Optimist Print Edition 10.05.18 (Volume CVIII, Issue VII)

OPTIMIST

@acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist

HOMECOMING One week from homecoming, students prepare for many activities

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Volume CVIII, Issue VII

Friday October 05, 2018

S S M

T W R

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Opinion

News

Sports

The MACCC prepares for flu season by offering free flu shots in the Campus Center. Alumni reunions switch from dinners to tailgates to increase involvement.....................................Page 2

Senior outside hitter, Jacey Smith reached 1,000 career kills last weekend against Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Football prepares to face No. 10 McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louis...................Page 6

After watching the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings last week, the editorial board believes his demeanor and attitude make him unfit for the position......................................................Page 5

Photo by CYNTHIA RANGEL| STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Alpha Kai Omega pledges, known as Kudos, particpate in pledging activities on Bid Night last Friday. Pledging lasts three weeks.

CAMPUS NEWS

JMC student dies in fatal motorcycle accident ALLAYNA FORD MANAGING EDITOR &

ASHLEY ALFRED SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jessica Richardson, a senior advertising and public relations major from San Antonio, was killed Friday after the motorcycle she was riding on veered off the road and crashed.

The motorcycle driver, Michael Ross of Crowley, was also killed.

According to police, no other vehicles were involved in the crash, but the cause is still under investigation. Neither rider was wearing a helmet.

Richardson was a member of the Alpha Kai Omega social club, participated in FilmFest, Sing Song, Freshman

Follies and was on the Dean’s Honor Roll.

Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, informed faculty and students of Richardson’s death Friday afternoon and asked the community to pray for her Family and friends.

On Monday, time was set aside in Chapel for students to remember Richardson, and to write notes to her mother, Libbie Richardson.

In a second email, Dr. Schubert wrote, “Thank you for the outpouring of love and support you have shown to the family and friends of Jessica Richardson.”

Students and members of multiple social clubs honored Richardson with tributes placed at the Omega Point sculpture outside of the

Brown Library.

Richardson’s funeral will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday at MacArthur Park Church of Christ in San Antonio.

Dr. Schubert said if students want to continue writing notes for Richardson’s family, they can drop them off at the Student Life office downstairs in the Campus Center. All letters will be mailed to Richardson’s family.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Schubert wrote, “Please continue praying for the Richardson family and friends as we walk with them through this difficult time.”

The Counseling Center staff is available for those in mourning. The center can be reached by calling 2626 or by emailing counseling@acu.edu.

Photo courtesy of ALMA NAVA

Members of the community placed flowers and letters on the Omega Point in remembrance of Jessica Richardson, a senior advertising and public relations major from San Antonio.

Mulder contributes research to medical journal University chaplain Sam is an excellent found the model to be search Lab. to take position Nov. 1 example of what we accurate. Patients sufferVictoria Garcia, stuMADELINE DAYTON COLUMNIST

The new university chaplain, Cyrus Eaton, will begin his position on Nov. 1.

Eaton served as the men’s minister and director of mentoring for the past three years. His wife, Nicole Eaton, was also employed at Lipscomb, as the women’s minister.

The Eaton family plans to move to Texas in the coming Eaton weeks. David Moses, director of Chapel programs and camps, said that Eaton will officially start on Nov. 1.

In an interview with Spencer Boehme at Lip-

scomb, Eaton said the position as chaplain presented itself about two months ago when a friend “asked... if we’d be open to exploring it.”

Eaton also said the decision to move to Texas had to do with feeling God’s calling for him to ACU, as well as a cancer diagnosis for a close family member in Houston.

ACU had been searching for a new chaplain since February. Travis and Harmony Weber were hired as co-chaplains, but opted not to take the positions after further consideration.

The chaplain position comes with a new initiative to focus on spiritual formation campus-wide for students, faculty and staff.

DILLION DANIEL STAFF REPORTER

An student is now a published author in the Radiotherapy and Oncology Journal.

S a m Mulder, senior medical physics and premed major from Eaton Spring, contributed a published article regarding research on cancer treatment and radiotherapy from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Mulder joined principal investigator and ACU graduate, Dr. Clifton D. Fuller, and a research team of 16 members in contributing a collection of data and analyses to the article.

“

want ACU students to achieve while studying here; participating in research and then being published in an article like this can boost a student’s opportunity in their path towards success post-graduation.

KEVIN CAMPBELL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

Published in the summer of 2017, this is Mulder’s first published piece. With 97 studied patients, the study deals with the model MD Anderson Cancer Center uses to find the correlation with throat problems of patients treated by radiotherapy.

Through research additional investigation, Mulder and company

ing with cancer and tumors in the head and neck area have had more health complications with their throat when taking larger doses of radiotherapy.

“This study will provide treatment planners with clinical intuitions about how different structures in the head and neck can lead to difficulty swallowing as a result of radiation therapy,” Mulder said.

Mulder said the article could be useful for patients who want to understand the treatment they will undergo.

MD Anderson serves as one of the nations distinguished and original advanced cancer research centers, with additional branches throughout Texas including the Fuller Re-

dent success manager in the Department of Engineering and Physics, said, “[Sam] is an excellent example of what we want ACU students to achieve while studying here; participating in research and then being published in an article like this can boost a student’s opportunity in their path towards success post-graduation. Being in a published article is a key accomplishment, and the department is very proud of him.”

