Vol. 94, No. 46 1 section, 8 pages
FRIDAY
March 31, 2006
www.acuoptimist.com
Spring arrives
An ‘Inside’ look
The baseball team begins LSC South play this weekend against Tarleton State, page 8
Director Spike Lee captures audiences and provokes thought with his bank-heist thriller, page 5
Plane crash kills trustee member, wife n Dr. Paul Johnson, his wife and another couple were killed when the plane tried to return to the airport after experiencing difficulty early in the flight. By SARAH CARLSON Arts Editor
ACU trustee Dr. Paul Johnson was killed along with his wife, Marcia, and two others in a plane crash in the resort
town of Branson, Mo., on March 20. Johnson, 71, was piloting the twin-engine Piper Seneca on route to Lubbock, home to the Johnson’s and Bill and Betty Roach, who were flying with the couple. A memorial service for the Johnsons was Saturday at Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock. According to the Associ-
ated Press, Johnson radioed he was having difficulty with the plane shortly after it took off at 12:30 p.m. from Point Lookout, Mo., and he would try to return to the airport. The plane, carrying a full load of fuel, crashed into a building of rental storage units. None survived. “We are shocked and saddened at the news of the tragic loss of Dr. Paul and Marcia
Johnson,” Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, said in a statement. “Paul was an outstanding athlete throughout his entire life, and he was a tremendous ambassador, recruiter and trustee for his alma mater. We will truly miss this outstanding Christian couple.” Johnson and his wife, who were married in 1958, are survived by their children, Greg,
Andy and Mary, and their four grandchildren, Rachel, Cayte, Paul and Sarah. After graduating from ACU in 1957, Johnson went on to the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas in 1960, then moving into general practice in Lubbock. Johnson had been a member of the Board of Trustees See
Crash Details • Dr. Paul Johnson, board of trustee member, his wife Marcia, and Bill and Betty Roach, all from Lubbock, were killed. • The crash occurred on March 20 in Branson, Mo., when it crashed into a building of rental storage units.
JOHNSON page 7
ABC anchor to speak April 8 n Robin Roberts, news anchor of ‘Good Morning, America’ will be the sixth guest to speak about her faith in the Centennial Speaker Series. By DENTON JOSEY Student Reporter
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Dr. Stephen Carter, professor of law at Yale University, was the fifth speaker in the Centennial Speaker Series this year in celebration of the university turning 100 years old. The celebration which will last a year ends Sept. 11, 2006 and has included speakers, performers and presentations.
Carter addresses democracy issues n Dr. Stephen Carter, law professor at Yale University, spoke Wednesday to faculty and students during a luncheon in the Teague Special Events Center. By JONATHAN SMITH Editor in Chief
Dr. Stephen Carter, professor of law at Yale University, challenged attendees of the Centennial Speaker Series lun-
“Democracy itself suffers and withers when more and more people decide the most important thing is winning.” Dr. Stephen Carter, professor of law at Yale University
cheon Thursday to band together to save the nation’s democracy from being destroyed by partisanship. Carter, a legal scholar and New York Times bestselling
author, spoke in the Teague Special Events Center addressing three problems facing democracy in America today: an increased focus on the necessity of being on the winning
side of every issue, growing pressure among people of faith to exclude themselves from discussions See
CARTER page 7
The university will play host to one of ABC’s bestknown news anchors, Robin Roberts of Good Morning, America, at 7 p.m. April 8 in the Teague Special Events Center. For more than 20 years, Roberts has worked in broadcast journalism in a number of roles. During her award-winning career she has worked with ESPN and ABC News. Roberts is currently the third anchor for Good Morning, America and recently spent time with former President Bill Clinton on his trip to Africa to chronicle the country’s AIDS epidemic. Admission for the event is $10 for students and $20 for the general public; the deadline to reserve tickets is April 4. With 600 people expected to attend, Roberts has chosen to give a speech titled, “Putting Yourself in a Position for Good Things to Happen.” Jennifer Ellison, Centennial Activities coordinator, said in an e-mail that a diverse group is expected to listen to Roberts, including church groups and community
leaders in addition to students and faculty. “I definitely think she will connect with the entire audience,” Ellison said. “I think she will use humor and real-life experiences to make her presentation very personal, therefore allowing her to relate and connect with our constituents.” Throughout the year, the university has brought in speakers from a variety of backgrounds that appeal to the community, Ellison said. She also said the committee has tried to bring in speakers who are recognizable and well-known to the general public, but also hold faith as an integral part of their lives. Betsey Craig, Alumni Network coordinator, said Roberts is one of the most popular speakers to come to campus and that the turnout is expected to be highest so far this year. Ellison said the Abilene community and the ACU community are showing great support. “Robin appeals to a wide spectrum of people, and we’re expecting a wonderful turnout at her event,” Ellison said. “We’re looking forward to having her on campus and expect great things from her presentation.”
E-mail Josey at: optimist@acu.edu
SA narrowly passes bylaws
Education chair accepts new post
n Low attendance during the SA meeting forced a unanimous vote to approve bylaws, which explain duties of Congress members and set election dates.
n Dr. Jerry Whitworth, chair of the Department of Education, has accepted a new position at Texas Woman’s University that will begin next semester.
By JONATHAN SMITH Editor in Chief
Congress put itself at the mercy of a single “no” vote Wednesday when just enough people attended its weekly meeting to pass a new set of bylaws for Congress. Approving the new set of bylaws, which detail such things as the duties of members of Congress and specify when elections take place, requires approval of two-thirds of the entire Congress. With only 29 out of 51 members finally attending the meeting and five voting absentee, the vote required unanimous support of
all those present for approval. Congress eventually approved the bylaws, but not before having to call several members of Congress after the meeting had begun to convince them to attend so that enough people would be present even to vote on the measure. The new set of bylaws, written to coincide with the new constitution students ratified a week ago, made only one significant change from the previous set of bylaws. All elections for voting members of Congress, which excludes executive officers, now will take place in the fall. Executive officer elections still will occur in the spring. Sophomore Sen. Brandon Smith proposed the change, which moves class senator See SA page 7
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
By JACI SCHNEIDER Copy Editor
Brian Schmidt/Chief Photographer
Christopher Smith, Foster Science Building Rep., explains and defends amendments he proposed to the bylaws to the rest of Congress during Wednesday’s meeting to approve new bylaws.
After serving as chair of the Department of Education for nine years, Dr. Jerry Whitworth will move to Texas Woman’s University next semester. Although Whitworth was a candidate to be dean of the new College of Education and Human Service at ACU, he said he will fill the position of associate dean of the College of Professional Education at Texas Woman’s, which has about the same enrollment at ACU, but a larger graduate program. “I’m really impressed with Texas Woman’s,” Whitworth said. “It will provide
Abilene Christian University
me with lots of professional opportunities and opportunities to grow.” Although Whitworth said he will miss the students at ACU after his 10 years, he said he feels like it’s time for him to move on, especially considering the Department of Education will no longer exist in the same form once the new Whitworth college opens next fall. “I’ve been here 10 years, and it seemed like I was ready for a change,” Whitworth said. “If I stayed, my job would change anyway.” In his new position at Texas Woman’s in Denton, Whitworth See
WHITWORTH page 7
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