every U.S. state. Five hundred and eighty public radio stations now carry the program, including stations in Europe and the Far East. “It’s an old time radio show in the 21st Century,” Best said. “There are very few old time radio shows left, and it’s really the most popular radio show in the world.” Along with Keillor, several performers will be in the folksy show, including fiddle player Elana James, steel guitarist

Cindy Cashdollar and Gospel singer Jearlyn Steele. Also featured in Saturday’s show will be Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Fred Newman, Rich Dworsky and the Guys All-Star Boot Band. More than 3,800 tickets were available when tickets to Saturday’s show went on sale in August. Three thousand tickets already have been sold to people from Abilene as well as New York, Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico and the Texas metropolitan areas. “It’s going to be a phenomenal performance,” Best said. “I’ve seen the show twice live before. Although it’s an absolutely phenome-

nal show as a radio show, it’s truly exciting to see in person. There’s so much energy that comes off the stage, and all of the performers really have fun doing it.” For those who cannot attend Saturday’s performance, they can listen to KACU-FM’s rebroadcast of the show Sunday at 2 p.m. But for those who wish to see the show, tickets are still available for $25 and $75. Tickets can be purchased at the KACU office or the box office in Moody Coliseum.

E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu

Debate: Students laugh, scoff at debate Continued from page 1 from Harlem, N.Y. “I was impressed by their composure and attitudes. There were some chuckles and remarks, but everyone was really tasteful with it.” Students kept their eyes focused on the two flat-screen televisions in the clubhouse during the first half of the debate. Although the majority was Obama supporters, students did occasionally guffaw at both of the candidates’ answers, especially as McCain and Obama mentioned ‘Joe the Plumber’ more than 20 times during the debate. “I think the main point of this debate was to win over in-

dependent voters,” said Brandon Coombes, sophomore engineering science major from Fort Worth, who said he supports Obama. “And what independent voters don’t like is attacks, and I think John McCain definitely came out on the attack. Obama always kept his cool as he has done in all of the other debates, and I think that really helped him.” Most of the students reacted to McCain’s sharp remarks and Obama’s clever comebacks. Students laughed when Obama mentioned that even FOX News disputes claims on his voting record and booed when McCain referred to his opponent’s negative television ads airing as he watched the

Arizona Cardinals defeat the Dallas Cowboys Sunday. “I don’t agree with the Republicans on everything; I don’t agree with the Democrats on everything,” said Jordan Hancock, junior political science major from Abilene and president of the Young Republicans. “But to me, being president involves being commander-in-chief over the military. And I think John McCain, having been in the military, would be a much better commander-inchief than Mr. Obama.” About an hour into the debate, some students began talking. Some of the conversations dealt with politics, while others did

not, but the discourse remained civil. “I thought it’d be pretty cool to watch it in a group environment, especially with Republicans and Democrats together,” said Courtney Goodich, sophomore biology major from Fort Worth. Students will have a chance to react to Wednesday’s debate with their votes next week. An early voting team will come to campus Monday, and registered students will be able to vote in the Campus Center from 10 a.m. to noon. Monday’s early voting will be the only on-campus voting opportunity before the election on Nov. 4. E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu


SportsFriday

Page 8

SCOREBOARD Standings Football Team

Div. 3-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-3

WTAMU ACU Tarleton St. TAMU-K MSU Angelo St. ENMU

Overall 7-0 6-0 6-1 5-2 4-2 3-4 1-6

Volleyball Team WTAMU Tarleton St. TX Woman’s TAMU-C MSU

Div. 4-0 6-1 4-2 4-2 3-2 2-3

Overall 20-3 16-6 15-8 12-7 19-6 14-7

Volleyball team to face Texas Woman’s in Denton By Chandler Harris The ACU volleyball team continues its nine-game road trip on Saturday as it travels to Denton to play Texas Woman’s University. On Thursday, the Wildcats traveled to Commerce to play the Lady Lions of Texas A&MCommerce. Results were unavailable by press time. Texas Woman’s sits at third in the Lone Star Conference standings with a 15-8 overall record and a 4-2 record in league play. Katie King leads the team with 199 kills on the season. “They [TWU] have done

Div. 5-0 3-1 3-1 2-1-2 2-1 TX Woman’s 2-1 ENMU 2-3 ACU 1-2-1 MSU 1-3 East Central 0-4-1 SW Okla. 0-4

Overall 11-1-1 9-3-2 9-4-1 4-5-3 8-2-1 7-5 8-6 5-5-2 6-6 4-7-2 2-11

Scores Friday Soccer ACU 3, East Central 2

Saturday Football ACU 51, Angelo State 7

Sunday Soccer ACU 0, Northeastern State 0

Upcoming Friday Soccer ACU vs. Central Oklahoma, 4 p.m.