The title of the article is “Radiotherapy Dose-Volume Parameters Predict Videofluoroscopy-Detected Dysphagia per DIGEST after IMRT for Oropharyngeal Cancer: Results of Prospective Registry”.

Page 2 | Campus News Events

Saturday 10/06 1. Football @ McNeese 2. Abilene food truck festival

Monday 10/08 1. Admitted Student visit day 2. Pledging week 2 Saturday 10/13 1. Homecoming Parade 2. Football v.s. Nicholls

16

days until fall break

Friday, October 05, 2018 CAMPUS NEWS

MACCC extends resources for prevention efforts HOPE CORDES COPY EDITOR

The Medical and Counseling Care Center offered tools and resources to help students who are struggling with stress and depression during National Suicide Prevention and Awareness month.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 44,965 Americans die by suicide. It is the tenth leading cause of death in the US. For every suicide, there are 25 attempts.

Michelle Overman, counselor at the MACCC, said the center offers counseling, but if students want help without counseling, another option is personal development workshops.

We just want people to know that they are not alone,” Overman said. “We want to provide resources to help even if they are not interested in counseling, we want people to know that

there are resources that they can turn to.”

These workshops are free during Chapel and offer tools to help with anxiety and mindfulness.

“We know and we see students everyday who are dealing with a lot of just hard things and then you put that in with just being in college and the stress and the demands of that,” Overman said. “It does create a lot of pressure and some people feel symptoms like anxiety and some people feel depression and what can come with depression is suicidal thoughts.”

Shannon Kaczmarek, director of Residence Life and Student Advocacy, said the student advocacy office is not for therapy, but rather to help struggling students.

Student advocacy assists students financially and works with professors about challenges students face when suffering from depression or anxiety.

“(We) help them think through what are all the other stressors in their life going on,” Kaczmarek said.

“What does it look like to be able to have resources or opportunities to help with the whole picture of it. Usually there’s a lot of other things involved. Often times there’s financial stressors involved, often times there’s some family things going on, often times academic stuff is going on too.”

Student advocacy also provides medical withdrawals for students who need to take a break from school and re-enroll without having to submit a new application.

“Our students are probably some of the best voices that can be heard around this prevention,” Kaczmarek said. “What it looks like for our students to go through a period of isolation and then have their peers reach out to them is really, really powerful. They can have people

The Ann and D.J. Weber Medical and Counseling Care Center

from the university, faculty, staff, reaching out and offering support but it’s really different when it comes from your peers. That’s one of the things that we can’t provide for students.”

According to suicidepreventionlifeline.org, some key warning signs of depression and suicide include talk of burdening others, withdraw or isolation, extreme mood swings, talk of feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.

Overman said many students are afraid to discuss sui-

cide, in avoidance of escalating the situation. However, peer support is incredibly important when it comes to suicidal thoughts, especially when the person feels isolated.

“If you know someone who is struggling don’t hesitate to reach out on their behalf or ask them about it,” Overman said. “That’s the biggest thing, a lot of people think if they ask it will make it worse. But don’t be afraid to ask the question, you could really help someone.”

LOCAL NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS

Class reunions merged with gameday tailgate

Auditions for Ethnos carry on for second week

LOGAN CHAMPMAN STAFF REPORTER

Homecoming class reunions will now be tailgates. For years now, at every homecoming has been an event which reunited class years together, at separate locations, over dinner at local Abilene event venues.

At the tailgate, ten tents will be open to over 700 alumni from the class of 1973-2013.

The class years that will be at the tailgate this year. end in either eight or three.

Jama Cadle, assistant director of alumni and university events, said Alumni Relations discontinued Homecoming dinners because of low attendance. With feedback from alumni and other universities, Cadle said the switch to tailgates would offer more opportunity for social gathering.

“Our dinner numbers have been dwindling over the years

DILLION DANIEL STAFF REPORTER

and we did some research with other universities as well who were having the same problem,” Cadle said. “People were wanting to go eat with their roommates and friend group, and so with the opportunity and success of tailgating last year, we thought we would try something new.

Cadle said the success of tailgating has opened up new doors for the campus and has

provided the opportunity to make the homecoming tailgate a yearly tradition.

“We wanted to try it for a couple of years. With anything new you never know how it is going to go, but we feel very optimistic”.

The alumni tailgate will begin at 11 a.m. on Oct. 13.

It will continue until the start of the football game against Nicholls State.

Ethnos is hosting open auditions to students and members of the Abilene community. The event is two days, featuring acts from student groups and on-campus organizations, showcasing the cultures of various places through song, dance, martial arts demonstration or skit.

ACU organizations participating include Swing Cats, Shades, Omega Dance Company and Sanctify.

Though the first round of auditions is over, act leaders will take more members during the second round of auditions, beginning in two weeks.

Ethnos began in 1992 as the ISA Culture Show, offering an outlet for students to experience other cultures by

watching or participating in the acts. Ethnos was formerly one of the largest student events, but it is now available outside of campus.

Veronica Whitt, ISA advisor and coordinator of International Students Services, said Ethnos is a fun, educational and impactful opportunity.

“Ethnos is more than a student production,” said Whitt. “Becoming a part of it is like finding a new home, and I believe many other students who have been involved would say the same thing.”

ISA vice president, Brett Herman, said Ethnos offers opprtunities for students to get involved with other cultures both on and off campus.

