WEDNESDAY
September 7, 2005
Optimist the
Vol. 94, No. 6 1 section, 10 pages www.acuoptimist.com
Stumbling block
Business down under
Setting up shop
Wildcats lose season opener on Saturday 49-37, page 10
International business class offered in Australia during Christmas, page 4
The university markets Centennial merchandise, page 8
Hurricane victims remembered n Students from the New Orleans area struggle with being away from friends and family and watching news coverage on television. By BRIAN SCHMIDT Chief Photographer
Shannon Williamson’s home in New Orleans is under more than 15 feet of water, and her family is living in a hotel in Baton Rouge, La., but she knows she is just one of millions of Americans affected by Hurricane Katrina. She is one of the several victims of the hurricane who are in Abilene, struggling to get their lives back, hundreds of miles away from home, or what was home. Some are from the New Orleans area, the city with some of the most severe damage, which was mostly caused by flooding. A large portion of the city is still under water, which is essentially turning into toxic waste with the combination of chemicals, oil and gas, and human waste, and can’t be drained for at least a month because the pumps have been damaged, according to CNN.com. As students from the New Orleans area struggle with the destruction throughout most of the city, they slowly receive more information about the conditions of their homes, neighborhoods and location of their families. Williamson, sophomore biology major, said her family, which lives in the upper Ninth Ward in eastern New Orleans, the city’s hardest hit section, evacuated before the hurricane arrived. “The estimate is that my house is under 15 to 20 feet of water,” she said. “I can’t stop watching the news; I can’t really focus at all.
n With limited spaces available for pledges in larger social clubs, the administration and officers are making efforts to generate more interest in other clubs. By TIFFANY TAYLOR Features Editor
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
See
HURRICANE page 7
Amy Simpson, junior theatre major from Denver, and Mei Cher Ng, junior communication major from Penang, Malaysia, worship during Tuesday’s Chapel, which was dedicated to reflection about those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Special Chapel relief collection exceeds $5,000 By SARAH CARLSON Arts Editor
The university community raised $5,001.18 in Chapel on Tuesday to be given to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and more than 300 evacuees are expected to arrive in Abilene during the next few days. The empty Wal-Mart store on Judge Ely Boulevard is
Centennial speakers To help celebrate the centennial year, the university will bring in eight speakers throughout the year. Speakers this semester include: • Lester Holt, MSNBC anchor, 7 p.m. Sept. 22., Abilene Civic Center. • Dr. Kenneth Elzinga, University of Virginia economics professor, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26., Hart Auditorium. • Pat Summerall, NFL broadcaster for CBS, 11:45 a.m. Nov. 8., Teague Special Events Center.
Women asked to look at small clubs
being cleaned out and prepared to initially house the refugees while they can be screened for health, psychological and spiritual issues, if they have children and a basic of record of who they are and where they are from, said Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life. Already, more than 100 students have been selected as
captains to lead teams of 20 people to work in shifts in helping the city and the university prepare for the evacuees. Those interested in joining a team can contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout. Barnard said he was not See
COLLECTION page 7
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Maher Saab, junior political science major from Abilene, collects donations from students after Chapel on Tuesday.
Women’s social clubs have united this year to support the smaller women’s club struggling to attract new rushees. Larger social clubs, such as Sigma Theta Chi and Ko Jo Kai, have begun encouraging women to give every club a chance, said Meg Goggin, senior history major form Fort Worth and President of Ko Jo Kai. “This year we’re doing a lot more. We’re trying to even the playing field,” Goggin said. “We’re trying to encourage girls to look at every club.” Invitations, which were given Thursday to women rushees, included a sheet of paper inviting women to an event in the Living Room. The event, which featured a representative from each club, was meant for women who needed to make decisions after not receiving an invitation from their favorite social club. “The purpose and idea behind that was, even if you didn’t get your first choice, come and see other people who didn’t get their first choice and maybe you’ll like what these other clubs have to offer,” said Mike Spell, advisor of social clubs. Smaller clubs offer opportunities for more community and leadership possibilities, Spell said. “Not every club wants to be huge and monstrous,” Spell said. Spell said he wanted women to attend, realize some of their friends were unhappy with their invitations and decide to make club a fun experience by joining with one of these friends. However, no women attended the event. Although he could only speculate, Spell said the women may have found the Living Room too public of a place. In addition, the event was held only five hours after women received their first invitation, leaving See
CLUBS page 7
University invites eight Centennial speakers n Lester Holt, anchorman for MSNBC, will begin the speaker series 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Abilene Civic Center, and students can purchase tickets for $10. By SARAH CARLSON Arts Editor
The Centennial Speaker series, which consists of eight professionals who will come to campus to speak about their respective careers and lives, is an opportunity to bring a variety of perspectives to campus during the “mile-
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
stone” celebration said Amber Peck, director of Alumni Relations, in an e-mail. “They will talk about their unique experiences in their realms of expertise and provide opportunities for us to broaden our horizons,” Peck said. “A variety of speakers also provides opportunities for people from the community to join us.” Lester Holt, MSNBC anchor, will inaugurate the series at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Abilene Civic Center. Holt has covered major news events rang-
ing from Operation Iraqi Freedom, the war in Afghanistan and served as the lead daytime anchor on MSNBC for the 2000 presidential election. Holt earned the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award in 1990 for his Peck work on “48 Hours: No Place Like Home.” Holt is a member of the Manhattan Church of Christ and
utilizes his faith in the media, Peck said. The President’s Council on the Centennial and members of the Special Events Task Force initially brainstormed possible speakers, Peck said, narrowing their preferences while Alumni Relations began contacting booking agents to check for availability and fees. The council chose speakers for various reasons, Peck said, depending on who interested the team, who was available and who was affordable. “We wanted to bring in
Abilene Christian University
people with something interesting or valuable to share,” Peck said. Pat Summerall, NFL broadcaster for CBS, is third in the series and is someone whom a Board of Trustees member knew, Peck said. She said the member recommended Summerall, saying he had a great story, including a major struggle with alcohol and a liver transplant, and the member could help arrange to bring him to campus. Summerall See
SPEAKERS page 7
Serving the ACU community since 1912