Saturday Cross Country Chile Pepper Festival, 9:45 a.m.

Volleyball ACU at Texas Woman’s, 2 p.m.

Football ACU at West Texas A&M, 6 p.m.

Sunday Soccer ACU vs. SW Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. :: Home games listed in italics

NOTES n The ACU Department of Athletics will be sponsoring two buses for fans to travel to Canyon on Saturday to watch the ACU football team play West Texas A&M. The cost is free, but fans will be responsible for purchasing tickets ($12 for adults, $5 for students with ID) and meals. Buses will leave the Teague Special Events Center parking lot Saturday at 11:15 a.m. To sign up, e-mail Nate Davis at nate.davis@acu.edu. n ACU quarterback Billy Malone is the main subject of espn.com college football writer Bruce Feldman’s blog. To read Feldman’s blog, go to espn. com, click ‘blogs’ from the top menu and find Feldman.

Intramural Round-up 4-on-4 Soccer Starts: Tuesday, Oct. 28 Sign-up Deadline: Oct. 23 Cost: $125 per team

3-2 Softball Tournament Starts: Saturday, Nov. 8 Sign-up Deadline: Nov. 6 Cost: $80 per team

well up to this point,” said head coach Kellen Mock. “They move the ball around well and have experience in a couple of key positions. We will have to have good ball control and take care of the ball to win, but I do think that they are a team that we match up well against.” In the LSC, ACU ranks eighth in team hitting percentage at .188 heading into Thursday’s matchup. However, the team kept its opponents to a .131 hitting percentage which ranks second in the LSC. The team is third in assists with 11.63

per set and fourth in kills with 12.66 per set. The Wildcats are second in blocks with 142.5. The team leads the conference in digs, averaging 17.3 a set. Individually, the Wildcats rank in the tops of almost every statistical category. Sophomore middle blocker Shawna Hines leads the LSC in blocks with 1.11 per set. The closest competitor in total blocks is two behind Hines. Hines also ranks tenth in hitting percentage with .286. Freshman outside hitter Jennie Hutt is eighth in kills with 2.94 per set. Hutt also ranks ninth in points per set with 3.35. Sopho-

more setter Ijeoma Moronu is third in assists, averaging 9.97 per set. Senior libero Amy Wilson ranks third in the conference in digs, averaging 4.86 a set. “We have struggled a little bit lately in conference,” Mock said. “We break our season down into segments and set goals for each segment of the season. We had a team meeting on Monday and I think the girls are renewed in body and spirit and are ready to play well.” Mock said ACU has a good lineup ahead of them in conference matches. “We are away from the south end of the conference

Ranked and Ready

Women’s Soccer WTAMU Central Okla. Angelo St. NE St. TAMU-C

Volleyball

Assistant Sports Editor

ACU* *9th out of 14 teams

Team

October 17, 2008

Third-ranked Wildcats to play WTAMU Buffs on road

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Quarterback Billy Malone scans the Angelo State defense last Saturday. Malone will direct ACU this weekend in Canyon as the third-ranked Wildcats will be on the road against No. 4 West Texas A&M.

they have one of the leading receivers in the country in Charly Martin,” Thomsen said. “They have really good running backs, and we just have to tackle well and be in the right spot from a coverage standpoint.” Running backs Keithon Flemming and Wayne McKnight have rushed for 698 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Buffs. Defensively, West Texas A&M has given up 285 yards and 21 points a game. Linebackers Eldon Grimslid (40) and Jared Brock (38) lead the team in tackles. The See

Football page 7

VS No. 3 ACU Total Offense: Scoring Offense: Rushing Offense: Passing Offense: Total Defense: Scoring Defense: Rushing Defense: Passing Defense: Turnover Margin:

No. 4 WTAMU ACU 530.0 (2) 53.5 (1) 196.5 (2) 333.5 (2) 259.5 (1) 12.7 (1) 67.8 (2) 191.7 (4) +16 (1)

WTAMU 539.4 (1) 48.1 (2) 115.0 (6) 424.4 (1) 285.9 (3) 21.0 (6) 93.6 (4) 192.3 (5) +4 (3)

*LSC rank in parenthesis

Tennis players head to ITA nationals Sports Writer

The tennis team departed for the ITA Small Colleges National Championship in Mobile, Ala., earlier this week with half of its region’s qualifying spots. Each NCAA Division II region sends a men and women’s doubles team, as well as a men and women’s singles player. ACU’s tandem of Ryan Hudson and Juan Nunez will represent the South Central Region in men’s doubles, and senior Irene Squillaci captured the women’s singles spot by winning the South Central Region tournament earlier this year. ACU enters the competition with high expectations. With its second