“Ethnos is a culmination of different cultural dances and performances that come together to show the

“

Becoming a part of it is like finding a new home, and I believe many other students who have been involved would say the same thing.

BRETT HERMAN ISA VICE PRESIDENT

diversity and unity of ACU and the Abilene community,” Herman said. “It is a beautiful thing to watch and be a part of.”

In the past, Ethnos had acts from Hardin Simmons University, the International Rescue Committee and Abilene High School.

The event is on Nov. 2, and Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium. Early bird tickets go on sale on Oct. 8 and cost $5 each, while regular tickets are $8 online or in the Campus Center, or $10 at the door.

Hurricane Florence hits too close to home for university alum ALLAYNA FORD MANAGING EDITOR

Stuck in in a house for six days with no power, no water, trapped by uprooted trees and water as far as the eye could see.

Alumna Rebecca Hedgecock and her family lived through this tragedy when Hurricane Florence ravaged Wilmington, North Carolina: the place they call home.

“We have lived through several hurricanes while living in Southport, North Carolina, but this one made

a huge impression on me personally,” Rebecca, recent Master’s graduate of Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation said. “It was a very important reminder to never take anything for granted.”

Hurricane Florence was a Category 1 storm when it made landfall, which is the lowest a hurricane can be categorized as and does not generally result in large-scale damage. However, Florence was devastating because of high winds and flooding from the storm surge, heavy rainfall and over-flowing of

inland bodies of water.

Rebecca’s neighborhood felt the impact of inland flooding when a dam burst making any travel outside of her community “impossible for several days.”

“We decided to stay because we knew how difficult it would be to get back into our neighborhood to survey the damage and start clean up,” Rebecca said. “Many of our neighbors stayed as well and knew that we could depend on one another.”

Rebecca said her family prepared for the storm with

food, water and a generator.

It took a week before the power and water were restored, but volunteers aided the clean up process.

“Electricians and tree cutters came from as far as Canada to help out with the cleanup,” Rebecca said.

“During times of tragedy humanity shows it’s true colors and most times that color is pure light and love.”

While Rebecca and her family were able to remain in their home, according to the Governors office of NC, there are over 21,000 people

who are homeless and must live in one of the 157 shelters across the state.

In a press release, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said, “This deadly storm has left a lasting impact on families, neighborhoods and communities across a wide swath of our state,” Gov. Cooper said. “Now is the time to pull together to help our fellow North Carolinians recover from Hurricane Florence and rebuild even stronger, and smarter, than before.”

While Rebecca’s posses-

sions were ruined by flood waters, she said she is thankful her family and neighbors remained safe during the destruction of the storm.

“My husband, Jim, and I are very appreciative,” Rebecca said. “We help our neighbors and pray for those we do not know but wish we could help. Material things are of little value and can be replaced; life can not.”

Donations can be made to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of the flood by texting “Florence” to 20222.

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 09/29/2018 2: 15 am A student reported that she arrived home, found her front door open. Officers checked the house, determined no burglary had occurred, possible wind blew door open.

09/29/2018 6:22 pm ACUPD observed an intoxicated student on the concourse area of Wildcat Stadium during the home football game. Subject was detained, evaluated, and turned over to a sober friend. Matter referred to Student Life for administrative follow-up.

10/01/2018 10:38 am A witness reported seeing a vehicle strike a parked vehicle and leave the scene.

911 CALL............................................................0 ABANDONED VEHICLE....................2 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY.......................................................27 ADVICE..............................................................4 ALARM.............................................................14 ANIMAL CALL.............................................6 ASSIST................................................................0 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE..........................0 BARRICADES...............................................3 BICYCLE PARTROL................................4 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK.......................................14 BURGLARY....................................................0 CART PATROL.............................................0

CHECK BUILDING............................299 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF...........................2 DISTURBANCE..........................................1 DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE.............1 ESCORT............................................................2 FOOT PATROL............................................5 FOUND PROPERTY...............................5 HIT & RUN.......................................................1 INFORMATION REPORT...................4 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP...............................................14 LOST PROPERTY......................................2 MAINTENANCE: UNIV ASSETS.............................................14 MEDICAL EMERGENCY.....................2

MONITOR FACILITY/ LOT.......................................................................9 MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER..............................................................5 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART.................................................8 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK..........................................................11 OTHER...............................................................2 PARKING LOT PATROL....................28 PARKING VIOLATION.........................14 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE.......................................9 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL..........................................................8

PROWLER...................................................3 RANDOM PATROL............................8 REPORT WRITING.............................14 SOLICITING.................................................1 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT....................0 SUSPICIOUS PERSON....................7 THEFT..............................................................0 TRAFFIC HAZARD.................................1 TRAFFIC STOP.........................................3 VEHICLE COLLISION..........................1 WELFARE CHECK.................................1 TOTAL.....................................................563

Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip Phone, email, and online scams are common and increasingly sophisticated. Be wary and never give callers personally identifying information or pay someone, especially if they threaten you with arrest.

Contact ACUPD for guidance.

Friday, October 05, 2018

News | Page 3

ABILENE NEWS

Historic landmark doubles as haunted house ALLISON HARRELL STAFF REPORTER

The Swenson House, at 1726 Swenson St., is being transformed Oct. 26-27 into a haunted house.

