Vol. 94, No. 20 1 section, 8 pages
FRIDAY
October 28, 2005
www.acuoptimist.com
Comedy on campus
A fresh start
‘Elizabethtown’ sinks
Traveling comedians will offer students a chance to laugh Monday, page 3
Bird gets his first start as quarterback against Texas A&M-Kingsville, page 8
Crowe’s latest box-office hit misses the mark with Garden State similarities, page 5
Sub T-16 suspended for two years Pulitzer n Men’s social club Sub T-16 is the third club this semester to be suspended or put on probation because of illegal or inappropriate pledging activities. By JONATHAN SMITH Editor in Chief
The university placed the men’s social club Sub T-16 on a two-year suspension Oct. 13 after an investigation into alleged hazing violations during pledging activities.
Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, said the suspension will mean Sub T will not be recognized or even exist as an official club on campus. It will not be able to participate as a club in activities such as pledging, intramural sports and Sing Song. Barnard and Jimmy Ellison, chief of ACU Police, who had been conducting the investigation into the club activities, met with Sub T to announce the suspension. “Asking how the meeting
went would be like asking a bereaved family how the funeral was,” Ellison said. “It was certainly not news that the Sub T membership wanted to hear, but they asked some good questions, vented some understandable frustrations and disappointment to Dean Barnard, but overall handled themselves as best as could be expected.” Chad English, member of Sub T and junior management major from Dallas,
said the announcement came as a big surprise, and the club decided to appeal the decision to Dr. Royce Money, president of the university. However, Barnard said Money announced Monday that he upheld the club’s suspension. English said the club as a whole had not discussed what it would do now that it was suspended. See
Social Club Suspensions • Women’s club Delta Theta was suspended in October for the fall semester • Men’s club Galaxy was put on probation for the academic year •Men’s club Sub T-16 was suspended for two years after alleged hazing complaints
HAZING page 7
winner to speak on campus n David Leeson, an alumnus, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 for his photography in Iraq and will speak on campus and assist with FilmFest on Nov. 4-5. By LAUREN SUTTON Student Reporter
Students will have the opportunity to see and listen to Pulitzer Prize winner and ACU alumnus David Leeson, who will visit campus to talk about his award-winning work, participate in a symposium and take part in FilmFest on Nov. 4-5. After he helps judge films and present awards at FilmFest on Nov. 4, Leeson will participate in a symposium at 10 a.m. Saturday morning in Mabee Business Building, Room 115, which is open to students and faculty. At 7:30 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium, Leeson will talk about his experiences in Iraq and New Orleans, where he covered Hurricane Katrina. The theme of his talk is “The Future is Now,” and students are invited. “David provides a really unique window into our world,” said Doug Darby, creative See
LEESON page 7
Students feel frustrated with registration BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Demetrius Collins, class of 2005 and former member of Gamma Sigma Phi, and Justin Scott, senior political science major from White House, also a member of GSP, applaud Kevin Christian, class of 2000, as he announces his candidacy for the District 71 Texas House of Representative seat Thursday at Region 14 Educational Center.
By LUKE HARRIS
Stepping out on his own n Kevin Christian, class of 2000, announced his candidacy for the District 71 Texas House of Representative seat to replace Rep. Bob Hunter, chancellor emeritus. By JACI SCHNEIDER Opinion Editor
An ACU alumnus announced he will run for Texas State Representative for District 71 Thursday. Kevin Christian, class of 2000, will campaign to fill the seat of Rep. Bob Hunter, chancellor emeritus, for the Republican primary election in March.
Christian graduated with a degree in political science from ACU before attending the University of Texas School of Law. While a student, Christian was a Pope Fellow, a member of the men’s social club Gamma Sigma Phi and worked for Hunter, he said. Men from GSP attended Christian’s announcement Thursday to show their support of his campaign. In Christian’s announcement, he said he knows what it takes to get the job done in Austin. He said he has the experience needed to serve the district.