Cats return home for 2 matches Sports Writer

Sports Editor

By Jeff Craig

E-mail Harris at: tch05f@acu.edu

By Austin Gwin

By Grant Abston After six convincing wins, including a win over fifthranked Northwest Missouri in week one, the Wildcats marched through the first seven weeks of the season, winning by an average of 40 points a game. However, this week the Wildcats will put their Lone star Conference title hopes on the line when they play West Texas A&M on the road. The Buffs enter this week 7-0 and ranked No. 4 in the nation, one behind the thirdranked Wildcats. However, the Buffs are ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Super Regional Four rankings, one spot ahead of the Wildcats. West Texas A&M enters the game with the topranked offense in Division II and will provide one of the toughest regular season matchups in ACU history. “It is the same as every other week and for us, it’s just the next opponent,” said head coach Chris Thomsen. “We will prepare like we always do and we are looking forward to it.” The Buffs average 539 yards a game and will feature one of the top passing offenses in the nation. Quarterback Keith Null ranks No. 2 nationally, throwing for 2,810 yards and 25 touchdowns. His touchdowns are the most for any Division II quarterback, and he ranks No. 10 nationally in passing efficiency. Null will throw to wide receiver Charly Martin, who ranks second nationally in yards per game at 135. Martin also has 11 touchdown catches and will be joined by wide receivers Carl Johnson (503 receiving yards) and Seth Hayden (387 receiving yards). “Their quarterback is a tremendous player, and

that has some powerhouse teams,” Mock said. “We have some tricks up our sleeves to beat the northern end of the conference.” Prior to Thursday’s game, ACU lost four of its last five matches, including its last two conference matches. The team has not played a home game since Sept. 27. “It’s kind of do-or-die right now,” Mock said. “We need to get some wins to help us get to the postseason.”

Tennis consecutive trip to nationals, the pair of Nunez and Hudson is positioned as the nation’s top-ranked tennis squad. Head coach Hutton Jones expects great things from them. “I do think that [they will do well] because they qualified last year and they see that they are as good as anybody,” Jones said. “But they have to stay positive. Knowing that, they cannot start trying too hard; they have to let go and not be too aware of what all of this means.” Jones feels Hudson and Nunez are great on returns and playing at the net, but he said they must have great first serves to win. Hudson agrees

with his coach and said serves will go a long way in determining their fate. “We are going to have to serve well,” Hudson said. “I feel that first serves have been one thing to let us down in the past. If we can make good first serves, that’ll determine how we do.” Hudson’s partner, Nunez, echoed his teammate’s sentiments and said he feels that with good serves, they can achieve success. “We need to take care of our serves a little bit more,” Nunez said. “I think we can win the whole thing; we think this is our year.” See

Tennis page 7

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Irene Squillaci is making her secondstraight appearance at nationals.

The Wildcats come home to play for the first time in nearly two weeks as they take on Central Oklahoma on Friday and Southwestern Oklahoma State on Sunday. ACU is coming off a road trip, where they went 1-0-1 Wilson to improve to 1-3-1, moving into eighth place in the Lone Star Conference. Central Oklahoma will be a tough test for ACU. The Bronchos currently sit in second place in the LSC rankings with a 3-1 record and an 8-3-2 overall record. The Bronchos come into Friday’s game with the third-ranked offense in the LSC, scoring 26 goals on the season. UCO’s players have been stellar in conference play the past few years, winning 26 of their last 27 regular season conference games. “They [Central Oklahoma] are always tough but they aren’t the same team they were last year, and neither are we,” said head coach Casey Wilson. “They are one of the top teams we’ll play all season, and we will come ready to play with them.” Senior captain Jordan Reese added, “We have a lot of proving ourselves to do. We have been playing progressively better each game.” Last year the Bronchos beat the Wildcats by a score of 7-0. This season, however, the Wildcats’ vaunted defense will try to shut down UCO’s potent offensive star Stephanie Lovely, who scored nine goals this season, four of which were game winners. The Broncho defense, which posted shutouts in three of four conference matchups thus far, will prove challenging to an ACU team that has struggled to score this season. The match on Sunday should be a little easier for the Wildcats, who will face Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Bulldogs are winless in conference play so far and have an overall record of 2-11; they have gone almost a month without scoring a goal. ACU may find the offensive spark it needs against the Bulldogs to jumpstart this season and break out of its slump. So far the only goals scored in conference play were all in one game Sunday. Coach Wilson said he is not taking Sunday’s game for granted. “We fully expect them [Southwestern Oklahoma State] to be a tough team,” he said. “They have been able to compete with many teams so far this year. We See

Soccer page 7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.