The historic landmark, built in 1910, is now cared for by the Abilene Preservation League and receives donations and fundraisers. The history began when first generation Swedish-American, William Grey Swenson, constructed the home.

The annual haunted house, organized by the volunteers of the Swenson House Historical Society, is the most productive fundraiser for the landmark.

During the event, there will be two volunteers in each room and four guides, totaling 18 volunteer workers.

This year the theme of the house is Abilene Horror Story, based off of the

popular TV show, American Horror Story. Marty Puls, Co-Chairman of Haunted Abilene and Board of Trustees member for the Swenson House Historical Society, said the house is decorated for all ages.

“It is a family-friendly haunted house,” Puls said.

“It’s a mild to moderate scare. There is no touching, grabbing, or chasing. We decorate the house completely from top to bottom but you can still see the historic beauty in it.”

Trolley rides, a corn maze, a spooky cemetery and food trucks can be found across the Swenson’s 58 acres. Tickets are $25 for full access to all the attractions or $15 for haunted house access. The tickets can be purchased

online. Janet Payne, President of the Swenson House Historical Society, said this is the 10th year of Haunted Abilene.

“We started out just doing a trolley,” Payne said. “The next year we opened up the first floor

of the house and then the year after that we opened up the second floor.”

The Swenson House continues to add to their annual Haunted Abilene event every year to attract more people to the history of the mansion.

The Swenson House located at 1726 Swenson St.

CAMPUS NEWS

Janet Payne, President of the Swenson House Historical Society, at the Swenson house.

Fall & Winter Sale

CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT

OCTOBER 5 & 6

HUGE SALE! Thousands of items! GREAT DEALS! Everything you need for children!

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McKinzie Residents practice their act during the Freshman Follies dress rehersal.

McKinzie Hall act wins Follies fan favorite HANNAH JOHNSON STAFF REPORTER

Kings of Chaos, the McKinzie Hall act, had 18 members during Freshman Follies–the highest number of participants in 30 years.

Caleb Evans, freshman computer science major and McKinzie Hall act director from Tumwater, Washington, said he had to convince McKinzie freshman to join the act.

“McKinzie only has one act because, up to this point, all of the guys in the freshman class and at ACU in general feel like Follies is a thing that the girls do,” Evans said. “Follies is a thing that won’t be enjoyable outside of maybe just watching it.”

Freshman Follies prizes, including shirts, a banner for their dorm and being a part of the Homecoming Parade, convinced some of

the freshman to join.

Caleb Escobar, co-director freshman nursing major from Round Rock, said members quit because the dance routines appeared uncool to them.

“It kinda made me feel like some of the guys didn’t want to do it because they seem like it just wasn’t a guy thing,” Escobar said. “I feel like they should have because it was a lot more fun than they were expecting.”

Escobar said the act amazed both the McKinzie freshmen who saw the show

and the McKinzie freshmen who performed it.

The act featured songs including “Thriller,” “The Carlton Dance” and “Immigrant Song.” The participants dressed in long blond wigs and white shirts, and a few of them wore shark onesies.

“It was very out there,” said Isaiah Barrera, co-director freshman digital entertainment technology major from Round Rock. “That can be a word I can use because any other specific word is a little bit hard due to the fact that there were

Burial Plots For Sale Two side by side burial plots for sale by owner in the Mausoleum Garden area of Elmwood Memorial Park, Abilene, TX. Each valued at $4295.

so many songs that really mixed together.”

Barrera said at first he did not want to be a part of Freshman Follies at first.

“But, you know, push comes to shove, I joined, and the experience was something I will never forget as long as I live,” Barrera said.

The performance won honorable mention.

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TWO OF ABILENE’S FINEST CHOIRS ARE JOINING FORCES!

Classical Chorus and Abilene Chamber Singers present

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at Aldersgate United Methodist Church

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Page 4 | Features

Friday, October 05, 2018

‘WHERE THE WIND FLOWS’ Hart expands musical passion through community ALLAYNA FORD MANAGING EDITOR

Walking in the dark on the cold hard wooden floor, the sound of his heart pounds to the beat of the drums that will eventually start playing. As he takes his spot behind the mic, glancing down at his shoes and taking a deep breath, the light floods the stage and the crowd erupts into cheers. The curtain is pulled away to reveal Kolby Hart. It’s showtime.

Kolby, student by day, singer-songwriter by night, dropped his first single “Where the Wind Flows” Tuesday on Spotify and iTunes. Though his song has fewer than 1,000 listens on Spotify, he has 74 monthly listeners.

Kolby said his main interest is performing music on stage, whether alone or in a band.

“That’s my favorite part, singing live because I’ve gotten to the point where I do get nervous, but it doesn’t affect the singing,” said Kolby, a senior marketing major from Tyler. “It’s easy to get shaky voice. I’ve done it so much that I’m to the point where I’m comfortable doing it, and thats the best part, especially with a group.”

Kolby said he had an interest in music from a young age, and even though he quit, he found himself back into the world of music.

“I’ve been singing since I was in kindergarten, and actually pursuing it since senior year of high school,” Kolby said. “As a career I stopped pursuing it freshman and sophomore year, but then I was like, ‘I can’t just not do music,’ so I started looking into how I could actually do it as a career and I started to make my own stuff and buy equipment more.”