“My experience has prepared me to be a good representative of West Texas values in Austin,” Christian said in his speech. He said West Texans want someone who will support public schools, create jobs and economic prosperity, reform the tax system, conserve Christian values and bolster the Texas Equalization Grant. According to Christian’s biography, he served as Hunter’s chief of staff and executive director for Gov. Rick Perry’s West Texas Office of Economic Development and Tourism. He also has a part-time law practice in
MSNBC anchor reschedules event n Holt, MSNBC anchor, will speak Dec. 1 as part of the Centennial Speaker Series after he postponed his speaking engagement on Sept. 22 because of the hurricane. By MALLORY SHERWOOD Managing Editor
Lester Holt, MSNBC anchor, rescheduled his speaking engagement for Dec. 1 after postponing his original speaking date on Sept. 22, when Hurricane Katrina hit Galveston. Holt was supposed to be the first speaker in the Centennial Speaker Series, but
will now follow Pat Summerall, former NFL announcer, who is scheduled to speak Nov. 8 and Dr. Kenneth Elzinga, professor of economics at the University of Virginia, who spoke on Sept. 26. Holt cancelled his arrival to Abilene after airports in the Gulf region were closed because of Hurricane Katrina. Jennifer Ellison, Centennial activities coordinator, said the Centennial committee has asked Holt to follow the same schedule as in SepSee
HOLT page 7
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Staff Writer
Abilene. Hunter announced earlier this month that he would not run for re-election for the office he has served in for more than 20 years because he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His term ends in January 2007. Christian called Hunter a “mentor and friend,” and said he learned a lot from him while working in his office. “Bob Hunter is the consummate statesman, and I am so thankful for my relationship with him,” Christian said. See
n Registration causes students problems again this year, although changes have been made to make the system work smoother, Kevin Roberts said.
Students all over campus logged onto the Banner Web page from my.acu.edu to register for classes on past Wednesdays. Many logged on at 3 p.m., put in their course registration numbers and registered for the classes they wanted to take for the spring semester. Some students, however, were not so lucky. Some found it difficult to get the classes they wanted, and while others couldn’t even get past the first page. Chris Lee, senior biology major from Abilene, said he was frustrated with the registration process at the university, and he said in four years of going to school here, he has never had a easy experience with the registration process. Lee said he knows it would be hard to have several people signing on at the same time to register, but he thinks as though the school, having given students a set time to register, should be more prepared.
RACE page 7
See
CLASSES page 7
Sing Song hosts announced n Rehearsals begin next week for the six students recently named Sing Song host and hostesses for the 50th anniversary Sing Song on Feb. 17-18. By SARAH CARLSON
Upcoming Centennial Speakers • Pat Summerall, NFL broadcaster for CBS, on Nov. 8 • Lester Holt, MSNBC anchor on Dec. 1 • Kathleen Norris, awardwinning author, on Feb. 27 • Dr. Stephen Carter, a William Nelson Cromwell professor of law at Yale University, on March 30
Arts Editor
Will Smyth sat on the tailgate of his pickup truck, staring at his cell phone and praying it wouldn’t ring. Smyth, senior youth and family ministry major from Fort Worth, had heard if you receive a phone call, it means you didn’t make it as a Sing Song host or hostess. So he sat on his truck in the late hours last Wednesday night, until about 1:30 a.m.
when a car pulled up outside his house. People jumped out of the car, screaming at him and then kidnapping him. Smyth had been chosen as a host, along with two other men and three women, for Sing Song 2006, titled “The 50th Show” and was off to meet his fellow hosts. “I was shocked,” Smyth said. The other hosts and hostesses are Crystal Hughes, junior human communication major from Frisco; Jenna Lucado, senior integrated marketing and communication major from San Antonio; Ragan Rhodes, junior interdisciplinary major from Fort Worth; Shannon Bailey, se-
Abilene Christian University
nior management major from Corsicana; and Josh Castle, junior music teaching major from Overland Park, Kan. Sing Song will be Feb. 1718, with one show at 8 p.m. Friday and shows at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for the first two shows range from $14-18, while Saturday’s tickets are $20. Smyth said auditions for host last week went well, and he is excited to be working with the other hosts. “I went into it to just sing from my heart and have fun with it, and it was a great experience,” Smyth said. “I love singing, and I love using what See
HOSTS page 7
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