Vol. 94, No. 53 1 section, 8 pages
WEDNESDAY May 3, 2006
www.acuoptimist.com
Let’s play ball
Weathering the climate
Bearing down
ACU will play host to the regional tournament this weekend, page 8
Texas weather has made Abilene, warm, hot, cold and rainy in a matter of weeks, page 3
The Chicago Bears drafted Danieal Manning with the 42nd pick, page 8
Pledging rules to remain same n With school beginning a week later than normal, students will begin receiving information about pledging the first week of classes and have rushes the second week. By MALLORY SHERWOOD Managing Editor
Despite rumors that the social club pledging process would drastically change this fall, nothing will change ex-
cept that initial events will happen much sooner in the semester than normal. Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, said because the fall semester begins later than usual, advisers and administrators had discussed cutting pledging down to three and a half weeks instead of four and a half. He said the shorter pledging process would be necessary to have pledging
end by fall break. But after meeting with social club officers throughout April, administrators, club presidents and advisers worked on a new schedule to keep pledging at four and a half weeks. Now pledging activities, such as open rushes and the women’s tea, will begin the first week of school. This year, pledging activities will begin Aug. 29 on the
second day of classes. Students interested in pledging will go through open rushes the second week of school and then the women’s social club tea will take place the following weekend. Hannah Williams, Sigma Theta Chi president, said club presidents were surprised that the pledging process See
Brian Schmidt/File photo
Pledging events like this Gamma Sigma Phi tradition should not have to change next year because pledging rules will not be altered significantly.
PLEDGING page 5
Students gather to honor invisible children
Year-end projects come due for students
n Students from Abilene Christian and Hardin-Simmons universities worked to raise awareness about the children in Uganda in Saturday’s Global Night Commute. By DANIEL JOHNSON Staff Writer
Brian Schmidt/Chief Photographer
Alicia Floyd, Writing Center student worker and graduate student in English from San Francisco, helps Charla Presley, sophomore applied studies liberal arts major from Paris, Ill., work on a paper for her chemistry class in the Writing Center on Tuesday. Many students have papers and projects due as the last few days of classes loom and exam week approaches.
School pursues welcome center funding n The welcome center will be built in the empty lot near the university’s main entrance and University Park Apartments and is estimated to cost $14 million. By ERIC GENTRY Student Reporter
Efforts are underway to raise the necessary funds for the construction of a new welcome center on campus, said Kevin Watson, associate vice president for Administrative Services. The proposed welcome center would sit in the vacant lot south of the University Park Apartments and north of ACU’s main entrance and would serve many purposes, Watson said in an e-mail. Among those would be a welcome center for prospective students, an alumni center, a place to house the ACU Foundation, offices for recruiting and admissions personnel and the Center for Building Community offices. See
WELCOME page 5
Former student killed n Joshua Bigby, who left the university after the basketball season ended this year, died from injuries sustained in a two-car collision in Lufkin on Friday. By BRIAN HOLLAND Staff Writer
Brian Schmidt/File photo
Joshua Bigby, former student and basketball player, died Friday after being involved in a two-car collision in Lufkin.
Joshua Bigby, junior transfer student from Livingston and forward on the men’s basketball team, died late Friday after being involved in a twocar collision near Lufkin. His funeral was Monday. Bigby transferred to the
university at the beginning of this school year from Angelina Community College. But he left when the basketball season ended. Bigby’s family could not be reached for comment. According to the Department of Public Safety in Lufkin, Bigby was riding in a vehicle with 34-year-old Gwendolyn Carmier traveling west on Farm-to-Market Road 62. She drove into the path of a tractor-trailer heading north, and Bigby was not wearing a seat belt at the
time of the accident. Bigby wore No. 34 in his one season at ACU and played in 26 of the Wildcat’s 27 games during the 2005-06 school year, He averaged 6.7 points per game and 5.1 rebounds. Although his totals for the season were solid contributions to the team, he came in off the bench, backing up senior center Mauro “Blessed” Matai. Matai said Bigby was a hard worker. See
BIGBY page 5
More than 500 students from Abilene Christian and Hardin-Simmons universities took the Civil War in Northern Uganda lying down Saturday night. Students from ACU and Hardin-Simmons joined seven countries, 50 states and 136 cities in the Invisible Children Global Night Commute. The event mimicked the nightly journey that displaced Ugandan children take to avoid capture by the Lord’s Resistance Army and raised awareness for the 20-year civil war that still rages in Northern Uganda. Seth Adcock, junior youth and family ministry major from Nogal, N.M., said he participated in the commute to get a small taste of what the children experience. “Although I know this is nothing compared to what the children in Uganda really go through, I think it’s great for all of us to get out of our comfort zones,” Adcock said. Adcock and the rest of the night commuters joined the worldwide protest after being inspired by the Invisible Children documentary shown throughout Abilene in early February. Katie Barrow, freshman See
COMMUTE page 5
Galaxy raises $2,200 in Kirk Goodwin Run n Members of the club still hope to reach the goal of $2,500, and the funds will go toward helping pay medical expenses for a family in need in the Abilene community. By TAKISHA KNIGHT Page 2 Editor
The Kirk Goodwin Run raised about $2,200 to help pay the medical bills for a family in need in the Abilene community. For 22 years Galaxy has attempted to muster university and community support in the memory of Galaxy pledge, Kirk Goodwin, who died in a car accident in 1984. Goodwin’s parents usu-
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
ally attend the 5k run, to participate or show their support off the track. They support the run with contributions of their own and often supply names of families in need of help with medical bills. Shane Mayfield, senior psychology major from Texico, N.M. and director for the fundraiser, said the fundraiser went beyond the university community and received support from the Abilene community. About half of the people who signed up ran, others bought T-shirts and about 30 others showed up just to run.
Mayfield said high school track students ran for practice and charity. Students from other universities also participated. The run was set up like a race. There were divisions for men, women and older runners, and the top runners received cash prizes. There were also about 40 door prizes — mostly gift certificates that local businesses donated to the cause — given away throughout the run, he said. Although Galaxy turned up a few hundred dollars short of its goal of $2,500, Mayfield said he’s undaunted. “Every now and then we’ll have money come in a little
late, so we might get to the $2,500,” he said. He said Galaxy has no deadline for meeting the goal. The money not used is saved in an account until next year’s fundraiser, he said. Galaxy raised $1,000 selling advertisement to local businesses and companies. The ads were in the form of logos placed on the back of the T-shirts. Galaxy sold about 120 T-shirts, Mayfield said. Also, KGNZ radio station ran advertisements for supporting businesses. The Students’ Association contributed $1,200 to the cause, which Galaxy used to invest in the T-shirts.
Abilene Christian University
Stephanie Reed, senior biochemistry from Edmond, Okla., has run in the Kirk Goodwin Run twice, her freshman year and her senior year. Reed said she believes in the cause and appreciates how it unites social clubs and links the community to ACU. “I think it’s a good way to keep the Kirk Goodwin memory alive,” she said. “I think it shows club dedication to members and to the community.” While Galaxy has not found a family to donate the money to, suggestions are in the works. E-mail Knight at: tnk03a@acu.edu
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