Before Kolby had access to music recording equipment, he would film himself singing and upload the videos to YouTube. Kolby

“

“As a career I stopped pursuing it freshman and sophomore year, but then I was like, ‘I can’t just not do music,’ so I started looking into how I could actually do it as a career and I started to make my own stuff and buy equipment more.”

KOLBY HART SENIOR MARKETING MAJOR FROM TYLER

said his peers were shocked once they discovered his singing videos because he was shy in high school.

“I started uploading stuff junior year of high school and I didn’t tell anyone about it, it was pretty low key,” Kolby said. “People knew I could sing but they didn’t know I was pursuing it in any way, so at my high school I shared it and they were like ‘oh, my gosh!’”

When he started attending ACU, Kolby said he no longer had the time to dedicate uploading to YouTube. He decided it was time he focused on finding a way to make music as a viable career path, and getting his name out there.

“Honestly this past year I’ve gone away from the YouTube channel, but I still care about it, that’s where my name started,” Kolby said. “I haven’t pursued it as much so that I can focus more on Instagram and making music and getting it on Spotify.”

The main catalyst of the shift from YouTube videos to song-writing is the access Kolby now has to proper music production equipment.

“This is the first time I had all of the equipment I need to record stuff, so like at this point I can sit down and record whatever comes to my mind which I’ve never been able to do that because I always need some other chord or some other instrument or something,” Kolby said. “It makes it so that if I have any ideas I can just record it which, usually I’ll have

ideas at random points in the day and then just forget it about because I don’t have the means to do anything with it so it’s easier. It’s more fun now, because its so simple.”

To get a song published on a major music platform such as iTunes or Spotify, an artist must go through a third-party which handles the logistic side of the publishing process. Kolby went through the process to have his song appear on iTunes and Spotify, however, he said getting songs published is not a difficult task, the difficult part is getting song recognition.

“Once it gets up you have to do something with it, it can’t just sit there,” Kolby said. “It’s just one song right now, but hopefully I will get up more songs up, but I’m definitely promoting once it goes up, and also figuring out how to promote because I’ve never done that before for Spotify.”

Kolby said his music genre is mainly alternative, but he has not fully figured out what his sound is yet.

“I really like Coldplay, so they inspire a lot of my music,” Kolby said. “I am trying to have others tell me what it sounds like to get their view on what kind of genre it feels like.”

Kolby said he is not sure about his life after graduation, he has a broad range of what he can do with his marketing major.

“I can either go directly into the music industry, like the business side of things. There’s a lot of opportunities there,” Kolby said. “I could go the riskier route of just performing and doing gigs, or I could go into business and do music on the side.

Ideally I’d like to perform, but that’s not always realistic financially.”

Looking toward the future Kolby said he wants to put more music out into the world.

Photo courtesy of KOLBY HART Kolby plays multiple instruments including the piano and guitar. He frequently performs at Chapel, in concerts and at weddings.

Friday, October 05, 2018

Opinion | Page 5

Kavanaugh unqualified for Supreme Court THE ISSUE

OUR TAKE

Brett Kavanaugh is on the cusp of being confirmed or denied a seat on the United States Supreme Court. There still exist, ever after his testimoney, many questions regarding his qualifications for the position.

Optimist Editorial Board | editor@jmcnetwork.com

Brett Kavanaugh is not a viable candidate for the Supreme Court. His demeanor and lack of candor regarding his actions in high school and college is unbecoming of anyone, much less a Supreme Court Justice.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the saga of Brett “100 kegs or bust” Kavanaugh. Aside from his politics and judicial practices, we believe there are a number of worrying factors, which mean his nomination should be pulled from consideration.

Kavanaugh frequently lied under oath regarding innocuous questions, the credible allegations of sexual assault and his unprofessional “performance” in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Despite what you think of the allegations, you must admit there are a number of qualified judicial candidates that don’t come with a handful of question marks and red flags.

Throughout his remarks, Kavanaugh displayed visceral anger, lashing out at any question he deemed unfair. His attitude

may be righteous if allegations prove false, but his anger was over the top, misdirected and not befitting a Supreme Court Justice.

At one point, he proceeded to blame a plot by the Clintons for the allegations, a plot which would have had to begin years ago when Christine Ford first told an acquaintance about the alleged assault. Kavanaugh proceeded to blame an animus toward president Trump for the allegations popping up. If this was so, why were there no such allegations against Neil Gorsuch, who was nominated and confirmed under the president’s watch?

All of this to say, Kavanaugh does not posses the temperament nor lack of partisanship necessary for the Supreme Court. How can one expect a judge to rule justly if they threaten Democrats by saying “what goes

around comes around” in their opening remarks.

One of the more remarkable moments occurred when Kavanaugh responded to a fair question from Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) regarding whether he had ever blacked out from drinking with a condescending “Have you?” This answer came after Klobuchar prefaced her questioning by mentioning her own father’s struggle with alcoholism. When pressed again on his drinking habits and if it was even possible he had blacked out from drinking, he proceeded to talk about how much he loved beer and still loves beer.

Even if the allegations are proven false, we believe Kavanaugh still should not be confirmed due to his behavior, which was inexcusable under any amount of pressure.

Furthermore, throughout the questioning, Kavanaugh made a number of misleading, if not untruthful statements. He said he and his friends “sometimes got together and had parties on weekends. The drinking age was 18 in Maryland for most of my time in high school, and was 18 in D.C. for all of my time in high school. I drank beer with my friends.” However, it is important to note that before he turned 18, the drinking age in Maryland was raised

to 21. This intentional misleading of answers proved to be a hallmark of his time being questioned.

In another instance, Kavanaugh claimed that he and his accuser, Christine Ford, did not occupy the same social circles. This is problematic, as Ford stated numerous times that she knew Kavanaugh and dated one of his friends in the spring and summer preceding the alleged assault. This friend is mentioned numerous times in Kavanaugh’s own calen-

dars from the time period of the alleged assault.

The role of the Supreme Court is to exist above and beyond the political scuffles which dominate our daily lives. The court does this by insulating itself from partisanship and by maintaining a focus on the truth. Kavanaugh’s political spectacle last week does not pass this threshold and is grounds for pulling his nomination immediately, regardless of the results of the FBI investigation.

STAFF COLUMNISTS

Voting reform now and voting rights for all STAIRWAY TO EVAN EVAN RODRIGUEZ OPINIONS EDITOR

Senior business management major from Sugar Land Voting is the most important aspect of civic engagement that one can participate in.

The seriousness of voting was emphasized by our founders. Since our nation’s inception, there has been a steady expansion of voting rights.

However, compared to other developed nations, the level of participation in national and midterm elections lags behind.

This has occurred for a number of reasons. Many feel as if their vote doesn’t matter anymore. Others feel as if the registration process is too

lengthy and onerous. Many are right in these regards. The process to vote is overly complicated, and there are many states in which the minority party’s vote is wasted. In the 2016 presidential election, only 56% of those of the age to vote, actually voted, according to pew research. The current system of voting isn’t working for many Americans.

I believe there are a number of creative solutions which should be pursued.

First, we should abolish the entire system of register-

ing to vote. If the government can sign you up for a national draft at the age of 18, the additional step of registering everyone to vote is simple. The current system is inefficient and costly. Each time a citizen interacts with the government and updates their personal information, such as address or marital status, their registration should be automatically updated.

This allows for voter rolls to stay up to date, uncluttered by those who have moved out of state and saves time and money for all involved. thirteen states and the District of Columbia have already adopted this change, with many more states considering similar proposals currently.

Second, the federal gov-

ernment should offer a tax credit to citizens who vote in the midterms and national elections. It is in the best interest of the government as a whole if our democratic system is functioning at a high level. Nothing entices people more than money. The cost of offering even a $250 tax break for people who voted in either election would be offset by the increased participation in our civic institutions. When people are involved in the voting process, trust in our national institutions begins to flourish.

Third, we must abandon the vestiges of Jim Crow, which still haunt our voting system. There is no reason why, in 2018, felons are banned for life for voting. This policy

is thinly veiled racism, which targets communities of color and discourages reintegration into society as a whole. Convicted felons, who have already paid the price for their crimes, should not continue to be punished until the day they die.

Being a felon does not lower the value of their human life.

Their voice and vote matters.

Lastly, election day should be declared a national holiday. Schools and businesses should be closed for the duration of the day. Too many of our most vulnerable communities are kept from voting by having to work multiple jobs. Voting should not be a reserved privilege for those who can afford to take time off of work. Specifically, voting is something to be cele-

brated and encouraged by the federal government. If election day were a holiday, there would not be an excuse for anyone to not vote.

Any of these reforms or any combination of these reforms could vastly improve our democratic processes. It should be a priority of our local and national leaders to enact legislation which encourages all citizens to vote.

Many politicians are more concerned with gathering voters to maintain their positions than they are with getting more people to vote. I would encourage you to, first of all, vote, but secondly, contact your legislators throughout the state and national government to advocate for these changes.

ended up becoming so passionate about languages, that I even added a third: Latin.

Once elementary school Madeline turned into high school Madeline, the appreciation grew even further.

Not only does knowing a second language enhance one’s listening skills and memory, but it also improves the knowledge of one’s own language. Everyone tells you that you’re more likely to be hired for jobs if you know a second language, but I’d argue the cultural awareness that comes with knowing a second language is even more valuable.

It can be hard to push yourself outside of your

comfort zone, but by choosing to learn a second language you choose to do just that. Not only do you begin to learn words outside of your native tongue, but you also begin to learn and understand a culture not native to you.

It is ignorant to assume that we can live our lives, and travel all parts of the world, expecting people to know our native tongue where we go. Part of knowing other languages is meeting other cultures and people groups in the middle. The ability to communicate through dignifies and provides respect, which is vital to appreciating all humans on this earth.

Language impacts the daily lives of people across the earth, regardless of gender, race, background, social class or age. Most studies show that over 40 percent of the world is bilingual, showing the importance that most other countries place on knowing multiple languages.

The West is not excluded from this, even though often English-speaking countries tend to think that they are.

Charlemagne once said: “To have another language is to possess a second soul.” Think of the skills and talents you already possess. By adding the technical skill of another language, you mul-

tiply your impact across the world, and beyond that, open yourself up to knowing the hearts and minds of others different than you. We are called to understand the souls of others, especially as Christians, so how are we to do this if we cannot communicate with people outside of our own culture?

It’s never too late, soI’d encourage anyone to consider learning another language. Not only does it provide more opportunities in your career and academia, but it also skyrockets one’s growth and understanding as a person in the scheme of a global world.

Why being multilingual is vital in modern times MADS AT ACU MADELINE DAYTON COLUMNIST

Senior business management and global studies major from Katy When I was little, my parents sat me down and explained to me that they wanted me to learn a second language.

At the time, I remember sixyear-old me kind of rolling my eyes because if I knew English, what was the point?

I told myself that I already knew how to read, talk and get my point across (pretty passionately at that, if we’re honest). As a 1st grader, I was unable to see the val-

ue that a second language would provide throughout my life.

However, parents usually win, so I started to learn Spanish that year, and found that I actually loved it. Don’t get me wrong, at first it was hard. It can be unnatural, and requires time and commitment. But since my parents encouraged me to learn a second language so young, it became natural to me. I

Taentedah @Taenjohnson One of the best parts of a wedding is watching the faces of the horrified conservative grandmas when everyone is dancing

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.

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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.

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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

Sophie @sophiemckaye My roommate told me I looked like Dwight today. I then realized there’s a fine line between having bangs and wearing neutral colors, and looking like a beet farmer.

Carlee Stapp @CarleeStapp you don’t know true loneliness until you walk around campus and have people walk in the opposite direction so they don’t have to greet u #ifyouknowyouknow #acudifference

THE

Ty Kelley @ty_kelley_ I JUST WANT TO RUN AWAY FROM ALL OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES AND GO TO SLEEP.

O PTI M I ST

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Sports | Page 6

Friday, October 05, 2018

VOLLEYBALL

Smith reaches 1,000 career kills against UIW LEXI KIRGAN SPORTS REPORTER

Senior outside hitter Jacey Smith reached 1,000 career kills Saturday in an incredible comeback victory over Incarnate Word.

ACU ended up winning the game after falling in the first two sets.

The Cardinals won the first two sets 27-25 and 2826, but the Wildcats responded with 27-25, 25-21 wins in the third and fourth.

In the final frame, the Wildcats won with a convincing 15-6 score to spoil the 2-0 start by UIW. Smith not only reached 1,000 kills, but also played a key role in the game with 25 total kills.

Katelyn Mueller, sophomore outside hitter, said it was big for her team to pull through and get the win after being down the first two sets.

“It was a great feeling to pull out that win since we had to work so hard to fight back from our rough start,” Mueller said. “We got the win and learned from the struggle, so hopefully we can take that and be better as we continue in conference.”

Mueller had 15 kills, two aces and two blocks to contribute to Saturday’s win.

The Wildcats are cur-

STANDINGS Volleyball Team

Ovrl. Div.

SFA ACU UNO UCA SHSU NWSU TAMU-CC UIW McNeese HBU Lamar Nicholls McNeese

17-2 6-9 10-9 13-4 10-5 6-8 3-14 4-11 3-15 1-11 8-10 3-15 1-15

Soccer

Team

Ovrl.

HBU Lamar ACU UCA SELU TAMU-CC McNeese SFA UIW NWSU SHSU Nicholls

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

4-0 3-0 4-1 3-1 2-1 2-2 2-2 2-3 1-2 1-3 1-3 1-4 0-4

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

Football

Team

Ovrl.

FOOTBALL

McNeese UIW Nicholls SELU UCA NWSU SHSU ACU SFA HBU Lamar

4-1 2-2 3-2 2-3 2-2 2-2 2-2 2-3 1-3 1-3 1-4

Wildcats prepare for road challenge against No. 10 McNeese

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The football team is faced with a road tester against FCS No. 10 McNeese after a tough two-game losing streak.

McNeese is 3-0 in conference play with wins over Houston Baptist, Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin. Overall, the team is 4-1 with a win against Northern Colorado and a 30-3 loss to a talented BYU squad.

ACU is in search of its second conference victory after starting off 1-2 in Southland play. The Wildcats began with a 38-13 win over Houston Baptist and were defeated 24-21

Senior Jacey Smith rejoices in victory when she reaches 1000 kills in the game against UIW last Saturday.

rently 6-9 overall, but are 3-0 in conference this season ranking them second in the Southland Conference standings under SFA, who is 4-0.

Lauren Walker, senior middle blocker for

by SFA and 44-34 by Incarnate Word ever since.

McNeese comes into the game as the highest nationally ranked team in the Southland Conference. They also have the top defense in the conference giving up 1635 yards over five matchups this season and allowing 327 yards per game.

Head coach Adam Dorrel said playing the Cowboys will be tough, but his team is prepared for the challenge.

“We’ve got a lot of challenges Saturday, I think for us we’re excited for the opportunity to go compete against a national opponent and we’re just trying to get back out there and compete at the highest lev-

the Wildcats had 10 kills, two aces and three blocks against the Cardinals. She said being 3-0 in conference right now is awesome and super motivating.

“It feels great. We still have a long way to go, but

el we can,” Dorrel said.

Looking at the McNeese offense, the team has averaged 21.6 points per game as well as an average of 317.2 yards ranking second to last in both categories.

Senior linebacker B.J. Blunt and the defense have bailed the offense out this season allowing only 18 points per game in three conference matchups. Blunt has been the outright leader on his team so far this season making 36 tackles, 11.5 for a loss and seven sacks.

Offensively, senior quarterback James Tabary leads the Cowboys under center with 893 yards and seven

we are seeing the seeds of our hard work grow early, so it’s a motivator to keep pushing ahead,” Walker said. “The team energy is great right now. Very encouraging. We continue to all challenge each other and

touchdowns on the year.

Despite a disappointing last two weeks, the Wildcats run the leading offense in the Southland conference after five weeks. ACU has totalled 2480 yards and 496 per game placing them first overall in each category.

They’re also second in the conference with 161 total points and 32.2 per game.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony continues to man the top Southland offense with 1476 yards and 11 touchdown passes on the year.

Running backs junior transfer Billy McCrary and redshirt junior Tracy James lead the rushing attack with 747 of the 977

that is what we need.”

The Wildcats will be on the road once again to take on Sam Houston State for their fourth Southland opponent. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

total running yards. McCrary, however, has the advantage in scoring so far this season with five rushing touchdowns and one receiving as well.

Defensively, junior linebacker Jeremiah Chambers continues to lead the defense with 47 tackles, three shy of his season total from last year. The Wildcats have allowed 2021 yards overall on defense this season and rank fourth in the conference with an average of 404.2 yards per game.

Gametime is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday in Lake Charles at Cowboy Stadium. Coverage can be heard on 98.1 FM.

FOOTBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW

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

Football

Anthony Although the Wildcats lost to Incarnate Word last Saturday, the team is the top offense in the Southland Conference with 2480 total yards and an average of 496 per game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony has lead his squad with 1476 yards passing and 11 touchdowns.

He also has one rushing touchdown from when he snuck one yard for a score against Angelo State.

Cross Country

2018 SEASON

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

161

POINTS

108

977

RUSHING YARDS

647

1503

PASSING YARDS

935

160

POINTS ALLOWED

98

(2–3)

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

RACHEL POE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

I’m torn because the Wildcats have fallen short of a win the last two games.

Each contest could have been won if the team would have f ixed one simple mistake including missed f ield goals and little mistakes on defense. My conf idence in the Wildcats has gone down after a devastating loss to SFA and a disappointing game against UIW in which ACU had a rough third quarter to eventually lose the game. It doesn’t get much better as the Wildcats go to Louisiana and face McNeese, the tenth ranked team in FCS. The Cowboys have given up 19.6 points per game so far, which includes a 30-3 loss to a talented BYU team. They rank f irst in yards given up and yards per game defensively. If the ACU offense can f igure out a way to get through the brick wall that is the McNeese defense, they can maybe f igure out a way to come out on top. With how strong the Cowboys have played, however, I think they wear out the Wildcat offense and get a victory on their home f ield.

ACU fans have started to lose hope in their Wildcats after the past two games.

There is no doubt that ACU could have won the past two games, if they had showed up to play both offensively and defensively. This Saturday the Wildcats will travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana to face McNeese at 6 p.m. Not only is McNeese ranked nationally, but they have beaten the past two teams that we lost to the last two weeks. Saturday’s game is going to be tough competition for the Wildcats as McNeese is ranked fairly high in the Southland Conference and their defense is so strong. McNeese’s defense is going to make it very challenging` for Luke Anthony and his offense to score. The Wildcats will run a few plays and get some points on the scoreboard, but I do not believe they will be returning back to Abilene with a win.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 10 MSU 31

FINAL SCORE: ACU 17 MSU 42

MADISON CRITES SPORTS REPORTER

The Wildcats are going on the road coming off their second consecutive loss this time against UIW. As a fan I’m starting to lose hope in what seemed like a successful season. This weeks game isn’t going to bring much hope back for Wildcat fans. With McNeese being nationally ranked and having beaten teams ACU has lost to such as SFA, there is a high chance they are planning on a win against us. Being at the top of the Southland Conference and coming off various wins, the Wildcat offense will have a hard time going up against such a strong defense. I hope whatever the outcome, that ACU chooses to use it as motivation to prepare for next week’s homecoming game.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 17 MSU 42

Arteaga

McNEESE STATUNIVERSITY (4–1)

BRIAN SWEET SPORTS REPORTER

This game is going to be a barn-burner because McNeese is one of the best teams in the FCS. I’ve watched this team the past two weeks on ESPN+ and they are unstoppable on both sides of the ball. Their unpredictable run and gun out of Shotgun and Pistol offense is just destroying teams left and right in the Southland this year. McNeese’s defense can easily disguise their Blitz scheme and its basically unreadable for any quarterback, including Luke Anthony. For the ACU offense this week, the small play action passes are not going to cut it for ACU. Southland teams are starting to pick up on how we are using our three running backs to the point that they are able to hold them to minimum gains. On the defensive side of the ball for ACU, I don’t think the Zone defense is going to hold McNeese at bay. The only thing I see ACU getting out of this game is motivation to take on Southland Powerhouse Nicholls State for homecoming weekend on ACU’s campus.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 14 MSU 51

Sophomore midfielder/ forward Christina Arteaga helped her team to a 3-0 win against Northwestern State for its eighth overall and third conference victory of the season. She assisted on the first goal of the game and scored the third to put the match away. Arteaga and the Wildcats host Texas A&M Corpus Christi for their next game Friday at 7 p.m.

Volleyball

Smith

Senior outside hitter Jacey Smith reached a career milestone earning 1,000 kills against Incarnate Word last Saturday.

Her 25 kills in the game helped the Wildcats comeback to win three sets to two after dropping the f irst two sets. The win also gave the team a 3-0 record to start conference play. ACU will next face Sam Houston State on the road at 1 p.m.

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